Image: WWE
About This Quiz
The 80s were truly a glorious time in American culture: Madonna, sweatbands, Cabbage Patch Kids and of course, WRESTLING! Nothing captured the hearts and minds of the young and old quite like wrestling. Sporting an unparalleled combination of rugged physiques, acrobatic feats and bombastic personalities, 80s wrestling was a show unlike any other, one whose legacy lingers well into the wrestling of today. Â
With its larger than life characters, its choreographed, shamelessly over the top violence and enough plot twists to give any soap opera worth its salt a run for its money, World Wrestling Entertainment, then known as the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), brought its unique blend of high octane insanity into millions of delighted homes each and every week.
Wrestling was an inescapable part of the 80s, and for good reason. For fans, it wasn’t just a sport, it was a way of life; its performers were not mere professional wrestlers, but unmitigated superstars. Many wrestlers branched well outside the ring into every other nook and cranny of the 80s pop culture media landscape, from film, to music, to toys and beyond.
So, think you can identify these 80s wrestling heavyweights? Then get in the ring and show us what you’re made of. Talk trash, strut your stuff, and remember, it’s not over until it’s over. What'cha gonna do when this 80s wrestling quiz runs wild all over you?
Let’s go!
WWE
Known for his "Common Man" appearance and personality, who was this wrestler?
Ric Flair
Paul Orndorff
Big Boss Man
Dusty Rhodes
He was billed as the son of a plumber and nicknamed "The American Dream". Vince McMahon once remarked that no wrestler "personified the essence of charisma quite like Dusty Rhodes".
WWE
This muscled barbarian went by the ring name of...?
Roddy Piper
Hercules
Hercules was not only a wrestler, but a famed bodybuilder in his day. He started his career in 1981 and retired in 1999.
Mr. Perfect
Jim Duggan
Wiki Commons by John McKeon
Hands up, punk! Who was this "arresting" wrestler?
Sgt. Slaughter
Roddy Piper
Big Boss Man
Big Boss Man, real name Ray Washington Traylor Jr., had a career as an actual prison guard prior to wrestling. His post-match routine often included handcuffing his defeated opponents to the ring and beating them with a nightstick or ball and chain. He was part of a team with fellow wrestler One Man Gang called The Twin Towers.
Danny Davis
Advertisement
WWE
What was the name of this "wonderful" wrestler?
Greg Valentine
Ricky Steamboat
Bob Backlund
Paul Orndorff
"Mr. Wonderful", Paul Orndorff, was managed for a time by "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, who coined his nickname. He had a high-profile feud for a time with none other than Hulk Hogan in 1985.
WWE
Who was this notorious ringside warrior?
Big John Studd
Big John Stud was known for bringing a stretcher to the ring and beating his opponents so badly they'd have to be taken out on it. He famously feuded with André the Giant.
Don Muraco
Big Boss Man
Brutus Beefcake
WWE
This wrestler, known for his Hawaiian origins, was called what?
Butch Reed
Yokozuna
The Grand Wizard
Don Muraco
Don Muraco's audiences regularly mocked him for his Hawaiian origins with derisive chants of "beach bum." He was also known as "The Rock." No, not Dwayne Johnson.
Advertisement
WWE
This wrestler really brought the hammer down. What was his name?
Virgil
Jim Neidhart
Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart, a two-time WWF Tag Team Champion with Bret Hart, also appeared on the reality television show "Total Divas" with his daughter, Natalya Neidhart. He was closely involved with The Hart Foundation for a time.
Lanny Poffo
Rocky Johnson
WWE
Not just a wrestler, he was considered by some to be the greatest professional wrestling manager of all time. Who was he?
Rick Martel
Koko B. Ware
Bobby Heenan
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, known for managing "villainous" wrestlers, most notably King Kong Bundy and André the Giant in WWF main event matches with Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania 2 and WrestleMania III. He also served as an on-screen commentator, most notably alongside Gorilla Monsoon.
Big John Studd
WWE
Once dubbed Wrestling Observer Newsletter's Most Overrated Wrestler of 1983, who is this man?
Bob Backlund
Bob Backlund, who sustained a stage injury in 1983 when The Iron Sheik assaulted him with a Persian club. At one point he changed his image by cutting his moppish hair into a crewcut, wearing amateur wrestling singlets, and losing muscle mass and definition.
Dino Bravo
Bad News Brown
Jimmy Hart
Advertisement
WWE
This "beast" of a man went by what name?
George Steele
George "The Animal" Steele, who, along with wrestling, also had a stint as an actor, most notably in the Tim Burton movie Ed Wood. He would often behave wildly in the ring, tearing up the turnbuckle with his teeth and using the stuffing as a weapon.
André the Giant
King Kong Bundy
Gorilla Monsoon
WWE
What is the name of this "kingly" wrestler?
Ken Patera
Tony Atlas
Harley Race
Harley Race, one of the few wrestlers to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, the NWA Hall of Fame, the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame,
The Warlord
WWE
A loyal 80s comrade, who was this wrestler?
The Iron Sheik
Nikolai Volkoff
Nikolai Volkoff was known for teaming with The Iron Sheik, with whom he won the WWF Tag Team Championship at the inaugural WrestleMania event, and later with Boris Zhukov as The Bolsheviks.
Sgt. Slaughter
Big Boss Man
Advertisement
WWE
Yee-ha! This fun southern wrestler went by what name?
Jim Duggan
Junkyard Dog
George "The Animal" Steele
Hillbilly Jim
His theme music was a folksy barn dance tune called "Don't Go Messin' With a Country Boy", which he danced along to with his partners, the ring announcer and/or children from the crowd while the audience clapped along. Hillbilly Jim, initially known as Big Jim, was a fan who routinely sat in the front row of live events and eventually decided to try his hand at wrestling himself, or so the WWE legend goes...
WWE
A-ten-hut! Can you name this wrestler, soldier? What's that?! I can't hear you!
Junkyard Dog
Demolition Smash
Sgt. Slaughter
Sgt. Slaughter had his character incorporated into the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toy line. He had an ongoing feud with The Iron Sheik, whose lack of patriotism he didn't appreciate.
Big Boss Man
WWE
Sporting a brave face before his opponents, who was this mysterious wrestler?
Ric Flair
Randy Savage
Smash
The Ultimate Warrior
The Ultimate Warrior, real name James Brian Hellwig, became a two-time WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion and won the WWF World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania VI, making him the first wrestler to hold both titles concurrently. He's known for his high-energy entrances where he would run into an arena, burst into the ring, and violently shake the ropes up and down.
Advertisement
WWE
God save the Queen. What was the name of this British "bulldog" of a wrestler?
Davey Boy Smith
Davey Boy Smith, best known for wrestling with the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling under the ring name "British Bulldog." He was married to Diana Hart, sister of wrestler Bret Hart.
Roddy Piper
Ric Flair
Dynamite Kid
WWE
This "explosive" wrestler was part of a famous tag-team duo. What was his name?
The Grand Wizard
Haku
The Warlord
Ax
Ax, whose real name is William Reid Eadie, often sported clothing resembling characters from the 1981 film "Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior" and the face-paint of hard rockers KISS.
WWE
No, that's not Elvis. This impersonating wrestler went by what name?
Rick Rude
Dino Bravo
Rick Martel
The Honky Tonk Man
The Honky Tonk Man, real name Wayne Farris, held a 64-week, 454-day reign as the Intercontinental Champion, one of the longest in wrestling history. He once smashed an allegedly real guitar over wrestler Jake "The Snake" Roberts' back during a show, an incident whose legitimacy remains in dispute to this day.
Advertisement
WWE
A member of a famously "explosive" tag-team duo, who was this wrestler?
Smash
Smash, real name Barry Allen Darsow, replaced Moondog Rex as part of the tag-team duo Demolition.
Koko B. Ware
The Barbarian
Dynamite Kid
WWE
Beloved by fans throughout his career, what was the name of this wrestler?
Don Muraco
Brutus Beefcake
Tito Santana
Tito Santana, who was a two-time Intercontinental Champion, two-time Tag Team Champion, and one-time King of the Ring during his WWE career.
Greg Valentine
WWE
A man very much in his element whenever he stepped into the ring, who was he?
The Barbarian
King Kong Bundy
King Kong Bundy, real name Christopher Alan Pallies, at one time had a feud with André the Giant that culminated in a match billed "The Colossal Jostle." He would demand a five count, instead of the traditional three count, during pins to show the audience just how thoroughly he had beaten an opponent.
One Man Gang
Tony Atlas
Advertisement
WWE
This "smashing" wrestler made quite the name for himself in the 80s. Who was he?
The Ultimate Warrior
Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan, arguably one of the most famous and successful wrestlers in history. His feud with André the Giant came to a head in 1987's WrestleMania III, where he successfully defended his WWF World Heavyweight Championship title from the much larger wrestler.
Randy Savage
Mr. Perfect
WWE
With his notably extensive "body" of work, what is the name of this wrestler?
Big Boss Man
Roddy Piper
Sgt. Slaughter
Jesse Ventura
Jesse "The Body" Ventura's motto during his time in the ring was, "Win if you can, lose if you must, but always cheat!" He also served as the 38th Governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003
WWE
Known as an "assassin" in the ring, what was the name of this wrestler?
Bret Hart
Bret "The Hitman" Hart was a five-time WWF World Heavyweight Champion and two-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion over the course of his 20-plus year career. Considered one of the most widely celebrated wrestlers of all time, his catchphrase was, "The best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be".
Randy Savage
Jake Roberts
The Ultimate Warrior
Advertisement
Wiki Commons by DianesDigitals
Who was this multi-talented English wrestler?
Dynamite Kid
Dynamite Kid, real name Thomas Billington, won his first WWF match in August 1984 alongside Bret Hart. He was famed for having merged wrestling styles from Britain, Mexico, Canada and Japan.
Harley Race
Bob Backlund
Davey Boy Smith
WWE
Though not as impressive by today's monetary standards, who was this million-dollar wrestler of the 80s?
Ted DiBiase
"The Million Dollar Man", Ted DiBiase, frequently stuffed a $100 bill into the mouth of opponents whom he had used his Million Dollar Dream move on, only for his bodyguard Virgil to later retrieve the bill from the wrestler's mouth.
Jake Roberts
Jimmy Snuka
Bret Hart
WWE
Never one to be "nailed" down, who was this wrestler?
Paul Orndorff
Bob Backlund
Ted DiBiase
Greg Valentine
Greg "The Hammer" Valentine has held more than 40 championships, including the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship, WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship and WWF World Tag Team Championship. He once destroyed the Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship belt in a fit or rage at the end of a match he lost.
Advertisement
WWE
Don't look directly into his eyes! Who was this snake loving wrestler?
The Undertaker
George "The Animal" Steele
Jim Neidhart
Jake Roberts
Jake "The Snake" Roberts is often credited as popularizing DDT, a move in which the wrestler has the opponent in a front facing inverted headlock and falls down or backwards to drive the opponent's head into the mat. He also was know for bringing snakes into the ring.
WWE
This truly exceptional wrestler went by what name?
Hulk Hogan
Mr. Perfect
Mr. Perfect, real name Curtis Michael Hennig, earned his nickname for his tendency to brag about his ability to accomplish difficult tasks "perfectly." He starred in a series of clips that showed his superiority in just about everything he did.
Dynamite Kid
Adrian Adonis
WWE
Who was this enormous hulk of a man?
Hercules
King Kong Bundy
André the Giant
André the Giant had a memorable acting career, starring in such films as Conan the Destroyer and The Princess Bride. He also had a notable feud with Hulk Hogan, culminating at WrestleMania III in 1987, which had the largest recorded attendance of a live indoor event in North America at the time.
Big John Studd
Advertisement
WWE
This infamous wrestling villain went by what name?
Koko B. Ware
Irwin R. Schyster
Bad News Brown
The Iron Sheik
The Iron Sheik, real name Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri, was a character created by the WWE to instigate the animosity Americans had for the country of Iran, to great success. He had a significant rivalry with Hulk Hogan that culminated in Hogan winning his first WWF championship.
WWE
This is a tricky one. What was the name of this flamboyant, "macho" voiced wrestler?
Bret Hart
Randy Savage
Randy Savage, one of the most popular wrestlers of the 80s, was also the celebrity spokesman for Slim Jim snack foods in the mid-to-late 1990s.
Roddy Piper
The Ultimate Warrior
WWE
A "fiery" presence in the ring, what was the name of this wrestler?
Ricky Steamboat
Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat was given his "Steamboat" nickname because of his resemblance to Hawaiian wrestler Sammy Steamboat. He had a black belt in karate.
Tito Santana
The Honky Tonk Man
Davey Boy Smith
Advertisement
WWE
This often rambunctious wrestler went by what name?
Ric Flair
Dusty Rhodes
Bobby Heenan
Roddy Piper
"Rowdy" Roddy Piper, who, despite having a prominent career both in and out of the ring, never won a world championship. He starred in the 1988 cult classic film "They Live", where he had the famous line, "I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass… and I’m all out of bubblegum.â€
WWE
Ever the showman, what was the name of this "high-flying" wrestler?
Koko B. Ware
Koko B. Ware had the first televised Monday Night Raw match, fighting against Japanese sumo wrestler Yokozuna. He often came to the ring with a blue-and-yellow macaw named Frankie.
Davey Boy Smith
The Honky Tonk Man
Big Boss Man
WWE
USA! USA! Who was this "piercingly" patriotic wrestler?
Jim Duggan
"Hacksaw" Jim Duggan was the winner of the first ever Royal Rumble match in 1988. He was famed for his use of a 2x4 length plank of wood as a weapon. Hoooooooooo!
George "The Animal" Steele
Junkyard Dog
Rick Rude
Advertisement
WWE
Not one to get too "hot" under the collar, who was this wrestler?
One Man Gang
Dino Bravo
Bam Bam Bigelow
Bam Bam Bigelow, real name Scott Charles Bigelow, became a fan favorite due to his remarkable agility in the ring despite his size. He weighed nearly 400 pounds and had a flame tattoo across most of his head, which he kept shaved.
Bad News Brown
WWE
Here's one wrestler who always considered himself a "cut" above the rest. Who was he?
Ric Flair
Ax
Harley Race
Brutus Beefcake
Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake, real name Edward Harrison Leslie, became WWF World Tag Team Champion in 1985. After a match, he would often cut his defeated opponent's hair and throw handfuls of it into the air. He often fought alongside Greg "The Hammer" Valentine, a partnership that came to be known as The Dream Team.
WWE
This famously chiseled lover of women went by what name?
Mr. Perfect
Rick Rude
"Ravishing" Rick Rude, who often wore specially airbrushed tights during matches. Won the WCWA World Heavyweight Championship in 1985. He would remove his robe prior to matches while gloating about his physique, then, after victories, would kiss a woman he selected from the crowd.
Dynamite Kid
Adrian Adonis
Advertisement
WWE
This "vicious" ringside warrior was called...?
The Barbarian
The Barbarian, real name Sione Havea Vailahi, who, as part of the team The Powers of Pain, famously feuded with several other tag teams, including The Hart Foundation, The Bushwhackers and The Rockers. He was one half of the team The Powers of Pain, with wrestler The Warlord.
The Iron Sheik
Junkyard Dog
George "The Animal" Steele
You Got:
/40
WWE