From iconic matchups featuring the likes of Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, and Randy Savage, to the rise of the Ultimate Warrior and the emergence of tag team wrestling, the 1980s was a decade that truly shaped the landscape of WWE. It was an era before Raw, SmackDown, and until 1985, an era before WrestleMania.
Many of the game-changing matches that define the era still hold their place in history. Almost everyone was rooting for Hulk Hogan to defeat Andre the Giant at WrestleMania III, but that trend was not the case for every match from the decade of Thriller and Gameboys. This list will examine 10 important match results from the 1980s that left fans divided.
10 Ricky Steamboat Vs. Randy Savage - WrestleMania 3
Macho Man and Ricky Steamboat had, arguably, the greatest Intercontinental Championship match and WrestleMania match of all time. Savage planned the match move by move, and Steamboat's injury added to the drama. The match had excellent storytelling, with both wrestlers demonstrating ring psychology.
Steamboat won with a small package, taking Macho Man by surprise. Some forget that this great match ended Randy Savage's 414-day reign as champion, which was his only run with the title.
9 Hulk Hogan Vs. Randy Savage - WrestleMania 5
The showdown between Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage at WrestleMania V was the highlight of their rivalry. Adding to the drama, Miss Elizabeth was in the neutral corner. The build-up to the match was fueled by the tension between the former tag team partners as The Mega Powers dissolved.
During the match, both men showcased their signature moves, with Savage delivering a Savage Elbow, but Hogan ultimately emerged victorious, pinning Savage after a Leg Drop to claim his second WWE Title. Many fans thought this was the night that "Macho Man" should have gone over as Hulkamania was running tiresome by 1989.
8 Bruno Sammartino Vs. Larry Zbyszko - WWE Showdown At Shea
The final "Showdown at Shea" in New York featured an impressive lineup including Greg Gagne, Pat Patterson, Antonio Inoki, Andre the Giant, Hulk Hogan, Tony Atlas, Ken Patera, Bob Backlund, and Pedro Morales. The steel cage match between Sammartino and Zbyszko stole the show, with both men dominating the wrestling world in the '70s battling in 1980.
Zbyszko started strong, but Sammartino ultimately won by walking out of the cage after a brutal beatdown of his former student. Zbyszko had begun to garner heat and battled Sammartino as close as ever in this match. Bruno was also exiting his prime by 1980, which left some fans surprised that he walked out of Shea Stadium as the victor.
7 Team Hogan Vs. Team Andre - Survivor Series 1987
The 1987 Survivor Series featured a highly anticipated main event elimination match, pitting André the Giant, One Man Gang, King Kong Bundy, Butch Reed, and Rick Rude against Hulk Hogan, Paul Orndorff, Don Muraco, Ken Patera, and Bam Bam Bigelow. The match was notable for its serious tone. Hogan was eliminated via count out. Many fans assumed Team Hogan would walk out of the main event as the victors, many were divided with Andre leaving the event as the sole survivor.
6 Jimmy Snuka Vs. Don Muraco - WWE On MSG Network
During his time as Intercontinental Champion, Don Muraco had a feud with his former tag team partner, Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka, who had become a popular good guy. They had a steel cage match in October 1983 in Madison Square Garden, which Muraco won. Snuka made history by performing his Superfly Splash from the top of the cage onto Muraco after the match. Many argued that Snuka should have earned the victory by performing his Splash during the match, instead of after. Some fans even falsely assume Snuka won this match.
5 Andre The Giant Vs. Hulk Hogan - WWE The Main Event
Hogan's first WWE Championship reign was the longest of his career, lasting 1,474 days. Instead of ending his years-long title at WrestleMania or to an up-and-coming star, Hogan lost his title in a controversial match to Andre the Giant in 1988. Andre the Giant is a legendary wrestler who deserves all the praise for his success in the ring. However, his title reign was barely legitimate.
Andre was enlisted by Ted DiBiase to end Hogan's reign as champion. In the match, Hogan clearly lifted his shoulder, but the crooked referee counted three, and Andre was declared champion. Andre handed the title to DiBiase, and it was later vacated by WWE President Jack Tunney. The entire finish left fans mixed.
4 Bob Backlund Vs. Harley Race - WWE On MSG Network
The 1980 NWA vs. WWE matchup between Bob Backlund and Harley Race was a rare occurrence that will never be repeated in WWE's current monopoly on wrestling. The sold-out Madison Square Garden witnessed a brutal, back-and-forth match that lasted over 35 minutes, resulting in both men bleeding heavily.
Backlund ultimately applied a sleeper hold on Race, but Race earned a disqualification by grabbing the referee and pulling him into Backlund just seconds before possibly losing his title. Both NWA and WWE fans wanted this to go in their favor as a unified champion would have been a huge deal in this era for either wrestler or company.
3 Royal Rumble 1989
Although it was the first 30-man Royal Rumble event and WWE was still figuring things out, the surprise winner was Big John Studd, who eliminated Ted DiBiase to take the victory. Many expected Hulk Hogan or Randy Savage to win.
The stakes were not nearly as high for the Rumble in 1989 as they are in modern WWE, but most fans wanted to see a big-name star walk out as the victor. The first two Rumbles left some fans scratching their head with Jim Duggan winning the first.
2 Ultimate Warrior Vs. Honky Tonk Man - SummerSlam 1988
The Ultimate Warrior won high-profile matches on TV against Honky Tonk Man and even won the WWE Intercontinental title from the Elvis impersonator in just 31 seconds at SummerSlam 1988. Honky Tonk Man was made to look like a joke by The Ultimate Warrior. Many fans argue that Warrior's squash not only took heat off of Honky Tonk but also delegitimized his great reign as IC Champion.
1 The Iron Sheik Vs. Bob Backlund - WWE On MSG Network
Bob Backlund is an underrated WWE Champion with the second-longest reign in history at 2,135 days. He had memorable rivalries with wrestlers like Greg Valentine, Don Muraco, Sgt. Slaughter, and Jimmy Snuka. However, Vince McMahon wanted a younger and more charismatic champion in Hulk Hogan, so Backlund was forced to drop the title to Iron Sheik. Backlund was a very respected champion and his loss to the Iron Sheik was an ending some fans were not ready to see despite his long tenure as WWE Champion.