The 1980s were a watershed decade for WWE. It began with them as mostly a straight-laced wrestling company with Bob Backlund as champion. Then, Hulk Hogan took over and the company moved into a more cartoonish presentation. To many, these are the “glory days” of WWE with great action and larger-than-life characters. It was also a time when a few workers probably went further than they should have (Junkyard Dog, Honky Tonk Man and others).
Yet, it’s clear that some guys should have gone much further in WWE than they ultimately did during this period. Some were just “wrong place, wrong time,” as they would have fit better in another era. A few had the opportunities, but didn’t capitalize on them. And others were victims of WWE’s horrible characters or booking. These ten workers could have been much bigger stars in the 1980s WWE, yet didn’t get the chance to rise as they deserved, even in a beautiful decade for the company.
10 The Killer Bees
As fun as it was seeing Strike Force win the tag team titles in 1987, a few fans wished it had been the Killer Bees. B. Brian Blair and Jumping Jim Brunzell were a perfect tag team, and their high-flying antics got crowds going. Even better was the gimmick of slapping on masks to trick opponents for a win.
The Bees were still popular when WWE split them up for no reason in 1988, and both men put in bad singles runs. To waste such a famous team was a shame as the Bees could have created real buzz as tag team champions.
9 Bad News Brown
A man ahead of his time, Bad News Allen had torn it up in Stampede Wrestling with sensational battles. In WWE, he had his share of moments, like winning a Wrestlemania IV battle royal, and made it clear he had no friends.
His promos and very character were a precursor to the likes of Stone Cold Steve Austin, even with the harsh racial overtones. He had a couple of shots at the WWE title, but otherwise was placed in the midcard when his charisma and sharp style could have made him a bigger star. Leaving in 1990, Brown’s career in WWE couldn’t quite match his stellar presence.
8 Ron Garvin
While his reign was short, Ron Garvin winning the NWA World title in 1987 was still a big deal for the time. Having him in WWE should have given the midcard an experienced worker to get a good match out of anyone.
First, there was a baffling bit of having him “suspended”, and then he became a referee. His feud with Greg Valentine was boring, and Garvin himself came off as a lame presence despite his in-ring skills. He could have been a much bigger force on the midcard rather than winding his way down to nothing.
7 One Man Gang
WWE loved to push giants in the late 1980s, so the One Man Gang fit in well. While huge, he was also able to fly off the ropes for splashes, and his awesome mohawk and motorcycle motif made him look more fearsome. Having him as a powerful heel crushing everyone made sense.
What didn’t make sense was dressing him in a blue outfit as “The African Dream” and acting the part with “hip-hop dancing.” He and the Big Bossman had promise, but it was hard to buy OMG after WWE took away everything that made him a cool star.
6 Terry Funk
From his days as NWA World champion to his revival as a hardcore legend, Terry Funk proved a man who could be a star in any era... except the 1980s landscape of WWE. The wild Texan somehow never fit in despite a feud with Hulk Hogan, and later the Junkyard Dog.
“Branding” opponents had promise, yet the cartoon times meant Funk couldn’t cut loose in the ring as he should have. Even a partnership with brother Dory couldn’t do much, and it’s remarkable how Funk’s biggest mainstream presence never amounted to anything as he was just too wild to use in the ‘80s.
5 Butch Reed
An urban legend is that Butch Reed was going to win the Intercontinental title off Ricky Steamboat in June of 1987, but didn’t show up that night, so it went to the Honky Tonk Man instead. Whether that’s true or not, Reed was still a very talented worker who stood out with his blonde hair and arrogant drive, and could have been a good heel IC champion.
He really could have had a good push and some top-notch competition, but instead left in 1988 for a run in WCW where he and Ron Simmons became tag team champions. That success could have been in WWE if they’d used him right.
4 Terry Taylor
If the old story is right, it was literally a coin flip that decided Terry Taylor’s fate in WWE. He had a great pedigree as a talented worker and could have well fit the “Mr. Perfect” role. Instead, it went to Curt Hennig while Taylor was stuck with the Red Rooster, complete with a red streak in his hair.
The gimmick had no chance whatsoever, so while Hennig became a huge star and Intercontinental champion, Taylor was wasted on the lower rungs. Taylor had awful feuds in WWE and finally left while slamming this character every chance he gets.
3 Adrian Adonis
In the AWA, Adrian Adonis and Jesse Ventura had been spectacular as tag team champions, with Adonis a legendary tough guy. He started that way in WWE until he gained a bit too much weight. Thus, Adonis was forced to dress in pink outfits with bows and makeup, an act both uncomfortable for the time and not helping him out at all.
His feud with Roddy Piper was good, but it was sad seeing one of the roughest workers of his time treated this way. Sadly, Adonis passed away in a car accident in 1988 and thus, this was a closeout for his career no one would have wanted.
2 Bam Bam Bigelow
Boasting an awesome look with his bald head covered in flame tattoos, Bam Bam Bigelow was also a very good worker. A guy his size taking off the ropes was a rare sight in wrestling back then, and Bigelow had great charisma too.
Having him as a face didn’t suit him, nor did saddling him with Olver Humperdinck as a manager. Bigelow had potential blasting off him, including a great run at the first Survivor Series. But within months, he was ignored and headed to WCW. Amazingly, Bigelow was wasted again in the 1990s during his second run with WWE.
1 The Fabulous Freebirds
As the first “cool heels,” the Fabulous Freebirds were one of the hottest acts of all time. Fans couldn’t get enough of Michael Hayes, Terry Gordy and Buddy Roberts tearing down the house in wild battles with the Von Erichs and others. In 1984, the trio did have a shot at WWE, doing a few shows, some of which were on television.
Given how stunningly charismatic they were, the Freebirds should have gotten a bigger shot, but instead were almost ignored and left WWE fast amid rumors Vince McMahon wanted to split them up. Just imagine this trio tearing up WWE, as they did in World Class.