Twin Referees & 9 Other Wrestling Angles That Defined The '80s

For many wrestling fans, the 1980s was when their fandom started. It’s certainly where the WWE as we all know it today started. Vince McMahon purchased the New York territory from his father and proceeded to expand from sea to shining sea and beyond. He was able to succeed thanks to the vision he had for wrestling to come out of the darkly and dimly lit arenas where seemingly anything goes. Instead, McMahon had a colorful vision of the sport.

That vision became Sports Entertainment. His roster was filled with colorful superstars and wild characters and storylines. Yes, it had been done before, but once Vince decided to bring it all to the mainstream, plenty of these angles instantly became iconic.

10 The Birth Of Hulkamania

When Arnold Skaaland threw in the towel for his charge, Bob Backlund, it ended the champion’s five year reign, awarding the WWE title to The Iron Sheik.

After Backlund declared that Hulk was no longer going to have Blassie around, the stage was set for one of the biggest matches in wrestling history - January 23, 1984. The day Hulkamania officially began to run wild when the Hulkster would defeat Sheiky baby at MSG for the title.

9 Savage Cripples Steamboat

Randy Savage versus Ricky Steamboat is considered one of the biggest matches of all time. But the storyline that brought them to WrestleMania III is nearly as scene-stealing from Hulk and Andre as their match was. During a prior match, Savage assaulted The Dragon and maliciously crushed his larynx with the help of both the ring barrier and the ring bell. For several weeks after, fans would see Ricky Steamboat convalescing, trying to regain his voice and the ability to eat. Not only did Savage defeat The Dragon, he tried to end the man’s career.

8 The Pose Down

The career of The Ultimate Warrior was the human equivalent of a rocket being shot right into the stratosphere. The neon colored nincompoop immediately captured the hearts and minds of many young fans. He was legitimately a creation never seen in the business before, and in some ways ever since. One of the early angles on Warrior’s slingshot run to the top was with Rick Rude. On the way to their big WrestleMania V showdown, they had a pose down at the 1989 Royal Rumble. With Rude clearly getting booed out of the building, Bobby Heenan would blind the maniac with baby oil and Rude would smash him with a weight lifting bar.

7 Andre The Giant Vs. Hulk Hogan

For years, Hulk Hogan and Andre The G iant were friends. Andre seemed to be content with just being a friend to the world champion. Until he wasn’t. After receiving a palsy little trophy for being undefeated for fifteen years, Andre stormed off the set of Piper’s pit. When he returned, it was with Bobby The Brain in tow as his new manager. The Giant then challenged Hogan to a showdown at WrestleMania III. Hogan was heartbroken that his friend had turned on him and couldn’t believe it. Until Andre snatched the cross of off Hogan’s neck, leaving him bleeding in the process.

6 Jimmy Snuka In The Pit

With a mouth that never knew a boundary and a company that kept pushing the limits of good taste, there really was no telling what Roddy Piper was going to do on Piper’s Pit. In arguably, the greatest edition of the Pit ever, Hot Rod had tried to interview Superfly Jimmy Snuka.

When that wasn’t going well, Piper smashed a coconut over Snuka’s head and fled the scene. It was an event so ingrained in WWE lore, that years later when they collided at the 2008 Royal Rumble, even the superstars in the ring stopped fighting to see the two legends finally collide.

5 Honky Plays A Tune

With Miss Elizabeth at his side and one of the most exciting workers in the business, it was only a matter of time before the crowd turned The Macho Man into a babyface. The angle that really started the change was when Savage took on The Honky Tonk Man. During their match on Saturday Night’s Main Event, Honky along with The Hart Foundation had their way with Savage and Elizabeth had ran off to get help. Only after Honky smashed his guitar of Savage’s head did Liz return with Hulk Hogan to run off the heels and form the Mega Powers.

4 Everybody‘s Got A Price

As evidenced by his recent appearances on NXT, no one has forgotten the legend of The Million Dollar Man, Ted DiBiase. That’s in no small part thanks to memorably vile segments where Millionaire Ted have fans humiliate themselves in order to earn a few dollars. There was the little boy who tried to dribble a basketball, until DiBiase kicked it away from him at the last second. The lady who had to bark like a dog, long before Trish Stratus. Thanks in part as to who he’d wind up becoming, perhaps the most infamous of these segments involved a fan having to kiss his gross feet. That fan became the Whole F’n Show, Rob Van Dam.

3 The Mega Powers Explode

Was it paranoid jealousy or did Hulk Hogan really have “lust in his eyes” for the lovely Miss Elizabeth. Over the course of the Mega Powers year together, there were countless signs that could be taken either way. A misplaced hand celebrating where it shouldn’t be touching, Hogan inadvertently eliminated Savage at the Rumble, and various other instances. But Savage couldn’t stand to watch a sick second any longer when he watched Hogan carry a fallen Liz to the back, leaving him to get his keister handed to him by The Twin Towers. Savage had no choice at this point than to believe that Hogan had completely betrayed him, leading to a violent assault right over Liz on the gurney in the trainer’s room.

2 Piper Vs. The Rock And Wrestling Connection

Rowdy Roddy Piper didn’t just have a knack for getting white hot heat, he was a master at inciting near riots. During the height of the Rock And Wrestling Connection, Cyndi Lauper was invited to the ring for an award. Piper took it upon himself to deck her, body slam her manager Dave Wolf and accost Captain Lou Albano.

This brought Hogan out to save the day and berate Piper for trying to destroying something so beautiful as the Rock Abbas Wrestling Connection. These events led directly to The War To Settle The Score and then the main event of WrestleMania.

1 Twin Referees

Since Hulk Hogan wasn’t going to just sell the WWE title to Ted DiBiase, “the multi-Million Dollar Man” instead procured the services of Andre The Giant. For good measure, he also convinced someone to get plastic surgery to look just like referee Dave Hebner (in reality, his twin brother Earl). Hogan couldn’t believe his eyes when he kicked out of a pinfall at two and Hebner didn’t see it (clearly he didn’t want to see it). Once hogan realized there were “two Dave Hebners” he went berserk and eventually found out who the real deal was before assaulting the phony.

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