Can You Get More Than 11 Right on This ’80s Wrestling Quiz?

SPORTS

By: Gavin Thagard

7 Min Quiz

Image: WWE

About This Quiz

It's difficult to look at an era in wrestling and define it as the best. Some fans will turn to the Attitude era that arose at the end of the '90s when Bret Hart turned heel after defeating "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, the future of the WWE. Other wrestling fanatics might favor the Ruthless Aggression era when the Monday Night Wars ended and former wrestlers from the bankrupted WCW joined the WWE. 

Those fans certainly have good reason to lay their claims. However, no true fan of wrestling can deny the importance of the '80s, which saw a complete transformation of the wrestling world as regional promotions turned national and wrestling stars like Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair became cultural icons. Known as the Golden Era, when the WWF was still the WWF, the wrestling boom of the '80s laid the foundation for how wrestling would develop over the next two decades. 

Are you ready to test your knowledge on this important phase in wrestling history? Will you be able to recall information on the biggest stars, the most important feuds, and the famous matches that made wrestling so entertaining? Here's your chance to find out.

Get started and see if you can get the pinfall before this quiz gets the best of you. 

Pitched as "The Greatest Wrestling Event of All Time!," what year did the first WrestleMania take place?

By 1985, wrestling was at its peak, with superstars like Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant at the height of their careers. It was only fitting to put on the largest wrestling event in history to give these superstars a place to show off their talent. Thus, WrestleMania was born.

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Randy Savage taunted opponents with some of the greatest promos of the 1980s, but not even the toughest wrestlers wanted to get between him and which manager?

Elizabeth Hulette, better known by her ring name Miss Elizabeth, was the actual wife of Randy Savage. When Savage first joined the WWF, he flaunted around as various managers sought he services, but Savage eventually introduced his wife as his manager.

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One of the wildest men in the business, Bruiser Brody had a famous feud with Abdullah the Butcher where both wrestlers became known for their use of what?

Wrestlers like Abdullah the Butcher and Bruiser Brody made careers off of blading, where the wrestlers would purposely cut open their foreheads for the appearance of blood being drawn from a punch. After years of this, Abdullah has scars on his forehead deep enough to hold coins.

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Before Bret Hart reached stardom as a singles competitor in the '90s, he was part of The Hart Foundation alongside which wrestler in the '80s?

New iterations of the Hart Foundation were born in the 1990s, but none of them reach the same level of popularity as the original two. Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart would rejoin forces in 1997, but this time as a stable that included Owen Hart and The British Bulldogs.

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Do you know the name of the major promotion out of Texas in the 1980s that was owned by Fritz Von Erich?

World Class Championship Wrestling went independent in 1986 to compete against the rise of other national promotions at this time. However, their main pay per view event, SuperClash, never won over fans, and the company went under in 1990.

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After returning to the WWF at the end of 1983, Hulk Hogan won his first WWF World Heavyweight Championship by pinning The Iron Sheik in which arena?

Madison Square Garden is one of the most recognized sporting venues in the entire world. The Garden, as many call it, has housed some of sports' most famous events like the "Fight of the Century" between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier and UFC 205 that saw Connor McGregor defeat Eddie Alvarez.

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Jake Roberts was always looking for an advantage in the squared circle, so he carried what to the ring with him?

Jake "The Snake" Roberts wasn't hesitant about releasing his snake, named Damien, on opponents. Just ask "Macho Man" Randy Savage, who suffered a bite from the snake while wrapped up in the ring ropes.

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Who bought the WWE, the WWF at the time, from his father, eventually turning it into a national wrestling promotion in the '80s?

Vince McMahon ran most wrestling promotions in North America out of business during his rise to the top of the wrestling world in the 1980s. To be fair, McMahon did offer to buy out many of those promotions. Some of them accepted the offer, while others decided to go down with the ship.

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Andre the Giant faced Big John Studd at WrestleMania I in a Body Slam Challenge, where Andre would be forced to do what if he lost?

Andre the Giant never actually retired from the wrestling business, even as injuries constricted the giant to the ringside. Though his body deteriorated, Andre assured those around him that he would make a return to the ring before finally passing away in 1993.

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Rick Rude was known as a man's man, but that didn't mean he wasn't obsessed with what?

Wrapped in a robe before his matches, Rick Rude didn't just mock his competition in the ring, he would criticize every male in the arena. After mocking those men for being out of shape, Rude removed his robe, giving the fans he didn't insult an opportunity to marvel at his chiseled body.

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Who did Ric Flair defeat at the very first Starrcade event in 1983 to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship?

Harley Race was as tough as he was feared by those who stood against him. His toughness is one of the reasons he racked up numerous title belts during his time in the NWA, defending the belts all over the globe.

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As patriotic as he was ferocious, "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan came to the ring with an American flag in one hand and what in the other?

Jim Duggan credits Bruiser Brody as the reason he carried a 2x4 to the ring with him during matches. Brody told Duggan that if he was going to carry something then it had to be something he was going to use. Duggan picked up a 2x4, and his gimmick was born.

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"Rowdy" Roddy Piper was so good on the mic that he was given his own interview segment, known as what?

Roddy Piper often used Piper's Pit to create heat, sometimes between himself and the person he was interviewing. One his most famous interviews ends when Andre the Giant threw him across the room after Piper claimed he could slam the giant.

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One of the most feared heels in the WWF, no one wanted to get caught by which signature move from The Iron Sheik?

The Iron Sheik used his lethal camel clutch to win his first WWF Championship by defeating Bob Backlund in 1983 at Madison Square Garden. The Sheik was given the victory even though Backlund never actually surrendered.

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During a segment on the WWF in 1988, The One Man Gang disappeared into an alley, only to return as which new wrestler?

After his transformation into Akeem, the new wrestler joined forces with Big Boss Man to form the tag team known as The Twin Towers. As a joint force, these two wrestlers mainly feuded with the Mega Powers and Demolition.

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As charismatic as he was gifted, which nickname was attributed to Dusty Rhodes?

Relying on his blue-collared upbringing, Dusty Rhodes rose to the top of wrestling through hard work and charisma, earning the nickname "The American Dream." With mad skills on the mic, Rhodes captivated audiences despite the fact that he lacked the muscles or technical skills possessed by many others in the business.

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Which wrestler did Bob Orton Jr. accidentally hit during WrestleMania I while trying to help that wrestler win the match?

The main event of WrestleMania I, which pitted Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff against Hulk Hogan and Mr. T, was partially refereed by Muhammad Ali, the special guest of the night. At one point in the match, when things go out of hand, Ali punched Roddy Piper to restore order.

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Often cited as one of the greatest matches in the history of wrestling, "Macho Man" Randy Savage lost a match to Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat at WrestleMania III for which title belt?

In the '80s, the Intercontinental Championship was viewed as the first step toward gaining a shot at the WWF Championship. "Macho Man" Randy Savage rose through the ranks this way, gaining the Intercontinental Championship in 1986 and the WWF Championship in 1988.

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When Ted Turner bought Jim Crockett Promotions in 1988, it was renamed what?

WCW would be the WWE's main competitor throughout the '90s, leading to the Monday Night Wars as both companies fought for viewership. Overspending and poor promotional decisions would eventually lead to the downfall of the WCW in 2001.

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"Macho Man" Randy Savage let go of his ego and teamed up with Hulk Hogan to form which tag team?

Once bitter rivals, Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan formed a friendship after Hogan saved Savage from a cheap assault by Honky Tonk Man. The person who brought the Mega Powers together was none other than Miss Elizabeth, who wanted to save her client from the brutal attack.

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Who did Sgt. Slaughter take on as his manager when he returned to the WWF in 1983?

The Grand Wizard passed away from a heart attack the same year that he took Sgt. Slaughter on as a client. To honor his deceased manager, Slaughter gave a salute to an empty corner during one of his matches.

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Ric Flair was the star of which famous wrestling stable from the 1980s that also included Arn Anderson, Ole Anderson and Tully Blanchard?

Pitched as the gimmick cousin of Ole Anderson and Arn Anderson, Ric Flair led The Four Horseman as the NWA World Heavyweight Champion. This stable of men was both arrogant and talented, dominating opponents like Dusty Rhodes, The Rock n. Roll Express and The Road Warriors.

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Jake Roberts gave his opponents all they could handle before deploying which move to finish them?

Moves like the DDT made Jake 'The Snake" Roberts a star in the ring. Known as a master of in ring psychology, Roberts could put on a five-star match with just about any opponent who dared to face him.

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With energy that would blow the roof off a building, The Ultimate Warrior burst to the ring where he would shake what before a match?

Once those ropes started to shake, fans knew they were in for an action-packed match. Of course, even with the action, those matches rarely lasted long, as The Ultimate Warrior usually finished opponents off in under a minute.

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Which oversized wrestler did Hulk Hogan famously slam at WrestleMania III?

One of the most respected men in the business as well as a huge draw for attendance, Andre the Giant was the locker room enforcer in the WWF throughout the '80s. He had so much power backstage, in fact, that he could have other wrestlers fired if he didn't like them.

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Harley Race joined the WWF in 1986, where he immediately achieved which major accomplishment?

Harley Race added "King" before his name after winning the King of the Ring event and started wearing a crown and robe to commemorate his new title. When he defeated opponents as "King," Race would force them to bow before him.

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Not one to shy away from the violence of wrestling, Terry Funk would do what to his opponents once they lost to him?

An iron was only one tool used by Terry Funk over the course of his lengthy wrestling career that dated back to the 1960s. As tough as nails, Funk helped usher in the hardcore style of hardcore that hit a height in the 1990s and 2000s.

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The Rockers were a prominent tag team in the late '80s made up of Marty Jannetty and who?

Shawn Michaels rose to the top of the singles division after betraying his Rockers' partner, Marty Jannetty. Calling himself the "Heart Break Kid," Michaels eventually won the WWF Championship three times in his career.

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Ted DiBiase couldn't win the WWF Heavyweight Championship, so he created a belt of his own that he called what?

The "Million Dollar Man" needed a championship fit for a man of wealth and prestige, so he created the Million Dollar Championship made out of gold and diamonds. DiBiase would leave the belt behind at the start of the '90s after winning the WWF Tag Team Championship.

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King Kong Bundy found himself in the main event of WrestleMania II, pitted against the babyface Hulk Hogan, in which type of match?

Steel cage matches can be traced all the way back to 1937, when the first cage was created out of chicken wire. The cages developed quite a bit by the time WrestleMania II rolled around, as the cage included bars that could be climbed over and jumped off of.

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As manipulative as he was fierce, Sid adopted which last name during his early years in the WCCW?

There have been few wrestlers as vicious as Sid inside the ring. This psychopath often terrorized and taunted his opponents during a match before finishing them off with his special, the powerbomb.

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Brutus Beefcake received his famed nickname, "The Barber," after cutting off the hair of which wrestler?

The lead up to Adriana Adonis' hair cut involved a storyline between Adonis and Roddy Piper over their dueling interview segments. After the heat built between these two stars, they agreed to face each other at WrestleMania III in a hair vs. hair match.

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Fans were thrilled anytime "Grab Them Cakes" came on in the arena because that meant Junkyard Dog was on his way, wearing what around his neck?

Junkyard Dog popularized dog collar matches during his time in Mid South Wrestling. These brutal competitions required both wrestlers to chain themselves to each other at the neck as they went back and forth for the victory.

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Jimmy Snuka tried to perform which move on Bob Backlund to win the WWF Heavyweight Championship in 1982 at Madison Square Garden by jumping off the top of a steel cage?

Jimmy Snuka's superfly splash against Bob Backlund might not have worked out for the daredevil performer, but it didn't deter him from trying it again. However, the second time he launched himself off a 15-foot cage was against Don Muraco, landing one of the most famous splashes of his career.

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Calling himself "The Model," Rick Martel sprayed what into the face of his opponents?

Whatever qualities Rick "The Model" Martel lacked, he certainly made up for in confidence. That confidence extended to his own brand of cologne, which the superstar named Arrogance.

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Hated for his anti-American rhetoric, Nikolai Volkoff was pitched as being from where?

The Cold War between the United States and Russia was still at its peak in the 1980s. Always playing to the mood of the country, the WWF teamed Nikolai Volkoff up with The Iron Sheik to create an anti-American tag team, who had a major feud with The U.S. Express.

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Under which promotion did Dynamite Kid have his famous feud against Tiger Mask?

New Japan Pro Wrestling arose in the 1970s and quickly gained popularity both in Japan and around the world. Over the years, several global stars have competed for the company including Dynamite Kid, Bruiser Brody and A.J. Styles.

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WrestleMania III, one of the biggest wrestling events of the '80s, was held at which stadium?

Pontiac Stadium was packed with over 90,000 wrestling fanatics on March 29, 1987. According to the WWF, the event, which featured 12 matches, set an attendance record for indoor events in North America.

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A new version of The Midnight Express formed in 1983 with members Bobby Eaton and Dennis Condrey, but who managed this tag team?

Jim Cornette started working with The Midnight Express at Mid South Wrestling, where their rivalry with The Rock and Roll Express launched them to national stardom. However, it was their time in the National Wrestling Alliance that made them legends in the ring, where they were twice World Tag Team Champions.

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Can you name the event pitched as "The Mega Powers Explode," which featured a main event match between Hulk Hogan and "Macho Man" Randy Savage?

WrestleMania V was the final WrestleMania of the '80s, and the pay per view event didn't disappoint. Aside from Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage, other notable stars who competed at WrestleMania V included Rick Rude, The Hart Foundation and Andre the Giant.

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