The Golden Era of Wrestling: A Nostalgic Look Back at the 1980s WWE Explosion
Story by Mitchell Smith
Hello everybody. Today I’m taking a look back at the Eighties explosion of the World Wrestling Federation or WWE as it is known today. Vincent J. McMahon founded the CWC in 1953. Over the years it went from CWC, WWWF, WWF, to WWE. The late seventies was setting up for a wrestling explosion. They had some stars like Andre the Giant, Hulk Hogan, Chief Jay Strongbow, and Captain Lou Albano in place and they would develop into some of the most popular characters. Wrestling was entertaining back then but the next decade would explode and become one of the best eras for professional wrestling. I’m sure everyone knows Wrestling is “Fake” or at least the outcome of the matches were set up, but the physical part of wrestling was as real as it got.
Sure sometimes those guys knew how to act but they still sacrificed their bodies for the better part of entertainment. Hulk Hogan would become the face of the eighties and had matches with some great opponents like The Ultimate Warrior, Macho Man Randy Savage, and the infamous Andre The Giant body slam. I remember going to a local wrestling match around 1983. I wasn’t into wrestling but I knew a couple of the big names there. Jimmy Superfly Snuka jumping off the top rope was amazing even for a 7 year old looking on. George the Animal Steele was an animal as he ate the turnbuckle after his match, I think the crew did a great job getting it repaired for the next match.
The final wrestler I remember was one of the legends. My grandfather was a bit cuckoo for wrestling and he didn’t like that Andre the Giant beat his opponent so easily. As he was walking off my grandfather reached out and hooked him with his walking cane. Andre simply grabbed the cane and pushed it back at him. Everyone around us thought we were part of the show but it was just my crazy old Gramp Buck. Shortly after that Vince McMahon Sr would pass and some of the greatest wrestlers of our time came along. Bret Hart, Rowdy Roddy Piper, and the Junkyard Dog. You have to wonder if Sr. Was watching over Jr as the WWE exploded. Some of my favorite wrestlers of the eighties were Ricky The Dragon Steamboat who looks a bit like Quick Kick, Sgt Slaughter both for WWE and GI Joe, Jake The Snake Roberts and that lovable ol’ Hillbilly Jim.
I loved when Mean Gene Okerlund and Jesse The Body Ventura were commentating. They were great at building up the matches and amplifying the action. It did get a bit political at times with wrestlers like the Iron Sheik, and Nickolai Volkoff amplifying tension between the US and countries like Russia and countries in the Middle East. As the eighties came to an end a good portion of the stars were still in the ring, but a new era was coming and the 1990 new star The Undertaker started a whole new class of wrestlers. Have a great week everyone.
