The WWE’s Golden Era of the 1980s was defined not just by its heroes but also by its villains—the heels who stirred the pot, angered crowds, and helped cement the era’s legends. While stars like Roddy Piper and Ted DiBiase get their due recognition, the following ten wrestlers played pivotal roles but never achieved the lasting fame they deserved. This article revisits those unsung villains, shining a spotlight on their contributions to one of the most exciting periods in wrestling history.
1. Bad News Brown: WWE’s First Real ‘Stone Cold’
Bad News Brown paved the way for future anti-heroes. Photo Credit: WWE.
Before Stone Cold Steve Austin, there was Bad News Brown: a tough loner with heel tendencies who didn’t respect anyone. Outside the ring, he was Allen Coage, a skilled judo practitioner who won the heavyweight bronze medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics.
Following stints in New Japan Pro Wrestling and Stampede Wrestling in the 1970s and ’80s, Coage joined the WWE (then WWF) in 1988 as Bad News Brown.
Despite his success in the ring, Brown’s time at the top wrestling company was relatively brief, as he left after SummerSlam 1990, claiming that Vince McMahon had gone back on his promise to make him the WWE’s first black champion.
In a 2023 episode on his podcast The Snake Pit with Jake Roberts, WWE Hall of Famer Jake “The Snake” Roberts, who worked with Brown after his Piper feud, confirmed that McMahon had deprived Brown of his title run against none other than Hulk Hogan, the company’s top star at the time.
“He had been promised a lot coming to the WWF. And for reasons unbeknownst to me, but I’m sure it has something to do with his inability to get up and down, he and Hogan never had their run.”
Roberts continued, “I had heard that he’d been promised a long run with Hogan if he would ditch his contract with Japan and come to WWF… It could have been done [Bad News as WWE Champion].
“It would’ve taken a lot of work. And the people that worked with him would’ve had to have done the same thing I did. You know, take care of it.
“It could have worked… He would’ve been the guy to do it with because he had the background to back it up. He’d been [great], you know?”
Bad News Brown would work for various independent promotions throughout the 1990s before ultimately passing away in 2007 from a heart attack at the age of 63.
To learn more about Bad News Brown, who better to hear from than his daughter, who we interviewed in our article entitled: “The Secret History of "Bad News Brown" Allen Coage.” Gain unique insights into the man behind the persona and discover untold stories from his remarkable career.
2. Boris Zhukov: The Heel Who Embraced the Cold War
Boris Zhukov capitalized on Cold War tensions as a despised heel in 1980s WWF. Photo Credit: WWE
His big break came in 1987 when future WWE Hall of Famer Nikolai Volkoff needed a new tag-team partner after his former counterpart, the Iron Sheik, took a hiatus following a drug arrest in New Jersey with on-screen rival Jim Duggan.
“The Iron Sheik had left, and they wanted a tag-team partner for Nikolai Volkoff,” Zhukov told The Roanoke Times in 2005. “That’s when [former WWE CEO Vince McMahon] was really grabbing guys from other territories. My contract with the AWA ran out midnight on Friday, and on Saturday I was in Texas wrestling for the WWF.”
That’s when Harrell adopted the in-ring name Boris Zhukov and teamed up with Volkoff to form the Bolsheviks.
Over the following 15 months, The Bolsheviks faced off against further top tag teams in the WWE, including The Powers of Pain, The Rougeau Brothers, and The Young Stallions.
In May 1990, a month after losing to The Hart Foundation in only 19 seconds at WrestleMania VI, the Bolsheviks permanently disbanded after Volkoff decided to embrace American values and turn on his ex-comrade. Less than a year later, Zhukov left the WWE for good.
Despite never quite reaching his full potential in the WWE, Harrell showed impressive commitment to his role as the villain, even legally changing his name to Boris Zhukov in the late ’80s.
“I enjoy being the bad guy,” Zhukov told The Roanoke Times. “It’s a lot easier to get people to hate you than to love you.”
After his WWE run, Zhukov continued to wrestle on the independent circuit. In 2007, he resurfaced in Virginia-based American Championship Wrestling (ACW), initially as a heel before turning face and adopting his old Pvt. Jim Nelson persona. His last recorded match was on October 6th, 2012, against Colonel Spud Wade.
3. The Brooklyn Brawler: WWE’s Longest-Serving Heel
The Brooklyn Brawler, the quintessential ’80s heel who took on all comers. Photo Credit: WWE.
Longevity is an underappreciated attribute in the WWE, and while Steven Lombardi never came close to being a main-card draw in the business, he wrestled for more than 30 years in the highest echelon of professional wrestling.
In the late ’80s, Lombardi developed his most memorable gimmick as the Brooklyn Brawler, a New York street tough who sported worn jeans and a tattered New York Yankees t-shirt.
The Brooklyn Brawler not only wrestled as a heel but also as an enhancement talent, meaning that he was primarily booked to lose matches to beloved legends or up-and-coming superstars.
Lombardi’s impact continued throughout the ’90s and early 2000s, as he took on Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in his first-ever televised match and pinned Triple H on a 2000 episode of SmackDown.
Despite his reputation as a perennial loser, The Brooklyn Brawler did have moments of success. In 1990, he achieved his most successful year, recording an impressive 35 wins. He even embarked on an eight-match winning streak in 1993, the longest of his career.
However, these victories were often overshadowed by his numerous losses, with his overall win-loss record standing at 200 wins, 1249 losses, and 14 draws across 1463 matches.
Despite never winning a championship or having any major pay-per-view moments, Lombardi is an adamant believer in his inclusion in the WWE Hall of Fame, a point he argued during a 2024 appearance on Insight with Chris Van Vliet.
“I think the Brooklyn Brawler has more contributions, more accolades to be in the Hall of Fame. I believe that being in the Hall of Fame is their choice, I am not losing sleep of not being in the Hall of Fame, but I believe that there’s no way in life that one day I won’t be in the Hall of Fame. I just hope it’s not when I’m dead.
He continued, “I’ve done so much and the one thing that no one could ever take away from me is my memories.”
Reflecting on his legacy, Lombardi added, “I had a storybook life that came true, I loved everything I did, if I change my life in any way I wouldn’t change one thing. I would not change one thing.
“The legacy is determined by every different person in a different way and obviously you have an opinion of my legacy, WWE has an opinion of my legacy, but all I know is I have more contributions and I have done more in the company than a lot of people.”
4. Dangerous Danny Davis: The Crooked Ref Turned Heel
Dangerous Danny Davis: The referee who became one of professional wrestling’s most reviled villains. Photo Credit: WWE.
While Daniel Davis had a brief career as a masked wrestler named Mr. X, he truly came into his own in the WWE as “Dangerous” Danny Davis, a crooked referee who employed heel tactics to give certain wrestlers an in-ring advantage.
His most notable storyline was teaming up with The Hart Foundation in 1987, culminating in a six-man tag team match at WrestleMania III against The British Bulldogs and Tito Santana.
Davis’s heel turn began on January 26th, 1987, when he allowed The Hart Foundation to use illegal double-team maneuvers to defeat The British Bulldogs for the WWF Tag Team Championship. This event led to his suspension as a referee and his transition to an active wrestler.
Fans despised Davis for his villainous antics but in a 2018 interview with Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling, the Massachusetts native relished his opportunity to play the heel for the majority of his career:
“It was a natural thing for me to be a wise guy, and it took me back to my street kid times because I can be a bad guy if they wanted or I could be mean and rotten or act like a tough guy and be whatever they wanted me to be. I could do it and that is what opportunities opened up for me and I took advantage of them and we went with it and it was very successful.”
Davis’s run as a heel wrestler lasted until 1989, when he transitioned back to officiating.
He continued to referee matches in the WWE until 1995, occasionally making appearances in independent promotions thereafter.
His unique journey from referee to reviled heel and back again remains a memorable chapter in 1980s WWE history.
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5. Hercules Hernandez: A ‘Man of Steel’ with Hidden Demons
Hercules Hernandez, a powerhouse WWF heel who battled the likes of Ultimate Warrior (pictured) and Hulk Hogan at his peak. Photo Credit: WWE.
Before adopting his iconic mononym, Raymond Fernandez Jr. debuted in the WWE as Hercules Hernandez at WrestleMania 2 on April 7th, 1986, losing to Ricky Steamboat in a seven-minute singles match. After that, it was full steam ahead for the U.S. Air Force veteran, as he dropped the “Hernandez” and added gladiator garb and a Herculean physique.
While the biggest moment of his career came on September 13th, 1986, when he took on Hulk Hogan for the WWF Heavyweight Championship at a house show in Hartford, Connecticut, Hercules continuously showcased his skills on “The Grandest Stage of Them All” as a frequent WrestleMania participant.
At WrestleMania III on March 29th, 1987, Hercules defeated longtime rival Billy Jack Haynes in front of nearly 90,000 fans at the Pontiac Silverdome.
The following year, Hercules wrestled The Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania IV on March 27th, 1988, and followed that up with a victory over Haku at WrestleMania V on April 2nd, 1989.
Hercules’ impressive physique and strength were key components of his character. He was known for his “Hercules Backbreaker” finisher and his iconic chain, which he would use to showcase his strength by breaking it or to illegally choke his opponents. His feuds with Billy Jack Haynes and The Ultimate Warrior were particularly memorable, often revolving around tests of strength and endurance.
Unfortunately, Hercules never reached his full potential in the WWE, and according to Ted DiBiase, who feuded with Hercules in 1988, this was due to his troubles outside of the squared circle.
“Just some of the demons in his life, really,” DiBiase said on his Everybody’s Got a Pod podcast in 2023. “It may have been [drinking and substance abuse]. I’m really not sure. It was one of those things where like — gosh, man. [He] could be doing so much better.”
After leaving the WWF in 1992 after an infamous no-sell incident versus Sid Justice at Madison Square Garden, Hercules had brief stints in WCW and various independent promotions. His last major appearance was in ECW in 1995.
On March 6th, 2004, Fernandez tragically died in his home in Tampa, Florida, from complications with heart disease. He was 47 years old, leaving behind a legacy as one of the most physically impressive and underrated heels of the 1980s WWE era.
6. Iron Mike Sharpe: Canada’s Loudest Heel with a Dirty Edge
“Iron” Mike Sharpe: Canada’s “greatest athlete” always had an underhanded edge. Photo Credit: WWE.
“Iron” Mike Sharpe was the quintessential 1980s heel, showcasing equal parts over-the-top bravado – he was self-proclaimed as “Canada’s greatest athlete” – and a win-at-all-costs mentality, primarily exemplified through his iconic black forearm brace that he would often use to his unfair advantage.
A second-generation wrestler, Sharpe reached the pinnacle of his WWE career in 1983, stringing together several dominant wins before facing off against then-WWF World Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund at the Philadelphia Spectrum on April 30th, 1983.
Despite lasting an impressive 19 minutes against Backlund, Sharpe was ostensibly relegated to “jobber” (or enhancement talent, the preferred term by those in the business) status after failing to capture the belt. However, he remained a consistent and reliable in-ring performer throughout the ’80s, wrestling Ivan Putski in his 1987 comeback match at Madison Square Garden and winning the first round of the 1988 King of the Ring tournament over Boris Zhukov.
Sharpe’s career was marked by his distinctive yelling and grunting during matches, which, combined with his forearm brace gimmick, made him a memorable heel.
Before joining the WWF, Sharpe had success in various promotions, including winning the NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship twice and holding the Louisiana Heavyweight Championship in Mid-South Wrestling.
While he wrestled dirty in the ring, Sharpe was known for being obsessive about his hygiene, earning him the nickname “Mr. Clean” among his WWE colleagues.
During a 2023 episode of his podcast The Snake Pit, Jake “The Snake” Roberts reminisced about how Sharpe’s commitment to cleanliness led to an embarrassing encounter with local law enforcement:
“In Philadelphia one night, he was on first. At the end of the night, he stayed in the shower so long, that they locked up the building with himself inside of it. The police had to come get him out!”
After he retired from the WWE in 1995, Sharpe spent two years wrestling for independent promotions before hanging his brace and boots up for good in 1997.
His last recorded match was on November 15th, 1997, for Mid-Eastern Wrestling Federation.
Sadly, he passed away on January 17th, 2016, at the age of 64, leaving behind a legacy as one of the most memorable journeymen in WWE history.
To learn more about the fascinating career and untold life story of “Canada’s Greatest Athlete,” dive deeper into our comprehensive article: “Iron Mike Sharpe – The Hidden Truth Behind ‘Canada’s Greatest Athlete.’ Discover the colorful journey of this iconic 1980s heel, from his wrestling family roots to his quirky backstage behavior and lasting impact on the industry.
7. Johnny Valiant: From Champion to Iconic Heel Manager
Johnny Valiant, WWE Hall of Famer and master of managing the bad guys. Photo Credit: WWE.
Johnny Valiant’s heyday as a WWE wrestler may have come in the 1970s as a two-time Tag Team champion alongside the ‘Boogie Woogie Man’ Jimmy Valiant, but the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native, born Thomas Sullivan, also thrived as a heel manager in the 1980s.
Valiant was an important fixture of the WWE as it transitioned from a popular wrestling promotion into a nationally televised entertainment brand and was featured prominently in the first several WrestleMania events.
At WrestleMania I on March 31st, 1985, Valiant managed Brutus Beefcake in his match with David Sammartino, which ended in a double disqualification.
The following year, he and Jimmy Hart formed The Dream Team tag team of Beefcake and Greg Valentine, who notably took on the British Bulldogs at WrestleMania 2 on April 7th, 1986, in a losing effort for the WWF Tag Team Championship.
At WrestleMania III on March 29th, 1987, Valiant, in true heel fashion, turned on Beefcake after The Dream Team’s match with The Rougeau Brothers, replacing him with Dino Bravo.
Valiant made the most of his heel gimmick during the 1980s and occasionally acted as a heel commentator during matches. His brash personality and quick wit made him a natural antagonist, both in and out of the ring.
Even after his wrestling career ended in the late ’80s, Valiant, who was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 1996, proved himself to be a true entertainer.
He went on to pursue a career as an actor, appearing in episodes of “The Sopranos” and “Law & Order.” He also became a successful stand-up comedian, often incorporating his wrestling experiences into his routines.
Interestingly, Pro Wrestling Stories senior writer and editor Evan Ginzburg served as Valiant’s manager, booking his one-man comedy show across the United States at the time. This further showcased Valiant’s versatility as a performer beyond the wrestling ring.
Tragically, on April 4th, 2018, Valiant died at the age of 71 after being struck by a pickup truck while crossing a street in Ross Township, Pennsylvania. His untimely passing was mourned by fans and fellow wrestlers alike, who remembered him as a charismatic performer and a pivotal figure in the golden age of professional wrestling.
8. Killer Khan: The Giant Slayer Who Feuded with Andre
Killer Khan: The terrifying giant who “injured” Andre the Giant! Photo Credit: WWE.
During an era in the WWE when giants loomed large, Killer Khan stood out as a formidable force at 6’5″ and 311 pounds.
Billed from Mongolia, even though he was actually a renowned Japanese sumo wrestler named Masashi Ozawa, Killer Khan famously feuded with the most iconic giant in wrestling history: Andre the Giant.
The 1981 feud, which was named Wrestling Observer Newsletter’s Feud of the Year, began when Khan hit Andre with a knee drop and “broke” his ankle.
In reality, Andre had broken his ankle getting out of bed, but the in-ring storyline was an effective way for Khan to gain credibility as a heel. This incident kicked off a series of matches between the two big men, culminating in Andre’s decisive victory over Khan in a “Mongolian stretcher match” in Philadelphia.
Despite his fierceness in the ring, Khan was beloved among his fellow wrestlers. In a 2024 episode of his Everybody’s Got a Pod podcast, Ted DiBiase praised him for his “likable” and “jovial” nature.
Khan, who also wrestled in notable matches against Bob Backlund, Pedro Morales, and Hulk Hogan, ultimately retired from the business in 1987, citing homesickness and a desire to be closer to his family.
Post-wrestling, Ozawa ran several bars and restaurants in Tokyo, and on December 29th, 2023, he sadly passed away in one of those establishments from heart problems at the age of 76.
To delve deeper into the fascinating life and career of this iconic heel, including his sumo wrestling background, his rise to prominence in the WWE, and his lasting impact on professional wrestling, check out our comprehensive article: “Killer Khan – The Mongolian Giant Who Terrorized the WWF.” Discover the man behind the menacing persona and the legacy he left in the world of professional wrestling.
9. Paul Christy: The Hypnotizing Heel Who Arrived Too Late
Paul Christy used his hypnotic gimmick to stand out in the WWF’s crowded heel scene of the 1980s. Photo Credit: WWE.
Paul Christy’s time in the WWE can be succinctly described as “too little, too late.”
Born Paul Christerson on March 20th, 1939, Christy had a long and successful career before his brief WWE stint.
He saw success in the National Wrestling Alliance, where he held the NWA Southern Tag Team Championship (Gulf Coast version) four times with Ken Lucas, and in the World Wrestling Association, where he was a three-time WWA World Tag Team Champion with partners including Wilbur Snyder and Moose Cholak.
Perhaps his most notable achievement came in International Championship Wrestling (ICW), where he and his wife Bunny Burmeister (known as Miss Bunny Love) were billed as “wrestling’s Bonnie & Clyde.”
In the ICW, Christy reached the pinnacle of his career by defeating Randy Savage to win the ICW Heavyweight Championship in November 1983.
However, Christy didn’t sign with the WWE until he was almost 50 years old, leaving him relatively little time to truly develop as a character in the company.
His only noteworthy WWE appearance was on an episode of Tuesday Night Titans, during which he introduced his gimmick as a wealthy landlord who dabbled in magic.
Despite his attempts to hypnotize the audience during the bizarre talk show segment, Christy failed to win over WWE fans, and his run with the company only lasted several months.
After his brief WWE stint, Christy semi-retired, occasionally working in independent promotions in the Chicago area as a villain. He later wrote an autobiography titled “The Many Faces of Paul Christy,” detailing his wrestling career.
Christy passed away on May 24th, 2021, at the age of 82, leaving behind a legacy that, while not fully realized in the WWE, spanned decades and multiple wrestling territories.
10. Playboy Buddy Rose: A Celebrated Heel with Three WWE Stints
Playboy Buddy Rose: A 1980s WWF comedy heel famous for his ‘Blow Away Diet.’ Photo Credit: WWE.
Paul Perschmann, more famously known in the squared circle as Playboy Buddy Rose, had not one, not two, but three separate stints in the WWE (1982-1983, 1984-1985, and 1990-1991).
However, his lesser-known claim to fame was kicking off WrestleMania I on March 31st, 1985, as a masked wrestler called “The Executioner,” losing to Tito Santana by submission in a five-minute singles match.
Before his WWE runs, Rose was a major draw in the Pacific Northwest Wrestling (PNW) territory, where he held multiple championships.
He also had success in the American Wrestling Association (AWA), where he and Doug Somers captured the AWA World Tag Team Championship in 1986, engaging in a memorable feud with The Midnight Rockers (Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty).
Unfortunately, Rose’s lifelong obesity problems became central to his gimmick as a comedic heel in his later WWE career.
The crowd would mock him when he corrected his announced weight from 317 pounds to 217 pounds, and the “Buddy Rose Blow Away Diet” was a faux infomercial that involved him dousing himself with powder and standing in front of a fan (when the fan blew away the powder, Rose would appear in the same shape as before).
Knowing that his weight played such a vital role in Buddy’s in-ring persona, former WWE CEO Vince McMahon even reportedly told the locker room, “I want everybody to work out…except for Buddy.”
Despite the comedic nature of his later career, Rose was an excellent worker with ring psychology matched by few.
In an interview before his passing, Rose shared his inclusive view on the WWE Hall of Fame. “Basically, every wrestler who made a living from wrestling and was able to put food on the table and pay the rent or buy a house should be in the hall of fame. That’s my personal opinion.”
Thankfully, Rose’s contributions to the wrestling business earned him a spot in the WWE Hall of Fame in 2019, ten years after he passed away in his Vancouver, Washington home on April 28th, 2009, at the age of 57.
His legacy as a versatile performer who could work as both a serious competitor and a comedic character continues to be remembered and celebrated by wrestling fans.
A Hat Tip to the Heels Who Made It All Possible
Danny Davis, ‘Iron’ Mike Sharpe, and Bad News Brown—three of the many villains who brought balance to the squared circle in 1980s WWF, proving that without a great heel, there can be no great hero! Photo Credit: WWE.
The 1980s WWE landscape was a tapestry of larger-than-life characters, but it was the heels who truly brought depth and dimension to the storytelling. Without the presence of a compelling villain to directly oppose the clean-cut, superhero-esque image of the babyface, it was virtually impossible for wrestling fans to be completely engrossed in a match.
These aforementioned heels effectively acted as convincing counterpoints, each bringing their unique flavor to the ring. Whether it was “Iron” Mike Sharpe’s underhanded tactics with his loaded forearm brace, Boris Zhukov capitalizing on Cold War tensions, or Bad News Brown’s no-nonsense attitude that paved the way for future anti-heroes, each played a crucial role in elevating the drama and excitement of 1980s WWE.
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Richard Thompson is an aspiring screenwriter and longtime journalist, having written for online publications such as FanBuzz and MovieWeb. His favorite pro wrestler growing up was Scott Hall, and his childhood dream was to join the nWo. Sadly, while that dream never came true, getting the opportunity to write about wrestling is a solid consolation!