16 WWE 80s Stars That Should Be Hall Of Famers

Plenty of eighties icons still to be inducted.

By Justin Henry /

It seems as though the WWE Hall of Fame is more and more regimented, in that the induction class has to follow a specific pattern: one headliner, one woman, one tag team, one celebrity, and three or four other inductees that include no more than one deceased performer (so as to not upset people, it seems). Looking back at the 2004 and 2005 classes, you had quite the haul of 1980s greats going in, from Hulk Hogan to Rowdy Roddy Piper to Jesse Ventura to Sgt. Slaughter, and a host of others. Few WWE eras were as cool as the 1980's Rock 'n Wrestling era, and the first five or so years of Saturday Night's Main Event. Goofy and over-the-top as the era could be, it still holds up today. One issue with the rote formula for choosing the recent Hall classes has been the logjam created among the eighties stars that should be recognized. Even if you focused solely on the then-WWF for induction candidates, there are still plenty that deserve a moment in the spotlight on WrestleMania weekend. This will by no means be a complete list, but it is a fair look at who's glaringly missing from WWE's Hall of Fame from that era. Nostalgic fans, raise your glasses for these greats. As one last note, I did omit Owen Hart from this list. Hart did perform as The Blue Blazer in WWE in the eighties, but I did want to put more focus on names who don't get the Hall of Fame push from fans that Owen deservedly does today. Owen should be in, plain and simple, but that's a whole other story.

16. Adorable Adrian Adonis

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Notable partnerships with Jesse Ventura and Dick Murdoch were Adonis' byline prior to late-1985, when the girthy New Yorker underwent a startling makeover, quite literally. Once a rough-and-tumble Brando-esque biker, Adonis took on the 'Adorable' identity, caking himself in sundresses and garish make-up. Whether you'd call it a cultural hallmark or not, he is the missing link between Gorgeous George, Adrian Street, and Goldust, and that's worth something. Adonis' feud with Rowdy Roddy Piper certainly holds historic weight, producing the third most memorable moment of the loaded WrestleMania III. Adonis is sadly lost to history in many ways, not helped any by his 1988 death in a vehicular accident. His ability to take wild bumps, even with his increase in body mass, deserves recognition. In another era, he could have been the heaviest X-Division Champion in captivity.