10 False Wrestling Facts You Probably Believe

4. 1980s WWF Was A Runaway Golden Period

DX Not A Tank
WWE.com

This is particularly painful to write on a personal level.

Vince McMahon could sign Kenny Omega and use the One-Winged Angel as a near-fall commercial break segue, and I'd still never lose my eternal affection for the red, white and azure blue Coliseum Video era of the WWF. The storytelling was mapped intricately to a life-affirming destination; the music was so triumphantly corny; Bobby Heenan was the funniest man alive; Hulk Hogan made goodness real and aspirational: this period of the WWF is inextricably linked to pure joy. The nostalgia burns for a product considered so powerful and sacred that it is considered untouchable by those who grew up on it.

But the truth is that the WWF of the 1980s was subject to fluctuation in quality and popularity, much like any other wrestling promotion. In a terrifying premonition of the future, even the first, fabled WrestleMania events went 50/50; II and IV were dire. II was a thin, weirdly unglamorous soup, while IV was dominated by a sh*tty, commercially unpopular tournament that played out to bored spectators.

But, of course, it was also more popular than...

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!