10 '80s Heels Who Hulk Hogan Kept From Winning The WWE Championship
Hulk Hogan took the WWE Championship from the Iron Sheik in January 1984, and with this victory, the last truly lengthy title reign in WWE history began. Hogan held onto the title for 1,474 consecutive days. When his later title reigns of 364 and 284 days are added, Hulk Hogan held the WWE Championship for 2122 days through the end of 1991. That is a cumulative total of nearly 6 years
Hogan's preeminence in the WWE during this time caused many world-class competitors to miss out on said title. Hogan's invincibility and undisputed face status thwarted the title aspirations of numerous heels. Here are the 10 best heels from the 1980s who Hulk Hogan kept from winning the WWE Championship.
10 Roddy Piper
You really don't have to look any further than the 1980's cartoon classic Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling to figure out who the biggest heel was of the early years of Hogan's reign. The heel leader on this cinematic treasure was none other than "Hot Rod" himself, and Piper eventually was in direct confrontation with Hogan in the ring. The War to Settle the Score gave Roddy a title shot, but it ended in his disqualification. This match-up was parlayed into a tag team match at the original WrestleMania, but no other one-on-one matches versus Hogan ever materialized. After taking some time off from work in the ring, Piper returned as a face, which ended his chances at another title shot.
9 Nikolai Volkoff
The politics of the world's two superpowers (USA/USSR) made the heat between Volkoff and Hogan all the better. What better way to perpetuate the animosity of the latter part of the Cold War Era than to pit a Soviet against a "Real American." Volkoff did receive title shots during Hogan's reign, but it wasn't a viable outcome for the world of wrestling to allow the U.S. to lose to our dreaded nemesis. Volkoff did gain championship gold during his WWE run, when he and the Iron Sheik took home the WWE Tag Team Championships, portraying two men as characters who despised the United States. Perhaps Volkoff deserved more as a singles wrestler, and with the higher rate of titles changes today, a heel like him could have had a run as WWE Champion.
8 Ted DiBiase
"The Million Dollar Man" once held the WWE Championship in his hands, and rumor has it he defended it at a house show. However, his means of obtaining said title was not considered legitimate by WWE President Jack Tunney, as he had "purchased" it from Andre the Giant after his controversial win over Hogan.
Unable to break through for a title reign himself, and due to his character's immense wealth, DiBiase "created" a new title for himself, The Million Dollar Championship. All of these events and his brazen actions made him the ultimate heel, the type of heel that would have surely been a champion in another era.
7 Don Muraco
This two-time WWE Intercontinental Champ was most certainly one of the most jacked wrestlers of the 80s. He had muscle on top of muscles, and before ever going head-to-head with Hogan for the WWE Championship, he was given several opportunities against Bob Backlund. As a prototypical villain that had a high degree of in-ring success and an arrogant personality to go with, he was bound to face Hogan. Muraco and Hogan met at a handful of main events, only to see Muraco always come up short. The future WWE Hall of Famer did rebound and win the inaugural King of the Ring tournament.
6 Paul Orndorff
Given the nickname "Mr. Wonderful" by Roddy Piper, Paul Orndorff joined the WWE around the time Hogan first won the WWE Championship early in 1984. It didn't take long for the incredibly ripped Orndorff to get his shot at Hogan, but his early challenge was for naught. As "Hulkamania" exploded, Orndorff evolved into one of the best heels in the WWE during the 1980s, and eventually, his career path collided with Hogan yet again. Spending a short time as allies when Mr. Wonderful turned face, their relationship quickly turned for the worse, causing Orndorff and Hogan to become bitter rivals again. Orndorff had incredibly even matches with the champ at this point, and nearly took home the gold during a cage match at Saturday Night's Main Event IX.
5 Big John Studd
Billed at 6'10 and 364 pounds, Big John Studd was an accomplished wrestler that already had a great career before Hogan emerged. Even though a major heel throughout much of the 80s, Studd spent most of his time engaged in a storyline with another wrestling mammoth, Andre the Giant. Big John Studd eventually did get a title shot against Hogan but lost.
Later in his career, Studd became a face and even won the 1989 Royal Rumble. However, it would be hard to argue against the pinnacle of his career being anything other than playing a role in cult classic Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man with former Miss America, Vanessa Williams, as his wife.
4 King Kong Bundy
It is hard to believe that all 458 pounds of King Kong Bundy never held a title within the WWE, but going into his WWE Championship title shot at WrestleMania II, he had recently gotten the best of Hogan. Hogan wrestled The Magnificent Muraco at Saturday Night's Main Event V, only to be attacked by Bundy. Repeated splashed and avalanches were administered, and Hogan left the ring in bad shape that night. A cage match during the main event of WrestleMania II ultimately went Hogan's way and Bundy left the ring without the title in his best shot to do so.
3 Greg Valentine
Was it just me, or did "The Hammer" look like the kind of guy that might sneak into your house, hold your family hostage, eat all your Pizza Rolls, bust the heads off of all your action figures and hot wire your dad's motorcycle? Valentine didn't even need to talk and a novice wrestling fan knew he was a bad guy, and his famous scowl looked like it was permanently tattooed on his face. Valentine, the former WWE Intercontinental and Tag Team Champion, was one of the earlier challengers for Hogan after he originally took the title. He was a major part of the various storylines in his WWE Hall of Fame career and was always in the mix for more title gold.
2 David Schultz
Another of Hogan's early challengers for the WWE Championship, Schultz has himself to blame as much as Hulk for not ever winning the WWE Championship. During an interview with 20/20 correspondent John Stossel, David hit the much smaller reporter twice after he made the claim that wrestling was fake.
Schultz, who apparently had a bit of an issue with Mr. T also, was quickly fired from the WWE. It leaves one wondering what might have been with Schultz, as he quickly became a top heel upon joining the promotion.
1 Hercules
This monster bodybuilder probably hit his career pinnacle late in 1986 when he was unsuccessful in wrestling away Hogan's title as a part of Saturday Night's Main Event VIII. Hercules, who was well known for coming to the ring with his massive chain draped on him, was one of the most put-together wrestlers of the era. He never was able to reach the heights he did as a wrestler pre-Hogan match, but it certainly makes sense that they matched up this beast with the champ during his historic title reign.
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