For this post I am going back in time to pick apart the 1980’s PPV scene in WWE. I have extracted loads of statistics from the first real decade for WWE PPV and broken it all down here for you. I hope it makes for an interesting read and maybe you’ll learn a thing or two!

1980’s PPV Ranking

1. Survivor Series 89 (61/100)
2. Survivor Series 88 (52.5/100)
3. Royal Rumble 89 (50/100)
4. Survivor Series 87 (49/100)
5. Summerslam 89 (48/100)
6. Wrestlemania III (47/100)
7. Summerslam 88 (46/100)
8. Wrestlemania (45/100)
9. Royal Rumble 88 (44/100)
10. Wrestlemania IV (43.12/100)
11. Wrestlemania V (43.07/100)
12. Wrestlemania II (41/100)
13. The Big Event (38/100)
14. Wrestling Classic (36/100)

Most 1980’s PPV Matches

1. Macho Man Randy Savage (17)
2= Hulk Hogan (13)
2= Tito Santana (13)
4. Greg “The Hammer” Valentine (12)
5= Andre The Giant (11)
5= Bret Hart (11)
5= Brutus Beefcake (11)
5= Hercules (11)
5= Jake “The Snake” Roberts (11)
5= Jim Neidhart (11)

Highest Win Percentage at 1980’s PPV’s

1= Dusty Rhodes 100% (2 matches)
1= Itsuki Yamazaki 100% (2 matches)
1= Mr T 100% (2 matches)
1= Noriyo Tateno 100% (2 matches)
5. Mr Perfect 80% (5 matches)
6. Ricky Steamboat 77.7% (9 matches)
7. Hulk Hogan 76.9% (13 matches)
8. The Ultimate Warrior 71.4% (7 matches)
9. Macho Man Randy Savage 70.5% (17 matches)
10. Tama 66.6% (3 matches)

Most 1980’s PPV Wins

1. Macho Man Randy Savage (12)
2. Hulk Hogan (10)
3. Ricky Steamboat (7)
4= Junkyard Dog (5)
4= The Ultimate Warrior (5)
6= Ax/Super Machine (4)
6= Brutus Beefcake (4)
6= Dino Bravo (4)
6= Jake “The Snake” Roberts (4)
6= Mr Perfect (4)
6= Smash (4)

Most 1980’s PPV Draws

1= Brutus Beefcake (2)
1= Don Muraco (2)
1= Paul Orndorff (2)

Most 1980’s PPV Losses

1. Tito Santana (10)
2= Greg Valentine (9)
2= Hercules (9)
4= Bret Hart (8)
4= Jim Neidhart (8)
4= The Honky Tonk Man (8)
7= Andre The Giant (7)
7= Jacques Rougeau (7)
7= Nikolai Volkoff (7)
7= Raymond Rougeau (7)

Highest 1980’s PPV Loss Percentage (2+ matches)

1= Boris Zhukov 100% (5 matches)
1= Koko B. Ware 100% (5 matches)
1= Marty Jannetty 100% (5 matches)
1= Ron Bass 100% (5 matches)
1= Shawn Michaels 100% (5 matches)
6. Ken Patera 100% (4 matches)
7= Judy Martin 100% (3 matches)
7= Leilani Kai 100% (3 matches)
7= Ronnie Garvin 100% (3 matches)
7= Sam Houston 100% (3 matches)

Most 1980’s PPV Main Events

1. Hulk Hogan (11)
2. Macho Man Randy Savage (7)
3. Andre The Giant (5)
4. Ted DiBiase (4)
5= Haku/King Tonga (3)
5= Akeem/One Man Gang (3)
5= Paul Orndorff (3)

Highest 1980’s PPV Main Event Percentage
This is the % of matches wrestled by wrestler at this event that were main events

1. Hulk Hogan 84.6% (13 matches)
2. Paul Orndorff 50% (6 matches)
3= Bam Bam Bigelow 50% (2 matches)
3= Mr T 50% (2 matches)
3= Zeus 50% (2 matches)
6. Andre The Giant 45.45% (11 matches)
7. Ted DiBiase 44.4% (9 matches)
8. Macho Man Randy Savage 41.1% (17 matches(

Most 1980’s PPV Matches Without Main Eventing

1. Bret Hart (11)
2= Jacques Rougeau (10)
2= Raymond Rougeau (10)
4= Nikolai Volkoff (9)
4= Ricky Steamboat (9)
4= The Dynamite Kid (9)
7= Dino Bravo (8)
7= Jim Duggan (8)
9= Harley Race (7)
9= Jim Brunzell (7)
9= The British Bulldog (7)

Most Title Matches at 1980’s Events

1. Hulk Hogan (5)
2. Macho Man Randy Savage (4)
3= Ax (3)
3= Smash (3)
3= The Ultimate Warrior (3)
6= Brutus Beefcake (2)
6= Greg Valentine (2)
6= Judy Martin (2)
6= Leilani Kai (2)
6= Rick Rude (2)
6= The Honky Tonk Man (2)

Most Title Wins at 1980’s Events

1. The Ultimate Warrior (2)
2= Demolition (1)
2= Hulk Hogan (1)
2= The Jumping Bomb Angels (1)
2= Macho Man Randy Savage (1)
2= Nikolai Volkoff & The Iron Sheik (1)
2= Rick Rude (1)
2= Ricky Steamboat (1)
2= The British Bulldogs (1)
2= Wendy Richter (1)

Most Opening Matches at 1980’s Events

1= Bad News Brown (3)
1= Bret Hart (3)
1= Brutus Beefcake (3)
1= Danny Davis (3)
1= Jacques Rougeau (3)
1= Jim Brunzell (3)
1= Jim Neidhart (3)
1= Raymond Rougeau (3)
1= Ron Bass (3)
1= The Honky Tonk Man (3)

Bastion Blogger’s Top Rated Matches at 1980’s Events

1. “Macho Man” Randy Savage (c) vs. Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat – Intercontinental Title Match (Wrestlemania III) 8.5/10
2. The 1989 Royal Rumble Match (Royal Rumble 89) 7.75/10
3. “Ravishing” Rick Rude (c) vs. The Ultimate Warrior – Intercontinental Title Match (Summerslam 89) 7.5/10
4= “Macho Man” Randy Savage (c) vs. Hulk Hogan – World Heavyweight Championship Match (Wrestlemania V) 7.25/10
4= Hulk Hogan (c) vs. Andre The Giant – World Heavyweight Title Match (Wrestlemania III) 7.25/10
4= The Dream Team (Dusty Rhodes, Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake, Tito Santana & The Red Rooster) vs The Enforcers (Big Boss Man, Bad News Brown, “The Model” Rick Martel & The Honky Tonk Man) (Survivor Series 89) 7.25/10
7= Hulk Hogan & Mr T vs. Rowdy Roddy Piper & “Mr Wonderful” Paul Orndorff (Wrestlemania) 7/10
7= The Megabucks (Andre The Giant and “Million Dollar Man” Ted Dibiase) vs. The Mega Powers (Hulk Hogan & “Macho Man” Randy Savage) (Summerslam 88) 7/10
9= The Honky Tonk Man, Harley Race, Hercules, Ron Bass & Danny Davis vs. “Macho Man” Randy Savage, Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake, “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan and Jake “The Snake” Roberts (Survivor Series 87) 6.75/10
9= “Million Dollar Man” Ted Dibiase vs. “Macho Man” Randy Savage – World Title Tournament Final (Wrestlemania IV) 6.75/10

Bastion Blogger’s Lowest Rated Matches at 1980’s Events

1= Jake “The Snake” Roberts vs. Andre The Giant – Special Guest Referee – Big John Studd (Wrestlemania V) 2/10
1= Tito Santana vs. “Mr Wonderful” Paul Orndorff – Tournament Quaterfinal Match (Wrestling Classic) 2/10
1= The Fabulous Moolah (c) vs. Velvet McIntyre – Womens Title Match (Wrestlemania II) 2/10
1= Corporal Kirchner vs. Nikolai Volkoff – Flag Match (Wrestlemania II) 2/10
1= “Adorable” Adrian Adonis vs. Uncle Elmer (Wrestlemania II) 2/10
1= Haku vs The Magnificent Muraco (The Big Event) 2/10
1= Ted Arcidi vs Tony Garea (The Big Event) 2/10
1= Adrian Adonis vs Junkyard Dog (The Big Event) 2/10
9= “Iron” Mike Sharpe vs “The Rebel” Dick Slater (The Big Event) 2.5/10
9= “The Natural” Butch Reed vs. Koko B.Ware (Wrestlemania III) 2.5/10

Highest Average Match Rating at 1980’s Events (2+ ratings)

1. Hulk Hogan (6.25)
2. Ron Bass (6.1)
3. The Big Boss Man (6.08)
4= Tully Blanchard (6.06)
4= The Red Rooster (6.06)
6. Arn Anderson (6.05)
7= Marty Jannetty (6)
7= Shawn Michaels (6)
9= The Barbarian (5.95)
9= The Warlord (5.95)

Lowest Average Match Rating at 1980’s Events (2+ matches)

1. Corporal Kirchner (2.5)
2. Adrian Adonis (2.85)
3= The Fabulous Moolah (3)
3= Velvet McIntyre (3)
5. Rockin Robin (3.5)
6= Judy Martin (3.58)
6= Leilani Kai (3.58)
8. Tama (3.66)
9. Billy Jack Haynes (3.75)
10= The Jumping Bomb Angels (3.875)
10= The Blue Blazer (3.875)

Bastion’s Top 10 1980’s PPV Competitors
As calculated by an algorithm

1. Macho Man Randy Savage
2. Hulk Hogan
3. Andre The Giant
4. Ted DiBiase
5. Brutus Beefcake
6. Ricky Steamboat
7. Jake “The Snake” Roberts
8. Haku/King Tonga
9. Ax/Super Machine
10. The Junkyard Dog