Opinion

Retro Review: WWE Championship From 1984-1988

Matt Davis dives deep into the WWE (WWF) Championship from 1984-1988. You’ll be shocked at the number of times this title was defended!

Published

6 years ago

November 21, 2019

Matthew Davis

Matt Davis dives deep into the WWE (WWF) Championship from 1984-1988. You’ll be shocked at the number of times this title was defended!

Welcome to the first ever Weekly Championship Review on The Chairshot! Have you ever had a discussion with a friend or in a group online about who is the greatest champion of all time? What is your defense of your claim? Wins? Quality of matches? Lenth of reign? Selling out houses? In this weekly article, I will be looking back one year at a time and evaluating one specific championship, with a yearly grade ranking and overall grade ranking and as we progress through the years, I will reveal who I believe is the best champion of all time.

To start us off, I am going to discuss the most recognizable championship in the history of wrestling, the WWE World Championship. These articles will not discuss the “Big Gold” World Championship, Universal Championship, or any other recognized heavyweight championship in WWE, those will be discussed in other articles. Also, I will be beginning in 1984 due to that being the recognized beginning of the modern company as we recognize it today. This is the only article that will cover multiple years. During this reign, I will count matches aired on weekly television, PPV, and released on VHS and later DVD tapes.

Hulk Hogan (January 23rd, 1984 – February 5th, 1988)
Record: 83-9
Clean Losses: 0
Successful Defenses: 54

Recommended Matches to Watch

Hulk Hogan d. The Iron Shiek, January 23rd, 1984 “Hulkamania”
Hulk Hogan & Andre the Giant d. Big John Studd & WWF Tag Team Champions Adrian Adonis and Dick Murdoch, July 21st, 1984, “Georgia Championship Wrestling”
Hulk Hogan d. Greg Valentine, August 19th, 1984, “All American Wrestling”
Hulk Hogan d. Big John Studd, January 1st, 1985, “Prime Time Wrestling”
Hulk Hogan d. Roddy Piper, February 18th, 1985, “The War To Settle The Score”
Hulk Hogan & Mr. T d. Roddy Piper & Paul Orndorff, March 31st, 1985, “WRESTLEMANIA”
Big John Studd d. Hulk Hogan by countout, April 16th, 1985, “Prime Time Wrestling”
Hulk Hogan d. Big John Studd, May 28th, 1985, “Prime Time Wrestling”
Hulk Hogan vs The Iron Shiek (Double Countout), June 25th, 1985, “Prime Time Wrestling”
Hulk Hogan d. Nikolai Volkoff, October 5th, 1985, “SNME #2”
Hulk Hogan d. Terry Funk, Janury 4th, 1986, “SNME #4”
Hulk Hogan d. King Kong Bundy, April 7th, 1986 “WRESTLEMANIA II”
Randy Savage d. Hulk Hogan, May 24th, 1986, “WWE Network: Old School”
Hulk Hogan d. Pauk Orndorff, August 28th, 1986, “The Big Event”
Hulk Hogan d. Paul Orndorff, October 4th, 1986, “SNME #7”
Hulk Hogan & Roddy Piper d. Harley Race & Paul Orndorff, November 24th, 1986 “Best of WWF Vol. 11”
Hulk Hogan d. Paul Orndroff, January 3rd, 1987, “SNME #9”
Hulk Hogan d. Andre the Giant, March 29th, 1987, “WRESTLEMANIA III”
Hulk Hogan d. Harley Race, June 6th, 1987, “Even More Unusual Matches”
Hulk Hogan, Roddy Piper, & Billy Jack Haynes d. Paul Orndroff, Hercules, & Adrian Adonis, [Elimination Six Man Tag], April 20th, 1987, “Prime Time Wrestling”
Randy Savage d. The Honky Tonk Man, October 3rd, 1987, “SNME #12”
King Kong Bundy d. Hulk Hogan, November 28th, 1987, “SNME #13”
Hulk Hogan d. Ted DiBiase, December 11th, 1987, “Hulk Hogan: Real American”
Hulk Hogan d. King Kong Bundy, January 2nd, 1988, “SNME #14”
Andre the Giant d. Hulk Hogan, February 5th, 1988, “The Main Event”

Thoughts: I went in to this project expecting a couple matches here and there by the Hulkster, including SNME’s, and Wrestlemania’s, but, what I ended up discovering blew me away! Right out of the gate, we have laid witness to arguably the greatest WWE World Championship reign ever. It lasted just over four years and contained over 90 matches that were aired on television, PPV, or later released on home media or the WWE Network.

When discussing this reign, certain things must be mentioned, such as the creation of Wrestlemania and the Rock & Wrestling Connection of the 1980s, and how it pertained to the spectacle that became the WWF at the time. Hulk Hogan found himself instantly the face of a national company as it’s heavyweight champion. There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that Hulk Hogan is the first name anyone thinks of when you think of wrestling, and there is a reason for that. He personified wrestling with his larger than life iconic character, his poses, his unreal charisma and electric colorful catchphrases and demeanor. “Whatcha gonna do”, “Let me tell you something Mean Gene”, “Hulkamania running wild”, and “Say your prayers, take your vitamins, and you will never go wrong” all defined a generation of fans young and old alike, still to this day we feel the goosebumps of those words. Even his theme music became iconic. “Real American” raised a level of patriotism unseen before or since in wrestling. Hulk Hogan was larger than wrestling, he was iconic, he was an American hero!

But the character and image aside, looking at this reign, it’s truly incredible what Hogan did during this reign, he won ten times as much as he lost, and when he did lose he never looked weak or less than credible, never losing cleanly in four years. Additionally, I was absolutely shocked at the number of successful defenses! 54 out of 92 matches were successful championship defenses, or 13 per year! As we progress through this project, we will see champions with higher defenses per month and per year, but we will never see another with 54 defenses on televised media. With 25 “Recommended Matches” that’s over 6 per year in an era where wrestling wasn’t on television eight hours a week. Look at the selection of opponents during this reign, Big John Studd, King Kong Bundy, Andre the Giant, Roddy Piper, Paul Orndorff, Harley Race, Randy Savage, and the list of Hall of Famers goes on. As the road seemed to be paved in gold for all the men who made this generation so memorable, nothing they did seemed to feel wrong. I’m going to give this reign a solid “A” rating for the historical importance, length, and depth of matches available to enjoy. It’s going to be tough to beat!

Grade (A+ through F ): “A”

Overall WWE Champion Ranking:

1) Hulk Hogan (January 23rd, 1984 – February 5th, 1988), “A”

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Launched in 2017, the Chairshot Radio Network presents you with the best in sports, entertainment, and sports entertainment. Wrestling and wrestling crossover podcasts + the most interesting content + the most engaging hosts = the most entertaining podcasts you’ll find!

MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)

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THURSDAY - Keeping the news ridiculous... The Oddity / Chairshot NFL (NFL)

FRIDAY - DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)

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CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history)

TheChairshot.com PRESENTS...IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends

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Opinion

Chairshot Staff Picks: Money In The Bank

Extra, extra read all about it… Chairshot Staff picks are in!!!

Published

2 weeks ago

June 6, 2025

PC Tunney

Sing it with me… money money money money moneeeeeeeeeyeeeeee… everybody’s got a price! MONEY IN THE BANK is here!!! How money will our staff picks be?!?

AJ – Roxanne Perez
Andrew – Stephanie Vaquer – *Bubba Sparxxx Impression* I don’t tell stories, I let them tell theyself.
Dave – Guilia – A stacked field but I just like her here.
DJ – Naomi
DPP – Roxanne Perez
Jason – Alexa Bliss
Patrick – Roxanne Perez
Rey – Naomi – If Naomi loses, we riot!
Rob – Naomi
Greg – Alexa Bliss – Bliss has had huge reactions since returning and is moving a ton of merch. While I can see them wanting to build Roxanne Perez, Giulia, or Stephanie Vaquer, I think Alexa Bliss.

Tunney’s Take: Rhea Ripley – I’ll make my case short and sweet… Mami in the Bank! You can’t leave that money on the table.

Chairshot Pick – Tie – Naomi 3 & Roxanne Perez 3 (Alexa Bliss 2, Giulia 1, Rhea Ripley 1, Stephanie Vaquer 1)

AJ – LA Knight
Andrew – El Grande Americano – Feels correct given his push and the fact he’s over.
Dave – Seth Rollins – Got to push that new faction.
DJ – LA Knight
DPP – El Grande Americano
Jason – LA Knight
Patrick – Solo Sikoa
Rey – LA Knight – Looks like another push, and he does have history with Cena.
Rob – Solo Sikoa
Greg – Seth Rollins – This company is extremely high in the El Grande Americano gimmick, but this match comes down to Seth Rollins or LA Knight. Given the Rollins storyline, it’s his briefcase to win.

Tunney’s Take: El Grande Americano – Picture this: Chad Gable wins the AAA Mega Championship and El Grande Americano wins MITB! WHAT A SATURDAY in LA!!!

Chairshot Pick – LA Knight 4 (El Grande Americano 3, Seth Rollins 2, Solo Sikoa 2)

AJ – Becky Lynch – Sadly
Andrew – Becky Lynch – I still don’t care about Lyra.
Dave – Lyra Valkyria – Starting to warm up to her and Becky has a lot to do with that.
DJ – Lyra Valkyria
DPP – Becky Lynch
Jason – Becky Lynch
Patrick – Lyra Valkyria
Rey – Becky Lynch – Put some fire on the Irish Beef.
Rob – Becky Lynch
Greg – Becky Lynch – I don’t think you do a rematch here just to have Becky lose again. Unless Bayley shows up to help Lyra.

Tunney’s Take: Becky Lynch – A big part of me feels that winning this title checks off a major box for Becks in her HOF career.

Chairshot Pick – Becky Lynch 8-3

AJ – Cena & Paul
Andrew – Rhodes & Uso – Easy way for Cena to lose without eating the pinfall.
Dave – Rhodes & Uso – Get the QB back on the winning track.
DJ – Rhodes & Uso
DPP – Rhodes & Uso
Jason – Cena & Paul
Patrick – Cena & Paul
Rey – Rhodes & Uso – Heels usually lose these kinds of matches. Logan takes the pin.
Rob – Cena & Paul
Greg – Rhodes & Uso – I hope Jey isn’t an afterthought here like Cody was last fall when he was paired up with Roman. I think Cody pins Cena to set up Cody-Cena 2 at SummerSlam.

Tunney’s Take: Cena & Paul – I don’t think Cena is involved in another loss until he loses the WWE Championship. I also think Logan Paul is NOT done trying to capture Jey Uso’s World Heavyweight Championship. …Travis Scott in the house?

Chairshot Pick – 6-5 Rhodes & Uso

In closing I want to thank everyone on the panel for participating with their picks! You can follow each prognosticator/podcaster on X @ the handles below. We all enjoy Pro Wrestling so remember three things… be respectful of others, comparison is the thief of joy and HAVE FUN!

AJ – @PhenomenalAJB
Andrew – @IWCWarChief
Dave – @AttitudeAgg
DJ – @TheMindlessPod
DPP – @itsmeDPP
Jason – @JediFett
Patrick – @WrestlngRealist
Rey – @itsreycash
Rob – @rbonne1
Greg – @gregdemarco44
PC – @PCTunney
TheChairshot.com – @ChairshotMedia

prowrestlingtees.com/TheChairshot – a PLETHORA of GREAT designs…MAKES A GREAT GIFT!

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CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE’s PPV/PLE history)

TheChairshot.com PRESENTS…IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends

Patrick O’Dowd’s 5X5

Classic POD is WAR

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About Chairshot Radio Network

MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)

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CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history)

TheChairshot.com PRESENTS...IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends

Patrick O'Dowd's 5X5

Classic POD is WAR

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All Shows On Demand

Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!

Opinion

Chairshot Staff Picks: Backlash St. Louis

Chairshot Staff picks!!!

Published

1 month ago

May 9, 2025

PC Tunney

May is upon us and with that, so is Backlash from St. Louis! What does the first PLE after WrestleMania have in store for the WWE Universe? Let’s see if the Chairshot Staff can properly interpret the crystal ball of rasslin’ future.

AJ – Pat MacAfee – Gunther has to start losing control and who better than an announcer.
Andrew – Pat MacAfee – Goldberg getting involved does seem correct here.
Dave – Gunther – He’s not losing to a broadcaster.
DJ – Gunther – Pat is sent to the shadow realm until football season is over.
DPP – Gunther – Post match beat down leads to Pat time off.
Jason – Gunther – One massive spot and or bump from Pat.
Patrick – Gunther
Rey – Gunther – RIP MacAfee, t’was a good life.
Rob – Gunther
Greg – Pat MacAfee – Why? Goooooldbeeerrrrrgggggg!

Tunney’s Take: Gunther – Seems like the right pick here. Pat may be getting some time off and Gunther needs more heat.

Chairshot Pick – GUNTHER 8-3

AJ – Lyra Valkyria – Becky’s hopefully putting her over, still mad about Dakota.
Andrew – Becky Lynch – I have no real interest in Lyra currently.
Dave – Becky Lynch – Lyra is boring AF!
DJ – Lyra Valkyria – Bayley interferes.
DPP – Becky Lynch – Becky cheats and steals the title.
Jason – Lyra Valkyria – Bayley costs Becks.
Patrick – Becky Lynch
Rey – Becky Lynch – Story needs to jump up a bit, Becky Charlotte’s Lyra.
Rob – Lyra Valkyria
Greg – Becky Lynch – It’s been fun, Lyra. (It kinda hasn’t)

Tunney’s Take: Lyra Valkyria – Bayley’s interference should set up some type of program with Becky as we head towards Summer(Slam).

Chairshot Pick – BECKY LYNCH 6-5

AJ – Jacob Fatu – Great way to put him over w/ two former WHCs and LA Knight.
Andrew – Jacob Fatu – He’s Jacob Fatu!
Dave – Jacob Fatu – Too soon to pull the belt off him.
DJ – Jacob Fatu – Priest and LA can’t decide who’s is bigger.
DPP – Jacob Fatu – Your hardcore match, tables and chairs involved.
Jason – Jacob Fatu – The Champ retains due to or in spite of Solo.
Patrick – Jacob Fatu
Rey – Jacob Fatu – All gas. No brakes. Ain’t losing.
Rob – Jacob Fatu
Greg – Jacob Fatu – Someone from The Samoan Dynasty ain’t winning a title just to drop it.

Tunney’s Take: Jacob Fatu – Uncle Mo is on Fatu’s side and other than Knight, I don’t see Drew or Priest holding the US title in the current circumstances of this title’s landscape.

Chairshot Pick – JACOB FATU 11-0

AJ – Dominic Mysterio – Judgement Day shenanigans just leading up to Finn turning on Dom later.
Andrew – Penta – Dom’s fine having a short reign, could also work for pushing AAA.
Dave – Dominic Mysterio – He’s probably more over than Penta.
DJ – Dominic Mysterio – Dirty Dom takes home the gold and the girl.
DPP – Dominic Mysterio – Big Head helps Dom pull out the win.
Jason – Dominic Mysterio – By hook and crook.
Patrick – Dominic Mysterio
Rey – Dominic Mysterio – Latino Heat keeps burning. Finn gets closer to the edge.
Rob – Dominic Mysterio
Greg – Dominic Mysterio – Someone from The Guerrero Dynasty ain’t winning a title just to drop it.

Tunney’s Take: Dominic Mysterio – That belt looks good with the king of chicken tendys. I can see Penta and Rey reforming as a tag team sooner than later.

Chairshot Pick – DOMINIC MYSTERIO 10-1

AJ – John Cena – Why? Cena wins, lol.
Andrew – John Cena – Shenanigans ensue so it’s not a clean win.
Dave – John Cena – The last time is now.
DJ – John Cena – Randy hears voices telling him he needs an Attitude Adjustment.
DPP – John Cena – Cena tries to cheat but the ref doesn’t call for a DQ.
Jason – John Cena – Nefarious means, Randy not ready for Evil John Cena.
Patrick – John Cena
Rey – John Cena – Cena just counting down the dates. Should be fun though.
Rob – John Cena
Greg – John Cena – You know they want Cody to be the hero in the end.

Tunney’s Take: Randy Orton – Once upon a time Randy got himself intentionally disqualified and it cost John. Saturday, history repeats itself with a 180-degree twist. Cena retains via Orton DQ victory. This time, Travis Scott’s appearance takes care of that task.

Chairshot Pick – JOHN CENA 10-1