The Top 10 Wrestlers Since 1980

Even though Wrestling is proven to be fake, there are still millions of fans of the sport across the globe. One reason for this immense popularity, is because of the superstars featured in wrestling became their idols.

Of these superstars, the ones who have climbed the rope of success and captured the minds of the WWE fans are as follows.

10.Sting

Steve Borden (born March 20, 1959) better known by his ring name Sting, is an American professional wrestler, currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is the current reigning TNA World Heavyweight Champion.

Sting has technically won a total of thirteen World Heavyweight Championships in various promotions, though only ten of these reigns are recognized as "World" title reigns by Pro Wrestling Illustrated. He is a two-time NWA Champion, six-time WCW Champion, and two-time (and current) TNA Champion. He is arguably the most well known wrestler to have never signed with World Wrestling Entertainment.

9. Shawn Michaels

The No. 9 wrestler is none other than "The Heartbreak Kid," Shawn Michaels.
Michael Shawn Hickenbottom (born July 22, 1965), better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American professional wrestler. Hickenbottom is one of the senior performers in WWE, having joined in 1987.
He is three-time WWF Champion, one-time WWF European Champion, one-time World Heavyweight Champion, and four-time World Tag Team Champion. He is also dubbed as "The Show Stopper," and "Mr Wrestlemania," due to his never ending dedication and the spirit for the sport.

8. Bill Goldberg

Bill Goldberg (Willaim Scott Goldberg), was born on Dec. 27, 1966.
He was only in WWE for a short period of time, but got an outstanding fan support and captured people's heart.
He was two-time WCW Champion, and one-time World Heavy Weight Champion.
Goldberg was also one-time World Tag Team Champion with Brett Hart.

7. The Rock

The Rock (Dwayne Johnson), was born on May 2, 1972. He was a wrestler with outstanding fan support, by 2002 he moved to Hollywood to act in his first film "The Scorpion King."
Rock was a nine-time World Heavyweight Champion in his career, being a seven-time WWE Champion and two-time WCW Champion; his last reign was as WWE Undisputed Champion in 2002. He also won the WWF Intercontinental Championship twice, and is a former five-time WWE Tag Team Champion. He also was the winner of the 2000 Royal Rumble.

6. Stone Cold Steve Austin

Stone Cold Steve Austin (Steven Anderson), was born on Dec. 18, 1964.
He was also a great wrestler with immense fan support just like The Rock.
His finishing move, "The Stone Cold Stunner," was widely popular.
Austin is a six-time WWF/E Champion, the 1996 King of the Ring, and winner of the 1997, 1998, and 2001 Royal Rumbles, and is the only man in WWE history to win the Royal Rumble three times. He will also be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on April 4, 2009.

5.The Undertaker

The Undertaker (Mark William Calaway) was born on Mar. 24, 1965. He is also known as, "Dead Man," and "Phenom."
He is still in the ring entertaining his fans and also has an undefeated record of 16-0 in Wrestlemania.
At Wrestlemania 25, he is going to face HBK Shawn Michaels.
He is a six-time World Heavyweight Champion. He was also the winner of the 2007 Royal Rumble, in which he became the first man to win the Rumble starting at No. 30.

4. Triple H

Triple H,(Paul Michael Levesque), was born on July 27, 1969.
He currently wrestles for the SmackDown brand of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), where he is the reigning WWE Champion, and also makes appearances for the Raw brand.
He is 13-time World Champion, an eight-time WWE Champion, and a five-time World Heavyweight Champion.
He also won the 1997 King of the Ring, the 2002 Royal Rumble, and was the second Grand Slam Champion.

3 .Bret Hart

Bret Sergeant Hart, commonly known as "The Hitman," was born on July 2, 1957. His youngest brother, Owen Hart, was a decorated wrestler in his own right before his death in 1999.
Bret Hart was called, "The Best There Is... The Best There Was... And The Best There Ever Will Be."
He was also known as, "The Excellence of Execution".
He was seven-time World Champion, four-time United States Champion, two-time Intercontinental Champion, and four-time World Tag Team Champion.
He was the winner of the first King of the Ring pay-per-view in 1993, and the only two-time King of the Ring winner in WWE history.

2. Ric Flair

Ric Flair, (Richard Morgan Fliehr), was born on Feb. 25, 1949.
He was also known as "The Nature Boy."
He is among the most well known wrestlers in the world, and has been one of wrestling's biggest stars since the 1970s.
Flair was 16-time World Heavyweight Champion (eight-time NWA Champion, six-time WCW Champion, and two-time WWE Champion). Flair also won the 1992 Royal Rumble and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2008, the first active wrestler to be inducted in the Hall of Fame.
He ended his 36-year-old career at Wrestlemania 24.

1. Hulk Hogan

Hulk Hogan, (Terry Gene Bollea), was born on Aug. 11, 1953.
Hogan became tremendously popular, and was largely responsible for the rapid growth of wrestling's fan base in the 1980s. For decades, every night Hogan's name was on the bill, there was certain to be a sellout.
Hogan won his first championship in 1982, defeating Nick Bockwinkel for the American Wrestling Alliance (AWA) World Heavyweight belt.
Hogan was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005, and is officially a 12-time World Heavyweight Champion, (a six-time WWF/E Champion and a six-time WCW Champion as well as a former one-time Tag Team Champion with Edge).
He was also the winner of the Royal Rumble in 1990 and 1991.