Wrestling: Pay-Per-View Players #16 - February 1989

#1 Randy Savage [--] (11-3-0) (WWF)
(World Heavyweight Champion)

The dynamic of the Top 10 changes radically as we see a couple of famous firsts in the Pay-Per-View Players countdown! Chief among these milestone moments is the WWF and NWA World Heavyweight Champions occupying the Top 2 ranks! Ricky Steamboat makes some statistical history with his return to action, winning the NWA title from Ric Flair as he converts his activity from WWF to NWA representation!

Even with the title dropping, Flair walks out of Chi-Town Rumble safely in the Top 10. A little shakier is Dusty Rhodes, who slips back to #10 as a consequence of Road Warrior Hawk's World Tag Team Championship defense! The Road Warriors are back in the mix, defending against "Varsity Club" Dr. Death Steve Williams & Kevin Sullivan. There's still plenty of work to be done if they're to reflect their legendary status.

The pay-per-view landscape steadies as transmission stays dark until April's Wrestlemania V! The saga of the past few months reaches its culmination when The Mega Powers explode! The Hogan & Savage meltdown comes at the perfect time -- an apt response to Steamboat's NWA rise. How will the rest of the rankings shake down? We'll find out after the fallout!

 

Top Ten Singles PPV Players

#1 [--] Randy Savage (11-3-0) (WWF) [World Heavyweight Champion]
#2 [+1] Ricky Steamboat (7-3-0) (NWA) [World Heavyweight Champion]
#3 [-1] Hulk Hogan (6-2-1) (WWF)
#4 [--] Ric Flair (5-3-1) (NWA)
#5 [--] Dynamite Kid (5-3-1) (WWF)
#6 [--] Davey Boy Smith (4-2-1) (WWF)
#7 [--] Brutus Beefcake (4-2-1) (WWF)
#8 [new] Road Warrior Hawk (4-2-0) (NWA)
#9 [-1] Andre the Giant (4-3-1) (WWF)
#10 [-1] Dusty Rhodes (4-3-0) (NWA)
 

Top Ten Tag Team PPV Players

#1 [--] Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson (3-0-0) (NWA)
#2 [+3] Bobby Eaton & Stan Lane (3-0-0) (NWA)
#3 [-1] Davey Boy Smith & Dynamite Kid (3-2-1) (WWF)
#4 [-1] Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart (3-2-0) (WWF)
#5 [RE] Road Warrior Hawk & Animal (3-2-0) (NWA)
#6 [-2] Nikolai Volkoff & The Iron Sheik (2-0-0) (WWF)
#7 [-1] The Barbarian & The Warlord (2-0-0) (WWF)
#8 [-1] Paul Roma & Jim Powers (2-0-0) (WWF)
#9 [-1] Andre the Giant & Rick Rude (2-0-0) (WWF)
#10 [-1] Hulk Hogan & Randy Savage (2-0-0) (WWF)

Top Womens PPV Players
#1 [--] The Fabulous Moolah (2-0-0) (WWF)
#2 [--] Rockin' Robin (2-0-0) (WWF) [Women's Champion]
#3 [--] Wendi Richter (1-0-0) (WWF)
#4 [--] Itsuki Yamazaki (1-0-0) (WWF)
#5 [--] Noriyo Tateno (1-0-0) (WWF)

 

Recent Pay-Per-View Event Results
- NWA Chi-Town Rumble (February 20, 1989)
- WWF Royal Rumble (January 15, 1989)
- NWA Starrcade '88 (December 26, 1988)
- WWF Survivor Series (November 24, 1988)
- WWF Summerslam (August 29, 1988)
- NWA The Great American Bash (July 10, 1988)

 

The Pay-Per-View Players rankings intend to take into account pay-per-view events promoted by NWA, WWF, WCW, ECW, WWE & TNA wrestling organizations. Only broadcast results contribute to the cumulative tally of win/loss record of wrestlers. Pre-show matches will not be included.

Wrestling: Pay-Per-View Players #8 - November 1987

#1 Ricky Steamboat [--] (6-2-0) (WWF)
(Intercontinental Champion)

It's WWF going head-to-head with NWA in a November 26 pay-per-view face-off! The stacked card of the annual Starrcade may have granted Ric Flair a return entry to the Top 10 -- but WWF's 5-on-5 Survivor Series keeps the entire Top 5 firmly in the grasp of the yankee promoter. Leading the charge for WWF is still the darling of Wrestlemania 3: Ricky Steamboat -- while down at third the perfect record of Hulk Hogan is besmirched courtesy of sole survivor Andre the Giant and the wall of humanity that kept Hogan out of the ring for a 10 count: King Kong Bundy & One Man Gang!

1987 fuels the Rock 'n' Roll Express as they become the new top ranked NWA stars (#6 & #7) -- top of the tag team ranks as well, of course. NWA's tag pedigree persists as Tully Blanchard creeps into an individual 10th with the World Tag Team Championships around he and Arn Anderson's waists! WWF aren't to be outdone: The British Bulldogs bursting back into the Top 3 tag teams as one of twenty duos participating in a massive Tag Team Survivor Series variant!

Meanwhile, the war of the fairer sex is completely one sided! A women's Survivor Series match bumps the total ranking divas to 11! International talent rounds out the list, but the stroke of The Fabulous Moolah pushes Cyndi Lauper's Wrestlemania leading lady: Wendi Richter. It's worth noting "The Spider Lady" Moolah contributed to stripping Richter of the title this time 2 years ago, beating Montreal to the punch by more than a decade. Allow me also to register personal amazement at Dawn Marie's involvement in the inaugural Survivor Series. I missed that one!

 

Top Ten Singles PPV Players

#1 [--] Ricky Steamboat (6-2-0) (WWF) [Intercontinental Champion]
#2 [+1] Randy Savage (5-2-0) (WWF)
#3 [-1] Hulk Hogan (4-1-0) (WWF) [World Heavyweight Champion]
#4 [+2] Dynamite Kid (4-2-0) (WWF)
#5 [-1] Junkyard Dog (4-2-0) (WWF)
#6 [+2] Ricky Morton (3-0-0) (NWA)
#7 [+2] Robert Gibson (3-0-0) (NWA)
#8 [RE] Ric Flair (3-1-1) (NWA) [World Heavyweight Champion]
#9 [-4] Jimmy Valiant (3-1-0) (NWA)
#10 [new] Tully Blanchard (3-1-0) (NWA) [World Tag Taem Champion]

 

Top Ten Tag Team PPV Players

#1 [--] Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson (3-0-0) (NWA)
#2 [--] Nikolai Volkoff & The Iron Sheik (2-0-0) (WWF)
#3 [RE] Davey Boy Smith & Dynamite Kid (2-1-0) (WWF)
#4 [-1] Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood (1-0-0) (NWA)
#5 [-1] Bob Orton Jr & Dick Slater (1-0-0) (NWA)
#6 [-1] Kevin Sullivan & Mark Lewin (1-0-0) (NWA)
#7 [-1] Assassin #1 & Assassin #2 (1-0-0) (NWA)
#8 [-1] The Assassin & Buzz Tyler (1-0-0) (NWA)
#9 [-1] Hulk Hogan & Mr. T (1-0-0) (WWF)
#10 [-1] Jimmy Valiant & Ron Garvin (1-0-0) (NWA)

Top Womens PPV Players
#1 [+1] The Fabulous Moolah (2-0-0) (WWF)
#2 [-1] Wendi Richter (1-0-0) (WWF)
#3 [new] Rockin' Robin (1-0-0) (WWF)
#4 [new] Itsuki Yamazaki (1-0-0) (WWF)
#5 [new] Noriyo Tateno (1-0-0) (WWF)

 

Recent Pay-Per-View Event Results
- WWF Survivor Series (November 26, 1987)
- NWA Starrcade '87 (November 26, 1987)
- WWF Wrestlemania III (March 29, 1987)
- NWA Starrcade '86: Night of the Skywalkers (November 27, 1986)
- WWF Wrestlemania 2 (April 7, 1986)

 

The Pay-Per-View Players rankings intend to take into account pay-per-view events promoted by NWA, WWF, WCW, ECW, WWE & TNA wrestling organizations. Only broadcast results contribute to the cumulative tally of win/loss record of wrestlers. Pre-show matches will not be included.

Wrestling: Pay-Per-View Players #7 - March 1987

#1 Ricky Steamboat [+2] (5-2-0) (WWF)
(Intercontinental Champion)

It's fitting that Ricky Steamboat rises to become the hottest Pay-Per-View Player off the back of one of the most talked about matches on any card - let alone a Wrestlemania! Steamboat became Intercontinental Champion when he defeated Randy Savage in a match that has come to define the tradition of the secondary quality Wrestlemania match! An instant classic!

Meanwhile, Hulk Hogan runs wild with the bodyslam heard around the world -- another Wrestlemania 3 classic! Hogan's domination of Andre the Giant exemplifies the other side of the annual event - the larger than life spectacle of Wrestlemania. This successful WWF Heavyweight Championship defense propels Hogan one step short of the best perfect PPV record.

Women disappear from Wrestlemania in 1987, but the tag team of Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff deliver the second duo to go 2-0. Do they have what it takes to challenge the tag team strength of The Rock 'n' Roll Express? It's there for the taking for any team willing and able!

 

Top Ten Singles PPV Players

#1 [+2] Ricky Steamboat (5-2-0) (WWF) [Intercontinental Champion]
#2 [+2] Hulk Hogan (4-0-0) (WWF) [World Heavyweight Champion]
#3 [-1] Randy Savage (4-2-0) (WWF)
#4 [-3] Junkyard Dog (4-2-0) (WWF)
#5 [--] Jimmy Valiant (3-1-0) (NWA)
#6 [--] The Dynamite Kid (3-2-0) (WWF)
#7 [--] Krusher Khruschev (2-0-0) (NWA)
#8 [--] Ricky Morton (2-0-0) (NWA)
#9 [--] Robert Gibson (2-0-0) (NWA)
#10 [--] The Assassin (2-0-0) (NWA)

 

Top Ten Tag Team PPV Players

#1 [--] Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson (2-0-0) (NWA) [World Tag Team Champion]
#2 [+1] Nikolai Volkoff & The Iron Sheik (2-0-0) (WWF)
#3 [-1] Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood (1-0-0) (NWA)
#4 [+1] Bob Orton Jr & Dick Slater (1-0-0) (NWA)
#5 [+1] Kevin Sullivan & Mark Lewin (1-0-0) (NWA)
#6 [+1] Assassin #1 & Assassin #2 (1-0-0) (NWA)
#7 [+1] The Assassin & Buzz Tyler (1-0-0) (NWA)
#8 [+1] Hulk Hogan & Mr. T (1-0-0) (WWF)
#9 [+1] Jimmy Valiant & Ron Garvin (1-0-0) (NWA)
#10 [new] Terry Funk & Hoss Funk (1-0-0) (WWF)

Top Womens PPV Players
#1 [--] Wendi Richter (1-0-0) (WWF)
#2 [--] The Fabulous Moolah (1-0-0) (WWF) [Women's Champion]
#3 [--] Leilani Kai (1-0-0) (WWF)
#4 [--] Velvet McIntyre (0-1-0) (WWF)

 

Recent Pay-Per-View Event Results
- WWF Wrestlemania III (March 29, 1987)
- NWA Starrcade '86: Night of the Skywalkers (November 27, 1986)
- WWF Wrestlemania 2 (April 7, 1986)
- NWA Starrcade '85: The Gathering (November 28, 1985)
- WWF The Wrestling Classic (November 7, 1985)
- WWF Wrestlemania (March 31, 1985)

 

The Pay-Per-View Players rankings intends to take into account pay-per-view events promoted by NWA, WWF, WCW, ECW, WWE & TNA wrestling organizations. Only broadcast results contribute to the cumulative tally of win/loss record of wrestlers.