Who should have had a WWF Championship reign during Hogan's era?

[MisterRob]

This is easy. Roddy Piper should've had a run with the championship; he helped make Hulkamania and he was just as big a star during that time as Hogan was. Piper was controversial, pure entertainment, and could draw people in. He would've easily been as successful as Flair during that time at being a heel and selling out arenas full of people that wanted to see the face beat him, only to sneak out a win and get away. Ted Dibiase should also have gotten a run with the championship, he was on top of his game during his time in the WWF against Hogan and his gimmick was great. I even would toss a nomination in there for Mr. Perfect, but not as deservingly as Piper or Dibiase were.

 

[TheThirdHebner]

I don't think anybody "should" have had the title. Hogan carried the title to national credibility and did the best business. Wrestling is all about putting asses in the seats, and Hogan did that best.

Now, who "could" have held the title and looked credible? Not many. Ted DiBiase is one. People keep saying Roddy Piper, but I don't think he could have held the title for any length of time and had people buy it, except for maybe at the very beginning of Hogan's run, but there was no way the title was coming off Hogan that soon. Rick Rude and Mr. Perfect are ridiculous suggestions. As much as I like Rude, and have a huge man-crush on Hennig, neither guy was ever a Main Event guy in the WWF. You have to at least have been on that level to be considered.

Andre the GIant was an interesting suggestion, but the problem is that he was just an attraction. Titles aren't typically put on giants for a reason. Macho Man Randy Savage had a title reign, and while business dropped, I think he was credible in his role, just not as popular as Hogan. Orndorff is in the same boat as Piper, as it would have had to happen at the beginning of Hogan's reign, and there's no way that was happening that fast.

Reviewing the general climate, I think that the only two guys who could have credibly pulled it off, and had any real chance of getting the belt were DiBiase and Savage. Savage got himself a lengthy reign, and DiBiase never quite got there, which is sad, but was the fright business move. Besides, it opened the door for his "Million Dollar Belt", which was an AWESOME addition to his gimmick.

 

[Flair is Overrated]

There were a number of guys who deserved at least a brief reign if the same rules of changing titles at nearly every ppv existed during the golden age of wrestling, but in the context of the rules of the time I would only say the following really deserved a run with the title: Ricky Steamboat, Roddy Piper (hands down the greatest pro wrestler to never hold what was deemed a world title, and the greatest heel of modern times - Flair and Hollywood Hogan weren't remotely in his league), Ted Dibiase, Jake Roberts, and Mr. Perfect.

 

[amishman1984]

i think guys like dibiase and perfect not getting the big belt(despite me thinking they should have) has been a blessing for them.
We look at the skill and abilities of both of these guys in a different light now to what most of us did as children and they were mainly in wwf to carry the workrate side of things- vince never seemed to go with workrate with possible exception of savage- that was the way the company worked.
In a company aimed at kids at that point it always made sense to have face champions, which is why guys like perfect and dibiase were there to make those babyface champs believable. Dont get me wrong though id have loved to have seen dibiase carry the belt.

with rude and piper i think piper was always over and never needed a belt ever-fact is the guy was 1 of the most over guys without a belt.
With rude i just dont see it- like him he was around today hes a champ but back then he just doesnt push the same buttons as ted and curt- maybe he just wasnt booked well enough.

rant over lol

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Even though he's already been listed by several posters already, I'd have to go with Ted DiBiase. Hogan's first run as WWF Champion is, arguably, the single greatest world title reign in wrestling history. Like Hogan or not, he helped expand the audience of the WWF and even pro wrestling in general during the mid and late 80s. He may not have been the best wrestler in terms of ability or move set, but he did have charisma and people kept coming to wrestling cards he main evented in droves.

Anyhow, DiBiase was, in my opinion, the hottest heel of the last 1980s and one of the greatest heels of all time. His feuds with Hogan and Savage for the WWF Championship in the late 80s made for some of the best angles and stories of the decade. It was just plain damn good wrestling television. Due to the vinyettes, or however you spell the word, the WWF did of DiBiase, as they'd also do with Mr. Perfect a bit later, DiBiase became the most hated wrestler in the United States before he ever worked a single match as the Million Dollar Man. He was already over and people legitimately hated the Million Dollar Man. When DiBiase was announced as being part of the WWE HOF Class of 2010, some little bits of those vinyettes were shown and he was just so good at what he was doing. By today's standards, some aspects are a little cartoonish, but not by any major degree. A few little adjustments here and there and the Million Dollar Man character would still be a great heel character.

DiBiase had the skill with the mic, he was a good overall wrestler in the ring and he was a believable heel. In my opinion, DiBiase may very well be the best wrestler to have never been WWF Champion.

 

[amishman1984]

think maybe dipping back to the cartoony elements might help with some charachters,
i have a pick that folk will disagree with but if we open the spectrum up here and look wider than wwf what about the Nwa who would you say shouldve had a shot when it was the real nwa ???

by that i mean guys who never made it to wwf but were main eventing elsewhere ie nwa or any of the other areas in states?

Id throw in Sting obviously but i reckon had he stayed at his peek tommy rich wouldve been great