WWE Magazine was first published in 1983. It lasted for 31 years printing its last official issue in October 2014. Fans that remember the magazine remember everything from kayfabe interviews to exclusive posters to workout tricks to "look like Batista."
Like the company, WWE Magazine was never afraid to be risque with its content. It also featured some awesome eye-popping magazine covers. Everyone from Randy Savage to The Shield graced the illustrious cover. This list will examine the 10 greatest WWE magazine covers of all time.
10 April 1999
Sable had a short run with WWE, but quickly became known as one of the biggest names in the company. She was famous for gracing the cover of Playboy Magazine in April 1999. That same month, Sable also graced the cover of WWE Magazine. Her look on the WWE cover was arguably more risque than her Playboy cover. The image of Sable on the WWE cover is iconic because it sums up the sex appeal of wrestling in the '90s.
9 January 2004
The January 2004 issue of WWE Magazine was graced by Evolution (Batista, Triple H, Ric Flair, and Randy Orton). The stable formed to be able to take GQ-esque pictures like the one they used for their January cover of the magazine.
It was very clear from this cover that Evolution was supposed to be presented as a modern-day Four Horsemen. The cover is great because, love them or hate them, it was hard to argue against a teenage fan that the four men didn't look "cool."
8 May 1999
Few covers of WWE Magazine symbolized WWE's Attitude Era better than the May 1999 issue. Steve Austin and Mr. McMahon had become one of the most famous storylines on cable television. The iconic picture of Vince McMahon yelling at Austin summed up the feud that helped wrestling go from cartoonish "sports entertainment" to a global cultural phenomenon.
7 August/September 1984
WrestleMania I grew the WWE fanbase, in large part, due to the help of MTV and Cindy Lauper. WWE spared no expense to help promote Lauper's involvement with the pay-per-view. She graced the cover of the August/September 1984 issue with Lou Albano and Roddy Piper. Six months after the release of this perfect '80s cover, WWE launched the "Showcase of the Immortals."
6 July 1992
The Ultimate Warrior was one of the biggest WWE wrestlers during the early '90s. After he defeated Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania 6, WWE plastered Ultimate Warrior on anything it could since few wrestlers sold like Warrior. July 1992 featured one of the most vibrant WWE covers of the early '90s. Warrior's cover popped next to any magazine on the shelf. Later that year, Warrior would leave WWE for the second time.
5 February 1992
Ric Flair arrived to WWE in September 1991. Flair had such appeal as a star that he was no stranger to gracing the cover of magazines. Still, few of his cover images ever compared to his WWE issue in February 1992.
The company was trying to make it clear to the audience that Flair had arrived and, also, that he was a star. "The Nature Boy" had just won the WWE Championship in January and this cover was supposed to also help push him as a World Champion.
4 September 2005
The love triangle between Edge, Lita, and Matt Hardy is often remembered as one of the best storylines of the Ruthless Aggression Era. The storyline blurred the lines between reality and entertainment so well that it captivated fans. It also landed the trio on the cover of the September 2005 issue. The cover perfectly sold the saga that competed with any soap opera magazine cover on the shelf.
3 February 1998
D-Generation X was such a draw that the stable graced the covers of both the January and February issues of WWE Magazine in 1998. Their February 1998 cover personified everything that made the faction famous among WWE fans.
Shawn Michaels was naked, Chyna looked tough, and Triple H looked like an enforcer. Graffiti adorned the whole cover, which made it look like DX had scribbled on it during a plane ride. It was over the top and controversial just like DX.
2 May 1997
WWE and the Simpsons went hand and hand in the '90s. The two both featured television programs that were unafraid to push the envelope and were considered controversial content. Bart Simpson and Bret Hart had little in common other than their status as major stars.
Shawn Michaels was much more of a deviant than Bart in WWE. Hart ended up being featured on an episode of the Simpsons, which was a huge feat. The May 1997 cover is everything that made '90s television awesome.
1 April/May 1987
WrestleMania III was the night that Hulk Hogan went from a wrestler to an icon. WWE pushed the feud between Andre the Giant and Hulk Hogan to the moon. The feud also featured one of the most iconic WWE Magazine covers of all time. The April/May 1987 issue of WWE Magazine perfectly told the story between Andre and Hogan.
Hogan's face was both scared and courageous. Andre towered over Hogan and it was clear he had little doubts about how their match could end. Covers like this helped WrestleMania III become an event that set the standard for every WWE event that followed.