The 80s are remembered fondly by pro wrestling fans. In that era, wrestling was transformed from a regional product to a nationwide phenomenon. Much of that success was due to Vince McMahon and his top star, Hulk Hogan. Aside from Hogan though, WWE had an abundance of legendary performers at the time.

RELATED: 8 Times WWE Failed Its Fans In The 80s

With so much top talent, WWE was able to tell some of the best stories in wrestling history during that time. Some match-ups have stood the test of time while others have been forgotten. Even still, with the amount of talent WWE had back then, there were a few opportunities to book all-time great match-ups which they missed.

10 Jimmy Snuka Vs. Paul Orndorff

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When Vince McMahon bought WWE from his father, business wasn't terrible but the younger McMahon had bigger aspirations than simply owning a regional promotion. McMahon took a big gamble on the very first WrestleMania event. Luckily, it paid off. The big match that the event was built around was Hulk Hogan and Mr. T vs. Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff.

Despite not officially being part of the match, Jimmy Snuka and Bob Orton were also there at ringside. With Snuka already being part of the storyline, it was odd that a match between him and Paul Orndorff was never booked in the lead up to WrestleMania, or after for that matter.

9 Bam Bam Bigelow Vs. Kamala

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During the 80s, the average super heavyweight performer wasn't as mobile as they are today. Most big men were cut from the same cloth as an aging Andre The Giant. They looked impressive but they had the mobility of a house. Bam Bam Bigelow and Kamala were two super heavyweights who started changing that perception.

Both men moved exceptionally well for their size, with Bigelow even having some aerial maneuvers in his arsenal. The two would clash in WWE in the 90s but that was almost too little too late. A match between the two in the 80s would've certainly been worth the watch.

8 Ricky Steamboat Vs. Ted DiBiase

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Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat might just be the ultimate babyface in wrestling history. Even Hulk Hogan eventually turned heel in the 90s. Not Steamboat though. He spent his entire career as a good guy. Conversely, "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase is one of the best heels ever and arguably the best heel of his era.

Not having DiBiase work with Steamboat on his way to working with Hogan and Savage seems like a missed opportunity. Steamboat and DiBiase did have an untelevised match as part of the 1991 King Of The Ring Tournament but only the live audience saw that. A full-blown feud between these two in the 80s seemed like a no-brainer but surprisingly never happened.

7 Randy Savage Vs. Rick Rude

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"Macho Man" Randy Savage is arguably the greatest professional wrestler that ever lived. Savage was the total package and could thrive as either a babyface or heel. "Ravishing" Rick Rude on the other hand was strictly a heel throughout his career but he was one of the best to ever do it.

RELATED: 5 Reasons Why Ravishing Rick Rude Was The Best Heel of the ‘80s (& 5 Why It Was Ted DiBiase)

Rude would've made a perfect opponent for a babyface Savage fresh off winning the WWE Championship. Rude could've been used to get Savage over strong much as he did with The Ultimate Warrior at SummerSlam 1990. The match between these two legends would've been great but the storytelling and promo work leading up would've been something truly special.

6 Hulk Hogan Vs. Bad News Brown

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WWE during the 80s was the beginning of professional wrestling's transition into sports entertainment. The era wouldn't be as over the top flamboyant as its successor, The New Generation Era, but it was certainly colorful. Not surprisingly, WWE's top star at the time, Hulk Hogan, fit the era like a glove. Bad News Brown was a different story.

Brown was either a throwback to a more no-nonsense era or ahead of his time. Regardless, some fans considered his character a breath of fresh air. A match between Hogan and Brown should've been booked at some point during the late 80s. The clash of styles would've made for an interesting match-up. Perhaps if the match would've happened, Brown wouldn't have left WWE with such a bad taste in his mouth.

5 Andre The Giant Vs. Ted DiBiase

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Some stories don't get the ending they deserve. That was certainly the case with Andre The Giant and Ted DiBiase. In 1988, WWE told one of their greatest stories ever when Ted DiBiase bought Andre The Giant's contract and used him to finally gain possession of the WWE Championship. DiBiase wouldn't be allowed to keep the championship but it was still a perfectly executed storyline.

Once that story concluded though, the next move should've been to turn Andre back into a babyface using DiBiase. This would've provided WWE with another great storyline and a marquee feud heading into 1989. What a missed opportunity.

4 The British Bulldogs Vs. Strikeforce

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The 80s is widely regarded as the best era of WWE tag teams. During that time, the top team in the company was arguably Davey Boy Smith and The Dynamite Kid, collectively known as The British Bulldogs. The Bulldogs had classic matches with just about every other tag team in WWE at the time, including Demolition and The Hart Foundation.

RELATED: The U.S. Express & 9 Other Underrated Tag Teams Of The '80s

One great tag team they never faced though was Strikeforce. The duo of Rick Martel and Tito Santana was unique at the time because both men had successful singles careers before teaming up. They'd find more success as a unit winning the WWE Tag Team Championships. The Bulldogs left WWE right around the time of Strikeforce's ascension but there was a small window where the two teams could've faced off and didn't.

3 Rick Rude Vs. Mr. Perfect

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The dynamic of a pro wrestling match works best when there's a babyface squaring off against a heel. However, it doesn't always have to be that way. There have been great matches throughout wrestling history that have either pitted a babyface against a babyface or a heel against a heel. Vince McMahon isn't too fond of those types of matches though.

He reluctantly booked a babyface versus babyface match at WrestleMania VI between Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior but he almost had no choice but to do so. Had McMahon been more fond of those types of matches though, Rick Rude vs. Mr. Perfect would've been one hell of a match to go with. Both were among the top heels in the business during the late 80s. A feud built around the WWE Intercontinental Championship or Bobby "The Brain" Heenan's services would've been very intriguing.

2 Roddy Piper Vs. Randy Savage

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WWE's fortunes turned after the massive success of the first WrestleMania. The show was sold mainly off the anticipation for the main event. That night Hulk Hogan and Mr. T would team to take on Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff. Surprisingly, not only would that be Piper's only WrestleMania main event but it would also mark the last time he was part of WWE's main event scene.

If Piper was going to be slid down the WWE card, he should've made a pit stop around Randy Savage's neck of the woods first. Savage was a rising star in the late 80s and a clash with a babyface Piper could've gotten him even more over as a heel. Even the prospect of a heel versus heel match between the two would've been enough to excite fans.

1 Hulk Hogan Vs. Jake Roberts

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Every era of WWE wrestling has that one amazing match-up that just got away. In more modern times, that match was The Undertaker vs. Sting. In the 80s, that match was Hulk Hogan vs. Jake "The Snake" Roberts. During the 80s, Hogan was undoubtedly WWE's most popular performer. However, Jake "The Snake" wasn't far behind. At the time, Jake's DDT finisher was the hottest in the business and it helped elevate his status.

Many fans wanted to see if Hogan could survive a DDT. Sadly, they never got the chance. The two had a brief interaction once on Jake's Snake Pit talk show segment but rumor has it Hogan was intimidated by the crowd response Jake received. Regardless, not booking the match was a missed opportunity. Hogan and Jake could've made magic together.