Two world champions 30 years ago
By Scott Keith on 7 February 2019
Obviously with two world champions since 2002 it hasn't necessarily been a distinctive honor to be called a "former world champion" anymore. But lets say back in the late 80's there was two brands. Who outside of the obvious Hogan, Warrior and Savage could you have seen as a world champion to carry a Raw or Smackdown? I would think guys like Dibiase and Perfect would be no brainers. Maybe Rude and Jake Roberts. Anyone else who no way in hell was ever going to be a world champion back then but with the benefit of a brand extension could have actually carried a show if given the opportunity?
On the flip side what happens when you get to 93-95? You have Bret on one show and Michaels on the other fighting Jean Pierre Lafitte and Fatu? Yeeesh!
Yeah, Rude, Perfect, Snake and Dibiase obviously. Honky Tonk Man was basically the B-Show World champion for most of 87 and 88, so you could add him in there. Probably Brutus Beefcake past a certain point. Thing is, guys were already given the opportunity to carry shows, in that Hogan ran one circuit and then someone else ran the other. It wasn't on TV, but you could tell who was the B-Show main event from the storylines at the time.