The 50 Greatest Wrestling Costumes of All Time

In celebration of August's WWE SummerSlam 2011, Peter Rosenberg and Andrew Goldstein break down their favorite wrestlers' costumes.

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Wrestling is as much about the spectacle of the show as it is about the actual match-ups. Sure, we want to see some asses get whooped in the ring, but it's as much fun to watch the big personalities, dramatic plot lines and, of course, the crazy costumes.

With WWE SummerSlam 2011 being held this Sunday (August 14), we hit up Peter Rosenberg and his wrestling podcast cohort, Andrew Goldstein—two of the most serious wrestling geeks we know—to break down The 50 Greatest Wrestling Costumes of All Time.

Killer Bees

50. Killer Bees

Era: '80s

Long before Wu Tang or Bumble Bee, the yellow VW Bug from the original Transformers cartoon, there was B. Brian Blair and Jumpin' Jim Brunzell flying around WWF wrestling rings in bumble bee black and yellow striped trunks and ring jackets. Later in their careers, in an effort to generate buzz (see what I did there?) for their gimmick, they adopted "Masked Confusion", a ring tactic where mid-match they'd don black and yellow lucha masks to confuse the referree as to who the "legal man" was. "Masked Confusion" led to many wins for the Bees but sadly never WWF Tag Team gold. -AG

Yokozuna

49. Yokozuna

Era: '90s

Leave it to Vince McMahon to take a 600 lb. Samoan, tie his hair back with chop sticks, dress him up in a red and black sumo diaper, and name him Yokozuna which literally translates to "champion sumo wrestler" in Japanese. Paired with the "Devious One," Mr. Fuji as his manager, Yoko embraced the gimmick and the diaper all the way to the WWF world championship on two occasions having classic matches/confrontations along the way with Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart, Undertaker and yes, even somehow with Lex Luger. -AG

Hillbilly Jim

48. Hillbilly Jim

Era: '80s

Call me crazy, but I love a good old pair of overalls—especially on an awkwardly tall man with a Jewfro beard. One thing that I particularly appreciated about Hillbilly's overallls was the fact that his shirtlessness always made him appear naked under his Osh Kosh B'Gosh. My favorite HBJ moment (not to be confused with the slightly more popular wrestler with similar initials) was his midget—errr little people match from Wrestlemania III when he teamed with two little guys and squared off against King Kong Bundy and two little guys. Now that's wrasslin. -PR

Demolition

47. Demolition

Era: '80s

Never once in history did a tag team have an outfit or style that you could ever even compare to that of Demolition. Their ring attire stands alone in history. How did the WWF come up with this look? Oh wait—see number 46. -PR

The Road Warriors

46. The Road Warriors

Era: '80s and '90s

Hawk and Animal were without a doubt the most successful tag team of all time. From the second the first guitar chord from Black Sabbath's "Ironman" or later in the WWE when Hawk's "Oooooh Whaaaaat a Rush" sting would hit, wrestling fans knew they were about to see the most feared and respected tandem in wrestling history. From the single and double mohawks they rocked respectively, to the face paint, to the iconic spiked football shoulder pads, to the biker boots, the Road Warriors/LOD defined the word, "Intimidating." -AG

Junkyard Dog

45. Junkyard Dog

Era: '80s

Did you know there are critics out there who actually believe that wrestling has some racism in its past? Can you imagine that? Wrestling promoting negative stereotypes of minorities? I mean just look at the Junkyard Dog—a pioneer for black wrestlers and arguably the most popular WWE star to never hold a title. He wore good lookin' trunks with a simple yet powerful phrase across the buttocks: "Thump." And he wore a beautiful lock and chain around his neck at all times. Did I mention that he never held the title despite his immense popularity? Wait—this actually seems mad racist. -PR

Nickolai Volkoff & The Iron Shiek

44. Nickolai Volkoff & The Iron Shiek

Era: '80s

Speaking of stereotypes, we cannot go any further without discussing some of the best stereotyping of the modern era. Volkoff and Shiek were Russian and Iranian ex-patriots in the midst of the Cold War and Iran contra. Both dressed simply with Shiek's curled pointy boots probably being the only really unique piece of flare that they wore. The look was all about the flags, though. Each one waved their country's flag before matches with Volkoff singing a classic rendition of the Russian national anthem which in the '80s was a heat magnet. Shiek went on to become a hilariously rambling lunatic in his old age with Volkoff becoming an elected official in the Maryland state legislature. Obviously. -PR

Honky Tonk Man

43. Honky Tonk Man

Era: '80s

Over the years Honky Tonk Man has been glossed over a bit. Many view him as a Hogan hanger-oner with limited in-ring skill. In reality, though, Honky was a guy who nailed his gimmick perfectly. From the velour suits, to the guitar, to the random '50s looking chick named Peggy Sue who popped up out of nowhere, Honky Tonk Man was an evil Elvis—and that's pretty awesome. He also held the Intercontinental title for about two years before Ultimate Warrior beat him before he could get out of his velor at Summerslam '88. Disrespect! -PR

Mr. McMahon

42. Mr. McMahon

Era: Late '90s to 2000s

When the Attitude Era took hold, Vince McMahon, the uber professional, pastel blazer wearing commentator revealed himself as the real-life, Chairman of the Board of the WWF/E. Turns out the straight laced, Kosel-esque commentator was the gimmick, and the ball-busting, bravado spewing, epitome of the boss you've always wanted to punch in the face, Mr. McMahon character was closer to his true identity. This "turn" not only made him the on-air authority figure/protagonist in every major story line since, but also led to Mr. McMahon competing in the ring in black jeans and a black cut off sweat shirt right out of Rocky Balboa's wardrobe from Rocky 1. You'd think a billionaire could afford nicer ring attire, right? Well, you thought wrong, and now YOU'RE FIRED! -AG

Gangrel

41. Gangrel

Era: '90s

Perhaps a surprise on the list, but as part of the Undertaker's Brood with Edge and Christian (who'd both go on to eclipse Gangrel's fame multiple times over), the devilishly cherubic-looking, vampire Gangrel qualifies for one undeniable reason—the Puffy Shirt! That's right, Seinfeld fans, Jerry may not have wanted to wear it on the Today Show, but Gangrel wrestled in it! Eat your heart out Edward Cullen! -AG

Vito

40. Vito

Era: 2000s

During my "cup of coffee" behind the curtain with the WWE, I got to see a lot of crazy things. Not the least of which was a bald, Sammy "the Bull" Gravano-looking, real life, Brooklyn tough guy named Vito who started wrestling in, of all things, a dress. Not only that, he carried a Chanel bag and walked to the ring in Louboutin pumps. Give the guy credit, he "lived the gimmick" 24/7 in the airport, at the hotel, and even on the streets of BK. -AG

MVP

39. MVP

Era: Current

Another true story. During my stint with the "E," a brash young "baller" arrived on the scene named Montel Vontavious Porter aka MVP. He was basically Terrell Owens in and out of the ring. An entitled, prima donna, superstar athlete with the 7-figure contract to match. In a creative meeting before his debut, the question was posed to the creative team on what he should wear. My answer? As a lifelong Eagles fan I said, "His gear should look like the Under Armour onesies that Owens wears in practice." Well, the end result was close (a flashy, red and gold, long-sleeved, zip-up singlet) but unfortunately, fans thought he looked more like a Power Ranger. Sorry MVP! -AG

Kelly Kelly

38. Kelly Kelly

Era: Current

Kelly Kelly is simply the most beautiful Divas champion in history and she's Jewish. Did you hear what I just said? She's Jewish! You may not pay attention to what Kelly is wearing because her hotness needs no help, but on the low, she may be the first diva to successfully rock dope Nikes on a regular basis. I've caught her in dunks, blazers, and even a Jordan hybrid. Oh, and she's Jewish! -PR

Doink the Clown

37. Doink the Clown

Era: '90s

You either love clowns or you're deathly afraid of them! Well, the WWE capitalized off of this phenomenon when they introduced us to Doink—a green-haired, face-painted, rainbow-colored, tuxedo-wearing evil court jester. Even the flower on his tux jacket squirted a foreign substance in his opponents' eyes! Kids cheered him, adults booed him, and opponents feared him. One of the most creative, colorful, and memorable WWE characters of all time. -AG

Max Moon

36. Max Moon

Era: Early '90s

WWF's version of Tron, Max Moon was a masked wrestler, billed from "Outer Space" or the "Future," and wrestled in a turquoise jumpsuit complete with circuitry right out of the back control panel on Vickie from "Small Wonder" and a pyro cannon attached to his forearm. Sadly, the costume cost more money than the character ever made. -AG

Mr. Perfect

35. Mr. Perfect

Era: Late '80s to '90s

Whether he was sinking half court basketball shots, throwing a touchdown pass to himself, spitting out his gum and slapping it out of mid-air, or just wrestling circles around his opponents, everything about Curt Hennig was aboslutely "Perfect." As was his ring attire at all times. His brightly colored, two-tone, amateur wrestling singlets stood out for their perfect simplicty in an era of flashy, over-the-top costumes. In fact, he always looked so flawless in the ring that when Bret Hart tore his singlet at Summerslam '91, it was a career-defining moment. -AG

Roddy Piper

34. Roddy Piper

Era: Late '80s to '90s

A kilt and a T-shirt is all Roddy Piper ever needed. Sometimes he did a bit more, sometimes a bit less, but that's how we all picture Piper. You can just see him walking down the aisle—arms flailing and yelling—in that classic kilt and "Hot Rod" T-shirt. I know that many people may think of Piper hitting Jimmy Snuka with the coconut or his IC title match with Bret Hart, but I always think about his "retirement" match with Adrian Adonis at Wrestlemania III. When you see Piper, you think icon—maybe the biggest wrestling icon to never hold a major championship. -PR

Adrian Adonis

33. Adrian Adonis

Era: '80s

Adrian Adonis had several different personas before I was aware of him in the mid to late eighties during his last big run as an almost transgendered ultra-feminine slob. That sounds really negative on the surface but negative is far from how I feel about the "adorable one." Adonis' last transformation was a play on "Gorgeous" George and other "beautiful" heels who came before him (that's what she said—err, he said). Adonis' costume was not special beyond his heavy make-up, huge man boobs, and spray perfume bottle, but that combination made him totally believable and the perfect foe for Roddy Piper's great match at Wrestlemania III. -PR

Tugboat

32. Tugboat

Era: Late '80s

Billed originally as Hulk Hogan's best friend, Tugboat (later Typhoon of the Natural Disaster tag team with Earthquake) looked like Where's Waldo on steroids. Unlike Waldo however, you could not miss the Tugboat in a crowd—a nearly 7-feet tall, 300 lb. man wearing white sailor's pants and a red and white striped swashbuckling, sea captain's shirt. Unfortunately due to the fashion rules and regulations that govern society, he could only wrestle in this outfit between Memorial Day and Labor day. -AG

Brutus "the Barber" Beefcake

31. Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake

Era: Late '80s

Brutus Beefcake was one of those names that defined the rock 'n wrestling era of the 1980s. In his earliest form as the tag team partner to Greg "The Hammer" Valentine, he stood out in flashy leopard print, full length tights with a bowtie around his neck—right out of a Chippendales calendar. But he really entered the pantheon when he became "The Barber," rockin' neon tights with fishnet patches cut out of them, a wild blonde-highlighted, Edward Scissorhands mullet, and carrying pruning sheers to the ring with him to chop off the hair of any opponent that got in his way. -AG

Rick "The Model" Martel

30. Rick "The Model" Martel

Era: Late '80s

Another in the "Steamboat" category of accomplished wrestlers repackaged by WWF officials. This time, Vince capitalized on former AWA World Heavyweight Champion, Rick Martel's coverboy good looks and dubbed the French Canadian standout, "The Model." One thing is for certain, if you're going to wear bright pink wrestling trunks with matching boots, complete with laces tied in giant, dangling bow loops for good measure, and carry a perfume gun to the ring, spraying your fragrance, "Arrogance" in your opponents' faces, you better be able to wrestle. Martel could, and thus, one of the most unlikely gimmicks to ever get over with crowds, did just that. -AG

High Energy (Owen Hart and Koko B Ware)

29. High Energy (Owen Hart and Koko B Ware)

Era: Late '90s

A tag team not nearly as good as the sum of its parts, "High Energy" paired the late Owen Hart and the wildly popular "Birdman," Koko B. Ware together. On paper, it sounds like a great tag team. However, their in-ring work could not touch the greatness of their matching neon-green "Hammer" pants held up by checkerboard suspenders. One look at their outfits and you knew whoever dressed them definitely got the "high" part right. -AG

The Dragon

28. The Dragon

Era: '90s

Perhaps the most cringe-worthy era in the WWF was around the early '90s when management decided that some of the most legendary names in the sport had become stale and needed repackaging. You know, like if MLB decided to repackage the New York Yankees as the Bronx Boricuas. Well, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat—perhaps the most gifted in-ring performer of the modern era—fell into this category when he suddenly just appeared as "The Dragon;" a fire spitting, webbed dilophosaurus from Jurassic Park-looking (whose venom killed Wayne Knight aka Newman from Seinfeld), mid-card jobbing, full blown cartoon character. Poor Ricky. -AG

Dusty Rhodes (WWF version)

27. Dusty Rhodes (WWF)

Era: Late '80s to Early '90s

Forget the Steelers, forget the Pirates, forget Wiz Khalifa, 'cause NOBODY repped the black and yellow harder and with more charisma and booty-shakin' brilliance than the WWF version of "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes. Another repackaged former world champion, the "Common Man" showed up on WWF TV in black and yellow polka-dotted trunks, knee pads, and signature "Bionic" elbow pad. But really, all the cartoon polka-dots in the world could never fully distract us from his forehead full of scars that looked like a pound of ground meat and his iconic red belly splotch. -AG

Conquistadors

26. Conquistadors

Era: Late '80s

Inclusion on this list is probably the highest career achievement this masked tag team has ever recieved. An "enhancement" team booked to lose to more popular tandems, the Conquistadors hit the ring draped from head to toe in gold lamé—literally. From masks to unitards right down to their boots, Conquistador #1 and #2 were dripping in gold. Sadly, the only place on their bodies that would never see gold was around their waists. -AG

saba simba

25. Saba Simba

Era: Early '90s

Tony Atlas was a former three-time Mr. USA bodybuilder and power house wrestling legend known for his tag team title reigns with Duane "The Rock" Johnson's pops, Rocky Johnson. But in the '90s, the WWF repackaging machine chewed his legacy up and spit him out as Saba Simba, WWE's version of the Lion King. A gigantic feathered, head dress-wearing, spear and shield carrying, tribal face-painted African bushman. He would have made this list alone for his loin cloth. -AG

King Kong Bundy

24. King Kong Bundy

Era: '80s

Bald, fat, singlet. It's almost too easy. I remember thinking that King Kong Bundy always looked like a terrifying Humpty Dumpty. He didn't speak much, he didn't do much, and his ring attire was not flashy. There was something scary about that. My feelings on Bundy were proven accurate when he splashed Hogan over and over again on Saturday Night's Main event. I was scared of that dude til I was like 16. -PR

"Sensational" Sherri

23. "Sensational" Sherri

Era: '80s to '90s

O.K. first of all, Sherri Martel aka "Sensational" Sherri aka "Queen" Sherri was way hotter than I remembered as a kid. She was also just about the toughest woman to ever step in the ring. She took more nasty bumps that Bobby Heenan and Jimmy Hart put together, and that's saying something. When it came to her attire, Sherri was all over the place. She rocked the crazy veils, prom dresses, bizarre hats—she did it all. And on more than one occasion, she lost her skirt to reveal that she also had a bodacious booty. God bless you, Sherri. Truly awesome. -AG

Jesse "The Body" Ventura

22. Jesse "The Body" Ventura

Era: '70s to '80s

Jesse Ventura was not the first man to wear over-the-top and somewhat feminine ring attire. He may have been the first, though, to do that with a character that was totally masculine and not ambiguously or overtly gay. He was your standard tough guy with a deep sense of fashion and a profound respect for garage sales. He of course went on to become one of the greatest commentators in history, but well before that, he may have been wrestling's first fashion trendsetter. -PR

Big Bossman

21. Big Bossman

Era: Late '80s to Early '90s

I know what you must be thinking. "This can't be considered a great costume. It's just a police uniform". But I would offer you this—no "real" cop has ever looked like more of a cop than "fake" cop Big Bossman did. The facial hair, the cop glasses, and the way he moved that billy club was almost too real. You add all that up, plus, factor in how amazingly athletic this huge man was in an uncomfortable police uniform and you understand the greatness. -AG

Goldust

20. Goldust

Era: '90s to 2000s

Goldust oozed into WWE rings covered head to toe in gold lamé (and creepy black and gold facepaint), but unlike the Conquistadors, he made it work. And boy, did he ever WORK it. A gesticulating, gender ambiguous, homoerotic, sexed up Hollywood starlet wannabe, Goldust made you "remember his name" by blowing his opponents kisses and fondling his and their bodies all the way to legendary status. -AG

Kamala

19. Kamala

Era: '80s to '90s

Kamala "The Ugandan Giant" made a name for himself in wrestling as the so-called former body guard of notorious African despot, Idi Amin. But how could a face-painted mountain of a man, wrestling barefoot in a leopard printed loin cloth, with white stars painted on his ample bosom and a yellow crescent moon painted on his bulging belly, not? Throw in some glitter and he was basically the precursor to Ke$ha. -AG

Ted Dibiase

18. Ted DiBiase

Era: Late '80s

Everybody's got a price! And apparently for the "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase's ring attire, that price was about 50 bucks, tops. While Dibiase created the awesome "Million Dollar Belt," his plastic looking tuxedo looked far less than a million bucks. Fortunately, DiBiase's gimmick and belt were so awesome that we will always remember his costume fondly. -PR

Razor Ramon

17. Razor Ramon

Era: '90s

How did the brass at WWE take a regular joe named Scott Hall and make him a latin Tony Montana-like gangster? A toothpick. Well, a toothpick and a vest. Ramon's attire was always simple but you take the vest, the greasy curl in the hair, and add in that toothpick, and somehow you get one of the most memorable looks in wrestling history. -PR

Superfly Snuka

16. Superfly Snuka

Era: Early '80s

When you think of wrestling in the 1980s, few names come to mind before "Superfly." When Jimmy Snuka dove off the top of the cage in Madison Square Garden in 1982, he solidified his place in wrestling history. Always barefoot and in his iconic leopard printed trunks with his wild islander hair, Jimmy Snuka survived getting bashed in the head with a coconut by "Rowdy" Roddy Piper to become one of the most popular wrestlers of the Rock n' Wrestling era. -AG

Undertaker

15. Undertaker

Era: '90s to 2000s

There have been many different looks to the Undertaker since he first showed up at Survivor Series back in 1990. All of them have been pretty much the same. Black and purple. Black and black. Black hat. Black trench coat. Lose the coat, bring it back, ditch the dead man gimmick all together and randomly become a motorcycle-riding "American Bad Ass." With the exception of the last look I mentioned, Taker's character somehow maintained a thread of realism while being oh so unrealistic. How? The look. The music. This simple look based off of an old Western mortician may be the best use of aesthetics in the history of the wrestling biz. -AG

Bezerker

14. Bezerker

Era: '80s

John Nord barely registered a blip on the wrestling radar as "Nord the Barbarian" but when the WWF brought him in and named him the Berzerker, the wildman's legacy was cemented. Not for anything special he did in the ring, but for what he wore on his feet. Nord's fur-covered wrestling boots were decades ahead of their time as the precursor to what future Wrestlemania headliner, Snooki would later turn into haute couture: furry boots. When reached for comment, the Berzerker only had this to say: "Huss! Huss!" -AG

Stone Cold Steve Austin

13. Stone Cold Steve Austin

Era: '90s

Again with the vest?! Razor Ramon wasn't the only man to build a persona off of a simple vest. There once was a man named "Stone Cold" Steve Austin who was one of the greatest wrestlers in history. Talk about understated! Steve Austin may have the most memorable character this side of Hulk Hogan and all he needed was black boots and a black vest. Side note—I saw "Stone Cold" at the Wrestlemania after-party this past year wearing mesh shorts and an Under Armor shirt and he still looked like he could stomp a mud hole in someone's ass. -PR

Miss Elizabeth

12. Miss Elizabeth

Era: Late '80s

Oh sweet Miss Elizabeth. From her cocktail dresses at the beginning to her super '80s style all-blue mom-like outfits at the end, Miss Elizabeth was truly the first "diva." During her heyday, Liz was always elegant with what looked to be fancy dresses and high heels at all times. There were women in wrestling before Miss Elizabeth, but none like her. -PR

Hulk Hogan

11. Hulk Hogan

Era: '80s to '90s to 2000s

The Hulkster is a pioneer and legend in pretty much every way possible. Whether it was the red "American Made" shirt, the yellow "Hulkamania", or the black beard and NWO shirt, the Hulk had his own look mastered. Let's forget about the Zubaz "Hulk Still Rules" era in the early 2000s, though. That was like the aging uncool dad Hogan era. -PR

Giant Gonzalez

10. Giant Gonzalez

Era: Early '90s

The 7 feet 7 inch tall behemoth "Giant Gonzalez" wore what can only be described as a flesh-toned body suit with air brushed musculature and beastly, hairy soul patches on his shoulders, arms, legs, and crotch. He was a saggy ballsack away from looking like an XL version of every naked old dude in the gym lockerroom. It's a shame too because with a little manscaping, Gonzo could've been a believable monster heel. -AG

Superstar Billy Graham

9. Superstar Billy Graham

Era: '80s to '90s

With apologies to '50s wrestling icon, Gorgeous George, the Superstar started it all when it comes to the modern flamboyance of today's wrestling legends. He had the 24-inch pythons before the Hulkster, rocked the feathered boa before "The Body" and electrified millions with his promos long before The Rock. Tie-Died wrestling tights, chiseled body, and two-toned facial hair were just the start of what truly made the Superstar, "the man of the hour, the man with the power, too sweet to be sour!" -AG

One Man Gang

8. One Man Gang

Era: Late '80s

It takes a certain kind of superstar to pull off two memorable, and iconically outfitted gimmicks. First as the One Man Gang, George Gray was a 400 lb. biker/ street thug complete with chains, biker boots, tattoos, mohawk, grizzly black beard, and black full-bodied wrestling gear adorned with skulls and cross bones. When that played itself out, his manager "Slick" (deserving of a best-dressed list all by himself) took Gang on a pilgrimage to Africa to "find himself" and transformed him into the giant yellow dashiki wearin', jive-talkin', funky walkin', "Akeem the African Dream." Youtube his transformation vignette, trust me. -AG

Andre the Giant

7. Andre the Giant

Era: '70s to '80s

Recently, Lil Wayne rapped the line, "I'm about to go Andre the Giant" and I instantly wondered if that meant he had a fondness for wearing a huge black singlet. That's how most of us will always picture Andre. In the early days, Andre wore regular trunks, but as he grew over the years (because of a disease called Acromegaly that made him constantly grow and eventually killed him), he had to switch to the huge singlet to contain his monstrous body. He was simply one of the greatest ever. -PR

Ravishing Rick Rude

6. Ravishing Rick Rude

Era: '80s to '90s

I am comfortable enough in my own sexuality to say that Rick Rude had a beautiful physique. Yeah I said it—beautiful! A perfect six pack is not where it ended for the "Ravishing One," though. He took it a step further, using his tights as a canvas for art. He would paint pictures of himself or in one case, the wife of an opponent on his own tights. During a feud with Jake Roberts, Rude unveiled his tights to show a picture of Mrs. Snake right on top of Mr. Snake (if you know what I mean). Needless to say, the feud was HOT! -PR

Ultimate Warrior

5. Ultimate Warrior

Era: '80s to '90s

Let me be clear—I hate the Warrior. His wrestling sucked, his real life persona sucks, and the fact that he got up from six Macho Man elbows to pin him with one foot is a disgrace. That said, the guy had some pizazz. No one has ever made more of streamers than Warrior who used them around his arms to really show the benefits of anabolic steroids. The early Warrior simply needed those streamers, but by the time the '90s rolled around, Warrior felt that he had to step his game up. That is why he went with the old spray paint denim jacket. Like I said, F the Warrior. -PR

Mick Foley

4. Mick Foley

Era: Late '90s to 2000s

If Mick Foley was your father, you would be mortified by how he dressed. "Really Dad? You're gonna wear blue sweat pants and a red flannel? Never drop me off again!" As any of his wrestling personalities, though (like Dude Love or Mankind), the hardcore legend Mick was cool in spite of himself. He may be even more common looking than Dusty Rhodes (thanks to the disgusting scars that cover Dusty's poor forehead). Then again Mick is missing an ear. -PR

Bret Hart/The Hart Foundation

3. Bret Hart/The Hart Foundation

Era: '80s to '90s

Years before Cam'ron deemed pink to be gangsta in the hip hop world, Bret Hart made pink synonymous with tough in the wrestling world. The Hart Foundation was originally rocking blue and black tights, but Bret had the idea to go with pink and black. The powers that be liked the idea and somehow it worked. The Harts were originally heels so the pink was an easy thing for fans to mock, but as the years went on and people learned how great Bret was in the ring, pink became the color of all things good and just in wrestling. Of course Bret complimented the pink and black attack with the shades and stringy long hair--all of which came together for this '90s cool that will never be duplicated. Oh, and he is my favorite wrestler ever. -PR

Macho Man

2. Macho Man

Era: '80s to '90s

Whether he wore the cape, the headband, the pink trunks or the yellow trunks, I love the style of old school Randy Savage. Now of course, I also happen to think that Macho may have been the best overall worker of all time. He had it all—incredible mic work, in-ring ability, amazing bad guy or good guy, and he could work with anyone from Steamboat to Andre. Like many greats, though, his costume suffered in the early nineties. The pants and hats got too crazy, the colors too neon. I will always picture him in 1987, looking regal and crazy at the same time. -AG

Ric Flair

1. Ric Flair

Era: '80s to '90s to 2000s

When it's all said and done, the greatest costume in wrestling history is not much of a costume at all. Ric Flair used custom made robes on his way to the ring and custom made suits when he left the ring. The "Naitch" took the way he dressed very seriously. Flair used his impeccable style and designer suits to play into his bad guy persona. There is nothing relatable to the 1970s Southern wrestling fan about a kiss stealin', wheelin' dealin' son of a gun wearing a suit that "costs more than your house." Woooooo!!! -PR

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