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Has "The Wrestler" made you nostalgic for the glory days of professional wrestling? Does all the hype around Wrestlemania XXV (will Mickey Rourke show?) have you thinking back to the days when you re-created Wrestlemania III with your Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant action figures? While we're all pretty aware of what the Hulkster (and his orange-skinned family) is up to, we go to wondering where some of our favorite wrestling stars of the '80s are now. Wherefore art though, King Kong Bundy, Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka and Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat?

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'80s Wrestlers -- Where Are They Now?
Remember Jesse in the good old days? Check out our rundown of the golden age of wrestling.
WWE.com

80s Wrestlers - Where Are They Now?

    Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka Then: Snuka earned his nickname with his high-flying top-rope skills. His rivalries with Captain Lou Albano and Roddy Piper (the latter of which escalated when Piper smashed a coconut on Jimmy's head) made him a major star during the early-'80s wrestling boom.

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    Now: Jimmy recently joined several other legends to take down Chris Jericho. According to his Web site, Jimmy has been filming a reality show that will find him "working 9-5 jobs at places you'd never expect to see him." His adopted son, Jimmy Reiher, currently wrestles under the name Sim Snuka.

    WWE.com

    "Rowdy" Roddy Piper Then: Piper's interview segment, "Piper's Pit," was ground zero for feuds, and his bouts with Hulk Hogan made him one of WWF's most popular villains. Piper fans still quote his immortal line from "They Live": "I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass ... and I'm all out of bubblegum."

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    Now: Piper still makes appearances on "WWE Raw," recently teaming with Ric Flair, Jimmy Snuka, and and Ricky Steamboat to take down the legends-dissing Chris Jericho. He's also still a working actor, with several films upcoming (including one called "Fancypants").

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    Hulk Hogan Then: Hogan began wrestling in the late '70s, and after a smashing career in Japan, became the face of the sport throughout the '80s. A 12-time champion, no one who watched wrestling in this era will ever forget his catch phrases, or the general state of Hulkamania that swept the world.

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    Now: with a son in jail, a Paris Hilton-style daughter on the loose, and a private life made all too public, one might think Hogan's current life to be a step down from his past glory. But, knowing the Hulkster's resilience and charisma, we're sure better days are to come.

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    Andre the Giant Then: Andre Rene Roussimoff weighed over 500 pounds and stood 7'4". No other wrestler better earned his nickname. Made famous by his rivalry with Hulk Hogan and his part-time gig as Bigfoot on "The Six Million Dollar Man," Andre was an inescapable half-ton legend in the '80s.

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    Now: The 8th Wonder of the World wrestled through the early 1990s, but sadly died in 1993 due to complications from the condition that gave him his great size, acromegaly. Even if he had never wrestled many hold a giant place in their hearts for his having once consumed 157 beers in one sitting.

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    Leilani Kai Then: Trained by the Fabulous Moolah, Kai defeated Cyndi Lauper protégé Wendy Richter to win the WWF Women's Championship in 1985. She also held the WWF Women's Tag Team title in '85 with Judy Martin as part of the Glamour Girls. One of her signature moves was the "Aloha Splash."

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    Now: Semi-retired today, Kai was inducted into the NWA Hall of Fame in 2000. She has not wrestled since 2004, but still trains others.

    WWE.com


Turns out some of them, like Rourke's Randy "The Ram," still step into the ring. Others, like Dusty Rhodes -- whom we caught up with at the recent New York Comic Con -- have branched out into other ventures. Rhodes is one of the wrestling greats featured in THQ's new video game "Legends of Wrestlemania."

The game features three modes -- Relive, Rewrite, and Redefine -- which allow you to revisit classic Wrestlemania moments and change history. According to Rhodes, "You can be the booker, you can be the screenwriter. You can have Andre beating Hogan, or me with Hogan." For his part, Rhodes is excited to revisit Wrestlemania VI where he defeated Randy "Macho Man" Savage, and says, "The coolest thing is being able to rewrite it a little bit."

Rhodes is also looking forward to Wrestlemania XXV, which he predicts will be, "just as big as the Super Bowl." Get ready for Wrestlemania's 25th outing by revisiting your favorite past "faces" and "heels" with our gallery above. Just watch out for bionic elbows and camel clutches.

Check out AOL Radio's Awesome '80s Station