Wrestlemania XXIV (24) will take place tonight (Sunday, March 30th). I can't believe that it has been 23 years since the very first one back in 1985. I loved professional wrestling when I was growing up. Being in the Midwest, I first watched AWA wrestling which was based out of Minneapolis and ran by Verne Gagne.

Sunday mornings after Church, I could always be found in front of the TV watching AWA wrestling. WWF (which is now called WWE) was not available in our market until the early 80s, but then I watched that wrestling too. There was another wrestling show, based out of Texas, on late Saturday nights in our market which was called World Class which I would try to stay up to watch. Once cable television came to our market, we finally had access to the TBS channel which broadcast the NWA/WCW programs on Saturday nights out of Atlanta. I was a fan of them all.

There used to be regional promotions all over the country, but WWF really became the first national promotion and thus began to dominate the industry. You really have to consider Vince McMahon Jr. to be a business genius in those regards for what he has accomplished. Once in a while, I will still tune in to a wrestling show and it is amazing the level of athletes and resources now on display. Professional wrestling has really evolved into a soap opera for men, but it features amazing athletic specimens as its stars.

No matter how amazing the athletes, loud the pyrotechnics or slick the marketing, I will always hold a much fonder place for the pro wrestling of the 80s. Like much of that decade's pop culture, it takes me back to a simpler time in our world. This sort of nostalgia is priceless to me. In celebration of the 24th Wrestlemania, I decided I would share my favorite and least favorite characters from classic 80s wrestling (including their primary affiliation during those years).

OLD SCHOOL'S TOP 10 ‘MOST HATED' PRO WRESTLING CHARACTERS FROM THE 80s (+ Bonus 10):

20. Nick Bockwinkel - mostly AWA