10 Best Wrestling Territory Heels Of The 1980s, Ranked

In the old territory days, it was a lot easier to be a top heel. Guys could move from place to place, building themselves up nicely, and then move to another spot. It allowed some heels to dominate for a while and then go somewhere else before they got too stale. It made for some great stars, many of whom became legends. Some could bounce between heel and face like the Fabulous Freebirds, others were more notable in a single spot, but many spread their heel ways around.

It's tricky to narrow it down with so many amazing names, many of whom became icons. But these stand out as ten guys who traveled the territories in the 1980s and worked incredibly well as heels, master cheaters, arrogant jerks (kayfabe), yet were fantastic workers. Here are the ten best territory heels ranked as a reminder of the joys the old days brought fans.

10 Austin Idol

Having already made a name for himself in Georgia and Alabama, Austin Idol came into its own in the 1980s. That included a long war with Jerry Lawler, trying to collect a bounty breaking Lawler's leg and attacking him later.

The height was 1987 as Idol and Tommy Rich teamed with Paul E. Dangerously to assault Lawler and shave his head in a brutal steel cage match that had the crowd literally ready to riot. While he collected titles, Idol's battles with Lawler were what led to him being known as a great heel of the 1980s territories.

9 Ted DiBiase

Ted DiBiase with the WWF North American Championship

Before he was the Million Dollar Man, Ted DiBiase was the top heel in Mid-South Wrestling. He actually started as a babyface teaming with the Junkyard Dog before turning on him to win the North American title.

DiBiase had the gimmick of a loaded glove he'd use to knock out guys and formed the "Rat Pack" with Jim Duggan and Matt Bourne. An arrogant guy who backed it up in the ring, DiBiase did turn face later, but his heel work was stellar and paved the way for his future WWE stardom.

8 Jimmy Garvin

Even as the Freebirds dominated in World Class, Jimmy Garvin was still one the better heels of the territory. After getting a good start in Florida feuding with Dusty Rhodes, Garvin hit Texas with valet Precious. He was great as the Texas and American champion with top feuds while flaunting his flashy style.

He would duck opponents a lot but was still good with his ring work, feuding with Chris Adams, among others. Garvin also had a stint in the AWA as tag team champion before he and Micahel Hayes won the NWA tag titles a couple of times. The WCCW stint alone pushed Garvin among the best heels around.

7 Abdullah the Butcher

Any feud with the "Madman from the Sudan" guaranteed blood. Abdullah traveled wider than most on this list, all 50 States, Canada, Japan, Puerto Rico and more. His feud with Carlos Colon was amazing, as Abdullah was a stellar attraction anywhere he went.

Abdullah was good at coming into a territory, making a huge fuss and then leaving before it got stale and setting a new bar for what became hardcore wrestling. He later had a brief stint with WCW, yet Abdullah was always better in smaller spots and the 1980s saw him tearing it up all over the place.

6 Buzz Sawyer

For two years, Georgia wrestling was dominated by the all-out war between Tommy Rich and Buzz Sawyer. It was perfect, the golden boy of the promotion against the wild man who went out of his way to bloody opponents. It culminated in the legendary "Last Battle of Atlanta" steel cage match, and neither man was quite the same afterward.

Sawyer was also a regular presence in Florida, some time in Texas, and a stint in WCW in 1989. Wherever he went, this madman was always in the thick of wild feuds that established him as a top guy.

5 The Fabulous Freebirds

While they could be cheered as well, the Fabulous Freebirds were always at their best being booed. Michael Hayes, Terry Gordy and Buddy Rogers were fantastic together, a top trio who dominated in Georgia and especially Texas.

Their war with the Von Erichs made them hated by the state and led to WCCW exploding into mega-popularity. The Freebirds always knew how to get a crowd going, even as faces, but it was that heel tenure that made them icons of the territories.

4 Gino Hernandez

His life tragically cut too short, the "Handsome Half-Breed" showed his stuff in some territories like Florida. It was in World Class Championship Wrestling that Hernandez found his calling, a fantastic star, flaunting his arrogant style, his rich background, and more.

He and Chris Adams dominated as the Dynamic Duo as tag champs and loved attacking the Von Erichs and others. They were set for a feud when Hernandez suddenly died of a drug overdose in early 1986. Had he lived longer, he'd likely have done even more but still be regarded as a grand star for his time.

3 Bad News Allen

When you can have folks literally rioting at you, you're a great heel. Bad News Allen was a breakout in the Stampede territory, not only with his looks but also his attitude, nasty promos that could get fans irate and holding a few titles.

His most infamous moment was crushing the "son" of longtime heel Archie Gouldie in an attack so brutal, it almost got Stampede shut down. He had a run in WWE as Bad News Brown, but it was that earlier work that solidified Allen as one of the best heels and a forerunner to the tough loner types of today.

2 Eddie Gilbert

"Hot Stuff" started as a babyface, but when he turned heel in the Continental area in 1984, he was quickly one of the best around. His years-long feud with Jerry Lawler was fantastic and he worked in tenures in Mid-South/UWF, WCW and then the USWA and early ECW.

Gilbert was a great worker while also killer on the mic, aided by wife Missy Hyatt, running a stable of heels and a sharp booker, which aided in his presentation. Beautifully arrogant in his promos and cheating like crazy, Gilbert burned a lot of bridges with companies, but the fact he was regarded so well as a heel in his short time speaks volumes to his power.

1 Kevin Sullivan

Kevin Sullivan had been honing himself as a heel in Georgia and Memphis before a face turn. But in 1982, he returned to Florida to begin the gimmick that would dominate his career. Sullivan's "Prince of Darkness" act was daring for the time, a bizarre cult figure leading a pack of stranger heels known as the Army of Darkness.

From Dusty Rhodes to Superstar Billy Graham, Sullivan faced every babyface who came to the state, a star when ICW went national. He later moved to WCW for memorable stints, yet his appearance, from makeup to that insane laugh, made him one of the most unnerving but best heels of any era.

NEXT: 10 Best WWE Heel Wrestlers Of The 1980s Ranked