| 1 | Randy Savage — 371-Day Reign, WM5 Main Event, Hall of Famer Post-WM4: Greatest Year of Savage's Career After WM4, Randy Savage's 371-day WWF Championship reign was the centerpiece of WWF's most exciting year. He formed the Mega Powers, main-evented SummerSlam 1988 and WM5, and is remembered as one of the greatest performers in WWE history. | 371-day WWF Championship reign → WM5 main event (lost to ... | May 20, 2011 | WWE Hall of Famer 2015 (posthumous) |
| 2 | Hulk Hogan — No Holds Barred Film, WM5 Title Win Post-WM4: Movie Star Then Championship Return After WM4, Hulk Hogan left for the film No Holds Barred, then returned and defeated Randy Savage at WM5 to win his third WWF Championship — continuing his WrestleMania dominance. | No Holds Barred filming (spring/summer 1988) → WM5 WWF Ch... | — | — |
| 3 | Bret Hart — From Battle Royal to 5x WWF Champion Post-WM4: Greatest Career Arc in WWF Bret Hart's WM4 Battle Royal appearance was still in his pre-solo-push Hart Foundation days — he would eventually become a five-time WWF Champion, Hall of Famer (three-time inductee), and one of the greatest performers in wrestling history. | Hart Foundation continued → solo push → 5x WWF Champion (... | — | WWE Hall of Famer 2006 (three-time inductee) |
| 4 | Ted DiBiase — SummerSlam 1988, Long-Term Villain Post-WM4: Mega Bucks and Continued Main Event Status After WM4, Ted DiBiase continued as the WWF's premier heel — forming The Mega Bucks with Andre the Giant, competing at SummerSlam 1988, and purchasing various titles before his career wound down in the early 1990s. | Mega Bucks formation → SummerSlam 1988 loss → continued a... | — | — |
| 5 | Demolition — 478-Day Tag Reign, Hall of Famers 2026 Post-WM4: Greatest Golden Era Tag Dynasty Demolition's WM4 tag title win launched a 478-day championship reign — and Ax and Smash were finally inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in the Class of 2026, receiving the recognition their dominant run deserved. | 478-day WWF Tag Championship reign — most dominant golden... | — | WWE Hall of Famers Class of 2026 |
| 6 | Jake Roberts — IC Title Feuds, WM6 Match with DiBiase Post-WM4: Continued Main Event Storytelling Jake Roberts continued one of the WWF's most psychologically complex careers after WM4 — feuding with Rick Rude, Andre the Giant, and Ted DiBiase throughout 1988–1989. | Rude feud continued → Andre feud → DiBiase feud → WM6 app... | — | WWE Hall of Famer 2014 |
| 7 | Rick Rude — IC Title Win 1989, WM5 Rivalry Post-WM4: Claimed the IC Title from Warrior Rick Rude's post-WM4 career saw him win the Intercontinental Championship from The Ultimate Warrior in 1989 — one of the most significant IC title changes of the era and a peak moment in Rude's career. | Continued Roberts feud → Won IC Championship from Ultimat... | — | — |
| 8 | Bad News Brown — 1988–90 Major Mid-Card Heel Post-WM4: Bret Hart Feud and Major Push Bad News Brown's WM4 Battle Royal win launched a significant mid-card push — his feud with Bret Hart following the trophy smashing became one of 1988's most watched mid-card rivalries. | Bret Hart feud (1988) → continued as top WWF mid-card hee... | — | — |
| 9 | Honky Tonk Man — 454-Day IC Reign Ended by Warrior Post-WM4: Longest IC Reign — Then Shocking Loss After surviving WM4's DQ result to extend his reign, Honky Tonk Man's IC Championship run finally ended at SummerSlam 1988 when The Ultimate Warrior sprinted to the ring in response to Honky's open challenge and won the title in under 30 seconds. | Reign continued to 454 days → Lost to Ultimate Warrior in... | — | — |
| 10 | Andre the Giant — Feuded with Hogan, Duggan, then Retirement Post-WM4: Final Major WWF Years After WM4, Andre the Giant feuded with Jim Duggan and then renewed his alliance with Ted DiBiase, leading to the SummerSlam 1988 Mega Bucks match — his health declining, Andre's in-ring career wound down through the early 1990s. | Duggan feud → DiBiase-Andre renewal → SummerSlam 1988 (Me... | January 27, 1993 | — |