Wrestlemania I

History of WWE's Wrestlemania

Bruce Ziebarth
Bruce Ziebarth, Yahoo! Contributor Network
Mar 3, 2009 "Share your voice on Yahoo! websites. Start Here."
Wrestlemania 1 was held at Madison Square Garden on March 31, 1985. Previously, professional wrestling was limited to regional promoters. Vince McMahon was actively working to change this landscape. Vince McMahon wanted to create a nationwide promoter. Wrestlemania 1 would put him on the map.

Wrestlemania 1's main event teamed Hulk Hogan with Mr. T. Hulk Hogan and Mr. T were matched against the team of "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff. At the time, Hulk Hogan was the WWE Champion. Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka appeared with Hulk Hogan and Mr. T. WWE.com describes the match as, "the match lived up to all its hype and then some. The action picked up immediately as Piper and Mr. T exchanged slaps across the face. From there, the four competitors gave everything they had in an all-out war" (Wrestlemania I, n.d.). Ultimately, Holk Hogan and Mr. T would be victorious.

Andre the Giant was also integral to Wrestlemania I. Wrestlemania I featured the Body Slam Challenge. Andre the Giant was matched against Big John Studd. The stakes were very high. If Andre the Giant could body slam Big John Studd then Andre would win $15,000. If Big John Studd managed to body slam Andre the Giant then Andre had to retire. Andre the Giant was able to body slam Big John Studd and win the $15,000 dollars. Dawrestlingsite.com described the match as, "Boring, dull, boring match with Andre resting like crazy and Studd getting pretty much zero offense in" (WWF Wrestlemnia I, 2009).

Other results from Wrestlemania I:

  • David and Bruno Sammartino fought the team of Brutus Beefcake and Luscious Johnny Valiant to a no contest.
  • Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat defeated Matt Borne
  • King Kong Bundy teamed with Jimmy Hart to defeat Special Delivery Jones
  • Junkyard Dog defeated Greg "The Hammer" Valentine with Jimmy Hart via a count out to become the Intercontinental Champion.
  • Nikolai Volkoff and The Iron Sheik with Classy Freddy Blassie defeated Mike Rotundo and Barry Windham to become the World Tag Team Champions.
  • Wendi Richter and Cyndi Lauper defeated Leilani Kai with Fabulous Moolah to become the Women's Tag Team Champions.
Vince McMahon has turned a regional wrestling promotion into a world wide sports entertainment franchise. Wrestlemania has become the cornerstone of this franchise. Wrestlemania I was the beginning of the series and one of the best "sports entertainment" shows ever.

References

Published by Bruce Ziebarth

I work full time in the Emergency Management fields as a planner and trainer. I also am pursuing a second career as a freelance writer.  View profile

  • Wrestlemania I featured the Body Slam Challenge.
  • Wrestlemania 1's main event teamed Hulk Hogan with Mr. T.
Wrestlemania I featured some of the most famous professional wrestlers including Andre The Giant, Hulk Hogan, Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka, and Rowdy Roddy Piper.

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