WrestleMania I

Legacy Review

WrestleMania I

March 31, 1985 from Madison Square Garden in New York City

 

Commentary: Gorilla Monsoon and Jesse Ventura

 

Vince McMahon found his new star after buying WWF from his dad in Hulk Hogan in early '84, and now to really set off national and mainstream expansion he needed a huge, big time show. That will be this first Wrestlemania, which was no small gamble. In fact you could say he was staking the entire company on this show succeeding, because he was. The idea to put it on closed circuit TV was at least partially inspired by the success Jim Crockett Promotions had with Starrcade the previous two years, the start of major wrestling shows being on what would become PPV. In practice this is essentially a normal MSG show with a few added bells and whistles. In keeping with MSG tradition they ring the bell after every introduction, including managers, something I've never been a fan of. Get used to hearing "DING DINGDING DING" or minor variations thereof all night.

 

This is also the peak of what was later known as the Rock 'N' Wrestling Era, though not the peak of the entire '80s boom (that will be WM 3). As part of that rock/wrestling connection two specials were shown on MTV before this, The Brawl for It All in July '84 and The War to Settle the Score in February '85. In a very unusual move for the time both those shows heavily featured the women's title, due to the involvement of major pop star Cyndi Lauper. She'll be showing up again tonight as one of the big celebrity draws.

 

None other than Mean Gene opens the show singing the National Anthem. Singing in only the most technical definition of the word. It's.....OK. He definitely shouldn't quit his day interviewing job to get on Star Search. After that we cut to Lord Alfred Hayes, who'll be doing MC like duties from the entrance area all night tonight introducing matches as the wrestlers enter and leave, while looking and sounding generally befuddled the entire time. 

 

Tito Santana def The Executioner in 4:49- Don't let the fact he's curtain jerking fool you, Santana was a major midcard player in this era and one of the company's better in-ring workers at the time. He's here because he's kind of in a hole in between his two Intercontinental title reigns (he lost it to Greg Valentine in September and would regain it from him in July). The Executioner is none other than "Playboy" Buddy Rose under a mask. During his prematch promo he makes it completely clear what his strategery for this match is, go after Santana's leg that had been hurt by Valentine early and often, just like Democrats voting in Chicago. Executioner isn't only billed from the ubiquitous Parts Unknown (somewhere near Terre Haute if I remember right), but his weight is also hilariously "unknown". What, he's so evil he refused to step on a scale before the match? They quickly go into a criss cross and Santana hits a backdrop. A dropkick follow up sends Executioner out to the floor. Back in Santana cranks a headlock and walks up the ropes to flip Executioner over in a takedown. Executioner, as advertised, tries a shot on the leg but Santana shrugs it off and rams his head into the mat. Executioner begs off and reset. Executioner gets the first shot in this time and works some slow generic heel offense, as you'd expect from a one night masked man that's trying to look like no one in particular. Executioner starts in some leg work but Santana escapes and hits some comeback shots. Executioner begs off again and hides in the corner. Santana still unloads on him. Executioner backdrops out of a piledriver attempt. Slam and Executioner goes up top. Santana catches him and slams him off. He tries for a big splash but Executioner gets his knees up. Back on Santana's leg. Santana pushes off with his good leg and sends Executioner over the top and out, and when he lands he lands sitting in an empty chair ringside! Fantastic. Santana slams him back in off the apron. Flying forearm! Figure four! A message to Valentine. Executioner has nowhere to go and has to give it up. Pretty solid match thanks to Santana. **

 

King Kong Bundy (w/Jimmy Hart) def Special Delivery Jones in :09 :25- Bundy had just arrived in WWF a couple of weeks before this and was getting a huge initial push, winning short matches and demanding five counts because he annihilated his opponents so badly. They always inflated his weight like crazy though, there's no way in hell he's over 400 pounds. Hart had also recently arrived in WWF from Memphis. Bell ring. Jones tries a charge but Bundy bear hugs him and backs him into the corner. Avalanche! Big splash! Good night. Officially WWF called the win in 9 seconds so they could call it a record, something Vince really wanted to have on this show. In reality it was around 25 seconds. Crazy quick, but not a record. But I also have zero issue with the booking as Bundy was on tap to be the new big monster heel and for better or worse would main event WM 2 with Hogan, while Jones wasn't going anywhere. Except through the mat in this match. NR

 

On a quick closeup of commentary we see Ventura has a crystal in his chin dimple. Amazing. 

 

Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat def Matt Borne in 4:39- Steamboat had just jumped over from JCP after losing the blowoff match of his long chase of Tully Blanchard's NWA TV title at Starrcade. Upon arrival in WWF he was given the nickname "the Dragon", which stuck with him the rest of his career regardless of company. He's our first guy on the night that wrestled in both the first Starrcade and first Wrestlemania. Borne was a journeyman that would later be most well known as the original and best heel Doink the Clown (sorry Big Josh fans), but he was also a very underrated technical wrestler. Steamboat's still in trunks instead of long tights. Long lockup to start. Speed run and Steamboat does a couple of leapfrogs before swinging a double hand chop. Borne grabs the ropes to dodge it, but Steamboat gets him on the second try. Borne tries to flip Steamboat out of a headlock but Steamboat lands on his feet. Steamboat definitely brought a level of athleticism WWF hasn't seen much of to this point. Second time with the same result and Steamboat hits an atomic drop, then has some fun mocking Borne's selling of it. Another headlock and this time Borne lifts him up into an inverted atomic drop, then hits a kneelift. Steamboat hits a chop off the second rope and another karate like shot. Now Steamboat works a front facelock. Borne backs him into the corner and hits a couple of knees to the gut. Belly to belly suplex from Borne. Snap suplex for 2. Forearm/chop exchange that Steamboat wins. Back suplex from Steamboat. Swinging neckbreaker. Monsoon gives us out first "external occipital protuberance" of the night. Drink! Diving chop from Steamboat for 2. Another speed run. Steamboat ducks a wild clothesline swing and hits a sort of flying forearm. He goes up top. Borne sees and tries to get out of the way (nice touch) but Steamboat hits the big crossbody and gets the pin. **1/4

 

Someone handed Hayes the show's program to hold during his bits. That's hilarious. Also hilarious is Borne quickly correcting course returning to the back when he realizes he's about to walk between Hayes and the camera. During pretaped promos for the next match Beefcake blows a raspberry into the mic. Probably his best promo for years.

 

Brutus Beefcake (w/Johnny Valiant) and David Sammartino (w/Bruno Sammartino) double DQ in 11:43- Original Friend of Hogan Ed Leslie came to WWF in late '84 and took the name Brutus Beefcake, originally having the gimmick of a heel male stripper. David is the son of the legendary Bruno Sammartino and was living proof that genetics didn't equal success or talent. They were trying hard with him to try to keep his dad happy though, especially after his relationship with Vince Senior ended acrimoniously. Unsurprisingly Bruno gets a way bigger pop than his son. Beefcake and Valiant take their sweet time getting Beefcake disrobed for the match, which I guess fits into his gimmick. Lockup and Beefcake easily shoves David into the corner. He goes to lockup again and Beefcake swerves away and struts a bit. Another lockup with David winning and Beefcake runs into a very sloppy drop toe hold. Beefcake gets a waistlock takedown but David outmaneuvers him on the mat and Beefcake slides out to the floor. David works another takedown into a front facelock. He's got the amateur stuff down, I'll give him that. Beefcake takes a rope break to get away. David works on Beefcake's arm a bit, but again refuses to press an advantage the second Beefcake tries to back off or stall. Beefcake gets a headlock takedown. They get a bit of speed going with Beefcake getting a shoulderblock and hiptoss. Another drop toe hold from David and he wraps up Beefcake's legs for some work there. They go through a stretch where Beefcake pushes with his legs to escape but David immediately gets another leg takedown into some more basic leg work. Beefcake finally goes to an eye rake with one of his forearm coverings to get free. Backdrop from Beefcake. Very generic offense from Beefcake as he was still just this side of awful at this point. He'd get marginally better as the '80s went on before the parasailing accident. Eventually David reverses a corner whip and hits a backdrop. Slugfest that David wins. Suplex from David for 2. Beefcake hits a headbutt to the gut and tosses David out. Valiant picks David up and slams him on the unpadded floor. Bruno comes over, rolls Valiant into the ring and goes nuts on him! That finally gets the crowd invested. All four guys brawl in the ring and the ref calls for the bell, throwing the match out. Not an ideal finish, but Bruno was the only guy anyone cared about so whatever. It's insane that got so much time, especially after Santana and Steamboat got so little. 3/4*

 

WWF Intercontinental Championship: The Junkyard Dog def Greg "The Hammer" Valentine (c) (w/Jimmy Hart) by countout in 6:55- After being the NWA US champion at the first Starrcade, Valentine comes into the first WM as IC champ. He may not have been main event material, but there wasn't a midcard or tag title available to him that he didn't hold at some point. JYD jumped over to WWF in the summer of '84 after being the face of Mid-South Wrestling, the first black wrestler to ever be the top star in a major territory. Unfortunately he left most of his motivation back there along with whatever shock sticks Bill Watts zapped him with to make him go harder in matches. And it turned out he was ahead of the curve, as there was about to be a major exodus of Mid-South stars to WWF as that territory collapsed. JYD gets the first full entrance with (dubbed over) music on the night. Both guys posture and tease swinging punches at the start, much to the ref's consternation. JYD switches gears and cranks an arm wringer. He catches a Valentine kick attempt and puts him down with a punch. Next lockup Valentine gets a couple of shots but JYD dodges a diving forearm attempt. He starts laying in the patented crawling headbutts that send Valentine all the way to the floor. Back in we get a knucklelock test of strength. Valentine waffles JYD with a forearm, followed by a running clubbing blow. He starts laying in the leg work, setting up the figure four, which was Valentine's regular finisher. Santana was using it earlier to annoy him. He mixes it up with his diving headbutt to the gut, then goes for the figure four. JYD powers him off before it's on. JYD slugs back in the corner. Headbutts. Valentine flop! Hart gets on the apron, sensing Valentine's in trouble. JYD "dodges" an ambush attempt and Valentine wipes Hart out. Valentine leg takedown in the corner, feet on the ropes and he gets the illegal leverage pin to retain. But wait. Santana is out here! Already in his street clothes, that was a quick shower and change. He tells the ref Valentine got an illegal pin. And the ref says OK and restarts the match! On Santana's word? Valentine's sworn nemesis? I'd want some more evidence. Can we at least get the replay review monitor out? Valentine refuses to get back in the ring and the ref counts him out. Valentine wants to go with Santana right now but Hart pulls him away. As mentioned earlier, Santana will regain the title from Valentine in July. Valentine tried but 7 minutes is barely a warmup for him. *

 

WWF Tag Team Championship: The Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff (w/Freddie Blassie) def The US Express (c) (/Capt. Lou Albano) in 6:55- The Express are young and future brothers-in-law Barry Windham and Mike Rotunda. Sheik drops a classic "Gene Mean" during the prematch promo. As usual, Volkoff croons the Soviet national anthem before the match, with NWO era levels of trash being thrown in the ring. Gene Mean was better, which isn't saying much. The Express also get a full entrance with music. Albano's got a rubber band dangling off his cheek. How is he holding that up? With a hook in his cheek? And you thought modern body piercing was nuts. Rotunda and Sheik start. Sheik gets a quick shoulderblock, but Rotunda quickly fires back with a hiptoss/dropkick/slam sequence. Windham gives Sheik a shot from the apron, then tags in and hits a forearm off the top rope. Legdrop to Sheik's crotch/gut area. Sheik powers Windham into his corner. Windham dodges and Sheik dropkicks Volkoff! That's nearly a full on international incident as the heels argue. Maybe they realized that a theocratic Islamic regime isn't compatible with Soviet style communism. No, they both remember they're both essentially dictatorships that hate the US and move on with Volkoff tagging in. After we lose a bit for a replay Rotunda hits a couple of elbows on Volkoff for 2. Windham comes in off the top rope again. So does Rotunda as the faces quick tag. Volkoff pulls Rotunda's hair to give him a shot, then runs him into Sheik's boot spike. Big backdrop from Sheik on Rotunda, followed by an elbow drop for 2. Gutwrench suplex for 2. Rotunda blocks and hits a suplex. Volkoff tags in and cuts a tag off, then drops Rotunda on the top rope. Rotunda gets a sunset flip on Volkoff for 2. The heels get Rotunda back in peril as the managers get on the same side and argue on the floor. Sheik abdominal stretch on Rotunda. Rotunda hiptosses out and both sides tag. Dropkick from Windham on Volkoff. Bulldog! Sheik breaks the pin up! DONNYBROOK! Rotunda dropkicks Sheik to the floor. While out there Sheik gets Blassie's cane and nails Windham with it! Volkoff covers and gets the pin to steal the titles! Huge boos from the crowd for that. Solid if short match with Windham and Rotunda both looking fantastic. They would win the titles back in June, then drop them to the newly formed Dream Team (Beefcake and Valentine) in August before leaving WWF. Both would later, via separate paths, find singles stardom in Jim Crockett Promotions/WCW. **1/2

 

Gene Mean joins the celebrating new champs in the back. Blassie denies he ever had a cane. Classic. 

 

$15,000 Bodyslam Challenge: Andre the Giant def Big John Studd (w/Bobby Heenan) in 5:53- Vince convinced Andre to sign his first ever full time contract in '84, ending his many years as a roving special attraction. Studd had been one of the company's established monster heels for several years before then, making this a natural feud. Heenan and Studd put up $15K of Heenan's money as "bait". Andre has to slam Studd to win the match and the money, and if he fails to he must retire. Kind of gives the ending away. I love how the money is stuffed into a cheap WWF duffel bag that cost maybe 10 bucks at the merch stand. Even better when you see it close up during the prematch promo it's clearly a bunch of ones that have been crumpled up to make the bag look full. Studd jumps Andre from behind before the bell and we're off. He pounds away on Andre in the corner. Andre hits chops to get free. A headbutt sends Studd flopping out to the floor, where he and Heenan restrategize. When Studd gets back in Andre chokes him like crazy in the corner. Heenan rightly gets furious at the ref for not breaking it. Classic Andre squash in the corner. Studd hits a knee to the gut or lower and tries for a slam but Andre fights it off. Bear hug from Andre. Studd tries to power or eye rake out but can't. Eventually Andre hits a shot to Studd's back and lets go. He then puts Studd in a kind of standing crossface. Headbutt from Andre, then he decides to work on Studd's arm a bit. He catches a Studd kick attempt and gives Studd some hammy kicks. Chop in the corner from Andre. More hammy kicks. He scoops Studd up and slams him! That's it. Completely one sided match, Studd got maybe two moves in after the start of match ambush. In probably the first truly memorable moment from this first WM, Andre starts throwing the money out of the bag into the crowd. Heenan snatches the bag away and runs off with it! Andre's not worried about it. 1/4*

 

Moolah plants a kiss on Hayes as she walks out for the next match, leaving lipstick behind and getting a "GOOD GRACIOUS!" reaction. 

 

WWF Women's Championship: Wendi Richter (w/Cyndi Lauper) def Leilani Kai (c) (w/The Fabulous Moolah) in 6:14- As I mentioned in the open, the women are getting way more featured here thanks solely due to the presence of Lauper, who was huge at the time. Moolah was the longest reigning champion for anything ever, officially holding the NWA, then WWF, Women's title for nearly 40 years. Richer defeated her for it at The Brawl to End It All, then Moolah protege Kai took it at The War to Settle the Score. More replaced music for Richter's entrance, I guess they didn't want to keep paying Lauper rights fees. After the lockup they go right to the women's hair pulling. Richter hits a shot out of the corner and Kai does a ridiculous delayed flop across the ring. Richter tries an armbar but Kai kicks free. Another mat exchange with Richter getting a hammerlock. She tosses Kai around with it. Kai grabs a handful of hair to snap mare Richter around. More hair pulling to keep Richter in an arm wringer. Richter tries to swing back with her good arm but Kai stays on the bad one. Kai leg takedown into a straight choke. Richer uses that position to put on a body scissors. A couple of ugly takedowns from Richter get 2 counts. Another hair snap mare from Kai. Richter pushes out of the corner with her legs. They get in the ropes and Moolah pulls Richter out by the hair. Lauper goes over to make the save. "Big" boot from Kai back in. Richter gets a fireman's carry slam for 2. Kai gets her knees up in the corner. That was a nice hit. Cover for 2. Backbreaker from Kai for 2. Setup slam and Kai goes up top. Crossbody! Richter is supposed to roll through and just about does, and that gets the pin to win the title back! Lauper and Moolah get into a bit again after the bell. Pretty typical women's match for the era but not a terrible one grading on that curve. *1/2

 

To set up the main event- Hogan and Piper were the top feud in the company going back to '84, Hogan's first major feud since winning the title in January of that year and a huge draw both in arenas and on TV. Piper was always one of those guys that never wanted to lose though, so to have a definitive finish in the main event a tag match was set up instead. The famous Piper's Pit segment where Piper smashed Jimmy Snuka in the head with a coconut set up Snuka's involvement. Piper and Orndorff had been loose teammates ever since they both arrived in WWF, and were soon joined by "Cowboy" Bob Orton, dad of Randy. The last spot is another of tonight's big celebrity draws, actor Mr. T teaming with Hogan. T appeared alongside Hogan in Rocky III as Clubber Lang, then became a national star as one of the lead characters on the hit TV show The A-Team. Famously T's involvement was resented by the other non-Hogan wrestlers as he hadn't "paid his dues" in their eyes, but everyone acted like professionals up to and through the match.

 

Before we get into the match, we get the final cavalcade of celebrities brought in to really make this show feel like a huge deal. Former, or possibly current depending on George Steinbrenner's mood this particular minute, Yankees manager Billy Martin is the guest ring announcer. For guest timekeeper we have Liberace, who comes in with some Vegas showgirls and they have a kick line in the ring, another iconic moment from this show that's still used in video packages today. As guest (outside) referee it's none other than the greatest boxer of all time Muhammad Ali, to my memory making one of his final appearances before the Parkinson's really started to take hold.

 

WWF Champion Hulk Hogan & Mr. T (w/Jimmy Snuka) def "Rowdy" Roddy Piper & "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff (w/Bob Orton) in 13:34- This remains the only WM in history without a WWF/E Championship match. Piper and Orndorff get a full Piper themed bagpipe and drum corps entrance. If you want proof how extensively steroids were used in WWF in this period, just look at how bloated Piper's face is versus earlier and later in his career. Orton is wearing his famous cast that he had on forever, claiming a broken arm. Hogan's music is dubbed over with Real American despite the fact it hadn't been written yet. Hogan's so fired up he rips T's shirt off. Pat Patterson is working as the main ref for this match, Ali will be on the outside. Patterson and Liberace both in or near the ring at the same time? San Francisco's whatever it's called district temporarily cedes the crown of gayest place in America. The heels share a big three way hug and Orndorff wants to start with Hogan. The bell rings, and Liberace rings his own little bell he brought with him! Fantastic. Piper changes his mind and wants to start instead. Orndorff tags him in. Now T demands Hogan tag him in. Hogan says go for it. T and Piper go nose to nose in the middle of the ring. Slap exchange. Piper teases a time out then hits a quick kick. Waistlock takedown. Piper rides T and slaps the back of his head. T finally manages to escape. Lockup and stalemate. Fireman's carry scoop from T! He carries Piper a bit then slams him down. Piper tackles T into his corner. Hogan runs in and it's an all over wild DONNYBROOK already! Ali gets in the ring to help restore order. Orton puts one foot in the ring but thinks better of it. Snuka perches on the top rope, but also thinks better and jumps back down. Everything calms down and the heels go to the floor to rethink things. They tease leaving. Hogan stops Patterson's count because he wants them back, not a cheap countout win. The heels do eventually come back and get knocked around again. Hogan corner clothesline on Piper. Double noggin knocker. Hogan atomic drop on Piper as things settle back in. He and Piper trade eye rakes. Hogan and T double clothesline Piper. T hits a slam. Orndorff comes in and T hiptosses him. Another slam for Piper. A Hogan big boot sends Piper 360 over the top to the floor! Orndorff ambushes Hogan from behind, also sending him out to the floor. Piper drops a thickly padded chair on Hogan. The heels keep Hogan trapped in their corner back in and work T and the ref to keep double teaming him. Ali has to get back in to try to get things under control again. Orndorff suplex on Hogan. Piper waffles Hogan with some big right hands and a kneelift for 2. Orndorff standing elbow off the top rope for 2. Backbreaker. Orndorff goes up top again. Hogan dodges! Tag to T! T fires away on Orndoff, but Piper attacks him from behind to now get him in peril. T tries to dodge around Orndorff to tag but Orndorff keeps him trapped. Piper front facelock on T. T manages to dive backwards and get the tag! Another double noggin knocker from Hogan. Orndorff gets Hogan with a back suplex. Piper distracts Patterson so Orton can come in. Snuka cuts him off and headbutts him back to the floor! More ref maneuvering and Orndorff hooks Hogan up for Orton to hit him with the cast off the top rope. Hogan dodges and Orndorff takes it! Hogan covers and gets the pin! High energy and pure chaos, in a good way, all through the match and everyone played their parts perfectly. A very fun first WM main event. ***1/4

 

Piper decks Patterson on his way out, then he and Orton leave Orndorff behind for losing the match. When Orndorff comes to Hogan and T don't attack and allow Orndorff to leave. That will be Orndorff's face turn, albeit a temporary one. All the celebrities converge in the ring as Hogan poses down to end the show.

 

OVERALL SHOW THOUGHTS- There's nothing even close to resembling a classic match to be found here, but there's no denying the overall atmosphere and sense that you're watching something special as it unfolds. The MSG crowd definitely felt it. At a svelte 2 and a quarter hours it doesn't overstay its welcome either. It'd take a couple more years for WWF to settle on a definitive formula for it, but Wrestlemania as the center of calendar was here to stay and WWF's '80s boom would only get bigger from here. When putting a final grade on this show, you have to do it on a huge historical importance curve above beyond the pure match quality.

OVERALL SHOW GRADE: C

 

v2.0 posted 4/27/26