Sorry for the radio silence, I was busy. But, I'm back now and here to talk about WrestleMania.
Yes, friends, it's WrestleMania time again and I wanted to do something to celebrate the "Grandest Stage of them All, so I'm gonna give you the History of WrestleMania And list the Greatest Matches from WrestleMania's 1 though 15. I'll also be listing a few factoids and favorites later down the road, so look out for that.
Also note that, due to time, I'm only gonna cover WrestleMania's 1 though 15. May do the other Events another time (but no promises).
History -
During the 1980s, The WWF's main competition was from Jim Crockett Promotions. Vince McMahon countered Jim Crockett's successful Starrcade annual events, which began airing in 1983, by creating the WrestleMania franchise. A rights agreement which Barry Diller, head of USA Network co-owner Paramount, pushed by 1983 also allowed for better access to programming at the Madison Square Garden, including on any regional pay television network.
For the first WrestleMania, McMahon began cross promoting with MTV, which aired two wrestling specials. The first one was "The Brawl to End It All", aired on July 23, 1984, in which a match from a live Madison Square Garden broadcast was shown on MTV. Cyndi Lauper would make her WWF debut as Wendi Richter's manager, along with her own Manager, David Wolfe. The 2nd was "The War to Settle the Score", which aired on February 18, 1985. During this event, Mr. T would get involved and help Hulk Hogan fend off "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, "Ace" Cowboy Bob Orton, and "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff.
Aside from Lauper and Mr. T, other celebrities also appeared during the buildup to and at the event; most notably Muhammad Ali, Liberace (with The Rockettes), and Major League Baseball manager Billy Martin all appeared during the main event.
WrestleMania would become the WWF's flagship event. It has since become the longest-running professional wrestling event in history and is held annually between mid-March to mid-April WrestleMania would eventually be described as the Super Bowl of Professional Wrestling.
Another thing to note is that Vince McMahon bet his Entire Business on the 1st WrestleMania. Yup, the Whole WWF. Had WrestleMania flopped, the WWF wouldn't even exist today and the McMahon's would be forced to find other careers to survive, since their main source of income would be gone.
So, we are all grateful that WrestleMania was a success and the WWF remained intact. It's interesting to think about this alternative,though.
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Greatest Matches (1 - 15) -
$15,000 Body Slam Match - Andre the Giant v. Big John Studd (WrestleMania 1) - It was Bobby "The Brain" Heenan's money vs. Andre the Giants Career. Whoever successfully body slammed the other, won the match and the money. For Andre, it was his WWF career. Thankfully, The Giant won.
Tag Match - Hulk Hogan and Mr. T w/ "Superfly Jimmy Snuka v. "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff w/ "Ace" Cowboy Bob Orton (WM1) - This was the match wasn't that awesome, But it Did make WrestleMania a success. Plus, ya can't go wrong with Mr. T.
Intercontinental Championship Match - George "The Animal" Steel v. "Macho Man" Randy Savage (c) w/ Miss Elizabeth (WM2) - Not the most awesome match, but a fun one. Plus, it's the WrestleMania debut of the Legendary "Macho Man" Randy Savage. Oooh,Yeeaaah! Dig It!!!!
WWF v. NFL Battle Royal (WM2)- The Superstars of the World Wrestling Federation tackle the Best of the National Football League. I Love Battle Royals and this was clearly the best match of the 2nd portion of WrestleMania 2. BTW, Andre the Giant won this thing.
Steel Cage Match for the WWF World Championship - King Kong Bundy w/ Bobby "The Brain" Heenan v. Hulk Hogan (c) (WM2) - Not That great of a match, but on this list for being notable for 2 WrestleMania Firsts - The First Cage Match and the first WWF World Title Defense at the event. Plus, I'm kinda a sucker for Steel Cage Matchs
Hair v. Hair Match - "Rowdy" Roddy Piper v. "Adorable" Adrian Adonis w/ "The Mouth of the South" Jimmy Hart. (WM III) - This was Piper's "Retirement" Match. Always fun to watch Hot Rod in action.
Intercontinental Championship Match - Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat w/ George "The Animal" Steele v. "Macho Man" Randy Savage (c) w/ Miss Elizabeth. (WM III) - The Match of the Night! This was 90% Pure Wrestling match and it really showcased the skills of both Savage and Steamboat.
WWF World Championship Match - Andre the Giant w/ Bobby "The Brain" Heenan v.Hulk Hogan (c) (WM III) - Despite popular belief, This isn't the 1st Match Andre and Hogan had. Legendary, though not the all-time greatest.
The Superstar Battle Royal (WM IV) - The Best Match of the Event. I love Battle Royals.
Intercontinental Title Match - Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake v. The Honkey Tonk Man w/ Jimmy Hart (c) (WM IV) - This was Honky Tonk Man's first and Only WrestleMania as Intercontinental Champion. Not the Ultimate IC Title match, but HTM and The Barber are fun to watch. And The Mouth from the South is always a favorite.
Tournament final for the vacant WWF World Championship - "Macho Man" Randy Savage w/ Miss Elizabeth v. "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase w/ André the Giant and Virgil (WM IV) - This match wasn't as good as it should've been. But, it Did establish Randy Savage as a Main Eventer.
The Special Edition of Piper's Pit (WM V) - Not a match but a very entertaining segment. Plus, the return of "Rowdy" Roddy Piper.
Intercontinental Championship Match - Ravishing Rick Rude w/ Bobby Heenan v. The Ultimate Warrior (c) (WM V) - Good match and The only time that the Ultimate Warrior lost at WrestleMania.
WWF World Championship Match - Hulk Hogan v. "Macho Man" Randy Savage (c) w/ Miss Elizabeth in a neutral corner (WM V) - The Mega Powers Explode. The continuation of one of the most legendary feuds in Wrestling History.
Special Segment - Rhythm and Blues (Honky Tonk Man and Greg Valentine w/ Jimmy Hart)preform "Hunka, Hunka, Honky Love" (WM VI) - Entertaining segment got even more entertaining when the Bushwackers (Luke and Butch) showed up and ruined the "Concert".
WWF Tag Title Match - Demolition (Ax and Smash) v. The Colossal Connection (Haku and Andre the Giant) (c) w/ Bobby Heenan (WM VI) - A good match notable for being Andre the Giant's final Wrestling Event as a Full-Time Wrestler.
Million Dollar Championship Match - Jake "The Snake" Roberts v. "The Million Dollar Man" Ted Dibiase (c) w/ Virgil (WM VI) - The only time at WrestleMania where the Million Dollar Title was put up for grabs. Another legendary feud.
Title For Title Match - Ultimate Warrior (IC Champ) v. Hulk Hogan (WWF World Champ) (WM VI) - It's The Ultimate Challenge! This epic match marked the End of WWF's Hulkamania Era.
The Rockers (Marty Jannety and Shawn Michaels) v. Hsku and the Barbarian w/ Bobby Heenan (WM VII) - A fine match that marked the Final WrestleMania for the Rockers as a Tag Team.
Tag Team Championship Match - The Nasty Boys (Brian Nobbs and Jerry Sags) w/ Jimmy Hart v. The Hart Foundation (Bret "Hit Man" Hart and Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart) (c) (WM VII) - A great match featuring my 2 favorite Tag Teams. This would also mark Bret Hart's Final match as part of an established Tag Team, as soon after, Hart would begin his legendary singles career.
Career v Career Match - "Macho King" Randy Savage w/ Sensational Queen Sherri v. The Ultimate Warrior (WM VII) - The Match of the Night. 2 Legends battle it out with their careers on the line. The Ultimate Challenge was Trash compared to this epic bout.
Shawn Micheals w/ Sensational Sherri v. "El Matador" Tito Santana (WM VIII) - Shawn Michael's first big singles match and a great way to kick off WrestleMania VIII.
The Undertaker w/ Paul Bearer v. Jake "The Snake" Roberts (WM VIII) - The Undertaker, the future Super Legend de-fangs the Snake in this all-time classic.
Intercontinental Championship Match - "Rowdy" Roddy Piper (c) v. Bret "Hit Man" Hart (WM VIII) - The Match of the Night. Quite possibly the Greatest WrestleMania Intercontinental Championship Match of All Time.
WWF World Championship Match - "Nature Boy" Ric Flair w/ Mr. Perfect (c) v. "Macho Man" Randy Savage (WM VIII) - The 2nd Greatest Match on the Card. The 1st match in the Legendary Savage/Flair Affair. This Was gonna be the Main Event, but in Never happened thanks to Hogan's politicking.
IC Championship Match - Shawn Michaels w/ Luna Vachon (c) v. Tatanka w/ Sensational Sherri (WM IX) - The Match of the Night....and it was the Opening Bout. The Card for IX was Awesome, but was booked very badly. For the Record, Tatanka Should've won the Title here.
The Steiner Bros (Rick and Scott) v. The Hedshrinkers (Samu and Fatu) w/ Afa (WM IX) - Just 2 of my favorite Teams battling at one of the worst booked WWF PPV's.
WWF World Title Match - Yokozuna w/ Mr. Fuji v. Bret "Hit Man" Hart (c) (WM IX) - A great match marred by the ending.
Bret "Hit Man" Hart v. "The Rocket" Owen Hart (WM X) - Match of the Night! The Battle of Brothers. Family trying to out wrestle each other. Owen became a Legit Superstar after this match.
Ladder Match to determine the Real WWF IC Champion - "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels /w Diesel (fake IC champ) v. "The Bad Guy" Razor Ramon (IC Champ) (WM X)- This bout went longer than it should have, but still a great match, nonetheless.
WWF World Title Match - Bret "Hit Man" Hart v. Yokozuna (c) w/Mr. Fugi and Jim Cornette (WM X) - Bret Hart's redemption after being robbed (TWICE!) at WrestleMania IX. The WWF's New Generation Era begins after this Event.
IC Title Match - Razor Ramon w/ The 1-2-3 Kid v. "Double J" Jeff Jarrett /w The Roadie (c) (WM XI) - Razor Ramon and Jeff Jarrett had a pretty damn good feud in '95, and this mach was a testament to that. Shame Razor didn't win the IC Gold.
Tag Title Match - Owen Hart and Yokozuna (billed as a mystery partner) w/ Fuji and Cornette v. The Smoking Gunns (Bart and Billy) (c) (WM XI) - Bot spectacular, but still a really good match. Plus, Owen Hart bags his first piece of Gold.
WWF World Title Match - "Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels w/ Sid and Jenny McCarthy v. "Big Daddy Cool" Diesel w/ Pamala Anderson (c) (WM XI) - HBK's first WrestlestleMania as a Main Eventer and BDC's Only WrestleMania as Champion. Both men put their friendship aside to give us a really good match.This Was the Match of the Night.
Special Attraction - Laurence "L.T." Taylor w/ The NFL All-Pro Team v. Bam Bam Bigalow /w Ted Dibiase and the Million Dollar Corporation (WM XI) - For a special attraction, this was a fun watch. Plus, TLC singing their pro-L.T. number right before the match was great.
The Geriatric Match - Nacho Man v. The Huckster w/ Billionaire Ted as the Special Referee (WM XII) - The Grand Finale of the "Billionaire Ted" saga. This was a ridiculous, yet fun match.
Hollywood Backlot Brawl - "Rowdy" Roddy Piper v. Goldust (WM XII) - This was a really fun match. After the Backlot Brawl itself , Piper and Goldust had a car chase that used footage of OJ Simpson's car. The fight returned to the Arena, where Piper beat the hell out of Dustin in a comical way.
"Big Daddy Cool" Diesel v. The Undertaker /w Paul Bearer (WM XII) - The Only time Diesel and Undertaker would fight in a 1-on-1 match on TV. This was a great match between 2 big men.
Iron Man Match for the WWF World Title - "Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels w/ "Super Sock" Jose Lathario v. Bret "Hit Man" Hart (c) (WM XII) - The Iron Man Match. Clash between 2 rivals, the New Generation Era equivalent to Hogan and Savage. 60 Minutes of great wrestling from the Federations finest. Match of the Night for sure.
Submission Match - Bret "Hit Man" Hart v. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin w/ Ken Shamrock as the Special Referee (WM XIII) - The Match Of the Night. AND The Match of the Year. hart and Austin were in a blood feud since December of the previous year which lead to This Ultimate Classic. This was also the match where the famous "Double Turn" happened.
WWF World Title Match - The Undertaker v. Pycho Sid (c) (WM XIII) - The Grand Finale of the New Generation Era. Undertaker wore his classic "Grey Gloved" attire here as a tribute to his first WrestleMania appearance. Bret Hart interfered a few times, which I found funny.
Tag Team Battle Royal (WM XIV) - The Opening match to the first WrestleMania of the Attitude Era. I Love Battle Royals .
The Dumpster Match for the Tag Titles - Cactus Jack and Chainsaw Charlie v. The New Age Outlaws ("Road Dawg" Jesse James and "Bad Ass" Billy Gun) (c) (WM XIV) - A great Hardcore match, where you had to toss your opponents into a Dumpster to win.
Undertaker v. Kane w/ Paul Bearer (WM XIV) - After months of refusing to fight his "Brother" and taking abuse for it, The Undertaker finally had enough, and so this awesome match happened. The Very beginning of a great rivalry that would last for years.
WWF World Title Match - "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels w/ Hunter Hearst Helmsley and Chyna.(c) v. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin w/ "Iron" Mike Tyson as the Special Enforcer (WM XIV) - The Match of the Night. Stone Cold really showed everyone his true potential and proved to Everyone that he Was the Man who would lead the WWF into the next Millennium.
WWF World Title Match - "Stone Cold" Steve Austin v. The Rock (c) (WM XV) - The Match of the Night. the Rock/Austin rivalry is basically the Hogan/Savage rivalry of the Attitude Era.
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And that about wraps it up for this WrestleMania tribute. Nothing else to say but, Have a Great WrestleMania and Easter Weekend.
So until next time, Space Cowboys - Punch a Nazi in the Face, Kick a Commie in the Balls, Resist Modern Attitudes, and Stay Gold.
The Retro King Has Spoken!!
