1985-03-31-WWF-Wrestlemania

[Loss]

WWF Wrestlemania
March 31, 1985
New York, NY

To argue that the first Wrestlemania featured no great matches would be a correct argument, but it would also be an irrelevant one. The idea of Wrestlemania as an annual tradition that really felt like the grandest night of the year was still a few years away, but the first attempt still made for a fun show. The show is structured in a way that makes for an enjoyable watch, with the matches most likely to bring excitement thrown out first while the biggest stars were showcased at the end. The involvement of celebrities like Cyndi Lauper, Mr. T, Muhammad Ali, Liberace, and the Rockettes drove wrestling purists nuts at the time, but the pageantry was effective in establishing this as something more important than the normal Madison Square Garden show, even while sidestepping some of the WWF's biggest feuds in the company so they'd have continued resonance on house shows. Ultimately, in the same way 'Mania was not about the matches, it was not about the card. The goal was to produce a social happening and in that sense, it was a smashing -- and enduring -- success.

1. Tito Santana vs The Executioner
2. King Kong Bundy vs S.D. Jones
3. Ricky Steamboat vs Matt Borne (Discuss)
4. Brutus Beefcake vs David Sammartino
5. WWF Intercontinental Title: Greg Valentine (c) vs Junkyard Dog (Discuss) 
6. WWF World Tag Team Titles: American Express (Barry Windham & Mike Rotunda) (c) vs Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff (Discuss)
7. $15,000 Bodyslam Challenge: Andre the Giant vs Big John Studd (Discuss)
8. WWF Women's Title: Leilani Kai (c) vs Wendi Richter (Discuss)
9. Hulk Hogan & Mr. T vs Roddy Piper & Paul Orndorff (Discuss)

Bold matches are PWO Recommended.

[flyonthewall2983]

The Tag Team Championship match is my favorite. And I would recommend the main event, more as a historic point then as a match, but it is not a bad match either. The crowd was red-hot for it, and the added attraction of the celebrities complemented it all the more.