In this WrestleMania I review, the most recognizable show in wrestling gets its official start as Hulk Hogan teams with Mr. T in the main event, Cyndi Lauper has fun, and much more.
Let’s jump in!
- Show: WWF WrestleMania I
- Date: March 31, 1985
- Location: Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York
VIDEO: The opening intro video hits all the nostalgia notes. Love it.
RINGSIDE: Gorilla Monsoon and Jesse Ventura throw it to Howard Finkel, who uses the magic line “Welcome to WrestleMania.” Mean Gene Okerlund sings the National Anthem like only Mean Gene can.
BACKSTAGE: Lord Alfred Hayes is here. He’s also awesome. He throws it to Gene with Tito Santana. Tito says The Executioner won’t stop him. Areba! The Executioner (played by Buddy Rose) sends his own message to Tito.
Tito Santana vs. The Executioner
It’s impossible to talk about this match without talking about the greatness of Gorilla and Jesse. It quickly brings you back to their awesome chemistry. Tito controls the match early, and while Executioner gets some offense going, this was basically a showcase for Tito’s talents. He even throws Executioner to the outside near the ringside table. Tito uses the Figure Four to earn the win. (*1/2)
- Winner: Tito Santana via submission
BACKSTAGE: Alfred throws it to pre-recorded interviews with SD Jones and King Kong Bundy. Gene doesn’t look thrilled that SD is looking at the wrong camera.
King Kong Bundy (w/Jimmy Hart) vs. SD Jones
You should never jump into Bundy and expect good things to happen. That’s what SD does, and Bundy does what he should have done and that’s ram him into the corner, hit the avalanche, and then the splash for the squash victory. It serves its purpose of pushing Bundy as a monster. (SQUASH)
- Winner: King Kong Bundy via pinfall at 0:09
BACKSTAGE: Gene with Matt Borne (aka the future Doink) and Ricky Steamboat. The latter is jacked.
Matt Borne vs. Ricky Steamboat
Steamboat just looks like an absolute stud in this match. Of course, he was, but it’s still worth pointing out. He had the look, the in-ring work, all of it. A true legend. Gorilla’s technical terms for parts of the body is also legendary, and there’s a lot of that in this one. A competitive match, with Steamboat hitting an awesome flying cross body for the victory. (**)
- Winner: Ricky Steamboat via pinfall
BACKSTAGE: Gene with David Sammartino, who has Bruno Sammartino by his side. Brutus Beefcake and Johnny Valiant offer their response, and Valiant wants a piece of Bruno.
Brutus Beefcake (w/Johnny Valiant) vs. David Sammartino (w/Bruno Sammartino)
If you want to know how huge Bruno was, go back and listen to the ovation he gets when Fink introduces him in David’s corner. Also, if you want to see some legendary stalling techniques, you can watch the pre-match with Beefcake and Valiant. I love Gorilla and Jesse playing up how much a loss would set back either man’s career by six months to a year. It’s the little things that make a big difference when it comes to adding stakes to a non-title match. The picture-in-picture of each manager is another nice touch.
A back and forth match with Sammartino using amateur wrestling moves throughout to work over Beefcake’s leg. Beefcake’s underhanded tactics allow him to get back in the match, and the crowd is really behind Sammartino. A simple back suplex gets one of the biggest pops of the match, which shows that wrestling doesn’t have to be all that complicated. Valiant slams Sammartino on the exposed floor, which leads to Bruno running wild. The referee throws out the match. (*1/2)
- Winner: Double DQ
BACKSTAGE: Gene with Greg Valentine and Jimmy Hart. They hype the Intercontinental title, then The Junkyard Dog runs down Valentine.
The Junkyard Dog vs. (c) Greg Valentine (w/Jimmy Hart) – WWF Intercontinental Title
The crowd loves them some JYD, and he got a superstar entrance. One of the themes of this one is Valentine using his methodical approach to make it a grind for JYD. That was Valentine’s style, which I appreciate even more in this era of wrestling. Hart, of course, gets involved in the match, with JYD causing Valentine to hit his own manager. Shortly after, Valentine goes the true heel route to use the ropes for leverage to earn the win.
But then Tito Santana runs in to convince the referee of the cheating. So the referee restarts the match and counts out Valentine to award JYD the victory but not the title. This was a finish, but I didn’t love it (the fans popped big for JYD being announced the victory, though). (*1/2)
- Winner: The Junkyard Dog via countout
BACKSTAGE: Love hearing The Iron Sheik call Mean Gene “Gene Mean.” Sheik, Nikolai Volkoff, and Freddie Blassie want to take over the world. Captain Lou Albano comes in with Mike Rotundo and Barry Windham, and they’re ready for the match.
The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff (w/Freddie Blassie) vs. (c) Barry Windham and Mike Rotundo (w/Captain Lou Albano) – WWF Tag Team Titles
To no one’s surprise, the crowd trashes the ring for Nikolai’s singing of the Russian national anthem. About the type of tag team match formula you would expect in this era, as the babyfaces focus on wrestling and teamwork, while the heels aim for illegal tactics. Four entertaining wrestlers, so they made this fun and kept the fans involved throughout the match.
Windham was in the hot tag spot, but after he hits the bulldog on Volkoff, all breaks loose. Of course, that allows Blassie to get the cane to Sheik, who wallops Windham with it while the referee is distracted with Rotunda. New champs in what was a solid tag match. (**1/2)
- Winners: The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff via pinfall to win the titles
BACKSTAGE: Gene Mean questions the new champs, and Sheik no-sells it and boasts his awesomeness.
BACKSTAGE: Gene welcomes Big John Studd and Bobby Heenan with the $15,000 prize. Heenan is truly the best as he scolds Gene and tells him not to touch the money.
Big John Studd (w/Bobby Heenan) vs. Andre the Giant – $15,000 Slam Match
So, the rules are if Studd gets slammed, Andre wins the money. If he doesn’t, Andre must retire. A true spectacle here, with the crowd mesmerized by Andre. I appreciate the trivia note from Jesse on Andre’s shoe size, which is 23 or 24. The manager picture-in-picture is back, and I wish they’d do more of this in modern wrestling. It’s a cool reaction visual.
Speaking of modern wrestling, this is a match that doesn’t hold up well in an era of speed and athleticism. This one is all about power, and it’s certainly not for everyone. Eventually, Andre slams Studd to win the money, and the fans go wild. Heenan sneaks in to steal the money because Heenan was just fantastic. (*1/2)
- Winner: Andre the Giant via bodyslam
BACKSTAGE: Gene is impressed by Andre, who doesn’t care about the money. He slammed Studd and isn’t gonna retire.
BACKSTAGE: Gene with Wendi Richter and Cyndi Lauper. This is the 80s! Richter and Lauper are pissed and want some payback. The Fabulous Moolah and Lelani Kai guarantee victory.
Wendi Richter (w/Cyndi Lauper) vs. Lelani Kai (w/Fabulous Moolah) – WWF Women’s Title
Lauper is awesome in her role. Obviously, this was a huge deal to have Lauper involved, so it’s cool that she embraced it. Richter was pissed entering the match, and she rightfully came out with a lot of aggression from the start. They exchange offense for a while until the inevitable spot with Moolah going after Richter, only for Lauper to break it up.
A nice near fall after that with Kai kicking out at two and a half, and that gets a pop from the crowd. Another near fall follows, and I give them credit for working in several of these to win the fans over. Kai’s flying cross body is reversed into a pinfall by Richter, which is enough for the win. More about the celebrity involvement than the match.(*1/2)
- Winner: Wendi Richter via pinfall to win the title
BACKSTAGE: Gene with Richter, Lauper, and Dave Wolff. Lauper is thrilled.
IN THE RING: Fink invites Billy Martin in as the special guest ring announcer. He introduces Liberace and Muhammad Ali as special judges.
Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff (w/Bob Orton) vs. Hulk Hogan and Mr. T (w/Jimmy Snuka)
The build to this match was truly a spectacle, with all four playing a role in the Hogan/Piper match for the WWE title at The War to Settle the Score the month prior. Piper and Orndorff truly are a great duo. Hulkamania is 100 percent running wild in this era, as showcased by the huge pop when his music hits. Jesse calls it the biggest match in the history of wrestling which, at this point, is true considering what WrestleMania would become. Chaos breaks loose early, and that allows Ali to jump in and restore order. Love it.
Everything builds to a hot tag to Mr. T, which then builds to the hot tag to Hogan. All four men were excellent in keeping the fans engaged, and it’s booked well from a “spot” standpoint. Snuka and Orton eventually go at it, and then it’s Orton who accidentally hits Orndorff off the top to allow Hogan to score the pin for the victory. Not every match has to be a technical masterpiece, especially when the entertainment value is high. That’s what this match was all about. (**1/2)
- Winners: Hulk Hogan and Mr. T via pinfall
BACKSTAGE: Gene with Hogan and Mr. T, who celebrate their victory.
BLAKE’S TAKE ON WRESTLEMANIA I
Recommended Matches: The two tag team matches aren’t great, but they’re the best things on this particular card.
Show MVPs: Let’s give it to Gorilla Monsoon and Jesse Ventura, who were terrific as always. Shout out to Mr. T and Cyndi Lauper as well for having fun out there.
Overall Rating: 5.0/10
Thoughts: There’s plenty of nostalgia with WrestleMania I, but it’s far from a must-see wrestling show. This is one that cannot be understated in terms of importance. But as for quality, it’s probably on the lower end of WrestleManias throughout history. The celebrity involvement was fun, and the MSG crowd brought enthusiasm. However, it’s just not a WrestleMania with a lot of replay value.
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