The WWE Rewind: WWF WrestleMania

Let’s take a look back at this little-known indy show from 1985. This was presented on closed captioned television and broadcast from Madison Square Garden, an arena that in its future would host political conventions, dog shows, award shows, a wedding for a pop star, and a basketball championship series haunted by a tooth-collecting very nice, very evil wrestler.

Depending on which documentary you watch, this event helped save WWE, save wrestling, or unite the world in total peace. 19,121 were in attendance and the event has been distributed and broadcast many times over on streaming and physical media platforms. If you’d like to compliment this Rewind with Scott’s Rant, that is a thing you can do right here.

Gorilla Monsoon and Jesse “The Body” Ventura greet us from ringside and send us up to Howard Finkel, our ring announcer for the evening. He introduces “Mean” Gene Okerlund who performs the National Anthem. Maybe we should try this again. Cathy Kelley, get out there and sing for us! Byron Saxton, we need you to sing “America the Beautiful.”

We head back to Lord Alfred Hayes who throws us back to Mean Gene, giving us pre-recorded backstage interviews. Tito Santana knows the Executioner hasn’t been here in the big leagues and won’t stop him. Arriba! The Executioner says we’ll know something about him after he takes out Santana’s leg.

Tito Santana vs The Executioner

For the record, Executioner was Buddy Rose. He is from parts unknown with a weight unknown because they didn’t have in-ring weigh-ins in 1985. Adam Pearce would groan at the lack of time-filling segments. Tito overwhelms Executioner as Gorilla welcomes the millions watching WrestleMania. Executioner boots Tito and does indeed work the leg, trying for a toe hold and Santana reversing it into a pin attempt. Executioner goes up top and Santana slams him to the mat, trying for a splash but dropping onto Executioner’s raised knees. Santana slams Executioner into the ring and nails the flying forearm, hooking the figure four.

Tito Santana defeats Executioner by submission. Listen, it isn’t what we would call WrestleMania opener quality in the future, but it was a decent TV match and the crowd liked it. This would be it for Executioner/Rose for Mania appearances while we’ll see Santana in televised matches for the seven Manias to follow. Santana will go on to be in the 2004 class of the WWE Hall of Fame while Rose will go in with the legacy class in the 2019 ceremonies.

Lord Alfred previews the next match and sends us to Mean Gene interviews. S.D. Jones says today is the day for him while King Kong Bundy (with Jimmy Hart) plans to squash Jones with a five count.

King Kong Bundy (with Jimmy Hart) vs Special Delivery Jones

Jones leaps right into a bearhug and is rammed into the corner. Bundy splashes him with the Avalanche and crushes him with a splash, getting the easy three. Bundy wins in 25 seconds, or 9 seconds as acknowledged by WWE.

King Kong Bundy pins S.D. Jones. Just a squash but impressive. Bundy will go on to compete at three more Manias while Jones will not appear at any others. Neither man have made the WWE Hall of Fame (surprising on Bundy’s part).

Mean Gene is at it again, this time talking to Matt Borne. Borne sees this as a chance to beat one of the best in the world because Steamboat is too nice.

Ricky Steamboat vs Matt Borne

Early athletics for the Dragon as he leaps over Borne repeatedly. Borne works Steamer over in the corner a bit before suplexing him to the mat but can’t capitalize on it. Steamboat gives Borne Excedrin Headache #5 (Gorilla is the best) and drops a knee to the sternum for a two count. Dragon flies from the top with the crossbody and gets the pin to the delight of the crowd.

Ricky Steamboat pins Matt Borne. A basic TV match, but Steamboat is great of course and Borne was a good match for him. Ricky went into the 2009 WWE Hall of Fame class and had four more Mania matches to come including the 2009 three-on-one with Jericho. Borne would see Mania one more time at IX as Doink.

Lord Al holds the WrestleMania program as he previews the excitement that is Beefcake vs Sammartino. No, not the good Sammartino. The Sammartinos, Brutus Beefcake and Johnny Valiant all have some words for Mean Gene. Well, Beefcake doesn’t because he was doing a weird no-talking thing. I know, it is weird they were trying a weird gimmick at some point in Brutus Beefcake’s career.

Brutus Beefcake (with Johnny Valiant) vs David Sammartino (with Bruno Sammartino)

I need a manager to bring back the Luscious Johnny all-red bodysuit. Stokely, I have an idea for you. The Sammartinos get the first televised entrance down the walkway this match probably due to Bruno. David did win the 1981 PWI Rookie of the Year, an award won in later years by Mike Enos, Erik Watts, 911, Prince Iaukea, and Brian Pillman Jr. Well, there are some great winners too but those aren’t as fun to write about.

I write all of this because the match starts out so slowly and I’m bored. There’s a picture-in-picture view of Luscious Johnny as Sammartino works the arm of Beefcake at, as Jesse calls it, a “slow, deliberate pace.” Well, it is slow. This show was rocking nice and speedy down the track until this match appeared. David works the leg for approximately 38 minutes before Beefer rakes the eyes. Beefcake drops some big forearms and works over Sammartino in the corner. Sammartino fights back and suplexes Beefcake for a two. Valiant slams David on the outside, Bruno rolls Valiant in and it all breaks down with all four. The ref calls for the bell as Bruno smacks Valiant outside of the ring while wearing his finest JCPenney sweater.

Brutus Beefcake and David Sammartino fight to a double disqualification. Friends, this match sucked AND went eleven minutes without a good ending. Beefcake would appear at the next four Manias before skipping to IX while David would not. Beefcake went into the 2019 HOF class. Valiant hasn’t made it in and David hasn’t either, though Bruno went in against all odds at the time in 2013.

Lord Hayes introduces the championship section of this show as Mean Gene talks to the competitors. Greg Valentine is going to prove why he’s the greatest Intercontinental Champion of all time while Junkyard Dog can buy a lot of bones if he wins the gold.

WWF Intercontinental Championship: WWF Intercontinental Champion Greg Valentine (with Jimmy Hart) vs Junkyard Dog

We have a one-hour time limit here in case Valentine needs time to get warmed up. We are in musical rights land as “Grab Them Cakes” plays JYD down to the ring when it was “Another One Bites the Dust” back when the show aired. I’m not shocked WWE hasn’t wanted to pay royalties for Queen for decades. Hammer hammers JYD to the mat and works the legs, trying to wear JYD down. Valentine tries to turn JYD into a half crab but can’t get his big legs turned over. Hart distracts the ref and JYD grabs him, Valentine accidentally nailing Jimmy. If Jimmy is going to do one thing, it is sell getting destroyed. Valentine scoops JYD into a pin with his feet on the ropes for the pin. But wait, here’s Tito Santana to tell the referee. The referee decides to continue the match and count, Valentine getting counted out.

Junkyard Dog defeats Greg Valentine by count out, Valentine retains his title. A hot little match. Not the most biased refereeing here, but not quite Carr-on-Lynch levels of bias. Valentine has the next six Manias ahead of him while JYD has the next three. All three men ended up in the Hall (Valentine in 2016, JYD in 2004 and Hart in 2005).

Mean Gene has words with both teams in the upcoming match. Iron Sheik calls him “Gene Mean” and Freddie Blassie thinks he has the next tag team champions. The U.S. Express and Captain Lou Albano promise to “try real hard.”

WWF World Tag Team Championship: WWF World Tag Team Champions U.S. Express (Mike Rotundo and Barry Windham with Capt. Lou Albano) vs The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff (with Freddie Blassie)

Volkoff sings the Soviet National Anthem which gets the response you’d expect in New York City in 1985, complete with trash littering the ring like he was just announced as the 18th member of the New World Order. The U.S. Express get an entrance from the locker room to the ring as if they’re Bill Goldberrg. Really, they’re just American heroes! No, they don’t get “Born in the USA” in the Netflix edit. Sheik and Rotundo start it off, Sheik hitting a nice backdrop and elbow on the future taxman for a 2.5 count. Sheik hits a gut wrench suplex and keeps the work on Rotundo as Jesse correctly notes all it takes is getting a three count one time. Rotundo reverses Sheik into his own suplex but can’t make it to his partner as Volkoff tags in and works over him. Rotundo sunset flips Volkoff for a near fall but can’t finish the pin, Volkoff continue to work over Rotundo.

Sheik tags back in and they double team Rotundo as Blassie and Albano argue at ringside. Sheik tries for a submission but can’t fully clinch it, Rotundo flipping out. Rotundo gets the hot tag to Windham who hammers away at Volkoff, a house of fire as Monsoon claims. Barry nails a bulldog but Sheik breaks it up. All four men are in but the referee is trying to get Rotundo out. As he does, Sheik takes Blassie’s cane and nails Windham, giving Volkoff the chance for the pin.

Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff defeat The U.S. Express when Volkoff pins Windham to become new WWF Tag Team Champions. A good but formulaic tag team match. The fans were really into this and Windham especially. I liked this a lot. Sheik had three more Manias, Volkoff five more, Windham one more, and Rotundo two more. All six men involved in this would find their way to the WWE Hall of Fame (Sheik in 2005, Volkoff in 2005, Blassie in 1994, Albano in 1996 and the U.S. Express together in 2024 with Windham going in twice as he went in for 2012 with the Horsemen as well).

Mean Gene catches up with Blassie, Sheik and Volkoff as Gene questions where Blassie’s cane is at. “What cane? I didn’t have no cane!”

After his Lordship hypes up the match, Gene talks to Big John Studd and Bobby Heenan with their bag of $15,000. Studd promises the last match for Andre.

Career vs $15,000 Body Slam Challenge: Andre the Giant vs Big John Studd (with Bobby Heenan)

If Andre wins, he gets the bag of $15,000. If Studd wins, Andre retires. The first one to slam the other wins. Andre gets a good reaction from the crowd before Studd attacks. Andre chops back and headbutts Studd down who powders to the outside. Andre chokes Studd in the corner and the referee lets it go for far too long before stopping it because the refs are very biased tonight. Andre butt squashes Studd who then tries and fails to slam Andre. Andre hooks a long bearhug as the fans chant “slam” repeatedly. By long, I mean I could’ve taken a long shower and let my hair dry before the bearhug ended. Studd tries for a boot, Andre catches it and delivers a kick of his own. They fight into the corner before Andre scoops Studd up and bodyslams him for the win. Studd throws handfuls of the money to the crowd before the Brain grabs it and runs.

Andre the Giant slams Big John Studd to win the match. Slow and plodding, but it’s still Andre at WrestleMania. It wasn’t great but also not a waste of your time. You have five minutes for Andre at the first WrestleMania. Andre had five more Mania matches to go while Studd would compete in one more and then referee one. Of course, Andre was the sole member of the 1993 inaugural Hall of Fame class following his death and his Mania 3 match against Hogan would get him a second induction as Immortal Moment in 2026. Studd and Heenan both entered the Hall in 2004.

Mean Gene catches up with Andre who doesn’t care about the money.

Gorilla and Jesse catch us up from ringside before Fabulous Moolah and Lelani Kai walk up and kiss Lord Alfred. We flash back to Gene talking to Wendi Richter and Cyndi Lauper and then Moolah and Kai.

WWF Women’s Championship: WWF Women’s Champion Leilani Kai (with Fabulous Moolah) vs Wendi Richter (with Cyndi Lauper)

This was a very big deal because of Lauper and it crossing over to MTV. Fans throw trash at Moolah and Kai as well. History has not been kind to Moolah as we have learned how she treated others, but Kai has become a delight to follow on social media. It is remarkable that at any point in 1985 or 2000, Moolah looked like your 83-year-old grandma. Our Netflix edit doesn’t have “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” which isn’t a shock. David Wolff, manager and at the time partner of Lauper, is also ringside and gets a lot of credit for her crossing into the company.

Kai controls for a good chunk of this as the referee clearly sees Moolah grabbing Richter by the hair. These refs! Lauper attacks Moolah and Kai hits a big boot on Wendi. Wendi scoops Kai up on her shoulders and tosses her to the mat, covering for a two. Wendi runs into the knees in the corner and covers, only able to get a two. Kai powerslams Wendi and heads to the top, she crossbodies her but Wendi rolls it into a pinfall. We have a new champ.

Wendi Richter pins Lelani Kai to become WWE Women’s Champion. This was not great but the crowd dug it. Matches would get much worse for the women before they’d get better at Mania. This would be it for Richter at Mania while Kai would resurface randomly as challenger again at Mania X. Richter went into the Hall in 2010, Moolah in 2005. Lauper and Kai await their inductions. With Lauper getting an official action figure this year, maybe 2027 will be the year. I wouldn’t be shocked to see Kai get in as part of the legacy wing.

Gene catches up with Kai, Lauper, Wolff and Albano.

The Fink introduces our guest ring announcer for our main event, former Yankees manager Billy Martin. He introduces our officials for the main event. Our guest timekeeper, Liberace, struts to the ring with the New York City Rockettes. You know who should’ve had the Rockettes? Danhausen. Muhummad Ali gets an introduction as one of our guest referees while Pat Patterson is also in-ring as referee.

WWF Champion Hulk Hogan and Mr. T (with Jimmy Snuka) vs Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff (with Bob Orton)

Guest referees: Muhammad Ali and Pat Patterson

The bagpipe crew play out Piper, Orndorff and Orton with Piper looking as cocky as ever. “Real American” replaces “Eye of the Tiger” which doesn’t feel as forced because, you know, “Real American.” Patterson and Ali have to fight to keep the two sides apart as we clarify that Patterson will be in-ring while Ali will supervise from the outside. Liberace has a crystal bell that he rings as the official bell rings. Hogan and Orndorff start it off, but Orndorff waves off Hulk and tags in Hot Rod. T wants a tag and Hulk obliges as the fans chant “T.” Piper slaps, T slaps back, and we repeat until Piper takes T down to the mat. T scoops Piper up in a fireman’s carry and drops him as the crowd goes wild. Piper backs T into his corner and all control is lost as all four men, Orndorff, Snuka and Ali all come in the ring. Ali retains controls as Billy Martin laughs at ringside at the chaos. Piper signals time out and leads his crew to the dressing room as Patterson counts. Hulk stops the count and motions for his opponents to come back. And they do.

All four men brawl again as Hulk and T smash their opponents’ heads together. Hulkamania runs wild as Hulk clotheslines both men and hits a big atomic drop on Piper. He tags in Mr. T and they double clothesline Piper before T hits Piper with a slam and armdrags Orndorff. T tags Hulk back in who trades punches with Piper. He hits the big boot but Piper tumbles to the outside. Orndorff sneaks in and clotheslines Hogan outside. Piper grabs a chair and smacks it over Hogan’s back. Pandemonium in the Garden! Patterson struggles to restrain T as Piper and Orndorff take Hulk down with a double atomic drop. Orndorff dives onto Hogan from the top with a flying knee that Hogan dodges, crawling over for the hot tag to T instead. T gouges Orndroff’s eyes before Piper comes in to help take T down. T tries to wrestle to his feet but Orndorff works to keep him down and tag in Piper. I do like the aspect of T trying to fight back up. T gets the tag to Hulk who peppers both opponents with right hands and slams their heads together again. Orton comes in to interfere, Snuka runs interception with a headbutt. The referees have no control here. Orton accidentally nails Orndroff with his cast from the top rope, Hogan covers and gets the pin.

Hulk Hogan & Mr. T defeat Roddy Piper & Paul Orndorff when Hogan pins Orndorff. It isn’t a five star match or anything, but it is a very good main event. Hogan, Orndorff and Piper were all very good together and T tried very hard to be a good fourth. Not the smoothest match, but I kind of liked that. It felt more like a fight at times.

Hulk had another 11 Mania matches after this and several additional appearances. T would compete in a boxing match the next year. Piper will have six more Mania matches and Orndorff will have one more. All four men are in the HOF. Hogan, Orndorff, Piper and Orton would all go in with the 2005 class. Hogan would get an additional two spots in the Hall, going in with the nWo in 2020 and with Andre for their match in 2026. Mr. T would follow behind in 2014. Patterson was inducted in 1996 and even Muhummad Ali was inducted in 2024. Snuka went in the Class of 2016. Hogan was removed in 2015 following his incident with racial slurs and was reinstated in 2018. Following his murder charges in 2015, Snuka was removed as a recognized member of the Hall and to this day does not have a profile on WWE dot com.

Just to add a few more names into the Hall of Fame talk, Jesse Ventura entered in 2004, Monsoon in 1994, Okerlund in 2006 and Lord Alfred as a part of 2018’s legacy class. That’s 32 different WWE Hall of Famers featured on the show.

Do I recommend the first WrestleMania? Of course I do. It’s one of the most historic shows of all time. Is it great? No. Are there good things? Absolutely. The main event is a good piece of work and the title matches are all good to very good. The show is only a little longer than two hours anyway. You might as well experience it at least once.