PlayPADZ
From Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, on Sunday March 31st, 1985, it's WWF WrestleMania! Ringside announcers are Gorilla 'Holy mackerel, it is a happening' Monsoon and Jesse 'Woodstock was to Rock 'n' Roll what WrestleMania is to wrestling' Ventura. Backstage announcers are Mean Gene 'Sings better than Robert Goulet' Okerlund and Lord Alfred 'Good gracious, or good luck, something like that' Hayes. "Welcome to WrestleMania!"MATCH 1 - Singles Match: The Executioner vs. Tito Santana An average, but solid, singles match to kick things off. Tito gets a firm start with some basic grappling moves before The Executioner counters and begins to strategically work on Tito's leg, before he is launched out of the ring. Both guys trade the advantage a couple more times, before Tito hits the Flying Jalapeno and locks on the figure-4 leg lock, as a means of sending a message to Intercontinental Champion, Greg Valentine (who had taken the title from Santana six months prior). Executioner gives in, and the very first WrestleMania match is won via submission. ** MATCH 2 - Singles Match: King Kong Bundy vs. S.D. Jones Merely a 23-second squash match that Bundy used as a platform to announce his intent to dominate the WWF roster. A bearhug, Avalanche and body splash is all it takes to putones away. Otherwise forgettable, but kicked off a good run for Bundy that would eventually earn him the honour of challenging Hulk Hogan for the WWF Championship in the main event of WrestleMania 2, a little over a year later. 1/4* MATCH 3 - Singles Match: Matt Borne vs. Ricky Steamboat A good catch-as-catch-can contest that begins with Steamboat grounding Bourne with an atomic drop and a headlock, before Borne retaliates. Steamboat retains the pace and continues to wear Borne down with restholds and martial arts strikes. After some more standard back-and-forth action, Steamboat wins it with a cross-body from the top rope. **1/2MATCH 4 - Singles Match: Brutus Beefcake vs. David Sammartino Debatable whether this was to showcase young David's ability, or just to give the crowd a glimpse of the living legend Bruno Sammartino, who accompanied his son to the ring. The contest itself is a very generic bout that leans toward the Greco-roman style, with neither competitor gaining the upper hand. Unfortunately very little excitement and a disappointing finish of a double-DQ when the managers get involved. *1/2MATCH 5 - Singles Match for the WWF Intercontinental Championship: Greg Valentine (C) vs. Junkyard Dog A match that doesn't really do the I-C title any justice; Valentine sticks to a small range of boring moves and despite the JYD looking the better man and staying on the front foot for the majority of the match, the Hammer pins him with assistance from the middle rope. Suddenly, Chico appears to explain what happened to the referee, and the bout is immediately restarted and ended again, with the Dog winning by countout, but a rather pointless finish as the title stays with Valentine. *MATCH 6 - Tag Team Match for the WWF Tag Team Championship: Nikolai Volkoff & The Iron Sheik vs. Barry Windham & Mike Rotundo (C) A high-tempo start between Rotundo and Sheik, before Windham tags in and continues to work on the Iranian. The challengers claw their way back into the bout with some good teamwork of their own. The champs look to have it settled when Windham takes Volkoff down with a Bulldog, but all hell breaks loose, with the Sheik smashing Fred Blassie's cane over Windham's head in the middle of the confusion. Volkoff gets the pin, and wins the Tag Titles for his team. Good match with a decent, if a little tainted, finish. **1/2MATCH 7 - $15,000 Body Slam Challenge Match: Big John Studd vs. Andre the Giant A very slow-paced and boring match with too many restholds and poorly executed strikes. Andre eventually gets the win following a body slam, before Bobby Heenan steals the bag of money from him! A disappointing match and finish. -*MATCH 8 - Singles Match for the WWF Women's Championship: Leilani Kai (C) vs. Wendi Richter Rather amusing start as Kai oversells a punch to the chest, before both ladies stick with mostly takedowns, arm drags, and restholds. Execution is a little messy at times, with Cyndi and Moolah getting in the mix halfway through. A good display of power from Richter, and a good finish as she reverses a cross-body from Kai to pin her with her own momentum to capture the Women's title for the second time. *1/2 "He got him!" - Monsoon as Richter gets the 3-count.MATCH 9 - Tag Team Match: "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff & Rowdy Roddy Piper vs. Mr. T & Hulk Hogan The main event is classic, but more for the occasion rather than the match quality itself. However, there is good chemistry going into the match: the heel team of Piper, Orndorff and their manager Cowboy Bob Orton getting heat from the MSG crowd, and huge pops for he face team of Hogan and Mr. T, accompanied by "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka. Mr. T actually gives a fair account of himself with Greco-roman sitouts with both Piper and Orndorff, an overhead slam on Piper and even dropping Orndorff with a beautifully-executed hip toss. What the match lacks in pure wrestling quality, it makes up in entertainment factor. After it begins to erupt into chaos, Orton knocks Orndorff out by accidentally hitting him with his arm cast, allowing Hogan to get the pin. *** Overall, a slightly above-average show. Some good wrestling, and some memorable moments, but very different to the WWE product of today. For wrestling enthusiasts, this is definitely worth a watch at least once, but you're not going to see any all-time classic matches in terms of pure wrestling. This aside, a very solid show and worth owning for collections.-- Ryan
willge
The grand daddy of them all, Wrestlemania live from Madison Square Garden on March 31, 1985. Let me tell you that the WWF circa 1985 was a lot different than what people would see even a few years later. Wrestling was a regional promotion back in 1985 with the WWF having dominated the northeastern United States. But, McMahon had bought the WWF from his fater a few years earlier and had an idea to take wrestling to new heights along with his champion, Hulk Hogan.I almost saw this card fitting. At the beginning you saw a lot of what I thought was old school wrestling. You had the wrestlers simply appear in the ring with very technical matches. But towards the end you started to see the sports entertainment factor.The card itself isn't the greatest by today's standards. Tito Santana is always nice to watch and I suppose it was nice to see him at a time where he wasn't a jobber. David Sammartino didn't last long to warrant any significance and The Junkyard Dog showed that he could've possibly been one of the most popular guys in the company aside from Hogan himself.This card was also unique in the fact that one of the focal points was the Ladies Championship up for grabs between Lelani Kai and Wendi Richter (with Cyndi Lauper). Today a ladies match wouldn't warrant much attention, but Lauper was a key factor in turning the WWF into the promotion it is today.Finally, the main event between Hogan/Mr. T vs. Piper/Orndorff. Piper is a monster heel here something that would turn 180 in a few years. The match itself wasn't great hilighted by the refereeing of Muhammed Ali, but it still had a feeling of excitement to it.Wrestlemania started it all.
Steve Dorsett
Well this was it, the grandaddy of them all, the original Wrestlemania. This was not much of an event by today's standards, but in 1985, there had never been anything like it. I'm going to try and give you a taste of the event with a brief run down of the matches. Anyway let the festivities begin.An opening introduction from Vince McMahon (Jesus, he looks young) kicks us off, followed by some truly god awful 80's muzak, the national anthem, as sung by Mean Gene, we've got Gorilla Monsoon & Jesse "The Body" Ventura on commentry and we're off.Tito Santana vs The Executioner Right, former InterContinental Champion vs Mr. Nobody Jobber. If you have never seen a Wrestling match in your life, you can guess who is going to win this one. Not bad action from both sides mind and Tito was pretty special considering it was 1985. We see the flying forearm and the figure-four, not a bad way to kick things off. Imagine though if Tito had been against someone like the newly signed heel Bret Hart, hell that would have been an opener.King Kong Bundy with Jimmy Hart vs S.D.Jones 450 pound madman vs Mr. Nobody. A 9 second (actually more like 20) squash. Next...Ricky Steamboat vs Matt Borne Hey it's the Dragon vs Doink (wonderful future gimmicks there). Solid match here. I love watching Steamboat and that arm drag. Technical well paced match. Not bad though says I.David Sammartino with Bruno Sammartino vs Brutus Beefcake with Luscious Johnny V. Dull dull dull. This match goes on for ever with a lot of chinlocks too. Epitome of boring 80's wrestling, and awfully cheap finish as well. Especially cheap considering this is the greatest event of all time.Intercontinental Title Match : Greg "The Hammer" Valentine (Champion) with Jimmy Hart vs The Junkyard Dog I have to admit, I was never able to get in to the JYD, although the MSG crowd pops huge for him. Again, pretty dull match, not good for the IC division. However, the title would soon become the possesion of a young Mr. R. Savage, and things would get much better.Tag Team Titles Match : The US Express (Champions) vs Nikolai Volkoff & The Iron Sheik with Classy Freddie Blassie I like this one, two speedsters vs two huge monsters. Loads of extra-curricular activities on the part of Blassie and the heels and some great moves from the Express make ths one a goodie.$15,000 Bodyslam Challenge : Andre the Giant vs Big John Studd with Bobby "The Brain" Heenan The stipulation here was thet if Andre could slam Studd within the time limit, then he would win $15,000 from Studd and Heenan. If he couldn't however, he would be fired from the WWF (pretty ahead of it's time). This isn't great wrestling, but it's good fun. It's always great to watch Andre in his face days - the gentle giant. With Heenan as well in full weasel mode this one is a favourite.Women's Title Match : Leilani Kai (Champion) with The Fabulous Moolah vs Wendi Richter with Cyndi Lauper Okay, big time MTV Rock n Wrestling crossover going on here. The croed pops huge for Lauper. Anyway not a bad match, a few of the moves a blatantly botched, but better that 60% of women's matches today.Hulk Hogan (WWF Champion) & Mr. T with Superfly Jimmy Snuka vs Rowdy Roddy Piper & Mr Wonderful Paul Orndorff with Cowboy Bob Orton Guest Referee : Muhammad Ali Guest Ring Announcer : Billy Martin Guest Timekeeper : Liberace Now this is the Main Event. A star studded arena, MSG jumping and the mighty Hulkster teaming with BA himself, Mr. T. This is a pretty good main event, all 4 men primarily brawling, but damn Hogan and Piper know how to work the crowd. When they are in together the crowd is hot. This is good fun, although I feel that this should have been Hogan and Piper one on one. This IS Wrestlemania after all.So there you go, the tradition is born. If you're not a wrestling fan, you probably won't get much out of this. However, if you love this theatre of the absurd we call wrestling this is where it all began and you owe it to yourself to check it out.
