WWF WrestleMania I

WrestleMania I was the first WrestleMania event presented by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). It took place on March 31, 1985, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The WWF was expanding across the country and working with music channel MTV to reach new viewers. Pop singer Cyndi Lauper and Mr. T, the actor known for The A-Team and Rocky III, became involved in its wrestling storylines and appeared at the event.

Former Intercontinental Champion Tito Santana faced The Executioner, a masked character portrayed by veteran wrestler Buddy Rose, in the first match in WrestleMania history. King Kong Bundy then faced Special Delivery Jones, with manager Jimmy Hart accompanying Bundy. The third match paired Ricky Steamboat with Matt Borne. None of these opening singles matches had a championship at stake.

David Sammartino followed against Brutus Beefcake. David was the son of Bruno Sammartino, a former longtime WWF champion who had headlined Madison Square Garden for years. Bruno accompanied his son, while Beefcake had his manager, Johnny Valiant, in his corner.

The first championship match featured Greg Valentine defending the WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship against Junkyard Dog, one of the WWF’s popular fan favorites. Valentine had taken the title from Santana in September 1984, and the two remained rivals. Junkyard Dog had also become a challenger during Valentine’s reign, giving the champion another opponent to contend with while Santana continued pursuing the belt. Hart accompanied Valentine as well as Bundy.

Next, The U.S. Express, consisting of Barry Windham and Mike Rotundo, defended the WWF Tag Team Championship. They had won the belts that January and faced The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff. The champions were accompanied by manager Captain Lou Albano, while Freddie Blassie managed their challengers.

André the Giant and Big John Studd then met in a $15,000 Body Slam Challenge. Both men were known for their enormous size, and Studd and his manager, Bobby Heenan, disputed André’s reputation as wrestling’s true giant. Their rivalry became personal when Studd and fellow wrestler Ken Patera attacked André and cut his hair. The challenge required André to lift Studd and slam him onto the mat. He would receive $15,000 if he succeeded, but would have to retire if he failed.

The final championship match gave Wendi Richter a chance to regain the WWF Women’s Championship from Leilani Kai. With Lauper supporting her, Richter had defeated veteran champion The Fabulous Moolah in a match shown on MTV in July 1984. Moolah subsequently backed Kai, who took the title from Richter at February’s The War to Settle the Score event. Lauper and Moolah again accompanied the opposing wrestlers for the rematch.

The show closed with WWF champion Hulk Hogan and Mr. T against Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff. Hogan was the company’s leading fan favorite, while Piper played an outspoken villain who opposed its involvement with celebrities. Their dispute escalated during Hogan’s title defense against Piper at The War to Settle the Score, which MTV televised. Orndorff and Piper’s ally, Bob Orton Jr., became involved on Piper’s side, and Mr. T stepped in to help Hogan. That confrontation led to the WrestleMania tag team match.

Fellow wrestler Jimmy Snuka accompanied Hogan and Mr. T, while Orton supported Piper and Orndorff. Former heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali served as a special referee outside the ring. Baseball manager Billy Martin introduced the participants, and entertainer Liberace served as guest timekeeper.

WrestleMania I drew 19,121 fans to Madison Square Garden, with more than a million viewers watching through closed-circuit television at other locations. Its success led to a second WrestleMania the following year, beginning the annual series. The event also showed how the WWF could combine wrestling, celebrity appearances, and national promotion to reach a larger audience.