In the early 1980s, Vince McMahon was in the process of pushing the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) into the international market. Though McMahon was and remains a man with big dreams and bigger ambitions, this was done in response to his main rival, the NWA and Jim Crockett Promotions, and JCP’s successful Starrcade pay-per-view that aired annually since 1983. With this single decision, Vince McMahon shaped this day in wrestling history, March 31, 1985.
It’s strange to imagine professional wrestling without the WWE, but it was close in the mid ‘80s when it became the biggest gamble of Vince and Linda McMahon’s lives.
All the chips in
There’s a saying, “Go big or go home.”
The McMahons went big in 1985 when they gambled on Vince’s new pay-per-view idea working out. In various reports, it’s been noted that Linda McMahon stated they put everything they had into this event, and if it didn’t work out the WWF would cease to function and they’d lose everything.
If true, this means that everything we know and have come to love may not have existed. There would’ve been no Monday Night Wars, or a dominate force in sports entertainment. It’s hard for many of us to fathom putting everything we have on the chance that something will work out, but work out it did, and the McMahons have made history ever since.
To break it down numbers-wise, there were a reported 19,000 people in attendance, and over one million people saw the event on closed-circuit television for roughly $100 or so (big money in those days) according to some fans. This made WrestleMania the largest wrestling event on closed-circuit television at the time, surpassing everyone (probably not Vince’s) wildest expectations.
All the stars were out
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-ZoBhlg14m/
McMahon spared no expense to bring in celebrities to help give it a boost similar to how celebrities flocked to other major sporting events like the Super Bowl to partake and be seen. Unlike with other sporting events, they would take part in WrestleMania in various roles, and this would be the trend going forward more often than not.
Some were more active than others as Mr. T teamed with Hulk Hogan against Roddy Piper and Pal Orndorff, and Cyndi Lauper co-managed Wendi Richter alongside Lou Albano. Other notable names included boxing great Muhammed Ali as special guest referee, New York Yankees manager Billy Martin was the guest ring announcer, and Liberace, with The Rockettes, was the guest timekeeper.
To add some intrigue, the WWE’s interviewer and commentator, Mean Gene Okerlund, had to sing the national anthem as the unnamed singer reportedly never showed. Bet that came back to bite them in hindsight.
Fans enjoyed seeing their favorites there, so this would become a trend going forward with WrestleManias and other pay-per-views on occasion.
Adding to the production, the opening music theme was the instrumental part of Phil Collins and Phillip Bailey’s “Easy Lover” and the closing credits was “Axel F” by Harold Faltermeyer.
The matches were hit or miss depending on one’s perspective, but the pageantry helped balance it out and made it something wrestling fans didn’t want to miss, and here we are thirty-five years later getting ready for WrestleMania 36, which will make history in its own right.
This day in wrestling history is one that set the tone for professional wrestling then, now, and in the future.
SUBSCRIBE NOW: Get TheOvertimer’s Hottest Stories, Breaking News and Special Features in your email, CLICK HERE!
