WWE’s WrestleMania is regarded as one of the grandest professional wrestling events, but that wasn’t always the case.
In the early 1980s, before WrestleMania was conceived, Vince McMahon had dreams of proving professional wrestling wasn’t just a niche sport. He wanted something that could rival the Super Bowl as a major yearly sporting event. McMahon put everything on the line—including his savings—so if his idea didn’t work he’d be virtually bankrupt. His back was against the wall, with territories rising up in spite of his brutal tactics, including his direct competitor, Jim Crockett Promotions.
McMahon took to the drawing board, calling on celebrities and extensive marketing to get the word out about the show. Cyndi Lauper—one of the biggest musicians of the 1980s—Muhammad Ali and Billy Martin’s involvement was crucial. It gave WWE credence that it would be a legitimate spectacle.
In order to pull off an event like WrestleMania, WWE needed a huge main event. So began the build to Hulk Hogan and Mr. T vs. “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff.
WWE was working on The Rock n’ Wrestling Connection at the time, a partnership between the company and MTV. It featured crossovers between WWE stars and the music industry, and vice versa. The most notable being Captain Lou Albano in Lauper’s “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” music video. Lauper’s appearances in WWE would prove so successful that there was no other option than to book her to appear at WrestleMania.
Shortly after Christmas in 1984, Lauper was set to present an award to Albano, but they were both attacked by Piper. Hogan came to their aid, leading to a title match at The War to Settle the Score in February 1985. Hogan wound up retaining the championship via disqualification because of Cowboy Bob Orton and Orndorff’s interference on behalf of Piper. Lauper and Mr. T entered the ring to shield Hogan, but they were also attacked. Lauper got the worst of it, being kicked in the head by Piper. With that, the main event was built.
In the end, the babyface team got the win at WrestleMania, but it was less about the match and more about the precedent WWE set that night. If it hadn’t succeeded, WWE may not even be around today, let alone as massive as it is. And as for WrestleMania, 42 years later, it’s still one of the biggest events fans flock to from around the globe year after year.
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