Friday, January 24, 2014

Flashback Reviews WrestleMania 1

Some events are just more important than others. And in American professional wrestling no event is more important than WrestleMania. The showcase of the immortals where Hogan, Savage, The Undertaker, Hart, Michaels, and many other have carved there legacy. But it all began March 31, 1985 in Madsen Square Garden. It was actually the latest in a series of big events the WWF was running at this time. The early specials had played out on MTV as part of the Rock and Wrestling Connection. This one thought was different instead it was broadcast nation wide on close circuit. Vince McMahon went all out to take his company from just the New York Territory to the national Company. He brought in music star Cyndi Lauper and actor Mr. T and many other celebrities. The main event was promoted pretty much any where Vince could get TV time even appearance by Hulk Hogan and Mr. T on SNL. But if the show failed Vince would be done. Well obviously it didn't fail as we are now nearing WrestleMania XXX. How ever how does the first event hold up? Is it one of the good Mania's or is it one of the bad one?

We get a video showing New York and still photos running the card for the show. Kind of a lack luster open but than again this early on in the WWF and I don't think anyone hand any idea how big WrestleMania would be or spectacle it would become in the years ahead. Hell there was no special set. Gorilla Monsoon and Jessie Ventura welcome before tossing it to Howard Finkel who introduces Mean Gene Oakerland to sing the National Anthem. Mean Gene actually does a decent job but not a great job. Lord Alfred Hayes sets up our opening match and than tosses to pre-recorded interviews. Did we really need Hayes to do that? You couldn't just have Monsoon explain they were pre-recorded? It's not a big issue but it just comes off as strange to me. Tito Santana cuts a basic baby face promo now Tito could cut a very good promo but this one lack the fire. They played up the Mystery of who is "The Executioner" and he threatens to go after Tito's leg the one Greg Valentine had injured. Decent promo but again no real fire or passion. The truth is Tito was in the middle of a hot feud with Greg Valentine over the IC title and many have wondered why they didn't wrestle here. 

Tito Santana vs The Executioner- The Executioner was really Playboy Buddy Rose in a mask. From what I have heard the WWF had big plans for Rose after Mania but he really wanted to be part of Mania. Since the only spot open was losing to Tito the WWF put him in a mask so not to damage his name value. Except plans changed and Rose's push never came to be and he was out of the WWF shortly after this. We open with a cross ross into a back drop by Tito followed by a drop kick. Talk about spots you just don't see anymore. Tito has control for a while until Executioner hits a knee and than start to work over Tito's leg witch is good story telling play on the end of Tito's first IC title win where he lost the belt on a leg injury. Finish came with after Tito's flying forearm and than the figure four again part of the story with Tito and Valentine. Pretty basic match honestly if I needed to name what a typical 80's match looked like this would be it. Not an bad match but it also wasn't a hot open that would get the crowd really going. 

We again have Alfred tossing to Gene for interviews. First Gene interviews SD Jones. Jones claims he is going get down. Bundy warns SD Jones to think. I don't even think I can grade these promos they were so short

King Kong Bundy with Jimmy Hart vs SD Jones- It doesn't take long for Bundy to hit the Avalanche Splash and than a running splash for a quick win. They announce the fall at nine seconds of course it was actually longer than that. This match was all about making Bundy look awesome and I even don't mind the time change its not like wrestling is the most up and up business to begin with. 

Gene Oakerland interviews Matt Borne. Borne puts over Steamboat's talent but say he's to nice. He says he's there to beat Steamboat up. Steamboat talks about how big Mania is and says he will develop the meanness everyone says he lacks.

Matt Borne vs Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat- Jessie and Gorilla talk about how both guys are in amazing shape and put over Borne's father who was also a wrestler as a very tough man. Borne goes for  back suplex but the Dragon lands on his feet showing just how athletic he was. Borne actually gets a good deal of offense here and stick to what he said working over Steamboat trying to beat him up. Steamboat used his chops and suplexs. Steamboat hist a flying cross-body off the top rope for the win. This match was the first one that really got out of first gear. Might to be fun just to see two very good wrestlers go at it or if you interested in in Borne pre Doink the clown days.

Hayes give the most rambling on introduction to the interviews ever. I think he was trying to sound really smart but instead came off as just stalling for time. I really can't get why they would do this they toss to Hayes to than toss it to Oakerland. I could get if Gene handled the faces and Hayes did the heels but he just stands in the entry way talking. Hell the most interesting thing is seeing the wrestlers coming behind him. Gene interviews David and Bruno Sammartino. Bruno warns Johnny Valiant not to interfere. David never had great promo skills so they kept it short hell if anything I think Gene cut him off to get Bruno to talk. Johnny Valiant just yells while Beefcake spits a in the microphone and I don't mean he said something and was spitting his whole promo was him pulling an Archie Bunker.

Brutus Beefcake with "Luscious" Johnny Valiant vs David Sammartino with Bruno Sammartino- David and Bruno are the first ones we to see make there entrance. David might be the face of the second generation jinx. His dad was by far one of the greatest so no matter what he did David was going to be compared to him. Also David wasn't as tall as his dad and never had the same connection with the fans his dad did. Beefcake sadly is one of those guys that the IWC just goes "He was Hogan's buddy that's why he got work." When the truth was the guy had talent and was a very over mid carder for many years. We get some stalling from Beefcake to start. The match was pretty slow paced witch can be good but here it wasn't. It seemed like the two guys never really got into a grove. This match though is a great example of why Monsoon and Ventura were a great team as they pointed out so many little things that broadcasters just don't anymore. Also the two just had a chemistry together. Midway through the match Beefcake took control and worked over Sammartino before David reversed a whip and hit a back body drop. A big mistake David (and one handling him) made was the guy was also expected to wrestle a lot like his dad did. But David wasn't a big as Bruno also even by 1985 some of Bruno style was outdated. Eventually Valiant slammed David on the outside. Bruno ran over and chased valiant into the ring. The match was thrown out on a double DQ. The match was boring the fans only popped at the end when Bruno got involved. Sadly that was David's biggest problem it was about his dad.

Gene interviews IC champion Greg Valentine with Jimmy Hart. The Hammer gives a godd fired up promo saying he will show why he is the best IC champion. Junkyard Dog well cuts a JYD promo witch depends on how much you like the JYD.

Intercontinental Championship Greg "The Hammer" Valentine © with Jimmy Hart vs The Junkyard Dog- JYD and Hart did had a rivalry so there was a reason for JYD to get a title shot. That and JYD was over. Finally we get some entrance music. But only JYD gets to make an entrance on screen. The Dog takes the early advantage. But the Hammer takes control and than begins working over the legs. The Hammer goes for the figure four but JYD kicks him off. Valentine scores a pin after a roll up an shaving his feet on the ropes. Tito Santana ran out and informed referee Dick Cole of what happened. Cole restarted the match but Valentine had walked away and got counted out. What the Fuck is with this finish? Kind of a worthless that seemed like all did was remind of Tito and Valentine were feuding. Honestly I agree with most people that it should have Santana and Valentine for the IC title at this card. Hell that could have been the first Mania class match. 

More interviews this time it for the tag title match. First we have Freddie Blassie, The Iron Sheik, and Nikolai Volkoff. Blassie predicts his team will win the title. Lou Albano just says his team will do there best. To be honest I don't think Lou fit at all with Windham and Rotundo. The gimmicks didn't fit since Lou had mostly worked with "savages" and both Barry and Mike could cut promos even as young wrestlers.

World Tag Team Championship Match The US Express Barry Windham and Mike Rotundo with Captain Lou Albano vs The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff with Freddie Blassie- Of course this being a Volkoff match he sings the Soviet Anthem before it starts. Of course Windham and Rotundo are brothers in law. Rotundo and Sheik. start us off. Rotundo takes the advantage and quickly tags in Windham who flies in and drops Sheik with a forearm. The heel try to double team Windham but he side steps and it's Volkoff who eats a drop kicks. This match had a good mi of technical wrestling and some athletic moves and after the rather grinding paces of the two previous match that was nice to see. Eventually the heels took control and worked over Rotundo. Finish came when Sheik nailed Windham with Blassie's cane and Volkoff pinned him. Boy this just make the IC title match even dumber as one match was heel cheat and someone explain what happened and the ref reveres the call and in the next match the heels cheats only when Albano tries to explain what happened he is ignored. Pretty decent match other wise. It really is to bad what the Iron Sheik has become since his career ended. Because the guys was talented wrestler but now people only remember him as the crazy ranting guy. 

Gene Oakerland interviews the new tag team champions. Gene tries to ask about the cane but Blassie ignores clamming he didn't have a cane. Sheik tries to talk but Volkoff start yelling over him. Up next we have Bobby Heenan and Big John Stud's promo. Stud's says he's the only true giant. Bobby says 15,000 dollars will eliminate Andre from wrestling. 

Bodyslam Challenge Winner gets $15,000 if Andre can't slam Big John Studd he must retire Big John Studd with Bobby "The Brain" Heenan vs Andre The Giant- Heenan had been trying to get rid of Andre for a while and this was after the Heenan family had attacked Andre and cut his hair. Studd jumps Andre at start but it quickly turns against him and he bails to to break the momentum. There a good big guys and bad big guys and both of these guys were good workers. Andre tries to wear Studd down the good news Ventura pointed out "Smart moves. You want to wear a guy that strong down." Andre works a bear hug and than a sleeper. Finally after a number of strikes Andre picks Studd up and slams him. Heenand grabs the money and runs out. Not that good of a match I know even by know Andre's health was going downhill but this was really slow not helping things Studd never got control it was Andre beating him up the who time. So it lacked drama this was a match where if he lost Andre would have to retire there should have been some time where Andre was fighting from behind to build the drama. Also the finish came on the first attempt we didn't get any false finish. 

Gene interviews and to honest I have no idea what he said. Next we words from Cyndi Lauper and Wendi Richter. It's pretty much just a recap of the story Lauper and Moolah interfering so Kail could win the Women's title from Richter. More the same from the heels.

WWF Women's Championship Leilani Kai © with Fabulous Moolah vs Wendi Richter with Cyndi Lauper and David Wolf- While today having celebrities doing extended angels is pretty common back than this was pretty new outside of Andy Kaufman this had to be the first time a celebrity was there almost weekly. Richter works a hammer lock to star and even picks Kai up with is a few times slam her down. Kai start pulling the hair to get control. It strange watching this match how women's wrestling has booth come a long a way and yet gone backwards at the same time. See this match was nothing special and used a lot of hair pulling etc when you compare to some of the stuff we see out of a Gail Kim or a Mickie James it lacks but it's miles a head of the lets just yell really loud style girls like The Bellas use. In a nice spot when Richter went for a corner splash Kai got her legs. Finish came when Kai went for a flying cross body and Richter reversed it Match was ok I'd take it over a lot of stuff I have seen in WWE the last few years but I've never been a fan of the whole reverse the flying cross body as a false finish much less as the finish for the match. I mean someone jumps off the ropes collides with you knocking you do to the ground and yet you roll over and you wind up on top?

Post match wet get Gene Interviewing Richter and Lauper. Sadly for Richter the company wanted to hear from Lauper more. Of course Richter time as champion was limited and the belt was back on Moolah who keep having bad matches for years to come but that's another story. The Fink introduces Billy Martin to be be the guest ring announcer. Martin than introduces Liberace who will be goes timekeeper. Liberace brings out the Rockets with him. Gino claims the fans loved and there was a loud of cheering but a lot of the people I could see on TV just looked bored. Finally guest referee Muhammad Ali is introduced. Yeah does it shock anyone Vince needed this show to be a success he needed it just to cover the appearance fees for these three but hey beats freaking Snooki or Maria Menous. A full pipe band plays out Rowdy Piper, Paul Orndroff and Bob Orton.  Sadly I think Billy kept losing his place in his notes he taking breaks like he needed to make sure he was saying the right think. Real American plays leading out Hulk Hogan, Mr. T and Jimmy Snuka. 

Hulk Hogan and Mr. T with Jimmy Snuka vs "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndroff with Bob Orton- Now this was the match the whole card was sold on. Pat Patterson is the actual referee for the match while Ali is the outside official. There is that spark of a huge match that still lasts to day. Lots of stalling at the start but the crowd was so hot they didn't need to anything. Wet Piper and Mr. T noise to noise and than a exchange of slaps. They kept things real basic with Mr T. but when it comes to celebs I'm a big believe of keep it simple stupid. The fans are so hot for this stuff its insane. Things break down as all four men and there managers wind up brawling until Ali steps in. Now at one point the heels got up left just walking up Monsoon declares. "This won't stand they will be forced to return." Witch makes me wonder why Valentine wasn't earlier in the night. It's not a big deal but still lets keep the same logic to run the whole night. The heels take control after Piper hits Hogan with a chair on the outside. Hogan gets a bum rap for not being a good worker. When the truth is the guy was a good worker and could sell very well and had a good move set. He  just didn't need to do much he could a draw bigger pop and crowd by just pointing his finger and yelling you at a guy that most guys could with the greatest match in the world. Hogan makes the hot tag to Mr. T after Mr. Wonderful misses a flying knee. But some double teaming allows the heels to keep control. Another hot tag to Hogan that sets up for our finish with of course if Orton coming off the ropes missing Hogan and hitting Orndroff for the win. The match isn't perfect but it's a damn good one. The crowd was hot and there just something special about watching it. Post match Piper and Orton abandon Orndroff witch is setting up for Mr. Wonderful's face turn. 

Mean Gene interviews Mr. T and Hogan. T puts over how rough it was and wrestling a whole. Hogan proclaims Hulkamania and WrestleMania reign supreme. We close with Monsoon and Ventura wrapping up the show. 


Now of course WrestleMania was a huge success and it's now a yearly event. By the far the biggest in wrestling. But this first one well it's a kind baby step compared to what we would get in the years ahead. Outside of the main event pretty much every other match could have taken place on any WWF show. But yeah the main event was more than enough to carry it. Is this one of the bad ones well no but it doesn't rank to high on the good ones list if you ask me. 

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