Over the years, WWE WrestleMania has been the cornerstone event for the WWE and it has provided some of the most memorable moments in the history of the organization between title changes, classic matches and great storylines, the term "WrestleMania Moment" has emerged throughout the years to define the best moments at the WWE's marquee event.
Over the next few weeks leading up to WrestleMania XXX on April 6 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Sports World News will be taking a look back through past WrestleManias and determining the best moment from each one, starting with WrestleMania I at Madison Square Garden in New York City in 1985 and finishing with 2013's installment of WrestleMania XXIX at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
WrestleMania I honorable mention: Andre slams Big John Studd:
One of the special attractions to the first WrestleMania was a match pitting Andre the Giant against Big John Studd. The stipulations were unique as Studd and his manager Bobby "The Brain" Heenan put up $15,000 against Andre's career in a match that could only be decided by a body slam. While the match isn't necessarily a five-star classic, Andre slamming Studd and gleefully throwing out the money to the fans at MSG was a lasting moment until Heenan showed why they call him "the brain" and stole the bag of money back.
WrestleMania I moment: Hulk Hogan and Mr. T make WrestleMania a rousing success
WrestleMania was a huge gamble by WWE owner Vince McMahon as he reportedly put his life savings up to make sure it was a success. 30 years later, it has launched into a global phenomenon, but that never would have happened if it wasn't for the WrestleMania I main event that crossed celebrities with wrestling. Hulk Hogan and Mr. T had Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka in their corner as they took on "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff who had Bob Orton in their corner.
Liberace was the guest time keeper, Muhammad Ali was the guest outside referee and Billy Martin was the guest ring announcer adding to the splendor of the match. When Orton accidentally nailed Orndorff with his cast and Hogan picked up the victory, the roof blew off the Garden and WrestleMania became an annual tradition.
WrestleMania 2 Honorable Mention: Andre wins a battle royal as the WWE clashes with the NFL:
WrestleMania 2 took place in three different states as New York, Illinois and California each had a segment of the show. It was a tall order to live up to the first installment of the franchise, and while a lot of the card was pedestrian, a battle royal featuring WWE wrestlers and NFL players in Chicago was a highlight. Andre the Giant stood tall after last eliminating The Hart Foundation in a memorable clash that saw the grid iron meet the squared circle.
WrestleMania 2 moment: The British Bulldogs win the Tag Titles from The Dream Team:
Arguably the best match on this card was for the tag titles between The British Bulldogs and The Dream Team. The Bulldogs came out with Ozzie Osbourne in their corner and engaged in a great 13-minute tag bout that saw The Bulldogs win the tag titles from The Dream Team in a finish that saw the Dynamite Kid nearly kill himself by flying off the top turnbuckle onto the floor below.
WrestleMania III honorable mention: Randy Savage and Ricky Steamboat tear the house down:
In front of an alleged crowd of 93,173 at the Pontiac Silverdome in Michigan, the "Macho Man" and Ricky Steamboat put on what up to that point has to be considered the best match in WrestleMania history. While this card is mostly remembered for the main event, Savage and Steamboat stole the show with near-falls and false-finishes, and in the end Steamboat was able to pin Savage and walked out of the Silverdome as Intercontinental Champion.
WrestleMania III moment: The irresistible force meets the immovable object and the slam heard around the world:
While Steamboat and Savage is the best match on the card, no one will forget the main event pitting Andre the Giant and Hulk Hogan, which to this day stands as one of the most memorable clashes in the history of wrestling. Andre had never been pinned coming into the match and Hogan was the unbeatable champion adding intrigue to the match. Hogan slamming Andre is an iconic and lasting image in WWE history, and the pinfall victory was the first time Andre's shoulders have ever been pinned to the mat.
Adding to the intrigue in future years, Hogan said he wasn't sure if Andre would actually lay down for him during the match and was said to be nervous heading into it. It has been reported that Andre had downed several bottles of wine before going out to perform. It has also been said that Vince McMahon gambled all of his money on the first three WrestleManias and never had to put all of his money up again due to the success of this year's main event.
WrestleMania IV honorable mention: Bret Hart smashes Bad News Brown's trophy:
Bret "Hitman" Hart began his slow turn to becoming a face at WrestleMania IV emanating from Trump Plaza in Atlantic City, N.J. after a battle royal opened the show. "Bad News" Brown made a pact with Hart and then turned on him, eliminating him and winning the trophy. Following the match, Hart attacked Brown and then smashed the trophy in a memorable tantrum that rivals his reaction to "The Montreal Screwjob."
WrestleMania IV moment: Randy Savage's crowning moment:
When it was announced that there would be a 14-man tournament for WrestleMania IV that would crown a new undisputed WWE Champion and also feature the long-awaited rematch between Andre the Giant and Hulk Hogan, it seemed as though the Hulkster would get vengeance and walk out of Atlantic City as the champ.
After Hogan and Andre were both disqualified during their match, which couldn't live up to the drama of their main event encounter the year before, it opened the door for a new champion. The tournament boiled down to Randy Savage and "The Million Dollar Man" Ted Dibiase. Hogan didn't stay out of the spotlight entirely, as he helped aid the Macho Man to victory by delivering a steel chair shot to Dibiase, enabling Savage to get the pin. It has been rumored that Dibiase was originally supposed to win the tournament, but that may be a legend.
WrestleMania V honorable mention: The Heenan Family wins some gold:
Bobby Heenan is one of the greatest managers of all-time in the WWE, and his Heenan Family stable was legitimized when "Ravishing" Rick Rude defeated The Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania V for the Intercontinental Championship. The WWE was back in Atlantic City for the second consecutive year at the Trump Plaza, and Heenan helped Rude win the match by holding down Warrior's legs when Rude pinned him.
WrestleMania V moment: the Mega Powers explode and Hogan regains the belt:
The storyline leading to this match was fantastic as Hogan helped aid Savage to the title in the very same building just a year ago, and after Savage got jealous over Hogan seemingly making advances at their manager Elizabeth, things came to a head one year later as Hogan tried to defeat Savage and end his year-long reign in the same building he helped Savage being it.
The match was solid overall especially from a storyline standpoint, only if you can stomach Hogan kicking out of 90 elbow drops from the Macho Man. Hogan eventually made his classic Hogan comeback and defeated the Macho Man to regain the WWE Championship in a memorable main event.
After its first five years, WrestleMania was beginning to pick up some steam as the most highly anticipated wrestling event of the year. Next time, we'll look at WrestleManias VI-X as the WWE delivers the ultimate challenge, a star spangled WrestleMania, a double main event, an outdoor dud and a WrestleMania fueled by the WWE's new generation.
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