Wrestlemania 1:

[Guest nWoScorpion]

- This is the release from 1999 when WWF put out all 14 WM's in a box set. Ironically, I never saw this show until after WM 15, when I found this tape (along with WM 3, 4, 5) at my local Supermarket for $8.99 each, so I picked em up. Up until then I have never read reports on WWF shows, so I was basically going into the show without much knowledge of how good it is. So here we are...

 

- But first, some commercials. Advertisements for: Three Faces of Foley, Best of Survivor Series 1987-1997, The Undertaker, Sable Unleashed, and Wrestlemania 1-XIV. Don't forget the old WWF commercial with Austin, Sable, Rock, Undertaker, Mankind lying their asses off about being family orientated. Seeing Shane Mcmahon playing a "Blind" referee is hilarious.

 

- Old School opening has Vince Mcmahon run down the card in order of the matches happening.

 

- Live! (at the time) From New York City, NY, in Madison Square Garden!

 

- Your Hosts tonight are Jesse "The Body" Ventura & Gorilla Monsoon.

 

- "Mean" Gene Okerlund sings the National Anthem. Already on a bad note.

 

- Pre-Match Interviews: Tito Santana & The Executioner.

 

- Opening Match:

Tito Santana (Tocula, Mexico...244lbs.) Vs. The Executioner: (Parts Unknown...???)

The Executioner is Buddy Rose before he got fat. Executioner with a headlock, and they do a crisscross with Santana getting a big back drop and drop-kick sending the Executioner out. Lockup and Santana with a side headlock, and he walks up the turnbuckle to take him over. Executioner sends Tito into the turnbuckle and head-butts him, then drives the knee into the midsection. Figure-four is blocked, so Executioner goes to some grapevine hold, but its reversed for two. Santana kicks Executioner in the face and lays into him in the corner. Executioner reverses a piledriver and slams him. To the top rope, and Santana catches him, slamming him off. Splash by Santana is met with knees and Executioner works on the leg, but gets shoved over the top rope. Slam by Santana followed by the Flying Forerarm! Figure-Four Leglock! It's all over at 4:47. **1/4. This is sadly Tito's only Wrestlemania win, until Wrestlemania IX when he won a dark match. Nothing bad here.

 

- Pre-Match Interviews: "Special Delivery" Jones & King Kong Bundy:

 

- "Special Delivery" Jones (Philadelphia, PA...239lbs.) Vs. King Kong Bundy (Atlantic City, NJ...458lbs.):

Bundy catches Jones with a bearhug and squash in the corner. Avalanche and Big Splash ends it at 0:21. Fake time is 0:09, but COME ON! Anyone who can count knows that wasn't 9 seconds. DUD

 

- Pre-Match Interviews: Ricky Steamboat & Matt Borne

 

- Ricky Steamboat (Hawaii...237lbs.) Vs. Matt Borne: (Portland, Oregon...241lbs.):

Lockup and Steamboat whips Borne to the ropes and nails a few chops and a snapmare and reverse chinlock. Steamboat & Snuka teamed up as the South Pacific Connection for those who care. Steamboat back to the headlock and an atomic drop, and right back to the headlock. Inverted atomic drop by Borne takes over and he unloads on Steamboat. Kick to the head and chop by Dragon, and another chop puts Borne down. Borne with a belly to-belly suplex! Snap-Suplex gets a two count and they both trade shots. Steamboat gives Borne the Excedrin Headache #35 according to Monsoon. Back Suplex by Steamboat followed by a swinging neckbreaker. Diving clothesline by Steamboat and the Dragon Leap Body Press ends it at 4:37. * Boring match. Borne would make one final Wrestlemania appearance at Wrestlemania IX as the insane Doink.

 

- Pre-Match Interviews: Bruno & David Sammartino, followed by Brutus Beefcake & Johnny Valiant.

 

- David Sammartino (Pittsburgh, PA...252lbs.) Vs. Brutus Beefcake (Parts Unknown...273lbs.):

Bruno Sammartino gets a bigger reaction then all the other men combined. This is an INCREDIBLY boring match. Brutus wins the lockup and poses. David with a drop toe hold gets a nice pop. David is either REALLY fat or really muscular, it's hard to tell. Go behinds are exchanged and Beefcake takes him down, but not for long. David uses a front headlock to take down Brutus. Brutus with a side headlock and he takes David to the mat with it. Mule kick by Sammartino and a drop toe hold, followed by a double toe hold. This is just DRAGGING. Brutus with a back drop and forearms to the throat. Big Slam by Beefcake and he uses some power offense to his advantage. Beefcake unloads in the corner as we hit the ten minute mark. David takes over and back drops Beefcake. They trade punches with David winning, and he CREAMS Beefcake. Knee to the head and a vertical suplex by David. Brutus throws David outside, where Johnny Valiant slams him on the floor. Bruno come over and beats the living hell out of Valiant. David takes out Beefcake and Bruno sends Valiant over and out. Double Disqualification is called at 11:37. 1/4*. BORING match. Nice wrestling by David, but NOTHING that would make this a good match. And whatever happened to David Sammartino anyway?

 

- Pre-Match Interviews: Greg Valentine & Junkyard Dog.

 

- WWF-Intercontinental Championship Match:

Greg "The Hammer" Valentine © (Seattle, WA...248lbs.) Vs. Junkyard Dog (Charlotte, NC...280lbs.):

JYD comes out to Another One Bites the Dust by Queen, and is the first person to have an actual entrance with theme music tonight. JYD works on the arm to start with a wrist lock and punches the forearm. JYD catches a big boot and hammers the hammer. Valentine knocks down JYD but misses an elbow and JYD with the rolling headbutts sending Valentine outside. Knuckle Lock is applied and Valentine wins I guess, then he pounds the Dog. Elbow to the thigh of JYD and a leg stretch followed. Valentine continue working the leg, and goes for the four, but its blocked. Junkyard unloads, as does Valentine, but JYD wins the brawl and headbutts him...HARD. Valentine accidentally nails his manager hard, where he hits his head on the concrete (OW!). JYD continues the assault but gets rolled up with the help of the ropes for three at 5:58. BUT! Tito Santana tells the referee what happened, so the match restarts, except Hammer walks off and loses via count-out giving Junkyard Dog the count-out win. 3/4* Nothing special here.

 

- Pre-Match Interviews: The U.S EXpress and Nikolai Volkoff & Iron Sheik.

 

- WWF Tag Team Championship Match:

U.S Express (Windham: Sweetwater, TX...240lbs./Rotunda: Syracuse, NY...238lbs.) © Vs. Nikolai Volkoff & Iron Sheik (Vokoff: USSR...313lbs./Sheik: Tehran, Iran...258 lbs.):

The Express are Barry Windham and Mike Rutondo/a. They are the second person/persons to come out to theme music, this time, its Born in the USA by Bruce Springsteen. Lou Albano is managing the champs, and Blassie is managing the challengers. Sheik with a side headlock on Rotunda to start, followed by a shoulder block. Hip toss by Rotunda and a standing dropkick followed by a scoop slam. Side headlock takeover by Rotunda and its reversed for two, but reversed back. Windham in with a axehandle to the back of the head of Sheik and he drops the leg across Sheiks groin. The Red is nailed by a Sheik drop-kick and they tag. Volkoff hammers Windham, but Rotunda in and he knocks the fat guy down and drops an elbow for two. Windham back in with a forearm to the arm of Volkoff. Rotunda repeats that last exchange Volkoff sends Rotunda into Sheiks boot, and Sheik in with a back body drop and an elbow drop for two. The managers argue as Sheik locks on the abdominal stretch. Windham gets tagged in and unloads on Volkoff and nails a drop-kick. Running bulldog connects!! Sheik breaks up the count and Rotunda in for the save. Sheik has the cane and BLASTS Windham in the back of the head! Volkoff covers for the win and the titles at 5:02! **1/2 for a decent contest. Match was clipped about a minute or two, which is okay by me since I really don't like Sheik & Volkoff.

 

- Post-Match Interview: Iron Sheik, Nikolai Volkoff, and Freddie Blassie.

 

- Pre-Match Interview: Big John Studd & Bobby Heenan.

- $15,000 Slam Challenge:

Andre The Giant (Grenoble, France...476lbs.) Vs. Big John Studd (Ls Angeles, CA...367lbs.):

If Giant wins the match by slamming Studd, he wins the money. IF Studd slams Andre or the match goes to a 20 minute TLD, Andre must retire. Well, everyone knows the out come. Andre works over Studd the whole match, scoops him up, stalls, and plants him with a slam to a big ovation at 5:54. DUD. Andre throws a few handfulls of money out to the crowd before Heenan steals the money back.

 

- Post-Match Interview: Andre The Giant.

 

- Pre-Match Interviews: Fabulous Moolah & Leilani Kai, and Wendi Richter & Cyndi Lauper.

 

- WWF-Womens Championship Match:

Leilani Kai © (Hawaii...162lbs.) Vs. Wendi Richter (Dallas, TX...145lbs.):

Richter comes out with Lauper to Girls Just Want to Have Fun by, of course, Cyndi Lauper. ON Wrestlemania All Day Long, they dubbed something over this song, for some reason. Thinking its on the show itself, It wouldn't hurt to use the song in a recap show. Wendi was kind of hot...for 1985 WWF. Leilani is just a dog, and got uglier for Wrestlemania 10. David Wolf is also at ringside with Lauper & Richter. Lockup and they fight in the ropes. Richter sends Kai across the ring and takes her over by the hair. Mule kick by Kai breaks out, and she gets a hip toss, and they reverse hammerlocks, with Kai tapping out! But its 1985 so it means shit. The camera man is stuck on Wendi's BUTT a lot, which is no argument here. Several snapmares by Kai gets a two count. Kai works the arm some more, and Wendi fights back briefly, but is sent to the turnbuckle. Leilani with a choke hold and they have a sex position going on in the middle of the ring. Kai pulls Wendi up by the hair but....something happens for two. Kai works the hair some more as this is getting Brutus/Samartino boring. Wendi kicks Kai in the face for two and shoves the referee! Moolah works over Richter until Lauper makes the save. Boot to the midsection by Leilani, and Richter fights back again. F5!!!!! Nevermind it was a vicious slam. Wendi runs into the knees of Kai and she works her over again. Back breaker by Kai gets two. Kai with a slam, and she goes to the top rope. Cross Body Press is reversed and Richter turns her over for the win at 6:11! * Richter & Lauper celebrate in the ring after the match after beating up on Moolah a bit. Bad Match that I thought was OK from the first viewing. A few months later, Wendi Screwed Wendi.

 

- Post-Match Interview: Wendi Richter & Cyndi Lauper.

 

- The Fink introduces Billy Martin as the special ring announcer. Liberace is announced as the guest time keeper, who comes out with four rockettes, and they do some kicking action. Next Up, Muhammad Ali is the guest (outside) referee.

 

- The Main Event:

Hulk Hogan (Venice Beach, CA...302lbs.) & Mr. T (Chicago, IL...225 lbs.) Vs. Rowdy Roddy Piper (Glosgow, Scotland...232lbs.) & Paul Orndorff (Tampa, FL...252lbs.):

Martin final introduces the participants. Piper & Orndorff, with Orton, come out to a band of bag pipes and drums playing. Hogan & Mr. T have Eye of the Tiger by Survivor. This was dubbed over with Real American for WM: ADL. The heels are pelted with garbage and someone even has to sweep it out of the ring! Lberace rings a tiny bell...and well, enough said. Pat Patterson is the inside referee here, and Orndorff starts with Hogan. Piper tags in before anything happens. Mr. T tags in too. They go nose to nose in an awesome moment and exchange some slaps!! Piper calls time out and kicks him, followed by a go behind take down. Mr. T escapes the hold, neither mans with the shove off, and T with a fireman's carry to a big ovation and he slams Piper down hard. Pier-Six Brawl in the corner!!!! Ali comes in, Orton comes in, Snuka comes in and its complete chaos!!! Ali almost nailed Hotrod!! Heels run for a while but return after a while. Double Noggin Knocker to the heels and Hogan nails Piper, and a double noggin knocker again! Atomic Drop to Piper! Hulk rakes the eyes a lot, and they double clothesline Piper!! Scoop Slam by Mr. T and a hip toss to Orndorff!! Another slam to Piper and a headbutt to Orndorff!! Piper gets nailed with the big boot, going to the outside. Orndorff from being clotheslines Hogan out, and Piper nails him with a steel chair!!! Piper gets his arrogant look and kicks Hogan in the face. Mr. T tries saving and Piper chokes out Hogan. Double Atomic Drop by Piper & Orndorff. Orndorff drops a knee across the champ and kicks him in the head. Orndorff with a big suplex on the Hulkster and Piper back in. He unloads on Hogan with big rights and a knee lift for two. Back Breaker by Mr. Wonderful, and he misses a flying knee drop! Mr. T makes the tag and he rakes Pipers eyes! Double teaming puts Mr. T down and Orndorff puts the boots to him. Piper with a front face lock on Mr. T but Hogan with the tag and he unloads on both men again! Back Suplex by Orndorff on Hogan! Piper in but he's restrained! Snuka attacks Orton who comes in the ring!!! Orndorff with a full nelson on Hogan, holding him in place for Piper to hit. Piper winds up...but he's taken down by T! Orton off the top rope with the cast.....and it nails Orndorff!!! Hogan covers! !....2.....3!! Hogan & T win at 13:22!!! *** Awesome match for a celebrity being involved. Mr. T & Hulk Hogan help out Orndorff, who was out after Piper & Orton left, but doesn't know what to think. Orndorff would align himself with Hogan a month or two later.

 

- Post-Match Interview: Hulk Hogan, Mr. T, and Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka.

 

- Monsoon & Ventura say good bye from Wrestlemania. Credits at the end to stilled photos from the event.

 

Final Analysis: Well...Wrestlemania is a historic show, being the first ever. In between the few solid matches are some bad ones, and a squash, plus, it's only two hours long, if that. But still, its Wrestlemania, so it gets the free pass.

 

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