WrestleMania I
Updated: 12/20/2025, 11:54:28 AM Wikipedia source
WrestleMania, sequentially known as WrestleMania I, was a 1985 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It was the inaugural WrestleMania that took place on March 31, 1985, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. The attendance for the event was 19,121. The event was seen by over one million viewers through a closed-circuit television, making it the largest PPV showing of a wrestling event on closed-circuit television in the United States at the time. The event consisted of nine professional wrestling matches. In the main event, Hulk Hogan and Mr. T defeated Paul Orndorff and Roddy Piper. Also, Wendi Richter (accompanied by manager Cyndi Lauper) defeated Leilani Kai to win the WWF Women's Championship, and Nikolai Volkoff and The Iron Sheik defeated The U.S. Express (Mike Rotundo and Barry Windham) to win the WWF Tag Team Championship. Celebrity guests included former heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali as referee, baseball player/manager Billy Martin as ring announcer, and musician-actor Liberace as timekeeper. Retrospective reviews of WrestleMania I have been mixed, with critics generally ranking is as one of the most average WrestleManias in history. While the main event earned generally positive reviews, many of the undercard matches were negatively received. Despite this, its success led to a follow-up the next year, and setting the stage for more than forty annual follow-ups.
Infobox
Promotion
World Wrestling Federation
Date
March 31, 1985
City
New York City, New York
Venue
Madison Square Garden
Attendance
19,121
Tagline
The Greatest Wrestling Event of All Time!
Tables
Other on-screen personnel · Event › Preliminary matches
Gorilla Monsoon
Gorilla Monsoon
Role:
Commentator
Name:
Gorilla Monsoon
Gene Okerlund
Gene Okerlund
Role:
Interviewer
Name:
Gene Okerlund
Howard Finkel
Howard Finkel
Role:
Ring announcer
Name:
Howard Finkel
Jack Lotz
Jack Lotz
Role:
Referees
Name:
Jack Lotz
Liberace (Main Event)
Liberace (Main Event)
Role:
Special Guest Timekeeper
Name:
Liberace (Main Event)
Muhammad Ali (Main Event)
Muhammad Ali (Main Event)
Role:
Special Guest Outside Referee
Name:
Muhammad Ali (Main Event)
The Rockettes (Main Event)
The Rockettes (Main Event)
Role:
Special Guests
Name:
The Rockettes (Main Event)
| Role: | Name: |
| Commentator | Gorilla Monsoon |
| Jesse Ventura | |
| Interviewer | Gene Okerlund |
| Lord Alfred Hayes | |
| Ring announcer | Howard Finkel |
| Billy Martin (Main Event) | |
| Referees | Jack Lotz |
| Dick Kroll | |
| Joey Marella | |
| Pat Patterson | |
| Henry Terranova | |
| Special Guest Timekeeper | Liberace (Main Event) |
| Special Guest Outside Referee | Muhammad Ali (Main Event) |
| Special Guests | The Rockettes (Main Event) |
· Results
1
1
No.
1
Results
Tito Santana defeated The Executioner by submission
Stipulations
Singles match
Times
4:49
2
2
No.
2
Results
King Kong Bundy (with Jimmy Hart) defeated Special Delivery Jones
Stipulations
Singles match
Times
0:09
3
3
No.
3
Results
Ricky Steamboat defeated Matt Borne
Stipulations
Singles match
Times
4:39
4
4
No.
4
Results
Brutus Beefcake (with Johnny Valiant) vs. David Sammartino (with Bruno Sammartino) ended in a double disqualification
Stipulations
Singles match
Times
11:43
5
5
No.
5
Results
Junkyard Dog defeated Greg Valentine (c) (with Jimmy Hart) by countout
Stipulations
Singles match for the WWF Intercontinental Championship
Times
6:55
6
6
No.
6
Results
The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff (with Freddie Blassie) defeated the U.S. Express (Barry Windham and Mike Rotundo) (c) (with Lou Albano)
Stipulations
Tag team match for the WWF Tag Team Championship
Times
6:55
7
7
No.
7
Results
André the Giant defeated Big John Studd (with Bobby Heenan)
Stipulations
Career vs. $15,000 Body Slam Challenge
Times
5:53
8
8
No.
8
Results
Wendi Richter (with Cyndi Lauper) defeated Leilani Kai (c) (with The Fabulous Moolah)
Stipulations
Singles match for the WWF Women's Championship
Times
6:14
9
9
No.
9
Results
Hulk Hogan and Mr. T (with Jimmy Snuka) defeated Paul Orndorff and Roddy Piper (with Bob Orton)
Stipulations
Tag team match with Muhammad Ali and Pat Patterson as special guest referees
Times
13:34
(c) – the champion(s) heading into the match
(c) – the champion(s) heading into the match
No.
(c) – the champion(s) heading into the match
| No. | Results | Stipulations | Times | ||
| 1 | Tito Santana defeated The Executioner by submission | Singles match | 4:49 | ||
| 2 | King Kong Bundy (with Jimmy Hart) defeated Special Delivery Jones | Singles match | 0:09 | ||
| 3 | Ricky Steamboat defeated Matt Borne | Singles match | 4:39 | ||
| 4 | Brutus Beefcake (with Johnny Valiant) vs. David Sammartino (with Bruno Sammartino) ended in a double disqualification | Singles match | 11:43 | ||
| 5 | Junkyard Dog defeated Greg Valentine (c) (with Jimmy Hart) by countout | Singles match for the WWF Intercontinental Championship | 6:55 | ||
| 6 | The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff (with Freddie Blassie) defeated the U.S. Express (Barry Windham and Mike Rotundo) (c) (with Lou Albano) | Tag team match for the WWF Tag Team Championship | 6:55 | ||
| 7 | André the Giant defeated Big John Studd (with Bobby Heenan) | Career vs. $15,000 Body Slam Challenge | 5:53 | ||
| 8 | Wendi Richter (with Cyndi Lauper) defeated Leilani Kai (c) (with The Fabulous Moolah) | Singles match for the WWF Women's Championship | 6:14 | ||
| 9 | Hulk Hogan and Mr. T (with Jimmy Snuka) defeated Paul Orndorff and Roddy Piper (with Bob Orton) | Tag team match with Muhammad Ali and Pat Patterson as special guest referees | 13:34 | ||
| (c) – the champion(s) heading into the match
| |||||
References
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