What Should Have Been EVERY WrestleMania Main Event

What Should Have Been EVERY WrestleMania Main Event

WrestleMania I

 

Main Event: Hulk Hogan & Mr. T vs. ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper & Paul Orndorff

New Main Event: Unchanged

Back in 1985, WrestleMania definitely wasn’t the big event it is today and nobody could’ve predicted the success it would later become. This first edition of WrestleMania wasn’t even available on PPV in all areas, instead being seen through closed-circuit TV.

With that said, even though it’s a bit of a weird main event looking back, I can understand wanting to use this to promote upcoming matches at that time.

Piper would challenge for Hogan’s WWF Title at The Wrestling Classic later that year, so we can use this main event to promote that one. The main event of WrestleMania I can stay intact.


WrestleMania II

Main Event: Hulk Hogan (c) vs. King Kong Bundy in a Steel Cage Match for the WWF Championship

New Main Event: Unchanged

By the time WrestleMania II came around, Hulkamania was running wild and living its best days. On this night in 1986, all The Hulkster needed was a credible big monster heel for him to defeat.

He ended up facing King Kong Bundy in a Steel Cage Match, in what was actually a pretty decent match. Once again, I wouldn’t change anything in this main-event. Hogan is in it, the heel challenger is a big dude, and Hogan wins at the end.


WrestleMania III

Main Event: Hulk Hogan (c) vs. Andre the Giant for the WWF Championship

New Main Event: Unchanged

As you can see, the wrestling industry was as hot as it had ever been in the late 1980s with Hulk Hogan on top.

On a pretty good show that also saw The Hart Foundation and heel ref Danny Davis defeat Tito Santana and The British Bulldogs in an underrated bout and the all-time classic that was Ricky Steamboat vs. Randy Savage, there was only one match that could’ve main evented.

Hulk Hogan slamming Andre and dropping the big leg on him is a moment for the ages. No matter when you were born, if you’re a wrestling fan you know this moment. It was a big success, and changing it would simply be stupid.


WrestleMania IV

Randy Savage vs.

Main Event: Randy Savage vs. Ted DiBiase – tournament final match for the vacant WWF Championship

New Main Event: Unchanged

By 1988, it looked like Vince McMahon’s World Wrestling Federation could do no wrong. The show didn’t even have a proper main event, and it still did a better number than the legendary WrestleMania III.

A rematch between Hogan and Andre in the tournament quarter-finals was a smart move, and allowed the WWF to use the rest of the show to look at the short-term and long-term future of the company.

Earlier on in the show, The Ultimate Warrior made his PPV debut with a victory over Hercules, while Randy Savage went on to win the tournament against ‘The Million Dollar Man’ with the help of Hulk Hogan, leading to the formation of the Mega Powers and eventually the main event of the following year’s WrestleMania.

DiBiase was the perfect heel to book in a tournament, and Savage was the perfect guy to feud with Hogan the next year. Looking at the bigger picture, I would keep this exactly as it was.


WrestleMania V

Main Event: Randy Savage (c) vs. Hulk Hogan for the WWF Championship

New Main Event: Unchanged…but Savage wins

As the late ‘Macho Man’ used to say, “oooooohh yeaaah”! WrestleMania IV saw the beginning of the Mega Powers, and WrestleMania V saw the team end. All in the same arena – the “Trump Plaza” in Atlantic City.

Throughout 1988, the WWF Champion slowly got more and more jealous of Hulk, as he started getting closer and closer to Miss Elizabeth.

Once Savage turned heel in early 1989, the house show numbers went through the roof all the way until WrestleMania, and so did the PPV numbers. Just so you have an idea, SummerSlam 1989 did way better than WrestleMania in 1988.

With that said, the only thing I would’ve changed is the finish. Since Savage was doing so well, the last thing we needed was Zeus… instead, Savage finds a way to retain here (even if it’s by DQ, brother) and he keeps the belt all the way to SummerSlam, where Hogan finally wins it.

The numbers don’t lie – this was one of the most iconic main events in the entire history of WrestleMania.

4 years ago by Wrestle Talk

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