From the Bowery: WrestleMania III

Posted by Robert Leighty Jr. on 05.19.2008

93,173 witness the Greatest Wrestling Match Ever!

This is the show that made WrestleMania into the event that it has become today. All future WrestleManias are compared to this show, and it was this show that signaled the peak of the wrestling craze in the 80s. WrestleMania III also has a special place in my heart, as it is the 1st show that I have vivid memories of watching as a child. It may have been 21 years ago, but I can still see myself in my grandmother’s living room eating spaghetti (which was a big deal because usually nobody ate in my grandmother’s living room) waiting for the Main Event of Hogan vs. Andre. Needless to say this is quite possibly the most important show in Pro Wrestling history.

WWF WrestleMania III
March 29, 1987
Pontiac Silverdome (Pontiac, MI)
Announce Team: Gorilla Monsoon, Jesse Ventura (Mary Hart and Bob Uecker join for various matches)

Yes, this show sold out the massive Silverdome, or should I say, Hogan/Andre alone sold out the Silverdome. The attendance has always been something of a mystery, as the reported attendance was 93,173. That reported figure set an indoor attendance record (that still stands) for any sport in North America. Even 21 years later it is awe inspiring to see a crowd that large, and I can only imagine how each wrestler felt when they went out in front of all those people.

I also would like to mention that this show also introduced the sweet motorized mini-wrestling rings that drove the wrestlers to and from the ring (since the aisle was so damn long). They would be used again at WM VI, but haven’t been seen since, which is the world’s loss I guess.

The Can-Am Connection vs. Don Muraco and Bob Orton w/ Mr. Fuji

-The Can Am Connection was comprised of Rick Martel (pre Strike Force and “Model”) and Tom Zenk (Pre Z-Man in WCW). Muraco and Martel start things off for each team and waste no time getting in pin fall attempts as Martel gets a 2 count off a hip-toss. CAC hit a double monkey flip on Muraco before he tags in Orton. Orton and Zenk work a series where a Zenk arm drag leads to an armbar. They liked that sequence so much that it is repeated. Muraco apparently didn’t like the sequence and tries to hit Zenk, but accidentally nails Orton instead which leads to a 2 count for Zenk. Martel works over the shoulder, but it goes nowhere and each man tags his partner. The heels finally take control as Orton gets a cheap shot in on Zenk from the apron. Muraco (the original Rock) hits a neckbreaker and drops a forearm from the 2nd rope for a 2 count. Both men collide in the now standard double KO spot, and we get each man getting a tag. In a theme for the night Muraco takes the Ric Flair upside down corner spot, and soon all 4 men are in the ring. Orton is dropkicked to the floor and the CAC hit a double dropkick on Muraco before Martel gets a crossbody (while Zenk stands behind Muraco to trip him) for the 3 count.

Can Am Connection over Orton/Muraco via Martel crossbody on Muraco for pin @ 5:37
(Standard, though short, tag match to get the already hot crowd even more fired up. These 4 men didn’t need to reinvent the wheel out there, and did basically what was expected of them in the short time they were given) *1/4

Hercules w/ Bobby Heenan vs. Billy Jack Haynes

-The story here is that each man claims to be the Master of the Full Nelson. I wish Chris Masters were still around, so I could send him back in time to make this a three-way match. There’s an undream match (shout-out) that the world is waiting on. Anyway, Haynes is from Portland, Oregon and at one time was married to the woman who would eventually marry Steve Austin (and no I don’t mean Debra). Early on in the match Haynes gets a nice looking press slam to show his power and then goes for the Full Nelson, but Herc bails. Haynes tosses Herc into the corner, but he storms out with a rather stiff clothesline. A backdrop and suplex follow which get a 2 count because Hercules decided to pick him up for more punishment (usually not a smart thing for a heel to do). The work on the back continues as Herc gets an ugly backbreaker and an even uglier press slam (not nearly as good as the one Haynes hit earlier). Hercules sinks in the Full Nelson, but doesn’t get his fingers locked and Haynes is able to power out of the hold. The double clothesline spot leaves both men lying on the mat as the ref counts. Haynes is up 1st and hits an inverted atomic drop followed by 2 clotheslines and a legdrop. Haynes finally gets the elusive Full Nelson, but the two men fall out of the ring and to the floor. Haynes holds onto the full nelson the entire time and both men are counted out of the ring as the fans boo that decision. Post match sees Hercules use his chain to blast Haynes (who blades) and puts him in full nelson for good measure as the crowd boos him out of the building.

Haynes vs. Hercules Double count-out @ 7:53
(A decent power match that had an ok story to it. The super amped crowd has made even the most insignificant matches on this card seem like title matches, and that has helped tremendously. Again, the match was kind of on the short side, but the ending sequence with the chain made up for the non-finish.) *1/2

King Kong Bundy/Little Tokyo/Lord Littlebrook vs. Hillbilly Jim/Little Beaver/The Haiti Kid

-This is a special 6 Man tag that features midgets as the partners of Buddy and Hillbilly Jim. The rules are that Jim and Bundy can only wrestle each other and the midgets can only wrestle each other. And remember, this is pro-wrestling we’re talking about so I’m sure these rules will be strictly followed. Bob Uecker has joined Jesse and Gorilla in the announce booth for this match. The Haiti Kid is probably most famous for having his head shaved by Roddy Piper on an edition of Piper’s Pit. Believe me when I say that it was one of the funnier things you’ll ever see. The midgets do their various comedy spots to start the match, and then the real story begins when Little Beaver gets a shot in on King Kong Bundy (yeah, that’s not going to comeback and bit him). Bundy gets tagged in and Little Beaver decides to take him on and hits a dropkick (Bundy just stands there) before tagging out to Hillbilly Jim. A clothesline by Jim leads to him plus his 2 midget partners dog piling Bundy for a 2 count. Bundy takes control with a back elbow and goes to a front facelock. Little Beaver hits Bundy with his moccasin, but can’t get away as Bundy slams him. The midget gets crushed with an elbow and that’s enough for a DQ. A splash looks to follow, but midgets unite and keep Bundy from turning Little Beaver into a grease spot.

Hillbilly Jim and midgets via DQ @ 4:22
(It was a comedy match and the only suspense was when Bundy was going to snap and kill one of the midgets. Actually it was kind of sad (no, not the midget squashing) as Bundy went from Main Event World Title match to midget comedy match in 1 year. Match was trash, but the midget abuse is worth something) 1/4*

-In the back we get Mary Hart trying to interview Liz, but Savage intrudes and sends Liz on her way. Hart asks to get an interview and Savage gets in a good line “Look for my phone number on the back of my license plate.” I miss Randy Savage!

Junkyard Dog vs. “King” Harley Race w/ Booby Heenan and Queen Moolah

-Uecker sees Moolah and bails on Gorilla and Jesse in the booth. Man, guess he never heard of Bros before Hoes. The loser of this match must bow before the winner. JYD starts with punches and some headbutts before Race turns the tide and pitches JYD to the floor. Race goes for a falling headbutt off the apron to the arena floor, but JYD moves and Harley hits with a thud (Nice bump there). Race bounces all over the place as he bumps back into the ring and then a forearm sends him right back out of the ring in dramatic fashion. A bodyslam brings Race back inside the ring and JYD locks on an abdominal stretch. Race, having probably been in that move a thousand times, counters with a hip toss, but his headbutts have no effect on the hard skull of JYD. Race becomes the 2nd person tonight to take the Ric Flair corner bump. Heenan distracts JYD long enough for Race to hit the belly-to-belly suplex for the 3 count. Post match antics see JYD reluctantly bow to Race and then blast The King with a chair when his back is turned. I’m pretty sure that same scenario played out when Moses met Pharaoh and demanded that he let his people go. True Story!

Harley Race with bell-to-bell suplex for pin @ 3:22
(Really short match that was made by Race bumping like a mad man all over the place. It’s a shame the WWE wasted Race like they did, but Harley was old school, and maybe it’s better he didn’t have to put up with where Vince was going with Pro-Wrestling) 1/2*

-Backstage Vince interviews Hogan and he gives his normal metaphor filled promo. Vince’s facial reactions are priceless!

The Fabulous Rougeaus vs. The Dream Team w/ Johnny Valiant and Dino Bravo

-The Rougeaus are Jacques and Raymond and as mentioned before the Dream Team consists of Brutus Beefcake and Greg Valentine. Raymond and Brutus start off as Brutus receives an atomic drop. Jacques comes in and the faces hit a double dropkick on Beefcake. Brutus gets out and Raymond hits The Hammer with a crossbody for a 2 count. Valentine breaks out a reverse Flair Flop before taking control after Jacques misses a crossbody off the 2nd rope. Beefcake comes in to hit a press slam into a backbreaker (rare display of power from Brutus there), and Valentine returns to get the Figure 4. Jacques comes back with a backdrop and makes the hot tag to Raymond, who gets a sleeper on Valentine. Beefcake tries to break it up, but accidentally hits Valentine. After double-teaming Valentine, Bravo runs in to break up the pin and put Valentine on top to get the 3 count for his team. After the match the heels leave without Beefcake (still upset with his accidental shot on Valentine). Don’t worry this would be resolved later in the show.

The Dram Team via pin after Bravo interference @ 4:03
(Another short match in a series of them, but like all the matches the hot crowd made this more enjoyable than normal. Given a few more minutes they could have done a lot more, but as was it was just kind of there.) *1/4

-Video recap of the Piper/Adonis feud. The whole thing was set up with Adonis hosting his own show called The Flower Shop. Piper took offensive so Adonis with the help of Bob Orton took out Piper’s leg on an episode of the Pit. Next week Piper (with leg in brace) destroys the set of The Flower Shop with a baseball bat. Good times there!

Hair vs. Hair: “Rowdy” Roddy Piper vs. Adrian Adonis w/ Jimmy Hart

-Trump vs. McMahon has nothing on this match. This is being billed as Piper’s retirement match. No, Really! He’s serious about this! Why are all of you laughing? Piper’s cart to carry him to the ring malfunctioned, so he decides to walk to the ring. Interesting to see Piper go from most hated man on the planet at WM I to #2 babyface (behind Hogan) in less than 2 years. Punches galore to start and soon Piper uses his belt to beat the cellulite off on Adrian. Adonis gets the belt and returns favor as he whips Piper. Adrian then becomes the 3rd person to take the Flair corner bump (which is impressive given his size). Piper rams Adonis and Hart’s heads together and then tosses Hart onto Adonis as the crowd goes banana. Hart continues to be a bump machine as he is launched off the top rope onto Adrian. Finally, Hart gets revenge as he trips Piper and Adonis takes control. Outside Piper gets rammed into a table and Hart gets in some boots. Piper begins to make a comeback, but Hart sprays perfume in Piper’s face. This leads to Adonis locking in “Good Night Irene” (sleeper hold). For some stupid reason Adonis releases the hold before Piper’s arm drops a 3rd time and celebrates like he won the match. Brutus Beefcake runs in to wake Piper and he gets his own sleeper to put Adonis out for the win. Beefcake happily shaves the head of Adonis (which was the start of him being called Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake), and Piper throws the hair to the crowd. Probably not as fulfilling as when Andre tossed cash to the crowd, but whatever.

Roddy Piper via sleeper for submission @ 6:55
(This match judged just as a match wasn’t all that great, but the story, the crowd, and the lasting impact were tremendous. The match itself was about *1/2, but the booking and execution were ****. So well compromise, and just say that it was a lot of fun and certainly added a lot to the show) ***

-Ventura takes a break to be introduced to the crowd, so we get Gorilla Monsoon, Mary Hart, and Bob Uecker on commentary for the next match.

The Hart Foundation and Danny Davis w/ Jimmy Hart vs. Tito Santana and The British Bulldogs w/ Matilda

-This match was just an excuse for Santana and The Bulldogs to get revenge from former ref Danny Davis. He was the ref that cost each of them their titles (Santana the IC title to Randy Savage and The Bulldogs the tag titles to the Harts). Early going sees the Harts getting the double coconut treatment before Tito becomes the face in peril. He gets worked over in the corner before making the tag to Smith. Davey Boy hits a backdrop, but gets caught by a double sledge from Neidhart. Both men tag out and we get Bret and Dynamite going at it. As usual, DK is fired up and slams Bret by his hair. Bret takes his trademark sternum first bump into the corner and gets his head ripped off with a clothesline. DK continues the onslaught with a falling headbutt. Bret smartly gets out of there and lets Neidhart have a turn. After a camel clutch, the Harts hit a version of what would be Demolition’s finisher in the coming years. Davis finally gets in the ring, throws one punch, and then tags out to massive boos from the crowd (brilliant booking there). Davis gets back in there again and hits 2 boots before leaving again to irritate the crowd even more. The Harts slingshot Davis into the ring, but he hits knees and DK makes the super hot tag to Tito. He goes insane as he pounds Davis all over the ring and hits “The Flying Jalapeno” (tm Bobby Heenan). Smith gets tagged in and Davis looks like he soiled himself. Smith murders Davis with a clothesline and then bounces his head off the canvas with a sick Tombstone much to the enjoyment of the crowd. The massacre continues with a vertical suplex and a running powerslam. The Harts break up the pin and all 6 men brawl in the ring. Jimmy slides his megaphone to Davis who hits Davey Boy with it to get the pin. Crowd really hated that one.

The Harts and Davis via Davis pin on Smith after megaphone shot @ 8:50
-(Solid match here that featured a crowd more suited for the Roman Coliseum. They wanted Davis’ blood and were quite displeased when they didn’t get it. A solid match that is made more enjoyable if you’re aware of events that led up to it.) **3/4

“The Natural” Butch Reed w/ Slick vs. Koko B. Ware w/ Frankie (his parrot)

-Butch Reed would go on to be ½ of the Doom with Ron Simmons in WCW. Jesse has me nearly in tears when he claims the “B” in Koko’s name stands for Buckwheat. Multiple lockups start as I wonder if a drug test would confirm Reed’s nickname? Natural indeed! Koko gets a dropkick, but makes the mistake of dropping his head too early on a backdrop and Reed takes over. Reed uses a thumb to the throat much to the delight of Ventura (he always could appreciate good cheating). Irish whip is reversed by Koko and he gets a hip toss followed by a dropkick for a 2 count. A small package also gets 2. Reed takes a crossbody but turns it over and grabs a handful of tights to get the pin. After the match Santana returns and rips the suit off of Slick (Monsoon states that Santana still holds a grudge for Slick costing him a match).

Butch Reed via pin with handful of tights @ 3:38
(Not too much to say here, as this was basically nothing more than filler. I guess it was a way to cool the crowd down after the Davis angle before giving us the upcoming match) 1/2*

-Video Package of the awesome Randy Savage/Ricky Steamboat feud. Savage destroyed Steamboat on an episode of Superstars by using a ring bell to crush his larynx. Steamboat returned several weeks later and was a little upset with Savage. This all built to this match and boy, is it a rather famous one.

Intercontinental Title: “Macho Man” Randy Savage © w/ Miss Elizabeth vs. Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat w/ George “The Animal” Steele

-The crowd is jacked for this match, and before things can get going, Savage leads Liz (looking good too) to a different corner away from The Animal. Steamboat hits his patented deep armdrags and then shows a mean streak as he lifts Savage off the mat by his throat and chokes him. He follows up with a slam, but Savage heads outside to stall, and then catches Steamboat with a double axe handle when he gets back in the ring. The first 2 count of the match comes off a Savage clothesline. A blind charge in the corner by Savage hits nothing but air (well, air and then turnbuckle), and Steamboat goes back to work on the arm. A back elbow by Savage stops the Dragon cold and he then casually fires Ricky over the top rope to the floor. A rather nasty boot to the face follows as Savage gains firm control of the match. Since he is in command Savage finally goes for the throat and the crowd goes nuts with concern for The Dragon. Savage brings Steamboat back in the ring with a snapmare and gets a 2 count (#2). He follows that with a knee drop and gets another 2 count (#3). Steamboat reverses a whip to the corner and then gets Savage tangled in the ropes. With Savage in a helpless state, Steamboat delivers various chops as Jesse protests the sportsmanship of the Dragon. A high cross body from Steamboat gets him a 2 count (#4), and then gets two more 2 counts (#5, #6) after hitting a pair of shoulder blocks. The see saw battle continues as Savage gains control after hitting a high knee to the back and lower neck. He goes to toss Steamboat, but he hangs on and skins the cat (Michaels does it today) back in the ring. Savage is prepared for this and clotheslines Steamboat to the floor when he turns around. A high knee sends Steamboat over a nearby table and into the front row. Jesse throws a fit when Steele carries the Dragon out of the crowd and puts him back in the ring (I really miss Jesse on commentary). Savage wants nothing to do with him in the ring and tosses him back out on the other side. The double axehandle from the top rope to the floor follows, and to drive home the point Savage hits another when action goes back in the ring. Sensing that Steamboat is finished Savage does all he can to get the win, but only gets a truck load of 2 counts: running elbow (2 count # 7); guillotines the throat over the top rope (2 count #8); atomic drop (2 count #9); suplex (2 count #10); gutwrench suplex (2 count #11). Steamboat fires back with chops to ignite the crowd, and then backdrops Savage over the top rope to the floor. Savage took that bump like a MAN! Back inside comes Savage and Steamboat greets him with a chop from the top tope (good air there) and that gets a 2 count (#12). That 2 count had insane heat as the crowd thought it was three, but Savage got his shoulder up before Hebnar hit the mat for the 3rd time. Another chop gets another 2 count (#13) for The Dragon. Steamboat hands out chops like candy on Halloween, and gets a sunset flip for 2 (#14). We get the following breath taking sequence where Steamboat does all he can to get the win: a cradle for 2 (#15); double leg under hook for 2 (#16); small package for 2 (#17); and then in an awesome spot he slingshots Savage into the post and as he staggers back, Steamboat hooks him for another 2 count (#18); Savage has life, so Steamboat tries another roll-up and again only gets 2 (#19) because Savage reverses it to his own roll-up to get his own 2 count (#20). The crowd is freaking out with each and every near fall at this point. The ref gets bumped and Savage hits a clothesline to set-up the flying elbow. Savage hits the GREATEST FLYING ELBOW EVER (to hell with Michael’s version), but no ref to count, and Ventura is on the verge of punching Monsoon because of the injustice. Savage sensing he can Cheat to Win, grabs the ring bell and goes up top, but Steele steals the bell. Savage gets a boot to the Animal’s head and tries using the bell again, but this time Steele pushes him off top rope and Savage hits the bell on his way down (or that’s what it looked like they were trying for). Still, Savage is up to his feet first and goes for a slam, but Steamboat turns it into a small package and gets the 3 count, and IC title, which sends the crowd into fits of joy.

Ricky Steamboat New IC Champ via small package @ 14:37
(This match should be shown on a constant loop for all to see. I recommend it be on display next to The Mona Lisa, because this was a work of art. This is one of the most famous matches in wrestling history, and is solely responsible for a lot of the smaller workers you see today getting involved in wrestling (Jericho comes immediately to mind). Everything about this match just clicked, and at the end it leaves you exhausted. Quite possibly the greatest 15 minutes of wrestling you will ever see. Also, this is my personal pick for Greatest Match of All Time. Personally, I do not have a more favorite match than this one) *****

Following that we get a video package of the feud with Jake “The Snake” and The Honky Tonk Man. As with most of Jake’s feuds HTM is scared of the snake, and Jake teases him enough on an edition of The Snake Pit that HTM blasts him with a guitar. Fun fact is that he used an actual guitar instead of a softened one. Instead of exploding (as with Jeff Jarrett’s) the guitar just hit with a thud and it screwed up Jake’s neck, which he claims lead to all his drug problems.

The Honky Tonk Man w/ Jimmy Hart vs. Jake “The Snake” Roberts w/ Alice Cooper
-Last year we got Ozzy with the Bulldogs, and this year we get Alice Cooper (looking like death warmed over, though I guess that’s what he is going for) with Jake. HTM was on the verge of getting his massive IC title run and turning into the heel every person paid to see get his ass kicked. Roberts is a little upset (HTM probably stole his stash) and jumps HTM to start with some knee lifts. Jake tears the jumpsuit off HTM and slams him on the floor. Back in the ring a blind charges finds nothing but the knees of HTM. A few punches by HTM, but soon Jake regains control and hits his famous short arm clothesline (always liked that move). HTM avoids the DDT and bails. Jake meets him on the floor and we get some brawling as HTM posts Jake and tosses him into the steel barrier (old school here: no black padding). HTM takes control with a slam and hits a fist drop off the 2nd rope. He goes for Shake, Rattle, and Roll (neckbreaker), but Jake counters with a backdrop. An inverted atomic drop by Jake is followed by another backdrop. As he signals for the DDT, Jimmy Hart grabs his leg. That distraction is enough for HTM to get a roll-up and like any good heel he grabs the ropes to ensure he gets the pin. After the match HTM runs, and leaves Jimmy Hart behind. Poor Jimmy (who has taken more bumps than just about every one of the card) gets the Damian treatment from Alice Cooper.

Honky Tonk Man via roll-up for pin @ 7:16
(This match basically served the purpose of cooling down the crowd after the IC title match. Today we would get a bra and panties match following Steamboat/Savage. Back then we got snakes, Elvis Impersonators, and Alice Cooper. It was a simpler time, I guess. Unlike Diva matches though the crowd wasn’t burned out and was popping for the match. As a match there wasn’t too much too it, but it succeeded in getting HTM over as a cowardly heel who always escapes by the skin of his teeth) *1/2

-Okerlund comes out to announce the record-breaking attendance. Apparently it set a World Record at the time as it surpassed the crowd the Rolling Stones drew in the Louisiana Superdome.

Nikolai Volkoff/The Iron Sheik w/ Slick vs. The Killer Bees

-Nikolai tries to sing the Russian National Anthem, but Hacksaw Jim Duggan stops the proceedings because this is the land of the free. Try to find that logic in that one, Geez!
All 4 men start and eventually the Bees clear the ring and double the Sheik. The Bees go through their arsenal of double team moves (Double back elbow; Double hiptoss). Brunzell hits his famous dropkick for a 2 count, but Volkoff breaks the count. Heels gain control and hit their double team moves (“Good for the Goose…). Things slow down as Nikolai gets a bearhug. Sheik returns and hits a few suplexes for 2 counts, but Brunzell gets a high knee. The ref misses the hot tag and Sheik uses that as an opportunity to get the camel clutch. Duggan wanders into the ring, and like an idiot, pounds Sheik with the 2x4 in plain view of the ref. That’s enough to draw a DQ.

Sheik and Volkoff via DQ from Duggan interference @ 5:42
(Some nice double-teaming, but the ending was pretty stupid. Not sure why they wouldn’t sacrifice the Bees to Volkoff and Sheik cleanly, but again, the crowd was hot, and it was just kind of there). *1/2

-We get a video package for our Main Event, and the story telling was quite awesome in the way they set this match up. Andre was the 1st person to celebrate with Hogan when he won the title from Sheik, and they became good friends. Andre was presented with a trophy for being undefeated for 15 years, but Hogan was presented with a larger trophy for being WWF champion for 3 years. Then on a famous edition of Piper’s Pit, Jesse Ventura brought out Andre (with Bobby Heenan) to confront Hogan. The challenge was made and Andre punctuated it by tearing off Hogan’s shirt and crucifix. I still get chills as Piper looks at Hogan and says, “You’re bleeding.” Hogan accepts, and we get THE MATCH OF THE CENTURY

WWF Title: Hulk Hogan © vs. Andre The Giant w/ Bobby Heenan

-Bob Uecker is the special ring announcer and Mary Hart is the special timekeeper. Both of them looked stunned that a crowd this massive came to see a wrestling match. Andre comes down first and waves to the crowd as they absolutely pelt him with garbage and boo him out of the building. We are talking crazy levels of heat here. Hogan (like Piper) says to hell with the cart and walks to the ring to a MONSTER reaction. I wonder if Hogan was pissed that Piper also walked to the ring, instead of taking the cart (though, as I said, Piper claims his cart was broken)? I’ve always wondered what it would have been like to be there live for this match, as I can only imagine how deafening it was. The Most Famous Stare Down in wrestling history starts us off as Hogan starts to Hulk-Up. He gets so geared up that after a few punches he goes for a slam, and Andre falls back on him for a controversial 2 count (more on that later). Hogan already has a bad back (the crowd seems like they are on the verge of tears) and Andre (barely able to move as this point) methodically destroys Hogan. Andre gets 2 bodyslams and then walks across the back of Hogan in a painful looking spot. Hogan is thrown from one corner to another to continue the damage on the back. Andre squashes Hogan in the corner and hits a headbutt at the urging of Heenan. Another headbutt misses and Hogan fires away with some punches. He mounts Andre in the corner and hits the 10 count punches as seemingly all 93,173 count along. Hogan gets too cute and tries to speed things up, but runs flush into a boot from Andre. This leads to a bearhug, and the crowd goes insane trying to keep Hogan alive. His arm drops twice, but on the third time he gets a rush of adrenaline as the crowd has totally lost it and punches his way out of the hold. Hogan hits 2 shoulder blocks that barely move Andre, and he goes for a 3rd, but again runs into an offensive move from Andre: a chop this time. Hogan gets booted to the floor and Andre makes the mistake of trying a headbutt while Hogan is against the steel post. Naturally, that turns out bad for the cranium of the Giant. Jesse is irate as Hogan pulls back the mats to expose the concrete. In a stupid move, Hogan tries to piledrive a 550 lb (or 700 lbs if you believe Hogan) man on the concrete. That goes about as well as expected and Hogan takes an ugly backdrop to the concrete. Back in the ring Hogan ducks a chop and fires off the ropes with a clothesline that drops Andre. Hulk-Up time and then we get the most famous moment in Pro-Wrestling history: Hulk Hogan bodyslams Andre The Giant. The crowd is on the verge of heart failure as Hogan hits the legdrop and pins Andre. Hogan ends the show with his posing as Jesse makes his yearly threat to take Hogan out. God, how I wish we could have seen a feud between those two.

Hulk Hogan via leg drop for pin @ 12:04
(This is a match that is required viewing for any wrestling fan. The match itself is only about * if that, but the historic ramifications, and the overall enjoyment is *****. This is one case where technical thoughts are ditched, and you appreciate that you are witnessing the Biggest Match in the History of Pro-Wrestling. This one match set the template for what every future WrestleMania Main Event should be.) Call it ***1/2

On a personal note, I did not see this match live as I was cowering in my grandma’s kitchen. I was scared to death and didn’t want to watch what was going to happen to my hero, Hulk Hogan.

Oh, as far as that controversial 3 count in the WWF title match, it led to the rematch on The Main Event, and that match’s own controversy set up WM IV, but we will get to that next time.
--------------------

For fun, I'll throw in the Top 5 WrestleMania Matches up to this point, and adjust with each subsequent WM review.

1) IC Title: Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat *****
2) WWF Tag Titles: The British Bulldogs vs. The Dream Team ***1/2
3) WWF Title: Hulk Hogan vs. Andre The Giant ***1/2
4) The Funks vs. JYD and Tito Santana ***
5) Hair vs. Hair: Roddy Piper vs. Adrian Adonis ***

The 411: This is one of the most, if not the most, historic show in wrestling history. It signaled the height of the Wrestling Boom in the 80s and was the 1st WrestleMania to have that big show feel. The WWF Title and IC Title matches are enough to make this an easy recommendation and everything else is fairly entertaining due to the jacked up crowd.

Final Score:  8.5   [ Very Good ]