Wrestlemania 3: A Retrospective Look

[Dagger Dias]

This my third thread in my retrospective series on Wrestlemania events. Wrestlemania 30 is on its way, so the purpose of this thread series is to look back on all of the previous editions of the biggest PPV brand of them all, Wrestlemania. Every couple of days up until Wrestlemania 30, I will post another topic on a previous Wrestlemania event to slowly observe all of the history leading up to the biggest show of the year in April.

This time we are looking back on the legendary Wrestlemania 3!

Wrestlemania 3 took place on March 29, 1987. The event was held at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan where 93,173 fans came to watch the show. Let's take a look at the results:


1. The Can-Am Connection (Rick Martel and Tom Zenk) defeated Bob Orton and The Magnificent Muraco (with Mr. Fuji) in a tag team match (05:37)

2. Billy Jack Haynes and Hercules (with Bobby Heenan) fought to a double countout in a singles match (07:53)

3. Hillbilly Jim, The Haiti Kid and Little Beaver defeated King Kong Bundy, Little Tokyo and Lord Littlebrook by disqualification in a mixed tag team match (04:23)

4. Harley Race (with Bobby Heenan and The Fabulous Moolah) defeated The Junkyard Dog in a Loser Must Bow match (03:22)

5. The Dream Team (Greg Valentine and Brutus Beefcake) (with Johnny Valiant and Dino Bravo) defeated The Fabulous Rougeaus (Jacques and Raymond) in a tag team match (04:04)

6. Roddy Piper defeated Adrian Adonis (with Jimmy Hart) in a Hair vs. Hair match (06:14)

7. The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart) and Danny Davis (with Jimmy Hart) defeated The British Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith and The Dynamite Kid) and Tito Santana in a six-man tag team match (08:52)

8. Butch Reed (with Slick) defeated Koko B. Ware in a singles match (03:39)

9. Ricky Steamboat (with George Steele) defeated Randy Savage (c) (with Miss Elizabeth) in a singles match to win the WWF Intercontinental Championship (14:36)

10. The Honky Tonk Man (with Jimmy Hart) defeated Jake Roberts (with Alice Cooper) in a singles match (07:05)

11. The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff (with Slick) defeated The Killer Bees (B. Brian Blair and Jim Brunzell) by disqualification in a tag team match (05:44)

12. Hulk Hogan (c) defeated André the Giant (with Bobby Heenan) in a singles match for the WWF Championship (12:02)



Now, here are some discussion questions concerning the show:


What was your favorite match on this show, and why did you like it the most? What about the worst match of this show, why did you like it the least?

If you could change a few things about Wrestlemania 3, what would it be and why?

You may only use wrestlers who were available at the roster at that time or make changes that could have realistically taken place in March 1987. Please keep in mind the situations going into the show such as who could actually have been pushed into a title match, or what songs existed back then if you wanted to change the show's theme music, and so forth.

You may only discuss Wrestlemania 3 in this thread. The other Wrestlemania events will be getting their own retrospective threads shortly, any posts regarding other events will be considered spam and you risk getting an infraction.

Discuss!

 

[Cobear1986]

I thought that Wrestlemania 3 had the first Big Wrestlemania feel. The build up between Hogan and Andrea I thought was great. My favorite match was Hogan vs Andrea, though not the best match of the night but the one with the biggest feel, just that moment with the stare down for the first time it felt like Hogan may not walk out of this match. The best match was by far the Steamboat vs Savage match, they just clicked in every way when i have friend who don't like wrestling I put that match on and before it ends they are usually on the edge of there seat. The worst match for me was the Hart foundation and Danny Davis vs British Bulldogs and Tito Santana, it was to short and to many people in that match, and that would be the same match I would have changed. I would have made it Hart Foundation vs Bulldogs for the WWF Tag team championships that match could have stolen the show.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

Well this is gonna be the one that gets the most "rose tinted specs" attention and the one people would probably try to change round the most...

One thing I humbly add about external talent as Dagger has suggested not to...

WM3 took place on March 29th 1987... Crockett bought the UWF on April 9th barely 10 days later... so there IS some scope to perhaps borrow some UWF talent as Vince could conceivably have made them offers or even gazumped Crockett. but he didn't in real life - he waited till the buyout was completed. Why? Because the wrestlers weren't contracted in the way they were when WCW was bought. So he really could take his time and cherry pick. You might want to try and shoehorn one or two of them into Mania 3 as they did with Duggan, but if you're gonna go that way - best leave it for WM4 really. The only UWF talents Vince took in real life were DiBiase (who WAS contracted to AJPW for several months after...don't use him), Gang and Terry Taylor who all debuted down the way - Duggan was a done deal long before so use him.

So onto the show, this was the first Mania I saw within weeks, thanks to an Uncle in the USAF who visited with a tape. The card itself was far better built than it's two predecessors, reflecting the growing confidence that the spectacle of Wrestlemania was now established and it was time to focus on the quality of the show.

It also set the trend for the next 4 years of a large number of matches rather than the focused few it started with (and we now get), it didn't peak till 7 with 14 matches but WM3 was the first time they made full use of their roster, rather than cherry picking.

It's also the card where you could see a lot of promise on, guys who Vince THOUGHT would be massive stars but who just didn't make it... Tom Zenk, Billy Jack Haynes, The Killer Bees and notably Butch Reed who was thought of as a future main eventer. Within weeks, almost a total change out of talent had begun, with guys like Patera returning, Bam Bam, Gang, DiBiase, Rude and Barry "Smash" Darsow and The Ultimate Warrior all being on the roster within months, it then continued with guys like Big Bossman and Curt Hennig

Most will flat out say Steamboat v Savage is their favourite, it's not a safe or hipster answer... fact is it was the best match filmed in the WWF to that point. It had an outcome that people appreciated and was a satisfying end to a very well run feud. It doesn't age as well as some experts claim, I would go as far as to say Davey and Bret were better as their match was more "off the cuff" while this match was rehearsed in minute detail. It gets my vote as the best and favourite of this show, but not of all time as many state.

My main issue with the show is there is an abundance of tag team matches at the expense of some talent who could have been used better. Jim Duggan should have debuted with a match rather than the run in he did as people didn't know who he was necessarily and it showed in his reaction. They could easily have made him face Volkoff or Sheik one on one, or added him and made it a 6 man. At the time Duggan was a major signing and this was a major debut that just felt mishandled, of course this could have been due to the ongoing negotiations with DiBiase.

The infamous "midgets turning on Bundy" was a waste of time to me... It really did nothing for the show other than provide an embarrasing moment of comedy. Bundy could have been used against Duggan for an explosive debut. Kamala was also not used and guys like Ken Patera returned within a week or so of the show, these could all have been moved up onto the card rather than Hillbilly Jim, Bundy and Midgets.

While I hated the whole Danny Davis storyline, the 6 man was there because of Dynamite's injury. Had that not been the case, Tito would have been free to wrestle a different opponent and we'd have gotten that classic Bulldogs v Harts match at Mania that we never got.

What was good about the card was that for the first time virtually every match had some kind of story build to it, the randomish virtual squashes were replaced with proper feuds for the first time with real consequences. Race v JYD was a prime example, seeing JYD forced to kneel (sure he then hit his headbutt) was a major consequence. Jake beating Honky Tonk Man was also a major moment and even matches like Haynes v Hercules had something to them - they weren't filler by any stretch.

The Main Event was, what it was - the moment Hogan became truly "immortal", much as I wish Andre had been in better shape for it the torch was passed and the match did it's job. Andre should have left it there in many ways, that they got 3 more Mania's out of him is one thing, but his value in putting people over was depleted after this match as people could see he could barely move. Technically he was WWF champion and part of the Mega Bucks etc... but that robbed DiBiase of the chance, the Mega Bucks could easily have been he and Bam Bam Bigelow and it worked equally well.


If I was going to change matches, I'd have:-

Traded Duggan v Volkoff for Hillbilly and Bundy, perhaps with Ken Patera in Duggan's corner making his return as well to counter Sheik.

Done the deal to bring One Man Gang in a bit earlier so he could debut at the show, perhaps brutalising JYD after the Race match.
#

Perhaps used the Bees with Kamala and Bundy as a way to get Masked Confusion over and have them score a big win. Kamala could have been turned on by Bundy easily enough after the match and might have given impetus for the Ugandan Giant to be able to stay on the roster a bit longer.

 

[Pedigree1]

True enough WM3 was the first one to have that true WM feel to it! I didnt care for the Bundy vs Hillbilly jim and midgets match. If you wanted to have a one-on-one battle between them,that would have been fine. The comedy aspect of that match,i could have dont without.

The whole JYD and harley Race match didnt make sense to me. IF you truly wanted to have a debut OMG (One Man Gang),he could have squashed JYD after the match forcing him to bow to King Harley Race. That would have been epic IMO a great way to have someone make their debut.

Then have Duggan vs Sheik match. That would have been an instant classic a true american in Duggan and a Anti-American in Sheik would have been instant ratings! Other than that,a good card from top to bottom

 

[Poop Master Flex]

What was your favorite match on this show, and why did you like it the most? What about the worst match of this show, why did you like it the least?

My favorite was Steamboat/Savage, there's no point in saying anything about it, the match speaks for itself. The reason I liked it so much? Its one of those matches that gets you on the edge of your seat and for myself personally there aren't too many matches that can do that.

The match I didn't really care for was JYD vs. Harley Race. Harley Race is about as awesome as they come in wrestling, JYD wasn't a great wrestler but he had the character and the charisma, he's one of those guys that can get by with doing very little. They had a decent program going into the match and less than 4 minutes later it was over and watching the match recently it looked like they bumbled, fumbled and stumbled through that match from beginning to end. The whole match just looks very clumsy.

If you could change a few things about Wrestlemania 3, what would it be and why?

There isn't really anything that could have been done to make this Wrestlemania better. I'm sure in 2014 there are some fans that will shit on it but I think its phenomenal. Good opener, 2 classic matches, numerous big feuds culminating, heel turns, face turns, retirement matches and 2 of the most iconic images in the history of wrestling. Back in '85 and '86 Wrestlemania's 1-2 were a huge deal but Wrestlemania 3 was the event I feel they figured out the beast and what to do with it. This Wrestlemania had everything, including the biggest main event of all time, why change what works so well? The only thing I ever even considered changing was making the 6 man into a tag title match but going with the storyline it was perfectly logical and acceptable to have a 6 man tag instead (Bulldogs and Tito needed to beat on Davis after all).

 

[The Fabulous Rougeau's]

Savage and Steamboat is not only my favorite match on this card, but one of my all time favorites. Seeing Hogan slam Andre is also up there as that was/is/and always will be crazy. Wouldn't change anything as the two biggest matches are the right ones and carry the card.

 

[AnthonyM4]

Most people will say Steamboat vs Savage was the their favorite, but mine is the main event. The hype was awesome, it was the two biggest stars at the time, and no other main event would have drawn over 90,000 people. If Savage vs Steamboat was the main event, it would have drawn 20,000 tops! Of course the best worked match was Savage vs Steamboat.Al Snow says the best worked match was the main event because that drew the crowd. By that logic if the main event was a finger point of doom type deal, but it was the match people paid to see before it happened, it would have been the best match after the fact!

Only things I would have changed was having Bundy vs Jim in a one on one match. No need for the midgets. Though Bundy squashing the one with the elbow is still memorable. Also after all the vignettes, Outback Jack should have debuted at this show. Would have been better than a debut on Prime time wrestling. Could have had him squash someone like Barry Horowitz in two minutes.

 

[MCMG]

A bit before my time but the that Hogan/Andre moment is one of the most iconic in wrestling history. I think any WWE fan must have seen it replayed several hundred times. It is still regarded as perhaps the greatest WM moment of all time and that match really helped make Wrestlemania stand out.

Savage vs Steamboat is a fantastic match. My perception of that time is slower, bigger wrestlers but these two put on a truly exciting match.

WM3, however, will always be Hogan and Andre's Wrestlemania.

 

[The Boss]

There is very little I can say to criticize WrestleMania III. It truly was everything a big event was supposed to be. So many of the good points have already been discussed and agreed upon so I'm not going to repeat them. I do agree that the Bundy/ midgets match was a low point. But not because of the comedy. Midget wrestling has always been about comedy. I just feel that it was rushed. Each guy got in once then it was over. It made it seem pointless. But it was still good to see some midget wrestling on what I still consider the biggest wrestling event of all time.

One thing that I would have added is a women's match. Rather than have her in the corner of Harley Race, I would have preferred to see Moolah defend her title. She lost it shortly thereafter to Sherri Martel so it would have been nice to see her get one more big event victory first. It also would have made Sherri's victory a bigger deal had Moolah just showed her dominance at such a big event.

And finally, as a big fan of the unused Andre belt I would have had HOLLYWOOD HULK HOGAN go on to use that belt from that point on (as the story seemed to suggest he would) until the debut of the winged eagle the following year.

 

[The Brain]

WrestleMania III is about as close to a perfect card as you can get. If younger fans watch this for the first time they may not think it’s anything too special but for 1987 standards it was a phenomenal show. I think it’s safe to say most people will choose Ricky Steamboat vs. Randy Savage as their favorite match from this show. It’s a match that is still held in high regard almost unanimously nearly 30 years later. I really don’t have a least favorite match on this card. Every match served some kind of purpose and gave us something to remember. I’m not saying every match was a classic but nothing was bad and every single guy on the show did what was expected of him.

As I said the show is pretty much perfect so I can’t come up with any changes to make it better. I’ve always wondered why Paul Orndorff wasn’t on this show. He was a huge name in the WWF for the past couple years and the top heel of 1986. It was a shame he missed such a big show. I’ve heard he was injured at the time but I remember seeing him in the weeks leading up to mania. Maybe he was expected to be out with injury longer than he was so he simply wasn’t written into mania. A shame for someone that was so high on the card.

One change I used to think about was having The Hart Foundation defend the tag titles against The British Bulldogs instead of the six man tag. I just wanted to see the titles defended at mania. Over the years I’ve realized the six man tag was the way to go. Everyone wanted to see Danny Davis get what he deserved and the WWF just happened to luck into a logical partner for the Bulldogs since Davis was the ref when Tito Santana controversially lost the IC title over a year earlier. I guess if it was Harts vs. Bulldogs that would have left Santana open to maybe wrestle Orndorff but I enjoyed the six man so I wouldn’t have changed it.

 

[8thwotwATG]

I would echo Brain's sentiments about there not being much to change about this card. It was booked about as well as could be expected, and for the 1st time, the years biggest event had the big event feel. I voted Steamboat vs Savage as my favorite match, and no doubt it was the best worked match from a purely physical standpoint, with lots of nearfalls, and some great in ring work from both participants.
That being said, I have to give props to the main event for how it was set up and yes, even how it was performed in the ring by both guys. You figure in 1987, most american fans had only seen Andre the Giant work as a face, and probably weren't aware that he worked as a heel in Japan( I know I wasn't aware of this at that time, so when Andre turned heel on the Hulk, it was a bit shocking at that time...Once the backstory was set in place, this match sold this wrestlemania due in no small part to the masterful job done by Andre himself to present himself as a monster heel, and I would be remiss if I didn't give a tip of the cap to Bobby "the Brain" Heenan for helping to put Andre over as the single greatest threat ever to Hogans' championship. While this match was certainly no technical masterpiece, Andre did a repectable job in the ring that night, all while probably enduring crippling back pain, and Hogan, for his part sold for Andre, and made him look badass in spite of his physical limitations...all in all, a pretty good show.

 

[Dagger Dias]

I wouldn't change anything about Wrestlemania 3. This was the first PPV that I ever saw. Nostalgia is part of the reason I wouldn't change a thing. The other reason is the quality. This was the best of the older Wrestlemania events easily. Steamboat VS Savage was amazing and still is by today's standards, while Hogan VS Andre is a match that wrestlers will be trying to recreate the magic of forever. My favorite match as far as in-ring quality is Steamboat VS Savage. I picked it for my favorite match as even when I was a child it stood out for me the most. I've always been more of a fan of guys like Steamboat and Savage compared to guys like Andre, although the main event deserves the praise that it still gets after almost 30 years. My least favorite was the Hair VS Hair match. I've never particularly liked that match type. It was stupid then and I still feel the same way.

 

[thebarber]

What was your favorite match on this show, and why did you like it the most?

What about the worst match of this show, why did you like it the least?

If you could change a few things about Wrestlemania 3, what would it be and why?

MR WONDERFUL PAUL ORNDORFF. Simply put, he wasnt on the show, varying reasons have surfaced over the past 25 years. He was featured in the SNME battle royal 15 days previously(taped in February 1987 though). His nerve damage in his arm must have been friggin bad for him to miss such a massive payday and exposure. I would have had Paul Orndorff in a match with the returning Ken Patera, former Heenan family member who had just came back to the company. Patera could have used his full nelson as the storyline reason to write him off WWE tv for the months that he was gone.

 

[pyrusane]

I've talked about it in many other posts on here over the years, but Steamboat/Savage was my favorite match on this card. Not because of the usual reasons most people list, but simply because their feud leading up to this match is the reason I became a wrestling fan. My first experience watching the WWF instead of the more old-school (even back then) NWA was the night Steamboat came out of the crowd to rescue George Steele from Savage's attempt to crush his larynx with the ring bell. Obviously a work, but I was like 11 years old at the time so I thought it was completely real. I became a huge Steamboat fan that night, and have remained one to this day.

Least favorite was Haynes/Hercules. Their program just never mattered much to me, and I always felt the match was nothing special either.

The biggest change I would have made would have been one of logistics. That was a long freaking ramp to get out to the ring. I don't really know how they could have improved that, and on some levels I don't even know that they should have, but it really felt like it slowed the whole show down having to wait for those long entrances.

 

[HeenanGorilla]

This is my all-time favorite PPV. There have been better shows, of course. But this was done at the perfect time in my falling in love with WWF phase. I saw it live on PPV, a first for me. Unlike the previous two WrestleManias, I had been following all of the storylines going into this one. Each match had something to it, whether it was a gimmick, interesting storyline, face turn, etc. I have watched the tape a million times and know it word for word. A great memory of my childhood.

I loved having Gorilla, Heenan and Jesse calling the action at given points...and enjoyed Uecker's time in the booth as well.

The long aisle and the mini rings brought a big-time feel to it. Those babies could move so the entrances were not as long and drawn out as some have implied. Most of the entrances/exits were not seen, due to backstage interviews and storyline recaps being shown.

It was like two different shows to me. Piper/Adonis ends in daylight--then intermission--then Harts/Davis vs. Bulldogs/Tito was in a much darker arena...even the intermission was perfectly timed!

Can-Ams got it started off hot and it kept rolling from there. I voted for Can-AM's match because that was my--and most people's--first time seeing and hearing what "93,173" sounded like. It was incredible! Really set the tone! And then there was never a match that just ended...there was always something going on right to the end:

Haynes and Herc with after-match chain play and blood.
Hillbilly Jim carrying the squashed midget away with all of the other midgets.
JYD nailing Race and leaving with his robe
Valentine, Bravo and Johnny V leaving Beefcake
Adonis getting his haircut by Brutus with Piper doing his thing during the hair cut
Harts win controversially after Davis, of all people, scores the megaphone-induced pinfall.
Santana goes nuts on Slick at the end of the Reed/Koko match
Steamboat wins the IC belt in an all-time classic.
Jake and Alice Cooper attack Jimmy Hart with Damien.
Duggan nails Volkoff with the 2x4.
Hulk's HUGE slam/title defense and pose/celebration.

Not a single match just ended with a bell, ref raising the arm of the winner and off they go. There was an extra bit of juice to each of these!

Orndorff was missed, true. But I only thought of that years later. Yes, I noticed immediately that he wasn't included...but it didn't ruin the PPV at all. It was THAT good. A major heel of the year before was missing..and the show didn't skip a beat. Really impressive!

My favorite WrestleMania ever!

 

[MMK]

Q:If you could change a few things about Wrestlemania 3, what would it be and why?

The Hart Foundation and The British Bulldogs should have met for the Tag Team Titles instead of being involved in a six man tag.

Also, my favorite team of all time, Demolition, were left off the card. They had only recently debuted, but they still could have been added to the event. I would have had them face the Killer Bees instead of Iron Sheik and Volkoff. Iron Shiek (with Volkoff in his corner) could have then faced Hacksaw Jim Duggan.

Other than that, I wouldn't change much about this event.

 

[Mustang Sally]

Some really generic matches for a Wrestlemania, don't you think? Harley Race vs. Junkyard Dog? Koko B. Ware vs. Butch Reed? I mean.....ugh. With 12 matches on the card, it seemed they were going for quantity over quality.

Still, the event was memorable for the venue; heaven knows they've let us know all through the years how special that was.....and they were right.

Plus, the two main matches were legendary. No matter how the Hogan vs. Andre contest turned out, the sheer size of the competitors in the ring made it a must-see event.....and the real possibility that Andre was finally going to lose cleanly was set up so very well by WWE in the months leading up to it.

Still, the Randy Savage-Ricky Steamboat match stole the show, as far as I was concerned. I remember the contest; even though I was only 8, I could tell a superior wrestling match when I saw it. The events leading up to that one, with Macho Man performing his dastardly deeds on Steamboat let us know something truly special was in the works for WMIII.....and that's just the way it turned out.

 

[Judah's Lion]

Mania 3 is amazing. simply put. and there's no need for me to repeat for the umpteenth time what has been said so well already.

there are some changes I would make though. not because I disliked the show or felt it needed a ton of upgrades, but just because there were some opportunities that I feel might have been missed.

for starters, I stated in the Mania 2 Retrospective Look thread that I would have had the Bulldogs vs. the Hart Foundation for the Tag Titles. so for this year, I wouldn't have them in a match together at all. instead I'd have the Hart Foundation vs. the newly debuting Demolition. I can't remember if Demolition were face or heel when they debuted, but either way, a good solid match on the biggest show of the year to introduce them works on a few levels. it'd be tough to have a bad match with the Hart Foundation and I think the styles would have complimented each other well here.

since Dynamite Kid was injured, that would free up the British Bulldog to go one-on-one with someone else. maybe like a power contest with Warlord. and no, I don't mean a literal power contest. I mean a wrestling match. but it'd be between two total powerhouses that could have put on a decent match. give Davey Boy a chance to shine as a singles star as his team with Dynamite was nearing the end anyway. or better yet, have Bulldog vs. Valentine. it'd be a pretty good to great match and you can have the Beefcake turn from heel to face at this point in the show, setting up his return to the ring later in the Piper/Adonis match when he becomes "the Barber".

then you have Tito Santana get his revenge on Danny Davis one-on-one. that would have been uber-satisfying.

Hacksaw Jim Duggan going one-on-one vs. the Sheik is a no brainer to me. USA vs. Foreigner, especially for this time period, is an easy sell.

and lastly, as others have already mentioned, having Orndorff on the show would have been icing on the cake. the Barber's idea of having Ken Patera vs. Paul Orndorff is pretty genius. the full nelson finish to write off Mr. Wonderful since he was legit injured is brilliant. so add that to the card.

I loved the turn of Beefcake and the Hair vs. Hair match. Piper/Adonis was not the best match ever but I still liked it. Piper should have been in a match at Mania and this was his best of the first 3 so far. I might be biased since I always liked Piper more as a face than as a heel, which is a crime against nature, I know. add to that Beefcake becoming the Barber and this is actually a decent WrestleMania Moment.

Jake the Snake and Honkey Tonk Man delivered also. being a Snake fan, I wish he had won, but I also understand that he didn't really care about the win/loss record. and the after attack on Jimmy Hart and Alice Cooper was pretty sweet too. so he got the last laugh and that's good enough for me.

Steamboat/Savage was perfect.

Hogan/Andre was epic.

nothing more needs to be said about either of these two matches. best Mania of the first 3 by a landslide.

 

[WWFan79]

Still my favorite bc of the sentimental value, the overall feel of the event, top-notch commentating by Jesse and Gorilla (this is before they each got really biased and genuine and personal heat for Hogan by Jesse showed through bc of Macho), Uecker was great, just the overall tension from most of the matches.

Piper and Adonis match was entertaining as heck, with Jimmy Hart doing stuff I've never seen or get topped by a manager since then.

The other thing great about it was the way the lighting changed. WMs used to start at 4pm, so it was light when it started. When it started getting dark at the Hartfoundation/Bull dog match, it started to feel alot more serious. Like a BIG Epic Storm coming and Greek God Zeus was getting ready to throw down the thunder.

When Savage/Steamboat happened, it was dark gray so it fit with there match. By the time it got dark near the end with Snake/Honky, Killer Bees/Shiek Volkoff match, it felt the place took on a 'night' time party feel as more people started throwing stuff, where then it was just a matter of moments before the big one.

Favorite match was Hogan and Andre. As great as Steamboat vs Savage was, it was more of a surprise to me at the time. Both were my favorites (me being Asian, all of us loved Steamboat, and Savage just had this crazy charisma that I was drawn to). I was near-traumatized by the Steamboat injury wondering at the time why his injury didn't make the news. But Hogan and Andre was what captured my imagination. Everything about it. Like two Gods going at it. One hit or headbutt or giant fist by Andre was the equivalent of 20 normal body slams by let's say Davey Boy. Hogan powering up, think of an energy ball from the heavens powering him up.

As mentioned by many, the Bundy-Midget match was just weird, and unwatchable, even to a hardcore fan. I would have changed that. Also change Aretha singing America the Beautiful. Found that to be boring at the time. Should have gone with the National Anthem. Although Vince always seemed to love that song at his Wrestlemanias.

 

[klunderbunker]

I watched this show a few years ago and it more than holds up. It's a great show with a very underrated opener, some fun stuff in the middle, a masterpiece for the Intercontinental Title and that whole biggest wrestling match of all time thing to close it out. This is one of the very few shows that is without a doubt required viewing for any wrestling fan.