10 Wrestling Facts We Didn't Know Last Week (Nov 20)

By Jamie Kennedy /

9. WrestleMania I Was Only 'Mania WWE Didn't Produce On Their Own

The inaugural WrestleMania was a huge risk for Vince McMahon and his World Wrestling Federation. Banking pretty much everything he had on the event being a success, it was truly a make or break time for the juggernaut promotion. If 'Mania had been a failure, WWE as fans know it today would almost certainly not exist. It's therefore surprising to learn that McMahon didn't micro-manage absolutely every aspect of the historic broadcast. The show took place in Madison Square Garden, one of the world's most infamous arenas. Back then, MSG officials were very stringent on rules, and they told Vince that they would be the ones taking care of much of the television production. This is fascinating to anybody who knows how WWE work today. Now, there's no chance that McMahon would trust outside sources to make WrestleMania look special. Back in 1985, he didn't have a choice, and this led to many of the regular WWF camera and production crew simply sitting back and watching the show. To this day, the first 'Mania is the only one to get this treatment.