7 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE WrestleMania I
5. Tricky Steamboat
Ricky Steamboat had gained acclaim for legendary wars waged with Ric Flair before the first WrestleMania, but found himself in the midst of a stop-start WWE push during the inaugural 'Show Of Shows', and one that would take two more years to bear fruits.
Across from him was celebrated technician Matt Bourne, working at a rather rudimentary level to ensure 'The Dragon' was cast as one of the company's brightest stars. It'd be eight years before he appeared on 'The Grandest Stage' again, but this lacked the clowning around of that infamous appearance.
Steamboat looks years ahead of his time here. His high spot finish raises the roof, whilst his chiseled frame outstrips virtually anybody else's on the card. Miscast in the Sports Entertainment madness, he nonetheless shone enough to convince higher ups to keep him around before finally making the most of his incomparable babyface fire.