One MIND-BLOWING Secret From EVERY WWE WrestleMania

41. WrestleMania 1 | A Carny’s Claim

The most reductive synopsis of WrestleMania 1 is that Vince McMahon brought in a bunch of celebrities to steer attention towards Hulk Hogan, who was such a bonafide megastar that he himself became a celebrity. And thus, the boom. 

In a fantastic black comedy spectacle at WrestleMania 19, Vince and Hogan fought over this idea. Who, ultimately, was responsible for the success of WrestleMania - and by extension, WWE itself? 

WWE should have booked a Triple Threat match, because Mr. T was pivotal in elevating the WWF in the public consciousness. (Cyndi Lauper’s contribution cannot ever be overstated, either.)

At its peak, ‘The A-Team’, in which Mr. T starred, was regularly watched by a quarter of the entire U.S. television audience. In the olden days of monoculture, Mr. T was a supergiant. WrestleMania 1 was ultimately a huge success, but trended towards disaster before an eleventh hour publicity drive. The show really did hang in the balance; without Mr. T, the modern history of pro wrestling looks unrecognisable. 

While he was a far bigger star than time remembers, Sgt. Slaughter was no Mr. T - and yet, the former WWE Champion and alleged valor thief reckons that he nearly replaced him at the inaugural WrestleMania. Slaughter made this claim when touring with Inside The Ropes in 2024. This was shot down by Dave Meltzer, who pointed out that Slaughter was working for the American Wrestling Association at the time.  

You’ve gotta love the old wrestler’s brain. They’re all different strains of Hulk Hogan in the end.