The Greatest Match From Every WWE WrestleMania

35. WrestleMania I: Hulk Hogan And Mr. T Vs Paul Orndorff And Roddy Piper

They got one thing right from the off: WrestleMania is all about the spectacle.

The finale to the first show of shows would be considered overbooked even by Vince Russo: aside from Hogan and Piper teaming with Mr T and Paul Orndorff, you’ve got Mohammed Ali as special enforcer, Jimmy Snuka and Bob Orton on the apron, Pat Patterson guest refereeing, and for some reason Liberace ringing the bell.

For all that pomp, the match itself is surprisingly convincing as a brawl. Reported genuine bad blood between Piper and T (who, it should be said, does a great job for a non-wrestler) may contribute to this, but all parties crash into one another at any given opportunity, while Patterson and Ali try in vain to maintain order.

The finish descends into nonsense as Snuka and Orton get involved, the latter inadvertently clocking his own man to give Hogan the pin. Importantly, though, the crowd laps it up throughout. The makeup of WWE’s audiences would shift massively over the years, but for this assembly of casual onlookers out for a flashy good time, the match and the booking is ideal.