3. Hulk Hogan And Mr. T vs. "Rowdy" Roddy Piper And Paul Orndorff - WrestleMania 1
In 1985, Vince McMahon's then-World Wrestling Federation was riding a wave of popularity unlike any professional wrestling had ever experienced. The addition of celebrities to the product had attracted an unprecedented amount of interest from fans and mainstream media alike. One such celebrity was Mr. T, who was a huge star on the hit television series "The A-Team" and had starred alongside Sylvester Stallone in "Rocky III." He was as popular as any actor of the period and his rough, tough attitude made him a perfect tag team partner for the biggest star in the sport, Hulk Hogan. Together, they would square off against the self-absorbed "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff and the loudmouth "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, whom fans could not wait to see get what was coming to him. The match headlined the biggest sports-entertainment card of all-time. It was a must-see event that attracted celebrities such as Muhammad Ali, Liberace and legendary baseball manager Billy Martin to participated. Hogan and Mr. T withstood an onslaught from Piper and Orndorff to emerge victorious, thanks in part to a miscommunication involving the great "Cowboy" Bob Orton. Mr. T never once appeared out of his element, doing his part to ensure the success of the match. What he was asked to do was simple and he did it to the best of his ability. The fans inside Madison Square Garden popped enormously anytime the star did even the most simple of maneuvers, proving that the company did a masterful job of laying out the match and ensuring that everything little thing Mr. T did meant something and elicited the desired reaction.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
