10. The First WWF Pay Per View - WrestleMania I, 1985
The inaugural WrestleMania is often looked upon these days as the successful starting point of wrestling's most spectacular phenomenon, but was actually a huge gamble at the time. Vince McMahon's decision to air a mega Pay Per View event on national television forever altered the face of the industry, solidifying the WWF's top dog status and sending wrestling itself into the stratosphere. The involvement of mainstream celebrities such as Mr. T and Cyndi Lauper allowed the promotion to establish a monopoly, rendering the traditional territory system a relic of the past. It was a controversially ambitious move, and certainly didn't endear Vince to his regional rivals, but allowed professional wrestling to enter the national consciousness to an unprecedented degree.