10 Things You Might Have Forgotten About WrestleMania I

31 March 1985 will always be significant in the wrestling business for the birth of Vince McMahon’s attention-grabbing mega-event, WrestleMania. While not the first wrestling event made available to the public via pay per view (following in the footsteps of the NWA’s Starrcade in mainstream America), the ambition of seasoning a professional wrestling event with Hollywood glamour and Americana rock ‘n' roll set WrestleMania I as a clear statement of intent from McMahon.

By now, nearly 35 years later, most wrestling fans will know the familiar beats of the event – Hogan teaming with Mr T to oust Rowdy Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff, Andre slamming Big John Studd to claim the $15,000 Body Slam Challenge prize, the Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff drumming up that typical '80s xenophobic heel heat, and '80s pop rock sensation Cyndi Lauper accompanying Wendi Richter to the ring for her victory in the penultimate match on the card.

Those are all the familiar memories that are evoked when we think of the very first WrestleMania, but what are the little nuggets of gold that you’re forgetting, those details forgotten in the annals of wrestling folklore? In the run-up to this year’s extravaganza, here’s a rundown of 10 things you may have forgotten about the first ever WrestleMania.

The tradition of performing the national anthem at WrestleMania began at the very first edition, and was scheduled to be performed by a celebrity guest. What you might not remember is that the scheduled celebrity no-showed the event, and it fell on Mean Gene Okerlund of all people to pick up the slack.

One of the qualities that endeared Mean Gene to multiple generations of wrestling fans and I imagine all of his employers throughout his career was his endless reserves of professionalism and willingness to do whatever it took to ensure the show runs as smoothly as possible.

Okerlund takes the mantle of performing the anthem and while he is clearly well out of his comfort zone, his rendition sets the tone for the show by working the crowd enough to get them participating in the event before the first bell rang. While this marks an unusual opening for one of the most historically important wrestling events, it does serve as a testament to the versatility and professional capacity of Mean Gene and a reminder of why he was a distinctive voice across two of the biggest boom periods in wrestling history.