10 Things You Might Have Forgotten About WrestleMania I

Bruno Sammartino was a bona fide deity in Madison Square Garden history, and so despite his advancing age and retirement from the ring, it made sense to get him involved in the first edition of WrestleMania by hook or by crook. At the time, his son David Sammartino was trying to make a name for himself on the roster, having been on the roster for under a year at that time. It was going to be difficult for David to live in the gigantic shadow that his father’s legacy left behind and he was still finding his footing in the ring - it was clear he would need someone decent to work alongside to really make an impact on the show.

In 1985, Brutus Beefcake had spent well under less than a year in the World Wrestling Federation. While he had over five years’ experience in the business, it was clear even then that Beefcake was hardly dynamic enough to put together anything that was particularly memorable or exciting with the young Sammartino, and so seemed a bizarre choice by Vince as David’s opponent on such an important night.

Despite good heel managerial work from Johnny Valiant and an absolutely electric pop from the involvement of Bruno, the match itself doesn’t add much to the show, is probably the weakest offering on the card and is largely forgettable, that could’ve been improved by pairing each worker with a more technically proficient opponent.

As with much of David’s wrestling career, the only parts that remain memorable are the parts which also include his father, and he would be gone from the company the following year, while Beefcake would take a few years to find the gimmick that would have him cutting and strutting into the hall of fame over three decades later.