10 Things You Might Have Forgotten About WrestleMania I
2. The Junkyard Dog Was Super Over And A Missed Opportunity
It’s easy to forget just how popular the Junkyard Dog truly was during his high points of the '80s. Here, in a count-out victory over Intercontinental champion Greg the Hammer Valentine, the reaction to the JYD from the crowd is certainly within the ballpark of the colossal pops of Hogan & Andre. A fundamentally charismatic star, the Junkyard Dog had a distinctive resonance with the audience which manifests itself as a monstrous roar from the crowd at the first notes of his entrance theme at WrestleMania I.
His popularity would ultimately see him as a prominent member of the Rock ‘n Wrestling boom of the '80s and a sizeable role in the Hulk Hogan-led cartoon series which accompanied it, but it’s interesting to consider that despite his enduring popularity, the Junkyard Dog never really scored anything in the way of championship recognition at any point during his time with the WWE.
In this match with the hard-as-nails Valentine, the Junkyard Dog wins the match but fails to capture the championship as a result of the count out finish - a tried and true method of booking a popular babyface challenger to earn a moral victory while not hot-shotting the title across. It seems incomprehensible given the blatantly obvious connection the JYD has with the crowd why the trigger was never pulled to give him a run with at least one championship over the course of his tenure in the company, and will always seem like a bit of a missed opportunity to capitalise on the man’s seismic popularity in order to make another bona fide megastar during the '80s wrestling boom.