10 WWE PPVs That Changed EVERYTHING
1. WrestleMania I
As the cornerstone of Vince McMahon's success, and the blueprint for pretty much everything that would follow in WWE, there can be no other choice that WrestleMania I at the top spot.
It's an imperfect show in many ways. Bouts like Brutus Beefcake vs. David Sammartino, Leilani Kai vs. Wendi Richter, and Greg Valentine vs. Junkyard Dog make it a chore to watch, particularly when viewed through a modern lens. All of this is immaterial though, because WrestleMania I was the night McMahon's brand of wrestling became about more than just bodyslams and headlocks.
Celebrity involvement from the likes of Cyndi Lauper, Muhammad Ali, and Mr. T brought the product to a new audience, and McMahon bet everything on it succeeding. Fortunately, it did. The mainstream names helped drag his company out of its niche and into a wider spotlight, and WWE's reputation as a theatre for the spectacular was born, spurring the promotion towards the Golden Era success that took it national, and eventually conquered the globe.
WrestleMania I remains the most cataclysmic event in the sport's history. Now, Vince McMahon is a billionaire, his company is indomitable, and the 'Show Of Shows' remains the one event on the annual wrestling calendar guaranteed to draw intrigue greater than the WWE brand itself.