7 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE WrestleMania I

'The Showcase Of The Immortals' comes to life...

by Michael Hamflett
Wrestlemania 1
WWE.com

WWE have always loved the (slightly) false narrative about Vince McMahon gambling everything on the success of inaugural WrestleMania, and as the self-appointed gatekeepers of the entire industry at this point, why wouldn't they?

As if genuine wrestling history wasn't already being made, the company have retroactively added even more to the landmark event by implying that Vince and Linda would have gone bust without the incredible boom that followed.

Much about All Elite Wrestling's 2019 launch mirrored the maiden 'Mania's madness. As with ALL IN and Double Or Nothing, the 'Brawl To End It All' and 'War To Settle The Score' events in 1984 and 1985 respectively helped solidify the company's burgeoning relationship with MTV whilst promoting Madison Square Garden as a home base for what was for many fans a renewed artform. The Elite glibly promised to 'Change The Universe', but these and other comparisons only serve as a reminder that WrestleMania - more than StarrCade or any other NWA event Cody Rhodes could weaponise - was the business' real Big Bang.

Understanding the heft of the history is important in getting through the show too. The magic is as real as it gets, but your personal mileage may vary...

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett