Ranking EVERY WWE WrestleMania Main Event From Worst To Best

23. Hulk Hogan & Mr. T Vs Rowdy Roddy Piper & Paul Orndorff (WrestleMania 1)

WrestleMania Main Events
WWE.com

It's important not to lose sight of the astronomical significance of WrestleMania's inaugural main event, but just judging the match on merit alone doesn't highlight much for praise.

That's not to say virtually everybody out there isn't on fine form. 'Cowboy' Bob Orton and 'Superfly' Jimmy Snuka are superlative seconds, whilst Paul Orndorff, Mr T and particularly Hulk Hogan and Roddy Piper masterfully manipulate a red hot Madison Square Garden crowd with the deftest of touches throughout.

Indeed, what it lacks in action and in-ring guile is largely made up by Vince McMahon's magnificent grasp on spectacle. There are fewer battles that represent the show's unique selling point more so than this, with Muhammad Ali and Pat Patterson stationed as high profile referees whilst New York City's great and good flood the scene before and after the battle. Times Square is often labelled the 'Centre Of The Universe', but on March 31st 1985, that spot was half a mile down the road.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 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 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, 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