Today in Pro Wrestling History: (March 31) - The Birth of WrestleMania

Today in Pro Wrestling History: On March 31st, 1985, Madison Square Garden hosted the inaugural WrestleMania, presented by the World Wrestling Federation. Billed as ‘The Greatest Wrestling Event of All Time!’, it drew a live audience of 19,121 and was broadcast on closed-circuit television.

The event was a star-studded affair, featuring celebrities like Liberace, The Rockettes, and Billy Martin.

Today in Pro Wrestling History: (March 31) – The Birth of WrestleMania

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Pop star Cyndi Lauper, a central figure of the “Rock ‘n’ Wrestling Connection,” was in Wendi Richter’s corner, who went on to defeat The Fabulous Moolah for the Women’s World title. The main event, hyped for its celebrity appeal, saw WWF World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan and ‘A-Team’ star Mr. T defeat Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff.

Mr. T’s popularity from the ‘A-Team’ and his appearance on ‘Saturday Night Live’ with Hogan contributed significantly to the event’s success.

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