Hello everyone and welcome back to the drill!! Hope you're enjoying the trip down memory lane so far. Lets continue shall we?
Pontiac Silverdome-Detroit, MI
March 29, 1987
After the success of "Wrestlemania 2", Vince McMahon wanted to make the third edition even bigger.First off he decided that just like the "Super Bowl", Wrestlemania would start using Roman Numerals for its numbering.
He then choose to make the Pontiac Silverdome in Detoit, MI the site of the third installment of Wrestlemania. The Silverdome had a capacity of over 90,000 and McMahon intended to fill the place up. To do that however he needed a mega match. A huge main event that would ensure that wrestling fans would come out in droves to see. He got this by pitting two of wrestling biggest names together for the first time. The "Wrestlemania III" main event would feature WWF Champion Hulk Hogan vs the legendary Andre The Giant
Billed as "The Biggest Main Event in the History of Sports Entertainment", 93,173 fans packed the Silverdome to the rafters to witness history.
"The Queen of Soul" Aretha Franklin, kicked off Wrestlemania III with her rendition of "America, the Beautiful"The ovations in the Silverdome were thunderous for every match and when the main event came around the fans were on the edge of their seats
The two fighters stared each other down before the bell rung and you could feel the electricity in the air.
One leg drop later, Hogan vanquished his greatest challenge to date and beat the previously un defeated Andre the Giant.
It was a passing of the torch in a way. Andre the Giant for years had been the company's highest draw, but with Hulk Hogan's popularity continuing to rise, Andre decided it was time to step aside and let Hogan "carry the ball".
Wrestlemania III was indeed the biggest one of them all. The attendance at the Silverdome that day set a new indoor attendance record that stood for almost 20 years! There was nowhere to go but down right? Right?!
Trump Plaza-Atlantic City, NJ
March 27, 1988
Yup, THAT Trump.
Donald Trump's "Trump Plaza" would host the fourth installment of Wrestlemania. This time the scenario was going to be a bit different. The WWF Championship was declared vacant in the days leading up to WrestleMania IV meaning that for the first time in its brief history, there would be a new champion crowned.
WrestleMania IV featured a 14-man tournament for the vacant WWF Championship and because of this became the largest Wrestlemania in terms of number of matches. 15 matches filled out the Wrestlemania IV card including the rematch to the previous years main event Hulk Hogan vs Andre the Giant.
This time however the match ended in a double countout as Andre was paid by another tournament entrant, "The Million Dollar Man" Ted Dibiase to keep Hogan out of the tournament. Dibiase felt this would help his odds of becoming WWF champion.
His plan didnt work out however as he faced "Macho Man" Randy Savage in the tournament finals.
Dibiase had Andre come out with him and be his corner man and to also interfere in the match. Unfortunately for them, Hulk Hogan rushed to the aid of the Macho Man and nailed Dibiase with a steel chair when the ref's back was turned. Savage made the cover and scored the victory to become the first man to win the WWF title at Wrestlemania.
Hogan and Savage became friends afterwards and formed a team known as "The Mega Powers". This union would not last long however as Savage's paranoia led to the collapse of this team and led to yet another big Wrestlemania moment.
Trump Plaza-Atlantic City, NJ
April 02, 1989
No, not a typo. Donald Trump loved Wrestlemania IV so much that he invited the WWF back again for the fifth installment. Trump Plaza became the first venue to host back to back Wrestlemania's. This was also the first Wrestlemania yours truly watched on PPV. ;-)
A year earlier Trump Plaza saw the beginning of a partnership between Hulk Hogan and "Macho Man" Randy Savage. Now however, these two men were at war and "Wrestlemania V" would be the end of that friendship.
Billed as "The Mega Powers Explode", WWF Champ Savage would defend his title against Hogan. It was a bitter feud and one that led to an electric match.
Both men were at the top of their game for this match and it was one of the most emotionally charged matches of the night. Just when it seemed Hogan was beat, he recovered and defeated the Macho Man to regain the WWF title he had lost a year earlier.
Wrestlemania had been going strong for 5 years now. Each Wrestlemania seemed to outdo the other. What else could the possibly do to keep the fans coming back for more?
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