WWE WrestleMania 33: 25 Greatest Moments in WrestleMania History

10. Birth Of The Spectacle (WrestleMania)

WrestleMania I may not have been the greatest show of all time. But if it never happened, this list could not exist. So logically, the entirety of the first WrestleMania should be a great WrestleMania moment, right?

In 1985, Vince McMahon decided to further his quest of taking the World Wrestling Federation national. He promoted a pro wrestling supercard akin to Starrcade, the NWA’s annual franchise.

To differentiate what would be known as WrestleMania, McMahon wanted to make the show accessible to everyone, not just hardcore wrestling fans (sound familiar?) He created a partnership with MTV to promote his first WrestleMania, which eventually led to the “Rock n Wrestling Connection” that dominated the 1980s.

Celebrity guests filled numerous roles at WrestleMania, which took place in Madison Square Garden in the heart of New York City. Cyndi Lauper served as manager for Wendy Richter, who won the Women’s Championship. Billy Martin was a guest ring announcer for the main event, while Muhammad Ali was a guest referee. And Liberace — accompanied by the Rockettes — served as a guest timekeeper.

But the biggest celebrity involvement belonged to Mr. T — who was one of the wrestlers in the main event. Mr. T teamed with world champion Hulk Hogan to take on Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff, who had Cowboy Bob Orton in their corner.

WrestleMania’s financial success was integral to the company’s future. The amount of money needed to tour on a national level was huge, and if WrestleMania failed WWE may have folded. So the birth of the spectacle is a great moment for the company and the fans.