WrestleMania History

By JOHN POWELL -- SLAM! Wrestling
WrestleMania. It is the most distinguished event in pro wrestling. Simply put, it is the show of shows. The brainchild of Vince McMahon Jr., the first WrestleMania, broadcast in 1985, expanded the pay-per-view market (along with closed circuit TV) and added a whole new dimension to the industry as a whole. So influential was McMahon's venture that the business of pro-wrestling now is almost entirely built around pay-per-view broadcasts.

If you're like us at SLAM! Wrestling, every year you like to refresh your memory and once again experience those WrestleMania moments that are an essential part of why you remain a devout wrestling fan. You dust off those tapes, DVDs or that Best Of WrestleMania tape you dubbed on your own and distributed to the other members of the office staff, slam them into the player and transport yourself back in time. To help guide you along your journey and celebrate the history of WrestleMania, SLAM! Wrestling will be publishing a WrestleMania review each and every day (Monday to Friday) leading up to the big show. We invite you to come along for the ride and share in your favourite moments too. The events are rated as Poor, Average, Good and Excellent.

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WrestleMania 5: The Mega Powers Explode

History Of WrestleMania

Date: April 2, 1989.
Place: Trump Plaza And Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey.

A lot can change in a year. The heroic WWF Champion - Randy Savage - becomes jealous of Hulk Hogan and the attention he pays to Elizabeth. The unstoppable Mega Powers tag team goes off the rails little by little throughout the course of the year. Things reach a boiling point at a Saturday Night's Main Event show. Elizabeth is injured at ringside as the Mega Powers fight The Twin Towers. Hogan abandons Savage and carries Liz to the back to receive medical attention. This leaves Macho Man at the mercy of The Big Boss Man and Akeem (formerly the One Man Gang). Enraged, Savage punks Hogan in a make-shift first aid room as Liz pleads with him to stop. Elizabeth sides with Hogan in the feud. An okay card with few highlights. One of them being, Rick Rude and Bobby Heenan outsmarting the Ultimate Warrior and stealing the Intercontinental Title away. The debut of Owen Hart (The Blue Blazer) at a WrestleMania event.

Favourite Moments: The main event is a knock-down, drag out fight. Hogan blades. Rude wins a WWF title. The Twin Towers decimating The Rockers. The Brainbusters (Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard) and Strike Force in a noteworthy tag team contest. Strike Force crumbles.

Least Favourite Moments: Hogan survives Savage's Flying Elbow Smash. The whole Red Rooster versus Bobby Heenan feud. Greg Valentine dresses up like Elvis. Shudder.

Rating: Average.

WrestleMania 5 Results

Match	Winner(s)
1. King Haku vs Hercules	Hercules.
2. The Twin Towers vs The Rockers	The Twin Towers.
3. Ted Dibiase vs Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake	Double DQ.
4. The "Fabulous" Rougeaus vs The Bushwackers	The Bushwackers.
5. Mr. Perfect vs The Blue Blazer	Mr. Perfect.
6. The Powers Of Pain / Mr. Fuji vs Demolition (Tag Titles)	Demolition.
7. Dino Bravo vs "Rugged" Ronnie Garvin	Dino Bravo.
8. The Brainbusters vs Strike Force	The Brainbusters.
9. Andre The Giant vs Jake "The Snake" Roberts	Jake "The Snake" Roberts.
10. The Hart Foundation vs Rhythm And Blues	The Hart Foundation.
11. "Ravishing" Rick Rude vs The Ultimate Warrior (Intercontinental Title)	"Ravishing" Rick Rude.
12. Bad News Brown vs "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan	Both men DQ'd.
12. The Red Rooster vs Bobby "The Brain" Heenan	The Red Rooster.
12. Randy Machoman Savage vs Hulk Hogan (World Title)	Hulk Hogan.