Old School Saturday: WrestleMania III Breaks World Indoor Attendance
- wwetvsports21
- Apr 2, 2016
- 3 min read
Any kid in the 1980's remembers watching Saturday morning cartoons and when that was over at noon everyone would turn to WWF (As WWE was known then) Superstars. Pro wrestling which is now touted as sports entertainment by Vince Mcmahon was larger than life with stars like Hulk Hogan, Andre The Giant, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, and "Macho Man" Randy Savage.
In March of 1987 with what is still debated today, WrestleMania the Superbowl of Wrestling captivated a record crowd at the time for indoor stadiums when it was announced at 93, 173 fans. There have been disputes about the actual number being legitimate though. Whatever the case the WWE became a household name forever after that night showing WrestleMania was not a fluke the previous two years. To newer fans some of the action may seem like throwaway matches or not as edgy lacking bouts like ladder matches, but in 1987 it was indeed the blueprint that set the stage for what WWE has today in terms of making supershows.
It was a time when there were hardly any superstar vs. superstar matches that you see today on Monday Nights every week with RAW. Those who lived through it would understand and truthfully the WWE has only been able to reach the epic levels of Hulk Hogan vs. Andre The Giant with matches of Hulk Hogan vs. Ultimate Warrior (WM VI in Toronto), The Rock vs. 'Stone Cold" Steve Austin (WM 17 in Houston) and The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan (WM 18 in Toronto). That is not to say there hasn't been epic matches such as Shawn Michaels vs. Undertaker at WM 25, but these three below captured the mainstream's attention.
Vince Mcmahon took over the business from his father in 1982 and went on to become the greatest promoter the industry ever seen. There wasn't any lack of backlash from other promoters though. Many felt Vince Mcmahon may have comprised a lot of the traditions that made the sport into what it was at the time. Many think the wrestling boom of the 80's started with Hulk Hogan in the WWF in 1984 becoming the WWE World Champion, but things were buzzing in the pro wrestling world in other organizations such as the NWA (not the 80's rap group lol) and AWA.
It was signing Hulk Hogan back to his company after his father fired him years prior for doing the movie gig in Sylvester Stallone's Rocky III which under the old tradition was not to be done. Vince Mcmahon saw a vision different from his dad as he thought that mainstream exposure from Hollywood would expand the fanbase of sports entertainment. Mr. T was also a huge television star at the time and was a pivotal character in the Rocky III movie as Clubber Lang. Vince Mcmahon would fuse together Hulk Hogan and Mr. T as headliners in the original WrestleMania.
The competitors included "Rowdy" Roddy Piper (RIP) who was the most hated wrestler by far in the WWF at the time when he was embroiled in a feud with Pop singer Cyndi Lauper. It set the stage for what would become the biggest event in the history of the business in 1985. Many say that era peaked with Hulk Hogan vs Andre The Giant in the SilverDome and the rematch n NBC that garnered over 33 million viewers which til this day is still the most watched match in North American history.
It was during a time when the WWE was pushing "Bigger, Better, Badder" as giants ran around the league, but today's WWE fans expect more from the athletes although that night in Pontiac, Randy Savage and Ricky Steamboat also made the blueprint for show stealing matches when they put on a wrestling clinic that was like never before.
What will occur at this year's WrestleMania 32 event? The WWE plans on smashing their record in Dallas, but will it be as historic and iconic as that fateful night in Detroit? Only time will tell as the main event has Roman Reigns who traditionally should be the cheered hero, while battling against the reigning champion HHH that traditionally gets booed in scenarios like this. It has been the opposite and many pundits wonder what will be the future outcome of fan reactions to matches when it is all said and done. It is indeed a new era, but has WWE adapted to the times of changing and various tastes to appease the majority of its audience?
There may be more at stake than breaking the WM III attendance record in terms of the longevity of the organization.
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