Intro:
With the success of WrestleMania, the WWF was intent on making the event bigger. They did this by holding the event in three places (NY, Chicago, & LA). Whereas WrestleMania had a handful of celebrities, WrestleMania 2 had close to two dozen. This event was held on Monday April 7, 1986. This is the only time the event has not been on a Sunday.
With the success of WrestleMania, the WWF was intent on making the event bigger. They did this by holding the event in three places (NY, Chicago, & LA). Whereas WrestleMania had a handful of celebrities, WrestleMania 2 had close to two dozen. This event was held on Monday April 7, 1986. This is the only time the event has not been on a Sunday.
The Events Leading to the Main Events:
The February edition of Saturday Night's Main Event set up this show. Mr. T had a boxing match with Roddy Piper's bodyguard. Bob Orton. After the match, Piper whipped Mr. T with his belt. Later in the show, Hulk Hogan was injured by King Kong Bundy when he was sneak attacked after his match. Hulk was forced to leave the arena in an ambulance and suffered broken ribs.
The February edition of Saturday Night's Main Event set up this show. Mr. T had a boxing match with Roddy Piper's bodyguard. Bob Orton. After the match, Piper whipped Mr. T with his belt. Later in the show, Hulk Hogan was injured by King Kong Bundy when he was sneak attacked after his match. Hulk was forced to leave the arena in an ambulance and suffered broken ribs.
Nassau Coliseum:
This portion of the show featured The Mr. T boxing match. The biggest problem of the event reared it's ugly head immediately as the announce teams were horrible. Actress Susan St. James did the commentary with Vince McMahon in this portion of the event and she had no knowledge of wrestling. It has to be noted that she is the wife of NBC Sports head Dick Ebersol. The New York matches were pretty bad also and the fans started to cheer for Roddy Piper.
This portion of the show featured The Mr. T boxing match. The biggest problem of the event reared it's ugly head immediately as the announce teams were horrible. Actress Susan St. James did the commentary with Vince McMahon in this portion of the event and she had no knowledge of wrestling. It has to be noted that she is the wife of NBC Sports head Dick Ebersol. The New York matches were pretty bad also and the fans started to cheer for Roddy Piper.
Rosemont Horizon:
The main event in Chicago was a battle royal featuring wrestlers vs NFL players. William “The Refrigerator” Perry was in his hometown for this match at the height of his popularity. The best match was The British Bulldogs vs Greg Valentine & Brutus Beefcake. The Bulldogs were a revolutionary tag team but due to injuries did not last that long. The Dynamite Kid's style of wrestling lives on in Chris Benoit.
The main event in Chicago was a battle royal featuring wrestlers vs NFL players. William “The Refrigerator” Perry was in his hometown for this match at the height of his popularity. The best match was The British Bulldogs vs Greg Valentine & Brutus Beefcake. The Bulldogs were a revolutionary tag team but due to injuries did not last that long. The Dynamite Kid's style of wrestling lives on in Chris Benoit.
LA Sports Arena:
The main event saw Hulk Hogan defeat King Kong Bundy in a steel cage match. This match saw the debut of the blue bar style of the steel cage. This style of cage made it a lot easier for the wrestlers to climb the cage. That style of cage was used for the next 15 years.
The main event saw Hulk Hogan defeat King Kong Bundy in a steel cage match. This match saw the debut of the blue bar style of the steel cage. This style of cage made it a lot easier for the wrestlers to climb the cage. That style of cage was used for the next 15 years.
The Aftermath:
The WWF never held another event at multiple locations. This was also the only time that WrestleMania was not held on a Sunday. The use of celebrities was also pared down because the wrestlers were now legitimate stars in their own right. This was also the final WrestleMania where closed circuit TV was the main revenue of the event.
The WWF never held another event at multiple locations. This was also the only time that WrestleMania was not held on a Sunday. The use of celebrities was also pared down because the wrestlers were now legitimate stars in their own right. This was also the final WrestleMania where closed circuit TV was the main revenue of the event.
The Competition:
By 1986, Jim Crockett was the only viable competition to the WWF. World Class Championship wrestling had dropped out of the NWA and a series of drug related injuries and deaths would destroy the company. The AWA held a huge show at The Metrodome but it was considered a flop and they compounded their problems with some questionable booking decisions and an embarrassing world title situation.
By 1986, Jim Crockett was the only viable competition to the WWF. World Class Championship wrestling had dropped out of the NWA and a series of drug related injuries and deaths would destroy the company. The AWA held a huge show at The Metrodome but it was considered a flop and they compounded their problems with some questionable booking decisions and an embarrassing world title situation.
The Matches:
Nassau Coliseum; Uniondale, NY
- Don Muraco fought Paul Orndorff to a double-count out
- I-C Title: Champion Randy Savage pinned George "The Animal" Steele
- Jake Roberts pinned George Welles
- Mr. T beat Roddy Piper by DQ in a boxing match
Rosemont Horizon; Chicago, IL
- Women's Title: Champ Fabulous Moolah pinned Velvet McIntyre
- Cpl. Kirchner pinned Nikolai Volkoff
- Andre the Giant won a battle royal featuring several NFL players by last eliminating Bret Hart
- Tag Team Title: The British Bulldogs won the titles from Greg Valentine & Brutus Beefcake
L.A. Sports Arena; Los Angeles, CA
- Ricky Steamboat pinned Hercules Hernandez
- Adrian Adonis pinned Uncle Elmer
- Dory & Terry Funk defeated Junkyard Dog & Tito Santana
- WWF Title Match in a steel cage: Champ Hulk Hogan beat King Kong Bundy
Nassau Coliseum; Uniondale, NY
- Don Muraco fought Paul Orndorff to a double-count out
- I-C Title: Champion Randy Savage pinned George "The Animal" Steele
- Jake Roberts pinned George Welles
- Mr. T beat Roddy Piper by DQ in a boxing match
Rosemont Horizon; Chicago, IL
- Women's Title: Champ Fabulous Moolah pinned Velvet McIntyre
- Cpl. Kirchner pinned Nikolai Volkoff
- Andre the Giant won a battle royal featuring several NFL players by last eliminating Bret Hart
- Tag Team Title: The British Bulldogs won the titles from Greg Valentine & Brutus Beefcake
L.A. Sports Arena; Los Angeles, CA
- Ricky Steamboat pinned Hercules Hernandez
- Adrian Adonis pinned Uncle Elmer
- Dory & Terry Funk defeated Junkyard Dog & Tito Santana
- WWF Title Match in a steel cage: Champ Hulk Hogan beat King Kong Bundy
