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00:00WELCOME TO WRESTLEMANIA!
00:05WRESTLEMANIA
00:07WRESTLEMANIA
00:09The showcase of the immortals
00:12The grand has staged them all
00:16The greatest sports entertainment spectacular of all time
00:20You can cut the electricity in the air
00:22Where tonight it is something else
00:24Order on their feet!
00:26This global spectacle has become the pinnacle of sports entertainment
00:30Where superstars become legends
00:33It's over! We have a new champion!
00:36And eras are redefined
00:38This is one of the greatest matches I've ever seen
00:41Today we look back at the classic era of Wrestlemania, the 1980s
00:45Greatest wrestling event of all time! Unbelievable!
00:49This is WWE's Greatest Moments
00:53Acknowledge me!
00:57Oh God!
00:58No call to the bear man!
01:00This is surreal!
01:03Look at that!
01:04He's landed!
01:11Welcome everyone to WWE's Greatest Moments
01:14I'm Michael Cole
01:15And on this edition we celebrate the beginning of sports entertainment's grandest stage
01:19Wrestlemania
01:21And there's no better place to kick things off than with where it all began
01:24The very first Wrestlemania
01:27Emanating from the world's most famous arena
01:30Madison Square Garden in New York City
01:32WWE put on a spectacle unlike anything fans had ever seen before
01:37Welcome everyone!
01:38As the World Wrestling Federation presents Wrestlemania
01:41This is the biggest wrestling extravaganza coming across the nation
01:45The main event that evening was a colossal tag team match
01:48Featuring Hall of Famers Rowdy Roddy Piper
01:51And Mr. Wonderful Paul Orndorff
01:53Facing off against the immortal Hulk Hogan
01:56And television icon, Mr. T
01:59And now, our main event
02:06WrestleMania is really what put WWE on the map
02:10Really was the key launching pad that took WWE to the top in the 80s
02:16It felt like the Super Bowl, the World Series
02:20All rolled into one massive event
02:22And all four of them are going at it in the corner
02:24Chaos five minutes into the event
02:26It doesn't get any bigger than that
02:28The entertainment value is so high
02:30Piper with a chair
02:32I think he kicked me and I bend down
02:34And that's when I went for the fireman
02:35Oh, nice fireman's carry
02:37Oh, awesome like yesterday's newspaper
02:41It was wild
02:42That's all that I can say
02:43It was just wild
02:44The lower the bulldog out
02:45Oh, he had on guard
02:47Unbelievable
02:48With the cash
02:49Down for the cover, Pat Patterson
02:51He got it
02:52He got it
02:53I stayed there as long as I could
02:56And I said, I've got to remember this
02:58I've got to remember this the rest of my life
03:00And I still do to this day
03:01Unbelievable
03:02Pandemonium here in the garden
03:04It was a perfect springboard for what we needed to launch
03:07The WWE into the stratosphere
03:09The night could not have been better
03:11We're seeing the greatest spectacle in wrestling history right now
03:17The sheer intensity of the Ultimate Warrior cannot be understated
03:20Warrior brought a new definition to the term
03:23Lightning Rock
03:24I wear an intercontinental belt
03:26But one superstar was determined to stop him in his tasseled tracks
03:31Ravishing Rick Rude
03:33Look out!
03:34Oh, Ravishing!
03:35With that steel bar, just nailed him!
03:38At WrestleMania V
03:39The Ravishing One faced the Ultimate One
03:41For the intercontinental title
03:47WrestleMania V
03:48Ultimate Warrior
03:49Ravishing Rick Rude
03:50Warrior is IC Champ
03:53The Rick Rude dishrobes
03:54Look at that!
03:55Look at that!
03:56He's already got the intercontinental title
03:57Right on it!
03:58It's only imprinted on his tights, Jack!
04:00That's when I knew he did that
04:02He was focused on winning that title right there
04:04Oh!
04:05Oh!
04:06Rick Rude!
04:07Rick was a thinker to a fault
04:08I mean, he'd stay up all night
04:09Just looking in the mirror
04:11Thinking of ways to make a match work
04:13To make a match work
04:15Ultimate Warrior is showing you why in fact he is the champion
04:20Possesses that unbelievable strength
04:23The matches usually with Bobby Heenan participating
04:26Even outside of the ring
04:28Were much better because of what he could do
04:31To incite a crowd
04:32Heenan with a lot of concern as well
04:34He should be right now
04:36Bobby Heenan was the catalyst
04:38And look at Heenan!
04:41He doesn't know what to do!
04:43Rude was on the outside
04:44And Warrior was going to press him in
04:46Over the top rope
04:47And then he reached down and trip him
04:49And he went down and I held his foot
04:51He's holding on!
04:52He did it!
04:53He did it!
04:54I should be not smarting!
04:57And new!
04:59Intercontinental Champion of
05:02Revising Rick Rude!
05:05Yeah!
05:06The whole point of that was
05:07It just showed you how important the manager was
05:10How can Rude enjoy this new title?
05:12Look what's happening!
05:14Really sneaky stuff
05:15Great stuff though
05:20The Rocket Wrestling connection was alive and well
05:22Heading into the first WrestleMania
05:24At the forefront of it all
05:26Was pop icon Cindy Laufer
05:28The managerial services of the multi-time Grammy winner
05:31Were enlisted by Wendy Richter
05:33Moola's going down!
05:34Yeah!
05:35Moola's going down!
05:36Yeah!
05:37As she was on a collision course
05:38Against women's champion
05:39Lilani Kai
05:44I didn't lose that belt to one person
05:46I lost it because Moola interfered in my match
05:48And I'm dead set on getting it back ripped along
05:51The first time I met Wendy Richter
05:54I kind of felt like
05:55Oh, we could do something fun
05:58This is what it's all about
06:00The Ladies World Championship
06:02Wendy Richter fighting
06:03And like finally seeing a female in there
06:05Doing her thing
06:06I was like, oh, okay
06:07This is cool
06:08Lilani Kai
06:09Trying to hold on to that comedy
06:11It integrated everything
06:13And women's wrestling was just starting to be as popular as the men's wrestling
06:20Lilani grabbed a little bit of hair and took Wendy down right there
06:22It was one of the most talked about matches on the card
06:26Because of breaking down that barrier
06:28Here comes Cindy Laufer
06:30And we've got a belay on the floor, Gino
06:32No!
06:33Whoa!
06:34Whoa!
06:35Whoa!
06:36Close the leg
06:37He got it
06:38It was electric at the garden
06:42It was wired
06:43And who
06:44World Champion
06:47Wendy Richter
06:49I was so proud of the women who were standing in the ring
06:54I wanted to be a role model for the girls
06:58So I tried very hard
07:00To be that role model
07:02It was probably the highlight of my life
07:05History made here at WrestleMania
07:10Still to come
07:11Elizabeth returning with a homster
07:13This is one of the greatest matches I've ever seen
07:18There is perhaps no greater tag team rivalry in the 1980s
07:22Than that of the Hart Foundation and the British Bulldogs
07:25These four superstars put on absolute clinics every time they competed against each other
07:31Look at that!
07:32Another chapter in their storied history
07:34It's the Hart Foundation
07:35And dangerous Danny Davis took on Tito Santana
07:38And the British Bulldogs
07:39For a six-man tag team matchup
07:41At WrestleMania 3
07:45This is a six-man tag team matchup
07:47Oh my gosh
07:48WrestleMania 3
07:49Hart Foundation against the British Bulldogs
07:51We had Danny Davis and they had Tito Santana
07:54Definitely adds to the spectacle when you add the outsiders
07:59And a six-man is actually more exciting
08:01Here we go!
08:02Oh!
08:03Parademonia broken loose
08:04All six men inside the ring
08:05Pontiac, Michigan with 90,000 people
08:08The Hart Foundation, the Bulldogs
08:10All my brothers-in-law
08:12We were like rockets
08:13And they were racing around
08:14And hitting each other full blast
08:16Plenty of action going up
08:18It ticked all the boxes in making it this epic
08:21That we all know it to be
08:23Double team effort
08:24Look out
08:25Hitman on the second turnbuckle
08:26Inside
08:27Nails
08:28Look at this
08:29Oh!
08:30He got it!
08:31He got it!
08:32WrestleMania is where it all culminates
08:34It's only natural for the Bulldogs and the Hart Foundation to kind of land there
08:38I just know it was such a happy time for all of us
08:41All of us to be together on the stage
08:44It was very powerful stuff
08:50Mr. T, one of the most recognizable faces in television history
08:54Formed an incredible relationship with WWE in the early 1980s
08:58But there was one superstar who never took kindly to T's visits
09:02This is exactly what you could end up looking like here
09:06Rowdy Roddy Piper
09:08Here comes Piper
09:09Put him in it
09:10Oh!
09:11And after an assault during the exhibition boxing match
09:13At Saturday night's main event
09:14Mr. T laid out the challenge
09:16You humiliated me in front of my two kids
09:18They was crying and whatnot
09:19So I gotta avenge that
09:20So you're gonna be in trouble April the 7th
09:23At WrestleMania 2
09:24The gloves would be on
09:25For this historic encounter
09:27Alright
09:28Alright
09:32And now
09:33A scheduled 10 rounds of boxing
09:37The best rivalries in WWE
09:39Are the ones
09:40Where you truly are invested in their hatred
09:48There was so much bad blood
09:50I didn't know what was gonna happen
09:52T with a peekaboo
09:53Look at this
09:54Not getting hit at all
09:55Alright
09:56We had the gloves on
09:57So we was punching and whatnot
09:59In round 2
10:01Piper
10:02Pounds Mr. T
10:04Mr. T seems like he's in danger
10:06Piper is letting him have it
10:08Down goes Mr. T
10:10Round 3
10:11Mr. T is
10:13Smacking around Roddy Piper
10:15Oh!
10:16Oh!
10:17Oh!
10:18Right out of the ring
10:19Roddy Piper is like
10:20Forget this
10:21Uh oh
10:22I told you I'm in
10:23Oh my
10:24Oh!
10:25Oh wait a minute!
10:26Oh!
10:27Oh wait a minute!
10:28Big body slam right in the middle of the ring
10:31Finally Piper just qualified
10:34The tensions boiled over so much
10:36That Piper had to take matters into his own hands
10:39So it'll go down as a victory for Mr. T
10:42Piper and Mr. T
10:4440 years later
10:45And we're talking about it
10:49Still to come
10:50Oh boy!
10:51He got it!
10:52He got it!
10:53One, two!
10:54Was that two or was that three?
10:55Yeah
10:56Randy Savage truly encapsulated the golden era of WWE with his larger-than-life persona and his incredible in-ring performances
11:07When the WWE Championship was vacated, a one-night 14-man tournament was held at WrestleMania IV
11:14Savage was certainly one of the odds-on favorites to win
11:17Randy Macho Man Savage
11:19Oh, I think Macho Man for sure
11:21Macho Man Savage, I think he's great
11:23But he had an extremely tough task ahead of him
11:29The tournament's here
11:30We're gonna find out the undisputed World Wrestling Conervation Champion
11:34WrestleMania IV was a tournament
11:36The title's vacant
11:37It's never happened in WWF history
11:39But we'll settle all that
11:41So, Randy wrestled three times
11:44Look, and he turned it into a small band
11:46He's too loud, and he got out
11:49Macho Man Randy Savage over the one-man gang
11:51So, that is your bottle
11:53You can feel the electricity in the air
11:56Ice move
11:57Oh, look at that
11:58Well, DiBiase said he'd do anything to get that title
12:01Savage in deep trouble
12:03It looked bad for Randy
12:05And then, to everyone's exhilaration
12:07Macho Man's exhilaration
12:08Macho Man beat him
12:10Oh, he caught him
12:12Look at Savage, he's going to the outside
12:14He's out there
12:16He's out there
12:17He's got that ball
12:18Touched away
12:19He's out there
12:20He's out there
12:21He's out there
12:22He's out there
12:24And that night
12:25Elevated Randy to the great heights of superstardom
12:28He was living his dream
12:30This is Macho Man's finest hour
12:34The Macho Man, Randy Savage
12:36Stood tall at the end of WrestleMania IV
12:38As WWE Champion
12:40With his best friend and manager both by his side
12:43Damn high, brother
12:44That's what he's going to do
12:45When the Mega Powers come running through
12:48No way to stop us
12:50No way
12:51But what a difference a year makes
12:53The next few months
12:54Saw hints of jealousy from the champion
12:55Against his Mega Power partner Hulk Hogan
12:58As he claimed the Hulkster was lusting
12:59After the lovely Miss Elizabeth
13:01You got lust for Elizabeth right in this guy, man
13:04Try and talk some sense to him
13:09The world was indeed watching WrestleMania V
13:11To see the Mega Powers explode
13:18This is the main event
13:21It don't get no bigger
13:23This place is sold out
13:24It's the hottest ticket in town
13:26What a matchup this is going to be
13:28He was just as intense as ever
13:30He really turned the dial up when he worked with me
13:32Here we go
13:34Time to talk is ended
13:36Miss Elizabeth chose to go into a neutral corner
13:38And then she finds herself in the middle of the match
13:42Oh, come on! Give me a break!
13:44It was pretty crazy
13:46Referee Handel just put Miss Elizabeth out
13:50Silence perched up there on the elbow
13:53He got it! He downed him!
13:54He got it!
13:56Come on! The Hulkster is out of there!
13:59I can't believe this is happening
14:01Oh, there's the big boobs!
14:02He's at the boob!
14:04He's at the boob!
14:05And the leg drop!
14:06One!
14:07Two!
14:08He's at the boob!
14:10As once again
14:12The Hulkster holds up the goal!
14:15You know, timing and everything felt magical
14:18It felt like you were on point
14:19But I didn't realize how special it really was
14:21During the 1980s, WWE superstars truly seemed larger than life
14:29Nobody encapsulated that more than the eighth wonder of the world
14:33Andre the Giant
14:35I'm very happy to make the wrestling fans happy
14:37I have shown him who is the real Giant
14:39But one man thought he could usurp Andre as WWE's greatest Giant
14:44Big John Studd
14:46There's only one and it's John Studd the Giant
14:48At WrestleMania 1, Studd would challenge Andre
14:52To a $15,000 Body Slam Challenge
14:58This is the $15,000 Slam Match
15:04It was one of those big matches
15:08It was a matchup I wanted to see
15:10$15,000 in that Lower World Wrestling Federation briefcase
15:13That's what's at stake
15:14As these two behemoths just go at each other
15:18As a kid watching it
15:19It's just like watching those Godzilla movies or something
15:22Look at this!
15:23Studd trying to slam Andre
15:27You can hear the crowd, they're trying to slam
15:29Andre picks it up
15:33He's not down!
15:35He's not down!
15:37Andre looking for the money, he's got it!
15:40He's got it!
15:41Look at this!
15:42He's throwing the money out!
15:44Uh oh!
15:45Look at that!
15:46Bobby the Brain hit it!
15:47Grabbed the bag with the money!
15:48It's really a special match
15:50Because things like that don't happen often
15:52But when they do, they happen at WrestleMania
15:54The winner!
15:56Andre the Giant!
15:57Up next is their final two moments in the countdown
16:03What will take the number one spot?
16:05Santana and Martel!
16:07Whoa!
16:09He's wrapped up for another couple of bucks!
16:11Right on the A&E app
16:13Macho man Randy Savage is riding high as intercontinental champion
16:17for the better part of 1986
16:19And he's from Sarasota, Florida
16:20What's with the broom? Wait a minute
16:22What is the...
16:23Professional wrestling completely clean, oh yeah
16:25There was no length the Macho Man wouldn't go
16:28in order to retain his championship
16:30Whoa!
16:32Steamboat's grabbing his throat
16:35Whoa!
16:37Steamboat can't breathe!
16:39After having his larynx crushed
16:41in one of the most brutal attacks in history
16:43Steamboat sought revenge on the intercontinental champion
16:46and the two were set to lock horns at WrestleMania 3
16:49in what many consider to be the greatest match of all time
16:55This conference is for the Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship!
17:01We knew before it happened, it's like this is going to be a match
17:04that raises the bar
17:06It's going to be the best match on the card for sure
17:09From an in-ring perspective, what the Intercontinental title is all about
17:11there was nothing bigger or better
17:13Macho Man Steamboat match
17:14One of the greatest matches of all time
17:17Deep arm drive by the Dragon
17:19Whoa! Look at that!
17:20You gotta get up pretty early in the morning
17:22Don't spark the Macho Man
17:24Anytime we have that type of tower in the range
17:26you should expect a great match
17:28Talk about determination
17:30Look at the clothesline by the Macho Man
17:32What a move by Macho Man
17:33I don't know how Steamboat
17:36And the Dragon gets out
17:37I don't know how he's doing it
17:39Down in the middle
17:40One, two
17:41And Savage comes out once again
17:43This is one of the greatest matches I've ever seen
17:46His favorite position bombs away
17:48He got him!
17:49That many eyes watching
17:50We want a match to steal the show
17:53Savage in a whole heap of trouble
17:55Oh!
17:58Small package by the Dragon
18:00No matter!
18:01I don't believe it!
18:04Everywhere I go
18:06People still yell out
18:08WrestleMania 3, you and Savage
18:10WrestleMania 3, you and Savage
18:12Out of the 6,000 that I had
18:16And match
18:21WrestleMania 3 was unquestionably
18:22The biggest WrestleMania of the Classic era
18:25With over 93,000 fans in attendance
18:28Macho Man and the Dragon
18:29Put on a Classic
18:31And while that match may have stolen the show
18:33It was the main event that people paid their money to see
18:36I'm here for one reason
18:38To challenge you for the world championship match
18:41In WrestleMania
18:43Are you or are you not
18:45Going to fight him at WrestleMania 3
18:47For the World Heavyweight Championship?
18:50Yes or no?
18:51Yeah!
18:53The immortal Hulk Hogan
18:55Who put his WWE Championship on the line
18:57Against the undefeated Andre the Giant
19:00Our number one moment
19:02Is the irresistible force
19:04Meaning the immovable object
19:08This is the main event of the evening
19:11It was just the right time
19:12The right people
19:13The right place
19:14It was perfect
19:16Look at the size of the Giant
19:18I mean Hogan is 6'8
19:19He needed a match as big as possible
19:21And nothing was going to be bigger than Hogan and Andre at the time
19:24Hogan would get a beat down match
19:26And he was just the guy that you could believe in
19:29One more time if that arm drop to Colbert
19:32Oh look at that!
19:33It's up there!
19:35Listen to these fans!
19:36The fans realized
19:38No matter what the odds were
19:40He was never counted out of a fight
19:42Look at the look on the face of the champion
19:44He's hooking up!
19:48Look at this!
19:50He's found the Giant!
19:51I don't believe it!
19:54Oh drop into Big Lake!
19:57Over for the cover!
19:58It's over!
20:02I knew that night the whole world was watching
20:05WrestleMania 3 just launched the WWE to a whole nother level from that point on
20:09What can I say?
20:11I never thought it could be done
20:12History is made here in the Superdome
20:15And that guy right there has made history all over the world
20:22Hogan slamming Andre the Giant has become a defining moment in the history of WWE
20:28That'll do it for this edition of WWE's Greatest Moments
20:32Hope you've enjoyed this look back at WrestleMania
20:34In the moments that became the foundation for what makes WrestleMania the greatest spectacle in all of sports entertainment