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WrestleMania has been going on for over three decades. Here are ten of the craziest, wildest, most memorable moments from its illustrious history.
Wrestlemania wasn't the first pro wrestling pay per view, but it has grown into the biggest, with an audience larger than the Super Bowl, World Series, and Stanley Cup--combined.
With over thirty years of history, there are bound to be numerous magical moments, scripted or not. But there are those matches, interviews, turns and plot twists that are just a little bit wilder and more unpredictable.
Here are ten of the wildest Wrestlemania moments.
#10. Roddy Piper extinguishes Morton Downey Jr.'s heat.
For those of you who didn't grow up in the 1980s, you're probably wondering why Piper had beef with Iron Man's dad.
Morton Downey Jr. (no relation to Robert) had gained prominence as a 'shock jock' comedian whose main gimmick was smoking a cigarette and being obnoxious. While there are certain parallels between him and Roddy Piper, it's clear that Hot Rod was genuinely a bit madcap.
When Morton Downey Jr. kept blowing smoke in Piper's face, the Rowdy One responded by using a fire extinguisher to blast the comedian in the face. Most celebrities should be so lucky to have such an up close and personal experience with Roddy Piper!
#9. Dinner time for Macho Man
When it comes to wild wrestling moments, an entire list could be compiled just of George The Animal Steele's antics.
The Animal was set to face off with Macho Man Randy Savage with two prizes for the winner. One was the Intercontinental title, held by Savage.
The other was Miss Elizabeth! George had become entwined with wrestling's first couple when he attempted to 'rescue' Elizabeth from a verbally abusive Macho Man. Their feud culminated in the title vs. contract match for her services.
Though George didn't win the title, he did succeed in getting some receipt from Savage by making Macho Man chow down on a turnbuckle pad!
#8. Gimmick Battle Royal
In 2001, the wrestling world was quite different than it is now. The influence of DX and the nWo had led to an environment where nearly every wrestler in every interview was trying to pretend to 'shoot.' In other words, there was a lot of emphasis on making wrestling 'realistic.'
Perhaps as a favor to longtime fans, but mostly for fun--and to give some veteran performers a much-needed payday--the WWE conceived the Gimmick Battle Royal at WM XVII.
Filled with luminaries such as Kamala, Earthquake, Sgt. Slaughter and the Iron Sheik, the battle also included total gimmick failures such as the Gobbledygooker and the Goon. The highlight of the battle royal was Bobby Heenan's commentary. As an aged, feeble Iron Sheik limped slowly to the ring, the Brain proclaimed "It'll be Wrestlemania 38 by the time Sheik gets to the ring!"
Speaking of the Sheik, he won the battle royal--mostly because he was too old to take an over the top rope bump.
#7. Stone Cold will NOT submit.
The pro wrestling world changed in the late 1990s. No longer content with white bread babyfaces going against black-hearted villains, the fans demanded more nuance. Perhaps that is why they cheered so strongly for Stone Cold Steve Austin, whose bullying and heelish ways only seemed to endear him to the audience.
Even with a new paradigm for heroics and villainy, there were still certain things that held true for fan favorites. One of those things was this; Good guys do NOT submit or tap out.
At the end of a classic, brutal match, a profusely bleeding Austin ended up in the clutches of Bret's sharpshooter. Despite bleeding like a stuck pig and in agony, Austin would not tap out. Eventually, he wound up passing out from the strain, and Bret Hart was named the winner.
By not tapping out, Austin cemented his status as a babyface, and by attacking Austin after the match with a chair, Bret turned into a full-on Heel.
#6. Brock Lesnar's botch.
At Wrestlemania XIX, it was a contest of amateur greatness as Kurt Angle took on Brock Lesnar.
The match did not disappoint but was almost overshadowed by what happened near the end. Brock Lesnar attempted a shooting star press, a move normally reserved for men literally half his size.
Despite successfully pulling the move off in Ohio Valley Wrestling, Lesnar botched the move and landed head-first on the mat. Nearly everyone watching feared he had killed himself, or at least broken his neck. Career over.
However, Brock's toughness is more than just a gimmick. He refused to allow Angle to pin him so he could get medical attention. Brock went through with another F5 and pinned Angle, ending the match with himself as victor just as had been scripted. A terrifying moment, and an unforgettable one.
#5. Pete Rose vs. Kane
Unless you follow American baseball, you may not have heard of Pete Rose.
Pete Rose is a legendary player who was almost certain to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, but due to a betting scandal during his manager days he has been blacklisted ever since.
In order to stir up media coverage, the WWE decided to involve the polarizing figure in Wrestlemania. However, the manner in which they did so ended up being quite entertaining, indeed. The masked monster heel Kane tombstoned the former MLB player right in the center of the ring!
#4. Liberace!
Liberace was one of the most flamboyant, entertaining, and glitzy performers in the 1980s. Long a mainstay on US television, Vince McMahon sought out the glitter-loving pianist for Wrestlemania I.
Few can forget the look of unremitting joy upon Liberace's face as he high kicks with the famous Rockettes dance troupe.
#3. Vince gets a haircut.
Vince McMahon put his hair on the line against Donald Trump at Wrestlemania XXII. Vince's pick of Umaga fell short against Trump's pick of Bobby Lashley and the Chairman found himself strapped into a chair while his signature locks were sheared away.
Seeing the boss being humiliated is a fantasy among many of the working class, and Vince getting his comeuppance made for a great WM moment.
#2. The Streak is conquered.
The legendary Deadman has been a fixture in the WWE for over three decades. Despite long sabbaticals to recover his health, the Undertaker was synonymous with Wrestlemania for many fans.
When he began defending 'the streak,' many believed that Undertaker would end up retiring before losing at Wrestlemania. It took a three hundred pound MMA champion and three F5s to do so, but the streak was conquered, much to the shock and dismay of the live audience.
#1. Hogan slams Andre
Longtime wrestling fans know that, before Wrestlemania III, Andre had in fact been slammed by several different men, among them Big Cat Ernie Ladd and Giant Baba.
Still, the narrative the WWE spun about Andre was that he had NEVER been slammed. Even though Hogan was the champion going into Mania, it was still booked as if Andre was the favorite to win and Hogan was in an underdog role.
A world record capacity crowd watched as Hogan lifted the five hundred pound Andre high into the air before sending him crashing to the mat, resulting in the wildest, most iconic Wrestlemania moment ever.
There you have it: Ten of the wildest Wrestlemania moments ever. Be sure to comment your favorite 'Mania moment!
