WWF WrestleMania 2 Results
April 7, 1986
Long Island, New York (Nassau Coliseum)
Chicago, Illinois (Rosemont Horizon)
Los Angeles, California (Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena)
Results by: Mike Tedesco of Wrestleview.com
Vince McMahon is in the ring in his tuxedo. McMahon says, “Welcome to the greatest sports-entertainment spectacular of all time. Welcome to WrestleMania!” McMahon introduces his color co-host Susan Saint James.
McMahon then introduces Ray Charles to sing America The Beautiful. The audio system is a little messed up as the legend starts to sing. Feedback blares a bit and the volume is very low. It does pick up nicely and Charles completes his unique rendition of the song. The video overlay finishes with a still image of WWF Champion Hulk Hogan with fireworks behind him.
“Mean” Gene Okerlund welcomes us to the show from Chicago, Illinois.
“Rowdy” Roddy Piper is backstage with his trainer Lou Diva and Cowboy Bob Orton. Diva says Piper is one the best prospects he’s ever had. Piper says if he can’t knock Mr. T out, he’ll not only quit boxing, he’ll quit professional wrestling. He’ll even quit dating girls. Piper says the one thing he’ll never do is shave his head like an Indian and paint himself black.
“The Magnificent” Don Muraco w/ Mr. Fuji vs. “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff
They lock up before breaking it up. They circle the ring before locking up again. Orndorff hooks a side headlock, but Muraco drops down and scoop slams him. Orndorff quickly kicks him away and hits a scoop slam of his own before celebrating. They lock up, and Muraco powers him to the corner before kneeing him in the midsection. Orndorff reverses a whip to the corner and hits a back body drop. Orndorff hits an arm drag and a drop toe hold before applying an arm bar. Muraco fights up and tries to fight him off, but Orndorff holds on. Orndorff holds on and rakes the face with his boot. Orndorff counters a whip by taking him down and continuing to work on the arm. Muraco fights up and hits a Samoan Drop. Muraco pulls him up and punches him in the face. Muraco bounces the head off the turnbuckle. Orndorff fights back and punches away at him. They tussle over the top rope, and Orndorff’s leg gets tied up in the ropes. They fight at ringside before the referee counts them out.
Double Count-Out
Orndorff sends Muraco into the ring post before grabbing a chair. Orndorff throws it into the ring, but Muraco is pulled back by Mr. Fuji. The crowd is not pleased with the result of this match and chant an expletive.
Mr. T is backstage with Joe Frazier and the Haiti Kid. Mr. T says that Piper is going down in this boxing match.
WWF Intercontinental Champion Randy Savage is shown backstage. Savage says by the end of tonight, George “The Animal” Steele will have Macho Madness raining down on him.
WWF Intercontinental Championship
George “The Animal” Steele vs. “Macho Man” Randy Savage (c) w/ Miss Elizabeth
The bell rings, and Savage quickly escapes the charging Steele by leaving the ring. Savage goes to the top rope and taunts the crowd before getting back in the ring. Savage drops down and cautiously approaches Steele. Steele charges, so Savage escapes the ring again. Savage grabs a chair and swings it to keep Steele back. Savage gets back in the ring, and they circle the ring again. Savage leaves the ring, so Steele follows. Savage escapes and gets in the ring. Steele eventually grabs the boot and bits the back of Savage’s ankle. Savage gets in the ring and limps around. Savage quickly attacks Steele as he gets in the ring. Steele lifts him up by the throat and slams him down. Steele gets him to his feet and punches him down. Steele gets distracted and starts to playfully approach Miss Elizabeth, so Savage attacks him from behind. Savage punches away at him before going to the top rope for a cross-body block. Steele kicks out, sending Savage out of the ring.
Savage gets back in the ring, and Steele attacks him again. Steele then throws him out of the ring. Savage crawls under the ring to distract Steele. Steele looks around for Savage. Savage comes out the other side and attacks Steele from behind. Steele quickly bites the arm of Savage before clubbing the back. Savage quickly rakes the eyes before leaving the ring to recover. Savage grabs a bouquet of flowers and hits Steele with them. Steele grabs the arm and bites it again before sending him to the corner. Steele rubs the flowers in Savage’s face before sending him to the corner. Steele goes over to the corner and bites open the top turnbuckle. Steele grabs some of the turnbuckle stuffing and rubs it in Savage’s face. Steele continues to rub it in Savage’s face. Savage quickly leaves the ring to recover. Steele chases him around before being distracted by Miss Elizabeth again. Savage comes off the top rope with an axe handle to the neck. Savage gets Steele in the ring and hits a scoop slam. Savage goes to the top rope and connects with his devastating Flying Elbow Drop, but Steele kicks out!
Steele grabs Savage by the nose and starts to twist. Steele turns him inside out by sending him to the corner. Steele stomps away at him before the referee backs him up. The crowd boos. Savage quickly sweeps the feet and rolls Steele up with his feet on the ropes for the win.
Winner by Pinfall and still WWF Intercontinental Champion: “Macho Man” Randy Savage
Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth quickly retreat to the back. Steele eats another turnbuckle before angrily chasing the referee out of the ring.
We go back over to Chicago to see “Mean” Gene Okerlund. He’s with Bill Fralic from the Atlanta Falcons and Big John Studd. They’ll take part in the WWF vs. NFL Battle Royal. Fralic says Studd is a dud. They get into a shoving match. Big John Studd says Fralic is just a football player. They go face-to-face.
We’re back in Long Island. Vince McMahon asks Susan Saint James what she thinks of snakes. She hopes Jake Roberts loses so she doesn’t have to see the snake.
George Wells vs. Jake “The Snake” Roberts
Roberts attacks Wells before the sound of the bell. Wells quickly gives him a back body drop. The referee has started the match. Roberts quickly knees him before sending him to the floor. Wells punches Roberts when he comes to ringside and gets him in the ring. Roberts leapfrogs Wells and taunts the crowd, so Wells shoulder blocks him down. Wells head-butts Roberts down. Wells sends Roberts to the corner twice before hitting a head-scissor takeover. Roberts begs for a timeout. Wells grabs Roberts by the hair and gets him to his feet. Wells hits a scoop slam before hitting a chop to the chest. Wells viciously knees Roberts in the face, turning him inside out. Wells sends Roberts into the ropes and hits a scoop powerslam for a near fall. Roberts quickly rakes the eyes before leaving the ring to recover. Roberts gets back in the ring when Wells chases. Roberts punches Wells in the face coming back in the ring. Roberts hits his trademark DDT for the win.
Winner by Pinfall: Jake “The Snake” Roberts
Jake Roberts unties the bag and lets out the giant python Damian. Roberts puts Damian on top of Wells and wraps him around the neck. Wells foams at the mouth as Damian’s grip tightens. Roberts eventually removes Damian and stands tall in the ring.
A video is shown of “Rowdy” Roddy Piper challenging Mr. T to a boxing match.
We go out to Los Angeles where Jesse “The Body” Ventura is with WWF Champion Hulk Hogan. Ventura says Hogan’s ribs are injured and he has to face King Kong Bundy in a Steel Cage Match. Ventura cannot believe he’d do that as champion. Hogan doesn’t care what Ventura thinks. He’s paid to ask questions. Whether his ribs are busted up or not, he’s defending the title. It stands of America. Bundy is going down. As far as Mr. T vs. Roddy Piper, Mr. T is coming out on top because he’s fighting for what he believes in. Piper, just like a lot of dudes around here like Ventura, take a lot of shortcuts and go down quickly. Ventura warns that good guys don’t always finish first.
We go back to Long Island. Howard Finkel introduces the guest ring announcer Joan Rivers. She is thrilled to be at WrestleMania 2. Our first judge is “Chocolate Thunder” Darryl Dawkins from the New Jersey Nets. Our next judge is comedian Cab Calloway. Finally, our third judge is G. Gordon Liddy. Liddy gets in the ring to boos. The guest timekeeper is Herb, who comes in to a good reception and dances. Now it’s time for 10 rounds of boxing.
Boxing Match
“Rowdy” Roddy Piper w/ Lou Duva and Cowboy Bob Orton vs. Mr. T w/ Joe Frazier and Haiti Kid
The referee explains the rules to the two men in the center of the ring. Roddy Piper talks trash to Mr. T the entire time. They go face-to-face before their managers back them up.
Round One
They circle the ring, and Piper throws some jabs. Mr. T hits a flurry of punches to the midsection before Piper tackles him to the ropes. The referee breaks it up. Piper tackles him into the ropes and hits some punches as he backs up. The referee admonishes Piper. Mr. T punches away at Piper before pushing him to the corner and giving a clean break. Mr. T ducks some punches and knocks Piper back. They tussle into the ropes before breaking. We have less than a minute left in the first round. Piper jabs him back, but Mr. T punches right back. Mr. T tackles him to the corner before giving a break. Piper goes for a quick left jab, so Mr. T tackles him back. Mr. T again puts him in the corner, and the referee struggles to get them to back up. They tussle in the corner again as the round comes to an end. They continue to fight after the sound of the bell, so the management comes in to separate them.
Joe Frazier rubs Mr. T down and gives him some water. Roddy Piper comes over and talks trash before sitting in his corner.
Round Two
Mr. T opens up with some punches. The referee backs Piper up and takes exception with a big glob of grease on his face. The referee wipes the grease off Piper’s face. Piper punches away at Mr. T until he ducks and punches away at him. The referee breaks them up. Piper jabs him in the corner and hits some body shots, weakening Mr. T. Mr. T fights back, but Piper continues to punch him back in the corner. Piper lays in the right hands, and Mr. T goes down. The referee backs him up, but Piper sidesteps him and boots Mr. T. Piper backs to his corner, and the referee is counting Mr. T down. Mr. T gets up before the count of 10. 20 seconds left in the round. Piper punches him against the ropes, and the bell rings to end the round. Mr. T falls to his knees, so Piper gets a cheap shot in.
Mr. T’s team quickly go to work on him, trying to get him fixed up. Cowboy Bob Orton comes over and throws a bucket of water on Mr. T and his team.
Round Three
The bell sounds, and Mr. T quickly catches Piper with some body shots that send him to the corner. Mr. T punches him down, and Piper struggles to get up. Mr. T connects with a solid left jab to the face. Piper crumples in the corner. The referee starts counting Piper down, but he’s up before the count of 10. Mr. T soon pushes him back into the corner. Piper pops out, so Mr. T pushes him. Piper comes up to him again, and Mr. T levels him with a left hand that knocks Piper out of the ring. Orton rubs a wet towel on Piper’s head while Duva pours water on him. Piper gets in at the count of 9. They punch themselves into a stalemate as the bell sounds to end round three.
Both men are exhausted to the core after three rounds of boxing. Mr. T approaches Piper’s corner to talk trash, but he’s backed up. Piper throws the stool he was sitting on at Mr. T.
Round Four
Piper and Mr. T stand in the center of the ring and exchange punches. Piper starts to stagger before hitting a right hand that knocks Mr. T’s mouthpiece out. Mr. T viciously punches Piper back to the corner before tackling him there. Piper pushes Mr. T off, and the referee is knocked over. Piper immediately body slams Mr. T and is disqualified.
Winner by Disqualification: Mr. T
The two teams all fight as they try to separate the competitors. After Mr. T is announced as the winner, Piper blindsides him with some punches before walking out.
We go over to Chicago, Illinois. Gorilla Monsoon and “Mean” Gene Okerlund welcome us to this portion of WrestleMania 2. Okerlund talks about the WWF vs. NFL Battle Royal coming up. The color commentator will be Cathy Lee Crosby, who says this is her first time attending a wrestling event.
Chet Coppock is the ring announcer for the Chicago portion.
WWF Women’s Championship
Velvet McIntyre vs. The Fabulous Moolah (c)
The bell rings, and Moolah blindsides her before hitting a trio of snapmares using the hair. Moolah sends her into the ropes for a forearm. Moolah sends her into the ropes again, but McIntyre ducks a clothesline and hits a pair of dropkicks. McIntyre gives Moolah a back elbow before slamming her down. McIntyre comes off the second rope for a splash, but Moolah moves. Moolah covers for the win.
Winner by Pinfall and still WWF Women’s Champion: The Fabulous Moolah
The commentators talk about the WWF vs. NFL Battle Royal coming up.
Nikolai Volkoff is in the ring with “Classy” Freddie Blassie. They’re getting ready for a Flag Match. Chet Coppock asks the crowd to please stand as Volkoff sings the Soviet National Anthem. Volkoff begins to sing until he’s cut off by Corporal Kirchner’s music.
Flag Match
Nikolai Volkoff w/ “Classy” Freddie Blassie vs. Corporal Kirchner
The bell rings, and Volkoff quickly takes him down before kicking him. Volkoff throws him out of the ring and sends him headfirst into the ring post. Volkoff bites the forehead before getting back in the ring. Blassie talks trash to Kirchner. Volkoff drags Kirchner into the ring. Kirchner immediately starts punching back at Volkoff. Kirchner is bleeding from the forehead. The referee is knocked down in the fray. Blassie tries to give his cane to Volkoff, but Kirchner steals it and hits Volkoff with it. The referee comes to and counts the pin.
Winner by Pinfall: Corporal Kirchner
Due to his victory, Kirchner can display the colors of the United States of America. A bleeding Kirchner proudly waves Old Glory before going to the back.
Chip Coppock introduces “Mean” Gene Okerlund into the ring. Okerlund explains the rules of a battle royal. The timekeeper is Clara Peller, the old lady that asked, “Where’s the beef?” in Wendy’s commercials in the 1980s.
Chicago Bears great Dick Butkus is one of the guest referees. Butkus gets a huge reception. Ed “Too Tall” Jones from the Dallas Cowboys is the other guest referee.
WWF vs. NFL Battle Royal
Participants: Jimbo Covert (Chicago Bears), Pedro Morales, “Mr. USA” Tony Atlas, Ted Arcidi, Harvey Martin (Dallas Cowboys), “Golden Boy” Dan Spivey, Hillbilly Jim, King Tonga, The Iron Sheik, Ernie Holmes (Pittsburgh Steelers), B. Brian Blair, “Jumping” Jim Brunzell Big John Studd, Bill Fralic (Atlanta Falcons), Bret Hart, Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart, Russ Francis (San Francisco 49ers), Bruno Sammartino, William “Refrigerator” Perry (Chicago Bears), André the Giant
“The Big Cat” Ernie Ladd is the guest commentator for this match.
The match begins, and a lot of the wrestlers start concentrating on Perry. Covert, Perry’s teammate, makes the save. Covert and Tonga are soon dumped out at the same time by Fralic. Sammartino is working on Holmes and dumps him out. André and Studd are having a WrestleMania I rematch in the corner of the ring. André then turns his attention to Fralic but can’t get him out. Brunzell is knocked out of the ring. Perry body slams Atlas over the top rope! Studd starts to viciously club away at Perry. Martin and Morales tackle each other over the top rope. Arcidi picks Blair up and dumps him over, but Blair hangs onto the apron. Arcidi is soon dumped out. Sheik gives Spivey a back body drop over the top rope. Jim and Blair also get dumped out by Sheik. Studd and Sheik team up to take Fralic out. Sammartino then gives Sheik a back body drop over the top rope. Sammartino starts punching Studd in the corner while the Hart Foundation works on Perry in the other corner. Studd eventually dumps Sammartino out of the ring. Studd knocks André down in the corner. Perry tackles the Hart Foundation over the top rope, but they hang onto the ropes. Perry attacks Studd, but Studd gives him a back elbow and knocks him over the top rope. The crowd loudly boos the elimination of Perry. Perry goes for a handshake with Studd, and he pulls Studd over the top rope!
The final four in this match are Russ Francis, Jim Neidhart, Bret Hart, and André the Giant. The Hart Foundation double dropkick André into the ropes, getting his arms tied up. Hart stomps the midsection of Francis before dumping him over the top rope. Francis’ head gets caught under the bottom rope on the way down, lighting him up pretty good. Hart and Neidhart double-team André in the corner and start lifting him. André knocks them back before big booting Hart. André grabs Neidhart by the goatee and knocks him headfirst into Hart. André big boots Neidhart over the top rope to eliminate him. Hart goes to the top rope, but André catches him. André then press slams Hart out of the ring onto Neidhart to win the match!
Winner: André the Giant
We go back to New York to see Vince McMahon and Susan Saint James with “Rowdy” Roddy Piper. Piper is still sweating from his Boxing Match against Mr. T. Piper says if he wanted to come for a picnic, he’d have packed a lunch. Piper says Mr. T must come from the same school as William Perry because they both cheat. Piper says he has fight after fight left. He doesn’t need to shave his head like an Indian or dye himself black. James says this sounds like a bunch of blarney. Replays show Piper shoving the referee before body slamming Mr. T.
We’re back in Chicago now. “Mean” Gene Okerlund is with Jimbo Covert. Covert says he got cheated in the battle royal by Bill Fralic. The Iron Sheik now comes up and says wrestling is better than football. Iran is Number One!
Replays show the end of the WWF vs. NFL Battle Royal.
WWF Tag Team Championship
The Dream Team (Brutus Beefcake and Greg “The Hammer” Valentine, c’s) w/ “Luscious” Johnny Valiant vs. The British Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith and The Dynamite Kid) w/ Captain Lou Albano and Ozzy Osbourne
The bell rings, and it’ll be Davey Boy Smith taking on Greg Valentine. They lock up, and Smith powers Valentine down. Valentine forearms Smith back before Smith punches him. Valentine takes him down and goes for an elbow drop, but Smith moves. Smith wrenches the arm, but Valentine sends him to the ropes and hits a hip toss. Valentine goes for a forearm drop, but Smith moves. Dynamite Kid tags in and punches Valentine down for a two count. Kid hooks a side headlock, and Valentine whips him off. Kid wildly hits the ropes and takes Valentine down before picking up a two count. Kid connects with two trademark snap suplexes. Smith tags in and goes for a suplex, but Valentine blocks it. Smith fights it and hits a suplex for a two count. Valentine quickly gets out of the ring to recover and talk strategy with Valiant. Valentine gets back in the ring and locks up with Smith. Valentine forearms Smith, but Smith whips him to the corner. Valentine hits a quick facebuster before hitting a head-butt to the midsection.
Brutus Beefcake tags in and wrenches the arm. Smith quickly press slams him down. Kid tags in and sends Beefcake into the ropes. Kid hits the ropes so fast and hits a clothesline that it doesn’t even register with Beefcake. Kid rolls him up for a two count. Smith tags in and hits a fisherman suplex for a near fall. Valentine tags in and comes off the top rope with a forearm to Smith’s head. Valentine hits a suplex for a two count. Valentine elbows Smith in the face before applying a chin lock. Smith fights up and tags in Kid. Kid and Valentine exchange forearms before Kid powers him to the corner and shoulders him. Valentine collapses in the ring, and Kid covers for a two count.
Smith and Kid send Valentine into the ropes for a double-team clothesline for a two count. Beefcake runs in, and they double-team Kid. Velentine sends him into the ropes. Kid hits a sunset flip for a two count. Kid connects with a backbreaker, but Beefcake makes the save. Kid attacks Valentine for another two count. Valentine comes off the ropes with a forearm to the face. Valentine connects with a vicious kneeing piledriver for a near fall. Valentine tries to power the shoulders into the mat and goes to leap on him, but Kid gets the knees up to stun Valentine. Valentine goes to the top rope, and Kid slams him off the top rope. Kid covers, and Smith gets Beefcake out of the ring. Smith knocks Beefcake out of the ring and goes to press slam Smith onto Valentine, but Valentine rolls out of the ring. Valentine attacks Kid from behind. Smith tags in and scoops Valentine up for a Running Powerslam to pick up a near fall. Smith connects with a suplex for another near fall. Smith has a whip to the corner reversed, and he hits the ring post shoulder-first. Valentine applies a hammerlock and tags Beefcake in. Beefcake comes off the second rope with a strike to Smith’s abdomen. Beefcake hits a hammerlock slam before stomping the neck. Beefcake sends Smith shoulder-first into the corner and tags Valentine in. Valentine hits a shoulder-breaker and covers, but he lifts Smith’s shoulders up. Valentine gets Smith to his feet. Smith sends Valentine into Kid, who head-butts him. The head-butt sends Kid into a flat back bump on the ringside floor. Smith covers Valentine for the win.
Winners by Pinfall and new WWF Tag Team Champions: The British Bulldogs
Captain Lou Albano and Ozzy Osbourne celebrate with The British Bulldogs. Albano says he told everyone it would be done. Osbourne screams, “The British Bulldogs forever!” Dynamite Kid is too lit up from the bump he took off the second rope to the floor, so Davey Boy Smith is interviewed. Smith says the Tag Team Championships are staying in the United States.
We go back to New York to see Vince McMahon and Susan Saint James. McMahon puts over the Los Angeles portion of WrestleMania 2. They talk about Hulk Hogan vs. King Kong Bundy for the WWF Championship inside a Steel Cage.
We go over live to Los Angeles, California. Jesse “The Body” Ventura and Lord Alfred Hayes welcome us to the show. Elvira is also there to be on commentary.
Hercules Hernandez vs. Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat
Hernandez attacks Steamboat at the sound of the bell and unloads on him. Hernandez elbows him in the head and bounces him off the top turnbuckle. Hernandez sends him into the ropes, but Steamboat slides through the legs twice and hits a clothesline. Steamboat hits some deep arm drags and applies an arm bar. Steamboat clubs the arm and wrenches it. Hernandez punches him back and whips him off. Steamboat hits the ropes, gets out of a backbreaker, and big boots him. Steamboat hits another arm drag and keeps him grounded. Steamboat cinches in an arm bar, but Hernandez fights out. Steamboat comes back with a chop before sending him into the ropes. Steamboat leapfrogs him twice before hitting a back elbow. Steamboat connects with a suplex before going back to an arm bar. Hernandez quickly bounces him off the top turnbuckle before hitting a clothesline.
Hernandez stomps away at Steamboat’s head before sending him into the ropes. Hernandez sets up for a bear hug before snapping him off the top rope. Hernandez looks pleased with himself. Steamboat elbows and chops him back before going for a scoop slam, but he collapses under Hernandez’ weight. Hernandez picks up a two count. Hernandez stuns him with an elbow to the face. Hernandez sends him into the ropes and hits a back elbow. Hernandez drops a pair of elbows and taunts the crowd. Hernandez then drops down and pins him for a two count. Steamboat chops him back, but Hernandez fights back with a clothesline for a two count. Hernandez press slams him down twice before talking trash to the crowd. Hernandez goes to the top rope for a splash, but Steamboat gets the knees up. Steamboat goes to the top rope and hits a flying cross-body block for the win.
Winner by Pinfall: Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat
Hercules Hernandez shoves the referee while Lee Marshall announces the final result of the match.
There seems to be some sort of intermission or commercial that played here, but it wasn’t included on the WWE Network.
Adrian Adonis w/ “The Mouth of the South” Jimmy Hart vs. Uncle Elmer
After some standing around, Elmer attacks Adonis and turns him inside out with a whip to the corner. Elmer shoulder blocks him and falls over with his own momentum. Adonis gets to his feet and falls out of the ring. Adonis gets into the ring, but Elmer sends him into the ring post shoulder-first. Elmer pulls him onto the apron and rips at Adonis’ dress. Elmer brings him into the ring the hard way and gets him tied up into the ropes. Adonis gets out and brings Elmer to his knees. Adonis sheds the dress. Elmer reverses a whip to the corner and avalanches him. Elmer goes for a leg drop, but Adonis moves. Adonis goes to the top rope for a flying head-butt for the win.
Winner by Pinfall: Adrian Adonis
Adonis continues to attack Elmer after the match ends. Hart shouts instructions from his megaphone.
Lord Alfred Hayes is backstage with WWF Champion Hulk Hogan. Hayes mentions that Hogan isn’t 100% and King Kong Bundy may have a psychological edge. Hogan calls Hayes, “Awful Alfred.” Hogan says if he had one good arm he’d still crawl into that cage and defend the title like a man.
Terry and Hoss Funk w/ “The Mouth of the South” Jimmy Hart vs. Tito Santana and Junkyard Dog
Santana and JYD scare the Funks out of the ring with a chair and the chain. Order is restored. It is Hoss Funk against JYD. Somehow Terry Funk falls into the ring and is sent into his brother. JYD body slams the Funks before Santana knocks them out. Santana and Terry tag in. They lock up, and Terry backs him into the ropes for some chops. Terry hits the ropes and trips. Santana then clotheslines him out of the ring. Hoss gets in the ring, and Santana dropkicks him twice. JYD tags in, and he punches Terry in the face. JYD slams Terry off the top turnbuckle ten times. Terry stumbles around, so JYD does it again before head-butting him down for a near fall. Santana knocks Hoss out of the ring when he tries to interfere. JYD sends Terry over the top rope. Hoss and Hart check on Terry. Hoss and Santana tag. Hoss takes him down before Santana comes back with a cross-body. Terry runs in to break it up, but he’s soon knocked out. Terry kicks Santana in the back while the referee wasn’t looking. Terry tags in and throws Santana out of the ring. Hart gets some cheap shots in until JYD comes over. Terry gets Santana in the ring and hits a suplex for a two count. Terry goes for another suplex, but Santana blocks it and connects with one of his own. They hit the ropes and clunk heads.
Hoss tags in and hits a double-arm suplex for a near fall. Hoss uppercuts Santana down before tagging Terry in. They hit a double-team clothesline on Santana. Terry hits a leg drop for a two count. Terry goes for another leg drop, but Santana moves. Santana punches Terry back, but Terry floors him with a head-butt. Santana desperately crawls around and tags JYD in. JYD punches away at Terry before giving the Funks a double head-butt. JYD clotheslines Terry before knocking Hoss from the apron. JYD head-butts Terry before giving him a back body drop over the top rope. JYD head-butts Hoss at ringside before slamming Terry onto a table, breaking it. Terry gets into the ring, and JYD kicks him. JYD pulls Hart up to the apron and punches him. Hoss breaks up a pin. Santana runs in and applies the Figure Four Leglock on Hoss. Hart tosses Terry the megaphone. Terry hits JYD with the megaphone and picks up the win.
Winners by Pinfall: Terry and Hoss Funk
The Funks walk off in victory. JYD comes to in the ring and is not happy. Replays are shown of the finish of the match.
The ring crew start bringing out the blue steel cage for tonight’s main event.
Video Package: Hulk Hogan vs. King Kong Bundy for the WWF Championship. Hogan runs through some of his workout to prepare for WrestleMania 2 and King Kong Bundy. Hogan’s ribs are taped up and he was warned not to do the match following Bundy’s attack on Saturday Night’s Main Event.
Jesse “The Body” Ventura is with King Kong Bundy and Bobby “The Brain” Heenan. Heenan says he’ll be packing the WWF Championship and Bundy’s luggage. Ventura says Bundy’s beautiful face is on the line in a Steel Cage. Bundy says the fears are unfounded. Every time he gets in the ring with Hulk Hogan, he’s standing tall. Tonight will be no different. You don’t mess with him or Heenan. Heenan says tonight is BundyMania. Ventura says Hogan is in for the fight of his life. Bundy tells Los Angeles to look out.
We go back to New York with Vince McMahon and Susan Saint James. They talk about the Steel Cage Match.
Back in Los Angeles, it’s time for the main event. Los Angeles Dodgers Manager Tommy Lasorda will be the guest ring announcer. The guest timekeeper will be Ricky Schroder. The actor Robert Conrad will be the guest referee.
WWF Championship – Steel Cage Match
King Kong Bundy w/ Bobby “The Brain” Heenan vs. Hulk Hogan (c)
The bell rings, and they circle the ring. Hogan’s ribs are taped up. They lock up and start trading punches. Hogan punches him back and hits the ropes before punching him in the head. Hogan chops the chest before sending him into the ropes for a big boot. Hogan chokes Bundy with his own singlet before sending him face-first into the cage. Hogan sends him to the corner and clotheslines him. Hogan chops him before forearming him in the face. Hogan hits the ropes and hits a running elbow. Bundy is on wobbly legs. Hogan tries to send him into the cage, but Bundy puts the brakes on. Bundy punches Hogan in the ribs and takes him down. Bundy starts working on the injured ribs of Hogan. Bundy scoop slams Hogan down and steps on the back of his head. Bundy goes to leave through the cage door, but Hogan grabs the ankles. Bundy scoops Hogan up and drives him into the Steel Cage. Bundy goes to leave again, but Hogan grabs him. Bundy punches Hogan down and begins ripping the tape off Hogan’s ribs. Bundy chokes Hogan with the tape and goes to leave. The crowd roars as Bundy nearly leaves the ring before Hogan grabs him. Hogan rakes the eyes and pulls him back into the ring. Hogan sends Bundy to the corner and hits a back elbow. Hogan punches Bundy back and send him into the ropes before driving him face-first into the Steel Cage.
Heenan slides Bundy a blade and hides the head. Hogan grabs Bundy and shows him wearing a crimson mask. Hogan punches away at the wound on Bundy’s forehead. Hogan sends him headfirst into the Steel Cage a few more times. Bundy is bleeding profusely. Hogan starts to climb the ropes to choke Bundy on the top rope. Hogan punches Bundy a few times before going for a body slam, but Hogan collapses under Bundy’s weight. Bundy stumbles toward the door. Hogan grabs some of his tape and chokes Bundy with it. Bundy gets out and rakes the eyes. Bundy sends Hogan to the corner and avalanches him. Bundy connects with a big splash. Hogan convulses in pain. Hogan then begins to Hulk Up. Hogan grabs the ankles and pulls him in. Bundy sends Hogan to the corner and avalanches him, but Hogan doesn’t feel it. Hogan sends Bundy to the corner and body slams him. Hogan connects with his Leg Drop and starts climbing the cage. Bundy grabs him, but Hogan kicks him down to the mat. Hogan then climbs out of the cage to win.
Winner by Escaping the Cage and still WWF Champion: Hulk Hogan
Hogan chases Bobby Heenan into the cage. Heenan holds the cage door shut to keep Hogan away. Hogan pulls the door open and gets in the cage with Heenan. Hogan pulls Heenan down from the ropes and punches him. Hogan sends Heenan into the cage before connecting with an atomic drop that sends him out of the cage. Hogan celebrates in the ring with the WWF Championship as Tommy Lasorda enthusiastically announces the winner. Hogan celebrates in the ring with some wild poses and facials.
We go back to New York with Vince McMahon and Susan Saint James. McMahon hopes everyone enjoyed WrestleMania 2.
Quick Match Results
— Don Muraco vs. Paul Orndorff went to a Double Count-Out
— “Macho Man” Randy Savage def. George “The Animal” Steele to retain the WWF Intercontinental Championship
— Jake “The Snake” Roberts def. George Wells
— Mr. T def. “Rowdy” Roddy Piper in a Boxing Match
— The Fabulous Moolah def. Velvet McIntyre to retain the WWF Women’s Championship
— Corporal Kirchner def. Nikolai Volkoff in a Flag Match
— André the Giant won the WWF vs. NFL Battle Royal
— The British Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith and Dynamite Kid) def. The Dream Team (Greg Valentine and Brutus Beefcake) to win the WWF Tag Team Championship
— Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat def. Hercules Hernandez
— Adrian Adonis def. Uncle Elmer
— Terry and Hoss Funk def. Tito Santana and Junkyard Dog
— Hulk Hogan def. King Kong Bundy in a Steel Cage Match to retain the WWF Championship
WrestleMania 2 Thoughts
Hoping to recapture the magic that was the first WrestleMania, WWF tried to double-down and out-spectacle themselves. How can you make WrestleMania bigger? Apparently, the answer is it can’t be contained in one city, so let’s put it in three. It was a damn bold and interesting idea, particularly when you think about the technology available in 1986 to do this. Today, it’d be no issue. Back then? It was a huge gamble to do.
While I give the company their due props for “going for it,” the execution still wasn’t there. In order for this to work, you need to essentially have three “can’t miss” main events for each city to draw a crowd. They wound up drawing crowds for New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, but really none of the main events were enough to carry this show to something even remotely resembling the excitement that was the first WrestleMania. Even the celebrities, except for Chicago which did have some legitimate celebrities and great football players, was lacking. To make matters worse, they used three celebrity color commentators that openly admitted they’d never been to a wrestling show and had no clue about any of the storylines. Made them look bush league, which is exactly what the celebrities from the first WrestleMania didn’t do.
Each city had one hour and four matches. Let’s break it down.
New York
For me, this portion of the show was the absolute pits and it was that way basically from start to finish. The only really good thing about this was Ray Charles singing “America The Beautiful.” What an absolute legend. After that they open up with Don Muraco and Paul Orndorff going to a hideous double count-out. For a wrestling event, the opening match is so important as it sets the pace for the rest of the evening. That carries through even today. This was an omen of things to come. This match is also notable for a racist moment with Orndorff mocking Mr. Fuji’s eyes, which has been edited out of the WWE Network.
I did mostly enjoy Randy Savage vs. George Steele as the storyline was a lot of fun and one of those timeless ideas that could translate into any generation (see Otis and Mandy Rose of recent vintage). Still, the finish was awful, but it was great to see these three (Savage, Elizabeth, and Steele) in their primes. I also got a kick out of seeing a young Jake “The Snake” Roberts just starting his WWF run. Roberts ran over a nobody in George Wells, but his mannerisms and psychology were brilliant in what was a squash match.
As for that Boxing Match with Roddy Piper and Mr. T… ugh. That was New York’s main event. It was absolutely atrocious. Two non-boxers trying to have a worked boxing match… they were blown up by the end of the first round. Technique was embarrassing. Anyone with even a modicum of knowledge on boxing would be ashamed of this. Just awful all the way through. Piper himself even admitted this was the worst thing he ever did in his career. This is not one of those matches that gets better with time or becomes a cult classic. It was awful then, it’s awful now… let’s move on.
Chicago
This probably had the best card of the three just because I was not expecting much from that WWF vs. NFL Battle Royal.
It opened inauspiciously with The Fabulous Moolah, who got this title run by legitimately screwing WrestleMania I’s hero Wendi Richter in November 1985 (commonly referred to as the Original Screwjob), squashing Velvet McIntyre. Then we got an awful Flag Match with Corporal Kirchner (who in real life was an absolute psychopath – see what he did in Japan or read Mick Foley’s “Have a Nice Day”) going over on Nikolai Volkoff.
I think the WWF vs. NFL Battle Royal was a definite highlight. I think because of how poorly remembered this WrestleMania is, this kind of gets short changed. What happens in this match is nothing short of a miracle. You have a bunch of NFL players – some real legends in there, mind you – who have never done pro wrestling doing a battle royal… they seemed to take it seriously and most of them really got it. Bill Fralic particularly sticks out, as does Refrigerator Perry. Both guys were nothing short of awesome and if football didn’t work out for them (it most assuredly did), they probably could have each had a second career as pro wrestlers. Most celebrities that come in just do their job, collect their paycheck, and leave. These NFL guys, who were big enough that they didn’t really need to do this (though admittedly salaries then weren’t close to what they are now), treated it like it was a big deal and it came off that way. André of course won because he was the battle royal master, but the NFL guys showed up in a big way.
Another underrated gem from this show was the WWF Tag Team Title match with the British Bulldogs winning their only titles in the company. Hard to believe that’s actually true – this was their only reign. A fun match. Dynamite Kid was unreal in this with his speed and willingness to put his body on the line. Kid in particular lit himself up on the finish taking a bump off the second rope to the floor. It’s no wonder why his body eventually gave out on him. Everything was 150 mph. Also, Ozzy Osbourne was there!
Los Angeles
This portion opened up with Steamboat vs. Hernandez, which was the best of the three opening matches for this WrestleMania. Following that was something that rivals the Boxing Match as probably the worst matches in WrestleMania history: Uncle Elmer vs. Adrian Adonis. What in the world… Uncle Elmer wrestling on WrestleMania… this never should have happened. The Funks had a fun match with Santana and JYD. Terry Funk was an absolute wild man in this one and was literally all over the place. Lots of fun to watch.
The main event with Hogan and Bundy had some good build… but when they got in the cage it was just a regular Hogan match without a lot of drama. Hogan ran over Bundy easily and even got over on Heenan. Great story with Heenan (or sad depending on how you look at it) heading into this. This was around the time doctors discovered the vertebrae issue in his neck. Heenan was told if he wasn’t in Los Angeles for WM 2 he’d be fired. Heenan would fly from Tampa to LA, do the match and bump for Hogan at the end, and take a red eye back to the hospital in Tampa.
Overall they tried to think outside the box, but it missed in terms of putting on a coherent, entertaining WrestleMania show. For the most part, the celebrity involvement was a hinderance rather than a strength, which is the exact opposite of the previous year. The three city concept was a bomb as neither city had a main event that was really worth seeing or particularly good. Probably the most interesting thing about this show is it’s the only WrestleMania to be held on a Monday.
I hope you’re enjoying these retro recaps so far! For WrestleMania III, I’ll be adding in match thoughts as I recap them, much like how I do for our regular shows.
E-Mail – mike@wrestleview.com
Twitter – @MikeTedescoWV
Thanks for reading!