The road to WrestleMania 31 is in full swing and throughout the years the biggest event on the WWE calendar has shaped careers, provided memories that will last a lifetime and has been a showcase for the greatest matches in the history of the company.
Countdown to WrestleMania 31: 3 Best Moments From WrestleMania I
Over the next month, Sports World News will delve into each of the first 30 WrestleMania events and reflect on the best moments in each edition of the landmark show.
After two successful ventures, Vince McMahon got bold in 1987 and once again topped himself by assembling the biggest card in the history of professional wrestling for WrestleMania III. The event took place in front of a jam-packed crowd at the Pontiac Silverdome in Michigan on March 29, 1987.
Countdown to WrestleMania 31: 3 Best Moments From WrestleMania 2
A crowd of allegedly 93,173 fans -- the exact number has been disputed, but the place was filled to capacity -- showed up to the Silverdome to watch what at the time was set to be the biggest main event in the history of professional wrestling. This is still regarded as one of the biggest shows in WWE history and helped lead to what WrestleMania is today.
Here are our top 3 moments from WrestleMania III:
3) The Barber is Born: Brutus Beefcake entered the Silverdome as part of a heel tag team, but he would leave Michigan that afternoon as a babyface singles wrestler, launching a character that would carry him through the rest of his days in the WWE.
Beefcake was teaming with Greg "The Hammer" Valentine as part of The Dream Team and the two took on The Rougeau Brothers in the fifth match on the card.
The Dream Team was able to win the match with help from Dino Bravo, but not after Beefcake almost caused his team to lose with a crucial mistake. Following the win, Valentine, Bravo and manager Luscious Johnny V left the arena without Beefcake, in an apparent breakup of the team.
Beefcake would re-emerge in the sixth match when "Rowdy" Roddy Piper wrestled in what at the time was billed as his farewell match against "Adorable" Adrian Adonis.
Beefcake, a known heel at the time, came out to help Piper after he was knocked out and then helped him cut Adonis' hair after Piper won the Hair vs. Hair match, creating his babyface barber gimmick.
2) Steamboat, Savage Steal the Show: This could easily be No. 1 and should be considered No. 1B instead of 2. "Macho Man" Randy Savage and Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat put on a meticulously planned wrestling clinic in their nearly 15-minute match that had the fans on their edge of their seats with heart-stopping near falls.
The two waged war over the Intercontinental Championship in what to this day -- nearly 30 years later -- is still regarded as one of the best wrestling matches in history.
Savage and Steamboat provided what up to this point was the greatest WrestleMania match of all time, and proved that the "Show of Shows" could be more than just a one-match event.
In the end, Steamboat reversed his heel opponent's attempt of a bodyslam into a small package for the three count to end the 414-day title reign for Randy Savage. The match was a masterpiece and a back-and-forth affair.
This was an instant classic that still holds up to this day.
1) The Slam Heard 'Round the World: While Savage and Steamboat provided the best match on the card, none of that would be possible if 93,000 plus fans didn't pack the arena to watch the biggest main event ever up to that point: Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant for the WWE Championship.
While the match itself doesn't hold a candle to Steamboat and Savage from an athletic and storytelling standpoint, the drama of whether or not Hogan could retain his title against his much larger adversary who had never been pinned sold this match as must-see.
This match was so anxiously awaited in fact, that it led to this pay-per-view being a huge financial success and helped shape the course of the WWE.
Andre waited 15 years for his title shot, and almost took advantage with a gut-wrenching near fall early on in the match.
The two Superstars clashed until Hogan finally slammed the Giant -- something he failed to do earlier in the match -- and pinned his shoulders to the mat just over 12 minutes in to a raucous reaction from the fans.
It was the biggest main event in history, and helped WrestleMania become what it is today.
Looking Ahead: This event was huge, but it would lead to a lot of drama surrounding the WWE Championship over the next year. This set up a tournament for the vacant WWE Championship as the WWE doubled down with the first of back-to-back WrestleManias in Atlantic City, N.J.
Rank-O-Mania: As we go through each year, we will rank each WrestleMania as they come along. Up to this point, WrestleMania was good, but this was the first truly great event which makes it the best out of the first three.
1) WrestleMania III
2) WrestleMania I
3) WrestleMania 2
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