Surprise Name Came Up With WWE WrestleMania 1 Main Event

A wrestler known for being controversial came up with the idea that WWE used for WrestleMania 1.

In the main event of WWE’s first WrestleMania event in 1985, Hulk Hogan & Mr. T teamed up to beat “Rowdy” Roddy Piper & “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff in the main event.

Rather than go with Hogan defending the WWE Championship in the main event, the company opted for a tag team match featuring Mr. T, who was a popular actor from the Rocky 3 movie and also from the A-Team television show.

While speaking to Undisputed’s Justin Barrasso, Hulk Hogan revealed that the original plan involved another wrestler.

“The main event of WrestleMania at Madison Square Garden, that was David Schultz’s idea. It was his original idea for WrestleMania.

“It all started with David’s idea. It didn’t turn out that way, but that’s how it started.”

David Schulz was known as a tough wrestler whose career was tarnished when he slapped ABC’s 20/20 reporter John Stossel in the head during an encounter in 1984 because Stossel spoke about wrestling being fake. While Schulz apologized for it, that’s a moment that stuck with him forever.

According to Hogan, Schulz’s WWE run ended when he decided to do his own angle with Mr. T and former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon didn’t approve of it.

“David shot his own angle when he slapped Mr. T. Vince was so damn mad. He wouldn’t forgive him, and that was the end of him.”

Hogan went on to summarize by saying that Vince used Schulz’s idea, but he replaced him with Orndorff and that’s what we saw at WrestleMania 1.

Mr T. Made WWE WrestleMania 1 A Success According To Hulk Hogan

During a 2023 interview, WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan credited Mr. T for the important role that he played in terms of making WrestleMania 1 a successful show.

“You know, when you talk about how important Mr. T is. This company made a quick pivot it made a quick transition from the wrestling business to the entertainment business. To not have Mr. T in the Hall of Fame would be not right at all. I mean, he was the guy that we used as a pivotal point to point this ship in the right direction the whole WWE Universe rested on his back and we didn’t even know it.

When he came into this barbaric wrestling world. Piper didn’t want him in the ring. I can tell you firsthand, that Orndorff didn’t like him they did not want an actor in our business.”

Everything turned out okay while Hogan, Piper, Orndoff and even Mr. T have been inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.