In this WrestleMania III review, Hulk Hogan squares off with Andre the Giant in the main event, Randy Savage and Ricky Steamboat put on a classic, and much more.
Let’s jump in.
- Show:Â WWF WrestleMania III
- Date:Â March 29, 1987
- Location:Â Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, MI
IN THE RING: Vince McMahon welcomes us to the Silverdome as the crowd of 18.4 billion people goes wild. Aretha Franklin then does the best rendition of America The Beautiful in WrestleMania history.
RINGSIDE: Gorilla Monsoon and Jesse Ventura are with Bob Uecker and Mary Hart. They kick off the festivities.
The Can-Am Connection vs. Don Muraco and Cowboy Bob Orton
The crowd is loving Rick Martel and Tom Zenk as they control the action early. Always love when the babyfaces get off to a great start in the first match because it’s a good way to gauge where the crowd is at right off the bat. Huge pop for the hot tag to Martel, and the babyfaces are on a roll. The double team action continues, and the crossbody does the job to give the Connection the win. An exciting way to start the show. (**1/2)
VIDEO: We see the events leading to Billy Jack Haynes vs. Hercules.
BACKSTAGE: Mean Gene Okerlund with Hercules and Bobby Heenan. Herc is here to kick Billy Jack’s ass.
Billy Jack Haynes vs. The Mighty Hercules (w/Bobby Heenan)
The entrance carts make their official debut, and those were just the best. This is being pushed as the battle of the Full Nelson. Haynes goes for it early, but Herc manages to reverse. Most of the match is Herc wearing down Haynes’ back, and there’s really not a whole lot more to it. You would think that would lead to a big babyface comeback for the win or the heel eventually being too strong to overcome.
Instead, after Haynes battles out of the Full Nelson, he gets a series of offense going before locking in his own Full Nelson. Then Hercules breaks it by going through the middle rope, and Haynes continues to hold on the Full Nelson which causes both men to get counted out. All about power in this match, but the finish sucked.
Things pick up after the match, as Herc takes the chain and busts Haynes wide open. You clearly see Haynes blading, and he’s bleeding profusely by the time Herc and Heenan leave the ring. (**)
BACKSTAGE: Gene with King Kong Bundy, Little Tokyo, and Lord Littlebrook. Quite a fall for Bundy from the WrestleMania II main event to this match.
BACKSTAGE: And now Gene is with Hillbilly Jim, Haiti Kid, and Little Beaver. Jim is gonna look out for his partners.
King Kong Bundy, Little Tokyo, and Lord Littlebrook vs. Hillbilly Jim, Haiti Kid, and Little Beaver
Uecker joining commentary for this match makes it even better. The big spot they work to is Bundy teasing squashing Kid and Beaver, but Jim gets the tag and takes Bundy down. They go for the pile pin and that doesn’t work. Eventually, Bundy has had enough and he slams Beaver and drops an elbow as the ref calls for the DQ. This was what it was. (1/2*)
BACKSTAGE: Mary is with Randy Savage and Elizabeth. Mary wants to talk to Elizabeth, and Savage doesn’t like that at all.
VIDEO: We recap the events leading to “King” Harley Race vs. The Junkyard Dog.
BACKSTAGE: Gene with Harley, Heenan, and Fabulous Moolah. Lots of royalty talk. Uecker wants a date with Moolah, so that’s a development. We transition to Gene with JYD, who says he’s gonna be wearing the crown.
“King” Harley Race (w/Bobby Heenan and Fabulous Moolah) vs. The Junkyard Dog – Loser Must Kneel And Bow Match
Quite a stipulation there. It’s all JYD at the start, with Harley bumping for him all over the place. I’ll never not love the JYD headbutts. The crowd seems to agree. Then, out of nowhere, a Heenan distraction allows Harley to hit a simple belly-to-belly suplex and he pins JYD for the win. Well, that was an abrupt finish. Of course, JYD won’t bow and he destroys Harley after the match. (1/2*)
BACKSTAGE: Vince with Hulk Hogan. He calls out the critics in the gym who think it’s his last ride, then rips his shirt off. ALL IN THE VITAMINS, BROTHER. He says the Hulkamaniacs don’t take any shortcuts, and Andre has to beat all of them to beat him.
BACKSTAGE: Gene with The Dream Team of Greg Valentine and Brutus Beefcake, plus Johnny Valiant and Dino Bravo. They yell about some stuff.
The Rougeau Brothers vs. The Dream Team (w/Johnny Valiant and Dino Bravo)
Two fun teams, though the Rougeaus don’t yet have their legendary theme music. Heenan makes his way to the commentary booth, and this has to be the best trio in commentary history. He runs down Haynes’ antics, then proceeds to say he “doesn’t deal with widgets.” The Brain was one of a kind.
The finish sees a hell of a double team move from the Rougeaus, which allows Bravo to sneak in while the referee is distracted and nail a Rougeau. That leads to Valentine getting the pin for the victory and after the match, Beefcake questions the interference. So his partners just leave him in the ring. Thus begins one of many character transformations for Beefcake. (*1/2)
VIDEO: Hype for the Roddy Piper vs. Adrian Adonis match.
BACKSTAGE: Gene with Adonis and Hart. They’re gonna clip Piper’s hair.
Adrian Adonis (w/Jimmy Hart) vs. Roddy Piper – Loser Gets His Head Shaved Match
Gorilla and Jesse remind us that Piper is leaving wrestling after the match, and I’d like to boldly predict that he’ll be back. Piper brings Hart in for the DOUBLE NOGGIN KNOCKER with Adonis. Gorilla’s call of that move never gets old. Then Piper wants more and throws Hart from the top onto Adonis. But Hart regroups and scoops Piper’s leg as Adonis goes on the attack.
More shenanigans from the heels to keep the upper hand and Adonis locks in the sleeper. Adonis thinks he has the match won, but here comes Beefcake to hand Piper the clippers. Piper locks in the sleeper and that’ll do it for the win. So there’s your official turn for Beefcake, and he shaves some of Adonis’ hair. Entertaining work from all parties in this one. (***, Recommended)
IN THE RING: Fink introduces Jesse as Gorilla pushes that he simply wanted to be announced to the crowd.
BACKSTAGE: Hart rants to Gene about his hatred for the British Bulldogs.
The Hart Foundation and Danny Davis (w/Jimmy Hart) vs. The British Bulldogs and Tito Santana
Matilda unleashes some frustration on Jimmy Hart before the bell rings, and Jimmy has been bumping like a wild man on this show. Even Uecker finds it obvious. Gorilla basically puts over Bret as the next big thing, so as usual, Gorilla was spot-on with his analysis. Mary Hart wants Dynamite to make a tag and can’t figure out why he’s not doing so. He’s getting his ass kicked, Mary! That’s why.
Davis with the cocky spot of coming in for a few quick shots on defenseless Dynamite before tagging back out. He tries to do it again but hot tag to Tito, and he runs wild. Bulldog hits a Tombstone on Davis like it’s a transitional move, which is pretty funny to think about given what that move would signify once The Undertaker made his mark.
We’ve got a BROUHAHA as the action breaks down, and somehow it’s Davis that scurries over and pins Bulldog for the win. Good action here as you would expect from these six. (**3/4)
BACKSTAGE: Gene with Andre and Heenan. Andre’s stoic stare in this segment is legendary. Heenan explains why Andre is gonna beat Hogan. This is a short but awesome way to build the importance of the main event.
Butch Reed (w/Slick) vs. Koko B. Ware
What a pop for Koko. Birds are over, brother. Jesse wants Jack Tunney to look into Koko’s taped hand, and once again, Jesse is the greatest. Reed controls most of the action until Koko fights back with a few near falls. But another near fall attempt on a cross body leads to Reed reversing it, and he grabs a handful of tights to score the win.
After the match, the heels try to continue the onslaught, but Tito runs out and makes the save. (*)
VIDEO: A recap of the events leading to Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat. OHHH YEAH!
BACKSTAGE: Savage taunts Steamboat and says he’s gonna embarrass him and put him out of wrestling. Then it’s Gene with Steamboat, who says it’s gonna be a clash of titans.
Ricky Steamboat (w/George “The Animal” Steele) vs. (c) Randy Savage (w/Elizabeth) – WWF Intercontinental Title
Strap in because HERE WE GO. It’s been several years since I’ve rewatched this match, and it’s always a fun one to revisit. What quickly stands out every time I watch it is that every move feels important. The psychology is just tremendous, and they work a back and forth style that sends the crowd on an emotional roller coaster.
Just when you think Savage has all the momentum, Steamboat mounts a comeback with a cross body into a near fall. Another thing that many people remember from this match is all the pinfall attempts which, again, only add to the drama and suspense. I love Savage trying to get Steamboat counted out by sending him into the front row. Yet another small detail that works wonders for the story.
Savage hits a pair of double axe handles, but Steamboat kicks out again. And he keeps kicking out after every big move. The babyface that gets knocked down time and time again and keeps getting up is foolproof storytelling. It just works.
The fans are biting on every pin, and they think Steamboat has it won but Savage sneaks the foot on the ropes at the last second. Another awesome series of pin attempts, and my goodness is this terrific. The crowd is trying everything they can to will Steamboat to victory.
Ref bump allows Savage to take control, and he hits the flying elbow but there’s no referee to count it. This also sends the crowd into a frenzy. Savage grabs the ring bell as Steele tries to take it away from him, and Steele manages to finally do it to send Savage flying. And that’s when Savage tries a body slam, but it’s Steamboat who reverses it into a small package to win the title.
It simply does not get much better than this in pro wrestling. The build to it made it seem like the most important match to date in both men’s careers, and they sold it to perfection. All the near fall attempts pushed the idea that both men were desperate (in a good way) to win the title and finally vanquish their rival.
I think that sometimes there is a tendency to believe that a match can only be perfect if it’s long. Savage vs. Steamboat was only 14 minutes and 35 seconds, but they managed to bring out so many emotions that fans were an emotional mess by the time it was over. Another tidbit that I loved: The post-match visual of watching a broken Savage riding on the cart with his head down. THAT is how you tell the story without saying a word.
I don’t rate matches based on what I think they should be to someone else. I rate matches based on what they are to me. And to me, this is still one of the best pieces of business I’ve even seen in wrestling. It’s a masterpiece. (*****, Legendary)
BACKSTAGE: Gene with Jake Roberts and Alice Cooper. They look back at Honky Tonky Man beating Jake with a guitar. Then it’s Gene with Honky and Jimmy Hart, and they’re as obnoxious as ever.
Jake “The Snake” Roberts (w/Alice Cooper) vs. The Honky Tonk Man (/Jimmy Hart)
Give the crowd credit. They just saw a classic, and they’re still as hot as they were when this show started. Two great WWF characters in this match, and that’s why this is such a memorable show. It’s not that all the matches are classic, but they all feature a blistering crowd and clearly-defined babyface and heel character that play well off of each other.
That’s what you had throughout this match. Eventually, Jimmy gets involved, and that’s where Honky takes advantage and uses the ropes for leverage to notch the pin for the win. The real payoff comes after the match, where Jake holds Jimmy, and he and Alice throw the snake on him. (**)
IN THE RING: Fink invites Gene into the ring, and he gets a HUGE pop and fans start chanting his name. Give me this crowd forever. Gene announces the indoor attendance record of 93,173. Little did Gene know how much this announcement would be debated by people around the world for decades to come.
The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff (w/Slick) vs. The Killer BeesÂ
The greatest part about this is Slick comes out wearing his torn shirt after getting it ripped by Tito. That’s true dedication to the character! There is trash all over the ring before the match starts due to Volkoff singing the Russian national anthem. Here comes Hacksaw Jim Duggan to save America and my goodness does the man get a pop.
This was pretty much your typical letdown match before a much-anticipated main event. These four worked hard and put together a solid tag team match. Sheik locks in the Camel Clutch, so Hacksaw figures he’ll just come in and hit him with a 2×4 to cost the Bees the match. Jesse loves giving Hacksaw shit after he does stuff like that. It’s hilarious. (*)
BACKSTAGE: Gene with Andre and Heenan. Andre is gonna take the title from Hogan.
VIDEO: We recap the events leading to Hogan vs. Andre, including the brotherly love between Hogan and Andre before Andre turns to the dark side. Hogan’s dramatic YESSSSS when Piper asks him about facing Andre at WrestleMania is never not funny.
BACKSTAGE: Gene with Hogan. He’s as hulked up as ever.
IN THE RING: Fink introduces Uecker as the special ring announcer, and he brings in Mary Hart as the special timekeeper.
Andre the Giant (w/Bobby Heenan) vs. (c) Hulk Hogan – WWF Title
It’s a small thing, but I love Hogan walking down the aisle like he would for any other entrance. HULKAMANIA doesn’t need a cart, brother! The Irresistible Force meets The Immovable Object. Let’s get it on. This is one of those defining matches in wrestling history, and I still think it’s the biggest match WWE has ever done.
Hogan immediately going for the bodyslam and his back giving out was a nice touch, since that allows Andre to work on the back for the entire match. Listen, by no means is this a technical masterpiece. But anyone rating it like it should be is doing it wrong. This is all about star power and story, which is perfectly acceptable when it’s a match involving two of the biggest attractions in the history of the sport.
There’s no doubt that Andre was extremely limited in what he could do physically, but I thought he still managed to pull off the most important spots in the match. Would a long bearhug work by today’s standards? No. But does it work for Andre, whose primary goal was to crush Hogan and destroy his back? Sure it does.
Every time Hogan tries to thwart Andre, it’s Andre who uses his size and power to stop Hogan’s offense. And then comes the climax, where Hogan finally knocks Andre to his feet and the crowd fucking loves it. From there, Hogan slams Andre and hits the big boot to earn the victory.
It’s a match that’s built around a few big moments, but what I always enjoy about it is it didn’t try to be something it shouldn’t be. Throw out any debate for the star ratings on this one because they don’t matter. Just an incredible spectacle that went way beyond a wrestling match, and it led to the biggest primetime audience in wrestling history for the rematch in 1988. (** for the match, ***** for the spectacle)
BLAKE’S TAKE ON WRESTLEMANIA III
Recommended Matches:Â Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat (*****), Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant (***** spectacle), Adrian Adonis vs. Roddy Piper (***)
Overall Rating: 9.0/10
Thoughts: The thing about a great wrestling show is that it’s all about fan expectations. As a fan, I don’t expect every match on the card to be a 5-star classic. It’s all about the ebb and flow, in addition to the nostalgia, the characters, and the storylines. This show gave me everything I wanted as a fan. You had a wrestling classic, a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle, and a host of memorable characters. For my money, WrestleMania III is one of the best WrestleManias of all time.
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