Join skysports.com as we look back at the early development of 'The Grandest Stage Of Them All'.
Join skysports.com as we review 'Mania's illustrious history
From its inauguration on March 31, 1985, to date, WrestleMania has gone on to prove the pinnacle for the sports entertainment industry.
Hulk Hogan, Andre The Giant, Ultimate Warrior, Bret 'The Hitman' Hart and 'Macho Man' Randy Savage made themselves legends in the ring and have gone on to provide us with some of the most iconic moments in the business.
Add to that the contributions of the world's biggest stars from Muhammad Ali to Alice Cooper and you have a heady mix.
So join us now as we take a look back at the history of the event, starting with WrestleManias I to VIII.
WRESTLEMANIA I
It all began at Madison Square Garden, in New York City, with appearances from the likes of Muhammad Ali, Liberace, the Rockettes and Cyndi Lauper setting the trend for celebrity cameos that followed.
It was fitting perhaps then that A-Team star Mr T should headline the main event in a formidable tag-team partnership with The Real American Hogan.
The duo formed a superbly effective alliance to triumph over 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper and 'Mr Wonderful' Paul Orndorff as 'The Grandaddy Of Them All' made its historic bow.
The show was also notable for King Kong Bundy's stunning nine-second annihilation of S.D. Jones and Andre The Giant's Bodyslam Challenge triumph over his nemesis 'Big' John Studd to earn the $15,000 cash prize, which he promptly began distributing to the rapturous New York crowd.
WRESTLEMANIA II
The late great Ray Charles provided a memorable rendition of
America The Beautiful to open the second edition of wrestling's crowning jewel, which also featured Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne backing the British Bulldogs.
Hulkamania ran wild once more as WWE champion Hogan retained his title in a Steel Cage Match that the portly Bundy never really stood any chance of climbing out of.
NFL and WWE superstars battled it out in a 20-man Battle Royal match of machismo with hometown hero William 'The Refrigerator' Perry eliminating Big John Studd to clear the way for Andre The Giant to win.
Mr T was also back to conquer Hot Rod once more, this time in a boxing bout that saw Piper disqualified when losing patience with his pugilist foe and delivering a bodyslam.
WRESTLEMANIA III
The third edition of 'Mania set the bar for professional wrestling both in and out of the squared-circle, with a record 93,173-strong crowd packed into the Pontiac Silverdome, Michigan, to witness perhaps the most iconic moment in WWE history.
Not even the sight of Jake 'The Snake' Roberts and shock rocker Alice Cooper draping Damian over the Honky Tonk Man's manager Jimmy Hart could come close.
Instead it was the most eagerly-anticipated match ever in the world of sports entertainment between the unstoppable force Hogan and the immovable object Andre for the WWE Championship that stole the show.
The sight of the Hulkster summoning up superhuman strength to lift the Eighth Wonder of the World into the air before executing the bodyslam has become seared into the memory of every wrestling fan and provided a fitting finish to a truly momentous spectacle.
WRESTLEMANIA IV
Having been gazumped by Hogan in his outstandingly fluid match against Ricky 'The Dragon' Steamboat the year before, it was now time for Macho Man to step up and prove himself headlining The Grandest Stage Of Them All.
Bad News Brown had overcome Bret Hart to win the 20-man Battle Royal at the top of the show and Ultimate Warrior had made his pay-per-view debut beating powerhouse Hercules.
But Savage topped the bill after reaching the final of a tournament for the vacant WWE championship belt.
And with last year's headliners Andre The Giant and the Hulkster already eliminated, Macho Man went on to deliver the Savage Elbow from the top rope for his breakthrough success against 'The Million Dollar Man' Ted DiBiase.
WRESTLEMANIA V
Hogan and Savage went on to form one of the most powerful tag teams in WWE history - The Mega Powers - but their domination was to prove short-lived as Macho Man became paranoid about the honourableness of his team-mate's intentions towards his partner Miss Elizabeth.
Savage's joy was to be short-lived, therefore, as The Mega Powers exploded at the top of the bill in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Consumed by jealousy, the reigning WWE champion used all manner of dastardly tactics, including using Miss Elizabeth as a shield, before coming to the brink of victory.
A Savage Elbow had looked to have won the bout for the champion, but the challenger hulked up and his trademark big boot and leg drop did the rest.
WRESTLEMANIA VI
Andre The Giant might have lost his tag-team title with Haku to Demolition in Toronto, but he went out on a high by laying out his reviled manager Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan on what was to be his final fight on The Grandest Stage Of Them All.
The Rockers, featuring a certain Shawn Michaels, also made their 'Mania debut, but it was the meeting between two of the federation's most revered superstars that stole the show in a winner-takes-all encounter at the SkyDome.
The bout between WWE champion Hogan and Intercontinental champion Ultimate Warrior lived up to the hype in front of a torn Canadian crowd.
Hogan had the match won with the referee knocked out, but ended a gracious loser after a second Splash from the Warrior sealed his stunning success.
WRESTLEMANIA VII
Hogan continued his run as a headliner with victory over Iraqi sympathiser and then WWE champion Sgt Slaughter in Los Angeles.
Slaughter had stunned the WWE universe by beating Ultimate Warrior at the Royal Rumble but, even with his evil ally Colonel Mustafa in the corner, could do nothing from stopping The Real American reclaiming his gold.
Macho Man and The Warrior went head-to-head in a thrilling match that graced the undercard, meanwhile, with the Warrior somehow kicking out of four elbow drops from the top rope before hitting his Gorilla Press Slam and Splash en route to glory.
The Undertaker also got his 16-0 undefeated WrestleMania streak up and running with a clinical triumph over 'Superfly' Jimmy Snuka that was to set the precedent for the years that followed.
WRESTLEMANIA VIII
Reunited with his former beau Miss Elizabeth, Savage went on to defeat the Nature Boy Ric Flair in a bitter battle for the WWE Championship in Indiana.
It was fitting then that the first lady of WWE should play a vital role in helping her man overcome the bloodied Naitch, and his underhand aide Mr Perfect, to return to the summit of the sports entertainment industry.
Savage's former Mega Powers partner Hogan was also in action again with a disqualification victory over Sycho Sid as the Ultimate Warrior made a shock return to the squared-circle in defence of his outnumbered WrestleMania VI opponent.
The Excellence of Execution Bret Hart came out on top against the Hot Rod for the Intercontinental championship, meanwhile.
