List of All Matches at WrestleMania III

The Can-Am Connection vs. Bob Orton and Don Muraco

Tag Team Match — Opening Match | Time: 5:37

WrestleMania III opened with a spirited tag team contest pitting the fresh-faced babyface duo of Rick Martel and Tom Zenk — collectively known as The Can-Am Connection — against the villainous pairing of 'Cowboy' Bob Orton and 'The Magnificent' Don Muraco, managed by the devious Mr. Fuji. The Can-Am Connection was one of the most exciting new tag teams in the WWF at the time, combining Martel's veteran technical excellence with Zenk's athleticism and youthful energy. Orton, fresh from his manager/associate role in previous WrestleManias, stepped back into active competition here. The match moved at a brisk pace, befitting an opening bout designed to ignite the enormous Silverdome crowd of nearly 100,000 fans. After 5:37 of action, the Can-Am Connection secured the victory with a pinfall — the clean win sending a clear message to the capacity crowd that the babyfaces were going to have a strong night. The victory was a feel-good moment that set the tone perfectly for the event's early minutes. Result: Can-Am Connection win by pinfall. Time: 5:37.

Billy Jack Haynes vs. Hercules — Full Nelson Challenge

Singles Match — Full Nelson Submission Challenge | Time: 7:44

The second match on the card was a Full Nelson Challenge between Billy Jack Haynes and Hercules, who was managed to the ring by the cunning Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan. The genesis of this feud was uniquely competitive — Heenan had spent months taunting Haynes by insisting that Hercules was the true master of the Full Nelson, Haynes' signature submission finisher. The slight was simple but effective: challenging a man's identity by claiming someone else does his own move better. On the January 17, 1987 episode of WWF Superstars of Wrestling, Hercules attacked Haynes and applied his own Full Nelson, escalating the rivalry to its WrestleMania flashpoint. The match itself was a hard-hitting, physical battle between two genuinely powerful men. Haynes managed to lock in his Full Nelson on Hercules in the closing moments — threatening to submit the submission specialist at his own game — but Hercules refused to tap and dragged himself toward the ropes. Both men collapsed to the arena floor during the hold and were unable to beat the referee's count, resulting in a double countout. The inconclusive finish frustrated the crowd but maintained the rivalry's competitive logic. Result: Double Countout. Time: 7:44.

Hillbilly Jim, Haiti Kid, and Little Beaver vs. King Kong Bundy, Little Tokyo, and Lord Littlebrook

Six-Man Mixed Tag Match | Time: 4:26

One of the most unique matches in WrestleMania history — a six-man mixed tag pitting full-size wrestler Hillbilly Jim alongside midget wrestlers Haiti Kid and Little Beaver against the full-size King Kong Bundy partnered with midget wrestlers Little Tokyo and Lord Littlebrook. The match was a decidedly light-hearted interlude designed to provide levity in the middle of the card, and the capacity Silverdome crowd embraced the spectacle with warm enthusiasm. Little Beaver — a beloved veteran midget wrestler with decades of experience — was the star of the match, using speed and misdirection to torment the enormous King Kong Bundy at every opportunity. The decisive and most memorable moment came when Bundy — enraged by Beaver's antics — grabbed the much smaller performer and bodyslammed him to the canvas with full force, flattening him completely. The referee immediately disqualified Bundy and his team for the illegal attack on the smaller competitor, giving Hillbilly Jim's team the victory by disqualification. Bundy's giant-on-midget assault shocked the crowd and became one of the most talked-about moments of the entire event. Result: Hillbilly Jim, Haiti Kid, and Little Beaver win by DQ. Time: 4:26.

King Harley Race vs. Junkyard Dog — Loser Must Bow Match

Singles Match — Loser Must Bow Stipulation | Time: 4:22

The fourth match of the evening featured a uniquely stipulated contest: King Harley Race — managed by Bobby Heenan and accompanied by The Fabulous Moolah — took on the beloved and enormously popular Junkyard Dog in a match where the loser was contractually required to bow to the winner. Race's 'King' gimmick, launched after winning the WWF Wrestling Classic tournament, required him to force defeated opponents to kneel and bow after his victories — a practice enforced by Heenan grabbing the defeated man's hair. Junkyard Dog had loudly and publicly refused to bow to anyone, making this stipulation personal and meaningful. The match itself saw Race take extraordinary bumps — genuinely throwing himself into the action with the reckless abandon of a 20-year veteran who had nothing left to prove physically. Despite Dog's enormous crowd support, Race ultimately secured the victory after Heenan distracted Dog at the critical moment, allowing Race to hit his Belly-to-Belly Suplex for the pin. Per the stipulation, a reluctant and humiliated Junkyard Dog performed a brief bow — then immediately grabbed a steel chair and struck Race with it in defiant retaliation. The crowd erupted in satisfaction at Dog's act of rebellion. Result: King Harley Race wins by pinfall. Time: 4:22.

The Dream Team vs. The Rougeau Brothers

Tag Team Match | Time: 4:03

The fifth match saw WWF Tag Team Champions The Dream Team — Brutus Beefcake and Greg 'The Hammer' Valentine, managed by 'Luscious' Johnny Valiant and accompanied by Dino Bravo — take on the colourful and athletic Rougeau Brothers, Jacques and Raymond. This was a non-title match, and while the Rougeau Brothers put up a spirited and athletic challenge, The Dream Team controlled the match with veteran poise and physical dominance. The match is historically notable for what happened after it — rather than during it. In the post-match period, Brutus Beefcake and Greg Valentine had a falling out. Dino Bravo had been increasingly aligning himself with Beefcake throughout the build to WrestleMania III, and Valentine's resentment of this arrangement had been building. After the match was over, the partnership between Valentine and Beefcake — The Dream Team — effectively dissolved, with the seeds of Beefcake's impending babyface turn clearly visible. Result: The Dream Team win by pinfall. Time: 4:03.

Jake 'The Snake' Roberts vs. The Honky Tonk Man

Singles Match | Time: approx. 7:00

The feud between Jake Roberts and The Honky Tonk Man was one of the most chaotically constructed on the WrestleMania III card — and one of the most consequential in terms of career trajectory for both men. The rivalry began on an episode of Jake Roberts' talk show segment, The Snake Pit, where The Honky Tonk Man appeared as a guest. Without warning, Honky picked up an acoustic guitar and smashed it over Roberts' head and back — an act of unprovoked violence that turned Roberts babyface essentially overnight, as the crowd rallied to his side. The backstage reality was darker: the guitar shot caused legitimate nerve damage to Roberts' neck, and he wrestled the WrestleMania III match with real physical consequences. Despite his injuries, Roberts competed and the two men put on a solid mid-card contest. Roberts had Honky in his signature DDT position at one point, but Jimmy Hart distracted the referee. Alice Faye — Honky's valet — then grabbed Roberts' snake bag, and the distraction allowed Honky to escape and secure the cheap pin. Result: The Honky Tonk Man wins. Time: approx. 7:00.

Roddy Piper vs. 'Adorable' Adrian Adonis — Hair vs. Hair Match

Hair vs. Hair Retirement Match — Roddy Piper's Retirement | Time: 6:14

One of the most emotionally charged matches of the entire event and the final match of Roddy Piper's active in-ring career — at least for this era. Piper, who had been one of the WWF's most iconic and beloved characters since arriving in 1984, had announced that WrestleMania III would be his final match before departing for Hollywood. His opponent was 'Adorable' Adrian Adonis — the flamboyant, effeminate heel character managed by Jimmy Hart who had taken over Piper's Pit segment and renamed it the Flower Shop. Adonis had mocked and demeaned everything Piper stood for, making this the most personal rivalry of Roddy's career heading into his farewell. The Hair vs. Hair stipulation meant the loser would have his head shaved. Adonis was already partly bald — having gained significant weight since his biker character days — but Piper's instantly recognisable flowing hair was his most iconic physical trait, making the stakes genuinely high. Piper dominated early but Adonis came back with his Goodnight Irene sleeper hold, genuinely appearing to knock Piper unconscious. But Brutus Beefcake — in his first significant babyface act — ran to ringside and woke Piper with smelling salts. The Hot Rod rallied, applied his own sleeper, and submitted Adonis to win his farewell match. Post-match, Piper, Beefcake, and others shaved Adonis' head while the 93,000-strong crowd roared in celebratory approval. It was a perfect farewell to one of professional wrestling's greatest characters. Result: Roddy Piper wins by submission. Time: 6:14.

Hart Foundation and Danny Davis vs. British Bulldogs and Tito Santana

Six-Man Tag Team Match | Time: 8:51

The seventh match on the card was a six-man tag team bout rooted in months of carefully constructed WWF storyline continuity. The Hart Foundation — Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart, managed by Jimmy Hart — had won the WWF Tag Team Championship from the British Bulldogs on January 26, 1987, in a match marred by the crooked officiating of referee Danny Davis, who had been secretly working with Jimmy Hart throughout the build. Davis had used his position as referee to count fast for heels and slow for babyfaces in multiple important matches, and his role in the Bulldogs losing the championship prompted WWF President Jack Tunney to ban Davis from ever refereeing again. Tito Santana joined the Bulldogs' team because Davis had also officiated the match where Randy Savage had cheated to defeat Santana for the Intercontinental Championship previously — making this a shared grudge. The Dynamite Kid was in severely compromised physical condition for this match, suffering from a serious back injury so debilitating that he had to be virtually carried to the ring by Davey Boy Smith. Despite Dynamite's limitations, the match told a compelling story of righteous vengeance against a corrupt system. However, the heels ultimately prevailed with Bret Hart pinning one of the Bulldogs to secure the win. Post-match, the Bulldogs and Santana continued assaulting Davis, who took a memorable beating as retribution for his corrupt officiating. Result: Hart Foundation and Danny Davis win by pinfall. Time: 8:51.

'The Natural' Butch Reed vs. Koko B. Ware

Singles Match | Time: 3:44

The eighth match paired the powerful and arrogant 'The Natural' Butch Reed — managed by the flamboyant Slick — against the fan-favourite Koko B. Ware, accompanied by his beloved macaw Frankie. Reed was portrayed as an enormous physical specimen with platinum-blond hair and tremendous athletic credentials, while Koko brought crowd-pleasing energy, a distinctive ring entrance, and genuine technical ability to the contest. The match served as a showcase for Reed's power and Slick's scheming, with Reed controlling the majority of the action. After 3:44, Reed secured the pinfall victory in dominant fashion, further establishing himself as a serious heel threat on the WWF roster. Result: Butch Reed wins by pinfall. Time: 3:44.

Randy 'Macho Man' Savage vs. Ricky 'The Dragon' Steamboat — WWF Intercontinental Championship

IC Title Match — One of the Greatest Matches in Wrestling History | Time: 14:35

The match that stole WrestleMania III from the main event — and is widely considered one of the single greatest professional wrestling matches ever performed. Randy 'Macho Man' Savage, the Intercontinental Champion, defended his title against Ricky 'The Dragon' Steamboat in the climax of a six-month feud that had been building with meticulous, emotionally devastating precision since October 1986. The origin: during a television match, Savage attacked Steamboat at ringside, shoving him into the security rail and then climbing to the top rope to drop the ring bell directly onto Steamboat's exposed throat. The brutal assault hospitalised Steamboat, who was reported to have suffered a crushed larynx, requiring months of rehabilitation. The feud was kept alive on WWF programming through backstage vignettes of Steamboat learning to speak again, appearing mute at ringside to generate sympathy, and the ongoing subplot of George 'The Animal' Steele's infatuation with Savage's wife Miss Elizabeth — a love triangle that gave the rivalry additional human depth. When Steamboat finally returned to action and pointed to WrestleMania III as the night of reckoning, 93,000 fans were fully invested. The match itself was a masterclass in professional wrestling storytelling and athletic execution. Both men were 34 years old and operating at the absolute peak of their physical and psychological craft. Referee Dave Hebner was personally requested by Savage, who instructed him to always dive to the mat on near-falls, forcing both performers to actively get their shoulders up and increasing the realism of every pinfall attempt. The result was 22 documented near-falls — a number unprecedented in WWF television history at the time — creating sustained, almost unbearable tension that had the capacity crowd on their feet for nearly the entire 14 minutes. The decisive sequence began when Savage retrieved the ring bell — the same weapon he had used to injure Steamboat months earlier — in a moment of delicious narrative symmetry. Steele intervened to stop the illegal use of the weapon. Savage swung at Steele but missed, landing awkwardly on the bell and hurting his own back. Steamboat immediately rolled Savage into a small package inside cradle and covered for the three-count. The Pontiac Silverdome exploded. Ricky Steamboat was the new Intercontinental Champion. The match was voted 1987 Match of the Year by both the Wrestling Observer Newsletter and Pro Wrestling Illustrated. Mean Gene Okerlund later called it 'the very best match I have ever seen in 46 years in this business.' It remains a foundational text for every subsequent generation of professional wrestlers. Result: Ricky Steamboat wins — NEW WWF Intercontinental Champion. Time: 14:35.

'Rowdy' Roddy Piper and Bob Orton vs. Adrian Adonis and Brutus Beefcake — No, wait: Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff vs. Demolition

NOTE: The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff Segment

Before the main events of the evening, 'Hacksaw' Jim Duggan interrupted Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff's traditional Soviet National Anthem singing segment — chasing both men from the ring with his trusty 2x4 board and declaring that Volkoff would never again sing that anthem on American soil. The crowd erupted in patriotic joy. The segment was a brief but memorable pre-match interruption that generated enormous crowd heat and kept the nationalist storylines of the era firmly alive heading into the main events.

Hulk Hogan vs. André the Giant — WWF World Heavyweight Championship

Main Event — WWF World Heavyweight Championship | Time: 12:01

The main event of WrestleMania III was the most anticipated match in professional wrestling history up to that point — and by almost any commercial and cultural metric, it delivered. Hulk Hogan, the WWF World Heavyweight Champion for nearly three years, defended his title against his longtime friend turned nemesis André the Giant in a collision that transcended professional wrestling and entered the mainstream consciousness of America. The heel turn that made this match possible was executed on a February 7, 1987 episode of Wrestling Challenge during a Piper's Pit segment. WWF President Jack Tunney had presented Hogan with a trophy celebrating three years as WWF Champion. André came out, ostensibly to congratulate his friend. But after a week of mysterious Jesse Ventura hints, André reappeared the following week — alongside Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan as his new manager. André ripped Hogan's t-shirt. He tore the crucifix necklace from Hogan's neck. And he challenged the Hulkster to a title match at WrestleMania III. The betrayal was utterly devastating precisely because André had been the most reliably heroic presence in WWF for years — a beloved gentle giant. His alignment with Heenan transformed him into the most monstrous and credible opponent Hogan had ever faced. André entered WrestleMania III with a claimed 15-year undefeated streak across professional wrestling. He was billed at 7 feet 4 inches and 520 pounds — and in 1987, those figures seemed entirely believable. The match itself was worked around the central dramatic question: can Hulk Hogan bodyslam the biggest man in the history of the sport? Approximately one minute into the contest, Hogan attempted to slam André but could not complete the lift. André collapsed on top of him, nearly winning the match in the most shocking fashion imaginable — a near-fall that paralysed the Silverdome with terrified silence. The match progressed with André working Hogan methodically, a bear hug that tested the champion's resolve, and Hogan's legendary ability to absorb punishment and survive. The turning point came when André tried a big boot that Hogan ducked. Hogan came off the ropes with a clothesline that knocked André off his feet — the first time the Giant had gone down in the entire match. Then, in the most iconic single moment in WrestleMania history, Hulk Hogan reached down, grabbed the 520-pound André the Giant, and hoisted him off the canvas — bodyslamming him in the centre of the ring. The Pontiac Silverdome shook. Ninety-three thousand people reached a simultaneous moment of transcendent disbelief. Hogan hit the ropes, dropped his signature leg drop, and covered for the three-count. André the Giant's undefeated streak was over. Hogan's championship reign continued. Pay-per-view revenues for the event were estimated at $10.3 million — a record that stood for years. Result: Hulk Hogan retains WWF World Heavyweight Championship. Time: 12:01.