| 1 | WM1 Happened on Easter Sunday — Coincidentally March 31, 1985 Was Easter Sunday WrestleMania I took place on Easter Sunday, March 31, 1985 — a fact that was reportedly unplanned. The holiday date may have contributed to MSG's near-sellout as families sought entertainment options for the Easter weekend. | WM1 was held on Easter Sunday | Reportedly unplanned — coincidental holiday alignment |
| 2 | Gene Okerlund Sang the National Anthem AND Did Interviews Double Duty for Mean Gene Gene Okerlund performed the national anthem at the opening of WrestleMania I AND conducted backstage interviews throughout the evening — the only person in WrestleMania history to perform the national anthem at the event they were simultaneously working. | Only WM where the show's own backstage interviewer sang t... | — |
| 3 | Vince McMahon Personally Mortgaged His House to Fund WM1 WM1 Was a Genuine Financial Gamble Vince McMahon reportedly mortgaged his house and put his personal finances on the line to fund WrestleMania I — convinced the event would succeed despite advisors urging him not to proceed. The event's success saved WWE and launched a billion-dollar franchise. | McMahon mortgaged his home to finance WM1 | — |
| 4 | Main Event Used Two Non-Wrestlers as Key Figures Ali (Enforcer) and Liberace (Timekeeper) in Main Event Roles The WrestleMania I main event used Muhammad Ali as outside enforcer and Liberace as timekeeper — two of the most famous entertainers alive in 1985 in official match roles. This level of mainstream celebrity involvement has never been replicated at any subsequent WrestleMania. | Main event had the greatest celebrity-in-official-roles c... | — |
| 5 | King Kong Bundy Match Was Officially 9 Seconds — But Wasn't The Lie That Became History The announcer officially called the King Kong Bundy vs. S.D. Jones match at 9 seconds, but the actual elapsed time on recordings is approximately 25 seconds. The billed time of 9 seconds is now accepted as the official record despite being factually inaccurate. | WM1's shortest match was announced at 9 seconds but laste... | — |
| 6 | Two Different Theme Songs Were Used Phil Collins Opens — Axel F Closes WrestleMania I used two completely different popular songs — opening with Phil Collins & Philip Bailey's 'Easy Lover' and closing with Harold Faltermeyer's 'Axel F' from Beverly Hills Cop. No subsequent WrestleMania has used a different closing theme from its opening theme. | WM1 used two different theme songs — one for opening and ... | — |
| 7 | The Fabulous Moolah Had Dual Involvement at WM1 Lost Women's Title Through Leilani Kai at WM1 The Fabulous Moolah appeared at WM1 as the manager of Leilani Kai (the reigning Women's Champion) — effectively making Moolah the heel authority figure in a title she had held for decades, working against the Wendi Richter babyface push. | Moolah appeared as Kai's manager at WM1 — effectively wor... | — |
| 8 | WM1 Was NOT Listed as WWE's First PPV — The Wrestling Classic Was Technical PPV Classification Quirk Despite being broadcast on PPV in limited markets, WWE officially classifies The Wrestling Classic (November 7, 1985) as their first pay-per-view event — not WrestleMania I. This is because WM1 was primarily a closed-circuit event, not a traditional home PPV broadcast. | WWE's first official PPV is listed as The Wrestling Class... | — |
| 9 | Andre Tried to Give $15,000 to the Fans After Winning Heenan Stole the Money and Ran After body-slamming Big John Studd to win the $15,000 Bodyslam Challenge, Andre the Giant began throwing money to the Madison Square Garden crowd — until Bobby Heenan grabbed the duffel bag and fled the arena, preventing Andre from fully distributing the winnings. | Andre began throwing the $15,000 prize to fans but Heenan... | — |
| 10 | Hulk Hogan Knocked Out TV Host Richard Belzer Days Before WM1 Hot Properties Incident — Four Days Before WM1 Four days before WrestleMania I, Hulk Hogan appeared on the TV talk show Hot Properties and applied a front chinlock to host Richard Belzer for a demonstration — Belzer passed out from blood flow restriction and hit his head on the floor, requiring stitches. Belzer later sued Hogan. | Hogan accidentally knocked out TV host Richard Belzer 4 d... | — |