On March 31, 1985, Vince McMahon and the WWF held the first Wrestlemania at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The attendance for the event was reported to have been 19,121 fansmand was viewed by over one million fans through closed-circuit television, the largest viewership of a closed-circuit television in the United States at the time.
The event was boosted by the buildup of the Rock ‘n’ Wrestling Connection, a joint effort between the WWF and MTV, with pop star Cyndi Lauper involved few involving Wendi Richter, the Fabulous Moolah and Captain Lou Albano.
The main event of the evening saw Hulk Hogan teaming up with television star Mr. T to face Rowdy Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff. Te inclusion Mr. T in the event helped to put Hulk Hogan on the cover of Sports Illustrated and the pair on Saturday Night Live, the night before the event.
