🏟️ WrestleMania III – A Full Breakdown
By Vince, of Pro Wrestling Resource
March 29, 1987 – Pontiac Silverdome – 93,173 Fans
“The irresistible force meets the immovable object” – Gorilla Monsoon
🎤 The Opening: Vince McMahon & Aretha Franklin
It all begins with Mr. McMahon himself, pacing the ring like a general before battle. His booming declaration: “Welcome to WrestleMania III!” hits like a thunderclap.
And then — Aretha Franklin. The Queen of Soul, seated at a piano, belts out “America the Beautiful.” No lip sync, no frills. Just power and grace. The camera pans across the Silverdome, showing an ocean of humanity — fans with giant foam fingers, flashbulbs, and denim jackets for days. A goosebumps moment from the jump.
🎙️ Hot Tag Note: The patriotism was real. Not the jingoistic or chauvinistic kind Just pure spectacle-meets-soal-meets-America. It felt big because it was big. Vince McMahon and his team made it that way.
🎧 Commentary Dream Team: The Gorilla & "The Body"
From the jump, Gorilla Monsoon and Jesse "The Body" Ventura bring instant chemistry. Gorilla plays the straight man with gravitas, while Jesse hammers heel commentary in style — rocking gold sunglasses and an all-black outfit like a Bond villain.
Their banter shapes the entire show. No spoilers, no insider terms — just sports-style announcing with classic lines like:
👉 “This place is going bananas!”
👉 “Would you stop?”
👉 “I call it like I see it, Gorilla.”
🎙️ Hot Tag Note: In 2025, it still feels fresh. No hashtags needed. Just two professionals at their best, reunited after some time apart. Two voices guiding a 3-hour thrill ride of professional wrestling in 1987.
👕 Crowd Vibes – 1987 in Living Color
Look at that crowd through modern eyes — it’s a time capsule.
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Moustaches for miles.
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Wrestling headbands, sunglasses indoors, and more satin jackets than a Cobra Kai dojo.
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Homemade signs on poster board with electrical tape lettering.
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The crowd moved as one. No phones. Just pure, in-the-moment energy.
📸 2025 Flashback Lens: It is amazing to see pro wrestling before the "smartphone era." The fans were living it, not recording it. Everyone dressed like they should at a 1987 pro wrestling match — like they were from circa 1984-1986 and ready to hit a bar or roller rink after Hogan's match with the Giant.
📼 WrestleMania III – Match-by-Match Breakdown
1️⃣ The Can-Am Connection vs. Ace “Cowboy” Bob Orton & Don Muraco (w/ Mr. Fuji)
Winners: The Can-Am Connection (Rick Martel & Tom Zenk)
Finish: Double dropkick sets up a sunset flip for the win.
📝 Hot Tag Note: The opening match with The Fink on the mic. A fast-paced, feel good opener. Martel and Zenk were pure babyface (good guy) energy, bouncing around like WWF gymnasts. The Ace and "The Rock" were allowing the Canadian-American team of Martel and Zenk to shine. A great start to get the crowd hyped.
2️⃣ Billy Jack Haynes vs. Hercules (w/ Bobby Heenan)
Result: Double count-out
Post-Match: Hercules locks in the full nelson with the chain — brutal!
📝 Hot Tag Note: There was no clowning around from these pro wrestlers. Two powerhouses with ready to fight. This was less about work rate and more about brute strength. Heenan's involvement added real heat.
3️⃣ Hillbilly Jim, Little Beaver & The Haiti Kid vs. King Kong Bundy, Little Tokyo & Lord Littlebrook
Winners: Hillbilly Jim’s team by DQ
DQ Spot: Bundy bodyslams and elbow drops Little Beaver!
📝 Hot Tag Note: A bit of a comedy match with an edge. The crowd gasped when King Kong Bundy — the man who faced Hulk Hogan in the Main Event at WrestleMania 2 — crushed Little Beaver. Gorilla Monsoon was not happy: "That's despicable!"
4️⃣ Harley Race (w/ Bobby Heenan & "The Queen" The Fabulous Moolah) vs. Junkyard Dog
Stipulation: The loser must bow to the winner.
Winner: Harley Race
Post-Match: JYD crowns himself and walks tall.
📝 Hot Tag Note: The crowd loved JYD. This was classic WWF storytelling — even in defeat, the fan favorite got the last laugh. The Junk Yard Dog may have lost the crown, but he won the crowd!
5️⃣ The Dream Team (Greg Valentine & Brutus Beefcake) vs. The Rougeau Brothers
Winners: The Dream Team
Post-Match: Beefcake is abandoned by Valentine & new manager Dino Bravo!
📝 Hot Tag Note: This was the quiet beginning of Brutus Beefcake's solo run. A subtle but key turning point.
6️⃣ Rowdy Roddy Piper vs. “Adorable” Adrian Adonis (Hair vs. Hair Match)
Winner: Roddy Piper
Finish: Piper reverses the sleeper with help from Beefcake (!), then shaves Adonis bald.
🔥 Hot Tag Moment: Piper smashes the mirror in Adonis’s face
📝 Hot Tag Note: Piper’s “retirement” match and an electric crowd moment. The pop when he wins is insane. Beefcake’s transformation begins right here.
7️⃣ The Hart Foundation & Danny Davis (w/ Jimmy Hart) vs. The British Bulldogs & Tito Santana
Winners: The Harts & Davis
Finish: Davis gets a cheap pin with the megaphone!
📝 Hot Tag Note: An all-action trios match. Danny Davis was heat personified. Tito and Dynamite Kid were flying all over.
8️⃣ Butch Reed (w/ Slick) vs. “The Birdman” Koko B. Ware
Winner: Butch Reed
Finish: Reed grabs the tights for the win.
📝 Hot Tag Note: Short and punchy. The real heat came after the match when Tito Santana ran out and took it to Slick. The crowd loved it.
9️⃣ Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat vs. “Macho Man” Randy Savage (w/ Elizabeth)
Winner: Ricky Steamboat – NEW Intercontinental Champion
Finish: Savage goes for the ring bell, but George “The Animal” Steele intervenes. Small package for the win!
🏆 Match of the Night: Savage vs. Steamboat
📝 Hot Tag Note: This is it — the masterpiece. 20+ near-falls, athleticism, drama, and emotion. Savage was in rare form. Steamboat wrestled like a man possessed. Even by 2025 standards, this holds up as one of the greatest matches ever.
🔟 Jake “The Snake” Roberts (w/ Alice Cooper) vs. The Honky Tonk Man (w/ Jimmy Hart)
Winner: Honky Tonk Man
Finish: Honky uses the ropes for a cheap pin. Post-match: Damien gets revenge.
📝 Hot Tag Note: Alice Cooper with the snake? YES. The finish gave heat to Honky, but Jake still felt like a star. The crowd loved the post-match snake spot.
The Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff (w/ Slick) vs. The Killer Bees
Winners: The Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff via DQ
Finish: Hacksaw Jim Duggan interferes with his 2x4!
📝 Hot Tag Note: Duggan’s surprise run-in got a big pop. The match was filler, but the crowd loved the U-S-A energy. The Killer Bees didn't want to win that way.
🏁 Main Event: Hulk Hogan (c) vs. André the Giant (WWF Heavyweight Championship Match)
Winner: Hulk Hogan
Finish: The bodyslam heard ‘round the world, followed by the leg drop.
📝 Hot Tag Note: It was all about mythology. André was immovable until this night. Before the slam heard 'round the world, did The Giant get a three-count on the champion? "Two count only," said Gorilla Monsoon. Hulk Hogan slamming André was pro wrestling’s version of Babe Ruth’s home run. The place exploded. And this was the first pro wrestling match that I recall watching from start to finish.
🎤 Final Word:
WrestleMania III wasn’t just a wrestling show. It was a cultural milestone. From Aretha to André, from Savage vs. Steamboat to Piper’s goodbye — this was the night that made WrestleMania feel truly immortal.
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