Former WWE WrestleMania main eventer "doesn’t get his due," according to Kevin Sullivan
WWE has made sure to honor and celebrate the greatest wrestlers who have entered the industry over the past several years. However, Kevin Sullivan believes Hall of Famer Paul Orndorff deserved a lot more respect than he got.
Paul Orndorff was known as Mr. Wonderful during his time in WWE (fka WWF). He shot to fame early in his career and reached main event status in a matter of weeks after his debut.
Paul Orndorff and Roddy Piper teamed up to face Hulk Hogan and Mr. T in the inaugural WWE WrestleMania Premium Live Event. They had a good match, with Hogan and Mr. T picking up the win.
Former WCW personality Kevin Sullivan opened up about how Paul Orndorff doesn’t get the respect he deserves for his work inside the ring. He noted that Orndorff worked with some of the biggest names in the industry during his career while speaking on an episode of his Tuesday with the Taskmaster podcast.
"Here's another guy that doesn't get his due. I want you to look at Paul Orndorff, go back and look at his tapes, and watch when he gets a guy down in the corner and starts kicking him. He goes first gear, second gear, third gear, fourth gear, overdrive, and then he goes berserk. He was a real athlete," Sullivan said.
Sullivan added that he knew Orndorff early in his career and even saw him knock out Vader, who was a beast in the ring.
"I knew Paul from the time he got in the business, I was only a couple of years ahead of him," recalled Sullivan. "He was the branded bull, he was the real deal, a tough guy. I was there when he KO'd Vader and almost kicked his head off." [H/T Wrestling Inc]
Paul Orndorff tragically passed away on July 12, 2021. The WWE legend died due to dementia at the age of 71 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Muhammad Ali will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2024
As noted above, the main event of WrestleMania I saw Hulk Hogan & Mr. T square off against Paul Orndorff and Roddy Piper. The Special Guest Referee for the match was boxing legend Muhammad Ali.
Ali is known as the greatest of all time for his work in the boxing ring. He became a symbol for combat sports in the 20th century. The legend is advertised to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame this year as a celebrity induction.
Other than Muhammad Ali, fans will see the legendary Paul Heyman find a spot in the prestigious Hall of Fame. Bull Nakano, Thunderbolt Patterson, and The U.S. Express will be the other stars inducted this year.