WrestleMania main eventer claims many WWE stars were jealous of him before his debut
WWE Hall of Famer Mr. T made history when he main evented the first edition of WrestleMania in 1985. He recently revealed that multiple talents were jealous of him ahead of the massive show.
Being one of the biggest stars in the 1980s, Mr. T was chosen by WWE to headline the first-ever WrestleMania. He teamed up with Hulk Hogan against Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff in a high-profile tag team bout.
During a recent interview on the comPODres podcast, the Hollywood legend stated that many superstars were envious of his spot on the 'Mania card.
"When I came in, at first, some of the wrestlers were a little jealous. Number one, they didn’t know I could bring it. I was a wrestling champion in the city of Chicago. I knew how to wrestle. They didn’t realize the business of wrestling. Vince McMahon brought me in to elevate wrestling. Those guys, sure, had been around and had it hard. I’m bringing light to wrestling, and they didn’t see that. They were a little jealous at first. They thought that, me coming in that I couldn’t hold my own. They found out real quick," said T. [H/T Fightful]
@TheGarden #OnThisDay in 1985: WrestleMania 1: Mr. T and Roddy Piper get face to face during the main event. https://t.co/eNT0EshC7T
Mr. T's involvement as a major celebrity helped pave the way for many other A-Listers to set foot into a WWE ring later. Most recently, fans saw Bad Bunny tear the house down against Damian Priest in a Street Fight at Backlash 2023.
WWE reportedly has a venue set for a future WrestleMania
Following on from WrestleMania 39 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles in April, the company already has a huge stadium in its sights for another edition of The Showcase of the Immortals.
According to a recent report in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE has finalized a deal with the Tennessee Titans to host WrestleMania in 2027. The Show of Shows is expected to take place at the team's new stadium.
"The 2027 WrestleMania is officially in Nashville at what will be a new stadium that opens that year. The idea is that 'Mania would be the first or one of the first big events at the stadium, even before the Titans start playing there a few months later. Burke Nihill, the President and CEO of the Titans, made that announcement." [H/T Ringside News]
According to Tennesee Titans President and CEO Burke Nihill, WWE has committed to bringing #WrestleMania to Nashville, TN for the first time in 2027.
This commitment will result in the event taking place in the new Tennessee Titans’ stadium which is set to open in 2027. https://t.co/1sc3LlOZ8o
Next year's WrestleMania is already set to be a historic one. It will be the 40th edition of the iconic event. The show will take place at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on April 6 and 7, 2024.
What is the greatest WrestleMania of all time? Give us your thoughts in the comments section below.