Blu-ray Release Date: Tuesday, 3/15/2011
~Disc 1 (Running Time – 02:01:11)~
The main feature on Disc 1 is a two-hour documentary covering the creation and history of WrestleMania. It’s very thorough, and while it doesn’t contain any new information for long time fans, those who knew nothing could step in and understand what was going on. I gave the film four stars on my Letterboxd page. Now let’s get to the matches.
~Disc 1 Matches and Star Ratings~
- WrestleMania, 3/31/1985: Hulk Hogan & T (w/ Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka) defeated “Rowdy” Roddy Piper & Mr. Wonderful Paul Orndorff (w/ Cowboy Bob Orton) at 13:34. ***¼
- WrestleMania III, 3/29/1987: Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat defeated Intercontinental Champion Randy “Macho Man” Savage at 14:35 to win the title. ****½
- WrestleMania III, 3/29/1987: WWF Champion Hulk Hogan defeated Andre the Giant to retain the title at 12:01. ***
- WrestleMania VII, 3/24/1991: Ultimate Warrior defeated Randy “Macho Man” Savage at 20:48 in a Retirement Match. ****¾
- WrestleMania X, 3/20/1994: Intercontinental Champion Razor Ramon defeated Shawn Michaels in a Ladder Match at 18:47. *****
JZ Says
Starting the matches with the main event of the first WrestleMania is the obvious, and correct choice here. The match isn’t technically magnificent or anything, but it’s pretty good; they laid it out well to get the most out of the personalities involved. Also, any time someone wonders why there’s so much celebrity involvement at WrestleMania every year – it literally started from the beginning.
For many years, Savage v Steamboat from WrestleMania III was amongst the greatest matches of all-time. While I think it’s fair to say it’s much lower on that list now, it still holds up well in 2026. I don’t love all the George “The Animal” Steele involvement, but I certainly don’t question the decision to keep Savage strong for the long haul.
When Jesse Ventura said Hulk Hogan v Andre the Giant from WrestleMania III was “the biggest match in the history of professional wrestling,” it wasn’t hyperbole. I know there’s debate about how many people were at the Silverdome that day, but the match still has an epic feel to it. Of course Andre was extremely limited at this point, but I think they produced a smart match for the stadium crowd. This match also set the stage for the first-ever Survivor Series, The Main Event (watched by a record 33 million viewers!), and WrestleMania IV, which then led to WrestleMania V. So I just can’t hate on this match.
The Warrior/Savage retirement match at WrestleMania VII is very fondly remembered for the post-match reunion between Macho Man and Miss Elizabeth. But the match leading to that reunion is excellent, arguably the best Warrior ever had. It really felt like the two combatants hated each other and that the place simply wasn’t big enough for the two of them. The stipulation lasted maybe nine months, but that’s wrestling for you.
Finishing off the first disc is the first-ever Ladder Match to air on WWE TV or PPV – the original Shawn Michaels v Razor Ramon bout for the Intercontinental Championship. It feels a bit tame by today’s standards, but it undeniably changed the game and is still a lot of fun to watch. Kliq members always go hard against each other, that’s for sure.
Choosing five matches from the first 10 years of WrestleMania wouldn’t be easy, but I think these five do a very nice job of hitting highlights and showcasing a variety of the roster from those years. Let’s see if disc two can match that.