This is my second blog in this series of re-booking Wrestlemania. This second Wrestlemania had 12 matches over 3 cities and I had a lot of fun re-booking this one. I honestly believe my card would have been better but who am I to argue with Vince McMahon? So first off, here is the card that aired:
Nassau Coliseum
Paul Orndorff vs. The Magnificent Muraco
Randy Savage (c) (with Miss Elizabeth) vs. George “The Animal” Steele – Intercontinental Championship match
Jake Roberts vs. George Wells
Mr. T vs. “Rowdy” Roddy Piper
Rosemont Horizon
The Fabulous Moolah (c) vs. Velvet McIntyre – Women’s Championship match
Corporal Kirchner vs. Nikolai Volkoff – Flag match
WWF vs. NFL Battle Royal
The Dream Team (Greg Valentine and Brutus Beefcake) (c) vs. The British Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith and The Dynamite Kid) – Tag Team Championship match
Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena
Ricky Steamboat vs. Hercules Hernandez
Adrian Adonis vs. Uncle Elmer
Terry Funk and Hoss Funk vs. Tito Santana and The Junkyard Dog
Hulk Hogan (c) vs. King Kong Bundy – Steel Cage Match for the WWF Championship
With that card in mind, let’s have a look at the roster we have to book for this event.
Faces: Andre The Giant, B. Brian Blair, Bruno Sammartino, Corporal Kirchner, Dan Spivey, Davey Boy Smith, Dynamite Kid, George Steele, Hillbilly Jim, Hulk Hogan (c), Jim Brunzell, Junkyard Dog, Lanny Poffo, Mr T, Paul Orndorff, Paul Roma, Pedro Morales, Ricky Steamboat, Ted Arcidi, Tito Santana, Tony Atlas, Uncle Elmer, Velvet McIntyre
Heels: Adrian Adonis, Big John Studd, Bob Orton, Bret Hart, Brutus Beefcake (c), Don Muraco, Greg Valentine (c), Hercules Hernandez, Hoss Funk, Jake Roberts, Jim Neidhart, King Kong Bundy, King Tonga, Nikolai Volkoff, Randy Savage (c), Roddy Piper, Terry Funk, The Iron Sheik, The Fabulous Moolah (c)
Football Players: Jimbo Covert, William Perry, Russ Francis, Harvey Martin, Ernie Holmes, Bill Fralic
So it’s a really stacked roster. There’s lots of up and coming talent along with the more established territory guys. Hulk Hogan is WWF Champion, Randy Savage is Intercontinental Champion, The Dream Team (Greg Valentine & Brutus Beefcake) are the tag team champions and Fabulous Moolah is the Women’s Champion. But to make things interesting I decided to change one of those champions. You’ll have to read on to see what I’ve done there.
Without further ado, my card for Wrestlemania 2.
Nassau Coliseum
The Killer Bees (B. Brian Blair & Jumping Jim Brunzell) vs. The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart)
Original Wrestlemania matches: Originally both of these teams were involved in the Battle Royal.
Booking: These are two up and coming teams in the WWE at the time and although they were part of the battle royal at Wrestlemania 2, I feel they could have had a match of their own. Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart had a good showing in the battle royal, especially Bret who was runner up. I feel like they could have had a bigger spotlight and put on a fast-paced opener to Wrestlemania 2. Under the guidance of Jimmy Hart it’s the Hart Foundation who would have picked up the big win tonight.
Result: The Hart Foundation win by pinfall (with a little assistance from Jimmy Hart).
Randy Savage (c) vs. Paul Orndorff – Intercontinental Championship match
Original Wrestlemania matches: Randy Savage (c) vs. George “The Animal” Steele, Paul Orndorff vs. Don Muraco
Booking: These two men were involved in other matches at Wrestlemania 2 but I feel like this could have been a huge match up on a big stage. Paul Orndorff was one of the hottest babyfaces on the roster at this point whilst Randy Savage was a charismatic heel making waves in the industry. I would have loved to have seen this match instead of the matches we got.
Result: Randy Savage wins by pinfall (feet on the ropes much like his win against George “The Animal” Steele).
George “The Animal” Steele vs. Jake Roberts
Original Wrestlemania matches: George “The Animal” Steele vs. Randy Savage, Jake Roberts vs. George Wells.
Booking: As you saw previously I had moved Paul Orndorff into the Intercontinental match but I think George Steele still has a place on the card and makes for a better opponent than George Wells for Jake Roberts. Jake Roberts will get the win either way but this time it’s over a legend in the WWE, a far more prestigious win than the one over George Wells.
Result: Jake Roberts wins by pinfall.
Andre The Giant & Mr T vs. King Kong Bundy & Big John Studd
Original Wrestlemania matches: Mr T vs. Rowdy Roddy Piper, King Kong Bundy vs. Hulk Hogan, Andre The Giant and John Studd were involved in the Battle Royal.
Booking: I decided to change up the main event which frees up both Mr T and King Kong Bundy for other matches. I could have easily put them against one another but I feel like a tag team match would be much better. Andre The Giant is a white hot babyface and putting Mr T with him makes a lot of sense. King Kong Bundy and Big John Studd have teamed up a lot on the road and also teamed up at Saturday Night’s Main Event III against Andre and Hogan. I like this tag team match on paper a lot and it gives us babyface winners for the first time tonight.
Result: Andre The Giant & Mr T win by pinfall.
Rosemont Horizon
The Fabulous Moolah (c) vs. Velvet McIntyre – Women’s Championship match
Original Wrestlemania matches: The Fabulous Moolah (c) vs. Velvet McIntyre
Booking: This match stays exactly the same as happened. I don’t think there’s any need to change this.
Result: The Fabulous Moolah wins by pinfall.
Corporal Kirchner vs. Nikolai Volkoff – Flag match
Original Wrestlemania matches: Corporal Kirchner vs. Nikolai Volkoff – Flag match
Booking: Again, I don’t have any problem keeping this match exactly the same as it was. It’s your typical American vs. foreign heel match and it doesn’t make a lot of sense to change this.
Result: Corporal Kirchner wins.
Bruno Sammartino vs. Dan Spivey vs. Hillbilly Jim vs. Pedro Morales vs. Ted Arcidi vs. Tony Atlas vs. Bob Orton vs. Hercules Hernandez vs. King Tonga vs. The Iron Sheik vs. Lanny Poffo vs. Paul Roma vs. S.D. Jones vs. George Wells vs. Jimbo Covert vs. William Perry vs. Russ Francis vs. Harvey Martin vs. Ernie Holmes vs. Bill Fralic – Battle Royal
Original Wrestlemania matches: 14 of these 20 men were involved in the Wrestlemania 2 Battle Royal, Hercules Hernandez was booked against Ricky Steamboat and George Wells wrestled Jake Roberts.
Booking: So I have removed Andre The Giant, The Hart Foundation, The Killer Bees and Big John Studd and replaced them with Cowboy Bob Orton, Hercules Hernandez, Lanny Poffo, Paul Roma, S.D. Jones and George Wells. It certainly weakens the match and removes the final three which includes winner Andre. From the field I have, I like a final four of Cowboy Bob Orton, Hercules Hernandez, Hillbilly Jim and William Perry. Perry eliminated first, leaving Hillbilly Jim to get beaten down by Hercules and Orton before Jim eliminates Hercules only to get eliminated by Bob Orton.
Result: Cowboy Bob Orton win the Battle Royal.
Greg Valentine & Brutus Beefcake (c) vs. The British Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith & The Dynamite Kid) – Tag Team Championship match
Original Wrestlemania matches: Greg Valentine & Brutus Beefcake (c) vs. The British Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith & The Dynamite Kid) – Tag Team Championship match
Booking: This one goes down exactly the same as it did in real life. New tag team champions in The British Bulldogs.
Result: The British Bulldogs win the Tag Team Championships.
Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena
Ricky Steamboat vs. Don Muraco
Original Wrestlemania matches: Ricky Steamboat vs. Hercules Hernandez, Don Muraco vs. Paul Orndorff.
Booking: I decided to switch out Hercules for Don Muraco as a rivalry between Steamboat and Muraco makes way more sense. These two men did actually have a rivalry that span months but it ended prior to Wrestlemania 2. But. in my world the rivalry continues all the way until Wrestlemania where they have the blow off. Muraco may have got a few against Orndorff but in this one he takes the lossl
Result: Ricky Steamboat wins by pinfall.
Adrian Adonis vs. Uncle Elmer
Original Wrestlemania matches: Adrian Adonis vs. Uncle Elmer
Booking: This one stays the same. It was a pretty terrible match but the rivalry made a lot of sense at the time. The result stays the same.
Result: Adrian Adonis wins by pinfall.
Tito Santana & Junkyard Dog vs. Hoss Funk & Terry Funk
Original Wrestlemania matches: Tito Santana & Junkyard Dog vs. Hoss Funk & Terry Funk
Booking: I played around with this one a bit, experimenting with different tag team to put up against Terry and Dory but I think Vince McMahon had it right with Tito Santana and Junkyard Dog. The Funk’s would pick up the win and I like that result.
Result: Hoss & Terry Funk win by pinfall.
Rowdy Roddy Piper (c) vs. Hulk Hogan – Steel cage match for the WWF Championship
Original Wrestlemania matches: Roddy Piper vs. Mr T, Hulk Hogan vs. King Kong Bundy
Booking: At Wrestling Classic back in November 1985 we know that Roddy Piper would face Hulk Hogan for the WWF Championship, a match that Hulk Hogan won by disqualification but what if the two men could do business and Piper beat Hogan for the championship that night. Piper would then hold the title into Wrestlemania where he would defend against Hulk Hogan in a steel cage match. Piper’s reign would come to and end and Hulk Hogan becomes WWF Champion for a second time. I think this would have made for a better main event than Hogan and Bundy.
Result: Hulk Hogan wins the WWF Championship by pinfall.
bastionblogger 