DAVE Three cities! Television personalities! Fast Food mascots! Football players! Awful matches! Yup, WrestleMania 2 has all of that. For some reason or another, Vince McMahon decided to broadcast this event from three different arenas in three different time zones. I'm not sure where the event would have originated from had he chosen just one venue, probably Nassau if I were to guess. So we start off from the New York segment at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, NY. Vince broadcasts with scratchy voiced actress Susan St. James, who just happens to be married to Vince's buddy Dick Ebersol. I didn't count how many times she said "Uh Oh!" during these 4 matches but it was at least 22. We start off with Mr. Wonderful Paul Orndorff vs The Magnificent Don Muraco. This ends in a lame double count out, not a strong kick off to what is supposed to be your mecca event, granted it was only the second incarnation of it. Next we get the Intercontinental Title match between Macho Man Randy Savage and George "The Animal" Steele. About what you'd expect from an Animal Steele match, entertaining to a point, but it doesn't give Savage the chance to show off his true in ring talent (that would have to wait til WrestleMania III). Next is an encounter between Jake "The Snake" Roberts and former football player George Wells. Wells is wearing football pants that he either kept from his CFL days or stole from the Houston Oilers. Jake wins the match with a DDT that flips Wells completely over and then smothers and chokes him with Damian the snake. The final match in NY is a boxing match between Roddy Piper and actor Mr. T. This is not a good match by any means, but you DO get to see Burger King's Herb do a dance prior to the bell. Piper loses by DQ for shoving the ref and body slamming Mr. T. The real life dislike for each other was evident by this point, I wonder if a regular wrestling match would have sufficed better. Oh well, at least Cab Calloway was in attendance right?Now we're shipped to Chicago's portion of the event emulating from The Rosemont Horizon, which Gorilla Monsoon calls a beautiful arena, trust me it's not. He's joined on commentary by actress Cathy Lee Crosby and Mean Gene Okerlund and Big Cat Ernie Ladd during the battle royal only. We start with a women's championship match that lasts about a minute when The Fabulous Moolah pinned Velvet McIntyre in about a minute. Then Corporal Kirchner beats Nikolia Volkoff in a flag match in two minutes. Wow, these matches just keep getting longer. Now we get to the 20 man battle royal which has a mixture of WWF wrestlers as well as NFL football players. Mean Gene announces former Wendy's commercial actress Clara Peller and she has to ask "Now?" twice for her cue. Yes lady NOW! She then waves her microphone like a magic wand and says "Where's the Beef" but no one hears her. The Horizon comes unglued for hometown player (and recent champion) William "Refrigerator" Perry. The match also featured a trio of former world champions in Bruno Sammartino, The Iron Shiek, and Pedro Morales. Andre the Giant and "Golden Boy" Danny Spivey dress the same here, as they both don yellow Hulk Hogan tights and boots. Andre gets the win after last eliminating The Hart Foundation. The final match is for the WWF tag team titles in which The British Bulldogs win the gold from Greg Valentine and Brutus Beefcake. With Ozzy Osbourne and Captain Lou in your corner how could you lose? So far I'd say the battle royal and tag title match are the best of the night giving the edge to Chicago over New York. Let's go to L.A.In L.A., Jesse "The Body" Ventura, Lord Alfred Hayes, and Elvira are your broadcast team. Elvira wasn't the quickest thinker when asked questions but she's Elvira and she's sexy so it's ok. Sometimes the audio volume level goes up and down here, 1986 technology was only so good when you're running one show from three cities. First bout here Ricky Steamboat pins Hercules in a decent match, a clash of styles bogs it down a bit. Like Randy Savage, Steambout would have to wait a year to truly show off his talents. Next, Adorable Adrian Adonis defeats Uncle Elmer in an awful match with just a few bumps and flips by Adonis saving it from being completely bottom of the barrel. In a tag match, the Funk Brothers beat Junkyard Dog and Tito Santana in a decent match saved by some bumps by Terry Funk. Now the main event. Wait, no WrestleMania main event is complete without celebrities. Bring out Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda, who spits (literally) as he's announcing Ricky Schroeder and Robert Conrad. WWF title on the line in a steel cage, Hulk Hogan vs King Kong Bundy. This is a better main event than the first WrestleMania. Some fans rated this match as mediocre but I found it to be pretty good. Despite some audio trouble, I'd give the edge to L.A. as the best segment of this lackluster event. In conclusion, between celebrity broadcasting, city hopping, bad matches, and low production values turn this one into a bottom 5 WrestleMania.

callanvass (04.07.86)Wrestlemania 2 was held in three places! We start off in Uniondale, NYYour hosts are Vince McMahon & Susan Saint James"Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff Vs The "Magnificent" Muraco (W/Mr. Fuji)The match ends in a double count-out after both men brawl on the floor. This was a match that was meaningless and directionless. I like both wrestlers as individuals, but it's hard not to be disinterested with how poorly it was thrown together. The crowd chanting "bullshi*****" over the finish says it all.*Intercontinental ChampionshipRandy "Macho Man" Savage (C) (W/Elizabeth) Vs George "The Animal" SteeleSavage retains the title by using the ropes to pin Steele. This was a very poor comedy match. Steele spends most of the match chasing Savage around and I didn't find Steele's OTT antics to be entertaining at all. Steele kicking out of the elbow drop irked me as well. *Jake "The Snake" Roberts Vs George WellsJake wins with a DDT. This is a glorified squash match. Wells got in some convincing offense, but the result is never in doubt. The most memorable thing about this match is Wells drooling from the snake being draped over him. *1/4Boxing Match"Rowdy" Roddy Piper Vs Mr. TT wins by DQ in the fourth round after Piper bodyslams T. This was an OK spectacle. It's pretty boring for today's standards, but back then it was pretty huge. Part 2 emanates from Chicago, IL at the Rosemont Horizon.Your hosts are Gorilla Monsoon, Gene Okerlund & Cathy Lee CrosbyWomen's TitleThe Fabulous Moolah (C) Vs Velvet McIntyreMoolah pins McIntyre after McIntyre misses a splash (even though McIntyre's foot was on the ropes...) This was a very quick match and way too short for me to really comment any further on it.DUDFlag MatchNikolai Volkoff (W/Freddie Blassie) Vs Corporal KirchnerThe winner gets to raise the flag. Kirchner wins after using Blassie's cane. At least this match was short! Short and painless is what I like when it comes to stuff like this. 1/4*20 Man Battle RoyalThis one has stars from the NFL as well. The participants are Jimbo Covert, Pedro Morales, Tony Atlas, Ted Arcidi, Harvey Martin, Danny Spivey, Hillbilly Jim, King Tonga, The Iron Sheik, Ernie Holmes, The Killer Bees, Big John Studd, Bill Fralic, Bret Hart, Jim Neidhart, Russ Francis, Bruno Sammartino, William "refrigerator" Perry, and Andre The Giant. It comes down to Andre The Giant and The Hart Foundation. Needless to say, Andre dumps them both out to win the battle royal. This was OK for a battle royal. The NFL players didn't embarrass themselves. Perry and Big John Studd going at it was pretty cool and the crowd was electric for it. In one of the rare cases, the big man actually IS the favorite. Andre winning was a good choice, even if the fans desperately wanted William Perry to win it. (I don't rate battle royals)Tag Team ChampionshipThe Dream Team (C) (Greg Valentine & Brutus Beefcake) (W/Johnny Valiant) Vs The British Bulldogs (W/Capt. Lou Albano & Ozzy Osbourne)The Bulldogs win the title after Valentine collides with The Dynamite Kid head first. This is a textbook example of what tag team wrestling should be all about. Rarely will you ever see a tag team match go this smoothly. I can honestly say this match is awesome and completely stole the show.**** (out of 5 stars)We go to the Los Angeles, CA portion of the show!Your hosts are Jessie "The Body" Ventura, Lord Alfred Hayes, and ElviraRicky "The Dragon" Steamboat Vs Hercules Hernandez (W/Freddie Blassie)Steamboat wins with flying cross-body from the top. This match was alright, I suppose. It didn't have enough excitement to really get it over the hump, though. As amazing as Steamboat is in the ring, he can't work miracles. *3/4"The Adorable" Adrian Adonis (W/Jimmy Hart) Vs Uncle ElmerAdonis wins with a fistdrop of sorts from the top. The match was pure crap, of course. But watching Adonis bump around like crazy to try to get the match over is kinda fun.½*Terry Funk & Dory Funk Jr. (W/Jimmy Hart) Vs The Junkyard Dog & Tito SantanaThe Funks win when Terry Funk drills JYD with the Megaphone. This match was all sorts of fun! The match was rather wild and chaotic throughout with Terry Funk shining the most out of anyone in this match. Good stuff overall!***1/4WWF Championship (Steel Cage Match)Hulk Hogan (C) Vs King Kong Bundy (W/Bobby Heenan)Hogan retains the title by escaping the cage. This match gets by on solid drama and storytelling. Praise aside, this is still one of the weakest main events in Wrestlemania history. There is nothing outstanding about it or anything that should warrant a place on any "Best of" Steel Cage match DVD's. **It's not the greatest by any means, but after repeated viewings, it's not as bad as I originally thought. Having Wrestlemania in three different cities was an audacious idea that didn't quite pan out for Vince. I actually thought it hindered the show a bit. With all the hype Hogan Vs Bundy got, The Dream Team Vs The British Bulldogs stole a bit of their thunder and easily stole the show. Overall, this is one of the worst Wrestlemania's, but there are worse Wrestlemania's, such as Wrestlemania 9 and 11.

Joseph P. Ulibas Wrestlemania II (1986) was shot at three different locations (bad idea). Vincent K. McMahon tried to be different and it nearly killed the series. Whenever you try to do an event such as this one in three seperate events, the quality is going to be anywhere from average to very poor. But hey you can't fault the man for trying. Most notable from this event is the great "boxing" match between Mr. T and "Rowdy" Roddy Piper. Piper's promos are worthy enough to sit through the rest of the matches. Mr. T is slouch either. The rest of the card is a mixed bag. For sideshow viewing you have the wrestlers/football players battle royale, the Funk Brothers in action (Terry and Dory jr. a.k.a. Hoss) and as always George "The Animal' Steele. Hulk Hogan (juiced to the gills) is locked in a brutal cage match with King Kong Bundy. Wrestling wise it's better than Wrestlemania I but it has it's boring and dull matches as well.For big fans of 80's wrestling.B

Steve Dorsett This was the tag line for the second Wrestlemania, the first Wrestlemania to be a Pay-Per-View Event. The WWF had to come up with a way to top the original Mania. To achieve this the event was split between arenas in 3 cities; The Nassau Coliseum, New York, The Rosemont Horizon, Chicago and the Los Angeles Sports Arena. Each arena held 4 matches and the arenas could link up with live satellite feeds.NEW YORKWe have Vince McMahon and Susan St. James (who?) on commentary so off we go.The Magnificent Muraco vs Paul "Mr Wonderful" OrndorffTwo big fellas in here. This match should be better than it is. Muraco works through a few power routines, Orndorff displays some of his technical work, but it doesn't seem to gel right. Crap finish as well. I expect more from the opening of WrestlemaniaIntercontinental Title Match: The Macho Man Randy Savage (Champion) with Miss Elizabeth vs George "The Animal" SteeleAll f***ing right, the Wrestlemania debut of one of my favourite wrestlers of all time. Savage in my opinion is pure wrestling class, heel or face, doesn't matter to me, the man always puts on a show. Comes to the WWF, very quickly becomes IC champion. Anyway, back to the match. The styles of these two men don't gel too well although Savage tries to carry Animal. Not a bad match, but I am shocked and deeply annoyed that Steele felt he had the right to kick out of the elbow. Watch it, you'll see what I mean.Jake "The Snake" Roberts vs George WellsHmmm, brand new heel with a killer gimmick vs some random jobber picked up on the corner of "jabroni drive" and "know your role boulevard". Can't think how this will turn out. Holy crap, the jobber is controlling the whole match, oh no, DDT all over. Next...10 Round Boxing Match: Rowdy Roddy Piper vs Mr TTwo of the main eventers from the previous years Wrestlemania, now slug it out to close the New York segment. This is a hard match to rate as it is so atypical. A lot of people don't like this match but I find Piper hilarious, especially in heel mode so I quite like this one. Pipers flagrant cheating is very funny and T's efforts to play it straight is damn admirable.CHICAGONow on commentary we have Gorilla Monsoon, Mean Gene Okerlund and Cathy Lee CrosbyWomen's Title Match: The Fabulous Moolah (Champion) vs Velvet McIntyreOld Moolah, old old old Moolah. This is awful. Velvet, who was actually a pretty damn good wrestler gets squashed by the old lard ass herself. Very quick, very poor. Next...Flag Match: Corporal Kirschner vs Nikolai VolkoffOkay good all american, albeit Sgt Slaughter rip-off, Corporal Kirshner vs evil russian Nikolai. The WWF's answer to the cold war, a flag match. The idea being that each man enters with his country's flag and the winner leaves with both. Sounds pointless? Yes it is. Another daft and pointless match. This Chicago segment doesn't appear to be shaping up to much. Oh hang on the next two matches whup ass.20-Man WWF/NFL Battle RoyalGuest Referees: Dick Butkus & Ed "Too Tall" JonesGuest Timekeeper: Claire KellerThis battle royal contained WWF superstars as well players and legends from the NFL. The participants are as follows:NFL: Jimbo Covert, Ted Arcidi, Harvey Martin, Ernie Holmes, Bill Fralic, Russ Francis, "Refridgerator" William PerryWWF: Pedro Morales, Tony Atlas, Dan Spivey, Hillbilly Jim, King Tonga, The Iron Sheik, The Killer Bees, Big John Studd, The Hart Foundation, Bruno Sammartino, Andre the GiantWell this is pretty good fun, most battle royals are. You get a chance to see the future of wrestling in Bret "Hitman" Hart involved as quite a major player here. If you take a look at the participants you can pretty much guess who's going to win this. Good fun none the less.Tag Team Title Match: The Dream Team (Champions) with Johnny Valiant vs The British Bulldogs with Captain Lou Albano and Ozzy OsbourneOh yes the Bulldogs are here. In my honest opinion, one of the greatest tag teams ever, and no not just because they're british. Seriously, Davey Boy Smith and The Dynamite Kid were ahead of their time, pulling out moves you only previously saw in Mexico or Japan. This match is absolutely brilliant, I never thought I'd say that about a match with Beefcake and Valentine in, yet here it works. Best match of the night bar none, fabulous performance, great story to the match, superb shock ending. They don't get any better than this.LOS ANGELESOkay, now on commentary we have Jesse "The Body" Ventura (yay), Lord Alfred Hayes (boo) and Elvira (god how I used to lust after this woman (still do)).Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat vs Hercules HernandezI like both these guys, but this match just didn't do it for me. I don't think their styles complimented each other particularly well. Not bad, not great, just decidedly average. Anyway I think I'll skip on now.Uncle Elmer vs Adorable Adrian Adonis with Jimmy HartYuk, yuk, yuk, yuk, yuk. Two fat men, one dressed as a hillbilly and one in a dress gut-barging each other. In my opinion, worst match on the card. Next...Tito Santana & The Junkyard Dog vs The Funk BrothersThis is more like it. Tito flying about all over the place, JYD smashing Funks through tables, the funks taking some superb bumps. This one is great fun. I love watching Terry Funk, because you know the guy's going to do some crazy shit to his body, in this case a big back drop on to the cement floor. This match is fast paced, the styles compliment each other quite well and this is the most entertained I've ever been by the JYD. All in all, top stuff.Steel Cage WWF Title Match: Hulk Hogan (Champion) vs King Kong Bundy with Bobby "The Brain" HeenanGuest Ring Announcer: Tommy LasordaGuest Referee: Robert ConradGuest Timekeeper: Ricky SchroederOkay main event time. Hogan in a cage that's pretty unusual. Here we see the start of the trend of having Hogan face guys even bigger than he is, other examples being Andre and Earthquake. This isn't a bad match, not great as cage matches aren't really suited for massive guys. Still some good action, a damn good story, bit of blood, Heenan receives a slap which is always good fun. Problem is, there's never a question of who's going to win. Ah well, can't have everything.And so ends Wrestlemania 2, not as good as the first, but still worth a look. Especially for the introduction of Savage and Jake, and that damn fine Bulldogs Match. Anyway signing off for now, be back with a write up of Wrestlemania 3 sometime soon.