Mr. T looks back on WrestleMania I and his WWE Hall of Fame induction

[Analog Jay]

Mr. T recently reflected on competing in the main event of the first WrestleMania in 1985, where he teamed with Hulk Hogan to defeat Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff at Madison Square Garden, and on his later induction into the WWE Hall of Fame. He recalled being determined to give his best performance specifically because he knew the show would be rewatched for years to come, saying I'm a part of this here, and now they can play back and see WrestleMania I

T said he approached the whole experience with genuine respect for the wrestling business rather than treating it as a celebrity novelty appearance, recalling that he told WWE he wanted to work hard and carry his own weight rather than make a mockery of wrestling. He said he felt honored to share the ring with the other great wrestlers on the card, framing his involvement as something he took seriously rather than simply cashing in on his fame from Rocky III and The A-Team

WrestleMania I drew an announced attendance of 19,121 at Madison Square Garden and was seen by over a million viewers through closed circuit television, making it the largest closed circuit broadcast of a wrestling event in the US at the time. T went on to headline WrestleMania 2 as well, defeating Piper by disqualification in a boxing match, before eventually being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame's celebrity wing. Curious what people think Mr. T's specific WrestleMania run actually meant for legitimizing celebrity involvement in wrestling going forward

Mr T Recalls Wrestlemania Wwe Hall Of Fame411mania.com