After the success of the original event, "Wrestlemania 2" ups the ante a bit with better production values and a larger sense of this being a truly not-to-be-missed event. Yet, it still relies far too much on the "gimmick" of celebrities and doesn't just let the plot lines play out.
The highlights of this event include:
-Ray Charles kicking off the proceedings with a stirring melody of patriotic standards. Really gives the show a sense of gravitas right off the bat.
-Randy "Macho Man" Savage vs. George "The Animal" Steele. Two great wrestling personalities playing off of each other.
-A Battle Royale featuring NFL players and (spoiler) won by the always entertaining Andre The Giant.
-The boxing match between Mr. T. and "Rowdy" Roddy Piper works well with the hype...but then kind of fizzles in the actual match.
-Same thing for the Hogan vs. Bundy finale...pretty good build-up but the match itself was nothing to write home about.
-The fact that a guy named "Uncle Elmer" could be on this card (!).
All in all, I give "Wrestlemania 2" a 2.5 ranking. The show looks better than the first, and (though not great by any means) many of the matches are an improvement as well. However, it is very clear that the correct formula for holding a big pro wrestling event is still being worked out. Instead of just letting the story lines play out and the personalities shine, the card instead still relies too much on celebrity involvement and gimmicks.
As my title indicates, this is an event that is taking the first baby steps towards greatness in this production.
The highlights of this event include:
-Ray Charles kicking off the proceedings with a stirring melody of patriotic standards. Really gives the show a sense of gravitas right off the bat.
-Randy "Macho Man" Savage vs. George "The Animal" Steele. Two great wrestling personalities playing off of each other.
-A Battle Royale featuring NFL players and (spoiler) won by the always entertaining Andre The Giant.
-The boxing match between Mr. T. and "Rowdy" Roddy Piper works well with the hype...but then kind of fizzles in the actual match.
-Same thing for the Hogan vs. Bundy finale...pretty good build-up but the match itself was nothing to write home about.
-The fact that a guy named "Uncle Elmer" could be on this card (!).
All in all, I give "Wrestlemania 2" a 2.5 ranking. The show looks better than the first, and (though not great by any means) many of the matches are an improvement as well. However, it is very clear that the correct formula for holding a big pro wrestling event is still being worked out. Instead of just letting the story lines play out and the personalities shine, the card instead still relies too much on celebrity involvement and gimmicks.
As my title indicates, this is an event that is taking the first baby steps towards greatness in this production.