WrestleMania 2 was the second annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay‑per‑view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). The event took place on April 7, 1986, and was held simultaneously at three separate venues in the United States: the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York; the Rosemont Horizon (now Allstate Arena) in Rosemont, Illinois; and the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena in Los Angeles, California. It was the first WrestleMania held in multiple locations and marked a significant expansion of the WWF’s national presence.
Background
Following the commercial success of the inaugural WrestleMania in 1985, the WWF sought to build on its growing mainstream visibility. Vince McMahon, the promoter and majority owner, aimed to demonstrate the company's capacity to stage large‑scale live events across different regions on a single night. The concept of three simultaneous venues allowed the WWF to feature a greater number of matches and attract broader live attendance while leveraging the burgeoning PPV market.
Production
- Date: April 7, 1986
- Broadcast: Live via closed‑circuit television and later rebroadcast on PPV.
- Venues and attendance:
- Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum (Uniondale, NY) – approximately 12,000 spectators
- Rosemont Horizon (Rosemont, IL) – approximately 15,000 spectators
- Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena (Los Angeles, CA) – approximately 15,000 spectators
The three venues were linked by satellite feed, and commentary was provided primarily by WWF announcers Jesse Ventura and Gorilla Monsoon, who alternated between sites.
Event card
The event featured a total of 20 matches, distributed among the three locations. Notable matches included:
- Main event (New York): Hulk Hogan defeated Paul Orndorff and Vader (with King Kong Bundy) in a steel cage match to retain the WWF World Heavyweight Championship.
- Main event (Illinois): The U.S. Express (Mike Rotunda and Paul Roma) defended the WWF Tag Team Championship against The Can-Am Connection (Rick Martel and Tom Zenk).
- Main event (Los Angeles): The Iron Sheik retained the WWF Intercontinental Championship in a loss‑by‑disqualification victory over Tito Santana.
Other featured bouts involved André the Giant vs. Harley Race (New York), The Dream Team (Bruno Sammartino and Larry Zbyszko) vs. The Moondogs (Rex and Spot), and a mixed‑gender battle royal with wrestlers and musicians.
Reception
The event generated an estimated 2.2 million PPV buys in the United States, surpassing the purchase numbers for the first WrestleMania. Critical reception was mixed; reviewers praised the ambitious multi‑venue format and the headline match featuring Hogan, but some criticized the uneven quality of undercard bouts and the logistical complexities of coordinating three simultaneous productions.
Aftermath
WrestleMania 2 established the WWF’s viability as a national, and eventually global, entertainment brand. The event’s success contributed to the company's expansion of PPV offerings throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Subsequent WrestleMania events returned to a single‑venue format, though the concept of multiple locations would be revisited in later years (e.g., WrestleMania 33’s dual‑night presentation in 2017).
Legacy
WrestleMania 2 is frequently cited by wrestling historians as a pivotal moment in the WWF’s transition from a regional promotion to a dominant national enterprise. Its multi‑venue structure demonstrated the logistical capabilities of the organization and set a precedent for large‑scale, multi‑city live broadcasts in professional wrestling.
All information presented is based on documented historical records from the World Wrestling Federation and contemporary media reports.