Chapter 3.  Wrestlemania II, 1986

After the publicity and popularity of "Wrestlemania," the WWF was taking itself quite seriously. This is reflected in the opening of the "Wrestlemania II" videotape. Footage of WWF matches are interspersed with pictures of ancient Greek pottery depicting wrestling. The following text is superimposed over a field of stars: “It began over 5,000 years ago when civilization was young... Every major culture, Egypt, Greece, Rome, India, Japan studied it ...They admired its Olympian demands: strength, speed, agility, skill, grace, and courage. They did it to honor their gods....” A picture of the Coliseum in Rome dissolves into New York City's Madison Square Garden. In this remarkable opening sequence, the WWF manages to bring the Greco-Roman heritage to the twentieth century and endow it with sacrality. Current WWF professional wrestling identifies itself with the ancient glory of great civilizations of the East and West, in the same way that young America  legitimated itself through borrowing the pillars of ancient Greek architecture. By "Wrestlemania II," the WWF has put forth the proposition that it is a sacred institution: it is what is essential to humanity.

Opening remarks by a WWF announcer seem to recognize this fact. He emphasizes the seminal "Wrestlemania" of 1985, and asserts, "A year later...the WWF incredibly manages to top its own performance." The announcer also remarks that over two million people watched "Wrestlemania II" live in over 20 countries. American?based professional wrestling still seems to be universally popular.

In "Wrestlemania II" stereotypes of foreigners take enduring forms. Foreigner Heel Nicolai Volkoff returns for a "flag match" with American Face Coropral Kirschner, who wears a beret and army fatigues. Announcer Gene Okerlund proclaims the flag match to be a "very patriotic match." Another commentator reinforces stereotypical assumptions about what the WWF calls Russians, warning, "If Nicolai was to lose this match, it could mean some time in Siberia for him." The victor will get to raise his flag in triumph. Not surprisingly, the American Face wins, the American flag is held high, and the crowd roars its pleasure with renewed patriotism.

"Wrestlemania II" introduced Japanese stereotypes in the form of the "crafty" Mr. Fuji, a Heel manager. Tuxedo-clad, he sports a goatee. As Fuji watches the match from ringside, "Again we see the shadow of Mr. Fuji." At one point the Face wrestler, the blond Paul Orndorff, slants his eyes and leads a mocking crowd chant against the manager. When Mr. Fuji gestures wildly, an announcer observes, "Looks like he's using some ancient Chinese techniques." In future "Wrestlemanias," Japanese wrestlers will be sly, crafty heels, calling upon ancient mystical or religious powers to win matches. At the same time, working- and middle-class American society began to foster resentful feelings towards Japan over trading policies and perceived Japanese technological elitism.

While foreigners from Japan, Iran, and the Soviet Union are depicted as malevolent, allies of the United States are shown more favorably. A Face team from England, "The British Bulldogs," wins the Tag Team Championship and are very popular with the crowd.

As ethnic and foreign stereotypes were stratified, the status of African-American wrestlers in the WWF declined. One black Face is beaten easily and must suffer a boa constrictor draped over his prone body. The Junkyard Dog, who had a title match last year, is now part of a tag team match with Tito Santana, a Mexican Face who was formerly a title holder. Their match against a Heel team of cowboys ends with the Dog being rendered unconscious by a Heel manager's megaphone. This match is before the main event on the tape, structurally a good position, but the tag team was assembled only for "Wrestlemania II," and was not one of much significance. Serious and successful tag teams often have long durability. This lamentable ending for the Junkyard Dog is part of his slide into ignobility during the next few "Wrestlemania's."

Mr. T, another African-American who was a star of the first "Wrestlemania," again is featured, but not with Hulk Hogan. The black and white team is now severed. Mr T faces "Rowdy" Roddy Piper in a boxing match. Because neither are boxers, this match is a bit dubious. In a pre-match interview, Piper promises he won't be knocked out and vows, "Never will I shave my hair like an Indian and paint myself black." (He partly breaks that vow four years later.) Mr. T's pre-match remarks allude to Piper shaving the head of T's "little friend," the Haiti Kid, who is a midget. Mr. T boxes with the Haiti Kid in his corner, who sports a mohawk similar to T's. Midget wrestlers are a holdover from professional wrestling's vaudeville days, and the Haiti Kid compromises some of the boxing match's gravity. Mr. T does win, however, when Piper breaks the rules.

A Women's Title match, penultimate to the main event last year, now appears early on the "Wrestlemania II" videotape. It ends in less than two minutes. Another discouraging depiction of the "feminine" is found in a match featuring what is depicted by the WWF as a blatantly homosexual wrestler, "Adorable" Adrian Adonis. Adonis has bleached blond hair, excessive makeup, and wears a pink dress and pink leg-warmers. He defeats an obese hillbilly figure, the Face, in a light-hearted match. Adonis can win, but he is still a Heel; it is hard to believe a wrestler whose sexual orientation is so "dubious" could occupy Face status.

By "Wrestlemania II" the acceptable feminine image is a pure Virgin Mary type figure, a passive woman who supports her hero/man/warrior. Her name is Miss Elizabeth, the Face manager of "Macho Man" Randy Savage. She holds down wrestling ring ropes so her man can step through, shrinks from his abusive threats, and usually looks on fretfully during Savage's matches. Elizabeth wears beautiful evening gowns, and is quite attractive, but represents no sexual potential. She is quiet support and beauty, standing by her man, even when he physically threatens her.

Savage battles the hairy Face George "the Animal" Steele in a retelling of the "Beauty and the Beast" myth. The seemingly disturbed Steele tries to convey his affections to Elizabeth by giving her flowers, which she declines demurely. In the end she serves as a distraction, the most efficacious role possible for her, and the definitive role for WWF women of the future. Which man is the Beast? A female announcer, television star Susan St. James, summarizes the situation succinctly: "Look at that gorgeous manager, he [Savage] treats her like dirt. Animal's totally in love with her." True love does not win out, unfortunately, as the Heel Savage pins the dim-witted Animal.

"Wrestlemania II" concludes with the story of a man rising from the dead, pitting archetypal Face Hulk Hogan against the massive Heel King Kong Bundy. A video montage before the main event shows Hulk Hogan being viciously beaten by King Kong Bundy and a Heel accomplice, two months before "Wrestlemania II." Apparently his ribs are injured, shown by his taped-up chest during a scene of Hogan training in the gym. This main event match with Bundy, held in a steel cage, is Hogan's first since being injured. Although one announcer proclaims Hogan to be "the greatest professional athlete in the whole of the entire world," another expresses doubt as to whether Hogan can rise again: "I told you Hogan was not recovered from those ribs."

Hogan eventually "split[s] Bundy open" and wins the match. Blood is used infrequently in the WWF, but is utilized to lend great symbolic power in this main event. Bundy pays for his heinous deeds through spilt blood, visceral pain. The high priest Hulk Hogan presides over this atoning sacrifice, spilling blood with authority. The audience celebrates as justice is served and the order of the universe is restored. By performing a blood sacrifice that is legitimated through the cheering of thousands of professional wrestling fans, Hulk Hogan becomes a resurrected demi-god who has the power to take life and spill blood to symbolically regenerate the whole of the wrestling audience. Community spirit transcends death through the roaring ovations that accompany Hogan's subsequent flexing and posing.

Continue to Chapter 4