Classic WWF

1985. A year that changed wrestling forever. While historians will debate whether this was for the better, one thing cannot be denied: Wrestling went mainstream. Having scooped up top talent from nay territories, this when Vince McMahon, Jr. went full steam ahead. The seeds were planted a year prior when Hulk Hogan fresh off national exposure from Rocky III won the WWF World Title from The Iron Shiek. With Hogan on top, fast becoming a household name, the build began for the first WrestleMania. The "Rock n' Wrestling Connection" was born with music star Cyndi Lauper being brought into the fold. The prelude to Mania, "The War to Settle The Score" featuring Hogan against "Rowdy" Roddy Piper aired on MTV  during the height of its popularity. WrestleMania was a huge success and the company only continued to grow setting an attendance record at WrestleMania 3.

The same year things exploded. Wrestling would return to network T.V.with Saturday Night's Main Event which brought a new standard of production values with it. Merchandising went to new levels with everything from dolls to T-shirts to cartoons to the famous (and much missed) WWF ice cream bars. Many adult fans, myself included name this as the era that brought them in.