Ultra Quick Wrestling 1985 Eastern Territory Year Book

** Ultra Quick Wrestling Game Required**

The 1985 Eastern Territory Year Book includes 16 managers/valets/allies, 114 wrestlers, a championship history and a list of managers and thier stables. In fact, a fellow UQ Wrestling fan and I went through our VHS libraries and old Apter magazines to determine the win/loss records for every wrestler to appear on the territory's TV programs and house shows. This is by far a labor intensive and very comprehensive year book.

Why 1985?

The year 1985 was truly a changing of the guard for the Eastern Territory. Some have called it the beginning of a second Golden Age of Wrestling. Others have called it the birth of Sports Entertainment. And yet others have called it the beginning of the end for professional wrestling. No matter where your opinions lie, you can’t deny that 1985 was indeed an important year in professional wrestling. And more specifically, the Eastern Territory became the focus of the professional wrestling world.

Hulk Hogan fresh from his role as Thunderlips in the movie Rocky III gained national “face” recognition that few if any other professional wrestler had enjoyed. Hogan captured the Heavyweight championship in 1984, but 1985 was truly the year that “Hulkamania” was born. And while many may cringe at the thought of Hogan being the champion or the term “Hulkamania” the impact of both changed professional wrestling forever. Hogan would go on to hold the Heavyweight Title until February of 1988.

WrestleMania, the longest and most profitable professional wrestling event in history, also began in 1985. The first WrestleMania was staged on March 31, 1985 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The main event was a tag-team match between the WWF Champion Hulk Hogan and Mr. T, accompanied by Jimmy Snuka against the team of Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff, who were accompanied by Cowboy Bob Orton. The financial and critical success of the event secured the company's status as the most successful promoter in the United States, rising above competitors such as the National Wrestling Alliance and American Wrestling Association.

Professional Wrestling also made its return to Network Television in 1985 when Saturday Night’s Main Event aired in May on NBC television. Pro wrestling had not appeared on Network Television since the 1950’s.

1985 was also historic for the Eastern Territory in terms of the talent accumulated as the promotion looked toward a National promotion, rather than sticking with the territorial system that had been in place. Former professional wrestling titans Bruno Sammartino and Pedro Morales both competed in the ring during 1985, along with the aforementioned Hogan, Piper, Orton Jr., Orndorf, Snuka, and the wildly popular TV personality Mr. T. The promotion also garnered crossover popularity with the addition of pop star Cyndi Lauper joining the promotion sparking the women’s division as she managed Wendi Richter.

But the star-studded roster didn’t stop there. Bret Hart and Jim “the Anvil” Neidhart, famous manager, “The Mouth of the South” Jimmy Hart managing Greg “the Hammer” Valentine all saw their television debuts in February. In March, the enormous King Kong Bundy, and former NWA champion Ricky “the Dragon” Steamboat joined the roster. June saw the additions of Terry Funk, The Killer B’s (B. Brian Blair and Jim Brunzell) and the Missing Link to the roster. In July, Randy “Macho Man” Savage and Lanny Poffo entered the promotion. And Canadian Strong man Dino Bravo and King Tonga joined the promotion in September.

All told, the promotion had managed to add many of the top stars from other territories making arguably one of the most star-studded and strongest professional wrestling rosters of all time. This makes 1985 and the Eastern Territory a great year book to add to Ultra Quick Wrestling.

How will wrestling history unfold in your universe?