10 Shocking Moments from Wrestlemania 1

#10 Hogan and Mr T present SNL hours before Wrestlemania begins

Putting in the hours.

Wrestling fans of today will be used to watching PPVs that start at around 7pm Eastern, traditionally on a Sunday. Wrestlemania is no different, with the biggest show of the year normally getting underway around this time, or slightly earlier when you take the Pre-show into account.

However, some may not realise that the first edition of Wrestlemania from 1985 actually began at 1 pm. And if this strikes you as a tad on the early side, imagine what time the wrestlers would have been asked to turn up to the venue and begin their final rehearsals. With Vince eager to see his showcase PPV go by without any issues, it's not unlikely that the roster would have started their day not long after the break of dawn.

Two men who may not have appreciated such an early start would have been Hulk Hogan and Mr T, who were busy leading the promotion of the event in the weeks and days leading up to it.

Their final promotional piece took place on Saturday Night Live, a much-loved US entertainment show which hosts some of the biggest names in Hollywood and the world of sport. Hogan and T would have still been there on set less than 12 hours before Mania was due to begin.

Apart from anything else, having Hogan host SNL during Wrestlemania week speaks to the ability of Vince McMahon to crossover into other worlds of entertainment in order to promote his company. Even by McMahon's own high standards, this was quite the strategic maneuver.