WrestleMania 2 was the first and only WrestleMania held simultaneously across three cities on the same day, a format widely criticized as one of the worst in the event's history.
Key Facts
- Date
- Monday, April 7, 1986
- Number of venues
- 3 (Uniondale NY, Rosemont IL, Los Angeles CA)
- Total matches
- 12 (4 per venue)
- Main event
- Hulk Hogan vs. King Kong Bundy, Steel Cage match
- First Monday WrestleMania
- Only Monday WrestleMania until WrestleMania 36 (2020)
- Critical reception
- Ranked among the worst WrestleMania events of all time
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Following the massive commercial success of the original WrestleMania in 1985, the WWF sought to expand the event's reach for 1986 by broadcasting it simultaneously from multiple cities, aiming to maximize regional audience engagement and pay-per-view revenue across the United States.
WrestleMania 2 took place on April 7, 1986, split across three venues: Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, the Rosemont Horizon in Chicago, and the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena. Each hosted four matches, including a boxing match between Mr. T and Roddy Piper, a WWF Tag Team Championship match, and a Steel Cage main event pitting Hulk Hogan against King Kong Bundy.
The three-city format was poorly received by critics and fans, with the event's fragmented structure drawing widespread criticism. WrestleMania 2 is consistently ranked among the worst entries in WrestleMania history, and the WWF abandoned the multi-venue concept for all subsequent WrestleMania events, returning to a single-location format.