When Hulk Hogan and Roddy Piper clashed at Madison Square Garden on MTV 40 years ago today, they didn’t just settle a score – they revolutionized professional wrestling. The February 18, 1985 event, “The War to Settle the Score,” marked a pivotal moment where sports entertainment crashed headfirst into mainstream pop culture, forever changing both industries.
The Night Wrestling Invaded MTV
In the heart of New York City, Madison Square Garden was electric as WWF Champion Hulk Hogan defended his title against his bitter rival, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper. But this wasn’t just another wrestling match – it was the culmination of the groundbreaking “Rock ‘n’ Wrestling Connection,” a revolutionary partnership between the World Wrestling Federation and MTV that would help transform wrestling from a regional attraction into a national phenomenon.
Pop icon Cyndi Lauper, who had already made waves in the wrestling world through her association with Captain Lou Albano, sat ringside as two of wrestling’s biggest stars collided. The atmosphere was more rock concert than wrestling show, exactly as WWF promoter Vince McMahon had envisioned.
Chaos Erupts in the Garden
The match itself devolved into beautiful chaos when Piper’s allies, Paul Orndorff and Bob Orton Jr., stormed the ring. Hollywood tough guy Mr. T, who had been watching from ringside, leaped into action to defend Hogan. In the ensuing mayhem, Piper kicked Lauper in the head – a shocking moment that would make mainstream headlines and set the stage for an even bigger event.
In an unscripted moment that perfectly captured the collision of worlds that night, pop art legend Andy Warhol accidentally wandered into a live interview area. Rather than creating an awkward moment, Warhol improvised a passionate endorsement of the Rock ‘n’ Wrestling Connection, adding another layer of mainstream credibility to the spectacle.
The Birth of WrestleMania
The War to Settle the Score did more than deliver ratings for MTV – it laid the foundation for WrestleMania. The wild brawl between Hogan, Mr. T, Piper, and Orndorff would continue six weeks later at Madison Square Garden in the main event of the first WrestleMania, establishing a template for celebrity involvement that WWE follows to this day.
Four decades later, the impact of this revolutionary broadcast continues to resonate. The successful fusion of wrestling, music, and mainstream entertainment that night created a blueprint that transformed a regional wrestling promotion into a global entertainment empire. As WWE now streams on Netflix and collaborates with today’s biggest stars, it’s worth remembering the night on MTV that started it all.
The War to Settle the Score wasn’t just a wrestling show – it was the moment sports entertainment truly became entertainment for everyone. Forty years later, its influence can still be felt every time wrestling crosses over into mainstream culture, proving that sometimes the biggest victories in wrestling happen outside the ring.
The War to Settle the Score Results
Here are the complete match results from WWF War to Settle the Score on February 18, 1985 from Madison Square Garden in New York City:
- Johnny Rodz defeated Jose Luis Rivera by pinfall
- Hillbilly Jim pinned Rene Goulet
- Don Muraco defeated Salvatore Bellomo via pinfall
- Moondog Spot and Rick McGraw fought to a draw
- David Sammartino secured a victory over Moondog Rex by pinfall
- Nikolai Volkoff pinned Swede Hanson
- Leilani Kai defeated Wendi Richter to win the WWF Women’s Championship
- The U.S. Express (Barry Windham & Mike Rotundo) retained their WWF Tag Team Titles by defeating The Assassin & The Spoiler
- Paul Orndorff defeated Tony Atlas via pinfall
- Jimmy Snuka pinned Bob Orton Jr.
- Hulk Hogan retained the WWF World Heavyweight Championship by defeating Roddy Piper by disqualification
Learn More About The War to Settle the Score
To learn more about this iconic event in professional wrestling history, we recommend this episode of the Our Vantage Point retro wrestling podcast: