Bigger! Better! Badder! WrestleMania III and the Year It All Changed by Keith Elliot Greenberg
Reviewed by Shawna Butler
“Whatcha Gonna Do, When HulkaMania Runs Wild On You”
“Wooooo”
“And That's The Bottom Line Because Stone Cold Said So”
“If Ya Smell What The Rock Is Cookin''
“It Doesn't Matter”
Without WrestleMania III, none of these famous quotes would exist.
This event sets the stage and future for the sport of wrestling in BIGGER! BETTER! BADDER!, Keith Elliot Greenberg’s latest book where he writes about WrestleMania Ill and the Year It All Changed.
When Hulk Hogan body slammed André The Giant in the main card, it will be forever remembered as the birth of HulkaMania1. Many other remarkable characters from pro wrestling were in the spotlight that memorable night like Macho Man Randy Savage match against Ricky 'The Dragon' Steamboat, this match to me stole the show with their athleticism and stage presence.
In the first half of the book, Greenberg gives a delightful prelude and history of wrestling in American leading up to WrestleMania III. He covers interesting topics like the original territories and details Vince McMahon Jr. and The World Wrestling Federation (now called WWE) expansion across the USA and into Canada, with his take-over and overrunning some of the territories.
WrestleMania III was held in the Pontiac Silverdome on March 29, 1987. Attendance that night in Michigan was 93,173. However, there has been controversy surrounding this number, even to this very day. Many have strongly argued that the number was heavily inflated. Greenberg covers all aspects of this controversial subject.
This book is a must-read for any wrestling fan and/or pop culture sport fan. As a child of the 80s, I remember watching a rented VHS of WrestleMania III with my younger brother from our local video store. I'm pretty sure I was re-renting it at least a half dozen more times during our childhood.
Thank you, Keith Elliot Greenberg for bringing back some awesome memories.
About the Author
Keith Elliot Greenberg is a New York Times bestselling author, as well as a monthly columnist for Inside the Ropes Magazine. A lifetime New Yorker, he co-authored the autobiographies of “Classy” Freddie Blassie, Ric Flair and “Superstar” Billy Graham, as well as two editions of the WWE Encyclopedia of Sports Entertainment. His previous books for ECW Press include Too Sweet: Inside the Indie Wrestling Revolution, Follow the Buzzards: Pro Wrestling in the Age of COVID-19 and Best Seat in the House: My Life in the Jeff Healey Band, co-written with Tom Stephen. He regularly appears as a wrestling historian on A&E’s WWE documentary series.
About the Reviewer
Shawna Butler is a mother, a retired athlete and a fitness professional. She currently works in the Skincare industry with Drunk Elephant. She enjoys watching baseball and reading anything about sports, fashion, poetry, and biographies in her spare time. Shawna likes to travel anywhere warm and sunny. She has a BBA from Mount Saint Vincent University and lives in Paradise, Newfoundland.
Book Details
Publisher : ECW Press
Publication date : March 25, 2025
Language : English
Print length : 304 pages
ISBN-10 : 1770417850
ISBN-13 : 978-1770417854
I must pay my respects to Hulk Hogan who passed away on July 24, 2025. HulkaMania can now “run wild” with his other wrestling brothers and sisters.
I'm reading this one now and about 75 % through it. The writer does a nice job covering the '80s pro wrestling scene and I'm enjoying his narrative style. I think the title is a bit misleading though, but it a good way, as a good portion of the book is about events besides WrestleMania III.