30 Week Journey: Wrestlemania III (1987)

The latest Lapsed Fan is bigger, it’s badder, and it’s better. Anything less would be inappropriate.

Hosts Jack Encarnacao and JP Sarro dive into the cavernous environs of the once-mighty Pontiac Silverdome for a wall-to-wall breakdown of Wrestlemania III, a banner night for professional wrestling and a true milestone on the Lapsed Fan’s 30-week, 30-Wrestlemania journey.

We cover all bases, from Aretha Franklin to Hulk Hogan slamming Andre the Giant, with a tremendous assist from wrestling guru Dave Meltzer. The show covers:

- The real 78,000 attendance figure for show, and how we can be sure

- A sentimental sojourn to the Silverdome’s parking lot in 2007

- What there is to learn about a perfect wrestling payoff from Piper v. Adonis

- Steamboat v. Savage, and why it’s annoying to pretend it wasn’t an all-time classic

- Recollections of whether or not Andre got the 3 on Hogan’s first botched slam attempt

- Bundy squashes a midget (commentators’ term, not ours)

- Alice Cooper’s strange combination of apprehension and stubbornness while wielding Jake’s snake

- Your hosts take tremendous artistic liberties envisioning the conversation between Vince McMahon and Andre on the set of “The Princess Bride,” trying to sell the big man on working the big show

- And laughing. So much laughing you’ll tell yourself you’re going to stop listening (but you won’t)

Get on board that Lapsed Fan locomotive, as we make our third stop in Pontiac, 1987, the big one, Wrestlemania III.