Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 32

brcstleinania IQ DETROIT FREE PRESSFRIDAY, MARCH 27, 1987 4C Grappling with big show Hulk Hogan vs. Andre, land 1 1 other matches Jake (the Snake) Roberts will have snake lover Alice Cooper in his Where to park To ease the parking crunch for "Wrestlemanla III," free shuttle buses win run continuously from downtown Pontiac to the Silverdome Sunday afternoon. Wrestlemaniacs can shuttle between the Phoenix Center and the Silverdome from 1 p.m. until at least an hour after the match, according to the World Wrestling Federation. Twelve to 15 buses will roaka the I5minut trip throughout the afternoon.

Gates open at 1:30 p.m, for the 12 match card, which begins at 4 p.m. 1.5 million people. The World Wrestling Federation is constructing a special 18-inch high platform to raise the 36-by-36-foot ring, normally three feet high, so it can be seen by everyone sitting on the floor. Four 25-by-20-foot video screens' will be hung over the ring to provide close-ups of the action. Wrestlers and production people will-occupy 180 rooms at two suburban hotels.

A dozen vans will transport wres-: tiers and production personnel between the hotels and the Silverdome: The federation has distributed 30,000 photos, 10,000 press kits and 12,000 promotional posters. A press box will accommodate more than 100 reporters, the largest media vjrnout for a wrestling bout ever. About 350 stadium personnel will be working on Sunday. "That's not as many as we'd use for a hard rock concert," said Silverdome security director Jim Stoos, "but it's slightly higher than a football game." Elias Bros, has 42 concession booths at the Silverdome, employing 2,500 workers for "Wrestlemania" to prepare some 76,000 hot sandwiches, 7,000 slices of pizza, 13,000 orders of nachos, 25,000 orders of popcorn, 3,000 gallons of soft drinks and 15,000 gallons of beer. By GARY GRAFF Free Press Staff Writer If you think staging "Wrestlemania III" is as easy as slipping on a pair of trunks, go back to your corner.

It's kind of like, well, wrestling Andre the Giant. It's big: Celebrity guests will in clude Aretha Franklin singing "America the Beautiful" and Bob Uecker as guest ring announcer; "Entertainment Tonight" co-host Mary Hart as Franklin guest time-keeper; and rock star Alice Cooper in Jake (the Snake) Roberts' corner. Golf carts will carry wrestlers between the dressing room and the ring. "We usually don't wrestle in arenas where it's 70 yards from the locker room to the ring," said World Wrestling Federation spokesman Mike Weber. The anticipated gate is $1.7 million, almost double the take for last year's "Wrestlemania." TV production will require 12 cameras, two production trucks, eight tape replay machines and two satellites; the event will be broadcast to an estimated More than a million for TV The Peg: Savage nearly ended Steamboat's career when he jumped from the top turnbuckle and rammed a 20-pound bell into his throat.

Steamboat, suffering from a crushed larynx, went through weeks of rehabilitation. Steele just wants to be near Elizabeth the woman he loves. The Prediction: This should be the day's best match. Steamboat and Savage are excellent stunt men and are not afraid to leap 20 feet off the top ropes. One possible ending has Savage pounding Steamboat, but then noticing George (The Animal) Steele in a corner talking to Elizabeth.

Savage becomes enraged and goes after the Animal, but Steamboat catches him before he leaves the ring and pins the surprised Macho Man. Hillbilly Jim, The Haiti Kid and Little Beaver vs. King Kong Bundy, Little Tokyo and Lord Llttlebrook This might be the weakest match of the evening. Two big men King Kong Bundy and Hillbilly Jim have midgets for partners. Bundy claims he is going to squash the midgets under his 450-pound bulk.

Hillbilly won't stop him. Bundy has beaten him with ease. Koko B.Ware vs. The Natural Butch Reed How natural is the Natural? Not very. How many black men do you see with blond hair? But he is an entertaining figure, as is his manager Slick.

Koko B. Ware is a high flying individual who finishes off opponents with drop kicks and the Ghost Buster. He grabs opponents, holds them up in the air and drops them on their heads. The Natural is more-powerful and will finish Koko with a flying elbow and underhanded tricks from Slick. him wrestle any more.

But he and Heenan will have some underhanded tricks to make the Junk Yard Dog bow. Rick Martel and Tom Zenk vs. The Magnificent Muraco and Cowboy Bob Orton The Teams: Martel and Zenk (also the Can-Am Connection) are a couple of pretty boys who appeal to female fans. Muraco and Orton are mean and powerful, while manager Mr. Fuji is a master of dirty tricks.

The Peg: Really none, other than to promote the sex appeal of Martel and Zenk who are shown during film clips fighting off screaming women. The Prediction: Muraco and Orton should win, but won't. Zenk and Martel are all flash, no substance. But they put people in the seats, so their star will continue to rise. Jake (The Snake) Roberts vs.

Honky Tonk Man The Wrestlers: Roberts is one of the few wrestlers who fights the good guys and the bad guys. He finishes opponents with a DDT, where he rams their heads into the mat. Afterwards, he wraps a live python around them. Honky Tonk is an over-stuffed Elvis impersonator, who claims to be the true king of rock 'n' roll. The Peg: Honky Tonk once tried to sing on "The Snake Pit" a talk show hosted by Roberts.

After being ridiculed by Roberts, Honky Tonk and his manager, Jimmy Hart, stalked off. Later, he clobbered Roberts with a guitar as Hart squealed in delight. The Match: With rock star Alice Cooper in his corner, Roberts will beat the Honky Tonk Man. A possible ending has Honky Tonk about to put Roberts away with his "shake, rattle and roll." The Snake blocks the attempt and pounds Honky Tonk's head into the mat with a DDT. Cooper and Roberts play over Honky Tonk's quaking body with a live snake.

The Killer Bees V8. Nikolai Volkoff and the Iron Sheik The Teams: The Killer Bees wear bumble bee-like trunks and trick opponents by putting on masks in the same pattern. The Russian Volkoff and the Iron Sheik from Iran are the most hated wrestlers in the federation. The Peg: Once again the Russian and Iranian will try to show that Americans are inferior, but won't. The Prediction: The Killer Bees have won in the past in a slightly unorthodox manner.

When one man is injured and nearly unconscious in the ring, the referee is distracted and the other Killer Bee rolls his partner out of the ring. They hide under the ring and put on yellow and brown masks. The healthy Bee rolls back into the ring pretending to be injured. When the opponent comes to finish him off, he is surprised by the fresh wrestler and pinned. This trick has worked a million times, and why not one more.

Randy Savage (Macho Man) vs. Ricky Steamboat (The Dragon) The Wrestlers: Savage is the Intercontinental champion and a known sexist. He mistreats his lovely manager Elizabeth. Steamboat is a master of martial arts and hates the Macho Man. George (The Animal) Steele will be in his corner.

SCARY AND By NEAL RUBIN Free Press Staff Writer The pay-per-view gate for Sunday's "Wrestlemania III" is expected to join the live gate in the business book of world records. Some 600,000 pay-per-view subscribers will pay an average of $19.95 apiece to watch the 12-match card at the Silverdome, predicted an industry analyst in Advertising Week. A $12 million take would top the $10 million earned by Larry Holmes' heavyweight championship boxing match with challenger Gerry Cooney in June 1982. Nearly 93,000 tickets scaled from 1 00 to $9 have been sold for the 4 p.m. performance, making it the largest indoor attraction ever.

The sponsoring World Wrestling Federation says it expects an additional one million viewers at 163 closed-circuit venues, but none are in Michigan. From Detroit, the Lorain Palace Civic Center is the closest site in Ohio and the Notre Dame Athletic and Convocation Center at South Bend is the closest in Indiana. London Gardens in London, Ontario, is sold out, but Kitch WRESTLEMANIA, from Page 1C The Peg: They were best friends, I but something happened when Andre was suspended last year for missing matches. Andre was reinstated be-; cause of underhanded work by manag-; er Bobby (The Brain) Heenan one of wrestling's most hated managers, i The Prediction: Watch for Andre to start out fast to make us wonder if Hulk is over matched. But Hulk will rally to cries of fans.

This could end in dispute. One of two things will happen. 1 A double disqualification. (2) Andre will appear to win, but Hulk will catch in a small package for a three count. Hulk will still be champion, but Heenan proclaims Andre the champ -and both will wear championship belts, Reading up to a great rematch.

Jim (The Anvil) Neinhart, Brett (The Hitman) Hart (The Hart Foundation) and Danny Davis vs The British Bulldogs and Tito Santana The Teams: Neinhart and Hart be-'came World tag team champions after beating the British Bulldogs. Danny Davis officiated the controversial The British Bulldogs are the quickest tag team combo in the World Wrestling Federation and held the tag team title for a year. Santana is a former Intercontinental champion. The Set Up: The Hart Foundation stole the title from the Bulldogs when Davis chose to ignore a pin by the Bulldogs. When the Harts the Bulldogs, Davis fled back into the ring and issued a quick three count.

Banned for life as a referee, Davis was scooped up by the Harts. The Prediction: This is the Bulldogs' revenge. They will whip the Harts and lay a few choice licks on Davis. But the Harts will remain tag team champions since the belts are not on the line. Billy Jack Haynes V8.

Hercules The Wrestlers: Powerful Haynes is a product of the streets of Portland and master of the full nelson. Hercules is another powerhouse and alleged friend of Atlas. "When he got tired of carrying the world, I did," Hercules claims. He too has mastered the full nelson along with the back breaker. The Peg: Haynes and Hercules claim io be the strongest men in wrestling.

And vow to snap each other's necks. The Prediction: Both will get the other full nelsons, but will escape. will probably end up being a draw with both men totally exhausted. Jacques and Raymond Rougeau vs. Greg Valentine and Brutus Beefcake The Teams: The Rougeau Brothers call Canada home and are a couple of good-looking guys who drive female fans wild.

Valentine and Beefcake are former federation tag team champions. The Peg: None. The federation may be promoting the Rougeaus as contenders for the tag team title. Or perhaps this is the end of Beefcake and Valentine, a pair who should split. The Prediction: Valentine and Beefcake are the better team.

But something strange will happen and the Rougeaus will be victorious and contend for the title before 1987 is out. Rowdy Roddy Piper vs. Adorable Adrian Adonis The Wrestlers: Piper is a street brawler fans either love or hate. Adonis proclaims to be gay, though insiders say he is embarrassed by the role. But he gets big money to prance in pink tights, leg warmers and makeup.

I The Peg: This is the farewell match for Piper, who says he is packing it in after 16 years to make movies and spend time with family. When Piper left the World Wrestling Federation last year, Adonis started a talk show called "The Flower Shop," a spin-off of "Piper's Pit." When Piper returned, he Wanted the "Flower Shop" off the air. Adonis and Piper's former body guard Cowboy Bob Orton beat up Piper and stuffed flowers in his mouth. The Prediction: Adonis says he will cut Piper's hair after beating him. But Piper won't lose his farewell match.

While celebrating victory, Piper will be surprised by Adonis, who will slap a sleeper hold on him. While Adonis' manager Jimmy Hart runs into the ring for clippers, Brutus Beefcake may appear and save Piper. He was just Ducky in "Pretty in Pink." Now he's AN ELECTRIC MIXTURE, HEADED STRAIGHT FOR OVERLOAD." 3 3r fK Sheila Benson, LA TIMES crazy and it's all his parents' fault. ener, Ontario, Memorial Auditorium has standing room tickets available. Tickets in Lorain, 146 miles from Detroit, are $15.25 and $9.25.

At South Bend, 215 miles from Detroit, prices are $12 and $9. Tickets are $15.25 Canadian at Kitchener, 182 miles from Detroit. "I think the farthest away we've had reservations is Toledo," said Palace Civic Center general manager John Handyside. Ticket sales are slightly ahead of the pace for "Wrestlemania, II," he said, when about 800 people watched in a theater that holds 1,500 NThe broadcast of the original "Wrestlemania" from Madison Square Garden in March 1985 sold out at Lorain. Sales for "Wrestlemania II" in April 1986 fell because there were more venues, Handyside said.

For Lorain ticket information, call 216-245-2323 weekdays from noon to 4 p.m. and weekends from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For South Bend, call 219-239-7356 weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For Kitchener, call (519) 885-7125 weekdays from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and weekends from 10. a.m. to 5 p.m.

FRIEDMAN KJNGS ROAD Released bv NEWCENTURYVISftFllMCO. 2:00 5:15 7:30 9:45 11:35 1:10 3:10 6:15 7:30 9:45 VERY ENTERTAINING." Steven scniff, vanity fair "A SUPERB ENTERTAINMENT" Dave Kehr, CHICAGO TRIBUNE I My f( WiWPKp? I ft If "f4 KINGS ROAD ENTERTAINMENT JON STEWART'S COMING HOME" VIVEKA DAVIS PAUL GLEASON NICHOLAS PRYOR a LYNN REDGRAVE nVy MART Mum PETER BERNSTEIN "KKEN HIXONandDAVID TITCHER TITCHER STEPHEN PG-13 PARENTS ITHOmLT CAUTIONED THE WON GROUP. INU CHRISTOPHER GOLAN-GLOBUS JERRY SCHATZBERG-STREET SMART rm KM BAKER MM ROGERS JAY PATTERSON ANDRE GREGORY MORGAN FREEMAN ROBERT WING, III MILES DIMS (M HOLENDER uc 3S EVZEN KOLAR "'DAM EREEMAN MEM GLOBUS Junk Yard Dog vs. The King Harley Race The Wrestlers: Junk Yard Dog is a crowd favorite and master of the body slam. Race is an over-the-hill wrestler who was crowned the King of Wrestling by Heenan.

He finishes opponents with a cradle suplex. The Peg: The loser must bow to the winner. Heenan will also ask all 88,000 in attendance to bow as the King strolls into the ring wearing a purple cape and a crown that looks borrowed from an Imperial margarine commercial. The Prediction: Race is getting too old for ftis. After he lof; he should consider retiring; no one wants to see I'aui STARTS TODAY CANNON urectby ALAN SMITHEE 7:15 9:45 1:10 7:25 9:30 HELD OVER -1 1 1:45 4:45 7:15 9:45 12:00 5:00 7:15 9:30 5:15 1:15 3 20 5:30 7:30 9:40 5:15 7:30 9:45 1:20 3:30 5:40 7:50 10 2:00 5:00 7:30 9:55 12 10, 12 2,4:157,9:15 1:05 11:45 1:3012:15 1:30 7:35 9:35 JTiohviojini.