WrestleMania IV & V Venue Demolished
Trump Plaza in Atlantic City, host venue for WWE WrestleMania IV and V, was demolished Wednesday morning. The poorly-performing casino had been closed since 2014 and Donald Trump has not been associated with it since 2009.
“The way we put Trump Plaza and the city of Atlantic City on the map for the whole world was really incredible,” said Bernie Dillon, the events manager for the casino from 1984 to 1991.
Trump Plaza in Atlantic City has been demolished. [Insert your favorite metaphor here.]
— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) February 17, 2021
“Everyone from Hulk Hogan to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, it was the whole gamut of personalities. One night before a Tyson fight I stopped dead in my tracks and looked about four rows in as the place was filling up, and there were two guys leaning in close and having a private conversation: Jack Nicholson and Warren Beatty.”
The actual WrestleMania events were held in nearby Jim Welan Boardwalk Hall. Trump Plaza was given the host-venue naming rights for the events.
“It was like that a lot. You had Madonna and Sean Penn walking in. Barbra Streisand and Don Johnson, Muhammad Ali would be there. Oprah sitting with Donald ringside,” Dillon continued. “It was a special time. I’m sorry to see it go.”
WrestleMania IV featured “Macho Man” Randy Savage win the WWF Championship in a single-elimination tournament. He defeated Ted Dibiase in the finals. The following year, WrestleMania V featured the Mega-Powers exploding when Savage took on Hulk Hogan. Hogan would regain the title in the main event.
