Thirty years ago today, Hulk Hogan defeated The Iron Sheik at Madison Square Garden, in New York City, to became the WWF Champion. That was the official start to the “Hulkamania Era” in the WWE, and the path of professional wrestling was changed forever.

On the official website of the WWE, a portion of Hulk Hogan’s bio highlights this championship match and the birth of Hulkamania:

Clad from head to toe in his trademark yellow and red, “The Real American” first established his unbridled patriotism when he legdropped his way through The Iron Sheik to win the WWE Championship in 1984. He became a household name from there, headlining the inaugural WrestleMania while brushing his 24-inch pythons against celebrities like Cyndi Lauper and Billy Crystal on MTV and “Saturday Night Live.” The Hulkster’s fanbase knew no bounds as Andy Warhol showed up at his matches and millions of children listened intently as their hero urged them to “say their prayers and eat their vitamins.”

Hulk Hogan posted the following message on his official Twitter account today:

The Iron Sheik also commented on the anniversary of their championship match, and posted the following on his Twitter account:

Below is the full length match between Hulk Hogan and The Iron Sheik for the WWF Championship: