The second feud heading into the event was between Mr. T and Rowdy Roddy Piper. Piper established himself as the top heel in the WWF in 1984. A year later he joined Paul Orndorff and Bob Orton to feud with Hulk Hogan and Mr. T who defeated them in the main event of the first-ever WrestleMania. The Piper-Mr. T feud restarted in 1986 after their real-life hatred for each other became known, prompting the WWF to turn their animosity for one another into a feud. Piper and others disliked Mr. T because he was an actor and had no wrestling skills. In response, Mr. T became a special WWF boxer and began competing in boxing matches. On the March 1 "Saturday Night's Main Event V", Mr. T defeated Orton in a boxing match. After the match, Piper distracted Mr. T, allowing Orton to attack from behind and start a 2-on-1 assault. Mr. T then demanded revenge, leading to his boxing match against Piper.