The best and worst of WrestleMania
Mat Matters
Informative views and insights on the wrestling world from SLAM! Sports.
Hulk Hogan, Jimmy Snuka and Mr T. at the very first WrestleMania.
|
By JOHN POWELL -- SLAM!
Wrestling
When I think of March it's not some university basketball tournament that
fills my thoughts. Traditionally, March is WrestleMania month to me. The
time when the World Wrestling federation and their talent kick it up a
notch putting on their best pay-per-view of the year. Storylines climax.
Long-standing grudges are settled. It doesn't get any bigger than this.
Here's a look at the positives and the negatives of the past fourteen years
of WrestleManias.
Wrestlemania
The event that changed wrestling permanently. The brainchild of master
showman Vince McMahon Jr., WrestleMania repackaged sports entertainment
into a publicly acceptable showstopping extravaganza. A glittery rock
concert, celebrity showcase and star-studded athletic competition all
rolled into one, the event set the standard for pay-per-view (known as
closed-circuit television then) wrestling broadcasts and the springboard
for an eighties wrestling boom.
The Good
Andre The Giant vs Big John Studd
Dwarfing the main event (Hogan, Mr. T versus Piper, Orndorff)
substantially, this colossal clash of the biggest men in pro-wrestling had
dream match written all over it. No one had ever sized-up to the
unstoppable Andre The Giant quite like this. Studd was 6-foot 11 to Andre's
7-foot 4. Andre weighed 495. Studd, 300 pounds-plus. Add the fact that
Studd put up a reward to anyone who could slam him and you have yourself a
true meeting of the giants.
The Bad
David Sammartino vs Brutus Beefcake
Son of the legendary WWF champ Bruno Sammartino, clean-cut babyface David
never could get himself over. Perhaps that's because his style was 40 years
too late. Beefcake deserved better competition than this rookie flake.
The Ugly
King Kong Bundy vs S.D. Jones
Total squash bout to push the "walking condominium", Bundy. Why even
bother? Poor S.D. Jones. He was a jobber you could be proud of.
Wrestlemania 2
In his bid to top the original McMahon thought REAL big. Three cities host
the matches. A steel cage bout. More celebrities than you can shine a
spotlight on. WrestleMania 2 exemplified the WWF hitting its stride.
The Good
The British Bulldogs vs Brutus Beefcake, Greg "The Hammer" Valentine
Perhaps the greatest tag team match of the modern era. For a year, The
British Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith, Dynamite Kid) tried and tried to strip
the cocky Dream Team of the WWF Tag Team Titles. The crafty champs
out-smarted their rivals at every turn. Anticipating a Bulldog win, fans
were literally sitting on the edge of their seats. The controversial ending
fueled the fire between these two teams.
The Bad
Hulk Hogan vs King Kong Bundy (Cage Match)
Okay. The match wasn't THAT bad. Bundy bladed. Hulkamania ran wild over the
WWF's biggest and baddest bully. Heenan was bounced like a Ping-Pong ball
off the cage. Fun stuff. However, the introduction of the family-oriented
steel cage (fencing replaced by thick bars) avalanched the hopes of a
rock'em sock'em WWF cage match for years to come.
The Ugly
Mr.T vs "Rowdy" Roddy Piper (Boxing Match), Paul "Mr. Wonderful" Orndorff
vs "The Magnificent" Don Muraco
Both were wholesale flops. Capable of presenting a solid bout, Muraco and
Orndorff are scripted to a expeditious double count out which had fans
scratching their heads. Piper and T embarrass themselves throwing softball
punches as the viewers were KO'd by the boredom. Yawn!
Wrestlemania 3
Top to bottom a very aggressively wrestled card. Holding it in the
Silverdome added a unique feeling to the event. It looks big. It sounds
big. It feels big. The crowd sets a new attendance record.
The Good
Randy Machoman Savage vs Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat (Intercontinental
Title Match), Hillbilly Jim / Little Beaver / Haiti Kid vs King Kong Bundy
/ Little Tokyo / Lord Littlebrook
Steamboat's injury at the hands of Savage (a ringbell to the throat) sent
this feud into the stratosphere. Energized by the crowd and so evenly
matched to begin with, Machoman and Steamboat go absolutely haywire
wrestling the bout of a lifetime. Fast and furious, it left fans
breathless. A mat classic for the ages.
Bundy's slamming of Little Beaver goes down as the funniest squared circle
moment ever. The follow-up elbow drop was a thing of beauty. Smash him
Bundy! Smash him Bundy! Heh. Heh.
The Bad
Nikolai Volkoff, The Iron Sheik vs The Killer Bees
Two tag teams no one cared about filling up time.
The Ugly
Hulk Hogan vs Andre The Giant
Slow-paced because of Andre's deteriorating condition, the much-hyped
encounter is a snorefest. Hogan's sloppy slam on Andre ruins the
high-point. We expected so much more.
Wrestlemania 4
The Good
The WWF World Heavyweight Title Tournament
Conscience that Hulk Hogan's dominant reign as champ was turning fans off
McMahon tossed a curveball into WrestleMania 4. As the storyline goes,
Andre and Ted Dibiase conspired to defeat Hogan. Dibiase bought off referee
Hebner guaranteeing Andre's victory over the Hulkster. When Andre turned
the belt over to Dibiase controversy ensued. McMahon and Monsoon stripped
Dibiase putting the WWF World Title up for grabs in a tournament at
WrestleMania. What a stroke of genius. Normally able to accurately guess
the outcomes, fans were thrown for a loop especially after Hogan and Andre
were eliminated early on.
The Bad
The Ultimate Warrior vs Hercules
Another promo match hyping The Ultimate Warrior and nothing more.
The Ugly
Notwithstanding his subsequent illustrious title run, Macho Man's triumph
was tainted by Hogan's involvement in the main event.
Wrestlemania 5
The Mega Powers explode. Former best friends Hogan and Savage are torn
apart by Miss Elizabeth and Macho's uncontrollable jealousy.
The Good
Randy "Machoman" Savage vs Hulk Hogan
Barring a few house show matches, Hogan and Savage had rarely met in the
ring. Six months of mistrust boiled over at WrestleMania with Savage
portraying the heel role. Hogan bled. Savage flew. Miss Elizabeth played
her mindgames. An effective climax to an exciting feud.
The Bad
Bad News Brown vs "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan
A yawner. Two stiff grapplers brawl. Whoopee.
The Ugly
The Red Rooster vs Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
Next to Bastion Booger and Dumpster Drose, The Red Rooster has to be the
lamest gimmick. It hurts to watch the talented Terry Taylor strut and crow
like a complete moron. Whoever came up with this bright idea should've been
piledrived into the concrete floor over...and over...and over...again.
Wrestlemania 6
Beamed out of Toronto's SkyDome, WrestleMania 6 was the first to be held
outside the United States. The era of the Ultimate Warrior begins as Hulk
Hogan takes a leave of absence from the sport.
The Good
The Ultimate Warrior vs Hulk Hogan
Hogan and Warrior blow the roof off the place. Fan loyalty was clearly
divided between those wanting Hulkamania to forge ahead and those praying
for anyone (and I mean ANYONE) else to hold the belt besides Hogan. Sure,
it wasn't a scientific encounter but the meeting of the WWF's top champions
had the fans and the competitors pumped. Hogan does the honorable thing
stepping aside for a similarly-patterned clone.
The Bad
Hercules vs Earthquake
Mega squash not worth the ring introductions. Earthquake debuts and
splatters Hercules.
The Ugly
The Hart Foundation vs The Bolsheviks
If you blinked, you missed it. Why would the WWF shortchange The Hart
Foundation in The Hit Man's homeland? Who knows.
Wrestlemania 7
Exploiting the Gulf War, McMahon had the patriotic Sgt. Slaughter "align
himself" with the enemy: Iraq. Hogan (The "Real American") tears a page out
of Duggan's book doing his best G.I. Joe impersonation.
The Good
The Hart Foundation vs The Nasty Boys
Jimmy Hart drops the Foundation in favor of the rowdy Nasty Boys. A see-saw
battle that ended ironically for the champs.
The Bad
Demolition vs Tenryu, Tatoi
Tenryu and Tatoi? Who dat? No background. No hype. No fun.
The Ugly
Jake "The Snake" Roberts vs Rick "The Model" Martel
It's hard to imagine any match below par than this. Blindfolded, Roberts
and Martel stumble around the ring swiping at thin air for like ten
minutes. Having pieces of bamboo hammered underneath your fingernails is
less agonizing.
Wrestlemania 8
A double main event buried alive by the Hit Man - Piper dust-up.
The Good
Bret "Hitman" Hart vs "Rowdy" Roddy Piper
Batten down the hatches. Hart and Piper heave friendship out the window
laying a real bloody beating on each other.
The Bad
Money Inc. vs The Natural Disasters
Two fine technical wrestlers versus two lumbering hulks? You gotta be
kidding. Did anyone really buy The Natural Disasters (Earthquake and
Typhoon) as legitimate tag champs?
The Ugly
"The Rocket" Owen Hart vs Skinner
Two failed gimmicks flame out.
Wrestlemania 9
A pretty weak card made memorable by Hogan's out-of-left-field title win.
The Good
Yokozuna vs Hulk Hogan
Shocker of all shockers. Hogan, who isn't even scheduled to wrestle for the
WWF World Title, accepts Bret Hart's blessing and Yokozuna's challenge.
Hogan walks away as champ. Who woulda thunk it?
The Bad
Doink The Clown vs Crush
Doink impostors befuddle Crush killing what little of a match there was to
begin with.
The Ugly
Razor Ramon vs Bob Backland
The best laid plans get laid to rest. Fans turn on face Backland and cheer
heel Ramon forcing a speedy finish. Hey yo! Can you say...big-o mistake-o.
Wrestlemania 10
The WWF's rapid decent into utter cheese starts here. Losing ground to WCW,
McMahon panics frantically raiding the gimmick vault. Everything is thrown
out there. Nothing sticks.
The Good
Shawn Michaels vs Razor Ramon
Often imitated but never duplicated. Good pals Michaels and Ramon combine
their skills in a heart-stopping display of precision and agility.
The Bad
Yokozuna vs Bret "The Hitman" Hart
Mismatch from the opening bell.
The Ugly
Bam Bam Bigelow, Luna Vachon vs Doink The Clown, Dink The Clown
Crap. Crap. Crap. Clowns belong in the circus not the wrestling ring. A
total waste of Bigelow.
Wrestlemania 11
The very worst WrestleMania bar none. There's no effort or imagination
brought to the table. The fan base scatters to the four winds.
The Good
Diesel vs Shawn Michaels
The nimble Michaels carries the technically-challenged Nash making him look
soooo darn good. The only match on the card that deserves a second look.
The Bad AND The Ugly
Lawrence Taylor vs Bam Bam Bigelow
Bottom of the barrel booking. The WWF shamelessly jobs out the accomplished
Bigelow to a trash-talking pro football player. It's a disgrace.
Wrestlemania 12
McMahon tinkers with the usual set-up to highlight an Iron Man match
pitting two of the best technical wrestlers in the biz.
The Good
Shawn Michaels vs Bret "Hitman" Hart
Testing their endurance and patience with each other, Hart and Michaels
wrestle for a complete hour. Unbelievable effort on both sides.
The Bad
Vader / The British Bulldog / Owen Hart vs Yokozuna / Ahmed Johnson / Jake
"The Snake" Roberts
Here's the plan. Instead of expending valuable time and energy in
developing entertaining storylines, let's just lump our excess wrestlers
into one big slobberknocker.
Sounds great! Let's go get Mr. McMahon a coffee.
The Ugly
The Ultimate Warrior vs Hunter Hearst-Helmsley
The Ultimate One fulfills his contractual obligations dusting Helmsley
faster than it took him to apply the Warrior face paint backstage.
"Stone Cold" Steve Austin grimaces in his match against Bret Hart at WrestleMania 13.
|
Wrestlemania 13
Clear the track. The WWF's back! Losing the Saturday Morning Cartoon
gimmicks, McMahon and company turn up the "attitude" halting their fall
from grace.
The Good
Steve Austin vs Bret Hart
A brutal, in-your-face contest. Austin bleeds like a wounded animal
cementing his hardcore, devil-may-care image. Hart and Austin ingeniously
switch roles.
The Bad
Mankind, Vader vs Owen Hart, British Bulldog
The double count-out finish is a total bummer for fans looking forward to a
hard-hitting contest.
The Ugly
The Sultan vs Rocky Maivia
That Sultan sure was one scary guy! Forced heat doesn't sell.
Wrestlemania 15
The catalyst that propelled the World Wrestling Federation to overtake the
disorganized competition.
The Good
"Stone Cold" Steve Austin vs Shawn Michaels
Fans finally get what they've craved. Austin, the most popular wrestler to
date, is crowned champ. Let the party begin!
The Bad
Kane vs The Undertaker
Two brutes sluggishly slugging it out. Nuff said.
The Ugly
Sable, Marc Mero vs Luna Vachon, Goldust
Plastic Woman and her real-life hubby scuffle with the Bizarre One and his
bad-to-the-bone valet. Might as well go for a soda.
