Post Royal Rumble 2015 Thoughts

As most viewers of the WWE know, the 2015 edition of the Royal Rumble went over the Philadelphia crowd like the Hindenburg disaster.  This was due to two things.  Poor/outdated booking, and the mindset of the modern fan.  I'm going to provide a brief synopsis of how the two are tied together, leaving WWE creative in a corner regarding who they want to push, and how history may repeat itself after last year's, and the 2015 Rumble.

For some background, it's January 2014.  Daniel Bryan, who is the darling of fans within the IWC (internet wrestling community), and perhaps outside of it, was way over with the fans.  At the 2014 Rumble, many of them had expected he'd be competing in the Rumble match.  As the competitors came and went, only one more had yet to come out, the 30th entrant.  With much anticipation, the fans counted down with the clock...5, 4, 3, 2, 1.  The buzzer sounds and it's Rey Mysterio.  The boos became deafening as not only Bryan wasn't in the match, but it became obvious that Dave Batista was going to win it. 

After the Rumble, and leading up to Wrestlemania, fans online gave Batista a lot of flack for headlining Wrestlemania, and rightfully so, at the beginning at least.  Batista had been away from the ring for quite some time, and had returned after filming Guardians of the Galaxy (which he was great in).  His matches after Rumble saw him get gassed quickly in the ring, and it was apparent from both a conditioning and wrestling standpoint he was not ready to main event the 30th edition of Wrestlemania. 

The WWE stuck to their guns...for awhile, but they eventually changed the main event at 'Mania.  Bryan feuded with HHH in a very good underdog vs. authority storyline, culminating in a match-up at 'Mania.  The winner would go on to wrestle in the headlining match, making it a triple threat.  Despite the great match that two of the greatest technical wrestlers of their respective eras put on, it seemed obvious Bryan would get the win, which he did.  He proceeded to win the Bryan/Batista/Orton triple threat match.  His presence in the match certainly helped elevate it from the disaster it appeared to be on paper, but it wasn't something that they would've done prior to the rise of the internet.  The fans actually had a say on booking decisions, and it was something I thought I'd never see.

Let's fast forward to the 2015 Rumble.  Bryan, still darling of the fans, had recently returned to competition from an injury.  While he was gone for sometime, he certainly was missed.  He came out at #10 to his signature "YES" chant.  The crowd was very loud, and added energy to what had already been up to that point an entertaining Rumble, then something happened.  He was eliminated about ten minutes later by Bray Wyatt at the approximate halfway point in the Rumble match.  All of a sudden, viewing this on the network, you could feel the air popped right out of the zeppelin. The crowd suddenly turned on the match, booing, and chants of "bullshit" lingered for the rest of the match.

After Bryan's elimination, Roman Reigns enters the match.  Though most of us had a feeling he'd win it, it became obvious at that point by his placement after the Bryan elimination he was going to come out the victor.  The live crowd knew this, and nothing was going to draw them back into the match.  The WWE lost them, and things only got worse...

The apparent final four of the 2015 Royal Rumble were Reigns, fan favorite Dean Ambrose, Big Show and Kane.  Yes, Big Show and Kane.  Big Show and Kane easily eliminated Ambrose, then, to a very, very loud chorus of boos, Reigns took out the two long-term big men.  However, there was one participant who was not eliminated - Rusev.  He came back into the ring, and was quickly dispatched by Reigns.  Show and Kane get back into the ring, when the Rock comes in, assisting his cousin in getting them out for good.  Reigns points to the Wrestlemania sign hanging in the arena to a loud chorus of boos by fans who, some of them, were probably cheering for him just one year prior.

So what happened?  First, bad, or outdated booking happened.  The WWE has some popular stars in Ambrose, Dolph Ziggler and Bray Wyatt.  All three were eliminated by two big men well past their prime with ease.  This isn't a knock on Show and Kane, but this would have made more sense back in 1999 when they were at their peak.  Wrestling fans don't believe in unstoppable giants anymore (another topic for another day).  Creative went to the old time formula of having two of their biggest guys looking strong, only to be dumped out by an unstoppable force (Reigns).  This backfired big time, as the fans voiced their displeasure.  After the match, #cancelwwenetwork was one of the top trending twitter handles.

I firmly believe that most of the fans weren't necessarily booing Reigns, but rather how the match was booked, the predictability of it, and the relative ease of how other favorites besides Bryan were eliminated.  To be honest, I don't blame them.  While there have been worse Rumble matches, the 2015 installment of the event has to be one of the worst booked Rumbles in the history of the event to this point.  Back twenty years ago, fans wouldn't have been pleased if this had occurred, but they would take it for what it is and move on.  Not any more.  With more ways than ever to get their voices out, fans aren't afraid of letting it be known how they feel.  In turn, the WWE no doubt reads some of the negative thoughts and let it influence booking decisions, as it did for the Wrestlemania 30 main event.  Time will tell how the main event for this year's 'Mania will turn out.

Who Should Be on WWE's Mt. Rushmore?

While browsing a wrestling forum, one of the posts asked a question of who should be on the Mt. Rushmore of the WWE.  It was certainly an interesting thread, and the discussion was shockingly reasonable.  The overall consensus was there were two locks, Hulk Hogan, and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.  The debate centered on who should be the third and fourth on the mountain.  Three names stood out.  The Rock, The Undertaker, and John Cena.  Who would I choose if I had to choose WWE's Mt. Rushmore?

My first selection would be Hulk Hogan.  It's very difficult to discredit his contributions with assisting Vince McMahon on making the WWF a national product.  Despite a limited skill set in the ring, he more than made up for it with his look and charisma.  He made Vince, and himself, a lot of money during his peak in the 1980s.  He was a huge draw, and one can debate whether or not Wrestlemania would have been as successful as it turned out to be in its early days if Hogan was not on the card.  Hogan had universal appeal because, despite being a large man with exceptional strength, he still was the underdog in most of his feuds. Hogan was important in breaking the WWF into pop culture back in the mid-80s.

Next is "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.  Much like Hogan, he was a face for his era, not only in wrestling, but pop culture too.  Wresting during the Austin era experienced a surge in popularity that exceeded that of Hogan's era.  The late 90s were a strange time in the pop culture landscape, very loud and crass with disregard of authority.  Austin as a character played that to a hilt.  Not only that, but he represented the everyman, wearing simply black trunks and boots, he didn't need flash to get his character across.  He wasn't larger than life, which made him feel authentic. It was difficult to walk around back in those days and NOT see an Austin t-shirt.  In the scheme of things, his stay on top in the WWE wasn't very long due to injuries, but it certainly made a huge impact.

My third choice is John Cena.  Cena has been compared to Hogan, and perhaps those comparisons have some merit, but what puts Cena on the list is that he has been the biggest draw in the WWE for years now - approximately a decade.  While many fans sit silently in their seats for most of the performers these days it seems, Cena gets a reaction.  All one needs to get proof is the hear the dueling "let's go Cena" and "Cena sucks" chants.  If you happen to attend a live WWE event, most of the shirts seem to be Cena ones.  He makes money for the company, and more importantly, gets a reaction out of the fans.

For my final choice, and perhaps a surprise one, I'd put HHH up there.  Yes, the future head of the company.  There were several choices I felt were just as worthy, the Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, and The Rock all have a legit argument for being there.  So why did I pick HHH?  First, he is one of the best all-around wrestlers of the past twenty years.  His ring style isn't flashy, but he can perform power moves in one sequence of the match, switch gears to a technical mat style the next, to brawling the next, and hardcore if necessary.  He is also very versatile as a character.  He can get over with the fans as a tough, rugged face, to his authority heel character he plays these days, which in fact, may be the best character work of his career.

Those are my choices for the WWE Mt. Rushmore.  The first three, from a drawing standpoint, certainly deserve their places, while there's definitely room for debate in regards to the fourth spot.  Too bad we couldn't place a 5th performer on there...

Halloween Havoc 1991: Chamber of Horrors

One of the highlights of the new WWE Network is the ability to access all old Pay-Per-Views from WWE, WCW, and ECW. One of the first events I wanted to watch was WCW's 1991 Halloween Havoc, simply for the Chamber of Horrors match. This match has been considered one of the worst gimmick matches of all time. It is essentially a gimmicked cage match. The main cage is set up so the combatants have room to brawl outside. At some point during the match, a small cage containing an electric chair is lowered to the center of the ring. The match contains eight wrestlers. The goal is for one side to get an opponent in the electric chair and pull the switch.

Before we get into this match, the commentators are Jim Ross and Tony Shiavone. The entrance stage set up looks like something from an elementary school play, with fake tombstones that read things such as “Mike got lost on his bike”, and a painted “haunted house” in the background. Then again, back in 1991, there really weren't elaborate stage set ups we've become accustomed to.

Onto the Chamber of Horrors. One one side, you had the Steiner Brothers, El Gigante, and Sting. Their opponents were The Diamond Studd (Scott Hall), Big Van Vader, Abdullah the Butcher, and Cactus Jack. One the surface looking at who was competing, you'd think the match be somewhat decent. Unfortunately, though, due to constraints on the match (see second cage with electric chair in the ring), hampered it.

This match was basically a brawl fest. There were foreign objects the competitors could use, including wooden casket tops, chains, and kendo sticks. This match was basically punching, kicking, and whacking each other with weapons. The good guys were the winners. Cactus Jack was by the switch to turn the electric chair on while Abdullah and Rick Steiner were brawling in front of it. Steiner was able to get Abdullah into the chair, and Cactus hit the switch, frying his own teammate, and causing them to lose.

Another thing with this match was the Refer-eye camera. Basically it was a camera strapped to referee Mick Patrick's head. The shots would switch to this mode quite often during this match, which made it difficult to see what was going on at times, and made a choppy view. While I give them credit for trying something different production wise, it didn't work well.

Even in concept this match was ridiculous. The execution of it (no pun intended), failed. The match was punch, kick, choke someone with a chain, punch, kick, hit someone with coffin lid... Not exactly gripping viewing. The fault of this lies in the electric chair. It took up a lot of ring space, so the wrestlers couldn't do much inside the ring. The performers were definitely doing the best with what they had, but this match is no doubt one of the worst gimmick matches ever. Sure it is good for a laugh...

The rest of the card wasn't very good either. However, the Terry Taylor versus Bobby Eaton was an excellent match, and recommended viewing. The rest of the card you could skip, and not miss a thing. I would recommended viewing the Chamber of Horrors match simply for the historic badness of it.

Wrestlemania XI: An NFL Invasion

For anyone watching the WWF in 1995, let's be honest.  It was a mediocre period for the company in terms of the product they were putting out.  In 1995, there were a slew of ridiculous gimmicks, a lack of good story lines, and competition was starting to step up to the plate for fans attention in WCW and ECW.  WWF's long-standing status as top dog in wrestling/sports entertainment was in peril, especially with WCW grabbing WWF's top stars.  With that backdrop, the company trucked along, and as such, they put on their annual spectacle of Wrestlemania.

The 1995 edition of Wrestlemania comes to us from the Hartford Civic Center in Hartford, Connecticut.  Your hosts are Vince McMahon and Jerry "The King" Lawler.

Wrestlemania XI, much like X the year before, trotted out a slew of B list celebrities.  This year's batch included Nicholas Turturo from NYPD Blue, Jenny McCarthy who at the time was on MTV's Singled Out, Jonathan Taylor Thomas from the sitcom Home Improvement, the female rap trio Salt-n-Peppa, and the headline star was Pamela Anderson.  Oh, let's not forget the former NFL players too, including Lawrence Taylor, who would be competing in the ring.

The show starts with a Special Olympian performing "America the Beautiful". A solid rendition, and well done.

British Bulldog and Lex Luger vs. The Blu Brothers w/ Uncle Zebekiah
Wow, did Luger fall down the rungs of the WWF ladder.  From being in the title scene the year before to the curtain jerker in a tag match.  Another story for another day.  Luger and Bulldog were call the Allied Powers, and they took on the mountain boys/hillbillies of the Blu Brothers.  Luger and Bulldog perform a couple of nice double team moves to start the match.  Otherwise, the match plays out like a regular tag match (faces get upper hand, heels do a sneaky move to regain momentum, and faces get it back).  Bulldog wins the match for his team with a sunset flip off the top rope for the pin.  A watchable match, but nothing remarkable.  **

Nick Turturro is in a back room with Jenny McCarthy and the heels.  There are audio issues (can't hear Nick, tech glitches would be part of this show).  They return to the next match.

Intercontinental Title Match: Razor Ramon w/ 1-2-3 Kid vs Jeff Jarrett (champion) w/ The Roadie
The WWF was struggling with having multiple feuds that fans could like and get behind the competitors.  The feud between Razor and Jarrett was one of them.  This match is a rematch from their Royal Rumble match a few months earlier when Jarrett won the title under less than honorable circumstances.  The match was interesting in the fact that the result could have gone either way, and both competitors played it up as such.  However, Razor wins the match by DQ.  As such, Jarrett retains the title.  **3/4

Another attempt at the backstage segment with Nick, McCarthy, and heels.  Psycho Sid screams incomprehensible nonsense into the microphone.

The Undertaker w/ Paul Bearer vs. King Kong Bundy w/ Ted DiBiase
McMahon mentions that Undertaker has yet to lose at Wrestlemania.  Of course, at this point, he was only 3-0 going into it, but perhaps Vince had the foresight to know that in 2012, Undertaker would be 20-0!  Blah match.  DiBiase calls out at one point during the match Kama Mustafa, who steals 'taker's urn.  This match is slow, prodding, and boring.  'Taker wins with a bodyslam.  *

Nick runs into the NFL stars.  Each one calls out a member of Ted DiBiase's Million Dollar Corporation.  These ex-players are NOT good, or convincing actors!  Nick also meanders into a room where Jonathan Taylor Thomas was playing chess against Bob Backlund in a lame segment where Backlund claims the youth of the day acted like they knew everything.

Tag Team Title Match: The Smoking Gunns (Billy and Bart) vs. Owen Hart and Mystery Partner
Owen comes down to the ring to announce who his mystery partner is.  It is none other than Yokuzuna!  We get the best match of the card up to this point, if not the whole evening here.  Owen looked great in this match, and the Gunns were performing efficiently.  They performed with fluidity and looked like champs.  Unfortunately for them though, Yokuzuna was too much.  Yoko wins the match for his team with a Banzai Drop on Billy.  Solid match.  ***1/4

Todd Pettingill, rocking a mullet interviews Bam Bam Bigelow, who says that Taylor can't defeat him in the ring.

I Quit Match: Bret Hart vs. Bob Backlund
Roddy Piper is introduced as guest referee. Backlund at this point is playing the role of crazy old man.  However, he was a strong mat wrestler, such as Bret.  One would think on paper this would be a solid match.  Sadly, it wasn't.  I believe this match pays homage to the controversial match in 1983 (I think), when Backlund lost the WWF Title when Arnold Skaaland tossed in a towel, allowing Iron Sheik to win the match.

History lesson aside, this match was mostly both men locking in submissions and Piper stuffing a microphone in their faces asking if they give up.  Bret wins by locking in Backlund's finishing move the Crossface Chickenwing on him.  Could've been better than what it was. *1/2

WWF Title Match: Diesel (champion) vs. Shawn Michaels w/ Jenny McCarthy and Psycho Sid
Michaels comes down to the ring first, being escorted by McCarthy.  He was supposed to be escorted by Anderson...  When Diesel is announced he walks down the walkway, turns around, and gets escorted by Pam Anderson.

Very solid match, and perhaps the best one of Diesel's stint in the WWF.  This match ran for close to twenty minutes, and over the course of the match, played out in the usual big vs. small man.  Michaels does his usual great selling, getting high up in the air after a back body drop for example.  They cut the camera to Anderson and McCarthy a couple times during the match, both of whom look disinterested.  At one point the commentators say Anderson looks concerned, camera cuts to her and she's waving at fans.

Anyhow, there wasn't any doubt that Diesel was going to retain the title, and he did with a Jackknife Powerbomb to Michaels for the win.  While Michaels would have better Wrestlemania matches, the fact that he got such a match as he did out of Diesel is a testament.  ***

All the build up has led to the final match of the night...

Lawrence Taylor w/ NFL All-Stars vs. Bam Bam Bigelow w/ Million Dollar Corporation
It is hard for a wrestling fan NOT to cringe seeing an ex-pro football player in the main event at Wrestlemania going against a mid-carder such as Bigelow.  However, WWE needed to do something to generate fan interest in Wrestlemania, and we get a surprisingly good match.  This will never be considered an all-time great event, but it was much better than what was expected.  Taylor, surprisingly, or perhaps not depending on where you stand, wins the match.  **1/4

My personal opinion of Wrestlemania XI is that it is mediocre to average.  It had some good moments, but there wasn't any standout match, or happening at this event that makes it memorable.  However, taken in the context of the landscape of the WWF circa 1995 and their competitors, they did a decent job.The reality is though, WM XI probably won't be one you're going to grab from your collection for multiple viewing.  View this at your own risk.  **

Wrestlemania 28: Time to Hit South Beach!

Wrestlemania 28 comes to us from the Sun Life Stadium in Miami, FL in front of over 78,000 fans.  The set up reminded me a lot of WM IX.  That year, the ring was surrounded by tall pillars that held up a flat-top canopy.  This year, the ring was surrounded by giant palm trees, with a canopy that gave the appearance from a distance of action being taking place in a cabana.  The overall set up was well done, and one of the better ones they've done recently.  Except if you were sitting behind the palm trees.

Jerry Lawler and Michael Cole are on commentary.  The main draw to this Wrestlemania for many was the main event pitting The Rock versus John Cena.

The first match was Sheamus versus Daniel Bryan (champion) for the WWE Heavyweight Championship.  I was looking forward to this match.  I was watching at a friend's house, went out to make myself coffee.  The match was over before I came back into the living room.  We rewound the match.  Sheamus wins with a Brough Kick as soon as Bryan turns around from kissing AJ.  I was infuriated.  Especially when they gave more time to the divas match, a racist dance skit with Brodus Clay and a bunch of "mammas", and the MGK and Flo Rida performances.  Lousy start, and a terrible statement on how WWE views that title.

Next match was Randy Orton vs. Kane.  I wasn't into the buildup, and hence this match.  The match itself wasn't too bad, but would've worked on free television.  Kane actually wins with a nice chokeslam off the second rope. 

Up next is the Intercontinental Title match pitting Cody Rhodes versus The Big Show.  The buildup to this match was entertaining.  The match itself was okay.   Big Show wins the IC championship when he does a nice counter to Rhodes' Beautiful Disaster with a spear.

Divas Match time.  My friend and I turned to ESPN to watch the UConn women's basketball team play their Final Four game against Notre Dame.  We turned back to 'mania after close to ten minutes, and the match was finally wrapping up.  WTF!  You give the divas match where one of the performers is a host on Extra that much time, and not Bryan and Sheamus?  I give up thinking there's logic in the world anymore.

So that's the first hour of the show.  So far, it's been lackluster, I'm still seething about the opening match, and both my friend and I started to feel we were not getting the $55 we paid for the show.

The tide finally turns in the next match.  It is the Hell in A Cell match featuring The Undertaker and Triple H with guest referee Shawn Michaels.  It is AMAZING how these two can still take bumps and chair shots galore!  What really made this match was the pushing of story.  The commentators begin the match by saying how Triple H has a better Hell in A Cell record, putting some thoughts into my mind at least that Triple H could break 'taker's streak.  Shawn, perhaps the best special referee ever, gets highly emotional during this match.  Triple H keeps yelling at him at one point to "stop the match". Michaels seems tempted to, but doesn't.  At the end of the match, when Undertaker hits Triple H with a sledgehammer, Shawn turns away.  Undertaker wins in a classic.  While there were too many chair shots for my taste, the psychology and story being told in this match was outstanding.  An instant classic.

Six Man Tag Match (Team Johnny versus Team Teddy).  This match should've been the opener.  However, it was placed well considering the match that came before it, and the one that would follow.  A crowd calmer match.  This honestly was a decent match, with a ending where Eve kicks Zak Ryder in the private parts, allowing Team Johnny the win.  YES!  John Laurenitis is now GM of both Raw and Smackdown.  Should be interesting to see what direction this takes.

Next is the WWE Championship match over who is the "best in the world" between CM Punk and Chris Jericho.  This was the other match I was looking forward to, and it didn't disappoint.  Fantastic mat and counter wrestling in this match.  There was one counter where Jericho counter's an Hurricurana  off the topes into the Walls of Jericho.  That was the best counter I think I've ever seen.

Punk would win with the Anaconda Device submission in another instant classic.

Here we go...John Cena versus The Rock.  Before the match, MGK performs before Cena comes out, and Flo Rida performs before The Rock enters.  

As for the match itself, Rock did an admirable job for being out of the ring for as long as he has been.  However, it was obvious that Cena was dictating the direction and pace of the match, and the Rock definitely looked gassed towards the end.  Speaking of, the ending of the match was an unexpected surprised.  Cena goes for The People's Elbow.  However, Rock counters with a Rock Bottom for the win.  At the time I was disappointed, because I was actually invested in the buildup, and wanted to see Cena, a full-time WWE performer win.  However, now that I rested over it, the ending really was fantastic, and should be interesting to see where the WWE goes with both these guys.

Overall, the first hour didn't feel too much like a Wrestlemania, but the rest of the card definitely made up for it.  After I first watched the show I was down on it, but I had some time to wind down from my disappointment with Bryan/Sheamus, and decided to view the event with less cynical eyes.  With two outstanding matches that can be considered instant classics (Undertaker/Triple H and Punk/Jericho) and one match that was better than I had expected (Cena/Rock), the WWE put one one of, if not, the best Wrestlemania in at least five year (though XXVI was solid).

Wrestlemania hits Ten Years

Wrestlemania reaches a major anniversary.

Wrestlemania X comes to us from Madison Square Garden in New York City, the site of the original Wrestlemania.  The tag line for this event is “Ten Years in the Making”, and the show begins with short clips of the first Wrestlemania.  Between matches, they show highlights of the previous nine 'manias in sequential order up to WM IX. 

The celebrity guest hosts are Rhonda Shear, Mark Whalberg, Jennie Garth, Burt Reynolds, a Bill Clinton impersonator, and Sy Sperling of Hair Club for Men fame.

Your hosts are Jerry “The King” Lawler and Vince McMahon. 

Little Richard gets the festivities started with singing “America the Beautiful”.  On to the show!

We get a recap of the events that led to the first match of the night between Bret “Hitman” Hart and his brother Owen.

Bret “Hitman” Hart vs. Owen Hart

There's a nice tease in the introductions.  The announcer for this match, Bill Dunn, says, ”from Calgary, Alberta Canada”.  A pause follows, the crowd cheers, and Owen comes out!  Owen plays the anti-Bret by coming out with a pair of Hitman shades and tears them apart.

This is a fantastic match, and Owen displayed his wide repertoire of moves.  Being both a technical wrestler with aerial ability, he was fun to watch in the ring.  Bret did a good job with ring psychology as usual. Both men looked really good here, and the finish was excellent, as Owen took a page out of Brett's counter/reversal book.  Bret attempts a victory roll, but Owen counters by stepping into it.  Owen wins in a classic. 

This is a must-see match.  Not only is this the greatest opening match to date, it's also a top-ten all-time WM match.  *****

Mixed Tag Team Match: Bam Bam Bigelow w/Luna Vachon vs. Doink and Dink

Don't know if boring is a good description of this match, but the mixed tag concept didn't really work with these four.  There is a sloppy post-match spot that's obviously botched.  Bigelow and Luna attempt to double splash Dink.  *

Falls Count Anywhere Match: “Macho Man” Randy Savage vs. Crush w/ Mr. Fuji

This is a double-stipulation match, as it was in effect also a best two-out-of-three falls. Crush wins first by dropping Savage with an overhead press onto a security railing.

Macho wins the second fall with his flying elbow.  After the third pin by Savage, he ties up Crush in the back.  If any competitor couldn't get back to the ring in sixty seconds, they lost.  Crush, being tied up, was unable to. 

Watchable, but it would have been better if it ran a little longer.  **1/4

WWF Women's Championship Match: Leilani Kai vs. Alundra Blayze (champion)

Kai performed at the original Wrestlemania.  A quick, good match that's much better than most of the divas junk matches you see today.  Blayze wins with a nice german suplex, retaining the title. **

WWF Tag Team Championship Match: Men on A Mission (Mable and Mo) vs. The Quebecers (Jacques and Pierre – champions) w/Johnny Polo

Decent tag match here, as the Quebecers were decent wrestlers.  As for M.O.M., that is open to debate. However, Mabel whips out a spinning heel kick.  At 500 pounds, that’s an impressive move to pull off.

Johnny Polo, who most fans would recognize now as Raven, pulls Jacques out of the ring, causing M.O.M to win via count-out.  **3/4

WWF Championship Match: Lex Luger vs. Yokozuna (champion) w/ Mr. Fuji and Jim Cornette

Mr. Perfect is the guest referee for this match.  Lawler had some great one-liners during this match.  The match itself was VERY slow paced.  Yokozuna used a nerve hold on Lex for what seemed like half the match.  The reason will be revealed shortly...

Fuji and Cornette interfere in the match in Lex disposes of them.  However, he shoves Perfect out of the way.  As a result Luger gets disqualified, and Yokozuna will go on to face Bret Hart at the final match.

Luger goes to the back to start arguing with Perfect, setting up a feud that never took off.  Boring match, but makes sense considering Yoko, and all 550 pounds of him, would be performing again about forty-five minutes later. No rating.

Adam Bomb w/ Harvey Whippleman vs. Earthquake

Whippleman bullies announcer Howard Finkel.  Finkel fights back, then Adam Bomb runs down to the ring.  Just when it looks like Fink is cornered, out comes Earthquake for the save.  Earthquake wins in a squash.  No rating, though it was nice to see 'Quake again.

Intercontinental Title Match: Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon (champion) in a ladder match

This match was very innovative for the time and a first for the WWF if I recall.  Basically, the story leading up to this match is that Michaels was the IC champ, but he was stripped of it.  Razor was the actual champion, but Michaels went around claiming he was the real champ with an IC belt of his own.

Both belts were suspended over the ring for this match, and the winner would be the one who'd climb a ladder to grab both belts to become the undisputed IC champion.

A lot of back and forth between both competitors, and they were creative in how they used the ladder!  About half-way through the match, Razor suplexes Michaels off the ladder and it warps!  Razor wins when Michaels gets pushed off the ladder and gets tangled up in the ropes.  Razor is able to take advantage to climb the ladder and grab the belts.

This match was fantastic.  While subsequent ladder matches may have had more crazy spots, etc., this one is the best.  Not only did it usher in the ladder in the WWF, but it was also a very fitting match considering Razor and Michaels had the best feud going in the WWF at the time along with Bret and Owen.

Must see match for the how well executed it was, and the historic significance.  A top ten WM match.  *****

WWF Championship Match: Bret “Hitman” Hart vs. Yokozuna (champion) w/ Mr. Fuji and Jim Cornette.

This match had yet ANOTHER guest referee.  This time, it was Roddy Piper.  This match was better than the Yoko/Luger match…it didn’t nearly put me to sleep like that one did. Bret comes down to the ring selling an injured leg from his earlier match with Owen. Good match here, with both sides effectively playing their roles as injured underdog and monster heel.

Bret wins the match when Yoko climbs to the second rope to give his Banzai Drop.  Yoko slips off the rope, and Bret gets out of the way.  He pins Yokozuna for the pin.  Piper does a really good job in his role of guest referee during the course of this match. 

Much better ending than what happened at Wrestlemania IX.  **3/4.

In conclusion, this Wrestlemania got back on the rails so to speak after the cluster that was Wrestlemania XI.  WM X is very similar to VIII in the fact that it has two very strong matches, while the rest were for the most part, watchable, but nothing really above average. 

There are two all-time classic Wrestlemania matches on this card (Bret vs. Owen and the ladder match).  The only other WM card to that point that could claim that is WM III.  Both matches really are must watch for wrestling fans.

This was an interesting Wrestlemania, as the WWF really was going through a changing of the guard, and was in a down period in terms of fan interest.  All the performers who put WM, and the WWF on the map, were mostly gone by this point. It was sort of surreal at the time that Hulk Hogan wasn't performing at a Wrestlemania. 

We also get a new announcing team (Lawler and McMahon).  While I can't stand Lawler now, he was actually a rather good heel commentator back then, and had a bunch of funny one-liners through the night.  While he’s no Bobby Heenan, he worked well with Vince and this duo made a decent commentary team.

It is safe for me to state that this Wrestlemania is recommended.  Even if you just watch the Bret vs. Owen and the ladder matches, it would be worth it. Taking the card as a whole, the overall rating I'd give this WM is ***3/4

Wrestlemania IX: Time to do the Thing!

Wrestlemania IX, comes to us from Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, NV. As such, this Wrestlemania had a Roman theme to it, with announcers wearing togas, guards, and black and gold ring ropes. This Wrestlemania was known for a couple things. It was the first Wrestlemania to be held outdoors, it was the announcing debut of Jim Ross, and would be the final one Hulk Hogan would be in for nearly a decade.

The hosts for this Wrestlemania are Jim Ross, Bobby “The Brain” Heenan, and Randy “Macho Man” Savage.

The show starts with Caesar and Cleopatra welcoming everyone to the event.

Intercontinental Championship Match: Shawn Michaels (champion) w/ Luna Vachon vs. Tatanka

Very solid opening match to get the card started. Sensational Sherri came down to the ring as a neutral party before the match starts. The announcers do a good job pushing the idea that Tatanka has a chance to win the title, as he previously defeated Michaels in a couple of previous non-title matches.

We get some very nice in-ring action here, and an entertaining match. The ending was disappointing, as Michaels gets counted out, giving the hollow victory to Tatanka. Overall though, a good match, and the best one on this card. ***

The Steiner Brothers (Rick and Scott) vs. The Headshrinkers (Samu and Fatu) w. Afa

Ross uses his famous term “slobberknocker” at the beginning of this match. Standard tag match fare here, though it was entertaining. This is the second best match on this card. After the IC title match. Scott wins the match for his team with a Frankensteiner. **3/4

Doink the Clown vs. Crush

I've have to admit, that in hindsight, evil Doink, which he was for this match, was pretty cool. Which cunning trick would he pull out for this match? Comes at the end. The referee was inadvertently hit by Doink. While the ref was down, a second Doink comes down the ring, and hits Crush with an arm cast. This allows Doink to get the pin. Another referee (Bill Alfonso) comes down to the ring to explain to the first ref that there was another Doink. The search under the ring, and the second Doink is gone. Both referees walk to the back. Result stands.

Doink wins. **

Razor Ramon vs. Bob Backlund

Yawn for this match. Razor, who was a heel at this point, as actually getting “Razor” chants from the crowd. Funny when the face gets no reaction, and the crowd seems to be behind the heel. It was difficult to get behind Backlund because, well, he was boring as a face. Razor wins with a roll-up in a match that seemed it would've been better on free television rather than a pay-per-view. No rating.

Tag Team Championship Match: Money Inc. (Ted DiBiase and IRS) vs. The Megamaniacs (Hulk Hogan and Brutus Beefcake) with Jimmy Hart

There was more posing by Hogan and Beefcake then wrestling with this match it seems. They dump Money Inc. out of the ring while “Real American” plays, and Hogan poses. Despite some good work by DiBiase (as he seemed to be doing the most work out of all four competitors), this match was a dud. Money Inc. wins by DQ, when the referee spots Hogan using Beefcake's protective facemask, which Money Inc. had removed, to hit DiBiase and IRS. They rough up the referee (some good guys they are), pose MORE after Hart tosses the referee (Danny Davis, ironically enough)! If Hogan didn't need to stroke his ego so much, I'd probably rate this match more favorable, but as it stands no rating.

Mr. Pefect vs. Lex Luger

The women that came down with Luger were...revealing to day the least! Luger was the “Narcissist” at this point, and he had been knocking out wrestlers cold with a running bionic forearm. Watchable match here, but it will never be considered one of Mr. Perfect's finest (not shocking as he was working with Luger). Luger wins with a backslide. Perfect's feet are on the ropes, but the ref doesn't see it, so the ref gives the three count. Another unsatisfying finish. Once Luger is declared victor, he hits Perfect with the bionic forearm. Once Perfect comes to, he goes to the back looking for Luger, where he finds Shawn Michaels, who gives Perfect a beatdown. **

Giant Gonzalez w/ Harvey Whippleman vs. The Undertaker w/ Paul Bearer

One of the questions us wrestling fans will always ask, but will never get an answer to...what is up with the bodysuit Gonzalez wore? Take a look...

This match was horrible. Gonzalez either couldn't sell, or he was simply to clumsy to sell well. Undertaker did try to make this a workable match. Undertaker did well playing up the fact he wasn't intimidated by the size of Gonzalez.

Not much to write home about here. At the end of the match, Gonzalez grabs a rag doused with chloroform, and smothers the Undertaker with it. 'Taker wins by DQ. Taker is taken to the back on a stretcher, but his music plays, and he comes from the curtain back down to the ring. He takes it to Gonzalez and gets him off his feet with a flying clothesline.

One of the worst matches in the history of Wrestlemania. No rating.

WWF Championship Match: Bret “Hitman” Hart (champion) vs. Yokuzuna w/ Mr. Fuji

The WWF did a very good job telling this story. You have Hart, who was the proverbial underdog. Sure, he was a solid wrestler, but he wasn't the biggest, strongest, or most charismatic guy on the block. On the other side, you have Yokozuna. At a billed weight (at that time) of 505 pounds, he was demolishing the roster, and was an unstoppable force. This set up a true underdog vs. monster main event.

We get a decent match between these two, and it played along with Bret's never give up attitude. He took it to Yokozuna, even getting the big man off his feet a couple of times. Yokozuna had a trump card in Mr. Fuji who just happened to have a bucket of salt with him. Salt gets tossed into Bret's eyes while he had Yoko in the Sharpshooter. Yokozuna took advantage to get the win. Your new champion is Yokozuna. **1/2

If you thought the event was over, you're wrong! Hulk Hogan comes down to the ring, enraged by the injustice Hart suffered. Fuji issues a challenge to Hogan, who plays up whether or not to take it. He does, of course.

Impromptu WWF Championship Match: Yokozuna w/ Mr. Fuji vs. Hulk Hogan

Hogan is held by Yokozuna while Fuji gets the salt bucket. Salt is tossed. Hogan ducks, and the gets in Yokozuna's eyes. Hogan was able to leg drop a downed Yokozuna. This would be Hogan's final Wrestlemania appearance until Wrestlemania X-8 nine years later. No rating.

In conclusion, this is not a great Wrestlemania. The WWF was starting to go into a transition period about this time, and it shows. From a bunch of fresh faces performing, to Ross commentating. There was a changing of the guard for lack of a better cliché. However, that's no excuse to put on a card with a bunch of bad finishes. In addition, if the two opening matches were the best ones on the card, which is supposed to be the biggest one of the year, that's a problem.

The roman theme to this event, and another solid outing of commentary by Heenan save this event from becoming a total borefest. Speaking of commentary, while the chemistry definitely was missing from the Heenan/Monsoon days, this was still a good trio. Heenan has some very good one-liners, and Macho Man is a better wrestler than commentator, but he did have his moments and some good lines such as “tough times don't last, but tough people do”.

Overall, this is better than Wrestlemania 2, but not a strong event. A very weak Wrestlemania that starts promising, then fizzles out real quick. If you have it as part of the Wrestlemania Anthology Collection, feel free to check it out. Otherwise, don't waste your money on this, unless you can get it cheap.

Overall rating: **