What the World Was Watching: WrestleMania X

There is a nice, brief video package of highlights from the first WrestleMania that leads into the introductory video for the pay-per-view.

Little Richard sings “America the Beautiful” with the help of a Baptist church choir from Stamford, Connecticut.

Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler are in the booth, live from Madison Square Garden in New York City. This was Lawler’s return after a four-month absence due to legal problems in Louisville, Kentucky. According to thehistoryofwwe.com, the card drew a sellout crowd of 18,065 fans (with another 4,200 tickets sold for the Paramount Theater). The pay-per-view pulled a buyrate of 1.68 (420,000 buys). That was a slight decline from the 2.0 buyrate and 430,000 buys generated by WrestleMania IX. However, it beat expectations that the show would perform terribly without Hulk Hogan.

Bill Dunn is the ring announcer to start, the first time since WrestleMania II that there has been a ring announcer other than Howard Finkel at WrestleMania.

A video package recaps the Bret Hart-Owen Hart feud.

Opening Contest: Owen Hart (9-0) pins Bret Hart (3-1) after blocking a victory roll at 20:20:

Yokozuna’s team let him down again as he should have been wrestling Lex Luger in the first match so that he would have more rest for the main event. There is a tease for the crowd with introductions as Dunn says “Calgary, Alberta, Canada” and the crowd pops, thinking it is Bret, and then Owen walks out to boos. Some of the fans are vocal supporters of Owen so to prevent him from generating sympathy the match layout has him taunt after a basic lockup, slap Bret after Bret gets the better of an amateur exchange, pull Bret’s hair to get an advantage, and scream at Bret after ramming his back into the ring post. The match goes through phases as there is an amateur sequence, a technical phase where each man counters some of the other moves and survives some close near-falls, and then a submission phrase when Bret appears to hurt his left knee on a pescado and Owen targets it. Bret gets so desperate he uses an enzuigiri, a move he has never showcased before, to regain control. Later, Owen gets desperate and resorts to a mule kick so he can apply a Sharpshooter, which Bret powers out of and applies his own but Owen gets to the ropes. After a blind charge from Owen eats boot, Bret goes for a victory roll but Owen does what Bam Bam Bigelow could not do at last year’s King of the Ring by kneeling to block it and scores the upset. A pin drop could be heard after that result. This was a star making performance for Owen, who went toe-to-toe and then outwitted his more accomplished brother. It is still a beautiful match to watch more than 20 years later. Rating: *****

Todd Pettengill talks with Owen Hart backstage, who says it is time for him to get the recognition he deserves. He doubts that Bret will be able to win the WWF title later.

Footage of the WWF-NFL battle royal from WrestleMania II is showcased as a “WrestleMania Moment.”

Bill Dunn introduces Sy Sperling, who shows off Howard Finkel with hair. Finkel looks younger with the hair and takes over ring announcing duties.

Mixed Tag Team Match: Bam Bam Bigelow & Luna Vachon defeat Doink the Clown & Dink when Bigelow pins Doink after the flying headbutt at 6:10:

Doink squirts water on Sperling during his entrance. The rules work against having a good match since Bigelow has to be matched against Doink and Vachon against Dink. The Bigelow-Doink segments are not bad but the Vachon-Dink segment is flat. In retrospect, this should have just been Doink vs. Bigelow. They lose the crowd for the ending where Doink misses the flying butt splash, Bigelow knocks Dink off the apron while running the ropes, and then Bigelow pins Doink with his finisher. This was a strong win for Bigelow and Vachon, who needed it after enduring this long comedy feud. Rating: *

When the match is over Dink gets in the ring and kicks Bigelow. This also turns into a mess as Bigelow and Vachon briefly double team Dink. Dink avoids a Bigelow splash but eats one from Vachon and then Doink trips Bigelow so he cannot get to Dink. Then everyone looks lost until the heels roll out of the ring.

A Bill Clinton impersonator is shown sitting next to WWF President Jack Tunny in a box in the arena. Irwin R. Schyster is sitting behind Clinton, not needing to prepare for tonight’s 10-man tag team match.

The staredown between Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant is the WrestleMania III moment.

Falls Count Anywhere Match: Randy Savage (4-0) defeats Crush (w/Mr. Fuji) (7-0) after ramming Crush’s head into a door at 9:42:

This is a hybrid of a falls count anywhere match and a Texas Death match where participants have to get back of the ring within 60 seconds of a fall. Like the previous match, the stipulation hinders the quality as falls are rushed and the crowd is confused about the stipulation, thinking Savage loses when Crush pins him in the first minute after dropping him across the guardrail. The third and final fall sees them brawl into the crowd. Savage pins Crush after ramming his head into a door and then he ties Crush up so he cannot return to the ring. That last bit does not work as the knot Savage ties does not hold. It was a poor ending to what had been a fun feud. One can question whether Savage should have gone over here since Crush was a younger star but the outcome has the benefit of allowing Savage to go out a winner in what would be his last televised WWF match. Rating: *¾

Pettengill talks with President Clinton, who puts over the WWF product. He says that he has talked things over with Irwin R. Schyster about some tax problems he is having. IRS congratulates Clinton on raising taxes.

Footage shows fans having fun at the Fan Festival.

Savage celebrates his victory with fans at the Paramount Theater. The WrestleMania IV moment shows highlights of Randy Savage winning four matches at that pay-per-view to become WWF champion.

WWF Women’s Championship Match: Alundra Blayze (Champion) (1-0) pins Leilani Kai with a German suplex at 3:24:

Kai was trained by former WWF Women’s Champion the Fabulous Moolah, starting her career in 1975. After working various territories, she came to the WWF in 1985 and beat Wendy Richter for the WWF Women’s Championship on the MTV War to Settle the Score special, dropping the belt back to Richter at the first WrestleMania. After that she teamed with Judy Martin to form the Glamour Girls, who were billed as the WWF Women’s Tag Team Champions, and they had some amazing matches with the Jumping Bomb Angels in 1987 and 1988. Kai later worked in All Japan and the Ladies Professional Wrestling Association (LPWA). As noted before, she was the only person on this show to have wrestled at the first WrestleMania.

According to Kai, she was the victim of an accident with a gas grill five days before the pay-per-view so she had to find new ring gear and wear heavy makeup that distorted her appearance. She also claims that she shaved a few minutes off this match at the request of Shawn Michaels, who wanted it for his ladder match against Razor Ramon. Putting Kai in the match was smart because she could work Blayze’s more Japanese-influenced style. The women do what they can in their short time but the crowd does not buy into it because they have been given no reason to care. Kai misses a clothesline off the ropes and Blayze turns that into a German suplex to retain. These short titles defenses are not doing much for Blayze or the division. At this point it seems silly that the WWF rebooted it if it is not going to be given much attention. Rating: *½

Classie Freddie Blassie, Captain Lou Albano, Nikolai Volkoff, Moolah, and Mae Young are shown in the crowd.

Roddy Piper blasting Morton Downey, Jr. with a fire extinguisher is the WrestleMania V moment.

Pettengill talks with Rhonda Shear, or at least he tries to before Shawn Michaels intervenes. Michaels cuddles up to Shear until Burt Reynolds enters the picture. He tells Michaels to shave his chest hair and tells Shear that he will take her wherever she wants to go.

WWF Tag Team Championship: Men on a Mission (w/Oscar) (6-1) beat the Quebecers (Champions w/Johnny Polo) (5-2-1) via count out at 7:43:

The crowd does not react to much of the match even though it features good spots. Th Quebecers take their double teams to another level as Jacques backdrops Pierre over the top rope so he can crash onto Mo for a near-fall. When Mabel gets a hot tag the Quebecers stop him with a double suplex and the assisted top rope senton bomb but Mabel kicks out. After a heel miscommunication spot, MOM hit the Hip Hop Drop on Jacques but Polo distracts the referee so no count is registered. Then MOM do it on the arena floor to Pierre as Polo pulls Jacques out of the ring and the Quebecers take the count out loss to retain the titles. This match made Jacques give his notice because he claims that he was promised that the Quebecers would win after doing months of jobs on house shows. He says the WWF decided the day of the show to give MOM a win because they feared it would kill the babyfaces. Rating: **

The Hulk Hogan-Ultimate Warrior showdown is the WrestleMania VI moment.

For the next match Rhonda Shear is the guest timekeeper and Donnie Wahlberg is the guest ring announcer. Unlike other WrestleMania celebrities, they seem excited to be here.

WWF Championship Match with Mr. Perfect as Special Guest Referee: Yokozuna (WWF Champion w/Jim Cornette & Mr. Fuji) (4-1) defeats Lex Luger (6-0) via disqualification at 14:39:

Perfect left the WWF the previous fall, upset at being passed over for another Intercontinental title run. Luger has new theme music to replace “Stars & Stripes Forever.” It has a good beat but it would have been a wise decision to give Luger new ring gear to go with it. The match is not as good as their SummerSlam clash because Yokozuna drains the life out of the match with four long nerve holds. If the plan was to make Yokozuna work two matches in one night why book this to go 15 minutes? Doing a short sprint in half that time would have made more sense. Luger finally makes a comeback after taking Yokozuna to an exposed turnbuckle, a spot that does not generate a loud response because of the long rest holds. Fans do wake up when Luger body slams Yokozuna and hits the running forearm. Before he can cover, Cornette and Fuji get on the apron. Luger throws them into the ring and decks them and then covers but Perfect refuses to count, tending to the downed managers. Luger turns Perfect around but he still will not count. And when Luger gets up again and shoves Perfect, the former Intercontinental champion disqualifies him. The finish made some sense because Luger beat Perfect at last year’s WrestleMania. But running that at a show of this caliber killed Luger as a babyface contender since he choked in another big title match. Also, due to the previous year’s WrestleMania finish it makes Luger look stupid agreeing to make Perfect a referee. The crowd, who has not been given a lot to cheer for tonight, hates it as well, working up a loud, sustained “Bullshit!” chant. Rating: ½*

Pettengill catches up with Perfect backstage. Perfect says that Luger should not have put his hands on him. Luger confronts Perfect, demanding an explanation. He does not buy what Perfect tells him and WWF officials separate them before a fight breaks out. All of this was supposed to lead to a Luger-Perfect feud but Perfect opted not to go back on the road so it was a waste.

The blindfold match between Jake Roberts and Rick Martel is the WrestleMania VII moment.

Harvey Wippleman yanks the microphone out of Howard Finkel’s hand. He calls Finkel a lot of names and rips his suit. Finkel pushes Wippleman, which causes Adam Bomb to run out and confront Finkel. Earthquake rushes in for the save and we have our next match.

Earthquake (7-0) pins Adam Bomb (w/Harvey Wippleman) (2-1) after the Earthquake Splash in 35 seconds:

Earthquake gets an easy payday by squashing Bomb because the show is running out of time. The Finkel-Wippleman interaction would spark a long feud between the two.

Pettengill does a locker room interview with WWF Champion Yokozuna, Jim Cornette, and Mr. Fuji. Cornette tells Lex Luger that he has no complaints about the first title match because the referees were agreed to by all parties. Cornette does a good promo about Bret facing an enraged giant in the main event when he is working on a bad wheel from the opening match.

The Undertaker’s entrance is the WrestleMania VIII moment, a weak thing to showcase from that event.

Bill Dunn takes over the ring announcing again because of Howard Finkel’s ripped suit.

Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Championship: Razor Ramon (Champion) (7-0) beats Shawn Michaels (w/Diesel) (8-0) at 18:48:

For many fans this was their introduction to the ladder match concept since it was the first to be showcased on WWF television. Diesel gets tossed two minutes into the match for clotheslining Ramon on the arena floor, a good way to write him out of the action so Ramon and Michaels can get all of the attention. What the match lacks in the crazy spots that came in future ladder matches it makes up for in brutality. Ramon gets the worst of it throughout as he takes a backdrop bump from the ring to the concrete when trying a Razor’s Edge, gets the ladder knocked in his chest with a baseball slide, Michaels dumps and then throws the ladder onto his back, and Michaels later rides the ladder onto him from the top rope. It is a star-making performance for Michaels as he displays daredevil-like qualities in splashing Ramon off the ladder, crashing off the ladder into the ropes, going over the top rope after Ramon whips him into the ladder, and flying off the top rope to prevent Ramon from climbing. Late in the match, Michaels catches Ramon with the superkick and piledrives him. He places the ladder over Ramon and climbs for the belts but Ramon recovers and shoulderblocks the ladder. That crotches Michaels on the ropes and Michaels’ leg and then his arm get tangled, causing him to lose. Overall, the match set the template for how future ladder matches would be perceived and featured lots of hard hitting and creative spots. And what made it great was that the action was paced out. Both participants looked to wear each other down before starting their climbs, helping to explain why they were moving slowly toward the titles. Rating: *****

Backstage, Irwin R. Schyster, Rick Martel, Jeff Jarrett, and the Headshrinkers argue over who is going to be the captain of the 10-man tag team match. McMahon announces that it will be cancelled for that. The real reason was that the event was running low on time, cancelling a match for the third straight WrestleMania. The ladder match reportedly ran over, leading to Randy Savage chewing out Michaels for being selfish. However, Sean Waltman said in a later shoot interview that all of the participants in the cancelled match still got their WrestleMania payoff.

Pettengill is back in the presidential box. Ted DiBiase talks with President Clinton about how everyone has a price for the Million Dollar Man.

Yokozuna beating Bret Hart by Mr. Fuji’s interference is the WrestleMania IX moment.

It is announced that the King of the Ring pay-per-view will take place in Baltimore, Maryland on June 19.

A video package hypes the Yokozuna-Bret Hart main event.

Burt Reynolds is the guest ring announcer for the main event. Jennie Garth is the guest timekeeper. Reynolds is a terrible ring announcer, reportedly three sheets to the wind. One of his hands was in a cast after decking a would-be mugger in San Diego, California days before the show.

WWF Champion Match with Roddy Piper as Special Guest Referee: Bret Hart (3-2) defeats Yokozuna (Champion w/Jim Cornette & Mr. Fuji) (5-1) after Yokozuna falls off the second rope to win the title at 10:32:

Piper gets a great reaction, making his return to the WWF after losing to Bret at WrestleMania VIII. He cannot help but smile shortly after starting his walk to the ring. Like The Royal Rumble, Bret finds himself limping into a main event. Yokozuna’s team may have banked on tensions between Bret and Piper but those are unfounded as Piper argues with Yokozuna and knocks Cornette’s lights out later. The match is not as good as WrestleMania IX as Yokozuna methodically works through another bout but at least there is more give and take than what Lex Luger got in the middle of the show. Bret makes a spirited charge toward the end, waking the crowd up with near-falls after a bulldog off the second rope, elbow drop off the second rope, and falling clothesline. Yokozuna counters another dive off the second rope with a belly-to-belly suplex but when he goes for the Banzai Drop he loses his balance and Bret covers for the win. It has often been said that Piper messed up the finish as he was supposed to either shake the second rope or lean on it, thereby causing Yokozuna to fall. It is a weird end for Yokozuna’s long title run but the crowd roars for it all the same. Rating: *¾

Contributing to the theory of the botched finish, Yokozuna chases Piper to the locker room when the match is over. As fireworks go off, McMahon proclaims the beginning of a new generation. Lex Luger gets in the ring and after a few tense moments he shakes Bret’s hand and raises it. Other talent like Razor Ramon, Tatanka, the 1-2-3 Kid, Thurman Plugg, Randy Savage, Gorilla Monsoon, McMahon, and the celebrities get in the ring, with Bret hoisted on their shoulders for one of his great moments in the WWF. Reynolds joining in the fun was supposedly spontaneous, leading to the other celebrities joining in. Before the show goes off the air, Owen comes out and stops in the aisle. Savage beckons for him to get in the ring but Owen is not happy with Bret’s success after he beat him earlier.

The Last Word: With two classic matches this WrestleMania has gone down as one of the best. Bret Hart getting the WWF Championship back a year after losing it was fitting for putting in great work at The King of the Ring, against Jerry Lawler, and against his brother for the past year. Lex Luger exits the show as the company’s big loser. He choked against Yokozuna, would never get revenge against Mr. Perfect, and he passed up a chance to turn on Bret at the end of the show. Even though some other matches were poor, the event made stars out of Owen Hart and Shawn Michaels at a time when the WWF needed people to step up. And the celebration in the ring was a great way to close out the pay-per-view, illustrating Vince McMahon’s decision to go all-in on a “New Generation” of talent because of Hulk Hogan’s impending signing with WCW.

Backstage News*: The first Fan Festival was a success, selling out and drawing 1,700 fans. Tickets were $22 per person. There were complaints that lines were too long and too many fans were packed into the two-and-a-half hour sessions. Acknowledging the issue, the WWF gave fans a pass to a future WWF event. Look for the WWF to make the Fan Festival a yearly event from this point forward.

-The March to WrestleMania X special drew a strong 3.5 rating, boosted by a Rambo lead-in that posted a 6.0 rating.

-In the dark match of WrestleMania, the Heavenly Bodies beat the Bushwhackers in six minutes.

-There were some celebrity issues behind the scenes. Little Richard would not sign autographs for the wrestlers after his performance and he did not plug the pay-per-view when appearing on The Tonight Show on March 16. Jennie Garth refused to do a planned vignette because she thought it was tasteless. She was not happy to go out for the main event because of a security problem.

-Stu & Helen Hart were scheduled to appear at WrestleMania but could not make the show because Helen was in the hospital.

-Vince McMahon’s lawsuit against New York Post columnist Phil Mushnick was dropped last week when the judge overseeing the case refused to hold it until the outcome of McMahon’s federal steroid trial.

-Shawn Michaels will be taking several months off from wrestling matches.

-In talent relations news, Koko B. Ware is going to be brought back for some matches. The WWF has reportedly signed Rocko Gibraltar, who will do a garbage man gimmick. There is also interest in Killer Kowalski talent Ron Reis. The Steiner Brothers are still unhappy about their run but are under contract until mid-December. Shane McMahon may be in the process of being groomed for an announce position. Currently, he is serving as an assistant television producer with Stan Lane and Johnny Polo.

*Backstage news is provided courtesy of Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer for March 28 and April 4.

Up Next: Monday Night RAW for March 21!

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