From the Bowery: WrestleMania X

From the Bowery: WrestleMania X
-March 20, 1994
-MSG, NY, NY

-Announce Team: Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler

-A year prior Vince decided to give Hulk-a-mania one last run before putting Bret over as the man in the WWF. That didn’t exactly go the way they planned, and Vince resorted to turning Luger into his new Hogan. That didn’t work out all that well because in the fan’s eyes Luger choked at SummerSlam against Yokozuna and the fans still wanted Bret. Yokozuna was the dominate monster champion, and after dispatching Taker in a casket match at the Rumble (a match that proved that someone in creative/booking was on a bad acid trip), the question became who will dethrone the monster? We kind of got an answer at the Rumble, but it was a bit confusing. Luger and Hart were the final two in the Rumble match and they eliminated each other. After much debate and the fans clearly siding with Bret, they were announced as co-winners, and each would get a title match at WrestleMania. A flip of a coin would decide which of the two would get the first WWF Title match, and who would challenge second. To keep things on an even playing field, whoever got the second title match had to wrestle the opening match at Mania so they would not have an advantage. The scenarios for that opening match were Bret vs. Owen and Luger vs. Ludvig Borga. Thankfully, they went with Bret vs. Owen and saved us from sitting through the other option.

-Vince introduces Little Richard who sings America the Beautiful.

Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart

-Owen started turning heel at the Survivor Series when he was the only Hart member eliminated, and felt a little pissed. Things seemed ok, but at the Rumble all hell broke loose between the two. Owen, pissed that Bret cost them their match for Tag Titles, finally turned on his brother and gave a memorable post match interview. Bret was worried this feud would turn him heel since he was beating on his younger brother, but Owen played his role so well that the crowd did not muster much sympathy for him. In a cute moment the announcer teases Bret Hart, but Owen is the one who makes his way to the ring. Owen celebrates winning the first lock-up of the match in a nice character moment. It brought a smile to my face at least. They trade some amateur wrestling to start, and neither man can gain a clear advantage. Bret escapes a go behind by sending Owen to the floor. Owen storms back in the ring and slaps the taste out of Bret’s mouth. They work off an arm wringer, and Bret gets a two count with a roll-up. Bret locks in an armbar as the crowd starts a massive “Lets Go Bret” chant. Owen breaks with an elbow, but gets monkey flipped, and then clotheslined to the floor. Bret chases him on the floor and fires him back inside the ring. They start a shoving match, and now Bret slaps the maple syrup out of Owen’s mouth. He follows that with another roll-up for a two count. A crucifix gets another two count for Bret, and he goes right back to the arm. Owen is able to get things moving at a faster pace and drops Bret with a spin wheel kick. They head to the floor, and Owen rams Bret’s back into the post. They head back inside the ring and Owen starts to work on the injured back. He locks Bret into the camel clutch, but it doesn’t last long as some well placed elbows break the hold. Owen catches Bret charging, and drops him with a fantastic overhead suplex. He goes to a chinlock, but throws in the added touch of burying his knee in Bret’s back. Lawler notes that Owen’s confidence is growing with each passing second, and that is a great point. The crowd is clearly buying Owen as a threat with each passing second in this match. Bret gets a small package for a two count, but can’t keep the advantage. Owen hits a swank tombstone, but misses the diving headbutt from the top rope. That tombstone was pretty badass, and I will say they way he performed it here was the way I think he intended it against Austin years later. Bret starts firing off the 5 moves of Doom in succession, but opts for a pin after the second rope elbow. That only gets two, and it gets Owen the chance to recover. He suckers Bret in, and nails a sweet enziguiri. They fight over a sharpshooter, and it ends with Owen getting his own roll-up for a two count. Owen hits the floor and Bret follows with a plancha, and fucks up his knee on the landing. Ever the evil bastard, Owen takes advantage of his brother’s injury and does all that he can to destroy the knee. He did promise Bret would not make it to his WWF Title match. The crowd is clearly behind Bret which probably squashed any thought he had that the crowd would sympathize with Owen. Lawler thinks Bret should just give it up here and save himself for the WWF Title match later. That’s actually not a bad idea, but this is Bret Hart. Owen locks in a figure four, but Bret is able to turn the hold. Eventually they roll to the ropes and the official (Earl Hebnar, just saying) breaks the hold. Bret starts his comeback, and Owen takes the Bret bump in the corner. Nice! A bulldog gets a pin, but the knee kept Bret from getting to Owen early enough to capitalize. That is some great selling there. A beautiful piledriver gets another two count. That looked sick. A superplex leaves both men lying, but Bret is able to muster enough strength to get another near fall. Bret ducks a punch and locks in a sleeper, so Owen calmly mule kicks Bret in the balls. That sets up the Sharpshooter, and in a funny 20/20 visual, I can’t help but laugh as Hebnar stares at the timekeeper and threatens to ring the bell. Owen charges into a Bret boot. He tries a victory roll, but Owen simply sits down, and gets the pin @ 20:21. The crowd is beyond shock at this result. Vince starts making excuses for Bret saying his heart was not into this match.

Winner: Owen Hart via pin @ 20:21
-Fantastic match that just absolutely flew by. They hit everything crisply, and Bret sold the knee for the entire match. The fans were lukewarm on Owen to start, but as the match progressed they had no problem buying him as a credible threat to Bret. Not to say they weren’t shocked by the outcome, but they were clearly buying into what Owen was selling. I don’t love this match as much as most because while the crowd got into the match later, they were a little slow to get there. Still, a sweet match though. I actually have this about even with Hart and Piper from WrestleMania VIII and personally I like the IC Title match better. This was the better pure wrestling match however and this gets a better rating. ****1/2

Bam Bam Bigelow & Luna Vachon vs. Doink and Dink

-This would be a mixed tag match that featured 2 men, 1 woman, and a midget clown. Bigelow and Luna just seemed to make sense together, and I guess the same could be said for Doink and Dink. Sadly, Doink went from badass killer clown to kid friendly annoyance since WM IX. They cut the man’s ball off, so to speak. Giving him a midget sidekick did nothing to help things (see Finlay, Fit). Bigelow runs all over Doink to start, but misses a backsplash. Doink controls things with an arm bar, and the tag is made to Dink. Bigelow wants a piece but the rules state Luna must be in the match when the midget is involved. Dink slaps Luna on the ass, but Luna’s not down with that. She gets in a few shots, but Dink regains the advantage and we get some comedy spots. Dink heads to the top rope, but misses, and does a flip to sell. Luna rakes the back, and slams the little man to the mat. She heads to the top rope, but the splash misses. The two men get back in the ring, and Doink gets clotheslined to the floor. Dink gets back in the ring, and Bigelow starts stalking him, but can’t catch him. Bigelow blocks a sunset flip attempt from Doink by just dropping to his ass. A blind charge from Bigelow eats a boot, and Doink hits a pretty sweet version of what would now be called the Impaler. The Whoopee Cushion misses, and Bigelow takes control. Dink gets knocked off the apron, and Bigelow finishes things rather easily with the flying headbutt @ 6:10. I’m impressed Lawler went the entire match before firing off the short jokes. Dink gets abused post match by Luna, but he is able to escape getting squashed by Bigelow.

Winners: Bam Bam Bigelow & Luna Vachon via pin @ 6:10
-This wasn’t very good, but the crowd seemed to enjoy it. The only good thing was that it was a short match. The Impaler was nice though. *1/2

-The Bill Clinton impersonator takes a seat in the crowd with Money Inc.

Falls Count Anywhere: Randy Savage vs. Crush (w/ Mr. Fuji)

-The story is that Savage and Crush were friends, and Crush got his shot against Yokozuna. He got killed, and sent to the hospital. When he came back he was quite pissed at Savage and thus an old school grudge was born. The rules are that falls count anywhere in the building, but once one man is pinned they have 60 seconds to get back in the ring for the match to continue. They brawl in the aisle, but Crush over powers Savage quite easily. In a nod to the heel turn, Crush drops Savage throat first across the guard rail and that gets the pin at 46 seconds. Savage now has 60 seconds to return to the ring. Savage appears to have no problem getting back, but Fuji decks him with Japanese flag to add some drama. Savage does get back in with two seconds remaining. Crush continues the onslaught and hangs Savage in the Tree of Woe. The ass kicking continues, and Crush gets some ceremonial salt from Fuji. Naturally, that backfires and ends up blinding Crush instead. Savage fires back with some jabs, and hits a nice running elbow. Savage kicks Crush to the arena floor, and gets a pin at 4:35. Now Crush has 60 seconds to get back in the ring. That shouldn’t be too taxing since he is a mere 8 inches from the ring. Crush sells it like he is dead, so Fuji uses some water to revive his man. Crush gets back in the ring with 2 seconds left. This stupid stipulation has really killed any kind of flow in this match. Savage takes his last huge WrestleMania bump when he gets back dropped over the top and to the floor. Savage always takes that spot well. They brawl continues on the floor and Crush eats some post, and incase he needed more steel is his diet, some steps. Savage tosses Crush over the rail and they brawl in the crowd. Now they are getting smart as they are getting farther away from the ring. Savage rams Crush into anything he can find as they reach some random area in MSG. Savage gets at pin at around the 8:20 mark, and since they are next to some scaffolding, Savage decides to hang Crush upside down. A for effort there, but Savage must not have been a boy scout because he did a shitty job with his technique. It doesn’t really matter though as Crush doesn’t even get close to the ring, and things end at 9:44.

Winner: Randy Savage via Crush not answering the 60 sec clock @ 9:44
-I enjoyed this match a lot more back in 1994. There is a reason the WWE has only done a match like this once. Nothing really memorable and it was kind of a crappy way for Savage to end his WrestleMania run. They wanted something unique and brutal to end this feud, and they just didn’t have too much to offer at this time. Today we would have gotten either just a plain no DQ match, or Last Man Standing. **

-Todd interviews “Bill Clinton” and that’s about it really.

-Savage celebrates with the fans in the theater next door.

WWF Women’s Title: Alundra Blaze © vs. Leilani Kai

-Blaze would be Madusa from WCW fame, and is remembered for tossing the WWF Woman’s Title in a garbage can live on Nitro. That becomes important in the whole Bret/Vince Montreal fiasco as Vince (rightfully so) was worried Bischoff would have Bret do the same thing with the WWF Title. Kai appeared at the first WrestleMania and dropped the title to Wendi Richter. Blaze gets a sunset flip for two, and uses her speed to fluster Kai. She finally gets caught and Kai choke bombs her to the mat. Lawler does all he can to make fun of Blaze’s face. Blaze gets dumped to the floor, but Kai tosses her right back in the ring. Kai gets a 2 count off a suplex, but misses a clothesline and Blaze gets one of her own. A spinning kick sets-up a suplex, but it only gets two for Blaze. Lawler continues to make horse face jokes at Blaze’s expense. A bridging German suplex finishes things at 3:25.

Winner and Still WWF Women’s Champ: Alundra Blaze via pin @ 3:25
-Much like today they just needed something to showcase the Title. The only difference between now and then was that Playboy wasn’t knocking on the door on any of the women wrestling for the WWF at this time. *

WWF Tag Titles: The Quebecers (w/ Johnny Polo) vs. Men on a Mission (w/ Oscar)

-Men on a Mission basically fill the same role that Cryme Tyme does today. Namely, non-offensive hip hop/rap wrestlers with catchphrases with which the kids can chant along. Johnny Polo is of course Raven (my boy) before finding himself in ECW. Try to find some matches with Polo doing commentary around this time. I believe he does the Shawn/Marty match on the Steel Cage DVD with Monsoon. They are quite hilarious together. To show how important this match is, we cut backstage to Shawn Michaels hitting on Rhonda Shear. He is cock blocked by Burt Reynolds however. Seriously. The Quebecers jump MOM to start the match, and quickly they toss Mo. They try to double team Mable, but he’s just too damn fat, and takes both men down with a clothesline. Jacques and Mo start the match proper, and a crossbody gets a two count. Mabel gets tagged in, and drops the fat ass leg. MOM goes through the double team arsenal, but Pierre cuts things off. The heels now control as Mo is your homeboy in peril. In a nice spot Jacques backdrops Pierre over the top rope into Mo. A double stungun gets a two count. The crowd starts a lets go Mo chant, and it works as Mo hits a flip splash. The tag is cut off and Jacques heads up top, but misses a leg drop. The hot tag is finally made to Mabel, and he dominates with clotheslines, and splashes. A charge in the corner misses, and the Quebecers get stupid and try to suplex Mabel. They regroup and actually do get the suplex in an impressive spot. Mabel kicks out of the assisted senton bomb, and a slugfest takes place in the center of the ring. Mabel is gassed at this point and can barely stand it seems. He does bust out his spin wheel kick, which is always an impressive feat for someone that fat. Mo assists a Mable splash, but Polo keeps the ref from making the count. Mabel brawls on the floor with Pierre, and Polo has seen enough as he pulls the Quebecers from the match. Men on a Mission get the win via count-out at 7:46. They steal the titles (see just like Cryme Tyme) and sing “Whoomp there it is.”

Winners: Men on a Mission via count-out @ 7:46
-Short and inoffensive with some nice spots from the Quebecers thrown in for good measure. The ending sure sucked though. **

WWF Title: Yokozuna © (w/ Mr. Fuji and Jim Cornette) vs. Lex Luger

-Special Ref: Mr. Perfect
-Guest Ring Announcer: Donnie Wahlberg (New Kids on the Block)
-Guest Time Keeper: Rhonda Shear (USA: Up All Night)

-It was announced that both WWF Title matches would have a special ref that was agreed upon by all parties. Mr. Perfect, making his return to the WWF, was picked for this match. For those wondering why Team Yoko would agree to babyface Perfect as the special ref, all you have to do is goes back a year to WrestleMania IX and the Luger/Perfect match. Vince is just overselling the shit out of Luger here as he mentions Luger will jumpstart the WWF for the next decade. Nope, that guy is busting his ass over in WCW as the US Champ right around this time, Vince. I must mention that Perfect’s referee attire looks horrible. Definitely not what I would expect from the Perfect Ref. It’s takes a full minute before contact is made. Luger lands some blows and charges right into a clothesline. Yoko misses an elbow drop, and Luger sends him to the floor. He rams Yoko’s head into the steps, and then rolls him back into the ring. Thus showing he learned from their SummerSlam Title Match. Luger actually goes airborne and hits a decent crossbody for a two count. Yoko gets one shot in and that’s all it takes to turn the tide. Luger gets a case of Hoganitis and tries a quick slam, and as expected, it fails. Yoko removes the cover from the buckle to expose the STEEL. Luger keeps firing back, but again, just one shot from Yoko stops any comeback. Yoko mounts Lex and locks in a nerve hold to grind things to a halt. It does build some heat though as the crowd starts a USA chant. That doesn’t last long though as the crowd grows bored with the lack of action. They crowd gives it another go with the USA chant, but nothing doing. Luger finally starts to show signs of life, and the USA chant starts once again, albeit a weak one. Luger tries to run over Yoko for some reason, and that is just plain fucking stupid. Yoko shows some fire and pounds the juice out of Luger before locking the nerve hold in again. It’s nice that Cornette’s tux matches the color scheme for Mania this year. I bet his mother dressed him for the show. The rest hold finally ends, and Luger gets tossed to the floor so Fuji can lay in a shot or two. He rolls back into the ring and continues to get his ass kicked by Yoko. We head right back to the nerve hold, and this version looks like it wouldn’t hurt an infant. Luger fires off seven shots, but again, one punch from Yoko and we head right back to the nerve hold. The MSG crowd is starting to get pissed now and a “boring” chant starts. The kids in the audience start a USA chant to drown out the pissed off male section. Luger ducks two clotheslines, but gets caught in a belly to belly suplex. In a moment of irony, Yoko gets his head rammed into the exposed buckle. Luger fires off three clotheslines and Yoko is finally off his feet. The slam is next and the forearm knocks Yoko the fuck out. Luger starts beating on Yoko’s handlers, and goes for the cover. Perfect won’t make the count though because Cornette and Fuji are still in the ring. The crowd is growing pissed with Perfect, and Luger makes the mistake of bumping Perfect. That’s enough for Perfect to call for a DQ @ 14:42. Massive “bullshit” chant from the crowd for that finish. Vince is playing it off as they are pissed that Luger got screwed. I think they are just pissed at the crappiness of that match and the horrible ending just made things worse.

Winner and Still WWF Champion: Yokozuna via DQ @ 14:42.
-This was horrible once they got passed Luger’s opening offense. The crowd was not into this, and Luger comes out looking like an even bigger choke artist. Yoko needed to retain to give Bret the rub of beating the unbeatable monster, but this ending did nothing for Yoko either. They should have just let Yoko pin Luger clean or at least semi-clean to build to the later match. DUD

-Pettengill gets an interview with Perfect, and Luger confronts him about the decision. Officials keep the two men from tearing into each other.

Adam Bomb (w/ Harvey Wippleman) vs. Earthquake

-Harvey Wippleman runs down Howard Finkle before introducing Atom Bomb. Howard responds by shoving him on his ass, and Adam Bomb threatens. Earthquake makes the save and the bell rings to start the match. Quake hits a powerslam and the fat ass splash finishes things at 0:33.

Winner: Earthquake via pin @ 0:33
-The Harvey/Howard confrontation lasted longer than the match. SQUASH

-Cornette threatens Bret, and makes mention that the injured knee will be targeted. Cornette speaking a 100 words a minute and having them all mean something is always awesome.

Undisputed Intercontinental Title: Ladder Match: Razor Ramon © vs. Shawn Michaels (w/ Diesel)

-Shawn was the IC Champ and was suspended for failing a drug test. He was none too pleased and decided he was keeping the title. Razor and Ric Martel were the final two men in a battle royal and had a match to determine the new Champ. Razor won, and Shawn soon returned with the original IC Title, claiming to be the true champion. They decided a ladder match would be the best way to settle things, as both titles are hanging above the ring. For the longest time WWE cannon tried to pass this off as the first ladder match in WWF history. Eventually credit was given to Bret and Shawn for having the first ladder match. Had SummerSlam 92 taken place in DC instead of London, we would have gotten Shawn vs. Bret in a ladder match at that event. Shawn comes to the ring, and decides to walk around the ladder, while Razor decides to walk under the ladder. Giving us the reason why Shawn found Jesus and is still wrestling at Mania today and Hall is not. Let that be a lesson to all the young kids out there. Both men are a bit tentative to start, and opt to wrestle instead of going straight for the ladder. Ramon kills Shawn with a chokeslam, but misses two clotheslines and it results in a neckbreaker from Shawn. Razor gets sent to the floor, and that gives Diesel a chance to mow him down. The ref tosses Diesel who shows off the acting skills that got him a part in Ninja Turtles II. To be fair, Nash was pretty hilarious in The Longest Yard. Shawn starts bouncing all over the place like a pinball on speed. They head back to the floor, and Razor removes the protective padding from the floor. Shawn says piss on that and the action returns to the ring. Razor goes for the Razor’s Edge, but he is much too close to the ropes, and that usually means he is getting back dropped to the floor. Sure enough Ramon eats the concrete in our second ironic spot of the night. Shawn grabs the ladder, but Ramon cuts him off before he gets it to the ring. Shawn baseball slides the ladder into Ramon as he tried to put it in the ring. That’s the first of many spots that would be lifted in later matches. The ladder enters the ring, and Razor takes a shot to the face. Shawn rams the ladder into the midsection of a prone Ramon, and decides to just toss the son of bitch at him. +1000 for effectiveness. Shawn sets up the ladder and starts to climb as the crowd starts to lose their minds. Razor grabs the ankle, and then pulls down Shawn’s pants. The women in the crowd love that. Shawn is able to kick off, and with his ass still hanging out he drops an elbow from the ladder. That’s dedication. In a very memorable moment Shawn dives off the ladder and splashes Ramon from the heavens. Sure, it seems a little tame by today’s standards, but this was some hardcore shit back in 94. Shawn heads up once again, but Ramon pushes the ladder over, and Shawn bounces off the top rope to sell the fall. Both men collide center ring, and I am amazed at the speed with which Ramon is running the ropes. He was actually sprinting coming off those ropes as he is making the most of the stage he’s been given tonight. Shawn is the first person to his feet and he sets the ladder in the corner. He ends up getting tossed into the ladder and goes over the post and to the floor. Now Razor has some fun beating the shit out of Shawn with the ladder. He leans the ladder against the apron and catapults Shawn into the ladder. Ever the professional Shawn makes sure to hang onto the ladder and have it fall back on him. I appreciate people who are willing to kill themselves for my enjoyment. Shawn gets killed with a ladder shot to the jaw and hits the floor. Ramon starts to climb, but Shawn heads to the top rope and dives onto Ramon before he gets the belts. The ladder starts to teeter and ends up falling on Shawn. Both men start to climb and they slug it out on top of the ladder. Ramon hits a hiptoss, but the ladder buckles and he falls to the mat with the ladder. He makes another go for the titles, but Shawn dropkicks the ladder to send him crashing back to the canvas. With the ladder rocking a little, Shawn casually pushes it over and it lands on Ramon. Very nice! Ramon eats what would become sweet chin music, but since this is 1994 it doesn’t mean too much. Shawn hits a sweet ass piledriver, and heads back to the ladder. In another memorable spot Shawn rides the ladder down onto Ramon, and the crowd pops huge for that spot. With Ramon seemingly out, Shawn places the ladder over Ramon and starts to climb again. He’s not fast enough though and Razor throws a shoulder into the ladder and Shawn gets tied in the ropes after falling. That’s the break Razor needed as he climbs the ladder and retrieves both titles with one final yank at 18:48.

Winner and Undisputed Intercontinental Champion: Razor Ramon
-What more can be said about this match. Newer fans might find this tame after years of TLC and Money in the Bank matches, but this match started all of that. One word for this match: Revolutionary. I know Flair has said that Shawn basically had a match with a ladder and Razor just happened to be there, but credit still needs to be given to both men in this match. I tend to enjoy their ladder rematch at SummerSlam 95 (in Pittsburgh, PA), but this is still a fantastically awesome match. *****

-The heel members of the 10 Man Tag argue backstage about who the captain should be so the match is cancelled. That’s one way to kill a match when time is running short.

-We get a video package about Bret Hart. It loses some effectiveness on this DVD as they replaced Tom Petty’s “Making Some Noise” with some crappy, generic, rock music. In a nice touch, they throw is some footage of Yoko killing Hogan, Luger, Savage, Duggan, Tatanka, and even Bret.

WWF Title: Yokozuna © (w/ Mr. Fuji and Jim Cornette) vs. Bret Hart

-Special Guest Ref: Roddy Piper
-Special Guest Ring Announcer: Burt Reynolds
-Special Guest Timekeeper: Jennie Garth (Hell Yeah!)

-Much like Team Yoko picked Perfect due to his past WrestleMania match with Luger; Piper gets picked due to his losing the IC Title to Hart at Mania VIII. I always appreciated that small little bit of storytelling as it made the selections seem more than just random. Bret is selling the hell out of that knee and gets jumped as he enters the ring. Yoko seems to be showing more fire here than in the earlier match. He is moving at a lot crisper pace, and not just hitting one move and resting. Bret starts to fire back and hits a dropkick, but Yoko calmly sidesteps a second attempt. Seeing Piper admonish someone for biting and pulling the hair is pretty weird. Cornette gets up on the apron and Piper chases. Yoko attempts a splash, but Bret is able to roll out of the way. He starts firing punches, and tries a headbutt. That actually sends Bret to the mat first, but Yoko eventually falls to his ass. The brawl from a kneeling position as Bret continues to sell the knee. Bret continues to punch away and has not even tried any wrestling moves at this point. Cornette pulls Piper out of the ring as he makes a count, so he eats a right hand. The crowd starts a “Rowdy” chant as Yoko starts dropping headbutts. A sick legdrop from Yoko appears to have crushed the face and head of Bret. That looked nasty. Bret gets tossed to the floor, and Piper backs Yoko into a neutral corner to start his count. Bret is able to beat the count at nine, but it does him no good as Yoko continues to beat the moose out of our Canadian hero. He tries the backsplash in the corner, but Bret moves and connects with a bulldog from the second rope. He heads to the middle rope again and delivers the elbow. That only gets a two count. A gimpy Bret is able to hit the Hart Attack clothesline, and again it only gets two. Back to the second rope again, and it’s one time to many as Yoko catches him and kills him with a belly to belly. He drags Bret’s carcass to the corner and sets up for the Banzai Drop. Yoko loses his balance and falls on the back of his head. Bret quickly covers the dazed champion and gets the pin and WWF Title at 10:31.

Winner and New WWF Champion: Bret Hart via pin @ 10:31
-Worlds better than what Yoko and Luger did earlier in the night. I prefer this match to their WrestleMania IX encounter due to there being zero rest holds, and Yoko playing the part of a pissed off monster champion. **1/2

-Post match sees Yoko chasing Piper from the ring. Luger comes to the ring, and shakes the hand of Bret. In a moment that was basically Vince apologizing for the events of WM IX, several WWF stars (Piper, Savage, Ramon, Tatanka, Bob Holly, and 1-2-3 Kid) come to the ring to celebrate with Bret. They parade him around on their shoulders and celebrate the post Hulk Hogan era in the WWF. Even Vince gets in the ring and joins in on the fun. Owen Hart stands in the aisle with a pissed off look and stares at his brother. On what should have been the night he got out from Bret’s shadow, his brother wins the WWF Title by defeating the unstoppable monster.

Every time I see this now, I think of Jeff Jarrett. It was the night Raven made his TNA debut and Jarrett had just defended the NWA Title. After the match he was joined my several wrestlers and you could hear Jarrett tell them “put me on your shoulders.” Too damn funny.

Top 5 WrestleMania Matches (at this point)

1) IC Title: Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat *****
2) Career vs Career: Randy Savage vs. The Ultimate Warrior *****
3) IC Title: Ladder Match: Razor Ramon vs Shawn Michaels *****
4) WWF Title: Ric Flair vs. Randy Savage ****3/4
5) Owen Hart vs Bret Hart ****1/2

The 411: This show seems to get universal praise, and while a good show it is very similar to WM VIII. This is also a 2 match show with a great ending in the Main Event. Outside of Bret/Owen and the ladder match everything else is average to horrible. Still, the 2 must see matches are just that, and the final Title Match put Bret over as the Man in the WWF.
Final Score:  7.5   [ Good ]