wrestling / Video Reviews
Leighty’s Retro Review: WWF WrestleMania XI
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...-Written: 7.27.26
-Source: Netflix
-Run Time: 2:25:35
-Plugs: Royal Rumble 1995
-If you enjoy these Retro Reviews, please consider picking up my book covering 1996 WCW/WWF on Amazon. Available in paperback and Kindle.
-Announce Team: Vince McMahon and Jerry “The King” Lawler
-April 2, 1995
-Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT
-Attendance: 16,305
-PPV Buys: 340,000
-Interesting as in the opening they show highlights from each of the first ten Manias and only focus on the celebrities. They are really pushing the celebrities as the stars of this WrestleMania. No wonder they had to play it safe and stay in Connecticut with this one.
-America The Beautiful is sung by a Special Olympian. I didn’t catch her name because Vince’s in house mic was not working well. Kathy Huey is her name and it seems she was a last minute replacement for Fishbone.
The Allied Powers (The British Bulldog and Lex Luger) vs. The Blu Brothers
-Lawler notes Luger and Bulldog are acting like it’s the invasion of Normandy here. Well, I mean they are facing off against men who famously had Nazi SS tattoos. Everyone brawls to start the match and The Blu Brothers get run into each other. Stereo powerslams followed by stereo clotheslines. One Blu gets left alone and eats double elbows from The Allied Powers. Bulldog with a vertical suplex and he holds whatever Blu up there for a few seconds before bringing him down. That gets a two count and we go to a reverse chinlock. The other Blu is in and Bulldog clotheslines both men down. Bulldog gets decked from the apron and that puts The Blu Brothers in control. Bulldog with a small package, but the ref if too busy with Luger. The other Blu in to break up the pin attempt. Sidewalk slam to Bulldog and that looked rough. Double Boot from the Blu Twins. Bulldog starts firing off right hands and gets a clothesline. We get Twin Magic and the other Blu drops Bulldog with a clothesline for two. Whip to the corner, but Bulldog gets his feet up to block a charge. Weak boots in the corner. The other Blu in and gets a slam. He misses an elbow from the middle ropes and hot tag to Luger. He runs wild and hits a knee-lift. Running clothesline followed by another powerslam. Luger uses the loaded forearm to get a two count. All four men back in the ring, but the ref forces Bulldog out. More Twin Magic behind the ref’s back. Bulldog with a blind tag and comes off the top with a sunset flip for the pin at 6:36.
Winner: The Allied Powers via pin at 6:36
-One of the weaker WrestleMania openers of all time. The crowd was into it because it’s the opener of WrestleMania, but they could have picked something better to open this show. *
-They try to throw to Nick Turturro of NYPD Blue, but the sound is off. Rousing start to this show.
WWF Intercontinental Championship: Jeff Jarrett (c) (w/ The Roadie) vs. Razor Ramon (w/ The 1-2-3 Kid)
-This is a rematch from The Royal Rumble as JJ pulled the upset to win The IC Title. Razor starts fast with right hands and sends JJ to the floor. He then gets to finish his pyro after the bell. Razor continues the hot start as he sends JJ over the top with a clothesline. JJ gets a trip from the apron, and tries a sunset flip, but Razor punches him in the face and gets a two count. Right hand sends JJ into Roadie, who bumps from the apron to the floor. Razor’s Edge is set, but Roadie pulls JJ to safety on the floor. JJ goes to take a walk, but Kid uses his KARATE to scare JJ and send him back into the ring. Roll-up by Razor gets two. JJ gets a knock down and Roadie chokes Razor on the ropes, but Razor bounces back. He runs Roadie into the top buckle and then throws JJ to the floor. JJ takes control back in the ring and fights off a backslide. He takes Razor down for a two count. He follows up with right hands, but getting into a punching contest with Razor is a mistake. JJ catches on quick, as he hooks a sleeper. He then slams Razor down by the back of his head. Reverse chinlock from JJ. Razor fights to his feet and gets belly-to-back suplex to leave both men down. Both men hit the ropes and after a few drop downs, they end up hitting heads to leave both men down again. Both up and they each land a punch and both back down like Rocky II. The crowd boos what’s happening. Razor crawls over and gets a two count as I guess he landed more of his punch. JJ ducks a clothesline, but gets caught and dumped with The SOS Slam. That gets two, so Razor goes to a discus punch. Kid tries to get involved and JJ knocks hm into the railing. He only has himself to blame! Razor off the middle ropes, but misses a bulldog attempt. Razor starts favoring the knee, and Jarrett is right there to attack. He gets a knee-breaker and hooks The Figure-Four. Razor fights to reverse the pressure and Kid is there to give Razor some extra leverage. Man, the faces are cheating more than the heels. Razor ducks a punch and sets JJ up top. He brings JJ down with the belly-to-back suplex and Vince has this one being over. Razor’s Edge is called for, but Roadie is in and clips the knee for the DQ at 13:32.
Winner: Razor Ramon via DQ at 13:32
-Blah as this was kind of boring and had a crappy finish. Even as a kid watching, I thought it was weird that Razor didn’t just smoke JJ and take his title back. **
-All four men brawl after the match and JJ ends up with a bloody nose. He gets booed out of the building as he walks out with The IC Title.
-Back to Nick, who runs into Jenn McCarthy and Kama hits on her. Shawn pops in with Diesel and Jenny seems to be interested in HBK. In a funny moment, she covers her ears as Sid starts screaming.
The Undertaker (w/ Paul Bearer) vs. King Kong Bundy (w/ Ted Dibiase)
-Last time we saw Bundy on Mania, he was fighting midget wrestlers. Weird split for Bundy’s Mania career. On one hand SD Jones and midgets. On the other Hogan and The Undertaker. Bundy should be in the WWE Hall of Fame. American League Umpire, Larry Young, is the ref because baseball was on strike. Funny enough a judge ordered the strike to end the same day of this show. The owners were ready to use replacement players starting the next day. Taker gets his urn back from Dibiase early in this one. Take punches and kicks a lot. Kama is out and he kicks Bearer in the gut and takes the urn. Taker tries to stop that, but Bundy attacks from behind and Kama runs off with the urn. Bundy gets sent into the corner as we cut to Jim Ross interviewing Kama. He says he is going to melt the urn down and turn it into a chain. Bundy with a clothesline and a second one sends Taker to the floor. Bundy with a slam for two and hooks a reverse chinlock. That goes on for quite some time. Taker slowly fights his back to his feet, but Bundy slugs him down. He hits the Avalanche Splash in the corner, but Taker no sells and gets a slam. Leaping clothesline gets the pin at 6:34. Weak ending!
Winner: The Undertaker via pin at 6:34
-I assume Bundy didn’t want to take the Tombstone or Taker didn’t feel comfortable getting Bundy up there to give the move. This was short, but even then felt longer than the other matches on this show. Bundy had no chance here and even the WWF admitted it as Kama took the urn to kick off the next feud before this one ended. 1/2*
-MONGO is backstage and cuts a promo. He is looking for Kama. That’s a future Horseman! Reggie White wants Bundy. Carl Banks wants Volkoff. Speelman wants Tatanka. We don’t hear from Ken Norton Jr., but he was fresh off winning a Super Bowl with my Niners.
-Nick walks in on Bob Backlund playing chess with Johnathan Taylor Thomas. My wife had a crush on him back in the day. JTT beats Backlund in chess and answers every trivia question thrown his way. Bob storms off!
WWF Tag Team Championship: The Smoking Guns vs. Owen Hart and Yokozuna (w/ Mr. Fuji and Jim Cornette)
-Owen has a mystery partner and picks the man that beat his brother, Bret, at WrestleMania IX. The Guns are toast! Owen is great as he gives Yoko a hug! This is a pretty easy story to tell and one that WCW did a year later with The Giant as Kevin Sullivan’s partner. When Owen is in, The Gunns have a chance. When it’s Yoko, they are screwed! Billy and Owen start and lockup. Owen shoves Billy, who shoves back, so Owen slaps him in the face and celebrates. Billy returns fire with his own slap. He tags Bart, who comes off the top and drops his weight on Owen’s arm. Owen flips out of arm control and goes to the eyes. Tag to Yoko and Bart gets slammed with one arm. Yoko misses an elbow as the crowd was ready to freak out if he hit it. Owen back in and he goes to work on the arm. Bart sends him to the ropes and gets an hip toss and then an armdrag into a take down. The Guns with a double Side Russian Leg Sweep and then a double dropkick sends Yoko to the floor. Owen yells at fans on the apron and gets yanked back into the ring. Suplex into a neckbreaker by the Guns gets two. Hard whip to the corner and Owen takes the Bret bump. That makes my sternum hurt! Blind tag to Yoko and he drops a leg on Billy’s head to the horror of the crowd. Always looks so impressive! Owen picks the carcass and runs Billy back first into the post. Owen: “I’m a king and you all love me.” Yep! Back in the ring, Yoko with a nerve hold, which I hate! Billy survive so Owen tries to come off the top and accidentally hits Yoko with a dropkick. Billy crawls and makes the hottish tag to Bart. Gorilla Press Slam to Owen! He slams Yoko down by the hair and tags Billy back into the match. They go for a double team, but Owen low bridges Bart and Billy gets DESTROYED with a Belly-to-Belly suplex. The place goes crazy as Yokozuna hits The Banzai Drop. Bronson Reed was getting reactions like that with The TSUNAMI and we need him back. Owen gets the tag and goes for The Sharpshooter, but opts to just pin Billy and gets the pin at 9:42.
Winners and New WWF Tag Team Champions: Owen Hart and Yokozuna via pin at 9:42
-Solid tag match with Owen’s reactions and the reactions to Yoko being the high points. The Gunns had no chance here. Owen’s celebration is tremendous! **1/2
-Todd interviews Bam Bam Bigelow, who notes he will not be known for losing to Lawrence Taylor.
I Quit Match: Bret “Hitman” Hart vs. Bob Backlund
-It’s called a submission match by The Fink, but he notes someone has to say I Quit to end the match. Roddy Piper is the special referee. This is the second straight year he’s been the ref for Bret’s Mania Match. Bret could have used Piper as the ref in Montreal. Bret pounds away with right hands in the corner. Elbows and more right hands from Bret. He goes for The Sharpshooter, but Backlund kicks him away. Piper asks Backlund without even being in a hold. Lawler has to bring up that Bret beat Piper at Mania VIII. He brought that same point up last year and Bret still beat Yokozuna. Piper is trying to hard as the ref in this one and it’s getting laughs from the crowd. Bret with a Figure Four and Backlund yells “no.” Backlund reverses the hold and they end up in the ropes, so Piper separates them. Bret works the ankle and we get more of Piper checking on Bob, who keeps yelling no. Piper even asks Bret as he is in control because he has to make the match about himself. I mean, sure it gets a chuckle, but these two have been in a heated feud for over six months and Piper is making it feel like a comedy match. Bob goes for The CFCW, but Bret avoids so Backlund works a hammerlock. Backlund with a nice elbow to the face. Bret with a “hell no.” Piper: “That was no.” Bret with a slam followed by a backbreaker. Bret off the middle ropes with a forearm. Sharpshooter, but Bob rolls to the ropes and Piper forces a break. Bret pounds away in the corner, but misses a charge and goes shoulder first into the post. The crowd freaks as Backlund stalks Bret and goes for the CFCW. Bret grabs the ropes and is able to fight off from being taken to the mat. He reverses and gets his own CFCW and Bob just starts screaming and making weird noises. Bret takes him to the mat and I guess Backlund said “yeah,” so Piper calls for the bell at 9:33. He definitely did not say I Quit. HARTFORD SCREWJOB! Can you imagine not submitting and losing to your own submission move because of a crooked ref?
Winner: Bret Hart via submission at 9:33
-The Survivor Series Match was so much better and they were given more time to tell a story. There wasn’t much to this one and Piper’s referee skills were unique. Technically fine, but we know they could have delivered so much more. It seems they just weren’t given the chance. **
-Pamela Anderson is missing so they need to switch around the celebrity involvement.
-Todd interviews Diesel and he knows Sid is going to get involved, but he is ready for a war.
WWF Championship: Diesel (c) vs. Shawn Michaels (w/ Sid)
-Jonathan Taylor Thomas is the guest timekeeper. Nick Turturro is the special ring announcer. Jenny McCarthy is out with Shawn Michaels, as it was supposed to be Pamela Anderson. We get our first glimpse at Uncle Jerry as he drools over McCarthy. Diesel is out and he brings Pamela Anderson with him to tie up that loose end. Shawn takes a crazy backdrop to the floor as he is ready to bump like a madman to make sure we remember his first WWF Title Match at WrestleMania. I am sure it killed him (and Diesel) they weren’t the Main Event here. I don’t blame them if they were upset either. Diesel brings Pam into the ring for his pyro as we haven’t had a bell yet. Shawn uses his quickness to start but gets caught with a forearm to the face and takes a flip bump. Again, Shawn may have over sold for Hogan, but he has always gone on record saying this is what he did against big guys. Backdrop and Shawn gets some serious elevation. Whip to the corner and Shawn goes flying to the floor and lands on a photographer. Shawn handles that with the class you would expect as he grabs the photographer and shoves him up the aisle. Sid tries to distract Diesel, but it doesn’t work and Shawn eats another forearm. Shawn spits on Diesel to play mind games and starts throwing punches in the corner. Diesel shoves him off and lands another forearm. Gorilla Press, but Shawn escapes. He goes for a suplex, but who are we kidding. Diesel counters to one of his own. He delivers another forearm and Shawn tries to bump over the top, but can’t get over, so instead takes a bump where he hangs upside down from the ropes by his feet. Shawn goes to the eyes while on the apron. He tries a sunset flip, but Diesel picks him up by the throat and drops Shawn balls first on the top rope. Diesel bounces him around a bit before missing a clothesline. Shawn sends Diesel to the floor with a clothesline and skins the cat. Off the top with a dive to Diesel on the floor. Baseball slide connects with Diesel’s face. He tries another, but Diesel avoids. Shawn falls into another photographer. Diesel misses an elbow near the post and cracks his ribs. The crowd chants for Sid which is kind of a kick in the balls to the two guys in the match I would assume. Shawn comes off the apron with a splash so Diesel sells the ribs some more. The crowd chants for Sid again. Back in the ring Shawn starts putting the boots to Diesel. He comes off the middle ropes with a bulldog and that gets two. The crowd starts a Diesel chant, but his comeback gets caught off by a Shawn elbow. Now we get a “Lets Go Shawn,” chant from the crowd. Shawn off the top with an elbow to the bad ribs and that gets two. Diesel fighting from the bottom against Shawn is kind of weird. Shawn with a right hand in the corner. He tries to float over in the other corner, but Diesel catches him and goes for Snake Eyes. Shawn slides out and sends Diesel into the corner for more damage to the ribs. Sleeper from Shawn and Diesel starts to fade. We get the arm drop mechanic since we aren’t that far removed from the 80s. Diesel keeps the arm up on the third try and Shawn ends up on his back. He runs Shawn into the corner to break and starts landing elbows. Running clothesline in the corner and another one. Now Snake Eyes hits and Shawn goes flying across the ring and lands on the ropes. Diesel drops his weight on Shawn’s back and then Shawn pays tribute to Flair with a corner flip. No running the apron though as Diesel hits another forearm. Shawn gets his tights pulled so the girls can scream as seeing his ass. They head to the floor as there really is an obscene amount of photographers around the ring. The ref jumps down and seemingly hurts his knee. Back in the ring Shawn hits Sweet Chin Music, but no ref. He gets the visual pin as Sid gets the ref. He rolls him back into the ring and Diesel is out at two. That draws BOOS from the crowd. Sid takes the cover off the top buckle and yells for Shawn. Diesel stops that as he hits a belly-to-back suplex and both men are down. Shawn rolls over and gets a two count. Shawn off the ropes, but right into a Side Walk Slam and both men are down again. Diesel up first and sends Shawn across the ring with a catapult. The issue is I think Shawn was supposed to hit the exposed steel, but they were so far away Shawn could only get to the second buckle. So either a mistake or just great timing by Shawn to get to the middle buckle. Diesel Hulks Up and finishes with a really ugly looking Jackknife for the pin at 20:35.
Winner and Still WWF Champion: Diesel via pin at 20:35
-I remember this match being better. This was a lot of Shawn working over Diesel and then the finish. I remember a shoot interview where Nash knew Shawn was going to try to blow him up out there and that’s why he went so fast in the opening few minutes. He also joked that Shawn could take a better powerbomb without anyone giving him the move than the one he took here. A good match, but could have been better and with the roles reversed they delivered an all time classic a year later. ***1/4
-Diesel celebrates with all the celebrities.
-Todd has Shawn and Sid backstage and they are a little annoyed about the ref being injured when Shawn had the cover.
Lawrence Taylor vs. Bam Bam Bigelow
-Each man’s team gets an introduction from Vince. Million Dollar Corporation: Ted Dibiase, King Kong Bundy, Kama, Tatanka, IRS and Nikolai Volkoff. LT’s All Pros: Ken Norton (Niner), Chris Spielman, Ricky Jackson (Niner), Carl Banks, Steve “Mongo” McMichael, and Reggie White. Who knew WCW would have Mongo vs. Reggie White on PPV one day. Pat Patterson is the ref and I assume that’s so he could be out there to relay anything to LT if needed. Teh wrestlers take a few shots from the NFL players to pop the crowd and we get a loud “LT” chant. LT with a slap to the face before the bell and then delivers a forearm. A clothesline sends Bigelow to the floor. Hot start as the crowd is going crazy. Bigelow charges back in but misses a charge in the corner. LT with a bulldog for two. More forearms from LT and that’s for the best because they look better than trying to throw worked punches. We get a standoff on the floor between both teams. Back in the ring Bigelow takes over and beats LT down. Selling is not LT’s strength and he looks like he is getting a little blown up. Can’t blame him though. He avoids a head-butt and delivers another forearm. He dives at Bigelow, but gets caught and tun into the corner. LT with kicks but Bigelow just runs him back into the corner again. Boston Crab by Bigelow, but it slips into a Half Crab. Bammer pulls LT back into the middle of the ring and just goes to work on the left ankle. LT crawls to the ropes to force a break. Bigelow goes back to the hold and that goes on for a bit before LT gets to the ropes again. LT pulls a belly-to-back suplex out of nowhere. Bigelow up first as LT is sucking wind. Bigelow drops a head-butt and another. Leg Drop by Bigelow and he opts to head to the top rope. He hits the top rope moonsault but rolls off the cover as he hurt his knee on the landing. LT is crazy for taking that move. LT with an ugly Jackknife, but still somehow looked better than what Shawn took earlier in the night. Bigelow snaps off an enziguiri and goes back to the head butts. Bigelow off the top with a head-butt, but LT kicks out again. Well, there went his finisher. LT just fires up and drives a shoulder into Bigelow in the corner. Leaping forearm from LT and another one. He hits one last forearm from the middle rope and gets the pin at 11:44.
Winner: Lawrence Taylor via pin at 11:44
-One of the better celebrity matches for the time and the crowd was invested. You could see where LT was limited, but the man got through it with the help of Bigelow (and I assume Patterson). It was a basic match and delivered probably more than anyone expected. **1/2
-I guess they don’t want to pay for “What A Man,” as they didn’t include Salt N Pepa singing it before the match and just end the show as LT celebrates. The actual show ran for a bit longer and included LT celebrating as Salt N Pepa performed again.
-Thanks for reading!
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