WWF WrestleMania VIII 4/5/1992

April 5, 1992
Hoosier Dome
Indianapolis, Indiana
Attendance: 62, 167
Buy Rate: 2.3
Announcers: Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan
Celebrities: Ray Combs (ring announcer) and Reba McIntyre (National Anthem)

Dark Match:

Bushwhackers beat the Beverly Brothers in 10:00.

Actual Show:

1) Shawn Michaels (Michael Hickenbottom) defeats Tito Santana (Mercedes Solis) with a Bodyslam Reversal at 10:39

Fun Fact: While this is Shawn Michaels’ first PPV singles bout, it is also Santana’s last (not counting dark matches, as he sticks around until King of the Ring 1993). Santana’s final PPV record, including Rumbles and Survivor Series matches was 3-19. He was 0-6 in Royal Rumbles (he was in every Rumble from 1988-1993!), 1-7 at Wrestlemania, 0-2 at Summerslam and 2-4 at Survivor Series (his most successful event). Throw in his two dark matches and his record goes to 4-20, as he actually picks up his second WM win in the dark match at IX, meaning the only two WM matches he won were his first and last.

Scott: This is the singles debut for The Heartbreak Kid in a Wrestlemania. This is spawned from the two wrestlers tossing each other out at the Royal Rumble. Shawn wins the match, but it’s the revealing dress of Sensational Sherri that catches your eye. She’s not the hottest diva of all time, but she was busting out of that dress. HBK turns out to be the only heel to win a match at this Wrestlemania. Tito Santana lays down for the hot heel again, and I believe this is the end for him. He wrestles in a dark match at Summerslam, but that’s about it. Nice job by Tito over the past 7 years for his loyalty to the business. You can tell Shawn is VERY green as a singles performer, but he does adapt well to the singles heel style here and as a whole the match isn’t offensive. Grade: 2

Justin: A pretty decent opener here, as Michaels is no where close to being over at all at this point. Tito once again does the job and definitely is the quintessential Vince McMahon loyalist, as he was always on every PPV, received a decent push, but always did what was right and laid down for the up and coming stars. Kudos to Tito, a man who belonged on the WWF’s Best 50 list and in the Hall of Fame in my opinion, if just for his dedicated service and nothing else, he will be missed as we move past his era in these reviews. The match itself is a fun opener, as Tito walks Shawn through his first big stage singles matchup. Solid offense from HBK and great selling from Tito coupled with a hot crowd get this show off to a good, solid start. We also get a classic Bobby Heenan moment before the match when he calls Reba McIntyre “Arriba” and says she is Tito’s sister. Good stuff. Grade: 2.5

2) Undertaker (Mark Callaway) defeats Jake “The Snake” Roberts after a tombstone on the floor in 6:36.

Fun Fact: This is Jake’s first singles Wrestlemania match as a heel since Wrestlemania II.

Fun Fact II: This feud started on a Saturday Night’s Main Event (the first on Fox) in February of 1992. Jake had just lost a match with Savage and was waiting behind the curtain to ambush Savage and Elizabeth with a chair as they walked through. Just as he was about to hit them, ‘Taker appeared and grabbed the chair from Jake, solidifying the face turn that the crowd was begging for. A cool moment occurred a few weeks later on the Funeral Parlor, as Jake locked ‘Taker’s hand in the casket and laid him out with chair shots and then capped it off by DDT’ing Paul Bearer. So, this match had some pretty good buildup in a short amount of time.

Scott: Undertaker gets a tremendous pop in his first Wrestlemania as a face. He comes into the ‘Dome to a thunderous applause, then disposes of the Snake, in what would be his final PPV match for about 4 years. The highlight of the match was Undertaker getting up from 2 DDT’s, and then giving a Tombstone outside the ring, rolling a limp Roberts into the ring, and getting the win. Jake vanishes from the WWF landscape for the next 4 years, and moves on to WCW within a few months of this match. Not much left to say here, except Taker’s WM record is 2-0. Grade: 2

Justin: A quick match here to establish Taker’s dominance and to bury (no pun intended) Jake on the way out, as they kill his finisher off and just have Taker crush him. Although, I will commend Jake for doing the right thing on his way out the door, allowing Undertaker to dominate him and look really strong. I think heel Jake had so much more potential, so it is too bad that by the time they turned him, he was at the end of his rope with McMahon and was shoved out the door. Besides a brief WCW run, we wouldn’t see much of Jake anywhere (other than a Smokey Mountain title run in 1994) until January of 1996. As for Undertaker, we know what happened to him, as he keeps his WM unbeaten streak alive here. An OK match that serves its point well, bringing an end to the brief Roberts-Taker feud that started at Saturday Night’s Main Event. Undertaker now sets sail through some interesting waters, as he becomes the most consistently popular superstar on the roster despite some questionable storylines and feuds. Grade: 2

3) Bret “Hitman” Hart defeats Rowdy Roddy Piper (Roderick Toombs) to win WWF Intercontinental Title after reversing a sleeperhold into a pin at 13:50

Fun Fact: This is Roddy Piper’s only WWF PPV title defense.

Scott: The first Face v Face matchup since Hogan/Warrior at VI, this lived up to SOME of the hype. Everyone looking back thought this was one of the greatest matches in WM history. I remember not being overly crazy about this match, but then I watched it again recently and realized the many factors of this match that I originally didn’t take into account. Piper and Bret really put the crowd into the palms of their hands and guide them along in this match, and by the end the crowd is at a fever pitch. I didn’t think Piper had it in him to go toe-for-toe with the younger Hitman. I was wrong. Both men give it their all in a very stiff match. Piper had that look in his eyes like the late 70’s days when he was in his big hey-day in Mid-Atlantic. My opinion has definitely changed since the last time I watched this match. Piper would be at Summerslam in a non-wrestling capacity, and disappear until 1994. Hart would hold the belt through the summer. Grade: 4

Justin: I think this match is a lot better than it often gets credit for. It takes a lot of effort for two much loved faces to go out there and get the crowd into their match. The psychology of the match was excellent, as Piper and Hart start playing mind games in the pre-match interview and they continue until the very end of the match. I like how Piper resorts to his old heel ways throughout the match, until the very end, where he realizes he doesn’t want to whack Bret with the ring bell, so he drops it, goes for the sleeper and loses. It goes to show you that nice guys don’t always win, but if you cheat to win your guilty conscience may be too much for you to handle (you even get a morality lesson with this match). Heenan is great in this match as well, showing his disdain for both men, but siding with whoever is cheating at that time (Piper with the bell, Hart playing possum). I love when he is begging Piper to use the bell (“hell, give it to me, I’LL hit him for you.”) Anyway, you add up the great psychology, the crowd heat, the solid wrestling and a 5 alarm blade job by the Hitman and you have yourselves a winner, and the best PPV I-C match since Summerslam ’91 (Hart-Perfect). This match is a true under appreciated hidden gem. Grade: 4

4) Sgt. Slaughter (Robert Remus), Virgil (Mike Jones), Hacksaw Jim Duggan and Big Boss Man (Ray Traylor) defeat the Mountie (Jacques Rougeau), the Nasty Boys and Repo Man (Barry Darsow) when Virgil pinned Knobbs (Brian Yandrisovitz) at 5:22 after hitting him with the biker helmet.

Fun Fact: This is Sgt. Slaughter’s last PPV match until December 1997.

Scott: This is probably the only filler match on the whole card, meaning a match that had no redeeming qualities, or storyline advancement. Another damn tag match with Hacksaw Jim Duggan in it, and another win: Duggan’s Wrestlemania record must be better than Hogan’s for Christ’s sake. I’m counting the months till a year from now, when the federation, and I, am rid of the loser. I can understand kids liking the Bushwhackers, but why Duggan? WHY? I guess I’ll never know. In any event the other guys are on the card to get a dome-sized paycheck, but otherwise they’re just jobber fodder. Grade: 1.5

Justin: This match is just here to get these 8 guys on the card and to cool off the crowd in between the I-C and World Title matches. Most of these guys are past their usefulness and, except for Virgil, would all be gone by mid-1993. The Boss Man had been on cruise control since his brief feud with IRS in the fall and Duggan and Slaughter were still marching along merrily on their patriotic path. They were actually scheduled for bigger and better things at this show, but as we will see later, that plan was changed at the last minute. The Nasties were being pushed further down the heels tag ranks and were in need of a change. The Mountie reached his peak in January when he had his cup of coffee with the I-C belt, and from this point forward matches like this are the best he could hope for. Same goes for Repo-Man, who would hang on as a solid mid-card hand for another year or so. I was always a big Ray Combs mark, so I actually enjoy his goofy introductions here, thus making me the only person to do so, I would think. Anyway, if anything, this match is at least short and energetic and keeps the crowd pumped for later on. Grade: 1.5

5) Randy Savage (Randy Poffo) defeats Ric Flair (Richard Fliehr) with a roll-up at 17:59 to win WWF World Title

Fun Fact: This is Ric Flair’s only WWF PPV Title defense, and Savage’s first PPV Title shot since Wrestlemania IV.

Fun Fact II: In February, President Jack Tunney held a Press Conference to announce the #1 Contender to the World Title. The five candidates were Hulk Hogan, Sid, Undertaker, Roddy Piper and Randy Savage. Tunney then announced that Hulk Hogan would be the number one contender at Wrestlemania. After some happenings over the following weeks (which we will detail later), Hogan stepped out of the World Title match, and Tunney went with his second choice: Randy Savage, who was still generating great heat since the Jake Roberts storyline. Leading into the show, Ric Flair started claiming that he had dated Elizabeth years before Savage, and even produced photos of the two of them together, with the best one, the centerfold, to be unveiled on the big screen after the match. Of course, Flair lost, so the picture was never shown, and a few weeks later, Savage released the real photos of him and Liz, proving Flair’s to be doctored.

Scott: Now, here is another person who reaps the benefits of Hulk Hogan’s stupidity. If Hogan had just gone along with the Flair storyline, he would have won the title, in an epic century-making match. Instead, he pretty much hands the title to Savage, another guy he hates, and hates him equally in return. This was a tremendous match between two top workers. It had the feel of a classic 80’s NWA title match, minus an extra 30 minutes or so. Flair’s legendary orange hair from getting busted open is the lasting memory of that match, as well as a young SHANE McMahon among those trying to stop Elizabeth from coming to the ring. I remember those famous photos of Flair and Elizabeth near a hot tub, or standing next to a horse, very funny. Considering the tardiness with which this storyline started, it really gained steam quickly and reached an emotional pitch by this match. One thing Randy Savage doesn’t get enough credit for sometimes is the way he completely threw himself into a storyline. Whether he was a dickhead heel, or sympathetic babyface, he had you on the edge of your seats. Pair him with the consummate professional in Ric Flair, and Voila!! A ready-made feud based on hate and eventual vengeance. Savage would hold the title through the summer, as Flair and Perfect start a good, but maybe TOO good storyline, but, more on that in our next review. Grade: 3.5

Justin: A super hot match to cap off an awesome storyline and has a great ending. A big aspect of this match that is often overlooked is Mr. Perfect at ringside. He adds A LOT to this match, as he wanders around ringside acting like a complete dickhead, interfering whenever he can, and even going as far as to yank Savage off of Flair during a pin attempt. It is cool to finally see Perfect involved in main event storylines, even if it is as a manager. The match itself is excellent, and never really slows down, keeping a nice, frantic pace for the whole 18 minutes. The story heading in was excellently done, and the fans were pretty rabid to see Flair get his lying ass handed to him by Mach. The brawl after the match adds to the heat, as Flair forcibly kisses Elizabeth causing Savage to flip out and attack him, despite barely being able to stand. A horde of officials finally break things up and get Flair and Perfect out of the ring. The celebration at the end of the match is great, as Savage finally gets to have his moment in the spotlight, without Hogan standing behind him. That alone makes this match and PPV a classic moment. Ohhhhhh Yeaaaaahh. You also have to factor in the intense post match promos from both men. The Flair one is great, as Heenan and Perfect are screaming and yelling, but Flair cuts them off and cuts a soft, serious, intense promo about getting his title back. Just grade A stuff to top off a hot, hot match. Grade: 4

6) Tatanka (Chris Chavis) defeats Rick Martel (Richard Vigneault) with a high cross-body at 4:29

Fun Fact: Tatanka is Chris Chavis, who is a real member of the Lumbee Native American Tribe. Before this job in the WWF, Chavis received tryouts for the NFL; teams such as the Miami Dolphins, Detroit Lions, Washington Redskins, and Oakland Raiders, and from 1982-88 Chavis was a professional body builder. He had putted around the Indy scene for a while before getting picked up by Vince and given a solid character and push.

Scott: This was the PPV debut of the Native American. He came in with a big pump-up, and was a solid player for almost 4 years. He begins his well-publicized unbeaten streak here. He puts on a good match, and for the rest of his time is a solid performer who puts on relatively good matches. He does get a little lazy at the end, but for now he is fired up and makes a big splash on the big stage. As for his opponent, well you would think Martel would be fading after 3 years as a heel, but he continues to be around, and stays in the game for another year and a half. Tatanka had an average WWF career, but if you look at his websites and interviews now, he was the savior of a company in decline. I think I’m going to puke. For now, he’s fresh and picks up a big win. Grade: 2

Justin: This match here is another cool-off match for the crowd, but it is also the first PPV look at Tatanka, a man who would go on to be undefeated for 19 months. He would go on to have a solid career, but he never really capitalized on the original push he was given. Martel carries him to a decent match here, and it is a quick enough bout to ensure the crowd stays pumped, so they do a good job of not losing them with a long, boring match. Here is a link to Tatanka’s web site, (http://www.nativetatanka.com), where he makes outlandish claims about how he is one of the greatest wrestlers ever, and how his feuds with Bam Bam Bigelow and IRS “set the world on fire.” When I originally wrote this review a couple of years ago, I had included this statement: “Tatanka also talks about coming back to WWE, and how Vince has contacted him, but the time wasn’t right for it. Ha. How delusional!” Now, I feel quite stupid, as Tatanka has clearly proved me wrong by returning to the big stage. Making me eat crow does NOT make this a good match though, as it is really too short to get cooking. Grade: 2

7) Natural Disasters defeat Money, Inc. by count-out at 8:37; Money, Inc. retains the WWF Tag Team Titles

Fun Fact: The Natural Disasters turned face in February when Jimmy Hart sold their title shot to his new team, Money Inc. Money Inc. beat the Road Warriors for the titles at a house show on February 2, 1992 in Denver, Colorado.

Fun Fact II: According to WWF Magazine, Money Inc. was originally supposed to face off against Hacksaw Jim Duggan and Sgt. Slaughter at this show, but plans obviously changed as the Natural Disasters were turned face before the show.

Scott: The new face tag team for 1992 wins by countout over Jimmy Hart’s new team, and the second chapter of Ted DiBiase’s career. The Natural Disasters were not much for moves, obviously when you’re that big, but at least Earthquake had some mobility. Typhoon, Tugboat, whatever you want to call him, couldn’t move worth of shit, and missed a couple of spots. For some reason, these guys displaced the Road Warriors in 1992 as the top face team, and that was disappointing, but Vince had his reasons. I know Hawk got hurt in late ’92, but this was almost 6 months before that. Anyway, Money Inc. would have a great run and would eventually be a part of the final Hulk Hogan collapse, but that is not for another year. Grade: 1.5

Justin: This is a pretty bad match for a big Wrestlemania Tag Title Match. The Disasters pretty much beat on the champs for 8 minutes until Money Inc. walks out to save their titles. I know why they didn’t want DiBiase and IRS to lose the straps so soon, but I’m not sure why they didn’t just put them over the Disasters here. They could have cheated to win, and still kept the Disasters looking strong, but maybe Vinnie Mac wanted to keep the face win streak alive throughout the show. A thought just popped into my head as I write this. DiBiase was a great wrestler, and is definitely one of the all time greats, but he never brought it in Wrestlemania matches. He had two solid ones: Savage at IV, and Roberts at VI, but other than that, his ‘Mania performances were decent to poor. Weird stuff. Anyway, a poor match here with a terrible ending, so let’s move on. Grade: 1.5

8) Owen Hart defeats Skinner (Steve Keirn) with a roll up at 1:09.

Fun Fact: This is Skinner’s only Wrestlemania appearance. The man behind Skinner, however, Steve Keirn, would appear at Wrestlemania IX in a completely different role.

Scott: It’s unfortunate that the show was starting to lag on too long, because with some time, this would have been a good match. How many roll-ups for pins were there in this PPV? Owen Hart wins his WM debut as a singles wrestler, without the Blue Blazer costume. Remember he lost a good match to Mr. Perfect at Wrestlemania V as the Blue Blazer. This match was probably supposed to be 6 or 7 minutes, but since the last match was going to take up some time, they had to shorten it. Poor Skinner: he deserved a better fate. Grade: 1

Justin: This could have been good, but had to be rushed due to time constraints. Owen seemingly is getting a push here, but he would be stuck in the low mid card ranks for quite a while after this. Skinner was on a solid run too, and was always one to be counted on for a good match, but this just wasn’t the time or place for it, unfortunately. Grade: 1

9) Hulk Hogan (Terry Bollea) defeats Sid Justice (Sid Eudy) by disqualification at 12:27 when Harvey Wippleman (David Lauer) and Papa Shango (Charles Wright) interfere.

Fun Fact: This is the only Wrestlemania Main Event to end in a Disqualification.

Fun Fact II: There are two stories floating around about the ending of this match and why Sid kicked out of Hogan’s leg drop. From what I know, Papa Shango was late running out to the ring, where he was supposed to break up the pin fall after the leg drop, so Harvey and Sid had to improvise, with Harvey jumping in the ring to cause the DQ. The first leg drop story is that Shango was not late, and it was indeed Harvey who was supposed to cause the DQ, but he was Sid and Harvey made a plan where Harvey would be late jumping in the ring to break up so Sid could kick out of it to make Hogan look bad. The other story is that Harvey and Shango were legitimately late getting to the ring and Sid HAD to kick out to avoid blowing the end of the match. There has never been a solid answer on this, so who knows what is right. Of course, there could have been no mistakes, and the match was booked just the way it happened, but the whole sequence does look weird and improvised.

Fun Fact III: As we mentioned earlier, Jack Tunney held a Press Conference to announce the number one contender for the World Title at Wrestlemania. Just as Tunney was set to announce the contender, Sid Justice began to stand up, assuming it would be him since he was the runner up at the Royal Rumble. Now, Sid was relatively new at this point, and clearly wasn’t filled in on the political nature of the WWF: Hulk Hogan is always the number one contender or World Champion unless he decides not to be for a few weeks here and there. In all seriousness, Sid was pissed off, as he slammed the table, crumpled some papers and cut a nasty promo after the announcement. Sid later apologized and offered to team up with Hogan against Undertaker and Ric Flair on the next Saturday Night’s Main Event. As the match began to wind down, Hogan had been beaten down by Flair and Undertaker for most the match and was trying to tag Sid. Hogan was able to take both opponents down and make a last second lunge for Sid. However, Justice had other plans, as he mockingly dropped to the floor as Hogan came for the tag. The crowd went ballistic and Sid walked over to Brutus Beefcake who had been in he and Hogan’s corner and threatened to punch him in the face. Sid walked out to a chorus of boos, and a new top heel was created. Sid then picked up Dr. Harvey Wippleman, who had been managing the iconic Big Bully Busick, as his manager and started on a run of jobber destruction that was awe inspiring. Week after week Sid would murder some stiff and continue to build momentum heading into the biggest match of his life. A week or so before the event, Sid appeared on the Barber Shop and eventually flipped out and destroyed the entire set with a chair and the segment ended with the classic shot of Sid yelling into the camera with shaving cream on his face. Hogan was taking this match quite seriously and rumors began swirling that this would be his final match. He even had a sit down one on one interview with Vince McMahon on the Countdown to Wrestlemania special, where it seemed awfully likely that the Hulkster would be leaving for good, win, lose or draw.

Fun Fact IV: In the weeks following this show, Sid was set to feud with the Ultimate Warrior, but ended up walking out on Vince less than a month after main eventing Wrestlemania. Rumors abound over the truth of his departure: from failing a drug test to being pissed over his Wrestlemania payout.

Fun Fact V: Here is some information on why this feud may have come about per Dave Meltzer at Wrestling Classics: Meltzer said the plan was always Sid-Hogan, and never was going to be Flair-Hogan: The plan was always Hogan-Sid, dating back a year. Business was very different then. House shows were advertised big. You didn’t do 2-3 matches in every market on a house show and then the PPV. I knew Hogan-Sid as the main event maybe 10 months out. When they did the TV announcement of Hogan-Flair, it was just an angle as Flair already knew he was facing Savage by then. What people don’t realize is that Hogan-Flair started off doing good business, but it had petered out by December, months before Mania. Vince was going to build to Hogan legdropping Flair at the house shows early 1992, but after a terrible house in Florida, Vince felt it had run its course. He changed all the shows to Hogan & Piper vs. Flair & Sid, and it was Hogan-Sid drawing the money. The only Hogan-Flair Mania hint was in September of 91, when they started their house show run, and Flair wanted to do 30:00 matches and Hogan wanted 15:00, he told Flair they needed to save the 30:00 match for Mania. But when crowds for the program dropped, and second time in our market they only did 5400 at the Cow Palace, and our market had it first, there was no Mania in their future. In hindsight people think it would have been a big deal, but it had already run its course months before Mania and WWE promoted the program ass backwards and Flair wasn’t considered special by WWF fans. I’m a friend of Flair and have never had any interest in paying to see Sid, but that is how it was then.

Scott: Here now is another chapter in the collapse of the Hogan kingdom. First Sid’s pop is just as loud as Hogan’s when they come out. There’s a sign you’re in deep trouble. Next, at the point when Sid drops him with a Chokeslam, he does it one-handed. Hogan at one time was invincible in matches, now he’s being lifted by a more intimidating wrestler with one hand. Then, as Hogan drops the leg, and while he goes for the cover, Papa Shango (future Godfather) comes out, but what you don’t see is Sid kick out of the leg drop: an emphatic insult. And, to top it all off, as he’s being double-teamed by Sid and Shango….the music plays, and we have the return of the ULLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLTIMATE WARRIOR!!!! He runs in, tosses Shango out, and Sid just walks away. So, from that match, what do we gain? Hogan takes time off, to put the bricks back in his crumbling kingdom, Sid just leaves, not to return for a few years, and Warrior gets a huge pop from his run-in, but will he wig out and disappear again? We could have had a Hogan-Flair blockbuster, and instead, we get this. Incidentally, as mentioned in the Fun Facts, I was marking out for Sid weekly after he dispatched one jobber after another. In one case he killed some guy, then when the paramedics were putting him on a stretcher, Sid attacked him again and tossed the stretcher into the apron, flipping it over in the process. It’s a damn shame he left. Grade: 3

Justin: Well, we went over the feud above, but the basic point was that Sid was miffed that he didn’t get the Wrestlemania Title Shot and Hogan did, so he turned on Hogan during a Saturday Night’s Main Event tag match against Undertaker and Flair. Hogan then forfeited the title shot to fight Sid, and Savage was granted the shot instead. The effect Vince and Hulk hoped for did not happen, as the crowd turned on Hogan and sided with Sid, as Hogan came off as a complete baby (especially at the Rumble), and Sid was portrayed as a complete bad ass. Anyway, Hogan was “retiring” here so he could make some more movies, so the potential dream match with him and Flair was put off, as Hogan did not want to job in his “final” match, and Vince didn’t want Hogan to win the strap and then leave, so instead they went with the double main event. The match wasn’t much, except for a few big pops for Sid, but is capped off with a super “Holy Shit” moment when the Warrior makes his big return at the end of the show. He was set to feud with Sid, but Sid left for WCW shortly after this match. Of course, the whole thing is a true load of horse shit, as what could have been a marquee money match between Hogan and Flair was discarded so the Immortal Asshole wouldn’t have his ego bruised on pay-per-view. Instead we get twelve minutes of the most underwhelming Wrestlemania Main Event of all time. How do you have a non-title match cap off Wrestlemania? And then to have it end in Disqualification? Even fucking worse. Sid looked good as the monster heel here, and it is too bad he walked out after the show, as he could have been a big player in the post Hogan period the Federation was about to embark on. All in all, the match was decent enough, but was not nearly worthy if being a Wrestlemania Main Event. Grade: 2

FINAL ANALYSIS:

Scott: This is the first Wrestlemania where extraneous matches are eliminated, and real storylines are the focus. As a whole, it’s not a bad show, with Flair/Savage the highlight, and at the time, the Hogan/Sid/Warrior saga was kind of cool. This is a situation where the internet ruined a lot of things. Let me say that I was a big Hulk Hogan fan, and to this day I still am. But, I’m trying not to do this column as a fan, I’m trying to do it as a wrestling analyst, and frankly what Hogan did from late 1991 until his departure in June 1993 is something of a joke. As a fan in 1992, no one knew any backstage stuff, but now, it’s all on the surface. At least we get a break from him for a year. On a positive note, we see the growing of other superstars (Bret, Tatanka, Owen, and in particular Undertaker), the fading of others (Hogan, Roberts), and Randy Savage is at the top for one last time. The return of the Ultimate Warrior, a true HOLY SHIT moment, is the lasting memory of this Wrestlemania. Final Grade: B-

Justin: I think this is one of the better Wrestlemanias, as it features two 4 star matches and a true Holy Shit moment, plus all the faces winning the blow offs, and Michaels going over where he needed to. There were no extraneous and unnecessary matches watering down the show either, which helps the flow and pacing. The 8 man wasn’t much, but it did help to cool down the crowd. Hogan’s BS “retirement” does put a damper on this show, but it doesn’t take away THAT much that it ruins the show. In fact, it is a bit of a relief that Hogan is out the door here, so I kind of like it. The WWF had never held a PPV that Hogan wasn’t on, so a change and breath of fresh air was quite necessary. As 1992 rolled on, the Federation would take on a new look and have new Main Eventers who wrestled a different style on top of the card. Also, as Scott said, it was a good, transitional PPV, where new guys (Michaels, ‘Taker, Owen, Tatanka and Money Inc.) are showcased and others are faded out (Hogan and Roberts). Anyway, a very good show with good matches, a great crowd and memorable moments, and is definitely one of the more enjoyable Wrestlemanias. Final Grade: B+

MVP: Flair/Savage
Runner Up: Bret/Piper
Non MVP: Hogan/Sid
Runner Up: Flair (not delivering the Elizabeth pictures)

All Time PPV Active-Wrestler Roster

Tito Santana
Buddy Rose
“Special Delivery” Jones
King Kong Bundy
Ricky Steamboat
Matt Borne
Brutus Beefcake
David Sammartino
Greg Valentine
Junkyard Dog
Barry Windham
Mike Rotundo
Iron Sheik
Nikolai Volkoff
Andre the Giant
Big John Studd
Leilani Kai
Wendi Richter
Paul Orndorff
Roddy Piper
Mr. T
Hulk Hogan
Don Muraco
Randy Savage
George Steele
George Wells
Jake Roberts
Fabulous Moolah
Velvet McIntyre
Corporal Kirschner
Ted Arcidi
Tony Atlas
Brian Blair
Jim Brunzell
Bret Hart
Jim Neidhart
Hillbilly Jim
King Tonga (Haku)
Pedro Morales
Bruno Sammartino
Danny Spivey
Jim Covert
Russ Francis
Bill Fralic
Ernie Holmes
Harvey Martin
William Perry
Davey Boy Smith
Dynamite Kid
Hercules
Uncle Elmer
Adrian Adonis
Terry Funk
Dory Funk, Jr.
Rick Martel
Tom Zenk
Bob Orton
Billy Jack Haynes
Hillbilly Jim
Haiti Kid
Little Beaver
Lord Littlebrook
Little Tokyo
Harley Race
Jacques Rougeau
Raymond Rougeau
Danny Davis
Butch Reed
Koko B. Ware
Honky Tonk Man
Jim Duggan
Ron Bass
Judy Martin
Dawn Marie
Donna Christanello
Sherri Martel
Noriyoi Tateno
Itsuki Yamazaki
Rockin’ Robin
Ax
Smash
Tama
Boris Zhukov
Jim Powers
Paul Roma
One Man Gang
Rick Rude
Ken Patera
Bam Bam Bigelow
Ultimate Warrior
Sam Houston
Sika
Bobby Heenan
Barbarian
Warlord
Big Boss Man
Marty Jannetty
Shawn Michaels
Arn Anderson
Tully Blanchard
Conquistador Uno
Conquistador Dos
Blue Blazer
Mr. Perfect
Scott Casey
Akeem
Red Rooster
Rockin Robin
Ronnie Garvin
Bushwhacker Butch
Bushwhacker Luke
Mr. Fuji
Dusty Rhodes
Jimmy Snuka
Zeus
Earthquake
The Genius
Sapphire
Sato
Tanaka
Kerry Von Erich
Crush
Hawk
Animal
Undertaker
Tugboat/Typhoon
Sgt. Slaughter
Kato
Mountie
Virgil
Dustin Rhodes
Shane Douglas
Brian Knobbs
Jerry Sags
Genichiro Tenryu
Koji Kitao
General Adnan
Irwin R. Schyster
Ric Flair
Berzerker
Skinner
Blake Beverly
Beau Beverly
Repo-Man
Owen Hart
Tatanka

PPV Rest in Peace List

“Playboy” Buddy Rose (Wrestlemania I)
“Special Delivery” Jones (Wrestlemania I)
Uncle Elmer (Wrestlemania II)
Adrian Adonis (Wrestlemania III)
Haiti Kid (Wrestlemania III)
Little Beaver (Wrestlemania III)
Junkyard Dog (Summerslam 1988)
Big John Studd (Wrestlemania V)
Sapphire (Summerslam 1990)
Dino Bravo (Wrestlemania VII)
Andre the Giant (Summerslam 1991)
Texas Tornado (Royal Rumble 1992)
Hercules (Royal Rumble 1992)
Elizabeth (Wrestlemania VIII)

Next Review: Summerslam 1992