Welcome to the latest edition of our WrestleMania Rewind series, written by yours truly, exclusively for everyone here at SLTD Wrestling. The aim of WrestleMania Rewind is to review every WrestleMania in roughly 2,000 words. Click here to read the series so far.
So, we’re at WrestleMania 9 now. You know…the one with all the pomp, pageantry and circumstance? Yes, WrestleMania 9 was an extravaganza like never before…mainly because they decided to have a theme – ancient Rome. Indeed my friends, for WrestleMania 9 came to us from Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas on April 4th 1993 in front of a crowd just short of 17,000 people.
On hand for commentary were Macho Man Randy Savage, Bobby Heenan and, calling his first WWF PPV, the voice of my generation, “Good Ol’ JR”, Jim Ross. Mean Gene, among others, took care of links/backstage interviews.
Match 1: WWF Intercontinental Championship – Shawn Michaels (c) vs Tatanka
It’s an even start. Tatanka fires up with a side suplex and sends Michaels outside. Michaels is back in and gets a 2-count on Tatanka with a high-risk move. Tatanka works over Michaels’ arm and shoulder. He goes high-risk himself, but to no avail as he’s met with Sweet Chin Music and Michaels throws him outside. Michaels then gets a couple of 2’s off a neckbreaker and a modified victory roll.
Tatanka gets a 2-count of his own from an electric chair, but misses an elbow. He hulks up though and chops the bejesus out of Michaels, getting a 2-count from a top-rope crossbody. Michaels comes off the top rope, but Tatanka powerslams him for another 2. Michaels crashes and burns outside, and pulls the ref out. The official decision is a count-out loss for Michaels.
Opinion: I really enjoyed this match. Like properly enjoyed it. Both guys were athletic enough, but with Tatanka being bigger than Michaels, he wore him down a lot and tried to slow the pace. Michaels was excellent drawing heat from the crowd, though the decision confused me. Surely if he pulled the ref out of the ring, it’s a DQ loss, not a count-out one?
Match 2: The Steiner Brothers vs The Headshrinkers
Scott has the best of the early going. Tags to Samu and Rick. Rick keeps the advantage for his team and tags Scott back in, who gets launched over the top rope. The heels isolate him. Fatu gets a 2 off a headbutt. Samu misses one from the top rope. Hot tag to Rick, who cleans house…until he’s taken down by a double headbutt.
Headshrinkers go for a double-team clothesline from the turnbuckle, but Rick powerslams Samu in mid-air for a 2. Scott makes the bling tag and hits a belly-to-belly suplex on Fatu, but Samu superkicks him. Scott gets Samu in the Frankensteiner to get the 1..2…3.
Opinion: A really good tag match. Both teams were big and powerful, which makes the fact that the Steiners were able to draw real sympathy from the crowd even more impressive. The mid-air powerslam from Rick Steiner was outstanding too.
Match 3: Crush vs Doink the Clown
I won’t be spending much time on this, mainly because my good friend (and co-host of the excellent MFX Podcast) Sir Ian Trumps has a fear of clowns. Crush is in complete control early until Doink hangs him up on the top rope and hits a few ax-handles, then a piledriver. Doink comes off the top rope into Crush’s boot. The big man’s back into it with a slam and a clothesline, but there’s a ref bump. A second Doink appears, blasts Crush with a cast, and the first Doink wins.
Opinion: Filler. Nothing more. Oh, and Doink was one creepy son-of-a-bitch when he was heel. Can’t sleep…clown will eat me…
Match 4: Razor Ramon vs Bob Backlund
Ramon asserts his power early. Backlund tries to get back into it with some hiptosses, but Ramon wins with a small package.
Opinion: A squash match in all honesty. Not much to write home about, although Ramon did beat Backlund with an actual wrestling move, which the announcers were keen to put over. That’s something, right?
Match 5: WWF Tag-Team Championship Match: Money Inc (c) vs The Mega-Maniacs (Brutus Beefcake & Hulk Hogan)
The Maniacs have the best of it early with frequent tags. Money Inc try to walk off, but the ref says they’ll lose the belts if they do, so they make it back before the 10-count. Money Inc choke Hogan with the tag rope behind the ref’s back and slow the pace down. DiBiase puts him in the Million Dollar Dream. The ref’s distracted, and Beefcake puts DiBiase in a sleeper behind his back. Hot tags to Beefcake and IRS.
Beefcake lands a series of right hands ‘til DiBiase hits him in the back with a briefcase. The heels isolate Beefcake, but he comes back and takes them down with a double clothesline. He puts IRS in a sleeper, but there’s a ref bump. With the ref down, Hogan hits Money Inc with Beefcake’s protective mask. A second ref comes out and DQ’s the Maniacs.
Opinion: Seriously. How many Ted DiBiase matches at WrestleMania events ended in DQ/count-outs? This must be the fifth/sixth time in as many years that that’s happened. It’s SO bloody frustrating because the crowd were into it. I suppose it made sense, given what was to happen later…
Match 6: The Narcissist Lex Luger vs Mr Perfect
Great pop for Perfect. Second biggest of the day, behind the brother-dude-brother-jack.
They exchange waistlocks early, with Perfect shading it. Perfect starts working the leg. Luger comes back and works Perfect’s back, getting a 2-count off a powerslam. Perfect gets a couple of 2’s of his own from a sunset flip and a small package. Perfect gets a series of further 2-counts, but can’t put Luger away. Luger picks up the win with a 3-count off a backslide, even though both of Perfect’s feet were on the ropes.
Opinion: Actually a relatively decent match. Perfect was really over and, to be honest, had the best of the match. However, Luger was resourceful and did what all heels do – find a way to win. The ref didn’t cover himself in glory with that call, but that’s wrestling folks!
Match 7: Giant Gonzalez vs The Undertaker
If you’re looking for a technical masterpiece, this isn’t it. Two giants going at it. Gonzalez essentially manhandles Taker, but the Deadman keeps coming back. Undertaker wins by DQ when Gonzalez chloroforms him.
Opinion: Not one of Taker’s best matches to be fair, but you’re never gonna get a classic match between two giants. What were the WWF thinking about with Gonzalez though? Brutal…just brutal.
Match 8: WWF Championship Match: Yokozuna vs Bret Hart (c)
Bret lands some dropkicks and right hands early, but they have no effect. Yoko nails him with a clothesline, a slam and a legdrop. The stupid fans are chanting “USA!” to get to Yoko. Bret’s a CANADIAN…morons! Yoko’s in control with a nervehold, but he misses a splash to give Bret a 2. Yoke goes back to the nervehold and misses a second splash. Hart gets a 2-count off a bulldog, then a kneedrop. Bret finally gets the Sharpshooter in, but Fuji throws salt in his eyes and Yoko covers him for the win.
Opinion: In all honesty? It was a way to get the belt off Bret. Yokozuna (herein known as Big Yoke) was pretty agile for a big man, but his matches were pretty formulaic. But wait…what’s this…
Hogan comes out to help “his friend” Hart. Fuji says if Hogan gets in the ring now, Big Yoke will put the belt on the line. After feigning concern for the Hitman, Hogan accepts.
Match 9: WWF Championship Match: Yokozuna (c) vs Hulk Hogan
Big Yoke holds Hogan. Fuji throws some salt, Hogan ducks and it hits Big Yoke. Hogan wins with a clothesline and the infamous legdrop.
Opinion: The match lasted about 15 seconds, if that. These last two matches were a way to get the belt from Hart to Hogan without having Hogan bury him. Which he did anyway by beating Big Yoke in about 10 seconds. Hart couldn’t do it in 10 minutes. Sigh…
Summary: All in all, aside from the last 3 matches, it was OK. Just that. Nothing more. And when it’s your biggest show of the year, it should be more than just “OK”. A third of the matches finished by nefarious means (DQ/count-out), another third were no more than glorified squashes, leaving just a third of the card as passable. While it’s by no means the worst WrestleMania, it’s definitely one of them.
Hopefully you enjoyed that quick look back at WrestleMania 9. Leave your comments/feedback via the usual channels, and join me again tomorrow to revisit WrestleMania 10!
SLTD Wrestling's resident Scottish Nightmare. Some of my content may not be suitable for younger readers or those who are easily offended!
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