WWF WrestleMania X

Timing is everything. After a few stutter-steps, I finally got into the sport of wrestling in early 1994 – just in time for the march to WrestleMania X. Over my youth, it became my absolute favorite show – initially for sentimental reasons, and later for an appreciation of the match quality, and the masterful storytelling featured.

While WrestleMania X wasn’t considered a commercial success, it was critically lauded from the moment it went off the air – and continues to be today. With Hulk Hogan no longer a part of the WWF, the first WrestleMania without the Hulkster was both a nod to the history of the show, and an ushering in of a new era for the promotion. The actual buildup of the main event focused on a mini ‘tournament’ for the WWF Title, as Yokozuna (nine months into his reign of terror as WWF Champion) would have to defend the title against Royal Rumble co-winners Bret Hart and Lex Luger.

For Luger, it was his last shot at the title he had failed to win at SummerSlam. For Hart, a shot at redemption after losing the title to Yokozuna one year earlier – the stage set for WrestleManias anniversary return home to Madison Square Garden.

From New York, New York; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler. Little Richard sings America the Beautiful to kick things off.


Opening Match: Bret Hart v Owen Hart: As I've noted many times elsewhere, this is the angle that got me into pro wrestling - Owen's heel turn on Bret - and particularly Bret's reluctance to wrestle his younger brother. This also came about as part of the title situation, as (after Bret Hart and Lex Luger co-won the Royal Rumble) WWF President Jack Tunney ruled that they would each get separate title shots at champion Yokozuna. Luger won a (gimmicked) coin toss to go first, Tunney then booking Bret against brother Owen as 'suitable competition' so that he wouldn't have the advantage of only having to wrestle once. Owen 'wins' the initial tie-up (no hold performed, just managed to overpower Bret a bit) and gleefully raises his arms as if he's won the match. He goes at Bret with a fireman's carry takedown, but Bret counters into a headscissors - only to have Owen kip-up out, and celebrate again. Bret with a go-behind, so Owen bails for the ropes - then bitches his brother out for 'cheating.' Owen with a go-behind of his own, but Bret doesn't need the ropes to break - instead charging into them to dump Owen to the floor. Owen marches right back in to slap his brother across the face - then hides in the ropes to avoid retaliation. They trade wristlocks, until Owen tries to run Bret into the corner, and gets rolled up for two. Big criss cross ends with Bret monkey flipping his brother, and clotheslining him to the floor. He doesn't let him take a breather - dragging him back in by the hair - and returns the favor with a solid slap to the face of his own. Armbar, so Owen tries to fire him into the ropes for another criss cross - only to get crucifixed (crucified?) for two, and taken right back into the armbar. He tries the criss cross again, and this time ducks Bret, then blasts him with a spinheel kick, putting Bret on the floor. Slam into the ringpost out there, and inside, Owen whips him into the turnbuckle. Backbreaker, and he hooks a camel clutch, but Bret powers out into a criss cross - ending up getting belly-to-belly suplexed for two. Owen dives at him with a 2^nd rope bodypress, but Bret rolls through for two, so Owen drives a knee to the back to slow him down. Slam, but Bret shifts the momentum, and topples him for two - before wisely bailing to the floor to catch a breather. Owen tries to suplex him back in, but Bret slips into a go-behind, reversed by Owen, and into a bridging German suplex for two. Legdrop gets two, and he tries the suplex again, but Bret counters with an inside cradle for two. Bret tries a backbreaker of his own, but Owen counters into a beautiful tombstone - only to miss his flying splash follow-up. Bret's up first with an inverted atomic drop for two, and a Russian legsweep gets two. Backbreaker sets up the 2^nd rope elbowdrop for two - but he gets caught with an enzuigiri as he tries to follow-up. Owen with the Sharpshooter, but Bret blocks, so Owen throws a double-underhook rollup for two - getting flung to the floor during the forceful kickout. Bret follows out with a plancha, only to bash his knee on the way down - limping back into the ring. It slows him down enough for Owen to go after it, and the younger Hart wastes no time in getting vicious - bashing it repeatedly into the post. Leglock at center ring, but Bret won't give, so Owen starts driving his knee into Bret's to set up a figure four. Bret fights to reverse it, but Owen maneuvers into the ropes to break, and goes right back after the knee - but this time Bret blasts him with his own enzuigiri to avoid another legsweep. Owen takes the chest-first cross corner bump for two, and a bulldog gets two - Bret limping the whole way. Piledriver for two, so he puts an exclamation point on him with a super-duperplex - but it only gets two! Frustrated, Bret starts firing off uppercuts, and Owen takes advantage of the frustration with a mule kick. Sharpshooter has the crowd worried, but Bret reverses - only to have his knee give out just as Owen is making the ropes anyway. They fight over an Irish whip, Bret ending up getting shot into the corner, but he blocks Owen's blind charge with his boot, and goes for a victory roll - only for Owen to counter on the way down, and pin him cleanly at 20:21. Then, to really to be dick, Owen walks right up to his fallen brother, and sticks three fingers in his face for good measure. Bret is shocked, the announcers are shocked, the crowd is shocked. Match was absolutely brilliant - fluid, mirrored, psychological wrestling from bell to bell, and a finish that did more than signal the end of the match - it immediately made Owen into main eventer. Bret has noted that they actually had a different match laid out for weeks, but it wasn't clicking, so shortly before the show, they both sat down with father Stu Hart, and put together this masterpiece - one of the best matches of all time. *****

Mixed Tag Team Match: Bam Bam Bigelow and Luna Vachon v Doink and Dink: Before we get started, Sy Sperling (president of the Hair Club for Men) introduces a toupee clad Howard Finkel. Bigelow jumps Doink on the way in to get things started, and blasts him with a dropkick out of the ropes. Senton misses, however, and Doink works the arm before tagging Dink. He challenges Bam Bam to go, but per the stipulations, he has to tag Luna. She chases him around for a bit, before finally just kicking him in the ass, and throwing him into the ropes. Hilarious bit, as Dink tries to literally run circles around her, so she just looks at him, cocks her head, and blasts him with a kick to the gut. Her flying splash misses, however, and both tag - Doink catching Bigelow with a droptoe-hold, but getting clotheslined to the floor. Doink with a DDT on the way back in, but the Whoopee Cushion misses, and Bigelow with the flying headbutt to finish at 6:11. Everyone tried, but there was no way they were following that opener. That considered, this was the perfect place on the card for a nothing 'comedy' match like this. ¾*

Falls Count Anywhere Match: Randy Savage v Crush: Crush had turned heel on buddy Savage in 1993 (upset at him for not coming to the rescue when he was getting attacked by Yokozuna) to set this up. Savage jumps him in the aisle way to get things going, but Crush catches him with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker out there, and press slam into the rail for the pin. As per stipulations, Randy now has sixty seconds to return to the ring - which he just manages to make, thanks to Crush manager Mr. Fuji whacking him with the Japanese flag pole on the way. Crush meets him with stomps as soon as he does, of course, and hangs him in a tree of woe. Crush opens a handful of salt as the referee tries to free him - only to have it kicked in his face, and get hit with a flying axehandle. Bodyslam sets up the Flying Elbowdrop, but he has to shove him to the floor before getting the pin - which he does. Crush beats the count with the aid of Fuji, and he manages to backdrop Randy over the top on the way back in. Brawl out there sees Crush go into the ringpost and stairs, and Savage clotheslines him over the rail into the crowd - only to get blasted with a savate kick. Piledriver in the crowd, but Savage backdrops free, and they brawl backstage - Savage throwing him into a door for the pin. To ensure victory, Savage then ties Crush up (hanging him upside-down from a piece of scaffolding), and that's enough for the finish at 9:44. Not really well booked for an intense blowoff, as they had to work around the gimmick too much (they should have just had the first fall get the victory - no 'return to the ring' crap), and it was pretty disjointed overall - though I remember thinking it was wild as a kid. Savage was pretty much exclusively a broadcaster at this point, and would be in WCW by the end of the year - this his last WrestleMania appearance. *

WWF Women's Title Match: Alundra Blayze v Leilani Kai: The WWF had reactivated the Women's Title a few months before this to push Blayze... but unfortunately, didn't have any suitable competition to actually face her for the first few months, so we get Kai pulled out of the mothballs to challenge. Kai tries to get her into a test-of-strength off the bat, but Blayze sweeps at the leg, and hits a sunset flip for two. Another gets two, so Kai double-chokeslams her, and hits a bodyslam for two. Powerbomb, but Blayze hits a rana for two - only to get dumped to the floor in response. Kai drags her in by the hair for some hairpull slams, but gets leveled with a lariat coming off the ropes, and blasted with a spinkick. Suplex gets two, and Blayze returns the hairslam favor for two - before finishing with a German suplex at 3:26. They were going pretty hard here, but this was little more than a squash - and didn't have enough time to properly get going anyway. ¾*

WWF Tag Team Title Match: The Quebecers v Men on a Mission: The champs jump from behind before the bell, and quickly dump Mo - only to run into the gut of big Mabel. Pierre officially starts with Mo, and gets bodypressed for two, before Mabel tags in with a big legdrop. Tag to Jacques to unload a series of stomps, and a double-team puts Mo on the floor for Jacques to backdrop Pierre onto - in a great spot. Double-team stungun gets two, so Mo catches Pierre with a somersault bodyblock, and dodges a flying splash to tag Mabel. He's a house of arson, but misses a blind charge into the corner, and the Quebecers double-team suplex the big man. They look to finish with their assisted somersault senton finish, but it only gets two, and Mabel wins a slugfest with Pierre. Spinheel kick and a splash look to finish, but a four-way brawl breaks out, and the Quebecers bail to save the titles at 7:43. The Quebecers' days were numbered - dropping the titles to the Headshrinkers in April - but they looked good here, keeping a good pace going. *

WWF Title Match: Yokozuna v Lex Luger: Luger had been feuding with Yokozuna for the bulk of 1993 - starting in July with his face turn during the Bodyslam Challenge aboard the USS Intrepid - but failed to win the WWF Title at SummerSlam. Per pre-match stipulations Yokozuna manager Jim Cornette had wedged into the contract, Luger could only get another title shot if he won the Royal Rumble, and here we are. Donnie Wahlberg acts as the guest ring announcer, Rhonda Shear as the time keeper, and, making his return to the WWF, Mr. Perfect as the guest referee. Yoko tries to stick his finger in Luger's face at the bell - triggering a Luger-won slugfest - and they spill to the floor for Lex to hit an axehandle off of the apron. Ram into the steps, and Luger with a flying bodypress back in for two. Leaping elbowdrop gets two, but Yoko topples him out of a bodyslam attempt for two. Yoko takes the top turnbuckle pad off to have some extra fun, but Luger gets uppity, so Yoko slaps on a nervehold instead. For a while. The bulk of the match, in fact - probably waiting for Luger to start properly selling it, since he spends the hold with a look of boredom on his face. Well, can't blame him there. Belly-to-belly suplex, and he takes Luger into the corner for a shot into the exposed buckle - but Lex reverses, and starts firing off clotheslines. Bodyslam, and the running forearm smash knocks Yoko out - so Jim Cornette hops up on the apron. Luger takes him out with one punch, and adds one for Mr. Fuji too before covering - but Perfect won't count the fall, he's busy checking on the managers. Frustrated, Luger grabs him by the shirt to get his attention (Yoko is out cold! He's got the title won!), and Perfect decides to completely overreact, and disqualifies Luger for touching a WWF Official at 14:40. Perfect ending, as he was still harboring a grudge from his feud with Luger the year before, and got the best revenge - costing him the coveted title. This was also supposed to set up another Luger/Perfect feud, but Perfect disappeared again right after this, not resurfacing again until the Survivor Series in 1995. A lot of people expected Luger to win here (they even tested the waters by taping him 'as champion' leading up to this), but it was much better booking (as well as poetic) to have Bret face Yokozuna again, rather than give Luger an hour long reign before passing the belt to Hart. The match itself is notable for killing Luger's WWF main event credibility once and for all, but was nothing more than an overlong resthold exhibition. -* ½

Earthquake v Adam Bomb: Bomb manager Harvey Wippleman gets in ring announcer Howard Finkel's face before the bell, and ends up getting shoved to the mat. That draws Bomb in to defend his honor, but Earthquake jumps him, and quickly hits the running buttsplash for the pin at 0:33. Right out of ECW - this was a quickie for time reasons, which reaffirms my point of Luger/Yoko running too long. DUD

WWF Intercontinental Title Ladder Match: Razor Ramon v Shawn Michaels: Great angle here, as Shawn had been Intercontinental Champion for the bulk of 1993, until failing a drug test in the fall (the official reason the WWE gives today, though it likely had more to do with his contract) - vacating the title in the process. Ramon won the belt in the interim, and when Shawn returned a couple of months later, he claimed to still be the champion - never having lost it in the ring (though, by that logic, Shawn still holds every WWF Championship in existence). To settle things, they hang both Intercontinental belts over Madison Square Garden, and give us the first major ladder match in the WWF (they had run non-televised versions before - the first between Michaels and Bret Hart in 1992) - the winner the first man to get claim both belts. Both men stare up at the belts, and Shawn wins the initial lockup with a hammerlock. Ramon quickly powers out, and a criss cross ends with Michaels getting chokeslammed. Another ends with Shawn managing a swinging neckbreaker, and another sees Razor bulldozing him - so Shawn sidesteps, and sends him flying to the floor. Bodyguard Diesel works in a cheap shot out there, but the referee sends him to the back - despite the ring announcers 'there are no rules!!!' declaration during the introductions. The distraction allows Razor to deck Michaels on the way back into the ring, and Shawn Flair Flips into a clothesline. Back to the outside, Ramon pulls up the floor mats for a Razor's Edge on the concrete - only for Shawn to backdrop him out there. That allows him to retrieve the ladder from the aisle way, but Razor snags it away - only for Shawn to viciously baseball slide it into his ribs to get it back. Inside, Shawn starts ramming Ramon with it, and puts an exclamation point on it by throwing it at him a couple of times. Shawn climbs, but Razor tugs at his tights to stop the effort, only to get a ass full of Michaels as he counters with a flying elbowdrop off of the ladder. He decides more punishment is needed to finish this, and slides the ladder into the corner, leaping off with a flying splash that has become iconic - still played on WWE TV regularly to this day. Climb attempt, but Ramon musters the strength to shove the ladder, and a criss cross ends in a double knockout. Shawn recovers first to try and whip Ramon into the ladder, but Razor reverses, and Shawn flies to the floor selling it. Ramon follows - beating him around ringside with the ladder - and finally finishing with a slingshot into it - that Shawn sells by hanging onto the ladder, and letting it fall back onto him. Inside, Ramon starts ramming, and makes a climb, but Shawn desperately leaps off of the top rope with a flying axehandle to knock him off - only to have the ladder then tip over onto him for his troubles. Both guys stagger up opposite sides of the ladder, and end up having a slugfest up there - won when Ramon slams him off before falling off the now shaky ladder himself. Razor climbs again, but Shawn dropkicks him off this time, and the ladder is the only thing left standing in the ring - though not for long, as Michaels tips it over onto Ramon. Superkick, and a piledriver leave Ramon for dead, but Shawn makes sure by taking the ladder to the corner, climbing to the top rope, and riding it down onto Razor - another iconic visual. Up he goes (arrogantly and poetically setting the ladder up over the fallen Razor), but he gets shoved off at the last second - crotching himself on the ropes in the process. Shawn scrambles, but gets himself tied up in the ropes, and Razor makes the climb - grabbing both belts before crashing back down to the mat at 18:49. If you own literally any WWE DVD, you already know how influential and show stealing this match was - and the fact that they could follow the Hart Brothers at all is a feat on its own. Seeing it when I was a new fan was almost indescribable: it was like nothing I had ever seen before, and I wasn't alone – seasoned fans, and workers alike absolutely blown away. While there have been crazier ladder matches with bigger, more spectacular bumps in the years since, they all grew out of this - I can't overstate the influence of this one. And it's not great just for being influential - everything here was flawless: from the timing, to the bumping, to the drama, to the pace, to the selling, to the blowoff, to the crowd heat, to the gimmick, to the booking - magnificent. *****

Main Event: WWF Title Match: Yokozuna v Bret Hart: Burt Reynolds serves as the guest ring announcer, Jennie Garth the time keeper, and also making his surprise WWF return, Roddy Piper is the referee. Bret limps to the ring - still selling the beating from the opener - and Yoko goes right at him for forearm shots. Bret tries to slug back, but gets chopped, and bodyslammed. Another slugfest allows Hart a dropkick, but a second try misses, and Yoko keeps hammering - but misses a splash. Another slugfest goes Hart's way - knocking Yoko off of his feet - but Jim Cornette pulls referee Piper out at the count of two, daring him to disqualify Yokozuna. Piper responds by decking Cornette instead, but the distraction allows Yoko to takeover with chokeholds. Legdrop leads to more choking, but a blind charge misses, and Bret dives at him with a 2^nd rope bulldog for two. 2^nd rope elbowdrop gets two, and a well executed hangman's clothesline for two. 2^nd rope bodypress, but Yoko catches him on the way down, and flattens him with a belly-to-belly suplex. Banzai Drop to finish, but Yoko loses his balance, falls off of the ropes, and Hart hooks the leg to win his second WWF Title at 10:33. Afterwards, as Vince McMahon gushes about the start of a new era on commentary, Lex Luger hits the ring to shake the new champion’s hand - followed by most of the locker room babyfaces, all of whom hoist Bret up on their shoulders, and parade him around the ring in one of the greatest moments in WWF/WWE history. Meanwhile, Owen shows up in the aisle, and looks over the scene in total disgust - the man he just beat now celebrating with the WWF Title. Bret Hart could easily do two major matches in the same night, but Yokozuna wasn't the guy to do them with - this one significantly worse than their main event the year before, though Bret's selling was excellent. It sort of gets a pass for the title win and extracurricular activities - finally giving the eager fans Bret Hart as their champion after a year of mid-card hell - but as a match, not Bret's finest hour. Which is kind of ironic, since one of his best matches took place only a couple of hours earlier. ½*

BUExperience: And so began the new era for the WWF. In one show, the Hart brothers both shot to the top of the card, and Yokozuna and Lex Luger (the dominant forces of 1993) fell to the midcard for good. In one show, Shawn Michaels established himself as the next big thing, and Razor Ramon as a star for life. In one show, the WWF wrote an epitaph for Hulk Hogan – putting the title onto the guy who wasn’t ‘in his league,’ and passing the torch without him even needed in the building. The fact that they did that with such brilliant wrestling – featuring two of the finest matches in history on one show – is just very delicious gravy.

With Hogan’s arrival in WCW only a few months later making Ted Turner’s promotion a true competitor, and the United States government breathing down Vince McMahon’s neck, dark days were ahead for the WWF – but WrestleMania X remains one shining beacon of brilliance, and my favorite wrestling show. *****