WWF WrestleMania VI (Version II)

Original Airdate: April 1, 1990

From Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Your Hosts are Gorilla Monsoon and Jesse Ventura

Opening Match: Rick Martel v Koko B. Ware: Fast start, as they criss cross around, and Koko catches him with a 2^nd rope bodypress for two, then a pair of dropkicks. Backdrop and a clothesline send Martel to the outside, and Ware uses the top rope as a slingshot to bring him back in, but misses a charge, and gets tossed over the top - very nearly taking out his parrot in the process! Hopefully Frankie's wings aren't clipped... give the poor thing a fighting chance. Rick follows him out for a trip into the post, and a vertical suplex gets two on the way back in. 2^nd rope axehandle and a forward-backbreaker setup the Boston Crab, but Koko gets the ropes before Martel can properly apply it. Rick keeps coming, but makes the mistake of trying turnbuckle smashes on a black man, and pays the price. That's how you can always tell who's a racist out there, and who isn't. If they try that, they're clearly not. Most heels aren't, in fact. Koko makes his comeback, but misses another 2^nd rope bodypress, and the Boston Crab puts him away at 5:30. Just an energetic quickie to get this show on the road. **  (Original rating: *)

WWF Tag Team Title Match: The Colossal Connection v Demolition: I always liked the blue ring apron they used for this show, which I don't think they ever used again for a WrestleMania until 2001. They were almost always black. The Connection jump them before the bell (astutely waiting until they've got the studded masks off first - Bobby Heenan is no fool!), but Smash manages to fight off Haku. The Demos work him over (with Andre making the slowest, lamest saves possible), but Haku manages to get Ax with a backbreaker for two. The Connection cut the ring in half on Ax, though more accurately, Haku does. Andre just kind of stands there on the apron, occasionally lending a cheap shot. Not laziness, of course, he just wasn't physically capable of doing much more than that. Haku hits boot on a cross corner charge to allow the hot tag to Smash, and he's a sex shop of fire - Roseanne Barr the door! Andre ends up getting tied in the ropes as they brawl, and with him out of the way, Haku eats the Decapitator at 9:15 - to a huge ovation. I don't think Andre even tagged in there. Great moment, shitty match. ½* (Original rating: ½*)

Earthquake v Hercules: Earthquake tries to jump him before the bell, but Hercules sees it coming, and dodges. He unloads on Earthquake with shots in the corner until the big guy bails, but back in, he controls Hercules through a test-of-strength. Lots of plodding kick-punch offense from Earthquake, until Hercules manages to block a backdrop, and starts throwing shoulderblocks. Series of clotheslines are finally enough to stagger Earthquake, but Herc stupidly goes for a torture rack on him, and that doesn't end well. What a moron! Earthquake Splash finishes at 4:54. This managed to be slow and boring, even at only five minutes long. DUD (Original rating: DUD)

Mr. Perfect v Brutus Beefcake: Perfect tries to attack while Beefcake takes off his multiple layers of entrance gear, but ends up getting decked - flying out of the ring. Back in, Perfect continues to oversell everything, and goes flying back over the top off an atomic drop. He manages to catch Brutus with a knee on the way back in, but a cross corner whip gets reversed - Perfect selling it with a full somersault! Beefcake with a bodyslam for two, and the overselling exhibition continues in grand fashion, until the Genius distracts him, and passes Perfect his metal scroll. Perfect wallops Beefcake with it to take over, and he executes the somersault necksnap for two. Why did Perfect always seem to buy his gear a size too small? I mean, it was one thing in the late 90s when he was pudgy, and you figured he was just reusing stuff from when he wasn't, but even in his prime here, his tights are very ill-fitting. Perfect goes to work in rather dull fashion, but gets swept down, and Beefcake sends him into the post with a slingshot for the pin at 7:54 - giving Perfect his first major televised loss (he'd lost on local programming before this, like MSG Network, but never on a major show). Pretty mundane, but Perfect's selling is always fun. * (Original rating: ½*)

Roddy Piper v Bad News Brown: Can you even imagine a wrestler coming out in blackface in the corporate WWE environment today? And as a FACE, no less? They're so PC these days, I'm actually half surprised this match didn't get edited off the Network, with a 'technical difficulties' pop up. Scuffle on the mat to start, and Bad News takes control with a nervehold. Headbutt fails (try it on the white side next time), and Piper pokes him in the eye, but Brown responds in kind. He pulls off a turnbuckle pad, but Roddy reverses a cross corner whip into the exposed buckle, then pops on a white glove - unloading shots on Bad News. They slug it out, but it spills to the outside, and results in a double-countout at 6:47. This one is best known for Piper wrestling with half his body painted black, and for good reason, since the match is shit. DUD (Original rating: DUD)

The Hart Foundation v The Bolsheviks: The Foundation attack while the Russians sing their national anthem, and put Boris Zhukov away with the Hart Attack at 0:19. Not really a match, but a fun bit, and the crowd loved it. DUD (Original rating: DUD)

Tito Santana v The Barbarian: Tito actually manages to knock him to the outside in the early going, and a bodypress gets him two. Quite the blitz from Santana there! He works a standing side-headlock, but Barbarian escapes with a hiptoss - only to miss an elbowdrop. Tito pounds him down with mounted punches for two, then goes back to the headlock, but runs into a forceful big boot on a criss cross. Barbarian with a shoulderbreaker to setup a 2^nd rope elbowdrop, but Santana dodges. Shoulderblock in the corner, but Tito dodges that as well, and puts Barbarian on his ass with a pair of dropkicks. 2^nd rope axehandle sets up the Jumping Forearm, but Barbarian's in the ropes. Bobby Heenan tries a distraction, but Tito keeps coming, so Barbarian uses a low blow to block a rollup, then takes Santana's head off with a well executed flying clothesline at 4:33. Short and sweet. * ¾ (Original rating: ¼*)

Mixed Tag Team Match: Randy Savage and Sensational Sherri v Dusty Rhodes and Sapphire: Dusty brings Miss Elizabeth out as their surprise corner person, to get under Macho's skin. Guy knows his audience. Sadly, of the five active participants, none are still with us today. We didn't know this in 1990, but maybe that splotch on Dusty's belly was just a really primitive version of cupping? He was ahead of his time, is all! Savage and Rhodes start, and Dusty immediately controls, so Sherri comes in to attack. She doesn't get far, but does succeed in distracting him for Macho to attack - only for Dusty to block the flying axehandle. Tag to Sapphire (which automatically brings Sherri in), and Sapphire destroys her with butt bumps. Something that very vaguely resembles an airplane spin gets two, but Sherri has enough of her, and pops her with a right. Bodyslam, but Sapphire big ass topples her for two. Tag to Rhodes, but that means a switch back to Savage as well. As noted previously, that's my big pet peeve with mixed tags. You can't build proper momentum (not to mention a heat segment) if a tag to your partner automatically necessitates one on the other side as well. The mixed gender ones in the Attitude Era were the only time it worked. Of course, Savage and Sherri have their own strategy to get around it: have Sherri constantly cheat and claw at Rhodes while Randy cuts the ring in half, without ever actually tagging into the bout. Sapphire objects, so Macho gives her a smack, and hits Dusty with a flying axehandle for two. Oh, how the mighty have fallen - what a demotion for Savage after the last three WrestleManias! Dusty finally starts mounting his big fat comeback on Savage, but the ladies get tagged in again, with Sapphire still unable to string together so much as a move without looking like an amateur. Finish comes as Sherri goes after Elizabeth, and Liz shoves her right into a schoolgirl from Sapphire at 7:31. This was an epic carry-job by Savage and Sherri, though it didn't really work as a match. Fun in a sports entertainment kind of way, though. ½* (Original rating: ¼*)

The Rockers v The Orient Express: This is the version of the team with actual Asian's and everything. Marty Jannetty starts with Tanaka, and falls prey to some martial arts, but Shawn Michaels comes in to cutoff an attack from Sato, and the Rockers clean house - hitting stereo planchas! Dust settles back on Jannetty and Tanaka, but this time Mr. Fuji is ready - using his cane to pull down the top rope, and send Marty crashing over the top during a criss cross. Tanaka quickly capitalizes by ramming him into the post out there, and back in, the Express cut the ring in half. Marty manages to land on his feet during a backdrop attempt, however, and he superkicks Tanaka to allow the tag over to Shawn. Michaels goes at Sato with a swinging neckbreaker, so Tanaka takes a cheap shot from the apron, and Sato capitalizes with a gutwrench stomachbreaker. Back to Tanaka with a well timed diving double-ax, as the Express cut the ring in half on their new victim. Shawn manages to send Tanaka somersaulting through the air with a clothesline to allow the tag back to Marty, and Roseanne Barr the door! The Rockers go for the kill on Tanaka, but Fuji gets involved again, and Jannetty ends up taking a handful of salt to the eyes - falling into the crowd, and getting counted out at 7:36. Hell of a sell-job there - Marty didn't usually stumble around falling over like that until AFTER the shows. This had the potential to be great given proper time, and, you know, the Rockers not showing up hung over. But, even this rushed, hung over version was alright. * ¾ (Original rating: *)

Jim Duggan v Dino Bravo: Eww. I mean, what did we ever do to deserve this? Duggan controls with a backdrop early on, and a clothesline sends Bravo over the top. Back in, Jim ducks a series of haymakers and hits an atomic drop, then unloads a ten-punch in the corner. Of course, Duggan can't count that high, so it's only a four-count. Cross corner charge misses, however, allowing Bravo to comeback with an inverted atomic drop. Elbowdrop gets two, and Dino starts unloading turnbuckle smashes, but Duggan starts throwing clotheslines. 3-Point Stance, but Earthquake hooks his ankle from the floor, and Bravo gets hold of Duggan's 2x4 - only for it to backfire, and Jim to pin him at 4:15. Junk, but thankfully kept very short. ¼* (Original rating: ¼*)

Million Dollar Belt Match: Ted DiBiase v Jake Roberts: DiBiase is technically the champion, but Jake is in possession of the physical belt. Hot pink tights for Roberts tonight, which is a unique look for him. He blitzes Ted early, but DiBiase manages to hit the deck and bail to avoid the DDT. Back in, they repeat, with Jake again unloading, but failing to hook the DDT. Roberts goes after the arm, and grounds Ted with a hammerlock. DiBiase gets to a vertical base and reverses, but Roberts falls into the ropes to send him to the outside. Ted decides to take a walk, but Jake goes after him - DiBiase able to clobber him from the high ground on the way back in. Ted slaps on a mat-based front-facelock, as the bored crowd starts entertaining themselves by doing the 'wave.' Well, can you blame 'em? This is practically an iron man match compared to the rest of the matches tonight. To the announcers (and camera crews) credit, they don't try to ignore or deny it, but make it seem like all part of the fun of a WWF show. DiBiase rams Jake's shoulder into the post on the outside, and hits a piledriver on the way back in, but he gets arrogant, and Jake sunset cradles him for two. That only pisses DiBiase off, and he puts the boots to him, but the Million Dollar Dream ends up in the ropes. He drags him to the middle and covers for two, but a 2^nd rope axehandle is met with a gut-punch! Roberts mounts his comeback, but Virgil saves Ted from taking the DDT, and DiBiase gets Roberts in the Dream on the outside when Jake goes out to deal with Virgil. Roberts passes out in the hold, and Ted rolls in for the countout win - ending the longest match of the night to that point at a whopping 11:53. This was technically fine, but really dull. Not to mention, their complete aversion to putting guys over decisively in this era, which hurt countless blow offs. * (Original rating: ½*)

Big Boss Man v Akeem: Unfortunately for Boss Man, Ted DiBiase is still hanging out at ringside following the previous bout, and he jumps him before the match. Ted lays a good beating on Boss Man out there (even delivering a bodyslam!), before rolling him in for Akeem to officially start in on. Akeem goes right to work with an avalanche for two, and a ten-punch count in the corner brings the ropes dangerously close to collapse. Boss Man counters with what could liberally by called an 'inverted atomic drop,' and starts mounting his comeback. Boss Man Slam finishes at 1:50. Total DUD, but it make its point. (Original rating: DUD)

Rick Rude v Jimmy Snuka: Rude attacks from behind before the bell, but misses a dropkick, and Jimmy flapjacks him. Backdrop and a headbutt splash follow, and a dropkick sends Rick over the top. He tries coming back in with a slingshot sunset flip, but Snuka blocks, so Rude hits a vertical suplex instead. Backdrop of his own hits, but he goes to the well once too often, and the Superfly counters with a facebuster. Criss cross ends in Jimmy shoulderblocking him down, and a bodyslam sets up a 2^nd rope flying headbutt, but Rick rolls out of the way. Rude Awakening finishes at 3:51. Snuka looked pretty bad out there, but Rude was game enough to keep it from going south. ¾* (Original rating: *)

Main Event: WWF Title v WWF Intercontinental Title: Hulk Hogan v Ultimate Warrior: Big power showdown to start, as they size each other up. Collar-and-elbow lockup battle goes to a stalemate. Test-of-strength goes to a stalemate. Big criss cross ends in Hogan hitting a bodyslam, but Warrior no-sells, and they criss cross again - this time Warrior slamming him, and Hogan getting up, though not quite as quickly. Warrior capitalizes with a clothesline over the top, and Hulk hurts his knee on the landing. Warrior shows no mercy, going to the outside, and stomping the knee, allowing Hulk to showoff those acting chops that won him so much acclaim over the years as he sells the hell out of it. Warrior brings him back in, and they start trading eyerakes, with Hulk getting the best of it, and hitting a cross corner clothesline. Ten-punch count and a bodyslam setup a pair of elbowdrops for two, and Hulk hooks an inside cradle for two! It's so odd to see Hogan actually carrying a match during this era. Axe bomber gets two, and a forward-backbreaker is worth two. Hulk grounds him in a chinlock, as Warrior is very clearly blown up here - and badly. Well, he's the idiot who decided it wise to run down the extra long aisle at full speed before the biggest match of his life, what did he expect? Side suplex gets two, then back to the chinlock. Give Hulk credit here, carrying a match like this is way out of his comfort zone, but he's doing a great job of giving Warrior the rest he needs, while still keeping things interesting enough to not lose the audience. Warrior powers out of the hold, but another criss cross ends in a double-knockout spot - again allowing them to catch a breather, while also functioning as a dramatic spot. Both men beat the count, and Warrior starts no-selling. Hulk throws axehandle after axehandle, but Warrior ignores them, and starts pelting him with running clotheslines. Pair of cross corner whips leave Hogan on his knees (Hey, remember the knee? Glad you do, 'cause Hogan doesn't), and Warrior delivers a vertical suplex for two. Bearhug see Hogan fade, but the arm starts shaking on the third drop, and he slugs his way free. Despite the complexity of the moves used being as simple and basic as it gets, they have the crowd molten throughout here. Another criss cross sees the referee get clobbered, and Warrior goes airborne with a pair of flying axehandles. That's risky strategy against Hogan. Just ask Savage. Warrior goes for the kill with the jumping shoulderblock, but Hulk sidesteps, and Warrior wipes out. Cover, but there's no referee - giving Hogan a visual pinfall. Warrior comes from behind with a side suplex as Hogan tries to revive the official, and gets a dramatic two count out of it from the dazed referee. Hogan with a schoolboy for two, and a backelbow knocks Warrior to the outside. Hogan goes after him for a slugfest on the floor, but Warrior rams him into the post on the way back in. Warrior keeps after him with a clothesline, and he manages to power Hulk through the press-slam/splash combo, but it only gets two! HULK UP BABY! Fists of Fury! Big Boot! Legdrop, but Warrior rolls out of the way - Hogan landing right on the knee from earlier! Warrior quickly follows up with a splash, and we have a new champion at 22:50! Interestingly, this was the longest match in WrestleMania history to that point (main event or otherwise), and would remain so all the way until 1996, when the Hart/Michaels Iron Man Match shattered its record. That's kind of a feat in its own right, given that neither guy is exactly renowned for his stamina, and really highlights how well booked this match was - one of the greatest smoke and mirror shows of all time, and at the highest level. *** ½ (Original rating: *** ¼)

BUExperience: Yeah, sure, there’s only one match on the whole card worth going out of your way to see, but (like many other shows from this era) it’s more than the sum of its star ratings. Remember, this was a very different environment than today’s workrate focused product. One where there were really interesting characters and storylines, and just a general fun atmosphere that isn’t necessarily reflected in the star ratings. I’d rather sit through all three and half hours of this again than re-watch pretty much any WWE pay per view from this year, even though those generally have better wrestling. As Gorilla Monsoon would say, it was ‘a happening.’

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