WWF WrestleMania XI Public Workout (March 28, 1995)

 

Original Airdate: March 28, 1995 

From New York, New York; Your Host is Todd Pettengill, live in Times Square. The crowd isn’t massive, but it’s one of the most interesting visuals you can imagine, with traffic driving by in the background, and random New Yorkers just going about their day. It’s kind of crazy to think they were able to pull this off in 1995, considering how ice cold the product was

Todd brings the Allied Powers out for an in-ring interview to start, just cutting a basic promo on the Blu Brothers. That draws the Blu’s out to retort, and then they just sort of leave without any actual confrontation.

Baseball umpire Larry Young is out, excited about his gig as a special referee for WrestleMania

The Allied Powers v Mike Bell and Tony DeVito: The matches here are presented without commentary. Larry Young referees this. It’s good that this is a squash, because it’s hard to focus on the wrestling with this incredible ‘venue.’ The Powers finish with a combo at 3:15. Afterwards, Bob Backlund storms the ring, and procures the chickenwing to teach this jobber a lesson about jobbering. DUD

Todd comes in to chat with psycho Backlund, who chews out the crowd for being here in the middle of the day. But that’s nothing compared to what he’s going to do to Bret Hart at WrestleMania

Todd brings King Kong Bundy out for an in-ring interview, and how are we so supposed to take Ted DiBiase seriously if he’s wearing a tan suit? They cut a promo on Undertaker, but that draws Undertaker himself out, and there’s a funny bit here where Bundy continues cutting his promo as if Undertaker isn’t there, despite him being very much there. So awkward. It’s hard for me to believe that Bundy wasn’t even forty at this point. They do a staredown, and Bundy leaves without incident, leaving Undertaker to cut his response promo. Undertaker’s makeup under direct natural light is not a great look. It’s also incredibly odd to hear him cutting a promo in the middle of traffic 

Todd brings Owen Hart out, and he’s not revealing who his mystery partner is going to be against the Smoking Gunns at WrestleMania

Owen Hart v Nick Barbieri: They appear to be making entrances from a building across the street (possibly the Marriott), and they literally have to have cops stop traffic for them to cross, which is funny. Hart with the Sharpshooter at 2:19. Afterwards, Todd comes in so Owen can cut a second promo, but that draws the Allied Powers out to chase him off. Owen got a great reaction throughout here. DUD

Todd brings Shawn Michaels and Sycho Sid out, and they are ready to break Diesel’s heart at WrestleMania. WWF Champion Diesel soon joins them, and there’s a staredown, which the Allied Powers come in to stick their noses into again. And that’s as close as you’re ever getting to another WrestleMania main event, Lex

Todd brings WWF Intercontinental Champion Jeff Jarrett out, and I nearly typed ‘Razor Ramon’ there, because I so associate him with the title during this period. He promises to walk into WrestleMania as champion, and walk out as champion

Jeff Jarrett v Tony Roy: The WWF Intercontinental title is not on the line here. Diesel is still hanging around at ringside here, probably waiting for an opportunity to cross the street. Jarrett dominates, but instead of putting it away, he keeps antagonizing Diesel, until Diesel comes in, and chases him out - taking Roadie out with a powerbomb on the way. The match is thrown out at 3:12. DUD

Todd brings the Million Dollar Corporation out so Bam Bam Bigelow can cut the go-home promo on Lawrence Taylor, and having Volkoff out there doesn’t go a long way in looking intimidating. Bigelow thinks LT won’t show for WrestleMania

Todd brings Lawrence Taylor out, after the Corporation has long cleared away. It looked to me like they wanted LT to come out during the previous segment, but something went wrong, because we get a big time jump ahead here, and the crowd has gotten much bigger in between. Bam Bam comes back in, so Taylor offers him a sportsmanlike handshake, but then pulls it back when Bigelow goes for it. Bam Bam lunges at him, but LT slugs back, and we have a big brawl between the Corporation on one side, with LT, Diesel, Lex Luger, and Davey Boy Smith on the other. This was a good final segment

BUExperience: This isn’t a ‘good’ show, but it is extremely unique, and interesting in that regard. Even seeing Times Square as it was in 1995 (when it was still open to traffic and before it became Disneyland) is a fun little time capsule. Check this out.