Nick Johnson’s rant of Wrestlemania X
This was the PPV that changed the course of the WWF which was in a dark period at the time.
Live From Madison Square Garden in New York, New York on March 20th 1994
The show starts with a look at Wrestlemania 1 which was also in MSG
Little Richard sings America The Beautiful with a choir outside the ring
Your hosts are Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler
We get a look at the feud between Bret and Owen Hart which starts at Survivor Series 1993 when Owen accidentally sends Bret into the railing and Owen gets pinned by Shawn Michaels, since he was the only Hart brother eliminated he comes back into the ring after the match and starts arguing with Bret Hart. Owen does an interview challenging Bret to a fight. Bret refuses the challenge and the two brothers make up over the holidays. They face the Quebecers for the tag team titles at the Royal Rumble but when the referee stops the match due to Bret’s injured knee, Owen kicks Bret as he stands up in the knee and he’s proud of it.
Opening match Bret Hart VS Owen Hart
Owen comes out first with Bret Hart sunglasses and he tears em up when he gets in the ring. Bret then comes out and he gives his sunglasses to a kid at ringside Jerry points that the kid is an Owen Hart fan because he stuck his tongue out. Then match begins with the two tying up and Owen celebrating. They tie up again and Bret hooks a head scissors which Owen does a nip up. Bret does a nice takedown and hold Owen until he gets into the ropes. Owen wit a takedown of his own but Bret sends him flying out of the ring. Owen comes back in and nails Bret. He does a drop told hold into a chin lock. Bret reverses and gives a knee drop into the back. Owen reverses an arm twister and sends him down. Bret reverses it again and Bret does a reverse cover for a 2 count. Bret continues with an armbar and sends owen into the ropes. He sends Owen flying again with a clothesline. Bret slaps Owen and does another reverse cover for 2. Bret continues with the armbar. He does a crucifix for a two count and continues with the arm. Owen with a leap frog and a spinning heel kick. He starts kicking on Bret and they go out to the floor where Owen sends him back first into the ringpost. Owen is yelling at his brother at this point. Owen sends Bret into the other turnbuckle and does a backbreaker, follwed by a camel clutch. Bret gets up Owen does a belly to belly suplex for 2. Owen leaps into the turnbuckle and flys into Bret but Bret reverses the cover for 2. Owen goes to work on the neck of Bret. He tries to slam Bret but Bret falls on him for 2. Owen sends Bret out of the ring. And Bret reverses a suplex. But Owen does a german suplex for 2. A leg drop into the back of the head gets another 2. Bret blocks a suplex then does a small package for 2. Owen nails a tombstone piledriver and goes to the top turnbuckle but misses a splash. Bret then nails an inverted atomicdrop and a clothesline for 2. Bret does a leg sweep for another 2. Bret with a backbreaker with an elbow from the 2nd rope for 2. Owen with an enzuguri then tries for the sharpshooter then Bret tries and misses. Owen does a reverse cover for 2. He rolls out of the ring and Bret flys onto his brother outside. But injures his knee in the process. Owen takes advantage of it.. He goes to work on the injured knee by kicking at it and ramming it into the ringpost. Bret is limping now. Owen continues to work on the knee with a hold. He then does the figure four leglock. Bret is screaming in pain now and almost gets pinned twice. He reverses the hold but they get to the ropes. Owen continues with the leg but Bret pulls out an enzuguri of his own. He sends Owen stomach first into the buckle and a legdrop for 2. Bret does a bulldog for 2. A piledriver for another 2. Bret then does a superplex off the top rope for 2 3/4. Bret gets a sleeper hold and Owen gets to the ropes and nails Bret with a low blow. Owen then does the sharpshooter and Bret reverses it and Owen reaches the ropes. Owen then sends Bret into the corner but runs into a boot. Bret tries to do a victory roll but Owen walks into it and pins Bret at 20:19. The crowd is in shock. This was a great scientific match between the two brothers and the crowd was alive for much of this. Can’t get any better than that *****
There are Wrestlemania moments throughout the entire show. We get a look at Wrestlemania 2 with the battle royal.
Cy Sperling the president and client of the hair club for men who introduces Howard Finkel with hair. Fink would go back to being bald pretty soon. This was the 2nd mixed tag team match in Wrestlemania history. Bam Bam starts by attacking Doink before the bell rings. He does a drop kick. He slams Doink but misses a leg drop. Doink works with an armbar and Bam Bam hits an elbow but misses an elbow drop. Dink then comes in and so does Luna. What kind of a match is this? Dink makes Luna miss and slaps Luna in the behind. Geez. Luna then sits on Dink in the ropes. She tries for it again and misses. Dink nails an elbow for 2. He runs around Luna but Luna kicks him in the gut and misses an elbow. Dink goes up to the top and misses. Luna slams Dink and goes to the top and misses with a splash. Dink tags Doink and Doink drops Bam Bam. Bam Bam clotheslines Doink to the outside. Dink inside makes Bam Bam and Luna miss. Doink does a sunset flip and Bam Bam sits on him. Bam Bam runs into a boot into the corner and Doink does a DDT. He then goes for the whoopie cushion and misses. Bam Bam clothelines Doink and nails Dink to the outside. Bam Bam goes to the top and nails the head butt for the pin at 6:09 Not a good match ¾*
We then get to see President Bill Clinton (obviously a fake) in the press box. We see that Wrestlemania 3 highlights the indoor attendance record and Andre VS Hulk
After you are pinned you have 60 seconds to get back into the ring.
Savage jumps Crush as Crush is making his entrance. Crush nails a tilt a whirl backbreaker and then he holds Savage high and drops him face first into the rail and pins him at :45 Savage gets back onto his feet but Mr. Fuji nails him with the Japanese flag. Savage manages to get back up and into the ring with 2 seconds. Crush starts hammering on Savage. and hooks him into the corner upside down. The referee helps out Savage but Mr. Fuji hands Crush some powder. Savage kicks the powder in Crush’s face. Savage starts hammering crush and nails him with a double axehandle from the top. He slams Crush and Savage nails the flying elbow and sends him outside the ring and pins him at 4:31. Crush is out but Fuji pours some water on him to wake him up and Crush makes it in with 2 seconds left. Savage continues to work on Crush but Crush backdrops him 10 feet onto the floor. Crush is then rammed into the ringpost then into the steps. Savage clotheslines Crush into the audience. Crush kicks Savages and goes for a piledriver which Crush reverses. Then go back somewhere into the technical area. Savage pins crush at 8:08 then comes back to tie Crush onto a piece of Apparatus and Crush is upside down. Savage comes back into the ring and is declared the winner at 9:43 A decent match thanks to Savage **
Todd Petingill interviews President Clinton Irwin R. Schyster is back there as well. We get a look a fanfest which was pretty cool and at Wrestlemania 4 where Randy Savage defeats 4 men to become the WWF Champion.
Kai was the champ back at Wreslemania where she lost to Wendi Ricther. Alundra starts by tripping Kai. Kai counters with a shoulder block. Alundra does a double underhook cover for two. Alundra comes out the back side for another 2. Kai then does a choke to take over. She slamd Alundra for 2. Alundra does a Hurricana cover for 2. Kai starts yanking the hair for Alundra and sends him out of the ring. Kai does a double underhook suplex for 2. Alundra ducks under a clothesline and nails one of her own. A snap suplex for 2. Two veals by the hair get another 2 count. Kai sends Alundra into the ropes but Alundra gets a German suplex for the pin at 3:24 Alundra tried but this match was too short to be anything *1/2
We look at Wrestlemania 5 with the Piper’s pit with Piper, Brother Love and Morton Downey Jr. This segment was edited out with the version I have.
Wow it’s the three fattest Black men I know. Oscar, Mabel and Mo. Probally the WWF’s answer to The Three Stooges. They’re also very bad rappers. Todd Pettingill interviews Rhonda Shear but then Shawn Michaels comes in. Bert Reynolds shoves down the photographer when he tries to get a picture of Michaels and Shear. We get back into the ring and the Quebecers start by jumping MOM. Pierre knocks down Mabel while Jaqcues sends Mo to the outside. The Quebecs send Mabel into the ropes but Mabel knocks both down. Mo then starts working on Pierre. Mo nails a high cross body for 2. Mabel comes in and leg drops Pierre. Mo comes back in and they give Pierre a double elbowdrop. Jaqcues comes in and works on Mo. Pierre wraps the tag rope around the throat of Mo when the ref isn’t looking. Jaqcues slams Mo and Pierre comes in and does a somersault on Mo for 2. They do the same thing to Mo on the outside. They get another 2 count. They both clothesline Mo on the top rope. Pierre comes in and Mo gives him a somersault kick (!) Pierre climbs on the top rope and misses a leg drop. Mo tags in Mabel. And he works on both Quebecers. He nails Pierre with a belly to belly. Then he misses a charge in the corner. The Quebecers try to suplex Mabel and Jaqcues back gives out. They try again and they get it this time. They then do their finisher on Mabel and only get a 2 count. Jacques back is out. Jacques then makes a mistake by slugging Pierre.
Mabel then does a spinning heel kick (!) on Jaqcues. The MOM do their finisher on Jacques but Johnny Polo is distracting the ref. Oscar tries to get Polo off of the ref. Jacques is then nailed to the outside and the MOM do their finsiher again on Jaqcues and the Quebecers are counted out at 7:41. This was actually a pretty decent match! **1/4
The MOM are standing in the ring with the titles although they didn’t win them
We look at Wrestlemania 6 and the ultimate challenge
We look at the feud between Lex Luger and Yokozuna starting on July 4th 1993. Luger slams Yokozuna aboard the USS Intrepid to a huge pop. He then embarks on the Lex Express which criss crosses every city of the USA. The Express would stop at SummerSlam. He would get a countout victory over Yokozuna in his one and only title shot. In the Royal Rumble he and Bret Hart are co winners of the Rumble after their feet touch the floor at the same time. Jack Tunney announces they both deserve to face the WWF champion at Wrestlemania X. On Monday Night Raw Luger wins the coin toss to determine who would face the WWF champ first.
Rhonda Shear is introduced as the timekeeper and Donnie Walhberg as the ring announcer. Mr. Perfect is announced as the guest referee. Luger starts by punches away at Yokozuna. Yoko nails Luger with a clothesline but misses an elbow drop. Luger hits at Yoko to send him outside. He sends Yoko into the steps twice. They go back in and Luger nails a flying bodypress for 2. He nails a big elbow for another 2. Yoko takes over and Luger tries to slam Yokozuna but he falls on top of Luger for a 2 count. Yoko then starts working on Luger v…e…r…y s…l…o…w...l…y. He takes the top turnbuckle cover off. Luger tries to comeback and Yokozuna takes over again. He does a trapezes pinch which lasts forever. Luger gets up and starts another comeback but he gets nailed by Yokozuna again. Yoko almosts nails Mr. Perfect. He goes back into that traps pinch again. Geez this is so boring. Luger eventually gets nailed to the outside and gets in the ring very slowly. And once again back into that traps pinch. This is beyond boring! Luger comes back again and once again he falls victim to the traps pinch. That’s what 4 of em now? Luger gets nailed by a belly to belly suplex and tries to nail Luger into the exposed turnbuckle and Luger blocks it and rams yoko instead. Luger knocks down Yokozuna with 3 clotheslines. And then he slams him. He nails Yokozuna with the loaded forearm and sends Fuji and Jim Cornette into the ring. Luger covers Yokozuna but Perfect refuses to make the count. Luger gets up and pushes Perfect and Pefect DQ’s Luger at 14:41. A horrible match with a bad ending. What a combo! -**1/2 Todd Pettingill then tries to interview Perfect but Luger comes in and they both argue. I guess Perfect was still mad about Luger beating him at Wrestlemania IX (UPDATE I’m going to upgrade this rating to DUD. This was my first PPV rant that I typed up and 2 years later I kinda felt like I was harsh on this match because I gave the other match at Summerslam **1/4. This and the fact that Luger is an actual choker in wrestling is why I’m changing the rating to DUD)
We look at Wrestlemania VII But they show the bad blindfold match between Jake Roberts and Rick Martel.
Harvey Wippleman starts giving crap to Howard Finkel. He tears Fink’s tux. Fink knocks down Wippleman. Adam Bomb comes in and grabs Fink but Earthquake comes in and pounds away on Bomb. He gives a huge power slam and then the Earthquake butt splash finishes it at :34 DUD
Todd Pettingill interviews Jim Cornette about the previous title match and the upcoming title match with Bret Hart.
We look at Wrestlemania VIII and the Undertaker
This was the match that broke all the rules in the WWF. Shawn comes out with his bodyguard Diesel. Razor then comes out and walks underneath the ladder. Uh oh. They start by tying up and Shawn trips Razor. Razor counters with a chokeslam. He misses two clotheslines and Shawn nails a neckbraker. Razor throws Shawn in the turnbuckle. He charges Shawn but goes flying out of the ring. Diesel then clotheslines Razor and the ref ejects Diesel. This has been happening a lot in major league baseball this season. Diesel leaves pissed and the match continues with Razor hammering on Shawn. Razor clotheslines Shawn out of the ring. Razor pulls the cover on the outside of the ring revealing concrete. They go back in and Razor tries for the Razor’s Edge but Shawn backdrops him onto that concrete and holds his elbow. Shawn then goes for the ladder Razor hammers on Shawn and gets the ladder but Shawn baseball slides the ladder into Razor’s stomach. Shawn rams Razor into the steps. He then uses the ladder to work on Razor. He nails him in the stomach with the ladder twice. Then across the back twice. Shawn sets up the ladder to try to get the two IC belts hanging from a rung 30 feet high. Razor pulls down the trunks of Michaels and we get a clear shot of Shawn’s ass. He elbow drops Razor and pulls his trunks up. Shawn slams Razor. Then in an awesome spot he splashes Razor off the top of the 10 foot ladder. This would be shown over and over again thru the years in the WWF. Shawn tries to get the belts again and Razor tips the ladder over and Shawn gets clotheslined on the top rope. They both then run into each other and get knocked out. Shawn gets up first and sets the ladder in the corner. He tries to ram Razor into the ladder but Razor reverses the Irish Whip and Shawn hits the ladder and goes to the outside. Razor takes the ladder outside and nails Shawn with it twice. Razor slingshots Shawn into the ladder and falls flat. Razor takes the ladder and Shawn into the ring again and nails Shawn in the face again. Shawn goes to the outside. Razor sets up the ladder to get the belts. And Shawn climbs to the top rope and nails Razor in the back and falls but the ladder falls on Shawn as well. Both Shawn and Razor climb up the ladder at the same time and they both start hammering each other on top of the ladder. Razor throws Shawn off the ladder but Razor falls and bends the ladder. Razor sets the ladder again. Shawn dropkicks the ladder knocking Razor off again. Shawn then tips the ladder onto Razor. Razor gets up and Shawn gives him the superkick. Shawn mocks Razor by giving the Razor’s Edge signal and gives Razor a piledriver. He sets up the ladder in the corner climbs it and drives it into Razor. Shawn sets up the ladder underneath Razor. Shawn climbs the ladder and Razor knocks it sending Shawn into the ropes. Shawn’s foot is caught up in the ropes giving Razor the opportunity to climb the ladder and get both belts at 18:46. This was an awesome match! Probally the best WWF match of the decade! And it more than makes up for the Luger/Yokozuna match *****
A 10 man tag team match was supposed to be scheduled between IRS/Rick Martel/Jeff Jarrett and the Headshrinkers VS Tatanka/Bob Holly/123 Kid and the Smoking Gunns, but we see the IRS team arguing in the locker room the this match doesn’t take place tonight. It would on Monday Night Raw a week later with IRS’s team winning
Todd Pettingill interviews President Clinton again and this time Ted Dibiase is in the press box.
A look at Wrestlemania IX with Casear and Cleopatra the Macho Man Randy Savage and an afternoon of screwjobs.
We then see a couple of music videos of Bret Hart and Yokozuna. Bret Hart’s is set to Tom Petty’s “I’m Making Some Noise” and Yokozuna’s to some tough rock music.
Jeannie Garth is introduced as the timekeeper. Burt Reynolds is introduced as the ring announcer. Rowdy Roddy Piper is announced as the ref. Yokozuna attacks Hart as he gets in the ring. And he starts pounding away at him. Bret starts fighting back but he misses a dropkick. Yokozuna chokes Bret on the ropes and gets into an argument with Piper. Yokozuna misses a splash. Bret headbutts Yokozuna and hurts his own head as Yokozuna falls down. Bret rams Yoko’s face into the canvas. He continues to fight back and covers Yokozuna but Jim Cornette pulls Piper out of the ring. Piper responds by nailing Cornette. Yokozuna starts working on Bret slowly. He hits a legdrop and throws Bret out of the ring. He continues to slowly work over Bret. But misses a charge in the corner and Bret nails a bulldog for 2. Bret nails a elbow from the 2nd rope for another 2. A clothesline sends him down again for another 2. Bret goes on the 2nd rope again and leaps onto Yoko but Yoko catches him and turns it into a belly to belly suplex. Yoko then sets up Bret for the Banzai drop but falls off the 2nd rope and Bret covers him for the pin at 10:31 Match gets * but it doesn’t matter. Bret is once again the WWF champion. Most of the WWF roster and others come into the ring to congratulate Bret Hart. Owen Hart then comes down and the look on his face says it all. He can not believe his brother has won the WWF title again.
Summary What more can I say? Two ***** matches and
not even one horrible match can hurt this card. This was a classic show and it
really saved the WWF. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED