WWE WRESTLEMANIA ANTHOLOGY, VOLUME 2 {1990-1994} (WWE)

INTRO:

At WrestleMania VI in 1990, Vince McMahon’s WWE began its somewhat awkward phasing-out of Hulk-A-Mania.  Relying upon a mix of savvy veterans (i.e. Bret Hart, Randy Savage, Ted DiBiase, & Roddy Piper) and next-generation main eventers (i.e. The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, & Owen Hart), a distracted WWE sought to withstand a high-profile steroid scandal. 

The public controversy resulted in several months of creative mediocrity (i.e. Hogan’s brief return).  By 1994’s WrestleMania X, Bret Hart, among others, would reaffirm the WWE’s dominance of pro wrestling.         

SUMMARY (1990):                   RUNNING TIME: 218 Min.      

On April 1^st, from Toronto’s Skydome, the first Canadian edition of WrestleMania pairs Jesse Ventura & “Gorilla” Monsoon one last time, with “Mean” Gene Okerlund & Sean Mooney again running interviews. 

A tuxedo-clad Robert Goulet delivers Canada’s national anthem: “O, Canada.” Comedian Steve Allen has some light-hearted fun mocking the Bolsheviks in the locker room.  Gossip columnist Rona Barrett shares a classy ‘interview’ segment with Miss Elizabeth.  Diamond Dallas Page cameos driving a Cadillac to ringside.  Unexpectedly, actress Mary Tyler Moore appears in the crowd.      

• Rick “The Model” Martel vs. Koko B. Ware.

• WWE World Tag Team Champions The Colossal Connection [André the Giant & Haku] (with Bobby Heenan) vs. Demolition [Ax & Smash].

• Hercules vs. Earthquake (with Jimmy Hart).

• “Mr. Perfect” Curt Hennig (with Lanny Poffo) vs. Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake.          
• Bad New Brown vs. “Rowdy” Roddy Piper. Note: Piper’s controversial make-up job meant to racially provoke Brown is a new low for him.           

• The Bolsheviks (Boris Zhukov & Nikolai Volkoff) vs. the Hart Foundation (Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart). 

• The Barbarian (with Bobby Heenan) vs. Tito Santana.    

• Randy “Macho King” Savage & “Sensational Queen” Sherri vs. “American Dream” Dusty Rhodes & Sapphire (with Miss Elizabeth).     

• The Rockers [Marty Jannetty & Shawn Michaels] vs. the Orient Express [“Sato” & Pat Tanaka] (with Mr. Fuji).

• Dino Bravo (with Jimmy Hart & Earthquake) vs. “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan. 

• “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase (with Virgil) vs. Jake “The Snake” Roberts (with Damian the snake) for “The Million Dollar Championship.”       

• Big Boss Man vs. Akeem (with Slick).            

• “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka vs. “Ravishing” Rick Rude (with Bobby Heenan).       

• WWE World Champion Hulk Hogan vs. WWE Intercontinental Champion the Ultimate Warrior in the “Ultimate Challenge” Title vs. Title Match.

REVIEW (1990):                           RATNG: 6/10

April Fool’s Day aptly describes WrestleMania VI.  Fans were supposed to gladly embrace the Warrior’s ascension replacing the older Hogan.  Yet, their so-called ‘Ultimate Challenge’ is a clichéd snooze-fest.  The WWE’s two super-heroes slowly exchange the same primitive moves and lengthy rest holds, as if they’re playing a prolonged game of ‘H-O-R-S-E.’  At a minimum, the 36-year old Hogan reassures fans that he’s a more versatile performer than the Warrior’s weak in-ring work. 

Failing to capitalize on its potential excitement, this double-title match concept also greatly diminishes the undercard.  Without an extra title bout, none of the remaining matches approach anything close to electrifying.  The closest one gets is the better-than-expected DiBiase vs. Roberts.

Steadfast veterans, such as André, DiBiase, Roberts, Savage & Elizabeth, and Hennig deliver satisfying individual performances.  Otherwise, they receive minimal help sustaining this show.  If the Hart Foundation had been assigned a significant role against quality opposition, they would have likely sparked some much-needed enthusiasm.  Inexplicably, Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart are stuck with a meaningless squash win, which ends in, pardon the expression, a Hart-beat. Go figure.

Despite an abundance of top-flight stars, the WWE squanders WrestleMania VI.  Minus two putrid exceptions (i.e. the tasteless Brown-Piper brawl; and the Boss Man-Akeem dud), the event is middle-of-the pack caliber, with nothing suggesting a Match-of-the-Year candidate. Still, no matter how dull WrestleMania VI often is, this show still easily surpasses WrestleMania VIII-IX (not to mention, I-II).  VI (mostly by default) scores second place on this anthology set.   

SUMMARY (1991):               RUNNING TIME: 211 Min.

On March 24^th, at the Los Angeles Sports Arena, “Gorilla” Monsoon & Bobby Heenan co-host the show, with some fill-in help from “Lord” Alfred Hayes and “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan. 

Celebrities include Alex Trebek; Marla Maples Trump; Regis Philbin; Henry Winkler; Chuck Norris; Macaulay Culkin; George Steinbrenner; and the original Incredible Hulk, Lou Ferrigno.  Shamelessly hawking WWE merchandise fresh from the souvenir table on his attire, Willie Nelson launches the show with his rendition of “America the Beautiful.” 

• Barbarian & Haku (with Bobby Heenan) vs. the Rockers [Shawn Michaels & Marty Jannetty].   

• “Texas Tornado” Kerry Von Erich vs. Dino Bravo (with Jimmy Hart).       

• Warlord (with Slick) vs. “British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith (with Winston the Bulldog).

• WWE World Tag Team Champions Hart Foundation [Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart] vs. the Nasty Boys [Brian Knobbs & Jerry Sags] (with Jimmy Hart).

• Rick “The Model” Martel vs. Jake “The Snake” Roberts (with Damian the snake) in a ‘Blindfold’ Match.             

• “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka vs. Undertaker (with Paul Bearer).           

• Ultimate Warrior vs. “Macho King” Randy Savage (with “Sensational Queen” Sherri) in a ‘Loser-Must-Retire’ Match.  Note: Miss Elizabeth is seated in the audience. 

• Demolition [Smash & Crush] vs. Genichiro Tenryu & Kôji Kitao.                    

• WWE Intercontinental Champion “Mr. Perfect” Curt Hennig (with Bobby Heenan) vs. Big Boss Man (with André the Giant).          

• Greg “The Hammer” Valentine vs. Earthquake (with Jimmy Hart).

• The Legion of Doom [Hawk & Animal] vs. Power & Glory [Hercules & Paul Roma].           

• Virgil (with Roddy Piper) vs. “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase (with “Sensational” Sherri).

• Tito Santana vs. “The Mountie” Jacques Rougeau (with Jimmy Hart).

• WWE World Champion Sgt. Slaughter (with General Adnan) vs. Hulk Hogan.  Note: Hogan bleeds considerably in this bout.

REVIEW (1991):                        RATING: 8/10

Would have this show’s performance have justified filling the L.A. Coliseum, as originally planned? Hardly, not according to its weak ticket sales (necessitating a switch to a far smaller indoor venue) and some initially harsh reviews. Most notably, this show’s ultra-patriotic, stars-and-stripes theme comes off more as a cheap excuse to exploit the Persian Gulf conflict for entertainment’s sake than a legitimate thank-you to U.S. Armed Forces.

Yet, WrestleMania VII‘s in-ring performance is much more entertaining than VI, let alone its successors on this set. For instance, in a welcome nod to classiness, a long-awaited ‘reunion’ poignantly sets up a major WWE player’s apparent departure that would haven’t been predicted only a few months before.

Even more so, the WWE delivers fourteen matches — granted, four of which are squashes.  Among the non-squashes, seven bouts range from stellar to very watchable: Savage vs. Warrior (including its long-overdue Sherri vs. Elizabeth moment) the gory Hogan vs. Slaughter; the Harts vs. Nastys; Virgil vs. DiBiase; The Rockers vs. Barbarian & Haku; the gimmicky Roberts vs. Martel (as both are wearing sacks on their heads); and even a very routine Bulldog vs. Warlord.  Boss Man vs. Hennig; The Legion of Doom vs. Power & Glory; and Demolition vs. Tenryu & Kitao aren’t great, but these efforts aren’t dull, either. 

Supported by energetic performances (exemplified by The Rockers), VII’s ratio of good bouts vs. its few lousy ones justifies its hefty running time.  Despite an eye-rolling surplus of Gulf War propaganda, the rollicking WrestleMania VII prevails as this set’s best disc.       

SUMMARY (1992):           RUNNING TIME: 162 Min.      

On April 5^th, from Indianapolis’ Hoosier Dome, returning as co-hosts are “Gorilla” Monsoon & Bobby “The Brain” Heenan.  “Mean” Gene Okerlund & Sean Mooney again share the interviewing duties.  Ex-WCW World Champion Lex Luger is interviewed from ‘home,’ as he’s the short-lived World Bodybuilding Federation’s (WBF) latest acquisition.  Amusingly acknowledged by Heenan’s comment recognizing him, long-time manager Paul Ellering rejoins the Legion of Doom for an interview segment with Okerlund. 

The show’s sole celebrities are Reba McEntire and game show host Ray Combs from TV’s “Family Feud.”  Starting off, McEntire delivers a classy rendition of “America the Beautiful.”  Combs sporadically turns up, either on commentary or as a guest ring announcer.

• “El Matador” Tito Santana vs. “Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels (with Sherri).     

• Jake “The Snake” Roberts vs. The Undertaker (with Paul Bearer).

• WWE Intercontinental Champion “Rowdy” Roddy Piper vs. Bret “Hitman” Hart. Note: Hart sheds blood (aka blading).

• Repo Man (a re-packaged Smash of Demolition), “The Mountie” Jacques Rougeau, and the Nasty Boys [Jerry Sags & Brian Knobbs] (with Jimmy Hart) vs. Virgil, “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan, Sgt. Slaughter, & Big Boss Man.          

• WWE World Champion “Nature Boy” Ric Flair (with “Mr. Perfect” Curt Hennig) vs. “Macho Man” Randy Savage (with Miss Elizabeth).  Notes: Flair sheds blood (aka blading).  WrestleMania VIII is Savage & Elizabeth’s final WWE PPV appearance together. 

• Tatanka vs. “The Model” Rick Martel.

WWE World Tag Team Champions The Natural Disasters [Earthquake & Typhoon] vs. Money Inc. -“Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase & I.R.S. (aka Mike Rotundo) (with Jimmy Hart). 

• Skinner (Steve Keirn) vs. “The Rocket” Owen Hart.

• “Sycho” Sid Justice (with Harvey Wippleman & Pago Shango) vs. Hulk Hogan (with The Ultimate Warrior).             

REVIEW (1992):                        RATING: 4/10

WrestleMania VIII falls far short on talent, as the WWE was plagued by a high-profile steroid scandal.  Reduced to nine matches (and an abbreviated running time), it’s all too obvious that the WWE’s top guns are less-than-superhuman this time.  Sporting two superb title matches and one above-average bout (Santana vs. Michaels), the detriment of a subpar undercard is too much to overcome this time.  The less said about the other six matches the better. 

Several familiar faces from the 1992 Royal Rumble, such as “Texas Tornado” Kerry Von Erich; “British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith; and The Warlord, among others, are inexplicably absent.  Worse yet, veterans Randy Savage, Jake Roberts, Roddy Piper, and Hulk Hogan (all hovering around 40 years old) had all significantly aged since WrestleMania VII.  As the WWE World Champion, “Nature Boy” Ric Flair (already in his mid-forties) remarkably infuses some desperately-needed heel energy into his first WrestleMania.  Along with Curt Hennig, their chemistry working with Savage & Elizabeth is remarkable. 

Despite a heavy dependence on its veteran stars, the company’s future appears bright in the forms of Bret Hart, The Undertaker, Owen Hart, and Shawn Michaels.  A depleted WWE even gives the wonky Ultimate Warrior a second opportunity to replace a supposedly retiring Hogan on the roster.

VIII’s legacy is really memories of Savage & Flair’s explosive WWE World Title showdown.  Piper & Hart’s Intercontinental Title battle isn’t as flashy as Michaels vs. Ramon at ‘Mania X, but it’s still some dynamite viewing, as well. Like with WrestleMania’s I-IIs, the mostly dismal VIII requires sensible use of one’s remote control.  Accordingly, VIII descends into fourth place on this set. 

SUMMARY (1993):           RUNNING TIME: 164 Min.

On April 4^th, WrestleMania meets Las Vegas at its outdoor Caesar’s Palace venue.  Pushing a Roman toga party theme, co-hosting are Gorilla Monsoon, Jim Ross, Bobby Heenan, & color commentator Randy Savage.  The interviewers are “Mean” Gene Okerlund and Todd Pettengill.    

• WWE Intercontinental Champion “Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels (with Luna Vachon) vs. Tatanka.           

• The Headshrinkers [Samu & Fatu] (with Afa) vs. The Steiner Brothers [Rick & Scott Steiner].   

• Crush vs. Doink the Clown.            

• Bob Backlund vs. “Razor Ramon” Scott Hall.           

• WWE World Tag Team Champions Money Inc. – Ted DiBiase & I.R.S. (aka Mike Rotundo) vs. Mega-Maniacs [Hulk Hogan & Brutus Beefcake] (with Jimmy Hart).             

• “Mr. Perfect” Curt Hennig vs. “The Narcissist” Lex Luger. 

• Giant Gonzalez (with Harvey Wippleman) vs. The Undertaker (with Paul Bearer).  

• WWE World Champion Bret “Hitman” Hart vs. Yokozuna (with Mr. Fuji)  

• WWE World Champion Yokozuna (with Mr. Fuji) vs. Hulk Hogan (with Bret “Hit Man” Hart).

REVIEW (1993):                     RATING: 1/10

Resembling a garbage dump on the Vegas Strip, the stench emanating from the first outdoor WrestleMania lingers far worse than its mediocre predecessor.  Rarely has the announcing crew been given so little to work with.  Making this inane toga party even worse, only two matches out of a measly eight (nine, if you count Hogan’s last-minute charade) are remotely watchable.  Beyond shafting Bret Hart for no good reason, the WWE’s desperate re-launch of Hulk-A-Mania completes a tone-deaf disaster.         

Yes, the last seven bouts hover between filler material/dud and being tagged for trash pick-up.  Case in point: No longer in their late-80’s prime, a sluggish Luger and Hennig sleepwalk through a disappointing clash.  Sadly reduced to a jobber, former WWE World Champion Bob Backlund’s WrestleMania debut embarrasses him.  Vintage performers, such as The Steiners; DiBiase & Rotundo; The Headshrinkers; and especially The Undertaker, are unceremoniously wasted in utterly crummy matches. 

Working with Shawn Michaels, only Tatanka musters a better in-ring effort than he had at Mania VIII.  It’s beyond comprehension, with a dejected Savage readily available, why he wasn’t recruited for either a surefire I-C Title clash against Michaels — or finally settle last year’s score against Scott Hall.   For that matter, even pitting heroes Savage and Hart in a conclusive passing-of-the-torch World Title showdown would have made better sense.              

Note: Including the LOL airbrushed muscles on his ridiculous faux-furry costume, Giant Gonzalez’s clunker vs. the Undertaker might be WrestleMania’s worst-ever charade posing as a match lasting more than sixty seconds.

Re: the main event’s pair of pathetic finishes, it’s indefensible.  Adding further insult to both Hart’s unwarranted demotion and Yokozuna’s quickly-forgotten title victory, fans are force-fed Hogan’s undeserved romp to yet another championship.  This feeble cop-out predictably only benefits an aging Hogan himself. 

As the weakest WrestleMania up to that point, IX is assuredly this set’s biggest loser. Though a close call, this debacle gets the nod over Survivor Series 1990 as the absolute-worst WWE PPV of that era shoved down fans’ throats.  

SUMMARY (1994):             RUNNING TIME: 164 Min.

On Marth 20^th, returning to New York City’s Madison Square Garden for its tenth anniversary, WrestleMania X is co-hosted by Vince McMahon & Jerry Lawler.  Todd Pettingill is the bumbling interviewer. 

The event’s celebrities-for-hire are: Burt Reynolds; Jennie Garth; Donnie Wahlberg; USA Network’s Rhonda Shear; Sy Sperling of Hair Club for Men; and The Tonight Show’s wacky President Bill Clinton impersonator (Tim Watters). 

• “King of Harts” Owen Hart vs. Bret “Hitman” Hart.             

• Doink the Clown & Dink the Clown vs. Bam Bam Bigelow & Luna Vachon.          
• Randy “Macho Man” Savage vs. Crush (with Mr. Fuji) in a Falls-Count-Anywhere Match.

• WWE Women’s Champion Alundra Blaze (aka Madusa Micelli) vs. Leilani Kai.      

• WWE World Tag Team Champions The Quebecers [Jacques & Pierre] (with Johnny Polo) vs. Men on a Mission [Mabel & Mo] (with Oscar).

• WWE World Champion Yokozuna (with Jim Cornette & Mr. Fuji) vs. Lex Luger, with “Mr. Perfect” Curt Hennig as Special Guest Referee.        

• Earthquake vs. Adam Bomb (with Harvey Wippleman).          

• “Razor Ramon” Scott Hall vs. “Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels (with “Diesel” Kevin Nash) for the disputed WWE Intercontinental Title in a Ladder Match.          

• WWE World Champion Yokozuna (with Jim Cornette & Mr. Fuji) vs. Bret “Hitman” Hart, with “Rowdy” Roddy Piper as Special Guest Referee.    

REVIEW (1994):                  RATING: 6/10

With the Undertaker temporarily out-of-action, somehow scoring four out of nine winners is a minor miracle for the WWE.   Since a Bret Hart vs. Luger World Title showdown wouldn’t necessarily satisfy fan expectations, opting to redeem last year’s Hart vs. Yokozuna fiasco makes good sense.   Accordingly, the Hart Brothers share the event’s MVP honors for an expertly-played opener and giving the finale’s aftermath extra shine. 

Coming in as a close runner-up, Ramon & Michaels deserve considerable credit for mustering their epic ladder match, no matter how obviously choreographed it appears.  Returning to battle, Savage’s revitalized ‘Macho Madness’ vs. Crush makes their ruggedly short brawl worthy of Savage’s last WrestleMania.  An added sequence of Savage making a surprise visit to fans in an adjoining auditorium afterwards is a classy touch.

Signifying the forgettable mid-card is the first WWE Women’s Title defense at WrestleMania in nearly a decade.  While Leilani Kai’s return is welcome (considering that she lost this same title to Wendi Richter in the same building at WrestleMania I), neither Kai nor Blaze (for that matter, even combined) musters the same charisma Richter had.  Their title match-up is for die-hards only.  The same applies to Adam Bomb vs. Earthquake and a forgettable WWE World Tag Team title defense. 

Echoing SummerSlam 1993, Luger’s World Title rematch vs. Yokozuna is a middling sequel. Curt Hennig’s continuity grudge against Luger from ‘Mania IX only exacerbates the sluggish chemistry the ex-“Total Package” has with Yokozuna. WWE failed to grasp that Luger’s best NWA/WCW matches were against far more mobile and versatile adversaries (i.e. Ric Flair, Sting, Rick Steamboat, Brian Pillman, Nikita Koloff, etc.). It’s no wonder that Bret Hart would get to face Yokozuna.

In far worse shape, however, is Bigelow’s first ‘Mania since 1988 – he muddles through one of this franchise’s worst bouts of the decade.  Saving the worst for last is Pettingill’s insipid series of laugh-free skits with Tim Watters’ bogus ‘Mr. President.’ Not getting the tone-deaf hint, the WWE again recruited Watters’ ‘President Clinton’ for the 1995 Survivor Series for more supposed fun-and-games. 

Still, if one skips a slew of awful segments, this show still makes for some good viewing.  As for entertainment value, WrestleMania X takes third place on this set. 

QUALITY CONTROL:

Without re-mastering or HD upgrading, the picture quality remains excellent (despite a few blips).  As for remote control access, one can watch the entire event, or click on individual segments (including interviews).  More specific than what is seen on its packaging, the order of matches, special attractions, interviews, and even the announcers’ closing comments are thoroughly spelled out.  However, there aren’t any bonus features.     

PACKAGING:

Excellent!  Not only is the packaging well-produced with vintage images of the wrestlers, the DVDS are carefully encased on hard plastic DVD pages to help prevent scratching the discs.  On two inside jackets, each event’s match line-up is spelled out.  A commemorative booklet in the front left inside pocket lists each event’s matches and interviews in order. Each event’s running time is listed on the outside jacket.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:              5½ Stars