WWF WrestleMania IX

April 4, 1993

From Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, NV

Gorilla Monsoon welcomes us to the show then immediately kicks it over to the debuting Jim Ross. Both are wearing togas.

We get Caesar and Cleopatra making their entrance as this has been transformed into the Roman Coliseum. The opening ceremony is extravagant and takes a while. Savage is carried out wearing his “Macho Toga” which is really just his typical outfit with a robe. Heenan then comes out on a camel that he is riding backwards and is holding on for his life. God bless Heenan for trying to make this mundane segment entertaining. According to Bruce Prichard, this was Heenan’s idea and the office was originally reluctant to let him do this but when it went off without a hitch at dress rehearsal they gave it the green light on the main show.

Shawn Michaels w/ Luna Vachon vs. Tatanka

Vachon also makes her debut here, with Heenan mentioning that she is the daughter of Butcher Vachon and that she won “Miss Ontario.” Sensational Sherri comes out after Tatanka and stands at rinfside. Shawn and Tatanka start off with a brief flurry that ends in a stalemate. Heenan makes fun of Ross for being from Oklahoma as Shawn works a side headlock. Tatanka hits a back suplex then chops Shawn in the corner. Shawn avoids a charge but gets caught in an arm drag in midair. Tatanka sends Shawn up and over in the corner before knocking him off of the apron. Luna and Sherri yell at each other as Sherri kept Luna away from Shawn for some reason. Tatanka knocks Shawn off of the apron a few more times but Shawn fights back and jumps back inside with a sunset flip that gets two. Tatanka catches Shawn with an inverted atomic drop then hits a DDT. Tatanka works the arm as Sherri claps while Heenan brings up Shawn’s shoulder injury from the six-man tag on RAW several weeks ago. Shawn misses a charge and rams his shoulder into the post as Tatanka re-applies the armbar. Tatanka hits a shoulderbreaker then drops an elbow before heading up top with a flying chop. Tatanka goes back up top but is caught in midair with a super kick as both men are down. Shawn dumps Tatanka outside as Sherri now gets Luna away from Tatanka. Shawn heads out and rams Tatanka into the post then hits a flying clothesline from the apron. Back inside, Shawn hits a swinging neckbreaker for two. Dropkick gets two. Shawn now uses a chinlock then lands several jabs in the corner. Shawn then uses a victory roll of sorts that looked sloppy and that gets two. Shawn tries another victory roll but Tatanka counters with an electric chair drop as both men are down. Tatanka crawls over and covers but that only gets two. Tatanka misses an elbow drop then Shawn hits a double axe handle but Tatanka starts to fire up. Shawn hits a few more but Tatanka dances around then catches a super kick and chops Shawn down. Tatanka gets a two count with a flying crossbody as Heenan puts Luna over as a sex symbol. Tatanka slingshots Shawn into the corner and Shawn hits the post as Tatanka cradles him for a nearfall. Ross says the match has been well officiated then Tatanka catches Shawn with a powerslam for two. Shawn low bridges Tatanka then heads outside to hammer away as the crowd chants for Sherri. Shawn goes for a running body press from the apron but crashes and burns into the steps. Shawn is almost counted out then yanks the ref out of the ring. Shawn heads back in then Tatanka hits him with the Samoan drop but the ref comes in to call off the match as Shawn has been disqualified (18:15) ***1/2. After the match, Sherri claps for Tatanka from the apron but Luna attacks her from behind then beats the crap out of her before running up the aisle. Tatanka checks on Sherri and helps her backstage as Savage said its a bad ending to a great match.

Thoughts: Good opening match but the finish was shit. Shawn put on a strong performance as Tatanka was fine if not a step behind at times. In his book, Shawn did not think this match was anything special and felt Tatanka was difficult to move. Luna was pushed strong on commentary and her attack on Sherri really did come off great. In his shoot interview with RF Video, Tatanka said he was going to win the title but was told from the office that people complained he was cocky and developing an attitude. He even said the finish sucked hinted that the decision for him to win could have been switched at the last minute. Had Marty Jannetty not gotten fired at the TV taping the day after the Royal Rumble he would have been facing Shawn in this match.

We see Okerlund in his Roman garb as he talks with the Steiner Brothers.

The Headshrinkers w/ Afa vs. Steiner Brothers

Savage said Okerlund looks stupid in a toga but still not as stupid as Heenan. Savage thinks this will be an unbelievable match. Ross says a match like this in Oklahoma is called a “slobberknocker” as Heenan makes fun of that term. Fatu shoves Scott and ends up getting taken down. They slug it out until Scott turns Fatu inside out with a clothesline. Fatu thumbs Scott in the eye then the Headshrinkers beat on Scott in the corner. Rick runs in and the Steiners get tossed outside but come back in and surprise the Headshrinkers with flying clotheslines. The Headshrinkers regroup outside then Ross alerts us that Luna has just attacked Sherri at the first aid station. Back to the match as Samu chops Rick down before hammering away in the corner. Rick comes back with a clothesline then tags out as Scott hits a powerbomb then dropkicks Fatu. Scott charges at Samu then gets caught with a stungun as Fatu provided a low bridge as Scott dumps hard on the outside. Afa then cracks Scott before he is rolled inside. The Headshrinkers work over Scott for a bit. Fatu knocks Scott outside with a running kick then Samu rams him into the post while the ref was distracted. The Headshrinkers continue to cut the ring in half until Samu misses a splash then Rick tags and runs wild until he tried a double noggin knocker but ended up getting knocked down by a double headbutt. The Headshrinkers try a Doomsday Device but Rick catches Fatu with a belly-to-belly suplex in an incredible spot. Rick tags out as Scott hits a belly-to-belly then soon after that pins Samu with a Frankensteiner (14:22) ***1/4.

Thoughts: A hard-hitting match and the spot of the night with Rick catching Fatu in a belly-to-belly while on top of Samu’s shoulders. This would have been the match of the night for me had not the heat sequence on Scott dragged. It took the crowd out of the match. The finish did not very good either as Scott was sloppy with the Frankensteiner but these teams beat the shit out of each other despite the crowd not being that invested.

We see Tatanka with Raymond Rougeau on the WrestleMania Hotline as the Hotline number flashes on the screen.

Okerlund is now with Doink the Clown, who has decorated a statue of Caesar to look like himself. Doink laughs about all of the things he did Okerlund lists off then laughs again about Crush possibly getting revenge tonight.

Crush vs. Doink the Clown

Crush chases Doink outside of the ring and slams him on the floor. Crush then sends Doink into the post before taking the match inside. Crush beats on Doink in the corner as this crowd could not care less. Crush hammers away then Doink rolls out and drags Crush outside. Doink fires away but Crush brushes it off and gets sent into the post. Crush stays in control as Doink begs for mercy then hits a backbreaker. Doink grabs Crush’s hair and uses a neck snap then targets the neck. Doink slams Crush then heads up top but gets caught with a boot coming off as both men are down. Crush catches Doink with a powerslam then clotheslines him over the top rope. Doink tries to crawl underneath the ring but Crush prevents him and takes the action back inside. Crush hits a press slam but after that the ref is accidentally knocked down. Doink tries again to crawl underneath the ring but is stopped then back inside Crush hits a really crappy spin kick before applying the head vice. However, a second Doink runs in and hits Crush with a prosthetic arm. The Doinks now beat down Crush then do some mime work. Doink then covers Crush and the ref wakes up as Doink gets the win. However, referee Bill Alfonzo runs down to tell the ref that a second Doink came from underneath the ring and they try to look for him as Heenan plays this off as an illusion (8:27) *1/4.

Thoughts: The match itself was bad, with Crush looking awful, but the two Doinks finish was creative. And Crush was not as a face. The gimmick was lame from the beginning and making him a native Hawaiian did not change that perception. The second Doink was portrayed by Steve Keirn (Skinner) who has shaved off his beard as that character is done. And as far as Matt Borne, who portrayed the original Doink, all he talked about remembering from this PPV in his shoot interview was that he won a lot of money at the Blackjack table.

Todd Pettengill is in the crowd and asks a Japanese photographer if there was two Doinks or was it an illusion. Another Japanese photographer is quite excited. Playing this off as a possible illusion is almost insulting but this is the same company that almost a year prior gave us the Papa Shango angle so its to be expected at this point.

Razor Ramon vs. Bob Backlund

Ross updates us that order has been restored backstage and Sherri is hurting. Razor refuses a handshake and the crowd chants his name. Backlund avoids Razor then uses a pair of single leg takedowns. Razor comes back with a slam then hammers away as Savage tells us that Lex Luger knocked out Bret Hart at the brunch today. Backlund fights back as Ross says Bret will be fine for his match. Backlund hits a butterfly suplex and an atomic drop then tries for a slam but Razor turns that into a small package and gets the win (3:45) 1/2*.

Thoughts: Bad match with a dumb ending. This day on “Wrestling Challenge” they mentioned on commentary how Backlund was undefeated since returning. The crowd cheered Razor more than Backlund as according to Prichard, this match was designed to give Razor a win.

We get a video package for the “King of the Ring” PPV, which takes place on June 13th. We will presumably build towards that going forward on TV.

Okerlund is backstage with Money Inc. After a video package that led to the formation of the Mega Maniacs, Money Inc. say the odds are in their favor then promise to take off Beefcake’s mask. IRS also hinted that Hogan had an accident leaving the gym last night and his face looks as bad as Beefcake’s.

WWF Tag Team Title Match: Money Inc. (c) vs. Mega Maniacs w/ Jimmy Hart

Hogan comes out with a black eye, which happened as the result of a jet ski accident. There was a rumor that Randy Savage punched him in the face as the two had a lot of heat at this time but that was never confirmed. Both teams brawl before the bell with “Real American” still playing as the Mega Maniacs clear the ring. The match finally begins as Money Inc. work over Beefcake but hurt their hands punching Beefcake’s mask. Beefcake uses a double noggin knocker then no-sells a few turnbuckle smashes and hits DiBiase with ten in the corner. Hogan tags in and its the loudest reaction of the night. Hogan hammers away on DiBiase and hits a clothesline as the Mega Maniacas use quick tags to maintain control of the match. The Mega Maniacs clear the ring again then pose as the crowd cheers. Money Inc. heads up the aisle as Heenan mentions how they can lose the match but not the titles then well after ten seconds, Finkel gets on the mic to say that the referee ruled that Money Inc. has ten seconds to get back into the ring or else they’ll not only lose the match but also the titles. The crowd chants along as Money Inc. angrily head back to the ring and beat the ten count. Heenan wonders how they can make up the rules as they go along as DiBiase attacks Hogan’s throat and chokes him out against the ropes. Money Inc. now keep running interference so they can choke out Hogan against the ropes. DiBiase now works the Million Dollar Dream and brings Hogan to the mat. The crowd gets behind Hogan then Beefcake runs in to break it up and puts DiBiase in a sleeper as the ref orders IRS back to the apron. Both men are on the mat as Hogan is up first then tags out as Beefcake runs wild on IRS. Beefcake sends DiBiase over the top rope with an atomic drop but DiBiase comes back to nail Beefcake in the back with a briefcase. Hogan is still out on the outside as DiBiase now tries to remove Beefcake’s face mask. Money Inc. cut the ring in half as Heenan jokes about hanging a magnet and grocery list off of Beefcake’s face. Beefcake hits Money Inc. with a double clothesline as Hogan wants the tag but Beefcake puts IRS in a sleeper. DiBiase breaks it up from behind but in the process takes out the ref as everyone is down besides DiBiase and Hogan, who are on the apron. IRS makes the tag as does Beefcake with the referee still out on the mat. Hogan fires away on DiBiase then hits the big boot and uses Beefcake’s face mask as a weapon. The Mega Maniacs each make a cover then Hart tries to wake up his ref and turns his jacket inside out as it has referee stripes and he counts to three as Mega Maniacs act like they’ve won the belts. However, another ref runs out then we learn that Money Inc. has won via DQ (18:43) *. After the match, Mega Maniacs clear the ring while still holding on to the belts as Hart tosses the referee outside. The Mega Maniacs continue to celebrate then pry open the “Beefcase” to reveal papers, a brick, and some money then they give the money to fans.

Thoughts: Man, did this suck. It was hokey and maybe have gotten over if this was early 1985 and you replaced Beefcake with Hillbilly Jim but the reality was the build to this match sucked. We get another garbage finish, was sadly became the theme of the night. Beefcake talks about Hogan and Vince in a rough patch and called Vince “greedy” for not keeping Hogan on as a partner as he puts over Hogan’s ideas. Hogan was the most over on this show, which did not feature many die-hard fans, but the reaction to this decreased as it went along. The celebration at the end also lasted a very long time. Bruce Prichard stated on his podcast that Pat Patterson was usually responsible for putting together Hogan’s matches so I assume he put this pile of shit together.

Pettengill is back in the audience and talks to Natalie Cole, who cannot believe it was real money inside of the briefcase and says she’s having a good time. The CEO if Caesar’s Palace, Dan Reichartz, says this is the highest energy level this building has ever had then Pettengill asks for a discounted room rate.

Okerlund is with Perfect and asks him about Lex Luger knocking everyone out with his forearm. Perfect calls out Luger for cheap-shotting Bret Hart at a breakfast then proclaims that he will be perfect and proceeds to completely mess up saying “narcissist” before heading to the ring.

“The Narcissist” Lex Luger vs. Mr. Perfect

Luger comes out to the ring with a few girls wearing bikinis. The match starts with both men trading arm wringers then ending up in a stalemate. Perfect takes Luger down with a knee lift as Heenan talks about everyone of Luger’s opponents getting knocked out. Luger bails after getting dropkicked then takes a breather on the outside. Back inside, Luger hammers away but Perfect catches a kick and slaps him before working the knee. Perfect kicks out Luger’s knee and stays on the attack then lands a loud chop that pops the crowd. Luger whips Perfect into the corner a few times as the announcers point out how Perfect’s back kept him out of action for over a year. Luger continues to target the back and hits a powerslam for a nearfall. Perfect comes back with a sunset flip for two then applies a sleeper but Luger backs him into the corner. Perfect fights back and uses a slingshot into the corner. Perfect lands some more punches then hits a forearm smash for two. Perfect gets a few other nearfalls as these two are nowhere near on the same page. Perfect hits a missile dropkick for two as Luger is able to break the count by getting his foot on the ropes then they fight over a backslide but Luger hooks his feet on the ropes and reverses and gets the win (10:56) *1/2. After the match, Luger knocks Perfect out with his forearm smash then Perfect gets up after Luger leaves and heads backstage as he gets some cheers from the crowd. The camera then shows Luger and Perfect fighting in the backstage storage area until Shawn Michaels blindsides Perfect and beats on him with a few objects until stopped by a few officials.

Thoughts: This match was a major disappointment. According to Luger, he was nervous to Wrestle at WrestleMania but relieved that it was Perfect. However, as soon as they locked up, Perfect told Luger he forgot the layout on the match so Luger called it on the fly. Luger also said that Perfect apologized backstage after the match. Anyway, Luger got the win as it was clear he was the new character with the big push and going over. The finish was dopey and done to design Perfect in defeat so he could still be over for his now new feud against Shawn Michaels. Shawn’s attack came off excellent.

Giant Gonzalez w/ Harvey Whippleman vs. The Undertaker w/ Paul Bearer

Gonzales uses clubbing forearms but Undertaker keeps getting back up in Gonzalez’s face. Undertaker hammers away in the corner but Gonzalez grabs him by the throat. Gonzalez knocks Undertaker off of the top rope but Undertaker fights back and hits his ropewalk attack. Gonzalez then tosses Undertaker across of the ring and applies one of the weakest chinlocks you’ll ever see before tossing him outside. Gonzalez rams Undertaker into the steps a few times as Undertaker takes some nice bumps. Undertaker gets up as Bearer holds the urn then Undertaker heads inside and keeps sitting up after getting knocked down then starts fighting back. Gonzalez drops to one knee after looking like he was having a stroke but Whippleman distracts Undertaker and Gonzales headbutts Bearer off of the apron. Whippleman then gives Undertaker a rag soaked on chloroform and Gonzalez uses that on Undertaker until the ref rings the bell for a DQ (7:32) *. After the match, several officials come out (including Rene Goulet in a toga) then the medics as Gonzalez choke slams a referee. Undertaker is stretchered backstage as the crowd is now cheering for Hogan. However, the Undertaker comes back down the aisle with Bearer pleading him to stop. The crowd cheers as Undertaker fights back and drops him after three clotheslines. Gonzalez bails as the fans cheer Undertaker.

Thoughts: I thought this would be a complete disaster after seeing Gonzalez wrestle Virgil on TV but this ended up being as good as it was going to be, even if it was still bad. Undertaker was over with the fans and according to Prichard, has never forgiven the company for making him work with Gonzalez. Sadly, given the finish, we should expect this feud to continue.

We get another plug for the WrestleMania IX Hotline.

Okerlund brings us back to when Yokozuna laid out Jim Duggan to hype up the title match. Hulk Hogan then comes out to say he just left Bret Hart’s dressing room to say that all of the Hulkamaniacs are in his corner then warns “brother” Bret to watch out for Yokozuna and Mr. Fuji then issues a challenge to either Bret or the “Jap” because he wants first shot at the title then guarantees the title will stay right here in the USA. We get some racism by the Hulkster. And with this convoluted Bret/Hogan stuff its clear Hogan will be involved in the finish.

Pettengill is in the crowd and talks with some fans.

WWF World Heavyweight Title Match: Yokozuna w/ Mr. Fuji vs. Bret “The Hitman” Hart (c)

Bret, who is sporting a new color scheme, goes after Yokozuna and stays on the attack but gets overpowered. Yokozuna runs over Bret and knocks him outside but Bret trips him up as Yokozuna’s leg is tied in the ropes and slingshots in with a splash. Bret hits a few clotheslines but Yokozuna runs him over again with Fuji barking out orders. Yokozuna hits a leg drop then we hear some USA chants from the crowd. Yokozuna uses a chop to the throat but eats boot on a charge then Bret takes him down with an attack from the middle rope. Bret covers for two but Yokozuna is able to go back on offenese. Yokozuna charges into the corner again but Bret moves away then hits a bulldog from the middle rope that gets two. Bret hits an elbow drop from the middle rope that gets two. Bret then drops Yokozuna after a second clothesline and hammers away with mounted punches in the corner. Yokozuna breaks it up as Bret tried to hang on as he grabbed off the turnbuckle pad. Bret then blocks a turnbuckle smash into the exposed steel and applies the sharpshooter. However, Fuji is on the outside and throws salt in Bret’s eyes as the ref does not see this then Yokozuna covers for the win as Yokozuna is now the champion (8:56) **1/2. However, Hogan is out and yells at the ref then checks on Bret. Fuji grabs the mic and mumbles like he is Japanese Frenchy Martin then issues a challenge. Ross says that Hogan is more interested in helping out his friend Bret but after Fuji agrees to put the title on the line, Bret tells Hogan to go for it then the crowd cheers as Hogan gets into the ring.

Thoughts: Lets start with the match itself. According to Bret in his book, Yokozuna called for the match to end early. This pissed Bret off as he had planned for an exciting last few minutes. He even said this threw off Mr. Fuji’s timing off when to throw the salt (which in reality was baby powder). The match itself was good but I have noticed that since the last set of TV tapings that just passed, Yokozuna has noticeably put on more weight and it had an effect on his cardio. Hogan coming out at the end was as I noted above predictable, especially since he said the belt would stay in the USA and Bret just lost (despite Bret being Canadian, the angle they were going for was Yokozuna was the evil foreigner).

WWF World Heavyweight Title Match: Yokozuna (c) w/ Mr. Fuji vs. Hulk Hogan

Yokozuna holds up Hogan then Fuji throws salt but Hogan escapes and Yokozuna gets hit and after that Hogan hits a clothesline then drops the leg for the win and the title (0:23). Ross screams about Hogan being a five-time champion as Hogan celebrates as the show goes off the air.

Thoughts: And now we close WrestleMania with a surprise ending of Hogan with the title. The crowd reacted fine to this but it did not come off great on TV. According to Wade Keller of the “Pro Wrestling Torch Newsletter,” Hogan demanded to be champion to close the show and pulled a “power play” in order to get the belt. Wade also reported that Pat Patterson was strongly against the idea. Bruce Prichard on his podcast claimed that Hogan got the belt in order to give the upcoming European tour more panache and that seems like a giant crock of shit from him considering Hogan never wrestled on that tour. Prichard also said that they could sell more orders of the replay by breaking the news on “Monday Night RAW” the following night that Hogan won the title. Bret said that backstage after the show, Hogan told him he “owed him one” and Bret took that as he would regain the title from him down the line and there was talk of the two facing off at SummerSlam but that never came to fruition. And it was reported that there was resentment towards Hogan from other wrestlers over him coming back to get the title.

Final Thoughts: This was not a good show. It started off well but the Tag Team Title match was dated and after that the show fell off of a cliff in terms of quality. And the match finishes were generally terrible. It drew the lowest WrestleMania buyrate, which was expected since the company was slumping, and generally regarded as one of the worst WrestleMania’s of all-time. The presentation of the show stunk as the atmosphere was not great for a wrestling show and the lighting was poor, especially in the opening match. Ross I thought did a good job on commentary although he did not really play off of Heenan much. And Savage I felt was horrendous on commentary in randomly shouting out nonsense.

Do I think this was the worst WrestleMania up until this point? Tough to say. Up until now, WrestleMania 2 was poor and did not have a great main event but it was more satisfying and had more heat than this main event. The best match at WM2 (British Bulldogs vs. Dream Team) was also better than the best match here, IMO. WrestleMania IV was a terrible show with one of the worst first rounds of a tournament you’ll see but the end was incredibly satisfying. WrestleMania V was a total one match show with the rest forgettable for the most part. In context, this was a poor show but as far as WrestleMania’s in context, 32 is might be worse but the feuds going into this show were cold. There’s really no reason to go back and watch this show and we will then see how the Hogan championship run plays out going forward.