Posted in: The Classroom The Classroom - History Of: WrestleMania Part 9
By Sean Taylor
Feb 6, 2009 - 11:05:42 PM
SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! There’s nothing like nails on a chalkboard to get your attention. Welcome back to The Classroom. We’re quickly approaching the mid-way point of this history lesson and I would like to thank everyone for sticking with me. Whether you’re reading all of these or just the ones that interest you (Yes, I know you do it. It’s ok.), thank you for at least stopping by.
This time around we’ll be discussing the events and happenings at WrestleMania IX. We’re starting to get into the era of the New Generation and Mania IX was the very tip of the beginning. Check out this column while I still attempt to forget my brother’s good fortunes. Damn you, Horsebeefer!
WrestleMania IX: The World’s Largest Toga Party
Date: April 4, 1993
Venue: Caesar’s Palace (Las Vegas, Nevada)
Commentators: Jim Ross, Bobby “The Brain” Heenan, & “Macho Man” Randy Savage
Attendance: 16,891
For WrestleMania IX, the WWE took the idea of the event being a “spectacle” to heart. They littered the Caesar’s Palace outdoor arena with extravagant decorations in order to create the atmosphere of being transported back to ancient Rome. They took it a step further by putting the cameramen, ring crew, security guards, and even backstage officials in Roman-style dress mainly featuring togas and olive branch headgears. They also utilized the animals and costumed employees of Caesar’s Palace.
WrestleMania IX was the first to take place in an open-air forum. The WWE wouldn’t attempt to do it again until 2008’s WrestleMania XXIV in the Orange Bowl. Although the weather threatened to rain on the Las Vegas crowd, when the pay-per-view started the sun was shining without a single cloud in the sky. This was also the first WrestleMania not to begin with an on-air singing of either “America the Beautiful” or “The Star Spangled Banner”. The scheduled match between “The Beast From The East” Bam Bam Bigelow and The Ugandan Giant Kamala was cancelled before the show started without any announced reason.
Despite having some of the biggest names in wrestling actively participating on the card, WrestleMania IX is often considered to be one of the worst WrestleMania offerings of all time. The WWE was in the middle of a transition period. Older stars like Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair weren’t drawing fans into the arenas as well as they had before. Fans at that time were drawn to the younger, more athletic stars such as Bret “The Hitman” Hart, The Undertaker, and the “Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels.
Opening Ceremonies
In lieu of singing the national anthem, WrestleMania IX opened with host Gorilla Monsoon introducing an Okie named Jim Ross to the WWE audience. This was Ross’ WWE debut and he would become a staple of the broadcast team over the course of the following years. Ross in turn introduced ring announcer Howard Finkel who on this night was renamed “Finkus Maximus”.
Julius Caesar and Cleopatra (actors employed by Caesar’s Palace) were introduced next. This was the second WWE appearance for them as they had appeared at the 1993 Royal Rumble to invite everyone to join them as they hosted WrestleMania IX. “Macho Man” Randy Savage was then introduced and was escorted to the ring by “vestal virgins” who fed him grapes and threw flower petals. Then Bobby Heenan came out riding backwards on a camel. Fans laughed at Heenan who claimed that Savage had stolen his entrance.
Insert Witty Title Here
The first match of the night was for the Intercontinental Championship featuring challenger Tatanka against the champion, “Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels. Michaels was shadowed by the crazy and outrageously dressed Luna Vachon. Luna was there to counter the presence of Micahels’ former manager “Sensational” Sherri. In late 1992, Michaels faced former tag team partner Marty Jannetty and Jannetty attempted to hit Michaels with his personal mirror that he brought to the ring. But Michaels pulled Sherri in front of him and she took the mirror shot. At the Royal Rumble she turned on Michaels.
The WrestleMania IX match was an athletic contest that saw both men frequently taking the upper hand. In the end, Michaels tripped the referee and pulled him out of the ring. The referee called for the bell and ruled that Michaels had been counted out. Fans were confused as it appeared that the referee should have disqualified Michaels. Either way, Tatanka remained undefeated but Michaels retained the title. After the match, Luna attacked Sherri on the outside causing Sherri to need Tatanka’s help to get the back.
Holla If You Hear Us
The next match was The Headshrinkers (Samu/Fatu) taking on The Steiner Brothers (Scott/Rick). The Steiners were new acquisitions for the WWE and were being groomed to become the WWE Tag Team Champions. Their WrestleMania had little fanfare going into it and ended with Scott hitting a Frakensteiner (hurricanrana) on Samu for the pinfall victory. Fans who watch this match might recognize Headshrinker Fatu as a younger and slimmer Rikishi.
Clowning Around
After Demolition disbanded after WrestleMania VIII, the newest member Crush adopted a babyface gimmick based on his hometown of Honolulu, Hawaii. He began to dress in bright purple and orange and called himself “Kona” Crush. He began telling the kids in the audience that if they believed in themselves, they could do anything. On the January 2, 1993 edition of Prime Time Wrestling, Crush began a feud against the evil Doink the Clown.
Doink the Clown – portrayed by Matt Borne – debuted in the WWE in late 1992 walking around in the audiences and at ringside. Doink was an evil clown who liked to play tricks on children and babyface wrestlers. He’d offer them a sniff of his flower then spray them in the face with water, throw cream pies in their faces, and dump confetti on them. Doink would quickly switch between his laughing, prank-pulling side and his evil, violent side. The dual personality switch was reminiscent of Jack Nicholson’s portray of The Joker in the 1989 blockbuster movie “Batman”. In early 1993, Doink turned his attention solely to Crush. Doink would stalk Crush at ringside and on the video wall.
During their match at WrestleMania IX, Crush caught Doink in his patented Cranium Crunch but Doink quickly got to the ropes. When Crush didn’t relinquish the hold, Doink swung his arm to free himself and knocked out the referee. While Crush saw to the referee, Doink slid to the outside and tried to crawl under the ring. Crush caught him and pulled him into the ring where he applied the Cranium Crunch again. But suddenly a second Doink (played by Steve “Skinner” Keirn) appeared behind and assaulted Crush with a loaded prosthetic arm. The two Doinks double-teamed Crush then stared at each other and performed a mime as if they were looking into a mirror. The second Doink went back under the ring while the first Doink woke up the ref and covered Crush for the three count.
After the match, a second referee (future ECW manager Bill Alfonso) ran to the ring and told the first referee about the second Doink. They check under the ring and didn’t see anyone there. They left the ring area confused.
Say Hello To The Bad Guy
Razor Ramon debuted in the WWE in 1992. He was a Cuban American modeled after Tony Montana from “Scarface”. After vignettes appeared on WWE TV promoting his debut, Ramon started compiling an impressive winning record along with his trademark toothpick throwing. His opponent at WrestleMania IX was former WWE Champion Bob Backlund. Ramon dominated most of the match and pinned Backlund with a roll up for the win.
Hulkamania Returns
Hulk Hogan had “bowed out” of the WWE after WrestleMania VIII focusing instead on his movie career. Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake had suffered a legitimate, near-fatal injury during a parasailing vacation. He was helping a friend take off but a miscue with the boat caused his friend to kick Beefcake in the face. Beefcake required reconstructive surgery to put metal plates and screws into his face. He had retired from wrestling for fear of permanently injuring his face. But in 1991, Brutus had received medical clearance to return to the ring and after a failed gimmick as the Run-In Man (who would just run into a match, head butt one of the competitors, and run away) he returned to the “Barber” gimmick and ran the Barber Shop interview segment.
In early 1993 on Raw, Money Inc (Ted DiBiase/IRS) attacked Beefcake threatened to hit Beefcake in the face with IRS’ briefcase. Money Inc’s manager Jimmy Hart jumped into the ring and pleaded IRS not to do it but IRS shoved Hart out of the ring and rammed his briefcase into Beefcake’s face. Hogan returned to help settle the score and a match for WrestleMania IX was made - Money Inc versus The Mega-Maniacs (with Jimmy Hart) for the WWE Tag Team Championships.
In order to protect his face, Brutus had a protective titanium facemask “made by NASA”. But Beefcake wasn’t the only one with face injury problems. When the Mega-Maniacs walked into the arena, fans noticed that Hogan’s left eye was purple and swollen with stitches above it. The on-air explanation was that Ted DiBiase had hired a group of thugs to sneak attack Hogan outside the gym the night before. The real reason for the injury has been debated for years. The WWE later explained that his eye was hit during a Jet-Ski accident. Another theory was that Randy Savage was responsible for it after finding out that Hogan and Savage’s then ex-wife Miss Elizabeth were having an affair.
During the first part of the match, The Mega-Maniacs totally dominated Money Inc (even Beefcake “no-sold” for DiBiase). After being thrown to the outside, Money Inc decided to walk out and take the count out victory. But the referee decided that if they didn’t return to the ring, they would lose the titles. Money Inc returned and the match resumed. Later on, the referee got knocked out and Hogan used Beefcake’s facemask to knock out DiBiase and IRS. The Mega-Maniacs pinned Money Inc but the referee was still out cold. Jimmy Hart jumped into the ring and turned his jacket inside out to show referee stripes. Hart made an unofficial three count and “awarded” the belts to Hogan and Beefcake. But a second referee ran down to ringside and disqualified the Mega-Maniacs for using the facemask and awarded the match to Money Inc.
After the match, Hogan performed his famous post-match posing before finding IRS’ briefcase containing money. He, Beefcake, and Hart handed out the money to the crowd before leaving for the back. Fans thought that this was the last they’d see of Hogan that afternoon but they were wrong.
Vanity vs Perfection
Prior to WrestleMania VIII, former WCW star “The Total Package” Lex Luger signed with Vince McMahon to help launch his new venture, the World Bodybuilding Federation (WBF). When the WBF failed, Luger was transitioned to the WWE. At the 1993, Bobby Heenan “unveiled” Luger as The Narcissus – a self-absorbed, egotistical body builder who liked to stare at himself in a mirror. He was later renamed “The Narcissist” Lex Luger. Luger gained a reputation for knocking out opponents with his forearm. Luger had been in a legitimate motorcycle accident and had a steel plate put in his forearm.
After turning on Heenan prior to Survivor Series 1992, Mr. Perfect started a new run as a babyface. At WrestleMania IX, Perfect and Luger met in the ring. Luger was escorted to the ring but four scantily clad women with firework shooting mirrors. During the match, Perfect attacked Luger’s leg while Luger focused on Perfect’s back, which already had required surgery. Luger ended up pinning Perfect with a backslide. The referee didn’t see Perfect’s feet in the ropes and counted three. After the match, Luger knocked Perfect out with his forearm. Perfect soon recovered and ran backstage to find Luger talking to Michaels. Perfect attacked Luger but Michaels jumped Perfect from behind. The sneak attack started a Perfect/Michaels feud that would last until SummerSlam.
Undertaker’s Whippleman War
Manager Harvey Whippleman did not have a very good year in 1992. His prized client, Kamala, had lost two big matches to the indestructible Undertaker led by Paul Bearer. Whippleman vowed to bring in secret weapon that would be able to stop the Undertaker. At the 1993 Royal Rumble, he debuted the near eight foot tall, Giant Gonzalez. Gonzalez was originally brought into the wrestling business by WCW. He was a basketball player on the Atlanta Hawks but suffered a knee injury that forced his retirement from the NBA. Since he had invested a fair amount of money into Gonzalez, Ted Turner offered him a spot with his wrestling company. He was quickly trained, given a hat made of tin foil, and thrust into the ring.
After eliminating the Undertaker from the Royal Rumble match, a match was scheduled pitting the two against each other. Undertaker rode a black chariot to the ring with a vulture next to him. The match itself was slow paced and mostly filled with punches and kicks. Once the Undertaker started to get on a good wave of momentum, Whippleman jumped onto the ring apron and tossed a chloroform soaked rag to Gonzalez. Gonzalez pressed the rag into Undertaker’s face causing a disqualification. WWE attempted to get into the ring to check on Undertaker but Gonzalez chased them all out. The Undertaker recovered, sat up, and attacked Gonzalez.
This match is often considered to be one of the worst matches of WrestleMania history. It was mainly due to Gonzalez’s lack of experience as a wrestler. Fans were especially put off by Gonzalez’s ring attire, which consisted on a one piece, flesh coloured body suit with muscles drawn on it and dark patches of hair drawn in place of his private area.
Canada vs Japan - The Winner: America
Yokozuna debuted as a Japanese sumo-wrestling champion in 1992 and immediately started defeating everyone he faced. The five hundred plus pound Yokozuna won the 1993 Royal Rumble and became the first wrestler to gain a WrestleMania title shot as a result of the win. Conversely, Bret “The Hitman” Hart had dropped the Intercontinental Title after WrestleMania VIII and then defeated Ric Flair in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada to become the WWE Heavyweight Champion. As champion, Hart had to face tough challengers like Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon before matching up with Yokozuna at WrestleMania IX. One week before the match, the two met in the ring for the contract signing. After the contract was signed, Yokozuna attacked Hart and performed the Banzai Drop on him.
Hart’s unfortunate luck continued on the day of WrestleMania IX. During the WrestleMania Brunch, Lex Luger attacked Bret with his forearm. But during a backstage interview, Hulk Hogan said that he visited Hart in his dressing room and told him that the Hulkamaniacs were behind him and that he had Hart’s back. After putting over Hart as a great hero, Hogan then challenged the winner of the match for the first shot.
The match was exactly what everyone expected it to be. Bret utilized his speed and technical prowess while Yokozuna relied on his size and power. At the end of the match, Bret shocked the fans by locking Yokozuna’s thick legs into his Sharpshooter submission hold. But Yokozuna’s manager, Mr. Fuji, jumped onto the apron and threw salt into Hart’s eyes allowing Yokozuna to get the pin. Yokozuna celebrated his title win in the ring while Bret blindly stumbled down the aisle. Hogan came running out and checked to see if Hart was ok. Fuji saw Hogan and immediately challenged him to a match and put Yokozuna’s just won title on the line. Hart motioned for Hogan to accept and Hogan stepped into the ring. Fuji attempted to throw salt in Hogan’s face but Hogan dumped and the salt hit Yokozuna. Hogan hit Yokozuna with the Leg Drop and covered for the three-count.
For the first time, the WWE Championship changed hands twice at WrestleMania. Hogan was back as champion and proceeded to go into his classic posing routine to end the show. Little did the fans realize that this would be the last time WrestleMania would end this way. The WWE was heading in a new direction, with new directives, new storylines, . . .
. . . and a New Generation.
Well that ends our look at WrestleMania IX. It’s always great to hear your thoughts and opinions – even if you hate me – so you can email me here or post it in the feedback forum. At time of this column’s posting, I will be working on Part 10 and I hope to have it up by Tuesday (Feb 10). Hope you all enjoyed Part 9.
Pop Quiz
Yes, it’s back. Test yourself against all the other students in The Classroom and see if you can attain Star Pupil status. 1) What R&B/soul recording artist was in attendance at WrestleMania IX?
2) How many live animals were brought to the ring at WrestleMania IX?
