Posted in: Doctor's Orders
Doctor's Orders: The Road to WrestleMania Countdown (#86 - #100)
By The Doc
Feb 4, 2015 - 9:48:29 PM



Welcome back to the Road to WrestleMania 31. Hundreds of men and women have performed on the grandest stage over the course of its rich history. For the next few months, we will celebrate them all…from worst to best. Anyone who has ever had the honor of competing on a Mania card has joined an elite group of pro wrestlers. I salute them all. As we enter the Top 100, the criteria has shifted to favor more appearances and something that stood out amongst those appearances, be it involvement in a celebrity angle, a tremendous match, a historically important accolade, and the like. Enjoy the Countdown!


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Snowman is a genius



QUESTION OF THE DAY (20): How are you feeling about the current direction for WrestleMania 31?


100. Crush
99. Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart
98. Jacques “The Mountie” Rougeau
97. Haku
96. Virgil
95. Rikishi
94. The Junkyard Dog
93. Mickie James
92. “The Road Dogg” Jesse James
91. Bob Backlund
90. The Dynamite Kid
89. Kofi Kingston
88. Hercules
87. MVP
86. Ahmed Johnson


Day 20: Do Something to Make Yourself Memorable


92. “The Road Dogg” Jesse James



The iconic “Road Dogg.” After an inauspicious debut as “country music star” Jeff Jarrett’s “Roadie,” Jesse James would turn things around for himself and go onto a solid run at WrestleManias during the Attitude Era. Arguably his best performance coincided with the night that the Attitude Era got its more official stamp of existence: WrestleMania XIV. He and Billy Gunn formed a red hot combo of renegades in late 1997, quickly storming through the tag team division and emerging as its champions. In Boston, they defended the titles against Cactus Jack and Chainsaw Charlie (Mick Foley and Terry Funk). It was one of the top matches on one of the most underrated cards in thirty years of Mania lore. The following year, Dogg earned the greatest singles success of his career, retaining the Intercontinental Championship in Philadelphia. The Fatal Fourway in which he kept the strap was a “Who’s Who” of Attitude Era stalwarts, also including Goldust, Val Venis, and Ken Shamrock. Two more appearances awaited the D-O-Double G at Manias 2000 and XXX, respectively, but those first matches he wrestled were the ones that allowed him to make his mark.

91. Bob Backlund



The Hall of Fame former WWE Champion of a couple thousand days managed merely scraps in his WrestleMania career. “The All-American Boy” was pushed aside to make way for Hulkamania in 1984, so he was nowhere to be found in 1985 when Mania first came to be. He came back in 1993 and had a standout performance in that year’s Royal Rumble, though, putting the past behind him and giving back to the business. He famously put over Diesel in 1995, but one of his two Mania matches took place solely for him to put over another “Kliq” member: Razor Ramon. In a short and forgettable match, Backlund took the fall. The reason for his placement, here, is the feud that he had with Bret Hart that led to their headlining bout at Mania XI. In an “I Quit” match, a storyline that had featured such memorable moments as Backlund winning the WWE Championship from Bret at Survivor Series 1994 ended in a decisive victory of the Hitman.

90. The Dynamite Kid



If you ever want to develop an opinion of Dynamite Kid – best known as one half of the British Bulldogs before Davey Boy Smith adopted the nickname as his own for the 1990s – go find a copy of Bret Hart’s book and then study the matches that he talks about. In particular, study the match between the Bulldogs and the Dream Team at WrestleMania 2. The two golden ages of tag team wrestling produced many a headlining Mania match with the tag belts on the line, but there was not a better pure tag match in the lot than Mania 2’s. Dynamite’s skills were on full display, as he and Davey captured the Tag Team Championships that they had been chasing for quite awhile. It was their peak. A year later, they competed against the Hart Foundation and Danny Davis with Tito Santana as their partner and then lost to the Islanders at Mania IV, but that Mania 2 Tag Team title bout was enough to cement the Bulldogs’ (and Dynamite’s) WWE legacy.

89. Kofi Kingston



I’m not the biggest Kofi Kingston fan, but I feel as though I’m giving him credit where it’s due by ranking him this highly. I was a huge Shelton Benjamin fan and, I’ll admit, Kofi has more than adequately picked up where Shelton left off as the most athletic talent on the WWE roster. He has dazzled in specialty matches, offering the most memorable spot on numerous occasions. The fact that he has done so in spotlight situations on big stages makes him all the more worthy of a top third spot. At Manias 25 and 26, respectively, he was the star of the Money in the Bank Ladder match. At Mania XXX, he was one of the most memorable reasons as to why I believe the Andre the Giant Battle Royal could become a staple for years to come. Outside of those three performances, he has not done anything of note at “The Show of Shows,” but he gets it – he understands what it means to standout at Mania and similar environments (like the Rumble). I believe that’s part of why he is still employed by WWE and I very much appreciate it.

88. Hercules Hernandez



There are not many wrestlers in WWE history to have competed at six consecutive WrestleManias. One of the superstars to have accomplished that feat that probably gets forgotten due to his inauspicious record is Hercules, a bodybuilder type with a solid skill set that played the same character in various roles throughout his tenure. He debuted at Mania 2 in a very good outing against Ricky Steamboat. It was during that period that he often seemed a step away from the main-event, but he could never quite seem to get there. In later eras, guys like Test would carry on that legacy. Hercules fought Billy Jack Haynes in a Full Nelson Challenge at Mania III, effectively ending his mainstream run as a featured talent and transitioning to more of an enhancement role. Ultimate Warrior rolled over him at Mania IV. Earthquake did the same two years later. He teamed with Paul Roma to form Power and Glory in 1990 and they proceeded to get steamrolled by the Legion of Doom at Mania VII. In between, he defeated Haku at Mania V.

87. MVP



One of things missing from recent Mania mid-cards has been a standout sub-10-minute match from a veteran and a motivated, hungry talent like MVP in 2007. I recall reading about MVP’s matches with Chris Benoit from house shows early that year on LOP. Each report gave a glowing account of those matches, so when MVP vs. Benoit for the US title was announced for Mania 23, I was quite excited. That was the only Mania that I reviewed during my LOP SD/Raw/PPV recapping tenure, so it is near and dear to me. What a match they had. It was the sort of crisp, hard-hitting, technical performance that each and every Mania could use to enhance its overall profile. The prima donna wide receiver-type character could have, and in my opinion should have, taken MVP higher up the card than he ever got, but it was nights like Mania 23 that I’ll remember him for. He also competed in three straight Money in the Bank Ladder matches from Mania XXIV to Mania XXVI; he was a favorite to win it in the first two of those three years, helping offset his 0-4 record on the grand stage.

86. Ahmed Johnson



Long before there was a Bobby Lashley – a black heavyweight wrestler with raw power that seemed destined for big things in WWE – there was Ahmed Johnson. In 1996, WWE strapped a rocket to Johnson’s back and launched him to stardom. From the moment he stepped foot on the grand stage at Mania XII, it appeared as though he was going to be a big deal. His Pearl River Plunge (double underhook powerbomb) was a devastating move. His feud with Farooq put both stars in enviable positions near the top of the WWE food chain, culminating in one of the top 3 matches at Mania 13. The Chicago Street Fight was the product of several months of hype, during which time Johnson was tormented by Farooq and (eventually) the Nation of Domination. Despite finally defeating Farooq, Johnson turned heel in 1997 and was never really the same. Something was missing from the package. Most of the materials were there, but key pieces were lacking. This isn’t a bad spot for someone like that, though.


Day 19: Celebrating Tenured Mid-Carders


100. Crush



It was four WrestleManias with three different characters for talented big man, Crush. At Mania VII, he debuted on the grand stage as a member of Demolition. His membership in the group was meant to delay the inevitable end of the popular tag team’s run, but there’s no replicating the original with much success. At Mania IX – my first live pay-per-viewing experience – Crush was cast as a Hawaiian babyface cut from the Hogan mold. As a kid, I bought into that. I looked at him as one of the next big stars, his loss to Doink the Clown notwithstanding. A year later, he looked like exactly that when he was the last Mania opponent of Randy Savage’s career. He had turned heel, but wrestling Macho Man was a big deal. Their match was weird, but strangely appealing to watch back with a 1994 mindset. That was the last we would see of Crush at Mania until WWE returned “The Granddaddy” to Chicago in 1997. In the biggest match of his career, Crush – a biker gang “enforcer-type” member of the Nation of Domination – clashed in a Street Fight with the Legion of Doom and Ahmed Johnson. Not a bad run at all…

99. Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart



For six of the first seven WrestleManias, The Hart Foundation was one of the featured duos. Back then, the roster was so substantial that tag teams were an essential piece of the puzzle to using the entire roster. Today’s roster is rather large, but nothing like it was in a time when the territories were being broken apart by Vince McMahon’s national takeover of the wrestling industry. House shows were still a major draw and an important cog in the WWE economic wheel, so you had to use the guys you signed or it’d be a waste (more so than it is today). The Foundation benefitted greatly from it, wrestling spectacular tag matches and leaving their mark. The Anvil was a wild man and perfectly suited to be Bret’s partner. The Hitman did the technical stuff and carried their matches and then Anvil would come in and kick ass. The Foundation didn’t really have a memorable match at Mania until their last, against the Nasty Boys at Mania VII. Bret was about to split off and become an all-time great, but they had a fitting last hurrah in Los Angeles, dropping the Tag Team Championships thanks to Jimmy Hart’s megaphone.

98. Jacques “The Mountie” Rougeau



Oh, those wonderful 1990s gimmicks…

“I’m the Mountie…and I am brave and strong! I’m the Mountie…and I enforce the law!”

That was the gimmick that carried Jacques Rougeau through to the end of his WWE career. He was an Intercontinental Champion and Tag Team Champion using that gimmick, so I guess you could say that it was pretty successful. It earned him a few Mania appearances (VII, VIII, and X). He was, perhaps, best known for his work as one half of the Fabulous Rougeaus in the Hulkamania Era. From Mania III to Mania V, Jacques and Raymond were members of the first WWE golden generation of tag team wrestling to be featured on the grand stage.

Given the length of his tenure, I’d say that Jacque had a damn good career in WWE.

97. Haku



Also known as King Tonga in WWE during the early WrestleMania Era, Haku was one of those guys that was never too far from being a major factor. He had the Polynesian look that, for a generation, gave us notable WWE Champions. He was a quick and agile big man to boot. He made his name at Mania in tag team matches, the last of which was critically acclaimed and the second to last of which was particularly noteworthy for being the final Mania match of Andre the Giant’s career. Mania VII was the site of Haku’s best effort – a fast paced barnburner of a curtain jerker alongside Barbarian against The Rockers. Few opening bouts can match it in Mania history. Haku’s Heenan Family-inspired duo with Andre led to a headlining tag title defense the year before, ending with Demolition regaining the straps and Andre returning to his formerly heroic role. His appearance and style were far more memorable in his four appearances at Mania as compared to many of his modern peers.

96. Virgil



Mockingly named after Dusty Rhodes’s real life name, Virgil was the lackey of the Million Dollar Man. For years, he stood by in Ted Dibiase’s corner, accompanying him for major appearances on the grand stage. He was there for the Mania IV triumphs that saw Dibiase come up just short in his quest to win the WWE Championship tournament. He was there through Dibiase’s battle with Jake Roberts at Mania VI, but then the relationship soured and Virgil could no longer take the abuse. A thoroughly entertaining storyline made Virgil one of the surprise hits of 1991. At Mania VII, he battled Dibiase in an attempt to take his Million Dollar Championship. He wouldn’t actually win it until Summerslam ’91, but the quest made Virgil into a wrestling version of an in-ring one-hit wonder. His Mania career, as a competitor, extended to 1992’s Mania VIII.

95. Rikishi



The Phat Man holds a pretty cool distinction in WrestleMania history. He is the only wrestler to have performed under three different gimmicks (key word performed - as in a match – Godfather was involved at Mania with 3 different gimmicks, too). The Headshrinkers faced the Steiner Brothers in a forgotten match at Mania IX, borrowing off of their work together in NWA/WCW when Rikishi Fatu and Samu were the Samoan Swat Team. After their characters ran their course, Rikishi came back as The Sultan in the gimmick-heavy mid-1990s. Behind a mask and pretending to be of Arabic descent, Fatu unsuccessfully challenged Rocky Maivia for the IC title in Rock’s first Mania match (historically significant, eh?).

It was not until Big ‘Kish joined Too Cool and showed his more carefree side that he found the place in wrestling lore for which he is best remembered. Rikishi had a very good run for several years through the Attitude Era and into the Brand Split. His work with Too Cool earned him a six man tag team victory at Mania 2000 and later a successful Tag Team title defense at Mania XX. He might well have had a bigger match at Mania on his resume had it not been for an untimely injury that sidelined him in early 2001 during his run as the heel that ran over Steve Austin.

94. The Junkyard Dog



JYD is a good case study for showing younger fans what mid-card wrestling should be all about. He was not a legitimate main-event player on a national stage, but he was very over and could have been an occasional challenger to any of the potential heel champions of his era. He was a perfect Intercontinental Championship contender. In my opinion, he embodied what that division was about and still should be about. He had a fan following. It made him a great foil for Greg Valentine, culminating in a Mania 1 match for the IC title. He didn’t win the strap, but he had a thoroughly enjoyable chase for it. When he failed to win the title, he remained a factor as a featured second tier player, perhaps best showcased by his feud with Harley Race leading to Mania III. You’ll note, in reflection, that JYD vs. Race was not a long match, but it was presented as a big deal and it got a great reaction, accordingly. It was an attraction worth seeing. Just because a match isn’t long doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be treated as important. JYD’s legacy, therefore, is part breaking down barriers for black superstars in WWE and giving a historical example of how to showcase a mid-carder.

93. Mickie James



One half of the greatest women’s match of the WrestleMania Era, Mickie James holds a special place for me. I was there in Chicago. Two years prior to that match and pretty much since six months after it, I was/have been one of the biggest critics of women’s wrestling. I don’t abhor it, but I feel like WWE is stuck between two opposing mindsets about it. On the one hand, they feature talents like James that can get over to the point of being massively cheered in the best American wrestling market on the grandest stage in sports entertainment. On the other hand, they would seemingly rather put out an atrocious on-screen product to supplement their calendars, photo shoots, magazines, and reality show fetish. James was caught in between the two mindsets, excelling when they wanted to use her in the former strategy and flopping in the latter.

At the end of the day, nothing can ever take away from the fact that James won the Women’s Championship to thunderous applause at WrestleMania 22.