Austin101's "WWF Wrestlemania 2: What The World Has Come To" Review:
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------------Jesus Harold Christ, I apologize in advance if this review sucks. This event sucks so it effected my entire review. Expect a better one for Wrestlemania 3 Monday or Tuesday.----------------------
Ray Charles sang a rendition of
"America the Beautiful" before the show. I probably should have pointed out the Fink sang the national anthem at the beginning of Wrestlemania 1. Oh well.
-WrestleMania 2 was the second annual WrestleMania pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (although the first WrestleMania was only on pay-per-view in select areas).
It took place on April 7, 1986 at three venues:
The Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in
Uniondale, New York
The Rosemont Horizon in
Rosemont, Illinois
The Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena in
Los Angeles, California
Each venue had one main event match with a large undercard. As with the first WrestleMania, the matches were shown on closed-circuit television across North America. This was the first WrestleMania to use cardinal numbers (Arabic numerals). The commentating teams consisted of Vince McMahon and Susan Saint James in New York, Gorilla Monsoon, Gene Okerlund, and Cathy Lee Crosby in Chicago and Jesse Ventura, Lord Alfred Hayes, and Elvira in
Los Angeles. The ring announcers were Howard Finkel
(New York), Chet Coppock
(Chicago), and Lee Marshall (Los Angeles). The tagline for this event was
"What The World Has Come To."
This idea was good as long as it was only done once. It was unique, original but it couldn't have been very fun live I'd imagine. Uniondale got robbed, as did Chicago to an extent....I thought LA got the best show of the three but save the best for last I guess.
It's interesting to note that WrestleMania XX, WrestleMania 21, and WrestleMania 22 all took place from the three locations that hosted WrestleMania 2 (WrestleMania XX from New York, WrestleMania 21 from Los Angeles, and WrestleMania 22 from Chicago).
Now as Jesse says "Lets get on to Maniaaaa".....
Part 1: -New York-
-Celebrity guests in attendance for the New York portion of WrestleMania 2 included Cab Calloway, Darryl Dawkins, G. Gordon Liddy, Joan Rivers, Joe Frazier, Lou Duva, Mr. T, Ray Charles, and Susan Saint James. (Who I probably want to execute right about now, read on for more info on that.)
1) "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff vs The Magnificent Muraco (w/Mr. Fuji)
Mr. Wonderful was a face here which is interesting to see. Fuji always got such great heat, and a little surprising to see Orndorff with a very racist joke before the match making fun of the Hall of Fame manager.
The two went back and forth but a real good pace didn't get developed.
They battle it out in the corner until both men tumble to the outside and brawl to a pathetic ending which was a double-countout at 4:30. Pretty idiotic way to start a big show like this and the fans even chanted "Bullshit!" to which Vince said "Fans clearly not to happy."
*
2) Randy Savage (w/Miss Elizabeth) vs George Steele for the WWF Intercontinental Championship
FINALLY, who I consider to be
"Mr. Wrestlemania" Randy "The Macho Man" Savage makes his Wrestlemania debut with Elizabeth, FREAK OUT, FREAK OUT, as he would say.
Defends the title against the Animal who bites open a top turnbuckle as usual.
Oh Dear...God. Vince's color commentator Susan St James really got on my nerves. "Come on George. COME ON GEORGE. COME ONNNN GEORGE. LETS GO GEORGE."
Ok we got it the first seven times. I'm pretty sure even Vince was annoyed with it, I mean how on earth couldn't he be? I don't care who she's married to there's no excuse to be that annoying. She makes Micheal Cole look like Gorilla Monsoon when he's hollering about somebody "Stealing the DAMN MATCH!"
Oh well....I just hope there's no more matches with a guy named George in it that she's calling.
Savage pinned Steele with a roll up and both feet on the ropes at 5:10 to retain the IC Title.
Three good things to note here when it was all said and done.
1) Savage won.
2) Savage won.
3) And the match was over so the bitch shut up.
Unfortunately the match didn't come off very good which would be a theme for the evening. BUCKLE UP!
* 1/4
3) Jake "The Snake" Roberts vs George Wells
Yeah you could see that coming didn't you. Great she gets to cheer on another guy named George now. Luckily this match is short so she doesen't get to for long.
Third bad match in a row to start Wrestlemania 2 what a great pace we have to this show. The DDT by Roberts finishes Wells at 3:04. Jake sicks Damien on Wells, who froths at the mouth. Wells is Canadian. Wells is Black. Wells is done. The end.
*
4) New York Main Event- Mr. T (w/Joe Frazier) vs Rowdy Roddy Piper (w/Cowboy Bob Orton and Lou Duva) in a Boxing Match
These two had bad blood dating from back before the last Mania and the slap to start that main event tag match. These two are entertaining for sure but this Boxing match wasn't.
It was boring.
It was pointless.
The fans were booing inbetween rounds until a very attractive "Sign lady" comes in which the male fans greeted nicely.
Anyway Piper was disqualified for body-slamming T at 1:15 in the 4th round and 13:14 in official time.
I would have chanted refund if I was there but then again perhaps the event did have it's bright spots in Uniondale and I'm being to hard on it....or perhaps not.
* 1/2
Part 2: -Chicago-
-Celebrity guests in attendance for the Chicago portion of WrestleMania 2 included Clara Peller, Dick Butkus, Ed Jones, Ozzy Osbourne, Bill Fralic, Ernie Holmes, Harvey Martin, Jim Covert, Russ Francis, William Perry, and Cathy Lee Crosby.
5) The Fabulous Moolah vs Velvet McIntyre for the WWF Ladie's Championship
Not a single match has cracked two stars yet.
It doesen't help that this match is only 85 seconds long but for 85 seconds it was fast and as good as you could get. Moolah pinned McIntyre after a splash at 1:25 to keep the WWF Ladie's title. May she rest in peace.
1/2*
6) Corporal Kirschner vs Nikolai Volkoff (w/ Classy Freddie Blassie) in a flag match
They just keep getting better and better dont they?
This is the guy "Corporal Kirschner" that the WWE reported dead a year or two ago and he came out and said "Actually I'm still living but thanks anyway." Hillarious.
Classie Freddie Blassie tries to toss the cane in the ring, but Kirschner intercepts and BLASTS Volkoff with it for the win at 1:35.
Well...at least this match was 10 seconds longer then the last one....at least there's that.
I wonder if the average rating for this show up to this point is below a star....wouldn't doubt it.
1/4*
7) André the Giant won a twenty man battle royal that included both wrestlers and NFL stars
The participants were introduced in this order: Jimbo Covert (NFL Star - Chicago Bears), Pedro Morales, Tony Atlas, Ted Arcidi, Harvey Martin (Former NFL Star - Dallas Cowboys), Danny Spivey, Hillbilly Jim, King Tonga, The Iron Sheik, Ernie Holmes (Former NFL Star - Pittsburgh Steelers), B. Brian Blair, Jim Brunzell, Big John Studd, Bill Fralic (NFL Star - Atlanta Falcons), Bret Hart, Jim Neidhart, Russ Francis (NFL Star - San Francisco 49ers), Bruno Sammartino, and William "Refrigerator" Perry (NFL Star - Chicago Bears).
Andre last eliminated The team of the Hart Foundation (Bret Hart thrown onto the Anvil who by the way had a terrible "late exit" that came off looking piss poor) at 9:13.
We will give this the full two stars. Wow and to think it only took seven matches to get a rating this high.
Pretty memorable and enjoyable compared to the crap before this on the night.
**
8) Chicago Main Event- The British Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith and The Dynamite Kid) (w/Ozzy Osbourne and Lou Albano) vs The Dream Team (Greg Valentine & Brutus Beefcake) (w/Johnny V.) for the WWF Tag Team Championship
Great, great wrestling. (And it's about time)This was very worthy of the main event spot in Chicago and my 2nd favourite match of the night overall.
Great pace, solid wrestling, nice holds, very smart team work and it was never boring.
At the end of this back and forth tag bout The Dynamite Kid leans in for the tag, then Davey Boy Smith grabs Valentine and rams his head into Dynamite's head, knocking his own partner off the apron. Davey covers for the win at 12:04 and we got new Tag Team Champions. The place goes "Bannanas."
*** 3/4
Part 3: -Los Angeles-
-Celebrity guests in attendance for the Los Angeles portion of WrestleMania 2 included Ricky Schroder, Robert Conrad, Tommy Lasorda, and Elvira.
9) Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat vs Hercules Hernandez
Pretty good opener in LA here as Steamboat as I said in the first Mania review can carry anyone. Hercules wasn't paticularly bad but Steamboat did carry him in this contest.
Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat went up and delivered a crossbody press to Hercules for the win at 7:34 of the match.
** 1/4
10) Adrian Adonis (w/Jimmy Hart) vs Uncle Elmer
Adonis was a good worker no doubt and it's to bad he passed on so soon in that accident but for gods sakes.
Your sexuality would immediately be questioned if you were watching this match and a friend or stranger came in the room and saw what you were watching.
Embarassing. Skip it.
Adonis pinned Elmer after a Flying Headbutt at 3:01.
1/4*
11) Terry Funk and Hoss Funk (w/Jimmy Hart) vs the Junkyard Dog and Tito Santana
This was the best match of the night. Great tag team wrestling shown by the Funks and Santana plus the JYD.
Funny to hear Elvira talk about (and likely thinking about) the JUNK of the four males inside the ring. None the less this like the other tag match had no dull spots and flowed way better then expected.
Terry pinned JYD after hitting him with Hart's megaphone at 11:42.
Match of the night! Fun contest for sure!
*** 3/4
12) LA and WM 2's "Main Event"- Hulk Hogan vs King Kong Bundy (w/Bobby Heenan) in a steel cage match for the WWF Championship
The Hulkster had already cut two promo's on the night before the main event.
He also had injured ribs.
Heenan very cocky as always in Bundy's chances of winning the WWF Title.
Pretty good in ring stuff for a cage match in the mid 80's but was your typical Hogan vs big man style.
In the end "The Immortal" Hulk Hogan escaped the cage after powerslamming and leg-dropping Bundy at 10:15 to keep the WWF Title. "Real American" plays to end the show and Hogan gives the Brain a pounding to end the night from LA.
Pretty good main event considering the time but it was only third best on the card which had a lot of terrible matches so read into that what you will.
** 1/2
A Wrestlemania to forget for sure...if this was infact what it was billed as
"What the world was coming to" I probably would have commited suicide.
Poor Chicago...WM 2 and 13 were bad but at least they got a good one in 22. And they have at least hosted three Mania's as well.....
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Final PPV rating for Wrestlemania 2 = 4/10
Don't shoot. I just think this card lacked in a very big way and I personally found it to be one of the worst mania's of all time. Two great tag team matches, a standard hogan type cage match and a MEMORABLE if not good battle royal were the only highlights. Everything else was forgettable or downright embarassing.
Feedback if you want to discuss WM 2 as always.....
Up Next from
Austin101: "WWF Wrestlemania 3"
(Stay tuned.....)
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