Nice review Crossface, I read all of them so you're never talking to a brick wall. I often get that feeling to when I write out reviews but at least they go archived to the Star ratings thread!
Anyway, I did another review since I had the time and here it is.
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Austin101's "WWF Wrestlemania 5: The Mega Powers Explode!" Review:
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Some notes before we begin like always....
-This Wrestlemania had
14 matches, which I believe is the second most in Mania history only to Wrestlemania 4 that has
16. That is just a guess though, if I'm wrong I'd love to hear it.
-There was a memorable
Piper's Pit segment that I wont bother reviewing in the actual match reviews so I'll run down what happened here. Brother Love comes out and does his "Rowdy" Roddy Piper imitation. Morton Downey Jr. comes down and makes fun of both of them. Finally, Piper himself walks down and rips off Brother Love's kilt. Downey then makes himself good and annoying by blowing smoke in Piper's face. Piper gets sick of that and sprays Downey with a fire extinguisher after a lot of back and forth dialogue that wasn't to entertaining but back then I guess it was PRETTY GOOD.
-Run-DMC performed a WrestleMania Rap for the audience.
-Celebrity guests in attendance for Mania included Morton Downey, Jr. and Donald Trump. (who once again sat front row)
-More seats were actually added to the Trump Plaza to increase the attendance from the prior WrestleMania which was also held there.
-And once again
WrestleMania IV and
V are the only two WrestleManias to be held at the same venue for two consecutive years.
-Rockin Robin sang the anthem...(Jesse made fun of her afterwards.)
Live on PPV from the Trump Plaza (again) in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Gorilla and the Body do the commentary yet again.
Onto the matches...........
1) Hercules vs King Haku (w/Bobby Heenan)
A pretty good way to open the show with a solid singles match. Not to long, not to short.
Haku comes out to the music Harley Race used as "KING" and later Jerry "The King" Lawler would. I say it still suits Lawler the best.
Some slow spots in the match with bear hugs here and there but overall the pace wasn't to bad.
Hercules pinned Haku following a Belly to Back Suplex with a Bridge at 6:57 to get the win.
Pretty decent opener.
**
2) The Twin Towers (Akeem and The Big Boss Man) (w/Slick) vs The Rockers (Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty)
This was a better match then the opener. The Rockers cut a promo with Mean Gene before hand but in the ring they were always such a treat to watch.
They moved around so great and were so fast that it was a little bit of a miss-match that the were paired with the towers but it didn't hurt the match any.
If anything it added to the story and while The Rockers got some offense in early, it didn't last as the Towers took over and dominated most of the contest.
A lot of power moves and rest holds by the big men to wear down The Rockers speed.
Akeem ended up pinning Michaels after a 747 Splash at 8:02. The Twin Towers win the tag match and the fans aren't to happy.
By the way I absolutely hate Akeem "The African Dreams" hand motion he does during interviews, before a match, during a match, and after a match. I mean enough is enough.
Oh well at least this was a solid tag team contest that followed a pretty decent singles match.
** 1/4
3) Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake vs "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase (w/Virgil)
Dibiase cuts a promo backstage with Virgil before the match.
I hate how Dibiase doesen't have his classic entrance theme here but I believe WM 6 is the first Mania he uses it....I believe anyway? I'll find out soon enough!
Oh and I just hate Brutus...sorry "BRUTI"
as I've stated a hundred times before.
I hate when he comes out and thank god I wont have to see much more of him after this. (I think he appears in just Mana 6 and 9 if I remember correctly.)
This match like the first two had a pretty good flow to it. Dibiase was scared of Beefcake at the beginning as he wanted to call a timeout time and time again outside of the ring. When he got back inside Beefcake dominated a lot of the match and then when Dibiase finally got control he was the confident one.
Both men battled to the outside to a double count out at 10:01. Fans don't like the decision (once again) but neither man wanted to lose here.
Once again a match that is at least two stars.
**
4) The Bushwhackers (Luke Williams and Butch Miller) vs The Fabulous Rougeaus (Jacques and Raymond) (w/Jimmy Hart)
This tag team match had potential until the Bushwhackers showed up. Kidding, they were pretty entertaining....I guess.
Funny story that has nothing to do with the match: I went to an ECCW local show back in 2000 and the Bushwhackers fought a team in a no dq match, I had just put my half full pepsi can in the garbage and when one of the wrestlers hit Luke over the head with it, my Pepsi ran all down his back. Hillarious! To me anyway....
Anyways the tag match went on for what felt like hours.....
Bushwhacker Luke finally pinned Raymond after a Double Stomach Breaker at 9:10.
Was to long and the worst match so far of the four, but not terrible by any means.
* 1/4
5) Mr. Perfect vs The Blue Blazer (Owen Hart)
Terrific way to follow a boring tag team match. Jesse the Body said this would be a classic and if it was given more time it very well could of even been better then what it was. And it was absolutely unreal. I remember watching this event on May 24th 1999 (the day after Owen's death) and I just shivered seeing him come down the aisle on this event in this persona.
They should have definately given this match half of the last matches time and it could of been over four stars.
Both men moved around the ring so well and Perfect definately has chemistry with both Hart brothers when it comes to in the ring performances.
Mr. Perfect (Curt Hennig) pinned The Blue Blazer (Owen Hart) with a Perfectplex at 5:38 to remain "Perfect." This was also Owen's debut at Mania (as well as Perfect's.)
May they both rest in peace. These are two guys I miss the most along with The Bulldog, Pillman, Benoit and Eddie when it comes to Wrestling deaths.
GREAT MATCH.
Best of the night so far.
*** 1/4
6) Demolition (Ax and Smash) vs The Powers of Pain (The Warlord and The Barbarian) and Mr. Fuji in a Handicap Match for the WWF Tag Team Championship
Interesting rules here as it was a 3 on 2 with the tag belts on the line.
The great heel manager and now hall of famer Mr. Fuji played a good role in this match distracting both Ax and Smash from time to time.
Demolition remainded strong and retained there titles when Ax pinned Fuji following a Demolition Decapitation at 8:20. Demolition was mega over and they go to the back with there belts and remain unstoppable at the time.
Pretty solid stuff from Demolition as always. Hey, when are they going to get inducted? Oh well I guess it's not a crime seeing as the Road Warriors aren't even inducted yet.
** 1/4
7) "Canada's Strongest Man" Dino Bravo (w/Frenchy Martin) vs "Rugged" Ronnie Garvin
A short singles match inbetween a couple of tag matches that no one really cared about.
Garvin would have a lot of great matches in his career but this surely wasn't one of them.
Dino Bravo pinned Garvin following a Sidewalk Slam at 3:06. After the match Garvin attacked Frenchy Martin afterwards and gave him the Garvin Stomp.
3/4*
8) The Brain Busters (Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard) (w/ Bobby Heenan) vs Strike Force (Rick Martel and Tito Santana)
What a great tag team match this was.
Back and forth, smart wrestling and both teams never let up for a single second.
This was why tag team wrestling in the late 80's can never be matched, ever.
Arn Anderson pinned Tito Santana after a Spike Piledrive at 9:17 of this classic tag team contest.
The Model Rick Martel walked out on Tito Santana during the match and then cut a heel promo afterwards as he began his "Model" persona shortly there after.
What a great tag team contest. Blanchard and Arn was so underrated it isn't even funny. Expect to see them in the hall of fame soon.
****
9) Jake "The Snake" Roberts vs André the Giant (w/Bobby "The Brain" Heenan) (w/ Big John Studd as special guest referee)
Two words.
Fast forward.
That is all.
André was disqualified after attacking Studd, giving Roberts the win at 9:44. (WAAAAAY TO LONG.)
Should note that during the match, Ted DiBiase came ringside and stole Roberts' snake, Damien.
What a way to follow such a classic tag team contest. (And the Piper's Pit that was placed just before this disaster of a match.)
DUD
10) The Hart Foundation (Bret "The Hitman" Hart and Jim Neidhart) vs The Honky Tonk Man and Greg "The Hammer" Valentine (w/Jimmy Hart)
There we go.
Not only ANOTHER tag match but a good one also.
More solid tag teams in the late 80's going at it and Bret Hart never dissapoints. Pretty good pace to this match and I like the spot on the card it gets.
Back and forth for the most part and a lot of team work shown by both teams.
In the end Bret Hart pinned Honkytonk after hitting him with a Megaphone at 7:40.
***
11) "Ravishing" Rick Rude (w/Bobby Heenan) vs The Ultimate Warrior for the WWF Intercontinental Championship
The Warrior was so over at this point and seemed unstoppable with the IC Title.
This Rude-Warrior feud was a very good one and that is another reason why Rick Rude was so underrated. He had so many great feud with a lot of superstars over his years. He to will be in the hall of fame one day and it's a shame he can't accept the award in person. As for the Warrior's chance at the Hall of Fame. Technically he should be in but I'm not to sure he will because of well....everything that has happened.
Rick Rude pinned Warrior by reversing a suplex into a lateral press and with Bobby Heenan holding the Warrior's legs down at 9:36.
Hardly anyone could believe The Warrior lost the title and it was nice to see a hard working heel like Rude win a title at Wrestlemania 5.
** 1/2
12) "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan vs Bad News Brown
No real point to this contest.
Just filler that makes people build anticpiation for the mega powers about to explode in the main event.
Both men were disqualified for using illegal objects at 3:49.
1/4*
13) The Red Rooster vs Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (w/The Brooklyn Brawler)
No real point to this contest.
Just filler that makes people build anticpiation for the mega powers about to explode in the main event. (What is this, Groundhog day again?)
No but that is exactly why these two matches were placed right here.
The Red Rooster is one of the worst gimmicks of all time no question.
Heenan did sell the back because Warrior had beat on him earlier in the night. Props to Heenan for being such a BIG part of the last 3 Mania's I've reviewed.
However this is the 2nd DUD of the night, thank god there was a lot of good matches or this event would be down right terrible.
Rooster pinned Heenan after a whip to the corner at 0:32. After the match, the Brooklyn Brawler attacked The Rooster.....yawn.
DUD
14) Main Event- "The Mega Powers: EXPLODE!" Hulk Hogan vs "The Macho Man" Randy Savage (w/Miss Elizabeth in a neutral corner) for the WWF Championship
Here we go!
The two biggest WWF attractions of the late 80's going at it one on one in the main event of Wrestlemania 5!
Savage at this point was a heel obvioussly and had helt the title from Mania 4 to this Mania and would eventually lose it in the same venue a year later to the Hulk in this match.
Jesse is spot on when he says this has "Main-Event" feel written all over it.
You can feel the excitement much like Hogan vs Andre when you see Savage and Hogan stare each other down. I love how Savage plays mind games with the Hulkster early to get under his skin and try and psych him out.
Back and forth main event between both these icons. When Hogan kicks out of Savage's famous elbow drop from the top, Ventura claims it's the first time it's ever happened. (The Animal Steel did it at WM 2) But I guess that's just a wrestling cliche used by broadcasters over and over...and over. Besides Jesse Ventura is the best color guy ever in my books so all is forgiven.
When all was said and done Hogan pinned Savage with his famous leg drop after hulking up at 17:54 to become the new WWF Champion.
Hogan poses with his gold to "Real American" as Donald Trump among others clap at ringside.
Savage walks to the back dissapointed.
Fantastic match, far and away the best match these two have ever had together and one of Wrestlemania's greatest Main Events ever. Definately in the top 10 of the 23 anyway.
**** 1/4
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Overall PPV Rating for WrestleMania 5 = 7.5/10
This was a Mania that had a great main event, a lot of good-great matches with a few piss poor ones inbetween, so a little of everything. However the length and quality over shadows most of the negatives on the show which is why I feel it deserves at least higher then a 7. Plus for some reason I seem to pop this Mania in more then a lot of others. (Next to WM 3, 7, 8, 10, 14, 17, 19)
Feedback appreciated as always.....
Up Next From
Austin101: "WWF Wrestlemania 6"
(stay tuned.....)
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