Austin101

That Bret #2 DVD looks amazing, consider it bought by me if it happens. They should also have Bret vs Owen Summerslam 94, Bret vs Owen Raw 96, Bret vs Taker RR 96, Bret vs Diesel RR 95 since there'd be room.

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Now onto another review......

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Austin101's "Wrestlemania 8" Review:


Live on PPV, April 5, 1992 at the Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis, Indiana.

-This was the only WrestleMania to feature Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan as commentators for every match. It would also be the final WrestleMania to feature Gorilla Monsoon as a commentator. Gorilla did do interviews at the next Wrestlemania (9) as well as welcome people to the show. (As well as taped segments for Wrestlemania 10 re-capping the last 10 years of Mania, and came out during the end of WM 12 when there was controversy. Then one final Mania appearance before death when he was introduced as a special guest at the Boxing Brawl-For-All match at WM 15, where he looked like he lost a considerable amount of weight, due to obvious health reasons.)


-A scheduled match between The British Bulldog and The Berzerker did not take place.

-This was the first WrestleMania where Hulk Hogan neither possessed nor was wrestling for the World Heavyweight Title.

-This is the first WrestleMania to use a generic WrestleMania ring apron skirt. It would be subsequently used until WrestleMania 13.

-Reba McEntire sang a rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" before the show. Another celeb in Ray Combs was at this show as well.



Onto the matches.....




1) HBK Shawn Michaels (w/Sensational Sherri) vs Tito Santana

Santana makes his 8th and final Wrestlemania appearance. He was in every single Wrestlemania to this point and gets a good send off with a future star.

HBK came out with Sherri.

I hate that lady in attendance who SCREAMS during this match, she must have been close to ringside because you can hear her voice loud and clear scream things like. "GOOOOO HOOOME SHAAAAAAAAWN!" Just annoying.

Back and forth match, nothing overly special.


Michaels pinned Santana with a bodypress after reversing a bodyslam attempt at 10:39.



This match could have been a lot better but at the same time when you look at it from that standpoint, that it is an opener, it's VERY good.

Heenan says "This is the superstar of the 90's Monsoon!"



** 1/2






2) The Undertaker (w/Paul Bearer) vs Jake "The Snake" Roberts

The Snake was a heel here, and he could REALLY play either face or heel to pefection.

Love the entrance where he just sits by the post then brings himself up.

This was not a technical classic, it was a slow match that got it's point across...I probably like it more then a lot of people though.

Taker goes 2-0


Undertaker pinned Roberts after a Tombstone Piledriver on the floor at 6:36.




*





3) Bret Hart vs Roddy Piper for the WWF Intercontinental Championship


Unparalleled psychology and storytelling. It always gets lost in Bret's endless series of great matches, but it's certainly one of Piper's best.

The Rowdy one cuts a pretty hillarious promo before this match with Bret as well talking about how Stu was poor, but that then the comedy turned serious as Piper was kind of a tweener here at this point.

The match is awesome, simply put. It wasn't the best match of all time or even the longest but it got it's point across in such a smooth and crisp way. Excellent pyshology for sure. Cool spot at the end where Piper was going to hit Bret with the ring bell, contemplated doing so, then Bret countered The Hot Rod's sleeper in a unique way by kicking off the turnbuckle and covering Piper for the slow 1...2...3 to become the new IC Champion with the roll up at 13:50, which got a big pop.

Hart and Piper make up and Bret walks to the back with his newly won IC Title.

The show is going very good so far, not really sure why this wasn't put on his DVD but then again like the post above mine in here on this thread, there's a ton Bret could of really chose.




****





4) The Big Boss Man, Virgil, Sgt. Slaughter, and Jim Duggan vs The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags), Repo Man, and The Mountie


Some unfunny jokes by the ex-FamilyFeud host who'd later off himself in the few years after this event. (I can see why.) No, that was mean I know...but the jokes weren't to great.

Both teams cut cheesy promo's before this 8 man tag as well.

This didn't really come off that well but one of the best things from this match comes from the booth actually.

Heenan: I just got this from my director, Monsoon.

Monsoon: Yes...?

Heenan: Shawn Michaels, HAS LEFT...THE BUILDING!

Monsoon: WHOOOOO CAAAAAARES!

Heenan: Well, I jus.....

Monsoon: WHOOO CARES IF SHAWN MICHAELS HAS LEFT THE BUILDING!

Haha, just the way that came off I had to rewind and re-watch that a number of times.

Just gold.

This match was saved by the frequent tags so it never got boring and that's a good thing.

Virgil pinned Knobbs after a heel miscommunication lead to Sags striking Knobbs with Virgil's face mask at 5:22.



**






5) Randy Savage (w/Miss Elizabeth) vs Ric Flair (w/Mr. Perfect) for the WWF Championship


Ric Flair's promo before the match and after it were both top notch. He didn't spend a whole lot of time in the WWF but when he did he made good partners with the Heel, Mr. Perfect and Bobby Heenan.

They went after Liz, that was the storyline.

Savage and Flair put on a near 5 star classic here, further Proving why Savage is one of the best Wrestlemania wrestlers of all time. (I consider him far and away the best.)

This was such an emotional back and forth brawl-wrestling match that had a little of everything. Drama at it's finest. I wanted to originally give this title bout a **** 3/4, but I'll be fair to flair and all of them and give it **** 1/2, as that is probably what it REALLY is. You could argue it either way though as those ratings are very close anyway.

The way Randy Savage and Ric Flair moved around the ring worked so well, a lot of crisp whips and moves between the two workers back and forth much like the Bret-Piper match before it but this was even better.


Savage pinned Flair via a tights-assisted roll-up at 18:05 to become a two time WWF Champion.

The pyro's of Savage's scare Liz (who looked smoking here) and the two celeberate once again for the final time together at a Wrestlemania.

Historical. Epic. Awesome. Memorable. Classic.


**** 1/2




6) "The Model" Rick Martel vs Tatanka

The Model has been in quite a lot of Mania matches now that I look back. This one wasn't one of his best, it was average at best.

Not a whole lot to talk about here as it didn't feel very exciting following such an epic battle.


Tatanka pinned Martel after a flying crossbody at 4:33.



*





7) The Natural Disasters (Earthquake and Typhoon) vs Money Inc. (Ted DiBiase and Irwin R. Schyster) (w/Jimmy Hart) for the WWF Tag Team Championship


Money, Money, Money, Money, Moooooneeeeeeeeyyyyyyyyy....never get tired of hearing that once again.

Money Inc was a good tag team, The Natural Disasters...meh, some liked them I guess.

This was an OK tag match, but I felt it dragged and was sort of poorly booked.


Money Inc. intentionally got themselves counted out, retaining the tag team titles at 8:39.

Money Inc would also have the tag told by next years Wrestlemania 9 event when they defended it against the Mega Maniacs. Would they end up doing the same? STAY TUNED FOR MORE......Hey, I have to try and sell these reviews some how right?


* 1/4





8) "The Rocket" Owen Hart vs "The Alligator Man" Skinner


Owen Hart Pinned Skinner with a roll up at 1:11 after he dominated a little here and there after Skinner sprayed stuff in his eyes and want to the offense early.

This match sucked and it could never really pick up. Just filler clearly before the main event a lot like Heenan-Rooster at Mania 5 and Santana-Mountie at the last Wrestlemania before this.




1/4*





9) Main Event- Hulk Hogan vs Sid Justice (w/Harvey Wippleman)



Hogan and Sid.

Should not have been the main event.

No title on the line just a grudge match.

And this match sucked. Most of it was rest holds applied by Sid by the regular Hogan come back, and then even the finish sucked. It wasn't all bad though as the crowd was pretty good and both these guys did decent given what they had to work with I guess. I still consider it one of the worst Wrestlemania main events ever though if not the worst. I'll still give it a decent rating just for the fact that it is a Wrestlemania Main Event.


Sid was disqualified after Wippleman interfered in the match at 12:44. I believe the proper way of doing things was supposed to be that after the match Papa Shango was to run in and interfere causing the DQ, but instead the ref rang for the bell and a few people looked confused.

I've also heard that Sid wasn't supposed to kick out but did....

The Ultimate Warrior returned to help Hogan and the two celebrated to both there music to end the show with fireworks going off.

Yeah, people in the business deserve a second chance and this was a cool moment for all the Warrior marks (and even me) to re-watch but at the same time I can't look at it the same knowing what he did at Summerslam 91 to Vince and the company. For that he should have never been let back in the company regardless, but I guess Vince is a forgiving man. He forgave Bret, Austin, Hogan, Sable, Bischoff, Warrior, Eddie, so I ask...why could he not forgive Savage for whatever there beef is? I mean obvioussly it wasn't THAT big of a deal seeing as he didn't take him to court or anything.

Perhaps we'll find out one day. Or maybe he just isn't upset at him and it's an IWC myth. If that is the case though, it really doesen't make sense that they never mention him seeing as he is MR. Wrestlemania.



** (At the very most)





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Final PPV Rating for Wrestlemania 8 = 7/10



The first half of this show is incredible. We opened with a pretty good Michaels-Santana match, followed it up with a decent but typical Taker win from the early 90's with the Snake, an excellent Piper-Hitman IC Title match, an 8 man tag and a classic WWF Title match between Flair and Savage. That pace was going to earn this events rating a 9/10 at the least, but unfortunately it was all pretty much down hill from there. A decent tag title match that ended dumb, two stupid mid card matches and a piss poor main event with a terrible finish, capped off by a great return though. So when judging the event I had to look at the whole picture and I feel 7/10 was the fairest rating it could probably earn. This is one of the funnest Mania's to watch for me though, (mostly for the first half) just like Wrestlemania 7!




Feedback appreciated as always if you want to discuss.....





Up Next from Austin101: "WWF Wrestlemania 9!"


(stay tuned.....)



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