WrestleMania Profile: Bret Hart

When it comes to Wrestlemania, there are men whose careers count on bringing on epic performances of a lifetime.

At the same time, there are men whose careers are legendary to the point that whatever they do on the grandest stage is just icing on the cake.

This would perfectly describe Bret ‘Hitman’ Hart.

A native of Calgary, Alberta, Bret’s career is a who’s who of accomplishments, in which some of them just so happen to occur at WrestleMania.

From battle royals to submission-based quarrels, Bret has seemingly done just about everything there is at Wrestlemania. Let’s take a look back at some of his more major accomplishments.

His inaugural Wrestlemania contest was one in earnest, as Bret was one of the last men eliminated in the battle royal at Wrestlemania 2. Keep in mind this was during the Hart Foundation’s infancy, and the one hurling Bret (and Jim Neidhart for that matter) over the top was Andre the Giant.

Although a six-man tag at Wrestlemania III (Hart Foundation w/ Danny Davis vs. The British Bulldogs & Tito Santana) did have a good amount of heat to it, it would be a few years before the Hart Foundation had a meaningful match on the big show.

On a one-off singles appearance, Bret took part in a battle royal at Wrestlemania IV that would change the course of his history. After being eliminated by Bad News Brown, Bret jumped Brown from behind and destroyed his trophy. This would turn Bret Hart face, and Hitman would stay good for close to a decade.

Instead of the crooked viles of heel work in most of their prior matches, the Hart Foundation at Wrestlemania VII were fun-loving good guys pandering to the zeal of the crowd. It didn’t help them much against the Nasty Boys however, as Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags used their cheating to win the tag team championships.

On one hand, this was an end of an era as the Hart Foundation amicably split up shortly afterwards.

On the other hand, this was the start of a new era, as Bret would launch his singles career.

Wrestlemania VIII saw Bret Hart face off against Roddy Piper for the Intercontinental Championship. This match was so impressive that in an earlier entry, this was the 1992 pick for the best matches of the 1990s. Bret, in a move that even stifles contemporaries today, was able to nicely conceal a blade job three-quarters of the way through the bout. The finish was one of the neatest reversals in the history of Wrestlemania: Piper locked Bret in the his patented sleeper, and then Bret kicked off the turnbuckles, and hooked Piper into a pinning predicament thus becoming a two-time IC belt-holder.

Wrestlemania IX and X are inter-twined, as a story seemingly started and ended between those two events. Yokozuna faced Hart for the WWE Championship at Wrestlemania IX. Yoko, who had Mr. Fuji as a pick in his corner, won the title after the manager Fuji threw salt in the Hitman’s eyes. Hulk Hogan seemingly came out to ‘avenge’ Hart, and won the title in a impromptu match. Yokozuna would win the title again at King of the Ring, the same event where Hart won the KOTR tournament.

Now between KOTR and Wrestlemania X, another major component would enter into the mix. Bret’s little brother Owen would tag with him and the rest of the Hart brothers at the Survivor Series. Owen was the only one eliminated, and it sparked some jealousy from the little nugget. After patching things up on paper, the feud re-ignited big time as Owen turned on Bret after Bret was ‘injured’ during a tag title match at the Royal Rumble. Jealously turned into righteousness, and Owen received the bout he wanted with Bret for Wrestlemania X.

More on that in a second.

Bret’s business wasn’t done at the Rumble, as he would take part in the Rumble match itself. He and Lex Luger simultaneously eliminated one another, and therefore each received a title bout for Wrestlemania X. A coin-toss on RAW further signified the two-match format for the big day.

In the opening contest of Wrestlemania X, Owen defeated Bret, the first of what would be many matches between the two. It was a great contest, easily the best opener in ‘Mania history. The other shocker about this match was that Owen pinned Bret clean as a sheet. With Bret as mega-huge at the time as he is, you’d almost think that a ‘cheap’ win would be the only way to go. In the long run, Owen benefitted big off the clean win.

In the main event of the show, Bret defeated Yokozuna (who had defeated Lex via DQ earlier) via pinfall after Yokozuna messed up (planned) a Bonzai Drop. Just like the Yoko/Luger match earlier with Mr. Perfect, this match had a special referee. Roddy Piper, whom Bret Hart had faced for the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania VIII, made the call for this important match.

Speaking of Roddy, this wouldn’t be his last foray into representing Bret Hart at WrestleMania. Wrestlemania XI saw a match that was every bit as bad as Survivor Series 1994 was great. Bret Hart. Bob Backlund. Submissions only (well, it was really ‘I Quit’). Bret won, but in the long run it’s considered a match best served in the trash can.

Although XI wouldn’t mean much in the overall career of Bret Hart, XII sure would.

Bret would walk into WrestleMania XII as the WWE Champion. His opponent was Shawn Michaels, winner of the Royal Rumble for the second consecutive year. While most of the attention was on the Heartbreak Kid, Hart wasn’t exactly silent on the sidelines either. In the background, he was ready to prove he was the Iron Man about to paint a 60 minute masterpiece. Before the match, it was decided the match would go 0-0 in regulation with a forced overtime period. This would make a note of how tough either man was to beat. In what is the longest match in Wrestlemania history, Shawn defeated Bret in the second minute of overtime to clinch his first-ever WWE Championship. This would mark a sabbatical for Bret, whose stretch of in-ring time without a break was quickly approaching a decade.

While he was away, a new rival burst onto the scene.

Steve Austin entered WWE via a hot stint in ECW. While Austin’s early WWE days were nothing to write home about, one promo changed everything. After that King of the Ring promo, a newfound confidence arose in Austin. Confidence that allowed the rattlesnake to call out Bret Hart for a future challenge.

As summarized from Austin’s profile, the two would have on-going feud stemming from the fall of 1996. By the time Wrestlemania 13 rolled around, this duel had reached its apex.

It was yet another Submissions Match. Unlike the Backlund disaster of a couple of years before, this one was primed on being a masterpiece. Instead of swapping holds, these two were trading punches. Both men gave each other everything they had. Hart even bladed Austin, which in turn would give the WWE Universe some of the most iconic imagery in WrestleMania history. Austin’s resilience gave the fans ammunition to root Steve on while making Bret look like a transitional villain. Austin valiantly tried to get out of Bret’s Sharpshooter, but passed out in a pool of his own blood trying to get out. This match not only turned out to be a classic, but it is also regarded by many as the best double-turn in professional wrestling history.

Later on in 1997, the Montreal Screwjob reared its ugly head and people feared Bret would NEVER return to the WWE.

Upon a phone call and a handshake, Bret went to Stamford, Connecticut to meet with Vince McMahon and make his DVD. In this blogger’s opinion, it’s the best WWE DVD ever put out.

In turn, this led into his 2006 Hall of Fame induction. Who inducted ‘The Hitman’? None other than Austin himself. It was very fitting because not only did their legendary match happen in the Rosemont Horizon, but also it was a wild turning point for both men in their respective careers. Austin and Hart were also friends outside the ring and that made the request easier to accept.

At the dawn of 2010, Bret Hart returned to WWE and RAW to make amends with Shawn Michaels. After he did, Bret was thrust into a feud with Vince McMahon. This culminated into a No Holds Barred match at WM XXVI, a match that will go down as one of the slowest-paced matches in history. Hart persuaded his family members to turn on Vince, and it led to making Vince tap in Bret’s Sharpshooter.

Overall, Bret’s Wrestlemania history is like icing on the proverbial cake. He may not have singularly put WrestleMania on the map. Hell, he’s not considered a ‘Showstopper’, or ‘Headliner’, or ‘Main Event’, or even ‘Immortal’. Not only was he the excellence in execution, but Bret’s matches were amongst the best there ever would be.

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CONTESTS

Wrestlemania II: Andre the Giant won a 20-Man Battle Royal Featuring WWE Superstars and NFL Players, lastly eliminating Bret Hart. (9:53) NR

Wrestlemania III: The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart, Jim “the Anvil” Neidhart, w/ Jimmy Hart) & ‘Dangerous Danny Davis defeated The British Bulldogs (Tom Billington and Davey Boy Smith) & Tito Santana in a Six-Man Tag Match by pinfall. (8:52) **1/2

Wrestlemania IV: Bad News Brown won a 20-Man Battle Royal by defeating Bret Hart last. (10:40). NR. After Brown’s victory, Bret proceeded to destroy the trophy, and therefore he turned face.

Wrestlemania V: The Hart Foundation defeated The Honky Tonk Man & Greg ‘The Hammer’ Valentine w/ Jimmy Hart by pinfall. (7:37) **

Wrestlemania VI: The Hart Foundation defeated The Bolsheviks (Boris Zhukov and Nikolai Volkoff) by pinfall. (0:19) NR

Wrestlemania VII: The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs and Jerry Saggs) w/ Jimmy Hart defeated The Hart Foundation by pinfall to capture the WWE Tag Team Championships. (12:10) **3/4

Wrestlemania VIII: Bret Hart defeated Roddy Piper by a reversal out of a sleeper into a pinfall to capture the WWE Intercontinental Championship. (13:51) ****1/4

Wrestlemania IX: Yokozuna (w/ Mr. Fuji) defeated Bret Hart by pinfall to capture the WWE Championship. (8:55) **1/2. After the match, Hulk Hogan came out to ‘avenge’ Hart, and in a impromptu match, defeated Yokozuna to become WWE Champion.

Wrestlemania X: Owen Hart defeated Bret Hart by pinfall. (20:21) *****

- Bret Hart defeated Yokozuna (w/ Mr. Fuji and Jim Cornette) by pinfall to win the WWE Championship with Roddy Piper as special referee. (10:38) **1/2

Wrestlemania XI: Bret Hart defeated Bob Backlund in a “I Quit” Match after Roddy Piper determined that the sound Backlund made into the microphone was a submission. (9:34) *

Wrestlemania XII: Shawn Michaels defeated Bret Hart in a 60-minute Iron man match (1-0) to win the WWE Championship. This occurred in overtime. (1:01:56) ****1/2

Wrestlemania 13: Bret Hart defeated Steve Austin in a Submission Match after special guest referee Ken Shamrock deemed Steve Austin unable to compete due to blood loss. (22:05) ***** Launched Steve Austin into the stratosphere, and both men flipped roles post-match.

Wrestlemania 22: Bret Hart was inducted into the Hall of Fame by Steve Austin.

Wrestlemania XXVI: Bret Hart defeated Vince McMahon by submission in a No Holds Barred Match with Bruce Hart as special referee. (11:09) *

Overall Record: 8-6 (5 pinfall victories, 2 submission victories, and one referee stoppage win. 2 battle royal losses, 4 pinfall losses.)

Overall Combined Length In-Ring: 3:27:56 (3 hours, 27 minutes, and 56 seconds. That’s about 13:12 a contest.)

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The Theory of Bad Booking: Raw, Wrestlemania, WARRIYAH!

There’s been a lot of stuff done on this blog.

Stuff like countdowns, profiles, and even a match review every now and then. 

However, what I’m about to do I haven’t done yet.

You’ve seen it in many publications, where a scribe takes random thoughts and puts down random quibbles about it.

This will be an example of that. Here we go!

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How many of you think Jericho/Punk was a work?

I certainly think so.

If you didn’t know already, Punk kicked Jericho out of the Elimination Chamber during the past PPV of the same name. Jericho not only took out a camera man but also himself from the contest.

Jericho, then got ‘cleared’ to compete, and proceeded and to win a battle royal the night after to win a Wrestlemania title match.

From this author’s point of view, this isn’t a complaint.

If anything, it just shows that WWE really knows how to blur the line between kayfabe and shoot… when they want to...

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So how about that, Sheamus and Daniel Bryan go from kicked off Wrestlemania 27 to co-headlining Wrestlemania 28.

It wasn’t too long ago that there were rumors that WWE was willing to nearly give up on these guys.

I don’t care who wins, but I do know this: outside of The Miz, this is probably the biggest promotion from one Wrestlemania to another probably in history.

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So apparently Brodus Clay’s funk train has been temporarily derailed.

On some news sites, it seems the big guy doesn’t have the full backing of one Vincent K. McMahon. McMahon has been noted as saying that the man is reckless in the ring.

This miffs me for a bit.

Brodus, after being ‘promoted’ from FCW, was on NXT with Alberto Del Rio as his mentor. After that, Clay accompanied ADR to matches and such.

Fast-forward to Extreme Rules where he was seemingly written out after an unexpectedly gory blood-letting during a ladder match.

During this time he could have went back to FCW for polishing, but apparently this has not been the case.

He had filmed a movie, and even did SEVERAL squashes on Superstars as his own generic monster hoss self.

For the longest time (no, not the Billy Joel song), Clay was hyped up to return, but Johnny Ace was always putting it off until ‘next week’.

When he did return, he less resembled Snitsky and more resembled Ernest ‘the Cat’ Miller.

Entertaining audiences around the country, he has seemingly been put on the back burner yet again.

This all goes back towards lack of FCW training.

If it turns out he was reckless at that point, then why not refine his craft? It’s not like he was shortly endeavored thus had no reason to care. The man has an upside of being a unique player in a WWE Universe full of clones.

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THIS JUST IN: Drew McIntyre, in the middle of a ridiculous losing streak, is straddled with a new gimmick of kissing guys. This was overseas in Honduras.

If Cody Rhodes was still ‘Dashing’, we’d have a brand new over-as-rover tag team!

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Wait, people are treating The Rock like a celebrity now?

This isn’t a new practice.

At the first Wrestlemania, there was Liberace, Muhammad Ali, amongst others.

Since then people like Salt n’ Pepa, Mike Tyson, Pete Rose (x3), Donald Trump, and more have appeared in segments where it’s arguable that wrestlers could have, um, wrestled.

So why is The Rock a unique case in complaints then?

Well, he did leave the WWE for Hollywood full-time in 2004, and besides the off-the-cuff appearance, didn’t have a truly competitive match until Survivor Series 2011.

The point is is that Wrestlemania is the highest-paying/most prestigious event on the calendar. The ‘boys’ in the back make that their “aspire to be here” date, where even the Battle Royal dark match could be the highest pay-day of the year.

So again, why so much heat on The Rock?

He’s not full time and still makes an impression? Too bad.

Yet he’ll help the event crack a million buys, and there’ll still be complaining. Geez…

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Kayfabe is officially dead: http://www.wweshop.com/category/Men/TShirts-Kayfabe

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So the General Managers of Raw and Smackdown are currently hurled into a feud? At least with there this is going, this won’t be bad as the last time this happened:

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Speaking of The Rock, his new DVD/Blu-ray is a welcome addition to ANY wrestling library. The documentary is top-notch, and all the supplements are a nice touch too.

Don’t forget to get the 2008 DVD too, and The Rock’s career chronicles are pretty much set.

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This will most likely be a future blog article, but I have to mention Triple H and Undertaker III for Wrestlemania 28 is official… INSIDE HELL IN THE CELL!

Fry, you know what to do!

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Off topic compared to the rest of the article, but it seems like the Ultimate Warrior will be coming out of hibernation.

Coming to Northeast Wrestling, Warrior will be appearing at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center (in Poughkeepsie, New York) in conjunction with Wrestlefest 16, the promotion’s biggest event.

As a person who has front-row tickets, I view this as a blessing that a huge legend is coming.

However, I also fear the worst.

The DVD notwithstanding, it seems that Warrior’s reputation isn’t the greatest, and the promos thought up in this man’s head are something made up not in this world.

Only time will tell what Warrior will say on March 23rd, but I’m going to remain positive that something cohesive could be churned out.

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On a last note, I’d like to quip that I’ve been doing some Wrestlemania Profiles. I’ll be hopefully doing five in total, while two are complete.

The first two done have been Shawn Michaels and Steve Austin. Look for others to be done on the way to Wrestlemania Sunday.

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Wrestlemania Profile: Stone Cold Steve Austin

Wrestlemania means a lot of different things to a lot of different people.

While some people may have invented the ‘feel’ or the ‘work ethic’ of the big day, some people were literally launched into the stratosphere by a game-day performance.

Take case in point, Steve Austin.

By the time Wrestlemania 13 hit, ‘Stone Cold’ was already on his way to the top.

After entering the WWE from ECW, a heel Steve Austin became a bland ‘Ringmaster’, mouthed by manager Ted DiBiase.

During these early WWE days, Austin became embroiled in a feud with Savio Vega. This led to a surprisingly underrated classic, which saw Austin win with a ‘Million Dollar Dream’.

Combining the defecting Ted DiBiase to a classic speech at the King of the Ring, little did Austin know that he would make the company more than a million dollars in the upcoming year. More about that here.

As 13 dawned, Austin’s nemesis in life was one ‘Hitman’ Bret Hart. The two had a feud stemming from when Austin called out ‘Hitman’ during the Mind Games pay-per-view back from that previous September.

Survivor Series didn’t end the rage, and neither did the Royal Rumble.

So on to Wrestlemania, and a ‘Submission’ match!

While much has been written on the subject, long story short it’s a beautiful match. Not only was the contest a classic, but the imagery and the post-match angles were ones for the ages too!

Blood streaming down his face, Austin’s literal image of not giving up under pressure made him somewhat a sympathetic figure, completely contrasting his ‘stone cold’ personality.

After that encounter, Austin and Hart switched roles, and Austin would go on to have three Wrestlemania title matches.

1998 saw Austin battle Shawn, who as noted in the previous profile, was burning the candle at both ends. Austin won the WWE Championship, and thus officially became ‘The Man’.

1999 saw Austin battle The Rock, who had himself carry great momentum from not-so-great beginnings. Add in Vince McMahon’s invariably-hostile ego, and we got combustible elements in the city of brotherly love. Austin overcame evil yet again, and became a 3-time WWE Champion.

Austin was absent at 2000 as he recovered from spinal fusion surgery, stemming from the botched piledriver from Summerslam 1997.

2001 saw Austin battle The Rock yet again for the title, but instead of a typical good/bad dichotomy, it was just man vs. man. Or at least until the end when Vince McMahon interfered on Austin’s behalf. It was a shocking all-time moment that led to a heel turn that will be as fondly remembered as a popcorn fart.

2002 had Austin, well, in the undercard, and none too happy about it. Austin winning was an afterthought, as serious Creative issues would force Austin’s hand to eventually ditch the company. Temporarily.

Wrestlemania XIX would be Austin’s last competitive match. The main focus of the story was revolving around newly-turned-heel Hollywood Rock, who vowed to whip the bald-headed candy ass of Austin at the grandest stage. Rock lived up to it, as he pinned Austin after delivering three poetic Rock Bottoms.

Although Austin would retire from wrestling, his involvement at Wrestlemania was far from over.

In 2004 and 2007, he special guest refereed matches. One of them featured two men who leaved the WWE immediately afterwards (Brock Lesnar/Goldberg), and the other revolved around billionaire hair (Umaga/Bobby Lashley).

2005 saw him be a guest on Piper’s Pit, which was wildly entertaining. 

Finally in 2009, Austin celebrated his Hall of Fame induction with a ‘Salute to Texas’. 

Never has ATV’s on the big stage feel like such a big deal.

Overall, Austin owes a lot of his career to a bloody still image from 13. While he had been going to the top anyway, that night in 
 Chicago sealed his fate in the best way possible. From brewskis to Stunners, Austin’s Wrestlemania work shall be described as one big, “OH HELL YEAHHHH!”
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CONTESTS
Wrestlemania XII: Steve Austin w/ Ted DiBiase defeated Savio Vega via Submission (10:00) **3/4
Wrestlemania 13: Bret Hart defeated Steve Austin in a Submission Match after special guest referee Ken Shamrock deemed Steve Austin unable to compete due to blood loss. (22:05) ***** Launched Steve Austin into the stratosphere, and both men flipped roles post-match.
Wrestlemania XIV: Steve Austin defeated Shawn Michaels via pinfall to win the WWE Championship after Mike Tyson's fast-count (20:02) ***3/4. Austin officially became 'the man' after winning the belt.
Wrestlemania XV: Steve Austin defeated The Rock via pinfall in a No Disqualification match to win the WWE Championship after Mankind made the count. (16:52) ***1/2
Wrestlemania X-Seven: Steve Austin defeated The Rock via pinfall in a No Disqualification match to win the WWE Championship after Vince McMahon interfered on Austin's behalf. (33:06) ****3/4. This was the start of Austin's ill-fated heel turn.
Wrestlemania X-8: Steve Austin defeated Scott Hall (w/ Kevin Nash) via pinfall. (9:51) **
Wrestlemania XIX: The Rock defeated Steve Austin via pinfall after delivering a THIRD Rock Bottom. (17:53) ***3/4. This was Austin's last competitive match.
Wrestlemania XX: Special guest refereed Brock Lesnar vs. Goldberg
Wrestlemania 21: Was a guest on Piper’s Pit.
Wrestlemania 23: Special guest referred “The Battle of the Billionaires”, Bobby Lashley (w/ Donald Trump) vs. Umaga (w/ Vince McMahon, Shane McMahon)
The 25th Anniversary of Wrestlemania (aka Wrestlemania 25): Was inducted into the Hall of Fame, and did ‘A Salute to Texas’ during the show.
Overall Record: 5-2 (4 pinfall victories, 1 submission victory, 1 loss due to ref stoppage, 1 pinfall loss)
Overall Combined Length In-Ring: 2:09:49. That is an average of 18:25 a match.

WrestleMania Profile: Shawn Michaels

Vince McMahon created the concept.

Howard Finkel created the name.

Hulk Hogan, with others (like Randy Savage & Andre the Giant), created the event’s big-time feel/exposure that left fans clamoring for more.

Shawn Michaels created the work ethic everyone aspires to achieve.

His record is nowhere near ‘Perfect’, and he has lost more title matches at this event than perhaps anyone else in history.

When it comes to being “Mr. Wrestlemania” however, Shawn Michaels is a mythic figure. His performances on the big show are indelible, and it is no question that every man who has competed against Shawn has left the show better off than they were.

In his early years, Shawn was one half of a popular team entitled ‘The Rockers’. With Marty Jannetty, their opponent list was unique. Whether it was big men, foreign men, or hosses, the duo got the best possible match.

Shawn’s course would take a huge left turn as he threw soon-to-be ex-partner Jannetty through a ‘Barbershop’ window in early 1992. This would mark the start of Michaels’ singles run.

It would take a few years for Shawn to get that show-stealing performance. When he did though, the road to immortality began.

At Wrestlemania X in 1994, he and Razor Ramon competed in the first Ladder Match in Wrestlemania history. The story was quite innovative, where Shawn was legitimately suspended after a failed test, but never returned the belt! Ramon won the title in a battle royal, but it was Shawn who shocked the world with having his belt on a return promo segment. What resulted was a successful blend of wrestling and ladder bumps. Shawn even made that death-defying splash from the top of the ladder, and this happened in the days where ladders had no place in wrestling!

After failing to procure the championship at XI, Shawn went into XII with gold on his mind. However, he had to prove to the ‘Hitman’ he was the ‘Iron Man’. 60 grueling minutes and overtime. Shawn proved to Bret Hart and the world he was here. With 10+ years of going through everything there is in the wrestling business, Shawn was finally on top!

The ride wouldn’t last deep into 1997.

Missing 13 due to an injury (that could be real or fake), Shawn was truly at his physical worst for XIV for 1998. A wrecked back, mainly due to a bad casket bump at the Royal Rumble, and badly addicted to painkillers, Shawn managed to create a classic with Steve Austin. It would be five years before Shawn wrestled on the big stage again.

Michaels grimaced in pain with every bump he took and every punch he threw.

Shawn’s in-ring Wrestlemania resurrection in 2003 occurred squaring off against Chris Jericho. Jericho’s career is a storied one itself, but the Lionheart noted his favorite match is the one with Michaels from Wrestlemania XIX.

This would start a pattern.

From 2003-2010, Shawn would methodically add to his legend, facing off against different men with different abilities. Big men like Undertaker would be on his plate, but also dear friends like Ric Flair, which Shawn had the unfortunate privilege of superkicking into retirement.

Oh, you thought you were going to see the HBK version? Sorry pal!

Whether it was a title match or not, Shawn gave every match his absolute all.

That’s one of the reasons why his retirement after Wrestlemania 26 was so emotional.

The buildup to the SECOND WM match with Undertaker, if you count the antics leading up to the 25 bout, lasted about three years. From the Rumble at San Antonio in 2007 to the University of Phoenix for Wrestlemania 26, Shawn was nagging at Undertaker, trying to derail the all-mighty streak, with Shawn noting in addition his career was nothing unless he ended it.

Shawn may have been done wrestling, but his Wrestlemania involvement would be far from over.

For Wrestlemania 27 in 2011, Shawn was the headline inductee into the Hall of Fame. Graced into the Hall by lifelong friend Triple H, Michaels’ main statement was that he had no regrets with his career. Judging by just this little body of work, there’s no wonder why he thinks the way he does.

Shawn was then called upon to do the one thing he wished he hadn’t: referee Triple H/Undertaker inside Hell in the Cell. Shawn told Hunter he knew who would in, and in the end, it was Undertaker. There were no alliances at all, as Shawn took as much punishment as he dished out. Shawn even kicked Undertaker into a Pedigree, but the dead man STILL KICKED OUT! Shawn would eventually count Triple H, but not before reffing 30 minutes of one of the most dramatic WrestleMania matches in history!

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CONTESTS:

Wrestlemania V: The Twin Towers (The Big Bossman & Akeem) defeated The Rockers (Shawn Michaels & Marty Jannetty). (8:02) ***

Wrestlemania VI: The Orient Express defeated The Rockers by COUNT OUT. (7:38) **1/2

Wrestlemania VII: The Rockers defeated Barbarian & Haku w/Bobby Heenan. (10:41) **3/4

Wrestlemania VIII: Shawn Michaels w/ Sensational Sherri defeated "El Matador" Tito Santana. Originally should have been vs. Marty Jannetty, but the latter had to leave due to personal problems. Shawn would induct Tito into the Hall of Fame in 2004. (10:38) **

Wrestlemania IX: Tatanka defeated Intercontinental Champion Shawn Michaels by COUNT OUT. Because championships can’t change hands on a count-out, Shawn kept the belt. (18:13) **

Wrestlemania X: Razor Ramon (aka Scott Hall) defeated Shawn Michaels to retain the Intercontinental Championship in the first ever Ladder Match in Wrestlemania history. (18:47) ****1/4

Wrestlemania XI: Diesel (aka Kevin Nash) defeated Shawn Michaels to retain the WWE Championship. Diesel was accompanied to ringside by Pamela Anderson while Shawn had Jenny McCarthy. (20:35) ***1/2

Wrestlemania XII: Shawn Michaels defeated Bret Hart in a 60-minute Iron man match (1-0) to win the WWE Championship. This occurred in overtime. (1:01:56) ****1/2

Wrestlemania 13: Shawn Michaels joined commentary for the Undertaker vs. Sid main event. He ‘lost his smile’ the month before, and thus he vacated the belt prior to ‘Mania. Also, the original match should have been a rematch of Wrestlemania XII with an Iron Man rematch.

Wrestlemania XIV: Steve Austin defeated Shawn Michaels to win the WWE Championship. Shawn would take a long sabbatical from in-ring competition due to injuries, although he would show up on WWE programming every now and then. (20:02) ***3/4

Wrestlemania XV: Shawn Michaels, as WWE Commissioner, told Vince McMahon he was not eligible to referee the main event. Shawn’s appearance garnered a huge pop.

Wrestlemania XIX: Shawn Michaels defeated Chris Jericho. Michaels’ first Wrestlemania match in five years. (22:33) ****1/2

WrestleMania XX: Chris Benoit defeated Triple H & Shawn Michaels to capture the World Heavyweight Championship. Shawn was not involved in the fall.  (24:50) ****1/2

Wrestlemania 21: Kurt Angle defeated Shawn Michaels via submission. Noted by many to be the best Wrestlemania match of both men’s careers. (27:56) *****

Wrestlemania 22: Shawn Michaels defeated Vince McMahon w/Shane McMahon in a No Holds Barred Match. (18:28) ***1/4

Wrestlemania 23: John Cena defeated Shawn Michaels by Submission to retain the WWE Championship. (28:22) ***3/4

Wrestlemania XXIV: Shawn Michaels defeated Ric Flair. Per pre-match stipulation (actually more like a long-running angle), Ric was forced to retire from WWE. (20:23) **** (3 for the match, 5 for the story, average of 4)

The 25th Anniversary of Wrestlemania (aka Wrestlemania 25): The Undertaker defeated Shawn Michaels. (30:56) ****3/4

Wrestlemania XXVI: The Undertaker defeated Shawn Michaels in a No Disqualification, No Count-Out Match. Per pre-match stipulation, Shawn was forced to retire from the WWE. (24:04) ****1/2

WrestleMania XXVII: Shawn Michaels was inducted into the Hall of Fame as the headlining inductee.

WrestleMania XXVIII: Shawn Michaels was the special guest referee in the “End of an Era Hell in the Cell” Match between Triple H and The Undertaker. After many close-calls and punishment, Shawn counted Triple H’s shoulders down 1-2-3. ‘Taker, HBK, and Triple H stood atop of the stage proud of their accomplishment.

Overall Record: 6-11

Overall Combined Length In-Ring: 6:25:04 (6 hours, 25 minutes, 4 seconds. I haven’t done math on anyone else, but THIS HAS TO BE A RECORD!)

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WWE PG Post

Professional wrestling, sports entertainment, whatever you call it, always has to change in order to survive.

That’s why in 2008, WWE made a radical transformation.

Around the time of WrestleMania 24, Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels were told explicitly NOT to have blood in their match. The reason being that the company was apparently going in a more family-friendly direction.

It wasn’t until June of that year when the PG rating became official, but to be honest, PG was the rule for a good little while before the change went into effect.

While there are positives about this, there are some glaring negatives.

To start this, we’ll start with some positives.

With the PG rating, the WWE had to drop those really dumb/raunchy angles. Although they had been dropping by the wayside for a time, angles like a proposed Paul Burchill/Katie Lea Burchill incest story would have been detrimental to business. Seriously, imagine that angle playing in your head.Would that story make ratings history? Surely I jest NOT!

In addition, there would be no outrageously raunchy gimmicks like ‘The Dicks’ appearing on your screen. That was some needlessly embarrassing time filler back in 2007, one that RD Reynolds would take great joy in inducting to Wrestlecrap. Dumb gimmicks will never die that is for certain, but at least we got the illogical juvenile characters out of the way.

However, the best thing about PG in this humble blogger’s opinion has been how, over time, the WWE finally got the message to get younger talent entering the main event scene.

2009 was a really rough year for WWE programming.  All the big angles were carried on the backs of John Cena, Randy Orton, Batista, D-Generation X (Shawn Michaels and Triple H), Big Show, Chris Jericho, Jeff Hardy, Undertaker, and Edge. It seemed as if the main event scene was the only portion of the card that mattered, while the future superstars in the lower portions of the card were swept aside.

As 2010 went on, it seemed like main eventers were dropping like flies. Shawn Michaels retired per stipulation at Wrestlemania 26. Batista left the company after his contract lapsed. Triple H greatly reduced his on-screen role to fulfill corporate obligations off-screen. Chris Jericho took another hiatus. Undertaker had been wisely fixing himself up for the Wrestlemania wars, while Edge abruptly retired in 2011 due to exacerbating neck issues.

All these guys were gone, and there were men eager to not only step up to the plate, but prove to the fans that the world is theirs.

One example is a man named Sheamus. Although he had debuted only a few months prior to TLC 2009, the big Irishman made a big impact, and thus was thrust into a main event with John Cena. Little buildup aside, Sheamus won the WWE Championship with throwing Cena off the turnbuckles through a table. Over the last few years, he’s been a great example of how to improve while being in the public eye.

Another example is Dolph Ziggler. Nick Nemeth has been saddled with CRAP to begin his WWE career. Imagine being a caddy for Kerwin White, a Mexican who turns out to be white? Nick lived it! Imagine being a male cheerleader being fed to D-X every week, and then getting the ultimate burial of being slapped in a OVW (Ohio Valley Wrestling) box? Yep, him too. Originally a porn star gimmick, Dolph’s introduction was that he, well, he introduced himself. Slowly but surely, Dolph became a player, and now might find himself amongst the top of the mountain. The RAW after WrestleMania 29 saw Ziggler FINALLY cash in Money in the Bank, thus becoming a LEGIT World Heavyweight Champion!

Then there is also MARK HENRY. A WWE employee since 1996, he has a mark in just about every era. However, it wasn’t until a rebirth in 2011 that showed the big man’s new-found potential. Long labeled a disappointment in his WWE tenure, Henry was seemingly a guy Vince should have cut loose the day the 10-year contract expired. Shockingly, Henry made a ‘Hall of Pain’, and had a lot to gain as a result.

He became a DOMINANT World Heavyweight Champion sidelined only by injury. His earth-shattering style provokes fear in all of his opponents. In an era where wrestlers from the indies regularly impress with their nicely distributed array of styles, having the monster in Henry is a nice testament to the roster pool.

There are many other examples, such as CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, and ZACK RYDER, that could be used just as effectively to promote this point. Go to YouTube and just watch video after video. It’ll be worth it!

Let’s also not forget the fact that WWE, during the PG era, has also become stable in the ratings while trying to expand to new areas. WWE Films has made several new movies, some of which have made legitimate dents in the box office. The Rock’s movie career has only given WWE MORE exposure. Although the WWE Network seems to be a ways off (hell, it may not ever launch), the WWEFanNation YouTube channel seems to bring exciting and innovative new programs to WWE’s viral repertoire. Even if a lot of the original programming mentioned in the original post is gone, there is still a lot of current/classic footage posted to satisfy the most casual fan.

While the positives have been explored and not talked about much, the negatives have been drawn out since the day of the inception.

Lack of blood seems to be the hot topic issue. While this blogger doesn’t have any problems with the absence of someone blading every week unnecessarily, it seems like more dramatic moments are missing that something extra. There are Elimination Chamber and Hell in the Cell PPV’s, all of which have 2 or more contests apiece within the confinements. For those new fans out there, let me tell you something: these cage matches are the end-all be-all matches. They are feud escalators/enders in which combatants who truly hate each other tear each other to bits. In this era, it is unbelievable for someone to have their head smashed into either chain or mesh then come out unscathed. It’s a degree of legitimacy that’s been yanked for the sake of audience share. Most fans do not agree with this, and I am on that bandwagon. Blood is like sweets on the nutritional pyramid: USE IT SPARINGLY (but effectively).

Another issue is the severe limitation of ‘hardcore’ elements. In the last few years, medical research has shown the damning results of these wars. Between a more family-friendly demographic, multiple Senate races, and legitimate medical consultation, WWE made it a point to fine anyone who delivers unsafe head shots. While this sounds all fine and dandy 9 times out of 10, let’s also figure that time #10 is a match that NEEDS that one or perhaps two blows. Like a Last Man Standing affair or Hell in the Cell, that chair shot could be the end. Only the main eventers should be allowed to do this with the warning that something bad could happen. With appropriate testing and contract waivers, a protected shot to the cranium can truly make an average angle spectacular.

Shockingly, this blogger’s biggest complaint of the PG era isn’t the lack of blood or the lack of weapon usage.
Instead, it seems to be WWE’s commitment to create programming that will attract the lowest common denominator.
You know it’s really bad when D-Generation X, a faction originally born out of immature/jackass behavior, suddenly has a leprechaun in order to be kid-friendly.

You know it’s also really bad when there are times when people have to substitute originally “non-kid-friendly” terms for other ones.. When Steve Austin had his “Guest Host” spot on RAW in 2009, he could not say ANY of his catchphrases at all. It was as if WWE didn’t know what was PG or even G.

While there could be other examples of negative-PG, it seems as if every WWE era will have positives and/or negatives. How a fan views these issues are definitely equivalent to their enjoyment of the product.  The way I see it: the sky is the limit. As long as WWE can catch fire with hot talents, use them effectively, and bring up the product around them, there is no reason why there cannot be another boom period.

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IN CONCLUSION:

Professional wrestling, sports entertainment, whatever you call it, always has to change in order to survive.

That’s why in 2008, WWE made a radical transformation.

While it may not be perfect or ideal, it seems like WWE is hammering away at making the product better.

With less focus on stupid gimmicks and more attention on the up-and-comers, the WWE has slowly but surely been improving their on-screen product in the last few years.
However, no one notices it because they’re too busy bitching about the rating on the upper-left-hand corner on the screen.

Let me tell you something:

Every WWE era, whether it was Rock N’ Wrestling, New Generation, or Attitude, had somewhat-equal doses of positives and negatives. Sure wrestling may not be what it was then, but at the same time, the business is cyclical.

If/when the WWE gets another boom period, which should come rather unexpectedly, I’ll laugh at the people who said the company died because their rating changed. The philosophy is stupid, childish, and immature.

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The Story/Statistics of the Elimination Chamber

Let’s reset the clock. The fall of 2002 to be exact.

While the Monday Night War had been put to bed by over a year at this point, Eric Bischoff had another war to fight.

This time, as General Manager of RAW, he had to combat the voluptuous Stephanie McMahon of SMACKDOWN.

On the blue brand, Stephanie put Brock Lesnar, WWE Champion, inside Hell in the Cell with The Undertaker.  What resulted was an instant classic, full of brutal savagery that was the pinnacle of the feud at hand.

Bischoff knew he had to do something in order to counter-act this.

Enter the Elimination Chamber.

Announced on RAW shortly after No Mercy where the Hell in the Cell match took place, Bischoff announced five men to be in the match, with the sixth (Shawn Michaels) answering his invitation later.

This device of disaster was hidden from public view until the big day. When Survivor Series 2002 hit, no one realized what it’s full potential could be.

16 feet tall and 36 feet wide, this pentagonal-shaped structure of pain was designed to let men inflict severe damage upon one another.

There are three other notes to keep in mind when talking about the Chamber:

1. The “cage”, or what we know as the outer portion, is held together by chains. Not steel mesh, or blue bars, but chains like you’d see on tires in the winter time. There is about two tons of the material inside the chamber. When the PG rules went into effect, it was really hard not to imagine blood there because these chains really do inflict damage.

2. Connecting said cage to the ring, steel grates were built-in. Imagine if you were body-slammed onto your barbeque grill. That’s the concept in a nutshell. Now imagine superstars being hurled like cord-wood over the top and onto the floor! YEE-OUCH!

3. There are PODS in the damn thing. One pod for each corner of the ring, they are topped in chain, with plexiglass concealing it’s inhabitant from the outside action. This glass apparently can stop bullets, but not WWE superstars!

It maybe bulletproof, but it ain’t KANE PROOF!

In the first Chamber environment, it was a contest with the World Heavyweight Championship on the line.

To read more about the event and the match itself, please click on this review conjured up here.

If you didn’t click, long story short: it was a wonderfully done match, despite the pratfalls and botches that nearly conspired to ruin the thing. Triple H getting his throat crushed on a five-star from Rob Van Dam is one example, while certain superstars missing cues to do things is another.

Over the next decade, the Chamber laid waste to many superstars. With or without titles on the line, everyone who stepped foot into the Chamber walked out a changed person than what they were before.

Let’s take a look at the records of the men who have competed inside the Chamber:

Superstar	Record
Triple H	4-2 Won World Heavyweight Championship (1x) (2005) Won WWE Championship (1x) (2009 SMACKDOWN) Retained WHC (1x) (2003) Lost WHC (1x) (2002) Won #1 Contender (1x) (2008 RAW)
Shawn Michaels	1-3 Won WHC (1x) (2002) Ref’ed 2005 Chamber Screwed Undertaker out of WHC in 2010.
Chris Jericho	1-5 Won WHC (1x) (2010 SMACKDOWN)
Rob Van Dam	0-2
Booker T	0-1
Kane	0-5
Goldberg	0-1
Randy Orton	0-3
Kevin Nash	0-1
Edge	2-2 Won WHC Championship (1x) (2009 RAW) Lost WWE Championship (1x) (2009 SMACKDOWN) Retained WHC (1x) (2011 SMACKDOWN)
Chris Benoit	0-1
Batista	0-2
John Cena	3-1 Retained WWE Championship (1x) (2006 NYR) Won WWE Championship (1x) (2010 RAW) Lost WHC (1x) (2009 RAW) Won #1 Contender (1x) (2011 RAW)
Carlito	0-1
Chris Masters	0-1
Kurt Angle	0-1
Big Show	0-3 Lost ECW Championship (1x) (2006 D2D)
Hardcore Holly	0-1
CM Punk	0-3
Test	0-1
Bobby Lashley	1-0 Won ECW Championship (1x) (2006 D2D)
Finlay	0-1
MVP	0-1
The Great Khali	0-1
Big Daddy V	0-1
JBL	0-1
Umaga	0-1
Jeff Hardy	0-2
Vladimir Kozlov	0-1
Rey Mysterio	0-3
Mike Knox	0-1
Kofi Kingston	0-1
John Morrison	0-2
R-Truth	0-2
Drew McIntyre	0-1
Wade Barrett	0-1
Sheamus	0-2 Lost WWE Championship (1x) (2010 RAW)
Undertaker	1-2 Won #1 Contender (1x) (2008 SMACKDOWN) Lost WHC (1x) (2010 SMACKDOWN)
Ted DiBiase (Jr.)	0-1
John Morrison	0-2

 

Now before you start scratching your head at some of these, there are some statistics to go over.

- Triple H went coast-to-coast in 2002 (as in he started the match and was also there at the end).

- Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho started a Chamber match twice (2003 and 2008 RAW).

- Edge is the only man to compete in two EC’s in one night. After losing the WWE Championship within the first five minutes of the SMACKDOWN match, Edge took Kofi Kingston out of the RAW match and went on to win the World Heavyweight Championship.

- Summerslam 2003 featured the shortest amount of time in-between combatants. In that match, it was three minutes.

- As noted above, Kane has lost the most amount of Chamber matches without winning one. Chris Jericho’s saving grace was the WHC victory in 2010 SMACKDOWN.

- Undertaker has been amongst the final two in all three matches he has been in. He defeated Batista in 2008 on a wicked Tombstone reversal. In 2009 he was pinned clean by Triple H. In 2010, he was taken out by Shawn Michaels, then pinned by Chris Jericho to lose the World Heavyweight Championship. Between Triple H/Shawn Michaels/Batista, they account for five  of ‘Taker’s matches at Wrestlemania.

- Triple H has been amongst the final two in all six matches he has been in. After losing the 2002 Survivor Series match, Triple H didn’t lose a Chamber match until 2010 when he lost to John Cena via a submission.

- Speaking of John Cena, he has one stat unique to him. He has lost the WWE Championship twice right after an Elimination Chamber match. At 2006’s New Year’s Revolution, he lost to Edge, who had Money in the Bank cashed in. In 2010, he lost to Batista, who had title match granted to him. Both announcements were made by Vince McMahon.

 

- Shawn Michaels is the only man to compete, referee. and interfere in EC matches.

- Undertaker was nearly fried extra crispy in 2010. During his entrance, the fire pyro went up at the wrong place and time, and thus the Phenom more than felt it. He is the only man to be injured during a Chamber match for something other than the match itself.

- Since 2008 when the EC was relegated to the February PPV, the last men standing who were CHAMPIONS have compiled a record of 4-1 at Wrestlemania. The only loser was Edge in 2009 when he lost the WHC to John Cena in a Triple Threat match. For anyone wondering, John Cena did indeed win the WWE Championship in the 2010 RAW Chamber match, and although he lost it mere minutes later, he would re-win the title at Wrestlemania, so the statistic still stands.

-Since 2008 when the EC was relegated to the February PPV, the last men standing who were #1 Contenders have compiled a record of 1-2 at Wrestlemania. The only winner was when Undertaker defeated Batista in the SMACKDOWN 2008 match, then defeated Edge for the WHC at Wrestlemania. Triple H lost at that year’s ‘Mania to Randy Orton, who actually pinned John Cena in that Triple Threat contest. Also, John Cena won his #1 contender RAW match from 2011, but lost at Wrestlemania to The Miz.

- Dolph Ziggler was “fired” from SMACKDOWN in 2011 (for a short time), and therefore his spot in that EC was opened up. Big Show filled the slot.

To wrap this up, this should be the hype-up page for the Chamber coming up February 19th. It’s amongst the most brutal matches in wrestling history, and there hasn’t been a totally bad match of the bunch. Should be a good PPV with two really good Chamber matches, everyone should enjoy this one!

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