WrestleMania Matches Lost in Time

We all have our favourite WrestleMania matches and we all remember the main-events, the huge grudge matches, the unforgettable ladder matches and most of the title switches, but what about those undercard matches that exceeded all expectation or helped push a wrestler on to greater things?

That’s the focus of this little article as we scan across the decades and pick out the forgotten undercard classic from each of the previous WrestleManias and, for WrestleMania XXX, we make a bold prediction as to which of the undercard bouts will join its brethren.

Location: Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York
Date: March 31st, 1985
Attendance: 19,121

THE MATCH: King Kong Bundy (w/ Jimmy Hart) v S.D. Jones

WHY IT’S FORGOTTEN: Because WrestleMania I was a one-match show.

WHY IT’S GREAT: It put Bundy on the map as a killer monster heel and set up his next 12 months where his run would culminate in a main-event WWF Championship against Hulk Hogan, inside a cage, at WrestleMania II.

Location: Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, New York; Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, Illinios; L.A. Sports Arena, Los Angeles California
Date: April 7th, 1986
Attendance: 40,085 (combined from all three venues)

THE MATCH: Jake “The Snake” Roberts v George Wells

WHY IT’S FORGOTTEN: Among the hype of “three cities, three main-events”, the Battle Royal, Hogan v Bundy in a cage and The Bulldogs reaching the summit, this match had little chance to enter the collective memory of wrestling fans.

WHY IT’S GREAT: Jake Roberts makes his WrestleMania debut and most of the fans of the WWF get their first glimpse at the finisher of the era… the DDT.

Location: Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan
Date: March 29th, 1987
Attendance: 93,173

THE MATCH: The Hart Foundation & Danny Davis (w/ Jimmy Hart) v The British Bulldogs & Tito Santana

WHY IT’S FORGOTTEN: Hogan v André and Savage v Steamboat. You’ll be hard pushed to have anyone name another match when asked about WrestleMania III.

WHY IT’S GREAT: This was a fun six-man that extended the great Bulldogs / Harts rivalry and had a well-worked finish.

Location: Trump Plaza, Atlantic City, New Jersey
Date: March 27th, 1988
Attendance: 18,165

THE MATCH: 20-Man Battle Royal

WHY IT’S FORGOTTEN: There was a little tournament going on at the time.

WHY IT’S GREAT: The match itself was a really good Battle Royal, but it’s the closing moments that clinch the spot on the list. Bret Hart and Bad News Brown work together as heels to eliminate the good guys and are going to share the money… until Bad News blasts Bret with the Ghettoblaster and dumps him over the top. Hart returns, turns face and destroys the trophy. Hmmm… Bret Hart being a sore loser. Whodathunkit?

Location: Trump Plaza, Atlantic City, New Jersey
Date: April 2nd, 1989
Attendance: 18,946

THE MATCH: The Brain Busters (w/ Bobby Heenan) v Strike Force

WHY IT’S FORGOTTEN: THE MEGA-POWERS COLLIDE!!! All eyes were on Savage and Hogan.

WHY IT’S GREAT: The Brain Busters (Tully & Arn) were one of the best in-ring teams of the era and Strike Force were an underrated commodity who were having some trouble. The action was great tag-team wrestling and the finish broke up Strike Force, giving us a heel Rick Martel and saw Tito blasted with a spike piledriver; a move so devastating, The New Age Outlaws brought it back for their initial run.

Location: Skydome, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Date: April 1st, 1990
Attendance: 67,678

THE MATCH: The Orient Express (w/ Mr. Fuji) v The Rockers

WHY IT’S FORGOTTEN: Warrior v Hogan. Nothing else on this card could complete and a lot of people would struggle to name one other match on this card.

WHY IT’S GREAT: These teams had great chemistry and while they would have a better match at Royal Rumble 1991, this is a great little tag-match between two teams who had mastered the art of tag-team psychology.

Location: Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, California
Date: March 24th, 1991
Attendance: 16,158

THE MATCH: Jake “The Snake” Roberts v “The Model” Rick Martel

WHY IT’S FORGOTTEN: With WWE continuing Gulf War I even though it ended in January and the amazingly good Savage v Warrior match, it’s easy to see why the rest of the card could slip through the cracks.

WHY IT’S GREAT: Possibly the first blindfold match most of us saw, this is also the only blindfold match that didn’t completely suck. The build-up to this made the stipulation make sense (Martel had sprayed his Arrogance perfume into the eyes of Jake, blinding him for a while – Roberts even showed up to conduct an interview and showed his bad eye to the world; which was quite a shock to the WWF fans in 1991). The psychological genius of Jake Roberts was at the fore here as he masterly worked both the gimmick and the fans on the way to a well-received DDT victory. “The Model” also deserves credit for the bumbling fool he portrayed in this one.

Location: Hoosier Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana
Date: April 5th, 1992
Attendance: 62,167

THE MATCH: The Undertaker (w/ Paul Bearer) v Jake “The Snake” Roberts

WHY IT’S FORGOTTEN: Hogan v Sid, the (first) return of the Warrior, Randy v Flair, “She was mine before she was yours” and Bret v Piper all conspire to leave this as a footnote in history.

WHY IT’S GREAT: Great may be an overstatement, but it is a really good match considering the limitations of the Undertaker character at this time. As with the previous year’s bout, Jake used his mastery of in-ring psychology to build a methodical structure around Undertaker’s perceived invulnerability. Three DDTs couldn’t get it done and a Tombstone on the floor saw that The Streak was officially on.

Location: Ceasers Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada
Date: April 4th, 1993
Attendance: 16,891

THE MATCH: Doink the Clown v Crush

WHY IT’S FORGOTTEN: Mainly because the entirety of WrestleMania IX has been scrubbed from the memory of most of us.

WHY IT’S GREAT: Heel Doink is one of WWE’s best creations, but also one of the biggest missed opportunities. Here, against his first real rival in Crush, he has a chance to shine on the big stage (unfortunately at the least-liked ‘Mania) and the conclusion with TWO clowns was great. As with anything, they built on it, but then ruined it by turning Doink face, giving him Dink and then just destroying any credibility the character ever had. In summary; Heel Doink = Good, Face Doink = Not Good.

Location: Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York
Date: March 20th, 1994
Attendance: 18,065

THE MATCH: Randy Savage v Crush (w/ Mr. Fuji)

WHY IT’S FORGOTTEN: Between the amazing opener of Bret v Owen, the stunning Ladder Match and the site of Bret Hart finally toppling Yokozuna in revenge for the WrestleMania IX debacle, the rest of the card was always going to be an afterthought.

WHY IT’S GREAT: The first real attempt at “hardcore” wrestling on WWE television, this had an interesting premise whereby you had to pin your opponent outside the ring, get back between the ropes and then your opponent had a count of ten to do the same. Basically, a variant on a Texas Death Match. Crush had defected to the dark side after apparently being slighted by Randy Savage (Macho Man didn’t call him after Yokozuna had put him on the injured list). This, of course, meant they had to fight and they brawled all over, with Savage finally pinning Crush backstage and then hanging him upside down to prevent any chance of the strongman getting back to the ring.

Location: Hartford Civic Centre, Hartford Connecticut
Date: April 2nd, 1995
Attendance: 16,305

THE MATCH: Bret Hart v Bob Backlund

WHY IT’S FORGOTTEN: Diesel v Shawn, Pamela Anderson, Lawrence Taylor and Owen Hart’s mystery partner all relegated this down.

WHY IT’S GREAT: Another example of following up on a long-term story, this saw Bret Hart out to avenge his loss to Bob Backlund at the previous year’s Survivor Series. Roddy Piper was the referee (as he had been for Bret’s match at WMX) and the world had already seen Bob Backlund beat Bret for the title and place him an a submission hold Hart seemingly could not escape. This led to the the great sight of Bret Hart finishing Backlund with his own hold. It’s always nice when you have a story that has a logical beginning-middle-end to it.

Location: Arrowhead Pond, Anaheim, California
Date: March 31st, 1996
Attendance: 18,853

THE MATCH: Steve Austin (w/ Ted DiBiase) v Savio Vega

WHY IT’S FORGOTTEN: The Iron Man Match, Warrior’s (second) return, the (rather fun) Backlot Brawl and Undertaker v Diesel were all more prominent.

WHY IT’S GREAT: It’s Steve Austin’s WrestleMania debut and, for some reason, he and Savio just worked really well together. This was the start of the build towards DiBiase leaving WWE, so we were about to get Stone Cold, but this match is a great little forgotten gem with a great finish that preserved the standing of both men going forward.

Location: Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, Illinois
Date: March 23rd, 1997
Attendance: 18,197

THE MATCH: Owen Hart & The British Bulldog v Mankind and Vader (w/ Paul Bearer)

WHY IT’S FORGOTTEN: Shawn Michaels lost his smile, Bret v Austin created history and Undertaker won the WWF Championship.

WHY IT’S GREAT: Owen Hart & The British Bulldog were just a fantastic tag-team and their combination of power and grace contrasted very well with the brutality and power of Vader and insanity of Mankind. The two teams put forth a great effort and the action was very well received. As for the finish; while a clean end is preferrable, the double count-out at least made sense here.

Location: Fleetcenter, Boston, Massachusetts
Date: March 29th, 1998
Attendance: 19,028

THE MATCH: Marc Mero & Sable v TAFKA Goldust & Luna

WHY IT’S FORGOTTEN: The ascension of Steve Austin to the WWF Championship, Mike Tyson and the first battle between Undertaker and Kane were all hyped coming in and where what stayed with the collective consciousness when all was said and done.

WHY IT’S GREAT: Sable was making her in-ring debut and it was felt that she would stand on the apron and look pretty before coming in at the end, hitting some feeble offence and then pinning Luna unconvincingly. The reality was as far removed from that prediction as you could imagine. Sable landed a fantastic superkick to Goldust, carried the rest of match like a pro and hit a great powerbomb / TKO combo to win the match for her team.

Location: First Union Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Date: March 28th, 1999
Attendance: 20,276

THE MATCH: Butterbean v Bart Gunn

WHY IT’S FORGOTTEN: It only lasted 36 seconds and was on the same card as the first WM meeting of Rock and Austin.

WHY IT’S GREAT: It only lasted 36 seconds, but in that time, Bart Gunn absorbed two absolutely evil shots from Butterbean and the rotund fighter again showed why it is not advisable for those who compete in a worked environment to enter the shoot world. It is a shame, however, how WWE decided to completely ignore Bart Gunn as he wasn’t the one they wanted to win the Brawl for All tournament.

Cookie	Description
_pxvid	This cookie is used for detection of the browser and distinguishing whether it is a real user or malicious bot.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisement	The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Advertisement".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics	This cookies is set by GDPR Cookie Consent WordPress Plugin. The cookie is used to remember the user consent for the cookies under the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-non-necessary	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Non Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance	This cookie is used to keep track of which cookies the user have approved for this site.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-preferences	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Preferences".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-uncategorized	The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Uncategorized".
CraftSessionId	This cookie name is associated with the Craft web content management system, where is functions as an anonymous session identifier.
csrftoken	This cookie is associated with Django web development platform for python. Used to help protect the website against Cross-Site Request Forgery attacks
DSID	To note specific user identity. Contains hashed/encrypted unique ID.
JSESSIONID	Used by sites written in JSP. General purpose platform session cookies that are used to maintain users' state across page requests.
PHPSESSID	This cookie is native to PHP applications. The cookie is used to store and identify a users' unique session ID for the purpose of managing user session on the website. The cookie is a session cookies and is deleted when all the browser windows are closed.
viewed_cookie_policy	The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.

Cookie	Description
b30msc
btc
CMST
cref
d
gpl
i
icts
ig_did
mdata
na_rn
na_sc_e
na_sr
na_srp
session_depth
visitor-id

Cookie	Description
__gads	This cookie is set by Google and stored under the name dounleclick.com. This cookie is used to track how many times users see a particular advert which helps in measuring the success of the campaign and calculate the revenue generated by the campaign. These cookies can only be read from the domain that it is set on so it will not track any data while browsing through another sites.
__stid	The cookie is set by ShareThis. The cookie is used for site analytics to determine the pages visited, the amount of time spent, etc.
_ga	This cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to calculate visitor, session, camapign data and keep track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookies store information anonymously and assigns a randoly generated number to identify unique visitors.
_gat_gtag_UA_60765351_1	Google uses this cookie to distinguish users.
_gid	This cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to store information of how visitors use a website and helps in creating an analytics report of how the wbsite is doing. The data collected including the number visitors, the source where they have come from, and the pages viisted in an anonymous form.
ad-id	Provided by amazon-adsystem.com for tracking user actions on other websites to provide targeted content
demdex	This cookie is set under the domain demdex.net and is used by Adobe Audience Manager to help identify a unique visitor across domains.
DigiTrust.v1.identity	Registers data on visitors’ website-behaviour. This is used for internal analysis and website optimization.
dmvk	This cookie is set by DailyMotion who display videos, it registers statistical data of visitors' behaviour on the website.
gid	This cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to store information of how visitors use a website and helps in creating an analytics report of how the wbsite is doing. The data collected including the number visitors, the source where they have come from, and the pages viisted in an anonymous form.
GPS	This cookie is set by Youtube and registers a unique ID for tracking users based on their geographical location
is_unique	This cookie is set by StatCounter to determine how people are using the website
is_visitor_unique	This cookie is set by StatCounter to determine how people are using the website
sc_is_visitor_unique	This cookie is set by StatCounter to determine how people are using the website
v1st	This is set by DailyMotion to display videos.

Cookie	Description
__asc	This cookie is used to collect information on consumer behavior, which is sent to Alexa Analytics.
__auc	This cookie is used to collect information on consumer behavior, which is sent to Alexa Analytics.
__qca	This cookie is associated with Quantcast and is used for collecting anonymized data to analyze log data from different websites to create reports that enables the website owners and advertisers provide ads for the appropriate audience segments.
_cc_aud	The cookie is set by crwdcntrl.net. The purpose of the cookie is to collect statistical information in an anonymous form about the visitors of the website. The data collected include number of visits, average time spent on the website, and the what pages have been loaded. These data are then used to segment audiences based on the geographical location, demographic, and user interest provide relevant content and for advertisers for targeted advertising.
_cc_cc	The cookie is set by crwdcntrl.net. The purpose of the cookie is to collect statistical information in an anonymous form about the visitors of the website. The data collected include number of visits, average time spent on the website, and the what pages have been loaded. These data are then used to segment audiences based on the geographical location, demographic, and user interest provide relevant content and for advertisers for targeted advertising.
_cc_dc	The cookie is set by crwdcntrl.net. The purpose of the cookie is to collect statistical information in an anonymous form about the visitors of the website. The data collected include number of visits, average time spent on the website, and the what pages have been loaded. These data are then used to segment audiences based on the geographical location, demographic, and user interest provide relevant content and for advertisers for targeted advertising.
_cc_id	The cookie is set by crwdcntrl.net. The purpose of the cookie is to collect statistical information in an anonymous form about the visitors of the website. The data collected include number of visits, average time spent on the website, and the what pages have been loaded. These data are then used to segment audiences based on the geographical location, demographic, and user interest provide relevant content and for advertisers for targeted advertising.
_kuid_	The cookie is set by Krux Digital under the domain krxd.net. The cookie stores a unique ID to identify a returning user for the purpose of targeted advertising.
_px2	This cookie is set by PerimeterX who provide security analyst oversight.
_pxff_tm	This cookie is set by PerimeterX who provide security analyst oversight.
_pxhd	This cookie is set by PerimeterX who provide security analyst oversight.
ab	This cookie is generally provided by agkn.com and is used for advertising purposes.
ad-privacy	Provided by amazon-adsystem.com for tracking user actions on other websites to provide targeted content to the users.
ayl_visitor	This cookie registers data on the visitor. The information is used to optimize advertisement relevance.
bafp	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bafp_t	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bfp_sn	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bfp_sn_pl	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bfp_sn_rf_8b2087b102c9e3e5ffed1c1478ed8b78	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bfp_sn_rt_8b2087b102c9e3e5ffed1c1478ed8b78	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bfp_sn_t_8b2087b102c9e3e5ffed1c1478ed8b78	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bfp_sn_td_2d31c94105a0aa6d1ceaea0c86c6b656	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bito	This cookie is generally provided by bidr.io and is used for advertising purposes.
bitoIsSecure	This cookies are generally provided by bidr.io and is used for advertising purposes.
bsc	The cookies is set by ownerIQ for the purpose of providing relevant advertisement
CMID	This cookie is linked to advertising and tracking the products users were looking at.
CMPRO	This cookie is linked to advertising and tracking the products users were looking at.
CMPS	This cookie is linked to advertising and tracking the products users were looking at.
dc_id	This cookie is used to deliver adverts more relevant to you and your interests. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advertisement as well as help measure the effectiveness of the advertising campaign. They are usually placed by advertising networks with the website operator's permission. They remember that you have visited a website and this information is shared with other organisations such as advertisers.
did	The purpose of the cookie is to identify a visitor to serve relevant advertisement.
didts	The purpose of the cookie is to identify a visitor to serve relevant advertisement.
dpm	The cookie is set by demdex.net. This cookie assigns a unique ID to each visiting user that allows third-party advertisers target that users with relevant ads.
eud	This cookie is from Rocket Fuel and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
euds	This cookie is from Rocket Fuel and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
everest_g_v2	The cookie is set under eversttech.net domain. The purpose of the cookie is to map clicks to other events on the client's website.
evo5_popin_instance	Prevents an interaction from reoccurring for visitors not accepting 3rd party cookies.
id	This cookie is set by DoubleClick (which is owned by Google) to build a profile of the website visitor's interests and show relevant ads on other sites.
IDE	Used by Google DoubleClick and stores information about how the user uses the website and any other advertisement before visiting the website. This is used to present users with ads that are relevant to them according to the user profile.
io.narrative.guid.v2	This cookie is generally provided by io.narrative.io and is used for advertising purposes.
KADUSERCOOKIE	This cookie is generally provided by pubmatic.com and is used for advertising purposes.
KTPCACOOKIE	This cookie is generally provided by pubmatic.com and is used for advertising purposes.
matchliveramp	This cookie is provided by w55c.net and is used for advertising purposes.
mc	This cookie is associated with Quantserve to track anonymously how a user interact with the website.
mxpim	This cookie is generally provided by mxptint.net for advertising purposes.
na_tc	This is a Social Media sharing tracking cookie.
NID	This cookie is used to a profile based on user's interest and display personalized ads to the users.
nnls	The purpose of the cookie is to identify a visitor to serve relevant advertisement.
pxrc	The purpose of the cookie is to identify a visitor to serve relevant advertisement.
pxvid	This cookie is set by PerimeterX who provide security analyst oversight.
rlas3	The cookie is set by rlcdn.com. The cookie is used to serve relevant ads to the visitor as well as limit the time the visitor sees an and also measure the effectiveness of the campaign.

Cookie	Description
__jid	Cookies set on the website by the third-party commenting platform Disqus.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
disqus_unique	These cookies are set by Disqus so that users can comment on website/platform.
G_ENABLED_IDPS	The cookie is used by Google and is used for Google Single Sign On.
mid	The cookie is set by Instagram. The cookie is used to distinguish users and to show relevant content, for better user experience and security.
na_id	This cookie is set by Addthis.com to enable sharing of links on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter
ouid	The cookie is set by Addthis which enables the content of the website to be shared across different networking and social sharing websites.
ov	This is a generic functional cookie that provides enhanced functionality and personalisation.
ts	This cookie is generally provided by PayPal and supports payment services in the website.
vuid	These cookies are used by the Vimeo video player on websites.

WrestleMania matches lost in time

Location: Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York Date: March 31st, 1985 Attendance: 19,121

Location: Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, New York; Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, Illinios; L.A. Sports Arena, Los Angeles California Date: April 7th, 1986 Attendance: 40,085 (combined from all three venues)

Location: Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan Date: March 29th, 1987 Attendance: 93,173

Location: Trump Plaza, Atlantic City, New Jersey Date: March 27th, 1988 Attendance: 18,165

Location: Trump Plaza, Atlantic City, New Jersey Date: April 2nd, 1989 Attendance: 18,946

Location: Skydome, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Date: April 1st, 1990 Attendance: 67,678

Location: Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, California Date: March 24th, 1991 Attendance: 16,158

Location: Hoosier Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana Date: April 5th, 1992 Attendance: 62,167

Location: Ceasers Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada Date: April 4th, 1993 Attendance: 16,891

Location: Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York Date: March 20th, 1994 Attendance: 18,065

Location: Hartford Civic Centre, Hartford Connecticut Date: April 2nd, 1995 Attendance: 16,305

Location: Arrowhead Pond, Anaheim, California Date: March 31st, 1996 Attendance: 18,853

Location: Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, Illinois Date: March 23rd, 1997 Attendance: 18,197

Location: Fleetcenter, Boston, Massachusetts Date: March 29th, 1998 Attendance: 19,028

Location: First Union Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Date: March 28th, 1999 Attendance: 20,276

You might also like

FIND THE TOPICS YOU WANT...

Recommended for you