Joel: Like WrestleMania V before it, WrestleMania VI is a show that knows how to build and put on a WrestleMania main event, but pretty much does so at the expense of every other match on the card. So much so that by the middle of the card, I was having to check Wikipedia to remind me of the outcome of matches that had happened earlier in the show. Part of the problem was the fact that there were fourteen different matches on the card. But most of it comes from how little attention seems to be given to any of the matches that aren’t the main event. After years of Andre and Bobby Heenan working together, this was the event where Andre finally snapped and turned against Heenan, but I didn’t remember that until rewatching it. This was also (arguably) the event where Mr. Perfect’s undefeated streak was broken, but there was hardly a mention of that either. No, all the show really cared about was the Main Event, the rest of it was just twiddling thumbs until we got to that point.
As far as the main event goes, this was probably just about the best match that Hogan and Warrior could possibly put on together all things considered. Having both titles on the line gave the match the “big moment” feel like the main event of WrestleMania III that really helped the match along. I just wish that they had put a quarter of the effort that into making me care about the first three hours of the show that they did to make me care about the main event.
Best WrestleMania so far: Still III
Kue: Verse six continues the trend that’s been a staple of the Hogan era of Manias: moments over matches. And the shining moment of this event came from the main event, Warrior triumphant over Hogan. Hogan has been defeated before, but this marks the first time he’s lost to someone at Mania in a face vs. face match against an opponent with arguably the same level of popularity as him. It certainly wasn’t a passing of the torch, but it was an iconic solidifying inclusion to the top tier of good guys.
Other noteworthy moments include the great battle between DiBiase and Jake Roberts for the illustrious Million Dollar belt, the Rockers/Orient Express showdown, Brutus Beefcake ending Mr. Perfect’s streak, the drama of Rhodes and Sapphire vs Savage and Sherri (continuing the culminating Savage and Elizabeth storyline), and the worst named tag team in history, the Colossal Connection.
All in all, an okay Mania.
Sanders: Truthfully, this is really just an excuse to rant about Ultimate Warrior. This was the torch that was passed that ended up being an immediate regret. WWF snatched that torch back as if they were Steve Harvey announcing the wrong winner of Miss Universe (topical!). And how right were they to take that torch back? Sure it made WWE lean on Hulk a couple more years than they probably should’ve but Warrior was definitely not the right guy because, well, he’s insane. And has enough time gone by since his passing that we can stop pretending? Sure, he was an abundant personality but he was a crap wrestler and his match at WM 6 is a perfect example of that. I just think it’s funny how people were so eager to throw Warrior under the bus in that WWE documentary a few years ago and suddenly those tones were immediately changed once he was in better terms with the company, in their hall of fame and then after he passed. It’s one of those situations in which people make more out of people that are no longer with us. Suddenly those people were the best musician/actor/comedian of all time and then when those people applied that same logic to Warrior, I laughed hysterically. Yes, I appreciate his contributions, I respect his ability to mend burned bridges there at the end and everything along those lines but that’s about where it ends with me.
BD: As you may or may not know, I’m a Canadian (no it’s not a choice and if it was… I’d still have done it.) and this is the first major WWE event (that I’m aware of) that was done in my country, and internationally. Bizarre that a “global” company only does 95% of their biggest shows in the US, but there you go. Personally, my 2 favorite WrestleMania’s were done in the Toronto Skydome, and this one is special because it was right around when I got into wrestling, and after years of just casually knowing about it, the idea that 2 good guys were fighting in the main event for the title was such a foreign and interesting concept.
Also, the IC belt and the World Title were both up for grabs as Warrior had the IC. Imagine how far out of alignment shit would have to be for that to happen at a Mania today. This was a far better match than both guys put on for most of their careers. It’s surprising how much it doesn’t suck. Warrior winning catapulted him to Hogan status, and WWE had it’s first big non-Hogan face not named Randy Savage, who was only there for a year or so, and only by association with Hogan. This was the best possible way to give Mania the next “boost”… give fans something they’d never seen, where it wasn’t obvious who would win.
This is also around the time that Hogan asked Warrior to bang his wife and Warrior refused, according to Warrior. Surprisingly, they left this out on the official Warrior DVD and Hall Of Fame entry.
Like Manias 5 and 4, the undercard was, again, pretty solid, even if still in that late 80’s / early 90’s formula of more tag matches and random pairings than usual. Savage and Dusty had a match that I don’t think gets enough attention, in particular. Beefcake’s best match ever against Hennig is also on this card, and Rude / Snuka was fun, and so was Rockers / Orient Express.
We at TRA recommend.
