WrestleMania VI
| WrestleMania VI | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 A promotional poster for WrestleMania VI featuringthe Ultimate WarriorandHulk Hogan. | |||
| Promotion | World Wrestling Federation | ||
| Date | April 1, 1990 | ||
| City | Toronto,Ontario,Canada | ||
| Venue | SkyDome | ||
| Attendance | 67,678[1] | ||
| Tagline(s) | The Ultimate Challenge! | ||
| Pay-per-view chronology | |||
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| WrestleManiachronology | |||
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WrestleMania VIwas the sixth annualWrestleManiaprofessional wrestlingpay-per-view(PPV)eventproduced by theWorld Wrestling Federation(WWF, now WWE). It took place on April 1, 1990, at theSkyDomeinToronto,Ontario,Canada,marking the first WrestleMania to be held outside of the United States. The event had an announced attendance of 67,678, a record for the Skydome at the time. The main event of WrestleMania VI was "the Ultimate Challenge" — the main event match pittingWWF World Heavyweight ChampionHulk HoganagainstWWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Championthe Ultimate Warrior.
Production[edit]
Background[edit]
WrestleManiais considered the World Wrestling Federation's (WWF, now WWE) flagshippay-per-viewevent, having first been held in1985.It is held annually between mid-March to mid-April.[2]It was the first of the WWF's original four annual pay-per-views, which includesRoyal Rumble,SummerSlam,andSurvivor Series,which were eventually dubbed the "Big Four".[3]WrestleMania VI was chosen to be held on April 1, 1990, at theSkyDomeinToronto,Ontario,Canada,marking the first WrestleMania to be held outside of the United States.[4]
Storylines[edit]
Main event[edit]
On February 3, 1990, a week after Hogan, and Warrior crossed paths in the 1990Royal Rumble match,Hogan put forth "the Ultimate Challenge" to Warrior, and had to know whether "Hulkamania" or the "power of Warrior" was the "strongest force" in the WWF. On February 10, the match was officially announced as the main event of WrestleMania VI by thenWWF PresidentJack Tunney.On February 24, Tunney announced that both the WWF Championship and WWF Intercontinental Championship would be on the line for the first time during the match.
Undercard[edit]
Demolitionhad recently regained theWWF Tag Team Champiopnshipfrom theBrain Busters(Arn AndersonandTully Blanchard), who departed the WWF shortly afterward. To fill the void, and give managerBobby Heenananother tag team,Haku,andAndre the Giant,who had teamed occasionally earlier in 1989, were formally joined to form theColossal Connection.[5]Haku and Andre were immediately pushed as No. 1 contenders for the championship, and on December 13, 1989, the pair defeated Demolition – Smash was never legally tagged into the match – to win the belts.[6]Andre and Haku held off Demolition in a series of rematches (most often with either one or both teams being disqualified) while also defending againstThe Rockers(Shawn MichaelsandMarty Jannetty) andThe Hart Foundation(Bret HartandJim Neidhart).
Event[edit]
| Role: | Name: |
|---|---|
| Commentator | Gorilla Monsoon |
| Jesse Ventura | |
| Ring announcer | Howard Finkel |
| Interviewers | Gene Okerlund |
| Sean Mooney | |
| Referees | Joey Marella |
| Earl Hebner | |
| Danny Davis | |
| Shane Stevens | |
| Jim Korderas | |
| John Bonello |
Future multi-timeworld championsEdge,[7]andChristian[8][9]were in attendance at WrestleMania VI, as wereLance Storm,andRenee Paquette.ActorStephen Amell,who would go on to compete in a match atSummerSlamin 2015, was also in attendance.[10]Mary Tyler Moorewas sitting at ringside.
The first bout was asingles matchin whichPaul Romadefeatedthe Brooklyn Brawler.This was adark matchthat did not air on the pay-per-view broadcast.
The pay-per-view broadcast opened withRobert GouletsingingO Canada.
The second bout, and the first match to air on the pay-per-view broadcast, was a singles bout betweenKoko B. Ware,andRick Martel.Martel won the match by submission using aQuebec Crab.
The third bout was atag team matchin whichWWF Tag Team Championsthe Colossal Connectiondefended their titles againstDemolition.Demolition won the bout to become the new WWF Tag Team Champions afterAxpinnedHaku,following aDemolition Decapitation.Immediately after the match, the Colossal Connection'smanagerBobby Heenanbegan yelling atAndré the Giantin the ring, blaming him for the loss, and slapping him in the face. In response, André grabbed Heenan and knocked Heenan out of the ring; when Haku attempted to sneak attack André, André caught his leg and knocked Haku from the ring, making André afacefor the first time in three years.[11]
The fourth bout was a singles match pittingEarthquakeagainstHercules.Earthquake won the bout by pinfall following anEarthquake Splash.
Following the fourth bout, columnistRona BarrettinterviewedMiss Elizabeth.[4]
The fifth bout was a singles match pittingBrutus 'The Barber' BeefcakeagainstMr. Perfect.Beefcake won the bout by pinfall after throwing Perfect into the ring post, knocking him out, marking what was credited as Perfect's first loss in the WWF. Following the match, Beefcake knocked out Mr. Perfect's managerThe Geniususing asleeper hold,then used shears to cut his hair.
The sixth bout was a singles match pittingBad News Brownagainst"Rowdy" Roddy Piper.The match ended in a doublecount-outafter both men brawled out of the ring.
Following the sixth bout, a backstage segment aired in whichSteve Allensang theState Anthem of the Soviet Unionwiththe Bolsheviks.
The seventh bout was a tag team match pitting the Bolsheviks againstthe Hart Foundation.The Hart Foundation won a shortsquashmatch whenBret HartpinnedBoris Zhukovfollowing aHart Attack.
The eighth bout was a singles match pittingthe BarbarianagainstTito Santana.The Barbarian won the bout by pinfall following aflying clothesline.
The ninth bout was amixed tag team matchpittingDusty RhodesandSapphireagainst"Macho King" Randy SavageandQueen Sherri.Rhodes and Sapphire won the bout when Sapphire pinned Queen Sherri using aroll-up.
The tenth bout was a tag team match pittingthe Orient Expressagainstthe Rockers.The Orient Express won the bout after their managerMr. FujitrippedMarty Jannettyand thenSatothrew salt in his eyes, causing him to be counted out.
Following the tenth bout, the tag team ofRhythm and Blueswere introduced by Steve Allen.
The eleventh bout was a singles match pittingDino Bravoagainst"Hacksaw" Jim Duggan.Duggan won the bout by pinfall after hitting Bravo with a2×4.
The twelfth bout was a singles match in which"The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiasedefended theMillion Dollar ChampionshipagainstJake "The Snake" Roberts.DiBiase won the match by count-out after his bodyguardVirgilpulled Roberts outside of the ring. Roberts attacked Virgil, and DiBiase came out and applied the Million Dollar Dream on Roberts, and Roberts rammed him into the ring post. While Roberts was down, Virgil threw DiBiase back into the ring before the referee counted to ten.
The thirteenth bout was a singles match pittingAkeemagainstBig Boss Man.Big Boss Man won the bout by pinfall following aBoss Man Slam.
Following the thirteenth bout,Rhythm & Bluesand their managerJimmy Hartwere driven to the ring in a pinkCadillacbyDiamond Dallas Page,where they performed the song "Hunka Hunka Hunka Honky Love". After performing the song, they were attacked bythe Bushwackerswho chased them from the ring and destroyed their instruments.
The fourteenth bout was a singles match pittingJimmy Snukaagainst"Ravishing" Rick Rude.Rude won the bout by pinfall following aRude Awakening.
The main event bout was aWinner Takes All matchbetweenWWF ChampionHulk HoganandWWF Intercontinental ChampionThe Ultimate Warrior.The Ultimate Warrior won the bout by pinfall following abig splash,thus becoming the new WWF Champion and the first person to hold the WWF Championship and WWF Intercontinental Championship simultaneously, and giving Hogan his first clean pinfall loss in 6 years up to that point.
Reception[edit]
The event received mixed-to-positive reviews, though most reviewers praised the main event between Hogan and Warrior. Jason Powell was among the reviewers who praised the main event, calling it "A truly amazing match considering the limitations of both men, particularly Warrior". However, he went on to say, "The overall WrestleMania 6 card was softer than WrestleMania 5 card, but it was a better show that [sic] WrestleManias 1, 2, and 4".[12]The Hulk Hogan-Ultimate Warrior match was named1990's "Match of the Year"byPro Wrestling Illustratedmagazine readers.
The match betweenRoddy Piper,andBad News Brownreceived heavy criticism for featuring Piper (at that point ababyface) being painted in half-blackagainst theAfrican AmericanBrown.[13]In 2021, the match and promo were removed from the version of WrestleMania VI streamed onPeacockin the United States.[14]
Aftermath[edit]
Because the Intercontinental Heavyweight ChampionThe Ultimate Warriordefeated Hulk Hogan to win the WWF Championship, Warrior was forced to vacate the Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship, as the rules prohibited any wrestler from holding more than one singles belt simultaneously. An eight-man tournament was held, conducted on the WWF's syndicatedWWF Superstars of Wrestling,andWWF Wrestling Challenge,withMr. Perfectwinning the title by defeatingTito Santanain the finals.
WhenBrutus "The Barber" Beefcakedefeated Mr. Perfect at Wrestlemania VI, it was billed as Perfect's first pinfall loss in the WWF. However, in reality, Perfect had been pinned by The Ultimate Warrior in a match atMadison Square Gardenthat aired on theMSG Networkless than two weeks before WrestleMania.[15]Brutus would continue his feud with Perfect (with an Intercontinental title match pending at SummerSlam 1990) until a parasailing accident in July 1990 put Brutus out of wrestling for nearly a year.
As the new WWF Champion, The Ultimate Warrior would initially be a successfulmain eventdraw, with his main rival being"Ravishing" Rick Rude– a wrestler he had fought during much of 1989 over the Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship – during the spring and summer of 1990.
Hulk Hogan wrestled several matches in Japan shortly after WrestleMania VI, but soon began feuding with the 470-pound Earthquake, with that feud heating up when Earthquake sneak-attacked Hogan onThe Brother Love Showin May. Announcers explained that Hogan's injuries from the attack and the loss to Warrior both took such a huge toll on his fighting spirit that he wanted to retire, and viewers were persuaded to write Hogan to encourage him to return. Hogan would return by SummerSlam in August 1990 and got revenge on Earthquake, dominating him in matches that continued into early 1991.
WrestleMania VI would prove to be André the Giant's last televised match in the USA in the WWF as real-life health problems withacromegalywere continuing to take their toll. Andre returned to the WWF late in 1990 for several non-wrestling appearances that continued into 1991, but Andre's health continued to decline, and he died on January 27, 1993.
Demolition began a slow heel turn during the spring of 1990, adding a third memberCrushto the team. This was due toBill Eadie(who competed as Ax) desiring to take a lesser active role in wrestling, and Crush and Smash would soon become the primary defenders of the belt.
WrestleMania VI marked Jesse Ventura's last stint as a color commentator at a WWF pay-per-view event. He continued his role as an on-air color commentator forWWF Superstars of Wrestlingthrough August 1990, at which time he left the company.
At the1998 editionof their annualHalloween Havocpay-per-view event, rival promotionWorld Championship Wrestling(WCW) pitted Hogan against Warrior once again. Hogan won with outside assistance, giving each man one victory apiece. The contest has gained areputation as one of the worst bouts in history,being vilified by critics, then-WCW presidentEric Bischoff,and former company announcerGene Okerlund.Bischoff has disputed the rumor that he hired Warrior merely to allow Hogan to avenge his WrestleMania VI loss.[16]
Results[edit]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^"WWF WrestleMania VI -" The Ultimate Challenge "« Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database".Cagematch.RetrievedAugust 16,2018.
- ^Benigno, Anthony; Clapp, John (April 3, 2013)."WrestleMania 29 press conference brings WWE to Radio City Music Hall".WWE.Archivedfrom the original on April 7, 2013.RetrievedMarch 31,2014.
... WWE's flagship event lights up MetLife Stadium... WrestleMania
- ^Ian Hamilton.Wrestling's Sinking Ship: What Happens to an Industry Without Competition(p. 160)
- ^abc"WrestleMania VI".Pro Wrestling History.Archivedfrom the original on March 29, 2007.RetrievedOctober 23,2009.
- ^Brian Shields (2006).Main event – WWE in the raging 80s(4th ed.). Pocket Books.ISBN978-1-4165-3257-6.
- ^Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006).Wrestling Title Histories(4th ed.). Archeus Communications.ISBN0-9698161-5-4.
- ^Copeland, Adam.Adam Copeland On Edge.Stamford, Connecticut:WWE Books.p. 27.ISBN978-0-7434-8347-6.
- ^Storm, Lance(April 18, 2010)."WrestleMania VI".Commentary.StormWrestling.com.Archivedfrom the original on April 22, 2010.RetrievedMay 10,2010.
- ^"Christian".World Wrestling Entertainment.Archivedfrom the original on December 14, 2009.RetrievedAugust 5,2010.
- ^Amell, Stephen."Tweet".Twitter.Archivedfrom the original on March 17, 2014.
- ^"Demolition – The First Tag Team To Three-Peat".WWF Memories.July 12, 2016.Archivedfrom the original on November 14, 2016.RetrievedNovember 13,2016.
- ^"Powell's WrestleMania 6 review: Hulk Hogan vs. Ultimate Warrior for the WWF Championship and Intercontinental Championship, Ted DiBiase vs. Jake Roberts, Andre the Giant and Haku vs. Demolition for the WWF Tag Titles".www.prowrestling.net.Archivedfrom the original on September 18, 2017.RetrievedNovember 27,2017.
- ^"5 Really Racist Storyline Moments Still on the WWE Network".Rolling Stone.Archivedfrom the original on December 22, 2017.RetrievedNovember 27,2017.
- ^"Racist WWE Moments Are Being Removed as Classic Matches Move to Peacock".The Hollywood Reporter.March 25, 2021.RetrievedMarch 26,2021.
- ^"Ultimate Warrior vs Mr. Perfect - FULL MATCH 1990".WWE.Archived fromthe originalon April 10, 2018.RetrievedDecember 5,2016.
- ^The Self Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior(DVD).WWE Home Video.2005. Event occurs at 85–88 minutes.