WrestleMania VIII
| WrestleMania VIII | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Promotional poster featuring event headliners. Clockwise from top left:Sid Justice,Hulk Hogan,Ric FlairandRandy Savage. | |||
| Promotion | World Wrestling Federation | ||
| Date | April 5, 1992 | ||
| City | Indianapolis, Indiana | ||
| Venue | Hoosier Dome | ||
| Attendance | 62,167 | ||
| Tagline(s) | Friendship Torn Apart! The Macho/Flair Affair! | ||
| Pay-per-view chronology | |||
| |||
| WrestleManiachronology | |||
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WrestleMania VIIIwas the eighth annualWrestleManiaprofessional wrestlingpay-per-view(PPV)eventproduced by theWorld Wrestling Federation(WWF, now WWE). It took place on April 5, 1992, at theHoosier DomeinIndianapolis, Indianain the United States. Nine matches were shown during thelivebroadcast, with onedark matchoccurring before the event.
Matches held at WrestleMania VIII includedWWF Intercontinental ChampionRoddy Piperdefending his title against former championBret Hart,WWF ChampionRic Flairdefending his title againstRandy Savage,Hulk Hoganfacing his rivalSid Justice.
Production[edit]
Background[edit]
WrestleManiais considered theWorld Wrestling Federation's (WWF, now WWE) flagshippay-per-view(PPV) event, having first been held in1985.It is held annually between mid-March to mid-April.[1]It was the first of the WWF's original four pay-per-views, which includesRoyal Rumble,SummerSlam,andSurvivor Series,which were eventually dubbed the "Big Four".[2]WrestleMania VIII was scheduled to be held on April 5, 1992, at theHoosier DomeinIndianapolis, Indiana.[3]
Storylines[edit]
The original plan for the main event was the long-awaited bout between Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan for the WWF Championship, the meeting between the two legends was even promoted on television in a mock press conference where WWF PresidentJack Tunneyhad announced Hogan as the number one contender to Flair's WWF Championship. Both Flair and Hogan had wrestled against each other in several house show matches and a televised tag match, but not in a televised main event singles match. WrestleMania VIII was changed to a double main event with Hogan wrestling Sid Justice, while Flair wrestled Randy Savage. For storyline purposes, Sid Justice lobbied to wrestle Hulk Hogan due to tensions starting between the two at that year's Royal Rumble, where Hogan was eliminated by Sid Justice. This maneuver on Sid's part led Hogan to helping rival Ric Flair eliminate Justice and then win not only the Royal Rumble but the WWF Championship in the process. This would make Ric Flair only the second man to win both the WWF and NWA World Heavyweight Titles, the first being the original "Nature Boy",Buddy Rogers.[3]
Event[edit]
| Role: | Name: |
|---|---|
| Commentator | Gorilla Monsoon |
| Bobby Heenan | |
| Interviewer | Lord Alfred Hayes |
| Sean Mooney | |
| Gene Okerlund | |
| Ring announcer | Howard Finkel |
| Ray Combs(eight-man tag team match) | |
| Referees | Joey Marella |
| Earl Hebner | |
| Danny Davis | |
| Roger Ruffen |
A scheduled match betweenthe British BulldogandThe Berzerkerwas cut due to time constraints.
The opening bout was atag team matchpittingthe Beverly Brothersagainstthe Bushwhackers.The Bushwhackers won the match by pinfall. This was adark matchthat did not air on the pay-per-view broadcast.
The pay-per-view broadcast opened withcountry musicsingerReba McEntireperforming "The Star-Spangled Banner".
The second bout, and the first bout to air on the pay-per-view broadcast, was aSingles matchbetweenShawn MichaelsandTito Santana.Michaels won the match by pinfall after reversing abody slamattempt into abody press.
Following the second bout,the Legion of Doomand their managerPaul Elleringwere interviewed byGene Okerlund.The Legion of Doom were originally supposed to challengeMoney Incfor theWWF Tag Team Championshipat WrestleMania VIII but due toHawkbeing under suspension until after WrestleMania they were replaced in the match bythe Natural Disasters.[3]
The third bout was a singles match betweenJake Robertsandthe Undertaker.The Undertaker won the match by pinfall after giving Roberts aTombstone Piledriveroutside of the ring.
The fourth bout was a singles match in whichWWF Intercontinental ChampionRoddy Piperdefended his title againstBret Hart.Hart defeated Piper by pinfall after reversing Piper'ssleeper holdinto a pin, thus winning the WWF Intercontinental Championship.
Following the fourth bout, a pre-recorded interview withLex Lugeraired in which he promoted theWorld Bodybuilding Federation.
The fifth bout was aneight-man tag team matchpittingBig Boss Man,Jim Duggan,Sgt. Slaughter,andVirgilagainstThe Mountie,The Nasty Boys,andRepo Man.Family FeudhostRay Combswas a guestring announcerfor the eight-man tag match. Big Boss Man, Duggan, Slaughter, and Virgil won the match by pinfall whenJerry SagsaccidentallypunchedBrian Knobbs,enabling Virgil to pin Knobbs.
The sixth bout and first main event was a singles match in whichWWF ChampionRic Flairdefended his title againstRandy Savage.Savage defeated Flair by pinfall using aroll-upto win the title. At the time the company had a "no blood" policy. Nonetheless, Ric Flair was caughtbladingdirectly on camera and was fined several thousand dollars.[3]In one of his first appearances in the WWF,Shane McMahonwas one of the backstage officials who attempted to keepMiss Elizabethaway from ringside during the Flair/Savage match. He then restrained Savage in the ensuing brawl after the contest.[3]
The seventh bout was a singles match betweenRick MartelandTatanka.Tatanka won the match by pinfall using across body block.
The eighth bout was a tag team match in whichWWF Tag Team ChampionsMoney Inc.defended their titles againstthe Natural Disasters.The Natural Disasters won the bout bycountoutafter Money Inc abandoned the match.
The ninth bout was a singles match betweenOwen HartandSkinner.Hart won the match by pinfall using aroll-up.
The second main event bout was a singles match betweenHulk HoganandSid Justice.Hogan won the match bydisqualificationafter Justice's managerHarvey Whipplemaninterfered. The finish to the Justice-Hogan match actually did not occur as planned - the original plan was for Hogan to hit the leg drop on Justice and forPapa Shangoto do a run in and break up the pin causing a disqualification; however, Papa Shango either missed or misjudged his cue and was late in getting down to the ring, causing Justice to have to improvise by kicking out of the leg drop. Following the match, Justice and Shango attacked Hogan untilthe Ultimate Warriormade a surprise return, helping Hogan drive Justice and Shango away.
Reception[edit]
Critics praised the Intercontinental Championship match between Piper and Hart. Thomas Golianopoulos ofComplex Sportsranked it at number 15 in his list of the 50 Greatest Matches in WrestleMania History, describing it as "A stiff match that veers from amateur wrestling to all-out street fight with a great finish."[4]Golianopoulos also ranked the Flair vs. Savage match at number 19 on the same list, praising the in-ring psychology despite an abrupt finish.[5]On the other hand, Dave Meltzer of theWrestling Observer Newslettergave the Hogan/Justice main event negative two stars, citing their lackluster performance and the late entry of Papa Shango, which necessitated a hastily rewritten ending. The main event was also ranked by Youtube wrestling channel Cultaholic as the worst WrestleMania main event of all time in their 2019 ranking of every WrestleMania Main Event,[6]while saying that the WWF Championship Match between Flair and Savage should've been the main event in their 2020 list of 10 WrestleMania Matches That Closed The Show.[7]
Aftermath[edit]
Savage's primary opponent during the spring and summer of 1992 was Ric Flair, with the storyline over Flair's alleged past relationship with Elizabeth continuing to play a major factor. It was revealed later inWWF Magazinethat the photos that Flair had shown of himself with Elizabeth were fakes, and that they were actually of Savage and Elizabeth. In real life, Savage and Elizabeth were about toseparate,and did, with Elizabeth making her final WWF appearance on April 19, 1992 at theUK Rampagepay-per-view. WrestleMania VIII marked Elizabeth's last major pay-per-view appearance in the United States for the WWF.
Although Savage and Flair continued feuding, the Elizabeth aspect was dropped from the storyline, and the former couple's divorce was finalized in September 1992. Savage briefly addressed the divorce in an issue ofWWF Magazine,but it was otherwise not mentioned in kayfabe.
Shawn Michaels began receiving his first major push as a main-event singles competitor, as he would challenge Randy Savage for the WWF Championship in Europe, while challenging Bret Hart for the WWF Intercontinental Championship in the United States, while occasionally teaming with Ric Flair in tag team matches against Hart and Savage. Michaels eventually won the WWF Intercontinental Championship from The British Bulldog (who had won the title from Hart at theSummerSlamevent inLondon,Englandin August) in October.
The Hulk Hogan-Sid Justice match was billed as Hogan's "last match", when in actuality, Hogan took a hiatus, due to the steroid scandal which was beginning to emerge in the news media.[3]Piper also took a hiatus from the ring following WrestleMania VIII. Roberts left the company and would return four years later, using a "born-again Christian" gimmick. Sid Justice was largely unsuccessful in post-WrestleMania matches against the Ultimate Warrior and The Undertaker and eventually left the company, returning in 1995.
Results[edit]
References[edit]
- ^"WrestleMania 29 press conference brings WWE to Radio City Music Hall".WWE. Archived fromthe originalon 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)
- ^abcdefCawthon, Graham (2013).the History of Professional Wrestling Vol 2: WWF 1990 - 1999.CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.ASINB00RWUNSRS.
- ^Golianopoulos, Thomas (2012-03-29)."The 50 Greatest Matches in WrestleMania History – 15. Bret Hart vs. Roddy Piper, WrestleMania VIII".Complex Sports.Archivedfrom the original on 2012-04-05.Retrieved2013-04-06.
- ^Golianopoulos, Thomas (2012-03-29)."The 50 Greatest Matches in WrestleMania History – 19. Randy Savage vs. Ric Flair, WrestleMania VIII".Complex Sports.Archivedfrom the original on 2013-05-13.Retrieved2013-04-06.
- ^Every WrestleMania Main Event Ranked From WORST To BEST,archivedfrom the original on 2021-12-12,retrieved2021-09-08
- ^10 WWE WrestleMania Matches That Should Have Closed The Show,archivedfrom the original on 2021-12-12,retrieved2021-09-08