TJR: WWE WrestleMania 4 Review

The fourth WrestleMania event was unique in that it was the first and only time that WrestleMania began without somebody holding what was then known as the WWF World Heavyweight Title. How did that happen?

During a match with Andre The Giant in February, the reigning World Champion Hulk Hogan was cheated by a shady referee (the infamous twin Hebner angle), who was paid off by Ted Dibiase. Andre won the title and then handed it over to Ted Dibiase, who had bought it from him. That title reign didn’t last long, as WWE (then known as WWF) President Jack Tunney stripped Dibiase of the title and announced a 14-man one-night tournament at WrestleMania. That’s a quick way to summarize a major angle. I’ll go into more detail during the show.

On a personal note, this was the first WrestleMania I watched live. I remember being seven years old and begging my older cousin to order it at his house because I wanted to see if my favorite wrestler, Randy Savage, was going to win the World Heavyweight Title during the one-night tournament. The PPVs were shown live in the afternoon back then, so I recall watching it with my cousins and a few of my friends, who were also big WWE fans at the time. Like many people, we were excited to see who would leave this show as the WWF Champion.

WWE WrestleMania IV
March 27, 1988
Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey

The event took place at Trump Plaza in Atlantic City, which, of course, was owned by Donald “I like to put my name on things” Trump. The crowd was very loud at the beginning. Mean Gene Okerlund was in the ring, and he welcomed us to the show. He introduced Gladys Knight, who sang “America The Beautiful.”

The first match was a battle royal, with a trophy for the winner. The show’s announcers were Gorilla Monsoon and Jesse Ventura, who always did a great job together. They discussed the tournament and the card, and Bob Uecker returned as a celebrity just like he did a year earlier.

Battle Royal: Bret Hart, Jim Neidhart, Bad News Brown, Nikolai Volkoff, Boris Zhukov, Danny Davis, George Steele, Harley Race, Hillbilly Jim, Jacques Rougeau, Ray Rougeau, Jim Powers, Paul Roma, Ken Patera, Ron Bass, Sam Houston, Sika, B. Brian Blair, Jim Brunzell and Junkyard Dog

There were many midcarders and tag teams in this match. Gorilla called Hillbilly Jim a favorite to win. Well, he is tall, but I doubt many people believed it. The first person eliminated was Sam Houston, followed by Sika. George Steele was in the match, but he spent much of it out on the floor because he’s a crazy man. Steele eliminated Neidhart while he was still outside the ring. Both Killer Bees were eliminated, as well as Ray Rougeau and Ron Bass. The announcers argued about whether Steele had been eliminated. Hillbilly Jim was next to be eliminated, and Paul Roma eliminated Danny Davis, while Roma’s partner Jimmy Powers was also eliminated. Race lost a headbutt battle with JYD, who always has the hardest head. A series of eliminations followed: Volkoff, Zhukov, Patera, Jacques, then Harley, who was headbutted out by JYD.

The final four competitors were Bret Hart, JYD, Bad News Brown, and Paul Roma. Brown eliminated Roma with a backdrop. The heels (Brown & Hart) tried to work on JYD, but he dodged the double team and delivered headbutts to both. They recovered to double team JYD, who was always very popular. Hart and Brown tried to corner JYD, but he did his best to fight them off. They weakened JYD and lifted him by the legs to eliminate him. Hart and Brown were the last two remaining. They raised each other’s arms in celebration. Hart was celebrating until Brown kicked him in the back of the head. Brown then threw Bret out to win the battle royal at 9:45.

Winner: Bad News Brown

Analysis: * It was a very dull battle royal until only the final three competitors remained. The ending with Brown and Hart was quite entertaining, especially because it signified Bret Hart’s babyface turn.

After it was over, two men in suits handed Bad News a trophy that was over six feet tall. Bret was angry about the elimination, so he went back in there, knocked Brown out of the ring, and destroyed the trophy. The crowd cheered Bret for his actions. The Hart Foundation would soon turn babyface after this, and Bret would be in the babyface role for the next nine years.

Bob Uecker left the announce table to go find Vanna White.

In the ring, Howard Finkel welcomed Robin Leach, who was the host of the TV show “The Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous.” It was a popular show in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Leach read a proclamation, welcoming us to the World Title Tournament portion of the show.

It was the first round of the tournament. There were 14 men competing, with Hulk Hogan and Andre The Giant receiving first-round byes.

First Round: Hacksaw Jim Duggan vs. Ted Dibiase

Dibiase had his assistant Virgil with him, along with Andre the Giant. Hacksaw gained control early with an atomic drop that sent Dibiase over the top to the floor. Back in the ring, Duggan used his strength to knock him down with a clothesline, and a corner charge missed. Dibiase worked him over with punches as well as a clothesline to take him down. Dibiase hit a double ax handle plus a fist drop for a two-count. The crowd was strongly behind Hacksaw, who hit a surprising sunset flip for two. Duggan responded with a suplex and another powerful clothesline. Nice powerslam by Duggan. He set up for his finisher in the three-point stance, but Andre tripped him up. Duggan went after him, and Andre hit him in the head at the same time while Dibiase drove his knee into Duggan’s back. The referee saw the Andre punch and did nothing, when he should have been looking elsewhere. Dibiase won with a fist drop at 4:57.

Winner: Ted Dibiase

Analysis: * The finish wasn’t great, but they got the story over with Dibiase being a threat because he had Andre in his corner.

Backstage, Mean Gene interviewed Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake, who loved his steel blades used for cutting hair. That’s all I got from it. I was distracted by his terrible outfit. He was facing Honky Tonk Man for the IC title later.

First Round: Dino Bravo vs. Don Muraco

Muraco was a familiar face here. Graham was a former World Champion, as I’m sure most know. Two strong guys here. Let’s just say it was unlikely they would pass a Wellness Test in today’s WWE. Muraco was sloppy pretty early, missing a few spots. Bravo used his strength, hitting a gutwrench suplex. Bravo missed a knee attack, so Muraco worked over his left leg with a variety of moves, including a spinning toehold. Bravo kicked him off and hit a Piledriver for two. That was Muraco’s finisher. Muraco recovered, and they both hit clotheslines at the same time. Muraco hit a bodyslam and ran off the ropes, but Bravo pulled the ref in front of him, which led to Muraco decking the ref with a forearm smash. Bravo hit his signature move, a side slam. Yep, that was his finisher. The ref surprisingly recovered way too quickly, and instead of counting the pin, he tapped Bravo on the shoulder to disqualify him. Muraco won by DQ at 4:53.

Winner by disqualification: Don Muraco

Analysis: 1/2* Bad mesh of styles here since they were two power guys who had no chemistry together. The finish sucked.

Bob Uecker talked to Jimmy Hart and Honky Tonk Man, who was the Intercontinental Champion. Uecker told Hart that Bob’s friend Brutus Beefcake was going to cut Jimmy’s hair. It wasn’t much of an interview.

Before the next match, Ricky Steamboat introduced his son, known as Little Dragon, who was just a few months old (Jesse said he looked like a power lifter).

First Round: Greg Valentine vs. Ricky Steamboat

In terms of in-ring performers, Steamboat was one of the best ever, and Valentine was very good for much of his career. Gorilla just said, “excellence of execution is the name of the game for Ricky Steamboat.” That’s the Bret Hart nickname a few years early. Ricky got some great nearfalls early. Hammer tried to toss him, but Ricky skinned the cat back in, leading to a dropkick and a pinfall attempt. Steamboat was incredible. Valentine worked him over with his patented elbows to the head. Nobody used elbows more than Valentine. Ricky countered a suplex attempt by ramming Valentine’s head into the turnbuckle, then he targeted the left arm as he always liked to do. Valentine responded with an atomic drop followed by a clothesline. Hammer used chops to slow him down, but Ricky responded with chops, and a bodyslam was followed by a counter from Hammer, leading to a two count. Valentine hit a headbutt to the stomach. The Figure Four was countered by Steamboat, which led to a chopping exchange. Ricky hit a big chop to win that exchange. Valentine used his strength to get a shoulder breaker for two. Valentine hit an elbow off the top, followed by the Figure Four, but Steamboat hit him in the head to escape. Ricky hit a back elbow to send Valentine down. Ricky went to the top and hit a chop to the head for a two count. He rammed Valentine’s head into the corner ten times. Then, to the top, Ricky hit the flying crossbody (his finisher), but Hammer rolled through, grabbed the tights, covered, and the referee counted to three for the victory at 9:12.

Winner by pinfall: Greg Valentine

Analysis: *** Best match of the night so far, no question. There were many great nearfalls; they worked hard and built up to the finish very well. It’s a shame that Steamboat wasn’t booked better after WrestleMania 3, but that’s just how wrestling sometimes goes.

After the match, Ricky argued with the referee about the finish. Then he waved to the fans. I guess he moved on quickly. He’d be leaving WWE soon after this. In early 1989, he appeared in the NWA, where he had a classic rivalry with Ric Flair.

They showed Donald Trump sitting at ringside. Nice hair, pal.

Backstage, Gene talked to The British Bulldogs and Koko B. Ware. The Bulldogs mentioned that Matilda the Dog was a certified weasel hunter, which meant she would be going after Bobby Heenan later. One of his nicknames was “The Weasel” for those who don’t know.

First Round: Butch Reed vs. Randy Savage

Savage was a very popular babyface here a year after stealing the show as a heel at WrestleMania 3 with Ricky Steamboat. Reed was a decent midcarder but never a main event-level heel. Savage could have good matches with just about anybody if he got the time. The crowd loved everything Savage did. Reed used his power to get a suplex leading to a two count. Reed knocked him out to the floor as Slick celebrated with Reed. Slick wore some great outfits, that’s for sure. Reed hit a fist drop off the middle rope. After a brief comeback by Savage, Reed decked him with a clothesline. Reed went to the top very slowly, Savage slammed him off and quickly climbed to the top to hit the flying elbow for the pinfall victory at 4:05.

Winner by pinfall: Randy Savage

Analysis: 1/2* Reed got some offense in, but Savage was able to outsmart him for the win. It was basically a squash, which is what it should have been.

The quarterfinals looked like this with two matches to go:
Hulk Hogan vs. Andre The Giant
Ted Dibiase vs. Don Muraco
Greg Valentine vs. Randy Savage

Backstage, Bob Uecker kept trash-talking Jesse about Vanna White. He spoke with Bobby Heenan and The Islanders, who were scheduled to face the Bulldogs and Koko B. Ware later. The main story was what Matilda would do to Heenan during the match.

In another tournament match, the One Man Gang was in the ring waiting for his opponent, Bam Bam Bigelow.

First Round: One Man Gang  vs. Bam Bam Bigelow

Both guys weighed around 400 pounds, with Bigelow being the main face. He was a pretty good worker for a big guy. Gang had impressive size, though his work limited. I always thought the name One Man Gang sounded pretty cool for a wrestler. Gang used his power early on, but Bam Bam relied on speed, hitting a shoulder block, a cartwheel, and an ugly splash. Bigelow responded with a headbutt as Gorilla broke out his “irresistible force vs. immovable object” line. Bigelow followed with a series of clotheslines and headbutts to knock Gang down. He ran into the ropes, but Slick pulled the top rope down, causing Bigelow to bump over the top to the floor. While Bigelow was on the apron, Gang hit him, and the ref started counting. Bigelow got back in at the ten count, but Gang left the ring on the other side. Why was the ref counting while Bigelow was being hit on the apron? Odd. Gang won via countout at 2:56.

Winner: One Man Gang via countout

Analysis: DUD That’s one of the worst booked finishes I think I’ve ever seen. I always liked Bigelow. He showed flashes of his athleticism, but it was too short to really showcase what he could do.

Backstage, Mean Gene interviewed Hulk Hogan. Hogan delivered a very intense promo where he said he’s going to prove he can beat Andre The Giant again. That part of the promo was pretty good. The rest of it was totally crazy as he talked about an earthquake happening when he slams Andre, that Donald Trump will have to dogpaddle across the ocean to save his family, and I just wish I could get these three minutes back. It was a ridiculous promo…brother.

“Ravishing” Rick Rude told us to keep the noise down while he showed off his body. “Look at the abs,” said Gorilla. That’s awkward.

First Round: Rick Rude vs. Jake Roberts

I’ve always been a fan of these guys. They’re two of the better wrestlers from this era who didn’t quite reach the main event scene. They also had two of the best mustaches in wrestling history. I preferred Roberts as a heel, but he was very popular in the face role. They start off exchanging bodyslams until Roberts decides to slow the pace by working on Rude’s left arm with a wrist lock. I just heard a classic Gorilla-ism as he said “kisser,” which was his nickname for a person’s mouth. Rude fought back to his feet, so Jake hit a shoulder block and went for a DDT, but Rude bailed to the floor. They are working a very slow-paced match here. Back in the ring, Rude finally gains control by dodging a knee lift and hitting a nice clothesline to put Jake down for a two count. Rude applies a reverse chin lock for a few minutes. This match is way too slow. Jake fights out, so Rude knocks him back down with a chop to the head and a clothesline for two. Back to the chin lock. Roberts gets out, but Rude hits a flapjack and then climbs to the top rope with a fist drop. Back to the chinlock. Oh no, not again. Jake suplexes out, but Rude holds onto the chinlock because he loves it so much. Roberts rolls out, so Rude elbows him for a two count and then goes back to the chinlock. Roberts finally fights out with a jawbreaker and hits a back body drop. Roberts hits the patented short clothesline while the crowd cheers loudly after waking up from all those chinlocks. Rude avoids the DDT, but a charge into the corner doesn’t work as Jake gets a boot up and hits a gutbuster for two. Rude counters with a back suplex, while the announcers wonder if it’s close to a time-limit draw. They do the double clothesline spot as both guys are knocked out. Rude covers with his feet on the ropes, and the referee counts to one as the bell rings. It ends in a time-limit draw at the 15-minute mark. It actually went to about 15:10, but they had to time it with that last spot to end the match.

Match Result: No winner due to a time limit draw

After the match, Rude thought he had won. The ref told him it was a draw. They had announced earlier that the first round had a 15-minute time limit, so nobody advanced to the next round.

Analysis: * Sometimes guys will be booked in a 15-minute match and go all out with a bunch of nearfalls to make it look like a classic. In this case, they didn’t try to create a classic. They just wanted to reach the 15-minute mark by busting out way too many rest holds. I think Rude had him in the chin lock for about six minutes total, if not more. Both of those guys were better than this. They should have had a better match. Instead, they delivered a very disappointing bout that I probably forgot over the years because it was so boring. Also, they should have had a clock or some indicator to warn us when they were nearing the 15-minute mark because if they did, maybe the crowd would have cared a bit more.

The Quarterfinals of the tournament looked like this:
Hulk Hogan vs. Andre The Giant
Ted Dibiase vs. Don Muraco
Greg Valentine vs. Randy Savage
One Man Gang gets a bye into the Semi-finals

If it were a legitimate tournament, Hogan and Andre wouldn’t face each other so early. However, since it’s not, that match is happening now. Giving Gang a bye was probably a smart move because he wasn’t known for his stamina.

Mean Gene and Vanna White talked about the tournament to kill some time.

Back in the ring, Hercules was ready for his match to start. His opponent? The Ultimate Warrior, who sprinted down to the ring.

The Ultimate Warrior vs. Hercules

This was Warrior’s first WrestleMania. He was very popular here and it would only grow over the next couple of years. He was also very inexperienced, so seeing him have a good match was rare. It’s another powerhouse bout, with plenty of typical power exchanges like punches being thrown all over the place and clotheslines being the most common moves. It took three Hercules clotheslines to take Warrior down. He got back to his feet, then knocked Hercules down with two clotheslines in a row. Hercules then dumped him to the floor; Warrior pulled him outside and rammed him into the metal steps. Back in the ring, Hercules used his strength to take control with an atomic drop. Warrior missed a charge in the corner. Hercules applied a Full Nelson. Warrior went to the corner, pushed off with his feet, and they fell back so both of their shoulders were down. The referee counted them both down; Warrior got his shoulder up at two, and Hercules was down for three, so Warrior won by pinfall at 4:32.

Winner by pinfall: The Ultimate Warrior

Analysis: 1/2* Not much of a match. Weak finish. Warrior should have won more decisively, especially considering how hard they pushed him afterward. The crowd loved Warrior, but this was a brutal match to watch.

After the match, the crowd was thrilled with Warrior’s victory. Hercules attacked afterward by wrapping a chain around his neck. Warrior powerfully fought free, grabbing the chain and forcing Hercules to retreat.

It was intermission time as they showed commercials for WWF merchandise. Fast forward.

Back from intermission, Gorilla & Jesse set up the Quarterfinal round of matches starting with Hogan vs. Andre.

There are video highlights of all the key moments in the Hogan/Andre relationship over the years, from when they were friends to when Andre challenged for the title at WrestleMania 3 and Hogan won. Then, we see Ted Dibiase’s promo where he says he’s going to buy the World Heavyweight Title. Hogan’s response to Dibiase was: “Hell no!” Next, we see a clip of Andre attacking Hogan after a Saturday Night’s Main Event match, choking him until he passed out. We then see Dibiase asking Andre if he’d deliver the World Title to him, and Andre saying he will deliver that belt. The next clip is from The Main Event, where Hogan had Andre pinned after the leg drop, but Virgil distracted the referee. Andre then came back, hitting Hogan with a headbutt and a suplex. He covered, Hogan had his arm up at one, and the ref still counted to three. Later, we learn that the referee was Dave Hebner’s twin brother Earl, who was paid off by Dibiase. From there, WWF President Jack Tunney announced that the World Title would be vacant, and this tournament would follow. Now, the Quarterfinals are ready to begin.

The first entrant was Andre The Giant, who was accompanied by Ted Dibiase and Virgil. Andre was booed, but it wasn’t too bad. I think people still admired Andre even though he was a heel. “Real American” started up, and the crowd went wild for Hulk Hogan.

Quarterfinal Round: Hulk Hogan vs. Andre The Giant

Hogan slid into the ring, Andre attacked right away, and the match started. Andre went after him with chops, headbutts, and punches to the head. Hulk responded with three forearm shots that nearly sent Andre out of the ring. Dibiase was on the apron; Hogan went after him, Andre walked over, Hogan grabbed him, and it’s time for DOUBLE NOGGIN KNOCKER~! Hogan chopped him a few times, and Andre fell back into the ropes, tying himself up. He always did that spot. Dibiase and Virgil helped him out of there. Hogan hit him with multiple punches, which eventually knocked Andre down. Andre came back with a blatant chokehold, choking Hogan repeatedly and using chokes to keep him grounded while the crowd cheered Hulk on. Hulk fought out of the deadly trapezius hold with big right hands to the face. Hulk clotheslined Andre into the corner. Virgil went on the apron; the referee told him to get down as Dibiase sneaked up behind Hogan and hit him with a chair in the back. The ref didn’t see it. Hulk grabbed the chair, fought over it with Andre, then kicked him in the gut before hitting him in the back with the chair. Andre took the chair from Hulk, kicked him in the gut, and hit Hogan in the head with the chair. That was one of the most awkward chair shots I’ve ever seen. The referee called for the bell at 5:13, resulting in a double disqualification. Shouldn’t Hogan be the one disqualified since he was the first to use the chair? That’s what I thought.

Match Result: Double Disqualification

Analysis: 1/2* This match wasn’t on the same level as their WrestleMania 3 bout because Andre was a year older and clearly out of shape here. He struggled to do anything. Regarding the booking, I’m sure many people were surprised that Hogan didn’t win this tournament. It was a welcome change to see someone else hold the World Title after this night.

After the match, Hogan used the chair again to hit Andre in the head and knock him down. Hogan chased Dibiase and Virgil. Dibiase pushed Virgil toward Hulk, who awkwardly gave Virgil a suplex on the floor because Hulk never went down with him. Ouch. Hogan went back to the ring. Andre was still dazed. Hogan body-slammed Andre, which pleased the crowd. Andre ran away while Hogan celebrated. Hulk seemed pretty happy for a guy who lost because he used a chair in the match.

The double disqualification meant that the winner of the Dibiase/Muraco match advanced to the finals of the tournament.

Mean Gene talked to Randy Savage and Elizabeth. Savage said Hogan was a cheated man, not a defeated man. Good point. Savage thought that nothing was going to stop him and one half of the Megapowers from making it all the way to the finals. “All the way yeah!” With a thumbs-up. That was a bit cheesy.

Quarterfinal Round: Ted Dibiase vs. Don Muraco

Ted didn’t have Virgil or Andre with him because of what happened earlier in the match. Muraco jumped Dibiase before the bell and used a powerslam to get a two count. Muraco dominated the first minute or two as Dibiase tried to break free, but it wasn’t easy until he escaped after a Muraco dropkick. Graham scared him on the floor, so Ted rolled back in, and Muraco kept the attack going. After getting beat up for about two minutes, Ted countered by outsmarting Muraco and driving him headfirst into the turnbuckle. Dibiase hit a clothesline on Muraco followed by a knee. The crowd was pretty quiet during this match. I think the Hogan/Andre match wore them out, which is understandable. It’s not easy to follow a match like that. Dibiase kept up the offense, but then he made a mistake going for a back elbow from the middle rope, which Muraco avoided. Muraco hit a clothesline while Dibiase begged off. Muraco charged in, Ted lifted him, and dropped him throat-first over the top rope, stun gun style. That was enough for the pin at 5:44.

Winner by pinfall: Ted Dibiase

The win meant Dibiase goes to the finals of the tournament since the Hogan/Andre match resulted in no winner.

Analysis: * Very basic match. Muraco showcased his power moves early, Dibiase used his smarts to come back, and then when it looked like Muraco would finish him off, it was time for Ted to use his brains again to secure the win. I liked seeing the stun gun used as a finisher here. Of course, it wasn’t called the stun gun at the time, but that’s the name I use for it since Steve Austin employed it as a finisher in his WCW days.

Backstage, Bob Uecker was in the interview room while Demolition and Mr. Fuji trash-talked Strike Force, who they would face later.

In the ring, the One Man Gang was celebrating his bye in the semifinals, thanks to the Roberts/Rude draw earlier in the night. At least he didn’t dance. He was not yet Akeem the African Dream. Gang will face the winner of the next match.

Next up is Greg Valentine vs. Randy Savage. Macho Man gets a huge pop for his entrance. He’s

Quarterfinal Round: Greg Valentine vs. Randy Savage

Savage was wearing a different outfit than during his first match, and Elizabeth was too. There was a lot of back-and-forth action. Valentine wore him down with elbows, using three different variations. Greg loved throwing those elbows. The shoulder breaker earned him two counts for the Hammer. Valentine dumped Savage over the top rope to the floor and hit him with…you guessed it…an elbow. On the apron, Valentine struck him with some more elbows, this time to the throat. Valentine went for the figure four, but Savage was too close to the ropes. Savage lacked offense in these first few minutes, while Valentine hit a suplex for a two count. The crowd wasn’t that loud here, probably because Hogan’s posing really tired them out, huh? Savage made a comeback with a bodyslam and a double axe handle off the top for two. Hart distracted him, so Valentine hit him with a punch to the throat and a back elbow. Macho reversed a suplex into one of his own. Savage climbed to the top, but his double ax handle was countered by a punch to the gut from Valentine. Both were struggling to get to their feet. Savage missed a back attack, leading Valentine to go for a figure four. Macho countered with a small package, which was enough for the win at 6:06.

Winner by pinfall: Randy Savage

Analysis: **1/4 I expected better, although this finish actually worked, unlike most of the earlier matches. It was too short for them to really take the match to the next level.

Backstage, Gene talked to Vanna about the ongoing “Bob wants to talk to Vanna” storyline that provided so many unfunny moments during the show. They went over the next round of matchups.

World Title Tournament Semifinals:
Randy Savage vs. One Man Gang
Ted Dibiase gets a bye to the finals.

Intercontinental Title: Honky Tonk Man vs. Brutus Beefcake

The role of Peggy Sue was played by Sherri Martel here. Beefcake received a decent pop here. His babyface act was getting over pretty well. He enters with scissors because he’s “The Barber,” and that’s what he does. Neither guy was a very skilled worker, although they had some decent moments. They were more about doing the basics and getting by as over-the-top characters. Beefcake with an atomic drop. Should I call him “Honk” like Gorilla does? It might happen. Beefcake with a high knee right to the face as HTM bails to the floor. Brutus flipped him back into the ring and missed a big elbow, which allowed HTM to go on offense. HTM’s sideburns were more impressive than his moves. HTM went for the Shake, Rattle & Roll neckbreaker, but Brutus was near the ropes, so he held on while HTM fell to the mat from the momentum of the shake. Beefcake made a big babyface comeback with a back body drop to wake up the crowd during this very boring match. Beefcake applied a sleeper hold, much to the crowd’s delight. Jimmy Hart jumped on the apron, the ref turned away, so Hart hit the ref in the back with the megaphone. Beefcake put HTM to sleep, but the ref was out, and Beefcake had no idea what happened. Hart stole the bag that had Beefcake’s haircutting equipment. Beefcake cut some of Jimmy’s hair while they were on the floor. Jimmy had long hair, so that was very kind of Bruce. In the ring, two referees tried to help the knocked-out ref. Peggy poured water on HTM to wake him up. They both bailed. The official ruling was a DQ win for Beefcake. Other referees stopped Beefcake from cutting more hair. The match lasted about six minutes.

Winner via Disqualification: Brutus Beefcake

Analysis: 1/2* Very dull match. I think the most noteworthy move was a back body drop. As I mentioned, these two relied more on their charisma than their wrestling skills. Also, they were both very close friends of Hulk Hogan, which helps. It’s all about the game and how you play it. The political game, I mean.

Brutus celebrated the win even though he didn’t win the title. He got to cut some hair, so that’s what counts.

Backstage, Bob Uecker was joined by Andre the Giant. He said that Ted Dibiase will be the next World Champion and that Hulkamania is over. Then Andre chokes Uecker for fun, which is a very famous clip that I’m sure a lot of you have seen over the years. I love Andre a little more just for doing that. I wish he did it to Vince for booking some of the finishes on this show.

The next match featured The Islanders & Bobby Heenan versus British Bulldog & Koko B. Ware. Heenan entered wearing a dog handler’s jacket to guard against Bulldog Matilda. The Islanders consisted of Haku (also known as Meng in WCW) and Tama, who was better known as the Tonga Kid. The Tonga Kid’s brothers include Rikishi and the late Umaga. The crowd gave Bulldogs & Koko a nice ovation, while the announcers focused more on Matilda than the wrestlers.

British Bulldogs & Koko B Ware vs. The Islanders & Bobby Heenan

Heenan was wrestling here. He immediately got out of the ring as soon as Matilda met him there. Yes, the story of this match was about a dog versus a manager. Davey Boy Smith hit a nice crossbody on Haku for two. Nice crucifix by Smith for two. My favorite in this match was Dynamite Kid, but injuries really hurt his career by this point. Smith hit a Gorilla Press slam on Tama, but then the Islanders used quick tags to work him over. Tag to Koko B Ware, who hit a nice dropkick followed by a headlock and headscissors combo on both Islanders. Nice clothesline by Kid, but Haku slowed him down with a kick. Heenan tagged in, got a couple of kicks on Kid, and tagged out as soon as Kid was able to punch him in the gut. The announcers said that Dynamite was back to 100 percent when in fact he was not. He tagged out to Koko, who hit some high-flying offense again. Haku used power to slow it down while Matilda got more close-up shots. Heenan tagged in to go after Koko after The Islanders beat him up. Koko has “WWF” on his tights. He was a loyal employee, I guess. Koko hit Heenan with punches and then a dropkick to the back that sent Heenan headfirst into the turnbuckle. The Islanders saved Bobby as all six guys were fighting in the ring. Of course, the ref only told the Bulldogs to leave the ring. That allowed the Islanders to pick up Heenan and drop him on top of Koko. That pinfall was good enough for the win at 7:30.

Winners by pinfall: The Islanders & Bobby Heenan

Analysis: 3/4* Another disappointing match on this card. You have to love how, whenever everyone starts brawling, the referee only tells the babyfaces to leave the ring. The Matilda vs. Heenan payoff wasn’t very exciting, although what could you really expect from it? This was the last WrestleMania appearance for one of my favorites, the Dynamite Kid. His partner Davey Boy Smith would be back, of course.

Post match, Davey Boy grabbed Matilda and chased Heenan up the aisle. Heenan tripped, of course, so Smith placed Matilda on top of him, much to the crowd’s delight. Then they all ran away. Well, that was cheesy.

After that match, Howard Finkel asked the crowd to look up at the announcer’s booth to acknowledge Jesse Ventura, who received a nice ovation from the crowd. He struck some poses. That’s why they call him “The Body,” I guess. More time wasted on this show.

They announced that Ted Dibiase had a bye into the finals. They felt the need to bring him to the ring to make the announcement, just like they did with One Man Gang earlier. It’s semifinals time, and One Man Gang walks out to almost no reaction.

Semifinal Round: Randy Savage vs. One Man Gang

The announcers tried to tell us that Gang was the favorite because he had a bye, while Savage had to win two matches. It’s nice of them to portray Savage as the underdog, even though I doubt anyone really believed Gang would win this, especially with Dibiase already in the finals. Gang used power moves to slow Savage down, like clotheslines, punches, and splashes in the corner. Gang also hit a bodyslam for a two count, but Savage managed to get his foot on the ropes. Gorilla oversold Savage kicking out of another near fall. Gang missed a splash, so Savage came back with speed and hit a double axe handle to knock Gang to the floor. Savage went to the top and hit a double axe handle all the way down on Gang on the floor. He attempted a bodyslam, but it didn’t work, and Gang knocked him down. Slick walked over to Elizabeth, talking trash. Liz went on the apron, the ref told her to get down, and Slick jumped on the apron. Savage went after Slick, and Slick tossed his cane to OMG, who attacked Savage with it. The referee turned around to see OMG going after Macho with the cane, so he disqualified OMG at 4:05.

Winner: Randy Savage via disqualification

Analysis: 3/4* It was more of a story than a match. Savage could have a good match with someone like One Man Gang if they had enough time, but obviously that didn’t happen. The idea was that Savage would walk into the finals tired from not only having three matches but also being attacked by the OMG with a cane. From a logical standpoint, One Man Gang was one win away from a WWE World Title shot, yet he chose to get DQ’d instead. Dumb.

Post match, Gang hit him with the cane once more, sending Macho Man to the floor. Macho recovered, went to the top rope, and hit a double axe handle on OMG, who was hugging Slick, which meant he squashed the Slickster.

Backstage, they returned to Mean Gene and Vanna White in front of the tournament brackets. The finals were set: Dibiase vs. Savage. Vanna excused herself to go to ringside. Gene checked out her backside as she left. Gene rules. Uecker showed up looking for Vanna, but she had already left. That ongoing storyline during this show was painfully bad.

It’s tag team title time with Demolition facing Strike Force, which was Tito Santana and Rick Martel, who came out to some generic music that sounded terrible. The crowd didn’t react much when they entered. It’s been a long show.

Tag Team Titles: Strike Force vs. Demolition

Ax and Smash were an overpowering heel tag team managed by the genius Mr. Fuji. All four guys started brawling early on, with Strike Force hitting a double clothesline on Smash for two. Smash countered Santana’s speed by holding him in his corner, allowing Ax to knock him down with a clothesline. The crowd cheered the move, liking the look of Demolition. They took turns working over Tito, or “Chico” as Jesse always called him. Ax scored a two-count with a powerslam. They continued to wear down Tito with a mix of punches, kicks, and cheating moves. Smash got a two after a suplex and a follow-up elbow miss. Tito couldn’t make the tag yet. Ax finally tagged in, whipped Tito into the corner, and Tito responded with a flying forearm to the head. Both men were down as Tito made the hot tag to Martel. Martel delivered a back drop to Smash, followed by dropkicks on both opponents. The crowd wasn’t very loud during the babyface comeback. Martel put Smash into the Boston Crab. Meanwhile, Tito was fighting Ax and hit him with the flying forearm. Of course, the ref only tried to keep Tito out of the ring. Tito punched Fuji, who then threw his cane at Ax. Ax picked up the cane, hit Martel in the back with it, and Tito accidentally knocked the ref down. Instead of helping his partner, Tito went after Mr. Fuji some more. While that was happening, the referee counted the pin, awarding Demolition the win at 8:02.

Winners by pinfall: Demolition – New Tag Team Champions

Analysis: * That was an overbooked finish. Also, it was the second match in a row where a cane was used as a weapon. The crowd didn’t seem to care much about Strike Force while they cheered for Demolition winning the titles. Then again, they were probably burned out after watching 15 matches by this point.

After the match, Tito was upset with the ref. Maybe he should have left Mr. Fuji alone so he could have helped. That’s my way of saying the finish could have been better because it was messed up.

In the ring, Howard Finkel introduced Robin Leach from Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous, who would present the World Heavyweight Title to the new champion. The crowd didn’t react to him. The guest ring announcer was Bob Uecker, and Vanna White was the guest timekeeper. At least Vanna received a nice reaction.

We get the intros for the finalists in the World Heavyweight Title tournament. Ted Dibiase came out first along with Andre the Giant, who was wearing his ring gear. Randy Savage entered with Elizabeth. They both had different outfits on for each of the four times they entered the ring.

Finals of the World Heavyweight Title tournament: Ted Dibiase vs. Randy Savage

Gorilla kicked things off by using his “you can cut the electricity with a knife” line at the start of the match. Right from the beginning, Andre tripped up Savage. The crowd started chanting “Hogan! Hogan!” as if on cue. No Hogan yet. He must be using his “vitamins” or something. Savage ran the ropes, and Andre tripped him again. Dibiase worked him over as the announcers pointed out that Savage was in his fourth match while Dibiase was in his third. Dibiase managed a couple of good nearfalls. Savage came back with a clothesline for two. Dibiase responded with a back elbow, taking Savage down. Randy then sprang back with speed, using the top rope to clothesline Dibiase across the neck. Savage followed with a running knee to the back that knocked Dibiase over the top rope to the floor. Macho tried to give him the double ax on the top, but Andre stood in front of Dibiase. Macho went over to Elizabeth to tell her something, and she ran to the locker room area. The crowd went wild because they knew what was coming. Dibiase hit a series of fist drops for two.

Elizabeth returned with the other half of the Megapowers, Hulk Hogan, who grabbed a chair and sat in the corner of Randy Savage to block Andre the Giant’s interference. The crowd got even louder. Dibiase pounded on Savage in his corner, then backed away as Andre grabbed Savage by the tights. Hogan ran around to that side of the ring and stunned Andre with a punch. Dibiase hit a vertical suplex for two, then a gutwrench suplex for two. Bodyslam by Dibiase. Ted went to the top, but Savage threw him off and climbed to the top rope for the flying elbow, which he missed. Dibiase then put on the Million Dollar Dream sleeper. Savage was close to the ropes, so Andre knocked his hand away. The ref admonished Andre, giving Hogan a chance to sneak into the ring and crush Dibiase with a steel chair. Savage regrouped, saw Dibiase was down, spun around with his right hand in the air—and I still remember being thrilled at that moment. The crowd cheered too. We all knew what was coming. Savage then went to the top, hit the Flying Elbow, hooked the leg, and got the win at 9:20.

Winner by pinfall: Randy Savage – New WWE World Heavyweight Champion

Analysis: *** It was a solid match. They would have better matches, but with Savage working four matches and with all of the shenanigans outside the ring to play up the story, it wasn’t the right time to have a classic match. Good use of Hogan and Andre on the floor, while Hogan’s cheap move to help Savage was absolutely justified. As a moment, it was very special.

Post match, Hogan ran in the ring and handed Savage the title. Then he makes sure Dibiase & Andre stay out of the ring.

To end the show, there was a big celebration with Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, and Elizabeth. An iconic shot showed Elizabeth on Randy’s shoulder while she held the World Heavyweight Title, tears streaming from her eyes. It’s one of those moments you’ll never forget.

This event had a runtime of 3:33:22 on WWE Network

FIVE RANDOM THOUGHTS

– The story surrounding the World Heavyweight Title was well done. The problem was they had a 14-man tournament for the title when it really should have included no more than eight people. Too many matches tired out the crowd at different points, although they did come alive for the main event.

– As I re-watch these shows, I appreciate Randy Savage even more than before. He did all the little things right. Younger wrestlers should study tapes of him. You could argue that he was the most complete wrestler in the history of the business. It’s not just his in-ring talent that made him great. It was the theme music, the entrance, the extravagant robes, the facial expressions, mannerisms, and an incredible finishing move as well. He demonstrated his skill on this four-hour show.

– There were poor finishes everywhere. Out of the 16 matches on the card, I’d say about half of them could have been improved. Luckily, match finishes are something WWE would improve on over the years.

– In the WrestleMania 3 write-up, I mentioned that every match except one had a manager involved. On this show, all 16 matches featured someone in the corner of another, including Matilda the Bulldog. This was definitely the era when managers were the most prominent in WWE.

– The ongoing story of Bob Uecker and Vanna White was tough to watch. I didn’t laugh once. At least they reduced the number of celebrities on this show, which was a nice change of pace after having too many of them on the first two WrestleManias.

OPINIONS

Best Match: Greg Valentine vs. Ricky Steamboat – Not an all-time great match or anything like that, but still a very solid match.

Worst Match: One Man Gang vs. Bam Bam Bigelow – A lot to choose from. This was the worst.

Most Memorable Moment: Randy Savage hitting the top rope elbow to win his first WWF World Title. The moment when he first raises his arm up in the air after he realizes Dibiase is down is the one that I’ve always liked the best.

Five Stars:

1. Randy Savage – Had four matches. No epic matches like the year prior, but he was still the best performer on the show.
2. Ted Dibiase – Worked three matches in his WrestleMania debut.
3. Hulk Hogan – He did a really good job of putting over Savage in the main event. Yes, the crowd cheered more for Hogan than they did Savage, but Hulk didn’t steal the spotlight from him.
4. Greg Valentine – Two pretty good matches and a lot of elbow smashes.
5. Gene Okerlund – For checking out Vanna’s ass after she walked away. I told ya he was a candidate to be a star of this show.

Show rating (out of 10): 4.75

This was a below-average show, no doubt. It featured a 16-match card, which is too many matches. The longest match was the Roberts/Rude 15-minute draw, which mostly consisted of about eight minutes of rest holds. If you schedule a show that runs that long, you should have some matches that get more time or tell a better story. I’ll mainly remember this show for having too many matches with way too many poor finishes.

It’s also a show that means a lot to me as a wrestling fan because it was the first WrestleMania I ever watched live. My favorite wrestler as a kid won his first World Heavyweight Title in a moment I will never forget. I was so happy to see Randy Savage holding that belt. I guess this show would be kind of like a movie or TV show you liked from when you were a kid that means a lot to you then, but when you look back on it, you realize maybe it wasn’t so great after all. Then again, those memories stick with you forever.

I’ll always see WrestleMania 4 in a positive light because of the emotions it brought out in me as a kid and as a fan of Randy Savage. I just wish it had been a better show. Can’t win ’em all, right?

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That’s all for me. Check out the full list of my WWE PPV Review archive right here. Thanks for reading.

John Canton

Email [email protected]