Revisiting the Insanity That Was WWE WrestleMania 9 in Las Vegas

#5 WWE WrestleMania 9 in Las Vegas had a very underwhelming card

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCz4Y8oTBJc

Let s be honest here- the first match of the afternoon sucked. It was Tito Santana versus Papa Shango in an eight-minute contest that wasn t even broadcast. The WWE Universe would view this fight for the first time in a hidden gems section of a WWE DVD. As for the fans in attendance in Las Vegas,  this was a very poor way to start the afternoon.

The first official match on the WrestleMania 9 card was Tatanka versus Shawn Michaels, which was a bit of an upgrade. Tatanka had an undefeated streak in the months leading up to the contest and the Intercontinental title was on the line. Unfortunately, this match ended in a count-out, and Tatanka s undefeated streak remained intact. Great match, but bad booking.

#4 The Diaster that was the Undertaker versus Giant Gonzalez

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2k9hfVz2tiQ

WrestleMania has had quite a few colorful costumes throughout its history. It's usually the time when everyone goes all out. Unfortunately for Giant Gonzales., who stood 8 feet tall and weighed 480 pounds,  April 4, 1993, will forever be known as the night he showed up in a painted-on costume. It was supposed to make him look like a wild animal, but it just made him look weird and made the match with the Undertaker uncomfortable. Harvey Whippleman was there, too, for some reason.

#3 Brett Hart versus Yokuzuna for the WWE Title was the main event

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Wu9y2rFmww

Yokozuna won the Royal Rumble that year, which guaranteed him a shot at The WWE Championship in the WrestleMania main event, but it ended up being a disaster. Yokozuna got major heat after his manager, Mr. Fuji, sabotaged Brett Hart by throwing salt in his eyes. The moment had a lot of fans disappointed that the Hitman came up short.

Usually, WrestleMania is a place where dreams come true, and heroes prevail. This doesn't mean that WWE can't deviate from that formula, but it's not the norm.

#2 Hulk Hogan returned to win the WWE Title in 22 seconds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIsW_yxJvP0

There s no easy way to say this without hurting the Hulkamaniacs out there, but the events that unfolded after what was supposed to be the main event of WrestleMania 9 were cartoonishly bad. After Yokozuna won the match, Hulk Hogan stormed the ring and checked on Hart at ringside. He was then challenged by Mr. Fuji to an impromptu match for The WWE Title right then and there. The Las Vegas crowd was given a bonus 22-second encore as Hogan ducked the salt and hit an exhausted Yokozuna with his atomic leg drop.

While a surprise title match could have been interesting if done correctly, that's not how this went down. Hart claimed in an interview that he was only told the day before the event that he was losing the title. He also claimed that Hulk Hogan came in and acted like his best friend before the show. He even thanked him for letting him take his moment.

#1 Why WrestleMania 9 in Las Vegas was so hated

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuNjriGjBtA

There was nothing about WrestleMania 9 that made it special.  A heel won the championship in the main event, only to have the whole thing undone by Hulk Hogan storming the ring. It didn't make sense.

Now, that doesn t mean Shawn Michaels versus Tatanka, Yokozuna versus Brett Hart, and the tag team title match weren't serviceable. There was just nothing that screamed Wrestlemania.  The venue was also outside, which was an odd look for WWE.