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Post by mikey1974 on Feb 6, 2014 16:26:50 GMT -5
so how do you follow,literally, the biggest wrestling event of all time? you go bigger...in a manner of speaking....  after the huge - pun intended - success of WrestleMania III, Vince knew he couldn't pack a large venue like that again,so he went smaller. specifically,he went to Atlantic City,to the Trump Plaza Convention Center. what he DID go bigger with was the card. never before,and possibly never since,have there been so many wrestlers involved in one event. 48 different wrestlers competed at this show,in a total of 16 matches.also with a running time of nearly 4 hours,it was the longest wrestling event ever at that time. it was also very light on celebrities,much like the previous Mania,which I always consider a good thing. the celebrities should enhance the event,not be the focus of the event. The centerpiece for the event was the Elimination Tournament for the vacant WWF Championship,a first in WWF History. it also marked the 3rd - and final - one on one encounter on TV between Hulk Hogan and Andre. and it also marked the first time on wrestler had to wrestle in 4 matches at the same event. there's a lot of disdain out there for this event,but personally I enjoyed it! some of that might be nostalgia,as it was my first Mania i saw on PPV (and my second WWF PPV overall). I enjoyed the tournament concept,and I am a HUGE Demolition mark to this day,so their match was a highlight. that said,the event did feel overlong,and at times dragged. but it's still a history-making WrestleMania,and marked the beginning of a new Champion besides hulk Hogan for the first time in over 4 years,as the era of "Macho Madness" truly began. THE CARD: 20 Man Battle Royal, featuring - The Hart Foundation, Bad News Brown,George Steele, Hillbilly Jim,Sam Houston,Sika, Ken Patera,The Bolsheviks, The killer Bees, Outlaw Ron Bass,The Rougeau Brothers, Junkyard Dog, The Young Stallions, King Harley Race, and Dangerous Danny Davis. The Ultimate Warrior vs Hercules, w/ Bobby "The Brain" Heenan Intercontinental Champion The Honky Tonk Man, w/ Jimmy Hart and Peggy Sue vs Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake The British Bulldogs and Koko B. Ware vs The Islanders and Bobby "The Brain" Heenan Tag Team Champions Strike Force vs Demolition, w/ Mr. Fuji Tournament for the Vacant WWF Championship 1st Round: Ted Dibiase vs Hacksaw Jim Duggan Don Muraco vs Dino Bravo Ricky Steamboat vs Greg Valentine Randy Savage vs Butch Reed Bam Bam Bigelow vs One Man Gang Jake Roberts vs Rick Rude 2nd Round: Hulk Hogan vs Andre the Giant Ted Dibiase vs Don Muraco Randy Savage vs Greg Valentine One Man Gang wins via Bye 3rd round: Ted Dibiase wins via Bye Randy Savage vs One Man Gang 4th Round - Finals: Ted Dibiase vs Randy Savage |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 6, 2014 16:43:50 GMT -5
I wasn't even born yet when this first aired so I only know it through YouTube videos and discussions on here.
I am a huge fan of tournaments, it's kind of difficult to explain why but there's just something about them I love. The accomplishment of winning the championship after beating an entire field of opponents makes the win feel so much more important. I'd love for the WWE to do something similar with the current product. Wrestlemania is too big of an event to dedicate the whole night to one tournament but even having a random PPV during the year end up being a one night tournament.
Macho Man winning was definitely my favorite part, seeing him have to wrestle 3 other superstars before getting to the finals was great and having to win a 4th match to take the title home.
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Raine
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Post by Raine on Feb 6, 2014 16:47:40 GMT -5
Should have been Savage vs Steamboat 2, Steamer does the job, ends with a handshake.
Would love to have seen Hogan beat Andre, but then Dibiase beats Hogan (Andre's help of course) in the next round
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Post by hbkbigdaddycool on Feb 6, 2014 16:52:41 GMT -5
This definitely is a favourite of mine for Wrestlemania cards. This was the first ever Wrestlemania coliseum video I ever rented, and I thought it was so cool that it was 2 VHS tapes, because to me, it felt like I was getting more for the price I was renting it for.
Loved the tournament. Much like Demolition stated, that he's a huge fan of tournaments, I am as well. And being a kid at the time, and watching it, and knowing who won, I still wondered how Hogan didn't win it. So after watching it, then I saw what went down.
I love battle royals too, and Wrestlemania IV gives us one of those too! Which I felt was a great way to start out the event. The face turn of Bret Hart pretty much happened too when Bad News Brown turned on him, and then Bret smashed Brown's trophy. The fans definitely took a liking to The Hitman there.
Brutus Beefcake was my favourite wrestler during this time frame, and I so badly wanted to see him win the IC Title. But I had to settle for him cutting Jimmy Hart's mullet off instead.
The show was just very cool to me, and I actually found the PPV version of it via tape trading years ago, and I traded in my coliseum version for that PPV version just because it's such a bad ass PPV event.
But out of the first five Wrestlemania shows, Wrestlemania IV was definitely my favourite one.
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Post by BrIaNMeRcY on Feb 6, 2014 17:28:50 GMT -5
I have not given this event a proper viewing so I don't have much to say. Looking back at the history of WrestleMania, this is one of the more unique 'Mania's in history, Having almost the entire show dedicated to a 14-man single elimination tournament with 16 matches (the most ever in 'Mania history). With that said, here is a graphic of the original bracket for the WWF Championship tournament:  One thing I found interesting is that Randy Savage & Ted DiBiase would have squared off in the semi-finals rather than the finals. |
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Post by T R W on Feb 6, 2014 17:41:28 GMT -5
I wasn't even born yet when this first aired so I only know it through YouTube videos and discussions on here. I am a huge fan of tournaments, it's kind of difficult to explain why but there's just something about them I love. The accomplishment of winning the championship after beating an entire field of opponents makes the win feel so much more important. I'd love for the WWE to do something similar with the current product. Wrestlemania is too big of an event to dedicate the whole night to one tournament but even having a random PPV during the year end up being a one night tournament. Macho Man winning was definitely my favorite part, seeing him have to wrestle 3 other superstars before getting to the finals was great and having to win a 4th match to take the title home. I am right there with you. I love tournaments. I loved the Crockett Cup, and pretty much any title tournament. I'm a sucker for them. So as a teenager, this was a great event for me. Sure looking back some of the participants are sketchy. But to be honest, I loved it. The double DQ with Hogan/Andre was kind of lame, but I was thrilled that Macho Man won, because I was so sick of Hulkamania by this point. But yeah, I liked WMIV a lot, because I like tournaments. Especially 1 night tournements like this. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 6, 2014 18:22:59 GMT -5
Looking at the bracket you'd think it's a guaranteed Savage vs Hogan final but I loved that Dibiase made it regardless of how. It just adds that "anyone can be beat" element to the tournament which makes it so much more surprising.
KOTR really needs to come back.
Sorry Mikey for turning your thread into a tournament love fest, ha.
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Post by BrIaNMeRcY on Feb 6, 2014 22:43:06 GMT -5
Looking at the bracket you'd think it's a guaranteed Savage vs Hogan final but I loved that Dibiase made it regardless of how. It just adds that "anyone can be beat" element to the tournament which makes it so much more surprising. KOTR really needs to come back. Sorry Mikey for turning your thread into a tournament love fest, ha. No matter how you look at it, the WWF Championship tournament was the focal point of WrestleMania IV and the build leading into it. I find tournaments a proper way to determine a new champion. Much like how Randy Savage and The Rock's first WWF Championship reigns happened as a result of a tournament. Does it ever occur to anybody that both 14-man WWF Championship tournaments happened in a year ending in a eight? Let's go Bob Uecker!!! |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 7, 2014 0:32:58 GMT -5
So much missed opportunity on this show.
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Post by hbkbigdaddycool on Feb 7, 2014 1:08:44 GMT -5
I have not given this event a proper viewing so I don't have much to say. Looking back at the history of WrestleMania, this is one of the more unique 'Mania's in history, Having almost the entire show dedicated to a 14-man single elimination tournament with 16 matches (the most ever in 'Mania history). With that said, here is a graphic of the original bracket for the WWF Championship tournament: One thing I found interesting is that Randy Savage & Ted DiBiase would have squared off in the semi-finals rather than the finals. Interesting!! For one very simple reason, and that is Bam Bam Bigelow stated in his shoot that he was supposed to win the WWE Title at Wrestlemania IV but his knee injury caused him to take a first round loss and then get it operated on. I know he was tagging with Hogan a lot, wrestling Virgil and DiBiase and Andre & DiBiase on house shows, so I am wondering now if Bigelow was supposed to win the belt. Maybe a Bigelow vs. Andre finals?? |
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JoeyBats
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Post by JoeyBats on Feb 7, 2014 1:49:35 GMT -5
Wrestlemania 4 is too me a very underrated show, Mania 3 get so much praise from everyone but too me was very lackluster. Maybe because I was alive to view it live and didnt get caught up in all the Hogan/Andre hype. Too me going back and watching Wrestlemania 4 I still get goosebumps when Savage pins Dibiase and wins the title. My only gripe is that Savage didnt win clean and Hogan hogged a bit of the spotlight.
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Post by speaktomeworriers on Feb 7, 2014 1:57:13 GMT -5
Wierd how Bam Bam said he was supposed to win the title, I've heard for the longest time that Dibiase was supposed to win the title, but because Honky didnt want to give up the IC belt to savage, Vince promised Savage the World title...which is part of the reason they changed the match ups
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Post by Deleted on Feb 7, 2014 6:40:10 GMT -5
Wierd how Bam Bam said he was supposed to win the title, I've heard for the longest time that Dibiase was supposed to win the title, but because Honky didnt want to give up the IC belt to savage, Vince promised Savage the World title...which is part of the reason they changed the match ups yup......and the reason I believe that is despite Honky & Dibiase genuinely hating one another?they tell the same story |
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Post by mikey1974 on Feb 7, 2014 6:46:58 GMT -5
again,got to remember - Vince is an EPIC bullsh*tter. it wouldn't surprise me if he told Bam Bam he was getting the Belt...or Jake the Snake...or a bunch of others.
I've read in not just one book,but several,how he'll tell you what's happening,then later on change it, listen to your complaints about it changing,then manage to convince you how the new way he's going to use you is so much better than the way he originally planned,and you walk out of his office agreeing with him. then a short time later,you realize that "Hey! He just totally twisted around what you wanted!"
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Post by marino13 on Feb 7, 2014 9:09:54 GMT -5
WM IV is my personal favorite Wrestlemania. I went in pulling for Savage to win it, but assuming we were getting the same old Hogan BS story. I was ecstatic when Hogan & Andre were gone so quickly, cause I knew it meant someone new was walking out as Champion. The only thing that still drives me nuts is Valentine defeating Steamboat. A Savage/Steamboat rematch would have made much more sense.
I know rumors are Dibiase was suppose to win. But thank god he didn't because I still believe the Mega Powers/Mega Powers Explode is the best written WWE storyline to date.
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Post by BrIaNMeRcY on Feb 7, 2014 9:15:32 GMT -5
again,got to remember - Vince is an EPIC bullsh*tter. it wouldn't surprise me if he told Bam Bam he was getting the Belt...or Jake the Snake...or a bunch of others. I've read in not just one book,but several,how he'll tell you what's happening,then later on change it, listen to your complaints about it changing,then manage to convince you how the new way he's going to use you is so much better than the way he originally planned,and you walk out of his office agreeing with him. then a short time later,you realize that "Hey! He just totally twisted around what you wanted!" Vince McMahon is notorious for changing his mind on the fly. If he is not happy, he will have people revise it. In the late-80's, he and Pat Patterson were in charge of writing television. Certain guys were supposed to get certain things. When the Honky Tonk Man didn't want to drop the Intercontinental Championship to Randy Savage at the Main Event, it changed everything the WWF had planned at the time. A lot of talents had massive egos at the time. Once a certain performer got comfortable in a certain spot, they fought tooth and nail to keep that position. The ballgame was vastly different in 1988 versus 2014. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 7, 2014 10:30:10 GMT -5
thinking back to WM IV....
Loved the Rude vs Roberts match
Hated that Steamboat gets defeated because Vince still hadn't forgiven him for 87
LOVED Hoigan & Andre going out.....still do
LOVED that Demolition were widely cheered against Strike Force.
LOVED the Savage vs Dibiase match.
and of course it gave us the Mega Powers feud & match @ WM5.one of the best WM main events EVER.
On a side note I always LOL when the Hogan haters crap on him being out there at the end of the PPV......."waaahhh Hogan stole Randy's moment waaah" when in reality it was all Savages idea....he was so insecure that his victory wouldn't get the reaction he desired he roped Hulk in.
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Post by mikey1974 on Feb 7, 2014 12:29:04 GMT -5
it made sense from a storyline standpoint as well. Dibiase twice screwed Hogan out of the title ( The main Event twin referees, and Dibiase introduced the chair into the Hogan=Andre WM4 match that got both men DQ'ed_). so it was Hogan getting his revenge on Dibiase by screwing him out of the title as well.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 7, 2014 13:11:38 GMT -5
it made sense from a storyline standpoint as well. Dibiase twice screwed Hogan out of the title ( The main Event twin referees, and Dibiase introduced the chair into the Hogan=Andre WM4 match that got both men DQ'ed_). so it was Hogan getting his revenge on Dibiase by screwing him out of the title as well. yes indeed Mikey.....yes indeed. It also didn't hurt or effect Savages popularity or win one little bit. |
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Post by BrIaNMeRcY on Feb 7, 2014 13:12:28 GMT -5
Historically speaking, WrestleMania IV was the start of the longest tag team championship reign in WWE history and the third longest WWE Championship reign in the last 26 years. With 478 for Demolition and 371 for "Macho Man" Randy Savage.
Just to teat your brain, what made WrestleMania IV one of the more unique 'Mania's in history? Hint: The tournament had something to do with it.
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