WWE Network: PPV’s to Watch – WrestleMania IV

One of the many great benefits of subscribing to the WWE Network (for only $9.99 a month) is having all the old pay per view’s that guys like myself grew up watching.  Myself being a fan from the mid-late 80’s, these were the shows that got me hooked and made me a rabid fan of pro wrestling.

One of those pay per views that I watched over and over once it hit VHS (that’s the video tape you put in a machine called a VCR kiddos – yes I’m old) was WrestleMania 4.

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Why you ask?  It was the dawning of a new era for WWE at the time.  You see when I was a young kid – Hulk Hogan dominated the world title.  No one held it but him – that was until one Friday Night Main Event special on NBC had André The Giant score the first televised victory over Hulkster – with the help of the Hebner twins as referees.

Of course, André only won the belt for the Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase.  Then WWE President Jack Tunney decided that since André vacated the title and that DiBiase was not going to just buy the title – a tournament of 12 of the top wrestlers for the World Title would compete in a one-night tournament for the title.

Hogan and André would receive first round byes and automatically be in the quarterfinals of the tournament.

First Round Matches would be:

“The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase vs. “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan

Don “The Rock” Muraco vs. Dino Bravo

Greg “The Hammer” Valentine vs. Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat

“Macho Man” Randy Savage vs. The One Man Gang

“Ravishing” Rick Rude vs. Jake “The Snake” Roberts

The tournament alone would be enough for a normal pay per view but since this was WrestleMania and in Trump Towers – they pulled out all the stops.

Other matches on the card:

A 20 man over-the-top battle royal where the winner would receive a near six-foot tall trophy.  Participants included: The Hartfoundation, George “The Animal” Steele, Bad News Brown, Paul Roma, Jim Powers, Junk Yard Dog, Nikoali Volkoff, Hill Billy Jim, “The King” Harley Race, The Killer Bee’s, and others.

The Intercontinental Champion – The Honky Tonk Man who was on a record streak of days with that title would defend the belt against Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake.  The two would have a long-standing feud with each other.

The Honky Tonk Man would constantly sneak away with the belt as “The Barber” would continue to chase the belt and Honky’s hair that he was promising the fans he was going to cut.

The Tag Team Champions Strike Force (Rick Martel and Tito Santana) defended the titles against Demolition.  Ax and Smash were running through everyone like a runaway freight train.

Strike Force, considered more of a pretty boy tag team and not very credible champions – were a good team.  This was a challenge of the quick and young team with their flashy moves against the raw power of the challengers.

Six-man tag teams match of the British Bulldogs and KoKo B. Ware versus The Islanders and Bobby “The Brain” Heenan.  The Bulldogs were in a small feud with Haku and Tama where Heenan was always being chased by The Bulldogs mascot Matilda – who was their pet bulldog.

Heenan wanted the dog banned from ringside and even went as far as to kidnap the dog from Dynamite Kid and Davey Boy.  The dog would be returned which would set up this match at WrestleMania.  Of course you know Heenan being the “Brain” would have something up his sleeve if he was going to wrestle.

A grudge match involving two power house wrestlers – Hercules and the Ultimate Warrior, where the winner had to come via pinfall or submission.  This worked well in Hercules advantage since his 15 foot chain he carried to the ring would be legal.

This would also mark the very first pay per view appearance of the Ultimate Warrior.

While both wrestlers are not known for being technically sound and this match doesn’t get great reviews by most – I still enjoyed it.  Two power guys hitting hard and it also helped that the Warrior was my favorite wrestler (still is).

The aftermath of this event was considerable.  Many of the matches would have feuds that would carry on for months after WrestleMania including Rude and Roberts, Savage and DiBiase, Demolition and Strike Force, and one from the battle royal that I won’t say so I don’t spoil it for those who haven’t seen it.

It would also start to show the signs of Macho Man and Hogan not only teaming up but that while as a team – Savage didn’t quite trust Hogan.

And that new era I spoke of in the beginning would come at the end of the event as the WWE would start to change their philosophy.

If you haven’t checked it out – do it.  A true one night tournament to decide a champion other than just picking two guys to fight it out (Cena vs. Orton) is the way to go.