10 Worst Booking Decisions in WrestleMania History
By Tim Sherry
credit: wwe.com
4. Hogan Hijacks the Main Event: WrestleMania IX
Ending a show with utter nonsense is not the best way to ward off the notion that WrestleMania IX is one of the worst Mania’s of all time. Let’s first talk about what could’ve happened and then we’ll talk about what did happen and it’s silly aftermath. The main event of WrestleMania IX pitted the most over babyface in the company at that time, WWF Champion Bret Hart against Yokozuna, a 600-pound monster who’d torn through the majority of the roster culminating in winning the 1993 Royal Rumble. So the two clash, Bret fights his heart out but can’t overcome Yokozuna’s size and power and eventually succumbs to that and outside interference from Mr. Fuji. Yokozuna is the new champion and thus begins the new calendar year in the WWF.
Well, that is actually what happened. But the problem was that it didn’t end there. Hulk Hogan, most likely feeling like he wanted to be champion again came out to assist Hart and his eye injury which led to an impromptu title match with Yokozuna. You know, because challenging a guy 100 pounds and 8 inches taller than the guy you just won the belt from 30 seconds ago makes perfect sense. So, of course, the inevitable happens. Hogan takes the belt in 22 seconds. Yawn.
But just when that idea seemed colossally stupid, here comes the aftermath. You can swing the idea that with Hogan now as champ that would ultimately lead to a massive Hart/Hogan WWF Championship match at that year’s SummerSlam. But Hogan would have none of it and dropped the belt back to Yokozuna cleanly at King of the Ring just two months later. Answer this. Had Hogan not come out to close the show, what difference would that have made for the future? None. Hogan’s ego ruined what could’ve been an even better championship feud and one that the company could’ve built on.