(Photo by the TJR)
We have a competition here in professional wrestling. It's not anything close to the Monday Night Raw, like not even close, but both are the polar opposites. AEW is a company that focuses on more wrestling and less storylines while WWE is more storyline laden. This is your basic chocolate and vanilla comparison when it comes to wrestling. It has caused wrestling fans and marks to become irritated with one another. What if I told you that there was a match that put both into a classic that isn't on anyone's radar.
WrestleMania XIII took place at the RCA/Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis on April 5, 1992. The event was a rousing success despite some setbacks. The WWF Championship match was one of the important contests on the card, which is why there was a double main event. The other match that was the main event also contributed with the WWF title match. How about we go back a little bit to see how we got here.
-As the crown jewel of Jim Crockett Promotions, now WCW, Ric Flair became a legend in the territories, especially in the south, as he put his stamp as the best wrestler in the country. However, Jim Herd was president of WCW, and he didn't see eye-to-eye with Flair. There was also a contract dispute which Herd wanted Flair to take a pay cut and refused to return Flair's $25,000 deposit. Obviously, Ric was upset about this and refused to take a pay cut. Herd fired Flair in July of 1991 and was stripped of the WCW Championship. Since he was also the NWA Champion, Flair decided to take the belt with him to WWF. Fearing a lawsuit, the federation had to video distort the belt whenever Flair had it. All of that changed when Flair entered the Royal Rumble at #3, lasted over an hour and won the dang thing to become WWF Champion.
-At WrestleMania XII, Macho Man Randy Savage lost a career match to the Ultimate Warrior. He would be attacked by Queen Sherri, until Elizabeth came from the crowd to save Randy. There was an embrace that caused everyone to produce the waterworks and both Randy and Elizabeth were married at SummerSlam of that year. The reception became hell as Elizabeth opened a present containing a snake as Jake Roberts appeared with the Undertaker. In storyline, Savage was kayfabe "retired" and fans wanted him to be reinstated to take on Jake. There was the now famous segment where Jake taunts Randy to come to the ring and Roberts attacks him which leads to Jake tying Randy to the ring ropes. The snake man takes out his precious King Cobra from his bag and proceeds to let the snake bite into Savage's bicep. With President Jack Tunney giving his blessing to reinstate Macho, a match between the two at the hidden classic PPV known as This Tuesday in Texas. Savage would win this match, but Jake would get the upper hand and went face-to-face with Miss Elizabeth. Jake would go on and slap her in the face. Their epic rivalry ended at Saturday Night's Main Event with Randy getting the victory. Jake was going to strike either one of them with a steel chair from behind the curtain. However, the Undertaker stopped him from doing any damage to the two.
It's safe to say that Randy Savage was going through some (bleep). Unfortunately, it will continue...in storyline, of course.
So, Ric Flair was going to WrestleMania as the WWF Champion, he just needed his opponent. There were five superstars that were considered to face him: Roddy Piper, Sid Justice, Savage, the Undertaker and Hulk Hogan. During a press conference, Tunney would announce the #1 contender which was....Hogan. After the announcement, Savage let out a withering "Man." while Justice ripped up his program and giving the media a place of his mind to why he should have been the guy to face Flair. During that same Saturday Night's Main Event, Sid would turn his back on Hogan thus creating a situation that would open some possibilities. The company really wanted Hogan vs. Flair as the match for the title, but they felt that the crowd wasn't into the two wasn't into it during test runs. Also, an uncertain future would cause Hogan to not defend the title as much as they wanted. So, WWF made the switch. Hogan would now face Sid Justice while Flair would face Savage for the title.
On the road to WrestleMania, a segment of WWF Superstars where "Mean" Gene Okerlund interviews Flair and his executive consultant Mr. Perfect. Ric would show the world that he and Elizabeth had a fling before she went with Savage. He gave everyone a glimpse of the WWF magazine containing the shocking photos. Everyone seemed flustered by the accusations and many, including myself and my brother, went to stores so we can purchase a copy of the magazine. Savage would deny these allegations as he focused on his encounter with Ric. Flair would add one last parting shot, claiming that he will show a centerfold of Miss Elizabeth on the big screen inside the RCA/Hoosier Dome. For those of you wondering if this show was PG, no. Look at Jake's tights for his match with the Undertaker during that WrestleMania.
So, as the match was about to commence, Tucson's own Sean Mooney interviewed Flair and Perfect. Both men seemed confident as Perfect held a giant picture, probably the photo of Miss Elizabeth. Okerlund was supposed to interview Savage, but he was absent from that. Flair and Perfect walked the long aisle with smiles gleaming from their kissers. Randy comes out with a huge ovation and runs to the ring to get Flair. Savage finally catches Ric and pummels him on the outside. Unfortunately, Perfect takes Randy to the ring as Flair tries to take advantage, but Savage catches him with a clothesline, some shots to the midsection and a grab to the face. Savage tried to charge at Flair, but Ric caught him with a backdrop over the top rope to the outside.
Then on for several minutes, Ric Flair put on a wrestling clinic with a flurry of chops, standing suplexes, side suplexes and hits to the face. Macho would come back with fists and a neckbreaker which Flair sold as if he was paralyzed. Ric would go to the outside where Macho connected on an axehandle that Flair's head to the barricade. Wait, what is Flair doing? Is he blading?
So, earlier in the show during the iconic Intercontinental championship match between Roddy Piper and Bret Hart, the Roddy One sucker-punched Bret, which caused him to bleed. Back then, the Federation were not too keen about their performers bleeding. However, having snakes biting them is cool? Vince fined Flair, but not Bret.
Macho would continue the punishment with a flying axehandle and his patented flying elbow. While cementing the three-count, Perfect pulls Savage off which prompts Randy to confronts him. Hey, referee Earl Hebner, you know you can eject Perfect from the match, right? Savage and Perfect get between Hebner as Perfect tossed an object to Flair. As Savage continues to punish his opponent, Ric placed the object on his fingers and struck Randy, thus knocking him loopy. Despite that, Randy kicked out at two. Flair would continue to attack his adversary. Perfect grabbed a steel chair and struck Savage in the knee, thus leaving him depending on one leg. Elizabeth would show up with officials pleading for her to go back to the locker room. Oh, look, it's a young Shane McMahon.
(Photo by Reddit)
Ric continues to destroy Savage's knee to soften it for the figure-four leglock. Flair slaps on the F4 as Savage is trying to hang on. Perfect grabs Flair's arm for leverage but Hebner sees this and kick their arms to break the hold. Randy would try a quick small package, but only a two count. Ric takes Savage to the corner where Elizabeth is and tell her, "It's for you, baby!" Bobby Heenan tells the audience that she winked at him, but Gorilla Monsoon says, "She did not." Flair pulls Randy to the middle of the ring to add more suffrage to the knee. Savage countered with a punch and a rollup which Randy pulls Flair's tights for leverage for the three.
The crowd explodes as Heenan goes ballistic on commentary, pointing out that Savage used the tights. Flair would confront Elizabeth saying, "What about me?!" He kisses her, but Elizabeth goes after him angrily. Savage lunges at him as a pack of officials come to calm down the melee. After several minutes and cooler heads prevailing, Ring announcer Howard Finkel tells the crowd that Macho Man Randy Savage as, once again, the WWF champion. In the locker room, Team Flair is upset over Savage using the tights despite Perfect interfering in the match numerous times. Ric says that they will not cry over spilled milk.
So, you figured, "Wow, what a main event match that was" and thought what a great way to end the biggest show of the year.....yeah, about that? This wasn't the last match of the show. That's right, the WWF championship bout at the biggest event in the company wasn't the "main event." This was placed in the middle of the card after the bathroom break eight-man tag match (Apologizes to the competitors in that bout). After the bout, the crowd seemed to be zunked out of energy for the rest of the show. The Tatanka/Rick Martel match was not bad, unfortunately, it was slated after the championship match. The actual main event, Hogan versus Sid Justice, has been panned by critics due to the crowd not being into it and a botched run-in by Papa Shango.
I believe this match should be in the conversion as one of the greatest WrestleMania championship matches of all-time. If you want to see two competitors combat each other in an over 20-minute classic, this is in your wheelhouse. If you want to see a husband defend the honor of his bribe by destroying a man who wants to wreck his home, then this is up your alley.
Sometimes, you can go back and find that hidden gem.
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