On Rewind-A-Wai #123, our subject is WrestleMania VIII from the Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis, Indiana.
This event was chosen by Espresso Executive Producer Jake Simpson.
You can post your feedback, memories & questions related to this event and we will read it on the show, which will be released on Tuesday, January 10 for all POST Wrestling Café members.
WWF WrestleMania VIII
Sunday, April 5, 1992
Indianapolis, Indiana at Hoosier Dome
*WWF Championship: Ric Flair (c) vs. Randy Savage
*Hulk Hogan vs. Sid Justice
*WWF Intercontinental Championship: Roddy Piper (c) vs. Bret Hart
*WWF Tag Team Championships: Money Inc. (c) vs. Natural Disasters
*The Nasty Boys, The Mountie & Repo Man vs. Sgt. Slaughter, Jim Duggan, Virgil & Big Bossman
*Jake “The Snake” Roberts vs. The Undertaker
*Owen Hart vs. Skinner
*Tatanka vs. Rick “The Model” Martel
*Shawn Michaels vs. “El Matador” Tito Santana
You guys have reviewed this show before, I think in 2010, but I didn’t have time to re-listen to that one so I can’t keep up the gimmick. Sorry everybody. I’m sure your review today will be even better, though.
Two questions:
Where do you rank the Piper match among Bret’s greatest? For me, it’s top five, but I’m not sure if everybody rates it so highly.
I apologise if I’ve asked this before, but did they really not book Flair-Hogan just because the house show attendences were lower than expected? I’ve always assumed there must be some backstage politicking going on. Or some other explanation.
As a little kid, I loved this show. As an adult, I’m not sure I will feel the same way as since then I’ve only watched the Bret match back. Such a different time as back then just seeing “stars” wrestle felt special given all we got on TV for the most part were jobber matches.
Piper vs Hart was a classic. In Bret’s book he wrote that there was a ban on blading at the time but he did it anyways because he felt it would add to the match. Boy was he right as seeing Bret with a crimson mask after defeating Piper is an image I will never forget. Apparently Vince was pissed but Bret claimed it was hardway.
I remember Savage vs Flair being very good, but a weird finish for a Wrestlemania world title match doing a roll-up. I have to assume that politics got involved as I can’t remember them having a rematch on PPV again as I believe when Savage drops the belt back to Flair it was a house show.
This time frame was also a lunching pad for two future legends in Shawn and Taker, cool to look back on them being in the mid card.
Hogan vs Sid was what it was, even as a kid I thought it was weird that it was the main event which I also imagine was due to politics. The Warrior return was cool at the time, but looking back what a poor way to end your biggest show of the year. I believe Papa Shango blew his cue and thats why Sid kicked out of the leg drop.
This is the first wrestling show that I remember watching at 6 years old. I used to watch this on VHS repeatedly, and I can remember the show from memory. Sid Justice is the reason why I’m a wrestling fan. Dude had such a weird charisma and aura around him and I was hooked into watching this show due to the rampage he went on from the 92 Rumble leading up to this show. With that said, this show is only good for two matches, Bret vs Piper and Flair vs Savage. Everything else on the show ranged from disappointing to downright awful. They cancelled British Bulldog vs The Berzerker due to lost time, a smart decision, but felt the need to have SKINNER on the card. I will say that Bobby Heenan and Gorilla Monsoon were fantastic on this show. I don’t recall how long they were a duo on commentary up to this point, but their chemistry was second to none.
