The list of greatest WrestleMania moment of all time might well be very long but there are some that stay in the memory for equally bad reasons.
Over the course of its 41-year history, WrestleMania has provided wrestling fans around the world with some iconic memories.
Ask fans which one tops the list, and they might, for instance, recall Stone Cold Steve Austin’s win over Shawn Michaels with the help of Mike Tyson in 1998, or Bret Hart’s win over his brother. Owen in the first match of Wrestle Mania 10 eight years prior.
In truth, it could take years to decide. Also equally as divisive Is the topic of some of the worst WrestleMania matches and moments in history. For many wrestling fans, though WrestleMania 9 is right up there.
talkSPORT has flown the flag for WrestleMania 9 before, and still stands by the fact that even though it isn’t the finest body of work in WWE history, it still contained plenty of memorable and underrated Mania moments,
Admittedly, its finale still leaves a lot to be desired. The show went off the air with the unlikely scene of Hulk Hogan being crowned WWE Champion for the fifth time after beating Yokozuna in one of the fastest WrestleMania matches of all time.
As is well established, however, he got there by usurping Bret Hart, who’d gone into WrestleMania 9 as WWE Champion only to be beaten by Yoko, as Hogan was back in town after returning to WWE and Vince McMahon couldn’t resist crowning the holster with the company’s top gold once again.
The scene of a wounded Bret urging Hulk to take the impromptu match is the stuff of Mania folklore and, for many a grappling nerd, there’s a fantastic eater egg of sorts in there, too.
Standing right behind Hart and Hogan at the pivotal moment was Greg Girard, a man who’d just hours before been offered a job by WWE supremo McMahon, having impressed him with an on-the-spot freestyle rap as the jovial promoter was enjoying the Vegas night life prior to the mega show.
Girard had the front to ask for tickets to Mania in return and McMahon agreed – later telling the musician that, in addition, he’d like to find a spot for his talents in WWE.
He did so and, within months, Girard was WWE star in his own right as Oscar, the Manager of tag team Men on a Mission, comprising of mammoth performer Mabel (later Viscera in the Attitude Era if you’re keeping score) and Mo.
An upbeat and positive tag team, ‘MOM’ made their way to the ring at events lead by Oscar’s boisterous rapping that whipped crowds into a frenzy.
One of his biggest outings was the team’s tag team championship challenge of the Quebeckers at WrestleMania 10 at Madison Square Garden – just a year after his ambitious pitch to McMahon.
MOM were short-lived but, sadly, Oscar shorter still. The happy-go-lucky team were turned heel – made bad guys on screen – and, not feeling as though he could pull off the art of villainy, the manager departed WWE.
One of his more memorable moments with the company didn’t happen with the company, however, but backstage – in the bathroom, to be exact.
Fans are now aware of it, too, after The Undertaker spilled the beans on his Six Feet Under podcast.
Taker had been asked about his workings with The Steiner Brothers, a high-flying tag team comprised of Rick and Scott Steiner – the latter a former WCW World Champion.
He had little to say on the matter but, with a wry smile, recalled: “We got along. We were never the closest of friends, [but] they were good dudes and liked to have a good time in the locker room and always brought some kind of excitement.”
The legend went on: “Oscar was the [MOM] Manager and, if I’m not mistaken, they may or may not have duct-taped him to a urinal in a bathroom once. Just for fun.
“You know, CTE and all that, I may or may not have remembered that correctly!”
Long since retired now, Oscar went from front row seats to the middle of the ring at WrestleMania in the space of a year, even winning the WWE Slammy Award for Best Entertainer in 1994.
Few can say they’ve managed such a feat – or been duct-taped to a urinal for that matter….
How to get tickets for the WWE shows in London and Glasgow
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Wrestling fans in the UK don’t get to see their idols live very often, as most events are based out in the US.
But this month the chance to see Raw and Smackdown is right around the corner as stars such as The Rock and John Cena will be hitting London’s O2 Arena and Glasgow’s OVO Hydro.
To get tickets to see these shows in the build up to Wrestlemania, follow the links below.
WWE Raw tickets (OVO Hydro Glasgow, 24 March)
- WWE Raw Glasgow tickets at Ticketmaster, from £229.70 – buy here
- WWE Raw Glasgow tickets at StubHub from £396 – buy here
- WWE Raw Glasgow tickets at Viagogo, from £372 – buy here
WWE Smackdown tickets (O2 Arena London, 28 March)
- WWE Friday Night Smackdown London tickets at Ticketmaster, from £340.50 – buy here
- WWE Friday Night Smackdown London tickets at StubHub, from £151 – buy here
- WWE Friday Night Smackdown London tickets at Viagogo, from £144 – buy here
WWE Raw tickets (O2 Arena London, 31 March)
