WrestleMania V (1989)

State of the Squared Circle: By WMV it has been over a year since Hulk Hogan has held the WWF championship. The WWF is on a slow decline since the height of Hulk-A-Mania and the year long story of the Mega-Powers (Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan) has now come to its climax. Following Hogan's assistance in Savage's WMIV victory the two mega stars formed the tag team "The Mega Powers" with the lovely Elizabeth as their manager. After the inaugural SummerSlam victory over "The Mega-Bucks" (in which WWF produces their most shocking display of skin ever: Elizabeth takes off her skirt to reveal a bathing suit bottom...Well it was big at the time...) and another win at the Survivor Series, tensions mount between the egos. They finally split at a Saturday Night's Main Event when Elizabeth is injured and Hogan ditches Savage to take Liz to the back. When he returns an angered Savage slaps the Hulkster and walks out. In the back we see Savage challenge Hogan and attack him with the belt...Setting up the main event at WrestleMania.

(EDITOR'S NOTES: UB Watched this WM at the Worcester Memorial Auditorium via closed circuit broadcast. Seems like forever ago that you could fill an arena with a big screen TV and a cable line. Also, even as a kid UB thought the WMV promo poster couldn't have looked worse. Savage looks completely different and Hogan couldn't look more bald...)

Venue: Trump Plaza, Atlantic City. For the 2nd year in a row the biggest show of the year is held in AC, in front of Donald Trump.

The Card:

Hercules def. King Haku w/ Bobby “The Brain” Heenan

Interesting to note, Haku became king after defeating "The King" Harley Race, and although he lost several times while "King," Haku doesn't lose the crown until being beat by "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan.

The Twin Towers w/ Slick def. The Rockers

Note: This is the first WrestleMania match for Shawn Michaels, who has not yet told Vince of his "boyhood dream."

“Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase w/ Virgil vs. Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake ended in a double count-out

A year after participating in the main event of WrestleMania, Ted DiBiase and his "Million Dollar Belt" are stuck with a mid card match with Brutus Beefcake.

The Bushwhackers def. The Rougeau Brothers w/ Jimmy Hart

This might be the only win ever for the Bushwhackers. These guys were like the retarded offspring of Carl Spackler and "Crocodile" Dundee.

Mr. Perfect def. Blue Blazer

A Mr. Perfect-Owen Hart match could have been a classic...Instead Vince's Blue Blazer does a job for Mr. Perfect whose career is being ignored.

World Tag Team Championship Handicap Match: Demolition def. Powers of Pain & Mr. Fuji to retain

The two biggest Road Warriors impersonators lock up in a crap fest full of muscle bound, face painted stiffs. Though Demolition did have a cool song:

Here comes the Ax
Here comes the Smasher
The Demolition, Walking disaster
Pain and destruction are our middle names

Search and destroy you
Run and we'll find you
There's no place to hide
The Demos will get you
Pain and destruction, are our middle names

Dino Bravo w/ Frenchy Martin def. “Rugged” Ronnie Garvin

Whenever wrestling friends as a kid, UB always called on the "Garvin Stomp," still a favorite when really drunk...

The Brain Busters w/ Bobby “The Brain” Heenan def. Strike Force

The Brain Busters, Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard, were as close to the Four Horsemen invading the WWF as you could get. The "Spike Piledriver" was another great finisher...

Jake “The Snake” Roberts def. Andre the Giant w/ Bobby “The Brain” Heenan by DQ (Big John Studd was special guest referee)

This was the return of Big John Studd after a long break from the WWF. Andre-Studd rematches soon followed...

The Hart Foundation def. Honky Tonk Man and Greg “The Hammer” Valentine w/ Jimmy Hart

Ugh...Bret wasted again at WrestleMania...

Intercontinental Championship: “Ravishing” Rick Rude w/ Bobby "The Brain" Heenan def. Ultimate Warrior to become new champion

This was a shocker. The Warrior seemed unstoppable when Bobby Heenan tripped him, giving Rude the cover and win. Rude should have gone down as one of the greatest heal champions ever, but never really got the chance to do much more than help promote the Warrior. Once in WCW, Rude got a good run with Ric Flair..."Atlantic City sweat-hogs..." Classic.

Bad News Brown vs. Hacksaw Jim Duggan went to a no contest

If they forgot to have this match no one would have noticed.

The Red Rooster def. Bobby “The Brain” Heenan

After getting his ass kicked by the Warrior, Heenan rolled up in about 2 minutes to lose to the Rooster. Ah, the Red Rooster...Perhaps Vince's dumbest idea...

Once again the WWF takes advantage of a relationship with Arsenio Hall, having Savage on to promote the main event:

Main Event for WWE Championship: Hulk Hogan def. Randy "Macho Man" Savage w/ Elizabeth in a neutral corner to become new champion

It's interesting to note that these two went at it in a series of matches just a few years earlier. Around 1986-87, Hogan and Savage traveled all over the country as Hogan carried the heavyweight title and Savage the IC belt. The two create a close bond and Hogan helps propel Savage's career to the WWF title. In the title match Hogan and Savage give it a good run for about 20 minutes, Hogan takes a blade job and Elizabeth gets booted by the ref. In the end Savage lands the big elbow and 1-2-Hogan kicks out so emphatically and pulls the blow fish face so hard that he Jumps the Shark. From this point on Hogan is never the same in the eyes of wrestling fans. He drops the leg on Savage, gets the win and his 2nd title run begins...

Don't forget...The Rooster says "NO" to drugs: