Wrestlemania V (Written By: Maurice D. Proffit)

WRESTLEMANIA 5

 
Date: April 2nd, 1989
Cities: Atlantic City, New Jersey
Venue: Trump Plaza
Combined Attendance: 18,946
Sub-Theme: “The Mega Powers Explode”
Celebrities: Run-DMC; Morton Downey, Jr. and Donald Trump
 
 
Wrestlemania 5 was the culmination of a one year story line that surrounded The Mega Powers. The Mega Powers was the tag team formed together of the then World Wrestling Federation Champion “Macho Man” Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan. With this being a year round storyline, it was fitting that this story concludes at the venue where it started. In addition this was the only two wrestlemania to be held at the same venue for consecutive years.
 
After Randy Savage won the 14 man tournament at Wrestlemania 4, shortly after that he joined forces with Hulk Hogan and together, as the Mega Powers, they took on various heel tag teams in the company. However as time continued to go on, the tension between Savage ad Hogan continued to rise, more so on Savages part. At 1/7/89 Saturday nights main event, Hogan was in a one on one match with Akeem “The African Dream”. And took a beating by both him and his tag team partner “The Big Boss Man”. Savage came to Hogans rescue with a steel chair, and whil Savage cleared the ring, Elixabeth (Savages valet) escorted Hogan to the medic in the back. Savage was upset with this. Issues carried over to the Royal Rumble that year when Hogan accidently eliminated Macho and they had words as well, but it all cleared up. The last straw was at the Feb 3 edition of “The Main Event”. The match was The Mega Powers vs The Twin Towers, during the match, Liz was accidently knocked out when the Twin towers threw Savage outside the ring. Hogan carried Liz to the medic in the back and left Savage to be pummeled by the Twin Towers. When Hogan returned to the match, Savage had the opportunity to tag out, but instead slapped Hogan in the face and left ringside. In the medic, Savage got into a verbal confrontation with Hogan, with Liz right there, accusing Hogan of having a relatonsyhip with Liz. Hogan denied, and with Savage in a jelous rage, attached Hogan with the WWF Championship. The Mega Powers were no more.
 
This brings us to Wrestlemania 5, with an overly stacked card of 14 matches.  Im sure the WWF got a pretty solid deal to bring Wrestlemania to Trump Plaza two years in a row and was great business for the venue and casino. So great in fact that once again, we see Donald Trump and his associates and NOW Ivana (or was that WM 4?) encomopassing the first 3-4 rows. And us viewers at home get a strong eye full of them not paying attention and or missing for half the PPV, but are there for the main event at least. I get you guys are rich and rich people always have to appear busy, but geez, lighten up a little!
Personally, one of my favorite matches was for the Intercontinental Championship, The Ultimate Warrior (champion) vs Ravishing Rick Rude. Rude carried this match very well and made the limited Warrior look especially strong. The highlight was Bobby Heenan’s interference in the match, which costed The Warrior the title and Rude is the new champion.

The Main event is for the WWF Championship. Champion, Randy “Macho Man” Savage vs Challenger Hulk Hogan. I think this was the first main event match of wrestlemania with a heightened amount of emotion behind it. Savage and Hogan played a character that all men can relate to. One being the very erratic and irrational jelouse boyfriend and one being the misunderstood, see it from my angel, but im going to defend my honor kind of guy. As much as it plays out as a shakesphere play, this match was full of intensity. I personally think that Randy really BROUGHT IT in this match. Savage dug deep in emotions in this match and really sold it to us the viewers that he would be willing to do anything to keep the WWF title, where as with Hogan, at times it looked as if he was just picking up his belt and leaving. I think Jesse The Body Venturas commentary said it all in this match when he praised the work and achievements of Savage at the beginning of the match and stated that Hogan just coatailed his way to this championship match, and who in the hell was Elizabeth before she got with Savage??? Wow…I miss that kind of commentary. In the end after a brutal battle, it would be Hulk Hogan who stands in victory and win the World Wrestling Federation Championship for the 2nd time.
 
 
Match Card
 
-Hercules defeated King Haku (with Bobby Heenan)
 
– The Twin Towers (Akeem and The Big Boss Man) (with Slick) defeated The Rockers (Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty)
 
– Brutus Beefcake and Ted DiBiase (with Virgil) fought to a double countout
 
– The Bushwhackers (Luke Williams and Butch Miller) defeated The Fabulous Rougeaus (Jacques and Raymond) (with Jimmy Hart)[
 
– Mr. Perfect defeated The Blue Blazer
 
– Demolition (Ax and Smash) (c) defeated The Powers of Pain (The Warlord and The Barbarian) and Mr. Fuji[
 
– Dino Bravo (with Frenchy Martin) defeated Ronnie Garvin
 
– The Brain Busters (Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard) (with Bobby Heenan) defeated Strike Force (Rick Martel and Tito Santana)
 
– Jake Roberts defeated André the Giant (with Bobby Heenan) by disqualification
 
– The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart) defeated The Honky Tonk Man and Greg Valentine (with Jimmy Hart)
 
– Rick Rude (with Bobby Heenan) defeated The Ultimate Warrior to win the Intercontinental Championship
 
– Jim Duggan and Bad News Brown fought to a double disqualification
 
– The Red Rooster defeated Bobby Heenan (with The Brooklyn Brawler)[
 
– Hulk Hogan defeated Randy Savage (c) To win the World Wrestling Federation Championship.