WWE
Classic Graded: WrestleMania VI Final Results and Grades
What happens when the Ultimate Challenge is set for the sixth installment of WrestleMania? WrestleMania VI is what happens!
Live from the SkyDome in Toronto, Canada, WWF brings to us the sixth WrestleMania show. Does the first ‘Mania of the 90’s hold up to the standard set by the shows that came before it?
History Lesson
WrestleMania VI is the first WrestleMania to take place outside the Unites States. Live from the Skydome in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Hulk Hogan challenges The Ultimate Warrior for both the WWF World Heavyweight and Intercontinental Championships.
Much like WrestleMania V, many consider ‘Mania VI to be a one match show. Hogan vs Warrior is usually the only match from this that people remember. It’s not hard to argue why because, at this time, Hogan and Warrior is one of the biggest matches in WWF history.
Rick “The Model” Martel def. Koko B. Ware
Final Grade: C+
Good classic opening to a WrestleMania event. Martel gets a decisive win to start off the night in a good way.
WWF Tag Team Championships: Demolition def. The Colossal Connection to win the titles
Final Grade: C+
Andre’s iconic babyface turn after turning on his long time manager, Bobby “The Brain” Heenan, takes place after this match is wrapped up.
Not a bad match, especially with an aging Andre in Haku’s corner.
Earthquake def. Hercules
Final Grade: C-
Hercules does his best to get a decent match out of the immobile Earthquake, but it only makes up for about half of it.
Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake def. Mr. Perfect
Final Grade: B-
This would’ve gotten a “C+”, but the odd sight of seeing Beefcake win with a Slingshot into the ring post bumps the grade up.
After the match, Beefcake cuts The Genius’s hair in the middle of the ring.
Bad News Brown vs “Rowdy” Roddy Piper ends in a double countout
Final Grade: D+
This match is mostly remembered for the controversy surrounding Roddy Piper painting half his body in black body paint to mock Bad News Brown. That doesn’t affect this match’s rating, but the idea of doing something like that in today’s day and age is in no way possible.
Double faults always disappoint in wrestling matches. It is a decent match until the anti-climatic end kills it.
The Hart Foundation def. The Bolsheviks
Final Grade: D-
The Hart Foundation wins in less than ten seconds after jumping Nikolai Volkov from behind and hitting the Hart Attack.
The Barbarian def. Tito Santana
Final Grade: C-
Barbarian brings the hurt to Tito Santana. Decent match that could’ve benefited more if the result came sooner.
Mixed Tag Team: Dusty Rhodes and Sapphire def. Randy Savage and Queen Sherri
Final Grade: C-
Dusty and Savage’s work made up for the lack of experience their partners have. Pretty good all around, but would’ve been better if Sapphire and Sherri wrestled less.
The Orient Express def. The Rockers via countout
Final Grade: C
Ending hurt this match after what was building up to be a decent tag team contest. Jannety falls into the crowd and can’t make the referee’s ten count.
“Hacksaw” Jim Duggan def. Dino Bravo
Final Grade: D+
Short and sweet with nothing really special to say about it.
Million Dollar Championship: “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase def. Jake “The Snake” Roberts via countout; DiBiase retains
Final Grade: C+
Both men put on a good match that feels watered down with the countout finish. DiBiase retains, but it’s by ring out.
Big Boss Man def. Akeem
Final Grade: D
Two lumbering big men trying to out “big man” each other. Decent in terms of early 90’s wrestling, but I felt there could’ve been more added to make it a bigger deal.
“Ravishing” Rick Rude def. Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka
Final Grade: C
Quick win for Rick Rude with the Rude Awakening. The only crime I felt this match did was going too short.
WWF World Heavyweight and Intercontinental Championships: The Ultimate Warrior def. Hulk Hogan
Final Grade: B+
Match of the Night Winner
Moment of the Night: Hogan kicks out at 3 1/2, but Warrior wins both titles
The Ultimate Challenge. World Heavyweight Champion vs Intercontinental Champion.
Hogan kicks out of the Ultimate Splash. Warrior evades the Atomic Leg Drop and hits a second Splash that Hogan nearly kicks out of, but Warrior is declared the winner and double champion.
Overall WrestleMania VI Final Grade: C
This is an average pay-per-view in hindsight. It can be fairly said that this is another one match show for WWF. Hogan vs Warrior eclipse the matches that come before it, but a lot of the under-card bouts are more entertaining than some people may give them credit for.
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