In 1990, it came time for the WWF to realize the inevitable: that they couldn't bank on Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage to run the main event scene forever. Eventually, they will get older and not be able to dazzle and entertain fans in the ring like they used to (insert mid '90s WCW joke here). I bring this up because 1990 served as a year when many younger talents began climbing the ladder of success to be the potential future of the company.
In terms of the year, there are two superstars worth noting that made an impressive impact on history. The first is the Ultimate Warrior, whose legacy will mainly remain in this year as this was the year they attempted to label him "the man" by giving him the chance to be WWF Champion. The other is a superstar that debuted at Survivor Series, made a huge impact, and has had a 20+ year legacy on wrestling: The Undertaker.
So let's see if anyone else could rise to the occasion by analyzing the year 1990...
1. Royal Rumble
If we were judging this show by the content of the undercard, we would have a very underwhelming show. Sure, there are some well wrestled matches, like the submissions match between Ronnie Garvin and Greg Valentine, but there's maybe too much shoot wrestling going on and not enough of the entertainment factor to keep casual fans invested. Not to mention there isn't a whole lot of memorability in the Bushwhackers vs. the Fabulous Rougeaus, Big Boss Man vs. Hacksaw Jim Duggan, and Brutus Beefcake vs. The Genius. Would the Royal Rumble match be able to save this PPV from complete mediocrity?The 1990 Royal Rumble match is one of the best early Rumble matches I have seen and is full of memorable characters from the era. I know a lot of people like to say 1992 had the most star studded Rumble, but I honestly think that distinction should go towards 1990. The highlights of the match include the alliance between Ravishing Rick Rude and Mr. Perfect (which would have been an AMAZING tag team to have in the division I might add) and the beginning of the tension between Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior. Seeing these two titans in the ring, teasing that they could potentially go at it, had the crowd split and in a frenzy of excitement. In the canon of early epic Royal Rumble moments, this encounter between Hogan and the Warrior is certainly one of my favorites.
Mild Recommendation
2. WrestleMania VI
The first WrestleMania outside of the United States (Toronto, so it's not THAT far out), you know the WWF wanted to put on something special. What we got instead was the basic format we had in years past of at least a dozen matches, mostly squash, a few midcard main events, and the big main event of the evening. While it wasn't bad, it was apparent that the style was getting a tad on the expected side and was therefore lacking that spark that earlier Manias had at the time. When it was new, all these customs were fresh, but by the sixth time they did it, it had become a routine. It's important to always be evolving with the times and WrestleMania VI proved that that change needed to happen within the next few years (and it did). Among the highlights on the lower part of the card include the chance to see Andre the Giant's last match, Roddy Piper's body half painted in black (he was apparently trying to be Michael Jackson and he even briefly starts singing Billie Jean....classic Hot Rod), the future Diamond Dallas Page driving Rhythm and Blues to the ring in his pink Cadillac, a warm Canadian homecoming for the Hart Foundation (in a very quick match against the Bolsheviks), and a few gem matches scattered on the card.Despite having 14 matches, most still call WrestleMania VI a one-match show, but that one match is one of the most epic main events in WWE history: Hulk Hogan vs. the Ultimate Warrior in a match to unify the WWF and Intercontinental Championships. You would think that these two would absolutely stink up the joint given their reputation for wrestling mediocre matches at best, but surprisingly the chemistry is off the charts for this match. That might be thanks to the split crowd of over 67,000 screaming fans (including Edge, Christian, Lance Storm, and Renee Young), but it definitely fueled these two mega stars into putting on a memorable performance that will stand the test of time in WrestleMania folklore.
Mild Recommendation
3. SummerSlam
Even the two main events feel like a letdown. The gargantuan encounter between Hulk Hogan and Earthquake felt more important than the actual main event. Part of the problem with the Warrior Experiment was that all they did was take Hogan out of the title picture, but they still built him as the focus of major storylines. See the problem? The actual main event, a steel cage match for the WWF Championship between the Ultimate Warrior and Ravishing Rick Rude, a rivalry and match that should scream INSTANT CLASSIC on this show ends up feeling way too rushed to be a meaningful encounter. In all honesty, the best match on the card is the 2 out of 3 falls match for the WWF Tag Team Championships between the Hart Foundation and Demolition. There's a general mesh of styles between a wrestling team and pair of brawlers and that's where the magic is to create an all-time SummerSlam classic. If only the main events could take note on how to do that on this night.
Mild Recommendation
4. Survivor Series
This edition of Survivor Series will always be remembered for two of the most memorable debuts in company history. One was one of the most ridiculous and laughable gimmicks in wrestling history, and the other is ironically the greatest character in wrestling history. By this point, even the most casual of fans should know I'm talking about the Gobbledy Gooker and the Undertaker respectively, but I don't think many make the connection of how both these polar opposite gimmicks arrived on the same night. As far as Taker's debut, he's a very green wrestler in his match but I think it helps show how dominating he is (those tombstones are some of the stiffest I've seen him deliver). It just goes to show you that an effective debut makes all the difference and if you can't wow the crowd, your chance to make history is gone forever (poor Hector Guerrero).The Survivor Series elimination tag matches try something very different this year by having the sole survivors of each match square off in a main event match to determine the ultimate soul survivors. What worked well about this was the idea of some midcard faces and heels making it to the main event by winning their earlier matches and having an opportunity to shine alongside established main event talent like Hogan, Warrior and Ted DiBiase. Each of the tag matches are certainly entertaining around this time period thanks to the large roster of memorable characters. That, of course, means that not every one of these matches will have A+ wrestling quality, but they are definitely a lot of fun to watch and help made Survivor Series the November classic that it is.
Recommended
Thoughts: After the Ultimate Warrior passed away earlier this year, a depressing article was written acknowledging that an entire third of the WrestleMania VI roster has passed away and all at very young ages. While at first that might seem like a terrible thing to note, it does lead to a majority of the superstars at this time taking giant steps towards immortality. These performers were able to dedicate their lives to entertain the fans, and that's where a lot of the focus is placed on this year: the memorable characters. It's true that it's very rare to find a five-star PPV classic during this time, but if you can find a good sense of nostalgia in the characters, then it is definitely worth a look. And, while we are looking at it, it's very true that the Ultimate Warrior experiment wasn't a huge success, but like the Macho Man experiment in 1988, it was a good attempt in trying to take the weight of the WWF off of Hulk Hogan's shoulders.
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