4 Ups & 5 Downs From WWE WrestleMania 13

Blood On The Tracks.

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WWE.com

When Vince McMahon launched WrestleMania, he did so at the exact right point with the exact right talent to capitalise exactly on what much of North America was beginning to fall in love with. It was one of the only times he didn't simply take advantage of an extremely happy accident. This one - perhaps the happiest in his company's history - ironically came as result of his Champion "losing his smile".

With Shawn Michaels out of the biggest show of the year with barely a month to spare, McMahon was forced to trust as much in his talent as his instincts. His instincts told him to get his title back on Sycho Sid. His talent - The Undertaker - told him it was time to take the reliable option. His instincts booked two megastar mechanics in a Submission Match. His talent - Bret Hart and Stone Cold Steve Austin - revolutionised an industry in a bloody war.

McMahon's first ever instinct was that in order to dominate the wrestling world, he had to create the perception that his organisation was that very world. His talent in 1997 believed in the vision again, even when trapped in the darkness before the dawn...

(Want more WrestleMania Ups & Downs? We got 'em: I, 2, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII)

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Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett