7 Ups & 6 Downs From WWE WrestleMania IV

Tournament Of Death.

by Michael Hamflett
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WWE

Objectively, WrestleMania IV is not the most straightforward of watches. But before that very first line of this piece has you racing for Trump Plaza's emergency exit, consider that even amongst the dirge there exists an angle on the show so powerful that fans still yearn for the sort 30 years later. Maybe two or three, depending on personal preferences.

The WWE Championship tournament wasn't a bad idea for the supercard in general, particularly considering how nothing could really follow the end-of-the-world spectacle that was 1987's 'Show Of Shows'.

Smartly booking Hulk Hogan and Andre The Giant as a guaranteed midcard attraction helped close a storyline loop, and created a diversion to make the central thread a pleasant surprise on a card with a desperate need for one. The smell wasn't quite as sweet but the bloom wasn't completely off Vince McMahon's rose, even if a burgeoning relationship with Donald Trump would throw up some thorny issues in the bold and bonkers future.

(Playing catch-up? Here are WrestleMania I, 2 and 3's Ups & Downs)

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Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 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 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, 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