6 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE WrestleMania IX
1. "CAESARS PALACE. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA!"
WrestleMania IX could well be WWE's greatest ever victory for Vince McMahon's style-over-substance philosophy.
To those lapsed fans of a certain age, 'the world's biggest toga party' implanted itself in the mind palace and never left. This was pro wrestling to those smart enough to find something else to do until the Attitude Era. The blue-to-black sky across the course of the show adds the differing splashes of colour to WWE's most colourful production ever.
The wheels had come off in 1992, but McMahon worked to ensure nobody could possibly tell, even if the 'Grandest Stage' was erected in a car park. Costuming was consistent and complementary, the lighting rig, roof and pillars had never looked as resplendant, and the stage and set was unlike anything the organisation have tried before or since. With Old School Raws and retro SmackDowns already mined for nostalgic gain, a reimagined WrestleMania IX might be the perfect tonic for those same lapsed fans to relive.