10 Alternative Takes On Hated Wrestling Moments

7. The WrestleMania VII Blindfold Match

Nexus II
WWE.com

When some fans reappraise the WrestleManias of yore, they judge it falsely against a paradigm that had yet to exist.

Some decry the Blindfold match between Jake Roberts and Rick Martel at WrestleMania VII as a waste of Jake Roberts' vaunted in-ring game, neglecting to take into account the fact that presenting classic wrestling matches just wasn't the company's concern at the time.

The company's actual concern was to create larger-than-life characters fit to entertain a family audience. Rick Martel carried his character-defining Arrogance cologne to the ring in an atomiser; it is as much of a part of WWE iconography as Jake's own snake, Damien. Martel blinded Roberts with the cologne to instigate their feud-capping match at 'Mania - one that is critically derided but paradoxically memorable.

Watched back in 2017, the acting is hammy in the extreme - but the crowd went nuts at the mere sight of Roberts and Martel groping thin air. When Roberts finally drilled Martel with the DDT, they blew the roof off.

It was classic wrestling storytelling: dastardly heel gains unfair advantage over babyface, babyface evens odds in cathartic use of the turnabout is fair play trope, crowd goes home happy. It's obviously nowhere near as exciting as a Hell In A Cell match in 2017 - but the stipulation made more sense than 99% of anything we are bludgeoned with today.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!