10 Things You Didn't Know About WWE In 1993

7. WrestleMania's Nixed Japanese Crossover

Hulk Hogan Vince McMahon WWF Raw 1993
WWE.com

Originally, ‘Mania IX was supposed to feature some Japanese crossover with the WAR promotion headed by Genichiro Tenryu. He was meant to wrestle on the show himself, and Vince McMahon even told the media during a presser shortly after Royal Rumble that WWF stars would wrestle in WAR soon too.

That didn’t happen until May 1994, and Tenryu didn’t appear at WrestleMania after all.

Again, it's unclear what match the federation would've had in mind for Tenryu. He'd worked approx 13 minutes in the Rumble before being eliminated by The Undertaker, so maybe Genichiro was in the frame for a bout against 'The Deadman' if Giant González fell through/wasn't ring ready come April.

That's guesswork, admittedly. There's also a chance Tenryu might've worked against someone like Razor Ramon if the Bob Backlund effort didn't occur. Or, perhaps McMahon had some kind of WAR showcase in mind for the undercard. It'll forever remain a mystery.

Contributor

Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.