10 Things You Didn't Know About WWE In 1996

5. The Real Explanation For The Ultimate Warrior 'Mania Squash

Steve Austin Terry Funk
WWE

As established in the previous entry - and indeed the linear way in which time unfolds - the Ultimate Warrior did not squash Hunter Hearst Helmsley at WrestleMania XII as a result of an etiquette breach committed two months later.

So why did that match go a paltry 01:36?

Hunter wasn't over, not remotely, and while the WWF by 'Mania XII hadn't pushed him with the same conviction they had in the months that followed his debut, he was hardly a jabron. He wasn't on the way out, or destined to do nothing. Plans were afoot. They wanted him to be somebody, and in 1996, when the collapse of the territory system was really being felt, the WWF was hardly overflowing with options.

And yet, at WrestleMania XII, he hit the Warrior with the Pedigree and Warrior no-sold it. Warrior didn't even kick out at one; he just popped right back up, hit Hunter with his signatures, and went home.

The match was originally imagined to be a more competitive back-and-forth, but that didn't work for the Warrior, brother: per the April 22 Wrestling Observer Newsletter, he "vehemently refused to do anything that would help Helmsley".

This is A) a bit funny and B) a fascinating snapshot of the political situation at the time. As corrosive and influential as the Kliq were, Vince was always, always, going to favour an absolute muscle freak over the lot of them.

Vince tried to re-sign him in December 1997, too, when everybody knew how hot Austin was getting. The year prior, nobody could tell Vince that Warrior wasn't the man either.

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!