15 Things You Didn't Know About WrestleMania (1995 - 2004)

As the World Wrestling Federation settled into the decade of the nineties, the company would face multiple obstacles that jeopardised its status as the premier entertainment juggernaut it had been in the 80s, as well as the success of its biggest show of the year, WrestleMania. Federal investigations, staunch competition, ageing talents, and the desperate need to create new superstars all contributed to the would-be decline of the second decade of WrestleMania, making the event slip a bit in terms of prestige. In addition, the venues had changed from 50,000+ seat open stadiums to smaller arenas that might seat 20,000 max. Despite the decline, WrestleMania still produced some very memorable stories from this time period, but, like the first ten shows, there are a number of things that took place behind-the-scenes that aren't as well known. Recently, in 20 Things You Didn€™t Know About WrestleMania (1985-1994), the secret stories from the events first ten years were discussed. Tales of stalled pushes, would-be main eventers, the impact of a future United States presidential candidate and more were detailed about the event almost known as 'The Colossal Tussle'. But the stories didn't end at WrestleMania X. Read on to learn about some of the lesser-known facts that centered around WrestleMania XI through XX (1995-2004).

15. WrestleMania XI - Shawn Michaels & Diesel Argued Against Superkick Kickout

In what many wrestling fans believe should have closed the show during the 1995 incarnation of the event, Shawn Michaels challenged Diesel for the WWE Championship in a losing effort. Three-quarters through the match, though, a spot was executed that started Kevin Nash's descent and slowly saw the Leader Of The New Generation lose his stranglehold on the company's top spot. Vince McMahon was adamant that, in order to "keep Diesel strong" (heard that before?), he must not only kick out of Shawn Michaels' superkick but he MUST kick out on the count of 1. Knowing the crowd would reject the spot, Michaels and Nash fervently tried to convince McMahon to change his mind but to no avail. So when the Diesel-powered champion kicked out of the move that had built their entire feud so early in the count, the Hartford crowd groaned in unison. It was the beginning of the end for Diesel as WWF Champion as he would eventually drop the title to Bret Hart at the Survivor Series later that year, despite being pencilled in for a much longer run. Michaels would be turned babyface the night after WrestleMania XI, destroying all main event plans for the Spring and Summer, but would eventually dethrone Bret Hart for the same title the very next year at WrestleMania XII.