35 Years Of WWE WrestleMania Mistakes

24. WrestleMania XII - The Iron Man Match

WWE.com

Having amateur Lawrence Taylor beat old-time pro Bam Bam Bigelow was rightly viewed as a slap in the face to pro-wrestling. The following year, as an act of redemption, WWF presented a purists' delight: a sixty-minute iron man match between Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels.

The prospect was very appealing. Both men were immaculate ring technicians at the top of their game, and the legitimate heat which existed between the pair added extra spice to an already appetising affair.

As expected, the match itself was a wrestling clinic. Intending to demonstrate that Hart and Michaels were equals in the ring, the contest was booked to end in a 0-0 draw. Unfortunately, despite the technical mastery being presented to them, the majority in the building had come to see the return of The Ultimate Warrior, not an hour-long stalemate. Once the exhausted crowd realised the bout was going to be a bore draw, they became entirely dead, and the life was sucked out of one of the finest pure wrestling matches the WWF had put on to date.

Editorial Team
Editorial Team

Benjamin was born in 1987, and is still not dead. He variously enjoys classical music, old-school adventure games (they're not dead), and walks on the beach (albeit short - asthma, you know). He's currently trying to compile a comprehensive history of video game music, yet denies accusations that he purposefully targets niche audiences. He's often wrong about these things.