This failed attempt at a midcard blockbuster saw Vince McMahon attempt to save his big banter battle between Yokozuna and Vader for a follow-up Monday Night Raw without having to remove them from the 'Show Of Shows' altogether. The decision to book the battle (with a babyface stipulation, no less) in favour of the heels was thus baffling in the extreme.
The six-match main card offered ample time for all the outings even with a one hour main event, but 13 minutes still felt like a lifetime waiting for the former WWE Champion to claim five more alone in the ring with Jim Cornette as per the pre-match agreement. Especially when he failed!
The match sort of helped Vader's ascension, though not as much as his original Rumble debut. A disappointing maiden 'Mania regrettably foreshadowed the bulk of his run.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
