50 Things You Learn Binge-Watching Every WWE WrestleMania
38. XII Gets A Bad Rap (It's Aged Well!)
A lot of people rag on 'Mania XII primarily for the 'Iron Man' match between Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels, but also for Warrior returning to squash a young upstart called Hunter Hearst Helmsley. Whatever happened to that fella anyway? Is he still wrestling on the independent circuit, or did he quit the biz a long time ago? Someone clue us in if they know.
OK, enough nonsense. Nobody could put Bret vs. Shawn in the same camp as other WWE feuds that started over the dumbest things. They were two top notch workers in their respective primes, and there was a mini competition between them to see who could be the best. That's the compelling thing about XII's main event, though those who think it's boring are entitled to that point of view if they've given this a fair shake.
Watching the whole show for the first time in a while unearths some gems. It's a pretty solid card. Matches like Roddy Piper vs. Goldust, Steve Austin vs. Savio Vega and The Undertaker vs. Diesel satisfy. Meanwhile, the exhausting Hitman vs. HBK bout isn’t to everyone’s taste, but a lot of folks only call it lifeless with the benefit of hindsight. Live, it was an ambitious piece of business that’s technically stunning if you’re patient about rest holds and mat wrestling.
This catered to a very specific type of fan during an era when that certainly wasn't usual for the WWF. Casuals threw up on it, whereas hardcores sat and studied the thing like it was a work of fine art. Each to their own, but it's worth seeing at least once.