From Tag Team To Top Guy: Bret Hart's Ascension To The WrestleMania Main Event

For a generation of fans who had long grown tired of Hulk Hogan's schtick, it was hugely encouraging to see Bret Hart as the babyface tasked with headlining the WWF's biggest show of the year as WrestleMania IX rolled around in 1993.

Prior to this, all eight WrestleManias had featured Hogan in the main event. Even at WrestleMania IV, which closed out with Randy Savage defeating Ted DiBiase for the vacant WWF Championship, the Hulkster managed to force himself into the spotlight as he helped the Macho Man get the win.

So, to have a WrestleMania where Hulk's only involvement was as a participant in a middle-of-the-card tag match, that was hugely refreshing.

In the Caesars Palace crowd on that night, there was an audience who were rabid to see Hart head to the ring to battle Mr. Fuji's Yokozuna. As the clear underdog in the bout, the Hitman was constantly being cheered on in his quest to retain the WWF Title against his greatest challenge yet.

Of course, Bret would come up short on that night thanks to shenanigans from Fuji, and he left Paradise, Nevada with his first World Championship reign at an end. But still, the crowd reaction to the Excellence of Execution was yet a further indicator that the WWF fanbase were eager to have Hart as the face of the company.

As for Hulk Hogan and 'only' being in a throwaway tag team bout, WrestleMania IX would bafflingly end with the Hulkster winning an impromptu match against Yokozuna to walk out of Caesars Palace as a five-time WWF Champion...