One MIND-BLOWING Secret From EVERY WWE WrestleMania

29. WrestleMania 13 | We Almost Saw The Weirdest Monday Night Wars Jump Ever

Dennis Rodman Hulk Hogan nWo WCW
WWE.com

WrestleMania 13 - on paper - was a glorified In Your House card. In a weird aberration, much like 2000, the company was on fire creatively, but stunk out the joint on the grandest stage. 

Shawn Michaels losing his smile forced Vince McMahon to run a Survivor Series rematch for the semi-main, which was less than ideal. As over as Sid was, a long match against the Undertaker was always going to expose him. The star power, already low, was depleted. The big match pairings ranged from very optimistic to a bit familiar. The undercard was dire.

It’s just as well that the greatest match in company history - Bret Hart Vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin - took place on March 23. ‘Mania 13 isn’t merely the best one match show in wrestling history; it was so effective that the entire course of it was changed forever. 

‘Mania 13 needed far more in the way of pizzazz, and if the February 10, 1997 issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter is to be believed, it almost happened. 

Reportedly, representatives of Chicago Bulls controversy merchant Dennis Rodman told WCW - giving them the chance to match the dollar figure - that the WWF had offered him $500,000 to corner Goldust for his match. It didn’t happen, obviously, but that’s an inspired pitch - to use modern parlance, they would have matched one another’s “freak”. 

Rodman’s presence at ringside would have proved a distraction from the action - but since the match was against 1997 Hunter Hearst Helmsley, that’s no bad thing.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!