One MIND-BLOWING Secret From EVERY WWE WrestleMania

28. WrestleMania 14 | Death Ranch

Chainsaw Charlie Terry Funk Cactus Jack
WWE.com

The Dumpster match at WrestleMania 14 was awesome. 

One of the most effectively built tag matches in WWE history - the original angle was shocking and dangerous and sold to the hilt by an apoplectic Jim Ross - the attraction was a concentrated dose of creative violence. Characterful and brisk, it was both the making of the New Age Outlaws and a great tone-setter for the full dawn of the Attitude Era. This was where the WWF first borrowed ECW’s “hide the negatives” philosophy. Terry Funk was really getting on, Billy Gunn and Road Dogg weren’t amazing in longish, traditional matches. So why bother with them?

Mick Foley wanted to do something else originally, pitching a Best of Seven series with career rival Terry Funk. He had a proto-cinematic idea in mind for the grand finale: an exploding death match of some description filmed at Funk’s Double Cross Ranch in Texas. This too would have signalled to new viewers that they had tuned into a completely different World Wrestling Federation. Avoiding the embarrassing snafu that can ruin these matches - including one performed by Foley and Funk in Japan - it being taped would have allowed for more control over the temperamental explosions.

Vince purportedly turned down the idea, primarily because he was concerned about the mainstream attention drawn by Mike Tyson. While this was an era of almost boundless experimentation and controversy bait, McMahon believed that full-on gore was a bad idea. His mind was strange and sick, wasn’t it?

Barbed wire matches = bad, product of incest with daughter Stephanie = good.

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!