WrestleMania Retrospective – WrestleMania V (1989)

Here’s Part 5 of our WrestleMania Retrospective series, looking back at past WrestleMania events as we march towards WrestleMania 29 on April 7th.

WrestleMania V (1989)

Tagline: The Mega Powers Explode!
Date: March 27, 1988
Venue: Trump Plaza, Atlantic City, NJ
Attendance: 18,946
America The Beautiful: WWF Women’s Champion Rockin’ Robin

For the only time in WrestleMania History, WrestleMania IV and V were held at the same venue. Future WWE Hall Of Farmer Donald Trump stated in media outlets, that after the first WrestleMania was such a success, he had to have it again at Atlantic City.  Although the event was promoted as being at the Trump Plaza, it was in fact held in the adjacent Boardwalk Hall.

The main feud heading into WrestleMania was between Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage, with the two battling over the WWF Championship.
Hogan and Savage first crossed paths on the October 3, 1987 edition of Saturday Night’s Main Event, Savage got a shot at The Honky Tonk Man’s Intercontinental Championship but was attacked by the Hart Foundation; Hogan came to Savage’s rescue, thus solidifying Savage’s face turn.

At WrestleMania IV in March 1988, Savage defeated Ted DiBiase in a tournament final to win the vacant WWF Championship with help from Hogan and Hogan soon after came into the ring to congratulate Savage. Soon after, the duo formed a tag team known as The Mega Powers. They feuded with many heel tag teams throughout the entire year and were a successful team.

Mega Powers ruled and dominated the WWF for several months. However, their domination and tag team began to breakup in early 1989 as tensions slowly began to build between the two.

This all began on the January 7, 1989 edition of Saturday Night’s Main Event, when Hogan was mercilessly beaten by The Twin Towers after his match with Akeem.

Savage came out and cleared the ring with a steel chair. Elizabeth took Hogan to the backstage which angered Savage. He thought that he was a third wheel and this was the beginning of the breakup of Mega Powers as Savage was angry that why his wife Miss Elizabeth was used by Hogan as his manager. He confronted her about the issue but she took Hogan to the backstage.

Problems increased further in the Royal Rumble match where Hogan accidentally eliminated Savage as he was trying to eliminate Bad News Brown.

On February 3 at The Main Event, Hogan and Savage faced The Twin Towers (Akeem and The Big Boss Man) in a tag team match that would set up the Mega Powers’ breakup. During a key point in the match, Savage was thrown out of the ring onto Elizabeth, knocking her unconscious. Hogan carried her to the back, leaving Savage to fend for himself in the ring against the much larger Akeem and Big Bossman;

Hogan eventually returned, but Savage slapped him in the face and took the belt in his hand and turned heel by abandoning Hogan.

Despite this, Hogan managed to pick up the win. After the match, Savage explained his frustrations to hogan and eventually attacked Hogan in the medical area of the arena.

Hogan would later challenge Savage to a match for the WWF Championship at WrestleMania, which Savage accepted.

The second main feud heading into WrestleMania was between Rick Rude and The Ultimate Warrior over the WWF Intercontinental Championship. Rude and Warrior were booked to face each other in a “Super Posedown” at Royal Rumble in January 1989. The winner had to be decided by a fan reaction, where Warrior won the posedown. After the posedown, a furious and angry Rude attacked Warrior. This led to a feud between the two and an Intercontinental title match at WrestleMania.

The second main feud heading into WrestleMania was between Rick Rude and The Ultimate Warrior over the WWF Intercontinental Championship. Rude and Warrior were booked to face each other in a “Super Posedown” at Royal Rumble in January 1989. The winner had to be decided by a fan reaction, where Warrior won the posedown. After the posedown, a furious and angry Rude attacked Warrior. This led to a feud between the two and an Intercontinental title match at WrestleMania.

During WrestleMania V, a  Piper’s Pit segment featured a talk show “Loudmouth” Morton Downey, Jr. as a special guest. Before Roddy Piper could interview Morton, Brother Love came out dressed as Piper and impersonated him.

WrestleMania V Results

• The Twin Towers (Akeem and The Big Boss Man) (with Slick) defeated The Rockers (Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty)

• Brutus Beefcake and Ted DiBiase (with Virgil) fought to a double countout

• The Bushwhackers (Luke Williams and Butch Miller) defeated The Fabulous Rougeaus (Jacques and Raymond) (with Jimmy Hart) 

• Mr. Perfect defeated The Blue Blazer

• WWF Tag Team Championship Match: Demolition (Ax and Smash) (c) defeated The Powers of Pain (The Warlord and The Barbarian) and Mr. Fuji

• Dino Bravo (with Frenchy Martin) defeated Ronnie Garvin

• The Brain Busters (Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard) (with Bobby Heenan) defeated Strike Force (Rick Martel and Tito Santana)

• Jake Roberts defeated André the Giant (with Bobby Heenan) by disqualification w/ special guest referee Big John Studd

• The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart) defeated The Honky Tonk Man and Greg Valentine (with Jimmy Hart)

• WWF Intercontinental Championship Match: Rick Rude (with Bobby Heenan) defeated The Ultimate Warrior (c)

• Jim Duggan and Bad News Brown fought to a double disqualification

• The Red Rooster defeated Bobby Heenan (with The Brooklyn Brawler)

• WWF Championship Match: Hulk Hogan defeated Randy Savage (c)