Wrestlemania 11: A Retrospective Look

[Dagger Dias]

This is the 11th of 29 retrospective Wrestlemania topics where we will look back on the history of the biggest PPV brand of them all. Wrestlemania 30 is getting closer every day, so every couple of days I will submit a new topic on a Wrestlemania event from the past leading up to the big day in April.

This time we will talk about Wrestlemania 11. It is regarded as one of the worst Wrestlemania's, but as it is still part of the brand's history it needs to be observed and discussed just as the others.

Wrestlemania 11 took place on April 2, 1995. It was held at the Hartford Civic Center in Hartford, Connecticut where 16,305 fans came to watch the show. Here are the results of the matches:



1. The Allied Powers (Lex Luger and The British Bulldog) defeated The Blu Brothers (Jacob and Eli) (with Uncle Zebekiah) in a tag team match (06:34)

2. Razor Ramon (with The 1–2–3 Kid) defeated Jeff Jarrett (c) (with The Roadie) by disqualification in a singles match for the WWF Intercontinental Championship (13:32)

3. The Undertaker (with Paul Bearer) defeated King Kong Bundy (with Ted DiBiase) in a singles match with Larry Young as the special guest referee (06:36)

4. Owen Hart and Yokozuna (with Mr. Fuji and Jim Cornette) defeated The Smoking Gunns (c) (Billy and Bart) in a tag team match to win the WWF Tag Team Championship (09:42)

5. Bret Hart defeated Bob Backlund in an "I Quit" match with Roddy Piper as the special guest referee (09:34)

6. Diesel (c) (with Pamela Anderson) defeated Shawn Michaels (with Sid and Jenny McCarthy) in a singles match to retain the WWF Championship (20:35)

7. Lawrence Taylor defeated Bam Bam Bigelow (with Ted DiBiase) Singles match with Pat Patterson as the special guest referee (11:42)




Now, here are some discussion questions concerning the event:

What was your favorite match on this show, and why did you like it the most? What about the worst match of this show, why did you like it the least?

If you could change a few things about Wrestlemania 11, what would it be and why?

You may only use wrestlers who were available at the roster at that time or make changes that could have realistically taken place in April 1995. Please keep in mind the situations going into the show such as who could actually have been pushed into a title match, or what songs existed back then if you wanted to change the show's theme music, and so forth.

You may only discuss Wrestlemania 11 in this thread. The other Wrestlemania events will be getting their own retrospective threads shortly, any posts regarding other events will be considered spam and you risk getting an infraction.

Discuss!

 

[The Brain]

This one should be interesting. Many people consider WM11 to be the worst mania of all so I’ll be interested to see what kind of suggestions the critics make to improving it. Hopefully they’re within the realm of reason. Before I get to my changes let’s start with the usual favorite and least favorite match.

My favorite match was Diesel vs. Shawn Michaels. It wasn’t really a classic match but it was very good. It was easily the best match of the night and despite lacking big name star power (they weren’t quite there yet) it had a big fight feel for a title match.

My least favorite match was Bret Hart vs. Bob Backlund. Just like the WM10 thread when I said Randy Savage was in my least favorite mania match it pains me to say Hart was in my least favorite for WM11. This match just didn’t work. I didn’t care for it when it was announced as I felt the feud had lost its momentum by then. Still I had some high hopes as they had a good match at Survivor Series and the ‘I quit” stipulation could have made this a great match. They just didn’t click that night for whatever reason. Honestly, I blame guest referee Roddy Piper a little. It wasn’t all his fault but he was very distracting yelling in the microphone and asking the wrestlers if they wanted to quit from every basic hold. I got the feeling Bret was a little annoyed by that. Bret usually delivered the goods but this was just not his night. Too bad because a classic Bret match could have saved this show.

Now for the changes. Let’s stick with Bret Hart for a minute. Like I said I thought the feud with Backlund was dead by this point and since the match sucked too I think there was another option for Bret. Prior to mania a new wrestler started a feud with Bret Hart attacking him when Bret received some kind of people’s choice award and calling him a racist. That wrestler was Hakushi. I know what you’re thinking. Bret Hart vs. Hakushi is not a WrestleMania caliber match. I don’t necessarily disagree but I think it would have been an improvement from what we actually got. Hakushi was brand new to the WWF and like I said had already begun a feud with Hart. Putting him against Hart at mania would have sent a message that he was to be taken seriously and might have laid the groundwork for more success in the future. Also a lot of causal and even non fans were watching mania for the first time because of Lawrence Taylor. What do you think would have impressed those fans more, the innovative high flying offense of Hakushi or old man Backlund trying to lock in that chicken wing?

Another change I would have made involves Lex Luger and Davey Boy Smith. Putting them against Eli and Jacob Blu was useless. This kind of throwaway match may have fit in sometime during the first seven or eight years of mania but looked out of place by the time we got to WM11. I would have made it Lex Luger vs. Davey Boy Smith. The feud could have started at the Rumble. Davey and Luger could have formed somewhat of a partnership during the Rumble and worked together throughout the match. Eventually Davey eliminates Luger which causes some feelings of bitterness. Luger doesn’t turn heel but his noticeably upset. They start kind of a friendly rivalry, feats of strength, etc. Eventually Luger challenges Davey to a match at mania. Both are still face and have a clean match with each other. It doesn’t really matter who wins but they shake hands after the match and realize they’re better as partners than opponents and go on to form their Allied Powers team.

I know a lot of people are going to say they would have put Diesel vs. Michaels on last instead of Bigelow vs. LT. I don’t really care about that. It’s not nearly as big a deal as some make it out to be. Would that have actually improved one of the worst manias? No. I think adding the two matches I suggested would have made WM11 a much better show.

 

[Elchicano15]

I'm not going to lie. This is by far my least favourite Mania. So many botches with the card setup, it was so short, and I think there were a few glitches with the audio during the live event. The King and McMahon's mics were fazing out and even when J.R was doing his interviews with the performers on the way out his mic was cutting out. I thought I might have heard the actual reason behind the crappy audio was because of the King stepping or kicking a wire under the announce table.

What I really enjoyed were the Diesel/HBK match and the tag team match with Owen&Yoko vs the Smoking Gunns. I liked how Owen introduced Yokozuna back and winning the tag titles. The Diesel/HBK match was the best match of the night and I think that was worthy of closing the show. That would have been a better way of closing off the show with Diesel celebrating. Clearly at the time he was their top guy.

As to what I would have gotten rid of or changed would have been the Bigelow/L.T match. It was over hyped, over rated, should not have closed the show and just seemed like a waste. I just wasn't feeling it. Yes, celebrity involvement is huge at Mania but I would not have had it close the show. I would put it in the middle like the second half of a top match on a mania card. Seeing how they over emphasized the press at ring side I would probably throw Mongo and another former NFLer against Tatanka & Kama. Or have Tatanka & Kama against the New Rockers (I seem to think they were active on the roster in 95 I just don't know when exactly) Either way this card needed a match or two to boot and they could have thrown a few members of Dibiase's stable into a tag match.

 

[MCMG]

Not a great Wrestlemania at all. They had lost a lot of talent from the previous Manias and were yet to build other names.

This was one of Diesels best matches (not saying much). Kevin Nash isn't the greatest wrestler of all time but this was passable. I'm glad they waited to put the strap on HBK as well.

This Wrestlemaina also featured one of the worst streak matches of all time. King Kong Bundy was a crap opponent for Taker and it took way too long for Taker to get decent opponents he could work a match with.

Given the lack of talent, I'm not too sure about using Luger and Davey Boy in a tag-team match. They were both talented guys and perhaps they could have been used better. Against each other, perhaps but something better than a throwaway tag-team match.

 

[LODemolition]

Hate, hate, hate this WM. I'm not a fan of celebrities/athletes being in matches, much less the main event of the biggest ppv of the year. Bigelow should've been put in a program with Undertaker. That's always been a guy I wish we could've seen take ok Taker at WM. Shawn and Nash should've absolutely gone on last. I could maybe understand LT being in the main event if this WM was held in NY, with him being a Giant, but it was in Connecticut for crying out loud.

Also the Allied Powers should've been involved in the tag team title picture. I know this is before the concept of triple threat matches came along, but at least give them better opponents than the Blu Brothers (who always reminded me of The Berzerker). Maybe Bundy and another one of DiBiase guys like Kama could've taken them on instead.

Shawn and Nash was my favorite match by default, because the rest of this Mania was just plain garbage.

 

[MMK]

What was your favorite match on this show, and why did you like it the most?

I actually liked the tag team title match best. Not because it was a classic, but because I really didn't expect Yokozuna to be Owen's mystery partner. I was thinking maybe Bret since then it would have been brothers against brothers when they faced the Smoking Gunns. Or possibly a Jim Neidhart return would have also worked. Yokozuna was a pleasant surprise and it made perfect sense seeing as how Yoko and Owen both had a common enemy in Bret.

If you could change a few things about Wrestlemania 11, what would it be and why?

I'm with a lot of folks in agreement that this is the worst Wrestlemania of them all. Wrestlemania 8 was a missed opportunity in so many ways, Wrestlemania 7's placement of the matches were a little off, and Wrestlemania 9 was god awful but at least it had an interesting venue. This Wrestlemania just looked plain UGLY. It looks like a glorified house show. Even the Mania logo looked weird. So how do you fix it?

WWF TITLE: Bret Hart vs Undertaker
Bret and Taker were both wasted at this event, both forced to face washed up 80's stars like Backlund and Bundy. Total waste. Backlund NEVER should have beat Bret for the title. Bret should have held on to the belt all the way to Mania and faced The Undertaker. The Deadman vs The Hitman.

WWF IC TITLE: Shawn vs Diesel
Much like Bret vs Undertaker, this is another david vs goliath match. I liked the feud between Diesel and Shawn but Diesel was rushed to the main event. Backlund never should have beat Bret. The only reason he did was so he could be a transitional champion and have him drop the title to Diesel the next night. Diesel should have remained at IC level. He had the IC title in the summer and never should have lost it. Shawn vs Diesel for the IC would have been similar to Rude vs Warrior at Wrestlemania 5. This match just didn't scream main event worthy to me. Diesel was too new and not over enough as a face. Bret and Taker were the two most over babyfaces at the time. Much like Luger, Diesel was rushed to the top and it backfired.

Of course, if Shawn vs Diesel was for the IC title that would mean not having Shawn win the Rumble that year. Which to me is fine. Just take the entire Royal Rumble 1995 storyline and save it for next year. Have Shawn enter at #1 in the 1996 Rumble and go all the way and win. In 95, the Rumble intervals were something like 30 seconds or 1 minute. It was the shortest Rumble ever, making Shawn's victory a bit tainted. In 1996 however, they were back to 2 minute intervals. Meaning if Shawn had entered at #1 in 1996 he would have had to last 60 minutes to win. Which would have been a perfect setup for the 60 minute Iron man match with Bret.

Bret: "So you lasted 60 minutes in the Rumble, huh? Let's see you last 60 minutes one on one with me".

So by not having Shawn vs Diesel for the WWF title at Mania 11 you really don't miss out on anything. Shawn's "one foot" Rumble victory could have simply been pushed ahead to next year when he was a babyface and won the Rumble for a second time anyhow.

In 1995, Undertaker could have won the Rumble and gone on to challenge Bret and win the title. Streak continues. Taker eventually drops belt back to Bret at Rumble 96 due to interference from Diesel. Bret vs Taker actually happened at Rumble 96 anyhow.

This way in 1995 it would have been Bret vs Taker, Shawn vs Diesel. Then in 1996 it would have been Bret vs Shawn, Taker vs Diesel. Same 4 guys in back to back years, only they swap opponents.

 

[Kool Aid Man]

This one may actually be worse than X.

I actually had forgotten about Shawn's first title reign. This match with Diesel would have been better suited for the main event as many have said.

Lawrence Taylor was a big name at that time and arguably one of the best linebackers aside from Ray Lewis. However, I see this at Vince's folly as he always had some sort affinity for putting celebrities unnecessarily in wrestling matches. The LT match would have been better suited for a match before HBK and Diesel. Instead now you have a celebrity who will never wrestle again headlining against Bam Bam Bigelow who would have no business in this match in the first place. By itself this incident sucks, considering that it screwed over other talent that needed a push it really sucks.

Luger and Bulldog weren't going anywhere. Two upper mid car talents opening against nobodies are a poor use of talent. I am sure shortly after this Luger left.

The Bob Backlund match never should have happened. This feud was long and drawn out. If I remember right, at Survivor Series was when they had their I Quit match. This feud was more about Owen and Bret anyway as it should have been.

Seeing the blatant holes there. What I would have done is have Owen and Yoko win the title earlier, and then do Bulldog and Luger versus Owen and Yoko. That match has much more obvious chemistry with Luger and Yoko's previous feud and Bulldog and Owen's relationship.

I would have had Ramon and Hart in a match, made a triple threat with Jarrett, as a your big mid card match.

 

[Pedigree1]

I really dont know if anything could have been done to save this horrible WM! The whole WM just flat out sucked.. The only saving grace on that night,was Shawn Michaels vs Diesel. The match was okay,not a spectacular match,but a decent title match.. IMO HBK should have gone over in that match,seeing as how he went coast to coast to win the Royal Rumble earlier that year.. The Hart vs Backlund match,just fell flat.

Its not Bret's fault,at all that match fell undervalued. Piper screaming at every hold asking the wrestlers if they wanted to quit got annoying real quick.. No one is going to submit to a headlock.. Their match at Survivor Series,was a great match. On this night though,this match just didn't live up to the hype. Too bad,i wish this match would have had the same zip,as the previous match had but it just didnt happen. I would have liked Davey Boy to have gone one on one with Luger. Davey Boy deserved at least that much not some tag team match with Luger. Again i felt they screwed Davey Boy,putting him on the back burner.

Really in reality they should have had the LT vs Bigelow match in the middle not the Main Event. I think the HBK vs Diesel match should have been on last. Why not have the Bad Guy go over to beat Jarrett for the title,a DQ win just didn;t make any sense. I dont like title matches to end in DQ's i feel it devalues the importance of the match.

 

[Rhodes2TheFuture3313]

It's funny the only match I remember from Wrestlemania 11 was HBK vs. Diesel. It was a pretty good match. I liked the added element with Pam Anderson & Jenny McCarthy. The undercard was quite forgetable. It probably would have been better if they just added Bret Hart into the match because I didn't even remember who he faced until you alluded to Backlund. What a waste of Bret there. They couldn't get Piper to wrestle Bret? Or Even if they did Bret & Luger or Bret and Davey Boy would have been much better. Razor vs. Jarrett seems like a waste, too. Razor should have fought Bret. Your idea of Davey Boy vs. Luger makes total sense. The roster was really thin it seems. Who did Undertaker face?

 

[The Fabulous Rougeau's]

Probably the worst Mania ever. Watching this card beginning to end you never get the feeling that its a WrestleMania. The big change I would make to the card would be putting Bret v Taker as the title match. both wrestlers remained paired with their respective opponents (Backlund and the Million Dollar Corporation) for too long. They should have ended those feuds by the Rumble coupled with Bret never dropping the title and Taker winning the 95 Rumble we get to what should have been our main event. I would leave the Bigelow/LT match as is. It was actually a good match considering and accomplished what it needed to accomplish. The other major change I would make to the card would center around the IC title. In 94 the title centered around Razor, Shawn and Diesel. These 3 men should have been involved in what probably would have been the 1st triple threat match in WWE history. With all the power the kliq had back then I am sure they could have successfully lobbied for this match as it would have given them the opportunity to all work with each other and make one another look good doing so. The final card would look like this:

Allied Powers vs Blue Brothers

Jeff Jarrett vs 1-2-3 Kid

Tag Title Match: Smoking Guns (c) vs Owen Hart and Yokozuna

Hakushi vs Bob Backlund

IC Title Match: Razor Ramon (c) vs Shawn Michaels vs Diesel

Bam Bam Bigelow vs Lawrence Taylor

WWF Title Match: Bret Hart (c) vs The Undertaker

 

[THTRobtaylor]

Oh boy, here we go...sorry guys this is gonna be long and heavy on the rebooking... I truly believe Vince Russo, Len Goldman's trained monkeys and even Dixie Carter could probably have booked this better.

As I allueded to in my comments on 9... this was the nadir of the WWF when it really seriously looked like not only were they in trouble financially but just about bankrupt creatively too.

How could you tell, well things started looking and being done cheaper for a start. Expensive and aging talent was shipped out like Randy Savage, Jim Duggan, Rick Martel, Earthquake, The Steiners and replaced them with basically with the roster of Smokey Mountain Wrestling and USWA and cheaper and older names like Barbarian, Bob Backlund, King Kong Bundy and rookies like Chad Fortune, Alex Porteau, Eric Watts and PJ Walker.

The working agreements with USWA and SMW had almost given way to whole sale talent raids by then. What started with the Heavenly Bodies, Jarrett and Lawler was now Tony Anthony, Tracey Smothers, Louie Spicoli, Al Snow and later that year Glen Jacobs but WWE was doing it on the cheap, low money and the guys brought up had to still eke out their commitments on the indy scene yet devote everything else to being at Vince's beck and call. Add to that the dregs of WCW they signed like Johnny Gunn and Erik Watts and you have a pretty poor set of talent for Mania under of course... the gimmicks. I would want to try what Vince was smoking in 94-95 but feel it would be a bit "Jonathan Crane" and take you places you wouldn't want to go... we got a plumber, a floridian bumpkin, Deliverence bumpkins, a Hog-Farmer, a one man barbershop quartet, Chris Farley and Curt Cobain's love child and an apparently Portuguese man wearing a jockstrap on his face, as they obviously did in Portugal in 95... Oi... What did go well were guys like Hakushi who was perhaps the most criminally underused guy till Hassan and Waylon Mercy, sure Spivey was a spent force but the gimmick worked and is working today for Bray Wyatt... but don't get me started on how they took the excellent WCW character of Maxx Payne and destroyed it... ugh doesn't even cover it...

Of what they had kept in terms of established names, they had booked so badly in the year prior that it was coming back to haunt them come the Royal Rumble. A year earlier, Bam Bam was toiling in a mixed tag with Luna, Doink and a midget... a year later he's supposed to close the show after a year being in the shockingly bad DiBiase stable and mainly in a tag team with Tatanka. Lex Luger had been depushed so badly that he already was marking time till he could walk out. Davey Boy had not been handled right on his return, instead of being turned heel on Bret at Summerslam and basically taking on the feud from there they decided to use Kevin Nash, hot shotting him the title when he was barely even known. Scott Hall was perhaps the only real wrestler "in a groove" during late 94-early 95, but Jarrett was clearly a lightweight opponent for him now Shawn had supposedly moved on. Lower talent that could be challenging for the IC belt like Tatanka, IRS, Kid and even Sid were not being used properly and so devalued by that stage that their careers were all but destroyed.

Shawn, Diesel and Bret and Owen had all suffered badly in that last quarter of 94. Bret losing to Backlund was not only the wrong move and the wrong match but it railroaded him into a bad feud for the next 6 months. Simply reverse the roles of Owen Hart and Backlund at Survivor Series and what would have happened?

Owen would have been the most over heel they had, absolutely hated and with Backlund as a manager/partner... You can then keep Davey face and team him with Bret against the two into 1995, when Davey turns it is again a massive shocker but I know you've gone back and thought "did he say Diesel was suffering in late 94?" and yes I did.

Diesel as a character had barely emerged by the time he won the IC title but it seemed that Vince had found "his guy" and was going to rocket ship him in terms of push... then he has the tag titles as well and you think "Ok.." but it was all far too much too soon. The fans had no chance to even get used to him as a face when he crushed Backlund in 8 seconds. That the match wasn't on TV made it worse, any value gained by the shock value was negated by it not being a PPV match and not being Owen. Had Owen been the one to take that Jackknife as the most hated World Champion to that point at the Rumble... how much bigger would Diesel's "explosion" have been? How much more important would Shawn's win have been? and how much more into Diesel would the fans be? The answer a hell of a lot. Shawn had not really recovered from the high of the Ladder match and losing it... sure he had the tag titles with Diesel and their pairing was interesting but nothing else was really done with him other than him taking shine away from the guy you're thinking about making your big star... Shawn really was better served in that IC title hunt or working with Luger, Davey or Bret than being pushed to the World title match at that time... it was too soon, they had to change the event to make it work and it sucked more balls than a bingo machine...

The other side of the coin was of course Undertaker... after that shocking moment where he was gone for most of 94, missing X he comes back... to a feud with Brian Lee? and then IRS at the Rumble? The Deadman was wasted and could have been used against a lot of opponents other than who he was... add to thisThe Rumble was done poorly 1 minute an entrant was a joke and you have a VERY poor stage for Mania 11.

So let's look at the show (finally I know)

We have Davey Boy and Lex (ok, the team works but Davey PLEASE cut your hair) but the problems here started all the way back at the Rumble and the tournament when they weren't in there, they could have won it and made Bigelow at least LOOK like he could go against last years co headliner and headline a show...the angle still works even though as it happened LT mocked Bam Bam cos they lost to the underdogs...but that would have worked just as well if not better with Luger in particular who as a former NFL player could have even been used as LT's "corner man"/Trainer but assuming they stick with The Allied Powers... them defending their titles against Mystery opposition in Owen's partner works... Yoko is an old foe of Luger's and for Davey a new foe when Luger gets mad and turns on him after the 2nd year in a row losing to Yoko brings his frustration out.

That's my first change... I make it Yoko and Owen v The Allied Powers with Owen still getting the duke and the titles...

That leaves the Gunns without an opponent, so here's where you go with some kind of 4 way for contendership. Headshrinkers, Blu's, Gunns and Men On a Mission.
A mix of styles and of gimmicks... The next guys are getting fed to Owen and Yoko for me and no way would Mabel be winning KOTR so I'd have the MOM go over.

So Fatal fourway - Shrinkers v Blus v Gunns vs MOM is my other tag match for the night.

IC Title - As everyone has been so devalued in real life it was a poor match for Hall, who really should have been moving up out of this IC title picture by then. As I said earlier I had Bam Bam and Tatanka succeed so here's where I use Tatanka again and have him go over Razor with help from Shane Douglas who has just been signed. No Dean Douglas character, he is just ECW Shane Douglas... He and Razor will meet at Summerslam as Bam Bam will be out of the stable after Mania.

Shane will be the focal point and DiBiase's new Million $ Champion. Tatanka as the IC champion won't last as Bam Bam will win this at Summerslam but for now he is back where he belongs.

So change 3 - Razor loses the IC title to Tatanka with an assist from Shane Douglas

Already we've established some new feuds, freshened some stables and introduced a new talent and shaken up both the tag team and IC divisions... that's just in 3 matches so far so we're already making a far more memorable Mania.

Now comes what to do with Undertaker and frankly it's a difficult one. my first instinct was to keep things as is for one reason. This period basically defined Taker in that he got hurt against Mabel at Summerslam and from there how he was booked was drastically altered. It was no longer about monsters for him but solid, strong talent and this was the period that he started to change how he worked and he became the legend he is... till then he was not the worker we know. I'd start that early and I am going with a number one contender match. I thought about using Bret Hart for this, as it would be a strong faces match but I decided not yet cos I want to use Bret somewhere else.

Taker is going against Jeff Jarrett and Roadie in a handicap match. Jarrett is in no way worthy of a world title shot at this point, we KNOW Taker would be going over, but adding Roadie into that mix makes it at least a challenge. Jarrett and Taker would have known each other from their Memphis days prior to Taker's debut so could work a match. Roadie would of course take the brunt of the moves while Jarrett would hang back and try to pick his spots. When he took them he'd use the figure four and the kind of moves that Bret, Shawn, Austin and the like did over the next 2 years that Taker did so well meshing with. Taker tombstones both guys and double pins them for the win and he's going against whoever wins the main event.

Next up is Bret Hart and I am taking Backlund out of this as he never won the title in my world, Owen did. But as a manager Backlund has been intent on destroying Bret ever since as he hates that Bret gets all the kudos and respect as the best technical wrestler and he gets none despite holding the belt for so long. Bob's opponent that he has found who he knows will match Bret is Hakushi... admittedly this match happened 2 months later and was stellar, but in my world it happens at Mania 11 and shockingly Hakushi picks up a countout win after hitting the first Space Tiger Flying Drop in the WWF. I am going with countout cos I want this to continue to KOTR where they will face off again in the tournament.

This does leave a fair chunk of talent off the card and at this time there's the obligatory Mania battle Royale with: -

Luke, Butch, 1-2-3 Kid, Aldo Montoya, King Kong Bundy, Mantaur, Henry Godwinn, Skip, Doink, Kwang, Bob Holly, IRS, Jerry the King Lawler, Jean Pierre LaFitte, Hunter Hearst Helmsley (who makes his "debut"), Chris Benoit (he got a tryout around this time), Hawk & Power Warrior (LOD Gimmick - Animal accompanies them), Adam Bomb and the winner. Ron Simmons making his debut. My reasoning here is that Simmons was someone who should have come straight across to WWE as himself, bypassing ECW completely. I'd have treated him as a big "steal" from them and certainly a big deal - while not calling him the first Afro-American World Champ I would all but build him this way. He's an easy pick up at that time who would have gotten a pop from the crowd when he won and adds an extra face to the roster.. he has already been introduced to the fans as the "trainer" for LT... and while this does foreshadow Bigelow's loss later in the night a bit, it makes a lot of sense to me to use him to win here. He last throws out Jerry Lawler.

So that brings us to the Main Events....

Bam Bam and LT is right after the Battle Royale so Ron moves onto the announce table for the match. I eliminate Mongo and the other NFL guys bar Reggie White.
the match goes somewhat similar but Ron Simmons joins LT in his celebrations so the amateur and pro games are represented.

So we come at last to Shawn and Diesel... I'm not going to do much except change Shawn's attitude prior to the match... for the past few years he'd basically been a knob and now was the time to nip this Kliq thing in the bud... Shawn is doing the job and he's doing it clean. No Sid involvement as he is barred from ringside. It's made clear if Shawn doesn't perform, he doesn't get this chance again... so he does and helps make Diesel a stronger champion. Nash will be worried and towing the line cos he knows he has Taker next and the fans will quite happily see him drop to him... kills the Kliq and their bullshit dead and makes Summerslam a must see card.

 

[god-soldier]

This by far is the worse Mania second to WrestleMania 27!!!!!!! I don't even know where to begin because this card was so terrible in my opinon the best match for me is a tie between Owen Hart and Yokozuna vs Smoking Guns, and Bam Bam Bigelow vs Lawrence Taylor!!!!! Why these 2 matches they had the most intrigue even though L.T. Never wrestled a match the build up for it was good I was excitied to see how my favorite player for the Giants could handle a match with one of the best big men in the business. Match was ok for me impressed with L.T.'S piledriver/jacknife on Bam Bam I wish they would of ended it right there with that it could of been a wrestlemania like Frig elminating Big John Stud at mania 2. Owen's mystery partner I remember me and my friends making bets at school back in 6th grade on who it would be the number 1 pick was Davey Boy Smith we all thought he was going heel. Yokozuna was on the list but he wasn't close to the top 2 Bulldog and Anvil. I remember when Owen came out and said he beat my brother I was like it really is Davey Boy but it was Yokozuna I thought it was great and then they destroyed the Gunns I remember the interview with Todd Pettingil with the Guns and Bart and Billy already looked defeated and the match didn't start yet!!!!! I enjoyed that so much!!!!
How I would of fixed this Mania its easy it starts at the Rumble Bret Hart proves Diesel win was a flute and beats Diesel at Rumble due to interference from HBK and then pays it back at the Rumble match and boots Michaels off the rope so he gets elminated and Bulldog wins.
Main Event for Mania becomes Bulldog vs Bret Hart for the title and bret upsets Davey Boy and he goes heel, or Davey Boy has Owen and Yokozuna come out and help Davey Boy win and Camp Cornette starts early and the feud comtinues till December.
Hbk vs Diesel at mania is big match and Diesel wins the same way jacknifing HBK after HBK had the match won but Sid screwed it up. The changing of the main event and this feud between Michaels and Diesel could have made this Mania better!!!!!!!!

 

[SuperSteve16]

I hate this Wrestlemania. It is easily the worst mania of all time and I honestly have to take breaks every time I watch just because it is that bad. The only good match on the whole show is Shawn Michaels vs Diesel and I even think it's a little overrated. I mean it's not hard to be the match of the night when almost everything else is bad. As for the worst match, it's got to Bret Hart vs Bob Backland. The feud was boring, the match really didn't deliver and Piper added nothing as special guest referee except for a whole lot of random yelling. Bret Hart has even said that it was the worst match of his career.
As for what I would change, I would have kept the WWF Championship the same, but unlike what the majority of fans say, I would not have put them in the main event, only because I feel after this Wrestlemania, the fans had of at least go home happy with the result. I would have also had Lex Luger vs The British Bulldog as The Brain mentioned earlier, because they were wasted against the Blu's. They could have both been faces and just fought to see who was better. King Kong Bundy was out of his prime here, as was Bob Backland but imagine the classic that Bret Hart and The Undertaker could have had at Wrestlemania. Here's the card I would have had:

1. The British Bulldog vs Lex Luger
2. Razor Ramon vs Jeff Jarrett for the Intercontinental Championship
3. Owen Hart and Yokozuna vs The Smoking Gunns for the WWF Tag Team Championships
4. Lawrence Taylor vs Bam Bam Bigelow
5. Shawn Michaels vs Diesel for the WWF Championship
6. Bret Hart vs The Undertaker

 

[shooter_mcgavin]

This one should be interesting. Many people consider WM11 to be the worst mania of all so I’ll be interested to see what kind of suggestions the critics make to improving it. Hopefully they’re within the realm of reason. Before I get to my changes let’s start with the usual favorite and least favorite match.

The WWF was at it's worst point at 1995 and while I understand the lack of personnel and talent probably was never going to make this a great WM, I think it could still be reconfigured to be, at best, a solid one.

But before moving forward let's get the thing that really bothered me. And that was the host city of WM. I mean Wrestlemania is such a big and important event for the WWF, even at the time, I see no logic why it was held at Hartford, CT.

I mean when you look at all the cities that hosted WM before and after it ... Indianapolis, Las Vegas, New York City, Hartford , Anaheim (which is pretty much LA), Chicago, and Boston. Hartford is the city that stands out like a sore thumb, I am not knocking Hartford but having it there made WMXI feel even like an extended RAW than it already was.

I believe Linda McMahon's rationale for having WMXI at Hartford, CT is to bring WM "home". Meaning the state of CT since the WWF's hub is on the same state but I am not buying this one bit.

As for the event itself. A lot here are placing Undertaker vs. Bret Hart for the Tittle, but I am going to disagree here. We were at a time when the WWF rarely does face vs. face match ups, for this to work one of them has to turn heel and, at a point when the WWF at a fragile state financially, it would be a huge uncalculated risk.

For WMXI this would be my rebooking, top matches only.

WWF Championship: Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels w/ Sid
- Michaels wins the rumble like before but this time Bret Hart stays as Champion. The #1 face taking on the soon to be #1 heel, it would have been perfect. Bret Hart would go over, with results similar to what really happend with Sid accidentally costing HBK the match, but it plants the seeds to Michaels post WMXI run as a baby face and setting the course to WM12.

Tatanka and Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Diesel and Lawrence Taylor
- Unlike most I actually don't mind Taylor participating at WMXI if it meant to attract the media then why not? It's WM afterall. However I would make some changes. (1) It won't be the last match, I actually think Taylor/Bigelow closing WMXI was half the reason people hated it so much. and (2) it will be a tag team match. It helps Diesel get over as a face and we will now have more wrestlers carrying Taylor in the match.

IC Championship: Razor Ramon vs. Sid
- Sid Challenges for the IC title and wins. Leading to a Sid vs. Michaels feud for the IC title after WMXI. Plus Sid seems more credible than Jeff Jarrett.

Rowdy Roddy Piper vs. Bob Backlund
- If they really wanted Backlund in this match. Just have these two go at it at a some sort short of slug fest. Since Piper is in the event anyways right? Backlund goes over, some how, or ends in a no contest. Backlund challenges Bret Hart at the next IYH. Backlund wins the title, loses it the next night on RAW to Diesel. Diesel becomes the Champion and holds the title until Survivor Series.

 

[JoeyJoeJoe]

I'm coming into this one late, and I think most everyone have posted changes that would've made this a lot better than what it was.

IMO, the one guy who was red hot all throughout the year was Razor Ramon, and yet, he became mired with the Intercontinental Title and a lame feud with Jeff Jarrett. If ever there was a case where the IC title was becoming an anchor around someone, it was Scott Hall. Besides, he had already lost the title! Was there really a need for a rematch at WrestleMania that would end in a DQ?

I think you have your hottest hand in the Main Event at WrestleMania, and to me, that was Razor. Who he fights is another matter...He beat Diesel at SummerSlam for the IC title, and he had his feud with Michaels last year. Since all of this is happening at the same time that Diesel and Michaels are receiving their respective pushes, my thinking is that this might be the year that you introduce the triple threat match to WrestleMania. At this point, it's not a terrible stretch. Last year's Main Event had two title matches, so the idea of having a main event that revolves around 3 guys is not out of left field. In this case, it would make perfect sense for the first WrestleMania triple threat main event to involve these particular 3 guys: Diesel Vs. Shawn Michaels Vs. Razor Ramon.

The tag team title scene by this point was a pure shambles. Having a tournament where the winners are defeated the very next night by The Smoking Gunns was incredibly lame, to say the least. I think the obvious fix here is to have Owen Hart and Yokozuna to mop up the tournament easily and go into WrestleMania strong as the champs. Who against? IMO, there was never really a great resolution to the Owen vs. Bret rivalry after Owen cost him the title in his match at Survivor Series. My tag team title match would involve Owen and Yokozuna facing off against Bret Hart and Davey Boy Smith for the tag titles. Bret and Davey get the duke, and the titles at least for a brief time. This provides the final cap on the Bret/Owen/Davey/Backlund saga.

Luger was pretty much in a deadend as a face. Tatanka made an interesting heel, but Luger always worked better as the heel, IMO. Post Royal Rumble, I would have Luger finally....FINALLY...join the Million Dollar Corporation. Instead of Bundy facing Undertaker, instead it's a newly minted heel Lex Luger.

The IC Title would capitalize on the relative success so far of the 1-2-3 Kid and have him face off against Jarrett for the strap.

LT and Bigelow would go on as planned, but obviously not as the final match of the card.

Throw in a 8 man tag team match: The remainder of the Million Dollar Corporation (Crush, Tatanka, Bundy, and IRS) Vs. The Smoking Gunns and MOM, using their battles in the tag team tournament plus the sight of Bundy and Mabel facing off as another sight-to-see.

 

[The Warlord]

I'm not a big fan of changing history...even with Mania 8 and 9, there's still very little I would change.

But we're talking about Wrestlemania 11...a show that's been frowned upon by wrestling fans since 1995, and for good reason.

Even with a thin talent roster the show could have been much better than it was. Once again, I'm not going to get into my favorite and least favorite matches too much...because it should go without saying. Shawn/Diesel wins by default.

I think Shawn was still a year away from being a true main eventer...while Diesel was becoming the face of the company. I would have taken out Shawn and replaced him with Bret. Michaels and Jarrett...if they could put on a performance like they had at IYH, then the fans would have been in for a real treat.

LT had no business in a wrestling ring, we all knew that. Bam Bam did deserve a big match though, which is why I would have put him in with Undertaker as the co-main event. I was not sold on the King Kong Bundy storyline and believe Bigelow would have given Taker a much better Wrestlemania match.

So here's my complete rebooking of this clusterfuck of a show:

Bret Hart vs. Diesel (c) - WWF Championship

Undertaker vs. Bam Bam Bigelow

Shawn Michaels vs. Jeff Jarrett (c) - Intercontinental Title

Owen Hart (w/ Jim Cornette) vs. Yokozuna (w/ Mr. Fuji)

Razor Ramon & 1-2-3 Kid vs. Smoking Gunns - Tag Team Championship

Lex Luger vs British Bulldog

My god...I forgot about Bob Backlund. Maybe because...I was not a fan. Not a fan of his pyscho character or his boring in-ring work. He is left off the show purposely...or perhaps put on the pre-show against LT (if you REALLY have to have him on the card).

 

[Wrestlingaholic]

The WWE really reached a creative nadir in 1995 (though, looking at WCW, I with their top story of the Dungeon of Doom, it's wrestling as a whole that suffered that year!) - IMO the worst Summerslam ppv, the worst ppv main event (Undertaker v Underfaker), an awful Survivor Series, the worst Royal Rumble match, the worst Wrestlemania and the worst King of the Ring ppv in the space of 10 months. Add to that a paper-thin roster, most of whom understandably did not last and were given shocking gimmicks from creative.

I took a while over this response as I felt I had to re watch the Royal Rumble match just to remind me how bad the roster was, and to see if anyone could actually make a difference at Wrestlemania! (The RR was 39 minutes long - that says it all). I honestly don't see how many of them could have helped, hampered by those aforementioned awful gimmicks. Duke 'the Dumpster' Droese the garbage man? Henry Godwinn the pig farmer? A tag team called Well Dunn? Mantaur? MANTAUR???? WTF??

Looking at this, it is no surprise that Wrestlemania struggled, and that Vince felt he had to open the wallet to attract celebrities to Wrestlemania such as Pamela Anderson and Lawrence Taylor. And, to an extent, it worked - LT had a fine match against Bigelow. Due to how well it went, I would keep that match, just as the semi-final. The main event SHOULD have been Diesel v Shawn Michaels for the title.

Other than changing the order of the last two matches, what else would I change? I get the feeling that the reason Bob Backlund and King Kong Bundy were fed to Bret Hart and the Undertaker was Vince's way of showing how his 'New Generation' leaders were stronger than the old guard, who symbolised wrestling's past, many of whom's peers had only recently jumped to WCW. So in essence, Vince allowed his ego to affect his Wrestlemania booking. It SHOULD have been the culmination of the Bret v Owen feud (Owen and Yoko could have waited until the first In Your House to win the tag titles, it would have been a major title change on their first 'B' ppv, giving extra meaning to it and potentially boosting sales of later IYH events); Undertaker? He could have fought anyone really, seeing as he was feuding with the Million Dollar Man, so I quite like the earlier suggestion of Lex Luger finally being bought out by DiBiase, maybe after being frustrated again in his quest for the title by not winning the Royal Rumble. Face Luger didn't get over as hoped, why not give him a 6-month heel run? It may have rejuvenated him enough to sign a new contract after Summerslam, who knows?

The other major question, then, is who does the British Bulldog face? They obviously had big plans for him, why else would he both start and finish the Royal Rumble? Indeed, other than Luger and Shawn, NO ONE else was booked to look remotely strong in that match. Interestingly, unless I'm mistaken, Davey Boy NEVER had a singles match at Wrestlemania. Why not here? Maybe v Tatanka, or even a newly-heel Adam Bomb (a pointless baby face)

The tag title match would have made more sense (but been worse) had it been the Smoking Gunns v the recently turned Men on a Mission, since it was a Gunns v MoM match that led to their heel turn.

Razor v Jarrett I'd leave the same but the result should have been decisive.

I'm intrigued as to what Crush's role would have been had he not been arrested in February...

And the Blus could have faced the Headshrinkers or 123 Kid and Bob Holly.

So many changes...

 

[CrucifiedRaven]

You could go a million different ways with this, and it would likely involve the re-booking of Bret Hart. Here's how I would have done it.

Owen vs Bret in a rematch from WMX - since this was the real feud all along. Backlund had nothing to do with it, it was Owen pulling the strings all along. Make it an "I Quit" match and the brothers were feuding for a year up to this point, both using the Sharpshooter, with this being the final payoff.

Undertaker vs Yokozuna - Not sure this would have been a great match or anything, but would have had more hype to it than Bundy, since Yoko was a former recent World Champion. Could have also used Bam Bam Bigelow in this spot as well, but then you'd need to find someone else to get a good match out of LT.

Other changes:
Bulldog vs Luger - two top stars of this era in a throwaway match. Turn Luger and make this a grudge match.

Razor Ramon winning the IC title from Jeff Jarrett - why not? Razor was over.

The Smoking Gunns lose the tag titles to the Million Dollar Corporation... Tatanka & Bundy or IRS or whoever else you want.

LT vs Bam Bam goes in the middle of the card

Diesel 'C' def Shawn Michaels w/ Sid - this closes the show, with Diesel and Pam and Jenny as the finale.

 

[spaldoni]

I would of made some changes to this card. I liked the Diesel/Michaels match so I'm keeping that. The WWF was always about celebrity involvement so I keep L.T. on the card but in a special attraction match and not the main event. Does anybody remember MVP Abe knuckleball Schwartz? HAHAHA he was portrayed by Steve Lombardi aka the Brooklyn Brawler. I book him against L.T. The football icon versus the evil baseball player. That's a pretty fun build. Also Lombardi was great enhancement talent so he would of done a solid job with L.T. in the ring. The loss wouldn't of hurt him like it did Bam Bam. L.T. wrestling on the pay per view would of drawn no matter who his opponent was, so I think this would of worked. At this point in time in the WWF, this Mania needed some big things which leads me to another high profile match. Roddy Piper was available so I would bring him in as a mega heel to face the Undertaker. It would just be a WrestleMania program. Sometimes a Mania match should just be a dream match and this would be one of those matches. Piper on the mic would be gold leading into Mania and he would of been a great and memorable opponent for Taker. Kama could interfere after the match to continue Taker's feud with the Million Dollar Corporation. Yokozuna returns just like he did but as a mystery opponent for Lex Luger. They had the history which was never really settled so this would of made sense. That frees up Owen Hart vs Bulldog in a match the probably would of stole the show. As for Bret Hart, someone mentioned Hakushi as an opponent and I totally agree. Hakushi could of been the WWF's version of the Great Muta. I would have Backlund bring in Hakushi to take out Bret once and for all. This would of been an exciting Mania program and the match would of been beyond anyone's expectations. Instead of Double J in the IC program, I'm going with Tatanka. I just think he would of been a better opponent for Ramon and Ramon had history with Dibiase. Bam Bam and Bundy would take the tag straps from the Smoking Gunns. So here's my card,

Diesel vs Michaels- World Title
Taker vs Piper
Ramon vs Tatanka- IC Title
Bret Hart vs Hakushi w/Backlund
Smoking Gunns vs Bam Bam/Bundy-Tag Title Bout
Owen Hart vs Bulldog
Luger vs Yokozuna(Mystery opponent)
Heavenly Bodies vs 123 Kid/Bob Holly
Double J vs Henry Godwin
L.T. vs MVP- Special Attraction match

 

[Judah's Lion]

Mania 11 gets tons of criticism; some of it well-deserved and some of it laughably unfair. the biggest surprise to me here is that so many seem to think that the biggest issue on this night was the lack of talent. with all due respect to the posters on this thread -- many of whom i enjoy reading and whose opinions i respect -- i disagree. there was plenty of talent available from Mania X and going into Mania 11. the biggest issue was how these talents were booked and the storylines they were given. as foolishly ambitious as it sounds, i'm gonna attempt to recreate this card in order to pass it off as a solid ppv, maybe even one worthy of the Mania stage.

before i get to Mania 11, a quick recap from my Mania X... i had Bret Hart lose to Owen in his only match of the night. Lex Luger defeated Yokozuna for the World Title to end the anti-American's undefeated streak. Luger would then drop the World Title to Bret Hart at King of the Ring, thus allowing Bret and Owen to have their 5-Star Classic inside the Steel Cage at SummerSlam. i liked the return of Backlund and his match with Bret at Survivor Series. i'd kinda merge the Survivor Series match with the Mania match they had and make their Survivor Series match for the World Title an "I Quit" Match with guest referee Roddy Piper. hopefully this would be the quality of the Survivor Series match without the irritations of the Mania match. Backlund wins the World Title here and defends it at the Royal Rumble. and now at the Rumble, WHC Bob Backlund defends the belt against Bret Hart in a rematch which Hart wins. so now, heading into Mania 11...

1. World Title: Bret Hart defends against Royal Rumble Winner, the Undertaker. this match actually happened at the Rumble, but i'd bump it back two months. these guys were red hot around this time and had a great match. give both some major momentum leading into Mania and have Taker win the World Title here.

2. Tag Team Titles: Owen & Yokozuna vs. Bulldog & Luger. Owen and Bulldog are legit brothers-in-law and have some long standing history. in my storyline, Luger and Yoko also have some major history, including a main event World Title match at the previous Mania, so this works nicely between the two mega teams.

3. 4 Corners Elimination Match: the new Tag Team Champs are gonna need some #1 Contenders, so i'd bring in Men on a Mission, the Blu Brothers, the Smoking Gunns and the Headshrinkers to duke it out and see who faces the champs next.

4. IC Title: from Mania X till Mania 11, the IC Title revolved mostly around Diesel, HBK and Razor Ramon. make a Triple Threat Match between these three to finally settle it. maybe make it a Street Fight or No DQ to let them really go all out on this night. pick a winner. all three were pretty massively over at the time. i'd even keep the lady escorts for the different guys. maybe have a Latina model walk Razor down the aisle...?

5. Bam Bam vs. LT. i was totally okay with this feud. it got a lot more eyes on Mania than would have otherwise ever watched it. and if we were all honest with ourselves, the match didn't outright suck. it was actually decently entertaining. maybe make it the 2nd or 3rd to last match and not close out the night, but otherwise, leave the build and the match completely as is.

6. in a semi-random matchup, i'd have Hakushi vs. 1-2-3 Kid. both these guys had pretty incredible matches with Bret Hart on Raw. why not have these guys go one-on-one at Mania? this could have been a great way to open the show and get some much needed energy and excitement to set the tone for the rest of the card.

7. just for fun and because i was always a fan of Tatanka, how about Tatanka vs. Jeff Jarrett? it'd almost be a Cowboy vs. Indian scenario. just think of all the lawsuits! really, i'm just thinking of a decent mid-card match between two guys that could use a spot on the card.

i think these matches, though not brilliant and not earth shaking, are better than the ones that we got on the actual card. and who knows, maybe with my fantasy booking, Mania 11 could be regarded in the bottom 10 as opposed to the bottom 3. here's hopin'.

 

[bitesthedust]

Best match of this Wrestlemania was the Diesel/Shawn World Title match, this would have gone on last. Same result, the only changes I'd make from this match would be not to have a weak jackknife to finish, nor the kickout spot from Shawn Michaels' superkick. The kickout did nothing for Diesel's title reign and had him treading water until he dropped the belt to Bret Hart at Survivor Series.

Bret v Bob Backlund was a poor match, Roddy Piper as special ref only made it more comical with his constant yelling "waddya say?".

Anyway, other changes I'd make -

Owen Hart wins the belt from Bret at Survivor Series 1995 in the same manner Backlund did, and holds until the Rumble, where he drops the belt to newly turned face Diesel. Bret then beats Owen in a submission match, second or third last match.

No LT. Pamela Anderson, Jenny McCarthy and Nick Turturro are already on the show, enough celebrities for me.

Luger and Bulldog have a one-on-one match, Luger turns heel after losing.

Undertaker vs Bam Bam, much better opponent than Bundy; Dibiase was his manager at the time, so the feud from Summerslam 94 has been extended. Have Bigelow eliminate Undi' from the Rumble and inflict a savage beatdown on Raw afterward to set up this one. Undertaker wins via chokeslam.

Keep Razor winning by DQ against Jeff Jarrett; Jarrett had only won the IC belt at the Rumble and taking it off him so soon would do nothing for him, or the belt itself.

Smoking Gunns drop the tag belts to the Headshrinkers.

Not sure what to do with a returning Yokozuna, as he is not in the tag match with Owen. Maybe have him go over Adam Bomb, who apparently had turned face just before, as someone else has said.

 

[Mac]

What was your favorite match on this show, and why did you like it the most? What about the worst match of this show, why did you like it the least?

My favorite match was Shawn/Diesel and that's really by default. This show had no great matches; and even though the roster was thin at the time, the top guys were placed with bad opponents, or was misused.

My least favorite match was Bam Bam/LT, I'm not a fan of celebrities wrestling and it sucked that Bam Bam had to do the job.

WWF Championship Match- Diesel vs Shawn Michaels
They've been building towards this match since the summer of '94, so it made sense here. They put on a good match and the right guy won IMO.

Match To Settle The Score- Bret Hart vs Lex Luger
This match practically writes itself. They had history due to the '94 Rumble finish and for a time they were the top 2 baby faces in the company. This would be better than what they were actually involved in at this show.

Undertaker vs Bam Bam Bigelow
Taker was feuding with the Million Dollar Corporation and to my knowledge they never faced each other. Both are good big men and it would provide Taker with a better WM opponent than a washed up King Kong Bundy, and this saves Bam Bam from having to job to a celebrity. LT could still be involved with Bigelow but I'd have him as the special enforcer for the match.

WWF Tag Team Championship Match- The Smoking Gunns vs Owen Hart & Yokozuna
This stays as is.

Intercontinental Championship Match- Jeff Jarrett vs Razor Ramon
This stays as is.

Sycho Sid vs The 123 Kid
Sid had been away for a few years, so this could be a way to reestablish Sid as a monster. And peering him up with the Kid who is a guy that can bump around in the ring. Plus it gives the Kid a well deserved WM match.

British Bulldog vs Bob Backlund
After the Bulldog's showing in the '95 Rumble he deserved a better match than what he was actually involved in. And with the Bulldog's Hart family connection a feud between these two basically writes itself.

 

[Skyfall]

A more detailed version of my Wrestlemania XI card:

Wrestlemania XI

WWF championship: Diesel (c) vs. Shawn Michaels
Build Up: Diesel & Shawn split at Survivor Series '94. Like others have posted on here, Diesel wins the title from Owen Hart at the Rumble. Shawn wins Rumble match.
Result: Diesel pins Shawn after interference from Sycho Sid backfires. Earlier in the show, Sid had interrupted a Diesel interview challenging Diesel to a future title match if he happened to beat Shawn. Diesel responds to Sid by shoving him in the face almost causing a brawl. The next night on RAW Shawn confronts Sid for causing him to lose and never asked Sid to get involved. Sid attacks Shawn, power bombing him almost 3 times until Diesel makes the save.

Submission Match: Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart (with guest referee Rowdy Roddy Piper)
Build Up: This is the culmination in their year and a half feud. Owen defeated Bret for the WWF Title at Survivor Series '94 after The British Bulldog turned heel and helped Owen win the title. At the Rumble, Owen lost the title to Diesel after he was distracted long enough by Bret & The British Bulldog fighting at ringside. Bulldog was trying to interfere and Bret was trying to stop him. Of course Owens blames Bret for him losing the title.
Result: Bret defeated his brother decisively by submission with the sharpshooter. The British Bulldog accompanied Owen to ringside and Lex Luger showed up a few minutes later to even in the odds but both were eventually banned from ringside by Piper after they started fighting with each other.

The Undertaker (with Paul Bearer) vs. A Mystery Opponent (Yokozuna with Jim Cornette & Mr. Fuji)
Build Up: Ted DiBiase is frustrated with his almost year long feud with Taker. None of his minions can get the best of him so DiBiase makes a deal with Jim Cornette to bring in someone that can finally stop Taker. DiBiase challenges Taker to fight his mystery man at Wrestlemania. Of course Taker & Paul Bearer except. Yokzouna is revealed as the myster man!
Result: Undertaker finally pins Yokozuna in their on again off again feud.

Intercontinental Championship: Razor Ramon (c) (with The 1-2-3 Kid) vs. Sycho Sid (with Ted DiBiase)
Build Up: In Dibiase's search for more gold he decides to send Sid against Razor after Kama, IRS and Tatanka fail to win the belt.
Result: Late in the match Razor has Sid up for the Razors Edge but DiBiase is distracting the ref. The 1-2-3 Kid jumps in the ring and pulls Sid down out of the move. A confused Razor confronts The Kid only to be jumped by Sid, power bombed and pinned. New IC Champion! DiBiase, Sid and the newest member of the Million Dollar Corporation The 1-2-3 Kid all leave ringside celebrating as Razor is left in the ring with a look of shock on his face.

Lex Luger vs. The British Bulldog
Build Up: After the Bulldog turned heel and helped Owen win the title at Survivor Series both of them attacked Bret after the match until Luger made the save. At the Rumble, Luger, Bulldog & Shawn were the final 3. Luger eliminated Bulldog and then Shawn eliminated Luger to win the Rumble. After being eliminated by Luger an angry Bulldog distracted him so Shawn could sneak up and throw him out.
Result: The British Bulldog pins Lex Luger to continue his heel singles push.

Tag Team Championship: The Smokin' Gunns (c) vs. IRS & Tatanka (with Ted DiBiase)
Build Up: The Gunns won the titles from Bam Bam Bigelow & Tatanka. Bigelow was blamed for the title loss and the loss in the rematch. Bigelow finally snapped a quit The MDC and turned face. DiBiase still wanted the tag belts back so he replaced Bam Bam with his old Money Inc. buddy IRS.
Result: The Gunns retain against Tatanka & IRS after a Bigelow distraction.

Bam Bam Bigelow (with Lawrence Taylor) vs. King Kong Bundy (with Ted DiBiase)
Build Up: After being blamed for losing the tag titles to The Smokin' Gunns, Bigelow is fed up and quits The MDC. Bundy is picked to end the Bigelow problem. During an episode of RAW when Bigelow is jumped by Bundy and other members of the MDC. Lawrence Tayor is sitting at ringside watching this and can't take it. He leaps the guard rail and comes to Bam Bam's aid. This sets up LT being in his corner at Mania.
Result: Bigelow pins Bundy as LT fends of interference from DiBiase & The MDC.

The 1-2-3 Kid vs. Jeff Jarrett (with The Roadie)
Build Up: After getting the best of each other on RAW this small feud is finally settled at Mania.
Result: Jarrett pins The Kid. After the match a frustrated Kid throws a fit in the ring and on the way back to the locker room. Later on Kid confronts Razor Ramon in the locker room accusing him of not being there for him at ringside when The Roadie kept getting involved. Razor said he was concentrating on his IC title defense and apologizes for not being there for The Kid. They make up and The Kid says he will be in Razor's corner for his title defense.

 

[Loveless]

HBK vs Diesel was the only Wrestlemania worthy match on the card. If someone had stood back and looked at it properly (instead of focusing on Lawrence Taylor), a decent card was possible.

Anyway, well lets see

1-2-3 Kid Vs Backlund
It's not a hard sell. A youthful and inexperienced face against a crazy and dangerous old bastard.

JJ Vs Bigelow (for the IC belt)
Could be a very underrated match and Bigelow would have been a popular IC champ.

Owen and Yoko Vs Smoking Guns
No changes needed here. I loved Yoko and I miss "Mystery opponent" matches.

Taker Vs Sid (and an end to the Dibiase feud)
What else can you do? Sid would have provided a better match than Bundy did.

Lex Vs Bulldog
They were a tag-team, it's easy to sell USA Vs UK and it would have been a good matchup. God knows it couldn't have been worse that what actually happened.

Razor Vs Hart
It would undeniably be a good match but the question of how you set up face vs face is a poser.

HBK Vs Diesel (for the WWF title)
This had been built for quite some time with HBK repeatedly SCM'ing Diesel by "accident". It's the natural show closer doesn't need changing.


Now I don't know about you but I actually like the look of this card, I don't think there's a weak match on there.

 

[klunderbunker]

You know, this main event wasn't all that bad. Yeah it's questionable to have a football player in the main event of Wrestlemania, but all things considered he didn't do too badly at all. Bigelow did what he could with Taylor and Lawrence wasn't that bad either. It's definitely a weak show overall, but it was a very dark time for the company in general. Still though, it's watchable which is all you can ask for out of a main evnet like that.