WrestleMania VII Main Event

[Poop Master Flex]

Slaughter was a villain that people legitimately hated. I don't know if any of the stories are true such as a disgruntled patriot threatening to kill Slaughter, his family, Vince and blow up Titan Tower or the fact they moved WM7 from the Colosseum because of worries someone will try and kill Slaughter but in any event the guy had mad heat, the likes I've seen very few wrestlers get.

Warrior vs. Savage was the match everyone remembers and rightfully so but at the same time Hogan/Slaughter going on last went with the buildup of the event and the symbolism of the American defeating the Iraqi sympathizer. Warrior vs. Savage would have been a fine main event, it certainly had enough emotion to warrant such a spot but it makes perfect sense that it ended with Mr. America himself standing tall. Also it would be a little weird in 91 for Hogan to have a WWF title match in the middle of the card.

 

[Owen 3:16 says I just stole your Slammy!!]

I have no actual problem with the match being booked, or how it played out in the ring. My only issue with the match was where it was on the card. I think that Warrior-Savage should have closed the show.

The Warrior and Savage match was bigger then one match or the title, it was billed as the final fight in their war. Savage had cost Warrior the title, which gave it that deeply personal edge. With the stipulation of career vs. career, it was a truly unique event between two major stars. I feel those factors outweigh what was essentially another Hogan overcomes evil storyline. I don't mean that as a shot either, more so that it was something that was already presented multiple times.

Hindsight does strenghten my argument when you factor in overall match quality, but you would likely need a slightly stronger finish. I love that match. I love the idea of putting over Warrior as strong as they did. I just don't feel that Savage crawling into the ring was a truly appropriate finish. That would be even more pressing if this closed the show.

I think Slaughter/Hogan was a great match. But, I agree with you about Savage/Warrior should of finish the show. They had a great feud, and this would be the perfect way to end the feud. I think if it was the main event, it would of been a great moment, it would end Macho's career, but he would see the light at the end of the tunnel and reunite with Elizabeth. Wrestling's best couple reunites at the biggest event. That would of been a great ending to the event.

 

[JoeyJoeJoe]

I think the fact that they moved the event from the L.A. Coliseum to the L.A. Sports Arena spoke volumes.

You don't move an event from a location with a potential capacity of 90,000+ people to one that holds about 17,000.

You just don't...unless your event is a complete dog.

Now, I don't think Hogan and Slaughter was bad. I think they made the best of it. It had a good build, and both guys sold it well. I think the problem is that this was a Summer Slam worthy feud, not a WrestleMania worthy feud.

My opinion:

1) McMahon realized the Warrior wasn't nearly the draw that he was before he got the World Title. Whether it was poor booking of Warrior, or the guy's own incompetence and inability to work with guys, Warrior's title run was a complete dud. McMahon was banking on a rematch between Hogan and Warrior to draw a crowd akin to Hogan and Andre in 1987, and he realized that wasn't going to happen.

2) McMahon thought that he could get more relevancy for his main event feud by tying Slaughter to Iraq, and using Desert Storm as the backdrop for a match between Hogan and Slaughter, and that this would draw better than Hogan and Warrior. I think that too speaks volumes about how far McMahon's opinion of Warrior had fallen over the course of a year. Obviously, at some point, McMahon realized that he wasn't going to get the draw necessary to make fill the Coliseum and moved the venue.

In the end, the actual PPV was fine. The main event was entertaining, but a foregone conclusion. Savage sold like hell to the Warrior and helped make the match of the night. The expectations coming into WrestleMania 7 were just far too high, and predicated entirely upon the continuing popularity of the Ultimate Warrior.

 

[berlinbrawler]

I never had a problem with Hogan vs Slaughter headlining the event.
I mean, it wasn't perfect by any stretch - No Hogan match was ever perfect because he was a terrible wrestler. And the Slaughter/Iraqi sympathizer thing seemed a bit forced and Slaughter had not been relevant in the WWF for years, yet suddenly he had a main event push due to a controversial storyline. (*cough* Jack Swagger *cough*) But it worked in this instance. Business was declining for the WWF and they needed

Hindsight is 20/20 and it's easy to say NOW that Ultimate Warrior vs Randy Savage should have been the last match that night. By far the best match of Warrior's career and a very emotional affair it was.

Would Hogan/Warrior II for the title have been a better idea? Probably not. Warrior as champion was already deemed a failure and it was a minor miracle that their first match was actually GOOD. It's unlikely that lightning would have struck a second time. It would never have been as good as the first