This period wasn't so much a creative nadir as an "oil change" of talent, much as they did in 1987-1988. A lot of guys who appeared at Mania 6 were either on the way out like Koko, Zukhov, Dusty Rhodes and they had lost Rick Rude as well which was a big mistake on Vince's part. Some like Greg Valentine and Dino Bravo didn't make one more year either.
Around this time WWE debuted a lot of talent, The Mountie, The Undertaker, The Berzerker, Dustin Rhodes and Shane Douglas. I think they could have made good use of nearly all of them on this show.
The Battle Of Survival was a great wrinkle that should have stayed past one year.
I'm "taking control from Summerslam" and this is my card...
The Warriors vs The Heenan Family/Rude's Brood
The Ultimate Warrior, Kerry Von Erich & The Legion Of Doom vs WWF Champion Rick Rude (he won it in the cage at Summerslam) Mr. Perfect, Demolition Smash & Crush (Ax & Bobby Heenan at Ringside)
Hulk Hogan is on guest commentary for the match and can't help but get involved when Rick Rude gets in his face, Hogan inadvertently costing Warrior a DQ loss which allows Rude to get the final pinfall over Kerry with a roll-up/pull of the tights. Sole Survivor - WWF Champion Rick Rude.
The Mercenaries vs The Alliance
The Alliance Team basically remains as is - Slaughter, Zhukov & Orient Express vs Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Shane Douglas & The Bushwhackers.
Instead of Tito's shock survival here we get the "cinderella story" of Shane Douglas, he stuns Slaughter after Duggan is DQ'd for using the 2x4 on him to be the Sole Survivor.
The Dream Team vs The Million Dollar Team
Dusty Rhodes, Dustin Rhodes, The Hart Foundation vs Ted DiBiase, The Undertaker & Rhythm & Blues
Dustin takes the place of Koko here, and falls victim to the first Tombstone, which sets up the Dusty/Taker brawl to the back. Otherwise the match goes exactly as it did - Bret getting a star making performance and the near win, only for DiBiase to snatch it from him. The Undertaker survives along with DiBiase.
Hulkamaniacs vs The Natural Disasters
Hulk Hogan, IC Champion The British Bulldog, Big Bossman & Tugboat vs Earthquake, Dino Bravo, The Barbarian & The Berserker/John Nord
Davey Boy Smith starts off strong, taking out both Barbarian & Bravo before The Mountie gets an upset win over big Bossman. Hogan takes out John Nord and The Mountie... With Hogan and Co. headed for a dominant victory, Tugboat suddenly turns, levelling Hogan from behind! Hogan rolls out of the ring leaving Davey at the mercy of the new Disasters tag team... The Warrior runs down to ringside to even up the score and levels both with trademark clotheslines, allowing Davey to avoid a loss before Hogan resurfaces and hulks up... hot tag and pinfall... but he then notices Warrior (Hogan has no idea Tugboat turned...as he didn't see the attack), Hogan assumes Warrior was the one to take him out and the two argue with Davey in the middle trying to seperate them... when the ref backs up what happened, the two share a tentative handshake, but you can tell there is major tension. Hogan & Smith survive.
The Visonaries vs The Vipers
Rick Martel, The Warlord & Power & Glory vs Jake Roberts, The Rockers & Tito Santana
No cleansweep here, the final is currently 3 on 3 and Shawn and Marty manage to take out Herc and Roma early with the Rocker Dropper, only for the Warlord to take them both out in a power display... Tito hits a flying forearm out of nowhere after Shawn's elimination, knocking Warlord into Martel and off the apron, shades of Wrestlemania V and the start of their feud... Martel is livid and allows Warlord to be counted out, disgusted at his "clumsiness", much as he was with Tito. Jake is next eliminated with his one eye, leaving the "final showdown" (that we never actually got) between Martel and Santana, which Rick takes with the Boston Crab when Tito "loses consciousness". Sole Survivor - Rick Martel.
Final Battle
Hulk Hogan, IC Champion Davey Boy Smith & Shane Douglas vs WWF Champion Rick Rude, Ted DiBiase, The Undertaker, The Model Rick Martel.
This is a shocking turn of events - a 3 on 4 main event puts the 3 faces in major jeopardy, especially with Bobby Heenan also at ringside. The special guest referee for this match is.... Macho Man Randy Savage
Shane Douglas starts a house afire and comes close to an upset on Ted DiBiase before the Undertaker makes the save and stalls his momentum. Rick Rude tags in and continues the onslaught, cutting the ring off. Douglas finally manages to tag Hogan, only for Rude to tag out, thwarting us seeing them face off. Smith gets a pinfall on Martel, Taker is DQ'd when he refuses to release a choke on Hogan and Rude gets a pinfall over Shane.
We're at 2-2 after 20 minutes when Davey Boy uses the same move Bret tried on DiBiase earlier in the night, this time however, he is ready for the counter and rolls through to snare DiBiase, only to fall to a Rude Awakening as he is totally spent.
It's finally down to Hogan and the Champ... it seems that a repeat of Mania V is on the cards with Heenan grabs Hogan's legs but this causes a hulk up. Heenan distracts Savage long enough for Rude to duck the big boot and level Hogan with the belt, busting him open. Rude scores a massive pinfall over the Hulkster in their first proper encounter and taunts Hogan after the bell... this is the first real "heels win" PPV WWE has ever produced... The faces get a measure of revenge when Randy Savage gets in Rude's face to stop the taunting.
This might all seem a little "complex" but the idea is that several arcs then follow on into the Rumble and Mania. Hogan V Warrior 2 is bound to happen, but both are legit contenders for the title as well - Randy Savage being involved also gives an earlier (and better) route back in for him. My actual booking for WM7 would have been similar to how 10 turned out with with 2 title matches - Rude v Savage and then against the winner of Hogan and Warrior. Personally I'd have gone with Savage stunning Rude and walking out with the belt that night after avenging his defeat to Warrior - setting up a full blown Warrior heel turn.
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