WrestleMania Countdown: WrestleMania X

With WrestleMania 29 coming to East Rutherford, N.J. on April 7, WrestleNewz will be counting down and ranking all the WrestleManias of yore. Remember when Mr. T had a boxing match with Rowdy Roddy Piper? Remember when Hulk Hogan took on Randy “Macho Man” Savage while Elizabeth looked on? We do. So it’s time for a stroll down memory lane.  Event: WrestleMania X Location: Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York Date: March 20, 1994 Attendance: 18,065 Summary: On March 20, 1994, the WWF held WrestleMania X at Madison Square Garden to a crowd of 18,065 people. The event started off the resurgence of the WWF after a downturn in the early nineties. The previous WrestleMania was one of the worst ever. WrestleMania X proved to be an innovative and successful event. The event featured several wrestlers who would go on to carry the WWF to its greatest heights in the Attitude Era. The very first ladder match occurred at WrestleMania X. Highlights: Several months before the event, the “Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels was stripped of his intercontinental title. Razor Ramon ended up winning the belt after the Royal Rumble earlier in the year. However, both wrestlers held physical belts. In a revolutionary marketing effort, Vince McMahon decided to put both those belts up for grabs, literally, in a ladder match. The belts were hung over the ring and a ladder was placed in the middle of the ring. Razor Ramon was able to scale the ladder first and grabbed the intercontinental title. Bret and Owen Hart also took to the mat in a brother vs. brother grudge match. In a surprise finish, Owen actually took the bout even though it was widely considered that Bret would be victorious. With a strong promotional push, this opening bout was incredibly strong. This set the stage for a good night of matches. Lowlights: Howard Finkel wore an ugly hairpiece from Hair Club for Men. The tag team title bout between Men of a Mission and the Champion Quebecers was uninspired. The Quebecers won by count out in a forgettable match. Greatest Moment: The entire bout between Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon was a bout for the ages. Not only did it have an innovative format, but also the two seasoned wrestlers put on a solid show for the fans. The format worked incredibly well and has been used consistently ever since. What Was Accomplished: The WWF finally put on a strong event after a few consecutive years of bad WrestleManias. This was finally the first WrestleMania that did not feature Hulk Hogan. It was also the last to feature Randy Savage. Ranking: 18th. It was a much needed bounce-back by the WWF. Compared to WrestleMania IX it was a masterpiece. Do you remember WrestleMania X? What did you think of it?