WrestleMania X was the 10th annual

WrestleMania WrestleMania is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event held annually between mid-March and mid-April by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Since premiering in 1985, 37 editions followed, ...

professional wrestling Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...

pay-per-view Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast. Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program g ...

(PPV) event produced by the

World Wrestling Federation World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and va ...

(WWF, now WWE). It took place on March 20, 1994, at

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsyl ...

New York, New York New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

. The central focus of the pay-per-view was the

WWF Championship The WWE Championship is a world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, representing the Raw brand division. It is one of two world titles on WWE's main roster, alongside SmackDow ...

, which was defended in two matches. Due to both

Lex Luger Lawrence Wendell Pfohl (born June 2, 1958), better known by the ring name Lex Luger, is an American retired professional wrestler, bodybuilder, and football player. In 2011 he began working with WWE on its wellness policy. He is best known for ...

and

Bret Hart Bret Hart (born July 2, 1957) is a Canadian-American retired professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE under a legend's contract. A member of the Hart wrestling family and a second-generation wrestler, he has an amateur wrestling back ...

being named the co-winners of the 1994 Royal Rumble match, both challenged champion Yokozuna. Luger was first but was disqualified for pushing the

referee A referee is an official, in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection. The official tasked with this job may be known by a variety of other tit ...

. Hart then faced Yokozuna later in the evening and won the championship by pinning Yokozuna. This led to a lengthy worked

feud A feud , referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, or private war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially families or clans. Feuds begin because one pa ...

between Bret and his brother Owen, who had defeated Bret in the opening match of the pay-per-view. Several other major feuds were also highlighted at this event. Razor Ramon defeated

Shawn Michaels Michael Shawn Hickenbottom (born July 22, 1965), better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE as Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative. Widely regarded as one ...

in a Ladder match to resolve an

angle In Euclidean geometry, an angle is the figure formed by two rays, called the '' sides'' of the angle, sharing a common endpoint, called the '' vertex'' of the angle. Angles formed by two rays lie in the plane that contains the rays. Angles ...

in which the two had argued over the rightful holder of the WWF Intercontinental Championship.

Bam Bam Bigelow Scott Charles Bigelow (September 1, 1961 – January 19, 2007) was an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Bam Bam Bigelow. Recognizable by his close to 400-pound frame and the distinctive flame tattoo that spanned mos ...

gained revenge against Doink the Clown, with whom he had been feuding, by teaming with Luna Vachon to defeat Doink and his partner Dink. Randy Savage also settled his feud with Crush by defeating him in a

Falls Count Anywhere match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...

. WrestleMania X was the first edition of the event not to include

Hulk Hogan Terry Eugene Bollea (; born August 11, 1953), better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American retired professional wrestler. He is widely regarded as the most recognized wrestling star worldwide and the most popular wrestler of the 1 ...

, who had been seen as the public face of the WWF; following Hogan's 1993 departure, that role had shifted to Bret Hart. The card also marked Randy Savage's last televised match for the company.

Production

Background

is considered the

's (WWF, now WWE) flagship

(PPV) event, having first been held in

1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...

. It is held annually between mid-March to mid-April. It was the first of the WWF's original four pay-per-views, which includes

Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after the Royal Rumble match, a modified battle r ...

, SummerSlam, and Survivor Series, which were dubbed the "Big Four", and one of the "Big Five", along with King of the Ring that was established in 1993. WrestleMania X was scheduled to be held on March 20, 1994, at

, the same venue of the first WrestleMania.

Storylines

The storyline surrounding the

began at the

1994 Royal Rumble The 1994 Royal Rumble was the seventh annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It took place on January 22, 1994, at the Providence Civic Center in Providence, ...

when the final two wrestlers,

and

, simultaneously eliminated each other. After a disagreement between two referees, Jack Tunney, the WWF President, declared Luger and Hart co-winners. Tunney announced that both wrestlers would get a WWF Championship match at WrestleMania, the prize given to the winner of the Royal Rumble match, and both wrestlers would have to wrestle two matches for the pay-per-view. Tunney announced that a

coin toss A coin is a small, flat (usually depending on the country or value), round piece of metal or plastic used primarily as a medium of exchange or legal tender. They are standardized in weight, and produced in large quantities at a mint in order t ...

would be used to decide who faced Yokozuna for the belt first. If Luger won, he would face Yokozuna first. Hart would then wrestle his brother Owen Hart before facing the winner of the Luger-Yokozuna match. If Hart won the coin toss, he would get the first title shot, and Luger would wrestle Crush earlier on the card. On the January 31, 1994 episode of '' Monday Night Raw'', Luger won the coin toss and the right to face Yokozuna first. Bret Hart was booked to face his brother Owen, with whom he was in the middle of a

. The storyline between the Hart brothers began at Survivor Series 1993, where they were competing on the same side of an elimination match. As Owen was fighting in the ring, Bret, who had sustained a

kayfabe In professional wrestling, kayfabe, as a noun, is the portrayal of staged events within the industry as "real" or "true", specifically the portrayal of competition, rivalries, and relationships between participants as being genuine and not staged. ...

injury, was staggering along the ring apron. Owen ran into Bret, causing Owen to lose his focus and get eliminated from the match. After the match, Owen returned to the ring and had a confrontation with Bret. In the following weeks, Owen demanded a match with Bret, but Bret refused to accept the challenge. Eventually, the storyline had the brothers reunite to face The Quebecers at Royal Rumble 1994. During the match, Bret sustained another kayfabe injury, causing the referee to end the match. In a planned

turn Turn may refer to: Arts and entertainment Dance and sports * Turn (dance and gymnastics), rotation of the body * Turn (swimming), reversing direction at the end of a pool * Turn (professional wrestling), a transition between face and heel * Turn, ...

, Owen got upset by the loss and attacked Bret to restart the feud. Luger's feud with Yokozuna began on July 4, 1993, at the Yokozuna Bodyslam Challenge. In June, Mr. Fuji, Yokozuna's

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities ...

, challenged all American athletes to attempt to bodyslam Yokozuna on the deck of the . After several athletes failed, the storyline saw Luger arrive by helicopter and successfully bodyslam Yokozuna. This began a strong

push Push may refer to: Music * Mike Dierickx (born 1973), a Belgian producer also known as Push Albums * ''Push'' (Bros album), 1988 * ''Push'' (Gruntruck album), 1992 * ''Push'' (Jacky Terrasson album), 2010 Songs * "Push" (Enrique Iglesias ...

for Luger, who was then scheduled to challenge Yokozuna for the WWF Championship at SummerSlam 1993. Luger won the match by countout but did not win the title. The WWF claimed that the match stipulations did not allow Luger a rematch. The storyline saw Luger campaigning for entry into the 1994 Royal Rumble, as he wanted the title shot that would be given to the winner. Luger was eventually entered into the match, although The Great Kabuki and

Genichiro Tenryu , better known as is a retired Japanese professional wrestler and professional wrestling promoter. At age 13, he entered sumo wrestling and stayed there for 13 years, after which he turned to Western-style professional wrestling. "Tenryu" was h ...

were also entered, on Mr. Fuji's behalf, to attempt to prevent Luger from winning. Kabuki and Tenryu were unsuccessful, however, as Luger won the match and gained a match for the WWF Championship. The storyline leading to the match between

"Macho Man" Randy Savage Randall Mario Poffo (November 15, 1952 – May 20, 2011), better known by his ring name "Macho Man" Randy Savage, was an American professional wrestler best known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and World Championship Wrestl ...

and Crush focused on the supposedly strained friendship between the two wrestlers. On the July 12, 1993, episode of ''Monday Night Raw'', Crush challenged Yokozuna for the WWF Championship. At the end of the match, Yokozuna performed the Banzai Drop to win the match. After the match, he performed three more Banzai Drops while various wrestlers ran to the ring to stop the attack. Savage eventually came to the ring to help Crush. Following the match, Crush was not seen on televised matches for several months, although he continued to appear at

house show A house show or live event is a professional wrestling event produced by a major promotion that is not televised, though they can be recorded. Promotions use house shows mainly to cash in on the exposure that they and their wrestlers receive d ...

s. On October 18, Crush appeared on ''Monday Night Raw'' accompanied by Yokozuna and Yokozuna's manager, Mr. Fuji. Crush criticized Savage for not intervening sooner during the July 12 match. In a worked promo, Crush announced that he had turned against Savage and the United States in order to align himself with Yokozuna and Fuji. He then attacked Savage by dropping him on the ringside guard rail. Yokozuna performed the Banzai Drop on Savage before a group of referees came to the ring to break up the fight. During the November 8, 1993 episode of ''Monday Night Raw'', Savage left his position as commentator to attack Crush. The following week, Jack Tunney announced that Savage was suspended from commentating as a result of the previous week's attack. The feud intensified at Survivor Series 1993 when Savage and Crush caused each other to be eliminated from their respective matches.

and Doink the Clown was engaged in a feud that began in the fall of 1993. Doink annoyed Bigelow with a series of pranks, such as throwing water and confetti on him and tripping him with a broom. Bigelow retaliated against Doink and Doink's

midget Midget (from ''midge'', a tiny biting insect) is a term for a person of unusually short stature that is considered by some to be pejorative due to its etymology. While not a medical term like "dwarfism", a medical condition with a number of c ...

sidekick Dink. A match was booked for Survivor Series 1993, but Bigelow was unable to get revenge because Doink did not compete. Instead, the WWF prolonged the feud by having Bigelow's team face The Bushwhackers and Men on a Mission dressed as Doinks. The feud eventually culminated in a match scheduled for WrestleMania X. In the match, Bigelow and his storyline girlfriend Luna Vachon competed against Doink and Dink in a Mixed tag team match. The feud between Razor Ramon and Shawn Michaels also dated back to the fall of 1993. Jack Tunney announced that he was stripping Michaels of the WWF Intercontinental Championship for not defending the title often enough. There have been reports that the real reason for vacating the title was because Michaels refused to

drop Drop, DROP, drops or DROPS may refer to: * Drop (liquid) or droplet, a small volume of liquid ** Eye drops, saline (sometimes mydriatic) drops used as medication for the eyes * Drop (unit), a unit of measure of volume * Falling (physics), allowi ...

the belt. Ramon won the title after competing in a battle royal and defeating Rick Martel, the other finalist in the match. In the angle, Michaels refused to acknowledge the title change, however, as he insisted that he was the true Intercontinental Champion. To gain revenge against Ramon for taking the belt, Michaels attacked Ramon and helped

Irwin R. Schyster Lawrence Michael Rotunda (born March 30, 1958) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling in the 1980s and 1990s under the ring names Mik ...

to steal Ramon's gold chains.

Event

In a dark match before the pay-per-view aired, The Heavenly Bodies faced The Bushwhackers. Near the end of the match, The Bushwhackers gained control when they performed the

Battering Ram A battering ram is a siege engine that originated in ancient times and was designed to break open the masonry walls of fortifications or splinter their wooden gates. In its simplest form, a battering ram is just a large, heavy log carried ...

on Jimmy Del Ray. Tom Prichard, Del Ray's partner, attacked Bushwhacker Butch before he was able to pin Del Ray. This allowed Del Ray to recover and pin Butch to win the match. As the broadcast began,

Vince McMahon Vincent Kennedy McMahon (; born August 24, 1945) is an American media proprietor and retired professional wrestling promoter, executive, and performer. From 1982 to 2022, he served as the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of WWE, the ...

and

Jerry Lawler Jerry O'Neil Lawler (born November 29, 1949), better known as Jerry "The King" Lawler, is an American color commentator and professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, although he has not performed as a full-time commentator since Ap ...

were introduced as commentators for the event and

Little Richard Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the " ...

sang "

America the Beautiful "America the Beautiful" is a patriotic American song. Its lyrics were written by Katharine Lee Bates and its music was composed by church organist and choirmaster Samuel A. Ward at Grace Episcopal Church in Newark, New Jersey. The two never ...

". The first televised match was between Bret and Owen Hart. The beginning of the match went back and forth with neither wrestler gaining a strong advantage. The tension between the two was demonstrated by Owen's bragging and Bret's refusal to let Owen leave the ring. Owen eventually gained momentum by using a camel clutch on Bret and performing

suplex A suplex is an offensive move used in sport wrestling as well as amateur wrestling and professional wrestling. It is a throw that involves lifting the opponents and bridging or rolling to slam them on their backs. Professional wrestling featu ...

es and a Tombstone piledriver. When Owen stood outside the ring to recuperate, Bret jumped over the top rope to attack him. Bret landed awkwardly, however, and suffered a kayfabe injury to his knee. Owen used a figure four leglock to capitalize on Bret's sore leg. Bret was able to recover, and he kicked Owen in the back of the head and used a

Bulldog The Bulldog is a British breed of dog of mastiff type. It may also be known as the English Bulldog or British Bulldog. It is of medium size, a muscular, hefty dog with a wrinkled face and a distinctive pushed-in nose.sleeper hold to weaken Owen. Owen regained the advantage, however, and applied the

Sharpshooter A sharpshooter is one who is highly proficient at firing firearms or other projectile weapons accurately. Military units composed of sharpshooters were important factors in 19th-century combat. Along with " marksman" and "expert", "sharpshooter" ...

on Bret. Bret was able to escape and perform a Sharpshooter on Owen. Bret then attempted to end the match with a victory roll, but Owen blocked it and pinned Bret to win the match. Sy Sperling, the president of hair restoration company Hair Club for Men, appeared in the ring before the next match. He announced that he was at WrestleMania to introduce one of his latest clients,

ring announcer A ring announcer is an in-ring (and sometimes on-camera) employee or contractor for a boxing, professional wrestling or mixed martial arts event or promotion, who introduces the competitors to the audience. In boxing and mixed martial arts bouts, ...

Howard Finkel. Finkel came to the ring wearing a

toupée A toupée ( ) is a hairpiece or partial wig of natural or synthetic hair worn to cover partial baldness or for theatrical purposes. While toupées and hairpieces are typically associated with male wearers, some women also use hairpieces to le ...

, showing off his new hair while the crowd applauded. The match then began, as

and Luna Vachon came to the ring to face Doink the Clown and Dink. Bigelow attacked Doink at the beginning of the match with a dropkick and a powerslam. When Dink entered the match, the rules stated that Bigelow had to tag Vachon into the match. Dink ran around the ring avoiding Vachon, but she eventually caught him. She kicked him and powerslammed him, but she then missed a moonsault attempt. Doink and Bigelow re-entered the match, and Doink performed a DDT on Bigelow. Bigelow reversed the momentum to win the match after a

diving headbutt Aerial techniques, also known as "high-flying moves" are maneuvers in professional wrestling using the ring's posts and ropes as aids, in many cases to demonstrate the speed and agility of smaller, nimble and acrobatically inclined wrestlers prefer ...

on Doink. Bigelow pinned Doink to win the match, and he and Vachon then attacked Dink. The next match was a

between Randy Savage and Crush. The rules stated that any time a wrestler was pinned, he then had to make it back inside the ring within sixty seconds or he would lose the match. Savage tried to attack Crush before the bell rang, but Crush reversed the attack. He used a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker to injure Savage and then dropped Savage across the guard rail to get the first pinfall. While Savage was returning to the ring, Mr. Fuji hit him with the Japanese flag to stall him. Savage made it back to the ring with two seconds remaining, so the match continued. Inside the ring, Crush tried to throw salt in Savage's eyes, but Savage countered by throwing the salt in Crush's eyes. Savage then performed a diving elbow drop and rolled Crush outside of the ring for the pinfall. Fuji helped revive Crush, which allowed Crush to return to the ring before the count had expired. Savage and Crush then brawled down the aisle and into a room backstage. Savage scored a pinfall and tied Crush's legs to a pulley. Crush was left hanging upside down and could not return to the ring, so Savage was declared the winner. Alundra Blayze defended her WWF Women's Championship against Leilani Kai in the next match. Blayze began the match by using a leg sweep and two

sunset flip In wrestling, a pin is achieved by holding an opponent's shoulders to the mat for a three count. Pinfall is the term used in professional wrestling which is a way to win the match for that person or team. Background A pinfall is a victory condi ...

s. Kai came back with a powerslam and a suplex. Blayze got the win, however, by pinning Kai after performing a German suplex. In the next match, Men on a Mission challenged The Quebecers for the WWF Tag Team Championship. Although The Quebecers attacked Men on a Mission before the bell, Mabel quickly recovered and clotheslined both Quebecers. The Quebecers used several double-team moves against their opponents, but Mabel reversed the momentum after

Pierre Pierre is a masculine given name. It is a French form of the name Peter. Pierre originally meant "rock" or "stone" in French (derived from the Greek word πέτρος (''petros'') meaning "stone, rock", via Latin "petra"). It is a translation ...

missed a senton bomb. Mabel eventually missed an

Avalanche An avalanche is a rapid flow of snow down a slope, such as a hill or mountain. Avalanches can be set off spontaneously, by such factors as increased precipitation or snowpack weakening, or by external means such as humans, animals, and ear ...

, allowing The Quebecers to suplex him. The Quebecers performed an assisted senton on Mabel but did not get a pinfall. Men on a Mission regained the advantage, prompting The Quebecers' manager, Johnny Polo, to pull his wrestlers out of the ring. Men on a Mission won the match by countout, but they did not win the belts. The first WWF Championship match came next, as

challenged Yokozuna. Mr. Perfect was revealed to be the

guest referee In professional wrestling, a referee is an authority figure present in or near the ring during matches. The referee's purpose is similar to that of referees in combat sports such as boxing or mixed martial arts, that is, as an arbiter of the ru ...

for the match, while

Donnie Wahlberg Donald Edmond Wahlberg Jr. (born August 17, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, actor, record producer, and film producer. He is a founding member of the boy band New Kids on the Block. Outside music, he has had roles in the ''Saw' ...

was the guest ring announcer and Rhonda Shear was the guest timekeeper. After a verbal confrontation between Luger and Yokozuna, Luger gained the early advantage by knocking Yokozuna out of the ring. After getting back into the ring, Yokozuna removed the

turnbuckle A turnbuckle, stretching screw or bottlescrew is a device for adjusting the tension or length of ropes, cables, tie rods, and other tensioning systems. It normally consists of two threaded eye bolts, one screwed into each end of a small meta ...

padding from a corner of the ring. Yokozuna used a nerve hold and a belly to belly suplex to wear down Luger. As he tried to throw Luger's head into the exposed turnbuckle, however, Luger blocked him and hit Yokozuna's head into the turnbuckle. Luger then performed clotheslines and a powerslam on Yokozuna before knocking Yokozuna kayfabe unconscious with a running forearm smash. Yokozuna's managers, Mr. Fuji and

Jim Cornette James Mark "Jim" Cornette (born September 17, 1961) is an American author and podcaster who has previously worked in the professional wrestling industry as an agent, booker, color commentator, manager, promoter, trainer, and occasional prof ...

jumped onto the ring apron to distract Luger, and Luger pulled them into the ring and attacked them. Luger covered Yokozuna, but Mr. Perfect was tending to the fallen managers and did not make the count. When Luger pushed him, Mr. Perfect disqualified Luger and left the ring, thereby

turning Turning is a machining process in which a cutting tool, typically a non-rotary tool bit, describes a helix toolpath by moving more or less linearly while the workpiece rotates. Usually the term "turning" is reserved for the generation ...

heel.

Adam Bomb Adam Bomb (born Adam Brenner, 14 August 1963) is an American guitarist who worked with artists like TKO, Black 'N Blue, Steel Pulse, John Paul Jones, and Michael Monroe. His stage name is a play on the name Atom Bomb. Early In 1979, Adam Bo ...

and his manager

Harvey Wippleman Bruno Lauer (born October 27, 1965) is an American professional wrestling manager, referee, and occasional wrestler, better known by his ring names, Harvey Wippleman and Downtown Bruno. Wippleman began his career working in professional wrestli ...

entered the ring for the next match, and Wippleman criticized Finkel's new hair and tore the pocket off Finkel's suit.

Earthquake An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from ...

came to the ring and attacked Bomb from behind. He powerslammed Bomb and performed the

Earthquake splash Strikes are offensive moves in professional wrestling, that can sometimes be used to set up an opponent for a hold or for a throw. There are a wide variety of strikes in pro wrestling, and many are known by several different names. Professional wre ...

to get the pinfall victory in thirty-five seconds. For the Ladder match, the Intercontinental belts belonging to Razor Ramon and

were both hanging above the ring, and the first wrestler to use the ladder to reach both belts would be declared the winner. Ramon began the match by chokeslamming Michaels. Michaels recovered, however, and performed a neckbreaker on Ramon. Michaels then threw Ramon out to the ringside, where Michaels' bodyguard Diesel clotheslined Ramon. Referee Earl Hebner responded by ordering Diesel to return to the dressing rooms. Ramon pulled up the padding from the concrete floor, but he was later thrown onto it after Michaels reversed Ramon's attempt to perform the Razor's Edge. While Ramon was lying on the floor, Michaels brought the ladder to the ring and used it to hit Ramon in the stomach, chest, and back. Michaels tried to retrieve the belts, but Ramon stopped him from climbing the ladder. Michaels then set the ladder up in the corner of the ring and performed a splash onto Ramon. Ramon recovered and Irish whipped Michaels into the ladder. He then hit Michaels with the ladder several times before both men tried to climb up to get the belts. Ramon suplexed Michaels off the ladder and tried to reach the belts. Michaels dropkicked the ladder, which caused Ramon to fall off. Michaels performed a superkick and a piledriver on Ramon and then propped the ladder up in the corner of the ring. Michaels climbed the turnbuckles, jumped onto the ladder, and used his weight to push it down across Ramon's chest. Michaels tried to retrieve the belts again, but Ramon pushed him off. Michaels fell into the ropes and got tangled up, allowing Ramon to get the belts and win the undisputed Intercontinental Championship. A ten-man tag team match was supposed to take place next, but it was canceled due to time constraints. The kayfabe reason given was that the heel team (

, The Headshrinkers, Rick Martel and

Jeff Jarrett Jeffrey Leonard Jarrett (born July 14, 1967) is an American professional wrestler and promoter. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he also serves as Director of Business Development. Beginning his career in his father ...

) could not agree on who would be the team's captain for the match. Their opponents were scheduled to be the

face The face is the front of an animal's head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may aff ...

team of the 1–2–3 Kid, Sparky Plugg, Tatanka and The Smoking Gunns. Bob Holly ("Sparky Plugg"), stated in his 2013 autobiography ''The Hardcore Truth'' that the timekeeper backstage repeatedly told the referee over his earpiece to end the ladder match, but Michaels and Ramon ignored him and kept wrestling until officials were forced to cancel the tag team match. The final match of the night and main event was the WWF Championship match between Yokozuna and Bret Hart. The guest referee for the match was

"Rowdy" Roddy Piper Roderick George Toombs (April 17, 1954 – July 31, 2015), better known as "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, was a Canadian professional wrestler, amateur wrestler, and actor. In professional wrestling, Piper was best known to international audiences for hi ...

, while the guest ring announcer was

Burt Reynolds Burton Leon Reynolds Jr. (February 11, 1936 – September 6, 2018) was an American actor, considered a sex symbol and icon of 1970s American popular culture. Reynolds first rose to prominence when he starred in television series such as '' ...

and the guest timekeeper was

Jennie Garth Jennifer Eve Garth (born April 3, 1972) is an American actress. She is known for starring as Kelly Taylor throughout the ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' franchise and Val Tyler on the sitcom '' What I Like About You'' (2002–06). In 2012, she starre ...

. Yokozuna attacked Hart before the bell, and Hart attempted a couple of comebacks in vain. Eventually, Yokozuna made a mistake and allowed Hart to knock him to the mat. Cornette tried to distract Piper, but Piper punched him and knocked him off the ring apron. Yokozuna performed a leg drop on Hart but then missed an Avalanche attempt. Bret maintained the advantage for a little while, but Yokozuna came back with a belly to belly suplex. When Yokozuna attempted the Banzai drop, however, he lost his balance and fell to the mat. Hart quickly pinned Yokozuna to win the title. This match also marked the first time in WWF (Now WWE) history that two wrestlers faced each other in a WWF World Title match at two consecutive WrestleManias. Afterwards, Bret Hart celebrated in the ring with several of the face wrestlers including

, Razor Ramon, Tatanka, The 1–2–3 Kid, Sparky Plugg and

. Others who joined in the celebration included

, Rhonda Shear,

, and WWF commentators

Gorilla Monsoon Robert James Marella (June 4, 1937 – October 6, 1999), better known by his ring name of Gorilla Monsoon, was an American professional wrestler, play-by-play commentator, and booker. Monsoon is famous for his run as a villainous super-heavyw ...

and

. Owen Hart stood in the aisle, glaring at Bret, then quickly left, the brothers would continue their feud for the remainder of 1994, with the WWF Championship often on the line.

Reception

The event was attended by 18,065 people, who paid a total of $960,000 in admission fees. The buy-rate for this pay-per-view was 1.68, down from the 2.0 buy-rate that the previous WrestleMania had achieved. The event received positive reviews from various websites and wrestling publications. In 2010, Rob McNew of 411mania gave the event an overall score of 9.0 out of 10.0 and noted that WrestleMania X "may lack a lot of historical significance due to being during a relative downtime for the business, but this show kicked all kinds of ass." He further noted that "Bret-Owen and Razor-Shawn were both coin flip choices for not only match of the year, but match of the decade as well." He concluded the review citing how WrestleMania X was "easily one of the top five Wrestlemania’s ever." Much of the praise towards the event was aimed at the ladder match between Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon. McNew of 411mania cited the match as "downright groundbreaking for the time" and an "amazing match that put the ladder match on the map." It received a five-star rating from

Dave Meltzer David Allen Meltzer (born October 24, 1959) is an American journalist who reports on professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. Since 1983, he has been the publisher and editor of the ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON''). He has als ...

and was voted Match of the Year (1994) by readers of his ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' publication. ''

Pro Wrestling Illustrated ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publi ...

'' readers also named that match PWI Match of the Year (1994). It was placed #3 on IGN's Top 20 Matches in Wrestlemania History and described as "one of the most ground-breaking matches in wrestling history". The opening match between Owen Hart and Bret Hart has also garnered acclaim. McNew described it as the "best opening match in professional wrestling history". It was also #4 on the list of IGN's Top 20 Matches in Wrestlemania History; writer Jon Robinson described it as "the best opening match in pay-per-view history." Multi-time world champion

Chris Jericho Christopher Keith Irvine (born November 9, 1970), better known by the ring name Chris Jericho, is an American-Canadian professional wrestler and singer. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is the leader of the Jeri ...

stated: "For me, the best match on restleMania Xwas always Bret vs. Owen, and it kicked off the show and it was hard to follow...the story was ''amazing'', it was kind of Owen's coronation – it was a great moment". Mike "The General" Lambertson, a former professional wrestler from Deep South Wrestling and contributor to voicesofwrestling.com called the match “The greatest sports entertainment event in Madison Square Garden’s history” on episode 138 of the "Talk is Jericho" podcast.

Aftermath

Men on a Mission continued to challenge The Quebecers for the tag team belts. Men on a Mission won the title on March 29, 1994. This is said to have been an unplanned title change, as Mabel accidentally fell on

to get the pinfall. This title reign lasted only two days, however, as The Quebecers won the titles back in a rematch.

and Mr. Perfect were scheduled to face each other in a series of matches on the WrestleMania Revenge Tour. Mr. Perfect was replaced by Crush, however, and Mr. Perfect did not appear again in the WWF until

Survivor Series 1995 The 1995 Survivor Series was the ninth annual Survivor Series professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It took place on November 19, 1995, at the USAir Arena in Landover, Maryland, ...

and

had a rematch on the April 4, 1994 episode of ''Monday Night Raw'', which Earthquake won. The feud did not progress any further, as Earthquake left the WWF for

World Championship Wrestling World Championship Wrestling, Inc. (WCW) was an American professional wrestling promotion founded by Ted Turner in 1988, after Turner Broadcasting System, through a subsidiary named Universal Wrestling Corporation, purchased the assets of Natio ...

(WCW) in May 1994. Wippleman and Finkel wrestled a series of Tuxedo matches in 1994 that culminated in a match on the January 9, 1995 episode of ''Monday Night Raw''. Finkel defeated Wippleman in a final Tuxedo match to end the feud. A few weeks after the match between

and Razor Ramon, Diesel begin to challenge Ramon for the Intercontinental championship. Michaels helped Diesel defeat Ramon for the title on April 13, 1994. This win began a

for Diesel that saw him win the WWF's Triple Crown Championship in one calendar year. The ten-man tag team match took place on the April 4, 1994 edition of ''Monday Night Raw''. The heel team won, as

pinned the 1–2–3 Kid to win the match. Bret and Owen Hart continued their feud throughout 1994. At King of the Ring, their real-life brother-in-law and Bret's former tag team partner

Jim Neidhart James Henry Neidhart (February 8, 1955 – August 13, 2018) was an American professional wrestler known for his appearances in the 1980s and 1990s in the World Wrestling Federation as Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart, where he was a two-time WWF Tag ...

became involved in the angle by helping Owen win the tournament. During the coronation ceremony, Owen announced that he wanted to be referred to as the "King of Harts". At SummerSlam, Bret successfully defended his title against Owen in a

Steel cage match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...

but was attacked after the match by Owen and Neidhart, prompting another brother-in-law,

Davey Boy Smith David Smith (27 November 1962 – 18 May 2002) was an English professional wrestler. Born in Golborne, Lancashire, Smith is best known for his appearances in the United States with the World Wrestling Federation under the ring names Davey Bo ...

, to get involved on Bret's side. At Survivor Series, the storyline saw Owen partially responsible for costing Bret the WWF Championship. Bret faced

Bob Backlund Robert Louis Backlund (born August 14, 1949) is an American retired amateur and professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances in the World Wide Wrestling Federation/ World Wrestling Federation from 1976 to 1984 and in the 1990s, w ...

in a match with the stipulation that the winner would be declared when a competitor's cornerman threw a towel into the ring to signify a submission. After Owen caused Smith to knock himself unconscious, Owen pretended to feel sympathy for Bret. While Backlund had Bret in a crossface Chickenwing, the angle had Owen convince his mother Helen to throw in Bret's towel, enabling Backlund to win the match and the title. After the match, Owen celebrated with Backlund and showed that he was faking the concern for his brother.

Results

References

External links

The Official Website of WrestleMania X
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wrestlemania 10 Events in New York City WrestleMania Madison Square Garden 1994 in New York City 1990s in Manhattan Professional wrestling in New York City 1994 WWF pay-per-view events March 1994 events in the United States