WWF Classic: The Genius Upsets Hulk Hogan – November 1989 [Videos]

In one of the biggest upsets of his WWF career, The Genius (Lanny Poffo) scored a stunning count-out victory over Hulk Hogan in November 1989. The victory became a memorable highlight for Poffo and added another chapter to the increasingly intense rivalry between Hogan and Mr. Perfect, whom The Genius managed. With the feud between Hogan and Perfect continuing to escalate, The Genius's unlikely victory gave Mr. Perfect and his manager another reason to celebrate—and Hogan another reason to seek revenge.

WWF Saturday Night's Main Event

World Wrestling Federation on NBC

Taped October 31, 1989

Aired November 25, 1989

Topeka, Kansas, USA

Commentators: Vince McMahon & Jesse Ventura

WWF World Heavyweight Championship Match in Japan: Ichiban Hulk Hogan vs Tatsumi Fujinami [Videos]

In June 1985, fresh off the success of WrestleMania, Hulk Hogan traveled to Japan to defend the WWF Championship against Tatsumi Fujinami, who was already regarded as one of Japan's greatest technical wrestlers. The result is a rare look at Hogan working a more deliberate, technical style against one of the world's finest competitors. It's a unique glimpse at two Hall of Fame careers intersecting during professional wrestling's golden era.

Hulk Hogan vs Tatsumi Fujinami

NJPW IWGP & WWF Champion Series

June 11, 1985

Tokyo, Japan

Ichiban Hulk Hogan

SONG!

Shawn Michaels vs Razor Ramon - WrestleMania X [Videos]

By 1994, the WWF was entering a new era, and few rivalries captured that transition better than Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon. Their historic Ladder Match at WrestleMania X wasn't just a battle for the Undisputed WWF Intercontinental Championship—it was a watershed moment that changed the expectations of big-match wrestling. Innovative, dramatic, and timeless, it remains one of WrestleMania's defining classics.

Ladder Match for the Undisputed WWF International Championship

Shawn Michaels vs Razor Ramon

WrestleMania X

Sunday, March 20, 1994

New York City, New York, USA

Commentators: Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler

WWF SUPERSTARS

Pre-Match Promos

WWF Classic: Bret Hart vs Mr. Perfect - June 1989 [Videos]

By 1989, the WWF roster was overflowing with larger-than-life superstars, but beneath the spotlight, a new generation of technical wrestlers was beginning to emerge. Among the brightest were Bret "Hitman" Hart and Mr. Perfect, two competitors whose precision, athleticism, and attention to detail set them apart from the powerhouses dominating the era.

Bret Hart has often said that one of his best matches of his career took place against Mr. Perfect during a non-televised bout at the Sullivan Arena in Anchorage, Alaska on August 12, 1989. While that legendary match has yet to surface, their June 3, 1989, encounter at the Boston Garden offers a fascinating glimpse of what it may have looked like. With Hart and Perfect already displaying remarkable chemistry, it's easy to understand why Bret considered Mr. Perfect one of his greatest in-ring opponents.

Bret Hart Interview

WWF on NESN

Saturday, June 3, 1989

Boston, Massachusetts

Commentators: Tony Schiavone and Lord Alfred Hayes

"And here the air is absolutely pregnant with expectation of a great match."

- Lord Alfred Hayes

WWF Classic: Kurt Angle vs Shane McMahon - King of the Ring 2001 [Videos]

Kurt Angle and Shane McMahon at the King of the Ring

At the height of WWF's Attitude Era, few expected one of the most brutal matches of 2001 to involve company executive and the owner's son, Shane McMahon. Yet at King of the Ring, Shane stepped into the ring against Olympic Gold Medalist Kurt Angle, who was wrestling HIS THIRD MATCH OF THE NIGHT, and delivered a performance that would become legendary among pro wrestling fans.

In a violent street fight match filled with unforgettable moments, the sheer determination displayed by both competitors transformed the bout from a simple grudge match into one of the most talked-about hardcore encounters of the era.

While Angle ultimately emerged victorious, the real story was the punishment both men endured. Shane once again proved he was willing to risk his body alongside the full-time wrestlers, while Angle demonstrated the toughness and intensity that would help define his rise as one of the best pro wrestlers of all time. More than two decades later, this match remains a standout and a lasting example of the unpredictable chaos that made the Attitude Era so memorable.

KING OF THE RING

June 24, 2001

East Rutherford, New Jersey

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WWF Classic: British Bulldog vs Shawn Michaels - SNME 1992 [Videos]

During the Fall of 1992, The British Bulldog and Shawn Michaels faced off on network television's final airing of Saturday Night's Main Event during what many modern fans consider the final years of Golden Era of Professional Wrestling. This match saw the passing of the torch from The British Bulldog Davey Boy Smith to Shawn Michaels, as he won his first title in the World Wrestling Federation.

The commentary for the match provided by Vince McMahon and Bobby "The Brain" Heenan is some of the BEST from the era, and does an excellent job showcasing and promoting Michaels.

Adding to the match’s depth was the professionalism of The British Bulldog. Before the opening bell, his handing the championship belt to the referee in hindsight, feels symbolic of transition and must have been impactful for him personally and professionally. Throughout the match, Bulldog delivered a solid, selfless performance, “doing the honors” for Michaels. Bulldog's poise, intensity, and strength gave the contest a sense of authenticity that made Michaels’ victory feel earned.

On a personal note, this remains one of my favorite television matches of all time. I’ve revisited it countless times on VHS when I was young, and each viewing reinforces how early Shawn Michaels displayed the precision, confidence, and showmanship that would later make him one of the greatest professional wrestlers.

WWF SATURDAY NIGHT'S MAIN EVENT

FOX Network

Aired November 14, 1992

Terre Haute, Indiana

Commentators: Vince McMahon and Bobby Heenan

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WWF Classic: Bret Hart vs Razor Ramon - Royal Rumble 1993 [Videos]

Bret "Hit Man" Hart defends his title against Razor Ramon

The 1993 Royal Rumble featured one of the earliest major title defenses of Bret Hart's first WWF Championship reign. Standing across the ring was Razor Ramon, new the WWF and a rising star. The result was a competitive battle between two future Hall of Famers and a memorable championship match that showcased the direction the WWF would take in the years ahead. Some could even argue that this match is from a pivotal transitional period in WWF history that was carried by Bret Hart as he was the first WWF Champion of his kind. If you watch the match in three segments, you can appreciate the work put into the match by the participants!

"The following contest scheduled for one fall, is for the World Wrestling Federation Championship."

WWF ROYAL RUMBLE

January 24, 1993

Sacramento, California

Commentators: Bobby Heenan and Gorilla Monsoon

THE MATCH

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WWF Classic: Mean Gene Okerlund & Corporal Kirchner Interviews + Bonus Match [Videos]

During the height of the Hulkamania era, the World Wrestling Federation was filled with larger-than-life superstars, colorful gimmicks, and patriotic heroes. One of the more overlooked names from that period was Corporal Kirchner (Michael Penzel), the camouflage-wearing US Army paratrooper who had served in the 82nd Airborne Division and marched to the ring waving the American flag. While Penzel started in the WWF as a jobber in 1984, he really got his opportunity to shine as a pro wrestler when he took on the gimmick of Corporal Kirchner.

While he was never pushed as a main-event attraction, for approximately two years from August 1985 to July 1987, Corporal Kirchner became a familiar face to WWF fans through his appearances on syndicated wrestling programs, his LJN action figures, his energetic squash matches, and his interview segments with the legendary Mean Gene Okerlund.

TNT

August 1985

All American Wrestling

September 1985

WWF Wrestling Challenge

September 1985

Bonus Match:

Corporal Kirchner vs. John K-9

WWF PRIME TIME WRESTLING

February 1987

Maple Leaf Gardens

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

For longtime wrestling fans, revisiting performers like Corporal Kirchner is part of the fun of exploring wrestling history. Not every wrestler from the Hulkamania era became a global superstar, but many played important supporting roles that helped shape the atmosphere and identity of WWF television during the 1980s.

Perhaps the most surprising part of Kirchner’s pro wrestling story came later, when few could have predicted that the flag-waving Corporal Kirchner of the WWF would later reinvent himself as the horrifying Leatherface in Japan’s hardcore wrestling scene.

Vintage Wrestlers: Freddie Blassie vs. Rikidozan [Videos]

March 28, 1962. Los Angeles. The legendary Olympic Auditorium. "Classy" Freddie Blassie entered as the hated WWA World Heavyweight Champion, a man so despised that police protection was often needed after his matches. Standing across the ring was Japanese icon Rikidozan, whose popularity had reached superhero status. By night's end, the title had changed hands, one man was left a bloody mess, and the other was perhaps preparing to enlist his "great friend..." President Kennedy... to investigate the outcome of the match. Classic!

WWA World Heavyweight Championship Match

"Classy" Freddie Blassie vs Rikidozan

March 28, 1962

Post Match Interview with Dick Lane

Freddie Blassie Interview

Vince McMahon interviews "Classy" Freddie

WWWF Television

1974

When Terry Funk Came for Hulkamania: The Forgotten 1985 Trilogy [Videos]

Terry Funk vs Hulk Hogan match that aired on NBC

Terry Funk entered the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in the summer of 1985, a former NWA World Heavyweight Champion, he had last wrestled in what was now known as the WWF in the early 1970s. By late 1985, Funk had an opportunity to challenge Hulk Hogan for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship. Hogan wasn't facing another giant or cartoon-style supervillain. He was dealing with a former World Champion who brought unpredictability, mind games, and pure chaos. Across Philadelphia, Toronto, and NBC's national television broadcast of Saturday Night's Main Event from Tampa, Florida, Hogan and Funk quietly created a forgotten trilogy of forgotten matches that blended Hulkamania spectacle with Terry Funk insanity.

And watch the slow count by Dave Hebner...

Hulk Hogan vs Terry Funk

WWF on PRISM Network

Philadelphia, PA

December 7, 1985