Intro:
WrestleMania VIII took place on April 5, 1992, at the Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis, IN. This WrestleMania featured a double main event and what was billed as possibly Hulk Hogan's retirement match. The event is most famous for a surprise return at the end of the show.
The World Title Situation:
WCW World Champ Ric Flair entered the WWF with the title in the fall of 91. He caused so much interference in The Undertaker vs Hulk Hogan title matches that Jack Tunney declared the title vacant. Ric Flair won the Royal Rumble to become the World Champion. Everyone was expecting the main event to be the dream match of Hogan vs Flair but for some reason, the WWF went in a different direction.
She Was Mine Before She Was Yours:
Ric Flair defended the WWF title against Randy Savage. To build up the match, Flair had published photos in WWF magazine to make it appear that Flair and Elizabeth had been an item before she was with Savage. Randy won the match and it was later revealed that the photos Flair published were fakes.
Farewell to the Hulk and the Return of a Former WrestleMania Opponent:
Hulk's battle against Sid Justice was billed as Hulk's possible farewell match. Their issues started at during the Royal Rumble and escalated at a SNME event where Sid abandoned Hulk during a tag team match. This match ended when Sid kicked out of the leg drop and his friend Papa Shango came into the ring to beat up Hulk. Out of nowhere, The Ultimate Warrior appeared to rescue Hulk.
A New Era?:
The best match of the night was an I-C title match between friends Roddy Piper and Bret Hart. Bret went on to win this match and in the process became the first man to ever pin Roddy Piper in a nationally televised match in the WWF. The two men left the ring arm in arm. Bret would go on to become the World Champion by the end of the year and be in the main event of next year's show.
The Aftermath:
The Ultimate Warrior was put under a voodoo spell by Papa Shango and left the company soon afterwards. Flair would regain the title but would leave the WWF in January. Hulk left the WWF for the year and would return in time for WM 9. Sid also left the WWF shortly after this match.
Dark Clouds on the Horizon:
Two events would hurt the image of the WWF. During the summer, there was a huge sex scandal against the company where certain members of the company were accused of sexually harassing wrestlers and ring boys. In 1991, George Zahorian was on trial for steroid distribution and it came out that many of his clients were WWF wrestlers.
Random Facts:
- Roddy Piper was pinned for the first time on WWF TV at this event.
- Jake Roberts held up his match so he could sign a release from the WWF.
- This was the first time that the WWF Championship match was not last on the card.
- Tito Santana lost in his seventh straight WrestleMania appearance.
Match Results:
- Shawn Michaels pinned Tito Santana
- Undertaker beat Jake Roberts
- I-C Title: Bret Hart pinned Roddy Piper to win the title
- Tag Team Title: The Natural Disasters beat the champions Ted DiBiase & IRS by count out. Ted DiBiase & IRS retain the titles.
- WWF Title: Randy Savage pinned Ric Flair to win the title
- Virgil, Big Bossman, Jim Duggan & Sgt. Slaughter beat The Nasty Boys, Repo Man, & The Mountie
- Owen Hart beat Skinner
- In his "possible retirement" match, Hulk Hogan beat Sid Justice by DQ. After the match, The Ultimate Warrior returned to save Hogan.
- Undertaker beat Jake Roberts
- I-C Title: Bret Hart pinned Roddy Piper to win the title
- Tag Team Title: The Natural Disasters beat the champions Ted DiBiase & IRS by count out. Ted DiBiase & IRS retain the titles.
- WWF Title: Randy Savage pinned Ric Flair to win the title
- Virgil, Big Bossman, Jim Duggan & Sgt. Slaughter beat The Nasty Boys, Repo Man, & The Mountie
- Owen Hart beat Skinner
- In his "possible retirement" match, Hulk Hogan beat Sid Justice by DQ. After the match, The Ultimate Warrior returned to save Hogan.
