Best match from every WWE WrestleMania event in history

WrestleMania IV

Randy Savage vs. Ted Dibiase

With 16 matches on the WrestleMania IV card, which obviously included all the matches from the tournament for the vacated WWE Championship, it was going to be difficult for any match to get a decent amount of time. Jake “The Snake” Roberts and Ravishing Rick Rude went to a 15-minute draw in the first round and the tag team title match between Demolition and Strike Force got some time, but outside of the battle royal that started the show, those are the only two matches that went more than 10 minutes. Even the battle royal was only 10 minutes and 40 seconds.

So more by the process of elimination than this being a truly great match, the winner here is the main event between Randy Savage and Ted Dibiase. But this still is a pretty good match and gave us an iconic moment. Savage had been getting closer and closer to Hulk Hogan in popularity and following Hogan’s controversial loss to Andre a couple of months earlier, this was Savage’s night to shine. He wrestled four matches, beating Butch Reed, Greg Valentine and One Man Gang (how about all of those classic 80s names) on his way to the finals to face Ted Dibiase, who had been trying to buy the title for months and months and finally got it from Andre before having it taken away. The Million Dollar Man only had to wrestle two matches due to a bye and he was on his game as well.

It’s sometimes easy to forget how great of a heel Dibiase was at points and him having Andre at ringside gave him the advantage from the get-go. Andre tripped up Macho Man right at the start and the crowd really wanted Hogan down there but you know The Hulkster needed his big entrance. Dibiase got some shots in, and while Savage tried to turn the tide, he just couldn’t overcome the numbers game, which led to him whispering in Miss Elizabeth’s ear and she just ran off. Everyone knows where she’s going and nobody cares as the crowd pops huge when Hogan comes out.

Savage and Dibiase battle some more and Hogan gets a lick in on Andre and the match almost comes to a close with the flying elbow, but Dibiase slid out of the way and locked in a sleeper. Savage made it to the ropes but Andre knocked his hand away, leaving the ref to reprimand him and giving Hogan the perfect opportunity to come in and smash Dibiase with a chair. Unaware of what’s happened, Savage hits the top rope and this time connects for the victory and his first WWE Championship.

Hogan ran to get the belt and presented it to Savage, which I always thought was a cool moment until I realized how long he stays in the ring. Savage still has his iconic moment of lifting Liz on his shoulders and giving her the belt but I can’t help but think this could have been so much more special had Hogan not been right there. But they were building towards something and that takes us right into our next match.