WrestleMania: Revisiting Past WrestleManias to Make Future 'Manias Better

Since Sunday's WrestleMania 27, there have been a flurry on Bleacher Report concerning what made this year's show less than stellar. I myself took part in this criticism, dragging out my own soapbox, and preaching the WrestleMania Gospel According to Mixon.

Having had a few days to cool down from the PPV, I realize what bothered me: it wasn't the excitement (save for the 'Taker v. Triple H match) or the spectacle that I as a viewer have come to expect from the Granddaddy of Them All.

Like a lot of the readers here, I've literally seen every WrestleMania, either on VHS, DVD, or onDemand. I can actually remember my first WrestleMania: WrestleMania IV, a PPV so big, it was on TWO VHS tapes when I rented it from a local 'mom and pop' video/baseball card store.

I took money I'd earned having a yard sale, rented the tapes, bought a pizza from the Domino's next door, took all these things home, and made an evening of it. It was an event, and it was worth it. Having seen it repeatedly over the years, I still think it is.

I'd like to feel this way about WrestleMania again. What's more, I think Vince McMahon and WWE are completely capable of putting it back on top as the premiere PPV in sports entertainment.

Best of all, they have all the tools and inspiration at their own fingertips, simply by reviewing what made the product great over the years. By getting back to its roots, I submit that WrestleMania can not only survive, but become relevant again.

Step by step, let's take a step back in time, and see what made some of the past shows great, and how they could apply to the future.

WrestleMania: Like Nothing You'd Ever Seen Before

What we often forget about WrestleMania is that the original was considered a huge risk for WWE. Most wrestling promotions were still territorial, and though Vince McMahon was building WWE to become an international promotion, WWE at the time was still small.

An even bigger risk is that WWE's idea, to rent Madison Square Garden and broadcast the show on "closed circuit television" (what we now know as Pay-Per-View) to subscribers was literally unheard of.

What Vince McMahon did to promote the show and WWE was revolutionary: partner with MTV and have some of their performers, like Cyndi Lauper, come on the show.

Another interesting idea was partnering WWE star Hulk Hogan with more mainstream star, Mr. T to face Rowdy Roddy Piper and "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff.

The common thread was that both Hogan and Mr. T had appeared in installments of the "Rocky" franchise, which was very popular at the time, and still very popular today. Mr. T would later come back for Wrestlemania 2 and face Roddy Piper in a singles match.

In the end, 19,121 people attended the show in Madison Square Garden, while another million people bought WrestleMania to view in their homes.

This, I believe is where the revitalization of WrestleMania should start: do something completely unheard of. Find a niche, something new to work with, much like the steps taken to make the original WrestleMania so successful.

While the match between John Cena and the Rock has already been made for Wrestlemania 28, there has to be something really extraordinary for them to do in the meantime, in order to hold the audience's attention for an entire year, without them cooling the heat they've developed.

What that "extraordinary" thing would be, I am not sure. But that is where WWE Creative comes in: if they script it (properly), we will come.

Make It Iconic, and Why Paul Heyman Had the Right Idea

Whenever I think of WrestleMania III, I think of a distinct image: Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant, nose to nose, looking as though they're about to tear each others' heads off.

Over the years, WrestleMania has had several of these moments: Miss Elizabeth perched on "Macho Man" Randy Savage's shoulder after he won the WrestleMania IV tourney for the WWF title; Shawn Michaels bowing down over the title when he won the Iron Man Match at WrestleMania XII; even Ric Flair framed with fireworks walking down the aisle in the Citrus Bowl at WrestleMania 24.

These images have been used to promote other shows, and have lived on in our minds and hearts as fans.

There have to be opportunities for newer images to survive, to create distinct impressions on us. After WrestleMania 27, there were many criticisms by viewers that some matches felt rushed. There were no big celebrations after a win this year.

The closest I can remember was Triple H looking back after his match, while WWE employees were directing him back up the ramp, after his match with 'Taker.

WrestleMania is supposed to be the biggest show of the year, and therefore, there must be allowance for the performers to savor the moment, either before or after their matches. If they've made it to the Dance (tm, Paul Heyman), they should be allowed to enjoy it, and by extension, we should be able to enjoy it with them, to savor those memories.

Do Something Unique: Why Wrestlemania IV Was so Big

WrestleMania IV was big, and different in a lot of ways. Because of the storyline, Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase 'bought' the WWE title from Andre The Giant, and by the rules, voided both his own and Andre's claim to the belt.

It was decided that the title would be won in a tournament, held at the Trump Casino and Hotel in Atlantic City. The twists and turns of this tourney ended up creating drama, interest, and a new champion in "Macho Man" Randy Savage.

The audience was also treated to a WrestleMania III rematch between Andre the Giant and Hulk Hogan. The result was that there was a new champion, a new tag team in Hulk Hogan and Savage as the Mega Powers, and the stage was set for the storylines leading into WrestleMania V.

Over the years, the formula for WrestleMania has been pretty standard: battle royal (sometimes aired, sometimes not), smaller mid-card matches, title defenses, then the main event.

There have been variances over the years, including the Iron Man Match between Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart at WrestleMania XII, and the infamous Bret Hart vs. Vince McMahon Street Fight at WrestleMania 26.

There have been ladder matches in WrestleManias X and 2000. Why not mix it up a little, and bring in something BIG? Viewers haven't seen a hardcore match at Wrestlemania (or period) in so long, it might be a good idea to dust it off and try again.

Making the U.S. Title defense this year as a lumberjack match was an excellent idea, but we just didn't see it! Or, since it hasn't been done in 23 years, why not make it a tournament?

Hogan vs. Savage at WrestleMania V: Emotionally Invested

By the time Wrestlemania V hit the airwaves, fans were waiting with bated breath. When the previous year's Wrestlemania had ended, "Macho Man" Randy Savage was the champ, Hogan had become his best friend, and shortly afterward, they became a tag team.

However, by the following winter, there was jealousy on Savage's part because his manager (and real-life wife), the late Miss Elizabeth, had begun to manage Hulk Hogan.

Also, there were some accidents during matches, including the Royal Rumble when Hogan accidentally eliminated Savage while trying to oust Bad News Brown. The last straw was during The Main Event, when Savage was knocked into Miss Elizabeth, and Hogan carried her to the backstage clinic area while the match was still ongoing.

Savage was double teamed by the Twin Towers, and when the match was over, Savage accused Hogan of having lust in his eyes for Elizabeth.

Fans were torn: both were fan favorites, and each man had a point. Hogan was just trying to help, but as far as Savage knew, there was no reason to take Elizabeth backstage, when there was security and other personnel to do it. Plus, Savage had been left high and dry.

There hasn't recently been a match like that, in which we, as viewers, are asked to choose between two people we actually like and care about. Truthfully, that element has been lacking for several WrestleManias.

The last time I can think of a moment like that was during WM24, when Shawn Michaels faced off against Ric Flair, to "end" his career. Both were fan favorites, and both had a point.

There is potential for this for next year's 'Mania between the already-set Cena vs Rock match, and the possible re-match of Triple H and Undertaker.

There's are good reasons we want to see these matches, and reasons that any outcome would work for either of them. The biggest reason is because we actually give a damn.

There Should Be a Heartwarming, or Heartbreaking, Moment

Remember when Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth reunited at WrestleMania VII? Or when Roddy Piper brought his son into the ring after his match with Goldust at WrestleMania XII?

I know we remember Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit celebrating in the ring after WrestleMania XX after Benoit won the World title. These moments made us feel great, they were payoff for our continued interest in the shows.

We need moments like this, to give us a hope that there will eventually be some sort of justice for the participants.

However, there often has to be a heart-tugging moment.

"I'm sorry. I love you."

I don't even have to mention the match, because I know the reader knows what I'm talking about. It was heartbreaking, it was beautiful, and it was fitting.

WrestleMania Is a Great Time to Go from Face to Heel, or Vice Versa

Wrestlemania X7 was a pretty good WrestleMania: it was big, looked great, and had good matches. It also had one of the best endings of the series: Stone Cold Steve Austin became aligned with Vince McMahon.

Not just aligned, but doing the patented "Stone Cold" beer toast, right in the middle of the ring, after McMahon helped him to screw The Rock out of the Main Event.

What made it awesome was that no one saw it coming, as Stone Cold and McMahon had been bitter enemies for several years.

WWE has a dearth of "good" guys and "bad" guys, currently. There are a ton of guys who simply "are." Earlier, I made the point that sometimes it was good that it was hard to choose a side. The downside of it is, there often are no sides to take, nothing to keep you involved.

Watching someone become a bad guy (or good guy) is awesome to see when it's done properly. Watching it done well at WrestleMania can make stars into Icons...especially if no one sees it coming!

The New WrestleMania Rule: Pick Your Celebrities Wisely

Celebrities' appearances can either enhance or detract from the show. For every iconic appearance, such as Cyndi Lauper at WrestleMania I, or Bob Uecker at Wrestlemania IV, there are celebrity cameos that make the viewers scratch their heads.

For instance, Vanna White's appearance at Wrestlemania IV seemed like she was out of place, with nothing to do. Some viewers recently objected to Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi's appearance in this year's 'Mania, but at least she participated.

A timely celebrity appearance can also call more attention to the show. During WrestleMania XIV, Mike Tyson's 'guest enforcer' role grabbed mainstream headlines, but so did a less-remembered appearance by alleged President Clinton paramour, Gennifer Flowers.

She did double duty as Rock interviewer and ring announcer for the Intercontinental Championship match. Gennifer Flowers' WWE appearance was only briefly after President Clinton's impeachment hearings.

My only caution by continuing this trend: please give them something to do. Nothing is worse than a celebrity awkwardly ad-libbing or just standing around at WrestleMania.

You Gotta Have a McMahon!....No, Triple H Doesn't Count

Why wouldn't a member of the McMahon family be at the Granddaddy of them all?

WWE is the McMahon family business; not having at least one of the family making an appearance at WrestleMania is like having your boss' intern handing out your Christmas bonus---yeah, you get what you were promised, but it's just not as meaningful.

Plus, Vince is especially visually necessary, as he was the inventor of this particular yearly event, and has appeared in the majority of the WrestleMania series in some visual role.

He's been a ring announcer, a color commentator, a participant, or an interloper since 1985, and if he can't be there, another McMahon should be.

WrestleMania Needs Comic Relief

For every gut-check moment and heart-breaking goodbye in each WrestleMania, there needs to be some sort of levity to break the tension of 'who will win?'.

There have been awesome moments from Vince McMahon submitting to a haircut at 'Mania 23, courtesy of Donald Trump, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and Bobby Lashley; to the Gimmick Battle Royal at WrestleMania X7.

Who could forget the incredible vision of Bobby "the Brain" Heenan riding backward on a camel, and Jim "JR" Ross wearing a toga at WrestleMania IX at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas?

These moments are just as great as some of the matches, and sometimes we have to remember not to take it all so seriously.

Sometimes, You Have to Say Goodbye

Many great careers ended at some form of Wrestlemania. Just off the top of my head, Andre the Giant, Ric Flair, and Shawn Michaels all had their last (or in one case "last") matches at WrestleMania events. It seems they all agree on this: go out big.

WrestleMania 28 seems to be shaping up to be the Undertaker's last 'Mania. After hard battles fought by him for over 20 years, WrestleMania 27 was the first time we as an audience saw hesitation or pain from the Deadman, at the hands of Triple H.

Triple H has already volunteered his services for a rematch. It almost seems like WrestleMania 28 would be the perfect end to 'Taker's long and storied career: 20-0.