WWE History: Top 5 Most Memorable Moments of 1990

The 1990's is largely viewed as one of the most successful periods in wrestling history.

Many fans have been alienated by today's product, which is about as fun and entertaining as a wisdom tooth extraction.

I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that there is a large group of fans who long for the days of kayfaybe, unscripted promos, and people who could actually wrestle.

With that said, over the next few weeks I will be taking you through the 1990s, looking back on all the great moments in the history of the WWF/E.

I will rank the top five from each year, in terms of the most memorable. Comments and feedback are always appreciated.

Today, we begin our journey in 1990. Let's go!

No. 5: The Gobbledy Gooker

When this makes the list of memorable moments, you know you are in for a dry year.

However, this is still talked about to this day, which certainly makes it reasonable to put it on this list. The fact that it is remembered for being one of the most idiotic things the WWE ever did (which is saying something) is unnecessary detail.

The funny thing is that this thing was hyped for months, and the egg was shown around various WWF TV shows.

The mysterious egg that was going to hatch at the 1990 WWF Survivor Series was one of the major storylines heading into the Thanksgiving spectacular.  It could have been a variety of things that came out. The possibilities were endless.

When the egg finally hatched and the Gobbledy Gooker (Hector Guerrero) leaped out of it, you could hear a pin drop in the Hartford Civic Center. Well, before the chorus of boos that would follow.

What’s worse is that this segment was only about seven minutes in total, but to whoever saw this live, or on Coliseum Video, it felt like an eternity.

He would prance around the ring like a moron and display his acrobatic talents in the ring, alongside “Mean” Gene Okerland.

The Gooker made a few appearances in promo’s, but was eliminated from the picture pretty quickly.

No. 4: Kerry Von Erich Wins Intercontinental Title

If you know anything about 1980s wrestling, you know that the Von Erich’s were one of the most famous families in the sport.

Based out of Dallas TX, World Class Championship Wrestling, led by the Von Erich’s, became one of first promotions to run shows worldwide. One of the stars of the family, Kerry, decided to go to the WWF in 1990 after World Class had shut its doors.

Given the name the Texas Tornado, Kerry still had the connection with the audience. When Brutus Beefcake was severely injured in 1990, a mid-card void was created and Kerry would capitalize.

He was put into a match at Summerslam '90 against Mr. Perfect for the Intercontinental Kerry would win the match over Perfect to capture the title, to the delight of the fans in attendance.

This was a significant accomplishment, as title changes at this time were pretty rare.

He would hold onto the belt for a few months, before dropping it back to Perfect.

He would remain with the company for a couple of years. He tragically committed suicide in 1993, after facing possible jail time as a result of drug charges.

No. 3: Hart Foundation Defeats Demolition for the Tag Team Titles

One of the beautiful features of the 1990s wrestling landscape was the amazing amount of excellent tag teams.

This, of course, is a carryover effect from the '80s, as tag team wrestling was just as important to a companies success as singles stars.

At this time, the WWF had a lot of strong tag teams. There could only be one champion however, which meant that some teams would go a long time between title reigns. An example of this would be the Hart Foundation.

They dropped the belts in late 1987, after holding the titles for almost nine months. However, they had to wait until Summerslam 1990 to finally reclaim the titles. This came against Demolition, a truly dominant tag team in their own right.

They were on top of the tag team mountain for a long time, but by this point they were a team in transition. A third member of Demolition appeared (Crush), and the signs were pointing to Ax leaving the group.

In an excellent two out of three falls affair, the Harts defeated Demolition to win back the titles they had long coveted.

This was the beginning of the end for Demolition, as they were relegated to mid-team status, before being broken up all together.

No. 2: Debut of the Undertaker

You knew this was coming.

One of the greatest superstars of all time, the Undertaker, began his career in this year. While that itself is worthy recognition, his debut at the 1990 Survivor Series epitomized how his career would take off.

He appeared in the event as a mystery partner for Ted Dibiase’s Survivor Series team. Mystery is the perfect word for it.

As he was introduced, the fans were completely in shock. They had been used to seeing cookie cutter body builders, along with childish gimmicks. But as the Undertaker slowly glided down the aisle, you could tell this would be completely different. 

As soon as he was tagged into the match, he began to do what he would subsequently do for the next 20 years: kick people’s asses. He demonstrated his agility and power to perfection and completely memorized the audience.

This was a perfect introduction for such a legendary character.

The only thing that ruined this moment, from a fans perspective watching at home, was the atrocious commentary job by Roddy Piper.

His squealish, Scottish voice simply did not fit the tone.  Imagine J.R. or the King (or even Vince McMahon for that matter) selling this guy as he came towards the ring. It would have been magic.

No. 1: Ultimate Warrior Defeats Hulk Hogan at Wrestlemania VI

1990 can truly be summed up in one word:  Warrior

Although the Ultimate Warrior debuted in late 1987, this is the year he did the unthinkable.  He had already captured the Intercontinental Title and was quickly becoming a mega-star. 

He had the look, the strength and, most importantly, the connection with the audience.

Heading into Wrestlemania VI, Hulk Hogan was the king of the mountain.  He had held the WWF championship for six of the previous seven years, and it seemed impossible that anyone would defeat him.

However, the Warrior was quickly gaining popularity and the company realized they had to make a change and head in a new direction.

In an epic encounter in front of 67,678 fans at the SkyDome in Toronto, the Warrior pinned the Hulkster and the torch was passed. 

The Ultimate Warrior would hold the WWF Championship for the rest of the year, feuding with the likes of Mr. Perfect, Rick Rude and Ted DiBiase (the real one).

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Compared to the rest of the of the 90s, this was a pretty weak year. Although the main event at WrestleMania VI was an all-time great moment, the rest of the year really offered little in terms of great matches or memorable feuds.

Mr. Perfect carried the IC title for the majority of the year and was one of the few reasons fans flocked to arenas across the country.

The Warrior would not become the Hogan-type star that the company would hope for, and would leave the company 18 months after pinning Hogan in the middle of the ring.

Let's get the comments rolling!