April 2, 1989: The Mega Powers EXPLODE!

22 years ago today. Hogan vs. Savage was pretty much always good/great in the 80s but this was the peak of their work, both performance wise and historically.

WrestleMania V – Atlantic City, NJ – Trump Plaza – April 2, 1989 (matinee) (18,946; 17,500 paid)
Pay-per-view bouts – featured Gorilla Monsoon & Jesse Ventura on commentary; included WWF Women’s Champion Rockin Robin performing “America the Beautiful;” Donald Trump sat ringside for the event; featured Gene Okerlund conducting a backstage interview with Shawn Michaels & Marty Jannetty regarding their upcoming match against the Big Bossman & Akeem; included a pre-taped segment in which Tony Schiavone conducted a backstage interview with Ted Dibiase, with Virgil, regarding his match later in the show against Brutus Beefcake; featured pre-taped footage from the WrestleMania brunch of Lord Alfred Hayes conducting an interview with the Bushwhackers, while they ate, regarding their upcoming match against Jacques & Raymond Rougeau; included Howard Finkel giving Ventura a special introduction at the commentary table; featured pre-taped footage from the previous morning’s 5k run with Hayes conducting an interview with Mr. Fuji, one of the participants, about his speed in the race; included Run DMC performing an in-ring “WrestleMania Rap;” featured a video package highlighting the feud between WWF Tag Team Champions Demolition and the Powers of Pain; included Okerlund conducting a backstage interview with Demolition regarding their upcoming title defense; featured Schiavone attempting to conducting a backstage interview with WWF World Champion Randy Savage, with Schiavone trying to get in Savage’s locker room until Savage knocked down the cameraman and ran down the hallway; included Finkel introducing Roddy Piper for an in-ring Piper’s Pit, with Brother Love then appearing dressed as Piper and pretending to interview Piper, doing his own impersonation of Piper; moments later, Morton Downey Jr., scheduled as Piper’s guest, appeared and insulted Love until the real Piper was introduced; Piper then spoke with Love, mentioning his “kilt,” before eventually taking the kilt off to reveal his underwear, with Love then running backstage; Piper then turned his attention to Downey, with the two insulting the other as Downey repeatedly blew smoke in Piper’s face; Piper eventually asked for his own cigarette, then doused Downey with a fire extinguisher when he turned back around; Piper then left ringside, with Downey close behind but held back by officials (Piper’s return after a 2-year absence); featured a backstage segment where Okerlund announced Hogan would appear this spring in “No Holds Barred,” and then showed a trailer for the film; included Mooney conducting an interview with Trump in the arena; following the airing of the movie trailer, Ventura cut a promo on Hogan, claiming Hollywood was his domain, before briefly leaving the announce position; featured a video package highlighting the feud between Hogan and Savage over the past year; included Okerlund conducting a backstage interview with Hogan regarding his upcoming title match; featured Schiavone conducting a backstage interview with Sensational Sherri, during which Sherri cut a promo on Robin and Miss Elizabeth; included a video package highlighting the feud between WWF IC Champion the Ultimate Warrior and Rick Rude; featured Okerlund conducting a backstage interview with the Red Rooster regarding his upcoming match with Bobby Heenan; included Okerlund conducting a backstage interview with Miss Elizabeth regarding the upcoming match between Hogan and Savage, during which she said she would be in a neutral corner for the contest; featured Schiavone backstage in which he said all the wrestlers had left the backstage area to watch the main event; included Mooney in the crowd polling fans over who they thought would win the main event; a young Lance Storm and Chris Kanyon were in attendance for the event:
Hercules pinned King Haku (w/ Bobby Heenan) at 6:53 with a back suplex into a bridge after avoiding a punch; during the ring introduction, Howard Finkel accidentally referred to Haku as King Tonga
The Big Bossman & Akeem (w/ Slick) defeated Shawn Michaels & Marty Jannetty at 8:05 when Akeem pinned Michaels with a splash after Bossman caught Michaels coming off the top and hit a powerbomb
Brutus Beefcake fought Ted Dibiase (w/ Virgil) to a double count-out at 10:00; prior to the bout, Dibiase and Virgil shook hands with Donald Trump at ringside; after the match, Beefcake put Virgil in the sleeper and fought off Dibiase but both men were able to escape the ring before Beefcake could use his cutting shears
The Bushwhackers defeated Jacques & Raymond Rougeau (w/ Jimmy Hart) at 5:11 when Luke pinned Raymond following the battering ram and a double gutbuster behind the referee’s back; after the bout, Sean Mooney attempted to interview fans near the aisle when the Bushwhackers came up behind him and licked his face
Mr. Perfect pinned the Blue Blazer with a forearm blow and the Perfect Plex at 5:49 (Perfect’s debut wearing a singlet)
WWF Tag Team Champions Demolition defeated the Powers of Pain & Mr. Fuji in a handicap match at 8:55 when Ax pinned Fuji following the Decapitation after Fuji accidentally threw salt into Warlord’s face (Demolition, Wrestling Superheroes)
Dino Bravo (w/ Frenchy Martin) pinned Ron Garvin at 4:00 with an inverted atomic drop and the side suplex; prior to the match, Howard Finkel introduced Jimmy Snuka, with Snuka then appearing, coming into the ring, posing for the fans, and then leaving; after the match, Garvin knocked Bravo to the floor, attacked Martin, and executed the Garvin Stomp (Snuka’s surprise return after a 4-year absence)
Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard (w/ Bobby Heenan) defeated Tito Santana & Rick Martel at 9:17 when Anderson pinned Santana following the spike piledriver; late in the bout, Martel walked out on his partner after Santana accidentally hit him with the flying forearm; after the contest, Gene Okerlund conducted a backstage interview with Martel regarding his actions, with Martel claiming he was sick of Santana wanting to ride his coat tails (Santana & Martel’s first match as a team in 10 months)
Jake Roberts defeated Andre the Giant (w/ Bobby Heenan) via disqualification at 9:39 when Andre attacked guest referee Big John Studd and repeatedly headbutted him as Roberts chased Ted Dibiase and Virgil in the aisle after Dibiase attempted to steal Damien from ringside; after the bout, Roberts slid Damien in the ring, scaring Andre from ringside; moments later, Mooney conducted an interview with a Roberts fan in the crowd (Best of the WWF: WrestleMania)
Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart defeated the Honkytonk Man & Greg Valentine (w/ Jimmy Hart) at 7:40 when Hart pinned Honky after hitting him with Jimmy Hart’s megaphone, thrown in the ring by Neidhart (Hart & Neidhart’s last appearance as a team for 6 weeks; Honky & Valentine’s last appearance as a team for 9 months)
Rick Rude (w/ Bobby Heenan) pinned WWF IC Champion the Ultimate Warrior at 9:42 to win the title as the champion attempted a suplex into the ring, Heenan swept Warrior’s leg out from under him, and held the foot down during the cover; after the bout, Warrior attacked Heenan, dropped him with the gorilla press slam, and chased backstage to find Rude (The Ultimate Warrior)
Jim Duggan fought Bad News Brown to a double disqualification at 3:47 when Bad News grabbed a steel chair, after sustaining Duggan’s running clothesline, and swung at Duggan with it while Duggan swung back with his 2X4
The Red Rooster pinned Bobby Heenan (w/ the Brooklyn Brawler) at the 32-second mark after Heenan hit the ringpost shoulder-first; after the bout, the Brawler attacked the Rooster from behind but the Rooster quickly cleared him from the ring
Hulk Hogan pinned WWF World Champion Randy Savage to win the title at 17:54 with the legdrop; Miss Elizabeth was in a neutral corner for the match until she was eventually sent backstage late in the contest; Savage hit the flying elbowsmash during the closing moments but Hogan kicked out at 2 (WrestleMania’s Greatest Matches Vol. 2, The Best of the WWF: Hulkamania, The History of the WWE Heavyweight Championship, Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology, Macho Madness: The Ultimate Randy Savage Collection)

Click here for 1989 WWF results