Demolition Begins Its March Towards History (WrestleMania 4; March.27th, 1988)
Demolition was the quintessential tag team of the Golden Era. They epitomized everything the era stood for with their larger-than-life presence, overpowering physicality, and awe-inspiring entrances. They were the team others aspired to be, and at WrestleMania 4, they started down a path that would make them legends.
Their WWE Tag Team Championship match against Strike Force was a marquee match, but one that fell slightly flat. The story was more about Tito Santana and Rick Martel’s split than the domination of Demolition. It was the drama that ran the course of the contest, but looking back, it’s not the story that everyone would be talking about.
When Demolition had their hands raised in victory, no one could have predicted that this was the moment that history was made. Ax and Smash held onto the tag straps for a then record 478 days. A record that would stand until just recently. Demolition started their path to glory at WrestleMania 4.
The Boyhood Dream Comes True For Shawn Michaels (WrestleMania 12; March.31st, 1996)
WrestleMania 12 was a one-match card. Sure, there were other contests promoted, but everyone was there to see Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart compete in the first Iron Man Match in WrestleMania history. It was a match that very few men could have pulled off. Wrestling for an hour and keeping the crowd entertained seemed nearly impossible, but HBK and The Hitman made it a reality.
This match had so many angles to it, but the most important was Shawn Michaels realizing his childhood dream. Once he became a babyface, the storyline followed that HBK was coming for the WWE Championship, a piece of gold he had coveted since he was a young man in San Antonio.
As the match drew to a close, the emotion was at a fever pitch. The crowd erupted as HBK pinned Bret Hart to capture the WWE Championship finally. The boyhood dream was realized, and WWE had a sound bite to run back for decades.
