Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Lawrence Taylor: A Reasonable Main Event

Publish date: 2024-06-08
I never once looked at Wrestlemania XI and thought it was a horrible show. It was huge as far as media goes, and when you cut things down to the bottomline; thats all that matters. Lawrence Taylor will draw more media and publicity than Diesel, Shawn Michaels or even the likes of Bret Hart or anyone else in the Company at that time.

As far as Bam Bam Bigelow being the individual to work with him, when you break down the top heels at that time, who else was going to be the guy to do it? Jeff Jarrett? Someone else from the Corp? Bundy? Tatanka? I.R.S.? No. Bigelow is a good wrestler, and whats more - he's good enough to make you look great. He's big, he's powerful, he's a bad ass when he wants to be. Taylor was a football player, coming into a world that wasn't his own. Bigelow beat him up, and Taylor took it and came back. It was a great match, and Bigelow was truly the only guy who could've been able to do it.

Now, you have complainers going on about why the Championship match wasn't the Main Event. Well, it's not like it's the first Mania when the Championship wasn't the top match on the card. Wrestlemania 8 ring any bells? And fuck anyone who says otherwise, Randy Savage v. Ric Flair is a far greater match-up than Diesel v. Shawn Michaels.

When you look closer, as the OP pointed out; neither HBK or Diesel were exactly top names in the Company as far as Main Event talent was concerned. Bret Hart was still the arguable top guy, and he was wrapped up fighting/finishing up a feud with Backlund. So, you have Shawn Michaels who can steal any show on any night, regardless what spot on the card he's at.. who was ultimately still a mid-carder coming into the Heavyweight Main Event division. Then you have his former bodyguard.. let me repeat that.. his former outside the ring, valet, essentially. So, neither individual had proven at this time in the WW(F)E that they could be the Main Event.

Shawn Michaels won the shortest Royal Rumble in history, by being #1 and you know the rest. Diesel defeated an aged Bob Backlund at a house show event, in 8-9 seconds. It's not exactly like either guy had a ton of credibility off either moment. Sure, HBK made history - but when you look at the other talent in that year's Rumble, beyond #2 (Bulldog) and Luger - who else could've won that seemed as valuable to?

Thus, we spin full circle and focus back on Bigelow v. Taylor and answer the question..

Why was this the Main Event over the Heavyweight Championship?

Simple.. because it was the better promoted, better built up, better media focused story. It was the match that made the Company, that made Wrestlemania, a profit for that night. Not two former mid-card friends who came to a head in their feud against each other over a World Championship - that most felt neither deserved at that time.

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