The Iron Man Match: Good or Bad? - WWE Wrestlemania 12 Review

[@pumpkinking5397]

What always gets me about the Iron Man match was in an interview between Bret Hart and Shawn Michael's. Bret alluded to how perfectly orchestrated the match was. When there was only supposed to be 5 minutes left, Bret Hart jumped on the turnbuckle, looked at the clock and it was exactly 5 minutes left. He was astounded, and could not believe that they actually made it. Masterclass work by two masters.

[@pulsarstargrave256]

They had MANY great matches together! I like them BETTER as heels and loved how they often switched roles during those years!

[@clarencesimmons8580]

Oh, yeah!!!! I cannot wait until after WrestleMania 13 and 14 coming up soon!!!!

[@pumpkinking5397]

​@@clarencesimmons8580 I agree. Bret Hart and Stone Cold Steve Austin is my favorite WrestleMania match of all time. I can't wait.

[@tylerhartley5031]

Over rated

[@NickAdams1981]

1996: Shawn Michaels lives his boyhood dream and does what every young wrestling fan dreams of doing in the 90s: kicking Tony Chimel in the face!

[@Ariurotl]

"The Heartburn Kid" is a terrific online handle for a wrestling fan, kudos to whoever it is.

[@Pocketrocket-pj1us]

Totally agree! Aces!!

[@scottmealey596]

I remember when Piper issued the match between Bret and Shawn, his statement was prophetic: "You two had better shake hands now, because you're gonna hate each other when this is over!"

[@thekidfromiowa]

Return the favor next year, Shawn? Next year: Nope lost muh smile.

[@SpaceGhost92]

@@thekidfromiowaShawn returned the favor PLENTY while Bret was on top for years before this. God forbid Bret have to do a fucking job for once

[@TonySpike]

​​@@SpaceGhost92 hate to break it to ya buddy ...but Shawn doing a "job" (btw not every loss is considered a job ..learn the fucking terminology) previous to this dosnt count in this instance When shawn was doing those "jobs" (again ..the term you are looking for is putting over ...a job is when you are squashed like trips was by warrior) Bret was the up and comer and Shawn was still practically a nobody Fact is whilst i like Shawn Michaels ..hes a legend they agreed to a re-match and Shawn pussed out of it Even he has admitted he was a dick back then

[@Insomniaaron]

How right Piper would be.

[@thekidfromiowa]

@@SpaceGhost92 There was pettiness on both sides. No love lost by '97.

[@MisterKidd555]

"When I think of Bret Hart, I don't think of Montreal. I think of Anaheim, California. I think of a 60 minute Iron Match." - Shawn Michaels 2010

[@MisterHearn]

My dad took us to this show. It was my first WrestleMania. We lost him in March of 2022 and are coming up on the one year mark. This show will always hold a special place in my heart. Had a great time! Thanks for reviewing it.

[@thecuriolounge]

What a memory. Can almost imagine what this show means to you.

[@maxpowergaming462]

So sorry for your loss brother. Lost my father to the covid 2 years ago in May. All my great memories are with wrestling and especially this mania so I can feel ya here man. Bless ya man.

[@MisterHearn]

@@thecuriolounge sorry for the delayed response. Just now seeing this. This memory is seared into my soul. My dad went out of his way to make this happen for us. As a father myself some 27 years later I know how important it is to create these core memories. I learned that from him. I miss him daily. But I'm so very thankful for the time I had with him. I had an amazing father.

[@MisterHearn]

@@maxpowergaming462 I tried replying to you earlier but it said the comment failed. I hope you're seeing this. For starters, thank you for your kind words. I'm so very sorry to hear about your loss. Losing a parent is unreal. It's the most difficult thing I've ever dealt with. My father was my hero. This show holds such a special place in my heart because of him. I'm currently set to go to WrestleMania 39 with my family and I'm all in on Cody's story for obvious reasons. I'll likely end up a meme if they pan the camera my way after seeing him win the big one for his dad because I'll likely be crying. Wanted to thank you again for your kindness. I know your dad is proud of you. Salute to you both.

[@maxpowergaming462]

@Mark H. well I appreciate you too man. I hope you enjoy mania! I'll be rooting on Cody a little bit more just for you now!

[@bodenlosedosenhose1590]

"Taker hits the current school." Love that line. 😆

[@pauljackson4409]

Primary school 😆

[@princesskatarina351]

Always hate that they call it "Old School". You'd think they'd give the move a proper name.

[@MastaMS21]

It's quite fitting the Hollywood Backlot Brawl, an early example of a "cinematic match" (the first part at least), featured a wrestler with legit Hollywood credentials (Piper) against a gimmick based on Hollywood with an Oscar look and movies quotes (Goldust). And including real footage of OJ Simpson who also had acting experience.

[@phreakzilla8514]

It’s hard going back to the Naked Gun movies without immediately thinking of the terrible person he was/is.

[@JM1993951]

When I was a kid I thought Goldust was wearing extra padding underneath his gear. 😂 so innocent

[@justinmartin1831]

It was supposed to originally be a "Miami Street Fight" vs Razor Ramon but changed to this after Hall's suspension. I'm guessing would have been similar cinematic match except probably none of the in ring shenanigans done here with Piper as it was supposed to take place in Miami.

[@roguerifter9724]

I never understand why people act like he's guilty even though he was tried and acquitted. Innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, and the prosecution failed to convince the jury he was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Juries are far from perfect but IMO they are a lot better then the court of public opinion.

[@mattysquizzato7094]

​@@roguerifter9724Oh please. It's not even possible that anyone other than OJ committed those murders. They just didn't want LA to go up in flames again, just like it did after Rodney King.

[@JDotWill]

Taker’s Chokeslam & Tombstone on Diesel is impressive. Diesel got up pretty good for a guy with 2 bad knees

[@brendanroberts1310]

I thought it was 2 bad quads

[@testshietchannel]

I popped a quad just reading this 🤷

[@tyrone5969]

​@@brendanroberts1310 it's pretty much all bad below the waist at this point, he's worn it all out in the ring or on the road.

[@btipton6899]

I just popped a quad doing a hair flip.

[@Unitenotfight]

I just popped a quad brushing my teeth

[@claymathewselevator8121]

Kane photoshopped onto famous wrestling entrances should be a new running gag 😂

[@CGB_Crash]

"He's the man called Kaaane! He's the MAN called Kane!'

[@adribbs]

I think the Warrior squash and being the only one to be punished for the curtain call actually had something to do with how Triple H turned out. I can imagine him sitting in a dark room after losing to Salvadore Sincere for the 8th time and saying to himself, "If I get my chance, I'll never let this happen again." It kinda works as long term kayfaybe and probably how he actually felt.

[@scottferguson3842]

Personally, I always thought HHH having to drop the title to Hogan in 2002 was way worse than the Curtain Call punishments (Warrior squash and no King of Ring win.) HHH works his ass off to help beat WCW and return from quad injury and wins title at WM18 only to be told by Vince a week later 'Hey pal, I need you to drop title to Hogan next month.'

[@adribbs]

@@scottferguson3842 Yeah, that sucked too. A lot of moments in between probably led to the "Reign of Terror".

[@jp3813]

@@scottferguson3842 The Warrior squash was before the Curtain Call. Hence, Diesel was still in this show.

[@paulwoodford1984]

if i was triple h i would have been pissed. And became how he did. Making sure he never allowed himself to be made to look bad again

[@119Agent]

I always think this is how Hogan became the master politician. He was held back by Gagne with Bockwinkle as his preferred champion despite Hogan’s popularity. I think he vowed to never give up the top spot if he should get the opportunity.

[@Christopher_Black]

I remember thinking that Savio Vega must be amazing because Vince always went wild about him on commentary. I feel like Vince wanted him to be a big star but he never won the crowd over like he hoped.

[@MrM-u3h]

Can't believe he's still wrestling.

[@katoninedice4141]

The more things change the more they stay the same.

[@Joe90h]

It's crazy how Vince used to control the narrative in such a tangible way back in the day. In more recent years, the only really sustained pushes Vince ever committed to were Roman Reigns and Austin Theory.

[@gunder01]

Ah, you mean CARIBBEAN LEGEND SAVIO VEGA!

[@popwayne677]

That statement is so true. I was so sick of Savio Vega. Lol!!!

[@gabby20399]

Paul Schrader (writer of Taxi Driver) wrote a book about a film style that took advantage of slowness and taking its time in developing plot and/or characters in order to for the audience to get entranced into the film. It was called Transcendental style in film. Whether they intended it or not, Shawn Michael and Bret Hart created a match in Transcendental style. A match that took its time, paced the big moments, and carefully plotted through everything in order to give a engrossing wrestling match for the ages. It may not be for everyone, but once you get in it, you truly appreciate the mastery that Shawn and Bret had. Or the WWF was just starved of main event talent that they had to make an Iron Man match with the only two legit main event talents they had to compensate for the grandness of Wrestlemania. IDK

[@smithandrew051]

Cornette recently said that Vince changes the canvass more frequently than pretty much any other promotion. They’re pretty expensive too. That’s probably why we don’t see many logos on the canvass. I’d guess they get a better deal if they’re all blank.

[@Dynaman21]

Probably orders in bulk too. Bulk, blank canvases. Still, can’t argue with the hygienic benefits.

[@darrelsapp1232]

Brian Last said he'd heard Vince changes the mats after every match now.

[@pigs18]

@@darrelsapp1232 Every show, maybe.

[@pigs18]

They cut up this particular canvass and sold them on commemorative plaques.

[@SpaceGhost92]

@@pigs18no. They stack them on top of each other and literally roll one off after every match. I’ve seen at a tv taping

[@bootsthecat6718]

When you mentioned having to get the Shawn Michaels Zip line entrance no matter who you were playing as, the very first wrestler that I thought would be super awkward doing that was Kane 😂

[@tyrone5969]

Exact same.

[@bhratbrat]

Kane would be awkward. Or heyyyyyyy it's the big show

[@mikeabel7577]

Yokozuna in 1996 would be a sight to see on the zip line.

[@JoeServo]

To me, Warrior squashing Tripps was pretty much the only option. He had to look *strong* in his comeback, he couldn’t comeback as *The Ultimate Warrior* and go toe-to-toe in a competitive brawl with, Jick Gundersthaal, so he had to squash somebody, and it couldn’t just be some complete yahbrone, it had to be somebody credible, a legitimate threat. It’s almost a compliment.

[@jefferyjones8399]

Squashes are just so boring though

[@Joe90h]

He should never have taken the Pedigree. I know it wasn't a protected finisher or anything, but it would have been far less insulting to his opponent if Warrior had powered Triple HHH up into a back body drop or an Alabama Slam and then hit him with the splash. Honestly, WWE should have just never brought him back, but hindsight is 20/20.

[@bradcarver8127]

Luckily that Hunter Hearst Helmsley kid managed to recover a little bit over the years.

[@Joe90h]

@@bradcarver8127 Yeah, by all accounts it was his willingness to do the job to the Warrior that turned his fortunes around... and the curtain call cooled Vince a little longer and we ended up getting Austin's push, so this dumb squash match is weirdly one of the most important in Warrior's career and not because of anything he did XD

[@joshgallie1543]

@@Joe90h I won't say "by all accounts". After all Trips did say in the Destruction of Warrior doc that he was pitching a lot of things for this match to road agent Gerald Brisco but Warrior shot them all down. He also said Warrior was one of the most unprofessional wrestlers he’s ever worked with

[@IndieGamerChick]

I was at this show when I was 6 years old. It was my first live wrestling show, and the thing I remember the most was the fan sitting right in front of us. He had an old Ultimate Warrior shirt. It was a well-loved shirt. Lots of the art on it had been washed off. He had a sign that said THE WARRIOR IS BACK or something generic like that. The Warrior came out and this guy, probably mid 20s, came unglued. He went full pony (screamed himself until he was a little hoarse), then openly wept when the Warrior won. He bent over and cried and cried and cried. He was still crying when the next match started. It was so awkward for everybody around. The fans around him, including my father, reached over and patted the poor guy on the back. You could tell he was really embarrassed that he was so emotional. He was just so happy. I've never seen anyone react like that. I finally understood him when the Golden State Warriors won the 2015 Championship. I cried for weeks. And the Warrior was gone in a couple months. I was a really little kid and I didn't even think about it until he showed up in WCW and I was like "oh right, that one guy. I wonder how he took it when the Warrior just vanished after like two shows?"

[@sumobo7108]

haha what a story

[@LordAsharak]

It was still real to him, damn it!

[@ken_danerdiest1]

From May to July of 1996, the references of Billionaire Ted, Nacho Man, Scheme Gene and Huckster lingers into WCW courtesy of the late Scott Hall whose speech he made during Nitro laid the foundation for what would become the nWo.

[@ChrisWolff2013]

Yet people shit on AEW for taking shots at WWE. Hypocrites.

[@mrterp04]

Yup. It was peak Vince-did no good other than entertaining him. Seriously, was ANY wrestling fan back then saying “I can’t wait to see Vince’s latest takedown of Ted Turner”?

[@southpawslim1]

​@@ChrisWolff2013 how many people did you think were watching back in 1996 that are complaining about it? Not to mention it's 3 months versus over 3 years

[@bigjohnsbreakfastlog5819]

​@@ChrisWolff2013 To play devil's advocate, TNA pretty much made "talking shit about WWE" their entire identity so it's sort of a groan inducing bit.

[@SirRavixofFourhorn]

@@southpawslim1 Bro fans were smartened up by 96 don't kid yourself. Also WWE literally has taken shots at WCW for the better part of the 20 years since its been dead so again chill and stop defending daddy Vince.

[@420benton2]

I absolutely loved the ironman match at WM 12, only thing I would have done differently is to have Shawn and Bret have one pinfall each going into the last part of the match.

[@jayharv285]

Nah 0-0 adds to the drama

[@toptenguy1]

I kind of liked the 0-0 tie. Piper wanted to "get them" by making the match 60 minutes.. But they were so good and evenly matched that it basically ended up not mattering anyway! Joke was on Piper! lol

[@therealangelalexander1858]

​@toptenguy1 The problem is that already in the first ever ironman match, you've thrown out that nil points a piece leading into sudden death card, and every instance afterward is gonna feel less substantial instead of saving the sudden death thing for a later date, in my opinion anyways

[@brandocalrissian3294]

​​@@therealangelalexander1858 I get where you're coming from, but at the time and for the foreseeable future, wwf didn't have 2 guys who could put on a match that consistently good. Like them or not, but HBK and Bret are 2 of, if not the 2 greatest wrestlers of all time.

[@joekuvorkian]

​@@brandocalrissian3294 Austin and Bret would have done just fine

[@MrBeardsley]

Dustin Rhodes tells an amazing story about the Backlot Bra in shoot interviews, at one point in the match he asked Piper to bust him open the hard way. Long story short, there was no blood but Piper broke his hand and Goldust got a concussion. To quote the Iron Sheik, “besides that, everything was great.”

[@thewicked0ne]

I believe I read in Titan Shattered by James Dixon, that in regards to Vader, Vader was already injured when he signed with the WWF, but agreed to work the Rumble, then get surgery after he injured Gorilla, but was asked to come back early from his recovery to work WrestleMania (I'll owe you one, pal"), and that is why they put him in a six man tag match, so he could be protected.

[@thetribalist6923]

I had heard he was injured and that’s part of the reason he needed time off.

[@nickabbott2492]

Yup one of his shoulders was basically destroyed and he could’ve bench press 135 pounds even in the gym

[@DrinkYourNailPolish]

Wrestlemania 12 is a special one for my brothwr and I. We saved up our allowance to buy it and my bro was a huge HBK fan as a kid. I liked both but I cheered for Bret just to tease him. A couple of my brother's friends came over and we had a great time.

[@guillermosierracuellar9812]

Hhh: warrior is such a jerk he buried me, I hated that match Also hhh: I loved that match, it was a honor wrestling him, I have a great respect for him

[@FreeThinkAlways]

Typical wrestling interviews and documentaries

[@realDialFforFilm]

To be fair, I'm sure HHH was pissed about it for a while. But he overcame it and likely patched things up with Warrior before he died. So, I wouldn't say he's contradicting himself; he just naturally changed his mind.

[@tyrone5969]

Especially considering that, since the squash match, Warrior exposed himself as a massively bigoted piece of trash. THAT wasn't a deal breaker, they had to work past the drama of one match they had. He's less worthy of praise now than he was before that squash match.

[@ClaraFinn]

People change over time, it's not really a surprise.

[@Pocketrocket-pj1us]

And Warrior reaped (minus The first e) Santa Clause!! It was in his own line of Comic Books! Check out the derailed review online, by comic expert Linkara & Spooney AkA Noah, a massive wrestling fan. Cheers

[@DaddingAllDay]

Another thing that makes Shawn's entrance so iconic is the flashes going off in the arena. It's a specticle in so many ways. Makes me miss the old live event days pre-cellphone. Flashbulbs everywhere! Made the moments seem greater!

[@JennaLeigh]

I'm a lifelong, die hard Hitman fangirl, so the Iron Man match is, IMHO, for the time, a masterclass. Bret spoke of it in an interview and how they'd booked it in segments. When they got to the point where there was supposed to be 5 minutes left, he checks..... And they are at 5 mins exactly. No, I can't watch it over and over, but it was done beautifully and both men put on a full on clinic that night. Iconic match, and I'm glad you described it the way you did: "If you like WRESTLING, you'll love this match."

[@WAHegle91]

I think there was an Iron Man match between Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit where they treated it more like an hour long spar with several quick falls throughout the hour. I think the Bret Hart vs Shawn Michaels match would’ve benefited more from a pace like that, instead of having only one fall in the entire match and overtime.

[@Larry-dq4ig]

Yea, exactly. Lesnar vs Angle is a great Iron man match as well. I’ve personally never cared for the Iron Man Match with HBK vs Hart because it dragged on too long for my liking with the way the setup was. Especially since it was the first of its kind in WWF. Had they done 2 falls each and then have a tiebreaker, I think it would have been far more watchable for me personally.

[@sx2ap]

Undertaker vs Diesel is an underrated WrestleMania gem of a match

[@mrterp04]

Love how Vince & Lawler “watch” the Billionaire Ted match in MST3k-esque silhouette

[@claymathewselevator8121]

In The Not Too Distant Future

[@TimTE01]

La La La.

[@justinhillenburg9286]

Push the button, Frank!!

[@MosSoSoDef]

Jerry also did great Commentary on the Iron Man match 4 years later at Judgement Day 2000 with HHH vs The Rock

[@claymathewselevator8121]

And Randy Orton vs John Cena 2009 Bragging Rights

[@spiritdetective90]

The best iron man match judgment day 2000

[@gunder01]

Even though he wasn't necessarily thought of as a workhorse in his time, Lawler had a few 60 minute Broadways for the AWA title with Bockwinkel and Hennig.

[@ackattack1002]

Vader says that he needed shoulder surgery, hence the suspension for attacking Monsoon. They tried to rush him back for ‘Mania to wrestle Yoko, but his shoulder was still bad so they did the 6-man to help Vader out and still make good on the Yoko-Vader matchup

[@Dynaman21]

That pre-show was…something. “In the not too distant future, Next Sunday A.D., Vince was trying to compete with Ted since he had all the money…”

[@claymathewselevator8121]

Loved the Mystery Science Theater 3000 reference

[@mrterp04]

“He worked for the WWF But half of his main event already left So he found a middle aged impersonator So he could take out his anger on the guys who work for Turner”

[@yomedeer2695]

I only care for Bret vs Shawn when I was 11 at this time that’s it! This was the only match on the card undertaker match and that’s it the rest was garbage just like WM13 Bret vs Austin was the best match on the cars

[@btipton6899]

Sha la la

[@Dynaman21]

@@mrterp04 “We’ll make cheesy skits. The worst we can find. The fans will have to sit and watch them And Vince will monitor their minds…”

[@Drew791]

I was a huge mark as a child watching this and believing every bit was real; from being in awe to how Bret and Shawn were training / Shawn’s “boyhood dream” to biting my nails during the Iron Man match.

[@holagovito]

This match was like a fine wine. As a kid tape trader, this was a legacy match. Everyone talked about this match. Every Bret vs HBK tape had this match on it. When I was 14, 15, I didn't care for it. I remember being 19, 20 and watching it again and being blown away. HBK and Bret did their jobs that night. They both told a great story but it isn't something I run back to. Trips vs Rock on the other hand, I've probably seen it 5-10 times but that could have more to do with it being the attitude era and all of that. Edit: Conrad mentioned the canvas logos on his podcast, I can't remember if it was with Bruce or Eric but I do remember them talking about WCW would have a big Snickers logo on the canvas of a PPV as opposed to WWF

[@b_side8669]

I was at that wrestlemania I love telling this story . The day before the event my stepdad had taken me to meet & greet Yokozuna & I kid you not the stories are true that he was such a gentle man & very sweet . I was so scared at meeting him . I had hidden behind my mom & he said hey little man don’t afraid i just want to meet you & shake you’re hand & give you an autograph . I still have his autograph to this day . My seats where above the middle section & I’m so glad I had witnessed wwf/e history in the making . I feel though I can’t watch wm12 as much because it makes me sad because a lot of those wrestlers aren’t with us anymore but yet on the other flip side gotten to see all those wrestlers wrestle & the undertaker have a match!!

[@jimmylarson7856]

As far as the canvas goes this was the first time they cut up the canvas after show to make plaques with an image of Shawn celebrating and a piece of the canvas. That’s why they had the logo. During the free for all Dok Hendrix kept plugging it

[@ZombieJesus1987]

That Diesel vs Undertaker match is very underrated. And that Iron Man match was a masterclass IMO. Two of the greatest doing what they do best: wrestle.

[@princealigorna7468]

Nash, for having such a limited move set, could have some really good matches (especially around this time).

[@austinsmith7731]

Kevins one of those guys that when he was motivated and liked who he was working with, could really go

[@ajbahus]

It was remarkable how athletic Nash and Taker were compared to some of the big men who came before them. They worked a really fast pace.

[@jonathanturbide2232]

People bashing a wrestler for not doing a lot of moves simply doesn't understand the art of pro wrestling. It's not about the number of moves you can do, but about working the crowd and the psychology and the storytelling. Lou Thesz could work a headlock for 15 minutes and the crowd was invested, because of the way he did it and sold it. Guys like Nash and Hogan didn't do much, but they did what they had to do very well.

[@MR.__G]

That’s why variety in wrestling is needed. I prefer versatility in the ring. Guys like hbk, eddy, angle, Jericho, rvd, rey are some of my favorites. All of those can put on amazing performances. I’ll take that over nash/hogan any day

[@princealigorna7468]

@@jonathanturbide2232 Actually, after seeing Hogan's stuff in Japan, he actually had a lot more moves than you think. But I get your point. Nash was a favorite growing up because he did know how to work the crowd. He didn't need to do much because what he did, he did so well that nobody cared. Plus he just oozed charisma. Huge, confident, made every move count, worked a lot faster than you'd think, and could talk his ass off. It's just that being older, I can see how limited he was. The man is one of the best at making the most out of what he had, and yeah, that's an art form in itself.

[@cocopuffgames]

Have you ever thought, maybe the Triple H reign of terror was just a result of PTSD from this Warrior burial?

[@madnomad3861]

But he never squashed anyone like that during that reign

[@tyrone5969]

​@@madnomad3861 but I'd rather have had a 3 minute squash than watch him spend 30 minutes stifling someone's career. I'd much rather have a squash match than many of the LONG and BORING and DRAWN-OUT matches where he either buries someone or makes them look weak in their victories. Unless the other people get paid by the move or minute I'm sure they'd prefer it to at certain points.

[@madnomad3861]

@@tyrone5969 losing in a long, competitive match is not a burial

[@8bitgoonies]

Re watched this match myself recently, it re confirmed my thought that these two are possibly the two best in ring performers of all time, everything is so crisp and smooth and real... love this match and these two guys!

[@alexgood1039]

Thanks Brian for giving some shine back to the Iron Man Match, which seems to have taken more of a battering in the KZbin era as being ‘overrated’ etc. I love the match. Yes, there are necessarily some boring spots, yes, you can’t watch it every year, but it’s a masterful work and really feels like a ‘real’ contest. Like you said, if you like ‘wrestling’, you’ll like this match.

[@ZakynthosDiamandis]

Agreed. It does feel real. The Ironman match type and wrestling style was perfect for Bret vs Shawn. I honestly believe the negativity from people that watch it back stems from the audience in attendance not being into it. I'm glad both the competitors look back on this as their favourite match regardless.

[@thekidfromiowa]

Cynics would also point out that 60 minute draws were common in the territories whereas WWF treated it like a novelty. Though in previous decades the Fed had matches longer than that including a whopping 81 minute curfew draw between Bruno Sammartino and Waldo Von Erich at MSG in 1964. Then there's Bruno and Pedro Morales in 75 minute curfew draw at Showdown at Shea '72 as well as a 70 minute curfew draw between Bruno and Gorilla at MSG in 1964. Also Bret had an iron man match with Flair at a house show three years before this. I've posted this before but it seems to have been pulled due to posting a link. A link to a list of 10 longest WWF matches.

[@Couldthinkofabettername]

I like wrestling and I’m not into this match. Next Wrestle Mania he’s gonna review has the best match of all time. No match will ever compare ever.

[@adamandanna]

yeah those hacks Bret and shawn can't live up to the artistry of an Orange cassidy or kenny omega. pfft. Yeah the match is long, but it was a classic. They had even better matches but its very much like the NBA or any pro sport where people say Lebron is the greatest or MJ is but never look back at a Wilt Chamberlain. same thing here, Bret and shawn in ring are great they know how to sell and tell a compelling story. Something that is lacking with a lot of the wrestlers today outside of a select few.

[@Richard__Cranium]

Exactly. A few years ago it became the "cool", hipster thing to call this match overrated. I understand that by standards, the workrate isn't the same but it still definitely holds up. This match was transcendent for the time. And I think a lot of fans don't fully understand just how difficult it is to do any physical activity for 60 minutes straight, let alone pro wrestling. Let alone, pro wrestling in the main event of the biggest show of the year where you HAVE to be at your best. This match is a classic. Probably my personal favorite.

[@robbyburns]

The first good Undertaker match at Wrestlemania vs. Diesel, a really good big man vs. big man match.

[@nygma619]

I'd go further and say it's undertaker first good match period, given what he worked with to this point. And it's with Kevin Nash no less.

[@lutherheggs451]

@@nygma619 Because in no universe was Kevin Nash anything close to the level of awful that smarks think he was. Yeah you could tell when he didn't feel like wrestling but the guy was good when he had someone good to work with.

[@nygma619]

@Luther Heggs I wouldn't call Kevin nash awful, except in his late career. At times he had a penchant for being lazy. I just found it ironic that nash was the one more motivated to have a good match with undertaker when taker wrestled bret 2 months ago. Though tbf as I've gotten older I've found myself empathizing with nash's p.o.v. a little more. If I can make more money doing less of killing myself doing it, I totally will understand that mentality of not putting your body through torture if you don't have to.

[@victoryusmc]

Brian Zane linking 5 other older videos to this one, classic!

[@SSNESS]

Austin’s white boots make me puke

[@CeeMigoLoCo]

🤣🤣🤣 Just picturing unmasked Kane, or "Good Ol' Glenn Jacobs" coming down the zipline for a Wrestlemania main event in real life would be an absolute CLASSIC and very ICONIC moment in Wrestlemania history my dude! The fans were totally robbed of that moment dammit!! 😂 I was dyin' when I heard you mention that Brian lol. I'm still crackin' up just picturing that in my head! Omg 🤣

[@marvellis6762]

Outstanding match in my view. Stamina and endurance in the highest order and both Bret and Michaels were in peak prime condition

[@tinotica]

Correction to Brian’s comment at 7:20. Razor Ramon wasn’t done yet with the WWF as he competed at the next In Your House ppv before leaving

[@psydave2000]

I look forward to these all week!

[@claymathewselevator8121]

Same

[@11sdownie]

Love the Ironman match. Two guys who actually understand wrestling.

[@versebuchanan512]

Jacob the Snakob still makes me chuckle the same way Rock "The Dwayne" Johnson does

[@scottferguson3842]

I believe Bret did the inverted back breaker twice in the match but other than that no other moves were repeated. That's pretty amazing for a 63 min match. Also, execution was perfect and excitement continues to build and build to the finish. Doesnt seem like 60 mins while you're watching. But, these two are GOATS so it's no real suprise they did well.

[@guillermosierracuellar9812]

Vince: it's the Hollywood blackot braaaaa

[@CallumRSU30]

YOU BARELY COVERED THE BEST BIT OF THE SHOW! Jose Lothario coming out as Fink does the ring entrance for Shawn Michaels! Comedy gold! Imagine watching with your friends as this old guy coming down the ring appears to be the guy in the main event! 😂😂

[@sunshineholmes3487]

I remember when Jose came out some long haired dude in the crowd yelled at him saying "What the hell, man?!".

[@christianouellette1006]

It wasnt the end of Razor. He put Vader over the next month at In Your House Good Friends Better enemies.

[@darrelsapp1232]

I watched the Iron Man match on PPV when I was 16 and it never felt like it was an hour long. Even after multiple rewatches, it never felt slow or boring. It was a great match.

[@BigO2daG]

AT LAST! FINALLY! Ive been asking for this PPV my whole W³-Fan career. This is the First wrestling event ive ever seen. I was like 3 years old and my uncle had it on VHS.I always liked the 6 Man Tag Match and the Ultimate fn Warrior

[@chocolateface4885]

Unforgivable!!!

[@boopdoopsheboop1657]

Fun fact: the Cruiserweight Classic had logos printed on the canvas.

[@claymathewselevator8121]

Crazy to think Cedric Alexander Noam Dar and Drew Gulak are only remaining CWC wrestlers who are still in WWE

[@claymathewselevator8121]

I loved The Hollywood Backlot Brawl reminded me of a real life video game

[@josephmiga]

"Taker hits the current school" lmao

[@philipglover3295]

Eric Bishoff actually said WCW didn’t really care about the Billionaire Ted Skeches and Ted Turner found them funny which I think says more about him than anything

[@stevep6317]

The iron man match is hands down my favorite pro wrestling match of all time. My two favorite wrestlers going at it for a full hour, plus the tie breaker thing, plus the title change. And that zipline entrance... it just has it all. Technical, fast and slow paced moments, emotional... I love it

[@jacobarmour8497]

Wrestlemania X8 next review ( Most underrated Wrestlemania’s of all time) and Wrestlemania 22 ( BIG TIME!)

[@aztecwrrior1997]

10:51 RIP Tim White

[@brianthebrute92]

Ah yes, who could forget the great 'Marc Murrow' 🤣 I always pop when I watch that backstage segment 🤣

[@justkeating8399]

12 year old me thought the phrase “quit calling me brother, BROTHER!!!” From fake Hulkster was one of the most hilarious things I have ever heard in my life up to that point

[@MGTV1]

17:41 wrong guy, zany....lol. piper did all that to goldie, not the other way around...

[@ian-wy5fw]

Been waiting a long time for this one, fantastic work as always. Best wrestling youtube channel

[@stevewardlaw]

The WrestleMania XII Iron Man match between Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels is the greatest wrestling match of all-time. The story they told, months of build up, entrances, pacing, conditioning, flying, the ending, it was one perfect moment in time, with two amazing rivals at their peak, still respecting each other in 1996.

[@ArchangelSteve]

I honestly think that the Iron Man match would've been better remembered if there'd at least been two falls in there, one each, that way you still get the drama of a draw at the end but there's still something to keep the fans excited and build some tension during the hour.

[@antoinestroman3431]

I saw the match live in 96, as my brother ordered it on PPV. I was in single digit age, and it kept my attention. I was captivated. I have not seen nor had a desire to see it since.

[@carloshill]

I loved the Ironman match my only gripe was that their was no pinfalls outside of just the one. But looking back it did play into the story they were telling

[@douglasferguson5474]

I absolutely loved the zip line reference because the same thing happened to me but with triple h

[@jordanhass]

Today is my birthday and WrestleMania 12 was the very first wrestling thing I've ever seen that got me into it. Thank you Brian for this wonderful surprise! You've made my day that much better!

[@jasonwilcoxen4121]

That's Here Comes the Pain you're thinking of.

[@thomasferraro479]

Ultimate Warrior was my fav wrestler as a kid, so seeing him squash Triple H was great to me

[@zackmeece4723]

I love giving the classic reviews my grade and then seeing how u grade them. Was spot on here with the C+ grade lol

[@1ntelligentDiscourse]

I'm definitely on the "all-time classic" side, but I've probably watched and enjoyed more 60 minute draws than the average bear. I do think going to overtime with 0 falls was a mistake for the first Iron Man Match, but the actual viewing experience is top notch in my book.

[@Bassmanhill84]

Watched it Live when I was 12 . That Iron man match had such a great build. Like out of a rocky movie! Sometimes hard to get through, but whoa what an ending and Sudden death! The right decision was made ! Also loved Taker vs Diesel ! That build ruled ! Diesel in a casket? Amazing ! And the HBB was great tv! Pipers punches sounded so hard on Dusts head! Wasn't a bad PPV at all!

[@slashandbones13]

I think the difference is that ratings wise, WCW and WWF (at the time) was a true competition and both sides were taking shots equally.

[@Skynertia]

One of the only "classics" that actually stood the test of time. Crisp movements, perfect technical wrestling, perfect selling, perfect execution, possibly the best in-ring duo of all time in the ring. No need for high spots, weapons, or bending of the rules. Just two guys who did exactly what the job was, and they did it perfectly. The only drawback you ever hear about the match is that is had too much "dead time", I would advise people who haven't actually seen the match to go watch it, scan through it, the only "dead time" is the 5 seconds after a big spot, ie. actually selling that your opponents attacks are effective. 10/10, if this match happened in Japan in 2018 it would've gotten a 6 star rating from Uncle Dave edit: just looked, of course it got a 4.25 lmao

[@SpaceGhost92]

Oh are you kidding me? If this match was in the Tokyo dome it’s automatic 6 maybe 7 stars from big uncle Dave.

[@chrisanderson3387]

I remember watching this mania over and over. Gave me my first love for wrestling

[@manxinsomniac]

This was the first wrestlemania I watched recorded live, that Shawn Michaels entrance is an all time classic.

[@leon501]

I think your review of the iron man match is really fair, i've always enjoyed this match and i generally enjoy mat wrestling more but i can see why some don't enjoy it as much, my main issue is kinda like you said the fact it's an iron man match removes any drama from it, if this was just a match that went that length of time kind of like Flair Steamboat it would be considered an absolute classic. Ironman matches remove any drama which i feel they tried to put back into this by having no falls but they shoudl have just made it a standard match and done the same thing

[@kenterminateddq5311]

22:59 I feel the same sentiments with Brian Zane about the Ironman match with Shawn and Bret. Its not as "overrated" as people think. If you want a match full of crazy high spots, you won't get much here. However, if you like a match full of holds and storytelling (aka the 70s-early 80s style), then the Shawn vs Bret: Ironman match is for you.

[@rogueprince1341]

I turned 13 the day this happened and it was the first wrestling ppv I ever saw. It was a birthday gift from my grandfather. We use to watch Superstars every Saturday. It was heart breaking watching Bret lose on on birthday though.

[@briancanfield2968]

So did I!

[@dallascowboysnumber1fan]

I was 10 here but my first pay per view was wrestlemania 9

[@TAGibby]

I remember getting my little cousins to sit down and watch the Bret/Shawn iron man match because at the time I told them it was "the greatest wrestling match ever" and they were curious about professional wrestling. We got maybe 20 minutes in and they were extremely bored and left to go do something else. It was my mistake. I should never have introduced WWE to them with a 60 minute technical wrestling match. Especially to kids. Lesson learned.

[@nick-ou1tz]

I know what you mean. Depending on who, my go to for tist match is foely orton backlash 04, aj VS Brock from survivor series or rvd VS Cena at ONS

[@Joe90h]

I'd probably go for one of the big, multi-man ladder matches. Maybe not one of the earlier ones with all the shots to the head and bleeding, though. Or one of the better Royal Rumbles.

[@nu-metalfan2654]

@TAGibby. You never try and get a non wrestling fan to watch a technical style match, it will never work. The best way to try and convert non fans is the first 4 TLC matches.

[@jefferyjones8399]

It’s crazy because I remember seeing the iron man match as a pretty young kid and I was completely captivated by it

[@TAGibby]

@@jefferyjones8399 Was that the first wrestling match you ever watched though? Because that was theirs and it was a bad first impression.

[@Majinfoose]

Them using the OJ footage is what killed kayfabe for me as a child. I was like, "wait, that's OJ", and part of me died

[@coreyhendricks9490]

The Iron Man Match Is The Standout Of This Wrestlemania 💯

[@marcohavokkhaos]

The first Ironman is never boring. If you can go 60 mins, and make it entertaining, then that proves how good of a wrestler you are. Two of the best, 4 stars is a perfect rating.

[@dizzy1369]

I loved the billionaire ted stuff 🤣🤣🤣

[@SeanPierceJohnson]

I was in the Pond for this one! What an amazingly fun night. Wish I could've swung going to Mania this year in LA but alas. Looking back, I totally didn't understand the footage for the Hollywood Brawl...eff me I was still in single digits...but looking back it's some seriously funny and creative use of the footage. The Warrior Pop was indeed loud. The Iron Man match was a huge deal for young me and I was so sad Bret lost. And man, Sunny sure was something...sad to see life take its toll on her.

[@brandocalrissian3294]

I love this match. It's literally got everything in it. Yeah, I understand the argument of it being slow at times, but taking in everything involved with the story, it's still extremely enjoyable to watch. For sure in my top 10.

[@Imac7065]

Have a soft spot for this WM.... I can still remember watching it scrambled on my old cable box as a little kid. Back in the 90's if you had cable, the PPV channels were picture scrambled, but you could still hear the audio... so I watched WM12 as a radio broadcast lol... today's kids will never know

[@JDotWill]

The difference between the Billionaire Ted videos & any random jackoff in AEW taking a shot at WWE is that WWE & WCW were actually in a heated competition. It’s not like WCW never took shots at the WWF.

[@undertakernumberone1]

WCW announced the Raw Results on camera.

[@lancethefilmguy9392]

​@@undertakernumberone1 This 💯 Let's not pretend that WCW were saints who were being bullied by WWE.

[@gunder01]

No, but all of the WWF's framing of the war as little old Vince against ruthless corporate raider Ted Turner is 100% pure bullshit revisionist history: It was the WWF who locked WCW out of buildings that they hadn't run in years It was the WWF who tried to get WCW banned by athletic commissions and thrown off television because of "barbaric" blading It was the WWF who treated the cable companies like their own personal racket after they counterprogrammed the first two Turner PPVs It was the WWF who tampered with NWA/WCW contracts on an industrial scale At their lowest ebb (a year to 14 months before this), the WWF had to cut their house show schedule from three crews to two, start running smaller arenas, and give up some syndicated TV spots. Hardly the edge of oblivion. And Nitro hadn't even started yet! Actually, you could argue that with today's audience dynamics and variety of platforms, AEW is as much of a threat to WWE's market dominance as WCW was for almost its entire existence, except for 1996-97. And none of that was due to Turner; WCW couldn't even get Turner broadcasting to promote *them*, let alone conspire against the competition!

[@lancethefilmguy9392]

@@gunder01 You could say the same backwards my friend. If anyone actually thinks that WCW were innocent in the Monday Night War then that's another example of Revisionist History. This is the same WCW that gave away the results of Raw every Monday Night. The same WCW also got talent from them to create Nitro. Not to mention ECW talents were the first casualty in the war between WWE & WCW. They also booked themselves into a corner which is one of the many reasons why they aren't here today. Am I defending WWE? No because like you said, they aren't innocent either. However, I think fans defend WCW because they miss them and wrestling hasn't been the same since the early 00s. With all due respect to AEW, the ratings say otherwise.

[@gunder01]

@Lance The Film Guy If by "casualty", you mean, "got paid in actual currency instead of rubber cheques and 3-month-old IOUs," then yeah, the ECW guys really suffered from a bidding war between WCW and the WWF. What? My point is that the specific grievances that the WWF had against "Ted Turner" (who didn't actually have anything to do with WCW day-to-day, besides advocating for them to be on his networks) were ridiculous at the time and even moreso in hindsight. Anyone who believes that the WWF was in serious jeopardy from WCW's "practices" at any point is just deluding themselves. Practices which basically amounted to paying the wrestlers like pro athletes and agreeing in writing to cover medical expenses (those BASTARDS!) are really not the same as the sustained and vindictive efforts that Vince put into fucking with WCW from 1988 until the end. And yet, the point about AEW is damning with faint praise because there was just as much real "competition" for most of that time as there is now. WCW was serially incompetent, institutionally racist and a bunch of other things, but did you really think they engaged in corruption on a par with Vince McMahon, of all people? Surely you jest.

[@Insaneman22]

Love the classic reviews. This one brings back memories of listening to the PPV through the fuzz like you used to be able to do.

[@G33kCulture]

This show is one of the main reasons I'm a wrestling fan today. Thanks for reviewing this show, made being a patron all those years worth it!

[@michaelgraham5181]

I loved this match when I was a kid but I have to admit I was totally devastated when bret lost but for me the iron man match with triple h and the rock was a far more exciting iron man match

[@fattiger6957]

I haven't seen WM12 in probably 20 years when I rented it from Blockbuster. I remember liking the Iron Man match, but I keep hearing people complain about it online. I never really believed the hate. I think I would probably still like it. It's just you have to put yourself into the mindset of what 90s wrestling when you watch it. In-ring work has changed so much in the nearly 30 years since WM12 that of course if wouldn't be good when you compare it to what guys are doing now. But it was outstanding for the time.

[@jennybyford8071]

I was disappointed it went 0-0 I was looking forward to the strategy of gaining points, was my first Ironman match I’d seen after hearing about them and was a huge fan of both. I think the Undertaker vs Diesel stole the show (I didn’t know he was leaving so I wasn’t sure who was winning). And is an underrated gem.

[@for111]

"Geriatric" - At the time, Hulk Hogan was five years older than Roman Reigns is now.

[@guillermosierracuellar9812]

I did the hbk wm entrance with Goldberg in here comes the pain

[@claymathewselevator8121]

That would be an interesting visual 🤣

[@claymathewselevator8121]

Now I want Shawn Michaels to do a Goldberg entrance 🤣

[@danielhess1082]

One of the issues with this Ironman match vs what are considered superior Ironman matches like Kurt vs Brock on Smackdown in 2003 or Rock vs Triple H at judgment day 2000, was that it was more or less a face vs face dynamic which can be tricky to pull off. Shawn was considered the underdog since he was trying to achieve the "boyhood dream". I think they could have added more suspense if they added pins or subs. They could have ended it with a tie with Michaels trying to get Brett to Submit but failing to do so with time expiring and finished the same way. Somehow I feel there was probably some politicking behind the scenes for them to go to a no falls finish.

[@TheHarv68]

I absolutely make it a point to rewatch the Iron Man match every few years. Still one of my favorite Mania main events