What if Flair stuck around for Wrestlemania 9

[dirtyoldman]

Another what if scenario around the classic wrestlemania, number 9.

So Perfect and Flair had a loser leaves match after the Rumble, but what If somehow Flair was able to stay to Wrestlemania 9 and have the match there? How does that shake up the card and would it make it a better PPV?

That would leave LEx Luger without an opponent. So how about he goes up against Tantanka and takes his undefeated streak? Ok, but then Shawn has lost his intercontential opponent? How about Crush forgets about his Doink match and gets a title shot? Doink interfers and costs him the victory.

A better card already? Do we wanna mix in that other what if of Macho Man winning the rumble?

[Aceorton]

Luger never had an establishing "warmup" PPV match to showcase him before they threw him into the program with Perfect. Always thought that was pretty weird. So you could easily do Flair vs. Perfect with the retirement stip and then give Luger a five-minute glorified squash against one of the many babyfaces who didn't make the card: Duggan, Typhoon, Kamala, Santana, etc. Luger knocking one of those guys out with the forearm could have been a memorable WM moment to build him up more as heel (although all of that was out the window three months later anyway).

Does that make the show run long? Razor vs. Backlund was expendable, but Razor deserved a place on the show, so that's tricky. You could always work him into the Flair/Perfect story somehow, since he'd been aligned with Flair against Perfect. Maybe plant the seeds for his babyface turn a little earlier by having him "accidentally" cost Flair the match and force him out of the WWF.

[dirtyoldman]

Ok, let's give this a whack..a new Wrestlemania 9 card

WWF title Match
Bret Hart vs MAcho Man Randy Savage
(Bret wins)

WWF tag Team match
Money Inc vs Mega Powers
(hmmm...maybe a Hogan/Brutus title win as theres no WWF title match for Hulk)

WWF Intercontential
Shawn Michaels Vs Crush
(michaels wins after Doink interference)

Loser leaves Town match
Mr Perfect vs Ric Flair
(Perfect wins)

Lex Luger vs Tatanka
(Luger takes the win)

number 1 contender at KOTR for the WWF title
Yokozuna vs Bob Backlund
(2 runner ups from the Royal Rumble, Yoko destroys Backlund)

Razor Ramone vs Owen Hart
(can't leave Razor off, needs a PPv after losing at the rumble)


and we still have our Untertaker vs Gonzallis and the Steiner/Head Shrinkers match

[Clash, Never a Meter Maid]

I figure he has the “Loser Leaves WWF” match in Vegas. He probably leaves shortly afterwards anyway as he was likely dropping down to either the IC title picture and/or managing, so he opted to go with a Jim Herd-free WCW instead.

I don’t see Luger having a major opponent with Ric on the card. He either does some poses or he K.O’s Jim Powers in like a minute.

[Jindrak Mark]

Maybe they finally do Hogan v Flair as a special attraction/double main event thing. It would be a year past when it would have mattered most and both were on the way out but would still probably have felt like a bigger deal than the Money Inc tag match that ended in DQ.

[chrom]

Jan 26, 2024 15:51:26 GMT -5 Clash, Never a Meter Maid said:

I figure he has the “Loser Leaves WWF” match in Vegas. He probably leaves shortly afterwards anyway as he was likely dropping down to either the IC title picture and/or managing, so he opted to go with a Jim Herd-free WCW instead.

I don’t see Luger having a major opponent with Ric on the card. He either does some poses or he K.O’s Jim Powers in like a minute.

Since they loved to trot out Virgil and have him get his butt kicked by the new heel, just let him be Luger's punching big for two or three minutes.

[OGBoardPoster2005]

The Raw match would be at Mania instead.

They hinted at Bret vs Ric at Rumble early on but pivoted fast to Razor. My guess is Ric put in notice about that time.

Had he stayed, he faces Perfect while Luger, I would have had face Tito on the PPV. Give him a worker who can bump around and show Lex's effectiveness.

[tirtefaa]

Ric Flair vs. Undertaker would have been interesting here.

I mean, why does it need to be Mr. Perfect beating Flair to get him to leave?

Having Flair leave in a casket would have been a fun memorable exit.

The rest of the Wrestlemania card stays the same. Heck, this one change actually would make the whole show a lot better.

[J. Hova]

I like having Perfect and Flair in a retirement match at WM. Move Luger to work with Tito. I'd have the Mega Powers go over Money, Inc since you know, Hogan must pose. I'd still keep the salt spot finish in Bret and Yoko with Yoko going over. I don't know who the Mega Powers would drop the title to between WM and KOTR, but I'd need that to happen since I would book Hogan and Yoko with the same finish to write Hulk out, brother. Build to WM rematch with new KOTR Bret Hart. Hart goes over, you never have the All American Lex Luger.

[hassanchop]

With Flair against Perfect, Luger takes on Owen Hart planying the seeds for a feud with Bret. During a conference earlier Luger knocked out Bret with the forearm so it writes itself. And for good measure Luger knocks out Owen's partner at the time Koko B. Ware.

[sarkerpolseng]

Off topic, but rebooking Razor at WM 9 isn't as easy as I thought.

[nickcave]

It's a shame Lugar was already debuting as a heel because a Flair-Luger program for WM 9 would have been cool

[Stu]

Tossing in Bam Bam Bigelow just came back, so we could add him to the equation.

And not sure if Marty was on the outs by this point, but he also could've been Luger's or Razor's punching pag.

[fw91]

Just a nitpick- Hogan and Beefcake were the Mega Maniacs not the Mega Powers.

Anyway
1)WWE championship- Bret Hart vs Randy Savage(rumble winner)
2) Tag Champs- Money Inc vs Hogan and Beefcake
3) Undertaker vs Giant Gonzalez
4) Ric Flair vs Mr.Perfect Retirement Match
5) Lex Luger vs Tatanka
6) Yokozuna vs Tito Santana in a squash
7) Doink vs Crush
8) IC Title Match- Shawn Michaels vs Jim Duggan
9) Razor Ramon vs Bob Backlund
10) Steiner Brothers vs Headshrinkers

[Futureraven: Beelzebruv]

If we're not having Yoko win the title here, I'd use Hacksaw with him at Mania.

In Feb they'd done the injury angle which to little me was INTENSE.

Have this as Hacksaw's big return for revenge... that he promptly still loses making Yoko look like even more of an absolute monster.

So mine goes:

Bret v Savage
Perfect v Flair
Mega Maniacs v Money Inc.
Yoko v Hacksaw
HBK v Tatanka
Crush v Doink
Steiners v Headshrinkers
Taker v Gonzalez
Luger v Owen

Trying to not go completely against reality here. If I was, Gonzalez would be out, maybe have Bam Bam in that spot, a better match, I think he could get over the loss by taking out Tatanka over the summer like what really happened, and there's a natural theme of fire v darkness I think they could really get their teeth into.
Razor v Tito

[chrom]

Jan 27, 2024 12:59:39 GMT -5 Stu said:

Tossing in Bam Bam Bigelow just came back, so we could add him to the equation.

And not sure if Marty was on the outs by this point, but he also could've been Luger's or Razor's punching pag.

Believe he was out again by then

[bob]

Bret Hart vs Yokozuna - Bret retains

Lex Luger vs Bob Backlund - glorified 10 minute squash

Bam Bam Bigelow vs Owen Hart - Bam Bam wins

Razor Ramon vs Macho Man Randy Savage - Razor wins

Ric Flair vs Mr. Perfect - Flair wins via holding the tights

Doink the Clown over Crush - same finish

Money Inc. over Beekcake and Hogan - same finish

Shawn Michaels vs Tatanka - Tatanka wins the IC championship

The Undertaker vs Jerry Lawler - Taker

The Headshrinkers vs The Steiner Brothers - same finish

[cjh]

Jan 27, 2024 1:47:07 GMT -5 hassanchop said:

With Flair against Perfect, Luger takes on Owen Hart planying the seeds for a feud with Bret. During a conference earlier Luger knocked out Bret with the forearm so it writes itself. And for good measure Luger knocks out Owen's partner at the time Koko B. Ware.

Owen had an injured knee at the time.  He was supposedly at the show but on crutches.

[Non Banjoble Tokens]

Wrestlemania IX

WWF World Championship
Bret "Hitman" Hart vs. Hulk Hogan w/ Jimmy Hart

WWF Intercontinental Championship
Shawn Michaels vs. Mr. Perfect

WWF Tag Team Championship
Money Incorporated vs. The Nasty Boys

Ric Flair vs. "The Narcissist" Lex Luger

The Undertaker w/ Paul Bearer vs. Bam Bam Bigelow

Yokozuna w/ Mr. Fuji vs. "Macho Man" Randy Savage

Razor Ramon vs. Crush

Bob Backlund vs. Jerry "The King" Lawler

Tatanka, Kamala, & Tito Santana vs. Papa Shango, Doink The Clown, & Damien Demento

['Foretold' Joker]

I'd run it like this keeping a lot of it the same for various reasons and or spectacle.

Bret Hart vs Yokozuna - Yoko wins: Hogan comes out to challenge, but Ric Flair screws Hogan out of his victory (again) keeping Yoko as champ. End of Wrestlemania 9 is Hogan running Ric Flair out of the stadium, while WWF President Jack Tunney rips up his contract much to the dismay of Bobby Heenan.

Papa Shango vs The Big Boss Man

Mr. Perfect & Tito Santana vs Ric Flair & Lex Luger (w/Bobby Heenan) - Faces win, by countout.

The Undertaker vs Gonzalez - same finish

Shawn Michaels vs Tatanka - Tatanka wins, new IC Champ

Money Inc. over Beekcake and Hogan - same finish

Razor Ramon vs Hacksaw Jim Duggan w/Sgt Slaughter in his corner - Razor wins

Crush vs Doink - same finish

The Headshrinkers vs The Steiner Brothers - same finish

(pre-show dark match ) Bob Backlund vs Rick Martel - no result. The Berserker interferes and throws both of them over the top rope for no reason 'huss'!