30 Week Journey: Wrestlemana V (1989)

The Lapsed Fan has reached week five of its 30-week Wrestlemania trek, and thus your hosts come to the conclusion of one the most perfectly-told stories in WWF history, as Hulk Hogan and Macho Man Randy Savage collided – nay, exploded – after an unforgettable, drawn-out tension.

Jack Encarnacao and JP Sarro take a deep – too deep? – dive into the gritty environs of Atlantic City for the second consecutive year, assessing what made Hogan v. Savage the apex of pro wrestling storytelling, and why the feud was so powerful it would engulf both legends’ careers forever.

Revisit the 1989 extravaganza from all angles, including:

- “Jealous eyes”
- Randy Savage’s obsession with Hulk gets so bad he actually puts out a diss track
- The extra dimension the feud gave to the, up to that point, flat Hogan hero character
- Rockin Robin doesn’t quite rock it
- Rick Rude takes Ultimate Warrior to the next level
- The Wrestlemania debut of Mr. Wrestlemania; let the missile dropkicks commence
- The best clothesline in Wrestlemania history
- Bushwackers chow down, lick the nervous sweat off Sean Mooney’s head
- Curt Hennig v. Owen Hart
- Why the Run DMC and Morton Downey Jr. appearances didn’t work
- The relative merits of No Holds Barred
- Just why Donald Trump saw fit to bring in a team of seismologists for this night

That and so, so, so, so, so, so much more, including reflections from wrestling guru Dave Meltzer, on the fifth installment of The Lapsed Fan’s Wrestelmania journey. Do you dare download?