Welcome, wrestling fans, to yet another engaging eWrestlingNews Question of the Day!
Today’s date holds a significant place in wrestling history. 36 years ago, WrestleMania IV unfolded, and the event saw Macho Man Randy Savage emerge victorious in a tournament for the vacant WWF Championship, finally clinching the title against “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase.
But let us re-imagine history for a moment. Suppose DiBiase had succeeded in acquiring the title that he wished to purchase from Andre the Giant. How would such a reign have been received?
Today’s burning question happens to be “If Ted DiBiase had become the WWF Championship at WrestleMania IV, when and to whom would you have scheduled his loss?”
We welcome your ideas and suggestions in the comments below.
As for my own perspective…
I find the Mega Powers initiative intriguing, and although I do wish DiBiase had been acknowledged as a world champion in WWE history, I feel it would be unavoidable to eventually stage a Savage vs. Hulk Hogan match.
Keeping this in mind, there are two possible alternatives. We could either have Hogan wrest the title from DiBiase and face Savage as the defending champion or have Savage defeat DiBiase and transition into a villain, setting up a similar storyline for WrestleMania V, albeit a less compelling one.
It’s evident that I prefer the first option, as I admire Savage and appreciate his two-time champion legacy. But the idea of moving from DiBiase to Hogan presents logistical issues, as Hogan was preoccupied with the filming of No Holds Barred. Because of this, Savage was crowned champion. It wouldn’t have been feasible to put the title on Hogan during his absence.
One scenario could involve DiBiase squaring off against Savage after WrestleMania until Hogan returned later in the year to reclaim the title. However, this would involve turning Hogan into a villain and portraying Savage as the hero, a move that wouldn’t have sat well with the fans during that period.
Regardless of my desire to change past events such as awarding a world title run to Mr. Perfect and Bam Bam Bigelow or having DiBiase win the title in this case, I believe either The Million Dollar Man wins the title at WrestleMania and quickly loses to Savage, making the switch pointless, or things stay as they were to avoid risking potential timeline disruptions.
My true wish would have been for DiBiase to enjoy a legitimate world title reign, where he arrogantly sets up a tournament for WrestleMania while cleverly excluding himself till the final match. His plan would be to comfortably defeat a fatigued challenger, but a resilient Savage overcomes the odds to triumph over DiBiase in the climax. This scenario would be immensely satisfying.
What’s your take on it? We’d love to hear your thoughts!