#YokoWeek: Essential Viewing

Hulk Hogan vs. Yokozuna

King of the Ring, 1993
WWE Championship

This match righted a lot of wrongs in the early-90’s WWF.

And, you know, spoiler alert.

First off, it undid the terrible ending of WrestleMania 9, which saw Yokozuna defeat Bret Hart for the WWF Championship…then immediately hand the title over to Hulk Hogan, in what can only be described as “The Fingerpoke of Doom…before the actual Fingerpoke of Doom.” It was bad, but this match put the belt right back where it belonged – around the waist of wrestling’s newest monster… a monster who was genuinely over with the crowd.

Second, it killed Hulkamania once and for all in the WWF. At this point, fans were ready for something new, which was clearly evident in the growing popularity of guys like Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart.

And speaking of Bret Hart… this match gave that underdog babyface a top heel to spend the next year chasing, while simultaneously feuding with his spoiled brat of a younger brother. Every good babyface needs a great heel.

Yokozuna, doing God’s work.

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