WrestleMania XII
| WrestleMania XII | |||
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| File:Logo-wm12.jpg | |||
| Promotion | World Wrestling Federation | ||
| Date | March 31, 1996 | ||
| City | Anaheim, California | ||
| Venue | Arrowhead Pond | ||
| Attendance | 18,853 | ||
| Pay-per-view chronology | |||
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WrestleMania XII was the twelfth WrestleMania event promoted by the World Wrestling Federation. It took place on March 31, 1996 at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, California.
The main attraction of this WrestleMania was the novelty of the WWF championship match that was guaranteed to last at least one hour. On-screen WWF president "Rowdy" Roddy Piper had announced on an edition of "Monday Night RAW" that reigning champion Bret Hart, who had retained the WWF Championship against Diesel at WWF In Your House in February 1996, must defend the title against Shawn Michaels, who had won the 1996 Royal Rumble and had defeated Owen Hart at February's In Your House for the right to keep the WrestleMania title shot in the first ever "WWF Iron Man Match"; whereby the winner would be the man with the most decisions over a sixty minute time limit.
The main event was built on Bret Hart wanting to retain the WWF Championship against Shawn Michaels, who had suffered a number of setbacks over the course of the previous year, including losing at WrestleMania XI, being accosted by a group of thugs at a Syracuse, New York nightclub, forfeiting the WWF Intercontinental Championship at In Your House in October 1995 to Dean Douglas, suffering a (kayfabe) concussion at the hands of Owen Hart, and being betrayed by close friend Diesel at a house show at Madison Square Garden.
Results
- Free for All match: The Bodydonnas (Skip and Zip) (w/Sunny) defeated The Godwinns (Henry and Phineas) (w/Hillbilly Jim) to win the vacant WWF Tag Team Championship (5:21)
- Skip pinned Phineas.
- Free for All match: Nacho Man fought The Huckster to a no-contest
- Special Referee: Billionaire Ted
- This was taped before the show.
- Camp Cornette (Vader, The British Bulldog and Owen Hart) (w/Jim Cornette) defeated Yokozuna, Jake Roberts and Ahmed Johnson (12:51)
- Vader pinned Roberts after a Vaderbomb.
- Steve Austin (w/Ted DiBiase) defeated Savio Vega (10:00)
- Austin pinned Vega after striking him repeatedly with the Million Dollar Belt.
- The Ultimate Warrior defeated Hunter Hearst Helmsley (w/Sable) (1:36)
- Warrior pinned Helmsley after a Warrior Splash.
- This was Warrior's first WWF appearance since 1992 and Sable's WWF debut.
- The Undertaker (w/Paul Bearer) defeated Diesel (16:46)
- Undertaker pinned Diesel after a Tombstone Piledriver.
- Roddy Piper defeated Goldust in a "Hollywood Backlot Brawl"
- There was no clear-cut winner, nor had any of the rules of the match been explained in the weeks leading up to the event. The contest had begun in an alleyway behind the Arrowhead Pond where Goldust escaped in a gold Cadillac, with Piper giving chase. Approximately one hour later, Goldust returned to WrestleMania XII with Piper on his trail. The two brawled inside the ring until Goldust finally ran and Piper allowed him to escape. The entire match (except for the finish) was taped before the event.
- Shawn Michaels (w/Jose Lothario) defeated Bret Hart in an Iron Man match to win the WWF Championship (1:01:52)
- Michaels pinned Hart after two Sweet Chin Musics.
- The match originally ended in a 0-0 draw until WWF President Gorilla Monsoon entered the ring and ordered the match to continue under sudden death rules.
- Michaels descended to the ring on a zip-line.
Other on-screen talent
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Notes
- The match between Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels is the longest match in the history of WrestleMania.
- Portions of the Hollywood Backlot Brawl used stock footage of the LAPD Freeway Chase involving O.J. Simpson.
- The WrestleMania XII logo is a parody of the 20th Century Fox logo.
- This was the only WrestleMania to feature only one championship match (excluding the Free for All match).
- The event is the only WrestleMania to feature a logo on the ring canvas. Following the event, the canvas was cut into segments and sold through the WWF's retail shopping number.