WrestleMania XII

Infobox Wrestling event
name=WrestleMania XII


promotion=World Wrestling Federation
date=March 31 1996
venue=Arrowhead Pond
city=Anaheim, California
attendance=18,853 [cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wwf/mania.html#XII|title=WrestleMania XII Results|accessdate=2008-02-26|publisher=Pro Wrestling History]
lastevent=
nextevent=
event=WrestleMania
lastevent2=WrestleMania XI
nextevent2=WrestleMania 13

WrestleMania XII was the twelfth WrestleMania event produced 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 last month, 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 his match the previous year at WrestleMania XI, being accosted by a group of thugs at a Syracuse, New York nightclub, forfeiting the WWF Intercontinental Championship at in October 1995 to Dean Douglas, suffering a storyline concussion at the hands of Owen Hart, and being betrayed by close friend Diesel at a house show at Madison Square Garden.

Production

The WrestleMania XII logo is a parody of the 20th Century Fox logo. Portions of the Hollywood Backlot Brawl used stock footage of the LAPD freeway chase involving O.J. Simpson.

Reception

WWE Superstars and fans voted the Iron Man match as the greatest match in WrestleMania history in a show hosted by Ric Flair in 2004.

Results

Other on-screen talent

References

External links

* [http://www.wwe.com/shows/wrestlemania/history/wm12/ The Official Website of WrestleMania XII]
* [http://www.wwe.com/shows/wrestlemania/history/wm12/factsstats/ WrestleMania XII Facts/Stats]