Wrestlemania 6, which aired on pay-per-view on April 1, 1990, represented a series of firsts. It marked the first Wrestlemania to be held outside of the U.S., instead being held at the SkyDome in Toronto before a then-record SkyDome crown of 67,678. It was the first Wrestlemania main event to feature two babyfaces. And it marked the first time that both the WWE world title and the Intercontinental title were on the line in the same match.
Here's the backstory for each match, from the opener to the main event:
Koko B. Ware vs. “The Model” Rick Martel
This was a tale of two wrestlers whose careers were going in opposite directions. Martel had just finished a major feud with his former tag team partner Tito Santana and would find himself involved in another big feud later in the year with Jake “The Snake” Roberts. Ware, meanwhile, was definitely on the downslope. He was the first wrestler eliminated at the 1990 Royal Rumble, didn’t appear on PPV at Summerslam 1990, was quickly eliminated by The Undertaker at Survivor Series 1990, and lost to The Mountie at Royal Rumble 1991 in a match where the crowd was silent. Ware was briefly given a lifeline in 1992 when he was teamed with Owen Hart to form the tag team “High Energy,” but they were never really given a push.
The Colossal Connection (Andre the Giant and Haku) vs. Demolition (Ax and Smash) for the WWE Tag Team Championship
This was a rematch from free TV on Dec. 30, 1989, when TCC dominated from bell to bell to win the tag team titles in a major upset. The rematch would prove to be Andre’s final TV/PPV appearance before making a surprise appearance at Wrestlemania VII.
Hercules vs. Earthquake
Earthquake was being billed as WWE’s next monster heel and him being matched with Hercules was the perfect next step. Though Hercules was slowly on the path to enhancement talent, he was still well known with fans and his “Hercules chain” gimmick was still over with the crowd. Hercules was also considered someone who could match strength with Earthquake and represent his toughest challenge to date.
Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake vs. “Mr. Perfect”
This matchup featured the company’s third-best babyface in Beefcake (after Hogan and Warrior) against Perfect, who just completed a successful house show run with Hogan and who had never lost a match on TV. This program was scheduled to continue into Summerslam 1990 before Beefcake was severely injured in a para-sailing accident that would keep Beefcake out of in-ring competition for three years.
“Rowdy” Roddy Piper vs. Bad News Brown
This match is famous (or rather infamous) for Piper painting half of his body black. This match would prove to be Piper’s final televised match for a while after being moved into the broadcast booth following the sudden firing of Jesse “The Body” Ventura.
The Hart Foundation (Bret “Hitman” Hart” and Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart) vs. The Bolsheviks (Nikolai Volkoff and Boris Zhukov)
The big news surrounding this match was the fact that the Hart Foundation had already challenged the winner of TCC and Demolition for the tag team titles. Later in the year, the Bolsheviks would split up, with Volkoff turning babyface and having a brief feud with his former tag team partner.
Tito Santana vs. The Barbarian
Santana was a wrestler who could have a good match against anybody, and against the Barbarian it was no different. The Barbarian had recently been moved to singles competition, being paired with Bobby “The Brain” Heenan, following a long run with the Warlord as the Powers of Pain.
“The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes and his manager “Sweet” Sapphire vs. “Macho King” Randy Savage and his manager Sensational “Queen” Sherri in a mixed tag match.
This match was best known for the return of Miss Elizabeth, Savage’s former manager who sat in the corner of Rhodes and Sapphire. Earlier in the PPV, Elizabeth—who hadn’t been seen in the WWE since Summerslam 1989—was interviewed by columnist Rona Barrett, in which Elizabeth said that if she did return to the WWE, fans would see her be more active than ever before.
The Rockers (Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty) vs. The Orient Express (Sato and Tanaka)
Don’t confuse this with the epic match these two teams had at Royal Rumble 1991. That match featured Kato (aka Paul Diamond) instead of Sato and went at a fast space throughout. The Wrestlemania VI match with Sato was at a bit of a slower pace. This would prove to be the Orient Express’ only Wrestlemania appearance.
“Hacksaw” Jim Duggan vs. Dino Bravo
This match was mainly used to once again feature Earthquake, who attacked Duggan after the match to further his reputation as the next monster heel.
Jake “The Snake” Roberts vs. “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase
Not only did this match put the finishing touches on an 11-month feud, but it would mark the first time that DiBiase’ Million Dollar Belt was on the line. This was arguably the best match on the card, and after the match Roberts handed out $100 bills to some people who were sitting in the front row, including actress Mary Tyler Moore.
The Big Boss Man vs. Akeem
The match between former tag team partners (they were previously known as the Twin Towers) had a surprising start when DiBiase, who stayed at ringside after his match with Roberts, attacked the Boss Man from behind. The attack was in retaliation to the Boss Man not retrieving the Million Dollar Belt for DiBiase after finding out that Slick—Boss Man’s manager—received payment for getting the belt back for DiBiase.
“Superfly” Jimmy Snuka vs. “Ravishing” Rick Rude
Although Snuka had not won a major match since returning to the WWE, he still had name recognition at this point, had a solid match against DiBiase back at Summerslam 1989, and produced a brief, technical classic with Mr. Perfect at Survivor Series 1989. Meanwhile, Rude was being groomed for his first main event program in the WWE, making Snuka the perfect foil to help launch Rude’s program.
Hulk Hogan vs. The Ultimate Warrior (Title for Title)
Thank matchmaker Pat Patterson for helping make sure that this match lived up to the hype. The crowd was legitimately 50-50 when it came to who to root for, and the match featured moments where both wrestlers dominated. But more importantly, both wrestlers—especially Hogan—worked the crowd beautifully, allowing Hogan and Warrior to work at a steady pace without exhausting themselves. It was, without question, one of the best matches either wrestler ever had.