With the launch of the WWE Network in 2015, like a lot of fans at the time, after going through the shows that were my old favourites, or shows and matches that I had always wanted to seek out, I inevitably started a WrestleMania rewatch.
The early WrestleManias were still a blind spot for me at this time. I had only seen select matches on each card, along with the standard highlights that were used in nearly every retrospective or video package. I remember being quite excited to finally watch these historic shows in their entirety, or at least the WWE Network versions of them. Luckily, as we had not quite hit the era of everyone having entrance music, the edits and changes on these versions were not quite as drastic as some of the other shows available on the streaming platform.
Watching through the shows, I remember enjoying them more than I thought I would. My thoughts and opinions were quite general and in line with the common zeitgeist. I thought the first two shows were quite dark and dingy looking, I thought all of the top names of the time stood out as expected, and that the magic of the Golden Era of the WWF shone through, giving a feeling of nostalgia even though these shows all took place before I was born.
Coming out of my WrestleMania rewatch experience, one prevailing thought has stayed with me ever since, and that is that Hercules Hernandez was the standout performer on the early shows. I remember thinking that he was ahead of his time and could easily fit within the modern era. It got to the point where, as I started each new show, I was actively anticipating his match on the card.
Look, it is at this point you may be thinking that I have lost my mind, or at the very least, lost any and all credibility. It is not like I thought he was Mitsuharu Misawa in there, just that he was well above my expectations in ring and really jumped off the screen.
In the years since rewatching these shows, this thought has occasionally popped back into my mind, and has seemed more and more preposterous with each passing year.
While Hercules was a stalwart wrestler for the WWF in the late 80s and early 90s, appearing on most WWF cards of the era and always having at least a semi prominent spot on the shows, you will not see him pop up on many “Best Wrestler” or “top worker” lists, even in publications from the time.
While his body looked like a million bucks, and most likely kept him employed, his body of in ring work left much to be desired.
Could I really have thought that he was the standout performer on these shows?
Was I just looking for something to sink my teeth into?
Did I mix Hercules up with the Dynamite Kid?
Well, it is time to put this theory to the test. In this article, I am going to rewatch all six of Hercules’ WrestleMania matches one by one and decide, once and for all, if 2015 me had a well-honed eye for talent, or if I was wildly off base and need to reevaluate all of my long standing wrestling opinions.
Will Hercules rise to the occasion and prove 2015 me correct, putting in performances that stand out among those of Hogan, Savage, Steamboat and the Bulldogs? Or will he live up to the consensus opinion and, well, wrestle like Hercules? Let us jump into it.
07.04.1986 WWF WrestleMania II
Los Angeles Sports Arena, Los Angeles, California, USA
Ricky Steamboat defeats Hercules Hernandez (7:34)
WrestleMania II, with its odd tagline of “What the World Is Coming To”, was broadcast from three different locations, with sections of the card coming from New York and Chicago before finishing in Los Angeles. Hercules Hernandez, this being the only WrestleMania where he wrestled with his surname intact before it was shortened to just “Hercules”, took on Ricky Steamboat to kick off the Los Angeles portion of the show.
As Steamboat was Hercules’ opponent here, I went into this rewatch assuming it would be my favourite of the six. This was one year before Steamboat’s renowned classic bout with Randy Savage at WrestleMania III, and he was entering his second year with the company after leaving Jim Crockett Promotions in 1985.
The match was off to a frantic start, with Hernandez hitting a running, jumping knee to the back of Steamboat’s head. This was something you would see frequently in 2026, but quite rarely in the WWF in 1986. Hercules followed up with clubbing blows and strikes, all delivered with a great sense of urgency and realism.
I thought Hercules sold incredibly well for Steamboat throughout the match, adding to Steamboat’s babyface fire. The match was structured around spurts of fast paced action, broken up by Steamboat working on Hercules’ arm, before Hercules used his power to regain control.
At different points in the match, Hercules hit a kneeling uppercut and then a huge clothesline that would make a strong style enthusiast blush, before the match came to a close when big Herc came off the top rope for a splash, only for Steamboat to get his knees up and hit a top rope crossbody for the win.
I came out of this match impressed all over again. I thought this was fantastic for the time and place, and I would even consider it good if it were on a show today.
The Dream Team vs. The British Bulldogs was still probably the best match on the card, but Hercules impressed me all the same.
We are off to a great start.
29.03.1987 WWF WrestleMania III
Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan, USA
Billy Jack Haynes vs. Hercules – Double Count Out (7:44)
“Bigger! Better! Badder!” was the tagline for WrestleMania III, and while it may have been apt for the show itself and the main event, it was not quite true for Hercules on this night, as he went to a double count out with Billy Jack Haynes. While you could argue that Hercules was physically bigger, this match was not better than the previous year’s offering and firmly sits in the “badder” category.
The match began with a recap video showing Billy Jack Haynes demanding that Hercules put him in the Full Nelson, before Hercules responded with a cheap shot. The story was simple: we were going to find out who the “true master” of the Full Nelson was. This was followed by a backstage interview with Hercules and his then manager Bobby Heenan, where Hercules claimed to have pulled down the pillars of Rome and made Atlas and Samson cower at his feet thousands of years ago. Were we meant to believe he was the actual Hercules? Did I miss that part?
Haynes was trained by Stu Hart in Calgary before wrestling in Florida, WCCW, Jim Crockett Promotions, and the Pacific Northwest. He debuted in the WWF in 1986, with this being his first WrestleMania appearance. He would remain with the company only briefly, leaving in 1988. Sadly, Haynes’ later life has been deeply troubled, culminating in a 2024 arrest and murder charge relating to the death of his then 85-year-old wife.
Now that I have brought the mood right down, let us get to the match!
This was not great by any stretch. I thought Hercules’ work was crisp and that everything he did looked tight and strong, but there was very little here worth talking about. I would call this match fine. Nothing impressive, but nothing terrible either. Coming straight off the WrestleMania II match with Steamboat did this no favours.
Watching this in real time, I would still have been buying stock in Hercules moving up the card. This did not add to my case of him being a standout performer, but I cannot say it took away from it either. By definition, that probably means he did not stand out, and I may need to take the loss on this one.
I would argue that he stood out compared to Haynes, if that counts for anything?
The match ended before it really got started, with Haynes locking in the Full Nelson before both men tumbled to the floor and were counted out.
Pfft.
After the match, Hercules attacked Haynes with the chain, the same one he apparently used to pull down the pillars of Rome thousands of years ago, busting Haynes open. If you are looking for something memorable here, Haynes performs one of the more obvious blade jobs you will ever see, clearly removing the blade from his wrist tape before cutting himself on the mat.
We are 1–1 so far. Hopefully the next match gets us back on track.
…welp.
27.03.1988 WWF WrestleMania IV
Trump Plaza Convention Center, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA
The Ultimate Warrior defeats Hercules (4:29)
Hopefully Hercules had better luck at the roulette table than he did in the ring, because on this night he was caught in the tornado that was the rise of the Ultimate Warrior.
I would consider myself something of an outlier, as I quite enjoy the often panned WrestleMania IV, subtitled “What the World Is Watching”. The show featured a single night, 14-man tournament to crown a new WWF Champion, which resulted in a lot of short matches and a lot of, not great finishes.
Even so, I find it to be an easy and enjoyable watch. Single night tournaments give you a clear story to follow and a defined conclusion, and I also have a soft spot for many of the wrestlers from this era.
With that said, Hercules found himself in one of the few non tournament matches on the card, and the second shortest match of the night. This was very much a showcase for the Ultimate Warrior.
Hercules got SOME offence in, it took 3 clotheslines to get the Warrior off his feet, he hit a few strikes and a nice looking back elbow, but it was all for naught.
The finish, while interesting in theory, was poorly executed. Hercules attempted to apply the Full Nelson, only for Warrior to walk up the ropes, flip over Hercules, and land in a double pin. Warrior managed to lift his shoulders before the three count, resulting in Hercules being pinned.
It looked messy, and I don’t think the crowd quite understood what happened.
Throughout the match, it was clear that Hercules was leading Warrior as the more experienced of the two, but it did not result in anything memorable.
The WrestleMania II match remains the only true standout so far, though I am still impressed with Hercules on the whole.
02.04.1989 WWF WrestleMania V
Trump Plaza Convention Center, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA
Hercules defeats King Haku (6:57)
It was not quite the Mega Powers exploding, nor the plight of Miss Elizabethl, but I like to think that the second thing people remember from WrestleMania V is big Herc picking up his first win at WrestleMania!
Maybe not…
Hercules’ second WrestleMania appearance in Atlantic City proved successful, as he picked up a victory over the Tongan powerhouse King Haku in the opening match. The story going in was that Hercules had recently turned babyface after Bobby Heenan sold his contract to Ted DiBiase, before Hercules won his freedom in the months that followed.
It was refreshing to see Hercules work from the babyface side after three consecutive heel performances. I personally prefer him as an antagonist, but he was still effective here.
The match began in almost the exact same way as his WrestleMania II bout with Steamboat, this time with Haku attacking Hercules with a running knee to the back of the head before working him over with strikes in the corner. Hercules fired back, with a strong crowd connection, before Haku regained control.
The match followed a standard template, with Heenan’s distractions allowing Haku to take advantage, punctuated by small bursts of offence from Hercules. He hit a couple of strong powerslams and a crossbody that the crowd ate up.
Unfortunately, the most memorable part of this match was the finish, which was nearly identical to the one from the year prior.
In the exact same building. At the exact same event.
Hercules hit a back suplex, resulting in both men’s shoulders being down. Hercules lifted his shoulder before the three count to secure the win.
What are we doing here? we couldn’t think of ANYTHING else? It didn’t pop into anyone’s mind that this is what we did with Ultimate Warrior the year prior?
Despite that, I still enjoyed the match. It was basic, the finish was odd, but Hercules was solid in the protagonist role. That said, he didn’t deliver anything here that would elevate him above anyone else on the card.
01.04.1990 WWF WrestleMania VI
SkyDome, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Earthquake defeats Hercules (4:52)
WrestleMania VI: The Ultimate Challenge. Unfortunately for Hercules, that challenge came in the form of the 468-pound Earthquake.
At WrestleMania IV, Hercules lost to the Ultimate Warrior. Two years later, Warrior was main eventing in a career defining match, while Hercules found himself on the losing end of a sub five-minute bout.
This is still my second favourite Hercules WrestleMania match. It was not technical, it was not competitive, and it was far from a showcase, but Hercules’ fire, speed, and crispness were all on display.
Hercules was bouncing around Earthquake like a house on fire. He made Earthquake look like a star, like he was nearly impossible to beat. However, that didn’t stop the crowd from believing in and getting behind Hercules.
With every strike, even if it didn’t affect Earthquake, Hercules had intent, he had urgency, and with just a shake of his head and pumping his arms, had the crowd wanting to see him topple the big giant.
In a losing effort, and really what you would call a squash match for Earthquake, I still contend that Hercules stood out here and showed something special.
24.03.1991 WWF WrestleMania VII
Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, California, USA
The Legion of Doom defeat Power and Glory (Hercules & Paul Roma) (0:59)
Hercules’ final WrestleMania appearance took place at the ‘intimate confines’ of the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, where he added one more loss to his WrestleMania record, this time in under 1 minute.
There is not much to say here. The Legion of Doom hit Roma with the Doomsday Device and that was it. Hercules remained on his feet, watching as his partner was pinned.
This was the definition of a dud. A nothing match. I would argue it did little for the Legion of Doom as well.
Power and Glory would face the Road Warriors again later that year at the Battle Royal at the Royal Albert Hall in London. I would love to tell you that match was better.
It was longer. That is about it.
Hercules would continue to face the Road Warriors throughout the remainder of his career, including in Japan where he would team with Scott Norton as the Jurassic Powers. Taking on the team of ‘Hawk Warrior’ and ‘Power Warrior’, The Hellraisers.
The Jurassic Express would even Lose the IWGP Heavyweight tag titles to the team in the Tokyo Dome in 1994. Which is a fun little fact.
Circling back to the point at hand, this match solidified that I had no idea what I was talking about in 2015. Besides a fantastic WrestleMania debut, Hercules’ appearances just got worse and worse. Ending in this 59 second defeat.
Conclusion
Much like Hercules’ 1–5 WrestleMania record, I have to accept a 1–5 loss here.
The WrestleMania II match with Ricky Steamboat stands alone as the one true standout performance of Hercules’ WrestleMania career. If I really stretch it, I could argue for the Earthquake match, but given its squash nature, I cannot justify it fully.
In 2015, I think I went into this rewatch with a preconceived notion of Hercules as a big, lumbering worker That he was going to be boring, like most other wresters his size at the time.
Then I saw the Steamboat match, which completely shattered those expectations.
I rode that high through every subsequent appearance, viewing them through rose tinted glasses, in awe of this muscle-bound super worker, that pulled down the pillars of Rome.
I would argue that all of his singles matches were still good, they were better than the WWF standard at the time, even with what you could call the opposite of a murders row of opponents.
Was he the MVP of the early WrestleManias? I can’t say he was.
But he was still great, and I really like Hercules. This experiment was a fun way to relive the early WrestleManias. Through the career of Hercules Hernandez. No matter how many thousands of years it spanned.
