In the lead up to WrestleMania VIII the WWF title picture was embroiled in a storyline scandal as Ric Flair alleged a prior relationship with Randy Savage’s wife Elizabeth. “Elizabeth was mine before she was yours” Flair repeatedly screamed on our TV screens.

An article in the WWF magazine took things further by showing photographic proof of their dates. Randy was never known to have the calmest of temperaments and this understandably made him extremely irate. Flair goaded Savage further by threatening to reveal a centrefold of Elizabeth on the big screen at WrestleMania after he was victorious.

The build up to WrestleMania was never meant to be this way. The originally announced title match was Ric Flair versus Hulk Hogan. This was a true dream match that fans had speculated about for years as the face of the WWF in the mid to late 1980’s was due to square off against the face of the NWA during the same period.

The 1992 Royal Rumble saw the first time the WWF title had been on the line in the Rumble match. The final three saw Flair face off against Hogan and Sid Justice. In a surprise Justice eliminated the favourite Hogan who then showed heelish tendencies by grabbing Justice’s arm from outside the ring and helping Flair eliminate him.

With Flair as the champion going into WrestleMania, Jack Tunney held a press conference to announce the number one contender. Justice, Hogan, Savage, The Undertaker and Rowdy Roddy Piper watched on as Hogan was announced as the man who would be facing Flair. Justice did not take this news well feeling that as he was the runner up of the Rumble it should have been him.

In storyline, Justice lodged a complaint into Tunney and WrestleMania VIII became a double main event. Justice would face the man who cost him the Rumble victory in Hogan. Flair would instead defend his title against the former WWF champion Randy ‘Macho Man’ Savage.

The bout between Flair and Savage is one of the most underrated match in WrestleMania history. Flair was accompanied by Mr Perfect but Savage had told Miss Elizabeth to stay in the back. Savage come out to the ring full of passion and anger. Flair showed incredible heel work as he both ran and bumped across the ring.

This was only the second WrestleMania I had watched and my abiding memory was Flair being busted open. Blood was rare during this era of the WWF and was something I hadn’t seen to this degree before.

Interference from Mr Perfect helped Flair gain an advantage over Savage and the beating the Macho Man was taking was too much for Elizabeth. Despite the best efforts of WWF officials she made her way to ringside. The presence of his wife helped Savage get the roll up pinfall, become the new WWF champion and get his revenge.

The week before the WrestleMania match, Elizabeth was interviewed and promised the truth would come out. In the following month’s WWF magazine it did as they revealed the photographs of Flair and Elizabeth had been doctored.

The article revealed that the original photographs were of Savage and Elizabeth at poolside and enjoying a romantic dinner. Flair had lied all along.

Savage cut a great promo on Wrestling Challenge in May 1992. Holding the WWF belt he stated “the belt was mine, before it was yours”.

The feud between Flair and Savage didn’t end at WrestleMania. In September, on Prime Time Wrestling, Flair shocking regained the WWF title following interference from Razor Ramon.

Flair left the WWF in earlier 1993 and Savage also left in 1994. They both joined WCW and continued their feud there. When Savage won the WCW title he lost it to Flair. After Savage regained it, he lost it to Flair again when shockingly Elizabeth handed Flair one of her high heel shoes for him to use as a weapon.

The storyline between Flair, Savage and Elizabeth was one of the most memorable of the 1990’s. Each of them played their role perfectly (not forgetting Mr Perfect!) and the in ring action and outside of the ring drama made for an exhilarating WrestleMania moment.