WWF SummerSlam 1993

[Guest TSMAdmin]

WWF SummerSlam 1993

 

MOVIE OF THE WEEK

 

As you have probably noticed, I haven't been watching many DVD's lately. Anyhow, I saw Austin Powers in Goldmember last week. From what I can tell everyone has mixed feelings as to which Austin Powers was the best and which was the worst. Personally, I think that Goldmember falls in-between International Man of Mystery (The Best) and The Spy Who Shagged (The Worst, yet was still good). Reason being, I have seen the first Austin Powers about a dozen times, whereas I have only seen the second twice, so I haven't fully absorbed it yet. The same goes for the latest installment, which I should see again. As for Goldmember, I would give it a 7/10. I was enjoying the story up until the crazy ending. As far as I know, I'm one of the few people who actually liked the Goldmember character. I thought that he was hilarious, but I have a weird sense of humor. My other gripe is that Fat Bastard didn't get enough screen time either. All in all, it was a very funny movie that everyone should check out.

 

RETRO ROB’S Q & A OF THE WEEK

 

Sangleheart25 writes:

 

Hi there:

 

Can u tell me if that rumor is true? Is Sara the undertaker's wife really expecting a baby? If so when is the baby due? Do u think she'll ever come back to the WWE?

 

When Kane comes back what's going to be his new storyline now that nWo is no more?

 

I’m not entirely sure why you decided to ask me these questions, but I’ll field them anyway. I haven’t heard anything about Sara being pregnant and I’m that if she were one of the big news sites would have reported it. I think Sara’s first run in the WWF bombed, so I can’t see why they would want to bring her back. Although I heard that she was training to become a wrestler, so who knows.

 

As far as I know nothing is set in stone, but a few options would be to join the Undertaker in his feud with the Un-Americans, or maybe jump to SmackDown! and feud with Kurt Angle/Chris Benoit/Eddy Guerrero.

 

If anyone else has any questions that they think I can answer, feel free to send them my way.

 

RANDOM THOUGHTS OF THE WEEK

 

Raw- Very lackluster show this Monday. It was neither good nor bad, it was just there. The opening promo was pretty funny if you watched it from a "smark's" perspective. A whole lot of meaningless matches followed the first segment. As well as a meaningless feud between Lillian and The Fink, although it was funny when Howard threw Lillian at the Island Boys. Lawler completely ruined the women's match, which was already bad to begin with. After his "performance" during that segment, Vince must wonder why he actually keeps Lawler under contract. I didn't really watch Jericho-RVD very closely, but it seemed decent enough. I admit that I was anticipating the final segment of Raw. Unfortunately Triple H's promo has caused me to not even give a damn that my favorite wrestler of all-time will be returning to the ring at SummerSlam. It really was THAT bad.

 

SmackDown!- A New York Jets’ pre-season game caused SmackDown! to air on Saturday this week, so obviously I have yet to see it.

 

I just wanted to let everyone know that I'll be out of town from 8/10-8/16, so if I don't respond to your e-mail or something that's why. Now I will be returning on a Friday, so I figured that I would post one of my most critically acclaimed columns that day. I wrote it about a year ago. There are probably like two people who actually know what I'm talking about. As for the rest of you...trust me. You'll be pleasantly surprised.

 

TAPE OF THE WEEK

 

I'm sure that some of you are wondering why the hell I'm reviewing a three-hour PPV this week. Well guess what...so am I. I figured with SummerSlam right around the corner it might be a good idea to actually write about a past SummerSlam. You know to break up my trend of reviewing tapes that no one has ever heard of. There is a slight chance of me doing another old SummerSlam review before school starts, but don't hold your breath. Before anyone sends me any requests, let me just make you all aware that I only own SummerSlam 1993, 1995 (which I will NOT review), 1998, 2000 and 2001.

 

SummerSlam '93

August 30, 1993 in Auburn Hills, MI

The Palace drawing 23,954 ($215,000)

Shown live on PPV (1.2)

 

Vince McMahon & Bobby Heenan are your commentators. They are a fun team to listen to and this is Bobby's second to last WWF PPV appearance until WrestleMania X-7.

 

Razor Ramon vs. Ted DiBiase

This was pretty much the end of the line for Ted DiBiase. Leading up to this match The 1-2-3 Kid had defeated Razor Ramon on Raw. Razor was humiliated by the fluke and Ted DiBiase had a good laugh over it. Ted himself then lost to the Kid on Wrestling Challenge due to a distraction from Razor Ramon. I'm not sure is Ramon was officially a face at this point, but he is the defacto face in this match. Razor is wearing a pair of passionate pink tights for reasons that elude me. Heenan cracks some jokes about Razor working as a domestic. DiBiase jumps Razor while he is taking his chains off. DiBiase chops him a bit. Razor answers back with a backbody drop and a fallaway slam. Ted rolls out to the floor for a breather. Back in, DiBiase controls in the corner, but ends up clotheslined out of the ring. Ramon slingshots DiBiase into the ring. Ted being the cagey veteran, pulls Razor by the tights into the turnbuckle. Razor gets choked across the top rope and on the mat. DiBiase gets 2 off a backbreaker. He gets another 2 courtesy of a clothesline. DiBiase snapmares Razor and applies a chinlock, which is more like a chokehold. Bobby defends this by saying Razor has an enlarged Adam's Apple, so it's OK to inadvertently choke him. Razor finally elbows out, but is caught with a knee to the gut. DiBiase pulls out a nice neckbreaker and a suplex. The Million Dollar Man calls for the Million Dollar Dream, but Razor catches him with an elbow. Razor hits a clothesline and both men are down. Razor gets sent headfirst to the top turnbuckle and tumbles out to the floor. Meanwhile, DiBiase takes off one of the turnbuckle pads. Razor enters the ring and drives DiBiase into the exposed turnbuckle. Razor's Edge ends it. (7:30) *1/2 This was pretty much the template that the WWF used for most of it's matches in the mid-90's.

 

Todd Pettingil is with Mom Steiner and Sister Steiner. The Steiner gals obviously don't know what kayfabe is. Todd, "So Mom, did you ever have to tell the kids to stop doing frankensteiners before dinner?" Mom, "Yes...what ever you say. HAHA.” Todd, "It must have been hard for a Steiner sister to ever have a boyfriend." Sister, "Oh yeah. Anytime my boyfriends saw Scott and Rob they would run out of the house." Jim Cornette thankfully interrupts this crap. Jimmy truly is the King of Kayfabe as he is wearing a neckbrace here in order to sell an injury he obtained in Smokey Mountain Wrestling. Cornette introduces the tag-team that is better late at night than David Letterman, The Heavenly Bodies. I'm still pissed at the Bodies for their pathetic performance on that All Japan TV show from 1994.

 

WWF Tag-Team Titles: The Steiner Brothers vs. The Heavenly Bodies w/Jim Cornette

I'm still loving the Steiners from that New Japan match I watched last week. The Bodies quickly jump the Steiners and dump Scott to the floor. They get Rick with a double suplex and a double backbody drop. Scott finally makes it back in and now the Steiners take control. Scott with an overhead belly-to-belly suplex on Tom and a tilt-a-whirl slam on Del Ray. Cornette is going nuts at ringside. The Bodies regroup outside the ring. Scott and Prichard are the two legal men. As soon as Dr. Tom enters the ring he ends up in a military press slam. Del Ray runs in, but is backbody dropped. Rick tags in and cleans house. Funny moment at ringside as Cornette has this to say to the cameraman, "GET OUTTA MY WAY. I'M TRYING TO HAVE A SERIOUS CONVERSATION HERE. DO YOU WANT ME TO HAVE AN ANUERYSM?!?!" Well I thought it was funny. Scott tags in and applies a front facelock on Prichard. Scott with an inverted atomic drop. Del Ray runs in, ditto. While Scott is with Del Ray, Prichard scores with a bulldog. Prichard pulls out an enziguri and sends Scott to the floor. Del Ray does his trademark somersault off the apron to Scott. Of course the camera practically misses it. Del Ray tags in and comes off the top with a double axe handle. He uses a sweet floatover DDT and tags Prichard back in. Dr. Tom hits a kneedrop to the back of Scott's head. Del Ray is quickly tagged back in. He hits a Superkick for 2 and tags Prichard. Dr. Tom rakes Scott across the back. While the ref is reprimanding him, Cornette jabs Scott with the BUTT of his tennis racket. Del Ray tags in and once again goes for the floatover DDT, but this time Scott counters with a northern lights suplex. Prichard gets the tag before Scott is able to reach Rick. Scott gets him with a double underhook powerbomb. Both men tag out. Rick bulldogs Del Ray off the top rope. It's OK everyone, no injuries were sustained. Dr. Tom breaks up the pin. Prichard dumps Scott over the top. Meanwhile, Cornette throws his tennis racket in the ring. Prichard cracks Rick across the back with it, but he is able to kick out. Prichard holds Rick for Del Ray's moonsault. Scott gets back in and pulls Rick out of the way, so Jimmy ends up hitting Prichard. Scott wins it with a Frakensteiner on Del Ray. (9:28) ***1/4 Good match. The Steiners only had two good matches in the WWF. The other being when they fought Bret and Owen Hart on Wrestlefest 1994.

 

Vince McMahon introduces us to the new WWF backstage interview guy Joe Fowler. He is sort of like a combination of Mark Lloyd and Joey Gladstone. Anyway, Joe talks with Shawn Michaels and Diesel about the upcoming match with Mr. Perfect. 0/1

 

WWF Intercontinental Title: Shawn Michaels w/Diesel vs. Mr. Perfect

I remember WWF Magazine hyping the hell out of this match complete with the Tale of the Tape and a comparison of both men’s careers. There are two prime causes for this match. First being Mr. Perfect was the reason Shawn lost the Intercontinental title to Marty Jannetty a few months earlier. The second reason is that both men think they are the “Greatest Intercontinental Champion of All-Time”. Perfect was looking pretty bad at this point. Most likely because he had been working through a back injury for a while now. Vince is going on and on about how Perfect was Shawn’s teacher, which is typical Vince McMahon fabricated bullshit. They do a nice little sequence to start until Shawn fucks up something. Perfect quickly covers the mistake by working the arm. Shawn fights out with a Dudley Death Drop into a side-headlock. Perfect counters with the head-scissors and Michaels misses an elbowdrop. Shawn is getting a little hot under the collar at this point. Shawn punches in the corner. Perfect retaliates with some chops. Shawn goes for a moonsault over the top, but Perfect moves. Fortunately Shawn was able to land on his feet. Perfect hits a clothesline for 2 ½. Perfect goes back to the arm. Shawn comesback with some shoulder thrusts in the corner. Perfect misses the blind charge. Shawn flies off the top for a clothesline, but Perfect catches him with an armdrag. Perfect hits another armdrag for a long 2. Perfect is back on the arm. Shawn goes for a dropkick, but Perfect moves out of the way and slingshots him over the top. Perfect follows him out, but is distracted with Diesel. Shawn scores with a sweet Superkick and an axehandle off the apron. Keep in mind that at this point Shawn was still using the teardrop suplex as his finisher. Back in, Shawn goes work on Perfect’s lower back with some elbows and knees. Perfect is whipped hard to the corner a few times. Shawn pulls out a backbreaker and stretches Perfect out across his knee. Perfect breaks the hold with some punches. Perfect officially comesback with a backbody drop, kneelift and inverted atomic drop for 2. Perfect is definitely off his game as he decides to just nail Michaels for 2. Perfect blocks a hiptoss and they fight over a backslide, which results in a Perfectplex. Diesel pulls Perfect out of the ring, but Perfect starts beating the shit out of both he and Michaels. Perfect rolls Michaels into the referee, who misses Diesel sending Perfect to the ringpost. Michaels wins by countout. (11:18) **1/4 Perfect continues fighting with both Diesel and Shawn, but eventually strength in numbers overtake him. Todd Pettingil (in bitchy Michael Cole mode) runs down the aisle to get a few words with Shawn, who says that this match proved that he really is the greatest Intercontinental Champion ever.” This match was obviously EXTREMELY disappointing. None of the psychology went anywhere and the screwjob finish didn’t help much either.

 

It’s time for our first Coliseum Video exclusive as Mean Gene is looking to get a word with Mr. Perfect, but runs into Shawn and Diesel first. Shawn goes off on a tangent about being the best until Perfect jumps both men from behind. He picks up a table and nails Diesel with it. The usual WWF officials break up this brouhaha. 1/2

 

Joe Fowler is in the SummerSlam interview area with The 1-2-3 Kid. The Kid isn’t even a consenting adult at this point. They discuss the Kid’s upcoming match with I.R.S. 1/3

 

The 1-2-3 Kid vs. Irwin R. Schyster

This is the Kid's first PPV appearance. IRS works on the Kid in the corner, but the Kid scores with a spinkick for 2. IRS hits a facebuster. When he goes for another, the Kid dropkicks him for 2. IRS dumps the Kid over the top and knocks him off the apron. Vince considers IRS to be a "Premier WWF Superstar". The Kid slingshots back in and rolls up IRS for 2. IRS gets 2 off an elbowdrop. It's time for the Rotundo to whip out the abdominal stretch with rope leverage. As usual the ref catches him using the ropes and makes him break the hold. Bobby thinks it's OK to use the ropes for added balance. CHIN FUCKING LOCK TIME BABY!! Too bad the WWF kept the Kid grounded for so long. He could really work ****+ matches if he had the right opponent (see Lynn, Jerry). The Kid fights out after awhile and sends IRS facefirst to the buckle a few times. Some kicks in the corner along with a moonsault off the top get 2. Majestral cradle for 2 and an enziguri for 2. Vince and Bobby argue over what Irwin R. Schyster likes to be called. They agree on "R". IRS wins it with a...flying clothesline. (5:45) * That's two bad finishes in a row, plus the Kid should have went over. Bobby uses the "Brain Scan" to make a tax write-off joke, which Vince can't even comprehend.

 

Pettingil is with Bruce and Owen Hart. He asks them why Stu and Helen aren't in attendance. It ends up Jerry Lawler verbally attacked Stu in person on Raw and Stu was so shook up that he twisted his knee on his way out of the building. Stu is still recuperating after the accident, thus explaining why he is not in attendance. 1/4

 

Jerry Lawler comes out for his match with Bret Hart on crutches. Todd Pettingil catches up with him on his way to the ring. Todd, "I cannot believe this. Jerry Lawler, what is going on?" Lawler, "I'm gonna tell you what is going on. This was going to be the biggest night of my entire life. I hate you Bret Hart, I hate your stinkin' father, I hate your wrinkled mother and I hate your stinkin' brothers and I cannot wait to get my hands around your neck and snap it. But as I arrived in this stinkin' city of Detroit, Michigan. [Fans Boo] I hate all of you peons too." Todd, "WHAT HAPPENED?" Lawler, "I'll tell you what happened if you'll shut up. I got off that plane at the airport and went to the rental car and I rented one of those big luxurious limousines made here in Detroit the Motor City. As I started to drive here I noticed things weren't going right. The radio didn't work, the brakes didn't work, the airbag didn't work. As I was pulling up to I75 out here, a little old blue haired lady, who should have had her license revoked 50 years ago [bobby, "It must have been Helen Hart."], pulled out in front of me and she caused a 10 car pileup. It was horrible. Look at my leg. I had to pull myself out of the fiery wreckage. My leg was twisted and mangled. There were nurses who said, 'King, we gotta get you to the hospital. You can't go to The Palace with your leg in that condition.' And I said, being the King I am, that nothing was going to keep me from getting my hands on Bret Hart. I hobbled here on one leg and Bret Hart I could beat you with only one leg, but right before I came out here that doctors in the back told me that under no circumstances would I be able to participate in any wrestling events tonight. [bobby, "What a shame."] Wait a minute, let me tell you something you coward Bret Hart. Don't think that you're gonna get off easy. Don't think that you're not going to be getting your brains beat out. [bret tries to get past the refs to fight Lawler] Oh yeah, I guess you'll beat up a crippled man. You're a bigshot. You're real tough. You’re a hated man here in the WWF. In fact all of the other wrestlers wanted to take my place. So what I'm going to do is let somebody give you the beating you deserve...my self appointed personal jester DOINK THE CLOWN! [bobby, "UH-OH!”] Doink was in full heel mode here as he throws a bucket of water on Bruce Hart. This has to be one of the best interviews I have ever heard. Don't worry though, this stuff just keeps getting better and better. 2/5

 

Bret Hart vs. Doink the Clown w/Jerry Lawler

Bret pearl harbors Doink outside the ring. The WWF officials force Bruce and Owen to sit down. Hell, they should be ejected for jumping the guardrail. As soon as they get in the ring, Bret clotheslines Doink back out. Hart hammers Doink and sends him to the post. Bobby goes into detail about Lawler’s accident. He includes the part where Lawler saved 45 kids from a flaming school bus. Hart works on Doink in the corner and punches him to the floor. Lawler talks with Doink. Doink goes up top, but is crotched and dropped flat on his face by Bret. Hart decides to run after Lawler, but Doink catches him with a knee from behind and whips him into the steel steps. Bobby, "You know why Stu and Helen never got divorced? Because neither wanted custody of all 12 kids." Back in, Doink comes off the top with an axehandle. Doink continues his assault with a shinbreaker. He wraps Bret’s leg around the post a couple of times, but only gets 1. Doink applies a STF into a side headlock. Bret elbows out, but Doink stops him in his tracks with a kneelift for 2. Very cool move, as Doink sits on Bret's shoulders and pulls Bret's leg up as high as he can. Of course he is using the ropes for leverage. Fonzie sees this and kicks Doink's hand off the rope. Doink comes off the top with the Whoopee Cushion, but Bret gets the knees up. That looked like it hurt. Bret with the russian leg sweep, elbow off the second rope and the Sharpshooter. Lawler runs in and attacks Bret with his crutch. Bobby, "IT'S A MIRACLE!! HE CAN WALK!!" (8:56) *** The Hart brothers are once again being restrained at ringside. Seriously, they should be thrown out of the building since they are second-time offenders. Jack Tunney comes walking down the aisle and all of a sudden Lawler starts selling his knee again. Tunney claims that if Lawler doesn't wrestle Bret he will be banned for life from the WWF. Lawler can't even answer as Bret just attacks him and brings him back in to the ring, which leads us to...

 

Undisputed King of the WWF Match: Bret Hart vs. Jerry Lawler

Hart continues wailing away in the ring. He hits a backbody drop and a headbutt to Lawler's mid-section. Lawler goes out of the ring, where Bret nails him with the crutch. He rolls Lawler back in, but the King rolls right back out. Now the King picks up the crutch and jabs Bret's ribs. Lawler taunts the Hart Brothers and chokes Bret with the crutch. Bret gets crotched with the ringpost. Lawler hides the crutch behind his back as he enters the ring. Fonzie doesn't see it because he is busy with those meddling Hart brothers. Lawler once again delivers a shot from the crutch to Bret's throat. Hart goes to the turnbuckle, but scores with a lowblow. Bret pulls down both straps and the King wants a handshake. Hart starts to beat the shit out of him. Bret pulls out a backbody drop, backbreaker and the elbow off the 2nd rope. He applies the Sharpshooter and Lawler gives up! (6:33) *** Bret won't release the hold. All of the WWF officials come out again, but they aren't getting anywhere fast. In his shoot interview Bret mentions that he actually put some pressure into this Sharpshooter as retribution for Lawler stiffing him at the King of the Ring. Owen and Bruce are back in the ring trying to get Bret to let go of the hold. After about 3 and a half minutes Bret relinquishes the hold. Alfonso REVERSES THE DECISION because Bret wouldn't cooperate with the officials. Jerry Lawler is the UNDISPUTED KING OF THE WWF! Bret attacks Lawler again. Finally Lawler is put on a stretcher, but this time Bruce and Owen jump him. Bobby, "What a bunch of lowlifes that family is." The Harts celebrate in the ring.

 

This was by far the best 33 minutes of booking you will ever see on a WWF show. Even though the wrestling wasn't great, the storyline and the intensity make up for it ten fold. If you haven't seen this saga yet, you are really doing yourself a disservice.

 

YAY, it's a Ludwig Borga promo. He seems to be walking through the slums of Detroit while cutting a promo on Luger. I have no idea what Vince was thinking when he considered making this guy WWF Champion. 2/6

 

Mean Gene is in the back with the Hart Brothers. Bret can't understand how the WWF officials could reverse the decision and make a guy like Jerry Lawler the King of the WWF. Bruce and Owen make some more threats to Lawler. I also can't imagine Bruce Hart getting the push that Owen Hart ended up receiving. Good thing Bret was able to talk some sense into McMahon. 2.5/7

 

Ludwig Borga vs. Marty Jannetty

This was Borga's first ever WWF PPV appearance. It was also one of his last. You know Marty was the WWF Intercontinental Champion only three months prior to this. It's pretty amazing how fast someone can fall down the ladder in the wonderful world of wrestling. Borga was also undefeated going into this match. I have a feeling Marty won't be putting an end to that streak. Ludwig just tears Marty apart. Luckily for us Marty sells like a madman so the match isn't a complete loss. Ludwig clotheslines Jannetty and to say that he "turned him inside-out" would be an understatement. Marty mounts a comeback with a couple of Superkicks, but comes off the top with a crossbody and gets planted with a press slam. Ludwig wins it with the torture rack. (5:15) 1/2* For Marty's selling, seeing how Ludwig punched his way through this match. The match itself should not have been on PPV, SummerSlam nonetheless.

 

Rest In Peace: The Undertaker vs. Giant Gonzalez w/Harvey Wippleman

Leading up to this match no one besides the Undertaker actually knew what a Rest In Peace match was. Fortunately, Howard Finkel did his homework and discovered that a Rest In Peace match actually entails no disqualification and no countout. Harvey and Gonzalez had possession of the urn. Paul Bearer was MIA for some reason and the Undertaker is VERY over. I don’t know what Vince took so long to put the title on him. The Undertaker starts the match with some choking. Wippleman distracts him, giving Gonzalez the chance to plod along for a while. Gonzalez knocks the Undertaker to the floor and hits him with a chair. The Undertaker gets whipped to the steps. Back in, the Undertaker keeps crawling towards the urn. Paul Bearer waddles out to ringside and clotheslines Harvey. Paul regains the urn. Gonzalez stares down at the Bearer. Meanwhile, the power of the urn transfers to the Undertaker. The Undertaker wins it with a clothesline off the top. (8:04) -* They’ve had worse matches, so I can’t really complain. Gonzalez gives Harvey an ultra-lame chokeslam and we never hear from him again.

 

Joe Fowler is with Jim Cornette, Mr. Fuji, and Yokozuna. Fowler starts bringing up all of the big surprises that happened tonight. Cornette retorts with, “The biggest surprise of the night is your employment.” Cornette cuts his usual good prematch promo for Yokozuna. Although, it’s not quite up to WrestleMania X standards. 3.5/8

 

The Smokin’ Gunns & Tatanka vs. The Headshrinkers & Bam Bam Bigelow w/Afa & Luna Vachon

Billy and Bart were looking incredibly gay in 1993 with their toy guns. “Ladies and Gentlemen, Shawn Michaels has left the building.” The faces try to jump the heels, but get mauled. Bigelow and Tatanka are the only ones left in the ring, so they start the match. They trade shoulderblocks and Tatanka connects with a dropkick and a backbody drop. Both men crossbody each other. Obviously Tatanka got the worse of that ordeal. Fatu and Billy both tag in. The slug it out until a Fatu Superkick. Billy scores with a facebuster and an inverted bulldog off the top. Samu gets the tag and the Headshrinkers hit a doubleheadbutt. Samu uses a weird variation of the snake eyes. Billy gets thrown to the floor, where Afa gets a shot in. Bart tags in and gets 2 off a crossbody. Bart starts to get some offense, so Samu throws him across the ring with a hairpull takedown. Lots of quick tags from the heels result in a few nearfalls. Bigelow misses an avalanche, giving Bart the chance to tag Tatanka. Tatanka slams Bigelow. He follows that up with a downward spiral. A crossbody off the top gets 2. Tatanka starts doing his Indian dance. Bigelow says fuck that with an enziguri. Samu tags and comes off the 2nd rope with a falling headbutt for 2, as Bart makes the save. Pier six brawl ensues. The Gunns are quickly disposed off. All three heels go up top for falling headbutts, but Tatanka moves out of the way. The Gunns come in to hit Bigelow and Samu with pescados. Tatanka wins it by rolling up Fatu. (11:15) ***1/2 Surprisingly fun match.

 

Joe Fowler interviews the driver of the Lex Express. The driver seems to be quite incompetent, but what did you expect? 3.5/8

 

Yokota Suzuki sings the Japanese national anthem. Randy Savage is the Master of Ceremonies, which requires him introducing Aaron Neville to sing the Star Spangled Banner. It’s nice to see Savage was put to good use. 3.5/9

 

WWF Title: Yokozuna w/Jim Cornette & Mr. Fuji vs. Lex Luger

The stipulation here is that this is Luger’s ONLY shot at the title. If he doesn’t win it here then that’s too bad. As we all know he ends up getting another shot at WrestleMania X since he was one of the co-winners of the Royal Rumble. Lex Luger’s face turn and push to the main event all happened within a month and a half. I guess that may explain why he ended up flopping big time. Staredown to start the match. Fuji tries stalking up behind Luger, but Lex outsmarts the heels and takes it to Yokozuna. Yoko misses a legdrop and Luger starts kicking the hell out of his knee. Yoko falls to the mat. A BIG elbowdrop gets 2. Yoko comes back with a slam, but misses and elbowdrop. Luger goes to work in the corner. Yoko retaliates with a choke. Luger is able to stop Fuji from throwing the salt. Luger goes for a slam and fails. Yoko hits a Superkick. Luger gets knocked to the floor, where he is choked with some “Sumo Gear”, as Vince called it. Yoko avalanches Luger into the ringpost. He gets a chair and swings, but Luger ducked. Back in, Luger comes off the top with two axehandles. Forearm off the top gets 2 ¾. A running forearm to the back of the head gets a long 2. Yoko turns the tide with a belly-to-belly for 2. Belly-to-back also gets 2. Yoko applies his trademark squeezing of the pressure points. Luger powers out. He picks up Yoko for a slam, but Yoko falls on top for 2. Legdrop for 2. Luger moves out of the way of a Banzai Drop. Luger slams Yoko. He follows that up with a running forearm, which knocks Yokozuna to the floor. Yoko gets counted out. (17:57) ** Luger starts celebrating in the ring. Vince is ecstatic that Luger won the match. A whole bunch of faces put Luger on their shoulders as balloons fall from the heavens. Heenan is there to remind us that Yokozuna is still the champion. This was some of the stupidest main event booking in WWF history. They could have at least had Luger get pissed after the countout, but instead he starts partying. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE???

 

As if that crap wasn’t enough, we get a Lex Luger music video, which features some memorable moments in American history. What a fucking joke. 3.5/10

 

THIS IS IT

 

Aside from the lame booking at the end, this was a kick-ass show. Easily the best WWF PPV of the year and it only falls behind Superbrawl 3 as the best overall PPV of 1993. If you haven’t seen this show yet, you should really check it out. Even if only for the Lawler-Doink-Hart saga. I’ll see you guys next Friday.

 

Retro Rob