Survivor Series 94?ish Question Why HBK in match

[Steve J. Rogers 0]

The big tag match with the Hart family squashing Jerry Lawler and his "Knights" had Shawn Michaels substituting for The King as he had some legal issues

 

Soooooooooooo was there given a straight kayfabe reason as to why HBK was inserted into the match? I don't think the HBK-Bulldog-Hart angle had started yet and the only "credible" reason I can think of is Shawn wanting to avenge his loss to Bret the year before one-on-one for the Heavyweight belt

 

Speaking of which, was there any storyline to that match or did the then IC champ Shawn just win a Number One Contenders match or something for a "quick and easy" PPV title match?

 

Steve

[CanadianChris 0]

No storyline to either, from what I remember. Shawn wanted (and got) a shot at the World belt without risking his IC title in 92, and that was about it.

 

The Knights match was 93, and Shawn was just returning from storyline suspension and without a match, so they stuck him in there.

[Guest *KNK*]

No storyline to either, from what I remember.  Shawn wanted (and got) a shot at the World belt without risking his IC title in 92, and that was about it. 

 

The Knights match was 93, and Shawn was just returning from storyline suspension and without a match, so they stuck him in there.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

The idea was that Bret was a fighting champion and Shawn simply, arrogant as he was threw his challenge out.

 

I don't think they did any sort of hype for it at all. Rather odd for a PPV main event but the sell was Warrior/Savage Vs Ramon/Flair...

 

I thought the kayfabe reason we were supposed to infer was that Lawler was a liar and no-showed and asked Shawn to take his spot and...again Shawn being the arrogant guy he is, took the spot.

[spman 0]

Jerry Lawler was accused of raping a teenage girl shortly before the Survivor Series match, so WWE pulled him off Television. Eventually the girl recanted her story, and he returned at Wrestlemania X. Shawn Michaels was just coming back after a 2 months absence over contract disputes, and they simply had him come out on RAW and cut a promo with him running down Harts family. I'm not even sure if they gave a storyline reason for him replacing Lawler, I think they just kind of wrote The King out and hoped fans would forget about it.

[Lil' Bitch 0]

the only "credible" reason I can think of is Shawn wanting to avenge his loss to Bret the year before one-on-one for the Heavyweight belt

 

That was pretty much the reason.

[cabbageboy 0]

Yeah there was no real storyline here, just a last minute panic decision due to Lawler's rape allegation (which happened right here in Louisville actually, I believe after a USWA show at the Gardens). Shawn was coming back, he was the only logical opponent since he'd wrestled Bret before. It's really weird going back and hearing the phrase "Shawn Michaels and his knights" however.

[cawthon777 0]

I think I heard somewhere that had Lawler stayed in the match, HBK would have been one of the knights. Don't know if that's credible or not.

 

The only REAL build to it, and this was after the match had been changed, was Shawn and Rio Rogers making fun of "Stu & Helen" during Survivor Series Showdown 93.

 

In 1992, it was orginally just Bret vs. Shawn in a one-on-one match with no title. ... Then Bret won the world belt ... then Shawn won the IC belt. So the stakes were raised.

[MDH257 0]

In 1992, it was orginally just Bret vs. Shawn in a one-on-one match with no title.  ... Then Bret won the world belt ... then Shawn won the IC belt.  So the stakes were raised.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

That's true, before Bulldog was fired I think they announced on tv and in WWF magazine the he was defending the I-C title against The Mountie at Survivor Series '92.

[Guest wildpegasus]

Jerry Lawler was accused of raping a teenage girl shortly before the Survivor Series match, so WWE pulled him off Television. Eventually the girl recanted her story, and he returned at Wrestlemania X.

 

 

You know, even if the girl recanted her story I'm still more inclined to believe her rather than Lawler.

 

 

I remember Michaels being interviewed before the Survivor Series and all of a sudden it was him who was saying bad things about Bret Hart's parents the whole last few months. I think that's how it went anyway.

[humanoid92 0]

Bret and Shawn kind of had an underlying competition throughout 1992. Even though they never really feuded, it was clear that HBK was pretty much groomed for the IC Title as soon as he started his singles career, and Bret happened to be the IC Champ during that time (WM-Summerslam). In fact, at WM 8, I *think* the announcers may have casually mentioned that Shawn Michaels had issued a challenge to the winner of the IC Title Match. In the time between WM 8 and Summerslam 92, I'm pretty sure they faced each other a bunch of times, including the quasi-famous first WWF ladder match. Bret/Bulldog was slated for Summerslam for obvious reasons, but it was only going to be a matter of time before Shawn got the Title.

 

As was mentioned, the original Survivor Series match was made before either held a Title. During the first few weeks of Bret's reign, they really played it up that he was a defending champion and would accept any challenge. In those first few weeks, he beat Papa Shango, Virgil, The Mountie, etc. Shawn had no problem challenging for the Title without putting his own gold on the line. He had "everything to gain and nothing to lose."

 

Make no mistake about it though- regardless of Titles or placement on the card, the main event was Flair & Razor vs. Savage & Perfect.

 

I miss the kind of subtle booking that would result in things like that Bret/Shawn match. There used to be a lot more of that. Now they just rely on Wrestler A feuds with Wrestler B for three months and then it's blown off. They should be able to do so much more than that though.

[cabbageboy 0]

Bret and Shawn most definitely feuded in 1992. Hell, it was all over the house show circuit back then, post WM and lasted pretty much until Summerslam. It was mentioned on TV a lot too, it was the main IC title program going, with guys like Martel getting the odd shot.

 

I bet if you looked at the career record Bret is something like 150-2 vs. Shawn lifetime.

 

The Survivor Series 92 match was actually a PPV payoff to the already existing Bret/Shawn feud that had gone on most of the year, but hadn't until that point had a TV payoff.

[cabbageboy 0]

Double post for some reason.

[krease 0]

I remember being 13 and confused as hell to why Michaels was taking the King's place...I didn't mind, since I'd rather have seen him than King at the time...

 

Nice to know there were others left wondering (and that remember things like that )

[cawthon777 0]

Jerry Lawler was accused of raping a teenage girl shortly before the Survivor Series match, so WWE pulled him off Television. Eventually the girl recanted her story, and he returned at Wrestlemania X.

 

You know, even if the girl recanted her story I'm still more inclined to believe her rather than Lawler.

 

I seem to remember PWI running a story on it and saying she made it all up after her jealous boyfriend confronted her about going to the Memphis shows instead of spending time with him.

 

Don't take that story to be credible. After all, it was PWI.

[Guest wildpegasus]

Jerry Lawler was accused of raping a teenage girl shortly before the Survivor Series match, so WWE pulled him off Television. Eventually the girl recanted her story, and he returned at Wrestlemania X.

 

You know, even if the girl recanted her story I'm still more inclined to believe her rather than Lawler.

 

I seem to remember PWI running a story on it and saying she made it all up after her jealous boyfriend confronted her about going to the Memphis shows instead of spending time with him.

 

Don't take that story to be credible. After all, it was PWI.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

I remember that story too. Does anyone know the "real story"? PWI is not credible at times but you would naturally think they wouldn't mess around too much with serious allegations like that.

 

The rape story is one of the reasons why I find the King's commentary on Raw so disgusting.

[cawthon777 0]

I don't think it was "rape" in the truest sense of the word. I believe the allegation was statutory rape.

 

And when you look at his history with women, it's obvious he likes them young.

[CanadianChris 0]

I don't think it was "rape" in the truest sense of the word.  I believe the allegation was statutory rape.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

They had sodomy in there as well.

[pochorenella 0]

Bret and Shawn most definitely feuded in 1992.  Hell, it was all over the house show circuit back then, post WM and lasted pretty much until Summerslam.  It was mentioned on TV a lot too, it was the main IC title program going, with guys like Martel getting the odd shot.

 

I bet if you looked at the career record Bret is something like 150-2 vs. Shawn lifetime. 

 

The Survivor Series 92 match was actually a PPV payoff to the already existing Bret/Shawn feud that had gone on most of the year, but hadn't until that point had a TV payoff.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

You are quite correct. I remember reading those arena reports PWI did back then, with Shawn vs Bret being reported a lot of times. They even did an article regarding Shawn's frustration over not being able to defeat Bret. And of course, that famous ladder match which actually was chronicled on WWF magazine with pictures and all.

And that career record might not be that far off, as they even did the house show circuit before WMXII with Bret beating Shawn thanks to outside interference (either Owen or Bulldog maybe, don't quite remember now), but Shawn superkicking Bret anyways in the end.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

And when you look at his history with women, it's obvious he likes them young.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

He's even alluded to liking them as young as kindergarten age.

[MillenniumMan831 0]

When did he say that? In his book? I wish he wasn't originally from Cleveland. We have enough problems.

[JJMc 0]

Actually, on a Raw around that time, Vince actually did say that Lawler was "having some legal problems."

 

And as for the rape thing, in Honky Tonk Man's shoot, he mentions that he had heard that it "cost him several hundred thousand dollars to get out of." Who knows how true that is, though....