- On the 1/25/92 episode of WWF Superstars, it is announced that Ric Flair's WrestleMania challenger will be selected from the top 5 contenders: Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Roddy Piper, Sid Justice and The Undertaker.
- We continue to see vignettes promoting the debut of Chris Chavis, who will be renamed Tatanka.
- On the 2/1/92 episode of WWF Superstars, footage is shown from the WrestleMania VIII press conference. WWF President Jack Tunney, with all five contenders present, names Hulk Hogan as the #1 contender, getting the title shot at Ric Flair, much to the chagrin of Sid Justice, who was visibly upset at the announcement. Afterward, Justice made comments blaming Hogan for his Royal Rumble loss and that Hogan couldn't beat Flair on his best day, while Sid could.
- Also on the 2/1/92 episode of WWF Superstars, we saw our first Papa Shango vignette.
- On this same episode, Sensational Sherri went on the Funeral Parlor and announced that Ted DiBiase had allowed her to pursue Shawn Michaels.
- Tatanka also made his in-ring debut on this episode
- On the 2/8/92 episode of WWF Superstars, it was announced that Bret Hart would receive a shot at the Intercontinental Championship against the winner of the Roddy Piper/Mountie match on this very edition of Saturday Night's Main Event.
- Papa Shango made his in-ring debut.
Now that we're caught up, let's check out the show.
We are NOT LIVE from Lubbock, TX (never mentioned). Your commentary team are Vince McMahon & Bobby Heenan. They run down the card.
Match #1: Roddy Piper (c) vs. The Mountie (w/ Jimmy Hart) - WWF Intercontinental Championship.
The old school Piper wears the title around his waist and comes to the ring SECOND, so we're off to a good start. The Mountie attacks from behind and tosses Piper to the floor, but Piper gets back in and takes The Mountie down for a 2 count. Outside on the floor, double noggin knocker for the Mouth and The Mountie. Right hand by Piper and he puts Mountie in the ring. Jimmy Hart holds Piper's ankle, allowing the Mountie to get the upper hand. He puts Piper in the Tree of Woe for some stomps and a 2 count. An inset promo from Bret Hart pops in, saying that he looks forward to meeting the winner at Wrestlemania. A Mountie splash hits knees and Piper makes the comeback 2 minutes in. Piper accidentally hits the referee and The Mountie gets a piledriver. Jimmy Hart gives The Mountie some water from ringside as The Mountie douses Piper, and then Jimmy hands The Mountie his cattleprod. It has no effect on Piper, however. Piper no sells it while The Mountie celebrates. Piper surprises Mountie, gets a hold of the cattle prod and shocks The Mountie. The referee conveniently wakes up, as Piper makes the cover. 1...2....3! (3:30) *1/2
WINNER: and STILL WWF Intercontinental Champion, Roddy Piper. After the match, Piper reveals he was wearing a "Shock Proof" top under his t-shirt. Pretty lame if you ask me. Not much of a match here. A lot of moving parts, but neither guy really had the chance to do much in the ring. It did the job of establishing Piper as the champ for Bret Hart at Wrestlemania.
We roll to the hype for tonight's main event, as they show highlights of the closing moments of the Royal Rumble match with Sid Justice tossing Hogan over the top, and Hogan trying to pull Sid out from the floor, allowing Flair to dump Sid for the win and the title. It's hilarious that the editing job here had the crowd chanting for Hogan and cheering when Sid got dumped, when we all know what happened. Then they show highlights of the Wrestlemania VIII press conference with Hogan being named #1 contender, and Sid taking umbrage. Sid later offers a "sincere" apology to Hogan for his comments.
Match #2: Hulk Hogan and Sid Justice vs. Ric Flair (w/ Mr. Perfect) and The Undertaker (w/ Paul Bearer).
Taker doesn't even get an entrance, as he's already in the ring while Flair and Perfect make their way down. After a commercial break, Sean Mooney talks to Hogan and Sid backstage, as they shake hands. Mooney chooses to speak with Hogan first, rather than Sid, who walks off. Is someone taking a shower back there? That locker room has some steam going on. Hogan promises that he's coming with a friend. Sid comes out first to cheers, which crazy old Vince calls a "mixed reaction". Hogan comes out with Brutus Beefcake as his surprise. Sid insists on starting the match with Flair. Flair backs off at first, but then goes to the eyes on a lock-up attempt. He whips Sid to the corner, but Sid reverses and hits a back bodydrop and then a hiptoss. Flair bails and Sid tags in Hogan. He whips Flair to the corner and gets a back bodydrop and a hiptoss on Flair, then hiptosses Taker, as Sid looks on in disbelief. Sid tags in and slams Taker and takes his head to Hogan's knee. Hogan tagged in and he slams Taker then Flair and cleans house with clotheslines. Sid tagged back in and gets a kick to Taker's ribs. Sid puts his head down on a whip and Taker gets a boot. Taker and Flair with a double clothesline on Sid, then a double atomic drop. Taker covers...1...2...Hogan breaks it up. All four guys in, as Hogan and Sid get a double big boot on Flair and they clothesline Taker over the top. Hogan celebrates as Sid looks on disgusted. Then we go to commercial. When we come back, Taker hits Sid from behind and takes him to the heel corner where Flair is tagged in. Flair gets in some chops, then Taker chokes Sid out. Taker tagged in and he goes to the top with a shot to the throat. Taker gets a throat thrust, then Flair comes in but Sid rams the heels' heads together and tags in Hogan. Hogan cleans house until Perfect reaches in and distracts Hogan long enough for Flair to attack the knee. Flair gets the figure four leglock! Hogan reaches out to Sid, but Sid turns his back on him! Hogan breaks the hold and crawls to his corner, reaching for the tag. Sid makes no effort to reach back. Taker in and hits a flying clothesline on Hogan. Flair in now and he goes up, but Hogan catches him and tosses him off. Hogan crawling back and reaching for the tag, but Sid is having none of it. Taker chokes Hogan in the heel corner, then Flair gets his own choke in with the tag rope. Flair in for some chops, but Hogan no-sells. Taker is in to help out to stop that. Double whip to the corner but Hogan comes out with a double clothesline. Hogan crawls back to Sid to tag out, but Sid drops to the floor and walks away. Beefcake goes to stop him, and Sid threatens to hit him prompting Heenan to state "We're going to have a face-off!". Meanwhile, in the ring, Flair and Taker double-team Hogan. Flair tosses the referee as we get the disqualification. (11:42) ** Beefcake gets in the ring to help out, but doesn't do much as Hogan makes the comeback and cleans house.
WINNERS: By disqualification, Hulk Hogan and Sid Justice. This match was all about the angle. The in-ring action was pretty standard fair plus The Undertaker, who absolutely stunk in the ring during this period, was protected by the presence of Flair. As far as heel turns, however, this one was one of the weaker ones. Sid had all he right on his side to dislike Hogan, as Hogan was a poor sport at the Rumble. No way Hogan was turning heel here, however.
Mooney catches up with Sid backstage and wants Sid to explain his actions. Sid says that he has no friends and that he should be the #1 contender. Hogan can't beat Flair on his best day, and can't beat Sid on Sid's worst day. It boggles my mind that Mooney would want an explanation when the evidence is RIGHT THERE that Hogan is a whiny, backstabbing crybaby. Then saying that Sid turned his back on his friend, when a true friendship was never really established on-screen. This whole angle setup is horribly planned.
After a break, Okerlund talks with Hogan and Beefcake backstage. Hogan calls Sid a liar and that he turned his back on him and the Hulkamanics. But THANK GOD for Brutus Beefcake, brother! Beefcake goes on about his accident and how Hogan was there for him when he woke up in the hospital to Hogan giving him blood. I imagine that scene from Seinfeld where Jerry wakes up to find out that Newman gave him blood. Hogan dedicates his title match at Wrestlemania to Beefcake.
Match #3: Sgt. Slaughter and Jim Duggan vs. The Beverly Brothers.
A week prior on television, this was announced as LOD vs. The Beverly Brothers but was switched for some reason. I wonder if it had anything to do with Hawk's issues and the need to get the titles off the LOD as soon as possible. Everyone is already in the ring, as Duggan starts off with Blake. Blake takes Duggan to the corner and whips him to the opposite corner, where Slaughter blocks the blow. Duggan clotheslines Blake, but falls to some double-teaming. Beau in the ring, whips Duggan but puts his head down and Duggan gets a boot in. Tag is made to Slaughter and he gets a back bodydrop on Blake and then an abdominak stretch. Beau breaks that up, and all four guys are in. In the confusion, Slaughter hits Blake with The Genius' scroll and whips him into a Duggan clothesline. Duggan covers..1...2....3! (2:39) 1/2*
WINNERS: Sgt. Slaughter and Jim Duggan. Nothing really to see here. Neither team was going anywhere and this match was pointless.
We check out the history between Randy Savage and Jake Roberts, including the snake attack on Savage, then Roberts slapping Elizabeth during This Tuesday in Texas. Jake promises that if Elizabeth shows up tonight, they'll have some more fun because some things are worth doing twice.
Back from break, Okerlund is with Savage who says that if any man witnessed their woman being assaulted, that might make someone a little insane. Jake is about to find out how insane Savage is.
Match #4: Randy Savage vs. Jake Roberts.
Jake bails to the floor when Savage rushes the ring and they start it off out there. Savage runs Jake into the post, then pulls the shoulder into another post. Jake is in the ring and Savage follows him there. Foot to the throat for Savage. He elbows the throat out on the apron. Savage knees Jake into the corner, but Jake goes to the eyes and then tosses Savage to the floor. Savage is back in but Jake takes his head to the corner and tosses him to the floor again. Outside on the floor now, Jake takes Savage to the post headfirst, then does it a second time (complete with THUNK sound effects). We take a commercial break, and come back with Savage crawling back in the ring. Jake whips him to the corner, but Savage reverses and hits a back elbow. Savage to the top, but jumps into Jake's fist and then Jake gets the DDT! The referee begins the 10 count as Jake sits in the corner. Jake grabs Savage and hits the short-arm clothesline. Jake signals for the DDT, picks him up, but Savage backdrops him over the top rope! Savage to the top and hits the double axhandle to Jake on the railing! Savage rolls Jake in the ring, goes to the top and hits the flying elbow! Cover...1....2....3! (5:25) ***
WINNER: Randy Savage. I don't know why, but these two never really got a proper blow-off. The two televised matches they had were both very short affairs. This one was good, but not long enough. They packed a lot in for the time they had, however. After the match, Savage wants to hit another elbow, with a gaggle of officials out to try and talk him out of it. They fail to do so as Savage hits the second elbow. Savage retrieves the ring bell, but Jake recovers enough to roll out of the ring and head to the back. Then Elizabeth comes out and joins Savage in the ring to celebrate. Behind the curtain, Jake promises that it's not over yet, as he waits.....but WE'RE OUT OF TIME!!
This show breezed by rather quickly, as it was no longer a 90-minute production at this point. Without commercials on the WWE Network, it runs about 45 minutes. Lively action from beginning to end, as they tried to pack as much as they could into the short match running times. I can recommend this show with a clear conscience.
COMING SOON: WCW SUPERBRAWL II!
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