The 1992 version of SummerSlam aired live in the UK on 8/29/92, but did not air on PPV in North America until 8/31/92. It was originally supposed to be held in Washington, D.C. but was moved to Wembley Stadium in London in the hopes of taking advantage of a surge in popularity there and a better live gate.
Meanwhile, here is what was happening between their last PPV, WrestleMania VIII and now...
- WWF Superstars of Wrestling - 4/11/92 - a distorted voiceover made threats against The Big Boss Man....from prison; The Legion of Doom and Paul Ellering roamed the streets of Chicago, making a challenge to The Beverly Brothers; The Mountie debuted a version of his entrance music with himself singing the lyrics.
- WWF Superstars - 4/18/92 - the first episode to be called simply "WWF Superstars" for legal reasons; Randy Savage & Elizabeth proved that the photos of Ric Flair with Elizabeth were fake; the distorted voiceover continued to taunt The Big Boss Man; Crush vignettes began airing; The Ultimate Warrior laid out a challenge to Sid Justice; The Berzerker and his manager, Mr. Fuji, made a challenge to The Undertaker.
- WWF Superstars - 4/25/92 - Sid Justice responded to The Ultimate Warrior's promo from the week prior; at this point, it is speculated that Sid was scheduled to serve a drug suspension but instead quit the company and pursued a softball career; The Beverly Brothers began a post-match ritual where they would paint the faces of their opponents and taunt the Legion of Doom with "LOS (Legion of Sissies)"; during their match, The Berzerker attempted to impale The Undertaker with his sword.
- WWF Wrestling Challenge - 4/26/92 - Tatanka had an altercation with Rick Martel after they bumped into each other between their respective matches.
- WWF Superstars - 5/2/92 - Rick Martel appeared at ringside during a Tatanka match and ending up spraying Arrogance in his eyes and stealing his eagle feathers; Koko B. Ware and Owen Hart made their debut as High Energy.
- WWF Wrestling Challenge - 5/3/92 - Shawn Michaels cut a promo on Intercontinental Champion Bret Hart; during a match with The British Bulldog, Repo Man hung the Bulldog over the top rope with his tow rope, choking him into unconsciousness.
- WWF Superstars - 5/9/92 - Rick Martel cut a promo, stating that he plans on keeping Tatanka's sacred feathers; Papa Shango stated that he was going to place a curse on The Ultimate Warrior, as Shango was now placed into the feud with Warrior in lieu of the departed Sid Justice; Kamala returned to the WWF with Harvey Wippleman & Kim-Chee; Crush made his debut as the Kona Crush character; during a match between Sgt. Slaughter and Ric Flair, The Mountie came to ringside with a much larger and powerful shock stick, attacking Slaughter with it and costing him the match.
- WWF Wrestling Challenge - 5/10/92 - During a match between Earthquake and Ted DiBiase, IRS interfered and attacked both Earthquake and Typhoon with his briefcase.
- WWF Superstars - 5/16/92 - During a match between The Ultimate Warrior and Brian Knobs, Papa Shango appeared and placed a curse on the Warrior; after the match, Warrior began clutching his stomach in pain, and then later vomited backstage.
- WWF Wrestling Challenge - 5/17/92 - during a promo, Gene Okerlund informed Randy Savage that Ric Flair and Mr. Perfect will be revealing some damaging evidence concerning Elizabeth the following week; after a match that saw The Beverly Brothers defeat The Bushwhackers, The Legion of Doom made the save before the Beverlys could paint the faces of The Bushwhackers.
- WWF Superstars - 5/23/92 - Ric Flair and Mr. Perfect played a recording of Elizabeth allegedly leaving a romantic message on Flair's answering machine; during an interview, The Ultimate Warrior began to drip black goo from his forehead, courtesy of the Shango curse.
- WWF Superstars - 5/30/92 - Before his match, Papa Shango made his opponent's feet catch fire and black goo to drip from his forehead; after his match, The Big Boss Man was attacked by an individual who came out from the crowd, handcuffing Boss Man to the ropes and beating him down with his own nightstick; that man would be known as Nailz.
- WWF Wrestling Challenge - 5/31/92 - Intercontinental Champion Bret Hart cut a promo on Shawn Michaels.
- WWF Superstars - 6/13/92 - the airing of the very first Razor Ramon vignette; Nailz made his in-ring debut.
- WWF Superstars - 6/27/92 - The Legion of Doom and Paul Ellering returned to the Chicago and discovered their old friend "Rocco" in a trash heap.
- WWF Superstars - 7/11/92 - The Berzerker and Mr. Fuji attacked The Undertaker and Paul Bearer after an Undertaker squash, throwing salt in Bearer's eyes and hitting Undertaker with Fuji's cane, to no effect.
- WWF Superstars - 7/18/92 - The Big Boss Man returned to television, cutting a promo on Nailz; it was officially announced for SummerSlam that WWF Champion Randy Savage will defend against The Ultimate Warrior.
- WWF Wrestling Challenge - 7/19/92 - Ric Flair cut a promo stating his displeasure of being left off the SummerSlam card.
- At a TV taping in Worcester, MA on 7/20/92, The Natural Disasters defeated Money, Inc. to become NEW WWF Tag Team Champions.
- WWF Superstars - 7/25/92 - WWF Champion Randy Savage and The Ultimate Warrior had a face-to-face interview that was interrupted by Ric Flair and Mr. Perfect; Perfect calls Savage the "Macho Chicken" here, prompting Savage to attack and get double-teamed until Warrior made the save, at which point Warrior and Savage began arguing with each other; WWF Intercontinental Champion Bret Hart vs. The British Bulldog, The Undertaker vs. Kamala and Rick Martel vs. Shawn Michaels were all announced for SummerSlam.
- WWF Superstars - 8/1/92 - WWF Tag Team Champions The Natural Disasters vs. The Beverly Brothers, Virgil vs. Nails and The Legion of Doom vs. Money, Inc. were all announced for SummerSlam; Helen Hart went public with comments about how the upcoming match between Bret Hart and the British Bulldog was tearing the family apart.
- WWF Wrestling Challenge - 8/2/92 - Diana Hart Smith went public with comments stating how the upcoming match between Bret Hart and The British Bulldog was tearing the family apart.
- WWF Superstars - 8/8/92 - an Ultimate Warrior interview was interrupted by Ric Flair, claiming that Mr. Perfect was in negotiations with Randy Savage to appear in his corner at SummerSlam; Stu & Helen Hart appeared and stated that the family was divided over the Bret-Bulldog outcome; Razor Ramon made his in-ring debut;
- WWF Wrestling Challenge - 8/9/92 - Tatanka vs. The Berzerker was added to the SummerSlam card (did not actually make it to air); The Bushwhackers defeated The Nasty Boys by disqualification when they were attacked with Jimmy Hart's motorcycle helmet, with Jim Duggan making the save; also announced for SummerSlam was Crush vs. Repo Man; during a Shawn Michaels squash match, Rick Martel came to ringside and winked at Sherri, with Sherri winking back.
- WWF Superstars - 8/15/92 - an interview with WWF Champion Randy Savage was interrupted by Mr. Perfect, claiming that The Ultimate Warrior was trying to get Perfect to appear in his corner for SummerSlam; Sensational Sherri announced that Rick Martel and Shawn Michaels have agreed to not punch each other in the face during their SummerSlam match; The Big Boss Man returned to the ring to squash Skinner; Kamala had a run-in with The Undertaker between their respective matches.
- WWF Wrestling Challenge - 8/16/92 - Bruce Hart appeared and stated that the he was rooting for the Bulldog over his brother, Bret.
- WWF Superstars - 8/22/92 - Owen Hart voiced his support of Bret Hart against the Bulldog; it was announced that Randy Savage & The Ultimate Warrior would team up against The Nasty Boys on the SummerSlam Spectacular airing the next day; Pap Shango would continue to attack his opponent after a squash, until Bret Hart made the save; later on, during Bret's match, Papa Shango would appear at ringside.
- WWF Wrestling Challenge - 8/23/92 - Owen Hart stated that the entire Hart family loses no matter who wins the match between Bret and the Bulldog.
- WWF SummerSlam Spectacular - 8/23/92 - Ric Flair defeated Tito Santana; Tatanka defeated Kato; Nailz defeated a jobber; The Nasty Boys defeated Randy Savage & The Ultimate Warrior via count-out, as Ric Flair and Mr. Perfect attacked the faces on the floor; Rick Martel defeated a jobber, as Sherri came to ringside to check him out; Kamala defeated a jobber; Money, Inc. defeated The Bushwhackers; Bret Hart defeated Skinner.
Whew! As you can see, a lot can happen with angles between April and August. The WWF was sorely in need of a stopgap show between WrestleMania and SummerSlam and would begin King of the Ring in 1993. Let's get to this show and see how it holds up, shall we?
LIVE! (not really) from Wembley Stadium in London, England! Brought to you by ICO/PRO, totally natural supplements for your roided up ball sack. We get some opinions from the London marks pre-show, highlighted by some kid who says, and I quote: "The British Bulldog is going to win, whether he wants to or not!". Zuh??? Do they lace their fish and chips with lead?
Your commentary team are Vince McMahon and Bobby Heenan.
Match #1: The Legion of Doom (w/ Paul Ellering and Rocco) vs. Money, Inc. (w/ Jimmy Hart).
I think Rocco was Vince's way of punishing Hawk for a positive drug test earlier in the year. The fact that LOD go along with it and don't immediately say "fuck this" is quite telling. LOD ride on down to ringside on motorcycles which is a cool visual, until Ellering unstraps the fucking dummy from the handlebars. Did I forget to mention DiBiase's swank white tights? Hawk and DiBiase start us off. DiBiase gets a few chops in, but Hawk reverses a whip and DiBiase bails to the floor. Animal throws him back in and Hawk clotheslines him right back out, followed by another clothesline from Animal on the floor. Animal and IRS in the ring now. Animal reverses a corner whip and IRS hits hard and falls to the mat. Animal presses him over his head and slams him down for a 1 count. Hawk back in and he gets a sleeper off a whip. Hawk eventually backs him into the corner to break and then whips him to the opposite corner and gets a clothesline. Hawk goes to the top but comes off and whiffs on a flying clothesline and rolls to the floor. DiBiase slams him on the floor and then rolls him back in. The heels work Hawk over in the corner, and IRS gets in three elbow drops, which gets 2. IRS slaps on the reverse chinlock on the mat and when the ref has his back turned, the heels switch off illegally, because rulebreaking heels are awesome. DiBiase drops a knee across the chest and gets a 2 count. Hawk reverses the head to the buckle spot but can't make the tag. The heels continue their shenanigans behind the referee's back as Hawk is face-in-peril here. Hawk gets the false tag as the referee was distracted, and we continue the heat sequence on Hawk. Hawk finally gets the tag to Animal and he gets a flying shoulderblock on DiBiase and a dropkick on IRS. Animal gets a double clothesline on the heels. All four guys are in the ring as it gets LOOPY IN LONDON!! LOD goes for the Doomsday Device on DiBiase but IRS dropkicks Animal to break it up. The heels miscommunicate, then Animal gets a powerslam on DiBiase. Cover...1....2....3!! (15:10) ***
WINNERS: The Legion of Doom. These two teams of veterans offered up a solid tag team match here. Pretty standard formula with Hawk as the face in trouble, and Money, Inc. doing some good heel work. The crowd heat was pretty good for this, adding a little extra to the hot tag. Nicely done.
Backstage, Gene Okerlund is with Ric Flair. Flair is disgruntled that he was left out of the title picture for this show. Okerlund takes note of Flair being dressed in his robe and gear with Flair stating that he is always ready for action. Okerlund asks Flair which corner Mr. Perfect will be in, but Flair ain't talking. All he will say is that Perfect is in the dressing room of the winner.
Sean Mooney is with Virgil who is facing Nailz tonight. He tells us that he is 2 Legit 2 Quit. He's not wrong. Have you ever tried to shake Virgil at a convention? The man can hound you.
Match #2: Virgil vs. Nailz.
This crowd is jacked to see Virgil, so maybe he might be able to score on some autograph sessions after the show. Virgil hits a clothesline and a dropkick on Nailz, but he won't go own. Virgil tries to roll him up for a pin attempt but Nailz rolls through and chokes him, then throws him over the top to the floor. Back in the ring, Virgil tries to come back. Nailz hits boot on a charge but gets a big clothesline. A whip off the ropes lands Virgil in a choke/sleeper, and just like that Virgil is done. (3:55) 1/2*
WINNER: Nailz. I'm not sure why they couldn't book a Boss Man/Nailz match here. Boss Man had returned to television after his epic beatdown at the hands of Nailz a couple of months back. Not that the match would have been nay good because Nailz stunk. Virgil is not the guy to try and get a good match out of him. After the match, Nailz sticks it to Virgil with the nightstick. If that happened today, so many cell phones in the crowd would be uploading the beatdown on YouTube without any context and the media would be calling for Nailz' firing.
Lord Alfred Hays is backstage rudely hammering on Randy Savage's dressing room door, looking for Mr. Perfect. He seems really ticked off that he can't get in there.
Okerlund has Sensational Sherri in the interview area. He recaps Shawn Michaels costing Rick Martel a match against Bret Hart, then Martel coming ringside for a Michaels match and flirting with Sherri. Then during a Martel match, Sherri came ringside for a closer look. She was responsible for the stipulation that neither guy can hit the other in the face. Gene asks her who she stands for and she states that she stands with her man. Off camera Shawn: "Sherri let's go!" Sherri: "Yes, Shawn!".
Match #3: Rick Martel vs. Shawn Michaels (w/ Sensationsl Sherri).
Weird dynamic here as we get a heel vs. heel match in an era when that just was not done. Michaels was originally going to get an IC title match before the Wembley Stadium booking changed plans. Martel has arrived in tennis duds in honor of Wimbledon. Michaels comes down with Sherri holding a huge mirror. Vince is disturbed by the ass of Sherri's wardrobe missing, probably because a bodybuilder isn't wearing it. Michaels gets a dropkick as Heenan wonders if they can dropkick the face with the stip. Martel gets some knees in the corner, but then whiffs on a crossbody out of the opposite corner. Michaels yanks the hair to put Martel down on a wristlock, and Martel threatens to smash his face in. Martel throws Michaels over the top rope and to the floor. Martel follows out and coerces Sherri into a hug, which has her smiling. Back in the ring, Martel gets a back bodydrop coming off the ropes. The two then trade tight-pulling roll ups, with each guy showing ass. Michaels hits a superkick to the midsection for a 2 count. Whip to the corner is reversed by Martel, but he meets boot on a charge. Martel gets a roll up for a 2 count, and now the two get into a slap fight.They threaten to punch each other and Sherri faints on the apron. Michaels is at a loss for what to do, so Martel shoves him aside and tries CPR. Then the two begin brawling down the aisle as Sherri sits up to look for them, as apparently she's faking. We get the two men separated by referees and officials and Michaels returns to collect Sherri, picking her up over his shoulder. Vince makes a Twin Peaks reference to really date this show. Martel returns to sucker punch Michaels then he picks up Sherri to take her to the back. Michaels hits him from behind and everybody goes down. Martel is escorted to the back and Michaels picks Sherri up again to take her back. Martel returns with a bucket and dumps it on Sherri, "waking" her up. This thing finally comes to an end with everyone running to the back. (8:06) **
WINNER: Double countout. This had the makings of a pretty good match until the angle kicked in and derailed everything. This may have had a small build of sorts on television, but this went nowhere after this show and was never mentioned again. So why book it? Michaels should have received the IC title shot and Martel should have had his blowoff with Tatanka over the sacred feathers. The shenanigans in this match were only slightly funny and ultimately pointless.
Sean Mooney is with The Nasty Boys and Jimmy Hart and they find what happened to Sherri hilarious. They stop laughing when the tag titles are mentioned and are incredulous as to why they don't have a shot. They look to Jimmy and he seems torn, saying that the shot goes to Money, Inc but then "of course you have a title shot". Foreshadowing...
Match #4: The Natural Disasters vs. The Beverly Brothers (w/ The Genius).
Rather large pop for the Disasters here. This is another match that has strange booking surrounding it. All summer of '92, the Disasters were feuding with Money Inc over the tag titles until finally winning them at a TV taping. Money, Inc should be getting their rematch here. Meanwhile, The Beverly Brothers had been feuding with LOD for weeks, painting jobber faces after beating them and taunting LOD with the whole "Legion of Sissies" thing. The Beverlys jump the Disasters to start us off, but the Disasters use fat guy power to clear the ring. When it settle down, Typhoon and Blake are in the ring. Blake tries a slam and gets him up halfway but Typhoon is GROTESQUELY OVERWEIGHT and falls on him. Face miscommunication in the corner allows the Beverlys to take control. Meanwhile, Heenan lets us that "Shawn Michaels has left Wembley Stadium.". The Beverlys double team Typhoon on the ropes and switch off without a tag behind the referee's back. Blake uses the tag rope in the corner to choke Typhoon, which is a lost tactic in this era. The Disasters get the false tag and the referee breaks it up, as Typhoon continues to take the ass-kicking. More double-teaming in the corner, until Typhoon finally comes back with a double clothesline out of the corner. However, the Beverlys stop that with a Beau dropkick from the top rope. Typhoon manages to make his way to the corner for the tag, but Earthquake isn't there, as he is distracted by The Genius on the outside. A scroll shot to Typhoon leads to a pin attempt broken up by Earthquake with a big elbow. Quake finally gets the hot tag and hits a nice belly-to-belly on Beau. Earthquake with a double shoulderblock to clear the ring of Blake. Earthquake signals for the Quake splash and hits it. 1...2...3! (10:30) **1/2
WINNERS: And STILL WWF Tag Team Champions, The Natural Disasters. Decent match, but nothing special. Typhoon spent most of the time in the ring getting his ass handed to him, which is what you want, as Earthquake makes for the better hot tag guy. The Beverly Brothers brought their working boots for this one. Can't ask for much else.
Meanwhile, Okerlund catches up with The Bushwhackers backstage and tried to get over a joke about someone trying to sell Luke a London bridge. Pointless interview segment alert!
Lord Alfred Hayes is backstage outside the Warrior's dressing room and thinks he can just open the door and surprise Mr. Perfect and the Ultimate Warrior, but someone slams the door shut on him. These backstage segments with Hayes trying to catch both Savage and Warrior in the act of working with the heel Perfect may have come off silly, but they were effective in pushing the angle.
Match #5: Crush vs. Repo Man.
The difference between then and now? The announcers would find a way to link Crush and Barry Darsow together as Demolition. Repo jumps Crush at the bell, but it only serves to piss off Crush, who presses Repo over his head a few times, leading to Repo bailing to the floor. Crush goes after him and rolls him back in. Crush catches Repo on a crossbody attempt and lays him across the top rope for a kick. Whip off the ropes for a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Repo comes back with a back suplex. Crush goes up top and misses a knee drop. Repo slugs away and then slams Crush's head to the mat. Repo goes up top and leaps into a Crush powerslam. Then it's just a matter of Crush applying the head vice and that's it for the submission win! (5:41) *1/2
WINNER: Crush. Repo Man never did much for me, as I think Darsow was much better suited as a tag team guy rather than a singles wrestler. Crush looked okay here, as he was much improved over his Demolition run. He had a good look that helped get him over, and a decent supply of power moves, and this would probably be his peak as a decent wrestler.
Okerlund is backstage to get us hyped for the title match, throwing to a video recap of the whole angle with Flair and Perfect baiting everyone into thinking Perfect was negotiating with one or the other to be in their corner, leading to distrust between the two faces. I need to mention how the Warrior's tights make it look like he's nude except for the Warrior logo over his crotch and ass.
Match #6: Randy Savage (c) vs. The Ultimate Warrior - WWF Championship.
Warrior comes down first without Mr. Perfect, leading to Heenan speculating that it was Savage who sold out. The champ enters second, also without Perfect, as the guessing game continues. My screen wants to explode in a rainbow colored cloud with these tights being sported. Warrior shoves Savage to the mat, as Savage comes back with a clothesline to the back of the head. Warrior catches Savage coming off the top with a right hand, then hits him with an inverted atomic drop. A clothesline from Warrior gets a 2 count. Warrior misses an elbowdrop, then Savage lands a knee drop for a 2 count. Warrior slams Savage's head to the mat for a 2 count, then slugs away on him in the corner. A whip to the opposite corner leads to a 10-kick count along, then a short-arm clothesline gets the Warrior a 2 count. Savage clotheslines Warrior over the top rope and to the floor. Back in the ring, that gets a 2 count. Savage goes up top for a double axehandle to no effect, but a second one puts him down for a 2 count. Warrior catches Savage on a third attempt and hits him with a backbreaker for 2. Warrior whips Savage from corner to corner a few times and then gets a bearhug, but then decides to drop Savage and get a 2 count. A sideslam gets another 2 count. Out of nowhere, Savage gets a small package for 2. Warrior with the whip, but puts his head down and Savage gets a swinging neckbreaker for a 2 count. Savage drops the Warrior throat-first across the top rope, then covers for a 2 count. A suplex is halted by a balky back for Savage, allowing the Warrior to get back in it with some blows to that there bad back. Nice suplex by Warrior for a 2 count. Savage ducks away from a clothesline attempt and Warrior falls to the floor, leading Savage to come off the top to the floor with a double axehandle. He then takes Warrior's head to the stairs and then runs him into the post. He rolls him back in for a 2 count. At this point, Flair and Perfect head down to ringside as Warrior takes control with a bodyslam. However, a splash hits knees and Savage covers for a 2 count. We get a double clothesline in the middle of the ring, as both guys are down. Warrior recovers first and gets a 2 count. Savage is up, but Perfect trips him, leading to Vince to declare Perfect is working with Warrior. Warrior decks Savage then whips him into a ref bump. Warrior goes to the top and comes off with a double axehandle of his own. Cover....ref is slow to recover....1.......2.......kick out!!! Warrior argues with the ref, when Savage recovers and runs a knee into Warrior's back, taking the referee out in the process. While Savage is on the floor to get the referee, Perfect and Flair get in the ring to double team Warrior, and now Heenan states the heels are working with Savage. Savage is back in and slams Warrior, then goes to the top and hits the Savage elbow! Cover...ref is slow to recover....1.......2............kick out!!!! Warrior starts to Hulk up while Savage reigns blows upon him, then runs the ropes to hit Savage with several clotheslines. Warrior with the flying shoulderblock, and he's fired up. Overhead press slam, but Flair hits Warrior in the back with a chair behind the referee's back. Savage is up and he's figuring things out, but decides to go up top anyway. After thinking about it, he jumps to the floor after Flair, but Flair is ready for him with a chair to the knee! The referee starts his count and before we know it, Savage is counted out. (28:00) ****
Winner: Via countout, The Ultimate Warrior. However, Savage retains the title. As soon as the bell rings, Flair and Perfect are on Savage like a couple of wolves. Warrior makes the save before they can do damage with the chair and chases them off. Warrior and Savage do the respect thing afterwards. This was a great match between the two and if it hadn't been so overbooked with the angle and then had a clean finish, it probably would have been *****. I was enjoying this one more than their Wrestlemania VII match before the angle brought it down a notch. It was a pleasure to watch these two attempt to pin each other after each move.
In the locker room, Perfect reveals that there was no deal with Warrior or Savage, and Plan A was completed. Plan B is Flair coming for the belt.
Match #7: The Undertaker (w/ Paul Bearer) vs. Kamala (w/ Harvey Whippleman and Kim-Chee).
We get the rather famous visual of The Undertaker riding on the back of a hearse down to ringside. Seeing Kamala and then remembering Saba Simba makes me wonder if Vince, to this day, thinks all Africans are still running around with spears and wearing loin cloths. The Undertaker catches Kamala sneaking up on him and lays in with the thrusts. UT does the ropewalk but then tries a second one but gets distracted by Whippleman and Kamala pulls him down. They brawl on the floor with Kamala running UT into the stairs. Back in the ring, Kamala lays in some chops but Taker comes back and chokeslams (!!) Kamala. Big flying clothesline from Taker and he picks him up for the Tombstone but Kim-Chee runs in for the DQ. (3:27) 1/2*
WINNER: Via disqualification, The Undertaker. After the match, Kamala pounds away on Taker and slams him to the mat. He hits him with a splash, then climbs to the middle rope for another splash. Kamala is then instructed to go to the top and he comes own with an even bigger splash! After all that, Taker does the zombie sit-up and scares the shit out of Kamala, as Taker stalks him to the back. The match was pretty bad as expected, but Taker hit a couple of spots to save it from DUD status.
Sean Mooney is backstage with The British Bulldog and asks for his take on the family pressure because of this match. Bulldog proceeds to cut a pretty bad promo, which appeared to be scripted for him.
Okerlund is with Bret, and Bret is pissed that the Bulldog doesn't give him credit for introducing him to his wife. By contrast, Bret's promo is fiery and shows how much tension there is between the two because of family.
Roddy Piper, who hasn't been seen since WrestleMania VIII, makes an appearance to play some bagpipes with the Balmoral Highlanders.
Sean Mooney has now found his way to Diana Hart-Smith's seat and asks her how she feels about the upcoming match. I'm sorry but the Canadian accent is strong with this one. She rambles on about women going to the front lines with their husbands. Seriously, she lost me as soon as she started talking.
Match #8: Bret Hart (c) vs. The British Bulldog - WWF Intercontinental Championship.
Bulldog makes his way to the ring, lead by British boxing superstar Lennox Lewis carrying the Union Jack. A little shoving match to start things off. Bulldog hits Hart with a big shoulderblock that send Hart to the floor. Back in the ring, Bret gets a small package for a 2 count. Bulldog escapes a side headlock and gets a hammerlock on the mat and knees the arm. Bret reverses and twists the arm but Bulldog impressively flips out of it and gets an armbar. Bulldog catches Bret in a leapfrog and catapults him into the corner. Bulldog gets a crucifix for a 2 count then goes to an armbar. Bret tries to bodyslam out of it but Bulldog hangs on. Bret whips Bulldog off the ropes and into a knee to the gut. A quick legdrop and Bret goes to the chinlock. Bulldog elbows out but runs into a back elbow. Inverted atomic drop by Bret is called a "reverse piledriver" by Vince. Bulldog goes for another crucifix but Bret drops him with a Samoan drop, calling upon the signature move of his ancestors. Bret runs the ropes into a monkey flip from the Bulldog. Whip to the corner, but Bulldog hits boot. Bret with a bulldog to the Bulldog, as irony strikes. Bret climbs to the top but Bulldog throws him off, but then Bulldog climbs up and misses a move as Bret was playing possum. Bulldog tries the rollup but Bret manages to throw him off through the ropes and to the floor. Bret with a plancha over the top which hits awkwardly, and then he rams Bulldog back first into the post. In the ring, Bulldog is whipped hard to the corner. Russian legsweep (Vince: "Neckbreaker") gets 2 for Bret. A dropkick from Bret puts Bulldog down, then he whips him off the ropes for a back bodydrop, which gets 2. Bret with a suplex for 2. Bulldog gets a surprise backslide for 2. Bret hits a backbreaker then goes to the middle rope for an elbow, and that gets a 2 count. Bret goes for a sleeper as Bulldog goes down to his knees. Bulldog makes the ropes and Bret is slow to break. A whip off the ropes leads to another sleeper for Bret. Bulldog makes the comeback and rams Bret into the corner to break. A whip and Bulldog catches Bret in an overhead press and drops him crotch first on the ropes. Several clotheslines later and Bulldog gets a 2 count. Bulldog gets him up for the delayed vertical suplex an that gets a 2 count. Bret is whipped to the corner hard and bounces out into a 2 count. Bulldog gets him up for the running powerslam! Cover...1....2.....shoulder up! Bret hits a German suplex with a bridge! 1...2.....kick out! Bulldog blocks a suplex and puts Bret on the top rope. He follows up and hits a superplex! Cover...1....2.....shoulder up! They each hit a clothesline and both men are down. While down, Bret tries to stick the Sharpshooter on and he gets it! Bulldog hanging on....hanging on...he reaches the ropes! Whip off the ropes, Bret goes for a sunset flip, but Bulldog hooks the legs and falls forward...1....2.....3!!! (25:40) *****
WINNER: And NEW WWF Intercontinental Champion, The British Bulldog. After a few tense moments, they do the respect handshake and Diana hugs both husband and brother, as they celebrate in front of the Wembley crowd. Of course, this is a classic match and you would be hard-pressed to find any fault with it. Bret appeared to do an awesome carry job early on but Bulldog was able to pull his weight near the end.
FINAL PARTING SHOT: The two big matches delivered in a big way. Bret-Bulldog was an easy match of the year winner for 1992. Savage-Warrior was on it's way to being better than WrestleMania VII before the angle slowed it down. LOD-Money Inc was a surprisingly good match, but the rest was forgettable. As I stated earlier, this was an oddly booked show with none of the current feuds at the time being paid off as they should have been here. The show was originally slated for Washington D.C. before plans changed and therefore the booking changed as well. Still, a solid show overall as the two big matches carry it all the way.
UP NEXT: WCW HALLOWEEN HAVOC '92!!
Your commentary team are Vince McMahon and Bobby Heenan.
Match #1: The Legion of Doom (w/ Paul Ellering and Rocco) vs. Money, Inc. (w/ Jimmy Hart).
I think Rocco was Vince's way of punishing Hawk for a positive drug test earlier in the year. The fact that LOD go along with it and don't immediately say "fuck this" is quite telling. LOD ride on down to ringside on motorcycles which is a cool visual, until Ellering unstraps the fucking dummy from the handlebars. Did I forget to mention DiBiase's swank white tights? Hawk and DiBiase start us off. DiBiase gets a few chops in, but Hawk reverses a whip and DiBiase bails to the floor. Animal throws him back in and Hawk clotheslines him right back out, followed by another clothesline from Animal on the floor. Animal and IRS in the ring now. Animal reverses a corner whip and IRS hits hard and falls to the mat. Animal presses him over his head and slams him down for a 1 count. Hawk back in and he gets a sleeper off a whip. Hawk eventually backs him into the corner to break and then whips him to the opposite corner and gets a clothesline. Hawk goes to the top but comes off and whiffs on a flying clothesline and rolls to the floor. DiBiase slams him on the floor and then rolls him back in. The heels work Hawk over in the corner, and IRS gets in three elbow drops, which gets 2. IRS slaps on the reverse chinlock on the mat and when the ref has his back turned, the heels switch off illegally, because rulebreaking heels are awesome. DiBiase drops a knee across the chest and gets a 2 count. Hawk reverses the head to the buckle spot but can't make the tag. The heels continue their shenanigans behind the referee's back as Hawk is face-in-peril here. Hawk gets the false tag as the referee was distracted, and we continue the heat sequence on Hawk. Hawk finally gets the tag to Animal and he gets a flying shoulderblock on DiBiase and a dropkick on IRS. Animal gets a double clothesline on the heels. All four guys are in the ring as it gets LOOPY IN LONDON!! LOD goes for the Doomsday Device on DiBiase but IRS dropkicks Animal to break it up. The heels miscommunicate, then Animal gets a powerslam on DiBiase. Cover...1....2....3!! (15:10) ***
WINNERS: The Legion of Doom. These two teams of veterans offered up a solid tag team match here. Pretty standard formula with Hawk as the face in trouble, and Money, Inc. doing some good heel work. The crowd heat was pretty good for this, adding a little extra to the hot tag. Nicely done.
Backstage, Gene Okerlund is with Ric Flair. Flair is disgruntled that he was left out of the title picture for this show. Okerlund takes note of Flair being dressed in his robe and gear with Flair stating that he is always ready for action. Okerlund asks Flair which corner Mr. Perfect will be in, but Flair ain't talking. All he will say is that Perfect is in the dressing room of the winner.
Sean Mooney is with Virgil who is facing Nailz tonight. He tells us that he is 2 Legit 2 Quit. He's not wrong. Have you ever tried to shake Virgil at a convention? The man can hound you.
Match #2: Virgil vs. Nailz.
This crowd is jacked to see Virgil, so maybe he might be able to score on some autograph sessions after the show. Virgil hits a clothesline and a dropkick on Nailz, but he won't go own. Virgil tries to roll him up for a pin attempt but Nailz rolls through and chokes him, then throws him over the top to the floor. Back in the ring, Virgil tries to come back. Nailz hits boot on a charge but gets a big clothesline. A whip off the ropes lands Virgil in a choke/sleeper, and just like that Virgil is done. (3:55) 1/2*
WINNER: Nailz. I'm not sure why they couldn't book a Boss Man/Nailz match here. Boss Man had returned to television after his epic beatdown at the hands of Nailz a couple of months back. Not that the match would have been nay good because Nailz stunk. Virgil is not the guy to try and get a good match out of him. After the match, Nailz sticks it to Virgil with the nightstick. If that happened today, so many cell phones in the crowd would be uploading the beatdown on YouTube without any context and the media would be calling for Nailz' firing.
Lord Alfred Hays is backstage rudely hammering on Randy Savage's dressing room door, looking for Mr. Perfect. He seems really ticked off that he can't get in there.
Okerlund has Sensational Sherri in the interview area. He recaps Shawn Michaels costing Rick Martel a match against Bret Hart, then Martel coming ringside for a Michaels match and flirting with Sherri. Then during a Martel match, Sherri came ringside for a closer look. She was responsible for the stipulation that neither guy can hit the other in the face. Gene asks her who she stands for and she states that she stands with her man. Off camera Shawn: "Sherri let's go!" Sherri: "Yes, Shawn!".
Match #3: Rick Martel vs. Shawn Michaels (w/ Sensationsl Sherri).
Weird dynamic here as we get a heel vs. heel match in an era when that just was not done. Michaels was originally going to get an IC title match before the Wembley Stadium booking changed plans. Martel has arrived in tennis duds in honor of Wimbledon. Michaels comes down with Sherri holding a huge mirror. Vince is disturbed by the ass of Sherri's wardrobe missing, probably because a bodybuilder isn't wearing it. Michaels gets a dropkick as Heenan wonders if they can dropkick the face with the stip. Martel gets some knees in the corner, but then whiffs on a crossbody out of the opposite corner. Michaels yanks the hair to put Martel down on a wristlock, and Martel threatens to smash his face in. Martel throws Michaels over the top rope and to the floor. Martel follows out and coerces Sherri into a hug, which has her smiling. Back in the ring, Martel gets a back bodydrop coming off the ropes. The two then trade tight-pulling roll ups, with each guy showing ass. Michaels hits a superkick to the midsection for a 2 count. Whip to the corner is reversed by Martel, but he meets boot on a charge. Martel gets a roll up for a 2 count, and now the two get into a slap fight.They threaten to punch each other and Sherri faints on the apron. Michaels is at a loss for what to do, so Martel shoves him aside and tries CPR. Then the two begin brawling down the aisle as Sherri sits up to look for them, as apparently she's faking. We get the two men separated by referees and officials and Michaels returns to collect Sherri, picking her up over his shoulder. Vince makes a Twin Peaks reference to really date this show. Martel returns to sucker punch Michaels then he picks up Sherri to take her to the back. Michaels hits him from behind and everybody goes down. Martel is escorted to the back and Michaels picks Sherri up again to take her back. Martel returns with a bucket and dumps it on Sherri, "waking" her up. This thing finally comes to an end with everyone running to the back. (8:06) **
WINNER: Double countout. This had the makings of a pretty good match until the angle kicked in and derailed everything. This may have had a small build of sorts on television, but this went nowhere after this show and was never mentioned again. So why book it? Michaels should have received the IC title shot and Martel should have had his blowoff with Tatanka over the sacred feathers. The shenanigans in this match were only slightly funny and ultimately pointless.
Sean Mooney is with The Nasty Boys and Jimmy Hart and they find what happened to Sherri hilarious. They stop laughing when the tag titles are mentioned and are incredulous as to why they don't have a shot. They look to Jimmy and he seems torn, saying that the shot goes to Money, Inc but then "of course you have a title shot". Foreshadowing...
Match #4: The Natural Disasters vs. The Beverly Brothers (w/ The Genius).
Rather large pop for the Disasters here. This is another match that has strange booking surrounding it. All summer of '92, the Disasters were feuding with Money Inc over the tag titles until finally winning them at a TV taping. Money, Inc should be getting their rematch here. Meanwhile, The Beverly Brothers had been feuding with LOD for weeks, painting jobber faces after beating them and taunting LOD with the whole "Legion of Sissies" thing. The Beverlys jump the Disasters to start us off, but the Disasters use fat guy power to clear the ring. When it settle down, Typhoon and Blake are in the ring. Blake tries a slam and gets him up halfway but Typhoon is GROTESQUELY OVERWEIGHT and falls on him. Face miscommunication in the corner allows the Beverlys to take control. Meanwhile, Heenan lets us that "Shawn Michaels has left Wembley Stadium.". The Beverlys double team Typhoon on the ropes and switch off without a tag behind the referee's back. Blake uses the tag rope in the corner to choke Typhoon, which is a lost tactic in this era. The Disasters get the false tag and the referee breaks it up, as Typhoon continues to take the ass-kicking. More double-teaming in the corner, until Typhoon finally comes back with a double clothesline out of the corner. However, the Beverlys stop that with a Beau dropkick from the top rope. Typhoon manages to make his way to the corner for the tag, but Earthquake isn't there, as he is distracted by The Genius on the outside. A scroll shot to Typhoon leads to a pin attempt broken up by Earthquake with a big elbow. Quake finally gets the hot tag and hits a nice belly-to-belly on Beau. Earthquake with a double shoulderblock to clear the ring of Blake. Earthquake signals for the Quake splash and hits it. 1...2...3! (10:30) **1/2
WINNERS: And STILL WWF Tag Team Champions, The Natural Disasters. Decent match, but nothing special. Typhoon spent most of the time in the ring getting his ass handed to him, which is what you want, as Earthquake makes for the better hot tag guy. The Beverly Brothers brought their working boots for this one. Can't ask for much else.
Meanwhile, Okerlund catches up with The Bushwhackers backstage and tried to get over a joke about someone trying to sell Luke a London bridge. Pointless interview segment alert!
Lord Alfred Hayes is backstage outside the Warrior's dressing room and thinks he can just open the door and surprise Mr. Perfect and the Ultimate Warrior, but someone slams the door shut on him. These backstage segments with Hayes trying to catch both Savage and Warrior in the act of working with the heel Perfect may have come off silly, but they were effective in pushing the angle.
Match #5: Crush vs. Repo Man.
The difference between then and now? The announcers would find a way to link Crush and Barry Darsow together as Demolition. Repo jumps Crush at the bell, but it only serves to piss off Crush, who presses Repo over his head a few times, leading to Repo bailing to the floor. Crush goes after him and rolls him back in. Crush catches Repo on a crossbody attempt and lays him across the top rope for a kick. Whip off the ropes for a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Repo comes back with a back suplex. Crush goes up top and misses a knee drop. Repo slugs away and then slams Crush's head to the mat. Repo goes up top and leaps into a Crush powerslam. Then it's just a matter of Crush applying the head vice and that's it for the submission win! (5:41) *1/2
WINNER: Crush. Repo Man never did much for me, as I think Darsow was much better suited as a tag team guy rather than a singles wrestler. Crush looked okay here, as he was much improved over his Demolition run. He had a good look that helped get him over, and a decent supply of power moves, and this would probably be his peak as a decent wrestler.
Okerlund is backstage to get us hyped for the title match, throwing to a video recap of the whole angle with Flair and Perfect baiting everyone into thinking Perfect was negotiating with one or the other to be in their corner, leading to distrust between the two faces. I need to mention how the Warrior's tights make it look like he's nude except for the Warrior logo over his crotch and ass.
Match #6: Randy Savage (c) vs. The Ultimate Warrior - WWF Championship.
Warrior comes down first without Mr. Perfect, leading to Heenan speculating that it was Savage who sold out. The champ enters second, also without Perfect, as the guessing game continues. My screen wants to explode in a rainbow colored cloud with these tights being sported. Warrior shoves Savage to the mat, as Savage comes back with a clothesline to the back of the head. Warrior catches Savage coming off the top with a right hand, then hits him with an inverted atomic drop. A clothesline from Warrior gets a 2 count. Warrior misses an elbowdrop, then Savage lands a knee drop for a 2 count. Warrior slams Savage's head to the mat for a 2 count, then slugs away on him in the corner. A whip to the opposite corner leads to a 10-kick count along, then a short-arm clothesline gets the Warrior a 2 count. Savage clotheslines Warrior over the top rope and to the floor. Back in the ring, that gets a 2 count. Savage goes up top for a double axehandle to no effect, but a second one puts him down for a 2 count. Warrior catches Savage on a third attempt and hits him with a backbreaker for 2. Warrior whips Savage from corner to corner a few times and then gets a bearhug, but then decides to drop Savage and get a 2 count. A sideslam gets another 2 count. Out of nowhere, Savage gets a small package for 2. Warrior with the whip, but puts his head down and Savage gets a swinging neckbreaker for a 2 count. Savage drops the Warrior throat-first across the top rope, then covers for a 2 count. A suplex is halted by a balky back for Savage, allowing the Warrior to get back in it with some blows to that there bad back. Nice suplex by Warrior for a 2 count. Savage ducks away from a clothesline attempt and Warrior falls to the floor, leading Savage to come off the top to the floor with a double axehandle. He then takes Warrior's head to the stairs and then runs him into the post. He rolls him back in for a 2 count. At this point, Flair and Perfect head down to ringside as Warrior takes control with a bodyslam. However, a splash hits knees and Savage covers for a 2 count. We get a double clothesline in the middle of the ring, as both guys are down. Warrior recovers first and gets a 2 count. Savage is up, but Perfect trips him, leading to Vince to declare Perfect is working with Warrior. Warrior decks Savage then whips him into a ref bump. Warrior goes to the top and comes off with a double axehandle of his own. Cover....ref is slow to recover....1.......2.......kick out!!! Warrior argues with the ref, when Savage recovers and runs a knee into Warrior's back, taking the referee out in the process. While Savage is on the floor to get the referee, Perfect and Flair get in the ring to double team Warrior, and now Heenan states the heels are working with Savage. Savage is back in and slams Warrior, then goes to the top and hits the Savage elbow! Cover...ref is slow to recover....1.......2............kick out!!!! Warrior starts to Hulk up while Savage reigns blows upon him, then runs the ropes to hit Savage with several clotheslines. Warrior with the flying shoulderblock, and he's fired up. Overhead press slam, but Flair hits Warrior in the back with a chair behind the referee's back. Savage is up and he's figuring things out, but decides to go up top anyway. After thinking about it, he jumps to the floor after Flair, but Flair is ready for him with a chair to the knee! The referee starts his count and before we know it, Savage is counted out. (28:00) ****
Winner: Via countout, The Ultimate Warrior. However, Savage retains the title. As soon as the bell rings, Flair and Perfect are on Savage like a couple of wolves. Warrior makes the save before they can do damage with the chair and chases them off. Warrior and Savage do the respect thing afterwards. This was a great match between the two and if it hadn't been so overbooked with the angle and then had a clean finish, it probably would have been *****. I was enjoying this one more than their Wrestlemania VII match before the angle brought it down a notch. It was a pleasure to watch these two attempt to pin each other after each move.
In the locker room, Perfect reveals that there was no deal with Warrior or Savage, and Plan A was completed. Plan B is Flair coming for the belt.
Match #7: The Undertaker (w/ Paul Bearer) vs. Kamala (w/ Harvey Whippleman and Kim-Chee).
We get the rather famous visual of The Undertaker riding on the back of a hearse down to ringside. Seeing Kamala and then remembering Saba Simba makes me wonder if Vince, to this day, thinks all Africans are still running around with spears and wearing loin cloths. The Undertaker catches Kamala sneaking up on him and lays in with the thrusts. UT does the ropewalk but then tries a second one but gets distracted by Whippleman and Kamala pulls him down. They brawl on the floor with Kamala running UT into the stairs. Back in the ring, Kamala lays in some chops but Taker comes back and chokeslams (!!) Kamala. Big flying clothesline from Taker and he picks him up for the Tombstone but Kim-Chee runs in for the DQ. (3:27) 1/2*
WINNER: Via disqualification, The Undertaker. After the match, Kamala pounds away on Taker and slams him to the mat. He hits him with a splash, then climbs to the middle rope for another splash. Kamala is then instructed to go to the top and he comes own with an even bigger splash! After all that, Taker does the zombie sit-up and scares the shit out of Kamala, as Taker stalks him to the back. The match was pretty bad as expected, but Taker hit a couple of spots to save it from DUD status.
Sean Mooney is backstage with The British Bulldog and asks for his take on the family pressure because of this match. Bulldog proceeds to cut a pretty bad promo, which appeared to be scripted for him.
Okerlund is with Bret, and Bret is pissed that the Bulldog doesn't give him credit for introducing him to his wife. By contrast, Bret's promo is fiery and shows how much tension there is between the two because of family.
Roddy Piper, who hasn't been seen since WrestleMania VIII, makes an appearance to play some bagpipes with the Balmoral Highlanders.
Sean Mooney has now found his way to Diana Hart-Smith's seat and asks her how she feels about the upcoming match. I'm sorry but the Canadian accent is strong with this one. She rambles on about women going to the front lines with their husbands. Seriously, she lost me as soon as she started talking.
Match #8: Bret Hart (c) vs. The British Bulldog - WWF Intercontinental Championship.
Bulldog makes his way to the ring, lead by British boxing superstar Lennox Lewis carrying the Union Jack. A little shoving match to start things off. Bulldog hits Hart with a big shoulderblock that send Hart to the floor. Back in the ring, Bret gets a small package for a 2 count. Bulldog escapes a side headlock and gets a hammerlock on the mat and knees the arm. Bret reverses and twists the arm but Bulldog impressively flips out of it and gets an armbar. Bulldog catches Bret in a leapfrog and catapults him into the corner. Bulldog gets a crucifix for a 2 count then goes to an armbar. Bret tries to bodyslam out of it but Bulldog hangs on. Bret whips Bulldog off the ropes and into a knee to the gut. A quick legdrop and Bret goes to the chinlock. Bulldog elbows out but runs into a back elbow. Inverted atomic drop by Bret is called a "reverse piledriver" by Vince. Bulldog goes for another crucifix but Bret drops him with a Samoan drop, calling upon the signature move of his ancestors. Bret runs the ropes into a monkey flip from the Bulldog. Whip to the corner, but Bulldog hits boot. Bret with a bulldog to the Bulldog, as irony strikes. Bret climbs to the top but Bulldog throws him off, but then Bulldog climbs up and misses a move as Bret was playing possum. Bulldog tries the rollup but Bret manages to throw him off through the ropes and to the floor. Bret with a plancha over the top which hits awkwardly, and then he rams Bulldog back first into the post. In the ring, Bulldog is whipped hard to the corner. Russian legsweep (Vince: "Neckbreaker") gets 2 for Bret. A dropkick from Bret puts Bulldog down, then he whips him off the ropes for a back bodydrop, which gets 2. Bret with a suplex for 2. Bulldog gets a surprise backslide for 2. Bret hits a backbreaker then goes to the middle rope for an elbow, and that gets a 2 count. Bret goes for a sleeper as Bulldog goes down to his knees. Bulldog makes the ropes and Bret is slow to break. A whip off the ropes leads to another sleeper for Bret. Bulldog makes the comeback and rams Bret into the corner to break. A whip and Bulldog catches Bret in an overhead press and drops him crotch first on the ropes. Several clotheslines later and Bulldog gets a 2 count. Bulldog gets him up for the delayed vertical suplex an that gets a 2 count. Bret is whipped to the corner hard and bounces out into a 2 count. Bulldog gets him up for the running powerslam! Cover...1....2.....shoulder up! Bret hits a German suplex with a bridge! 1...2.....kick out! Bulldog blocks a suplex and puts Bret on the top rope. He follows up and hits a superplex! Cover...1....2.....shoulder up! They each hit a clothesline and both men are down. While down, Bret tries to stick the Sharpshooter on and he gets it! Bulldog hanging on....hanging on...he reaches the ropes! Whip off the ropes, Bret goes for a sunset flip, but Bulldog hooks the legs and falls forward...1....2.....3!!! (25:40) *****
WINNER: And NEW WWF Intercontinental Champion, The British Bulldog. After a few tense moments, they do the respect handshake and Diana hugs both husband and brother, as they celebrate in front of the Wembley crowd. Of course, this is a classic match and you would be hard-pressed to find any fault with it. Bret appeared to do an awesome carry job early on but Bulldog was able to pull his weight near the end.
FINAL PARTING SHOT: The two big matches delivered in a big way. Bret-Bulldog was an easy match of the year winner for 1992. Savage-Warrior was on it's way to being better than WrestleMania VII before the angle slowed it down. LOD-Money Inc was a surprisingly good match, but the rest was forgettable. As I stated earlier, this was an oddly booked show with none of the current feuds at the time being paid off as they should have been here. The show was originally slated for Washington D.C. before plans changed and therefore the booking changed as well. Still, a solid show overall as the two big matches carry it all the way.
UP NEXT: WCW HALLOWEEN HAVOC '92!!
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