WWF Countdown To The Crowning - June 13, 1994
by Scrooge McSuck
- This isn't really a primetime special, but more of an episode of Monday Night Raw that was basically an hour long commercial for the upcoming King of the Ring PPV. There's only one match featured, and then a whole lot of recapping storylines for those of us who watch Monday Night Raw every week, but somehow might've forgot something that happened in the last month or so.
- Vince McMahon and "Macho Man" Randy Savage are our hosts in some dark studio room, in front of a giant board that has the brackets for the King of the Ring Tournament. Remember, the PPV is coming up this sunday, Father's Day, exclusively on Pay-Per-View! We waste no time throwing it to ringside for an exclusive match on the Countdown to the Crowning...
WWF Tag Team Championship Match:
The Headshrinkers © (w/ Afa & Lou Albano) vs. The Quebecers (w/ Johnny Polo):
(Samu & Fatu vs. Jacques & Pierre)Ted Dibiase and Stan Lane are calling the action, no doubt a left over from a Coliseum Video recording session. This match was taped roughly three weeks earlier in Erie, PA. A stipulation advertised was that Johnny Polo would shave his goatee if the Quebecers were to lose. Considering I don't recall Polo appearing much after this television taping, I can safely say I don't know what happens. OH MY GOD! Lou Albano is honest to God doing THE FUCKING MARIO! You know what I'm talking about, and if you don't, then consider yourselves lucky! Samu hammers away on Jacques to start. Irish whip is reversed, and Samu nails Jacques with a headbutt. Fatu tags in... and he's in control of Pierre? What the hell, was the match that long they did a CLIP JOB?! Pierre rolls Fatu up for a two count, then clotheslines him, complete with over-sell. Irish whip, and Fatu comes off the ropes with a diving headbutt. More stalling, and even the commentary is confused by the action "no, wait, that's Pierre?". Jacques slams Fatu face-first into the canvas, but Fatu no-sells and nails him with a crescent kick, then slams Pierre. We return from commercial, and Polo trips Samu up. Jacques hammers away and slaps on a lazy chinlock. Jacques ends up crotching himself across Samu's knee. Fatu gets the hot tag... but the referee didn't see it. The Quebecers double team Samu, and send Samu hard into the turnbuckle for a two count. Irish whip, and they throw Samu down, and Jacques slams Pierre across Samu for another two count. Jacques with a slam, and they set up for the Tower of Quebec, but it misses. Jacques cuts off a tag attempt, but Samu comes off the ropes with a double dropkick, and finally makes the tag... or NOT? ANOTHER weird clip, as Fatu is already in the ring going for a pin on someone! They slam Pierre face-first into the canvas, and Fatu comes off the top with a splash for a three count at an unofficial 6:26. After the match, Afa comes into the ring and gets him some of Johnny Polo, planting him with a Samoan drop. What the hell was the point of this? For such an exclusive match, it featured not one, but TWO odd clip jobs done by the producers of Raw, and at one point even confused Stan Lane. This marked the last in-ring appearance of Jacques in the WWF, at least until the unfortunate return of the Quebecers in 1998. Bad match.
- We return to the Countdown Studio, and Vince mentions that Johnny Polo will lose his facial hair on the upcoming episode of All-American Wrestling. Vince asks Savage who will win the Tag Title Match at King of the Ring. Savage says the Headshrinkers are his favorite team EVER, and they will win. We throw it to the New Orient Express. Hey, if you can pass a caucasian and Hawaiian as Japanese, then why not a Samoan and Hawaiin Caucasian? They threaten violence and predict victory. For once, I would like someone to predict victory... for the opponent.
- Call the King of the Ring Hotline at 1-900-454-KING and participate in a King of the Ring Vote Line, Daily Interviews and Predictions with WWF Superstars, and Hear Behind the Scenes King of the Ring Updates! Kids, ask your parents for permission before calling. Oh no, it's a NEW Generation WWF Commercial. Featuring such greats as Mabel, Doink the Clown, and... Mabel again? Are you SERIOUS?! We needed to see Mabel twice?! Randy Savage says he's the bridge between the generations. Zuh?
- The WWF announces their Hall of Fame Class of 1994. Remember, the 1993 Class only included one person, Andre The Giant. Who will be joining him? Lord Alfred Hayes introduces the clips of the spectacular ceremony. Look, it's Bob Backlund, Tony Garea, and Goerge Steele! Randy Savage and Bret Hart speak at the podium, the former in a very calm tone. Woah, weird clip of Mike Rotundo SMILING amongst the crowd of wrestlers, like he's having a good time. Regis Philbin even has things to say. The class includes James Dudley, Buddy Rogers, Bobo Brazil, Arnold Skaaland, Classy Freddie Blassie, Chief Jay Strongbow, and Gorilla Monsoon. Very well done piece, I might say.
- We show you the King's Court, from Monday Night Raw two weeks ago. Jerry Lawler quickly reminds Bret Hart of what happened at last years King of the Ring. I was almost going to say how weird it is to see these two being civil with each other. Lawler quickly plays coward as soon as Bret seems ready to fight. Diesel and Shawn Michaels come to ringside, and Diesel quickly lays Bret Hart out and plants him with the Jacknife Powerbomb. This clip was used over and over again for the weeks leading up to the Pay-Per-View. Lawler and Michaels get some cheap shots in, as well. Remember, Diesel is the Intercontinental Champion, but his title won't be on the line. Afterwards, we get comments from Bret, and he promises that a Hart Family member will be in his corner to watch his back. Who's it going to be? Bruce Hart? Stu? Who wouldn't love to see Stu stretch Shawn Michaels out? Savage says Diesel is walking away the NEW WWF Champion at the King of the Ring.
- We recap how everyone qualified for the King of the Ring Tournament. The first four qualifyers... Irwin R. Schyster defeated Scott Steiner on May 7th, with a little help from the ropes. This marked Scott's last WWF appearance until returning at the 2002 Survivor Series. I.R.S. faces Mabel, who used his massive weight advantage to defeat Pierre on May 14th. Razor Ramon pinned Kwang on the May 9th Monday Night Raw. That's no way to treat your best buddy Savio Vega! He faces Bam Bam Bigelow, who pinned Sparky Plugg on the May 16th episode of Monday Night Raw.
We return from a commercial for the next batch of Superstars who Qualified: Jeff Jarrett defeated Lex Luger by Count-Out on May 21st, thanks to interference by Crush. His opponent will be the 1-2-3 Kid, who defeated Adam Bomb on May 28th, with a little help from heel miscommunication between Bomb and Kwang. This even turned Adam Bomb face, a turn with ZERO impact on the wrestling world! Owen Hart defeated Doink on May 23rd, a suitable replacement for Earthquake, and he faces Tatanka, who needed two matches to get past Crush (sub. for Jimmy Delray), as well as help from Lex Luger during a Lumberjack Match.
This all builds up to Randy Savage giving us his OFFICIAL predictions for the King of the Ring Tournament. As a child, I remember picking the entire bracket correctly, but that was just a nine year old. How will Savage's kayfabed picks look? He has, advancing into the Semi-Finals, Irwin R. Schyster, Bam Bam Bigelow (with the power of Osmosis), Double J (with a "twick" with the toes), and Tatanka (The Rocket will... NOT Advance!) getting by. Really? "I thought you had money on the 1-2-3 Kid?" "I did, I lost." From there, he has Bigelow vs. Double J in the Finals, and finally predicts a winner in the form of Bam Bam Bigelow. Interesting gimmicked picks, but Savage's colorful comments makes this entertaining. You can see he's just having fun with it.
- King of the Ring Commercial hypes that NEW Generation program between Rowdy Roddy Piper and Jerry The King Lawler. Seriously, why not focus the commercial on Bret Hart vs. Diesel? Seriously, I remember this commercial airing ALL THE TIME, so it's not like they were doing multiple promotions.
- More from the King's Court, from last week's episode of Monday Night Raw. In my recap of the June 11th, 1994 episode of Superstars, I've already touched this one. Lawler brings out "Roddy Piper", who is just some skinny punk doing a pretty good impersonation of Piper. He reminds me of the guy who impersonated Owen Hart during the "DX Parodies the Nation" bit a few years later, but I can't confirm that as accurate. Funny bit, but pointless, and really does nothing to make a casual viewer want to see the PPV, I don't think. It just made me laugh a couple of times.
Remember, Roddy Piper is dedicating this match and a portion of his winnings to the Hospital for Sick Children Foundation. P.O. Box 3939, Station A, in Toronto, Ontario M5W1G8. That's the address in case you want to make a donation yourselves! At least they were nice enough to give them free advertisement.
- We throw it to Raymond Rougeau, who is with WWF President Jack Tunney. Inside the ring is the royal chair, crown, and robe for the 2nd Annual King of the Ring Tournament. We're introduced to all eight participants of the Tournament. Irwin R. Schyster (otherwise known as I.R.S.), Mabel, Bam Bam Bigelow, Razor Ramon, Double J Jeff Jarrett, the 1-2-3 Kid, the Rocket Owen Hart, and the Native American Tatanka all enter the ring, and for some odd reason, one side of the ring is all the faces, and the other side is all the heels. Did anyone HONESTLY think Owen Hart wasn't winning this tournament? Even as a kid, I saw it coming, but I still had hopes someone would beat him.
End of Broadcast
Final Thoughts: Boring show, with the only highlight being Randy Savage rambling nonsense about who was going to do what in the King of the Ring Tournament. The only match featured was butchered, and still sucked, and then it was just a long last minute promotion for the PPV. You can only do so much in that department, when TWO key moments leading up to the PPV both happened on the King's God damn Court. The WWF wasn't exactly lighting the world on fire with all of their storylines at this point, other than the stuff featuring Bret Hart, oddly enough. Everything else was half-assed or just stupid.
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