WWF January-February 1994 Compilation
by Scrooge McSuck
The Lost Tape of my wrestling collection, I religiously taped everything from television having to do with the WWF from 1993 through right around Wrestlemania 13, when my interest in wrestling faded. I managed to maintain my sanity to review all of these tapes, except for one, which mysteriously vanished into thin air. Now, after years of waiting, the saga will be complete. This compilation will feature the build up around the Royal Rumble and Wrestlemania X, ten years in the making. Only a handful of matches featured here were not originally recorded by me, but there just here for the sake of making fun of, so whatever.
- Lex Luger vs. Quebecer Jacques (w/ Johnny Polo):
In a bit of a terrible coincidence, I already viewed and recaped this match when my computer took a shit, so God thinks he'll be forcing me into watching this abomination of a match a second time. No way, Jose! Thank you for a fantastic memory! We're coming from the New Year's Day episode of Superstars, but this was clearly pulled from a Wrestling Challenge taping (nice banner in the back drop). We've also got Jim Ross and Gorilla Monsoon on commentary. If you recall, Lex Luger fought and "injured" Pierre on an episode of Monday Night Raw leading up to the Survivor Series. Before the match, Jacques gets on the microphone and runs down Luger, claiming he refuses to wrestle a cheater like him. That doesn't work out, as Luger comes to the ring anyway. Boring match with just a bunch of punching and kicking, until Jacques applies his death-grip chinlock of pain. Luger fights back though, so here comes Pierre for some evil Quebecer Shenanigans. He pulls the switch-a-roo with Jacques after a referee bump, but Luger is just too strong, and fights his way through the pain to KO Pierre with his loaded forearm for the three count at 6:31. Yes, he pinned Pierre, who looks so much like Jacques. Oh, and Jacques gets his just deserts after the match, too. I know you all cared so much to know that. DUD Let's hope for something a little bit better than this one.
- The Smoking Gunns vs. Bam Bam Bigelow & Bastion Booger (w/ Luna Vachon):
From the January 3rd, 1994 episode of Monday Night Raw, with Vince McMahon and Johnny Polo calling the action. I have NO idea why this match was made, or why we've got the pairing of Bigelow and Booger, but here we go. But FIRST, a commercial for Street Fighter II, for the Sega Genesis! Billy and Bigelow lock-up to start. Irish whip, and Bigelow puts Billy down with a series of shoulder blocks. Billy with several dropkicks to send Bigelow out of the ring. Back in the ring, and Bigelow with a scoop slam. Billy avoids a headbutt, and works the arm. Bart tags in and does the same. Bigelow tosses Bart to the corner, but misses a charge, and Bart goes back to the arm. Bigelow tries a slam, but Bart counters. Bigelow with an elbow to the face, and Booger tags in for the first time. Bart with a go-behind, but Booger squashes him back into the corner. Whip to the corner, followed by a lazy clothesline from Booger. [Commercial Break] Bart with a sunset flip attempt, but Billy helps out with a bulldog. Double teaming from the Gunns puts Booger down on his hump. Bart misses a charge, really sloppy, and crashes to the floor. Bigelow takes advantage and works Bart over behind the referee's back. Back in the ring, and Bigelow brings the hurt on Bart. Bigelow with a snap suplex, followed by a headbutt for a two count. I must note that Johnny Polo's commentary for the match is a bit out there, having nearly nothing to do with the match. That's not a bad thing, by the way. Irish whip, and Booger puts Bart down with an elbow, then follows up with a leg drop for a two count. Booger continues to bring the pain, but misses a charge to the corner. Bigelow and Billy tag in, and Billy gets the advantage. Billy with a knee lift and dropkick to put Bigelow down. Outside the ring, Luna is rubbing Booger's hump, while the Gunns double team Bigelow. Booger starts hitting on Luna now, but she just wants to be friends. Billy with a top rope sunset flip for a two count. Billy with a DDT, as the Booger/Luna saga continues. Booger kind of molests Luna, but in a family-friendly kind of way. Bigelow rolls out of the ring to break things up and brawls with Booger, eventually being Counted Out at 8:16, giving the Smoking Gunns a cheap victory. 1/2* Slightly better match than what opened this tape, but not by much.
- WWF Tag Team Championship Match:
The Quebecers (w/ Johnny Polo) (c) vs. Marty Jannetty & The 1-2-3 Kid:
I've reviewed this match twice already, and my feelings are unchanged for each time, so here's the only version of "Copy and Paste" you'll see. From the January 10th, 1994 episode of Monday Night Raw, the One Year Anniversary Show, for those that give a crap. We've even got the return of Randy Savage to the Raw broadcast position, after an unfortunate incident back in November, where he manhandled Vince McMahon (yay!) and attacked Crush before a match, breaking the conduct code of broadcasters. This match has actually been built up for quite a while, mostly because of Johnny Polo's heckling of Jannetty and the Kid, and a match where Polo pinned Jannetty with the help of his Quebecers. Jannetty and Jacques start for their teams. Jacques with a boot to the midsection after a teased knuckle-lock challenge, and Jannetty returns the favor with a victory roll for a two count. Lockup into the corner, and Jacques with a knee to the midsection. Irish whip to the corner, and Jannetty surprises Jacques with a sunset flip for another two count. The Kid tags in, as does Pierre. Lockup, and Pierre applies a standing side headlock. Irish whip, and Pierre sends The Kid flying with a shoulder block. Crisscross, and the Kid connects with a spinning heel kick for a two count. Jacques is back in, and gets caught in a headlock by the Kid. Pierre attacks from behind, and in comes Jannetty to get beat up. The heels are eventually whiped into each other, and the faces send them running to the outside for some strategy talking. Jannetty comes back in to go up against Pierre now. Pierre applies a wristlock, and hammers on the left arm with elbows. Jannetty counters into his own, and the Kid comes in for a double back body. Jannetty lifts the Kid into the air for a quasi-missile dropkick to Pierre, and a dropkick to Jacques sends him out of the ring as well. The heels pretend to walk off, but they come back without the threatening of a referee to award the titles to Jannetty and the Kid with a CO victory. Jannetty with a side headlock on Jacques, followed by a shoulder block. Criss cross sequence leads to Jannetty punching Jacques in the face as he tried for a monkey flip.
[Commercial Break]
We take an instant replay break to see Jannetty slide through the legs of Jacques and nailing sweet chin music for the three count, but Jacques foot was on the bottom rope. Damn, Jannetty got screwed over in these title matches on Monday Night Raw. Back live to the match... Jannetty with a side headlock on Jacques, and this time Pierre pulls the ropes down as Jannetty was bouncing off the ropes. Back into the ring, and Pierre accidentally gets nailed with a forearm by Jacques. The Kid gets the mild tag and kicks away on Jacques. Irish whip and he connects with a spinning heel kick. The Kid heads up top with a senton to Pierre on the outside, and follows with a springboard clothesline back into the ring on Jacques! The Kid goes to the top rope, but Pierre shoves him off. We notice Jannetty laid out in the aisle, with Polo standing over him. Pierre chokes down the Kid with the tag rope as Jacques plays "Keep the Referee Distracted" like a champion. Irish whip and the Qubecers with a double launch slam of the Kid across the top rope for a two count. We come back from the break that had no warning to it, with Pierre working the Kid over with a chinlock. Jacques tags in and connects with a diving back elbow for a two count. Jacques with a scoop slam, and Pierre tags in for the back body drop/senton combo move, for another two count. Jacques comes back in to hammer on the Kid with rights. Pierre back in quickly and nails a charging clothesline as Jacques swept the left leg from under the Kid. Damn, that was an awesome move. Pierre decides to play to the crowd instead of covering, but he does follow up with a quick headbutt for a two count. Pierre with a scoop slam, and Jacques nails a twisting jumping elbow drop. Jacques connects with a piledriver, killing the Kid in the process. Pierre goes up top for the Tower of Quebec finisher, and that splatters the Kid across the ring like mayonaise. The Quebecers decide to go for another attempt, so Jannetty knocks Pierre off the top rope and superkicks Jacques! Jannetty finally gets the HOT tag (and I mean that), and cleans house of both Quebecers. Jannetty with dropkicks to both men, as well as a slam to Pierre and diving back elbow to Jacques. Double Noggin Knocker! Polo is knocked off the apron by Jannetty. Jannetty lifts up Pierre for a suplex, and the Kid comes off the top rope with a cross body press mid move, and we have NEW Tag Team Champions in the form of the 1-2-3 Kid and Marty Jannetty at 13:45. Easily the most surprising result of the year. That is, until Owen Hart pinned Bret Hart clean at WrestleMania X. **** An early MOTYC, although with the awesome Owen/Bret series throughout the year, it was lost under a lot of other deserving matches. A perfect blend of slow build of chain wrestling and surprise fall attempts by the faces to the awesome heat segment on the Kid and the awesome double team manuevers pulled off by the Quebecers made this all the more enjoyable, and gives everyone a reminder on how real tag team wrestling should be. By the end of the match, the four participants had the crowd eating out of the palm of their hands.
- Bastion Booger vs. Bam Bam Bigelow (w/ Luna Vachon):
The direct result of the match featuring these two tagging up to take on the Smoking Gunns, and all the chaos that followed. I'm guessing Booger is playing the babyface role, but no one cares, so it's a pointless matter to discuss, right? I never understood the idea behind heel vs. heel matches, especially when no turn comes from it. Bigelow attacks before the bell, but Booger doesn't seem to remember to sell the blows. Whip to the corner, but Booger comes back with a series of shoulder blocks. Booger misses a splash, and Bigelow is back in control, with clubbering and chokes. Whip across the ring, but Bigelow Flair flips out of the ring, on a charge attempt. Luna seems to be trying to trick Booger with flirtation, and it seems to be working. Bigelow comes from behind, and continues to work Booger over. Bigelow goes for a slam, but... well, Booger can't land on top, so it looks like a fall-away slam, Razor Ramon style. Bigelow with a scoop slam to a pretty big babyface pop, and the top rope headbutt ends it at 2:30. This crowd was pretty into Bigelow, but that may also be because they're still hot from the previous tag match. After the match, Booger goes for Luna again, but he gets slapped for his troubles, and Bigelow clears Booger from the ring with a dropkick. What an oddly booked match. 1/2* For Bigelow's flip out of the ring. 350 pound men shouldn't be able to pull that stuff off.
- "Macho Man" Randy Savage vs. Irwin R. Schyster:
From the January 17th, 1994 episode of Monday Night Raw. This was set up at the end of the previous week episode of Raw, when Savage slammed I.R.S.' face into the cake that was at ringside, in honor of Raw's anniversary. I can't remember once where the cake was actually used for good, like eating it, or something. I.R.S. was involved in a program with Razor Ramon, and Savage was dealing with Crush, so these two were actually part of the top feuds in the company at the time. Oh, and Crush is at ringside with McMahon, calling the match. I smell trouble. I.R.S. works Savage over good at the start. Snapmare and elbow drop, followed by a back elbow from I.R.S. Savage tries fighting back, but I.R.S. remains in control. I.R.S. with a single leg takedown, and drops a leg across the groin of Savage. I.R.S. dumps Savage over the top rope, but this isn't the Royal Rumble or WCW, so it doesn't count for anything. I.R.S. follows out and continues working Savage over. Savage grabs a chair, but the referee prevents him from using it, and this allows I.R.S. to sneak up from behind. Back in the ring, and Savage sends I.R.S. into the ropes with an atomic drop, then follows with a series of clotheslines, sending I.R.S. out of the ring. Back from commercial, and I.R.S. drops Savage across the security rail, and Crush is wise enough to remember that he did the same thing to Savage a few months back. I.R.S. with a suplex from the apron, but that's only enough for a two count. I.R.S. goes to a rear chinlock, but it might be a choke, according to Vince McMahon. Savage with a series of elbows to the midsection, but I.R.S. puts him back down with a knee lift. I.R.S. works over the leg of Savage and drops a leg for another two count. Savage with a surprise small package for a two count. I.R.S. with a boot to the chest, and it's back to the chinlock, but Savage quickly rams I.R.S. back into the corner to escape. Whip across the ring, but Savage misses a charge, and I.R.S. rolls him up for a two count. Back to the chinlock. Savage uses a leverage move to throw I.R.S. out, through the middle ropes. Savage follows out with an axehandle off the apron. Another commercial break as Savage goes after Crush, allowing I.R.S. to ram Savage into the ring post. We come back, and I.R.S. has his patent abdominal stretch applied, and yes, he does use the rope for leverage. I.R.S. tries to go up top, but Savage pulls him off, heads up himself, and comes down, right into a fist from the tax man. I.R.S. quickly covers, but only for a two count, and it's back to a chinlock. I.R.S. with a scoop slam, and he heads to the top again, but he eats boot on the way down. Savage covers, but that only gets two. Savage drops I.R.S. across the top rope, and slams I.R.S. in the center of the ring. Savage to the top, but Crush tosses Savage off for the Disqualification at 8:23. Crush works over Savage and tosses the referee. It's a double team now, and let the wildness begin. Here comes Tatanka, but I.R.S. takes care of him, as Crush continues brutalizing Savage. Now it's Yokozuna coming out to join the fun. Tatanka makes it in the ring to work over I.R.S., but now Yokozuna is beating up on him. Lex Luger runs in now, and he's all over everyone, like stink on a monkey. And for fun, here comes Shawn Michaels and Diesel. And there's Bret Hart, who gets the best reaction, it seems (even without the piped in crowd noise). **1/2 Both men seemed pretty game for this one, and the big brawling finish of everyone running in didn't ruin it, too much. Never understood it, though, to have everyone come in like that. I can understand the Yokozuna and Luger involvment, and maybe Tatanka, but then it got wild and weird.
- The Smoking Gunns vs. Rick Martel & Adam Bomb (w/ Harvey Wippleman):
From the day of the 1994 Royal Rumble, January 22nd, 1994 episode of Superstars. What is with these weird teams being paired up against the Gunns? And should we expect anything different from how that match turned out? Let's just hope Wippleman doesn't try to seduce Martel. All four of these men will be in the Rumble match. Bomb attacks Billy from behind, and works him over in the corner. Whip across the ring is reversed, and Billy takes him over with a series of arm drags. Bomb with a knee to the midsection, and Martel comes in and is quickly taken over with arm drags, as well. Martel takes control and applies a side headlock. Bart with the blind tag, and Billy dropkicks Martel into a Bart slam. Bart continues to work over the arm, until Bomb pulls the top rope down on Bart, and kills him with a short-arm clothesline. Back in the ring, Martel slams Bart and drives a knee into the lower back. Bomb tags back in, and hammers away on Bart in the corner, then takes him over with a huge hip toss. Double clothesline by the baddies, and Martel comes in and applies a front facelock. Bomb helps keep Bart in the ring, but Bart knees Martel in the face, and it's "hot" tag time for Billy Gunn. He hammers away on Martel and takes him over with a back drop. Bomb comes in and is nailed with a double dropkick. Double clotheslines to both men, and a double Russian leg sweep to Martel. Wippleman comes in and nails Billy, drawing a Disqualification at 4:20. Post-match, Martel is pissed off at Wippleman, and gets a little hands on, drawing Bomb back in the ring for a shoving match of their own. And that's the end of that chapter. 1/2* Not much of a match, a stupid finish, and a pointless tag team thrown together just to have them mad at each other and not follow up with it.
WWF Royal Rumble 1994: Quick Hits
Like with the other reviews I did based on my television compilations, I'd like to include comments on the PPV's that were sandwiched in between all the crappy free T.V. matches. I won't go into any real detail or anything, just comments here and there about what went down at the Rumble.
Tatanka vs. Bam Bam Bigelow - This was originally supposed to be Part III in the Tatanka/Ludvig Borga war, but Borga fucked up his ankle in a match with Rick Steiner a few days earlier at Madison Square Garden, and Bigelow is a REALLLY last minute decision for replacement. Good call says I, as they never really had a singles match blow-off on PPV, anyway, dating back to their feud over Bigelow trimming Tatanka's (at the time) red locks. Energetic match, one of the few Tatanka had that I would call good. Tatanka ends up going over, clean, too.
Tag Titles: The Quebecers vs. Bret & Owen Hart - Wait, I thought the Quebecers lost the Tag Titles! It happend, like, three matches ago! Well, at the same above mentioned MSG show, the Quebecers regained the titles from Jannetty and the Kid, so here we go. Bret gets his ass whooped most of the match, particularly having his leg worked over pretty good. He tries to make a superman comeback, ignoring any tag attempts he could've made, but his knee gives out on him, forcing the referee to call the match. Owen, rightfully pissed, chews out his brother, then out of nowhere, kicks Bret's leg out from under him, putting the final touches on Owen's heel turn. Then, post-match, as Bret is carted back to the locker room, Owen cuts a seething promo of bitterness and anger on Bret... that ends comically, with one of the most horribly timed flubbed lines you can think of. It was a pretty good promo, until that point.
IC Title: Razor Ramon vs. I.R.S. - Not much of a match. I.R.S. "wins" with the help of Shawn Michaels, a move pulled a lot during this time on the house show circuit, with various opponents for Ramon. However, a second referee informs the original referee of the mis-deed (lame), and Ramon finishes the match off roughly seven seconds later to retain. This was just there to help further the Ramon/Michaels "Who is really the I.C. Champ" situation.
WWF Title/Casket Match: Yokozuna vs. The Undertaker - One of, if not the, most mind-numbingly stupid matches I have ever seen. The match goes on, as a normal match should, until the Undertaker has the match won... then Crush runs in. Then the Great Kabuki and Genichiro Tenryu (the fuck?). Then Bam Bam Bigelow. And Jeff Jarrett. And Adam Bomb. And the Head Shrinkers. And finally Diesel. The Undertaker was still holding his own, by the way. Until Yokozuna got hold of the urn and emptied the contents... green puffy smoke. The ten-on-one finally went the ten's way, and Yokozuna retained, but after the match, the lights flickered, and the Undertaker cut a promo from inside the casket, broadcasted on the jumbo-screen. Then the Undertaker's image rose from behind the screen and ascended to the heavens, with wires clearly visible the whole time. Then the Undertaker returned a few months later to feud with himself. Go figure.
30-Man Royal Rumble Match - Because of the unusually lengthy matches from the undercard, intervals are changed to 90 seconds for the first time, due to time. The first mention of this was RIGHT before the match starts, as the whole night, and leading up to for weeks, it was "two minutes." I like how it is lately, with "equally timed intervals." Diesel makes the first big impact of the match, cleaning house early, eliminating seven men by himself. Then nothing much happens until Bret Hart, still selling the leg injury from earlier in the night, limps his way into the match to the surprise of everyone. The finale comes down to Bret Hart and Lex Luger, who had to give plenty of favors to Jack Tunney to get a spot in this match. Remember, his contract for Summerslam '93 said "no more title shots". But what if he won a match where he won a shot at the title? DECISIONS! Anyway, they go at it a few minutes, until both men get tangled up and tumble over the top rope, to the floor. No video catches the actually feet hitting, but smart (or non-blind) eyes can tell Luger touched first. The crowd gets to play "cheer for who you like more", and surprisingly to WWF executives I bet, Bret gets a considerably better reaction than Luger. This lead to the first ever "co-winner" crap, and both men challenged for the title at WrestleMania, but in seperate matches, of course. A really bad rumble match, though, overall.
- Men On a Mission (w/ Oscar) vs. The Headshrinkers (w/ Afa):
(Mabel & Mo vs. Samu & Fatu)
From the January 24th, 1994 episode of Monday Night Raw. This was supposed to be the Headshrinkers facing Bret and Owen Hart, but after what happend at the Royal Rumble, that wasn't going to happen any time soon. The WWF seemed pretty deep with tag teams at the time, compared to some later years (see: 2002-2004. Blech). Nothing like in 1987-88, though, when there was around 11-12 tag teams floating around somehow. Anyway, I say that because none of them were any good, either (the crop of teams around in '94), so depth doesn't always mean quality. Mo and Fatu start off, and the canned heat is obvious. Lockup, and Mo grabs a headlock. Iish whip, and Mo drops Fatu with a shoulder block. Lockup, and we get the same exchange. We get a little coference between the Samoans, as Vince and J.R. talk about the happenings of the Rumble PPV. The same exchange again, but this time Mo tries ramming Fatu's head into the canvas, and we all know the result there. Mabel tags in and gets poked in the eyes. Fatu tries for a slam, but that doesn't work. Fatu with a series of reverse kicks, but now he tries for a suplex. Mabel counters with his own, and we get some jiving. Mo tags back in and clothesline Fatu out of his non-existant boots for a two count. Samu nails Mo from the apron, and Fatu connects with a side suplex. Back from commercial, with the Headshrinkers working Mo over. Double clothesline by the Shrinkers, and Fatu drops a headbutt for a two count. Resthold time! Mo fights free, but gets tossed out of the ring for his trouble, and gets roughed up by Samu. Back in the ring, and Mo continues to get whooped. Samu drops a leg for a two count, then we get more resting. Irish whip, and Mo surprises Samu with a sunset flip. Samu tries a slam, but a small package by Mo gets a two count. Samu connects with a standing dropkick, and a double headbutt gets a two count. Wish bone time! Fatu with a headbutt, and now he heads up top, only to get knocked off by Mo's lack of balance. Mabel gets the hot tag, and he nails Samu with a clothesline. Mabel choke lifts Samu into the corner, and connects with a gulliotine clothesline on Fatu. Samu and Afa get knocked into each other, and Mabel drops Samu with his crappy spinning heel kick. Fatu breaks the cover, so Mo tags back in and drops an elbow. Fatu comes in and KO's him with a heel kick, and Samu covers for a two count. Mabel gets knocked off the apron, allowing the Headshrinkers to dominate Mo, finishing him off with a top rope splash at 10:49. DUD Match was pretty damn bad. Don't understand why Mo practically worked the entire match, either. Not that I like Mabel that much better, but at least throw something else in there to change things up.
- Kwang (w/ Harvey Wippleman) vs. Ray Hudson:
Outside of his last minute involvment at the Royal Rumble, filling in for the injured Ludvig Borga, this is Kwang's singles debut in the WWF, from the January 30th, 1994 episode of Wrestling Challenge. For those who don't know (or care), Kwang would later go on to be Savio Vega, the Puerto Rican Legend no one ever heard of. Here, he's playing a masked man from the orient that spits mist like he's the Great Muta. What's the sound of 300 pounds of shit hitting the fan? KWANG! Sorry, had to work that in there. Kwang with kicks to the chest and a s pinning heel kick to the back of the head. Kwang shoots mist out afterwards, then chops away and does some mock-martial art posing. Irish whip, and Kwang with a chop across the chest. Jumping roundhouse kick to the back of the head by Kwang gets a only-wanted two count, then chokes away. Whip across the ring, and Kwang follows in with a clothesline and more chops. Hip toss out of the corner, and Kwang poses some more. Kwang with a spinning heel kick and more posing. Irish whip, and Hudson boots Kwang, then connects with a dropkick. Whip to the corner, and Kwang comes back out with a spinning heel kick. Whip to the ropes, and a spinning heel kick from Kwang. Is this the WWF live action, or some punk kid playing WWF War Zone, and only knowing the button configuration for one move? Anyway, a reverse crescent kick gets three at an overly-long 3:41. From what Kwang shows, he can do a spinning heel kick and pose, but not much else, and the crowd was thuroughly unimpressed.
- Thurman "Sparky" Plugg vs. Barry Horowitz:
From the same episode of Wrestling Challenge, and these two matches are only included to give a taste of the new crop of "superstars" the WWF was bringing in at the time. Plugg would drop his name by the end of the year, and go by "Bob Holly" for the next 80 years, somehow remaining employed longer than guys like Bret Hart and Randy Savage. Lockup to start, and Plugg grabs a headlock, then follows with a shoulder block and hip toss. Plugg with several arm drags, then applies an armbar. Plugg's attire is much more NASCAR inspired than later on in his run as "Sparky Plugg." Horowitz escapes with an elbow, but is put in his place with a scoop slam and dropkick. Plugg with an arm drag, and back to the armbar. Plugg is from Taladega, Alabama, for those who like a good punch-line. Plugg with a drop toe hold, and he continues to work the arm. Horowitz with a knee to the chest, followed by a jaw buster. Irish whip, and Plugg surprises Horowitz with a snap suplex. Plugg goes to the top rope, and finishes off Horowitz with a splas, a.k.a "The Overhead Cam", according to Jim Ross, at 2:19. More impressive of a debut, since Holly seemed to know how to wrestle and mix things up, at least. The NASCAR driver gimmick, though, is just as bad.
- Marty Jannetty (w/ The 1-2-3 Kid) vs. Johnny Polo:
From the January 31st, 1994 episode of Monday Night Raw. This was originally scheduled to be the 1-2-3 Kid taking on Polo, but the Kid injured himself being tossed out of the ring during the Rumble match held at Madison Square Garden, forcing him out of the PPV last week as well. I.R.S. is with Vince McMahon on PBP, but the Kid joins the table as well, for an even more unusual combination. Remember, Johnny Polo beat Jannetty last month, with a little bit of help from the Quebecers. Polo tries a blind attack, but Jannetty is too smart for him (?), and ties him up with the microphone cord. I.R.S. calls McMahon a hypocrite on the subject, as McMahon enjoys Polo's struggles. Polo tries taking a walk, but Jannetty follows him down the aisle. Back in the ring, and Polo wants some mercy. Polo uses the tights to throw Jannetty out of the ring, but Jannetty lands on his feet, and comes off the top rope with a cross body for two. Jannetty with a reverse kick for another two count. Polo nails Jannetty from behind with a knee, sending him out of the ring as we go to commercial. We come back, and Polo has a chinlock applied. Jannetty fights free and drops Polo with a shoulder block, but we get a HORRIBLY botched spot, as Jannetty was meant to be back dropped out of the ring, but it failed miserably. Polo follows Jannetty out of the ring and works him over pretty good. Back in the ring, and Polo comes off the ropes with an axehandle for a two count. Chinlock! McMahon hypes an encounter between the Steiners and Quebecers on the next episode of Superstars. Jannetty fights free again, and this time a collision knocks both men out. Polo recovers first and chokes away. Irish whip, and Jannetty with a sunset flip for a two count. Headlock, into a takeover by Polo. Polo heads to the top rope, and comes down to meet the boot of Jannetty. Jannetty fights back with rights, then connects with a diving back elbow. Polo is introduced to the turnbuckles a total of NINE times, finishing him off with a face slam into the canvas. Jannetty sets Polo up on the top turnbuckle, but gets thrown down for his trouble. Jannetty, in return, crotches Polo across the top rope. Jannetty with an inverted atomic drop, but misses a charge in the corner, ramming his own shoulder into the post. Polo with a snapmare, followed by a knee across the throat. Irish whip, and Jannetty surprises Polo with the Rocker Dropper for a three count at 11:36. * As much as I enjoyed their first match on Monday Night Raw, this one wasn't anywhere near as good. Post-match, I.R.S. sucker-punches the Kid, who steals the briefcase as Jannetty comes to his rescue. The end result... Razor Ramon finally has the gold back that I.R.S. stole from him. You'd think this would've been the end result of their match at the Royal Rumble, but whatever.
- The Steiner Brothers vs. The Quebecers (w/ Johnny Polo):
(Rick & Scott Steiner vs. Jacques & Pierre)
From the February 5th, 1994 episode of Superstars, as promised during the previous match. This is Non-Title, but if the Steiners should win within the ten minute time limt, they will guarantee themselves a title shot in the future. Note, every match ever to have a pre-announced time limit around this time, always ended in a draw or something else lame like that. Talk about a dead issue, too. The Steiners were practically out the door at this point, so the result shouldn't be too much of a surprise. Scott and Pierre start with a lockup. Scott grabs a headlock, but Pierre blocks a german suplex attempt. Pierre with an elbow to the face, followed by some clubbing blows. Irish whip, and Scott catches Pierre with a double under-hook suplex for a two count. Jacques comes in and accidentally hits his own partner, trying to break up repeated pin attempts. Scott races out of the ring to prevent stalling, and tosses Pierre back into the arms of Rick. Scott with a snapmare, and Rick is legally in the ring now, and gets a thumb in the eyes for his trouble. Pierre with a scoop slam, then heads to the top rope with a missile dropkick. Pierre goes to the top again, but gets caught mid-air with a slam. Jacques breaks the cover again, with terrible success in his hit range. Jacques tags in for the first time of the match, and sucker kicks Rick. Irish whip is reversed, and Rick with a press slam for a two count. Rick applies an armbar, then tags in Scott, who takes Jacques down and works the armbar, as well. Stan Lane questions the strategy of working the arm. Pierre knees Scott from the apron, but Jacques accidentally rams his partner. Scott with a slam on Jacques, Pierre accidentally nails his own partner from the top rope, and Scott with a roll up. This time, Pierre DOES make the right move, clotheslineing Scott out of his boots. Pierre chokes Scott with the tag rope as the referee is ditracted by Rick and Jacques. Irish whip, and the Quebecers launch Scott in the air, dropping him across the top rope. Pierre with a leg drop across the solar-plexus of Scott, and we get more awesome double teaming from the Quebecers. Jacques with a scoop slam, and in comes Pierre, back dropped across the chest of Scott for a two count, broken up by Rick. Jacques illegally enters the ring with the old "hand smack" fake tag trick. Pierre with a clothesline as Jacques sweeps the leg, and that gets a two count as well. Pierre with a splash across the back of Scott, but a second attempt sees Pierre go flying over the top rope. Jacques gets the tag and cuts off the tag attempt, then connects with a piledriver. Jacques offers his own tag to Rick, and the Tower of Quebec misses (the double team finisher of their's). Rick gets the hot tag, and he nails Steiner-lines on both Quebecers, as well as back drops. Double noggin-knocker! Scott dropkicks Pierre out of the ring, then send Jacques out. Rick catches Pierre with an over-head belly-to-belly suplex. Irish whip, and the Frnakensteiner connects, but Johnny Polo rings the bell, tricking the referee and everyone else... momentarily. The referee DOES NOT FALL FOR IT! Rick with a scoop slam, and the top rope bulldog connects (sloppily), but Polo runs in and gets pounded. Scott hoists him up on his shoulders, and Rick nails the bulldog on him, as well. The bell finally rings at 10:30 (unofficial), and the match is a draw. But wait... where did the Quebecers go? They all but disappeared from ringside while Polo got whomped. *** Pretty good free t.v. match, with minimal resting, non-stop action, and the smartest referee known to man. I don't think I remember any other times watching the Steiners on WWF T.V. in feature matches after this, at least not as a team (Scott jobbed to I.R.S. in the first of the KOTR Qualifyers, and that's all I remember from him, as well).
- Doink The Clown (w/ Dink) vs. Bam Bam Bigelow (w/ Luna Vachon):
From the February 6th, 1994 episode of Wrestling Challenge, a rare feature match to be shown on the C-Show, especially since these two had a feud going on at the time. We get a quick reminder of why Bigelow absolutely hates Doink's guts, as they've had issues dating back to early October of '93. Bigelow tries to attack Dink before the bell, unsuccessfully. Doink runs in and is quickly bulldozed by the much-larger-than-he Beast from the East. Doink surprises Bigelow with a belly-to-belly suplex, and a clothesline sends Bigelow out of the ring. Dink stomps on Luna's hand for good measure while she checks over her fallen man. Dink is one creepy looking person, I might say. Bigelow tries a sneak attack, but Doink takes him down with a drop toe hold, then applies a step-over toe hold until Bigelow grabs the ropes. Doink with a single leg takedown, and now he applies a modified cross-face. Luna helds Bam Bam escape, as Dink distracted the referee. Irish whip, and Bigelow drops Doink with another shoulder tackle, then applies a front facelock. Dink runs in and attacks Bigelow, but there's no Disqualification. Irish whip is reversed, and Bigelow connects with a side elbow, but misses a follow-up headbutt. Doink with a running knee lift and bulldog as we go to commercial. We return, with Dink and Luna playing games with each other. Bigelow rams Doink into the steel steps, and now Dink is surrounded by the baddies, who both can't snag him on diving attempts. Doink crawls his way back in the ring, as we get advertisements for the newest issue of WWF Magazine. Whip to the corner, and Bigelow misses a charge. Doink with a slam attempt, but Bigelow falls on top for a two count. Bigelow with a reverse chinlock applied. Doink escapes with a jaw buster, and a slam attempt goes his way this time. Doink with a knee across the chest for a two count. Doink with a back suplex for another two count. Doink connects with a series of diving clotheslines, but Luna trips him on a third attempt, and Bigelow drops an elbow across the back of the head. Bigelow with a scoop slam, and he heads to the top rope, and nails the headbutt... but here comes Doink to break up the count, and again, we get no bell for a Disqualification. Luna sneaks in behind and gets her toes stomped for her trouble. Dink rams Bigelow in the gut with a headbutt, knocking him out of the ring... and the referee, Bill Alfonso, counts him out (!) at 9:38, giving Doink, who is still knocked out along with his minature version, the questionable victory. Post-match, Luna sets Dink up for Bigelow to come crashing down on from the top rope, but doink recovers just in time to pull Dink from out of harms way. Makes you long for the days of Hillbilly Jim and Little Beaver, doesn't it. Wait... isn't Little Beaver somehow related to Tiger Jackson (the midget under the Doink make-up). ** Surprisingly good match, but I knocked half a star off because of the ridiculous nature of how the match went towards the end. This would set up the Wrestlemania X mixed-tag match that should never be mentioned ever again.
- Marty Jannetty vs. Irwin R. Schyster:
From the February 7th, 1994 episode of Monday Night Raw, and a direct result of what happend the previous week, when the Kid and Jannetty helped reclaim the stolen gold of Razor Ramon from I.R.S.' mysterious briefcase. Joining McMahon at the broadcast position is Bastion Booger, who is scarfing down a pizza as I type. I.R.S. attacks from behind and whips Jannetty to the corner. Irish whip, and Jannetty comes back with a series of dropkicks and a scoop slam. Irish whip, and Jannetty with a diving back elbow, sending I.R.S. running to take a breather outside of the ring. Back in the ring with a lockup, and Jannetty grabs a side headlock, then takes I.R.S. over for an exchange of pin attempts. Irish whip to escape, and I.R.S. takes Jannetty down with a drop toe hold. Jannetty recovers in time, though, and goes to work on the arm of Irwin before tossing him out of the ring. I.R.S. turns the tables, though, and sends Jannetty into the ring post. Jannetty tries a sunset flip back into the ring, but I.R.S. remains in control, despite the near fall. The Quebecers comes to ringside as we head to a commercial break. We come back, and I.RS. has a chinlock applied. Apparently, the referee sent the Quebecers back to the locker room after bum rushing Jannetty. Back to "live" action... and the chinlock is still rockin'. I.R.S. with a scoop slam, then he heads to the top rope, eating boot on a "whatever he was trying" attempt. Jannetty with a surprise small package for a two count, but I.R.S. is still in control, and applies his patented abdominal stretch, with extra leverage on the side. Jannetty with a hip toss to escape, but he misses an elbow, and I.R.S. covers for a two count. Back to the chinlock we go! Jannetty escapes with a jaw buster, then takes him over with a powerslam. Irish whip, and Jannetty with a reverse crescent kick, as Johnny Polo comes to ringside with a singapore cane or pool stick or something. Jannetty rams I.R.S. face first into the canvas for a two count. Now here comes Razor Ramon, because we need more bodies! Jannetty with an atomic drop, followed by a clothesline for a two count. Jannetty applies a sleeper hold, and here comes the Quebecers again. Whip to the ropes, and Polo trips up Jannetty, allowing I.R.S. to cover for the three count at 9:01. Post-match, Ramon attacks I.R.S., and that allows the Quebecers to double team Ramon. Jannetty recovers to help Ramon fight the two off, and all this does is set up a tag title match for two weeks from now, on Monday Night Raw (the Dog Show pre-empted Raw the week of Valentine's Day). * Match was pretty damn disappointing. Much like Jannetty/Polo, these two had a far better match on the previous collection of matches, from the Survivor Series Showdown special.
- "Macho Man" Randy Savage vs. "The Model" Rick Martel:
From the February 12th, 1994 episode of Superstars. I don't see Martel having much hopes of winning, what with the Macho Man getting set to take on Crush at WrestleMania X in a Falls Count Anywhere Match. I'm pretty sure this match was recycled for a Coliseum Video (Wrestlefest '94?), but that's just useless information no one cares about. I never realized how tolerable, and at times, good, Stan Lane was calling the action during his short run in the WWF as a PBP man. Lockup to start, and Savage snaps Martel over with an arm drag, channeling the spirit of the Dragon, perhaps? Lockup #2 goes into the ropes, and we get a violent, yet clean, break. Lockup #3 into the ropes again, and Martel with a slap across the face, before taking off to the outside. Savage heads outside to go after the Model, but that just allows Martel to do some jumping jacks in the ring, and then some more outside the ring. The cat-and-mouse game continues, until Martel boots Savage sliding back in the ring. Whip to the corner is reversed, but Martel avoids a charge. Savage with a series of jabs and a hip toss, followed by a clothesline, sending Martel out of the ring, again. Savage appears to have a nasty cut around his eye, probably from one of those boots by Martel, earlier in the match. Anyway, Martel works Savage over a bit, but Savage takes over control and applies a side headlock. Martel with an atomic drop, but Savage keeps the hold applied. Irish whip, and a criss-cross sequence leads to a back slide from Savage for a two count. Savage with a stiff clothesline, and that sends Martel outside once more. Martel with a sucker-punch from the apron, and he's back in control, before tossing Savage over the top. Martel follows out, and slams Savage on the heavily padded floor. Martel with a suplex to bring Savage back in the ring, but that only gets a two count. Whip to the corner, and Martel clubs away on the back of Savage. Whip across the ring again, and Martel applies a rear chinlock, putting preasure on the back of Savage in the process. Savage fights free with elbows, and a sunset flip gets a two count. Martel maintains control of the match, and puts Savage down with a side back breaker for a two count. Savage with a surprise cradle for a two count, as well. Irish whip, and Savage with a boot to the chest, then follows with a running high knee. Savage to the top rope, and he comes crashing down with his signature axehandle. Back in the ring, and Savage covers for a two count. Martel sends Savage to the corner with a knee lift, but he misses a charge to the corner, posting himself in the process. Savage with a scoop slam, and Savage heads to the top rope, connecting with his flying elbow for the three count at 9:20. 3/4* Not too good, especially the first half, but the last couple of minutes were tolerable, I guess, so whatever. It's not like it matters that much.
- Marty Jannetty vs. "The Rocket" Owen Hart:
From the February 19th, 1994 episode of Superstars, and this is the first "high profile" match for Owen since turning on his brother at the Royal Rumble. I'm starting to get sick of watching Jannetty, as we're up to his fourth appearance in a match on this collection, and we've got another to go after this. Owen has a pair of his brothers sunglasses on, and rips them to pieces after teasing giving them to a fan at ringside. Lockup to start, and we get a clean break. Lockup #2, and Owen shoves Jannetty on his ass. Jannetty applies a wristlock, but Owen does his signature flipping to counter. Jannetty returns the favor and takes Owen over with an arm drag in the process. Irish whip, and Owen with a hip toss, and we get a duel-nip up for fun. Irish whip is reversed, and Jannetty with a series of arm drags and a dropkick, sending Owen out of the ring in frustration. Lockup into the corner, and Owen with a cheap shot, followed by some heel-ish pounding away. Owen connects with a back breaker, then drives a knee into Jannetty for good measure. Irish whip, and Owen connects with a spinning heel kick for a two count. Whip to the corner, and Jannetty nails Owen with a reverse crescent kick for a two count. Irish whip, and Jannetty with a powerslam for another two count. Irish whip is reversed, and Owen takes Jannetty over with a belly-to-belly suplex for two. Whip to the corner, and Owen runs into an elbow, and Jannetty follows with a clothesline for two, again. Owen blocks a roll up, but Jannetty comes off the ropes with a cross body for two. Owen surprises Jannetty with a swinging neck breaker, and the Sharpshooter is enough to get the submission at 4:19. *1/2 As good of a match as you can expect from a Superstars taping that went barely four minutes. Owen would later extend that into just "good of a match as you can get in four minutes, period" at the King of the Ring in his match with the 1-2-3 Kid. This would be the last we see of Jannetty for about 18 months, as he was released before the next batch of Monday Night Raw tapings. I don't know the reason, but one popular rumor is that the WWF exec's wanted him gone as a lawsuit with the jobber Jannetty injured a few years back was being settled.
- WWF Women's Championship Match:
Alundra Blayze (c) vs. Heidi Lee Morgan:
From the February 20th, 1994 episode of All-American Wrestling, and a return match from the Championship Finals that was broadcasted on All-American Wrestling at the end of 1993. Alundra Blayze was fresh off a successful stint in WCW, acting primarily as a manager/valet to the Dangerous Alliance as her most notable involvment in the company. No idea who H.L. Morgan is (Editor's Note: What? You never watched Joe Pedicino's LPWA on Prime Sports?! For Shame!), though, but she appears to weigh around 60 pounds, soaking wet, but announced as 125. Morgan attacks from behind, and comes off the ropes with a body press for a two count. Irish whip, and Blayze knocks Morgan on her butt with a forearm. Morgan applies a side headlock, but Blayze escapes and takes her over with a snapmare. Blayze with a power slam for a two count. Blayze with another slam, as Monsoon informs us Heidi's father, Les Morgan, is a former WWF superstar. Never heard of him, myself, and he doesn't even have a Wikipedia page, but her profile "confirms" it. Morgan with a slam, the move of the day, for a two count. Blayze blocks a suplex, nails an elbow to the side of the face, and a bridge suplex gets the three count to retain the Championship at 1:54. DUD Not much of a match, but that's understandable. I never minded Alundra Blayze's run a top the WWF's women's division, probably because she was always booked in feuds with great female workers.
- Earthquake vs. Bastion Booger:
From the February 20th, 1994 episode of Wrestling Challenge. I always found it unusual that the WWF would have feature matches on AAW and Challenge, when they both aired at the same time in my area (12 noon, for those who care). Earthquake had returned a couple of weeks earlier on Monday Night Raw, and well, he really hasn't been missed from WWF T.V., as he no longer fit with what the WWF was pushing. Before the match, Gorilla Monsoon announces that Burt Reynolds will be on hand for WrestleMania X, as a special guest ring announcer. Lockup to start, and Quake gives a slight shove-off from it. A shoulder charge from Booger does nothing, as Earthquake cuts an inset promo... remember THOSE? Earthquake has words for his WrestleMania opponent, Ludvig Borga. Yeah, I know, I know. Earthquake knocks Booger down with a clothesline, and drops a big leg across the chest. Whip to the corner, and Earthquake follows in, missing a charge attempt. Booger drops Earthquake with a clothesline, and drops a series of legs of his own. Booger with a weak splash, but that only gets a two count. Earthquake fights back with roundhouse rights, and a charge in the corner connects. Earthquake with a powerslam on Booger, and the Vertical Splash is enough for the three count at 2:59. 1/2* I enjoyed the finish, but otherwise, just a bad big man vs. big man match, mainly because Booger's offense was incredibly fake looking at times.
- WWF Tag Team Championship Match:
The Quebecers (c) (w/ Johnny Polo) vs. Razor Ramon & The 1-2-3 Kid:
From the February 21st, 1994 episode of Monday Night Raw, and the last stop on the collection. The Kid is filling in for the very recently fired Jannetty, which was explained a few matches back. Can't complain about the substitution, though, as the Kid and Ramon made a more coherent team than Jannetty and Ramon ever did. The Kid has FINALLY adopted some new ring attire, with only one "1-2-3" printed on it, instead of whatever the hell crap he was wearing before. For someone fired, McMahon does name drop Jannetty several times to detail the history here. The Quebecers attack from behind, working over the Kid's leg, but the Kid fights both men off and Ramon returns to the ring to help clean house. Ramon does his fall-away slam to throw the Kid onto Pierre for a two count, and now the champs are taking a breather outside the ring. Hey, it's Vladimir the Superfan(tm)! Pierre and the Kid get ready to lock up, but the Kid scares Pierre away with his kicks. Lockup, and the Kid applies a side headlock, then switches to an arm bar, takes Pierre down from behind, and back to the headlock. The Kid applies a wristlock, and Ramon tags in now to work over the arm of Pierre, as well. Pierre escapes, but Ramon grabs a headlock, and puts Pierre down with a shoulder block. Polo trips Ramon up from the outside, allowing the Quebecers to stomp a Canadian mudhole in his ass. Irish whip, and Ramon comes back with a clothesline to both men. Ramon heads outside to go after Polo, a most unwise decision. The Kid cuts off Polo's escape, and Ramon nails the Razor's Edge on Polo, on the outside of the ring. Well, you gotta' take one for the team, sometimes. The Quebecers aren't too happy about this, and the stalling is starting to get to me. More referee's come to ringside to drag Polo's dead body to the locker room as we go to a comercial break.
We come back, and Ramon has a wristlock applied on Pierre. Ramon with a series of shoulder blocks, and the Kid tags in, coming off the top with an axehandle. The Kid with a takedown from the wrist, and covers for a two count. Ramon tags back in and works over the arm, as Vince McMahon talks about Sterling Martin, some NASCAR driver who had a career of never winning. Ramon with a shoulder block, and... um... I think he got a handful of balls on some weird criss-cross exchange. Ramon takes Pierre over with a back drop, and the Kid is back in for a wish bone. They nail Jacques from off the apron for the hell of it, and the Kid connects with a spinning heel kick on Pierre. The Kid is still selling the leg, though, so gotta like that a bit. The Kid works the leg over with a modified spinning toe hold. Ramon tags back in and continues to work over the leg, dropping an elbow across the knee and locking the leg of Pierre between his own. Pierre kicks off a toe hold, and Jacques tags in, only to be taken down with a drop toe hold, and the Kid comes off the top with an elbow drop. The Kid works the leg of Jacques now, utilizing another from of a toe hold. Jacques kicks off, and the Kid bounces back to stomp the chest. Ramon is back in, and the leg work continues, as Diesel comes to ringside to stare down Ramon. Pierre comes in to help out his partner. Jacques with a boot to the midsection, followed by a snapmare. Pierre tags in and works Ramon over in the corner, with a little help from Jacques.
We come back from yet another commercial break, and Ramon surprises Jacques with a sunset flip for a two count. Pierre tags in, and accidentally clotheslines his partner. The Kid tags in and kicks away on Pierre. Irish whip, and the Kid connects with a spinning heel kick. Irish whip, and the Kid hits air on a dropkick attempt. Irish whip, and the Quebecers dump the Kid across the top rope. Jacques goes to work on the previously-and-possibly-might-still-be injured leg of the Kid. Irish whip, and the Quebecers with a snap back with the hair and slam across the chest double team special. Irish whip, and Pierre connects with a clothesline for a two count. Jacques tags back in for the clothesline/leg sweep combo for another two count. Jacques rams the Kid to the buckle, and whips him into the boot of Pierre. Whip to the corner, and Pierre nails the Kid with a clothesline. Pierre with a scoop slam, and Jacques back drops Pierre onto a whole lot of nothing. Ramon gets the hot tag and cleans house, dishing out slams and back body drops to everyone walking that's wearing a red shirt and brown boots. Double noggin' knocker! Ramon sets Pierre up across the top rope and connects with the super back suplex. Ramon signals for the finish and drops Pierre with the Razor's Edge, but Shawn Michaels, nearly mis-timing it, runs in and breaks up the pin at 2.999999999999, giving Ramon and Kid the shitty Disqualification victory at 16:05. Well, that was pointless. * Very long, very dull, no real enthusiam from anyone, and the finish sucked. I expected a whole hell of a lot more out of this match, as I always seemed to remember liking it, back in the day. Oh well, tastes change, I guess, and what a sad way to end this set of matches, on a huge let down.
Final Thoughts: I'm only slightly disappointed by the overall quality of some of the stuff here, but at time same time, satisifed as I finally got to watch through them all again for the first time since I was a pre-teen. The tag title match between the Quebecers and Kid/Jannetty still holds up well, and there's a nugget here and there in the forms of Quebecers/Steiners and, surprisingly, Doink/Bigelow, but the winds of change were coming, with over-the-top cartoony gimmicks being introduced, and as I've mentioned earlier, one of the deeper and at the same time, unimpressive tag team pools the WWF ever produced. If you really need to, I think the tag match is on the new Raw Seasons 1 and 2 collection DVD set, so check that out, but the rest is left for the archives.
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