The Wrestling-A-Holic Retro Rant For WWF Summerslam 1993
Summerslam 1993
The Palace at Auburn Hills
Detroit, Michigan
August 30, 1993
-Commentators: Vince Mcmahon & Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
-Show opens with Mean Gene Okerlund narrating Lex Luger arriving at the Palace in his Lex Express, followed by the cool Summerslam theme.
-Opening Match: "The Bad Guy" Razor Ramon vs. "Million $ Man" Ted Dibiase
To those who don't know, this was Ted Dibiase final in ring match with the WWF and probably anywhere. Dibiase jumps Razor before the bell with boots and several knife-edge chops. Razor comes back with a modified Fallaway slam and a clothesline before he gets his jacket off! Heenan with several good jokes on Razor about he cant even scrub toilets with a toothbrush. Dibiase takes over again with a series off intentional chokes followed by a clothesline. Heenan joke #2: "After this Razor can have a cup of servesa, and the Kid a cup of Ovaltine." Gotta love Heenan. Dibiase with a reverse chinlock as Heenan as quote #3: A good nickname for razor is the "Domestic Bad guy." Side Backbreaker by Dibiase gets 2, followed by a clothesline. Ramon reverses an Irish whip into the exposed buckle, and connects with the Razor's Edge for the win at 7:29. **1/4 Pretty good match, slow at times but Heenan's jokes livened it up.
-Summerslam Hotline: Raymon Rogeau is with Bret "Hitman" Hart & The Undertaker. Some fan asks Undertaker about Hulk Hogan and Jake "The snake" Roberts, so Heenan immediately cuts back to ringside.
-Todd Pettingle is with Rick & Scott Stieners mother & Sister. They accidentally reveal Rick's real name (Robert), right before Jim Cornette makes a few rude comments before announcing the Heavenly Bodies.
-WWF Tag Team Championship Match: Stiener Brothers vs. Heavenly Bodies (w/ Jim Cornette)
The Stieners come to the ring in their MU jackets and are wearing there navy blue and gold tights. Bodies jump the Stieners to start, using several double team moves on Rick before Scott cleaned house on them. Stiener do a nice sequence with double clothesline and several belly to belly suplexs send the bodies packing. The Stieners attack the Bodies with more suplexs so they leave to talk strategy. Del Ray makes the blind take and bulldogs Scott to take the advantage. Del Ray on the apron nails a moonsault, back in the ring a floating DDT and crescent kick gets a 2 count. Scott suplexs Del Ray to go for the tag, but Prichard stops him, double underhook suplex on him, followed by a tag to Rick sets up a piere-six brawl. Rick nails the top rope bulldog of Scott's shoulders but Prichard breaks the pin. Miscommunication between the bodies lead Scott Stiener to nail Delray with the Frankenstiener to retain the titles at 9:27. *** Decent match, especially by the Heavenly Bodies, whom I never seen or heard of before this.
-Joe Fowler interviews Intercontinental Champion, Shawn Michaels and bodyguard Diesel. The following match is to decide who is the greatest intercontinental champion.
-WWF-Intercontinental Championship Match: Shawn Michaels vs. Mr. Perfect
This feud started back at Wrestlemania IX, but was never really established until May 13, 1993, when Perfect was instrumental in HBK dropping the title to Marty Jannetty, who made his return to the WWF. Several weeks later Shawn won the title back with Diesels help, and here we are now. Mr. Perfect only has a few months left till he takes a 3 year absence from the ring. HBK starts with an armbar which perfect reverses into a snapmare. HBK back up lock on a headlock. Perfect escapes with a clothesline followed by an armbar and several knee drops to the shoulder. 360 clothesline on Shawn gets 2. Perfect with a top rope armdrag gets another 2 followed by a slingshot over the top rope. Diesel distracts Perfect while HBK nails a crescent kick. Several elbows and kicks to the back slow down perfect, but comes back with drop-kicks and wins the backslide battle. Perfect connects with the Perfect-plex, but Diesel pulls him outside. Perfect pounds on him and nails HBK in the ribs after an axhandle attempt off the apron, he shoves him back in as Diesel propels Perfect into the steel steps, causing him to be counted out at 11:20. ***1/3 Pretty good match filled with action, with a cheap ending. After the match, Diesel nails him with a "Huge deadly right fist" knocking him out.
-Joe Fowler is with the "1-2-3" kid, who is making his Pay-per-view Debut. He pretty much rambles about having butterflies in his stomach.
-"1-2-3" Kid vs. Irwin R. Shyster (IRS): "1-2-3" Kid is fresh off of 2 upset wins over Razor Ramon, including a 10,000 dollar challenge, plus a win over Ted Dibiase several weeks before this. IRS STILL has no theme song and the Kid does after 2 months, go figure. Kid starts off early with some rest holds and armbars, but IRS uses his dirty tactics like using the ropes for leverage in an abdominal stretch and a series of sleeper holds & chin locks. Kid makes his comeback with a signature three martial arts kick in the corner, followed by the spinning hell kick to the face. IRS ducks an Irish whips and nails the Write off for the win at 5:35. *1/2 Pretty dull match except for when Kid is in charge, which was a total of 1 minute.
-Jerry Lawler comes to the ring "injured" and makes fun of Bret Hart AGAIN, along with a "blue haired lady" someone we all should know by then who causes a 30 car pile up earlier in the day. Jerry replaces himself with Doink the Clown in this match.
-Bret "Hitman" Hart Vs. Doink the Clown I:
You cannot believe how pissed off Bret is as he attacks Doink after he dumps water on his brothers Owen and Bruce. Bret pummels him with punches on the outside before he can take off his coat. Bret uses a series of leglocks, arm bars and other technical moves to slow down Doink. This match is pretty much all Bret till about the 6 minute mark where Doink Does some loooooong boring rest locks, including a weird submission I don't know, but he uses the ropes for help. Bret escapes, mounts a comeback and locks in the Sharpshooter. Lawler comes in and clobbers Bret with a crutch DQing Doni at 9:01. *** Bret Hart match, without a doubt 3 stars.
-Lawler pummels Bret until refs break it up. Before he can get to the lock room, Tunney forces him to face Bret since he was not injured after all. Short and simple, Bret beats the crap out of Lawler and makes him submit in the sharpshooter at 6:34. But, he wont let go and after 4 minutes, the ref DQ's Bret for refusing to relinquish the hold. Bret not only gets revenge, but he gets a monster face push even better then he has now.
-Summerslam Hotline with IRS, Diesel, and Shawn Michaels, wow, all heels this time.
-Ludvig Borga cuts an interview in a VERY slummy neighborhood "before" the event takes place.
-Marty Jannetty Vs. Ludvig Borga
Lets see, Borga PPV debut, Jannetty is a fairly decent opponent, being a former Intercontinental champion, so why not use him to put the Fin over? Borga sneaks attacks Jannetty to start. Punch punch jab punch. Jannetty sunset flips but is greeted with a fist to the forehead. jannetty goes for a drop-kick but to no avail. He goes for another sunset flip and avoids the huge punch. Borga clotheslines him to hell and forces him to submit at 5:15. *1/2. Good match, not great.
-Survivor Series 1993 Promo, the thanksgiving tradition.
-Rest In Piece Match: Undertaker vs. Giant Gonzalez:
I cant explain how crappy this feud was. Gonzalez stole the urn and so on. Gonzalez punches the shit out of Taker, but nothing works, as Taker repeatedly goes for the urn in Wipplemans corner. Undertaker is literally over everything until Paul Bearer returns, clobbers Wipplemans and takes back the urn. Undertaker sits up, nails 4 clothesline to knock down the Giant to 1 knee, then nailed a flying clothesline off the top rope for the pin at 8:05. 1/2* lousy match, even for the undertaker, thank God Gonzalez left for Argentina in a few months after this.
-Joe Fowler interviews Yokozuna, James E. Cornette & Mr. Fuji. Classic Cornette line "The biggest surprise is your employment."
-Tatanka & Smoking Gunns Vs. Bam Bam Bigelow & Head Shrinkers
Currently, only Billy Gunn and Fatu are still in the WWF. Ill make this match short and sweet. First, we have Billy Gunn taking a beating by a fury of pounds by Samu, followed by a crescent kick. Bart tags in but gets nailed by a Same elbow and both shrinkers do the front face Russian leg sweep on him. Bart takes a pounding for a few minutes and hot tags Tatanka, who DDT's Bam Bam. He nails a cross body off the top rope for a 2 count but a Bigelow inziguri(!) stops the momentum. Samu nails a headbutt for 2 and a brawl erupts. Shrinkers take out both Gunns as The heels Squash Tatanka in the corner. They all go for a triple headbutt off the top, and all miss, after wards, Tatanka rolls up Samu for the win at 11:!6. ** OK match, good for the match before main event.
-Joe Fowler interviews Lex Express driver Hank Carter.
-Both the Japanese & American national Anthem are sung. Macho Man Randy Savage is in his USA outfit
-WWF Championship Match: Yokozuna vs. Lex Luger
This is Luger's only shot at the title as the result of a clause in the contract. Luger starts with an elbow but Yoko comes back with the usual martial arts thrusts and kicks. Luger goes for a slam, instead he eats a crescent kick. Yoko follows up with an Avalanche in the corner. Luger comes back with a double axhandle and running forearm for only a two count. Yoko legdrop gets two, but he misses a banzai drop. Luger unloads with punches and clotheslines and finally scoops him up and slams him! Fuji jumps on the apron and eats a Luger fist, he rips off the forearm padding and clocks Yoko with his loaded forearm! Yokozuna falls outside and is counted out at 17:57. how cheap of a way to end a match. **1/2. After the match, Stiener Brothers, Tatanka & Randy Savage come join Luger in the celebration, as Red white & blue balloons drop everywhere.
-After the match, WWF plays a Video which I believe is entitled (the song) "You are my Hero" or something. Pretty good, with clips of the previous match already in it. sheesh.
That ends Summerslam 1993. Not a bad show, so I give it a thumbs up
recommendation.
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