World Wrestling Federation: 1991

[Chrononaut]

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1991 -- 1991 WWF SURVIVOR SERIES

The half-hour Preview Show was hosted by Mean Gene Okerlund and Mike Tenay from the press box high above the ring, hyping all of the matches on tonight's card and recapped the backstories while stressing the unpredictability of the elimination concept. During the show down in the ring, there was a warm-up tag team match-up pitting Al Perez & Joey Maggs against Louie Spicolli & Scott Taylor while the crowd filed into their seats. However, this bout was interrupted by the Enforcers and the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers, who stormed the squared circle and assaulted Taylor, Maggs, Perez, and Spicolli, swiftly thrashing them to the canvas. The Hart Organization tossed the four competitors out to the floor as Jimmy Hart retrieved a microphone and cut a promo on the 2x4s, promising that Raymond, Jacques, Dino Bravo, & Greg Valentine would become only the second team in Survivor Series history to survive intact as a unit. They added that they would be waiting in the ring for the Nasty Boys, the Texas Twister, & Hacksaw Duggan when the pay-per-view began. (74%)

Gorilla Monsoon, Jesse "The Body" Ventura, and "Nature Boy" Ric Flair welcomed viewers to the pay-per-view proper from the broadcast position at the back of the arena, which was decorated for Thanksgiving. They bantered between each other regarding tonight's lineup and the impending holidays before sending it up to ring announcer Howard "The Fink" Finkel in the squared circle.

Eight-Man Tag Team Elimination Match: The Hart Organization: The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers (Jacques & Raymond Rougeau) & The Enforcers (Greg "The Hammer" Valentine & Dino Bravo) vs. The 2x4s: "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan & "Texas Twister" Kevin Von Erich & The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs & Jerry Saggs)

Jimmy Hart stood at ringside, babbling through his megaphone, as the 2x4s charged out and cleared the Hart Organization from the squared circle to a nice pop. Interesting choice for an opener, as it was pretty basic and stiff with a slow, methodical pace for the most part. The Enforcers and the Rougeaus displayed good teamwork and utilized frequent tags as they isolated the Texas Twister and worked him over, until Von Erich managed to escape from Dino Bravo's grueling bearhug and rebounded off the ropes, nailing the Canadian Strongman with the Twister Punch for the surprising 1-2-3. The Hammer wasted no time in going after Von Erich, battering him relentlessly before the Rougeau Brothers finished off the Twister with Le Bombe De Rougeau, allowing Raymond to score the pinfall to even the sides. The six-man slugfest went back-and-forth until Valentine fell victim to the Pit Stop Drop from the Nasty Boys, after which Saggs covered the former WWF Intercontinental Champion for the three-count. Faced with the rawbone brawn of Duggan, Knobbs, & Saggs, Jacques & Raymond took a powder and hightailed it up the aisle with the Mouth Of The South, accepting a count-out loss rather than square off 2-on-3 against the Nasties & Hacksaw, who were declared the survivors. Duggan was happy to celebrate the victory and waved the American flag in honor of Thanksgiving, but the Nasties were enraged that they were unable to punish their former stablemates and vowed to get their hands on the Rougeaus one day soon. (73%)

Eight-Man Tag Team Elimination Match: The Underdogs: Tito Santana & Koko B. Ware & The Conquistadors (Conquistador #1 & Conquistador #2) vs. The Dojo: The Great Muta & Abdullah The Butcher & The Orient Express (Kato & Sato)

Mr. Fuji waddled out with his Dojo and seemed to be verbally disciplining them along the way, as the commentators discussed the Underdogs' various upsets over the Orient Express, the Great Muta, & Abdullah The Butcher in recent weeks. The streak continued as, after some fast-paced action to open the bout, the Conquistadors snagged the first elimination when #1 lifted Sato on his shoulders, allowing #2 to springboard in off the apron and take Sato off of #1's shoulders with a beautiful hurancanrana for the 1-2-3. Fuji chewed out Sato in Japanese afterwards and became even more embarrassed a few minutes later when the Bird Man flew off the top turnbuckle with a missile dropkick on Kato to eliminate the masked member of the Orient Express, leaving the Dojo at a surprising 4-on-2 disadvantage. The Devious One barked out orders more viciously, which led to Abdullah covering Koko after dropping the Chopping Block on him to reduce the odds a bit. Abdullah & Muta became more dominant, although the Conquistadors & Tito held their own through speedy double-and-triple-teams, which paid off when the Conquistadors plastered the Butcher with a double spinning heel kick off the ropes as Santana rolled up the 370-pound Madman From The Sudan in a schoolboy for the three-count. Afterwards, the Butcher went crazy and assaulted the three remaining Underdogs, laying them out before a horde of WWF officials and agents flooded out and managed to drag him back to the dressing room. Fortunately, the Conquistadors didn't absorb much damage, but Santana ended up busted open and the Great Muta swiftly put the former two-time WWF Intercontinental Champion away with the Rising Sun from the top turnbuckle to make it 2-on-1. The Asian Sensation then engaged in an entertaining aerial battle with the Conquistadors that featured plenty of near-falls from both sides, until Muta whacked #1 with a cool maneuver that Flair referred to as the "Shining Wizard" to eliminate him. Left one-on-one, Conquistador #2 came close to pulling off the final upset, but Muta put him down with the Springboard Back Elbow and followed up with the Rising Sun to become the sole survivor of the match, which earned him a respectful mixed reaction from the fans as he departed with Fuji. (72%)

Eight-Man Tag Team Elimination Match: The Dog Pound: The Commonwealth Connection (Dynamite Kid & Owen Hart) & The Gangsters Of Style ("Sweet" Stan Lane & Paul "Romeo" Roma) vs. The Pitbulls: The New British Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith & Chris Benoit) & The Rockers (Shawn Michaels & Marty Jannetty)

Slick and his personal bodyguard Bad News Brown escorted the Dog Pound as they threatened to have the Pitbulls put to sleep, the Gangsters Of Style adding that they would then take the Rockers' WWF Television Tag Team Championship. The Masters Of Motion and the New British Bulldogs walked out together, all four superstars sporting tights with a dog motif, and kicked off an eight-man brawl with the Gangsters and the Commonwealth Connection upon entering the ring. During the melee, the Dog Pound managed to isolate Davey Boy Smith from his partners and cut the ring in half, using quick tags among all four teammates as they wore down the British Bulldog, who struggled to mount a comeback. When the Bulldog finally broke free and made the hot tag to Shawn Michaels, referee Randy Anderson missed it because he had been distracted by the Slickster, and ushered Michaels back to the apron while Paul Roma dragged Davey Boy to the Dog Pound corner and tagged in Stan Lane. The Gangsters executed the Style Clash on Smith and Sweet Stan covered him to score the opening elimination of the contest, as the Dog Pound held on to their lead, punishing Marty Jannetty until the Rocker fought back and escaped, making the tag to Chris Benoit. The "Silent & Violent" Englishman stampeded in and cleaned house, unleashing stiff chops, kicks, and headbutts on all four of his opponents before thrashing Romeo Roma with a series of vicious snap-suplexes. Benoit swiftly climbed to the top turnbuckle and dropped the Swandive Headbutt on the former co-WWF Television Tag Team Champion for the 1-2-3 to even the odds and provide an even-better six-man match-up that went back-and-forth. Things were looking up for the Rockers as Shawn bodyslammed Sweet Stan and tagged out to Marty, at which point the Dynamite Kid & Owen Hart tried to come in, but were cut off by Benoit and the official. Meanwhile, Slick produced a pair of brass knuckles and tossed them to the dazed Stan, but Shawn intercepted the knucks and put them on, yelling at Jannetty to hold Lane for him. Jannetty seemed wary of the plan but grabbed Lane as Michaels charged with a punch; however, Lane dodged out of the way and Michaels accidentally blasted Jannetty with the knucks. Hart broke through using his "cat-like" agility and took Michaels out through the ropes with him as Lane hooked Jannetty's leg for the three-count. Michaels quickly fought off Hart at ringside and took his fallen partner's place, unloading on Stan Lane with a succession of brass knucks shots, earning himself an elimination via disqualification and leaving Benoit on his own. The young rookie immediately took advantage of the situation, bombing Sweet Stan with the Swandive Headbutt from the top turnbuckle to score the easy pin. This left a high-impact, fast-paced 2-on-1 handicap bout that featured Benoit ruggedly holding his own against the relentless double-team onslaught of Owen & Dynamite as he kicked out of all pinfall attempts and rallied back sporadically until the Commonwealth Connection finally drilled him with the Union Spike, allowing Dynamite to score the 1-2-3. Afterwards, the Connection celebrated their survival by continuing to hammer Benoit until Davey Boy Smith sprinted out and made the save, chasing off the Kid & Hart. (84%)

Eight-Man Tag Team Elimination Match: Animal House: Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat & Jake "The Snake" Roberts & The Hart Foundation (Bret "Hit Man" Hart & Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart) vs. The Heenan Family: "Ravishing" Rick Rude & Mr. Perfect & The Destruction Crew (Wayne "The Train" Bloom & Mike "The Machine" Enos)

Bobby "The Brain" Heenan wore his neckbrace as he accompanied his Heenan Family to the ring for this heated contest, which began with a classic chain-wrestling sequence between Mr. Perfect and Bret Hart, exchanging holds and counterholds that wowed the fans. The early action was a basic back-and-forth struggle amongst all eight superstars until the shocking first elimination, as Jake Roberts tagged in and caught Perfect with the short-arm clothesline, followed by the DDT to score the 1-2-3. The Flawless One was unconscious and remained in the ring despite being eliminated, so the Snake retrieved the sack he had carried to ringside and unleashed Damian on Perfect. The former two-time WWF Intercontinental Champion slowly awoke and freaked out when he realized the huge python was sitting upon his chest, fleeing the squared circle and racing up the aisle while Heenan threw a tantrum, protesting referee Joey Marella's decision. The remaining Heenan Family members quickly took advantage of the Snake's brief lack of focus, as Wayne Bloom blindsided Roberts and dragged him to the heel corner, where the Train traded frequent tags with Mike Enos. The Destruction Crew utilized their classic double-teams and quick tags to wear down Roberts, who kept kicking out and refused to stay down. Roberts appeared to be running on empty until Rick Rude tagged in, at which point the Snake rallied back and unloaded on his long-time rival, firing off lefts and rights before flooring the Ravishing One with the short-arm clothesline. Rather than tag out as Ventura suggested he do, Jake mauled Rude on the mat, choking, clawing, and biting his face and head. Roberts thrashed Rude as the fans cheered him on, although it came to an end when Roberts ran into the ropes and was caught with a double-knee to the back from Enos & Bloom on the apron. The Ravishing One swooped in and snapped the Rude Awakening on the Snake to eliminate him from the match-up and set up a showdown between Rude and Ricky Steamboat, who exchanged unfriendly words before exchanging fists and chops. Rude snatched the advantage with a thumb to the eye and tagged out, encouraging the Destruction Crew to punish the Dragon like they did to the Snake. The WWF Intercontinental Champion absorbed a tremendous beating from Bloom & Enos, barely kicking out of a number of near-falls, until Steamboat countered the Wrecking Ball by leapfrogging over the Machine and landing on the Train with a high cross-bodyblock to score the three-count while Jim Neidhart held Enos at bay. An enraged Train attacked Steamboat afterwards as Rude knocked the Anvil out to the floor, before the Destruction Crew spiked the Dragon with the Wrecking Ball. Bloom finally headed up the aisle while Rude & Enos battered Steamboat, functioning surprisingly well as a tag team until Steamboat and Rude crashed into each other in mid-air when both men went for a high cross-body. They each crawled to their respective corners and made the tag, bringing in the Anvil to clean house, catching the Machine in a powerslam before pressing Rude over his head and dropping him out to ringside, almost on top of the Brain. Enos put up a fight, but the Hit Man dove from the top turnbuckle and put him away with a flying sunset flip, assisted by a well-timed clothesline from the Anvil, leaving Rude at a 3-on-1 disadvantage. Rude fought valiantly, absorbing punishment as well as dishing it out, and managed to fire back when Heenan tripped up Steamboat, allowing Rude to sneak in with the Rude Awakening and use his feet on the ropes to pin the WWF Intercontinental Champion. Rude put on a clinic and displayed his immense skills as he struggled to pull off the impossible, but eventually succumbed to the Hart Foundation's Hart Attack, after which Hart covered him for the deciding fall. All three commentators really put Rude over as he rolled out to the floor afterwards and was consoled by Heenan while Neidhart & Hart celebrated. (85%)

Eight-Man Tag Team Elimination Match: The Stud Stable: "The Natural" Dustin Rhodes & Terry "Leatherface" Funk & Powers Of Pain (Barbarian & Warlord) vs. The Dream Team: "American Dream" Dusty Rhodes & Honky Tonk Man & Demolition (Smash & Crush)

Colonel Robert Lee Fuller and Paul Ellering walked out with the Stud Stable and the WWF Tag Team Champions, while Ax marched out alongside the Dream Team, warning Precious Paul and the Colonel not to interfere. A good match that featured the Honky Tonk Man asserting himself as a face and getting a pretty fair reaction, as he came close to pinning Terry Funk after the Shake, Rattle, & Roll but Dustin Rhodes made the save and Leatherface tagged out to the Warlord. The Powers Of Pain pounded Honky Tonk and thwarted his comeback attempts before finishing him off with the End Of Days, leading to the pin by the Barbarian. This kicked off a brawl with Demolition when Crush & Smash rushed in and slugged it out with Barbarian & Warlord, trading heavy fists until Demolition double-clotheslined the Warlord over the top rope, leaving the Barbarian to fall victim to the double-team Decapitation Kneedrop from the top turnbuckle, setting him up to be pinned by Crush. The Warlord stormed back into the squared circle and knocked Smash out to the floor, focusing on Crush, while Ellering fumed over the Barbarian's elimination. Crush and Warlord went toe-to-toe in a clash of titans that eventually spilled out to ringside, where the growing Demolition/Powers Of Pain rivalry fueled their slugfest as referee Tim White administered the 10-count and ruled both Warlord and Crush eliminated via double count-out. Ellering and Ax barked at each other as the Warlord brawled up the aisle with Crush, leading him closer to the entrance curtain. The Barbarian emerged from the curtain and joined the Warlord in assaulting Crush, distracting Smash in the ring long enough for Dustin to sneak in and roll up the veteran Demolition member with a handful of trunks for the 1-2-3. Smash immediately bailed out to the floor and raced up the aisle with Ax to battle the WWF Tag Team Champions and Precious Paul, rescuing Crush, as they brawled through the curtains. The American Dream appeared hesitant to step into the ring, pacing the apron, as Dustin, Funk, and the Colonel smiled and rubbed their hands together in anticipation. Monsoon reminded viewers that the Dream would be facing his son one-on-one tomorrow night on Prime Time Wrestling, as Dusty entered the ring and locked up with Dustin. They engaged in a solid back-and-forth exchange that seemed to result in Dustin learning to respect his father, as the Natural offered a handshake. Hoping for the best, Dusty shook his son's hand and received a quick kick to the groin that went undetected by the official, as Dustin brutally beat Dusty down to the canvas and tagged in Terry Funk, whom Flair explained was a long-time nemesis of the Rhodes Family. Funk tortured the Dream and hooked him in the Spinning Toehold, but Rhodes refused to submit and managed to kick Leatherface off. When Rhodes stumbled to his feet, Funk tried to position him for the Double Cross Brand, but Dusty countered with a back-bodydrop and floored Funk with the Bionic Elbow. Dusty swiftly followed up with the Polka Dot Drop off the ropes to secure the three-count on Funk, leaving the American Dream alone against the Lone Star Stud. Dustin charged in to utilize the element of surprise, but Dusty was ready and blocked his son's shot, answering back with the Flip Flop & Fly as the fans cheered. Dusty looked strong as he physically disciplined his son, but his bid for survival ended when Terry Funk returned to ringside and whacked Dusty over the head with his branding iron. Dustin quickly took Dusty down with a bulldog headlock to score the deciding three-count as the sole survivor. The Natural exited to the floor, where he was praised by the Colonel and Leatherface on the way back to the locker room. (81%)

Eight-Man Tag Team Elimination Match: King's Court: "The King" Jerry Lawler & The Undertaker & Papa Shango & "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka vs. The Hulkamaniacs: "The Immortal" Hulk Hogan & "Rowdy" Roddy Piper & Bob Backlund & "The New Nature Boy" Shane Douglas

The Undisputed 1991 WWF King Of The Ring was carried down the aisle upon his throne, followed out by Brother Love, who led the rest of the King's Court to the squared circle. The Hulkamaniacs emerged clad in a red-and-yellow motif, Bob Backlund & Roddy Piper in red trunks and yellow kneepads while Shane Douglas & Hulk Hogan had yellow trunks and red kneepads, as they marched to the ring and cleared the heels out to ringside to a loud pop. The zombified Superfly was sent in first for the King's Court to square off against Hot Rod, who started off fast and furious but cooled off thanks to a well-timed cheapshot from the Undertaker on the apron. Snuka punished Piper before tagging in Papa Shango, who continued to dominate until he and Piper cracked skulls, flooring both men. The Scotsman lunged toward his corner and made the hot tag to Bob Backlund, who rushed in and went right to work on Shango, catching the Voodoo Master before he could make it to his corner and disorienting him with a number of amateur takedowns. After a big roundhouse right from the All American, Shango fell to the mat as something came loose from his boot and landed on the canvas. The object was quickly identified as Shango's infamous spike, which Backlund picked up and examined. From the apron, Piper encouraged Backlund to bludgeon Shango with the spike, but the former WWF Champion seemed reluctant to break the rules, staring at the bloody weapon in his hand. While Backlund thought it over, Shango snuck up from behind and took him down with a Russian legsweep into a cradle to score the opening elimination of the match-up. Backlund appeared disappointed and frustrated afterwards as Piper berated him and told him to "listen to ol' RP" in the future. After some more heated brawling, the New Nature Boy ended up in the ring with the Superfly, working over Snuka's knee in preparation for the Figure Four Leglock, which he applied after tagging out to the Hulkster. With Snuka trapped in Douglas' Figure Four, Hogan ran off the ropes and dropped the Hulkster Legdrop on the Superfly, hooking his leg for the 1-2-3 while Douglas fended off Shango. King's Court managed to focus on Hogan, as the Undertaker took Snuka's place and dragged the Immortal One away from the Hulkamaniacs corner, making frequent tags with Shango & Jerry Lawler. The three remaining King's Court members tortured the Hulkster, tagging in and out as they punished the legendary former two-time WWF Champion for several minutes. Lawler became cocky, however, which allowed Hogan to back-bodydrop out of the Royal Piledriver and make the hot tag to the Nature Boy, who came in and cleaned house, grabbing the King's legs and catapulting him into the Undertaker. The Memphis Monarch collapsed into his corner and tagged Papa Shango, who rushed in and was bombarded by a barrage of punches and chops from Douglas. The Voodoo Master scrambled to pick up his spike and attempted to use it, but Douglas blocked and gripped Shango in a front-waistlock, slamming him with the Ace In The Hole to earn the three-count while Piper zipped in for defense. The Rowdy One snatched the spike off the mat and admired it before suddenly turning and bludgeoning Lawler in the forehead as he was approaching. The King crashed to the canvas, busted wide open, as the Undertaker stepped in and went after Piper, who nailed the Dead Man in the forehead with the spike, slowing him down but not drawing blood. Referee Shane McMahon called for the bell, declaring Piper eliminated via disqualification, as Hot Rod leapt at the Undertaker and knocked him over the top rope, taking both superstars out to the floor. The Undertaker landed on his feet and went at it tooth-and-nail with the Scotsman, slugging it out and brawling up the aisle as the official completed the 10-count, eliminating the Grim Reaper by count-out and leaving Lawler alone against Hogan & Douglas, who used some good teamwork to control the bloody WWF King Of The Ring. The King displayed his tenacity as he kicked out of pins and used the ropes to break counts, trying to fight back, until Roddy Piper returned to ringside, brandishing Papa Shango's spike. Behind the referee's back, Hot Rod charged at Lawler but the King ducked and Piper inadvertently hammered Douglas in the face with the spike. The ref turned back and ushered Piper out of the ring while Lawler dragged the bleeding Nature Boy to his feet and planted him with the Royal Piledriver to even the odds to one-on-one, as the Undertaker also returned to ringside and brawled back up the aisle with the Rowdy Scot. Ventura protested the disadvantage that the crimson-faced Lawler was at as the fresh-looking Hulkster entered the squared circle and traded fists with the Memphis Monarch, backing him into a corner and basically dominating him. Lawler got in some offense via skullduggery, but Hogan did his famous "Hulk-Up" and put the King away with the foot to the face followed by the Hulkster Legdrop to be named the sole survivor of the match-up. The King crawled out to the floor, where he threw a temper tantrum while the Hulkster went through his posedown routine for the screaming fans. (82%)

Following a promo hyping next month's WWF No Holds Barred on Sunday, December 29, "Money, Money, Money" blasted throughout the arena and the fans booed loudly as ring announcer Howard Finkel performed the ring introductions for the Million Dollar Team: Bam Bam Bigelow, Cactus Jack Manson, Irwin R. Schyster, & WWF Champion "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase, accompanied by Miss Elizabeth and Virgil. The Million Dollar Empire members entered the squared circle and waited anxiously as the Fink introduced their opponents, Macho Madness: the Big Boss Man, Hawk, & "Macho Man" Randy Savage, who all stepped into the ring and took the microphone. The Macho Man claimed that they had the "perfect" teammate, leading Flair to worry that the mystery partner would be Mr. Perfect, and revealed that the fourth Macho Madness member fit right in because he was "oozing machismo" from every pore. Some of the smarter fans began to buzz and were soon joined by the rest of the audience as Savage introduced none other than RAZOR RAMON! The Bad Guy strutted out to a huge pop and sauntered down the aisle as DiBiase protested to referee Earl Hebner and even appeared to be trying to bribe him, but the veteran official refused. When Razor Ramon stepped through the ropes and sneered at his partners, the Million Dollar Man offered the money to the Cuban immigrant and promised him an executive position in the Million Dollar Empire. Razor gazed at the greenbacks in DiBiase's greedy hands, then looked at Savage, then looked at the WWF Title belt around DiBiase's waist, before knocking the cash in the air and catching the WWF Champion with a hard right hand across his bearded jaw to kick off a donnybrook and officially become a babyface. (95%)

Eight-Man Tag Team Elimination Match: The Million Dollar Team: "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase & Irwin R. Schyster & Million Dollar Bounty Hunters (Bam Bam Bigelow & Cactus Jack Manson) vs. Macho Madness: "Macho Man" Randy Savage & Big Boss Man & Hawk & Razor Ramon

Virgil and Miss Elizabeth exited out to ringside as the Bounty Hunters jumped Razor Ramon after he punched the Million Dollar Man, battering the Bad Guy down with heavy forearms and headbutts, until the Big Boss Man, Hawk, & Randy Savage got involved along with Irwin R. Schyster & Ted DiBiase. Once the smoke cleared, the Boss Man had control of IRS and tagged Hawk, who continued to dominate until Schyster managed to remove a turnbuckle pad and dodge Hawk's stinger splash, slamming the former Legion Of Doom member chest-first against the exposed steel bolt. IRS tagged out to Bam Bam Bigelow, who exchanged frequent tags with Cactus Jack Manson to wear Hawk down using brutal double-teams and high-impact offense. Although Hawk mounted some valiant comebacks, Cactus Jack covered him for the first elimination after a Jersey Devil/Bang Bang combination from he and Bam Bam. The Macho Man asked Razor to go in next for Macho Madness, but Razor refused and convinced the Boss Man to take over as Hawk headed back to the locker room. Savage and Ramon argued on the apron as the Million Dollar Team proceeded to isolate Boss Man in their corner and maul him with Manson, IRS, & Bigelow utilizing quick tags, while DiBiase occasionally tagged in to dish out some punishment. Eventually the big Georgian rallied back as the fans cheered him on and Irish-whipped the Beast From The East into the ropes, dropping him with the Boss Man Slam for the 1-2-3. IRS & Manson immediately swarmed Boss Man and dragged him to their corner, working him over as an angry Bigelow stormed up the aisle, cursing his elimination. The combined treachery and deceit of the Million Dollar Man, the New Mexican Wildman, & IRS took its toll on the Big Boss Man, smothering his comebacks before the WWF Champion clamped on the Million Dollar Dream, allowing referee Earl Hebner to drop Boss Man's arm three times to eliminate him. The wild-eyed Macho Man sprinted in right away and pounced on DiBiase before he could escape, unleashing his frustrations from the last several months in the form of closed fists and rock-hard elbowsmashes. Savage continued to unload on DiBiase, pointing at Elizabeth before delivering the flying axhandle from the top turnbuckle for a very close near-fall. Minutes later, in an odd bit of reverse booking, DiBiase made the tag to Schyster, but since the official did not see it, he ushered IRS back to the apron while Savage & Ramon illegally double-teamed DiBiase behind the ref's back. DiBiase crawled toward his corner but Savage caught him by the leg and dragged him back, bringing in Cactus Jack, who tried to go after the Macho Man. While the ref was distracted with Cactus, IRS entered the ring with his steel haliburton briefcase and bashed it across Savage's head, throwing in a couple more shots after Savage collapsed to the canvas. IRS swiftly bailed out as DiBiase rolled over on top of Savage to score the three-count while Virgil held Razor Ramon's foot on the apron, preventing the Bad Guy from stopping the count. Virgil yanked Razor down to the floor, where IRS & Cactus came around to lay a beating on him. The WWF Champion soon joined his Million Dollar Teammates at ringside, stomping and kicking the debuting Cuban immigrant, while a group of WWF agents helped the Macho Man back to the dressing room, leaving Razor all by himself. After a sufficient thrashing, DiBiase & Schyster heaved Ramon into the ring, where Manson garnered a near-fall. Ramon mounted a comeback, back-bodydropping out of the Bang Bang, but received a back-bodydrop himself when he put Jack in the piledriver position. Ramon intelligently grabbed Jack in a sunset flip to eke out a surprising pinfall, after which Jack attempted to assault him, but Razor blocked it and fought back, clotheslining Cactus over the top rope. IRS tried to blindside him but Razor was ready for him too, blocking the punch and firing off a succession of right hands to maintain control. Razor effectively shut down a spurt of Schyster offense and hoisted him up in a crucifix position across his back, slamming him to the canvas with what Monsoon deemed "the Razor's Edge" to earn the 1-2-3. Down to a one-on-one situation, the Million Dollar Man attempted the ambush, but the Bad Guy no-sold it and opened up on the WWF Champion with lefts and rights as the crowd exploded. Razor held on to his lead until a sneaky trip from Virgil turned the tide as DiBiase took over, wearing Razor down with his dangerous mix of scientific mat-wrestling and mastery of rulebreaking. Razor displayed incredible spirit as he kicked out of each pinfall attempt and escaped from each submission hold, frustrating DiBiase to the point that he implemented his back-up plan: Virgil hopped up on the apron and distracted the referee while Elizabeth retrieved the WWF Title belt and passed it to DiBiase. Before DiBiase could use his championship gold as a weapon, Randy Savage came roaring down the aisle into the squared circle, grabbing the belt away from DiBiase and whalloping him with it. The Macho Man quickly ascended to the top turnbuckle and dove with the Flying Elbowdrop on DiBiase before bailing out, while Razor crawled over on top of the WWF Champion. Savage dragged Virgil off the apron, freeing the ref to see the Bad Guy covering the Million Dollar Man and register the three-count, making Razor Ramon the sole survivor in his debut WWF match. The crowd popped huge as Savage reached in and pulled Ramon out to the floor, just before IRS, Bam Bam, & Cactus Jack rushed out and hit the squared circle. The Million Dollar Empire recuperated in the ring as Savage & Ramon headed up the aisle victoriously, while Monsoon, Ventura, and Flair signed off, inviting fans to join them again on Sunday, December 29 for WWF No Holds Barred. (89%)

Overall: 83%

Buyrate: 1.96

Paid Attendance: 20,410

PPV Revenue: $4,900,000

Ticket Sales: $1,224,600

[Chrononaut]

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1991 -- WWF PRIME TIME WRESTLING

Vince McMahon and Jesse "The Body" Ventura kicked off the show LIVE from ringside, raving about last night's 1991 Survivor Series as they hyped this evening's lineup, featuring the Rockers defending the WWF Television Tag Team Championship against the Commonwealth Connection in the main event, Dusty Rhodes taking on Dustin Rhodes in possibly the last match of his career, the Hart Organization in eight-man action, Jerry Lawler meeting Bill Dundee, and much more.

Eight-Man Tag Team Match: The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers (Jacques & Raymond Rougeau) & The Enforcers (Greg "The Hammer" Valentine & Dino Bravo) vs. Louie Spicolli & Scott Taylor & Al Perez & Joey Maggs

Jimmy Hart escorted his Hart Organization, looking very serious, as the commentators argued over the Rougeau Brothers' decision to accept a count-out loss at the 1991 Survivor Series last night after the Enforcers had been eliminated. The Enforcers and the Rougeaus made short work of their opposition, putting them away when Raymond covered Perez following Le Bombe De Rougeau. (68%)

After the match, as the Hart Organization celebrated in the ring, the Nasty Boys appeared in front of the entrance curtain along with Mean Gene Okerlund, who congratulated Jerry Saggs & Brian Knobbs on surviving the 1991 Survivor Series. Knobbs interrupted Okerlund and ranted about still wanting to "Nastify" the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers, since they couldn't get their hands on Raymond & Jacques last night. Saggs tried to calm his partner and claimed that their survival victory should earn them a match with the Rougeaus, but Jimmy Hart grabbed a microphone and informed the Nasties that they deserved nothing because they were nothing without him. The Mouth Of The South reconsidered for a moment and made his former proteges an offer: if the Nasties could defeat the Enforcers next week, they could have the Rougeaus two-on-two at WWF No Holds Barred in any kind of match they wanted; however, if the Enforcers were to win next week, the Nasties would have to face the Hart Organization in a 4-on-2 handicap match with a stipulation of Hart's choosing on December 29. Saggs began to protest, but Knobbs yanked the mic away from Mean Gene and accepted the challenge, vowing to eliminate the Enforcers next week on Prime Time Wrestling. (83%)

In the Thanksgiving-decorated Prime Time Wrestling studio, Gorilla Monsoon and "Nature Boy" Ric Flair went over some of the results from last night's 1991 Survivor Series, including the Hart Foundation surviving the Heenan Family/Animal House match, before introducing their first guests: Bobby "The Brain" Heenan and the Destruction Crew. Monsoon suggested that Heenan no longer needed the neckbrace that he was wearing and accused him of milking the injury he suffered in August at SummerSlam '91, but the Brain informed him that he had a doctor's note. When the subject of the Heenan Family losing last night came up, the Brain refused to talk about it, but pointed out that Mike "The Machine" Enos & Wayne "The Train" Bloom were still undefeated in regulation tag team competition. Heenan claimed that the Crew had been weakened during last night's elimination contest and that there was no way that Jim Neidhart & Bret Hart could top Bloom & Enos two-on-two, a sentiment that was reiterated by the Train and the Machine, who both got a little cocky and offered the Hit Man and the Anvil a chance to blemish their flawless record once and for all at WWF No Holds Barred. The Brain cut them off and explained that they would have to discuss the matter further in private before shooting Gorilla a dirty look and leading the Crew away. (84%)

"The King" Jerry Lawler vs. Bill Dundee

The Undisputed 1991 WWF King Of The Ring was carried down the aisle upon his throne, looking extremely disgruntled with his forehead bandaged underneath his crown, as McMahon recalled how the Memphis Monarch was busted open by Roddy Piper last night at the 1991 Survivor Series. This was a basic Southern-style slugfest that saw Lawler's bandage come loose, causing blood to trickle down the King's face as he drilled Dundee with the Royal Piledriver to finish him off. (71%)

Following the bell, Jerry Lawler retrieved the microphone and kneeled on Bill Dundee's head, pinning him sadistically to the mat as he cut a scathing promo on Hulk Hogan. The King pointed to the dripping wound on his forehead as he ranted about the 1991 Survivor Series, blaming his final elimination last night on Roddy Piper gouging him in the forehead with Papa Shango's spike. Lawler called the Hulkster a "spineless red-and-yellow coward" who got others to do his dirty work, using last night as an example, as well as the Immortal One's victory at SummerSlam '91, which Lawler blamed on the involvement of Buddy Rogers. The Undisputed 1991 WWF King Of The Ring boasted that 1991 had been a pretty good year for him, and stated that he wanted to end the year by ending Hulkamania at WWF No Holds Barred. The King continued to put Hogan down to the booing fans before leaving, as McMahon announced that the Hulkster was embarking upon a worldwide press tour to promote "Suburban Commando", which was being released over the Thanksgiving holiday. (88%)

A mysterious, creepy video aired featuring the pale, rotund, ghastly hearse driver from the Undertaker graveyard footage a while back. The bulbous, ghoulish man, wearing a black suit and tie with his dark hair slicked back, identified himself as Paul Bearer, as he wandered around a dimly-lit funeral home, admiring the various caskets, urns, and other furnishings while talking about the complexities of life and death and the role of the mortician in the "transition". Paul Bearer announced that he would be hosting "The Funeral Parlor" this weekend on Saturday Night's Main Event, with his first guest scheduled to be none other than "Rowdy" Roddy Piper. Bearer grinned and claimed that he was looking forward to seeing Hot Rod again. (86%)

"American Dream" Dusty Rhodes vs. "The Natural" Dustin Rhodes

The legendary American Dream entered first to a great pop as McMahon put over his valiant effort against the Stud Stable last night at the 1991 Survivor Series, while Ventura suggested that the Dream should hang it up after tonight, which McMahon admitted was a distinct possibility. Colonel Robert Lee Fuller walked out alongside the Lone Star Stud, but referee John Finnegan ejected the Greatest Promoter Of All Time right off the bat and banned him from ringside, stating that he wanted a fair fight for Dusty's final outing. Finnegan got what he wanted for the most part, as this turned out to be an entertaining bout that went back-and-forth with Dustin bending the rules only a couple of times. The fans were solidly behind Dusty as he rallied back several times and scored a few near-falls, but in the end, the Natural put down the American Dream with the American Nightmare for the clean pin. (77%)

Afterwards, Dustin Rhodes exited the ring triumphantly and met up with Colonel Robert Fuller by the entrance curtain to celebrate, while Dusty Rhodes peeled himself off the canvas and asked for the microphone. The American Dream congratulated his son on a clean, hard-fought victory and wished him well in his career, no matter which path the Natural chose "eeeeif yeeewww weeeillll", adding that his door was always open if Dustin wanted to patch things up. Dustin smirked and passed through the curtain with the Colonel while Dusty continued to speak, thanking the fans for their loyalty and support throughout his career and crediting them for any success he had achieved in the squared circle. Dusty began to tear up as he admitted that as successful as he may have been in professional wrestling, he had obviously not been much of a "superstar" at home, lamenting the newfound attitude of his wayward son. He announced that he was aiming to make up for his past mistakes by retiring from the WWF to spend more time with his family, but before he could finish, Terry Funk marched out and confronted Dusty. Leatherface recalled his undying hatred for the American Dream and claimed that years ago, he had sworn to himself that he would be the one to end the career of the "egg-sucking dog" known as Dusty Rhodes, which was one of the main reasons Funk had returned to the WWF. Funk stated that he would be "damned" if he let Rhodes retire under his own power and that it would only happen "over my dead body, you rotten pig". Rhodes responded that that could be arranged, so Funk challenged him to a Texas Bullrope match on Saturday Night's Main Event this weekend. Dusty accepted immediately and announced that win, lose, or draw, he would be retiring afterwards. (87%)

In the Prime Time studio, Gorilla Monsoon and Ric Flair discussed some of the surprises that took place last night at the 1991 Survivor Series, including the WWF debut of the Macho Madness mystery partner, their next guest, Razor Ramon, who swaggered into the room and complained about the cold weather outside, comparing it to his native Cuba. When the Nature Boy asked the Bad Guy how he ended up as the mystery partner, Razor reiterated his goal of taking whatever he wanted and making it to the top in his new country. He explained that the streets of America were paved with gold and that he viewed WWF Champion Ted DiBiase, whom he called the "Money Man", as the embodiment of the capitalist society, which was why he agreed to team with Randy Savage, the Big Boss Man, & Hawk last night, remarking that he didn't do it out of friendship or a sense of morality. Razor claimed that he could care less whether people liked him or not, because he was in the WWF to make money and win gold, not to make friends or kiss up to the fans. Monsoon congratulated the Cuban immigrant on being the sole survivor in his debut match and announced that he would be meeting Virgil one-on-one this weekend on Saturday Night's Main Event, which Razor said he was looking forward to, referring to Virgil as a "cockaroach" that kept interfering last night. Ramon promised to squash the "cockaroach" and warned the Million Dollar Man that he would be coming after him again, with the only difference being that next time Razor pinned him, he would be taking DiBiase's WWF Title with him. (78%)

Backstage at the arena, Mean Gene Okerlund interviewed the Commonwealth Connection, who were warming up for their main event match-up against the Rockers for the WWF Television Tag Team Championship. Owen Hart bragged about he and the Dynamite Kid surviving last night's Dog Pound/Pitbulls elimination contest at the 1991 Survivor Series, which earned them the title shot tonight. As Mean Gene attempted to explain that it was Shawn Michaels & Marty Jannetty's decision to grant the title shot right away, the Gangsters Of Style and Slick, along with his personal bodyguard Bad News Brown, showed up and began arguing with the Kid & Hart. The Doctor Of Style claimed that Romeo Roma & Sweet Stan deserved the shot more, setting off a shoving match between the Gangsters and the Connection that had to be broken up by a bevy of WWF road agents and officials. (84%)

WWF Television Tag Team Title Match: The Rockers (Shawn Michaels & Marty Jannetty) [champions] vs. The Commonwealth Connection (Dynamite Kid & Owen Hart)

McMahon put over the WWF Television Tag Team Champions for their grueling schedule lately, pointing out their title defense on Saturday Night's Main Event this past weekend against the Million Dollar Bounty Hunters and their participation in the Pitbulls/Dog Pound elimination bout last night at the 1991 Survivor Series, while Ventura brought up the mental and emotional stress that a rigorous schedule could place upon Marty Jannetty & Shawn Michaels, especially combined with their infamous "after-hours" activities. They also discussed the Commonwealth Connection's impressive survival victory, as these two infinitely talented tag teams put on a fantastic display of intensity and athleticism, exchanging innovative double-teams and flashy but stiff offense. The advantage swayed back-and-forth numerous times with several near-falls from both squads, until Dynamite managed to isolate Jannetty and traded quick tags in-and-out with Owen to control the Rocker. Jannetty refused to be pinned and kept kicking out before beginning to rally back, fighting off the Kid & Hart. However, before Marty could reach Shawn for the hot tag, the Gangsters Of Style ran in and jumped Jannetty, viciously beating him down and doing the same to Michaels when he came in, as referee Shane McMahon called for the bell and awarded the decision to the Rockers via disqualification. Owen & Dynamite were irate that their title shot had been ruined and stopped Paul Roma & Stan Lane from stomping the Rockers, arguing with the Gangsters and accusing them of costing the Connection the TV gold. While the Connection shouted at the Gangsters, with Slick trying to mediate, the New British Bulldogs charged down the aisle and helped the WWF Television Tag Team Champions clear the heels from the squared circle. Sweet Stan, Romeo Roma, Dynamite, and Owen continued to squabble as they headed up the aisle, while McMahon and Ventura signed off. (90%)

Overall: 82%

Rating: 5.44

Attendance: 10,007

Ticket Sales: $600,420

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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1991 -- NBC/WWF PRESENT: SATURDAY NIGHT'S MAIN EVENT

Marv Albert, Mike Tenay, and "Nature Boy" Ric Flair began the LIVE network broadcast with some discussion about their separate Thanksgiving dinners before getting into tonight's program: Dusty Rhodes battling Terry Funk in a Texas Bullrope match, the Conquistadors meeting the Orient Express, Demolition in action, the debut of "The Funeral Parlor" with Roddy Piper as a guest, and in the main event, Razor Ramon making his singles debut against Virgil.

Demolition (Smash & Crush) vs. "Playboy" Buddy Rose & "Dangerous" Danny Davis

Ax marched out alongside his brothers-in-paint to a sizeable pop, as Tenay announced that Crush would be facing the Warlord one-on-one on Prime Time Wrestling this Monday. This was a basic semi-competitive squash, as Davis & Rose snuck in some cheap heel offense early on before Demolition took over and put them away when Crush covered the Playboy following the Decapitation Kneedrop from the top turnbuckle. (73%)

Sean Mooney caught up with Demolition in the aisleway to ask them about their ongoing rivalry with WWF Tag Team Champions Powers Of Pain and Paul Ellering. Smash responded that Demolition had held the WWF Tag Team Title three times before and planned on adding another reign with the gold to their "teeth-kicking" resume, while Ax barked that his boys deserved a title shot after manhandling the Powers at the 1991 Survivor Series last Sunday. Crush bellowed that he would prove Demolition's superiority over "those imitators" when he crushes the Warlord one-on-one this Monday on Prime Time Wrestling. (78%)

Mean Gene Okerlund was in the locker room to interview Mr. Fuji and the Orient Express, who were preparing for the Conquistadors this evening. The Devious One grinned despite his Dojo's poor showing at the 1991 Survivor Series and claimed that he had stolen the Conquistadors' key to victory, which he predicted would redeem Sato & Kato tonight. When Okerlund asked what the secret was, Fuji just cackled and nodded as he led his Express out the door. (73%)

The Conquistadors (Conquistador #1 & Conquistador #2) vs. The Orient Express (Kato & Sato)

The Conquistadors entered first and waited as Mr. Fuji waddled out with his Orient Express, stopping in the aisleway to produce a Kato-style mask from his pocket and place it on Sato, making the two Japanese stars more identical, which Flair praised as good strategy, accusing the Conquistadors of switching places during their matches. This was a decent tag team contest that was most notable for its finish: Conquistador #2 had Sato pinned using the double-team Doomsday Device-style springboard hurancanrana that they executed at the 1991 Survivor Series, but the count was broken because Sato was too close to the ropes. While the Conquistadors argued with referee Randy Anderson, Fuji dragged Sato out to the floor as another masked man in Orient Express gear emerged from underneath the ring and took Sato's place. When #2 came back over to whom he thought was Sato, the imposter smacked him with a nasty thrust kick in the mouth to pick up the 1-2-3 for the Express. Afterwards, Sato joined Kato and the third man in hammering the Conquistadors before tossing them over the top rope. Fuji then gleefully removed the third man's mask, revealing Tanaka, returning from the torn calf that kept him out of action for most of the year. Sato also removed his mask as the three Orient Express members bowed respectfully to the Devious One before leaving with him. (71%)

Backstage, Colonel Robert Lee Fuller & "The Natural" Dustin Rhodes were shown accompanying Terry Funk, toting his branding iron and a hangman's noose, down a hallway as they were heading out for Leatherface's Texas Bullrope match against Dusty Rhodes. However, as the Stud Stable approached the curtain area, road agent Chief Jay Strongbow stopped them and declared the Lone Star Stud and the Greatest Promoter Of All Time barred from ringside, citing special orders from WWF President Andre The Giant. Dustin & Fuller protested loudly, as Funk had to head out on his own to face the American Dream. (74%)

Texas Bullrope Match: Terry "Leatherface" Funk vs. "American Dream" Dusty Rhodes

Without mentioning specific details or promotions, Tenay put over the long-time blood feud between the Rhodes Family and the Funk Clan during the separate introductions, commenting that a Funk/Rhodes bout was a fitting final chapter in the American Dream's legendary career. Once they were both finally face-to-face in mid-ring, the two grizzled veterans were connected at the wrist by an eight-foot-long bullrope, with a brass cowbell attached to the center of the rope. Dusty won the initial tug-of-war and went on the offensive right off the bat, surprising the Funker with a flurry of fists and elbows and even drawing first blood with a wicked cowbell shot to the forehead. The blood flowing down his leathery face seemed to reinvigorate Leatherface, as he fought back and took control, dominating the Dream for several minutes with his twisted brand of torture and busting him open with a murderous chairshot. Funk worked over the wound with the rusty cowbell and turned Dusty's face into a crimson mask, even planting him with the Double Cross Brand, before going for the victory. Unfortunately, Funk only managed to touch two turnbuckles in a row as he was unable to drag Rhodes' bloated carcass to touch the remaining pair of turnbuckles. Frustrated, Funk grabbed the branding iron from his corner and tried to brand Rhodes, but Rhodes blocked it and wrenched the branding iron away, dropping Funk with three solid shots across the head, bending the branding iron slightly. The American Dream swiftly lugged Funk around the ring as he touched all four turnbuckles in succession to capture the victory in what Tenay declared was officially the final match in the historic career of Dusty Rhodes. Afterwards, Funk went for a post-match ambush with the hangman's noose, but Rhodes was ready and drove him off with the Bionic Elbow. Dusty basked in the affection of the crowd and broke into tears as he thanked his fans for supporting him for 30 years, high-fiving all around ringside and hugging ring announcer Howard "The Fink" Finkel before riding off into the sunset. (75%)

A video aired showing "Previously Unaired" footage from last Sunday's 1991 Survivor Series of a sweaty Hulk Hogan arriving backstage after he became the sole survivor of the Hulkamaniacs/King's Court elimination contest. The Hulkster was greeted by the bandaged Shane Douglas, who congratulated Hogan on taking the victory for their team. Bob Backlund also offered Hogan a handshake on a "job well done", as Roddy Piper joined the gathering and shot Hogan the evil eye. When the Immortal One asked what Piper's problem was, Hot Rod informed him that he had basically set Jerry Lawler up to be pinned and eliminated by Hogan, and expected some credit. Hogan admitted that "it was a team effort out there" and attempted to brush past Piper to go to his dressing room, but the Scotsman wouldn't budge. Piper stared Hogan down for several tense moments before grabbing the Hulkster's hand for a handshake and letting him pass. Backlund and the New Nature Boy gazed curiously at Piper, who grinned and asked what they were staring at. This faded into a montage of the Hulkster packing up and getting ready for his worldwide press tour to support "Suburban Commando", which had been changed during production from family-friendly sci-fi pablum into a violent, big-budget, special-effect-driven, "Terminator" style action picture about aliens warring in the suburbs of America. Scenes from the film were intercut with shots of Hogan packing his bags and arriving at the airport in a limousine while still trying to look like a blue-collar hero. As he was boarding an airplane, the Hulkster stopped at the top of the stairs and turned toward the camera, stating that he would deal with the King as soon as he got back from the promotional tour for the movie and added that he anticipated shutting Lawler's mouth "once and for all" upon his return. The video ended with the red-and-yellow plane, with "Hulkamania" painted across its body, taking off and flying away. (98%)

In the corner of the arena, the spotlights focused on a set decorated with coffins, caskets, urns, tombstones, flowers, wreaths, and other funerary accessories as eerie organ music cranked throughout the building. The ghoulish hearse driver for the Undertaker and Brother Love slowly walked out onto the stage, clutching a microphone and introducing himself as Paul Bearer. He welcomed viewers to the debut of "The Funeral Parlor" and described a few disturbing details of his mortuary work before introducing his first guest, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, who sprinted out to a loud pop and got right into Paul Bearer's face. Bearer smiled and remarked how nice it was to see the Scotsman again, provoking Hot Rod to grab Paul by the lapels and vow that he would never forget how Paul bashed him in the head with a shovel in the graveyard way back on the night of SummerSlam '91. The indignant Bearer questioned Piper about the backstage footage from the 1991 Survivor Series that was just shown, inquiring whether or not there was still bad blood between Hot Rod and Hulk Hogan after all these years. Piper released Bearer's lapels and responded that that was nobody's business other than himself and Hogan, stating that if they had a dispute, they would resolve it like men. Paul kept egging Piper on about "selling out to Hulkamania" until the Rowdy One could take no more and grabbed Bearer by his jowls, screaming at the mortician to "shut the hell up" before Piper did something he would regret. However, before Piper could do anything, the Undertaker and "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka popped out of the parallel upright coffins and assaulted him. Bearer backed away as Snuka slugged it out with Piper until Undertaker clobbered the Scotsman in the back of the head with a brass urn. The Superfly grabbed hold of Piper and held him so that the Dead Man could smash Piper with the urn a couple more times, while Bearer unveiled the "custom-made casket" in the background, covered with the Scottish tartan, and opened it up. The Undertaker scooped Hot Rod up and carried him toward the casket, trying to dump him inside, but Piper suddenly awoke long enough to realize where he was and struggled to escape, valiantly attempting to fight off both the Pale Destroyer and the Superfly. Piper managed to escape from the casket and brawled with the Undertaker all over the Funeral Parlor set until a horde of WWF officials flooded out to intervene, separating the two superstars. As he was being dragged away, Piper repeatedly yelled that he had "no fear", pointing wildly at the Undertaker and Paul Bearer. (78%)

Razor Ramon was shown in the dressing room at the arena, preening and posing in front of a mirror as he admired himself and congratulated himself on being the sole survivor in his WWF debut last Sunday at the 1991 Survivor Series. "Macho Man" Randy Savage approached him from behind, slightly startling the Bad Guy, who turned to face Savage and informed the former two-time WWF Champion that he was lucky that Razor didn't knock him out when he "snuck up" on him. The Macho Man simply stated that he was there to thank Ramon for stepping in as the mystery partner for Macho Madness, but Ramon rejected the gratitude and told Savage he didn't need any "gracias", because he did it for himself, not for Savage. Razor snapped that nobody could tell him what to do, "not de Macho Mang, not de Money Mang, NOT NOBODY, mang!" and until Savage treated him with more respect, he wanted Savage to "vamos, chico". When Savage volunteered to watch Ramon's back tonight against Virgil, the Bad Guy claimed that he didn't need the Macho Man's help to take on the Million Dollar Empire and ordered Savage to "vamos, chico". Savage insisted that Ramon needed back-up, pointing to Survivor Series as an example, but Razor just shook his head and advised Savage to "prove it, mang" before brushing past the Macho Man and heading out for the main event. (97%)

Virgil vs. Razor Ramon

Miss Elizabeth escorted Virgil to the ring as Flair pointed out that the Million Dollar Henchman had a distinct advantage this evening, since he hadn't wrestled and survived a grueling elimination contest six days prior like Razor Ramon did. The Bad Guy still looked fresh, however, as he weathered Virgil's attempted ambush when he stepped through the ropes, and battled back, opening up on the muscular manservant with a string of kicks and punches that drove Virgil into a corner. Razor continued to dominate the burly bodyguard until Elizabeth hopped up on the apron and started to show a little leg, drawing Razor's attention. Razor made some vaguely lewd gestures at Elizabeth and approached her, but Virgil soon blindsided him and took him down to the mat, where he wore out the Cuban immigrant with Ted DiBiase-inspired submission holds and groundwork. Eventually, Ramon rallied back and unloaded on Virgil with a fallaway slam and a belly-to-back superplex from the top turnbuckle before polishing off the loyal lackey with the Razor's Edge. (78%)

As soon as referee Mark Johnson finished the three-count and the bell rang, Bam Bam Bigelow & Cactus Jack Manson hit the ring and attacked Razor Ramon, who tried to defend himself but fell short when Irwin R. Schyster joined the swarm along with an extremely dazed Virgil. WWF Champion Ted DiBiase swaggered down to the squared circle and embraced Miss Elizabeth as he taunted the Bad Guy, who was being held by the Bounty Hunters, IRS, & Virgil. The fans booed until Randy Savage raced down the aisle, swinging a metal folding chair, and chased off the Million Dollar Empire. The Million Dollar Man and his cronies retreated as the Macho Man looked down at Razor and stated that the Bad Guy didn't need to thank him either, because he did it for himself, not for Ramon. Ramon pulled himself to his feet and stared down Savage while Albert, Tenay, and Flair ended the program. (83%)

Overall: 80%

Rating: 6.44

Attendance: 10,024

Ticket Sales: $601,440

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Celebrating birthdays in November were...

Abdullah The Butcher (51)

Ax (48)

"Nature Boy" Shane Douglas (27)

Mike "The Machine" Enos (29)

The Genius (35)

Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (47)

"The King" Jerry Lawler (42)

"Playboy" Buddy Rose (37)

"Macho Man" Randy Savage (39)

"British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith (29)

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The legendary "American Dream" Dusty Rhodes retired from the WWF at the end of November, leaving behind an illustrious career during which he was one of the most popular superstars throughout the world. The WWF thanks Dusty for his contribution to the industry and wish him well in his retirement.

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1991 -- WWF SUPERSTARS OF WRESTLING

Booker: "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase

Quality: 73%

Rating: 4.91

Attendance: 10,039

Ticket Sales: $602,340

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During the Update on WWF Superstars Of Wrestling, WWF President Andre The Giant hyped WWF No Holds Barred on Sunday, December 29, by announcing that each match on the card would have some sort of special stipulation. He added that while the lineup had yet to be finalized, December 29 was shaping up to be an exciting evening of WWF action, No Holds Barred!

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Good guesses on the Macho Madness mystery partner at the Survivor Series. Word has it that Animal was originally scheduled to be the mystery partner, but he was deemed unfit to leave rehab in November and Scott "Razor Ramon" Hall was tapped as his replacement. Hope you're all still enjoying the shows.

[Chrononaut]

MONDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1991 -- WWF PRIME TIME WRESTLING

Vince McMahon and Jesse "The Body" Ventura opened the program LIVE from ringside, running through the evening's scheduled events, including Mr. Perfect locking up with Bob Backlund in the main event, the Nasty Boys taking on the Enforcers, Crush meeting the Warlord one-on-one, the Orient Express squaring off against the Conquistadors & Tito Santana in six-man action, and much more.

Sean Mooney was standing by backstage with Mr. Fuji, who introduced the three members of the Orient Express: Kato, Sato, & Tanaka. The Devious One produced a pair of masks and handed them to Tanaka & Sato to put on while he rambled about how successful his new-and-improved Express would be with three members, putting the trio over as lethal martial artists. Sato, Kato, & Tanaka bowed to Fuji before they all headed out for their match. (76%)

Six-Man Tag Team Match: Tito Santana & The Conquistadors (Conquistador #1 & Conquistador #2) vs. The Orient Express (Kato & Sato & Tanaka)

Mr. Fuji waddled out with his three masked Orient Express ninjas as Ventura suggested that any combination of Tanaka, Kato, & Sato could be top contenders to either of the tag team titles. This was a solid competitive opener that showcased the tremendous teamwork and uncanny timing of the Orient Express, while the commentators put over the Great Muta for emerging as the sole survivor in the Dojo/Underdogs contest at the 1991 Survivor Series. The Express took the victory when Kato caught Conquistador #1 in a bridging german suplex following the double thrust kick from Tanaka & Sato, a maneuver known as the "Banzai Drop". (71%)

In the Prime Time Wrestling studio, Gorilla Monsoon and "Nature Boy" Ric Flair announced that next week would be the annual "Prime Time Decorating Of The Christmas Tree" ceremony, before bringing in their first guests, Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart & Bret "Hit Man" Hart of the Hart Foundation, who both walked in and sat down. Although Flair warned him not to bring it up, Monsoon mentioned the Destruction Crew's comment from last week that the Foundation couldn't ruin the Crew's undefeated record in standard WWF tag team competition. The Hit Man informed Gorilla that they had seen the interview and had spent all week brainstorming and formulating a response, which he presented: a Steel Cage match at WWF No Holds Barred, referencing the cage bout in July at Wrestlefest 1991 against WWF Tag Team Champions Powers Of Pain that the Foundation lost, partly due to a pre-match ambush by Mike Enos & Wayne Bloom. The Anvil recalled that they had beaten the Crew in singles, six-man, and eight-man encounters and claimed that the only reason that the Crew remained undefeated in 2-on-2 action was because of the interference of Bobby Heenan and the rest of the Heenan Family, describing the steel cage as an equalizer against the Brain and his cronies. Bret stated that they were requesting a brand-new special cage with a roof on it for that very reason, while Neidhart added that they also wanted to modify the rules a bit and make it pinfall-only, since "escaping is for sissies" and the former two-time WWF Tag Team Champions just wanted to kick the Crew's butts. (82%)

Mean Gene Okerlund was in the locker room at the arena to interview Jimmy Hart and the Enforcers, who were sparring with each other in preparation for tonight's important match-up against the Nasty Boys. The Mouth Of The South was rather giddy as he looked forward to Dino Bravo & Greg Valentine scoring the win, which would set up a 4-on-2 handicap bout for his Hart Organization against Saggs & Knobbs at WWF No Holds Barred. Hart claimed that he would come up with the most violent, brutal stipulation so that the Enforcers and the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers could wipe out the Nasties for good on December 29. (88%)

The Enforcers (Greg "The Hammer" Valentine & Dino Bravo) vs. The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs & Jerry Saggs)

The commentators discussed the potential ramifications of this match-up on WWF No Holds Barred as Jimmy Hart escorted his Enforcers, carrying his ever-present megaphone. The Nasty Boys got a nice pop when they walked out and immediately began slugging it out with Dino Bravo & Greg Valentine as soon as they hit the ring. This was a well-worked, stiff encounter that saw plenty of fists and chops being thrown from both sides, along with several near-falls and some nice basic double-teams. The Hammer and the Canadian Strongman worked over Saggs' knee, softening him up for Valentine's Hartbreaker, until Saggs broke free and made the hot tag to Knobbs, who rushed in and cleaned house. Moments later, after failed interference from the Mouth Of The South, Knobbs rolled up Bravo for the 1-2-3 to earn the right for the Nasties to set the stipulations against the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers at WWF No Holds Barred. (80%)

In the Prime Time studio, Gorilla Monsoon and Ric Flair announced that the Gangsters Of Style would face the Commonwealth Connection this weekend on Saturday Night's Main Event for the opportunity to go to WWF No Holds Barred to challenge their next guests, WWF Television Tag Team Champions the Rockers, who entered the room wearing their nightclub attire with the TV belts over their shoulders. Shawn Michaels bragged about how they had held onto the gold since winning it from Power & Glory at Wrestlefest 1991 in July, recalling that they had already defeated Paul Roma & Stan Lane at SummerSlam '91 and claiming that they were on the path to victory against the Dynamite Kid & Owen Hart last week before the Gangsters got involved, so it wouldn't matter which team the Masters Of Motion would have to defend against on December 29. Marty Jannetty echoed Shawn's sentiments that they were tag team specialists and added that they were so confident in their own abilities that the winners on Saturday could choose the stipulations for the championship bout at WWF No Holds Barred. Michaels seemed to be caught off-guard as he stopped nodding in agreement and looked at Jannetty in shock, smacking him in the back of the head and asking why he said that. Jannetty rubbed his head and tried to explain himself as the WWF Television Tag Team Champions exited the studio arguing with each other. (75%)

Warlord vs. Crush

Paul Ellering led his Warlord down the aisle, carrying the Power Of Pain's WWF Tag Team Championship belt over his shoulder, while Ax marched out with Crush, warning Precious Paul not to interfere in the match. Crush and Warlord picked up where they left off when they were both eliminated via double count-out at the 1991 Survivor Series, locking up like two big bull elephants and struggling to outmuscle each other while McMahon mentioned how Demolition scored the clean pin on the Barbarian during the Dream Team/Stud Stable contest. This was a hard-hitting, entertaining slugfest that went back-and-forth as these two warpainted behemoths traded punches, kicks, and other basic power maneuvers. Late in the bout, Precious Paul stepped into the ring and attempted to whack Crush with the Warlord's title belt, but Crush blocked the attack, knocking the belt to the mat and gripping Ellering by the throat. The Warlord snuck up from behind and blasted Crush across the back of the head with a double-axhandle before scooping him up and planting him with a thunderous powerslam to score the pinfall. Afterwards, Ax slid into the squared circle and chased off Ellering and the Warlord, who retreated up the aisle. (80%)

Another creepy video similar to last week aired, featuring Paul Bearer in the embalming room of his funeral home attending to a "client" laying on a gurney just below the camera's view. He rambled on about the funeral business and bemoaned the "new generation" in the industry who don't take a "hands-on" approach to their work as he was taught. Bearer claimed that he had a slab already prepared for "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and would take "special care" of him upon his arrival courtesy of the Undertaker, and announced that "The Funeral Parlor" would return this weekend on Saturday Night's Main Event with Razor Ramon as his guest. (75%)

In the Prime Time studio, Gorilla Monsoon and Ric Flair discussed the mysterious Paul Bearer and his connection to the Ministry Of Love before introducing the Undertaker, who slowly stalked into the room with Brother Love by his side. Monsoon brought up the Undertaker's ambush on Roddy Piper during "The Funeral Parlor" this past weekend and accused them of a set-up, which made Love grin and admit that they had a business arrangement with Paul Bearer, but asserted that Bearer was an "upstanding gentleman" and a "pillar of the community" that was only doing his job. Monsoon expressed relief that the Rowdy One wasn't seriously injured, as Love mentioned Piper's comment that he had "no fear" and wondered if the Hot Rod really meant it, motioning to the menacing Dead Man, who talked about the meaning of fear and how it related to death and the grave. The Pale Destroyer reminded the Scotsman how it felt when he was buried six feet under following SummerSlam '91 in August, and wondered how he would react if he were sealed in an airtight casket and laid to rest for all of eternity. When the Nature Boy asked what he meant, Love explained that the Undertaker was challenging Piper to a Casket Match at WWF No Holds Barred, where the winner would be the man who could lock his opponent inside a casket at ringside. The Undertaker dared Hot Rod to put his fear on the line and predicted that he would "rest in peace" on December 29. (80%)

Backstage at the arena, Mean Gene Okerlund interviewed Bobby Heenan and Mr. Perfect, who was warming up for his main event match-up against Bob Backlund. The Brain claimed that the Flawless One was going to work his way back up the ladder despite being the first elimination in the Heenan Family/Animal House contest at the 1991 Survivor Series, which caught Perfect's attention. The former two-time WWF Intercontinental Champion raised his voice as he stated that he had not forgotten the humiliation he suffered at the hands of Jake Roberts eight days ago and was coming up with a fitting punishment for the Snake at WWF No Holds Barred. Heenan reminded his protege to focus on Backlund tonight as he and Perfect headed out. (86%)

Mr. Perfect vs. Bob Backlund

Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, complete with neckbrace, accompanied Mr. Perfect to the ring while Bob Backlund entered next to a solid pop. The All American foolishly offered a handshake prior to the opening lock-up, which Perfect accepted and kicked Backlund in the midsection, kicking off an intense wrestling classic that showcased both competitors' extensive scientific knowledge. This was an athletic back-and-forth main event as Backlund and Perfect exchanged old-school chain-wrestling holds and maneuvers and scored numerous near-falls, including one where the Flawless One snared the former WWF Champion in the Perfectplex, but the count was broken because they were too close to the ropes. Backlund mounted a comeback and built momentum, jarring Perfect with the Running Atomic Drop, but Heenan grabbed Perfect's foot and placed it over the bottom rope to stop the pinfall. The All American was angered and tried to get hold of the Brain, allowing Perfect to hit a lowblow and wrap Backlund up in a small package for the three-count. Afterwards, Backlund bailed out to ringside and hollered with frustration as Perfect and Heenan celebrated, while McMahon and Ventura closed the show. (88%)

Overall: 80%

Rating: 6.17

Attendance: 10,040

Ticket Sales: $602,400

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1991 -- NBC/WWF PRESENT: SATURDAY NIGHT'S MAIN EVENT

Marv Albert, Mike Tenay, and "Nature Boy" Ric Flair kicked off the LIVE network broadcast by running through tonight's lineup, featuring the Gangsters Of Style taking on the Commonwealth Connection for a shot at the Rockers' WWF Television Tag Team Championship at WWF No Holds Barred, the Great Muta meeting Koko B. Ware, the Dundee Family facing the Destruction Crew, the Honky Tonk Man in action, Razor Ramon on "The Funeral Parlor", and in the main event, Rick Rude battling Roddy Piper.

Honky Tonk Man vs. Iron Mike Sharpe

Although the Honky Tonk Man strutted out to a nice face reaction from the fans, this was a pretty crap semi-competitive squash that saw Iron Mike get in some generic offense before Honky put Sharpe away with the Shake Rattle & Roll. (59%)

Mean Gene Okerlund was in the dressing room to interview Bobby Heenan and the Destruction Crew, asking them about the Hart Foundation's challenge to a Steel Cage match at WWF No Holds Barred. The Brain hemmed and hawed before Mike Enos & Wayne Bloom patted Heenan on the shoulders and accepted the challenge, bragging about their undefeated record in standard tag team competition and promising to lower the boom on Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart in the cage on December 29. Heenan scolded his men afterwards, but the Crew assured him that they knew what they were doing. (87%)

The Destruction Crew (Wayne "The Train" Bloom & Mike "The Machine" Enos) vs. The Dundee Family (Bill & Jamie Dundee)

Bobby "The Brain" Heenan accompanied his Destruction Crew, looking rather unhappy that Enos & Bloom had accepted the Hart Foundation's Steel Cage challenge for WWF No Holds Barred without his permission. Nonetheless, the Crew looked impressive throughout this competitive squash, which came to an end when the Train covered Jamie following the Wrecking Ball from he and the Machine. (67%)

Cameras backstage caught an argument between Ax and Paul Ellering, as the warpainted manager accused Precious Paul of costing Crush the match against the Warlord this past Monday on Prime Time Wrestling. Ax gripped Ellering by the throat and threatened to do worse if Ellering ever interfered in another Demolition/Powers Of Pain encounter, barking in his face, until Barbarian & Warlord arrived on the scene and jumped Ax. The WWF Tag Team Champions began to beat Ax down until Crush & Smash rushed down the hallway to make the save, brawling with the Powers as an army of WWF officials and road agents flooded in to separate the facepainted warriors. (84%)

Koko B. Ware vs. The Great Muta

Mr. Fuji waddled out with the Great Muta, appearing very proud of his Dojo's sole survivor, as the commentators put Muta over for singlehandedly eliminating the Conquistadors & Tito Santana to emerge victorious at the 1991 Survivor Series. After a fast-paced little bout, the Great One finished off the Bird Man with the Rising Sun from the top turnbuckle. (68%)

Jesse "The Body" Ventura interviewed the Commonwealth Connection in the locker room as they prepared to meet the Gangsters Of Style. The Dynamite Kid claimed that he and Owen Hart were going to do what he had been incapable of with Davey Boy Smith as his tag team partner, planning to rip through Stan Lane & Paul Roma this evening to earn another WWF Television Tag Team Title shot at the Rockers at WWF No Holds Barred. When the Body asked what kind of stipulations the Connection would choose if they won, Owen & Dynamite grinned sadistically and produced a pair of studded leather dog collars attached to a 15-foot-long steel chain, which they took with them as they headed out. (80%)

The Commonwealth Connection (Dynamite Kid & Owen Hart) vs. The Gangsters Of Style ("Sweet" Stan Lane & Paul "Romeo" Roma)

The Commonwealth Connection brought the steel chain and dog collars with them as Tenay recalled the brutal Dog Collar match that the British Bulldogs won against Demolition at WrestleMania VII, while the Gangsters Of Style were escorted by Slick and his personal bodyguard Bad News Brown. This was a well-worked tag team bout that featured great athleticism, precision double-teams, and ruthless rulebreaking from both squads, although the fans seemed unsure of who to support, which affected the crowd heat. Late in the contest, Owen broke up a pin on Dynamite by Sweet Stan, bringing Romeo Roma in to help his fellow Gangster. While referee Danny Marsh was busy trying to get Roma and Hart out of the squared circle, Dynamite went to retrieve the steel chain dog collars from his corner, but Davey Boy Smith & Chris Benoit appeared at ringside and grabbed the other end of the choke chain. After a brief tug-of-war, the New British Bulldogs released the chain and Dynamite accidentally bashed himself in the face, setting him up to be hoisted up and taken down by a face-first flapjack from Sweet Stan that Flair called the "Sweet Spot". Lane quickly covered the Kid for the 1-2-3 when the official returned to the action, earning the Gangsters the title shot at WWF No Holds Barred against WWF Television Tag Team Champions the Rockers and the right to select the stipulations. Afterwards, Benoit & Davey Boy laughed from the aisleway while the Kid & Hart fumed in the ring. (73%)

A video aired that showed "The King" Jerry Lawler wandering through a movie theater, referring to it as "Hogan's House" and talking about Hulk Hogan's movie career, wondering if the money and fame of Hollywood was more important to the Immortal One than the Hulkamaniacs and competition of the WWF. The Memphis Monarch ended up standing next to a lifesize cardboard cutout of the Hulkster to promote "Suburban Commando" and berated Hogan, suggesting that he ran off on his worldwide press tour because he was afraid to go one-on-one with the Undisputed 1991 WWF King Of The Ring without any outside interference. The King vowed to keep taunting and challenging the Hulkster until he got an answer, warning Hogan not to make Lawler hunt him down across the globe. (97%)

Back in the arena, the spotlights focused on the set of "The Funeral Parlor" as the eerie organ music blared throughout the building and Paul Bearer walked out, clutching a microphone and welcoming WWF viewers to his Parlor. Bearer introduced his guest this week, Razor Ramon, who swaggered out onto the stage, sneering at the coffins, urns, and wreaths that decorated the set. The Bad Guy informed the obese mortician that he wasn't afraid to enter the Parlor because he spit in death's face every day in his homeland of Cuba, and claimed that he was there to "get somebody's attention, chico." Razor brought up his sole survival at the 1991 Survivor Series, culminating in the pinfall over WWF Champion Ted DiBiase, and pointed out that the Million Dollar Man seemed reluctant to grant him a title shot. When Bearer argued that Ramon just made his WWF debut less than two weeks ago and did not deserve a WWF Championship match yet, Ramon explained that he was more than willing to earn a shot since he had to fight for everything he ever had while growing up in Cuba, and challenged "Money Mang" to come on out and swing a deal. After a few more moments of Ramon trash-talking DiBiase and his Million Dollar Empire, "Money, Money, Money" drowned out the organ music and the fans booed as the WWF Champion strode onto the Parlor set, flanked by Miss Elizabeth, Irwin R. Schyster, Virgil, Bam Bam Bigelow, & Cactus Jack Manson. Bearer greeted Ted DiBiase warmly as Ramon just shook his head, brazenly taunting the Million Dollar Empire despite the odds. The Million Dollar Man told the Bad Guy that he had heard Razor's eagerness to earn a WWF Title shot, so he had devised an offer: at WWF No Holds Barred, Razor could face IRS in a special match, where Schyster's Haliburton briefcase would be raised high above the ring. Inside the briefcase, there would be a contract for a WWF Title shot in January at the 1992 Royal Rumble, and the only way to retrieve the briefcase (and thus the contract) would be to climb the 10-foot steel ladder that would be present at ringside. Razor slowly began to nod, trying to determine whether or not DiBiase was being genuine, when "Pomp And Circumstance" suddenly kicked in, interrupting the organ music again, and "Macho Man" Randy Savage marched out onto the stage. The former two-time WWF Champion was incensed, protesting that he had been defeating top superstars left and right throughout 1991 and deserved the WWF Title shot infinitely more than the rookie Razor, who shoved Savage and exchanged some heated words with him, asking him who the sole survivor of the Macho Madness squad was at Survivor Series. DiBiase briefly conferred with IRS and the rest of his Empire before a big grin broke out across his bearded face and he turned back to Bearer's microphone, offering to include the Macho Man in the Ladder Match at WWF No Holds Barred... as Ramon's tag team partner, against DiBiase & Schyster, with the Royal Rumble WWF Title shot up for grabs to the first participant who could scale the ladder and snatch the briefcase; however, if either Savage or Ramon were somehow able to grab the contract to earn the championship bout, the other man would be forced to enter the 30-man Rumble as #1, rather than rely on the luck of the draw. Ramon and Savage appeared very unhappy with the idea and attempted to change DiBiase's mind, but the Million Dollar Man told them to "take it or leave it" because that was his final offer. After some intense words and veiled threats were traded between Savage and Ramon, they accepted the challenge and both promised that they would be at WWF No Holds Barred to earn the WWF Title shot, to which DiBiase added that that was if Savage & Ramon didn't kill each other before December 29. The WWF Champion emitted his infamous laugh and walked off with his Million Dollar Empire while the Bad Guy and the Macho Man pointed at each other and bickered. (90%)

Mean Gene Okerlund was in the locker room along with Roddy Piper, asking the Rowdy One right off the bat about the Undertaker's challenge from Prime Time Wrestling to a Casket Match at WWF No Holds Barred. Hot Rod responded by sarcastically assuring Mean Gene that he was alright after the ambush on "The Funeral Parlor" last week, "thanks for askin'", and accused Okerlund of distracting him from tonight's main event against a dangerous opponent like Rick Rude. Okerlund started to apologize, but Piper cut him off and accepted the challenge, vowing to "bury that freak alive" in the Casket Match on December 29. Piper then cut an awesome promo on the Ravishing One for this evening that referenced their 1989 feud in which Rude blinded Piper with mouthwash on "The Brother Love Show", causing Piper to remark that maybe he really was meant to be a host, not a guest. Hot Rod warned that Rude was going to need "a helluva lot more than mouthwash" after the Scotsman was finished with him...NEXT! (99%)

"Rowdy" Roddy Piper vs. "Ravishing" Rick Rude

The Scotsman raced out first and removed his kilt and t-shirt while the Ravishing One made his entrance, accompanied by Bobby "The Brain" Heenan. However, before Rick Rude could make it to the ring, Roddy Piper charged out and met him in the aisleway with a flurry of fists, scaring off the neckbraced Brain and kicking off this great main event with a heated brawl around ringside. They eventually made it into the squared circle, where they put on an entertaining old-school encounter with a bit of comedy thrown in as well, struggling back-and-forth and exchanging underhanded tactics, with the Rowdy One relishing his opportunities to cheat and break the rules. Flair expressed his desire to see "the old Piper" again as Hot Rod choked, clawed, and bit Rude during the bout, all while sneaking it past referee Shane McMahon. Rude also got in a lot of offense and looked strong, but as the contest continued, Piper began to dominate the former WWF Intercontinental Champion while Heenan threw several conniptions at ringside. However, before the Scotsman could apply the Sleeperhold, the arena lights dimmed and the set of "The Funeral Parlor" lit up again, as Paul Bearer and Brother Love walked out onto the stage and unveiled the tartan casket from last week. The casket opened and the Undertaker sat up from inside of it, turning his head and staring at Piper in the ring before pointing at him menacingly. Back in the squared circle, the Ravishing One snuck up behind the distracted Rowdy One and snapped on the Rude Awakening to score the three-count as "The Funeral Parlor" faded into blackness and the arena lights returned to normal. Afterwards, Rude and Heenan took off, celebrating the big victory, and Piper staggered to his feet, tugging at his hair in frustration, while Albert, Tenay, and Flair signed off. (81%)

Overall: 80%

Rating: 6.91

Attendance: 10,015

Ticket Sales: $600,900

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1991 -- WWF SUPERSTARS OF WRESTLING

Booker: Terry "Leatherface" Funk

Quality: 81%

Rating: 5.29

Attendance: 10,010

Ticket Sales: $600,600

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Here's the card so far for WWF No Holds Barred on Sunday, December 29, as announced by Sean Mooney during the Update on Superstars Of Wrestling...

Ladder Match: Randy Savage & Razor Ramon vs. Ted DiBiase & Irwin R. Schyster

Casket Match: Roddy Piper vs. The Undertaker

Steel Cage Match/Pinfall Only: The Hart Foundation vs. The Destruction Crew

WWF Television Tag Team Title Match: The Rockers [champions] vs. The Gangsters Of Style

The Nasty Boys vs. The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers

[Chrononaut]

MONDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1991 -- WWF PRIME TIME WRESTLING

Vince McMahon and Jesse "The Body" Ventura started the show LIVE from ringside by announcing tonight's lineup, featuring the Nasty Boys challenging the Powers Of Pain for the WWF Tag Team Championship in the main event, Papa Shango meeting the Texas Twister, Terry Funk taking on Bob Backlund, Tito Santana locking up with a member of the Orient Express, the New British Bulldogs in action, the annual "Prime Time Decorating Of The WWF Christmas Tree" in the studio, and much more.

In the locker room, Mean Gene Okerlund interviewed the Nasty Boys, who were already psyching themselves up for this evening's main event shot at WWF Tag Team Champions Powers Of Pain. Okerlund congratulated the Nasties on their victory over the Enforcers last week on Prime Time Wrestling and asked if they had given any thought as to what stipulations to choose for their encounter with the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers at WWF No Holds Barred. Saggs responded that initially they had decided upon a "good old-fashioned Nastyville Street Fight" but changed their minds and named the stipulation: a Lumberjack Match, with Knobbs explaining that the Nasties would bring ten guys, and Jimmy Hart could bring ten guys with the Rougeaus, so that there would be no way to escape from the ring as Jacques & Raymond did at the 1991 Survivor Series. Saggs also pointed out that with all the "Lumberjacks" around ringside, "all the cards will be on the table", inferring that nobody would be running out and interfering in the match-up because everybody would already be out there. Knobbs added that there would be an extra stipulation on the Lumberjack Match at WWF No Holds Barred after tonight... it would be a title bout, because the Nasties were going to win the WWF Tag Team Championship from Warlord & Barbarian. (83%)

The New British Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith & Chris Benoit) vs. The Hooded Hangmen (Hangman Killer & Hangman Psycho)

Basic semi-competitive squash here while Ventura complained about the New Bulldogs causing the Commonwealth Connection to lose to the Gangsters Of Style on Saturday Night's Main Event this past weekend, although he was quick to add that Slick's boys deserved the shot against WWF Television Tag Team Champions the Rockers at WWF No Holds Barred. The Bulldogs ended the Hangmen's masked misery when Benoit covered Psycho after the Swandive Headbutt from the top turnbuckle immediately following the Running Powerslam from Davey Boy. (68%)

In the Christmas-themed Prime Time Wrestling studio, Gorilla Monsoon and "Nature Boy" Ric Flair pointed out the Christmas tree that was being erected behind them by some stagehands before introducing their first guests, the Gangsters Of Style and Slick, along with his personal bodyguard Bad News Brown, who was dressed as a very pissed-off Santa Claus with a black beard rather than a white one and a sack of gifts slung over his shoulder. The Doctor Of Style stated that he had gifts for everyone as he pulled a pair of presents out of Santa Brown's bag and handed them to Flair and Monsoon. The Nature Boy unwrapped his present, revealing a garish "pimp-like" suit that Slick claimed he had custom-made for Flair, while Gorilla received (what else?) a bunch of bananas. Slick left a couple of packages near the Christmas tree, explaining that they were ornaments for the tree later, before passing another couple of presents to Paul Roma & Stan Lane. When Monsoon inquired who those gifts were for, Slick informed him that they were for Marty Jannetty & Shawn Michaels, as Sweet Stan & Romeo Roma opened the boxes and produced a steel chain from each, smiling as the Slickster announced that the Gangsters/Rockers contest at WWF No Holds Barred would be a Double Chain match. Romeo recalled that although his ex-partner Hercules had cost Power & Glory the WWF Television Tag Team Championship against the Rockers way back at Wrestlefest 1991, the Mighty One had taught him a thing or two about "the ways of the chain", so the Gangsters would be ready to finish off the Rockers for good and take the TV belts on December 29. Lane added that he was no stranger to brutal, violent encounters and stroked the chain as he promised to mess up the Rockers' faces, ensuring that the Gangsters would not only win the TV title, but also remain the "most beautiful" tag team in the WWF. (79%)

Tito Santana vs. Tanaka

Tito Santana entered first to a respectful reaction, while Mr. Fuji waddled out with Kato, Sato, & Tanaka, who were all wearing masks. They stopped in the aisleway and bowed to each other before the Devious One sent Sato & Kato back to the dressing room and continued to ringside with Tanaka, as Ventura suggested that maybe Fuji was testing Tanaka after the long layoff due to injury. Tanaka and Tito put on a solid bout that went back-and-forth until the Orient Express member put Santana away with a vicious thrust kick to the mouth. (70%)

In the Prime Time studio, Gorilla Monsoon and Ric Flair joked around with the stagehands who were behind them, stringing the lights and garlands on the Christmas tree, and brought in their next guest, Mr. Perfect, accompanied by Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, who complained that Slick stole his idea for a Christmas gift for Gorilla. Monsoon announced that Mr. Perfect & "Ravishing" Rick Rude would be battling Bob Backlund & "Rowdy" Roddy Piper this weekend on Saturday Night's Main Event, but the Flawless One got right down to business, bringing up the DDT he received from Jake Roberts at the 1991 Survivor Series and describing how humiliating and embarrassing it was for him to be the first elimination from the Heenan Family/Animal House contest. The Brain expressed outrage at the use of the "illegal" DDT and claimed that the referee made a fast count, but Perfect stated that he wasn't going to rely on excuses because he just wanted to get revenge on the Snake. The Flawless One predicted that Roberts couldn't knock him out again and issued a challenge for a "Lights Out" match at WWF No Holds Barred, explaining that the only way to win would be to incapacitate your opponent and render him unable to answer a 10-count. Perfect wondered if Jake would accept the challenge, but the Brain reminded the former two-time WWF Intercontinental Champion to focus on defending the Heenan Family's honor this weekend against Piper & Backlund. Perfect nodded and assured Heenan that he had nothing to worry about as they left the room. (85%)

"Texas Twister" Kevin Von Erich vs. Papa Shango

Papa Shango was seconded by the zombified "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka, who stood in his Voodoo Master's corner at ringside, motionless and expressionless, while Shango locked up with Kevin Von Erich. This was a good basic brawl that saw the Texas Twister combat Shango's surprising power and ruthlessness with his superior agility and technique as the advantage shifted both ways several times. When Shango tossed Von Erich out to the floor and distracted referee Randy Anderson, the Superfly suddenly came alive and assaulted Von Erich, shrugging off the Twister's defense and unleashing a brutal thrashing around ringside. Snuka rolled Von Erich back into the ring, where Shango subjected the second-generation star to even more torture until he mounted a comeback and came close to victory. In the end, Shango avoided the Twister Punch and cinched in a submission hold, called the "Black Spike" by Ventura, where Shango pressed his thumb into the side of Von Erich's neck until the Texan passed out and the official dropped his arm three times to give the duke to the Voodoo Master. Afterwards, Shango ordered Snuka into the squared circle, where they pounded the unconscious Twister until "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan charged down the aisle and made the save to a nice pop. (76%)

In the Prime Time studio, Gorilla Monsoon and Ric Flair were joined by the Conquistadors, WWF Intercontinental Champion Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, "New Nature Boy" Shane Douglas, the Big Boss Man, Hawk, and the Honky Tonk Man for a very eclectic "Prime Time Decorating Of The WWF Christmas Tree" that featured the superstars decorating the Christmas tree while discussing current events in the WWF. Things were happy and festive until Cactus Jack Manson & Bam Bam Bigelow stormed into the room along with the Enforcers and "The Natural" Dustin Rhodes, setting off a heated argument between the heels and faces that erupted into a violent shoving match. As security personnel flooded in to quell the chaos, Rick Rude & Mr. Perfect arrived on the scene, blindsiding Steamboat and swiftly beating him down before the Ravishing One grabbed the WWF Intercontinental Title belt and ran off with it. Perfect quickly followed Rude as they met up with Bobby Heenan and retreated from the studio. The Dragon was helped up by Douglas and the security, trying to shake off the assault as he realized that Rude had taken his gold and swore revenge. (95%)

Terry "Leatherface" Funk vs. Bob Backlund

Colonel Robert Lee Fuller strode down the aisle behind Terry Funk, who wandered out carrying his branding iron and a hangman's noose as McMahon brought up Leatherface's Texas Bullrope loss to the retired Dusty Rhodes in the American Dream's final match. This was an entertaining contrast in styles, as the wild-eyed Funk used his roughhouse tactics against Backlund's pure wrestling technique, resulting in a well-worked back-and-forth bout that saw the Colonel get involved just when the All American was building momentum. Fuller managed to hook Backlund's ankle, slowing him down long enough for Funk to plant the former WWF Champion with the Double Cross Brand for the 1-2-3. After Funk and Fuller left, Backlund buried his head in the mat in disappointment as the commentators hyped Backlund teaming with Roddy Piper this weekend on Saturday Night's Main Event to face Rick Rude & Mr. Perfect. (80%)

In the Prime Time studio, Gorilla Monsoon and Ric Flair argued about the Heenan Family stealing Ricky Steamboat's WWF Intercontinental Championship belt earlier before introducing Ax, Smash, & Crush of Demolition, who stalked into the room wearing studded leather and their traditional facepaint. The Nature Boy taunted Crush over his singles loss last week to the Warlord, angering the big man, who stood up and made a move toward Flair until Smash & Ax were able to settle him down. Smash blamed the loss on the interference of Paul Ellering and stated that he wanted to "kick his stinkin' teeth in" for getting involved in so many of the Powers Of Pain's WWF Tag Team Championship defenses. Ax brought up the backstage altercation on Saturday Night's Main Event and claimed that if Precious Paul wanted a piece of him, he would gladly come out of retirement at WWF No Holds Barred, offering a six-man "come-as-you-are" Bunkhouse Brawl match pitting the Warlord, the Barbarian, & Ellering against all three members of Demolition. After explaining that all six competitors would be in the ring at once, wearing and bringing anything they wanted with them, with no disqualifications and victory coming only via pinfall, Ax added a special stipulation that if Demolition could score the win on December 29, Crush & Smash would receive a title shot against the Powers at the 1992 Royal Rumble. Smash questioned whether or not the Powers & Precious Paul had the guts to accept the challenge and vowed to bring Warlord & Barbarian crumbling to their knees while Crush growled and snarled beside him. (89%)

Backstage at the arena, Mean Gene Okerlund interviewed Paul Ellering and WWF Tag Team Champions Powers Of Pain, who were getting ready for tonight's title defense against the Nasty Boys. Mean Gene immediately asked about the challenge from Demolition, to which Precious Paul reminded Okerlund that he had once been a successful in-ring competitor and was still in better shape than most of the WWF's active roster, including Ax, Smash, & Crush. Ellering accepted the Bunkhouse Brawl challenge for WWF No Holds Barred, even agreeing to the title shot stipulation, and warned Demolition to watch his Powers tear through the Nasty Boys...NEXT! (87%)

WWF Tag Team Title Match: Powers Of Pain (Barbarian & Warlord) [champions] vs. The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs & Jerry Saggs)

McMahon hyped the Nasty Boys' Lumberjack match against the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers at WWF No Holds Barred, wondering who each side would choose as their Lumberjacks, before Paul Ellering led his WWF Tag Team Champions down to the ring for this excellent main event. Although it was no technical masterpiece, this was a heated, hard-hitting, smashmouth-style championship contest that featured plenty of back-and-forth brawling and stiff double-teams. The Nasties looked very strong and scored several near-falls as they clearly outbrawled the Powers Of Pain at ringside, surprising Ventura, who predicted a different result for the Powers & Precious Paul in the Bunkhouse Brawl at WWF No Holds Barred against Demolition. However, when Raymond & Jacques Rougeau and Jimmy Hart appeared by the entrance curtain, ostensibly to "scout" the Nasties, the hot-headed Knobbs seemed to lose focus and eventually fell victim to a double boot to the head from the Powers, allowing the Barbarian to cover him for the three-count to retain the WWF Tag Team Championship. Afterwards, as Saggs & Knobbs sprinted up the aisle to chase the Rougeaus and the Mouth Of The South, Ellering brought the title belts into the squared circle and raised Warlord & Barbarian's massive arms in victory to end the program. (85%)

Overall: 81%

Rating: 5.79

Attendance: 10,026

Ticket Sales: $601,560

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1991 -- NBC/WWF PRESENT: SATURDAY NIGHT'S MAIN EVENT

Marv Albert, Mike Tenay, and "Nature Boy" Ric Flair opened the LIVE network broadcast by running through the evening's scheduled events, including Razor Ramon facing the Genius, Demolition locking horns with the Enforcers, WWF Television Tag Team Champions the Rockers in non-title action against the New South, Jake Roberts on "The Funeral Parlor", and in the main event, Mr. Perfect & Rick Rude taking on Bob Backlund & Roddy Piper.

Footage from "Earlier Today" was shown of Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, Mr. Perfect, & "Ravishing" Rick Rude emerging from a black limousine as they arrived at the building, wearing suits and ties, and headed into the arena, where they were met by Mean Gene Okerlund. When Okerlund asked about the attack on Ricky Steamboat in the Prime Time Wrestling studio this past Monday, the Ravishing One caressed the WWF Intercontinental Championship belt that he had over his shoulder and asked if he had the Dragon's attention yet, claiming that his pinfall on Steamboat at the 1991 Survivor Series should earn him a shot at the WWF Intercontinental Title. The Flawless One chimed in that he wanted a response from Jake Roberts tonight regarding his "Lights Out" challenge for WWF No Holds Barred before the Brain interrupted and reminded Rude & Perfect that they first had to defend Heenan Family pride in this evening's main event. They agreed and the Family brushed past Okerlund on their way into the arena. (93%)

Non-Title Match: The Rockers (Shawn Michaels & Marty Jannetty) vs. The New South (Brian Christopher & Bob Holly)

The WWF Television Tag Team Champions were greeted with a loud, high-pitched squeal when they came running down the aisle, as Flair brought up the Double Chain stipulations chosen by Slick for the Gangsters Of Style's TV title shot at WWF No Holds Barred, arguing that the "pretty boy" Rockers were out of their league in such a violent contest. This was actually a pretty competitive opener that came to an end when Michaels covered Christopher following the Double Flying Fistdrop from he and Jannetty. (77%)

Mean Gene Okerlund caught up with the Rockers in the aisleway after the match to ask about their Double Chain WWF Television Tag Team Championship defense at WWF No Holds Barred against the Gangsters Of Style. Marty Jannetty admitted that he had never participated in a chain match and was a bit apprehensive, but Shawn Michaels assured him that they would beat Paul Roma & Stan Lane to a "bloody mess" in two weeks and prove who the "most gorgeous" tag team in the WWF really were. (76%)

The Genius was in the ring after a commercial break, holding the microphone as he recited a poem that ripped into Razor Ramon's Cuban heritage and suggested that the Bad Guy's dreams of becoming the WWF Champion were going to sink just like the other rafts from Cuba that didn't make it to Florida. (78%)

The Genius vs. Razor Ramon

The Bad Guy opened up on the World's Smartest Man as soon as he stepped through the ropes, unloading with a relentless series of punches and kicks while the commentators discussed Ramon's Ladder Match at WWF No Holds Barred with Randy Savage as his partner against Irwin R. Schyster & WWF Champion Ted DiBiase. Although the Genius got in some offense, this was basically a showcase for Razor to display his favorite maneuvers, such as the overhead fallaway slam and the belly-to-back superplex from the top turnbuckle, before finishing off the Genius with the Razor's Edge. (80%)

Following a commercial break, Paul Bearer was on the set of "The Funeral Parlor", moaning about the Undertaker's Casket Match at WWF No Holds Barred against Roddy Piper as he proudly unveiled the tartan casket, which Paul claimed he crafted with his own pudgy hands. Bearer introduced his guest this week, Jake "The Snake" Roberts, who appeared unfazed as he walked out onto the stage and chuckled at the surroundings in the Parlor. The Snake claimed that since he was a cold-blooded reptile, there wasn't much that frightened him, at which point Bearer brought up Mr. Perfect's challenge for a Lights Out match at WWF No Holds Barred. Jake smirked and talked about what a difficult year 1991 had been, physically and mentally, before matter-of-factly gloating over his pinfall on the Flawless One at the 1991 Survivor Series, pointing out that it was the opening elimination of the Animal House/Heenan Family contest. Roberts broke down Perfect's challenge from this past Monday's Prime Time Wrestling, stating that he preferred a more accurate term for a "Lights Out" match, which was the "Last Man Standing" match, since that was what it would boil down to if he accepted the challenge for December 29. As Roberts continued to speak, Mr. Perfect impatiently stormed onto the set and ordered Jake to "cut the small talk" and give him an answer, ranting about needing an opportunity for revenge. Jake nodded and informed Perfect that if he wanted the match, he wanted an additional stipulation that he had already discussed with WWF President Andre The Giant. When Perfect raised an eyebrow and curtly asked what he was talking about, the Snake mentioned that hearing Ted DiBiase, Razor Ramon, and Randy Savage talk about the 1992 Royal Rumble last week had given him an idea, which was that the Last Man Standing would earn the right to enter the 30-man Rumble at #30, while the loser would be #1 (or #2 depending on the result of the Ladder Match) right off the bat. Perfect ran his hands through his hair, looking exasperated, and desperately agreed to the stipulation, stating that he wanted to get the negotiations wrapped up so that he could focus on tonight's main event. Upon hearing this, Roberts responded that he would need more time to consider the challenge, patting Perfect on the back as he walked off the Parlor, leaving the Flawless One staring after him in disbelief. (83%)

Jesse "The Body" Ventura was in the dressing room along with Jimmy Hart and the Enforcers, who were warming up to take on Demolition tonight. The Mouth Of The South hinted that there might be a financial reward from Paul Ellering if Dino Bravo & Greg Valentine were to inflict some serious damage on Crush & Smash, or even Ax if he got involved. The Hammer threatened to snap Demolition's legs with the Hartbreaker...NEXT! (82%)

The Enforcers (Greg "The Hammer" Valentine & Dino Bravo) vs. Demolition (Smash & Crush)

Jimmy Hart escorted his Enforcers to the ring, while Ax marched out with his brothers-in-paint, as the commentators talked about Demolition's Bunkhouse Brawl at WWF No Holds Barred against Paul Ellering & WWF Tag Team Champions Powers Of Pain. Demolition started off strong, slugging it out with the Enforcers when they hit the squared circle and clearing them out to ringside as the crowd popped. The Enforcers eventually took control when Valentine blindsided Smash, who was being distracted by an argument at ringside between Ax and the Mouth Of The South, and exchanged frequent tags with Dino Bravo as they worked over Smash's knee, softening him up for Valentine's Hartbreaker. After the Enforcers smothered a comeback attempt, the Hammer managed to apply the Hartbreaker on Smash, tourquing the knee as Flair suggested that Valentine, Bravo, & Hart would earn a big payday from Precious Paul if they could prevent Demolition from making it to the Bunkhouse Brawl on December 29. Ax barked encouragement as the crowd rallied behind Smash, inspiring the former three-time co-WWF Tag Team Champion to flip over and reverse the pressure. The Hammer pounded the mat in agony and appeared to be on the verge of submitting, but Bravo charged in and broke the reverse figure-four by dropping an elbow across the back of Smash's head, bringing in Crush, who traded fists with the Canadian Strongman before clotheslining him over the top rope and climbing to the top turnbuckle as the weary Smash held Valentine on his knee. Crush swiftly dove with the Decapitation Kneedrop and Smash covered the Hammer for the 1-2-3. (79%)

Backstage in the locker room, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper was shown giving a pep talk of sorts to Bob Backlund, reminding him that it wasn't 1982 anymore and that he had to be more willing to bend the rules "just a little bit" if he wanted to be successful in the WWF of the '90s. The former WWF Champion seemed reluctant as Hot Rod explained the various methods of cheating and hiding it from the referee, but the All American just shook his head and promised to do his best. (90%)

"Rowdy" Roddy Piper & Bob Backlund vs. "Ravishing" Rick Rude & Mr. Perfect

The All American & Hot Rod strolled out together, Piper with his arm around Backlund's shoulder as he imparted more words of advice, while Bobby "The Brain" Heenan accompanied his Heenan Family members, Rick Rude carrying his stolen WWF Intercontinental Championship belt. Flair claimed that the Destruction Crew were in intense training for their Steel Cage match against the Hart Foundation at WWF No Holds Barred, while Tenay wondered if Jake Roberts would accept Mr. Perfect's Last Man Standing challenge for December 29. This was a hot main event, although the action was fairly basic, as it was pretty back-and-forth until Perfect & Rude isolated the Rowdy One and cut the ring in half, utilizing quick tags and vicious double-teams to control Piper while Heenan cheered his men on. Late in the bout, Piper escaped and made the hot tag to Bob Backlund while Perfect tagged Rude, creating chaos as all four superstars slugged it out in the squared circle. Amidst the confusion, the Scotsman accidentally nailed referee Joey Marella with an elbow when he wound up for a punch on Perfect, who then charged at Piper and was back-bodydropped over the top rope to the floor. While Backlund and Rude tangled with each other, Piper seized the opportunity to hop out to ringside and snatch the Intercontinental belt from Heenan, sliding the gold into the ring and shouting at Backlund to use it as Perfect attacked Hot Rod and scuffled with him on the outside. This only served to distract Backlund, who glanced at the title belt and contemplated picking it up, while Piper clamped the Sleeperhold on Perfect at ringside. Meanwhile, Rude quickly grabbed the gold and whalloped Backlund with it, tossing the belt back to the Brain and covering the former WWF Champion as the official awoke in time to administer the three-count. (89%)

As the bell was ringing afterwards, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat came sprinting down the aisle to regain his WWF Intercontinental Title belt, but Bobby Heenan and Rick Rude took off and retreated, with the Dragon in hot pursuit. Meanwhile, Roddy Piper helped Bob Backlund up and argued with him as they headed up the aisle, while a groggy Mr. Perfect returned to the ring, having just been awoken by referee Joey Marella from the effects of the Rowdy One's Sleeperhold. The Flawless One staggered around the squared circle as the commentators began to sign off, announcing that Paul Ellering and his WWF Tag Team Champions Powers Of Pain would be Paul Bearer's guests next week on "The Funeral Parlor", until Jake Roberts raced down the aisle and slid in under the bottom rope, sneaking up behind Perfect. When the disoriented former two-time WWF Intercontinental Champion backed into Jake and turned to face him, the Snake immediately grabbed hold of him and snapped on the DDT, laying out Perfect cold. As the fans cheered, Roberts crouched down next to the unconscious Perfect and informed him that he was accepting the WWF No Holds Barred "Last Man Standing" match, with the 1992 Royal Rumble stipulations. The Snake sat beside Perfect, grinning deviously, as Albert, Tenay, and Flair closed the program. (88%)

Overall: 83%

Rating: 6.78

Attendance: 10,022

Ticket Sales: $601,320

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1991 -- WWF SUPERSTARS OF WRESTLING

Booker: Tito Santana

Quality: 74%

Rating: 5.29

Attendance: 10,014

Ticket Sales: $600,840

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Here's the updated card for WWF No Holds Barred on Sunday, December 29, as announced by Sean Mooney during the Update on Superstars Of Wrestling...

Ladder Match: Randy Savage & Razor Ramon vs. Ted DiBiase & Irwin R. Schyster

Casket Match: Roddy Piper vs. The Undertaker

Last Man Standing Match: Jake Roberts vs. Mr. Perfect

Steel Cage Match/Pinfall Only: The Hart Foundation vs. The Destruction Crew

WWF Television Tag Team Title/Double Chain Match: The Rockers [champions] vs. The Gangsters Of Style

Bunkhouse Brawl Match: Demolition vs. Powers Of Pain & Paul Ellering

Lumberjack Match: The Nasty Boys vs. The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers

[Chrononaut]

MONDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1991 -- WWF PRIME TIME WRESTLING

Vince McMahon and Jesse "The Body" Ventura kicked off the show LIVE from ringside, running through this evening's lineup: the Gangsters Of Style meeting the Hart Foundation in the main event, the Conquistadors taking on WWF Tag Team Champions Powers Of Pain in a non-title affair, Hacksaw Duggan squaring off with Superfly Snuka, Dustin Rhodes facing Koko B. Ware, and much more.

Non-Title Match: Powers Of Pain (Barbarian & Warlord) vs. The Conquistadors (Conquistador #1 & Conquistador #2)

Paul Ellering led his WWF Tag Team Champions down the aisle while the commentators hyped the Powers Of Pain & Precious Paul's six-man Bunkhouse Brawl match at WWF No Holds Barred against all three members of Demolition, as well as their appearance on "The Funeral Parlor" this weekend on Saturday Night's Main Event. This was a well-worked "David vs. Goliath" non-title bout that featured the Powers dominating the majority of the action, although the Conquistadors also got in some comebacks and hope spots. The Powers finished off the masked men when the Barbarian covered #1 following the End Of Days from he and the Warlord. (78%)

In the Christmas-decorated Prime Time Wrestling studio, Gorilla Monsoon and "Nature Boy" Ric Flair discussed the Lumberjack Match stipulation that the Nasty Boys chose for their upcoming bout against the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers at WWF No Holds Barred before bringing in Brian Knobbs & Jerry Saggs as their first guests. Saggs talked about how Jacques, Raymond, & Jimmy Hart always ran away whenever it came down to the Nasties and the Rougeaus two-on-two, bringing up the 1991 Survivor Series, and pointed out that the French Canadians would be unable to escape from the ring on December 29 with twenty WWF superstars surrounding the squared circle. Knobbs ranted about "Nastifying" the Mouth Of The South after they dispose of the Rougeaus, getting more and more enraged, until the Nasties introduced their ten lumberjacks, who all entered the studio: Bob Backlund, Hawk, the Big Boss Man, "New Nature Boy" Shane Douglas, Davey Boy Smith, Chris Benoit, the Honky Tonk Man, "Texas Twister" Kevin Von Erich, & Tito Santana; they also named "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, but mentioned that he was at the arena. Knobbs motioned to the nine assembled lumberjacks and warned the Rougeaus that their day was coming in less than two weeks, as the lumberjacks all agreed that they would do everything in their power to ensure that Raymond & Jacques got what was coming to them from the Nasties. (85%)

At the arena, Koko B. Ware had already made his entrance and was waiting in the squared circle as Colonel Robert Lee Fuller stepped through the ropes and took the microphone from ring announcer Howard "The Fink" Finkel. The Greatest Promoter Of All Time built up Dustin Rhodes, referring to him as "the future of the WWF", and offered the Stud Stable's services to Jimmy Hart as lumberjacks for the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers at WWF No Holds Barred. The Colonel finally introduced the Lone Star Stud, who strutted down the aisle to a loud heel pop and entered the ring, shaking hands with Fuller and embracing him. As Rhodes & Fuller engaged in their own personal mutual admiration society, the Bird Man snuck up and knocked the Colonel through the ropes with a dropkick from behind, kicking off the match-up. (86%)

Koko B. Ware vs. "The Natural" Dustin Rhodes

As soon as Koko B. Ware dropkicked Colonel Robert Fuller out of the ring, Dustin Rhodes immediately pounced on Koko and unloaded on him with punches, forearms, stomps, and kicks. This was a decent contest that was pretty much a showcase for the Lone Star Stud, although Koko also got in some underdog offense and a couple of surprise near-falls. The Natural finally put the Bird Man away with the American Nightmare. (74%)

In the Prime Time studio, Gorilla Monsoon and Ric Flair announced that this weekend on Saturday Night's Main Event, the Undertaker would meet their next guest, Jake "The Snake" Roberts, who walked into the room wearing a sweater, leather pants, and snakeskin boots. When the Nature Boy asked about Jake's visit to "The Funeral Parlor" over the weekend, the Snake assured him that he was not afraid of Paul Bearer or his surroundings, explaining that he knew all about pain, suffering, and death. Jake suggested that the Undertaker thought he knew about life and death, but claimed that there was much he could teach the Dead Man and planned on showing him on Saturday evening. Monsoon brought up the Last Man Standing match at WWF No Holds Barred against Mr. Perfect, wondering how this weekend's bout with the Grim Reaper might affect him, but the Snake informed Gorilla that he was a survivor and went into great detail on what it would take for the Flawless One to put him down for the 10-count, regardless of what would happen against the Pale Destroyer. Roberts stated that Perfect would have to batter him to the brink of near-death to become the Last Man Standing, and mentioned the stipulations involving the 1992 Royal Rumble. Jake recalled that he had never put much stock in championships in his career, but admitted that winning the WWF Title had become more important to him after the year that he had in 1991 and said that winning the 30-man Rumble would be a huge step in that quest because it would earn him a title shot against the WWF Champion at WrestleMania VIII. The Snake vowed that he would incapacitate the Undertaker on Saturday Night's Main Event to show Perfect what he was in for on December 29, and go on to be #30 and win the 1992 Rumble. (98%)

Backstage at the arena, Papa Shango was shown leading the zombified Jimmy Snuka down a hallway, chanting bizarrely as they were headed out for the Superfly's match-up against Jim Duggan. However, WWF road agents Jack Lanza and Tony Garea stopped them and informed the Voodoo Master that he was barred from ringside. Shango protested that Snuka was useless and helpless without him, but it was to no avail, as the Superfly was forced to continue his journey out to the ring by himself. (75%)

"Superfly" Jimmy Snuka vs. "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan

The blank-faced Superfly slowly stalked down the aisle alone as McMahon recalled last week's bout between Papa Shango and Kevin Von Erich during which Snuka interfered, explaining to Ventura that that may have been the reason that WWF President Andre The Giant chose to ban the Voodoo Master from ringside. They also discussed Hacksaw being one of the Nasty Boys' lumberjacks at WWF No Holds Barred, as Duggan and Snuka put on a basic brawl, with Snuka seeming somewhat sluggish, which Ventura attributed to the fact that Shango was back in the locker room. After some back-and-forth fistfighting action, Duggan mowed down Snuka with the Three Point Stance for the 1-2-3. Afterwards, the expressionless Fijian rolled out of the ring and staggered up the aisle while Hacksaw celebrated. (75%)

In the Prime Time studio, Gorilla Monsoon and Ric Flair announced that next week's Prime Time Wrestling main event would pit the Big Boss Man & Hawk against their next guests, Irwin R. Schyster & WWF Champion "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase, who were flanked by Miss Elizabeth, Virgil, Cactus Jack Manson, & Bam Bam Bigelow when they entered the studio. The Million Dollar Man quickly went off on a tangent about WWF President Andre The Giant holding a grudge against him, dating back to the incident in 1988 where Andre sold the WWF Championship to DiBiase after winning it from Hulk Hogan. DiBiase claimed that Andre was "insanely jealous" that he was now the WWF Champion, which was why he was forcing himself and IRS to take on Hawk & Boss Man next week, only six days before their Ladder Match at WWF No Holds Barred against Razor Ramon & Randy Savage. Schyster attempted to soothe his boss by assuring him that no matter what, the Million Dollar Man would retain the WWF Title and the Million Dollar Empire would remain the most powerful unit in WWF history, congratulating DiBiase on the brilliance of the plan for WWF No Holds Barred since the stipulations regarding the 1992 Royal Rumble would serve to divide the Macho Man and the Bad Guy. Elizabeth smirked and giggled as DiBiase began to laugh, reminding Savage & Ramon that if they didn't want to lose the bout on December 29, that meant that one would earn a WWF Title shot at January 26's Rumble while the other would be heading into the 30-man Rumble as the first entrant. The WWF Champion looked into the camera with an arrogant smile on his bearded face and taunted Ramon & Savage, advising them to "think about THAT", before leaving with his Empire. (83%)

Mean Gene Okerlund was in the locker room to interview Slick and the Gangsters Of Style, who were posing and preening as they prepared for the evening's main event against the Hart Foundation. Backed by Bad News Brown, the Doctor Of Style pointed out what a huge feather in the cap it would be for his Gangsters to knock off Jim Neidhart & Bret Hart tonight, cementing their status as one of the top tag teams in the WWF, while Paul Roma & Stan Lane discussed how gorgeous they would look with the WWF Television Tag Team Championship belts around their "chiseled waists" after winning the title from the Rockers in the Double Chain match at WWF No Holds Barred. (78%)

The Gangsters Of Style ("Sweet" Stan Lane & Paul "Romeo" Roma) vs. The Hart Foundation (Bret "Hit Man" Hart & Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart)

Along with his personal bodyguard Bad News Brown, Slick escorted his Gangsters Of Style as the commentators brought up both teams' scheduled bouts at WWF No Holds Barred: the Gangsters' Double Chain challenge against the Rockers, and the Hart Foundation's Steel Cage battle against the Destruction Crew. This was a tremendous tag team clinic, as both squads brought their "A Games" and demonstrated classic teamwork, featuring quick tags and precision double-teams. The crowd was hot throughout this main event as the fast-paced action shifted back-and-forth with several near-falls on both sides, Sweet Stan & Romeo Roma completely holding their own against the former two-time WWF Tag Team Champions. Late in the match-up, tempers flared after the Doctor Of Style interfered, briefly tripping up the Hit Man, which drew the Anvil off the apron in pursuit of the Slickster, leading to a ringside brawl with Lane that caught the attention of referee Tim White. Meanwhile, WWF Television Tag Team Champions the Rockers sprinted down the aisle and slid into the squared circle, where Roma was trading fists with Hart. Although Marty Jannetty seemed reluctant, Shawn Michaels talked him into getting involved, charging at Roma with a double superkick. However, Romeo dodged it and the double superkick nailed Bret flush on the jaw, flooring him. Jannetty shook his head and hopped out to the floor, followed by Michaels, arguing at ringside as the official returned to the action and Romeo hooked the Hit Man's leg for the three-count. (86%)

Following the bell, the Gangsters Of Style celebrated with Slick at ringside as Marty Jannetty returned to the ring to help up Bret Hart, apologizing profusely. The Hit Man shoved Jannetty away as Jim Neidhart stepped into the squared circle and threatened Marty, bringing Shawn Michaels back in to back-up his remorseful tag team partner. As the Hart Foundation exchanged heated words with the Rockers, Stan Lane & Paul Roma climbed back into the ring and blindsided the WWF Television Tag Team Champions, kicking off a brawl that spilled out to the floor and up the aisle while Hart & Neidhart just watched. Suddenly, with the Foundation distracted, the Destruction Crew emerged from the crowd in street clothes and stormed the ring, jumping the former two-time WWF Tag Team Champions from behind and beating them down to the canvas. Mike Enos & Wayne Bloom managed to drill both the Anvil and the Hit Man with the Wrecking Ball, laying out the Foundation and raising their muscular arms triumphantly to a round of boos as McMahon and Ventura signed off. (81%)

Overall: 81%

Rating: 5.79

Attendance: 10,039

Ticket Sales: $602,340

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1991 -- NBC/WWF PRESENT: SATURDAY NIGHT'S MAIN EVENT

Marv Albert, Mike Tenay, and "Nature Boy" Ric Flair began the LIVE network broadcast with "Season's Greetings" and a rundown of tonight's program, featuring the Destruction Crew meeting the New British Bulldogs, the Dundee Family taking on the Bounty Hunters, Shane Douglas facing Greg Valentine, WWF Tag Team Champions Powers Of Pain & Paul Ellering on "The Funeral Parlor", and in the main event, Jake Roberts battling the Undertaker.

The Million Dollar Bounty Hunters (Bam Bam Bigelow & Cactus Jack Manson) vs. The Dundee Family (Bill & Jamie Dundee)

Flanked by Irwin R. Schyster, Virgil, & Miss Elizabeth, WWF Champion "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase followed his Million Dollar Bounty Hunters down the aisle as Tenay announced that Manson & Bigelow would square off against Randy Savage & Razor Ramon next week on Saturday Night's Main Event, the evening before WWF No Holds Barred. Although the Dundees surprised the Bounty Hunters right off the bat with a series of double dropkicks, this soon turned into a total squash that ended when Bam Bam covered Bill following the Problem Solver from he and Cactus Jack. (76%)

Afterwards, the Million Dollar Bounty Hunters crunched Jamie Dundee with the Problem Solver when he came in to check on his father, clearing the Dundee Family from the ring as WWF Champion Ted DiBiase stepped through the ropes along with Miss Elizabeth, Irwin R. Schyster, and Virgil. Virgil retrieved the microphone for the Million Dollar Man, who shrugged off the challenge of the Big Boss Man & Hawk this Monday on Prime Time Wrestling and taunted Razor Ramon & Randy Savage, warning that if the Macho Man and the Bad Guy don't kill each other before next week's Saturday Night's Main Event, Cactus Jack Manson & Bam Bam Bigelow would finish the job and leave Ramon & Savage as easy pickings for DiBiase & Schyster in the Ladder Match at WWF No Holds Barred. The WWF Champion continued to trash-talk them until the fans popped as Savage & Ramon charged down the aisle separately and slid into the ring, brawling their way through the Million Dollar Empire. However, before they could get to DiBiase, the Million Dollar Man suddenly pulled Elizabeth in front of him just as Razor was swinging a heavy roundhouse right that inadvertently nailed the First Lady Of Wrestling. Elizabeth collapsed to the canvas as DiBiase bailed out and swiftly retreated up the aisle, followed by IRS, Bam Bam, Cactus Jack, & Virgil. Meanwhile, once the Macho Man realized what Razor had done to his ex-fiancee, the former two-time WWF Champion shoved the Bad Guy, who pie-faced Savage, leading to some heated words and a near-brawl that was broken up by a bevy of WWF agents and officials. Albert suggested that Savage still had feelings for Elizabeth as she was loaded onto a stretcher and carted out of the arena, while Savage pointed at Ramon and warned the Cuban immigrant that he had better have eyes in the back of his head next week. (84%)

Jesse "The Body" Ventura was in the locker room along with Jimmy Hart and Greg Valentine, who was warming up for this evening's match-up against Shane Douglas. The Mouth Of The South revealed that Valentine & Dino Bravo, as well as Dustin Rhodes & Terry Funk, would be four of the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers' lumberjacks at WWF No Holds Barred and announced that the remaining six would be introduced on Prime Time Wrestling this Monday, while the Hammer promised to show the New Nature Boy what "a REAL figure-four leglock" felt like...NEXT! (87%)

Greg "The Hammer" Valentine vs. "The New Nature Boy" Shane Douglas

Jimmy Hart escorted his Hammer to ringside, babbling through his megaphone, as the commentators wondered who else the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers would choose as lumberjacks for the Lumberjack Match against the Nasty Boys at WWF No Holds Barred, pointing out that both competitors here would be lumberjacks in eight days. The New Nature Boy had a beautiful woman on each arm when he strutted down the aisle and removed his robe, handing it to the ladies to hold during this bout, which was a very good contest that featured both men exchanging stiff chops across the chest and going after each other's knees in preparation for their respective figure-four leglocks. In the end, with both athletes' chests bright-red and covered with welts from the vicious chops, Douglas managed to reverse Valentine's Hartbreaker and slam him with the Ace In The Hole for the 1-2-3. Afterwards, Douglas left with his escorts while the Hammer vowed revenge during next week's Lumberjack Match. (78%)

Mean Gene Okerlund was in the dressing room to interview Bobby Heenan and the Destruction Crew as they prepared to take on the New British Bulldogs this evening. Mike Enos & Wayne Bloom dismissed the talent and skill of Chris Benoit, calling him a "green rookie", while the Brain announced that on this Monday's Prime Time Wrestling, there would be an eight-man tag team bout pitting his Crew and the Gangsters Of Style against the Hart Foundation & WWF Television Tag Team Champions the Rockers as a result of what happened this past Monday. Heenan predicted that the Crew would soften up the Foundation, leaving them weak for the Steel Cage match at WWF No Holds Barred. (96%)

The Destruction Crew (Wayne "The Train" Bloom & Mike "The Machine" Enos) vs. The New British Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith & Chris Benoit)

Bobby "The Brain" Heenan accompanied his Destruction Crew to the ring for this great tag team contest that showed the New British Bulldogs looking strong, utilizing some crisp double-teams and scoring several near-falls. The Crew held up their end of the bout as well with underhanded tactics and veteran tag team maneuvers, while Flair wondered what effect tonight's match-up and the eight-man encounter on Prime Time Wrestling this Monday would have on the Steel Cage challenge at WWF No Holds Barred. During the match, Tenay announced that Miss Elizabeth was taken to the hospital and they hoped to have an update on her condition either later tonight The action was fairly fast-paced and high-impact, culminating in the Train covering Davey Boy following the Wrecking Ball from he and the Machine. (82%)

Afterwards, Chris Benoit stepped into the ring to attend to Davey Boy Smith, but was swarmed by the Destruction Crew, who stifled the Silent & Violent Englishman's defense and hammered him down to the mat before spiking him with the Wrecking Ball as Flair claimed that the Crew were sending a message to the Hart Foundation that they should have joined the Heenan Family when they had the chance. Wayne Bloom, Mike Enos, & Bobby Heenan stood triumphantly over the New British Bulldogs until Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart rushed down the aisle and chased off the Machine and the Train, who retreated alongside the Brain with cocky grins on their faces. The Hit Man and the Anvil were not amused and vowed to destroy the Crew this Monday and at WWF No Holds Barred inside the 15-foot-high steel cage. (83%)

Following a commercial break, Paul Bearer was on the set of "The Funeral Parlor", claiming that WWF No Holds Barred would be "Judgment Day" for many WWF superstars, before introducing his guests this week, Paul Ellering & WWF Tag Team Champions Powers Of Pain; however, only Precious Paul appeared and assured that his warpainted monsters would be joining him shortly. Ellering informed Bearer that he had been hitting the weight room like a madman and was in the best shape of his life as he prepared for the six-man Bunkhouse Brawl match against Demolition at WWF No Holds Barred. When Bearer asked what was taking Warlord & Barbarian so long, Ellering grinned deviously and called out for the Powers, who emerged from the curtain dragging an obviously-beaten Ax between them as they marched out onto the stage. The Powers held Ax as Ellering berated the former three-time co-WWF Tag Team Champion and slapped him across his painted face, before the Powers dropped Ax and joined Precious Paul in stomping and kicking him. Ellering removed his jacket and tie and unbuttoned his shirt to show off his admittedly impressive physique, posing over Ax, until Smash & Crush roared onto the set, looking like they had been assaulted backstage earlier as well. Crush & Smash managed to drive off the WWF Tag Team Champions, who fled the Parlor with Ellering as Demolition hollered about pummeling the Powers in eight days. (80%)

Backstage, Mean Gene Okerlund interviewed Brother Love and the Undertaker in a dark, candlelit dressing room. Love hyped up the Casket Match against Roddy Piper at WWF No Holds Barred, suggesting that the Rowdy One would be spending "eternity in a box" in eight days and would forever regret "Piper's Pit" taking the timeslot of "The Brother Love Show", while the Dead Man warned Jake Roberts that the Snake didn't know the "dark side" as well as he thought he did and would soon "rest.... in peace." (73%)

Jake "The Snake" Roberts vs. The Undertaker

The Snake slithered out first, but on his way down the aisle, Mr. Perfect sprinted through the curtain and attacked Jake from behind, plastering him with a wicked chairshot across the back of the head that dropped Roberts like a rock. Perfect stood over Roberts in the aisleway, screaming down at him and asking who the "Last Man Standing is now, chump?!?" as a group of WWF agents and officials flooded out to drag the Flawless One away. Following a commercial break, a groggy Snake had crawled down to the ring and informed referee John Finnegan that he still wanted the evening's main event to go on, so Brother Love led his Undertaker to the squared circle for what turned out to be an entertaining match-up. The Dead Man controlled the majority of the bout with his cold, calculating offense, taking advantage of Jake's weakened condition, but the Snake eventually rallied back and managed to knock the Pale Destroyer off of his feet. However, the Undertaker absorbed the punishment and fought back relentlessly, looking like an unstoppable supernatural creature, finally burying Roberts with the Tombstone for the three-count as Tenay put it over as a huge accomplishment for the Grim Reaper, despite the pre-match circumstances. (83%)

After the match, Brother Love brought a bodybag into the ring and spread it out on the mat as the Undertaker prepared to place Jake Roberts inside of it. However, as the Pale Destroyer struggled with the semiconscious Snake, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper raced out and jumped the Dead Man, unloading on him with a flurry of furious fists before clotheslining him over the top rope. The Grim Reaper landed on his feet on the floor and rolled his eyes up in his head, slowly backing up the aisle at the insistence of Love, as Hot Rod vowed to give the Undertaker a taste of his own medicine at WWF No Holds Barred and seal him inside the airtight casket. Piper stood over Roberts in the squared circle and issued some intense threats as the program ended. (88%)

Overall: 83%

Rating: 6.44

Attendance: 10,019

Ticket Sales: $601,140

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1991 -- WWF SUPERSTARS OF WRESTLING

Booker: Bill Dundee

Quality: 81%

Rating: 5.12

Attendance: 10,026

Ticket Sales: $601,560

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Here's the card for WWF No Holds Barred on Sunday, December 29, as announced by Sean Mooney during the Update on Superstars Of Wrestling...

Ladder Match: Randy Savage & Razor Ramon vs. Ted DiBiase & Irwin R. Schyster

Casket Match: Roddy Piper vs. The Undertaker

Last Man Standing Match: Jake Roberts vs. Mr. Perfect

Steel Cage Match/Pinfall Only: The Hart Foundation vs. The Destruction Crew

WWF Television Tag Team Title/Double Chain Match: The Rockers [champions] vs. The Gangsters Of Style

Bunkhouse Brawl Match: Demolition vs. Powers Of Pain & Paul Ellering

Lumberjack Match: The Nasty Boys vs. The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers

Sorry if this wasn't the greatest, but I really wanted to get it out before I go to my parents' for the holidays. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of you

[Chrononaut]

MONDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1991 -- WWF PRIME TIME WRESTLING

Vince McMahon and Jesse "The Body" Ventura opened the program LIVE from ringside, wishing viewers a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays and hyping this Sunday's WWF No Holds Barred, before introducing tonight's show, including the main event pitting the Big Boss Man & Hawk against Irwin R. Schyster & WWF Champion Ted DiBiase, the Hart Foundation & WWF Television Tag Team Champions the Rockers meeting the Gangsters Of Style and the Destruction Crew in an eight-man encounter, the Texas Twister & Hacksaw Duggan taking on Superfly Snuka & Papa Shango, Paul Ellering in action, and much more.

Paul Ellering, wearing mirrored sunglasses and a black-and-white boxing-style hooded robe that had "Precious Paul" written across the back, led his WWF Tag Team Champions Powers Of Pain to the squared circle, where his opponent Scott Taylor was already waiting, as McMahon announced that Precious Paul would be facing Demolition's Ax one-on-one this weekend on Saturday Night's Main Event. Precious Paul took the microphone from ring announcer Howard "The Fink" Finkel and proceeded to put himself over, describing how he had stepped up his daily workout regimen in preparation for the six-man Bunkhouse Brawl against all three members of Demolition at WWF No Holds Barred this Sunday. Ellering removed his robe, revealing his surprisingly chiseled physique, and demonstrated some poses as Ventura mentioned that Ellering had been a National Champion powerlifter and was a five-time NCAA Collegiate record holder. The crowd booed as Ellering warned that Ax had better be watching this evening so that he knew what he was getting himself into this weekend. The Precious One flipped the mic back to the Fink and flexed his muscles as the ring introductions were made. (75%)

"Precious" Paul Ellering vs. Scott Taylor

WWF Tag Team Champions Powers Of Pain stepped out to ringside, where they stood and encouraged their manager as he locked up with Scott Taylor and muscled him into a corner. Precious Paul, wearing black-and-white tights similar to those of Barbarian & Warlord, used his underrated strength to overpower Taylor early on, but the youngster rallied back and surprised Ellering with a dazzling array of aerial maneuvers, scoring a couple of near-falls, until the Powers dragged Taylor out to the floor. While Ellering distracted referee Danny Marsh, the Powers savaged Taylor at ringside before tossing him back into the ring, where Ellering finished Taylor off with a delayed vertical suplex into a powerslam. Afterwards, Precious Paul flexed and posed as the WWF Tag Team Champions disposed of Taylor. (68%)

In the Christmas-decorated Prime Time Wrestling studio, Gorilla Monsoon and "Nature Boy" Ric Flair announced that this weekend on Saturday Night's Main Event, Mr. Perfect would square off with their first guest this evening, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, wearing a "Hot Rod" t-shirt, kilt, and Santa hat. When pressed by Flair, Hot Rod admitted that it would be difficult to concentrate on Mr. Perfect on Saturday due to the Casket Match on Sunday at WWF No Holds Barred against the Undertaker. The Scotsman was quick to point out that he wasn't afraid of death, the Dead Man, Brother Love, Paul Bearer, "The Funeral Parlor", caskets, coffins, or urns, stating that he had seen far more horrifying things growing up on the streets of industrial cities across North America after arriving from Scotland as a young boy. The Rowdy One yanked off his Santa cap and tossed it away as he recounted some of the brutal gang violence and vicious street-fighting that he had witnessed in his youth, likening it to an "urban Viet Nam". Piper promised to bring the streets to the Grim Reaper this Sunday and bury him six feet under, just as he would do to Perfect on Saturday Night's Main Event, warning Bobby "The Weasel" Heenan to watch himself at ringside and extending a similar threat to Brother Love for WWF No Holds Barred. (87%)

Mean Gene Okerlund was in the locker room at the arena to interview the Big Boss Man & Hawk, who were psyched up for this evening's tag team main event against WWF Champion Ted DiBiase & Irwin R. Schyster. The Boss Man recalled that he scored an elimination over Bam Bam Bigelow at the 1991 Survivor Series and claimed that he wasn't finished with the Million Dollar Empire yet, while Hawk started off with his trademark "WELLL..." and proceeded to verbally assault the Million Dollar Man & IRS before Virgil arrived on the scene. The muscular manservant taunted Hawk & Boss Man until Bam Bam & Cactus Jack Manson burst in and assaulted the faces from the blindside. With the assistance of Virgil, the Bounty Hunters battered the Boss Man & Hawk down to the floor and left them laying as Okerlund hollered for help and wondered what condition Boss Man & Hawk would be in for tonight's main event. (75%)

Papa Shango & "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka vs. "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan & "Texas Twister" Kevin Von Erich

Papa Shango led the zombified Jimmy Snuka down the aisle as the commentators brought up last week's singles bout in which Jim Duggan defeated the Superfly. Standard tag team action here, with Snuka looking like a man possessed, much different than his appearance last week, as he and his Voodoo Master managed to isolate Hacksaw from his partner and work him over with vicious double-teams. Late in the match-up, Shango tagged Snuka in and held Duggan as the Superfly charged with a crescent kick. However, Duggan avoided the kick and Snuka inadvertently nailed Shango while Duggan made the hot tag to the Texas Twister, who rushed in and helped clean house. After Hacksaw knocked Shango out to the floor with the Three Point Stance, Von Erich caught Snuka with the Twister Punch for the 1-2-3. (75%)

In the Prime Time studio, Gorilla Monsoon and Ric Flair went through some of the bouts scheduled for WWF No Holds Barred this Sunday, including the Casket Match between the Undertaker and Roddy Piper, the Rockers defending the WWF Television Tag Team Championship against the Gangsters Of Style in a Double Chain match, the Destruction Crew meeting the Hart Foundation in an enclosed steel cage with pinfall-only stipulations, and the Nasty Boys squaring off in a Lumberjack Match against their next guests, the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers, who entered the room with Jimmy Hart. Jacques & Raymond scoffed at Jim Duggan & Kevin Von Erich's tag team victory, mentioning that the Texas Twister & Hacksaw would be lumberjacks for Saggs & Knobbs this Sunday, and announced that they would be "warming up" on Saturday Night's Main Event against the New British Bulldogs, who were also scheduled to be lumberjacks for the Nasties. The Mouth Of The South then introduced the Rougeaus' lumberjacks, who entered the studio with their respective managers and lined up behind them: Dino Bravo, Greg "The Hammer" Valentine, "The Natural" Dustin Rhodes, Terry Funk, Owen Hart, the Dynamite Kid, the Great Muta, and Abdullah The Butcher, adding that the Million Dollar Bounty Hunters would complete the lineup, "on loan" from WWF Champion Ted DiBiase. The Rougeaus and the Mouth laughed and warned that the Nasties' plan would backfire on them at WWF No Holds Barred. (84%)

Backstage at the arena, Bobby Heenan was shown meeting with Slick, alongside his personal bodyguard Bad News Brown, in a hallway. Soon, Sean Mooney approached the devious duo and asked them about WWF No Holds Barred as well as the eight-man match-up tonight, but the Brain became angry and accused Mooney of invading their privacy, telling him to mind his own business, before the Doctor Of Style instructed Bad News to get rid of the broadcaster. Bad News aggressively gripped Mooney by the back of the neck and escorted him elsewhere as Slick and Heenan met up with Mike Enos, Wayne Bloom, Paul Roma, & Stan Lane and headed out. (79%)

Eight-Man Tag Team Match: The Destruction Crew (Wayne "The Train" Bloom & Mike "The Machine" Enos) & The Gangsters Of Style ("Sweet" Stan Lane & Paul "Romeo" Roma) vs. The Hart Foundation (Bret "Hit Man" Hart & Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart) & The Rockers (Shawn Michaels & Marty Jannetty)

Bobby "The Brain" Heenan and Slick, along with personal bodyguard Bad News Brown, escorted the Gangsters Of Style and the Destruction Crew, while the Hart Foundation and the WWF Television Tag Team Champions made their entrances separately as Ventura brought up the friction between the Rockers and the Foundation last week. McMahon quickly changed the subject to the Steel Cage and Double Chain matches this Sunday at WWF No Holds Barred, as Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart seemed to be arguing over who would start off the bout while Marty Jannetty tried to mediate, until Jim Neidhart shoved Jannetty and told him to stay out of it. The heels swiftly took advantage and made the decision for their opponents, knocking the Anvil, the Hit Man, & Michaels out of the ring and focusing on Jannetty, utilizing frequent tags and sneaky double/triple/quadruple-teams to wear down the dark-haired Rocker. Marty displayed incredible tenacity as he kicked out of every pinfall attempt and eventually made the hot tag to Bret, which annoyed Shawn a bit, but the Foundation and the Rockers realized that they had to work together and did so. The match-up went back-and-forth with numerous tags on both sides until a donnybrook erupted with all eight men slugging it out, distracting referee Randy Anderson long enough for Michaels to grab one of the TV title belts and bring it into the squared circle. Unfortunately, Sweet Stan ducked the belt shot from Shawn, who accidentally clobbered the Anvil, allowing Enos & Bloom to drill Neidhart with the Wrecking Ball. Amidst the chaos, the Machine covered Neidhart for the three-count. Afterwards, the Crew and the Brain fled the scene while the Rockers cleared the Gangsters out to the floor, leading to another heated confrontation between the Masters Of Motion and the Foundation that ended when Jannetty convinced Michaels to leave. (80%)

In the Prime Time studio, Gorilla Monsoon and Ric Flair ran down the rest of the card for this Sunday's WWF No Holds Barred, including the Powers Of Pain & Paul Ellering battling Demolition in the Bunkhouse Brawl, Mr. Perfect taking on Jake Roberts in a Last Man Standing/Lights Out contest, and of course, the Ladder Match main event with 1992 Royal Rumble stipulations pitting Irwin R. Schyster & WWF Champion Ted DiBiase against their next guests, Razor Ramon & "Macho Man" Randy Savage, who entered the studio from opposite sides as the Nature Boy revealed that security had to separate them in the "green room" earlier. As soon as they got close enough, the Macho Man accused the Bad Guy of hitting Miss Elizabeth on purpose this past weekend on Saturday Night's Main Event, which Razor denied but added that he felt no remorse since she put herself "in the warzone, chico" and asked why Savage cared anyway. Savage responded that although Elizabeth cost him the WWF Championship at SummerSlam '91 and shattered his heart "into a million pieces", he held no ill will toward her and admitted that part of him would always love her. Ramon smirked and shook his head, stating that that "weak" attitude this Sunday would allow the Cuban immigrant to climb the ladder and retrieve the briefcase, earning the WWF Title shot at next month's Rumble, while Savage would be stuck entering the 30-man Rumble as #1. The Macho Man informed Ramon that it would be the other way around, while Flair predicted that neither scenario would play out since Savage & Ramon would be too busy fighting each other and the Million Dollar Man & IRS would be able to scale the ladder and nab the victory. Monsoon reminded Ramon & Savage that they would be meeting the Million Dollar Bounty Hunters on Saturday Night's Main Event this weekend, setting off another war of words that concluded with the Bad Guy and the Macho Man each promising to hold up their end of the team. (87%)

Mean Gene Okerlund was backstage at the arena in the Million Dollar Empire dressing room, surrounded by Bam Bam Bigelow, Cactus Jack Manson, & Virgil as he interviewed WWF Champion Ted DiBiase & Irwin R. Schyster. When Mean Gene scolded the Million Dollar Man for using Miss Elizabeth as a shield on Saturday Night's Main Event and asked where she was, IRS stepped forward and announced that Elizabeth had suffered a concussion and twisted her ankle when she fell, so she would be out of action for a while, receiving the best medical treatment that money could buy. The WWF Champion claimed that Elizabeth inadvertently got in the way and that Razor Ramon purposely punched her out, calling for a suspension from WWF President Andre The Giant. Regarding tonight's main event, DiBiase sarcastically hoped that the Big Boss Man & Hawk would be able to compete, but suggested that it would be an easy night, just like this Sunday's WWF No Holds Barred, predicting that Ramon & Randy Savage would tear each other apart. (90%)

"Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase & Irwin R. Schyster vs. Hawk & Big Boss Man

Virgil accompanied the WWF Champion & Irwin R. Schyster, who carried his trusty haliburton briefcase, while the commentators debated the condition of the Big Boss Man & Hawk after the backstage assault earlier by the Million Dollar Bounty Hunters. The crowd popped when Hawk & Boss Man charged through the curtains and hit the ring, unloading on the Million Dollar Man & IRS right away and clearing them from the squared circle. When Virgil slid in and foolishly attempted an ambush, the Boss Man caught him and lifted the brawny bodyguard up on his shoulders as Hawk swiftly climbed to the top turnbuckle and decapitated the loyal lackey with a version of the Legion Of Doom's Doomsday Device. The main event turned out to be a well-worked affair with both squads displaying great teamwork, trading the advantage several times as McMahon mentioned that Hawk & Boss Man would be serving as lumberjacks for the Nasty Boys this Sunday at WWF No Holds Barred. The end came while Hawk slugged it out with DiBiase at ringside, as Schyster floored Boss Man with a leaping lariat that Ventura called the "Necktie" to score the pin. Meanwhile, Cactus Jack Manson & Bam Bam Bigelow raced out and blindsided Hawk on the floor, rescuing the WWF Champion. IRS joined them as the Million Dollar Empire backed up the aisle triumphantly while McMahon and Ventura hyped WWF No Holds Barred this Sunday and closed the show, wishing viewers a safe and Merry Christmas. (83%)

Overall: 80%

Rating: 5.44

Attendance: 10,011

Ticket Sales: $600,660

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1991 -- NBC/WWF PRESENT: SATURDAY NIGHT'S MAIN EVENT

Marv Albert, Mike Tenay, and "Nature Boy" Ric Flair started the LIVE network broadcast with a brief discussion of their Christmas festivities and hyping tomorrow night's WWF No Holds Barred before running through this evening's lineup: Mr. Perfect facing Roddy Piper, Paul Ellering battling Demolition's Ax, the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers taking on the New British Bulldogs, Dino Bravo meeting the Honky Tonk Man, WWF Television Tag Team Champions the Rockers on "The Funeral Parlor", and in the main event, Razor Ramon & Randy Savage squaring off against the Million Dollar Bounty Hunters.

Dino Bravo vs. Honky Tonk Man

Jimmy Hart escorted his Canadian Strongman as Tenay mentioned that the Honky Tonk Man and Dino Bravo would be on opposing sides of the Nasty Boys/Rougeau Brothers Lumberjack Match tomorrow night at WWF No Holds Barred and talked about the history between Honky Tonk and the Mouth Of The South. Surprisingly good opener as Bravo controlled most of the bout with his overwhelming power, tossing Honky around like a ragdoll until the fans rallied behind the former WWF Intercontinental Champion, who mounted a comeback and put Bravo away with the Shake Rattle & Roll. Afterwards, Honky taunted Hart and Bravo from the aisleway, celebrating with the fans. (77%)

Mean Gene Okerlund was in the Heenan Family dressing room along with Bobby Heenan, Mr. Perfect, Wayne "The Train" Bloom, & Mike "The Machine" Enos. The Brain informed Mean Gene that "Ravishing" Rick Rude was not with them tonight because he had been practically living in the gym recently in preparation for a title shot at WWF Intercontinental Champion Ricky Steamboat, accusing the Dragon of hiding behind his family and ducking the Ravishing One. When Okerlund brought up Perfect's match-up this evening against Roddy Piper, Heenan protested how unfair it was for the Flawless One to have to face the Rowdy One only 24 hours before the Last Man Standing bout with Jake Roberts at WWF No Holds Barred. Perfect assured Heenan that it wasn't a problem, though, and promised that he would put the Snake's lights out tomorrow night and go on to enter the 1992 Royal Rumble next month as #30. The Destruction Crew also seemed confident that they would bring the Hart Foundation crumbling to the ground in the Steel Cage match, pointing to their pinfall on Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart in the eight-man contest on Prime Time Wrestling this past Monday. The Brain closed by promising that 1992 would be the year that the Heenan Family put all the disappointments of 1991 behind them and establish themselves as the premier unit in the WWF. (91%)

In the squared circle, ring announcer Howard "The Fink" Finkel made the introductions for Paul Ellering, flanked by his WWF Tag Team Champions Powers Of Pain, and Ax, who bravely marched down the aisle without his fellow Demolition members. As Flair predicted, this turned out to be a mistake, as Barbarian & Warlord blindsided the former three-time co-WWF Tag Team Champion when he was face-to-face with Precious Paul, pounding him to the canvas until Crush & Smash raced out and slugged it out with the Powers, brawling out to the floor and up the aisle. Meanwhile, the bell rang and the scheduled match-up took place as planned. (74%)

"Precious" Paul Ellering vs. Ax

The commentators hyped the six-man Bunkhouse Brawl at WWF No Holds Barred, pointing out that if Demolition could emerge victorious tomorrow night, they would earn a WWF Tag Team Title shot next month at the 1992 Royal Rumble. Precious Paul started off the match by taking advantage of the battered Ax, stomping and kicking the warpainted manager and acting cocky as Albert informed viewers that Smash & Crush and the Powers Of Pain had been separated backstage. Ellering held on to the advantage until Ax began to no-sell his punches and battled back, mowing Ellering down with a series of vicious clotheslines and double-axhandles. Ax scooped up Ellering and crunched him with repeated backbreakers across the knee, but Warlord & Barbarian soon returned to the ring, storming the squared circle and assaulting Ax, drawing a disqualification against Precious Paul. Smash & Crush quickly roared down the aisle to make the save, helping Ax up while the WWF Tag Team Champions & Precious Paul retreated and vowed to finish Demolition off tomorrow evening. (75%)

Jesse "The Body" Ventura interviewed Jimmy Hart and the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers in the locker room, pointing out that the Hart Organization were 0-1 so far this evening with Dino Bravo's loss to the Honky Tonk Man earlier. The Mouth Of The South called it a fluke and promised that the Rougeaus would rectify that against the New British Bulldogs, wondering what would happen if the Nasty Boys were short two lumberjacks tomorrow night at WWF No Holds Barred. Raymond & Jacques laughed and claimed that just as they were in life, Knobbs & Saggs were going to be losers in the Lumberjack Match. (74%)

The New British Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith & Chris Benoit) vs. The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers (Jacques & Raymond Rougeau)

Jimmy Hart came out with his Fabulous Rougeau Brothers as Tenay pushed how intense the tag team competition in the WWF was, including this great bout that featured some tremendous double-teams, even action, and near-falls from both squads. The New Bulldogs are gelling as a tandem and could be on track for a major push, but things started to fall apart when the Dynamite Kid & Owen Hart snuck down the aisle and yanked Chris Benoit off the apron while the Rougeaus executed Le Bombe De Rougeau on Davey Boy, allowing Jacques to cover him for the victory. Afterwards, the Nasty Boys, the Honky Tonk Man, the Texas Twister, & "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan ran out to save Benoit from the Commonwealth Connection, bringing out Greg "The Hammer" Valentine & Dino Bravo, along with Terry Funk & Dustin Rhodes, as a huge brawl broke out. The Great Muta, Abdullah The Butcher, Bob Backlund, Shane Douglas, and Tito Santana also got involved and a sea of WWF road agents and officials flooded out as the show went to commercial, hyping the Rougeaus/Nasties Lumberjack Match tomorrow night at WWF No Holds Barred. (83%)

Following the break, Paul Bearer was on the set of "The Funeral Parlor", promising a "belated Christmas gift", but first introduced his guests this week, WWF Television Tag Team Champions the Rockers, who walked out in their street clothes with the title belts over their shoulders. Marty Jannetty stated that he wanted to apologize to the Hart Foundation for the recent misunderstandings, but Shawn Michaels interrupted and told him to focus on their Double Chain title defense at WWF No Holds Barred tomorrow evening against the Gangsters Of Style, warning that it would be a brutal contest. Before long, Slick strolled out onto the stage, followed by his personal bodyguard Bad News Brown, and claimed that after tomorrow night, there would be no question who the "prettiest tag team in the WWF" was, because the Rockers would be leaving in a bloody heap, permanently disfigured and without the TV gold. Michaels jawed with the Doctor Of Style until Paul Roma & Stan Lane appeared from behind and attacked the Rockers, who tried to defend themselves but were at a disadvantage. With the assistance of Bad News, the Gangsters laid out the Masters Of Motion with a pair of steel chains and posed with the WWF Television Tag Team Championship belts before throwing the gold down and leaving with Slick. (76%)

After the Rockers were helped out by WWF officials, Paul Bearer remained on the set of "The Funeral Parlor" and presented his "Christmas gift", Brother Love, who strode out to a loud round of boos and thanked Bearer. They exchanged numerous compliments before the discussion turned to tomorrow night's WWF No Holds Barred, as Bearer uncovered the custom-made tartan casket in the background. Love claimed that the Undertaker was off preparing for the Casket Match against Roddy Piper and proceeded to recite a eulogy for the Rowdy One, stating his various accomplishments in the WWF and Hollywood, but was unexpectedly interrupted when the Scotsman himself swaggered out onto the stage. Bearer and Love were both quite surprised, as Hot Rod inquired what they thought they were doing. When Bearer attempted to placate Piper, the Rowdy Scot wound up and floored him with a big roundhouse right, knocking the rotund mortician off the stage, tumbling down to the floor. Left alone, Love dropped to his knees and begged for forgiveness, but Piper slapped his red face and grabbed him by the tie, pulling him to his feet and swinging him around. As the fans cheered him on, Piper clamped the Sleeperhold on Love, rendering him unconscious in order to scoop him up and deposit him inside the opened tartan casket. Piper slammed the lid, sealing it, and used all of his might to topple the casket over, causing it to crash behind the set with Love inside. Hot Rod celebrated triumphantly until Mr. Perfect arrived on the scene and blindsided Piper, dragging him away from the Parlor and down to the ring as the show went to break. (91%)

"Rowdy" Roddy Piper vs. Mr. Perfect

Bobby "The Brain" Heenan was at ringside in the Flawless One's corner when the program came back from commercial, as Mr. Perfect remained in control of Roddy Piper while the commentators hyped their separate matches tomorrow night at WWF No Holds Barred and discussed how tonight's bout might affect each competitor, although Flair was more concerned with the condition of Brother Love. Heated contest here as Tenay pulled out Gorilla Monsoon's old "this could be a main event in any arena in the country" line while Perfect worked Hot Rod over until Piper mounted a comeback when the former two-time WWF Intercontinental Champion got too overconfident. The action went back-and-forth until Jake "The Snake" Roberts slithered out to ringside and threatened Heenan with his python Damian, distracting Perfect long enough for Piper to trap him in a backslide for the 1-2-3. Afterwards, Piper bailed out and headed up the aisle with the Snake and Damian while Perfect and the Brain protested to referee Tim White. (90%)

Backstage, cameras caught Randy Savage arguing with Razor Ramon in the locker room as they prepared for this evening's main event against the Million Dollar Bounty Hunters. Other WWF superstars, such as the Big Boss Man, Hawk, Bob Backlund, Shane Douglas, Koko B. Ware, the Conquistadors, Tito Santana, and more, tried to keep them separated but they continued to yell at each other. Finally, the Macho Man told the Bad Guy that he would see him out there, warning him not to screw up, and stormed out, as Razor just shook his head. (92%)

"Macho Man" Randy Savage & Razor Ramon vs. The Million Dollar Bounty Hunters (Bam Bam Bigelow & Cactus Jack Manson)

The Macho Man and the Bad Guy entered separately, although both received huge pops from the crowd, as the commentators heavily pushed tomorrow night's Ladder Match at WWF No Holds Barred. The Bounty Hunters were seconded by Virgil, who interjected himself into the main event on a couple of occasions and ended up being ejected by referee Joey Marella. The match-up was more even after Virgil was gone, as Ramon & Savage attempted to work as a team despite the obvious friction. Cactus Jack & Bam Bam looked impressive, using frequent tags and hard-hitting double-teams, but late in the contest, Savage seemed to be building momentum, nailing the Beast From The East with the flying double-axhandle from the top turnbuckle and signaling for the Flying Elbowdrop. Meanwhile, WWF Champion Ted DiBiase made his way to ringside, taunting Razor, who abandoned his spot on the apron to go after the Million Dollar Man. With the official distracted, Irwin R. Schyster came out of nowhere and slid into the ring, blasting the Macho Man across the side of the head with his steel haliburton briefcase before swiftly exiting. Bigelow flattened Savage with a big splash from the middle turnbuckle to secure the three-count when the ref returned. The show ended with Ramon looking at the dazed Savage with disdain as the Million Dollar Empire laughed in the aisleway, while Albert, Tenay, and Flair got in one final plug for WWF No Holds Barred tomorrow night. (86%)

Overall: 82%

Rating: 6.51

Attendance: 10,016

Ticket Sales: $600,960

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Here's the final card for WWF No Holds Barred tomorrow night. As always, predictions are encouraged.

Ladder Match: Randy Savage & Razor Ramon vs. Ted DiBiase & Irwin R. Schyster

Casket Match: Roddy Piper vs. The Undertaker

Last Man Standing Match: Jake Roberts vs. Mr. Perfect

Steel Cage Match/Pinfall Only: The Hart Foundation vs. The Destruction Crew

WWF Television Tag Team Title/Double Chain Match: The Rockers [champions] vs. The Gangsters Of Style

Bunkhouse Brawl Match: Demolition vs. Powers Of Pain & Paul Ellering

Lumberjack Match: The Nasty Boys vs. The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers

Sorry this took so long, but I have been sick. Stupid winter. Hope you enjoy the PPV and thanks for reading, guys.

[Chrononaut]

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1991 -- WWF NO HOLDS BARRED

The half-hour Preview Show was hosted by Mean Gene Okerlund and "Nature Boy" Ric Flair, who hyped all of the matches on the card and their respective stipulations, promising that scores would be settled and warning that this evening's pay-per-view would not be for the weak of heart. During the show, Razor Ramon was shown arriving at the arena in his candy-apple-red lowrider complete with fuzzy dice and tiger-skin interior. When the Bad Guy stepped out of the car and headed into the building, he was met by an angry Randy Savage, who asked Razor where he had been and why he was so late, adding that he had some questions about what happened last night on Saturday Night's Main Event. Ramon responded that he didn't have to "answer to nobody, mang" and brushed past the Macho Man, who stared at the back of Razor's head in disbelief before following him. (82%)

Gorilla Monsoon, Jesse "The Body" Ventura, and Mike Tenay welcomed viewers to the pay-per-view proper from the broadcast position at the back of the arena and reiterated that tonight's program could get extremely violent, advising parents to put the kids and grandparents to bed, before sending it up to ring announcer Howard "The Fink" Finkel in the squared circle.

Six-Man Tag Team Bunkhouse Brawl Match: Demolition (Smash & Crush & Ax) vs. Powers Of Pain (Barbarian & Warlord) & "Precious" Paul Ellering

Demolition marched out first to a nice pop, all three members wearing blue jeans, black combat boots, leather and studs, and their traditional facepaint, as Tenay explained the Bunkhouse Brawl rules: no disqualifications, no count-outs, no submissions, pinfalls only, all six competitors in the ring at once, and competitors could wear and use whatever they brought with them. Paul Ellering led his WWF Tag Team Champions down the aisle next, all three men clad in black tank tops, camouflage pants with several pockets, and carrying crowbars, wooden folding chairs, studded leather straps, and metal trash cans. When they reached ringside, the Warlord, the Barbarian, & Precious Paul spread out and surrounded the squared circle, as Ellering taunted Demolition, distracting them long enough for the Powers Of Pain to slide into the ring and attack with their weapons. Ellering quickly joined his proteges, kicking off a chaotic brawl with all six gladiators slugging it out and trading fists until the Powers were able to dump Ax out to the floor and work over Crush & Smash three-on-two. Ellering's strategy became clear when he produced a pair of handcuffs from one of his pockets and managed to cuff Crush to the ropes with the help of his Powers, leaving Smash at a three-on-one disadvantage, as each time Ax attempted to return to the ring, Ellering would clobber him with a crowbar, eventually busting him open. Smash also bled after Barbarian wrapped a chain around his boot and caught Smash with a big foot to the face, while Precious Paul whipped the shackled Crush with a studded leather strap as Warlord choked him with a thick rope. Crush was busted open when the Warlord shattered a wooden folding chair and used one of the shards to dig into his forehead, displaying a level of sadism so disturbing that even Ventura was somewhat shocked. The Powers & Ellering scored several near-falls on Smash, who kept kicking out and trying to fight back, but the odds were too much. Finally, after watching the Barbarian knock Ax back to the floor with a trashcan shot, Crush had seen enough and used his immense strength to break free from the handcuffs, popping the crowd as he no-sold a series of trashcan shots and unloaded on all three opponents, giving both Ax & Smash the opportunity to recover and join him in cleaning house. Crush took the WWF Tag Team Champions over the top rope with a double-clothesline, following them out and brawling around ringside while Smash & Ax viciously double-teamed the suddenly-apologetic Ellering, busting him wide open as well with a 2x4-assisted double clothesline across the face. Smash then draped Precious Paul across his knee as Ax came off the middle turnbuckle with the Decapitation Elbow, allowing Smash to cover the bloody Ellering and pick up the pinfall to earn the WWF Tag Team Title shot at the 1992 Royal Rumble next month. Afterwards, Demolition headed up the aisle triumphantly while Warlord & Barbarian tended to their fallen manager. (79%)

Lumberjack Match: The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers (Jacques & Raymond Rougeau) vs. The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs & Jerry Saggs)

Jimmy Hart escorted his Fabulous Rougeau Brothers down the aisle, flanked by their ten lumberjacks, all wearing their street clothes: Greg "The Hammer" Valentine, Dino Bravo, Bam Bam Bigelow, Cactus Jack Manson, Owen Hart, the Dynamite Kid, the Great Muta, Abdullah The Butcher, "The Natural" Dustin Rhodes, & "The Outlaw" Terry Funk, accompanied by Mr. Fuji and Colonel Robert Lee Fuller. However, referee John Finnegan immediately ejected Fuller and Fuji, rightfully stating that they had no business being at ringside for this match-up. The Nasty Boys came out next along with their ten lumberjacks, who were dressed mostly in blue jeans and plaid, just like "real" lumberjacks: Bob Backlund, Tito Santana, Hawk, the Big Boss Man, Chris Benoit, Davey Boy Smith, "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, "Texas Twister" Kevin Von Erich, "Nature Boy" Shane Douglas, and the Honky Tonk Man. With all 20 superstars surrounding the squared circle, the Nasty Boys and the Rougeau Brothers stared each other down in mid-ring and trash-talked one another before the Mouth Of The South hopped up on the apron and attracted the attention of Saggs & Knobbs, who seemed to fall for the trap but sidestepped Raymond & Jacques when they charged from behind and sent them colliding into their own manager. Hart fell off the apron but was caught by the heel lumberjacks, while the Nasties opened up on the Rougeaus, double-clotheslining Raymond over the top rope and focusing on Jacques. Santana, Honky Tonk, and Backlund prevented Raymond from retreating, sending him to his spot on the apron as the Nasties utilized quick tags and bone-rattling double-teams to control Jacques, who finally escaped and made the tag after interference from the Million Dollar Bounty Hunters. Tempers flared among the lumberjacks as the Boss Man & Hawk went after Cactus Jack & Bam Bam, brawling up the aisle and out of sight, leaving 16 lumberjacks around ringside. The Rougeaus wore Saggs down by tagging in-and-out frequently and putting their skullduggery to good use, scoring several near-falls as a shoving match broke out between the heels and faces at ringside. This distracted the Rougeaus and allowed Saggs to make the hot tag to Knobbs, who rushed in and cleaned house, even knocking the Enforcers off the apron when they tried to get involved. Jacques & Raymond rolled out to the floor to escape, but they were caught by the Texas Twister, Hacksaw, the New Nature Boy, and the New British Bulldogs before they could get too far. They held Raymond at ringside and tossed Jacques back into the squared circle, where Saggs was able to get the three-count following the Pit Stop Drop from he and Knobbs. Afterwards, the face lumberjacks threw Raymond into the ring, allowing the Nasties to squash him with the Pit Stop Drop as well before dragging Jimmy Hart in. Much to the delight of the fans, Knobbs raised his arm so that Saggs could grab Hart by the hair and rub his face in Knobbs' sweaty, stinky armpit while the face lumberjacks prevented the heels from helping the Mouth, who then bailed out and retreated up the aisle. (78%)

WWF Television Tag Team Title/Double Chain Match: The Rockers (Shawn Michaels & Marty Jannetty) [champions] vs. The Gangsters Of Style ("Sweet" Stan Lane & Paul "Romeo" Roma)

Slick, along with his personal bodyguard Bad News Brown, swaggered out alongside his Gangsters Of Style as the commentators questioned the Rockers' condition after the attack by the Gangsters on "The Funeral Parlor" last night on Saturday Night's Main Event. The WWF Television Tag Team Champions did look a bit battered when they made their entrance, but appeared very intense while staring down Paul Roma & Stan Lane as referee Randy Anderson joined all four competitors at the wrists with two 15-foot-long steel chains and explained that it would be one fall to a finish. Sweet Stan & Romeo Roma began to push and shove Marty Jannetty & Shawn Michaels, who escalated the action by responding with closed fists, kicking off a furious brawl between the two tag teams as Tenay recollected the history here, including Power & Glory becoming the first-ever TV titlists back in May at WWF War Zone. The fast pace continued until Lane managed to bust open Jannetty with the chain, slowing down the Rockers as Lane & Roma also went after Michaels, chaining him in a corner so that they could work over the wound on Jannetty's forehead. Marty's blood flowed freely, almost pooling on the canvas as the Gangsters took turns punishing him while the other pounded Michaels in the corner. Shawn eventually mounted a comeback and busted open both Gangsters using the chains as the crimson-masked Marty recovered and joined in, both Rockers scoring a few near-falls before Bad News Brown interfered, grabbing one of the chains and yanking Jannetty out to ringside. Bad News choked out Jannetty on the floor with a chain while on the inside, Roma & Lane avenged their bloodshed by relentlessly double-teaming Michaels and picking up several near-falls, but he kept kicking out. The Gangsters grew frustrated and brutally pounded Shawn's head and face with the chain, busting him wide open and apparently awakening him, as Shawn battled back and took the fight right to Romeo & Sweet Stan. Jannetty returned to the ring to help out his partner, laying out both Gangsters and climbing to the top turnbuckles from the inside. The bloody Rockers dove with a chain-assisted Double Flying Fistdrop on Romeo Roma, Michaels covering him for the 1-2-3 while Jannetty held Lane at bay, as the Masters Of Motion retained the WWF Television Tag Team Championship in a tremendous contest. Afterwards, with an uncharacteristically sadistic look on his blood-soaked face, Michaels nailed Lane with a superkick and ordered Jannetty to go back to the top turnbuckle, as the Rockers swiftly landed a chain-assisted Double Flying Fistdrop on Sweet Stan as well. The Rockers then exited the squared circle, soaked in their own blood as well as that of the Gangsters, with the TV belts over their shoulders. (92%)

Casket Match: The Undertaker vs. "Rowdy" Roddy Piper

The Undertaker was led to the ring tonight by Paul Bearer, passing the opened tartan casket at ringside along the way, as Monsoon explained that Brother Love was "out of commission" indefinitely after Roddy Piper's assault on "The Funeral Parlor" last night, causing Ventura to campaign for the Rowdy One's suspension. Hot Rod walked slowly down the aisle, removing his t-shirt and kilt before charging into the squared circle and firing away with lefts and rights on the Dead Man. This was a heated, back-and-forth slugfest similar to their Bodybag Match at SummerSlam '91, as they battled out to the floor and traded punches and Irish-whips into the ringsteps and iron guardrail as Bearer moaned in support of the Undertaker. The Scotsman threw everything he had at the Pale Destroyer, ramming his head repeatedly against the casket at ringside and taking him down with a running bulldog headlock on the concrete floor after peeling away the thin blue protective mats. The Undertaker fought Piper off when he tried to maneuver him into the casket, as Tenay reminded viewers that the only way to win was to stuff the opponent in the casket and seal the lid. Piper retrieved a chair and whalloped the Undertaker with it as the battle returned to the ring, where the Rowdy Scot managed to pound the Reaper down to the canvas and dump him into the casket at ringside, but Undertaker stopped Piper from slamming the lid and escaped, taking control of Hot Rod. Undertaker used his methodical offense to weaken Piper, punishing him for several minutes before scooping him up and slamming him from the ring down into the casket. Piper used his feet to prevent the Undertaker from closing the lid, blocking it and kicking the Dead Man in the face. The Undertaker appeared unstoppable, however, continuing to hammer him and scooping him up in preparation for a Tombstone on the metal folding chair, but Hot Rod wriggled out and mounted a spirited comeback, unloading on the Pale Destroyer with various street-fighting tactics. Piper picked up the chair and unleashed a vicious series of nasty chairshots across the head of the Dead Man, who staggered and stumbled but would not go down until the Scotsman leapt from the middle turnbuckle with a loud shot that floored the Death Valley resident. As the crowd cheered, Piper added numerous merciless chairshots on the prone form of the Grim Reaper, pounding and battering him with the chair while the commentators wondered how many shots the Undertaker could absorb without suffering serious injury. It got so bad that referee Shane McMahon intervened and tried to pull the chair away from the Rowdy One, telling him to just dump the Undertaker in the casket and end the match-up. While Piper engaged in a tug-of-war and war of words with the official, Paul Bearer slapped the canvas and rallied the Undertaker to rise from the grave, sitting up and blindsiding Piper with a big forearm. Although Piper attempted to fight back, the Dead Man no-sold his defense and bombarded him with punches and kicks before chokeslamming the Scotsman on the chair. Somehow, Piper escaped from the casket after the Undertaker rolled him into it, but soon fell victim to the devastating Tombstone on the chair. The Undertaker rolled his eyes back in his head as he delivered two more Tombstones on the steel chair, completely immobilizing Piper so that the Reaper could dump him into the casket and slam the lid shut, sealing Hot Rod inside and achieving victory. Afterwards, the Undertaker swatted away the WWF officials and agents that came out to release the Rowdy One, wheeling the casket, with Piper still inside, up the aisle and disappearing through the curtain with Paul Bearer. (86%)

Lights Out Match: Mr. Perfect vs. Jake "The Snake" Roberts

The arena lights flashed off and on briefly to signify that this was a Lights Out match, which Tenay explained was different from a Last Man Standing match in that there would be no pinfalls, no submissions, no count-outs, no disqualifications, no count-outs, and no 10-counts, thus the only way to win was to literally knock the opponent's lights out, which would be up to the discretion of referee Tim White. Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, still wearing his neckbrace, accompanied Mr. Perfect to ringside as Ventura and Monsoon argued over the necessity of the Brain's neckbrace. This one started off with both competitors being very cautious, slowly building as the pace picked up and went back-and-forth, keeping the crowd hot from the opening bell. Incredible bout that featured Jake Roberts and Mr. Perfect just beating the hell out of each other, doing everything in their power to incapacitate one another, including some heavy-duty rulebreaking involving chairs and brass knuckles as the battle spilled out to ringside and up the aisle. The commentators put over both superstars as the physical battle continued through the curtains into the backstage area, where Perfect took control and managed to bust open the Snake with a shot from a nearby fire extinguisher. Monsoon reminded viewers that the loser would enter the 1992 Royal Rumble at #1 or #2, depending on the result of the Ladder Match later, while the winner would receive the coveted 30th spot, as Perfect seemed to grow more frustrated with Roberts, who kept getting back up. The former two-time WWF Intercontinental Champion dragged Jake through the backstage hallways, grinding his bleeding forehead against the brick walls, as Ventura pointed out that if Jake lost enough blood, he would be unable to get up anymore. Although Roberts attempted a couple of comebacks, Perfect remained in control and tossed him out of the building through the doors into the parking lot, following him out among the snowbanks and kicking the Snake in the ribs as Heenan also appeared, shouting words of encouragement to the Flawless One. The Snake reversed an Irish-whip, sending Perfect into a parked car, and rallied back with a flurry of closed fists that had Perfect reeling before flooring him with the short-arm clothesline. However, when Jake went for the DDT, Perfect stood up and back-bodydropped him through the windshield of the car, shattering it. After several moments, the official was ready to end the match and award the victory to Mr. Perfect, but Jake climbed out of the broken windshield, getting a big pop from the fans in the arena, and went after Perfect, slugging it out throughout the parking lot until they reached a large Mack truck with the WWF logo on it, which Monsoon explained carried the ring from city to city. They fought up onto the cab of the truck, making their way on top of the trailer, engaging in fisticuffs 15 feet above the cement and concrete of the parking lot. Heenan had a coronary on the ground as the Snake surprised Perfect with a lowblow and dropped him with the DDT on top of the trailer, then yanked him up and planted him with another DDT. Since Perfect was still moving, Roberts dragged him up into a front-facelock and applied a third DDT as Ventura drew parallels between this bout and the Casket Match. The referee refused to climb up on top of the truck but prepared to call an end to the match-up, but Jake shook his head and motioned for one more, hauling Perfect up and drilling him with yet another DDT that collapsed the roof, causing both men to crash down into the trailer, out of sight, as the crowd and the commentators gasped. After a few moments, Jake emerged from the back of the trailer, battered and bloody, as the ref called for the bell and declared the Snake the last man standing. The commentators praised both competitors as two of the toughest and most resilient superstars in the history of the WWF as medics and road agents arrived on the scene to attend to Mr. Perfect while the Snake staggered back into the building. (94%)

Steel Cage Match/Pinfall Or Submission Only: The Hart Foundation (Bret "Hit Man" Hart & Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart) vs. The Destruction Crew (Wayne "The Train" Bloom & Mike "The Machine" Enos)

The Hart Foundation entered the roofed cage, the first of its kind in the WWF, which the commentators pointed out was to prevent the Heenan Family from interfering, but suggested that it was now unnecessary since Mr. Perfect was obviously in no condition to interfere and "Ravishing" Rick Rude was apparently training like a madman in Robinsdale, Minnesota. The Destruction Crew were accompanied by Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, who still looked concerned about Perfect's condition following the brutal Lights Out match. Unlike the Harts' Steel Cage match against the Powers Of Pain in May at WWF War Zone, this bout was held under regulation tag team rules, as Wayne Bloom started off locking up with Jim Neidhart in a test of strength that the Anvil easily won. The opening minutes went slowly back-and-forth as the two tandems seemed very cautious until the Foundation took control of the Train, scoring a near-fall with a nice double Russian legsweep. This continued for a couple of minutes until Bloom avoided Bret Hart's charge in the corner, causing the Hit Man to ram himself head-first against the cage. Bret collapsed to the canvas, clutching his neck, and proceeded to "play Ricky Morton" to the Crew's old Andersons gameplan, as Bloom & Mike Enos tagged in-and-out frequently, working over the neck with submission holds and double-teams, including a variation of the Demolition Decapitation with the Machine using a legdrop from the middle turnbuckle. The Hit Man kept kicking out and groaning in agony, especially after he was busted wide open when the Crew spiked him face-first into the steel bars with a double flapjack. Late in the contest, a four-man brouhaha erupted when the Anvil broke up a pinfall attempt on Hart following the Crew's spike piledriver. During the brawl, Rick Rude sprinted down the aisle in his work-out gear and blindsided ringside referee Danny Marsh, knocking him over and searching his pockets for the keys to the lock on the cage. As the inside referee Dave Hebner escorted Neidhart out to the apron, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat surprisingly emerged from the audience and quickly scaled the cage, racing across the roof of the cage and standing high above the Ravishing One, who was still searching for the keys. By the time Rude realized what was happening and looked up, the WWF Intercontinental Champion dove from 15 feet in the air and flattened him with the Reign Of Fire. The activity at ringside distracted not only Bobby Heenan but Enos & Bloom as well, giving Hart the opportunity to recuperate and shock Enos by ducking a short-clothesline and flooring the Machine with one of his own. Both men crawled to their respective corners and made the tags, bringing in Bloom and Neidhart, who cleaned house on both Crew members. The Anvil slingshotted the Machine face-first into the cage, busting him open, before tying him up in the ropes so that he could unload on the Train with clotheslines, forearms, and powerslams. Soon after, the Anvil tagged the Hit Man back in and they drilled Bloom with the Hart Attack, giving Bret the pinfall to finally blow off the Destruction Crew. Afterwards, although Enos & Bloom tried to assault them, the Foundation fought them off and exited the steel cage victoriously. (85%)

Following a promo for the 1992 WWF Royal Rumble on Sunday, January 26, Mean Gene Okerlund was backstage in the Million Dollar Empire's dressing room along with Irwin R. Schyster & WWF Champion Ted DiBiase, who had big smiles on their faces as they were flanked by Virgil, Bam Bam Bigelow, Cactus Jack Manson, and about 10 lawyer types in suits and ties. IRS was conferring with the lawyers as Mean Gene asked the Million Dollar Man what was going on. Schyster patted the lawyers on the back and nodded to DiBiase, who proudly informed Okerlund that another stipulation had just been added to this evening's Ladder Match against Razor Ramon & Randy Savage: DiBiase & Schyster would now be able to win the bout by climbing the ladder and retrieving Irwin's briefcase, or scoring a pinfall, while Savage & Ramon could only achieve victory via the ladder. When Okerlund inquired how they pulled that off, the WWF Champion explained that his "Million Dollar Legal Team" had made a deal with WWF President Andre The Giant granting the pinfall stipulations in exchange for the Empire agreeing not to file a lawsuit against the WWF on behalf of Miss Elizabeth. The Million Dollar Man did his trademark laugh and walked away as IRS smiled and wished luck to the Macho Man and the Bad Guy before following the WWF Champion along with Virgil. (84%)

Ladder Match: "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase & Irwin R. Schyster vs. "Macho Man" Randy Savage & Razor Ramon

The WWF Champion strode out first with Irwin R. Schyster and Virgil on either side of him, passing the 10-foot steel ladder at ringside along the way, as Tenay and Monsoon explained the stipulations: Schyster & DiBiase would be able to win via either pinfall or retrieving the briefcase, while Randy Savage & Razor Ramon only had the ladder option; however, if either the Bad Guy or the Macho Man could climb the ladder and grab the briefcase, that man would receive a WWF Title shot next month at the 1992 Royal Rumble, while his partner would be forced to join the 30-man Rumble as the #1 entrant rather than relying on the luck of the draw. While referee Earl Hebner hooked up and raised Irwin's steel haliburton briefcase containing the Royal Rumble contract, Razor Ramon & Randy Savage had separate entrances, but charged into the squared circle together and went toe-to-toe with the Million Dollar Man & IRS to kick off the main event. A very heated, energetic tag team war featuring all four competitors going at it in the ring at once, as early on Ramon & Savage functioned as a fairly solid unit, watching each other's backs. The ladder was brought into play as the fast-paced, hard-hitting action shifted back-and-forth until the Macho Man/Bad Guy partnership began to deteriorate after Ramon inadvertently bashed Savage with the ladder when Schyster ducked. Bleeding from the forehead, Savage shoved Ramon, who shoved right back and added a slap. Savage pounced on Ramon and they rolled around on the mat, clawing at each other, before DiBiase & Schyster jointly picked up the ladder and began wailing on their opponents with it, breaking up their tussle. As Razor and the Macho Man released each other, DiBiase & Schyster continued to bring the ladder crashing down onto them, battering Savage & Ramon so badly that the ladder became dented and bent, rendering it useless. The Million Dollar Empire remained in control, punishing the Cuban immigrant and the former two-time WWF Champion as Ventura applauded their strategy to destroy the ladder and therefore destroy the faces' chances of winning. With no disqualifications, Virgil freely interfered to help out his long-time employer as the WWF Champion and his financial advisor scored numerous near-falls on both Ramon & Savage, taking turns working over each opponent and utilizing precise double-teams, including a vicious double hotshot across the top rope, called the "Wall Street Crash", that left Razor gasping for air. Eventually, Savage & Ramon both rallied back with the fans cheering them on, slugging it out with Schyster & DiBiase, respectively, taking the fight right to them and frequently glancing above the ring where Irwin's briefcase was dangling from the ceiling almost 15 feet above them. Monsoon complained about how unfair it was and pleaded for another ladder, which was soon granted when the Big Boss Man & Hawk marched down the aisle carrying a ladder. Hawk & Boss Man received a nice pop as they slid the ladder into the squared circle before being blindsided by the Million Dollar Bounty Hunters, who raced down to ringside and jumped them from behind. The Boss Man & Hawk returned fire, battling with Cactus Jack Manson & Bam Bam Bigelow through the audience and out of sight as DiBiase, Savage, Ramon, and Schyster were all down in the ring. The competitors regained their vertical bases and hammered away at each other as they fought over the ladder, Ramon & Savage trying to set it up and DiBiase & Schyster trying to knock it down. Finally, Razor hung IRS with his tie tied around the top rope while the Macho Man sent the Million Dollar Man soaring out to the floor using a catapult. With their opponents indisposed, the Macho Man and the Bad Guy erected the ladder together and climbed up either side, meeting at the top and trading fists while occasionally reaching for the briefcase swinging over their heads. They slugged it out for several moments, keeping the crowd on the edge of their seats, until Virgil stepped into the ring and leapt at the ladder, trying to knock it over. However, only Razor lost his balance and crashed to the canvas with Virgil holding his leg, allowing Savage to reach up and snatch the briefcase before the ladder fell over, winning the match-up and earning the WWF Title shot at next month's Royal Rumble. Afterwards, Bam Bam & Cactus Jack returned to ringside and stormed the squared circle along with Schyster, DiBiase, & Virgil, swarming on Razor and beating him down. Savage swiftly made the save, driving each member of the Million Dollar Empire out of the ring with a steel briefcase shot to the skull before accidentally whacking Ramon with the briefcase when he came up from behind and Savage mistook him for another Empire member. The Macho Man shrugged his shoulders and celebrated with the briefcase as Monsoon, Ventura, and Tenay signed off, hyping the Savage/DiBiase WWF Championship bout at the 1992 Royal Rumble next month. (87%)

Overall: 85%

Buyrate: 1.82

Paid Attendance: 20,473

PPV Revenue: $4,550,000

Ticket Sales: $1,228,380

-----

There you go. I can't believe my diary has gone on this long, but I am looking forward to 1992. Thanks for reading.

[Chrononaut]

MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1991 -- WWF PRIME TIME WRESTLING

Vince McMahon and Jesse "The Body" Ventura introduced the show LIVE from ringside with discussion of last night's WWF No Holds Barred before running through this evening's lineup: Razor Ramon squaring off against Virgil in the "No Disqualification" main event, Shane Douglas locking up with the Great Muta, the Orient Express meeting the New British Bulldogs, the Conquistadors taking on the Stud Stable, Hacksaw Duggan facing the Genius, and much more.

The Genius vs. "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan

The World's Smartest Man was already in the ring holding the microphone and recited a poem insulting Jim Duggan's intelligence before Hacksaw marched down the aisle, toting his 2x4 and the American flag, as McMahon announced that Duggan would be challenging Ricky Steamboat for the WWF Intercontinental Championship next week on Prime Time Wrestling. The commentators discussed that bout during this basic comedy match that warmed the crowd up as Duggan finished off the Genius with the Three Point Stance. Afterwards, Hacksaw celebrated and motioned to his waist, promising to capture the WWF Intercontinental Title next week. (75%)

In the New Year's-decorated Prime Time Wrestling studio, Gorilla Monsoon and "Nature Boy" Ric Flair went through some of the results from WWF No Holds Barred last night before introducing their first guest, WWF Champion "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase, who was seconded by Irwin R. Schyster. Monsoon asked DiBiase why he was smiling, considering that his team lost the Ladder Match and he would have to defend the WWF Title against Randy Savage on January 26 at the 1992 Royal Rumble, but DiBiase responded that his wealth and power ensured that he always had a back-up plan. The Million Dollar Man pointed to last night as an example, gloating about the Miss Elizabeth lawsuit threat that allowed him to add the pinfall stipulations to the Ladder Match, and boasted that there was no way the Macho Man would be walking out of the Rumble with the gold. As DiBiase bragged, WWF President Andre The Giant lumbered into the room and placed one of his massive hands on DiBiase's shoulder, surprising the WWF Champion, who became irate and asked the President what he was doing there. Andre informed DiBiase that he had had enough of the Million Dollar Empire and their "power plays" and aimed to do something about it, causing DiBiase to scoff and claim that Andre was bluffing. A huge smile broke out across the Giant's face as he looked the Million Dollar Man square in the eyes and announced that his WWF Championship defense on January 26 against the Macho Man would be an "I Quit" match, explaining that the brutal contest would end only when one competitor uttered the words "I Quit" into the microphone. The WWF President also stated that if DiBiase did not defend the WWF Title on television before the pay-per-view, he would strip him of the belt and award it to the winner of the 30-man Royal Rumble. Andre boomed with laughter and walked out of the room while DiBiase and IRS went ballistic, arguing with Monsoon that Andre's decision was "unconstitutional" and that they planned to take their case to the Supreme Court if necessary. (96%)

The New British Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith & Chris Benoit) vs. The Orient Express (Sato & Tanaka)

The New Bulldogs entered first and got a nice pop, while Mr. Fuji waddled out with Tanaka, Kato, & Sato, who were all wearing identical masks and martial-arts pants, and sent in Tanaka & Sato as the official competitors. A well-worked, fast-paced tag team contest that featured Kato occasionally slipping in behind referee Danny Marsh's back and taking the spot of one of his worn-out partners, while Ventura and McMahon argued over WWF President Andre The Giant's decisions regarding Ted DiBiase and the WWF Championship. In the end, the Orient Express' deviance backfired when the official caught Kato trying to enter the ring and stopped him, allowing Chris Benoit to land the Swandive Headbutt from the top turnbuckle on Sato following the Running Powerslam by Davey Boy. Benoit then held Tanaka at bay and Smith covered Sato as the ref came back and registered the pinfall. (76%)

In the Prime Time studio, Gorilla Monsoon and Ric Flair talked about the Bunkhouse Brawl at WWF No Holds Barred that earned Demolition the right to challenge their next guests, WWF Tag Team Champions Powers Of Pain, along with Paul Ellering, who was wearing his pinstriped suit and tie, mirrored sunglasses, and a large bandage on his forehead. With a slight grin on his face, Gorilla asked Precious Paul how his head felt after last night, to which Ellering snapped back that he was just fine and advised Monsoon that he wouldn't be laughing for long. Ellering suggested that Ax, Smash, & Crush had better enjoy their victory while they could, vowing that Barbarian & Warlord would leave them "beaten, broken, and crippled" at the 1992 Royal Rumble. The Nature Boy pointed out that Demolition were former three-time WWF Tag Team Champions themselves, but Ellering stated that the key word was "former" and boasted that his Powers had held the title for over seven months since winning it in May at WWF War Zone. As the Powers grunted and snarled with the belts over their massive shoulders, Precious Paul added that his warpainted monsters weren't ready to give up the WWF Tag Team Championship yet and claimed that there was nothing Demolition could do about it. (80%)

Mean Gene Okerlund was backstage at the arena along with Colonel Robert Lee Fuller, Terry Funk, & Dustin Rhodes as the Stud Stable were ready to take on the Conquistadors. The Greatest Promoter Of All Time claimed that 1992 would be the year that the Lone Star Stud proved to his critics that he wasn't "Dusty Rhodes Jr." and would lead the Stud Stable to the top of the WWF, also putting Funk over as a "rebel" that the higher-ups in the WWF never wanted to see again. Funk promised that he would be sticking around this time to make sure that Dustin got the proper advice to make him a superstar, before the Natural told Mean Gene to watch their match tonight to see "history in the making". (85%)

The Conquistadors (Conquistador #1 & Conquistador #2) vs. "The Natural" Dustin Rhodes & "The Outlaw" Terry Funk

Colonel Robert Lee Fuller swaggered out with his Stud Stable as Ventura agreed with the Colonel's assessment that Dustin Rhodes had a ton of potential in 1992, which even McMahon had to acknowledge. Another very solid tag team bout with plenty of back-and-forth action, as the Conquistadors got in some nice offense on Terry Funk, who sold like crazy before fighting back and tagging in the Natural. After dishing out some double-team punishment, the Stud Stable put the masked men away when the Lone Star Stud covered #2 following the American Nightmare. Afterwards, Funk attacked #1 and planted him with the Armadillo Driver before using his branding iron on both Conquistadors, leaving "Stud Stable/Double Cross Ranch" brands on their gold bodysuits. (76%)

Cameras backstage showed an exuberant "Nature Boy" Shane Douglas striding down the hallway in a magnificent purple-and-white robe with two gorgeous young women by his side, headed out for his match-up tonight against the Great Muta. Along the way, the New Nature Boy bumped into Dustin Rhodes, who was returning from his match along with Terry Funk and Colonel Robert Fuller, celebrating the branding of the Conquistadors. The Lone Star Stud took it personally, shoving Douglas and warning him to watch where he was going, provoking Douglas to shove Rhodes and begin to remove his robe. Before the situation could go any further, several WWF agents and officials showed up and kept them separated, sending the Nature Boy out to the ring and ordering the Stud Stable to return to their dressing room. (84%)

"The New Nature Boy" Shane Douglas vs. The Great Muta

The Nature Boy still looked a bit embarrassed as he strutted out first with the two young ladies by his side, while Mr. Fuji waddled out behind his Great Muta. Ventura grouped Muta, Shane Douglas, and Dustin Rhodes together as three of the WWF's "young lions" that could have a breakout year in 1992, and this bout was a perfect example as Douglas took out his frustrations on Muta, engaging in a great athletic contest that saw the advantage shift between both competitors numerous times. They exchanged some loud reverse knife-edge chops to the chest, reminding many of the Flair/Steamboat encounters in the NWA a couple of years ago, as well as more aerial maneuvers and even some impressive mat wrestling. They both scored several near-falls on each other, keeping up the quick pace, until Muta missed with the Rising Sun from the top turnbuckle and crashed to the canvas. Douglas swiftly waistlocked Muta when he got up and slammed him with the Ace In The Hole for the 1-2-3. Afterwards, the sweaty and red-chested Nature Boy celebrated his big victory while Fuji scolded Muta at ringside. (84%)

In the Prime Time studio, Gorilla Monsoon and Ric Flair put Shane Douglas and the Great Muta over as highly talented athletes, with Flair even suggesting that maybe Douglas really did deserve the "Nature Boy" moniker. They then introduced their next guest, "The King" Jerry Lawler, wearing his royal cape and carrying the crown under his arm. The Memphis Monarch looked unhappy, complaining that Hulk Hogan and the WWF in general had been ignoring him over the last few weeks even though he was the Undisputed 1991 WWF King Of The Ring and wanted to challenge the Hulkster to a "war to settle the score" at the 1992 Royal Rumble. When Monsoon commented that Lawler's behavior had been "less than exemplary" since arriving in the WWF, the King bragged about his accomplishments, such as "putting Hulkamania on life support" at WrestleMania VII and winning the grueling King Of The Ring tournament in June, defeating Hawk, Jake Roberts, Roddy Piper, and Ricky Steamboat along the way. Although Monsoon pointed out that Lawler had never beaten Hogan one-on-one in the ring, the King claimed that the Hulkster was running scared and using his "Suburban Commando" press tour as an excuse to hide. Flair agreed and mentioned that the Immortal One was scheduled to promote the movie on NBC's "Late Night With David Letterman" on Friday, January 10, which appeared to peak Lawler's interest. The Memphis Monarch thanked the Nature Boy for the information and stated that if Hogan wouldn't come to him and accept his challenge, maybe he would have to pay Hogan a visit and pry the answers out of him. (90%)

Backstage at the arena, Mean Gene Okerlund was in the locker room to interview Razor Ramon, who was lacing up his boots as he prepared for tonight's No Disqualification main event against Virgil. The Bad Guy informed Mean Gene that he had requested this match-up to take out his frustrations from last night's Ladder Match at WWF No Holds Barred, claiming that he had a lump on his head and anger in his heart after Randy Savage "accidentally" bashed him with Irwin R. Schyster's steel briefcase. Razor stated that he should be the one challenging for the WWF Championship at the 1992 Royal Rumble, but added that he had "no problema" entering the 30-man Rumble as the first competitor and slicing through "29 cockaroaches" to earn his title shot at WrestleMania VIII. When Okerlund pointed out that the Million Dollar Bounty Hunters were not in the studio with Ted DiBiase earlier and could be in the arena this evening, Ramon just shrugged his shoulders and invited Bam Bam Bigelow & Cactus Jack Manson to get involved if they wanted a piece of the Bad Guy, so that he could give a preview of what was going to happen in the Royal Rumble by tossing them out of the ring like trash. (82%)

No Disqualification Match: Virgil vs. Razor Ramon

Virgil walked out first by himself, picking up a metal folding chair on his way into the squared circle, where he stood and waited for Razor Ramon. The Bad Guy strolled out slowly and stopped at ringside to remove his vest and gold chains, handing them to an attendant before charging into the ring and ducking a chairshot from Virgil. Razor knocked the chair away and unloaded on Virgil with a barrage of hard right hands to kick things off in this solid main event that saw Razor maintain control, manhandling the muscular manservant like a ragdoll until Virgil managed to back-bodydrop the Cuban immigrant over the top rope. As Ramon was getting to his feet on the floor, the Million Dollar Bounty Hunters rushed down the aisle and blindsided him, battering Ramon severely before tossing him back into the ring, where Virgil held onto the advantage for a few minutes with a variety of chokeholds and other underhanded tactics, legal in a No Disqualification bout. With the fans behind him, Ramon rallied back and caught Virgil trying to climb the turnbuckles, slamming him with a belly-to-back superplex from the top. When Cactus Jack Manson & Bam Bam Bigelow tried to interfere again, the Bad Guy disposed of them with a pair of wicked chairshots and drilled Virgil with the Razor's Edge to score the three-count. Afterwards, Razor pointed to his waist and declared that he would become the WWF Champion in 1992 as the show finished. (79%)

Overall: 82%

Rating: 5.98

Attendance: 10,028

Ticket Sales: $601,680

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Celebrating birthdays in December were...

Dynamite Kid (33)

The Great Muta (29)

"Ravishing" Rick Rude (32)

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Time for our quarterly meeting...

WORLD WRESTLING FEDERATION BUSINESS

Owner: Linda McMahon

Money: $90,000,000

Size: Global

Public Image: 100%

Risk Level: 42%

Production Values: 100%

Merchandising: 100% / $2,000,000 per month

Advertising: 100% / $1,000,000 per month

Sponsors: Sports Illustrated (4 months), Nintendo (8 months), Coliseum Video (7 months), Sega (5 months)

MEETING: FRIDAY, JANUARY 3, 1992 -- 3:00PM

Personal Assistant, Sophie:

The wrestling industry is currently in a slump.

Looking at the stats, I'd say the industry is at 29% of its peak.

The industry is slumping badly, and is only getting worse.

We currently have 100 workers on the overall roster.

We are currently running two house shows per week.

Head Writer, Eddie Chandler:

Our top draw is Randy Savage, while our most talented superstar is Ted DiBiase.

#1 babyface: Randy Savage

#2 babyface: Roddy Piper

#3 babyface: Andre The Giant

#4 babyface: Hulk Hogan

#5 babyface: Ricky Steamboat

#1 heel: Rick Rude

#2 heel: Ted DiBiase

#3 heel: Bobby Heenan

#4 heel: Mr. Perfect

#5 heel: The Undertaker

Head Medic, Dr. Zahorian:

Bushwhacker Butch will return from his neck injury in 2 months.

Rob Zakowski will return from his torn calf in 2 months.

Kerry Von Erich will return from his knee injury in 4 months.

Development Booker, Pat Patterson:

There are currently 3 workers in the United States Wrestling Association.

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SATURDAY, JANUARY 4, 1992 -- NBC/WWF PRESENT: SATURDAY NIGHT'S MAIN EVENT

Marv Albert, Mike Tenay, and "Nature Boy" Ric Flair opened the LIVE network broadcast by wishing viewers a Happy New Year and announcing this evening's events, including Roddy Piper & Bob Backlund facing the Gangsters Of Style, the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers meeting the Texas Twister and a partner of his choice, the Big Boss Man & Hawk taking on the State Patrol in tag team action, Rick Rude on "The Funeral Parlor", and in the main event, Randy Savage battling Superfly Snuka.

Hawk & Big Boss Man vs. State Patrol (Sgt. Buddy Ray Parker & Lt. James Earl Wright)

The State Patrol were already in the ring and attempted to ambush the Big Boss Man & Hawk when they marched out to a nice pop for the first WWF TV match of 1992, but the faces fought them off. This was a pretty quick semi-competitive squash that ended when Boss Man covered Wright following the Doomsday Device from he and Hawk. (72%)

Mean Gene Okerlund came out to the ring afterwards to interview the Big Boss Man & Hawk, who pointed out that they barely broke a sweat as they steamrolled over the State Patrol. The Boss Man predicted that they would steamroll over the rest of the tag teams in the WWF, while Hawk announced that they were both officially entered in the 30-man 1992 Royal Rumble. They agreed to watch each other's backs in the Rumble and slug it out amongst themselves at the end to determine who would go on to WrestleMania VIII on Sunday, April 26, to challenge for the WWF Championship. Suddenly, the Million Dollar Bounty Hunters stormed the squared circle and assaulted Hawk & Boss Man from behind, pounding Hawk to the canvas and hurling Boss Man over the top rope to the floor. After crunching Hawk with the Problem Solver, Bam Bam Bigelow & Cactus Jack Manson informed Mean Gene that they would also be competing in the 30-man Rumble to make sure that neither the Boss Man nor Hawk had any chance of winning, inferring that WWF Champion Ted DiBiase would be paying them big bucks to eliminate the competition, especially Hawk, Boss Man, and Razor Ramon. The Bounty Hunters threw in a couple more stomps on their way out, promising to see Hawk & Boss Man in the Rumble. (88%)

A video aired, featuring a pair of handsome, chiseled, young men identified as Al "Ice Man" Snow & Doug "The Tank" Furnas, both wearing matching navy-blue-and-white tights and boots as they worked on their teamwork against a couple of sparring partners in a ring in an empty arena. They both appeared to be in tremendous physical condition and looked very crisp as a tag team, pulling off several impressive double-team maneuvers while the voiceover put them over as determined athletes and hard workers in the squared circle who had all the tools to succeed in the WWF. They finished off their opponent with a Powerplex-style move in which Furnas slammed the foe with an overhead belly-to-belly superplex, followed immediately by a flying legdrop from the top turnbuckle by Snow. The vignette faded out on a shot of the Tank & Ice Man standing alone in the ring, glistening with sweat and looking all-business after their workout. (71%)

Jesse "The Body" Ventura was backstage along with Slick and the Gangsters Of Style, who were warming up for their match-up tonight against Bob Backlund & Roddy Piper. With Bad News Brown by his side, the Doctor Of Style lamented the Gangsters' loss to WWF Television Tag Team Champions the Rockers in the Double Chain bout last Sunday at WWF No Holds Barred, but Paul Roma & Stan Lane claimed that what didn't kill them would only make them stronger and promised to work their way back up the ladder, starting this evening against Piper & Backlund. As they were speaking, the Body interrupted and informed them that he had just been told that the Rowdy One was not in the building and in fact had not been seen since losing last Sunday's Casket Match to the Undertaker, so tonight's contest would be a handicap match. Sweet Stan & Romeo Roma laughed and high-fived the Slickster before they all headed out. (81%)

Handicap Match: Bob Backlund vs. The Gangsters Of Style ("Sweet" Stan Lane & Paul "Romeo" Roma)

Bob Backlund was just stepping into the ring as the commentators wondered what happened to Roddy Piper after the Casket Match at last Sunday's WWF No Holds Barred, while Slick, along with his personal bodyguard Bad News Brown, escorted his Gangsters Of Style to ringside. The All American started off strong early on, but the numbers game caught up with him as the Gangsters took control and used quick tags and sharp double-teams to wear down the former WWF Champion, who mounted a couple of short-lived comebacks. In the end, Paul Roma inadvertently floored Stan Lane with a missile dropkick from the top turnbuckle, allowing Backlund to rally back and send Romeo sailing over the top rope with the Running Atomic Drop before wrapping Sweet Stan up in a lateral guillotine for the surprising three-count. Afterwards, Backlund bailed out and celebrated in the aisleway while the Doctor Of Style and his Gangsters fumed in the squared circle. (80%)

While "Real American" played in the background, a video aired showing clips from "Suburban Commando" (looks like a pretty cool action flick...glad they dropped the lame-ass family-friendly crap) as well as footage of Hulk Hogan promoting the movie on "Entertainment Tonight" and various other programs. It also hyped the Hulkster's upcoming appearance on NBC's "Late Night With David Letterman" this Friday evening, and ended with a brief soundbite from "The King" Jerry Lawler, who hinted that he might show up to challenge the Immortal One face-to-face. (91%)

Back at the arena, Jimmy Hart led his Fabulous Rougeau Brothers down to the ring as Tenay mentioned their loss in the Lumberjack Match at WWF No Holds Barred to the Nasty Boys, while Flair predicted that they would gain revenge against one of the lumberjacks tonight. Kevin Von Erich walked out next and stood in the aisleway as ring announcer Howard "The Fink" Finkel introduced his tag team partner: "Maniac" Matt Borne, who marched out to a less-than-impressive reaction and high-fived the Texas Twister before they continued to the squared circle. (77%)

The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers (Jacques & Raymond Rougeau) vs. "Texas Twister" Kevin Von Erich & "Maniac" Matt Borne

Jimmy Hart stepped out to ringside as Tenay tried to put Matt Borne by mentioning that he competed in the very first WrestleMania against Ricky Steamboat and pointing out that he was a second-generation grappler like Kevin Von Erich, adding that Borne and Von Erich had battled each other in bloody wars all across Texas in the past. From this point, Flair referred to Tenay as "The Professor" for his knowledge of the sport, as this tag team bout went back-and-forth, although the Maniac seemed to have a bit of ring rust. Borne eventually fell victim to Le Bombe De Rougeau and was pinned by Raymond while Jacques knocked the Texas Twister off the apron. Afterwards, Borne appeared very disappointed and left the ring holding his head. (78%)

Following a commercial break, Paul Bearer was on the set of "The Funeral Parlor" and talked about the New Year upon us, before introducing this week's guests, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan and "Ravishing" Rick Rude, who had the WWF Intercontinental Championship belt that he stole from Ricky Steamboat a few weeks ago over his shoulder. First, the Brain admitted that his men let him down last Sunday at WWF No Holds Barred, but claimed that he was going to turn the Heenan Family's fortunes around, kicking off 1992 by announcing that his doctor had given him the go-ahead to remove his neckbrace. With the help of Rude, Heenan slowly removed the neckbrace and tossed it away before the Ravishing One got on the microphone and stated that he wanted a title shot at the 1992 Royal Rumble against the Dragon, caressing the belt as he spoke. Rude recalled that he pinned Steamboat to eliminate him at the 1991 Survivor Series and continued to rant until WWF President Andre The Giant lumbered out onto the stage and informed Rude that he was there to retrieve the Intercontinental belt for Steamboat's title defense against "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan this Monday night on Prime Time Wrestling. Rude looked rather offended and asked how Duggan deserved a title shot before him, but Andre responded that Rude would not receive a shot until he returned the belt, since he had ignored the WWF President's previous requests to give it back. Heenan took over, poking his finger in the Giant's massive chest and reminding Andre of all the things he did for him as a member of the Heenan Family, such as securing him numerous WWF Title shots throughout 1987 and 1988, claiming that Andre owed him big-time. Finally, Andre had enough and gripped the Brain by the neck with one hand, shaking him and declaring that he was in charge now, when suddenly the Ravishing One blindsided the Giant by leaping up and blasting him across the back of the head with the Intercontinental belt. After several more shots with the gold, Andre collapsed like a redwood, allowing both Rude and Heenan to gleefully stomp and kick the 7'4" legend until an army of WWF officials and agents flooded out to protect the President. Rude sneered and threw the belt down on Andre, sarcastically demanding his title shot before walking off the Parlor set with Heenan to a loud round of boos from the fans. (96%)

Mean Gene Okerlund was in the locker room to interview Randy Savage, who referred to Rick Rude and Bobby Heenan as a pair of "slimy weasels" for what they just did to WWF President Andre The Giant, but stated that he still had to focus on this evening's main event against Jimmy Snuka, as well as his "I Quit" WWF Title shot at the 1992 Royal Rumble against Ted DiBiase. The Macho Man warned that he would use the Superfly as an example of what he planned to do to the Million Dollar Man on January 26 to force him to squeal those two little words, adding that his hatred for DiBiase ran so deep that he didn't even care if DiBiase were to lose the WWF Championship before the Rumble. Savage was very intense as he looked into the camera and groaned, "OOOOOHHHHHHH YYYEEEEEEEEAAAAAHHHHHHHH...DIG THAT!" (100%)

"Superfly" Jimmy Snuka vs. "Macho Man" Randy Savage

Papa Shango accompanied Jimmy Snuka, who pounced on Randy Savage when he made his entrance, kicking off this heated brawling-style main event. The Superfly was a bloodthirsty savage zombie, putting on a great performance as he and the Macho Man traded the advantage while Shango chanted at ringside and occasionally interfered behind referee Joey Marella's back. At one point, the Voodoo Master tried to attack Savage after Snuka hurled him out to the floor, but Savage blocked his shots and fired back, even landing the flying double-axhandle from the top turnbuckle all the way down on Shango at ringside. This allowed Snuka to take control and dominate Savage for several minutes until the former two-time WWF Champion rolled out of the way of the Superfly Splash from the top and mounted a spirited comeback that culminated in the Flying Elbowdrop off the top turnbuckle for the 1-2-3. Afterwards, the Macho Man dodged an attempted ambush by Shango, tossing him over the top rope, and motioned to his waist while Albert, Tenay, and Flair closed the program. (85%)

Overall: 83%

Rating: 6.44

Attendance: 10,015

Ticket Sales: $600,900

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 5, 1992 -- WWF SUPERSTARS OF WRESTLING

Booker: Irwin R. Schyster

Quality: 70%

Rating: 5.07

Attendance: 10,025

Ticket Sales: $601,500

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Here is the card so far for the 1992 Royal Rumble on Sunday, January 26, as announced by Sean Mooney during the Update on Superstars Of Wrestling...

WWF Championship/I Quit Match: Ted DiBiase [champion] vs. Randy Savage

WWF Tag Team Title Match: Powers Of Pain [champions] vs. Demolition

30-Man Royal Rumble: Abdullah The Butcher, Bam Bam Bigelow, Big Boss Man, Hawk, Cactus Jack Manson, The Great Muta, Mr. Perfect [#2], Razor Ramon [#1], Jake Roberts [#30], Irwin R. Schyster

[Chrononaut]

MONDAY, JANUARY 6, 1992 -- WWF PRIME TIME WRESTLING

Vince McMahon and Jesse "The Body" Ventura kicked off the program LIVE from ringside, welcoming viewers to the first Prime Time Wrestling of 1992 and announcing the lineup for this evening, featuring Ricky Steamboat defending the WWF Intercontinental Championship against Hacksaw Duggan in the main event, the Texas Twister & Matt Borne taking on WWF Tag Team Champions Powers Of Pain in a non-title bout, Irwin R. Schyster meeting Tito Santana, Koko B. Ware facing a member of the Orient Express, and much more.

Koko B. Ware vs. Kato

Mr. Fuji waddled out with all three masked members of the Orient Express, sending Kato into the squared circle to compete while he remained at ringside flanked by Sato & Tanaka. Solid opener that saw Kato dominate until the Bird Man rallied back, using his superior speed and agility to floor Kato with a missile dropkick from the top turnbuckle. Before Koko could gain the pinfall, the Devious One distracted referee Shane McMahon, allowing Tanaka & Sato to slide into the ring as Kato gripped Koko in a rear-waistlock. However, Koko ducked the double thrust kick, which ended up nailing Kato. Koko swiftly knocked Sato & Tanaka through the ropes with a double-dropkick before spiking Kato with the Ghost Buster to pick up the 1-2-3. (69%)

After the match, Tanaka & Sato rolled back into the ring and attacked Koko B. Ware as he was getting up to celebrate his victory, beating him down to the canvas. The dazed Kato soon joined in and Mr. Fuji called the shots as his Orient Express trio thrashed the Bird Man until Bushwhacker Luke charged down the aisle to a fair pop and made the save, chasing off Kato, Sato, Tanaka, & Fuji. McMahon hyped the Bushwhacker's return from a "sheepherding injury" as Luke helped Koko to his feet and they played to the fans. (70%)

In the Prime Time Wrestling studio, Gorilla Monsoon and "Nature Boy" Ric Flair briefly discussed the return of Bushwhacker Luke before introducing their first guests, the Stud Stable: Dustin Rhodes, Terry Funk, & Colonel Robert Lee Fuller. The Greatest Promoter Of All Time began by heavily putting over the Lone Star Stud, hyping him up as "the next major superstar in professional wrasslin'" and crediting the Funker with helping the Natural along with his expert veteran guidance, before announcing that both Funk & Rhodes were entered into the 30-man 1992 Royal Rumble. The Outlaw explained that since he had already had his "day in the sun", his goal in the Rumble would be to make sure that Dustin lasted to the end and emerged victorious to earn the WWF Title shot at WrestleMania VIII. Dustin brought up his backstage altercation with Shane Douglas last week and warned the New Nature Boy to watch where he was walking next time because the Natural was a "big-time player" and commanded a lot of room. The Lone Star Stud finished by challenging Douglas to throw his name in for the 30-man Rumble so that he could have the satisfaction of tossing him over the top rope on January 26. (82%)

Tito Santana vs. Irwin R. Schyster

Escorted by Virgil, Irwin R. Schyster carried his steel briefcase as he walked out to "Money, Money, Money". During this back-and-forth old-school-style match-up, McMahon announced that WWF Champion Ted DiBiase would be Paul Bearer's guest on "The Funeral Parlor" this weekend on Saturday Night's Main Event to decide the challenger for his mandatory televised WWF Title defense prior to the 1992 Royal Rumble. After some great technical exchanges, IRS finished off Santana with the Write Off spinning samoan drop. (76%)

In the Prime Time studio, Gorilla Monsoon and Ric Flair talked about Roddy Piper, mentioning that nobody had seen him since the Casket Match at WWF No Holds Barred, before bringing in the Undertaker, who was seconded by Paul Bearer. Monsoon accused the Grim Reaper of doing something heinous to the Rowdy One after wheeling him away in the casket, but Bearer explained that they had no idea what happened to him since Piper had escaped from them later on and run off into the night. Although Monsoon didn't believe the obese mortician, Flair moved on and questioned the whereabouts of Brother Love. Bearer looked saddened as he informed the Nature Boy that Love was still recovering from injuries suffered at the hands of the Scotsman on "The Funeral Parlor" and had requested that Bearer manage the Dead Man until he was able to return. Speaking of the Parlor, Monsoon wondered if the Undertaker would be interested in the televised WWF Title shot before the 1992 Royal Rumble, as WWF Champion Ted DiBiase was scheduled to be Bearer's guest this weekend on Saturday Night's Main Event. Bearer grinned and hinted that it was a possibility, and announced that the Pale Destroyer would be participating in the 30-man Rumble, so either way he would soon hold the WWF Championship. The Undertaker was very menacing as he described the Rumble as a "mass grave waiting to happen" and predicted that the other 29 competitors would "rest... in peace." (74%)

Mean Gene Okerlund was in the locker room at the arena and announced that this weekend on Saturday Night's Main Event, Shane Douglas & Bob Backlund would be challenging the men behind him, WWF Tag Team Champions Powers Of Pain along with Paul Ellering. Precious Paul referred to tonight's non-title affair with Matt Borne & Kevin Von Erich as a "tune-up" for the Powers' championship defense against Backlund & Douglas, but Mean Gene warned him not to underestimate their opponents. Warlord & Barbarian growled and snarled as Ellering laughed and claimed that the "Apocalypse" was upon the WWF's tag team division, courtesy of his Powers Of Pain. (83%)

Non-Title Match: "Texas Twister" Kevin Von Erich & "Maniac" Matt Borne vs. Powers Of Pain (Barbarian & Warlord)

The long-forgotten Matt Borne got a slightly better reaction this evening when he walked out alongside Kevin Von Erich, before Paul Ellering led his WWF Tag Team Champions down the aisle to a loud round of boos, although there were some noticeable cheers. This was a well-worked tag team contest that featured the Texas Twister selling like crazy for the monstrous Powers Of Pain, who used frequent tags and crushing power maneuvers to dominate the second-generation star while the commentators talked about the Powers' scheduled title defenses this weekend and at the 1992 Royal Rumble. Von Erich managed to break free and make the tag to the Maniac, who rushed in and tried to clean house, but Warlord & Barbarian overwhelmed him and put him away with a double-team move similar to the Doomsday Device that Ventura dubbed the "Apocalypse", in which the Warlord lifted the 260-pound Borne up on his shoulders as the Barbarian soared from the top turnbuckle with a flying shoulderblock. After the Barbarian pinned the Maniac, the Twister came in to help his partner and fell victim to the devastating Apocalypse as well. (78%)

In the Prime Time studio, Gorilla Monsoon and Ric Flair speculated what would happen to the planned WWF Tag Team Title defense against Demolition at the 1992 Royal Rumble if the Powers Of Pain were to lose the belts to their next guests, Bob Backlund & "The New Nature Boy" Shane Douglas. Flair looked slightly distracted throughout the interview as Monsoon congratulated both men on their impressive victories over the past week, Douglas over the Great Muta on last week's Prime Time Wrestling and Backlund over the Gangsters Of Style in a handicap match on Saturday Night's Main Event. Backlund thanked Monsoon and expressed disappointment over the disappearance of "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, but asserted that he and Douglas would make a fine tandem as well and would capture the tag team gold this weekend. The New Nature Boy agreed and brought up the subject of Dustin Rhodes, stating that the Natural should watch where he was walking instead, and accepted the challenge of entering his name into the 30-man 1992 Royal Rumble. Backlund did the same, but advised Douglas that they had to focus on the WWF Tag Team Champions this weekend first and foremost. Flair suddenly stood up and ordered Douglas to get to his feet, as the two Nature Boys stared each other down while Monsoon and Backlund also got up. Flair cut a classic promo explaining that when Douglas first took the "New Nature Boy" moniker, he thought that the former "Top Gun" was just a "flash in the pan", but admitted that over the past few months, and especially last week against a world-class athlete like Muta, Douglas had really impressed him. The former seven-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion passed the torch, claiming that he would always be "The Man" but that now Shane Douglas was the one and only "Nature Boy". Douglas looked confused but thanked Flair, who warned him not to disappoint and suggested that people like Backlund would drag him down. Although Douglas defended Backlund, Flair handed the New Nature Boy a business card and informed him that if he wanted to associate himself with winners, he should get in touch with the name on the card. Douglas shook his head after reading the card and refused it, but Flair told him to take it in case he changed his mind, so Shane stuffed the card in his suit pocket before leaving with Bob Backlund. (89%)

Backstage at the arena, Mean Gene Okerlund was standing between Jim Duggan and WWF Intercontinental Champion Ricky Steamboat, who were preparing to face each other in the main event of the evening. The Dragon had the belt around his waist, voicing his sorrow at what happened to WWF President Andre The Giant over the weekend on "The Funeral Parlor", and stated that even if he lost the title tonight, he still wanted to go one-on-one with "Ravishing" Rick Rude at the 1992 Royal Rumble to avenge the President. Hacksaw echoed those sentiments but recalled that he had never won a championship in the WWF, so he had to focus on their match tonight above all else. Duggan and Steamboat shook hands and promised a fair fight before they headed off in different directions. (81%)

WWF Intercontinental Title Match: Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat [champion] vs. "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan

As promised, this was a fair fight, a back-and-forth main event pitting the size and brawling tactics of Jim Duggan against the speed and science of the two-time WWF Intercontinental Champion, with both competitors abiding by the rules in their quest for dominance. Hacksaw scored several near-falls and took the battle right to Ricky Steamboat, battering him with fists, clotheslines, shoulderblocks, and powerslams, but in the end, the Dragon dove from the top turnbuckle with the Reign Of Fire to secure the three-count and retain the WWF Intercontinental Championship. (78%)

Following the match, after Hacksaw Duggan shook hands with Ricky Steamboat and left the ring, Rick Rude sprinted down the aisle and slid into the squared circle, blindsiding the Dragon. The Ravishing One hammered the WWF Intercontinental Champion down to the mat, demanding his title shot, as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan soon joined in, getting in some cheapshots on the Dragon. Rude picked up Steamboat's championship belt and raised it above his head, when the festivities were interrupted by WWF President Andre The Giant, who emerged from the curtains and stood in the aisleway, holding a microphone and looking very angry. Heenan and Rude both stopped what they were doing and looked out at Andre, who announced that although he didn't want to reward bad behavior, he was a man of his word and agreed to grant Rude a shot at the WWF Intercontinental Title at the 1992 Royal Rumble. Rude and Heenan began to smile, but the Giant added that it would be a Two-Out-Of-Three-Falls match, which McMahon pointed out would give the advantage to Steamboat, mentioning his Iron Man victory over Mr. Perfect at SummerSlam '91. The Brain also seemed to realize this, throwing a tantrum while the Ravishing One complained as well. This gave Steamboat the opportunity to recuperate, as he snuck up behind Rude and Heenan, grabbing their heads and ramming them together, much to the delight of the fans. Rude and Heenan bailed out and the Dragon soaked in the cheers as McMahon and Ventura signed off. (96%)

Overall: 81%

Rating: 5.92

Attendance: 10,034

Ticket Sales: $602,040

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SATURDAY, JANUARY 11, 1992 -- NBC/WWF PRESENT: SATURDAY NIGHT'S MAIN EVENT

Marv Albert, Mike Tenay, and "The Man" Ric Flair introduced the LIVE network broadcast, running through the lineup: the Commonwealth Connection squaring off against the Nasty Boys, the Honky Tonk Man meeting Abdullah The Butcher, Matt Borne & Kevin Von Erich taking on the Destruction Crew, WWF Champion Ted DiBiase on "The Funeral Parlor", footage from NBC's "Late Night With David Letterman" last night featuring Hulk Hogan, and in the main event, Bob Backlund & Shane Douglas challenging the Powers Of Pain for the WWF Tag Team Championship.

"Texas Twister" Kevin Von Erich & "Maniac" Matt Borne vs. The Destruction Crew (Wayne "The Train" Bloom & Mike "The Machine" Enos)

Matt Borne & Kevin Von Erich looked a little bruised when they came out, which Flair explained was one of the hazards of signing an open contract, while Bobby "The Brain" Heenan accompanied his Destruction Crew to ringside for this solid opener. The Crew especially looked strong, using quick tags and precision teamwork as Tenay speculated that they wanted to send a message after suffering their first tag team loss in the Steel Cage match at WWF No Holds Barred to the Hart Foundation. In the end, the Machine covered the Maniac following the Wrecking Ball from he and the Train. (77%)

Mean Gene Okerlund came to ringside afterwards to interview the Destruction Crew and Bobby Heenan, who claimed that the other tag teams in the WWF "ain't seen nothin' yet" as it related to Mike Enos & Wayne Bloom, warning that the best was yet to come from his Crew. The Brain complained about Mr. Perfect being "forced" into the #2 slot in the 30-man 1992 Royal Rumble and said that he wasn't sure if the Flawless One would be recovered from the Lights Out match in time for the Rumble, so he was hedging his bets and entering both the Train and the Machine in the competition. The Brain promised that "by hook or by crook", the Heenan Family would control the WWF Championship in 1992. (84%)

Jesse "The Body" Ventura was in the locker room along with Mr. Fuji and Abdullah The Butcher, who roamed around the room licking his lips and looking hungry as the Devious One described tonight's match-up against the Honky Tonk Man as an "appetizer" for the 30-man 1992 Royal Rumble. Fuji grinned with pleasure as he explained that Abdullah and the Great Muta would rip through the other 28 competitors in the Rumble and then attempt to dismember each other to determine which one would go on to challenge for the WWF Championship at WrestleMania VIII. Fuji shrugged his shoulders and coldly commented that while he would lose one Dojo member in the struggle, he would have the WWF Champion come April 26. (77%)

Abdullah The Butcher vs. Honky Tonk Man

Mr. Fuji waddled out behind his Madman Of The Sudan, who had a starved look on his face and appeared to be extremely hungry. As the Honky Tonk Man swaggered out, wearing a leather jacket and blue tights that had "The Honk" written across the back, Abdullah The Butcher left the ring and charged up the aisle, where Honky Tonk tried to defend himself. He was momentarily successful, but the Sudanese Psychopath was in his element and overwhelmed the former WWF Intercontinental Champion with his trademark sadistic brawling. The brawl eventually spilled into the ring, where the Butcher continued to dominate but never went for a pinfall, instead gnawing and biting Honky. The Honk managed to mount a comeback in true Memphis style, flooring the 363-pounder with a series of flying fists from the middle turnbuckles, but when he set up for the Shake Rattle & Roll, Abdullah opened his mouth and sank his teeth into Honky's midsection. Referee John Finnegan tried to pull the Madman off of Honky and ended up becoming the Butcher's next target, as he pounced on the official and tried to bite him, earning a disqualification. The bell ringing caused Abdullah to release the ref and get to his feet, at which point the Honk began whacking him with the cane that he had just wrested away from Fuji. After numerous shots to the head of Abdullah, including one that snapped the cane in half, the Butcher flopped out of the ring to the floor, where the Devious One used his mysterious mind control to lead the bloodthirsty legend up the aisle, leaving the Honk to celebrate in the squared circle. (74%)

A possibly controversial "LIVE!" video segment aired next, interrupting the commentators in the arena. The video was shot from the inside of a pick-up truck by Cactus Jack Manson, who acted as the cameraman while Bam Bam Bigelow drove the truck, a sick smile on his face as Jack giggled maniacally. A smoking rifle could be seen on the dashboard as the truck pulled up to a gas station in the middle of nowhere; however, there was a red lowrider with flat tires and bullet holes already in the lot. Razor Ramon was standing outside the lowrider talking to a gas station attendant when the truck roared in and the Million Dollar Bounty Hunters piled out of the pick-up, sarcastically asking the Bad Guy if he was having any trouble. Ramon responded by going after the Beast From The East and slugging it out with him until the New Mexican Wildman blindsided him, smashing the Cuban immigrant across the back of the head with the camera, which fell to the ground and continued recording for a few moments as Cactus Jack & Bam Bam assaulted Razor at the gas station, until the signal suddenly went dead. (78%)

At the arena, Mean Gene Okerlund worried about Razor Ramon's safety before the Commonwealth Connection walked into the room for their interview as they prepared to meet the Nasty Boys. The Dynamite Kid asked Mean Gene if he had heard the rumor about WWF President Andre The Giant presenting the "1991 Tag Team Of The Year" award at the 1992 Royal Rumble, but Okerlund informed him that nothing was official yet. Dynamite & Owen Hart advised Okerlund and everybody else to watch them thrash Saggs & Knobbs tonight and prove why they deserved to be the 1991 Tag Team Of The Year. (80%)

The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs & Jerry Saggs) vs. The Commonwealth Connection (Dynamite Kid & Owen Hart)

The Nasty Boys got a nice pop as Albert pushed their Lumberjack Match victory over the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers at WWF No Holds Barred and their ascent in the rankings since parting ways with Jimmy Hart. The Commonwealth Connection were solidly booed upon their arrival, as Albert announced that all four competitors would be participating in the 30-man 1992 Royal Rumble. The Connection put on a great tag team contest with the Nasties, using their agility and technique to combat the wild brawling and roughhouse antics of Saggs & Knobbs. The Dynamite Kid & Owen Hart also utilized chicanery to get ahead and score a few near-falls, but Saggs finally escaped and made the hot tag to Knobbs, who barged in and cleaned house before planting Hart with a powerslam and tagging Saggs back in. Saggs quickly climbed to the top turnbuckle and leapt with a flying elbowdrop to complete the Pit Stop Drop and earn the 1-2-3. (82%)

In a voiceover, Vince McMahon introduced the footage of Hulk Hogan's appearance last night on NBC's "Late Night With David Letterman". The video began with David Letterman, behind his desk, announcing that "Suburban Commando" had opened to huge numbers on Christmas Day and was still playing in theaters around the world, before introducing "my next opponent", Hulk Hogan. The Hulkster walked out to a great ovation from the studio audience and shook hands with Letterman, who feigned a broken hand afterwards. After sitting down, Letterman and Hogan discussed the movie and the Hulkster's "Suburban Commando" co-star, Arnold Schwarzenegger, whom Hogan explained was a late addition to the cast after the shift in tone of the film. Talk soon turned to the WWF as the clueless Letterman asked if Hogan still wrestled. The Immortal One laughed and responded that some people wanted to see him "go back", which got a big cheer from the audience. Hogan took an impromptu poll of the audience, asking if they wanted him to return to the WWF. Led by band leader Paul Shaffer, the crowd answered very positively, bringing a smile to Hogan's face that soon disappeared when "The King" Jerry Lawler stormed in through the studio doors. The chanting subsided as the Undisputed 1991 WWF King Of The Ring brushed off security and walked up onto the stage, causing Letterman to remark, "Oh no, not you again!" in reference to the Andy Kaufman incident several years ago. Letterman retreated as the Hulkster stood up to confront the Memphis Monarch, impatiently asking why Lawler wanted him to kick his butt again so badly. The King reminded the former two-time WWF Champion that he put him out on a stretcher at WrestleMania VII and wanted one more opportunity to finish the job on January 26 at the 1992 Royal Rumble. The Hulkster seemed intrigued and inquired exactly what Lawler was trying to say, to which Lawler stated that he wanted Hogan "one-on-one, nose-to-nose, toe-to-toe, man-to-man" at the Rumble... in a Stretcher Match, meaning that the winner would have to incapacitate his opponent and cart him out of the arena on a stretcher. Hogan briefly thought it over before accepting the challenge, drawing a pop, at which point Lawler swiftly grabbed a cup of coffee from the desk and splashed it in Hogan's face. Hogan exclaimed that he hated cold coffee and unloaded on Lawler with a barrage of right hands, trading fists with the King as security flooded the area and separated the two rivals, dragging them off-camera in opposite directions. When Letterman returned to his desk, he suggested that the King should be banned from NBC because he always brings trouble with him. (96%)

In the arena, Paul Bearer was on the set of "The Funeral Parlor" and hyped the Stretcher Match for its expected brutality, which he explained may only be surpassed at the 1992 Royal Rumble by the I Quit match pitting Randy "Macho Man" Savage against his guest this week, WWF Champion "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase, flanked by Irwin R. Schyster and Virgil. The Million Dollar Man assured the audience that they didn't need to worry about Razor Ramon because his Bounty Hunters would take good care of him, which DiBiase claimed was a shame, since he was going to offer next week's mandatory televised WWF Title defense to the Bad Guy. The WWF Champion shrugged his shoulders and wished Razor luck as the first entrant in the 30-man Royal Rumble, boasting that everybody else in the locker room had enough common sense to know that if any of them tried to come out and claim the title shot, the Million Dollar Empire would wipe them out before next week even arrived. DiBiase passed a wad of cash to Bearer and prepared to leave the Parlor, but the fans popped as Bret "Hit Man" Hart marched out onto the stage and looked DiBiase square in the eyes. The former two-time co-WWF Tag Team Champion informed DiBiase that he wouldn't be intimidated and accepted the open shot at the WWF Championship for next week, advising the Million Dollar Man to bring his "working boots" because he was going to wear out and "excellently execute" the WWF Champion. The Hit Man fought off a poorly-planned ambush by Virgil, disposing of him with a stiff headbutt and chasing off the Million Dollar Man & IRS as the fans cheered. (85%)

Backstage, Jesse Ventura interviewed Shane Douglas & Bob Backlund as they warmed up for their main event title shot at WWF Tag Team Champions Powers Of Pain. The Body seemed to be trying to start trouble when he questioned whose name was on the business card that Ric Flair gave to the new Nature Boy on Prime Time Wrestling, asking Backlund if he knew. The All American admitted that he had no idea, but wished that Shane would tell him, leading to a brief argument between Backlund & Douglas with Ventura egging them both on. The Nature Boy finally produced the business card from inside his robe and showed it to Backlund, who immediately began to shake his head and advised Douglas to throw the card in the garbage. Douglas stuffed the card back inside his robe before Ventura could take a peek and told Backlund that he didn't have anything to worry about as they headed out for the main event. (84%)

WWF Tag Team Title Match: Powers Of Pain (Barbarian & Warlord) [champions] vs. Bob Backlund & "Nature Boy" Shane Douglas

Paul Ellering led his WWF Tag Team Champions down the aisle, while Shane Douglas was escorted by two stunning young women in evening gowns when he strutted out after Bob Backlund. Tenay mentioned that Backlund had won the WWF Tag Team Championship with Pedro Morales in 1980, while Flair hoped that Douglas wouldn't let him down after handing over "the mantle of the Nature Boy" on Prime Time Wrestling. The new Nature Boy didn't let him down, fighting valiantly as he and the All American made good use of their superior agility and technical skill to keep the monstrous Warlord & Barbarian off-balance. The Powers Of Pain looked impressive as well, manhandling their smaller challengers as the advantages shifted both ways several times, resulting in a very hot main event featuring some interference from Precious Paul. Late in the bout, Douglas & Backlund controlled the massive Warlord with quick tags and hit-and-run double-teams, garnering a number of near-falls before the All American's attempt at the Running Atomic Drop backfired and the Warlord crashed down on top of him. Backlund and Warlord slugged it out as Dustin Rhodes strolled out to ringside and began to chat with the Nature Boy's two sexy escorts, drawing jeers from the fans. When the Lone Star Stud started making lewd gestures and hitting heavily on the women, Douglas noticed and hopped off the apron, shoving the Natural away. Dustin shoved back, leading to a more heated confrontation as a few WWF referees came down to keep Rhodes and Douglas apart at ringside. Meanwhile on the inside, Warlord tagged Barbarian before hoisting Backlund up on his shoulders as the Powers triggered the Apocalypse on the All American. The Barbarian then covered the former WWF Champion for the three-count to retain the WWF Tag Team Championship. Afterwards, Ellering brought the title belts into the squared circle and draped them over the Powers' granite shoulders while the program concluded. (85%)

Overall: 82%

Rating: 6.64

Attendance: 10,035

Ticket Sales: $602,100

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 1992 -- WWF SUPERSTARS OF WRESTLING

Booker: Paul Bearer

Quality: 77%

Rating: 4.91

Attendance: 10,032

Ticket Sales: $601,920

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Here is the card so far for the 1992 Royal Rumble on Sunday, January 26, as announced by Sean Mooney during the Update on Superstars Of Wrestling...

WWF Championship/I Quit Match: Ted DiBiase [champion] vs. Randy Savage

WWF Intercontinental Title/2 Out Of 3 Falls Match: Ricky Steamboat [champion] vs. Rick Rude

WWF Tag Team Title Match: Powers Of Pain [champions] vs. Demolition

Stretcher Match: Hulk Hogan vs. Jerry Lawler

30-Man Royal Rumble: Abdullah The Butcher, Bob Backlund, Bam Bam Bigelow, Wayne Bloom, Big Boss Man, Shane Douglas, Jim Duggan, Mike Enos, Terry Funk, Owen Hart, Hawk, Honky Tonk Man, Dynamite Kid, Brian Knobbs, Cactus Jack Manson, The Great Muta, Mr. Perfect [#2], Razor Ramon [#1], Dustin Rhodes, Jake Roberts [#30], Jerry Saggs, Irwin R. Schyster, Papa Shango, The Undertaker

[Chrononaut]

MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 1992 -- WWF PRIME TIME WRESTLING

Vince McMahon and Jesse "The Body" Ventura opened the show LIVE from ringside by running through the lineup for tonight, including the Hart Foundation taking on the Million Dollar Bounty Hunters in the main event, the Gangsters Of Style meeting the Conquistadors, Matt Borne facing the Undertaker, Abdullah The Butcher & The Great Muta squaring off against Koko B. Ware & Luke, and much more.

The Conquistadors (Conquistador #1 & Conquistador #2) vs. The Gangsters Of Style ("Sweet" Stan Lane & Paul "Romeo" Roma)

Slick, along with his personal bodyguard Bad News Brown, escorted his Gangsters Of Style to the ring as McMahon announced that they would battle the Nasty Boys next week on Prime Time Wrestling. Fast-paced, competitive little opener, as both squads utilized some crisp double-team maneuvers and exchanged near-falls right up until the end, which saw Romeo Roma cover #2 following the Style Clash from he and Sweet Stan. (75%)

After the match, Mean Gene Okerlund appeared in the aisleway to interview Slick and the Gangsters Of Style, who preened and posed while Bad News Brown stood menacingly behind the Doctor Of Style. The Slickster announced that both Paul Roma & Stan Lane would be participating in the 30-man 1992 Royal Rumble and revealed his strategy, boasting that Sweet Stan & Romeo Roma would eliminate the Nasty Boys from the Rumble six days early, next week on Prime Time Wrestling. (76%)

In the Prime Time Wrestling studio, Gorilla Monsoon and "The Man" Ric Flair announced another tag team bout for next week's edition of Prime Time Wrestling pitting Dustin Rhodes & Terry Funk against their next opponents, Demolition: Crush & Smash, along with Ax, who was very fired up as he growled about Demolition obliterating the Stud Stable. Smash promised that he and Crush would take care of Funk & Rhodes on the inside, while Ax threatened to do to Colonel Robert Lee Fuller what he did to Paul Ellering in the Bunkhouse Brawl match at WWF No Holds Barred if he tried to get involved in the action. Speaking of Precious Paul, Ax produced a pair of handcuffs and recalled what had happened to Crush in the Bunkhouse Brawl, barking that if Ellering liked handcuffs so much, he had an idea for the 1992 Royal Rumble: during the Powers Of Pain's WWF Tag Team Title defense against Smash & Crush, Ellering would be cuffed to Ax at ringside to prevent him from interfering in the match-up. Ax challenged Ellering to show his faith in Barbarian & Warlord by accepting the stipulation, while Smash hollered that Demolition would kick the Stud Stable's teeth "down their stinkin' Southern redneck throats" next week and go on to capture the WWF Tag Team Championship for the fourth time at the Rumble. (81%)

Backstage at the arena, Bushwhacker Luke was shown talking to a figure standing behind a changing screen, telling the person that he looked great and that they needed to head out for their match against the Great Muta & Abdullah The Butcher. Koko B. Ware emerged wearing the multicolored camouflage-style attire that he briefly wore last year during his stint teaming with Bushwhacker Butch, high-fiving Luke and crowing about the return of "The Birdwhackers" as they marched out the door. (75%)

The Great Muta & Abdullah The Butcher vs. The Birdwhackers (Luke & Koko)

Mr. Fuji waddled out behind his Human Torture Chamber, while the Birdwhackers brought a special guest with them: Koko's macaw, Frankie, setting his perch at ringside during the bout, which was a solid yet unconventional tag team affair, as neither team employed much double-teaming. The starving Abdullah The Butcher kept glancing out at Frankie and licking his lips, which allowed Koko & Luke to take advantage of the distraction and seize control late in the contest. The Birdwhackers reeled off a couple of the match's few double-team maneuvers, including the Birdwhacker Battering Ram, with Koko using Luke's cranium, but the Madman Of The Sudan blocked it with a stiff kick to the top of the skull that floored Luke before tossing Koko over the top rope. The frustrated Great Muta tagged himself in when the Butcher wandered close enough, and finished Luke off with the Rising Sun from the top turnbuckle. Afterwards, Muta yanked the Bushwhacker to his feet and hurled him over the top rope as McMahon mentioned that both Abdullah & Muta were entered in the 30-man 1992 Royal Rumble. (75%)

In the Prime Time studio, Gorilla Monsoon and Ric Flair introduced their next guest, Jake "The Snake" Roberts, the man who had earned the #30 slot in the 1992 Royal Rumble by defeating Mr. Perfect at WWF No Holds Barred. The Snake explained that he had been "licking his wounds" from the Lights Out match over the past couple of weeks, but guaranteed that he would be at 100% when he slithered out on January 26 as the final entrant into the 30-man Rumble. Jake pointed out that he had never held a title during his WWF career because he was never interested in gold, but commented that after the "messed-up" year he had in 1991, his priorities had changed and he had set "snake eyes" on the WWF Championship. Monsoon mentioned that the quickest way to do that could be to win the Rumble and earn the WWF Title shot at WrestleMania VIII, which Roberts agreed with and referred to himself as the "odds-on favorite" to emerge victorious due to snatching the 30th spot. The calculating veteran added that what would make it even sweeter would be watching the monitor backstage as Mr. Perfect entered at #2 and got tossed out before Jake even made it to the ring. When Flair suggested the possibility of the Flawless One lasting until the end, the Snake thought about it and grinned at the Man, stating that he hadn't really considered that scenario but admitted that it would be the sweetest thing of all to eliminate Perfect very last to win the Royal Rumble. The Snake looked into the camera with his cold eyes and warned Perfect that if he could last an hour, he would be waiting for the former two-time WWF Intercontinental Champion at the end. (85%)

Mean Gene Okerlund was in a darkened dressing room at the arena to interview the Undertaker and Paul Bearer, who announced that he would have an exclusive of his own on "The Funeral Parlor" this weekend: the first interview with Mr. Perfect since the brutal Lights Out contest at WWF No Holds Barred. Okerlund asked Bearer why he accepted an envelope of money from WWF Champion Ted DiBiase this past weekend, but the rotund mortician tried to avoid the question and claimed that it was a gift. After more badgering from Mean Gene, Bearer admitted that it was a payoff so that the Dead Man would not claim the mandatory televised WWF Title shot against the Million Dollar Man this weekend on Saturday Night's Main Event. This appeared to anger the Undertaker, who glared and sneered at Bearer before walking away and out the door, followed by his apologetic manager. (85%)

"Maniac" Matt Borne vs. The Undertaker

Matt Borne was already in the ring warming up when the lights went dim and the Undertaker made his entrance, followed by Paul Bearer, who was shaking his head and looking remorseful. The Dead Man was as pale and emotionless as always, as he took out his inner frustration on the Maniac right off the bat, battering him with fists and boots. Borne tried to mount a comeback, but the Pale Destroyer stifled and manhandled him, effortlessly slinging the 260-pounder around the ring before burying him with the Tombstone. Afterwards, Bearer stepped into the squared circle and seemed to make amends with his Grim Reaper, apologizing profusely and assuring the Undertaker that nothing would stop him from capturing the WWF Championship at WrestleMania VIII after winning the 30-man 1992 Royal Rumble. (78%)

In the Prime Time studio, Gorilla Monsoon and Ric Flair discussed the 2 Out Of 3 Falls match at the 1992 Royal Rumble featuring Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat defending the WWF Intercontinental Championship against their next guest, "Ravishing" Rick Rude, seconded by Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, who immediately started arguing with Gorilla over their attack on WWF President Andre The Giant. The Brain stated that the Ravishing One had clearly earned a title shot back at the 1991 Survivor Series by pinning the WWF Intercontinental Champion in the Heenan Family/Animal House elimination match-up, and accused the WWF President of being deliberately slow in granting the shot because he held a grudge toward Heenan. Monsoon commented that these were serious allegations, but Rude snapped that it was a cut-and-dried case of conflict of interests that resulted in him being "forced" into the 2 Out Of 3 Falls stipulations. Rude complained that although he was always in immaculate physical condition, he had less than two weeks to prepare for a match-up that could conceivably last for 45 minutes. Heenan and Rude continued to complain until Monsoon announced that one more bout had been added to Prime Time Wrestling next week, the main event pitting Razor Ramon against Mr. Perfect, which set the Brain off even more, suggesting that the Flawless One was still recovering from the Lights Out match at WWF No Holds Barred and was in no condition to wrestle next week. Rude blamed a WWF conspiracy against the Heenan Family before he and Heenan stormed out. (90%)

Backstage at the arena, the Hart Foundation were shown discussing strategy as they put on their leather jackets and sunglasses. Bret Hart warned Jim Neidhart that the Million Dollar Bounty Hunters would be out to hurt him tonight due to his title shot at WWF Champion Ted DiBiase this weekend on Saturday Night's Main Event, but the Anvil assured the Hit Man that he had his back this evening and on Saturday night, wishing him luck in his bid to win the WWF Championship. (79%)

The Million Dollar Bounty Hunters (Bam Bam Bigelow & Cactus Jack Manson) vs. The Hart Foundation (Bret "Hit Man" Hart & Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart)

McMahon referred to the Million Dollar Bounty Hunters as "independent contractors at heart", citing the almost criminal tactics they used to prevent Razor Ramon from making it to the arena on Saturday Night's Main Event to accept the open challenge of WWF Champion Ted DiBiase. The commentators hyped Bret Hart's golden opportunity for the WWF Title this coming Saturday evening against the Million Dollar Man throughout this heated, hard-hitting main event, which kept the crowd hot as Cactus Jack & Bam Bam managed to isolate the Hit Man and work him over with frequent tags and bruising double-teams. Ventura pointed out that the Bounty Hunters placed more emphasis on money and mayhem than victories and championships, a perfect fit for the Million Dollar Empire, as evidenced by the fact that neither the Beast From The East nor the New Mexican Wildman attempted to pin Bret, choosing instead to punish him while Jim Neidhart rooted for his long-time tag team partner from the Hart Foundation's corner. Eventually, Hart slowly mounted a comeback, which was helped along when Razor Ramon swaggered down the aisle, looking a bit battered from the weekend, and began to taunt Bigelow & Manson from ringside. The Bad Guy flicked his toothpick in at Bam Bam, who charged out of the ring and chased the Cuban immigrant up the aisle and out of sight. Meanwhile on the inside, the Hit Man made the hot tag to the Anvil, who barged in and unloaded on Cactus with punches, shoulderblocks, and clotheslines before tagging Bret back in. Neidhart & Hart quickly drilled Manson with the Hart Attack, allowing Bret to score the three-count just as Bam Bam realized what was happening and raced back to ringside. After the bell, Bigelow rolled into the ring and tried to blindside Hart, but Neidhart stopped the Beast and clotheslined him right back out over the top rope. The Foundation celebrated their victory and Razor laughed at the Bounty Hunters from the entrance curtain as McMahon and Ventura closed the show. (90%)

Overall: 81%

Rating: 5.98

Attendance: 10,004

Ticket Sales: $600,240

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SATURDAY, JANUARY 18, 1992 -- NBC/WWF PRESENT: SATURDAY NIGHT'S MAIN EVENT

Marv Albert, Mike Tenay, and "The Man" Ric Flair kicked off the LIVE network broadcast with a rundown of the evening's scheduled events, including the Texas Twister taking on Jerry Lawler, the New British Bulldogs battling the Enforcers, Papa Shango meeting Matt Borne, the Big Boss Man & Hawk in tag team action, Mr. Perfect on "The Funeral Parlor", and in the big main event, Ted DiBiase defending the WWF Championship against Bret Hart.

"Maniac" Matt Borne vs. Papa Shango

Papa Shango was followed to the ring by his zombified "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka for this plodding opener, which saw the two stocky, powerful competitors exchange stiff blows and trade the advantages. Matt Borne put a lot of effort into his performance, but in the end, the Voodoo Master applied the Black Spike, causing the Maniac to pass out, at which point referee John Finnegan dropped his arm three times and awarded the submission to Shango. (66%)

A vignette aired next, featuring the Honky Tonk Man in a 1950s-style diner, wearing blue jeans and a leather jacket that had "The Honk" written across the back. An obvious but humorous way of reinventing the former WWF Intercontinental Champion in the vein of Fonzie from "Happy Days", Honky Tonk was seated in a booth, surrounded by young women in '50s attire who were hanging on his every word as he crowed about winning the 30-man 1992 Royal Rumble and going on to add the WWF Championship to his "Greatest Hits" collection at WrestleMania VIII. The girls all squealed with delight as Honky revealed that he had great confidence in himself, with the support of the "Honksters" and "Honkettes" in the audience. Honky then stood up and hit the jukebox with his hand, Fonz-style, to start it up as he boogied with the girls, while a graphic appeared on the screen reading, "Coming to the 1992 Royal Rumble: The Honk!" (81%)

Hawk & Big Boss Man vs. The Southern Kids (Brian Christopher & Bob Holly)

During the introductions, Flair made fun of "The Honk" and his new persona, but Tenay pointed out that he was the longest-reigning WWF Intercontinental Champion of all time and could be a dark horse in the 1992 Royal Rumble. This was a basic semi-competitive squash, as the renamed Southern Kids did get in some offense, but were mostly dominated by the Big Boss Man & Hawk, whom the commentators pushed strongly as favorites in the Rumble. The Southern Kids were finished off when Hawk covered Brian Christopher following the Doomsday Device from he and Boss Man. (64%)

Mean Gene Okerlund was in the locker room to interview "The King" Jerry Lawler, asking him what right he had to interrupt Hulk Hogan's interview on NBC's "Late Night With David Letterman" and ruin the show. The Undisputed 1991 WWF King Of The Ring explained that he was tired of the Immortal One avoiding him, and looked forward to ending Hulkamania for good in the Stretcher Match at the 1992 Royal Rumble. When Mean Gene brought up David Letterman's suggestion of banning Lawler from NBC, the Memphis Monarch laughed it off and boasted that it would never happen because he was the King. The King recalled some of his bloody battles with Kerry Von Erich in the past and warned NBC executives that tonight's match with Kevin Von Erich might get a little out of hand. (87%)

"Texas Twister" Kevin Von Erich vs. "The King" Jerry Lawler

The Undisputed 1991 WWF King Of The Ring was carried to the squared circle on his throne and stepped through the ropes for this solid, well-worked encounter with Kevin Von Erich that saw both competitors exchange basic maneuvers and get the crowd into it. The Texas Twister garnered a couple of near-falls, but the end came when Jerry Lawler ducked the Twister Punch and planted Von Erich with the Royal Piledriver for the 1-2-3. Afterwards, the King ripped the NBC logo badge off of referee Danny Marsh's shirt and stuck it on Von Erich before tossing him out to the floor. The Memphis Monarch followed out to ringside and dragged the Twister up to the ring steps, crunching him with a painful Piledriver on the steel stairs as the crowd booed. Lawler raised his arms triumphantly as he left the Twister in a crumpled heap on the floor. (71%)

Another promo video for Al "Ice Man" Snow & Doug "The Tank" Furnas aired, featuring the two muscular young athletes training and pumping iron in the gym, displaying their hard work ethic as they constantly tried to one-up each other. The Ice Man was clearly the quicker and more agile of the two, while the Tank was unmatched in his powerlifting abilities, hoisting up 500 pounds at one point. Snow did most of the talking, warning the other tag teams that he and Furnas were headed to the WWF and that they would settle for nothing less than the WWF Tag Team Championship. (67%)

Mean Gene Okerlund was backstage at the arena to interview Jimmy Hart, who was flanked by the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers, Dino Bravo, & Greg Valentine. The Mouth Of The South announced that he had entered Jacques & Raymond in the 30-man 1992 Royal Rumble, which was why he was sending in the Enforcers tonight to take out two other participants, the New British Bulldogs. The Enforcers did not seem pleased that they would not be in the Rumble, but the Mouth nervously assured them that it was in the best interests of the Hart Organization. (85%)

The Enforcers (Greg "The Hammer" Valentine & Dino Bravo) vs. The New British Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith & Chris Benoit)

Jimmy Hart escorted his Enforcers down the aisle, having a heated discussion along the way, as Albert pointed out that the Mouth Of The South had neglected to mention that the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers would be challenging WWF Television Tag Team Champions the Rockers next week on Saturday Night's Main Event, and wondered if Dino Bravo & Greg Valentine knew about that. This was an entertaining old-school style tag team bout, somewhat reminiscent of the British Bulldogs/Dream Team match at WrestleMania 2, as the New British Bulldogs looked crisp, while the Enforcers used their basic strength and skullduggery to turn the tide. The New Bulldogs fought back and put the Enforcers away when Chris Benoit dropped the Swandive Headbutt from the top turnbuckle on Bravo following the Running Powerslam by Davey Boy. (72%)

Following a commercial break, Paul Bearer was on the set of "The Funeral Parlor", boasting that the Undertaker was already digging 29 graves in preparation for his 1992 Royal Rumble victory in eight days, before introducing his guest this week, Mr. Perfect, who hobbled out on crutches with a black eye and his head bandaged, accompanied by Bobby "The Brain" Heenan. When Bearer remarked at how beaten-up the Flawless One appeared, the Brain informed him that Perfect was still recovering from injuries suffered at the hands of Jake Roberts at WWF No Holds Barred in the Lights Out match. In fact, Heenan revealed that Perfect's jaw had been wired shut and he was unable to speak, explaining that Perfect was in no condition to wrestle Razor Ramon on Prime Time Wrestling this Monday because he needed as much time as possible to prepare for the 30-man Royal Rumble. Heenan implored WWF President Andre The Giant to reconsider, bringing out the 7'4" former WWF Champion. The WWF President lumbered onto the stage and shook his head, denying Heenan's request and forcing Perfect to meet the Bad Guy on Monday night, causing the Brain to throw a tantrum, again accusing Andre of a conflict of interests. When the Giant had heard enough whining, he gripped the Brain by the throat, but Perfect miraculously recuperated and swung one of his crutches at Andre's head. However, Andre was ready and caught the crutch before it hit his head, yanking it away and swinging it around as Perfect, Heenan, and even Bearer fled the scene and took off. Andre picked up the microphone and stated that Perfect had better show up on Prime Time Wrestling, then snapped the crutch in half. (83%)

In the locker room, Mean Gene Okerlund interviewed Bret Hart as he was just finishing warming up for his main event title shot at Ted DiBiase's WWF Championship. The Hit Man brought up his father Stu's legacy in the wrestling business and talked about how important the WWF Title was to every athlete in the sport, vowing to "seize the day" and "excellently execute" the Million Dollar Man en route to becoming the WWF Champion...NEXT! (85%)

WWF Championship Match: "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase [champion] vs. Bret "Hit Man" Hart

Bret Hart received a loud pop when he made his entrance, while Virgil seconded the WWF Champion for this tremendous main event as Tenay reminded viewers that WWF President Andre The Giant had ordered Ted DiBiase to make a televised title defense prior to January 26, threatening to strip him of the belt and award it to the winner of the 30-man 1992 Royal Rumble. The match-up started off slowly with some great chainwrestling, exchanging holds and counterholds before the pace picked up and both competitors went at it full-throttle, trading numerous near-falls. The fans rallied behind the Hit Man as he seemed poised for victory, gaining several close counts and turning up the heat, resulting in the Million Dollar Man bailing out and heading up the aisle with Virgil, who had grabbed the WWF Title belt from the timekeeper's table. As they turned around to look at Bret in the ring and backed up the aisle, they bumped into the WWF President himself, who ordered DiBiase to return to the squared circle or risk being stripped of the gold. DiBiase had a fit but, after a commercial break, finally stepped back through the ropes to complete the match-up. Although Hart looked very strong and came close to winning, DiBiase dropped him with a hotshot across the top rope and cinched in the Million Dollar Dream late in the contest. It took longer than usual as the Hit Man valiantly struggled to escape, but referee Dave Hebner dropped Bret's arm three times and the Million Dollar Man retained his WWF Championship. Afterwards, Andre announced that with the mandatory title defense out of the way, the official contract signing for the "I Quit" match between DiBiase and "Macho Man" Randy Savage would take place on Saturday Night's Main Event next week, the evening before the 1992 Royal Rumble. The WWF Champion shrugged it off and held his belt aloft as Albert, Tenay, and Flair signed off. (82%)

Overall: 77%

Rating: 6.44

Attendance: 10,023

Ticket Sales: $601,380

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 19, 1992 -- WWF SUPERSTARS OF WRESTLING

Booker: Bill Dundee

Quality: 73%

Rating: 5.29

Attendance: 10,040

Ticket Sales: $602,400

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Here is the card so far for the 1992 Royal Rumble on Sunday, January 26, as announced by Sean Mooney during the Update on Superstars Of Wrestling...

WWF Championship/I Quit Match: Ted DiBiase [champion] vs. Randy Savage

WWF Intercontinental Title/2 Out Of 3 Falls Match: Ricky Steamboat [champion] vs. Rick Rude

WWF Tag Team Title Match: Powers Of Pain [champions] vs. Demolition

Stretcher Match: Hulk Hogan vs. Jerry Lawler

30-Man Royal Rumble: Abdullah The Butcher, Bob Backlund, Chris Benoit, Bam Bam Bigelow, Wayne Bloom, Big Boss Man, Shane Douglas, Jim Duggan, Mike Enos, Terry Funk, Owen Hart, Hawk, Honky Tonk Man, Dynamite Kid, Brian Knobbs, Stan Lane, Cactus Jack Manson, The Great Muta, Mr. Perfect [#2], Razor Ramon [#1], Dustin Rhodes, Jake Roberts [#30], Paul Roma, Jacques Rougeau, Raymond Rougeau, Jerry Saggs, Irwin R. Schyster, Papa Shango, Davey Boy Smith, The Undertaker

[Chrononaut]

MONDAY, JANUARY 20, 1992 -- WWF PRIME TIME WRESTLING

Vince McMahon and Jesse "The Body" Ventura began the show LIVE from ringside, hyping the 1992 Royal Rumble this Sunday and introducing tonight's lineup, featuring Mr. Perfect meeting Razor Ramon in the main event, Demolition squaring off with the Stud Stable, the Gangsters Of Style taking on the Nasty Boys, the Commonwealth Connection in tag team action against the Dundee Family, and much more.

The Commonwealth Connection (Dynamite Kid & Owen Hart) vs. The Dundee Family (Bill & Jamie Dundee)

The commentators talked about the possibility of the Commonwealth Connection/New British Bulldogs rivalry flaring up this Sunday since all four competitors would be participating in the 30-man 1992 Royal Rumble. This was a basic competitive squash that made the Connection look like a well-oiled machine as they finished off the Dundee Family when Owen Hart covered Jamie following the Union Spike from he and the Dynamite Kid. (66%)

In the Prime Time Wrestling studio, Gorilla Monsoon and "The Man" Ric Flair ran through the final list of all 30 entrants in this Sunday's 1992 Royal Rumble and mentioned that for almost half of the participants, it would be their first Rumble, including their first guest, Abdullah The Butcher, who followed Mr. Fuji into the room and looked practically insane from hunger, eyes bulging as he licked his lips. The Devious One explained that the Great Muta was meditating in the Dojo in preparation for the Rumble, while his strategy for the Madman Of The Sudan was simple: Fuji revealed that he had Abdullah on a starvation plan, feeding him one scrap of meat per week until the Butcher reached his peak of violence and started winning matches and hurting people. Monsoon disapproved of the plan, but Fuji grinned and stated that it was "feeding time", pulling a sliver of raw, bloody meat from his pocket, unwrapping it, and tossing it at Abdullah, who caught it and immediately began chowing down as Flair and Monsoon turned their heads in disgust. Fuji cackled as he pointed out that this was Abdullah's last feeding before the Royal Rumble, warning the other 28 competitors (not including Muta) that he would be a very hungry Butcher come this Sunday. (82%)

The Gangsters Of Style ("Sweet" Stan Lane & Paul "Romeo" Roma) vs. The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs & Jerry Saggs)

Slick, along with his personal bodyguard Bad News Brown, escorted his Gangsters Of Style as McMahon recalled that Paul Roma & Stan Lane scored a cheap victory over the Nasty Boys back in September. This was a very good, hard-hitting match-up that went back-and-forth as Ventura suggested that the tag teams in the 30-man 1992 Royal Rumble, such as the Gangsters, the Nasties, the New British Bulldogs, and the Commonwealth Connection, might have an advantage if they worked together to eliminate the other competitors. Although Sweet Stan & Romeo Roma had the advantage and kept it through quick tags and classic double-teams, Brian Knobbs escaped via a double noggin-knocker and made the hot tag to Jerry Saggs, who charged in and cleaned house. Amidst the chaos, Knobbs managed to plant Roma with a powerslam before Saggs leapt from the top turnbuckle with the Pit Stop Drop to score the three-count. (73%)

In the Prime Time studio, Gorilla Monsoon and Ric Flair talked about a couple of the other bouts scheduled for the 1992 Royal Rumble this Sunday, including the Powers Of Pain defending the WWF Tag Team Championship against Demolition, and in a 2 Out Of 3 Falls match, Rick Rude challenging their next guest, WWF Intercontinental Champion Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat. The Man referred to the Dragon as the "Iron Man of the WWF" but added that the Ravishing One was no slouch either, which Steamboat agreed with and admitted that despite his disrespectful behavior, Rude was a tremendous athlete fully deserving of a title shot. Steamboat worried about the Heenan Family's actions recently, especially the assault on WWF President Andre The Giant, and stated that he wanted to be part of the solution to wipe out Bobby Heenan and his Family members, focusing on bringing down Rude this Sunday. The Dragon looked forward to the challenge, mentioning that the contest had a time limit of 45 minutes and wondering if Rude would be up to the task, commenting that he was in the best shape of his life and suggesting that he could go for an hour or more. The WWF Intercontinental Champion advised the Ravishing One to hit the gym extra hard over the next six days so that they could determine the better man at the Rumble. (82%)

Backstage at the arena, Mean Gene Okerlund interviewed Colonel Robert Fuller, Dustin Rhodes, & Terry Funk as the Stud Stable prepared to meet Demolition. The Greatest Promoter Of All Time mentioned that he saw Demolition's interview last week on Prime Time Wrestling and warned Ax not to put his hands on the Colonel under any circumstances or he would regret it, pointing out that he needed to be at ringside this Sunday when the Lone Star Stud won the 30-man 1992 Royal Rumble with the help of the Outlaw. Funk nodded his head as Rhodes bragged about his abilities and predicted that he would be a "Natural" WWF Champion at WrestleMania VIII. (83%)

"The Natural" Dustin Rhodes & "The Outlaw" Terry Funk vs. Demolition (Smash & Crush)

Colonel Robert Lee Fuller seconded his Stud Stable members to the ring, while Ax marched out with his Demolition brothers-in-paint as McMahon announced that despite Paul Ellering's protests, WWF President Andre The Giant had sanctioned the stipulation mentioned last week for the 1992 Royal Rumble in which Precious Paul would be handcuffed to Ax at ringside during the Demolition/Powers Of Pain WWF Tag Team Title bout. Terry Funk & Dustin Rhodes put on an entertaining encounter with Crush & Smash, using every dirty heel trick in the book to isolate Smash and work him over in their corner, with some interference from the Colonel, while Ax pounded the mat and tried to rally his former co-WWF Tag Team Championship partner. Smash did manage to break free and tag Crush, but referee Randy Anderson had been distracted by a confrontation between Fuller and Ax and missed the tag, ushering Crush out to the apron as the Outlaw dragged Smash back to the Stud Stable corner for more punishment. Soon after, the elegantly-dressed Shane Douglas strutted down the aisle with two beautiful women and attracted the Lone Star Stud's attention, causing Dustin to abandon his spot on the apron and go after Douglas as McMahon recalled that the Natural cost the Nature Boy & Bob Backlund their shot at the WWF Tag Team Champions recently. Meanwhile, with no partner to tag, Funk lost control of Smash, who made the hot tag to Crush as Demolition unloaded on the Funker and put him away with the Decapitation Kneedrop from the top turnbuckle by Crush. (73%)

Afterwards, with Dustin Rhodes tangling with Shane Douglas in the aisleway and Terry Funk laying semi-conscious on the canvas, Colonel Robert Lee Fuller foolishly attempted to ambush all three members of Demolition as they celebrated their victory in the squared circle. However, the facepainted brutes no-sold the attack before Crush turned and knocked the Colonel's cowboy hat off and grabbed him by the hair, barking threats at him. Crush Irish-whipped Fuller toward Smash, who caught and held him in a backbreaker across his knee as Ax climbed to the middle turnbuckle again and delighted the fans by diving off with the Decapitation Elbow on the Greatest Promoter Of All Time. Demolition raised their arms triumphantly and exited the ring, leaving the Colonel laid out on the mat. (77%)

In the Prime Time studio, Gorilla Monsoon and Ric Flair discussed the other encounters on the card at this Sunday's 1992 Royal Rumble, including "The King" Jerry Lawler battling Hulk Hogan in a Stretcher Match, and Ted DiBiase defending the WWF Championship in an I Quit bout against their next guest, "Macho Man" Randy Savage, who looked pretty burned-out when he entered the room. The Macho Man admitted that his lengthy feud with the Million Dollar Man had taken its toll on his body, mind, and soul, but added that it would all be worth it this Sunday when he destroys DiBiase to regain the WWF Title. Flair asked the hard questions, questioning if it was worth losing his fiancee, Miss Elizabeth, and suffering so many beatings from the Million Dollar Empire, but Savage responded that he couldn't look at it that way and had to focus on the WWF Championship, commenting that he had held the belt twice before and planned to go down in the history books as the first-ever three-time WWF Champion by forcing the Million Dollar Man to cry those two special little words: "I Quit...OOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHH YYYYEEEEEEEEAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH, DIG IT!" (90%)

Mean Gene Okerlund was in the locker room at the arena along with Bobby Heenan and Mr. Perfect, who still appeared to have some legitimate scrapes and contusions from the Lights Out match at WWF No Holds Barred as he warmed up for this evening's main event against Razor Ramon. The Brain tried to protest that the Flawless One was in no shape to wrestle tonight, but Mean Gene turned the subject to the 30-man 1992 Royal Rumble this Sunday, inquiring if Perfect had any chance of winning since he would be entering at #2. Perfect informed Okerlund that he was indeed "absolutely perfect" and even at less than 100%, he would last until the end and go on to challenge the WWF Champion at WrestleMania VIII. The former two-time WWF Intercontinental Champion suggested that the Bad Guy and Jake Roberts should get to know each other, boasting that Razor would be Perfect's first elimination, while the Snake would be his final elimination from the Rumble after entering at #30. The Flawless One promised to return to his roots and accumulate a "perfect record" in 1992, starting with Ramon...NEXT! (86%)

Mr. Perfect vs. Razor Ramon

Bobby "The Brain" Heenan accompanied Mr. Perfect to ringside, while Razor Ramon swaggered out to a loud pop from the fans as Ventura pointed out that the Bad Guy and the Flawless One would be kicking off the 30-man 1992 Royal Rumble this Sunday as the first and second entrants, respectively. Very strong main event as Razor continues to develop as an uppercard player, trading fists and chops with the former two-time WWF Intercontinental Champion and even manhandling him with bodyslams and back-bodydrops. Perfect used his experience advantage to outmaneuver Ramon and take control, trying to wear down the Cuban immigrant with submission holds, scientific wrestling, and outright rulebreaking. Ramon was more than happy to retaliate with some underhanded tactics of his own and rallied back, scoring a very close near-fall after a belly-to-back superplex off the top turnbuckle. As the Bad Guy continued to build momentum, Perfect bailed out and retreated up the aisle, but was stopped by Jake Roberts, who emerged from the entrance curtain and grabbed hold of Perfect by the hair and tights. The Snake returned Perfect to the squared circle and tossed him back in under the bottom rope, remaining at ringside in Ramon's corner as Ramon unloaded on the Flawless One. When he had seen enough, the Brain frantically waved back to the entrance curtain, bringing out the Destruction Crew, who sprinted down to ringside and blindsided Jake, ramming his head into the ringpost. This caught the attention of Razor, who wandered over and began to kick at Wayne Bloom & Mike Enos through the ropes, but the Crew gripped his legs and dragged him out to the floor. The Bad Guy slugged away on both the Machine and the Train in the aisleway as referee Joey Marella completed the 10-count and awarded the victory to Mr. Perfect via count-out. (80%)

Following the bell, as Razor Ramon was brawling with the Destruction Crew in the aisle, Mr. Perfect aided his fellow Heenan Family members by attacking the Bad Guy from behind. This brought out the Big Boss Man & Hawk, who dragged Mike Enos & Wayne Bloom away, only to be assaulted themselves by the Million Dollar Bounty Hunters. Before long, the fracas headed to the ring as several of the entrants in this Sunday's 30-man 1992 Royal Rumble got involved, including Shane Douglas, Dustin Rhodes, the Nasty Boys, the Gangsters Of Style, the New British Bulldogs, the Commonwealth Connection, Bob Backlund, Hacksaw Duggan, Terry Funk, the Honky Tonk Man, and the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers. The chaotic brawl continued as the program ended with McMahon and Ventura hyping the 1992 Royal Rumble this Sunday. (92%)

Overall: 81%

Rating: 5.79

Attendance: 10,038

Ticket Sales: $602,280

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SATURDAY, JANUARY 25, 1992 -- NBC/WWF PRESENT: SATURDAY NIGHT'S MAIN EVENT

Marv Albert, Mike Tenay, and "The Man" Ric Flair started the LIVE network broadcast by shilling tomorrow night's 1992 Royal Rumble before announcing this evening's events, featuring Rick Rude meeting Matt Borne, Irwin R. Schyster taking on Birdwhacker Luke, Hacksaw Duggan in action, Shane Douglas & Bob Backlund on "The Funeral Parlor", the official contract signing between Randy Savage and WWF Champion Ted DiBiase for the I Quit match, and in the main event, the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers challenging the Rockers for the WWF Television Tag Team Championship.

"Hacksaw" Jim Duggan vs. "Dangerous" Danny Davis

The commentators spent most of their time discussing the 30-man 1992 Royal Rumble tomorrow night and the possible winners during this basic semi-competitive squash. Leading the crowd in a "U-S-A" chant, Hacksaw put the Dangerous One away with the Three Point Stance. (69%)

Sean Mooney came to ringside after the match to interview Jim Duggan regarding his participation in the 30-man 1992 Royal Rumble. Hacksaw reminded viewers that he won the inaugural Royal Rumble in 1988 on the USA Network and added that with the support of his loyal fans, he was going to become the first-ever two-time Rumble winner in WWF history tomorrow evening. (78%)

Backstage, Irwin R. Schyster was shown emerging from the Million Dollar Empire dressing room; before the door closed, WWF Champion Ted DiBiase could be seen sitting casually on the couch, surrounded by Virgil, Bam Bam Bigelow, & Cactus Jack Manson. After the door slammed shut, IRS adjusted his necktie and smiled before heading down the hallway with his steel haliburton briefcase in hand. (84%)

Irwin R. Schyster vs. Luke

Irwin R. Schyster strode out by himself, carrying his briefcase, as Flair suggested that Irwin's purpose in the 30-man 1992 Royal Rumble tomorrow night would be similar to that of the Million Dollar Bounty Hunters: to eliminate the competition and protect Ted DiBiase's WWF Championship. When Luke marched down the aisle and around the ring, Schyster appeared confused and disgusted by the unorthodox New Zealander, who used it to his advantage during the match-up to keep IRS disoriented. After some solid back-and-forth action, IRS hoisted the Bushwhacker across his shoulders and slammed him with the Write Off for the 1-2-3. (75%)

Following a commercial break, Paul Bearer was on the set of "The Funeral Parlor" and introduced this week's guests, Bob Backlund & "Nature Boy" Shane Douglas, who walked out together but looked like a bit of an odd couple, as the All American was in his warm-up gear while the Nature Boy was dressed in an expensive suit and tie. Bearer began by questioning whose name was on the business card that Shane received from Ric Flair, but Douglas replied that it was none of his business and it didn't matter. Backlund asked Douglas if he had thrown the card away like he had advised, but Douglas assured him that there was nothing to worry about because they were friends and partners. Bearer reminded them that it would be "every man for himself" in tomorrow evening's 30-man 1992 Royal Rumble, but Backlund informed the mortician that he and Douglas had agreed to watch each other's backs so that they could decide between themselves who would go on to WrestleMania VIII to challenge the WWF Champion. In the broadcast booth, Flair sighed with disappointment as the new Nature Boy shook hands with Backlund and declared, "May the best man win." While this was going on, Dustin Rhodes swaggered out on the stage, followed by Terry Funk and Colonel Robert Lee Fuller, who looked to be in a lot of pain as he clutched his neck, obviously a result of the Decapitation Elbow from Demolition on Prime Time Wrestling. Douglas & Backlund prepared to defend themselves as the Lone Star Stud told them that they had another thing coming if they thought that they would be the last two competitors in the Rumble, bragging that he and the Outlaw would have that honor. Funk had some heated words for Backlund & Douglas as well before the confrontation got more physical, Rhodes & Funk pushing and shoving Douglas & Backlund as several WWF agents and officials arrived to separate the four men, giving the Colonel an opportunity to get in a cheapshot on the Nature Boy from behind. The Stud Stable quickly fled the scene, leaving an embarrassed Douglas yelling and hollering about exacting some revenge tomorrow night while the All American tried to calm him down. (85%)

Mean Gene Okerlund was in the locker room to interview Bobby Heenan and Rick Rude, who claimed that he had been hitting the gym at least 12 hours a day, every day since the 2 Out Of 3 Falls match at the 1992 Royal Rumble had been announced. The Brain explained that he had known and managed the Ravishing One for years, but had never seen him in the incredible shape he was in for tomorrow night's bout, warning Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat that he was looking at the next WWF Intercontinental Champion. (83%)

"Maniac" Matt Borne vs. "Ravishing" Rick Rude

Matt Borne was already in the ring warming up as Tenay put him over for his competitive spirit, while Bobby "The Brain" Heenan accompanied Rick Rude, who removed his robe to reveal the WWF Intercontinental Championship belt painted on his tights. This was a well-worked contest that saw the Ravishing One basically dominate the Maniac, who sold Rude's impressive offense like crazy as the commentators discussed the 2 Out Of 3 Falls match against Ricky Steamboat tomorrow night at the 1992 Royal Rumble. After a failed comeback by Borne, Rude finished off the Maniac with the Rude Awakening. (80%)

In the dressing room, Sean Mooney interviewed Jimmy Hart and the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers, who were getting ready to challenge the Rockers in this evening's main event. The Mouth Of The South assured Mooney that there were no problems within the Hart Organization and bragged that soon they would have all the gold, predicting that Raymond & Jacques would capture the WWF Television Tag Team Championship tonight and then one of them would win the 30-man 1992 Royal Rumble tomorrow night and bring home the WWF Title at WrestleMania VIII. (74%)

WWF Television Tag Team Title Match: The Rockers (Shawn Michaels & Marty Jannetty) [champions] vs. The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers (Jacques & Raymond Rougeau)

Jimmy Hart escorted his Fabulous Rougeau Brothers to ringside, while Flair put over the WWF Television Tag Team Champions for their previously-unseen violent side that they displayed in the Double Chain match against the Gangsters Of Style at WWF No Holds Barred. Tenay confirmed that WWF President Andre The Giant would be presenting the 1991 Tag Team Of The Year award tomorrow night, suggesting that the Rockers could be the lucky duo after the impressive year they had in '91. Great athletic main event that featured fast-paced action and precision double-teams from both squads as the advantage shifted back-and-forth right up until the end, when Shawn Michaels pinned Jacques following the Double Flying Fistdrop from he and Marty Jannetty to retain the WWF Television Tag Team Championship. (86%)

Marv Albert introduced some video footage next that he explained they had just received from an earlier dress rehearsal of NBC's "Saturday Night Live" featuring Hulk Hogan, who was going to make a surprise appearance during one of the skits since the show was being hosted by his "Suburban Commando" co-star Arnold Schwarzenegger. The video featured Dana Carvey and Kevin Nealon doing their "Hans & Franz" characters, picking on Schwarzenegger until the Hulkster entered the scene and ran through his "Hulkamania" shtick to defend Arnold. As the Immortal One flexed and roared about his "24-inch pythons", Jerry Lawler came out of nowhere and blindsided Hogan with a chair across the back, knocking him to the floor. The King whacked the legendary former two-time WWF Champion with a couple more chairshots until security arrived and dragged the Memphis Monarch away as he screamed about the disrespect of Hogan preparing for their Stretcher Match at the 1992 Royal Rumble by appearing on SNL. The Hulkster pulled himself up to his knees and held his head as he swore vengeance tomorrow night while Schwarzenegger, Nealon, and Carvey stood by his side. (87%)

Back in the ring at the arena, there was a table set up with chairs around it as Vince McMahon stood alongside WWF President Andre The Giant and introduced the challenger for the WWF Title in the I Quit match tomorrow night at the 1992 Royal Rumble, "Macho Man" Randy Savage, who drew a massive pop from the crowd upon his entrance and refused to sit down when he stepped into the squared circle. McMahon then introduced WWF Champion "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase, flanked by Irwin R. Schyster, Virgil, Cactus Jack Manson, Bam Bam Bigelow, and his "Million Dollar Legal Team" of expensive lawyers in expensive suits, filling half the ring as the fans booed heavily. The Million Dollar Man claimed that he didn't trust Andre or McMahon, so he had his attorneys look over the contract before he finally signed it and passed it back to the WWF President, who handed it to Savage. The Macho Man wasted no time in signing the document and tossing it to the Giant, who also signed it to make it official, warning the WWF Champion that if he failed to show up to the Rumble, not only would he be stripped of the WWF Title, he would be sued for breach of contract by the WWF. DiBiase shrugged it off, motioning to his legal team, as McMahon asked the competitors for their final comments on tomorrow evening's I Quit bout. The Million Dollar Man recalled how he had won the WWF Championship from Savage in their initial encounter at SummerSlam '91 by "purchasing" Savage's fiancee, Miss Elizabeth, which provoked Savage, who had to be calmed by McMahon and Andre. DiBiase continued to boast about the various ways he had ruined Savage's life and shattered his dreams of a happy existence, married to Elizabeth and holding the WWF Title, laughing in the Macho Man's face and pointing out that he had nobody to blame but himself for refusing DiBiase's offer of protection shortly after last year's WrestleMania VII. The Macho Man responded that he had more pride in losing the WWF Title on his own at SummerSlam than he would have felt if he had retained the belt with help from the Million Dollar Empire, holding up his two taped fists and explaining that they were all he needed to make DiBiase squeal "I Quit" and regain the WWF Championship. The Million Dollar Man laughed it off and taunted Savage about Elizabeth until Savage finally snapped, dumping the table over and pouncing on DiBiase, clutching the WWF Champion's throat and choking him down to the mat. That didn't last long, as the Million Dollar Empire swarmed the Macho Man and dragged him off of DiBiase, beating him to the canvas with kicks and stomps while Andre and McMahon attempted to break it up. The WWF Champion was coughing when he got up and directed traffic as a horde of WWF officials and agents flooded the ring to restore order. Meanwhile, Albert, Tenay, and Flair finished the broadcast with some last-minute hype for the 1992 Royal Rumble tomorrow night. (87%)

Overall: 81%

Rating: 6.91

Attendance: 10,031

Ticket Sales: $601,860

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Here is the card for the 1992 Royal Rumble tomorrow night... I appreciate the predictions!

WWF Championship/I Quit Match: Ted DiBiase [champion] vs. Randy Savage

WWF Intercontinental Title/2 Out Of 3 Falls Match: Ricky Steamboat [champion] vs. Rick Rude

WWF Tag Team Title Match/Paul Ellering & Ax Handcuffed At Ringside: Powers Of Pain [champions] vs. Demolition

Stretcher Match: Hulk Hogan vs. Jerry Lawler

30-Man Royal Rumble: Abdullah The Butcher, Bob Backlund, Chris Benoit, Bam Bam Bigelow, Wayne Bloom, Big Boss Man, Shane Douglas, Jim Duggan, Mike Enos, Terry Funk, Owen Hart, Hawk, Honky Tonk Man, Dynamite Kid, Brian Knobbs, Stan Lane, Cactus Jack Manson, The Great Muta, Mr. Perfect [#2], Razor Ramon [#1], Dustin Rhodes, Jake Roberts [#30], Paul Roma, Jacques Rougeau, Raymond Rougeau, Jerry Saggs, Irwin R. Schyster, Papa Shango, Davey Boy Smith, The Undertaker

[Steve Corino]

Really a kinda small card, considering. I would have expected a TV Tag match. Regardless, this has all been great stuff. One thing I am just LOVING, by the way, is the team of Lane and Roma. It's a team that would have worked solidly with their similar build and styles in real life, but one that not many would have thought of due to Lane being so associated with Eaton and the MX. Anyways, predictions.

WWF Championship/I Quit Match: Ted DiBiase [champion] vs. Randy Savage

There wouldn't be anything wrong with Dibiase retaining, but there really aren't any solid faces in the Rumble for him to face at Mania. I mean, someone could be turned, but Dibiase is an awesome heel here, and the feller I got pegged for the Rumble is better as a heel too. So a title change here.

WWF Intercontinental Title/2 Out Of 3 Falls Match: Ricky Steamboat [champion] vs. Rick Rude

WWF Tag Team Title Match/Paul Ellering & Ax Handcuffed At Ringside: Powers Of Pain [champions] vs. Demolition

The POP should lose them back to the Harts at Mania. Plus, face Demolition here seems really strange. I just can't see Smash and Crush as good guys. They had awesome buildup for awhile until the Powers kinda shot right into there, and that was somewhat saddening I thought because the Demos were getting a really good push toward the titles. But alas, it wasn't to be. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind the Powers with the titles; they've had a good build and would have made good champs IRL if Ellering managed them because they were a team that pretty much personified the early 90s scene. But they're no Hart Foundation, who will be getting the titles back eventually.

Stretcher Match: Hulk Hogan vs. Jerry Lawler

Heel cheats to win here so we can get the blowoff at Mania.

30-Man Royal Rumble: Mr. Perfect

This should be Perfect's year. Going into Mania to go against Savage can only deliver a solid bout, so it would be great to see it happen.

[Chrononaut]

SUNDAY, JANUARY 26, 1992 -- 1992 WWF ROYAL RUMBLE

The Preview Show prior to the pay-per-view was hosted by Mean Gene Okerlund and "The Man" Ric Flair, who thoroughly dissected and discussed the 30-man Royal Rumble, as well as the other huge matches on the card. Throughout the show, footage was shown from "Earlier This Afternoon" of the various WWF superstars drawing their numbers for tonight's Rumble as WWF President Andre The Giant supervised the proceedings. The Big Boss Man and Hawk entered the room together and drew their respective numbers before the Million Dollar Bounty Hunters came in from the other side to do the same. After drawing their numbers, Bam Bam Bigelow & Cactus Jack Manson started to yell at the WWF President, accusing him of being biased against WWF Champion Ted DiBiase and the Million Dollar Empire, apparently unhappy with their selections. Hawk & Boss Man walked over to see what was going on as the Bounty Hunters told them to mind their own business and get lost. After a few harsh words, the four volatile athletes began to shove each other and trade wild fists until a bevy of WWF officials intervened. (78%)

Gorilla Monsoon, Jesse "The Body" Ventura, and "The Professor" Mike Tenay welcomed viewers to the 1992 WWF Royal Rumble LIVE from the broadcast position at the back of the arena and hyped the exciting lineup for this evening's pay-per-view before sending it up to ring announcer Howard "The Fink" Finkel in the squared circle.

WWF Intercontinental Title/Two Out Of Three Falls Match: Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat [champion] vs. "Ravishing" Rick Rude

Bobby "The Brain" Heenan strode out alongside Rick Rude to a loud round of boos as Tenay explained that WWF officials had decided to make this match-up the opening contest due to its 45-minute time limit, questioning whether or not the Ravishing One could go the distance with the WWF's "Iron Man". Ricky Steamboat got a great pop upon his entrance and the fans were buzzing as the WWF Intercontinental Champion and his challenger stared each other down and talked trash in the middle of the ring before locking up. The early minutes of the bout saw both athletes wrestling very cautiously, working a very scientific contest and exchanging holds and counterholds until the pace started to pick up and they traded nasty reverse knife-edge chops, reddening both of their chests. The Dragon outmaneuvered his heavier opponent, disorienting him with dropkicks and armdrags, but lost the advantage when he missed a charge to the corner, ramming his shoulder into the ringpost. Rude immediately took advantage of the mistake as he went outside the ring and grabbed Steamboat's arm, slamming it around the post to damage the shoulder and the elbow. Rude wrapped Steamboat's arm around the post several more times, drawing screams of pain as the Ravishing One continued to work over the injured limb on the inside with armbars, hammerlocks, and kneedrops to the joints. The Dragon refused to surrender, which Ventura disagreed with and suggested that Steamboat should forfeit the first fall or risk a serious injury. Steamboat attempted to mount a comeback on a couple of occasions and even scored a near-fall with a backslide, which ended up hurting Steamboat's arm even more and allowed Ravishing Rick to regain control, dropping the WWF Intercontinental Champion with a single-arm DDT to earn the 1-2-3 for the first fall at about 20 minutes into the match-up. The Brain was ecstatic at ringside as Rude ignored the 30-second rest period and hammered the Dragon's shoulder and elbow with forearm shots and elbowsmashes. Tremendous psychology as Rude wrenched the damaged limb with a chicken-wing armlock, growing more frustrated as Steamboat vigorously shook his head no when referee Joey Marella asked for a submission. Rude released Steamboat and scored several consecutive near-falls, repeatedly trying to pin the Dragon but being denied each time. Steamboat managed to mount a brief comeback that ended when Rude sidestepped Steamboat as he was going for a high cross-bodyblock off the ropes, causing the WWF Intercontinental Champion to go sailing over the top rope and get his damaged arm tangled in the ropes. As Steamboat was hanging by his arm, Rude zeroed in and pounded on the shoulder and elbow until the official untied Steamboat and Rude continued the punishment in the ring. The end seemed to come when Rude grabbed Steamboat by the arm and scaled the turnbuckles, taking him down with a vicious flying armbreaker into a cross-armbreaker, cinching it in and applying as much pressure as possible as Monsoon and Tenay put over the damage inflicted by this agonizing submission hold. The Dragon groaned in pain but would not surrender, almost blacking out a couple of times as the ref counted his shoulders on the mat for some near-falls. The Ravishing One screamed about snapping Steamboat's arm in half as he mercilessly wrenched on the limb to no avail, while Heenan slapped the canvas, warning Steamboat to give up and hand over the WWF Intercontinental Title. Rude became very frustrated when Steamboat refused to submit and held onto the ropes, pulling on them for added pressure as Steamboat moaned and howled, his face contorted in pure misery. Just as it seemed Steamboat was on the verge of submitting, the referee caught Rude using the ropes and ordered him to break the hold, enraging the former WWF Intercontinental Champion, who slid out to the floor and retrieved a metal folding chair. In plain view of the official, Rude returned to the ring as Steamboat was trying to get up and blasted him across the shoulder with the chair. Rude got in a couple more chairshots on the shoulder and elbow as the ref called for the bell, awarding the second fall to Steamboat via disqualification with only 12 minutes remaining in the time limit. After discarding the chair, Rude scored a number of near-falls before applying an armbar takedown into a Fujiwara armbar, yanking back on the Dragon's wounded arm in another submission attempt. Heenan looked more and more nervous as time wound down and Steamboat rallied back, fans cheering as the WWF Intercontinental Champion battled back with one-armed chops and surprised Rude with several near-falls off of cross-bodyblocks, roll-ups from behind, and a sunset flip from the middle turnbuckle that aggravated the injured arm. Rude seized his opportunity, stomping the arm and pouring on the punishment before hooking the Dragon in a hammerlock and scooping him up for a bodyslam on the arm. However, Steamboat managed to wrap Rude up in a small package during the bodyslam to eke out the three-count and retain the WWF Intercontinental Championship with only a couple of minutes left in the time limit. Afterwards, both competitors were laid out on the canvas from exhaustion and the crowd erupted when the referee retrieved the title belt and raised Steamboat's hand in victory. Meanwhile, Rude sat up with a sweaty look of disbelief on his face, shocked at the outcome as Heenan had a tantrum at ringside, berating the Ravishing One for not getting the job done. Rude tried to defend himself but the Brain informed him that he was going to go get his "real winner" ready for the Royal Rumble, referring to Mr. Perfect, as he stormed up the aisle. Rude shook his head with disappointment, glancing over at Steamboat on the mat before exiting the ring as well. (91%)

After WWF Intercontinental Champion Ricky Steamboat was helped from the ring as the commentators put over the grueling 2 Out Of 3 Falls contest, ring announcer Howard "The Fink" Finkel made the introductions for the WWF Tag Team Title bout. Ax marched out with his Demolition brothers-in-paint, Crush & Smash, while Paul Ellering led his Powers Of Pain down the aisle to the ring, where referee Tim White produced a pair of handcuffs and ordered both managers to step out to ringside. There were two chairs set up side-by-side as the official handcuffed Precious Paul to Ax, despite Ellering's vehement protests, before returning to the squared circle to start the match-up. (87%)

WWF Tag Team Title Match: Powers Of Pain (Barbarian & Warlord) [champions] vs. Demolition (Smash & Crush)

While Ax and Paul Ellering were often shown squabbling at ringside, Demolition and the Powers Of Pain put on a very entertaining power-based brawl that also showcased the impressive teamwork of both warpainted squads, as the WWF Tag Team Champions and their fearsome challengers slugged it out and traded the advantage back-and-forth. The offense consisted mostly of punches, kicks, clotheslines, shoulderblocks, bodyslams, and headbutts, basic bruising maneuvers that took their toll on all four competitors as some near-falls were exchanged. Warlord & Barbarian proved that they could function without Precious Paul in their corner, utilizing quick tags to punish Smash, who eventually managed to rally back and make the hot tag to Crush. Demolition cleaned house, unloading on both Powers with their heavy artillery to dispose of the Warlord and isolate the slightly smaller Barbarian, as Tenay recalled that Demolition eliminated Barbarian with a clean pin at the 1991 Survivor Series. Ax barked words of encouragement to his boys, leading to a heated argument with Ellering, while Smash & Crush used frequent tags to wear down the Barbarian. Soon after, Demolition executed the Decapitation Kneedrop from the top turnbuckle on the Barbarian, allowing Crush to hook the leg for the pin. However, the Warlord rushed in and broke it up before the full three-count was administered, provoking Ax to stand up and start yelling at referee Tim White. Ellering stood up and got right in Ax's face, telling him to shut his painted face and sit down. Ax tried to control his temper but failed, bashing Ellering with a big roundhouse right and continuing to pummel him as Precious Paul collapsed to the floor, busted wide open. This attracted the official's attention, as he hopped out to ringside to admonish the handcuffed managers while Demolition knocked Warlord over the top rope with a double clothesline. Left alone with the Barbarian, Demolition prepared to finish him off but a pair of large ruffians in street clothes emerged from the audience and stormed the squared circle, blindsiding Crush & Smash. As the devastating duo disposed of Smash with a double Gorilla Press over the top rope all the way down to the floor, Tenay identified the invaders as two of the most decorated Americans in Japanese wrestling, Steve Williams & Terry Gordy. Monsoon asked what they were doing in a WWF ring, but Tenay had no answers as Williams gripped Crush in a rear-waistlock while Gordy ran off the ropes, nailing Crush with a massive lariat as Williams dumped the 325-pounder almost on his head with a brutal backdrop suplex. Gordy & Williams bailed out and headed up the aisle, where they met up with a grinning Colonel Robert Lee Fuller, who patted them both on the back and laughed at Demolition. Meanwhile, the referee returned to the ring in time to see the Barbarian hooking Crush's leg for the 1-2-3 as the Powers Of Pain retained the WWF Tag Team Championship. Afterwards, the ref unlocked the handcuffs, allowing Ax to climb in and check on Crush while the Powers picked up the bleeding Precious Paul and assisted him back to the dressing room. (85%)

Stretcher Match: "The King" Jerry Lawler vs. "The Immortal" Hulk Hogan

The Undisputed 1991 WWF King Of The Ring was carried to the ring upon his throne, passing the stretcher at ringside along the way as Monsoon explained that the only way to win in the Stretcher Match was to incapacitate the opponent, place him on the stretcher, and wheel him back through the curtains. Hulk Hogan was met with a thunderous ovation when he emerged from the curtain and marched down the aisle, greeting his Hulkamaniacs and stopping to stroke and pat the stretcher, warning Jerry Lawler that he was going to get a taste of his own medicine tonight, as Ventura boasted about the King sending the Hulkster out on a stretcher at WrestleMania VII. When the Immortal One stepped through the ropes, the Memphis Monarch produced an aluminum baseball bat from inside his royal cape and attempted an ambush, but Hogan ducked and knocked the bat away before firing off a salvo of closed fists. The bell rang to start the match-up as the Hulkster ripped off his shirt and wrapped it around Lawler's neck, choking him down to his knees, where Hogan tore off Lawler's cape and put it over the King's head. Unable to see, Lawler was easy pickings for the legendary former two-time WWF Champion, who unloaded on his rival with his usual offense as the commentators mentioned Lawler's attacks on Hogan during "Late Night With David Letterman" and the "Saturday Night Live" dress rehearsal last night. With the King reeling, Hogan picked up the baseball bat and asked the fans if he should use it. When the overwhelming response was yes, Hogan Irish-whipped the covered Lawler into the ropes and clobbered him on the rebound across the head with the bat. Lawler collapsed to the canvas and remained motionless until Hogan removed the royal cape from Lawler's head, already soaked in his own blood. The Hulkster looked legitimately concerned as he rolled Lawler toward the edge of the ring, pulling the stretcher close enough and depositing the Memphis Monarch on it. Hogan stepped out to the floor and checked on Lawler in preparation to cart him away, but the King managed to reach up and rake Hogan's eyes before staggering off the stretcher and battering the Immortal One around ringside. From this point on, it was an old-school Memphis brawl, as Lawler used every underhanded tactic that he had learned in his career to punish the Hulkster, busting him open with a pair of brass knuckles that he had hidden in his boot. Hogan rallied back and had Lawler in a bad way, utilizing some impressive power maneuvers that haven't been seen much since his days as a heel, but the cagey veteran turned the tables again by dropping Hogan throat-first across the top rope. The King targeted Hogan's "achilles heel" by working over his neck as Ventura pointed out that if Hogan suffered another neck injury, he would have no choice but to be stretchered out. Lawler mercilessly hammered and wrenched the Hulkster's neck for several painful minutes before planting Hogan with the Royal Piledriver in the middle of the ring. When Lawler tried to roll Hogan toward the stretcher, Hogan struggled, so Lawler yanked him up and drilled him with another Piledriver. Hogan resisted again, so Lawler pulled him off the mat and buried him with a third Piledriver. Another try at getting Hogan on the stretcher was unsuccessful, so the King dragged him to his feet and dropped him with yet another Piledriver, followed by a fifth Piledriver for good measure. This time the Hulkster was completely motionless, so Lawler rolled him onto the stretcher and began to wheel him up the aisle as the fans started a "Hogan" chant. Before they reached the curtain, Hogan started shaking and regained his strength, "hulking up" as he sat up on the stretcher and fired off a series of punches on Lawler, who tried to cover up and choke Hogan. As they struggled in the aisleway, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper came racing through the curtains and shoved the King away. Lawler backed away in fear as Hot Rod pointed at him and the Hulkster got off the stretcher behind the Scotsman, the crowd going wild as Piper and Hogan slowly stalked Lawler, who dropped to his knees and begged for forgiveness. Suddenly, the Rowdy One turned and whacked Hogan with a straight right hand to the jaw, shocking not only the Immortal One, but also the King and the fans, who were unsure what was happening. Hogan tried to defend himself, but the confused Lawler soon joined the attack, beating across Hogan's upper back and neck with forearms and double-axhandles. The crowd booed as Piper shouted instructions to Lawler, who lifted Hogan in the piledriver position so that he and Piper could plant the Hulkster with a spike piledriver on the floor. With Hogan sprawled out in the aisleway, Piper clamped the Sleeperhold on and squeezed until every last muscle in Hogan's muscular body stopped moving, while Lawler retrieved the stretcher. The Memphis Monarch still seemed somewhat dazed as he and Piper hoisted Hogan off the floor onto the stretcher before they both wheeled it back through the curtains, giving the victory to the Undisputed 1991 WWF King Of The Ring. (87%)

On the other side of the curtain, Mean Gene Okerlund caught up with Jerry Lawler and Roddy Piper as they wheeled the unconscious and crimson-faced Hulk Hogan on the stretcher, asking Hot Rod where he had been since WWF No Holds Barred and why he did what he did this evening. The King informed Mean Gene that he had nothing to do with it, but added that no matter the reasons, he got what he wanted: the Hulkster on a stretcher. Lawler still looked wary of the Rowdy One and told Okerlund that he had to go celebrate, leaving Hogan in the care of Piper, who said that everything would be explained in due time. The Scotsman claimed that he wasn't finished with the Immortal One yet, as they approached a waiting ambulance. When the medics came out to help the Hulkster, Piper shoved them all away, warning them not to get in his way as he loaded Hogan into the ambulance and slammed the back doors shut. Piper pushed Okerlund aside and went to the passenger's door, dragging a medic out and tossing him to the ground before climbing into the vehicle. Shortly after, the driver's door opened and another EMT was ejected from his seat, as Piper pulled the door closed and switched on the sirens. As Okerlund cried out amongst the carnage, the ambulance sped off into the night. (90%)

Back in the arena, the commentators were almost speechless, although Ventura said that he was happy to see the return of "the old Rowdy Roddy Piper" and that whatever had come over Hot Rod was a blessing. Ric Flair was then shown on the interview platform holding a microphone as he worked the crowd up into a frenzy, mentioning that the 30-man Royal Rumble and the I Quit match for the WWF Title were still to come, before introducing WWF President Andre The Giant, who lumbered out to a nice pop carrying a trophy and towered over the Man. Andre stated that the 1992 Royal Rumble thus far had been full of action, excitement, and surprises, much like the WWF tag team division over the course of 1991. The Giant recounted the heated tag team wars in '91 featuring the top tandems in the sport, necessitating the introduction of the WWF Television Tag Team Championship last spring. The Man noted that the Giant had really bolstered the WWF's tag team ranks throughout his year as WWF President, recalling that Andre himself was a former co-holder of the WWF Tag Team Championship, and inquired how he had come to a decision regarding the 1991 Tag Team Of The Year award. Andre admitted that it was a difficult process, but announced that he and the other top WWF officials had narrowed the field down to three teams, whom he invited out: the Hart Foundation; WWF Television Tag Team Champions the Rockers; and WWF Tag Team Champions Powers Of Pain, still feeling the effects of their earlier match against Demolition as the bandaged Paul Ellering led them to the platform. The WWF President congratulated all three duos on an impressive year, noting their memorable achievements such as title victories and winning big matches, but stated that unfortunately there could only be one Tag Team Of The Year. He disqualified Barbarian & Warlord, citing the frequent interference of Precious Paul, who was outraged. Andre then announced that the WWF's Tag Team Of The Year for 1991 was... Bret "Hit Man" Hart & Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart, who looked genuinely surprised as they accepted the trophy from the Giant. Shawn Michaels seemed very disappointed as Marty Jannetty tried to console him, but the embarrassed Michaels grabbed the trophy from the Foundation and shattered it across the Powers Of Pain from behind as the Powers were leaving with Ellering. Warlord & Barbarian stumbled to the floor, and when they regained their footing, Shawn & Marty dove on them from the stage, knocking them down as the Masters Of Motion scuffled with the WWF Tag Team Champions. While Neidhart, Hart, Andre, and Flair watched from the platform, a horde of WWF agents and officials arrived to break up the brawl between the Rockers and the Powers. (93%)

WWF Championship/I Quit Match: "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase [champion] vs. "Macho Man" Randy Savage

After a promo for WWF Battle Lines on Sunday, February 23, Randy Savage was introduced and received a deafening pop as Monsoon stated that every fan watching this wanted to see the Macho Man get his revenge on the Million Dollar Man. WWF Champion Ted DiBiase was greeted with a rumbling chorus of boos when he made his entrance, flanked by Virgil, as the commentators explained that the only way to win was to force the opponent to say "I Quit" into the microphone, which had an extra-long cord and was placed in a neutral corner. Referee Dave Hebner displayed the WWF Championship belt over his head before passing it to ring announcer Howard Finkel, while DiBiase and Savage stood face-to-face, exchanging words. After a few moments, the WWF Champion walked away and retrieved the microphone, motioning for Virgil to get up on the apron. DiBiase recalled the beating that his Million Dollar Empire laid on Savage last night and offered to put the whole thing behind them, taking a handful of cash from Virgil and waving it in Savage's face. The Macho Man accepted the money and asked if all he had to do was leave the ring and forfeit the match, which made DiBiase smile as he nodded. Savage roared "HELL NO!" into the microphone, tossing the greenbacks in the air before he grabbed DiBiase and Virgil by their heads, ramming them together in a double noggin-knocker. Virgil crashed to the floor as Savage snatched the microphone and thumped it across DiBiase's head, knocking him to the mat, where Savage opened up on his archenemy with a flurry of lefts and rights. The fans cheered Savage on as he wrapped the cord from the microphone around DiBiase's neck, strangling the WWF Champion until Virgil crawled into the ring and pounced on Savage. The Macho Man leapt to his feet and backed Virgil into a corner, giving DiBiase enough time to remove the cord from his neck and get to his knees, coughing and sputtering. When Savage returned to his opponent, DiBiase surprised him with a lowblow, which Monsoon referred to as an "equalizer". This allowed Virgil to grab Savage from behind and hold his arms at his sides as DiBiase took a few cheapshots on his challenger, punching him in the face and midsection before the official ordered Virgil to leave the ring. DiBiase continued the punishment on his own, focusing his attack on the ribs of the former two-time WWF Champion, as Tenay reminded viewers of the severe internal injuries that Savage suffered last summer during his matches against Bam Bam Bigelow and Cactus Jack Manson. The Million Dollar Man utilized gutbusters, side-backbreakers, gutwrench suplexes, kneedrops and stomps to the gut, and rear-bearhugs, all the while picking up the microphone and, with his hoarse voice from the choking earlier, asking Savage to quit. Savage refused to say the words, earning more punishment as DiBiase damaged him with a series of Irish-whip/knee to the midsection combinations. Finally, Savage managed to reverse the Irish-whip on one occasion and lifted DiBiase in the air on the rebound, dropping the WWF Champion throat-first across the top rope. DiBiase's dramatic selling was appropriate, clutching his throat and collapsing to the canvas as Savage limped to his feet, holding his ribs, and immediately zeroed in on his opponent's weakness, going right after the throat area. The Macho Man dropped a series of knees to the throat before just plain choking DiBiase with his bare hands, screaming at him to quit and give the WWF Title and his "old life" back to him, but DiBiase defiantly shook his head no. Pissed off, Savage stomped and stepped on DiBiase's throat, using the ropes for leverage as he warned the WWF Champion to say "I Quit" while he could still talk, threatening to crush DiBiase's voicebox if that's what he had to do to "feel better". DiBiase still refused to surrender, so Savage choked him against the ropes before grabbing a handful of DiBiase's hair and leaping over the top rope, yanking him throat-first across the top rope as Savage landed on his feet on the floor. Ventura approved of Savage's aggressiveness as Savage dragged DiBiase out to the floor and hauled him up in a waistlock, hotshotting his throat on the iron guardrail around ringside. Savage choked DiBiase with some television cables on the floor, but there was still no submission, so Savage came up with another plan and approached the timekeeper's table. The Macho Man grabbed the bell and displayed it over his head, getting a pop as Ventura recalled Savage maiming Ricky Steamboat's larynx with a ringbell a few years ago and wondered if he had the same thing in mind here. Virgil tried to prevent Savage from taking the bell but ended up getting bashed across the head and knocked out before Savage took the bell and climbed to the top turnbuckle as DiBiase laid at ringside, coughing and choking into the nearby microphone. However, when the Macho Man soared from the top, DiBiase dodged it and managed to pull down the iron guardrail so that it caught Savage in the midsection as he crashed to the floor. Savage howled in agony and clutched his ribs as DiBiase stumbled to his feet and worked over Savage's midsection with kicks and stomps. The Million Dollar Man retrieved a metal folding chair and the microphone, ramming the chair down relentlessly into the ribs of the Macho Man, shouting at him to quit because he had promised Miss Elizabeth that he wouldn't hurt Savage too badly. Savage bellowed like a wounded animal but would not say "I Quit", so DiBiase set the folded chair on the floor and scooped Savage up, bodyslamming him hard on the chair to jar his ribcage. The WWF Champion then pulled apart the ringsteps and hoisted up the top portion, smashing the steel stairs down across the Macho Man's ribs. Savage spasmed in agony but would not surrender, provoking DiBiase to lift up the bottom half of the steel steps and drive it down into the side of Savage's midsection as he tried to roll away. DiBiase brought the microphone and stuck it in Savage's face, ordering him to quit the match and forget about the WWF Championship, but Savage spit in his face and informed him that he would never quit. The Million Dollar Man slapped him across the face in response and got to his feet, sadistically kicking and stomping at the ribs of his top challenger as he taunted Savage about Elizabeth over the microphone. Savage began to cough up blood from his obvious internal injuries, but the sight of his own blood coupled with DiBiase's insulting remarks served to revive the Macho Man, as he caught DiBiase's leg on the next kick and held onto it as he got back up. Hopping on one foot, DiBiase realized what was happening and begged Savage to let him go so that they could both return to the ring and have a fair, clean match-up, but the former WWF Intercontinental Champion reeled DiBiase in closer by the leg and grabbed the mic cord, pulling it around DiBiase's neck and dropping him with a reverse neckbreaker on the floor. Savage held the cord tightly around the Million Dollar Man's bulging neck, turning DiBiase's bearded face bright red as the Macho Man stomped at his head and choked him out. When DiBiase groggily responded that he would not quit, Savage dragged him back into the squared circle by the cord and proceeded to toss the WWF Champion over the top rope, literally hanging him with the cord. As DiBiase dangled inches from the ground, desperately trying to release the pressure around his neck, Savage looked like a man possessed as he did everything he could to make DiBiase suffer. Savage ordered the referee to hold the microphone and ask for the submission from DiBiase, who could barely speak as he was being hanged, uttering, "I.....I....I Qu--" before passing out and hanging limply. The official immediately called for the bell and the crowd popped huge as the ref declared Randy Savage the winner and awarded him the WWF Championship for a record third time. When the ref handed him the WWF Title belt, the Macho Man finally released the Million Dollar Man, who crashed to the floor in a heap. Savage celebrated with the gold and soaked in the fans' cheers as Ventura questioned whether or not that counted as an "I Quit", explaining that he was only calling them like he saw them. (93%)

30-Man Royal Rumble: Abdullah The Butcher, Bob Backlund, Chris Benoit, Bam Bam Bigelow, Wayne "The Train" Bloom, Big Boss Man, "Nature Boy" Shane Douglas, "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, Mike "The Machine" Enos, "The Outlaw" Terry Funk, Owen Hart, Hawk, Honky Tonk Man, Dynamite Kid, Brian Knobbs, "Sweet" Stan Lane, Cactus Jack Manson, The Great Muta, Mr. Perfect [#2], Razor Ramon [#1], "The Natural" Dustin Rhodes, Jake "The Snake" Roberts [#30], Paul "Romeo" Roma, Jacques Rougeau, Raymond Rougeau, Jerry Saggs, Irwin R. Schyster, Papa Shango, Davey Boy Smith, The Undertaker

Following a brief teaser for WrestleMania VIII on Sunday, April 26, ring announcer Howard Finkel explained the rules and introduced the first two entrants in the 1992 Royal Rumble, both predetermined at last month's WWF No Holds Barred: the first participant was Razor Ramon, who swaggered out to a great pop, while Mr. Perfect was #2, accompanied by Bobby "The Brain" Heenan as the commentators brought up the Brain's abandonment of Rick Rude earlier. The bell rang as the Bad Guy and the Flawless One circled each other, sizing one another up, as Tenay reminded viewers that Perfect entered at #10 in last year's Royal Rumble and lasted over an hour, finishing in the final three before Ricky Steamboat eliminated him. The opening two minutes were rather slow as both superstars were pacing themselves, trying not to expend too much energy, until the buzzer went off and Bam Bam Bigelow lumbered down the aisle as #3. As soon as the Beast From The East stepped through the ropes, Perfect and Ramon both went after him, working together to eliminate the 360-pound Bigelow early, but Bam Bam fought them off with stiff headbutts and forearm shots. Bam Bam alternated between Razor and Perfect, flooring them with headbutts, before Chris Benoit entered at #4 and bravely grabbed Bigelow by the back of his outfit and spun him around, unleashing a voracious salvo of chops to his massive chest. This stunned Bigelow long enough for Ramon and Perfect to join in, backing Bigelow toward the ropes with their own chops, kicks, and punches. The three athletes struggled to oust Bam Bam, but failed when Perfect got too greedy and tried to eliminate Benoit at the same time. Benoit and Perfect exchanged chops in another corner as Ramon and Bigelow slugged it out, while the buzzer went off to signal the arrival of #5, the Dynamite Kid, who sprinted into the ring and blindsided Benoit. Dynamite held Benoit's arms behind his back as Perfect fired off several loud chops to the New British Bulldog's reddening chest, while Razor and Bam Bam engaged in a heated brawl near the ropes. #6 was Papa Shango, who brought his zombified "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka out and sent the Superfly into the ring to compete for him. Snuka struck anything that moved after he slid in under the bottom rope, but the strategy backfired when Bigelow, Ramon, Perfect, Dynamite, and Benoit joined forces to toss the Superfly over the top rope for an apparently unofficial elimination, as the ringside referees were still ordering Shango to compete. Bob Backlund soon emerged as #7 and grabbed hold of Shango along the way, rolling him into the ring, where the All American unloaded on the Voodoo Master while Razor helped Benoit fight off Dynamite and Perfect. Razor worked over Perfect in a corner while Bam Bam and Dynamite assaulted Benoit, as the Destruction Crew's Wayne Bloom came out at #8 and shook hands with Bobby Heenan at ringside before blindsiding Ramon and pulling him off of Mr. Perfect. The two Heenan Family members functioned as a unit, trying to force Ramon over the top rope, but Jim Duggan foolishly made the save when he entered the Rumble next at #9, hammering the Flawless One and the Train with big roundhouse rights. Ventura sarcastically pondered how Hacksaw won the first Royal Rumble in 1988 with an attitude like that, as Bloom and Perfect soon overwhelmed Duggan and punished him with double-teams. Meanwhile, Backlund charged at Dynamite with a clothesline, but the Kid ducked and the former WWF Champion ended up clotheslining Papa Shango over the top rope for the first official elimination of the 1992 Royal Rumble. Shango and Snuka headed up the aisle, glaring back at Backlund, as Davey Boy Smith headed out as the 10th entrant and immediately targeted the Dynamite Kid. With help from Benoit, Davey Boy unleashed his anger on his former long-time tag team partner with double headbutts, double dropkicks, double chops, and double snap-suplexes. Backlund and Ramon had Bigelow on the ropes trying to heave him out while Perfect and Bloom were doing the same with Duggan, as Jimmy Hart escorted #11, Jacques Rougeau, who sat in an empty corner and waited cautiously. Hacksaw managed to fight off the Heenan Family and joined Ramon and Backlund in trying to eliminate Bigelow as the New British Bulldogs continued to punish Dynamite, while the Mouth Of The South jumped for joy when Raymond Rougeau strode out at #12 to join Jacques. The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers jumped Smith & Benoit from behind, dragging them away from Dynamite, who was then besieged by Razor Ramon. The Cuban immigrant lifted the Kid up and had him on the ropes until Owen Hart raced out at #13 to rescue his tag team partner, earning a series of punches from the Bad Guy. The Commonwealth Connection managed to overwhelm Ramon and had him reeling, while the 2nd elimination occured when Mr. Perfect whipped Wayne Bloom toward Bam Bam, who ducked and back-bodydropped the Train over the top rope to the floor, upsetting Heenan. Bigelow and Perfect grappled as Bloom complained to the officials and Brian Knobbs strolled down at #14, spinning Bloom around and rubbing the Train's face in his nasty armpit. Bloom fell to the floor, disgusted, while the Nasty Boy stepped through the ropes and went after the Rougeaus, freeing Benoit & Davey Boy, who once again targeted Owen & Dynamite, pulling them away from Razor. Duggan and Knobbs opened up on Raymond & Jacques with closed fists as Colonel Robert Lee Fuller swaggered out with #15, Dustin Rhodes, who snuck up behind Knobbs when he was trying to eliminate Raymond and dumped them both over the top rope for the 3rd and 4th eliminations. The Natural then joined Jacques in trying to heave out Hacksaw, while Bam Bam managed to dump both Perfect and Backlund when they were tangling on the ropes. However, they both landed on the apron and re-entered the Rumble, trying to shove Bam Bam over the top as Mr. Fuji waddled out with #16, the Great Muta, whom Ventura selected as a "dark horse" to win the Rumble due to his stamina and ability. Duggan knocked Jacques over the top rope with a running shoulderblock for the 5th elimination, and almost became the sixth elimination himself thanks to Dustin Rhodes, but Hacksaw battled back and slugged it out with the Lone Star Stud as the Big Boss Man bounded out at #17 and was immediately attacked by Mr. Perfect. Meanwhile, Backlund had himself wrapped around the ropes like a monkey as Muta and Bigelow struggled to push him out, but to no avail as the Beast From The East saw another opening and helped Dustin to oust Hacksaw for the 6th elimination. Jerry Saggs entered at #18 and went right after Dustin Rhodes to avenge Knobbs, while Bam Bam, Muta, and Perfect hauled the Boss Man over the top rope. However, Boss Man landed on the apron and fought off Perfect and Muta before hooking Bigelow in a front-facelock, attempting to suplex the Million Dollar Bounty Hunter onto the floor. After much struggling between the two behemoths, Boss Man was finally able to suplex Bigelow over the top rope down to the floor to mark the 7th elimination. The Beast was angry when he got up and tried to pull Boss Man out, but the big Georgian escaped and went to work on the Commonwealth Connection as Terry Funk entered at #19 and pulled Razor Ramon and Saggs off of Rhodes, ordering the Natural to step out through the ropes and sit at ringside in a chair that the Colonel had set up. The Lone Star Stud shrugged and rolled out under the bottom rope to sit in the chair, watching the action as Saggs and Ramon took turns punching Funk, who finally collapsed. Ramon and Saggs then went after each other as the buzzer sounded and Slick, along with his personal bodyguard Bad News Brown, followed #20, Stan Lane, who carefully picked his spots when he stepped in. Perfect exchanged some gunshot-like chops with Lane, while Funk and Backlund squared off in a corner, trading fists. Boss Man and Razor almost had Muta out, but the Japanese import slithered back into the ring and dumped the Bad Guy over the top. Fortunately, Razor landed on the apron and rolled back in as Irwin R. Schyster entered at #21 and blasted the Boss Man with the steel haliburton briefcase across the back of the head. The dazed Boss Man teetered on the ropes as IRS enlisted Perfect, Sweet Stan, and Funk to help try to eliminate the 340-pound former corrections officer, but the save came when Hawk rushed out as #22 and broke up the mob. Hawk hammered Funk, Perfect, and Schyster with big clotheslines before pressing Lane over his head and dropping him out to the floor over the top rope for the 8th elimination. Slick was furious with the Sweet One as they headed up the aisle, while the Dynamite Kid & Owen Hart worked Saggs over and tried to push him out. Hawk punched anything that moved, leading to a showdown with Razor that ended when Muta blindsided Ramon with a straight kick to the side of the head. Muta and Hawk brawled as Mike Enos came in at #23 and saved Mr. Perfect from near-elimination at the hands of the New British Bulldogs. The Machine looked strong as he unloaded on both Benoit & Davey Boy, while IRS escaped elimination from Hawk, Razor, and Boss Man and retreated to a corner. The ring continued to fill up as Slick and Bad News Brown returned to ringside along with #24, Paul Roma, who tentatively stepped through the ropes and was ambushed by Terry Funk. Saggs went after IRS in the corner, but Irwin used his leverage to catapult the Nasty Boy over the top rope to the floor for the 9th elimination. Dustin Rhodes and Colonel Fuller applauded Funk from ringside as the Outlaw choked Romeo Roma on the ropes, while Hawk and Boss Man strained with IRS, trying to force the Tax Man out until Cactus Jack Manson raced out at #25 to save his fellow Million Dollar Empire member. Manson and Schyster slugged it out with Boss Man and Hawk as Monsoon pointed out that Razor Ramon and Mr. Perfect had both been in the Rumble for over 40 minutes, while Perfect and Enos struggled to eliminate Ramon, who refused to go over the top. Tenay added that Benoit, Dynamite, and Backlund had also been in the Rumble for quite a while, as those three grappled on the ropes, all trying to eliminate each other. A bell mysteriously tolled, freezing the Rumble competitors in their tracks, as Paul Bearer led the Undertaker down the aisle as entrant #26. The Grim Reaper stalked his way into the ring and immediately headed for Owen Hart and Davey Boy Smith, who were mixing it up near the ropes. The Pale Destroyer swiftly gripped them both by their throats before they had a chance to defend themselves, lifted them both in the air, and choketossed them over the top rope to the floor, earning the 10th and 11th eliminations. Dynamite and Chris Benoit tried to jump him from behind to avenge their tag team partners, but the Dead Man no-sold and gripped them by their throats as well, preparing them for the same fate. However, Muta drilled the Undertaker with a leaping knee to the back, allowing Benoit and Dynamite to break the chokeholds and hook up the Reaper for a picture-perfect double snap suplex. Dynamite looked surprised and nodded at Benoit, who returned the display of mutual respect, while the Undertaker sat up as Roma was charging at him for a cross-bodyblock. In a sitting position, the Undertaker caught Roma and held onto the Gangster Of Style as he got to his feet, utilizing his underrated power to carry Romeo to the ropes and casually dump him over the top to the floor for the 12th elimination. Slick and Bad News Brown helped Romeo up the aisle as #27, the Honky Tonk Man, sprinted down to ringside carrying a guitar and busted it over Colonel Fuller's head, knocking his former manager to the ground. The Honk grabbed Dustin Rhodes by the hair and trunks and rolled him into the ring, following him in and unloading on the Natural with fists and elbows. The Lone Star Stud dropped to his knees and begged for a timeout, giving Terry Funk the opportunity to rush over and blindside Honky. The Outlaw and the Natural double-teamed the Honk mercilessly until Shane Douglas raced out at #28 to a nice pop and went after both Rhodes and Funk, exchanging chops with both men. Meanwhile, the Undertaker used a big boot to the face to knock Benoit over the top rope to the floor for the 13th elimination, as Monsoon put over the New British Bulldog for lasting approximately 40 minutes in his first-ever Royal Rumble. Muta grappled with Perfect in a corner as Razor Ramon scooped up Mike Enos and tossed the Machine over the top rope to score the 14th elimination. Heenan patted Enos on the back in thanks as the buzzer sounded and after a few moments, a wild-eyed Abdullah The Butcher tore down the aisle as #29 with his mouth wide open. Fuji cackled at ringside as his Madman Of The Sudan rushed past Enos and Heenan and slid in under the bottom rope, assaulting Funk, Cactus, Douglas, and Honky Tonk with punches and headbutts. His path of blind hunger also included the Great Muta, who angrily fired back at his fellow Dojo member with kicks and chops, backing the 361-pounder against the ropes. Muta stepped back, then charged and knocked the Butcher over the top rope with a spinning roundhouse kick to earn the 15th elimination. Fuji came to Abdullah's side and scolded Muta, who leaned over the top rope and yelled at the Devious One in Japanese until Mr. Perfect snuck up from behind and dumped Muta out to the floor, the 16th elimination occuring just as Jake Roberts emerged from the curtain at #30. Fuji and Muta argued in Japanese while the starving Abdullah wandered off and met the Snake in the aisleway with punches and martial-arts blows to the throat. Jake fought off the Butcher and slithered into the squared circle, pointing at the exhausted Perfect. Before Roberts could get his hands on Perfect, the Dynamite Kid attacked the Snake, who traded chops with him before suddenly snapping on the DDT. Dynamite lay motionless as Jake got up and headed for Perfect again while Rhodes and Funk picked up the pieces, lifting Dynamite off the canvas and throwing him over the top rope as the 17th elimination, having lasted over 40 minutes in the Rumble. The Honk rushed over and cracked the Stud Stable's skulls together as Mr. Perfect had the tables turned on Jake, struggling to push the Snake over the ropes. Meanwhile, IRS and Cactus were trying to oust Razor, but Bob Backlund made the save and beat away Jack and Irwin, who began slugging it out with Hawk and Boss Man again. The Bad Guy thanked the All American and shook his hand, but cheapshotted him with a hard left hand and tossed the former WWF Champion over the top rope as the 18th elimination. The Nature Boy was too late to save Backlund, but confronted Razor and had some heated words with him before they started trading chops and slaps. Backlund held his head when he departed, as Monsoon announced that he had lasted about 50 minutes, while Manson charged at Boss Man and took them both over the top rope with the Cactus Clothesline, although only Boss Man hit the floor for the 19th elimination. Cactus managed to land on the apron, but soon became the 20th elimination when Hawk stomped him in the head until he fell off the apron. The 21st elimination came when Jake snatched IRS by the tie and hurled him over the top rope to the floor, while the 22nd occured when Shane Douglas back-bodydropped Terry Funk over the ropes to ringside. The Outlaw reached up and grabbed a handful of the Nature Boy's hair afterwards as Dustin Rhodes snuck up and dumped Douglas out to the floor for the 23rd elimination. Douglas and Funk brawled up the aisle as the Honk and the Natural slugged it out, while the Undertaker ducked a clothesline from Hawk and used his own momentum to send the former Legion Of Doom member sailing over the top rope, marking the 24th elimination. The Dead Man turned his attention to the Honk, who was pounding the Lone Star Stud in a corner. The Undertaker yanked Honky away from Dustin and scooped him up, making the former WWF Intercontinental Champion the 25th elimination before Dustin, Jake, Razor, and Perfect rushed up behind and dumped the Reaper over the top for the 26th elimination. Left as the final four of the 1992 Royal Rumble, the superstars paired off, as Ramon went after Perfect while Roberts targeted Rhodes and had him reeling against the ropes. The Snake lunged in with a short-clothesline, but Dustin ducked and pushed Jake over the top rope. However, Jake landed on the apron and reached up, grabbing the Natural by his increasingly shaggy hair and dragging him out over the top to the floor as the 27th elimination. Before Jake had a chance to wriggle back in under the bottom rope, Razor seized the opportunity to kick the Snake off the apron to the floor, earning the 28th elimination. Jake sprang to his feet on the floor and yelled at Razor, whose showboating cost him as Perfect sidled up and ousted the Bad Guy from the squared circle to score the 29th elimination and win the 1992 Royal Rumble, earning the WWF Title shot at WrestleMania VIII. Ramon and Roberts argued at ringside as Perfect collapsed in mid-ring, where an overjoyed Bobby Heenan came in to towel him off and congratulate him. The Brain raised the arm of the fallen Mr. Perfect in sweet victory while Monsoon, Ventura, and Tenay signed off, hyping further WrestleMania developments at next month's WWF Battle Lines. (80%)

Overall: 88%

Buyrate: 1.70

Paid Attendance: 18,297

PPV Revenue: $4,250,000

Ticket Sales: $1,097,820

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I realize this was a long one, but once I started writing I couldn't stop. Hope you enjoy and here's a Royal Rumble scorecard for the quick results...

1. Razor Ramon: Elimination #29, by Mr. Perfect.

2. Mr. Perfect: Winner.

3. Bam Bam Bigelow: Elimination #7, by Big Boss Man.

4. Chris Benoit: Elimination #13, by The Undertaker.

5. Dynamite Kid: Elimination #17, by Dustin Rhodes/Terry Funk.

6. Papa Shango: Elimination #1, by Bob Backlund.

7. Bob Backlund: Elimination #18, by Razor Ramon.

8. Wayne Bloom: Elimination #2, by Bam Bam Bigelow.

9. Hacksaw Duggan: Elimination #6, by Dustin Rhodes/Bam Bam Bigelow.

10. Davey Boy Smith: Elimination #10, by The Undertaker.

11. Jacques Rougeau: Elimination #5, by Jim Duggan.

12. Raymond Rougeau: Elimination #4, by Dustin Rhodes.

13. Owen Hart: Elimination #11, by The Undertaker.

14. Brian Knobbs: Elimination #3, by Dustin Rhodes.

15. Dustin Rhodes: Elimination #27, by Jake Roberts.

16. The Great Muta: Elimination #16, by Mr. Perfect.

17. Big Boss Man: Elimination #19, by Cactus Jack Manson.

18. Jerry Saggs: Elimination #9, by Irwin R. Schyster.

19. Terry Funk: Elimination #22, by Shane Douglas.

20. Stan Lane: Elimination #8, by Hawk.

21. Irwin R. Schyster: Elimination #21, by Jake Roberts.

22. Hawk: Elimination #24, by The Undertaker.

23. Mike Enos: Elimination #14, by Razor Ramon.

24. Paul Roma: Elimination #12, by The Undertaker.

25. Cactus Jack Manson: Elimination #20, by Hawk.

26. The Undertaker: Elimination #26, by Dustin Rhodes/Jake Roberts/Razor Ramon/Mr. Perfect.

27. Honky Tonk Man: Elimination #25, by The Undertaker.

28. Shane Douglas: Elimination #23, by Dustin Rhodes.

29. Abdullah The Butcher: Elimination #15, by The Great Muta.

30. Jake Roberts: Elimination #28, by Razor Ramon.

[Chrononaut]

MONDAY, JANUARY 27, 1992 -- WWF PRIME TIME WRESTLING

Vince McMahon and Jesse "The Body" Ventura opened the program LIVE from ringside by talking about the 1992 Royal Rumble last night before running through this evening's lineup, including Dustin Rhodes squaring off against Hacksaw Duggan, Shane Douglas facing Paul Roma, the Dundee Family taking on the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers, Demolition in tag team action, and much more.

The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers (Jacques & Raymond Rougeau) vs. The Dundee Family (Bill & Jamie Dundee)

Jimmy Hart walked out in between his Fabulous Rougeau Brothers, as the commentators used this basic competitive squash to discuss some of the important events that took place at last night's 1992 Royal Rumble. The Rougeaus put the Dundees away when Raymond covered Bill following Le Bombe De Rougeau from he and Jacques. (72%)

In the Prime Time Wrestling studio, Gorilla Monsoon and "The Man" Ric Flair showed some stills from last night and urged fans to order the replay of the 1992 Royal Rumble before introducing their first guest, Colonel Robert Lee Fuller, who was flanked by the two large ruffians that interfered in the WWF Tag Team Title bout last night. The Greatest Promoter Of All Time identified them as "Dr. Death" Steve Williams & Terry "Bruiser" Gordy, collectively known as "The Hellraisers", since they had been "raising hell" in tag team competition across the globe. The Colonel revealed that he had been searching for a tag team to "bring to the big-time" and informed Monsoon that the Hellraisers had ripped through the Far East like Godzilla visiting Tokyo, demolishing everything in their path, so it was time for the Bruiser & Dr. Death to return to America and conquer the WWF. When Monsoon asked why they chose to cost Demolition the match against the Powers Of Pain, Fuller recalled Ax, Smash, & Crush assaulting him last week and explained that that was when he decided to "pull the trigger" and bring the Hellraisers to the WWF at the Rumble. Fuller added that he knew Demolition would want revenge, which Gordy welcomed and invited the former three-time WWF Tag Team Champions to look into their future and watch the Hellraisers tear apart the Conquistadors in their WWF wrestling debut this weekend on Saturday Night's Main Event. Williams growled about Demolition claiming to be the toughest unit of all time, but promised that the facepainted brutes would learn their lesson the hard way when the two tag teams eventually square off. (67%)

Backstage at the arena, Mean Gene Okerlund interviewed Demolition's Ax, Smash, & Crush, who were understandably riled up after being cheated out of a fourth WWF Tag Team Championship last night at the 1992 Royal Rumble. Ax explained that the belts would be theirs again, but first they had to take care of Colonel Robert Lee Fuller's Hellraisers, challenging them to a match on Sunday, February 23, at WWF Battle Lines. Crush looked angry and menacing as Smash advised Terry Gordy & Steve Williams to watch Demolition in action tonight and looked forward to proving that they were the toughest tag team to ever step foot in a wrestling ring by "kickin' their stinkin' teeth straight down their stinkin' throats, all the way back to Japan!" (79%)

Demolition (Smash & Crush) vs. State Patrol (Sgt. Buddy Ray Parker & Lt. James Earl Wright)

Ax marched out alongside his Demolition brothers-in-paint as Ventura put over the tough-guy reputations of Steve Williams & Terry Gordy and questioned Demolition's challenge to the Hellraisers for WWF Battle Lines. Total squash here as the former WWF Tag Team Champions completely annihilated the State Patrol from the opening bell and finished them off when Crush covered Wright following the Decapitation Kneedrop by he and Smash. (72%)

In the Prime Time studio, Gorilla Monsoon and Ric Flair discussed the current state of the Heenan Family after last night and brought in "Ravishing" Rick Rude as their next guest. Flair and Monsoon both congratulated the Ravishing One on a superb performance in the 2 Out Of 3 Falls WWF Intercontinental Title bout at the 1992 Royal Rumble, but Rude used one of Gorilla's favorite cliches, pointing out that "close only counts in horseshoes and hand-grenades." Rude went out of his way to praise Ricky Steamboat and thanked him for a tremendous match because it reminded him of the level he had to be at if he wanted to compete in the upper echelon of the WWF, referring to his loss to the Dragon as a "wake-up call". When the Man asked if he had spoken to Bobby Heenan after the Brain stormed out on him last night, Rude responded that he had no idea what was going through Heenan's mind and had been unable to talk to him, especially after Mr. Perfect won the 30-man Royal Rumble. Monsoon mentioned that Heenan and Perfect were scheduled to be interviewed later just as the Brain walked into the studio with a smug look on his face, informing Rude that he abandoned him after his loss to the WWF Intercontinental Champion because the Ravishing One had let him down. The Brain stated that he wanted to start 1992 off with a bang, explaining that while Mr. Perfect had held up his end of the Heenan Family by winning the Rumble, Rude had failed and that was unacceptable. Rude got to his feet and argued with Heenan, exchanging some heated words, while several security officials flooded into the studio to keep them separated. (93%)

Paul "Romeo" Roma vs. "Nature Boy" Shane Douglas

Slick, along with "Sweet" Stan Lane and personal bodyguard Bad News Brown, escorted Paul Roma to ringside, while Shane Douglas strutted out in a red-and-white robe with a beautiful woman on each arm as the commentators debated whose name was on the business card that the Nature Boy received recently from Ric Flair. This was a well-worked, fast-paced contest that showcased the athleticism of both competitors and featured some good psychology, as Douglas worked over Roma's knee in preparation for the Figure Four Leglock. The end came when Romeo accidentally crashed knee-first into Sweet Stan, who had climbed up on the apron to assist his fellow Gangster Of Style, and fell victim to the Nature Boy's Figure Four, earning the submission for Douglas. (81%)

Mean Gene Okerlund was in the locker room to interview Jim Duggan, who was getting ready to meet Dustin Rhodes one-on-one. Hacksaw admitted that he did the best he could last night in the 30-man 1992 Royal Rumble, but planned to get revenge tonight against one of the men who eliminated him, targeting the Lone Star Stud. Duggan gave the big thumbs-up and bellowed "HOOOOOOOOOOO...TOUGH GUY!" before marching off. (71%)

Elsewhere backstage, Dustin Rhodes was shown sauntering down the hallway with Terry Funk by his side, discussing strategy on the way out for the Natural's match-up against Jim Duggan. Along the way, the two Stud Stable members encountered a sweaty Shane Douglas, returning from his match with a satisfied smile on his face and the women on his arms. When he saw Dustin, the Nature Boy pushed his two gorgeous escorts aside and pounced on the Lone Star Stud, shouting about Dustin eliminating him from the 30-man 1992 Royal Rumble, until Funk grabbed Douglas from behind with two handfuls of hair and dragged him off, informing Shane that he would have to go through him to get to Rhodes. The Outlaw and the Natural headed out as several WWF agents intervened to hold back the Nature Boy, who muttered that maybe that was what he would do. (78%)

"Hacksaw" Jim Duggan vs. "The Natural" Dustin Rhodes

Terry Funk walked out alongside Dustin Rhodes, giving him advice, as Ventura explained that the Outlaw was "standing in" for Colonel Robert Lee Fuller, who was with the Hellraisers in the studio earlier. Jim Duggan got a nice pop upon his entrance and put on a very physical match-up, trading fists, clotheslines, bodyslams, and vertical suplexes, while McMahon recalled that Hacksaw eliminated Jacques Rougeau from last night's 30-man 1992 Royal Rumble before being tossed out by Dustin and Bam Bam Bigelow. Ventura added that Rhodes made it to the "final four" of the Rumble and tied the Undertaker for most eliminations with six, ousting Duggan, Brian Knobbs, Raymond Rougeau, the Dynamite Kid, Shane Douglas, and Undertaker. The Lone Star Stud won this entertaining slugfest by sidestepping Hacksaw's Three Point Stance and driving him down with the American Nightmare for the three-count. Afterwards, Duggan tried to disrupt Dustin's victory celebration, but Terry Funk blindsided him with the branding iron, leaving Hacksaw laid out as Funk and Rhodes exited the ring. (77%)

In the Prime Time studio, Gorilla Monsoon and Ric Flair put over Mr. Perfect's marathon performance last night at the 1992 Royal Rumble, entering the 30-man Rumble at #2 and lasting well over an hour to win the competition and earn the WWF Title shot at WrestleMania VIII on Sunday, April 26, before introducing the Flawless One himself, accompanied by Bobby Heenan. The Man got to his feet and embraced the Brain and Mr. Perfect, congratulating them on the Rumble victory, but Perfect still looked somewhat unsatisfied. Monsoon announced that Perfect would be locking horns with the Great Muta next week on Prime Time Wrestling and asked if that was why Perfect seemed unhappy, but the former two-time WWF Intercontinental Champion responded that he eliminated Muta from the Rumble last night and planned on pinning him one-on-one next week, so that didn't concern him. When Monsoon continued to prod him, Perfect explained that even though he won the Rumble and would become WWF Champion at WrestleMania, there was something that he didn't accomplish last night: the elimination of Jake Roberts. Heenan requested that he drop the subject, but Perfect refused and recalled that the Snake pinned him at the 1991 Survivor Series and defeated him in the Lights Out match at WWF No Holds Barred, pointing out that he missed his opportunity for revenge during the Rumble. Against Heenan's wishes, Perfect issued a challenge to the Snake for WWF Battle Lines, demanding one more chance to redeem himself by pinning Jake's shoulders to the mat for the 1-2-3 and continuing his "perfect record" for 1992. (93%)

Back in the arena, "Money, Money, Money" echoed throughout the building as Virgil led the way out for the disgruntled "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase, who had Irwin R. Schyster by his side and the Million Dollar Bounty Hunters following him down the aisle. The Million Dollar Empire stepped into the ring, where Mean Gene Okerlund was waiting with a microphone, as the commentators discussed the circumstances of Randy Savage regaining the WWF Championship in the I Quit match last night at the 1992 Royal Rumble. The Million Dollar Man explained his side of the story and urged the audience to order the Rumble replay on pay-per-view so that they could see for themselves that he never said "I Quit". Okerlund agreed that fans should see it to make up their own minds, but denied that the Macho Man's third title victory was tainted in any way. DiBiase declared that he should still be the WWF Champion and called out WWF President Andre The Giant, who lumbered down to the squared circle and towered over the former Million Dollar Champion, outright refusing to reverse the decision. The livid DiBiase protested that he passed out before uttering "I Quit" last night and insisted that at the very least, he deserved a rematch for the WWF Title. While Andre and DiBiase argued, "Pomp And Circumstance" suddenly kicked in and the crowd erupted as brand-new WWF Champion Randy Savage fearlessly made his way out and stepped through the ropes, almost daring the Million Dollar Empire to jump him. The Macho Man held the title belt over his shoulder and asked if the Million Dollar Man wanted another shot at the WWF Title, so DiBiase nodded and replied that signing the rematch was the least the WWF President could do for him after "stealing" the gold from the Empire last night. Savage looked into DiBiase's eyes and stated that if they were to have a rematch, he wanted there to be a definite "final decision" so that DiBiase would have no excuse for losing this time and there would be no question in anyone's mind who the undisputed WWF Champion was. When DiBiase inquired what Savage had in mind and the new three-time WWF Champion responded with three simple words: "Last Man Standing", the fans popped as Andre grinned and informed Mean Gene that we had a rematch. The WWF President announced that on Sunday, February 23, at WWF Battle Lines, the Macho Man would defend the WWF Championship against the Million Dollar Man in a Last Man Standing match. Bam Bam Bigelow & Cactus Jack Manson attempted a quick ambush, but Savage bailed out and taunted DiBiase from the aisleway as McMahon and Ventura closed the show. (91%)

Overall: 80%

Rating: 5.73

Attendance: 10,005

Ticket Sales: $600,300

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Celebrating birthdays in January were...

Animal (32)

Conquistador #1 (27)

"Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase (38)

"Hacksaw" Jim Duggan (39)

Doug "The Tank" Furnas (30)

Jimmy Hart (40)

Honky Tonk Man (39)

Kato (31)

Luke (45)

Paul "Romeo" Roma (32)

"Texas Twister" Kevin Von Erich (35)

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1992 -- NBC/WWF PRESENT: SATURDAY NIGHT'S MAIN EVENT

Marv Albert, "The Professor" Mike Tenay, and "The Man" Ric Flair began the LIVE network broadcast by introducing the evening's events: the Honky Tonk Man meeting Jerry Lawler, Chris Benoit taking on the Dynamite Kid, the Bounty Hunters squaring off with the Birdwhackers, the Hellraisers in their WWF wrestling debut against the Conquistadors, WWF Intercontinental Champion Ricky Steamboat on "The Funeral Parlor", and in the main event, Jake Roberts battling Abdullah The Butcher.

Colonel Robert Lee Fuller was already in the ring clutching a microphone, as he introduced "the roughest and toughest tag team in the world today" and the newest members of the Stud Stable, making their in-ring wrestling debut with the WWF... Terry "Bruiser" Gordy & "Dr. Death" Steve Williams, The Hellraisers! The Hellraisers marched out in matching black-and-orange trunks and boots, looking menacing, as the Colonel warned Demolition to watch them dismantle the Conquistadors before deciding if they really wanted to wrestle Dr. Death & Bruiser at WWF Battle Lines. (66%)

The Hellraisers ("Dr. Death" Steve Williams & Terry "Bruiser" Gordy) vs. The Conquistadors (Conquistador #1 & Conquistador #2)

The Conquistadors were introduced as Colonel Robert Fuller stepped out to ringside, while Tenay raved about Steve Williams & Terry Gordy's impressive victories over the best that Japan had to offer and wondered how much the Colonel had paid them to return to America. The Hellraisers lived up to their reputation, dominating 99% of the bout with frequent tags, vicious suplexes, harsh slams, and stiff blows to the body. They finally put the masked men out of their misery when the Bruiser pinned #1 after the lariat/backdrop suplex double-team that he and Dr. Death used on Crush at the 1992 Royal Rumble, which Flair said was called the "Death Dealer". Afterwards, the Hellraisers victimized Conquistador #2 with a nasty spiking double-powerbomb as Flair advised Demolition to retract their challenge. (72%)

In the Million Dollar Empire's somewhat smaller dressing room, Ted DiBiase was surrounded by Irwin R. Schyster, Virgil, Cactus Jack Manson, & Bam Bam Bigelow, who were watching the monitor and commenting on the impressive debut of the Hellraisers. The Million Dollar Bounty Hunters claimed that they were the toughest tag team in the WWF and stated that they would prove it tonight against the Birdwhackers. IRS agreed but pointed out that they had to focus on the Million Dollar Man regaining the WWF Championship at WWF Battle Lines in the Last Man Standing match. DiBiase reminded Bam Bam & Cactus Jack that he was paying them a substantial amount of money and advised them to forget any of their personal goals until he was the WWF Champion again. The Bounty Hunters nodded their heads in understanding before exiting the room. (95%)

The Birdwhackers (Luke & Koko) vs. The Million Dollar Bounty Hunters (Bam Bam Bigelow & Cactus Jack Manson)

The Birdwhackers made their way out first with Frankie the bird on his perch, setting him at ringside as the Million Dollar Bounty Hunters walked down the aisle and climbed into the squared circle. This was a solid tag team contest that saw Koko "play Ricky Morton" as Cactus Jack & Bam Bam cut the ring in half and worked over the Bird Man in their corner. Koko eventually dodged a Bounty Hunters sandwich and made the hot tag to Luke, as the Birdwhackers began to clean house. Around this time, Abdullah The Butcher wandered down to ringside, licking his lips hungrily as he made a beeline straight for Frankie. Mr. Fuji and the Great Muta soon followed, as Fuji ordering Muta to stop Abdullah from eating the macaw. Muta reluctantly tried to hold back the Madman Of The Sudan as several WWF agents rushed out to help, distracting Koko long enough for Bigelow & Manson to dump him out to the floor and double-team Luke. The Bounty Hunters finished off the Bushwhacker when the Beast From The East covered Luke following the Problem Solver from he and the New Mexican Wildman. (76%)

Mean Gene Okerlund was in the locker room to interview "The King" Jerry Lawler, who was gloating over his Stretcher Match victory over Hulk Hogan last Sunday at the 1992 Royal Rumble as he prepared to face the Honky Tonk Man. However, before Lawler could say much more, WWF President Andre The Giant interrupted, looking very displeased, with a couple of executive types by his side. One of the suits apologized for the interruption and informed the Memphis Monarch that he was currently on probation from NBC pending a review. The Undisputed 1991 WWF King Of The Ring was irate and asked why, so the other executive explained that the King's behavior recently during "Late Night With David Letterman" and the "Saturday Night Live" dress rehearsal had crossed the line, reasoning that while such activity was to be expected on Saturday Night's Main Event, disrupting other NBC programs was unacceptable. When the suits turned to leave after Lawler acknowledged his crimes, the King jumped them from behind, tossing the smaller man aside and grabbing the other executive in position for the Royal Piledriver, planting him on the floor. Screaming and yelling, the King pounced on the smaller man and choked him until the WWF President and several NBC Security officers pulled Lawler off. Andre then ordered Lawler to be ejected from the building and automatically awarded the victory to the Honk over the King via forfeit. (94%)

The Honky Tonk Man was already in the ring holding the microphone and claimed that he came to Cleveland to fight, not to win by forfeit, and wondered if there was anybody backstage "cool enough" to take on the Honk. After a few moments, Colonel Robert Lee Fuller emerged from the curtains and led Dustin Rhodes down the aisle, putting a big smile on Honky Tonk's face as he threw the microphone away and raised his fists. They immediately traded punches until the Natural surprised him with a knee to the midsection and trapped the Honk in a corner, where Dustin unloaded with hard right hands. Honky managed to block a punch and turned the tables, slinging the Lone Star Stud into the corner and firing off lefts and rights, along with his own rendition of Dusty Rhodes' Flip Flop & Fly. Terry Funk soon hit the ring and attacked Honky from behind, dragging him off of Dustin and battering him down to the canvas. The Colonel joined his two Stud Stable members in stomping the Honk until Shane Douglas sprinted out to a nice pop and made the save, chasing off Funk, Rhodes, & Fuller. The Nature Boy, in a fashionable casual suit and jacket, shouted threats at the Stud Stable as they departed. (75%)

Another vignette aired for Al "Ice Man" Snow & Doug "The Tank" Furnas, referring to the duo as "Fire & Ice", signified by the Tank's red-and-gold tights and boots as opposed to the Ice Man's blue-and-silver tights and boots. Clips of Fire & Ice mechanically outwrestling and thrashing an unidentified, larger, young duo (indy fans will recognize them as Paul Levesque and former WCW competitor Van Hammer) on a small United States Wrestling Association card were shown, intercut with comments from Snow, Furnas by his side, recorded afterwards where he talked about himself and Furnas eating, sleeping, and breathing wrestling on a daily basis. The Ice Man explained that they were looking for tag team competition wherever they could find it, which was why they were wrestling in front of 250 people "for peanuts", and predicted that their competitive spirit would take Fire & Ice to the top of the WWF. (72%)

Dynamite Kid vs. Chris Benoit

The Dynamite Kid marched out alone, as did Chris Benoit, while Tenay mentioned that they both lasted over 40 minutes in the 30-man 1992 Royal Rumble last Sunday and even showed each other some mutual respect despite the Commonwealth Connection/New British Bulldogs rivalry. Dynamite offered a handshake at the outset that the rookie Benoit accepted, but Dynamite cheapshotted him to kick off the action, which was fast-paced and high-impact all the way as Dynamite kept screaming at Benoit that he still had a lot to learn. Benoit mounted a comeback as the advantage shifted back-and-forth throughout the contest, possibly the best match-up on free television so far this year. Late in the contest, after exchanging rapid-fire reversals and near-falls, Dynamite rolled out of the way of Benoit's Swandive Headbutt from the top turnbuckle and spiked the New British Bulldog with the Union Jack for the clean three-count. Afterwards, both competitors were sweaty and worn-out as Dynamite helped Benoit to his feet and offered a handshake, assuring him that it was legitimate this time. Benoit groggily accepted the handshake but caught Dynamite with a cheapshot of his own, laying the Kid out with a straight right hand across the jaw before stepping out and heading up the aisle while rubbing his neck. (89%)

Following a commercial break, Paul Bearer was on the set of "The Funeral Parlor" and brought up the classic 2 Out Of 3 Falls match at last Sunday's 1992 Royal Rumble before introducing his guest this week, WWF Intercontinental Champion Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, who got a tremendous pop and wore slacks and a sweater with the title belt over his shoulder. Bearer mentioned that Rick Rude seemed like a changed man on Prime Time Wrestling this past Monday after apparently being turfed from the Heenan Family for failing to defeat Steamboat. The Dragon acknowledged that the Ravishing One gave him "the challenge of a lifetime" at the Rumble, admitting that his shoulder and elbow were still feeling the effects, and agreed that Rude had possibly seen the error of his ways, but stated that he wanted to look Rude in the eyes and find out for himself. Rick Rude soon joined Steamboat and Bearer, standing face-to-face with the Dragon and commenting that the best man won at the Rumble. The WWF Intercontinental Champion put his belt on a nearby pedestal and interrogated the Ravishing One to determine if he was being sincere, eventually deciding that Rude deserved a rematch for his effort and change in attitude. As they were shaking hands, Bobby Heenan strolled out onto the stage and mocked Rude and Steamboat, sarcastically referring to them as "new best friends" and cooing about how sweet it was that they "kissed and made up". The Brain began to verbally rip into Rude, describing him as a muscleheaded loser who had no business being in the Heenan Family, provoking Steamboat to come to Rude's defense, claiming that Rude had shown more heart and spine in the last five minutes than Heenan had displayed in his entire life. Suddenly, the Ravishing One blindsided the Dragon with a double-axhandle across the shoulder, turning the fans' cheers into boos as Heenan grinned and applauded Rude, who hammered Steamboat across the arm to beat him down. Rude then dragged Steamboat to one of the Parlor's caskets, opening it and draping Steamboat's arm inside before slamming the steel lid down hard across the shoulder. Steamboat hollered in pain, but Rude was merciless as Heenan encouraged him, slamming the casket lid down across the Dragon's elbow. Rude prepared to do it again, but Bret "Hit Man" Hart raced out and managed to chase off Rude, Heenan, and even Bearer. The Hit Man attended to the Dragon and pointed at the Heenan Family as Albert declared that Steamboat was double-crossed. (88%)

Mean Gene Okerlund interviewed Jake Roberts in a dimly-lit shower in the locker room as he prepared to meet Abdullah The Butcher in the main event of the evening. The Snake recalled that the Madman Of The Sudan attacked him in the aisleway last Sunday during the 30-man 1992 Royal Rumble and he planned to end Abdullah's hunger with a mouthful of the DDT. Speaking of the Rumble, Okerlund inquired about Mr. Perfect's challenge from Prime Time Wrestling for one more one-on-one contest, but Roberts pointed out that he had already beaten the Flawless One twice and wondered what would be in it for him, responding with a cold "No." Jake winked and flashed his devious smile before the camera panned down to show Jake's python Damian slithering around their feet in the shower. (88%)

Abdullah The Butcher vs. Jake "The Snake" Roberts

Mr. Fuji waddled out with the starved Abdullah The Butcher, while Jake Roberts carried the sack containing Damian over his shoulder, which Flair questioned since the Madman Of The Sudan tried to make a meal out of Frankie the macaw earlier. As soon as the opening bell rang, Abdullah went straight for the writhing bag, allowing the Snake to seize his opportunity and take the early lead. Jake kept Abdullah off-balance until the Butcher's overwhelming hunger fueled his comeback, no-selling Jake's offense and opening up on him with vicious lefts, rights, chops, thrusts, and kicks. Although Roberts tried to fight back, the Sudanese Psychopath was relentless and continued to lay in the punishment, culminating in the running Meat Cleaver to the face that stopped Roberts in his tracks. Instead of going for the pinfall, Abdullah went after the sack in the corner, impatiently attempting to open it up. Fuji shouted at Abdullah from ringside and tapped him on the shoulder with his cane, urging him to pin Jake, but this only served to distract the crazed Butcher, who stared at the Devious One in confusion. The Snake regained his composure and snuck up behind Abdullah, spinning him around and flooring him with a short-arm clothesline. As the crowd chanted "D-D-T", Jake pulled Abdullah up into a front-facelock and drilled him with the DDT for the 1-2-3. Afterwards, Jake heaved Abdullah out to the floor under the bottom rope and celebrated his victory as Albert, Tenay, and Flair ended the program. (78%)

Overall: 80%

Rating: 6.84

Attendance: 10,033

Ticket Sales: $601,980

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1992 -- WWF SUPERSTARS OF WRESTLING

* Hosts: Gorilla Monsoon and "The Man" Ric Flair.

* The Birdwhackers (Luke & Koko) vs. The Hooded Hangmen (Hangman Psycho & Hangman Killer): Basic squash that ended when Koko pinned Killer following the Birdwhacker Battering Ram. (61%)

* The Birdwhackers celebrated their victory by dancing and playing to the fans. (64%)

* Sean Mooney interviewed Colonel Robert Lee Fuller and Terry Funk, who reiterated that Shane Douglas would have to go through him to get to Dustin Rhodes. Also hyped a match between Funk and Jim Duggan for Saturday Night's Main Event next weekend. (86%)

* "The Outlaw" Terry Funk vs. Scott Taylor: Funk won this semi-competitive squash with the Double Cross Driver face-first piledriver. (74%)

* Lord Alfred Hayes interviewed Tito Santana about his match with the Genius. (64%)

* The Genius was in the ring with the microphone and recited a poem that insulted Tito Santana and his Mexican heritage. (67%)

* Tito Santana vs. The Genius: Competitive match-up that saw the former WWF Intercontinental Champion put away the World's Smartest Man with the Flying Forearm. (74%)

* A funny vignette aired featuring the Honky Tonk Man as "The Honk", doing various "cool" things to impress the '50s-styled young ladies. (83%)

* After Mean Gene Okerlund's "WWF Update" segment, Lord Alfred Hayes interviewed Kevin Von Erich & Matt Borne, who said that they would give 110% to snap their losing streak and hand the Hellraisers their first loss in the WWF. (79%)

* Sean Mooney interviewed the Hellraisers and Colonel Robert Lee Fuller, who put over Terry Gordy & Steve Williams strongly and warned Demolition to rethink their challenge for WWF Battle Lines. (79%)

* The Hellraisers ("Dr. Death" Steve Williams & Terry "Bruiser" Gordy) vs. "Texas Twister" Kevin Von Erich & "Maniac" Matt Borne: Very stiff, solid tag team main event that showcased the strengths of the Hellraisers and made them look great. Gordy pinned Borne after the Death Dealer from he and Williams. (76%)

Overall: 73%

Rating: 5.34

Attendance: 10,011

Ticket Sales: $600,660

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I'm going to try to do a short-form version of the Superstars results and use the show to get some of the lower-card guys over. We'll see how it goes.

According to the WWF Update by Mean Gene Okerlund during Superstars Of Wrestling, the card for WWF Battle Lines on Sunday, February 23, is already shaping up...

WWF Championship/Last Man Standing Match: Randy Savage [champion] vs. Ted DiBiase

Demolition vs. The Hellraisers

[Chrononaut]

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1992 -- WWF PRIME TIME WRESTLING

Vince McMahon and Jesse "The Body" Ventura introduced the program LIVE from ringside and announced the lineup for tonight, featuring Mr. Perfect meeting the Great Muta in the main event, the Birdwhackers taking on WWF Tag Team Champions Powers Of Pain in a non-title bout, the Big Boss Man & Hawk battling the Enforcers, Bob Backlund squaring off against a member of the Orient Express, and much more.

Bob Backlund vs. Sato

Mr. Fuji waddled out with all three of his Orient Express members and sent Sato into the ring to compete against Bob Backlund, who was all fired up and dominated most of this opening match-up. Sato got in some offense before the All American put him away with the Running Atomic Drop. (76%)

In the Prime Time Wrestling studio, Gorilla Monsoon and "The Man" Ric Flair talked about the 1991 Tag Team Of The Year award ceremony at the 1992 Royal Rumble and introduced their first guests, WWF Television Tag Team Champions the Rockers, both dressed in street clothes with the title belts under their arms. Monsoon congratulated the Masters Of Motion for being first runners-up, but Shawn Michaels seemed indignant as he suggested that they deserved to be Tag Team Of The Year for all the challenges they had to overcome in '91. Marty Jannetty stated that they would definitely be the 1992 Tag Team Of The Year, but Shawn claimed that he couldn't wait another year for people to recognize their tag team excellence, so there was only one way to prove it: Shawn issued a challenge to the Powers Of Pain for the WWF Tag Team Championship at WWF Battle Lines. Jannetty looked surprised but enthusiastic as Michaels pointed to the TV belts and declared that if Warlord & Barbarian accepted their challenge, the Rockers would be adding more gold to their collection on Sunday, February 23. Flair announced that the Rockers would be defending the WWF Television Tag Team Championship next week on Prime Time Wrestling against the Destruction Crew and wondered if they would have any gold after that, but Michaels assured him that they were "untouchable" and would prove all their doubters wrong soon enough. (89%)

Mean Gene Okerlund was in the locker room at the arena to interview Paul Ellering and WWF Tag Team Champions Powers Of Pain, who grunted and growled as they prepared for their non-title bout with the Birdwhackers. When Mean Gene inquired about the Rockers' challenge, Precious Paul named off all the tag teams that Barbarian & Warlord had beaten and broken-up over the past year, including the Legion Of Doom, the original British Bulldogs, the Rhodes Family, the Hart Foundation, and Demolition, and stated that if the WWF Television Tag Team Champions wanted to add their names to the list, he would grant them a title shot at WWF Battle Lines. (81%)

Non-Title Match: The Birdwhackers (Luke & Koko) vs. Powers Of Pain (Barbarian & Warlord)

The Birdwhackers danced their way out to a nice pop, while Paul Ellering led his WWF Tag Team Champions down the aisle as the commentators discussed the proposed Rockers/Powers Of Pain match-up at WWF Battle Lines. This was a solid little contest that saw the Powers manhandle the Birdwhackers for the most part, although Luke & Koko hit a couple of nice double-teams. The WWF Tag Team Champions finished off their opponents when the Barbarian covered the Bird Man following the Apocalypse from he and the Warlord. (75%)

In the Prime Time studio, Gorilla Monsoon and Ric Flair recapped the double-cross by Rick Rude and Bobby Heenan on WWF Intercontinental Champion Ricky Steamboat this past weekend on "The Funeral Parlor" before bringing in their next guest, Bret "Hit Man" Hart. Monsoon congratulated the Hit Man on the Hart Foundation being named 1991 Tag Team Of The Year, which Bret graciously acknowledged and gave Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart credit. The Man asked the Excellence Of Execution why he was interfering in Ravishing Rick's business if he was a tag team competitor, but Bret responded that he couldn't just sit back and watch a world-class athlete like the Dragon have his career ended by "a couple of weasels" like Rude and Heenan. Hart stated that he was sick of seeing the Heenan Family ambushing people, mentioning that Steamboat would be out of action while recuperating from Rude's assault for a few weeks, and he wanted to do something about it. The former two-time co-WWF Tag Team Champion announced that he wanted the Ravishing One one-on-one at WWF Battle Lines to defend the honor of the WWF Intercontinental Champion and claimed that he would show Rude what he was in for this weekend on Saturday Night's Main Event against "Sweet" Stan Lane, promising to debut a new maneuver called the "Sharpshooter" that he planned to use on Rude on Sunday, February 23. (84%)

A video aired that recapped the end of the Stretcher Match at the 1992 Royal Rumble between Hulk Hogan and "The King" Jerry Lawler, including the return of "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, who had not been seen since losing the Casket Match to the Undertaker at WWF No Holds Barred. The clips showed how Hot Rod helped the Memphis Monarch wheel the Hulkster out on the stretcher to win the match-up, followed by the Scotsman loading the Immortal One into an ambulance and commandeering the vehicle. The video ended with the Rowdy One announcing that he would tell his side of the story on "The Funeral Parlor" this weekend. (99%)

The Enforcers (Greg "The Hammer" Valentine & Dino Bravo) vs. Hawk & Big Boss Man

Jimmy Hart escorted Dino Bravo & Greg Valentine to ringside for this stiff, smashmouth-style tag team contest that saw the advantage shift back-and-forth until the Enforcers used their tag team experience to isolate the Big Boss Man and work him over in their corner, using frequent tags and hard-hitting double-teams. McMahon mentioned the recent friction between the Mouth Of The South and his Enforcers, as well as the ongoing issue that Boss Man & Hawk had with the Million Dollar Bounty Hunters, while the Boss Man battled back and made the hot tag to Hawk, who rushed in and cleaned house. After hurling the Hammer over the top rope to the floor, Hawk soared from the top turnbuckle with the Bird Of Prey on the Canadian Strongman for the three-count. (77%)

In the Prime Time studio, Gorilla Monsoon and Ric Flair announced that this weekend on Saturday Night's Main Event, Crush of Demolition would meet their next guest, "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase, who was flanked by Irwin R. Schyster, Virgil, Bam Bam Bigelow, & Cactus Jack Manson. The former WWF Champion interrupted Gorilla's greeting to complain about how small his dressing rooms were now and how unfair it was that he had to wrestle the 325-pound Crush only two weeks before his WWF Title shot in the Last Man Standing match at WWF Battle Lines against Randy Savage, adding that he was still feeling the effects of the I Quit match against the Macho Man eight days ago at the 1992 Royal Rumble. The Million Dollar Man ranted about WWF President Andre The Giant holding a grudge against his Million Dollar Empire, dating all the way back to 1988 when DiBiase convinced Andre to sell the WWF Championship to him, thereby forfeiting the Giant's only title reign in the WWF. DiBiase claimed that Andre had nobody to blame but himself and wouldn't have won the WWF Title without the Million Dollar Man's involvement. When the Man inquired about the status of Miss Elizabeth, DiBiase grinned and stated that he would have a "secret weapon" against Savage that would ensure he would be the "Last Man Standing" and a two-time WWF Champion at WWF Battle Lines. (87%)

Backstage at the arena, Mean Gene Okerlund interviewed Bobby Heenan and Mr. Perfect, who was warming up for the evening's main event against the Great Muta. The Brain began to babble about the Flawless One winning the 30-man 1992 Royal Rumble last week and predicted that he would become the WWF Champion at WrestleMania VIII whether his opponent was Ted DiBiase or Randy Savage, but Perfect interrupted and brought up his challenge to Jake Roberts last week, which the Snake had refused. Ignoring Heenan's protests, Perfect claimed that he wouldn't be able to sleep until he got his revenge and produced a signed contract for WWF Battle Lines, offering to put his WrestleMania WWF Title shot on the line if that's what it took to get Jake in the ring. When Okerlund reminded him about Muta tonight, Perfect brushed it off and promised to eliminate Muta just like he did in the Rumble. (83%)

The Great Muta vs. Mr. Perfect

Mr. Fuji waddled out with his Great Muta, while Bobby "The Brain" Heenan accompanied Mr. Perfect, who had the WWF Battle Lines contract in his hand and passed it to the Brain during the match-up. This was a great athletic main event that went back-and-forth as the Great One and the Flawless One exchanged some nice mat wrestling and a series of increasingly vicious chops across the chest, although the crowd seemed somewhat undecided on which competitor to support until Muta assumed the babyface role when Perfect gained the advantage through nefarious means. The fans rallied behind Muta as he struggled to fight back, but kept being denied by Perfect, who maintained control with his dangerous mix of scientific wrestling, veteran experience, and underhanded tactics. Eventually, Muta countered the Perfectplex with a small package for a big pop and a near-fall, mounting a comeback as he unleashed an array of chops and spinning kicks to keep the former two-time WWF Intercontinental Champion off-balance. Muta was building momentum and surprising fan support until Abdullah The Butcher wandered out to ringside looking hungry and began to harrass Fuji, who rapped the Madman Of The Sudan with his cane to keep him back. This distracted Muta, who looked at the downed Perfect before sticking his head through the ropes and yelling at both Abdullah and Fuji in Japanese, giving Perfect the opportunity to pull himself together and sneak up from behind. Muta tried to kick Perfect when he spun him around, but Perfect caught the foot and swiftly reeled Muta in, snaring him in the Perfectplex to score the 1-2-3. (80%)

After the match, the Great Muta rolled out to ringside and began slugging it out with Abdullah The Butcher, brawling up the aisle with his fellow Dojo member as Mr. Fuji followed, waving his cane. Meanwhile, Bobby Heenan stepped into the ring and toweled off Mr. Perfect, raising his arm in victory. The Flawless One retrieved the WWF Battle Lines contract from the Brain and held it over his head, bragging about his skills, when Jake Roberts sprinted down the aisle and slid into the squared circle. The Snake quickly chased Heenan off before snatching Perfect and planting him with the DDT. As the crowd cheered, Jake picked up the contract and signed it with a pen from his pocket, then gently placed the pen and contract on Perfect's chest and told Perfect that he could keep the pen. Jake slithered toward the turnbuckles and sat in the corner, eyes fixed on the motionless Perfect, as McMahon and Ventura signed off. (86%)

Overall: 83%

Rating: 5.92

Attendance: 10,034

Ticket Sales: $602,040

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1992 -- NBC/WWF PRESENT: SATURDAY NIGHT'S MAIN EVENT

The broadcast kicked off with footage from "Earlier This Afternoon" of Jerry Lawler arriving at the building and emerging from the back seat of a regal Rolls Royce. However, WWF President Andre The Giant, backed by a number of "NBC Security" officials, prevented the King from heading into the arena and informed him that not only was he banned from all NBC programming, including Saturday Night's Main Event, but he was also suspended from the WWF indefinitely. The Giant added that if the suspension were ever lifted, the Memphis Monarch would be on strict probation upon his return. The Undisputed 1991 WWF King Of The Ring protested the decision, but the WWF President ordered him removed from the premises and warned him not to come back until he said so. The King tried to argue as the security officials forced him back into the Rolls Royce, which sped off as Lawler screamed from the back seat. (95%)

Marv Albert, "The Professor" Mike Tenay, and "The Man" Ric Flair opened the LIVE network broadcast by introducing the evening's events: Bret Hart squaring off against Stan Lane, Hacksaw Duggan meeting Terry Funk, the Texas Twister & Matt Borne taking on the Destruction Crew, Roddy Piper on "The Funeral Parlor", and in the main event, Ted DiBiase locking up with Crush of Demolition.

The Destruction Crew (Wayne "The Train" Bloom & Mike "The Machine" Enos) vs. "Texas Twister" Kevin Von Erich & "Maniac" Matt Borne

Bobby "The Brain" Heenan accompanied his Destruction Crew as the commentators discussed the angle between Mr. Perfect and Jake Roberts on Monday night, and hyped a match for this Monday's Prime Time Wrestling featuring Mike Enos & Wayne Bloom challenging WWF Television Tag Team Champions the Rockers. Tenay explained that Matt Borne & Kevin Von Erich demanded this rematch from last month, as they showed a lot of fire, but in the end, the Train pinned the Texas Twister following the Wrecking Ball from he and the Machine. (78%)

Mean Gene Okerlund was in the locker room to interview Ax as Smash was psyching Crush up for the evening's big main event against Ted DiBiase. Mean Gene pointed out what a huge feather in the cap it would be for Demolition if Crush were to defeat the Million Dollar Man tonight, which Ax acknowledged and stated that Crush was ready to rock the foundations of the Million Dollar Empire. When talk turned to the Hellraisers at WWF Battle Lines, Smash was interrupted by Virgil, who strolled into the locker room and began to taunt the warpainted brutes, giving the thumbs-down to Crush. Smash took exception and chased after the loyal lackey but was ambushed running around a corner by the Million Dollar Bounty Hunters, who were waiting in the shadows with lead pipes. Bam Bam Bigelow & Cactus Jack Manson mercilessly bludgeoned Smash repeatedly with the pipes until Crush and Ax made the save in the hallway and checked on the unconscious Smash. (83%)

Elsewhere backstage, Jesse "The Body" Ventura interviewed Colonel Robert Lee Fuller, Dustin Rhodes, & Terry Funk as the Outlaw was warming up to take on Jim Duggan. When the Body brought up the subject of Shane Douglas, the Colonel reiterated that the Nature Boy would have to go through Funk to get to Rhodes and advised the rest of the WWF superstars to heed his words. The Natural bragged about his impressive number of eliminations in the 30-man 1992 Royal Rumble and warned that Douglas should keep out of Stud Stable business, while the Funker recalled bashing Hacksaw over the head with his branding iron recently and assaulting the Honky Tonk Man last week, reveling in the violence and mayhem. (83%)

"The Outlaw" Terry Funk vs. "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan

Colonel Robert Lee Fuller and "The Natural" Dustin Rhodes swaggered out alongside Terry Funk, who was carrying his branding iron and a hangman's noose, while Jim Duggan brought his trusty 2x4 and the American flag with him. This was a hard-hitting, smashmouth-style brawling match-up that spilled out to the floor on a couple of occasions as Hacksaw and the Outlaw traded punches around ringside. At one point, the Colonel tried to interfere, but Duggan blocked his shot and floored the Greatest Promoter Of All Time with a big roundhouse right, leading to Duggan mounting a comeback against Funk in the squared circle. Unfortunately, when Duggan went for the Three Point Stance, the Lone Star Stud lassooed Duggan's ankle with Funk's noose, tripping up Hacksaw and allowing Funk to plant him with the Double Cross Driver for the 1-2-3. (76%)

After the match, Dustin Rhodes and a dazed Colonel Robert Fuller climbed into the ring and joined Terry Funk in stomping Jim Duggan, before the Natural and the Colonel pinned Hacksaw to the mat as the Outlaw retrieved his branding iron from the corner. Funk prepared to brand Duggan, but Shane Douglas raced down the aisle in a suit without a tie, swinging a metal folding chair to scare off Funk, Rhodes, & Fuller. After the heels retreated, the Nature Boy took the microphone and issued a one-on-one challenge to Terry Funk for WWF Battle Lines, adding a stipulation that if Shane won, he would get Dustin in a singles bout on Sunday, March 29, at WWF March To WrestleMania; however, if the Outlaw won, then Shane would be at the Stud Stable's mercy in a 3-on-1 handicap match against Rhodes, Funk, & Fuller LIVE on pay-per-view. Douglas claimed that he couldn't wait until next month to get all three of them in the ring at once, so he offered to find a couple of partners and meet the Stud Stable in a six-man tag team contest next week on Saturday Night's Main Event. The Colonel, the Outlaw, and the Lone Star Stud talked it over in the aisleway and accepted both challenges, pleasing the Nature Boy. (80%)

In the locker room, Mean Gene Okerlund interviewed Bret Hart, who was getting ready to face the veteran Stan Lane. The Hit Man put the Sweet One over as an underrated competitor in the eyes of WWF fans and looked forward to a great match-up tonight, but Bobby Heenan and "Ravishing" Rick Rude arrived on the scene to confront the Hart Foundation member. The Ravishing One got right in Bret's face and asked if he was sure about the challenge he issued to Rude for WWF Battle Lines, but the Excellence Of Execution didn't seem intimidated by the former WWF Intercontinental Champion and repeated his challenge, warning that he had Rude in the sights of his "Sharpshooter". Rude scoffed at Hart's threats and accepted the challenge, promising to put the Hit Man in the hospital right next to Ricky Steamboat. Hart and Rude stared each other down before Bret headed out for his match. (89%)

"Sweet" Stan Lane vs. Bret "Hit Man" Hart

Slick, along with Paul "Romeo" Roma and personal bodyguard Bad News Brown, escorted Stan Lane to the ring for this amazing technical contest, which saw Sweet Stan and Bret Hart display some fluid chain-wrestling in the early going, exchanging holds and counterholds trying to gain an advantage. Tenay compared the similar styles and personalities of Stan Lane and Rick Rude as the Gangster Of Style assumed control with help from Romeo Roma at ringside, bringing out Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart, who got a nice pop when he charged out and brawled back up the aisle and out of sight with Roma. Meanwhile, Lane worked over the Hit Man, scoring some near-falls and attempting a half-nelson submission, but Bret battled back and focused on his opponent's legs with Russian legsweeps and spinning toeholds. Lane mounted his own comeback but injured himself when he tried to whack Hart with a Mayawashi leg kick, called the "Sweet Spot" by Flair. The Hit Man wasted no time in hooking Sweet Stan in an excellently-executed scorpion deathlock that Tenay identified as the "Sharpshooter", earning the submission. (85%)

Following a commercial break, Paul Bearer was on the set of "The Funeral Parlor", talking about some of the talk shows on WWF TV that preceded his Parlor, including Jesse Ventura's "Body Shop", Jake Roberts' "Snake Pit", "The Brother Love Show", and of course "Piper's Pit", before introducing his guest this week, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper. The Scotsman was greeted by a thunderous reign of boos as he slowly walked out with his hair now cut short, a sullen and bitter look on his face sneering at the disappointed fans. When he got to the stage, Hot Rod shook hands with the nervous Bearer and assured him that he was safe, commenting how grateful he was in retrospect that the Undertaker buried him six feet under last summer and sealed his fate in the Casket Match at WWF No Holds Barred. The Rowdy One claimed that those life-and-death struggles with the Dead Man made him look deep inside his soul and discover that what was eating him alive were bitterness and resentment, dating back to the mid-1980s and the first wave of WrestleMania fever. Piper explained how he had "made" Hulk Hogan into a household name all those years ago, stating that "every God needs a Devil, and Hogan, you're lookin' into the face of your very own personal Satan!" Hot Rod mentioned that the Hulkster had never pinned his shoulders to the mat for a three-count and complained about the Immortal One receiving all the credit for the WWF's popularity despite that fact. Piper growled that the only way to purge his soul of these feelings was to square off against Hogan on the grandest stage of them all, WrestleMania VIII on Sunday, April 26, and revealed that he took the former two-time WWF Champion "on a little joyride" in the ambulance after Hogan's Stretcher Match at the 1992 Royal Rumble. Piper described how Hogan had "begged for his pathetic life" before Piper dropped him off at the worst hospital in the area, sadistically joking that the "quacks" there had probably sewn Hogan's face to his butt, and ranted on and on until Bob Backlund made his way out to interrupt his one-time tag team partner. The All American reminded the Rowdy One that WrestleMania was still more than two months away and advised him to leave the past in the past, speaking from his own experience. Piper tried to convince Backlund that Hogan had screwed them both over in the past and would continue to do so in the future unless they joined forces to eliminate him, but Backlund shoved Piper away and said that the one who needed to be eliminated was Piper himself, challenging the Scotsman to a match at WWF Battle Lines. After some further arguing, Piper accepted the challenge and slapped Backlund across the face, provoking the former WWF Champion to take him down with a double-leg pick-up, tussling on the floor until a bevy of WWF officials flooded out to separate them. (92%)

Backstage, Jesse Ventura was on the scene with a microphone as Ted DiBiase, flanked by Irwin R. Schyster, Virgil, Bam Bam Bigelow, & Cactus Jack Manson, was banging on the door of WWF President Andre The Giant. When the Giant answered the door, the Million Dollar Man complained about having to wrestle Crush tonight, in between the I Quit match at the 1992 Royal Rumble and the upcoming Last Man Standing match at WWF Battle Lines, and informed Andre that he would compete in this evening's main event under one condition, pointing out that while he was risking breach of contract, it would leave the WWF President without his advertised main event if he refused. Andre asked what it was, and DiBiase responded that he would only face Crush tonight if WWF Champion Randy Savage took on IRS in a non-title bout next week on Saturday Night's Main Event. The WWF President thought it over before agreeing to the stipulation, and added that the Million Dollar Empire would be barred from ringside tonight after the unprovoked attack on Smash earlier. (91%)

Crush vs. "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase

Ax marched out alongside Crush as Albert mentioned that Smash had been taken to the hospital earlier for medical observation after the brief but brutal backstage assault. Ted DiBiase strode out alone and didn't look happy about it, as the commentators hyped his Last Man Standing match against WWF Champion Randy Savage at WWF Battle Lines. Crush dominated the opening minutes of this hot main event, displaying his immense strength with powerslams, press slams, back-bodydrops, and suplexes on the 260-pound former WWF Champion while Tenay reminded viewers of Crush's intimidating performance last September in the Prime Time Wrestling tag team battle royal, tossing out seven men. The Million Dollar Man managed to bail out to ringside to regroup and lured Crush into a chase on the floor that ended when DiBiase surprised the big man with a drop-toehold, causing Crush's head to crash against the steel ringsteps. Back in the ring, DiBiase aggressively kept Crush grounded with a rear-chinlock and front-facelock to hold on to the advantage, stopping Crush's comeback attempts with facerakes and eye gouges. When DiBiase applied a camel clutch, the fans rallied behind Crush as he powered himself to his feet and walked around with DiBiase sitting on his shoulders, before hurling the former WWF Champion down to the canvas and unloading with shoulderblocks, clotheslines, and big right hands. As Crush built momentum, DiBiase caught him coming off the ropes and dropped him throat-first across the top rope with a wicked hotshot, rolling up the youngest Demolition member in a schoolboy for the three-count. Afterwards, the Million Dollar Man hightailed it out of the squared circle and celebrated his victory in the aisleway while Ax stepped into the ring to hold Crush back from pursuing the former Million Dollar Champion. Virgil, Irwin R. Schyster, Cactus Jack Manson, & Bam Bam Bigelow emerged from the curtains and surrounded the sweaty DiBiase as Albert, Tenay, and Flair closed the program. (86%)

Overall: 85%

Rating: 6.71

Attendance: 10,046

Ticket Sales: $602,760

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1992 -- WWF SUPERSTARS OF WRESTLING

* Hosts: Gorilla Monsoon and "The Man" Ric Flair.

* Honky Tonk Man vs. "Playboy" Buddy Rose: Entertaining little comedy squash that came to an end when the Honk dropped the bulbous Playboy with the Shake Rattle & Roll. (69%)

* Sean Mooney came out to ringside afterwards to interview the Honky Tonk Man, who volunteered his services to Shane Douglas for a six-man tag team match-up against the Stud Stable next weekend on Saturday Night's Main Event. (79%)

* Lord Alfred Hayes interviewed Abdullah The Butcher and Mr. Fuji, who admitted that the Madman Of The Sudan had not been fed in several weeks and was very dangerous. (70%)

* Abdullah The Butcher vs. Al Perez: Major squash city here as the Butcher brutally tortured Perez before finishing him off with the Meat Cleaver. (66%)

* Lord Alfred Hayes interviewed Colonel Robert Lee Fuller, who put over his Hellraisers and laughed off the six-man tag team challenge from Shane Douglas and the Honk. (83%)

* The Hellraisers ("Dr. Death" Steve Williams & Terry "Bruiser" Gordy) vs. Duane Gill & Barry Hardy: Complete and utter squash that saw the Hellraisers manhandle their opponents with ease until Dr. Death covered Hardy following the Death Dealer from he and Bruiser. (61%)

* A video aired recapping the suspension of "The King" Jerry Lawler, his assault on two NBC executives, and his previous invasions of other NBC programming. (90%)

* Conquistador #2 vs. Virgil: Solid little match-up that allowed the smaller Conquistador to get in some offense and a couple of surprise near-falls before Virgil locked him in the Million Dollar Dream with bodyscissors for the submission. (73%)

* After Mean Gene Okerlund's "WWF Update" segment, Brian Knobbs was shown backstage assuring Jerry Saggs that he would watch his back during tonight's main event against the Undertaker. (78%)

* Sean Mooney interviewed the Undertaker and Paul Bearer, who predicted that his Grim Reaper would bury Jerry Saggs six feet under...NEXT! (71%)

* The Undertaker vs. Jerry Saggs: Good, heated, brawling-style main event as both competitors slugged it out. Saggs put on a good showing but fell victim to the Tombstone by the Undertaker for the 1-2-3. (79%)

Overall: 74%

Rating: 5.02

Attendance: 10,001

Ticket Sales: $600,060

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According to the WWF Update by Mean Gene Okerlund during Superstars Of Wrestling, here is the updated card for WWF Battle Lines on Sunday, February 23...

WWF Championship/Last Man Standing Match: Randy Savage [champion] vs. Ted DiBiase

WWF Tag Team Title Match: Powers Of Pain [champions] vs. The Rockers

WrestleMania VIII WWF Title Shot: Mr. Perfect vs. Jake Roberts

Bob Backlund vs. Roddy Piper

Bret Hart vs. Rick Rude

Shane Douglas vs. Terry Funk

Demolition vs. The Hellraisers

[JStarr]

lol, america