WWF 1993

[probablyoliver]

Royal Rumble Match - I'm going all out for Yokozuna here. Bret Hart versus Yokozuna at WrestleMania IX. Doesn't sound familiar at all!

WWF Championship - Bret Hart© vs. Ric Flair

Winner: I'll be the first to say Ric Flair with a huge rematch at In Your House for Bret Hart to win the title back!

Hulk Hogan vs. Lex Luger

Winner: Hogan, do I really need to give any reasons!

Randy Savage vs. Yokozuna

Winner: Yokozuna, simple!

WWF Tag Team Championships - The Steiner Brothers vs. Money Inc.

Winners: Steiner Brothers need to get the over! It'll be a good match!

WWF Intercontinental Championship - Bob Backlund vs. Shawn Michaels

Winner: Shawn Michaels. Simple!

Tatanka vs. Jake Roberts

Winner: Tatanka will really want to keep his winning streak and will cheat to win. 86-0 to Tatanka! WMIX rematch!

The Nasty Boys vs. Natural Disasters

Winners: The Disasters to get them some heat

1) Who will enter the Royal Rumble at #1? Owen Hart

2) Who will enter the Royal Rumble at #30? Hulk Hogan (I'm thinking Yokozuna/Hogan at IYH)

3) Who is the Mystery Superstar? Bulldog

4) Who will finish second in the Royal Rumble? Hogan after being eliminated by Yokozuna

5) Who will eliminate the most superstars in the Royal Rumble? Yokozuna

Brilliant diary so far. i'm really longing to read the rumble!

[Guest Teemu McCorde]

Awesome diary. I am new here to the boards and am interested in starting one on my own. Any essential things I need or basics to get started?

[BKMastermind375]

Before I make my predictions, I think you've gotta great diary going here ryan and I salute you for pushing Rick Martel.

The Nasty Boys vs. Natural Disasters

Winner: Natural Disasters

Tatanka vs. Jake Roberts

Winner: Tatanka

Bob Backlund vs. Shawn Michaels

Winner: I'm gonna be the first to say Bob Backlund wins here, b/c of the Rumble later in the night

The Steiner Brothers vs. Money Inc.

Winner: Money Inc. wins with a well placed steel briefcase shot from IRS, leading to a match @ WM.

Randy Savage vs. Yokozuna

Winner: Yokozuna, next.

Hulk Hogan vs. Lex Luger

Winner: Hogan, next.

Bret Hart vs. Ric Flair

Winner: Hart, in the best match of the night

Royal Rumble Match

Winner: Shawn Michaels, leading to a classic at WM (even though personally I want to see Martel win, but it looks like he'll be feuding w/ UT soon.)

1) Who will enter the Royal Rumble at #1: Martel, b/c he lasted 50+ minutes in 91

2) Who will enter the Royal Rumble at #30: Kamala, b/c untalented heels were always put at #30 during this time (Warlord in 91 & 93, Adam Bomb in 95)

3) Who is the Mystery Superstar: By my count there are 16 faces and 13 heels already in (probably not right, but I'm to lazy to double-check), so I'm thinking it's the return of a heel Roddy Piper.

4) Who will finish second in the Royal Rumble: Since I have Michaels is winning it's got to be someone he can believably eliminate, how about Razor Ramon.

5) Who will eliminate the most superstars in the Royal Rumble: Virgil , j/k I'll say Yoko b/c of the big fat guy element.

Edited August 7, 2004 by BKMastermind375

[Guest ryan_the_canuck]

Teemu: Head on over to the 'Questions and Polls' forum if you have any specific questions...otherwise, just check out several diaries to get what it's about, and then write away!

And thanks to everyone for the praise of this diary...I know most diaries get it, but this is better than I was expecting...entire undercard is done, Rumble match is only at the #7 entrant...might get done tonight...if not, tomorrow.

[Screech]

First off I'd like to say that this is a really interesting diary. Keep up the good work. Hope to see more greatness. And I too have my predictions for WWF Royal Rumble 93'.

1. The Nasty Boys vs. Natural Disasters

winners- The Natural Disasters by cheating to establish them as one of the top heel tag teams.

2. Tatanka vs. Jake Roberts

winner- Jake Roberts. I dont like Tatankas chances in this one.

3. WWF Intercontinental Championship - Bob Backlund vs. Shawn Michaels

Winner- Shawn Michaels. You need to build up stars by having them defeat a legend in the biz and this is Shawns time to shine.

4. WWF Tag Team Championships - The Steiner Brothers vs. Money Inc

winners- Money Inc. Have them feud til Wrestle Mania in which the Steiners will take the gold and become top tag dogs in the WWF

5. Randy Savage vs. Yokozuna

winner- Yokozuna. He'll be hard to take out. Theres no way Savage can get him off his feet long enough to perform his flying elbow, no way!

6. Hulk Hogan vs. Lex Luger

winner- Hogan. Lex is good but Hulk has the Hulkamaniacs behind him AND like someone said in above poster, Hogan will not lose twice in the same month.

7. WWF Championship - Bret Hart vs. Ric Flair

winner- Bret Hart. Brets in his prime and well Flair is just a cocky son of a bitch who deserves and ass whooping. No offense to Flair, I like him its just that Bret is the better man in this match.

And finally the Royal Rumble:

My pick- Randy Savage

Now to predictons here are the 5 questions:

1) Who will enter the Royal Rumble at #1: Samu

2) Who will enter the Royal Rumble at #30: Owen Hart

3) Who is the Mystery Superstar: if not Sid then The Ultimate Warrior

4) Who will finish second in the Royal Rumble: Hulk Hogan via Lex coming back and distracting him.

5) Who will eliminate the most superstars in the Royal Rumble: Undertaker

Thank you and good luck ryan_the_canuck

[Guest ryan_the_canuck]

(Huge apologies here. The Rumble match will not be done, and I'm about to leave for a few days...so here is the undercard, match to follow, hopefully Wednesday. Don't be alarmed at the suckiness of these matches...the Rumble match, which is at entrant #23, is more than twice the length of the entire prelim!)

January 31st was the date...the WWF used a three-man booth for this one...Vince, Gorilla, and Heenan....should be interesting...opening video package plays...remember kids, theoretically, anyone can win the Rumble, but Virgil won't.

Opening match pits the Natural Disasters against the Nasty Boys, in what is sure to be a snoozefest...hopefully the only one tonight...this was actually quite the match considering the limits of the participants...the foursome must be getting used to each other...as Typhoon distracted the ref, Eathquake hit Jerry Saggs with a low blow...ref turned around and saw the cover being made...Disasters won at 11:42.

Second match is the 67-0 Tatanka (Boy, do they make these numbers up or what?) against the returning Jake Roberts...whoever wins this one will most likely get a huge push leading into Wrestlemania...I wonder if Tatanka not being in the Rumble match is supposed to be a clue...I don't know. This match was just slightly better than the opener...the Snake was probably drunk, because this should have been better...fans were into it, I don't know what the problem was...they told a decent story, wily veteran using every trick in the book, plucky babyface always outsmarting him...Tatanka won after the End of the Trail at 9:14.

IC title match is up next...guess that guarantees us a winner...Michaels offers Backlund a handshake before the match...Backlund goes to accept...Michaels nails him with a punch to the head. Don't see people sell punches too often, but Backlund does...Michaels continues to press his attack...easily best match of the night so far, even if it is basically a squash...Backlund's providing so much psychology to this match, it's making the champ look major league...Michaels won it after a back suplex at 11:52.

Now it's time for the Tag Team Championship match...Money Inc. (w/ Jimmy Hart) defending against the Steiner Brothers...IRS and Rick Steiner start this one off...good, solid match...hopefully this won't be the end of the program...false finish at 7:25...Scott Steiner locked IRS in a chicken wing, and the ref thought that IRS tapped, but he was really just going for the ropes...match is ordered to continue...Scott Steiner with the cover of DiBiase at 11:57...1...2...IRS runs in and breaks it up...but his interference was plain as day...the ref announces that the Steiner Brothers have won the match by disqualification, and thus, Money Inc. are still WWF Tag Team Champions! Good bout, probably a little better than Backlund/Michaels.

Here comes Yokozuna (w/Mr. Fuji)! And his opponent, Randy Savage! I forgot all about this match...maybe if that had actually promoted it, I'd care...surprisingly good match...established early on that Savage cannot lift Yokozuna, so has to settle for punches, kicks, elbow drops, et cetera...and pulls it off really well, I might add. Fans were into this match big time, and the lack of build was quickly forgotten...Yokozuna picked up the win after a Banzai Drop at 17:36...great match, easily match of the night thus far, and that's saying something. After the match, Mr. Fuji grabbed a mic, and said, "Mr. Savage-san...we will see you again...in the Rumble."

The show just keeps getting better and better...so logic dictates that we will now see Hulk Hogan against Lex Luger. Hogan does get a loud pop coming out...but we know better, right? Match starts with Luger putting Hogan in a headlock...it's a sign of things to come. This match was basically rest holds with the assorted power move...exactly one spot that looked planned...Luger bodyslammed Hogan, Hogan bounced off the turnbuckles on the way to the mat and took down Luger with a blind dropkick...eventually both were layed out on the mat...Hogan hulked up and hit his big legdrop for the win at 12:41...boy, he's jobbed to Bigelow and made Luger look good...maybe Hulk Hogan is turning over a new leaf. Nah. Note that I have not said anything about the quality of this match...the opening tag match would blow it out of the water.

Here's the preliminary main event...Bret Hart against Ric Flair for the WWF Championship...should be a good match, the title change in Saskatoon back in October certainly was. I can't see Flair winning this one, but you never know...starts off with the two locking up and Flair being shoved to the ground...great match...lots of psychology, tells a great story...some good holds and counters...crowd is into it...this more than made up for the atrocity that was Hogan/Luger...we're at the twenty minute mark and still going strong...plenty of submission holds and the like here, but not giving the impression that they're rest holds...Flair goes up to the top rope...going for a legdrop...Bret Hart rolls out of the way, and locks in a Sharpshooter! After about twenty seconds, Flair taps! Bret Hart retains the WWF Championship at 27:16 via submission! It's only January, but I think we've got a Match of the Year candidate!

[Guest ryan_the_canuck]

(Here is the Rumble match. Hope it makes up for the crappiness that was the undercard.)

And now it's time for the big one...the Royal Rumble! Vince McMahon reminds us of the rules...two competitors start, every two minutes, another wrestlers joins the fray...if you go over the top rope, and both your feet hit the floor, you are eliminated...so the object of the game is...DON'T!!!...GET!!!...ELIMINATED!!!!!!...you'll find that funny in about nine years.

Who is the unlucky sap who's drawn number one? Why, it's The Undertaker! Who's the soon-to-be-eliminated number two? Who else? Headshrinker Samu! Taker nearly laughs...nearly...before picking Samu up, and simply giving him a chokeslam out of the ring...(Samu eliminated #1 at 0:13)...Taker's got one minute and forty-seven seconds before another opponent comes out...(Heenan: Get in there, McMahon! Get in there, McMahon!)...he stands in the ring, waiting, while the announcers run down the rest of the participants once more...Taker's eyes are fixed on the entrance ramp...so he doesn't notice the masked man from MNR two weeks ago sneak in through the fans and hit him with a monkey wrench! TAKER IS DOWN! THE UNDERTAKER IS DOWN! The masked man quickly runs offstage, just as the bell ticks down for number three...Shawn Michaels! Michaels, realizing that he has a hurt opponent, slowly struts out to the ring, acting cocky...it sounds dumb when I write it, but he made it work...even when he finally gets to the ring, Michaels doesn't immediately dispose of the Undertaker (Vince: Big mistake there. Gorilla: Duh.)...he instead mocks him, taunts him, knowing that there's nothing that'll happen to him...unfortunately for him, he takes just a little bit too long, as we're at the four minute mark, which means the introduction of number four...Mr. Perfect!

Perfect enters the ring and immediately charges at Michaels, saving The Undertaker from what should have been an elimination. The IC Champ seems to have learned from his mistakes, as he brings the fight to Perfect this time...they brawl until the six-minute mark...who's number five? Why, Kamala, of course! Kamala's eager to get in the mix for this one...he jumps into the ring...hits the mat and bounces off...he bounces...right...out...the ring...(Kamala eliminated #2 at 6:09)...Mr. Perfect and Shawn Michaels continue to trade blows...these two work well together, maybe they'll be put in a singles program at some point. The Undertaker gets up, and motions to Michaels as if to say "See what you did? Now I have to chokeslam you!" But before he can do that, the bell sounds for the eight minute mark, and the entrance of Jerry Lawler! Lawler quickly knocks Mr. Perfect to the ground, letting the Undertaker have his revenge on Michaels. Michaels, obviously, wants no part of it, and darts around the ring faster than the slow-moving Undertaker...Lawler and Perfect keep brawling, neither getting the advantage...in at ten minutes is Jerry Saggs! Saggs pauses, just taking the situatation in...Shawn Michaels will have none of that, though, and he suplexes Saggs into Mr. Perfect, taking out both babyfaces, and allowing Lawler to help him against the Undertaker...seems to be a good idea...the duo is definitely wearing down the Deadman. Lawler with the hold, Michaels with the hit. Hold, hit. Hold, hit. Good thing this isn't boxing, or you'd be quite confused.

We're at the twelve minute mark now, meaning another entry...he'll probably save Taker...unless, of course, he's Marty Jannetty! Then again, maybe he will. Jannetty goes straight for the former tag partner that's been ignoring him of late, but Michaels instead puts Jerry Lawler in his path and goes over to the fallen Jerry Saggs, eliminating him. (Jerry Saggs eliminated #3 at 12:11) Michaels then turns his attention to the still-out Mr. Perfect, but the Undertaker gets there first. So, to set the scene...Jannetty and Lawler are going at it, Michaels is staying just out of Taker's grasp, and Mr. Perfect is still out of it. At fourteen minutes, we get entry number nine...Jake Roberts! Here we go. Roberts quickly pounces on Mr. Perfect...but the attack was enough to wake him up, and Perfect quickly starts to hold his own against the returning Roberts. Undertaker picks up Shawn Michaels, going for the chokeslam...but a mule kick from Lawler forced him to set the IC champ down. Lawler, turned his back to his main opponent...dumb idea, as Jannetty tosses him out. (Jerry Lawler eliminated #4 at 15:56) 15:56? Hmm. Three...two...one...here comes number ten, Owen Hart! Owen bundles onto the scene, and quickly decides to assist Mr. Perfect...we now have a pair of two-on-one babyface-on-heel situations...not quite ideal, this surprised me a bit. But they're working it out great. Michaels is able to elude the Undertaker and take whatever Jannetty gives him, while Owen Hart isn't actually hurting Jake Roberts that much at all.

I can't believe it was already over ten minutes ago that Kamala eliminated himself...not much going on until the eighteen minute mark, when we see the entrance of IRS! IRS looks a little upset that he can't get his hands on a Steiner Brother right away, but he settles for Marty Jannetty...these two should go at it on Superstars after Money Inc. loses the tag titles...it'd be a Whose Plummet is Worse? match...Taker finally gets his hands on Shawn Michaels, but only manages a headbutt before the IC champ is free again...Roberts and Perfect are still going at it, with Owen just sorta standing there...looks like he gets an opponent at 20:00, as entry number twelve is 'Chilling' Charles Wright! Wright makes a bee-line for Owen, but Owen quickly runs away. Interesting to note a couple of similarities here...both Taker/Michaels and Wright/Owen have the same basic plot line...one avoiding the other, but we look at it differently. Michaels is a coward for backing down from a challenge, while plucky Owen wins a place in our hearts for darting around the ring so quick. Been a while since we've had an elimination...so, of course, Hulk Hogan enters to a huge reaction at twenty-two minutes...apparently the fans have forgotten all about his match...hmmm...WWF title match as brainwashing tool...Hogan immediately tosses out one half of the tag team champions. (IRS eliminated #5 at 22:13

We're in the middle of a match, so it only makes perfect sense for us to CUT BACKSTAGE! Sean Mooney has noticed something on the ground. Hey, Sean, what Samu does on his own time isn't exactly our business. No, it's not that...it's a ski mask. Apparently, whoever attacked The Undertaker at the beginning of this match threw it down as they ran out to the ring, indicating that it's somebody already in the Rumble...which would give Rick Martel an alibi. Allow me to be the first to say that the mask was probably planted there...no, not by Harvey Wippleman, by Sean Mooney. Think about it. Tomorrow night, Mooney will interview The Undertaker...give him a dropkick through a window, yelling "It was a swerve, Taker! It was me all along!"...or maybe not. Taker/Mooney wouldn't be a great match. Anyhow, Vince, Gorilla, and Bobby were so busy discussing this 'great revelation', that they missed the calls of 'Chilling' Charles Wright tossing out Owen Hart...(Owen Hart eliminated #6 at 24:51)...along with the entrances of both Rick Steiner and Razor Ramon! This calls for a scene-setter...and a new paragraph.

We're at the 26:30 mark. Rick Steiner has grabbed Shawn Michaels, and is allowing the Undertaker to get in some hits. Marty Jannetty and Razor Ramon are going at it, while Mr. Perfect fends off 'Chilling' Charles Wright...and in a throwback to the 80s, Hulk Hogan is squaring off with Jake Roberts. Out of nowhere, Razor somehow manages to toss Marty Jannetty over the top rope! (Marty Jannetty eliminated #7 at 27:46)...the next fourteen seconds aren't too exciting, meaning that entrant number sixteen will put a big boost into things...or maybe it'll be Virgil! Razor Ramon quickly grabs Rick Steiner, setting Shawn Michaels free once more...but Virgil, Good Samaratin that he is, decides to pick up where Steiner left off, and grab the IC champ...but Michaels just laughs him off, and is now staying out of reach of both Taker and Virgil...'Chilling' Charles Wright nearly tosses out Mr. Perfect, but he grabs the ropes at the last possible second...out at number seventeen is Brian Knobbs! Knobbs, finally, is enough to turn the tide against Shawn Michaels...Knobbs and Virgil each grab an arm, and The Undertaker gets in a few punches, before tossing him out. (Shawn Michaels eliminated #8 at 31:14). A few people do the partner switch...Hulk Hogan is now trading blows with 'Chilling' Charles Wright, while Mr. Perfect and Jake Roberts go at it yet again.

We're at the thirty-two minute mark, time for the eighteenth entrant...British Bulldog! The fans go crazy as Davey Boy Smith makes his return to the WWF! By 'go crazy', I mean 'don't know how to react'. Some cheer, some boo, some just do nothing. But the Bulldog quickly establishes himself as a heel, throwing out both Virgil and Brian Knobbs. (Virgil eliminated #9 at 32:09. Brian Knobbs eliminated #10 at 32:21. The Bulldog looks around for another opponent, and turns his attention to The Undertaker...but Hulk Hogan has other plans, as he throws out 'Chilling' Charles Wrightt and then has some choice words for Davey! ('Chilling' Charles Wright eliminated #11 at 33:14) As Hogan and the Bulldog brawl, Taker decides to go after Jake Roberts, causing a chain reaction...Mr. Perfect mixes it up with Razor Ramon, while Rick Steiner just stands there, waiting for entrant number nineteen to come in...unfortunately, number nineteen is another babyface, Jim Duggan! Duggan and Steiner trade blows somewhat haphazardly, not really wanting to hurt each other...The Bulldog nearly tips Hogan over the ropes, but he comes back with vengeance...and a legdrop...but the British Bulldog got back up. Good for him. Razor Ramon isn't so lucky, though, as he is flipped to the outside by Mr. Perfect! (Razor Ramon eliminated #12 at 35:46) The in-ring quality of this match hasn't been great, even for a Royal Rumble, but it's telling some great stories...

Thirty-six minutes in, and here comes number twenty, Yokozuna! The three partner-less heels (Mr. Perfect, Rick Steiner, Jim Duggan) quickly rush to meet him, but Steiner is thrown out...(Rick Steiner eliminated #13 at 36:16) Perfect and Duggan, however, are able to seemingly stop his rampage. Not much happening at the moment on any of the three fronts...so here's an ad!

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Remind me to yell at Nintendo for having really crappy ads. At precisely thirty-eight minutes, we were treated to entrant number twenty-one...Headshrinker Fatu! Fatu is energized, runs in the ring...and is immediately chokeslammed out by The Undertaker! (Fatu eliminated #14 at 38:10) Hmm...Undertaker eliminated both Headshrinkers. Good for him. But as Taker looks down on the fallen Headshrinker with satisfaction in his eyes, he misses Yokozuna come up behind him...closer...closer...GRAB! TOSS! SLAM! (The Undertaker eliminated #15 at 38:55) So, to once again set the scene, we've got Jim Duggan squaring off with the British Bulldog...Hulk Hogan and Jake Roberts...while Mr. Perfect tries to starve off elimination at the hands of Yokozuna. At the forty minute mark, we get the entrance of Scott Steiner! Steiner squares off with Davey Boy Smith, as he just threw out Jim Duggan! (Jim Duggan eliminated #16 at 40:11) Jake Roberts has Hogan in a choke hold! He goes to flip Hogan over the rope! Hogan's right foot touches the floor...but his left foot stays on the canvas! Hogan's mad at this near-elimination, and he responds by punching the living daylights out of the Snake! Hogan throws Roberts up near the ropes, and the just-in twenty-third entrant, the Big Bossman flips him out! (Jake Roberts eliminated #17 at 42:08) Just a reminder, we still have yet to see Rick Martel, Ted DiBiase, Lex Luger, Randy Savage...and three people I can't for the life of me remember. The Bossman and Hogan shake hands, and begin to discuss strategy...eventually ends with Hogan waiting for the next entrant, while the cop helps Mr. Perfect out against Yokozuna! That next entrant, for those of you wondering, turned out to be Lex Luger, Hogan's opponent from earlier tonight! Luger played coward, not wanting any piece of Hogan, and instead going after the Big Bossman! The British Bulldog headlocks Mr. Perfect, which leaves Hulk Hogan and Scott Steiner to take on Yokozuna! It's an amusing copy of what happened earlier...Yokozuna is trying to get at Hogan, but the Hulkster is moving too fast for him to catch!

Entrant number 25 turns out to be Randy Savage, who had good timing, because Mr. Perfect had finally succumbed and been thrown over the top rope by the British Bulldog! (Mr. Perfect eliminated #18 at 46:09) Savage and the Bulldog start to mix it up...Scott Steiner's starting to feel like a third wheel in the Hogan/Yokozuna battle, and instead decides to assist the overmatched Big Bossman against Lex Luger...forty-eight minute mark, here comes Ted DiBiase! DiBiase grabs an unsuspecting Scott Steiner from behind...I guess that a disqualification ending isn't the end of things between these two teams! (Brain: Well, that's obvious, McMahon! Don't you know anything about wrestling? How did you get this job if you don't know anything about wrestling? Vince: I was in the right place at the right time.) Of course, we all know where and when that was...right place was in his father's penis, right time was while his parents had sex. Entrant number twenty-seven is Jimmy Hart's final client, The Mountie! The Mountie immediately aids his ally DiBiase against the older Steiner...DiBiase clotheslines Steiner...Steiner grabs on to DiBiase...The Mountie nods...DiBiase jumps...both Scott Steiner and Ted DiBiase go flying over the top rope and they're both eliminated! (Scott Steiner eliminated #19 at 50:41) (Ted DiBiase eliminated #20 at 50:42) The Mountie decides to help out the British Bulldog, and attacks Randy Savage from behind...nothing major happening...so who's entering at fifty-two minutes? Why, Crush, of course! Crush charges at Yokozuna...and actually does knock him back a bit...Lex Luger finally tosses out the Big Bossman...(Big Bossman eliminated #21 at 52:52) Yokozuna regroups, and tosses Crush out...it was good while it lasted...(Crush eliminated #22 at 53:35)

It's time for the second-last entrant...Bob Backlund! You've now got Backlund going after the British Bulldog for no apparent reason, The Mountie looking after Randy Savage, while Hulk Hogan is somehow avoiding both Lex Luger and Yokozuna...it's not really putting himself over...everybody knows a turtle is faster than two snails. Out of nowhere, Randy Savage clotheslines The Mountie out! (The Mountie eliminated #23 at 55:26)...Savage looks around, and picks a fight, once again, with Yokozuna...in at number thirty...the final entrant...Rick Martel! Martel walks into the middle of the Backlund/Bulldog confrontantion and clotheslines out the unsuspecting Backlund! (Bob Backlund eliminated #24 at 56:41)...with Backlund gone, the babyfaces are suddenly in desperate trouble...the British Bulldog, Rick Martel, Lex Luger and Yokozuna outnumber the former Mega Powers four to two...although Hogan uses his uncomparable 'backstage powers' to hold them off for a while...eventually Savage, who has no backstage power, finds himself barely holding on to the ropes, with Rick Martel prying his fingers off one by one...Hulk Hogan sees the scene...and decides to kill two birds with one stone, as he lifts up Martel and tosses him out....his momentum bringing Randy Savage out with him! (Randy Savage eliminated #25 at 58:15. Rick Martel eliminated #26 at 58:17) Hogan, smug and satisfied, turns around...and notices the British Bulldog about to jump off of Lex Luger's shoulders into Hogan! Hogan ducks at the last possible second, making sure to get a hand on Bulldog so it counts as his elimination, and Davey Boy goes flying over the top rope! (British Bulldog eliminated #27 at 58:28) Lex Luger is startled by this, and the Hulkster takes advantage, throwing him out! (Lex Luger eliminated #28 at 58:34) Hulk Hogan forgets that Yokozuna is still in the ring (climbing up the ropes, in fact), and starts celebrating! (Gorilla: He thinks he's won! He thinks he's won! Brain: He thinks he's people! He thinks he's people!) Funny. BANZAI!!!!!!!!!! Yokozuna hits Hogan with the almighty SQUISH, and tosses his limp body out! (Hulk Hogan eliminated #29 at 59:27) As the show goes off the air, we see Yokozuna and Mr. Fuji celebrating, while Hulk Hogan has regained consciousness and is P-I-SSED at this turn of events. Good finish.

THE GOOD: The Rumble match had some amazing storytelling...Hart/Flair was great...in fact, a lot of good on this show.

THE BAD: The length of the Rumble match...way too short...we could have done with more Backlund, Mountie, et al. Tatanka vs. Roberts, too.

THE UGLY: Luger vs. Hogan, and the possibility (probability?) of Hogan vs. Yokozuna. In Your House won't really be in that many houses.

GRADE: B+

[Nick Adams]

A few quick questions from the peanut gallery:

Firstly, is this EWR or TEW?

Second, if it is TEW, are you booking the shows or just reading the results and embellishing?

And now for the comments.

Results:

You really give this an air of realism. It truly reads like a show report from a weekly magazine. We don't get a blow-by-blow unless it's really needed (e.g. the Rumble), you take history and use it to your advantage, and you make the show pretty much seamless.

Grade: 9.5

Backstory:

Said it once and I'll say it again, your backstory rocks. It has an air of plausability that I have to applaud here and now. I tip my laptop to you, and you get the Backstory Showtime Award (given out to humorous backstories, named in honor of Showtime from .400SS and an E-fed in which I used to participate called the WWA).

Grade: 9.5

Other Info:

Reads like a magazine, which is your intent. I find no flaws.

Grade: 10.0

Readability:

As I said before, since you're writing like you would for a magazine (save for the backstory), you've accomplished what you wanted. Using bold text for new wrestlers as well as the end result of matches definitely adds to the overall effect.

Grade: 10.0

Overall Grade: 9.75

Close to perfect, man. One thumb way up, the other thumb a bit lower, but still up there.

[Guest ryan_the_canuck]

WWF Monday Night Raw Report

February 5, 1993

February 1st...one night after Yokozuna outlasted 29 others to win the Royal Rumble...Bret Hart and Ric Flair put on a breathtaking match...Hulk Hogan and Lex Luger didn't...and much more happened. Vince and Gorilla welcomed us to the show, and set the scene for tonight...a huge match putting WWF Champion Bret Hart and his brother Owen in a tag-team contest against Royal Rumble winner Yokozuna and Lex Luger...Tatanka looking to move to 68-0 (apparently they're actually counting now) against Bam Bam Bigelow, and a huge main event putting The Undertaker against Jake Roberts. We'll also see plenty of fallout from last night. Well, duh. But, to paraphrase Murray Walker...here is now, and there is Harvey Wippleman!

Wippleman's arrival means only one thing...Rick Martel in the ring. His opponent turns out to be Crush. Oh, well. At least we get Martel, so it won't be all bad. The commentators gush over how well Rick Martel did in the Royal Rumble match last night...really? He was in there five minutes, had a hand in eliminating Bob Backlund, and eliminated Randy Savage as well as himself...I wouldn't call that 'great'. I wouldn't even call that 'good'. Although, if you're comparing him to Crush...not quite a squash, Crush got his spots...but Martel won it with a Boston Crab at 4:52. After the match, Martel and Wippleman celebrated in the ring, much to the chagrin of the crowd.

CUT BACKSTAGE! There's Ric Flair! And Sean Mooney! Just your average Flair promo...which is to say about ten times better than anything else you'll see tonight...Flair admits that he lost to Bret Hart...but he says that he wants another shot...Sean Mooney informs us that Jack Tunney has ruled that Ric Flair cannot have another title shot until after WrestlerMania...Flair says he knows that, and that he also knows he has to prove himself once again...and that he'll prove, once and for all, that to be the man, you gotta beat the man. Generic, but still good. Looking back at how I wrote this, I feel I should clarify that this was most assuredly NOT a babyface turn.

After commercials, we're in the ring, and we're with the Steiner Brothers. They feel that they deserve the WWF Tag Team Championships after what happened last night, and they vow to do everything in their power to get gold around the Steiner waists. There's a joke in there somewhere, but I can't quite get it. Vince McMahon informs us of a match already set for next week - Rick Steiner against IRS...if Rick wins, then the Steiner Brothers get a WWF Tag Team Championship shot at In Your House.

The Steiner Brothers stay in the ring for the second match of the evening, which puts them against the Headshrinkers. Scott Steiner and Samu start this one off...a tag team squash...feats of strength from the Steiners, who constantly lift up Fatu, as if to prove that being able to lift a fat Samoan means something. All it means is that homosexual fat Samoans will start stalking you. Ted DiBiase joined the commentary team for this one, belittling both teams...and also taking the time to get in an obligatory insult of The Undertaker without a segue...only reason being to establish him as a possibility for the role of 'Taker stalker. Yeah, right. Scott Steiner hit Fatu with the FrankenSteiner at 6:19 for the win. After the match, the Steiners gestured at DiBiase, as if to say "we're coming for you", but the Million Dollar Man quickly fled backstage.

Sean Mooney is backstage with Bret Hart. Boy, they're giving us a lot of Mooney. Probably increasing his visibility before he swerves The Undertaker. Please, even though I just came up with the idea off the top of my head last night, please have that happen. Bret, in case you didn't know, is the WWF Heavyweight Champion, and is set to face Yokozuna at WrestleMania IX. Of course, the main focus of the interview is not on that, but rather on the tag match tonight, pitting the Hart Brothers (Bret almost said the Hart Foundation - could Jim Neidhart be on his way back?) against Lex Luger and Yokozuna...nothing of note, but still a solid promo.

The 67-0 Tatanka is in the ring, all set to take on Bam Bam Bigelow, the Beast from the East. So, does that refer to Boston, Russia, Japan, Iraq, or what? I wish someone would fill us in...since I have no idea where he's from. Just kidding. He's obviously from Boston. This match, a pretty good one if I may say so myself, follows the usual Tatanka pattern...at times, he appears overmatched, but he always gets the win in the end...this time with a school-boy at the 6:03 mark. Nice little match for Tatanka against Bigelow.

CUT BACKSTAGE! There's Jerry Lawler, moaning about being tossed out of the Royal Rumble by Marty Jannetty of all people. If Marty Jannetty tossed me out of the Royal Rumble, I'd complain too! Lawler says that he has a big announcement coming next week! What's the announcement about? Why, the future of Jerry Lawler in the WWF! I hope the answer isn't "none"...he's not that bad in the ring, and he's amazing on the mic...he just did a better job putting Jannetty over than Shawn Michaels ever did.

CUT BACKSTAGE AGAIN! Paul Bearer and the Undertaker talk about the match coming up with Jake Roberts, rest in peace, yada yada yada. They also address the stalker, saying that they have 'a plan'. Ooh, Bearer has a plan! Sean Mooney better be scared now!

Back to the ring we go for match number four...the Hart Brothers against Lex Luger and Yokozuna (with Mr. Fuji). Remember last week, when the Harts took on Ric Flair and 'Chilling' Charles Wright? This was basically the same match...albeit with a less talented heel team. Same basic premise to the match...Bret can hold his own against either opponent...but Owen can't...they spice it up a bit more this time, though...Bret eventually decides that Owen can't go on...and stays in himself...taking blow after blow...and eventually succumbs to the Torture Rack at 7:41. Still a good match.

Vince McMahon introduces us to footage from last night's Royal Rumble...specifically, the part where Hulk Hogan essentially eliminated Randy Savage, Rick Martel, the British Bulldog, and Lex Luger all by himself. I wonder why they're showing us this...

And now, ladies and gents, it's time for the main event...The Undertaker (with Paul Bearer) against Jake Roberts. Not much time left in the show...only a couple of minutes. Obviously, this was not exactly the two best wrestlers in the world going at it, but the crowd was pumped up, and because of them, this was probably the match of the night. Roberts getting in a surprising amount of offense...Taker selling some sort of arm injury from last night...there! Out of the crowd! It's the masked man from last night! He's got a wrench again, and he takes down the Taker from behind with it! The referee is disqualifying Jake Roberts, saying that the masked man interfered on his behalf! Masky turns his attention away from the fallen Deadman and to Paul Bearer, who smartly turns tail as the show goes off the air.

THE GOOD: Finish builds up well for Taker/Stalker at Wrestlemania...Jerry Lawler's promo...the Savage/Flair angle, of course...that's about it.

THE BAD: Most of the in-ring work tonight was sub-par.

THE UGLY: Nothing that bad tonight...I suppose there could have been more build-up on the 'masked man' front, but I think they're saving that for next week.

GRADE: B-

[Guest ryan_the_canuck]

WWF News and Rumors

February 5, 1993

Okay, lots to get to this week. First off, here are some stats from the Royal Rumble.

ORDER ENTERED...................ORDER ELIMINATED

1. The Undertaker......................1) Samu (The Undertaker)

2. Samu....................................2) Kamala (Kamala)

3. Shawn Michaels......................3) Jerry Saggs (Shawn Michaels)

4. Mr. Perfect.............................4) Jerry Lawler (Marty Jannetty)

5. Kamala..................................5) IRS (Hulk Hogan)

6. Jerry Lawler...........................6) Owen Hart ('Chilling' Charles Wright)

7. Jerry Saggs............................7) Marty Jannetty (Razor Ramon)

8. Marty Jannetty........................8) Shawn Michaels (The Undertaker)

9. Jake Roberts..........................9) Virgil (British Bulldog)

10. Owen Hart...........................10) Brian Knobbs (British Bulldog)

11. IRS.....................................11) 'Chilling' Charles Wright (Hulk Hogan)

12. 'Chilling' Charles Wright........12) Razor Ramon (Mr. Perfect)

13. Hulk Hogan..........................13) Rick Steiner (Yokozuna)

14. Rick Steiner.........................14) Fatu (The Undertaker)

15. Razor Ramon.......................15) The Undertaker (Yokozuna)

16. Virgil...................................16) Jim Duggan (British Bulldog)

17. Brian Knobbs.......................17) Jake Roberts (Big Bossman)

18. British Bulldog......................18) Mr. Perfect (British Bulldog)

19. Jim Duggan..........................19) Scott Steiner (Ted DiBiase)

20. Yokozuna.............................20) Ted DiBiase (Scott Steiner)

21. Fatu....................................21) Big Bossman (Lex Luger)

22. Scott Steiner........................22) Crush (Yokozuna)

23. Big Bossman........................23) The Mountie (Randy Savage)

24. Lex Luger............................24) Bob Backlund (Rick Martel)

25. Randy Savage......................25) Randy Savage (Rick Martel)

26. Ted DiBiase..........................26) Rick Martel (Hulk Hogan)

27. The Mountie..........................27) British Bulldog (Hulk Hogan)

28. Crush..................................28) Lex Luger (Hulk Hogan)

29. Bob Backlund........................29) Hulk Hogan (Yokozuna)

30. Rick Martel

NUMBER OF ELIMINATIONS

5 - Hulk Hogan

4 - British Bulldog, Yokozuna

3 - The Undertaker

2 - Rick Martel

1 - Kamala, Shawn Michaels, Marty Jannetty, Razor Ramon, 'Chilling' Charles Wright, Mr. Perfect, Big Bossman, Ted DiBiase, Scott Steiner, Lex Luger, Randy Savage

-------------------------------

Here is your report from WWF Superstars this week:

Show starts off with highlights of the Steiner Brothers promo and win over the Headshrinkers on Monday...nothing to see here...The Nasty Boys defeated The Beverly Brothers at 5:51 with a schoolboy...Beau Beverly looks like he's really improving in the ring...Blake not so much...highlights of the Hart Brothers' match with Yokozuna and Lex Luger...actually looks pretty good in this form...'Chilling' Charles Wright is out next, squashing Virgil in 4:14...it had its moments...A recap of Jerry Lawler's promo and a reminder to watch MNR this week for Lawler's big announcement regarding the future of his career...that's gotta be a swerve...The Mountie defeated The Masked Mexican (WWF: NE's Eddie Guerrero) in a spectacular match at the 6:31 mark...Guerrero's destined for big things...highlight footage of the main event and the stalker attack...main event tonight put Jim Duggan against Typhoon...Typhoon hit Duggan with Jim's own two-by-four at 4:52, giving Duggan the disqualifaction win.

------------------------------

The official WWF preview for this week's Monday Night Raw includes the following:

A huge main event pitting Mr. Perfect against Lex Luger!

Rick Steiner against IRS - if Rick Steiner wins, the Steiner Brothers get a WWF Tag Team Championship shot at In Your House!

Jerry Lawler will make an announcement regarding his future in wrestling!

We will also see Randy Savage, Shawn Michaels, British Bulldog, and more!

-------------------------------

Some good news for WWF: New England this week. The promotion signed a deal with Boston-based WSBK Superstation to air a weekly wrestling program featuring the stars of WWF:NE! Named "WWF:NE Action Hour, the program will debut this week across North America! The hour-long show will be taped on Wednesday night and air on Saturday night, meaning that every week, Stampede Wrestling Digest will let you know what happens, before it happens!

------------------------------

Also, the card for WrestleMania IX is shaping up nicely...

CONFIRMED MATCHES:

WWF Championship - Bret Hart© vs. Yokozuna

RUMORED MATCHES:

The Undertaker vs. Stalker (Rick Martel?)

Tatanka vs. High Profile Opponent (Ric Flair?)

WWF Tag Team Championships - The Steiner Brothers vs. Money Inc.

WWF Intercontinental Championship - Shawn Michaels© vs Someone (Marty Jannetty?)

Looks like it could be a pretty good card.

---------------------------------

Updating a story from last week, Jim Neidhart and three other former WWF superstars have been contacted about a return to the company for something called 'Legendfest'. SWD has not learned whether this is a special event, a match at WrestleMania, or something else; nor have we learned the identities of the other three wrestlers.

----------------------------------

A new feature will start in next week's column...the Mailbag. Send in your questions...anything at all, relating to the World Wrestling Federation...and I will pick the best three each week, and answer them.

(OOC: You can PM me questions if you wish, or I can make up the questions, or a combination of both. We'll see how it goes.)

--------------------------------

Finally, we have tallied up the results, and the winner of the SWD Royal Rumble Prediction Contest is Ollie Beak of Behind you!, which I believe is a small community in upstate New York. Ollie successfully picked the winners for seven out of eight matches, and won by answering two out of the five tiebreaks correctly. Our prize department will be in contact with Mr. Beak.

Edited August 14, 2004 by ryan_the_canuck

[Hewey]

Just caught up and it's a good diary, Yokozuna/Bret should be good as well as Taker and his stalker... Who hopefully won't be someone like Ultimate Warrior or Roddy Piper..... Royal Rumble was a good PPV and I was actually pulling for Luger to win it.....

Good start and I hope you'll use Randy Savage more. Great work man I'll be reading

Edited August 15, 2004 by Baby Hewey

[Guest ryan_the_canuck]

WWF Monday Night Raw Report

February 12, 1993

Pay no attention to the above date, Monday Night Raw aired on February 8th. As usual, your hosts were Vince McMahon and Gorilla Monsoon. With surprisingly little fanfare, we jumped right into the opening match...

The curtain-jerker put the oddball pairing of Crush and the Big Bossman against the Natural Disasters. This match was much better than you'd expect - it wasn't even the worst one of the night! Vinny and Gorilla used this match to lay out the rest of the card - Mr. Perfect against Lex Luger, of course, Tatanka and Randy Savage taking on Bam Bam Bigelow and the Repo Man, and 'many more exciting matches'. We belive you, Vince. It was really a shame that Vince and Gorilla didn't sell this match more, it was quite good...Earthquake got a handful of Crush's tights and rolled him up for the tainted win at 7:13.

CUT BACKSTAGE! There's Harvey Wippleman! And Rick Martel! And Lex Luger! And British Bulldog! And presumably a cameraman! And they're whispering! The gist of it was that Hulk Hogan embarrassed them all in the Royal Rumble match (boy, I'll agree!)...so Wippleman marched right into Jack Tunney's office, and demanded the right to choose Hogan's opponent at In Your House. Here's his thought process, word for word..."He humiliated you at the Royal Rumble when you went one on one with him, Lex, so you didn't get the shot. That left my client and the Bulldog here. Well, Rick Martel, for all his strengths, is not quite ready for Hulk Hogan. So, at In Your House, it will be Hulk Hogan...against...British Bulldog." That oughta be interesting.

Next up is Virgil against Jerry Lawler. What? I thought Lawler said he had a big announcement, not a match that would suck big-time...obviously, this is your typical Virgil squash match...only it isn't! Virgil is getting offense in on Jerry Lawler! Virgil with the cover! 1...2...no! Lawler re-asserts himself, and manages to send Virgil careening to the canvas...the cover...1...2...3! Jerry Lawler beat Virgil with a schoolboy at 4:26! Very interesting match, I wonder where they'll go with it.

We find out right away, as Virgil leaves the ring, and Lawler signals for a mic! Lawler talks about all the thrills he's had in his life while wrestling...but every dog has his day, and Lawler doesn't have much gas left in his tank...hell, he could barely beat Virgil! (A-HA!) In the Royal Rumble, The King didn't last that long...and he was eliminated by Marty Jannetty...so he talked to Jack Tunney (Boy, Tunney's ever busy these days), and requested a match with Jannetty at In Your House - and if Jerry Lawler cannot beat Marty Jannetty, he will retire from the active WWF roster! Very strange promo...Lawler came across almost as a babyface.

CUT BACKSTAGE! There's Shawn Michaels! With his Intercontinental Championship! And Gene Okerlund! GENE'S BACK! Now you *know* that they're building towards Sean Mooney as Taker's stalker! Michaels drones on about how he has no opponent for In Your House...such a shame...too bad that the fans won't get to see him in action! HEY! BIG POP! It's Bret Hart! The WWF champion ambles onto the scene, and stands right up to Michaels...could we see Hart/Michaels at In Your House? Bret: No opponent, huh, Shawn? Well, I've got a proposition for you...you see, Shawn...tonight's main event features two top-flight WWF superstars in Mr. Perfect and Lex Luger...how about we make a deal, Shawn...a deal where the winner of tonight's main event gets a WWF Championship shot at In Your House, and the loser gets a Intercontinental Championship shot? Shawn agrees. Boy, they sure find weird ways to set up PayPerView matches these days.

Time for the next match...Rick Steiner against IRS. If Rick Steiner wins, then we will see the Steiner Brothers challenge Money Inc. for the Tag Team Championships at In Your House. The show is thirteen days from now. That should give you some indication of the outcome of this match. Gorilla Monsoon, on commentary, refers to these guys as the "lesser halves" of their respective tag teams...he's probably right. Still a good match, though, easily blowing the first two out of the water. IRS plays the cowardly heel perfectly, with Rick playing the overzealous face almost as well. IRS eventually hits Rick with his briefcase, and the ref catches it! Rick Steiner wins via DQ at the 5:11 mark! What does this mean for the fate of the WWF Tag Team Championships?

Ted DiBiase and Scott Steiner rush out from opposite sides, and the two teams start brawling, arguing about the outcome! It takes Howard Finkel only six seconds to announce that Rick Steiner did technically win, so the match is on! This announcement fires up the Steiners, who start gaining the edge over Money Inc. in the brawl! DiBiase yells something to IRS, and the champs run backstage...Scott and Rick decide not to chase, but rather to pose for the crowd. Could their cowardice come back to haunt them? Somehow, I doubt it.

Match number four pits the underdog heel team of the Repo Man and Bam Bam Bigelow against the established babyface team of Randy Savage and Tatanka. There's a big question in this one - does it count towards Tatanka's 68-0 winning streak? Gorilla poses that question right away, and Vince has a prepared answer - yes. Singles and tag-team matches all count towards his undefeated streak. In the event of a Battle Royal, as long as he is not the first one eliminated or the last one remaining, it will go down as a draw. Good to know. Well, sorta. Definitely if you know the format for the September PayPerView. The match itself is nothing all that interesting...the Repo Man is clearly outmatched...someone get a at least mediocre gimmick on this guy fast! Bam Bam can hold his own against either babyface briefly, but not long enough. End of the Trail for the win at 7:13. Tatanka is now 69-0.

CUT BACKSTAGE! We're in Jack Tunney's office! And what an office it is - plastic pants, picture of Vince McMahon Sr., Lex Luger action figure...all the stuff that you'd find in the office of the head of a big company like the WWF. Tunney's sitting at his desk, doing paperwork...my observant names notice a sheet named "Potential signings", featuring a list of Andre the Giant, Brutus Beefcake, Sid Justice, and 'Mean' Mark Calloway. Nice, guys. Hulk Hogan storms into the office looking P-I-SSED. Hogan de-MANDS to know why Tunney booked a match between him and the Bulldog. Well, Hulk, it's because the Davey Boy can carry you to a half-decent match. Of course, Tunney offers up some lame excuse about wanting to see just how good the Bulldog is these days so that he knows what to do with him, but we all know the real reason.

CUT, uh, OUTSIDE! Paul Bearer is WALKING AROUND! Could this be his 'big plan'? Walk around and hope that the stalker gets tired of following him? Or is this some deep chaos theory thing? Yeah, gotta be the chaos theory...if he walks around, then the stalker will fall flat on his face...but then again, maybe the 'his face' refers to Bearer's face, as the Ski Mask-Clad Wrestler knocks Bearer down from behind! But out of nowhere, The Undertaker comes along, and hits the stalker with a Tombstone! Bearer and the Taker had this all set up! As Bearer gets up, the Undertaker removes the mask of his attacker, to reveal...black skin! It's gotta be, uh...Koko B. Ware? 'Chilling' Charles Wright? Virgil? Gary Coleman? I guess we're not supposed to find out, as the camera clicks off at the first sign of black skin.

And now, ladies and gentlemen, here is your MAIN EVENT...Mr. Perfect against Luger. I know Hennig's good and all, but is he THIS good? Maybe, as this isn't as bad as you'd expect...I'm saying that a lot, maybe I'm just a pessimist. Back-and-forth match, both men getting in their shots...it's obvious how this one will end up, just not how it'll get there...unless there's a double turn...which there won't be. Perfect with a headlock...Luger somehow manages to throw Hennig away while in the headlock...out on the ramp! It's Shawn Michaels! The Intercontinental Champion has just taken out Earl Hebner! Michaels floors the surprised Perfect with a superkick...Lex Luger just stands in the ring, not pummelling Mr. Perfect too much...Earl Hebner eventually wakes up...makes the count...this means that it's Bret Hart vs. Lex Luger, and Mr. Perfect vs. Shawn Michaels! SHAWN SCREWED BRET! SHAWN SCREWED BRET! SHAWN SCREWED BRET! And we've got two more marquee matchups for In Your House, which is the big selling point for the announcers as we go OFF...THE...AIR!!!

THE GOOD: Possibly the Undertaker stuff, depending how they play it out...they're doing something with Lawler...Mr. Perfect vs. Shawn Michaels...

THE BAD: Lex Luger getting a title shot, but even that pales in comparison to...

THE UGLY: If we're going to put up with this Tag Team Championship feud through to WrestleMania, they can't keep putting the wrestlers together every week...it's overkill.

GRADE: B

Edited August 19, 2004 by ryan_the_canuck

[Hewey]

Good show, Luger/Bret is gonna be good as well as HBK/Perfect which is a dream match. Hulk/Bulldog might show how good Davey Boy truly is if he's able to carry Hogan. Keep up the great work man

[Guest ryan_the_canuck]

WWF News and Rumors

February 12, 1993

No big news this week, the top story would be the taping for WWF:NE Action Hour's debut across North America on WSBK Superstation this Saturday, February 13th. Here's a quick run-down of what happened at the taping:

The commentators are Sean Mooney and Terry Taylor...man, Taylor should be wrestling...opening match put Billy Gunn against The Berzerker. Not a squash match...Berzerker won at 6:13 after his Atomic Drop...Gunn was counted out. We saw video highlights of the first two rounds of the WWF:NE Heavyweight Championship tournament...here's the tournament rundown:

1st round:

The Kamikaze Kid d. Chris Kanyon

Jim Powers d. Barry Horowitz

Terry Taylor d. PJ Walker

Dale Torborg d. Koko B. Ware

2nd round:

Jim Powers d. Terry Taylor

Dale Torborg d. The Kamikaze Kid

This, of course, gives us a main event tonight of Jim Powers vs. Dale Torborg to determine the champion...should be a fairly good match...next up, we got Craig Pittman against Doink the Clown. Doink won with the Whoopee Cushion at 5:35...it had its moments...the Beverly Brothers came out to the ring, with The Genius...still managing them even in New England...they announced that they had been awarded the WWF:NE Tag Team Championships by Jack Tunney...issued an open challenge to any tag team...out came the Moonwalkers (Max Moon and Adam Copeland, going as Moonwalker #1 and Moonwalker #2)...Beau Beverly looked really good in this one...Blake grabbed Moonwalker #2's tights at the 7:13 mark, and got the pin...as the champs walked backstage, they brushed past Barry Horowitz...Horowitz was fuming about his losing streak...The Genius replied with 'Hey, you looked pretty good against Jim Powers there...maybe we can work something out...'...oh, joy. Main event time, Jim Powers against Dale Torborg. This one went over fifteen minutes, 18:23 to be exact...it wasn't a great match, but when you consider the concept of WWF:NE, it was easy to overlook that...both men got their spots in...Jim Powers hit Dale Torborg with the Missile Dropkick to become WWF:NE Heavyweight Champion! Not a bad debut show, we'll see where they go from here.

Here is your report from WWF Superstars...open up to highlights of the Jerry Lawler/Virgil match, and Lawler's big speech afterwards...I'll say this for Lawler, he can take the strangest material and do a good job with it...opener pitted Scott Steiner against the returning Brooklyn Brawler...Frankensteiner finish at 4:45...recap of Rick Martel's "dramatic" meeting with Rick Martel, Lex Luger, and British Bulldog...The Headshrinkers defeat the Bushwhackers at 6:31 when Samu schoolboys Luke...we see the entire Paul Bearer/Undertaker/Stalker segment again...my money's on Sean Mooney in a mask...Rick Martel defeats Owen Hart via Boston Crab at 7:11...good match...recap of the main event and Shawn Michaels' interference...is this building to a Hart/Michaels program?...main event puts Marty Jannetty against The Mountie...another solid match...Jannetty wins with a Rocker DDT at 8:04...thank you for watching.

Look for another match or two to be added to the In Your House Card on Monday Night Raw this week...one of which should build towards a very interesting WrestleMania match...speaking of MNR, here is your official WWF preview...

Paul Bearer will announce the identity of The Undertaker's stalker! Yes, that is billed as the main event.

Bob Backlund against Jake Roberts in a match that would have been much better seven years ago!

Rick Martel in the ring!

Gene Okerlund will interview Bret Hart about his match with Lex Luger at In Your House!

Plus appearances by the Natural Disasters, Razor Ramon, Mr. Perfect, and much more!

The big question on everyone's lips this week is: who was stalking the Undertaker? The only thing we've been able to pry from WWF officials is that he definitely was black; it was not a mask...although that leaves 'Chilling' Charles Wright as pretty much the only suspect on the active roster...although it could be an outsider like Ron Simmons or that guy who played Zeus in No Holds Barred.

The WWF has expressed an interest in bringing Rick Titan (jobber on Superstars a couple weeks ago) into the company, but have not offered him a contract.

The September PayPerView show has been announced as WWF Four Corners, a special show in which every match will have four participants.

For those of you wondering about the use of Eddie Guerrero as The Masked Mexican on Superstars last week, the WWF wants to make sure that all characters are portrayed in the same way on WWF and WWF:NE shows, and thus will give them alternate identities at times.

Finally, don't forget that starting next week, we will be adding a mailbag to this column, so send in those letters!

[Guest ryan_the_canuck]

WWF Monday Night Raw Report

February 19, 1993

Day after Valentine's Day...you better have bought your wife a really nice gift if you spent the next day watching wrestling. Gorilla and Vince are our hosts once again - they've really gotta do something about that. After nearly beating Jerry Lawler last week, Virgil doesn't even get an entrance this week - he slinks out to the ring during the opening spiel. Rick Martel (with Harvey Wippleman) is his opponent - and he gets an entrance, I might add. That says something. Actually, all it says is that the WWF is pushing Martel more than Virgil. This match was, plain and simple, utter crap. Virgil is talented for a jobber. Martel is a pretty damn good wrestler in his own right. And this match sucked a lot. More than Hogan/Luger. With the direction that the company is pushing Martel into, this better just be a one time thing. Martel made Virgil submit to the Boston Crab at 4:48. Again, this was crap.

CUT BACKSTAGE! There's Mr. Perfect! Gene Okerlund, before interviewing the flawless one, reminds us that last week on MNR, Lex Luger defeated Mr. Perfect - and as a result of that match, Mr. Perfect got a shot at Shawn Michaels and his Intercontinental Championship at In Your House. Mr. Perfect explains to us that he is perfect, and he will use his Perfecticity (COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT ALERT!!!) to find the perfect way to capture the Intercontinental Championship from Shawn Michaels. Enter . . . Shawn Michaels! The IC champ winds up in the same room as Mean Gene and Mr. Perfect...and a staredown ensues! Between Perfect and Michaels, that is. Twenty seconds, and still staring...twenty-five seconds...thirty seconds...this isn't exactly compelling television...hey, there we go! Shawn Michaels spits in Mr. Perfect's face! Gene Okerlund looks confused for a minute, then he sheepishly offers Mr. Perfect use of his hankerchief. Perfect accepts, and as he is rubbing saliva off his face, Michaels makes a hasty retreat.

While Gene Okerlund got spit deflected into his face, The Undertaker and Paul Bearer entered the ring. Bearer informs all of us that the man under the mask last week was none other than 'Chilling' Charles Wright! Boy, he cut to the chase quick. On behalf of The Undertaker, Bearer challenges Wright to a match at In Your House. Wright's music hits, and says that he accepts the challenge - making the match official - but that he has a bombshell to drop on the not-so-dark ones. (Clever.) The bombshell is...that he never attacked the Undertaker before last week! As he puts it, his was doing a favor to the real stalker, by throwing Bearer and Taker off the trail! Bearer retorts with "Well, if this is true...then I guess we shouldn't have the match...I see where you're coming from...but I also see a yellow-bellied coward afraid of stepping into the ring with the Deadman! The match is ON!" Hmm. With the Michaels-Perfect spit incident, and now this, I've rebounded from the suckiness that was Martel/Virgil.

Unfortunately, the bad memories come rushing back, as our next match pits the Nasty Boys against the Headshrinkers in a match we've already seen on Superstars more than enough. They seem to have put a bit more into it this week, though - probably because they're on the big show. Brian Knobbs and Fatu seem to be working especially hard. Probably told that a good job could get them a push or something. Match goes 6:52, at which point Knobbs hits Samu with a schoolboy. And, uh, yeah. It's a good thing that the vignettes have been done well.

CUT BACKSTAGE! There's Razor Ramon! And Sean Mooney! Mooney makes a faux pas by wishing Razor good luck in his match this Sunday. Razor, just like all the viewers, has no idea what Mooney is talking about. Mooney explains that at In Your House, Razor Ramon will take on Tatanka, with the winner getting an Intercontinental Championship match at WrestleMania. Razor Ramon is taken back by this announcement, but he's quick to deliver a promo, something along the lines of "Welcome to the big leagues, Tatanka". Not bad.

The crappy match trend continues as we now get the Big Bossman against the Repo Man. Wait...don't they both work for the government? Why would they be fighting each other? I'd assume they'd both be quite liberal...strange. Match is about what you'd expect...Bossman squash, Repo Man getting in the odd move here or there. Nothing too special, right in line with what we've seen so far tonight. Repo Man went for a DDT, but the Bossman countered it and hit a Bossman Slam for the win at 5:11! After the match, the Big Bossman pulled out a set of handcuffs and announced that he was arresting the Repo Man! Five bucks says that they forget all about this angle...at least give us an explanation.

Lex Luger was the next talentless oaf to make his way out to the ring...no, we weren't seeing him wrestle. Even worse, we were being treated to a Lex Luger promo. Luger talked about getting the opportunity to wrestle Bret Hart, and how grateful he is for that opportunity...but how he's even more grateful for the opportunity to tear Bret Hart from limb to limb in six days, and claim his rightful throne as WWF Champion. Uh, Lex? The King of the Ring gets a throne. The WWF Champion gets a belt. And matches with people he has to carry. Like you.

CUT BACKSTAGE! There's Gene Okerlund! Apparently he regrouped from the disaster that was his first interview, and he wanted to redeem himself, so he sought out the WWF Tag Team Champions, and got them to agree to an interview. DiBiase is really talented on the mic...why they're sticking him with someone like IRS is anyone's guess...albeit a good gimmick. Nothing more than the usual fanfare...they'll still be tag champions after In Your House...they'll prove once and for all that the Steiners are not worthy competitors...yada yada yada.

Match number four...I'm sensing a trend. We get the Bushwhackers against the Natural Disasters. Why are they not giving us matches featuring people who will wrestle on Sunday? I don't know either. Disasters control this match all the way through. This pattern of predicatability allows Vince and Gorilla to spend the match giving their picks for In Your House. Vince thinks that the 'spunky' Marty Jannetty will get the win over Jerry Lawler in their match. For more on why that will not happen, and why Tatanka/Razor Ramon was just about the worst booking move the WWF could have possibly made, check out this week's News and Rumors section. The Disasters won when Earthquake hit Luke with a bodyslam, and then made the cover at 6:31.

Marty Jannetty was out to the ring next to cut a promo. Jannetty talked about Jerry Lawler, of course. Jannetty has the utmost respect for Jerry Lawler, and for everything he's done for pro wrestling, especially in Memphis. In the WWF as well...Lawler's been a very successful wrestler. But for every wrestler, there is a time that comes. A time when they realize that they just don't have it anymore. "And Jerry, come this Sunday and In Your House, you will get in that ring, I will get in that ring, and we will find out that you no longer have it!" Not bad for a Jannetty promo.

Main event pits Bob Backlund against Jake Roberts in a match that has nothing to do with anything. Definitely the match of the night, but that's not saying much. The crowd was into it, and the workrate at least bordered on crisp. Roberts was attempting every trick in the book, and Backlund was able to stop him...each time to a huge pop. At the 7:14 mark, Rick Martel came in and hit the unsuspecting Backlund with a steel chair! What's Martel doing? Backlund collapsed to the ground in pain...Martel grinned and locked in his Boston Crab! But then, Hulk Hogan came running out from the back as well, threw Jake Roberts out of the ring, and began to pull Rick Martel off of Backlund! Yet more interference came in, as Hogan's IYH opponent, British Bulldog, grabbed the steel chair that Martel had left laying around, and clonked Hogan with it! As the show went off the air, Rick Martel and the British Bulldog were standing over the fallen Hogan and Backlund to the boos of the crowd!

THE GOOD: The finish was great in setting up for IYH, and probably WrestleMania as well...most of the backstage segments were well done also.

THE BAD: All the in-ring action save the main event...when the Big Bossman is the second-best worker in action, you're in trouble.

THE UGLY: Rick Martel against Virgil was easily the worst match I have seen on WWF television in a long time...including the WWF:NE Action Hour last week.

GRADE: C

Edited August 24, 2004 by ryan_the_canuck

[Hewey]

Good show man, The Undertaker storyline is going well. Interesting to see who'll be the stalker. I also hope you don't job Razor out to Tatanka. Looking forward to IYH

[Guest ryan_the_canuck]

WWF News and Rumors

February 19, 1993

Big news this week is the In Your House PayPerView show this Sunday...here's a card rundown, with my thoughts and predictions.

WWF Championship: Bret Hart vs. Lex Luger - I can't see Luger losing this one...or, more exactly, there's no way they'll turn him babyface to take on Yokozuna. Bret could pull out a surprisingly good match, and the fans should be into it, but the winner should be elementary. PICK: Bret Hart

Hulk Hogan vs. British Bulldog Davey Boy is talented in the ring, but not talented enough to carry Hogan to a good match. Storyline-wise, it makes the most sense for interference from Rick Martel (coming off of MNR this week), but I can't see Hogan doing the job here. PICK: Hulk Hogan

Intercontinental Championship: Mr. Perfect vs. Shawn Michaels - This match itself doesn't bother me, it should be a good one, even if they picked a dumb way to set it up. The angle this week was good enough to redeem it. Like I said, this will probably be match of the night. A week ago, I would have said a Michaels win was the only way to go, but Tatanka vs. Shawn Michaels would be a really bad idea (see further down). PICK: Mr. Perfect

Tag Team Championships: Steiner Brothers vs. Money Inc. - I don't know what they can do with this one, really, at least not if they want a rematch at WrestleMania. They used the DQ finish at the Rumble...the only thing that would really work is the Steiners winning clean, and taking the titles, but Money Inc. protesting the loss for some reason...should be a solid match, though. PICK: Steiner Brothers

Marty Jannetty vs. Jerry Lawler - The stipulation for this one is that if Lawler loses, he must retire from the active WWF roster. Obviously, Jerry Lawler's last match in pro wrestling will not be a loss to Marty Jannetty at a minor PayPerView. That said, this match could go either way, and as of Wednesday night, the WWF was still considering two possible outcomes. The most obvious one is that Lawler was faking his bad performance against Virgil, and he proceeds to kick the snot out of Jannetty. The other choice is Jannetty winning, and Lawler taking up a mangerial position somewhere, which the terms of the match would agree for. I'm going to guess that the WWF has no interest in putting Jannetty over. PICK: Jerry Lawler

The Undertaker vs. 'Chilling' Charles Wright - Interesting match. It seems like Wright must have been telling the truth on MNR - a dark character who winds up blaming others at the first opportunity makes my head hurt. I'd say that the real stalker will interfere, giving Wright the tainted win. PICK: 'Chilling Charles Wright

Tatanka vs. Razor Ramon - The winner of this match becomes the number one contender for the Intercontinental Championship. This match was the first thing the WWF has done all year that's got me angry. The match itself wouldn't be so bad, but the stipulation is some of the worst booking I have ever seen. It's too soon to take the IC title off of Shawn Michaels, but Michaels ending Tatanka's undefeated streak would do nothing for either of them. Razor Ramon ending his streak, on the other hand, would at least get him over. PICK: Razor Ramon

Don't forget about our WWF PayPerView Prediction Contest! Send SWD your picks for each of the seven matches, as well as answers to these five tiebreaker questions!

1) Was last week the first time that 'Chilling' Charles Wright attacked the Undertaker?

2) Will we learn any more about Legendfest?

3) What will be the first match of the show?

4) Will Yokozuna make an appearance?

5) What match will get the best overall rating?

The WWF also signed a new talent this week...Rick Bogner, who wrestled in the indies and on WWF Superstars a few weeks ago as Rick Titan. Bogner will report to WWF:NE, but is not expected to be there very long before joining the main roster.

Here is your report from WWF Superstars...open up to highlights of the big confrontation between The Undertaker and 'Chilling' Charles Wright...Wright's actually pretty good on the mic...The Mountie defeated Sean Waltman (NE's Kamikaze Kid) in 4:36 with a schoolboy...solid match, Waltman's really something...we get a recap of the Bob Backlund/Jake Roberts match from MNR, and the interference from Rick Martel, Hulk Hogan, and the British Bulldog...Tatanka squashes Kamala in 2:42...End of the Trail for the win...Tatanka is now 72-0...counting house show wins, that number is actually somewhat realistic...or in other words, they're not making up matches any more...clips air of the Lex Luger promo...just as bad the second time around...a sibling rivalry puts the Steiner Brothers over Brian and Ollie Beak (The Beverly Brothers in bird masks for some reason) in 5:11 after Scott gave a Frankensteiner to Ollie...a recap of the Mr. Perfect/Shawn Michaels spitting incident...this came off really well...main event put Crush against Yokozuna...Banzai Drop finish at 4:52...Crush looked surprisingly good here...thank you for watching.

Here is your report from WWF:NE Action Hour...opener had PJ Walker squash Barry Horowitz in 3:52...Walker looked great, he's going to make it big sometime...after the match, Horowitz met up with The Genius backstage, and The Genius made Horowitz an offer - if Barry gave the Genius complete control over his career, he would make him a star...Barry figured he had nothing to lose, and accepted...a rematch from last week put Billy Gunn against The Berzerker...Gunn went over clean with an elbowdrop...Sean Mooney called it the Pistol Whip...such a hilarious pun...match went 7:21 by the way...WWF:NE Heavyweight Champion Jim Powers was out next...he issued an open challenge to any WWF:NE superstar...didn't they do this with the Beverlys last week?...WWF:NE's NEWEST superstar, Rick Bogner, answered the challenge...he's huge...apparently answering to The Titan...match is signed for next week...The Moonwalkers defeat the oddball team of Damien Demento and Skinner in 7:42...when Demento and Skinner entered the ring, they were each appalled by the other's behaviour...after the match, the Beverly Brothers and Barry Horowitz hit the ring and layed out the Moonwalkers...main event put Koko B. Ware against Dale Torborg...Koko won clean at 7:35...not too special.

Nothing much in the way of small news from the WWF this week, so let's go to our first-ever mailbag!

Dear SWD,

What was the story behind Ric Flair's "I have to go find myself" speech on Monday Night Raw the other week?

Signed,

Tommy White

Jacksonville, FL

Ric Flair has a bit of a knee injury, and the WWF allowed him to take some time off to heel it. He will probably not return to the ring until WrestleMania, but you can be assured that he'll be there.

Dear SWD,

What's the deal with LegendFest? I know that Bruce Hart and Jim Neidhart are friends, you have to have the details!

Signed,

Henry Pratt

Baton Rouge, LA

Well, Henry, Bruce and Neidhart ARE friends, and that's the only reason we know about LegendFest! Jim Neidhart doesn't know any more about it than anyone who's read our magazine does! I'm suspecting it'll be some sort of nostalgia show, but who's to say for sure?

Dear SWD,

How long do you think Tatanka will go undefeated?

Signed,

Ed Irving

Rochester, NY

I have no idea, Ed. My predictions say that Sunday will be the day, but I could be wrong. It wouldn't be a first!

[Hewey]

WWF Championship: Bret Hart

Hulk Hogan

Shawn Michaels

Tag Team Championships: Steiner Brothers

Jerry Lawler

The Undertaker vs.

Razor Ramon (he won't get the shot though, something will happen)

Don't forget about our WWF PayPerView Prediction Contest! Send SWD your picks for each of the seven matches, as well as answers to these five tiebreaker questions!

1) Was last week the first time that 'Chilling' Charles Wright attacked the Undertaker? Yep

2) Will we learn any more about Legendfest? Yes

3) What will be the first match of the show? Lawler/Jannetty

4) Will Yokozuna make an appearance? Yes attacking Hart afterwards probably

5) What match will get the best overall rating? Hogan/Davey Boy or Luger/Bret

[nomaster]

WWF Championship: Bret Hart

Hulk Hogan

Shawn Michaels

Steiner Brothers

Jerry Lawler

The Undertaker

Razor Ramon

1) Was last week the first time that 'Chilling' Charles Wright attacked the Undertaker?yes

2) Will we learn any more about Legendfest?yes

3) What will be the first match of the show?janetty and lawler

4) Will Yokozuna make an appearance?no

5) What match will get the best overall rating?michaels and perfect

[BKMastermind375]

Bret Hart

Hulk Hogan

Mr. Perfect

Money Inc.

Jerry Lawler

Undertaker

Razor Ramon

1) Was last week the first time that 'Chilling' Charles Wright attacked the Undertaker?

Yes

2) Will we learn any more about Legendfest?

Yes

3) What will be the first match of the show?

Ramon v. Tatanka

4) Will Yokozuna make an appearance?

No

5) What match will get the best overall rating?

Money Inc. v. Steiners