Summer Slam 1992

VIII is here.

Summerslam – 1992 London

Vince, at this point, takes the announce, Gorilla does only the Coliseum home video issues. I don’t know why, if it’s Gorilla can’t do live (he comes back when JR gets sick, so that seems less likely) or if Vince just wants to pull the plug.

If it’s the former, I still have Gene, and he’s the choice over Vince. If it’s the latter, and my working assumption is that it is, Gorilla is in the seat one more year. That's what we'll go with. This is Gorilla's 20th PPV.

(Dark – Razor Ramon d. Max Moon)

Show opens with Bret accepting the Triple Crown Trophy – what we’re gonna do is carve his name on a trophy (under Pedro’s, ‘cause he did it first) for guys who won all three belts. The guy who has the trophy keeps it until the next guy wins the Triple Crown. I really need Pedro there to present it to him. ‘Cause the previous winner will always present to the next winner. It’s going to be rare – the Triple Crown – more than just a title – immortality. It's beyond program, outside of storyline, it's the coveted Triple Crown.

See?

Big pop for Bret….enter Davey Boy….bigger pop. London, you know.

Davey Boy congratulates Bret, says it’s a huge accomplishment, first Triple Crown winner in the modern era – says England is proud of him, proud of Stampede wrestling and the entire Hart Family. Davey Boy says one day he’d like to match that feat, since all he needs is the IC title to do so – but tonight he’s about to become the 2 time WWF Champion.

Bret and DBS do the nose to nose…enter Flair.

Flair says if he knew they were passing out trophies, he would have asked for one when he was NWA Champion 4 years straight – or when he kicked Davey Boy’s (insert British slur here) ass for the WWF title twice in a row.

Bret does the – well, you might have kicked his ass – but you never kicked mine –

Davey Boy does the – hey, he never kicked it – you sure never kicked it – but the guy doing the kicking tonight…

They go nose to nose again…Flair laughs, says he doesn’t care who kicks who tonight – because he’s just been named the number one contender – and he’ll meet tonight’s winner for the WWF Title at Survivor Series.

1. Beverly Brothers d. Nasty Boys
-Beau! Blake!

2. Demolition Crush d. Kamala
-Crush doesn’t go Hawaiian, he stays Demolition Crush, with the spikes and the hood and the music…granted, the music only refers to Ax and Smash, so it’s a bad choice for his singles run. But it's fun anyway. In the fall, Crush mows through all opponents - he promos, challenging the locker room to come out and try to stop him...who will enter will be Demolition Smash (no Repo Man gimmick, no) and that feud culminates at Survivor Series.

3. Ultimate Warrior (w/Boss Man) d. Bezerker
-“You say Huss! Huss! – but what will you say when the Hebrew Man takes your job? What will you say to the man with horns when he repossesses your home and takes your guns and turns you into a fairy just like all of these people in England…England used to be a Giant Empire – the sand monkeys and the beaneaters used to tremble at the sight of the Union jack - but now they lose a war to Argentina and they just sit in the corner waiting for the American White Man to give them their orders….”

4. Demolition Smash d. Tito Santana
Arriba! Or not.

5. Shawn Michaels d. Rick Martel
Shawn is a surprise opponent, Martel's introduced, then Shawn - recall, Michaels said he wasn't going to England and that got him out of the Owen match. But here Shawn is, putting one over on everybody. Good match as all that’s left for the face Martel is a couple more jobs against the next wave of guys. Michaels does vile things to the Union Jack before the match. Superkick, pinfall.

6. Tags: Money Inc. d. Road Warriors
Money, Money, Money, Money, Money. Decisive. DiBiase and Rotundo win again, again surprising the people - this is a clean and final win. Ted stuffs a hundred pound note into Hawk’s mouth.

7. IC: Randy Savage d. Jacques Rougeau
Clean. Elbowdrop. Jacques did the French Canadian thing to rile up the crowd. End of his singles push.

8. WWF Title: Bret Hart d. Davey Boy Smith
An all timer, as it was when they actually did it. Owen comes out before the match to join Bobby and Gorilla on the announce for this one – there’s a spot where Bret’s got a sharpshooter locked on – DBS trying not to submit – when Michaels attacks Owen from behind – hitting him with a chair – Michaels drags Owen across the Spanish announce table…

Yeah, we’re giving Michaels the first table spot.

Michaels climbs to the top buckle – the drama is that Bret is watching the entire thing, he has the sharpshooter on DBS – and will he release the sharpshooter to save his little brother…

He doesn’t. Michaels hits the elbowdrop from the top rope sending Owen through the table, a spot not seen before – the crowd goes bonkers – Owen disappears in the rubble - Michaels gets up bleeding…big, big spot.

DBS stays in the sharpshooter forever – earning the “he won’t submit” points – eventually does.

DBS can't stand but tries to crawl to get to Owen – Bret waits a moment to get his hand raised – before trying himself, it's the first table bump in the WWF, ECW is still a couple years away, so it's designed to be shocking - and the place is tumultuous as Owen is lost in the table shards.

A bloody Michaels, celebrating and tauting the fans from the aisle is attacked by Savage, doing the friend of the Harts thing…Savage and Michaels brawling in the aisle

Bret is stopped from getting to his brother by Flair – Flair pummels Bret – save by Hennig. It’s Hennig’s first action in a wrestling ring since losing the title to DBS at SSlam ’91 – Bobby and White Power, the Warrior and Boss Man, run down to the ring – White Power pulling Flair out for the save

Bret, Davey Boy, Hennig, carry Owen back up the aisle as the show ends.

Survivor Series will return to Cleveland for Survivor Series '92.

On the road to SSeries, which includes the last ever episode of Prime Time:
- In a move reminiscent of two years ago, the “Death is Coming” Thanksgiving Night shots on the video screen begin again in arenas – but this time they include a rising sun.

-Razor is everywhere. Everywhere. It's the same Razor schtick, but he adds Hart Foundation digs whenever he can, talks about the Double U, Double U F no longer being about Bret and Ba-by Rock-et...but about the New Blood...about the Bad Guy.

-Hennig attacks the Warrior ferociously, ending his brief return – there’s a save and a beatdown by the Boss Man – as it’s the Boss Man who will be Hennig’s first opponent in his return to the ring – after the Boss Man beatdown of Hennig, Razor enters, just to add some insult – gives Hennig a Razor’s Edge (good god, his back! His back! His back!” and then tosses the toothpick in his face. 'Cause of the AWA thing, after all.

-It’s Shawn/Savage time for the IC. Shawn cuts a, this is the biggest match of my life, because I’m fighting a guy who "used" to be Randy Savage promo. It’s a real generational thing – Shawn says he remembers when Savage was a real man, slapping his bitch around and not listening to the fans. Shawn says that’s why he does the elbowdrop – because he looked up to Savage – but that was 6 years ago – and now at Survivor Series he’s going to prove that he’s the showstopper. Savage and Shawn brawl – Savage is attacked from behind by Razor – superkick, Razor’s Edge. Razor's everywhere.

Razor and Shawn make what will come to be recognized, although isn't yet, as the sign of the Clique as they depart.

-We begin seeing footage of the Steiner Brothers, who will be making their debut at SSeries for the tag titles – we do interviews with other tag teams, both in and out of the WWF, whomever they can get, to say the Steiners are the best tag team of all time.

-And there's Bret/Flair stuff. Not just for the title – but now, with Bret winning the Triple Crown and Flair still being Flair – the talk begins that this match at SSeries might decide who is the best wrestler of all time. And what the hell - they make it a submission match. In the last Prime Time ever, the week before SSeries, Flair beats Davey Boy again with the figure four – after Bret and Bobby were barred from ringside. Flair refused to release the hold after the decision – officials unable to pull him off as DB screams that his leg is broken – Hennig runs in for the save, running off Flair. DB is stretchered out – and that ends this WWF run for him.

There's a lot going at Survivor Series '92. The Bret/Flair submission match. Randy Savage defending against Shawn Michaels. The debut of the Steiner Brothers, taking on Money Inc for the gold. The return to the ring of Mr. Perfect. The PPV debut of Razor Ramon. Crush meets Smash as Demolition explodes. The debut of the mystery "Death Comes to the WWF" wrestler -- oh my, oh my, oh my....you have gotsta call your cable company for this one! Survivor Series '92!