Survivor Series 1992

Wembley Summer Slam is here.

Survivor Series -1992 Cleveland
(Dark – Al Snow d. Bob Backlund)

Again, Gorilla and Bobby, assuming Gorilla was physically capable.

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

2. Yokozuna (w/Fuji) d. Natural Disasters
- Yoko is the “Death is Coming” and they make the connection btwn his destruction (and this is utter destruction, multiple banzai drops) of the Disasters and the Dead Guy’s debut two years ago (still unbeaten and unchallenged, by the way) We’ll do the same gimmick with Yoko – monster Japanese heel. One notes the parallels between Yoko's debut and Sid's. This seems like the way to handle the Dead Guy.

3. Crush d. Smash
The problem here is that Crush is doing the monster heel thing – but he’ll be overshadowed by Yoko. So, we’ll make this quick, point out that Crush is still unbeaten since going as a single, maybe giggle that he’s still using the old Demolition theme song. Whatever. Demolition explodes here, and Crush has wiped the last remnant out of the WWF.

4. Razor Ramon d. Rick Martel
“Hey, yo. You used to call yourself the Model? I better looking than 10 movie stars, Chico. I will slap the pretty off your face; put your shoulders on the mat; and to-night, when your wo-man goes to sleep, she’ll be dreaming about the Bad Guy, Ra-zor Ra-mon.”

Fallaway slam, Edge, Pinfall. Toothpick.

5. Mr. Perfect d. Boss Man
-Perfect gets the big face pop, it’s his first match in over a year. He goes over, but isn’t the same guy. He noticeably limps away after the match.

6. Tags: Steiners d. Money Inc
It’s the same angle as when the Warriors entered two years ago – monster face team from the NWA comes in and wins the strap in its debut. Steiners aren’t as popular as the Warriors – but were much, much, much better workers. We still get the good Steiners here – and they win in a good one.

(This, I think, is the first error. The Steiners didn't work this show. They make their WWF debuts in December)

7. IC Title: Shawn Michaels d. Randy Savage
And we turn the page. Shawn wins clean, the finish is the elbowdrop – he hits the first – and refuses to make the cover, sneering as he ignores Savage and goes back up to the top…he goes up and hits the second…then covers…but Randy kicks out --- Shawn with the superkick – and the third elbowdrop. And the fall. Shawn's first singles belt.

Shawn taunts the crowd – waving his finger in the air in a gesture that mocks Savage, waving the belt in the air and smirking at the fans…until his music is cut off.

By Owen’s.

It’s Owen’s first appearance since the table bump at Summer Slam, Owen’s still bandaged up, with a cast on his right arm – he grabs a microphone as he enters the ring…

“Shawn Michaels – for years people have said that HBK and Owen Hart were the future of this business, were the future of the World Wrestling Federation – and even though I hate your guts, I admire you for winning the Intercontinental Title against a legend like Randy Savage….I admire you so much that I’d like to be just like you Shawn Michaels….yeah, I said it, I want to be just like Shawn Michaels…I want to be so much like Shawn Michaels that I want to win the Intercontinental Title myself….

…and I want to win the Intercontinental Title….tonight!”

Owen bashes Michaels over the head with the cast – takes the IC belt and begins whipping Michaels with it -- a referee runs down to the ring – the bell rings…

8. IC Owen Hart d. Shawn Michaels
For the first time in the Counterfactual, the WWF breaks format and adds a match. The announce explains that due to Michaels’s actions at Summer Slam, Owen was awarded an IC title shot at any date of his choosing – he chose tonight – Shawn had no idea and now, after a terrific match with Savage, an historic match where he beat Savage with the elbowdrop – now he’s got to face The Rocket.

It’s another terrific Owen/Shawn match – recall, Shawn beat Owen in Owen’s return after 3 years at the Rumble – Owen beat Shawn at VIII – Shawn sent Owen through the Spanish announce at Summer Slam – and now – in the moment of Shawn’s greatest triumph – Owen takes the strap right away from him. Feud of the Year - 1992.

So, this pushes Owen as he gets strapped with the IC – and it also serves to really push Shawn, as he beats Savage – and wrestles two terrific matches, back to back, before giving out and getting pinned by Owen. Further, if Shawn were to be accumulating some fans, as this is another piece of evidence that the Harts get special treatment, that he's one guy bucking the whole system, that would be okay. Shawn and Razor are going to keep that issue alive every chance they get - play up to any face reaction they might get, in that way that they had. Both guys get the push, the other thing to note is it’s the first PPV ever with nine matches, making it even more clear that these two guys are special.

Owen leaves Cleveland with his first ever WWF belt.

9. WWF Title: Submission Match: Bret Hart d. Ric Flair
This time, Bret wins with the Sharpshooter. Flair submits, Bret stakes his claim as the greatest North American wrestler who ever lived.

It’s another big night for the Hart Family – and just as Bret and Davey Boy hugged in the ring back at Summer Slam ’91 when both men walked out with the singles belts – Owen meets Bret in the ring – the two brothers hug - and then two raise their belts aloft – the Harts – on top of the wrestling world at Survivor Series '92!

Year ends with Starrcade. Mero wins again, going over a returning Shane Douglas. 2 Cold debuts with a win, Sting wins, Foley wins, Austin and Pillman, the Hollywood Blonds, win the tag straps, the US Title, interestingly, is a five star all time match with the Great Muta going over Jushin Liger, and Vader wins the NWA Title “Who’s the Man?” taking from Steamboat.

Starrcade – 1992 Atlanta
NWA Title: Vader d. Steamboat
US Title: Great Muta d. Jushin Liger
Tags: Austin/Pillman d. Dustin/Windham
Cactus Jack d. Steve Williams

Sting d. Masa Chono
2 Cold Scorpio d. Kensuke Sasaki
Marc Mero d. Shane Douglas
Simmons/Armstrong d. Van Hammer/Dan Spivey

In January, on the road to the Rumble…the debut of RAW.

The opening match, the very first RAW match, is Shawn/Owen – nontitle. Shawn goes over, cheating to win, low blow, feet on the ropes, that kinda thing. They sell that they are now 2-2..and match number five will be for the IC at the Rumble – in a 30 Minute Iron Man Match. Owen and Shawn fight after the bell – they fight in the back – and are kicked out of the building.

We meet Carlos Colon – the most important Puerto Rican wrestler ever – he gets a squash over young Al Snow (Al! On the first RAW! From Lima and everything!) Colon then does an anti-WWF rant – saying American wrestlers are soft – he’s the only true wrestling legend – and he challenges anyone to meet him at the Rumble.

Lights. Bong. Bong. Bong. Lights on. Colon’s freaked out. Face pop for the dead guy music as they work that face turn.

Hennig promo. He calls out Flair and Bobby – says he wants them to come to the ring. Perfect says that he’d love to stand out here and say he was the Perfect wrestler, say he was the greatest WWF champion of all time – but right now, on the first episode of Monday Night RAW – what he feels is broken down.

Perfect says he gave his body to the fans, to the WWF, and he’s not sure how much he has left…but whatever he has left, he’s going to throw at Ric Flair at the Royal Rumble, in the dream match between the men with the longest WWF and NWA title runs in the PPV era.

Flair says nope. Hennig’s a cripple and he’s Ric Flair. Ric Flair doesn’t have to prove he can beat Curt Hennig. Ric Flair would rather take the night off, go out with the ladies, maybe have dirty sex with the mother of the fat boy on the front row who is heckling him. He’s Ric Flair, after all.

Bobby whispers to Flair – Flair says, well, maybe there is something – they’ll meet at the Rumble if Hennig raises the stakes --- Loser Leaves Town. There’s nothing Flair would like better than to end the career of Mr. Perfect.

Hennig says okay, one one condition – when he beats Flair – Bobby leaves too.

So, that’s the Rumble match – loser leaves town, Flair/Hennig, with Bobby’s career also on the line.

Bam Bam Bigelow returns as a face and goes over Crush.

The Steiners keep in the return against Money Inc.

Savage promo. He says he’s been “thinking, yeah, thinking” and maybe it’s time, yeah, to go home to his family…

(Sure, it’s similar to Hennig’s – probably we’d separate them into, you know, different episodes of RAW –we’ve got two to work with before the Rumble)

Razor music. Razor.

“Hey, yo. Ma-cho mang. You quitting, Ma-cho Mang? You going home to your wife? You too late, Ma-cho Mang. Don’t lie, mang. Don’t lie. This is 1993. This is Mon-day Night RAW. And the pe-ople know that Miss E-li-z-abeth…she gone, mang. She_ walked out_ on you.”

Which is true of course, Razor’s shooting, baby. It’s a new generation thing.

“What the pe-ople don’t know, is that she_left you_for me.”

“And Mang, you_ don’t want_ her back now. ‘Cause The Bad Guy_wore_her_out. Once_she was on_her knees…”

And Savage snaps, you know, ‘cause he’s Savage – and we need the officials in the back to keep him back as Razor laughs back up the aisle.

The main event of the first ever RAW is Yoko/Bret for the strap – Yoko gets DQ’d intentionally – they just do a couple of lockups – with Yoko easily tossing Bret away – to get the point over that Yoko’s a monster – then Fuji hits Bret over the head with the Japanese flag….Yoko does two Banzai Drops…and Tenryu enters! Tenryu, who the people will remember from Bret defeating him at VII, now does the full heel thing – coming in on the side of Yoko and Fuji and putting it to Bret.

It’s Tenryu/Bret for the strap at the Rumble…

But right now – they’re squashing Bret – Owen’s been kicked out of the building – Savage was taken away – what will happen…

Lights. Bong. Bong. Lights on…Undertaker stands in the middle of the ring – he clotheslines Tenryu and Fuji over – he and Yoko do a nose to nose…Yoko then bails out…and the Undertaker – still unbeaten almost 2 1/2 years into his WWF career – has made the full face turn as he and Bret shake hands.

Rumble '93 is coming from Sacramento - and it's enormous. Bret defends against Tenryu, the Owen/Shawn feud continues with a 30 Minute Iron Man for the IC, the Beverly Brothers parlay their opening tag wins into a title shot against the Steiners. 2 big singles - how big - how about Perfect against Flair, Loser Leaves Town and Savage v. Razor? Toss in the Undertaker, the return of Bam Bam Bigelow - and hey, Marty Jannetty's back! Great googly moogly - call your local cable thing for Royal Rumble '93!