The Rumble and build for VII is here.
Wrestlemania VII – 1991 Los Angeles
(Dark – Power and Glory d. Orient Express)
Gorilla and Bobby worked the show, Piper's about to come back to the ring, but as long as he was available (and it's Wrestlemania, I assume everyone's available) he's on the announce, as Bobby's in the main.
1. Legends Match: Hogan/Snuka d. Warrior/Slaughter
-What interests me is to see how far the crowd would go. They’ll chant U-S-A…will they chant K-I-L-L….will they eat up all the hate with big spoons and ask for seconds? Probably not as long as they keep losing. Snuka gets the fall on Warrior.
There's gonna be a battle royale in a month that will be discussed latyer, that's gonna be the end of Hellwig’s run, a goose stepping Hellwig will leave ringside – and in full gear leaves the arena, we see him walking down the road – maybe with a street sign in the shot that says, “Compton – 14 miles”.
2. Legends Match: Undertaker d. Jake Roberts - Andre the Giant, guest referee
-Chokeslam. Tombstone. Bodybag. Announce says “we came to see Jake Roberts crowned a Legend…and instead we may have seen a Legend in the Making in the Undertaker.” Dead Man continues his run of squash matches.
3. Davey Boy Smith d. The Male Model Rick Martel
Bulldog clean. Good match.
4. The Mountie Jacques Rougeau d. Tito Santana
Clean. Tito can’t put together a 3 star match anymore – but it’s nice to see the Strike Force guys losing at Wrestlemania. Jacques is the Mountie!
5. Marty Jannetty d. Shawn Michaels
Another terrific match in this feud. It was back in Royal Rumble ’90, 14 months ago, when Shawn turned on Marty – finally – revenge. Big emotional celebration from Marty when he gets the fall. Following the match – Marty and Shawn go nose to nose and Marty, in true babyface fashion, offers the consolation handshake ---
... and Shawn superkicks him again.
Poor, dumb, coked up Marty.
6. Tags: Road Warriors d. Demolition
-Squash. That proves that. And the Demolition push is over.
7. IC: Bret Hart d. Genichiro Tenryu
Just a terrific professional wrestling match on wrestling’s biggest stage. Bret’s 2nd IC run is now 14 months and counting. Tenryu turns postmatch - atacking Bret -- save by Piper, running in from the announce - completing Piper's face turn.
8. WWF Title: Curt Hennig d. Randy Savage
Yup. He beats him again. He beat him at SSeries 89, at WM VI, at SSlam ’90, at RRumble ’91 – and one final time here at VII. It’s a classic match, the best match of the feud and the best WWF match since Randy first won the title from Dynamite back at SSeries 88. No fork, no interference – Hennig kicks out after 3 consecutive elbowdrops – Savage kicks out of the Perfectplex – but can’t escape a second. It's the retirement match after all, it's gotta be pretty good.
A jubilant and exhausted Hennig and Bobby leave the ring, Bobby noticeably supporting Hennig, allowing Savage….and an entering Elizabeth….to accept the cheers.
We lose the stakes of the Liz/Randy makeup...so, somehwere after Liz left, she has to come back to fight with Randy in a promo - Randy's out of control, he never comes home, he's a mess, what happened to him - Randy blows her off and that allows for this to be a makeup.
A weeping Savage, forced to retire with the loss, exits with Liz as the show ends.
In May, NWA has another show – Hall and Nash do the foreshadowing team up and get a win, Marc Mero makes his PPV debut with a win, Terry Taylor gets another win, it’s the PPV debut of a Texan by the name of Stunning Steve Austin, he beats Rick Steiner – Dustin and Eaton keep, as do Arn and Sting.
Great American Bash – 1991 Baltimore
NWA Title: Sting d. Lex Luger
US Title: Arn Anderson d. Barry Windham
Tags: Eaton/Dustin d. Rock n Roll Express
Steve Austin d. Rick Steiner
Terry Taylor d. Tom Zenk
Marc Mero d. Ron Simmons
Nikita Koloff d. JYD
Hall/Nash d. Freebirds
Summerslam ’91 (a show where they really give me nothing, absolutely nothing) is coming from MSG in August. The last Saturday Night’s Main Event aired by NBC was in April (you know, when I use these Main Events, I’ve done my research – I know when they aired, I’m not fudging that either) and is made up of a Number One Contenders Battle Royale.
Okay, this is effectively the royal rumble. We're gonna run one every year, maybe every other year -- but the key is, it's after Mania, as if to start a whole new year, since the wrestling year really ends with Mania. So, they use the battle royale to start new programs.
So, here is the inaugural royal rumble that isn't called a royal rumble since that's the name of a January PPV that has nothing to do with battle royals. Winner will go to Summer Slam '91 - Madison Square Garden - and wrestle Mr. Perfect for the WWF Championship!
Got it?
Alright - it's the last SNME (until 2006) Gorilla, Bobby, Perfect on the announce for the inaugural Battle Royale!
1. Hawk
2. Animal
-the tag champs come out one and two to sell the gimmick and the importance of getting a title shot at Summer Slam - in MSG no less.
3. Shawn
-Michaels, loser at Mania to Marty - enters as cocky as ever, and plays pinball to the Warriors
4. Barbarian
-He and the Warlord were just bounced by the Warrior from White Flight, Warlord's gone - Barbarian comes in here, takes a shot at Michaels, then goes 1 on 2 against the champs
5. Valentine
-The Hammer goes after Michaels, they throw hard fists
(30. Barbarian, by the Warriors)
6. Hercules
-Herc, now with Roma after being booted out of White Flight, goes right for the champs while Valentine continues with Michaels
7. Roma
-Power and Glory goes head up with the Roadies
8. Mike Rotundo
-Hey, look who's back! Rotundo makes his return to the WWF, gone 6 years, announce puts over you never know who will return to get a shot at the title. Rotundo dropkicks Hammer and sends him clean over.
(29 Valentine, by Rotundo)
9. Haku
-Haku, who will now team with Barbarian, joins up with Power and Glory against the Warriors, Rotundo fights with Michaels.
10. Ultimate Warrior
-The last appearance of this run of the white separatist gay bodybuilder. He's bounced immediately by P&G.
(28 Warrior, by Power and Glory)
11. Big Boss Man
-The Boss Man gets a shot in at Hellwig on the outside, he will join Sarge now in the jingoistic tag team. He/Haku/Herc/Roma are all over the Road Warriors - Rotundo and Michaels continue.
12. Hogan
-Once again a WWF legend, the former champ aids the Road Warriors, splitting the Boss Man and Haku away.
13. Sarge
-The ring now has ten, Slaughter/Boss Man/Haku all trying to take Hogan out, Rotundo continues with Michaels, Road Warriors battle with P&G is cut in half.
(27 Animal, by P&G)
(26 Roma, by Hawk)
14. Snuka
-Snuka comes to the aid of his legendary tag partner, Hogan.
15. The Male Model
-Martel comes in for the Rotundo/Michaels match, taking shots at both of them as it becomes a three way.
16. Undertaker
-Here it comes.
(25 Hercules, by Taker)
(24 Hawk, by Taker)
(23. Rotundo, by Taker)
(22. Haku, by Taker)
(21. Snuka, by Taker)
(20. Boss Man, by Taker)
(19. Slaughter, by Taker)
(18. Martel, by Taker)
8 guys. And that's your holy shit moment from the first battle royal.
17. Piper
-Piper returns to the ring, he's directing traffic, moving the survivors of the carnage, Michaels and Hogan, around the Dead Man, and the 3 of them, working together, attack.
18. Hacksaw
-Hooooo! Duggan makes his first appearance in the Counterfactual, , he joins the group attacking the Undertaker.
19. Kerry Von Erich
-KVE joins the group, now close to pushing the Dead Man over. 5 on 1...but to no effect, as he shoves each of them away, then picks Duggan up and chokeslams him over the top rope.
(17, Duggan, by Taker)
20. Marty
-Announce notes that Michaels has been in since number 3, that's over half an hour, and they marvel at the performance as Marty comes in all fired up for him.
21. Bret Hart
-The IC Champ hits the ring hard, getting in shots at Michaels and Marty, then KVE - he's stopped by Hogan, the two of them brawl - Piper then sees the advantage, and he and Bret clothesline Hogan to the floor. KVE comes in for the follow, and is backdropped by the ad hoc Bret/Piper team. Bret then quickly turns on Roddy - and dumps him over the top!
(16. Hogan, by Bret/Piper)
(15. KVE, by Bret/Piper)
(14. Piper, by Bret)
Piper has a moment of fury as he stares hard at Bret, but the newly face turned Piper, who saved the Hit Man from the attacking Tenryu at VII, makes the "you got me, you got me" motion to the IC Champ.
22. Tito Santana
-Arriba~ Santana comes in and brawls with Bret. Marty and Shawn continue. The Undertaker stands ominously in the middle of the ring.
23. Shane Douglas
-The future franchise is breathing hard as he hits the ring, stares right in the face of the Undertaker, and earns some respect by starting to swing at him. Douglas swings wildly until the Taker hurls him over the top rope.
(13. Douglas, by Taker)
24. Quake
-The big man won't get in the ring, he doesn't want any part of the Dead Man. Michaels/Jannetty, Bret/Tito.
25. Tugboat
-The Quake's partner hits the ring, and now the two big men advance on the Undertaker. Michaels finally eliminates Marty.
(12. Marty, HBK)
26. Ted DiBiase
-Michaels has immediately joined Tito in going after Bret, Ted joins in, it's 3 on 1.
27. Koko B. Ware
-Bird. Bird. Bird. Koko joins the group which is close to knocking the IC champ out of the competition -- Perfect and Bobby are very happy about this.
28. British Bulldog
-And he comes in on Bret's side.
(11. Koko, DBS)
(10. Tito, Bret)
(9. Ted, DBS)
Bret and Davey Boy square off, but before they can throw down they are attacked by Shawn.
29. Jacques Rougeau
-joins Shawn, the two battle the Harts -- Quake/tug still battling the Taker. 7 in the ring. 1 man left. Who will go to Summer Slam to meet Hennig for the strap? Who? Who?
30. Sid Vicious
-Sid makes his debut in the WWF, he was strictly an undercard freakshow in the NWA, so doesn't have any type of following - but he's big, and again, he's come from another place to try to win the strap. Sid dumps the Quake and the Tugboat, and does the monster face to face with the Taker.
(8. Quake, by Sid)
(7. Tug, by Sid)
6 men in the ring....the Hart Foundation, teaming up once again (recall Bret has continued to refuse DBS entreaties since his return) take out Jacques. And then Shawn. Shawn lasts an hour in the battle royale, he gets put over hard by the announce - the fans stand as he's helped away from the ring.
(6. Jacques, by Harts)
(5. Shawn, by Harts)
DBS offers the high ten slap to Bret - Bret fakes an acceptance, then as he did earlier with Piper, tries to toss DBS out, the Bulldog hangs on though, holding onto the ropes then grabbing Bret, and quickly, shockingly, tossing him over the top!!
Big pop as Bret swears on the outside - the Bulldog attempts an apology, but soon recognizes that now he is surrounded by the giants.
(4. Bret, by DBS)
DBS gets bounced back and forth by Sid and the Taker, back and forth, back and forth, but is able to recover and irish whip Sid into the Taker - Sid and the Taker each stagger after smaking hard into each other in midring- allowing the Bulldog to dropkick the Taker over the top rope!!! And then presslam Sid...presslam Sid....clean over the top!!
The British Bulldog Davey Boy Smith is going to Summer Slam!!
Over the summer, as DBS gears up for his shot, this increases the distance between he and Bret, who refuses to accept him back in the fold. DBS asks for help, as Bret has faced (and lost) to Hennig before. Bret refuses.
There's not a lot going on with the undercard at Summer Slam. For some reason, they didn't let the Rockers work, so we're gonna do a Piper's Pit with Shawn and Marty as guests. Sarge and the Boss Man have waved the flag and talked about killing the brown people all summer. They'll work. Undertaker will meet KVE - Sid stalks the Taker all summer, appearing whenever he wrestles at ringside. Mike Rotundo, as babyface, will return to WWF PPV. Ted will work. Jacques will work. Power and Glory get some summer run - they get the title shot against the Warriors. But it looks kinda like a one match PPV, until...
Mean Gene in the ring to open a broadcast in early August:
“Ladies and Gentlemen – it is a great honor to welcome a two time WWF World Heavyweight Champion – one of the greatest wrestlers of all time – after nearly 4 years gone, welcome back – RICKY THE DRAGON STEAMBOAT!!!
Steamboat says he’s glad to be back, that the years of wrestling have taken their toll and doesn’t know how many more matches he has left in him….but he’s proud of the WWF...proud that over 6 years ago he wrestled in the main event of the first ever PPV wrestling show.
And now – with Summer Slam coming back where it all started, Madison Square Garden, he is coming back to the WWF..
Huge Pop…
…and he is coming back to wrestle the man who he believes is the best wrestler in the world….the Intercontinental Champion…Bret the Hit Man Hart…
Bret’s music. Bret.
Steamboat says Bret is a great champion, Bret proved he would defend against anyone in the world when he defeated Tenryu – and that Bret might be the best there is the best there was the best there ever will be…but he’s gonna have to prove it at Summer Slam.
Bret accepts. Handshake. And now we have a double main event. Perfect defends against DBS - and the legendary Steamboat challenges Bret for the IC. It's Summer Slam '91 from New York City!
