VII is here.
Summer Slam 1991 MSGDark (Sid d. Shane Douglas)
Gorilla and Piper on the announce. It's Piper's last broadcast as he moves back to the ring. Bobby will take his spot.
Video package with four men: Ricky Steamboat, the WWF legend, can he recapture his former glory in the place where he started it all; Bret Hart, the Hit Man who takes on all comers in the longest Intercontinental title run in WWF history; his former tag team partner turned rival Davey Boy Smith, who in his quest for redemption in the eyes of his family finds himself unexpectedly challenging for the World Title; and Mr. Perfect Curt Hennig, now 20 months as World Wrestling Federation Champion…
1. Sarge/Boss Man d. Nasty Boys
-We just slide the Boss Man right into that flag waving gimmick. Wake up White People!
2. Undertaker d. Kerry Von Erich
-Chokeslam. Tombstone. Bodybag. Once again, Hogan hits the ring to stop the bagging – here, he doesn’t back down – the two men do the nose to nose before the Taker steps aside, leaving the ring without KVE. The dead man continues his unbeaten monster run. Sid walked down the aisle after the introductions, yelled at the Taker, then departed.
3. Mike Rotundo d. Earthquake (w/Tugboat)
-Rotundo returns to WWF PPV for the first time since WM I, adding to the whole “we’re back at MSG” thing. Rotundo’s a babyface.
4. The Mountie Jacques Rougeau d. Koko B. Ware
-The Mountie’s singles push continues.
5. Ted DiBiase d. Greg Valentine
-I think this is it for the Hammer. Thanks for your work, Greg.
They do the Piper's Pit spot with Shawn and Marty - Piper apologizes for taking their tag titles, he says he didn't know at the time he was breaking up their team. Shawn says he did him a favor, that Marty was holding him back, keeping him down, and now Shawn can become an immortal. Marty reminds Shawn that at VII - he hit him with the Rocker Dropper and got the 1-2-3.
Piper says he wants to give them some advice, says he's been in this business a long time - and right now, each of them has two paths they can take....one of them, one of them is one day going to be WWF Champion. One of them, one of them will revolutionize the business...he wants them to look in each other's eyes - he wants the fans to take a picture - because in this ring right now is a man who will one day be regarded as one of the greatest wrestlers who ever lived.
And the other one will be a has been.
Piper says he's seen tag teams come and go, seen them break up, seen them feud - and it's just the way this sport works - there's just only room for one of them.
Piper goads them, says they should look into each other's eyes - says he wants to know who wants it more - says they should look into each other's souls - says he wants to know which one of them needs it more - says at Survivor Series in Detroit, they're gonna meet one more time, one more time, and that's gonna show the WWF officials, gonna show the fans, and most importantly, gonna show each other - which one of them is going to be the legend...and which one is going to be the bum.
6. Tags: Road Warriors d. Power and Glory
-Squash. You’ll note – not a single good match on the card yet.
7. IC: Bret Hart d. Ricky Steamboat
A great match. Clean. Sharpshooter submission. Handshake. Another notch in Bret’s belt as he builds his in-ring reputation, beating Tenryu and Steamboat in the last two PPVs, his dominating 2nd IC run rolls on. Steamboat’s last WWF match ever. See you in the next millennium, Ricky.
8. WWF Title: Davey Boy Smith d. Curt Hennig (w/Bobby)
And almost 2 years later, it ends. The British Bulldog is the WWF Champion. Terrific match – this was the best stretch of Davey Boy’s actual career, when he was doing his best work – and he catches Mr. Perfect on the right night. DBS used his power advantage – working the back and wearing Hennig down noticeably over the course of the match – the crowd is absolutely shocked as Smith hits two power slams for the fall; no one saw this coming. Bobby, however, doesn’t seem surprised – almost accepting – as he and Hennig leave the ring together, Hennig leaning on Heenan for support as he gingerly makes his way up the aisle.
Davey Boy stands in the ring, accepting the crowd response, when Bret Hart makes his way to the ring., Bret, arguably the best wrestler alive, who tonight made Ricky Steamboat submit – but who has never been WWF Champion and now sees his former tag partner get there first.
Bret hits the ring, he and Davey Boy do a nose-to-nose, the Hart Foundation, longtime tag champs, then separated, now, over five years after they won the straps at II, they stand together at the top of the wrestling moutnaintop - but it is, shockingly, the British Bulldog and not Bret Hart who has grabbed the title that once belonged to the Dynamite Kid - that of WWF Champion.
Bret pauses.
And offers the handshake.
Handshake, the two men hug, The Hart Foundation holds their two singles belts aloft to the roar of the MSG faithful. Bret and Davey Boy reign supreme at Summer Slam '91!
Survivor Series is in Detroit in November. Between here and there, we have the Undertaker interrupting Hogan matches on the video screen:
Graveyard…tombstones….Here Lies Dusty Rhodes…Kerry Von Erich…Jake Roberts...
..and one more. Hulk Hogan. Undertaker meets Hogan at Survivor Series.
Survivor Series will be the one year anniversary of the Undertaker’s debut – and he remains unbeaten – as do the Road Warriors – who have been unbeaten tag champs for a full year, and they’ll face crazy Sarge and his Big Boss Buddy.
Ted meets Rotundo. Shawn meets Marty in the rubber match hyped at SSlam.
But those aren’t the significant happenings.
Bret guests on Piper's Pit. Piper points out his admiration for the year Bret's had, beat Tenryu and VII, beat Steamboat at Summer Slam - and now he's going to Survivor Series and Roddy wonders, just wonders mind you - if Bret wouldn't mind putting up his title against a former IC Champ...
...Roddy Piper.
Bret says if that's what Piper wants - that Bret's the best there is, the best there was, the best there ever will be, and it will be an honor to defeat you at Survivor Series.
Finally...
One episode of Prime Time begins without any fans in the studio – and Mr. Perfect, gone for a few weeks since Summer Slam, is seated with Bobby. Hennig’s in a suit, he and Bobby are low key, more “shoot style” and they announce that after Summer Slam, Hennig had to have surgery on his back – and therefore, will be forced to retire from the WWF.
The entire show is then a Tribute to Mr. Perfect. They show clips of his full WWF career – the sports vignettes – the win over Owen at Survivor Series 88, the Intercontinental Title Win over Bret at Royal Rumble ’89, the Survivor Series 89 World Title win over Savage, his title defenses: Rude at Rumble 90, Randy at VI and SummerSlam 90, Von Erich at Survivor Series 90, DiBiase at Rumble 91 and finally Savage again at VII.
At the show’s end, a teary eyed Bobby sadly concludes, “This has been a very emotional night for Curt, for myself, for professional wrestling fans everywhere – and on a time like this, it would be easy to say that things will never be the same again…not for Bobby Heenan…not for Curt Hennig, not for the World Wrestling Federation…”
Bobby bows his head, choked up, then raises his head – and he and Hennig are suddenly right back in heelish character again…
“So, I will say it….BEGINNING NEXT WEEK, THINGS WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN…NOT FOR BOBBY HEENAN…NOT FOR CURT HENNIG…AND SURE AS HELL NOT FOR THE WORLD WRESTLING FEDERATION…”
Hennig and Heenan cackle maniacally as the show fades.
The next week again, on Prime Time, Bobby and Perfect enter the studio – and Bobby yells for the fans to go home – saying “I’ve changed my mind – you humanoids don’t deserve to be in his presence – you, bozo in the booth, run some crappy match while these idiots clear the studio.”
On that match – The Berzerker!
Back to the studio, the Brain continues – “I’m not doing this because you humanoids deserve it – I am doing this for ME, I am doing this for Mr. Perfect, I am doing this because the World Wrestling Federation belongs to us – and next week, next week it is going to belong to the greatest professional wrestler who ever lived. Next week humanoids, next week, in the ring, you will meet the great professional wrestler....of all time."
Unfortunately, they don't have a live shot here, ideally they'd find one, but if not, they do this at a taping. We have Gene in the ring with Bobby and Hennig - Gene says, Bobby Heenan, last week you promised that you would deliver a surprise that would turn the wrestling industry on its head - where is that surprise.
And then Bobby introduces the 3 time NWA Champion of the World....the Nature Boy Ric Flair.
Flair enters. “I am Ric Flair. I am the Nature Boy. Wooooo! I am the greatest wrestler of all time. I have held the NWA World Championship more times than the British Bulldog has had pieces of ass! Woooooo! And at Survivor Series, the WWF will find out what the rest of the world already knows – that whether you like it, or whether you don’t like it, you’ve got to learn to love it, because I am, The Nature Boy Ric Flair, the best thing going today.”
All three men…”Wooooooooooooo”
So, it's Survivor Series '91. Davey Boy defends against Flair. Piper challenges Bret. It's the Warriors against Boss Man/Sarge. The big Shawn/Marty rubber match. Undertaker meets Hogan. Ric Flair is debuting at Survivor Series '91 - you gotsta call you local cable company!!
