King of the Ring '94

Legacy Review

King of the Ring '94

June 19, 1994 from the Baltimore Arena in Baltimore, MD

Commentary: Gorilla Monsoon (YAY), Randy Savage and NFL Hall of Famer Art "How Much Does This Guy Weigh?" Donovan

I still can't get over how perfect the original KOTR graphics are. They should be in the Hall of Fame. Cool stage setup this year too, with a huge coronation area and the first appearance of the giant KOTR doors. In the stand up intro Monsoon calls Donovan "Art O'Donnell", which is a perfect early indicator of how this commentary experiment is going to go.

Quarterfinals: Razor Ramon def Bam Bam Bigelow (w/Luna Vachon) in 8:24- Luna irritates Ramon and gets a toothpick in the face. Bigelow takes advantage and ambushes Ramon from behind. High impact power offense from Bigelow. Ramon dodges the headbutt off the top rope, then baseball slides out in the corner and posts Bigelow's crotch. Ramon bulldog off the top with a horrible delayed sell from Bigelow. Donovan: "What's the girl over there screaming at?". Ramon ducks an enzuguri and hits clotheslines. Bigelow dodges and Ramon flies over the top to the floor. Back in Bigelow hits an enzuguri and slowly pounds Ramon down. Torture rack. Ramon doesn't make any effort to sell it at all, he just lays there. They do the arm drops and Ramon stays in it, but still lays there and doesn't do anything. Finally Bigelow lets go and Ramon switches it over into a Saitoish suplex. He tries to put Bigelow on the top rope for the back superplex but Bigelow elbows out. He sets up the moonsault, but Ramon grabs him from behind, drops Bigelow down to the mat and rolls him up to win. Pretty dull. *1/4

 

Quarterfinals: Irwin R Schyster def Mabel (w/Oscar) in 5:34- Donovan on IRS's entrance: "Randy, is that one of the wrestlers? He looks like a businessman." Then on Mable's entrance: "Is that how he's gonna wrestle, with his clothes on?". IRS tries an ambush but Mabel avoids it and bombards IRS with buckle shots. Donovan gives us our first "How much does this guy weigh?" of the night. When he's told he says "That's not fair! That's twice as much as the other guy!". As if your eyes couldn't tell you that. IRS dodges a charge and knocks Mabel to the floor. A diving clothesline puts Mabel down. IRS drops a couple of elbows and gets a long 2 count. Mabel turns a slam attempt into a small package! It gets a two count, but the huge Mabel had IRS legitimately pinned and had to let go before 3 for IRS to kick out. To the Rotunda chinlock! Donovan thinks Mabel is rich because he has gold teeth. Mabel backs IRS into the corner. Backdrop. Mabel Rock Bottom slam for 2. He goes up to the second rope. IRS gets up, shakes the rope. Mabel falls down, and IRS covers for 3. Next. 3/4*

 

Quarterfinals: "The Rocket" Owen Hart def Tatanka in 8:18- Tatanka jumps Owen the second he gets in the ring. Big backdrop for a quick 2 count. Suplex for 2. Owen eye rakes to kill the momentum. Basic speed run with Tatanka getting a hiptoss and Japanese armdrag. Owen tosses Tatanka to the floor, but he lands on his feet and drags Owen out. Slugfest, then Tatanka gets posted. While he's recovering there's a picture in picture cut to the back where Ramon and IRS are confronting each other. Owen hits a gutwrench suplex and missile dropkick for 2. Monsoon's already pretending he can't hear Donovan. Owen locks in a sleeper. Tatanka does the arm drops, elbows out and starts the war dancing up. Big chops and a cover for 2. DDT for 2. Chop off the top rope for 2. Owen tries to leap over in the corner but Tatanka catches and powerslams him. Tatanka tries a sunset flip, but Owen stacks him up British Bulldog Summerslam '92 style and gets the pin. Solid. **3/4

 

Quarterfinals: The 1-2-3 Kid def "Double J" Jeff Jarrett in 4:39- Arrogant Jarrett thinks this is a warmup match and the Kid is beneath his worry. During Jarrett's entrance Donovan asks if he's wrestling the 1-2-3 Kid, gets confirmation, then when the Kid comes out Donovan asks who that is! Kid comes out swinging with kicks and Jarrett bails, then grabs a leg takedown from the floor. Huge Kid buckle shot. Kid flips over in the corner and rolls Jarrett up for 2. Kid dodges a dropkick and gets a victory roll for 2. Jarrett fistdrop from the second rope. Kid ducks a clothesline and hits a spinning heel kick for 2. He goes for a senton off the top but Jarrett dodges. Jarrett tries to set up a superplex but Kid fights out and gets a crossbody off the top for 2. Rapid fire Kid kicks. Jarrett kicks his leg out of his leg and goes to work on it. He goes for the figure 4, but Kids rolls up a Paul Smackage to win! After the bell a pissed off Jarrett hits Kid with three piledrivers and three fistdrops off the second rope to nuclear heat. Kid has to be carried to the back. Good sprint. ***

We get a promo ad for the "New WWF Generation", saying guys like Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant and the Iron Sheik are washed up has beens that don't matter anymore next to the new blood, which is something WWF was pushing hard at the time with the large roster overhaul over the past couple of years, and super ironic considering what the main event of this show turns out to be. After that, Bret Hart admits to Todd Pettingill that Diesel's jackknife powerbomb hurt like hell and he doesn't know if he can kick out after it, but it's not going to matter because Diesel won't do it to him again. He also refuses to spill the beans on who the secret Hart family member will be in his corner to counter Shawn Michaels.

 

WWF Championship: WWF Intercontinental Champion Diesel (w/Shawn Michaels) def Bret "Hitman" Hart (c) (w/Jim Neidhart) by DQ in 22:51- Diesel beat Ramon for the IC title on Superstars in April, kicking off his huge push that would see him win all three WWF titles in the same calendar year. This is the first in what would be a regular series of PPV matches for the WWF title between these two over the next 18 months. Donovan: "Who's the guy leading? (Monsoon answers it's Shawn Michaels) Is that another wrestler?" Bret's finally got the main event remix of the original Hart Foundation music. His old Hart Foundation partner Jim Neidhart coming out with him gets a good reaction. Commentary openly mentions that he's Bret's brother in law, something that was verboten when they were a regular team. After Diesel wins the initial lockup Bret tries a go behind takedown. Diesel backs him into the corner and back elbows him. Slugfest in the corner with Diesel eventually pounding Bret down and choking him with his boot. Bret comes back with a dodge and headbutt to the gut, then slips out of a slam attempt and gets a rollup for 2. Diesel catches a Bret crossbody and slams him. Donovan: "This is like David and Goliath!", Monsoon: "And we know how that one ended", Donovan: "Yeah, he hit him with a rock!". Donovan should be teaching bible study. Diesel elbows to the back of Bret's head. After another Bret dodge Diesel knees the top turnbuckle. Target acquired. Bret picks it apart. Figure four! Diesel uses his length to easily get to the ropes. Bret stays on the knee and locks in a spinning toe hold. Diesel uses his good leg to push Bret to the floor. Bret grabs his leg from the floor and posts his knee. Shawn charges and clotheslines Bret! Anvil chases Shawn around and through the ring. Hebner stops Anvil and Shawn takes another shot. Bret comes off the top rope. Diesel was supposed to catch him but can't keep his balance and they both fall down. Diesel picks Bret back up, resets a bit, and puts the bear hug he was supposed to have back on. Good recovery. Bret bites out. A dropkick in the back sends Diesel to the floor. Plancha! But Diesel dodges and Bret splats on the floor! He posts Bret's back and goes to work on it in the ring. Side suplex for 2. Bret tries to fight back but Diesel stops it with an eye poke. Bret bump! Cover for 2. Flash Bret roll up for 2. Shawn sneaks up and takes a top buckle pad off. Diesel hooks in a Canadian backbreaker. Bret leverages out and puts on a sleeper. Diesel backs him into the corner. Diesel goes for the exposed buckle, but Bret blocks it and Diesel takes the shot. Diesel's wobblelegged and Bret pounds away. Diesel does a very nice realistic fall like a boxing knockdown. Five Moves of Doom. Bret bulldog of the second rope with a nice Diesel 360 roll sell. He goes for the Sharpshooter but Shawn gets up on the apron. Bret removes him with the usual crazy over the top Shawn sell. Bret tries a backslide. Diesel fights it so Bret walks up the corner, flips over, and turns it into a small package for 2! Diesel refuses to do a corner whip. Not sure if that was legit, just selling, or a miscommunication. A Diesel big boot puts Bret back down. He calls for the jackknife. Bret grabs his legs, rolls over, and locks in the Sharpshooter! Diesel gets to the rope. A dropkick puts Diesel 360 and out again. Diesel attacks Anvil. While Hebner's messing with them Shawn whacks Bret from behind with the belt. Diesel drops an elbow and covers. Bret just kicks out! Shawn and Anvil fight as Diesel hits the jackknife. Anvil runs in and clotheslines Diesel! Hebner has no choice but to call for a DQ. Anvil is furious and leaves. Shawn and Diesel continue the beating on Bret, and Anvil never comes back out to help. Interesting. That was a long match to get to that finish, but it would dovetail into and advance the continuing Hart family rivalry so it's not as bad a finish as it could have been. Bret and Diesel also showed good chemistry that would serve them well over their multiple PPV matches until Nash's departure for WCW. ***3/4

 

Semifinals: Razor Ramon def Irwin R Schyster in 5:13- Ramon's limping a little. IRS riles up Ramon with his usual prematch promo so Ramon jumps him on the floor. Back in IRS gets a knee to the gut. He picks Ramon up and looks like he wants to drop him on the top rope, but can't get him all the way up and hits a backbreaker instead. Ramon dodges and IRS FLIES over the top and to the floor. More beatdown on the floor. IRS finally goes after Ramon's knee, then decides screw it and goes to the Rotunda chinlock instead. That kills a couple of minutes. More slugfest. Ramon drags IRS around by the tie. Ramon counters a backdrop, hits the Razor's Edge, and good night. It almost tried to be decent but they just couldn't get on the same page enough to do it. Very sloppy match, especially considering they just had an IC title feud and were familiar with each other. *

Cut to a pissed off Bret Hart backstage trying to find Neidhart.

 

Semifinals: "The Rocket" Owen Hart def The 1-2-3 Kid in 3:37- Donovan: "After this semifinal is the final right?". Yes Art, that's generally how tournaments work. Long delay on Kid's entrance before he comes out to sell the Jarrett beating. Commentary is shocked he showed up. Once he gets close to the ring Owen blindside baseball slides him! Tope suicida! He almost overshot Kid on that. Owen headbutt off the top rope for 2. Kid reverses a whip and Owen Bret bumps, then Kid hits a reverse crossbody off the top for a long 2. Armwringer/counterwrestling tradeoff. Series of rapid fire Kid kicks for 2. Owen hits an enzuguri with a Kid flip sell. Kid recovers to hit a northern lights suplex, and that gets a 3 count! But Owen *just* got his foot on a rope before the 3 and the ref waves it off. Owen rolls to the floor. Kid with a flying senton over the top to the floor! He tries a spinning heel kick but Owen blocks it and turns it into a German suplex with a bridge for another long 2. Kid slips out of a suplex attempt and does a victory roll. Owen reverses it for 2. Owen catches Kid on a leapfrog and plants him with a powerbomb. He hooks the Sharpshooter in and that's it. Tremendous sprint, very reminiscent of the short but awesome Randy Savage/Dynamite Kid match at The Wrestling Classic. ***1/4

 

WWF Tag Team Championship: The Headshrinkers (c) (w/Afa and Capt. Lou Albano) def Yokozuna and Crush (w/Jim Cornette and Mr. Fuji) in 9:16- The Headshrinkers turned face, got Capt. Lou out of retirement, and beat the Quebecers for the titles on Raw in April. Donovan on seeing the cavalcade of managers: "How many guys are wrestling now?" Also, "These guys from the Pacific Islands or what?". All four guys go nose to nose in the middle of the ring, leading to a slugfest. The Shrinkers are whipped into each other and they like it. The heels try headbutts and of course that goes nowhere. The Shrinkers double headbutt both heels to the ground. Slow reset with Yokozuna and Samu. After stupidly trying to slam Yokozuna, Samu hits a spinning kick and dropkick to send the behemoth to the floor again. After tags Fatu and Crush do some chest bumping. Fatu no sells a faceplant and hits a piledriver on Crush. Headbutt off the second rope for 2. Fuji pokes Fatu in the back with his flagpole and Fatu 360 sells a Crush clothesline. Crush with a piledriver. Heel double team and Yokozuna hits the big legdrop to a crowd gasp and Donovan going nuts. Samu breaks the pin up. Fatu dodges an avalanche and tags. Samu powerslams Crush. Clotheslines put Yokozuna down. The heels are whipped into each other. A double superkick sends Yokozuna to the floor again. Yokozuna gets posted, but Samu was on the top rope in the same corner and the vibration knocks him down and he gets crotched. Crush hits a superplex. Well, mini superplex as he was only on the second rope. Lex Luger, who was feuding with Crush, comes out. Samu rolls a distracted Crush up for 2. After a solid two minutes of Monsoon and Savage talking about Luger, Donovan asks "Who's the fella with the American flag?". Crush eats a superkick and gets pinned. After the bell Crush and Luger fight. The action was fine, but there were some real sloppy moments down the stretch. *3/4

 

King of the Ring Final: "The Rocket" Owen Hart def Razor Ramon in 6:35- After all the quick jumps in the tournament matches tonight we get a proper lockup in this one. Ramon gets the first shot in. Owen flips out of a back suplex attempt and slaps Ramon to piss him off. Ramon catches an Owen dropkick, slingshots him into the corner and rolls him up for 2. They do the bridge up spot. Ramon reverses the backslide for 2. Owen hits a spinning heel kick, then wraps up an abdominal stretch with rope leverage. Ramon blocks an Owen hiptoss, Owen flips over and Ramon catches him with a choke slam. Fallaway slam for 2. Owen flips out of a suplex attempt and hits a Russian leg sweep. He goes up top, but Ramon catches him and hits the back superplex. The Razor's Edge is set up, but Ramon's close to the ropes facing out so we know what's coming. Yup, Owen backdrops him to the floor. Anvil makes his way out. He helps Ramon up....then clotheslines him! After a post shot he rolls Ramon back in. Owen hits an elbow off the top rope, and pins Ramon to win the crown! Commentary is shocked, SHOCKED I tell you, at Anvil's turn. The Harts continue to beat on Ramon after the bell. Hart Attack! There's a message to Bret. **1/4

Cut to Raymond Rougeau backstage with Bret, who's too shocked to talk and walks away. Savage and Monsoon speculate that Anvil might have helped Bret earlier just so Owen would have a shot to take the title off him, and ignore Donovan completely. After that the coronation ceremony takes place. Owen says Anvil is the only person in his family he can trust and is his "main guy", and demands Anvil be the one to put the robe and crown him. Owen's first proclamation is from this day forth he will be known no longer as the Rocket, but as the King of Harts. So he has said, so it shall be.

 

"Rowdy" Roddy Piper def Jerry "The King" Lawler in 12:30- Two legends that have been wrestling since the '70s in the main event over the WWF title and the KOTR finals. It's the New WWF Generation, everyone! The feud and buildup to the match wasn't that bad, with Piper doing gritty realistic promos on cheap VHS camcorders rather than being in the arenas, and Lawler getting a 95 pound guy that did a great Piper impersonation to insult Piper. Super special bagpipe and drum corps entrance for Piper, and he's got the impersonator with him. They're buddies now. He throws his kilt over Lawler's face and goes to town. Lawler begs off. Big roundhouse right and Lawler literally crawls under the ropes to escape. Piper holds Lawler down and the kid eye pokes him. Rapid fire jabs. Donovan: "I don't think Piper likes this guy". He blocks a Lawler stomp and kicks his hamstring. An atomic drop sends Lawler to the floor again. He chases the impersonator down, and the next few minutes of the match is Piper saving his buddy and taking damage from Lawler so the kid doesn't have to. I mean, it's fairly psychologically sound if nothing else. Lawler punches rock Piper and he hooks on the sleeper. After the arm drops Piper gets to the ropes, but is still horribly wobblelegged and swinging wildly. Lawler hits a piledriver, but is slow to cover and Piper kicks out. He leans on the ropes and tells Lawler to give him more, which only gets Piper more fired up and back in the game. Piper with a bulldog. Another one. He goes for a third but Lawler blocks and we have a ref bump. Lawler gets knucks out of his tights and hits Piper with them. He covers and Hebner crawls over, counting super slow. Lawler puts his feet on the ropes for leverage, but before 3 the impersonator pushes them off. Piper uses the distraction to hit a back suplex with a bridge, and that gets a 3 count. As a special attraction match in the middle of the show that might have been fine, but not as a PPV main event in an era when there was still only five PPVs a year. It also likely would have gone over like gangbusters in Memphis or Charlotte or Greensboro in the mid-'80s, but not 1994 WWF. *

OVERALL SHOW THOUGHTS: Once again, another show booked heavily around the Harts means you're going to get a fair amount of quality no matter how rough the rest of the show is. Young Sean Waltman also continues to showcase the wrestling style of the future. Art Donovan is awful on commentary, but fun to listen to and laugh at awful rather than boring awful so that's something.

OVERALL SHOW GRADE: B-