Survivor Series '94

Legacy Review

Survivor Series '94

November 23, 1994 from the Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio, TX

Commentary: Vince McMahon and Gorilla Monsoon

 

After a couple of years of back and forth WWF has settled on a hybrid format for Survivor Series with both regular and traditional Survivor Series matches featured, which will last until the 1998 Deadly Game WWF title tournament. This year also marks the return of the original 5 on 5 Survivor Series match format for the first time since 1988.

The Bad Guys (WWF Intercontinental Champion Razor Ramon, The 1-2-3 Kid, The British Bulldog and the Headshrinkers) def The Teamsters (WWF Tag Team Champions Shawn Michaels & Diesel, Jeff Jarrett, Owen Hart and Jim Neidhart) in 21:45- We've got 4 Kliq members, 3 Hart family members, 2 Samoans....oh crap, this is after Samu left the company and Sione (The Barbarian) replaced him, so a Samoan and a Tongan. And Jeff Jarrett. Capt. Lou has been trying to get the Shrinkers to wear boots and Fatu is having footwear issues on the floor before the match starts. After some sorting out Kid and Owen get set to start. No, Owen swaps with Anvil. Now we start with some power vs speed. Kid hits a reverse kick on Jarrett and dodges an attempted sunset flip for 2. Jarrett hits Sione with a clothesline off the top for 2. Owen tags in and wants Bulldog. Bulldog obliges and we get a nice basic wrestling sequence. Bulldog catches Owen on a attempted dropkick and slingshots him into the face corner. All the faces pound away on him to the delight of the crowd, and Bulldog caps it off with a press slam. Owen hits an an enzuguri to change momentum. Anvil and Bulldog exchange power moves. Fatu hits Anvil with a headbutt off the top rope, but his boots still haven't been broken in and he's too distracted by them to make the cover. Jarrett quickly backs off from Ramon. Shawn, who's been jawing at everyone the whole match at his dick heel best but never close to actually tagging in, psyches him up and Jarrett hits Ramon with a deep armdrag then celebrates with a strut. Waistlock exchange and Jarrett gets a double leg takedown. Ramon's pissed off, starts pounding away and clotheslines Jarrett 360 and out. While he's recovering Shawn and Diesel discuss strategery. Ramon catches a Jarrett crossbody and hits a fallaway slam. Kid tags in and Ramon fallaway slams him into Jarrett! Jarrett hooks Kid in an abdominal stretch. The ref catches him using the rope. Kid reverses and Jarrett hiptosses him over the top and onto a cameraman. Owen spinning heel kick on Fatu for 2. He gives Fatu buckle shots that are of course no sold. Owen gets a blind tag to Diesel. He kills Fatu with one clothesline, hits the jackknife, and Fatu's done. Kid tries to speed around Diesel and hits a sunset flip off the top. Diesel picks him up by the throat, slams him, hits the jackknife and pins Kid with one foot. Sione comes in, takes a quick jackknife and is gone. It's 5 on 2. Bulldog finally gets some offense on Diesel. Diesel counters with a big boot. He wants to tag Shawn in but Shawn won't do it. While they argue Owen and Jarrett work Bulldog over on the floor. Ramon sneaks in while Diesel and Shawn are still arguing and rolls Diesel up for 2. He wasn't even legal. Oh wait, Vince says Bulldog was counted out. He is legal and it's 5 on 1. Ramon gets a boot up in the corner and hits a bulldog off the second rope for a looooooooooong 2 count that the crowd thought was 3. He sets up a short clothesline but Diesel beats him to it. Shawn wants Diesel to finish it off. Snake eyes. Diesel goes for that again but Ramon pushes out. Diesel backdrops out of a Razor's Edge attempt. Another big boot. Jackknife! NOW Shawn wants in. Of course. He tells Diesel to hold Ramon so he can superkick him, but to the shock of no one Ramon ducks and Diesel gets it. This has happened several times the last few months and Diesel has finally had enough. He turns on Shawn, stalks him up the aisle while tossing all the rest of his team members away, and chases Shawn all the way to the back. Owen, Anvil and Jarrett stand around in the entrance area confused. Owen even says "We're gonna lose!" but by the time they start getting back to the ring the ref's already counted all of them out and given the match to Ramon. Kind of a dumb finish, but the action was solid and it's nice to see a Survivor Series match have an important story thread, namely the breakup of Shawn and Diesel and Diesel's face turn, not to mention Diesel continuing to get the massive monster push. SOLE SURVIVOR: Razor Ramon ***

Todd Pettingill has tracked down Shawn in the back. He's already gotten his bags and is halfway to New Braunfels (yes, I'm Texan so I get to do the local town references). Shawn says he's finished with Diesel and that ingrate was nothing until he found him and made him a star. He tosses his tag title belt away, hops in his car and gets the hell out of town. For housekeeping purposes, I'll note the tag titles were held to be vacated right then and there.

 

The Royal Family (Jerry Lawler, Cheesy, Queasy and Sleazy) def Clowns R Us (Doink, Dink, Pink and Wink) in 16:05- This is Lawler and three midgets against Doink and three midgets so expect lots of comedy hijinks. Lawler and Doink start. Doink hits an enzuguri. Lawler scurries to his corner. Lawler tries an enzuguri and Doink ducks it. Doink puts on an armbar and all the midgets run over Lawler while he's laying on the mat. Lawler gets pissed at his team, puts Doink in the same position, calls for his team to run over him, and they all trip and collapse into each other. Doink slams Lawler and his team tries to pin him. Lawler slams Doink and I'm sure you can see what's coming. Yup, his team tries to pin Doink and Lawler gets buried in his own midgets. One of the clowns sneaks in and puts a Burger King crown on Lawler. Now Dink gets up on Doink's shoulders. Lawler wants to do one better, trying to get on top of one of his midgets. The law of mavity and basic physics dooms that to failure. Here comes the midget criss cross spots. They all plow into each other. After a bit they run around the apron chasing each other. In the confusion Doink hits Lawler with a springboard reverse crossbody off the second rope, but Lawler rolls through and grabs a handful of tights to pin Doink. The last part of the match is all of Lawler's team eliminating Doink's team with Lawler's illegal help. Dink does get some really nice spots in, including a crossbody off the top rope. After the bell Lawler gets pissed his team is celebrating when he did it all. He chases them down, then all the midgets turn on Lawler and run him off. Doink caps it off by giving Lawler a very whipped cream heavy pumpkin pie in the face. This is some people's cup of tea, and more power to you if it is. I enjoy comedy in wrestling, but this isn't my style. It certainly doesn't hold a candle to the best midget match ever, the legendary WeeLC. SURVIVORS: The Royal Family *

Back to Pettingill, who announces that Bull Nakano defeated Alundra Blayze for the WWF women's title in the Tokyo Dome a couple of nights ago. We even get some very rare Japan footage on WWF TV, showing the title change. The event was an AJW promoted show called Big Egg Wrestling Universe, which featured many of the top joshi promotions and even a few shoot fights, had an insane 23 matches on the card and lasted TEN HOURS. And we complain about how long recent single night Wrestlemanias have been. Bull Nakano is already back stateside and with Todd. She cuts a promo in Japanese and tries very, very hard not to corpse.

 

WWF Title Feud Recap- Bob Backlund challeged Bret Hart for the WWF title on Superstars in June, thought he had won but didn't, and after it was over responded to Bret's handshake offer with a slap and a little crossface chickenwing. This was Backlund's heel turn, changing into the psychotic old man character we have all known and loved since. Backlund not only contended that he beat Hart in June, but he never lost the title at all to the Iron Sheik back in 1983 in the first place because his manager threw the towel in on him. That would lead to the unique stipulation of this title match: it's a submission match, but it won't end if a wrestler submits. Their second has to throw the towel in to end the match. During the build for the match Backlund's chickenwing was built up as the ultimate, unbreakable, unbeatable submission hold.

 

Submission Match for the WWF Championship: Mr. Bob Backlund (w/Owen Hart) def Bret "Hitman" Hart (c) (w/the British Bulldog) in 35:11- Backlund tries a pre-bell jump but Bret grabs and slams him. Backlund tries to take a powder but Bulldog throws him back in. Bret drags Backlund off the apron over the top rope with a headlock. Backlund deadlifts and drops Bret. Bret hits elbows to the back of Backlund's head and stays in total control the first part of the match. Backlund takes Bret down with a drop toe hold and tries for the chickenwing. Bret powers out and turns it into a headlock. Backlund gets a double leg takedown but Bret works it over into a hammerlock. Backlund works around and tries for the chickenwing again. Bret rolls it into a belly to belly suplex. He goes for the Sharpshooter but Backlund quickly fights it off. Bret hooks in an abdominal stretch. Backlund flips him over, then dodges an elbow off the second rope. They go into a stretch where Backlund works Bret's arm and shoulder with impact moves and hard pulls, setting up for the chickenwing. He tries for it, but Bret senses it coming and Backlund settles for an armbar. Bret kips up and reverses it! A Backlund kick sends Bret to the floor. He stalks Owen and Backlund tries to get him from behind but Bret catches and punches him. Back in, they whack each other with a double headbutt. Backlund starts yanking on the arm again. Bret gets a slam but Backlund holds onto the arm. Vince points out that Backlund is the same age as George Foreman, who had just regained the world heavyweight boxing title in a major upset at age 45. I think Vince just gave away what gave him the idea for this in the first place. Bret gets a swinging neckbreaker. Backlund pops him with a hard forearm while both were on their knees. Bret hits an inverted atomic drop and goes for the Sharpshooter again. Backlund grabs the ropes and twists out. Bret pulls him back in and locks on a figure four! Owen is feet away from his towel with his arms crossed, refusing to even think about it. But then does start thinking about it. Finally he says "The towel's staying right there! No!". Backlund facial expressions are almost otherworldly good. Finally Backlund reverses it. Now Bulldog refuses. Bret reverses the reversal and Backlund gets to the ropes. Bret stays on the knee with great selling from Backlund. Another blocked Sharpshooter attempt. Slugfest. Backlund hits a piledriver! Both guys are down. Backlund goes for the chickenwing and Bret just gets to the rope. He almost had it completely locked in there. Backlund with a sleeper! Bret starts going down, then powers back up and runs Backlund into the turnbuckles. Midring collision. Bret hits a piledriver and bulldog to get the Five Moves of Doom run going. Sharpshooter! Owen tries to get in the ring. Bulldog blocks and chases him around. While Hebner's messing with Bulldog, Owen bulldogs Bret out of the Sharpshooter! Bulldog chases again but goes face first into the steps and is knocked completely unconscious. Owen even looks concerned for him. While Bret's distracted by all that Backlund sneaks up from behind. CHICKENWING! (I'd make a Marty Scurll reference but he's persona non grata at the moment) Bret tries to hang onto the rope but Backlund pulls him away. Bret fights and fights but slowly goes down. Bulldog's still out. Owen looks distraught and tells Bret he's sorry. He tries to revive Bulldog. Bret tries to power back up, getting back to his feet before collapsing again. Backlund really gets the hooks in, grapevining Bret's midsection with his legs. That's just like Kurt Angle getting the leg grapevine with the ankle lock. Once that's on, it's over. Owen's in tears and begs his parents, conveniently sitting ringside, to help. Bret's still trying to fight but there's nothing more he can do except have every ligament in his shoulder and elbow snapped. With Bulldog still down Owen pleads again with his parents, pulling the barricade aside and getting them next to the ring. Owen gives Helen Hart the towel but before she can do anything Stu grabs it away. Owen continues to plead, and finally Helen grabs the towel away from Stu and throws it in! Bob Backlund is once again WWF Champion! Bret's second WWF title reign ends at 248 days, which would turn out to be the longest of his five runs with the belt. Owen runs away screaming in triumph, tears completely forgotten. I suspect something is not on the up and up there. Meanwhile, Backlund stares at his hands in the middle of the ring, seeming to hardly believe what he's just done. He stands at attention and demands Hebner put the belt on around his waist while Bret's carried out. That was one hell of a wrestling match, and I mean *wrestling*. What I really loved about it was everything mattered and everything had to be earned. Both guys fought for every inch and every hold, and the psychology was airtight. Bret was on fire throughout 1994, nearly on the level of Ric Flair's otherworldly 1989, and Backlund's work with his new crazy heel character was phenomenal. My only complaint is the end sequence with Bret in the chickenwing went on way too long, nearly 10 minutes all total. That could have been tightened up a lot, and I'm knocking the rating down a tad for it. ****

Pettingill is in the back with Owen. He confirms it was all a RUSE! Without the title Bret's now nothing but bottom of the barrel gutter trash, and he's a king. Back to commentary and Gorilla completely and wonderfully buries Owen as the lowest form of human scum on the planet, even lower than telemarketers and people who can't stay off their cell phones in a movie theater.

 

Of course Backlund ended up being the transitionist of transitional champions, dropping the title to the freshly face turned Diesel 3 days later at an MSG house show in a match that lasted all of about 10 seconds, completing Diesel's record run of winning all three original Triple Crown titles in the same calendar year (and within about a 6 month period to boot).

 

The Million Dollar Team (Bam Bam Bigelow, King Kong Bundy, Tatanka and The Heavenly Bodies) def Guts and Glory (Lex Luger, Mabel, Adam Bomb and The Smoking Gunns) in 23:21- Tatanka backs into Luger and begs off. Luger no sells chops in the corner, then no sells a suplex like he's wrestling Ric Flair. Tatanka is clotheslined out. Luger press slams Del Ray into Bigelow. Mabel tosses Pritchard around. After a small spark of life from Pritchard Mabel squashes him with a crossbody off the second rope and Pritchard is gone. Del Ray tries to knock Mabel down but runs into a rock bottom slam. Bundy and Mabel have a big man standoff. Bundy goes down, so he tags Bigelow in for a shot. Mabel ducks a Bigelow enzuguri and hits a standing spinning heel kick! Mabel goes to the top rope. That's right, the top rope. It takes him forever so Bigelow catches him and gives him the Flair slam off. Bigelow goes up and does a sunset flip off the top (that he overshot and they have to adjust). Mabel sits on him. Mabel with a Cactus clothesline on Bigelow! Mabel rolls Bigelow back in the ring, but was apparently out too long himself and was counted out. Poor execution on that. The tag teams take it for a bit. Del Ray superkicks Billy and they do the bridge/backslide spot. Bigelow and Bomb have a spunky sequence and Bomb hits a slingshot clothesline over the top rope. Remember last year's Survivor Series when Diesel was the first guy out and Bomb was getting the Big Man push? That feels like a decade ago. Bundy hits Bomb from behind on a rope run and Bigelow gives him a bulldog. Bigelow hits his modified moonsault and Bomb is out. Luger quickly runs in and rolls Bigelow up for 2. Del Ray works Luger over for a bit until Luger kills him with a diving clothesline and pins him. The Gunns double team and quick tag Tatanka for a while. Bart tries a crucifix on Tatanka, which is a dumb move because it puts him right in position to be Samoan dropped. Tatanka hits it and Bart is gone. Billy and Luger keep working Tatanka over. Tatanka is practically working a face in peril spot, but as a heel. Tatanka catches Billy leapfrogging, hits him with a powerslam and finally tags out. Bundy hits the avalanche on Billy and he's done. It's down to just Luger against Tatanka, Bundy and Bigelow. DiBiase is thrilled as he had called that they'd get Luger alone before the show. The heels do a long beatdown on Luger with some near falls. Luger gets a shock (and sloppy) Paul Smackage on Tatanka to eliminate him. Bundy says enough of this shit, squashes Luger with a big splash, and gets the win. After the bell the heels continue the Luger beatdown until the face team returns to save him. Perfectly average. The final Luger beatdown stretch was pretty dull. SURVIVORS: Bundy and Bigelow **1/4

Pettingill is with the new WWF champ MISTER Bob Backlund, and you put that Mister on it, son. Backlund says he's not the new champion, he's been champion since 1978! He just got the belt back tonight. He promises to bring morality back to everyone's lives, and he's going to PASTEURIZE, HOMOGENIZE and SYNCHRONIZE all our lives through sports EDUCATION! In closing, "I FEEL LIKE GOD!". Absolute glorious insanity. The title win was almost worth it just for that promo.

 

Casket Match: The Undertaker (w/Paul Bearer) def Yokozuna (w/Jim Cornette and Mr. Fuji) in 15:24- There's been a lot of heels going over tonight, so an already obvious result is even more obvious. Texas' own Chuck Norris is the special enforcer to prevent what happened to Taker at the Rumble from happening again. The Tron opens up and Taker makes his entrance from a special ramp that was hidden behind it. The XXXXXXL casket is back again. It's gotten as many PPV paydays this year as half the roster. Taker does the throat slash gesture and points to the casket, causing Yokozuna to freak out. Taker no sells an avalanche. Yokozuna gets whipped and freaks out again when he sees he's near the casket. They go to the floor and Taker gives him a stair shot followed by slow stalking around ringside. Back in, we get the rope walk punch. Taker hits the ropes, but Yokozuna scoops him up and hits a Samoan drop! That was good. Taker sits up. Clotheslines and headbutts put Taker down again. They get near the casket and Taker fights off Yokozuna, then snaps his throat over the top rope. Yoko does a huge delayed fall, but dodges Taker's follow up elbow drop. He hits a uranagi and rolls Taker into the casket. Taker stops the lid being closed. After some throat shots Yokozuna falls in and they have a slugfest standing in the casket. Fuji grabs Taker's hair. Taker stalks him, then turns around and pops Cornette. Good choice. Yokozuna shots keep Taker on the floor for a bit. Taker takes a hard buckle shot, but bounces out with a rebound clothesline and starts up the comeback motor. Diving clothesline off the top rope! He starts slowly rolling Yokozuna toward the casket, and that's our cue for shenanigans. Bundy, and then Bigelow, come out, but both stay well out of Norris' personal assault bubble. But while he's distracted IRS sneaks in from the other side, low blows Taker, puts him out with a sleeper, and dumps him in the casket. DiBiase's guys leave, damage done. This was all to start setting up Taker's next feud with the Million Dollar Corporation. Yokozuna slowly gets up and goes for the lid. Taker goozles him and rises from the dead. Jeff Jarrett comes out for no reason and takes a kick from Norris. What a goof. Taker gives Yokozuna a diving clothesline and DDT, and a big boot puts him in the casket. Lid shut and good night. Yokozuna would never sniff this kind of card placement again. The match was pretty much what you'd expect. 1/2*

OVERALL SHOW THOUGHTS: A middling end to what was really a pretty decent year in 1994 despite the continuing lack of high end talent depth on the roster, in large part thanks to the focus on the Hart brothers feud. That would not continue in '95, as Vince would fall back into old habits and WWF would have probably the worst year of the mid-'90s doldrums.

OVERALL SHOW GRADE: C