WWF at Madison Square Garden (October 28, 1991)

Original Airdate: October 28, 1991

From New York, New York; Your Hosts are Gorilla Monsoon, Lord Alfred Hayes, and Bobby Heenan

Opening Match: Kerry Von Erich v Big Bully Busick: Kerry looks like absolute shit here, the poor guy. Feeling out process to start, until Busick takes a cheap shot, but Kerry reverses him into the corner, and hits a hiptoss. Onto a test-of-strength, which Von Erich dominates, but again Busick is ready with a cheap shot. Kerry misses a charge in the corner to allow Busick a bodyslam, but a 2^nd rope flying axehandle is countered with the clawhold! Bully gets the ropes, so Von Erich tries the Discus Punch, but Busick blocks, and grabs a bearhug. Busick with a backelbow and a cross corner clothesline, but Kerry escapes a sleeper, and blocks a cross corner charge to setup the Discus Punch at 7:47. Dull stuff. ½*

Davey Boy Smith v Irwin R. Schyster: I still wonder what the 'R' stood for. IRS hits a quick pair of bodyslams, but a third try is reversed, and Davey follows up with a hiptoss and another slam. Running clothesline sends IRS to the floor, and he stalls out there. Fuck, Davey Boy looks like he's about to burst here. Like, he literally has stretch marks all over his chest because he's so puffed up. Kind of surprised they weren't burying him, given the political climate at the time. A criss cross leads to IRS bailing again, and he continues to stall. I've never seen this match before, yet I'm pretty much certain that we're going to a time limit draw here. In, Bulldog works a standing side-headlock, but IRS escapes, so Davey throws a dropkick to knock him back to the floor for more stalling. I get that it's a house show, but enough already. Smith goes back to the headlock again, but this time Schyster side suplexes free - only to miss an elbowdrop, and gets bodyslammed. They trade off on the mat, and Irwin controls with a headscissors, while using the ropes for leverage. He gets caught, but bails to the outside before Smith can catch him, giving us more stalling. Oh, goody. In, Smith tries the headlock again, but this time ends up getting tossed out of the ring, and Schyster follows to toss him into the steps out there. That's enough to firmly turn the tide, and IRS works an abdominal stretch on the way back in - again using the ropes for illegal leverage. Clothesline, but Bulldog ducks, and hits a bodypress for two, so IRS rakes the eyes, and dumps him to the floor again to cutoff a comeback. Davey beats the count in, so Schyster delivers a legdrop to the groin for two, then applies a chinlock. Smith powers out, so IRS backdrops him to setup an elbowdrop for two. Back to the chinlock, but Davey fights free, so IRS throws a jumping shoulderblock during a criss cross, and adds a legdrop for two. He's lucky Hulk isn't working tonight. He tries a big charge, but Smith sidesteps, and Schyster goes bumping over the top rope to turn the tide! He stalls out there, but this time Bulldog gives chase, and sends him into the steps as retribution for earlier! Back in for the Running Powerslam, but Irwin topples him for two. Davey keeps control with a backdrop for two, so Schyster bails, and finds a tag rope underneath the ring. He uses it to block a vertical suplex on the way back in, and he chokes Smith down in full view of the referee! Davey falls out of the ring and returns with a rope of his own to pay him back, and the referee just lets it all go. Well, they did break at the five count. Smith with an inside cradle, but time expires at 20:05. Too much stalling, too many restholds, and too long, but both guys are competent enough workers to make this at least watchable. * ¾

Mountie v Jim Neidhart: Mountie tries a bodyslam right away, but can't lift Neidhart up, and ends up taking a trio of slams from the Anvil. Mountie bails for some stalling, and manages to fluster Jim enough to grab a standing side-headlock on the way back in, but Neidhart powers free, so Mountie stalls some more. A distraction by Jimmy Hart is enough to allow him to turn the tide (you'd think, of all people, Neidhart would be wise to that trick), and a jumping backelbow puts Jim down for a chinlock. Neidhart escapes, so Mountie hooks a half-nelson to setup some turnbuckle smashes, but a criss cross ends in Anvil countering a backdrop with a facebuster. Neidhart hits a backdrop of his own, and adds a clothesline for two. The camera work for this one is really annoying, and WCW-ish - missing all sorts of stuff with bad angles. Neidhart tries a cross corner high knee, but Mountie moves, and cradles him for the pin at 11:19. Dull stuff. *

Roddy Piper v Ric Flair: The smarks in the front row are pumped up to see Flair. They play mind games to start, and feel each other out. Piper blitzes him with a series of rights and lefts to send the Nature Boy to the outside, and Roddy is right on him - introducing him to the New York guardrail and ring posts. The crowd is just on fire here. Back in, a criss cross ends in Roddy slugging him down again, and Ric begs off - Piper showing no mercy in the corner, but walking into a cheap shot. Flair with a kneedrop, and some chops weaken Piper for a mat-based side-headlock. That leads to a reversal sequence, and Piper hooks a backslide for two, so Ric rakes the eyes, and dumps him to the outside. Flair follows for some chops that leave Piper down in the aisle, but he beats the count, and unloads with a barrage of his own chops on the way back in. Piper with a backdrop and a kneelift before clotheslining Flair over the top - Roddy rolling him right back in to prevent him from stalling. Where was he during the last two matches? Roddy with a ten-punch count, but the referee gets bumped during a bulldog, and there's no one to count when Piper hooks a small package. Another official comes out as Roddy hooks a schoolboy for two, and a corner whip sends Flair flipping to the floor. He returns with a chair, and nails Piper as the referee is distracted by the downed first official, and that gets two. Piper returns fire with a Sleeper, but he's dazed, and Flair is able to quickly side suplex out for two. He goes up, but Roddy slams him down off the top, and begs Ric to chop him. Flair obliges, but Piper no-sells, and hits a swinging neckbreaker. He brings his own chair in as a receipt for earlier, but the referee prevents him from using it, and Ric is able to score the pin with two feet on the ropes at 11:59 - in one of Piper's few pinfall losses, and in fact, his first ever at the Garden. I guess they really wanted to put Flair over as someone who can get the job done (by hook or by crook) against the unbeatable, ahead of his big showdown with Hulk Hogan, announced for the next MSG show. Really fun match, with both guys not especially going above and beyond, but having such good chemistry that even the most simple stuff worked really well. *** ¼

Big Boss Man v Col. Mustafa: Before the bell, IRS shows up, and accuses Boss Man of being a tax cheat. Seems like kind of a random feud, kayfabe-wise. Like, what about Boss Man's character screamed 'tax cheat?' The distraction allows Mustafa to jump him, but Boss Man quickly fights him off, only to dive out of the ring and chase after IRS. He beats the count in and still manages to bodyslam Mustafa, then crotches him on the post for good measure. Mustafa appears to be wearing Hulk Hogan's wristbands from 1995 here. Another cheap shot allows Mustafa to turn the tide, and he works Boss Man over in dull fashion. Boss Man reverses a vertical suplex, however, and a spinebuster quickly finishes at 4:52. This was pretty terrible, with near fifty year old Mustafa looking rickety, but at least it was short. DUD

WWF Intercontinental Title Match: Bret Hart v Berzerker: Good pop for the Hitman. Gorilla outright notes that he doesn't think the title is in jeopardy here, since he's never seen Berzerker pin anybody. Wow, not much of a vote of confidence there, huh? Despite that, Berzerker jumps him at the bell, and beats him down in the corner. Bootchoke and a backelbow setup a kneedrop, but Bret rolls out of the way, and wins a slugfest. Pair of dropkicks send the challenger over the top, and he charges right back in, but Bret is ready with a hiptoss, followed by an atomic drop. An inverted version then sends Berzerker back over the top, but this time he manages to headbutt the Hitman in the gut on the way back in, and dump him to the outside to return the favor. Berzerker follows out, barreling into Hart with a shoulderblock on the floor, then sending him into the rail for good measure. Back in, Berzerker bodyslams him to setup a 2^nd rope legdrop, but Bret manages to dodge. Berzerker tries to keep control with another slam, so Hart topples him for two, but runs into a knee as he tries criss crossing. Berzerker wrenches on a reverse chinlock, but Bret shows signs of life, so the challenger plants him with a piledriver instead. It only gets two, so Berzerker tries a chinlock again, but Bret escapes. Bodypress, but Berzerker catches him in a slam for two - only to miss a corner charge, and end up getting crotched on the top rope! Hart with a Russian legsweep for two, and an inside cradle is worth two. Backbreaker sets up a 2^nd rope pointed elbowdrop for two, and Hart starts kicking at the knee to keep Berzerker down. Sharpshooter, but Berzerker is able to block, and he makes a last ditch effort with a clothesline, but the Hitman counters with a crucifix to retain at 10:17. Not bad at all. Berzerker wasn't a great worker, but he was game to hang with Hart here, and they put on a nice little match with minimal resting. **

Tito Santana v Hercules: Hercules looks old and tired here, not to mention bloated. They mess with each other to start, which quickly turns into a slugfest - won by Santana. Hercules bails and stalls on the outside, then grabs a standing side-headlock on the way back in, but Tito fights him off, and takes him down with a drop-toehold into an armbar. Hercules slugs free, but a turnbuckle smash gets reversed, and Tito delivers a ten-punch count for two. Hercules returns fire with an inverted atomic drop and a short-clothesline for two, and he goes to work on the back of El Matador, as the announcers completely ignore the match, and hype Survivor Series. Hercules hangs onto a bearhug for a while, but Tito manages to escape, and dazes him with rights as he mounts a comeback. Jumping forearm gets two, so Hercules tries a piledriver, but Tito backdrops free, and another jumping forearm finishes at 9:11. Slow, lumbering match. I guess they wanted to give people one last chance to hit the merchandise stands. ¼*

Main Event: WWF Tag Team Title Match: The Legion of Doom v The Natural Disasters: All four of these guys' names are annoying to type multiple times. Hawk starts with Typhoon, and they feel each other out, matching power. A distraction from Earthquake allows Typhoon to nail him with a clothesline, and he abuses the champion in the corner. Avalanche misses, however, and Hawk delivers a 2^nd rope flying clothesline for two. Tags all around, and Animal slugs it out with Earthquake - taking the challenger down with a jumping shoulderblock for two. Bodyslam, but 'Quake topples him for two, and delivers a belly-to-belly suplex for two - only to miss an elbowdrop. Animal tries to capitalize, but runs into a cheap shot from Typhoon, and Earthquake clotheslines him out of the ring - Typhoon ready and waiting for some abuse on the floor. The Disasters cut the ring in half on Animal, which is basically just another way of saying that we're treated to a bearhug exhibition. Hawk gets the hot tag and throws a dropkick at Earthquake, followed by a jumping shoulderblock for two. That brings Typhoon in, but Animal cuts him off, and Roseanne Barr the door! The heels take control and look to polish off Animal with a splash/Earthquake Splash combo, but the referee objects, so they toss him - and that's a disqualification at 8:02. I didn't expect much, and I didn't get much, so at least it wasn't disappointing.  Funny moment afterwards, as the announcers sign off, and the camera focuses on some little redheaded Louie CK looking kid in the front row who looks like he’s about to stab someone. Little fucker is filled with rage, yo! ½*

BUExperience: Yeah, outside of the Piper/Flair match, there is literally nothing about this show worth checking out. Hell, even the announcers seemed more interested in hyping Survivor Series than with anything going on in the ring.

DUD