Goody Bag XXIV: The Good, the Bag, and the Ugly

 

Tatanka v Berzerker: This one was actually scheduled for broadcast on the SummerSlam '92 pay per view, but was edited out due to time constraints (remember that the show aired on tape delay). It took place between the Undertaker/Kamala match, and the Intercontinental Title closer. Test-of-strength to start, with Berzerker bumping over the top after a shove from Tatanka. Criss cross ends in Berzerker hitting a big boot for two, but a dropkick misses, and Tatanka starts kicking at the leg to chop the big man down. Charge in the corner ends badly, however, and Berzerker slams him for two. He tosses Tatanka over the top for a smash into the steps, then adds a bodyslam on the floor before bringing it back in - tying Tatanka up in the ropes for some abuse. A charge sees Berzerker get backdropped over the top, however, and Tatanka follows him out for a smash into the steps, then evens the score with his own slam on the floor! Back in, Tatanka fires off tomahawk chops, and a flying version puts Berzerker down. End of the Trail finishes at 5:03! Nothing special, but it was peppy, and this would have been a welcome addition to the pay per view card! I'd have dumped Crush/Repo Man instead. * ¼

Ricky Steamboat and Shane Douglas v Steve Austin and Brian Pillman: From WCW Worldwide on January 30 1993 (taped January 19) in Anderson South Carolina. Steamboat and Douglas are the NWA and WCW World Tag Team Champions here, but this is non-title action. Steamboat starts with Austin, and Steve is quick to snap off a cheap shot in the corner, but a criss cross results in the Dragon chopping him down. Steve bails, but Douglas rolls his ass right back in, and the champs double up on him. Tag to Brian, and Pillman manages to smack Douglas down in the corner, and a bodyslam sets up an elbowdrop, but Shane rolls out of the way, and delivers an inverted atomic drop. Over to Steamboat for some chopping, and a snapmare sets up a headvice. Cheap shot from Austin allows Brian to turn the tide with a side suplex for two, and he tags in to sidewalk slam the Dragon for two. It never ceases to amaze me how radically Austin was able to change his entire style in the later part of his career. He tries a tilt-a-whirl, but Ricky blocks, so Steve cuts off a tag with a spinebuster. They continue to cut the ring in half on Steamboat, but Pillman hits knees while trying for a 2^nd rope flying splash, and Douglas gets the hot tag - Roseanne Barr the door! Shane slams both heels around, and hits Brian with the belly-to-belly suplex, but Austin prevents a cover. Shane responds by rolling Austin up, but that allows Brian to dive at him with the Air Pillman for the pin at 8:43! Not as good as the Clash match, but fun stuff! ** ½

Marty Jannetty v 1-2-3 Kid: From WWF All American Wrestling, September 12 1993 (taped September 1) in Saginaw Michigan. Feeling out process to start, with lots of stalemates. Kid messes up a stereo kip up bit at one point, which is probably why he never got a program with the Rock or Shawn Michaels later on. If you can't kip, you can't main event, son. Reversal sequence sees Kid back flip his way out of a backslide, but again blows the landing. Standing victory roll gets Kid two, but a rana is countered with a sitout powerbomb for two, and Marty grounds him in an armbar. Kid dodges him in the corner to get a two count, but a piledriver is countered with a backdrop, so Kid hangs on into a sunset flip for two. Jannetty responds with a catapult into the ropes for two, but when Kid tries the same trick, Marty blocks by dumping him to the outside. Jannetty is on him with a baseball slide and a plancha, but Kid knocks him to the floor with a dropkick when Marty tries climbing the ropes. Kid dives after him with a flying somersault senton (nearly killing himself on the rail in the process), but Jannetty manages a headscissors on the way back in. Flying fistdrop follows, but Kid lifts his boot to block, and Marty bumps to the outside. Kid dives with a tope, but Marty dodges, and Kid is counted out at 8:00! Exciting stuff, with both guys bumping around for each other. Kid was wrestling like he did on the indy scene - wild and sloppy. ** ¾

Best of the Super Juniors Tournament Final Match: Jushin Thunder Liger v Super Delfin: From an NJPW show in Osaka Japan on June 13 1994. Delfin dresses like Liger for this, in an attempt to play mind games. Well and good, but it's gonna make it a bitch to tell them apart on wide angle shots. He could have at least gone with an alternate color scheme, or something. Feeling out process to start, with Delfin not shy about acting like a dick throughout. Liger responds by tilt-a-whirl backbreakering his ass to setup a surfboard, however, and he grounds Delfin with a headscissors. Delfin is able to counter to a side-headlock, and he drops Jushin with a neckbreaker for one. Chinlock wears Liger down some, but he's still able to hit a hiptoss during a criss cross, so Delfin hits a headscissors, then dropkicks Jushin to the outside. That whole sequence after the chinlock was one extended criss cross, with the moves only serving as commas. Back in, Delfin slaps on a half-crab, but Liger is getting uppity, so Delfin switches to a Boston crab. I wonder if that move has a different name in Japan? Like, the Kyoto crab, or something. Delfin switches to a camel clutch (sable clutch?), but a ten-punch ends badly when Liger drops him on his head with a nasty powerbomb. Liger throws dropkicks at the knee a couple of time to take a wheel away from Delfin, and a flying kneedrop to the leg sets up a figure four. Delfin gets the ropes, so Liger cracks him with some chops, but misses the koppou kick in the corner, and ends up hurting his own leg! Delfin grabs at it, so Liger tries a leg-feed enzuigiri, but Delfin ducks. He's still battered enough to get caught with a side suplex from Liger anyway, but Jushin's knee slows him down during a criss cross, and Delfin is able to dropkick him out of the ring. Delfin dives with a flying bodypress out there, and a sunset flip gets him two on the way back in. Standing victory roll is worth two, and a saito suplex gets two. I wish more guys would work that suplex into their repertoire here in the States. It's kind of strange that it never caught on, actually. Delfin with a bodyslam to setup a flying elbowdrop for two, but Liger reverses a tombstone to setup a flying headbutt, but Delfin rolls out of the way! Jushin quickly bails to the outside before Delfin can cover, but Delfin is on him with a flying axehandle off of the apron, and a DDT on the floor! He sends Jushin into the post out there, and then dives off the apron with a rana for good measure! Liger beats the count, so Delfin tornado DDTs him, but the Delfin Clutch only gets two. Side superplex, but Liger topples him on the way down for two, then manages to knock him to the outside with the koppou kick. He dives with an insane flying somersault senton, then back in with a rana off the top for two! Liger Bomb, but Delfin counters with a rana, so Jushin holds on into a cradle for two. The damned outfits are making this a nightmare with the reversals. But, it doesn't matter anyway, as Jushin takes him up for a muscle buster off the top, and Delfin doesn't have another counter in him at 18:27. Good match, but didn't really get to that next level you'd usually expect from Liger in these sorts of situations. *** ¼