WWF at Yokohama Arena (May 7, 1994)

Original Airdate: May 7, 1994

From Yokohama, Japan

Opening Match: 1-2-3 Kid v Rick Martel: Martel is subbing for Shawn Michaels here. Feeling out process to start, dominated by Kid. Rick throws a knee to wipe the smirk off of his face, however, and a backelbow allows Martel to work a headlock. Kid tries a dive, but wipes out, and Martel slaps on the Boston crab, but Kid gets the ropes. Martel breaks, but puts the boots to him. Kid comes back, and a cross corner whip allows him a corner dropkick. Flying twisting bodypress gets two, and a bridging northern lights suplex is worth two. Kid dives with a flying somersault legdrop, but Martel dodges, and goes back to the crab - this time for the submission (via tapout!) at 6:29. I’m surprised they put Martel over Kid at this stage, considering he was pretty much on his way out of the promotion. This looked to be about one-star ish, but I’m going to forgo a rating, since the camera was pointed at sections of the crowd instead of the ring half the time. You could get the gist of it, but a lot of the detail got lost in translation. 

Tatanka v Jinsei Shinzaki: They trade wristlocks to start, dominated by Tatanka, and he grabs a standing side-headlock. Shinzaki forces a criss cross, and manages a dropkick for two, and he bails to the outside to frustrate Tatanka. Back in, Shinzaki grabs his own headlock, so now Tatanka forces a criss cross, and he hooks an overhead armdrag. Hiptoss and a bodyslam set up an elbowdrop, and Shinzaki bails again. Shinzaki comes back in with a ropewalk punch, and how the hell did he and Undertaker not do some sort of dueling ropewalk sequences in their match on this tour? Talk about a missed opportunity! Shinzaki with a flying headbutt drop for two, but he loses a slugfest, and Tatanka cross corner whips him to set up a clothesline on the rebound for two. Small package gets Tatanka two, so Shinzaki clotheslines him, and adds a side suplex for two. Another clothesline, but Tatanka ducks, and delivers a side suplex of his own for two. Dropkick finds the mark, and a vertical suplex follows for two. Shinzaki fights back with a bodyslam to set up a pump-splash for two, but Tatanka starts no selling, and making a comeback. Samoan drop finishes at 7:14. The more I watch some of these Japanese tour performances, the more convinced I become that the majority of these workers were half assing it in North America. ** ¼ 

WWF Tag Team Title Match: The Headshrinkers v The Smoking Gunns: Samu and Billy Gunn start, and there’s lots of posturing. Criss cross ends in Gunn hooking a drop-toehold, and a dropkick when Samu pops up. Headlock, but Samu fights into the ropes, and takes  a cheap shot on the break. Pinfall reversal sequence ends in Billy hooking a backslide for two, and an armdrag leaves Samu in an armbar. Samu goes to the eyes to force a break, however, and a headbutt levels Billy. Tag to Fatu, and the champ uses a bodyslam to set up an elbowdrop, but Billy rolls out of the way. Tag to Bart Gunn for a flying axehandle, and a schoolboy gets him two. Dropkick finds the mark, and an armdrag leads to an armbar, but Fatu quickly escapes. Monkeyflip, but Fatu blocks. He tries capitalizing with a superkick, but Bart ducks, and armdrags him back into the armbar. Tag to Billy to work the arm as well, and we get a great sequence where everyone comes in, and gets a turn to sell a clothesline with a spiral. Marty Jannetty was probably watching this with a giant smile across his face. Or, at least he would be, if he didn’t get turfed from the promotion again a little while before this. The end result of all this selling is Bart in trouble, and the champions work him over. Fatu misses a 2nd rope splash to allow the tag to Billy, and Roseanne Barr the door! Billy makes the mistake of trying to knock their heads together, however, and you can guess how that goes for him. The champs for a tandem Russian facebuster, but Bart manages to crotch Fatu on the top to prevent the flying splash. That allows Billy a schoolboy on Samu for two, but he quickly gets nailed by Fatu while running the ropes, and Samu superkicks at 11:36. This was every Headshrinkers/Gunns match you’ve ever seen. They’d done so many by this point (basically a full year on the house shows) that they had it down to a science. * ½ 

Doink the Clown v Nobukazu Hirai: Dink squirts Hirai with some water to kickstart the match, but things quickly settle down. They measure each other to start, but Dink keeps antagonizing Hirai like the little shit he is. Doink with a dropkick to send Hirai to the outside, and, of course, Dink has to run in to taunt him. Yeah, I’m starting to think the likes of Bam Bam Bigelow and Jerry Lawler had a point when they wanted to squash that little punk. Inside, Doink holds an armbar, and Dink runs in to run across Hirai’s stomach. Doink with a Russian legsweep, and he holds an armbar, but telegraphs a backdrop, and gets clobbered. That allows Hirai a backelbow, and he works a bow-and-arrow, but Doink uses a drop-toehold to escape. Doink works a side-headlock, so Hirai forces a criss cross, but Doink sunset flips him for two. Backslide gets two, and the Whoopie Cushion (and a poorly executed version of it) finishes at 6:39. I’m not really sure why they decided to book this as a comedy match, but luckily they cut that shit out for the rest of the tour. ¼*

Alundra Blayze v Bull Nakano: Blazye's WWF Women's title is not on the line here. Blayze comes right at her at the bell, but can’t take the big challenger off her feet with shoulderblocks, so she uses a rana into a cradle for two. Bull slows things down with a test-of-strength, and clobbers the champion to put her down. Bodyslam follows, but a trip to the middle rope ends badly when Blayze dropkicks her over the top. Blayze dives after her with a flying bodypress on the floor, and a suplex out there follows. Inside, Blayze hooks an inside cradle for two, but Bull clobbers her again, and ties her up with a surfboard sharpshooter. Camel clutch follows, but Blayze fights free, and lands an enzuigiri to set up a Boston crab. Bull makes the ropes, so Blayze unloads kicks, but that angers the Bull, and she gets clobbered with a clothesline. Nakano with a vertical suplex for two, and she works a chinlock, but Blayze reverses. Bull leans back into a cradle, so Alundra shifts to a bodyscissors instead, but Bull fights free again. That allows Nakano to work an anklelock, and she drops a leg for two. Irish whip, but Blayze is ready with a crucifix for two, and a spinkick is worth two. Vertical suplex (sloppy) gets two, but Bull fights her off again, and takes her head off with a clothesline for two. Powerbomb gets her two, but Bull grabs her nunchucks… and the referee is oddly cool with it. When in Rome, I suppose. Bull beats on her with the weapon ahead of another powerbomb for two, but a trip to the top ends badly when Blayze superplexes her for two. Bridging northern lights suplex gets her two, but Bull comes back with a bodyslam, and goes back up with a flying legdrop for two. Flying moonsault, but Blayze rolls out of the way, and hooks a bridging German suplex for two. Blayze tries adding a 2nd rope dropkick, but Nakano dodges, and bodyslams her to set up a flying somersault legdrop at 9:40. Really good match here, with the spots progressively getting more interesting, and even a few sloppy bits not derailing things. Blayze was also amazing at just getting clobbered with Bull’s stuff, making it look incredible. *** ¼ (Original rating: ** ¾)

Owen Hart v Masashi Aoyagi: Aoyagi throws streamers in his face for a distraction, but loses the resulting criss cross when Hart delivers a spinheel kick for two. Aoyagi takes it to the mat in a fujiwara armbar, but Owen escapes, and gets back to a vertical base. They size each other up, each looking for a takedown, and Owen gets the better of it. He holds Aoyagi in a cross-armbreaker, but Aoyagi makes the ropes, so Owen uses a drop-toehold to take him down for another hold. Hart works a front-facelock, but Aoyagi gets hold of the leg, and Hart needs the ropes. Aoyagi with a series of strikes ahead of a headscissors hold, but Owen counters to a mat-based headlock. Aoyagi escapes and peppers him with kicks for two, but then goes to the well again, and Hart catches the leg for a corkscrew legwhip. Aoyagi comes back with a leg-feed enzuigiri, and another series of kicks. Spinkick, but Hart ducks, and clothesline him to set up the Sharpshooter at 6:25. They just weren’t clicking here. ¾*

Bob Backlund v Adam Bomb: God help us. Lots of posturing to start, with Backlund doing his usual bullshit 70s stuff. Bomb gets control with a pair of bodyslams, but Backlund pops up with an armdrag and a hiptoss, then delivers a bodyslam of his own. Adam bails to regroup, and calls for a test-of-strength on the way back in, which drags on for a long while. Bomb dominates it, until Bob is finally able to counter to a crossface chickenwing, but Bomb drops into the corner before Backlund can properly apply it. Bomb with a floatover suplex for two, and he slaps on a fujiwara armbar, but Backlund gets the ropes. Bomb tries again, but Backlund fights him off with a German suplex, and then adds a butterfly suplex. Bodyslam, but Adam counters with a small package at 10:22. This was the worst thing Adam Bomb has ever done in Japan. ¼*

Yokozuna and Bam Bam Bigelow v Undertaker and Genichiro Tenryu: Bam Bam and Tenryu start, and Bam Bam delivers a slam slam for two. Another bodyslam follows for another two count, and a shoulderblock drops Tenryu. Criss cross allows Tenryu a clothesline, however, and an enzuigiri knocks Bigelow out of the ring. Bam Bam comes in fired up, and pounds Tenryu, ahead of a tag to the big man. Yokozuna tries a clothesline, but Tenryu ducks, and delivers a series of his own to knock Yoko out of the ring. Yoko comes back in with a headbutt, and a bodyslam allows the tag to Bigelow for a flying headbutt drop - only for Tenryu to roll out of the way. Tenryu throws an enzuigiri, and a bodyslam sets up a flying back elbowdrop for two, when Yoko saves. When Yokozuna is fast enough to break up your pins, it’s time to rethink your whole strategy. Criss cross results in a double knockout spot from there, and both guys tag on the rebound. Undertaker knocks Yoko to the outside with a flurry of rights, and he follows to feed him the rail. Back in, Undertaker keeps hammering him, but Bigelow gets the tag. Undertaker beats him into the corner for a cross corner whip (nicely taken by Bigelow), but Bam Bam blocks the charge, and puts the Dead Man down with a clothesline. Bigelow with a pair of headbutt drops, but Undertaker sits up, and blasts Bam Bam with a clothesline of his own. Chokeslam gets two, again broken up by Yoko. Tenryu tags in, but gets reversed into the ropes right away, and Bigelow slams him for two. Tag to Yoko for a nervehold, and it’s heat segment time. The heels work Tenryu over, with Undertaker also coming in to make saves. There’s another guy whose saves should be automatic strategy rethinkers. Tenryu gets away from Yoko long enough for the tag, and Roseanne Barr the door! Yoko manages a belly-to-belly suplex on Undertaker, but he does the dreaded sit up. That draws Bigelow in with Mr. Fuji’s cane, but the shot backfires, taking Yoko out for Undertaker to pin at 16:57. I was not looking forward to this one at all when I saw the card, but it actually turned out to be pretty decent. Though it was much better than I expected it to be, it still dragged on for too long, overstaying its welcome. * ¾ 

Main Event: WWF Title Match: Bret Hart v Randy Savage: They do some mutual respect stuff early on, feeling each other out. With Bret dominating the exchanges, Savage starts to tease anger, almost going for an eyerake at one point, but controlling himself. Bret takes him down in a hammerlock after Randy walks back the heel move, but Savage gets into the ropes, and he bails to the outside to regroup. Bret holds the ropes open for him, and Macho accepts - only to clobber Hart once back in (after offering a handshake), and raking the eyes! He’s mad now! Savage pounds him down for two, and works a chinlock, but Bret slugs free. Criss cross, won by Savage with a knee for two, and he goes back to the chinlock to keep the champion grounded. Hart fights to a vertical base, so Macho throws a knee, but Bret fights back with a sunset flip for two. Savage cuts him off with a clothesline for two, so Hart tries a rollup, but Savage drops down, and Bret goes crashing to the outside. Randy follows to deck him out there, and he dives with a flying axehandle on the floor! Savage then punches him off of the apron as Bret tries getting back inside, and an irate Macho sends him into the post for good measure. Savage with another flying axehandle for two on the way back inside, and a corner whip rattles the ring. Cross corner whip follows, with Bret doing his usual great selling. Another eyerake and a small package get the challenger two, and he snaps Bret’s throat across the top rope, then drills him with an elbowsmash. Savage with a vertical suplex for two, so Bret tries fighting him off in the corner, but Savage refuses to lose control, cross corner whipping him. Charge, but Bret manages to backdrop him over the top to buy time, and he capitalizes with a plancha. The Hitman drags his challenger back in for a turnbuckle smash, and an inverted atomic drop sets up a clothesline for two. Vertical suplex gets him two, and a backbreaker sets up a 2nd rope elbowdrop, but Randy rolls out of the way. That allows Macho a swinging neckbreaker, and a bodyslam sets up the flying elbowdrop for two. Randy, pissed, hustles back to the top, but Bret blocks the desperation dive with a punch to the gut. Russian legsweep sets up the Sharpshooter, and Macho submits at 16:53. Considering this is one of only four matches these two legends ever had together (only two of which were televised), its existence alone kind of makes it a must see. Add in that this would be Savage’s last ever WWF Title match, and you have some significance. That said, it’s not an especially great match, just a good one, and I can’t help but find it disappointing, even if I did enjoy it. It was really fun seeing Macho cut loose and play the heel again, probably also for the last time in the promotion. *** (Original rating: *** ¼)

BUExperience: A pretty solid house show, headlined by a really interesting pairing. Not everything on here worked, but it felt like more did than didn’t, and that’s enough.

**