WWF at Cow Palace (May 15, 1993)

Original Airdate: May 15, 1993

From San Francisco, California 

Bob Backlund v Damien Demento: Some basic feeling out process stuff to start, all dominated by Backlund. Demento ends up on the outside, but manages to pop Bob with a right hand on the way in, and he delivers a backbreaker to turn the tide. Backelbow connects, and Demento adds an elbowdrop. He hammers on the back of Backlund, setting up… a chinlock. Psychology! Bob starts to escape, so Demento bodyslams him, and goes back to the hold. Another elbowdrop gets him two, and it’s back to the chinlock again. Yeah, wouldn’t want the kids in the crowd to get too hyped up from all that workrate and fall asleep before the main event. Good looking out, Damien. Backlund escapes to kick off a comeback, but Demento blocks a rollup. Bob plays dead, lulling Demento into a false sense of security, and allowing Backlund an inside cradle at 10:52. Pre-heel turn Backlund was just the worst. ½*

Razor Ramon v Tatanka: Razor corners him for some chops out of the initial lockup, but Tatanka turns the tide, and cross corner whips him into a knife-edge chop. Ramon responds by calling for a test-of-strength, and he takes a cheap shot when Tatanka accepts. Backelbow gets the Bad Guy two, so he works a bow-and-arrow, which feels fitting. And like a deliberate choice, considering I never saw him use that hold on a Lex Luger. Tatanka reverses, so Razor gets into the ropes, and drops him with a mulekick on the break. Razor keeps on him with a legdrop to the groin, but Tatanka no sells a turnbuckle smash, and starts making a comeback. Knife-edge chop gets him two, and a powerslam is worth two. Why did Tatanka’s powerslams always look like they took place in slow motion? Flying tomahawk chop is worth two, and a bodyslam sets up an elbowdrop, but Ramon rolls out of the way for two. Razor delivers a side suplex, and he holds it into the pin, but Tatanka lifts his shoulder at two - pinning Ramon with his own move at 5:53. Very much a TV match. *

Yokozuna v Jim Duggan: Duggan attacks from behind, and unloads in the corner, but gets clobbered while trying to grab his 2x4, and Yoko ropechokes him. Jim fights back with right hands, so Yokozuna goes to the eyes, and dumps him to the outside. Back in, Yokozuna delivers a legdrop, and he works a bearhug from there. Duggan escapes, so Yokozuna hammers him in the corner, only to miss an avalanche. That allows Jim to go on the comeback trail, and a series of clotheslines dramatically take Yokozuna off of his feet. Cue interference from Mr. Fuji, allowing Yokozuna time to recover, and put Hacksaw down with an avalanche ahead of the Banzai Drop at 7:04. Duggan did a good job of selling it to the crowd, but the work was junk. ¼*

Bret Hart v Lex Luger: Some fan is waiving an American flag in support of Bret against Lex Luger! Hart chases a reluctant Luger into the ring, and stomps him down low to get things going. Turnbuckle smash follows, and he ropeburns him, before teeing off with right hands. Headbutt leaves Lex on the ropes, so Bret uses a snapmare to set up a pointed elbowdrop, then works a wristlock. Luger escapes, so Hart throws a bodypress for two, then armdrags him into an armbar. Lex fights to a vertical base and pops him with an elbow to break, then rattles him with a turnbuckle smash to take control. Lex dumps him to the outside, but Hart reverses him into the guardrail out there, and the Hitman pounds him up the aisle. Lex is selling a ton for Bret here. Bret continues unloading on the way back inside, so Luger goes to the eyes to shake him off, and he cross corner whips the Hitman a few times. It’s a shame they decided to turn Luger babyface that summer, he was such a natural in this heel role. Luger with a backbreaker and an elbowdrop for two, and a nicely executed backelbow finds the mark. Pointed elbowdrop gets Lex two, but he wastes time arguing the count, and Hart schoolboys for two. Luger pounds him down to keep control, however, and he works a chinlock to keep the Hitman grounded. Hart fights free, but runs into a clothesline while trying to make a comeback, and Luger hooks the leg for two. Backdrop, but Hart manages a sunset flip for two, so Lex puts the boots to him. Vertical suplex, but Hart reverses, and grabs a sleeper. Luger quickly drops back into the corner to knock him loose, but a clothesline gets countered with a rollup - Lex able to block. Luger tries following up, but Hart is ready with an inverted atomic drop and a clothesline for two. Russian legsweep gets him two, and a small package is worth two. Backbreaker sets up a 2nd rope pointed elbowdrop for two, so Lex shoves him into the ropes, and they knock heads for a double knockout spot. Lex with a wild haymaker as they stagger to their feet, but Hart ducks, and hooks a rollup for two. Lex with a rollup of his own, but Bret blocks, and slaps on the Sharpshooter - only for Razor Ramon to run in on him at 15:44. This was actually a nice match, considerably better than most of their other outings together from around this period. Hart was truly a master storyteller. Afterwards, Luger and Ramon come to blows. Might be time to turn one of them face. Or both. Whatever. ** ¼ 

Bam Bam Bigelow v Kamala: Lots of posturing to start, with Bigelow generally in control, until he misses an avalanche, and they spill to the outside. Kamala nails him with a headbutt and a smash into the apron out there, but he gets clobbered while trying to take it back into the ring, and Bam Bam delivers a smash into the steps. The camera angle here reveals how loose that one was, and you know it’s bad when it’s that obvious from the cheap seats. Inside, Bigelow works him over, using a series of headbutt drops, but missing a splash. That allows Kamala a comeback, and a splash looks to finish, but he can’t figure out how to pin him. That allows Bam Bam to recover, and a schoolboy finishes at 6:14. Another match that would have been right at home on Superstars. DUD

Main Event: WWF Tag Team Title Match: Money Inc v The Steiner Brothers: Brawl to start, with the babyfaces cleaning house. The dust settles on Ted DiBiase and Rick Steiner from there, and Ted gets him in a standing side-headlock. He takes him to the mat in the hold, but Rick escapes, and drops him with a belly-to-belly suplex for two. Tag to Scott Steiner for a 2nd rope axehandle, and Scott works the arm and leg of the champion, stretching him on the mat. Ted forces a criss cross and catches Scott with a knee to allow the tag to Irwin R Schyster, but IRS quickly loses control, and ends up in an armbar from Rick. Scott tags back in to try one of his own, but IRS quickly escapes, and bails to frustrate the challenger. Scott chases, grabbing Irwin by his necktie, and snapping his throat across the top rope for two. Front-facelock into a side-headlock from there, but IRS forces a criss cross, and DiBiase is ready with a cheap shot. That allows Irwin to dump Scott to the outside, and DiBiase pounces: sending him into the steps and rail before rolling him back inside for IRS to cover for two. That’s good heeling! Money Inc work Scott over, until Steiner is able to reverse a vertical suplex on DiBiase, and hook IRS in a sunset flip for two. Irwin desperately tries to keep control with a chinlock, and a bodyslam follows once Steiner is calmed down. To the top for a flying elbowdrop, but Scott lifts his boot to block, and he makes the hot tag to Rick - Roseanne Barr the door! Money Inc double up on Rick, but Scott comes off the middle rope to save him from a piledriver, and Rick covers DiBiase for two. Powerslam on DiBiase follows, so IRS tries making a save, but gets dumped. That allows Scott to hit Ted with a Frankensteiner, but IRS comes in with the briefcase to force a DQ at 15:58. These two teams were always a reliable pairing, and this was no exception. **

BUExperience: This version omits the Virgil/Brooklyn Brawler opener, which apparently ran over twelve minutes, so thank goodness.

This was a fairly breezy house show, and I’d definitely give Hart/Luger a look, as well as the main event.

**