WWF at Madison Square Garden (February 23, 1992)

Original Airdate: February 23, 1992

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

Opening Match: Berzerker v Jim Brunzell: Poor Jim doesn’t even get a proper entrance at this stage. He tries getting some stuff in at the bell, but Berzerker quickly shrugs him off, and delivers a dropkick to knock Jim out of the ring. Berzerker follows to post him, and he pulls up the mats for a bodyslam on the exposed concrete. Well, he’s in a mood. Jim responds by sweeping the leg, and crotching him on the post, but Berzerker quickly fights him off, and feeds him the steps. Inside, Berzerker works a front-facelock, but Jim fights to a vertical base, and grabs a sleeper. Berzerker drops into the corner to shake him off, and he grounds Brunzell in a chinlock from there. Jim fights free, but Berzerker cuts him off again, as Gorilla hypes up an Undertaker/Bret Hart match that actually took place on the last stop at MSG. Whoops. Heenan calls him on it, though. Jim finally makes a comeback, and he lands a dropkick for two, but a bodypress gets caught in a slam at 8:42. This was much too long. ¼*

The Nasty Boys v The Bushwhackers: The Bushwhackers were in the promotion for around eight years, and never won a tag title. And rightly so. But imagine if they came along in the mid-2000s, they probably would have three or four reigns to their names. Yes, I felt that chill run down my spine, too. The Bushwhackers attack as they take turns playing to the crowd, and we’re off! The Bushwhackers clean house, triggering an extended stall session. The dust settles on Brian Knobbs and Butch, and Knobbs unloads on him in the corner. The Nasties work over Luke for the heat segment, but a 2nd rope splash from Knobbs lands on the knees, and Butch gets the hot tag - Roseanne Barr the door! They hit Knobbs with the battering ram, but Jerry Sags whacks Butch with the motorcycle helmet, and Brian scores the pin at 10:56. The crowd was surprisingly into this, and thankfully it was very light on the silly comedy spots that most Bushwhacker matches revolve around. ½*

Warlord v Chris Walker: Ever notice that Walker disappeared right around the same time Ultimate Warrior returned? Coincidence? That’s joincidence with a ‘c.’ Warlord powers him around in the early going, as the announcers rightly note how big Walker looked… until he stepped into the frame with Warlord. Walker manages a few clotheslines and dropkicks to send Warlord to the outside, but another flurry on the way in ends badly when Warlord backdrops him over the top. Warlord works him over, until Walker starts making a comeback, delivering a (nicely executed) flying bodypress for two. Rana, but Warlord counters with a powerbomb at 11:11. This was way too long for what it was. Also, am I the only one who finds it unbelievable that Warlord is still working matches thirty years after this? He just worked a couple of months ago! DUD

Sid Justice v Hercules: Sid is still getting a big babyface pop, despite turning on Hulk Hogan, cutting a heel promo before the match, and even having Harvey Wippleman in his corner now. And though they’d taped a few appearances with Wippleman in Sid’s corner, those hadn’t aired yet when this show happened, so this is effectively Harvey’s debut as Justice’s manager. Sid offers Hercules a chance to forfeit, but Hercules responds by attacking. Sid quickly fights him off, however, and the powerbomb finishes at 0:26. This is a pretty famous match, with Hercules fed up with the promotion, and refusing to sell Sid’s finish. He’d work the battle royal later on this show, and then do a job for Berzerker on a house show the next night, on his way out. DUD

WWF Intercontinental Title Match: Roddy Piper v Repo Man: Repo steals a watch off of a woman in the front row before the match, and I’m assuming she was a plant, or else Repo actually made a pretty good lift there. She complains to Piper about it as he comes out, with Monsoon being a huge tattletale as well. Piper attacks Repo with his belt on the way into the ring, so Repo tries an inverted atomic drop, but Roddy blocks. Piper continues unloading on the challenger, so Repo bails, but Piper is on him to bash him into the steps. Repo manages to send him into the post to buy time, but Piper gets the sleeper on as they go back inside. Repo makes the ropes to save himself, and he grabs his tow hook, but it backfires on him. That knocks him cold, and Piper covers at 3:35. And then Piper gets the watch back to the woman after the bell, of course. Boy, Piper sure didn’t look like a guy on the verge of a four-star level match at this point. DUD

Undertaker v Davey Boy Smith: Undertaker chokes him into the corner to start, but a charge misses, and Bulldog clotheslines him over the top. Davey tries pulling him back in, but Undertaker snaps his throat across the top rope to block, and works on him. Smith tries a bodyslam, but Undertaker topples him for two, and works another choke, as Heenan predicts that Undertaker will be the biggest star of the decade. Not quite, but not far off, either. Bulldog comes back with a vertical suplex, but a charge ends badly when Undertaker hotshots him at 5:19. Dull stuff. DUD

Rick Martel v Big Boss Man: Martel slaps him out of the initial lockup, and then runs for cover, stalling. Boss Man powers him around once getting hold of the Model again, and he works the arm, until eventually missing a charge. That allows Martel a side suplex for two, and he puts the boots to the back ahead of a reverse chinlock. Boss Man manages a small package for two, but Martel keeps pounding on the back to keep control, and he delivers a backbreaker. Boss Man makes a comeback, so Rick grabs the perfume can, but Boss Man knocks it away from him. Boss Man grabs it, but the referee intervenes, and Martel is able to grab Boss Man’s nightstick in the confusion - bashing him with it for the pin at 13:27. Really boring, and way too long. DUD

Main Event: 20-Man Battle Royal: We’ve got: WWF Champion Ric Flair, WWF Intercontinental Champion Roddy Piper, Berzerker, Big Boss Man, Brian Knobbs, Butch, Chris Walker, Davey Boy Smith, Hercules, Hulk Hogan, Jerry Sags, Jim Brunzell, Kato, Luke, Repo Man, Rick Martel, Sid Justice, Skinner, Undertaker, and Warlord. Hulk is the only one who gets music, of course. And he enters last, despite the two top champions in the organization also working the match. His ego was really something else. And it was justified in many ways, but still. We get down to Boss Man, Hogan, Sid, and Warlord, and Hulk dumps Warlord first. I always liked the blue (or red) gear on Sid, and I’m not sure why he switched to the uniform black in his later runs. Boss Man runs wild on Sid, but gets backdropped out, and the crowd is on fire for these two to face off, though I’m not sure they’re exactly cheering Hogan on. Sid gets control and pounds him, and why is there a referee in there for a battle royal? Gorilla is all over that one, of course. Sid runs into a boot on a corner charge, allowing Hulk to toss him, but the referee has been bumped, and doesn’t see it. That allows Sid to sneak back in with a weapon, and he knocks Hogan out of the ring (underneath the bottom rope), then revives the official to show him Hulk on the outside, with the idiot referee taking Justice at his word at 16:40. ¼*

BUExperience: Really uninteresting stuff.

DUD