WWF at Madison Square Garden (January 21, 1991)

Original Airdate: January 21, 1991

From New York, New York; Your Hosts are Sean Mooney and Bobby Heenan

Tito Santana v Koko B Ware: Feeling out process to start, with the exchanges getting more tense as they go on. Koko actually decks him during a friendly handshake to take the heel role, and he dumps Santana to the outside. Tito beats the count back in, so Koko drops an elbow for two, and goes to a nervehold. Santana gets fires up, but Koko pops him with jabs to cut off a comeback, and uses a bodyslam to set up a flying fistdrop, but Santana dodges. Cue the comeback from Tito, and a criss cross ends in Santana hitting El Paso at 10:02. Watching Koko work heel in the WWF was kind of fun, but the match was some really boring shit. ¼*

Undertaker v Jimmy Snuka: Undertaker still has Brother Love with him at this stage, and this is his MSG debut. He also looks particularly imposing at this point, much more so than after the babyface turn. He was also really, really dedicated to the character at this stage, almost unnervingly so. Snuka, meanwhile, also looks like he’s on another planet here. Undertaker with the usual array of chokeholds early on, so Snuka tries a headlock, but that goes nowhere for him. More choking ahead of a legdrop for two, as Heenan goes out of his way to put Undertaker over. I mean, he’s really working. Snuka criss crosses to kick off a comeback attempt, but Undertaker largely ignores him, and finishes with the tombstone at 6:44. Undertaker was an incredible character right from the get-go, but the match itself was absolutely terrible. I’m almost tempted to give it a quarter-star just for Heenan’s commentary, though. DUD

Demolition v The Legion of Doom: Demolition attack before the bell, but the LOD hold their own in a brawl, and the referee can’t establish order. Hawk ends up on the outside, allowing Demolition to double up on Animal, and they work him over. They give him a tandem suplex as Mr. Fuji keeps Hawk busy on the outside with a cane shot. Smash does a crazy corkscrew suiciada on Hawk next (it didn’t really find the mark, but a hell of a move for 1991 WWF - not to mention Smash), and he comes back in to give Animal a side suplex. Piledriver, but Hawk fights Crush off on the outside, and dives with a flying clothesline at 2:57. This wasn’t great, but I prefer this over some ten minute heat segment with lots of restholds. ¼*

The Nasty Boys v The Bushwhackers: Brian Knobbs starts with Luke, and it's slugfest'a'palooza. It quickly triggers a four-way brawl, and the 'Whackers clean house - the dust settling on Jerry Sags and Butch. The usual Bushwhackers formula of 'get killed, but do goofy double-teams to turn the tide' is used heavily, as the Nasties easily dominate them - but run into tricks like butt-biting or licking, and get cleared out of the ring. Repeat until the Nasties catch Butch with a double-team of their own, and Knobbs pins Butch at 7:49. I was expecting negative stars here, so this was a pleasant surprise at a DUD

Main Event: Cage Match: Ultimate Warrior v Randy Savage: Warrior runs out and beats him up outside of the cage before the bell, and in we go so he can deliver a few inverted atomic drops. Warrior with a long series of clotheslines, as Sherri loses her shit outside the cage. I can't blame her, that kind of poor work rate puts me on edge too. The distraction allows Savage to send him into the cage to buy recovery time, and a thumb to the eye buys him a little more. Macho capitalizes with a clothesline to the back of the head, but Randy is still pretty battered from earlier, and he doesn't have much follow-up. He's selling HARD for a match that's three minutes deep here. Both guys charge for a double knockout spot, and Randy rolls over to make the cover for two - the referee sprinting in to count. Kind of weird that suddenly they're allowing pinfalls. I don't think even Macho was expecting a count (looked like he was doing it to show how dazed he is), and it's odd that the official read it that way. And even stranger that he then immediately goes back to the outside. If pins are going to count, shouldn't he stay inside? Macho with an extended bootchoke, and a bodyslam sets up the Flying Elbowdrop for two. Why even bother covering when you know the referee needs to waste time getting into the cage to count? No matter, Warrior makes his comeback, but a splash hits the knees, and Macho climbs over the top. He makes it all the way down the outside of the cage, but Warrior grabs him from through the bars, and forces him back up. That was a pretty great escape tease there, with Randy getting inches away. Sherri responds by going into the cage to attack Warrior, and her efforts force him to loosen his grip - allowing Randy to fall to the floor at 9:39. This wasn't in the same universe as their two pay per view outings, and wasn't even really very good either, with both guys doing the same few moves over and over again, and a pretty slow pace. The finish was well done, though. ½*

BUExperience: This version skips the Paul Roma/Shane Douglas, Big Boss Man/Hercules, and Greg Valentine/Dino Bravo matches, and what’s left is definitely not worth your time. Not that it would be worth your time with those matches restored either, let’s be real.

DUD