WWF SummerSlam Spectacular (August 18, 1991)

Original Airdate: August 18, 1991 (taped July 29)

From Worcester, Massachusetts; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon and Bobby Heenan

Brian Knobbs v Hawk: It’s kind of hard to believe that Vince finally signed the LOD, and then took a year before getting around to putting the belts on them. Knobbs stalls early on, and for good reason, as he gets absolutely wrecked in a slugfest, and ends up on the outside. Brian throws a knee on the way back in, but he telegraphs a backdrop, and takes a matslam. Hawk adds a fistdrop, and he takes Knobbs into the corner for a pounding. so Brian whacks him with a chair to turn the tide. Knobbs with a backelbow and a Boston crab, as Vince notes that he’s ‘having fun in there.’ Well, as long as he’s having a good time, that’s all that matters. Hawk powers out, so Brian goes to a reverse chinlock instead, but Hawk escapes again. He gets to the top with a flying clothesline this time, and that’s three at 7:09. This was nothing special, but it wasn’t terrible, and that’s a win in its own right. ¾*

Somewhere in his lair, Jake Roberts is training Ultimate Warrior in ways to beat Undertaker, when he locks him in a snake pit, allowing his cobra to bite him. Warrior falls unconscious, as Jake taunts him, and Undertaker shows up to stand over Warrior’s downed body. This was really over the top, and kind of goofy, but Jake was so good that it worked. And it was certainly a memorable a heel turn, you have to give it that

SummerSlam ad

Bret Hart v Barbarian: Bret’s got that weird gear he wore for a little while in the summer of ‘91 here, which he thankfully abandoned not long after. Barbarian powers him around in the early going, so Bret latches on to the arm. Barbarian whips him into the ropes, so Bret turns to fists, and a pair of dropkicks knock Barbarian to the outside. Hart dives after him, but gets caught, and Barbarian rams him into the apron. Inside, Barbarian goes to work, as Coach shows up in the aisle to take notes on the Hitman’s performance. Barbarian blasts Bret with a clothesline, and a hanging vertical suplex gets him two. Bearhug wears Hart down, but Barbarian runs into a boot on a charge, and Bret dives with a 2nd rope clothesline. Bret makes a comeback, but argues the count following a 2nd rope pointed elbowdrop, and Barbarian blasts him with a big boot. That puts Bret on the outside, so Barbarian tries powering him back in with a bodyslam - only for Hart to hold on into a cradle at 11:27. Not the most exciting contest, but Hart’s storytelling game was strong (as usual). ¾*

Gene Okerlund brings Sid Justice out to discuss his appointment as the special guest referee for the main event at SummerSlam. Not much here

The Triangle of Terror yell a bunch of stuff about WWF Champion Hulk Hogan. I don’t think they like him

Irwin R Schyster v Mark Thomas: Heenan gets some funny lines in on Vince about paying his taxes, with McMahon showing just how slippery he can be with how easily he can change a subject. “When’s your accountant due out?” “Out?” “He’s in the slammer, isn’t he?” “The only ‘slam’ on anyone’s mind is ‘SummerSlam!’” That’s a skill. Schyster with a Samoan drop at 1:40. IRS was looking pretty energetic here. ¼*

This past week on Prime Time Wrestling, Randy Savage had a bachelor party. Well, of course Slick would be there

Six-Man Tag Team Match: Kerry Von Erich, Ricky Steamboat, and Davey Boy Smith v Sato, Tanaka, and Kato: Wow, the full Orient Express! I didn't realize there was every any cross over between Sato and Kato. And what a babyface team of forgettable Intercontinental champions! Ricky starts with Tanaka, and a criss cross ends in Dragon backdropping him. Armdrag takes Tanaka into an armbar, and it’s over to Bulldog. Davey grabs an armbar of his own, so Tanaka whips him into the ropes, but Bulldog rebounds with a shoulderblock. Kato trips him up, allowing a tag, and Kato unloads. Criss cross ends in Smith landing a dropkick, and he pases to Kerry to work Kato’s arm. Sato manages to catch a tag, but Tornado hammers him with rights, and Steamboat tags back in. The Express triple up in their home corner, but Ricky fights them off. He tries a piledriver on Kato, but Tanaka is in with a bodypress to save, and the Express take control. Bulldog gets the hot tag, and Roseanne Barr the door! Davey slams the Express around with ease, and a running powerslam looks to finish Kato, but Tanaka saves. Tornado comes in to take Tanaka out, allowing Steamboat to dive with a flying bodypress on Kato at 9:56. This was actually quite fun! * ¾ 

SummerSlam ad

WWF Title Match: Hulk Hogan v Sgt. Slaughter: Heenan flashes the NWA World title before the entrances, noting that Ric Flair is challenging the winner of this to a champion/champion match. I get that there were many reasons that the angle didn’t set the world on fire (WWF fans not really knowing who Flair was, general market downturn among them) but it still drives me nuts that it didn’t. Slaughter takes a cheap shot early, but Hulk reverses him into the corner, and delivers a backdrop. Hogan with a turnbuckle smash and some mounted punches, but he telegraphs a backdrop, and Slaughter clobbers him. Right hand sends the champion to the outside, where General Adnan and Colonel Mustafa attack, and they roll the Hulkster back in for Slaughter to work over. Slaughter whacks him with a chair to draw blood, and a flying kneedrop gets him two - only to trigger a HULK UP!! Fists of Fury! Big Boot! Punch to Mustafa! Oh, but Adnan throws powder in his eyes, and the Hulkster is blinded! That allows them to come in, and they don’t even care, blatantly attacking Hogan for the DQ at 7:18. Afterwards, the attack continues, so Sid comes out to make the save. This wasn’t bad, with both guys working hard, and Hogan even doing a blade job on TV! ¾*

SummerSlam ad

Recently on Superstars, Earthquake clipped Andre the Giant’s leg, and wrecked the leg to give Andre a kayfabe reason to use crutches

The Natural Disasters v Russ Greenberg and Ray Garcia: People mostly discuss how great Heenan was when paired with Gorilla Monsoon, but his pairing with McMahon wasn’t bad either. Not in the same league, as Vince never felt as genuine as Monsoon did, but it was still pretty fine. Earthquake Splash finishes at 2:10. ¼*

Recently, Brutus Beefcake had Sensational Sherri as his guest on the Barber Shop, and she’s fuming about the fact that Miss Elizabeth is going to get the big wedding to Randy Savage at SummerSlam. This isn’t a huge deal, but I like that Sherri actually did comment on it to tie that end of the story up. She threatens to show up and ruin the wedding, though thankfully they used Jake Roberts and Undertaker in that role much more effectively 

Gene is in the control center with the SummerSlam Report

Virgil v Masked Wrestler: Ted DiBiase comes out to cut a promo on Virigl before the bell. That's Barry Darsow under the mask here. Odd that they didn't just put him out there as Smash, considering he was still working matches all over the place with the gimmick until the end of August. Wrestler gets the jump on him, and controls early on, but Virgil fights him off, and makes a comeback. Wrestler wins a criss cross with a hotshot, as Vince and Bobby make a desperate hard sell for SummerSlam. Virgil makes another random comeback, and he gets a cobra clutch on, but DiBiase distracts him. That allows Wrestler to dump Virgil over the top, and Wrestler vertical suplexes him back in after Ted gets his cheap shots in. Wrestler with another suplex, but Virgil blocks a splash, and scores the pin at 4:52. ¾*

Mountie takes a tour of the police station, ahead of the Jailhouse match at SummerSlam

BUExperience: This was an okay hard sell show, though other than the fireworks in the Hogan/Slaughter match, there wasn’t much of note going on.