WWF Action Zone (October 23, 1994)

 

Original Airdate: October 23, 1994 (taped September 28)

From White Plains, New York; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon and Todd Pettengill 

WWF Title Match: Bret Hart v Owen Hart: Charlie Minn catches up with Owen in the aisle during the entrances, and Minn is already annoying me. Pettengill was so much better in that role, though I’m curious to see how Todd does as a commentator. Generally good promo guys aren’t necessarily good commentators (see: Okerlund, Gene; Mooney, Sean). Funny bit here, as Owen chucks his shades at Bret, so Bret scoops them up, and gives them to a kid at ringside. And the kid seems pissed! Some feeling out to start, with the Hitman dominating. Owen tries a dropkick, but Bret dodges, and sends him into the corner with a catapult for two. Bret holds an armbar from there, so Owen tries a criss cross, but Bret reverses a hiptoss on him, and Owen bails. Jim Neidhart shows up to strategize with him, but Owen getting into Bret’s face on the way in ends badly, and the Hitman schoolboys for two. Back to the armbar, but Owen fights to a vertical base, so Bret uses a crucifix for two. Armbar, but Owen manages a whip into the ropes, and Neidhart trips the champion up this time. That allows Owen to put the boots to him, as Davey Boy Smith comes down to prevent any more interference. The damage is done, however, and Owen is in control. Owen holds a camel clutch, until Bret fights to a vertical base, but Owen uses the hair to take Bret back to the mat in a chinlock. Bret tries a whip into the ropes, but Owen holds the hair to block, getting Bret trapped in a headlock. Nice bit of heel mirroring to the babyface versions of these sequences when Bret was in control. Owen with an overhead belly-to-belly suplex for two, but Bret fires back with a sunset flip for two, and he unloads on Owen in the corner. Cross corner whip, but Owen reverses, and adds a missile dropkick. He stops to taunt Bulldog, allowing Neidhart to take a cheap shot at the Hitman, and Owen puts the boots to his older brother. Owen goes to work on the leg for a bit, setting up a figure four, but Bret manages a reversal, only to end up in the ropes. Owen goes upstairs for a dive, but Bret blocks, and uses an inverted atomic drop to set up a clothesline for two. A Russian legsweep gets two, and a headbutt rattles Owen for a small package for two. Bret uses a backbreaker to set up a 2nd rope pointed elbowdrop for two, and I love how Vince is all “what’s he doing? Is he going to the corner now?!” as if Bret doesn’t do that sequence in, like, every match. Jim distracts Bret for Owen to rollup for two, reversed by Bret for two. Bret tries for the Sharpshooter, but Owen rakes the eyes, and blasts him with a spinheel kick for two. Owen with a pair of headbutts to drop his brother, but Bret has enough ring presence to block a pair of suplexes. Bret tries a superplex, but Anvil hooks Owen’s ankle to keep him set, and Bret crashes to the canvas. That allows Owen to perch for a dive, but Bulldog crotches him on the top, and Bret hooks the leg at 16:29. No surprise that this was solid work, but it was too derivative of their other matches from 1994 to really stand as a notable work of its own. Afterwards, Bret grabs the microphone, and officially accepts Bob Backlund’s challenge for another title shot. ** ¾ 

Minn is backstage with Backlund, who doesn’t believe anything until he sees a signed contract. Man’s right

The Heavenly Bodies v Gary Scott and Rich Myers: The Bodies were a totally useless team, one of many from this period. This was really one of the low points of the tag division, and it’s a shame, because Shawn Michaels and Diesel were a pretty awesome team, they just didn’t have anyone to work off of. Though, they found a pretty good placeholder team for them to face next week. Tom Prichard with a flying kneedrop at 3:16. Jim Cornette must have been having a ball reliving his Midnight Express glory days, I guess. DUD

Tatanka v Mike Moraldo: Okay, so Todd is not good at color commentary. He’s not the worst of the worst, he’s just not a great fit. Much like Tatanka as a heel, really. Tatanka with a Samoan drop at 3:40. DUD

Hart Attack Tour schedule 

Randy Savage never goes on strike. He plays with kids out of the goodness of his heart

Adam Bomb v Bob Starr: Bomb had nothing going on for, like, his entire run. I can’t think of a single real feud he had, definitely nothing beyond little one week deals, like with Kwang a while back. I’m not saying he was robbed of a title run, or anything, but come on! The roster was thinner than a rock star in the 70s, and Bomb is just dicking around with jobbers every week? Adam with a pumphandle-slam at 2:26. DUD

Irwin R Schyster is ready to audit some literal corpses. Fair. They probably got some sort of compensation for attending all those WCW tapings

Undertaker v Mike Bell: Even as a kid, I found Undertaker boring, and I still don’t get why he was so over. Just one of those acts that did nothing for me. The tombstone finishes at 2:30. DUD

BUExperience: Bret/Owen is worth seeing for complists like me, the rest is just Wrestling Challenge or Superstars with a new logo.