WWF Action Zone (February 12, 1995)

 

Original Airdate: February 12, 1995 (taped January 11)

From South Padre Island, Texas; Your Hosts are Jim Ross and Todd Pettengill

Lex Luger v Tatanka: They don’t wait for the bell here, and Tatanka gets control with some tomahawk chops. Into the corner for chops, but Lex gets a Flair flashback, and no-sells. He bashes Tatanka with a turnbuckle smash, and a ten-punch count leads to a clothesline, but instead of covering, Luger unloads mounted punches. Meanwhile, Todd unloads a load of horse shit, noting that money ‘means nothing’ to Luger. Tatanka manages to dump Lex to the outside to buy time, and he follows to send Luger into the steps to turn the tide. Inside, Tatanka goes to work in dull fashion, until Lex escapes a bearhug, and uses a side suplex. Ross notes that ‘some call that a northern lights suplex.’ No, they don’t. It’s often called a belly-to-back suplex, but the northern lights is a whole different deal. Anyway, Luger makes a comeback, and a powerslam gets two when Ted DiBiase pulls Lex out. Lex goes after him, so Tatanka tries a cheap shot, but Luger dodges it. They slug it out on the floor, and you’d better believe it’s a double countout at 10:01. This was dull, and had a bad ending, to boot. Afterwards, Chief Jay Strongbow comes out to try and convince the referee that Luger beat the count, so Tatanka goes back and hits Jay with a flying tomahawk chop while DiBiase keeps Luger distracted. They’re trying really hard to reheat this angle up, but it’s ice cold at this point. DUD

Mantaur v Ben Jordan: Mantaur with an avalanche right away, as they try to get him over as a serious threat on commentary. Much like Luger/Tatanka, that one is a lost cause. Mantaur with a spinebuster at 2:03. DUD

Men on a Mission v Butch Long and Adam Croom: Ross compares Mabel to… Dennis Rodman here. That’s… um. Rodman puts it away at 3:24. DUD

Bob Backlund v Raven Clark: The announcers hype the hotline, where Shinja will tell us more about the mysterious background of Hakushi. Didn’t he just do that for free on Superstars yesterday? Backlund with the crossface chickenwing at 1:58. DUD

WWF Champion Diesel signs autographs for some fans, but refuses to take cash, because he really cares, damn it. For what it’s worth, all reports always have him as really kind to fans to this day, though all it’s doing here is taking whatever little bit of edge he still has away

Man Mountain Rock v Reno Riggins: Todd notes that Diesel has been hanging out all weekend with Bill Cosby, you know, to put over how wholesome he is. Rock with a gourdbuster at 2:19, as Todd gets excited that between Rock, MOM, and Jeff Jarrett, the WWF is basically the Grammys. Yeah, something like that. DUD

In High Gear tour ad. Whoever is coming up with these names is in high gear

The Blu Brothers v Shawn Dakota and Bill Weaver: The commentators update us that Chief Jay Strongbow is likely going to be okay. I’d hope so. He was a wrestler, it was one chop, let’s not make a federal case out of it. He’s worse than Spider, the little prick. The Brothers with a spinebuster/legdrop combo at 3:25. Todd is so impressed that they could work together like that. Yeah, wild. DUD

Backstage, Bob Backlund promises to make Davey Boy Smith submit next week. The announcers constantly comparing him to Newt Gingrich and Rush Limbaugh doesn’t feel like a great way to get him over as a heel with their target audience

BUExperience: Not the best one this week, as we’re treated to a concentrated effort to heat the shitty Luger/Tatanka feud up.