WWF at Cow Palace (August 2, 1992)

 

Original Airdate: August 2, 1992

From San Francisco, California

Opening Match: Virgil v Skinner: Joined in progress, with Skinner dominating on the outside, putting the boots to Virgil, and choking him. Skinner sends him into the post out there, but Virgil beats the count to the apron, so Skinner smacks him with a forearm across the chest to put him back on the floor. Virgil beats the count again, so Skinner snaps him throat across the top rope to keep him outside for another round of counting, but Virgil beats it inside. Skinner responds with an abdominal stretch, but gets busted using the ropes for leverage, and the referee breaks it up. Skinner stays on him with a cross corner whip, but Virgil blocks the impact so Skinner throws a backelbow for two. Skinner goes to a chinlock, and again uses the ropes for leverage, but this time manages to avoid getting caught. All the same, Virgil escapes, so Skinner throws a knee to cut off a comeback. He tries slapping Virgil around, but it backfires, getting Virgil revved up for a comeback. Skinner cuts him off in the corner, and tries a leveraged pin, but gets busted at two. He argues the count, allowing Virgil to sneak up with a schoolboy for two, and he makes a proper comeback. A Russian legsweep gets him two, and a dropkick is worth another two. Virgil with a cross corner whip, but Skinner reverses. He takes too long gloating about it, however, and Virgil catches him with a sunset flip out of the corner at 9:28 shown. I’m not sure how much was clipped here, but it likely wasn’t very much, so I’m comfortable giving it a rating. ¾*

Tito Santana v Kato: Posturing to start, with Kato trying to frustrate Tito, but ending up taking an armdrag into an armbar. Kato escapes for a criss cross, but loses to a bodyslam, and Santana uses another armdrag into an armbar. Kato escapes, so Tito slugs him, and dodges a charge in the corner. That allows Santana an atomic drop, and a clothesline follows for two. Back to the armbar, but Kato fights to a vertical base, and nails Santana when Tito tries something in the corner. That turns the tide, and Kato puts the boots to him. Kato works Tito over, but a criss cross allows Santana to throw a bodypress for two. Kato quickly cuts him off, taking it to the mat in a chinlock. Tito escapes, and uses a sunset flip for two, but Kato cuts him off again, and delivers a turnbuckle smash. Kato unloads in the corner, and a cross corner whip sets up a bronco buster, but Santana dodges. That allows Tito an inverted atomic drop as he goes on the comeback trail, and the jumping forearm puts it away at 10:53. ½*

Undertaker v Berzerker: When did they start killing the lights for Undertaker’s entrance? 1993? They hadn’t figured it out yet at this point, and it feels so odd now. Berzerker attacks to kick start the match, but Undertaker quickly fights him off. Berzerker responds with a pair of big boots to send Undertaker over the top, but Undertaker pulls him right out after him, and dominates a brawl on the floor. Undertaker stays on the offensive on the way back in, but a jumping clothesline misses, and Berzerker knocks him out of the ring with another big boot. Berzerker follows to smash him into the steps out there, but Undertaker no-sells. Berzerker tries again, same reaction, so he whacks him with a chair a few times to get some traction. Inside, Berzerker tries yet another big boot, but Undertaker dodges, and slugs him over the top. Berzerker manages a bodyslam out there, and he chokes Undertaker with some cable. Inside, Berzerker continues unloading on him, but a charge sees him get backdropped over the top. Undertaker follows to hammer on him out there, but a backdrop attempt on the way back in gets countered with a piledriver. Berzerker with a second piledriver, but Undertaker keeps sitting up. A third piledriver is better, but Berzerker wastes time instead of going in for the kill, and Undertaker recovers with a jumping clothesline, followed by the tombstone at 8:22. These two always had some interesting energy together. Their matches weren’t necessarily technically sound, but they had lots of energy, and were certainly better than a lot of other Undertaker matches from this period that were all about chokeholds. Afterwards, Mr. Fuji gets a tombstone as well, which might have been the hidden catalyst for the Yokozuna feud. ¾*

WWF Tag Team Title Match: The Natural Disasters v Money Inc: The challengers attack to kick start the bout, but it doesn’t go well for them, and the Disasters clean house. Unfortunately, Typhoon can’t clean anything but his plate, and ends up in trouble almost right away, allowing Money Inc to cut the ring in half. Typhoon finally fights off a chinlock from Ted DiBiase, but Irwin R Schytser cuts off the tag, delivering a trio of elbowdrops for two. Money Inc double team to get Typhoon back in the heel corner, and DiBiase gets a front-facelock on as a wear down, but IRS stupidly tries a vertical suplex, and gets reversed. That allows the hot tag to Earthquake, and Roseanne Barr the door! Earthquake gets a schoolboy on Irwin, but Ted whacks him with the briefcase for the DQ at 10:22. These two teams never had much chemistry together. For a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that the heat segments were just really difficult to buy due to the size difference. Not that they didn’t try, though. ¼*

Six-Man Tag Team Match: Paul Ellering and The Legion of Doom v Genius and The Beverly Brothers: Lots of posturing to start, with the Brothers trying to intimidate Ellering in all sorts of ways. Hawk finally gets in and just starts throwing heels around, but Paul gets suckered into a triple team, and that turns the tide. The heels work Ellering over, until he manages a flying moonsault (of all things), and gets the hot tag to Animal. Animal with a clothesline at 12:39. Felt like they were taking a night off in the ring here. Even the finish was low key! DUD

Big Boss Man v Nailz: Nailz attacks as Boss Man rolls into the ring, and chokes him down. Nailz with a cross corner whip ahead of another choke, and another corner whip sets up a charge, but Boss Man blocks. Boss Man slugs him down, so Nailz goes for the eyes, and uses a high knee to send Boss Man to the outside. Boss Man throws a drink in Nailz’s face when Nailz follows, but a whip into the steps gets reversed, and Nailz gives him a second trip into them for good measure. Nailz adds some shots with a chair, but Boss Man beats the count in, so Nailz ties him in the ropes for some abuse. Boss Man ends up back on the outside, but manages to reverse Nailz into the post out there, and he makes a comeback as they head back inside. Boss Man delivers a spinebuster and a windmill punch, followed by a straddling ropechoke. He goes in for the kill, but Nailz grabs the nightstick, and nails him with it for the DQ at 6:14. The gap between the level of ring work and feud intrigue here was enormous. DUD

Main Event: Ultimate Warrior v Papa Shango: Papa tries attacking as Warrior enters, but Warrior no-sells him. They spill to the outside, where Warrior sends him crashing into the timekeeper’s table (taken with zeal by Shango), and Warrior overturns the table to really make his point, Warrior leans the table up against the ring and smashes Papa’s head through it (which is pretty wild shit for the WWF in 1992), and he takes Shango inside to unload on in the corner. Warrior with a cross corner whip and a corner clothesline, and he stomps a mudhole from there. Warrior is way ahead of his time tonight. Warrior with a second cross corner clothesline, but a standard clothesline misses, and Papa uses an atomic drop. Papa adds a piledriver, but Warrior gets fired up, so Papa starts pounding. Papa with an inverted shoulderbreaker for two, and he hammers Warrior in the corner. A cross corner whip bumps the referee, so Papa takes the opportunity to grab is voodoo stick. He nails Warrior with it, but a second swing misses, and Warrior returns the favor. Three shots, three count at 6:49. This had decent energy, and Warrior’s voodoo stick shots looked legitimately great. ¾*

BUExperience: A weak card even on paper, and didn’t deliver above the already low expectations.

DUD