WWF at Philadelphia Spectrum (January 8, 1993)

 

Original Airdate: January 8, 1993

From Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Bob Backlund v Berzerker: Posturing to start, as Berzerker tries using his size, but Backlund out moves him. Berzerker ends up on the outside following a takedown, so he comes in calling for a test-of-strength, and gets the better of that when Bob accepts. Bob starts sticking and moving, and manages a bodyslam, followed by an earringer, so Berzerker bails. Berzerker manages to pound Bob down on the way back in, and he grabs a bearhug. That wears Bob down for a backbreaker for two, and Berzerker goes back to the hold from there. Berzerker works on that for a while, until Backlund just kind of topples him for the pin at 7:41. This didn’t work at all. DUD

WWF Intercontinental Title Match: Shawn Michaels v Marty Jannetty: Marty charges in to kickstart the match with a brawl, and he backdrops the champion, before clotheslining him over the top. Shawn runs away, but Marty drags him back in, and delivers an atomic drop to send Michaels right back over the top. Marty stays on him with a clothesline from the apron, but an attempt to roll Shawn back in goes south, and Marty is left down on the outside. Shawn gives him a suplex on the floor, but Jannetty beats the count, so Michaels goes to town with jabs, then stomps his challenger down. Shawn unloads in the corner, and he slaps on an abdominal stretch, wearing the challenger down. Marty manages a small package for two on the break, but Shawn quickly quells the comeback. Shawn goes for the stretch again, but Marty fights him off with a clothesline, so Michaels uses a corner whip, but Jannetty blocks the charge in. Shawn tries a second charge, but Marty sidesteps, and both men are left down. They stagger to a vertical base, and Jannetty wins a slugfest. Marty with a cross corner whip to send Shawn flipping over the buckles to the outside, and Marty chases after him, sending the champion into the steps. Inside, Marty uses a powerslam to set up a flying fistdrop, but Michaels dodges. Jannetty lands on his feet and delivers a DDT for two, and he takes Shawn into the corner to unload a ten-punch on. Shawn fights him off and throws a superkick, but Marty ducks, and throws his own for two. Marty with a catapult into the corner, but a corner splash misses, and Michaels covers at 11:58. Good action, not surprisingly. ** ¾ 

High Energy v The Headshrinkers: Owen Hart starts with Samu, and they posture. The heels get control of Owen and cut the ring in half, but Koko gets the hot tag, and runs wild. He looks to put things away, but gets caught in a double team, and pinned at 9:22. This was very cookie cutter and not engaging. ¼*

Undertaker v Papa Shango: Shango is subbing for Nailz here. Undertaker goes right at him, so Papa corner whips him, but hits a boot while trying to follow in. That allows Undertaker a ropewalk forearm, and a bodyslam sets up an elbowdrop, but Papa rolls out of the way. Papa looks for a follow up, but Undertaker catches him with a hotshot before he can deliver one, so Papa throws a fireball at him to stop his bullshit. Papa dumps him to the outside for a bodyslam on the floor, and he brings Undertaker in to finish with a sleeper. Undertaker fades, and Papa delivers an elbowdrop, but misses a legdrop. That results in a criss cross, and Undertaker tries a jumping clothesline, but Papa dodges. Papa capitalizes with the inverted shoulderbreaker, but Undertaker escapes, and clotheslines him down. Undertaker adds a chokeslam, and that’s enough to put it away at 6:26. Simple, but fine for what it was. I mean, it could have been much worse. ¾*

Main Event: WWF Title Match: Bret Hart v Ric Flair: Feeling out process to start, with Bret dominating, until Flair takes a cheap shot, and takes over. Flair with a corner whip to allow him a punch to the jaw of the champion, and another corner whip allows him to rake Hart’s eyes. Ric goes to a wristlock, then an armbar, using the ropes for leverage all the while. A corner whip allows him a leveraged pin attempt for two, and the challenger goes back to the wristlock. Hart slugs free, so Ric corner whips him, but Bret reverses, and catches him with a backdrop on the rebound. Hart goes to a figure four from there, but Ric escapes, and uses a cheap shot to allow him to dump the Hitman to the outside. Flair snaps his throat across the top rope on the way back in, but Bret fights him off with a ten-punch in the corner, so Flair uses an abdominal cradle for a few two counts. Ric throws a backelbow for two, so Bret starts slugging, but Ric is ready with a sleeper. Hart fades, but manages to drop into the corner to shake Flair off. Flair stays on him with right hands, but Hart responds in kind, and gets a sleeper of his own locked. Flair quickly side suplexes him to escape, and both men are left looking up at the lights. Flair rolls over to cover for two, but Hart counters a hiptoss to a backslide for two, so Ric goes to the eyes. He tries a kneebreaker, but Hart blocks, and bops him with a headbutt. Hart with punches, so Ric sweeps the legs, and uses a leveraged pin for two. Hart keeps coming with rights, so Ric cross corner whips him, and throws a chop on the rebound. Flair goes upstairs, but Bret slams him off the top, and corner whips him to send Ric flipping over the buckles. Flair tries a flying axehandle, but Hart blocks, and delivers a Russian legsweep for two. Hart keeps coming with a backbreaker to set up a 2nd rope pointed elbowdrop for two, and a vertical superplex gets two. Sharpshooter, but Flair blocks, and goes for the figure four - only for Hart to counter with a quick inside cradle at 27:19. You would think these two master level workers getting over twenty seven minutes together at/near their primes would yield a four-star level match on general principle. You’d be wrong. And, really, anything less than that would have to be considered a disappointment, even if the match wasn’t bad. * ½ 

BUExperience: This version omits Virgil/Brooklyn Brawler, Steiner Brothers/Executioners, and Tatanka/Damien Demento. No huge loss there, though the Steiner match was interesting from a historical perspective, since it was their first house show match in the WWF (and third match overall). 

The rest was pretty skippable, with Hart and Flair turning in their usual disappointing main event, though Michaels and Jannetty add another solid match together to their increasingly long list of them. 

DUD