WWF at First Interstate Athletic Complex (January 23, 1993)

 

Original Airdate: January 23, 1993

From Reno, Nevada

Opening Match: Jim Powers v Predator: Predator is Horace Hogan, under a mask, in an idea that lasted for a while at house shows in 1993, but never made TV. They trade wristlocks to start, until Predator throws an elbow, and gets control. Predator hammers on him, but a criss cross allows Powers a hiptoss, and Jim clotheslines him over the top. Inside, Powers hooks a schoolboy for two, and he goes to a wristlock. Jim with a clothesline for two, but he gets suckered into the corner, and nailed. Predator with a straddling ropechoke for two, and a corner clothesline is worth two. Predator works a chinlock, and a bodyslam sets up an elbowdrop for two. Back to the chinlock, but Powers fights him off, and manages a powerslam at 9:25. Your standard issue house show opener. ½*

Owen Hart v Samu: Samu gets him down in a chinlock early on, but Owen fights free, and hooks a sunset flip for two, before Samu cuts him off with a superkick. Samu adds a legdrop to the groin, but a corner splash misses, and Owen throws a dropkick. Hart adds a spinheel kick, so Fatu hops onto the apron, but Hart knocks him right off. Hart with a backdrop, and he goes upstairs, but Fatu crotches him up there. That allows Samu a vertical superplex for the pin at 4:26. No wonder people were completely shocked when Owen managed to beat Bret Hart at WrestleMania the following year. ½*

Earthquake v Yokozuna: Yoko’s got the rare white gear with red trim on tonight. Posturing to start, as both guys try to out fat each other. Earthquake gets the better of it, and grabs a standing side-headlock, but Yoko forces a whip into the ropes, and they collide for a stalemate. That leads to some measuring, and Earthquake manages to knock him down with a series of three clothesline. He wastes time celebrating, however, and Yoko blocks the follow up, and puts Earthquake down with a shoulderblock to set up a legdrop. Yoko with an avalanche in the corner from there, and the Banzai drop finishes at 3:00. Gosh, no wonder Earthquake left the promotion a few days after this. DUD

Handicap Match: Undertaker v The Beverly Brothers: The Brothers attack to kick start the match, but Undertaker fights them off with a double chokeslam. Beau bails, but Blake Beverly gets stuck in the ring, and Undertaker hits him with the ropewalk forearm. Backdrop, but Blake blocks, though Undertaker no sells it. Undertaker with a bodyslam to set up an elbowdrop, but Blake dodges, and manages to clothesline Undertaker over the top. Undertaker lands on his feet, so Beau hops over to whack him with a chair, and Blake snaps his throat across the top rope to capitalize. Beau sends Undertaker into the steps, and Blake delivers a backbreaker on the way back inside. Tag to Beau for a tandem suplex, and they take turns dropping elbows on the Dead Man. Undertaker sits up as they play to the crowd, and he dispatches Blake in short order. Undertaker with a shoulderblock on Beau, and the tombstone finishes at 3:25. This was fairly entertaining for the sprint that it was. ¼*

Bob Backlund v Berzerker: Posturing to start, and lots of it. Berzerker gets control during a test-of-strength, and uses a bodyslam, so Bob tries grabbing a standing headlock, but he doesn’t have the leverage. Berzerker sends him into the ropes for a shoulderblock, but Bob stays up, so Berzerker uses a hiptoss. Bob pops up and uses a hiptoss of his own before delivering a bodyslam, and a dropkick sends Berzerker over the top. Berzerker manages to nail Bob on the way back in, and he ropechokes the man. A bearhug wears Bob down, and a backbreaker gets Berzerker two. Back to the bearhug, but Bob fights free. Berzerker tries another, but Bob topples him in a Thesz press for the pin at 12:47. This took forever to get going, and was really nothing special once it finally did. ¼*

Ric Flair v Mr. Perfect: They feel each other out to start, with Perfect dominating, and frustrating the Nature Boy. Flair manages a cheap shot to get him in the corner for chops, but Perfect turns the tables, and follows up with a series of clotheslines. Ric goes low to shake him off, and a cross corner whip ends with Perfect falling out of the ring. Flair follows to send him into the guardrail, and he grabs a chair, but the official intervenes before he can use it. Inside, Perfect reverses him into the corner, and uses a backdrop on the rebound for two. Flair begs off, but Perfect cross corner whips him, only to miss the charge in, and hit the post. That allows Ric to attack the shoulder that hit the steel, and he works it for a while. Fair warning: if he tries a figure four on the arm, I’m marking out. Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen, but he does go to a sleeper. Perfect manages a mulekick to shake him off, so Flair uses a snapmare. Ric goes upstairs, but Perfect slams him off, and puts him in a figure four of his own. To the leg, like a loser. Flair makes the ropes to save himself, so Perfect takes him into the corner to hammer with a ten-punch. Perfect with a cross corner whip, and Flair rebounds into another backdrop. Perfect stays on him with a somersault necksnap, so Ric dumps him to the outside to buy time. Perfect hustles back in with a slingshot sunset flip for two, so Flair tries a backdrop, but gets caught in a bridging fisherman suplex at 14:53. These two had some really wonderful matches with each other during this period, but this wasn’t one of them. *

Main Event: WWF Intercontinental Title Match: Shawn Michaels v Marty Jannetty: Shawn tries stalling on the outside, so Marty chases him in, and fights off Shawn’s control of the high ground with a matslam. Shawn bumps around for the challenger a bit, overselling stuff left and right, and an atomic drop sends Michaels over the top. Jannetty dives after him with an axehandle from the apron, but a shot into the post gets reversed, and Michaels heads in to take his countout win. The referee is distracted with a chair Michaels left at ringside though, and has to go to the outside to remove it - allowing Michaels to sneak out and whack Jannetty with a different chair. That was a funny bit there, one that I don’t think ever made it into any of their TV matches. Jannetty beats the count, so Michaels hammers him in the corner, and he grabs an abdominal stretch. Marty looks to escape with a hiptoss, so Shawn grabs the top rope to block, in another cool bit that you didn’t ever really see. Shawn hammers the ribs before going back to the abdominal stretch, and Marty is suffering. Marty tries a suplex, but the ribs prevent him from executing it. He manages a small package for two, but Shawn hits the ribs. Michaels goes for another abdominal stretch, but Jannetty blocks him this time, so Michaels corner whips him. Shawn charges, but Jannetty dodges, and Michaels does a nice pinball bump out of the corner. No less than two backflips there. That allows Jannetty to go on the comeback trail, but Shawn dodges the flying fistdrop, so Marty reroutes with a DDT for two. Into the corner for a ten-punch, so Shawn goes low to buy time. Shawn throws a superkick, but Marty reverses for two. Marty with a catapult into the corner, but a corner splash misses, and Michaels covers for three at 12:06. They were trying some interesting stuff, but other than that, this was a pretty weak entry in their series. * ½ 

BUExperience: Man, there was a lot of turnover during this period, it feels like half the guys on this show were gone within a month or so of this (or significantly less). It’s definitely not one to go out of your way to see though, as it felt like most of the roster had it in low gear (likely not looking to risk an injury the day before the Royal Rumble), and the two top matches have been done better elsewhere.