On the night of January 17th, Ring Of Honor and Tag Team legend Jay Briscoe unfortunately passed away in a car incident at age 38. SmarkDown remembers Jay and sends their deepest condolences to the family, friends, and fans of the tag team juggernaut.
Tanner: I did not watch The Briscoes until their Supercard Of Honor match against FTR last year, but instantly understood the level of respect they deserved and how legendary they were in ROH. Jay’s mean and badass personality mixed with the craziest of his brother Mark made me feel that they were something special and I needed to see more. They had two more fantastic matches with FTR in 2022 and I grew more and more respect for The Briscoes and they had definitely gained a fan. Jay was a loving father and a man who owned up mistakes he made in his short time on Earth. Wishing nothing but the best to his brother, his wife, and his children. Rest In Peace Forever, Jay Briscoe ❤️
Matthew:
Jay Briscoe!
You have meant the world to me since i first saw you winning the Ring of Honor World Championship in 2014! then you began my Favorite ROH Storyline against Jay Lethal. You dropped the World Championship at Best in the World 2015 in Ring of Honor’s Most Important Match.
You Made me laugh, you’ve now made me cry! you cheered me up in times I needed it! Jay Briscoe vs Jay Lethal is still my Favorite ROH World Title Match of all time! and it’s because of you Jay that I stayed a fan of ROH!
From a Fan Jay, We Love you!
Daniel (MrDCWood): In the 00s, I had little exposure to Ring of Honor. When watching mostly WWE and a bit of TNA, I would hear of ROH, and names like CM Punk, Samoa Joe, Christopher Daniels, Bryan Danielson, Nigel McGuinness among many more who became the future of wrestling. Among those glorious names I heard were the Briscoe Brothers.
In the 2010s, I finally had chance to watch some ROH DVDs and see the Briscoe Brothers in action. Needless to say, the hype surrounding their work ethic was justified. My favourite ROH show will always be Man Up from 2007, with the infamous Ladder War serving as the main-event. Jay and Mark simply tore the house down that night against Kevin Steen and El Generico. Just when we thought we’d seen it all in wrestling, we were all spoiled by the efforts of these guys who gave us a perfect bout full of innovation and brutality.
And then, of course, Jay rose to prominence as a singles-star, the Ring of Honor World Champion, no less! And once again, he amazed me with his work, with my favourite bout of his singles-career being the title-for-title affair against ROH TV Champion Jay Lethal at Best In The World 2015. From build-up to the match itself, it was all nothing short of a high-stakes epic. Obviously, it became Jay Lethal’s crowning moment, but Jay Briscoe was crucial in delivering one of the greatest moments in ROH History.
A true legend of ROH, and a star of wrestling. One who will be dearly missed. My deepest condolences to Jay’s wife and children, Mark Briscoe and all of his loved ones. My prayers are with them all.
We love you, Jay. – D.C. Wood
Tomas: For nearly two decades, the Briscoes have been one of, if not the greatest tag team competing outside of the “big leagues”. As the years passed and their great work continued, they eventually became one of the best tag teams around, period. Jay Briscoe was a former ROH World Champion as well, leaving a mark on that company like few men did. It’s incredibly sad that he passed away so young. I would like to take this moment to give nothing but strength to all his family and loved ones, particularly his brother and his wife, but especially, his children, who are still way too young. With love, RIP Jay.
Prince Osborne: The Briscoes are one of the key reasons for me to have my eyes glued in to ROH much like other promotions. Their approach towards pro wrestling really made them stand out as one of the major alternatives for WWE during their peak time. They aren’t one of the all-time greats in tag team wrestling, but also one of the realest brothers I’ve ever heard of. As much as they’re passionate for the industry, they’re passionate as humans leading a peaceful life not thinking of any bad omens for the surrounded others especially Jay. His run as World Champion in ROH opened the gateway even wider that tag team stalwarts also have a chance to shine as a mainstream solo act. In addition, his affectionate personality towards his family inspires me to lead a similar life as a family man. Despite being extremely down for his loss, I’m somehow thankful to see Jay evolve as he wished to be and succeed in doing so. Rest in power, mate. We will NEVER EVER forget you!
P.S. Let the power be more for Mark as well for leading a life his brother wished to. Even though his birthday was around the corner, this loss definitely could’ve deepened his sorrow. Godspeed for the recovery, man!
May 17, 1993 Location: Manhattan, New York, USA (Manhattan Center) Announced attendance: ca 1 000 TV rating: 2.9 (USA Network)[up 13.8% from the previous week’s 2.5]
Hey guys, welcome to another RAW review here on the blog. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and have a terrific 2023. Tonight, Shawn Michaels defends the Intercontinental Championship for the third week in a row, this time against a mystery opponent. Razor Ramon is in action in what seems to be just another regular squash, the Smoking Gunns make their RAW debut, and Yokozuna battles Kamala.
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Here is the list of champions in the WWF heading into this RAW:
WWF Champion: Hulk Hogan [43rd day of his 5th reign] – previous champion: Yokozuna
WWF Intercontinental Champion: Shawn Michaels [202nd day of his 1st reign] – previous champion: The British Bulldog
WWF World Tag Team Champions: Money Inc. (Ted DiBiase & Irwin R. Schyster) [216th day of their 2nd reign] – previous champions: The Natural Disasters (Earthquake & Typhoon)
Enjoy the review!
IMG credit: WWE & thesmackdownhotel.com
Your hosts are Vince McMahon, Bobby Heenan & Randy Savage
RAW’s intro plays.
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The commentators hype tonight’s featured matches, and throw us to a replay from last week’s street fight between Shawn Michaels and Mr. Perfect.
Lord Alfred Hayes is outside, revealing he saw someone in disguise. A guaranteed surprise for this episode, second time in a row they open the show with a bang.
The Smoking Gunns (Billy & Bart Gunn) vs. Glen Ruth & Tony Vajda
After weeks of vignettes and a few matches on other WWF TV shows, this is our first look at the Smoking Gunns here on RAW. Bart with a schoolboy on Vajda for one. Hiptoss by Bart and it’s off to the future Ass Man. Billy takes Glen down with a short clothesline. Double Russian legsweep by the Gunns, who remain in control with quick tags. Billy drops a knee on Glen’s face, and the Gunns pull off a Bart drop toehold / Billy elbowdrop combo. Billy with a suplex while the announcers wonder who Lord Alfred Hayes saw out on the streets. The Gunns go to work on Glen Ruth’s arm, before Billy backdrops Ruth right into a Bart piledriver for the win at 3:52. Pretty dangerous finish right there.
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Rating: Squash to showcase the new tag team. The Gunns showed good teamwork. 1/2*
Shawn Michaels interview
Vince McMahon is hosting the in-ring interview. Shawn brags about winning the IC Title after telling everyone he’d do it, as well as retaining the belt over Jim Duggan, while the crowd showers him with the usual “Shawn is gay” chants. He took Mr. Perfect’s best shot before last week’s title defense, yet he’s still the champion. In fact, he’s confident he can defend his title anywhere, anytime against any opponent… and out comes the guy in disguise!
It’s MARTY JANNETTY!
Shawn is not interested whatsoever, but Vince asks him if he’s a man of his word and Shawn reluctantly accepts. We’ve got a title match coming up later tonight!
Razor Ramon vs. The Kid
Ramon toys with The Kid and shoves him around to start. Razor unloads on him with chops in the corner, and tosses him three quarters of the way across the ring straight into the other corner. Razor stomps away and takes him down with a fallaway slam, as now Ramon gets all cocky and goes for the cocky bitchslaps. That allows The Kid to block a blind charge in the corner and… MOONSAULT HIM FOR THE SHOCKING UPSET at 2:12.
Rating: This is obviously one of the most iconic moments in the entire history of RAW, still to this day! The match followed the ordinary squash routine up until the shocking finish, but it’s a moment that will last forever. *1/2
Tatanka vs. Scott Taylor
Crazy to see Tatanka fall down the card so fast after the Michaels feud. He’s literally doing nothing at this point, while Shawn is killing it in several feuds at the same time. Tatanka drills Scotty with a sick clothesline to start. A backdrop dumps the future 2 Cool member to the floor, and Tatanka follows him there for some chops. Back in, the beating continues. Tatanka powerslams Taylor and follows it up with an elbowdrop, but brings him back up for a scoop powerslam. Tatanka is laying some NASTY chops with extra mustard here. Meanwhile, McMahon says The Kid will be remembered from now on as “1-2-3 Kid”. Well, that and about ten other names. Actually ten might be a stretch, more like syxx. Anyway, Tatanka makes the usual comeback with the TOMAHAWK CHOPS OF DEATH, and the Not Samoan Drop ends it at 3:44, as Tatanka gets ready for the upcoming KOTR tournament.
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Rating: Solid squash. Tatanka was feeling it here. 3/4*
King of the Ring Report w/ Mean Gene
WWF Championship match: Hulk Hogan vs. Yokozuna
Only two KOTR spots are left, and the draw is already set:
Bret Hart vs. Razor Ramon
Jim Duggan vs. Bam Bam Bigelow
Lex Luger vs. Tatanka
Winner of Kamala/Hughes vs. winner of HBK/Crush*
*This qualifying match was cancelled, and instead they wrestled for Shawn’s IC Title at the PPV. The final spot ended up going to Mr. Perfect.
IcoPro, you gotta want it!
Chiiips? Gotta have spice and a little excitement!
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Yokozuna (w/ Mr. Fuji) vs. Kamala
IMG credit: WWE & Scott’s Blog Of Doom!
Both giants collide to start, and Kamala seems to have the advantage as Yoko staggers. They try the spot a second time, with Yoko nearly falling down this time around. Kamala quickly follows it up with a kick and a series of chops, but then Yoko cheats with a throat thrust and takes over from there. Yokozuna finally takes Kamala off his feet and follows it up with a legdrop. Kamala still tries to make a comeback, but Fuji trips him up and allows Yoko to superkick him. Yoko with the running buttdrop in the corner, and a clothesline sets up the Banzai Drop at 3:41.
Rating: Decent heavyweight tussle that was pretty entertaining. This would pretty much be it for Kamala’s botched babyface push, as he’d smartly walk away about a month later, having wrestled just one more RAW match after this one. *1/4
WWF All-American Wrestling ad plays.
Main Event
WWF Intercontinental Championship – Shawn Michaels vs. Marty Jannetty
Lockup kicks things off. Into a criss cross sequence they go, Marty flips out of a hiptoss attempt and clotheslines Shawn, followed by another clothesline that dumps Shawn to the floor. Baseball slide by Marty before Shawn can even get back up, and Marty skins the cat back inside before diving onto Shawn on the outside. Big reaction from the crowd while Shawn takes a powder. Jannetty finally has enough and tosses him back inside the ring, where Shawn nearly hits the Superkick, but Marty rolls through to avoid it and hits a Japanese armdrag. Flying headscissors by Marty gets two, then he keeps Shawn in the hold. Shawn eventually finds a way out of the hold, only to miss an elbowdrop as Jannetty backdrops him to remain in control. Marty whips into the buckle, with Shawn taking his classic flip bump in the corner and landing on the floor. Meanwhile, Shawn grabs his belt and walks to the back more than happy to accept a countout defeat… but Mr. Perfect appears on the ramp and stops him as we go to a break.
Commercial break
We return with Marty in control. He goes for yet another flying headscissors, but Shawn blocks it and turns it into a stungun. Shawn slows things down with some choking on the ropes, followed by a running guillotine on the middle rope. And Michaels hits the chinlock, while Perfect is still looking on. Marty tries to fight out of the chinlock, but a Shawn dropkick stops him in his tracks. Shawn goes for another dropkick, but Marty blocks it and catapults Shawn into the post for a delayed nearfall. Jannetty picks up the pace as he makes the comeback, unloading on Shawn with a series of punches. Scoop powerslam gets two. Jannetty fakes a springboard crossbody to distract Shawn, eventually connecting with it once Shawn turns around. O’Connor roll gets two for Marty, Shawn reverses it for two of his own (with a handful of tights), and Marty eats the Superkick once he gets back up. However, Shawn stops to mock Perfect at ringside, who throws his towel at him and allows Marty to cradle Shawn for the pin and the title at 10:57.
Rating: Another fantastic match between these two former partners, much like the one they’d had at the Royal Rumble earlier in the year, with an unpredictable outcome this time around. This title change came from literally out of nowhere, but it was exciting to see it happen at the end of this really good fast-paced bout. ***1/2
Next week: Doink vs. Mr. Perfect for the final KOTR spot.
END OF THE SHOW
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Final thoughts: Probably the greatest episode thus far. This was a really exciting hour of wrestling, with a notable moment that everyone remembers to this day, as well as an exciting return by Marty Jannetty, which led to an impromptu Intercontinental Title match that resulted in a title change. Yokozuna continued the buildup for KOTR with a big win over Kamala, which is also a positive. This was a really fun hour of WWF TV, and a damn great episode of RAW. 8/10
That’s it for me today. Before finishing, I’d like to wish a great 2023 to all SmarKDown readers and supporters. Make sure you don’t miss the next review, WCW Slamboree ’93 feat. Big Van Vader vs. The British Bulldog for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship in the main event. We’ll come back with the RAW reviews immediately after that, as we continue the buildup towards WWF King of the Ring. See you next time!
Thank you all so much for your support/feedback on my series relating to the WWF/E Intercontinental Championship. It’s been a series I’ve wanted to do for a long time, covering the best champions who made this prestigious workhorse title mean so much throughout the decades. Throughout all the ups & downs, there were always gladiators to elevate the IC Title to epic-heights or return it to the Promised Land.
Over the last few months, we’ve ranked the very best Intercontinental Champions from the 2010s, 2000s, 1990s and 1980s (as well as including some VERY honourable mentions). Now it’s time to rank the absolute greatest Intercontinental Champions of ALL TIME. THESE are the title-holders who gave us the greatest matches, the greatest storylines, the greatest memories…the absolute best reigns in history. These wrestlers represented everything an Intercontinental Champion should be.
IMG Credit: WWE/Fox/Wrestling News
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Please note that unlike previous entries in this series, I will be focusing ONLY on the Top Ten here. There will be no Honourable Mentions here (otherwise, I’d be here all day!)
10. The Ultimate Warrior
IMG Credit: WWE/Sportskeeda
Jim Hellwig’s time as the Intercontinental Champion was a statement of total dominance; having made unforgettable history at both the beginning and the end of his tenure, as well as conquering all who stood before him. Warrior first captured the belt by demolishing the Honky Tonk Man in 27 seconds to end the longest-IC-Tile-reign-ever at SummerSlam 1988. Growing in popularity, improving as a wrestler, the Warrior squashed most opposition before embarking on a great feud with Rick Rude, which saw him lose the title at WrestleMania 5, and then win his second Intercontinental Title from the Ravishing One at SummerSlam 1989 in a thrilling match.
And then, after dominating Andre The Giant, the Ultimate Warrior took the Intercontinental Championship to the ultimate level; the Ultimate Challenge at WreslteMania 6, where in front of 67,678 fans in the Toronto Skydome, he defeated the Immortal Hulk Hogan to become the first-and-only man to hold both the WWF World and Intercontinental Titles simultaneously. It was a triumph and match for the ages! One that may never ever be repeated.
Two-reigns, a combined total of 434 days as IC Champ, vacating the championship after winning the WWF Championship? Yep, Jim Hellwig was indeed the ULTIMATE Intercontinental Champion! One whose legacy will always prevail!
09. Mr. Perfect
IMG Credit: WWE/Wrestling Observer
No one is perfect…unless of course, your name was Curt Hennig. This all-time great simply earned & deserved the moniker of ‘Mr. Perfect’ because of his talent in-and-out of wrestling; successfully scoring strike-after-strike, holes-in-one, no-look three-point basketball shots, running through the pool table, hitting home runs and nailing perfect bulls-eyes…and going on an impressive undefeated streak that ran for two-years!
After the Ultimate Warrior vacated the Intercontinental Championship, Mr. Perfect rebounded from his first-ever-loss; winning an eight-man tournament to claim the IC Title for the first-time by beating former champ/utter legend Tito Santana in the finals. Perfect retained his new title against Tito the following week then held the title for 126 days before he was upset for the gold at SummerSlam 1990 by Texas Tornado (Kerry Von Erich).
Perfect regained the championship from the Tornado on 19.11.1990, then held the title for a magnificent 280 days! The single-longest reign of the 90s! After successfully retaining the Intercontinental Title over-and-over again, Curt’s reign finally came to an end courtesy of Bret Hart’s Sharpshooter at SummerSlam 1991 in one of the all-time classic IC Title Matches. Technically-gifted with flawless timing and athleticism, Curt Hennig was truly one of the greatest ever. Though he may never have reached World-Title Status in WWE, Curt Hennig was indeed the PERFECT Intercontinental Champion.
08. The Miz
IMG Credit: WWE/aminoapps.com
After falling back down-to-Earth following his WWE Championship loss in 2011, the Miz won his first Intercontinental Championship in 2012 from Christian and had a solid-run. Then he had a second reign which lasted 24 hours, and a third reign which lasted 24 days, and a fourth reign which (AGAIN!) lasted 24 hours…it wasn’t looking good.
THEN the Miz won the title for a FIFTH TIME in 2016 and he cemented himself as one of the ALL-TIME GREATS to EVER hold the Intercontinental Championship! The Awesome One had long reincarnated as a Hollywood A-Lister, reunited with wife Maryse to form a white-hot heelish duo and proceeded to raise the trophy like it was the single-most-important prize in wrestling! Ending Zack Ryder’s 24-hour reign to much despair, The Miz went-on to defend the belt against the likes of Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn and Cesaro at Extreme Rules in one of the best matches EVER for the title! He had memorable feuds with Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns over the strap, and a legendary rivalry with Dolph Ziggler which included the epic Title vs. Career showdown…he constantly defended it on pay-per-view and weekly TV…
OH, YES…and there was that AWESOME promo Miz delivered on Talking Smack against all his haters and Daniel Bryan.
When Miz had finished with the Intercontinental Championship in 2018, he was an EIGHT-TIME CHAMPION; the second-most reigns behind Chris Jericho (who had 9 reigns). Miz’s COMBINED NUMBER OF DAYS as champion was 592! Second only to Pedro Morales’ combined total of 617 days! Miz is easily the best Intercontinental Champion of the 2010s, and it’s because of all the work he did to make the title mean something again…that he’s TRULY AWESOME.
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07. Razor Ramon
IMG Credit: WWE/Pinterest
Hey, Yo! Scott Hall wasn’t a bad guy…he was THE Bad Guy! Oozing and greasing with style, charisma, swagger, attitude and all the talent in the world, Razor Ramon made history on 04.10.1993 when he defeated Rick Martel for the vacant Intercontinental Championship. And Razor went-on to make SO much history with the title.
In the 90s, Razor became the first-ever FOUR-TIME Intercontinental Champion, which is still an impressive accomplishment to this day. Ramon’s accumulated time as champion totalled 434 days! Those achievements are amazing just by themselves…but first-and-foremost, it’s Razor’s feud with fellow Kliq buddy Shawn Michaels that truly cemented him as one of the best ever IC Champs! Two of the greatest matches of all-time were contested for the Intercontinental Championship with Ramon in the thick of it. No one will EVER forget the Bad Guy triumphing over HBK at WrestleMania 10 in the Ladder Match to become the undisputed IC Titleholder. Another (EQUALLY GOOD!) Ladder Match at SummerSlam 1995 will always be remembered as well!
Razor’s feuds with Diesel, Jeff Jarrett and Goldust are another big part of his success with the title. For all of this and more, Razor deserves a high-ranking not just on this list, but on the list for all-time great Intercontinental Champion. Another wrestling legend who is still missed to this day.
06. Shawn Michaels
IMG Credit: WWE/Tumblr – That Shit Was Hot
As we know, the Heartbreak Kid is one of the absolute greatest wrestlers – if not THE greatest wrestler – of all time. Shawn was another legend who used the Intercontinental Title to move-up the card and then achieve success as the WWF Champion. To this day, Michaels’ time as IC Champion is remembered for both being unforgettable in the ring, and controversial at the same time.
Shawn won his first Intercontinental Title from the British Bulldog on the final Saturday Night Main-Event in October 1992, then went-on to challenge Bret ‘Hitman’ Hart for the WWF Championship at Survivor Series 1992! Although that title-shot ended in defeat, HBK remained IC Champ and continued to defend the title against all-comers. He lost the belt to his old-friend Marty Jannetty on 17.05.1993 in what was regarded by many as WWF’s best match of 1993! Shawn would regain the title a few weeks later…and then was suspended for failing a drug-test, and stripped of the championship.
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Shawn turned the negative into a positive by returning from suspension with HIS Intercontinental Championship! Claiming he’d never been beaten for it, and thus perfectly setting-up Shawn & Razor Ramon’s Ladder Match Classic at WrestleMania 10. He would officially regain the title from Jeff Jarrett in 1995 and triumph over Razor in an equally-classic Ladder Bout at SummerSlam. Unfortunately, Shawn’s notorious-90s-ego got him into trouble when he was assaulted outside a bar in Syracuse, New York. Thus he had to forfeit the title to Dean Douglas (who lost it to Razor in no-time! That Kliq…). Despite all the infamy, Shawn still remains another legend who made the Intercontinental Belt mean so much.
05. Chris Jericho
IMG Credit: WWE/Pinterest
After beating Chyna for his first Intercontinental Championship at Armageddon 1999, Chris Jericho brought the championship into the new millennium, and from 2000 to 2009, the man dominated the Noughties overall as IC Titleholder; being involved in so many legendary storylines/feuds and classic matches involving the championship.
Feuding with a who’s-who of wrestling, Jericho battled Chyna, Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit, William Regal, Triple H, Kane, Rob Van Dam, Christian, Shelton Benjamin, Jeff Hardy, Kofi Kingston and Rey Mysterio over the Intercontinental Title; continuing to make the title one of the most prestigious in all of wrestling, as well as put over so many new stars/titleholders for the belt. Jericho even has the distinction of co-holding the IC Championship with Chyna in a storyline that worked brilliantly!
Although Jericho’s accumulated total of 311 days as Intercontinental Champion is surpassed by others, Y2J nonetheless still holds the record for most title victories with a staggering NINE IC Championship wins! Not just one of the greatest technical wrestlers/performers who ever lived, Chris Jericho is easily the best Intercontinental Champion of the 2000s.
04. Pedro Morales
IMG Credit: WWE/Ring The Damn Bell
One of the most popular wrestlers of all time, this Latino star made so much history throughout his career. Having already been one of the longest-reigning and most successful WWF Champions ever, Pedro Morales won his first Intercontinental Title on 08.12.1980 and thus became the FIRST-EVER Triple Crown Winner in WWF/E History.
After defeating Ken Patera for the IC Title, Morales elevated the belt even further with his victories over Larry Zbyszko, Stan Hansen, Sgt. Slaughter, and Killer Kahn. His feud with Don Muraco (as mentioned previously) was bloody, brutal & legendary, and saw the championship switch between the two fierce rivals. Pedro became the first-ever TWO-TIME IC Champion after beating Muraco in the Texas Death Match, then reigned for an INCREDIBLE 424 DAYS! Morales continued to reign supreme as the Intercontinental Champion in rematches against the Magnificent Muraco (and other opponents), as well as enjoying a VERY heated-rivalry with Greg Valentine. Alas, despite being one of the most successful and revered wrestlers to have ever held the title, Pedro Morales’ time ran out in January 1983 when he lost the title again to his arch-rival Don Muraco.
Pedro Morales reigned for a combined total of 617 days as Intercontinental Champion. It’s a record that may never be broken. Made by a true legend who will not only live on forever in the Hall of Fame, but in the hearts of fans. Pedro Morales was simultaneously one of the greatest World and Intercontinental Champions in WWF/E History. Really, he deserves to be acknowledged as such.
03. The Honky Tonk Man
IMG Credit: WWE/Twitter – 80’s Wrestling
When the Honky Tonk Man proclaims himself the GREATEST Intercontinental Champion of ALL TIME…he has a MAJOR CLAIM that NO-ONE can match. His one-and-only reign with the IC Title lasted an INCREDIBLE 454 DAYS! The single-longest reign! It’s a record that may never, ever be broken!
Honky’s reign got off to a shocking start when he actually upset Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat to win the championship, and then he proceeded to royally p*** off wrestling fans by retaining his title via disqualification and count-out loss to keep the belt (with plenty of help from Jimmy Hart and Peggy Sue!). Steamboat, Billy Jack Haynes, George “The Animal” Steele, Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake…even Bruno Sammartino couldn’t take the IC Title from the Honky Tonk Man! Continuing to proclaim himself the greatest Intercontinental Champion of all-time, Honky Tonk lambasted all previous champions, especially Randy Savage, who turned-face and feuded furiously with the Elvis-impersonator over the belt.
After one year, two months and twenty-seven days…the Honky Tonk Man’s time finally ran out at SummerSlam 1988, where (as mentioned previously) the Ultimate Warrior CRUSHED HIM IN 27 SECONDS for the championship, and the WWE Universe REJOICED! Cool, cocky, bad…and ultimately successful! The Honky Tonk Man maybe the unlikeliest Intercontinental Champion of all time, but for having the single-longest-reign, THAT ALONE merits him a place in the Top Three!
02. Macho Man Randy Savage
IMG Credit: WWE/eWrestlingNews.com
What can we say about Randy Savage that hasn’t been said before? A first-rate wrestler, performer, character, superstar and talker, the Macho Man is also regarded by many as the DEFINITIVE Intercontinental Champion. And with the wonderful Miss Elizabeth by his side, Randy Savage’s legacy with-or-without the IC Championship lives on forever.
When Savage won his one-and-only Intercontinental Title, what followed was a MAMMOTH 414 DAY reign of PURE Macho Greatness! Upon defeating Tito Santana in the Boston Garden on 08.02.1986, Randy Savage truly defined everything an Intercontinental Titleholder SHOULD BE; an untouchable artist in the ring, proudly proclaiming the IC Belt as the SINGLE-BIGGEST-PRIZE in all of wrestling, and embarking on first-class title defences. The Macho-Man fought valiantly, tooth & nail or hook & crook, to retain the belt in rivalries with George “The Animal” Steele AND Bruno Sammartino! Randy even defeated then-WWF Champion Hulk Hogan whilst Intercontinental Champion (albeit via count-out)!
And then of course, there were his interviews. Savage’s promos were always funny, hypnotic, far-out and utterly brilliant, but talking-the-talk AS WELL AS walking-the-walk truly cemented the Macho Man as one of the greatest EVER to hold the IC Title. When Savage finally lost the championship to Ricky Steamboat in the timeless-masterpiece at WrestleMania 3, he was now PRIMED & READY for the Big One. And a year-later at WrestleMania 4, Randy Savage became the first-Intercontinental Champion to go on to become WWF World Champion.
Macho Man Randy Savage’s Intercontinental Title reign was simply one for the ages, and as unforgettable as the rest of his career/legacy. Both he and Miss Elizabeth will forever be missed and loved. OOOOOHHHH, YEEEAAAHHHH!!!
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01. Bret “Hitman” Hart
IMG Credit: WWE/Pinterest
After having long-proven himself as a tag-team specialist with Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart as The Hart Foundation, Bret Hart was now primed for singles-competition and immediately set his sights on the Intercontinental Championship in 1991. After chasing Mr. Perfect at live-events, Bret FINALLY bagged the title in Madison Square Garden at SummerSlam. It was the FIRST of THREE all-time classic bouts for the Intercontinental Championship that the Hitman partook in. Arguably the BEST-EVER matches for the IC Title, and for that alone, Bret would rank very high on this list.
But week-after-week, show-after-show, Hart would defend the Intercontinental Championship proudly and valiantly like it was the single-greatest-prize in wrestling. Bret took on all-comers and personified everything a workhorse should be; especially with the Intercontinental Title. After losing the title to the Mountie in January 1992, Bret would regain the championship in ANOTHER timeless classic against Rowdy Roddy Piper at WrestleMania 8! Bret continued to defend the title proudly throughout 1992, including against Shawn Michaels in the first-ever ladder match in WWE! And then the Hitman took the belt all the way to Wembley Stadium – in the main-event of SummerSlam – losing it to the British Bulldog in a match for the ages.
With two unforgettable reigns – totalling 288 days! – Bret Hart made arguably more history with the Intercontinental Championship than any other superstar. And of course, he went on to become one of the greatest WWF Champions of all-time. Not just the greatest IC Champ of the 90s, but for my money the BEST IC Champ there was, is and ever will be!
So…what do YOU think of this list? Agree with the picks? Who were YOUR favourite Intercontinental Champions of ALL TIME? PLEASE DISCUSS! The final chapter of this series will look at the Greatest Intercontinental Championship Matches of All Time. See you all soon!
Happy New Year everyone! Tanner here to give you the run down of the best of 2022 in wrestling!
IMG Credit: WWE via Youtube
Promotion Of The Year: WWE
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IMG Credit: CBS Sports
2022 was arguably the craziest year in all of wrestling and WWE objectively took the biggest hits, but those hits didn’t hurt then at all it seems as they managed to produce an insane year of new stars and new stories. After Vince McMahon shockingly announced his “retirement” from his run as Chairman of WWE, Stephanie McMahon and Nick Khan took over, but basically gave the job to Triple H who has led the charge to WWE being the hottest act out now. After subjectively getting their butts kicked by AEW these past couple years, a sudden turn took place and WWE is starting to look like the “cool” promotion to watch again. Although WWE had its giants flaws this year, they took all that an buried it with all the fantastic television produced.
PPV Of The Year: WWE Clash At The Castle
IMG Credit: DAZN
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This year WWE took its first ppv trip to the UK since 2003 with its introduction to ‘Clash at the Castle’ giving their UK fans the big experience they deserved while partially showcasing Europe’s best. From Gunther vs Sheamus to Roman Reigns vs Drew McIntyre, banger after banger was the theme of this electric crowded show. There was never a dull moment, even the womens title match was decent! Emotional, exciting, thrilling. This show personified what WWE does best and that’s their ppvs. Can’t wait for them to go back!
Breakout Star Of The Year: Carmelo Hayes
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IMG Credit: Daily DDT
NXT’s big standout this year was the newbie Carmelo Hayes who suddenly received a big push winning the North American Championship in October of 2021. In 2022 he continued his dominance defeating Roderick Strong to unified/retire the Cruiserweight Championship. Throughout the year he defended his title in fantastic matches while looking fresh as hell. He managed to win back the title after losing at NXT Stand & Deliver and had another fantastic reign. Now it seems that chapter has closed and perhaps 2023 will be an even bigger year for the future star…
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Promo Of The Year: “You f***ing mark, fire me!!”
IMG Credit: Wrestling Headlines
Fresh off a complete squash loss to Wardlow at AEW Double Or Nothing, MJF cut a fiery promo on the real life situation with his boss Tony Khan regarding his treatment in the company. This promo would go on to be infamous for not only drawing the lines between reality and fiction, but also made headlines for MJF’s explicit use of the f word in an emotional tantrum following his issues with money on not being at the top. Looking back at this after what has happened, this has to be one of the best builds to a World Title Win ever. Whether it was intentional or not, this promo started one of the greatest stories AEW has ever told.
Faction Of The Year: The Blackpool Combat Club
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IMG Credit: TV Tropes
Forming off the quick blood feud between Jon Moxley and Bryan Danielson, former NXT general manager William Regal took a visit to AEW to snap these two out of it and make them release they’re better as a team then at war with each other. Quickly they became a dominant team and helped form the really really long feud against Chris Jericho’s appreciation society. Soon they recruited upcoming underdog Wheeler Yuta after Moxley nearly beat the life out of him just to test how much respect he had for him.
After Claudio Castagnoli aka Cesaro left WWE and joined AEW, he joined the BCC and led the charge against Jericho and his meat riders in the second ever Blood & Guts match. They continued to feud with them for the rest of the year, but always had side quest of some sort to make them look like the badass team they were to basically cover up that AEW had zero idea what to do with them after the Jericho feud. Loved this group a lot this year.
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Wrestler Of The Year: Seth Rollins
IMG Credit: New York Post
One word you can use to describe Seth Rollins in 2022 is ‘workhorse.’ Rollins built a fantastic, snarky, cocky character while constantly delivering fantastic matches. Leading his top feuds this year, aka making them fun, Rollins was constantly the life of the party in 2022. Improving his moveset, evolving his storytelling skills, and becoming one of the most interesting characters to watch on television, Rollins proved that it’s never too late be at your best. From feuds with Cody Rhodes to Matt Riddle, Seth managed to make everything involving him feel right while managing to secure a championship in between. 2022 was truly the year of Rollins…will 2023 be even better?
Match Of The Year: FTR vs The Briscoes II | ROH Death Before Dishonor
IMG Credit: Slam Wrestling
FTR and The Briscoes were truly one of the best pairings to ever grace my screen in my time watching wrestling. With such a different wrestling style from one another, they managed to adapt to said styles and create some of the best matches all year. The best one they produced was their over 40 minute two out of three falls ppv main event. This was them just WRESTLING. They did so at Supercard of Honor, but wrestled nearly twice as long as before. Even then they managed to have a more exciting and intense match with the uncertainty of what would happen making it an even better experience. There was zero BS in this match, these guys just beat the hell out of one another and it was the best match of the whole year!
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So what did you think of wrestling this year? What are your choices for the awards presented today? Want to see more? Subscribe to SmarkDown’s Blog TODAY to receive more content just like this!
May 10, 1993 Location: Manhattan, New York, USA (Manhattan Center) Announced attendance: ca 1 200 TV rating: 2.5 (USA Network)[down 3.85% from the previous week’s 2.6]
Hello everyone, welcome to yet another RAW review here on the blog. In the fallout from last week’s IC Title match, Shawn Michaels puts the gold on the line against Hacksaw Jim Duggan once more, this time in a Lumberjack Match. Bam Bam Bigelow meets Typhoon in a King of the Ring qualifying match. Plus, Yokozuna and Mr. Perfect are in action, aside from being lumberjacks in the main event.
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Here is the list of champions in the WWF heading into this RAW:
WWF Champion: Hulk Hogan [36th day of his 5th reign] – previous champion: Yokozuna
WWF Intercontinental Champion: Shawn Michaels [195th day of his 1st reign] – previous champion: The British Bulldog
WWF World Tag Team Champions: Money Inc. (Ted DiBiase & Irwin R. Schyster) [209th day of their 2nd reign] – previous champions: The Natural Disasters (Earthquake & Typhoon)
Note: in title matches, the defending champions’ names appear underlined
Enjoy the review!
IMG credit: WWE & thesmackdownhotel.com
Your hosts are Vince McMahon, Bobby Heenan & Randy Savage
Earlier tonight: Lord Alfred Hayes interviews Shawn Michaels out in the streets of New York. A wild Mr. Perfect appears and they brawl in the middle of the fans. Perfect even tosses Shawn into a car and breaks the windshield. Well, that’s a slightly different start to the show!
The RAW intro plays and Vince is all excited this week.
KOTR Tournament Qualifying – Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Typhoon
Shoulderblocks are no-sold to start, as Vince is all like “talk about the beef” here. Typhoon powerslams Bam Bam and goes into a wristlock, but Bigelow rakes the eyes returns the powerslam. Bam Bam misses a headbutt, however, and Typhoon tries the wristlock again. Bigelow powers out of it with a backdrop suplex, but Typhoon pops right back up and dumps Bam Bam to the floor with a clothesline. And the crowd goes mild. Seriously, it’s crazy how Typhoon fell down the card as soon as Earthquake left the WWF for Japan. Back in, Bam Bam rams Typhoon’s head into the post twice to take back control. Bigelow goes to a chinlock, because that’s exactly the best way to capitalize after you’ve thrown a man’s skull into a post twice. Typhoon sends Bigelow into the buckle to escape, but Bam Bam goes back to the chinlock and we take a break.
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Commercial break
Typhoon takes Bigelow down with a clothesline when we return, and Vince declares this a SEE-SAW MATCHUP BACK AND FORTH, thus nearly ruining his entire reputation with such a controversial statement. Bigelow picks up Typhoon for a Samoan drop and follows it up with the diving headbutt, which is enough for him to advance at 5:08.
Rating: Just a match, really. Typhoon had no chance whatsoever, Bam Bam is in the tournament at the PPV, moving on. *1/2
Meanwhile, the Smoking Gunns are coming soon to the WWF. Man, these vignettes are so poorly edited it’s not even funny.
Yokozuna (w/ Mr. Fuji) vs. PJ Walker
Been a while since Yoko’s wrestled on RAW. He seemed to wrestle every single week during the buildup to WM. And even before I can even finish typing this, Vince announces Yoko will take on Kamala next week. Meanwhile, Heenan has the balls to say, and I quote: “what a proud man, Yokozuna. I felt so sorry at WrestleMania with the way he was jobbed”. Vince is all like “well…” and immediately hypes up Hogan/Yoko at King of the Ring. I bet he got that look from Vince right away. Yoko absolutely murders the future Aldo Montoya / Justin Credible with a belly to belly followed by a massive legdrop. Running buttsplash and the Banzai damn near breaks the poor kid in half at 2:12. That finish was nuts.
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Rating: Just incredible squash for Yoko on his way to Hulk Hogan at King of the Ring. 3/4*
King of the Ring Report w/ Mean Gene
Brought to you by IcoPro, which is brought to you by Lex Luger!
WWF Champion Ghost Hogan (where the hell are you?) defends his title against Yokozuna at the PPV
Mean Gene runs down the list of people already qualified for the tournament. It goes as follows:
Bret Hart automatically in due to his controversial title loss
Lex Luger advanced over Bob Backlund via count-out
Razor Ramon qualified over Tito on Superstars
Jim Duggan beat Papa Shango on Wrestling Challenge
Bam Bam Bigelow beat Typhoon earlier tonight
There are only 3 spots left, and Gene announces 2 qualifying matches for this coming week – Mr. Perfect vs. Doink on Challenge, and Giant Gonzalez vs. Tatanka on Superstars
Mr. Perfect vs. Iron Mike Sharpe
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Before the match, Perfect stuffs his gum in the RAW girl’s mouth. And she likes it, perhaps hoping perfection’s contagious. Mike no-sells a shoulderblock to start, so Perfect leapfrogs over and dropkicks him all the way to the floor. Perfect lays in the chops back inside the ring, rams Mike’s head into the buckle repeatedly and the Perfect necksnap connects. Sharpe throws a couple of chops with extra mustard himself, leading into a chopfest that is won by Perfect. Sharpe misses a blind charge and Perfect gets two. Meanwhile, Heenan flips through the channels to avoid watching Perfect wrestle, but Perfect overcomes Bobby’s hate and NOW YOU’RE GONNA SEE A PERFECTPLEX at 4:40.
Rating: Pretty fun for a squash. It was nice to see Iron Mike Sharpe being allowed to shine, as he was one of the company’s best jobbers for more than a decade. This was much better than it had any right to be, as Perfect has clearly been the episode’s MVP thus far. **
Up next: Mr. Hughes’ WWF debut match.
Mr. Hughes (w/ Harvey Wippleman) vs. The Cannonball Kid
Second week for Mr. Kid here. This will be important very soon! Hughes throws Kid around for a while, big boot and a chokeslam of sorts ends it at 2:19.
Rating: Just a squash. Not very impressive for a debut. 1/4*
Main Event
WWF Intercontinental Championship – Lumberjack Match: Shawn Michaels vs. Jim Duggan
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The lumberjacks, as seen in the match card graphic above, are: Mr. Perfect, Typhoon, Bob Backlund, Terrific “Rooster No More” Terry Taylor, Bam Bam Bigelow, Typhoon, Mr. Hughes and Yokozuna.
Duggan jumps Yokozuna during his entrance. Shawn, sporting street clothes, comes out on crutches due to Perfect’s attack earlier in the show to avoid defending the title. However, Mr. Perfect goes after him and Shawn runs back into the ring to escape, leading to the official start of the match. Duggan with an atomic drop and Shawn is selling like a fish tonight. Duggan picks up Shawn for a few slams onto the buckles, and Duggan drops an elbow for two. Duggan slugs away on Michaels while ripping his shirt apart, and a delayed vertical suplex gets two. The beating continues as Shawn takes his classic bump in the corner. Duggan with a clothesline that Michaels sells brilliantly, and onto the corner for some choking while Yokozuna looks on. Hacksaw locks in a modified chinlock and onto the bearhug. Shawn finally gets something in with an eye rake, but Duggan quickly cuts him off without even trying, while Shawn gets “Shawn is gay” chants from the crowd. Duggan dumps Michaels onto the babyface lumberjacks, who prevent him from taking a walk as we go to break.
Commercial break
We’re back with Duggan slamming Shawn, only to miss a kneedrop. Meanwhile, Shawn takes off his own boot and hits Duggan with it, knocking him into the outside. Shawn with the classic guillotine buttdrop by the middle rope, as Shawn finally takes the driver’s seat in this match. Duggan tries to turn things around, but eats boot on a missed blind charge in the corner and Michaels gets two. Michaels tunes up Sweet Chinlock Music, but Duggan fights out with a backdrop. Duggan plants Shawn with a delayed powerslam for a nearfall. Three Point Stance connects, but like in every other Jim Duggan match, the impact ends up knocking the opponent to the floor. And we take a final break.
Commercial break
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Vince is yelling when we return because WE’RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME! Don’t worry, if we do run out of time you’ll show us the finish next week, much like you did with that Undertaker match a couple of months ago, right Vince?! Michaels tries to run wild but knocks himself silly after eating post on a missed running splash in the corner. Duggan gets distracted with Bam Bam Bigelow on the apron, though, and Michaels smartly dumps Duggan onto Yokozuna so he can finish the job for him. Yoko absolutely MURDERS Duggan with a legdrop on the floor, and Duggan is easy pickings. Yoko throws Duggan’s carcass back in the ring so Shawn can pin him, but Perfect jumps Shawn before he can do it and causes the DQ at 17:20.
Rating: This has to be considered an absolute miracle after their terrible normal match last week. It was basically a giant beatdown from the first minute to the last, with Duggan beating HBK from pillar to post until the DQ finish. The DQ doesn’t hurt the match that much for me, since it was about to end anyway. But we know Duggan was saving the job for Yokozuna in his final date with the WWF, setting up Hulk Hogan’s job for Yokozuna in HIS final date with the WWF. Some things never change! Well, at least Duggan didn’t walk away from here with the belt. Shawn’s bumping made this a lot better than expected, while the lumberjacks didn’t steal the spotlight at all until their natural involvement near the end. One of Duggan’s all-time best WWF matches, if not the best. **3/4
BRAND NEW WWF figures ad! Looks like they’ve finally removed British Bulldog from the ad, now that he’s scheduled to challenge Vader for the WCW World Title at Slamboree. What a coincidence! Sgt. Slaughter is no longer in the ad either, having retired nearly a year prior.
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Meanwhile, we’re back with Finkel announcing Shawn as the official winner via DQ. Perfect jums him once again, leading to a fight involving all the lumberjacks. Duggan runs everyone off with the 2×4 as this week’s show fades to black.
END OF THE SHOW
Final thoughts: A solid weekly episode that wasn’t a pain to sit through. Imagine that. It started on fire with a VERY rare street fight for 1993 WWF, between Michaels and Perfect. There was also a KOTR qualifying match and a big IC title match in the main event, which helped carry this week’s show. Mr. Hughes’ squash was very forgettable for a debut, but besides that it was a solid RAW. Even Mr. Perfect vs. Iron Mike Sharpe was a joy to watch! 6/10
POINT SYSTEM
That’s all from me today. Don’t miss any RAW review here on the blog, as well as the upcoming PPVs: WCW’s Slamboree in May, and WWF’s King of the Ring in June. Also, download our web-app for a quick and easier access to the site, which you can find in the link bar on top of the page. See you all next time. Have a GREAT 2023, people!
Do you enjoy the content we put out here on SmarKDown? If so and you would like to support us, please consider donating as it would help us improve. You can donate yearly, monthly or just once, choosing one of the amounts below or a custom one as you wish. All donations are appreciated!
May 3, 1993 Taped show (on April 26, 1993) Location: Manhattan, New York, USA (Manhattan Center) Announced attendance: ca 1 000 TV rating: 2.6 (USA Network)[down 18.75% from the previous week’s 3.2]
Hey everyone, welcome to yet another RAW review here on the blog. Doink the Clown, Kamala, The Headshrinkers and Kamala are all in action this week. Furthermore, Hacksaw Jim Duggan challenges Shawn Michaels for the Intercontinental Championship. We’re just about a month away from the first-ever King of the Ring PPV in June.
Here is the list of champions in WWF heading into this RAW (reign duration considering the air date):
WWF Champion: Hulk Hogan [29th day of his 5th reign] – previous champion: Yokozuna
WWF Intercontinental Champion: Shawn Michaels [188th day of his 1st reign] – previous champion: The British Bulldog
WWF World Tag Team Champions: Money Inc. (Ted DiBiase & Irwin R. Schyster) [202nd day of their 2nd reign] – previous champions: The Natural Disasters (Earthquake & Typhoon)
Note: in title matches, the defending champions’ names appear underlined
Enjoy the review!
IMG credit: WWE & thesmackdownhotel.com
Your hosts are Vince McMahon, Bobby Heenan & Randy Savage
This week begins with Shawn Michaels coming out to the ring for his IC title defense.
RAW’s intro plays before Jim Duggan makes his way down to the ring.
WWF Intercontinental Championship – Shawn Michaels vs. Jim Duggan
Duggan does his usual routine to start, while Michaels keeps walking out of the ring. Duggan strikes first with a series of three consecutive clotheslines, and Shawn bails. Duggan slugs away back inside with some horrible looking punches, and Shawn tries to take a walk and keep the belt via count-out but Duggan takes him back to the ring. And we take a break.
Commercial break
We’re back with Shawn outsmarting Duggan and finally turning things around with a necksnap on the top rope. Shawn unloads on Duggan and chokes away with the help of the ropes. Michaels continues cheating and goes up top for a flying double axehandle. Shawn goes to a chinlock while Vince mentions this is the first title shot Duggan ever got in his WWF career. Hm, how about that time he challenged Rick Rude for the IC title on SNME in 1989? How about that other time he challenged Sgt. Slaughter for the WWF CHAMPIONSHIP in 1991, also on SNME? Anyway, a blind charge by Duggan only finds Shawn’s boot in the corner, and Shawn drops a pair of elbows for two. Shawn goes back to the chinlock, as this match keeps sucking despite the loud crowd. Duggan makes a small comeback attempt that Shawn quickly kills with a knee to the gut, and Shawn dumps him to the floor. Michaels rakes Duggan’s face on the ropes, and goes back to the chinlock… again. This match is painful. Duggan escapes and unloads with the corner punches, followed by the spinning powerslam. That sets up the 3 Point Stance Clothesline, which ends up knocking Michaels all the way to the floor. Duggan follows Shawn and clotheslines him over the railing, which is enough to give Duggan the count-out win but not the IC title at 11:17.
Rating: This is possibly the worst Shawn Michaels singles match I have ever seen in my entire life. There wasn’t much Duggan could do at this stage in his career besides yelling ‘USA’ and ‘OOH’, so it was dumb to give this 11 minutes, especially considering the finish. *1/2
Duggan throws furniture around afterwards and claims he was wronged with this decision, apparently not knowing the rules. Duggan says he won’t leave the ring until he gets another chance, and sits in a chair in the middle of the ring as the show goes to commercial.
The show comes back on the air with Duggan still in the ring.
King of the Ring Report w/ Mean Gene
Brought to you via ICOPRO, via Crush!
Okerlund runs down the list of wrestlers already qualified for KOTR: Bret Hart is automatically in it for being screwed out of the WWF title at WM 9, while Lex Luger qualified last week.
Mr. Perfect and Doink the Clown wrestled to a draw in a qualifying match last week on Superstars. Mean Gene says there will be a rematch on TV soon.
Yokozuna will challenge Hulk Hogan for the WWF Championship at the PPV.
Mean Gene has been told Jim Duggan has just left the ring and he’s calling Jack Tunney.
This week’s KOTR qualifying matches:
Tito Santana vs. Razor Ramon on WWF Superstars
Jim Duggan vs. Papa Shango on WWF Wrestling Challenge
Doink the Clown vs. Kamikaze Kid
Kamizake Kid is making his debut here, and he would become sort of a big deal in coming weeks. Doink jumps The Kid right away and beats him from pillar to post. Overhead suplex by Doink into an STF, but Doink releases the hold so he can add more punishment. Doink drops some elbows and finishes with the Stump Puller at 2:07.
Rating: Decisive win for Doink, who continues to climb up the ladder in the WWF. Kamikaze Kid (Sean Waltman) would become a regular jobber in the next number of weeks, until he shocked the world out of nowhere one week and became the 1-2-3 Kid. 1/2*
WWF Mania ad featuring Todd Pettengill plays.
Bob Backlund vs. Duane Gill
Gillberg refuses the handshake to start, so Backlund wrestles him down to the mat. Backlund sweeps the leg to remain in control, as Gill hides on the ropes. Gill takes Backlund down for a headscissors, while the commentators announce Michaels and Duggan will have a rematch for the IC title next week, this time in a Lumberjack match. Vince says Jack Tunney has been making a lot of great decisions as of late. That’s Barry Horowitz’s gimmick, man. Gill works an armscissors for about a minute next, as you can just feel the crowd’s excitement of watching a jobber in complete control over a veteran who held the World Title for FIVE YEARS. Backlund bridges and rolls through, muscling his way out of the hold before taking Gill down with a backdrop. Bob cradles Gill into the bridging position for the win at 3:40.
Rating: The final 30 seconds were pretty cool, I’ll give them that. Outside of that, no one was into Bob Backlund as the happy-go-lucky veteran babyface wanting to recapture the hearts of the fans. Him exchanging wrestling holds for minutes with Duane Gill of all people didn’t help matters in any way. 1/4*, all for the finishing sequence.
Tatanka wants you to try IcoPro.
Jim Duggan interview
Duggan comes out for an interview at ringside with Vince. He’s glad Jack Tunney gave him a second chance after his win in tonight’s title match. Vince tells him to be careful, as there will be many people around the ring in the Lumberjack match, including some folks who may not particularly like Mr. Duggan. But Duggan isn’t worried, as he’s used to having multiple people around him from his football days. He’ll be the Intercontinental Champion after next week.
Meanwhile, Captain Lou Albano makes his WWF return and joins commentary for this next match.
The Headshrinkers (Samu & Fatu) (w/ Afa) vs. Jay Sledge & Jim Bell
Albano wastes no time in mentioning his time managing the Wild Samoans, and how he doesn’t like what the Samoans have been doing lately. Also, he doesn’t like Bobby Heenan whatsoever. The Headshrinkers jump the jobbers right off the bat, and Samu dumps one of them for a brief beatdown outside. Meanwhile, Vince announces Yokozuna will be one of the lumberjacks next week. In other words, Duggan is f*cked! Back to the match, as Fatu superkicks each jobber. The Headshrinkers follow it up with a double team spike piledriver, and now Albano likes what they’re doing. Fatu chokes away on the ropes, and Albano convinces him not to cheat in Samoan. The Headshrinkers remain in control, until Fatu finishes one of the jobbers with the flying splash at 5:42.
Rating: This went on a bit too long, but at least it had a story. 1/2*
Smack ‘Em Whack ‘Em commercial: The Bushwhackers do something stupid with Lord Alfred Hayes.
Main Event
Kamala vs. Rich Myers
They’ve really been going for the old Saturday Night’s Main Event strategy in recent weeks, putting the marquee match on first and then having all the filler near the end. We learn Mr. Perfect will also be a lumberjack next week. In other words, Shawn is f*cked! You know the deal by know – Kamala absolutely dominates the guy, hits the splash and only gets the win at 3:07 after Slick & the crowd tell him to properly do a pinfall. Who seriously thought Kamala as a babyface would be a good idea?
Rating: This sucks. DUD
Bobby Heenan is in the back for an interview with Shawn Michaels, who can’t believe Jack Tunney’s decision. He says it’s crazy how Duggan can call Tunney at home, while Shawn can’t even have the man’s phone number. He reminds us he has a few friends out there, though.
END OF THE SHOW
Final thoughts: Definitely a decline after last week’s surprisingly enjoyable episode, but at least stuff is happening now. King of the Ring qualifying matches are already happening, the IC title is being featured prominently in the absence of the World Title (where is Hogan?), and the Headshrinkers are now going somewhere as well. We’re slowly heading in the right direction compared to the last few months, but this particular episode wasn’t exactly enjoyable. The fact that Michaels/Duggan wasn’t any good doesn’t help. Still, props for actually trying lately, WWF. 4/10
POINT SYSTEM
That’s all from me today. Don’t miss any RAW review here on the blog, as well as the upcoming PPVs: WCW’s Slamboree in May, and WWF’s King of the Ring in June. Also, download our web-app for a quick and easier access to the site, which you can find in the link bar on top of the page. See you all next time. Merry Christmas!
Do you enjoy the content we put out here on SmarKDown? If so and you would like to support us, please consider donating as it would help us improve. You can donate yearly, monthly or just once, choosing one of the amounts below or a custom one as you wish. All donations are appreciated!
Heading into Autumn/Winter 2000, Kane may have failed to recapture the WWF Championship, but he still remained a major contender for the throne. Kane joined a hugely colourful main-event scene in 2000 that consisted of The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Undertaker, Triple H, Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho, Rikishi and Kurt Angle.
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Heading into 2001, Kane was one of the favourites to win the Royal Rumble. Alas, he did not…but he gave the performance of his life! Eliminating 11 superstars (a record which would stand for 13 years!), lasting 53 minutes, 46 seconds and making it down to the final two! Only eliminated by the winner Stone Cold Steve Austin. Kane and the Undertaker again put aside their differences, and actually now seemed to stand side-by-side as the Brothers of Destruction.
Heading into WrestleMania 17, Undertaker was on a collision-course with Triple H. Whilst Kane and the Big Show were set to clash again, Hardcore Champion Raven had been caught in the crossfire. Forced by Commissioner William Regal to defend the title, it would be a triple-threat match for the Hardcore Championship at the greatest WrestleMania of all time!
The Match Itself
GOD… I love this show. The Reliant Astrodome… 67,925 fans making for the BEST atmosphere possible in Houston…FABULOUS…
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Raven comes out first, with a shopping trolley full of useful special offers to help in his defence against Kane and the Big Show. “Quite frankly, I don’t like Raven’s chances here,” says Jim Ross. “Quite frankly, I think Raven has only one thing to do in this match,” says Paul Heyman. “Run like hell!” (JR chuckles! I do too!) As Raven starts chucking in the trolley’s contents into the ring, Kane’s pyro goes off and he ominously marches to the ring to a fantastic ovation!
“Who, may I ask you, Paul…? WHO…is more intimidating than the Big Red Machine?” asks Jim Ross. “Kane scares the HELL out of me!” agrees Paul. “And I am a fearless man!” LMFAO! Seriously…genius, thy name is Heyman.
IMG Credit: WWE/Bleacher Report
Anyway, back to business. Kane enters the ring and summons fire, much to the godlike Texas crowd’s adulation. Kane has his eyes locked on Raven, who tentatively enters the ring. Then he picks up a plastic sign to twat Kane with it. No effect, the bell rings, Raven then picks up a metal sign to hit Kane…it does nothing, and Kane wastes no time in battering Raven. The Big Show’s music hits (I really loved his original theme that Jim Johnston composed!) and the Giant is on his way to the ring, whilst Kane is still mercilessly battering the Hardcore Champion. Already, this is off to a good start!
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The commentators put over Big Show…um, BIG (?) on commentary as he marches intently toward the ring. When he gets to ringside, Kane gorilla-presses Raven over his head, throws him over the top-rope onto the Big Show, who effortlessly catches Raven and prepares to deliver the Final Cut on the floor. Big Show smiles evilly, toying with his prey. But that leaves him open for Kane! The Big Red Machine FLIES off the top-turnbuckle TO THE FLOOR! Wiping out the Big Show with a massive clothesline!
Raven spies his chance perfectly! He’s IMMEDIATELY on top of the Giant with a cover! Referee Jim Korderas is there to count, but Kane breaks it up in time. Kane decks Raven over the barricade into the crowd. Paul Heyman points out the champion instincts of Raven going for that pinfall attempt early (he is SO on form with his commentary throughout this show!), as Kane scoops up Raven for an attack, only to eat a massive foot from the Big Show; who’s followed them into the masses.
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Raven’s trying to get some distance, buy himself some time. As Kane & the Big Show are in pursuit, so’s the ref to make sure he’s there to count the pin (I always liked Jim Korderas…). The crowd are having a great time! I’m having fun watching this! Kane and Big Show are slugging it out in the throng of humanity (as JR brilliantly calls the action), the cameraman’s trying to keep up with it all, Kane’s on his way to the back to find Raven, but the opportunistic Hardcore Champion surprises Kane with a street sign! Getting some nice shots in on Kane’s head! Raven’s advantage doesn’t last long, sadly. Kane chucks Raven against the nearest wall, then the Big Show catches up to them; body-slamming Kane on some wooden pallets before chasing after Raven.
IMG Credit:WWE/Tape Machines Are Rolling – WordPress.com
“C’mon, Raven!” growls Big Show. “You wanna be hardcore?!” He then shoves both Raven and the ref into another area, then padlocks the gate to stop Kane from joining in. Nice try, Show…but KANE once ripped the Hell In A Cell door off its hinges! So it’s CHILD’S PLAY for Kane to get passed a padlocked gate! Kane proceeds to break a broomstick and a 2×4 across the Giant’s back, Raven picks his spot again, trying to choke Kane out with a bit of hosepipe. But Kane merely bashes Raven against some mesh-fencing.
The brawling continues backstage, with Kane now choking Raven with the hosepipe, before using it to THROW RAVEN THROUGH A WINDOW!!! OUCH!!! Big Show’s back again, proceeding to Irish-whip Kane into a door! The door buckles, and then Big Show Avalanches Kane RIGHT THROUGH THE DOOR! A thoroughly annoyed Show now goozles Kane, looking to chokeslam him on the floor! But Kane goozles Show! God, Paul Wight’s expression is hilarious! The two then proceed to reenact the T-800 vs T-1000 hallway fight from Terminator 2 and smash each other through a single-plywood wall! It’s all incredibly daft! And that’s why I LOVE IT!
IMG Credit: WWE/Reddit.com
Both Kane and the Big Show are down. The door of the room opens, and Raven pops out of the woodwork again! Picking up a nearby table to bring down on Big Show’s head! The Hardcore Champion is fighting smart here! But the Giant is slowly back up to his feet. Raven decks a nearby staff member, and commandeers a golf-cart to getaway. He’s not fast enough for the Big Show, though! Who hitches a lift and starts choking Raven whilst he’s driving! The two-crash – AND VERY NEARLY ran over a power cable which provided the live feed for WrestleMania 17! THANK GOD that didn’t happen!
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Raven gets out, the Big Show is still after him! Now Kane has commandeered the other golf cart (with Jim Korderas in the back), and he’s driving after them! BLOODY BRILLIANT! HOLY S***! Did Kane just run over Raven’s LEG when he hit him?! “Raven should get a medal for just showing up here!” says JR, and I agree with him! The insane brawling continues through backstage, eventually ending up on stage back in the arena. Raven’s crawling to get away, whilst Kane starts pummelling the Big Show furiously. Show ultimately flattens Kane with a clothesline!
IMG Credit: WWE/Reddit.com
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Kane then sits up, just as Big Show military presses Raven over his head. Kane then delivers a running boot right into Show’s face! It staggers the Giant and sends both him and Raven RIGHT OFF THE STAGE! CRASHING THROUGH PART OF THE SET! As if this can’t get anymore mental, Kane then DIVES OFF THE STAGE TO DELIVER A MASSIVE ELBOW DROP ON THE BIG SHOW! Jim Korderas counts the 1-2-3! KANE IS THE WINNER AND NEW HARDCORE CHAMPION AT 9:17!
Verdict
I loved the HELL out of this! As we know, WrestleMania 17 is the single-greatest WrestleMania – the single greatest wrestling show – of all time. I doubt that will ever change. From start-to-finish, I simply cannot name a single bad thing about this card, and this match was no exception.
This was an obvious mismatch for poor Raven, but the bout was played brilliantly. Raven knew he couldn’t possibly go toe-to-toe with either Kane or the Big Show, so he bid his time, survived as long as he could, and chose the right moments to get his shots in. The pacing of the match, the spots, the story…it was all just brilliant entertainment, which was what made the Hardcore Championship so special. I’d say 2001 was the best year for that title. Being defended in such a big-time match at ‘Mania, with two former world champions going for the belt, and of course, it would be elevated right to the main-event when Rob Van Dam got hold of the title.
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I always felt that Raven NEVER got the chance he deserved in the WWE (despite his success as Hardcore Champ). Compare his WWE run to everything he did in ECW and WCW, and you’ll see what I mean. Nevertheless, I felt that this was one of his top two matches in WWE, and I’m pleased he got a prominent WrestleMania match at least. I didn’t see this as a demotion for Kane or the Big Show, either. They needed something to do, and this fit the bill for them perfectly. It was a major win for Kane, and of course he’d go on to bigger & better soon after. Both Kane and Show delivered here, slugging it out brilliantly.
Nothing fancy. Just simple, hilarious fun. On the most amazing event EVER.
IMG Credit: WWE/Reddit.com
OVERALL RATING
7/10
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Next time, Kane decides to go after the Intercontinental Championship! And Triple H stands in his way! See you next time!
Do you enjoy the content we put out here on SmarKDown? If so and you would like to support us, please consider donating as it would help us improve. You can donate yearly, monthly, or just once, choosing one of the amounts below or a custom one as you wish. All donations are appreciated!
April 26, 1993 Location: Manhattan, New York, USA (Manhattan Center) Announced attendance: ca 1 000 TV rating: 3.2 (USA Network)[up 10.34% from the previous week’s 2.9]
Welcome to another RAW review. You can catch up all the previous weeks here if you’ve missed any. This week, Lex Luger faces Crush, Mr. Perfect battles Damien Demento, Typhoon is in action and Mr. Hughes makes his WWF debut.
Here is the list of champions in WWF heading into this week’s episode:
WWF Champion: Hulk Hogan [22nd day of his 5th reign] – previous champion: Yokozuna
WWF Intercontinental Champion: Shawn Michaels [181st day of his 1st reign] – previous champion: The British Bulldog
WWF World Tag Team Champions: Money Inc. (Ted DiBiase & Irwin R. Schyster) [195th day of their 2nd reign] – previous champions: The Natural Disasters (Earthquake & Typhoon)
Note: in title matches, the defending champions’ names appear underlined
Enjoy the review!
IMG credit: WWE & thesmackdownhotel.com
Your hosts are Vince McMahon, Bobby Heenan & Randy Savage
First and foremost… NO MORE ROB BARTLETT!!!
You tell ’em, Snoop!
The show’s intro kick us off tonight, and an excited Vince McMahon welcomes us to Mooooooonday Night RAAAAAAAAAWW! The Manhattan Center crowd immediately greets Heenan with the “weasel” chants, so you can tell they were dying to have him on the show as well.
Mr. Perfect vs. Damien Demento
IMG credit: WWE & Tape Machines Are Rolling
Lockup to start, leapfrog by Perfect into a dropkick and Demento bails immediately. He stops to ask the fans in the front row if they hear the voices as well. Thankfully a young Randy Orton wasn’t in attendance. Back in, Demento with a back elbow shot and he takes over with the CLUBBING BLOWS. You know they mean business when the clubbing blows are unleashed. Demento rams Perfect to the floor, with Perfect landing on the cameraman and taking him out. Demento whips Perfect into the buckle back inside, with Perfect selling his previously injured back like a madman. Only Mr. Perfect could even attempt to get something half decent out of Damien Demento. Perfect finally turns things around with a series of chops. Perfect with the kneelift and the Perfect necksnap, but Demento cuts him off with an elbow to the gut. Demento goes for a running splash but only finds Perfect’s knees, and NOW YOU’RE GONNA SEE A PERFECTPLEX at 4:56.
Rating: Holy cow this was a lot better than I expected. Sure, it’s Damien Demento so the bar is as low as it can get, but Perfect made the most of what he got and allowed Demento to shine a bit as well. The best Damien Demento match you’ll ever find anywhere. *3/4
We hear an essay from a young child titled “there’s no hope with dope”. The Undertaker pops up and repeats the title after her, which was pretty cool. Don’t do drugs, kids.
The Narcissist Lex Luger vs. Crush
IMG credit: WWE & History of Wrestling
They show the x-ray that Jack Tunney forced Luger to do on his forearm. There’s an exaggerated metal plate due to his motorcicle accident, but Vince says there’s nothing the WWF can do about it. They start with a hard lockup and Crush shoves Luger. Flexy Lexy shows off his big guns and asks for a test of strength. Crush kicks him in the midsection during the test of strength to take the advantage, follows it up with a gorilla press slam and Luger bails. The announcers mention someone in the crowd will propose to his girlfriend later tonight. Anyway, Luger slugs away back inside and takes control, but Crush leapfrogs and dropkicks Luger as we go to break.
Commercial break
We’re back with Crush blocking a hiptoss attempt by Luger, and turning it into a belly to belly for two. Crush misses a blind charge in the corner and Luger dumps Crush with a Macho Man high knee to the back. Luger follows Crush to the outside and slams Crush’s back into the post. Back in the ring, Luger goes to work on the back. Crush escapes a bearhug by slapping the ears, but gets caught by Luger with a powerslam for two. Luger tries a suplex, blocked by Crush who hits one himself instead. A backdrop suplex from Crush ends up hurting Crush’s injured back as much as Luger. Crush remains on top regardless with a slam into a legdrop for two. That sets up the HEADSQUEEZER OF DEATH and Luger’s in trouble. However, Crush spots Doink the Clown and releases the hold. Doink points to other side of the arena, where there’s a second Doink much like at WrestleMania. This distracts Crush even further, allowing Luger to knock Crush out with the LOADED FOREARM OF UNFAIR DOOM from behind, sending Crush all the way to the floor. Luger gets the count-out win at 13:00.
Rating: I was expecting a short match with some kind of dumb Doink-related finish, and while the second part was a given, the match itself was actually quite decent. Miles better than any match Crush had been in since his 1992 repackage, and while Luger used to have much better matches in WCW, he looked pretty good here. **1/2
They play on ad for the King of the Ring PPV, coming up on June 13.
Vince announces the first two qualifying matches for the KOTR tournament coming up later that week: Mr. Perfect vs. Doink on WWF Superstars, and Lex Luger vs. Bob Backlund on WWF Wrestling Challenge during the weekend.
WWF figures ad.
Mr. Hughes vs. Jason Knight
This is Hughes’ WWF debut after a forgettable WCW run in 1990-92. Hughes with a powerslam to start. Meanwhile, Heenan is so into this match that he’s shown zapping through the TV channels on commentary. Hughes finishes with sort of a modified Chokeslam at 2:07.
Rating: Just a regular squash. For a debut, it was far from impressive. 1/4*
The Smoking Gunns are coming to the WWF soon.
Vince McMahon interviews Shawn Michaels
IMG credit: WWE & IMDb
Vince wants to know how Shawn feels knowing he’ll not only have to defend the Intercontinental Championship against Mr. Perfect in the future, but he’ll also put it on the line next week on RAW against Hacksaw Jim Duggan. Shawn starts by saying he’s tired of coming to New York for RAW every week, and calls NYC the armpit of the USA. Michaels tries to continue the promo, but the crowd showers Shawn with a HUGE “Shawn is gay” chant. Heenan joins in on the chant, thinking the crowd is saying “Shawn is great”! Heenan is the man. Michaels addresses attacking Perfect backstage at WM 9, and that’s Perfect’s cue to come down to ringside. Big “Perfect” chant for him. Shawn cheapshots him while he’s entering the ring, then proceeds to get the hell outta town and Perfect chases him all the way to the back. Pretty good segment to set up their future title match.
Recap of last week’s WWF Superstars, with Bam Bam manhandling Sensational Sherri in the interview platform, only for Tatanka to come out for the save. Later in the broadcast, Tatanka didn’t show up for his scheduled match as Bam Bam beat him up backstage. Bigelow cut some of Tatanka’s hair in the end. Nice to see that the legacy of Brutus Beefcake lives on.
Main Event
Typhoon vs. Von Krus
Von Krus slugs away for a while to start, but Typhoon quickly turns it around with a backdrop and a clothesline. Meanwhile, Jim Duggan joins us live via phone call and hypes up his IC Title shot next week. Heenan wishes Duggan was here or he’d tear him apart! Savage: “well he’ll be here next week”, quickly putting Heenan in his place! Needless to say, Heenan was missed. Oh, there’s still a match in the ring, I forgot. Typhoon clotheslines Von Krus and splashes him for the win at 2:37.
Rating: Just filler. 1/4*
Bobby Heenan immediately jumps up for the final segment as soon as the bell rings. Heenan finds the couple who will get engaged tonight, and asks the man what his name is. “Paul Sosnowski”, Heenan: “one at a time”. LMAO. The guy proposes and Heenan instantly mocks the couple, and the guy is just dying with laughter while the girl is nearly crying. Heenan asks them to do the actual marriage on RAW also!
We go to a final break, see a Macho Man Slim Jim commercial and Vince promotes next week’s event: Shawn/Duggan for the IC Title, and Kamala is in action.
We’re back with Heenan continuing the ceremony. He knocks them one last time because of the wedding ring, and promises the wedding will happen on RAW again, which leaves the couple all worked up! This was fantastic.
END OF THE SHOW
Final thoughts: I thought this was a pretty good RAW frankly, after so many of weeks of nothing episodes. I was surprised by how decent both Perfect/Demento and Luger/Crush were, Shawn Michaels’ interview and eventual confrontation with Perfect was really good, and Bobby Heenan put the icing on the cake with that final segment. At just 45 minutes, this was a really easy watch and a very enjoyable RAW, even with the final two matches which which were “just there”. Also, shoutout to the couple who have a moment they will remember forever. Wherever you are (hopefully still together), you guys rule! 7/10
POINT SYSTEM
That’s all from me today. Don’t miss any RAW review here on the blog, as well as the upcoming PPVs: WCW’s Slamboree in May, and WWF’s King of the Ring in June. Also, download our web-app for a quick and easier access to the site, which you can find in the link bar on top of the page. See you all next time!
Do you enjoy the content we put out here on SmarKDown? If so and you would like to support us, please consider donating as it would help us improve. You can donate yearly, monthly or just once, choosing one of the amounts below or a custom one as you wish. All donations are appreciated!
April 19, 1993 Taped show (on April 12, 1993) Location: Poughkeepsie, New York, USA (Mid-Hudson Civic Center) Announced attendance: ca 3 500 TV rating: 2.9 (USA Network)[down 14.71% from the previous week’s 3.4]
Welcome everyone to another RAW review on the blog. This week, Money Inc. take on The Beverly Brothers in the marquee match. Aside from that, Razor Ramon faces Virgil, and the likes of Giant Gonzalez and the undefeated Tatanka are in action as well.
Here is the list of champions in WWF heading into this RAW (reign duration considering the air date):
WWF Champion: Hulk Hogan [15th day of his reign] – previous champion: Yokozuna
WWF Intercontinental Champion: Shawn Michaels [174th day of his reign] – previous champion: The British Bulldog
WWF World Tag Team Champions: Money Inc. (Ted DiBiase & Irwin R. Schyster) [188th day of their reign] – previous champions: The Natural Disasters (Earthquake & Typhoon)
Note: in title matches, the defending champions’ names appear underlined
Enjoy the review!
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IMG credit: WWE & thesmackdownhotel.com
Your hosts are Vince McMahon, Randy Savage & Rob Bartlett
Money Inc. & The Beverly Brothers address their match coming up later on in quick backstage promos.
The intro plays and we go straight to the ring for this week’s opening match.
Razor Ramon vs. Virgil
IMG credit: WWE
They fight over a wristlock for a while to start, until Razor has enough and takes the easy way out by placing a foot on the ropes and forcing the break. Razor does it a second time and tries to catch Virgil with a quick back elbow shot, but Virgil ducks and takes him down with a headscissors. Virgil reverses a powerslam and turns it into a cradle for two, and goes to work on the arm as the crowd chants for Virgil. That’s the cue for Virgil to f*ck everything up, as he totally botches a hiptoss and then a rollup. Man. Razor holds on to the ropes to avoid a dropkick and chokes away on the ropes. Razor with the abdominal stretch, Virgil blocks it with a hiptoss but misses a follow-up elbowdrop. Razor connects with one of his own and slams Virgil. Ramon gets all cocky with the little bitchslaps, opening the door for Virgil to faceplant Razor and he makes the comeback. Virgil raises his boot to avoid a blind charge in the corner, and Virgil hits a flying clothesline. He completely misses a crossbody though, and the Razor’s Edge is academic at 6:56.
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Rating: This wasn’t a bad opener, and it could’ve been even better had Virgil not messed up a few moves. *1/4
Giant Gonzalez vs. LA Gore
LA Gore doesn’t want to get in the ring, so Gonzalez brings him all the way in and clotheslines him. Gonzalez hits some kind of kick before finishing with a Chokeslam at 1:20.
Rating: Nothing Gonzalez does in the ring looks intimidating. DUD
Luna Vachon narrates what has happened between her and Sherri ever since WrestleMania while the clips play.
Tatanka vs. Mark Thomas
Mark jumps Tatanka before the bell and remains on top for a while. Tatanka turns things around and goes after the arm, but he misses an elbowdrop. Mark rams Tatanka’s head into the turnbuckle, which sends him ON THE WARPATH. Tatanka makes the comeback and the Not Samoan Drop finishes at 2:29.
Rating: Just a normal squash. 1/4*
Money Inc. (Ted DiBiase & Irwin R. Schyster) vs. The Beverly Brothers (Beau & Blake Beverly)
IMG credit: WWE & TheSportster
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A big slugfest breaks out to start and Money Inc take a powder. Blake takes it to DiBiase as the Beverlys take turns going after his arm. The ref misses DiBiase’s tag to IRS which allows the Beverlys to continue the beating on him. DiBiase finally catches a break by raising his elbow to block a blind charge, and this time IRS finally comes in. However, he misses an elbowdrop and the Beverlys go after IRS’ arm now. The Beverlys keep cheating behind the ref’s back, which leaves the crowd even more confused than they already were to begin with. We take a break.
Commercial break
We come back with Money Inc doing the cheating this time, as DiBiase pulls a switcheroo behind the ref’s back, who still doesn’t notice it when he turns around. IRS misses a clothesline on Beau and ends up eating one himself. Beau with a swinging neckbreaker on DiBiase and he makes the hot(?) tag. Blake runs wild with a backdrop and a powerslam and… tags Beau back in. This match just doesn’t click for multiple reasons. IRS comes in to break up a pin, which draws Blake in to clean house, but then Beau clotheslines Blake by mistake and DiBiase rolls up Beau for the lame ending at 12:30.
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Rating: After the build over the last couple of weeks on RAW, with both teams attacking each other backstage and everything, I expected a lot more than this. Instead they had a by-the-numbers tag team match and took turns trying to cheat, which only confused the crowd even further, since this was already a heel vs. heel match. The finish was really poor and overall this was a very forgettable culmination of their mini-feud. This turned out to be The Beverlys’ final match in WWF outside of some house shows, as Beau left the company after the European tour later that month. Blake remained in the company a little longer, doing jobs until leaving in the summer. *1/2
WWF Mania ad with Todd Pettengill.
Vince McMahon interviews Bret Hart
IMG credit: WWE
Vince asks about losing the title to Yokozuna. Bret says he’s always been considered an underdog, and he’s not finished yet much like he wasn’t when he lost the Tag Team or the Intercontinental titles in the past. Bret says he’s made a hit-list on his way back to the top, and #1 on the list is Lex Luger after he attacked him on the WrestleMania brunch. Vince asks him about the questionable forearm, and Bret says he thinks there’s definitely more to it than bone. Bret warns Luger that this is wrestling and not bodybuilding, and finishes by promising he’ll go after either Yokozuna or Hulk Hogan to eventually reclaim the WWF Championship. Solid promo by Bret that got the point across.
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Main Event
Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Phil Apollo
Bigelow runs over poor Apollo with a series of shoulderblocks to start. Bam Bam snaps Phil’s neck in half, but misses a blind charge. However, Bam Bam totally whiffs Phil on a dropkick attempt. Vertical suplex by Bigelow as Doink the Clown comes down to ringside with an umbrella. Bigelow destroys Apollo with a running splash in the corner. Phil tries to make a comeback, but Bigelow casually puts him down and squashes him with a senton. Bam Bam follows it up with the diving headbutt for the win at 4:43.
Bigelow gives Apollo a second diving headbutt, but Friar Ferguson comes out to prevent Bam Bam from hitting more. Ferguson dumps Bigelow with a dropkick from behind to begin a feud that went nowhere as Friar Ferguson was quickly dropped.
Rating: Dominant win by Bam Bam Bigelow, throwing the jobber around for fun before casually putting him out. 1/2*
Next week: Crush vs. Lex Luger.
END OF THE SHOW
Final thoughts: We’re in that weird transitional period where WrestleMania is already well behind us, but it’s still way too soon to start building King of the Ring either, so we’re kinda stuck in limbo. Money Inc vs The Beverlys was pretty disappointing given the build throughout the last few weeks, and the rest of the show was essentially just squashes. The Bigelow/Ferguson tease in the end ultimately went nowhere (thankfully), and the highlight of the show quite frankly was Bret Hart’s interview. Needless to say, this is not a recommended episode of RAW. 3/10
POINT SYSTEM
That’s gonna be all for this week’s post. Don’t miss any of the other RAW reviews, as well as the upcoming WCW Slamboree review in May and later June’s WWF King of the Ring as well. Download our web-app for an easier and quicker access to our reviews, which can be found in the link bar. See you all next time!
Do you enjoy the content we put out here on SmarKDown? If so and you would like to support us, please consider donating as it would help us improve. You can donate yearly, monthly or just once, choosing one of the amounts below or a custom one as you wish. All donations are appreciated!
November 26, 2022 Location: Boston, Massachusetts (TD Garden) Attendance: 15,609
Champions Heading In
• WWE Champion: Roman Reigns [Day 237] • Universal Champion: Roman Reigns [Day 818] • United States Champion: Seth Rollins [Day 47] • Raw Tag Team Champions: The Usos [Day 190] • Smackdown Tag Team Champions: The Usos [Day 496]
Welcome to SmarkDown’s review of WWE’s first ever Survivor Series WarGames event! The Bloodline take on Sheamus and co. while on the women’s side Bianca and co. look to finally take down Damage CTRL for good!
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Bianca Belair, Asuka, Alexa Bliss, Mia Yim, & Becky Lynch vs Damage CTRL (Bayley, Dakota Kai, & Iyo Sky,) Nikki Cross, & Rhea Ripley | WarGames Match
IMG Credit: Sportskeeda
Becky Lynch def. Dakota Kai via Pinfall at 39:35
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This isn’t the classic I’m sure everyone wanted from some of the best women’s wrestlers in the world, but I thoroughly enjoyed this opening contest and I think it was a fitting close to such a chaotic feud that I feel has sort of reignited the division after a bit of a gray period. We have some nice spots which got my attention. I feel the only problem that really effects this match is the pace and also the rather not so hard hitting action throughout. This had great wrestling, but rarely did I feel the hardcore feeling you usually get from this stipulation. ***
Finn Balor vs AJ Styles | Singles Match
IMG Credit: Wrestling Observer
AJ Styles def. Finn Balor via Pinfall at 18:23
I’m very disappointed that WWE put this match fresh off WarGames because this really needed a crowd to give it some light. Instead we got some decent action that felt entirely too long. This really could’ve been a classic, but who am I to want a good match from top tier wrestlers? **½
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Ronda Rousey(c) vs Shotzi Blackheart | Smackdown Women’s Championship Match
IMG Credit: WWE
Ronda Rousey def. Shotzi via Submission at 7:13
This was a terrible match. No substance, awkward exchanges, and a terribly done finish. Shotzi did not sell that armbar at all and it was EMBARASSING to see that. I keep wanting to get behind her as a performer, but she proves me wrong every single time. And Ronda? Well she was Ronda. Boring, samey, and annoying. What a piss poor match we have here. DUD
Seth Rollins(c) vs Bobby Lashley vs Austin Theory | United States Championship Match
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IMG Credit: Sportskeeda
Austin Theory def. Seth Rollins via Pinfall at 14:48
I’m shocked that Theory got the win here and cut Rollins’ title reign off early. The match itself took a little bit to get going, but ended up being very good with a fun and exciting closing stretch. Love the innovation done throughout this contest. Uniornically match of the night so far. ***¼
The Bloodline vs The Brawling Brutes (Sheamus, Butch, & Ridge Holland,) Drew McIntyre, & Kevin Owens | WarGames Match
IMG Credit: CNET
Jey Uso def. Kevin Owens via Pinfall at 38:32
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I do think the story told here is very well done with Sami needing to prove that he is an asset to The Bloodline, especially to Jey who embraced Sami wholeheartedly. The action itself is just alright. Nothing groundbreaking, but it isn’t like I didn’t enjoy the match. I just feel more could’ve been done to spice it up action wise. But then again this is all about the story of Sami Zayn and his loyalty to The Bloodline. So good way to end the show. ***¼
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Overall Thoughts: I feel like I had my expectations for this show way too high, or maybe I just didn’t get what I was supposed to get. The potential for a classic show was there with two WarGames matches, a dream match revisted, a cool triple threat, and a potential emotional story. But instead we got two “good” WarGames matches, a very average “dream match”, a horrible “tribute”, and very good triple threat match, not too disappointed there…a potential show of shows is just ok. sigh…5/10
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