WWF Primetime Wrestling - January 4, 1993
by Scrooge McSuck
- It's our final week of Prime Time Wrestling, and the intro video features clips of guys like Hulk Hogan, Roddy Piper, and the Legion of Doom. Vince McMahon, Gorilla Monsoon, and Bobby Heenan are our hosts, sitting around a small make-shift table, with a copy of WWF Posters (a magazine entirely of giant posters) resting on top of it. Gorilla runs down Heenan, claiming he, Heenan, won't be part of the new WWF show, Monday Night Raw, coming to you live from New York City.
- Monsoon brings up one of our classic moments: The Bobby Heenan Show. Jameson gets molested by a belly-dancer, or whatever the hell she was. This wasn't exactly the best clip from the Bobby Heenan Show era (all four episodes), but at least it's older than three weeks.
Tito Santana & Virgil vs. The Headshrinkers (w/ Afa):
Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan are calling the action for this one. Santana was already back to being a JTTS despite finding his roots, Virgil has been a JTTS, and the Headshrinkers are fairly new to the WWF, so they will probably win. Sorry to give predictions every match, so far. Santana starts with Samu, and gets shoved off into the corner. Santana responds with an arm drag and dropkick. After some stalling, Santana grabs a headlock, then comes off the ropes with a shoulder block. Santana with an arm drag, then slaps on an armbar. Virgil tags in, and comes off the top with a sledge to the arm, and he works a wristlock. Samu easily slugs his way free, but misses an elbow drop. Santana tags back in, and continues working the arm. Samu nails Santana across the back of the head, and Fatu finally gets the tag in, missing a headbutt. Virgil tags back in, and he grabs a headlock. Virgil ducks a clothesline and takes Fatu down with a crucifix for a two count. Virgil goes for another headlock, but a back suplex turns the tide. Fatu with a slam, followed by choking/biting. Samu tags back in and connects with a crescent kick. Whip to the corner, and Samu misses a charge. Santana gets the hot tag, and takes Samu over with a back drop, then nails Fatu with a dropkick. Santana hits the ropes and gets tripped by Afa, allowing the 'Shrinkers to work him over, and no doubt pin Virgil following the next tag... sorry, I'll stop doing that. We get a fake hot tag spot, then heel miscommunication, before we get the real hot tag. Virgil pounds away and hits a pair of ugly dropkicks. Virgil with a double DDT, but the 'Shrinkers no-sell that and give Virgil a double headbutt. Fatu heads to the top rope, and the big splash finishes Virgil off at 9:28. Well, that was a bit tedious and had practically no direction to it. I guess the 'Shrinkers beating Virgil makes them top contenders to the Tag Team Titles.- The PTW "Studio" discusses the upcoming Royal Rumble, and the fact the winner of the Royal Rumble Match gets a title shot at WrestleMania IX. Monsoon's prediction: It won't be Ric Flair. We take another Flashback to the set of a western movie, and Bobby Heenan gets blown up for his trouble.
"Terrific" Terry Taylor vs. Dale Wolfe:
Remember when Terry Taylor returned in late 1992, and tried to not be a Rooster? Lockup, and Taylor grabs a side headlock, then quick with a takedown. Taylor with a single leg trip, and this match is so important, the duo of Monsoon and Heenan run down every participant of the Royal Rumble Match. Wolfe with a scoop slam, then goes to work on the arm, but that doesn't last very long. Taylor with a jaw breaker, followed by a boot to the face. Taylor with a Northern lights suplex, but his bridge is terrible, and it only gets a two count. Taylor with an armbar, and even for a squash, this is boring. Monsoon with a subtle attempt of bringing up Taylor and Heenan's past, and Heenan plays along. Irish whip, and Taylor with a spine buster (about 0.6 on the Arn Anderson scale). Taylor with a gut-wrench into a powebomb, and that's enough for the three count at 3:14. The canned heat is obvious. Where's the New York crowd to chant Rooster?- Advertisement for WWF Mania, which is set to debut on the USA Network, this coming saturday! It's 100% caffeine free!
- Bobby Heenan is standing by, putting down Mr. Perfect, and talks about his new find: The Narcissus. He will be unveiled at the Royal Rumble, in Sacramento, CA. Heenan says the Narcissus is even more in love with himself and his appearance than Mr. Perfect... okay, I'm not even going to go there, because we all know that's not Mr. Perfect at all.
- Royal Rumble Report, sponsered by the 1993 WWF Fan Club! Mean Gene Okerlund has all the skinny for us. WWF Champion Bret Hart defends the title against the bad guy, Razor Ramon. Earlier in the week on the debut of Mania, Ramon beat the crap out of baby brother Owen. Royal Rumble Participants include: Randy Savage, The Undertaker, Ted Dibiase, Irwin R. Schyster, Mr. Perfect, Bob Backlund, The Berzerker, Yokozuna, Tatanka, Ric Flair, Jerry "The King" Lawler, Earthquake, and MORE NAMES SIGNED: Carlos Colon, Crush, Papa Shango, The Model Rick Martel. Also signed: The Steiner Brothers taking on the Beverly Brothers! The Royal Rumble is coming live, sunday afternoon, January 24th!
- Promotional consideration paid for by the following... ICO-PRO, you've got to want it! WWF Figures with the Hitman, Bulldog, Sgt. Slaughter, and Hulk Hogan! Need a little excitement, snap into a Slim Jim... OOOH YEAH!
- Primetime Flashback! Bobby Heenan pretends to own a Yacht to impress Gorilla Monsoon. "I just bought it two days ago, it's got four miles on it!" Monsoon: I'm impressed... who are you blackmailing this week?
Shawn Michaels (IC Champion) vs. Skinner:
No, that is not a typo. I always found it odd when they would do heel vs. heel pairings, ever. Face vs. Face you can see happening, but heel vs. heel? Skinner is just a JTTS who hasn't seen any kind of a push in a long time. I'm pretty sure this is Non-Title, and if not... does anyone care? Michaels is rocking a powder blue belt, meaning the Warrior wasn't the only one who had a rotation of ungodly awful colored title straps. Lockup, and Skinner slaps the taste out of Shawn's mouth, then plants him with a slam, and sending HBK out of the ring. Michaels takes control momentarily, but gets nailed with a forearm to the throat. Irish whip, and Skinner with a boot to the midsection, followed by a swinging neck breaker. Skinner scoops Shawn up and connects with a shoulder breaker, but that only gets a two count. Skinner with an elbow, knocking Shawn out of the ring, once again. Skinner follows, but ends up being rammed into the ring post for being too aggresive. Michaels hangs Skinner up across the top rope, and chokes away. Michaels with a standing dropkick, and Skinner blatantly puts his hand in the way to block it. Ugh... Skinner with the comeback, hammering on Michaels with headbutts, then tosses Michaels over the top rope. Michaels slides back in between the legs, hits the super kick, and that's enough for the three count at 4:31. I'm guessing they were introducing the super-kick as his new, can hit it at anytime, finisher, since his lame back suplex finisher wasn't that interesting for a top of the card heel. Tolerable match, nothing to really say about it other than "that was a short match."- Primetime Flashback: The Nasty Boys run amuck, spray-painting random things. That was lame, but they have been pretty good with these segments for the entire episode.
- One more classic Primetime Flashback: It's Andre The Giant and Bobby Heenan stomping grapes for wine, I guess. Cute, and check out the Zubaz pants on Vince McMahon! Sad to know Andre would pass on less than month from this episode's broadcast. Jameson shows up on the set to make Bobby Heenan want to vomit in his mouth, and thus ends the saga of Primetime Wrestling. I hope you enjoyed the ride.
Final Thoughts: Not much to say about this show. Two "feature" level exclusives, but neither were very good, and just one squash match, thanks to the special hour long edition of the show. The Primetime Flashbacks were very enjoyable, and almost all of them involved Bobby Heenan in some way, and when people think of Primetime Wrestling's legacy, it's hard to think of anything other than Heenan and Monsoon hosting the show, bantering about random crap, and just having a good time. This show paved the way for Monday Night Raw, and it's been nearly twenty years, and Raw is still on the air in the same timeslot, so we all know how well that one did.
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