Grilling JR - King of the Ring 1993 [Show Notes] (Patreon)

Today we’re going back 30 years Jim, and looking at your second PPV in the WWF - King of the Ring 1993.

As we all know Jim, you made your on screen WWF debut at WrestleMania IX from Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas on April 4th. What’s the feedback on your debut from the internal sources?

At the pay-per-view, Hulk Hogan became a 5-time WWF champion there defeating Yokozuna in about 20 seconds, after Yoko had just defeated Bret Hart for the belt.

Hogan will be defending the title vs Yoko at the first ever King of the Ring PPV, which turned out to be his only defense of the title. Were you surprised the Hogan-WWF relationship became so tenuous so quickly after his return?

Before we get to the build up to King of the Ring, let’s discuss a little bit your roles and responsibilities for those first few months working in the WWF.

A week after WrestleMania you debuted on WWF’s Wrestling Challenge syndicated program, replacing Gorilla Monsoon to work with Bobby Heenan.

Gorilla and Bobby had been working on screen together for the better part of the past 7 years at this point. Was this a Vince call to split up the long-running Heenan/Monsoon team or did Monsoon want a lesser role due to his declining health?

Challenge was essentially the C show at the time behind Superstars and the recently debuted Monday Night Raw. Vince himself is hosting the two main shows, do you feel you could have gone straight into hosting one of the 2 main shows?

Or did Vince just want to gradually phase you into working for the company?

What were your first experiences like working in the WWF studios in Stamford?

Besides the live PPV broadcasts, pretty much all of your on-screen work would be done in post production in-studio from Stamford for your first WWF year, and they would use green screens to impose the look that you are actually in the arena announcing. Was the adjustment tough to the WWF product and process?

Can you talk us through a typical day of working these voiceover sessions in-studio with Bobby and with Gorilla? As you would also would work in the studio with Gorilla separately doing voiceovers for matches shown on All American Wrestling and Coliseum Video.

Did you still have to go to the marathon TV taping sessions even though the commentary would be inserted afterwards?

Did you move to Stamford to live straight away pretty much after signing? How was it trying to get used to living in Connecticut?

Did they come to you for advice on anything, talent, production, any of your past experiences or were you just in a commentary role?

Was that a relief?

For fun, here are the matches you called on your first Wrestling Challenge broadcast with Bobby, as for anyone who wasn’t a lot to see WrestleMania IX on PPV live, this would be the first time they see you on a WWF broadcast.

The show aired April 11, 1993, but all the matches were taped over a month earlier on March 9 in Augusta, Georgia:

-Rick & Scott Steiner defeated the Executioners (Barry Hardy & Duane Gill)

-Bam Bam Bigelow pinned Reno Riggins

-Tatanka pinned Glen Ruth (future Headbanger Mosh)

-Mr. Hughes pinned JD Stryker

-Tiger Jackson (w/ the Bushwhackers) pinned Little Louie (w/ the Beverly Brothers)

-“Terrific” Terry Taylor pinned Joey Maggs

-Jim Duggan pinned Barry Hardy

So, a lot of guys you are familiar with such as the Steiners, Bam Bam, Duggan, Mr Hughes and Terry Taylor. Do all the guys you know from WCW and Mid South make you feel welcome in the company when you do see them?

The product is vastly different from all incarnations of what you did really your whole career. How much time did you spend studying it - if at all?

How much coaching did Vince have with you regarding how he wanted things done?

Bruce has said - Vince loved the fact you would call the action with sprinkles of story - and then it was part of the reason later on Vince didn’t like what you were doing. Did you feel like you were getting mixed messages like that a lot?

A week after WrestleMania IX, you go straight over to Sheffield, England, where you and Bobby would announce the UK Rampage 93 TV special for Sky Sports.

Was this your first time in England? Were you simply flown in and out for the show or did you get to spend a few days over in the UK?

Lord Alfred Hayes introduces you at the beginning of this broadcast, and you talked in your book about Alfred being unprofessional and rude to you, until Gorilla and Bobby stepped in.

What was Hayes doing to you that was unprofessional?

What was Alfred like to work with after Monsoon and Heenan’s intervention?

In your book, you talked a little about booking talent for the in-studio promos they would have to do in Stamford to promote the house shows.

But in particular you mentioned Randy Savage being hostile with you one time until Gorilla again stepped in.

What was the heat with Randy here? Did you get along with him otherwise or only really be around him the few times you were together on commentary?

Jerry Lawler was already working with the company starting in December 92, but you were never paired together until July of 94 when you were covering for Vince during his steroid trial.

Did you get to be around Lawler much in both of your WWF tenures early on?

The Radio WWF gig would come later in the summer of 93 - but were you laying the groundwork at this point in time? Was that part of the original deal?

Moving onto the news and on-air storylines going into the King of the Ring PPV.

The two days following WrestleMania IX on 4/5 and 4/6, TV was taped in Phoenix and Tucson, AZ to cover all the Superstars and Challenge shows to air 4/24 through 5/16.

It’s crazy to think something like this would ever happen now, but taping shows to air 4, 5 or even 6 weeks down the line was just the norm back then was it not?

Most of the first qualifying matches to advance to the King of the Ring PPV take place here and we have:

-Mr Perfect and Doink the Clown having two separate time-limit draws airing on the May 1st Superstars and the second on May 16th Challenge (a third rubber match will come later on Raw which we’ll discuss as we go on)

-Lex Luger defeated Bob Backlund on the May 2nd Wrestling Challenge

-Razor Ramon defeated El Matador Tito Santana on the May 8th Superstars

-Hacksaw Jim Duggan defeated Papa Shango on the May 9th Challenge

Tatanka defeated Giant Gonzalez via disqualification on the May 15th Superstars

We should also mention it was announced that Bret Hart had received a first round bye into the King of the Ring tournament and was named the #1 seed, so he automatically will be in the first round on PPV. This being the first time a tournament concept is being brought to pay-per-view by the WWF in almost 8 years - this lineup - it’s a good mix of talent isn’t it?

Some WWF newcomers also show up at these Arizona tapings including Mike Shaw as “The Mad Monk”, shortly after renamed to Friar Ferguson, and then completely repackaged as Bastion Booger. When you look at Friar Ferguson and then Bastion Booger - are you wondering what the hell you’re doing here?

Is it tough with a legit sports background - to attempt to put these gimmicks over - and not make it feel forced?

Sean Waltman debuts as the Lightning Kid defeating Louie Spiccoli in a tryout, more on the Kid later.

Rob & Don Harris also get a tryout, but ultimately would not be signed until a couple of years down the road. Are you at these tapings watching these guys work? Are you taking notes for the future?

On the live 4/12 Monday Night Raw, Sensational Sherri and Luna Vachon had a wild clothes ripping brawl, something a bit risqué for WWF TV at the time, and it draws numbers as the show does WWF’s highest cable tv rating in over a year with a 3.4 rating. What was your role at Raws that you weren’t commentating on if anything?

Also on Raw, Bret Hart cut an interview talking about his hit list being Lex Luger, Yokozuna and Hulk Hogan. Meltzer speculated in the Observer that Bret mentioning Hogan was potentially a tease for the two to main event SummerSlam that year.

Of course that never happens, but Bret would write in his book that Vince told him that was the plan, and Hogan would drop the title to Bret, but Hogan then refused and would put Yoko over at the King of the Ring instead.

Did you ever hear any of this rumor and innuendo Jim?

Speaking of Hogan, on 5/3 he would wrestle a one-off for New Japan at the Tokyo Dome, defeating the Great Muta in a non-title match.

Meltzer reported in the Observer:

“The biggest news was the interview Hogan did with the press after the show, in which he said he was very happy to be back with New Japan. I'm a five-time WWF champ (shows the belt). To me, this (WWF belt) is a toy, like a Christmas tree ornament. The WWF belt is like a Honda. The IWGP belt is like a Rolls Royce. It's the real world championship belt. Winning this (WWF belt) was very easy. The IWGP belt is very hard to win (Hogan was the first IWGP champ winning the initial tournament in 1983 before losing it in 1984 to Inoki).

I can wrestle. They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks. I'm the old dog, but I know all the tricks. I never quit wrestling. I'm not one of those guys coming back disgracing my former reputation. I'm still the best wrestler. The match (with Muta) today was fun, but it was easy. He is a star, but I beat him 1-2-3 in the middle. I should be wearing the IWGP belt. I want to wrestle every top name in Japan and hopefully wrestle Mr. Inoki again.”

How do you remember people in the office reacting to Hogan referring to the WWF Title as a “toy” once word got back to Stamford about Hogan’s interview?

Meltzer would report this about you Jim about some of the changes on WWF TV since you were brought in:

“Nobody has told me this, but Jim Ross seems to have already gained enormous influence into what is going on.

Witness:

1) Vince McMahon talking about Mr. Hughes' college football background on Superstars and the Steiners college degree. People all thought Vince would change Jim Ross' announcing style, when it looks like it's the other way around;

2) A tournament on television during sweeps;

3) Boni Blackstone getting a try- out to host stand-up interviews ala Gene Okerlund;

4) Bruce Prichard getting a television role as a color commentator “The Wizard”;

5) The big push for Mr. Hughes, who Ross has always been high on.

While I don't know if Ross had anything to do with any of this, it doesn't seem coincidental.”

What say you, Jim?

Following a two-plus week European tour, WWF gets back to regular TV tapings on 5/4 and 5/5 in Worcester, MA and Portland, ME.

Europe and particularly the UK was pro wrestling’s hottest market in 1993, due to declining interest in the U.S in this era, so the WWF and even WCW were doing tours very regularly during this period of time.

Why do you think the European market has always retained its position as such a strong market for American pro wrestling the past 30+ years?

At these tapings is where Boni Blackstone would debut to host stand up interviews for the next few months.

Did you think Boni was a good fit for the WWF Jim?

Jerry Lawler also gets his own talk show type segment with the “King’s Court” debuting on Wrestling Challenge. Was this when your relationship with the King started to grow?

Billy and Bart - the Smoking Gunns make their WWF TV debuts here too as the Texas cowboy brothers.

What did you think of this gimmick Jim?

And pretty amazing how Billy is still going today in AEW 30 years later.

Taz would even get a tryout match here defeating the future “Scotty 2 Hotty” Scott Taylor.

Could you have seen Taz fitting in the WWF in 1993?

Bryan Clark as Adam Bomb would debut in the WWF here with Johnny Polo aka the future Raven as his manager too.

What did you think of this pairing? Was the Johnny Polo character too animated to be put with the serious Adam Bomb character? Why do you think it never really worked out for Clark in the WWF?

Mr. Hughes is gonna defeat Kamala in another King of the Ring qualifier here for the May 23rd Challenge, and Shawn Michaels and Crush battle to a double count-out for the May 22nd Superstars, thus eliminating both from the tournament, and it’s announced instead that Shawn and Crush will face off for the IC title at the PPV. In 1993 it’s different - but the long builds between major pay-per-view shows can be tough as AEW has been doing it of late. It’s a different world and product now but not that much different, am I right about that?

Over on Monday Night Raw, Bam Bam Bigelow defeated Typhoon in another KOTR qualifier on the May 10th Raw.

And in the final KOTR qualifier on May 24th, Mr. Perfect pinned Doink the Clown in an incredible match, even after a switcheroo with a second Doink (Steve Keirn) swapping places with the original Doink (Matt Borne).

What’s your take Jim, on the original heel Doink gimmick played by Borne here?

On Monday Night Raw on 5/17, we had the most notable Raw to date.

Sean Waltman had wrestled the previous two weeks as the Kamikaze Kid and then the Cannonball Kid losing to Doink and then Mr. Hughes in standard squash matches.

Now he’s called just “The Kid” and pulls the upset victory over Razor Ramon and thus the 1-2-3 Kid is born!

What did you think of this booking as Kid bringing him essentially as a jobber, before having him get the upset win over Razor to make an instant star out of him?

Also on this Raw, Yokozuna defeated Kamala in a battle of the behemoths, and Marty Jannetty would make a surprise return and defeat Shawn Michaels for the IC Title. Jannetty had been fired in January following the Royal Rumble PPV before getting hired back in one of the many firing/re-hiring instances involving Jannetty in the WWF.

Was Jannetty just such a talent that we had to keep giving him a fresh start and hope he’d overcome his substance issues?

Marty’s reign is short lived however at just 3 weeks, and loses the title back to Shawn at a house show in Albany, NY, thanks to the help from the debuting Kevin Nash as Diesel.

Did you have any help in bringing Nash over from WCW to the WWF here, Jim?

Hulk Hogan would wrestle his first WWF matches since 4/4 at WrestleMania on 5/22, and be involved in a handful of tag matches, teaming with Brutus Beefcake to unsuccessfully challenge Ted DiBiase and IRS for the tag belts, including using Sgt. Slaughter as the guest referee.

Hogan also never makes any in-arena TV appearances between the WrestleMania and King of the Ring PPVs, instead just sending in taped promos from the set of Thunder in Paradise.

Would it have been better to have Hogan and Yoko have some kind of interaction before the PPV instead of just taped promos back and forth?

Observer 6/7/93:

“Vince McMahon resigned as President of Titan Sports approximately two weeks ago in a major news item that has been largely kept hush-hush. McMahon, who was both President and Chief Executive Officer of the largest wrestling company in the United States, apparently had company control transferred to wife Linda McMahon a few weeks ago, either on or just before 5/14.

Vince McMahon remains CEO of Titan Sports and will remain as a television personality. Titan has not publicly released this information in press release fashion, although several sources within the organization have admitted it was true and the public relations department has confirmed the story. Aside from the obvious speculation regarding this somehow being tied to the ongoing federal investigation, no other details or significance is known.”

JR - what do you think when you hear this news?

Are you surprised about the issues considering everything going on?

Was this something you were briefed on previously to being hired or was a shock?

Did you think this would lead to an increased role?

“It was already reported elsewhere that on 5/24 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, there was a production meeting in which Vince McMahon, who has been President of the company since taking over for his father in 1982, told employees that Linda was now in charge of the company and also acknowledged the federal investigation. However, from the outside, there doesn't seem to be any significant change in the operation of the company and many employees of the company weren't even aware of the switch in the company presidency as late as press time. The only attempt at press coverage regarding this was a press release item by Titan sent on the New York Times Wire Services that to the best of our knowledge, didn't run in any newspapers, which didn't mention any change in the organizational presidency, but focused largely on Linda McMahon, with mentions of the couple's son, Shane, and daughter, Stephanie. Linda, whose title as Executive Vice President of Titan Sports before this change in title, was, according to one Titan source, theoretically on an equal power footing as the other company Vice Presidents and this put her unequivocally as more powerful.”

Did you see any changes after this or was this just a status quo swap type of thing?

From the Observer

“Morale is way down since the crowds this past week were way down, including several shows that drew less than 1,000 in the Southeast. Since the new “Face-to-Face” segment started, it led to morale being down since these segments are generally taped on Tuesdays, and sometimes run over to Wednesdays, at the offices in Stamford. The guys who live out of town, which most of them do, that do interviews, have what used to be days off having to do the countless localized interviews, which is the downside of doing town-specific promos. In addition, apparently the payoff for Raw is $150 per man, which some are complaining isn't even enough to cover expenses for a day in New York. The guys who work the road regularly and aren't being put over would have the most obvious complaints because they work New York for a relatively small payoff and then are seen doing a job on a widely-viewed television show.”

Is this something you’re seeing and dealing with? Or was it really just the road agents and Vince dealing with this type of thing?

Did you see the WWF turning more into a regional promotion with all the issues it was taking on?

The product is cold - as even with Hulk Hogan back on the road - shows are drawing between 1500 and 3000 in various markets. Is that a depressing sign?

Was it a question going into the pay-per-view if you would do commentary? How did you know what assignments you were doing?

When you get to Dayton for the show, and see Bret Hart is working three times, that’s got to be some excitement for you yes?

What’s Vince like during a pay-per-view in these days, was he on headset? Or was that something that evolved over time?

Let’s get to the show! It’s a somewhat success critically with Bret Hart wrestling 3 times, as the Observer readers gave it a 71% thumbs up.

From the Observer

The first King of the Ring pay-per-view show, as opposed to the first King of the Ring tournament (WWF had run KOTR tournaments as local house show attractions in the New England market from 1985-1991), featured Yokozuna winning the WWF title from Hulk Hogan and Bret Hart going over in the tournament, was largely praised as the best WWF pay-per-view show since the 1992 Summer Slam show from London. Ironically, the star of that show, Bret Hart, who apparently went in with an injured ankle and came out hurt enough that he missed the next night's television taping, was almost a one-man show this time, making the difference between a largely uneventful show and a very good one.

When you feature a big title change like this - do you think it ended up overshadowing Bret’s victory even with Bret getting the win in the main event?

“As many have noted, the WWF is turning into a Memphis style promotion with more frequent angles, title changes and new scenarios created, which make it more intriguing for a hardcore audience and harder to follow for a casual audience. Since the overall casual interest has decreased so much over the past year, this may not be the worst idea.

The Hogan-Yokozuna title switch apparently sets up a rematch between the two at the Summer Slam show on 8/30 at the Palace in Auburn Hills, MI.”

Did you see the transition to the Memphis style promotion as Meltzer makes light of here?

Did you know this was going to be Hulk’s last major WWF show until 2002? Did you assume it was Yoko vs. Hogan at SummerSlam when the title change took place?

From the Observer

The show itself drew a legitimate sellout of about 6,500 paid and just under $80,000 at the Nutter Arena in Dayton, OH. Although in typical WWF fashion it was announced one week out that all tickets at the live event were sold out, the card actually didn't sellout until the night of the show.

Why do you think the WWF would do that on a normal basis?

“1. Bret Hart pinned Razor Ramon in 10:27.

Hart seemed to be limping coming to the ring. Started slow. First significant point was Ramon throwing Hart's shoulder into the ringpost at 5:00. Ramon got two near falls before Hart started his comeback at 7:40 getting several nice near falls with a leg sweep, forearm off the top rope and a rolling reverse. Hart tried to hit a bulldog but Ramon shoved him into the turnbuckle. Ramon signaled for the Razor's edge, but Hart turned it into a cradle for a near fall. Ramon then went for a backward superplex, but Hart turned in mid-air and fell on him for the three count. Good start. ***”

When you look back at this show - yes Razor had been in a main event at Survivor Series 92 teaming with Ric Flair, but this could’ve been a finals match couldn’t it?

Are you surprised Razor - with his body - didn’t end up higher in the card on a constant basis during this time frame?

“2. Mr. Perfect beat Mr. Hughes via DQ in 6:02. Perfect sold big for him early since he's still largely unknown and needs to be gotten over as a new monster. Hughes is impressive in one thing. For a guy his size, he comes off the ropes great. But that's it. Some problems working together and some big bumps by Perfect before Hughes was disqualified for hitting him with the urn he "stole" from Undertaker that aired earlier in the weekend. *¼”

Was Hughes just not able to get to a sufficient level on the work end - because I mean when Curt Hennig is getting *¼ - you know it’s not good…

At this point they interviewed Mr. Fuji, who is as bad as ever on the mic. The only interesting “part of the interview is the new storyline is that when Yokozuna lost to Hogan at Mania, he had just finished a grueling 20 minute match with Hart. Later in the show Bobby Heenan amended it to being a 30 minute match. Actually it was eight minutes. By next year's Wrestlemania they'll probably be talking about how the 650 pound Yokozuna went the full hour the previous year when he's a babyface against the almost nine-foot Giant Gonzalez.”

I mean I get it JR - you got him going over for the title tonight. He’s got to seem large - but does this stuff hurt anyones credibility?

“3. Bam Bam Bigelow pinned Jim Duggan in 4:59. Duggan tried a spear, missed and hit the turnbuckle. Bigelow then scored the pin after a head-butt off the top rope. Duggan is awful, but that's hardly news, is it? 1/4*”

Not the Duggan you saw in Mid-South - but let’s talk about Bam Bam. His up and downs in the company happened often - why do you think that was?

“4. Tatanka and Lex Luger went to a legit 15:00 draw, eliminating them both.

They made a big deal early of Luger having to put a pad on his elbow (since the steel plate is in his forearm and not his elbow, the whole idea of this is rather humorous) or he'd forfeit the match. Luger dominated. Long rest holds since they were going 15 and both are somewhat limited as far as a wide variety in their repertoire. Several near falls although the draw was telegraphed ahead of time. After the match Luger KO'd Tatanka after taking off the elbow pad and hitting him with the forearm. **¼”

Lex’s debut was pushed as being so big just 6 months earlier - and here he is unable to defeat Tatanka. Do you think this was office pressure of keeping him farther down until Hogan made his move out of the company?

“5. Bret Hart pinned Mr. Perfect in 18:55 of an excellent match.

The two did a good interview before the match building heat and making Perfect into the subtle heel rather than going for a mixed reaction. They also acknowledged the match the two had in 1991 when Hart won the IC title from Perfect in the commentary. They exchanged moves early with the storyline to show that Hart was the better scientific wrestler as he won all the spots. After Hart took a bump to the floor, Perfect held open the ropes for him to come in, and kicked him as he was coming through to start the subtle heel role. Hart took a dangerous bump off the apron into the guard rail, since there was a cooler right where he was falling in his way and changing the landing in mid-air on a flying bump like that is what can easily lead to a knee or ankle injury. The two went back-and-forth with big moves for near falls, and worked very believable submissions, although the submissions were somehow ruined by Savage continually trying to get over that neither man would ever submit, which ruins the dramatic value of any submission move in a match involving either. Hart ended up winning after reversing an inside cradle, and both shook hands afterward to make sure fans knew Perfect really hadn't turned. ****¼”

This is the first true great match you called in the WWF wasn’t it?

Does this really stand out in your memory of things during this run?

How good were these two?

“6. Yokozuna pinned Hogan in 13:11 to win the WWF title.

Hogan's reaction coming out greatly eclipsed any other response on the show. He is still to the masses the star of the show. How much of a drawing card he still is will be determined now, at the house show matches with Yokozuna, because he's in a viable program chasing the title and if these matches don't draw considerably bigger crowds than usual, than live WWF wrestling simply has a certain sized audience that no individual in the U.S. is on his own a draw anymore. Hogan gave him the entire match teasing his inability to either slam him or knock him off his feet.”

Did you feel the company was in bad shape when you hear that Hogan isn’t coming back - or did you think it was time for a change at the top of the card and the company needed a reset?

“At one point they did a bearhug for 2:15. After kicking out of a belly-to-belly, Hogan did the superman comeback and finally knocked him off his feet after three boots to the face. Yokozuna kicked out of the legdrop, supposedly being the first person ever to do so (memories are short since Sid Vicious did the same thing at the 1992 Wrestlemania). Hogan punched Mr. Fuji, then the mystery photographer (who was obvious from the start of the match because of his fake wig and beard) jumped on the apron and flashes fire in Hogan's eyes, and Yokozuna got the pin with a legdrop. After the match Yokozuna gave Hogan the banzai and he had to be helped out. *½”

I mean - this is as strong as it gets for beating Hulk. Yoko kicks out of the legdrop, and then gets pinned with a legdrop and not even Yoko’s finishing move. I get that he had the fire but still…

From the Observer

“This also explains Hogan's comments in Japan about the WWF title, since he knew when he did those interviews that he was going to lose (which from all accounts was his choice since he made the contact with Masao Hattori to be referee and do a heel ref screw-job finish) and apparently wanted to make it seem that it wasn't high on his list of priorities so it wasn't really a big loss, at least to the Japanese who know Yokozuna as Kokina, not a major headliner. Hogan had asked Hattori to referee the match, which had been announced in Japan but never in the U.S. Apparently Hattori's role as explained by Hogan was to be the Japanese heel ref to screw Hogan out of the title.

One week before the show, Hattori received word that they weren't bringing him in. The original screw-job scenario of changing the title was replaced by having a photographer, Akio Sato, shoot a flash of fire out of his camera into Hogan's eyes, blinding him, and making him a victim of a legdrop at 13:11.

The storyline that Hogan had proposed, and whether this is how it will go or not I don't know, was that he would lose to set up becoming a six- time champion at Summer Slam. By how strongly he put Yokozuna over, I have to believe that was in his mind for the Summer Slam finish when he was in the ring at King of the Ring. If he wasn't going to regain the title, he'd have dominated the body of the match before losing rather than given Yokozuna virtually the entire match.”

Do you think that’s the thought Vince gave Hulk - and he knew what he was going to do - or that Vince got one over on Hulk?

Did Hogan losing suck the life out of the building? Was that always a fear of having him in the middle of the card?

“7. Rick & Scott Steiner & Smoking Gunns beat Head Shrinkers & Money Inc. in 6:49 when Billy Gunn pinned DiBiase.

Good pacing, but nothing as a match as it was too short for anything to develop. Jim Ross said that IRS had held the tag team title four times with three different partners. The four times is right, but the only partners were Barry Windham and Ted DiBiase, and that's acknowledging him as Mike Rotundo. Scott Steiner was only in briefly and Rick was never in. *”

Did you ever get any heat for mentioning guys backgrounds or past as that’s not something the WWF would do often?

“8. Shawn Michaels retained the IC title pinning Crush in 11:14.

Crush has improved in that he can do good moves and has agility, but doesn't work well with others. He's going to have a problem in that he's so much larger than almost all the wrestlers, especially with most everyone off the juice. In this match it was hard because they'd go down all the cliche big-man, little-man spots in three previous bouts on the card. They gave Kevin Nash the name "Diesel" in a pre-match interview. Diesel distracted Crush allowing Shawn to post him several times but Crush kicked out of the pin. Crush came back by reversing a front facelock and throwing him over the top rope to the floor. Crush got several near falls until both Doinks came down and distracted him, allowing Michaels to come from behind with a superkick for the pin. *½”

Shawn at this point is not the super worker that he would later on be but he didn’t need to be with Diesel at ringside - but this is too much gaga bullshit isn’t it?

“9. Bret Hart pinned Bam Bam Bigelow in 18:11. Hart was doing the injured and exhausted bit so Bigelow dominated. For such a climactic match, there was little crowd reaction early. The first half of the match wasn't anything special ending when Luna Vachon hit Hart with a chair and Bigelow came off the top rope with a head-butt and got the pin at 9:26. Ref Earl Hebner ran out and first they teased that Hart won via DQ, then they ordered the match re- started. The last 8:00 were hot action with both men getting near falls, ending with Hart getting the pin with a victory roll. ***¾”

Bret getting through three matches and Bam Bam only needing two really solidifies Bret as the next top babyface - and the Lex Express still isn’t coming for weeks - but man how good was Bret in doing three different matches with three different styles and having the three best matches on the night?

“After the match they presented Hart with a King's robe and a crown (and wouldn't you know it, they fit perfectly) when Jerry Lawler came out and destroyed Hart with the scepter, smashed the crown, and turned the throne over on him as the show went off the air.”

The King in a top heel role just years after suing the WWF for the Harley Race gimmick - did you ever see that coming?

From the Observer

My feeling is the announcing wasn't bad, but it was below the standard of most recent PPV shows. Jim Ross was okay but below his usual standard. I can't find any fault with his performance although the interplay between the three wasn't as smooth as at Wrestlemania. Bobby Heenan was below par as well. He told a few jokes, most of which were predictable, and wasn't anywhere near as funny as he usually is. The chemistry with Randy Savage just didn't work on this show. It always seemed ill at ease every time he tried to get in something to say. Savage also suffers from his patter being too simple and predictable and without enough varying points to not get stale in a two-and-a-half hour broadcast. Then when he did, it always seemed like he really didn't know what he wanted to say, just that he wanted to talk but had no cogent point to make.

Was it tough to work a three man booth with these two?

Were you happy with your work on the show?

Do you remember any feedback afterwards?

Were you already starting to feel the financial strain of the company at this point with the investigation and trial looming?

What say you JR, thumbs up, thumbs in the middle or thumbs down on the show?

Next week Clash of the Champions II: Miami Mayhem! The show features Arn & Tully defending the NWA Tag Team Titles against Dusty Rhodes & Sting, The Fantastics take on The Sheepherders, the Garvins take on the Varsity Club and Lex Luger feels the wrath of the Horsemen!