SummerSlam ’94

WWF SummerSlam 1994

(All screen captures are the property of World Wrestling Entertainment)

SummerSlam

August 29, 1994

United Center

Chicago, Illinois

News & Notes: Vince McMahon’s steroid trial finally began in July. It didn’t last long. Vince was acquitted on all charges due to jurisdiction issues and poor witness choices by the prosecution. Hulk Hogan, The Ultimate Warrior, and The Warlord all testified they used steroids, but Vince never told them to do so. However, it was Nailz who sunk the prosecution’s case. He admitted to hating Vince McMahon, which tainted his testimony. It also didn’t help that he had once attacked Vince. There would be a retrial for one of the charges, but it wouldn’t stick. Vince was a free man and you can tell he is quite relieved on this show.

Now, Vince could focus on promoting SummerSlam. There were two major storylines for this event. First, Bret Hart defends his WWF Title in a Cage Match against his brother Owen. After King of the Ring, Jim Neidhart continued his partnership with the King of Harts. The Hart family accused him of poisoning Owen’s mind and manipulating him. Bruce Hart even appeared on TV and called it a disgrace. Owen’s King of the Ring win earned him a WWF Title Match, but it would take place in a cage to prevent the Harts or Neidhart from interfering. We all know how well that usually works.

The second big feud for this PPV is a rather strange one. The Undertaker was missing since Royal Rumble, but rumors started spreading that he had been sighted. The WWF aired amusing segments where locals would claim to have seen him. Children said they saw him on the playground. A baker claimed he bought tombstone-shaped bread from his store. Even firemen reported seeing him. That’s unintentional foreshadowing for a future storyline. I’m sure they didn’t plan that far in advance. Then, Ted DiBiase claimed he used his money to bring Taker back to the WWF. He appeared on Shawn Michaels’ Heartbreak Hotel and introduced Taker, but he looked different. It was clearly a different man and the fans noticed. (He was played by Brian Lee, who would go on to wrestle in ECW and eventually the WWF again as Chainz in the Disciples of Apocalypse.) Paul Bearer would attempt luring Taker back to his side, but DiBiase distracted him with money. Bearer then realized this was a fake and promised to bring back the real Undertaker. DiBiase’s Taker attacked Bearer, but he escaped when the lights went out in the arena. Then, Undertaker’s disembodied voice gave DiBiase a warning. The WWF promised the fans an Undertaker vs. Undertaker match for SummerSlam and promoted it as the main feature of the show. I kind of feel bad for Bret and Owen. Also, I should add that Vince invited Leslie Nielsen and George Kennedy to play versions of their Naked Gun characters as part of this storyline. They were supposed to be solving the mystery of the Undertaker and were involved in many pun-tastic comedy segments.

I have one more note before I begin. The WWF held this PPV in the new United Center in Chicago. It was the first event in the building, but it was the last time the WWF would use this venue. They realized the Rosemont Horizon was more convenient due to not interfering with the Chicago Bulls games.

Randy Savage opens the show

The Show: SummerSlam opens with the host for the evening, Macho Man Randy Savage. He welcomes everyone to the premiere event and the city of Chicago. He also high-fives fans while telling the viewers to buckle their seat belts. He says it will be a bumpy ride. Then, Savage introduces Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler and gives Vince a high-five. He tells Vince to introduce the show while he does the thing in the ring! There he goes talking about doing the thing again. What is this mysterious thing?

McMahon and Lawler

Savage does the thing while Lawler drops a bombshell. He announces there are new Tag Team Champions. Shawn Michaels & Diesel beat the Headshrinkers at an Indianapolis house show. Vince & Lawler also talk about the Hart family in the crowd. They even point out that the British Bulldog is in the front row to watch the WWF Title Match. Then, Vince plugs the rest of the card before the Million Dollar Man’s music plays.

Headshrinkers vs. Bam Bam and IRS

Bam Bam Bigelow & Irwin R. Schyster (w/ Ted DiBiase) vs. The Headshrinkers (w/ Afa & Lou Albano)

Notes: This was originally a Tag Team Title Match, but Shawn & Diesel won the tag titles at a house show. The Headshrinkers are facing a new faction in the WWF called The Million Dollar Corporation. Ted DiBiase returned as a manager and quickly formed this stable. He recruited his old friend IRS and then bought Bam Bam Bigelow’s contract from Luna Vachon. He also bought the services of Nikolai Volkoff, who claimed he had fallen on hard times. Ted would mock him by making him wear a t-shirt with cent signs on it instead of dollars. Next, DiBiase would add the fake Undertaker, but he also pursued another recruit. I’ll get to that one later.

The Match: The Headshrinkers take an early advantage when Bam Bam and IRS keep missing moves. They double-team the Corporation until Bam Bam low-bridges Fatu. He also uses a ref distraction to attack him on the floor and ram him into IRS’s briefcase. Samu eventually makes a hot tag and cleans house with backdrops and headbutts before the Shrinkers give IRS a double-facebuster. Then, they hit the flying splash, but DiBiase distracts the ref. Bam Bam even attacks Albano, so Afa has enough and enters the ring. The ref spots him attacking Bigelow, so he disqualifies the Shrinkers. However, the two teams continue brawling down the aisle.

Thoughts: This was a solid opening match, but the finish was a little disappointing. The action was good, and the crowd was into the bout. They even liked the post-match brawl. The only problem was it felt rushed and didn’t have a decisive ending. Removing the tag titles from the equation also deflated the importance. I can only guess, but I believe the non-finish was because they didn’t want the Headshrinkers losing again or the Corporation losing their first PPV match. I get it, but it’s a flat way to start an event.

WinnersBam Bam & IRS (by DQ) (7:20)

Leslie Nielsen backstage

Meanwhile, Leslie Nielsen is hot on the trail of the Undertaker. We know this because some signs on the wall say, “Undertaker trail.” He says he heard a voice from beyond, but it’s security. They mistake him for Lloyd Bridges and Peter Graves. Then, Nielsen thinks he found the Undertaker, but it’s George Kennedy in Taker’s hat and coat. He says he’s undercover. George and Leslie argue about who is on the case only to realize they’re both on it—literally. The camera pans down to show they’re standing on an equipment case. I usually love a good pun, but this was groan-worthy. This is the WWF writers trying to mimic The Naked Gun and failing.

Bull Nakano vs. Alundra Blayze

Women’s Title Match: Alundra Blayze (c) vs. Bull Nakano (w/ Luna Vachon)

Notes: Luna might not have her main squeeze anymore, but she used DiBiase’s money to hire a new wrestler to manage. She found the Japanese superstar, Bull Nakano. Bull has an awesome look and a hairstyle I like to call a reverse mullet. She spikes the front of her hair up straight. It’s a party in the front and business in the back. She also wears similar face paint to Luna, so they make a good pair. This new acquisition by the WWF was enough for Vince to remember he has a women’s division, but don’t hold your breath on him remembering for long. These two did manage to wrestle each other once before this. They went to a double count-out on RAW.

also want to point out that Lawler spends most of this match praising Bull’s beauty, but he mocks Alundra for her looks. Jerry claims Blayze’s face could not only stop clocks but stop all of Switzerland. I bet these are Vince’s feelings, but he’s living vicariously through Lawler.

The Match: Bull takes control early and throws Blayze around by the hair. She makes cocky pin attempts and Alundra nearly makes a comeback with a hurricanrana. Bull puts a stop to that by locking her in holds like a one-handed Boston Crab and a Scorpion Cross-Lock. I love that move. She also distracts the ref, so Luna can attack, but Alundra starts surprising Bull with pin attempts. Blayze eventually tries a piledriver, which Lawler claims will break Bull’s hair. Alundra even bridges out of a pin attempt, but Bull catches her with a powerbomb. Next, Bull goes for her finisher, a flying leg drop. She misses, so Blayze hits a German suplex for the win.

Thoughts: This was a great match. It was easily the best women’s match I’ve covered. The crowd started quiet, but they won them over quickly. It was crisp and well-paced. I would say this would hold up even in today’s women’s wrestling. I only wish it had gone a little longer. You would think the great performance would encourage Vince to focus on the women’s division, but it will sadly be a while until they’re on PPV again.

WinnerAlundra Blayze (8:10)

Diesel Shawn Michaels and Pettengill

Next, Todd Pettengill is with the new Tag Team Champions, Diesel & Shawn Michaels. Shawn is dressed like the world’s most flamboyant zebra and he’s mugging for the camera. Shawn brags about how he and Diesel have collectively held the Intercontinental Title for the last couple of years. He also says they’re the two most happening cats because they won the Tag Titles. Then, Diesel says he should be called Midas because everything he touches turns to gold. He tells Razor that it ain’t happening tonight. He’s not taking his gold. Todd accuses them of overlooking Sweetness, Walter Payton. Shawn says they overlook everyone and after tonight, Razor and Payton will be oh-so-bitter. Shawn did his best to make this segment about him, but I thought Diesel cut a pretty good promo.

Diesel vs. Razor Ramon

Intercontinental Title Match: Razor Ramon (w/ Walter Payton) vs. Diesel (c) (w/ Shawn Michaels)

Notes: Diesel got a WWF Title match at King of the Ring, but then he returned to feuding with Razor Ramon. Razor received a rematch to regain the Intercontinental Title and the WWF announced that the former NFL player Walter Payton would be in his corner. Payton was a running back for the Chicago Bears, so it’s a fitting celebrity cameo. He would counteract the presence of Shawn Michaels, who constantly interfered in Diesel’s matches.

Diesel enters first and Michaels follows behind him. He wastes no time in stepping in front of Diesel and mugging for the camera again. It’s a nice touch, but you know Shawn is trying to get the focus on him. Razor is next, and the crowd go crazy for both him and Walter Payton. Lawler sees a fan’s painting of Razor Ramon. He jokes it’s fitting it’s an oil painting because Razor is the oiliest wrestler in the world. Lawler also pops for seeing himself in the background of the camera shot. Meanwhile, Shawn does his best to intimidate Walter.

The Match: Razor flusters Diesel early with punches, but Diesel answers with forearms and elbows. He also locks Razor in a sleeper hold. Then, Diesel distracts the ref while Shawn removes a turnbuckle pad and attacks Razor. The ref spots the buckle and prevents him from using it until Shawn distracts him again. Diesel then works on Razor’s back with a side slam and an abdominal stretch with leverage. Razor retakes control by sending Diesel into the exposed buckle. Ramon also does a diving bulldog and knocks Shawn off the apron. He takes a ridiculous bump into the rail. Then, Diesel blocks a super back suplex, but Razor also reverses a Jackknife attempt. Next, Shawn gets into an altercation with Payton, which distracts Earl Hebner. Shawn uses the opening to enter the ring. Diesel holds Razor for a superkick, but Razor moves. Shawn accidentally hits Diesel, so Razor covers for the win.

Thoughts: I enjoyed this match. They put together a good story and had enough bells and whistles to keep the crowd hot from start to finish. It had a good pace. It wasn’t flashy, but everything fit the story of the bout. Diesel worked over Razor’s back to set up the Jackknife and Razor played the face in peril well. Shawn played his part and did enough to get Payton involved. Michaels may have gone a bit overboard in putting the focus on himself, but that’s Shawn.

WinnerRazor Ramon (New Champion) (15:03)

After the match, Diesel demands that Shawn come back and explain himself, but Michaels retreats. Razor and Payton celebrate in the ring with Walter’s son. Then, Randy Savage says it’s party time and congratulates Razor on his win. He also says he wouldn’t want to be Shawn Michaels when Diesel gets his hands on him.

Luger Tatanka and Pettengill

Next, Pettengill is backstage with Lex Luger and Tatanka. He reads the results of a fan poll asking whether Luger sold out to Ted DiBiase or not. 56% of the fans said yes. Luger tries to offer a rebuttal, but Tatanka interrupts. He says he knows Luger sold out and offers lots of circumstantial evidence. DiBiase claimed he bought Luger’s contract. Ted calls Lex by his first name. Also, Tatanka found Luger in DiBiase’s locker room and vice versa. Tatanka tells Luger to find DiBiase and meet him in the ring. Tatanka then leaves, so Luger denies the rumors and says he will win by himself like he always does. I’ll explain the feud in a moment. The promos weren’t that thrilling, especially Luger’s. I feel like they telegraphed the twist a bit too much. It is kind of obvious.

Luger vs. Tatanka

Tatanka vs. Lex Luger

Notes: Ted DiBiase formed the Million Dollar Corporation and then claimed that Lex Luger was one of the new members. Luger denied this, but his friend Tatanka believed it was true. DiBiase did his best to make Luger look guilty. He entered his locker room with a bag of money. Luger was even caught in DiBiase’s locker room. The WWF decided to run a poll on the hotline asking fans if they thought Luger sold-out to Ted. They seem to love doing hotline polls about Luger. They did one at Royal Rumble.

Both men get mixed reactions during their entrances. Ted DiBiase doesn’t accompany either man to the ring. He waits until later to arrive. I have to admit, when I was younger I enjoyed this storyline, but I’m not so sure watching it again. Before the match, Tatanka gets in Luger’s face and yells at him for selling-out.

The MatchThe match is back and forth to start. They trade arm wringers and near-falls. Tatanka eventually takes control with a powerslam and some running chops. He also hits some flying chops and a suplex, but he misses a flying cross body. Luger capitalizes with running clotheslines, but DiBiase arrives with a bag of cash. Luger is distracted, so Tatanka rolls him up for the win.

Thoughts: I will cover the post-match segment in a moment, but I’ll discuss the bout itself first. The match was pretty basic. It’s merely a backdrop for what happens next. I guess it did its part to further the story, but it wasn’t thrilling. The crowd was mildly into it, but they’ve been hot all night. The finish was fine because it places that momentary doubt in the fans’ minds and opens the door for the swerve.

WinnerTatanka (6:02)

Tatanka sells out

Luger confronts DiBiase and kicks the money out of his hand. Vince is confused until Tatanka attacks Luger from behind. He realizes it was a setup. Tatanka is the one who sold-out to DiBiase. Lawler says he doesn’t know what’s going on, but he likes it. Tatanka hits a couple of Samoan Drops while Ted approves and then hugs him. Lawler then claims that selling-out is in Tatanka’s heritage. That’s a comment that hasn’t aged well. Then, they start leaving, but DiBiase tells him to do more. Tatanka puts Luger in the Million Dollar Dream and then stuffs money into Luger’s mouth. Knowing the WWF, we should consider ourselves lucky the storyline didn’t involve Tatanka getting a casino in the deal. I’m halfway surprised they didn’t do that.

Then, Vince says they’re going back to Gorilla Monsoon for a reaction. He’s on a red phone, but he’s not talking to Batman. Monsoon says he’s waiting for a word with Tatanka, but he doesn’t know if he will get him.

Jarrett vs. Mabel

Jeff Jarrett vs. Mabel (w/ Oscar)

Notes: There is almost no build for this match. Jarrett was semi-feuding with Doink on TV, but even that was dropped. I’m unsure why Jarrett didn’t feud with the 1-2-3 Kid after King of the Ring. The Kid isn’t injured. They simply dropped the idea. The only substance added to this match was a brief mention of Country Music vs. Rap Music. That’s an idea that WCW would run with years later. I wonder if they were watching this.

Also, during the match, they show Abe Knuckleball Schwartz in the crowd. It’s the Brooklyn Brawler in a baseball-themed gimmick. He dresses like the Cincinnati Reds mascot and carries a sign that says, “I’m on strike.” This is the WWF’s way of mocking the ongoing baseball strike in ‘94.

The Match: Jarrett ducks Mabel’s attack and struts, so Mabel arm drags him and does the same. He then choke-lifts Jeff and drops an elbow before sending Jarrett to the floor. Jarrett keeps going after Oscar and eventually sends him into the steps. Then, he returns to the ring and gives Mabel a diving fist drop and some flying axehandles. Jeff also locks Mabel in a couple of sleeper holds, but Mabel squashes him in the corner. Jeff ends up chasing Oscar again, but Mabel catches him and holds him so Oscar can slap Jarrett. They return to the ring and Mabel misses a diving splash. Jarrett uses the opening for a sunset flip, but Mabel attempts to sit on him. Jarrett moves and then covers Mabel for the win.

Thoughts: This was a pointless time-filler. It wasn’t good and had no build. I would much rather have seen Jarrett vs. the 1-2-3 Kid. I have no clue why they didn’t do that match. I’m also surprised Jarrett got the win. I thought Vince loved Mabel. We will see how much he loves him in ‘95.

WinnerJeff Jarrett (5:45)

Leslie Nielsen George Kennedy and Undertaker

Mabel then chases Jarrett to the back, so Vince announces the super sleuths Leslie Nielsen and George Kennedy are somewhere in the arena looking for the Undertaker. They find them in the aisle, and Nielsen tells the camera to get lost because they blew their cover. Then, you see the Undertaker’s silhouette in the entrance behind them, but they don’t notice. Lawler calls them idiots. They finally turn, but he’s gone.

Owen Hart Anvil and McMahon

Next, they recap the Bret/Owen feud. Most of the video package is the same as previous PPVs, but they added to it. They show interviews from Bret and Owen and footage from WrestleMania and King of the Ring. They also include Bruce Hart confronting Owen & Jim Neidhart. He calls Owen a disgrace. Then, they show Owen cutting a promo inside a dark cage. He says it’s all over for Bret and there will be a new reign in the Hart Family. Owen claims the family will jump on his bandwagon after he becomes WWF Champion. Next, Bret compares peering through the bars of the cage to peering through the bars of Owen’s crib when he was little. He says Owen will cry like a baby when he loses.

McMahon Lawler Stu and Helen Hart

After the recap, Vince and Lawler interview Stu & Helen Hart. Vince asks if they thought it would come to this. Helen voices concerns that Owen has a fever. Maybe he needs some cowbell. She also thinks he’s possessed. Stu, on the other hand, just wants to see a good match. Lawler has enough and accuses them of driving Owen to this. Then, Lawler talks to the British Bulldog, who appears to be dressed like a buff English teacher. Vince tries to provoke Lawler into a fight with the Hart brothers, but then he spots Jim Neidhart. Anvil says everyone will see that Owen is the best. He also agrees Stu Hart drove Owen to this. Vince says the cage might keep the Harts out of the match and calls Bruce the most volatile Hart of them all. He’s not wrong. Bruce gets in Anvil’s face, but Jim tells him not to point at him.

Bret Hart and Todd Pettengill

Then, Pettengill is with Bret Hart. Todd reveals that Bret is recovering from Strep Throat, but Bret says it’s not an issue. He claims the belt will stay with him because he will prove he’s better than Owen. He also says he doesn’t hate Owen. The problem is Owen is jealous. However, he says he hates Neidhart because he started all of it. He accuses Jim of planting the seeds and manipulating Owen. Next, Bret says the situation breaks his heart. It’s gone beyond wrestling. It’s a dogfight. He says his family wants it to end, and his mother was crying, but he can’t seem to stop it. Bret then promises not to lose and hopes Owen can live with that. The promo was shaky at moments, but I think that fits the tone. It gave it a feeling of authenticity, so I think it worked in this context.

Bret Hart vs Owen Hart Cage Match

Cage Match for the WWF Title: Bret Hart (c) vs. Owen Hart

Notes: The Fink explains this match can only end with someone escaping the cage. There are no pins or submissions. I’ve never cared for escape rules, but they do a good job in this match with the stipulation. During the entrances, Vince says Anvil is conspicuous by his absence despite talking to him before the match. Vince didn’t realize that makes no sense. Also, I have to point out that Bret is now using his remixed theme with the guitar wail at the start. It’s a much more fitting theme than the old Hart Foundation music. Bret hugs his family, so Lawler points out that none of them hugged Owen. Then, Bret gives his sunglasses to one of his baby nephews, but the baby immediately removes it.

The Match: They brawl to start, but soon both men are attempting to escape. They do a good job of building tension with near misses and close calls. Sometimes both men get their feet over the top of the cage but stop each other at the last second. There are also a couple of moments when they barely prevent an escape by grabbing the hair. They also get halfway out the door and pull each other back into the cage. Both men land back suplexes off the ropes and ram each other into the bars. They also take turns getting crotched on escape attempts. Then, Bret stops Owen at the top of the cage and hits a superplex!! Bret eventually hurts his knee, and Owen puts him in a Sharpshooter, but Bret reverses it into one of his own. He eventually releases the hold because there are no submissions and Bret climbs. Owen stops him, but they both end up climbing out onto the wall. They fight, and Owen’s leg gets caught in the bars, so Bret drops down for the win.

Thoughts: I don’t usually like escape rules, but they showed how to do it properly. Their frantic attempts to escape and near misses kept the crowd hot. They built great tension and told a good story. Everything was focused on trying to win the match. There were no wasted spots. This is the kind of match that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I loved this.

WinnerBret Hart (32:22)

Anvil locks the cage

After the match, Bulldog and his wife Diana celebrate Bret’s win, but Jim Neidhart clotheslines Davey from behind. Both he and Diana fall over the guardrail, as Jim attacks Bret. He and Owen bring Bret back into the cage and Anvil locks the door with a chain. It takes him forever to secure it. They beat up Bret and stop the family from scaling the cage. Bulldog finally manages to enter, so Owen & Anvil retreat. This was a great way to keep the feud going and made Owen & Anvil look like incredible heels. On a side note, Diana wasn’t supposed to go over the rail with Bulldog. She and Davey decided on their own to do that and Bret wasn’t happy about it.

Owen Hart and Todd Pettengill

Todd tries to get a word with Owen & Anvil, but Owen says he doesn’t owe him an explanation. He says his family turned their backs on him. He also says he doesn’t know what Bulldog is doing interfering. Anvil then threatens Bret and says the same will happen if Bret gets in the god damn ring. Vince quickly tries cutting off the segment when Anvil cusses. Vince doesn’t seem happy about it, but he recaps the match before they show a Survivor Series commercial.

Undertaker dies

Next, they recap the Undertaker situation. They show clips of the Undertaker’s “death” from Royal RumbleThen, they show clips of people reporting sightings of the Undertaker. There is also footage of DiBiase introducing the Underfaker and Bearer’s attempts to lure him away from Ted. Next, they show Bearer in a graveyard yelling about how he feels Undertaker’s presence. He confronts the Underfaker on The King’s Court, but Faker chokes Paul. The lights go out and Bearer escapes before yelling some more about feeling Taker’s presence. Finally, the voice of the real Undertaker gives DiBiase a warning on Superstars the weekend of the PPV.

Undertaker vs. Undertaker

The Undertaker (w/ Paul Bearer) vs. The Undertaker (w/ Ted DiBiase)

Notes: Ted DiBiase introduces his Undertaker first, and he enters the arena. Lawler believes this is the real one. Then, Paul Bearer arrives alone, so Lawler mocks him. Paul beckons out some druids who push the casket from Royal Rumble to ringside. He opens it, but the Undertaker doesn’t emerge. Instead, Bearer pulls out the biggest urn I’ve ever seen. He gets in the ring and lets Earl Hebner hold it, but he takes it back before Earl can sell it. Next, the lights go out and Paul opens the urn. A beam of light pours out of it, and lightning effects fill the arena. A new orchestral remix of Taker’s theme plays and the real Undertaker enters the arena. He’s wearing purple gloves and boots to differentiate him from the other Taker, but he would keep this look for the next few years. The two Takers then disrobe in unison, which I’ll admit was a cool visual.

The MatchThey get in each other’s face and trade punches until Taker sends Faker to the floor with a boot. Faker chases Paul Bearer, but Taker pulls him to the apron and hits a suplex. He then controls the match until Faker hotshots him on the ropes. Then, Faker attempts Old School, but Taker slams him and shows him how it’s done. Faker responds with another sloppy hotshot while Vince tries to convince viewers the crowd is silent because of awe. Taker eventually tumbles out of the ring on a missed clothesline, and Faker rams him into the apron and steps. He also hits a chokeslam and a Tombstone, but Taker keeps sitting up again. Faker attempts another Tombstone, but Taker reverses it. He then hits two more Tombstones for the win.

Thoughts: This was awful and stupid. The crowd popped for the entrance, but they went silent for the match. They couldn’t care less. The match was slow, and Underfaker’s offense looked poor. However, it could have been worse. Bruce Prichard said the original plan was a supernatural ending where the two Takers would merge into one with a theatrical light show. There were even plans for more matches, but that idea was scrapped when this did so poorly.

WinnerPaul Bearer’s Undertaker (8:57)

Taker then dumps the Faker into the casket and the druids take it, while DiBiase leaves in fear. Paul Bearer holds up the giant urn while Taker poses in the ring. There are more lightning effects and the fans cheer. Vince starts saying goodnight, but first, he sends it to Randy Savage. Macho recaps the match and starts wrapping things up, but he hears the super sleuths are backstage.

Leslie Nielsen and George Kennedy close the case

Leslie and George find the casket and think the real Taker is inside of it. They open it, but find it empty. George spots something off-screen. They go to investigate and find a briefcase. George says the case is closed, so Leslie solved the mystery. Nielsen is confused, but he agrees and they leave as the show fades to black.

The Good:

– The Cage Match

– The Intercontinental Title Match

– The opener was decent other than the finish.

– Owen & Neidhart’s heel work

– The women’s title match

The Bad:

– The main event

– The Jarrett/Mabel match

– The Leslie Nielsen stuff was disappointing

Performer of the Night:

I’m giving it to Owen Hart. This was his night to shine and he knocked it out of the park. That cage match was great and he looked like he could have won it.

Final Thoughts:

Much like King of the Ring, this is a really good show if you ignore the main event. A couple of matches weren’t great, but the stuff that was good made up for it. Even the Undertaker nonsense can be an amusing curiosity. It was awful, but you can laugh at it. Watch this show for the IC Title Match and the Cage Match, but skip the end unless you want a chuckle.

My next review will be WCW’s Fall Brawl ‘94. Look for it next Saturday!

I write a blog where I chronologically review all pre-network PPVs from the WWF/WWE, WCW, & ECW.

2 thoughts on “SummerSlam ’94

  1. The undertaker vs undertaker was a dud no doubt about it. But the entrance, Paul Bearer bringing out the double wide, double deep casket, the giant urn in it. the light coming out of it and shining around the arena. The new theme for Taker, the purple lighting and walk to the ring. the dramatic way Taker lifted his arms. Had the fans and myself to this day wowed and cheering for him for his return after his ascension at royal rumble 1994.

    This right here is why Taker was so popular, why his gimmick lasted 30 years (outside of biker taker years). Why we loved him so much. Because everything from the atmosphere, the dedications and craft Mark and Percy put into their gimmicks, the way Taker innovated something about his gimmick, his gear etc everytime he came back from injury/hiatus. That kept him fresh and nicely time stamping each era of his career. This is classic Taker and why i loved him from the moment i started watching wrestling and why he still holds up for many today.

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