On the Marc Reviews: Survivor Series 1992

Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, Ohio, November 25, 1992

Commentators: Vince McMahon and Bobby “The Brain” Heenan

This show is available on the WWE Survivor Series Anthology, Vol. 2 – 1992-1996.

This is the first Survivor Series that fractured practically no survivor matches. Actually there was one tag survivor match with four total teams but had the rules of a tag team survivor match when they used ten teams.

Reverend Slick opens the show with a sermon.

High Energy vs. Headshrinkers (w/Afa):   High Energy is the highly entertaining jobber team of Koko B. Ware and Owen Hart; the Headshrinkers are already in the ring and this is just after their WWF debut. Samu tosses Owen around in the outset; Hart runs the ropes a lot, jumping over a backdrop, avoiding a diving head-butt and a clothesline and then hits a crossbody for two; Owen hits a nice arm drag sandwiched between a pair of standing dropkicks. Koko tags in and he hits a few dropkicks as well; he smartly stomps the bare feet of Samu. Koko tries to ram the Shrinkers heads together but that of course does not work, Koko avoids a double clothesline but gets whacked by Afa with his bamboo shoot from the floor. The Headshrinkers double head-butt Koko and then draw Owen in the ring so they can double team some more. Fatu hits a clothesline and he tags Samu who stays on top with a trapezius hold and another lariat. Koko gets a desperation sunset flip for two; the Shrinkers have “Pago Pago” written on their tights, it is the capital of American Samoa. Fatu hits a superkick and bites the face of Koko; Samu tags in and Koko almost makes it to the corner but a double team cuts it off. Koko avoids a Stinger splash and Koko begins the crawl to Owen and tags in. Owen hits a pair of dropkicks and a flying body press on Samu. Owen tries another crossbody but eats a powerslam. The Headshrinkers finish off the match with a Fatu assisted top rope splash. 3.5/10 Spirited squash match to introduce the Headshrinkers.

Sean Mooney warns us about this incredible upcoming encounter. Nailz has been waiting to face the Big Bossman since he got out of jail; he plans on breaking his legs. Nailz professes his innocence and was put in jail (for 2,478 days) for no reason. Gene Okerlund is with the Bossman who read Nailz’s RAP sheet and feels he should be serving a life sentence; they split screen the Bossman’s promo and Nailz’s ring entrance. Bossman books for the ring once Nailz is inside it.

Big Bossman vs. Nailz nightstick on a pole:   Nailz goes for the nightstick before the match even starts and Bossman makes it to the ring in time to stop him. Nailz reverses a whip and chokes him out and goes for the stick again. Nailz punches away but Bossman comes back with a huge right hand. Bossman gets to the top rope and almost retrieves the stick; Nails tosses him off the top. Nailz hits a backbreaker and applies a reverse chinlock. Bossman comes back but misses a splash. Nailz tries for the nightstick; Bossman yanks him off the top crotching him on the way down. Double clothesline puts them both down; Bossman shimmies up the pole and gets the stick. Bossman hammers Nailz with the stick but he pretty much shrugs it off and steals the nightstick from the Bossman. Nailz beats the Bossman with the stick until he whips Nailz off the ropes and plants him with the Bossman Slam for three. Post-match, Bossman nightsticks Nailz to the floor, where he can attack innocent fans, in lieu of arresting him. 2/10 For a match that they put a lot of “viewer discretion” warnings on it sure was normal. The nightstick did not even figure into the decision, might as well just have a normal match.

Gene Okerlund is with Razor Ramon and Ric Flair who discuss the addition of Mr. Perfect to Randy Savage’s team. They show clips from Savage asking Perfect to be his partner on Prime Time Wrestling; Bobby Heenan slaps him and then begs him not to leave the “team” so Perfect pours water all over him. Flair is pissed and says he allowed Perfect to walk in the shadow of greatness. Razor says that two things will happen one man oozes machismo and Razor is going to carve Perfect up. Flair says you got to survive!

Tatanka vs. “The Model” Rick Martel:   Martel took Tatanka’s ceremonial headdress feathers to use in his ensembles so Tatanka is here to get them back. Tatanka was undefeated here and Martel chops him in the corner; Tatanka fires back with a back drop and a pair of dropkicks, Martel takes a powder. Martel returns and gets in Tatanka’s face, a shoving match erupts and Tatanka counters a kick with an atomic drop; Martel winds up on the floor again. Bobby Heenan is all flustered on commentary as a result of the preceding highlights of Mr. Perfect’s defection from “Team Woo!” earlier on. Martel gets a shot in but it does not last long; Martel finally grabs Tatanka and falls back, clotheslining him off the top rope, to finally take over. Martel chokes and applies a front facelock; Vince McMahon references that rules had been more followed since Sgt. Slaughter was appointed special enforcer by Jack Tunney’s office. Wow, I didn’t remember this; he was in a commissioner type role for that long? Heenan makes a good point that a notorious rule-breaker is now in charge of enforcing the rules. Tatanka finally wakes up and vertical suplexes free, or “whata-maneuver!” Martel rams Tatanka’s head into the mat before he can capitalize. Martel reapplies the front chancery; the unnamed Doink the Clown is in the aisle, dicking around with balloon animals. Tatanka front suplexes Martel to the apron and slingshots him back in; Martel nails Tatanka in the throat and a neckbreaker follows and gets a nearfall. Martel puts on the front facelock again so we go back to Doink in the aisle, who was not het heel or babyface, just a random clown. Tatanka clotheslines free and begins to go to work; he sidesteps Martel in the corner and the Model posts his shoulder. Tatanka smartly Tomahawk chops the shoulder and applies an armlock. Tatanka counters a hiplock into a backslide for two and arm drags into an armbar. Martel momentums Tatanka to the floor; back in the ring, Martel works the back. Martel tries a second-rope double axe but Tatanka counters and begins his stereotypical comeback with Tomahawk chops and war dances; he hits a top-rope Tomahawk chop. End of the Trail (Samoan drop) follows and Tatanka gets three. Post-match Tatanka retrieves his sacred eagle feathers. Doink also begins to show his true colors post-match, popping the balloons he gave to the kids; Heenan laughs. 2.5/10 This was a boring match with a lot of front facelocks involved when Martel was on offense; Tatanka was still relatively new and was still undefeated so his offense was filled with pop and muster, sadly Martel controlled 75% of the match.

Sean Mooney is with Mr. Perfect and Randy Savage; Perfect discusses shadows and says Ric Flair has always wanted to be like Mr. Perfect. Perfect says whatever Razor Ramon is oozing stinks. Savage calls Mr. Perfect a “superior athlete” getting a shot in on the Ultimate Warrior, who was Savage’s original partner in the “Mega Maniacs” but he flaked out and left the WWF a few days before the Survivor Series; Prefect did a quick about [baby]face and turned on Bobby Heenan on WWF Prime Time Wrestling to become Savage’s partner.

“Macho Man” Randy Savage & Mr. Perfect vs. Ric Flair & Razor Ramon:   Bobby Heenan loses his minds on commentary upon Perfect’s entrance; Prefect is sporting an airbrushed black singlet with his logo on the back that, I believe, he only wore this one time. Perfect starts off with Razor; Ramon flicks his toothpick at him so Perfect spits his gum at Razor. Razor swings wildly, pissed off, and Perfect confounds him with speed and avoidance. Perfect drop-toeholds Razor and slaps the back of his head around; Perfect goes to the floor for a powder and woos at Flair. Razor grabs Perfect and drags him back into the ring and into his corner; Perfect chops his was out. Flair receives a tag and runs right into a series of punches; Perfect backdrops and dropkicks Flair. Ric heads to the floor where Savage meets him and tosses him back into the ring and tags. Macho Man comes off the top rope and drops a double axe handle. Side headlock by Savage and then he knocks Flair down; Savage slaps Flair and then peppers him with lefts and rights. Savage floors Flair with a Hart Attack clothesline. Team Flair finally isolates Savage and hammers away in the corner. Savage keeps coming back on Razor until he Tree Slams him; Flair tags in Savage and chops him in the corner. Ramon slugs away on Savage’s back; Ramon applies a Flair-assisted abdominal stretch, Mr. Perfect keeps coming in to complain distracting the referee Earl Hebner, which of course leads to more punishment. Savage hiptosses free but misses an elbow drop; Flair returns and tosses Savage over the top rope. Razor tosses Macho Man into the steps on the floor; back into the ring Flair gets a few nearfalls and a knee drop. Ramon applies a single-leg crab; Mr. Perfect walks down the aisle feigning leaving but he thinks better of himself and walks back to the ring. Ramon nails Mr. Perfect as he gets back up on the apron suckering him in the ring for more double teaming. Savage gets a desperation backslide for two; Razor tags back in and drops a series of elbows. Chokeslam drop by Ramon; Perfect breaks up the three count. Savage gets an inside cradle for two and Flair tags back in. Flair continues to dominate as Perfect continues to visually voice disgust in Savage’s inability to fight back. Flair takes FOREVER going to the top; Savage climbs to the second rope and tosses him off the top rope. Savage finally makes the tag and Mr. Perfect tags in and clobbers Ramon; Perfect hits the running Hennig neck snap. Atomic drop by Perfect and a knee lift. Flair charges in and gets sent to the floor; he and Savage battle there until Flair wipes him out with a chairshot.  Flair reenters the ring and he and Ramon overwhelm Perfect. Flair gets sent to the floor and then Ramon accidentally whips Perfect into the referee, who was checking on Flair, knocking him to the floor. Ramon lines up Perfect for the Razor’s Edge but Perfect uses the top rope to flip over and backdrop Ramon. Mr. Perfect flips Ramon into the Perfect-plex but Hebner is out; referee Joey Marella, who was checking on Hebner, takes forever sliding into the ring to count and it allows Flair to recover and break up the pin. Mr. Perfect hits another Perfect-plex, this time on Flair, Hebner recovers and counts a pin but Ramon breaks it up this time. Both officials try to stop Flair and Ramon from double teaming Mr. Perfect; Flair pushes them aside drawing a disqualification. Post-match the beating continues and Flair locks in the figure-four leglock. Ramon heads to the floor and gets a chair. Savage recovers and knocks Ramon down and gives the chair to Perfect to breaks up the figure-four jabbing Flair in the chin and then whacking Ramon with the chair; Macho Man high fives Mr. Perfect after a long delayed soul-searching moment. 5/10 Average tag match which normally would not be a bad thing but the talent involved, despite Perfect’s long layoff, it was subpar. This was very shortly after Razor’s debut as well as he was still relatively green especially in a WWF semi-main event.

Ric Flair promises next time they will end Mr. Perfect’s career. Razor Ramon implies that he killed the last “chico” that crossed him.

Virgil vs. Yokozuna (w/Mr. Fuji):   Vince McMahon is still getting shots in on Bobby Heenan during Yoko’s entrance; this is the “legit” first opponent Yoko has faces since his debut about a month earlier. Yoko tosses Virgil around; Virgil tries a shoulderblock and gets floored. Virgil hits three dropkicks, which barely fazes Yoko; Virgil tries an O’Connor roll, not wise, and runs into a reverse crescent kick. Yoko hits a Sambo suplex squashing Virgil, literally not match style, that part is obvious. Virgil fights back but runs into a side suplex and drops the Hulkbuster leg; Virgil floats over on a corner charge and tries a schoolboy but Yokozuna sits on him. Reverse avalanche and the Banzai Drop squashes Virgil, literally AND in match style. 2.5/10 Squash match.

Randy Savage and Mr. Perfect laugh at Ric Flair and Razor Ramon; Prefect gives Razor and Flair big turkeys and Bobby Heenan a little chicken.

Nasty Boys & Natural Disasters vs. Beverly Brothers & Money, Inc. (w/Genius & Jimmy Hart) traditional Survivor Series match:   Money, Inc. are the current WWF tag champions; Jimmy Hart screwed the Natural Disasters giving their tag title shot to Money, Inc., and then he screwed the Nasty Boys for the exact same reason giving Money, Inc. their tag title shot. If one member of a team is eliminated the whole team leaves. Dibiase is in his rare white trunks; Typhoon starts off with Blake Beverly. Typhoon tosses Blake around and struts; Blake tries a sleeper but gets squashed in the corner and then tossed around, next Typhoon finishes with a backbreaker. Quake gets a tag and Typhoon passes Blake to him and he hits a bearhug. The Disasters double up both Beverlys in the corner and Quake and Typhoon hits a stacked avalanche. Earthquake powerslams Blake; Brian Knobbs tags in and yells at Money, Inc. in the corner. Knobbs hammers away on Blake. Jerry Sags comes in and finally Blake tags in Beau Beverly; Sags plants him with a pump-handle slam. Beau takes over on Sags after Ted Dibiase distraction and hits a nice butterfly suplex; Dibiase tags in and looks like his is in his tighty-whiteys. Dibiase drops him with a standing clothesline and tries a vertical suplex; Sags powers him up into a suplex. Irwin R. Schyster tags in elbows Sags in the face off a whip. Irwin misses a clothesline and gets a hiptoss reversed; Dibiase charges in and gets floored as well. Beau returns and hits a powerslam; Blake Beverly tags in and they hit a tandem stomp on the ropes. Beau holds Sags for a Blake double axe off the second rope and follows with a neckbreaker which gets a nearfall. Blake locks in a chinlock. Thrilling. Sags counters into a sleeper hold and then they hit head-to-head for a double KO. Quake gets a tag and beats the tar out of Beau Beverly. Earthquake then fires up on everyone and all eight men gets in for a huge brawl. The babyfaces clear the ring and Beau tries a crucifix on Typhoon which ends in a Samoan drop for Typhoon. Quake ends the Beverly Brothers’ night with the Earthquake vertical splash ELIMINATING Beau Beverly and Blake Beverly.

Earthquake awaits Ted Dibiase; Quake tosses him around and steamrolls him of a whip. Knobbs comes in and the babyfaces pass Dibiase around and pummel him. Earthquake misses an avalanche and Money, Inc. takes over and quarantines him in their corner. Irwin tosses Quake into the corner and Dibiase hammers away. IRS applies a reverse chinlock; Dibiase returns and hits a clothesline and some chops to stagger Quake. Dibiase finally drives him down with a second rope double axe handle. IRS returns and applies a front facelock; Money, Inc. continues to quick tag on Quake. Dibiase tries another second rope double axe and meets Quakes boot. IRS tags as does Typhoon who kicks the crap out of Irwin and hits the Typhoon splash but Dibiase breaks up the three count. The Nasty Boys run in and clothesline Dibiase over the top rope. Dibiase trips Typhoon from the floor; IRS drops an elbow and gets a three count. Earthquake and Typhoon are ELIMINATED.

Jerry Sags sneaks over to the celebrating Schyster and O’Connor rolls him for three; Ted Dibiase and IRS are ELIMINATED and the Nasty Boys are the survivors. 2.5/10 This was a long boring survivor match that was the only one on the card at the Survivor Series; surprising ending as well.

The history of Kamala and the Undertaker began at Summerslam ’92 where Kamala unloaded with all his offense he could and could not beat the Undertaker. Paul Bearer and the Undertaker began to torture Kamala with coffins. Taker went to his coffin making shop which is in Lancaster, Pennsylvania by the looks of it and made a really big coffin for Kamala.

Undertaker (w/Paul Bearer) vs. Kamala (w/Harvey Wippleman & Kim Chee) coffin match:   Kamala is terrified of coffins… but not caskets, smart move by Paul Bearer tricking Kamala into a coffin match instead of a casket match. This is the first coffin/casket match and the way to win is by pinfall/submission first and then place your opponent into the coffin. Kamala slaps his belly and then runs away from the Undertaker who stalks him on the floor. Kamala tries to take the advantage when he reenters the ring. Taker no-sells everything Kamala throws at him and fires back; Ropewalk forearm follows. A short-clothesline connects for the Undertaker and he follows that up with a blatant choke; Kamala gets a shot in off a telegraphed backdrop and clotheslines him to the floor. Unfortunately for Kim Chee and Wippleman, Taker lands between them on his feet, so he double goozles them. Kamala chops from behind and tosses him into the steel steps. Kamala clunks Taker on the head with Kim Chee’s pith helmet and then double throat chops him but cannot knock him down. Kamala ascertains a chair on the floor and whacks him with it and finally Taker crumples to his knees. Back in the ring, Undertaker rises up via urn power but Kamala bodyslams him, which is no-sold as Taker sits right up. Kamala slams him again with the same result. A third bodyslam and the Undertaker cannot get up; Kamala, now with more confidence, hits three big splashes. Paul Bearer hops up on the apron and Kim Chee trips him up causing the urn to fall into the ring. Harvey distracts the referee, for what reason I do not know casket matches are no DQ/no count out, they did not announce no DQ but Kamala beat Undertaker up with a chair on the floor and I did not hear a bell ring. Kim Chee tries to give the urn to Kamala but he is afraid of it and treats it like a hot potato. Taker regains the urn and clobbers Kamala with it gets the pin and rolls Kamala into the coffin and nails it shut. The hammer has “RIP” written on it so we know it is Taker’s hammer. 1.5/10 Punchy kicky match; with Taker’s character and selling prowess Kamala was not the opponent for him, neither would be all of his opponents in for the next four years or so. At least it was kept short.

Sean Mooney talks to the IC champion Shawn Michaels who is without Sensational Sherri who was accidentally clobbered with a mirror by Marty Jannetty. Shawn uses simple college logic to prove he’s going to be Bret Hart. British Bulldog beat Bret and Shawn beat Bulldog therefore Shawn can beat Bret. Bret Hart has been a fighting champion and has defended it multiple times since winning it a month or so ago. Bret gives thanks to be on the top and says in eight years he has fought his way to the top. Bret has respect for Shawn, boy would that change.

WWF Heavyweight Championship Bret “Hitman” Hart vs. Shawn Michaels:   Shawn is the Intercontinental Champion but the title is not on the line here; this is Bret’s first PPV WWF title defense. Bret versus Shawn at Survivor Series and Earl Hebner is the referee, this is the match that has created the most controversy, documentaries were made about this day, books were written… oh, wait wrong year, this is just a normal main event match. This would be chapter two in their long rivalry (Rockers versus Hart Foundation being chapter one). Shawn knees Bret in the gut and Shawn tries an amateur takedown; Bret sits out and they roll to the ropes. Bret flusters Shawn early on and Michaels uses the hair to pull Bret down; Bret reverses. Shawn keeps trying to pull Bret’s hair but the referee keeps catching him. Michaels drop-toeholds Bret into a chinlock but Bret Hart counters immediately into a keylock. Shawn finally gets to his feet and finally reverses the hold; Bret momentums him to the floor and break the hold. Bret flips Shawn back into the ring via slingshot and reapplies the armbar. Vince McMahon amuses himself taking shots at Bobby Heenan throughout the wear-down holds. Bret hits a high crossbody for two, the kick out sends Bret to the floor so he returns via slingshot sunset flip for two; arm drag push Shawn back into the armbar. Vince tells us that both men are in good conditioning by way of ICOPRO. Shawn gets a short right into Bret’s face and Bret tries a hiptoss but Shawn flips through it and tries a clothesline, which misses and Bret scores with a clothesline for a nearfall. Bret reapplies the armbar; Shawn fires him off, catches Bret and falls back clotheslining Bret on the top rope. Hart comes back but Shawn sidesteps a corner charge and Bret posts his shoulder. Michaels works the shoulder with a single-arm DDT and stomps Bret. Shawn fires Bret into the corner and Bret hits hard chest first; Shawn grounds Bret with a reverse chinlock. Bret tries to free himself but Shawn pulls the hair and keeps the advantage. This is like the WrestleMania XII ironman match with most of the fast paced stuff edited out. Bret tries a comeback but eats a dropkick for two; Shawn hits a backbreaker for two as well so Shawn reapplies the headlock. Bret comes back again and hits a swinging neckbreaker and but Shawn gouges his throat to keep on top; Michaels drives Bret down into a front facelock. Bret forces Shawn into the corner and hits a bulldog headlock but Bret misses a second-rope elbow; Michaels hits a reverse elbow for a nearfall. Shawn goes back to the front facelock. The referee checks the arm, which fires Bret back up into an inside cradle for two. Shawn misses a charge and Bret backdrop suplexes him. Shawn tries a Thesz press but Bret catches him and slingshots him into the ringpost. Bret springs up and tosses Shawn into the corner horizontally; Bret kicks his gut causing Michaels crotches himself. Bret hits a back body drop and gets a nearfall; Russian leg sweep, backbreaker and driving second-rope elbow get a nearfall. Bret hits a superplex and both men are down for a double KO. Bret slips an arm across Shawn’s chest for two. Bret applies a sleeper hold and Shawn back Bret into the corner to break but sandwiches referee Hebner as well. Hebner recovers rather quickly as Bret catches Michaels’ boot; Bret tries to spin him into an atomic drop but Michaels flips over. Shawn tries an O’Connor roll but Bret reverses, so Shawn drops to his knees momentuming Bret through the ropes, to the floor. Shawn posts Bret’s back on the floor; Shawn breaks the referee’s count and bodyslams Bret on the floor. Back in the ring, Shawn tosses Bret’s back into the buckles and backdrops him; a frustrated Michaels argues with the referee allowing Bret a reverse roll-up for two. Bret walks into the superkick (not his finisher yet); Shawn hits the Teardrop suplex (his finisher) for a nearfall. Shawn is exasperated and Bret comes back a ties Shawn in the ropes; Michaels frees himself just in time to avoid a flying Hitman and Bret sails into the ropes sideways. Shawn Michaels ascends the buckles and Bret catches his legs on the landing and applies the Sharpshooter for the submission. Post-match Santa Clause heads to the ring and celebrates with Bret Hart as snow begins to cascade into the ring. 6.5/10 Good for their first main event go but nowhere near where they could do once they got more comfortable; lots of wear down holds in the first ten to fifteen minutes but a decent main event on an otherwise disappointing show.

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The 411:  Without the survivor matches it becomes just another bland card in 1992; the year in flux due to Hulk Hogan’s absence. His return would pull the plug on Bret’s first title reign but once he left for good Bret, Shawn, Undertaker and others would begin to shine.
Final Score:  3.0   [ Bad ]