Dark Pegasus Video Review: Wrestlefest ’94

I wanted your opinion on something…regarding the Crush/Yokozuna match, I couldn’t tell if you really felt that Crush was a future champion or not (since sarcasm doesn’t always translate over the net.) I always thought everyone did a poor job building him and he had a lot more potential and was underutilized in every way except, god do I say it, when he was in Kronik. He’s a big guy, he can talk, he’s scary as hell looking…he’s got a lot of elements that makes Batista as popular as he is (and quite possibly had more charisma.)

Definitely not sarcasm. In his brief feud with Shawn Michaels and with evil Doink, he was one of the most over guys on the roster. He was a better athlete than Hogan, and cut promos like a heel so he was over with an audience tired of happy-go-lucky babyfaces. After his heel turn, he got lost in the shuffle of big heels (Yoko, Diesel, Borga) and he never really recovered from getting squashed by Yoko. Of course, looking back, it’s a good thing they didn’t give him the title, given his run-ins with the law.

Wrestlefest ’94
by J.D. Dunn

Released June 29, 1994

Your host is Macho Man Randy Savage who gives us occasional fashion tips.

Randy Savage vs. Rick Martel
This is not the same match as Mach’s “retirement” match. Instead, this is on the downside of his career after he lost his last title to Ric Flair. Let’s say late ’93-ish? Martel leads Savage on a chase and jumps him once they’re back in, but Savage comes back and grabs a headlock. Martel slings him to the floor. Back in, Martel starts whipping Savage into the buckles and works the back with a rear chinlock. Macho catches him with a knee to the back and the double ax-handle off the top. Martel misses a charge and posts himself, making him easy pickings for the Flying Elbow Drop at 9:20. *1/2

WWF Tag Team Titles: Marty Janetty & the 1-2-3 Kid vs. The Headshrinkers (w/Afa).
Sadly, I think this might be the only successful defense for the champs. Marty busts out his old stuff early, but it’s at about 3/4 of the speed. Kid comes in and immediately gets overpowered by Fatu (Rikishi to new schoolers). Janetty gets the tag and spikes Fatu’s head into the mat. Fatu, of course, no-sells so Janetty hits him with a thrust kick. He gets distracted long enough for Fatu to flip him over with a lariat. Marty takes a hard whip into the corner as Kid distracts the referee with his whining. Fatu gives Marty a triple backbreaker for two. Kid gets the hot tag and uses his feet of fury. A reverse bodypress gets two, but the ref goes outside to admonish Marty and Fatu. Afa sneaks in and gives Kid a Samoan Drop. Samu covers for the win and the titles at 10:17. Another ref runs down and explains what happened, so Fonzie reverses his decision and gives the titles back to Janetty & the Kid. **

MOM does some rapping.

The Undertaker (w/Paul Bearer) vs. Adam Bomb (w/Johnny Polo).
Bomb jumps him right away, but Taker catches him with a chokeslam for the win at 2:42. Well, that was nothing. Polo attacks after the bell, but Taker tosses him. 1/4*

Bret Hart & Owen Hart vs. The Steiner Bros.
*This* is the reason you buy this tape. I’m guessing this is between Survivor Series ’93 and Royal Rumble ’94. Both teams are babyfaces. Bret and Scott do a nice series of takedowns on each other to start, and Scott steamrolls Bret to the floor. Back in, Bret rolls Scott up for two and tags in Owen. Scott no-sells Owen’s armbar and slams him with disdain. Owen and Rick do a nice amateur sequence before Rick busts out the big power moves — powerslam, German Suplex. Owen gets his own bridging German for two and hits Scott with a leg lariat when he tags in. A Northern Lights Suplex gets two for Owen, but Scott powers up into a Butterfly Bomb for two. Rick slows things down on Bret with an armbar and half-nelson down on the mat. Gorilla explains why the hold isn’t working the way Rick wants. What? No talk about puppies? No slobberknockers? No “kwikker ‘n’ a hiccup?” Bret comes back with a dropkick and a sleeper. Rick backs Bret into the corner, but Bret stays on it. Steiner passes out but right into the ropes, forcing a break. Bret gets his vertical suplex, but Rick blocks the second-rope elbow with a boot. The top-rope elbow gets two for Rick, and Bret takes the “Bret bump” into the turnbuckle. Scott makes matters worse with a VICIOUS tilt-o-whirl slam. Bret posts himself as the crowd starts to take sides with the Harts. Little girls are crying. Crying, Bret! Bret is the king of goldbricking, though. He suckers Scott in and suplexes him to the floor. Owen finally gets the tag and hits a diving headbutt on Scott’s back. Owen applies an abdominal stretch and hits his SNAP belly-to-belly suplex. I don’t think Gorilla likes Owen much. He dogs every little thing Owen does. “This isn’t right. That isn’t right. Not gonna get him *that* way.” Bret gives Scott a cheapshot from the apron, and the fans turn right around the Steiners’ side. Rick hits a tilt-o-whirl backbreaker and a Tombstone. Scott actually busts out the Dragon Suplex. He one-ups that with the f***ing STEINER SCREWDRIVER! Bret has to make the save. Owen reverses a slingshot, sending Scott to the floor. HOT TAG TO BRET! Bret unloads with his usual. Rick has to save Scott from the Sharpshooter twice, and the Steiners go for the Doomsday Bulldog. Bret breaks it up, and Owen rolls up Scott for two. Scott dives off the top onto Bret, and Owen pescados onto Rick. The ref calls for the DCOR at 24:54. Scott gets on the house mic and says they didn’t come for a tie. That leads to a big brawl between all four guys. A group of referees comes down to separate them, but that’s not enough. Gorilla makes fun of Pat Patterson for getting fat as the refs finally get control. But then, Bret has to get on the mic and stir things up further. The two teams go at it *again* until finally being held back. The teams finally calm down and shake hands. The promised rematch never went off as Owen turned heel on Bret shortly after this. No particular formula for the match although both teams had spurts where a man was in peril. With the exception of some looseness early on, every move was on point, and both teams weren’t worried about laying waste to one another. I’ll go full Monty here, even with the non-finish. *****

Yokozuna vs. Mr. Perfect.
Hmm, I’ll say between WrestleMania IX and King of the Ring 1993 because Yoko doesn’t have the title. Injuries were taking their toll on Mr. P once again, but he’s still got game here. He hits a few uppercuts and sends Yoko to the floor with a dropkick. Gorilla says that when Yoko won the title from Bret, the match was “in excess of 25 minutes.” Uh, okay. Even if you combine entrances and the Hogan match afterward it doesn’t reach 25 minutes. In fact, if you combined Bret’s loss at Mania IX and his win at Mania X, it still doesn’t reach 25 minutes. Perfect crotches Yoko on the way back in, but Yoko swats away a dropkick and tosses him to the floor. Perfect seems to re-injure his back. Yoko drags him back in and whips him to the corner. Perfect puts him down with a flying clothesline, but Yoko pops back up and whips Perfect to the corner. Fuji grabs Perfect’s leg, distracting him long enough for Yoko to finish with the Banzai Drop at 7:48. Perfect was willing to bump around like a pinball, making Yoko look like a killer. *3/4

WWF Intercontinental Title: Shawn Michaels (w/Diesel) vs. Razor Ramon.
This would be July-August 1993 with Shawn just having recaptured the title from Janetty. Razor had recently turned face, and this would likely be the first match between these two. Gorilla notes that Shawn has put on a few pounds since winning back the title. It’s true. Shawn looks positively chunky in there. We’re talking “truffle shuffle” territory here. They trade moves back and forth before Razor clotheslines Shawn to the floor. Shawn comes back in with fury, but Razor blocks a dropkick and slingshots him to the floor. Finally, Shawn avoids a charge and hits a flying clothesline to send Razor out. Diesel sneaks up on Razor, but the ref catches him. That allows Shawn to ram Razor into the ring apron, though. Back in, Shawn works over Razor’s back with a knee and a reverse chinlock. Shawn blocks a hiptoss, but Razor chokeslams him for a double KO. Razor rolls over for two and whips Shawn hard to the corner. Shawn flips to the outside and takes a hike, hoping to keep the title, but Earl Hebner rules that he’ll consider it a forfeit and cost Shawn the title. Razor goes out and gets Shawn who begs off once they’re back in. Razor reverses a crossbody for two and hits a fallaway slam for the pin and the title at 11:18. Oh, but Referee Tim White was on the outside and saw Shawn’s foot on the ropes. They restart the match with Shawn hitting Sweet Chin Music for two. Shawn fires away, but Razor blocks a backdrop and hits the Razor’s Edge. Diesel senses the loss and yanks Shawn to safety for the DQ at 13:06. Not great, but not bad. Too much protective booking to make it above ***.

Jerry Lawler brings out Bret Hart under the legally binding promise that he not assault Jerry. Bret comes out and kicks his ass anyway.

Bret Hart vs. Diesel (w/Shawn Michaels).
Early ’94. Between the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania X. Neither man has a title, but Shawn is still fake IC Champ. Shawn has lost his paunch from the earlier match but gained the unibrow. Diesel dominates early but misses a knee to the corner. Bret zeroes in on it as only the Hitman can. He wraps Dies’s leg around the ringpost but takes a cheapshot from Michaels. Johnny Polo starts referencing “Fletch” on commentary as Diesel works Bret’s back. Bret shoves Diesel to the buckle to avoid a Snake Eyes. Bret starts firing off the usual moves, but Diesel blocks the Sharpshooter. Shawn grabs him from the apron, but the heel interference backfires. Bret does get that Sharpshooter, but now Owen Hart runs in and attacks Bret behind the ref’s back. Diesel falls on top for the win at 10:44. **3/4

The 411: Much better than the usual Coliseum fare as Bret raised the bar for wrestling during this period and guys like Shawn and Perfect were rushing to keep up with him. Very little bad stuff and a MOTYC. Easy thumbs up.
Final Score:  8.0   [ Very Good ]