Shore’s Stream Video Review: WWF King Of The Ring 1993

Welcome back to the Shore Stream. I am your lovely AND talented host, Shore, but before we get to our tape review for this week…

Letters… We Get Letters… We Get Sacks and Sacks (Er, 2 or 3) of Letters… Letttteerrrrrrrrrsssssss

NYGroover82, whom I think I can safely assume is in reality KISS’s own Ace Frehley, asks for a picture of the infamous Killer Khan. OK, you asked for it dude:

Mongolia’s answer to Heidi Klum?
Picture courtesy of www.wrestlinginformer.net

Paul M. was the only person who wrote in who got my South Park reference in the Best of the WWF Vol. 4 review. To be fair, he was also the only person who mentioned it. BUT, he did, unlike the rest of you ungrateful… er, I mean, fine readers! So congrats to Paul M! He wins nothing, but he gets his name mentioned here. That’s KIND of a prize…

Finally before we close the mailbag, received a particularly threatening e-mail from Freddy Reinoso, who was none too appreciative of the shots I took at New York City in my review of Survivor Series ’98. I was going to rip the man apart here, but I decided to take the high road and try to reason with him… and dammit, it worked! So, I will not be badmouthing Mr. Reinoso here. Well, besides this: The Mets? You guys are in for a ruuuuuuuuuuude awakening in the coming months. I have no animosity towards the Mets, actually, but the way Mets fans acted like they won the World Series cause they had a better record than the Yanks after a month or so into the season… bah! BAH I SAY!

The Sack is now closed

Now, some preview of this event: King of the Ring has been a 1-night tournament held yearly as a non-televised event for several years. With the oh-so-cheap way Hulk Hogan won the WWF Title, coupled with the fact he decided to leave soon after, Vince wanted to put on a PPV showing Hulk lose the title. But SummerSlam was still months away, and Hulk was leaving before August. So, why not put up a PPV in between WrestleMania and SummerSlam with the annual tournament? No reason not to! And so, King of the Ring is born as a PPV.

King of the Ring 1993
Coliseum Video, WF119. ??? hours.

As usual, ads start us off. Grudges, Gripes, and Grunts and SummerSlam ‘93. The SummerSlam one is so stupid, it defies description.

We are LIVE from Dayton, Ohio! Our hosts for the night are Jim Ross, Bobby the Brain Heenan, and Macho Man Randy Savage. Ooooh yeah, uh huh.

KING OF THE RING MATCH
The Participants

Razor Ramon

vs.

Bret The Hitman Hart

Background: While these two men were feuding for the WWF Title at the beginning of the year, that isn’t important now. What’s important is that they got here by Razor winning a qualifying match with El Matador Tito Santana and Bret received a bye because he’s Bret and was TOTALLY screwed at WrestleMania IX. So now, it’s a battle to advance.

The Match: There’s a ridiculous amount of kids here tonight. Da Bad Guy is decked out in green. You know, it kinda sucks that two guys who were main eventing 6 months earlier against each other are now battling in the first match of a card. Fans chant “1-2-3” at Razor, who recently lost in a shocking, huge upset to the 1-2-3 Kid, aka Syxx/Sean Waltman/X-Pac Sucks. Meanwhile, fans go nuts for Bret. Woah, some mullet on the ref! You get the feeling from Razor’s entrance that he’s gonna dog it. HARD clothesline by Razor. He seems to have some fans there tonight, despite being the heel. I think Heenan just made fun of The Rick! Oooh, a nice reversal by Bret. There’s a Hulk look-a-like in the front row. Razor was so awesome, I admit to being a HUGE mark for him. Little brats start up the 1-2-3 chants again. Punks. Running powerslam? You think you’re Davey Boy? Heenan makes a joke that does NOT work and tries to save it, bless him. Fans thought it was over after the 2nd rope elbowdrop. But no, that’s only like move 3 of the 5 Moves of Doom. Razor’s Edge? NO! Backslide? No! Wacky reversals! C’mon, capitalize Razor! Oh no! Roll over on a superplex ends it! This was a pretty good match!

The Winner: Bret Hart

Aftermath: Bret Hart would go on to face the winner of the next qualifying match in the 2nd round. Razor would go on to continue feuding with The Kid before eventually respecting and team with him, making him a face.

Recap of WWF Superstars involving Harvey Whippleman, Giant Gonzales, and Mr. Hughes beating up The Undertaker and Paul Bearer.

KING OF THE RING MATCH

The Participants:
Mr. Hughes

vs.

Mr. Perfect

Background: Another match set-up thanks to the qualifiers. Hughes advanced thanks to a win over Kamala, while Perfect got past Doink the Clown in order to get here, but it took three tries!

The Match: You know who should be the ref? 80s singer Mr. Mister, this making this a true MishMash of Misters. Hughes has The Urn with him from The Undertaker. He also has Harvey Whippleman with him. Heenan hates Perfect, haha. Brain with a teleprompter? This would be a conflict of styles, yes? HUGE hiptoss on Hughes! Hughes wrestling in a shirt and tie? Kinda cool. Wrestling with his sunglasses on? AWESOME. Perfect going at it at 150 mph. BIG boot. Heenan and Savage are actually a good announce team. Ross is ok, but I am in shock at how good Savage is. Damn, Perfect can make anyone look good. Hey, inset of Bret! He hopes Perfect wins! Uh oh! Hughes was going for a spinebuster, Perfect was going for something else, and it ended up… ugly. They recover nicely though. BIG backdrop! Urn shot! That’s a DQ!

The Winner: Mr. Perfect.

Aftermath: Perfect goes on to battle Bret in the 2nd round. Hughes would go on to be one of many notches in Undertaker’s belt when he loses (like everyone does) to the Deadman.

Mean Gene Okerlund is with Yokozuna and Mr. Fuji. Fuji lets us know that Hulk ripped off Yoko the last time they battled (true), and tonight, Yoko will even the score. YOKO TALKS! I didn’t think he did that until he turned good! He tells Hogan, in almost as few words as this, that tonight, he will do down! Doesn’t say on who though. My money’s on Beefcake.

KING OF THE RING MATCH

The Participants:

Bam Bam Bigelow

vs.

Hacksaw Jim Duggan

Background: Another match with no specific background beyond the qualifiers. Bam Bam beat Typhoon, while ol’ Hacksaw went over the world-famous, and Eugene’s 3rd favorite wrestler, Papa Shango!

The Match: I noticed that in all 3 matches thus far, the heel is intro’d first. Interesting. I was a huge Hacksaw fan as a kid, and I always loved Bam Bam, as he’s from the Shore, and allegedly married the sister of a kid I was in grade school with. I was in 5th grade, and everyone wanted to be that kid’s friend. Meanwhile, around that same time, Duggan and the Iron Sheik were arrested on the Garden State Parkway about 20 miles or so from where I lived for having a truck full of more drugs than Lex Luger’s house. Well, not THAT much, but close. Problem is they were feuding at the time. This lifted the veil of wrestling on me, forever scarring my fragile little mind. Yes, I’m stalling, it’s a Duggan match, and I want to talk about it as little as possible while letting you know tales of my youth. Duggan was getting to fat to wear trunks; he has the dual-strapped singlet here. Lots of brawling to start. Bearhug? C’mon Bam Bam, you can do better than that. Ha ha, Bam Bam fell on his ass missing a kick, that was funny. Duggan gets hit with the top-rope headbutt, that’s all!

The Winner: Bam Bam

Aftermath: BBB would go on to the next round. Hacksaw would leave the WWF after this match and follow a friend of his to WCW.

Terry Taylor! is with The Steiners and The Smokin’ Gunns in the locker room in a Coliseum exclusive! Billy talks like a dork, good to see he’s been consistent over the years.

KING OF THE RING MATCH

The Participants:

The Narcissist Lex Luger

vs.

Tatanka

Background: You know the drill by now. Lex beat Bob Backlund to reach this point, while Tatanka triumphed over Giant Gonzales. Tatanka has been feuding lately with Bam Bam, foreshadowing?

The Match: Both men are, up to this point, undefeated. I could look like Lex if I worked out more. *cough* Lex has a steel-reinforced forearm, and the ref wants him to wear a pad over it. WWF dropped the ball with Tatanka, he was pretty darn over as a face. A mirror as a weapon? Bam Bam inset! He wants Tatanka! Lots of work on Lex’s arm. JR says Lex graduated high school with a 3.8 GPA and turned down an invite to the Naval Academy. BULLSHIT. If he did, then so did I. Stick to hat sizes. Lex has more variety to his offense than Tatanka. Who EVER would have guessed that? Wow, BIG AIR on that standard elbow drop by Lexy. Bobby and Savage rule. Yeah, go Lex! Wow, I’m cheering for Lex… I feel dirty. Hey, now a decent amount of fans are getting behind Lex cause Tatanka is boring. Hahaha! Big air for a sunset flip! You can’t stop Lex, stop trying to. He almost trips over Tatanka after a kick. Moron. Tatanka is… hulking up? How would you describe it for him? Anyway, he starts whupping Lex’s ass. Tatanka misses a cross body from the top and the fans cheer! Good for y’all! C’mon Lex, 30 seconds left! Oh no. Lex wants 5 more minutes! Fans do too! Ref is waving them off. Lex takes off the pad and KO’s Tatanka! HAHAHAHAHA! Attaboy.

The Winner: Time Limit Draw

Aftermath: Well, Bam Bam gets a free trip to the Finals. As for the participants, Lex would soon turn face and challenge for the World Title at SummerSlam. Tatanka would continue as a midcard face before turning on, of all people, Luger, and joining The Million Dollar Corporation.

Mean Gene is with Bret and Perfect, both faces, to discuss their upcoming 2nd round match. Gene is trying to say Bret wanted to face Perfect because he thinks he could beat Perfect easier. Gene is a dick. They argue over whose dad beat the other one’s dad. Oh, Bret brings up SummerSlam ‘91. Perfect says he’ll show him this time.

KING OF THE RING MATCH

The Participants:

Bret The Hitman Hart

vs.

Mr. Perfect

Background: These two are battling thanks to successful first round matches. There is also some bad blood stemming from SummerSlam ’91, where Bret beat Perfect for the InterContinental Title, and Perfect never got his win back. He’s going to try tonight. Again, as previously mentioned, both men are faces.

The Match: Perfect looks pretty intense on his way in, he wants to take out Bret. Fans seem pretty evenly divided. LOUD chop by Bret. Counters to counters to counters, yay! Crucifix! Haha, neither guy is afraid to cheat, cool. Lots of headlock working. Uh-oh, some booing of Perfect. He helps Bret to come back in… but kicks him instead. YES! Oh man, Perfect is brutalizing Bret. Let him get counted out Perfect, move. You idiot. Top-rope dropkick! Fans cheer it! Wow, Perfect is just all high-impact, it’s awesome. Bret hurt his knee, so now he’s doing the same to Perfect. FIGURE FOUR TO PERFECT!!! Perfect using slaps to break the hold. Fans cheer as he gets the ropes, they want more match! Sleeper in the center of the ring, pass out Bret. SUPER CHOP! HUGE European Uppercut by Bret. Boy, he sure recovered from two sleepers real quick. Bobby is taking all the credit whenever Perfect does something good, Bobby rules. Suplex and BOTH MEN FALL OUT! Neither man can stand. Small package! REVERSED! PIN! Perfect is mad at the ref. Handshake by Perfect! Awww, that’s all heartwarming and stuff.

The Winner: Bret Hart

Aftermath: Bret would go on to face Bam Bam in the Finals, since BBB got a bye. Perfect would go on to feud briefly with Yokozuna and continue feuding with Shawn Michaels, culminating in a match at SummerSlam.

The announcers go over the match we just saw. Mean Gene is with The Hulkster and Jimmy Hart. Gene has the audacity to call Hulk the greatest hero in the history of the planet. That is so wrong on so many levels I can barely type. Jimmy gets all intense.

The Participants:
Yokozuna

vs.

WWF Champion Hulk Hogan

Background: At WrestleMania IX, Yoko beat Bret Hart for the WWF Title by throwing salt in his eyes. Hulk came down to check on him, and Fuji challenged him to face Yoko. And he beat him in like 3 minutes to win the belt. And yes, it IS as lame as it sounds.

The Match: Needless to say, Mr. Fuji is with Yoko, and Jimmy Hart is with Hulk. Japanese photographers are following Yoko and Fuji, apparently he’s huge in Japan. Hell, he’s huge everywhere! Haw haw. Fans chant for Hogan… suckers! Hulk listens to “Real American” for the last time for a long, long time. You can tell this is during the time of the steroid trials, Hulk looks tiny compared to normal. Could still kick my ass sure, but the pythons ain’t 24” here. Yoko doesn’t look nearly as fat as he would become later. Macho mentions it should be Bret instead of Yoko taking on Hulk… right on, dude. Yoko… takes… forever…between…moves. BITING? You suck as a role model Hulk. YOU CAN’T SLAM YOKOZUNA!!! What I just say you Orange Goblin? Hulk has moved out of the way of a couple of HUGE splashes. Hulk has been Yoko’s bitch pretty much so far. GIGANTIC belly-to-belly on Hogan! Oh no, Hulking up! 2 Big Boots doesn’t knock Yoko down! 3 does it though! Yoko gets the shoulder up after The Legdrop!!! A photographer is on the mat, and the camera LAUNCHES A FIREBALL AT HULK! YOKO WITH THE LEGDROP!!! Yoko wins! Yoko wins!!! There’s a decent amount of anti-Hulk fans cheering, too! Huzzah! Yoko and Fuji bring Hulk to the corner… Yoko Banzai Drops onto Hulk! Yokozuna has squashed Hulkamania! Hulkamania is dead! Allegedly there are children crying. Good, let ‘em. Now, “real” photogs come in to snap pics of the New World Champ.

The Winner: New WWF Champion Yokozuna

Aftermath: This would be Hulk’s last time in a WWF ring for NINE YEARS, as he took some time off before going to WCW and either ruining it, or destroying it, depending on who you ask. Meanwhile, Yoko became a huge drawing heel champ, as fans wanted ANYONE to beat him, and he feuded with the likes of Mr. Perfect, Crush, Randy Savage, Lex Luger, and Bret Hart.

Terry Taylor interviews Mr. Perfect in a Coliseum Exclusive. Doesn’t say much though. Following this, it’s Mean Gene with HBK and Diesel. Heel HBK rocks.

The Participants:
The Steiner Bros. (Rick Steiner and Scott Steiner)
The Smokin’ Gunns (Billy Gunn and Bart Gunn)

Vs.

The HeadShrinkers (Samu and Fatu)
Tag Team Champions Money Inc. (Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase and IRS)

Background: The Steiners have been feuding with the Headshrinkers since they came over to the WWF, and there’s no stopping it just yet. Meanwhile, the Smokin’ Gunns are new and have been trying to wrest the title from Money Inc. So, let’s make it an 8-man tag.

The Match: A tag match is just what this card needs at this point. Afa is with the heels. RAD superkick by Fatu to Bart. Double backdrop by ‘Shrinkers to Bart get a ton of air! Stun Gun to Billy! Wait, what just happened? This was too short to be much of anything besides a distraction. But they all brawl cause it’s cute.

The Winners: The Smokin’ Gunns and the Steiner Bros.

The Aftermath: Money Inc. would go on to lose their titles to the Steiners, while Ted retired from wrestling and IRS became VK WallStreet in WCW. Headshrinkers would also eventually get their time with the belts, and the Gunns were 3-time tag team champs, but injury prone.

The announcers talk about what’s been going on. Mean Gene is with Yoko, Fuji, and WWF President Jack Tunney.

The Participants:

Crush

vs.

InterContinental Champion Shawn Michaels

Background: HBK is one of the most hated men in pro wrestling, as he’s cocky as can be and just a jerk. Needless to say, I love heel HBK. He had just regained the title from Marty Jannetty, and he and Crush also were both counted out in a King of the Ring qualifier. Crush has been feuding with Doink the Clown.

The Match: My corneas are melting from the orange glow of Crush’s attire. Crush uses dropkicks? Wow. Crush seems pretty over. And he does some actual moves, so you know this is old. HBK and Diesel trick Crush, he really is stupid. This is not particularly exciting. Doink the Clown is here… no, two of them! Smoking cigars. Crush is distracted, Sweet Chin Music to… the back of Crush’s head! This was really kind of boring.

The Winner: Shawn Michaels

Aftermath: Shawn would go on to feud with Mr. Perfect and Razor Ramon. Crush would go on as a midcard face but then turn heel on Randy Savage and battle him in an awesome match at WrestleMania X.

More announcers, more Mean Gene with Bam Bam.

KING OF THE RING—FINAL MATCH

The Participants

Bam Bam Bigelow

vs.

Bret The Hitman Hart

Background: Haven’t you been reading? It’s a tourney, and this is the finals. Geesh.

The Match: Lots of punching to start, on both sides. Hey, Bret shifts his weight on a gorilla press! WOAH! Bret is dropped to the floor from way up top! Bam Bam is beating Bret like a dog. He’s taking him apart, but Bret refuses to just get pinned. BBB hits him with headbutts to his back and chest, Hart needs to just stop fighting back. A bearhug? There’s been a ridiculous amount of bearhugs in matches tonight. Damn Bret, your ass has been kicked, stop the pain! Bret has an amazing recovery, again. Ha, good, slam him into the ringpost! C’mon Bam Bam!!! Luna Vachon comes out of nowhere and hits Bret with a weak-ass chair shot, then runs to the back. Top-rope headbutt, it’s over! Wait, what? Another ref? It’s Earl (or is it Dave?) Hebner, saying that because of Luna interfering, the match continues. BULLSHIT. Bam Bam won. Just dissing on Jersey is what it is. This is such baloney, even now Bret is getting destroyed, why isn’t Bam Bam declared the winner? Bret gets a desperation back suplex, but I don’t think it would have hurt BBB THAT much. BBB misses a running senton! Sleeper? No way! “Let’s go Bret” chants. Bret dumps him over! PLANCHA BY BRET!!!!!!!! Sharpshooter? NO! Darn right no! And… into a… bearhug? No, he bites BBB. So Bammer falls on top of Bret, haha. How hasn’t Bret lost? Victory Roll? NO! NO NO NO NO NO!!! I call bullshit again! Randy Savage jumps in to congratulate Bret. Argh.

Aftermath: Bam Bam and Luna would terrorize all the midcard faces, though his Big Feud was with Doink. Bret would go on to feud all summer and fall with… well, keep reading…

After the match, Bret is taken to his chair, cape, crown, and scepter! Mean Gene is with him. The fans cheer him in the cape. He is now officially the King of the Ring, and… wait… Jerry The King Lawler is here and PISSED that Bret would claim himself King! Bret gets the fans (and Randy!) to chant “Burger King”. So Lawler starts beating the hell out of Bret with the scepter and anything else on the stage!

And we’re out… no, a commercial for ICOPRO. Does that stuff still exist? And an ad for the WWF Fan Club!

Fun Facts:
· The widely held belief is that the photographer with the fireball was Harvey Whippleman or Marty Jannetty.
· Hogan never defended the title between WrestleMania and King of the Ring

As ever, I encourage feedback, I even write back most of the time! Just click on my name below to send me words of praise. Words of hatred and discouragement? Send them to Ricky Hazard. He’s used to it.

And lest I forget, the new poll… which of the following would you most like to see reviewed?

· SummerSlam ‘89
· Royal Rumble ‘95
· WWF St. Valentine’s Day Massacre
· Slamboree ‘94
· World War 3 ‘97
· ECW November to Remember ‘99
· WWA: The Revolution
· Super Star Wrestling Vol. 18, Dr. Death

Thanks for reading, see you next week!

–Shore