Nickrj’s rant for Wrestlemania VIII

 

Live from the Hoosier Dome in Indiananpolis Indiana on April 5th 1992 with over 62,000 fans!

 

Your hosts are Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan

 

Reba McIntyre sings our national anthem. Bobby thinks she’s Tito’s sister, Arriba McIntyre.

 

Tito Santana VS Shawn Michaels (with Sensational Sherri)

Tito is in his El Matador bullfighting gimmick here while Shawn is beginning his legendary singles career. They stall for a minute before staring down. Santana gets a right hand and hits a cross body for 2. Side headlock takedown by Tito.  Shawn gets up and starts some jabs and Tito clotheslines him to the outside where Sherri meets is there to help Shawn. Tito goes back to the headlock. Shawn gets some shoulderblocks. He does a nice leapfrog but takes an eyepoke. Tito with an armdrag back to the headlock and tries to get a pin with it but Shawn keeps rolling him up. He counters an atomic drop with another hip lock and continues with the headlock. He gets a small package for 2 and goes back to the headlock but Shawn gets up and throws Tito to the outside. They go back in and Shawn hits a back breaker for 2. He goes to the chinlock. Tito gets up and elbows Shawn but takes a superkick. Shawn goes for his back suplex but Tito hits him. Tito hits his flying forearm sending Shawn to the outside where Tito goes after him. Back in Tito hits a slingshot tackle and a kneelift followed by an inverted atomic drop. He hits another flying forearm sending Shawn to the outside again. Tito tries to slam Shawn on the apron and Shawn holds on the ropes and falls on top of Tito for the pin at 10:35. Pretty good opener **1/2

 

Gene Okerlund interviews the Legion Of Doom and their manager Paul Ellering on the stand. Why did they waste 6 or 7 minutes with this interview when they could’ve had another match? Besides the LOD were gone pretty much after SummerSlam later in 1992.

 

Sean Mooney interviews Jake Roberts and they show the Funeral Parlour where Jake locks the Undertaker’s hand in the casket. He DDT’s Paul Bearer and nails UT with a chair.

 

Jake Roberts VS The Undertaker (with Paul Bearer)

Jake tries to quick punch UT but he no sells. UT is thrown to the outside but he lands on his feet. He rams Jake into the ringpost. Jake catches UT back in the ring. UT powers him in the corner. He slowly throws Jake into the turnbuckles. He goes to a choke hold and hits an elbow. UT hits a flying clothesline. Jake comes out of a slam and hits a DDT. UT does the Zombie situp so Jake does another DDT. He goes outside after Paul Bearer and UT sits up and he tombstones Jake on the floor. He rolls Jake back in and pins him at 6:40. The UT wasn’t in one good match until 1996. DUD

 

IC Title Match: Rowdy Roddy Piper VS Bret Hart

Roddy won the title at the Royal Rumble filling in for Bret and Bret wants it back. They stare down in the middle of the ring. They tie up and Piper gets an armdrag. Bret gets an armdrag of his own. Piper goes throw a waist lock sequence but he is sent outside. Piper gets back in and spits on Bret. Test Of Strength follows. Bret goes to work on the right arm of Piper. Piper comes back with some chops though. Bret continues to hold on to the right arm. Bret gets a drop kick and sells a shoulder injury. He suckers Piper into a cradle for 2 but is poked in the eyes. Bret does a cross body but Piper catches it and they both go to the outside. Piper goes back inside and allows Bret back in then he suckers him with a punch busting him open. Piper starts kicking away on Bret. He hits a bulldog. Piper bites on Bret and he rams him into the corner. He hits a kneelift for 2. Bret comes back with a sunset flip for 2. Piper starts punching away for 2. They start slugging it out and Bret sends Piper to the outside. Double clothesline spot occurs. Piper gets back up and goes to the top but Bret catches him and slams him face first. Bret hits an inverted atomic drop followed by a suplex for 2. Russian leg sweep for 2. Back breaker and he threatens a Sharpshooter but Piper grabs the leg. Bret goes to the 2nd rope and falls into a foot. They slug it out again but Piper throws Bret into the ref. He sends Bret outside and rams him into the steps. Piper grabs the ring bell and goes into the ring teasing a heel turn. He’s about to hit Bret with the bell but thinks about it and he throws it aside. He hooks the Sleeper instead but Bret kicks off the ropes and pins Piper at 13:50 to win the IC title for the 2nd time. Great title match ****1/4

 

Lex Luger does an interview for the WBF from his home in Atlanta and he insults Gorilla in the process.

 

Eight Man Tag: Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Big Boss Man, Sgt. Slaughter and Virgil VS The Nasty Boys, The Mountie and Repo Man (with Jimmy Hart)

I guess this is the WWF’s version of the DOA and Boricuas in 1992. Ray Combs is the guest ring announcer and he insults the heels which is pretty funny. The heels try to jump Ray but he quickly gets out of the ring and an 8 man brawl opens the match won by the faces. Bobby announces that Shawn Michaels has left the building! Duggan continues the match with Jerry Sags. Duggan is nailed from behind and Sags takes advantage. He hits a clothesline of his own however and an atomic drop. Slaughter gets the tag (WWF champ last year to this?) Brian Knobs is tagged in and he hammers on the Sarge but Sarge hits a clothesline and a gut wrencher.  Boss Man gets the tag and he hits a big boot and a right hand. But he misses a charge in the corner. Repo Man gets the tag and he is shoulderblocked down but Boss Man misses a splash. Repo does 2 Butt bombs but Boss Man low blows him on the third one. Virgil (wearing a steel noseguard) is tagged in and he gets a flying bodypress for 2. Mountie comes in and nails Virgil however and Repo hits a back suplex. Sags is back in and gets a pumphandle slam for 2. The Mountie is back and is caught by the Boss Man and a 8 man brawl erupts. They take off the Noseguard on Virgil and the Nasties try to use it but Sags nails Knobs with it and Virgil gets the pin at 6:30. Match was a little better than I thought it would be 3/4*

 

Ric Flair and Mr. Perfect cut an interview and they have a centerfold of Flair with Elizabeth. She was Randy Savage’s wife at the time and Flair claimed “She was mine before she was yours!”

 

WWF Title Match: Ric Flair (with Mr. Perfect) VS Randy Savage

Savage jumps Flair in the aisleway but Perfect carries him out on the floor. They go in the ring and Flair takes a clothesline. Savage drives a knee to the back. He does the 10 punch and blocks an atomic drop. Savage hits an elbow for 2. Flair backdrops Savage over the top and onto the floor. Flair hits a huge chop and rams him back first into the apron. Flair kicks away on the back of Savage. Flair hits huge chops in the corner and hits a vertical suplex for 2. He hits a back suplex for another 2. Flair continues to work on the back. He hits a knee drop. Flair rams Savage into the apron again. He suplexes Savage back inside for 2. Flair is just pounding on Savage in the corner now. Savage starts fighting back and hits a swinging neckbreaker. He hits some jabs but takes an eyepoke. Flair goes to the top but Savage slams him off the top. Savage with a backdrop and a pair of clothesines. Savage is countering everything Flair throws at him at this point. He clotheslines Flair to the outside and hits a top rope double ax handle. He rams Flair into the steps and post and Flair does a flop and he’s busted open now. Savage suplexes Flair on the outside. He continues to pound on Flair and hits another double axhandle for 2. Randy slams Savage and he goes to the top and hits his flying elbow but Perfect pulls Savage out of the ring. Savage chases him back in but Perfect throws some knucks to Flair and Flair nails him with it for 2. Perfect grabs a chair and hits Savage in the knee with it. Elizabeth can’t take it anymore and she comes down to the ring while officials try to get her out. Flair works on the leg of Savage and hooks the Figure Four and uses some leverage from Perfect. Savage turns it over but it is broken. Savage gets a small package for 2. Flair pounds on Savage in the corner and yells “It’s for you baby! WHOOO!” at Liz. Flair grabs the leg of Savage but Savage rolls him up and pulls the tights for the pin at 18:05 to become once again the WWF champion. What a terrific title match with lots of heat and drama involved ****1/2

 

Ric Flair does another interview and he wants revenge on Randy Savage. Savage then cuts a promo and it’s the maddest I’ve ever seen him.

 

We get a look at the feud between Hulk Hogan and Sid Justice. Hogan is announced the challenger for the WWF title which pisses Sid off. On SNME, Hogan and Sid team to face UT and Flair. Sid turns his back on Hogan and almost nails Brutus Beefcake, Hogan’s best friend. The next day on the Barber Shop Sid destroys it enraging Hogan some more. We get a look at Sid destroying Jobbers and beating them up even after they’ve been put on the strecher.

 

Tatanka VS Rick Martel

Man my copy of my tape is getting really screwed up at this point. Well at least there’s only an hour left. They tie up to start and Tatanka gets a hip toss and 2 slams sending Martel to the outside. He hits some chops in the corner and Martel runs into the steel post. He works on the back of Martel but is chokeslammed. Martel throws Tatanka to the outside. He pounds on him outside Martel hits a backbreaker and goes to the top but is shaken down by Tatanka. Tatanka hits a backdrop and some chops but is kicked in the head. Martel slams Tatanka and hits a clothesline. Tatanka gets a cross body for the pin out of nowhere at 4:33. Basic Superstars squash match 1/4*

 

Tag Team Title Match: Money Inc. (Ted Dibiase and I.R.S with Jimmy Hart) VS The Natural Disasters

Earthquake starts with Dibiase. He powers Teddy into the corner. He takes Dibiase down and he works on both Money Inc. Quake continues with Irwin. Quake works on the right arm and tags Typhoon who gets a hiptoss. He rams IRS into the turnbuckle several times but misses a charge. Dibiase comes in and chop on Typhoon but he is rammed into the turnbuckle. Typhoon is taken outside the ring and IRS rams him to the stairs. Dibiase works over him now and they hit a double clothesline. They hit a double elbow as Irwin gets a front face lock. Quake gets the tag but the ref doesn’t see it. Double clothesline occurs and Quake gets the hot tag. Quake pounds on Irwin and Dibiase. 4 man brawl erupts. Typhoon hits the big splash and Quake gets set for the butt splash but Jimmy Hart and Dibiase pull Irwin out of the ring and Money Inc. is counted out at 8:39 to retain the titles. What weak champions they were! DUD

 

Owen Hart VS Skinner

Skinner jumps Owen from behind and hits a backbreaker and a slop drop for 2. He throws Owen out but Owen does a slingshot back in the ring and rolls up Skinner for the pin at 1:11. DUD

 

Sid Justice cuts a promo saying that he will end Hulkamania they show a video of Hulk with Vince McMahon saying that he doesn’t know if this is his last match.

 

Hulk Hogan VS Sid Justice (with Harvey Whippleman)

I wonder why Whippleman dropped his doctor gimmick at the end of 1992? Not that it matters anyway. Justice hammers on Hogan as he steps in but Hogan knocks Sid outside and before the match starts. They staredown inside and Sid gets some shots in. He slowly works over Hogan. Hogan knocks Justice outside the ring and Sid tries to leave but Hogan wants him back in. Sid climbs back in and wants a test of strength and Hogan obliges. Sid powers down the Hulkster. Hogan climbs back up but back down he goes. Hogan climbs back up and Sid drives some knees in the corner. Hogan is distracted by Sid and Sid hits a chokeslam. He slowly goes to work on Hogan now. He hits him with Harvey’s bag on the outside and goes to the nerve pinch and it lasts forever! He hits a back suplex and signals for the powerbomb and hits it. But Hulk kicks out and Hulks up. He hits the 3 punches and the Big Boot followed by a slam and then the Legdrop but Sid kicks out! Harvey runs in and draws the DQ at 12:44. Terrible match of course DUD. Papa Shango comes out and both Sid and Shango beat up on Hogan but then The Ultimate Warrior’s music hits! He runs in and saves Hogan! What a surprise as he hasn’t been seen since SummerSlam 91. Both Hogan and UW celebrate in the ring to end the show.

 

Summary: Well I feel that this show is similar to Survivor Series 1993 for 2 reasons.

 

  1. Ray Combs was a guest ring announcer.
  2. The first 2 hours were good to terrific but it was all downhill in the third one.

 

But like the other show it has some history with Savage and Bret winning titles and UW coming back. RECOMMENDED