It's Monday (Yes, an actual WWF pay per view on a Monday), August 30th, 1993 from the Palace of Auburn Hills, Michigan. It's the sixth annual Summerslam event and is being held in front of a crowd of 23,954, with the commentators being Vince McMahon and Bobby Heenan. I guess even in 1993 Vince wanted to get rid of Jim Ross on the commentary table. So, what has happened since the last WWF pay per view?
The biggest storyline that has come out of the King of the Ring is Yokozuna winning the WWF Championship from Hulk Hogan. Hogan would exit the company and Yoko would begin his reign of terror by attempting to humiliate America in a "Stars and Stripes Challenge" aboard the U.S.S Intrepid. No man, superstar or sports star could manage to body slam the massive Samoan turned Japanese champion, until Lex Luger arrived via helicopter and managed to slam the champion.
Luger would become the WWF's new mega babyface, and would travel across the United States on his Lex Express to petition a championship match against Yokozuna. He would be successful in earning one. However, in between his touring, Yokozuna and Mr. Fuji would hire an American ambassador in one James E. Cornette, who managed to add some caveats to the title match. It would be Luger's only opportunity, and the metal plated forearm has to be covered up. Can Luger be the man to beat the massive champion?
The other big angle out of the King of the Ring came after Bret Hart won the tournament. Unhappy over the Hitman being a "phony king", Jerry Lawler would ruin the ceremony by attacking Hart. If Bret wasn't angry over that, it would begin to reach a boiling point as Lawler would turn his attention to mocking Bret's parents Stu and Helen. This has led us to Summerslam where Bret hopes he can shut the king up once and for all.
Opening action on Summerslam is Razor Ramon vs Ted Dibiase. This storyline began shortly after Razor was unsuccessful in defeating the 1-2-3 Kid for a second time. Dibiase would taunt Razor for his failures, which Ramon took exception to. Thanks to Razor, the Kid would get an upset over the Million Dollar Man. And that has led us to this match right here, right now. Razor comes to the ring in some swanky bubblegum pink gear.
Dibiase starts with a cheap shot to Razor as he's removing his gold chains. He works down Razor with some stomps and chops. Irish whip is reversed into a big back body drop by Razor followed into a fallaway slam. Dibiase rolls out of the ring to catch his breath as Razor finally gets his vest off. Dibiase brings Razor into the corner to land more chops and fists. Reversal and a series of clotheslines by Razor sending Dibiase back out of the ring.
When he gets back in the ring Dibiase begs off Razor, but sends him face first into the buckle. He chokes Razor on the top rope several times and continues choking him on the groung, breaking constantly at the four count. He follows with a rib breaker for a two count. Irish whip and a clothesline for another two. Snapmare takedown and a headlock from Dibiase leading to the beloved arm drop spot, Razor of course recovers on the third drop and breaks out of the headlock, only to take a knee to the ribs.
Spinning neckbreaker by Dibiase. followed by a vertical suplex. He sets up the million dollar dream, but Razor gets an elbow in. Irish whip reversed by Razor who hits a clothesline that sends him down. Both men get to their feet, but Dibiase manages to ram Razor into the buckle, knocking him down. He takes the time to take the padding off the turnbuckle and tries to ram him into it. Razor manages to make him hit it instead, and then lands a Razor's Edge for the three. Overall, an alright match. Good classic heel work by Dibiase, and for one of Razor's first big babyface matches, he manages to work great in the role. A bad guy who you can cheer like any other good guy.
The big story coming out of this however is that this will be Ted Dibiase's final televised match. Due to nagging neck and back injuries, he'll be forced to retire from in ring competition. However, this is far from the last we'll see of the Million Dollar Man, but in terms of wrestling, sadly not even he can afford to continue.
Todd Pettingill is with the mother and sister of the Steiner Brothers. A notable botch by the Steiner sister as she refers to Rick Steiner as Rob. I believe this is the second time that Rick Steiner has been referred to by his original name.
Jim Cornette introduces Dr. Tom Pritchard and "Gigolo" Jimmy Del Rey, the Heavenly Bodies, as we go to our WWF Tag Team Championship match as they challenge the Steiner Brothers. The Steiners get a gerat reaction from their home state crowd. And just like the last match, we open with the heels getting cheap shots before the faces can even get their gear off. Get used to similar booking incidents throughout this show.
Double suplex on Rick by the Bodies as they knock Scott back out. Double back drop with Rick falling rather roughly. Eventually Scott gets in for hte save and throws both bodies into the corner, monkey flipping Del Rey in the process. Double hiptoss on Pritchard and a clothesline in the corner by Rick on Jimmy Del Rey. Overhead belly to belly on Pritchard and a tilt-a-whirl slam to Del Rey. The Steiners play to the crowd as the Bodies try to regroup.
The match finally starts proper with Pritchard and Scott starting off. Gorilla press slam by Scott Steiner followed with a big back body drop to Jimmy Del Rey. Tag to Rick as Pritchard tries a headlock and a hip toss, but gets a hard clothesline for his troubles. Body slam to Del Rey as both Heavenly Bodies regroup again while Jim Cornette is about to have an aneurism. Vince suggests that would be a good idea. Jeez, Vince.
Tag to Scott who hits atomic drops to both Bodies. Distracted by Del Rey, Pritchard gets a bulldog on Scott, followed by an enziguri. He tosses out Scott as Del Rey gets a flip off the apron to Scott. While Pritchard has been pretty good, I'm more surprised by the agility of Jimmy Del Rey. He doesn't exactly come off as looking like a guy who could pull off moonsaults and flips.
He's also quite the gyration sensation
Tag to Del Rey who hits an axe handle off the top rope. Clothesline by Scott Steiner is countered into a floatover DDT. Tag to Pritchard as a drop toe hold/knee drop combo is applied. Tag to Del Rey who hits a big superkick off an irish whip for a two count. Tag to Pritchard who rakes the back and allows for a cheap shot with the racket by Cornette. Tags back and forth by the bodies who club Scott. A second attempt at the floatover DDT is turned into a suplex.
Tag to Tom Pritchard who tries a back drop, but gets hit with an underhook powerbomb. Tag back to Jimmy Del Rey as Rick gets the tag. Big clotheslines to both bodies and body slams. Dropkicks by Scott and a top rope bulldog to Del Rey which is broken by Pritchard. Rick catches Del Rey for a slam, but due to a distraction, Pritchard hits Rick in the back with Cornette's tennis racket for a two count. Del Rey goes for the moonsault, but Scott saves Rick in time as Del Rey lands on Pritchard. Frankensteiner by Scott as both men pin Jimmy Del Rey for the three.
An absolutely amazing tag team title match. Both teams worked hard and pulled off some excitiing offense. The Steiners I knew were an amazing tag team given the matches , but damn are the Heavenly Bodies a great team. Especially gotta give props to Del Rey and his crisp high flying maneuvers. I really hope this isn't the last time we get to see both these teams compete.
New backstage corespondent Joe Fowler is with Shawn Michaels and Diesel, and asks about Shawn's chances against Mr. Perfect tonight. Shawn says that he will prove that he's the greatest intercontinental champion. This is also Diesel's first speaking role (at least in terms of these reviews) as he says that his only job is to keep the chicks off the champ. A quick review, and for his first time I think Fowler did a decent job.
It's the intercontinental championship on the line in our next match as Shawn Michaels defends against Mr. Perfect. This has been a feud that has been on and off since Wrestlemania IX back in April. It was Mr. Perfect that cost Shawn Michaels the gold back on the May 17th edition of Raw, but Michaels managed to regain the belt thanks to his debuting bodyguard Diesel.
Shawn works the arm to start the match. Headlock takedown by Perfect as things start slow. Shawn gets in a long headlock until Perfect breaks out and tries a back drop, which Shawn back flips out of. Crisscross on the ropes until both men collide into each other. Perfect works on hte arm with knees and a hammerlock. Both men reverse hammerlocks as Shawn flips over the ropes to try to gain leveredge. Perfect breaks out, and avoids an elbow from Shawn, much to the champ's frustration.
Hard right by Michaels in the corner, but Perfect turns it around into some hard knife edge chops. A whip to the corner, which Shawn counters. A second attempt is countered again by Michaels, but Perfect lands a clothesline for two. Armbar by Perfect is locked in until Shawn gets him into the corner. Whip into the corner by Perfect who misses a splash. Michaels tries to dive off the top rope, but he gets caught in an arm drag off the turnbuckle for two. Perfect reapplies the armbar for a bit. Michaels misses some clotheslines, and gets caught by Perfect who catapults him over the top rope.
Perfect goes out of the ring to get Shawn Michaels, but gets distracted by Diesel, which suckers him right into a superkick by Shawn. Shawn follows up with a double axe handle off the apron. He throws Perfect back in and puts knees and elbows into the lower back. Hard whips to the buckle and more clubbing blows. Backbreaker by Shawn who then presses Perfect over his knee to continue the pressure. Perfect breaks out by punching Shawn right in the face. Irish whip by Shawn is countered into a leapfrog and a dropkick, and a big back body drop.
Knee lift by Mr. Perfect and an inverted atomic drop for only a two count. A clothesline follows for another two count. Hiptoss by Shawn is turned into a backslide attempt by Perfect. He turns it into the Perfectplex, but Diesel pulls Perfect out. Perfect punches at Diesel and gets a clothesline on Shawn. He throws Shawn in, but Diesel sends Perfect face first into the steps as referee Earl Hebner counts out Mr. Perfect. Post-match, Perfect attacks both men, but the numbers game gets the better of him. Diesel punches out Perfect as the champ leaves.
Other than the weak ending, this was a great championship match between two of the WWF's finest. Lots of back and forth, never felt one sided. Could have used a few more big near falls, but for a technical match up, you really can't complain about it.
Joe Fowler interviews the 123 Kid, who is so excited that the charisma is just off the charts. I'd argue the biggest issue I have with the kid is the fact that they're having him talk so much when he's honestly got very little in terms of charisma or mic skills. He's excited for his first pay per view match against IRS, and that he's gonna go out there and 110% put caution to the wind.
IRS is in the ring to do what he always does, and that's chastise the tax cheats. The 123 Kid comes out to a decent crowd reaction. Shoulder block by IRS to start, but the kid manages to get a spinning heel kick for a two count. Irish whip and a flapjack by IRS. Another attempt at a flapjack is met with a dropkick by the kid for a two. Running elbow by IRS followed by a hard toss over the top rope. He clubs the chest of the kid as he tries to get back in the ring. The kid flips over the rope and tries a roll up for a two count. Another couple elbows by IRS for a two count.
IRS applies the abdominal stretch as he uses the ropes for leverage. He eventually gets caught and lets go. Headlock applied to the kid. The fans chant "123" as the kid manages to smack IRS into the buckle and land some kicks. He hits the moonsault, but only gets a two count. He tries a cradle, but still only gets two. Enziguri by the Kid only gets a two as well. IRS reverses a whip and hits a hard write off shoulder block for the three. Not a bad match honestly, but having IRS go over seems odd, especially with the WWF building the kid as this upset artist. Definitely feels like a mistake in terms of booking.
Todd Pettingill is at ringside with Bruce and Owen Hart who tell us that Stu and Helen couldn't be there due to Stu needing knee surgery. Apparently Lawler's comments a few weeks back were so scathing that it somehow caused Stu to buckle his knee and injure himself. I've heard of painful heckling but man oh man. Owen and Bruce are here in their absence to give Bret the support he needs as we go to our next match. It's King of the RIng Bret Hart against Jerry "The King" Lawler.
However, plans appear to go awry as Jerry Lawler comes to the ring on crutches and a wrapped leg. He claims to have been in a car accident and despite wanting badly to kick Brett's butt, he is far too injured to do so. However, he does have a court jester that will be able to do the job for him. That jester of courses Doink the Clown. Doink comes to the ring with two buckets. One with confetti, and one with water.
Doink of course takes the water bucket and splashes the Hart brothers. Or to be more precise, pretty much just hits Bruce. Bret immediately attacks the clown on the outiside. Bruce tries to get some shots in, but is held off by the referee. Bret clotheslines Doink to the outside and continues his offense out of the ring. Doink begs off Bret, but no avail as Bret gets more punches out of the corner. Hard whip to the buckle by Bret, and a punch that sends Doink right back out of the ring.
Doink gets some shots into Bret and goes up top, but gets crotched on the turnbuckle and slammed face first off the top. Bret gets distracted by Lawler but continues his punches on the clown. Bret goes back out to confront the king, but Doink gets a cheap shot from behind. He smacks Bret face first into the steps and hits an axe handle off the top rope. Bret gets some punches in, but Doink slams the knee of Bret and follows it up with a series of smacks into the steel post. Cover for only a two count. Doink applies an STF on Bret Hart as the crowd chants "Go Bret Go".
Pinfall by Doink only gets a two count. He locks in the stump puller and uses the ropes for leveredge. Referee Fonzie catches him and breaks the hold. Body slam by Doink. He goes up top for the whoopee cushion, but gets two knees to the groin. Punches by Bret and a neckbreaker followed by an elow off the top rope. Bret locks in the sharpshooter to Doink, but it's a miracle...
Jerry Lawler was healthy all along! He smashes his crutch over the back of Bret to cause the disqualification. Lawler smacks Bret with the crutch several more times (though he barely even touches him with the crutch). The king leaves, proclaiming his victory. However WWF President Jack Tunney confronts Lawler on the entrance way and tells Lawler that he will be forced to wrestle Bret tonight or else he'll be banned from the WWF for life.
Before Lawler can even answer, Bret attacks Lawler and brings him to the ring by force. He even smacks Lawler with one of the buckets for good measure. Bret bites Lawler in the corner and lays in more rights amd a big back body drop. Bret hits a headbutt to the groin of the beaten King. Lalwer gets outside and Bret hits King with a crutch to the back in front of the referee. This will be important as to my issues with this match when we get to the end. Lawler rolls back out of the ring, and attacks Bret with the crutch in front of the ref. He chokes Bret with the end of the crutch while the referee's distracted, and then acts like nothing's happened, despite the referee seeing previous attacks with the crutch.
Lawler takes Bret and pulls him groin first into the steel post. He takes the crutch piece and tries to hide it again like it really matters in the end, and gets a shot with the ref distracted. Punches in the corner and a smack head first into the turnbuckle by Lawler. Bret gets a low blow and drops the straps. More punches in the corner by Bret. Lawler drops his straps, but he gets a big back body drop for his troubles. Backbreaker by Bret for a two count. Piledriver from Bret and an a elbow off the top. He locks in the sharpshooter and Lawler gives up.
However, Bret is unwilling to let go of the Sharpshooter. As referees, officials, and Hart brothers try to get him off Lawler, he refuses to let go for what feels like at least four minutes. He eventually lets go, but due to his refusal to remove the hold, Jerry Lawler becomes the winner and undisputed king by disqualification. Bret gets some more shots in before Lawler is stretchered out as do Bruce and Owen. Even in his battered state, Lawler still manages to raise his arm in victory.
For the first major chapter in this feud, this wasn't too bad in terms of story. In terms of a match, it was kind of a mess. But that really was never the point. In the end, all that mattered was Bret gets his revenge for now, but somehow Lawler steals the win to ensure that the feud can continue on. However I will say that having two matches in a row end on a disqualification is pretty annoying, and considering we also just had a match end in a count out not long before this, it just feels like a night of false finishes and messy endings. And it doesn't get any better as we go on.
We get a vignette of Ludwig Borga who laments on America making a mess of their country, and that Lex Luger is a disgrace for standing up for such a polluted country. He also chastises the welfare babies for making things worse. The Ludwig Borga character is odd. He's an enviromentalist who actually has valid points about the pollution issues in America. But since he's a foreigner, of course his opinion is invalid and he's boiled down to being just another evil non-American. It's befuddling to be certain.
It's time for our next match as Marty Jannetty takes on Ludwig Borga. We open another match with a heel getting a cheap shot on the face, only this time Marty was stupid enough to turn his back on Borga. Body blows in the corner by Borga and a hard clothesline. Headbutt and more shots in the corner as Heenan tries to sell Borga as "something different". Big flapjack with a punch to the sternum by Borga. Reminds me a lot of Cesaro's swiss death. Choke hold by Borga is followed by more body blows.
Marty dodges a splash in the corner and tries for a clothesline, only to get one of his own. Marty counters a back drop into a sunset flip, but gets a punch in the face for his troubles. Bearhug applied, and Marty manages to escape. Body slam attempt is turned into a clothesline by Borga that sends Marty a whole 360. Sunset flip attempt two by Marty, but this time Borga misses the punch, giving Marty enough time to land two superkicks. A cross body off the top is caught by Borga as he slams Marty to the ground. Borga locks Marty into the torture rack for the victory. Not the worst squash I've ever seen, but nothing amazing. Borga really is a lot better than I thought he'd be, but nothing spectacular.
Up next is the "Rest in Peace" match between Giant Gonzalez and the Undertaker. This has been a feud that has been off and on since the Royal Rumble, and seemed to culminate at Wrestlemania IX with their travesty of a match. Back in June, Paul Bearer was taken out of action thanks to Gonzalez and the recently released Mr. Hugles, who by how television has went in the past few months would have made more sense to be in this match than Gonzalez. But no, we have to have this match again since lord knows it was fine the last time.
Taker starts the match with some shots in the corner to Gonzalez and a chokehold. Harvey Whippleman distracts Taker long enough for Gonzalez to lay in boots and chops. Taker tries a series of clotheslines, but is unable to knock Gonzalez down. Gonzalez gets a clothesline of his own, but Taker gets back up. He throws Taker out and the two brawl outside. Gonzalez smacks Taker into the apron and steps, and follows with some chair shots. Apparently a rest in peace match is no disqualification.
Gonzalez whips Taker knee first into the steps, and returns to the ring to play to the crowd. He goes back out of the ring to continue body blows and bring Taker back in. Taker tries to grab the urn, but Gonzalez puts a stop to him. More clubbing blows until Taker gets some rights to the throat before trying to get the urn once more. Hard whip into the corner by Gonzalez, who once again denies the dead man his urn. But suddenly the gongs ring...
And out comes Paul Bearer with a black wreath. He brings it to ringside and turns his attention to Whippleman. Bearer hits a clothesline and regains possession of the urn to a massive pop from the crowd. Body slam by Giant Gonzalez, but with the urn back in Bearer's possession, Undertaker revives (though Taker seems to miss his cue). Chops to the throat and clotheslines by Taker, but Gonzalez is still on his feet. Taker goes to the top rope and hits a clothesline off the top and covers Gonzalez for the three.
Undertaker places the wreath by Giant Gonzalez and poses with Paul Bearer and the urn. The duo make their leave. Meanwhile, in the ring, Gonzalez is frustrated over his loss and takes his attention to Harvey Whippleman. Gonzalez grabs Harvey and gives him a rather ugly chokeslam. So that makes Giant Gonzalez a face now i guess.
Overall, this was a better match than Wrestlemania IX. Gonzalez is still just a large cumbersome body that can barely move and can do little offense more than maybe a body slam and some clotheslines, so Taker tried his best to work with what he had. It's still a boring match, but adding Paul Bearer and the focus on the urn at least made things more interesting, and at least we didn't end with a massive giant having to cholroform the Undertaker to stop him. The face turn seems random, but knowing that Gonzalez is on borrowed time in his WWF tenure, it really doesn't matter either way.
Joe Fowler is with Yokozuna, Mr. Fuji and Jim Cornette. Cornette is upset over the loss of the Heavenly Bodies citing it as a biased hometown decision, but Yokozuna will not suffer the same infractions. He promises that Yokuzuna has no fear or compassion, and that Luger can draw the power of the American people, but he will still come up short. No matter how hard Luger fights to take the big man down, the last thing Luger will hear tonight is "Banzai".
Up next is six man tag action. The Smoking Gunns and Tatanka to take on Bam Bam Bigelow and the Headshrinkers. The heels start off by getting the advantage over the faces to start. At least it wasn't another cheap shot. Bam Bam and Tatanka start off with Bam Bam getting a shoulder block. Tatanka ducks a clothesline and gets a shoulder block and dropkick to take down Bigelow. He follows up with a big back body drop. Bam Bam reverses a whip and both men collide with cross body blocks.
Bam Bam gets a tag to Fatu, and Billy Gunn gets tagged in. Punches by Billy, but Fatu gets in a hard superkick. Facebuster and a flying reverse bulldog off the top from Billy. Fatu comes back with a shoulder block. Tag to Samu and both shrinkers get a double headbutt. Samu throws Billy into Fatu. Billy falls out and Afa gets in a cheap shot. A really gentle kick to Billy as Billy manages to tag in Bart. Cross body by Bart for a two count. He tries again, but Samu gets an elbow in. Tag to Bam Bam who gets an irish whip and a dropkick for a two count.
Tag to Fatu who hits a really nice powerslam for a two count. Tag to Samu who rakes the eye and a bite to the forehead. Tag back Fatu as both men hit a double headbutt. Tag to Bam Bam Who gets a shoulder to the sternum of Bart. He then throws Bart into the heads of the Shrinkers. Tag to Fatu, but Bart gets a facebuster in. Since Fatu is Samoan it does no damage and Fatu lands a clothesline. Tag to Samu who gets a double chop and a choke in the corner while Fatu and Bam Bam beat down Bart.
More headbutts to Bart before Bam Bam is tagged back in. Double elbow by Fatu and Bam Bam as Bart is being killed for quite a while now. He manages to avoid a splash as Bam Bam hits the post. Tag to Tatanka who takes out the shrinkers and Bigelow. Tomahawk chops and a body slam take Bigelow down and a DDT follows that. Tatanka ascends the turnbuckle and hits a cross body for a two. Bam Bam starts to regain offense until he does the one thing everybody does that they should know by now is the worst thing to do in a match with Tatanka.
He rams Tatanka head first into the buckle which wakes him up and causes him to proceed his war dance. Shots by Bam Bam are ineffective on the native American, until he lands an enziguri to the back of the head. Tag to Samu who goes up top for a headbutt off the top rope. Bart breaks up the pin only to get a superkick. Billy fights back, but the heel trio send him flying. They whip Tatanka in the corner and Bam Bam gets a massive splash. Triple headbutt by the heels as the ref is unable to stop them. All three men go to the top, but they all miss as Tatanka recovers. Billy and Bart get rid of Fatu and Bam Bam as Tatanka gets the three count with a roll up.
Compared to the last multi-team match at King of the Ring, this was a much better match. I've been hard on Tatanka for a while, but even he impressed me in this match with some decent offense. My only gripe would be that Bart Gunn played the face in peril for a little too long and Billy Gunn barely had much ring time. But for a six man tag it was a fun match to watch.
Joe Fowler is outside with of all people, Hank Carter, the bus driver for the Lex Express. Boy, from interviewing the champion to a bus driver. Just onward and upward for mr. Fowler. Also for the guy who drove Luger across the country, gotta love how they keep him out of the building with a crappy little TV to watch the show on. Such great accommodations, Lex. Much like Vince and everyone else, Hank gives platitudes for Luger's amazing patriotism.
It's time for the main event between Lex Luger and Yokozuna for the WWF Championship. We open with the Japanese national anthem as the crowd boos and chants USA, because you know, screw cultural diversity of all kind. There are a couple people applauding at least, so it's not as horrible as the "Shawn is Gay" incidents of a while back.
To counter the Japanese, "Macho Man" Randy Savage comes out with Aaron Neville. Well, I don't know much, but I know I'll enjoy his rendition of the National Anthem. However, All I can think of is that old Pablo Fransisco bit with the Neville impression. Yes, the only thing worth remembering about Fransisco honestly. But seriously, he does a fine job. Hell, even Macho Man sheds a tear.
Accompanied by Mr. Fuji and Jim Cornette, the champion Yokozuna comes out first to boos and USA chants. Luger however gets a great reaction as expected, and is called the next champion by Macho Man. Luger's once narcissistic attire has now been covered entirely with the red white and blue, with some gold trim. Not a bad gear look honestly. He also has the metal plated forearm covered up with his elbow pad.
Both men stare each other down for a while as Mr. Fuji tries to sneak into the ring to attack Luger, but Luger sees him. We almost start with our third heel cheap shot to start the match, but Luger avoids Yoko and lays some rights in the corner. Irish whip and an elbow, but Yoko doesn't go down. Yoko tries a body slam, but Luger escapes. However he still gets an elbow in. Leg drop attempt by Yokozuna is avoided. Kicks to the leg of Yoko by Luger. He tries to get out, but Lex gets Yoko groined in the rope causing him to fall over, and for Luger to hit a big elbow drop with some admittedly nice elevation. Cover attempt only gets a two.
Yoko catches Luger into a body slam, but misses an elbow drop. More rights by Luger followed by stomps. Lex fixes his trunks and then rams Yoko into the buckle. Hard whip into the buckle, and a clothesline in the corner by Luger. He follows up with some corner punches. The ref pulls him off, giving Yokuzuna enough to get a cheap shot in. Choke in the corner by Yoko until Earl Hebner forces him off. While the ref's distracted Mr. Fuji attempts to throw salt in the eyes of Lex, only for Luger to avoid it. More rights by Luger and a body slam attempt, which fails, causing Luger to get a super kick by Yoko.
Headbutt by Yokozuna sends Luger to the outside.He tries to get back in, but is headbutted back out. Yoko goes out and chokes him with some cord. He then splashes Luger into the post on the outside. He grabs a chair and takes aim, but misses, Giving Luger enough time to get some shots in and bring the champion in the ring. He goes on the second rope and hits an axe handle, but Yoko is still up. He goes to the top this time and hits another, but still no luck. He tries a third time, and hits a flying forearm that takes Yokozuna down for a close two. Hard clothesline to the back of Yokozuna's head only gets a two count.
Both men collide with clotheslines that knock each other down. Referee Earl Hebner counts both men out until Jim Cornette distracts the refere. Fuji throws the salt bucket to Yoko, who clobbers Luger with it. He's unable to cover Luger for a while, but when he does, he only gets a two count. Lex and Yoko fix their tights as Yoko chops Luger some more. Belly to belly by Yoko who takes a while to cover Luger for a two count. Yoko chokes Luger on the rope for a bit and follows with a kick.
Side suplex by Yokozuna for a two count. This is followed with a nerve hold on Luger. The crowd chants USA, but the pressure is put in tighter. Luger eventually recovers and summons the strength to break the hold. Body slam attempt is turn into a cross body by Yokozuna, who covers Luger for a two. He hits a leg drop, but only gets another two. Lex fixes his trunks some more as he's being dragged into the corner for the Banzai Drop. However, Luger manages to avoid it in time. He fixes his trunks as Yoko slams him head first into the buckle. Luger fights back with elbows, but Yoko follows with a bit to the forehead. Hard whip to the corner, but Luger avoids a splash in the corner and finally gets the body slam.
He takes out Mr. Fuji, and while the referee is distracted, removes the padding and nails Yokozuna in the face with his metal plated forearm. The impact sends Yokozuna out of the ring, and instead of trying to get the champ back in, Luger attacks Jim Cornette instead. Yokozuna gets counted out, and Lex Luger wins.
But he doesn't win the title.
Superstars from the back celebrate with Luger and raise the conquering hero on their shoulders for his valiant efforts in vanquishing the mighty Yokozuna.
But he doesn't win the title.
Confetti and balloons rain from the rafters as patriotism is at an all time high. "Stars and stripes Forever" plays and Luger is treated like the true American hero.
BUT HE DOESN'T WIN THE TITLE.
And we end with the greatest music video of all time, as we see Luger's road to Summerslam on the Lex Express, set to the cheesy as hell "I'll Be Your Hero" song (however the Network version has some crappy pop song put over it instead. Blasphemy) as Xenophobiaslam comes to a close.
BUT HE DOESN'T WIN THE TITLE.
Overall, the Lex Luger/Yokozuna match was much better than I expected. Yokozuna's a great in ring worker and played the dominant heel for the majority of the match, while Luger managed to play a much better babyface patriot than he ever did a narcissist. Other than Lex being winded early and requiring multiple times to fix his sagging trunks, this was probably his best work I've seen. A surprising showing when he actually put effort into something. But the ending is what kills it for me. Why would you end on a count out? It makes this big super patriotic hoosafudge a lot more hollow when you consider that in the end, the true winner was the evil foreigner.
Well, the plan in motion was for Lex Luger to obviously be the face of the WWF, despite it being abundantly clear already that Lex Luger was no Hulk Hogan in terms of charisma or marketability. So instead of capitalizing when Luger was at his hottest, Vince decided that he'd wait this out until Wrestlemania, certain that Luger's popularity would hold strong until then. Well, we'll see just how true that will be when we get to Wrestlemania X.
Post-match on a Coliseum Home Video exclusive, Lex Luger and the babyfaces celebrate in the locker room until Luger is confronted by Ludwig Borga, who says that he is not impressed with Luger or his American friends. He promises to crush Luger like the crumbling America. Luger is the backbone of America, and Borga will break it.
Is Summerslam '93 a bad pay per view? No. Is it a classic? That's also a no. Save for the Steiners and Bodies match, and the six man tag, there were some great matches that suffered from similar booking and awful endings. Way too many decent matches ruined by count outs and disqualifications. Also in the case of the 123 Kid vs IRS match, a confusing choice in who to put over. Instead of being a strong pay per view on its own, all it ended up being was a stop gap event to further angles going into the next few months. it's nowhere as horrible as Wrestlemania IX, but the fact that it just feels like such a filler show for such a big event really makes it a let down. But considering the in-ring action was solid for the majority, it's still worth a C+ rating.
So the cruel summer has passed us by, and now we start the road to the Thanksgiving tradition, the Survivor Series. Can Luger's patriotic push continue momentum? Will Bret Hart get more revenge on Jerry Lawler? And what other surprises await us until November? We shall soon find out.