:::THE ROYAL COMPETITORS:::
WrestleMania had not gone the way that Bret "The Hitman" Hart had wanted. He went into the event as WWF Champion but walked out without the title after a tainted loss to Yokozuna. It had been about two weeks since WrestleMania IX and the world was wanting to hear from The Hitman after that devastating loss. That week, they would no longer have to wait when he made an appearance on WWF Superstars for an interview with Vince McMahon.
Vince McMahon:
Ladies and gentlemen - my guest at this time, the former World Wrestling Federation World Champion and perhaps to many the "People's Champion"- please welcome to the ring..."THE HITMAN" BRET HART!
"Hart Beat" played through the arena as Vince finished up his introduction, bringing the fans in North Charleston, SC to their feet in cheers for the now former WWF Champion. Bret emerged from the curtain in his trademark black and pink leather jacket but was without his usual sunglasses nor his normal demeanor. Normally one to slap hands with the fans at ringside, Hart all but ignored them here as he walked out to the ring, adding a bit of irony of Vince referring to him as the People's Champion. As Hart made his way to the ring, Jerry Lawler and Randy Savage argued about whether not Hart was truly a champion of the people. Once in the ring, Hart joined Vince for the interview.
Vince McMahon:
Bret Hart, it was nearly two weeks ago that you walked out to a standing ovation, much like the one you received here tonight, at WrestleMania and at that time you were wearing the World Wrestling Federation championship belt. You told us going in that despite being the champion, going up against this 500 plus pounder Yokozuna...you would actually be the underdog. You came so close to walking out of WrestleMania as the champion only to have victory snatched from you - and of course, the WWF championship.
Bret Hart:
You know Vince, I've gotten pretty used to being the underdog in my career so that was nothing new for me. I'm not going to sit here and make excuses for why I lost. Everybody has either seen it by now or heard about it and can draw their own conclusions about the finish of the match. Everyone who has seen the match KNOWS that BRET HART should STILL be the World Wrestling Federation champion! And Yokozuna, it must've felt so great to have Mr. Fuji there with you at WrestleMania. The man who basically won the title for you turned around and lost it for you in less than a minute. Pardon me if I don't shed any tears for you, Yokozuna.
Vince McMahon:
Well Bret, I don't think anyone is going to blame you for that at all. I guess the question now is - where does The Hitman go from here?
Bret Hart:
But the fact of the matter is this, Vince, I've won titles and lost them before. And everytime I lose a championship whether it be the WWF Tag Titles, the WWF Intercontinental Title and now the WWF World title - people want to think that this is the end of the road for Bret Hart. People think there's no coming back. But guess what - they were WRONG every single time. But I have to admit...this one...this one is a little different. I've done something that very few people have been able to do - and that's hold the World Wrestling Federation Championship. And there's something about that WWF title gold that is so much sweeter and makes you thirsty for more. Now that I don't have it..quite frankly, I feel naked without it. Part of me just isn't the same now that I'm not the WWF Champion. So where does The Hitman go from here, Vince? The answer is simple. There's nowhere to go but up. I'm going to do anything...no EVERYTHING within my power to get back to the WWF Title and I don't care if it's Yokozuna holding it or if it's the almighty Hulk Hogan still champion after King of the Ring. From now on, it's no more Mr. Nice Guy from The Hitman. I will do WHATEVER IT TAKES to get back the WWF Championship and I feel sorry for anyone dumb enough to get in my way.
With that, Bret abruptly ended the interview himself, heading out of the ring leaving Vince all by his lonesome.
Vince McMahon:
Well there you have it ladies and gentlemen - Bret Hart clearly a man on a mission right now! |
Bret Hart had certainly made his intentions clear. Regaining the WWF title was his goal. And he would go through anyone and/or everyone to get there.
Which is where the King of the Ring tournament came into play. The same episode of WWF Superstars would reveal the plans for King of the Ring.
hile the event had been held almost every year since 1985, it was historically non-televised event and more about increasing house show attendance. But this year it would head to Pay-Per-View in a three hour spectacular!
The rules were simple - a single elimination tournament to crown the "King" of professional wrestling. Over the next several weeks, qualifying matches would occur where the winners would advance to Quarterfinals. The Quarterfinals, Semi-Finals, and Final would all be contested in one night at the King of the Ring Pay-Per-View.
The stakes? First and foremost, obviously the winner would receive the "King of the Ring" moniker and be crowned as such. But Jack Tunney would explain that the winner would be "in contention" for a World Wrestling Federation title shot. Jack Tunney would also announce that due to the events at WrestleMania, he was giving Bret Hart a "bye" so that he automatically moved directly to the Quarterfinals, making Hart the first to officially be competing at the Pay-Per-View.
With the automatic qualifier, Bret Hart had the ability to sit back and watch his competition as they went through qualifying matches. All the while, Bret made it clear in interviews that it was "no more Mr. Nice Guy" for The Hitman and that he was focused on getting back up the ladder and winning back "his" WWF Championship, no matter what it took to do so and that he felt sorry for anyone who got in his way.
On the May 3rd episode of Raw, Bret Hart would return to the ring for the first time since WrestleMania - and he would demonstrate exactly what his new attitude was all about.
Bret "The Hitman" Hart vs. Steve Vega
Steve Vega was already in the ring as The Hitman made his way down to the ring, looking more serious and focused than ever. Much like last we saw him for his interview with Vince McMahon a couple weeks back, Bret has very limited fan interaction - not even stopping to give a lucky kid at ringside his trademark sunglasses! Instead he heads straight for the ring, keeping his eyes locked on Steve Vega. Vince McMahon noted that he would hate to be the one standing across the ring from Bret Hart in his first match since losing the WWF Championship and that Vegas was that poor, unfortunate soul tonight.
As the match got underway, Bret wasted no time getting firmly in control, showing no mercy on his opponent. Hart was as calculated as ever in his approach, immediately out wrestling Vega and taking him to the mat and starting to work over the leg and knee area for an eventual Sharpshooter. The difference here seemed to be that Hart was becoming much more aggressive in his attacks - repeatedly going after that knee multiple times without letting up. At one point, Hart even went outside the ring and pulled the fallen Vega towards the ring post while in the ring, and slammed Vega's leg into the ring post not once or twice, but three times before the referee stepped into threaten to disqualify Hart if he did it again!
Hart continued the attack on Vega - seemingly toying with the lesser competitor as he seemed to be taking out some aggression, not going for a pin or even to lock in the Sharpshooter and instead just kept on the attack of that same knee. After 5 brutal minutes of a one-sided affair, Hart finally locked in the Sharpshooter to Vega and as soon as the Hitman turned him over, Vega was immediately tapping out.
Winner - Bret Hart at 5:23
Vega was continuing to tap his hand on the mat, showing his excruciating pain as Hart was not letting go despite the ringing of the bell. As the referee pleaded with Bret, he finally let go over the submission - leaving Vega lying on the mat, clutching his knee in agony. Randy Savage admitted he could understand the frustration Hart was having but he had never seen the Hitman like this, while Bobby Heenan liked what he saw and hoped to see more of "this" Bret Hart.
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While the commentators weren't sure what to make of Bret's new attitude in the ring, or if it was just The Hitman blowing off steam following his title loss...but for Bret Hart - his eyes were clearly on the upcoming King of the Ring tournament where the winner would be in "title contention."
Before we get to "The Beast from the East's" qualifying match, first we revisit WWF Superstars two weeks after WrestleMania. Bigelow was up against "The Rocket" Owen Hart in the feature match of the evening. It was a strong showing from the younger Hart, but Bigelow's power and strength was just too much for him and eventually Bigelow was able to take a firm control of the match.
Owen's attempt of a comeback would come up short when he would try to counter an Irish Whip attempt by leaping onto the middle ropes for a crossbody block, but blew his knee out in the process. Owen fell to the matt and could barely move as Bigelow took advantage. Bigelow lifted Owen up and slammed him to the mat before climbing to the top rope and hitting his Diving Headbutt for the three count victory.
An unfortunate turn of events for Owen who was starting to pick up some momentum in singles competition, but this injury would put him on the shelf for at least a couple of months. Meanwhile, Bigelow would boast about injuring the younger Hart for weeks to come.
With that win, Bigelow had plenty of momentum heading into his King of the Ring qualifying match, taking on one half of the Natural Disasters, Typhoon.
With the win, Bigelow found himself matched up against Bret Hart in the Quarterfinals of the King of the Ring tournament. And Bigelow was quickly pointing out that he had already injured one Hart and was looking forward to doing the same thing to big brother.
On the May 22, 1993 episode of Superstars, Owen Hart made an appearance to give us an update on his injury status.
Raymond Rougeau:
Allow me to welcome out tonight a man who was put on the injured list at the hands of "The Beast from the East" Bam Bam Bigelow - ladies and gentlemen, "The Rocket" OWEN HART!
The crowd warmly welcomed Owen Hart has he walked out from the back with the assist of a pair of crutches, gingerly making his way up onto the interview platform with Raymond.
Raymond Rougeau:
Welcome back Owen, I know it's difficult having to watch from the sidelines but we are sure with your fiery competitive nature, you will be back in that ring before we know it!
Owen Hart:
You are absolutely right, Raymond. It certainly kills me to have to sit at home, rehabilitating my knee, every week and watch all the WWF greats going at it and I can't be there. The King of the Ring is especially hard to watch because I just know that if I had the chance, it could be mine for the taking! But if there's anyone else who should be King of the Ring, it's my brother Bret. So in about two weeks time - I'll be cheering my brother on from the sidelines - watching a Hart become King!
Raymond Rougeau:
There's no doubt that Bret Hart is one of the favorites, if not THE favorite, heading into King of the Ring - but first he has to face the same man who injured you a few weeks ago, Bam Bam Bigelow.
Owen Hart:
Don't get me started on Bam Bam Bigelow. He brags about how he put me on the shelf and how Bret's next. But if you watch the match, Raymond, you see the exact moment my knee gave out - it was a freak accident and had NOTHING to do with Bam Bam! He wants the world to think he's an unstoppable beast - but that night, he wasn't unstoppable - he was just LUCKY!
The crowd's attention diverted as Bam Bam Bigelow walked out from the back, clearly not taking kindly to Owen's statements. Bam Bam walked onto the platform and gazed down at Owen's crutches and laughed.
Bam Bam Bigelow:
Look at you boy! You can barely walk! You have a lot of guts showing up on crutches when the BEAST IS AROUND! You think I GOT LUCKY? You think it was an ACCIDENT?
Bigelow inched closer and closer to Owen, who didn't back down.
Bam Bam Bigelow:
I guess the problem is I just need to FINISH THE JOB!
Bigelow snatched one of the Owen's crutches away and delivered a kick right to Owen's injured knee - dropping the weakened Hart to the ground.
Bam Bam Bigelow:
This one is for you, BRET!
Bigelow lifted the crutch up in the air, ready to slam it down on Owen's knee...but BRET HART was there to pull it away from Bigelow! Bigelow turned around and Bret jabbed the crutch into Bigelow's midsection! Hart then unloaded with a punch between the eyes to Bigelow as security came out to break things up before it got out of hand. Bigelow laughed while being subdued by security...
Bam Bam Bigelow:
IS THAT ALL YA GOT, HITMAN?! HAHAHA!
Bret stared Bigelow down as he was escorted away, before kneeling down to help Owen back up to his feet. Raymond Rougeau moved back in to get a word with the Hart Brothers.
Bret Hart:
Bam Bam! You want to deliver a message to me - you do it like a man and come to my face and do it! At King of the Ring, you won't be so lucky...I said I feel sorry for anyone who gets in my way to get back to the WWF Championship..and I feel even sorrier for anyone who tries to mess with the Hart Family! You like to talk about playing with fire - at King of the Ring, you're going down in flames!
Bret pushed his way passed Rougeau, helping Owen to the back to get some medical attention as Raymond sent it back to the ring. |
While security had been able to keep these two apart that week, the next week on Raw, things continued to heat up between Bret and Bigelow when Bam Bam Bigelow was in action.
Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Phil Apollo
Poor Phil Apollo never really stood a chance here as Bigelow showed his strength from the opening bell - literally tossing Apollo at points around the ring. Bigelow showed off his aggression, driving Apollo to the mat with a headbutt in the corner before thens stomping away at Apollo, never giving the guy a chance to recover. Apollo would see the chance to get in some limited offense when he avoided a Body Avalanche from Bigelow. Bigelow was rocked briefly by crashing hard into the turnbuckles, and Apollo hit a few right hands to stagger the big man before bouncing off the ropes and hitting a clothesline to Bigelow, but Bigelow wouldn't leave his feet. Apollo hit a second clothesline, but once again Bigelow was only staggered. Apollo bounced off the ropes a third time, but ran into a boot from Bigelow, but Apollo caught it...only to have Bigelow show off his agility with an ENZIGURI!
Bigelow toyed with Apollo a little more before eventually dropping him to the mat with a delayed vertical suplex and then climbing to the top turnbuckle. Bigelow taunted the crowd, drawing some heat before leaping off the top turnbuckle with his Diving Headbutt! Bigelow made the cover - One, Two, Three!
Winner: Bam Bam Bigelow at 4:13
As the bell rang, the referee would attempt to lift up Bigelow's arm in victory, but Bigelow pulled it away and instead headed outside the ring. Bigelow shoved the timekeeper out of the way and grabbed his steel folding chair and folded it up!
"This is uncalled for!" Vince McMahon objected from commentary as Bigelow re-entered the ring with the chair, measuring up Apollo...
But it was BRET HART rushing to the ring to make the save! Hart pulled the chair away from Bigelow as Bigelow turned around to stare the Hitman down as Hart threatened with the chair.
"GO AHEAD!" Bigelow laughed, "DO IT! SHOW ME WHAT YOU'RE CAPABLE OF!"
Hart hesitated as Bigelow laughed again - "WHAT'S DA MATTA HITMAN - WHAT HAPPENED TO 'NO MORE MR. NICE GUY.' HAHAHAHA!"
Bret's nostrils flared up as Bigelow showed no concern for Hart holding the chair...but Hart responded by driving the chair right into Bigelow's midsection! Bigelow was certainly no longer laughing, now doubled over as Hart lifted the chair up in the air and drove it down across Bigelow's back!
Bam Bam dropped to the mat as Bret tossed the chair away and leaped onto of Bigelow, firing away with rights and lefts to Bigelow before WWF officials entered the ring to break it up, pulling Bret off. Randy Savage noted he had never seen Bret like this, thinking losing the WWF Title had really effected him drastically! Meanwhile, a now subdued Bret willingly left the ring by himself, watching on as Bigelow sat up to his knees with a smirk on his face.
WWF Raw came to a close as Vince McMahon put over how chaotic it could be when these two actually meet in the ring, one on one, in the King of the Ring tournament! |
Bigelow would later express how much he LOVED what he saw from Bret. He loved seeing Bret embrace the darkness inside him. He said it was cleary that The Beast clearly had him off his game. He was inside Bret's head and was loving every minute of it. He wondered what all the "little Hitmen" in the crowd thought about their hero using a steel chair? Bigelow suggested that Hart not worry about the kids or the fans and he worry about what's going to happen at King of the Ring. Bigelow promised that Hart would be sharing a hospital room with his brother as he becomes "THE BEAST KING OF THE WWF!"
As for Hart, he wasn't too concerned about his own actions. He re-stated what he said weeks ago - it was no more Mr. Nice Guy from The Hitman. He said he was going to do whatever it took to get back to the WWF Title. He warned those who stood in his way and now Bigelow is in his way. Bret wasn't falling for mind games because in reality, he was jut a pawn in the Hitman's way to the title. While Bigelow is playing checkers, he is playing chess. He's doing his homework... for him... this wasn't just about the crown, it was about the WWF Title. And he would NOT be denied!
There appeared to be a shroud of mystery surrounding "The Narcissist" Lex Luger and it all had to do with his patented Forearm Smash finisher that was leaving a string of victims across the WWF. But it wasn't just taking people down for the three count - it was completely knocking them out...and it wasn't being contained to just in ring action. While Luger did knock out Mr. Perfect during their match at WrestleMania - then WWF Champion Bret Hart even fell victim to a shot from Luger's forearm during the WrestleMania brunch.
It had gotten to the point where those within the WWF locker room were becoming very suspicious of Luger - was he somehow cheating and using a foreign object while delivering his Forearm Smash? Following WrestleMania, Luger declared himself "more perfect than Perfect" with his victory over Mr. Perfect and assured everyone that everything about him was natural.
But the WWF would do an investigation into Luger...
Meanwhile, following WrestleMania, Tatanka continued his undefeated streak after his countout win against Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania while his valet, Sensational Sherri, was still having her issues with Luna Vachon after being viciously attacked by her at WrestleMania. Both of these worlds collided during a WWF Superstars interview with Lex Luger discussing the investigation.
On commentary, Vince McMahon tossed it to Raymond Rougeau who was on the interview platform, which now has a full length mirror sitting on it suspiciously.
Raymond Rougeau:
Thank you Vince! Allow me to welcome out a man causing quite the stir these days and it's all due a part of his body! My guest at this time is none other than "The Narcissist" Lex Luger!
The crowd quickly began to boo as Lex Luger made his way out, stopping to flex and pose multiple times on the platform in front of the full length mirror before joining Rougeau.
Raymond Rougeau:
Lex Luger, by now the whole world knows that you are under investigation due to all the knockouts your forearm has been causing around the WWF. What are your thoughts on this on-going investigation?
Lex Luger:
Your word choice, Raymond, was superb. Of course my body is causing a stir! Just look at it!
Luger flexed once again for the audience - drawing more louds boos.
Raymond Rougeau:
You know that's not what I mean.
Lex Luger:
Listen, this Saturday the results will be in and you'll all see this was a huge waste of everyone's time. There's noth...
Luger was interrupted as Sensational Sherri barged out from backstage and headed onto the interview platform - clearly on a mission with something on her mind. Vince pointed out we haven't seen Sherri since she was so heinously attacked by Luna Vachon at WrestleMania!
Raymond Rougeau:
Hey now! What's this about!
Sensational Sherri:
This can't wait anymore! LUNA VACHON, you want to attack me from behind at WrestleMania and try to break every rib in my body?! You think you can target me to make a name for yourself?! You don't know what you're messing with! Anytime - ANY PLACE - you're messing with the woman who invented mean!
Sherri was now that one being interrupted as Luger grabbed her by the arm.
Lex Luger:
I'm not sure who you think are - these fans wanted to hear more about me. No one cares about whatever it is you're rambling on about, crazy woman.
Sensational Sherri:
GET YOUR OILY HANDS OFF ME!
Sherri slapped Luger across the face, to which Luger responded by grabbing a handful of Sherri's hair and lifting up his Forearm...but Tatanka rushed out to make the save for his manager! Tatanka runs in with a dropkick to Luger and then literally jumped on top of Luger and unloaded some hard right hands as Sherri got to her feet...
Only to be attacked from behind by Luna Vachon! Luna's sneak attack once again gave her the upperhand as she slammed Sherri onto the platform not once but twice. Luna then picked Sherri up by her hair and looked over at the mirror with a sadistic grin...and tossed Sherri face first into the mirror, shattering it! Sherri dropped to the ground as Tatanka rushed to her aid.
But while Tatanka was checking in on Sherri, Luger charged in and KNOCKED OUT Tatanka with a Forearm Smash to the back of the head!
Both Tatanka and Sherri were left lying on the ground as Luger and Luna were standing tall. They eyed each other as Luna gave Luger an up and down look before once again displaying her twisted grin...and she reached out her hand to Luger. Luger took a glance at her hand and decided to accept the handshake! Luna lifted up Luger's arm to a booing crowd as medics checked in on Sherri and Tatanka as Vince McMahon displayed some confusion on this alliance that just formed in front of us while expressing concern for Sherri after the attack from Luna. |
This began an odd and unlikely alliance between Lex Luger and Luna Vachon, collectively calling themselves "Beauty & The Beast." But with that alliance forming, the matter of the investigation would come to a conclusion on WWF Update with Gorilla Monsoon. It would be revealed that X-Rays of Luger's actual forearm would reveal steel plates that had been medically inserted into his arm after a motorcycle accident last year. While WWF President Jack Tunney could not obviously keep Luger from using his arm in a match, he did rule going forward that Luger must always be wear padding over his forearm and that use of the Forearm Smash without the pad would result in disqualification!
For Tatanka, he would be rewarded another shot at the Intercontinental Title due to the lack of a satisfying outcome from WrestleMania. So once again, it would be Title vs. Streak when Tatanka faced Shawn Michaels in the Main Event of Raw.
WWF Intercontinental Championship Match
Shawn Michaels (c) vs. Tatanka (w/Sensational Sherri)
Kicking of Raw, Tatanka made his way to the ring and was accompanied by Sensational Sherri, who was selling the damage done by Luna Vachon when she sent Sherri face first into Lex Luger's full length mirror two weeks ago on Raw by wearing an eyepatch over her left eye. On commentary, Vince McMahon noted that Luna may have caused some permanent damage when glass pierced that eye during another one of her henious assaults on Sherri. The champion, Shawn Michaels, made his way out from the back to loud boos from the crowd and he made sure to stop and mock his former valet's cosmetic damage with some literal pointing and laughing before covering up his own eye and giving his best pirate impression with an audible "ARRRR!"
Tatanka wasted no time going after the champion as he insulted his valet, attacking the champion from behind much to the delight of the crowd. Michaels would quickly escape the attacks from Michaels and demanded the referee reprimand him for his sneak attack. The referee did, in fact, begin to admonish Tatanka...which opened the door for Michaels to leap in with a forearm shot to Tatanka over the referee's back!
Despite Michaels' attempt to get in the upperhand, Tatanka quickly overpowered Michaels and lit up the champion with some stiff chops. Before the match could get completely away from him, HBK rolled to ringside to try and catch a breather, but Tatanka gave chase! Tatanka grabbed Michaels and went to whip him into the guard rail, but Michaels was able to reverse it and instead sent Tatanka crashing into the steel railing! Michaels headed back to the ring catch Tatanka with a knee to the head as he tried to re-enter the ring.
Michaels took control briefly, but when Michaels attempted to attack from the top rope, Tatanka caught him in an Atomic Drop! HBK oversold like a champ, flopping to the mat before rolling back to his feet as Tatanka charged in with a big lariat! Michaels rolled back to his feet again right into a running backhand CHOP from Tatanka! Michaels was in trouble as he crawled to the ropes...but in charged Tatanka at HBK only to have Michaels lift him up and backdrop the Native American over the top rope to the floor!
Michaels dropped to a knee in the ring as the referee began the ten count. Sherri encouraged Tatanka to get back to his feet while now Michaels was up in the ring and counting alongside the referee...SEVEN....EIGHT.....Tatanka was back up! Tatanka slid back into the ring but Michaels quickly went back on the attack, stomping on the back of Tatanka's head.
HBK continued to try and keep Tatanka off his feet and would soon score a nearfall on his challenger with a neckbreaker. Looking frusterated as Tatanka kicked out once again, Shawn dropped down and applied a rear chinlock to Tatanka. The referee checked in on the challenger who was refusing to give up! Sherri began to pound the apron and successfully rallied the crowd behind Tatanka who began to harness that energy to begin to fight his way back to his feet! Tatanka weakened Michaels with a couple of elbows to break the hold and then took Michaels to the mat with a back suplex! Tatanka was on fire as he lifted Michaels up for the Papoose to Go Samoan Drop but Michaels slipped down the back and rolled up Tatanka - HANDFUL OF TIGHTS - ONE, TWO, THREE - NO! Kickout by Tatanka!
Tatanka got back to his feet only to see HBK going for the Sweet Chin Music, but Tatanka ducked...TOMAHAWK CHOP to Michaels! Michaels dropped to the canvas only to roll back up and receive anothe TOMAHAWK CHOP to the head! Feeling in the grove with the crowd solidly behind him, Tatanka headed to the top turnbuckle for a FLYING TOMAHAWK CHOP, but HBK was able to get in a desperation dropkick as Tatanka came sailing in - leaving BOTH men down!
Both men slowly pulled themselves up...Tatanka struck first with a stiff backhand chop while HBK responded with a hard right hand - they traded blows until Tatanka hit a front hand chop right across the side of HBK's face, sending him fall backwards into the ropes...HBK bounced back into a SAVATE KICK from Tatanka! Tatanka with the cover - One, Two, Thre...SHOULDER UP by Michaels! Tatanka wasted no time continuing on the attack and soon went for the Papoose to Go again, but once again HBK escape down Tatanka's back! Tatanka turned around into an elbow from HBK before Michaels sent him into the corner. HBK charged in with a splash to the cornered Tanaka before turning Tanaka around and slamming him head first into the turnbuckles - but TANAKA NO SOLD IT!
A freaked out HBK tried it again, but once again, Tanaka no sold it and began to surge with energy. Michaels attempted it a third time, but this time Tanaka blocked it outright and then hit a back elbow to Michaels sending the champion stumbling...
Tanaka was fired up and began to perform his war dance as he delivered a pair of TOMAHAWK chops to HBK before climbing to the top rope once more...and this time CONNECTED with the FLYING TOMAHAWK! The champion was clearly in trouble as Tatanka began to pull Michaels up for the Papoose to Go, but as he lifted Michaels onto his shoulder - a commotion in the aisle caught his attention...
It was Luna Vachon and Sensational Sherri brawling with one another in the aisle! The camera's missed Luna's arrival but we now got to witness as the two women tore into one another right in front of the fans. The referee left to break up the fight...meaning he never saw Lex Luger entering the ring from behind. Neither did Tatanka - well until it was too late. With Michaels still in the fireman's carry position, Tatanka turned to see Luger charging at him - FOREARM to the head of Tatanka! Tatanka dropped like a sack of bricks, out cold from the unprotected Forearm Smash from Luger. Luger rolled out of the ring as WWF security were finally able to separate Luna and Sherri. The referee returned to position as Michaels crawled over...
"No! This is not how Tatanka's undefeated streak should end! Not like this!!" - Vince McMahon exclaimed as Michaels made the cover...
ONE - TWO - THREE!
Winner and STILL Intercontinental Champion: Shawn Michaels at 16:37
Post-match, Vince McMahon continued to lament over the tainted victory and the end of Tatanka's streak while Bobby Heenan stated this huge win would only add to Michaels' legacy as the "Best Intercontinental Champion in WWF History." |
And thus ended the undefeated streak of Tatanka, all thanks to the sneak attack from Lex Luger. Costing him not just his streak but also the Intercontinental Championship. Tatanka had his sights set on Luger, but also the King of the Ring. He would bounce back from his devistating loss to Michaels by qualifying for the King of the Ring by defeating Papa Shango quite decisively.
But The Narcissist himself would also be looking for the crown. And he had certainly been on a roll since forming his alliance with Luna Vachon. His opponent in his qualifying match was none other that Jim Duggan, who you may remember recently returned from injury at the hands to Yokozuna. He came up short against Yokozuna in the Body Slam Match, so now he looked to shift his focus toward the King of the Ring opportunity.
King of the Ring Qualifying Match:
"Hacksaw" Jim Duggan vs. "The Narcissist" Lex Luger (w/Luna Vachon)
Jim Duggan marched out from the back still proudly waving Old Glory as the fans greeted him with cheers and a U-S-A chant that he lead them in. Duggan was so fired up he wasted no time getting into the match as Luger made his way out and entered the ring, Duggan quickly jumped on him to open the match with some forearms to Luger's back! Duggan followed that up with some right hands to back Luger into the corner, but Luger fought back with a pair of boots and some punches of his own before he attempted to slam Duggan's head into the turnbuckle pads, but Duggan blocked it! Duggan elbowed Luger in the face and drove Luger face first into the turnbuckle - One, Two, Three, Four, FIVE times as the fans chanted along!
HOOOOOOOO! Duggan cried out as Luger was left staggered and Duggan took Luger down to the mat with a big right hand! Luger rolled out of the ring to regroup, getting met by Luna who screamed a "pep talk" at her "beauty" while Duggan lead the crowd in a U-S-A chant as he marched around in the ring. Heenan didn't let the fact that both of these guys are US citizens go unnoticed as Luger re-entered the ring.
Lex walked right back into the attack from Hacksaw, who would continue to show some fire in the ring as he sent Luger into the ropes and took him down with a hiptoss. Jim Duggan didn't let up, dropping an elbow drop down onto Luger's chest before climbing up and going for another, but Luger rolled out of the way for the second one! That misstep allowed Luger to gain some momentum as he looked to keep the patriotic powerhouse from getting back to his feet, stomping away at Duggan and then placing Duggan throat first across the middle ring rope and forcing his weight down into a choke hold on Duggan.
The referee stepped in and broke up the choke after a five count, but Luna Vachon moved in...and BIT DUGGAN ON THE NOSE! Heenan joked about how Duggan was going to need to get a rabies shot now. Vachon smiled sadistically as Duggan staggered to his feet, holding his nose in pain as Luger charged in to take him right back down to the mat with a clothesline. Luger went for the pin but only got a two count before continuing on the attack. He would work Duggan over in the corner with some punches and kicks before attempting to Irish Whip him into the opposite corner, but Duggan reversed it! Luger collided with the opposite turnbuckles and stumbled out right into a charging clothesline from Duggan!
Duggan was fired up once again as he stomped around the ring and got down into a Three Point Stance! Luger got to his feet as Duggan ran in full force, but Luger telegraped it with a BACK DROP to Duggan! Luger dropped down, locking Duggan in a chinlock to slow the pace down even more than it already was...but Duggan was refusing to give up, and the crowd began to rally behind him as he fought his way to his feet and used a pair of back elbows to break free! Another clothesline from Duggan took Luger to the mat and Hacksaw once again assumed the Three Point Stance position!
Luger got to his feet as Duggan charged in with a full force Three Point Stance Shoulder Tackle to take Luger to the mat! Duggan was ready to perform the Old Glory Knee Drop, but Luna climbed the apron! Duggan took his eyes off the ball as he confronted Luna, demanding she get down while the referee did the same...
Meanwhile, Luger began to get to his feet and REMOVED HIS ELBOWPAD! Luger tossed it to the mat as Duggan turned around and ran into an unprotected BIONIC FOREARM from Luger! With Jim Duggan now knocked out flat on his back from the unprotected steel plated forearm shot, Luna grinned and got down off the apron. Luger pulled Duggan's unconcious body to the middle of the ring and dropped down to make the cover....
But wait...it was TATANKA RUNNING OUT FROM THE BACK! "What's he doing here, this isn't his business!" Heenan cried out.
As Luger was making the pin, Tatanka got the referere's attention - pointing to the elbow pad on the mat! The referee investigated as Luger protested in the ring, demanding the referee make the count...but instead the referee took the elbow pad and noticed Duggan was knocked completely out, lifting up his arm and letting it drop to the mat for proof...and CALLED FOR THE BELL!
Luna was livid at ringside as Tatanka backed up the aisle. The ring announcer made the official call - Lex Luger had been DISQUALIFIED!!
Winner: Jim Duggan by disqualification at 8:49
"Sweet, sweet revenge" Randy Savage declared as the tables had now been turned on Luger.
He may have cost Tatanka his undefeated record and the Intercontinental Title Shot - but tonight, Tatanka had gotten a measure of revenge by costing Luger a spot in the King of the Ring Tournament!
Vince McMahon touted it as an unbelievable turn of event that Lex Luger would not be in the King of the Ring, but as we headed to commercials and the camera focused in on the outraged Luger...we could bet this one was far from over. |
Sweet revenge, indeed. There would be no crown in Luger's future while Tatanka and Jim Duggan would be set to meet in the Quarterfinals of the King of the Ring tournament.
The next quarterfinal to highlight takes us back to WrestleMania where Doink the Clown had defeated Crush with a case of "seeing double" as a second Doink had shown up to assist him in picking up the victory. Following WrestleMania, Doink would continue to utilize this tactic, picking up a win over "El Matador" Tito Santana with a roll up after a distraction from the Doink Double.
His opponent, Crush, was not fairing well following the loss at WrestleMania. In matches after WrestleMania, he could be seen acting paranoid during his matches. Even when he was still able to pull off a win, he was still constantly looking over his shoulder toward the entrance or checking under the ring... constantly worrying if there was another Doink hiding somewhere.
What was going on with Crush? Well, let's let Doink explain.
As we came back from the commercial break, a pre-recorded video aired that took us inside of an actual funhouse full of mirrors. Doink the Clown walked into the shot - sending his own reflection to a multitude of mirrors on the screen, filling up our TVs with nothing but Doinks.
Doink the Clown:
Hahahahahaha, WELCOME to my FUNHOUSE! And how much FUN did we all have at WrestleMania?!
Poor, poor, pitiful Crush - actually thought he was going to be able to get revenge one me! How'd that work out for ya?! Hahahahaha! You see Crush, you never now what you're gonna get when you mess with a clown! And you should be scared because the fun is just beginning! You see, one of the most common fears in this world is called Coulrophobia, or for you uneducated buffoons like Crush out there...that means the fear of clowns!
And Crush, you should be scared! Because at WrestleMania in Vegas, I pulled out a David Copperfield like illusion...coming at you with not one but TWO Doinks. But, what you have to ask yourself is this...what else am I capable of?
Where else could I be? NEVER stop looking over your shoulder Crush because you never know where one...or more...Doinks could be hiding! Hahahahahaha!
A puff of smoke overtook the funhouse, blinding our view of any of the Doinks on screen, and as the smoke cleared - the mirrors were all now empty as Doink was nowhere to be seen as we faded back to the in-ring action. |
The next few weeks would see Doink continue to torment Crush with mind games during his matches, such as playing carnival music during the match... but never actually appearing despite Crush's paranoia.
But with King of the Ring looming, Doink had to take a break from the tormenting and took on Bob Backlund in a qualifying match. Backlund, a former WWF Champion who made his return to the WWF after an 8 year absense with the goal of one last run and ultimately make his way back to the WWF Championship. After a setting the record for longest time in the Royal Rumble in January, Backlund had a disappointing loss to Razor Ramon at WrestleMania. Unfortunately, this would be another set back on Backlund's return tour, as Doink would pick up the win thanks to interference from his doppleganger, securing Doink a spot in the King of the Ring Quarterfinals.
Doink's opponent in the tournament was set to be decided in a qualifying match between Mr. Perfect and Kamala.
Unfortunately, however, the day of the qualifer, Mr. Perfect was attacked in the parking lot (as we saw earlier in the Shawn Michaels/Marty Jannetty chapter) and taken to a local medical facility. So what did that mean for the qualifying match?
King of the Ring Qualifying Match: Kamala vs. Mr. Perfect?
As Kamala made his way down to the ring, the big question on the minds of McMahon, Heenan, and Savage - was this even going to be a match? Vince had already stated Mr. Perfect had been sent to a medical facility following his mysterious parking lot assault. And we had just found out the winner of this match would get Doink the Clown at King of the Ring...so would Kamal just get a pass?
Kamala waited in the ring as...CRUSH MADE HIS WAY OUT FROM THE BACK!
As the announce booth wondered if this meant what they thought it mean, Crush wasted no time rushing to the ring and going straight for Kamala. Vince McMahon would quickly receive word that Crush, having found out the winner of this match would face Doink at King of the Ring, requested with Jack Tunney to be allowed to replace Mr. Perfect...and well, here we are.
Crush was a man on a mission - a man who wanted retribution from his WrestleMania loss, and he quickly overwhelmed Kamala with an onslaught of rights and lefts - displaying an abdunance of energy to start the match off. Crush may have gotten a little too full of himself however when he attempted a Chokeslam, only for Kamala to shake his head - nope! Kamala battled back against Crush, soon sending the Hawaiin into the corner. Kamala charged in with a body Avalanche, but Crush moved and Kamala crashed hard into the turnbuckles. Crush bounced off the ropes - BIG BOOT to Kamala and the big man went down! Kamala tried to sit up to his knees, but Crush met him with the KONA CLUTCH! Just like that, Kamala was trapped in the submission and it wasn't long before Kamala was tapping out!
Winner: Crush at 2:56
With something to prove tonight, Crush came out and won in impressive fashion and now has his much desired rematch with Doink the Clown. Can he get past Doink's mind games and find a path to victory? |
Crush looks to tackle his fear head on now and perhaps rectify his loss at WrestleMania at the same time as he looks to become the "Kona King." However, Doink's games weren't over. He was proud of Crush for trying to face his fear. But fear is a fickle thing, he said. And it may go away briefly... but it always comes back. He promised that he would have more than one trick up his sleeve at King of the Ring.
And in the final quarterfinal match, we first have "The Bad Guy" Razor Ramon. Continuing his momentum from his WrestleMania win against Bob Backlund, Ramon would actually become the first to qualify (well besides Bret Hart who received the automatic qualifier), picking up a win over "El Matador" Tito Santana.
So then who would be the one who draws "The Bad Guy" in the quarterfinals? The qualifying match to determine that was set to be Jerry "The King" Lawler and a man we met in the Tag Titles chapter, Mr. Hughes, the hired bodyguard of Money Inc.
Now, Jerry Lawler had joined the WWF in December as part of a working relationship between WWF and Lawler's United States Wrestling Association. However, he had only been part of the announce team on Superstars. It wasn't until after WrestleMania that he decided to make his in-ring debut. However, things didn't go quite according to plan when he looked to make that debut.
Jerry "The King" Lawler royally sauntered down the aisle only to be met by loud boos from the New York fans. The fans began to loudly chant "Burger King" at Lawler, which was not setting well with the so-called "King." Lawler climbed into the ring and removed his royal cape and crown, setting them at ringside.
But Lawler was visibly upset at the reaction from the crowd as the chants continued. Instead of starting the match, Lawler asked for the microphone.
Jerry Lawler:
Really? Really - this is how you people treat a KING? You are in the presence of royal - SHOW SOME RESPECT!
Lawler paused, giving the crowd a chance...nope, instead it's just more "BURGER KING BURGER KING!"
Jerry Lawler:
You imbecilic idiots need to shut up, bow down, and kiss my feet!
Lawler stopped again, waiting for the bows but only got more boos.
Jerry Lawler:
I guess this is what I should've expected from a bunch of no good yankees. You people have no shame. And THIS is the place I'm suppose to make my big television in-ring debut? Well let me tell you people something - IT'S NOT HAPPENING! You people don't deserve my presence. You don't deserve the right to watch me perform. If I'm going to wrestle it's going to be for people deserving of a King - not these idiots.
Lawler tossed the microphone down before collecting his crown and heading up the aisle from whence he came, much to the delight of the crowd. |
This song and dance would happen a couple more times, with Lawler coming out and acting as if he was going to wrestle, only to get insulted by the fans and leave. After three weeks of avoiding competing, his insults to the New York audience drew the ire of the Brooklyn Brawler of all people, setting up Lawler's actual first match.
Jerry Lawler made his way out first to another loud chant of "BURGER KING" from the crowd. Lawler ignored the 'peons' in the audience as he entered the ring and disrobed, placing his crown at ringside. Brooklyn Brawler received a rousing ovation from the New York crowd, the crowd clearly behind their 'hometown hero' who had just last week literally knocked Lawler on his butt. But the ever coniving Lawler was still looking for ways to NOT wrestle as he took the microphone pre-match.
Jerry Lawler:
I'm going to give you one more chance to save your own hyde her, pal. You can either get your insignificant butt kicked and get embarrassed in front of your fellow degenerate yankees, then go cryin' home to your fat, disgusting wife - OR you can save yourself the trouble and kneel before your King and KISS MY FOOT. The choice is yours!
Brawler smirked as he looked to the crowd for suggestions - but obviously they were encouraging him to kick some royal ass.
Brooklyn Brawler:
Ya know somethin', maybe your right.
The crowd's cheers began to turn to boos.
Brooklyn Brawler:
I do gotta family I gotta provide for, ya know. What good am I laid up on a hospital bed? Sometimes ya just gotta suck up ya pride.
Brawler dropped down to a knee as the crowd continued to boo.
Jerry Lawler:
Haha, I knew when push comes to shove, you damn yankees are nothin' but a bunch of yella bellied cowards! You're makin' the right choice, now KISS MY BOOT!
Brawler nodded as he got down and began to bring his lips towards Lawler's boot...but at the last moment he came up with an UPPERCUT to Lawler, knocking the King back on his bottom once again!
The Brooklyn Brawler vs. Jerry "The King" Lawler
The crowd lit up as Brawler was not kissing any boots right now, instead he was now PUTTING THE BOOTS to the King as he stomped away on the King as the match officially was under way. King tried to get to his feet but the Brawler was ALL over him, pummeling Lawler and soon took the King down with a swinging neckbreaker! Brawler went for the pin - ONE - TWO- KICKOUT by The King.
Brawler pulled King back to his feet as Lawler tried to scurry away to the ropes, but Brawler followed him in, cornering Lawler and slammed his head repeatedly into the turnbuckle as the fans counted along! At five, Brawler backed off as Lawler stumbled out of the corner and walked into a boot from The Brawler. The Brawler set the King up for vertical suplex, but Lawler fought it off with a couple of punches before taking Brawler to the mat with an arm drag.
The Brawler was quick back to his feet and charged at Lawler only to be met with a back body drop! Now that he had shaken off the initial offense from Brawler's surprise attack, Lawler was firmly in control but began to mouth off to the fans as he worked over Brawler. "Look at your hero now!" Lawler laughed as he pulled Brawler up and began to set him up for his Piledriver, but Brawler used a double leg takedown to escape and then went for a surprise pin - One, Two, Th - KICKOUT!
The crowd rallying behind him, Brawler sent Lawler back into the corner again and set him up for a superplex, but Lawler fought him off and shoved him off the middle ropes! Brawler landed on his back and Lawler then came off the middle turnbuckle with his Diving Fistdrop! Lawler, not giving Brawler another chance to rally with his home field advantage, decided to go ahead and finish his opponent off with the Piledriver. Lawler made the cover - ONE, TWO, THREE!
Winner - Jerry Lawler at 5:39
After the bell rang, Lawler wasn't done yet. He had promised that Brooklyn Brawler would kiss his foot tonight, and he was not about to live down that promise. While Brawler was out cold on the mat, he knelt down on one knee and grabbed a handful of Brawler's hair and manually placed Brawler's lips on his boot while the crowd serenaded him with a chorus of boos.
Raw came to a close with The King standing tall in the ring.
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So with Lawler officially getting his feet wet in the WWF ring, picking up a victory... now would The King look for... another crown?
King of the Ring Qualifier
Jerry "The King" Lawler vs. Mr. Hughes (w/Ted DiBiase & Irwin R. Schyster)
Jerry Lawler made his way out to the usual spirited "BURGER KING" chant from the Manhattan Center fans, much to the disgust of the self proclaimed "King." Getting just as much of a negative reaction was the Money Inc trio of Ted DiBiase, Irwin R. Schyster, and Mr. Hughes as they slowly made their way down to the ring as well. In his hand, DiBiase held the ominous steel briefcase with a big smirk on his face. The trio entered the ring and stood opposite of Lawler. The referee looked ready to start the match, but DiBiase instead asked for the microphone.
Ted DiBiase:
Mr. Jerry Lawler, what an honor it is to be in your prescense!
The crowd booed as DiBiase didn't give off his trademark evil laugh, suggesting sincerity in his voice for once. Lawler nodded his head in approval.
Ted DiBiase:
Don't just stand there, you two - you are in the midst of true wrestling royalty! Bow to the man!
DiBiase looked to Mr. Hughes and IRS. Hughes scowled, and shook his head while IRS was quick to oblidge, dropping to a one kneed bowing salute to Lawler.
Ted DiBiase:
You'll have to excuse my "Problem Solver," he takes his job seriously...which is what I pay him for, so we'll let it slide.
While Lawler seemed to enjoy the pleasantries, was starting to get a bit annoyed as he walked over to confront DiBiase and also get access to the microphone.
Jerry Lawler:
C'mon DiBiase, cut to the chase.
Ted DiBiase:
My, my, my - impatient are we? Fair enough. While Mr. Hughes here is certainly looking forward to getting his hands dirty tonight, I thought I'd look to hedge Money Inc's bets for King of the Ring.
DiBiase lifted up the steel briefcase for all to see, especially Jerry Lawler.
Ted DiBiase:
Inside this briefcase is $10,000! Mr. Lawler...correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe you already are....The King...are you not?
Jerry Lawler:
Of course, I am The King!
Ted DiBiase:
So what is this tournament even all about? Why would Jerry Lawler need to compete in a tournament to win something he ALREADY has? Better yet - why compete in a tournament to win something he already has when he could pick up a free $10,000 instead? Hahahaha!
The crowd's booing instensified as Lawler began to mull over the proposition DiBiase was laying out.
Jerry Lawler:
You people need to shut up, I'm tryin' to think!
This of course did nothing but stir the corwd up into another frenzied "BURGER KING!" chant.
Jerry Lawler:
You're all just jealous - there's more money in that briefcase than most of you have ever made in your life! Now, obviously I didn't become King by being idiots like all these yankees...and you are absolutely right - I already am THE KING! And whether I win, lose, or draw tonight won't change that. And I'd have to be an even bigger idiot to walk away from $10,000 free buckaroos! So, DiBiase, I'll have my cake and eat it to - The King accepts your offer!
Lawler and DiBiase shake hands as DiBiase lets out his evil laughter. The crowd booed as Lawler took the steel briefcase and headed back up the ramp.
Vince McMahon:
This is disgusting! DiBiase just bought Mr. Hughes a spot in the King of the Ring Quarterfinals!
Bobby Heenan:
I don't know, seems like just a good business deal to me.
DiBiase took Mr. Hughes by the arm and lifted it up in "victory" while Hughes remained stoic and emotionless. Like it or not, Mr. Hughes was heading to the King of the Ring Pay-Per-View. |
So with that act of bribery, Mr. Hughes became the fifth qualifying entrant to the King of The Ring and would have a spot at the Pay-Per-View in four weeks time.
With "The Bad Guy" now set to face Hughes in the Quarterfinals, it didn't stop Ted DiBiase from trying to strike up a deal with Ramon. The reason? Razor Ramon had a feature match on WWF Superstars against Scott Steiner. DiBiase decided to offer some extra "spending money" for Ramon if he "took care of business" against one half of DiBiase's opponent at King of the Ring. Ramon indicated that he wasn't the type of man DiBiase could just "buy" - but if he planned on winning the match anyway, why not pick up some extra "dinero" on the side. It appeared Ramon and DiBiase had a deal.
Scott Steiner vs. Razor Ramon
A rare singles match for one of the Steiner Brothers, and Scott was clearly looking to show that he could do it on his own as he even requested Rick to not accompany him to the ring to keep things 100% on the up and up. Which Lawler thought was dumb since you never know what Ted DiBiase was up to our what price he was going to pay to try and weaken up the Steiners before KOTR, as Ramon had been seen accepting some type of offer from DiBiase last week on Raw. Savage pointed out that Lawler was one to know about taking one of DiBiase's bribes - alluding to Lawler's forfeiting of his KOTR qualifying match.
After Steiner had entered first, Ramon casually entered the ring and removed his chains and vest before turning his attention to the younger of the two Steiner Brothers. The two circled each other before Ramon slicked his hair back and then flicked a toothpick right at Steiner! Steiner charged in with a collar an elbow tie up, wasting no more time. Ramon surprisingly got the upperhand of the wrestling exchange early on, driving his shoulder into Steiner's multiple times before Steiner fought back, pulling Ramon into a headlock. Ramon would shove Steiner off into the ropes only for Scott to come back with a shoulder block to take Ramon to the ground.
Ramon sat up on a knee, smirking at Scott as Steiner motioned for Ramon to get back up. Ramon slicked his hair back once again and the two came in for another collar and elbow but instead Ramon met him with a boot to the midsection before pulling Steiner into a wrist lock. Scott began trying to escape, but the taller Ramon applied more pressure before adding a little insult with a few slaps to the back of Steiner's head. This succeeded in only pissing Steiner off, as he fought his way up and broke the hold with a hard right hand to the side of Ramon's head and then took Razor to the mat with a side belly to back suplex!
Steiner took control, sending Ramon into the ropes and then taking him down to the mat with a tilt-a-whirl slam. Steiner went for the pin: One - Two - Shoulder up by Ramon! Ramon tried to get back up only to have Steiner clobber him with a forearm to the back and Steiner then locked a Full Nelson submission in on Ramon. The referee checked in on Ramon who was struggling but his height advantage over Steiner was keeping Scott from applying full pressure on the submission and Ramon was soon able to charge backwards and slam Steiner into the turnbuckles to break up the hold. Razor charged in looking for a clothesline, but Steiner moved and sent Ramon into the corner instead! Steiner took Ramon by the head and slammed his head repeatedly into the turnbuckles. A dazed Ramon staggered around the ring until Steiner hooked him fro a back suplex, but Ramon flipped over and landed on his feet!
Steiner turned around only to be scooped by Ramon - FALL AWAY SLAM! Ramon crawled over and made the cover: One - Two - KICKOUT by Steiner! Ramon waited as Steiner pulled himself up before charging in with a huge clothesline to Steiner. As Ramon was back in control, Ted DiBiase, Irwin R. Shyster, and Mr. Hughes walked out from the back and began watching the match with a vested interest from the top of the aisle. Ramon paid them no mind as he continud to work over Steiner with boots, keeping Scott from getting back up to his feet. Razor then set up Steiner for the Razor's Edge, but Steiner countered with a backdrop! Steiner was firing back up...The Bad Guy got up to his feet only to have Steiner lay him out with a Steinerline!
Ramon staggered back to his feet once again and Steiner met him with a pair of fists before sending him into the ropes and then catching him off the ropes with an overhead BELLY TO BELLY SUPLEX! Steiner rolled over and went for the pin, hooking the leg...
ONE - TWO - THRE...SHOULDER UP by Ramon!
Steiner sat up on his knees, and noticed Money Inc. watching on from the entrance. He had a few choice words for his rivals before he pulled Ramon back up and sent him into the corner. He began to set up Ramon for a Frankensteiner, but Ramon fought him off with some right hands before jumping off the second rope with a diving bulldog to Steiner! The Bad Guy made the pin: One - Two - Three! No! Kickout by Scott! Ramon grabbed Steiner and pulled him back to his feet, grabbing him by the throat for a Chokeslam, but Steiner blocked it with a pair of back elbows! A boot to the midsection doubled Razor over so that Steiner could lay him out with a spinning Double Underhook Powerbomb!
This could be it!
But before Steiner could make the cover, DiBiase was on the apron to distract the referee and Steiner! Steiner confronted DiBiase as IRS slid in a steel briefcase to the ring to Ramon! Ramon got to his feet and noticed the briefcase...but KICKED IT AWAY out of the ring! Steiner meanwhile laid out DiBiase with a stiff right hand - sending DiBiase off the apron. But Steiner turned around into a waiting Ramon who gave him a boot to the midsection before lifting him up...
RAZOR'S EDGE!
Ramon dropped down and made the cover: ONE - TWO - THREE!
Winner: Razor Ramon at 9:58
As the commentary team wondered if he had earned his payment, Razor Ramon celebrated his victory as Money Inc. watched on - not looking too impressed at Ramon despite the fact that he did just beat their rival. |
Having defeated Steiner, Razor Ramon would be looking to collect on the payment from DiBiase and he would do so the next week on WWF Superstars leading into King of the Ring after Money Inc had successfully defeated the team of Mike Bell and Tony DeVito in a non-title match.
Afer the match, Ted DiBiase asked for the microphone.
Ted DiBiase:
All in a day's work! That was just TOO easy...but IRS, you still managed to work up quiet the sweat! How about, since we made such short work of our opponents tonight, we stick around a little longer and maybe give one of these slum dwellers in the crowd a chance to earn some cold, hard cash!
Irwin R. Schyster:
I could use some refreshening, absolutely.
Ted DiBiase:
Ha Ha Ha! Alright then - who hear wants to earn a quick $100 to clean the sweat off IRS's brow!
From the ring, DiBiase looked around ringside as many fans were very eager to grab $100 bucks for something even if it was not the most sanitary...
"Bad Boy" began blaring through the Manhattan Center speakers...bringing out "The Bad Guy" Razor Ramon from the back! Ramon walked down from the back with a mixed reaction that favored more cheers than boos as he climbed into the ring.
Ted DiBiase:
Razor Ramon! Looking to earn yourself some easy money? Ha ha ha!
Razor Ramon:
Million Dollar Mang...you know why Razor Ramon is out here right now and it ain't for no hundred dinero, chico.
Ted DiBiase:
Right, you think you held up your end of the bargain to our little agreement last week, huh?
Razor Ramaon:
Last I checked, mang - I laid Scott Steiner falt on his back - Uno....dos....tres! You wanted him laid out and I did the job, mang. So time for you to pay up.
Ted DiBiase:
You're right about one thing. Yeah, you won the match. But....yes, there is absolutely a BUT. The deal was I needed to see Scott Steiner OUT OF ACTION! You won the match but Steiner was able to stand up and leave the ring on his own! That's not takin' care of business, Razor.
The look on Razor's face suggested he wasn't pleased by DiBiase's explanation, while Mr. Hughes began to rub his hands together in the background, looking eager for some action.
Ted DiBiase:
Not so fast, Ramon. I consider myself an understanding, man. So I'm still willing to pay you...but not for what you FAILED to do last week against Steiner...but...hear me out now, I will make it even better...I'll up the payment to $10,000...
Razor grinned as he how rubbed his hands together, enjoying the thought of all that dinero.
Razor Ramon:
Now that...I do like da sound of that.
Ted DiBiase:
Ha ha ha! I knew we could work something out, Ramon! And it's reeeaaaaaaallly simple! You see, in the Quarterfinals of the King of the Ring Tournament, you are matched up with my very own, personal Problem Solver - Mr. Hughes. And much like I told Jerry Lawler, Mr. Hughes would have NO PROBLEM getting his hands dirty himself, but Money Inc. would love to add that King of the Ring crown to our list of gold....so as the business man I am, I am all about making a deal to get there. So, Mr. Ramon, for 10-grand - all you gotta do is not show up on Sunday, June 6th in Ohio! Ha ha ha ha!
The grin on Ramon's face quickly went away.
Razor Ramon:
Hold up, chico. You askin' Da Bad Guy to throw a match? You askin' Da Bad Guy to forfeit?
Ted DiBiase:
Consider it an investment! Look at at this way Ramon, your career is young and bright! The sky is the limit for you! This King of the Ring tournament is just the first of many opportunities for you...why not get more money now when you obviously are going to have PLENTY of accolades in your career...whaddaya say - we got a deal?
DiBiase extended his hand, hoping for a similar answer as Jerry Lawler had given him when he bought Mr. Hughes' way into the quarterfinals to begin with. Razor looked down at DiBiase's hand and began to shake his head...
Razor Ramon:
NO DEAL!
With his emphatic response, Ramon headed out of the ring while DiBiase was clearly not pleased with Ramon's decision.
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Despite Ramon turning down the offer to throw the Quarterfinal match, DiBiase remainded convinced that there's a magic number in there somewhere that he can convince Razor to give up his shot at the King of the Ring in favor of the almighty dinero. In an interview with Boni Blackstone on Raw, DiBiase upped his original offer from $10,000 to $20,000... all Ramon had to do was hand the win over to Mr. Hughes. However, Ramon's answer would be the same. He told DiBiase he can take his 10-thousand... 20-thousand... or even 30 or 40-thousand... and STICK IT! Because at King of the the Ring, he was leaving with the crown.
But DiBiase lives by the motto that EVERYBODY HAS A PRICE - and he hadn't found Ramon's yet, but in 24 hours... he promised to find it. The Million Dollar Man does not give up on a deal.
