Sage Cortez
This Tuesday in Texas
It’s finally time for THIS TUESDAY IN TEXAS, which is a review being written neither on Tuesday nor in Texas. This show was sold mostly on the Jake Roberts/Randy Savage beef, plus there was the rematch of Hulk Hogan and the Undertaker. I also find the matches interesting in terms of which wrestlers they didn’t use. No use of LOD and no use of Roddy Piper are particularly interesting things to me. They also had a smaller time window. This was also an attempt to see whether or not PPV could do business on Tuesday nights. It didn’t, and they tried it again 13 years later for some reason. It didn’t then either.
– December 3rd, 1991, from Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio, Texas
To open the show, they aired the Undertaker and Paul Bearer’s promo that closed Survivor Series. Smart move given that people may have turned Survivor Series off after the last match.
Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan are our commentators once more, and hopefully they’ll be better during this show than the last.
Skinner vs. Bret Hart for the WWF Intercontinental Championship
Pre-Match Thoughts: This is a decent way to start the show I suppose, with Bret Hart being a FIGHTING CHAMPION and all of that. Skinner was older, may not be able to be carried, but that’s just fine. I’m a little tired of there being so many tag team matches one after the other, so a singles bout sounds perfect to me. Skinner got a jobber entrance. Bret gave his glasses to some teenage girl and she totally freaked out. Can see why he got over so easily.
Match Review: Bret locks up with Skinner and arm drags him twice, then holds the left arm for a bit. Skinner tries a leapfrog, but Bret atomic drops him, follows with an inverted one, and knocks him out of the ring with a clothesline. When he gets back in there, Bret goes back to the arm. Skinner makes the ropes, and the guys trade hammerlocks. Bret headbutts him to knock him down, and follows with a kick to the gut. Skinner comes back and throws Bret hard into the post, and stomps on Bret for a while afterward. Bret crawls back into the ring, and Skinner puts him in an abdominal stretch while holding the ropes. Skinner breaks the hold and uses a shoulder-breaker for 2, but eats a boot on a rush to the corner. Bret heads up to the second rope and comes down with an elbow drop, but it misses. Skinner spits some chew into a can, which is a distraction for him to hit Bret with an ALLIGATOR CLAW. He chokes Bret with the ropes, his boots, and really whatever he can. Skinner throws Bret hard into the corner, which is a bump that never ceases to be impressive. After more choking, a thumb to the throat, and an INVERTED DDT, Skinner covers for 2. Skinner heads up to the second rope, and comes down with a big nothing because Bret gets his boot up. Bret goes to work now, hitting Skinner with a back elbow. He follows with a Russian leg sweep for 2, and suplexes Skinner as well to get 2 again. Bret hits Skinner with a backbreaker, and there’s the elbow from the second rope for 2. Skinner cradles Bret up for 2, and gets kicked out of the ring in the process. Bret follows and gets rammed into the apron, then Skinner tries to suplex him back into the ring, only for Bret to block that. Skinner elbows Bret instead, and decides to go up top. Bret slams him down, slaps the SHARPSHOOTER on him, and picks up the submission at 13:46.
My Thoughts: This match was a nice way to start the show, and effective at getting Bret over. I wonder how or why Skinner was chosen, and who really knows the answer to that. This was a bit above the standard house show quality, so **1/2. Nothing to write home about, but the show started well as a result of this. This is one of the last of Bret’s random IC title defenses I can remember, even though he did win the title again.
Jake Roberts vs. Randy Savage
Pre-Match Thoughts: This is a match I didn’t see for years, and one I’ve been looking forward to seeing again for some time. Great angle and great programs tend to do that to me. Roberts is interviewed before the match, and is not allowed to have a reptile in his corner. This is one of his best promos, talking about how it made him feel to see Elizabeth there during the snake bite. Mooney is kind of in awe of this promo. Roberts also talked about Jack Tunney, and said that he’s been taught well how to cheat. Wonder what he means by that, you know. Trust me. Savage’s response to this is amazing on every level. The sunglasses flip is the absolute best.
Match Review: Savage decides to attack during Jake’s entrance, and sends him into the steps! He chokes Roberts, throws him into the ring, and works him over with punches for a little bit. Savage hits Roberts with a back elbow, then heads up top for a double axehandle. Roberts teases leaving, but gets attacked in the aisle and beaten up a bit. Jake goes a little low, then throws him over the top with Savage hitting the rail as a result. Roberts slithers to the outside for some reason, and it was to post Savage. Right on the spot where he was bitten! Roberts keeps wrapping the arm around the post, until Savage finally gets back in there. Roberts goes to the eyes, and follows with an inverted atomic drop. He knee drops the arm for a while, and starts tearing at the bandage. Into the buckle goes Savage, and he comes back with an elbow to the face. Roberts goes for the short clothesline, but Savage elbows him. Now the referee moves out of the way, and Roberts blocks a charge to the corner. Strange match, this one. Short clothesline is then hit by Roberts, and he signals for the DDT. Instead, Savage drives him back into the corner, and heads up top as Roberts sells his ribs. FLYING ELBOW, and that’s a victory for Randy Savage after 6:25!
The fans encourage Savage to drop another elbow on this guy, and someone in the front row looks a lot like Arn Anderson. Given the lack of reaction, maybe it is! Savage has a chair, then kicks the agent who takes it away from him. Now he has the bell! That’s a good callback. The referee grabs the bell, so Jake drops Savage with a DDT. Jake gets up and plants Savage with a second, and he teases the idea that he’ll be leaving. He does leave the ring, but the further away he walks…the more he smiles. Of course he’s coming back. He said that there was no snake in the corner, but looks under the ring for a little black bag. Why, what could be in that? Out comes Elizabeth, which seems like a mistake on her part. Roberts keeps messing with Savage, as she tells Roberts to leave Savage alone. Roberts keeps teasing bringing something out of the bag, but instead, he waits for Savage to get up again and DDT’S HIM AGAIN. Roberts grabs the bag again, a torments Elizabeth even still with it. He unties it, puts on the snake handler’s glove…and he wants Elizabeth to beg. This is going a little too long. Eventually he grabs Elizabeth to a massive chorus of boos, and SLAPS HER. IS THIS SUPPOSED TO BE FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT OR WHAT? Even Heenan had to say Roberts went over the edge. At the very end, Roberts says there was never anything in the bag.
My Thoughts: Savage needed to go over super strong, with this being his first match after being reinstated. He did go over strong, basically. Driving Roberts back to the corner and dropping the big elbow on him is as good as it gets. As a match, it was **1/4. They kept things moving and didn’t do anything ridiculous. Obviously that’s because they needed to leave something in the tank for the end. Five star angle, and with Savage’s insecurity, I’m shocked he went through with it. I guess maybe he was just an asshole. In any case, you won’t find any better that got people heated over their product. Maybe they went too far, but it was compelling television.
Gene Okerlund is with Jake Roberts, and Roberts says he’s cool with making someone beg. That he’ll slap anyone. Roberts said he should have had to pay to be able to slap Elizabeth. Wow, he really went there. That’s ice cold. He wants Elizabeth to come back so he can touch her again. What a sick dick.
The Warlord (w/Harvey Wippleman) vs. The British Bulldog
Pre-Match Thoughts: This feud seemed never-ending, and I don’t quite understand why. A PPV feud all the way from WrestleMania to Survivor Series was very unusual in those days. Even the Hogan/Savage feud got cooled off. I guess Warlord/Bulldog must go in that pantheon of feuds, a true classic that should be preserved and watched over and over again.
Match Review: Warlord and Bulldog take some time to start, and shove each other when they do. Time for a test of strength, but Warlord kicks Bulldog instead. Bulldog shoves Warlord to the canvas, then headbutts him down low. Why is that allowed? Warlord comes back with turnbuckle shots, but Davey clotheslines him a few times and sends him over the top. Bulldog follows with a plancha, but Warlord catches him and rams his back into the post. Bulldog goes back to the turnbuckle shots on his way in, then leaps off the top with a missile dropkick! Bulldog clotheslines Warlord into the ropes again, and charges at him only to miss and crotch himself on the top rope. Warlord backdrops Bulldog, then takes him to the corner for more kicks and punches. He puts a bear hug on Bulldog, and turns that into a belly to belly suplex that gets 2. Bulldog tries a piledriver, but Warlord backdrops him. Bulldog tries to hold on with a sunset flip, but Warlord falls on top for 2 and follows with a clothesline. He locks in the FULL NELSON on Bulldog, then eventually throws Bulldog to the canvas after a very long time. Bulldog blocks a charge to the corner, then clotheslines Warlord from the second rope. Bulldog follows that with a delayed vertical suplex. which gets 2. Bulldog clotheslines Warlord in the corner and goes for the RUNNING POWERSLAM, but Warlord falls on top for 2. Bulldog then puts a crucifix on Warlord, and picks up the pin after 12:45.
My Thoughts: This was a perfectly fine match until the unbearably long full nelson that took me all the way out of it. It’s too bad because the match was going really well. Oh well, this probably wasn’t supposed to be any good in the first place. Why do you think it was put in this spot? **. They worked hard otherwise, with the plancha and stuff.
Sean Mooney is in the back, and he’s with the Macho Man, who tells him to shut up. He’s angry about Elizabeth being degraded. He hits himself, says it’s his fault and all that stuff, and claws a scratch mark into his forehead. GREAT PROMO, BROTHER.
Repo Man & Ted DiBiase (Million Dollar Champion, w/Sensational Sherri) vs. El Matador & Virgil
Pre-Match Thoughts: This match actually sounds pretty good. Four good workers here and only one that’s not so good in Virgil. Darsow was still figuring out this Repo Man gimmick, it’s one of my favorites. The tattoo is the only way you could tell that Smash turned into the Repo Man. With this being the match before the main event, it appears they were taking the approach of knowing they had to get the crowd heated back up. This could do the trick.
Match Review: Santana and Repo Man lock up, and Monsoon calls Darsow fat. I can tell this is going to be interesting. Santana puts a hammerlock on him, but he elbows his way out. Santana then arm drags him, and hits him with a series of punches to send Repo Man pinballing back and forth between he and Virgil. Repo Man and Santana then block each others hip tosses, until a point where Santana tosses him over the top. Repo sneaks in another way, but gets clotheslined. DiBiase tags in for the first time, and so does Virgil. DiBiase clobbers Virgil for a while, but Virgil comes back with a sunset flip for 2. He follows that with an atomic drop, and over the top goes DiBiase. DiBiase quickly crawls back in, and Virgil clotheslines him back over the top! Santana throws DiBiase back in, and Virgil misses a charge to the corner. Repo Man gets back in there, and slams Virgil to the canvas. He chokes the poor guy for a bit, and DiBiase gets a turn too. DiBiase follows with a clothesline, and makes an illegal switch with his partner, who continues the good work with stomps and the like. DiBiase makes a legal tag in, and gutwrench suplexes Virgil for 2. Virgil comes back with a swinging neckbreaker, and makes the big tag! Santana works Repo Man over, hitting him with a heavy back elbow. Dropkicks follow that, and he calls for the FLYING FOREARM, which he hits. He knocks DiBiase off the apron too, and DiBiase trips him as he runs the ropes. Repo Man clotheslines Santana over the top, and DiBiase sends Santana into the steps. Repo Man covers Santana for 2 after a kick, then DiBiase hits him with a double axehandle from the second rope. Virgil almost makes a tag in, but the referee didn’t see it. So, DiBiase and Repo Man double slam Santana, then Santana and Repo Man clothesline each other. Both guys make tags, and Virgil hits both opponents with clotheslines. He Russian leg sweeps DiBiase for 2, and all four guys start fighting. DiBiase holds Virgil in place for a SHOE SHOT from Sherri, who hits DiBiase on accident! Now Virgil grabs Sherri, and Repo Man knees Virgil from behind. DiBiase covers, and picks up the victory at 11:28.
My Thoughts: This was a really fun match, I had a good time watching it. They absolutely did get the crowd back into the show, and they were HOT. DiBiase did a load of the work, and given that he did a great job, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. *** for the best match on the show, and there’s no way the main event will top that. Also, it’s clear to see that Virgil was going to become a hell of a lot less important with these jobs he had been doing.
Hulk Hogan vs. The Undertaker (w/Paul Bearer) for the WWF Championship
Pre-Match Thoughts: I know for a fact this is better than the previous match between these two as I’ve seen it before. However, at the late hour I’m watching it, I’m not exactly excited or anything of the sort. Hogan looks so different off the roids as compared to on them. It’s funny that he actually talked about losing to the Undertaker. Hogan asking what Taker would do when he buries him sounded interesting to me too. Jack Tunney is at ringside as well, as he said he would be.
Match Review: The match starts with Bearer and Taker putting the stomps on Hogan, but Hogan gives them a noggin-knocker to stop it. Hogan clotheslines Taker in the corner, and works him over with some punches. Hogan gives Taker an inverted atomic drop, but Taker SITS RIGHT BACK UP. Hogan hits Taker with a clothesline, but they’re working this zombie thing hard. Taker blocks a bodyslam, but the second attempt works. Hogan clotheslines Taker over the top, but he lands on his feet as usual. Hogan and Taker fight as Taker’s on the apron, then Taker pulls him to the outside for some big shots. Taker puts a choke on Hogan, and rolls his eyes in the back of his head as best he can. In the ring, he does the same stuff. Hogan picks him up and drives him into the corner, but eats a knee on a charge to the other corner. Taker takes Hogan to the corner for OLD SCHOOL, and why not call it that? Hogan now pulls Taker to the outside, and they brawl on the floor until Hogan gets posted HARD. Taker throws him back in the ring, and applies a claw to Hogan’s face like a smother. This hold is applied for just about forever too. Hogan gets out of it, then Undertaker trips and nearly takes his own head off due to a slack rope. Hogan runs into Taker’s boot, and Taker follows with a big flying clothesline that gets 2. Taker goes for another old school, but this time Hogan slams him down from the top! The crowd is absolutely on fire, and here comes RIC FLAIR! Flair and Tunney get into an argument, as Hogan HULKS UP. He hits Taker with a clothesline to send him over the top and into the rail, and Hogan walks over to Flair. He hits Flair with a chair, knocking down Tunney in the process! Into the ring they go, and Hogan hits Taker with a running elbow. A chop doesn’t knock Taker down, and now Flair is on the apron with a chair. Hogan runs Taker head first into the chair, clotheslines Flair off the apron, and hits Taker with the big boot. Taker hits Hogan in the throat, and wants to hit Hogan with the urn. Instead, Bearer hits Taker, and Hogan POURS THE ASHES OUT OF THE URN. WHAT A SCUM. Flair wakes Tunney up right in time to see what’s going on, and Hogan throws the ashes into Taker’s face. Hogan rolls Taker up, and becomes WWF CHAMPION AGAIN AT 13:09!
Hogan then hits Taker with the title belt for good measure, and that knocks him over the top and out to the floor to end the show!
My Thoughts: This wasn’t a good match, but the crowd was hot for the whole thing and popped REALLY loud for the finish. I thought it was very well done in fact. The overbooking definitely had a place here and enhanced the events of the match a great deal. It was also a lot better than Survivor Series despite not being a good match. Was also the right way to do things in terms of holding the title up. I don’t know who came up with these ideas, but whoever did came up with a good job. Hogan at this point without the steroids and motivation was very bad. *3/4.
The way this was presented, with Jack Tunney talking to the referee as they went off the air, was the only real way to go about it. I wonder if the coffee grounds thrown into Taker’s face tasted good. In any case, this show was about two things only. Getting to the point of holding up the WWF Championship, and pushing the Roberts/Savage feud so hard that people would get out to house shows. Both things were a success, therefore the show was a success. It’s that simple. The WWF had even more going on before the Royal Rumble, but before that, I’ll be reviewing WCW matches up to Starrcade as well as Starrcade. Getting close to 1992!
Wrestling Time: 57:33. This show was quite literally entrances, matches, four promos, and the Roberts/Elizabeth slap angle on a 90 minute show. They packed it in.
Best: Jake Roberts vs. Randy Savage post-match. Not even in question. As good as you’ll find.
Worst: British Bulldog vs. The Warlord. I say this because the match meant nothing.
Card Rating: 6.5/10. That’s about what you get for a card like this, with nothing spectacular wrestling wise and two hot angles.
