I've been a fan of professional wrestling, particularly the World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment, for almost as long as I've been alive.The story of my fandom is actually pretty specific, and lends itself easily enough to telling, but it's a story for another time. I came to love professional wrestling during its "Golden Age" in the '80s, but my favorite period in the sport's long history spans nearly a year, from the summer of 1991 through the spring of 1992.
That breaks down to Summerslam '91 to Wrestlemania VIII, and the story of my favorite year begins with what may be my favorite wrestling pay-per-view ever, Summerslam 1991.
Sure, I was awed by Wrestlemania III in '87, thrilled to the formation of the Mega-Powers in '88 and fretted upon their dissolution in '89. I called the hotlines and read the newspaper columns (back when the local papers had columns on wrestling) with fervor when Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior marched forward to their date with destiny in 1990, and worried in tandem over Desert Storm and its in-ring counterpart, when the Hulkster defended America's honor against Iraqi turncoat Sgt. Slaughter (a development which doubly hurt me, as I was also a big G.I. Joe fan) in 1991. Every old-school Federation fan remembers what happened at Wrestlemania VII, when Hogan overcame Slaughter's treachery to become champion for a third time, only to be attacked after the event with a fireball to the face courtesy of Slaughter. But the aftermath kept me enthralled, an aftermath which led to Summerslam 1991.
The World Wrestling Federation's roster during that '91-'92 period read like a Hall of Fame all its own, a who's who of classic stars giving way to the young guns who would one day become legends in their own right. From the top down, larger than life characters like Hulk Hogan, the Ultimate Warrior, the Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase and Macho Man Randy Savage mingled with up and comers like Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels. Top talent from other promotions continued to migrate to the Federation, such as the Legion of Doom, Sid Vicious, and in a major coup, Ric Flair--whose arrival was teased at Summerslam '91 in an amusing backstage scene.
The Summerslam 1991 card might have seemed a bit uneven at the time, but in hindsight, that mix of talent is what elevates it, because for the most part, they were all at the top of their game that August night at Madison Square Garden. Headlining the show was an unorthodox double main event billed as the "Match Made in Heaven," the wedding of Macho Man Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth, and the "Match Made in Hell," a handicap tag match teaming Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior against Sgt. Slaughter, Colonel Mustafa (best known as the Iron Sheik), and General Adnan.
The biggest buzz around the handicap match concerned its special guest referee. Sid Vicious, going by Sid Justice at the time, had just arrived in the WWF. Much was made of how he would call the match and which side he'd take. He called the match down the middle, though in the end, he and Hogan befriended each other after Hogan ripped off his shirt and made him pose in the middle of the ring for everyone to watch. Now that match is talked about because it's the last time anyone saw Warrior in the Federation for months. According to Vince McMahon and Hulk Hogan (as documented in the "Self-Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior" DVD), a last-minute pay dispute nearly derailed the match. Warrior allegedly demanded more money else he'd no-show the match. Vince agreed to his demands, paid him, and then fired him immediately after the match ended.
The event started strong with a six-man tag team match. The face side of the match was in itself a dream team: Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, Davey Boy Smith and "The Texas Tornado" Kerry Von Erich. The three of them went to battle against the "Doctor of Style" Slick's team of the Warlord and Power & Glory (a tag team composed of Paul Roma and Hercules).
The six-man tag was a great way to start the event, showcasing the speed and agility of the Dragon, the explosive offense of the Tornado, and the sheer power of Davey Boy Smith against a surprisingly solid Roma and Hercules. The Warlord managed to get over as well, manhandling and menacing the Dragon. But like all six-man tag matches, this one ultimately dissolved into chaos as all six men charged into the ring by the end. Steamboat took advantage of the confusion and hit his spectacular flying bodypress to cover Paul Roma for the three-count. Watching that match now, I'm able to appreciate even more the storytelling involved and the way the old pros built a great dramatic work in four corners.
Possibly the most unusual match in the event that didn't involve Warrior was the Jailhouse Match between the Big Boss Man and the Mountie. The Boss Man's gimmick was that of a Cobb County, Georgia corrections officer, inspired by his real life experience as a Cobb County, Georgia corrections officer. The Mountie's gimmick--well, self-explanatory. It's a compliment to Jacques Rougeau that he could make such a goofy gimmick work for as long as he did (which was admittedly not long without retooling as one half of the Quebecers).
Being a fight to decide who was the true law and order in the WWF, in as much as an organization allowing people to be attacked by cobras had a code of law, the condition of this match was that the loser had to spend a night in a New York City jail. Of course, such an indignity is reserved for the villain, and the Mountie was carted off following his defeat. Vignettes spread throughout the rest of the event revealed the rough treatment and sexual harassment he suffered at the hands of his arresting officers and fellow inmates.
There were a couple of matches I didn't care much about. The Bushwackers battled the Natural Disasters for the honor of their friend Andre the Giant, who'd suffered a knee injury at the hands of the Disasters after refusing to sign with manager Jimmy Hart. Andre was in their corner during the match, but the lovably ugly New Zealanders couldn't beat two guys whose combined weight was over half a ton. Super-heavyweights tend to bore me, and despite the always entertaining John Tenta heeling it up as Earthquake, I was glad when Luke got squished for the three. The other match was Irwin R. Schyster (Mike Rotundo making the most out of a baffling gimmick as an evil tax collector) versus Greg "The Hammer" Valentine--a technically sound and enjoyable match to be sure, but quite late in the card and really only there to put Schyster over against the veteran Valentine.
There were three title matches featured on the card. The Legion of Doom, Hawk and Animal, challenged Jimmy Hart's Nasty Boys, Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags, for the tag team championship in a no disqualification match commissioned by WWF President Jack Tunney. Yes, the WWF had a president. He was wooden, largely ineffectual and used primarily as a deus ex machina. Until recently, Linda McMahon performed that function in her sporadic on-screen appearances. As for the title match, I remember it being much less violent as I had hoped. Anything was supposed to go, but the referee got involved way too much. I remember commentators Gorilla Monsoon, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan and Rowdy Roddy Piper remarking that any of those guys could have decked the official and gotten away with it. I certainly would have. Ultimately, that didn't happen, but the Legion of Doom pulled ahead to win after using Jimmy Hart's motorcycle helmet as a weapon. That win made them the first, and to this day the only tag team to win gold in every major wrestling organization of its day: the NWA, AWA, and WWF at the time. Wrestling scholars still rank the LoD, or Road Warriors near or at the top of their respective best team ever lists.
Another title match featured the "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase putting up his Million Dollar Championship belt in a rematch against his former bodyguard and freed slave Virgil. (Virgil's first attempt for it, at Wrestlemania VII, was somewhat unsuccessful as he only won by count-out, allowing DiBiase to retain the belt.)DiBiase was a veteran, and in my opinion, one of the greatest heels of all time. His gimmick was perfect--he was a representation of Vince McMahon's dark side before McMahon decided to act it out himself, but DiBiase added volume to it, a mania and boisterousness, along with terrific ring presence. Virgil (née Mike Jones), well, he was able to keep up.
Ted DiBiase is one of those pros who can make anyone look great. Virgil, while not horrible, and certainly capable on his own, shined alongside DiBiase. Add Sensational Sherri's interference and a fired-up Piper at the broadcast table (it was he who helped Virgil rediscover his self-respect), and you had one of the most dramatic matches of the night, ending when Virgil managed to get to his feet before the referee counted ten as both men were down.
The remaining championship bout was actually the second match on the card. In fact, that second match on the card has the distinction of being my favorite match of all time, featuring two of the greatest in the history of the sport: one at his peak, the other at the start of a legendary solo run. The Intercontinental Champion Mr. Perfect defended his title against the Bret "the Hitman" Hart.
Both were prodigious second-generation stars. "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig was the son of Larry "the Axe" Hennig, a star in the Minnesota-based American Wrestling Association. The name was self-explanatory, as his gimmick presented him as the perfect athlete. He had the ring talent and microphone skills to carry far his boasts, and he even rode a year-long undefeated streak all the way to a title feud against WWF Champion Hulk Hogan.
Bret Hart, meanwhile, was the son of legendary wrestler/promoter Stu Hart, who not only ran Calgary's storied Stampede Wrestling organization, but also trained a staggering roster of wrestling talent, including not only Bret and his brothers, but also Greg "The Hammer" Valentine, Davey Boy Smith, and Jushin "Thunder" Liger, among other noteworthy names. Bret made a name for himself in Stampede, then joined the WWF in 1984. Teaming with his brother-in-law Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart, Bret became one of the most prominent tag team performers of the era. The "Hart Foundation" feuded with the likes of Demolition, the Rockers, and the British Bulldogs (both of the Bulldogs were Bret's brothers-in-law) and twice won the WWF Tag Team Championships. The Foundation split after Wrestlemania VII, and Bret was fast tracked as the top contender for Perfect's Intercontinental title.
The stage was set for a highly technical contest, and it started off that way, with both men exchanging collar and elbow lock-ups, headlocks and arm drags. Bret scored a few near falls. A couple of times, they exchanged hair pulls as well. Chops were thrown and caught to the chest and the face. Bret teased his Sharpshooter leglock early in the match, and the two stars engaged in furious displays of countering. Perfect tried to leave the ring in order to lose on a count-out (which would allow him to retain the title), but Bret followed him and threw him back into the ring.
The match became increasingly physical as it progressed. Both men threw each other all over the ring and even into the ringside barricade. Perfect's manager, the Coach, also got involved--as managers generally did, and still do. While Bret allowed himself to be briefly distracted by Coach, he still kept his sights focused on Perfect, even kicking out of his fisherman's suplex finisher, the Perfectplex. Ultimately, he was able to reverse a Perfect legdrop and lock Hennig into his Sharpshooter, forcing the champ to submit. I won't lie, I went pretty nuts the first time I watched that match. My brother and I loudly cheered the Hitman in our living room. Ever since, that match has been my favorite, standing the test of time whenever I watch it. It's not just a testament to the talent of both men, but a wrestling clinic, a master class in match building.
I think that match is most of the reason I still love Summerslam '91 as much as I do, but it was a really good event altogether, something I pull out of the vault whenever I can. And it was just the start of my favorite year.
(Because I love you all so much for reading this, here's a special surprise: watch Summerslam '91 here!)
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