WWF UK Rampage ’91

April 24, 1991

From the Docklands Arena in London, England

Your hosts are Vince McMahon and Roddy Piper

Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart vs. The Warlord

Funny moment as Phillips introduced Neidhart but Warlord came out first. They trade power stuff then Neidhart actually knocks Warlord through the ropes as the fans cheer. Neidhart doesnt fall for Warlord’s cheap shot during a test-of-strength attempt and hits a falling headbutt. Warlord fights back and clotheslines Neidhart outside. Warlord targets the back as the fans get behind Neidhart. Warlord puts on a bearhug then breaks up a sunset flip attempt. Neidhart fights back but eats boot on a charge as Warlord covers for two. Warlord now uses a chinlock then boots Neidhart down after he escaped. Warlord goes back to the chinlock but then ducks his head for a back drop and gets his face slammed off of the mat as both men are down. Neidhart fights off Warlord and takes him down with a clothesline that gets two. Neidhart lands mounted punches in the corner then hits a double axe handle for a two count. Neidhart attempts a splash but Warlord gets his knees up but misses a corner charge as Neidhart uses a rollup for the win (13:31) 1/2*. The crowd pops as Vince hails this as an upset.

Thoughts: The crowd was jacked for this, likely because they got to see WWF stars for the first time, but the match was horrendous. Warlord was gassed halfway through the match and Neidhart is not the person who can carry a singles match. They also played this off as an upset despite being pushed as a huge giant its clear the company never saw much in Warlord.

Gene Okerlund welcomes Ted DiBiase & Sensational Sherri to the interview platform. Sherri’s dress colors match DiBiase’s suit. DiBiase says they are an unstoppable machine that will go straight to the top and no matter where they are he has the most money. DiBiase then wants Roddy Piper to take a hard look at his match against Texas Tornado because he will take him down.

“Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase w/ Sensational Sherri vs. Texas Tornado

We get a clean break from DiBiase, which surprises the announcers. DiBiase then cheap shots Tornado and ducks between the ropes to avoid Tornado. DiBiase lands another cheap shot as he continues to play mind games. However, Tornado follows him outside and hammers away. DiBiase is rolled inside where Tornado blocks a turnbuckle smash and hits ten of his own. Tornado gets a nearfall with a rollup before sending DiBiase over the top rope with an atomic drop. DiBiase returns but only to get clotheslined back outside. Tornado then uses a double noggin-knocker as Piper continues to insult Sherri, even asking her to “pull her top up.” Tornado slingshots DiBiase back inside but gets tripped up by Sherri as DiBiase finally takes control. DiBiase hammers away then tosses Tornado outside where Sherri shoves him into the post. Back inside, DiBiase gets two with a back elbow smash. Tornado manages to get a sunset flip for two but DiBiase is able to go back on the attack. DiBiase blocks a discus punch and chokes Tornado out against the ropes. Sherri chokes out Tornado as the ref’s back is turned then DiBiase stomps away. DiBiase points over at Piper after hitting a suplex then covers for two as Vince reminds Piper of his contractual obligations as an announcer. DiBiase uses a chinlock as Sherri slides inside to scream and bang on the mat as Piper screams about hitting a woman who slaps him, like Sherri did to Tornado. Piper also calls Sherri a “he-she” while Vince claims she weighs 180 lbs. DiBiase maintains control while Sherri continues to distract the ref. DiBiase tries a falling back elbow drop from the top but misses then Tornado hammers away. DiBiase escapes from the claw with an eye rake then Tornado hits a pair of clotheslines. Sherri trips up Tornado again then Tornado heads out and chases her away but ends up getting clotheslined by DiBiase. They brawl in the aisle then Sherri rakes Tornado’s back to prevent him from going inside and DiBiase is able to slip back in and win via count out (14:05) *1/2. Tornado gets a bit of revenge at the end as DiBiase & Sherri bail.

Thoughts: Piper absolutely ripped on Sherri throughout the match. If this happened today imagine the outrage it would cause on social media? Anyway, the match itself was not too good as Tornado was practically a liability at this point. Also, despite being in its infancy, there does not appear to be any sort of natural chemistry between DiBiase and Sherri.

Okerlund is with Haku, who speaks in Tongan about his match tonight against Greg Valentine. Okerlund wants him to speak English then Haku finally does and says he will take out his opponent. After that, we are shown Valentine coming out to the interview platform. Valentine said he does not know about martial arts but Haku will find out that its “Hammer Time” in England and will experience the figure four leg lock.

Greg “The Hammer” Valentine vs. Haku

We get a shoving match to start then Valentine hits an atomic drop. Haku bails then returns as they trade chops in the corner. Haku catches Valentine with a thrust kick then stomps away. Haku hits a backbreaker for a two count then uses a reverse chinlock. Valentine tries to escape but Haku puts him back in the hold. Haku then hits a back suplex for two but Valentine blocks a turnbuckle smash and hits ten of his own. Valentine misses an elbow drop as Haku hammers away. Valentine fights back and softens up the leg but Haku uses an eye rake to prevent a figure four. Valentine then slams Haku and drops and elbow before trying the figure four but ends up getting kicked into the corner. Haku ducks his head for a back drop but Valentine comes back with a sunset flip for the win (8:41) **. Haku attacks Valentine after the match but that ends up failing.

Thoughts: Decent enough match. They are building up Valentine as a lower card face and Haku was going to be spending more time in Japan so him getting the loss made sense I suppose.

Okerlund is with The Rockers. Marty looks like he hadn’t slept at all. The Rockers promise to win. Marty himself admitted in interviews that he was miserable in this time period and constantly drinking. The Orient Express & Mr. Fuji come out to the interview platform as Fuji says The Rockers will end up crying over the torture they will experience.

The Orient Express w/ Mr. Fuji vs. The Rockers

Fuji whacks Marty with the cane before the bell then bails with his team as Vince screams how its not fair to allow Fuji at ringside. Ring announcer Mel Phillips then tells us The Rockers are going to head backstage and come back with a surprise and return with Andre the Giant. Kato runs over Shawn twice then they work an Irish whip sequence where Shawn takes control. The match breaks down with The Rockers clearing the ring. Things calm down then The Rockers work over Tanaka. Vince tells us that the winners of the match could get a shot at the Tag Team Titles. Marty works the arm of Kato now then avoids a charge as Kato knocks down his own partner. Marty gets a two count with a dropkick then Kato and Shawn work an awesome reversal sequence ending with Shawn using an arm drag. The crowd is really into the Rockers then Tanaka yanks Shawn’s hair from the apron as The Orient Express take control of the match. Shawn tries to make a tag but The Orient Express distract the ref and maintain control by switching in and out. Shawn gets out of a chinlock and unlike MSG, correctly hits the spot were he drops Kato across the top rope from his shoulders. Tanaka runs in for a distraction then Shawn hits a double clothesline before tagging out. Marty runs wild then Fuji trips him up with his cane. Andre sees that and grabs Fuji from behind before clobbering him with his fist then the cane. Andre then whacks Kato with the cane and The Rockers hit a double flying fist drop for the win (15:46) ***.

Thoughts: While not their best match, both teams still put on the best performance of the night. Shawn is clearly being portrayed as the star of the team and had a great showing, especially when in there with Kato. Fun match as now it seems that The Rockers might get a title shot.

Okerlund is now with Hulk Hogan, who says its great to be in the U.K. Hogan then goes back to 1984 when Hulkamania was born then talks about being the first person to capture the title three times. Hogan then says it doesnt matter if Slaughter uses hand-to-hand combat or an artillery because he will get destroyed by Hulkamania. After that, Okerlund speaks with Andre the Giant. Andre is glad he came over and will be watching Mr. Fuji throughout the entire UK tour. Okerlund called this a “homecoming of sorts” for Andre. Next, Okerlund brings out the Brooklyn Brawler, who hates the dirty people of England. Then Jim Neidhart comes in to talk about his win against The Warlord and going off on his own as a singles act. The Warlord comes in to interrupt and accuses Neidhart of cheating but gets decked then the two start fighting as a wicker chair is used. Okay, the fighting over the chair looked hilarious.

The Barbarian vs. “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka

Piper tells us about Brooklyn and says it “sucks” in response to Brawler’s comments about England. Barbarian & Snuka teamed up for the SWS/WWF WrestleFest show a few weeks prior. Snuka does not back down and tries to trade strength with Barbarian. Vince then tells us that British Bulldog’s dog Winston has a cousin that we will see later on in the show. Snuka takes control and knocks Barbarian outside. Barbarian returns but bails after getting chopped down. This time the Barbarian returns and boots Snuka over the top rope as we get a slo-mo replay. Barbarian heads out to pick up Snuka and ram him into the post. Barbarian takes Snuka back inside and gets a few nearfalls. Barbarian targets Snuka’s back and gets another nearfall with a side slam before applying a bearhug. Snuka is able to keep his arm up after the third raise but Piper still thinks the ref should stop the match. Snuka escapes with a headbutt then the lights go out as we get spotlights on the wrestlers. Barbarian rakes the eyes but misses an elbow drop from the middle rope after a lot of stalling. Both men are down then Snuka covers and almost gets the win. Snuka follows with a clothesline that gets two then chops away in the corner. Barbarian rolls through a pin and grabs the tight but Snuka kicks out. Barbarian uses Snuka’s momentum to toss him outside then knocks him off of the apron. Snuka then fights back from the apron and slingshots in with a sunset flip but Barbarian blocks that and grabs the ropes. However, the ref kicks Barbarian’s hands off then Snuka reverses and gets the win (15:56) *1/2.

Thoughts: Not terrible but way too long for a Snuka match in 1991. Neither guy was involved in anything so it was tough to get too invested. The finish was weak though as this has not been a night of decisive finishes.

The Berzerker w/ Mr. Fuji vs. British Bulldog

The fans go crazy for Bulldog. Berzerker blocks a hip toss and hits an uranage but Bulldog pops back up. Bulldog hits a dropkick but Berzerker just wags his finger and gets on all fours to yell “huss.” Both men are on all fours now and Berzerker uses a few headbutts. Berzerker backs Bulldog into the corner then catches him with a big boot. Berzerker then drops a knee as the crowd chants for Bulldog. Berzerker misses a leg drop but manages to take Bulldog down with a crawling headbutt. He uses a few more headbutts before taunting the crowd. Berzerker targets the neck then hits a few chops but Bulldog ducks an attack. Bulldog then knocks Berzerker over the top rope as the crowd goes nuts. Bulldog tries a slam in the ring but Berzerker falls on top and gets two. Berzerker cranks the neck then drops him for a slam that gets two. Berzerker once again goes back to the neck as the crowd is rallying behind Bulldog. Berzerker whiffs on a clothesline but catches Bulldog with a big boot then does his taunts. Berzerker stays in control as Bulldog is bleeding from his nose. Bulldog is kicked outside then heads inside where Berzerker ties him up in the ropes. Berzerker hits a big boot but Bulldog escapes on a second attempt as Berzerker dumps outside. Berzerker is able to head back in and toss Bulldog outside where Fuji uses his cane. Berzerker rolls Bulldog back in and uses a bearhug. Berzerker then spikes Bulldog with a piledriver but instead of covering decides to taunt the fans. Berzerker tries a splash from the middle rope but misses as Bulldog gets up and clotheslines Berkzerker ouside. Berzerker hits the guardrail then comes back in as Bulldog runs wild. Bulldog gets a nearfall with a vertical suplex but eats boot on a charge. Berzerker charges but misses then Bulldog picks him up on the rebound and hits a running powerslam for the win (16:03) **1/2. The crowd erupts for the finish.

Thoughts: Bulldog was clearly the most performer on the show. The crowd energy was electric here and it ended up enhancing the match. Bulldog looked really good here too and Berzerker held up his end of the match just fine.

Okerlund is with Jake Roberts, who says he has failed many tests in his life but always got up and tried again. Then, Okerlund is on the interview platform with Earthquake and asks him about Damien. Earthquake he is warning Jake to not bring Damien anywhere near the ring and claims not to be afraid of anything, including snakes.

Earthquake vs. Jake “The Snake” Roberts

Earthquake refuses to enter the ring until Jake puts Damien underneath the ring. Jake puts Damien underneath the ring but gets attacked. Earthquake ducks his head and is hit with a knee lift as Jake now has Earthquake chase him around. Jake lands some shots and gets Earthquake down to one knee. Jake signals for the DDT but Earthquake hooked his arm on the ropes. Earthquake follows Jake outside but misses a charge and runs into the post. Jake rolls himself inside then takes Earthquake down with a short-arm clothesline. Earthquake is able to take down Jake and works over the knee. Jake tries to fight back but is knee gives out trying a slam as Earthquake regains control. Earthquake works over the knee and yells at Jake to give up. Earthquake drops an elbow for two as he only covered with one hand. Earthquake sets up for his splash but Jake is able to roll himself outside. Earthquake heads out and grabs the snake bag and puts it in the middle of the ring as Vince yells that he will squash the snake. Jake trips up Earthquake during a splash attempt then takes Damien out of the bag and uses it to chase Earthquake away as the bell rings, with Earthquake winning via DQ (11:11) **. The announcers are confused as to why Jake is DQ’ed then Jake chases the ref away with Damien.

Thoughts: The match itself was fine as they stuck to a basic formula but the finish sucked. Notice how they almost had Earthquake squash Damien and remember that Earthquake and Jake face off again on Superstars in just five days after this aired.

Okerlund brings Sgt. Slaughter & Gen. Adnan to the interview platform. Adnan yells in Arabic as a piece of trash flies over his head. Slaughter translates and says all of the pukeamaniacs should be standing attention for their new leader, Sgt. Slaughter.

WWF World Heavyweight Title Match: Sgt. Slaughter w/ Gen. Adnan vs. Hulk Hogan (c)

Slaughter & Adnan attack Hogan before the bell but end up getting hit with a double noggin knocker. Hogan tosses Slaughter outside then goes out and raises up the British flag and uses it to choke out Slaughter then Adnan. They head back inside where Slaughter bumps like a madman. Hogan ducks his head for a back drop and gets kicked in the face as Slaughter takes control. Hogan is knocked outside then Slaughter distracts the ref so Adnan can land some cheap shots. Slaughter grinds and tears at the burn on Hogan’s forehead then tosses him out to inflict more punishment. Slaughter hits a backbreaker but wants to cause more pain instead of covering and heads up top where Hogan slams him off. Hogan is in pain too then misses an elbow drop as both men are down. Slaughter uses an abdominal stretch and grabs on to the ropes. Hogan reverses but Slaughter yanks him down and stomps away. Slaughter then applies the Camel’s Clutch but Hogan escapes and fights back. They trade eye rakes as Slaughter wins that battle. Slaughter heads up top after some stomps and hits a knee drop but Hogan kicks out then hulks up. Hogan fires away and hits the big boot then grabs a headlock and punches Slaughter until he is shoved into the ref. Adnan hands Slaughter a chair as Hogan is trying to pull himself up. Slaughter hits the ref but misses Hogan. Slaughter swings again but the chair hits the ropes and spills outside. Hogan then hits a big boot but Adnan is on the apron. Hogan chokes out Adnan and is attacked from behind. Adnan pulls out salt but Hogan ducks and it hits Slaughter then Hogan uses a leg drop for the win (16:01) **1/2. The show closes with Hogan posing for the fans.

Thoughts: Besides the finish this was wrestled the same as their match in MSG just two days prior. I thought this match was slower paced and more sluggish than their MSG bout. I didn’t mind the finish though as it protected Slaughter enough to run the match again.

Final Thoughts: This crowd was awesome and the tour ended up being successful. As an overall show it wasn’t that great and there really isnt anything I recommend you go out of your way to see unless you’re that curious to see how over Bulldog was with the crowd.

Here is my schedule for the next several days:

Friday: WWF Superstars of Wrestling 4/27/91

Saturday: Mid-South Wrestling 7/14/83

Sunday: WWF Saturday Night’s Main Event 4/27/91

Monday: WWF Wrestling Challenge 4/28/91

Tuesday: WWF Superstars of Wrestling 5/4/91

Wednesday: WWF Wrestling Challenge 5/5/91

Thursday: WWF Superstars of Wrestling 5/11/91