WWF Madison Square Garden – January 31st, 1992

January 31, 1992

From Madison Square Garden in New York City, NY

Your hosts are Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan

Texas Tornado vs. “The Model” Rick Martel

Tornado hugs fans at ringside before entering the ring. He looks like he hadn’t slept the night prior. Tornado and Martel keep playing to the fans as Tornado is cheered while Martel booed. The announcers talk about “Saturday Night’s Main Event” and the Hogan & Justice vs. Flair & Undertaker match. Martel takes Tornado down then heads out and taunts the fans. Martel heads back in then Tornado goes out to talk to the fans but is attacked from behind by Martel. Back inside, Tornado uses a back drop and a slam to take control. Martel bails after being taken down with a pair of arm drags then Tornado slingshots him back into the ring. Tornado works the arm for a bit until he eats boot on a charge. Martel then runs into a boot and Tornado fights back with a few clotheslines. Tornado fires away in the corner until the ref intervenes then Martel grabs his Arrogance. Tornado takes it away but Martel takes him down and puts his feet on the ropes for the win (9:39) 1/2*. After the match, Tornado chases Martel backstage with the Arrogance.

Thoughts: Bad match but Tornado was struggling with his demons and barely over a week after this show he was arrested for forging prescriptions then charged with falsifying his address and phone number on the police report. And putting over Martel around the house show circuit shows how Tornado’s stock is at its worst since joining the WWF.

“Superfly” Jimmy Snuka vs. Shawn Michaels

Snuka fires away to start then whips Shawn into the corner and kicks him outside as Shawn flew in the air for that one. Shawn runs away after slapping Snuka then returns and is put in a side headlock. Snuka chops down Shawn a few times then Shawn retreats into the corner before rolling outside. Shawn returns but Snuka takes him down with an arm drag. Snuka works the arm on the mat until Shawn runs him outside. Shawn heads out and fires away as Heenan likes the new Shawn, even predicting he will have gold soon in the WWF. Back inside, Shawn hits a jumping back elbow smash for a two count then uses a chinlock. Snuka escapes then runs into a knee smash and after that Shawn targets the back. Snuka fights back and uses ten chops in the corner then gets a nearfall with a crossbody. Snuka gets knocked outside with a high knee then Shawn suplexes him back inside before using a teardrop suplex for the win (12:17) *1/2.

Thoughts: Shawn tried but this match dragged and no one bought Snuka as a threat to win. This match is also listed under the WWE Network’s “Hidden Gem” collection.

The Mountie vs. Sid Justice

Gorilla mentions Sid being pissed that WWF President Jack Tunney named Hulk Hogan the #1 contender to face Ric Flair at WrestleMania. Before the match, Mountie tells Sid that this is his jurisdiction but Sid kicks his ass and hits a chokeslam. Sid beats on Mountie outside of the ring then tosses him around when they get back inside. Sid ducks his head for a back drop then Mountie slams his head off the mat. Mountie lands some shots in the corner but Sid then hits a piledriver but Sid gets on all fours then on his knees as he stares down Mountie. Sid then boots Mountie before finishing him off with a powerbomb (4:26) *.

Thoughts: On commentary they put over Sid’s anger over not getting a title shot. It was pretty much a squash match win for him.

Warlord w/ Harvey Whippleman vs. Hercules

Warlord shoves Hercules into the corner after a lockup. Warlord then uses a side headlock knocks Hercules down as Hercules bails. Hercules returns and suckers Warlord into a test-of-strength and hits him low. Hercules then grounds Warlord and tries to knock him down but fails and gets clotheslined then Warlord hits a running powerslam for the win (5:39) DUD.

Thoughts: Hercules clearly doesn’t give a fuck anymore and its just sad to watch. He really did not serve any purpose with the company and that even more evident on next month’s MSG show. The Warlord, despite his size and look, just did not have what it took to get higher on the card. He lacked charisma and Whippleman is not enhancing his act. Terrible match and it was like I was watching these two in slow motion.

Nasty Boys vs. Hacksaw Jim Duggan & Sgt. Slaughter

Duggan beats on Sags in the corner then hits an atomic drop. Knobbs runs in and also gets hit with an atomic drop then Duggan & Slaughter play ping-pong with Knobbs. Slaughter tags in and beats on Sags until he is run into the corner. Slaughter is knocked outside where Knobbs runs him into the post. The Nasty Boys beat on Slaughter as he is on the apron. Back inside, Knobbs misses a corner splash but Sags runs interference and Slaughter is illegally double-teamed in the corner. Sags now works a chinlock as the announcers talk about the WrestleMania VIII main event and SNME. Slaughter fights back in the corner then makes the tag as Duggan fires away on the Nasty Boys. Duggan is dropped outside then the Nasty Boys knock Slaughter outside as Duggan sneaks around and grabs his board to whack Knobbs from behind as Knobbs had a chair. Slaughter then runs Sags into the post and rolls inside and gets the countout win (10:26) 1/4*.

Thoughts: Terrible match and an even worse finish. This feud was not getting any traction on TV and its hard to believe that the Nasty Boys were champions five months prior. The Slaughter & Duggan team has been a flop.

Lord Alfred Hayes is backstage with The Undertaker & Paul Bearer. He asks them about their match tonight against Bret Hart as they tell Bret he lost his championship and now he will lose much more as he’ll find out that Bearer is the “Mortician of Excellence.”

Lord Alfred is now with Randy Savage and says Jake Roberts made some nasty remarks about him earlier in the show. Savage said Elizabeth is here and its his decision whether or not she comes out. Savage tells Jake he is not like Shakespeare and that he can beat him up and protect Elizabeth.

Kato vs. Chris Walker

Gorilla mentions Kato as still being in the Orient Express and under Mr. Fuji. Kato works a side headlock as the announcers hype up SNME. Kato hits a slam but Walker comes back with a hip toss then a slam after an Irish whip sequence. Kato bails after Walker hits him with a dropkick then he heads back inside where Walker works the arm. Walker knocks Kato down but mistimes ducking a leapfrog as Kato lands on Walker’s neck. Kato then catches Walker with a backbreaker for a two count. Kato stays in control and uses a reverse chinlock as Heenan refers to this as the “Sushi Clutch” as opposed to a Camel’s Clutch. We get some boring chants from the crowd then Kato drops an elbow and taunts the crowd before going back to the chinlock. Kato misses an elbow drop then Walker fires away until he eats boot on a charge in the corner. Kato uses a jackknife cover for two then things get messy. Walker clotheslines Kato for two but ends up getting tossed outside soon after that. Walker fights back from the apron though and rams Kato’s head off of the turnbuckle before climbing up and hitting a flying body press for the win (9:44) *1/4.

Thoughts: Both guys struggled to get on the same page and it resulted in a sloppy match. Walker could do some athletic stuff but its transitions were rough. Walker was like a more athletic, less charismatic version of Jim Powers.

Bret “The Hitman” Hart vs. The Undertaker w/ Paul Bearer

Undertaker attacks Bret as he was distracted by Bearer. Bret avoids a charge in the corner then hits an inverted atomic drop and a clothesline before dropkicking Undertaker over the top rope. Undertaker lands on his feet right next to the announcers but Bret wipes him out with a pescado. Undertaker fights back then rolls Bret back into the ring. Undertaker now grabs Bret by the hair then backs off the referee. Undertaker drops Bret after a lifting chokehold as we see Bearer laughing on the outside. Bret fights back in the corner until Undertaker reverses an Irish whip into the corner. Undertaker draws powers from the urn as Bearer declares this match over. Undertaker hits his ropewalk attack for a nearfall. Flying clothesline gets two then Undertaker uses a claw. Bret gets up and hammers away until Undertaker hits a throat thrust. Undertaker tries another ropewalk attack but Bret yanks him off. Undertaker sits up and slowly heads towards Bret but Bret hits an inverted atomic drop then a Russian leg sweep that gets two. Suplex gets two as the crowd is behind Bret. Bearer gets up on the apron to distract the ref as Bret hits a flying clothesline. Bret grabs Bearer with the ref in between them then Undertaker nails Bret in the kidneys. Bret is able to turn Undertaker over for the sharpshooter then Bret breaks and tries to wake up the ref but Undertaker hits him from behind with the urn then hits him again and covers for the win (12:21) **1/2.

Thoughts: Easily the best thing on the show. The match was really slow at points, due to Undertaker character, but it had heat. With The Undertaker one of the five finalists named to face Flair at WrestleMania he needed the win and Bret was able to be protected in defeat.

Repo Man vs. Virgil

This match was also shown on the 5/11 edition of Prime Time. Rematch from the December ’91 show as this feud is continuing. Repo Man attacks Virgil from behind after faking him out as Heenan says Virgil is as dumb as he looks. Repo Man hammers away before tossing Virgil outside. Virgil then crawls underneath the ring as Repo Man is confused then Virgil sneaks in from behind with a rollup that gets two. Virgil follows with a pair of atomic drops then a dropkick that gets two. Virgil works the arm but Repo Man cheap shots him in the corner. Virgil is able to go back to working the arm but ducks his head and gets decked. Virgil then eats boot in the corner and after that Repo Man hits a back suplex. Repo Man targets the neck but Virgil manages to get a small package for two. Repo Man now grounds Virgil with a body scissors then tosses him out to the floor. Repo Man sneaks out and hits a double axe handle but ends up getting rammed into the post. Virgil hammers away but Repo Man cuts him off and sends Virgil into the post. Back inside, Virgil fire up and lands some jabs. Virgil fires away in the corner then floats over but runs into a back elbow smash and gets pinned (11:04) *.

Thoughts: A flat, basic match with an extremely weak finish. That type of pin is something you would expect from the 1988 Survivor Series, not a singles match at MSG. And its safe to say that even Virgil’s lower midcard push is in jeopardy after losing in this manner.

“Macho Man” Randy Savage w/ Elizabeth vs. Jake “The Snake” Roberts

Savage prevents Jake from going after Elizabeth then stops a sneak attack. Jake fights back and tosses Savage outside then runs after Elizabeth but Savage makes the save. Elizabeth flees backstage as Savage grabs a chair. Jake fights back but Savage rolls Jake inside and gets caught coming off the top rope. Jake drops Savage with a knee lift then hits an inverted atomic drop. Jake rolls outside and hangs Savage over the apron before hitting an elbow smash. Jake pulls Savage outside and rams him into the post then takes the action back into the ring. Jake hammers away until he whiffs on a clothesline. Savage hits a flying double axe handle but eats boot on a charge in the corner as both men are down. Jake taunts the crowd after dropping Savage but wasted too much time as Savage blocks the DDT then heads up top for the flying elbow drop and the win (6:07) *3/4. Savage then grabs the ring bell but a few more refs and Rene Goulet run out and try to calm Savage.

Thoughts: The first two minutes were awesome then things slowed right down and the finished felt rushed. With Savage winning cleanly but due to a short, unmemorable match it seems that this feud will continue.

The announcers talk about the main event as Heenan believes Jake will be looking for Elizabeth and that someone should check on her and see if she’s safe.

Final Thoughts: Well, this was certainly not the best MSG show I have recapped. In fact, it was one of the worst. Bret/Taker was the only thing even decent on this show. Take a hard pass on this event.
Here is my schedule for the next several days:

Friday: WWF Superstars of Wrestling 2/1/92

Saturday: Mid-South Wrestling 11/10/83, 11/17/83

Sunday: WWF Wrestling Challenge 2/2/92

Monday: WWF Prime Time Wrestling 2/3/92

Tuesday: WWF Superstars of Wrestling 2/8/92

Wednesday: WWF Saturday Night’s Main Event 2/8/92

Thursday: WWF Wrestling Challenge 2/9/92