November 14, 1992
From the Hullman Center in Terre Haute, IN
Your hosts are Vince McMahon and Bobby Heenan
WWF Tag Team Title Match: Money Inc. (c) w/ Jimmy Hart vs. Ultimate Maniacs
The Maniacs come out running to the ring and end up cleaning house. We then see Heenan use the “Brain Scan” telestrator to show how the Maniacs cheated as Savage pins DiBiase for a two count. DiBiase bumps like a champ for the Maniacs then sidesteps a flying shoulder tackle from Warrior to allow Money Inc. to take control. IRS catches Warrior with a sleeper then we see a split screen with Ric Flair, Razor Ramon, and Mr. Perfect in the locker room running down the Ultimate Maniacs and saying they will not survive at the Survivor Series. Savage breaks up the sleeper from behind as both men are down. Warrior tags out as Savage runs wild on IRS. Savage then hits a flying elbow drop but DiBiase breaks up the cover. The match breaks down with the Maniacs clearing the ring but Money Inc. grabs their titles and head backstage with Hart and lose via count out (6:12) *1/2. The Maniacs head up the aisle but are ambushed by Flair, Razor, and Perfect. Several officials run out led by Sgt. Slaughter and try to maintain order
Thoughts: The action itself was forgettable, especially when Money Inc. was on offense, but this was all about the finish where the Ultimate Maniacs were set up and attacked.
The Bret Hart music video airs.
WWF Intercontinental Title Match: Shawn Michaels vs. British Bulldog (c)
Bulldog overpowers Shawn to start. We get a reversal sequence that Shawn wins as he now uses a short-arm scissors on the mat. Bulldog then picks up Shawn with one hand and hits a modified electric chair drop then a press slam. Another fast-paced reversal sequence takes place and ends with Bulldog getting knocked outside. Shawn readjusts the top turnbuckle pad as we head to break then we return as Shawn uses an abdominal stretch. Bulldog finally escapes and hits Shawn with a flurry of offense and slingshots him into the corner. Shawn is then able to whip Bulldog into the corner where he had adjusted the turnbuckle pad as both men are down. Shawn is then whipped into the corner and Bulldog places him up top for a superplex but is back gives out mid-move and Shawn falls on top and gets the win and becomes the new Intercontinental Champion (10:26) ***1/2.
Thoughts: When the action called for a fast pace man did these two go all out. I thought Shawn put on a tremendous performance and sold like a champ for Bulldog. Shawn’s act is fresh unlike the rest of the goofy garbage on the heel side so him being the champ makes sense. Bulldog’s short-lived reign saw him win and lose the title in good matches while everything in between was forgettable. And this was his last match for two years as he got fired.
Gene Okerlund is in the locker room with Flair, Razor, and Mr. Perfect. Flair talks about whoever survives the Bret vs. Shawn match at Survivor Series will have to face him. Perfect then runs down the Ultimate Maniacs as Okerlund reminds him of trying to be in their corners at SummerSlam. Razor then says fighting is all he cares about and tells the Maniacs there is more of that coming to them. Flair says at the Survivor Series its not about winning or losing but rather making it out of the building in one piece.
Okerlund is now with Bret. He asks him about his first Network title defense as Bret says he thinks about his dad and how he trained him and his brothers in the basement, which they called the dungeon. Bret then said after eight years of hard work he became champion and that he learned from every match and opponent while saying he never thought he’d get higher than Intercontinental Champion and that Papa Shango is not going to take his title away. For all the flak Bret got for being a bad promo I thought he was perfectly fine after winning the title. Sure, he does not have the out of this world charisma or a larger than life personality but he came off believable and easy to relate with as champion.
WWF World Heavyweight Title Match: Papa Shango vs. Bret “The Hitman” Hart (c)
Shango hammers away to start. Bret fights back and covers but Shango knocks him outside. Bret comes back in and clotheslines Shango outside then flies out with a pescado as we go to break. The action returns with Shango reversing an Irish whip to send Bret into the corner. Shango uses a bearhug but Bret escapes with an eye rake. Shango is back on the attack then drops Bret with a lifting choke. Shango now uses a nerve hold as Vince brings up the curse Shango said he put on Bret prior to SummerSlam. Bret escapes but runs into a clothesline then Shango goes back to the nerve hold. Bret fails to take Shango over with a sunset flip but avoids a punch. Bret jumps on Shango’s back for a sleeper but is run into the corner. Shango drops a pair of elbows then heads to the middle rope were he misses. Bret gets up and fires away then runs wild on Shango. Bret has a few nearfalls then avoids a corner attack and turns Shango over for the Sharpshooter and gets the win (7:07) *1/2. Vince talks up Bret for being a great champion
Thoughts: Bret tried hard but Shango was awful. Shango used dated 70’s heel offense and half of this match was him working a nerve hold. And after all of the talk about Shango’s voodoo possibly costing Bret the Intercontinental Title it was not mentioned here so this feud does not seem like it has much life left after Survivor Series.
Funeral Parlor with guest The Undertaker. We see clips of Undertaker vs. Kamala from SummerSlam and Kamala running away from the coffin Bearer pushed down the aisle to show how scared Kamala is of the Undertaker. We then get the Undertaker as he tells Kamala to rest in peace. A generic promo to hype up this gimmick match at the Survivor Series.
Okerlund is now with Bret and congratulates him on his title defense. Okerlund says Survivor Series is now champion vs. champion as Shawn interrupts to brag about promising to win the championship then promises to take Bret’s title. Bret tells Shawn to prove it as Shawn reminds Bret that he beat Bulldog and how Bret lost the IC Title to Bulldog at SummerSlam. Bret then shoves Shawn to end the segment. They had to build heat for this match since their feud was dropped in the Summer and they did an okay job and selling it as something that would be a great match is for the best.
Back to the announcers as Heenan promises a huge scoop. He says that Savage & Warrior will not go to the ring together at the Survivor Series as a team and that one of them will have a new partner as Vince wants to know about this rumor. A strong cliffhanger to end this show.
Final Thoughts: The show itself was solid. We saw a title change hands in a really good match and got heat for the Survivor Series top matches. However, the real news was what happened behind the scenes. The British Bulldog was fired along with someone else that we will talk about next week when I review the 11/16 edition of “Prime Time Wrestling.” And after 7 years SNME was cancelled. This show was ranked 86th out of 92 for network shows that week and lost 38% of the lead in audience from “Cops.” SNME returned almost 15 years later on NBC but did not have any success.