The Fan-Cam Files: WWF @ Philadelphia Spectrum – 10.19.1991

Welcome back to another edition of the Fan-Cam Files. Last time, I suffered through a show from early 1996 that I didn’t bother to quality check before covering, and was left with a bunch of incomplete matches because someone didn’t bring a fully charged battery to the show. This is another show I wasn’t familiar with as part of the fan-cam library, but this time I made sure I had enough to work with before committing to covering it.

Based on the results available on TheHistoryofWWE.com, this is the complete card, and a matinee, with an evening show with the same lineup running at the Capital Centre in Landover, MD. A second tour ran in New Orleans, LA, but no card was available, just the generic advertisement of Bret Hart and Virgil. Based on results surrounding that date, Bret vs. Warlord and Virgil vs. Dibiase were likely, as was The Rockers vs. Nasty Boys. Other matches that could have taken place that were part of the loop were The Dragon vs. Skinner and The Bulldog vs Col. Mustafa. This is all speculation on my part, but unless a travel issue comes up, this feels like a strong guess.

Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart vs. Hercules:
AAAAH! AAAAAH! AAAAAAAAH! Oh my God, can I change my mind and find something from 1995? I’d love to cover more Mantaur and Blu Twins matches! Hercules is like an expired jar of mayonnaise at this point in his run, as if he was aging a year every few weeks until we reached the end as the road to WrestleMania VIII approached. Paul Roma is gone, so Hercules is back to working singles as a prelim heel, occasionally going over babyfaces low on the pecking order. Neidhart’s run as a color commentator is already over, having worked Wrestling Challenge (and a couple of MSG broadcasts) along with Monsoon and Heenan between WrestleMania VII and SummerSlam. He’s wearing the goofy pants that would be adopted by Owen Hart and become the look of The New Foundation (and were immortalized in plastic by Hasbro).

Neidhart is still using the Hart Foundation theme music. They play to the crowd a bit before locking up, ending in a stalemate. Neidhart has the better luck on the second try, sending Hercules backwards towards the corner. Hercules with some smack talk, leading to an exchange of right hands, won by the Anvil. Whip to the ropes and Hercules powders. Back inside, Neidhart controls with a side headlock. They both whiff on a clothesline and Neidhart sends Herc to the floor following a shoulder block. Hercules calls for a test-of-strength, which is usually a guarantee to kill at least 2-3 minutes. To the shock of no one, Hercules lays into Neidhart with kicks to gain control. Neidhart fights free, only to run into a boot in the corner. Next up is a long chin-lock. A very, very long chin-lock. They do a slow-motion Irish whip reversal, setting up Neidhart’s comeback. Hercules gets sent to all four turnbuckles like some bizarre Strap Match… and they lose power to the recording, and we don’t see the last 30-seconds before Neidhart takes home the victory at the 12:00 mark. DON’T WORRY, THE REST OF THE CARD HAS ALL THE FINISHES. This wasn’t taking home the world’s worst match award, but it was pretty damn bad, with about 30-seconds of effort and a ton of resting. I’m pretty sure I could have worked this match, and I’m being dead serious. The most complicated move executed was a clothesline. -**

Greg “The Hammer” Valentine vs. The Berzerker:
We get a little bit of miscommunication, as the ring announcer starts doing introductions for the Beverly Brothers before the referee has a quick chat with him (and probably sees one of the participants making his way to the ring). Greg Valentine is beyond cooked as anything meaningful in the WWF, comfortably sitting as a prelim/JTTS babyface throughout 1991 and into the early months of 1992 before a short stint in WCW. The Berzerker is a curious case where he was all over TV in 1991, but wasn’t in any storylines until the following year. He’s also working this match in just his wrestling trunks, which feels weird unless you had his Hasbro figure and lost his top.

Lockup and Berzerker is proud of himself for sending Valentine backwards a couple of feet. Lockup and Valentine returns the favor. Berzerker with a cheap shot in the corner, but then he wastes time “HUSSING” at the crowd, allowing Valentine to unload with chops. The Hammer is quickly cut off, with Berzerker grabbing a side headlock. Whip to the ropes and Valentine with a hip toss. Berzerker quickly shrugs it off and works Valentine over in the corner. Hammer with another short burst of offense before getting cut off and knocked out of the ring. Berzerker follows and sprints down the aisle to run into Valentine with a shoulder block. Well, that was certainly different. Back inside, and we get plenty of chin-lock time. They slug it out until Berzerker rakes the eyes and lays the Hammer out with a clothesline. Valentine gets trapped in the Andre Special (arms in the ropes) and Berzerker continues to eat him up. Valentine frees himself and straddles Berzerker over the top rope in what should clearly be a DQ. Valentine with more chops and a clothesline to take the big man off his feet. He signals for the Figure-Four, but Berzerker blocks. Valentine with the belly-to-back suplex, and it’s my FAVORITE finish! Valentine executes the move and keeps his shoulders down, Berzerker gets a shoulder up, and Berzerker is our winner at 10:59. It wasn’t as bad as the opener (I know, a high bar to clear), but it wasn’t good, and Berzerker gobbling Valentine up on offense while doing so little of interest just made it worse. ZERO STARS

The Big Boss Man vs. Irwin R. Schyster:
Normally I wouldn’t look forward to a match with I.R.S., but after the last two matches, I’ll take almost anything. I.R.S. debuted on WWF TV a few weeks after WrestleMania VII, and if you didn’t get the gimmick by reading his name, I don’t know what to tell you. Legend has it the gimmick was created because the I.R.S (the real one) performed an audit on McMahon, and the rest is history. The Boss Man wrapped up a gimmick feud with the Mountie at SummerSlam, and now he’s in one of those insta-feuds where they didn’t have an angle on TV, but were cutting inset promos on each other on syndication. Damn, going from I.R.S. to NAILZ was actually a step up for the Boss Man’s stock.

I.R.S. hides out on the floor, surprisingly maybe two people. I.R.S. from behind with a knee as Boss Man has a chat with the referee. Boss Man blocks the turnbuckle shot and works in the sequence where he slides out of the ring, pops back in around the post, whiffs a clothesline, then nails the heel charging into the corner with a boot. I feel like Baron Corbin did a great job of lifting most of that spot years later. Irwin powders but Boss Man won’t let him relax that easily, sending him into the ring for more punishment. I.R.S. gets sent from corner to corner, WITH AUTHORITY. Boss Man misses a dive, landing across the turnbuckle, and allowing I.R.S. to take control. Irwin with the abdominal stretch, and yes, he uses the ropes for extra leverage. The ref catches him and they argue, allowing a quick roll-up from Boss Man for a two-count. We edit out a chin-lock, with Boss Man teasing another comeback that is cut short. The Tax man makes a rare trip to the top rope and is slammed down for his efforts. Boss Man with the real comeback, sending I.R.S. to all the turnbuckles. What is the deal with that spot?! He finally grabs I.R.S. by his tie and nails him with a right hand. I.R.S. grabs the briefcase, but the referee blocks him using it. Boss Man makes a move for the night stick, and now the referee wrestles THAT away, which allows I.R.S. to nail Boss Man with the briefcase on the second try and steal the victory at 7:30. I have no idea how long the chin-lock was, but everything else was perfectly fine, which is like 10 steps above the previous embarrassments on the card. **

“Rowdy” Roddy Piper vs. Ric Flair:
Oh man, I’m not even THAT big a fan of either man, but this is a gift from God after all the suffering. Ric Flair debuted (in name only) at SummerSlam ‘91 and made his syndication TV as the self-proclaimed “Real World’s Champion”, showing off the big gold belt from THAT OTHER COMPANY. Lockup and they trade unpleasantries. Piper with a side headlock and shoulder block, sending Flair into the corner to rethink his strategy. Flair tries a cheap shot but Piper blocks and peppers him with rights and lefts, giving us the classic Flair flop and a powder. Back inside, Fthey trade strikes, with Piper again getting the better of the exchange. Crisscross, including a Flair leap-frog, and Piper takes him to the canvas for some roughhousing. We get the awful spot where the referee holds the babyface back from striking, allowing the heel a wide open shot. Piper loved that one.

Flair sends Piper to the outside and follows, putting the boots to him. Piper fights his way back in, but Flair sweeps the legs and stacks him up for a near-fall. Whip to the ropes, Piper ducks a chop and bounces back with a clothesline. Flair rolls away from an elbow drop and covers with his feet on the ropes for another two-count. Piper blocks being hung up on the top rope and is in full no-sell mode. He unloads in the corner with a flurry of rights and wipes out the referee trying to hit Flair with a bulldog. Piper with a small package, but the referee is down. A second referee comes in and Piper rolls Flair up for a two-count. Whip to the corner, Flair flips to the apron and Piper lays him out with a clothesline. Flair brings a chair into the ring and bops Piper with it, then disposes of the evidence before covering Piper for a long two-count. Piper does his Hulk routine again, hitting Flair with a swinging neck breaker. Flair goes to the top rope and you know that never ends well. Piper with a chair now, but the referee blocks him from using it. He still manages to knock Flair over the top rope with one hand! Flair pops him from the apron and springs in through the ropes to make the cover, using the ropes to secure the three-count at 9:19. Post-match, Piper loses his cool, swinging the chair at anything that moves. A rare pin-fall loss for Piper, and a nice little sprint here to give the crowd an exciting match. ***

The Bushwhackers vs. The Beverly Brothers:
I swear these teams worked every night for like 8 months, and the only “memorable” interaction they had on TV was a few weeks of build for the Royal Rumble where Prime Time Wrestling character Jameson suddenly became a character for the syndication audience, and we all suffered through some Vince McMahon level of comedy. The Brothers made their debut in the Summer, and I guess are supposed to be rich snobby kids, based on their Shaker Heights, OH hometown. The Bushwhackers are coming off a big loss to the Natural Disasters to pay off Tugboat’s heel turn at the expense of the Bushwhackers.

The bell rings and the Beverly Brothers don’t want any of the smoke, choosing to hug each other instead. Butch leads the crowd in a chant of something inappropriate, a routine they did around the horn. Some people opt to chant “boring.” Blake attacks Butch from behind after two minutes of standing around. Whip is reversed and Butch buries a knee to the midsection, followed by a bulldog. Beau tries coming in to help, but the Bushwhackers clean house with double clotheslines and an old school-yard trip-up spot. More cowardly heel schtick. The Beverly Brothers take over thanks to their opponents being dumber than a bag of rocks. It’s hard to make a heat segment on the Bushwhackers entertaining, cause neither can bump well, and the Beverly’s aren’t the most interesting workers to begin with. Luke gets worked over in the corner while Butch accidentally distracts the referee. Beau with a flying axe-handle but Butch saves. Luke pops out of the corner with a clothesline and Butch with the hot tag. He runs wild with clotheslines and a Beverly assisted Battering Ram. Heck breaks loose, Blake with a cheap shot from the apron, and Beau covers for three at 9:39. Butch’s hot tag was fine, but the rest of the match was the usual nonsense from these two teams. ½*

“Hacksaw” Jim Duggan vs. The Undertaker (w/ Paul Bearer):
Interesting match-up. The only time I recall them having a one-on-one is from the Royal Albert Hall around the same time as this show. The Undertaker was a big player on WWF TV at the time, helping Jake Roberts ruin the wedding reception of Mr and Mrs. Macho, as well as being penciled in for a WWF Championship Match at Survivor Series. Jim Duggan has had such a nothing 1991, left off the card at WrestleMania VII and not factored into any storylines until being the man who accepted Sgt. Slaughter back on behalf of America.

Taker attacks before the bell and immediately grabs a choke in the corner. Whip across the ring, Duggan avoids the charging attack and unloads with hefty rights and lefts before knocking Taker over the top rope with a clothesline. Duggan tries pulling Taker top the apron, but it’s Taker’s signature hang-up spot, and that never works out for the opponent. I do remember Hogan trying to get his sh*t in and no-sell it, but usually people cooperated. Taker with more choking as Uncle Paul taunts Duggan with the urn. The fight spills to the floor again, with Taker in complete control. Taker with his diving lariat, but he acknowledges the urn instead of going for a cover. Duggan fights out of a smother and unloads in the corner with the mounted rights. Duggan sets up and connects with the big clothesline. Bearer hops on the apron, drawing Duggan’s attention. Taker sits up, whacks him with the urn, GENTLY PUTS IT BACK DOWN, and covers for three at 6:40. Post-match, Duggan clears the ring by knocking Taker over the ropes with his 2×4. This was your typical Undertaker match. A few decent spots, a hot crowd, and some lumbering around. **

WWF Tag Team Championship Match:
The Legion of Doom vs. The Natural Disasters (w/ Jimmy Hart):
Our final match of the night. Japanese Superstar Genichiro Tenryu is introduced to the crowd in a rare cameo. I guess they were really going hard in pushing that relationship with SWS for a few weeks. The LOD won the Tag Titles at SummerSlam from the Nasty Boys, and this is a classic example of an insta-feud where they just started cutting promos on each other in lieu of taping a hot angle to drum up interest. The Disasters have only been a team for a few months and decisively defeated the Bushwhackers at SummerSlam, and since they’re also managed by Jimmy Hart, it feels like a natural progression to move away from the Nasty Boys.

We get a double stare-down that doesn’t result in any brawling. Hawk and Typhoon start with a lockup that doesn’t go in either man’s favor. They meet in the middle with a double shoulder block with the same result. Typhoon sends Hawk into the corner, crushing him with his girth. Whip across the ring, Hawk brings up a boot and dives off the second rope with a shoulder block for a two-count. Animal and Earthquake slug it out, with Animal getting the better of the exchange. Crisscross and Animal takes the behemoth off his feet with a diving shoulder block. He goes for a slam, but Quake lands on top of him for a near-fall. Quake with a belly-to-belly suplex for two. Animal takes a knee from the apron and Quake hits a dropkick to the back, knocking him out of the ring. Back inside, Quake slows it down with a bearhug. Animal fights to the corner, but the referee doesn’t see the tag. Quake with the powerslam but Hawk saves. Animal avoids an avalanche, setting up Hawk’s hot tag. He lays into Quake with right hands and a dropkick. Whip and a diving shoulder block gets two. Heck breaks loose with all four men in the ring. Hawk gets dumped, leaving Animal to get double-teamed. Typhoon Splash and Earthquake with his Butt Drop of Doom connect, but Animal isn’t the legal man. The referee gets tossed for the cheap DQ at 8:38. The heels run into each other in a miscommunication and Hawk hits both with a flying clothesline to clear the ring. Decent match with a cheap finish. I was never a fan of LOD fighting bigger opponents since that doesn’t play to their strengths, but Earthquake did almost all the work to keep things interesting. **½

Strength of Card: I think anyone that was a fan of the WWF around this time knows the roster was starting to thin, and the quality of the roster was suffering in the under-card as we were getting more gimmicks that were less focused on putting on strong matches and more concerned in doing schtick for 5-10 minutes. We have a strong Main Event and the Tag Team Titles, as well as appearances from The Undertaker and Big Boss Man, who were near the top of the depth chart. For a split roster card, we got as good as we were going to get with what was available. Grade: B+

Highs: The best match on the card was the Main Event between Roddy Piper and Ric Flair. Even a day off effort would still be solid considering their chemistry and keeping things short and simple. An added bonus for Piper doing a pin-fall job, even if there were shenanigans. I don’t think Piper has taken a loss by pin-fall (on TV) in years, though he would do them from time to time at house shows or TV taping dark matches.

Lows: The show opened with an absolute stinker in Jim Neidhart vs Hercules, followed by a less stinky but still poor outing between Greg Valentine and The Berzerker. The Bushwhackers and Beverly Brothers was also a turd, but the lowest of low here is the Bushwhackers cheap effort in getting a crowd reaction, chanting inappropriate insults that would get them canceled today.

The Rest: Three solid if unspectacular matches with their more established stars. LOD vs Natural Disasters, Undertaker vs. Jim Duggan, and Boss Man vs IRS were all short and solid, but not much stood out as “wow, that’s a match I’m glad I got to see!” Considering the reputations of a lot of the talent involved, just being decent could be a considered a high/positive attribute.

Final Thoughts: If you fast forward through the first two matches, you might get some decent amusement from this show. The quality of the camera work is hit-and-miss, which makes some matches a little difficult to fully appreciate, but to be fair, the more important matches seem to have the most focus on getting as much of the action as possible, so I guess they spared us some torture with the lesser quality matches. With fewer regional network shows and only so many fan-cams available from this era, it’s not the worst show to give a look. Final Rating: C