Yearly Review: WWF January 1991

A major title change occurs, a new manager debuts, a new wrestler looks to enforce his laws in the WWF and a talk show is terminated!

WWF World Championship Scene: (currently held by: The Ultimate Warrior)
Warrior had to deal with two new men coming after his championship. Randy Savage and Sensational Sherri have grown obsessed with getting a title shot against Warrior, but the champion refused to give Savage a title opportunity. Hell, he even refused sexual advances by Sherri at the Royal Rumble!

Speaking of the Royal Rumble, the Ultimate Warrior defended the championship against anti-USA character, Sgt. Slaughter. Warrior had everything going in his favor until Randy Savage showed his displeasure of not getting a title shot by breaking a specter of Warrior’s head. The interference allowed Slaughter to pin Warrior and claim his first WWF World Championship.

Sgt. Slaughter would work the rest of the month defending the championship against Jim Duggan. It was an obvious choice considering Duggan is pro USA. Duggan would get a few disqualification wins over Slaughter, but wouldn’t win the grand prize. They had a match at the The Main Event V, which was taped on January 28th. Slaughter lost by disqualification.

Obviously, Slaughter would begin a feud with the 1991 Royal Rumble, Hulk Hogan. During the January 29th taping of Wrestling Challenge, Slaughter ignited the feud by burning a Hulk Hogan poster! Things between these two are sure to heat up.

WWF Intercontinental Championship Scene: (currently held by: Mr. Perfect)
Perfect worked with Roddy Piper on the house show market, but would lose those matches by count-out on a regular basis. He also lost to Kerry Von Erich during the January 7th taping of WWF Superstars by count-out which saw the Big Bossman come out to combat Bobby Heenan from getting involved. It looks like Perfect is starting a feud with the Big Bossman.

WWF World Tag Team Championship Scene: (currently held by: The Hart Foundation)
The Hart Foundation successfully defended the championships against Power and Glory, the Orient Express, Dino Bravo & Earthquake, and the Nasty Boys. Speaking of the Nasty Boys, during the January 28th taping of WWF Superstars, the new tag team won a seven team battle royal to earn a title shot at WrestleMania VII.

Other Happenings:
- Hulk Hogan won the 1991 Royal Rumble last eliminating his hated rival, Earthquake. The victory assures Hogan to main event WrestleMania VII against new WWF World Champion Sgt. Slaughter.

- During the January 7th taping of Superstars, Greg Valentine started to get annoyed with Jimmy Hart and is distancing himself from Hart. This is likely due to Honkytonk Man quitting the previous month.

- The Mountie made his debut during the January 7th taping of WWF Superstars. Mountie was previously known as Jacques Rougeau from the Rougeau Brothers. Mountie would win his first pay per view match at the Royal Rumble, where he pinned Koko B. Ware.

- Earthquake took Tugboat out during the January 7th taping of Superstars after hitting him with a megaphone and delivering a sit down splash.

- Rick Martel and Jake Roberts are set to wrestle at WrestleMania VII. During an interview with Mean Gene at the January 8th taping of Wrestling Challenge, Gene hinted that Martel didn’t read the stipulation for Martel’s match against Roberts.

- Randy Savage and Ultimate Warrior started their heated feud at the Royal Rumble, and it continued just two days later as they competed inside a steel cage at Madison Square Garden. Savage won the match by escaping over the cage.

- During the January 28th taping of WWF Superstars, Paul Bearer was revealed as the new manager for the Undertaker, replacing Brother Love. Also, the taping would be the last appearance for Brother Love for four years after the Ultimate Warrior destroyed the set.

- Ted DiBiase and Virgil split up at the Royal Rumble after beating Dusty and Dustin Rhodes. The show would mark the final appearance for Dusty for several years and Dustin wouldn’t return until 1995. Virgil began to associate himself with Roddy Piper, who started to make Virgil into a man to combat DiBiase.

Ratings:
The Main Event V: 6.7
Royal Rumble 1991: 2.40