WWF House Show 1/23/1993

Written By: Bob Colling

World Wrestling Federation House Show
Date: 1/23/1993
From: Reno, NV

NOTE: This event is a handheld. Thus, it was never aired on television. The show is complete with all seven matches taking place.

Opening Contest: Jim Powers defeated the Predator: They trade wrist locks early on. Predator can’t get out of a hammerlock so he goes to the ropes. Predator claims that Powers uses his mask for a unfair advantage. Powers with a rollup but Predator is in the ropes. Predator kills time by complaining again to the referee. Predator delivers a back elbow to Powers as he went for a hammerlock. Predator works on Powers in the corner with right hands and chops. Powers hip tosses Predator and clotheslines Predator over the top to the floor. Predator walks around the ring yelling at fans and complains again to the referee about Powers using the trunks for leverage. Powers with several elbow strikes to Predator’s shoulder. Sunset flip by Powers and Predator tries to hit him but misses. Powers with a rollup but Predator kicks out at two. Predator backs Powers into the corners and delivers several right hands and shoulder rams. Powers charges the corner and is eventually able to clothesline Predator, after he side stepped Powers. Powers gets a near fall following the clothesline. Predator drives Powers face first into the middle turnbuckle and chokes Powers across the middle rope and gets a near fall on a pin attempt. Clothesline in the corner by Predator and Powers flops to the canvas. Predator with another cover but Powers is again able to kick out. Powers elbows his way out of a sleeper hold but runs right into a knee to the midsection. Predator scoop slams Powers and comes off the ropes with a elbow drop for a two count. Powers gets out of another sleeper hold and works on Predator with right hands. Powers with a snap scoop slam and gets the three count. *½

Second Contest: Samu defeated Owen Hart: Hart mocks Samu by doing a gorilla taunt. Samu shoves Hart down out of a lockup and taunts the fans. Samu manages to get a sleeper hold on Hart. Hart elbows out and sunset flips Samu for a near fall. Hart gets up and walks right into a super kick. Samu drops a leg across the groin/lower midsection of Hart as well. Samu scratches Hart’s back and misses a splash in the corner. Hart with a series of right hands and a dropkick as Samu comes off the ropes. Hart with a dropkick as well and knocks Fatu off the apron. Backdrop by Hart and he heads to the top rope. Fatu runs over and crotches Hart on the top rope! Samu grabs Hart and plants him with a superplex to pick up the win. *¼

Third Contest: Yokozuna defeated Earthquake: Earthquake side steps a charging Yoko a couple of times and connects with boots to the midsection. Quake comes off the ropes for a shoulder block but Yoko remains on his feet. Quake with a couple of clotheslines and Yoko is sent rocking into the corner. Yoko recovers by dropping Quake with a clothesline and a leg drop coming of the ropes. Quake staggers to his feet and is met with right hands from Yoko. Yoko splashes Quake in the corner and quickly hit’s the Banzai Drop to win the match. DUD

Fourth Contest: The Undertaker defeated the Beverly Brothers in a handicap match: As soon as the bell rings Taker is double teamed as expected. Taker ducks a clotheslines and choke slams both Beverly Brothers! Beau rolls to the floor as Blake remains and is dominated by Taker. Taker walks the top rope and drops across the left arm of Blake. Taker with a throat thrust that sends Blake flying into the corner. Blake attempts a kick to the face but Taker isn’t affected. Taker scoop slams Blake but misses a elbow drop coming off the ropes. Blake clotheslines Taker over the top to the floor. Taker tries to re-enter but Blake nails him with a chair! Blake drops Taker throat first across the top rope and Beau sends Taker into the ring steps! Blake with a backbreaker in the ring and tags out to Beau. Double vertical suplex on Taker and the Beverly’s follow up with several elbow drops. Taker rises up as his opponents taunt the fans. Blake is sent over the over top to the floor and Taker clotheslines Beau. Taker sets Bea up and connects with the tombstone to get the three count. *

Fifth Contest: Bob Backlund defeated the Berzerker: Backlund tries for a leg trip takedown but Berzerker is able to avoid it, but on the third attempt he drops down into a split! This may be a comedy match, folks. Well, Berzerker is doing nothing but just walking around the ringside area. They have barely touched each other. Berzerker wants a test of strength but Backlund doesn’t seem interested. Backlund eventually goes for it and is controlled by the stronger Berzerker. Backlund gets to his feet but is stopped by a few kicks to the midsection. Berzerker drives his knee into the throat of Backlund to maintain control of the match. Backlund rolls through and is able to place Berzerker in a wrist lock but Berzerker punches Backlund and scoop slams him. Berzerker taunts the fans as Backlund recovers. Another scoop slam by Berzerker, who goes back to yelling at the fans. Side headlock by Backlund who attempts a shoulder block but Berzerker stands tall. Backlund with a hip toss and a scoop slam. Dropkick by Backlund sends Berzerker over the top to the floor. Berzerker drops Backlund throat first across the top rope and clubs him on the back. Berzerker catches Backlund coming off the ropes and locks in a bear hug. Backlund counters by placing Berzerker into a bear hug briefly. Berzerker head butts his way out of it and connects with a backbreaker for a near fall. Berzerker misses a clothesline and goes for another bear hug but falls back and Backlund lands on top for the win. DUD

Sixth Contest: Mr. Perfect defeated Ric Flair: Flair taunts Perfect before they lock up. Perfect with a side headlock but is backed into the corner by Flair. Perfect slaps Flair and goes back to a side headlock. Hammerlock by Perfect and Flair goes to the ropes. Flair shoves Perfect but is slapped once again. Flair takes Perfect down with a side headlock but Perfect counters with a head scissors. Flair reverses out of it but is quickly placed in a hammerlock. Perfect with a wrist lock and is sent into the ropes where he knocks Flair down with a shoulder block. Flair rolls to the floor to kill Perfect’s momentum. Flair enters the ring and is met with a shoulder block and Perfect messes with his hair to mess with him. Perfect slaps Flair again as Flair was trying for a lockup. Flair kicks Perfect on the left knee a couple of times and chops Perfect in the corner. Perfect comes back with a few chops of his own and drops Flair with a few left jabs. Flair backs off in the corner but sneaks in a shot to the midsection and a poke to the eyes. Perfect is sent into the corner and falls to the floor. Flair rams Perfect head first into the guard railing and grabs a chair. Flair goes to use it but the referee yanks it away and they get in a shoving match! Flair with a few rights back in the ring but Perfect is able to backdrop Flair as he comes out of the corner. Clothesline by Perfect gets him a two count. Perfect misses a running shoulder attack in the corner and hit’s the ring post! Flair controls Perfect with a hammerlock and uses the ropes for leverage. Flair uses the top rope to work on Perfect’s left arm. Flair goes back to a hammerlock using the ropes for leverage. Perfect tries to punch his way out of a wrist lock but Flair yanks him down by the hair a couple of times. Flair with a few boots to the midsection of Perfect to keep control of the contest. Perfect with several right hands but Flair sends Perfect into the corner and has a sleeper hold locked in! Perfect is able to stagger around and drops down sending Flair face first into the top turnbuckle. Flair snap mares Perfect and heads up top but Perfect stops him and power slams Flair to the mat! Perfect goes for and locks in the Figure Four in the middle of the ring! Perfect slaps Flair a couple of times getting a near fall. Flair is able to reach the bottom rope but the referee kicks his hand off! Flair gets both hands on the bottom rope and the referee breaks up the hold. Perfect delivers several right hands in the corner and backdrops Flair as he comes out of the corner. Perfect with a rolling neck snap and Flair begs off again. Flair sends Perfect to the floor following a right hand. Perfect with a sunset flip attempt from the apron and yanks down Flair’s tights getting a near fall! Perfect sent into the ropes and Flair drops down too soon which allows Perfect to hit the Perfect Plex for the win! **¾

Main Event: WWF Intercontinental Champion Shawn Michaels defeated Marty Jannetty to retain the title: Jannetty storms the ring and Michaels quickly bails to the floor. Jannetty chases Michaels around the ring and slide into the ring. Michaels with a few right hands but Jannetty is able to drop Michaels by the hair and follows up with a clothesline and dropkick. Jannetty with a atomic drop sends Michaels over the top to the floor. Jannetty leaps off the apron and connects with a axe handle. On the floor, Jannetty rams Michaels head first into the ring apron. Michaels is able to send Jannetty into the ring post and grabs a chair. Michaels doesn’t use it and rolls into the ring telling the referee that he didn’t grab the chair. Michaels rolls to the floor as the referee grabs the chair and is able to drop Jannetty gut first across another chair! Michaels stomps away on Jannetty in the ring and delivers a few chops in the corner. Michaels with several shots to Jannetty’s ribs and places Jannetty in a abdominal stretch! After a few moments, Jannetty is able to get out of it and goes for a hip toss but Michaels avoids the move with a shot to Jannetty’s ribs. Michaels with a few more shots to Jannetty’s ribs and locks in another abdominal stretch. After several moments, Jannetty powers out of it and goes for a vertical suplex but his ribs are in too much pain to lift Michaels. Jannetty with a quick inside cradle and gets a two count! Jannetty reverses a abdominal stretch attempt by connecting with a clothesline. Michaels runs into a back elbow in the corner and misses a running shoulder attack, hitting the ring post! Both men are down as the referee counts them out. Jannetty with a flurry of right hands knocking Michaels down. Jannetty sends Michaels into the corner and Michaels flips to the floor. Jannetty rams Michaels head first into the ring steps and rolls him back into the ring. Snap power slam by Jannetty as Michaels comes off the ropes. Jannetty heads to the top rope and goes for the Rocker Dropper but Michaels moves. Jannetty lands on his feet and plants Michaels with a DDT! Jannetty with right hands in the corner but is stopped after a atomic drop. Jannetty ducks a super kick and nails Michaels with one of his own! Jannetty goes for the cover and nearly wins the match! Jannetty catapults Michaels head first into the ring post. Jannetty misses a leaping splash in the corner and Michaels simply covers him to win the match. **½

My Take: Powers/Predator is a odd contest considering both men I would think are jobbers at this time. Powers actually got a mixed reaction following his win, which I thought was mildly funny. Just a basic match, as usual for WWF circa 1993.

Samu/Owen was a very quick match. I think a longer match with Fatu facing Owen would have been a lot better. For what it was, it was entertaining. Seemed like a jobber match to put over Samu in a singles role for reasons I do not know. Ten months later Owen Hart would be getting the push of his life! Thank god.

Yoko/Quake was another jobber match to put over the recently debuted Yokozuna. Wasn’t anything great as you can tell as it was under three minutes of actual action. These two would end up having a brief program in the spring of 1994. Which, Quake actually got the better of.

The handicap match was originally suppose to be Undertaker vs. Papa Shango. I don’t know why Shango wasn’t on the card, but that is what it was suppose to be. The match saw plenty of botches, mostly the Beverly Brothers doing the botching. This is the third match that could be considered a extended squash, really.

Berzerker/Backlund was a pretty bad match. You can hear a few fans near the camera talk about just how bad of a finish the match had. Which is true, that finish came across very poorly. After this match the show finally gets to the two featured matches. Perfect/Flair and Michaels/Jannetty. Hopefully they can save the show.

Perfect/Flair was a good match but was a letdown for me. Those two have had some really good matches and this one just seemed to be lacking. Yeah, I know it’s a house show and that most of the time the wrestlers don’t put forth their best effort, but I thought with Perfect and Flair perhaps this would be a gem of a match. That wasn’t meant to be. Don’t get me wrong, it was okay for what it was, I was just expecting more out of it.

Jannetty/Michaels had a few dull spots, most notably the abdominal stretch parts that saw Michaels keep the hold on for several moments. The last four minutes or so had some consistent fast pace action so that helped the rating of the match for me. Still, not the greatest but for a house show it was enough, I guess.

Overall, everything leading up to the main event were boring. Perfect/Flair and Jannetty/Michaels are really the only two matches that I would consider entertaining. Not the greatest house show ever. If I had attended this show live I would have been very disappointed.

Thanks for reading.