WWF SummerSlam 1991 8/26/1991

August 26, 1991
Madison Square Garden
New York, New York
Attendance: 20,000
Buy Rate: 2.7
Announcers: Gorilla Monsoon, Bobby Heenan, and Roddy Piper

1) The Dragon (Richard Blood), Texas Tornado (Kerry Adkisson) and British Bulldog (David Smith) defeat Power & Glory and the Warlord (Terry Szopinski) when Dragon pinned Paul Roma with the high cross body at 10:42

Fun Fact: The Dragon is of course Ricky Steamboat, who’s making his return to the WWF after spending the past 3 years in the NWA/WCW. In that time he won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, defeating Ric Flair on February 20, 1989 in Chicago. This match and the two subsequent rematches are considered the greatest trilogy of matches in one feud in the modern era. Unfortunately because he left on bad terms in 1988, he’s returned as a newcomer, as the announcers are acting like he was a rookie. Shortly after Ricky won the I-C Title at Wrestlemania III, his wife became pregnant, so the Dragon asked for 4-6 weeks off to help her with their first child. Since he was the I-C Champ, Vince did not want him off TV and House Shows for that long. After a lengthy argument, Vince gave him the time off, but made him drop the title to the Honky Tonk Man. Vince never really forgave Steamboat for forcing his hand like that after he put faith in him, so he took out his revenge three years later. In early 1991, Steamboat left WCW when Vince offered him more money. Rumor has it, Vince only did this so WCW would not have him (he and Flair were tearing down the house with their awesome feud), so he decided to humiliate the Dragon during his brief stay. Vince instructed all of his announcers to act like he had never wrestled before and to not mention his real name, as they could only call him “the Dragon” and had to act like he was a “young up and coming rookie.” He was also forced to dress like an actual Dragon, and even had to blow fire during his entrance. God bless him, though, as he still busted his ass and tried his best to put on 5-star matches. Don’t cross Vince, or this is what happens. Speaking of Ric Flair, more on him in a little bit.

Fun Fact II: This show marks the final PPV appearances of Paul Roma and Ricky Steamboat. Paul Roma’s final record is 4-6. He was 0-2 at the Royal Rumble, 0-2 at Wrestlemania, 1-1 at Summerslam and 3-1 at Survivor Series. Ricky Steamboat’s final record is 6-1. He was 1-0 at the Royal Rumble, 3-1 at Wrestlemania, 1-0 at Summerslam and 1-0 at Survivor Series.

Scott: A pretty solid opener to this show, as all six men get some shots in and Dragon hits his patented finisher for the win. Bulldog is getting into the flow as a solo performer, and his feud with the Warlord continues. Power and Glory are pretty much finished as a team, as Paul Roma takes the pin after the Legion of Doom took his team out in less than a minute at Wrestlemania. As for Tornado, his slow descent continues. As I watched it, I could swear he was talking to himself in the ring as the other introductions continued. In one year, he went from Intercontinental Champion to curtain jerker. Damn shame. The match isn’t bad, and a good opener to the show. Grade: 2.5

Justin: A pretty good opening match that features solid tag team work and some good wrestling. Team Slick dominates most of the match with some fun power offense until the faces make the big comeback in the end. The Bulldog/Warlord feud was still going on, but the other four were just there to fill the spots. This is Power and Glory’s final PPV match, and it really is sad to see how far they fell in just one year, as the year before they dominated the Rockers in their PPV debut. Speaking of the Rockers, it is weird that they were left off this card, as they had putting on stellar performances all year. Maybe it was injury, but they could easily been plugged in here over Steamboat and Tornado to pump up the story a bit. And, while we are on the subject, if Power & Glory’s fall wasn’t bad enough, what about the quick demise of the Texas Tornado. The darling of Summerslam 1990 is now the washed up mid carder 12 months later. He remained just as over with the crowds, but facts are facts and Tornado just wasn’t reliable enough to put into a major spot or feud. Ah well, this is what it is: a solid opener, and Steamboat and Roma’s last WWF PPV match. Grade: 2.5

2) Bret Hart defeats Mr. Perfect (Curt Hennig) to win WWF Intercontinental Title when Perfect submits to the Sharpshooter at 18:03

Fun Fact: Perfect went into this match with a severe back injury, and was planning on taking time off after this match.

Fun Fact II: This would be the first, but certainly not the last, time Bret Hart’s family members were in the crowd for a major match.

Scott: The centerpiece match of the undercard is the start of the much-anticipated solo career of Bret “Hitman” Hart. After occasional teases throughout the past 3 years, the trigger is finally pulled on it. I feel the clincher was the 5-minute battle he had with Ted DiBiase at the Survivor Series the previous November. They had also been putting on spectacular matches on the house show circuit (one of them is on the Bret Hart DVD). Many people think this is a 5-star technical classic. It could have been if both men were at 100%. However it was evident that Perfect’s back was a mess, so the first 5 minutes of this match was very slow. Obviously Bret wasn’t experienced enough to dictate pace himself, so Perfect had to dictate. Since he was hurt, he was taking his time and being methodical. That hurts the grade slightly, because a lot of the early action was punches, kicks, and posturing. Once it seemed Perfect’s back was loosened up, the action started to pick up and the match gained steam. Both wrestlers use similar styles of precise strikes and prolonged submission holds. Perfect was also wrestling this match with his singlet half ripped off, as the Hitman had yanked on it early in the match. Then came the moment that we knew the Hitman had arrived. After kicking out of the Perfect Plex (something only Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior had done at that point), Hart reversed a figure-four into his new finisher (formerly known as the Scorpion Deathlock), and Perfect submitted with that bad back. Hart wins his first WWF singles championship, and Perfect wouldn’t return to the ring for over a year. A great match, but one that could have been even better if Perfect was healthy. Grade: 4

Justin: This is definitely one of the best PPV I-C Title matches in history, as these two guys just had a great chemistry together. Perfect was always awesome at selling, but he goes balls to the wall here, as he knew he was done for a while after the match. The crowd is hot here and is dying to see Bret take home his first singles title. Thinking back, I believe this is another match that was quite an upset at the time, but in retrospect it was quite obvious. Bret had just become a singles wrestler, and Perfect had held the strap for 9 months, so it wasn’t a real foregone conclusion heading into the match the Bret would be victorious. This is a really, really good match that put Bret on the map as a singles star and solidified Hennig as one of the all-time greats as well. The main story of the match is Perfect’s singles experience versus Hart, who was fairly new to singles matches on a regular basis. Perfect dominates a majority of the match, and doesn’t really lose control until the final minute, when Perfect drops one too many legs to the lower abdomen of the Hitman, and Bret is able to lock in the Sharpshooter. Just to show how much pain Perfect must have been in, just watch how he basically submits before the hold is even locked in. It is amazing that he was able to go out there and wrestle a match like this knowing the shape he was in. It was a classy showing by a classy guy, and he pretty much made Bret a star in one night. Bret celebrating with his family not only added a special importance to the match, but was also good foreshadowing, as the Hart family would play a pivotal role in a lot of Bret’s future stories. Great effort all around…even by the Coach at ringside!!! Grade: 4

3) The Natural Disasters defeat the Bushwhackers when Earthquake (John Tenta) pinned Luke (Luke Williams) with the Earthquake at 6:26

Fun Fact: This would be the last PPV appearance for the great Andre the Giant. He would second the Bushwhackers to the ring. Andre would die of a heart attack on January 27, 1993 in his native France.

Fun Fact II: The Natural Disasters formed on the 6/5 Superstars. Tugboat was teaming up with the Bushwhackers in a six man tag match against Earthquake and the Nasty Boys. Mid-way through the match, Tugboat turned on his teammates and helped Earthquake pin Luke. Then on the 6/17 Prime Time Wrestling, Jimmy Hart introduced Earthquake’s new teammate: Typhoon.

Fun Fact III: Earthquake had a very busy middle of 1991. On the 4/27 Superstars, Earthquake was facing off with Jake Roberts. Halfway through the match, Quake tied Jake in the ropes, dragged the bag with Damien into the middle of the ring and crushed him with a series of Earthquake splashes. Jake was devastated and that moment could be the main one to point to when Jake would have a change of heart later in the summer. Earthquake’s destruction, however, did not end there. During the spring and early summer, rumors were swirling of an impending return for Andre the Giant, and Andre had been entertaining offers from various managers to manage him when he made his return to wrestling. On the 6/1 episode of Superstars, Jimmy Hart made his pitch to the Giant, but Andre rejected him. Earthquake then pounced, took Andre down and destroyed his knee with a series of elbow drops. As a result of both of these attacks, the original planned match for this show, according to WWF Magazine was indeed Jake Roberts & Andre the Giant vs. the Natural Disasters. Whether or not that was the plan and it changed or it was just printed to mislead fans, it was a match that could have been intriguing on many levels. Alas, the match was changed to this one here, and Andre is in the corner of the Bushwhackers for his final moment in the WWF sun.

Scott: The debut of a new heel tag team is a squash against a fading face team. The Bushwhackers were never a favorite of mine, but they did have some entertaining moments. Here they are mere fodder for Earthquake in his new role and tights, and the former Tugboat Thomas. Now Typhoon, he and Quake combine to form one of the biggest teams in recent years. Quality-wise, you weren’t expecting much from anybody in this ring, so I went in not expecting much. They do tease future issues as after the match, Legion of Doom come in to prevent the Disasters from inflicting post-match damage to the Bushwhackers. The only other note is the farewell of the 8th wonder of the world. Andre the Giant has given us many great moments in wrestling, including main eventing the biggest event ever to that point, Wrestlemania III. It was evident; however, that Andre was losing the battle with his body. Hobbling around on crutches, he couldn’t hold his own weight. Within 18 months, he was dead. The first WWF Hall of Famer, one of the WWF’s greatest contributors and ambassadors. Grade: 1.5

Justin: Nothing much here except a solid win for the hot new heel team on the block. The Bushwhackers were looking for revenge on their former ally, Tugboat, but it just wasn’t in the cards. Hooking up Tugboat and Earthquake was a pretty good move, as Tugboat was fairly useless in his role, and Earthquake was sliding don the singles heel ladder. This move instantly rejuvenated both of them and also created a fresh tag team in the process. Aside from this match, I just want to mention something, because it plays a role later in the show too. At this point, Vince had so much going on storyline wise, he desperately needed another PPV between Wrestlemania and Summerslam to polish off lingering feuds that didn’t have the legs to make it between shows OR to end feuds that had no right lasting that long. In this situation, Earthquake had a hot feud going with Jake Roberts over the summer, but because there was no major show at that point, the two never had, what could have been, a big money matchup. We get an example from column B later on, but I just wanted to throw that out there now. Anyway, as far as the match goes, there isn’t much to see here, really, other than a final memory for the biggest legend in history: Andre the Giant. Grade: 1

**Bobby Heenan knocked on Hulk Hogan’s dressing room. When the door opens (you don’t actually see Hogan do it) he held up a gold belt and proclaimed that Ric Flair would defeat Hogan one on one and Flair was the “Real World Heavyweight Champion”. The door was slammed in Bobby’s face and he was humiliated, but that wasn’t the point. This was no random anonymous belt. This was the REAL NWA World Heavyweight Championship belt. It was official. Ric Flair was coming to the World Wrestling Federation. Heenan had shown the belt off on an episode of Prime Time Wrestling a couple of weeks before Summerslam. We will have more on this situation and Flair himself in our next review. **

4) Virgil (Mike Jones) defeats Ted DiBiase to win the Million Dollar Belt when he drills DiBiase’s head into an exposed turnbuckle at 10:53

Scott: After a plodding first match at Wrestlemania that ended in a schmozz, this time the Million Dollar Title was on the line. One of the things that made this match so important was that the fans really got behind Virgil. The entire summer leading up to the match, fans were treated to vignettes of Virgil and Roddy Piper training and preparing for the match. The fans really wanted to see Ted DiBiase get his, which is a testament to how great a heel he was. The match had a much better flow than the first one, as Virgil really had a grasp of what his role was as the underdog face. Add to that the commentary of Piper, begging for Virgil to get the best of his former master. The crowd was devastated at first. Sensational Sherri came in and hit Virgil to force a disqualification. The referee decided not to allow that. He bans Sherri from ringside, and allows the match to continue. The climax of this match brought the house down. DiBiase is baiting Piper from the ring, while dropping move after move on Virgil. He goes to a corner and takes the turnbuckle pad off, exposing the steel ring. He attempts to ram Virgil’s head into it, but Virgil reverses it and drives DiBiase’s head into the steel. With all the strength he could muster, he gets on top of DiBiase and gets the 3-count. The crowd goes wild as Virgil celebrates being the first person to officially win the Million Dollar Belt from DiBiase. This would be Virgil’s crowning moment in the WWF. Piper would be exasperated, but proud of his friend. A pretty good match and a great ending to boot. Grade: 3

Justin: Man, talk about coming a long way from their Wrestlemania match, as this one shat all over that outing. The crowd is pumped and is rabid for some Virgil Revenge. Piper does an awesome job here and is Jesse-esque in helping to carry this match. I love DiBiase’s taunting of Piper every time he did a move to Virgil, and Piper’s reactions are dead on, as he watched over Virgil like a father over a son. I guess they had to book Wrestlemania the way they did to get to this point, as they couldn’t have Virgil pin him twice in a row and they didn’t want to give Virgil the HUGE win at that show, as it would have been lost in the shuffle. A really good match with a HOT ending, and an unbelievable pop for Virgil at the end, even the crowd was PISSED when they did the Dusty Finish half way through. DiBiase would sort of flounder after this loss and would float aimlessly until receiving another shot of fresh energy in the New Year. Virgil, on the other hand, would hang around for a while but would never have a moment like this one again. This is a really fun match that keeps this hot show rolling along. Grade: 3

5) Big Boss Man (Ray Traylor) defeats the Mountie (Jacques Rougeau) in a “Jailhouse” match with a Spinebuster at 8:38

Scott: This match of law enforcement officers could have been considered a main event in some venues. The Boss Man was so over right now that his pops were close to Hogan’s and Warrior’s. Mountie was winning cheap matches on the house show circuit against Boss Man using the Cattle Prod. Boss Man would have nothing of it on the big stage. After bad-mouthing the NYPD that was waiting backstage to take the loser to jail earlier in the show, the Mountie was waiting to get his from the Cobb County Corrections officer. The psychology was great, as the Mountie was getting the crowd going, and Boss Man was laying out Mountie with a cache of punches and power moves. Finally Boss Man finishes him off with a stiff Spinebuster, and the Mountie was heading off to the pokey. The rest of the show is spent with Mountie crying like a little baby while getting photographed, fingerprinted, and put in the cell. A nice “man” asks the Mountie if he likes the feel of leather on your body. Although the match itself was mostly punching and posturing, the crowd really doesn’t care as this was a great comedy and a big win for the Big Boss Man. Grade: 2

Justin: As soon as the Mountie debuted at the beginning of the year, this seemed like a tailor made feud between the WWF’s two main law enforcement figures. The feud throughout the summer was pretty solid and, as usual for Boss Man, the blowoff is just as strong as the feud itself. He has had a hell of a run as face and has never once lost his crowd support. His in ring skills have also improved quite a bit and as the months wore on he got into better shape and was able to work a faster pace when need be. His Alabama Slam-style Spinebuster at the end of the match is pretty sick as you can feel how spine-jarring it was by just watching it. As Scott said, the highlight of this feud and match is actually the aftermath, as we see numerous skits of the Mountie getting sent to jail for the night, and that just caps off another good match with a continuously hot crowd that keeps the show going at a fun, frantic pace. “You want the finger? Here’s the finger!” Grade: 2.5

6) The Legion of Doom defeat the Nasty Boys in a No Disqualification match to win WWF Tag Team Titles when Animal (Joe Laurinatis) pins Jerry Sags (Jerry Sagonovich) with the Doomsday Device at 7:46

Fun Fact: Just to reference the “trifecta”, The Road Warriors defeated Baron Von Raschke & the Crusher to win the AWA Tag Team titles on August 25, 1984. They defeated The Midnight Express to win the NWA Tag Team Titles on October 29, 1988.

Scott: The moment has finally arrived for the greatest tag team in wrestling history. Making their arrival 1 year earlier in helping the Hart Foundation win the tag straps, they make history as the first team in the modern era to win the AWA, NWA and WWF tag team championships. The Nasty Boys were just simply a transition team that was laid out there for the LOD to take out. The Nasties were good champions, cheating their way to wins throughout the summer. Making it a no DQ match was a smart idea, as obviously these 4 men aren’t technical marvels. It particularly hides the inadequacies of Sags and Knobbs, who other than a headlock here and a body slam there don’t know much else. So a cache of weapons and objects around the ring, along with a lot of brawling outside the ring made this a fun match to watch. The Nasties are probably one of the most underrated brawlers in tag team history. They had met their match in Hawk and Animal, who are pretty good brawlers themselves. The crowd was rabid (they were all night long), and the mayhem this match contained made for an entertaining affair. The highest the LOD would get in the WWF during their tenure. The Nasties were champs, and won’t sniff the titles again. Grade: 3

Justin: The Nasties’ lame duck title run comes to a crashing halt here, as the Warriors decimate them to take home the straps. I never understood why this was a “No DQ/No Count-out” Match, as they never take advantage of that stipulation. I mean, the match was a solid brawl as it was, but it could have been really memorable if they took it further, as both teams were known for being downright nasty in street fight matches. What dumbfounds me the most is that the two teams still tagged in and out instead of just having a tornado style brawl. In the end it wasn’t a big deal, but it could have made LOD’s big win that much more fun and better. Anyway, the Warriors get a pretty big pop at the end as they finally complete the Tag Team Wrestling Triple Crown. The Nasties had a solid run with the straps over the summer, but unlike the upset earlier in the night, the outcome of this title bout was never really in doubt. The LOD now stand alone on top of the tag team world, having outlasted all the WWF’s premier teams of the late 80’s and 1990. Would their dominance last for long? We shall find out very soon. Grade: 2.5

7) Irwin R. Schyster (Mike Rotundo) defeats Greg Valentine (John Wisniski, Jr.) with a small package at 7:09

Fun Fact: Irwin R. Schyster is a re-packaged Mike Rotundo, who’s making his first PPV appearance since the first Wrestlemania. Rotundo had been in NWA/WCW as a member of the Varsity Club and in other…interesting…roles.

Fun Fact II: Greg Valentine’s final PPV record is 4-16. He was 0-5 at the Royal Rumble, 2-5 at Wrestlemania, 0-2 at Summerslam and 2-2 at Survivor Series.

Scott: A return for a good Vince McMahon soldier. IRS comes in with his shirt, tie, and briefcase talking about tax cheats and punishment. He wins his re-debut against a fading Greg Valentine, who’s becoming mid-card filler at this stage of his career. Doesn’t mean he brings a bad match anymore, as this is a solid 7-minute affair. IRS begins a lucrative career in his role with a win here. Grade: 2.5

Justin: A fun little match that sneaks in towards the end of the show. The build up for IRS’ debut was pretty solid, as we saw weeks of vignettes building him up. Rotundo was always a great wrestler, and he finally had a pretty decent gimmick to go along with it. He starts a great run at this show. Now, as one man’s run starts, another comes to a quiet end. Greg Valentine has been one of the most reliable and entertaining mid card wrestlers of the past 6 years, but his time in the sun has come to finish. After a failed face run, Valentine is finally faded out of the picture, but, as a true pro always does, he puts over a newcomer clean in the middle of the ring. Valentine was a force to reckon with in pre PPV era, and forged himself a nice niche in the Hart Family as time went on. Valentine does pop up a couple more times, as he is in the 1992 and 1994 Rumbles and he wrestles once under a mask at Survivor Series 1993. Other than that, we now bid adieu to the Hammer. Grade: 2

8) Hulk Hogan (Terry Bollea) and the Ultimate Warrior (Warrior Warrior) defeat Sergeant Slaughter (Robert Remus), General Adnan (Adnan Kaissie) and Colonel Mustafa (Khosrow Vaziri) when Hogan pins Slaughter with a leg drop at 12:39

Fun Fact: The special referee for this one is a big debut. Sid Justice is more well-known in wrestling circles as Sid Vicious. Named after the former bassist for the Sex Pistols, Vicious is a cult favorite among fans. He spent most of his early career in Alabama and Memphis as “Lord Humongous” in the House of Humperdink. He then went to NWA/WCW and was in a tag team called the Skyscrapers with Dan Spivey. His claim to fame at this point was almost breaking Brian Pillman’s neck in a War Games match earlier in the year. The big storyline heading into the match was whose side Sid would be on.

Fun Fact II: The Iron Sheik returned over the summer as Colonel Mustafa and joined up with Slaughter and Adnan to form the Triangle of Terror.

Scott: This main event has quite a bit of flaws. For one thing, the Gulf War has been over since March. That means that no one gives a crap about Iraqi sympathizers anymore. So the relevancy of this match leaves a lot to be desired. This Hogan/Slaughter feud was really stale by then, so the reality was no one cared. On top of the fact that the workrate in this ring is about average, and you have the recipe for a grade-A snore-fest. The announcers are trying to pump up the “What side is Sid on” factor, but that wasn’t doing it. Frankly Sid was doing a pretty good job keeping law and order. Other than the commentary, which attempted to keep the match entertaining, that match wasn’t much. On top of all that, we have a very odd ending. Chaos was ensuing outside, and suddenly Warrior grabs a chair and chases Adnan and Mustafa to the back. Hogan drops the leg on Slaughter and the match was over. Hogan is posing in the ring, and then he brings Sid Justice out and they pose together. Is someone conspicuous by his absence? The Ultimate Warrior chased off the other two points of the triangle, and never came out. It has since come out that Warrior and Vince had a difference of opinion over money issues, and Warrior left the WWF. He wouldn’t return for almost 8 months. Hogan is back in charge, and the real life-driven storyline of Sergeant Slaughter is over. Grade: 2

Justin: Man, what a stupid Main Event and booking decision this one was. They took a great, red hot show and capped it off with a shit match that had a forced, non existent storyline. This match is my prime example and defense for Vince as to why he HAD to add a PPV in June. The Hogan-Slaughter feud was dead in the water at this point and Warrior was thrown in for shits and giggles. Not to mention dragging the Iron Sheik out of the Cryogenic Freeze box he was in to insert his heatless ass into a feud 5 years after he meant anything in wrestling. And then changing his damn name to boot! The only thing that was worth anything about him by that point was his fucking name value and they didn’t even keep it. Feuds were dragged on way longer than they needed to be, and some feuds (like Jake/Earthquake and Warrior/Undertaker) never saw a major PPV blow off because it was too long between shows. Like the heel team had any fucking chance of winning here, and Sarge was no longer even a remote threat for the title. It was just a clusterfuck jerk-fest for Hogan. They could have easily done Warrior vs. Hogan again, Warrior vs. Undertaker, Warrior/Hogan vs. Jake/Undertaker, Hogan vs. Jake…anything imaginative or different. God, I guess even a WM rematch with Hogan-Slaughter would have been more entertaining or interesting, as it would have at least been for the title. There was just no curiosity heading into this match…it was obvious who was going to win, so why even have it? What a waste and a poor ending to what COULD have been one of the best, if not the best Summerslam ever if it would have had a really good, memorable main event. Grade: 2 (And that is being generous)

**The storyline wedding of Randy Savage and Elizabeth takes place. In reality they’ve been married since 1985. It was quaint, and cute. The real storyline came at the reception that took place after. Let’s backtrack. Over the summer The Ultimate Warrior was feuding with The Undertaker. Jake Roberts said he would train Warrior to not be afraid of Taker or caskets. So classic vignettes played of Warrior locked in a casket, digging a grave, and locked in a chamber of cobras. In the end Taker and Roberts were in cahoots all along, and Jake officially turned heel for the first time since he arrived in the WWF in 1986. Since Warrior just ran off into the sunset, Jake and Taker needed someone else to torture. So while Elizabeth is opening wedding gifts, she opens a gift and a large cobra pops out of it. Elizabeth screams and mayhem ensues. All of a sudden, Taker and Roberts crash the party. Taker knocks Savage cold with the urn, and Elizabeth is tortured as Roberts waves the cobra right in front of her. Sid Justice eventually comes out to chase them off. In one fell swoop, Jake Roberts goes from a very over face, to an absolutely awesome psychotic heel. Taker’s aura continues to grow. Maybe Savage’s retirement is short-term after all. This feud only gets better. **

FINAL ANALYSIS:

Scott: The run of great shows continues with a great Summerslam. Except for the main event, every match was well-constructed, well-wrestled, told a good story, and had a logical ending. We saw the beginning of a great career as Bret Hart wins his first singles title. We see the legacy of the Legion of Doom cemented as they complete the trifecta of major tag team championships. We see Virgil crawl out from under the thumb of Ted DiBiase. In general, we saw great, compelling stories. Sure the main event was an outdated dog, and Ultimate Warrior ran off to the wild blue yonder. At least the right team won and one of my favorite guys (Sid) celebrates with Hogan at the end. As for the wedding, it was cute. However it was completely overshadowed by the awesome heel Jake Roberts and the sinister, yet equally awesome Undertaker. The main event’s ineptitude stops this from a perfect grade, but it’s definitely one of my 5 favorite shows of all time. The year in wrestling 1991 is red hot with great storylines and great characters, and we’re far from over yet. One HUGE debut in September turns the WWF upside down, and for the better. MUCH better. Final Grade: A-

Justin: I pretty much said everything I wanted to in the comments on the main event. This show was cruising along with hot finishes, title changes and big blow-offs, but a lot of it gets washed away by the shoddy main event. I know they had done big tag main events before at Summerslam, but at least those had solid storylines and interesting participants. The Triangle of Terror was old news at this point, and lived way past its effectiveness. That was a Saturday Night’s Main Event…uhh…Main Event, not a Summerslam Main Event. It’s isn’t even THAT offensive…it is just so annoying knowing the potential this show could have had if it had a super hot main event to cap it off. I am really glad Vince tossed in that June PPV, as more feuds could end (and blow-offs could happen) as opposed to so many feuds either dying prematurely with no ending, or feuds being dragged on too long so they could have a blow-off. Also, where the hell were the Rockers? They were heading towards a major storyline and had been red hot in the ring, but they are no where to be found at one of the biggest shows of the year. I’m really curious why Vince left Jake, Undertaker and the Rockers off of this show, as they were 4 of his biggest stars at this point. Anyway, this event is still really good, and is definitely in the top 5 Summerslams, but it could have been so much more if the last match had more zip to it. Grade: A-

MVP: Bret Hart
Runner Up: Bobby Heenan/Virgil
Non MVP: Match Made in Hell
Runner Up: Undertaker, Rockers, Jake Roberts (left off the show)

All Time PPV Active-Wrestler Roster

Tito Santana
Buddy Rose
“Special Delivery” Jones
King Kong Bundy
Ricky Steamboat
Matt Borne
Brutus Beefcake
David Sammartino
Greg Valentine
Junkyard Dog
Barry Windham
Mike Rotundo
Iron Sheik
Nikolai Volkoff
Andre the Giant
Big John Studd
Leilani Kai
Wendi Richter
Paul Orndorff
Roddy Piper
Mr. T
Hulk Hogan
Don Muraco
Randy Savage
George Steele
George Wells
Jake Roberts
Fabulous Moolah
Velvet McIntyre
Corporal Kirschner
Ted Arcidi
Tony Atlas
Brian Blair
Jim Brunzell
Bret Hart
Jim Neidhart
Hillbilly Jim
King Tonga (Haku)
Pedro Morales
Bruno Sammartino
Danny Spivey
Jim Covert
Russ Francis
Bill Fralic
Ernie Holmes
Harvey Martin
William Perry
Davey Boy Smith
Dynamite Kid
Hercules
Uncle Elmer
Adrian Adonis
Terry Funk
Dory Funk, Jr.
Rick Martel
Tom Zenk
Bob Orton
Billy Jack Haynes
Hillbilly Jim
Haiti Kid
Little Beaver
Lord Littlebrook
Little Tokyo
Harley Race
Jacques Rougeau
Raymond Rougeau
Danny Davis
Butch Reed
Koko B. Ware
Honky Tonk Man
Jim Duggan
Ron Bass
Judy Martin
Dawn Marie
Donna Christanello
Sherri Martel
Noriyoi Tateno
Itsuki Yamazaki
Rockin’ Robin
Ax
Smash
Tama
Boris Zhukov
Jim Powers
Paul Roma
One Man Gang
Rick Rude
Ken Patera
Bam Bam Bigelow
Ultimate Warrior
Sam Houston
Sika
Bobby Heenan
Barbarian
Warlord
Big Boss Man
Marty Jannetty
Shawn Michaels
Arn Anderson
Tully Blanchard
Conquistador Uno
Conquistador Dos
Blue Blazer
Mr. Perfect
Scott Casey
Akeem
Red Rooster
Rockin Robin
Ronnie Garvin
Bushwhacker Butch
Bushwhacker Luke
Mr. Fuji
Dusty Rhodes
Jimmy Snuka
Zeus
Earthquake
The Genius
Sapphire
Sato
Tanaka
Kerry Von Erich
Crush
Hawk
Animal
Undertaker
Tugboat/Typhoon
Sgt. Slaughter
Kato
Mountie
Virgil
Dustin Rhodes
Shane Douglas
Brian Knobbs
Jerry Sags
Genichiro Tenryu
Koji Kitao
General Adnan
Irwin R. Schyster

PPV Rest in Peace List

“Playboy” Buddy Rose
“Special Delivery” Jones (Wrestlemania I)
Uncle Elmer (Wrestlemania II)
Adrian Adonis (Wrestlemania III)
Haiti Kid (Wrestlemania III)
Little Beaver (Wrestlemania III)
Junkyard Dog (Summerslam 1988)
Big John Studd (Wrestlemania V)
Sapphire (Summerslam 1990)
Dino Bravo (Wrestlemania VII)
Andre the Giant (Summerslam 1991)

Next Review: 1991 Survivor Series