World Wrestling Federation presents Prime Time Wrestling
Date: 11/16/1992
From: Various Locations
Matches:
1.) High Energy defeated Beverly Brothers by disqualification
2.) Max Moon defeated Dale Wolfe
3.) Terry Taylor fought Lance Cassidy to a ten minute time limit draw
4.) Big Bossman fought Rick Martel to a double disqualification
5.) Tito Santana defeated Damien Demento by disqualification
Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) Vince McMahon, Jim Duggan, Hillbilly Jim, Bobby Heenan and Mr. Perfect are on the panel this week. McMahon quickly reveals that the Ultimate Warrior will not be at Survivor Series to team up with Randy Savage. Savage must now find a new tag team partner for the PPV. Randy Savage joins the show via satellite. Savage has only 24-hours to pick a new tag partner. Savage has a name he has to throw out there. Heenan jokes that Savage should get George Bush since he doesn’t have a job anymore. Heenan doesn’t think Savage could possibly find a new partner within twenty-four hours. Savage wonders if his choice has the guys to be his partner. Savage doesn’t even like the guy, which Heenan thinks is silly. Savage is going to take a chance. Savage notes they’ve never wrestled and they don’t know who would win between them. Savage says the man knows his opponents better than him. Savage reveals he’s selected Mr. Perfect as his partner! Perfect chuckles at the thought of being Savage’s partner. Heenan is laughing, as well. Heenan says Perfect knows more about Ric Flair than anyone else. Savage notes that Heenan knows Perfect can get it done. Savage thinks Perfect is being held back by Heenan. Savage says Perfect can refuse his offer and make him look bad. Savage wants Perfect to simply tell the world he can’t handle the offer. Heenan laughs off the notion that Perfect would be Savage’s partner for Survivor Series.
2.) Beau and Owen kickoff the tag match with Owen taunting Beau by calling him a chicken. Owen slaps Beau across the face and hits an arm drag to keep arm control on the mat. Owen wraps Beau’s arm over the top rope and keeps arm control for a moment. Beau counters, but Owen kips up only to be met with a few right hands. Owen avoids an axe handle and dropkicks Beau followed by an arm drag to send Beau reeling to the floor. Beau regroups in his corner where Blake tags into the bout. Blake struts to taunt the fans. Blake slaps Koko and runs around the ring allowing Beau to deck Owen from behind. Blake controls Owen with a test of strength. Blake knee lifts Owen and takes Owen down to the mat. Owen bridges up and springboards off the ropes to hip toss Blake. Blake stops Owen with a strike and a headbutt. Blake misses a splash in the corner. Owen monkey flips Blake out of the corner. Koko tags into the match and taunts Blake. Koko headbutts Blake, but Blake bails to the apron to regroup. Koko slingshots Blake into the ring from the apron. Koko leg drops Blake on the lower midsection. Beau knee lifts Koko from the apron. Blake drives Koko down with a backbreaker. Beau axe handles Koko over the back. Beau splashes Koko over the back as the show goes to commercial.
Koko hits a middle rope crossbody, but the referee is distracted by Blake on the apron. Blake enters the match and axe handles Koko over the back from the middle rope. Blake puts a bearhug on Koko. Koko is sent hard into the corner by the Beverly’s. Beau puts a bearhug on Koko in the middle of the ring. Koko breaks free, but Beau strikes Koko several times. Koko runs the ropes and they collide with a double clothesline. Blake tags in and Owen gets the hot tag. Owen dropkicks both Blake and Beau. Owen rams the brothers into each other. Owen rams Blake face first onto the top turnbuckle several times. Owen bulldogs Blake out of the corner, but Beau makes the save. Koko goes after Beau distracting the referee. Beau grabs The Genius scroll and whacks Owen to cause a disqualification. After the match, Koko is double teamed. Koko clotheslines Blake as Owen pulls Beau to the floor. Beau clotheslines the ring post to end the segment. (**. A decent TV match. I’m a bit confused as to why the Beverly’s wouldn’t cleanly win here since they are involved in a PPV match with the tag champs, former tag champs and the number one contenders. Beverly’s probably needed a statement win heading into the PPV on TV.)
3.) Special Report hosted by Lord Alfred Hayes is up next. Hayes focuses on the Undertaker and the coffin match against Kamala at Survivor Series. We hear from Harvey Wippleman who says he’s seen Undertaker making the special coffin. Wippleman is confident that Kamala is going to stuff Undertaker into the coffin.
4.) Moon picks up the win following a twisting crossbody off the top rope.
5.) The panel continue to talk about the Randy Savage offer with Heenan joking Savage could have two managers as his partner. The phone rings and Mr. Perfect is given the phone. Perfect is interested in what he’s hearing. Heenan asks who is talking to Perfect. Perfect isn’t telling Heenan who he’s talking to. Perfect says he’ll think about the offer. McMahon thinks Heenan has done a great job keeping Perfect on the sidelines. Perfect is thinking about what McMahon is saying and thinks Flair is a glory hound. Heenan tells Perfect he’s a great broadcaster. Perfect asks if he’s still the greatest wrestler, and Heenan assures Perfect that he is. Heenan notes that Perfect is a consultant now and guided Perfect to the WWF World Championship. McMahon claims Heenan takes credit for Flair winning the WWF World Championship. Heenan denies taking full credit for Flair winning the title. McMahon thinks Heenan prevented Perfect from challenging Flair by keeping him on their side. Perfect appears to be thinking about what is being said.
6.) Footage from SNME is shown where Shawn Michaels won the WWF Intercontinental Championship defeating the British Bulldog.
7.) The panel continue to discuss the situation where Savage is trying to recruit Mr. Perfect. Heenan is getting a little nervous and thinks Savage is trying to cause problems among them.
8.) Ric Flair and Razor Ramon join the show via satellite from Charlotte, North Carolina. Ramon heard what Savage said and wants Perfect to forget about Savage and says Perfect works for them. Ramon notes Perfect use to be someone, but they work for them now. Flair chimes in and says they are the best unit in wrestling as he does the wrestling and Perfect does the consulting. Flair tells Heenan that he didn’t call earlier. Heenan wants to know who called earlier. McMahon notes that there’s been discussion that Perfect and Flair have been living in the others shadows. Flair says he’s the best wrestler on Earth today. Flair believes Savage has ran out of time and hope. Hillbilly Jim chimes in asking if Perfect is just a manager. Ramon credits Perfect as a great manager and he’s one of the bad guys. Perfect says Flair isn’t a better wrestler than him. Flair laughs at that statement. Heenan says Flair does the wrestling and Perfect does the consulting. Heenan doesn’t think that it matters who walks in front. Perfect believes he’s a better wrestler than Ramon.
9.) Cassidy arm drags Taylor to start the match and they have a standoff. Taylor arm drags Cassidy and taunts him for a moment. Taylor puts a hammerlock on Cassidy, but Cassidy counters. Cassidy elbows Taylor and Taylor argues with the referee regarding the shot. Cassidy elbows Taylor again and gains control with a hammerlock. Cassidy hip tosses and arm drags Taylor several times. Cassidy keeps Taylor on the mat with an arm bar. Taylor headbutts Cassidy and gains arm control. Cassidy arm drags Taylor and keeps an arm bar on Taylor. Cassidy arm drags Taylor and keeps control. Taylor shoulder rams Cassidy in the corner and rams Cassidy face first onto the top turnbuckle. Cassidy fights back with strikes in the corner, but misses a spear and hits the ring post. Taylor yanks on Cassidy’s arm and puts an arm bar on Cassidy, but fails to get a submission. Cassidy shoulder blocks Taylor, but gets dumped through the ropes to the floor. Cassidy slingshot sunset flips Taylor for a two count. Taylor decks Cassidy with a clothesline for a two count. Cassidy gets a two count with Thez Press, but Taylor quickly goes back to an arm bar. Cassidy almost wins with a rollup. Cassidy inside cradles Taylor for a two count. Cassidy yanks Taylor to the mat and both men are down. Cassidy strikes Taylor a few times and blocks a kick attempt. Cassidy atomic drops Taylor causing Taylor to beg off in the corner. Cassidy strikes Taylor and delivers a clothesline for a two count. Cassidy heads to the top rope hitting a flying crossbody. Taylor tried to roll through, but Cassidy rolls on top for a two count. Taylor plants Cassidy with a gut wrench sit down powerbomb, but the bell sounds meaning the match ends in a draw. After the match, Cassidy dropkicks Taylor from behind knocking Taylor to the floor. (*. A rather boring encounter between these two. It felt like a 1985 undercard house show match where nobody cared about these two. In some aspects WWF feels a bit more fresh, but then there’s instances such as this that makes the program feel outdated and dull. Taylor acting like a knockoff Flair isn’t doing him any favors and Cassidy didn’t do anything here to get the crowd behind him all that much.)
10.) The panel discuss the situation involving Mr. Perfect. McMahon thinks Perfect is seriously considering the offer. Perfect says he absolutely believes he’s the greatest wrestler in the world. Heenan says Flair is an active wrestler and a two-time champion. Heenan says there’s loyalty and believes Perfect wouldn’t go anywhere for even 20million dollars a day. Perfect says he doesn’t walk in anyone shadow. Heenan says they have a place and all have to take orders from Flair. Heenan is getting a bit flustered from all the banter about this idea of Perfect teaming with Savage. Heenan says there’s no reason for Perfect to get in the ring and he can give Perfect whatever he wants. McMahon asks if Perfect is afraid, but Perfect says he not afraid of any man. Perfect believes he can perfectly compete tomorrow in the ring if he needed to.
11.) Martel vs. Bossman is joined in progress as Bossman delivers a strike to avoid a backdrop attempt. Bossman keeps arm control as Martel tries to reach the ropes. Martel flips over to the mat as Bossman keeps control and messes with Martel’s hair. Bossman strikes Martel in the corner several times. Bossman misses a splash attempt in the corner. Martel kicks Bossman several times to the mat and kicks Bossman in the ribs. Martel knee drops Bossman on the ribs to maintain the advantage. Martel kicks Bossman in the corner followed by a knee lift to the midsection. Martel strikes Bossman in the midsection before heading to the top rope. Bossman stops Martel on the top rope and Martel crashes to the mat. Bossman delivers a flurry of strikes followed by an elbow strike. Bossman rams Martel into the corner a few times. Bossman body strikes Martel several times in the corner. Martel grabs his cologne, but Bossman grabs his nightstick and they have a standoff. The referee gets fed up and calls for the bell. Martel drops his cologne and bails to the floor. Bossman stomps on the cologne to break it. (1/2*. There wasn’t much to this and I guess neither man was going to do a job on TV as they have PPV matches to promote.)
12.) The panel continue to discuss the tag team match at Survivor Series between Flair & Ramon vs. Savage & whomever his partner will be now. Savage joins the show again via satellite and he’s not sure if he made a mistake putting pressure on Perfect. Savage wonders if Ramon scares Perfect and if Perfect is cold being in Flair’s shadow. Savage suggests that Heenan has Perfect under his thumb. Savage wonders if Perfect has the guts to be his partner. Perfect stands up and he tells Savage he’s not afraid of any man and could wrestle all three of them at once. Savage wonders if Perfect has what it takes to be his partner. Savage wants Perfect to have the guts. Perfect tells Heenan he’ll consider being Savage partner. Heenan tells Perfect there’s nothing to consider and Perfect says there’s a lot of money out there. Perfect and Heenan bicker as the show goes to commercial. Upon returning, Perfect and Heenan are still bickering. Ramon and Flair have joined the show again by satellite. Ramon tells Perfect to calm down and listen to them. Ramon reminds Perfect that he works for them. Ramon says Perfect has been sitting down for over a year and says Perfect was made by Flair and Heenan. Flair thinks this is a bad joke. Flair says Perfect is his baby and brought him along. Flair says Perfect is one of the boys, one of his boys. Flair wants Perfect to remain with them. Savage asks if Perfect has the guts. Savage tells Perfect to not be a baby for once in his life. Savage asks if Perfect is a man, or a baby. Savage needs commitment from a man, not a baby. Savage needs an answer as Perfect has less than a half-hour.
13.) Demento backs Santana against the ropes and cleanly backs off. Demento controls Santana with a top wrist lock. Santana counters with a hammerlock and Demento reaches the ropes to break the hold. The mysterious clown is seen in the crowd during the match. Demento strikes Santana several times. Demento misses a clothesline and Santana hits a crossbody for a two count. Santana controls Demento with a wrist lock. Demento strikes Santana several times in the corner. Demento misses a splash in the corner. Santana arm drags Demento and keeps arm control on the mat. Demento strikes Santana and delivers an elbow strike to the neck. Demento snapmares Santana followed by a leg drop for a two count. Demento controls Santana with a chin lock on the mat. Demento elbow strikes Santana and tries to ram Santana into the corner, but Santana counters and rams Demento into the corner several times. Santana strikes Demento and delivers a scoop slam. Santana dropkicks Demento followed by a flying forearm smash to send Demento to the floor. Demento shoulder rams Santana from the apron and tries for a cover with a handful of tights. The referee disqualifies Demento for cheating. (*. The finish is rather lame and I’m not sure if I like the direction in the WWF to focus on enforcing rules to this extreme and limit heels.)
14.) Back to the panel, Vince McMahon asks Perfect outright if he’s going to be Randy Savage’s partner. Heenan cuts in and tells Perfect that he’ll decide for him because Perfect is listening to Savage and isn’t being reasonable. Heenan is going to take charge and tells Perfect that he’s going to listen to Flair just like him. Perfect stands up and tells Heenan he’s sick and tired of people making decisions for him. Perfect accepts Savage’s offer. Heenan slaps Perfect! Heenan grabs Heenan by his collar and tells Heenan he’s going to be Savage’s partner at Survivor Series. Perfect tells Heenan he doesn’t touch him and thinks Heenan has been putting him on the back burner. Heenan gets down on his knees and tells Perfect that he’ll never do anything wrong ever again. Heenan begs on his knees as Perfect dumps water over Heenan’s head. Perfect declares that he’s back and chokes Heenan a little bit with his tie.
15.) A vignette promoting the returning Bam-Bam Bigelow is shown.
16.) Back to the panel, Bobby Heenan has left the table. Randy Savage says he has chills down his spine and knew Perfect is a man and would get out of the shadow of Flair. Savage says Perfect scored a touchdown by agreeing to be his partner.
17.) Razor Ramon and Ric Flair also join the show via satellite. Ramon can’t believe Perfect double crossed them and notes someone did that before and they aren’t there to talk about it. Flair is pissed because Perfect had the lifestyle and he gave Perfect everything. Flair is pissed about Perfect having a cocky smirk on his face. Flair calls Perfect by his real name, Hennig, and tells him he’s going to have to survive. Perfect says Ramon and Flair will not survive at Survivor Series. Perfect thinks Flair has been wanting to be him for a long time now. Perfect believes himself and Savage are the perfect team. Perfect says the last thing Flair hears from him is a WOOO. Flair flips out as the show goes off the air.
Final Thoughts:
A key episode of WWF Prime Time Wrestling as they have to completely pivot away from Warrior and in a last minute deal they shift Mr. Perfect to team with Randy Savage. I thought they effectively told a story as to why Perfect would jump ship and the heels played their role very well of trying to diminish Perfect as being just a manager. It’s a show long storyline and it is intriguing enough to maintain interest throughout. I wish there was better wrestling shown throughout the show, but I enjoyed the program thanks to the heavy focus on the top talents of Flair, Savage, Ramon, Perfect and Heenan.
Thanks for reading.