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SummerSlam (1992)
Encyclopedia
SummerSlam was the fifth annual SummerSlam
professional wrestling
pay-per-view
event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) (now WWE). It took place on August 29, 1992 at Wembley Stadium, London
, England
but was aired in the United States on August 31. The buildup to the pay-per-view consisted of feuds
scripted by the WWF's writers, and the matches that took place at the event had pre-determined outcomes that had been decided by the WWF.
The pay-per-view featured two main event matches. In the first, The Ultimate Warrior
challenged Randy Savage
for the WWF Championship
. The Warrior won the match by countout but did not win the title. In the other main event, The "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith
pinned Bret Hart
to win the WWF Intercontinental Championship
. The WWF Tag Team Championship was also defended, as The Natural Disasters
retained the championship belts in their match against the Beverly Brothers
. One of the heavily promoted matches on the undercard was between Shawn Michaels
and Rick Martel
. The match, which had a special stipulation that the wrestlers could not hit each other in the face, ended in a double countout.
The WWF considers the crowd to be the second largest live audience ever to attend a WWF/E event, with 80,355 in attendance; WrestleMania III
in 1987 is reported as having 93,173 fans in attendance. Some writers believe that the WWF inflated the attendance figure for WrestleMania III, however, and that SummerSlam 1992 had a larger crowd. Between ticket prices and merchandise sales, the WWF made over $3,650,000 in revenue. Reviews of the event are almost all positive, and the Smith-Hart match has been rated the best match in SummerSlam history.
. The WWF decided to move the event to Wembley Stadium in London, England due to the company's growing popularity and the possibility of increasing the revenue from the event. Although the writers' plans originally called for Shawn Michaels
to win the Intercontinental Championship from Bret Hart, the storyline was adjusted due to the change of venue. As a result, England native "The British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith was chosen to win the belt.
Accordingly, one of the main events was the Intercontinental Championship match between Bret Hart and Davey Boy Smith, brothers-in-law in real life. Smith was married to Diana Hart
, Bret's sister. On television broadcasts leading up to SummerSlam, interviews with Diana and her mother Helen portrayed the family as being torn apart by the upcoming match. Bruce Hart
publicly supported Smith, while Owen Hart
sided with his brother Bret. Diana stated that she did not know who she wanted to win the match, as she had close ties to both men. She ultimately stated that she simply hoped that neither wrestler would get hurt. Prior to the match, Smith was hospitalized with a legitimate staph infection
; despite the concerns about his health, he decided to wrestle the match as planned.
The other main event was a WWF Championship
match between the Ultimate Warrior
and Randy Savage
. The storyline between them began in August 1990, when Sensational Sherri, who was managing Savage, tried to arrange a match between Savage and the Warrior at SummerSlam 1990
. The Warrior refused to defend his WWF Championship against Savage, and he ripped up a contract that Sherri had given him. Later that month, he ripped Sherri's dress off after a match against Savage. They faced each other at house shows over the next six months, but Savage was unable to win the title. Savage then interfered in the title match at Royal Rumble 1991
, enabling Sgt. Slaughter
to win the title. To settle the rivalry, Savage and the Warrior agreed to face each other in a retirement match at WrestleMania VII
. The Warrior won the match, but Savage's former valet Miss Elizabeth
reunited with Savage after the match. Savage continued to wrestle for the WWF, but the feud with the Ultimate Warrior did not continue. The following year, the rivalry was rekindled when the Ultimate Warrior was granted a shot at the WWF Championship, which Savage had won from Ric Flair
at WrestleMania VIII
on April 5, 1992. Flair and his manager, Mr. Perfect
, were upset that Flair had not been granted a rematch. They decided to cause trouble between Savage and the Warrior, and Perfect announced on August 8, 1992 that he was negotiating with Savage, his former rival, to appear in his corner during the WWF Championship
match at SummerSlam. The following week, Perfect claimed that the Ultimate Warrior had also been seeking his services. Perfect announced his intention to appear in one man's corner but would not clarify which one. At the SummerSlam Spectacular, a show designed to promote the pay-per-view, Savage and the Warrior teamed up to face The Nasty Boys
. Perfect and Ric Flair
interfered in the match, but Savage and the Warrior chased them back to the locker room after the match.
Two tag team matches were also featured on the undercard. Money Inc.
(Ted DiBiase
and Irwin R. Schyster
) and the Legion of Doom
(Hawk
and Animal
) were feuding in 1992 over the WWF Tag Team Championship. The Legion of Doom held the championship belts until Hawk failed a drug test. As a result, the WWF suspended him and had the Legion of Doom drop the belts to Money Inc. Once Hawk's suspension ended, a rematch was scheduled to take place at SummerSlam. The match was first announced as a title match but Money Inc. lost the championship to The Natural Disasters
, transferring the title match status to another match.
Meanwhile, the Natural Disasters (Earthquake
and Typhoon
) and the Beverly Brothers
(Beau
and Blake
) had a rivalry dating back to a WWF television taping on June 30, 1992. Typhoon attacked The Genius
, who managed the Beverlys, while Earthquake brawled with both of the Beverlys. The match aired on WWF Prime Time Wrestling
on July 20; the same day that it aired, the Disasters won the WWF Tag Team Championship from Money Inc. As a result of this win, the title was on the line in the match at SummerSlam.
In addition to the title defenses, the event also featured a match between Shawn Michaels and Rick Martel
. Their rivalry focused on Martel's attempts to steal Michaels' valet Sensational Sherri
. During one of Michaels' matches televised on August 9, 1992, Martel came to ringside and winked at Sherri, who returned the gesture. At the SummerSlam Spectacular, Sherri came to the ring during one of Martel's matches and winked at him. Both Michaels and Martel were "heel
" wrestlers who bragged about their good looks, and Sherri had them agree not to hit each other in the face during their SummerSlam match.
Before the pay-per-view broadcast began, two matches were taped for later showings on WWF Prime Time Wrestling. The first match saw Papa Shango
defeat "El Matador" Tito Santana
by pinfall. In the other match, "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan
and The Bushwhackers
(Luke
and Butch
) defeated The Mountie
and The Nasty Boys
(Brian Knobbs
and Jerry Sags
) when Duggan pinned The Mountie.
In the opening match, the Legion of Doom (Hawk and Animal) faced Money Inc. (Ted DiBiase and Irwin R. Schyster). The Legion of Doom used their size and power to wear down their opponents in the opening minutes of the match. Money Inc. gained the advantage when Hawk missed a flying clothesline. Hawk tried to tag in his partner but was unable for several minutes because Money Inc. kept him away from the corner where Hawk was standing. Eventually, Hawk and Schyster hit each other at the same time. Hawk tagged Animal in, and the Legion of Doom attempted to perform the Doomsday device
, their signature move. Schyster stopped them, but Animal hit Schyster in retaliation, causing Schyster to run into DiBiase. Animal then powerslam
med DiBiase and pinned him to get the victory.
The second match of the broadcast featured Nailz
competing against Virgil
. Nailz spent the majority of the match choking Virgil. Virgil recovered several times and performed several offensive maneuvers, but Nailz always regained the advantage. Ultimately, Nailz won the match by performing a sleeper hold. After the match, he attacked Virgil with a nightstick
.
In the following match, competitors Shawn Michaels and Rick Martel were unable, due to a pre-match stipulation, to hit each other in the face. The two men exchanged holds but were both preoccupied with looking to ringside for approval from Sensational Sherri. Martel gained the advantage by throwing Michaels to the outside of the ring and attacking him there. When the two returned to the ring, they took turns attempting to pin their opponent, pulling down their opponent's wrestling tights to reveal their buttocks each time. Michaels then kicked Martel and tried to pin him, but the referee
stopped the three-count because Michaels' feet were on the ropes. Both wrestlers broke the pre-match stipulation by slapping each other in the face. Sherri pretended to faint, which drew the attention of both wrestlers. Michaels and Martel argued over who would carry Sherri backstage, with each man carrying her a few feet before being stopped by his opponent. Both wrestlers were counted out, but they continued to argue. Martel tried to revive Sherri by throwing water on her, but he hit Michaels as well. Michaels dropped Sherri and chased Martel backstage; upset at being left behind by both men, Sherri screamed and cried as she walked backstage.
The tag team championship match came next, which saw the Beverly Brothers (Beau and Blake) attack the Natural Disasters (Earthquake and Typhoon) before the bell. The Disasters used their size and strength to gain the advantage, but Earthquake accidentally performed an avalanche on Typhoon. The Beverlys controlled the match for several minutes, with Blake executing a splash and a front facelock. Typhoon recovered and clotheslined both opponents but was unable to tag in Earthquake. Later, Typhoon attempted to make the tag again, but Beau distracted Earthquake; while the referee's back was turned, The Beverlys' manager, The Genius
handed Blake a metal scroll, which Blake used to hit Typhoon. Typhoon recovered, however, and Earthquake entered the ring and controlled the remainder of the match. He performed a powerslam on Beau before pinning him with an Earthquake splash.
The following match, which was not shown on the telecast in the United Kingdom, was a squash match, as Repo Man was unable to perform many offensive maneuvers against Crush. Crush used his size advantage to perform a Gorilla press slam on Repo Man. Repo Man performed a back suplex, but Crush showed no sign that the move affected him. Crush continued to dominate the match with such moves as a belly to belly suplex. Repo Man eventually tried to attack Crush by jumping off the top rope, but Crush caught him and performed the Cranium Crunch to win the match by submission.
One of the two main event matches came next, as Randy Savage defended the WWF Championship against the Ultimate Warrior. Although Mr. Perfect had claimed that he would be in the corner of one of the competitors, he did not come to ringside for the beginning of the match. Savage and the Warrior traded the advantage back and forth, with Savage performing several clotheslines and punching his opponent and the Ultimate Warrior countering with atomic drops. Savage executed two double axe handles from the top rope, but the Warrior caught him when Savage attempted the move a third time. After the Warrior missed a move and fell outside the ring, Savage jumped from the top rope and performed another double axe handle. Once the wrestlers got back into the ring, Ric Flair and Mr. Perfect walked down the aisle and stood at ringside. The match continued as normal until Perfect reached into the ring and tripped Savage, who was running to gain momentum for a maneuver. The Ultimate Warrior accidentally threw Savage into referee Earl Hebner. As a result of the ref bump, Hebner was not able to make the three-count when Savage pinned the Warrior after performing a diving elbow drop. Perfect and Flair revived the Ultimate Warrior, only to attack him when he stood up. The Warrior recovered and attempted to execute a running splash, but Flair hit him with a chair. Savage saw the Warrior injured and realized that Flair and Perfect were causing trouble rather than trying to help either man. In retaliation, Savage jumped off the top rope to attack Flair, but Flair hit him in the leg with a chair. Savage was unable to get back into the ring, so the Ultimate Warrior won the match via countout. Flair and Perfect continued to attack Savage until the Warrior chased them away. Savage and the Ultimate Warrior then hugged and walked backstage together.
The world championship match was followed by a bout between the Undertaker and Kamala. Kamala, who was accompanied by his manager, Dr. Harvey Wippleman, and his handler, Kim Chee
, attacked the Undertaker before the match. The Undertaker blocked the attack and punched Kamala repeatedly before performing a chop from the top rope on his opponent. The Undertaker attempted the same move again, but Wippleman knocked the Undertaker off the rope. Kamala knocked the Undertaker outside the ring, where the Undertaker attacked Wippleman and Kim Chee. Back inside the ring, the Undertaker gained the advantage by executing a chokeslam
and a clothesline. When the Undertaker attempted to perform his signature move, the Tombstone Piledriver, Kim Chee ran into the ring and hit the Undertaker with a safari hat. As a result, Kamala was disqualified and the Undertaker won the match. Kamala kept on attacking and hit Undertaker with a series of splashes and seemingly left his opponent unconscious. When the Undertaker suddenly sat up, Kamala panicked and fled ringside.
The next match, which was taped for WWF Prime Time Wrestling rather than for broadcast as part of SummerSlam, saw Tatanka
defeat The Berzerker
by pinfall.
The event concluded with the second main event, a contest for the Intercontinental Championship between champion Bret Hart and challenger "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith, who was accompanied by boxer Lennox Lewis
. In the opening minutes, Hart used his technical wrestling abilities and Smith relied on his power advantage. Hart got control of the match with a reverse atomic drop and a Samoan drop. Smith came back with a monkey flip, but Hart regained the advantage with a bulldog and a plancha. Smith eventually recovered and tried to pin Hart with a back slide. Hart escaped the pin attempt and wore Smith down with sleeper holds. Smith gained the advantage, however, and used power moves to control the match, including a powerslam and a variety of suplex
es. Hart managed to place Smith in the Sharpshooter
, Hart's signature submission hold. Smith escaped the hold, however, and threw Hart against the ropes. While running back at Smith, Hart attempted a sunset flip. Smith countered the move and pinned Hart to win the Intercontinental Championship. Immediately after the match, Hart refused to shake Smith's hand. He soon changed his mind, however, and hugged Smith as well as Diana Hart, who was celebrating with her husband.
, igniting a feud between Savage and Ramon. After plans by WWF writers to turn the Ultimate Warrior against Savage were scrapped due to the Warrior's refusal, the two were scheduled to face Flair and Ramon at Survivor Series 1992. However, as the Warrior quit the promotion shortly before the match, his spot was surprisingly offered to Mr. Perfect, who accepted it in spite of Flair, thereby turning face
and initiating a feud with Flair which culminated in Flair leaving the WWF in early 1993.
Shawn Michaels, who had originally been booked to win the Intercontinental Championship from Bret Hart at SummerSlam, won the title from Davey Boy Smith on October 27 (the match would air on the November 14, 1992 edition of Saturday Night's Main Event). Michaels and Sherri continued their on-screen relationship after SummerSlam. Sherri claimed to have created the rivalry with Martel to test Michaels' love for her. Their relationship deteriorated, though when Michaels pulled Sherri in front of him to protect himself from an attack by his former tag team partner, Marty Jannetty
on the October 31 edition of WWF Superstars. This led to confrontations between Sherri and Michaels at Royal Rumble 1993 and WrestleMania IX.
The Undertaker continued to feud with Kamala and Harvey Wippleman. The two wrestlers faced each other again at Survivor Series 1992
in a coffin match, which the Undertaker won. Wippleman gained revenge by introducing Giant Gonzalez (and later Mr. Hughes
), with whom the Undertaker feuded through 1993.
Upset about the amount of his pay for appearing at SummerSlam, Kevin Wacholz (Nailz) confronted WWF owner Vince McMahon
after Survivor Series 1992. According to reports, he legitimately attacked McMahon. As a result, Nailz was fired from the WWF. He briefly appeared in rival promotion World Championship Wrestling
(WCW) as the Prisoner but was released after the WWF sued WCW because of The Prisoner's similarity to the Nailz character. The anger between Wacholz and McMahon spilled over into McMahon's 1994 trial, in which McMahon was accused of distributing steroid
s to wrestlers. Although Wacholz testified against McMahon, his statements, which included, "I hate Vince McMahon's guts" ultimately proved harmful to the prosecution's case.
, which is said to have attracted 93,173 fans. Some observers place the attendance for WrestleMania III closer to 78,000, however, which makes the crowd for SummerSlam 1992 arguably the biggest in WWF history (and the largest verified crowd in the history of the company).
The event has received positive reviews from a variety of sources. RD Reynolds has called it "a huge success". In particular, the Intercontinental Championship match has been called "one of the greatest matches of all time". Pro Wrestling Illustrated
named it the Match of the Year in the magazine's year-end issue, and WWE has called the match the greatest moment in SummerSlam history. Bret Hart has also named it as his favorite match of all time.
The WWF collected $2,200,000 in revenue from admissions, up from $445,000 the previous year. The company also sold $1,456,203 in merchandise at SummerSlam, which is the largest amount of merchandise revenue at a WWF event. The buyrate for the event was 1.5, down from 2.7 at SummerSlam 1991
but higher than the 1.3 buyrate at SummerSlam 1993
.
SummerSlam 1992 was released in VHS
format on September 24, 1992. In the United Kingdom, it was released on DVD
, packaged together with SummerSlam 1993, as part of the WWE Tagged Classics
line on October 3, 2005. The event is also included as part of WWE's SummerSlam Anthology boxed DVD set. The anthology was released on August 5, 2008 in North America and was released on October 6, 2008 in the United Kingdom.
SummerSlam
SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view event, produced annually in August by professional wrestling promotion WWE. The inaugural SummerSlam took place on August 29, 1988 at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York and was broadcast via pay-per-view, unlike the Royal Rumble of that...
professional wrestling
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
pay-per-view
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) (now WWE). It took place on August 29, 1992 at Wembley Stadium, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
but was aired in the United States on August 31. The buildup to the pay-per-view consisted of feuds
Feud (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling feud is a staged rivalry between multiple wrestlers or alliances of wrestlers. They are integrated into ongoing storylines, particularly in events which are televised...
scripted by the WWF's writers, and the matches that took place at the event had pre-determined outcomes that had been decided by the WWF.
The pay-per-view featured two main event matches. In the first, The Ultimate Warrior
Warrior (wrestler)
Also see Warrior .Warrior is an American retired professional wrestler who notably performed under the ring names The Ultimate Warrior and Warrior...
challenged Randy Savage
Randy Savage
Randall Mario Poffo , better known by his ring name "Macho Man" Randy Savage, was an American professional wrestler, best known for his time with the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling .Savage held twenty championships during his professional wrestling career and was a...
for the WWF Championship
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
. The Warrior won the match by countout but did not win the title. In the other main event, The "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith
Davey Boy Smith
Davey Boy Smith was a British professional wrestler, better known as "The British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith, who was born in Golborne in North West England, United Kingdom. Smith is known for his appearances with Stampede Wrestling, the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling...
pinned Bret Hart
Bret Hart
Bret Hart is a Canadian on-screen personality, writer, actor and Semi-retired professional wrestler. Like others in the Hart wrestling family, Hart has an amateur wrestling background, including wrestling at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal College...
to win the WWF Intercontinental Championship
WWE Intercontinental Championship
The WWE Intercontinental Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It is the original secondary title of the promotion. Currently, it is the secondary championship exclusive to the SmackDown brand...
. The WWF Tag Team Championship was also defended, as The Natural Disasters
The Natural Disasters
The Natural Disasters were a professional wrestling tag team composed of Earthquake and Typhoon who competed in the World Wrestling Federation between 1991 and 1993...
retained the championship belts in their match against the Beverly Brothers
Beverly Brothers
The Beverly Brothers were a professional wrestling tag team comprising Mike Enos and Wayne Bloom in the World Wrestling Federation. They were also known as The Destruction Crew in the American Wrestling Association and the Minnesota Wrecking Crew 2 in the National Wrestling Alliance...
. One of the heavily promoted matches on the undercard was between Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels
Michael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December...
and Rick Martel
Rick Martel
Richard Vigneault is a retired Canadian professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation between 1980 and 1995 under the ring name Rick Martel...
. The match, which had a special stipulation that the wrestlers could not hit each other in the face, ended in a double countout.
The WWF considers the crowd to be the second largest live audience ever to attend a WWF/E event, with 80,355 in attendance; WrestleMania III
WrestleMania III
WrestleMania III was the third annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . The event was held on March 29, 1987 at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan....
in 1987 is reported as having 93,173 fans in attendance. Some writers believe that the WWF inflated the attendance figure for WrestleMania III, however, and that SummerSlam 1992 had a larger crowd. Between ticket prices and merchandise sales, the WWF made over $3,650,000 in revenue. Reviews of the event are almost all positive, and the Smith-Hart match has been rated the best match in SummerSlam history.
Background
SummerSlam 1992 was originally intended to take place in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. The WWF decided to move the event to Wembley Stadium in London, England due to the company's growing popularity and the possibility of increasing the revenue from the event. Although the writers' plans originally called for Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels
Michael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December...
to win the Intercontinental Championship from Bret Hart, the storyline was adjusted due to the change of venue. As a result, England native "The British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith was chosen to win the belt.
Diana Hart
Diana Joyce Hart-Smith is the youngest daughter of Canadian wrestling promoter Stu Hart and now his youngest living child. She is also the former wife of wrestler "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith and mother of former WWE superstar David Hart Smith. She was also the 1997 Mrs...
, Bret's sister. On television broadcasts leading up to SummerSlam, interviews with Diana and her mother Helen portrayed the family as being torn apart by the upcoming match. Bruce Hart
Bruce Hart (wrestler)
Bruce Dennis Luis Hart is a retired Canadian professional wrestler. The second son of Stu Hart, Hart is a member of the large Hart wrestling family.Hart substitute teaches for the Calgary Board of Education.-Career:...
publicly supported Smith, while Owen Hart
Owen Hart
Owen James Hart was a Canadian professional and amateur wrestler who worked for several promotions including Stampede Wrestling, New Japan Pro Wrestling , World Championship Wrestling , and most notably, the World Wrestling Federation , where he wrestled under both his own name, and ring name The...
sided with his brother Bret. Diana stated that she did not know who she wanted to win the match, as she had close ties to both men. She ultimately stated that she simply hoped that neither wrestler would get hurt. Prior to the match, Smith was hospitalized with a legitimate staph infection
Staphylococcus
Staphylococcus is a genus of Gram-positive bacteria. Under the microscope they appear round , and form in grape-like clusters....
; despite the concerns about his health, he decided to wrestle the match as planned.
The other main event was a WWF Championship
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
match between the Ultimate Warrior
Warrior (wrestler)
Also see Warrior .Warrior is an American retired professional wrestler who notably performed under the ring names The Ultimate Warrior and Warrior...
and Randy Savage
Randy Savage
Randall Mario Poffo , better known by his ring name "Macho Man" Randy Savage, was an American professional wrestler, best known for his time with the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling .Savage held twenty championships during his professional wrestling career and was a...
. The storyline between them began in August 1990, when Sensational Sherri, who was managing Savage, tried to arrange a match between Savage and the Warrior at SummerSlam 1990
SummerSlam (1990)
SummerSlam was the third annual SummerSlam professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on August 27, 1990 at The Spectrum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The card featured ten televised matches, including two main events...
. The Warrior refused to defend his WWF Championship against Savage, and he ripped up a contract that Sherri had given him. Later that month, he ripped Sherri's dress off after a match against Savage. They faced each other at house shows over the next six months, but Savage was unable to win the title. Savage then interfered in the title match at Royal Rumble 1991
Royal Rumble (1991)
Royal Rumble was the fourth annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on January 19, 1991 at the Miami Arena in Miami, Florida....
, enabling Sgt. Slaughter
Sgt. Slaughter
Robert Remus , better known by his ring name Sgt. Slaughter, is an American former WWE personality and semi-retired professional wrestler. From the late 1970s to the early 1990s, Slaughter had success in the National Wrestling Alliance, American Wrestling Association, and World Wrestling...
to win the title. To settle the rivalry, Savage and the Warrior agreed to face each other in a retirement match at WrestleMania VII
WrestleMania VII
WrestleMania VII was the seventh annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on March 24, 1991 at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena in Los Angeles, California...
. The Warrior won the match, but Savage's former valet Miss Elizabeth
Miss Elizabeth
Elizabeth Ann Hulette , best known as Miss Elizabeth, was an American professional wrestling manager. She gained international fame from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s in the World Wrestling Federation, and the mid-1990s in World Championship Wrestling in her role as the manager to the late...
reunited with Savage after the match. Savage continued to wrestle for the WWF, but the feud with the Ultimate Warrior did not continue. The following year, the rivalry was rekindled when the Ultimate Warrior was granted a shot at the WWF Championship, which Savage had won from Ric Flair
Ric Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world....
at WrestleMania VIII
WrestleMania VIII
WrestleMania VIII was the eighth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on April 5, 1992 at the Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis, Indiana...
on April 5, 1992. Flair and his manager, Mr. Perfect
Curt Hennig
Curtis Michael "Curt" Hennig , also known by the ring name Mr. Perfect, was an American professional wrestler, manager and color commentator who worked for, among other promotions, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , the American Wrestling Association , World Championship Wrestling and the World...
, were upset that Flair had not been granted a rematch. They decided to cause trouble between Savage and the Warrior, and Perfect announced on August 8, 1992 that he was negotiating with Savage, his former rival, to appear in his corner during the WWF Championship
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
match at SummerSlam. The following week, Perfect claimed that the Ultimate Warrior had also been seeking his services. Perfect announced his intention to appear in one man's corner but would not clarify which one. At the SummerSlam Spectacular, a show designed to promote the pay-per-view, Savage and the Warrior teamed up to face The Nasty Boys
The Nasty Boys
The Nasty Boys are a professional wrestling tag team consisting of Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags, active from the mid to late 1980s and throughout the 1990s. Their gimmick was that of anti-social punks who specialized in hardcore wrestling and brawling...
. Perfect and Ric Flair
Ric Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world....
interfered in the match, but Savage and the Warrior chased them back to the locker room after the match.
Two tag team matches were also featured on the undercard. Money Inc.
Money Inc.
Money Inc. was a heel professional wrestling tag team in the World Wrestling Federation from February 1992 to August 1993. The team consisted of "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase and Irwin R. Schyster . They held the WWF Tag Team Championship three times, defeating the Legion of Doom, The Natural...
(Ted DiBiase
Ted DiBiase
Theodore Marvin "Ted" DiBiase, Sr. is a retired professional wrestler, manager, ordained minister and color commentator. DiBiase achieved championship success in a number of wrestling promotions, holding thirty titles during his professional wrestling career...
and Irwin R. Schyster
Mike Rotunda
Lawrence Michael "Mike" Rotunda is a former American professional wrestler, perhaps best known under the name Irwin R. Schyster or I.R.S. for short. He is currently signed with WWE working as a road agent and making occasional appearances on WWE shows as Irwin R...
) and the Legion of Doom
Road Warriors
The Road Warriors were a professional wrestling tag team composed of Michael "Hawk" Hegstrand and Joseph "Animal" Laurinaitis. They performed under the name "Road Warriors" in the American Wrestling Association, the National Wrestling Alliance, and World Championship Wrestling, and the name Legion...
(Hawk
Road Warrior Hawk
Michael James Hegstrand was an American professional wrestler. He is best remembered as Road Warrior Hawk, one half of the tag team known as the Road Warriors or The Legion of Doom , with Road Warrior Animal.-Early life:While living in Chicago, Hegstrand met Joe Lauranaitis, who would be later...
and Animal
Road Warrior Animal
Joseph Aaron "Joe" Laurinaitis is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring names, Road Warrior Animal and Road Warrior...
) were feuding in 1992 over the WWF Tag Team Championship. The Legion of Doom held the championship belts until Hawk failed a drug test. As a result, the WWF suspended him and had the Legion of Doom drop the belts to Money Inc. Once Hawk's suspension ended, a rematch was scheduled to take place at SummerSlam. The match was first announced as a title match but Money Inc. lost the championship to The Natural Disasters
The Natural Disasters
The Natural Disasters were a professional wrestling tag team composed of Earthquake and Typhoon who competed in the World Wrestling Federation between 1991 and 1993...
, transferring the title match status to another match.
Meanwhile, the Natural Disasters (Earthquake
John Tenta
John Anthony Tenta was a Canadian professional wrestler known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation as Earthquake and later Golga, and in World Championship Wrestling as Avalanche and The Shark.-Early life:John Tenta was born in Surrey, British Columbia...
and Typhoon
Fred Ottman
Fred Ottman is a retired American professional wrestler best known as Tugboat or Typhoon and teaming with John "Earthquake" Tenta as The Natural Disasters in the World Wrestling Federation. Ottman is also well-known for his infamous "Shockmaster" gimmick in World Championship Wrestling...
) and the Beverly Brothers
Beverly Brothers
The Beverly Brothers were a professional wrestling tag team comprising Mike Enos and Wayne Bloom in the World Wrestling Federation. They were also known as The Destruction Crew in the American Wrestling Association and the Minnesota Wrecking Crew 2 in the National Wrestling Alliance...
(Beau
Wayne Bloom
Wayne Bloom is a former professional wrestler who wrestled in World Championship Wrestling, the American Wrestling Association, and the World Wrestling Federation between 1988 and 1999....
and Blake
Mike Enos
Mike Enos is a retired professional wrestler who wrestled mainly as a tag-team wrestler in World Championship Wrestling, the American Wrestling Association and the World Wrestling Federation between 1989 and 2000....
) had a rivalry dating back to a WWF television taping on June 30, 1992. Typhoon attacked The Genius
Lanny Poffo
Lanny Mark Poffo , better known by his ring name "Leaping" Lanny is an American professional wrestler. Poffo was born in Calgary, Canada, to Angelo Poffo, an Italian American Catholic, and Judy, a Jewish American. He is also the brother of wrestling legend "Macho Man" Randy Savage...
, who managed the Beverlys, while Earthquake brawled with both of the Beverlys. The match aired on WWF Prime Time Wrestling
WWF Prime Time Wrestling
WWF Prime Time Wrestling is a professional wrestling television program produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It aired on the USA Network from 1985-1993. A precursor to Monday Night Raw, Prime Time Wrestling was a two-hour long, weekly program that featured stars of the World Wrestling...
on July 20; the same day that it aired, the Disasters won the WWF Tag Team Championship from Money Inc. As a result of this win, the title was on the line in the match at SummerSlam.
In addition to the title defenses, the event also featured a match between Shawn Michaels and Rick Martel
Rick Martel
Richard Vigneault is a retired Canadian professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation between 1980 and 1995 under the ring name Rick Martel...
. Their rivalry focused on Martel's attempts to steal Michaels' valet Sensational Sherri
Sherri Martel
Sherri Schrull was an American professional wrestler and manager, better known by her ring names, Sherri Martel and Sensational Sherri....
. During one of Michaels' matches televised on August 9, 1992, Martel came to ringside and winked at Sherri, who returned the gesture. At the SummerSlam Spectacular, Sherri came to the ring during one of Martel's matches and winked at him. Both Michaels and Martel were "heel
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
" wrestlers who bragged about their good looks, and Sherri had them agree not to hit each other in the face during their SummerSlam match.
Event
| Role: | Name: |
|---|---|
| Commentator | Vince McMahon Vince McMahon Vincent Kennedy "Vince" McMahon is an American professional wrestling promoter, announcer, commentator, film producer, actor and former occasional professional wrestler. McMahon is the current Chairman, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee of professional wrestling promotion WWE... |
| Bobby "The Brain" Heenan Bobby Heenan Raymond Louis "Ray" Heenan , better known as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan , is a former American professional wrestling manager and color commentator, best known for his time with the American Wrestling Association , World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation... |
|
| Interviewer | Lord Alfred Hayes |
| Sean Mooney Sean Mooney Sean Mooney is a former World Wrestling Federation play-by-play announcer. He was born and currently resides in Phoenix, Arizona.-WWF career:Mooney debuted on the May 15, 1988 edition of WWF Wrestling Challenge, replacing announcer Craig DeGeorge.... |
|
| "Mean" Gene Okerlund Gene Okerlund Eugene "Mean Gene" Okerlund is a semi-retired American professional wrestling interviewer and announcer. He is best known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006 by Hulk Hogan... |
|
| Ring announcer | Howard Finkel Howard Finkel Howard Finkel is a professional wrestling ring announcer currently working with WWE in a variety of roles. Hired in 1975 by Vincent J. McMahon's World Wide Wrestling Federation, "The Fink" was the first person brought in to Vincent K... |
| Referee | Mike Chioda Mike Chioda Michael Joseph "Mike" Chioda, is a senior referee who is currently signed to WWE. While not refereeing, Chioda, as well as the other referees in WWE, help set up the arena before shows, constructing the ring and stage areas.-WWF:... |
| Danny Davis Dan Marsh Dan Marsh is a former professional wrestling referee and wrestler most famous as Danny Davis of the World Wrestling Federation. He also competed in the WWF for several years as Mr. X, a masked wrestler.... |
|
| Earl Hebner Earl Hebner Earl William Hebner is a professional wrestling referee currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, and the twin brother of Dave Hebner... |
|
| Joey Marella Joey Marella Joey Marella was a professional wrestling referee for the World Wrestling Federation and the son of former wrestler and then WWF announcer Gorilla Monsoon from Willingboro Township, New Jersey.... |
Before the pay-per-view broadcast began, two matches were taped for later showings on WWF Prime Time Wrestling. The first match saw Papa Shango
Charles Wright (wrestler)
Charles Wright is an American businessman and former professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure with the World Wrestling Federation throughout the 1990s and early 2000s under the ring names Papa Shango, Kama, Kama Mustafa, The Godfather, and The Goodfather .After leaving the wrestling...
defeat "El Matador" Tito Santana
Tito Santana
Merced Solis better known by his ring name Tito Santana, is an American professional wrestler whose heyday spanned from the late 1970s to the early 1990s, though he continues to appear on the independent circuit. He is best known from his time in the World Wrestling Federation...
by pinfall. In the other match, "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan
Jim Duggan
James Edward Duggan , better known by his ring name "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his time with World Wrestling Entertainment in the 1980s, when it was known as World Wrestling Federation , and World Championship Wrestling...
and The Bushwhackers
The Bushwhackers
The Bushwhackers were a professional wrestling tag team that also competed as The Sheepherders during their long career. They wrestled in the World Wrestling Federation and Jim Crockett Promotions as well as a nearly 40 year run on the independent wrestling circuit...
(Luke
Brian Wickens
Brian Wickens is a professional wrestler best known as Luke Williams, one half of the tag team known as "The Sheepherders" on the independent scene and in the National Wrestling Alliance and as The Bushwhackers in the WWF.-Career:Luke Williams started wrestling for NWA New Zealand in 1964...
and Butch
Butch Miller (wrestler)
Butch Miller is a retired professional wrestler best known as one half of the tag team known as "The Sheepherders" on the independent scene and in the National Wrestling Alliance and as one half of The Bushwhackers in the WWF.-Career:Butch Miller started wrestling for NWA New Zealand in 1964 where...
) defeated The Mountie
Jacques Rougeau
Jacques Rougeau Jr. is a retired French-Canadian professional wrestler from Saint-Sulpice, Quebec, best known for his appearances in the 1980s and 1990s with the World Wrestling Federation under his own name, and as The Mountie. Rougeau has held fifteen championships during his career...
and The Nasty Boys
The Nasty Boys
The Nasty Boys are a professional wrestling tag team consisting of Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags, active from the mid to late 1980s and throughout the 1990s. Their gimmick was that of anti-social punks who specialized in hardcore wrestling and brawling...
(Brian Knobbs
Brian Knobbs
Brian Yandrisovitz , better known as Brian Knobbs, is an American professional wrestler, best known as one half of the tag team The Nasty Boys along with Jerry Sags.-The Nasty Boys:...
and Jerry Sags
Jerry Sags
Jerome Saganovich is an American professional wrestler best known as Jerry Sags. He is one half of the tag team The Nasty Boys along with Brian Knobbs.-Career:...
) when Duggan pinned The Mountie.
In the opening match, the Legion of Doom (Hawk and Animal) faced Money Inc. (Ted DiBiase and Irwin R. Schyster). The Legion of Doom used their size and power to wear down their opponents in the opening minutes of the match. Money Inc. gained the advantage when Hawk missed a flying clothesline. Hawk tried to tag in his partner but was unable for several minutes because Money Inc. kept him away from the corner where Hawk was standing. Eventually, Hawk and Schyster hit each other at the same time. Hawk tagged Animal in, and the Legion of Doom attempted to perform the Doomsday device
Doomsday device
A doomsday device is a hypothetical construction — usually a weapon, or collection of weapons — which could destroy all life on a planet, particularly the Earth, or destroy the planet itself, bringing "doomsday", a term used for the end of planet Earth...
, their signature move. Schyster stopped them, but Animal hit Schyster in retaliation, causing Schyster to run into DiBiase. Animal then powerslam
Powerslam
A powerslam is a professional wrestling body slam move in which the wrestler performing the slam falls face-down on top of his/her opponent. The use of the term "powerslam" usually refers to the front powerslam and the scoop powerslam.-Emerald Flowsion:...
med DiBiase and pinned him to get the victory.
The second match of the broadcast featured Nailz
Kevin Wacholz
Kevin Wacholz is a former professional wrestler who once worked for the World Wrestling Federation in 1992 as Nailz. He was also known as "Mr...
competing against Virgil
Mike Jones (wrestler)
Mike Jones is an American professional wrestler, who most recently performed for World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Virgil, where he appeared on its Raw brand as Ted DiBiase, Jr.'s personal assistant...
. Nailz spent the majority of the match choking Virgil. Virgil recovered several times and performed several offensive maneuvers, but Nailz always regained the advantage. Ultimately, Nailz won the match by performing a sleeper hold. After the match, he attacked Virgil with a nightstick
Baton (law enforcement)
A truncheon or baton is essentially a club of less than arm's length made of wood, plastic, or metal...
.
Referee (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling referee is the official figure that makes sure that wrestling matches move smoothly in an attempt to maintain kayfabe. The referee also has the ultimate power in the ring...
stopped the three-count because Michaels' feet were on the ropes. Both wrestlers broke the pre-match stipulation by slapping each other in the face. Sherri pretended to faint, which drew the attention of both wrestlers. Michaels and Martel argued over who would carry Sherri backstage, with each man carrying her a few feet before being stopped by his opponent. Both wrestlers were counted out, but they continued to argue. Martel tried to revive Sherri by throwing water on her, but he hit Michaels as well. Michaels dropped Sherri and chased Martel backstage; upset at being left behind by both men, Sherri screamed and cried as she walked backstage.
The tag team championship match came next, which saw the Beverly Brothers (Beau and Blake) attack the Natural Disasters (Earthquake and Typhoon) before the bell. The Disasters used their size and strength to gain the advantage, but Earthquake accidentally performed an avalanche on Typhoon. The Beverlys controlled the match for several minutes, with Blake executing a splash and a front facelock. Typhoon recovered and clotheslined both opponents but was unable to tag in Earthquake. Later, Typhoon attempted to make the tag again, but Beau distracted Earthquake; while the referee's back was turned, The Beverlys' manager, The Genius
Lanny Poffo
Lanny Mark Poffo , better known by his ring name "Leaping" Lanny is an American professional wrestler. Poffo was born in Calgary, Canada, to Angelo Poffo, an Italian American Catholic, and Judy, a Jewish American. He is also the brother of wrestling legend "Macho Man" Randy Savage...
handed Blake a metal scroll, which Blake used to hit Typhoon. Typhoon recovered, however, and Earthquake entered the ring and controlled the remainder of the match. He performed a powerslam on Beau before pinning him with an Earthquake splash.
The following match, which was not shown on the telecast in the United Kingdom, was a squash match, as Repo Man was unable to perform many offensive maneuvers against Crush. Crush used his size advantage to perform a Gorilla press slam on Repo Man. Repo Man performed a back suplex, but Crush showed no sign that the move affected him. Crush continued to dominate the match with such moves as a belly to belly suplex. Repo Man eventually tried to attack Crush by jumping off the top rope, but Crush caught him and performed the Cranium Crunch to win the match by submission.
One of the two main event matches came next, as Randy Savage defended the WWF Championship against the Ultimate Warrior. Although Mr. Perfect had claimed that he would be in the corner of one of the competitors, he did not come to ringside for the beginning of the match. Savage and the Warrior traded the advantage back and forth, with Savage performing several clotheslines and punching his opponent and the Ultimate Warrior countering with atomic drops. Savage executed two double axe handles from the top rope, but the Warrior caught him when Savage attempted the move a third time. After the Warrior missed a move and fell outside the ring, Savage jumped from the top rope and performed another double axe handle. Once the wrestlers got back into the ring, Ric Flair and Mr. Perfect walked down the aisle and stood at ringside. The match continued as normal until Perfect reached into the ring and tripped Savage, who was running to gain momentum for a maneuver. The Ultimate Warrior accidentally threw Savage into referee Earl Hebner. As a result of the ref bump, Hebner was not able to make the three-count when Savage pinned the Warrior after performing a diving elbow drop. Perfect and Flair revived the Ultimate Warrior, only to attack him when he stood up. The Warrior recovered and attempted to execute a running splash, but Flair hit him with a chair. Savage saw the Warrior injured and realized that Flair and Perfect were causing trouble rather than trying to help either man. In retaliation, Savage jumped off the top rope to attack Flair, but Flair hit him in the leg with a chair. Savage was unable to get back into the ring, so the Ultimate Warrior won the match via countout. Flair and Perfect continued to attack Savage until the Warrior chased them away. Savage and the Ultimate Warrior then hugged and walked backstage together.
Steve Lombardi
Steve Lombardi is an Italian American professional wrestler, and road agent. He is also known by his ring name Brooklyn Brawler...
, attacked the Undertaker before the match. The Undertaker blocked the attack and punched Kamala repeatedly before performing a chop from the top rope on his opponent. The Undertaker attempted the same move again, but Wippleman knocked the Undertaker off the rope. Kamala knocked the Undertaker outside the ring, where the Undertaker attacked Wippleman and Kim Chee. Back inside the ring, the Undertaker gained the advantage by executing a chokeslam
Chokeslam
A chokeslam refers to a type of body slam in professional wrestling in which the wrestler grasps their opponent's neck, lifts them up, and slams them to the mat. It is common in televised wrestling because it is simple and relatively safe, yet looks powerful on camera...
and a clothesline. When the Undertaker attempted to perform his signature move, the Tombstone Piledriver, Kim Chee ran into the ring and hit the Undertaker with a safari hat. As a result, Kamala was disqualified and the Undertaker won the match. Kamala kept on attacking and hit Undertaker with a series of splashes and seemingly left his opponent unconscious. When the Undertaker suddenly sat up, Kamala panicked and fled ringside.
The next match, which was taped for WWF Prime Time Wrestling rather than for broadcast as part of SummerSlam, saw Tatanka
Chris Chavis
Christopher "Chris" Chavis , is a Native American professional wrestler best known for his work with World Wrestling Entertainment as Tatanka from 1991 to 1996 and from 2005 to 2007...
defeat The Berzerker
John Nord
John Nord is a retired American professional wrestler. He lives in Bozeman, Montana.-Career:John Nord started wrestling in late 1984 as "The Barbarian" for Mid-South Wrestling under manager Skandor Akbar...
by pinfall.
The event concluded with the second main event, a contest for the Intercontinental Championship between champion Bret Hart and challenger "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith, who was accompanied by boxer Lennox Lewis
Lennox Lewis
Lennox Claudius Lewis, CM, CBE is a retired boxer and the most recent British undisputed world heavyweight champion. He holds dual British and Canadian citizenship...
. In the opening minutes, Hart used his technical wrestling abilities and Smith relied on his power advantage. Hart got control of the match with a reverse atomic drop and a Samoan drop. Smith came back with a monkey flip, but Hart regained the advantage with a bulldog and a plancha. Smith eventually recovered and tried to pin Hart with a back slide. Hart escaped the pin attempt and wore Smith down with sleeper holds. Smith gained the advantage, however, and used power moves to control the match, including a powerslam and a variety of suplex
Suplex
A suplex is an offensive move used in professional sport wrestling . The move consists of one wrestler picking up his or her opponent off the ground and then using a large portion of his or her own body weight to drive the opponent down on the mat. Nearly all suplexes have the attacker going down...
es. Hart managed to place Smith in the Sharpshooter
Sharpshooter (professional wrestling)
The Sharpshooter, originally named Sasori-gatame, Scorpion Hold in English, is a professional wrestling submission hold. The move is also known by several other names: cloverleaf leg-lace Boston crab, standing reverse figure-four leglock, and, the most commonly known alternative, Scorpion Deathlock...
, Hart's signature submission hold. Smith escaped the hold, however, and threw Hart against the ropes. While running back at Smith, Hart attempted a sunset flip. Smith countered the move and pinned Hart to win the Intercontinental Championship. Immediately after the match, Hart refused to shake Smith's hand. He soon changed his mind, however, and hugged Smith as well as Diana Hart, who was celebrating with her husband.
Aftermath
Randy Savage, who continued to sell his supposedly injured leg, lost the title to Ric Flair on September 1, 1992. Flair received help not only from Mr Perfect but also from newcomer Razor RamonScott Hall
Scott Hall is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure with the World Wrestling Federation in the early and mid 1990s under the ring name Razor Ramon, as well as for his period in the mid 1990s and early 2000s with World Championship Wrestling under his real name...
, igniting a feud between Savage and Ramon. After plans by WWF writers to turn the Ultimate Warrior against Savage were scrapped due to the Warrior's refusal, the two were scheduled to face Flair and Ramon at Survivor Series 1992. However, as the Warrior quit the promotion shortly before the match, his spot was surprisingly offered to Mr. Perfect, who accepted it in spite of Flair, thereby turning face
Face (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a babyface or face or in simple words, a fan favorite is a character who is portrayed as a heroic relative to the heel wrestlers, who are analogous to villains...
and initiating a feud with Flair which culminated in Flair leaving the WWF in early 1993.
Shawn Michaels, who had originally been booked to win the Intercontinental Championship from Bret Hart at SummerSlam, won the title from Davey Boy Smith on October 27 (the match would air on the November 14, 1992 edition of Saturday Night's Main Event). Michaels and Sherri continued their on-screen relationship after SummerSlam. Sherri claimed to have created the rivalry with Martel to test Michaels' love for her. Their relationship deteriorated, though when Michaels pulled Sherri in front of him to protect himself from an attack by his former tag team partner, Marty Jannetty
Marty Jannetty
Frederick Marty Jannetty is an American professional wrestler, best known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation as part of tag team The Rockers with partner Shawn Michaels, and later as a singles competitor. While in the WWF, he became a one time Intercontinental Champion and a one time...
on the October 31 edition of WWF Superstars. This led to confrontations between Sherri and Michaels at Royal Rumble 1993 and WrestleMania IX.
The Undertaker continued to feud with Kamala and Harvey Wippleman. The two wrestlers faced each other again at Survivor Series 1992
Survivor Series (1992)
Survivor Series was the sixth annual Survivor Series pay-per-view professional wrestling event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on November 25, 1992 at the Richfield Coliseum in Richfield, Ohio...
in a coffin match, which the Undertaker won. Wippleman gained revenge by introducing Giant Gonzalez (and later Mr. Hughes
Curtis Hughes
Curtis Hughes is an American professional wrestler, better known under the ring name Mr. Hughes. He is best known for his stints in the World Wrestling Federation. In addition to the WWF, Hughes has also worked for World Championship Wrestling, the American Wrestling Association, the American...
), with whom the Undertaker feuded through 1993.
Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy "Vince" McMahon is an American professional wrestling promoter, announcer, commentator, film producer, actor and former occasional professional wrestler. McMahon is the current Chairman, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee of professional wrestling promotion WWE...
after Survivor Series 1992. According to reports, he legitimately attacked McMahon. As a result, Nailz was fired from the WWF. He briefly appeared in rival promotion World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
(WCW) as the Prisoner but was released after the WWF sued WCW because of The Prisoner's similarity to the Nailz character. The anger between Wacholz and McMahon spilled over into McMahon's 1994 trial, in which McMahon was accused of distributing steroid
Steroid
A steroid is a type of organic compound that contains a characteristic arrangement of four cycloalkane rings that are joined to each other. Examples of steroids include the dietary fat cholesterol, the sex hormones estradiol and testosterone, and the anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone.The core...
s to wrestlers. Although Wacholz testified against McMahon, his statements, which included, "I hate Vince McMahon's guts" ultimately proved harmful to the prosecution's case.
Reception
According to the WWF, the 80,355 people in attendance for SummerSlam 1992 is the second largest in the company's history, behind only WrestleMania IIIWrestleMania III
WrestleMania III was the third annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . The event was held on March 29, 1987 at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan....
, which is said to have attracted 93,173 fans. Some observers place the attendance for WrestleMania III closer to 78,000, however, which makes the crowd for SummerSlam 1992 arguably the biggest in WWF history (and the largest verified crowd in the history of the company).
The event has received positive reviews from a variety of sources. RD Reynolds has called it "a huge success". In particular, the Intercontinental Championship match has been called "one of the greatest matches of all time". Pro Wrestling Illustrated
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
Pro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
named it the Match of the Year in the magazine's year-end issue, and WWE has called the match the greatest moment in SummerSlam history. Bret Hart has also named it as his favorite match of all time.
The WWF collected $2,200,000 in revenue from admissions, up from $445,000 the previous year. The company also sold $1,456,203 in merchandise at SummerSlam, which is the largest amount of merchandise revenue at a WWF event. The buyrate for the event was 1.5, down from 2.7 at SummerSlam 1991
SummerSlam (1991)
SummerSlam was the fourth annual SummerSlam professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on August 26, 1991 at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York....
but higher than the 1.3 buyrate at SummerSlam 1993
SummerSlam (1993)
SummerSlam was the sixth annual SummerSlam professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on August 30, 1993 at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Michigan....
.
SummerSlam 1992 was released in VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
format on September 24, 1992. In the United Kingdom, it was released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
, packaged together with SummerSlam 1993, as part of the WWE Tagged Classics
WWE Tagged Classics
WWE Tagged Classics are a series of two-disc DVD sets produced by Silver Vision and World Wrestling Entertainment for retail markets in Region 2 in PAL format...
line on October 3, 2005. The event is also included as part of WWE's SummerSlam Anthology boxed DVD set. The anthology was released on August 5, 2008 in North America and was released on October 6, 2008 in the United Kingdom.
Results
| # | Result | Stipulation | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Duggan Jim Duggan James Edward Duggan , better known by his ring name "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his time with World Wrestling Entertainment in the 1980s, when it was known as World Wrestling Federation , and World Championship Wrestling... and The Bushwhackers The Bushwhackers The Bushwhackers were a professional wrestling tag team that also competed as The Sheepherders during their long career. They wrestled in the World Wrestling Federation and Jim Crockett Promotions as well as a nearly 40 year run on the independent wrestling circuit... (Butch Miller Butch Miller (wrestler) Butch Miller is a retired professional wrestler best known as one half of the tag team known as "The Sheepherders" on the independent scene and in the National Wrestling Alliance and as one half of The Bushwhackers in the WWF.-Career:Butch Miller started wrestling for NWA New Zealand in 1964 where... and Luke Williams Brian Wickens Brian Wickens is a professional wrestler best known as Luke Williams, one half of the tag team known as "The Sheepherders" on the independent scene and in the National Wrestling Alliance and as The Bushwhackers in the WWF.-Career:Luke Williams started wrestling for NWA New Zealand in 1964... ) defeated The Mountie Jacques Rougeau Jacques Rougeau Jr. is a retired French-Canadian professional wrestler from Saint-Sulpice, Quebec, best known for his appearances in the 1980s and 1990s with the World Wrestling Federation under his own name, and as The Mountie. Rougeau has held fifteen championships during his career... and The Nasty Boys The Nasty Boys The Nasty Boys are a professional wrestling tag team consisting of Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags, active from the mid to late 1980s and throughout the 1990s. Their gimmick was that of anti-social punks who specialized in hardcore wrestling and brawling... (Brian Knobbs Brian Knobbs Brian Yandrisovitz , better known as Brian Knobbs, is an American professional wrestler, best known as one half of the tag team The Nasty Boys along with Jerry Sags.-The Nasty Boys:... and Jerry Sags Jerry Sags Jerome Saganovich is an American professional wrestler best known as Jerry Sags. He is one half of the tag team The Nasty Boys along with Brian Knobbs.-Career:... ) (with Jimmy Hart Jimmy Hart James "Jimmy" Ray Hart is a professional wrestling manager, executive, composer, and musician currently signed with WWE. He is best known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling under his nickname "The Mouth of the South." He has managed many professional... ) |
Tag team match Professional wrestling tag team match types Much like singles matches, tag team professional wrestling matches can and have taken many forms. Just about any singles or melee match type can be adapted to tag teams; for example, hardcore tag team matches are commonplace... |
12:33 | |
| Papa Shango Charles Wright (wrestler) Charles Wright is an American businessman and former professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure with the World Wrestling Federation throughout the 1990s and early 2000s under the ring names Papa Shango, Kama, Kama Mustafa, The Godfather, and The Goodfather .After leaving the wrestling... defeated Tito Santana Tito Santana Merced Solis better known by his ring name Tito Santana, is an American professional wrestler whose heyday spanned from the late 1970s to the early 1990s, though he continues to appear on the independent circuit. He is best known from his time in the World Wrestling Federation... |
Singles match | 06:00 | |
| Tatanka Chris Chavis Christopher "Chris" Chavis , is a Native American professional wrestler best known for his work with World Wrestling Entertainment as Tatanka from 1991 to 1996 and from 2005 to 2007... defeated The Berzerker John Nord John Nord is a retired American professional wrestler. He lives in Bozeman, Montana.-Career:John Nord started wrestling in late 1984 as "The Barbarian" for Mid-South Wrestling under manager Skandor Akbar... (with Mr. Fuji Harry Fujiwara Harry Fujiwara is an American former professional wrestler and manager, best known by his ring name Mr. Fuji. He was infamous for often throwing salt in the eyes of face wrestlers... ) |
Singles match | 05:46 | |
| The Legion of Doom Road Warriors The Road Warriors were a professional wrestling tag team composed of Michael "Hawk" Hegstrand and Joseph "Animal" Laurinaitis. They performed under the name "Road Warriors" in the American Wrestling Association, the National Wrestling Alliance, and World Championship Wrestling, and the name Legion... (Hawk Road Warrior Hawk Michael James Hegstrand was an American professional wrestler. He is best remembered as Road Warrior Hawk, one half of the tag team known as the Road Warriors or The Legion of Doom , with Road Warrior Animal.-Early life:While living in Chicago, Hegstrand met Joe Lauranaitis, who would be later... and Animal Road Warrior Animal Joseph Aaron "Joe" Laurinaitis is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring names, Road Warrior Animal and Road Warrior... ) (with Paul Ellering Paul Ellering Paul Ellering is a retired professional wrestling manager.-Professional wrestling career:Before entering the wrestling business, Ellering was an accomplished weightlifter... ) defeated Money Inc. Money Inc. Money Inc. was a heel professional wrestling tag team in the World Wrestling Federation from February 1992 to August 1993. The team consisted of "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase and Irwin R. Schyster . They held the WWF Tag Team Championship three times, defeating the Legion of Doom, The Natural... (Ted DiBiase Ted DiBiase Theodore Marvin "Ted" DiBiase, Sr. is a retired professional wrestler, manager, ordained minister and color commentator. DiBiase achieved championship success in a number of wrestling promotions, holding thirty titles during his professional wrestling career... and Irwin R. Schyster Mike Rotunda Lawrence Michael "Mike" Rotunda is a former American professional wrestler, perhaps best known under the name Irwin R. Schyster or I.R.S. for short. He is currently signed with WWE working as a road agent and making occasional appearances on WWE shows as Irwin R... ) (with Jimmy Hart Jimmy Hart James "Jimmy" Ray Hart is a professional wrestling manager, executive, composer, and musician currently signed with WWE. He is best known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling under his nickname "The Mouth of the South." He has managed many professional... ) |
Tag team match | 15:10 | |
| Nailz Kevin Wacholz Kevin Wacholz is a former professional wrestler who once worked for the World Wrestling Federation in 1992 as Nailz. He was also known as "Mr... defeated Virgil Mike Jones (wrestler) Mike Jones is an American professional wrestler, who most recently performed for World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Virgil, where he appeared on its Raw brand as Ted DiBiase, Jr.'s personal assistant... |
Singles match | 03:55 | |
| Shawn Michaels Shawn Michaels Michael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December... (with Sensational Sherri Sherri Martel Sherri Schrull was an American professional wrestler and manager, better known by her ring names, Sherri Martel and Sensational Sherri.... ) fought Rick Martel Rick Martel Richard Vigneault is a retired Canadian professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation between 1980 and 1995 under the ring name Rick Martel... to a double countout |
Singles match where neither man was to hit the other in the face | 08:06 | |
| The Natural Disasters The Natural Disasters The Natural Disasters were a professional wrestling tag team composed of Earthquake and Typhoon who competed in the World Wrestling Federation between 1991 and 1993... (Earthquake John Tenta John Anthony Tenta was a Canadian professional wrestler known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation as Earthquake and later Golga, and in World Championship Wrestling as Avalanche and The Shark.-Early life:John Tenta was born in Surrey, British Columbia... and Typhoon Fred Ottman Fred Ottman is a retired American professional wrestler best known as Tugboat or Typhoon and teaming with John "Earthquake" Tenta as The Natural Disasters in the World Wrestling Federation. Ottman is also well-known for his infamous "Shockmaster" gimmick in World Championship Wrestling... ) (c) defeated The Beverly Brothers Beverly Brothers The Beverly Brothers were a professional wrestling tag team comprising Mike Enos and Wayne Bloom in the World Wrestling Federation. They were also known as The Destruction Crew in the American Wrestling Association and the Minnesota Wrecking Crew 2 in the National Wrestling Alliance... (Blake Mike Enos Mike Enos is a retired professional wrestler who wrestled mainly as a tag-team wrestler in World Championship Wrestling, the American Wrestling Association and the World Wrestling Federation between 1989 and 2000.... and Beau Wayne Bloom Wayne Bloom is a former professional wrestler who wrestled in World Championship Wrestling, the American Wrestling Association, and the World Wrestling Federation between 1988 and 1999.... ) (with The Genius Lanny Poffo Lanny Mark Poffo , better known by his ring name "Leaping" Lanny is an American professional wrestler. Poffo was born in Calgary, Canada, to Angelo Poffo, an Italian American Catholic, and Judy, a Jewish American. He is also the brother of wrestling legend "Macho Man" Randy Savage... ) |
Tag team match for the WWF Tag Team Championship | 10:30 | |
| Crush Brian Adams (wrestler) Brian Keith Adams was an American professional wrestler. Adams gained fame in the 1990s while performing for the World Wrestling Federation , under the name Crush, and for World Championship Wrestling under his given name.Trained in Japan by Antonio Inoki, Adams was a two time WCW World Tag Team... defeated Repo Man Barry Darsow Barry Darsow is a former American professional wrestler who is known as Smash, one half of the tag team Demolition, and as Krusher Kruschev, Repo Man, and The Blacktop Bully... |
Singles match | 05:41 | |
| The Ultimate Warrior Warrior (wrestler) Also see Warrior .Warrior is an American retired professional wrestler who notably performed under the ring names The Ultimate Warrior and Warrior... defeated Randy Savage Randy Savage Randall Mario Poffo , better known by his ring name "Macho Man" Randy Savage, was an American professional wrestler, best known for his time with the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling .Savage held twenty championships during his professional wrestling career and was a... (c) by countout |
Singles match for the WWF Championship WWE Championship The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963... |
28:00 | |
| The Undertaker (with Paul Bearer) defeated Kamala (with Harvey Wippleman and Kim Chee Steve Lombardi Steve Lombardi is an Italian American professional wrestler, and road agent. He is also known by his ring name Brooklyn Brawler... ) by disqualification |
Singles match | 03:27 | |
| The British Bulldog Davey Boy Smith Davey Boy Smith was a British professional wrestler, better known as "The British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith, who was born in Golborne in North West England, United Kingdom. Smith is known for his appearances with Stampede Wrestling, the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling... (with Lennox Lewis Lennox Lewis Lennox Claudius Lewis, CM, CBE is a retired boxer and the most recent British undisputed world heavyweight champion. He holds dual British and Canadian citizenship... ) defeated Bret Hart Bret Hart Bret Hart is a Canadian on-screen personality, writer, actor and Semi-retired professional wrestler. Like others in the Hart wrestling family, Hart has an amateur wrestling background, including wrestling at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal College... (c) |
Singles match for the WWF Intercontinental Championship WWE Intercontinental Championship The WWE Intercontinental Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It is the original secondary title of the promotion. Currently, it is the secondary championship exclusive to the SmackDown brand... |
25:40 | |