That Was Then 06.27.13: The Year That Was 1994

Welcome to the first edition of ‘That Was Then….The Year That Was’. I am Rory James, and this is your weekly look years gone past in the world of professional wrestling. Each week, I will be looking at a different year from the WWF’s history and recommending the stand out matches that you need to have seen. Many will be familiar to you, while I also hope to shine some light on lesser known classics. While the column will initially focus on the WWWF/WWF/WWE, if the interest is there, it could well branch out to other promotions.

The Intro

OJ Simpson was on the run. Nelson Mandela became the first black president of South Africa. Jim Carrey dominated the box office with as Ace Ventura, The Mask and Dumb or Dumber. But for me, that year is remembered as the time that my Dad decided to have Sky TV installed in our house. This meant that WWF programming was available to me for the first time. Having become a fan through video tape rentals and live events, nine year old Rory James was eagerly anticipating WWF television as it happened for the first time. For some reason, don’t ask me why, the thing that sticks out in my memory from this time is being excited to watch Diesel defend the Intercontinental Championship against Lex Luger on an episode of RAW. I re-watched that match for the first time in nineteen years for this column. That was a mistake. For the WWF, 1994 was the year that ‘The New Generation’ kicked in. Let’s take a look.

The List

WWF Tag Team Championship: The Quebecers vs. Bret Hart & Owen Hart – Royal Rumble 1994
Although the seeds were planted at the previous November’s Survivor Series, this match is the catalyst for Owen Hart’s heel turn and his long rivalry with his older brother. The story behind this match is that Bret has chosen to forego his singles career to keep the peace within the family. By a stroke of luck in storyline terms, this match became a championship match after The Quebecers upset the Headshrinkers a week before the Rumble on Monday Night RAW. Bret and Owen work well early on, before their inexperience as a team causes them to fall apart. The action is solid but formulaic, until Bret crashes through the ropes to the outside and ‘injures’ his knee. This injury is made ten times worse due to Owen’s storyline inexperience. As the champions double team Bret on the outside, targeting Bret’s knee with foreign objects, Owen shouts and screams at the official to stop them, in the process preventing him from seeing what is happening. Bret sells the injury expertly and has the crowd eating out of his hand. The end comes when a resilient Bret tries to lock in a Sharpshooter out of nowhere. His knee gives way and the referee stops the match. Now the post match, with Owen kicking Bret’s leg out from under him, not only began their rivalry, but also had implications for the Rumble match later in the evening. The injury made Bret’s co-win with Lex Luger all the more impressive and added another element to his comeback story that culminated with winning the WWF Championship at WrestleMania X. The historical impact of this match in storyline terms helps it to get its place on this list.

Bret Hart & Owen Hart vs. The Steiner Brothers – 11/01/94
This match was a Coliseum Home Video exclusive, meaning it wasn’t featured on television at the time. Filmed at one of the WWF’s house show tapings, what it lacks in big match atmosphere it certainly makes up for in other areas. For a match that is really a throwaway and has no relevance to long term booking, it gives us a great deal to get invested in. As a standalone moment, it is truly impressive. The story here is simple, two good guy teams of brothers, fighting for pride. The Steiners have been a team for years, while the Hart boys have only started tagging recently. This plays into the story of the match, as while Bret and Scott start off in the ring and are equal, the Steiners get the advantage when Owen enters. Far from the weak link, however, Owen puts on quite the display here. What I like about this match is how it steers away from tradition. There are moments where the tide turns and you expect a hot tag, but instead the two men in the ring continues. I can’t quite put my finger on why this odd psychology works here, but it does. One thing that certainly helps is the moves we get. The Steiners bring offence that was alien to the WWF in 1994. Moves such as a reverse tiger suplex and sit out suplex into a reverse piledriver look brutal. The Harts also unique offence, with a suplex to off the apron to the outside another highlight. The battle degenerates from a technical contest to an all out war quite naturally, with both teams eventually bending and breaking the rules. This leads to a double DQ, a finish that I usually hate but one that works in this context. We get a believable post match brawl, before tempers are allowed to settle and the two teams shake hands. This match has a quality that makes it different, which is why it gets its place on this list.

Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart – WrestleMania X
Many consider this to be the greatest opening match of all time. That’s another list for another time. What we do have here is a serious contender for 1994 Match of the Year. While this match is excellent from a technical/work rate standard, it is the story that is told that takes it to that next level. Once the match gets going, Owen throws out all the stops from the get go, hitting his brother with some serious offence. Bret, on the other hand, goes for lots of take downs and roll ups, giving the impression that he wants to finish it early and doesn’t want to be fighting his family. Owen’s offence continues to intensify, with a Tombstone Piledriver being a turning point. Bret is forced to bring out his big moves (or as some people call it, his five moves of doom), and the match takes another turn. An increasingly desperate Hitman dives over the ropes onto his brother, injuring his knee in the process. This reintroduction of Bret’s storyline injury from the Royal Rumble two months prior is very effective. Not only does it give Bret the sympathy of the audience, but justifies his choice of power moves that follows, including a perfect piledriver. Like it did at the Rumble, it also gives him sympathy later in the night when he challenges Yokozuna for the WWF Championship. Owen hones in on the knee, a real dick move when fighting your own flesh and blood, and the crowd reacts accordingly. We get Owen applying a Figure Four, and then his brother’s Sharpshooter, with the master of the move being the first person (to my knowledge) to counter it. All of this makes for an epic encounter. Then there is the finish. With Bret scheduled to compete again in the main event, I imagine it was a foregone conclusion to many fans at the time that he would win. Add to that Owen’s over arrogance throughout the match, and the table is set for a Bret win to be a feel good moment to start the show. Instead, we get a counter to a victory roll (the move that made Bret King of the Ring nine months earlier) and one of the biggest upsets in WrestleMania history. The unpredictable finish gives this match another extra something, solidifying its place as an all time classic.

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Ladder Match for the Undisputed WWF Intercontinental Championship: Razor Ramon vs. Shawn Michaels – WrestleMania X
Historical importance. This is what makes this match a must see for any wrestling fan. Why you ask? It’s the first televised ladder match in WWF history. It redefined the gimmick match and brought the ladder match into wrestling lore. It established Shawn Michaels, and to a lesser extent Scott Hall, as big players in the industry. This is the match that proved Shawn Michaels could hang with the top players in the WWF. This is the match that made Scott Hall the big time player that would eventually kick start a wrestling revolution in a rival organization two years later. The match itself is one that ages well, perhaps more than other gimmick matches from the era. The reason for this is its pace and its psychology. While the ladder match has now, at times, become a multi man spot fest, this match flows perfectly. There is never a moment where you feel a guy is lying down waiting for his cue to continue. The spots that are used, while basic, are still impressive. Michaels sells every move he takes as though it is devastating him. While you expect this from Michaels, Razor’s selling is also fantastic. When the ladder is dropped on his back, you really feel his pain. Another thing about this match that I love is the finish. Bret Hart claimed in his autobiography that Michaels promised not to use the foot tangled in the ropes finish, as it was one which Hart had planned to do with him in a ladder match at one point. Thank God Michaels is an ass and broke his promise. The finish is just great. Perfect storyline, stage, timing and players. That is what makes this one of the most important and memorable matches in wrestling history. Surely you have seen it, if you haven’t, watch it now. Right now. I’ll wait for you to come back….

Ok, you’re back. Told you it was awesome. Moving on…….

WWF Championship: Bret Hart vs. WWF Intercontinental Champion Diesel – King of the Ring 1994
Many believe that this match is responsible for Diesel’s ascension to being ‘the guy’ in the WWF. This is his first pay-per-view singles match, and he is fighting for the WWF Championship. Despite being the Intercontinental Champion, having defeated Razor Ramon the previous month, Kevin Nash was still an unproven commodity. His infamous run in the previous January’s Royal Rumble match had put him on the map, but it was this match that took him to the next level. There are few people who do the David and Goliath story in the ring like Bret Hart. The psychology is sound. Bret gets an early advantage by going for Diesel’s legs. However, the challenger gains the advantage through brute power and the assistance of Shawn Michaels on the outside. We get some great near falls, some sloppy offence from Diesel (the spot where he fails to catch Bret coming off the top sticks out in particular), and a DQ finish when Bret’s corner men, the returning Jim Neidhart, attacks Diesel just as he has hits the Jacknife on the champion, drawing the DQ. The finish leaves it looking like the champion was beaten, and is soon revealed to be part of a larger plan, with ‘The Anvil’ having ensured that Bret retained the championship, as his new partner Owen Hart wants to be the one to take the gold from him. These two guys would have better matches, but the storyline here is sound and the match, on the whole, is enjoyable.

King of the Ring Semi-Final Match: Owen Hart vs. The 1-2-3 Kid – King of the Ring 1994
Whenever I hear about a wrestler complaining over the lack of time their match has been given, or read about people who refuse to rate short matches, this match comes into my mind. This one is short and sweet. Playing off a storyline where the Kid was injured in his previous tournament bout, the idea here is that both men want to end it quick – Owen because it should be an easy win that will allow him to preserve energy for the final, and The Kid because he is hurt and has to get it over fast. They pack so many great moves, counters and near falls into this one, yet it doesn’t feel like a spot fest. The story necessitates the pace. Quality little contest here.

WWF Championship: Bret Hart vs. The 1-2-3 Kid – Monday Night RAW – July 11, 1994
Whenever people discuss the greatest matches in RAW history are made, this one is always near the top of the list. At a time when competitive championships of television were still a rarity, these two put on a fantastic contest with a hell of a story. Sean Waltman had established his character as the ultimate underdog. From his initial upset of Razor Ramon a year prior, The 1-2-3 Kid had wowed audiences with a high flying, high impact offence that was rarely seen in a WWF ring. Bret Hart was the established champion, the technician. Fans expected something good from the two. They got something great. This match is so successful because it starts out one way but develops into something else. Early on, the Kid exchanges technical, chain wrestling holds with the champion, holding his own and even gaining the advantage over ‘The Excellence of Execution’. Bet is bemused by this at first, but soon realizes he is underestimating his opponent. At this point, Bret shifts gears, adopting a hard, physical offence that brutalizes the challenger. Hart seems almost heel like in his offence. Then, the match shifts once more. Hart gets the pinfall win, but Kid has his foot on the ropes. The champion actually gets the match restarted, reminding us that despite his brutal punishment of the Kid, he is still a good guy. Kid takes advantage of the restart for a near fall, again highlighting the unpredictability of the contest and the value and importance of the championship. We then get a back and forth contest full of near falls, high risk moves that both connect and fail from the Kid, and a great finish where Hart catches a missile drop kick and locks in a Sharpshooter for the submission. As the two embrace after the match, you genuinely believe in some real life respect between them. This is just a great match that has you believing that the underdog could really get the win.

Bret Hart vs. Bob Backlund – Superstars 30/07/94
Out of all the matches I watched for this week’s column, this is the one that surprised me the most. I’ve heard rumblings over the years that this was a great contest, but I’d never taken the time to watch it until now. The simple idea here is that Backlund is finally getting a WWF Championship rematch, ten years after losing the title in controversial fashion to The Iron Sheik. In the weeks prior, Backlund had voiced frustration as being viewed as past him prime. To prove a point, he comes into the match with a aggressive edge and pushes the champion to the limit. We get some great mat wrestling, with Backlund having smooth counters for much of Hart’s offence. Backlund is marvelous here, with his surprising power and stamina really giving this match something special. The finish is abrupt yet smooth, and leaves the door open for this unlikely rivalry to be continued down the road. Highly recommended contest.

Owen Hart vs. The 1-2-3 Kid – Monday Night RAW 15/08/94
Due to the regard that the Bret/Kid match six weeks prior to this is held in, many people forget about this encounter from RAW. That and the DQ ending make it less of a stand out in the memory. What we have here is their short encounter from King of the Ring, given more time, less of a storyline, but just as exciting. Kid and Owen are neck and neck for half of the match, but a nasty suplex over the ropes to the floor has the Kid playing underdog once more. This is what he excels at, and Owen is such a good asshole bad guy that you find yourself really rooting for Kid. The irony of it being an ‘injury’ that almost costs Owen the match is a nice twist, and while Neidhart’s break of the submission is necessary to keep Owen from looking weak before he challenges for the championship at SummerSlam, it does rob us of a definitive winner and take this match down a bit. Still a very fun and exciting contest.

WWF Women’s Championship: Alundra Blayze vs. Bull Nakano – SummerSlam 1994
I don’t know if it’s the size disparity between the two women, the xenophobia of the crowd or what, but the audience are hot for this from the get go. The fact that these two women deliver a hell of a match whips them into a near frenzy. We get the underdog fighting the powerhouse storyline here, but its one that had never really been seen in the WWF Women’s division. Nakano’s offence is light years ahead of 90% of the WWF roster at the time, and the crowd respond as a result. Watching this one, it makes you sad to realize what mainstream women’s wrestling has become (although the WWE Divas division looks to be building something at the moment). Blayze sells the brutal beating she receives well, no doubt in part because some of it genuinely hurts. Luna Vachon on the outside is great, her insane vocals spilling into the ring. Just a great atmosphere and a great contest here.

WWF Intercontinental Championship: Diesel vs. Razor Ramon – SummerSlam 1994
This match is built around the involvement of the two corner men: Shawn Michaels for the champion and NFL star Walter Payton for Ramon. The action in the ring is pretty solid. Diesel actually sells for his smaller opponents power moves, which makes it a little different to the usual Diesel match. Things slow down a little with Diesel applying the dreaded abdominal stretch, but we then get some great near falls from Ramon hitting a second rope bulldog and a roll up after Diesel hits the exposed turnbuckle. The finish plants the seeds for the Michaels/Diesel break-up that is to come, with HBK’s super kick finding his partner by accident, and we have a new champion. The good atmosphere and booking makes this a bit more special that it would have been otherwise. A good, fun contest.

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Steel Cage Match for the WWF Championship: Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart – SummerSlam 1994
There is a lot to like about this match. The storyline explanation for the cage, to keep the feuding Hart family members out, is excellent. This is an escape only cage match, and the two brothers use this to build an excellent and psychologically sound contest. The match is heated, as a feud ending cage match should be. Instead of ramping up the violence, the Hart brothers get the audience on their feet with their many, many attempts at escaping the blue steel. The ways in which they counter each others attempts are very physical and different to what has been seen in cage matches before it. Owen sells like a trooper, bouncing off the cage, the ropes, off everything. The match is very equal, and they both attempt to go through the door as well as climb over the top. This may seem like a little thing, but its something that is missing out of many cage matches. The ones that do utilize the door do so in a hokey manner, making it obvious that you are watching a staged contest. Here, they both literally scramble for the door at multiple times, which is a great little touch. We get some hard impact moves from high up, nothing that challenges the bigger, more memorable, cage spots from the likes of Kurt Angle and Jeff Hardy, but still very cool. The only downer to all this, in my opinion, is that the match doesn’t quite hold up as well on multiple viewings. Knowing the winner, and having an idea of how the match plays out, takes some of the excitement away from the race to escape. It’s still an excellent contest that needs to be part of your library.

WWF Championship: Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart – Action Zone 29/09/94
While this match is a step down from their previous encounters, that’s to be expected due to the TV setting. The ad breaks do hurt the flow of the bout somewhat. This is still a highly entertaining match, which replays a lot from their WrestleMania match and mixes some new elements in. The new comes in the form of Jim Neidhart and The British Bulldog getting involved, with Bulldog knocking Owen off the top to give Bret the win. This is a good solid match, worth a watch and a deserving addition to the Bret/Owen feud.

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Towel Match for the WWF Championship: Bret Hart vs. Bob Backlund – Survivor Series 1994
The first thing to say about this contest is that it isn’t for anyone. The ending sequence is really dragged out and tests the concentration of the viewer. The match leading to it however, and the physiology of the ending sequence are excellent. The technical wrestling on display here, the counters and submissions, are great. The offence of both men is intense and believable. The way in which the ongoing Hart family saga is woven into the contest really adds to it, something you can’t always say about such outside factors. The crowd stick with it too, which is impressive considering the length and style of the bout. The fact that they are on their feet until the final bell is a testament to Bret’s character and the connection the audience felt with him. Another great title match.

The Conclusion

If there’s one thing you can take away from this list, it’s that Bret Hart was the heart of the WWF’s ‘New Generation’. With Shawn Michaels outside the ring for most of the year, Bret cemented himself as the work horse of the company. Considering the issues that the wrestling business experienced at this time, and the stress the WWF was under with Vince McMahon’s trial for steroid distribution, the WWF was able to produce some great moments that are still enjoyable when viewed today.

Thanks for taking the time to read this week’s column. I hope you will be back next week. If you think I missed a decent contest off the list, or included a rubbish one, please feel free to sound off in the comments section. If you have a year that you would like me to look at, drop me an email at [email protected]. See you next week.