Rebooking the WWF in 1993

[4tehlulz]

Being 2 years old at the time I only recently watched a lot of this year back so I might not have the same feelings about a lot of the event as the rest of you.

 

My main focus of the year is the build up and domination of Yokozuna. I wouldn't have him win the rumble but he would be in the last 4/5 eliminated by a combination of all the top boys in the old guard Savage/Flair/Perfect and this is fantasy so hogan aswell.

 

From there yoko would beat flair in the main event of the first raw 'injuring' him to let flair leave like real life.

 

Going on a rampage and attacking perfect a few weeks later only for savage to jump out the commentary booth for the save and set up for the WM match and victory for Yokozuna.

 

After WM Yokozuna becomes number 1 contender at KOTR to face WWF champion Hulk Hogan. ( Royal Rumble winner narrowly defeating hart at mania). On the way to KOTR Yokozuna ends the WWF Career of the future 'booty man' Brutus Beefcake with a series of banzai drops. Then at KOTR beats hogan by ref stoppage after multiple banzai drops to win the WWF championship and ending hulkamania.

 

The main event of summerslam would be Yokozuna vs Bret Hart. Hart would take a month or two off after mania claiming he was banged up from being such a fighting champion but would be back to reclaim his title. Entering the KOTR hart wins it all before challenging the winner of the WWF title match during his coronation.

 

At Summerslam I'd keep the match pretty much the same as the real life WM9 match but having it end in DQ with Fuji throwing the salt in bret's eyes. He goes to take bret out just like hogan and the future zodiac. Until the American national anthem plays and physical adonis runs out draped in the American flag. He grabs yoko unloads with some right hands whips him off the ropes hits a bodyslam sending yoko running. It's the All American hero CORPORAL CRUSH!!!! Or lex Luger both equally good choice.

 

Main eventing survivor series

Bret hart, Lex Luger and The Steiners vs

Yokozuna, The Quebecers and bam bam.

The babyfaces win with Bret and Luger surviving. Lastly pinning Yokozuna (His first pinfall loss) after the flying forearm from lex into a roll up from Bret).

 

Now there's a hot monster for the new generation with the lengthy and dominant title run. two big faces with momentum into the new year. Can have one face him at the rumble with the other winning the rumble or put them both in there.

[King Pitcos]

The main one I'd change would be that Luger wins the title at SummerSlam. He never recovered from the bullshit count-out finish.

 

I'd also probably keep Flair around until WrestleMania, and do his loser leaves the company match there. Either against Macho Man, or against Mr Perfect (in which case, Macho vs Narcissist would be on the card too).

[Abe_Knuckleball_Schwartz]

For my 1993. I would not place the title on Bret Hart in late1992. Instead I would continue to have Ric Flair the champion and he would face Bret Hart at the Royal Rumble, with Bret Hart winning the championship. The winner of the Royal Rumble would be Macho Man, Randy Savage.

 

The Monday Night Raw after the Rumble, Ric Flair would enforce his rematch clause with Bret Hart. Ric would come close to winning the match but outside interference from Mr Perfect would cost him the match, setting up a retirement match between the two at Wrestlemania.

 

I would still have Hulk Hogan making his return and I would have him and Brutus team up to face Money Inc. at Wrestlemania as they did in reality (in the same circumstances) the only difference in my booking would be that Hogan and Brutus would win the titles.

 

The main matches for my Wrestlemania card would be:

 

Macho Man Randy Savage beats Bret Hart to win the title

Hulk Hogan/Brutus Beefcake defeat Money Inc to win the Tag Team Titles

Marty Jannetty defeats Shawn Michaels to win the Intercontinental Title.

Mr Perfect defeats Ric Flair in the retirement match.

 

In another match Yokozuna destroys Hacksaw Jim Duggan after the match a beatdown occurs and Hogan /Beefcake make the save.

 

Moving on to the King Of The Ring, Randy Savage has promised Bret a rematch for the title at Summerslam if he is successful in winning the event. Bret beats Razor Ramon in the final. Because of the incentive above, the world title would not defended at the King of the Ring. In other matches, Yokozuna beats Brutus Beefcake and injuries him badly. Hogan is unable to make the save as he is away “filming” Due to the beatdown, Hogan and Beefcake are forced to forfeit the Tag Team Titles and they are declared vacant the following night on Raw.

 

In other key matches from the King Of The Ring, Shawn Michaels regains the Intercontinental championship from Marty Jannetty.

 

Moving onto to Summerslam, in the main event, Bret Hart beats Randy Savage and remains the world champion for the rest of the year. Yokozuna beats Hulk Hogan convincingly to continue his monster push, this is the last we see of Hogan. Shawn Michaels defeats Mr Perfect to retain the Intercontinental Championship in a classic encounter and the Steiner Brothers defeat the Heavenly Bodies to win the Vacant Tag Team Titles in the final of the Tag Team tournament.

 

Immediately after Summerslam Bret Hart starts a feud with Jerry Lawler, who claims to be the real king of the WWE and has made a number of remarks against the Hart Family. This feud will last until the Royal Rumble the following year.

 

Prior Survivor Series, Lex Luger would adopt the All American Hero™ gimmick and challenge the unstoppable Yokozuna, setting up a match between the two at Survivor Series, which Lex wins by DQ (this feud would last until Wrestlemania). Shawn Michaels would also lose the Intercontinental championship to Tatanka, but would regain it again before the year end, ending the undefeated streak.

 

Survivor Series would return back to its traditional type matches and the main event would be.

 

Bret Hart, Owen Hart, Mr Perfect, Randy Savage vs Jerry Lawler, Shawn Michaels, Bam Bam Bigelow and Borga. During this match Owen Hart is eliminated in similar fashion to how it went down originally, causing a slow Owen Hart heel turn.

 

By the end of the year, the championship picture would look like this.

World Champion – Bret Hart

Intercontinental Champion – Shawn Michaels

Tag Team Champions – Steiner Brothers

 

Heading into 1994, Owen Hart would go on to win the Royal Rumble and face Bret Hart at Wrestlemania X.

[TheLowdown1987]

How long could they have possibly kept Hogan in 1993?

 

With my fantasy booking I'm going to keep him within the company up until to SummerSlam 1993. Leading into the new year I'd have Ric Flair as my Heavyweight champion. 

 

 

Part 1 (Pre Hogan)

 

 

 

Royal Rumble 93

ARCO Arena, Sacramento, CA

Jan 1993 

 

WWF World Heavyweight Championship -

 

Ric Flair vs Mr Perfect

 

Royal Rumble winner

 

Hulk Hogan

 

WWF Intercontinental Championship

 

Shawn Michaels vs Marty Jannetty

 

Hogan returns at the Rumble and wins it. The last 10 minutes are just Hogan and Savage going at it, a wink and nod to the past and two of the biggest icons of the World Wrestling Federation. I'd have Giant Gonzalez debut as he did and take out Undertaker. I'd leave out Yokozuna completely and have him in a singles match squashing Bossman or Duggan. I'd keep the IC title on HBK too.

 

The Build to WM9

 

Hogan winning the Rumble leads to the 'Match of the Century' and is also built as '10 years in the Making' and 'Once and for All'. I'd want Flair built up as the greatest challenge of Hogan's career with his pre WWF achievements recognized and vice-versa. I'd want the promotional posters a massive cut out of half of Flairs face and half Hogans with 'Who's the Greatest?' above it.

 

After a hard fought victory over Bam Bam Bigelow at the Royal Rumble, Bret Hart lurks in the background throughout the build up and talks about the new generation and how it's time for change in the WWF. He cant wait for Hogan vs Flair at WrestleMania but wants to be the number one contender against the winner. 

 

Razor Ramon has similar feelings, and he believes he too deserves a title shot at the WWF World Heavyweight title. The two face off in one of those 1993 side by side promos to go over who should be the N1 contender.

 

On a RAW before WrestleMania, WWF president Jack Tunney announces that 'There will be a number one contenders match in Las Vegas on the undercard at WrestleMania 9 between Bret 'The Hitman' Hart and Razor Ramon. The winner of which will face the victor of the Match of the Century showdown between Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair for the WWF World Heavyweight title at the King of the Ring Pay Per View in June 1993'.

 

Yokozuna would battle Tatanka in a match in Las Vegas. Billed as 'Undefeated'.

 

 

 

WrestleMania 9

Ceasars Palace

Las Vegas, NV

 

WWF World Heavyweight Championship

'10 Years in the Making'

Ric Flair vs Hulk Hogan - The Fink gets booted as Micheal Buffer does the introductions with the likes of Muhammad Ali, Freddy Blase and Lou Thez all in the ring to make it seem the biggest deal ever and the match is set. After just under 25 minutes Hulk Hogan wins the match of the decade. Blood is spilled and the fans go home happy as Hogan beats his arch nemesis in a classic to win the WWF World Heavyweight Championship once again.

 

Undertaker vs Giant Gonzalez - Same as real life. It was what it was and it did the job I guess.

 

Number 1 Contenders Match 

Bret Hart vs Razor Ramon - Match ends in a draw after a 35 minute time limit. As the bell rings Hart has Ramon in the Sharpshooter but he taps after the bell. 

 

'Someones 0 has got to go!'

Yokozuna vs Tatanka - Yoko beats and then squashes Takanka after distraction from Mr Fuji. Tatanka is out for 3 months.

 

WWF Intercontinental Championship

Shawn Michaels vs Bob Backlund - I'd have this built as Backlund wanting that chance to show that even though he's older, he's still got it and believes he can take down the best young wrestler in the world. He comes up just short though with HBK picking up a clean win.

 

WWF Tag Team Championiship

Money Inc vs The Steiner Brothers - I'd have the Steiners look strong and demolish the Champions Money Inc to win the titles for the first time.

 

Lex Luger debuts as the Narcissist and beats Mr Perfect.

 

 

Post WM9

 

 

On the Raw after Las Vegas, Flair comes out with Heenan to state that although Hulk Hogan won fair and square there was a Re-Match clause in the contract that was signed before WM. President Jack Tunney confirms said clause and orders a rematch between Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair at King of the Ring. During this segment Tunney also confirms that the draw in the number 1 contenders match between Bret Hart and Razor Ramon means both competitors will enter the first ever King Of The Ring PPV Tournament. The winner of which will not only become King of the Ring, but will also become number one contender to face the winner of Hogan/Flair II for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam 1993.

 

The undefeated Yokozuna starts a feud with Crush, interfering in his matches leading to a singles match at KOTR.

 

Shawn Michaels calls out Randy Savage prior to the KOTR and says he's already beaten one legend he can beat another. He wants to end Savages career. 

 

As an aside I'd swap the Dayton, OH and the Nutter Center for Boston and the Boston Garden for this PPV as I believe we could sell upwards of 20,000 for the event.

 

 

 

King of the Ring 1993

Boston Garden

Boston, MA

 

WWF World Heavyweight Championship

Hulk Hogan vs Ric Flair II - Hogan wins again in the big rematch. After, Flair and Hogan shake hands, think HBK/Hogan 05 as Real American booms out. Flair leaves the WWF shortly afterwards.

 

King of the Ring Final

Bret Hart vs Razor Ramon - Hart beats Ramon to become the first ever King of the Ring and also Number one contender. 

 

King of the Ring Semi Final

Razor Ramon vs Bam Bam Bigelow

 

King of the Ring Semi Final

Bret Hart vs Mr Perfect

 

WWF Intercontinental Championship

Shawn Michaels vs 'Macho Man' Randy Savage - HBK retains his IC title after help from bodyguard Diesel. Savage leaves the ring a sullen figure. 

 

Yokozuna vs Crush - Again with the help of Mr Fuji Yokozuna wins and continues his reign of dominance.

 

WWF World Tag Team Championship

The Steiner Brothers vs The Headshrikers - Steiners retain.

 

Lex Luger vs Jim Duggan - Win for Luger

 

 

 

 

The build for SummerSlam 1993

 

 

 

'Legend vs Icon'

Forget HBK vs Hogan in 2005, the build for Hulk Hogan vs Bret Hart at SummerSlam 1993 really is Legend vs Icon as the WWF have been building Bret Hart as the companies new super babyface since late 1992 doing the major appearances and interviews. The match is built as Face vs Face just like Hogan vs Warrior at WM6. This time things feel very different, it is time for a change.

 

Both guys do promotional work for the big showdown on major shows like Leno and Regis. Hogan admits that his career is winding down and believes that Bret is going to be one of his most difficult foes as he has skills he has never faced before. Puts him over like a rover. Bret talks of Hogan as a greatest Pro Wrestler of all time but one he needs to beat if he is going to become truly, 'The best there is, The best there was, The best there ever will be' leading into the mid to late 90's. I'd do the promotional shot of Hogan and Hart tugging on the belt too.

 

Razor Ramon and Lex Luger start a fued over they're looks or something, I don't know. 

 

Shawn Michaels and Diesel ambush and beat down Mr Perfect. He wants to beat another legend. This time its Mr Perfect.

 

Tatanka returns to reignite his feud with Yokozuna after he had put him out of action for a few months. Jack Tunney stipulated that Mr Fuji would not be allowed at ringside for this clash.

 

 

SummerSlam 1993

The Palace of Auburn Hills

Auburn Hills, MI

 

WWF World Heavyweight Championship

'Legend vs Icon'

Hulk Hogan vs Bret Hart - Bret wins a great back and forth battle with the Sharpshooter. Hogan includes some moves that he dusted off in Japan including a lovely looking enziguri that shocks the crowd. The old fellas still got it. In the end though, Harts youth and skill set is too much for Hogans experience and wins his first ever WWF World Heavyweight title. Hogan and Hart hug and shake hands in the ring as Harts music plays and Hogan says his good bye to the crowd. 

 

Yokozuna vs Tatanka II - Yokozuna wins clean in rematch squashing Tatanka after the bell once again with the help of Borga.

 

Rest in Peace Match

Undertaker vs Giant Gonzalez - Taker wins like in real life

 

WWF Intercontinental Championship 

Shawn Michaels vs Mr Perfect - With the help of Diesel, HBK wins again.

 

Razor Ramon vs Lex Luger - Face Ramon beats Heel Luger in good battle. Luger is left to smash the mirrors he came to the ring with, sowing the seeds for the face turn and the Mother Fucking Lex Express.

 

WWF World Tag Team Championship

The Steiner Brothers vs The Heavenly Bodies - Exactly what happened in real life.

 

 

Yes Im a sad Bastard.

 

 

 

Anyway, stay tuned for Part 2 and Post Hogan WWF 1993.

[air_raid]

Summerslam have Bret vs Yokozuna. Yokozuna wins the belt back then anti USA programme starts leading to bodyslam challenge. Luger slams him and then at Survivor Series Luger wins the title.

 

The Bodyslam Challenge loses a load of the impact if it's not held on July 4th.

[mikehoncho]

Doesn't matter what happened as long as both these legends were in ...

 

 

[TheLowdown1987]

Part 2 (Post Hogan)

 

It's announced on the RAW after SummerSlam that the WWF and Hulk Hogan have parted company for the Hulkster to focus solely on his acting career. He wasn't happy but he did the job, and the WWF wasn't happy he wanted to leave but ultimately it had to happen. 

 

Survivor Series 1993 Build

 

New WWF World Heavyweight Champion Bret Hart celebrated his title win on RAW with plenty of WWF stars but one star was strangely missing. His brother Owen Hart was absent and called his brother out, saying that whenever they would spar in the past, he would kick Bret's ass. He says maybe it's time to kick it again to become WWF World Champion.

 

Yokozuna has been continuing his demolition of WWF superstars, and this time focuses his sights on the Undertaker. He interferes in one of his squash matches on RAW and takes him out completely, with the help of the headshrinkers and Ludvig Borga, injuring him and taking him out of action.

 

During this prolonged attack Lex Luger comes out to help Taker, this time wearing Red, White and Blue and getting a huge pop. The Lex Express has arrived. This leads to a traditional Survivor Series match with the All Americans taking on the Foreign Fanatics.

 

Heel Shawn Michaels and face Razor Ramon had started feuding with Diesel and I23 Kid getting involved too on both sides. This came to a head at the Survivor Series.

 

 

Survivor Series 1993

Nutter Centre

Dayton, OH

 

WWF World Heavyweight Championship

Bret 'The Hitman' Hart vs Owen Hart

 

Suvivor Series Match

The All Americans - Lex Luger, The Steiners, Randy Savage vs Foreign Fanatics - Yokozuna, The Headshrinkers, Ludvig Borga

 

Survivor Series Match

Razor Ramon, I23 Kid, Men on a Mission vs Shawn Michaels, Diesel, Bam Bam Bigelow, Adam Bomb

 

 

 

Late 93/94

 

 

I think going into 1994 I would keep the title on Bret up until WrestleMania and see if the slow build of Lex Luger was getting over sufficiently. I'd build it as face vs face. I'd want Luger to come out on top if things were working out well. 

 

I'd build HBK and Razor the same as real life and keep the iconic ladder match in tact.

 

I'd have the Undertaker face Yokozuna at the Rumble and keep the outcome the same too. Keep the heat on Yoko for a potential run as a top heel champion in 94/95.

 

I'd have Savage end his in ring career at WrestleMania against the I23 Kid, with Savage going over.

[HarmonicGenerator]

Great episode this week.

 

 

Captain Crush!

 

[TheLowdown1987]

Meh, more disrespecting Hogan. Fuck, the guy should still be on top until he goes out, end of. Stop trying to be 'smart'. Post 2005 you can rip the guy as an out of touch, lack of self awareness dummy, but before that, nah. He was, quite simply the man, simple as that.

 

Lawler had value? Behave. Hogan going over at Mania and then building towards ending at SummerSlam was the way to go. Stop over thinking.

[Porkchopcash]

Hogan was out of touch post WM8 in my opinion. Fairplay to him jumping on the NWO bandwagon and making millions, but from the time Hogan left after Mania 8 till the time he returned pre Mania 9 the place had changed and fans were bored of him. He looked different as well. Fans were already turning on him at RR92 when Sid got cheered over him and he got booed. They done a nice editing job on tgat though.

[TheLowdown1987]

I agree that Hulkamania was dying down and Vince knew that, but I still think the way he went out in 1993 was not the way to go. Now obviously politics and what not effected booking decisions and I'm sure there was creative control wasn't there? But I'm sure a little bit of extra cash would have buttered Hogan up to do the right thing which IMO was have Bret go over at SummerSlam. 

 

 

Thats why I'd say to Terry you can beat Flair twice at WM and KOTR to cement yourself as 'the Greatest' to massage his ego, but we're having Bret Hart go over you at SummerSlam. I think he would have accepted.

 

 

And if anybody really thinks Hogan vs Flair would never have worked, just watch this. It really does feel special,  a true prize fight and thats a year later in 1994.

 

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2jb7uc

[Liam O'Rourke]

Hogan on top didn't work in 93, that's just the way it was, like it or not. I don't think it's disrespectful to Hogan. He did a house show run after winning the WWF title and the numbers were a massive letdown since they brought him back to be a difference maker. Hogan in WCW from 94 to the end of 97 should have been the top guy, absolutely. But in 93 he wasn't effective, and saying anything else is fantasy.

 

Maybe if they greased the wheel or catered to him more they could have got a job to Bret out of him, but who knows. Hogan doesnt have the type of track record where you can realistically assume that though, he was smart and only did lose big matches when he had to, and so long as he felt he was safe afterwards. Truth was, Hogan saw he didnt make a difference, and realised that if he stuck around his perceived value would decrease tremendously. So it was better to not be associated with a flat WWF and have the image of the megastar that left and wrestling went down because of it. Business was booming in Japan, so he went there, and anybody who looked into how Hogan was doing could see him at the Tokyo Dome with packed crowds and still view him as a big deal.

[tiger_rick]

Meh, more disrespecting Hogan. Fuck, the guy should still be on top until he goes out, end of.

Or until the company dies, whichever comes first.

[Jazzy G]

Maybe it was because I grew up watching WCW Worldwide on ITV at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon instead of WWF's TV as we didn't have Sky, but I never had much exposure to Hogan's WWF/E stuff as it happened. I can only watch it back with hindsight and it isn't my bag at all. I respect that he helped get wrestling where it was but just don't enjoy his work in WWF/E that much. If you ask me he wasn't great in WCW either, and I feel it's a case of right place, right time with him if you ask me. I do still lose my shit whenever I hear Voodoo Chile by Jimi Hendrix, though. I saw a couple of his matches in Japan on The Wrestling Channel years ago though, and they were like night and day. I wonder how much of it was his adhering to Vince's vision of what "sports entertainment" had to be and WCW not wanting to deviate from that pattern too much that made his American stuff look so limited.

[Liam O'Rourke]

I want to thank everybody for the contributions, we got to read many of them on the show, which is now available at the following link:

 

http://squaredcirclegazette.podbean.com/mf/web/angm69/SCG_Radio_99_-_Rebooking_The_WWF_in_1993.mp3

Join us as we Rebook the WWF in 1993! Talking all the problems facing the company at a time of decline, we debate the best way to use Hulk Hogan, decide whether to go with Bret Hart or run with somebody else as the company leader, and book all the major shows leading to WrestleMania X in 1994! And as always, we take your comments and opinions on what you felt should have been done to steady the ship. So with roster depth a major issue and an industry-wide decline going on, is it possible to make things better? Does the Lex Express ride again? Listen in and let us know what you think!