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WWF @ London, Ontario - December 13, 1990
Topic Started: Sep 14 2015, 04:16 PM (1,009 Views)
Scrooge McSuck
I'll get you next time, toilet!
[ *  *  * ]
[This has been sitting in my "send later" folder for a couple of months now, and I just don't see enough meat on it to be worth putting on the main site, so here's some DWB Exclusive left-overs!]


WWF @ London, Ontario, Canada – December 13th, 1990


- More random, whacky, goodness with shows/compilations no one else in their right mind would wag a fist at. I don’t know the broadcast history of the full show, or even if there was a broadcast of it, but with a bunch of matches taped and recycled for various WWF programs, you’d think some cable company North of the border would have televised it.


- Taped from the London Gardens in London, Ontario, with Sean Mooney and Lord Alfred Hayes calling the action, unless otherwise noted. Matches not included here are as followed: Rick Martel defeating Jake Roberts by DQ after Roberts accidentally DDT’ed the referee; The Undertaker pinning Koko B. Ware with the Tombstone Piledriver, Ted Dibiase pinning Dusty Rhodes with a handful of tights, and Earthquake pinning Tugboat with the Vertical Splash. Hmm… maybe I shouldn’t bother now, knowing that all the matches I wanted to see weren’t used for television.


- The Orient Express (w/ Mr. Fuji) vs. The Brooklyn Brawler & Sonny Blaze:
Recycled for the January 14th, 1991 episode of Prime Time Wrestling. You know their bringing out the A-list talent when not only is the Brooklyn Brawler, in 1990, making an appearance, but a syndicated jobber like Blaze. One of the earliest appearances of Kato (Paul Diamond), replacing Sato and making the team 500 times better by default. We’re in Joined in Progress, withTanaka and Blaze tussling around sloppily. Kato tags in, unloads with a chop, and dives off the ropes with an elbow. Tanaka back in, with more chops. Tanaka with a super-kick, and its time for a chinlock. Kato roughs Blaze up some more, so Brawler comes in and rakes his eyes, because… who the hell is the babyface of this match? Whip to the ropes and Tanaka with his signature twisting forearm smash. I like how neither Kato or Tanaka’s black belt is actually holding up their pants, just tightly tied around their hips. Blaze avoids an elbow, but isn’t allowed any offense, because he’s Sonny Blaze. Brawler comes in, illegally, to pound away on both Express members, but Blaze sucks so bad and they immediately finish with the Superkick/German Suplex combo at 4:48. ¼* Just an extended squash match.


- “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka vs. Haku:
Recycled for the December 24th, 1990 episode of Prime Time Wrestling. At least we aren’t getting another squash match. On the other hand… it’s Jimmy Snuka in the ‘90’s (not Snuka in his 90’s), roided to the gills. Lord Alfred claims the Fiji and Tongan Islands have CANOE RACES to settle their differences. That’s just money, made up or not. Haku lays on the top rope, mid 90’s Shawn Michaels style, to cheese Snuka off, or audition for the Tongan Boy Toy gimmick that was in the works… am I making that up? You decide. Lockup to the ropes and a clean break. Haku pounds away, but sets too early for a back drop. Whip to the ropes and Haku with a shoulder tackle. Snuka no-sells being sent to the buckle and returns the favor while Mooney implores everyone to order the upcoming Royal Rumble PPV. Haku with an inverted atomic drop, damaging Snuka’s Coconuts. Haku with a piledriver for two, followed by some choking. Whip to the ropes and Snuka comes back with a sunset flip for a two count. Snuka unloads with chops, avoids a charge, and school boys Haku for three at 8:21. Maybe Haku should’ve challenged him to that Canoe race, instead. Replays show Haku’s shoulders constantly being off the canvas during that count, too. DUD Nothing match.


- Road Warrior Hawk vs. Kato (w/ Mr. Fuji & Tanaka):
Double Duty from the Orient Express! I don’t like poor Kato’s chances. No idea when this was recycled, but the commentary is talking up WrestleMania VII. Reasons unknown to explain Animal’s absence. Maybe he fell asleep taking a dump. Lockup, and Hawk throws Kato into the corner. Kato grabs a front face-lock, but Hawk launches him across the ring to escape. Whip to the ropes, and Kato’s shoulder tackle is an epic fail. Whip to the ropes, and Hawk with his own shoulder tackle, followed by a clothesline, sending Kato to the floor. Tanaka goes for a cheap shot, but hits Kato by mistake, and Hawk lays him out with a clothesline. Fuji with a distraction, allowing Tanaka to freely interfere, but Hawk dominates both and clears the ring. He tosses Kato back in with a press slam, but a distraction from Tanaka finally turns the tide. Hawk misses a charge to the corner, but comes right back out with the clothesline. He plants Kato with a press slam, heads to the top rope, and finishes with the flying clothesline at 4:29. * Watchable and non-stop action, which is more than could be said for the previous match. Tanaka tries a post-match attack, but Hawk cleans his clock and turns Tanaka inside out with a clothesline.


- Saba Simba vs. The Barbarian:
Saba Simba?! THAT’S TONY ATLAS. Oh, MY GOD. My therapist was right, God does hate me. Recycled from the December 24th, 1990 episode of Prime Time Wrestling. Lockup into the corner leads to nothing. They do it again and get into a shoving match. Maybe Barbarian accused Simba of killing Mufasa. Simba grabs a wristlock, but Barbarian goes to the throat to break it. Whip to the ropes, and Simba comes back with a headbutt and clothesline, sending Barbarian to the floor. Back inside, Barbarian grabs a headlock. Simba escapes… and does nothing. They fight over a hammerlock while I fight passing out from boredom. This crowd is DEAD. Barbarian grabs a bearhug to really raise the pulse rate, and Simba sells it like he’s being stabbed in the shower… too soon? Atlas escapes and drops Barbarian with a headbutt. He goes for a slam, but Barb lands on top for a two count. Barbarian with a slam, but misses the second rope elbow drop, a move he never hit on a non-Jobber. Whip to the corner, Simba meets a boot, and Barbarian rolls him up for the merciful three count at 8:21. -** This was AWFUL.


- WWF Tag Team Championship Match:
The Hart Foundation © vs. Power & Glory:

(Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart vs. Paul Roma & Hercules)
Joined in Progress, and recycled from a Coliseum Video titled “Greatest Champions.” I wonder… had the Rockers title reign stood as planned, were they going to transition them to Power & Glory, or hang on to them and drop them to the Nasty Boys, like what we had at WrestleMania VII? So many questions! Bret is hanging onto an armbar on Hercules. Whip to the ropes, and Hercules counters a body press with a casual slam. Roma comes off the top and takes a fist to the midsection for his efforts. Neidhart grabs an armbar. Roma escapes a slam attempt and knocks Neidhart to the floor with a dropkick, thanks to a helpful distraction from Hercules. Back inside, Hercules plants a series of knees to the beer belly of the Anvil. Roma uses the tag rope to choke Neidhart down while the referee plays dumb. Neidhart continues to play the face-in-peril, despite little of note taking place. Hercules with a chinlock, to REALLY kill my interest. We get heel miscommunication, allowing Bret to get the hot tag. He mounts Roma in the corner and dives onto Hercules for more clobbering. Inverted atomic drop to Roma, followed by a double noggin-knocker. Neidhart in with the slingshot shoulder tackle to both Hercules and Roma. Bret with a cradle, Hercules turns it over, then Neidhart turns it back, and the Foundation retain at 7:34. *¼ Dumb finish to a lackluster effort.


- Bushwhacker Butch vs. Demolition Crush:
And now, a surprise bonus match for me to enjoy. This was taped from the London Gardens on February 16th, 1991, and is the only match from that card used for television (the April 9th episode of Prime Time, to be exact). Someone, somewhere, thought nothing on that show, with the exception of BUTCH vs. CRUSH, was worth a TV spot. We’re joined in progress, but according to TheHistoryofWWE.com, Crush came out to the old Demolition theme, about Ax and Smash. Logic in Wrestling Lyrics. Butch grabs a side headlock, but a shoulder tackle doesn’t budge Crush. Butch challenges Crush to a test of strength, then pokes him in the eyes. He sweeps the leg of Crush, sending him to the floor in frustration. Back inside, Butch gets the better of Crush during a criss-cross, sending him out of the ring in comical fashion. Crush takes control, locking a body scissors. Crush sure does like mocking that Bushwhacker call. Crush with a back breaker, followed by a bear-hug. Butch fights free, but Crush remains in control. He plants Butch with a slam, but misses a second rope fist drop. Butch rallies with rights and clotheslines, then sends Crush out of the ring with a diving headbutt. They brawl on the floor, with Crush being rammed into the post, and Butch beats the count back in at 9:00. Feh. ¾* This wasn’t “so bad it was entertaining” bad, just “boring” bad.


Final Thoughts: Nothing to see here, folks. The WWF was definitely on the low end of quality wrestling during the early 90’s, and the lack of talent depth was becoming more and more obvious. If the handful of solid workers weren’t having good matches, then it was going to be a painful two hours every night for the fans to sit through. Even for curiosity sake, I don’t think anyone needs to see anything featured on this disc.
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