Slow Start, But Then The Matches Get Great!
After a series of WWF pay-per-views that were at best average (and often dreadful), SummerSlam 1994 finally puts on a really strange show (even despite a very slow start).
The event starts with a few rather anti-climactic matches: -Tatanka vs. Lex Luger. Luger is a failed experiment by this point, while Tatanka is a huge fan favorite but for some reason Vince McMahon never really put him in a position to succeed. -A completely forgettable Women's Championship match. -Jeff Jarrett vs. Mabel. The "country vs. rap" battle. Mabel is just a big lug, while Jarrett is little more than a Rick Rude clone.
From that ignominious beginning, however, the event then manages to amp up the match quality and entertainment value considerably:
-Razor Ramon vs. Diesel is a match that probably has no business being as good as it was. Diesel is a competent "big man" wrestler, while Ramon's schtick was so good and he's a quality wrestler as well. -Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart in the Steel Cage. One of the best WWF matches of all-time both in terms of drama and technical execution. -Undertaker (w/Paul Bearer) vs. Undertaker (w/Ted DiBiasie). Kind of a weird gimmick, but still a dramatic way to re-introduce Undertaker back into the mix.
Overall, this was probably the most entertaining WWF event since perhaps early 1992 or so. All the top talent was matched up in the right places, and the "filler" was palatable.
The event starts with a few rather anti-climactic matches: -Tatanka vs. Lex Luger. Luger is a failed experiment by this point, while Tatanka is a huge fan favorite but for some reason Vince McMahon never really put him in a position to succeed. -A completely forgettable Women's Championship match. -Jeff Jarrett vs. Mabel. The "country vs. rap" battle. Mabel is just a big lug, while Jarrett is little more than a Rick Rude clone.
From that ignominious beginning, however, the event then manages to amp up the match quality and entertainment value considerably:
-Razor Ramon vs. Diesel is a match that probably has no business being as good as it was. Diesel is a competent "big man" wrestler, while Ramon's schtick was so good and he's a quality wrestler as well. -Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart in the Steel Cage. One of the best WWF matches of all-time both in terms of drama and technical execution. -Undertaker (w/Paul Bearer) vs. Undertaker (w/Ted DiBiasie). Kind of a weird gimmick, but still a dramatic way to re-introduce Undertaker back into the mix.
Overall, this was probably the most entertaining WWF event since perhaps early 1992 or so. All the top talent was matched up in the right places, and the "filler" was palatable.
- zkonedog
- Feb 23, 2017