JANUARY 9
1993
SMW TV featured house show highlights of a match between the Rock & Roll Express and Heavenly Bodies & Jim Cornette, the biggest rivalry in the history of the territory. Jim Cornette actually pulled off an elbow drop from the second rope, but he missed his target. Before the match aired, the Stud Stable pressured their manager Dutch Mantell about receiving a title shot. Robert Fuller pointed to Jim Cornette as an example of a great manager, taking a “mediocre team” like the Heavenly Bodies, repackaging them with a new name and getting title shots for them all the time. Jim Cornette later responded by taking a few potshots at Fuller, Golden and Mantell. The tables were being set nicely for a three-way feud between the Rock & Rolls, Bodies and Stud Stable.
On WWF Superstars, in the middle of an interview that Raymond Rougeau was conducting with Owen Hart, Razor Ramon, the next challenger for WWF World Champion Bret Hart, showed up and attacked Owen to continue the build to the Bret-Razor match at the Royal Rumble. Also on the show, the Steiner Brothers made their WWF debut after a falling out with Bill Watts in WCW.
Barry Windham and Ricky Steamboat faced off in a great **** match on WCW Saturday Night. It was the type of thinking man’s match that has become all too rare in wrestling, and it was a sign that while it was too little, too late, Bill Watts was finally forging a good path ahead for WCW. The match was taped on December 14 at Atlanta’s Center Stage Theatre. The show drew a 2.1 rating.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ue7AdCjhvvk
Ric Flair and Bret Hart squared off in a 60-minute Iron Man Match for the WWF World Title at a house show in Boston, MA. While the show was not taped for television, a fan in the audience did bring a camcorder into the building, and the match was eventually circulated among tape traders. It was a tremendous match that really demonstrated that despite their harsh words for each other at times, Ric Flair and Bret Hart had better chemistry in the ring than they were willing to admit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0vTw0V9lz4
1994
JWP hosted one of the better matches in the history of the company at Korakuen Hall, as Devil Masami, Dynamite Kansai & Chigusa Nagayo faced Mayumi Ozaki, Cutie Suzuki and Plum Mariko in a ****1/2 classic. In a unique stipulation, to win the match, only a two-count was required.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ot2eokxA8oA
1995
Bret Hart made his first television appearance in front of a crowd after losing the WWF World Title to Bob Backlund at Survivor Series in November. He attacked Owen Hart during a match with Razor Ramon on Monday Night RAW. The Bret-Owen feud would not be a major focus for the company anymore, but it continued on for a few months and gave the brothers something to do until WrestleMania. Also on the show, Jerry Lawler hosted William Shatner on King’s Court. You can watch the show on the WWE Network.
1999
Fit Finlay and Dave Taylor made mincemeat out of Disorderly Conduct on WCW Saturday Night, in what may be the best squash match I have ever seen. The match was taped on January 5 in Gainesville, GA.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fy3Hi1iJug4
In The “To Watch” Queue:
Kiyoshi Tamura vs Yuko Miyato (UWFI 01/09/92)
