This Day In Wrestling History - August 30

Date: August 30, 1993 (20 years ago)

Feature: After nearly two full months of Lex Express hype, Lex Luger failed to capture the WWF Title from Yokozuna in the main event of Summerslam 1993. Luger won via count-out, but Yokozuna retained the WWF Title. Below is a portion of the Torch Newsletter Cover Story examining this strange turn of events...

Torch Back-Issue: PWTorch Newsletter #242.

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PWTorch Newsletter #242 Cover Story
HEADLINE: Lex Luger defeats Yokozuna by countout
SUBHEADLINE: Yokozuna retains title, begins new feud with Undertaker next night at television tapings
By WADE KELLER, Editor and Publisher

SummerSlam ended with Lex Luger celebrating his victory over Yokozuna as fans stood and cheered, as balloons fell from the rafters, and as “Stars and Stripes Forever” blared over the WWF’s state of the art speaker system. Good had won over evil.

The scene resembled Sting’s victory over Ric Flair at the Great American Bash in the Summer of 1990, including the Steiners hoisting the victorious hero on their shoulders in mid-­ring. But there was one significant difference: Luger won by count-out, thus was not the new champion.

Some fans in the arena left as soon as Yokozuna was counted out, others booed. The vast majority took part in the celebration.

A lot of fans in the arena and watching on pay-per-view were stunned. The scenario oddly did not appear to make sense. Followers of the WWF are used to being underwhelmed by the in-­ring action the WWF often provides, but rarely question the sanity of the booking.

The key stipulation for Luger’s first title shot against Yokozuna was that it would be his only title shot. Luger, being a smart individual, should not have been celebrating the count-out victory, common sense would say. Instead, he should be complaining that he defeated the champion, but now is without a title and a rematch. Rather, Luger celebrated as if he won the title.

After the elaborate “Lex Express” tour and what appeared to be a sure-­fire beginning to a Lex Luger run as the World Champion in the WWF, the victory was baffling.....

Summerslam PPV Results

(1) Owen Hart pinned Barry Horowitz at 13:19 after a dropkick off the top rope. This match took place before SummerSlam went on the air nationally on pay-per-view. A suitable opener. Hart limped back to the dressing room, apparently aggravating one of his bad knees. **

(2) Razor Ramon pinned Ted DiBiase in 7:28 in the opening pay-per-view match. This was DiBiase's final WWF match, as two days later he began wrestling for All Japan Wrestling. Ramon did all of his trademark moves, ending it when he reversed DiBiase into the exposed turnbuckle (DiBiase removed the pad seconds earlier) and then gave DiBiase the Razor's Edge. A suitable opener. **

Next came an interview with the Steiners's sister and mother and a plug for the 900 line.

(3) Rick & Scott Steiner defeated The Heavenly Bodies at 9:50 after Scott hit Jimmy Del Rey with the Frankensteiner. The match began with a series of chaotic hot moves and then slowed to a quality tag match. Moments earlier, Rick Steiner escaped a pinfall attempt after Cornette hit him with his racket. After Del Rey hit Prichard with the moonsault when Rick moved, Scott frankensteined him for the pin. Cornette introduced the Bodies as "Better late at night than David Letterman." **1/2

(4) Shawn Michaels defeated Mr. Perfect by count-out at 11:20 after Diesel interfered. As a result, Michaels retained the Intercontinental Title. This match fell short of expectations. Michaels shined, but Perfect seemed a step behind. ***

(5) I.R.S. pinned 1-2-3 Kid after a solid clothesline at 6:12. A quality match. Kid did not execute many hot moves and his loss was a surprise. *3/4

(6) Bret Hart defeated Doink by DQ when Jerry Lawler interfered. Lawler wore a leg cast and came to the ring on crutches claiming he was too injured to wrestle as a result of a leg injury. Lawler became suddenly mobile in the end when Doink was in trouble, attacking Hart. Owen and Bruce Hart, sitting front row, jumped over the railing to try to save Bret, but they were held back by the referees. **

(7) Jerry Lawler defeated Bret Hart on a reversed decision when Hart refused to release the sharpshooter on Lawler at 6:46. A dozen WWF officials tried to pry Hart off of Lawler, but Hart wouldn't move. Finally, after several minutes, Hart dropped Lawler. As Lawler was rolled out on the stretcher, he held his arm in the air with his last bit of energy in a nice touch. Hart was the most over wrestler of the night. ***

(8) Ludvig Borga defeated Marty Jannetty by submission at 7:00. Jannetty, wrestling with a fractured ankle, played a strong underdog role in his loss. Borga is still not over as a heel. This was a popcorn match. *1/4

(9) Undertaker pinned Giant Gonzales. This was the blow-off the feud and thank goodness, because Undertaker is too talented to be wasted against the still uncoordinated Gonzales. DUD

(10) The Smoking Guns & Tatanka defeated The Head Shrinkers & Bam Bam Bigelow when Tatanka pinned Samu. A solid, mostly consistent tag match used well as padding before the main event. **

(11) Lex Luger defeated Yokozuna by count-out in a WWF Title match. Mid-way through the match, after a methodical struggle for offensive control between both men, Luger and Yokozuna were flat on their back after clotheslining each other. Fuji threw the salt bucket to Yokozuna and he nailed Luger with the bucket. Yokozuna slowly moved to cover Luger and gained a near fall. Moments later, Yokozuna belly-to-belly suplexed Luger. McMahon wrote off Luger at this point, resigning defeat. He popped for Luger's last second kickout, but the fans were not as into the near falls, still not believing Luger could lose. AFter another near fall that the fans didn?t pop big for, Yokozuna moved to a nerve hold. Moments later, Luger moved when Yokozuna attempted the banzai splash. Luger began his comeback and slammed Yokozuna which did get a pop. Luger then nailed Yokozuna with his plated forearm. Yokozuna spilled from the ring and was counted out. Luger celebrated in mid-ring as fellow babyfaces stormed the ring to celebrate with him, despite not winning the belt. A methodical match that should have drawn better fan heat and more pops for the near falls, but was hampered by Luger's inability to connect with the fans during the bout. **1/4

[Torch photo credit Wade Keller (c) PWTorch.com]

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