SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: 3:39 Min.
Taped in January 1992 for the syndicated WWF Wrestling Challenge TV series, the arena itself isn’t identified. In a warm-up bout supposedly ‘mere hours’ (or, more likely, days) before the 1992 Royal Rumble, a recently-reinstated Savage tangles with Hercules. The match co-commentators are Gorilla Monsoon & Bobby “The Brain” Heenan.
Notes: Remarkably, this bout’s brevity even includes Savage & Elizabeth’s ring entrance. The 1992 Royal Rumble occurred January 19, 1992, with both Savage and Hercules among the thirty participants vying for the vacant WWF World Championship.
REVIEW:
Back in late 1987, Savage (now a vibrant babyface) tangled with Hercules in a brief feud. Come the 1988 Survivor Series, they were partners in the main event. Then, it’s the reverse at the 1989 Survivor Series, as they face each other as bitter adversaries. Any of these three past angles far, far surpass what fans get out of them in early 1992.
Star power only carries Savage & Hercules so far, as this ultra-brief showdown is a mere afterthought. Though the ever-colorful Savage still looks terrific on-screen, his jobbing adversary is now a pale shadow of the ‘mighty’ Hercules fans saw in 1987-1989. Suffice to say, their quick set-up for the big Savage elbow-drop is utterly unconvincing.
Though Savage & Elizabeth fans will appreciate seeing the legendary duo prior to Elizabeth’s WWF departure a few months later, this half-hearted clash against Hercules effectively delivers next to nothing.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 2½ Stars
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