SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: 14:57 Min.
This title bout was taped in Memphis, TN, amidst the WWF/WWE and USWA’s 1993 talent swap. Specifically, ex-WWF World Champion “Macho Man” Randy Savage returns to his old stomping grounds (pardon the expression) to challenge his long-time adversary, Jerry “The King” Lawler, for his USWA Unified World Title.
Their title showdown occurs inside a steel cage resembling multiple chain-link fences strung together. With Lawler as the perpetual hometown favorite, the match’s wildcard is “Sensational” Sherri, who was Savage’s nefarious valet a few years earlier. The match’s USWA commentator isn’t identified.
Notes: Back in 1985, Savage’s departure for the WWF/WWE in 1985 was written off on-screen as a result of a ‘loser-leaves-town’ match against Lawler for the AWA Southern Championship. Suggesting an apparent discrepancy in the video’s length, the ring announcer repeatedly claims the match’s official length as 15:48.
REVIEW:
Surprisingly, the visual quality (let alone the various camera angles) are terrific. Some other observations stand out, as Savage & Lawler resume their heated mid-80’s rivalry, without missing a single familiar beat.
One: the muted crowd reaction (inside what appears to be a converted armory/fairgrounds) predictably tilts towards Lawler. Yet, neither guy sparks much appreciation from a relatively sparse crowd. Two: Between the ancient-looking cage, rubbery ring ropes resembling garden hoses, and Lawler’s hideous 70’s-style garb, it’s hard to believe that this bout occurs in the 1990’s! Aside from the combatants’ forty-something age, the only other clue re: the match’s time period is one of Savage’s typically gaudy, two-piece outfits he liked wearing in the early ‘90s.
Three: Aside from excluding one of Savage’s famous flying elbow-drops, the bout likens to a lukewarm greatest-hits festival between these guys. Exuding star power, Savage is reliably spry and conniving, but Lawler is mostly lethargic until the match’s closing minutes. Relying on a cop-out finish in a cage match is disappointing, especially as it spells out how easy a cheapo USWA cage can be breached by supposed outside inference.
Last and most dubiously, Four: Sherri’s standard-issue double-teaming is sullied by Lawler stripping off her leggings down to her panties … amidst Sherri fleeing a semi-bloodied Lawler’s wrath. Not only does this misogynistic plot twist repeat Sherri’s sleazy exploitation during the WWF’s Savage-Ultimate Warrior cage matches in early 1991, it’s utterly poor taste resorting to this shock value tactic again.
Disappointingly, despite an intriguing rehash of Savage and Lawler’s old-school chemistry, this title bout doesn’t add anything remotely new to the table.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 3½ Stars
IMAGE NOT AVAILABLE
