#181: Bret Hart vs. Randy Savage, WWE Live (5/7/1994).
This is for Hart’s WWE Championship, and is a House Show main event from Yokohama, Japan.
I’ll do my best to cover this move for move, but it is a Fan Cam match, so a lot of it might not be visible. I couldn’t pass down the opportunity to review a match between Bret Hart and Randy Savage, who I believe only had three singles matches together.
The referee holds the title up, as Bret gives his glasses to a young fan at ringside. Savage holds the ropes down for Bret to get in the ring. We get the rules explained to both men, and they shake hands. The bell sounds, and here we go. They lock up and we get a stalemate. Another lock up, and Bret has Savage against the turnbuckle. Another clean break, and a lock up. Savage takes Bret down, and Bret looks displeased.
They lock up again, and Savage takes the back. He takes Bret down, and hammerlocks the arm. He twists the arm around, but Bret takes control of Savage’s arm and drives his knee into it. Savage forces Bret to the turnbuckle, but the champion is able to force him back to the mat. A big elbow to the shoulder, and Bret continues to work the arm on the mat. They’re back to their feet, and Bret shoulder tackles Savage to the mat. He take a front face lock, and transitions back to arm control.
Back to their feet, they shake hands, but Bret seems hesitant. Savage is playing up to the crowd a bit. They lock up, and Savage takes Bret’s arm, who quickly reverses and gets Savage back on the mat. Bret grabs the legs and stretches Savage, who rolls out of the ring for a breather. Now Bret holds the ropes for Savage to return to the ring. Savage fakes a hand shake and rakes the eyes! He chokes Bret against the ropes! What a heel.
He throws Bret to the mat and gets a nearfall. Savage with the side headlock next. Nice “Go Bret Go” chant from the Japanese fans. Bret tries to elbow his way free, but Savage forces him back to the mat. They’re back to their feet again, and Hart elbows his way free. Nice shoulder tackles from the Hitman, who gets a nearfall off of that. Savage is quickly back on the advantage, applying a chin lock next. Savage drives his knee into the chest and keeps the hold on. Hart escapes and gets a sunset flip roll up for 2.
Savage with a clothesline that gets a nearfall.. Savage sends Hart to the floor, and then face first into the ring post. Savage goes to the top rope, and drops the axe handle to Bret. Savage drops Bret off the apron with a punch. Savage continues his attack on the floor, and he continues to play to the crowd. He’s definitely taken the role of heel for this match. Back in the ring, Savage drops an elbow to the head for a 2 count.
He irish whips Bret into the turnbuckle. Savage gets a small package nearfall next. He strikes Bret in the corner repeatedly, and chokes him. On the apron, Savage drops another elbow to the head, and then lands a nice suplex back in the ring. He covers, and Bret kicks out. Bret tries to fight back with some punches, and a kick to the face out of the corner. Bret sends Savage flying over the top rope and to the floor.
Nice crossbody from Bret to Savage! He sends Savage into the barricade, and unloads with some punches. He brings Savage back into the ring, and headbutts him. Huge clothesline from the champion gets a nearfall. Bret with a suplex next, and Savage kicks out. He gives Savage a stern backbreaker next, but misses an elbow drop from the middle rope. Savage gives a powerslam, then heads to the top rope. He connects with the flying elbow! He covers Bret, and the champion is able to kick out. Savage returns to the top rope, but he lands on a punch to the gut by Bret, who follows up with a Side Russian Legsweep. Bret turns Savage over, and applies the Sharpshooter, and Savage quickly taps out. Bret retains the WWE Championship. Post match, Bret and Randy shake hands and hug it out. Good sports.
That was a nice little match. Nothing too crazy, as it’s just a house show match, but it’s always nice to see two legends going at it in a setting like this. Bret was still early in his run as the undisputed guy in WWE in the absence of Hulk Hogan, so wins over guys like Randy Savage help get him over with the fans as the new Ace. I liked how Savage was respectful in the beginning, but he quickly turned on the Macho Man heel charm for the remainder of the match. There was good intensity from both men throughout, though the finish was never in doubt.
My only gripe with the match is that Bret hardly worked over the legs in this match, but once the Sharpshooter was applied for the first time, Savage quickly tapped out. I have that same problem in a lot of Ric Flair matches, but Bret is usually better about it. Oh well, I can’t complain too much about a 1990s WWF House Show match in Japan between two legends who rarely wrestled in singles matches, can I?