This Tuesday In Texas is both notorious and relatively unknown, an oft-forgotten show that actually has all the makings of a great show: a red hot San Antonio crowd, a match billed as a feud-ender between Jake Roberts and the Macho Man, and a rematch for the World Championship between The Undertaker and Hulk Hogan less than a week after Taker won the title (in tainted fashion) at Survivor Series 91'. Plus, Ric Flair and Bret Hart!
But this show, which came at a budgeted price of $12.99 and, yes, occurred on a Tuesday night, wasn't built up for months and months like the other PPVs of the era, nor was it even a "full" show, clocking in well under 2 hours compared to the 2.5/3 hours that were the norm around this time. So is this "experimental" event worth watching?
The show kicks off with Bret Hart defending the Intercontinental Championship against Skinner (aka Steve Keirn, an 80s journeyman who was most famous for being one half of The Fabulous Ones tag team). I was surprised at the lack of chemistry between Skinner and the Hitman. I think the problem here is that Keirn, a solid all-arounder, is working with a gimmick that doesn't necessarily lend itself to the type of fast-paced, technical wrestling that Bret Hart was building his reputation on. When Skinner does try to match actual holds or does something athletic - even just a leap frog or an abdominal stretch - it clashes with his presentation as an alligator-hunting hillbilly from the Everglades. Bret, meanwhile, stood out during this time because he was wrestling in a style that was high-impact and knew that having a match with a healthy amount of back-and-forth would get the crowd behind him, make his opponent look strong, and give the crowd something a bit more suspenseful and unpredictable than what Hogan was doing in the main event. Unfortunately, this has the unintended effect of making Bret look like he's struggling to beat a guy that the audience viewed as a job guy (and not a very interesting one at that). This is a decent opener, but it would've been better with at least a couple of minutes shaved off. (2.5/5)
After both men cut some pre-match promos, its time for one of the night's main events - even if it isn't billed as such - Randy Savage vs. Jake Roberts with Roberts' snake barred from ringside. I criticized the fact that Savage and Roberts, despite being in the same arena and both cutting promos on the show, didn't attack each other at Survivor Series, but they make up for it here. Savage jumps Roberts as he's making his way down the aisle - great psychology there for a blood feud - and Jake is forced to hit him with a low blow. More good psychology as Roberts goes after Savage's damaged and bandaged arm (where his snake had bit him a few weeks prior). I like how multiple times during the match, there are near collisions and heated moments with Hebner as it really shows just how little these two care about "rules" at this point. Roberts tries for the DDT but gets shoved into the corner and Savage, in under 7 minutes, hits the elbow drop from the top rope to end the match, which is a touch disappointing but, again, the psychology makes sense. Roberts is an old school heel and he's just been caught with Savage's most deadly move so it makes sense that it would keep him down for a 3 count...but not "kill" him. After the match, Savage tries to extract more revenge with weaponry but Roberts, maybe wisely allowing Mach to believe he has "ended" the match and has Roberts beat, catches him with the DDT and then another DDT! Brilliant! Savage is now in serious trouble and Roberts grabs a bag from under the ring, telling the camera man that he promised to keep the snake away from the corner (but not under the ring). He comes into the ring with the bag as Miss Elizabeth runs down the aisle in tears. It should go without mentioning that the crowd is absolutely LOSING THEIR MINDS during all of this. The piece de resistance comes when Roberts, after continued to bark out his disrespect towards her husband, Roberts pulls Liz up off the mat and slaps her in the face. The level of controversy this had in the WWE in 1991 when the company was 1000% geared towards children really can't be understated, though, it should be noted that such male-on-female violence wasn't totally rare (just ask Sherri Martel). Still, Elizabeth and Sherri were basically nasty spitfire (who deserves to get tossed around or atomic dropped). After slapping Elizabeth, Roberts finally leaves the ring and the crowd is booing like crazy. The match doesn't go very long, but if you include the angle, this is arguably the most violent, risky storyline the WWE produced until the Pillman Gun Angle many years later. (4/5)
Before the next match, Jake goes to the back and cuts yet another insanely good promo. This one is so undeniably sinister that its going to get a bonus half-point (with Savage's promo later on in the show rounding it up to a full point). (+1)
The British Bulldog vs. The Warlord follows. These two fought multiple times, all year long, so its not surprising that they have decent enough timing and chemistry with each other. Unfortunately, you're still stuck with two powerhouses that are forced to fill up 10+ minutes of ring time and just aren't the right opponents to have a match that long. Bulldog might be juiced beyond belief but he still hits some impressive moves in this - a dropkick here, a crossbody to the outside there, a sunset flip, y'know, stuff that a powerhouse wrestler wouldn't normally do. The Warlord sticks to the basics, eventually locking in - or nearly locking in (as Gorilla repeatedly notes on commentary) - a full nelson that goes too long. Bulldog eventually gets the pin with a crucifix. I'm not sure if Bulldog was using the running powerslam for his finisher yet or if his finisher was supposed to be a stalling vertical suplex, but either would've been a better, more definitive finish (especially as Bulldog would be getting a bit of a push in 92'). This wasn't too bad, but it didn't need to be over 10 minutes. (2/5)
After the aforementioned promo from Macho Man, we get another filler match - Virgil and Tito Santana vs. Ted DiBiase and The Repo Man. On the plus side, the live crowds were still very, very much into seeing Virgil get his hands on Ted DiBiase. Nowadays, after feuding with each other for 2-3 months, Virgil would've turned heel and they'd be back to teaming with each other or they'd be partners in some bullshit "brand supremacy" match. Back then, though, allegiances and backstory meant way more so you'd never see Virgil not go after DiBiase like a madman...and the crowd responded in kind. The Repo Man and Tito are along for the ride. I've heard rumors that Tito was actually considered as a potential World Champion at one point, but matches like this make it clear where on the totem pole he stood - and it wasn't anywhere close to the top (especially in a company where you already had younger stars like Undertaker, Bret, and Shawn Michaels positioned as main eventers a year later). This is an inoffensive match, but its not worth anyone's time. (1/5)
After some final words from the Hulkster, its main event time - The Undertaker defending his WWE (then WWF) World Championship against Hulk Hogan. Their Survivor Series match was nothing special, but there was at least novelty to it. This is basically the same exact match minus the novelty, a rerun that features not a single new wrinkle. In fact, some of the little moments that made their first match fun - Hulk dumping the casket that Taker brought to the ring, the Undertaker trying to choke the life out of Hogan with a cable cord, Taker hitting Hulk with not one but two tombstone piledrivers - are absent and in there place is just more of the same unremarkable "offense" save for Taker at least hitting the Old School (and getting arm-dragged back into the ring on another attempt). Flair eventually makes his way down the aisle, which defeats the whole purpose of banning him from ringside because there aren't even any referees sent out to stop him. He gets in Tunney's face for some reason and Hogan, again, attacks him from behind with a chair for no apparent reason. There's a bunch more shenanigans that happen, but in the end, Paul Bearer strikes the Deadman with the urn, Hogan gets a hold of it and throws the ashes into Taker's eyes, and before you know it, we've got a new World Champion, which sends the crowd home happy. From a storytelling perspective, I can understand what they were going for as this does further the feud between Flair and Hogan - but that feud never really went anywhere and, honestly, the Undertaker should've probably had a better showing at the Royal Rumble himself (he barely had any eliminations - compared to Flair's 5, Sid's 6, and Hogan's 4 - before he was turned face for WrestleMania VIII). What doesn't make sense is why Flair would have such an easy time coming to the ring considering his involvement is what started all this mess. (2.5/5)
This Tuesday in Texas is one of those shows that any true fan of that era should probably see - at least in parts. In terms of in-ring action, there's nothing that will blow anyone's mind, though the 7-minutes of brawling that Savage and Roberts bust out is great for what it is. What makes this show a "should watch" is how fascinating it is as a historical document, how different 1992 might've looked if this show had been the success Vince McMahon was hoping for. In a weird way, this show - and the Saturday Night's Main Event episode that would air in January 92' - seemed to prematurely end a bunch of the WWE's major storylines just when one would think they'd be heating them up for WrestleMania. Instead, this, a match that is more angle than match, is the highest profile Roberts/Macho Man of their feud. While the conclusion of the event ends with Flair, Hogan, and the Undertaker all with rightful claims to be at least number one contender's for the World Championship, their storylines would splinter off completely after the Rumble. Earlier on this show, in an un-aired match, Piper and Flair fought, another feud that would've absolutely warranted a "real" PPV showdown that is basically wrapped up once Piper wins the Intercontinental Championship from The Mountie - and becomes the target of the former champion, Bret Hart. With a Kwang Score of 2.6-out-of-5, which some would consider fairly generous, This Tuesday in Texas is a show that barely hovers above "watchable" for lengthy stretches, but if you're as big a fan of this era of wrestling as I am, if you want to see why Jake Roberts is revered as one of the best characters of all time, if you're just looking for a show that doesn't overstay its welcome, I'd recommend checking this out and give it a...
FINAL RATING - Watch It...With Remote in Hand
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