THE BEVERLEY BROTHERS VS. THE STEINER BROTHERS
WWF Royal Rumble (24th January 1993)
Blake Beverley and Scott Steiner start the match, Scott grabs a single-leg but Blake gets to the ropes, complaining that Steiner had his hair. Steiner gets a standing wristlock before forcing Blake to the mat, who scrambles to the ropes. Blake complains about more hair pulling. Scott and Rick Steiner look at each other like “can you believe this guy” before Scott powers him into a neutral corner. Alfonso starts counting, so Scott hip tosses Blake across the ring. You'll be amazed to know Blake had a complaint about this, saying Steiner pulled on his tights. Blake gets some words of encouragement from his corner and comes back with a kick to the midsection then slams Steiner to the mat by his hair. Fonzie warns him but Blake brushes him off, hitting Steiner by the ropes. Steiner reverses an irish whip, catching Beverley in a tilt-a-whirl slam. Blake takes a walk outside and The Beverleys complain about cheating. Bobby Heenan says anyone can wrestle for the State of Michigan which is pretty much all he's said that closely references the match.
Beau Beverley gets a tag, but he wants to face off with Rick, shoving him. Rick comes in illegally but Fonzie sends him back to the corner, so Scott just tags him. Rick Steiner does some laps around the ring, sending Blake Beverley to the floor. Rick forces Beau into the corner, the referee makes him break before he gets disqualified, so Beau takes full advantage with kicks to the gut. Steiner is sent across the ring, Beverley catches him in a powerslam. Rick Steiner is sent across the ring again but ducks the clothesline, he catches Beverley in the leapfrog attempt and hits his own powerslam. Rick takes Beau's left arm before tagging out to Scott. Scott Steiner catches Beau from an irish whip in a bearhug, sending him overhead with a belly to belly suplex. Blake hits Scott with a clothesline, saving Beau from a butterfly suplex, and scrams before Rick can get hold of him. Beau hits a weak backbreaker before tagging out. The Beverleys use the 5-count to get a cheap shot in. Blake drops an elbow across Scott's back and tells the crowd he can do a decent backbreaker. They don't believe him so he shows them. It's still not quite that good, only getting him a nearfall.
Blake drags Scott over to The Beverley's corner and gets another tag. Beau hits a jumping headbutt, getting a decent run up as Blake grapevine's the leg. He sends Steiner chest first into the ropes, driving a forearm into the kidney area before tagging back out. He holds Steiner for an ax handle by Blake. Blake drops Steiner to his knees with right hands before choking him in the corner. Alfonso backs him away, so Beau uses the tag rope behind his back! Fonzie keeps Rick Steiner away from his partner, missing all the cheating. Blake hits a butterfly suplex but only gets a 1 count on Steiner. He sends Steiner into Beau's boot and tags out again. Beau locks in a boston crab in the middle of the ring, leaving Blake to get bored. Blake decides to hit an elbow drop to Scott Steiner and run away from Rick, who tries to help his brother. We get a wide shot of the arena before Scott Steiner blocks a suplex, reversing it into one of his own. Scott and Beau each try for a tag, but only The Beverleys get it.
Blake sends Steiner head first into the top turnbuckle before sending him across the ring. Scott Steiner gets sent into the ropes but Beverley ducks too early. Steiner hits a tigerbomb out of desperation! Both guys are down and Steiner doesn't know where he is. They slowly crawl to their respective partners, and Beverley gets the tag, Beau charges into Scott sending him out to the floor, but he was able to get the tag! Rick Steiner comes in hot, sending Beau into the lights with a back body drop. Beau lands on his neck with a release german suplex. Blake gets decked in the corner. Steiner perches Beau on the top turnbuckle but is blindsided by Blake as Scott's still stirring outside. Rick Steiner ducks a double clothesline attempt and drops both of them with STEINERLINES! Scott feels the Steiner Power, making his way back to the apron, Rick gets sent out of the ring, allowing another perfectly timed tag. Scott sends Blake into the corner, beginning a 10-punch sequence in the corner, but Beau sneaks underneath him, Scott Steiner is too far away and avoids a Doomsday Device, rolling up Beau for a nearfall.Blake splats to the mat, so Rick scrapes him to the outside as Scott hits a Frankensteiner on Beau for the win.
WINNERS: THE STEINER BROTHERS
This was such a hot opener. Personally, I find nothing likeable about The Beverley Brothers as characters. Which is what makes them such effective heels. Pairing them with The Steiner Brothers who had only been with the company for about a month at this point was a no-brainer. The fans were behind everything The Steiners did, coming away happy at the end. This match showed the Steiners definitely had a future in WWF WORKRATE:3/5 PERSONAL ENJOYMENT: 2.75/5 OVERALL: 5.75/10
After the match, we see the infancy of computer editing, as Bobby Heenan has a “Brain Scan” showing Scott Steiner being too far away for Blake Beverley to hit him before we see a slow-motion replay of Beau landing on his head from a Frankensteiner.
This match is, of course, available on the WWE Network, or if like me you prefer busting up bookcases you can get it on the WWF Royal Rumble 1993 & 1994 Tagged Classics here
Or if you want as much Rumble goodness as possible buy the entire anthology here
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