[1994-08-29-WWF-Summerslam] Lex Luger vs Tatanka

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

Last few minutes. This genuinely surprised me at the time, as Tatanka was the one with DiBiase all along. Some thought this was a pretty obvious swerve, but at the time, I thought it worked well. Quite the Luger burial, though. This had to be the lowest he had ever been on the card.

[Cox]

I remember watching this match with my sister, and after Tatanka turned, she looks at me and sadly says "But I liked Tatanka!" So at least somebody was swerved by this.

[Strummer]

of course there is the infamous moment on the Summerslam call in show the week before where a fan predicted Tatanka would turn and Vince's bewildered reaction is of course fantastic.

 

I marked for the turn at the time but the fact they didn't change his look I think hurt the progression of the angle

[Matt D]

Oh man, big business indian casino Tatanka would have been awesome.

[Marty]

Oh man, big business indian casino Tatanka would have been awesome.

And topped even more if he only allowed Luger a rematch if he won at a game.

 

"Okay, rematch with you on 20."

"Sorry, 18. No rematch."

[Kevin Ridge]

Count me as I guess one of the few surprised by the Tatanka heel turn. I was not believing Luger would join the corporation but that this was just Dibiase stirring up crap. So Tatanka turning did catch me off guard but looking back there were signs. I seem to remember when he came down to the ring during his entrance he blew past the fans paying no attention. And the darkened hair look.

[Johnny Sorrow]

I remember seeing the Tatanka turn coming a mile away. And I LOVED when Tatanka started having a dollar sign on his Loincloth gear.

[Exposer]

This was a pretty effective turn I thought. The crowd seemed genuinely pissed at all this.

[soup23]

Didn't see the turn coming as a kid and still think it was executed where. Vince does a great look of disgust and shock after the turn and I have always liked DIbiase stuffing money in people's mouths.

[PeteF3]

Probably the low point of Luger's career and the high water mark for DiBiase as a manager. Well-executed angle and a good beatdown--Tatanka busting out the Million Dollar Dream was a clever touch. But Tatanka was just about the worst heel ever, and he suffered from Ricky Morton Syndrome in never substantially changing his look. He needed to go full-Wahoo when he was with Tully Blanchard, slicking his hair back and wearing suits.

[flyonthewall2983]

Tatanka sure seemed to be shoe-horned into recycled angles. First taking Jake Roberts' place in 1992, being "blinded" by Rick Martel's "Arrogance". And now with Luger, doing the "whose corner will Mr. Perfect be in" angle (this time a little better executed I must say), even at the same event, two years later.

[FedEx227]

Probably the low point of Luger's career and the high water mark for DiBiase as a manager. Well-executed angle and a good beatdown--Tatanka busting out the Million Dollar Dream was a clever touch. But Tatanka was just about the worst heel ever, and he suffered from Ricky Morton Syndrome in never substantially changing his look. He needed to go full-Wahoo when he was with Tully Blanchard, slicking his hair back and wearing suits.

 

This is the thing I'll always remember about the turn. He didn't change or evolve in anyway outside of putting dollar signs on his cloth and tights. As you said, it would've been much more effective if he shaved his head or grew long hair, dyed it, changed his moveset or anything. He never really did, he immediately took a number in an increasingly bloated Million Dollar Corporation.