[1991-04-27-USWA-Memphis TV] Steve Austin vs Steve Keirn

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

Short match, and one where Austin looks greener than he has in other matches so far. The Texas Hangmen run in for the DQ after less than five minutes of wrestling, and Austin gives Keirn a piledriver on the floor. Robert Fuller makes the save and starts punching anything that moves, but Tom Pritchard and his loaded boot have something to say about that. This is capped off with a bleeding Robert Fuller vowing revenge. I hope he sticks around all year.

[shoe]

Throwing another good promo and worker into the mix is always good news, and Fuller fits the bill.

[PeteF3]

Steve "Gator" Keirn--in fairness to the WWF, every indication is that the real-life Keirn is closer to Skinner than he is to a Fabulous One. The crowd seems to be able to keep track of who is whom despite the fact that this match involves two blond guys named Steve--incredible. This is short and basic and mostly well-done for a studio match--I dug Keirn trying to pry at Austin's fingers to escape the chinlock. Keirn eats a spike piledriver on the floor from Austin and the Texas Hangmen. Fuller makes a rather tardy save and eats a loaded boot enzuigiri from Dr. Tom Prichard.

 

Even with Lawler out the USWA roster seems to be as deep as it's been since the early '80s, and almost all of them can talk you into the building.

[Kevin Ridge]

Austin is not getting much mic time on this set. Decent match with Keirn getting the DDT but Hangmen running in. Keirn takes a piledriver on the studio floor. Fuller tries to help but Pritchard makes the odds too much. Fuller wants Pritchard right now. Nice to see him around.

[soup23]

Good to see Keirn back and a fun little studio match. Besides some balance issues and weak kicks, I liked other stuff Austin did including his chinlock and boomerang clothesline. Hangman give a beating to Keirn which should be a beefy feud if given the chance to develop. Nasty spike piledriver on the outside and man the beating Fuller took was nasty. Fuller looks huge and him as a fired up babyface is awesome.

[garretta]

Not much of a match here, really. It's a setup for the beatdown of Keirn and the entrance of Fuller into the Tennessee/Texas feud, and on that level it works well. Dave and Michael put over Keirn as practically unbeatable in a clean match, and their words prove prophetic later when the Hangmen and Prichard do their run-in.

 

I think it was Pete who criticized how late Fuller's save was. Well, at least he made one, which is more than the rest of the Tennessee bunch manages to do most of the time these days. I loved his promo afterward, and I find it hard to believe that before too much longer he'd be portrayed in WCW as a typical weakling heel manager who had no idea what to do in the ring. If he manages to pull that off, he'll be in line for an Academy Award!

[dawho5]

Good enough match, but Fuller's fired-up promo is the highlight here. Feeling sorry for Pritchard after watching that.