Taped from New York, NY
Airdate: May 24, 1993 (taped 5/17)
Attendance: 1,000
Hosted by Vince McMahon, “Macho Man” Randy Savage, and Bobby “The Brain” Heenan
Will either Doink or Perfect qualify for the tournament? What does Ramon have up his sleeve? Could he be calling for a strike? Let’s find out!
Opening montage.
Match 1 (KOTR qualifier): Mr. Perfect versus Doink the Clown
Highlights:
- While Doink made his entrance, he hid under the ring.
- Outside the Manhattan Center, Doink also stood next to Lord Alfred Hayes. Is this a camera trick?
- Doink then reappeared from under the ring.
- When Perfect made his entrance, Doink ambushed him.
- Following some shenanigans by both wrestlers with Perfect’s towel, Perfect gave Doink a knee crusher. OUCH!
- He then applied a spinning toe hold and rammed Doink’s left leg into the ring post.
- After a commercial break, Doink tossed Perfect over the top rope to the floor.
- He then leaped from the apron and delivered a double axe handle while selling the injured leg.
- As he made Perfect HIT THE POLE, Doink prevented him from entering the ring.
- Perfect rebounded with an Indian death lock and earned a series of 2-counts.
- When Doink escaped, he followed Perfect outside the ring and made him HIT THE POLE.
- He then rammed Perfect’s right arm into the ring post and delivered an Anderson slam for 2.
- Following another commercial break, Perfect gave Doink an atomic drop and a clothesline.
- Doink then used momentum to send Perfect face-first into the second turnbuckle.
- After Perfect clotheslined Doink over the top rope to the floor, Doink #2 emerged and hid under the ring.
- Doink #2 then pulled Doink #1 under the ring with him. Hey! I smell shenanigans.
- Back in the ring, Doink #2 gave Perfect a cross corner whip followed by a monkey flip.
- Perfect then hit the Perfectplex and pinned Doink #2.
- As a result, Perfect advanced.
Rating: ***½
Summary: Solid wrestling by both wrestlers accompanied by some good workrate earns a positive recommendation from me.
After the match, Doink #1 re-enters the ring, and the Doinks double-team Perfect. Suddenly, Crush hits the ring and clears the Doinks from committing any further chicanery.
KING OF THE RING REPORT: “Mean” Gene Okerlund runs down the pairings for the tournament. Next, he shills the WWF title match, and Hogan cuts a pre-taped promo on Yokozuna. Allegedly afterward, Hogan went to play with his “toy.”
Match 2 (non-title): WWF tag team champions Money, Inc. versus Mike Bell & Tony DeVito
Highlights:
- According to Vince, Money, Inc. will participate in an eight-man tag match at the PPV.
- DiBiase then grabbed the microphone and offered $100 to get his boots shined.
- As a youngster with a mullet performed the required task, IRS withdrew federal taxes from the fee just to be a meanie.
- Sorry, Chester.
- Promotional consideration paid for by the following: ICOPRO and WWF action figures.
- When DiBiase face-planted Bell, he tagged in IRS.
- Speaking of IRS, he mounted the top turnbuckle and lowered the boom on Bell.
- While the Manhattan faithful chanted “Ir-win,” DeVito tagged in.
- DiBiase also tagged in, mounted the second turnbuckle, and lowered the boom on DeVito.
- After he clotheslined DeVito over the top rope to the floor, DiBiase tagged out.
- IRS then delivered a back elbow and tagged in DiBiase.
- As DiBiase suplexed DeVito, IRS tagged in and hit a double underhook suplex.
- DiBiase tagged in and powerslammed DeVito.
- When IRS tagged in, he gave Devito a lariat.
- 1-2-3.
- Money, Inc. won.
Rating: *
Summary: Showcase match for the tag champs.
Promo airs for WWF Mania each Saturday at 10AM ET on USA. I can’t stress enough how important it is to eat a healthy breakfast.
Match 3: Crush versus Bobby Who
Highlights:
- According to Heenan, Crush will challenge Michaels for the IC title at the PPV.
- Crush then reversed an Irish whip and gave Who a spin kick.
- When he delivered a delayed vertical suplex, Crush hit a standing leg drop.
- Who then sought refuge outside the ring, but Crush followed and clotheslined him.
- As he hooked a bear hug, Crush converted it into a belly-to-belly suplex.
- He then military-press-slammed Who and applied the Kona Crush.
- After Who submitted, Crush won.
Rating: DUD
Summary: Showcase match for Crush. Nothing to see here. Move along.
Promo airs for All-American Wrestling each Sunday at noon ET on USA.
In the ring, Vince interviews Razor Ramon. We then revisit last week’s episode when the 1-2-3 Kid upset Ramon. According to Ramon, “nobody beats the bad guy.” While the Manhattan faithful chant “1-2-3″ at Ramon, their nemesis offers the Kid $2500 for a rematch. Vince then mentions Ramon’s quarterfinal opponent for the PPV, and Bret comes to ringside. As Bret starts another “1-2-3″ chant, he dismisses Ramon for not doing his homework.
After a commercial break, Heenan’s changing channels again until Polo appears and introduces Bomb.
Match 4: Adam Bomb (w/ Johnny Polo) versus Phil Apollo
Highlights:
- Well, look who resurfaced after his days as Scotty Flamingo ended.
- This was Bomb’s RAW Bomb was portrayed by Bryan Clarke who formerly performed as the Nightstalker.
- As Bomb hip-tossed Apollo, he followed with a dropkick.
- He then gave Apollo a belly-to-back suplex and a back elbow.
- When he tossed Apollo to the floor, Bomb rammed him back-first into the steel railing.
- He then returned Apollo to the ring, mounted the top turnbuckle, and hit a flying clothesline.
- Afterward, he powerbombed Apollo.
- 1-2-3.
- Bomb won.
Rating: ½*
Summary: Showcase match for Bomb. Recently, I spoke with Apollo’s corner man who tried to offer his charge some advice:
Promotional consideration paid for by the following: WWF action figures.
Backstage, Bigelow cuts a promo noting that Luna Vachon will be in his corner next week against Marty Jannetty. A decent big man-little man match-up that should make you rise from your seat out of excitement.
Conclusion: After the awesome episode last week, this episode started off hot and fizzled as it continued. Hopefully, next week’s show won’t disappoint us.
TV Rating: 2.7
Stay tuned for WCW Slamboree’93!
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