What the World Was Watching: WWF Prime Time Wrestling – July 15, 1991

Jamison is lost and wanders backstage. Bobby Heenan is upset that he is back there and tells him to get lost. Jamison finds his way into Ted DiBiase’s locker room. He finds the Million Dollar Belt and tries it on, posing in front of a mirror. He cannot take it off, though, and that is where the show lead-in begins.

Sean Mooney and Heenan are the hosts. As they start, a nervous Jamison, who is wearing a robe, sneaks into the studio and finds his usual seat. It does not take long for an irate Sensational Sherri to run out and scream that someone has stolen the Million Dollar Belt.

Opening Contest: The Berzerker (w/Mr. Fuji) (14-0) beats Greg Valentine (14-3-1) via count out at 7:40:

This is the Berzerker’s first test against a name talent and it took place at the Superstars tapings in Sacramento, California on June 17. There is a good flow to the action as Valentine’s stiff strikes cause the crowd to rally to his side. The Berzerker misses a big boot to Valentine when Valentine is tied in the ropes and Valentines drops a few elbows. Fuji provides a distraction when Valentine goes for the figure-four and when he follows, the Berzerker comes to the aid of his manager, whacking Valentine with Fuji’s cane as Fuji distracts the official. That prevents the Hammer from beating the count back in. Although he was getting reactions, Valentine was not as charismatic on the mic as other babyface talents and was losing as a result. Rating: **

Gene Okerlund does the Update segment, which is the same as the one that aired on Superstars.

A chiseling sound backstage and Jamison walks back into the studio. Heenan tells him to take a seat and quit walking around.

Paul Roma (1-3) defeats Jim Gorman after a splash off the top rope at 4:29:

Roma has spent the summer wrestling as a single because of a failed drug test by his tag team partner, Hercules. This is not a good squash as Gorman botches an arm drag reversal when Roma tries to toss him off the top rope and Roma struggles to hold onto Gorman after catching a body press off the ropes. After some jawing with fans, Roma puts Gorman down with a powerslam off the ropes and splash.

Ted DiBiase and Sensational Sherri stomp out, ranting and raving about the Million Dollar Belt.

The Big Bossman (23-0-1) pins Louie Spicolli after the Bossman Slam in 48 seconds:

Although he was just a jobber, the WWF saw some potential in Spicolli as they were giving him some non-televised victories over jobbers at television tapings. The Bossman finishes Spicolli quickly and then handcuffs him after the match, running to the locker room before exacting punishment.

Ted DiBiase alleges that Virgil, who is scheduled to be a guest tonight, has stolen the Million Dollar Belt. He promises to make the thief pay.

Okerlund does the SummerSlam Report.

As Heenan speculates on what Ted DiBiase might do to the thief, Jamison runs backstage and a jackhammering sound is heard as Jamison screams. Moments later, Jamison returns to the studio and an irritated Heenan tells Jamison he needs to make up his mind about whether he is sitting or leaving.

Mr. Perfect’s squash from Superstars is shown.

Ted DiBiase interrogates the production crew about whether they have seen the Million Dollar Belt. Sensational Sherri checks underneath the ceiling tiles.

Virgil is the show’s next guest. Even though Heenan suggests he stole DiBiase’s title, Virgil denies he would ever do that.

The Legion of Doom’s appearance on the Funeral Parlor on Superstars airs.

Virgil tells fans that he will help Ted DiBiase try to find the Million Dollar Belt because he wants DiBiase to have it so he can win it in the ring at SummerSlam.

A new Skinner vignette sees him discuss how as a boy his uncle told him that things were only skin deep.

Andre the Giant comes out on crutches. He says that he is two or three months away from getting in the ring after his recent knee surgery.

WWF Tag Team Championship Match: The Bushwhackers (10-2) defeat the Nasty Boys (Champions w/Jimmy Hart) (14-1) via disqualification when Jerry Sags blasts Butch with Hart’s motorcycle helmet at 7:23:

Like the opener, this match also took place in Sacramento. In classic WWF booking logic from his era, the Bushwhackers lose a feature match to Sergeant Slaughter and Colonel Mustafa one week and then get a tag team title shot the next. It is their second title shot against the Nasties as they came up short on the April 27 Saturday Night’s Main Event. Lord Alfred Hayes makes a hilarious statement on commentary that if the Nasties can defeat the Bushwhackers that they will have a claim as one of the greatest teams of all-time. The Nasties are able to put each member of the Bushwhackers into peril in the middle of the match. Butch gets a hot tag and the Bushwhackers floor Knobbs with the Battering Ram. However, Sags breaks up the pin. Hart tries to toss Knobbs his motorcycle helmet but Butch intercepts and blasts Knobbs, a great tease for a title change. Before the referee can count to three, though, Sags gets a hold of the helmet and whacks Butch in view of the referee, getting the champions disqualified. This followed the conventional tag team formula and it kept moving. The booking is odd, though, as the Nasties need to enhancing their credibility for a future blowoff with the Legion of Doom. Rating: **

Andre the Giant says he is optimistic about his recovery because he had the best doctors in the country looking after him.

Dino Bravo (0-4) beats Shane Douglas (3-1) with a sidewalk slam at 1:41 shown:

This match was filmed at Madison Square Garden on July 1. Neither man has been on television in a long time. Bravo quit shortly after WrestleMania VII, last wrestling on the April 2 edition of Prime Time against Greg Valentine. Douglas left to care for his ailing father and return to teaching, last appearing on the February edition of Superstars. Bravo no longer has blonde hair, wearing his natural black hair. It’s a jarring look for longtime fans. The match is cut down to its closing stages as Douglas tags Bravo with several dropkicks but Bravo catches Douglas off the ropes with his finisher. Nothing came of this as Bravo did not return to a full-time television role, merely taking the place of the suspended Hercules on a few house show cards.

Vince McMahon does a pre-recorded bit about how the WWF has “one of the most comprehensive drug testing and rehabilitation programs” in the world. He says that testing for anabolic steroids will be used soon, thereby setting the standard for other professional sports and making the WWF logo something that families can be proud of.

Ted DiBiase and Sensational Sherri continue to interrogate production people about whether they have seen the Million Dollar Championship. Upon seeing this, Jamison runs to the back again and more jackhammering and screaming is heard. Heenan promises to knock Jamison out if he leaves the studio again.

Colonel Mustafa (w/Sergeant Slaughter & General Adnan) (9-0) beats Larry Williams via submission to the Camel Clutch at 2:34:

Mustafa does a suplex display, laying out Williams with a back suplex before making him humble with the Camel Clutch. After the bell, Slaughter and Mustafa put the boots to the jobber and Adnan comes in with a chair, which Slaughter uses to wear Williams out. Slaughter and Mustafa then whip Williams with their belts. Jobbers have no friends, though, so no one comes to Williams’ aid.

The Texas Tornado (20-0) defeats the Barbarian (6-4-1) with a small package at 6:39:

This match also took place in Sacramento on June 17. The Barbarian has the discus punch well scouted in the beginning, ducking the Tornado throwing the blow and following up with a Mafia kick to take control. After taking a beating in and out of the ring, the Barbarian sets up the Tornado for a suplex. He is too close to the ropes to do anything with it, but that never factors into the equation as the Tornado does a sloppy small package and steals a win. These two had some chemistry but the match was too one-sided to be any good. It marks the Barbarian’s third-straight defeat. Rating: *

Ted DiBiase and Sensational Sherri go through the crowd and scan everyone to try and find the Million Dollar Championship Belt.

The Warlord (w/Slick) (13-2-2) defeats Buddy Wayne via submission to the full nelson at 1:56:

The Warlord laughs as he destroys the smaller Wayne with power moves. It is the Warlord’s fourth-straight win, and he has not suffered a defeat since WrestleMania VII. That does not seem to be helping his position on the card, though.

Virgil tries to get into the studio, but he cannot because Ted DiBiase has had the doors locked. Meanwhile, Sensational Sherri keeps scanning people in the audience.

Hacksaw Jim Duggan’s squash from Superstars is shown.

Sensational Sherri scans Heenan, who empties his pockets of jewelry and other personal belongings. Mooney comes up clean. Heenan notes that Jamison, who is hiding behind the camera, has not been scanned. Sherri drags him in view of the camera by his hair and scans him, with the detector going wild when it gets to Jamison’s waist. Jamison tries to explain that he is just very excited, but Sherri and DiBiase pull off his robe to reveal the Million Dollar Belt. Before they can extract punishment, though, Virgil and Andre the Giant come out and make the save. Andre is able to get the belt off of Jamison’s waist and hands it to Virgil. DiBiase screams about wanting it back, so Sherri runs and grabs it from him, handing it to DiBiase, who runs out of the studio. Unfortunately for Sherri, Andre grabs her by the hair and then spanks her with his cane as the show goes off the air.

Tune in next week to see Bret Hart, the Natural Disasters, and Irwin R. Schyster!

The Last Word: These Prime Time episodes work better when there is a storyline that runs through them so the hunt for the Million Dollar Belt was a perfectly acceptable way to pass the time. The feature matches were above the usual quality given to fans on Prime Time, which was nice too.

Up Next: WWF Superstars for July 20!