What the World Was Watching: WWF Wrestling Challenge – July 5, 1992

Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan are in the booth, taped once again from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Opening Contest: The Undertaker (w/Paul Bearer) (16-0) pins Bob Knight after the Tombstone at 2:13:

Heenan says that even if the Undertaker and Bearer showed up to his July 4 picnic with $25 he was not going to let them in, which makes sense after Heenan’s experience with both men on Prime Time Wrestling six days earlier. When Monsoon asks again about what is in the urn, Heenan fires back that he does not care. In the split screen, the Berzerker, with Mr. Fuji, tells the Undertaker that he wants to smash his head in with a sword. Heenan cannot avoid the obvious basketball pun with Knight’s name, saying that the Undertaker “slam dunks” him for the finish. After the bell, the Undertaker and Bearer stuff Knight in a body bag.

Lord Alfred Hayes’ Special Report recaps the Legion of Doom and Paul Ellering’s discovery of Rocco in their return trip to “Chicago.”

Kamala (w/Harvey Wippleman & Kim Chee) (8-0) pins J.A. Gooden after a splash at 1:33:

It has taken a week for Gooden to return from his beatdown at the hands of Nailz on Superstars. Gooden takes a strike, goes down, and gets up to eat some more, eventually staying down for good after a splash. Kamala goes it to the chest but rolls Gooden over on his back and it takes him a while to get the cover right to notch a ninth win since his return.

Tatanka (19-0) pins Glen Ruth after the Samoan Drop at 2:41:

This is the first match where Tatanka is going with a blue trunks look instead of long, white tights. Monsoon says that his new attire was designed by his Lumbee Indian tribe. In the split screen, Tatanka talks about how he is to make Rick Martel extinct. Tatanka shows good energy throughout the squash and continues to look more comfortable in the ring with each passing week. He is the third superstar to 20 singles win this year.

Nailz (3-0) beats Bruce Mitchell via submission to a chokehold sleeper at 1:20:

The referee does a police-style pat down on Nailz before the match. Nailz spends much of the squash choking the life out of Mitchell as elements of the crowd chant for the Bossman. After choking Mitchell out, Nailz beats up his opponent with a nightstick and Mitchell does a stretcher job when he leaves.

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Non-Title Match: Money Incorporated (WWF Tag Team Champions w/Jimmy Hart) (12-1) defeat Rene Figuero & Phil Apollo when Irwin R. Schyster pins Apollo after the Write Off at 2:37:

Hart makes fun of Figuero’s lumpy frame, saying that his guys are punishing a “mini-Earthquake.” In the split screen, Money Incorporated tell the Natural Disasters that they need to beat them if they think they are better. Monsoon and Heenan debate whether Money Incorporated should be able to get intentionally counted out to keep the titles. After DiBiase powerslams Apollo, IRS flies off the ropes with the Write Off to give the tag team champions the win.

Gene Okerlund interviews the Ultimate Warrior, who says that he and his warriors have devoured Papa Shango’s black magic and will now destroy him. This was just a generic promo that reflects the lack of spice in this feud.

Shawn Michaels’ squash from Prime Time Wrestling is shown.

There is a replay of the Razor Ramon vignette from Superstars.

The British Bulldog (18-0) pins the Brooklyn Brawler (1-11) after the running powerslam at 2:20:

Repo Man does an insert promo tells the Bulldog that he will be forced to obey him. The Bulldog spends more time doing rest holds than doing moves. It is a weird advertisement to the energy ICOPRO allegedly gives you as Monsoon says the Bulldog is an active user. The Brawler runs into the Bulldog’s finish and that is all she wrote for this one.

Heenan tells viewers at home that Shawn Michaels has left the building.

Tune in next week to see High Energy, the Texas Tornado, Crush, and Ric Flair in action! Also, there will be a special interview with Papa Shango!

The Last Word: This was just an episode of squashes. It is a bad sign for the company when midcard feuds like Sergeant Slaughter-Mountie and British Bulldog-Repo Man carry more interest and/or are putting in more work than the Ultimate Warrior’s main event program with Papa Shango.

The WWF opted not do house shows on the July 4 weekend. So here were the results of its house shows that were squeezed between new tapings for Superstars and Wrestling Challenge, courtesy of thehistoryofwwe.com:

Asbury Park, New Jersey – Asbury Park Convention Hall – July 1, 1992 (2,800): The Texas Tornado no-showed so his scheduled match with Kamala did not take place…Jim Brunzell beat the Brooklyn Brawler…The Beverly Brothers defeated High Energy…The Undertaker beat Kamala (substituting for the Berzerker) & Mr. Fuji in a handicap match after pinning Fuji after a Tombstone. Kamala and Harvey Wippleman headed to the locker room before the finish…The British Bulldog pinned Repo Man…Mike Sharpe pinned Glen Ruth after a loaded forearm blow…Randy Savage & Sergeant Slaughter defeated Ric Flair & the Mountie.

White Plains, New York – Westchester Country Civic Center – July 1, 1992 (4,000; sellout): Jim Powers pinned Kato…Bob Backlund (substituting for Virgil) beat Skinner…Shawn Michaels pinned El Matador…Nailz beat Virgil (substituting for Crush)…Rick Martel defeated Tatanka via count out…The Ultimate Warrior & the Legion of Doom beat Papa Shango & the Nasty Boys.

Backstage News*: Bob Backlund’s return after an eight-year absence in White Plains, New York was a surprise as he had told others that he was not returning to the WWF. Backlund had once thought he could rally his old fans in the Northeast via wrestling magazines to pressure the WWF to bring him back and put him in a program with Hulk Hogan over the title but that did not happen. According to arena reports, Backlund looked good physically – he is 42 years old – but he did not receive a strong reaction as much of the crowd was young and had no idea who he was. It is unclear whether Backlund is returning because he thinks this is his last shot in the wrestling business after bookings in Japan dried up or if Vince McMahon wants to bring him back to clean up the WWF’s public image.

-Some of the WWF’s strong house show attendance in the Northeast was likely a product of not holding shows in those towns in several years.

-Murray Hodgson is looking for new legal representation after splitting with his attorney. Rita Chatterton’s attorney also dropped her as a client because the statute of limitations on her claim has run out and she was not able to get four others to sign on for a class action lawsuit.

-Prime Time Wrestling’s ratings recovered to a 2.2 after suffering from competition against Clash of the Champions last week.

-Stan Frazier, who wrestled for the WWF as Uncle Elmer between 1985-1986 and got married on the second episode of Saturday Night’s Main Event, died of kidney failure in Biloxi, Mississippi on June 30. He was 54 years old.

-In talent relations news, the WWF recently gave a tryout to the Retriever (Road Block) and Ross Greenberg but neither of them went well. The WWF is negotiating with El Gigante and may already have a deal in place with him.

*Backstage news is provided courtesy of Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer for July 6 and 13.

Up Next: Prime Time Wrestling for July 6!