What the World Was Watching: WWF Wrestling Challenge – August 9, 1992

Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan are today’s commentators, starting a new taping cycle in Portland, Maine. According to thehistoryofwwe.com, the taping took place on July 21 and attracted a crowd of 6,054.

Opening Contest: The Bushwhackers (5-5) defeat the Nasty Boys (w/Jimmy Hart) (19-0) via disqualification when Jerry Sags uses Hart’s motorcycle helmet as a weapon at 3:03:

The show kicks off as the Bushwhackers are making their entrance and the Nasties are in the ring. The Bushwhackers have not been on television since May 25, when they lost on Prime Time to the Nasties. At this point they have been relegated to filling in for injured wrestlers on house shows. This is the third time these two teams have faced off this year, with the Nasties winning both matches. The bout moves quickly as it goes from shine to Luke in peril to hot tag in just over two minutes. A Butch headbutt off the ropes on Brian Knobbs gets two before Jerry Sags interrupts and the Bushwhackers do a Battering Ram. Sags grabs Hart’s motorcycle helmet and clocks Butch over the back. However, the referee turns and sees it and the Nasties lose their unbeaten streak for the year in a disqualification. This is the Bushwhackers’ first win in a feature match this year as well. Rating: *

After the bell, the Nasties lay out the Bushwhackers with the helmet and continue beating the Bushwhackers down until Hacksaw Jim Duggan makes the save with a 2×4. Having the Bushwhackers go over here was a questionable decision at best but the post-match beatdown allowed the Nasties to keep some of their heat as a more aggressive team as of late. Duggan’s intervention might set up a six-man tag for SummerSlam as well.

Lord Alfred Hayes’ Special Report recaps the Ultimate Warrior’s interview with Gene Okerlund from Superstars.

Crush (9-0) beats Richie Rich via submission to the head vice at 1:22:

Repo Man pops up in the split screen and says that Crush reminds him of a tow truck but remembers that a tow truck can be controlled with his tow rope. The beginning must have been sloppy as there is a camera cut from an arm ringer to a gorilla press slam from Crush. The big man is getting over with fans i

Okerlund interviews Intercontinental Champion Bret Hart in the locker room. After seeing a clip of his mother getting emotional over his SummerSlam match with the British Bulldog. Bret says he hates the family drama but as Intercontinental champion that comes with responsibilities to defend it against all comers and his family must accept that.

Shawn Michaels (w/Sensational Sherri) (23-1) pins Tony DeVito after the Teardrop Suplex at 2:29:

Sherri now has a mirror in the shape of a heart to take to the ring, which seems more manageable than the big mirror she had to carry previously. Rick Martel does a split screen promo saying that people who think Michaels is better looking than him are out of their mind. After Michaels dropkicks DeVito, Martel comes to ringside, taunts Michaels, and then winks at Sherri, who looks shocked at first before winking and smiling back. Satisfied, Martel walks back to the locker room. After taking a long beating, DeVito fires off some punches in the corner and hiptosses Michaels but a quick superkick puts him in his place.

The Big Bossman (13-1-1) pins Joe Richards after the Bossman Slam at 1:38:

This is the Bossman’s return after spending more than a month on the shelf after a post-match beatdown by Nailz. For some reason the future Perry Saturn had to change his name from Peter Motts. Maybe he went into witness protection before the Bossman founds him. The Bossman wrestles with lots of energy, destroying Richards with a spinebuster and the Bossman Slam.

Ring announcer Mike McGuirk tells fans that Shawn Michaels has left the building. Monsoon wonders if Sensational Sherri left with Rick Martel.

Razor Ramon (1-0) defeats Jerry Seavey after a crucifix powerbomb at 2:09:

Ramon warns the ring attendant that if something happens to the gold chains that he wears that something is going to happen to them. Heenan loves the starch that Ramon puts on his chops in the corner, which can be heard throughout the arena. A super backdrop suplex makes the crucifix powerbomb finish overkill, amazing Heenan who thinks that Ramon is going for a piledriver. In fact, Heenan wishes Ramon did the finisher a second time because he wants to see it again.

Okerlund does the SummerSlam Report. The British Bulldog tells Intercontinental Champion Bret Hart that their families will reunite when the better man wins. The Beverly Brothers and the Genius argue that great things like the WWF tag team titles are meant for great people like them. WWF Tag Team Champions the Natural Disasters rebut that the only great things the Beverlys are meant to do is clean outhouses. Kamala, Harvey Wippleman, and Kim Chee talk of the Undertaker becoming a falling star after SummerSlam. The Undertaker and Paul Bearer respond that Kamala, Wippleman, and Kim Chee will all meet their demise. This report announces the Tatanka vs. Berzerker match that was noted in Tatanka’s insert promo on Superstars. Tatanka tells the Berzerker that he has seen visions of Wembley Stadium and putting the Berzerker out of his misery.

Money Incorporated (w/Jimmy Hart) (17-1) beat Tony Roy & Dan Dubiel when Irwin R. Schyster pins Dubiel after the Write Off at 2:10:

Before the match, IRS says that a weak economy is no excuse for cheating on taxes. In the split screen, Paul Ellering and Rocco talk about Mony Incorporated being “crossword fighters” because they will enter the ring vertically and leave horizontally. Heenan cannot believe that he and Monsoon had to listen to a promo from a dummy. Monsoon says that Money Incorporated have to beat the Legion of Doom to get a shot at the WWF tag team titles. After knocking Roy down with a double clothesline, DiBiase powerslams Dubiel and that sets the young jobber up for the Write Off from IRS.

There are some new Hasbro figures! These include Bret Hart, the British Bulldog, Sergeant Slaughter, Mr. Perfect, the Texas Tornado, the Natural Disasters, Koko B. Ware, Greg Valentine, Brutus Beefcake, and Hulk Hogan!

Tune in next week to see Intercontinental Champion Bret Hart, Papa Shango, WWF Tag Team Champions the Natural Disasters, and Nailz in action!

The Last Word: The feature match was nothing great, but that was to be expected going in. Razor Ramon looked good in his second match and his creative finishing move will help get him over. And the Rick Martel-Sensational Sherri interaction helped to spice up Shawn Michaels’ squash, helping to further develop that program going into SummerSlam.

Here is a recap of the WWF’s house shows for this week in its history, courtesy of thehistoryofwwe.com:

Kansas City, Missouri – Kemper Arena – August 7, 1992 (2,450): Virgil pinned Skinner with a roll up…The Mountie beat Sergeant Slaughter after Jimmy Hart tripped Slaughter when he tried to suplex the Mountie into the ring…Tatanka pinned Rick Martel with a roll up…WWF Tag Team Champions the Natural Disasters beat Money Incorporated via disqualification after IRS used his briefcase as a weapon…The Beverly Brothers defeated the Bushwhackers…The Big Bossman beat Nailz via disqualification after Nailz used a nightstick as a weapon…WWF Champion Randy Savage pinned Ric Flair with a roll up as Flair argued with the referee. After the match, Flair and Perfect double teamed Savage.

Richmond, Virginia – Richmond Coliseum – August 8, 1992 (2,500): Crush beat Kato…El Matador defeated the Brooklyn Brawler…The Nasty Boys beat High Energy…Repo Man defeated Bob Bradley (substituting for the British Bulldog)…Intercontinental Champion Bret Hart beat Kamala (substituting for Shawn Michaels) via disqualification…The Undertaker beat the Berzerker…The Ultimate Warrior defeated Papa Shango.

Memphis, Tennessee – The Pyramid – August 9, 1992: USWA talents Jerry Lawler and Jeff Jarrett sat at the front row, angry that the WWF would put on a show in their territory. Jarrett issued an open challenge to any WWF wrestler at the event…High Energy beat the Nasty Boys…Crush defeated the Brooklyn Brawler via submission to a head vice…The Mountie defeated Sergeant Slaughter…Tatanka beat Rick Martel…Intercontinental Champion Bret Hart beat Kamala (substituting for Shawn Michaels) via disqualification when Kim Chee interfered. After the match, Bret accepted Jarrett’s challenge and said that if he won at SummerSlam he would defend the title against Jarrett the next time the WWF came to Memphis…The Big Bossman beat Nailz via disqualification when Nailz used a nightstick as a weapon…The Beverly Brothers defeated the Bushwhackers…The Ultimate Warrior beat Papa Shango.

Backstage News*: The WWF has formed a working relationship with Jerry Jarrett’s USWA whereby the USWA will become a feeder system for the WWF. The WWF will be able to send wrestlers to Memphis for experience and refine gimmicks. Owner Vince McMahon often talked about doing this but many thought a feeder deal would be brokered with Stampede Wrestling and Bruce Hart as McMahon and Hart had conversations about such an arrangement in the past. As part of the deal Jarrett will also help promote WWF shows in the USWA region of Western Tennessee, Western Kentucky, Louisville, and Southern Indiana. The WWF will also send some big names occasionally to work Memphis’ big shows on Monday nights and some will even appear on Memphis television. The recent angle in Memphis when the WWF ran a house show there involving Bret Hart and Jeff Jarrett was the first demonstration of how this working relationship will play out. Memphis was the last hold out of the old territory system amidst the wars over national expansion by the WWF, AWA, Mid-South/UWF, and Jim Crockett Promotions during the 1980s so this agreement is historically significant.

*Backstage news is provided courtesy of Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer for September 1.

Up Next: Prime Time Wrestling for August 10!