What the World Was Watching: WWF Wrestling Challenge – August 16, 1992

There is a replay of the Ultimate Warrior’s interaction with Ric Flair on last week’s Superstars.

Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan are on commentary, taped from Portland, Maine. Heenan refuses to answer Monsoon’s questions about what Mr. Perfect is up to.

WWF Champion Randy Savage’s interview with Gene Okerlund on Superstars airs.

Opening Contest: Nailz (8-0) beats Phil Apollo via submission to the chokehold sleeper at 1:33:

For some of Nailz’s squashes he is patted down. For some he is not. Today is one where he is not. Some fans near the front row chant for the Big Bossman as Nailz chokes, lays in some kicks, and bites. Heenan argues that the Bossman timed his return to come after Nailz was already booked to face Virgil at SummerSlam. After the match, Nailz beats up Apollo with a nightstick. Heenan calls the nightstick choke “The San Quentin Sleeper.”

Non-Title Match: The Natural Disasters (WWF Tag Team Champions) (17-1) beat Mike Bell & Tony DeVito when Earthquake pins DeVito after the Earthquake Splash at 3:32:

Bell was trained by David Schultz and Paul Roma after playing Division I college football at the University of Cincinnati. This was the first year of his career and the first time he appeared in the WWF as an enhancement talent, a role he would play for the next twelve years.

The Beverly Brothers and the Genius do an insert promo about the Disasters will not knock them down from their high pedestal. The Disasters do a long beating on DeVito and Heenan calls Bell an idiot for trying to run in the ring late and save his partner. After Earthquake tosses Bell over the top rope the Disasters finish DeVito with their respective finishing moves.

Kamala (w/Harvey Wippleman & Kim Chee) (12-0) beats John Armstrong after the splash to the back at 1:47:

Kamala shrugs off an Armstrong dropkick, slapping his belly and blasting the jobber with a thrust kick. Monsoon talks about Paul Bearer making a custom body bag for Kamala in anticipation of SummerSlam. Armstrong slowly rolls over for the finish after taking a double chop off the ropes but Kamala figures that looked bad so he picks Armstrong up, slams him, and rolls him over himself to set up the ending. After the bell, Kamala goes to the top rope but Wippleman and Kim Chee stop him. Heenan explains that Wippleman and Kim Chee are holding Kamala back lest he hit the referee and get suspended.

Bruce Hart sits on the apron of an outdoor wrestling ring that he says the family started to wrestle on. He says that Bret has a big ego and that could get in the way of him beating the British Bulldog. Monsoon argues that the interview shows that Bruce is jealous of Bret’s success.

Non-Title Match: Bret Hart (Intercontinental Champion) (24-1-1) defeats Bob Bradley via submission to the Sharpshooter at 2:52:

Monsoon must really hate Bruce as he continues to bury him on commentary, arguing that Bruce does not get along with Owen, Stu, and other members of the Hart clan. Bradley gets to throw in his weak backflip elbow until Bret starts doing the moves of doom after stopping a take to the buckle. In the split screen, the British Bulldog says they need to leave their families out of the match to figure out who will be the better man. Heenan says that everyone is going nuts in the WWF and the outcome of SummerSlam could see Sensational Sherri run off with Stu Hart, which is funny to think about. The Sharpshooter gives Bret his second win over Bradley this year.

Okerlund does the SummerSlam Report. Intercontinental Champion Bret Hart vows to end the British Bulldog’s unbeaten mark in Europe. The Undertaker and Paul Bearer say that the record crowd at Wembley Stadium will assemble for the largest funeral in all of England when Kamala goes down. Money Incorporated and Jimmy Hart tell the “four dummies” they are facing that they will beat them again just like they did for the tag team titles earlier in the year. One wonders if behind the scenes the heel wrestlers loved the Legion of Doom being saddled with Rocco as they seem to relish taking jabs at the gimmick.

Papa Shango (18-0) pins Paul Van Dale after the reverse shoulderbreaker at 2:31:

Shango is still aimless for SummerSlam, not even being thrown a bone with a glorified squash match. Monsoon and Heenan’s commentary compounds this by talking about the WWF title angle throughout the bout. And Heenan is no longer as scared of Shango’s voodoo as he used to be.

Tune in next week to see Tatanta put his unbeaten streak on the line against Skinner! Also, High Energy, the Mountie, Virgil, and Razor Ramon will be in action!

The Last Word: This was the usual flat show of squashes as the big angle developments took place on Superstars. The family drama over the Intercontinental title was as good a choice as any to add intrigue to Bret Hart facing the British Bulldog but many members of the Hart family cannot act well and that hurts how those segments play on television. Bruce Hart’s was the best to air so far since he showed where his loyalties were and did not try to straddle the fence. That may have been a play by him to get signed and have a brother feud with Bret after SummerSlam.

After doing television tapings the WWF did a weekend house show loop through Canada. Here were the results of some of those shows, courtesy of thehistoryofwwe.com:

Kingston, Ontario, Canada – Memorial Centre – August 13, 1992 (3,500): Crush beat Kato…Virgil beat Skinner…The Legion of Doom & Paul Ellering defeated the Beverly Brothers & the Genius…Tatanka beat Rick Martel…WWF Tag Team Champions the Natural Disasters defeated Money Incorporated…The Undertaker beat Ted DiBiase (substituting for the Berzerker)…The Ultimate Warrior defeated Papa Shango.

Halifax, Nova Scotia – Metro Centre – August 15, 1992 (4,000): El Matador pinned the Brooklyn Brawler after the flying forearm at 12:54…The Big Bossman beat Nailz via disqualification when Nailz used a nightstick as a weapon at 7:39…Luke (substituting for the British Bulldog) defeated Repo Man after hitting him with Repo Man’s tow rope at 11:40…The Nasty Boys beat High Energy at 14:39…Jacques Rougeau pinned Sergeant Slaughter after using the Great American Scream Machine at 11:51…Intercontinental Champion Bret Hart beat Kamala (substituting for Shawn Michaels) via disqualification when Kim Chee interfered at 12:40. Bret cleared the ring after the match…The Ultimate Warrior pinned Papa Shango after a splash at 13:40.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada – Maple Leaf Gardens – August 16, 1992: Crush beat the Brooklyn Brawler…Jacques Rougeau defeated Sergeant Slaughter…The Nasty Boys beat High Energy…Luke (substituting for the British Bulldog) beat Repo Man…WWF Tag Team Champions the Natural Disasters defeated Money Incorporated via disqualification…Intercontinental Champion Bret Hart beat Kamala via disqualification…WWF Champion Randy Savage beat Ric Flair.

Backstage News*: There are rumors backstage that Pat Patterson will be returning to the WWF in the next few weeks. The WWF’s lawyers asked at recent television tapings if they would object to Patterson returning. Even though Patterson was mentioned by former little wrestler Lord Littlebrook, Murray Hodgson, Paul Roma, and Barry Orton as someone who used his front office role to sexually harass talent, Vince McMahon has asserted Patterson’s innocence for months.

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

Up Next: Prime Time Wrestling for August 17!