What the World Was Watching: WWF Wrestling Challenge – September 6, 1992

The recap of SummerSlam ’92 that aired on Superstars is shown.

Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan are doing commentary, taped from Nashville, Tennessee. Monsoon teases Heenan that Flair is upset over the failure of Plan A at SummerSlam.

Opening Contest: The Big Bossman (15-1-1) defeats Doug Somers after the Bossman Slam at 2:21:

Heenan argues that Nailz went to prison for an unpaid parking ticket when he stopped to get something for his mother on Mother’s Day and got his sentence extended to three to five years when prison officials like the Bossman kept abusing him. The Bossman punches Somers a lot before hitting the Bossman Slam. After winning, the Bossman handcuffs Somers to the ropes and poses for the crowd.

Repo Man (20-6) beats Major Yates via submission to the single leg Boston Crab at 1:58:

The match serves as filler for Body Stars hype as Monsoon discusses how the next episode will have a feature on stuntmen. In the split screen, Repo talks about how he loves his job and will repossess as many careers as he wants. Repo stomps Yates’ left knee and wins via submission to his single leg Boston Crab.

Non-Title Match: The Natural Disasters (WWF Tag Team Champions) (19-1) defeat Kevin Neal & Craig Brown when Typhoon pins Neal after the Tidal Wave at 1:51:

In the split screen, Money Incorporated and Jimmy Hart are frustrated about how long they have had to wait for a rematch for the tag team titles. The Disasters avalanche both of their opponents and then sit on them before doing their finishers.

After the bell, the Disasters head to the locker room but the new video board alerts them that Money Incorporated are waiting for them backstage with chairs. WWF officials intercede before the Disasters go behind the curtain and there is some shouting before the show goes to a commercial break.

Papa Shango (20-0) pins Jeff Daniels after the reverse shoulderbreaker at 2:51:

Heenan argues that the reason Bret Hart lost the Intercontinental Championship at SummerSlam because of Shango’s curse. This is a plodding squash where Shango throws a lot of fists. He picks Daniels up after a leg drop because he prefers to win with his finisher. After the squash, Shango holds up his skull as flames shoot out of it.

Gene Okerlund interviews Razor Ramon. He repeats how he is the only man in the WWF to ooze “machismo.” Ramon argues that Randy Savage’s desire to please the fans makes him weak and he is going to give Savage lessons in “machismo.” This promo was not amazing but it was fine for defining Ramon’s character.

El Matador (25-3-1) pins Louie Spicolli after El Paso Del Muerte at 1:55:

Monsoon continues grilling Heenan over how Ric Flair and Mr. Perfect are angry with him as El Matador wrestles a quick, energetic squash against Spicolli.

Monsoon hypes the WWF’s 1993 calendar. It has Hulk Hogan on the cover so he is still affiliated with the company.

Money Incorporated (w/Jimmy Hart) (21-2) defeat Ben Jordan & Red Tyler when Irwin R. Schyster pins Jordan after the Write Off at 1:38:

Jordan was a Bill Dundee trainee and began his career in Memphis as an opening act. He started doing enhancement work for the WWF in 1991 and in 1992 he also worked in that capacity for Global and Smoky Mountain.

Before the match, Money Incorporated tell the audience that everyone has a price for them. In the split screen, WWF Tag Team Champions the Natural Disasters tell the former champions that if they want the titles they can come and get them face-to-face. Jordan takes the beating for his team, getting pinned after a DiBiase powerslam and IRS’ Write Off.

Call 1-800-733-9100 to be a part of the WWF video series. It is $4.95 for the first video and $19.95 for every video thereafter!

Tune in next week to see Kamala, High Energy, Nailz, the Bushwhackers, and Razor Ramon in action!

The Last Word: The running gag of the show about Bobby Heenan getting fired by Ric Flair got tiresome after a while but the one good thing this show had going for it was putting much needed attention on the tag team title scene, which has been cold for much of 1992. Money Incorporated want another title shot but the Nasty Boys have proclaimed themselves as number one contenders, leaving Jimmy Hart in a tough predicament to balance the demands of his two tag teams. It would have been nice to see Money Incorporated lay out the Disasters today to provoke a title match rather than have their attempt foiled.

There was no episode of Prime Time Wrestling on September 7 because of USA Network airing the U.S. Open Tennis Championships so the next television show that the company aired was WWF Superstars on September 12.

Backstage News*: Ric Flair won the WWF Championship back from Randy Savage in Hershey, Pennsylvania at a television taping on September 1. Vince McMahon hated how the match between the two was going so he cut it off after 12 minutes and had both wrestle to a double disqualification. They went back out later in the taping and did the title switch. The WWF is thinking that a Flair program with the Ultimate Warrior will draw well as the Warrior chases the title and that Flair is the right person to put the Warrior over when he gets the title back. Savage has also drawn poorly as champion since WrestleMania so the WWF figured it was time to make a change. The company is not certain if Hulk Hogan will ever return full-time so many are banking on the Warrior as the promotion’s headliner.

-Fairfax Partners, an investigative group that the WWF hired to look into the Pat Patterson sexual harassment allegations, came to the conclusion that Patterson did nothing wrong during his time in the company. Patterson was introduced to the live crowd at SummerSlam with other legends such as Larry Hennig and Angelo Poffo so he is back with the company.

-The WBF is no more as it has been reported by Multi-Channel News that there will not be another WBF Championship pay-per-view. Body Stars will air on USA Network for a few more weeks and discontinue its run.

-The reported SummerSlam gate is $2.7 million, which would be good for seventh place all-time behind WrestleMania VII and five Tokyo Dome shows.

-There are rumors that the WWF is in talks with USA Network to add a Saturday evening show that would air at 6 p.m. If it happened, the WWF would be running head-to-head with WCW Saturday Night on TBS. If USA green lights the project, the first show could air in October.

-The WWF reached a deal with FOX to air a new Saturday Night’s Main Event in November.

-The WWF stands to lose access to 24 stations for its syndicated programs this month.

-A scheduled house show in Toledo, Ohio was cancelled on September 3 because of poor ticket sales.

-Roddy Piper’s appearance at SummerSlam was a one-time deal as he was having difficulties getting a actors guild card in the United Kingdom and the WWF helped him do that with his appearance on the show.

-Owen Hart was at SummerSlam wearing a big cast on his leg but he worked recent television tapings with a big knee brace with Koko B. Ware wrestling 80% or more of High Energy’s matches.

-Samu and Fatu will be renamed the Headhunters. Kokina will wrestle separately and be called the Wildman.

-In talent relations news, Hawk quit the company after SummerSlam and disappeared with the Berzerker, with neither man returning from England. The WWF has suspended the Berzerker for six weeks and will do the same to Hawk if he was to rejoin the promotion. Animal wants to stay and the plan is to repackage him. Hawk was suspended for a failed drug test in February, which was revealed in an expose article in Penthouse Magazine, and Hawk was said to be angry at Vince McMahon and Pat Patterson, who told him that the positive test would not be made public. Ray Stevens has been hired as a road agent to replace George Steele, who is having health problems.

*Backstage news was provided courtesy of Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer for September 7 and 8.

Up Next: WWF Superstars for September 12!