What the World Was Watching: WWF Wrestling Challenge – September 13, 1992

Footage of Ric Flair winning the WWF Championship for the second time is shown.

Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan are hosting today’s show, wrapping up the long taping in Nashville, Tennessee.

Opening Contest: Razor Ramon (6-0) pins Joey Maggs after the Razor’s Edge at 2:28:

This features the debut of Ramon’s fallaway slam after he catches a Maggs body press off the ropes, only Ramon does it from the second rope. Ramon’s finisher is finally given a name courtesy of Heenan, who dubs it “The Razor’s Edge.”

A replay of Gene Okerlund’s report on the WWF title change in Hershey, Pennsylvania is shown.

The Bushwhackers (6-6) beats Frankie Lancaster & Wendell Cooley when Butch pins Lancaster after the Battering Ram at 1:58:

Lancaster made his debut in 1982 and worked for all of the major 1980s territorial promotions on the East Coast. His biggest successes took place in Puerto Rico for Carlos Colon’s World Wrestling Council, winning the World Junior Heavyweight Championship twice in 1987. He also held the World Class Tag Team Championship with Eric Embry and Brian Adidas that same year. In 1991 he did a couple of enhancement matches for the WWF.

Cooley began his career in 1981 and worked in various Southern promotions like Continental and Joe Blanchard’s Southwest Championship Wrestling, holding the NWA Alabama Heavyweight title several times as well as the Continental Heavyweight title twice. In Mid-South he was a tag team champion with Al Perez in 1985 and teamed with Lancaster as a duo called the Heartbreakers in Puerto Rico, where the duo won the WWC tag team titles three times between 1991 and 1992. Cooley had not done enhancement work for the WWF prior to this but did work in that capacity for WCW in 1990.

In the split screen, the Bushwhackers put over how they love to beat up their opponents. This is one of the Bushwhacker’s more entertaining squashes of the year as the bout keeps a good pace and Lancaster and Cooley work well with them for their big spots. With the Legion of Doom’s exit from the company, the Bushwhackers might get more television time to balance the tag division.

Nailz’s squash from SummerSlam Spectacular airs.

Tatanka (28-0) pins Barry Horowitz after the Samoan Drop at 3:03:

Horowitz throws a few headbutts and pats himself on the back after a jawbreaker. He gets a two count after a gutwrench suplex that comes close to dumping Tatanka on his head but Tatanka recovers by backdropping Horowitz and chopping him down. That leads into Tatanka’s war dance and guides him a third victory over Horowitz this year. Rating: ¾*

A replay of Ric Flair’s celebration after winning the WWF title is shown.

Kamala’s squash from SummerSlam Spectacular is shown.

High Energy (14-1) beat Bob Bradley & Louie Spicolli when Owen pins Spicolli after a Koko B. Ware missile dropkick at 2:13:

Owen Hart moves gingerly and moves slower because of a knee injury. He still has decent pop on some of his moves, though, catching Spicolli with a belly-to-belly suplex when Spicolli gets tagged in and that allows High Energy to do their finisher. Like Superstars, the WWF put a commercial break in the middle of the match.

Tune in next week to see the Nasty Boys and the Big Bossman in action! There will also be a special interview with WWF Champion Ric Flair!

The Last Word: There was a lot of recycled content on this show from Superstars and SummerSlam Spectacular. At least Barry Horowitz gave Tatanka a small challenge before being pinned but that was the only highlight of the telecast.

Here is a recap of the WWF’s house shows shortly after SummerSlam, courtesy of thehistoryofwwe.com:

New York City, New York – Madison Square Garden – September 11, 1992 (9,000): High Energy defeated Barry Horowitz & Skinner when Koko B. Ware pinned Horowitz…The Mountie pinned El Matador…WWF Tag Team Champions the Natural Disasters defeated the Beverly Brothers…Shawn Michaels pinned Virgil…Razor Ramon pinned Randy Savage after Ric Flair interfered…Bret Hart beat Papa Shango…The Undertaker defeated WWF Champion Ric Flair via disqualification.

Richfield, Ohio – Richfield Coliseum – September 12, 1992 (4,700): High Energy beat Barry Horowitz & Skinner when Koko B. Ware pinned Horowitz…Shawn Michaels pinned Virgil with a superkick…Razor Ramon pinned Bret Hart with the Flair pin…WWF Champion Ric Flair beat Randy Savage in a steel cage match after Razor Ramon interfered…The Mountie pinned El Matador with the Flair pin…WWF Tag Team Champions the Natural Disasters beat the Beverly Brothers when Earthquake pinned Beau…The Undertaker pinned Papa Shango after the Tombstone.

Oakland, California – Oakland Coliseum – September 13, 1992 (4,000): Jim Powers beat the Brooklyn Brawler…Crush defeated Bob Bradley…Intercontinental Champion the British Bulldog beat Repo Man…Money Incorporated wrestled the Nasty Boys to a double count out. The Nasty Boys were babyfaces in the match and Jimmy Hart went back and forth between the corners depending on who was controlling the match…Tatanka beat Rick Martel…Nailz defeated the Big Bossman in a steel cage match…The Ultimate Warrior defeated Kamala.

Johnstown, Pennsylvania – Cambria County War Memorial – September 13, 1992 (800): El Matador pinned the Mountie with a flying forearm at 12:00…WWF Tag Team Champions the Natural Disasters beat Double Trouble at 9:06…Razor Ramon defeated Randy Savage via count out at 9:14…Shawn Michaels pinned Virgil after a superkick…High Energy beat Barry Horowitz & Skinner when Koko B. Ware pinned Horowitz after a missile dropkick at 16:02…Bret Hart beat Papa Shango with a roll up at 8:14.

Backstage News*: Survivor Series will take place Thanksgiving weekend in Richfield, Ohio. This will be the third Survivor Series to be held in Richfield. Dave Meltzer is surprised at the move because the house show there on September 12 did not draw a strong crowd and the last Survivor Series held there in 1988 had 5,000 empty seats after the WWF gave away free tickets.

-There are whispers that the venue for WrestleMania IX will be Madison Square Garden in New York City.

-There will be some shifts in the tag division as Money Incorporated will be broken up soon. Crush and Animal will be partnered as a new Legion of Doom when the WWF tours Europe.

-In the bodybuilding community there have been reports that the WWF lost up to $15 million on the WBF. Losses on WBF Magazine alone are said to have reached $200,000 per month.

-In talent relations news, Bruce Prichard has been rehired and will work as J.J. Dillon’s office assistant. He is not going to be assigned television production work since he has a lot of heat in that department.

*Backstage news is provided courtesy of Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer for September 21.

Up Next: Prime Time Wrestling for September 14!