What the World Was Watching: WWF Superstars – September 19, 1992

Vince McMahon and Mr. Perfect are doing commentary. They are starting a new taping from Hershey, Pennsylvania. According to the historyofwwe.com, it took place on September 1 and drew a papered crowd of 7,000.

Opening Contest: Bret Hart (28-2-1) beats Glen Ruth via submission to the Sharpshooter at 2:18:

Papa Shango, opening a book with burning pages, does an insert promo about how his curse cost Bret the Intercontinental Championship at SummerSlam. That curse does not cost Bret today’s match as he runs through the moves of doom and submits Ruth with the Sharpshooter.

Gene Okerlund’s Update segment recaps how Ric Flair regained the WWF Championship.

Shawn Michaels (w/Sensational Sherri) (25-1-1) defeats Ross Greenberg after the Teardrop Suplex at 2:49:

On Prime Time Wrestling Gorilla Monsoon talked about Michaels as a top contender for the Intercontinental title but there is no mention of that today. Michaels did lose his feud to Bret Hart but that happened off screen so he did not take a hit to his standing with fans. Perfect announces that Flair will appear on Prime Time this Monday via satellite. Michaels lets Greenberg throw some corner punches but a blind charge eats boot and Michaels mows down another opponent with a superkick and Teardrop Suplex.

Tatanka (29-0) beats the Mountie (w/Jimmy Hart) (18-4) via disqualification when the Mountie tries to use the Great American Scream Machine at 8:14 shown:

If the WWF had wanted to give a backstory to this match they could have had the Mountie run legal interference for fellow Canadian Rick Martel as Tatanka tries to get his eagle feathers back. The Mountie mocks Tatanka’s war dance so Tatanka chops him out of the ring in response. After Tatanka sends the Mountie over the top rope again after an atomic drop, Hart hops on the apron and the Mountie skins the cat back in but heel miscommunication results. However, when Tatanka runs the ropes he gets tripped and the Mountie beats on him. The Mountie hits his piledriver decides to address the crowd rather than cover, allowing Tatanka to go on the war path, only to miss a splash. Hart unlocks the Great American Scream Machine and kicks it to the Mountie, but Tatanka rolls out of the ring before he can use it and the referee sees the attempt and disqualifies the Mountie, ending the Canadian law enforcement officer’s 14-match winning streak in singles competition. This was a nice back and forth match with good heat. It also received received more time than a Superstars feature match in years. Rating: **

After the bell, Tatanka gets back in the ring and chops the Mountie, causing him to flee.

Ring announcer Howard Finkel tells the fans that Shawn Michaels has left the building.

Nailz (13-0) beats Kerry Davis via submission to the chokehold sleeper at 1:01:

Either Davis did not learn his lesson when he faced Nailz on the July 6 episode of Prime Time Wrestling or he wants revenge for what happened to him. Regardless he fares poorly, losing 44 seconds faster than he did two months ago. After the match, Nailz quickly beats up Davis with a nightstick and tosses him to the floor. Compared to Nailz’s prior post-match beatings, Davis got off easy.

Okerlund interviews Randy Savage, who is still selling his injured knee that has an “Ultimate Maniac” kneepad. Savage tells Razor Ramon that the Ultimate Warrior is a good friend and when Ramon faces him he will have to face fans of both men. The Warrior is welcomed out by Savage. The two men embrace and Savage gives the Warrior some Ultimate Maniac sunglasses that will help him see his future and destiny, which is to be the next WWF champion. This segment was a clone of the Mega Powers angle several years earlier between Savage and Hulk Hogan and it worked well because Savage and the Warrior are two wild, charismatic characters that create a unique, fun energy around anything they do.

Kamala (w/Harvey Wippleman & Kim Chee) (15-1) pins Tony DeVito after the splash to the back at 1:41:

In the split screen, Wippleman announces that the Undertaker is not afraid of anyone, including the Undertaker. Kamala uses lots of chops to ground DeVito and fans laugh as he cannot figure out how to pin the jobber after his finish.

Immediately after the match, Paul Bearer wheels a coffin to ringside. When Kamala turns and sees it he freaks out, jumps over the top rope, and runs through the crowd. Even though McMahon insists that the Undertaker is inside the coffin it is never opened to verify his claims.

Tune in next week to see the Big Bossman, Razor Ramon, and Intercontinental Champion the British Bulldog! There will also be the debut of the Comet Kid! And WWF Champion Ric Flair will appear for a special interview!

The Last Word: The budding “bromance” between Randy Savage and the Ultimate Warrior makes for great television. Their friendship and the blending of their respective feuds with Razor Ramon and Ric Flair, who are also on-screen allies, appears to be laying the foundation for a match at Survivor Series, which fits the gimmick of that pay-per-view. Kamala is not getting much out of the Undertaker program, which at this point is clearly being used to put over the Dead Man as an indestructible force for a bigger feud later. One final note is that matches on the syndicated shows are getting longer, a reflection of the WWF’s depleted roster since they are not putting as many squash matches on these shows as they used to.

Up Next: Wrestling Challenge for September 20!