What the World Was Watching: WWF Wrestling Challenge – September 20, 1992

Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan are in the booth, kicking off a new television taping in Landover, Maryland. This was going to be the site of SummerSlam ’92 if the WWF had not decided to go overseas to London, England. According to thehistoryofwwe.com, the taping took place on September 2 and drew a papered crowd of 8,000.

Heenan has a “Vote for Bobby” sign and tries to give fans a 1-800 number to donate to his presidential campaign. When asked why he does not want to be the King of England anymore, Heenan says that the weather there is bad, the food is terrible, and all of the women look like the British Bulldog.

Opening Contest: The Big Bossman (17-1-1) defeats Bob Bradley after the Bossman Slam at 2:18:

Monsoon lets Heenan know that he has done the research and people do not go to prison for three to five years for parking violations. Monsoon and Heenan talk up Bradley’s abilities, which do not serve him good stead today as the Bossman greets Bradley’s cartwheel avoidance of a backdrop with an uppercut en route to another win. After the bell, the Bossman handcuffs Bradley to the ropes and taunts him.

Lord Alfred Hayes’ Special Report recaps how Ric Flair regained the WWF Championship.

Rick Martel (22-5-2) defeats Jim Powers (3-9) via submission to the Boston Crab at 3:27:

Monsoon hypes Martel as a top challenger for the Intercontinental title as fans guess who the British Bulldog’s will feud with as champion. WWF bookers love putting these two together as this is their third battle this year. Powers gets a nice run after greeting a Martel blind charge with an elbow but misses a dropkick and loses to the Boston Crab yet again. Rating: *

The Nasty Boys (w/Jimmy Hart) (21-1) defeat Laverne McGill & Joe Perkins when Jerry Sags pins Perkins after the Trip to Nastyville at 2:44:

Laverne McGill also went as Sledgehammer McGill. This was the first time he was used as a WWF enhancement talent, a role he would keep for the next few years.

In the split screen, the Nasties and Hart talk about how they are now the number one contenders to the tag team titles and that they will bring home the gold from the Natural Disasters. Monsoon says that he heard from Hart that Money Incorporated were the number one contenders. Some fans that are behind on storylines chant for the Legion of Doom as McGill is pushed into the Pit Stop and the Nasties pound away on Perkins. After winning, Brian Knobbs throws Perkins over the top rope.

Virgil (20-5) pins Dwayne Gill after the side Russian leg sweep at 1:22:

Monsoon puts over Virgil as a big supporter of ICOPRO and asks Heenan if he has talked to Virgil about it. Heenan has a hilarious response questioning why he would talk to Virgil about anything. He later puts over Virgil as a “boy in the hood” that is tough but struggles to grow hair. Virgil makes quick work of Gill for the second time this year with a monkey flip out of the corner and the side Russian leg sweep.

Gene Okerlund interviews WWF Champion Ric Flair and Mr. Perfect. When asked about the Ultimate Warrior being declared number one contender to his title, Flair says that if the Warrior had listened to them earlier he would be running around as champion. Flair mocks the Warrior’s run to get that bit over. With Perfect’s help he notes that when he puts the Warrior in the figure-four the Warrior will become “the Ultimate Loser.” Flair was over the top with this promo and this feud with the Warrior is better than whatever he was doing with Randy Savage after WrestleMania.

Crush (14-0) beats Barry Horowitz via submission to the head vice at 2:24:

Heenan asks Monsoon if Crush can put a sentence together since people from Hawaii struggle to do that with only six letters in their vocabulary. Horowitz lost to Crush a few months earlier on Wrestling Challenge and he does so again, creating no challenge against his more powerful opponent.

Papa Shango (22-0) pins Joe McMullen after the reverse shoulderbreaker at 2:43:

In the split screen, Shango says that Bret Hart might be “The Excellence of Execution” but that means nothing because Shango knows voodoo. Shango spends most of the match trying to look menacing more than any moves of substance. He picks McMullen up with the leg drop to beat him some more and finishes with the reverse shoulderbreaker. After the match, he holds up his voodoo staff and sparks shoot out of it.

Tune in next week to see the Comet Kid, Shawn Michaels, WWF Tag Team Champions the Natural Disasters, Nailz, and the Undertaker in action!

The Last Word: WWF Champion Ric Flair gave a good interview with Gene Okerlund and Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan had enjoyable banter on commentary thanks to Heenan’s political gimmick for this broadcast. That made the hour go by quickly, which is all one can ask for with this show.

Here is a summary of the WWF’s house show business over the past week, courtesy of thehistoryofwwe.com:

Sacramento, California – Arco Arena – September 14, 1992 (2,800): Jim Powers beat the Brooklyn Brawler…Crush defeated Bob Bradley…Intercontinental Champion the British Bulldog defeated Repo Man…Money Incorporated wrestled the Nasty Boys to a double count out…Tatanka beat Rick Martel…The Ultimate Warrior defeated Kamala…Nailz beat the Big Bossman in a steel cage match.

Wheeling, West Virginia – Wheeling Civic Center – September 14, 1992 (2,300): High Energy defeated Barry Horowitz & Skinner when Koko B. Ware pinned Horowitz after a missile dropkick at 20:00…El Matador pinned the Mountie with the flying forearm…Razor Ramon defeated Randy Savage via count out…Shawn Michaels pinned Virgil after a superkick…WWF Tag Team Champions the Natural Disasters beat Double Trouble…Bret Hart pinned Papa Shango after a roll up.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – Philadelphia Spectrum – September 19, 1992 (8,403; 7,500 paid): Repo Man pinned El Matador…The Nasty Boys beat High Energy…Tatanka beat Shawn Michaels via disqualification…WWF Tag Team Champions the Natural Disasters beat Money Incorporated via count out…The Undertaker pinned Papa Shango…Nailz pinned the Big Bossman…Razor Ramon defeated Randy Savage via count out.

Indianapolis, Indiana – Market Square Arena – September 19, 1992 (2,350): Jim Powers pinned Kato with a roll up…Rick Martel beat Virgil…Animal, Crush & Paul Ellering defeated the Brooklyn Brawler (substituting for Beau Beverly), Blake Beverly & the Genius…The Ultimate Warrior beat WWF Champion Ric Flair via disqualification when Mr. Perfect interfered…Bret Hart pinned Kamala with a roll up after heel miscommunication…Intercontinental Champion the British Bulldog pinned the Mountie with a roll up.

Duluth, Minnesota – Duluth Arena – September 20, 1992 (1,450): Skinner pinned the Brooklyn Brawler after the inverted DDT at 6:19…El Matador beat Repo Man after a sunset flip at 12:58…Animal & Crush beat Blake Beverly & the Brooklyn Brawler (substituting for Beau Beverly) when Crush pinned the Brawler after a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker at 9:05…The Ultimate Warrior beat WWF Champion Ric Flair via disqualification when Mr. Perfect interfered at 7:48…Bret Hart pinned Kamala with a small package at 9:11…The Nasty Boys defeated High Energy when Brian Knobbs pinned Koko B. Ware after Jerry Sags leg dropped Ware in the back of the head as he was pinning Knobbs at 6:38…The Undertaker beat Papa Shango with the Tombstone at 8:32.

Backstage News*: The WWF went head-to-head with WCW in Philadelphia on September 19 and outdrew them $116,000 to $20,000.

-The recent Prime Time Wrestling with the Randy Savage-Ric Flair title change earned a 2.4 rating, on level with previous shows, which has disappointed the WWF. Dave Meltzer argues that it shows how limited the casual audience for professional wrestling is at the moment.

-Animal, the Beverly Brothers, the Undertaker, and Ric Flair worked a show for Genichiro Tenryu’s WAR promotion on September 15. Animal beat the Beverlys in a handicap match, the Undertaker pinned Haku, and Flair wrestled Tenryu to a draw in a two-out-of-three falls match. The show drew 12,000 fans and even though it was papered, it beat the expectations that promoters had for the event.

-Jimmy Hart and Sergeant Slaughter have appeared in Memphis. Hart was on Memphis’ Saturday show and hyped the WWF as more important than the USWA. Slaughter wrestled Eddie Gilbert for the USWA Unified Championship and they did a Dusty finish.

-The WWF still has Sid Justice and Hawk under contract so they cannot work for other promotions. Hawk is trying to secure his release on the promise that he will not use the Legion of Doom name.

-In talent relations news, the WWF has signed Steve Armstrong, Matt Borne, and Terry Taylor. All three will get work at the next television taping on September 21. There have also been discussions to bring Captain Lou Albano back despite some negative comments he had made about the WWF and Vince McMahon over the last few years.

*Backstage news is provided courtesy of Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer for September 28.

Up Next: Prime Time Wrestling for September 21!