What the World Was Watching: WWF Wrestling Challenge – October 11, 1992

Gene Okerlund is at the merchandise booth of the television taping and encounters the Bushwhackers, telling them they have to stop enjoying the merchandise because they have a match later in the show.

Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan are doing commentary, starting a new cycle of shows from Brandon, Manitoba, Canada. According to thehistoryofwwe.com, the taping took place on September 22 and drew a crowd of 6,000. Monsoon is late to start the show because he was hanging out at the merchandise table with the Bushwhackers.

Opening Contest: Crush (16-0) beats Scott Zappa via submission to the head vice at 2:42:

Zappa was new to the squared circle, starting his career five months before this show after being trained by Brad Rheingans and Animal.

Crush smiles a lot as he beats up Zappa, earning the ire of Heenan who says that he would not be able to do that against Rick Martel or Papa Shango. After taking a backbreaker, Zappa is trapped in the head vice and submits.

Lord Alfred Hayes’ Special Report announces the main event for Survivor Series that already came out on Superstars.

Papa Shango (26-0) pins Chad Almont after the reverse shoulderbreaker at 2:10:

Heenan argues that WWF President Jack Tunney should have hired him to oversee referees and better enforce the rules. He is not happy with Sergeant Slaughter getting the role because Slaughter likes to boss people around. Shango picks up Almont after a side suplex so he can punish him further with the reverse shoulderbreaker. After the match, Shango has sparks shoot out of his voodoo staff.

The Bushwhackers (7-7) beat Dale Hutchinson & Butch Bank when Luke pins Bank after the double stomachbreaker at 2:37:

Bank was trained by Jonnie Stewart and began their career in 1989. This was his first year of working WWF enhancement matches, a role he would reprise later in 1994. In the Midwest he later adopted the name Hardcore Craig.

The Bushwhackers get a positive reaction but do not work many of their crowd-pleasing spots. After working over Bank, they knock him down with the Battering Ram and finish with the double stomachbreaker. The Bushwhackers give referee Joey Marella a lick at the end of the bout.

The Big Bossman (19-2-2) pins Jim Peterson after the Bossman Slam at 2:11:

Heenan puts over the Bossman’s toughness, arguing that when the Bossman has an opponent beat it is like when he would take advantage of Nailz in prison. The Bossman avalanches Peterson against the buckles and after winning with the Bossman Slam he throws Peterson to the arena floor rather than handcuffing him to the ropes.

Rick Martel (24-5-3) defeats Victor Reeves via submission to the Boston Crab at 2:59:

Martel’s new fashion to the ring is a grey raincoat and black umbrella that makes him look like Inspector Gadget. As Martel works over Reeves, Sergeant Slaughter is shown watching the match in the aisle. This squash is not one of Martel’s best as he swallows up his opponent with some rest holds before securing a submission win with the Boston Crab. At least Martel does some token back work before his submission hold, which is more than other superstars do.

There is a replay of the Bob Backlund vignette from Superstars.

Non-Title Contest: The British Bulldog (Intercontinental Champion) (25-0) pins Red Tyler after the running powerslam at 3:06:

Monsoon and Heenan hype the Bulldog’s bout with Kamala on Prime Time Wrestling as the WWF keeps pushing its Monday night program for higher ratings since Monday Night Football was pulling away the show’s audience. The Bulldog works a long armbar and chinlock before Tyler catches the Bulldog with a clothesline and slams him. However, an elbow drop misses and that prompts the Bulldog to land a clothesline, do a vertical suplex, and use the running powerslam to remain undefeated for the year.

Jason Phillips & Jim Powers beat the Nasty Boys (w/Jimmy Hart) (23-1) via disqualification at 4:16:

Powers gets some shine against Brian Knobbs but Phillips is not able to hold Jerry Sags in a wristlock and the Nasties beat him down. Hart does an insert bit wearing a ring jacket that has both teams logos on it and he says that he wins whether the Nasties or Money Incorporated are named number one contenders for the tag team titles. Sags pick up Phillips from a pin after a pumphandle slam and knocks Powers off the apron, allowing the Nasties to plant Phillips with their double DDT. But that does not end things either as Knobbs picks Phillips up for the Trip to Nastyville. Instead of getting the three count, Sags picks Phillips up at two and referee Earl Hebner disqualifies the Nasties for beating up their opponents too much. That is a unique finish and one wonders if the loss will hinder the Nasties race to be the number one contenders for the tag team titles.

After the bell, the frustrated Nasties throw Phillips over the top rope.

The Bushwhackers are shown eating lots of popcorn in the concession stand.

Tune in next week to see the Beverly Brothers, Max Moon, Nailz, and WWF Tag Team Champions the Natural Disasters will be in action!

The Last Word: The Nasty Boys loss at the end of the show provides the rare example of a jobber winning a match during the year and it fits the new story of WWF referees being instructed to better enforce rules. The Bushwhackers bits were in keeping with their character and the WWF is transitioning them into a role to put over the company’s merchandise and house show events.

The WWF’s house shows all returned stateside for the first full week of October and here were the results of some of those shows, courtesy of thehistoryofwwe.com:

St. Louis, Missouri – St. Louis Arena – October 9, 1992 (4,000): Repo Man beat Virgil…Tatanka defeated the Mountie…Earthquake beat Ted DiBiase…Razor Ramon defeated Randy Savage via count out…Animal beat Double Trouble in a handicap match…Nailz defeated the Big Bossman…Bret Hart pinned Papa Shango.

Yakima, Washington – The SunDome – October 10, 1992 (1,900): Repo Man defeated Jim Powers…Animal beat Double Trouble in a handicap match…Nailz beat the Big Bossman…Max Moon defeated Terry Taylor…Tatanka beat the Mountie…Intercontinental Champion the British Bulldog defeated Kamala.

Los Angeles, California – The Sports Arena – October 10, 1992 (7,300): Virgil beat Skinner…Crush (substituting for the Undertaker) defeated Papa Shango via disqualification…High Energy beat the Beverly Brothers…Earthquake beat Irwin R. Schyster (The match was originally booked to feature WWF Tag Team Champions the Natural Disasters vs. Money Incorporated)…Razor Ramon beat Randy Savage via count out…Shawn Michaels beat El Matador…Bret Hart defeated WWF Champion Ric Flair via disqualification when Flair pushed the referee at 23:45. The referee did not call for the bell under Bret had Flair trapped in the Sharpshooter and many fans thought the WWF title changed hands, with one local news outlet announcing that a title change had happened.

Backstage News*: WWF Champion Ric Flair suffered an inner ear injury wrestling the Ultimate Warrior in Phoenix, Arizona on October 8. Flair’s match with the Warrior was stopped as a no-contest when Flair had trouble with his balance. Flair wrestled in towns the rest of the week but the WWF and Flair are concerned about his condition and want him to get a professional medical opinion, which could put him out for a lengthy period of time.

-Prior to Flair’s injury there had been significant chatter that the Warrior’s program with Flair is going to be switched Flair defending the title against Bret Hart and that Bret would replace the Warrior in the announced Survivor Series tag team main event. It is not known whether the Warrior has demanded more money, fewer dates, or is mad about his creative direction. What is known is that the Warrior’s program with Flair has not drawn below what the WWF was expecting, trailing B-shows that are headlined by Randy Savage vs. Razor Ramon and those B-towns are not drawing good numbers either.

-Vince McMahon has scheduled a meeting with Hulk Hogan after television tapings are done in Canada on October 12 and 13 to arrange his return. Hogan was originally planning to come back in the spring so McMahon’s meeting may try to push that forward, possibly to replace Warrior in a headline spot.

-Some new rules have been issued to the WWF’s wrestlers that include working realistically, using more holds, keeping action inside of the ring (except for main event stars), and yelling at the crowd less for cheap heat. Managers have also been told not to get involved except for the finish to a match. Road agent Ray Stevens is said to be tasked with teaching this older style of wrestling to the WWF’s roster. Observers see this pivot as a sign that the WWF is going to backpedal on its cartoonish style. And the addition of Bob Backlund to the roster is more evidence for this. Critics say that the WWF is trying to copy, albeit in a different way, what Bill Watts is doing in WCW and note that Watts’ style is not improving that company.

-Louis Acocela, the WWF’s promoter in Montreal, was arrested on extortion and loan sharking charges. Wrestling as Gino Brito, Acocela was a tag team partner of Dino Bravo in the 1970s and was the owner of Lutte Internationale before it folded. As a result of the arrest, Bravo’s planned retirement match in Montreal that was scheduled for December 4 has been postponed.

-The WWF and WCW both ran shows in Houston, Texas on Friday night. The WWF drew a $40,000 house (3,000 paid) to the Summit that was supposed to be headlined by Flair against the Warrior while WCW drew a $11,000 house at the Sam Houston Coliseum for a show headlined by WCW Champion Ron Simmons wrestling Rick Rude and Sting facing Cactus Jack in a lumberjack match.

-Crush and Animal may not be paired together as a new Legion of Doom after all. Plans might shift to Animal working as a singles or the WWF may give his brother a look as a tag team partner.

-The Undertaker missed house shows this week because he underwent surgery to remove bone chips in his left arm and shoulder. It is estimated that he will be out for eight weeks and miss Survivor Series. Crush, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, and Animal all filled in for his absence at various shows.

-Jim Powers is out with an injury so Phil Apollo will fill in for him in matches.

*Backstage news is provided courtesy of Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer for October 19 and thehistoryofwwe.com.

Up Next: Prime Time Wrestling for October 12!