What the World Was Watching: WWF Superstars – October 17, 1992

In footage from Monday night in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, Gene Okerlund introduces new WWF Champion Bret Hart. Bret walks out and high fives some fans, dedicating his title win for those who dream. He talks of learning from his wins and losses and thanking Ric Flair for giving him a shot at the WWF title, his fans, his friends and family, and God. This was a shocking turn of events because Bret was not positioned anywhere near the WWF title on television even though he was wrestling Flair at some house shows. He looks good with the title, though, and had credibility due to strong runs with the Intercontinental Championship, owed to clean wins over Mr. Perfect and Roddy Piper. Bret’s win also destroyed whatever credibility was left in Papa Shango’s gimmick.

Vince McMahon and Mr. Perfect are hosting today’s show, taped from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Perfect says he told Flair not to take the match with Bret because he was sick and he threatens to take a smiling McMahon out.

Opening Contest: Shawn Michaels (w/Sensational Sherri) (28-1-1) pins Steve Gillespie after the Teardrop Suplex at 3:11:

Gillespie was trained by former NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion Les Thornton, beginning his career for the Edmonton, Alberta-based North American Wrestling Association (NAWA) in 1987. He also wrestled for Winnipeg’s West Four Wrestling Alliance (WFWA), Stampede, the Canadian National Wrestling Alliance (CNWA), and Canadian Rocky Mountain Wrestling (CRMW). He later achieved some recognition in Japan as Dr. Hannibal for Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling.

Michaels punches Gillespie a lot and rubs his face into the canvas before doing his trademark moves. After the match, Michaels admires himself in the heart-shaped mirror that Sherri is holding.

Tatanka (32-0) pins Brian Jewel after the Papoose to Go at 3:06:

Perfect wonders how Tatanka will handle when his undefeated streak ends. Tatanka does some token work on Jewel’s arm before going on the war path to keep his undefeated streak going for another day.

Lord Alfred Hayes’ Special Report tells fans to buy the Rampage ’92 Coliseum Video that goes on sale next week. The Ultimate Maniacs congratulate Bret on his title win and tell Ric Flair he better not drown himself in pity over losing the belt. Flair, Razor Ramon, and Perfect talk about thigs being off-kilter again in the WWF but they have the cure by climbing the ladder to get into title contention at Survivor Series. They also promise to deal with their anxiety by taking out the Ultimate Maniacs.

The Big Bossman (20-2-2) pins Barry Horowitz after the Bossman Slam at 2:04:

In the split screen, the Bossman warns Nailz that his reign of terror is coming to an end. He also praises Sergeant Slaughter for better enforcing the WWF’s rules. The Bossman is not doing himself favors in the Nailz feud by slapping around jobbers in his squashes as it feeds Nailz’s narrative that he was an abusive guard. Horowitz has no answer for the Bossman’s offense, losing to the Cobb County corrections officer for the second time this year. After the match, the Bossman handcuffs Horowitz to the ropes and runs to the locker room.

McMahon puts over Bret’s technical abilities as WWF champion. An angry Perfect slaps McMahon’s headset off, saying that it is just a matter of time before Ric Flair regains the title.

Non-Title Match: The British Bulldog (Intercontinental Champion) (27-0) defeats Jim Peterson after the running powerslam at 2:24:

This is a nondescript squash where the Bulldog works a chinlock and does his usual combo of moves. His run as champion remains underwhelming.

McMahon narrates another video package of former WWF Champion Bob Backlund, putting over how he is a family man and is giving up his construction business to return to the WWF. There is a wooden bit where one of Backlund’s co-workers says “Geez Bob, we are going to miss you” and Backlund says that “He has to do what he has to do.”

Okerlund does the Survivor Series Report. A coffin match between the Undertaker and Kamala where one of them must pin or submit the other and stuff them in a coffin is added to the card. The Undertaker and Paul Bearer promise that Kamala’s running will stop. There will also be an eight-man tag team elimination match where WWF Tag Team Champions the Natural Disasters & the Bushwhackers face the Beverly Brothers & Money Incorporated. In that match once a member of a team is pinning that team must leave the ringside area. The Disasters and the Bushwhackers promise disaster for their opponents.

Money Incorporated (w/Jimmy Hart) (24-2) beat Jim Powers & Bobby St. Laurent when Irwin R. Schyster pins St. Laurent after the Write Off at 3:26:

Laurent was a Winnipeg wrestler who started his career in November 1990 and was a staple on Canada’s independent circuit, later working as Bobby Jannetty.

Money Incorporated are not happy that an image of the Natural Disasters holding up the Tag Team titles is on the video board during their entrance. Before the bout, IRS tells fans that he is going to vote for the presidential candidate that wants to raise taxes the most. In the split screen, the Beverly Brothers say that their combination with Money Incorporated shows that they will survive Survivor Series. As expected, Powers looks strong and St. Laurent looks weak for the jobber squad. Money Incorporated twist St. Laurent up in several holds and IRS finishes with the Write Off after a Ted DiBiase powerslam.

Tune in next week to see Crush, Papa Shango, the Undertaker, Nailz, and WWF Tag Team Champions the Natural Disasters in action! Also, more matches will be announced for Survivor Series!

The Last Word: The last five months have seen a lot of changes in the WWF as it blew up existing feuds to put together a new SummerSlam pay-per-view and then transitioned the WWF title to Bret Hart even though Bret was not advertised as being in the title hunt. That shakes up some of the Survivor Series pay-per-view because the Ultimate Maniacs are fighting with Ric Flair and Razor Ramon but the WWF Championship is no longer a focus for the babyface team. There were rumors that the WWF was going to insert Bret into the Survivor Series tag team match as Randy Savage’s partner but this show did not do that, so Bret lacks a “dance partner” for the event. The announcement of matches for Survivor Series shows that the WWF is moving away from the traditional tag team elimination concept for this year’s show, a product of the poor buyrate of last year’s event and a thin roster that would make a show of elimination matches difficult to assemble.

Up Next: Wrestling Challenge for October 18