What the World Was Watching: WWF Prime Time Wrestling – October 19, 1992

Vince McMahon hosts tonight’s show with a panel of Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Hillbilly Jim, Bobby Heenan, and Mr. Perfect. Perfect repeats his claims from Superstars that he told Ric Flair not to defend the WWF title against Bret Hart in Saskatoon and that Flair was ill for the match. Heenan insists that the outcome was a fluke. Duggan brings up how Bret won the title with the Sharpshooter, the same hold he used to beat Mr. Perfect at SummerSlam last year.

Opening Contest: Max Moon (4-0) beats Rick Martel (25-5-3) via disqualification at 6:04:

This match was taped in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada on September 22. Slick is no longer commentating with Gorilla Monsoon as Lord Alfred Hayes resumes his duties for tonight’s show. Martel is on the defensive for much of the match, finding it difficult to counter Moon’s offense. Martel side steps a Moon charge and throws him over the top rope but Moon holds onto the top rope and slides back in under the bottom rope, unable to do a skin the cat spot. Moon tries to an O’Connor roll but Martel rolls through it and uses the tights but referee Earl Hebner catches it and immediately disqualifies Martel. That finish is bad but it is in keeping with the recent storyline of a stricter enforcement of the WWF’s rules. Rating: *½

Duggan, Jim, and McMahon argue that Heenan and Perfect let Flair down financially and strategically by having him go through with the Saskatoon match.

Skinner (10-11-1) pins Chad Almont after the inverted DDT at 3:15:

Skinner does another long squash match on Prime Time Wrestling to fill television time. He twists Almont up like a pretzel and only gets a reaction by giving the jobber a hard chop.

Duggan says that the Bossman’s upcoming clash with Nailz will probably result in a double disqualification. McMahon wonders whether a better enforcement of the rules by Sergeant Slaughter will help the Bossman. Perfect disputes that because it means that the Bossman cannot keep breaking rules. Duggan and Jim then go into a small rant about how good prisoners have it these days with colored television and various services. Heenan wraps things up by insisting that Nailz was thrown in jail for an expired parking ticket.

Promo time with Sean Mooney! Before the segment gets going, Heenan jokes that Mooney is headed for an execution when he gets married next week. When Heenan asks if Sensational Sherri has picked out a dress, the panel gets confused and wonders if Sherri has been going after the wrong “Shawn” all year. When that settles down, Crush wishes fans the best and hopes to see them at the arenas. When Heenan asks about Mooney’s honeymoon plans, Mooney fires back that they are now considering Saskatoon.

Randy Savage (5-2) defeats Papa Shango (27-0) after the flying elbow drop at 5:37:

This is another match from the Brandon, Manitoba Wrestling Challenge taping. Shango slowly beats on Savage after the opening bell, deciding to stop a cover after dropping three elbows. Savage fights back after Shango misses an elbow drop off the second rope, knocks his opponent to the floor, does a flying double axe handle to the floor, and rolls Shango in for a slam and the big elbow. Shango’s unbeaten streak is no more and the way he was easily beaten down at the end continues his freefall down the card since the spring. Rating: *

Heenan talks in circles about how Jimmy Hart can solve the number one contender dilemma between Money Incorporated and the Nasty Boys.

Okerlund interviews the Undertaker and Paul Bearer. Bearer wheels a coffin to the speaker’s stage before telling Okerlund that he and the Undertaker will be preparing a special casket for Kamala to accommodate for his massive size. Bearer brings a hesitant Okerlund near the casket, which is opened and the Undertaker sits up, scaring the longtime WWF broadcaster. The Undertaker says that Kamala’s fear of coffins is warranted because soon he will rot in one. When he is done, the Undertaker closes the coffin lid and Bearer wheels him out. The use of the coffin was a nice call for this promo as it helped add to the Undertaker’s mystique.

The Beverly Brothers (w/the Genius) (22-3) wrestle High Energy (16-1) to a time-limit draw at 7:17:

This tag match took place in Winnipeg, Ontario, Canada on September 21. It is not great for High Energy that the WWF would prefer to plug the Bushwhackers into the Survivor Series eight-man tag over them when they are a top four team in the division. While Owen is limited by injuries, Ware tries to do a few high spots to compensate, taking down the Beverlys with a headscissors-headlock combination. Owen gets kneed in the back running the ropes and ends up in peril. The Beverlys work the back until Owen catches them with a double DDT off the ropes and gives Ware a hot tag. Ware throws a lot of dropkicks and the bell rings because the time limit has expired after only seven minutes. Since when do matches only have a seven-minute time limit? Another weird finish on tonight’s show that wrecks a decent bout. Rating: *½

Afterward, the Beverlys feign wanting handshakes and attack their opponents but High Energy quickly clear them from the ring.

Heenan and Perfect say that they have a Plan C to help Ric Flair regain the WWF Championship but will not tell the other panelists what that it.

Jamison crashes the show and asks where he could get an autograph from new WWF Champion Bret Hart. Perfect almost attacks Jamison before Duggan comes across the table to stop him.

Heenan argues that Bret Hart has lost titles in the past to the Mountie and the British Bulldog so that shows that he can be beaten.

The Last Word: On paper, the feature matches looked interesting but their execution left something to be desired. Papa Shango has been hurt a lot by the WWF’s creative changes this year, shoehorned into a program with the Ultimate Warrior when one with the Undertaker would have been better after WrestleMania and then his program with Bret Hart is on the skids because of Bret winning the WWF title. The clean loss on tonight’s program does not bode well for him as 1992 winds down.

Up Next: WWF Superstars for October 24!