What the World Was Watching: WWF Wrestling Challenge – October 25, 1992

Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan are calling the action, wrapping up the taping cycle in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada.

Opening Contest: Tatanka (33-0) pins Red Tyler after the Papoose to Go at 3:21:

Tatanka works a slower pace than usual as Monsoon mocks Heenan over Bret Hart winning the WWF title. Monsoon notes a headline from Saskatoon about a Canadian wrestler becoming WWF champion and Heenan adds that the byline was “Suspect fluke.” After using a backdrop suplex to escape a headlock, Tatanka does his signature and trademark moves.

Kamala (w/Harvey Wippleman & Kim Chee) (17-3) defeats Brian Jewel after the splash to the back at 1:36:

Wippleman and Kim Chee are terrible advisers for placing their man in a coffin match at Survivor Series when he is afraid of them. Of course, Heenan alleges that Kamala does not know what a coffin is because he comes from a tribe of cannibals that “shake and bake” their dead. Kamala quickly beats Jewel down for an unceremonious squash win.

Afterward, Kamala heads for the locker room and is amazed to see himself on the video board. However, when the image changes to Paul Bearer near a casket and opening it, Kamala runs back toward and ring and through the crowd.

High Energy (16-1-1) beat Bob St. Laurent & Bill Lyons when Owen Hart pins Laurent after a Koko B. Ware missile dropkick at 1:53:

High Energy remain grounded for today’s squash, giving St. Laurent a double clothesline before Owen lifts the jobber off the ropes for a Ware missile dropkick.

Money Incorporated (w/Jimmy Hart) (25-2) beat Dave Sigfritts & Jim Brunzell when Ted DiBiase submits Sigfritts with the Million Dollar Dream at 4:08 shown:

Sigfritts had done a few enhancement matches for the WWF the previous year, losing in tag matches to Power & Glory and the Orient Express.

The match is joined in progress to Brunzell frustrating Ted DiBiase and getting a near-fall on IRS from a dropkick. Brunzell traps IRS in a sleeper but DiBiase breaks it up behind the referee’s back. DiBiase misses an elbow drop so Sigfritts and Brunzell work his arm but he eventually catches Sigfritts with an elbow. Money Incorporated take their time wearing down Sigfritts as Monsoon and Heenan hype Money Incorporated’s match next week with WWF Tag Team Champions the Natural Disasters. This is the fourth loss that Brunzell has had to Money Incorporated in a squash match this year.

Shawn Michaels (w/Sensational Sherri) (29-1-1) pins Kevin Kruger after the superkick at 2:24:

Michaels drive Kruger’s head into the canvas with a flying bulldog when Kruger hits the buckles on a blind charge and that leads to the superkick. Michaels goes to do the Teardrop Suplex but realizes that Kruger has been beaten enough so he just lets the jobber fall back to the canvas so he can pin him.

Razor Ramon (11-0) pins Steve Gillespie after the Razor’s Edge at 2:29:

In the split screen, El Matador tells Ramon that he had better be prepared for the fight of his life when they face off next week. Ramon pulverizes Gillespie, once again getting positive reactions for his power moves.

Tune in next week to see El Matador wrestle Razor Ramon! Also, Papa Shango and Intercontinental Champion the British Bulldog will be in action!

The Last Word: There was not much here aside from some basic hype for Survivor Series. Next week’s feature match will be Razor Ramon’s biggest test to this point.

Here is a summary of the WWF’s house show results for the last full week of October, courtesy of thehistoryofwwe.com:

Hartford, Connecticut – Hartford Civic Center – October 19, 1992 (2,500): Terry Taylor pinned Jim Powers with a neckbreaker at 19:44…Crush defeated the Mountie via submission to the head vice…Tatanka pinned Repo Man at 17:30…WWF Champion Bret Hart pinned Nailz at 10:50…Virgil beat Skinner with a sunset flip at 9:00…Earthquake pinned Irwin R. Schyster with a clothesline at 7:25…The Ultimate Warrior pinned Ted DiBiase (substituting for Ric Flair) at 13:48.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – Pittsburgh Civic Arena – October 23, 1992 (5,300): Jim Powers beat Barry Horowitz…The Natural Disasters beat WWF Tag Team Champions Money Incorporated via count out…Virgil beat Terry Taylor (substituting for the Mountie)…Intercontinental Champion the British Bulldog pinned Shawn Michaels after the running powerslam…El Matador pinned Skinner after the flying forearm…Bob Backlund (substituting for the Big Bossman) beat Nailz with a roll up…Razor Ramon defeated Randy Savage via count out.

Chicago, Illinois – The Rosemont Horizon – October 24, 1992 (4,200): Advertised matches of the Undertaker vs. Kamala and the British Bulldog vs. Rick Martel did not take place…Max Moon beat the Brooklyn Brawler…Hacksaw Jim Duggan defeated the Mountie (substituting for Kamala) via disqualification…Crush beat Repo Man…The Beverly Brothers defeated the Bushwhackers…Tatanka beat Shawn Michaels…The Ultimate Warrior beat Kamala (substituting for Ric Flair)…WWF Champion Bret Hart defeated Papa Shango.

Columbia, Missouri – Hearnes Center – October 25, 1992 (2,500): Jim Powers pinned Barry Horowitz by reversing a roll up…El Matador pinned Skinner…Razor Ramon beat Randy Savage via count out…WWF Tag Team Champions Money Incorporated defeated the Natural Disasters when IRS pinned Typhoon…Virgil beat Terry Taylor…Nailz pinned the Big Bossman…Intercontinental Champion the British Bulldog pinned Papa Shango with a roll up.

Backstage News*: The WWF cancelled more house shows due to poor advance sales. This included an October 19 show in Rochester, New York and shows in Memphis, Tennessee; Nashville, Tennessee; and Huntsville, Alabama that were scheduled for October 31 and November 1. All those cards were scheduled to be main evented by Randy Savage against Razor Ramon.

-FOX will air a new Saturday Night’s Main Event special on November 14.

-Recent Prime Time Wrestling ratings have remained stuck at a 1.7. The WWF wants the ratings back up to a 2.0.

-The new tentative plan is for WrestleMania IX to be held in Las Vegas, Nevada.

-The WWF plans to expand the number of shows that it is doing in Europe next year.

-Ric Flair could be out for six weeks to a year with his inner ear injury. Doctors have warned him that an early return could threaten his career. Flair spent part of the week in the Carolinas campaigning with President George H.W. Bush. It is still expected that Flair will work Survivor Series at the end of November because the WWF has few options to turn to if he cannot work the show.

-In talent relations news, Animal quit the WWF on Wednesday due to a tailbone injury suffered against the Beverly Brothers at a WAR show in Japan. He plans to collect on a Lloyd’s of London insurance policy. The WWF has signed Bam Bam Bigelow and Jimmy Garvin. Bigelow is expected to get a big push to wrestle Bret Hart for the WWF title in 1993.

*Backstage news is provided courtesy of Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer for November 2.

Up Next: Prime Time Wrestling for October 26!

And if you would like to read a compiled breakdown of 1990 WWF, 1991 WWF, or of various promotions in 1995, check out my Amazon author page to purchase e-books or paperback copies!