What the World Was Watching: WWF Wrestling Challenge – November 15, 1992

Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan call today’s action, which concludes the tapings in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Monsoon tells fans that missed Saturday Night’s Main Event that Shawn Michaels is the new Intercontinental champion and reminds people that Michaels’ Survivor Series match with Bret Hart is only for the WWF title.

Opening Contest: Razor Ramon (13-0) pins Dale Hutchinson after the Razor’s Edge at 2:55:

Heenan asks for Monsoon’s credit card so he can order Survivor Series for some poor families he knows. Ramon ragdolls Hutchinson and another referee, this time Earl Hebner, almost gets taken out by Ramon’s fallaway slam. Monsoon is impressed with Ramon’s power as Heenan gleefully wonders what Randy Savage or the Ultimate Warrior will look like taking the Razor’s Edge.

Lord Alfred Hayes’ Special Report replays the segment of the Undertaker working on his coffin, which aired on Superstars. Harvey Wippleman and Kim Chee respond that the Undertaker needs to build a coffin to his own specifications so it fits when Kamala stuffs him into it.

Yokozuna (w/Mr. Fuji) (2-0) pins Shane Croft after a sit-down splash off the second rope at 2:38:

Croft was a wrestler near Calgary, Alberta, Canada and started working in 1990. On the Canadian independent circuit he was also known as Wrecking Ball.

Monsoon and Heenan trade comments about Yokozuna’s size, with Monsoon arguing that Yokozuna is a moving Mount Fuji. Croft is bigger than Yokozuna’s previous opponents and he and Yokozuna run into each other, with Yokozuna winning that exchange. After an avalanche against the buckles, Yokozuna wins with the sit-down splash off the second rope.

Joe Blevins interviews WWF Champion Bret Hart. The WWF has a statement that the segment was pre-recorded since there is mention of Bret’s match against Papa Shango on Saturday Night’s Main Event. Bret repeats that he will fight all comers.

Shawn Michaels (31-1-1) defeats the Big Bossman (21-2-2) via count out at 4:29:

This match only aired in markets where Wrestling Challenge aired on Saturdays as Michaels appears without the Intercontinental Championship. If fans lived in areas where Challenge aired on Sundays, this match was replaced by Michaels’ match with the Bulldog on Saturday Night’s Main Event. The Bossman dominates much of the match, striking Michaels a million times. However, a splash misses and Michaels superkicks the Bossman over the top rope. Nailz makes an expected appearance, walking to the ring and distracting the Bossman, causing the Bossman to get counted out. This was disappointing as it just served as angle development for the Bossman-Nailz program. Rating: *

After the match, Michaels puts the Bossman in a chokehold for Nailz but the Bossman fights out and gets a hold of Nailz’s nightstick. The Bossman stalks Nailz around the ring with it and then rolls into the ring so he can keep his eyes on Nailz and Michaels. The interesting pairing of Nailz and Michaels decide to fight another day and retreat to the locker room.

Gene Okerlund does the Survivor Series Report. WWF Tag Team Champions Money Incorporated & the Beverly Brothers argue that they have a great gameplan for the Natural Disasters & the Nasty Boys. Ric Flair, Razor Ramon, and Mr. Perfect say that they have more talent than the Ultimate Maniacs.

The Natural Disasters (26-2) beat Jim Peterson & Brian Costello when Typhoons pins Peterson after the Tidal Wave at 1:59:

The clown walks out to watch the match from the aisle. The Disasters destroy their opponents one at a time as the clown dances, briefly distracting Earthquake before he lands the Earthquake Splash. After the match, the clown laughs at fans and playfully hits a kid in the head with his mallet. The kid sells it well.

Tune in next week to see Jerry Sags face a Beverly Brother! Also, Tatanka and Nailz will be in action! And Bob Backlund will make his debut!

The Last Word: For some reason the WWF thinks that keeping fans in the dark about what Beverly Brother is going to wrestle on Wrestling Challenge is a selling point for the show. This week’s broadcast provided generic hype for Survivor Series and some fans got treated to Shawn Michaels and Nailz briefly working together.

The WWF’s house show circuit took it to the West Coast and parts of Canada and here were the results of some of those shows, courtesy of thehistoryofwwe.com:

Kitchener, Ontario, Canada – Memorial Coliseum – November 12, 1992 (1,100): Max Moon pinned the Brooklyn Brawler (substituting for Skinner) with a bulldog off the second rope at 13:14…Virgil defeated Repo Man with a small package at 9:36…El Matador pinned Damien Demento (substituting for Rick Martel) after the flying forearm at 7:00…Bob Backlund (substituting for the British Bulldog) pinned Papa Shango with a roll up at 8:30…Randy Savage defeated Razor Ramon via reverse decision when Ramon brutally attacked Savage after pinning him with a small package at 12:00…The Big Bossman pinned Kamala with a roll up after heel miscommunication with Kim Chee…WWF Tag Team Champions Money Incorporated defeated the Natural Disasters when IRS pinned Typhoon after Ted DiBiase hit Typhoon with a double axe handle behind the referee’s back.

Los Angeles, California – The Los Angeles Sports Arena – November 14, 1992 (3,865): Skinner beat Louie Spicolli…Crush defeated the Berzerker…The Undertaker (substituting for the Ultimate Warrior) pinned Nailz in 40 seconds with a chokeslam. This was a replacement match for the replacement bout of the originally booked Ultimate Warrior vs. Ric Flair bout…Tatanka defeated Shawn Michaels via count out…Lance Cassidy defeated Terry Taylor…The Headshrinkers beat High Energy…WWF Champion Bret Hart defeated Rick Martel (substituting for the Mountie).

Backstage News*: The Ultimate Warrior and the British Bulldog were fired from the WWF on Monday. Dave Meltzer suggests that their departure could have something to do with the company’s stricter steroid testing. The Bulldog is expected to go and work for All Japan. The Warrior is unlikely to go to WCW because of cost cutting that has happened there under Bill Watts. (Note: It was later revealed that the Warrior and the Bulldog were fired for receiving human growth hormone from a pharmacy in England).

-Due to the Warrior’s firing, the WWF told cable companies to cease all advertising for Survivor Series until new ads could be produced. However, not all companies did so because the WWF did not get them new material on Tuesday, November 17.

-Tickets for The Royal Rumble went on sale on Thursday in Sacramento, California and netted $30,000 in first-day sales, which is equivalent to 2,000 tickets.

-WrestleMania IX has now been penciled in for Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada in early April.

-The Undertaker’s short matches against Nailz were because the WWF needed an emergency replacement for the Warrior and the Undertaker’s shoulder injury has not yet healed. According to arena reports, Nailz had to jump for the chokeslam because there was not much that the Undertaker could do on his own. Fans chanted for refunds in several California towns because of the quick matches and the Warrior not appearing.

-Randy Savage is expected to be out for four weeks after Survivor Series.

-Harvey Wippleman is picking up some extra work in Memphis as a babyface.

-Jesse Ventura’s lawsuit against the WWF will go to trial in St. Paul, Minnesota in February. Ventura is seeking residuals for his commentary on WWF video releases and argues that any contracts he signed in 1985 were under duress.

-In talent relations news, Earthquake is expected to leave after The Royal Rumble.

*Backstage news is provided courtesy of Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer for November 23.

Up Next: Prime Time Wrestling for November 16!

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