What the World Was Watching: WWF Prime Time Wrestling – November 16, 1992

Vince McMahon moderates this evening’s panel that is composed of Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Hillbilly Jim, Bobby Heenan, and Mr. Perfect. McMahon confirms the rumors that the Ultimate Warrior will not appear at Survivor Series and announces that Randy Savage has been given 24 hours to name a new tag team partner.

Savage appears via satellite hookup from Sarasota, Florida. Heenan jokes that Savage should choose President George H.W. Bush. Savage says in a circumstance like this he has to take a chance and he wonders if the person he has in mind has the guts to be his partner. He adds that he does not even like the guy he is thinking of and has never wrestled him but this person knows Ric Flair and Razor Ramon well. When McMahon asks for the person, Savage says that his “perfect partner” would be Mr. Perfect. Heenan laughs off the suggestion and Perfect does at first, but Savage argues that Perfect is one of the greats and he is dead serious about choosing him. Duggan and Jim tell Savage to rethink what he is asking for. The segment ends with Heenan and Perfect laughing at Savage’s idea.

Max Moon (8-0) pins Dale Wolfe after a reverse flying body press at 4:28:

Moon has had a good run so far but the WWF has not trusted him to do a promo. As he has more matches he is doing fewer flips and is wrestling conventionally, which takes away what makes the character unique. The clown keeps getting closer to the ring as he appears in the front row for this bout. A blind charge from Wolfe leads to a reverse flying bulldog and Moon’s signature moves.

McMahon gets a phone call for Perfect and is intrigued by what he hears. Heenan keeps trying to interrupt him but Perfect is having none of it.

Call 1-900-288-WWF1 to get news about Survivor Series and put your name into a drawing to get a phone call from a WWF superstar during the pay-per-view! It will cost $1.49 per minute and 99 cents for each additional minute!

McMahon argues that Ric Flair and Heenan are trying to keep Perfect on the sidelines. Jim questions if Perfect is so great why Heenan has him sitting on the sidelines. McMahon says that tonight Heenan is arguing that Perfect deserves credit for Flair’s success but on other occasions Heenan has taken the credit himself. Perfect does not seem happy about that.

After footage of the Intercontinental title change from Saturday Night’s Main Event is shown, Heenan says that Randy Savage is trying to create dissension in Ric Flair’s camp and that he could pick someone better than Perfect. When Perfect asks what this is about Heenan begs off.

Ric Flair and Razor Ramon join the broadcast via satellite. Ramon says that Perfect works for them and Savage is crazy. Flair hypes Perfect’s job as a consultant. When Heenan tells Flair that he missed him on the phone call to Perfect several segments ago, Flair says that he did not call. Flair adds that the existing arrangement is that Flair walks in front and Perfect walks behind him. Jim pipes up and asks whether Perfect is just a manager now and is no longer a wrestler. McMahon wonders aloud why Perfect would want to work in the shadows and Perfect argues that he is the best wrestler in the WWF. Ramon goes a step too far in rebutting that Perfect’s best days are behind him and he is a manager now.

Lance Cassidy (1-0) wrestles Terry Taylor (2-0-1) to a time-limit draw at 9:26:

This match took place in Springfield, Illinois on October 26. With all these Prime Time only appearances, Taylor is being treated like Al Perez in 1990. Taylor works over Cassidy’s left arm after Cassidy goes shoulder-first into the ring post. An armbar gets a near-fall and Cassidy rolls Taylor up four different times to break up the beating he is receiving. Unfortunately, the crowd does not react to any of this. Cassidy finally gets some momentum after driving Taylor’s head into the canvas and does a flying body press and both men roll around on the mat until Taylor puts hit foot on the ropes to break at two. Cassidy puts his head down too early on an Irish whip and Taylor does his finishing sit-out powerbomb but the time limit expires at a strange length to make the match a draw. Rating: *½

McMahon asks Heenan why he would demand that Perfect bypass a pay-per-view payday. Heenan responds that everyone on Ric Flair’s team must take orders. McMahon then asks Perfect if he is afraid of Flair, Razor Ramon, or Randy Savage, which Perfect denies.

Randy Savage makes another appearance via satellite and wonders whether Perfect has the guts to team with him. Perfect stands up and reiterates that he is not scared of anyone. Savage hammers the point home that if Perfect is not scared he should consider being his partner. Perfect tells Savage that he will consider it, prompting Heenan to stand up and tell Perfect that he will not consider anything.

After a commercial break, Perfect and Heenan are still arguing as Ric Flair and Razor Ramon join again via satellite. Ramon tells Perfect to calm down, shut up, and listen to Flair and Heenan and that he has not wrestled in more than a year. Flair tells Perfect to shoot down Savage’s offer because there is nothing wrong walking in Flair’s shadow. Savage demands that Perfect be his own man.

El Matador (27-5-3) beats Damien Demento (2-0) via disqualification when Demento uses the tights on a pin at 4:42:

This is another match from Springfield, Illinois. Like Virgil, El Matador is getting lost shuffle on the babyface side of the roster. There is some aimless action back and forth until El Matador knocks Demento to the floor with a flying forearm. When Demento re-enters the ring, he floors Santana with a shoulder thrust and tries to use the tights on a pinning combination. However, he gets caught and disqualified. That is a bad finish and speaks to how little the company plans to use Demento in the future. Rating: ½*

McMahon asks Perfect what his decision will be for Survivor Series. Before Perfect can respond, Heenan interjects and says he is going to answer for Perfect because Perfect’s head is not on straight and Perfect will do as he is told. Heenan says that Perfect will not compete at Survivor Series but Perfect stands up and says he accepts Savage’s offer. Heenan loses his cool and slaps Perfect, immediately realizing his error and apologizing. Perfect grabs Heenan by his tie and as Heenan gets on his knees and begs, Perfect pours a pitcher of water on his head. McMahon, Duggan, and Jim have a good laugh over this.

Randy Savage tells Perfect that he does not like him but respects him and is happy to team with him at Survivor Series. Ric Flair and Razor Ramon call Perfect stupid for sacrificing everything to team with Savage. Perfect argues that Flair and Ramon will be facing the Perfect Team at Survivor Series and the last thing Flair and Perfect will hear is a “Woo!” when they go down.

The Last Word: The Ultimate Warrior’s exit threw the Survivor Series card into chaos but luckily for the WWF, they were able to lean into an angle they had been slowly burning throughout the year on Prime Time of Mr. Perfect being sidelined by Ric Flair and Bobby Heenan. This show gave a lot of time to Perfect’s decision and it was tremendous because of Heenan’s growing panic over what Perfect would do. While Perfect does not have the same drawing power as the Warrior, his inclusion into the Survivor Series main event will upgrade the quality of that match.

Up Next: WWF Superstars for November 21!

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