What the World Was Watching: WWF Superstars – January 2, 1993 (Beginning of a New Series!)

Introduction

As it entered 1993, the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) was reeling. The previous year brought heighted scrutiny to the company over steroid usage by talent and sexual harassment scandals by front office staff like Pat Patterson and Terry Garvin. Feeling the heat, longtime WWF star Hulk Hogan “retired” after WrestleMania VIII and, just like 1990, the WWF had no one to replace him. Owner Vince McMahon brought back the Ultimate Warrior, who he had sent home after SummerSlam ’91 but, like 1990, the Warrior proved an unsuccessful box office draw. It did not help that the Warrior’s post-WrestleMania opponent, Sid Justice, quit shortly after their feud began. Randy Savage and Ric Flair spent much of the year feuding over the WWF title but their program was also a flop. By May, the WWF had to cancel house shows because of poor advance sales and the problem got worse.

The only two places that gave the company a boost were overseas and in the Northeast. A successful spring tour of Europe led to London, England hosting SummerSlam at Wembley Stadium. The show was a box office success as a crowd of at least 75,000 fans attended. However, it was a disappointment on pay-per-view as 20,000 fewer households purchased the show versus the year prior. This continued a trend that had frustrated the company for years. And all the WWF’s pay-per-view events drew lesser audiences than 1991.

Television was not much better. While the WWF retained syndicated markets for WWF Superstars and Wrestling Challenge, ratings for Prime Time Wrestling, its Monday night show on USA Network, slid throughout the year. That happened despite another format change that moved the show from a studio audience to a roundtable format. By the end of the year, it was announced that a new show called Monday Night RAW would be replacing it but most did not understand what that change would mean yet for the wrestling industry. Most worrying for the WWF, Saturday Night’s Main Event was finally cancelled. NBC ditched the show in 1991 but the WWF found FOX willing to air two episodes in 1992. However, the final broadcast, which aired before Survivor Series, drew a disappointing rating and McMahon could not find another basic cable provider willing to take it. That development, more than anything else, showed that the WWF was becoming more of a niche product and no longer part of the cultural mainstream.

Near the end of the year, McMahon decided to take a shot in the dark and rebuild the company around former Intercontinental champion Bret Hart. Hart won the title from Ric Flair at a television taping in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada on October 12 from Ric Flair, a result that few fans saw coming. Hart had put together a strong year to that point, having a great match with Roddy Piper over the Intercontinental title at WrestleMania and main eventing SummerSlam against his brother-in-law, the British Bulldog. However, he was an unproven box office draw in the United States. And, unlike Hogan, Hart did not look like a muscular superhero or have excellent promo skills.

The WWF’s roster going into 1993 was also much different than previous years. Not only did the WWF lose Roberts, Hogan, and Justice but it also lost Roddy Piper, the Texas Tornado, the British Bulldog, the Mountie, the Warlord, Greg Valentine, Hercules, and Jimmy Snuka in 1992. And most of those acts were big in the 1980s. They were gradually replaced by Bam Bam Bigelow, Papa Shango, Jerry Lawler, Kamala, Yokozuna, Crush, the Headshrinkers, Steve Armstrong, Terry Taylor, and Damien Demento. Other talents from WCW waited to make their television debuts as well like the Steiner Brothers, Lex Luger, and El Gigante. Arguably the WWF’s most puzzling signing in the second half of the year was former WWF Champion Bob Backlund, who had not wrestled in a major promotion in close to a decade. This turnover was radical, demonstrating the WWF’s desire to do something new.

Yet how new was the WWF willing to go? Turning over the roster and naming new champions was one thing. Embracing that change and going into the unknown was something else. Although Hart might have the promotion’s top title, some, like Dave Meltzer, wondered how long that reign would last if Hogan wanted to come back. And if the WWF put the belt back onto Hogan, would it work? Fans by late 1991 were already turning against Hogan’s act, booing him against the Undertaker at Survivor Series and doing it against The Royal Rumble when Hogan threw a fit over his elimination in the Rumble match and cost Sid Justice the WWF Championship. So, it was not a certainty that merely bringing Hogan back would get the WWF back to its 1980s glory days.

This column, which will be released on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, will review all major WWF television shows and pay-per-views throughout 1993. Wrestlers win/loss totals will also be provided for their matches, noteworthy house shows will be broken down, and at the end of each week a review will be provided of major backstage news that affected WWF booking and business.

Here was the WWF’s roster to start 1993:

Babyfaces: Bob Backlund, the Big Bossman, Lance Cassidy, Crush, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Bret Hart, Marty Jannetty, El Matador, Max Moon, Mr. Perfect, Randy Savage, Tatanka, the Undertaker, Virgil

Heels: The Berzerker, Bam Bam Bigelow, Damien Demento, Ric Flair, Kamala, Jerry Lawler, Repo Man, Rick Martel, Shawn Michaels, Razor Ramon, Papa Shango, Skinner, Terry Taylor, Yokozuna,

Tag Teams: High Energy (babyfaces), Money Incorporated (heels), the Beverly Brothers (heels), the Bushwhackers (babyfaces), the Headshrinkers (heels), the Nasty Boys (babyfaces), the Natural Disasters (babyfaces), the Steiner Brothers (babyfaces)

Enhancement Talent: The Brooklyn Brawler, Jim Powers

And here is a list of the WWF’s champions to begin the year:

WWF Champion: Bret Hart (defeated Ric Flair on October 12, 1992 at a television taping in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada)

WWF Tag Team Champions: Money Incorporated (defeated the Natural Disasters on October 13, 1992 at a television taping in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada)

Intercontinental Champion: Shawn Michaels (defeated the British Bulldog on October 27, 1992 at a television taping in Terre Haute, Indiana)

The first WWF television show of 1993 was the January 2 edition of WWF Superstars. Vince McMahon, Randy Savage, and Jerry Lawler commentated. According to thehistoryofwwe.com, the show was taped in Green Bay, Wisconsin on December 14, 1992. Savage’s return to the booth was a sign that McMahon was done with him as a permanent in-ring act, reflecting disappointment in Savage’s box office returns as a headline star the previous year. In the introduction of the show, Lawler announces that he will be in the Royal Rumble.

Opening Contest: Mr. Perfect defeats the Berzerker with the Perfectplex at 4:26 shown:

Perfect began 1992 as Ric Flair’s managerial consultant, steering Flair to two WWF title victories. He also served as a color commentator on WWF Superstars and a panelist on Prime Time Wrestling. When the Ultimate Warrior was fired by the WWF a week before Survivor Series, Savage asked Perfect to team with him to face Flair and Razor Ramon. When Flair, Ramon, and Bobby Heenan talked down to Perfect to dissuade him from accepting the offer on Prime Time it backfired and Perfect returned to the ring as a babyface. Thus, as 1993 began Perfect was feuding with Flair on screen and had a small house show program going against Ramon.

The Berzerker had been with the company since 1991 but had not done much since. Originally dubbed the Viking, his finishing move was to throw opponents over the top rope and win by count out. He lacked a long-term feud during his first year and in 1992 his prospects improved a bit, feuding with the Undertaker after WrestleMania VIII and winning a big 40-man battle royal on Prime Time Wrestling. However, the Berzerker was summarily dismantled by the Undertaker in their house show program and he went on to lose a match against Tatanka at SummerSlam. After the pay-per-view, the Berzerker went AWOL from the company for several week and when he returned he was immediately depushed, losing a WWF title match in less than five minutes to Bret Hart and losing to Virgil a month later on Prime Time. The Berzerker also lost his manager Mr. Fuji, who was moved to manage Yokozuna by the end of the year.

The Berzerker does not start 1993 on a good note, failing to get an entrance or much hype. This is Perfect’s first match on television since September 1, 1991. Two minutes into the match, Flair comes to ringside. He jaws with Perfect as WWF officials separate them and the distraction lets the Berzerker take control. Perfect barely kicks out of a powerslam and capitalizes when the Berzerker puts his head down too quickly on a whip to win with the Perfectplex. Early on this seemed like it was going to be a showcase for Perfect but he only did three moves in the match. Rating: *

Gene Okerlund’s Update segment featured a promo by Bobby Heenan, who says that Perfect will be flogged and tarnished by Flair. He promises to unveil a new wrestler that is “beyond perfect” at The Royal Rumble called Narcissus. This will allegedly made Perfect jealous. Okerlund tells younger fans that narcissus is defined as a “conceited self-centered person” that thinks too highly of themselves.

Yokozuna (w/Mr. Fuji) pins George Anderson after a sit-down splash off the second rope at 2:47:

Yokozuna, billed as a Japanese sumo wrestler, was Samoan talent Rodney Anoa’i of the famous Anoa’i wrestling family. After signing him, the WWF thought of pairing him with the Headshrinkers but abandoned the idea before his debut. He made an immediate impact upon his debut in late October because of his massive size and agility, making anything he dished out from a belly-to-belly suplex, leg drop, and sit-down splash off the second rope look like it would kill his opponents. Yokozuna was still undefeated since his debut and his biggest win in 1992 happened at Survivor Series, where he squashed Virgil in less than four minutes. He was booked for the Royal Rumble, so fans were made to wonder how anyone would manage to throw him over the top rope.

Anderson was in his fourth year as a WWF enhancement talent. He began working for the company in 1990 and usually appeared when the WWF came to the Midwest for television tapings.

Savage notes that Earthquake has joined the list of wrestlers in the Royal Rumble, wondering what a match between the two would look like. Earthquake does an insert promo about how he is going to win a battle of big men at the Royal Rumble. Yokozuna makes short work of Anderson, getting reactions from the crowd for his big moves.

Footage from next week’s WWF Mania television show airs. Razor Ramon is shown attacking Owen Hart in the locker room.

Marty Jannetty pins Tom Stone after the flying fist drop at 3:10:

Jannetty had a tumultuous 1992. His former tag team partner, Shawn Michaels, turned on him in January on Wrestling Challenge in a famous Barber Shop interview segment where Jannetty was thrown through a plate glass window. That was supposed to build to a WrestleMania match but Jannetty was arrested outside of a nightclub in Tampa, Florida several weeks later for fighting with police and possessing cocaine. The WWF terminated his employment in response. Jannetty wrestled for Genichiro Tenryu’s SWS promotion in Japan and in Memphis for a while until the WWF decided to bring him back to blowoff the Michaels feud. He returned on the October 31 edition of Superstars, inadvertently laying out Sensational Sherri when he tried to hit Michaels with Sherri’s mirror. Jannetty won most of his matches upon his return, only losing to Papa Shango via count out on Prime Time Wrestling in late December because of Michaels’ interference. He started 1993 chasing after Michaels’ Intercontinental title, with the two putting on a series of well received house show matches.

Stone broke into the business near Milwaukee in 1978 and wrestled for the AWA, appearing later in its Team Challenge Series. After that he worked as a WWF enhancement talent. His highlight in that role was beating Jake Roberts via disqualification in 1990. By this time Stone was noted trainer, a job that he gained experience in while working for the AWA.

After Jannetty pescados onto Stone, the clown that appeared on many WWF broadcasts near the end of 1992 appears in the aisle. It is a slow squash as the focus is directed to the clown. After using a Rocker Dropper, Jannetty finishes with a flying fist drop.

After the match, Jannetty encounters the clown, who had thrown water on Jannetty the previous year. The clown goes to do it again and Jannetty ducks but there is no water in the bucket, so the clown laughs at Jannetty being afraid.

Damien Demento beats Mitch Bishop after the knee drop at 3:12:

Demento was a Northeast independent talent that the WWF signed in late 1992. He made his debut in November but failed to make an immediate mark. Part of that was due to a confusing gimmick where he was billed from “The Outer Reaches of Your Mind” and talked to himself. He also dressed as someone from the Mongolian steppes but did not have the physical build to make that look menacing. Demento also had a weak finish: a knee drop, although he tried to make it appear more devastating by twisting around his knee pad and blasting opponents with his bare knee. In a poor sign of the character’s prospects, he lost both of his feature matches in 1992 to El Matador and Bob Backlund.

Demento does a lot of moves to Bishop in three minutes. His best is a clothesline but he does not garner any reaction from the crowd. After the match, Lawler uses “The Royal Magistrator” to draw on the screen. He suggests that the voice that Demento is hearing is from the clown that has been appearing at WWF events.

Gene Okerlund does The Royal Rumble Report. The Rumble will take place on Sunday, January 24. WWF Champion Bret Hart is angry that Razor Ramon jumped his brother, promising revenge. New names in the Rumble are Carlos Colon, Crush, Papa Shango, and Rick Martel. In Rumble promos, Money Incorporated say they do not mind fighting each other because that means money and the WWF title could belong to them. Ric Flair puts over his win last year and says he will be coming after Mr. Perfect. A new match added to the card is the Steiner Brothers vs. the Beverly Brothers. The Steiners say they are not taking the Beverlys lightly but will be the only team celebrating when their match is done.

Crush defeats Dave Sigfrids via submission to the head vice at 2:40:

After a failed run as the third member of Demolition in 1990 and 1991, Crush returned to the WWF as a Hawaiian babyface in May 1992. He was given a catchy electric guitar theme and his character was billed as someone who loved to crush things. Crush went undefeated in 1992 but never had much of a long-term feud. The closest program he was given was against former tag team partner Barry Darsow, who was now packaged as Repo Man, but that was just an exchange of promos leading up to SummerSlam where Crush destroyed his opponent and won via submission to a head vice. Some thought Crush could be a future WWF champion but his weak promos were his Achilles heel.

Sigfrids, who was usually billed as “Dave Sigfritts,” had done a few enhancement matches for the WWF in recent years, typically in tag team bouts. He only had one match the previous year, a losing effort with Jim Brunzell against Money Incorporated.

In the split screen, Crush wishes fans a happy New Year and promises to do well in the Rumble. The clown reappears in the aisle and squirts a young girl with water. He mother is less than pleased. Crush destroys Sigfrids with a gorilla press slam and Sigfrids immediately passes out when the head vice is applied.

After the match, Crush confronts the clown in the aisle over his antics after the clown hits him in the face with a ball. Crush grabs the clown’s hand and warns him against doing anything like that again. As Crush walks off, the clown falls down in the aisle and laughs.

Ray Rougeau interviews Crush, who talks about how his grandfather was once a good clown, unlike the one that has been in the WWF. He tells the clown that he had better heed the warning he was given today.

Tune in next week to see Bam Bam Bigelow, the Undertaker, Kamala in action! Also, the Steiner Brothers make their debut!

The Last Word: Seeing Mr. Perfect as a babyface after years of being a heel is still jarring and Perfect is still adapting to the role. His bumping ability helps when taking offense from big heel wrestlers, though. The big news of the show is an emerging feud between Crush and the evil clown, which finally gives Crush something to do. The premise for it is weak but fans were ready for someone to try to put the clown in his place.

Up Next: Wrestling Challenge for January 3!