What the World Was Watching: WWF Wrestling Challenge – January 10, 1993

Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan are doing commentary, still taped from Madison, Wisconsin.

Opening Contest: The Nasty Boys defeat Dave Sigfrids & Spike Jones when Jerry Sags pins Sigfrids after the Trip to Nastyville at 3:39:

The Nasties were entering their fourth year with the WWF, arriving in late 1990 from WCW. In 1992 they had feuds with Hacksaw Jim Duggan and Sergeant Slaughter and High Energy and were part of a losing eight-man tag team match at WrestleMania and a six-man tag team match at SummerSlam. Prior to SummerSlam they scored an upset win over Randy Savage and the Ultimate Warrior, which put them in contention for the Natural Disasters’ Tag Team titles. However, their manager Jimmy Hart gave their title shot to Money Incorporated and that was the reason for the Nasties turning babyface and pursuing Money Incorporated’s belts.

Jones was a longtime veteran whose career went back to the late 1960s, working in Southwest territories. In the mid-1980s he started doing enhancement work for the AWA and did enhancement work for the WWF from 1989-1990. In 1992 he wrestled one squash against Marty Jannetty.

The Nasties have been motivated since their babyface turn and they quickly work over their opponents, giving them a pair of Pit Stops. After Sags whips Brian Knobbs into Sigfrids in the corner, the duo win their first match of the year with the Trip to Nastyville.

Yokozuna (w/Mr. Fuji) (1-0) pins Chad Miller after a sit-down splash off the second rope at 2:33:

Miller was a Tom Stone trainee who worked as Chad Love on the Wisconsin independent scene. This was his first enhancement match with the WWF.

Yokozuna devastates Miller with his usual fat man moves. His finisher still does not have a name but his corner avalanche is dubbed the “Banzai Splash” by Monsoon.

Crush (1-0) beats Tom Stone via submission to the head vice at 2:32:

Crush maintains his winning ways in a pedestrian squash where he only leaves his feet to give Stone a leg drop. Monsoon teases Heenan about what Ric Flair will do if he has to face Crush in the Royal Rumble.

Marty Jannetty (1-0) pins Tom Bennett after the flying fist drop at 2:35:

Bennett began his career in 1986. He worked as a preliminary wrestler for the AWA in 1990 and was part of a tag team called the Texas Hangmen on the independent circuit at this time. The duo competed for the Illinois-based Windy City Pro Wrestling (WCPW). Bennett had worked as an enhancement talent for the WWF since 1990. In 1992 he lost to Bret Hart, the Big Bossman, High Energy, and the Legion of Doom.

Jannetty spends a lot of time bouncing off the ropes before keeping Bennett down with a Rocker Dropper to set up the flying fist drop.

Gene Okerlund does The Royal Rumble Report. In Rumble promos, Randy Savage talks about wanting to be a three-time WWF champion and Papa Shango discusses possessing 29 other souls and minds. The Steiner Brothers tell the Beverly Brothers that they are ready for them. The Big Bossman calls Bam Bam Bigelow a piece of trash and that he is going to treat him to hard time.

The Headshrinkers (w/Afa) (1-0) beat Scott Colton & Carl Almont when Fatu pins Almont after a splash off the top rope at 2:42:

Colton did a lot of enhancement work for the WWF in 1989 and 1990, appearing in more than 20 matches. Between that time and now he lost his blonde hair.

Almont wrestled a few enhancement matches the previous year, losing to Papa Shango and Skinner.

Monsoon has a funny bit where he says that Michaelangelo could not sculpt Narcissus because Michelangelo is dead. The Headshrinkers annihilate their opponents, biting Almont and slamming Colton on the floor. After giving Almont a double front Russian leg sweep that makes the finish academic.

Tune in next week to see Bam Bam Bigelow, the Undertaker, Razor Ramon, and Ric Flair in action! There will also be a special interview with Mr. Perfect!

The Last Word: Just the typical squasherific episode of Wrestling Challenge with little in the way of storyline development. The most surprising bit was a lack of hype for Monday Night RAW, which had its pilot episode airing the next night.

Here is a recap of the WWF’s house show action for this week in its history, according to thehistoryofwwe.com:

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – Philadelphia Spectrum – January 8, 1993 (6,300): Virgil beat the Brooklyn Brawler…The Steiner Brothers defeated the Executioners (substituting for Double Trouble)…Tatanka pinned Damien Demento…Bob Backlund beat the Berzerker with a roll up…Intercontinental Champion Shawn Michaels defeated Marty Jannetty. The match was supposed to take place before intermission but Jannetty attacked Michaels before the bell. Sergeant Slaughter came out to announce that the match would occur regardless of Michaels’ condition and it started after intermission was held…The Headshrinkers beat High Energy…The Undertaker pinned Papa Shango…WWF Champion Bret Hart pinned Ric Flair with an inside cradle when Flair went for the figure-four leglock at 27:15. After the match, Flair knocked Bret to the floor before leaving.

Boston, Massachusetts – The Boston Garden – January 9, 1993 (5,800; matinee): Crush beat Skinner via submission to the head vice at 8:50…Terry Taylor pinned Jason Knight (substituting for Lance Cassidy) with a sit-down powerbomb at 9:20…WWF Tag Team Champions Money Incorporated beat the Nasty Boys when IRS pinned Sags after Ted DiBiase hit him with IRS’ briefcase at 14:26. The Nasties initially won the match when Knobbs pinned DiBiase after he collided with Sags but the result was tossed out because Knobbs was not the legal man…The Undertaker pinned Papa Shango after a chokeslam in 6 minutes…Bam Bam Bigelow pinned Typhoon after the flying headbutt in 7 minutes…WWF Champion Bret Hart defeated Ric Flair in a 60-minute Ironman match three falls to two. Bret won the first fall with a roll up at 27:17, Flair won the second fall via submission to the figure-four leglock and holding the ropes at 35:00, Flair won the third fall via submission to the figure-four leglock and using the ropes again at 37:40, Bret won the fourth fall via submission to the Sharpshooter at 55:03, and Bret won the final fall by reversing the figure-four into an inside cradle at 59:42.

East Rutherford, New Jersey – The Meadowlands – January 9, 1993 (8,700; matinee): Virgil pinned the Brooklyn Brawler…The Steiner Brothers beat the Executioners…Tatanka pinned Damien Demento…Bob Backlund pinned the Berzerker…Intercontinental Champion Shawn Michaels beat Marty Jannetty with the Flair pin…The Headshrinkers defeated High Energy when Fatu pinned Koko B. Ware…Yokozuna pinned the Big Bossman with a sit-down splash off the second rope in 4 minutes…Mr. Perfect defeated Razor Ramon via count out.

Richfield, Ohio – Richfield Coliseum – January 10, 1993 (2,500): Terry Taylor pinned Jim Powers with a neckbreaker…Crush defeated the Brooklyn Brawler…Bob Backlund pinned the Berzerker…Mr. Perfect defeated Razor Ramon via count out…WWF Tag Team Champions Money Incorporated beat the Nasty Boys…Bam Bam Bigelow pinned the Big Bossman…The Undertaker defeated Yokozuna via disqualification in 4 minutes when Yokozuna threw salt into the Undertaker’s eyes. After the match, Mr. Fuji attacked Paul Bearer until the Undertaker made the save and drove the heels from the ring.

Backstage News*: The WWF’s house show attendance numbers in Philadelphia and Boston pleased the company. The Bret Hart-Ric Flair Ironman match doubled what they drew at the Boston Garden in December. However, cards in Florida at Lakeland and Orlando, which were headlined by Bret and Flair, did not draw as well. The two men wrestled 16 times over the first ten days of the year.

-Hulk Hogan gave an interview on the Nashville Network on Monday, January 4 about how time constraints hurt his response to a question about steroids on The Arsenio Hall Show two years ago. Hogan said he had taken steroids in the past but stopped when he found out how dangerous they were. When asked if he would return to the ring, Hogan said that was most likely going to happen in Japan.

-The WWF plans on making a double main event with Mr. Perfect for WrestleMania against Narcissus if Hogan is not available. Early reports are that 3,000 WrestleMania tickets have been sold.

-The Department of Justice is continuing to probe Titan Sports and has hired Thomas Parker, a former wrestling promoter and police officer, to investigate the company.

-Double Trouble could not wrestle the Steiner Brothers in Philadelphia because Val Puccio was injured.

-The final edition of Prime Time Wrestling drew a 2.2 rating.

-The WWF plans to move Terry Taylor to an announcing role on Wrestling Challenge and Wrestling Spotlight.

-In talent relations news, Flair has been given a release from his WWF contract that will allow him to go back to WCW after February 15. Flair is leaving on good terms and his release is likely due to WWF owner Vince McMahon desiring to depush him in favor of younger talent. At recent television tapings in Texas the WWF gave tryouts to Horace Boulder (Hogan’s nephew), Bill Irwin, and Scott Putski. There have been rumors that Captain Lou Albano might be coming back but he declined because of existing acting gigs and the DOJ’s investigation into the company.

*Backstage news is provided courtesy of Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer for January 15 and 20.

Up Next: Monday Night RAW for January 11!

And if you would like to read a compiled breakdown of 1990-1992 WWF, 1993 ECW, or of various promotions in 1995, check out my Amazon author page to purchase e-books or paperback copies!