What the World Was Watching: WWF Wrestling Challenge – January 17, 1993

Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan provide commentary, wrapping up the tapings from Madison, Wisconsin. Heenan is bundled up, complaining about the cold weather.

Opening Contest: Ric Flair defeats Jim Powers via submission to the figure-four leglock at 3:02:

Flair was the company’s biggest heel in 1992, winning the vacant WWF Championship from the third spot in the Royal Rumble and feuding for much of the year with Randy Savage. Flair lost the title to Savage at WrestleMania VIII and regained it at a television taping days after SummerSlam. He was then placed in a feud with the Ultimate Warrior but an inner ear injury suffered against the Warrior caused an abrupt switch in booking plans and he lost the title at a television taping a month later to Bret Hart. Flair’s injury healed itself weeks later, much to his surprise, and he found himself in a new feud with Mr. Perfect over Perfect’s decision to align himself with Randy Savage for a Survivor Series tag team match against Flair and Razor Ramon. As 1993 began, Flair found himself in simultaneous feuds with Bret and Perfect but Vince McMahon planned to shift him down the card after Flair’s run had failed to generate good box office returns. Instead of sticking around for that, Flair was preparing to depart for WCW and was in the closing weeks of his WWF run.

When Monsoon asks Heenan how Flair is going to eliminate Yokozuna from the Royal Rumble, Heenan says that someone else will take care of that. To avoid a clash with Flair’s tights, Powers departs from his usual look and wears black. In the split screen, Flair argues that he is going to win the Rumble again. In a sign of Flair’s dwindling status, Monsoon and Heenan spend more time talking about Yokozuna’s Rumble chances than Flair’s. A missed Powers dropkick leads to a Flair suplex and the figure-four.

Ray Rougeau interviews Mr. Perfect. Perfect makes a joke that Flair is walking his shadow now, causing Flair to try to rush the interview podium. WWF officials hold him back as Perfect continues to dig at the former WWF champion, saying that Flair’s robe has chicken feathers. After officials get Flair to go back to the locker room, Perfect tells fans that he has returned to the ring to be WWF champion and he is going to start in the Royal Rumble. At the end of the segment, Flair charges back out and he and Perfect briefly tussle on the podium, with Perfect standing tall before officials interject.

The Undertaker (w/Paul Bearer) (2-0) pins Dale Wolfe after the Tombstone at 2:05:

Monsoon insists that Flair will not last long in the Rumble as the Undertaker dismantles Wolfe for a second win on television this week. After the bout, the Undertaker and Bearer put Wolfe in a body bag.

Bam Bam Bigelow (2-0) defeats George Anderson with the flying headbutt at 1:49:

The Big Bossman does an insert promo about how Bigelow does not scare him and he is going to make him respect the law. The Bossman has not wrestled on television yet this year, which is strange because he was a regular fixture on syndicated shows as a babyface. Bigelow shows off his agility by striking Anderson down and flying off the top rope with a headbutt for his third win of the year.

Lance Cassidy (1-0) beats Dave Sigfrids after a bulldog at 2:48:

This was the last Cassidy match in the can before he abruptly quit the promotion. Cassidy always struggled to piece short squash matches together as he would do a few crowd pleasing moves like a body press and dropkick but then follow up with an armbar to slow things down.

Heenan tells Mr. Perfect that Narcissus is loyal and has a magnificent physique. What is off about this feud is that Heenan keeps hyping Narcissus’ looks but Perfect has long argued he was perfect because of his ability to be perfect at everything he did, not his appearance. According to Heenan, he did not care for doing these bits because it made him look like a homosexual.

Gene Okerlund does The Royal Rumble Report. WWF Champion Bret Hart promises to “excellently execute” Razor Ramon for what he did to his brother. Intercontinental Champion Shawn Michaels is confident that Sensational Sherri will be in his corner because she will never side with someone who brutally attacked her. The Beverly Brothers argue that the Steiner Brothers moved into the wrong neighborhood by coming to the WWF. Bam Bam Bigelow hypes himself as a beast that is not scared of the Big Bossman’s size. In Rumble promos, Jerry Lawler sells his lack of friends as a reason he is going to win and the Headshrinkers and Afa are more interested in bananas than talking about the Rumble.

Razor Ramon (1-0) pins Jerry Fox after the Razor’s Edge at 2:07:

Fox was trained by Sam DeCero and Sonny Rogers. He made his debut in 1988 and worked as an enhancement talent/opening act for the AWA, USWA, World Class, and WCPW. While working for the USWA he also went by the name Rockin’ Randy and Goon #1.

The thin Fox gets tossed around by Ramon and he does a nice job selling the terror of taking the Razor’s Edge at the end. When the match is over, Ramon talks to the camera and warns Bret Hart that he is going to be his at The Royal Rumble.

Tune in next week to see Intercontinental Champion Shawn Michaels, Tatanka, Yokozuna, and the Nasty Boys in action! There will also be a special interview with Razor Ramon!

The Last Word: The interaction between Mr. Perfect and Ric Flair was great, putting over the hatred that both men have felt for each other since Survivor Series. The Narcissus feud is going to replace Perfect’s issue with Flair because of Flair’s imminent departure from the company. That was telegraphed by Gorilla Monsoon blasting Flair’s Royal Rumble chances throughout the show.

The WWF’s house show business took it across the south and the west for this week in its history. Here are the results of some of those cards, courtesy of thehistoryofwwe.com:

Dallas, Texas – Reunion Arena – January 14, 1993 (2,500): Skinner pinned Max Moon (substituting for Lance Cassidy)…Bob Backlund defeated Beau Beverly…Bam Bam Bigelow pinned Typhoon with a slam and splash…Jerry Sags pinned Irwin R. Schyster…Damien Demento beat Virgil…Mr. Perfect defeated Razor Ramon via count out…WWF Champion Bret Hart pinned Ric Flair.

Lincoln, Nebraska – Pershing Auditorium – January 16, 1993 (2,250): Terry Taylor defeated Jim Powers…The Headshrinkers beat High Energy…Tatanka beat the Brooklyn Brawler…Crush defeated Repo Man…Intercontinental Champion Shawn Michaels defeated Marty Jannetty…Yokozuna beat the Big Bossman.

Nashville, Tennessee – Municipal Auditorium – January 16, 1993 (4,800): Skinner pinned Max Moon (substituting for Lance Cassidy) after the inverted DDT…Damien Demento pinned Virgil with a roll up…Bob Backlund beat Beau Beverly (substituting for the Berzerker)…Bam Bam Bigelow pinned Typhoon…Jerry Sags pinned Irwin R. Schyster after interference from Brian Knobbs. Money Incorporated were scheduled to defend their tag team titles against the Nasty Boys but Ted DiBiase no-showed…Mr. Perfect beat Doink (substituting for Razor Ramon) via disqualification after Doink sprayed Perfect with something from the flower in his ring jacket…WWF Champion Bret Hart pinned Ric Flair with a small package.

Backstage News*: As has been the case for the last few years, the WWF is planning a European tour after WrestleMania.

-The company is losing some of its syndicated markets in Western states so it will not be doing house shows in Nebraska or Salt Lake City, Utah.

-In another sign of dwindling interest in the product, Coliseum Video is abandoning its release of one-hour, $9.99 videos because it could not get retailers to carry them.

-The WWF had Slick do a five-minute sermon on some of the weekend house shows and it was poorly received.

-Razor Ramon missed house show dates this week because he blew out his knee. Ramon is still expected to make The Royal Rumble despite the injury, although it may limit what he can do in his match against WWF Champion Bret Hart. Other talent missed house shows this week as well. The Undertaker’s father had a stroke, which took him off the road, and Papa Shango injured his shoulder so his matches with the Undertaker were cancelled. Ted DiBiase was also sick, forcing Irwin R. Schyster to wrestle singles matches against the Nasty Boys.

*Backstage news is provided courtesy of Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer for January 25.

Up Next: Monday Night RAW for January 18!

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!