What the World Was Watching: WWF Superstars – January 30, 1993

Earlier in the day there was not an exclusive match on WWF Mania but one did air on Wrestling Spotlight:

Bam Bam Bigelow (5-0) beats Typhoon after the flying headbutt at 7:29:

Typhoon was Fred Ottoman, who had been with the company for four years. He formed a tag team with Earthquake called the Natural Disasters in the summer of 1991 and in 1992 the team was undefeated on pay-per-view, defeating the Legion of Doom at The Royal Rumble, Money Incorporated at WrestleMania, the Beverly Brothers at SummerSlam, and ending up on the winning side of a Survivor Series elimination bout against Money Incorporated and the Beverlys even though they were eliminated from that contest. The duo enjoyed a three-month reign as Tag Team champions, beating Money Incorporated for the belts but losing them back because of the Headshrinkers. Casting them as babyfaces never seemed to fit as the team would fall into heel tendencies during squash matches and by 1993 the WWF had decided to split them up, evidenced by Earthquake attacking Typhoon and eliminating him in the Royal Rumble.

This match took place at the Superstars taping in San Antonio, Texas on January 5. Bigelow impresses by suplexing Typhoon. Using that spot to set up the flying headbutt or even as a finish could work considering Typhoon’s size but it is just used to set up a chinlock in the middle. When Bigelow fails to do a body slam late Typhoon makes a comeback. He acts like an idiot in refusing to do the Tidal Wave so he can do a corner avalanche and he misses that move, giving Bigelow the window of opportunity he needs to win. The match would have come off better as a blitz of high impact moves. It was just given too much time and slowed down before a rush of action at the end. Rating: ¾*

Pictures and Howard Finkel announcements tell fans that WWF Champion Bret Hart retained his title at The Royal Rumble and Yokozuna won the Rumble match.

Vince McMahon, Jerry Lawler, and Randy Savage provide commentary, still broadcasting from San Antonio, Texas. McMahon says that the name of Harvey Wippleman’s giant is Giant Gonzalez and all of the announcers discuss how impressed with him they were at The Royal Rumble.

Opening Contest: The Headshrinkers (w/Afa) (2-0) defeat Reno Riggins & Bobby Perez when Fatu pins Perez after a splash off the top rope at 2:39:

Perez had worked off and on as a WWF enhancement talent since 1989. In 1992 he had two matches, used in tag matches against Money Incorporated and the Nasty Boys.

The Headshrinkers try to do a backdrop-powerbomb combination to Perez but that is a hard spot to pull off and it does not come off smoothly as Fatu has a tough time catching Perez. It still gets a reaction, though, as does the forward double Russian leg sweep spot to set up the finish.

WWF Champion Bret Hart tells the announce team that he has other challengers to worry about before he thinks about defending the belt against Yokozuna at WrestleMania.

Damien Demento (1-1) pins Tommy Knight after the knee drop at 2:01:

Demento talks to voices a lot during the squash. One must credit the character work but it is not getting him over or making his matches interesting. A new move he uses in today’s match is an Asiatic spike.

Mr. Perfect (3-0) beats Louie Spicolli with the Perfectplex at 1:59:

In the split screen, Lex Luger appears. McMahon calls him “The Narcissist” instead of “The Narcissus.” Luger talks about how the crowd at The Royal Rumble was in awe of his physique. He argues that he has just heard “perfect silence” from Perfect in answer to his challenge for a match. When that promo is done, Perfect traps Spicolli in the Perfectplex to notch another win.

Non-Title Match: Shawn Michaels (Intercontinental Champion) (5-0) pins Gary Jackson after the Teardrop Suplex at 1:58:

The commentary gives fans false hope as there is a lot of discussion of the Michaels-Marty Jannetty feud continuing even though Jannetty was fired six days before the show aired. In the split screen, Sensational Sherri says she is going to be wherever Michaels is. After five years as a heel it is weird to see Sherri as a babyface but there is potential in her finding guys to take the title off of Michaels as a lover scorned. Michaels cruises to an easy win after blocking a Jackson monkey flip out of the corner with an inverted atomic drop.

Ray Rougeau interviews Hacksaw Jim Duggan. He takes issue with Yokozuna and Mr. Fuji running down America, arguing that the United States can still build good automobiles and stereos. Those comments must have happened behind the scenes because all Yokozuna and Mr. Fuji have done lately is talk about how fat Yokozuna is. Duggan challenges Yokozuna, promising to knock him off his feet and wave the American flag after their matches. Even though Duggan’s in-ring work had deteriorated to this point in his WWF run, he was always good for an energetic promo and this was no exception.

High Energy beat Chuck West & the Brooklyn Brawler when Owen Hart pins West after a Koko B. Ware missile dropkick at 2:30:

High Energy was a replacement tag team in 1992 for the New Foundation as Owen Hart needed a tag team partner after Jim Neidhart was fired in February. Owen was paired with Ware and the team had a strong run for much of the year until November when they ran into WWF Tag Team Champions Money Incorporated. After losing that title match, they lost to the Headshrinkers in the opening match at Survivor Series and were doing jobs for the Headshrinkers at house shows as 1993 began. It also did not help the team’s act that some of its high-flying capabilities were limited by a knee injury that Owen months earlier.

Lawler makes a funny comment that a baby held up in the crowd is “a future Yokozuna.” McMahon floats a ridiculous rumor that Todd Pettengill might be a future manager for High Energy. McMahon also informs fans that Crush will return to action in a couple of weeks. Ware looks motivated for this squash, moving quickly to outmaneuver the Brawler and beat on West. Since the name of the game on commentary is to talk about anything other than the match, McMahon also hypes ICORPO since High Energy is a fan of “integrated conditioning,” just like almost every other wrestler that has appeared today on the show. High Energy win with their finisher of Owen holding up West so the jobber can eat a Ware missile dropkick.

Speaking of ICOPRO, Dr. Fred Hatfield, who was one of the first people to ever squat over 1,000 pounds, talks about how it is a scientifically tested product that can help the user get stronger and have more endurance. Of course, one has to exercise and eat right for the product to work. This segment was eliminated from the WWE Network version of the show.

Footage of Giant Gonzalez destroying the Undertaker at The Royal Rumble airs.

Bob Backlund (2-0) pins Mike Sharpe with a bridging O’Connor roll at 2:44:

Just to think a decade ago, these two were headlining a show at the Philadelphia Spectrum when Backlund was WWF champion. Backlund does a dull promo about the “Headlock on Hunger” campaign. After a strong run in the Rumble, doing a promo like that is a sure sign that the WWF is not going to be giving Backlund a strong push going forward. Backlund relies more on wits than force to outmaneuver the bigger Sharpe and pins him with a bridging O’Connor roll. After the bell, Lawler uses the Royal Magistrator to draw Howdy Doody on Backlund’s face.

Razor Ramon (2-1) pins Pete Christie after the Razor’s Edge at 2:32:

Christie started his wrestling career in 1991 and wrestled on the Southwest independent scene as Pete Longhorn and Damn Yankee.

During Ramon’s entrance the camera shows lots of fans booing him until two men in the front row decide to kid around and kiss each other. Christie is outclassed by the bigger Ramon as McMahon talks up a future match between Ramon and Mr. Perfect as that program was still taking place on house shows.

Ring announcer Mike McGuirk tells fans that Intercontinental Champion Shawn Michaels has left the building.

Yokozuna and Mr. Fuji accept Hacksaw Jim Duggan’s challenge for a match next week. Fuji tells Duggan he is going to need all the luck in the world to knock Yokozuna off his feet.

Tune in next week to see Hacksaw Jim Duggan fight Yokozuna! Also, Bam Bam Bigelow, Doink, and the Nasty Boys will be in action!

The Last Word: Programming Yokozuna with Hacksaw Jim Duggan next week is a good way to use older talent to elevate someone new. And Yokozuna is going to need some big wins on television before WrestleMania IX if intrigue is going to be built for his title match against Bret Hart. The big question is how the WWF is going to pivot Shawn Michaels’ program against Marty Jannetty to a new challenger after Jannetty’s firing.

Up Next: Wrestling Challenge for January 31!

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!