What the World Was Watching: WWF Wrestling Challenge – April 18, 1993

Jim Ross and Bobby Heenan are handling commentary, doing the last episode of the taping from Augusta, Georgia.

Opening Contest: Doink the Clown (12-2) defeats Jim Powers via submission to the stump puller at 3:04:

The WWF continues to play up the illusion bit as Doink does an insert conversation with the announce team. Like when he faces Rick Martel, Powers misses a dropkick and that leads to his opponent applying their finisher.

The Nasty Boys (9-0-1) beat the Beverly Brothers (1-3) when Jerry Sags pins Beau with a schoolboy roll up at 10:06 shown:

The Nasties might be unbeaten but their story in 1993 has been slipping down the card as Money Incorporated have been beating them on house shows, they lost their WrestleMania spot to the Mega-Maniacs, and the Steiner Brothers are replacing them as the top babyface team. Despite the bad fortunes of both teams, they put in the work for an above average, back-and-forth match. The Beverlys take five minutes to seize the advantage and work over Brian Knobbs’ back. An assisted leapfrog body guillotine gets a near-fall, as does stun gunning Knobbs across the guardrail. After a hot tag, Sags DDTs the Beverlys off the ropes for a near-fall and the Beverlys have heel miscommunication as Beau sends Blake to the floor with a shoulder block off the ropes. Sags pounces on that mistake and rolls up Beau so the Nasties win. Rating: **½

After the match, the Beverlys attack Sags but when Knobbs gets back into the ring, they run away.

Lex Luger (13-0) pins Jesse Carls after the running forearm at 2:02:

There is more talk of WWF President Jack Tunney mandating a medical investigation of Luger’s forearm. He throws his best running forearm to date as Carls goes flying across the ring after Luger criss-crosses and smashes his face in. After the win, Luger poses in the mirror but abandons his routine of insulting his opponent’s physique.

El Matador (4-1-1) pins Dale Wolfe after El Paso del Muerte at 2:19:

El Matador works a headlock for so long one wonders if he is doing a Bob Backlund routine. Ross and Heenan struggle to find anything to talk about during this squash because El Matador has no momentum.

Non-Title Match: Money Incorporated (WWF Tag Team Champions) (6-1) defeat Ricky Nelson & Anthony Howard when IRS pins Howard after the Write Off at 2:54:

Nelson was trained by Nelson Royal and started wrestling in 1986. He a longtime enhancement talent for Jim Crockett Promotions and WCW until 1993. He also made appearances in early television episodes for Smoky Mountain Wrestling the previous year.

IRS tells fans that when the Clinton tax changes become law they will have to pay more to the federal government. Money Incorporated show more viciousness than usual, with Ted DiBiase taking Nelson to the ring steps when IRS knees the jobber to the arena floor. They also assist each other in abdominal stretches on Howard.

Tune in next week to see Mr. Perfect face Blake Beverly! Also, the Headshrinkers, Kamala, and Yokozuna will be in action! There will also be a special interview with Lex Luger!

The Last Word: The feature match delivered, treating fans to a long match that was not the norm for the program. Next week’s feature match does not have a lot of doubt about the winner but if Challenge starts to have more competitive matches each week that would be a welcome change.

The WWF’s European Tour continued during this week in its history. Here are some of the results of those shows, courtesy of thehistoryofwwe.com:

London, England – Wembley Arena – April 16, 1993 (11,000; sellout): Virgil beat Terry Taylor…Doink the Clown (Steve Keirn – substituting for Razor Ramon) beat El Matador…Tatanka defeated Papa Shango…The Steiner Brothers beat WWF Tag Team Champions Money Incorporated via disqualification…The Bushwhackers beat the Beverly Brothers…The Undertaker defeated Giant Gonzalez…Bret Hart pinned Bam Bam Bigelow.

Glasgow, Scotland – Scottish Exhibition & Conference Centre – April 17, 1993 (5,100): Typhoon beat Damien Demento…Kamala defeated Kim Chee…Doink the Clown (Matt Borne) beat Crush via count out…Yokozuna defeated Hacksaw Jim Duggan…Intercontinental Champion Shawn Michaels pinned Bob Backlund…The Nasty Boys wrestled the Headshrinkers to a double disqualification…Mr. Perfect beat Lex Luger.

Backstage News*: European tour business remains strong. Two shows in London on April 15 and April 16 drew back-to-back sellout houses that each pulled a $350,000 gate. Last week’s show in Paris drew a gate of $150,000. Strong business made the WWF think of putting next year’s Royal Rumble in a European market but those conversations have been shelved for the time being.

-There are rumors that Hulk Hogan is trying to politic for Brutus Beefcake and have the booking elevate him as the company’s number two babyface, ahead of Bret Hart and Mr. Perfect.

-The recent episode of Monday Night RAW drew a 3.4 rating, making it the highest rated regular wrestling program in close to two years. The boost was probably fans wanting to catch up on what they missed from last week’s episode since it ran opposite the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship Game between North Carolina and Michigan. Other WWF shows on USA Network, All American Wrestling and WWF Mania, pulled their lowest ratings since January.

-Independent promoters have been contacted and told not to bill former employee Kevin Wacholz as Nailz for their shows.

-In talent relations news, the Harris Brothers will not be coming into the promotion after all.

*Backstage news is provided courtesy of Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer for April 26.

Up Next: Monday Night RAW for April 19!

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!