What the World Was Watching: WWF Wrestling Challenge – July 4, 1993

Like Superstars, there is a new video package for Challenge, replacing the aesthetic that has been used for more than three years. The new one has the outline of a wrestling ring with footage in the middle of it with electricity running through the ropes and turnbuckles. There is also new theme music.

Jim Ross and Bobby Heenan are in the booth for a new television taping in Columbus, Ohio. According to thehistoryofwwe.com, the taping took place on June 14. Ross tells fans that the Stars & Stripes Challenge is happening at the time of the broadcast but no live updates are given to fans.

Opening Contest: Tatanka (23-0-2) pins Bill Baker after the Papoose to Go at 2:43:

Baker appeared in one match the previous year, losing to Kamala.

If the Stars & Stripes Challenge is taking place right now then why is Tatanka in the ring? In the split screen, Tatanka talks about how he will represent the United States proudly by slamming Yokozuna. Baker tries to get the advantage by attacking Tatanka before the bell but his strikes are hesitant and Tatanka stops him with a dropkick to the chest. When Baker tries to go on offense later, Tatanka shakes off the blows and goes on the war path to win.

Doink the Clown (19-4-3) defeats Chris Hahn via submission to the stump puller at 2:07:

Hahn started his career in 1989 and had been doing WWF squashes since 1990. He appeared in six matches in 1992, Rick Martel, Damien Demento, and multiple times to Repo Man and Money Incorporated. After his wrestling career he became a personal trainer and Hollywood stuntman.

Doink beats on Hahn like the man owes him money, stretching him with a cross-face chicken wing and crashing onto him with a flying butt splash. The latter gets a reaction, so Doink should pivot to that for a finish.

Non-Title Match: The Steiner Brothers (WWF Tag Team Champions) (24-0) beat Scott D’Amore & Otis Apollo when Scott pins Apollo after the Steinerizer at 2:39:

D’Amore was a Canadian wrestler that was trained by Doug Chevalier. He wrestled his first match against Apollo in 1992.

Apollo was also a Canadian talent. He started wrestling in 1990.

Like Tatanka, the Steiners are stealing Doink’s illusion gimmick by appearing here and the Stars & Stripes Challenge at the same time. In the split screen, the Steiners talk about slamming Yokozuna through the USS Intrepid. Apollo is crazy enough to take the Steiner Screwdriver and gets spiked on his head. And if that is not enough, he takes the Steinerizer right after.

Remember Bill Fralic’s fun exchange with Big John Studd at WrestleMania II? Well, that is not it here as Fralic gives an uninspired promo about how he is going to slam Yokozuna. It is like he is reading off cue cards.

Mr. Hughes (w/Harvey Wippleman) (14-1-1) pins Mike Collins after the sidewalk slam at 1:40:

Collins had been wrestling since 1989. He appeared in five matches the previous year, losing to the Undertaker, the Beverly Brothers, the Texas Tornado, Nailz, and Money Incorporated.

Hughes looks menacing by doing a combination backbreaker to set up the sidewalk slam. He also looks good with the urn in his possession.

Marty Jannetty (10-1-1) beats Rock Werner after the flying fist drop at 3:40:

Werner was a Midwest independent wrestler who had been doing television squash matches for the WWF for several years. In 1992 he appeared four times, losing to the Beverly Brothers, the Mountie, and Money Incorporated twice.

Jannetty has been busy this weekend, wrestling in three matches. Ross hypes Jannetty as one of the WWF’s most exciting wrestlers but Jannetty wrestles more of a mat-based style today. It is funny that shortly after Ross talks about Jannetty favoring fair play that Jannetty throws Werner to the floor and drives his head into the apron.

Men on a Mission (w/Oscar) defeat Duane Gill & Barry Hardy when Mabel pins Gill after a senton bomb off the second rope at 2:53:

Men on a Mission, composed of Mabel and Mo, were known as the Harlem Knights before coming to the WWF. They started working together in 1991 in George South’s Pro Wrestling Federation (PWF) and moved on to the USWA. The team was signed at the behest of USWA owner Jerry Jarrett, who had run out of things to do with them.

There is a kink to work out with the new team’s entrance as Oscar wants to start rapping when they come through the curtain by Mike McGuirk is simultaneously trying to do their ring introduction. Oscar gets some of the crowd involved in his rap by having them wave their hands but the crowd is less willing to scream “Men on a Mission” like he wants them to. Neon colors were in during the early 1990s so Men on a Mission’s attire reflect that, having so many colors they could easily be slotted in as heavies for Doink the Clown. The squash is nothing special until Mabel pops the crowd with a spinning heel kick on Gill. He does not get much elevation on it but it still wows the crowd to see someone of his size try. Mo then plants Gill with a gourdbuster and Mabel does a senton bomb off the second rope to kill Gill.

Tune in next week to see Tatanka & the Smoking Gunns face Bam Bam Bigelow & the Headshrinkers!

The Last Word: The highlight of the show was Men on a Mission’s debut. Aside from that, many fans were disappointed to learn that the Stars & Stripes Challenge was not shown here or later in the day.

The WWF continued its house show runs through the East Coast and California going into July. Here were the results of some of those shows, courtesy of thehistoryofwwe.com:

Anaheim, California – Arrowhead Pond – June 28, 1993 (7,000): This was the WWF’s first show at the venue…The 1-2-3 Kid pinned Terry Taylor with a crucifix after Taylor tried a lazy cover at 13:13…Papa Shango pinned the Tonga Kid (substituting for Kamala) with a stun gun at 8:07…The Headshrinkers beat the Smoking Gunns when Fatu pinned Billy after a thrust kick at 11:00…The Undertaker defeated Giant Gonzalez via disqualification when Gonzalez used a chair at 6:20. After the match, Gonzalez tried to smother the Undertaker with an ether-soaked rag but the Undertaker grabbed it and used it on Gonzalez. Then, the Undertaker chokeslammed Wippleman…Tatanka wrestled Bam Bam Bigelow to a double count out at 11:24…Lex Luger pinned Razor Ramon after removing his forearm pad and doing a running forearm at 10:32…Intercontinental Champion Shawn Michaels pinned Mr. Perfect with a superkick after Diesel interfered at 13:14. After the match, Bam Bam Bigelow came to the ring to a three-on-one beatdown on Perfect until Tatanka made the save.

Morristown, New Jersey – Mennen Sports Arena – June 29, 1993 (900): Jim Powers (substituting for Owen Hart) pinned the Tazmaniac with a powerslam…Luna Vachon pinned Sensational Sherri after Doink the Clown interfered…Randy Savage beat Doink the Clown with a small package at 15:00…Virgil pinned Mike Sharpe…Adam Bomb beat El Matador after Johnny Polo interfered…WWF Tag Team Champions the Steiner Brothers defeated Money Incorporated when Scott pinned Ted DiBiase after the Frankensteiner.

Las Cruces, New Mexico – Pan-American Center – June 30, 1993: The 1-2-3 Kid beat Terry Taylor…The Smoking Gunns defeated the Headshrinkers…Papa Shango defeated Louie Spicolli (substituting for Marty Jannetty)…The Undertaker beat Lex Luger via disqualification when Luger removed his forearm pad and hit the Undertaker with the running forearm…During intermission, Razor Ramon challenged the 1-2-3 Kid to a match since Ramon’s opponent, Kamala, was not in the building…Tatanka beat Bam Bam Bigelow…The 1-2-3 Kid defeated Razor Ramon via disqualification when Ramon used a chair…Mr. Perfect beat Intercontinental Champion Shawn Michaels via disqualification when Diesel interfered.

Allentown, Pennsylvania – Agricultural Hall – June 30, 1993 (2,500): The Brooklyn Brawler beat the Predator…Bob Backlund defeated Blake Beverly…Mr. Hughes beat Hacksaw Jim Duggan…Crush defeated Doink the Clown…WWF Champion Yokozuna pinned Bret Hart…The Bushwhackers & Tiger Jackson beat Blake Beverly, Damien Demento & Little Louie.

Backstage News*: 1,500 fans attended the Stars & Stripes Challenge on the USS Intrepid and Lex Luger turned babyface, successfully slamming Yokozuna after flying into the event on a helicopter. Hulk Hogan was originally booked to win the challenge but those plans were changed after Hogan gave his notice weeks ago. New plans call for Luger to be given the biggest push for a WWF talent since Hogan in 1984 and that he will be taken off the road until SummerSlam, where he will wrestle Yokozuna for the WWF Championship. Before the pay-per-view, Luger will be sent across the country on a tour bus to do media appearances in big cities. The WWF is hoping that the tour will turn Luger into a celebrity that will then increase viewers for SummerSlam as there are worries that the planned card will not appeal to many outside of wrestling circles. It is also hoped that the strong push leads to Luger reviving house show business after the pay-per-view.

-The August edition of WWF Magazine contained an announcement that future editions will have articles to fire back at critical pieces aimed at the company over the past two years. The WWF likened those pieces to modern-day McCarthyism, arguing that it will tell its story about Tom Cole, Rita Chatterton, Murray Hodgson, Superstar Billy Graham, and Dave Schultz. This is part of a wider WWF public relations strategy to go on offense after taking public relations hits since 1991. Linda McMahon gave an interview to the Charleston Post-Courier on June 27 alleging that former ring boy Tom Cole was never sexually abused and that he was “a very confused young man.” McMahon also said that the WWF paid for Cole to attend community college and tried to get him psychological help but he flunked out, never attended classes, and refused treatment. With regards to the breach of contract suit over not being allowed to be a ring announcer, McMahon argues that Cole was given three tryouts but asked to leave the road because he was being given a hard time by wrestlers and did not like the fans.

-The Monday Night RAW experiment is going well as ratings are averaging 0.8 more than Prime Time Wrestling was last year.

*Backstage news is provided courtesy of Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer for July 12.

Up Next: Monday Night RAW for July 5!