What the World Was Watching: WWF Wrestling Challenge – August 15, 1993

All American Wrestling had a series of new matches, with commentary coming from Jim Ross and Gorilla Monsoon. Footage from two matches was not found:

-Marty Jannetty (12-3-1) pins Fred Williams after the flying fist drop at 4:25
-The Heavenly Bodies (2-0) defeat Virgil & Glen Ruth when Jimmy del Ray pinned Ruth after the moonsault at 5:33

Razor Ramon (18-3-2) pins Damien Demento (9-6) after the Razor’s Edge at 4:40:

This match was taped in Utica, New York on July 26. It is not a good showcase for babyface Ramon as Demento controls most of the match and gets near-falls from a flying shoulder block and elbow drop. Ramon finally fights out of a chinlock and then greets a Demento backdrop attempt with a knee, kicking his opponent and doing the Razor’s Edge to win a boring encounter. Rating: ¾*

Bastion Booger (7-4) beats Phil Apollo after the sit-down splash at 2:35:

Booger refuses to pin Apollo after a splash off the second rope, opting to choke him and do a powerslam to set up the sit-down splash. It was probably Booger’s best squash to this point that ran more than a minute as he kept moving throughout.

Jim Ross and Bobby Heenan commentated a new episode of Wrestling Challenge, which originated from a new location in Plattsburgh, New York. According to thehistoryofwwe.com, the taping took place on July 27 and drew a sellout crowd of 3,000.

Opening Contest: Men on a Mission (w/Oscar) (5-0) defeat Reno Riggins & Gus Kantarakis when Mabel pins Kantarakis after the assisted splash at 2:40:

At ringside, Oscar calls out the Heavenly Bodies so that could become a program after SummerSlam. Heenan talks a lot about how he hates Oscar’s rapping as Men on a Mission pulverize Kantarakis with a double suplex, double chokeslam, and win with the assisted splash.

Adam Bomb (w/Johnny Polo) (16-0) beats Scott Despres after the Atom Smasher at 1:39:

Bomb, Polo, and the commentators are trying to get over a “Total destruction, carnage, and ruin” slogan but that does not easily roll off the tongue. Fans wonder who Bomb’s first feature test might be.

Bam Bam Bigelow (w/Luna Vachon) (28-3-1) pins Dan Dubiel after the flying headbutt at 1:01:

Tatanka and the Smoking Gunns do an insert promo where the Gunns tell Tatanka, facing the camera instead of looking at him, that they will handle the Headshrinkers. Tatanka hypes the six-man tag team match as his final battle with Bigelow. After the promo is done, Bigelow flies off the top to win a fourth-straight singles match.

Razor Ramon gets a break from the ring after three straight televised matches, appearing as a guest on the King’s Court. After Jerry Lawler makes fun of Ramon for losing to the 1-2-3 Kid, Ramon reminds Lawler that Ted DiBiase lost to the Kid as well. Ramon says that a difference between he and DiBiase is that DiBiase grew up with wealth while he had to fight for everything he got. He promises to teach DiBiase about humiliation at SummerSlam and show how bad the Bad Guy can be.

Another Ludvig Borga vignette shows off his recent squash win and reiterates his desire to crush American athletes.

The Bushwhackers (2-0) beat Blake Beverly & Barry Horowitz when Butch pins Horowitz after the Battering Ram to the back at 2:31:

Blake’s win over Virgil did nothing for him as he is sucked back into the Bushwhacker vortex. He does not get along with Horowitz after a miscommunication spot, something the Bushwhackers lean into by whipping their opponents into each other and tripping them. Late in the match, Blake slings Horowitz into the ring rather than tag him and the Bushwhackers give Horowitz a Battering Ram to the back, knocking Blake off the apron, for their first conventional tag team match win since the March 22 episode of RAW.

Gene Okerlund does the SummerSlam Report. Bret reviews his championship accolades to argue that Jerry Lawler is a nobody who has done nothing in wrestling. The Heavenly Bodies and Jim Cornette argue that they are smarter than WWF Tag Team Champions the Steiner Brothers and that gives them an edge.

The Quebecers (2-0) defeat Mike Bucci & Mike Moraldo when Pierre pins Moraldo after an assisted top rope senton bomb at 2:18:

Moraldo was trained by Mike Sharpe and started his career in 1992. He later became a staple of the East Coast independent scene in the 1990s as Ace Darling.

Bucci takes a double stun gun bump dangerously, not getting his arms over the ropes when he goes down for the move so his head snaps back. The Quebecers use a new finish as Pierre gets on the top rope and Jacques locks hands with him to an assisted somersault senton. It looks devastating because of Pierre’s size.

Tune in next week to see Razor Ramon, the Heavenly Bodies, the 1-2-3 Kid, the Smoking Gunns, and Ludvig Borga in action! Also, WWF Champion Yokozuna will be on the King’s Court!

The Last Word: This was just another squasherific show but all the squashes were entertaining or unique. Jacques Rougeau makes such a great heel that the Quebecers are already over by the sheer force of his personality.

With its European tour over, the WWF resumed its house shows in the Northeast. Here are a few of those shows, courtesy of thehistoryofwwe.com:

Providence, Rhode Island – Providence Civic Center – August 12, 1993: The 1-2-3 Kid beat the Brooklyn Brawler…The Headshrinkers beat Men on a Mission when Samu pinned Mo…The Undertaker beat Mr. Hughes…Razor Ramon defeated Intercontinental Champion Shawn Michaels via disqualification when Diesel interfered…Bastion Booger pinned El Matador by blocking a sunset flip with a sit-down splash…Randy Savage defeated Doink the Clown via count out when Doink got distracted by the Macho Midget…WWF Tag Team Champions the Steiner Brothers beat Yokozuna & Bam Bam Bigelow when Rick pinned Bigelow with a roll up after heel miscommunication with Mr. Fuji.

New York City, New York – Madison Square Garden – August 13, 1993 (13,000): Owen Hart beat Blake Beverly…The 1-2-3 Kid pinned Doink the Clown with a small package…The Smoking Gunns defeated the Headshrinkers…Jerry Lawler beat Randy Savage via disqualification when Bret Hart interfered…WWF Champion Yokozuna beat Bret Hart in a steel cage match after escaping through the door after Jerry Lawler interfered by throwing salt in Bret’s eyes at 25:00…Bastion Booger pinned the Brooklyn Brawler after the sit-down splash…Shawn Michaels, Diesel & Bam Bam Bigelow defeated Mr. Perfect, Marty Jannetty & Tatanka in an elimination match when Diesel pinned Perfect after a punch to the back of the head at 22:36. The order of elimination for others was Diesel pinned Jannetty with a punch to the back of the head at 12:42; Tatanka and Bigelow wrestled to a double count out at 18:20; Perfect pinned Michaels with the Perfectplex at 22:26.

Wilton, Connecticut – High School Fieldhouse – August 15, 1993 (800; Fundraiser): Virgil beat Damien Demento…Men on a Mission defeated Well Dunn…Hacksaw Jim Duggan beat Mike Sharpe…Razor Ramon defeated Mr. Hughes…Bob Backlund beat Bastion Booger…WWF Tag Team Champions the Steiner Brothers beat the Quebecers.

Backstage News*: The WWF’s decision to combine talent for house shows paid off this week when the Madison Square Garden show on August 13 drew a gate of $240,000. The WWF is expecting something similar when it goes to San Francisco and Anaheim but some wonder if the company can stay afloat in its present form by only having one house show circuit.

-The recent Monday Night RAW tied a record rating of 3.4. People inside of the WWF see this as a good sign for the build to SummerSlam.

-As part of the WWF’s talent exchange with Smoky Mountain, the Big Bossman is making some appearances. As part of its exchange with the USWA, the WWF will run the first Lex Luger-Yokozuna match in Memphis on August 23.

-Vince and Linda McMahon were named to the Board of Directors for the 1995 Special Olympics by Connecticut Governor Lowell Weicker.

-Mr. Hughes was injured when his glasses broke on Monday Night RAW and cut his face. However, he did not miss any ring time.

-In talent relations news, the WWF will give a tryout to Rio Lord of the Jungle (Richard Wilson, who later became the Renegade in WCW) and the Texas Hangmen at future television tapings.

*Backstage news is provided courtesy of Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer for August 23.

Up Next: Monday Night RAW for August 16!