What the World Was Watching: WWF Wrestling Challenge – August 22, 1993

All American Wrestling had an exclusive match, taped in Plattsburgh, New York on July 27. Jim Ross and Gorilla Monsoon provided commentary:

The Bushwhackers (3-0) beat the Quebecers (4-0) when Butch pins Jacques with a schoolboy roll up at 6:53 shown:

Most of the match is stalling as the Bushwhackers play to the crowd and the Quebecers feign going to the locker room and nearly get counted out. When the match settles in, Butch is placed in peril. He never tags Luke but that makes no difference as he avoids the Quebecers spot where Jacques backdrops Pierre onto a fallen opponent and then rolls up Jacques when Jacques yells at the camera. This can be considered a big upset because it was the Quebecers first feature match and one would have thought they would go over a team in semi-retirement to build them up for the Steiner Brothers. The booking could also be read as a test of Jacques Rougeau since he left the company over creative differences in 1992. Booking him to lose may have been a way to see if he was willing to play ball before the WWF got behind the new team. Rating: ½*

After the match, the Quebecers are sore losers and attack the Bushwhackers in the aisle until WWF officials intercede.

Jim Ross and Bobby Heenan commentate Wrestling Challenge, also taped from Plattsburgh.

Jerry Lawler hosts WWF Champion Yokozuna, Jim Cornette, and Mr. Fuji on the King’s Court. Cornette repeats his argument about how Yokozuna will outclass Luger like Japanese auto companies beat their U.S. counterparts. Lawler has a young kid bring a poster of Lex Luger to the stage but gets mad when the young kid tells him that Bret Hart is the real king of the WWF. Lawler hands the Luger poster to Yokozuna, who rips it up. This was a good way to get over the heels as jerks.

Opening Contest: Razor Ramon (19-3-2) pins Barry Hardy after the Razor’s Edge at 2:10:

Ted DiBiase does an insert promo, promising to take away Ramon’s machismo at SummerSlam. Ramon quickly runs through his big moves as Heenan argues that DiBiase is more intelligent than Ramon and that gives the Million Dollar Man an edge.

The Heavenly Bodies (w/Jim Cornette) (3-0) defeat Darren Trujillo & Curt Sloan when Jimmy Del Ray pins Trujillo after the moonsault at 2:06:

WWF Tag Team Champions the Steiner Brothers appear in the split screen and tell the Bodies that they are making a big mistake fighting them in their hometown at SummerSlam. The Bodies have a double team that does not make much sense as Del Ray puts Sloan in a DDT position and Tom Prichard clotheslines his partner to add impact to the move. A double flapjack on Trujillo sets up Del Ray’s moonsault. After the bell, the Bodies throw Trujillo over the top rope.

The 1-2-3 Kid (8-2-1) defeats Fred Williams after a somersault senton at 2:25:

The Kid wins because of the fury of his kicks. In the split screen, the Kid says he will give his SummerSlam match against IRS 100% effort and hopes it turns out well. Williams gets an equal share of offense, losing when a blind charge sets him up for a somersault senton from the Kid.

Gene Okerlund does the SummerSlam Report. Bret Hart says Lawler is low class for using a foreign object to beat his brother.

The Undertaker is in a cemetery that is cast in black and white. He says that the RIP match has different meanings for those involved as for him it is just another day in the dark side but for Giant Gonzalez it is the beginning of the end. The Undertaker digs a grave and tells Gonzalez to enjoy his current existence because he will perish within a week. So this still does not lend any insight into what an RIP match is. That must be hell for the WWF’s logistical staff.

The Smoking Gunns (11-1) beat Duane Gill & the Brooklyn Brawler when Bart pins Gill after the backdrop-piledriver combination at 1:35:

Bam Bam Bigelow and Luna Vachon do an insert promo about how the Gunns and Tatanka will be dealt with at SummerSlam. Gill has lost to the Gunns twice before with different partners, losing again in quick fashion with the Brawler. The finish does not go as expected since Bart does not get a handle on Gill so the ending piledriver looks more like a sit-out powerbomb.

Ludvig Borga (3-0) pins Bert Centeno after the flying clothesline off the ropes at 2:25:

As Borga manhandles Centeno he does a split screen promo about how Marty Jannetty will have no escape at SummerSlam. Borga mocks the crowd’s “USA” chant by yelling it before he does a back suplex to Centeno. He tells the camera that there is a new sheriff in town before doing his finishing move.

The Last Word: Like last week, the show had a lot of filler squashes to set up some of the matches for SummerSlam. The Undertaker’s video was well produced, though, and continued to add mystique to the character even if his feud with Giant Gonzalez has become an afterthought because Gonzalez has done nothing to hype the RIP match.

Up Next: SummerSlam Spectacular 1993!