WWF Tough Enough – Season 1, Episode 2: “Down and Dirty”

Previously on WWF Tough Enough: the casting special! Thousands show up and audition, but only thirteen are chosen. Twelve of them arrive at their house and are met by Greg, stepping in to take the role abandoned as the thirteenth house mate which was given up by Greg. Big John tells the viewers that the cast have no idea just how tough this is going to be. Tough enough, perhaps?

Our intro video breaks down the 4,000 entrants, 13 finalists, and two possible winners.

At the Tough Enough house, Chris says he loves the house but there aren’t enough places to go and be alone. Taylor is on the phone with what we will assume is her mother, telling her that her training starts tomorrow. Jason and his Kurt Angle “It’s True” tee says he is psyched. Also on the phone, Bobbie Jo says she is going to be in good shape after this with working out five days a week. Welcome to wrestling, where every town’s Planet Fitness is your pitstop. Chris notes he is the only one prepared for this as he has wrestling training, as we watch Nidia put him in a wristlock. She tells us you can always learn something from Chris. Darryl says that, by far, this contract is his to lose. He tells other castmates that he thinks he caught a cold from a little baby on a plane.

We go to the hot tub of course, where Nidia is showing off her muscles to the other girls. Bobbie Jo is having a great time. Maven says everyone is as cool as it could be, and it’s going to be hard to break him.

The next day, the crew wake up and eat breakfast. They can’t find a pan and Darryl complains about being sick. Other Chris watches on.

John “Big” Gaburick – WWF Talent Manager pulls up in a Hummer in his XFL sweatshirt. He tells the crew they’re going to do some ring training and then a weight workout. Victoria is not afraid to try this, and Taylor thinks Victoria is tough as nails from stunt training. Taylor talks about being on fire and it being fun.

Trax Training Facility. WWF Superstar Tazz, WWF Superstar Tori, and WWF Superstar Jacqueline await in the ring. I’m glad they told us each one was a WWF Superstar. Snow welcomes them to their new home, saying it is gut check time. Nidia feels like she already knows them, having watched them on TV. Tori introduces herself and tells the crew that they must respect and be aware of everyone else. Jacqueline tells them they will call her Miss Jackie and they might not like her, but she doesn’t give a damn.

Jumping jacks! Pull ups! Push-ups! Jackie yells at Taylor. Al says this will be every morning with more reps. Now we’re learning to fall as flat as possible, saying it will hurt a lot. He shows them an example. Chris nails it, Darryl does well too. Montage of falling. Victoria keeps hitting her head, telling us how frustrated she is. Snow tells them “It’ll come together or you’ll be a vegetable” as we go to break. Great!

Back from break, they head to WWF Headquarters in Stamford and into the famed neon-lined gym. Big John tells them that they can do their own programs, but they also have to do his program. Maven stretches! Josh kicks a bag! Weightlifting! Darryl looks out of it.

Back at the house, Josh asks if anyone has Aleve. With a framed picture of the future Final Boss above him, Darryl continues to complain about his cold on the phone.

The next morning, Darryl still has a fever. The others wake up and are sore. Darryl continues blaming the sick baby.

Day 2 – Trax. Squats! Jackie calls Darryl a big baby. Maven and Chris are brought in to learn a collar and elbow tie-up, then the rest go through it. Tori tells them that the audience needs to see everything. Jacqueline teaches headlocks. Chris is giving his own lessons, but Tori tells him we’re doing this the WWF way and she’s not telling him again.

Snow gets on all fours, Jackie pushing the wrestlers over him. They take back bumps. More back bumps. Shadrick wore a polo shirt for some reason. Also Shadrick is there! Taylor smacks her head again. Back to WWF Headquarters, where WWF Superstar Stephanie McMahon is on a stair climber and next to Maven, who is gushing about Stephanie teaching him how to use equipment. In the hallway, Stephanie talks to Taylor. Steph tells Taylor she had the same problem training, and Taylor cries to her. Steph says it was overthinking and she is capable of doing it.

Day 3, Trax. Snow starts on all fours and rolls over, handing on his back. And the trainees do the same. Then it’s converted to a headstand. Shadrick nails it. It evolves into a full flip, Victoria nailing it. Paulina is excited for a weekend off.

The recruits head to a restaurant, Jason saying it doesn’t look like it hurts on TV but it’s painful. They pass around Ibuprofen as we go to commercials.

Day 4 – no training required! Everyone sleeps. WWF Superstar Tazz’s entrance music plays as he pulls up in the Hummer with Big. Tazz busts in the bedroom and Other Chris says it made him want to die. Tazz calls them all downstairs immediately, unmaking some of their beds. He sees a poster of Goldberg – one that gets its own on-screen chyron of WCW Star Goldberg. He rips it down. “Wrong company!”

Tazz tells the crew their questions better be good ones, and he’ll kick their ass for stupid questions. This is their first step to being “one of us,” telling them “if you don’t believe in God, start.”

We cut to a farm, where they’re all wearing thermal shirts and pants. Their goal is to protect a cone, but it has to be on their knees. And this is where we learn they’re in pig slop. They’re really going to the Triple H School of Training. They wrestle in the mud, Tazz being happy that they’re fighting their asses off. He tells the girls to toughen up. Victoria tells us she didn’t have any strength, and Tazz pulls her aside to give her tips. Slams! Mud! Darryl looking exhausted!

Paulina lands on a rock with her knee, and we cut to “exclusive footage” (compared to the rest of the show, which is also exclusive) of Tazz checking on her. Big John helps her get up and to a seat. Tazz tells them this isn’t ballet and people get hurt all the time. They clean up cuts and clean their faces off. Tazz tells them to keep their fingernails short as that’s an easy way to spread germs. They wrap in blankets and start jogging/walking behind the Hummer. Bobbie Jo struggles with running uphill. Darryl is walking and getting yelled at by Tazz. “Move your ass!” Tazz threatens to get out of the truck and whoop his ass. Greg explains that Darryl has a piss-poor attitude about everything.

Tazz tells them he’d love for them to all make it, but they won’t. He says it won’t get easier. Back at the house, the girls are delirious and laughing about everything. Jason looks at his cut-up legs as Darryl complains about having a cold on the phone. Paulina worries that she’ll be sent home because of her knee. Chris reads Stuff magazine. Taylor tells us she isn’t sure she likes this as we end the episode.

Next time: episode three – “The Rules of the Game.” The Peacock description notes that Triple H discusses life on the road, Darryl goofs off, and (spoiler) says goodbye. See you then!