What the World Was Watching: WWF Wrestling Challenge – 02.20.94

On All American Wrestling, there was a squash match for the Bushwhackers. Here was the result of that match, courtesy of thehistoryofwwe.com:

-The Bushwhackers (3-0) beat the Black Phantom & Reno Riggins when Butch pinned the Phantom after the Battering Ram at 5:48

Gorilla Monsoon and Stan Lane are calling the action, starting a new taping cycle in Springfield, Massachusetts. According to thehistoryofwwe.com, the taping took place on February 2 and drew a heavily papered crowd of 5,000 fans.

Opening Non-Title Contest: The Quebecers (WWF Tag Team Champions w/Johnny Polo) (1-1-1) defeat Tim McNeany & Phil Apollo when Pierre pins Apollo after the Boston Crab-flying leg drop off the second rope at 3:15:

The Quebecers do a new double team as Jacques hits Apollo with an elbow off the ropes and Pierre, who is positioned behind Apollo, backdrops him right after. In the split screen, Men on a Mission and Oscar promise to beat the champions “ghetto style” at WrestleMania. McNeany never tags in and just runs to the locker room when the match is over. Monsoon complains that McNeany should not get paid for the match.

Lord Alfred Hayes goes back to being a heel, taking Owen’s side when explaining the Bret Hart-Owen Hart feud on his Special Report segment. Owen does a pre-recorded promo as his theme music plays, saying that he should have stepped out of Bret’s shadow a long time ago.

Non-Title Match: Razor Ramon (Intercontinental Champion) (3-0) pins the Brooklyn Brawler after the Razor’s Edge at 1:46:

Shawn Michaels does an insert promo about how confidence is going to take him up the ladder at WrestleMania. The crowd pops big for the finish, where Ramon hits the Razor’s Edge when the Brawler puts his head down too early after an Irish whip.

Bam Bam Bigelow (w/Luna Vachon) (5-2) pins Dan Dubiel after the flying headbutt at 1:16:

Dubiel’s chances of victory are wiped out in seconds when Bigelow folds him up with a backdrop suplex.

Ray Rougeau does an in-ring interview with Bret Hart. After repeating how he will be rooting for Lex Luger against Yokozuna in the first title match at WrestleMania, he addresses his feud with Owen. Bret says that Owen has humiliated him and he wants Owen to remember everything he has taught him and helped him with over the years. He reminds Owen that he is going against the top dog in the WWF. The promo went too long and started to get repetitive by the end. But the feud is still something most fans can relate to and that is enough to keep it going.

Irwin R. Schyster (4-2) defeats John Paul after a double underhook suplex at 1:35:

IRS promises to end people’s tax cheating in 1994. He asks Nikolai Volkoff in the front row whether he tried to claim an illegal deduction from his suit. Paul has a decent look and usually gets offense in his squash matches. It is odd that he did not get more consideration for a contract. With his feud with Razor Ramon over, IRS does not have a dancing partner for WrestleMania and may miss the event for the first time since he has been with the WWF.

Little Richard talks about having fun at WrestleMania, playing on the piano and telling someone off camera that he wants to look like Randy Savage.

Todd Pettengill does the WrestleMania X Report. WWF Champion Yokozuna, Jim Cornette, and Mr. Fuji say that Lex Luger is going to choke in the first title match. Cornette floats the idea that they will have the advantage in the second match against Bret Hart because Bret will have destroyed his family earlier in the night. Luger has a weak rebuttal, calling Yokozuna fat several times. Luger hypes how he and Bret will not hold anything back in the second title match. Bucky and Vinny of Showtime, two old cab drivers that became critics, are hyped for an appearance. They have WWF mugs at a diner and talk about the falls count anywhere match. Jennie Garth of Beverly Hills 90210 is hyped to appear too.

Earthquake (2-0) defeats Bastion Booger (2-2) after the Earthquake Splash at 2:57:

In the split screen, Earthquake smiles and says it is great to be back in the WWF. He puts over his WrestleMania match with Ludvig Borga, telling the Finnish star that he will feel the Quake. After surviving a couple of leg drops and a splash, Earthquake defeats Booger, getting a good reaction for his finishing sequence.

Tune in next week to see Bart Gunn wrestle Owen Hart! There will also be a special interview with Crush! And Men on a Mission will be in action!

The Last Word: The feature match was fine for a big man match and gave Wrestling Challenge a sense of purpose. The WWF roster has thinned considerably, so that is why a tag team wrestler is facing Owen Hart in next week’s feature match.

The WWF ran fewer house shows this week, giving some of its crew time off after the European tour. Here are the results of some of the shows it held, courtesy of thehistoryofwwe.com:

Chicago, Illinois – The Rosemont Horizon – February 18, 1994 (6,500): Owen Hart defeated Jim Powers…WWF Tag Team Champions the Quebecers defeated the Smoking Gunns…WWF Women’s Champion Alundra Blayze beat Heidi Lee Morgan…Bret Hart beat Irwin R. Schyster via submission to the Sharpshooter…WWF Champion Yokozuna defeated Tatanka…Jeff Jarrett beat Bob Backlund…Randy Savage & Lex Luger defeated Crush & Kwang (substituting for Ludvig Borga)…Intercontinental Champion Razor Ramon pinned Shawn Michaels.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada – Maple Leaf Gardens – February 20, 1994: Thurman Plugg beat Rick Martel…Women’s Champion Alundra Blayze defeated Heidi Lee Morgan…Intercontinental Champion Razor Ramon defeated Irwin R. Schyster in a ladder match…Owen Hart defeated Richard Charland (substituting for the 1-2-3 Kid)…WWF Tag Team Champions the Quebecers beat the Smoking Gunns…Jeff Jarrett defeated Bob Backlund…Bret Hart beat Shawn Michaels…Lex Luger & Randy Savage defeated Yokozuna & Crush.

Meriden, Connecticut – Platt High School Gym – February 20, 1994: Adam Bomb pinned Jim Powers (substituting for Marty Jannetty)…Diesel pinned P.J. Walker (substituting for Bob Backlund)…Doink the Clown defeated Bam Bam Bigelow…Men on a Mission beat the Headshrinkers via disqualification…Tatanka defeated Diesel (substituting for Ludvig Borga).

Backstage News*: WCW handed out fliers to fans as they left the WWF’s house show in Chicago on February 18, urging them to attend Spring Stampede in April. One funny bit was that the fliers said that tickets were on sale now at the box office but by the time the WWF show ended the box office was closed.

-Alundra Blayze might end up facing Bull Nakano at WrestleMania as plans to bring in Debbie Combs appear to have fallen through.

-In Jerry Lawler’s rape and sodomy case the man who instigated an investigation of Lawler has been charged with forcible rape of a 15-year-old girl in Louisville two weeks after Lawler was indicted. Another witness in Lawler’s case, a 14-year-old girl, has taken back her accusations that Lawler contacted her and urged her to lie about the case. Lawler’s attorneys will be using that recanting, coupled with the other alleged victim recanting, to get charges dismissed at his pre-trial hearing on February 23.

-It seems certain that Hulk Hogan will be going to WCW as there were references to him on the recent SuperBrawl pay-per-view and Ric Flair was asked about him coming in. The New York Daily News reported that the first Hogan-Flair match would take place in the summer, likely Bash at the Beach.

*Backstage news is provided courtesy of Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer for February 28.

Up Next: Monday Night RAW for February 21!

And if you would like to read a compiled breakdown of 1990-1993 WWF, 1993 ECW, or of various promotions in 1995, check out my Amazon author page to purchase e-books or paperback copies!