What the World Was Watching: WWF Wrestling Challenge – 04.03.94

Stan Lane and Ted DiBiase are commentating, broadcasting the last show from Liberty, New York.

Opening Contest: Lex Luger (8-1) defeats Derek Domino via submission to the Rebel Rack at 1:26:

Instead of looking pissed off over losing at WrestleMania, Luger looks like he is going to cry. Lane insists Luger has a new attitude but that is not shown in this bout. Mr. Perfect does an insert about how Luger will pay for putting his hands on him at WrestleMania. Lane hypes a special interview Perfect will have with Johnny Polo on next week’s program. Luger’s torture rack is now dubbed the Rebel Rack.

The Heavenly Bodies (w/Jim Cornette) (1-0) defeated P.J. Walker & John Crystal when Jimmy Del Ray pins Crystal after the moonsault at 4:42:

Cornette makes fun of Nikolai Volkoff’s suit to check that part of a fan’s bingo card for today’s program. The Bodies run through some nice double teams but kill their impact when they allow Walker to kick out of a Del Ray thrust kick. Some more double teams follow before Walker takes advantage of a Tom Prichard taunt to make a jobber hot tag. Crystal is cut off with a double flapjack and finished with a Prichard backdrop suplex and Del Ray moonsault.

Tatanka (9-1-1) defeats Cory Student after the Papoose to Go at 3:02:

Lane says that Tatanka’s headdress has been around for more than 150 years which is why it means so much to him. Student dazes Tatanka with a few strikes late but that just makes Tatanka go on the warpath and finish him off. Tatanka did not seem as energetic for this match. He did not do a lot of moves on his comeback and looked disinterested.

Crush (w/Mr. Fuji) (9-1) beats Mike Khoury after a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker at 2:38:

Khoury knocks Crush into the corner and fires off a few punches off the second rope until the big Hawaiian counters with an inverted atomic drop. Lane and DiBiase talk about the Randy Savage-Crush feud as if it is not over. Crush goes on to win, giving him a unique sweep across the WWF’s television shows this week. After winning, Crush gives Khoury a heart punch. Lane is outraged, claiming that move has been banned for years.

The Smoking Gunns (6-1) defeat Tony DeVito & Duane Gill when Billy pins Gill after the Sidewinder at 3:45:

The Gunns keep getting talked up as Tag Team title contenders even though the Headshrinkers are primed for a title shot and Men on a Mission recently won the belts for a few days overseas. Lane reaches for content to fill time during the match, saying that the Gunns are “The pride of Texas” several times. The Gunns’ powerbomb-flying elbow drop finish is renamed the Sidewinder.

Kwang (w/Harvey Wippleman) (6-0-1) pins Ben Jordan after a spinning heel kick at 3:16:

A boring display of martial arts guides Kwang to a win.

Doink the Clown (w/Dink) (11-0) beats Jim Messenger after the Whoopie Cushion at 2:53:

Like Superstars, Dink squirts water on Messenger. Doink dropkicks Messenger when he chases after Dink and he has a near-fall exchange with the big enhancement talent. A release German suplex and Whoopie Cushion allow Doink to join Crush in winning matches on this week’s televised shows. Crowds still pop for Doink’s entrance and post-match routine but they do not react to the match.

A video package of the show’s action ends the broadcast.

Tune in next week to see Owen Hart, Intercontinental Champion Razor Ramon, Earthquake, and Kwang in action! Also, Mr. Perfect appears for a special interview!

The Last Word: This was a tedious hour of television as the Liberty crowd was cooked at the end of a 4-hour taping and the squashes were not interesting. It seems like the plan was for the Lex Luger-Mr. Perfect angle to become more of a Challenge staple, illustrating how Luger’s stock had fallen since the previous summer.

The WWF continued its European and Israeli tour during this week in its history. Here are the results of those shows, courtesy of thehistoryofwwe.com:

London, England – Royal Albert Hall – March 29, 1994 (3,000): Kwang beat the 1-2-3 Kid…Diesel defeated Tatanka…Irwin R. Schyster beat Doink the Clown…Earthquake defeated Bam Bam Bigelow…Jeff Jarrett beat Koko B. Ware…Men on a Mission defeated the Quebcers to win the WWF Tag Team Championship when Mabel pinned Pierre…WWF Champion Bret Hart defeated Owen Hart.

Zeltweg, Austria – Aichfeldhalle – March 30, 1994: Adam Bomb defeated Rick Martel…WWF Women’s Champion Alundra Blayze beat Leilani Kai…Randy Savage defeated Crush…Intercontinental Champion Razor Ramon pinned Shawn Michaels…Thurman Plugg beat Bastion Booger…The Smoking Gunns defeated the Headshrinkers…Lex Luger defeated Yokozuna via count out.

Sheffield, England – Sheffield Arena – March 31, 1994: Kwang beat the 1-2-3 Kid…Irwin R. Schyster defeated Doink the Clown…Earthquake beat Bam Bam Bigelow…Jeff Jarrett defeated Koko B. Ware…The Quebecers beat WWF Tag Team Champions Men on a Mission to win the titles…WWF Champion Bret Hart defeated Owen Hart.

Holon, Israel – April 2, 1994: Earthquake defeated Bam Bam Bigelow…Kwang beat the 1-2-3 Kid…Fatu defeated Mo…Mabel beat Samu…Tatanka defeated Jeff Jarrett via disqualification…Diesel beat Randy Savage via count out…Bret Hart & Razor Ramon defeated Owen Hart & Shawn Michaels.

Backstage News*: The WWF’s plan for house shows in mid-May is to launch a “WrestleMania Revenge” tour that will have one loaded group of matches each night. Ticket prices will be higher at $25 for a ringside seat and the shows will have a higher production quality. This emphasis on WrestleMania rematches, or extensions of feuds from WrestleMania, has led to speculation that Bret Hart will defend the WWF Championship against Yokozuna at The King of the Ring in June. Bret has been praised as a role model and a wrestler in German and Japanese magazines.

-The WWF’s recent European tour was a success in Germany but not in England, where crowd numbers were down a lot from a few years ago. For example, Royal Albert Hall was 2,000 fans shy of a sellout. The WWF sold the building out when they visited in 1991.

-Without the Academy Awards as competition Monday Night RAW rebounded to post a 3.3 rating.

-Roddy Piper is supposedly working with Len Denton to revive wrestling in Portland. He would offer a Pacific talent pipeline to the WWF.

-Bret Hart will wrestle Randy Savage on the WWF’s tour of Japan. That match has been penciled in for Yokohama on May 7.

-In talent relations news, Bull Nakano will be coming in at some point. Some think December. When she does arrive she will tour with the WWF for six months.

*Backstage news is provided courtesy of Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer for April 11.

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