What the World Was Watching: WWF Wrestling Challenge – 04.17.94

Stan Lane and Ted DiBiase are calling the action, still broadcasting from White Plains, New York.

Opening Contest: Yokozuna (w/Jim Cornette & Mr. Fuji) (7-2) pins Joey Stallings after the Banzai Drop at 2:09:

There is some discussion of Yokozuna trying to get a rematch for the WWF Championship. Stallings has no answers for the former champion, wiped out with a belly-to-belly suplex and Banzai Drop.

Get the latest WWF Magazine to read an article about Diesel!

Doink the Clown (w/Dink) (12-0) defeats Austin Steele via submission to the stump puller at 3:03:

The referee does not care when Dink runs onto Steele’s back when Doink has Temu Ric Flair in an Indian deathlock. Dink later bites Steele on the rear end when he goes to the corner. Instead of winning with the Whoopie Cushion, Doink goes back to his roots and wins with the stump puller.

There are more plugs for WWF Magazine as there is discussion of a story about Adam Bomb reviewing video games.

Adam Bomb (w/Harvey Wippleman) (3-3) pins Terry Thomas after a slingshot clothesline at 2:17:

Even though he lost two big matches to Earthquake, Bomb is still getting a shot at Intercontinental Champion Razor Ramon next week on Superstars. It seems odd that the company seems interested in him now with the WWF Magazine bit after they did nothing with him on television in 1993. He ends his losing streak with a slingshot clothesline.

There is a new vignette for Duke Droese, who is on his garbage route and promises to take out the trash in the WWF.

The 1-2-3 Kid (2-0) defeats Ben Jordan after a super double underhook suplex at 3:06:

Like his match with Chris Hamrick, this is a fun light heavyweight contest for the Kid. Jordan gives the Kid all he can handle, rebounding from a spinning heel kick and diving off the top rope. However, the Kid crotches him on the top rope and lands an impressive super double underhook suplex for the win.

Non-Title Match: The Quebecers (WWF Tag Team Champions w/Johnny Polo) (7-3-1) beat Virgil & Troy Conyers when Pierre pins Conyers after the assisted top rope senton bomb at 2:49:

Virgil avoids the Quebecers double team where Jacques backdrops Pierre and gets a near-fall from a reverse flying body press off the second rope. He and Conyers give Pierre a double backdrop but Pierre kicks out quickly and tags Jacques, who wants to remind Conyers who the Quebecers are. That comes through a double stun gun and the assisted top rope senton bomb.

Thurman Plugg (9-1-1) pins Chris Hamrick after the Pit Stop Plunge at 2:12:

As has been the case for many of Plugg’s matches, the announcers talk about things other than him. This time their point of discussion is the brewing Doink the Clown-Jeff Jarrett feud. DiBiase rags on Plugg for not having a killer instinct, which will keep him from achieving greater things in the WWF.

The Heavenly Bodies (w/Jim Cornette) (2-0) defeat Mike Moraldo & Derek Domino when Jimmy Del Ray pins Domino after the moonsault at 3:25:

The Bodies might rise through attrition in the tag team ranks as they are the second-best heel team after the Headshrinkers turn. The match features a rare enhancement talent hot tag, allowing Domino to get in some basic offense before he is stopped. The Bodies win again with Jimmy Del Ray’s moonsault.

Tune in next week to see Earthquake, Diesel, and Lex Luger in action! Also, there will be an interview with Jeff Jarrett!

The Last Word: As has been noted before, Wrestling Challenge is running on fumes. It is becoming more of a pointless show that rehashes segments from RAW or Superstars and features no exclusive angles. This was a consequence of the WWF losing lots of its traditional syndicated markets for the program. At least there were some decent enhancement matches for the 1-2-3 Kid and the Quebecers.

Backstage News*: Former WWF wrestler and commentator Jesse Ventura won a $809,958 judgment against Titan Sports for videotape royalties and some non-video merchandise like a computer game in St. Paul, Minnesota on April 13. The jury deliberated for seven hours before ruling that Ventura was due royalties for announcing 90 videotapes because he was lied to in contract negotiations. Ventura, who was never under an announcing contract and only under a wrestler contract, was told that no one else was receiving videotape royalties unless the videotape was specific to them. However, discovery unearthed that Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, Mr. T., and others got royalties from videotape sales. Ventura’s legal team was seeking $1.2 million while the WWF tried to say that Ventura’s royalties were only worth $150,000. In a big win for the WWF, though, the jury refused to award Ventura money for action figures as he was seeking a 50/50 split instead of the current 75/25 split the company offers talent. If Ventura had won on this point it would have invited past WWF wrestlers to sue as well.

-Vince McMahon and Titan Sports’ federal steroid trial has been moved back to July 5. No reason was -given for the postponement. Cameras will not be allowed in the courtroom.

-Monday Night RAW’s ratings remained steady, once again notching a 3.3 share.

-Mr. Perfect reportedly needs foot surgery, which means he would not be able to return to the ring until the end of May at the earliest. That is going to scrap a semi-main event program with Lex Luger.

-Hulk Hogan has been offered a contract by WCW, leaving the WWF with a 21-day window to counter what WCW is offering. Some think McMahon might counter if he thinks Hogan does not want to return to the WWF as it would block him from going to WCW. However, if he counters and Hogan were to return he would be on the hook for everything in the contract.

-In talent relations news, Brian Pillman and Steve Austin met with the WWF but were not offered a deal, presumably because of the WWF’s uncertain fiscal future. The Power Twins, who previously wrestled in Herb Abrams’ UWF and Memphis, were given a tryout on April 12.

*Backstage news is provided courtesy of Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer for April 25.

Up Next: Monday Night RAW for April 18!

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