What the World Was Watching: WWF Wrestling Challenge – 05.01.94

Stan Lane and Ted DiBiase are handling commentary, starting a new taping in Syracuse, New York. According to thehistoryofwwe.com, the taping happened on April 12 and drew a crowd of 7,500 fans.

Owen Hart tells WWF Champion Bret Hart that he is going to eventually beat him like he is going to beat Mo today.

Opening Contest: The Steiner Brothers (2-0-1) beat Tony Alton & Duane Gill when Scott pins Gill after the Steiner Screwdriver at 2:49:

Alton never tags in, not that he minds. The match is a showcase for Scott since he has a King of the Ring qualifier against Irwin R. Schyster next week. The Steiners walk to the ring disinterested and some of that body language comes out during the match. This would be their last televised WWF match as a team, never dropping a conventional match during their run.

Kwang (w/Harvey Wippleman) (8-2-1) pins Major Yates after a spinning heel kick at 1:11:

Lane apologizes about Mr. Perfect no showing his commitments. DiBiase follows up with a laughable claim that Wippleman is a manager of winners. Yates gets in more offense than the name star, staggering Kwang with a dropkick and some clotheslines. However, Kwang takes his head off with a spinning heel kick and wins. After the bell, Wippleman puts the boots to Yates and Kwang beats his opponent down when he tries to get on his feet. Kwang holds Yates so Wippleman can get in some extra shots until the 1-2-3 Kid makes the save.

The 1-2-3 Kid (4-0) defeats Rich Myers after a superduperplex at 2:49:

Like Kwang, the Kid also throws a spinning heel kick to stop his opponent in their tracks. He continues to diversify his arsenal, doing a superduperplex and floating over to win his fifth singles match of the year.

Tatanka (11-1-1) beats Mike Bell after the Papoose to Go at 3:02:

Irwin R. Schyster does an insert promo about how he will make sure Tatanka pays his taxes on the WrestleMania Revenge Tour. Like many enhancement talents before him, Bell forgets not to take Tatanka to the turnbuckle because that just makes Tatanka go on the warpath.

Duke Droese is outside of a home throwing trash in a garbage truck. He yells about Jeff Jarrett and Yokozuna as he throws trash bins to the ground. He does not bother to set them upright, likely angering the homeowner.

Owen Hart (16-0) beats Mo (w/Oscar) via referee stoppage at 5:59:

Lane says that Mabel will have more singles matches in the weeks ahead which appears to signal that Mabel is going to be involved in King of the Ring qualifiers. The crowd works up several loud “We want Bret!” chants, trying to entertain themselves through a match where Owen kills time by twisting Mo up in holds. Mo hurts his knee when Owen throws him over the top rope and Owen wins via referee stoppage. Rating: *

After posing for the crowd, Owen goes to the floor and throws Mo back into the ring. Owen stomps Mo’s injured knee and applies the Sharpshooter as Oscar does not even try to intercede. After more than a minute, Owen breaks the hold and yells into the camera “Whoop there it is!”

Johnny Polo interviews WWF Champion Bret Hart, who also could not be bothered to help Mo in the last segment. As Owen’s face is shown in the split screen, Bret talks about how the loss to Owen at WrestleMania hurt but it made him stronger, which is why he won the WWF title later that night. Bret reminds his brother that when they face off on the WrestleMania Revenge Tour that he will be facing “The best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be.” Bret also has a nice play one of the WWF’s recent slogans of how fans should not be fooled by cheap imitations like Owen.

Footage is shown of Owen getting in Bret’s face backstage after a commercial break, denying that he is a cheap imitation. WWF officials keep them separated.

Non-Title Match: The Quebecers (WWF Tag Team Champions w/Johnny Polo) (9-3-1) beat A.C. Conner & Gus Kantarakis when Pierre pins Conner after La Tour at 2:15:

Conner was trained by Al Snow and Larry Sharpe, debuting on the New Jersey independent scene in 1994. He would achieve his greatest fame in the Attitude Era as D’Lo Brown.

Kantarakis had been doing WWF enhancement matches since 1992. He appeared in six matches in 1993, losing to Tatanka, the Undertaker, the Smoking Gunns, and Men on a Mission.

Captain Lou Albano does an insert promo talks about being ready for tomorrow night’s Tag Team title match. The champions struggle against the enhancement team, even experiencing heel miscommunication when Conner covers Jacques. They right the ship, though, hitting their finish that Lane calls La Tour (“The Tower”).

Tune in next week to see the Bushwhackers face the Heavenly Bodies! Also, Earthquake, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Doink the Clown will be in action!

The Last Word: This was a good show since there was something going on with nearly every match. Owen Hart got some heat for his attack on Mo and Bret Hart did a good promo to hype future matches between he and his brother. The 1-2-3 Kid continues to get good reactions as well, eliciting a good pop for confronting Kwang.

The WWF spent the first part of the week doing more television tapings and then resumed the WrestleMania Revenge Tour. Here are some of the results of those house show cards, courtesy of thehistoyofwwe.com:

Boston, Massachusetts – The Boston Garden – April 30, 1994 (7,500): Kwang pinned the 1-2-3 Kid at 12:18…Mabel defeated Bam Bam Bigelow via count out at 13:06…The Heavenly Bodies beat the Smoking Gunns…Razor Ramon beat Intercontinental Champion Diesel via disqualification when IRS interfered and hit Ramon with his steel briefcase…WWF Women’s Champion Alundra Blayze defeated Leilani Kai (substituting for Luna Vachon) at 10:39…Irwin R. Schyster beat Tatanka via disqualification when Tatanka pushed the referee at 8:39…Lex Luger pinned Crush after a flying forearm at 12:20…WWF Champion Bret Hart pinned Owen Hart by reversing a roll up at 25:12.

Wilton, Connecticut – Wilton High School Fieldhouse – April 30, 1994 (650): Bob Backlund beat P.J. Walker…Duke Droese defeated Adam Bomb…Bastion Booger defeated Thuman Plugg…WWF Tag Team Champions the Headshrinkers beat the Quebecers…Jeff Jarrett defeated Doink the Clown…Earthquake wrestled Yokozuna to a double count out.

Backstage News*: After seven hours of deliberations on April 29 a Hillsborough County, Florida jury awarded former enhancement talent Chuck Austin $26.7 million for paralysis suffered in a tag team match against the Rockers in December 1990. Austin’s legal team was only asking for $7 million. The jury awarded Austin $4.2 million for medical bills and rehabilitation, $16 million for pain and suffering, $5.5 million to his wife Holly for pain and suffering, and $500,000 to each of Austin’s children. The WWF was found 90% negligent with Marty Jannetty bearing 5% negligence and Austin another 5%. Shawn Michaels was excused from the trial because a judge found that he had nothing to do with Austin’s injuries. It is expected that the WWF will appeal the ruling. The decision is expected to change how companies deal with enhancement talent to make sure that they are prepared to take bumps. (Note: The WWF later settled the lawsuit in lieu of appeals for $10 million in August 1995)

-Like the WWF did with Diesel’s Intercontinental title win, the WWF promoted the Headshrinkers as the new WWF Tag Team champions at house shows this week.

-Advance ticket sales for the WWF’s upcoming tour of Japan have been disappointing. Only the sales in Yokohama have been strong.

-The WWF wanted the Heavenly Bodies to wear halos above their head as well but the Bodies were able to compromise down to only wearing wings on their jackets.

-Monday Night RAW’s rating remained healthy, scoring a 3.2 share.

-In talent relations news, Mr. Perfect has said that a reason he did not come back for the WrestleMania Revenge Tour is that Vince McMahon refused to give him guaranteed money. It is believed that he will end up in WCW next year.

*Backstage news is provided courtesy of Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer for May 9.

Up Next: Monday Night RAW for May 2!

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!