What the World Was Watching: WWF Wrestling Challenge – 06.12.94

Stan Lane and Ted DiBiase commentate today’s action, kicking off a new taping in Canton, Ohio. According to thehistoryofwwe.com, the taping drew a papered crowd of 1,800.

Opening Contest: Jerry Lawler pins John Paul after the piledriver at 3:47:

Lawler was used sparingly as an in-ring competitor since his debut in late 1992 as the WWF preferred utilizing him as a commentator. This was because Lawler still wrestled regularly for the USWA in Memphis, a promotion that he co-owned with Jerry Jarrett. He participated in the 1993 Royal Rumble, playing a role in the elimination of Mr. Perfect, who was one of the favorites. His feud with Bret Hart, which began after Lawler attacked Bret after the former WWF champion won the King of the Ring Tournament, turned into one of the best in the company. The two drew well on the house show circuit and were poised to continue the program at Survivor Series before Lawler was indicted on rape and sodomy charges in Louisville, Kentucky. That ended the program and temporarily halted the WWF’s talent exchange with the USWA. After the charges against him were dropped, Lawler returned at WrestleMania X. This was his first match since SummerSlam.

Lawler works the crowd, who like to chant “Burger king!” Paul only musters a dropkick, beaten with a flying fist drop and piledriver by the longtime veteran. After winning, Lawler tells the crowd that Piper is the pits.

Todd Pettengill provides The King of the Ring Report. Intercontinental Champion Diesel and Shawn Michaels talk about ending Bret Hart’s story as WWF champion.

Tatanka (17-1-2) pins George South after the Renegade Drop at 3:00:

Tatanka does an insert promo, talking about taking away Owen’s dream of winning the King of the Ring. Tatanka chops South down to size. His finisher has been renamed the Renegade Drop.

Nikolai Volkoff (w/Ted DiBiase) (4-0) defeats Tyrone Knox via submission to the Boston Crab at 2:06:

Volkoff does not give Knox a break, seeming to please DiBiase, who does not critique him during the match. Any pretense of Volkoff resisting DiBiase has ended. The crowd goes mild.

Ray Rougeau interviews WWF Tag Team Champions the Headshrinkers, Afa, and Captain Lou Albano. Albano botches saying Yokozuna’s name during the promo, calling him “Yokozuma.” The manager of champions says that his team is quicker and ready for battle. Albano seems like a hanger-on with the Headshrinkers and it does not work. The promo made all four men seem crazy but if the WWF waters down the team into happy go lucky babyfaces it is going to kill the gimmick.

Owen Hart (22-0) defeats Chris Hamrick via submission to the Sharpshooter at 3:34:

Owen does an insert promo, saying defeat awaits Tatanka at The King of the Ring. From a distance, some fans would be forgiven for thinking that Owen is battling Ricky Morton. Hamrick works in his crazy bump through the ropes, causing Owen to yell into the camera that he wants to make Hamrick suffer some more. He does that with a missile dropkick and Sharpshooter. Afterward, he puts Hitman shades on Hamrick and smacks them back into the enhancement talent’s face.

Thurman Plugg (12-2-1) pins Lou Marconi after the Pit Stop Plunge at 2:38:

Marconi was a Charlie Fulton trainee who began his career in the summer of 1993 on the Ohio and Pennsylvania independent circuits.

DiBiase says that Lane’s tape was not selected as one of the five finalists to host WWF Mania. He says a new co-host for the show will be announced next week. That leads into house show hype, with discussion of a cage match in Poughkeepsie between Bret Hart and Owen Hart. Plugg wins again with a slam and the Pit Stop Plunge to little fanfare.

Todd Pettengill does another King of the Ring Report. Mabel and Oscar doubt that Irwin R. Schyster can handle the big man’s size. Bam Bam Bigelow and Luna Vachon tell Razor Ramon that they are going to test how bad he really is.

Lex Luger (15-2) defeats Dave Cryner after the running forearm at 2:17:

Luger has gone from being a WrestleMania title contender to not making the next pay-per-view. Lane reveals that WWF President Jack Tunney has ruled that Luger’s steel forearm is legal so he does not have to wear protective covering over it anymore. In that case one wonders why Luger does not make that his sole move and win every match by knockout. Today, he does win that way instead of doing the Rebel Rack. Since Cryner was a bigger man it would have been more impressive for Luger to rack him. After the match, fireworks go off and Luger poses for the crowd.

Tune in next week to see Jeff Jarrett, Crush & Yokozuna, Duke Droese, the 1-2-3 Kid, and Irwin R. Schyster in action!

The Last Word: There was not as much going on with this episode as previous editions. To show how much Wrestling Challenge is falling behind other WWF broadcasts, Ted DiBiase hyped an airing of his debut of the Undertaker from Superstars even though by the time that airs next week it will have been more than a week old.

The WWF returned stateside with both of its house show circuits. Here were the results of some of those events, courtesy of thehistoryofwwe.com:

Fayetteville, North Carolina – Cumberland County Arena – June 10, 1994 (1,500): Nikolai Volkoff pinned Thurman Plugg with a Flair pin…The Smoking Gunns beat the Executioners…Mabel pinned the Genius (substituting for Bam Bam Bigelow) after a splash…Duke Droese pinned Adam Bomb…WWF Tag Team Champions the Headshrinkers defeated the Quebecers…Razor Ramon pinned the Barbarian (substituting for Intercontinental Champion Diesel) with a small package.

Niagara Falls, New York – Niagara Civic & Convention Center – June 11, 1994 (5,000): The 1-2-3 Kid pinned Kwang with a sunset flip…WWF Women’s Champion Alundra Blayze beat Luna Vachon with a German suplex…Jeff Jarrett pinned Doink after holding onto the ropes for leverage…Lex Luger defeated Crush after the running forearm…Irwin R. Schyster beat Tatanka via disqualification after Tatanka pushed the referee…Yokozuna pinned Typhoon after a leg drop…WWF Champion Bret Hart pinned Owen Hart after reversing a roll up.

Backstage News*: The WWF plans to keep $25 ticket prices for ringside seats at house shows after The King of the Ring. This will be a $6-$10 increase but the WWF believes fans are willing to pay it. Ticket prices for good seats are still comparably cheaper than other professional sports.

-The next WWF international tour will take place in July. There will be shows in Czechoslovakia, Austria, Germany, the Philippines, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. In a demonstration of strong foreign merchandise sales, WWF wrestling figures are the fifth-highest selling toy in Great Britain.

-Only about 50 fans turned out for the D-Day Challenge tug-of-war aboard the U.S.S. Intrepid.

-There are tentative plans to hold Survivor Series at the Meadowlands in New Jersey and The Royal Rumble at the Tampa Sun Dome.

-Monday Night RAW did not draw a higher rating for the Tatanka-Crush lumberjack match. It pulled a 3.1.

-In talent relations news, King Kong Bundy and British Bulldog may be signed. The Barbarian may be coming as well as he substituted for Diesel on “B” house shows this week, giving the company a good look at him.

*Backstage news is provided courtesy of Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer for June 20.

Up Next: Monday Night RAW for June 13!

And if you would like to read a compiled breakdown of 1990-1993 WWF, 1993-1994 ECW, or of various promotions in 1995, check out my Amazon author page to purchase e-books or paperback copies!