What the World Was Watching: WWF Wrestling Challenge – 08.14.94

Jim Ross and Ted DiBiase call today’s action, taped from Cincinnati, Ohio. According to thehistoryofwwe.com, the taping drew a small, papered crowd of 2,500 in a venue that could seat more than 17,000.

Opening Contest: Mabel (w/Oscar) (11-1) pins Ryan Scott after a flying leg drop off the second rope at 3:02:

Ross dances with Mabel and Oscar on their way to the ring. DiBiase refuses to partake. Jeff Jarrett does an insert promo about how he asked for Mabel as his SummerSlam opponent because he hates his music. Ross has a hard time believing Jarrett wants to face Mabel because of his size. Scott flops around like a fish after Mabel delivers a falling clothesline but that does not end the contest as Mabel drags it out until he can do an avalanche and flying leg drop off the second rope. Fireworks go off after Mabel wins.

Jeff Jarrett (23-5-1) defeats Ben Jordan via submission to the figure-four leglock at 2:23:

There is talk of Jarrett’s feud with the 1-2-3 Kid, unwise because Jarrett and the Kid are not wrestling at SummerSlam because of the Kid’s injuries. It confuses fans about why the WWF opted to book Jarrett against Mabel instead of his chief rival. Jarrett does nothing flashy, giving Jordan a few kneebreakers before earning a submission win with the figure-four leglock.

The Smoking Gunns (15-2) beat Tom Stone & Butler Stevens when Billy pins Stevens after the Sidewinder at 2:14:

Stone broke into the business near Milwaukee in 1978 and wrestled for the AWA, appearing later in its Team Challenge Series. After that he worked as a WWF enhancement talent. His highlight in that role was beating Jake Roberts via disqualification in 1990. By this time Stone was noted trainer and he and his students often appeared on WWF television tapings in the Midwest. In 1993 he made five appearances, losing to Marty Jannetty (twice), Crush, the Gunns, and the 1-2-3 Kid.

Stevens had been making sporadic WWF enhancement appearances going back to 1989. He was last used in 1992, losing a pair of television squashes to Money Incorporated.

The enhancement team attacks the Gunns before the bell but are floored by dropkicks. The Gunns work quickly after isolating Stevens, putting him away with a double side Russian leg sweep and the Sidewinder.

Owen Hart (w/Jim Neidhart) (32-0) beats Ron Cumberledge via submission to the Sharpshooter at 3:30:

Cumberledge started working in 1988 and started doing enhancement work for the WWF in 1990. He also spent time doing the same for WCW starting in 1991. Despite having a good frame and look he was never signed to a deal. In 1993 Cumberledge did not make any appearances in any major promotion.

In the split screen, Neidhart proclaims that Owen will become the new WWF champion at SummerSlam. Cumberledge gets a good reaction when he takes Owen to the buckle and whips him into the corner. However, he falls into a Jim Powers finish of missing a dropkick and getting trapped in the Sharpshooter immediately after.

An ad for Sunday Night Slam next week reveals that Intercontinental Champion Diesel will face Typhoon.

Ray Rougeau does an in-ring interview with Razor Ramon. Ramon says that he got Walter Payton to be in his corner because no one in the WWF can beat two top superstars at the same time. He promises to take back the Intercontinental Championship at SummerSlam.

Kwang (w/Harvey Wippleman) (17-4-1) pins Scott Avery after the spinning heel kick at 1:22:

Avery wears some Dynamite Kid-like tights. Kwang spams kicks, which is too much for Avery to overcome.

Todd Pettengill’s SummerSlam Report shows what the inside of Chicago’s new United Center looks like. WWF Champion Bret Hart hypes his cage match with Owen as the end of their feud. Lex Luger is angry that Tatanka was unappreciative of the help he gave him on Monday Night RAW. Tatanka insists that Luger has sold out. Bull Nakano and Luna Vachon say that they are coming to take Alundra Blayze’s Women’s Championship.

Duke Droese (11-0) pins George Anderson after the corkscrew elbow drop at 1:24:

Ross promotes a poll on the SummerSlam Hotline where fans can weigh in on whether they believe Luger has sold out. Droese quickly overpowers Anderson. Afterward, when Droese slaps hands with fans at ringside Anderson attacks him. Droese shrugs that off and puts his garbage can over Anderson’s body, knocking the jobber over. At least the post-match bit was unique.

Tune in next week to see Lex Luger, Bob Backlund, WWF Tag Team Champions the Headshrinkers, and the Fake Undertaker in action!

The Last Word: Getting Jim Ross back to call Wrestling Challenge was a plus. However, in contrast to Stan Lane, he did not have good chemistry with Ted DiBiase. Of course, it would help if Ross and DiBiase had more things to talk about but this show did not give them much to work with.

For house shows the company had a group active in Texas while another did shows in the Northeast. Here were the results of some of those events, courtesy of thehistoryofwwe.com:

Dallas, Texas – Reunion Arena – August 11, 1994 (1,850; 900 paid): Duke Droese pinned Pierre with the corkscrew elbow drop after Pierre missed the Cannonball…WWF Women’s Champion Alundra Blayze wrestled Bull Nakano to a double count out…Jeff Jarrett pinned Doink the Clown with a Flair pin…Tatanka defeated Shawn Michaels (substituting for Irwin R. Schyster) in a strap match. After the match, Razor Ramon made the save against Michaels and Diesel…Razor Ramon beat Intercontinental Champion Diesel via disqualification when Shawn Michaels interfered…Mabel pinned Bam Bam Bigelow when Bigelow failed to body slam Mabel and Mabel crashed on top of him…WWF Tag Team Champions the Headshrinkers beat Well Dunn…Lex Luger defeated Yokozuna (substituting for Crush) in a stretcher match after using the running forearm.

Wallingford, Connecticut – Oakdale Theatre – August 11, 1994 (1,000): The Smoking Gunns defeated the Executioners…Nikolai Volkoff defeated Virgil…Adam Bomb defeated Kwang…The Fake Undertaker beat Thurman Plugg…The 1-2-3 Kid beat Owen Hart…Bob Backlund (substituting for Yokozuna) defeated Typhoon.

San Antonio, Texas – Freeman Coliseum – August 13, 1994 (6,000; heavily papered): Duke Droese pinned Pierre…WWF Women’s Champion Alundra Blayze defeated Bull Nakano…Mabel pinned Bam Bam Bigelow…Tatanka beat Irwin R. Schyster in a strap match…WWF Tag Team Champions the Headshrinkers beat Well Dunn…Chris Winston beat Fred Zepplin. Both men were local DJs…Jeff Jarrett pinned Doink the Clown…Randy Savage (substituting for Razor Ramon) defeated Intercontinental Champion Diesel via disqualification…Lex Luger beat Yokozuna (substituting for Crush) in a stretcher match.

Hyannis, Massachusetts – August 14, 1994 (2,300; sellout): Adam Bomb beat Kwang…Nikolai Volkoff defeated Virgil. Virgil was injured in the match and taken to the hospital after the match…WWF Women’s Champion Alundra Blayze defeated Bull Nakano…Bam Bam Bigelow beat Typhoon…The Smoking Gunns defeated Well Dunn…Doink the Clown beat Jeff Jarrett.

Springfield, Massachusetts – Springfield Civic Center – August 14, 1994 (3,500): Thurman Plugg beat Pierre…Irwin R. Schyster defeated Duke Droese…The Fake Undertaker beat Tatanka…Lex Luger defeated Intercontinental Champion Diesel via disqualification…Owen Hart beat the 1-2-3 Kid…Yokozuna defeated Mabel…WWF Tag Team Champions the Headshrinkers beat the Heavenly Bodies.

Backstage News*: The WWF held a press conference in Montreal on August 9 to announce a Jacques Rougeau retirement show at the Montreal Forum on October 21. Rougeau will be booked against former tag team partner Pierre, who will be managed by Johnny Polo. The show is expected to draw well and might end up as the biggest North American house show of the year.

-The WWF flirted with the idea of Bob Backlund’s heel turn being the work of Papa Shango but has abandoned that idea. Charles Wright will return soon but it will not be with the Shango gimmick.

-Crush had to miss house shows at the end of the week with an undisclosed injury.

-In talent relations news, the Barbarian is expected to be used full-time and not just at house shows. When King Kong Bundy comes in he will get a main event push as WWF Magazine is already pushing a program with Bret Hart. Curt Block has already quit as the head of WWF public relations.

*Backstage news is provided courtesy of Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer for August 22.

Up Next: Monday Night RAW for August 15!

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