What the World Was Watching: WWF Wrestling Challenge – 08.28.94

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Jim Ross and Ted DiBiase are in the booth, wrapping up the taping in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Opening Contest: Tatanka (25-3-2) pins Reno Riggins after a flying chop at 2:57:

Tatanka confronts DiBiase, who is with Ross at ringside to open the show, and DiBiase tells Tatanka that he will find out that everyone has a price, “including All Americans,” tomorrow night at SummerSlam. Riggins opts for a black singlet instead of more colorful attire. Tatanka runs through his usual offense, capping off the warpath comeback with a flying chop.

Non-Title Match: Diesel (Intercontinental Champion w/Shawn Michaels) (21-0-1) pins Todd Becker after the Jackknife at 3:30:

Ross makes a wild claim that people consider Diesel to be the greatest Intercontinental champion. Becker’s outfit screams 1990s as he has some black pants with neon swirls. The enhancement talent throws a few forearms into Diesel’s mid-section but those are no sold. A side suplex, big boot, and Jackknife give Diesel a fifth-straight win going into SummerSlam. After the match, Michaels stands on Becker’s chest to give Diesel a high five.

A lengthy video package recaps the Bret Hart-Owen Hart feud. It followed by a set of promos. Owen and Jim Neidhart insist that Bret is scared of the steel cage match at SummerSlam. Bret rebuts that the cage match will be an emotional ride for both of them and he will wipe Owen out.

Jim Neidhart (w/Owen Hart) (7-0) defeats Major Yates via submission to the Camel Clutch at 1:42:

Like Superstars, Neidhart attacks Yates before the bell. After some forearms to the back, Neidhart locks in the Camel Clutch to remain unbeaten. Owen gets in the ring after the contest and snaps the Hitman shades back on Yates’ face a few times.

Todd Pettengill does the final SummerSlam Report. Lex Luger argues that joining Ted DiBiase would set his career back. Bull Nakano and Luna Vachon laugh about how the WWF will have a new Women’s champion. WWF Women’s Champion Alundra Blayze fires back that she will retain in Chicago.

Adam Bomb (10-6) pins Tom Smith after a pumphandle slam at 1:10:

Smith is another name for jobber Chad Miller. Bomb barely breaks a sweat to beat him, doing a hiptoss and a pumphandle slam to keep padding his win-loss record since turning babyface.

Bam Bam Bigelow & Irwin R. Schyster (w/Ted DiBiase) (3-0) defeat John Paul & Kevin Krueger when IRS pins Krueger after the Write Off at 2:48:

IRS communicates a message from President Bill Clinton that taxes will be going up next year. Paul has a good run, trapping IRS in a roll up for a near-fall and fighting back against Bigelow. Krueger does not fare as well and is put down by a Bigelow enzuigiri and IRS Write Off.

DiBiase insists to Ross that he has the real Undertaker.

The Last Word: This was not as good of a hype show as Superstars, which is to be expected since Wrestling Challenge rarely gets exclusive angles. Giving Jim Neidhart a lot of squash wins appears to be building him up as a title contender after SummerSlam. This show would be Jim Ross’ last appearance for a short while as he would be pushed out of the WWF for allegedly giving company information to dirt sheets (contrary reports said it was because he and the WWF could not agree on a work schedule). Ross would head to Smoky Mountain Wrestling but would receive another call from the WWF by the end of the year.

Before SummerSlam, the WWF returned to Madison Square Garden and ran a few other house shows on the East Coast and Midwest. Here were some of those shows, courtesy of thehistoryofwwe.com:

New York City, New York – Madison Square Garden – August 25, 1994 (4,300): Thurman Plugg beat Pierre…Adam Bomb pinned Kwang after a DDT at 9:53…The Heavenly Bodies beat the Bushwhackers at 11:33. The Bushwhackers were escorted to the ring by a fan…WWF Women’s Champion Alundra Blayze pinned Bull Nakano with a German suplex at 8:15. Nakano used Kamala’s theme song for the match. Afterward, Nakano and Luna Vachon tried to double team Blayze but heel miscommunication took place…Shawn Michaels & Diesel defeated WWF Tag Team Champions the Headshrinkers via disqualification when Fatu hit the challengers with one of the WWF Tag Team title belts that Michaels brought into the ring after the referee was knocked out at 18:04…Jeff Jarrett & Bam Bam Bigelow beat Mabel & Doink the Clown when Bielow pinned Mabel after a clothesline at 5:42…Irwin R. Schyster defeated Tatanka in a strap match when Tatanka knocked IRS into the fourth and final corner at 7:39…Bret Hart & Razor Ramon beat Owen Hart & Jim Neidhart when Bret pinned Owen after Neidhart shoved Bret as Bret had Owen in a body slam position. That put Owen on top when they fell to the canvas but Bret rolled through for the pin at 15:14.

Des Moines, Iowa – Veterans Memorial Auditorium – August 26, 1994 (2,000): The 1-2-3 Kid pinned Abe Schwartz (substituting for Rick Martel) at 11:27. The match originally went to a double count out but Schwartz asked for the match to be restarted…Jerry Lawler beat Duke Droese via a second reverse decision. Lawler initially won with a Flair pin after using brass knuckles. Droese later attacked Lawler with a trash can, leading to a second reversal…Lex Luger pinned the Barbarian (substituting for Crush) after the running forearm at 16:16…The 1-2-3 Kid (substituting for Billy Gunn) & Bart Gunn beat Well Dunn when Bart pinned Steven Dunn with a sunset flip at 17:45…Nikolai Volkoff beat Bruiser Mastino (substituting for Virgil) at 9:31…The Undertaker beat Yokozuna in a casket match at 8:41. Ted DiBiase originally came out with the Fake Undertaker to wrestle the match but when Paul Bearer brought out the casket with the Undertaker inside, DiBiase and the Fake Undertaker retreated to the locker room.

Indianapolis, Indiana – Market Square Arena – August 28, 1994: The Heavenly Bodies beat the Bushwhackers when Tom Prichard pinned Butch…Duke Droese pinned Kwang (substituting for Jerry Lawler)…Irwin R. Schyster defeated Tatanka in a strap match…Mabel defeated Bam Bam Bigelow via count out…The 1-2-3 Kid pinned Pierre…The Undertaker beat Yokozuna in a casket match…Jeff Jarrett pinned Doink the Clown…Lex Luger defeated the Barbarian…Shawn Michaels & Diesel defeated WWF Tag Team Champions the Headshrinkers to win the titles when Michaels pinned Samu after a Diesel Jackknife…Bret Hart & Razor Ramon beat Owen Hart & Jim Neidhart when Ramon pinned Owen.

Backstage News*: Monday Night RAW drew a 2.5 rating for a shortened rehash of Sunday Night Slam footage. That poor rating was coupled with all-time low draws at Madison Square Garden, the Nassau Coliseum, and the Meadowlands from August 25-27. The WWF will hope to improve that attendance when they do that loop again from October 28-30. Dave Meltzer blames some of the poor attendance on the WWF running the same lineup in all three cities.

-When Brian Lee returns to the ring he is expected to have a biker gimmick.

-In injury news, Adam Bomb has a shoulder problem. He is expected to undergo surgery soon.

*Backstage news is provided courtesy of Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer for September 5.

Up Next: SummerSlam ’94!

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