The Fan-Cam Files: WWF @ Dortmund, Germany 07.30.1993 – Hulkamania Tour!

After doing a deep dive into the final months of Hulk Hogan’s (most notable) WWF run, it seemed like the perfect time to dig into the files for the next fan-cam, and from the looks of things, we have no less than THREE of the shows of the European tour that covers the last week of July and first week of August of 1993 to choose from, with July 29th in Vienna and August 1st from Munich. The Vienna and Dortmund shows seem to be more “complete”, so a coin toss lands us here with Dortmund.

For us in the states, the WWF ran lineups that typically featured Shawn Michaels defending the IC Title against Mr. Perfect, Bret Hart vs. Mr. Hughes, Randy Savage vs. Jerry Lawler, Marty Jannetty vs. Doink, The 1-2-3 Kid vs. Rick Martel, The Bushwhackers and Tiger Jackson vs. Blake Beverly, The Brooklyn Brawler and Little Louie, and Virgil vs. Damian Demento. Scheduled matches between Sherri and Luna were canceled with Luna breaking her wrist at the end of June (and Sherri given her release shortly after).

QUICK NOTE: Most of the matches are not in complete form, so if there’s not enough to give an accurate rating, I’ll sum it up the best I can with what content is available. Also, for the longest time, this was originally credited as the Munich show from August 1st, but corrections have been made in recent years with new information and found footage from Munich.

“El Matador” Tito Santana vs. The Predator:
It almost seems fitting that Tito Santana’s last dates for the company are working the prelims on a tour that is Hogan’s farewell. After getting the gimmick face-lift in the Fall of ‘91 and a short push feuding with Ted Dibiase, Santana quickly fell back into his familiar role of a babyface at the bottom of the depth chart. The Predator is a generic masked man (that camouflage mask sure got around!) that worked house show dates here and there throughout 1993. He also has his connections to Hulk Hogan; long before joining the Flock and being part of one of the worst rematches in the history of PPV (that would be Hogan/Warrior II if you’re unfamiliar), Nephew Horace is the man behind the mask (and he’s after your soul).

You know we’re getting a quality opener as Tito and Predator take turns playing to the crowd for the desired reactions. We get our international out of the way early, with the Predator complaining that Tito pulled the mask. He offers a handshake with utmost sincerity, but Tito doesn’t fall for the spot and sends the big man out of the ring with an atomic drop. Lots of work of the arm from Santana until Predator lands a body blow and dumps him to the outside. Lots of “Tito!” chants throughout. Back inside, Predator charges into the corner with a clothesline and drops the big leg (his Uncle beat Andre with that move!) for a two-count. After several failed attempts, Tito fights out of the chin-lock and kicks off the comeback. He plants Predator with a pair of slams, comes off the ropes with a running knee, and finishes with El Paso de la Muerte at 8:02 (shown). Santana could probably work a solid match with a sack of potatoes. I’m confident this was only a few minutes shy of the full length and nothing was lost. Decent opener. **

“The Rocket” Owen Hart vs. Papa Shango:
Yes, Papa Shango was still kicking around, but that doomsday clock is ticking at an accelerated rate. There’s not much to say about Shango’s presence on WWF TV, he’s just a warm body. The same could be said about Owen, who missed some time with a knee injury. You’ll have to look beyond the WWF ring to see where they’ve made more of an impact; with a working relationship with Jerry Lawler’s USWA, WWF talent were regularly appearing in Memphis (even the big names!), with Papa Shango and Owen Hart having back-to-back reigns with the territories top Championship (and the belt being defended in a Dark Match at the inaugural King of the Ring PPV! Come on, WWE Vault, find us some of those PPV Dark Matches!). Lastly, Owen is subbing for Crush on the tour, who was written off TV for several months at the hands of Yokozuna and reintroduced with a heel turn on Randy Savage.

Shango stalls on the floor to start, with Owen miming that he’s some kind of poultry. Owen cranks up a headlock, but Shango muscles out and counters a cross body with a back breaker. We run the international and Owen hangs back to avoid a dropkick before working the arm. It’s always fun to watch Owen feed the boot and hit an enzuigiri, even as a babyface. Shango blocks a hip toss and clubs Owen across the chest to take control. Shango heat is dull clubbing and chin-locks. It’s basically the first match all over, but no schtick, so there’s no amusement to fill the void. Owen with the comeback, unloading on Papa with mounted rights, followed by a BAAAAACK body-drop and spinning heel kick for two. Owen flies off the top for a cross body, but Shango rolls through and hooks the tights for the three-count at 7:02 (shown). It really says something that a masked goober can work the crowd better than someone who got a push justified for headlining the house shows. This was OK, but less fun than the opener without an interesting heel working the crowd. *½

Tatanka vs. Bam Bam Bigelow:
Hey, a match with some TV backstory! I do like rambling about the random “he’s still around?!” stuff like Papa Shango’s appearance on the tour, but at the end of the day, the best part of covering these house shows is treating them like I would the regional broadcasts and piecing together what stories and angles were fresh at the time of the event. What originally started as beef between Luna and Sherri, Bigelow came to Luna’s side in a disgusting act of intimidation, only for Tatanka to make the save. Bigelow wouldn’t take that moment of embarrassment lying down, as he would attack Tatanka the following week before the Native Americans scheduled match, and in the ultimate act of humiliation, trimmed the red hair that represented the Native American people.

Tatanka rushes the ring, swinging his tomahawk with intent to harm. Bam Bam powders and Tanka follows with a tope suicida. The action cuts to Bigelow putting the boots to Tatanka (no doubt after a cat-and-mouse chase) and using his bulk to his advantage. Tatanka comes back with a diving shoulder block and dropkick, followed by a cross body press for two. Bigelow reverses a whip to the corner, but meets an elbow and a series of clotheslines for another two-count. Tatanka with a super-sized DDT, but the flying cross body misses, allowing Bam Bam to take control. Tatanka with lots of hope spots before things settle down with a lengthy chin-lock. It’s time for the War Dance but Bigelow interrupts with the enzuigiri. I will never get tired of that spot. Tatanka gets fired up once more, throwing chops that sends Bigelow through the ropes. They fight at ringside, with Tatanka hitting the Samoan drop on the floor and rolling back in the ring for the count-out victory at 10:00 (shown). Post-match, Bigelow seeks retribution, but referees stop him from cutting more hair. Tatanka and Bigelow had one formula and ran it every time out (at least with this heel/face alignment), and it always produces a satisfying match. If you’re a sicko like me who watches way too many fan-cam shows, it might get boring, but that’s my own fault seeking it out. ***

WWF Tag Team Championship Match:
The Steiner Brothers (c) vs. The Headshrinkers:
Any chance we can get a quality banger from these teams like what was delivered at WrestleMania IX? The Steiners debuted at the very end of 1992 and after quality PPV wins over the Beverly Brothers and Headshrinkers, set their attention on the Tag Team gold held by Money Inc. (Ted Dibiase and Irwin R. Schyster, otherwise known as I.R.S.). The two teams traded belts in mid-June, with two switches happening at untelevised events and one at a taping that never made it to TV or home video release. I guess the WWF was in their “juice the houses” mode, because they had the IC Title swap hands at an untelevised event just a week or two earlier from those changes.

Samu and Fatu get the jump before the bell, but Rick and Scott regroup and hit a pair of overhead belly-to-belly suplexes and stand tall as we reset. We cut ahead in the action, with Samu putting a hurtin’ on Scott, but Scott cuts him off with a double under-hook slam and the Steiners take turns working the arm. Fatu wants a test-of-strength and doesn’t waste much time landing a cheap shot to take control of the match. Whip to the ropes and Rick counters a leapfrog with a powerslam. Scott is your face-in-peril (as if there was any doubt), and it’s pretty pedestrian stuff, including a lengthy nerve-lock from Samu. Rick gets suckered in, allowing for some double-team clubbing in the corner. Fatu meets a boot on a charge and gets turned inside-out with a clothesline, but Samu prevents the tag. Now it’s Samu missing a charge to the corner, and Rick is in, running wild with Steiner-Lines for all! Double noggin knocker is ineffective and the Shrinkers lay him out with a double headbutt. We get heel miscommunication from the challengers, allowing Rick to school-boy Samu for three at 9:13 (shown). The Shrinkers attempt a post-match assault, but Scott sends them running. OK, not nearly the banger I was hoping for. Hot start and finish, but a by-the-numbers middle. **½

Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake (w/ Jimmy Hart) vs. “Terrific” Terry Taylor:
… Excuse me? What the hell time portal did I step in?! Terry Taylor hasn’t worked a match on TV in several months (and it’s stuff like WWF Mania, so it’s not like he’s featured on the important shows that the WWF brass expects their fans to watch) as he transitioned into a non-wrestling role (and was miserable at). Beefcake mostly vanished after WrestleMania IX, appearing alongside Hulk in his “Trouble in Paradise” promos to hype King of the Ring, but rarely mentioned, and any plans to use him at King of the Ring in Hogan’s corner were quietly dropped.

Beefcake is rocking some odd-ball, mish-mashed attire; outdated tights here with the obnoxious red-and-yellow Mega Maniacs wrist and arm tassels. Lots of schtick early on, with both men doing their strutting to avoid contact. They take turns working the arm before Beefcake settles down with a side headlock takeover. Every time Taylor seems to build some momentum, Beefcake cuts him off. A thumb to the eyes slows down the Barber, followed by a slam and knee across the face. Taylor even gets referee Bill Alfonso in on the fun with a shoving match. Beefcake fights out of a chin-lock, but is quickly cut off. Whip to the ropes and a sunset flip (with a yank of the tights) surprises Taylor for a near-fall. The crowd seems to love the full moon spot. Barber with the fired up coming, laying it in with rights and lefts. Taylor gets a plentiful taste of turnbuckles, setting up the sleeper, but by the Grace of God, Taylor manages to break the hold. Taylor with some more cocky struttin’, allowing Beefcake to roll him up for a near-fall. Crisscross spot with Beefcake ducking a pair of clotheslines before hitting a cross body press for two. Whip, Beefcake ducks the elbow and the high-knee finishes at 10:58. Did… did Terry Taylor just get a good match out of Brutus Beefcake? In 1993?! It’s not a lost classic or anything, but this was a solid performance with Taylor doing the lord’s work and Beefcake doing enough to keep up with him. ***

“Hacksaw” Jim Duggan vs. Bastion Booger:
I swear, this lineup is a fever dream. Ol’ Jim has had a surprisingly solid 1993, featured in a major heat angle and feuding with Yokozuna, and getting some quality time on TV with a pair of matches for the Intercontinental Title against Shawn Michaels. His time with the WWF is near the end of the line, with his last TV appearance coming a few weeks later in a losing effort to Yokozuna on the prime time “SummerSlam Spectacular” special. Booger just debuted on TV (splitting matches with JTTS Virgil) and his gimmick is being a disgusting slob. It’s been over 30 years and I still don’t know if it’s a step above or below being “Friar Ferguson”, the wrestling monk.

Duggan gets the crowd chanting USA. Somehow, in 2026, I don’t know if that is going to be the same result. Lots of shtick and stalling to start. Lockup to the ropes and Booger with a cheap shot. Whip is reversed and GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY, someone who moves as slow as Booger shouldn’t be running the ropes. Duggan with three clotheslines, sending Booger out of the ring. Back inside, Booger puts on the brakes (not that hard at that speed) to counter a back body-drop and controls with clubbing and choking. He peppers in some pokes to the eyes, but it’s Duggan, how is that an effective strategy? We settle in with a bearhug and a cut in the action, with Duggan making his comeback, only to get popped with a right hand. Booger misses a splash, Duggan with the slam and three point stance clothesline for three at 5:35 (shown). Who knows how much was left out, but I can’t imagine much. This was your typical poor outing from Booger (moving slow and throwing weak everything) and Duggan was Duggan, he did his routine and the crowd liked him. *

WWF Championship Match:
Yokozuna (c) (w/ Mr. Fuji) vs. Hulk Hogan (w/ Jimmy Hart):
The MAIN EVENT and final match of the card. If you’ve missed the deep dive on Hulk Hogan, I’ll try to keep this as short as I can since we only need to focus on this match-up; Hogan came back for WrestleMania IX and we got the surprise “the title changes hands TWICE” finish with Hogan standing tall as a 5-time WWF Champion. Yokozuna won the rematch at King of the Ring under dubious circumstances, and then we have a fork in the road; US audiences had seen the last of Hogan with KOTR, but the European audiences were still getting Hogan promos as the centerpiece hyping this tour.

Hogan starts the match with his normal formula of fighting off an early jump and bopping his opponent and their manager together before shredding the shirt and posing. They lockup and take turns shoving each other back, with Yoko doing so with much more ease. Hogan unloads with a flurry of chops and eye rakes, but a slam attempt is foolish and Yoko takes over. Hogan withstands some basic clubberin’ and rallies, throwing a series of rights and following the big man into the corner with a clothesline. Yokozuna staggers but doesn’t topple, and a trip-up from Fuji allows him to regain control. After a variety of choke holds, we slow it down with a pair of lengthy nerve locks. Hogan escapes the second with elbows to the midsection, followed by a pair of clotheslines. Yoko cuts him off with a clothesline of his own and comes off the ropes with a MONSTER SPLASH. 1…2… Hogan with the emphatic kick-out! He’s HULKING UP! Hogan with the right hands and a big boot, but Yoko won’t go down. More rights and another boot does the job. Hogan drops the big leg… and Fuji jumps in the ring for the cheap Disqualification at 9:45 (shown). Post-match, Hogan sends Fuji running and bonks Yoko with the megaphone before sending the crowd home happy with the usual routine. Much better than their King of the Ring match, though the nerve holds were still a bit much. You got the normal formula from Hogan here, and it still works for the crowd. The quality of the match wasn’t great, but like an average movie, you can still love parts of it without having to call it great. **

Strength of Card: Ignoring that we know Hogan’s future with the company was in doubt, we’ve got the WWF Championship (AND HULK HOGAN) and the Tag Team Championship featured on the card, and we’ve got a quality mid-card feud between Bam Bam Bigelow and Tatanka to go with the random collection of prelim matches. It’s not going to put this at the top of the grading scale, but there’s enough to push it comfortably above average. Grade: B

Highs: Bigelow and Tatanka had their formula set and delivered, even if it gets repetitive when you dig deep in the archives and watch more than you probably should. Also, BRUTUS BEEFCAKE was in one of the more enjoyable matches on the card! I guess that’s a credit to Terry Taylor understanding the assignment. The hot crowd even elevated the mediocre or subpar work.

Lows: Two of the three top matches on the card had inconclusive finishes. Yokozuna vs. Hogan is understandable, you’re not swapping the title and you aren’t having Hogan take the 1-2-3, but Tatanka easily could have gotten the pin on Bigelow. Bastion Booger was probably the worst effort on the show, moving slowly and having nothing behind any of what he was attempting. I don’t know if it’s a true “low”, but I expected a little more from the Steiners and Headshrinkers.

Final Thoughts: Though some of the matches are trimmed down a bit, I don’t feel like it takes away the enjoyment of watching straight through (only running 70-minutes), as most of the edits seem to cut extended resting spots (and several matches don’t have any cuts at all). 2 and 3 stars might sound like a poor night by the modern standards, but for the era, getting a bunch of fun matches that didn’t overstay their welcome was enough for a good time, and trust me, there have been much worse than this, and with more potential on the card. If you’re a fan of the era and can stomach the fan-cam experience, this is one to check out. Final Grade: B+

As always, I appreciate everyone who takes the time to read my rambling. If you have any comments about the show or the period, feel free to join the conversation, and if there’s any recommendations for future shows that I haven’t covered or you’d think would make for an interesting recap, let me know.