What the World Was Watching: WWF Superstars – 09.24.94

Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler call today’s action, taped in Green Bay, Wisconsin. According to thehistoryofwwe.com, the taping took place on August 31.

Opening Contest: The British Bulldog pins Reno Riggins after the running powerslam at 3:10:

The Bulldog was returning to the WWF after a two-year absence. A trainee of Ted Betley in England, the Bulldog started his career in 1978 when he was fifteen years old. A few years later he immigrated to Canada to wrestle for Stu Hart’s Stampede promotion, receiving more training in the famed Hart Dungeon and marrying into the Hart clan. In 1984, the Bulldog and his tag team partner the Dynamite Kid came to the WWF as the British Bulldogs. The team won the Tag Team titles at WrestleMania II from the Dream Team, losing them to the Hart Foundation after the Kid suffered a back injury the following year. The team left the WWF in 1988 but the Bulldog returned two years later as a single. He got a strong push, making the final four of the 1991 Royal Rumble, winning a long feud with the Warlord, and defeating Bret Hart for the Intercontinental Championship in London, England at SummerSlam ’92. However, a few months later the Bulldog was terminated for receiving human growth hormone (HGH) shipments and he dropped the title to Shawn Michaels on the last edition of Saturday Night’s Main Event. In 1993 he signed with WCW. While there he got another strong push, fighting Vader for the WCW World Championship and teaming with Sting to battle Vader and Sid Vicious at Beach Blast. By the end of the year, though, the Bulldog’s relationship with WCW soured over payoffs from a WCW European tour and he no-showed events in December. That made him available to return to the WWF, which he did in a non-wrestling role at SummerSlam.

One would expect the Bulldog to dominate in his first WWF match in two years but that is not the case. Riggins gives as good as he gets, pounding away at times and catching the former Intercontinental titleholder with a thrust kick. As the match goes on, McMahon hypes battles between the Bulldog and Owen Hart on the Hart Attack Tour. The Bulldog rallies with a vertical suplex and double underhook suplex, winning with his trademark running powerslam. Despite the poor match, the Bulldog got a good reaction.

Non-Title Match: Shawn Michaels & Diesel (WWF Tag Team Champions) (3-0) beat Rod Bell & Kevin Krueger when Michaels pins Bell after a Diesel Jackknife at 3:22:

Bell was an Indiana-based wrestler who wrestled with the nickname “Hot Stuff” on the independent circuit. He started doing WWF enhancement matches the previous year, appearing three times. He lost to Ludvig Borga, Bam Bam Bigelow, and the Undertaker.

Michaels antagonizes Krueger, who gives chase to the floor. That provides an opening for Diesel to knock his lights out with a clothesline. Bell tags in and is beaten up by the champions. Diesel Jackknifes Bell and then tags Michaels, who has donned his hat, to get the pin.

Doink the Clown (w/Dink) (24-2) pins Sonny Rodgers after the Whoopie Cushion at 2:53:

Before the match Doink hands Rodgers a pogo stick and Rodgers tries to jump with it but fails miserably. Dink tries to get the crowd to chant “Let’s go Doink” but nothing happens, illustrating Doink’s rapid fall down the roster once Ray Apollo took over the gimmick. During the squash Dink is knocked off the apron and Lawler comes to ringside, smashing Dink’s tricycle against the ring post. Rodgers mounts some offense, knocking Doink down with a clothesline for two. However, Rodgers is not able to sustain the momentum and is pinned after the Whoopie Cushion.

After the match, Doink and Dink discover the broken tricycle, causing Dink to cry. Doink screams Lawler’s name and holds up the tricycle with the conviction of Charlton Heston at an NRA convention. In response, Lawler flees to the dressing room.

Someone at a WWF update segment talks about King Kong Bundy returning. The stage starts to shake and the camera cuts to Bundy, who picks up the set and laughs.

Tatanka (w/Ted DiBiase) (27-3-2) defeats Gary Jackson after the Papoose to Go at 2:31:

Jackson entered the wrestling business in 1984, working as an enhancement talent for Central States Wrestling. He started in that role for the WWF in 1986 and for WCW in 1990. In 1991 he had an opening match role in Memphis as Night Train Jackson and JoJo Jackson. Jackson made seven appearances in 1993, losing to Bam Bam Bigelow (twice), Crush, Irwin R. Schyster, Ludvig Borga, Shawn Michaels, and the Headshrinkers.

Jeremy White, the son of NFL star Reggie White, is the guest fan ring announcer. He tries but is too quiet and does not know how to pronounce Tatanka or DiBiase’s name. Instead of adopting a different look at a heel, Tatanka still dresses like a Native American. That takes some of the zing out of the turn. His moveset and entrance theme has not changed either. Jackson is able to get near-falls from a schoolboy roll up and sunset flip but Tatanka chops his way back and wins with the Papoose to Go.

Adam Bomb (13-6) defeats Barry Horowitz after the Atom Smasher at 2:24:

Horowitz keeps the enhancement talent streak of near-falls going, covering Bomb after a missed elbow drop for a near-fall. Bomb shrugs off Horowitz’s punches and attempted comeback later, kicking him in the gut and winning with the old Atom Smasher.

Yokozuna (w/Jim Cornette) (16-4) pins Gary Scott after an uranage at 1:46:

After being gone for a few weeks of television, Cornette returns as Yokozuna’s manager. There is no update about the whereabouts of Mr. Fuji. Scott tries to knock Yokozuna off his feet but he would have had better odds running through a brick wall. McMahon hypes house show casket matches between Yokozuna and the Undertaker as the former WWF champion chokes Scott with his foot and goes on to win with a uranage.

As Yokozuna and Cornette leave the ring the Undertaker’s bell tolls and Yokozuna freaks out.

Tune in next week to see Irwin R. Schyster, Mabel, Jim Neidhart, and Intercontinental Champion Razor Ramon in action! Also, Abe “Knuckleball” Schwartz makes his debut! And Lex Luger will appear for a special interview!

The Last Word: If the special attraction of the show was the debut of heel Tatanka it failed. Having Tatanka wrestle as his old self and only have him change his facial expressions was a big misfire. The show continued the Doink-Jerry Lawler angle too but fan response to it has been anemic.

Up Next: Wrestling Challenge for September 25!

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!