WTWWW WWE — page 8

All American Wrestling had an exclusive squash match, taped in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Here was the result of that match courtesy of thehistoryofwwe.com:

-The Heavenly Bodies defeated John Paul & Mike Khoury when Jimmy Del Ray pinned Khoury after the moonsault

The WWF decides to keep the graphical intro for Wrestling Challenge but it purges Jim Ross’ voiceover.

Gorilla Monsoon and Stan Lane commentate, starting a new taping from Liberty, New York at Liberty High School. According to thehistoryofwwe.com, the taping happened on February 23 and drew a sellout crowd of 1,600. The WWF was on better behavior than they were at Carbondale High School last year as no bad reports of locker room behavior were reported.

Vince McMahon and Johnny Polo are in the booth, taped from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. According to thehistoryofwwe.com, the taping drew a sellout crowd of 3,500 fans when it took place on February 22.

Opening Contest: Tatanka (7-0) beats the Brooklyn Brawler after the Papoose to Go at 2:42:

Tatanka wears the headdress that he received on Monday Night RAW. Seeing Tatanka wrestle without the red streak through his hair will take some getting used to. Polo has a sound board and he plays a child crying and part of the Dragnet theme. In the split screen, Irwin R. Schyster says that Tatanka owes a gift tax on the headdress and he will be making sure he pays. Tatanka gets a decisive victory to build him for a non-title match against Yokozuna on tomorrow night’s March to WrestleMania X special.

After the match, Tatanka dons the headdress and is confronted at the video board by IRS. IRS hands him a tax form and tells him to fill it out. Tatanka tears it up. The material for this program is not good. While it makes sense for IRS to police tax issues, the WWF is turning him into a new Repo Man by having him target wrestler’s possessions.

Vince McMahon and Ted DiBiase commentate, taped from Poughkeepsie, New York.

Opening Contest: Crush & Owen Hart (w/Mr. Fuji) beat the Smoking Gunns (5-0) when Owen makes Bart submit to the Sharpshooter at 6:55 shown:

There is a good flow to the offense dished out by both teams. A commercial break comes back in time for Bart to get a hot tag. Crush stops Bart from getting measure of revenge from Wrestling Challenge by breaking up a pin after a powerslam. The Gunns go for the Revolver but Crush takes out Bart’s knee and that sets up Owen’s Sharpshooter. There is a nice bit with the ending as Billy is thrown out of the ring by Crush and Crush prevents him from re-entering, so all Billy can do is reach out for his brother, who submits. Rating: **¼

McMahon talks with Owen and Crush afterward. Owen asks Crush not to beat Bret Hart up too bad at March to WrestleMania X so that Bret does not have any excuses at WrestleMania. Crush puts over Owen’s Sharpshooter and agrees to leave some of Bret for Owen.

Gorilla Monsoon and Stan Lane are handling commentary, wrapping up the taping in Springfield, Massachusetts. The WWF is looking to phase out the old Wrestling Challenge introduction because Jim Ross was released and his voice was on it. They lead-in the show with an “Unbelievable!” ad.

Opening Contest: Jeff Jarrett (6-1) beats Mike Moraldo after a DDT off the ropes at 2:01:

In the split screen, Jarrett says he looks forward to seeing his name in lights at WrestleMania. Monsoon floats a rumor that Jarrett is going to sing at the Fan Festival. Jarrett throws a nice dropkick and recovers from a missed elbow drop to hit his finisher off the ropes.

Lord Alfred Hayes talks up Owen Hart’s chances against Bret Hart at WrestleMania. He calls Paul Bearer a “despicable toad” before a re-airing of Owen’s appearance on the Funeral Parlor on Superstars.

Vince McMahon and Johnny Polo are commentating, concluding the tapings in White Plains, New York.

Opening Contest: Lex Luger (4-0) beats Reno Riggins via submission to a torture rack at 2:30:

Polo talks about how Riggins was a national roller skating champion at the age of 14. For some reason, Riggins gets in a lot of offense against a main event talent, making Luger look weak. Some viewers could probably write it off as ring rust because Luger did not wrestle on television in February. Riggins tries to do a handspring back elbow, which looks ugly, and Luger cuts that off with a clothesline. Luger is moving away from the forearm as his big move, going to his old WCW finish of a torture rack. That move is available because Ludvig Borga is gone. When Luger wins, a young girl in the crowd stands up and looks bored. She only gets excited when she realizes the camera is on her.

Gorilla Monsoon’s Update hypes the Fan Festival before WrestleMania X. This would be the final Update segment due to production changes that would be soon to the television product.

Vince McMahon and Harvey Wippleman are commentating, taped from Bushkill, Pennsylvania. The WWF decided to hold this taped episode back as the Bushkill taping took place on January 31.

Opening Contest for the WWF Championship: Randy Savage (2-0) beats Yokozuna (Champion w/Mr. Fuji) (3-0) via disqualification after Crush interferes at 11:36 shown:

Savage goes after Yokozuna before the champion gets out of his robe. Seeing Yokozuna trying to do an elbow drop with it on is a sight to behold. The crowd pops for almost everything Savage does, biting on some near-falls from a flying body press and roll up. Yokozuna avoids any rest holds but still works slowly, a consequence of his weight gain since 1992. It makes fans wonder how he is going to make it through two possible matches at WrestleMania. Some of the pacing works to the match’s advantage, though, as it builds to spots where Yokozuna readies for a leg drop but barely misses it. Late in the match, Fuji tosses Yokozuna his salt bucket but Savage gets the object and blasts the champion, getting another close near-fall. After knocking Cornette off the apron, Savage hits the flying elbow drop but Crush runs in and prevents a title change. The crowd hates the cop out ending but Savage once again had his working boots on, throwing everything he had at Yokozuna and nearly winning the WWF title for a third time. Rating: ***

Crush beats up Savage as the crowd cheers for Lex Luger. Instead, Bret Hart comes out, only to get double teamed. That cues a Luger run-in. He knocks Yokozuna to the floor with punches and teams with Bret to knock Crush out of the ring with a clothesline. McMahon goes over the top in selling how close Savage came to winning the title, likening it to Nancy Karrigan being robbed of a gold medal in figure skating at the Olympics.

All American Wrestling had a feature match earlier in the day, commentated by Gorilla Monsoon and Stan Lane. It was taped in Springfield, Massachusetts on February 2:

Rick Martel (1-2) wrestles Thurman Plugg (5-0) to a time-limit draw at 8:56 shown:

Plugg and Martel were travel partners around this time. They were also wrestling in the opening matches at house shows. There is some good mat wrestling to start and Martel begins working the back after throwing Plugg over the top rope. Plugg gets to the ropes to break the Boston Crab as Monsoon and Lane start talking about the time limit, thereby telegraphing how the match will end. Sure enough, time expires when Martel has Plugg trapped in a Flair pin. Despite some decent action, the crowd barely reacted, which explains why each man is where they are on the card. Rating: **

Vince McMahon and Johnny Polo are providing commentary, taped from White Plains, New York.

Vince McMahon and Randy Savage call tonight’s action, live from Poughkeepsie, New York.

On All American Wrestling, there was a squash match for the Bushwhackers. Here was the result of that match, courtesy of thehistoryofwwe.com:

-The Bushwhackers (3-0) beat the Black Phantom & Reno Riggins when Butch pinned the Phantom after the Battering Ram at 5:48

Owen Hart tells Marty Jannetty that he cannot wait to beat him today.

Vince McMahon and Stan Lane are doing commentary, starting a new taping in White Plains, New York. According to thehistoryofwwe.com, the taping took place on February 1 and drew a crowd of 3,000, with many not paying full price for tickets.

Opening Contest: Owen Hart (5-0) beats Marty Jannetty (1-1) via submission to the Sharpshooter at 4:18:

The match is not given a lot of time but Owen and Jannetty are able to put together something enjoyable. There are some good near-falls exchanged where Owen hits a big move like a belly-to-belly suplex and then Jannetty counters something into his own near-fall. Sadly, the crowd barely reacts. The finish is somewhat flat as Owen hits a swinging neckbreaker off the ropes and applies the Sharpshooter. Jannetty does not fight it much and submits. This would be Jannetty’s last appearance since he got fired a week before this aired on the European tour. He would toil in the independents and wrestle for ECW a few times until the WWF called him back at the end of the summer of 1995. This run from 1993-1994 would be his best run as a single in the WWF since he won two legs of the triple crown and was usually in the midcard mix.  Rating: **½

Jim Ross and Gorilla Monsoon call today’s action, wrapping up the shows in Florence, South Carolina.

Opening Contest: Tatanka (6-0) defeats Jeff Jarrett (5-0) via disqualification when Ludvig Borga interferes at 4:20:

Ross is replaced by Stan Lane because Ross is recalled for some big news in the Face to Face studio. This was a way to write Ross out as the lead play-by-play man because he suffered a Bells Palsy attack weeks before. It was bad timing for him because his contract was expiring, so the WWF let him go. Jarrett’s tights have so many colors he might as well be a living Fruit Roll Up. After a few minutes of decent action, Borga comes to ringside as it seems like the WWF had plans for his program with Tatanka continuing after The Royal Rumble. Borga punches Tatanka in the ring so Tatanka slides to the floor and throws him into the ring post. In response, Borga slides into the ring and he and Jarrett commence a two-on-one beatdown until WWF officials run out. They are ineffective in stopping the beating as the heels decide when they want to leave. This is Jarrett’s first loss in the WWF. As the heels leave, Lane says that Jarrett doctored a cover of Country Beat magazine. In a nod to Memphis fans, Monsoon jokes that Jarrett’s father probably had something to do with that. Rating: *½

Vince McMahon and Stan Lane are commentating, concluding the taping in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

Opening Contest: Crush (w/Mr. Fuji) (4-0) defeats Jay P. Stryker via submission to the head vice at 2:24:

There was a contract signing earlier in the day on WWF Mania between Randy Savage and Crush. Savage showed up late and attacked Crush after the big man made a few comments about their WrestleMania match. Stryker makes the poor decision to work Crush’s arm when he has a chance to get the advantage and that just leads to Crush re-establishing control with a thrust kick. He wins a methodical bout with the head vice.

A video package recaps the tensions between Marty Jannetty and the Irwin R. Schyster that led to tonight’s feature match.

Vince McMahon and Bastion Booger are in the booth, taped from Bushkill, Pennsylvania. Booger keeps a gimmick throughout the show of eating lots of food.

Opening Contest: The Smoking Gunns (3-0) defeat Reno Riggins & Barry Horowitz when Billy pins Riggins after the powerbomb-flying elbow drop combination at 3:36:

Booger calls the combatants “half persons” because it would take two of them to make a big person like him. McMahon takes a subtle shot at the Steiner Brothers for not beating the Quebecers in 10 minutes on Superstars, saying that the top contender spot for the titles is wide open. Riggins and Horowitz try to do a spot where Horowitz accidentally backdrops Riggins and Riggins is supposed to last on his feet but Riggins cannot stick the landing. Later, Riggins tries to do a Northern Lights suplex to Bart but Bart counters it into the Gunns finish.

Jim Ross and Gorilla Monsoon are doing commentary, taped from Florence, South Carolina. Monsoon makes a good point that Bret Hart was the big winner of the coin toss on Monday Night RAW because he gets the second title match on the card. That means Bret will face a weakened Lex Luger or Yokozuna.

A video package recaps the Doink the Clown-Bam Bam Bigelow feud that has been going on since October.

Opening Contest: Doink the Clown (w/Dink) (5-0) defeats Bam Bam Bigelow (w/Luna Vachon) (4-1) via count out at 8:40 shown:

The match turns into a pseudo tag team bout as Vachon and Dink interfere regularly. Referee Bill Alfonso does not care when Dink gets into the ring to hit Bigelow and break submission holds or break up a late pin after Bigelow hits the flying headbutt. When Bigelow and Vachon try to get their hands on Dink several times they fail. On their last attempt, Dink headbutts Bigelow in the groin, causing him to fall out of the ring and get counted out. The booking of this made no sense as Dink getting involved, especially after the flying headbutt, should have led to a disqualification win for Bigelow. Rating: *

After the bell, Dink is unconscious from the headbutt spot so Vachon lays him out for Bigelow to do the flying headbutt. Doink and the referee prevent that from happening. Doink carries Dink to the locker room over his shoulder, saddened by his condition.

Vince McMahon and Stan Lane are in the booth, taped from Fayetteville, North Carolina.

Opening Contest: Shawn Michaels (w/Diesel) (5-0) pins Gary Sabaugh after the superkick at 2:15:

Everyone is loving the superkick recently as Michaels, Kwang, Marty Jannetty, Fatu, and Yokozuna have it in some fashion. Sabaugh does some arm work and reverses a take to the buckle but an errant blind charge opens him up for the kick. McMahon refuses to recognize Sabaugh’s Italian Stallion roots, telling Lane that Sabaugh’s tights say “Italy” because they were made there.

Vince McMahon and Irwin R. Schyster are doing commentary, live from Bushkill, Pennsylvania. According to thehistoryofwwe.com, the show drew a sellout crowd of 1,600 fans. IRS says he will give the loser of the Bret Hart-Lex Luger coin toss two Buffalo Bills t-shirts and warns the winners of the Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes that he will be knocking on their door tomorrow to collect the government’s share.

Opening Contest: Marty Jannetty (w/the 1-2-3 Kid) beats Johnny Polo after the Rocker Dropper at 9:37 shown:

Polo was Scott Levy, brought into the WWF in early 1993 as a manager for Adam Bomb. Cast as a rich kid with lots of expensive tastes he was taken from Bomb and thrown in with the Quebecers in September, helping them win the Tag Team Championship against the Steiner Brothers. He only wrestled one televised match in 1993, beating Jannetty on the last RAW of the year. That was part of a small program Polo had against Jannetty and the Kid, who he claimed he could beat. Polo did well in promos and on commentary but wanted to wrestle more, something McMahon was reticent to let him do and this created tensions between them during his time with the company. Polo also got on McMahon’s bad side by taking his son, Shane, out to party with him late at night.

This was hyped as a match between the Kid and Polo even though the WWF knew that the Kid would not be able to compete after blowing out his knee in Madison Square Garden. Before the match, Polo reminds people that he has a win over Jannetty and casts doubt on the Kid’s injury. Their match is not as good as late December since the first part is full of stalling and has some awkward looking spots. IRS’ inability to call the match effectively as a color man does not help matters. Jannetty’s energetic comeback at the end revives the crowd and he pins Polo after the Rocker Dropper. IRS screams that the move should be outlawed, which is ironic because the civil trial of former WWF enhancement talent Chuck Austin, who was paralyzed by the move, was winding down. Rating: **

Jim Ross and Gorilla Monsoon are commentating today’s matches, broadcasting from a new location in Florence, South Carolina. According to thehistoryofwwe.com, the taping took place on January 11.

Opening Contest: Thurman Plugg (1-0) pins Barry Horowitz after the Overhead Cam at 2:17:

Plugg notches his second win of the week on syndicated shows, getting through Horowitz without much difficulty. Ross says that Plugg calls his finish off the top rope the Overhead Cam. Of all the racing-related lingo that the WWF could have used that is what they decided to go with?

Lord Alfred Hayes is back to no longer being a heel, supporting WWF President Jack Tunney’s decision to make Lex Luger and Bret Hart co-winners of the Royal Rumble.

After Vince McMahon recaps the events of The Royal Rumble, WWF President Jack Tunney does an announcement from his office that Bret Hart and Lex Luger will receive title shots at WrestleMania X. There will be a coin toss on Monday Night RAW to determine whether Bret or Luger will face Yokozuna, or whomever is the WWF champion by WrestleMania, first. If Luger wins the coin toss, he will face Yokozuna and Bret Hart will face Owen Hart as suitable competition. Then, the winner of the Luger-Yokozuna match will face Bret later in the evening. If Bret wins, he will face Yokozuna while Luger wrestles Crush and then the winner of Bret-Yokozuna will face Luger later in the night. Tunney announces that there will also be guest referees for the WWF title matches that are acceptable to all three parties. Yokozuna seems let down by his management team again here as it would seem fairer to him to have Bret and Luger face off earlier in the night and the winner of that battle him in the main event. After all, Bret and Luger tied at the Royal Rumble in a match that was meant to crown a number one contender. A match between them should serve as the tiebreaker.

McMahon announces the show with Stan Lane, starting a new taping in Fayetteville, North Carolina as the WWF finally escapes the Northeast for a syndicated show. According to thehistoryofwwe.com, the show was taped on January 12.

Vince McMahon and Jim Ross are in the booth, concluding the taping in Richmond, Virginia. This is the first time Ross commentates a Monday Night RAW.

Opening Contest: Lex Luger (3-0) defeats Austin Steele after a superplex at 3:38:

Steele wrestled on the Carolina independent circuit. He tried to become a poor man’s Ric Flair, mimicking Flair’s hair and trunks and using the figure-four leglock as a finisher.

It does not take long for Ross to reveal that Luger was a co-winner of The Royal Rumble. The same for McMahon, who also puts over the high rating for last week’s RAW. Luger continues to try to get the superplex over as a new finisher even though the running forearm would be more convenient.

Todd Pettengill recaps the events of last night’s Royal Rumble, wondering whether Lex Luger or Bret Hart will get the WWF title match at WrestleMania X. Pettengill says WWF President Jack Tunney will weigh his options and announce a decision this weekend. He also notes that Yokozuna won the casket match against the Undertaker and Owen Hart turned on Bret.