WWF Mania (January 30, 1993)

Original Airdate: January 30, 1993

 

Your Host is Todd Pettengill. Todd is in rare form while summing up the Royal Rumble, noting that the "505 pound sushi roll" won it all

 

Kamala v Brooklyn Brawler: From the January 25 RAW (taped January 18) in New York. Brawler tries a sneak attack, but Kamala can't spell that, and bodyslams him. Tomahawk chop knocks Brawler into the corner for some butt action, and a splash, but Kamala tries to pin him while on his stomach, so no go. Big boot (sans boot), but again, he covers him while on his belly, so no count. Chop and another splash, but Kamala still can't get that tricky pinfall thing figured out, so manager Slick lends an assist, and Kamala rolls him onto his back for the pin at 3:32. Basically just an inside joke in the guise of a match, as Brawler played Kim Chee - Kamala's masked handler prior to his face turn. DUD

 

WrestleMania IX tickets ad. Come one, come all! To the parking lot!

 

Shawn Michaels v Reno Riggins: From the January 24 episode of Wrestling Challenge (taped January 4) in Beaumont Texas. Shawn's WWF Intercontinental title is not on the line here. I recently discovered that website that keeps a database and timeline for different wrestler outfits, and the Shawn Michaels one is pretty epic. I don't know how people find the time to put something like that together, but thank God for people like that. Notably, Shawn's superkick gets a pretty good reaction here, though it's still a ways off from becoming his finish. Teardrop Suplex finishes at 1:58. This was fairly energetic. ¼*

 

Todd watches back footage of Giant Gonzalez debuting at the Rumble, and he's really excited about him potentially murdering Undertaker. I know Todd's new, but he does understand that Undertaker is the babyface, right?

 

Over the past week, the President of Caesars Palace gave the WWF a blowjob at a press conference

 

Tatanka v Iron Mike Sharpe: Also from the January 24 Wrestling Challenge. Todd trying his hand at Tatanka's war cry is pretty offensive. Not just to Native American Indians, but to anyone with ears, really - working or not. End of the Trail finishes at 2:22. The fake crowd noise was overwhelming here. DUD

 

Last night at Madison Square Garden, the WWF presented a $100,000 check to the Red Cross as part of Headlock on Hunger. If that's the case, why does Todd still have it? Possession is nine tenths, Pettengill

 

In the studio, Pettengill has modified his swivel chair for optimum jerking potential

 

Loser Leaves Town Match: Ric Flair v Mr. Perfect: From the January 25 RAW. They size each other up a bit to start, each trying to get a psychological edge at the bell. Perfect manages a drop-toehold, and then gets in a cheap shot before Flair can do it do him first, and Ric bails to the outside to regroup. Back in, Ric tries a hammerlock, but Perfect reverses, so Ric tries a drop-toehold into a front-facelock, but Perfect counters right back to the hammerlock. Flair gets annoyed and throws an elbow to shake him off, then tries cracking him with chops in the corner, but Perfect turns the tables! Flair is very cautious from there, trying to avoid getting grounded by Perfect. He goes to the eyes to take control, and immediately capitalizes by tossing Perfect over the top, but the referee prevents him from using a chair out there. Back in, Ric cross corner whips Perfect, with Perfect taking a great bump over the top off of it. Wow, for a guy with a bad back, he wasn't shying away from that one. In, Ric unloads in the corner, and this time Perfect is battered enough that Flair is able to get some traction. Another cross corner whip triggers a somersault sell from Perfect, and it looks like he's busted open! Flair goes back to the well with another cross corner whip, but Perfect reverses this time, and somersault cradles him for two. Ric throws a right hand downstairs to try and cut Perfect off, but a hiptoss is countered with a backslide for two. Perfect with a corner whip to setup a backdrop, and Flair is actively begging off, but Perfect ignores him with a ten-punch count in the corner! Ric gets out of it with an inverted atomic drop (triggering an uncharacteristically subdued sell from Perfect), and a schoolboy gets him two. Perfect fires back with a vertical suplex for two, so Flair goes downstairs, and grabs a sleeper! Perfect manages to drop into the turnbuckles before he fades, so Flair whips him into the ropes for another sleeper, but Perfect reverses before Ric can apply it! He gets Flair down to a horizontal base right away, but Ric fights free with a side suplex. It's weird how few actual pin attempts have been made thus far. Figure Four is successfully applied, with Ric using the ropes for leverage, but he gets caught. A lot of damage has been done though, and Ric pounds the knee. Snapmare sets up a trip to the top, but Perfect slams him down, so Flair pulls out an foreign object, and knocks his former executive consultant out. Not exactly a golden parachute, is it? Ric adds an elbowdrop, but Perfect has a foot in the ropes at two. Flair responds by hooking the leg, but Perfect still kicks out at two, so Ric decides to punish him by hammering on his cut. Into the corner for chops, but Perfect responds in kind, and he backdrops the Nature Boy! Perfect with a corner whip to flip Flair onto the apron, so Ric hustles to the top rope - only to get nailed coming down for two. He begs off, and tries a leveraged pin as Perfect advances, but gets busted by the referee - allowing Perfect to counter into a cradle for two. Ric tries a backdrop from there, but Perfect counters with the Perfect-Plex, and we're done at 23:00. Still really great, but felt like it never quite got to that next level, and the finish was totally uninspired. *** ¾

 

Back in the studio, everyone cheers the end of Flair's career, and Todd claims that he stole the jacket he's wearing from Ric's locker. Fuck off, Ric wouldn't be caught dead in that thing. And anyway, why is everyone so excited that Flair's gone? He probably picked up the tab for all of these geeks every night!

 

Bam Bam Bigelow v Gary Jackson: From the January 23 Superstars (taped January 5) in San Antonio Texas. I guess Bam Bam wasn't quite sold on his new gear yet, because he switches back to the old one this week, as Vince basically promises that Razor will beat up the entire Hart family if you order the Rumble. Who is he, Steve Austin? Lawler predicts that Bigelow will win the Rumble match, which is weird to gear from a guy who is also in it, let alone a heel. McMahon then asks Savage if he agrees, with Randy giving a hilarious delivery on "uh... no... I don't." And then Bam Bam wasn't even in the match after all! But he is facing Big Boss Man, who split screens in to cut a promo. Bigelow with the flying headbutt drop at 1:49. And then I went back to listen to that exchange with Lawler at the beginning, because I just couldn't believe that he'd say someone other than him would win, and yeah, I messed up, he was talking about the match with Boss Man. So, I'm an idiot. But, so are you, and anyway I don't owe you money. DUD

 

Back in the studio, Vince McMahon shows up to see how things are going with this new show, and Todd wants to know what's being done about his jerk chair, but Vince just wants to talk about RAW. McMahon seemed totally out of his element here, which is odd for him. Just shows what a perfect fit Pettengill was for this silly show

BUExperience: Flair/Perfect is awesome (in general, but especially for TV in 1993), and while the rest is decidedly not, this remains a really light, easy show to watch.