WWF Mania (April 10, 1993)

Original Airdate: April 10, 1993

Your Host is Todd Pettengill, on location at some unidentified mansion somewhere

Gene Okerlund is with Yokozuna and Mr. Fuji for pre-recorded comments regarding Hulk Hogan winning the title at WrestleMania IX

Todd responds by making fun of Fuji’s Japanese accent, and notes that we will be hearing from President Jack Tunney on Superstars to resolve the controversy regarding the title change

Tatanka v Barry Hardy: From the April 3 episode of Superstars. We’re getting quality jobbers up and down this week. “Two wrestlers in the ring, and four different colors of hair,” notes Heenan. The announcers hype up not only the WrestleMania Hotline, but also the WrestleMania Bonus Hotline, in case parents were feeling super generous that weekend. Or super stupid, whichever. End of the Trail finishes at 3:13. DUD

Todd continues to have fun with accents, this time Arnold Schwarzenegger’s. Which somehow ties in to Luna Vachon’s debut at WrestleMania

WWF Fan Club ad

Doink the Clown v Dale Wolfe: Also from the April 3 Superstars. The commentary is new, with Vince McMahon and Alfred Hayes, so they can talk about post-WrestleMania stuff, even though this match was recorded and aired before the event. Stump puller finishes at 0:56. Doink has really weird gear (including an odd wig) this week. He’s super, super menacing, and a much better version of this character than the babyface version we saw later. I’d bet that Matt Borne would have been able to do a good babyface version, though. DUD

Back at the mansion, Todd sexually harrasses himself with some of those velcro paddles from the velcro ball/paddle game that was so popular around then. And who hasn’t done that?

We take a look back at Jerry Lawler’s issues this past Monday on RAW, where he kept trying to wrestle, but wouldn’t because the fans kept chanting ‘Burger King’

Back at the mansion, Todd continues playing with his balls

Jerry Lawler v Jim Powers: From Monday Night RAW on April 5. Powers doesn't give him a chance to bail this time, attacking him during the entrances, and ramming him into the post. Inside, Jim hits a flying axehandle, and a pair of cross corner whips set up a clothesline - Lawler wisely bailing to the floor to regroup. The crowd hounds him with 'Burger King' chants, and inside, Powers hiptosses him. Bodyslam, and Lawler bails again - stopping to bitch at Randy Savage for encouraging the chants. Back in, Powers keeps the momentum with a backdrop, but Lawler dodges a dropkick, and blasts him with a backelbow. Fistdrop, but a blind charge misses, and Powers unloads turnbuckle smashes. Kneelift and another backdrop, but he stupidly tries it a third time, and ends up in the Piledriver at 6:16. Afterwards, Jerry goes back to bitching at the Macho Man, and they look about ready to come to blows as we go off the air. Match was more competitive than I expected. ½*

Todd bitches at the staff about the weak sunblock they’re trying to pawn off on him. George Costanza knows what he’s talking about

Yokozuna v Typhoon: From North Charleston South Carolina on March 8 1993. Both guys are wearing matching colors here, like they’re trying to form a tag team. Too bad Typhoon didn’t make it until 1994, they could have been Fat & Fatter. Typhoon tries some speed, but walks right into a belly-to-belly suplex, followed by a legdrop. Yokozuna with an avalanche, and the Banzai Drop finishes at a brisk 1:47. This was exactly what it needed to be, and Typhoon did a big sell job after the bell to get it over. DUD

WrestleMania IX Encore ad. Opposite Monday Night RAW, which would definitely be the last time that ever happened

WrestleMania the Music Video. “Who will survive?” Well, definitely not the Nasty Boys, they were gone almost immediately 

Lex Luger v Tom Italy: From Wrestling Challenge on April 4 1993 (taped March 7) in Fayetteville North Carolina. Tom’s mullet practically stretches from Milan to Palermo. Luger pivoting from this arrogant heel character to the All American babyface literally overnight has to be one of the most jarring transitions in the history of the sport. Lex with a forearm at 1:58. He didn’t even bother getting a running start with it! DUD

Todd talks about all the controversy surrounding Lex knocking Bret Hart out at a brunch over WrestleMania weekend. Nothing a change in underwear wouldn’t fix. Literally. The moment Luger turned babyface, we all just forgot about that ‘illegal forearm,’ along with any heel misdeeds he’d done. Well, all except Mr. Perfect. Mr. Perfect remembers

Bam Bam Bigelow v Virgil: From the April 5 RAW. Bigelow overpowers him in the early going, so Virgil pops off a (truly shitty) dropkick, and tries a wristlock. He screws up a dropkick to the knee next, but Bigelow misses a falling headbutt anyway, and Virgil schoolboys him for two. Crucifix, but Bam Bam drops him like a Samoan to counter, and slaps on a chinlock. Bigelow runs through a few more restholds with a headvise and a bearhug, but Virgil manages to stay awake long enough to hit a 2nd rope clothesline. Missile dropkick gets two, but a bodypress off the middle rope misses, and Bam Bam finishes him with the flying headbutt at 6:59. Too many restholds, and Virgil looked especially sloppy here. DUD

Todd notes that the Steiner Brothers ‘absolutely destroyed’ the Headshrinkers at WrestleMania. Is that what we’re calling it these days?

BUExperience: They never bothered to explain why Todd was at some random mansion this week. Was it his (as he suggested)? Vince’s house? A rental? A set? So many questions, I won’t be sleeping tonight.