WWF Mania (May 8, 1993)

Original Airdate: May 8, 1993

Your Host is Todd Pettengill from the studio

Todd reviews the epic Bam Bam Bigelow/Tatanka feud

Bam Bam Bigelow v Kamala: From Worcester Massachusetts on May 4 1993. That’s super fast turnaround for this era. Bigelow attacks from behind before the bell, but misses a corner charge, and takes a bump over the top off of it. Kamala goes after him, but ends up getting sent into the steps, and who is this on commentary with Gorilla Monsoon? The Wizard? No idea who that’s supposed to be, but he sounds kind of like Mr. Perfect and Bobby Heenan. Apparently it was a short lived Bruce Prichard character that I don’t remember at all. Bam Bam head a headbutt on the way back in, as Gorilla stutters his way through figuring out who has qualified for the King of the Ring, since the taping cycles were so behind, and he’s afraid to say the wrong thing. Bigelow goes to the top, but Kamala knocks him off before he can dive, and Kamala throws a clothesline. Splash looks to finish, but Kamala can’t figure out how to make the cover, and we were seriously supposed to buy this guy as a threat to Undertaker a few months before this? Kamala gets confused, allowing Bigelow to schoolboy at 3:50. Very weak manner of putting Bigelow over here. DUD

King of the Ring Tournament Qualifying Match: Bob Backlund v Lex Luger: From the May 2 Wrestling Challenge (taped April 5) in Phoenix Arizona. Why does Jim Ross keep calling the tournament the King of the Ring ‘competition?’ Was ‘tournament’ too big a word for the WCW audience? Backlund with a schoolboy for two, and a backslide for two. Inside cradle gets two, and Bob keeps it going with a series of legsweeps, followed by a sunset flip for two. A frustrated Luger bails, fuming, but he regains his composure, and stalls to break Backlund’s momentum. That allows him to pop Bob with an elbow on the way back in, and he turnbuckle smashes him. Backlund comes back with a pair of bodyslams, and a dropkick finds the mark. Atomic drop draws a big sell from Lex, and Bob rolls him up, but Lex’s kick out sends Backlund to the outside. Bob beats the count, so Lex blasts him with the loaded forearm, and Backlund flies back to the outside - out cold, and counted out at 4:46. Totally solid match. * ¼

Todd, better apprised of the taping cycles, clarifies who has (and has not) qualified for the King of the Ring competition

King of the Ring ad

Todd makes fun of the WWF Magazine’s advertising campaigns

King of the Ring Tournament Qualifying Match: Mr. Perfect v Doink the Clown: From the May 1 Superstars (taped April 6) in Tucson Arizona. Doink attacks in the aisle to kickstart the match, and Perfect eats the steps a few times out there. Inside, Doink hammers him in the corner, and a snapmare sets up a kneedrop, but Perfect dodges. Perfect capitalizes by going to work on the leg, and a big chop sends Doink clear over the top! Perfect follows to give Doink some payback with the steps, and he delivers a headbutt drop to the stomach on the way back in. Back to the leg, as the match slows way down. Kneelift knocks Doink back to the outside, but he suckers Perfect, and dives with a flying axehandle on the outside. Doink with a vertical suplex on the way inside, and another flying axehandle connects. Perfect gets fired up during a slugfest, allowing him a cradle for two, and a backslide is worth two. Rollup for two, and a side suplex gets two. Another brutal chop, and he hits the Perfectplex, but time expires at 7:43. This was pretty weak, with both guys looking off of their game. * 

Todd announces that Doink and Perfect are not eliminated, and that there will be a rematch to determine the entrant. That rule would definitely change in later years

Smoking Gunns vignette, complete with Better Call Saul theme music

We see clips of the final moments of the Shawn Michaels v Jim Duggan match over the WWF Intercontinental Title on the May 3 episode of RAW, complete with Duggan demanding a rematch after Shawn got himself counted out to save the title. And it works, with President Jack Tunney ordering a rematch next week - Lumberjack Rules

Back on RAW, WWF Intercontinental Champion Shawn Michaels fumes over being signed in the Lumberjack match

Gene Okerlund is in the studio with the Ring of the Ring report. They seemed to be booking towards a Bret Hart/Lex Luger final at this point, though obviously they went in a different direction with that one

Todd tries to call his mom in honor of tomorrow’s Mother’s Day holiday, and apparently his mom is about 90, despite Todd being a pretty young dude at this point

Mr. Hughes v Mark Ming: From the May 2 Wrestling Challenge. More with Wizard here, just in case you needed more proof that Bruce Prichard is terrible in literally any onscreen role he tries. Meanwhile, Reverend Slick splits screens in, offering Hughes his services. Not only as a manager, but to save his soul. Hughes with a slam at 1:48. DUD

From the May 1 Superstars, Raymond Rougeau brings Undertaker and Paul Bearer out to casually threaten Giant Gonzalez with full on murder

Jim Ross shows up at the studio to hype up All American Wrestling

BUExperience: Good episode this week, as the King of the Ring competition delivers two star/star matches (and both solid ones, at that), plus a Mania exclusive to boot. This is basically a pay per view level show for the era.