WWF Mania (May 29, 1993)

Original Airdate: May 29, 1993

Your Host is Todd Pettengill from the studio

Adam Bomb v Phil Apollo: From Monday Night RAW, May 24 1993 (taped May 17) in New York City. Bomb overpowers him right away, and tosses him into the turnbuckle with ease, then hiptosses him out. Bomb with a dropkick, as Vince goes crazy with atomic related puns on commentary. Bomb with a pump-handle, and he tosses Phil to the floor for a whip into the rail. Back in, Bomb hits a flying clothesline, and and a powerbomb finishes at 2:30. Off to a good start for Bomb - the 'flying big man' stuff was still really unique in 1993, and it's a shame he didn't go further. ¼*

Two weeks ago on RAW, Razor Ramon ate a fluke pinfall from 1-2-3 Kid (now his name), and he’s furious. This past Monday, Vince McMahon brought Razor out for an in-ring interview, to discuss. Razor offers him $2,500 to try it again next week, but instead of the Kid, Ramon gets Bret Hart (his opponent for King of the Ring) out to tease him about losing to a jobber. Nice to see them actually develop any of the matches for King of the Ring - thus far, no one in any of the matches (tournament or otherwise) has had any real interaction

Todd messes around with pink pasta. Technically speaking

King of the Ring Tournament Qualifying Match: Shawn Michaels v Crush: From Superstars, May 22 1993 (taped May 4) in Worcester Massachusetts. Crush powers him around in the early going, and teases press-slamming Shawn out of the ring, before settling for dropping him on the mat. Clothesline sends Shawn over the top anyway, but Crush misses a corner charge on the way back in, and Michaels knocks him to the outside with a high knee. Shawn follows to feed him the steps and the post, and he works a chinlock on the way back into the ring. Crush escapes, so Shawn tries a superkick, but Crush blocks. Clothesline and a big boot give Shawn a chance to bump around, and Crush adds a legdrop. Cross corner whip lets Shawn do some more overselling, and Crush dumps him to the outside. Shawn suckers him out after him, and they slug it out for a double countout at 5:23. So, why did Perfect and Doink get three chances, but these two never got another? Anti-Hawaiian bias! I’ll say it! *

Todd accuses members of his staff of stealing stuff from the merchandise warehouse last week, but stops asking questions when they give him a pair of Macho Man sunglasses. He should have held out for some BluBlockers

King of the Ring Tournament Qualifying Match: Mr. Perfect v Doink: From the May 24 RAW. These two had wrestled to two non-decisions previously, but tonight there WILL BE WINNER! And Doink is ready, attacking Perfect before the bell, and choking him with his own towel. Oh, the humanity! Perfect returns fire with the towel and wins a slugfest before sweeping Doink, and hooking a spinning-toehold. He wraps Doink's leg around the post, but back inside, Doink blasts him with a boot to the midsection, and dumps him over the top. Doink follows him with an axehandle off of the apron (making sure to sell the knee when he lands), and he posts Perfect. Another slugfest on the apron goes Doink's way, and he drags Perfect back in for a backdrop, but Perfect quickly counters into a mat-based headscissors. He goes back after the knee, and hooks a modified leglock that looks like a bootleg figure four, but Doink rakes the eyes, and bites him. He takes Perfect back to the floor for another shot into the post, and starts targeting the arm - wrapping it around the post. Inside, Doink slaps on an overhead wristlock, and then stomps the arm to be a dick. Hammerlock slam gets two, but Perfect catches him with an atomic drop out of another slugfest, and he clotheslines the clown. Another clothesline knocks Doink over the top, but that just gives him the opportunity to switch out with doppelganger Doink under the ring. Inside, Perfect goes for the kill, but suddenly Doink is fresh, and monkey flips him. Backdrop, but he telegraphs it, and gets caught in the Perfect-Plex at 15:00. Fun, psychologically sound match. **

Todd wants a haircut, and he wants it now. This is apparently some sort of timely pop culture reference that’s completely lost on me 29 years later

Gene Okerlund is in the studio with the King of the Ring Report! The complete brackets have been set, and they’re doing a good job of building it up

Todd calls Gene’s mother-in-law fat. And old. Real charmer

On Wrestling Challenge (May 23 1993, taped May 5, in Portland Maine), Jerry Lawler debuts the King’s Court, with first guests Giant Gonzalez and Harvey Wippleman. The in-ring set they switched to later was much better. Also much better: pretty much any other guest

Mr. Perfect vignette. They sure got a ton of mileage out of those sports vignettes, didn’t they

Owen Hart v Mr. Hughes: From Worcester Massachusetts on May 4 1993. Owen had just come back from injury a couple of days before this. Hughes unloads on him in the corner, but Owen manages a drop-toehold during a criss cross, and he grabs a wristlock. Hughes fights him off with a bodyslam, but an elbowdrop misses, and Owen goes back to the arm. Hughes throws an elbow to escape, so Owen tries a leg-feed enzuigiri, but it misses. Looked like Hart was hoping Hughes would sell it for him anyway, but no dice. Owen goes back to the arm again like nothing happened, but Hughes keeps slugging free. Hughes tries an avalanche, but Hart dodges. Dropkick, but Hughes dodges, and puts the boots to the Rocket. Hughes with a big boot, and boy, Wizard is sure not the guy to get the best performance out of Gorilla Monsoon at this stage. Owen blocks another corner charge, and he delivers a bulldog, followed by a pair of dropkicks. Spinheel kick gets one, but another charge ends in Hughes delivering a scrapbuster at 4:39. A total yawner. ¼*

Todd wants you to tune into RAW, but only if you’re fat. Like Okerlund’s mother-in-law?

BUExperience: Not the best episode this week, though they are doing a good job of making King of the Ring a show I’d want to see (again).