WWF Mania (August 14, 1993)

Original Airdate: August 14, 1993

Your Hosts are Todd Pettengill and Randy Savage from the studio. Not sure which of their outfits is more flashy this week

We open with a teaser for a Randy Savage music video

From the August 9 episode of Monday Night RAW, Vince McMahon hosts an in-ring segment (along with Savage, Heenan, Jack Tunney, and about a dozen others) for the official SummerSlam contract signing between Yokozuna and Lex Luger. Jim Cornette joins in, introducing himself as Yokozuna's American Spokesperson, and thank God, because Mr. Fuji was a terrible mouthpiece. Other than introducing Cornette, the big news here is that this will be Luger's one-and-only title shot, so he had better get it done. Not a bad segment, and it was nice to see them actually set this match up in a direct way for once (we haven't seen Luger interact with Yoko at all since the July 4 Bodyslam Challenge), even if the payoff ended up being a letdown

The Steiner Brothers v The Executioners: From the August 8 1993 episode of Wrestling Challenge (taped July 7) in Salisbury Maryland. The WWF Tag Team title is not on the line here. Frankensteiner puts it away at 3:32. The Brothers are just so gleeful in their squashes, how can you not enjoy them a little, too? DUD

SummerSlam Spectacular ad

Doink the Clown v Joey Maggs: From the August 7 1993 episode of Superstars (taped July 6) in Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania. Maggs actually has the gall to attack from behind to kick start the match, and he gets to show some fire for twenty second before Doink starts taking him apart. Doink works the leg, before finishing with the Whoopie Cushion at 1:35. Would it have killed him to use the stump puller there? ¼*

Boni Blackstone brings Adam Bomb and Johnny Polo out for an interview, which was taped on July 27 1993 in Plattsburgh New York. Really basic stuff here, just general hype for Bomb, but Polo is a good talker, so it works well enough

Six-Person Tag Team Match: Macho Midget and The Bushwhackers v Little Louie, Blake Beverly, and The Brooklyn Brawler: Oh God, really? From the August 9 1993 episode of RAW (taped July 25) in Alexandria Bay New York. Apparently Beau couldn't even be bothered with this shit, and I can't say that I blame him. Luke starts with the remaining Beverly, and it quickly turns into a 'comedy' match with all the faces literally biting the asses of the heels. The dust settles on the little guys, and Louie overpowers Macho Midget, but Macho causes him to blow-up after a criss cross spot. They continue on with the usual midget match comedy spots, but these with the added bonus of all the standard Bushwhacker comedy spots. Talk about a 'Best Of!' It drags on, until the 'Whackers help Macho up to the top rope, and he flying splashes Brawler for the pin at 6:25. Way too long for what they were going for, and I could easily throw out some negative stars, but I'll be nice. DUD

Shawn Michaels v Glen Ruth: Also from the August 8 episode of Wrestling Challenge. Shawn’s WWF Intercontinental title is not up for grabs here. I never liked that design on white leather, and they went back to that well a lot with it, right up just a few years ago. Shawn with a piledriver at 2:11. Michaels was looking good and energetic this week. ¼*

Gene Okerlund is in the studio with the SummerSlam Report, and they’ve finally updated their graphic of Yokozuna to a new photo with the title belt, as opposed to a crudely photoshopped one

This week’s Mania Trivia is: who did Ted DiBiase defend the Million Dollar Belt against at SummerSlam ‘91. Todd has no clue, and decides to look in the most current issue of WWF Magazine to try and figure it out. I realize that there wasn’t any Google yet in 1993, but would that really be the best way to try and figure it out? Couldn’t he call the guys over at Coliseum Video, or something?

The Heavenly Bodies v Bobby Who and Mike Bucci: From the August 9 episode of RAW. This is the WWF debut of the Bodies, so you can imagine how this is going to go for these two jobbers. And it's just like you'd imagine, as the Bodies casually work them over, and finishes when Jimmy Del Ray moonsaults Bucci at 2:21. The re-recorded commentary (with Jim Ross and Gorilla Monsoon) actually features them discussing Jim Cornette’s feud with the Armstrongs on WWF TV, which is kind of crazy. ¼*

Some kid wanders into the studio, and claims that his favorite wrestler is Virgil, thus winning Trivia by simply saying the name by accident. Todd’s right, that’s clearly bullshit. No one’s favorite wrestler is Virgil. Not even Virgil!

Speaking from the Heart music video. I don’t remember this thing, but I’m sure I must have seen it at some point in my life. And it makes my life better, so I really shouldn’t forget it again

BUExperience: This show is at it’s best when Todd is being goofy and fun, and there wasn’t much of that this week