WWF Mania (August 21, 1993)

Original Airdate: August 21, 1993

Your Hosts are Todd Pettengill and Randy Savage from the studio

Marty Jannetty v Bastion Booger: From the August 16 1993 episode of Monday Night RAW in Poughkeepsie New York. We get treated to a close-up of Booger eating a WWF ice cream bar before the match, since apparently there is no God. Bell sounds, and Booger calls for a test-of-strength, with Marty game. Booger overpowers him, but Jannetty counters into an armbar, and shoves the bigger man into the corner. He suckers him into a chase, and hits a 2nd rope bodypress for two, then follows with a pair of armdrags. Pair of dropkicks knock Booger out of the ring, so Marty dives after him with a flying axehandle, and then adds a plancha. Go Marty! Jannetty wraps fatty’s arm around the ringpost a couple of times for good measure ('No! That's my eating arm!'), but a whip into the post gets reversed, and Booger avalanches him against it. Inside, Booger backdrops him, as the announcer discuss the notion of him humping Madonna. Sit-down splash hits, but Marty counters the pin attempt into a sunset cradle for the pin at 5:00. Well paced, and filled with effort. *

Gene Okerlund is in the studio with the SummerSlam Report. The card had been set for a while by this point, so just general hype this week. Nothing wrong with that

This week’s Trivia question: Where was SummerSlam 1990 held, and what was the theme? There was a theme? 

Virgil v Barry Hardy: From Utica New York on July 26 1993. They’ve already reduced the Mania Exclusive matches to squashes? Oddly, this has All American Wrestling on the video wall, so maybe this was meant to be on that show. Gorilla Monsoon goes on a rant about how stupid the monkeyflip is as a move, and he’s got a great point, actually. It doesn’t have any impact or purpose. But then, it’s far from the only offender. Virgil with a Russian legsweep at 3:26. Virgil looked very energetic out there, but this went on for too long. ¼*

Ludvig Borga video package

Ludvig Borga v Mike Khoury: From the August 14 episode of Superstars (taped July 26) in Utica. Interestingly, this is the same squash as they pulled all the clips of the video package we just saw from. Lawler makes a joke about how much Lex Luger was sweating during the contract signing with WWF Champion Yokozuna, and my goodness, they all were! That building looked like it probably didn’t have any air conditioning. Borga with a jumping clothesline at 2:07. DUD

SummerSlam Spectacular ad

The Steiner Brothers v Glen Ruth and Mike Bell: Also from the August 14 Superstars. The WWF Tag Team title is not on the line here. Jim Cornette and the Heavenly Bodies split screen in to hype up their title shot at SummerSlam, as they just brush past the final cage match blowoff with Money Inc, and on to the Bodies as the next challengers. Steiner Screwdriver knocks Ruth silly, and the flying bulldog combo finishes at 2:58. ¼*

Boni Blackstone catches up with WWF Champion Yokozuna, and his entourage. Jim Cornette clarifies that he isn’t on Yokozuna’s side because he’s anti-American. He’s just not a xenophobic racist like everyone else is. And this guy is the heel!

Undertaker is hanging out in a graveyard, teasing us with clues about what the Rest in Peace match is, but not actually giving anything up. Too bad he didn’t just disappear afterwards, they could have retroactively made it into a career match

Bam Bam Bigelow v Dan Dubiel: From the August 15 episode of Wrestling Challenge (taped July 27) in Plattsburgh New York. Tatanka and the Smoking Gunns split screen in to cut a lame promo on Bigelow and the Headshrinkers, which Bobby Heenan immediately rips to shreds. Bigelow with the flying headbutt drop at 0:58. Quick and efficient. DUD

Hype video for Yokozuna/Jim Duggan at SummerSlam Spectacular

Jim Duggan music video. This stupid thing is growing on me

The Trivia question answer is Philadelphia Pennsylvania, and apparently the theme was ‘the Heat Returns.’ That wasn’t a theme, just a tagline

Lex Express tour dates ad

BUExperience: This episode kind of sucked. Todd is much better when he’s just bouncing off of the camera and messing with the production crew. He and Savage seem to have chemistry as friends, but they don’t really work as co-hosts.