WWF Mania (June 12, 1993)

 

Original Airdate: June 12, 1993 

Your Host is Todd Pettengill in the studio

Bret Hart v Papa Shango: From Superstars on June 5 (taped May 4) in Worcester, Massachusetts. Hart’s got the all hot pink gear tonight, which was always a great look, maybe even his best. Shango pounds him into the corner right away, and manages a cross corner whip, but a charge misses, and Hart unloads. Rollup, but Papa blocks, so Hart tries criss crossing, but Shango is ready with a sidewalk slam. Hart tries a sunset flip, but Shango blocks, and goes to work on the Hitman. Hart escapes a chinlock, so Papa gives him a backbreaker, and a headbutt drop to the groin. The way Vince is putting Bret over on commentary here, it almost sounds like he was ready to go back to him now that it was obvious the Hulk Hogan experiment wasn’t going to work. Maybe that was the plan, before they decided to do the Lex Luger babyface turn. Hart makes a comeback, and a Russian legsweep gets him two. 2nd rope clothesline gets him another two, but Shango reverses a cross corner whip, and delivers a shoulderbreaker. He looks to add a legdrop, but Hart dodges, and the Sharpshooter ends it at 7:30. Solid enough. *

From Wrestling Challenge, we get Jerry Lawler hosting the King’s Court, with guests Yokozuna and Mr. Fuji. This was just basic hype for Yokozuna’s challenging Hulk Hogan for the WWF Title at King of the Ring

Irwin R. Schyster and Fatu v Rick Steiner and Billy Gunn: From Monday Night RAW on June 7 from New York City. The idea here is that all four men will be competing in an eight-man tag with their respective partners at King of the Ring. IRS tries to tuck some cash into Fatu's tights to make sure he get the job done right, but Fatu doesn't know what money is, and tries to eat it. Cute. Anyway, Fatu starts with Billy Gunn, and tries a suplex, but Billy slips out, and dropkicks him. Swinging neckbreaker gets two, as Headshrinker manager Afa fellates a Randy Savage ice cream bar on the outside. Gunn with an armbar, and he tags Steiner to powerslam Fatu for two. 'Fatu for two' - try saying that ten times fast. Tag to IRS, but Steiner ducks a charge, and the taxman goes flying over the top. Gunn helps him back in for Rick to clothesline, and he goes back to the arm. IRS goes for the tag, but a miscommunication ends with him hitting Fatu, and a brawl is teased on the floor between the two teams - DiBiase able to calm everyone down by offering the Samoan's more of that delicious money to eat. Inside, Steiner gets IRS in a mat-based headlock, but a criss cross ends in Rick getting dumped out to the floor, where DiBiase and Samu double-team him. Inside, the heels cut the ring in half on Steiner, but Fatu misses a pump-splash, and Rick gets the tag. Gunn comes in hot, and we get a four-way brawl in short order, but Billy's barn of fire is put out when IRS whacks him with a clothesline to the back of the head, and pins him at 11:30. Hmm, surprised they didn't do a big brawl no-contest here, actually. Decent match, though - about on par with (and actually longer than) the King of the Ring version. ¾*

Todd gives us a bio on one of the RAW sign girls, which sounds like he’s trying to set her up on a blind date

Gene Okerlund is in the studio for the King of the Ring Report

Tatanka v Mr. Hughes: From New York on May 31. Hughes pounds him down right away, and goes to work. Tatanka manages a sunset flip during a criss cross, but Hughes blocks the cradle. That allows Hughes a ropechoke, but a straddling version misses, and Tatanka makes a comeback. Hughes tries going to the eyes to stop him, but Tatanka is all fired up, and shakes it off. Tatanka with a flying tomahawk chop for two, and a bodyslam sets up an elbowdrop, but Hughes dodges. That leads to a slugfest, and when the referee tries to intervene, both guys smack him away, causing a double disqualification at 6:07. ¼*

We get a second King’s Court - this time a Mania exclusive - where Lawler has Howard Finkel as his guest, and forces him to announce Jerry as the only king of the ring in the WWF

BUExperience: Todd da man.