WWF Mania (September 4, 1993)

 

Original Airdate: September 4, 1993 

Your Hosts are Todd Pettengill and Randy Savage, with Todd in the studio and Randy outside ‘on special assignment.’ Todd immediately says that he’s proud to be an American today, since Lex Luger ‘did what he said he would do’ at SummerSlam

Mr. Perfect v Duane Gill: From Superstars on August 28 (taped July 26) in Utica New York, but with new commentary from Jim Ross and Gorilla Monsoon that discusses the happenings at SummerSlam. Perfect’s tan is pretty out of control this week. Perfect with the Perfectplex at 1:21. DUD

WWF Merchandise Catalog ad

Well Dunn v Mike Khoury and Scott Amonte: From Plattsburgh New York on July 27. Gorilla puts over Well Dunn here, which feels very out of character for him. The banner over the ring is comically large here, a common issue they had during the mid-90s, when they were running these tiny venues, but still using the same banners they did in the basketball arenas. Ross and Monsoon try to sell the SummerSlam encore, which will feature backstage segments, which are ‘the real good stuff,’ apparently. Not exactly a sterling endorsement of the in-ring product. Well Dunn with a tandem DDT at 2:45. DUD

Lex Luger ‘I’ll Be Your Hero’ music video. Todd gives an impassioned speech about how Lex rode a bus, and won the match. “He didn’t get the belt, that’s another story”

1-2-3 Kid v Brooklyn Brawler: From the August 28 Superstars, again with new commentary. They feel each other out a bit to start, with Kid able to dominate by using his speed. He lands a spinheel kick, but a reversal sequence ends in Brawler delivering a short-clothesline. Brawler drops Kid across the top rope, and a swinging neckbreaker looks to set up a dive, but Kid slams him off the top, and uses a snapmare to set up a flying legdrop at 1:58. Not much, but I’m digging that they still have Kid look like an underdog, and not just another ‘superstar’ that goes out and squashes guys. ¼*

Ludvig Borga vignette 

Bastion Booger v Phil Apollo: From Plattsburgh New York on July 27, and aired on the August 15 episode of All American Wrestling. Booger with a sitdown splash at 2:34. DUD

Outside, Savage catches up with Bret Hart, who is fuming about what happened with Jerry Lawler at SummerSlam. It’s hard to believe, considering that Bret already had been in the WWF for eight years, and had won every title (and even headlined a WrestleMania), but this feud with Lawler was his first true blood feud

The Smoking Gunns v Barry Hardy and Reno Riggins: From the August 28 Superstars. The Gunns with a combo at 2:05. The Gunns were energetic out there. ¼*

The Headshrinkers v Tito Santana and Virgil: Going way back in time here to December 14 1992 in Green Bay Wisconsin, and this aired on the January 4 1993 episode of Prime Time Wrestling. Samu starts with Santana, and Tito dominates. Over to Virgil to work some wristlocks, as Ross gets in the ‘full armdrag and twist’ line with relish. The babyfaces continue to work Samu’s arm, until he fights them off, and Virgil is in trouble. Samu misses a corner splash, allowing the hot tag to Tito, and he runs wild. Samu takes a backdrop, and Tito looks for the finish, but Afa trips him up. That allows Samu to nail him from behind, and the Headshrinkers take control on Tito. Fatu tries a backdrop, but Tito blocks, and nearly tags to Virgil, but the idiot comes in before the tag is made, and gets kicked out. The heels double team, but end up miscommunicating, and Virgil gets the hot tag. He runs wild, but stupidly DDTs the Headshrinkers, and gets killed with a flying splash from Fatu at 10:33. No wonder Tito never teamed with this moron again. ¼*

 

Outside, Macho hangs out with a bunch of random kids, who are about to get stitches, because they snitches  

BUExperience: Todd trying to sell Luger as a conquering hero while dressed like 1966 Bob Dylan is pretty incredible. You know, I’d bet that if didn’t try to ram it down our throats so hard, and just gave us straight talk on it, people might not still mock that finish so much even to this day. The presentation was just a mess.