Saturday, September 4, 1993

WWF Mania (9/4/93)



Host: Todd Pettingill


We are officially in the aftermath of Summerslam and what a disaster it was for Vince McMahon's babyfaces. Jerry Lawler is the undisputed King of The Ring despite a heroic effort from Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels is still the Intercontinental champion after a dud of a match with Mr. Perfect and Yokozuna is still the WWF Champion despite one of the most bizarre endings to a ppv ever. For those that don't know, see the Summerslam 93 write-up. Todd welcomes us in Beetlejuice pants and says he's proud to wear the red, white and blue and Lex Luger did what he'd say he was gonna do. He runs down today's show saying we'll see a Lex Luger video and a Mr. Perfect match. He sends us to "Macho Man" Randy Savage who cuts a promo bouncing back and forth behind a tree. Randy says he's got an interview with Bret "The Hitman" Hart that none other reporter has, whoomp there it is. Yes he legit said that. Todd says he misses Randy in the studio so he does a dead-on impersonation of Randy. After that we send us to our first match.


Match 1

Mr. Perfect vs Duane Gill

Commentators: Jim Ross and Gorilla Monsoon

Ross and Monsoon are doing the overdub for this one even though this is the exact same match from the August 28, 1993 Superstars. Perfect grabs Duane by the face and backs him into the corner before chopping his chest. Duane hits a hiptoss and taunts Perfect only to eat a right hand. Perfect chops Duane in the corner before snapping him and hitting his Perfect neckbreaker. Perfect hits a dropkick as Ross and Monsoon discuss what happened at Summerslam. Duane bails to the apron and Perfect slingshots him back in the ring the hard way. Perfect says now we're gonna see the Perfect Plex. Perfect hits the Perfect Plex for 1..2....3...that's it. Perfect makes short work of Gill.


Time of match: 1:21

Winner: Mr. Perfect by pinfall


After the match we're sent to a WWF merchandise catalog commercial. Ironically they're still selling Hulkamania items, but the problem was the t-shirt designs were kind of lame. It wasn't until a few years later that black t-shirts with print was the way to go. Back to Todd who has Macho Man's hat and he tries to play hackey sack with it. Todd sends us to our next match.



Match 2

Well Dunn (Timothy Well & Steven Dunn) vs Mike Khoury and Scott Amonte

Commentators: Gorilla Monsoon and Jim Ross

This match was from the July 27th show in Plattsburgh but it's the Mania exclusive this week. Dunn starts with Amonte and Dunn gets an armringer but Amonte does a go-behind only to eat an elbow to the head. Almonte shoulderblocks Dunn down bit Steven throws him through the ropes to the outside. Monsoon and Ross says they need a manager as Amonte misses a sunset flip attempt but Well tags in. Well sends Dunn into Amonte in the corner then Well gets in a roundhouse kick. They make frequent tags doing snap suplexes as Well says "What do you think about that?" Well hits a belly to belly suplex as Dunn tags in. A double atomic drop is followed by a double clothesline. They club Khoury off the apron as Dunn sends Amonte in the corner. A charge eats boot and Amonte makes the tag to Khoury who rallies with punches and kicks. Well makes the tag without Khoury seeing it and he runs under Dunn right into a Well lariat. They hit a double DDT and Dunn covers for 1...2....3 that's it. Least Khoury & Amonte got in some offense in this squash but Well Dunn take it. They did need a manager but it wouldn't be Jim Cornette as Gorilla Monsoon insisted.


Time of match: 2:51

Winners: Well Dunn by pinfall


Back to Todd who's production assistant completely ignores him before Todd plugs the Summerslam encore this coming Monday night. This would be the third and final week that Raw would not be on the air due to USA programming so they're going to show the encore that night to make up for it. Todd sends us to that "I'll Be Your Hero" music video from the Lex Express which is once again too late since Lex choked the title match. Back to Todd who says Lex didn't have to be on that bus, he wanted to. Yeah right.....although Todd tries to spin it to saying Lex beat Yokozuna even though he didn't win the title. Promotional consideration paid for by the following: Ico-Pro you've gotta want it! Jurassic Park toys and Street Fighter 2 Turbo featuring the live action Chun-Li.



Match 3

123 Kid vs Brooklyn Brawler

Commentators: Gorilla Monsoon and Jim Ross

Its the exact same match from last week's superstars only with Ross and Monsoon on the overdub. Bell's gone as Ross puts over Kid's valiant effort against IRS at Summerlam as Brawler takes Kid down by the hair. Kid goes for the hammerlock then sends Brawler off the rope into a spinning heel kick. Brawler drops kid with a clothesline and drops him throat first off the top rope. Brawler takes his shirt off and chokes Kid with it before heaving Kid across the ring. Brawler hits a swinging neckbreaker and goes upstairs. Kid slams him off the top before hitting a snap mare. Kid goes to the top and drops a leg before covering for 1..2....3...its over. Kid wins another match albeit against the Brawler. Short and sweet for the Kid who's a regular star now.


Time of match: 1:59

Winner: 123 Kid by pinfall


Back to Todd says nice win for the Kid and sends us to Ludvig Borga. He cuts a promo in front of a burnt down house and says this represents America; its crumbling and means nothing. Borga says what's happening to the decrepit house is going to happen to WWF superstars that get in his way, happy Labor Day. Back to Todd who says happy Labor Day and Borga doesn't know anything. He does speculate what would happen if Borga and Luger would meet. Todd says Bastion Booger is in action next when we return.



Match 4

Bastion Booger vs Phil Apollo

Commenators: Gorilla Monsoon and Jim Ross

This is the exact same match from the August 15th episode of All-American Wrestling also from the July 27th Plattsburgh show. Monsoon says he ate a dozen eclairs from Dunkin Donuts a half hour ago. Booger starts with forearms to the back before sending Apollo off the ropes. Apollo ducks under a clothesline and dropkicks Booger who barely sells it. Booger blocks a second dropkick before landing another forearm to the back. Booger rams Apollo's head into the buckle then sends him off the ropes. Booger hits a clothesline and steps on Phil in the corner. Booger hits a back drop and drops the big leg. Booger goes up to the second rope and splashes Apollo but he tells referee Tim White he's not done yet. Booger hits a right hand but Phil kicks Booger in the gut. Booger rakes Apollo against the middle rope before landing another right hand. Booger sends Apollo off and catches him in a power slam. Booger then takes Apollo on a Trip To The Batcave (that Monsoon calls the Chubby Checker Drop) for 1....2.....3 to win the match. Booger makes quick work of Apollo and establishes himself as a grotesque looking fella.


Time of match: 2:35

Winner: Booger by pinfall


Back to Todd who hilariously mimics Booger's dance still wearing Randy's hat and we finally go to Savage himself who's with Bret Hart. Savage asks what he thinks of Summerslam and Bret says it bothers him that all the guys he beat at King of The Ring and damn near snapping Lawler in half....yet Lawler is the undisputed King. Bret says he's humiliated him, his family and his fans yet he's the winner. Bret says this isn't over yet and the big battle is coming. Bret says he's going to obliterate Jerry Lawler after he's done with him. Randy says Lawler crossed the line talking about family and Bret says his whole family hates Lawler and Bret has a fire inside thinking about him and they're gonna face off one more time, next time there is no way out. Randy and Bret shakes hands as Randy says he doesn't want to be in Lawler's shoes. This was definitely setting up for Survivor Series but that was still 3 months away. Not to go off on a tangent but sometimes having monthly or frequent ppvs is a double edged sword because while it showcases feuds better to have something to build toward every few weeks, a lot of it gets oversaturated and loses its mojo. Nowadays it would be Lawler vs Owen on the September ppv and maybe Bret & Owen vs Doink & Lawler in October but back then you had to wait for the payoff. Back to Todd who says Bret looks mad and says King's Court tomorrow is going to be interesting. Todd sends us to a Smoking Gunns match.



Match 5

The Smoking Gunns (Billy and Bart) vs Barry Hardy and Reno Riggins

Gorilla Monsoon & Jim Ross

Once again we're pilfering a match from last week's Superstars only with Monsoon and Ross on the overdub. Bell's gone as Billy starts with Hardy. Billy yells at the crowd and locks in an arm-ringer. Bart quickly tags in and keeps up the arm-ringer before tagging Billy back in. Bart does a drop-toe hold and Billy delivers a leg-drop to the back of the leg. Billy hits a half-bulldog/half lariat before Bart tags in. Bart tosses Hardy into his corner as Monsoon asks if they've seen the last of the Heavenly Bodies. Ross says no as Riggins tags in. Bart unloads on Riggins and hits a scoop slam as Monsoon puts over the Bodies match at Summerslam. Billy tags in who hits a jumping leg-drop. Ross says we haven't seen the last of James E Cornette and Monsoons says unfortunately that's true. The Gunns hit a double russian leg sweep before Billy hits a powerslam off the ropes. Billy tags in Bart then sends Riggins off the ropes. Billy backdrops Riggins into a piledriver by Bart. Billy takes care of Hardy as Bart covers for 1...2....3 that's it. Kind of hinting at a Bodies vs Gunns showdown in the future by Ross and like I said earlier, in the pre-monthly ppv days tag team feuds had to have something special behind them.


Time of match: 2:18

Winners: Gunns by pinfall


After the commercial break we go right to the main event



Match 6

The Headshrinkers (Samu & Fatu) with Afa vs Virgil and "El Matator" Tito Santana

Commentators: Gorilla Monsoon and Jim Ross

Jesus Christ this match was shown on the last ever Prime Time way back in January plus it was taped last December to boot. They're literally broadcasting a match that aired 8 months earlier, that would have been ridiculous in 1998 yet alone today. Santana's last match was on August 13th so he was technically not even in the company anymore. Anyway the bell rings and the Shrinkers aren't ready yet as they do their ceremonial last rites with Afa. Samu starts with Santana and they lock up to start with Samu throwing Tito backwards. Samu throws Santana down and threatens to hit Virgil but Matatdor hits a series of arm-drags and dropkicks. Santana wants a piece of Afa as Samu confers with Fatu. Santana gets in a side headlock but gets sendoff only to drop Samu with a shoulderblock. Samu leapfrogs Santana but gets caught with an arm-drag. Virgil tags in who comes off the top with a smash to the left arm. Virgil continues to ring the arm but Samu counters with a right hand and a headbutt. Samu misses an elbow drop as Virgil locks in an arm-ringer before tagging Santana. They hit a double elbow smash as Santana goes back to the arm but Samu chops Tito against the ropes. Tito goes for a backdrop but Samu hits a forearm to the back before tagging in Fatu. Fatu misses a falling headbutt and Virgil tags in with left jabs. Virgil uses his agility to evade Fatu and catches him with a crucifix for 1...2...nope. Fatu no-sells the left jabs then hits a back suplex on him. Fatu scoop slams Virgil and chokes away on the ground. Fatu bites the head of Virgil before sending him into a thrust by Samu. Samu tags in and hits a thrust kick before taunting the crowd. Samu bites the nose of Virgil before chopping in the corner before sending Virgil across the ring. Samu misses a splash in the corner and Santana tags in. He rallies with right hands before backdropping Samu. He dropkicks Fatu then backdrops Samu, He goes for the flying forearm but Afa trips him up. Samu clotheslines Santana from behind. Fatu tags in and they execute a double chop. Fatu chokes Tito on the second rope but Santana counters with an uppercut. Virgil gets in the ring and the Shrinkers double team Santana while referee Bill Alfonso shoos Virgil away. Samu clotheslines Fatu by accident and Virgil gets the hot tag. Virgil dropkicks Fatu then Samu. Virgil stomps on their toes and does a double DDT but they no sell it. So he foolishly tries to ram their heads together which they also no-sell. They double headbutt Virgil as Samu tags in Fatu. Fatu hits the top rope splash and covers for 1..2......3 that's it. The Headshrinkers win it as Afa yells at the camera. Jim Ross says they deserve a title shot against the Steiners. Even though the match was essentially almost a year old, their Wrestlemania 9 showdown did show that the two teams looked good. Wouldn't be a bad idea to have the Steiners defend against the Headshrinkers.


Time of match: 9:34

Winners: Headshrinkers by pinfall


Promotional consideration paid for by the following: The Simpsons Bart's Nightmare for Sega Genesis, snap into a Slim Jim, Spiderman & X-Men on Sega Genesis. Back to Todd who spins Savage's hat like a top before sending it back to Savage who is now with a bunch of kids. He signs off the show with the kids and we're done here. They were still showing old matches on Mania but Todd did his best to keep everyone updated without giving away too much since Vince still wanted to sell the encore to Summerslam that coming Monday night. That's how it was done in those days, the week after a PPV was usually a washout because they had to shill the encore. Nowadays with the internet, everyone's seen it anyway. We have three months to Survivor Series so its going to get real house show heavy moving forward. Superstars is literally only a few hours away from this show so I'll see everyone there.

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