What the World Was Watching: WWF Wrestling Challenge – March 8, 1992

Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan call the action, starting a new taping cycle in West Palm Beach, Florida. According to thehistoryofwwe.com, the show took place on February 18 and drew a sellout crowd of 5,000 fans.

Since Wrestling Challenge aired in some markets the day before Superstars, Heenan laughs and talks about how a woman he knows needs to get a divorce attorney.

Opening Contest: Hacksaw Jim Duggan & Sergeant Slaughter (7-0) beat Brian Costello & Paul Samson when Duggan pins Samson after the three-point stance clothesline at 1:23:

Monsoon talks about Ted DiBiase and Irwin R. Schyster’s title defense at WrestleMania against the Natural Disasters throughout the squash, never bringing it back around to how that is relevant to Duggan and Slaughter. Slaughter slams Costello into the jobber corner so that Samson can be tagged in and then he whips Samson into Duggan’s finisher to keep his team unbeaten.

Lord Alfred Hayes’ Special Report segment recaps Ric Flair’s claims about Elizabeth on Superstars.

The Berzerker (w/Mr. Fuji) (4-2) beats Scotty Williams via count out at 2:38:

Williams was a Boris Malenko trainee who had been working in an enhancement role for the WWF since 1990.

Monsoon tells Heenan that one photograph of Flair and Elizabeth means nothing. Heenan responds by saying that more photographs of the two will be released in the weeks ahead. When it comes to the match, Monsoon says that the Berzerker will face the British Bulldog at WrestleMania. The Bulldog does an insert promo about how he is going to cut the Berzerker down to size in the Hoosier Dome. The Berzerker floors Williams with a few big boots and then tosses him to the floor for yet another count out win.

El Matador (7-0) pins Jay Cooper after El Paso Del Muerte at 2:14:

Shawn Michaels and Sensational Sherri does an insert promo where he goes back to prior talking points of El Matador putting his relatives in a Chevy and bringing them to the Hoosier Dome so that they can see him do a “Mexican hat dance” around him. As Monsoon and Heenan continue to talk about the Ric Flair-Elizabeth photographs, El Matador cruises to victory without much fanfare.

A replay of last week’s Funeral Parlor segment on Superstars between Jake Roberts and the Undertaker airs.

Okerlund interviews Roberts, who gives a dark promo about how he would win an Olympic gold medal if clubbing seals was a sport. He says that he walks with Satan and will crush the Undertaker’s skull at WrestleMania, allowing him to cremate the Undertaker and Paul Bearer afterward and send them to hell.

The Natural Disasters (4-0) beat Bob & Brad Avery when Earthquake pins Brad after the Earthquake Splash at 2:57:

In the split screen, WWF Tag Team Champions Ted DiBiase and Irwin R. Schyster along with Jimmy Hart talk about how the Disasters will not take their money or titles at WrestleMania. The crowd reacts well to the Disasters first entrance as babyfaces but they do not do a lot of crowd-pleasing spots. Earthquake lapses back into heelish behavior by picking up one of the Avery’s after a few elbow drops so he can inflict more punishment. After winning, Typhoon screams into the camera that the Disasters are going to break DiBiase and IRS in half.

Okerlund does the WrestleMania VIII Report. Sid Justice, with Harvey Wippleman, puts himself over as an opponent that Hulk Hogan has never faced because he rules the world. The Undertaker and Paul Bearer tell Jake Roberts that the price for betraying them will be the largest funeral ever witnessed.

Rick Martel (5-1-1) beats Lee Thomas via submission to the Boston Crab at 2:28:

Monsoon announces that Martel will face Tatanka at WrestleMania. Tatanka does an insert promo about how he is proud to be the first Native American to compete at the pay-per-view and is gunning for Martel because Martel has been making fun of Native Americans. Martel stun guns Thomas and then works the knee to set up the Boston Crab.

Tune in next week to see Shawn Michaels, WWF Tag Team Champions Ted DiBiase & Irwin R. Schyster, and the Undertaker in action! Also, there will be a special interview with Intercontinental Champion Roddy Piper and Bret Hart! And there will also be a special interview with Randy Savage!

The Last Word: There were two new midcard bouts added to the WrestleMania card that might get more build in the coming weeks. The British Bulldog and the Berzerker just had a match several weeks ago on Prime Time Wrestling so that is not a unique clash but it likely exists to enhance the Bulldog’s role as a power wrestler. Tatanka getting a prominent match so early in his run illustrates that the WWF has high hopes for him and a feud with a veteran like Rick Martel should help his ring work.

Here is a summary of the WWF’s house show action for the first week of March, courtesy of thehistoryofwwe.com:

Hammond, Indiana – Hammond Civic Center – March 6, 1992 (5,500): WWF Champion Ric Flair did not appear and refunds were offered through the second match to fans. Tatanka pinned Skinner…Repo Man beat J.W. Storm…El Matador pinned Ted DiBiase…The Bushwhackers (substituting for Legion of Doom) beat the Nasty Boys when Luke pinned Brian Knobbs…Shawn Michaels pinned Jim Powers after the Teardrop Suplex…Intercontinental Champion Roddy Piper defeated the Mountie (substituting for Ric Flair) with a sleeper hold…Tatanka won a 14-man battle royal, last eliminating Brian Knobbs. The battle royal’s order of elimination was J.W. Storm, the Mountie, Skinner, Repo Man, Bret Hart, Butch, Shawn Michaels, Ted DiBiase, Jim Powers, Luke, El Matador, Jerry Sags, and Knobbs.

Oshkosh, Wisconsin – Kolf Sports Center – March 6, 1992 (4,500): The Berzerker defeated Tom Stone (substituting for the British Bulldog)…Rick Martel pinned Del Wilkes (substituting for Marty Jannetty)…Crush & Jim Brunzell (substituting for the New Foundation) defeated the Beverly Brothers…The Natural Disasters beat Hacksaw Jim Duggan & Sergeant Slaughter via disqualification…Irwin R. Schyster pinned Virgil…Randy Savage defeated Jake Roberts in a steel cage match.

Chicago, Illinois – Rosemont Horizon – March 7, 1992 (7,500; matinee): Tatanka pinned Skinner after a Samoan drop…Shawn Michaels pinned Jim Powers after the Teardrop Suplex…El Matador pinned Ted DiBiase with a small package…Bret Hart & the Bushwhackers beat the Mountie & the Nasty Boys when Bret pinned the Mountie after reversing a roll up…The Warlord pinned J.W. Storm after a running powerslam…The Big Bossman pinned Repo Man with a roll up…Hulk Hogan & Roddy Piper defeated Ric Flair & Sid Justice when Hogan pinned Flair after a clothesline.

Nashville, Tennessee – Municipal Auditorium – March 8, 1992 (4,000; matinee): Del Wilkes pinned Kato at 9:47. Ring ropes broke during the match and had to be replaced, prompting a Mike McGuirk interview with Jimmy Hart afterward…El Matador pinned Ted DiBiase in 12:24…The Natural Disasters beat Hacksaw Jim Duggan & Sergeant Slaughter via disqualification when Duggan was caught using a 2×4 on Typhoon at 3:56…Hulk Hogan defeated WWF Champion Ric Flair via count out at 11:07. Flair originally won with the Flair pin but another referee came out and overruled the decision…Repo Man pinned Virgil at 6:50…The Undertaker pinned the Berzerker after the Tombstone at 4:46…Intercontinental Champion Roddy Piper (substituting for the British Bulldog) pinned Rick Martel after breaking Martel’s Arrogance can when he tried to use it as a weapon at 7:17.

Backstage News*: WWF Vice President of Talent Relations Pat Patterson and booking assistant Terry Garvin resigned on Monday after accusations of sexual misconduct were levied against them by two ring attendants, former WWF front office employee Murray Hodgkins, and former enhancement talent Barry Orton. Both deny the charges and so does Vince McMahon, who says that Hodgkins is mentally unstable and all accusations are unfounded. Ring announcer Mel Phillips has also been suspended, which is believed to be linked to the accusations of sexual misconduct. Hodgkins filed a lawsuit two weeks ago in Connecticut alleging wrongful termination. Additionally, the WWF could be facing a lawsuit alleging that male WWF employees sexually harassed and abused underage boys who worked as ringboys in the 1980s. If this is filed, the WWF risks being dropped by merchandisers and advertisers and merchandise is currently half of the company’s revenue. It could also put the WWF’s television contracts in jeopardy and cast a dark shadow over the entire professional wrestling industry in the United States.

-In terms of the ongoing steroid scandal, McMahon said that he told Hulk Hogan to tell the truth on The Arsenio Hall Show last year and believes now that Hogan did not tell the full truth on the program. McMahon also stated that the WWF’s steroid and drug policy is better than the International Olympic Committee and National Football League.

-The blowback over steroids has forced McMahon to also implement a steroid testing policy for the WBF as stars have been informed they will have five blood and urine tests prior to the next WBF Championship on June 13 in Long Beach, California. This crackdown has allegedly cost the WBF the participation of Lou Ferrigno, who the WWF was hoping to use as a special guest referee for Hulk Hogan and Sid Justice at WrestleMania.

-Former WWF wrestler Billy Jack Haynes has recently joined those who have talked about steroids, drugs, and sexual abuse in the WWF, angry about a rib Patterson played on him several weeks ago where Haynes was told he could come to television tapings in Lubbock and Amarillo, Texas and was then told by McMahon that he could not get a tryout match. Haynes alleges that he injected Hulk Hogan with steroids multiple times.

-McMahon and Dr. Anthony Daly, who oversees the WWF’s steroid testing, recently admitted that half of the wrestlers tested on November 13 in New Haven, Connecticut failed. According to McMahon and Daly, Hogan passed all four steroid tests that he has been given.

-The news program 20/20 is preparing a big piece on the WWF but may push it back in light of recent allegations. The WWF reportedly demanded a live McMahon interview with Barbara Walters after the piece aired as a condition of their cooperation. ABC is likely to reject that.

-The WWF plans for WrestleMania to last less than three hours because McMahon thinks past editions have gone too long. Ticket sales continue to move slowly as only 30,000ish tickets have been purchased for the 72,500-seat venue. The WWF could cut the number of available seats, though, to reduce a public relations headache of the show not selling well.

-The WWF should be returning to the Meadowlands soon as WCW is running its last show there on March 31. The arena has decided due to the poor draws of WCW shows to throw it lots back in with the WWF, who boycotted the venue after Meadowlands ownership decided to allow WCW events.

-It took 17 takes for Ric Flair to do the segment that aired on Superstars to set up his feud with Randy Savage for WrestleMania VIII.

-In terms of injuries, Ted DiBiase has a bad back and did not work recent television tapings.

-In talent relations news, J.J. Dillon will replace Patterson in the front office. The WWF has also hired Dr. Mauro DiPasquale to upgrade the company’s steroid testing program since he is deemed an expert on steroids in North America and ways to beat testing systems. It is expected that Hogan and Roddy Piper will be doing their last U.S. appearances for the time being at WrestleMania as well as both look for more Hollywood and television opportunities. The Legion of Doom will be returning after WrestleMania. The WWF gave tryouts recently to the Samoan SWAT Team (Fatu & Samoan Savage) and the Maulers (Rip Morgan & Jack Victory) to bolster the tag team division.

*Backstage news provided courtesy of Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer for March 9 and 16.

Up Next: Prime Time Wrestling for March 9!