What the World Was Watching: WWF Wrestling Challenge – March 15, 1992

Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan broadcast another episode, taped from West Palm Beach, Florida.

Opening Contest: The Undertaker (w/Paul Bearer) (4-0) pins Scotty Williams after the Tombstone at 2:03:

This is the Undertaker’s first match since turning babyface and he gets a nice pop. In the split screen, the Undertaker and Bearer tell Jake Roberts that he chose to dance with the devil and will face the consequences at WrestleMania. A chokeslam, back suplex, and Tombstone finish Williams as Monsoon and Heenan wonder what Roberts will do to counter the Undertaker in Indianapolis.

Lord Alfred Hayes’ Update segment replays Vince McMahon’s interview with WWF Champion Ric Flair on Superstars.

Skinner (3-2) pins Mickey Jay after the inverted DDT at 1:12:

Monsoon announces that Skinner will face Owen Hart at WrestleMania. Owen does an insert promo that he is soaring to greater heights and Skinner will not obstruct that path. Skinner blows his tobacco chew all over Jay’s face when moving the jobber closer to the ropes and that disorients Jay to the point that he falls victim to the inverted DDT.

A replay of Gene Okerlund’s interview with Randy Savage on Superstars airs.

Non-Title Match: Money Incorporated (WWF Tag Team Champions w/Jimmy Hart) (3-0) defeat Jimmy James & Jim Brunzell when Ted DiBiase makes James submit to the Million Dollar Dream at 2:00:

Before the match, IRS gets on the house mic and tells people that they need to respect the tag team champions. In the split screen, the Natural Disasters say that they are coming to WrestleMania to collect a tag team championship that should be theirs. Brunzell gets the better of DiBiase on a sunset flip sequence but tags in James, who gets beat on for the rest of the match. This time Money Incorporated decides to let DiBiase finish with the Million Dollar Dream rather than releasing it and having IRS do the Write Off.

Shawn Michaels (w/Sensational Sherri) (5-0) pins Danny Kamo after the Teardrop Suplex at 2:24:

Heenan likes Michaels’ new theme song, telling Monsoon and ring announcer Mike McGuirk to shut up so he can hear it. El Matador does an insert promo about how he is going to end Michaels and Sherri’s romance at WrestleMania. Michaels easily rolls through Kamo, using the superkick to set up the Teardrop Suplex. After the bell, Heenan whistles Michaels’ theme song and tells Monsoon that he “has more rhythm than Mowtown.” Michaels and Sherri head for the back when they get into a limousine and McGuirk tells the crowd that Michaels has left the building. An irritated Monsoon screams out “Who cares?”

Okerlund moderates a segment between Intercontinental Champion Roddy Piper and Bret Hart. Piper is not wearing his kilt, saying that he is not showing up to fight. He invites Bret to sit on the interview podium and says he remembers when Bret was a kid. Piper says he does not want to fight Bret in the Hoosier Dome but Bret tells Piper if he does not show up then Bret will be the new Intercontinental champion via forfeit. That gets Piper upset as he stands up and offers his hand to Bret, saying if Bret shakes it that Piper will do whatever it takes to beat him. Bret shakes Piper’s hand and as he walks off, Piper feigns going to hit him with the Intercontinental Championship Belt, telling a stunned Bret that he would have had him had he chosen to follow through. This segment had an awkward beginning but once it got down to business it did a good job setting the storyline for the anticipated WrestleMania match between these two.

Okerlund does the WrestleMania VIII Report. Jake Roberts says he did not hit the Undertaker in the head with a chair at the Funeral Parlor because he wants to save that for the big show. He goes back to his baby seal analogy and the need to get the job done.

Tatanka (6-0) defeats Kato (0-6) after the Samoan drop at 1:06:

This is the second time these two have faced off as Tatanka beat Kato on the February 17 edition of Prime Time Wrestling. Tatanka checkmates his opponent three minutes quicker than they last time they faced off, no selling a Kato superkick and going into his finishing sequence. As this happens, Rick Martel does an insert promo saying that Tatanka will remember “Wounded Head, Broken Back.”

Tune in next week to see the Big Bossman, Sid Justice, and Bret Hart in action!

The Last Word: The Roddy Piper-Bret Hart segment gives much needed direction for their WrestleMania encounter and all of those appearing at WrestleMania were put over in a big way on today’s show, wrestling quick squash matches. The WrestleMania card should be complete as it is tough to think of any other matchups that could be added with the talent available.

After holding another round of Superstars and Wrestling Challenge tapings, the WWF held a set of house shows throughout the South and West Coast. Here are the results of those shows, courtesy of thehistoryofwwe.com:

Baton Rouge, Louisiana – Riverside Centroplex – March 11, 1992 (2,900): Blake Beverly pinned Koko B. Ware when Beau held down Ware’s leg during a cover at 11:09…Tatanka pinned Kato at 10:00…Owen Hart beat Beau Beverly at 10:00…The Natural Disasters defeated Hacksaw Jim Duggan & Sergeant Slaughter via disqualification when Duggan was caught using a 2×4 on Typhoon at 7:00…El Matador pinned the Warlord (substituting for Ted DiBiase) with a roll up at 6:00…Shawn Michaels pinned Jim Powers at 13:00…Intercontinental Champion Roddy Piper beat WWF Champion Ric Flair in a non-title, steel cage match at 8:00.

Miami, Florida – Miami Arena – March 15, 1992 (4,000; matinee): The Genius pinned Jim Powers after using the tights for leverage…The Natural Disasters defeated Hacksaw Jim Duggan & Sergeant Slaughter via disqualification when Duggan was caught using a 2×4 on Typhoon…Owen Hart pinned Beau Beverly after heel miscommunication between Beau and Blake…Shawn Michaels (substituting for Ted DiBiase) defeated El Matador via count out…Blake Beverly pinned Koko B. Ware after Beau tripped Koko. Afterward, the Beverlys double teamed Koko until Jim Powers made the save…Tatanka pinned Kato…Randy Savage pinned Jake Roberts in a steel cage match.

San Diego, California – The Sports Arena – March 15, 1992 (5,800): The British Bulldog pinned Rick Martel…The Warlord beat Chris Walker…Repo Man pinned Virgil…Irwin R. Schyster defeated Jim Brunzell….Crush pinned Skinner…Bret Hart & the Bushwhackers defeated the Mountie & the Nasty Boys…Hulk Hogan & Roddy Piper beat Ric Flair & Sid Justice when Hogan pinned Flair.

Backstage News*: Th New York Post, The San Diego Union-Tribune, The Los Angeles Times, ESPN SportsCenter, and The Village Voice all ran stories over the past week on drug abuse, steroids, and sex scandals surrounding the WWF. The stories focused on former ring boys Tom Cole and Chris Loss who have alleged that the WWF turned a blind eye to the exploitation of and abuse of minors by WWF personnel during the late 1980s and early 1990. The Los Angeles Times story carried words of Barry Orton and Billy Jack Haynes alleging Hulk Hogan’s use of cocaine. Vince McMahon went on Larry King Live on March 13 to diffuse some of the negative press and reviews of his performance were mixed. Even though Orton came off poorly on the show, he took a lie detector test concerning his recent allegations against Pat Patterson and Terry Garvin and passed.

-The scandals have not hurt the WWF’s box office appeal overseas as all but one of its European tour dates after WrestleMania are reportedly sold out.

-In talent relations news, Hogan has reportedly signed a $600,000 contract to do six events for New Japan and that will be all of the wrestling he plans to do following WrestleMania as he is tired of the bad publicity surrounding him. Jake Roberts is not expected back after WrestleMania and was backstage at a recent WCW taping at Center Stage in Atlanta. Roddy Piper is now expected to remain as a television personality and revive Piper’s Pit as an interview segment. Piper will not be working any house shows. There were also some brief rumors about Randy Savage leaving after WrestleMania but that chatter has died down.

*Backstage news is courtesy of Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer for March 23.

Up Next: Prime Time Wrestling for March 16!