Mike Reviews WWF All American Wrestling (3rd July 1994)

Happy Wednesday Everyone!

We’ve got another random TV review this week, as we watch an episode of WWF All American Wrestling from 1994, featuring an exciting Main Event of IRS taking on Doink. We did get All American Wrestling on Sky TV over here in the UK around this time I believe, but I’m not exactly sure what it’s function was. To me it feels like it was more akin to a weekend recap show rather than a main show, but feel free to correct me in the comments if I’m wrong with that.

I can’t actually find the card for this on CageMatch.net, which makes me think that this show kind of just slapped stuff together for airing on syndication and in international markets.

Handling things in the studio for this one are Gorilla Monsoon and Johnny Polo (who would go on to become Raven)

Gorilla and Polo introduce us to the show, where they talk about Paul Bearer being a guest on Shawn Michaels’ interview show, although Polo doesn’t agree with what Bearer was saying. Gorilla says that we’ll have features on Lex Luger and Roddy Piper on the show today.

Match One
The Black Phantom Vs Tatanka

This match is from Wrestling Challenge, with Stan Lane and Ted Dibiase handling the call, which is one heck of a bizarre commentary duo. Phantom is being played by David “Gangrel” Heath here I believe. Gangrel was not only one of my favourite wrestlers in my youth but he’s also an Evertonian as well, so he’s a sound lad all round. Tatanka controls this one for the most part and doesn’t really give Phantom much, which makes it a bit of a boring squash.

Tatanka looks good for the most part though owing to Phantom taking some nice bumps for him. Tatanka was still a babyface here and was feuding with IRS due to Irwin destroying a head dress, but they’d eventually make up later in the summer when Tatanka joined IRS in Ted Dibiase’s faction. Phantom gets a brief bit of offence, but it’s just so that Tatanka can Hulk Up and then make the comeback before finishing with a Samoan Drop for the three count.

WINNER: TATANKA
RATING: SQUASH

Thoughts: kind of a bland squash to be honest, although it wasn’t terrible

Apparently it’s Tatanka Vs Ted Dibiase’s Undertaker on the show next week according to Gorilla and Polo.

Rowdy Roddy Piper’s Bottom Line
Piper thinks some of the older generation are jealous of the younger generation, but Piper is proud of the new generation in the WWF. He also thinks that Ted Dibiase has done very well to get The Undertaker as part of his faction, but he also insults Dibiase for having a weird shaped head. Piper also thinks that Shawn Michaels is a good wrestler, but he dances too much and reminds Piper of Madonna. Shawn Michaels is a material girl in a material world? Noted.

Gorilla and Polo remind us here in the UK about a tour in September, with a big match of Jim Neidhart and Owen Hart against Bret Hart and British Bulldog. I’d buy a ticket for that in 1994. Polo then welcomes Ted Dibiase to the show, leading to Dibiase paying Polo off in order to take Polo’s place on the show. Dibiase brags about acquiring the services of Nikolai Volkoff, Undertaker and Bam Bam Bigelow, and now states that he’s bought his way onto All American Wrestling so that he has a platform to put across his agenda. Sounds like he’s one step away from running for office…

We get some clips from Raw, where Owen Hart and Jim Neidhart appear on Jerry Lawler’s talk show in order to antagonise Bret Hart. They draw some good heat and Owen delivers the goods with the promo.

Back in the studio, Ted Dibiase thinks that Owen Hart can defeat Bret Hart for the WWF Title, and that it’s worth Owen turning on his family if it leads him to the WWF Title.

We get clips from WWF Mania, where a young competition winner called Jason gets to host the show with Todd Pettengill. It looks like he had fun.

Ted Dibiase sends us to a Lex Luger match from Raw, as he’s got plans of acquiring him for his faction.

Match Two
Dave Thornberg Vs Made In The USA Lex Luger

Gorilla Monsoon and Randy Savage are doing the commentary for this. I’m taking a guess that it’s Thornberg playing the role of the enhancement talent here as they don’t actually name him on the broadcast, but Luger did wrestle him on an episode of Raw in June 1994, which means it’s likely that this is the match they are reusing here.

We see that Ted Dibiase is watching Luger wrestle here, as he wants to sign him to his faction, whilst Luger has a pretty meh squash victory over Thornberg. There isn’t really much to Thornberg here, and he wusses out on a Luger clothesline by bumping WAY before Luger can make contact with him. Luger locks in The Human Torture Wrack following that and that’s the submission win.

WINNER: LEX LUGER
RATING: SQUASH

Thoughts: Not much to that one, but it advanced the storyline of teasing Dibiase’s pursuit of Luger, so it served a purpose at least

Dibiase continues to try and make the pitch for Luger to join him back in the studio, but Gorilla doesn’t think that will be on the cards.

We get clips from The Heartbreak Hotel, which was Shawn Michaels’ talk show segment. WWF Intercontinental Champ Diesel is there as the bodyguard, whilst Paul Bearer is the guest on the show. This appears to be taking place on an episode of WWF Superstars. Shawn makes fun of Bearer for seemingly losing The Undertaker as a client to Ted Dibiase. This would of course be revealed to be a ruse on Dibiase’s part, as the real Undertaker returned to have a terrible match with Dibiase’s Undertaker in order to bring the storyline to a merciful end. Bearer says that the real Undertaker is out there and that he’s had some contact with him. What is he, a UFO or something? Some wacky lighting effects signal that Bearer might have a point. This segment wasn’t bad, but it set the table for an all-time awful match between the two Takers, so it was hard to enjoy.

Back in the studio, Dibiase is unmoved by Bearer’s comments.

We get a New Generation hype video, which kind of makes fun of the older generation, but then they show us a classic match, which kind of defeats the purpose of pushing the whole “newer is better” thing.

I’ve reviewed this week’s classic match before so I’ll just post the review below;

Luchas de Apuestas
$15,000 Body Slam Challenge
If Andre loses then he must retire
Big John Studd w/ Bobby “The Brain” Heenan Vs Andre The Giant

Gorilla has said “Holy Mackerel” so much on this show that the words have lost all meaning. So this would fall under Vince McMahon’s favourite brand of pro wrestling, “massive blokes punching each other”. Sadly, Andre’s physical decline had already started by this point so he’s reduced mostly to chops and choking. The fans are behind Andre and loudly chant “slam, slam, slam” but the action in the ring is sluggish and unexciting. Andre methodically wears Studd down with Studd doing very little in response. After a series of leg kicks Andre just walks over and lifts Studd up for the slam to win with little build up or fanfare.

WINNER: ANDRE THE GIANT BY BODY SLAM
RATING: ¼*

Thoughts: Andre just chewed up Studd here with little difficulty, so this was a rubbish match with an anticlimactic ending as consequence. Andre tries to throw the money into the crowd, but Heenan steals the bag from him and then scarpers. So not only was the match lousy but they didn’t even deliver on the stipulations either!

Next week we’ve got the WrestleMania VII blindfold match. Why not show something from that show that was actually GOOD?

Main Event
Irwin R. Schyster Vs Doink The Clown w/ Dink The Clown

Gorilla and Ted Dibiase are handling the call for this one. This will be a competitive match between two stars at least. You may think I’m being generous with that description, but if you’re popular enough to make the roster of one of the Video Games then you’re at least bordering on being a star. Doink shines on IRS to start, and actually looks quite good doing so, getting moves like dropkicks and pinning holds.

IRSE eventually manages to muscle his way into control, getting a back elbow before following up with an Abdominal Stretch (his main rest hold of choice). IRS mostly keeps it simple in the heat with rest holds and strikes until it’s time for Doink to make the comeback, leading to Doink getting a suplex for two. Dink steals IRS’ briefcase at one stage, which leads to Doink getting a chance to pick up the win, but IRS catches him with an Inside Cradle for three.

WINNER: IRS
RATING: **

Thoughts: This was a serviceable competitive TV match between two solid workers. Nothing especially exciting, but it was “perfectly cromulent” as Scott Keith would say

Doink and Dink have booby-trapped IRS’ case, leading to something exploding in his face following the bout, meaning that Doink gets his heat back I suppose.

Gorilla hypes the UK Tour again, including a stop in Hull. I wonder if it was at the Ice Rink.

In Conclusion

Not much to this one, although it was a recap show so it was always going to have a ceiling.

Not a recommended show