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The Complete June 1993 Feature Match Extravaganza!

by Scrooge McSuck

- Last time, we finished up with the King of the Ring Qualifying Matches, giving us a Quarter-Finals of Bret vs. Razor, Perfect vs. Hughes, Duggan vs. Bam Bam, and Tatanka vs. Luger. Elsewhere, Marty Jannetty shocked the world by defeating Shawn Michaels for the Intercontinental Championship. Luna Vachon and Sensational Sherri still hate each other, and Mr. Hughes crushed the dreams of Kamala and the Reverend Slick by aligning himself with Harvey Wippleman. Not bad for what was roughly two weeks worth of television. The King of the Ring is only a couple of weeks away, so let's see if there's any earth-shattering moments to relive...

"El Matador" Tito Santana vs. Headshrinker Fatu (w/ Afa):

An EXCLUSIVE from the June 5th, 1993 episode of WWF Mania, with Jim Ross and Gorilla Monsoon calling the action. Thank God, no more Bruce Prichard! Weird match, considering Santana's been an afterthought for so long, and he's fighting half of a team that's been featured in a semi-prominent role (unlike the Beverly Brothers). Monsoon actually references Santana losing the IC Title to Randy Savage in Boston. Doesn't mention it was SEVEN years ago. Lockup, and Fatu quickly goes to work on the arm. Whip, Santana ducks a clothesline and comes off the ropes with a body press. Santana with a pair of dropkicks, sending Fatu to the floor. Back inside, Santana works the arm. Fatu tries to escape with a slam, but Santana rolls through with the hold still applied. Santana with a hip toss and dropkick, once again sending Fatu out of the ring. Fatu no-sells a head shot and connects with a crescent kick. Whip to the ropes and Fatu connects with a clothesline. Fatu with a back breaker, but misses a headbutt from the second rope. Santana with a slam, fist to the midsection, and running knee lift. Santana signals for the finish and hits the Paso del Muerte, but Samu runs in for the Disqualification at 5:13. They work him over with a series of double headbutts, but Santana eventually clears the ring. ** Surprisingly good match, although there's no need for such a bull-crap finish with a JTTS and one-half of the second-tier heel tag team.

Bret "Hitman" Hart vs. Papa Shango:

From the June 5th, 1993 episode of Superstars, with Vince, Macho Man, and The King calling the action. Pretty sure this is our first "feature" with Bret Hart since before WrestleMania IX. It's a nice warm up for his upcoming participation at the inaugural King of the Ring PPV. Don't expect much in quality, though. Lockup to the corner, and Shango puts the boots to him. Whip across the ring, Shango misses a charge. Bret slips out of a slam attempt, but runs into a side slam. I'm programmed into calling it a Side Suplex (Dino Bravo's finisher), but it's really more of a slam. Shango chews on Bret like Canadian Bacon and continues choking. Whip, and Bret with a surprise sunset flip for two. We come back from commercial with Shango working a chinlock. Bret fights back and is quickly put down with a back breaker. Shango with choking and punching. Jerry Lawler's commentary seems to take acception to Bret Hart being given preferential treatment. Bret comes back with a dropkick, followed by an inverted atomic drop. He takes Shango down with the leg sweep for two. Second rope clothesline gets two. Shango hits his signature Shoulder Breaker, but goes for and misses a leg drop. Bret with the Sharpshooter, and it's over at 6:42. 1/2* Not even "one of the all time greats" (Vince's words during the match) could carry Shango to a good match. I've seen three examples now of Bret and Shango stinking up a ring (mostly Shango's fault since he was in control of 90% of the match).

Crush vs. Razor Ramon:

From the June 6th, 1993 episode of All-American Wrestling. Fairly high profile for an All-American feature, although you can argue Crush hasn't won a meaningful match in ever, and Ramon is riding a wave of humiliation thanks to his loss to "The Kid" a few weeks ago on Monday Night Raw. Ross and Gorilla on commentary. Shoving match to start, with Crush sending Razor to the floor. The crowd taunts him with chants of "1-2-3." Ramon tries to slap on a Full Nelson, but he can't lock the fingers. Ramon can't escape Crush's attempt, and casually hooks the ropes with his legs, so Crush drops him on his head. Holy crap, is there a lot of stalling. Crush works Ramon over in the corner until missing a charge. Ramon takes him down with a bulldog and puts the boots to the Original Hawaiian Punch™. Ramon with the abdominal stretch, and yes, he uses the ropes for leverage. Ramon cuts off a comeback attempt and slaps on a lazy single-leg Crab. We take a break and come back with Crush mounting his true comeback, including a press slam and leg drop. He goes for the Cranium Crunch, but Ramon boots him in the face before it could be fully applied. Ramon with a back suplex, and he signals for the end. He hits the Razor's Edge, but takes too long to cover and Crush kicks out at two! Crush with a crescent kick, knocking Razor to the floor. They prevent each other from entering the ring, so it's a lame Double Count-Out at 9:40. * Long and dull. I'm still shocked they let Crush kick out of a finisher that's been a guarante for victory.

- On the June 6th card held at the Knickerbocker Arena in Albany, NY, Shawn Michaels defeated Marty Jannetty to regain the Intercontinental Championship. Notable other than the Title change (which, to my knowledge, doesn't exist on tape), is the debut of a new "Bodyguard" for Michaels, who went nameless for a few weeks before being given the name "Diesel." It's Kevin Nash, formerly a Master Blaster, Oz, and Vinnie Vegas in WCW. The August 1993 issues of WWF Magazine actually has a decent article in the "News Beat Hot Off The Press" section that usually covers late developing angles. I never understood why they didn't do a rematch at King of the Ring instead of Crush, but I guess they either didn't want to upstage Bret Hart's performance in the Tournament, or lost faith in them on PPV after their "disappointing" performance at the Royal Rumble.

"El Matador" Tito Santana vs. Adam Bomb (w/ Johnny Polo):

From the June 7th, 1993 episode of Monday Night Raw, with the usual trio at ringside calling the action. I have a feeling Santana won't have the same luck with Adam Bomb that he had with Fatu earlier in the week (as in winning the match, regardless how). I always liked the Adam Bomb gimmick, but having Johnny Polo, or anyone for that matter, as his manager just seemed out of place. We have a Vladimir siting, by the way. Typical for the Raw's at the Manhattan Center, but gone mostly ignored in these compilations. Santana starts by going to work on the left arm. Bomb pounds away and takes Santana over with a powerslam. He misses an elbow drop, allowing Tito to go back to working the arm. Santana with a nice arm drag and applies an armbar. Sunset flip gets two. Bomb nails Santana with an uppercut to take control. Things slow down with Bomb doing little of note. Santana offers a comeback and comes out of nowhere with the Flying Forearm, but Bomb kicks out at two! Santana with a dropkick, but a roll up is blocked, and Bomb finishes him with a slingshot clothesline at 5:33. * Going by the old formula of beating Tito Santana and Virgil (the new Koko B. Ware, and not because both are black), Adam Bomb should be challenging for the WWF Championship within the next few weeks.

Billy Gunn & Rick Steiner vs. Irwin R. Schyster & Fatu:

Also from the June 7th Raw, and yes, the partners of each man is also at ringside, which means we'll end up with a cluster of a finish. Samu and Afa are eating WWF Ice Cream Bars, no doubt making a young CM Punk jealous. Odd note: The Gunns are introduced as Cousins. Either the ring announcer messed up, or they changed their mind with how they wanted their relationship portrayed. Things take forever to get going. Fatu starts pounding away on Gunn. Thy do a nice sequence with Gunn gaining the upper hand. Steiner tags in and resumes working the arm. Criss-cross ends with Steiner connecting with a powerslam. Fatu catches him in the corner with an elbow and drops him with a clothesline. I.R.S. tags in, and quickly gets sent to the floor. Steinerline gets two. We get heel miscommunication as we go to a commercial break. Dibiase whipped out a wad of cash to keep the Headshrinkers under control, who choose to try and eat it. Back in the ring, Steiner has a side headlock applied to I.R.S. Steiner ends up playing the face-in-peril, although little of note takes place. Gunn gets the hot tag and unloads on everything walking. During all the chaos, Irwin nails him from behind with a clothesline, and covers for three at 9:00. *1/2 I never see the point in putting two halves of two different teams together against a combination of the same formula and hoping it leads to a good match.

Tatanka vs. Mr. Hughes:

An EXCLUSIVE from the June 12th, 1993 episode of WWF Mania, but taped from the Manhattan Center. No Wippleman in the corner of Hughes. Ross and Monsoon put over both of their matches in the Quarter-Finals of the King of the Ring Tournament, so we can expect a lame finish since both men are undefeated. Tatanka goes to the arm early. Hughes escapes, yanks Tatanka down by the hair, and SLOWLY puts the boots to him. Whip to the corner, with velocity™. Snapmare and chinlock to slow things down even more. This match stinks enough that Ross and Gorilla start talking about the entire first round of the King of the Ring Tournament. Tatanka tries a sunset flip, but Hughes counters. Hughes crotches himself trying to drop across the back of Tatanka. It's comeback time, complete with the War Dance. Hughes sells the chops poorly. Tatanka with a slam, and he has to wait forever for Hughes to get into place for the chop from the top rope. Tatanka with a botched slam, and an elbow misses. They slug it out and both end up pushing the referee around, so it's a shitty Double Disqualification at 6:15. I never realized how many times Tatanka had inconclusive finishes to his matches. So much for his undefeated streak. -* Yeah, this wasn't good. Wasn't short enough, either.

The Smoking Gunns vs. Money Inc. (Tag Team Champions):

(Billy & Bart Gunn vs. Ted Dibiase & Irwin R. Schyster)
Non-Title Match, from the June 13th, 1993 episode of Wrestling Challenge, with Jim Ross and Heenan calling the action. The Gunns will team with the Steiners and Money Inc. teams with the Headshrinkers at the King of the Ring PPV... later in the day. Or tomorrow, depending on where you live. I always got Challenge Sunday's at noon, but I know some areas aired it on Saturday. Dibiase and Billy lockup into the corner. Dibiase unloads with rights and lefts. Billy reverses a whip, takes him over with a back drop, and a pair of dropkicks and clotheslines clear the ring of Money Inc. We come back from commercial, with I.R.S. tagging in. The Gunn's take turn working the left arm. I.R.S. tries to escape, but his tie prevents him. Billy and Bart clear the ring for a second time, but the crowd heat is definitely piped in. Back inside, a criss-cross ends with Bart being tossed to the floor. Dibiase with a clothesline, followed by choking. I.R.S. with a slam, but a trip from the top doesn't go exactly as planned. Billy gets the hot tag and goes to work on Dibiase. Clothesline and elbow drop gets two. All four men brawl, and during the confusion, I.R.S. trips Billy up from the floor, and Dibiase rolls him up for three at 6:31. I'm surprised we got a real finish, but then again, the Gunns were only a month into their tenure and already doing pinfall jobs to the Champions? ** Nothing terribly exciting, but this was some decent action considering it was probably in the tail-end of a long taping.

The Steiner Brothers & Tatanka vs. Money Inc. & Doink (the Clown):

From the June 13th, 1993 episode of All-American Wrestling, and yes, it's an All-American EXCLUSIVE! This is being held under 2 out of 3 Falls Rules, something you didn't see very often in the WWF at this point. I don't get the random pairing of Doink with Money Inc. and Tatanka with the Steiners, but this is All-American, so nobody was watching it, anyway. Fall #1: Everyone brawls to kick things off. Dibiase sets up for a piledriver on Rick, but Scott comes off the top with a clothesline, and Rick covers for the three count at the 33-second mark. Really?! What is this, the Survivor Series?!

Fall #2: We return from a commercial break with Tatanka working the arm of Dibiase. Rick and Scott make an illegal switch while working the left arm. Criss-cross, and Dibiase with a knee to the midsection of Rick. I.R.S. tags in, misses an elbow drop. Whip is reversed, and I.R.S. wisely rolls to the floor. Rick gives chase, rolls back in the ring, and grabs Rotundo by the tie. Doink with a cheap shot behind the back of the referee, making Rick Steiner the Dogface Gremlin-in-Peril. Doink mocks Rick's barking and drops ass across the chest. Doink with a double axehandle from the second rope. He dumps Rick to the floor, where Doink and Irwin get some cheap shots in. They do a fake hot tag spot, and Rick continues taking a beating. Doink with an elbow drop from the top for two. Dibiase and Doink with a double clothesline. Dibiase with a brutal piledriver for three at 6:46 (timed from the first bell).

Fall #3: Dibiase and Irwin continue working Rick Steiner over. Irwin with an elbow drop for two. Doink goes for the piledriver, but this time Rick counters with a back drop. Whip to the ropes and Rick comes bouncing back with a diving clothesline. Scott gets the hot tag and goes to work on Dibiase. Clotheslines to all three opponents! Rick Steiner and Tatanka come in to clean house. Tatanka and Doink take it to the floor as the Steiners and Money Inc. continue to confuse the referee. During the melee, Rick plants Dibiase with the Powerslam, and it's good for the three count at 9:09, despite Scott being the legal man for their team. **1/4 Seemed like this was all Money Inc. and Doink vs. Rick Steiner, with minimal work from Scott Steiner, and Tatanka never being legally involved in the match! What was here was decent, or would've made for a solid portion of a longer match with some more action.

King Of The Ring ’93 Quick Hits:

King of The Ring Tournament – The show might as well have been called the Bret Hart Show, as he worked three lengthy matches, against varying opponents, and a different style each time out. He opened the PPV with a solid outing against Razor Ramon that was a condensed version of their Rumble ’93 Match (***), then worked a lost Classic with Mr. Perfect in the Semi-Finals (****1/2 and a solid MOTY Candidate), and finally a great David vs. Goliath Match against a fresh Bam Bam Bigelow in the Finals (***3/4). Capping the night off was a vicious attack at the hands of Jerry “The King” Lawler, setting up one of Bret’s hottest angles without a Championship on the line. Elsewhere in the Tournament, Tatanka and Lex Luger preserved their “unbeaten” records with a boring Time Limit Draw, Mr. Hughes was protected in a DQ loss to Mr. Perfect, and Bam Bam Bigelow crushed Jim Duggan. None of the three matches topped 1-star.

WWF Championship Match – After winning the WWF Championship at WrestleMania IX, Hulk Hogan went on to make zero appearances on Monday Night Raw, and only appeared on the weekend syndicated shows in the form of taped interviews from the set of some terrible movie he was making. While he worked a select handful of live events, the numbers were mostly down, and instantly wanted out to keep his stock up, both for potential movie roles, or if any competition wanted to offer better money. What we got was another sub-par match (*1/2) featuring a pretty lame finish where Hogan was making his comeback, only for a masked cameraman to hop on the apron and shoot a fireball into his face. The only truly noteworthy happening, or non-happening in this case, was Hogan’s unsuccessful attempts at slamming Yokozuna.

The Rest – A sub-par Intercontinental Title Match between Shawn Michaels and Crush (*1/2) featuring yet another appearance from Doink to cost Crush the match, and an Eight-Man Tag Team Match between the Steiners and Smoking Gunns against Money Inc. and Headshrinkers that was rushed and featured minimal work from the Steiners (3/4*). Fun tidbit: WWF Magazine excluded the latter match from the coverage in the September ’93 issue.

Marty Jannetty vs. Doink (the Clown):

From the June 14th, 1993 episode of Monday Night Raw, with the usual trio. You could say this marked the first day of a truly Hulk Hogan-less WWF, as he was completely erased from existance after this episode of Raw. Doink was kind of in limbo with Crush, while Jannetty just kind of fell into undercard/JTTS status, depending on the day of the week and how pissed off Vince was at him. Doink comes to ringside, crawls under the ring, and comes back out wearing a jacket. SHENANIGANS! Doink boots Jannetty across the face before the bell. A series of reversals leads to Jannetty planting Doink with a bulldog and going to work on the arm. We come back from a commercial (anyone have any A&W Cream Soda?), with Jannetty connecting with a dropkick and going back to the arm. Doink uses the tights to throw Jannetty to the floor. Jannetty pops right back up and comes back in with body press for two. Criss-cross, and Doink plants him with a powerslam. Doink drops an elbow and hooks a crossface chicken-wing! Doink with another slam, followed by the top rope butt splash (at times called the Whoopie Cushion), but it only gets two. Doink with a modified hangman choke and a neck breaker for another two count. Doink to the top, but this time Jannetty slams him off. Whip to the ropes and Jannetty with a diving elbow. Dropkick and a suplex for two. Whip is reversed, Jannetty slams Doink face-first to the canvas for two. They take a nasty spill over the top rope, to the floor. They slug it out, Jannetty with an atomic drop, crescent kick, and hurricanrana, but during the wild finish, it's a Double Count-Out at 10:47. **3/4 Decent action and Doink was once again very impressive with his no-nonsense wrestling abilities. The weak finish killed any chance of building to a hot finish.

- Speaking of tag team wrestling... the Tag Team Championships changed hands not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES in the span of one week. The Steiners won them on June 14th in Columbus, OH (a Challenge taping, but never broadcasted), lost them back to Money Inc. on June 16th in Rockford, IL (random House Show), and then won them back on June 19th in St. Louis, MO. In a two week span, there were FOUR title changes, none of them televised. I'm OK with changing belts at house shows to try and help ticket sales, but at least put the matches on television. Who wouldn't want to see the Steiners actually winning the belts, rather than just seeing them with the belts randomly on an episode of Superstars?

"El Matador" Tito Santana & Bob Backlund vs. The Headshrinkers (w/ Afa):

From the June 19th, 1993 episode of WWF Mania, and holy crap, is the team of Backlund and Tito some kind of a Dream Team straight out of 1983. Hell, Afa was still around at that time, too. AND SAMU! What kind of trippy time warp did I get sucked into?! Remember, it was a few weeks ago where Santana was wrestling Fatu when Samu and Afa ran in for a 3-on-1 beatdown. CONTINUITY! Santana and Samu start. Fatu quickly cheapshots Tito from the apron. They must be working quick tonight. Santana bounces back with a body press, takes Samu over with a hip toss, and grabs an armbar. Backlund with single leg trips, arm drags, and a dropkick on Samu. We come back from commercial, with Fatu getting worked over. Fatu surprises Backlund with a headbutt and follows with a side back breaker. Double clothesline from the Headshrinkers, making Backlund our Ginger-in-Peril. Samu ends up missing a dive into the corner, posting himself in the process. Santana with the hot tag, unloading with rights. Whip to the ropes, back drop, and the Flying Jalupeno connects, but Fatu breaks the cover. Fatu plays illegal switching games, hits Santana with the crescent kick, and covers for three at 6:07! Suddenly the Steiner Brothers show up at ringside to tell Danny Davis about what happened, as does referee Earl Hebner, and guess what... THEY REVERSE THE DECISION! BOO! **1/4 Decent little match, except with a really crummy finish. There's no need to protect Tito and Backlund considering how low on the card they were as babyfaces.

Virgil vs. Bastion Booger:

From the June 19th, 1993 episode of WWF Superstars, with Vince, Macho Man, and The King calling the action. This is the debut of Bastion Booger. He had a cup of coffee stint a few months earlier as "Friar Ferguson", but that bombed in record-breaking time. Real name Mike Shaw, he also competed around the world as Makhan Singh, and in WCW as Norman the Lunatic and Trucker Norm. The poor guy just couldn't catch a break in the Big Two. Booger controls with clubberin' blows. Virgil slips between the legs and comes off the ropes with a body press for two. Booger with a slam and leg drop for two. They spend the match hyping Yokozuna's 4th of July Challenge, which Vince dubs the "Stars and Stripes Challenge". Booger with a powerslam for two. Virgil avoids a charge and muscles Booger over with a crucifix for three at 2:34!?! What the... Virgil won?! * Not an awful match, but WOW, losing in your first match to Virgil?! We can automatically not take Booger seriously for the rest of his tenure... besides having to call him BOOGER.

"The Rocket" Owen Hart vs. Bastion Booger:

From the Father's Day Edition of All-American Wrestling on June 20th, 1993, with Gorilla and Ross calling the action. Old school fans probably have fond memories of these two in their days in Stampede Wrestling... welcome to the WWF. Lockup, and Booger easily shoves Owen across the ring. Owen grabs a headlock, but a shoulder tackle doesn't budge the big man. Owen feeds the foot, connects with an enziguri. Booger counters a body press with a slam, but misses a leg drop. Owen goes to work on the left arm. Whip to the ropes and Owen connects with a spinning heel kick for two. Whip, and Booger presses Owen in the air, dropping him face first. Owen takes the chest first bump to the corner twice. Owen gets the boots up on a charge and takes Booger down with a bulldog. Owen with rights and a pair of dropkicks. Owen to the top with a body press for two. To the top again, but this time Booger avoids a missile dropkick, and a big splash finishes at 4:06. So Owen Hart is lower on the ladder than Virgil?! ** Good, short match. You can tell these two had chemistry together from working together quite a bit back in Stampede.

Bob Backlund vs. Doink (the Clown):

From the June 20th, 1993 episode of Wrestling Challenge. We're seeing a lot of Doink lately... not that I'm complaining, he's one of the best workers in the company at this point. They're still pushing the Doink/Crush angle, despite Doink being up roughly 19-0 when it comes to who has the upperhand in that feud. They have a feeling out process early. Backlund goes for a waistlock, but Doink goes for the leg. Backlund slips free, and they have another stand-off. Doink sweeps the leg, and this time Backlund counters with a monkey flip. Backlund counters a hip toss with an abdominal stretch, then takes Doink over with a hip toss of his own. Backlund gets the better of Doink in another chain wrestling sequence. Backlund with a delayed suplex for two. They fight over a waistlock, with Backlund in control until Doink drives a headbutt into the midsection. Doink with a small package from out of nowhere for the three count at 4:36! ** These two worked a match you would never see on WWF programming. I was enjoying it, but it was extremely short on time. Backlund offers a post-match handshake, and gets a a squirting flower to the eyes for his troubles. Backlund swinging around "blindlY" actually nails Doink. Heh.

Marty Jannetty vs. Doink (the Clown):

The Rematch everyone was demanding for! From the June 21st, 1993 episode of Monday Night Raw, from what looks to be the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie, NY. This is also under 2 out of 3 Falls Rules. I wonder why they pulled that one out of their asses so randomly. My DVD counter says this one is LONG, so sit back and relax. Fall #1: Doink tries luring Jannetty into the corner, but he fails to produce something to snort. Lockup, and Doink gives a clean break, despite laughing his ass off the whole time. Doink with some forearm blows and a side headlock. Criss-cross sequence ends with Jannetty taking Doink over with a monkey flip. Jannetty goes for the arm, but Doink yanks him down by the hair. They do a comedy spot, with Doink tricked into running the ropes. Jannetty slams him face first to the canvas and goes back to work on the arm. Jannetty with a snazzy sequence ending with an arm drag, then back to the armbar. Doink grabs the ropes to escape and take a breather on the floor. Back inside, Doink unloads with rights and lefts. Jannetty reverses a whip to the corner and takes him over with a monkey flip for two. Back slide for two. Jannetty misses a dive to the corner, and the Whoopie Cushion is good for the three count at 7:14.

Fall #2: We come back from commercial, getting the fall underway. Doink pounds away and counters a back drop attempt with a boot to the face. Whip to the corner, with authority™! Doink taunts Jannetty and starts slapping him around. He heads to the top, and comes crashing down on Jannetty with a double axehandle (Savage: He just stole my move!). Back inside, Doink covers for two. Jannetty trades blows from the apron, only for Doink to remain in control. Whip to the ropes, Jannetty whiffs on a kick, and Doink covers for two. Jannetty with blows to the midsection and a roll up for two. Whip reversed, they fight over a suplex, won by Jannetty. He connects with a Super-Kick, knocking Doink clear across the ring. Jannetty covers, but Doink is in the ropes. Whip reversed, he slams Doink face first to the canvas, and comes off the top rope with the signature Rockers Fist Drop for the three count at 4:36!

Fall #3: Doink is begging Jannetty off from the corner, misses a sucker kick, and gets rocked with an atomic drop. Jannetty surprises him with a clothesline and covers for two. Doink sweeps the legs and repeatedly posts the right knee. Back inside, Doink drags Jannetty to the center of the ring and slaps on a Figure-Four! The crowd rallies with a "Marty" chant, giving Jannetty the strength to turn the hold over and reverse the pressure. Doink wraps the leg around the middle rope and kicks away at the knee. Jannetty fights him off and buckles under the weight of taking Doink down with a back drop. Doink sweeps the leg and turns Jannetty over with a single-leg crab. He quickly hooks the ankle and turns it into an STF! Doink tries for the Whoopie Cushion again, but Jannetty recovers and slams him down. Whip and Jannetty with an elbow. Suddenly a second Doink runs out and hides under the ring. Jannetty rolls out of the ring to inspect under the ring, apparantly being the only man to listen to the crowd. Doink punts his head and sends him into the post. Back inside, Jannetty with a dropkick, knocking Doink to the floor. Back inside, they bop heads, knocking Doink back out. They pull an illegal switch, annoying Savage beyond belief. Doink rolls in and covers for two. Jannetty with a small package for two. Fresh Doink easily takes control and plants him with a Piledriver for the three count at 8:43. BUT WAIT Randy Savage shows the referee the REAL Doink is under the ring, so the referee reverses the decision, and awards the match to Jannetty. LAME! ***3/4 AWFUL Finish to the third fall, but a great, over-looked, lost classic from the early months of Monday Night Raw.

The 1-2-3 Kid vs. Razor Ramon:

Also from June 21st. If you will recall, The Kid upset Ramon on the May 17th episode of Raw, then Ramon spent the following weeks trying to get a rematch, offering $2,500, $5,000, $7,500, and finally $10,000 for the Kid to take the challenge. The Kid was actually working a commited tour of Japan to explain the absence, which WWF used as part of the storyline. No entrance music for The 1-2-3 Kid. Ramon tries to attack before the bell and the Kid surprises him with a sunset flip for two. Spinning heel kick gets two! Ramon counters a body press with his signature Fallaway Slam. Ramon with a clothesline, complete with over-sell. Ramon with a chokeslam and the abdominal stretch. Ramon slaps him around a bit and connects with a running powerslam, followed by the second-rope back suplex. To the floor, Ramon pulls up the padding. Kid counters a Razor's Edge attempt with a back drop! He goes to the top rope and slips going for a plancha, landing head first on the exposed concrete. OUCH. That's got to be a concussion. Whip to the corner, charge misses, and the Kid moonsault only gets two! The Kid grabs the sack of cash and RUNS FOR IT, making this a No Contest at around 5:15. ** Sloppy at times, and you can tell the Kid had a bit of nerves out there. Ramon was clearly more concerned with punishing the Kid rather than winning the match, and it cost him. Humiliated again!

"The Rocket" Owen Hart vs. "The Narcissist" Lex Luger:

From the June 26th, 1993 episode of WWF Mania, with Gorilla and Jim Ross calling the action. Luger is forced to wear the elbow pad that somehow is thick enough to prevent A METAL PLATE to do damage. Luger is still undefeated in the WWF, although Tatanka took him to a Time Limt Draw at the King of the Ring. They trade hammerlocks until Luger grabs the ropes to force a break. Luger with trash talk, Owen responds with a slap, takes him down with a drop toe hold, and works the left arm. Whip to the ropes, Owen with a body press for two, then back to the arm. Luger elbows free, but whiffs on a right and Owen hops on his back with a sleeper hold. Whip to the corner, Luger meets a boot on a charge, and Owen takes him down with a bulldog for two. Owen with a spinning heel kick and a top rope cross body gets a two count. Owen pounds away with rights. Luger pulls the pad off, KO's Owen the exposed elbow, and covers for three at 4:40. Wow, Luger was practically squashed and had to desperately cheat to beat JTTS Owen Hart? *1/2 Was looking good for what was here, but felt like the match was going somewhere before the sudden finish.

"El Matador" Tito Santana vs. Mr. Hughes (w/ Harvey Wippleman):

How much more can be squeezed into one compilation?! From the June 26th, 1993 episode of Superstars. Lockup into the corner, Santana avoids a cheap shot and goes to work on the arm. Hughes escapes with a slam, but misses an elbow drop. Criss-cross sequence ends with Santana taking him over with an arm drag. Hughes grabs a handful of hair and drives a knee into the back. Vince doesn't seem to mind constantly calling him "Curtis Hughes", but then again, he also slipped up calling I.R.S. "Mr. Rotundo" quite a bit, too. Hughes chokes him across the middle rope, but ends up crotching himself on a charge. Santana pounds away with rights and takes him down with another hip toss. Santana with the Flying Jalupeno, but Hughes kicks out at two! Santana to the top rope with a body press, but Hughes rolls through for three at 3:20. 1/2* I've officially seen enough matches with Mr. Hughes.

Bart Gunn vs. "Million Dollar Man" Ted Dibiase:

From the June 27th, 1993 episode of All-American Wrestling. No I.R.S. or Billy Gunn at ringside, at least not at the start of the match. Lockup to the ropes, ending in a shoving match. Lockup, Dibiase with a handful of hair to take Gunn down. Dibiase with a cheap shot to the midsection and hides in the corner. Gunn chases him to the floor and nails him with a pair of lefts. Back inside, Gunn blocks a kick and connects with an atomic drop for two. Gunn with a headlock as we take a break. We return with Dibiase dumping Gunn to the floor. Dibiase with a gutwrench suplex for a two count. Dibiase takes Gunn down with a suplex and hooks a chinlock. Jim Ross puts over the Tag Division, including newcomers Men on a Mission. Dibiase with a slam in the corner, but a leap from the second rope is countered with a fist to the midsection. Gunn with a flurry of lefts, whip to the corner, and a back drop. Here comes I.R.S., with Gunn in complete control. Dibiase uses the belt to throw Gunn to the buckle, and I.R.S. blasts him with the briefcase! Dibiase covers for the easy three count at 7:12. *1/2 Decent wrestling, but a lackluster affair. No idea why it was just a singles match, but Dibiase was definitely the right choice in going over.

WWF Intercontinental Championship Match:
Shawn Michaels © (w/ Diesel) vs. Kamala:

From the June 28th, 1993 episode of Monday Night Raw. I don't know how Kamala earned a title match... I guess losing every match since March is good enough an excuse. Can Shawn work a miracle? Let's just say Daniel Bryan/Bryan Danielson couldn't work one with Kamala. Two minutes pass, and nothing happens. Michaels with a cheap shot, but Kamala quickly turns the tide. Shawn offers a handshake, and Kamala accepts the hand by biting it. Whip to the corner, Michaels gets a knee up on a charge. We come back from a break with Kamala having Michaels on the canvas with a bearhug. Whip to the corner, Kamala misses a charge, ramming his left knee into the buckle. Michaels goes to work on the leg, mostly with stomping. Michaels with a spinning toe hold, but Kamala throws him off with a handful of hair. The match is practically an afterthought to the big July 4th Slam Challenge with WWF Champion Yokozuna. Michaels continues his best efforts in wrestling himself. Kamala offers a comeback, does the Splash, and of course, doesn't know how to cover. Despite having Shawn covered earlier in the match in the bearhug. Kamala gets distracted by Diesel, and a Super-Kick to the back of the head finishes him at 8:50. * This could've been much worse.

Crush vs. Bastion Booger:

Also from the June 28th episode of Raw, and the final match of the compilation. Did you know that Kona Crush, the Original Hawaiian Punch™, will attempt to slam the massive Yokozuna on July 4th? A lot is made of Booger's weight, allegedly at 401 pounds. Booger rakes the eyes and weakly pounds away on Crush. Whip, Crush ducks a clothesline and tries to lift Booger, but can't quite get him up. Whip to the ropes and Crush with a sloppy back drop, followed by a dropkick. Crush takes it to the floor, only to be crushed against the post. They move along at a snails pace until Crush mounts his big comeback. He takes Booger over with a suplex, scoops him up and slams him twice, and covers for the three count at 5:41. DUD Not much of a match, but it's only purpose was for Crush to try and slam the big Booger to build momentum for the Stars and Stripes Challenge.

Final Thoughts: I didn't remember there being so many feature matches offered in the weeks before and after the King of the Ring, with weekly features on Mania and All-American Wrestling, two shows that were mostly known for recaps and highlights of important shows, and never put on much in terms of fresh content. With Yokozuna's win at the King of the Ring, a lot, and I mean A LOT of hype was done about the Slam Challenge coming up on July 4th. Mr. Hughes is being groomed for a program with the Undertaker by getting some key victories over established names and pushing Tatanka to the limit. Doink (the Clown) is heavily featured and delivers a pair of good/great matches with Marty Jannetty. The Tag Division seems to be revived, with lots of Money Inc., Smoking Gunns, Steiner Brothers, and the Headshrinkers. Bastion Booger debuted and was instantly made to look like a bum in his first match, against Virgil of all people, and how about that "1-2-3" Kid embarrassing Razor Ramon for a second time? Something has got to give as the month of July is coming up next, and the WWF is in for some major changes.

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