40-Man Battle Royal (WWF, 5-18-1992)

WWF, Cincinnati, OH

A request! This is from a Wrestling Challenge taping in Cincinnati, and is on the “Bashed in the USA” Coliseum Video. Mike McGuirk, under Jim Ross yelling, announces that this is a first in WWF history, a 40-man battle royal.

“40?!?!” Bobby Heenan asks, as checked out of being here anymore as he can stand. 40 whole men??? Wh-wh-WHAT? There is also a 40-man battle royal that took place on June 1 and is on the “Rampage ’92” tape. No idea why they got horny, with a thinned-out roster, to do 40-man battle royals in the spring of 1992.

Now I also hear you saying: “But TAPE, you handsome scientist, Jim Ross did not work in the WWF until WrestleMania IX in 1993.” Yes, but this tape didn’t come out until he worked there and it’s just him and Heenan doing half-awake commentary about a year later or whatever. Like, duh! Haha! How could you even be so silly as to pause on this idea for a minute when you wanted to be sure about the date? OBVIOUSLY studio recorded commentary recorded later! Hello!!

Oh, Randy Savage is also here on commentary.

(Requests open and tips always appreciated!)

TAPE’s Time Travel: This Week in TV Wrestling, Jan. 1-7, 1996

A new year!

IN THIS SET:

• WWF Monday Night Raw (Jan. 1, 1996)
• WCW Monday Nitro (Jan. 1, 1996)
• ECW Hardcore TV (Jan. 2, 1996)
• ECW House Party (Jan. 5, 1996)
• WCW Worldwide (Jan. 6, 1996)
• WCW Pro (Jan. 6, 1996)
• WWF Superstars (Jan. 6, 1996)
• WCW Saturday Night (Jan. 6, 1996)
• WCW Main Event (Jan. 7, 1996)

Notes: I just don’t have the Jan. 6 Prime, but whatever, and I do not have any USWA until Jan. 20.

TAPE’s Time Travel: This Week in TV Wrestling, Dec. 18-24, 1995

IN THIS SET:

• WCW Prime (Dec. 18, 1995)
• WWF Monday Night Raw (Dec. 18, 1995)
• WCW Monday Nitro (Dec. 18, 1995)
• ECW Hardcore TV (Dec. 19, 1995)
• WCW Worldwide (Dec. 23, 1995)
• WWF Superstars (Dec. 23, 1995)
• USWA Championship Wrestling (Dec. 23, 1995)
• WCW Saturday Night (Dec. 23, 1995)
• WCW Main Event (Dec. 24, 1995)

TAPE’s Time Travel: This Week in TV Wrestling, Dec. 4-10, 1995

IN THIS SET:

• WCW Prime (Dec. 4, 1995)
• WWF Monday Night Raw (Dec. 4, 1995)
• WCW Monday Nitro (Dec. 4, 1995)
• ECW Hardcore TV (Dec. 5, 1995)
• WCW Worldwide (Dec. 9, 1995)
• WCW Pro (Dec. 9, 1995)
• WWF Superstars (Dec. 9, 1995)
• USWA Championship Wrestling (Dec. 9, 1995)
• WCW Saturday Night (Dec. 9, 1995)
• WCW Main Event (Dec. 10, 1995)

TAPE’s Time Travel: This Week in TV Wrestling, Nov. 27-Dec. 3, 1995

A new week! No pay-per-view extravaganzas or supercards! Just good, old fashioned televised professional wrestling — with a new show in the rotation!

IN THIS SET:

• WCW Prime (Nov. 27, 1995)
• WWF Monday Night Raw (Nov. 27, 1995)
• WCW Monday Nitro (Nov. 27, 1995)
• ECW Hardcore TV (Nov. 28, 1995)
• WCW Worldwide (Dec. 2, 1995)
• WCW Pro (Dec. 2, 1995)
• WWF Superstars (Dec. 2, 1995)
• USWA Championship Wrestling (Dec. 2, 1995)
• WCW Saturday Night (Dec. 2, 1995)
• WCW Main Event (Dec. 3, 1995)

TAPE’s Time Travel: This Week in TV Wrestling, Nov. 20-26, 1995

Another new week, and another one with a pay-per-view extravaganza!

IN THIS SET:

• WCW Prime (Nov. 20, 1995)
• WWF Monday Night Raw (Nov. 20, 1995)
• WCW Monday Nitro (Nov. 20, 1995)
• ECW Hardcore TV (Nov. 21, 1995)
• WCW Worldwide (Nov. 25, 1995)
• WCW Pro (Nov. 25, 1995)
• WWF Superstars (Nov. 25, 1995)
• WCW Saturday Night (Nov. 25, 1995)
• WCW World War 3 (Nov. 26, 1995)

TAPE’s Time Travel: This Week in TV Wrestling, Nov. 13-19, 1995

A new week, and this one has a pay-per-view extravaganza from the World Wrestling Federation, one of the old Big Four, AND I’m putting in an ECW supercard that didn’t, technically, in original form, air on TV in full, but whatever. I just want to watch it.

IN THIS SET:

• WCW Prime (Nov. 13, 1995)
• WWF Monday Night Raw (Nov. 13, 1995)
• WCW Monday Nitro (Nov. 13, 1995)
• ECW Hardcore TV (Nov. 14, 1995)
• WCW Worldwide (Nov. 18, 1995)
• WCW Pro (Nov. 18, 1995)
• WWF Superstars (Nov. 18, 1995)
• WCW Saturday Night (Nov. 18, 1995)
• ECW November to Remember (Nov. 18, 1995; I know this wasn’t on TV in full alone but I don’t care)
• WCW Main Event (Nov. 19, 1995)
• WWF Survivor Series (Nov. 19, 1995)

Royal Rumble (WWF, 1-19-1992)

WWF Royal Rumble, Albany, NY

Request via Ko-fi. There’s a chance I’ve watched this match more than any other match in history. When people say, “What wrestling match would you show friends who don’t like wrestling to get them into wrestling,” my answer is, obviously, “I would not show them wrestling. They have lived however long having made the correct choice to not let this ridiculous shit into their veins.” But sometimes people will suggest a long, epic match, one that we dorks largely agree is great, and people will say, “Ugh! Look at me, pay attention to me, I am extremely smart and I would not show them that match. All wrestling matches should be 18 seconds long and not have anything good, because when you think about it, that is good!” But this is a 62-minute match I might show someone if I were forced to try to get them to like wrestling, because in this one hour, you see 30 various personalities and one of the all-time great performances.

Ric Flair & Arn Anderson vs Tim Horner & Mike Rotunda (NWA, 10-26-1990)

NWA Power Hour, Gainesville, GA

Teaming Tim Horner and Mike Rotunda is egregious. Callous. Disrespectful to the viewing audience.

Mike Rotunda vs Sting (NWA, 4-1-1989)

NWA World Championship Wrestling, Atlanta, GA

Rotunda’s in the Varsity Club years and is the NWA Television champion. Sting is a young buck on the rise. Still. Two years after officially being on the rise, still on the rise.