WWF Superstars (February 13, 1993)

Original Airdate: February 13, 1993 (taped January 25)

 

From San Jose, California; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon, Randy Savage, and Jerry Lawler

 

Shawn Michaels v Tatanka: Shawn's WWF Intercontinental title is not on the line here. Michaels gets an armdrag out of the initial lockup, and he's feeling cocky. Headlock, but Tatanka whips him into the ropes to force a criss cross, so Shawn slaps him around. Michaels was the master of the cocky smirk. He makes Tatanka chases him, but keeps control, only to have a hiptoss blocked, and Tatanka returns the favor with a slap of his own. Clothesline sends Michaels over the top, and he's begging off now, no smirk. He suckers Tatanka into a cheap shot, but a wristlock gets reversed on him, and he loses a criss cross when Tatanka hits an inverted atomic drop for two. Pair of shoulderblocks gets two, but a charge gets sidestepped, and Tatanka goes flying over the top. Shawn drags him in for some right hands, and a snapmare sets up a trio of elbowdrops. Chinlock, but Tatanka slugs free, so Shawn throws a knee to put him back down for two. Standing dropkick and a snapmare end in Tatanka back in the chinlock, but he escapes again, and uses a sunset flip. Small package gets two, so Shawn takes him into the corner with a turnbuckle smash to try and cut the comeback off, but Tatanka starts no-selling. End of the Trail, but Shawn goes to the eyes to block. Superkick, but Tatanka dodges, so Shawn tries recovering with the Teardrop Suplex - only to have Tatanka counter to the End of the Trail at 7:31. This was about on par with the WrestleMania match quality wise (and maybe even better), especially since they didn't have as many botches and awkward exchanges as they did on the big stage. Another five minutes and this could have been something pretty great, and it's a shame that the rematch (where they got eighteen minutes to work with) failed to be just that. ** ¼

 

Last week, Jim Duggan managed to knock Yokozuna off of his feet, but then got decimated as a result. So, kind of a reverse Pearl Harbor, then?

 

The Steiner Brothers v Larry Sampson and Alan Burke: Oh these poor jobbers, the Steiner's look pissed tonight. Some woman in the crowd is wearing an ICOPRO t-shirt, and Vince nearly has an orgasm on the spot. Burke is stupid enough to try offense, and immediately gets superplexed by Rick Steiner, before the Brothers put him away with the elevated flying bulldog combo at 2:19. Nothing like an ornery Steiner squash. ¼*

 

Berzerker thinks everyone cares too much about titles and championships. That explains a lot

 

Kamala has seen the light, and is a good church going cannibal now

 

Lex Luger v Larry Ludden: This is actually Lex's in-ring debut, though matches taped after this aired first. Vince notes that Lex is "all fluffed up," whatever that means. Luger's posing goes on forever here, and it's amazing what a 180 they did with this guy just a few months later when they needed him for the All American angle. I'm honestly surprised Vince even bothered bringing him in as a heel to begin with, since he looks like the stereotypical McMahon babyface hero, and why wouldn't he just start there with him? Forearm smash finishes at 1:26. Lex was sleepwalking through this one. DUD

 

Gene Okerlund is in the studio with the WrestleMania IX report. We already know Bret Hart will defend his WWF Title against Yokozuna, but in addition, Undertaker/Giant Gonzalez and Crush/Doink are announced this week. Can't say the matches weren't logical, and at least everything had an angle behind it, if nothing else

 

Crush v White Shadow: Shadow has a really weird mask where, like, 70% of his face is exposed. It's certainly not COVID safe. This is Crush's big return, after a few weeks off to sell the Doink attack angle. Of course, this was taped only nine days after that angle aired, so to the live crowd, Crush kind of shrugged it off, didn't he? Not to mention this taping is only a day after the Royal Rumble, and here's Crush looking just fine, so why did he have to give up his spot in the big match? I bet everyone in San Jose - if not the entire bay area - lost respect for Crush over this. That's a big market, no wonder he had to turn heel. Headvice finishes at 1:30. DUD

 

Vince McMahon conducts a sit-down interview with Brutus Beefcake, or 'one of the all time greats,' according to him. There's puffing, and there's outright lying. It's a fine line, and I think we all know what side Vince is on here. So he reiterates the lengthy country music song of Beefcake's life over the last few years, but Beefcake has God and Hulk Hogan on his side, and those are his sword and shield. And yes, they actually say it just like that, without a hint of irony. This Monday on RAW, Beefcake returns to action against Ted DiBiase, and Vince fears for his safety. But Brutus has God on one side, and Hulk on the other, so what bad could possibly happen? And, again, yes, they actually phrase it just like that. Vince almost openly laughing in his face is pretty funny, though

 

Handicap Match: Giant Gonzalez v Louie Spicolli, Scott Bazo, and Dan Farren: I like how the jobbers run in fear from him, despite the fact that he looks like he'd lose a footrace to a snail. They try to avoid the match, but Gonzalez drags them into the ring, and let the squashing begin! He hits Louie with a chokeslam, so all three jobbers run away like the midgets at Survivor Series '94, and it's a countout win for Giant at 1:12. This was definitely a better way to get him over than watching him eat loads of broccoli on Mania. DUD

 

Tito Santana notes that in the WWF, there is opportunity. Yeah, well, in WCW there were guaranteed contracts

 

Papa Shango is feeling poetic, and likely listening to Beatles records. I hope this wasn't a Manson thing. Because Manson + voodoo is too much, even for someone like Hulk Hogan to battle. And he's basically God, according to this show

 

Bob Backlund doesn't have voodoo, but fuck if he doesn't sound like someone who should be nicknamed 'Squeaky' or 'Froggie,' or some shit

 

Raymond Rougeau is apparently conducting a podium interview with Bam Bam Bigelow and Earthquake that's so bad that we only get the closing seconds of it, with Bam Bam challenging him to a match next week. Too bad we couldn't do that throughout the Attitude Era, episodes of RAW would be thirty minutes long

 

BUExperience: The Shawn/Tatanka match was pretty good (and set up a major angle), and everything else breezed by, as we’re finally in a taping cycle from after the Rumble, and there’s more direction.