WWF Superstars (July 24, 1993)

Original Airdate: July 24, 1993 (taped July 6)

From Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon, Randy Savage, and Jerry Lawler

Jim Duggan v Duane Gill: This venue isn’t huge, but it’s bright, and looks great for TV. Plus the crowd seems hot, which is always a plus. Duggan cuts a promo in support of Lex Luger’s campaign for a title shot before the match, since that’s the most he’s got going on at this point. He’d be out of the promotion within weeks of this, so that’s not inaccurate. Kind of weird that they’d let him go, since he was getting something of a renewed push, and was definitely still over with the fans. Duggan with a three-point stance at 3:07. DUD

Gorilla Monsoon is in the control center for Update, and he’s quite upset with President Jack Tunney for not yet granting Lex a title shot at WWF Champion Yokozuna. Well, why? Just because he bodyslammed him? His last major match before that was him not even getting past the quarterfinal round at the King of the Ring! Let Tunney consider it! No wonder the promotion was in the crapper when Monsoon became president. Tunney calls in to talk to Vince (I don’t blame him for not wanting to talk to Gorilla), and he announces that Luger will get a title shot at SummerSlam, but with the stipulation that Luger must wear a protective covering on the loaded forearm. Again, fair! Tunney was actively investigating that and haranguing Luger over it just weeks ago, why should that change just because he’s wearing the flag on his underwear now?

Aboard the Lex Express, Luger reacts to the news. He seems… happy? Hard to tell with him. He sounds like he’s reacting to being told that his car is ready to be picked up from an oil change

Ludvig Borga v Tony Dimauro: This is Borga's debut, with little fanfare, as he didn't even get any real hype via vignettes or whatever. It’s so weird how the announcers have done a complete about face on the elbowpad, considering just weeks ago they were demanding the same thing. And they’re not even justifying their change of opinion in any way, they’re just playing it up as ‘tricks’ on Mr. Fuji’s part. What tricks?! This was a known issue for months! Borga with a clothesline at 1:33. DUD

Gene Okerlund is in the studio for Face to Face, with guests 1-2-3 Kid and Tatanka. Gene accidentally calls the show ‘Superstars of Wrestling,’ which I’m surprised they didn’t retape, or cut later on. Kid is still doing his humble pie act at this point, nothing of note. Meanwhile, Tatanka is still fuming about the haircut Bam Bam Bigelow gave him. Gene makes another gaffe here, calling Tatanka ‘one of the all time greats’

WWF Tag Team Title Match: The Steiner Brothers v Money Inc: Scott Steiner starts with Irwin R Schyster, as Vince wonders how terrible it would be to go through life with a name you can’t stand, like Irwin. Well, he’s a grown man, I’m pretty sure he could change it if it bothered him that much. But I guess I get how that would appeal to their target audience, as kids do sometimes hate their names, but there is little they can do about it. IRS dominates him as they posture, but Scott finds some fire, so Ted DiBiase runs in, but Rick Steiner does as well - the champions cleaning house. The dust settles on Scott and Irwin again, and IRS throws a knee this time, allowing him to pound the champion. Into the heel corner for some abuse, but the Brothers come off the same top rope with dives, and they clean house again. The dust settles on Rick and Ted, and Steiner reverses a cross corner whip, and catches DiBiase with a backdrop on the rebound. Ted dumps him to the outside to buy time, and Schyster is right there to choke the champ with the tag rope on the floor, as Vince declares that we need three referees for tag matches. Even Gorilla would balk at that one. Money Inc work Rick over, until he and DiBiase collide for a double knockout, and Scott gets the hot tag - Roseanne Barr the door! Everyone brawls to the outside, and IRS manages to slam Scott back into the ring from the apron, but fails to follow quickly enough, and is counted out at 10:27. This was another really weak finish, but it was all just set up for the cage match blowoff more than anything else. And that’s fine! If it builds to something, and that pays off, no beef. It’s part of the bigger story, as opposed to just a bad finish for something that never gets followed up on again, as became commonplace in the Attitude Era (on both sides of the Monday Night War). The match itself was fine, though not as good as the one from last week’s episode. * ½ 

Gene is in the studio with the SummerSlam Report. No one knows what the Rest in Peace match is yet, but give us your money, and trust us

1-2-3 Kid v Barry Horowitz: Lawler makes some cracks about how skinny Kid is, and points to the promotion for seeing past that, and pushing him! He was a unique character, and someone you could really get behind as an underdog. Horowitz dominates, but walks into a spinheel kick for two, and Kid adds a snap suplex to set up a pair of lightning legdrops. Corner dropkick misses, however, and Barry controls for a bit, before eating a spinkick. Kid adds a bodyslam to set up a flying legdrop at 2:45. Horowitz was the perfect enhancement guy to work with Kid at this point, since they were believably evenly matched. And, in fact, Horowitz’s biggest claim to fame basically ended up becoming his own take on Kid’s gimmick in 1995. ¼*

The Quebecers v Tony Webb and Rich Myers: Another debut that came without fanfare. Vince notes that they’re not the mounties, just to clarify. So, were they acknowledging that Jacques was the Mountie, then? Because I always thought that kind of lived in an unsaid gray area. Are they also acknowledging that he’s Jacques from the Rougeau Brothers? The Quebecers with a combo at 2:22. It’s good that they paired them with Johnny Polo soon after this, because they were going to get over as babyfaces with those cool combos. ½*

Gene is in the studio with another Face to Face, this time with guests WWF Intercontinental Champion Shawn Michaels, Diesel, and Mr. Perfect. They’re pretty much already cutting hype promos for their SummerSlam match, but they haven’t bothered to actually announce it yet, for whatever reason

Luna Vachon and Sensational Sherri offer pre-recorded comments ahead of their match next week

BUExperience: This was fine. Just chugging along towards SummerSlam, nothing crazy