WWF Superstars (September 18, 1993)

Original Airdate: September 18, 1993 (taped August 17)

From White Plains, New York; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon, Randy Savage, and Jerry Lawler

Bret Hart v Blake Beverly: Lawler makes an excuse to leave the broadcast position so he’s not there when Bret hits the ring. Hart dominates a criss cross early on, but Blake counters a bodypress with a backbreaker. Elbowdrop, but Bret dodges, and grabs an armbar. Crucifix, but Beverly counters with a Samoan drop, and he adds a headbutt drop to turn the tide. Beverly with a neckbreaker for two, and a turnbuckle smash allows him to pound Bret in the corner. The way Hart takes each move is really an artform unto itself. Beverly with a cross corner whip and a vertical suplex for two, but Hart blocks a bodyslam, so Beverly dumps him to the outside to avoid a rollup. Beverly tries bringing him in the hard way, but Hart reverses him over the top, and the Hitman pounds him back into the ring for a hangman clothesline. Hart adds a 2nd rope pointed elbowdrop, and the Sharpshooter finishes at 4:19. Bret was just so great during this period, and Beverly was game to hang with him. The match was too short to really be anything, but it was solid for what it was. **

Gene Okerlund is in the studio with Face to Face, with guests Tatanka and Bam Bam Bigelow. Bam Bam is sick of people pointing at him. Well, maybe don’t tattoo flames all over the skull if you don’t like that kind of attention. Just a thought

Well Dunn v Russ Greenberg and Mark Thomas: Honestly, Greenberg and Thomas look like the star team here. Lawler makes his way back to the booth here, and he’s annoyed that no one told him that Bret was out here, because obviously he would have hung around and beat him up if he knew. Obviously. Well Dunn with a combo at 2:55. This was no Bret Hart match. DUD

Razor Ramon v Max Shane: Razor is feeling his oats this week, giving Shane a fallaway slam off the middle rope early on. Ramon is at his best when he isn’t playing around. Razor’s Edge finishes at 2:44. ¼*

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Ludvig Borga v PJ Walker: I dig how Borga just goes right at the guy before the bell, but not with cheap shots, instead forcing a collar-and-elbow like he just can’t wait. He does that often, and it’s great. Makes him seem like a wild bull. Meanwhile, we split screen to a patriotic fan in the crowd, who encourages Borga to leave the country. Borga with a jumping clothesline at 2:09. ¼*

Mr. Perfect v Barry Horowitz: They’re already teasing the Doink babyface turn here, with Lawler trash talking him for his performance at SummerSlam, but the babyface announcers standing up for him in the same breath as they do Bret Hart. Perfect mocking Barry’s pat-on-the-back taunt gets a big laugh here, as Lawler predicts that Horowitz will get the win in ‘the upset of the year.’ Well, not this year. Perfectplex finishes at 2:18. Perfect got a good jobber this week. ½*

Joe Fowler is in the studio with an update on the WWF Tag Team Title situation, as the Quebecers have picked the belts up from the Steiner Brothers this past Monday night on RAW. The Quebecers appear for an interview, and they’re game for a rematch… provided one of the Brothers can beat one of them in a singles match first

Christopher Moltisanti tries to pick up a woman at a bus stop bench, but gets blocked by Randy Savage

Shawn Michaels v Dan Dubiel: The WWF Intercontinental title is not on the line here. Shawn was looking like a larger mammal at this point. He’d also already been suspended for failing a drug test by the time this aired, though you don’t get any hint of it on the commentary. Not that they’d outright announce it, but usually you can hear them kind of shifting the storylines and such, but nothing of the sort here. Maybe the commentary was taped prior. Shawn with a piledriver at 2:26. Afterwards, Shawn and Diesel hang around taunting fans, and they block 1-2-3 Kid’s path as he comes out for the next match. Kid tries to squeak past, resulting in the heels attacking him, until Mr. Perfect makes the save. DUD

Backstage, Boni Blackstone catches up with Shawn and Diesel, who rant at Kid and Perfect. It’s too bad Shawn got suspended, that would have been a wild tag match

The Smoking Gunns v Mike Bell and Tony DeVito: The jobbers actually try to sneak attack here, which you can imagine does not go well for them. The Gunns with a combo at 2:03. DUD

Gene is in the studio with another Face to Face, with Razor Ramon and Doink the Clown. This is still Matt Borne playing the role here, but Gene questions him about the issues with Lawler, so were they trying to turn the character face before Borne left? I thought it was a last minute thing when Matt left the promotion. This segment is notable for being Gene’s last appearance on WWF TV until 2001

BUExperience: This week was okay, but there was a lot of stuff here that never reached its payoff, like the Michaels/Kid angle, or the Hart/Lawler stuff.