WWF Superstars (October 16, 1993)

Original Airdate: October 16, 1993 (taped September 28)

From Worcester, Massachusetts; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon, Randy Savage, and Jerry Lawler

Tatanka v Mike Bell: Vince: “Tanaka on his way, or so we’ve been told, to Survivor Series.” What a weird way to phrase that. Like, what does that even mean? Samoan drop finishes at 3:12. This was, or so I’ve been told, nothing special. ¼*

Gorilla Monsoon is in the control center with Update, and all he’s got this week is an announcement of the main event for Survivor Series

Backstage, Tatanka passes Ludvig Borga in a hallway, and they get into an argument after Borga says something to him. Given the rumors about Borga, I’m glad the microphones didn’t pick it up

Ludvig Borga v Tony Roy: They’re pushing Borga/Lex Luger pretty hard this week, which never really went anywhere on TV, but set up a house show program between them for the next few months. Borga with a torture rack at 2:53. DUD

Joe Fowler is in the studio with Face to Face, with guest Diesel. “What kind of wrestler are you?” Fowler wonders. Yeah, a lot of people have wondered that one, Joe, just usually not out loud. Next up, new WWF Intercontinental Champion Razor Ramon, who is cutting this promo from his grandmother's house, by the looks of those curtains

Earlier today, Pat Tanaka reached out to WWF Champion Yokozuna, pledging allegiance to him

WWF Unbelievable ad

1-2-3 Kid v Pat Tanaka: Do they have the same exact boots? They trade kicks to start, dominated by Kid, until Tanaka sweeps the leg. Criss cross ends in Kid delivering a dropkick, and an armdrag ends in Kid holding an armbar. They trade wristlocks, won by Tanaka with a savate kick, and he works a headlock. Kid escapes and uses a spinkick to send Tanaka to the outside, and Kid adds a slingshot sunset bomb on the floor! That was some wild stuff for 1993, and the crowd is surprisingly not losing their minds for it. Kid adds a tope to try and hook them that way, but Tanaka turns the tide on the way back in, and hammers him in the corner. Tanaka with a cross corner whip, but Kid rebounds out with a lariat, and makes a comeback. Flying moonsault press looks to finish, but Kid hurts himself on the landing, and can’t hold the cover. Tanaka capitalizes with a corner whip, but Kid is ready with a spinheel kick on the charge, and a victory roll finishes at 6:27. This was a pretty fun match, with Kid doing some wild stuff for this era/promotion. **

Gorilla is in the studio with the Survivor Series Report. Apparently ‘electricity will be flying everywhere.’ That sounds kinda dangerous, actually

Owen Hart v Scott Taylor: The Bret/Owen feud is one of my all time favorite feuds (if not the favorite), and man, it’s unbelievable how much they were able to elevate Owen with it. I mean, he was nothing prior, and made after. Hart with a missile dropkick and a bridging northern lights suplex at 3:52. ½*

Jeff Jarrett vignette 

The Quebecers v Mike Davis and Jerry Seavey: The WWF Tag Team title is not on the line. I’m not sure how history perceives them, but the Quebecers are one of my favorite teams. Though, only during their first run - their later WCW and WWF runs were terrible. Weird finish to a squash match this week, as the Quebecers keep pulling the jobber up at two, and the referee actually disqualifies them for it at 2:02. Well, I’ve certainly never seen that before. ½*

Fowler is back in the studio with another Face to Face, with guests Jim Cornette and the Heavenly Bodies. Cornette does a good job of filling in the details on his issues with the Rock ‘n’ Roll Express here 

BUExperience: The Kid/Tanaka match was fun, the rest was kind of hit-or-miss.