WWF Superstars (January 1, 1994)

Original Airdate: January 1, 1994 (taped December 1, 1993)

From Utica, New York; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon and Stan Lane

Jacques v Lex Luger: This one is from December 15 1993 in Augusta Maine. Apparently it was originally taped in Utica along with the rest of this episode, but they decided to reshoot it for whatever reason. Jacques refuses to wrestle due to Lex’s steel forearm, but then jumps Luger before the bell anyway. Jacques with a turnbuckle smash, and a clothesline out of the corner puts Luger down for some stomping. He dumps Lex to the outside for Johnny Polo to abuse, and inside, Jacques works a reverse chinlock. Lex escapes and delivers a series of turnbuckle smashes, followed by a backbreaker, then a ten-punch count. Jacques manages an inverted atomic drop, but the referee gets bumped as they reverse each other into the corner. That allows Polo to trip Luger up, but Jacques fails to properly capitalize, and both guys end up looking up at the lights. With the referee still out, Pierre sneaks in and hits Luger with a legdrop, and makes the cover himself, but Lex kicks out at two. Pierre unloads on him, but misses a clothesline, and Luger makes a comeback on Pierre. Lex knocks him silly with the forearm smash, and he pins Pierre before the dazed referee notices the difference at 6:32. And then he knocks Jacques out and pins him as well, just for the hell of it. What is this, Uncensored ‘95? Boy, if this is the better version, I’d hate to see what they left on the cutting room floor. ¾*

Royal Rumble ad

Jim Ross is in the studio for Face to Face with guests Jim Cornette and Mr. Fuji, who throw shade at Wilson from Home Improvement 

WWF Intercontinental Champion Razor Ramon does an anti-smoking PSA

The Headshrinkers v Mike Khoury and Tim McNeany: The Headshrinkers split screen in for a promo about… something. The Rumble, maybe? The in-arena sound is turned way down here for whatever reason, which gives this an odd, taped feel to it. And, yeah, it is taped, but it shouldn’t feel like it. Fatu with the flying splash at 2:11. DUD

Raymond Rougeau brings Razor Ramon out so Razor can cut a pretty impassioned promo on Irwin R Schyster to try to give their angle a little more intrigue

Bastion Booger v Tony Roy: We get a really little kid doing the ring announcing this week, so little that he can’t even read yet, and the regular announcer has to whisper the lines in his ear. It’s cute and harmless, and I certainly would have been thrilled if I’d gotten the chance to do that as a kid. Booger with a slam at 0:52. DUD

Thurman Plugg vignette

Owen Hart v Barry Hardy: Bret Hart is in Owen’s corner here, since they’re totally cool again. Owen switching to the pink/black gear was a huge step in the right direction for him, he immediately looked like a bigger star. And it would get much better later on when he jazzed it up a bit. Sharpshooter finishes at 1:46. Vince wonders which brother applies the Sharpshooter better. Bret. All day long. Just to clarify. Owen’s is still definitely much better than most other workers. ¼*

Todd Pettengill is in the studio with the Royal Rumble Report. Apparently Mabel ‘resembles Mrs. Doubtfire.’ Took the words… right out of my mouth…?

Ludvig Borga v John Crystal: Were people really pushing rumors that Borga was main eventing WrestleMania against Lex Luger at the time? Like, really? I mean, I’m all for a good rumor mill, and I can see how Bret’s sudden ‘demotion’ to chasing the tag title wasn’t exactly pointing to him getting the world title back, plus Borga was getting a pretty strong push, but in what world? Borga with a torture rack at 2:02. ¼*

Ross is in the studio for another Face to Face, and once again Shawn Michaels is pushing the narrative that he has no friends inside the Royal Rumble - not even Diesel. Talk about a slow burn to their eventual break up. Shawn and Ross also tease a feud between Michaels and Randy Savage, which apparently Macho was pushing for around this period, before Vince told him to sit back down at the commentary desk

BUExperience: I didn’t exactly enjoy this episode, but it definitely had direction, and that’s a good thing.