WWF Superstars (July 16, 1994)

Original Airdate: July 16, 1994 (taped June 21)

From Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania; Your Hosts are Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler

Yokozuna v Typhoon: Typhoon rushes in, but gets clobbered on the way into the ring, and Yokozuna delivers a thunderous headbutt, as Lawler describes him as “at his peak physical condition.” I’d hate to see him at the bottom. Typhoon fights him off and knocks Yokozuna out of the ring for a bit, so Yoko tries an avalanche on the way back in, but it misses. That allows Yokozuna an avalanche for two, and an elbowdrop gets another two. Yokozuna goes to the eyes to allow a bodyslam, but Typhoon topples him, as Crush hits ringside. Typhoon sets up a splash, but Crush trips him up, and the referee calls for the DQ at 3:51. They basically brought Typhoon back in to take Earthquake’s place and do jobs… and then they’re afraid to job him? And it’s not like it’s to some scrub, Yokozuna was just coming off of a near year long world title reign. Anyway, the heels beat him down afterwards, at least. DUD

Live Event News takes us back to Monday Night RAW, as Bret Hart successfully defends the WWF Title against 1-2-3 Kid in an instant classic (and one of my favorite matches ever). Kid still talks about this match to this day, nearly thirty years later, and rightly so

Meanwhile, Duke Droese is really proud that WWF Magazine did a profile on him. He does realize that it’s an in-house publication, right? 

Razor Ramon v Barry Hardy: I associate Razor with the Intercontinental belt so thoroughly during this period that I keep forgetting that he wasn’t actually the champion at this point. Pretty much from the moment he won it the first time to the moment he left the promotion it always felt like he was the champion, and even if he technically wasn’t, the current champion was just keeping it warm for him. Razor’s Edge at 1:42. DUD

Todd Pettengill is in the studio with the SummerSlam Report, and he announces Bret Hart/Owen Hart in a cage for the title (in the real main event)

Jeff Jarrett v Russ Greenberg: Jarrett’s got nothing going on, and they don’t even really put him over on commentary here, instead reacting to the announcement of the cage match for the entire bout. Jarrett with the figure four at 2:15. ¼*

Bob Backlund narrates a look back at his world title run, concluding in losing the title to Iron Sheik without ever actually submitting, which he still isn’t happy about, over a decade later. And so, in order to settle unfinished business, Bob challenges Bret Hart to a title match. Good start to the angle here, though I don’t think anyone watching at the time would ever have guessed that this would lead to a massive heel turn, a pay per view main event, and another world title run

WWF New Generation ad

The Headshrinkers v Nick Barberry and Mike Bell: The WWF Tag Team title is not on the line. Lawler, again, goes after Ross for sounding like a ‘hick’ for being from the south, which, again, is a really odd take from him. The Headshrinkers are pretty brutal and aggressive this week, and are working more like heels than babyfaces. Fatu with a flying splash at 3:19. ¼*

Abe Schwartz vignette

Shawn Michaels and WWF Intercontinental Champion Diesel host the Heartbreak Hotel, with guest Tatanka, who accuses Lex Luger of selling out to Ted DiBiase. And he’s got proof, in the form of a video where DiBiase claims that Lex is officially a member of the Million Dollar Corporation. I don’t get how any of that is really Tatanka’s business anyhow. He never even really had any substantial interaction with Luger onscreen before this. They were never partners or shown to be friends, so what real business is it of his what Lex does to put food on the table? Shawn is really coming into his own on the microphone at this point, and he’s a highlight of every segment he’s been in lately

Thurman Sparky Plugg v Black Phantom: We get a kid doing the guest ring announcing for this one. To the announcers’ credit, they actually cast doubt on Tatanka’s claims, noting that he’s going on DiBiase’s word alone. That’s a big step up from their usual MO of just accepting everything and not questioning anything. Plugg with a flying bodypress at 1:22. DUD

Todd tries to make sense of the Undertaker(s) storyline. He does not succeed 

Nikolai Volkoff v PJ Walker: Volkoff appears to have a giant hickey this week, which disturbs me to my depths. Volkoff with a Boston crab at 1:37. DUD

Live Event News sees the Smoking Gunns at a (non-pro, non-college) basketball tournament

BUExperience: Despite there being some actual news and developments this week, this episode felt like a real drag.