WWF Superstars (July 30, 1994)

Original Airdate: July 30, 1994 (taped July 3)

From Ocean City, Maryland; Your Hosts are Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler

Diesel v Dave Thornberg: The WWF Intercontinental title is not on the line. Diesel makes short work of him here, finishing with a big boot at 1:41. What, no powerbomb? ¼*

Live Event News is a recap of Undertaker’s history in the WWF

WWF Title Match: Bret Hart v Bob Backlund: Posturing to start, with Backlund managing to get him into the corner for a knee, and he manages a hiptoss out. Bob turns it into a cradle for two, so Hart wisely bails, but Backlund drags him back in to cradle again for two. Bob tries a takedown, but Hart reverses, only to have Backlund block. Bret looks for a test-of-strength to go a different way, but Bob turns it into a takedown for two. Another takedown for another two count, and Hart is looking a little flustered. Backlund tries another takedown, but Hart blocks, and gets the challenger on the mat in an armbar. Nice bit of technical wrestling and psychology throughout here. Bob fights to a vertical base and suplexes, but Hart holds on, and shifts his hold into a hammerlock on the mat. Bret rolls it into a cradle for two, but Bob manages to bridge into a lateral press for two. Hart responds with a legdrop to the arm, and he goes to an overhead wristlock, staying on the part. Back to a vertical base, Bob forces a criss cross, but Hart out moves him, so Backlund throws a forearm to the jaw to be a little more direct. Backlund with a cradle for two, but Hart pops him with a headbutt, though it rattles the champion as well. That allows Bob a headbutt of his own, and the challenger adds a piledriver for two. Bob tries for a second one, but Bret backdrops him to block, and delivers a bodyslam to set up a legdrop. Hart tries for an abdominal stretch, but Backlund reverses before Bret can get it locked. Hart reverses back, but Backlund quickly hiptosses his way out of the hold. He tries another cradle, but Hart rolls through, and they fall out of the ring in the exchange. They beat the count back in, and Hart manages to start unloading on the lower back of his challenger, but a cross corner whip gets reversed on him. That allows Backlund a bodyslam for two, and he locks Hart in an overhead backbreaker. Bret escapes into a backslide for two, but Bob cuts him off with a hold. Hart backdrops out, but Bob hangs on, turning it into a pinfall reversal sequence. That ends in Backlund hooking a backslide for two, but a cross corner whip gets reversed on him now. Hart adds a backbreaker for two, and he tries for the Sharpshooter, but Backlund blocks. Hart softens him up with a pointed elbowdrop, so Bob tries a criss cross, and Hart trips over him, falling out of the ring. Backlund hustles him back in to avoid the countout, and the challenger makes a lateral press for two. Bob with a side suplex, but he’s too gassed to follow up. That allows Bret a suplex, but Backlund counters with an inside cradle for two. Bob’s caught a second wind, and looks to capitalize, but Hart sees the opening on the overzealous challenger, and hooks a small package at 15:28. Man, I became spoiled as a fan by getting into wrestling in 1994, and seeing Bret have great matches with a variety of opponents on free TV like things were always that way. Afterwards, they shake hands, but Bob hangs around the ring, so Hart offers him a second one. Backlund responds by slapping him across the face, and he locks the Hitman in a crossface chickenwing - all while screaming and writhing like a mental patient. It takes several officials to pull him off, and Bob is left just staring at his hands in disbelief, in the start of one of the least likely main event runs of all time. I mean, no one could have predicted Bob Backlund would become WWF Champion and headline a pay per view when 1994 began. Unfortunately, though this would lead to two pay per view matches between the two, the feud ended up becoming an exercise in diminishing returns, and this was the best of the series by a pretty wide margin. Great, old school technical match here, with lots of subtle stuff going on. *** ¾  (Original rating: *** ¾)

Todd Pettengill is in the studio for the SummerSlam Report. They announce Lex Luger/Tatanka

Adam Bomb v Joey Sollins: We get a fan doing the guest ring announcing for this one. I kind of forgot that Bomb had dumped Harvey Wippleman. Was he considered a babyface at this point? The crowd doesn’t seem to know either. Adam with a pumphandle-slam at 1:21. DUD

SummerSlam ad

Undertaker v Barry Hardy: 'Barry' is a young Matt Hardy. Brian Lee has gotten better at keeping his hair down while executing his moves, so that’s an improvement at least. Undertaker with the tombstone at 1:07. DUD

Live Event News takes us on the road with the Summer Sizzler Tour

Leslie Nielsen is hot on the trail of Undertaker. I’m not sure why he’s looking for him, the guy in the last match is being put over by the announcers as the real Undertaker. Just come to Ocean City, you lazy fuck

BUExperience: Hart/Backlund (and the subsequent turn) is one of the favorite segments of my childhood, so this one gets a big ‘thumbs up’ from me.