WWF Superstars (July 8, 1995)

 

Original Airdate: July 8, 1995 (taped June 27)

From Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon and Dok Hendrix

Bob Holly v Mike Bell: Vince is all excited that 1-2-3 Kid returned to action on the last RAW. Wasn’t he on this show just last week? Oh Vince. Meanwhile, they offhandedly announce that President Jack Tunney has retired, which feels like something of an end of an era. He didn’t really have much of a presence anymore anyway by this point, and even if there wasn’t any bad blood between him and the promotion, it was still time for a change regardless. Dok suggests either Hillary Clinton or Ivana Trump run for the job. A Clinton v Trump election? Yeah, that’ll be the day. Holly with a small package at 2:26. This was pretty competitive! ¼*

Adam Bomb can still feel the slop on his back from last week. He doesn’t wash?

Henry Godwinn doesn’t feel bad about what he did - “if you don’t like it, too bad.” So, a guy that humiliates people by dumping waste on them for his gratification? Also, Henry Godwinn

In Your House ad

Jean-Pierre LaFitte v Nike Barberri: We get a fan doing the ring announcing for this one. They did a really bad job of getting whatever LaFitte was supposed to be over. Like, I get that he’s a pirate, but they didn’t really give it any angle. He’s just a random pirate. They pay a little lip service to him wanting to avenge his pirate ancestors, but that’s about as far as they ever go with it. A heel needs more than that. Jean with a flying somersault senton splash at 2:32. LaFitte looked good here, as he usually did. If he wasn’t saddled with this dumb gimmick (or, if they at least made more of an effort with the gimmick) they might have had something with him. ½*

Todd Pettengill is in the studio for the In Your House Report. At least Diesel doesn’t look so depressed this week. Not tagging with Bam Bam will do that for you, I guess

The WWF Superstars recently participated in the Special Olympics. I always get a kick out of how they’d make Lex Luger do these PR puff piece things when he so clearly hated it

Men on a Mission are ready to make the Smoking Gunns bow down. It’s important to obtain consent, don’t ‘make’ them do anything, please

Hakushi v Jeff Hardy: Hakushi is now carrying around a Bret Hart mannequin head, which is slightly more threatening than the Al Snow version. Hakushi with a cross armbreaker at 2:51. I hoped that, even though it would obviously be a squash, Hakushi would play ball with Hardy and get a real match in. No such luck. DUD

With My Baby Tonight music video. I hope Double J at least hooked up with one of those backup singers

The Smoking Gunns v Men on a Mission: Why are they still booking tag matches for Mabel at this point? Billy Gunn starts with Mabel, and tries sticking and moving, but gets bodyslammed. Mabel tries an elbowdrop, but Billy dodges, and throws a trio of dropkicks, before getting brushed off. Tag to Mo for a backdrop, but Billy is ready with an inside cradle for two, followed by a hiptoss. Billy uses an armdrag into an armbar, and he passes to Bart Gunn. Bart backdrops Mo, and his own armdrag follows. Tag to Billy for a tandem Russian legsweep for two, and Billy holds another armbar. Back to Bart for a flying axehandle, but Mabel catches a tag, and delivers a shoulderblock. Bart fires back with a pair of dropkicks, but a corner whip gets reversed, and Mabel uses a scrapbuster on the rebound. Mabel dumps him to the outside for the count, but Billy helps him beat it, so Mabel suplexes him for two. MOM cut the ring in half on Bart, but he dodges Mabel long enough for the hot tag! Billy runs wild, and a flying bodypress on Mabel gets two. That draws Mo in, but Bart responds, and Roseanne Barr the door. The Gunns with a tandem bulldog for two when Mo saves, and that allows Mabel to avalanche Billy ahead of a belly-to-belly suplex at 8:32. ¾*

Todd is back with another In Your House Report. And speaking of still booking Mabel in tag matches, they announce MOM against Razor Ramon and Savio Vega

Jerry Lawler is messing with kids in Isaac Yankem’s waiting room

BUExperience: I enjoyed this episode. It really didn’t have anything special going on, but it was a breeze, and some of the squashes had some real energy.