WWF Superstars (May 27, 1995)

 

Original Airdate: May 27, 1995 (taped April 25)

From Danbury, Connecticut; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon and Dok Hendrix

Men on a Mission v Ross Greenberg and Tom McNeany: Kind of odd that they’re still doing MOM squashes when Mabel was getting the super push for King of the Ring/SummerSlam. Mabel with a belly-to-belly suplex at 1:44. DUD

Stephanie Wiand welcomes the In Your House sweepstakes winner to his new home, but unfortunately, the Bushwhackers are already stinking up the joint. No wonder they immediately sold it

King of the Ring Tournament Qualifying Match: Duke Droese v Kama: A reversal sequence to start, won by Droese with a hiptoss. He tries a headlock, but Kama forces a criss cross, and Duke wins that as well, this one via clothesline. Droese with a corner whip, but Kama blocks the charge in, and puts the boots to the man. Kama with a bodyslam to set up a pump-splash, but Duke lifts his knees to block. That allows Droese a dropkick and a clothesline, followed by a snap suplex, as Vince runs down the luminaries who have already qualified for the tournament. Duke with a powerslam for two, and a backdrop sets up an elbowdrop, but Kama dodges. Kama capitalizes with a rotating spinebuster, and that’s enough at 2:49. This was too short, but they were working hard for the three minutes they had. * ½ 

Todd Pettengill is in the studio for the King of the Ring Report. So far, we’ve got Mabel, Bob Holly, Kama, Shawn Michaels, and Razor Ramon in the tournament. And then one of those didn’t even make it to the pay per view, so it’s not even a 3-2 jobber-to-star ratio, it’s 3-1, really

Shawn Michaels v Tom Prichard: Shawn’s got a beard now, which is a weird look for him. I’m honestly surprised Vince signed off on it. Shawn plays with him to start, and a criss cross ends in Michaels sliding to the outside to mess with Jim Cornette as well. Tom chases, but gets nailed, and Michaels delivers a flying axehandle on the way back in. A backdrop and a dropkick knock Tom to the outside, but he beats the count, so Shawn welcomes him with jabs. Shawn adds a hiptoss, and he throws a shoulderblock, but Jimmy Del Ray pulls the top rope down as Michaels runs the ropes, and HBK takes a bump over the top. Del Ray sends him into the post out there, and hits him with a somersault senton from the apron before rolling him back in. Tom meets him with a bodyslam to set up a Boston crab, with Del Ray giving him some additional leverage. He gets busted, but the damage is done, and Tom keeps hammering on the back. Shawn tries a bodyslam, but the back gives out, and Tom gets a sleeper locked. Michaels fades, but manages a side suplex to escape. He’s battered, however, and Tom hits him with a vertical suplex for two before HBK can recover. Another one, but Michaels blocks. He looks to reverse, but the back doesn’t allow it, so he switches gears with a swinging neckbreaker for two. A cross corner whip rebounds Tom into a jumping forearm, and Michaels bodyslams him to set up a flying elbowdrop for two. Del Ray tries to interfere, but Michaels fights him off, and catches a recovering Prichard with the superkick at 8:12. Michaels was really hitting his stride as a master level worker around this period, and he was truly incredible to watch, even in a nothing match like this. And the crowd was responding to him in a major way. ** ½ 

Ernie Ladd is announced for the Hall of Fame class of 1995

Hendrix brings WWF Champion Diesel and Bam Bam Bigelow, and Bam Bam doesn’t even care that he lost his title match with Diesel, because he won something even better: friendship! No wonder no one took him seriously. Diesel is pretty good here when cutting a promo on Sycho Sid - relaxed and charming, and not kissing babies like his weak stuff from this period. Bigelow is pretty bad as a babyface, though. Doesn’t feel natural

Hunter Hearst Helmsley v Brian Walsh: We’re joined in progress here, and since there’s no ‘we’re back’ style commentary from Vince and Dok, I’m guessing something was cut out of the Network version here. What it could possibly be, no clue. Helmsley with the pedigree at 1:38 shown. And apparently a fan was doing the ring announcing here, which now makes me wonder what could have possibly happened there that required cutting around it. DUD

The Bushwhackers come out to see if Dok Hendrix is a real doctor, since they need medical help. Unfortunately, no one can fix what they’ve got. Maybe Kevorkian

Bodydonnas vignette

Techno Team 2000 v Brooklyn Brawler and Barry Horowtiz: This is Techno's TV debut. I thought they were cool back in 1995. It should be noted that I was just a kid, though. A dumb kid. The Team with a combo at 1:52. Good effort here. Maybe I wasn’t so dumb after all. ¼*

Todd is back with a second King of the Ring Report. What could he possibly have to report since twenty minutes ago? This is how the 24 hour news cycle was born

BUExperience: Good stuff here, with some King of the Ring direction, two feature matches - and one of them even being good!