WWF Superstars (November 18, 1995)

 

Original Airdate: November 18, 1995 (taped October 24)

From Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon, Jim Ross, and Jerry Lawler

Davey Boy Smith v Roy Raymond: Raymond is dressed like a lost Hart Foundation member from 1986. They hype up the Bob Holly/Goldust match for later as ‘Holly versus Hollywood,’ which is pretty great, actually. That’s some Don Draper shit. Meanwhile, Bulldog split screens in here, and he doesn’t care who wins between Diesel and Bret Hart, because he’s going to beat whoever the champion is. Davey with a running powerslam at 2:00. DUD

Various wrestlers weigh in with thoughts on the Diesel/Hart title match. Hunter Hearst Helmsley thinks it’ll go Diesel’s way, Dean Douglas feels like it’s Bret’s. HHH picks his Kliq buddy, and Dean picks the non-Kliq guy… shocker. Fatu picks Diesel, and Mabel picks Bret… before quickly changing his mind. Isaac Yankem and Jerry Lawler get into a shouting match, as Yankem wants to pick Bret, but Lawler isn’t having it

Survivor Series ad

Hakushi v Brian Walsh: Hakushi was pretty cold by this point. Even Walsh has the balls to sneak attack him, though sadly Gorilla isn’t on commentary to call it a ‘Pearl Harbor job.’ Hakushi with a rana into a cradle at 2:55. Hakushi was largely reduced to a joke by this point, which is a shame. ¼*

Dok Hendrix is in the studio for the Survivor Series Slam Jam, and apparently Dok is getting ready for Thanksgiving by… grilling hot dogs? Anyway, Survivor Series

Dean Douglas v Tim McNeany: The jobbers are getting a lot in this week. Was it some new edict from the top, or something? Or, maybe just an indication of where guys like Hakushi and Dean Douglas stack up in the eyes of the bookers. Douglas with a bridging fisherman suplex at 3:26. A pretty dull squash here. DUD

‘Bill Clinton’ is excited to host fellow Arkansas native Henry Godwinn in his Presidential box at Survivor Series

Lawler brings out his fellow Royals (his Survivor Series team), consisting of Mabel, HHH, and Isaac Yankem. And HHH would later win the King of the Ring too, so I guess it really is fitting. Also, Mabel’s actual teeth are nearly as bad as Yankem’s gimmicked ones. This was a real 80s style Survivor Series promo, with each guy getting exactly one line, roundtable style

Bob Holly v Goldust: Holly doesn’t even get an entrance here, poor kid. Goldust with a sneak attack, and a snapmare allows him a fistdrop. Goldust stays on him with a corner whip, and he unloads on Bob in the corner. A cross corner whip, but the charge in misses, and Bob delivers a cross corner whip of his own, followed by a punch on the rebound. Goldust slugs back, and he brings Holly to the mat with a facebuster. Goldust unloads in the corner, as Bam Bam Bigelow split screens in to threaten Goldust. More punching from Goldust, as the announcers trade Forrest Gump impressions. Much like Borat impressions a decade later, those got real old, real fast. Goldust goes to a chinlock, but it goes nowhere, and Holly delivers a facebuster. Holly adds both sides of an atomic drop, followed by a pair of clotheslines, then a backelbow. Bob with a dropkick, and a powerslam gets him two. Backdrop, but Goldust blocks, and delivers a gourdbuster at 5:05. Goldust was still clearly getting used to working as a heel here, and it really showed. Good start, horrible heat segment, solid finish. *

Shawn Michaels video package. This might be the official start of something that still plagues the sport to this day, with Shawn openly talking about wanting to be the best performer, putting on the best show, being the most entertaining, instead of talking about being the best wrestler, or winning. You can pretty much trace all of that Dolph Ziggler stuff back to this video package

Ahmed Johnson v Scott D'Amore: Ahmed doesn’t have those weird thigh pads he’d eventually have yet, and he looks weird without them. And those things were weird! Johnson with a sitout tiger bomb at 2:39. Great finisher. DUD

Dok is back with a final Survivor Series Slam Jam push

Undertaker is ready to bury the Royals. Even if he ugly. Complete with a Pulp Fiction reference. No wonder he ended up feuding with Goldust

BUExperience: Even without much in the way of feature matches, this was a strong episode, with a good final push for Survivor Series, and especially for the main event.