WWF Superstars (July 20, 1996)

 

Original Airdate: July 20, 1996 (taped June 25)

From LaCrosse, Wisconsin; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon, Jim Ross, and Mr. Perfect

Hunter Hearst Helmsley v Marc Mero: They feel each other out to start, dominated by Mero. Mero works an armbar, but Helmsley forces a criss cross, so Marc throws a shoulderblock for two. Back to the armbar, but Hunter escapes again, only to have a hiptoss reversed on him this time. Hunter manages a bodyslam, but he runs into an armdrag, and Mero holds an armbar, as Marlena wanders down to ringside to check out Sable. Helmsley puts Mero down with a snapmare, but an elbowdrop misses, and Marc goes back to the armbar, as Marlena hands Sable a gift, before exiting stage left. Mero with a bodypress for two, and a slingshot sunset flip is worth two. Marc gets distracted when he notices the gift in Sable’s hands, allowing Helmsley to recover, but Marc shrugs him off. Mero goes out to throw the present away, which allows Helmsley to recover again, and attack in the aisle. Helmsley with a bodyslam on the floor, and he feeds Marc the steps out there. Hunter with a flying axehandle for two on the way back inside, and he works on Mero in the corner. HHH with a hanging vertical suplex for two, so Mero tries a series of jabs, but Hunter catches him with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker to cut it off. Helmsley with another flying axehandle, but Marc blocks it this time, so Hunter tries the tilt-a-whirl again, but Mero is able to counter with a headscissors this time. Mero goes on the comeback trail, but hits a boot on an avalanche attempt, and Helmsley tries a cross corner whip, but ends up getting reversed. Helmsley hustles to the top to try and recover, but Mero crotches him, and brings him down to earth with a rana off the top at 11:09. This started off a little slow with all the armbars, but once they got through with the Marlena bit, it got really good. **

Dok Hendrix is in the studio for the In Your House Slam Jam

Goon vignette

Goon v Dan Jesser: I have a soft spot for Goon, with his ‘skate boots,’ and glove throwing at the bell. Interestingly, Perfect outs Goon as ‘Bill Irwin,’ which is surprising. Jesser works hard to make Goon look good here, but the crowd isn’t into this gimmick, and I’m surprised they’re wasting time giving him a TV win, instead of just letting him fulfill his JTTS destiny. I get that they wanted to introduce us to each guy first, but I’d rather they just did vignettes, and just got to jobbing, instead of wasting our time. Goon with a countout victory at 4:20. Way too long. ¼*

A look at the first Wrestle Vessel cruise, and man, it was a different time, with Mr. Perfect shooting a fucking gun off the side of the cruise ship

The Bushwhackers v Rod Bell and RT Williams: The Bushwhackers were also on the cruise, and were probably patients zero in the still ongoing issues those ships have with hygiene. Brian Pillman shows up in the aisle to observe, as the Bushwhackers put this away with a battering ram at 2:22. And then, afterwards, Pillman attacks them, since they want to start him at the very top, I guess. DUD

In Your House ad

Steve Austin v Sonny Rogers: Like last week, Austin doesn’t want to lower himself to face such poor competition, and refuses to wrestle. And just like last week, Austin kicks the hell out of the guy after he accepts the forfeit. Meanwhile, Steve split screens in, telling Sable to take a good look at Mero’s face now, because he ain’t gonna be pretty no more after In Your House. And speaking of Raging Bull references, I laughed out loud at the ring announcer announcing a barely conscious Rogers as the winner here. 

Dok is back with another Slam Jam

Six-Man Tag Team Match: Davey Boy Smith, Owen Hart, and Vader v Bill Payne, Kevin Kruger, and Rex Royal: Why is Diana Hart-Smith still here? I kind of thought she was just around specifically for the Beware of Dog/King of the Ring double shot, and I don’t remember her as part of the group in the fall, so I’m guessing she doesn’t stick around much longer. You ain’t seeing Cleveland, Diana, stop asking. Bulldog with a powerslam at 4:15. This was a little long, but the heels were very energetic. ¼*

Undertaker music video. With Undertaker’s soliloquy from Royal Rumble ‘94, for flavor

BUExperience: This was fine. It didn’t really do much as far as really hard selling In Your House, but it was okay as an episode in general.