WWF Superstars (May 18, 1996)

 

Original Airdate: May 18, 1996 (taped April 30)

From Des Moines, Iowa; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon, Jim Ross, and Mr. Perfect

WWF Tag Team Title Match: The Bodydonnas v The New Rockers: Skip starts with Leif Cassidy, and they trade slaps. A criss cross ends in Skip landing a clothesline, but a cross corner whip gets blocked, allowing Cassidy a uranage, as the Smoking Gunns and the Godwinns come out to observe in the aisle. Tags all around, and Zip uses a drop-toehold, into a side-headlock. Marty Jannetty forces (and loses) a criss cross, as Ross goes over to get words with the Gunns and Godwinns. Points to them for trying to make the dismal tag division seem hot and exciting. I do appreciate the effort. Sunny trips up Marty during a criss cross, but Skip blows the opportunity, and ends up clobbered. Marty with a snapmare to set up a fistdrop for two, and he passes to Cassidy for a series of strikes. A criss cross allows Skip a rana, but Cassidy shifts, and they end up spilling over the top with it. Back in, Cassidy manages a rollup for two, reversed by Skip for two. That draws Marty in, allowing Zip to make an illegal switch, and pin a battered Cassidy at 7:37. The finish was ridiculously weak, and the match lacked flow, but it wasn’t terrible. ¾*

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

In Your House ad

We get a look at the WWF superstars doing a tour of Kuwait, where Davey Boy Smith attacked Shawn Michaels on a beach, trying to drown him in the Persian Gulf. Good stuff

Ahmed Johnson v David Haskins: This jobber is feeling his oats here, and keeps trying to go crazy on Ahmed. He gets a little traction, but come on, dude. Ahmed with a sitout tiger bomb at 3:22. ¼*

Warrior University ad

Bob Backlund v Roy Raymond: Harvey Wippleman is out to observe the officiating again. Bob with the crossface chickenwing at 2:14. This marks Backlund’s last TV match in the WWF, except for a pair of ‘legends era’ appearances in early 2000. DUD

Dok is back with another Slam Jam

Savio Vega v Justin Hawk Bradshaw: Bradshaw goes right at him, and hammers on Vega, but loses a criss cross. A reversal sequence allows Bradshaw a hiptoss, but an elbowdrop misses, and Vega beats him into the corner. Bradshaw throws a knee to shake him off, but Savio reverses a cross corner whip, and catches Bradshaw with an armdrag into an armbar on the rebound. Savio tries a monkey flip, but Bradshaw blocks, and turnbuckle smashes him a few times, targeting the shoulder. Bradshaw works the arm, but telegraphs a backdrop, and gets nailed. Savio goes on the comeback trail, and a bodypress gets him two, but Bradshaw throws a big boot to cut him off. Bradshaw goes back to work, until Savio catches him with a spinkick coming into the corner, and makes the official comeback. Uncle Zeb trips him up, and Savo takes the bait. That allows Bradshaw to grab his bullrope, but a swing misses, and Savio grabs his Carribean strap. They go at each other with the weapons, and we have a double disqualification at 10:53. They were making an effort here, but it just didn’t work. The chemistry just wasn’t there, and neither was the flow. ½*

BUExperience: I’m a big fan of Superstars in general, but this episode was pretty tedious.