Friday, December 6, 2024

WWF Superstars (December 15, 1996)

 

Original Airdate: December 15, 1996 (taped November 19)


From Springfield, Massachusetts; Your Hosts are Jim Ross and Jim Cornette


Dok Hendrix welcomes us to the show from West Palm Beach Florida, where they are setting up for tonight’s In Your House


Faarooq v Freddie Joe Floyd: Sunny sits in on commentary here. Shifting to the Nation of Domination gimmick is such an improvement over the stupid non-gladiator gladiator deal. That was a real miss for them. Meanwhile, Dok split screens in from West Palm, promising to talk to Shawn Michaels later on. Faarooq with the dominator at 6:15. That’s really long for a squash. What is this, JCP? ¼*


Freddie Blassie leads a choir in singing a WWF themed holiday carole. I’m usually into these cheesy things, but this was stupid


In West Palm, Dok catches up with Shawn Michaels, who continues to look like he’s auditioning for some prestige drama crime show. He’s moved on from Breaking Bad to The Sopranos, though. He promises not to get involved in the main event tonight


Backstage, Kevin Kelly catches up with Steve Austin, who is unbothered by Davey Boy Smith’s promises to watch his matches from now on. Hey, it’s 1996. They’ll get their ratings where they can


Steve Austin v Stalker: They’re back to acknowledging Stalker as Barry Windham again this week. Stalker with an armdrag right away, so Steve stalls him out by hiding in the ropes. Stalker manages a backdrop once getting engaged, and he takes Steve into the corner for a ten-punch count. Steve buys time with a mulekick, and he ropechokes Stalker, as Davey and Owen Hart split screen in. Austin with a snapmare for two, and another snapmare sets up a chinlock, but Stalker quickly counters to a hammerlock. Steve is in the ropes, so Stalker unloads in the corner after the break, but Steve fights him off, and goes back to the chinlock. Stalker fights him off, and manages a 2nd rope axehandle, but eats a stunner at 3:37. Nothing to this at all. Afterwards, Bulldog comes out with a chair, but Owen cuts him off, not wanting him to risk injury ahead of their tag title match at In Your House. But as they argue, ‘Diesel’ and ‘Razor Ramon’ attack them, as Austin just smirks from in the ring. ¼*


Hunter Hearst Helmsley/Marc Mero feud video package


Over in Florida, Dok catches up with Bret Hart, who cuts a pretty basic promo on Sycho Sid ahead of their showdown, but Michaels shows up to get in his face. They get into a brief shoving match, but nothing really comes of it


Royal Rumble ad


Vader v Tim McNeany: Poor Vader doesn’t even make the card for the pay per view basically named for him, but he gets to squash Tim McNeany on Superstars on the same day! That’s just as good! Vader with a powerbomb at 2:23. DUD


The Acclaim Slam of the Week is Flash Funk hitting Goon with a dive on RAW


In Your House ad


Crush v Savio Vega: Savio kick starts the match, and chokes Crush with his entrance jacket. Vega with a ten-punch count, so Crush tries an inverted atomic drop, but Savio no sells, and takes him down for mounted punches. Crush bails, but Vega chases, only to get nailed on the way back in. Crush tries a cross corner whip, but Vega reverses, and hammers him with punches. Dropkick, but Crush dodges, and puts the boots to him. Crush snaps his throat across the top rope, but wastes time jawing with the fans, and Savio schoolboys for two. Crush returns fire with a big boot and a legdrop for two, and he works a headvice from there. Savio fights free, and throws a bodypress for two, but Crush clotheslines him to cutoff the comeback. Crush pounds him with axehandles, and he takes Vega into the corner for a bootchoke. This is dragging, and needs to get to the point already. The crowd distracts Crush again, allowing Vega a dropkick, and he delivers a turnbuckle smash, but misses a corner splash. That allows Crush to cover for two, and he goes to a nervehold. Into the corner for abuse, and a cross corner whip rattles the ring. Crush with a backbreaker, but Savio blocks the heart punch, and throws an enzuigiri. That allows him to go on the comeback trail, but a spinheel kick ends in both men tumbling over the top. They slug it out on the floor from there, and we have a double countout at 8:10. This felt like it was double that length. ½*


Over in West Palm, Dok catches up with Sid, when Shawn attacks, since he can’t keep his nose out of anything this week. Anything. So then Bret runs out, and everyone just brawls outside of the building to end the show


BUExperience: These shows have felt increasingly phoned in since the switch to USA Network in the fall. This was truly the dying days of the series, and it shows.

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