What the World Was Watching: WWF Superstars – 07.23.94

Shawn Michaels, with Intercontinental Champion Diesel, says that Ted DiBiase will break some big news today on the Heartbreak Hotel.

Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler are commentating, taped from Ocean City, Maryland. According to thehistoryofwwe.com, this taping happened on July 3.

Opening Contest: Jeff Jarrett (21-5) wrestles the 1-2-3 Kid (14-3) to a double count out at 6:41 shown:

The Kid seeks revenge from Jarrett’s post-match attack at The King of the Ring. The pacing is more deliberate than their pay-per-view clash, which foreshadows a weak finish. Jarrett dominates and works the Kid’s back until the Kid misses a body press off the ropes and ends up on the arena floor. Afterward, Jarrett and the Kid fight until they are counted out. Rating: *½

Jarrett ambushes the Kid in the ring after the bull and piledrives him several times, repeating The King of the Ring attack. WWF officials eventually intercede. As the Kid is helped to the locker room, Jarrett calls the Kid a coward and demands the match be restarted. Officials prevent the Kid from responding.

Jim Neidhart (w/Owen Hart) (3-0) beats Rich Myers via submission to a Camel Clutch at 2:01:

Since Neidhart is using the old Hart Foundation theme some fans pop because they think Bret Hart is coming out. It is easy heat for the returning veteran. Ross announces that WWF Champion Bret Hart will face Bob Backlund on next week’s program so that could impact the SummerSlam main event. Neidhart loves throwing Myers around, slingshotting him out of the ring and then tossing him across the squared circle like a javelin. After Neidhart wins, he reapplies the Camel Clutch as Owen puts Hitman shades on Myers.

A Bob Backlund training video airs. Backlund says he is not showing up next week to lose.

The first Leslie Nielsen detective video is shown. Nielsen talks about wanting to solve the Undertaker mystery when the lights go out and Ted DiBiase’s laugh can be heard.

Tatanka (21-3-2) pins Austin Steele after the Papoose to Go at 2:21:

Frank Tobat, a middle-aged man, is the guest fan ring announcer. He has no enthusiasm like the guest ring announcer we had last week. Tatanka chops away until Steele catches him with a clothesline. However, Steele takes Tatanka to the buckle, causing the warpath comeback. Ross calls Tatanka’s finisher the Papoose to Go so the Renegade Drop name was short-lived.

An organized crime family eats at an Italian restaurant on Monday night. The don gets mad with the business owner because he does not have cable to watch Monday Night RAW so the don ends up watching the show in his limo. Somehow this is supposed to make people care about the New Generation.

Ted DiBiase is a guest on the Heartbreak Hotel. DiBiase says he can buy anything, whether it was the WWF Championship in 1988 or the Undertaker. He announces Lex Luger as the newest member of his stable but Luger takes a while to come out when his theme plays. When Luger approaches the set, Tatanka beats him there. Tatanka tells Luger that he is not his friend anymore since he sold out. When Luger tries to speak, DiBiase interrupts and once again accuses Tatanka of jealousy. Luger finally gets the mic and tells DiBiase there is no deal. And he tells Tatanka that he has not sold out and believes in the same things he does. Tired of talking, Luger leaves but Tatanka does not buy his denial, arguing that he saw DiBiase giving Luger money. DiBiase still says he has a deal with Luger so the announcers are confused about who to believe. Again, it is suspicious for Tatanka to keep throwing himself in Luger’s business and he came across as overly paranoid in this segment. The only thing the crowd cared about was Luger, treating Tatanka’s exit with silence.

Todd Pettengill does the SummerSlam Report. A new match added to the card is Intercontinental Champion Diesel defending against Razor Ramon. Ramon says he is ready to take chances in Chicago. Paul Bearer argues that DiBiase’s Undertaker reminds him of when his Undertaker was evil. But he insists that his Undertaker will make DiBiase’s Undertaker rest in peace. WWF Champion Bret Hart says that the steel cage will keep Jim Neidhart out of his match with Owen Hart.

Bam Bam Bigelow (w/Ted DiBiase) (23-4) pins Tyrone Knox after the Million Dollar Nightmare at 2:03:

Bigelow continues to tread water in the midcard although he has been freshened up with DiBiase at his side. Knox takes some falling headbutts, which makes him so dazed that he cannot capitalize when Bigelow misses a blind charge. Bigelow refuses to pin Knox after a suplex so he can finish him with the Million Dollar Nightmare.

Lawler makes fun of Bob Backlund at the end of the show, telling Backlund that he needs “to win one for the geezers.” But he says he hopes Backlund wins because he hates Bret Hart.

Tune in next week to see WWF Champion Bret Hart defend against Bob Backlund!

The Last Word: The feature match was disappointing. A silver lining is that it appears to shift Jeff Jarrett into a feud with the 1-2-3 Kid, which is a more interesting program than what Jarrett was doing with Doink the Clown in the spring. The Lex Luger storyline is not something fans are buying into because nothing other than hearsay has been used as evidence that Luger has sold out. It is a small rerun of the Randy Savage-Ultimate Warrior angle two years ago where Mr. Perfect was hyped as helping one of the participants, only for it be revealed that neither man wanted his help. At least with that you had intrigue surrounding a match, though. Right now it is just Tatanka hurling baseless accusations and looking petty. Next week’s show promises to be better with a WWF title match even though Bob Backlund’s odds of winning are close to zero because he has not appeared on television since a weak run in the Royal Rumble.

Up Next: Wrestling Challenge for July 24!

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