What the World Was Watching: WWF Superstars – 09.10.94

WWF Mania had its last exclusive match of the year. It was taped in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on August 30. Gorilla Monsoon and Ted DiBiase were on commentary:

The 1-2-3 Kid & Thurman Plugg (1-1) beat Well Dunn (w/Harvey Wippleman) (3-1) when the Kid pins Timothy Well after a spinning heel kick at 9:08 shown:

Monsoon promotes the Kid and Plugg as high-flyers, something Plugg leans into when he pescados onto Well on the arena floor after sending him from the ring with a clothesline. Unfortunately, the crowd is cooked from a long taping and barely react to anything. Well Dunn slow the pace when they put the Kid in peril with some cheating. Plugg saves the Kid after he takes a Steven Dunn powerslam, giving the Kid room to make the hot tag after he avoids Timothy Well’s spinning heel kick in the corner. However, Plugg’s dive off the top rope eats a boot from Dunn. That drags the match out for a while longer until Plugg makes a blind tag to the Kid as he sunset flips Well. The Kid comes in and delivers a spinning heel kick, allowing the babyfaces to notch a win. Once again, Well Dunn did little to warrant fans caring about them. Rating: **

And on to WWF Superstars where Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler called the action, taped from Portland, Maine.

Opening Non-Title Contest: Shawn Michaels & Diesel (WWF Tag Team Champions) beat Tom O’Sullivan & Nick Barberi when Michaels pins O’Sullivan after a splash off the top rope at 4:33:

This is the first time that Michaels and Diesel are teaming on television. According to backstage reports, they demanded the Tag Team titles because they believed they were more over than the other teams. The squash is long and boring as Michaels and Diesel do not work in a lot of double team moves. For the finish Diesel gives O’Sullivan a Jackknife and Michaels flies off Diesel’s shoulders with a splash off the top rope in a parody of the Headshrinkers finisher.

McMahon narrates highlights of the SummerSlam cage match between Bret Hart and Owen Hart and what happened afterward. Owen and Jim Neidhart do a taped promo about how they are going to make the British Bulldog pay for saving Bret on the show. Neidhart promises to take out his anger on his opponent in the next match.

Jim Neidhart (w/Owen Hart) (9-0) defeats Mark Malaccio via submission to the Camel Clutch at 2:15:

True to his word, Neidhart tears into Malaccio. He wears him down with a Cobra Clutch before tossing him outside, where Owen gets in a few shots. After Owen rolls Malaccio back in, Neidhart clotheslines his opponent but picks him up at two, preferring to win with the Camel Clutch. This was another dull squash for Neidhart. After the bell, Owen does the Hitman shades routine on Malaccio while he is in the Camel Clutch.

On his way to the ring for the next match, Doink the Clown teases Lawler. In response, Lawler pops all of Dink’s balloons and makes him cry.

Doink the Clown (w/Dink) (23-2) pins the Executioner with a German suplex at 2:30:

Doink appears to be thrown off his game by Lawler’s actions as the Executioner avoids his elbow drop and fires away in the corner. The Executioner also takes a swipe at Dink as McMahon alleges a company-wide conspiracy against the tiny second. That neglects all the pranks Dink has been having at the expense of enhancement talent for a long time. After taking a suplex, Doink reverses a whip into the corner and pins the Executioner with a German suplex. It appears that Doink will now feud with Lawler, rekindling a program that ignited Doink’s babyface turn after last year’s SummerSlam.

Ray Rougeau interviews the Heavenly Bodies and Jim Cornette. Cornette tells the Smoking Gunns that their destruction of the Bodies wings on last week’s show was a big mistake and his team will get their revenge.

Bam Bam Bigelow is supposed to wrestle Tony Roy in the next match but Bigelow attacks Roy before the bell, throws him to the floor, and then whips him into the ring steps. Roy is deemed unable to continue and since the bell never rang the match is cancelled. Ted DiBiase issues an open challenge for anyone to come out and wrestle Bigelow, which is answered by Adam Bomb. Bomb and Bigelow exchange blows until WWF officials grab a hold of Bigelow and force he and DiBiase to leave.

An advertisement for WWF fall merchandise shows dancing t-shirts.

The Headshrinkers (w/Afa & Captain Lou Albano) (24-1) beat Mike Bell & Tony DeVito when Fatu pins Bell after the splash off the top rope at 3:33:

McMahon promotes future matches between the Headshrinkers and Shawn Michaels and Diesel as Fatu does not sell a Bell DDT, popping up and knocking him down with a thrust kick. In the split screen, Michaels and Diesel appear, arguing that they will be Tag Team champions for a while. This squash is in keeping with recent Headshrinker battles as their viciousness has eroded and they are going through the motions.

McMahon recaps Tatanka’s heel turn at SummerSlam. Lex Luger says that he knows what Tatanka is all about now and he will never turn his back on him again. He vows to take Tatanka out.

Buy the latest edition of WWF Magazine! It has an interview with Jerry Lawler and alleges that Doink the Clown might be the next one to sell out to Ted DiBiase!

Yokozuna (14-4) pins Steve King after a belly-to-belly suplex at 1:59:

Josh Adler is the guest fan ring announcer. He reads Yokozuna’s entrance like he is bored and gets excited to announce King. The enhancement talent probably loved that. Like Wrestling Challenge, Yokozuna is wrestling without Jim Cornette and Mr. Fuji in his corner. There are some fun bits in the squash as King screams and charges Yokozuna, getting picked up and thrown across the ring for his troubles. Yokozuna follows up by slamming King over the top rope. King is done after that but Yokozuna extends the punishment with a belly-to-belly suplex, notching a fourth-straight win. After the bell, the Undertaker’s bell rings and Yokozuna runs from the ring.

Lawler laughs at a replay of him popping Dink’s balloons.

Tune in next week to see the Bushwhackers battle Well Dunn! Also, Jeff Jarrett, Bob Backlund, and the Undertaker will be in action! And Tatanka and Ted DiBiase will be guests on the Heartbreak Hotel!

The Last Word: The Adam Bomb-Bam Bam Bigelow angle would have appeared to set up a feature match for next week but instead the Bushwhackers and Well Dunn get that spot. So that will ostensibly be a house show feud and one that both men need to win. Most of the show revolved around the Tag Team title picture but the Headshrinkers chasing Shawn Michaels and Diesel is not exciting, especially because the Headshrinkers have become a toned-down act. Jerry Lawler made quick work of Duke Droese in their house show program and now moves onto Doink the Clown. Doink will be the next lower card act for Lawler to face as the WWF toys with using him as an announcer and wrestler simultaneously.

Up Next: Wrestling Challenge for September 11!

And if you would like to read a compiled breakdown of 1990-1993 WWF, 1993-1995 ECW, or of various promotions in 1995, check out my Amazon author page to purchase e-books or paperback copies!