What the World Was Watching: WWF Superstars – 02.10.96

Vince McMahon, Mr. Perfect, and Jim Ross call the action for the third episode of four of WWF Superstars taped from San Jose, California.

Opening Contest: The Ringmaster (w/Ted DiBiase) (2-0) defeats Fatu via submission to the Million Dollar Dream at 6:25 shown:

Fatu entered the singles ranks in 1995 after working the first three years of his WWF tenure in tag teams. In 1995 he was part of a New Headshrinkers duo with Sione, who replaced Samu shortly after SummerSlam in 1994. The New Headshrinker team disbanded in June after a loss to Sid and Tatanka before King of the Ring. The next month Fatu started showing up wearing a multicolored jacket and was given a “Making a Difference” gimmick, talking about growing up in a rough San Francisco neighborhood and how kids should avoid drugs, stay in school, and avoid gangs. The character fit the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program vibe of the 1990s but was one dimensional. As a result, Fatu became an elevated enhancement act like Bob Holly and Aldo Montoya. His highest profile singles match of late 1995 was a loss to Hunter Hearst Helmsley at In Your House 4. However, Fatu did team with the Undertaker, Henry Godwinn, and Savio Vega in a sweep of the Royals (Mabel, Jerry Lawler, Isaac Yanke, and Helmsley) at Survivor Series.

There is a small story to this match as Fatu tossed the Ringmaster out of the Royal Rumble, albeit inadvertently. Steve Austin is already refining elements of the Ringmaster gimmick, wearing black trunks instead of green ones. In the split screen, the Ringmaster wears sunglasses, talking about taking advantage of people’s weaknesses in the WWF and torturing them. This is Austin’s effort to give a serial killer vibe to his character. There is some good, basic action between the two before the show heads to a commercial break. When it returns, Fatu gives Austin a Samoan bulldog – his name for a Diamond Cutter – but when he goes to the top rope DiBiase trips him. Austin capitalizes with a superduperplex and locks in the Million Dollar Dream for the first feature match victory of his WWF career. Fatu gets to hang in for a while in the Million Dollar Dream so the WWF was still high on doing something meaningful with him, poor gimmick aside. Rating: **½

Austin refuses to break the hold for a few minutes afterward with crazed eyes. McMahon shouts about how Austin is “stone cold.”

Dok Hendrix’s Slam Jam segment from the New York area hypes the next Madison Square Garden card on March 17 that pits Shawn Michaels and Diesel against Bret Hart and the Undertaker. Bret Hart, the Undertaker, and Diesel are also scheduled to face each other in the first triple threat match at the Continental Airlines Arena and on that same card the British Bulldog & Owen Hart will also face Yokozuna & Shawn Michaels. Fans outside of New York saw Hendrix reveal that at In Your House Yokozuna will face the Bulldog.

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Tatanka (w/Ted DiBiase) (0-1) pins Robert Thompson after the End of the Trail at 1:47:

Thompson was a trainee of All Pro Wrestling in California. He had been working since 1991 and did a televised WWF squash match against Money Incorporated in 1993.

Ross announces that Tatanka has been booked to face Jake Roberts on the Free for All before In Your House. That explains why Tatanka receives this squash. Tatanka jaws with the crowd as he finishes Thompson without much difficulty.

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The 1-2-3 Kid (w/Ted DiBiase) (1-0) pins Wayne Bradley after a flying leg drop at 2:29:

Superstars is turning into a showcase of the Million Dollar Corporation today. McMahon notes that the Kid will face Ahmed Johnson next week because of the Kid’s attack on Razor Ramon last week. DiBiase cuts a promo against Ramon for the crybaby match at ringside, promising that the Kid will shove the baby bottle he carries into Ramon’s mouth. Ramon does a rebuttal in the split screen, calling the stipulation stupid and that he is going to teach the Kid new lessons at In Your House. The Kid dropkicks Bradley against the turnbuckles, slams him, and delivers a flying leg drop. That allows him to pin Bradley with one foot and pose.

McMahon does an in-ring interview with Shawn Michaels, who get a big ovation from the crowd. Michaels likens Owen Hart to someone who tries to take people’s jobs. He talks of beating Owen at In Your House and partying his way to WrestleMania. Michaels had good energy in the promo for a feud that should be getting more attention. Fireworks go off and Michaels goes into the crowd, where he is mobbed by the fans.

Call 1-900-737-SLAM to vote for the Slammy Awards or you can vote from the March edition of WWF Magazine or on America Online. For “Squared Circle Shocker” fans can vote for Bob Backlund’s presidential candidacy, Barry Horowitz getting his first win, Goldust premiering, the 1-2-3 Kid selling out to Ted DiBiase, and Shawn Michaels collapsing on Monday Night RAW. For the “Best Threads” category fans can vote for DiBiase, Goldust, Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Michaels, and Mr. Perfect.

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Owen Hart (w/Jim Cornette) (2-0) defeats Aldo Montoya (0-1) after an enzuigiri at 4:19:

Montoya might be one of the lowest babyface acts but he still gets a fireworks show. Montoya manages to take Owen down early but runs into a belly-to-belly suplex. Owen pounds away until Montoya reverses a take to the buckle and then hits a flying body press for two. Montoya puts his head down on an Irish whip, though, and Owen catches him with an enzuigiri – a move that the WWF is building for In Your House – for an easy pin. Owen was generous to give as much offense as he did to Montoya, which made this a better match. Rating: **

Tune in next week to see Ahmed Johnson face the 1-2-3 Kid! Also, Yokozuna will wrestle in a handicap match and Justin Bradshaw will wrestle too!

The Last Word: The two feature matches were better than last week. Seeing Steve Austin make quick pivots to the Ringmaster gimmick is fun as that is the something wrestlers need to do when they are given something that is poor before the audience solidifies an opinion of them. The WWF has spent so much time building the WWF title picture as a three-way race between Bret Hart, the Undertaker, and Diesel that it may have been a better selling point to do the first triple threat at In Your House rather than make the match a Bret-Diesel cage match. At least that is how it would be booked today.

The Action Zone had another match that was filmed in Stockton, California on January 22. It aired on February 11. Jim Ross and Mr. Perfect commentated.

Justin Bradshaw (w/Zebekiah) (1-0) pins Steve Rizzono after a lariat at 3:10:

Bradshaw’s entrance is played by the RAW Band, which is unique. That would have been a creative use of that if they had continued it long-term. Ross announces that Billy Gunn has suffered a severe neck injury and will be out of action for several months. This means that Roddy Piper will need to decide what to do with the WWF Tag Team Championship. The squash is a great display of Bradshaw’s power, a much better way to introduce him than the Superstars win against Bob Holly. Bradshaw even does a back splash off the ropes that looks devastating. Perfect loves the lariat finish as Bradshaw appears to take Rizzono’s head off. This would turn out to be the last exclusive match to air on The Action Zone as WWF Superstars shifted to the USA Network in September and took its place.

Backstage News*: Backstage morale is strong after The Royal Rumble drew its best buyrate since 1993. Wrestlers on the India tour made $6,000 or so each for four nights of work and they got to stay in nice hotels. This, combined with an uptick in house show business, has also turned the mood of the locker room around. There were fears after In Your House 5 that WrestleMania XII was headed for a bad buyrate but that is not a concern anymore.

-WrestleMania XII will be advertised with a $29.95 pay-per-view price, less than $34.95 price of last year’s event. The show has sold 8,000 tickets so far, creating an advance of $350,000.

-The WWF is expecting to run 150-175 domestic events this year. Outside of major arenas, it will only visit markets once with a loaded card.

-The British Bulldog (Davey Boy Smith) was acquitted by a Calgary jury of aggravated assault from a bar fight that took place on July 25, 1993 at the Back Alley night club. It left 20-year-old Kody Light brain damaged. Prosecution witnesses were not consistent in their testimony and Smith’s defense was that he could not do a wrestling move like a powerbomb without the cooperation of the other person. Smith also admitted under oath that wrestling was fake. The most convincing testimony came from Dr. John Butt, the chief medical examiner of Alberta province, who said that Light’s injuries were caused more by himself than Smith. Light’s character was attacked in the trial as Diana Hart Smith, the Bulldog’s wife, argued that Light was making lewd remarks toward her. A bouncer of the bar later also testified that Light has been warned to stop harassing female patrons before. If found guilty, the Bulldog was facing up to 14 years in prison.

-In injury news, Billy Gunn’s neck surgery fixed a disc problem he was having. He injured his neck during The Royal Rumble tag team match with the Bodydonnas and is expected to be out for at least a month or two.

-In talent relations news, there are concerns that Razor Ramon and Diesel will head to WCW when their contracts expire.

*Backstage news is provided courtesy of Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer for February 12 and 19.

Up Next: WWF Superstars for February 17!

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