What the World Was Watching: WWF Superstars – 04.20.96

Vince McMahon, Mr. Perfect, and Jim Ross are calling today’s action, taped from San Diego, California.

Opening Contest: Ahmed Johnson (10-0) pins Gary Lee after the Pearl River Plunge at 1:35:

Lee has a good physique and is a bit taller than Ahmed. Ahmed’s right hand is taped because he has a broken thumb. Ahmed puts Lee on the top rope and dropkicks him off, causing the enhancement talent to fall to the arena floor. After that, the spinebuster and Pearl River Plunge seem like a violation of Lee’s Eighth Amendment rights.

Dok Hendrix’s Slam Jam runs down the In Your House 7 card. Vader and Jim Cornette warn Razor Ramon that Vader time is around the corner. The Ultimate Warrior promises to make Goldust make some sacrifices in their match. A new match added to the card is Marc Mero vs. Hunter Hearst Helmsley.

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Non-Title Match: The Bodydonnas (WWF Tag Team Champions w/Sunny) (6-2) defeat Stephen DeLeon & Wayne Bradley when Zip pins Bradley after the super hurricanrana-flying butt drop combination at 2:41:

DeLeon was a trainee of Alex Knight and wrestled on the California independent circuit. He wrestled in WWF squashes between 1988-1991, doing enhancement duty for Herb Abrams’ UWF as well in 1990.

The camera shows a young man fan wearing a Sunny t-shirt and kissing it. Ross hilariously opines “That poor boy needs some help.” In the split screen, the Godwinns and Hillbilly Jim talk about beating down the champions at In Your House. When talking about Phineas being entranced by Sunny, McMahon and Ross talk about Phineas going to therapy to deal with it. The Bodydonnas do nothing interesting before their super hurricanrana-flying butt drop finish.

The Bushwhackers are in a segment called “Somewhere Down Under” that shows them marching through the woods. They come upon an alligator and then jump on it as McMahon says the story will be continued.

A lengthy video chronicles the Shawn Michaels-Diesel relationship from 1993 to present.

The British Bulldog (w/Jim Cornette) (2-3) defeats Bob Holly (0-4) after the running powerslam at 5:50 shown:

Once again Diana Hart Smith is shown sitting at ringside to watch her husband’s match. In a nice heel move, the Bulldog lifts Holly in a gorilla press and then dumps him backward over the top rope, crotching him. In the split screen, Bulldog talks about how he is going to powerslam Roberts and beat him at In Your House. Ross suggests that Yokozuna will be back in action in about a month. Holly stops the Bulldog’s overuse of chinlocks with a back suplex. A commercial break interrupts Holly’s comeback, which is an odd way to cut the match, and when the action returns Holly scales the top rope, supposedly to do his flying body press. The Bulldog crotches him but Holly crashes down on top of him during a superplex for a close near-fall. Cornette hops on the apron after Holly does a hurricanrana and that distraction lets the Bulldog hoist Holly up in the running powerslam, winning a surprisingly close match considering Holly’s place on the card. Rating: **¼

Call 1-900-737-4WWF to hear about the controversy that WWF superstars created in Germany!

The 1-2-3 Kid (w/Ted DiBiase) (2-3) pins Greg Davis after a spinning heel kick at 2:22:

The Kid has no momentum going, not competing on television since the March 4 edition of Monday Night RAW. He is wrestling Shawn Michaels next week, though, so this match is akin to a proof of life and meant to build him for that encounter. The Kid does an insert promo about how he is younger, faster, and quicker than Michaels so he is going to beat him next week. That match is non-title since it is a day before In Your House. The Kid dropkicks Davis against the buckles and a spinning heel kick is enough to get him a win, thereby getting him back to .500 on the year.

The next edition of “Somewhere Down Under” shows the Bushwhackers outwrestling the alligator and finding their way to their restaurant in Tampa, Florida called Bushwhackers Down Under.

After recapping the held up Intercontinental title situation, Goldust and Marlena do a promo in a movie theater. Goldust says their will not be foreplay in the rematch with Savio Vega and that will set up Goldust for facing the Ultimate Warrior at In Your House.

Savio Vega (2-2-2) beats El Diablo after the spinning heel kick at 1:56:

It would be great if Austin was under the mask as El Diablo but that is not the case. Even though Diablo takes Savio down at the beginning, Savio quickly recovers and, like the 1-2-3 Kid in the previous match, wins with a spinning heel kick.

Shawn Michaels and Diesel have a face-to-face on the Slam Jam. Diesel says that he wants the title for money and he accuses Michaels of becoming a corporate puppet. Michaels has no good lines, other than shouting that he is on top and is going to stay there.

Tune in next week to see WWF Champion Shawn Michaels battle the 1-2-3 Kid! Also, Fatu faces Owen Hart! And Goldust and Vader will be in action!

The Last Word: Superstars continues to have some fun feature matches even though the rest of the show is devoid of other good content for fans. Diesel’s criticism of Shawn Michaels becoming a corporate champion bites hard because Michaels has lost some of his edge since winning the belt and Diesel looks is a much cooler character in their feud.

The WWF continued its tour of Germany and here were the results of some of those shows, courtesy of thehistoryofwwe.com:

Oldenburg, Germany – Weser-Ems-Halle – April 15, 1996 (5,500): The Bushwhackers & Duke Droese beat Leif Cassidy, Isaac Yankem & the 1-2-3 Kid…Justin Bradshaw pinned Savio Vega…Owen Hart pinned Jake Roberts…Ahmed Johnson defeated Steve Austin via disqualification…WWF Tag Team Champions the Bodydonnas beat the Godwinns…Razor Ramon beat the 1-2-3 Kid (substituting for Goldust)…The Undertaker pinned Diesel…Bret Hart defeated Hunter Hearst Helmsley via submission with the Sharpshooter…WWF Champion Shawn Michaels pinned the British Bulldog.

Rostock, Germany – Stadthalle – April 18, 1996 (3,000): The Godwinns beat Leif Cassidy & the 1-2-3 Kid…Justin Bradshaw beat Jake Roberts…Savio Vega defeated Isaac Yankem…Ahmed Johnson beat the British Bulldog via disqualification…Hunter Hearst Helmsley defeated Duke Droese…Bret Hart beat Owen Hart…WWF Tag Team Champions the Bodydonnas defeated the Bushwhackers…Razor Ramon defeated the 1-2-3 Kid…The Undertaker beat Diesel…WWF Champion Shawn Michaels defeated Steve Austin.

Halle, Germany – Eissporthalle – April 19, 1996 (4,751; sellout): Razor Ramon defeated the 1-2-3 Kid…Justin Bradshaw defeated Duke Droese…Jake Roberts beat Isaac Yankem…Savio Vega defeated Steve Austin via disqualification…The Bushwhackers beat Leif Cassidy & Justin Bradshaw…Ahmed Johnson beat the British Bulldog via disqualification in an arm-wrestling match…Bret Hart defeated Owen Hart…WWF Tag Team Champions the Bodydonnas beat the Godwinns…The Undertaker defeated Diesel…WWF Champion Shawn Michaels pinned Hunter Hearst Helmsley.

Bayreuth, Germany – Oberfrankenhalle – April 20, 1996 (3,637): The Bushwhackers & Duke Droese defeated Leif Cassidy, Isaac Yankem & the 1-2-3 Kid…Justin Bradshaw pinned Savio Vega…Ahmed Johnson beat the British Bulldog via disqualification in an arm-wrestling match…WWF Tag Team Champions the Bodydonnas defeated the Godwinns…Jake Roberts beat Owen Hart via disqualification when the British Bulldog interfered…Razor Ramon pinned Justin Bradshaw…Bret Hart defeated Hunter Hearst Helmsley…The Undertaker defeated Diesel…WWF Champion Shawn Michaels pinned Steve Austin.

Backstage News*: Gates for the German shows remained strong, bringing in anywhere from $106,000 to $304,894.

-Madison Square Garden is having strong advances for May 19, headlined by a Shawn Michaels vs. Diesel cage match. The show could sellout, which would the first back-to-back sellouts of Madison Square Garden by the WWF since 1985.

-Even though it was announced on television, the WWF is going to delay the Marc Mero-Hunter Hearst Helmsley match and not put it on In Your House. Instead, Mero will face the 1-2-3 Kid on the Free for All.

-Goldust visited Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Alabama about his MCL injury and will not need major surgery that could have kept him out for months. Goldust will wrestle at In Your House but will have to avoid putting too much pressure on his knee. The British Bulldog is also having knee issues, hurting it on the German tour.

-In talent relations news, the WWF is in talks with Brian Pillman, who barely survived a car accident in Kentucky a few weeks ago and had to have his ankle reconstructed.

*Backstage news is provided courtesy of Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer for April 29.

Up Next: Monday Night RAW for April 22!

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