What the World Was Watching: WWF Superstars – 06.01.96

Vince McMahon recaps the King of the Ring tournament matches on Monday Night RAW. The WWF is retconning the Ultimate Warrior’s elimination from the tournament as Jerry Lawler preventing him from returning to the ring.

McMahon, Mr. Perfect, and Jim Ross start a new taping from North Charleston, South Carolina.

Opening Contest: Jake Roberts (4-1-1) pins George South after the DDT at 2:26:

South, a trainee of Rusty Roberts, started his career in Florida in 1984. He was a staple enhancement talent for Jim Crockett Promotions in the late 1980s, having a famous televised match with NWA World Champion Ric Flair in November 1988 where Flair “made him look like Ricky Steamboat.” South also worked for the WWF from 1988-1990 and 1993-1994. At this point of the 1990s he was co-owner of the Carolinas-based Pro Wrestling Federation (PWF) with the Italian Stallion. The two were positioned as the headline talents and the company was a feeder to the WWF even though it did not have an official talent agreement like Jerry Lawler’s USWA.

Roberts does an insert promo to hype his King of the Ring first round match against Hunter Hearst Helmsley on Monday Night RAW, saying that it is unfortunate that Helmsley is in his way. The commentators talk up Roberts’ chances by saying he is the most focused individual in the field. South lands a few shots to Roberts ribs but that just brings back the Roberts of old, who peppers South with left hands, hits a short-arm clothesline, and pops the crowd with the DDT.

WWF Tag Team Champions the Smoking Gunns and Sunny tell McMahon that Phineas has to be stupid to think that a guy like him could have a girl like her. McMahon warns the Gunns that Sunny may be up to no good.

An advertisement for Warrior University shows a paralyzed man lifting weights as the narrator urges viewers to unleash their warrior within.

The New Rockers (1-2-1) defeat the Hardy Brothers when Marty Jannetty pins Jeff after a reverse powerbomb-flying bulldog combination at 3:40:

This is the first time that Matt and Jeff Hardy have teamed together on WWF television. Even though the ring announcer bills them as “The Hardy Brothers” McMahon calls them “The Hardy Boys.” The Rockers whip Jeff toward Matt, who backdrops his brother over the top rope, and then after the Rockers knock Matt out of the ring they follow with simultaneous pescados. Back in, Jannetty has fun with Jeff by putting Jeff’s headband over his eyes so the heels can beat him down. Jannetty follows up with another heel trope of refusing to pin Jeff. The crowd barely reacts to any of this, though, until the Rockers do a crazy finish where Leif Cassidy hoists Jeff for a powerbomb and then Jannetty does a flying bulldog.

Dok Hendrix’s Slam Jam hypes The King of the Ring on June 23. Vader and Jim Cornette put over his victory against Ahmed Johnson and give a warning to the unlucky soul who gets Vader in the semi-finals and the finals. Hendrix announces that the Undertaker will face Mankind at the pay-per-view.

Hunter Hearst Helmsley (10-5) pins Marty Garner after the Pedigree at 3:04:

A woman named Regina Evans accompanies Helmsley to the ring. In the split screen, Helmsley tells Roberts that he should not bother bringing the snake to Monday Night RAW because only someone of his pedigree will win the King of the Ring Tournament. Garner surprises Helmsley with a dropkick and hiptoss but runs into a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. This is a squash people still talk about today because of the finish because when Helmsley does the Pedigree, Garner elevates well into the air and comes down vertically. Helmsley takes his time getting to his feet to subtly check on Garner and it seems that only through the graceful intervention of the wrestling gods did Garner avoid a Chuck Austin-like incident. Perfect marks out for the bump, which gets a replay.

The Undertaker, who has reappeared after In Your House: Beware of Dog 2, does a taped promo with Paul Bearer. The Undertaker tells Mankind that his tormented soul will be put to rest at The King of the Ring.

Yokozuna (2-3) beats Tony Johnson after the Banzai Drop at 1:57:

Johnson is a thin, slender talent so that makes Yokozuna’s Samoan drop, leg drop, and finish look devastating. The win gets Yokozuna back on track after he lost his feud to Vader.

After recapping the Caribbean strap match from In Your House: Beware of Dog 2, Steve Austin does a taped promo about how Ted DiBiase was only serving as a distraction for him and he never needed anyone in his corner. Austin is confident that no one in the WWF can stop him.

King of the Ring First Round: Justin Bradshaw (w/Zebekiah) (9-1-1) pins Henry Godwinn (w/Hillbilly Jim) (0-1) after the lariat at 7:38:

The poor beagle that Jim brings to the ring for the match looks terrified. Thankfully, an official quickly carries it backstage. Godwinn appears to tweak his knee on a leapfrog, hindering him in the match. Bradshaw almost puts away Godwinn with a big boot, elbow drop off the second rope, and then a flying clothesline. He goes to the well too many times, though, and Godwinn superplexes him off the top. Godwinn finds a second wind after that but he misses a knee drop, reaggravating the knee that he tweaked earlier. As he slowly gets up, Bradshaw blasts him with the lariat and that advances him to the quarter-finals. There was good effort here and it was nice for the knee that Godwinn sold early on to have a payoff. Rating: **½

Hendrix does another Slam Jam, featuring a promo by the British Bulldog, Jim Cornette, and Diana Hart Smith. Cornette vows that no one is going to stop the Bulldog from pinning WWF Champion Shawn Michaels at The King of the Ring. The Bulldog talks about making Michaels ride a stretcher. Michaels, with Jose Lothario, rebuts that he is disappointed that he allowed his shoulders to be pinned to the match at In Your House so he is going to redeem himself in the eyes of the Kliq when he faces the Bulldog again.

Tune in next week to see Savio Vega face Marty Jannetty in a first round match in the King of the Ring Tournament!

The Last Word: This was a fun episode as all of the squashes had some redeeming quality to them and the King of the Ring match was a fun powerhouse battle. Henry Godwinn was an underrated worker in the mid-1990s and that match proves it.

The WWF headed to Florida after doing television tapings in the Carolinas. Here were the results of some of its shows, courtesy of thehistoryofwwe.com:

West Palm Beach, Florida – The West Palm Beach Auditorium – May 30, 1996 (4,777; sellout): Duke Droese pinned Aldo Montoya after the Trash Compactor…The Bushwhackers defeated the New Rockers…Owen Hart & the British Bulldog beat Ahmed Johnson & Jake Roberts via disqualification when Ahmed, after being attacked by Vader on the arena floor, powerslammed his opponents and the referee…Justin Bradshaw pinned Barry Horowitz after the lariat…The Godwinns defeated WWF Tag Team Champions the Smoking Gunns via count out when the champions walked out on the match…Savio Vega pinned Steve Austin with a small package…Ahmed Johnson (substituting for the Ultimate Warrior) beat Vader after a spinebuster…The Undertaker pinned Mankind after the Tombstone…Marc Mero defeated Hunter Hearst Helmsley with a roll up after Sable hit Helmsley…WWF Champion Shawn Michaels pinned Intercontinental Champion Goldust after Sweet Chin Music.

Tampa, Florida – The SunDome – May 31, 1996 (2,763): The Bushwhackers beat the New Rockers…Justin Bradshaw defeated Barry Horowitz…The Godwinns beat WWF Tag Team Champions the Smoking Gunns via count out…Jake Roberts & Ahmed Johnson defeated Owen Hart & the British Bulldog…The Undertaker beat Mankind…Savio Vega defeated Steve Austin…Ahmed Johnson defeated Vader (substituting for the Ultimate Warrior)…Marc Mero beat Hunter Hearst Helmsley…WWF Champion Shawn Michaels beat Intercontinental Champion Goldust.

Backstage News*: Scott Hall debuted on Monday Nitro as WCW is looking to turn the WWF’s Billionaire Ted sketches from earlier in the year against them, having Hall use those phrasings in an interview where he portrayed himself as a WWF talent invading the company. Since Hall spoke in a Razor Ramon-like cadence, the WWF believes he is infringing on their trademark of the character. Hall has been sent a letter by the WWF’s legal team where they announced that they will withhold all future royalty payments and his In Your House 7: Good Friends, Better Enemies pay-pay-view payoff until the dispute is resolved. The WWF also announced on America Online that Hall was not under contract and that they have not made any agreement with WCW to allow his participation on their show.

-Some pay-per-view providers offered refunds to fans who bought In Your House but others, like DirecTV, only issued $10 refunds to those who called and complained. Even though refunds were beyond the WWF’s control, fans were still upset if their provider did not provide a refund or a full refund.

-Shawn Michaels and the British Bulldog were not happy with their match at In Your House and were angry that they were not given a chance to wrestle again on the re-airing of the pay-per-view on Tuesday. The Bulldog gave notice on May 28 but that was to renegotiate his contact and not because he wants to go to WCW or is unhappy about his present booking. There are supposed plans for the Michaels-Bulldog feud to stretch to SummerSlam.

-The Fayetteville, North Carolina Monday Night RAW taping’s gross ($51,726) was the highest in the history of the city for a professional wrestling event, outstripping cards that Jim Crockett Promotions held there.

-Michaels has apologized to a few wrestlers backstage for the Kliq’s Curtain Call at Madison Square Garden several weeks ago.

-The Ultimate Warrior missed house shows this week for a reported muscle tear in his shoulder.

-In talent relations news, the WWF gave a tryout to the Ringlords at both of its television tapings. They wrestled the Hardys and it was not believed to have gone well. Ted DiBiase was offered more than $200,000 a year to become an announcer and manager in WCW, so he gave notice a few days before In Your House and the WWF decided to write him off immediately rather than keep him as an on-air talent until his deal expired in August. There were rumors Owen Hart might give notice but he is reported to be under negotiations for a new deal. There are also rumors that Bob Holly may give notice. Jim Neidhart has signed a deal to return and will appear under a new gimmick in late June. The Samoan Gangsta Party were released. Samu was going to be suspended for a violation of company policy and both of them decided to leave instead.

*Backstage news is provided courtesy of Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer for June 3 and 10.

Up Next: Monday Night RAW for June 3!

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