What the World Was Watching: WWF Superstars – 06.22.96

The show does a custom “Are You Ready?” intro for King of the Ring based on the matches that will happen there.

Todd Pettengill and Mr. Perfect host a King of the Ring special edition of the show.

Video packages hype the Marc Mero-Steve Austin King of the Ring semi-final. Austin does a follow up promo about how it is a shame that Mero has to face him next as he is more focused without Ted DiBiase.

A video package hypes the Ultimate Warrior-Jerry Lawler King of the Ring match. Perfect contends that the feud has made Lawler snap.

Dok Hendrix’s Slam Jam does a final sell for the King of the Ring pay-per-view, focusing on the WWF Tag Team Championship match. WWF Tag Team Champions the Smoking Gunns, with Sunny, are not convinced that the Godwinns deserve another title shot. Sunny insists that the Gunns will hold the titles for as long as she wants. Billy argues that the fans did not care when he was out with a neck injury and the only people that cared were Bart and Sunny. The Godwinns and Hillbilly Jim rebut, with Phineas insisting that he is over Sunny.

A King of the Ring memory flashes back to the Roddy Piper-Jerry Lawler match in 1994.

The Undertaker and Paul Bearer, in a boiler room, argue that the end is near for Mankind and that Mankind’s soul will be plunged into the darkness. Perfect believes that the Undertaker has finally met his match. Pettengill agrees. After their discussion, the big moments of the feud are recapped.

Jim Ross interviews Mankind in a dark room. Mankind repeats that he has already paid a high price in his life and he thinks it is about time to bring pain to the Undertaker’s fans. Before wishing the Undertaker a nice day, Mankind talks about how there is an ongoing countdown to “The Undertaker’s extinction.”

Owen Hart’s coronation as the 1994 King of the Ring airs.

Call 1-900-737-4WWF to get an exclusive update on an explosive locker room situation between two popular WWF superstars!

Yokozuna defeating Hulk Hogan for the WWF Championship at the 1993 King of the Ring is shown.

After a video package takes time recapping the Shawn Michaels-British Bulldog feud, Pettengill asks Perfect about his role as the special guest referee. Perfect insists that he will be fair, saying that he has nothing against Shawn Michaels. Pettengill brings up WrestleMania X, careful not to mention Lex Luger. When Pettengill asks if there is any professional jealousy with Michaels because Michaels holds a title that Perfect never won, Perfect says there might be something to that but it will not get in the way of him being a neutral arbiter.

Ross hosts a video face-to-face segment like it is 1993 again between Michaels and the Bulldog. The Bulldog, with Jim Cornette, argues that he is disturbed because he got ripped off at the last In Your House. Michaels fires back that his fans got ripped off because they did not get to see him win. Cornette is happy that Perfect is refereeing. Michaels yells back that the heels will not have any excuses since they have the official of their choosing and that he looks forward to shattering the Bulldog’s glass jaw with Sweet Chin Music. Very little was said here that had not been said before.

The show revisits the King of the Ring Tournament to discuss the other semi-final between Jake Roberts and Vader. The WWF frames Roberts’ drug problems as starting after his loss to the Undertaker at WrestleMania VIII. Roberts talks about how Vader is a big man but he looks to make his mark in the finals of the tournament. Jim Cornette insists that Vader is the new sheriff in the WWF and Roberts will not stand in his way.

Bret Hart forcing his foot into Jerry Lawler’s mouth at the end of their “Kiss My Foot” match, along with forcing Lawler’s foot in his own mouth at the end of the bout, at last year’s King of the Ring is shown.

There is a recap of the Ahmed Johnson-Goldust feud. Goldust, with Marlena, is confident that he will be standing in the spotlight when their match is done. Pettengill says that the reason Ahmed has stayed silent is that he is brooding over how he is going to take his revenge. Perfect thinks that Goldust will use psychological warfare to retain the Intercontinental title.

The Slam Jam talks about the Free for All that will feature the Bodydonnas against the New Rockers. Skip calls in, saying that hundreds of thousands of people wanted to be their manager and they have chosen someone. He refuses to reveal who it is but says that their new manager will take them to the top because this person is not worried about doing photo shoots and is only concerned about the team.

The pull apart fight between Shawn Michaels and the British Bulldog on Monday Night RAW is the Sega Saturn Slam of the Week.

The show ends with Pettengill and Perfect talking about Brian Pillman. On WWF Mania, Pillman acted crazier than the clips shown on RAW. Perfect says that Pillman is going to make big waves in the WWF.

The Last Word: There were some good video packages on the broadcast but that was it. The only exclusive was the Shawn Michaels-British Bulldog face-to-face but that was a flop.

Before King of the Ring, the WWF continued its house show circuit through parts of the Midwest and Canada. Here were the results of some of those shows, courtesy of thehistoryofwwe.com:

St. Louis, Missouri – The Kiel Center – June 16, 1996 (8,047): The New Rockers defeated the Bushwhackers when Leif Cassidy pinned Luke after an elbow drop after Marty Jannetty tripped Luke behind the refereee’s back…Justin Bradshaw pinned Barry Horowitz after the lariat…Savio Vega defeated Owen Hart after the spinning heel kick. The St. Louis Rams’ Demarco Farr was the special guest referee…Marc Mero defeated Hunter Hearst Helmsley after Sable slapped Helmsley on the apron…Steve Austin pinned Duke Droese (substituting for Jake Roberts) after a three-quarter facelock jawbreaker…The Ultimate Warrior defeated Vader via count out…WWF Tag Team Champions the Smoking Gunns beat the Godwinns (substituting for the Bodydonnas) when Bart pinned Phineas with a roll up after Sunny distracted Phineas…Ahmed Johnson beat the British Bulldog via disqualification when Owen Hart came off the top rope with his cast to break up a cover after Ahmed delivered the Pearl River Plunge…The Undertaker pinned Mankind after the Tombstone…WWF Champion Shawn Michaels defeated Intercontinental Champion Goldust after Sweet Chin Music.

Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada – Winnipeg Arena – June 22, 1996 (5,500): Savio Vega pinned Steve Austin after the spinning heel kick at 12:10…The Godwinns beat WWF Tag Team Champions the Smoking Gunns via disqualification at 6:55…Marc Mero pinned Hunter Hearst Helmsley at 9:35…Mankind defeated Jake Roberts via submission to the Mandible Claw at 7:50. Prior to the match, Roberts threw his snake on Mankind…Ahmed Johnson defeated Owen Hart after the Pearl River Plunge at 4:45…Yokozuna pinned Vader after a leg drop at 4:45.

Up Next: King of the Ring 1996!

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