What the World Was Watching: WWF Superstars – 08.17.96

Vince McMahon, Mr. Perfect, and Jim Ross are in the booth for the last episode of the taping cycle in Yakina, Washington.

Opening Contest: The Undertaker (w/Paul Bearer) (8-4) pins Who (0-2) after the Tombstone at 1:08:

This is the first Undertaker match on Superstars this year. Ross finally explains what the Boiler Room Brawl is, telling fans that the match will start in the boiler room of the Gund Arena and will end in the ring. Who clubs the Undertaker across the back with some forearms and that is all he can do as the Undertaker mows him down with a flying clothesline and plants his big frame into the canvas with the Tombstone.

Ahmed Johnson tells Kevin Kelly that he understands why WWF President Gorilla Monsoon had to take the Intercontinental title from him. Kelly’s report clarifies that the tournament to crown a new champion will include eight superstars. Pam Taylor, Ahmed’s nurse, tells Kelly that if Ahmed’s internal bleeding stops, he can return to action in three to four months. If it does not stop, his kidney will have to be removed and he will not be able to resume his in-ring career. Ahmed tells viewers that he will do whatever it takes to get back in the ring but he will do what he wants, not what his doctors want. With regards to the WWF title shot that Ahmed earned, Kelly announces that the last four men in that match before Ahmed won it – Goldust, Steve Austin, Sid, and Savio Vega – will participate in a sudden death battle royal on the next Monday Night RAW. The winner will face whomever the WWF champion is on a special Friday edition of RAW, billed as “Championship Friday,” happening on September 6.

Dok Hendrix’s Slam Jam reminds fans that SummerSlam is tomorrow. Jerry Lawler says when snakes get drunk they see Jake Roberts. Roberts rebuts that his prayers have been answered because he gets to face Lawler in the ring.

Savio Vega & Freddie Joe Floyd defeat Justin Bradshaw & Zebekiah when Savio pins Zebekiah after a schoolboy roll up at 6:05 shown:

Savio and Floyd rush the ring to take the fight to the heels. As is typical of these matches, Bradshaw carries the workload because Zebekiah is the weak link. Floyd spends some time in peril and all hell breaks loose after Savio catches Zebekiah with a spin kick and Bradshaw breaks up the fall. In the commotion, Zebekiah grabs the branding iron and tries to hit Savio but Savio ducks and rolls the manager up, scoring the pin. The ending made Bradshaw look silly as he saw Zebekiah being pinned and did not try to break it up. Rating: *½

Unsurprisingly, Bradshaw is a sore loser and he knocks Savio to the floor after the bell. Bradshaw and Zebekiah double team Floyd in the ring until Savio makes the save. One wonders when Savio is going to get tired of saving Floyd’s bacon as he has had to do it three times.

A video package hypes the SummerSlam main event between WWF Champion Shawn Michaels and Vader. Jim Cornette proclaims that when Michaels gets hit with a Vader Bomb it will mean the end of his title reign. For his part, Michaels and Jose Lothario talk about needing the Kliq and together, they will turn Vader time into “later time.”

Crush (w/Clarence Mason) (1-0) defeats Aldo Montoya (2-7) via submission to a full nelson at 3:11:

McMahon argues that Mason has a conflict of interest because he is now managing talent in the WWF while he is also providing legal help to Camp Cornette. Ross explains that Mason is trying to enlist other WWF superstars to build a faction, saying that he has even made overtures to Perfect. Perfect does not deny that. Montoya only gets a few moves, angering Crush, who catches him with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, throws him over the top rope, delivers a short-arm clothesline, and then finishes him with a shoulderbreaker and full nelson. This match would have been a better way to introduce Crush than the awful match he had with Savio Vega on RAW. Rating: ½*

Mankind (12-0) beats Billy Two Eagles via submission to the Mandible Claw at 1:51:

It takes a while for them to get on the same page as Eagles does not want to go down in the corner after taking lots of blows and then does not position himself properly when he finally does go down for Mankind’s charging knee. Eagles gets his foot up on a blind charge but Mankind does not sell it, hits a swinging neckbreaker, and locks in the Mandible Claw to roll into SummerSlam undefeated. After the match, Mankind calls for “mommy.”

The Slam Jam features a promo by WWF Tag Team Champions the Smoking Gunns and Sunny. Sunny talks of how there is a conspiracy against her team because they have to face three contenders at once. Still, she believes her team will be victorious. The Bodydonnas have a promo where Zip does all of the talking, saying that the former Tag Team champions have their work cut out for them but they are coming to get the gold again.

Vader doing a Vader Bomb to Shawn Michaels on RAW is the Stridex Slam of the Week.

A new Stalker vignette sees him talk about how Vader, Goldust, Steve Austin, and Mankind are predators in the WWF but he is going to make them his prey. There were rumors that the Stalker would come in as a heel and enter a feud with Marc Mero, targeting Sable. But this vignette shows that he will come in as a babyface act.

A silhouette of Sunny appears behind a screen like on RAW where she is trying on different bikini combinations for the Free for All. She teases that maybe she will go “au naturel.”

Marc Mero (w/Sable) (15-5) defeats Steve Austin (20-5-1) via disqualification when Mero brawls with Mankind at 5:29 shown:

Austin is now wearing an open-cut, black leather vest to the ring. The WWF sure does love booking this match as these two have now faced off three times. Austin has won all three of their prior encounters. As Mero makes his entrance, the commentators hype Austin’s appearance on the cover of the latest issue of RAW Magazine. Goldust and Marlena join commentary. Goldust talks of being a zookeeper who is going to cage Mero at SummerSlam and make Sable his. Marlena says that Goldust will “stroke Sable’s fine fur.” Then Mankind comes to ringside and stalks after Sable, calling her “mommy.” Sable retreats in fear and disgust. After Mero plants Austin with a super hurricanrana, he slides out to brawl with Mankind but all that gets him is the Mandible Claw. But Mero does not get counted out for this as the official opts to disqualify Austin. Compared to their past bouts, this was simply TV filler so the Goldust-Mero storyline could advance. Rating: *½

After laying out Mero, Mankind keeps coming after Sable and of all people, the Undertaker and Paul Bearer make the save. Sable flees to the locker room and Mankind retreats there after making a loop around the ring to avoid the Deadman.

The Last Word: The Mankind interaction with Sable was an intriguing development in the Marc Mero-Goldust feud that continues to take Mero out of his element. On that basis alone it was better than last week’s episode.

Up Next: SummerSlam ’96!

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