WTWWW WWE — page 23

While the opening theme music of the show stays the same, new footage is added in to reflect the roster and the end of WrestleMania VIII.  There are also new, updated graphics in dark blue and red colors.  This is also when the show changes its name to WWF Superstars versus the longer WWF Superstars of Wrestling because the WWF lost a lawsuit over the term “Superstars of Wresting” to promoter Albert Patterson.  That is why the current WWF archive on Peacock begins with this show, so you can use that as a supplement to follow these reviews.

Vince McMahon and Mr. Perfect commentate another episode of Superstars, starting a new taping cycle in Kalamazoo, Michigan.  According to thehistoryofwwe.com, the taping took place on April 8.  McMahon gives Perfect an Easter basket.  Perfect says that the Ultimate Warrior has jellybeans for brains because of his decision to mess with Sid Justice.

Vince McMahon moderates tonight’s panel.  Gorilla Monsoon returns to anchor the babyface side with Hillbilly Jim to face off with Bobby Heenan and Mr. Perfect.

Vince McMahon replaces Gorilla Monsoon on commentary, broadcasting the final episode from the Biloxi, Mississippi tapings with Bobby Heenan.  According to McMahon, Monsoon is on vacation.

The recap of the major events of WrestleMania VIII airs.

Vince McMahon and Mr. Perfect handle commentary, wrapping up the tapings in Mobile, Alabama.  Perfect tells WWF Champion Randy Savage that he is a cheater just like his wife.

The recap of WrestleMania VIII that aired on Prime Time Wrestling is shown along with promos from Sid Justice and the Ultimate Warrior.

Vince McMahon moderates the panel, which includes Gene Okerlund, Hillbilly Jim, Bobby Heenan, and Mr. Perfect.  This is another one-hour edition of the show.  McMahon announces that Randy Savage in the new WWF champion and that the Ultimate Warrior returned at WrestleMania.  Heenan is irate that Savage cheated to win the title and no one seems to care.

Footage from WrestleMania VIII shows Randy Savage celebrating with the WWF title, Bret Hart celebrating with the Intercontinental title, and the Undertaker pinning Jake Roberts.  Papa Shango is also shown doing a spell and laughing in Sid Justice’s locker room before the main event, explaining why he came to the ring after the Hulk Hogan-Sid main event.  That run-in is shown, along with the Warrior’s return.  Sid and Harvey Wippleman do a taped promo about how they came close to ending Hulkamania only to be thwarted by the Warrior.  Sid begs the Warrior to get in his business.  The Warrior rebuts how the spirits of Hulkamania compelled him to bring his warriors to WrestleMania.

Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan are in the booth and they are live from Indianapolis, Indiana.  This would be Monsoon’s last WrestleMania as a commentator, passing the torch to Jim Ross the following year.  According to thehistoryofwwe.com, 62,167 fans attended and, in a bad sign for the company, more than 15,000 free tickets were distributed to pack the venue.  The buyrate for the show was 2.30 (390,000 estimated buys).  This continued a decline in pay-per-view buys for WrestleMania as the previous year’s edition had a 2.80 buyrate (400,000 buys).

Country music star Reba McIntyre sings the national anthem, departing from “America the Beautiful” that was typical fare for WrestleMania musical performances.  When she finishes, Heenan cracks that McIntyre did a great performance for El Matador’s sister, arguing that her name is “Arriba McIntyre.”

The venue is a significant upgrade over the previous year’s use of the Los Angeles Sports Arena, giving the card a “big fight” atmosphere.  The entrance has also been upgraded to have colorful vertical lights on each side of a black curtain with the WWF symbol at the top.  The one puzzling layout decision is that the company opts not to use mechanized ring carts to transport talent to the ring even though there is a long journey to make from the locker room to the ring.

Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan handle commentary for this episode that aired on WrestleMania Sunday.  They are taped from Biloxi, Mississippi.

Vince McMahon and Mr. Perfect commentate the go-home episode before WrestleMania VIII.  It is taped from Mobile, Alabama.

The program begins with footage of Hulk Hogan defeating the Iron Sheik in 1984 for the WWF Championship.

Vince McMahon hosts the program from a studio.  The matches on this show were filmed in Biloxi, Mississippi on March 10.

A replay of the Hulk Hogan-Andre the Giant match from WrestleMania III airs.  The commentary is redubbed with Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan because Jesse Ventura had sued the WWF over royalties from his commentary on past broadcasts.

Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan are in the booth for a new round of Challenge tapings.  This time they come from Biloxi, Mississippi.  According to thehistorofwwe.com, the taping took place on March 10.  Heenan freaks out when Monsoon tells him that Randy Savage has put him on a hit list.

Vince McMahon and Mr. Perfect handle commentary, starting a new taping cycle in Mobile, Alabama.  According to thehistoryofwwe.com, the taping took place on March 9.

Vince McMahon moderates a one-hour episode of Prime Time Wrestling.  Gorilla Monsoon, Bobby Heenan, and Mr. Perfect are on the panel with a new guest, Hillbilly Jim.  McMahon says that he has heard Hulk Hogan is taking time off after WrestleMania to make a film and spend time with his family and that Hogan will probably return soon after.

Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan are in the booth for the last show of the West Palm Beach, Florida taping cycle.

Vince McMahon and Mr. Perfect do commentary, broadcasting the final episode of the Tampa, Florida tapings.

Vince McMahon moderates the panel of Gorilla Monsoon, Slick, Bobby Heenan, and Mr. Perfect.  Heenan says that it is natural for Randy Savage to deny that Elizabeth had a relationship with Ric Flair and they have definitive proof that it occurred.

The Natural Disasters’ squash from WWF Superstars kicks off the show.

Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan broadcast another episode, taped from West Palm Beach, Florida.

Vince McMahon and Mr. Perfect commentate another episode, still broadcasting from Tampa, Florida.

Bret Hart’s squash from Prime Time Wrestling kicks off the show.

Gene Okerlund’s Update segment hypes the Super WrestleMania video game for SNES but the footage shown is not inspiring, just Sid’s character coming off the top rope to miss Hulk Hogan while Hogan stomps him.  Footage is shown of the WrestleMania VIII press conference where Hogan arrived in a bus and WWF Champion Ric Flair and Perfect showed up in a limousine.  McMahon interviews Flair in a hotel lobby.  Flair says Savage is trying to buy every copy of WWF Magazine so that makes the recent edition a collector’s item.  He shows off new photographs of he and Elizabeth watching TNT years ago in a living room and then playing billiards.  Flair tells Savage that he should not feel too bad about what is going on with Elizabeth because it is hard to match up to the Nature Boy and closes by reminding Savage that Elizabeth was his first.

Vince McMahon hosts another episode as Gorilla Monsoon, Slick, Bobby Heenan, and Mr. Perfect debate issues of the day.  McMahon is angry at Heenan and Perfect for releasing pictures of WWF Champion Ric Flair and Elizabeth.  Heenan laughs about how more photographs are to come.  The panel then debates whether Elizabeth told Randy Savage about Flair before they were married.

Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan call the action, starting a new taping cycle in West Palm Beach, Florida.  According to thehistoryofwwe.com, the show took place on February 18 and drew a sellout crowd of 5,000 fans.

Since Wrestling Challenge aired in some markets the day before Superstars, Heenan laughs and talks about how a woman he knows needs to get a divorce attorney.

Vince McMahon and Mr. Perfect are in the booth, beginning a new taping cycle in Tampa, Florida.  According to thehistoryofwwe.com, the taping took place on February 17 and drew a crowd of 10,000.  Perfect starts the show by taking about a woman who is not the girl scout people think she is.  When pressed, he does not reveal what woman he is talking about.