WWF SuperStars – January 23, 1993
Freeman Coliseum – San Antonio, TX
Announcers: Vince McMahon, Jerry “The King” Lawler & “Macho Man” Randy Savage
Vince comes on the air promoting the Royal Rumble that’s the next day in Sacramento, CA while updating the television audience that Crush won’t be able to participate in the Rumble match due to him suffering “the severest of concussions” last week from Doink The Clown. Savage and Lawler then trade barbs over each winning the Rumble. Vince, meanwhile, informs us that this week on SuperStars WWF Champion Bret “Hitman” Hart will have an exclusive interview while in action will be The Undertaker, Bam Bam Bigelow, “The Ugandan Giant” Kamala and Marty Jannetty.
The Undertaker (w/ Paul Bearer) vs. Dave Silguero
Result/Analysis: The Undertaker via pinfall (1:54) following the tombstone piledriver. Like his insert promo talking about the 29 other men competing with him in the Royal Rumble, Silguero, and his pink tights, quickly becomes “ashes to ashes and dust to dust” in this bout. The WWF had this way of building The Undertaker to be an unstoppable force only to have a new adversary lined up to come out of the woodwork. Vince discusses Harvey Wippleman here as someone still with The Undertaker in his mind as Wippleman blames The Undertaker for Kamala never being the same since the coffin match at Survivor Series two months earlier. Obviously, Wippleman has a plan …
Rating: 1/2*
“Mean” Gene Okerlund has a WWF update wherein he discusses Crush being sidelined for the Royal Rumble due to the severe concussion he suffered from Doink The Clown last week on SuperStars. We see a replay of Doink attacking Crush with his prosthetic arm loaded with led so Okerlund claims. Truthfully, the angle was received in such poor taste plus with led “being in the cast” it helps explain why Crush is out of commission indefinitely. Okerlund says there’s been such a tremendous outcry by fans from all over the world in response to Doink’s reprehensible attack. LOL. Gene says the actions of this clown are deplorable and that Doink isn’t a clown, he’s a sick creep. He adds, “Clowns make children smile. This idiot finds humor in the misfortune of others.” Classic!
Ken Johnson vs. Marty Jannetty
Result/Analysis: Jannetty via pinfall (1:12) following the Rocker Dropper. The match is slotted here to solely discuss the Intercontinental Title match at the Royal Rumble and have Shawn Michaels, with an insert promo, discuss his confidence that Sensational Sherri will be in his corner because in Shawn’s words, Sherri is deeply and madly in love with him, “The Heartbreak Kid.” Not only is Savage predicting himself as the winner of the Rumble match, he’s all-in on Jannetty walking out of Sacramento as the new IC Champ. There’s literally nothing to see here so fast-forward.
Rating: DUD
Sean Mooney is at the WWF live event center to discuss this weekend’s Royal Rumble. We hear from Rumble match entrants “El Matador” Tito Santana, Damian Demento and High Energy [“The Birdman” Koko B. Ware and “The Rocket” Owen Hart]. The Beverly Brothers give comments on their tag-team match versus The Steiner Brothers. It’s actually an effective promo if I have to admit.
Papa Shango vs. Rudy Gonzales
Result/Analysis: Papa Shango via pinfall (1:39) following a reverse shoulderbreaker. The man of voodoo stokes fear in The Macho Man so says Lawler on commentary as The King and Savage discuss themselves during the match as to their Royal Rumble chances. There’s nothing to see here. Shango is an entrant in the Rumble match but his usefulness had run out months prior.
Rating: 1/4*
We look back on Razor Ramon’s sneak attack of Owen Hart from two weeks ago on the debut episode of WWF Mania. This sets up the following interview segment.
Raymond Rougeau welcomes WWF Champion Bret “Hitman” Hart to the interview stage to discuss facing Ramon in a defense of the heavyweight title at the Royal Rumble, now only one day away. Bret starts off telling us that fans all over the world come up to him and they have a common theme: “People’s Champion.” But, before Bret can elaborate, Ramon interrupts him by appearing on the video wall. Razor runs down Bret’s entire 8 1/2 year WWF career – – – with it, listing off Bret’s noted accomplishments – – – while mocking Bret as the people’s choice or as the working man’s champion. Ramon asks Bret to say hello to “The Bad Guy.” Bret smirks. Razor tells Bret it was fun squashing Owen like a cockroach and he might slap his dad (Stu Hart) if he happens upon him while walking in the streets. Vince calls Ramon a low life on commentary. Razor says he takes whatever it is he wants and what he wants, is “The Hitman.” Bret doesn’t back down in his reply challenging Razor to come and fight him in the ring now on SuperStars. Ramon responds that no one tells him what to do or when to do it. He says there’s nothing the fans can do, there’s nothing Bret’s familia can do and there’s nothing Bret can do to stop him from taking the gold at the Rumble. Razor disappears from the video wall which gives Bret the last word. Bret says he takes pride in being the WWF Champion and at the Rumble both he and the fans will take pride as he kicks Razor’s butt! In a feud not sparked by much more than hot air exchanged, plus Owen getting the crap beat out of him, this segment helped to sell the match but Bret is clearly going over.
Gary Jackson vs. Bam Bam Bigelow
Result/Analysis: Bigelow via pinfall (1:49) following a diving headbutt. Bam Bam destroys Gary Jackson, who looks like the second coming of Special Delivery Jones here, in this, his Rumble tune-up match. Since returning to the WWF, Bigelow is a focal point on television. The Big Boss Man, Bam Bam’s oppenent at the Rumble, who’s noticeably been kept off of television as a soon-to-be expiring contract, says in his insert promo that Bigelow will find out that no one is bigger than the law at the PPV and Bigelow will be serving some hard time.
Rating: 3/4*
Meanwhile, The Nasty Boys want WWF fans to help put a Headlock on Hunger for Somalia.
Okerlund is back and this time he has the Royal Rumble report. We hear from Rumble match participant (and favorite) Yokozuna (thru Mr. Fuji) “Yosh! Yosh! Banzai!!!” The over-confident Mr. Perfect speaks on his “perfection.” Former WWF Champion Bob Backlund also gets promo time. Why? Finally, “Nature Boy” Ric Flair, last year’s Rumble winner (to become the WWF Champion) tells us why he’ll repeat as the winner of this year’s event and then go onto WrestleMania to become WWF Champion for a third time. Gene promotes Bobby Heenan’s unveling of “Narcissus.”
Dale Wolfe vs. “The Ugandan Giant” Kamala (w/ Reverend Slick)
Result/Analysis: Kamala via pinfall (1:53) following a vertical splash. Slick and the crowd have to educate Kamala how to pin Wolfe to which Savage claims is progress. Vince slips up and refers to Wolfe as “Dusty” which the WWF had abandoned using for him during the Dusty Rhodes WWF tenure and beyond. Harvey Wippleman has an insert promo wherein he discusses Kamala having to step in the ring soon with Kimchee, his former handler. Yeah, that match is a box office attraction anywhere and everywhere. Slick has to admonish Kamala not to use a chokehold any longer, too. It’s clear from the start that Kamala gaining any traction as a babyface isn’t likely.
Rating: DUD
Heenan tells us humanoids once again about “Narcissus.” He says shockwaves will be felt all across the world at the Royal Rumble during the unveiling of the quintessential male speciman, especially by Mr. Perfect. Just who is “Narcissus”? Is he really the metaphoric adonis? Does he really posses the herculean strength and power? Does he really have the agility, the finesse, the speed or all of the technical skills of all of the wrestlers combined? Even Heenan, he says, can’t so eloquently describe “The Narcissist.”
Sean Mooney discusses the Royal Rumble. We hear pre-recorded comments from Rumble match participants Money Inc. [“The Million-Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase and I.R.S.], “Native American” Tatanka, The Berzerker (“Huss! Huss! Huss!”), and The Nasty Boys.
SuperStars concludes with Savage arguing with Lawler over the Rumble as Vince plays peacemaker.
The Verdict: Pre-Royal Rumble hype is all this SuperStars was. I liked the Bret/Razor back-and-forth the most. Heenan in pure exaltation over “Narcissus” is highly enjoyable. Kamala’s babyface run is already D.O.A. Okerlund’s remarks on Doink’s attack of Crush during the update segment are hysterical. I’m sure that WWF Wrestling Challenge will be even more of the hard sell for the PPV.
The Sharpshooter’s Verdict 