WWF Superstars - January 11, 1992
by Erick Von Erich
Due to a diminishing number of requests, it's another random episode of "WWF Superstars". This week we're coming to you from the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas. Vince McMahon and "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig are our hosts, as Perfect pumps up "The Real World's Champion", Ric Flair. He'll not only be on the Funeral Parlor, he'll go on to win the Royal Rumble!
As I found out, last time, doing a blow-by-blow of "jobber squashes" is a little silly. If anything interesting comes up, I'll cite it. I'll leave it to you to figure out who wins. So here's the "action" on this show:
"Hacksaw" Jim Duggan & Sgt. Slaughter vs. Barry Horowitz & Jesse Hernandez
Includes an in-set promo from Jimmy Hart and the Nasty Boys, as they seem to setting up a feud between these two teams.Irwin R. Schyster vs. Robert Taylor
Taylor's billed as a local guy, so he gets a small pop from the Austin crowd."El Matador" Tito Santana vs. Brian Donahue
In-set promo from the Texas Tornado, who promises that their friendship won't matter, should they meet in the Royal Rumble. Vince McMahon also hypes the WBF's "Ultimate Personal Fitness Weekend"Natural Disasters (Earthquake & Typhoon w/Jimmy Hart) vs. Bobby Jones & Ken Johnson
Jones looks like the fourth member of the Fantastics. I always liked how they'd film the Disasters from a low point-of-view, making them look massive. In-set promo from the Legion of Doom is included.
WWF Update with "Mean" Gene Okerlund
Brought to you by "Supertape '92"! We get footage from last Sunday's "Barber Shop" on Wrestling Challenge. Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake is interviewing Sid Justice about the upcoming Royal Rumble. Sid says his injuries are healed, he's at 100% and that for 29 other wrestlers, "Justice Will be Served". Whoa, he's SCOURGE from Captain America! Sid doesn't single anybody out and he's still a babyface at this point. I know, you probably heard "Barber Shop" and "Sid Justice", expecting to hear about Sid going bonkers on a shaving cream can. Sorry, not this week. We then get more Rumble promos from the Warlord (with Harvey Whippleman), The Big Bossman, then "The Model" Rick Martel. Generic stuff: they'll be in the Rumble and win. Blah blah blah.Events Center with Sean Mooney
Recurring hype segments for a Boston Garden show. The main event will be Ric Flair vs. Hulk Hogan. We get promos from Flair (w/ Mr. Perfect) and a rebuttal from Hogan. Hogan says he wont' be stylin' and profilin' or dealing with leer jets and limousines, he'll be in "war mode".Plus words from both teams of a 6-man tag match: The Legion of Doom (Hawk and Animal) and Bret "Hitman" Hart vs. The Natural Disasters (Earthquake and Typhoon) and The Mountie. Hart accuses the Mountie and Jimmy Hart of "attempted murder" for the way they shocked him with Mountie's cattle prod. Typhoon, being a complete idiot, wonders why the LOD haven't put their titles on the line in this 6-man match.
That's not all, as we get an interview from the man they call....Virgil! He's gunning for the Repo Man and quotes "Mama Said Knock You Out". Final promo is from "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase and Sensational Sherri, making fun of Tito Satana's bullfight training.
Highlights: "Macho Man" Randy Savage vs. Jake "The Snake" Roberts
Courtesy of SUEPRTAPE' 92, we join the end of the match. Jake tries going for the DDT, but Savage shoulder-tackles him into the corner. Savage then goes up top to land the big elbow and get the pin. For the post-match shenanigans, Savage brings the ringbell in. As referee Earl Hebner grabs the bell, Jake hooks the DDT and knocks out Savage. Another DDT, then Jake goes under the ring to bring out his snake bag, supposedly filled with the king cobra! Jake barks into the camera that he kept his word to Jack Tunney: the snake wasn't in his corner, it was under the ring. The snake never comes out of the bag, as Elizabeth runs in to cover Savage. Jake drops another DDT on Savage just to watch Liz freak out, then SLAPS her.The Funeral Parlor with Ric Flair and Mr. Perfect
Paul Bearer warns that His Undertaker (o-h-h-h-h yessss) will be in the Royal Rumble. But he's not Perfect and he's not the Real World's Champion. Flair cites his credentials and proclaims himself a Hall of Famer. He gets in a shot at Jack Tunney for the continued video distortion of his title belt. After the Rumble, Flair predicts that Hogan that will be the "number two" man in the WWF. Perfect corrects him, saying that Hogan will actually be "number three". Hmm, never knew that they kinda' foreshadowed the split between Perfect and Flair, back then.Royal Rumble Report with "Mean" Gene Okerlund
Gene runs down the participants in the Rumble, as we get mini-promos from the British Bulldog, Repo Man, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, Jake "The Snake" Roberts and Hulk Hogan. Gene includes the remaining 4 matches, for good measure.Chris Chavis Vignette
Chavis is at a Native American dance. He vows to become the leader of the "New Indian Nation". At the conclusion, McMahon puts over Chavis as the "greatest Natvie American athlete since Jim Thorpe". Note that they didn't call him "Tatanka".
Why'd You Watch This?
This show aired roughly a week before the 1992 Royal Rumble, so the hype for that show is prevalant. It's a little silly as McMahon calls a basic manuever, then tries to segue it by saying something like: "can he do that to 29 other Superstars in the Royal Rumble?"
Really nothing to see here, at all. If I had to stretch for something, I'd say maybe the Chris Chavis segment, as he seems almost like a heel in it. Other than that, it really depicts how "Superstars" was basically a weekly infomercial machine for WWF Pay-Per-Views, videotapes, house shows and even their magazine.
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