Superstars Of Wrestling

[Johnnyreggae]

So I've recently been working my way back through some old episodes of WWF Superstars of wrestling. 

The show ran from 1986 until 1997 featuring original content, but from 1997 up until 2001 it became more of a highlight show.

There was also the return that ran from 2009 until 2012

I always loved the show, especially early 90s until 1995 

I have fond memories of sitting on the floor getting ready to press record on the vcr or asking my dad who was watching the football at the same time if I could watch wrestling instead.

There was some big moments on the show.

Papa shango cursing the warrior, doink removing his own arm and attacking crush, Marty Jannetty returning and Shawn pushing sherri in front of the mirror to just name a few.

What's everyone's favorite memories from the show? 

[RedTwoster]

Just now, Johnnyreggae said:

There was also the return that ran from 2009 until 2012

There was?! This is one I could add to @Carbomb’s thread on things you’ve forgotten because I have no recollection of this whatsoever and even your mention of it hasn’t triggered the memory.

[The Dart]

It was 2009 - 2016 actually.

[Johnnyreggae]

Ah didnt realise it went that long. And pretty sure it just became wwe main event soon after?

Just checked back to the results from the first show....

Superstars #1: April 16, 2009

The Undertaker defeats Matt Hardy via Count-out

#1 Contender (ECW World Championship) Championship Chase - Match #3: Christian defeats Finlay

Cody Rhodes defeats Shane McMahon via DQ

These shows always start well with a lot of promise but after a few weeks fall into that C show level territory thats soon forgotten.

[Chili]

The OVP video podcast on YouTube has been reviewing or doing watchalongs of WWF Superstars and it's Championship Wrestling predecessor from 1982 and are currently in Oct 1988. So I watch every week because I feel watching it with some fellas having a chat is more interesting than just watching itself. I really enjoy the format of old WWF Superstars. It couldn't last forever but squash matches sprinkled with the event center, a vignette possibly, update, mid-match insert promos, a podium interview and even sometimes an actual angle is a nice breezy use of 40 minutes, and whatever act is on screen gets the attention of everyone, it's not 'talk about what's happening later'. Completely different TV structure but it's a breeze to watch

[wandshogun09]

I really liked the Bret Hart vs Bob Backlund match from the summer of 94. That was the one where Backlund turned heel after but it was a really good babyface match before that with a great little story teasing and building to Bob eventually snapping. Much better actual match than their later ones at Survivor Series and WrestleMania 11.

I don’t have a ton of other specific memories of Superstars apart from that, other than that Doink/Crush beatdown mentioned in the opening post. I remember my uncle getting Sky before us and for some reason I have a vivid memory of me sat on his living room floor, the Superstars intro playing and me eating a bag of Mini Cheddars while glued to some shite Money Inc match.

Wasn’t Superstars the only way we got to see what happened on Raw for the first couple of years as well or was that Mania? I know we only got highlights for a while until we started actually getting Raw in 95 was it? 

Edited May 10 by wandshogun09

[SpykeDudlei1]

- Jake’s Cobra biting Macho

- Flair taunting Piper where Vince ends up getting hit with a chair

- Warrior locked in a casket by Undertaker

- Jannetty returning as mentioned 

- Jake/Martel angles on The Brother Love Show

Some of my favourite, but not limited to, angles that Superstars of Wrestling was used for.

I loved the simple format back then which made the PPVs, SNME, Prime Time Wrestling etc seem more important when you got name v name matches and when you had the odd high profile match on Superstars and Challenges, they meant something too.

Seeing stars get their moves in on ‘enhancement talent’ (aka jobbers), ‘Update’ with Mean Gene (plus his on-stage interviews & PPV reports announcing matches and running down the cards), ‘Event Centre’ with Sean Mooney and the end of the shows where you’d get an announcement about what you’d see the following week.

Simpler times.

(Spyke drifts off into nostalgia land)

[Callum1993]

For a while in the early 2010’s Superstars became a place where some of the underutilised guys got a chance to put on some really good matches. Tyson Kidd particularly stood out. I remember an angle they did where he got a different manager every week including Michael Hayes, Vickie Guerrero and JTG of all people. It started off as quite a big deal in 2009 but eventually turned into another Heat/Velocity. 

[RedTwoster]

3 hours ago, Johnnyreggae said:

Cody Rhodes defeats Shane McMahon via DQ

Again, what the actual fuck?! I need to seek this out, sounds like there’s all sorts of madness on this show. I don’t understand how I’ve forgotten about this!

[warrior4life]

The announcement of Summerslam at Wembley and all the shows leading up to Summerslam 92. 

[WyattSheepMask]

96 Superstars will always be right up there because it gave us HHH doing that Pedigree to Marty Garner.

I also have vivid memories of Shawn Michaels having a pretty decent match against Salvatore Sincere just before Survivor Series that probably isn’t as good if I were to watch it back today,  but 12 year old me thought it was great

Edited May 10 by WyattSheepMask

[wandshogun09]

Shawn vs Skip in July 95 was a nice little short match as well. 

[Chico Torres]

5 hours ago, wandshogun09 said:

Wasn’t Superstars the only way we got to see what happened on Raw for the first couple of years as well or was that Mania? I know we only got highlights for a while until we started actually getting Raw in 95 was it? 

The first showing of RAW highlights was on Mania with the Toddster which had its first showing at 8pm on Friday night on Sky One in 1993 and then Saturday mornings so it kicked off the weekend with Superstars following on Saturday and then Challenge on Sunday.

A lot of the great highlights is Superstars for me are from 1991 when WWF started doing hardcore angles, I believe all or most of these were on Superstars: Warrior looked in coffin, Jake cobra attack on Macho, Mountie throwing water on Bret and electrocuting him, Earthquake killing Damien, the Flair brawl with Piper where Vince got hit with a chair, Janetty diving through the barbershop window, Slaughter flushing a pukamaniacs head down the bog, Jake locking Warrior in the snake room…and more. Awesome stuff for a Saturday morning in addition to proper squash marches, any match between proper superstars being a big deal, event centres, great promos, the live interview segments with Mean Gene on the podium or Brother Love, Barbershop and Funeral Parlour type shows.

From a few years later in 1993, there was a really good series of matches between Steiners vs Money Inc as well as Perfect vs Doink. One very memorable moment from 1993 is when Ludwig Borga shockingly pinned Tatanka (with 1 finger, the prick!) and ended his 2 year win streak and then Yoko and the Quebecers all destroyed him and took him out of Survivor Series. I think it was the next week when his replacement was announced as The Undertaker and he had an American flag inner lining in his trench coat.

Best superstars intro? Love the LSD Warrior intro from 1990 but the 1993 intro is a personal fave.

 

[Johnnyreggae]

Amazing memories. I always loved the build for Survivor series 93. Tatanka finally having his undefeated streak ended by ludvic borga.

Even Bastion booger loosing his debut match against Virgil for some reason has always stayed with me. 

[Johnnyreggae]

lets not forget the 1996 intro. I used to sing this daily! 

 

L