WWF Superstars – November 5th, 1994

November 5, 1994

From the Burlington Memorial Auditorium in Burlington, VT

Your hosts are Vince McMahon and Jerry “The King” Lawler

This week’s featured match is Tatanka vs. Billy Gunn. Also in action are Doink, Diesel, Duke Droese, and the IRS. Plus, we will har comments from Chuck Norris and more!

We get a clip from RAW of the Lex Luger vs. Bob Backlund with Tatanka running out to ringside.

Billy Gunn vs. Tatanka w/ Ted DiBiase

Vince talks about DiBiase buying off Tatanka as Billy works the arm. Vince now says that Tatanka has been “verbally” accusing Luger of submitting to Backlund’s crossface chicken wing and that Luger never ave up. Billy runs over Tatanka but charges and spills outside after getting low-bridged. Tatanka heads out and chops away then brings Billy back in and follows up a slam with an elbow drop for two. Vince is still going on about Luger never giving up on RAW as Tatanka stays in control. Tatanka whips Gunn into the corner a few times then hits a clothesline for two. Tatanka applies a chin lock as Vince goes on to say how the Million $ Team at the Survivors will be unable to function due to their egos. Tatanka cuts off Billy with a knee smash then heads up top but Billy catches him with a punch to the gut as both men are down. Billy wins a slugfest then drops Tatanka with a back elbow smash for two. Billy then uses a small package for two and heads up top after a slam but DiBiase jumps up on the apron then we see Bam Bam Bigelow run out and push Billy off and Tatanka covers for the win (6:20) *3/4. Bigelow & Tatanka stomp Billy after the match until Bart runs out for the save.

Thoughts: Basic TV match with the finish here done to get heat for the Guts & Glory vs. Million $ Team Survivor Series match. And this also sets up for a Gunns vs. Bigelow & Tatanka match. The prior altercation between Bigelow and Tatanka on RAW a few weeks back was not discussed during this segment.

Survivor Series Update with Todd Pettengill. We learn that Bret Hart accepted Backlund’s challenge of a submission match. And not only that, the British Bulldog will be in Bret’s corner and Owen Hart in Backlund’s corner and to win the match you need your opponents’ corner-man to throw in the towel. We will also get the Survivor Series Report later on in the show.

Duke “The Dumpster” Droese vs. Barry Hardy

Vince teases Lawler about losing a match to Droese. The announcers talk about the new stipulations added to Bret vs. Backlund for Survivor Series. Droese slams Hardy then clotheslines him over the top rope. Droese tosses Hardy back inside and tosses him around before putting him away with the Trash Compactor (2:07). After the match, we see Backlund run out and put Hardy in the crossface chicken wing. He stops to look at his hands after Droese runs in then as Droese checks on Hardy he puts him in the submission until several referees pry him off.

Thoughts: The focus here was on Backlund and the crossface chicken wing as to put over the hold heading into the submission match at the Survivor Series. And even though he is not involved in the Survivor Series or even a feud for that matter, Droese did look like a dope for turning his back on Backlund here.

WWF Live Event News with Charlie Minn. We learn that the 11/26 MSG show will be “fan appreciation” night and have lower ticket costs. And, Randy Savage is being billed as the special guest referee for the Bret vs. Backlund match. Yeah, about that.

Guest ring announcer is a young girl named Kelly Munson. Vince pleads with Lawler not to make fun of her.

Diesel vs. Tim McNeany

Vince puts over the excellent Tag Team Title match from the Action Zone as Diesel hammers away on McNeany. Diesel then hits McNeany with a side slam as Vince wants to see how Shawn & Diesel can work together at the Survivor Series. Diesel stays in control and put McNeany away with a jackknife (1:40).

Thoughts: Vince was putting over Diesel’s size and strength as well as the tag match from Action Zone. And Vince only spoke ill of Shawn, saying he is cocky, as its becoming clearer that a face turn for Diesel is coming.

We see a Chuck Norris vignette. He talks about it doesn’t get any tougher than the superstars in the WWF and wants to see the toughest and meanest there are, which is why he took the job. I didn’t mind this at all and Norris was taking it seriously instead of being a joke.

Doink w/ Dink & Wink & Pink vs. Phil Apollo

Doink toys with Apollo to start. Apollo rolls outside and gets bit in the ass by the midgets as the announcers lists off talent appearing at a show in Elizabeth, NJ. Doink now works the arm then hits a shoulderbreaker before the Whoopie Cushion gets the win (2:13). No sound effect for the Whoopie Cushion this week.

Thoughts: Oddly enough, the announcers spent a majority of the time hyping this Elizabeth, NJ house show more than they did the Doink/Lawler feud.

Survivor Series Report with Todd Pettengill.

IRS is back in the cemetery for more tax tips for the deceased. We see the headstone for “John Dough” who IRS said cheated on his taxes by writing off his daughter’s birthday dinner as a business expense. IRS then has the headstone repossessed then tells us you cannot cheat him just by going to the grave as you have to pay your taxes. These bits are repetitive and ineffective but again a play on the “death and taxes” theme for this soon to be feud against Undertaker.

IRS w/ Ted DiBiase vs. Aaron Ferguson

IRS tells us he is not done “digging” yet. We get a mild “Irwin” chant then IRS works the arm of Ferguson. IRS beats on Ferguson as Vince brings up IRS not appearing at Survivor Series then IRS hits the Write Off Clothesline for the win (1:16)

Thoughts: The way Vince mentioned IRS was not appearing at the Survivor Series you would assume he would run-in at some point during the PPV. This character is beyond played out at this point and in no way deserving of a feud with The Undertaker.

Another Live Event News segment on the 11/26 MSG show.

Back to the hosts as we see a replay of Bigelow shoving Billy Gunn off of the top rope and costing him the match against Tatanka. Vince then says next week we will see the Smoking Gunns vs. Bigelow & Tatanka. We now hear from the Gunns as they cut a corny babyface promo saying to hype that match. Man, the Gunns promos were dogshit but as we’ve seen with prior babyface cowboy acts like Sam Houston and Lance Cassidy years prior, the WWF has these guys cut promos that make them sound like children who are pretending to be cowboys.

Final Thoughts: The big news was Bret accepting Backlund’s challenge for a submission match at Survivor Series. We also set up for the featured tag match for next week as the next few weeks will mainly focus on the Survivor Series.