Written by: Bob Colling
World Wrestling Federation presents Superstars
Date: 7/30/1994
From: Ocean City, MD
Matches:
1.)WWF Intercontinental Champion Diesel defeated Dave Thornberg
2.)WWF World Champion Bret Hart defeated Bob Backlund to retain the title
3.)Adam Bomb defeated Joey Sollins
4.)The Undertaker defeated Matt Hardy
Angle Developments/Notes:
1. Backlund finally gets his rematch for the gold and it only took him ten years to get it. Bob rams his shoulder into Hart’s midsection in the corner and rolls Bret up for a two count. Bob is trying for a series of pin attempts and take downs but Bret is able to get out of them. Backlund looks very determined to win the championship tonight. Hart starts to work over Bob’s left shoulder. Bret keeps control with a simple arm bar for a few moments. Backlund slams Hart down to the mat but Bret counters into a hammerlock. Hart continues to focus on Backlund’s left arm. Hart punches Backlund but Bob fights back with a stiff forearm shot. Backlund head butts Bret into a corner and Bob plants Hart with a piledriver! Bob goes for the cover but Bret kicks out at two. Hart backdrops Backlund and follows up with a scoop slam. Backlund counters an abdominal stretch with one of his own! Bob hip tosses Bret to get out of of an abdominal stretch. They both roll to the floor. Bret works on Backlund’s lower back once they get back into the ring but Bob sends the champ hard back first into a corner. Bob slams Bret down to the canvas and gets a two count. Backlund lifts Hart up onto his shoulder and squeezes Hart. Bret gets free and nearly backslides Bob for a three count. Bob holds onto Hart and they bridge up a few times with Bob nearly winning with a backslide of his own. Bret drives Bob down with a backbreaker but can’t keep him down for a three count. Hart goes for the Sharpshooter but Backlund blocks it. Bob trips Bret to the floor and Backlund quickly follows him to roll the champ back into the ring. Backlund drives Hart down to the mat with a back suplex and both men are down. Bret gets up first and tries for a suplex but Bob counters with a roll up. Bob thought he won and goes for a slam but Hart counters with a roll up and wins the match! (***1/4. A very good match that told a great story, I thought. Yeah, it was slow, but Backlund trying his hardest to win the gold he never truly lost was fun to watch. The crowd was into it and the match just came across very nicely.) After the match, Backlund is pissed that he lost by a damn roll up. They shake hands but bob is angry. Hart is playing to he crowd for a lengthy period of time. Bob doesn’t want to shake hands again. Bob slaps Bret and locks in the Chickenwing! Bob Backlund has snapped! Several referees have come out to break Bob off of Bret. Backlund is staring at his hands in complete shock. What a great twist with Bob Backlund!
Final Thoughts:
As you can see this match was only about Bob Backlund and Bret Hart. It was a match well worth the time and the heel turn by Backlund was done nicely. A good episode of Superstars this week.
Thanks for reading.