WWE has begun uploading full episodes of its classic weekly television show, WWF Superstars, to the WWE Vault YouTube channel, a significant development for fans of the era. The first episodes to appear are from August and September of 1991, a period that has been largely unavailable on the company’s streaming platforms due to long-standing legal issues surrounding the show’s original name.
The Name Change and Legal History
The newly uploaded episodes, specifically from August 24, 1991, and September 7, 1991, have been edited to remove all references to the show’s full title, “Superstars of Wrestling,” and is branded simply as “Superstars.” This change is the key to its release. For decades, WWE was embroiled in a legal battle with Wisconsin-based promoter Albert Patterson, who had trademarked the name “Superstars of Wrestling” for his own television show in the 1980s before the WWF launched their program. This trademark dispute is the primary reason the full library of the show has been absent from the WWE Network and Peacock.
The Importance of “WWF Superstars”
Before the debut of Monday Night Raw in 1993, WWF Superstars of Wrestling was the flagship program for the World Wrestling Federation. From its inception in 1986, the Saturday morning show was the primary vehicle for advancing major storylines, debuting new characters, and featuring blockbuster interview segments like “Piper’s Pit” and “The Brother Love Show.” It was on Superstars that the most important angles of the era were developed, making its absence from the archives a significant void for wrestling historians and fans.
A Snapshot of WWF in 1991
The episodes from late 1991 provide a snapshot of a pivotal transitional period for the WWF. Hulk Hogan was still the top star, but his dominance was beginning to wane. New main event talent was on the rise, most notably Bret “Hitman” Hart, who had just won the Intercontinental Championship at SummerSlam, and The Undertaker, who was being established as an unstoppable force. The top heel angle of the time featured Sgt. Slaughter as an Iraqi sympathizer, and the entire landscape of the company had just been shaken up by the shocking arrival of “The Real World’s Champion,” Ric Flair, from WCW.
August 24, 1991 Episode
The August 24, 1991, episode served as the go-home show for SummerSlam, which took place two days later on August 26. The episode features a lineup indicative of the era, with tag team matches featuring The Rockers (Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty) and The Natural Disasters (Earthquake and Typhoon). The final segment of the show was dedicated to the final build for the “Match Made in Heaven,” the on-air wedding of “Macho Man” Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth.
September 7, 1991 Episode
The September 7, 1991, episode features the direct fallout from SummerSlam. The show features Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, The Bushwhackers, and “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase in action. This episode also heavily features the arrival of Ric Flair, with promos from Flair and his “financial advisor,” Mr. Perfect. Most significantly, this episode aired the aftermath of the Savage and Elizabeth wedding reception, where Jake “The Snake” Roberts crashed the party and unleashed a live cobra that bit Randy Savage, kicking off one of the most intense and personal feuds of the era.
The release of these episodes on the WWE Vault YouTube channel gives fans hope that more of this classic content may become available in the future, finally unlocking one of the most important weekly television shows in the company’s history.
