Color code
Saturday Night’s Main Event #15: “The King Gets Crowned” (3/12/1988, Nashville, TN)
Download 498.77 Kb.
|
Saturday Night’s Main Event #15: “The King Gets Crowned” (3/12/1988, Nashville, TN)BRUTUS “The Barber” BEEFCAKE vs. GREG “The Hammer” VALENTINE Honky Tonk Man comes to the ring and runs down Beefcake, who eventually wins and celebrates by cutting some of Greg’s hair.HULK HOGAN vs. KING HARLEY RACE Fantastic brawl! The idea is that losing the title made Hulk snap, so he cheats like crazy and Race responds in kind. Ahead-of-its-time spot as Harley misses a diving double-axhandle and goes through a table, but unlike today, THE TABLE’S NOT RIGGED! Race is legit injured and spends eight months on the shelf. **** RANDY “Macho Man” SAVAGE vs. “Million Dollar Man” TED DIBIASE DiBiase brings Andre the Giant to ringside, and Elizabeth leaves to get Hulk Hogan. Randy is counted out anyway. This match is happening in three weeks with identical booking except for the outcome, so what’s the point? Oh well, it’s still a great match. As a bonus, we get the dumbest soundbite of Vince McMahon’s entire play-by-play career: “There’s no question that Miss Elizabeth is the bravest little manager in the whole wide world!” *** ½ KILLER BEES vs THE ISLANDERS KEN PATERA vs ONE MAN GANG Patera kickstarts an eight-month run of doing clean jobs to heels. ONE AND A HALF HOURS Saturday Night’s Main Event #16: “Spring Fever” (4/30/1988, Springfield, MA) HACKSAW JIM DUGGAN vs. HERCULES When André the Giant attacked Hulk Hogan after his match with King Kong Bundy, Duggan made the save with his 2x4. André got even by interfering at WrestleMania IV to cost Duggan the title in the first round of the tournament, so Duggan challenged André to a match. André started using nefarious tactics, so Duggan knocked him unconscious with the 2x4, and now he’s wrestling Hercules because when you start trouble with a Heenan Family member, you’re in trouble with the whole family. Don’t let that lengthy explanation fool you, though, this match really does suck. BRUTUS “The Barber” BEEFCAKE vs. “Dangerous” DANNY DAVIS Brutus wins, then cuts off some of Davis’ hair and covers him with spraypaint, effectively telling the fans that Davis is not to be taken seriously anymore. (This is obviously dubbed from a different tape than the rest of the show. The VQ is worse, but still watchable. The good VQ returns for the next match.) WORLD TITLE: RANDY “Macho Man” SAVAGE vs. ONE MAN GANG Macho Man’s first nationally-televised title defense, and he kicks off his reign with a pinfall victory over the Gang and a celebration in the ring all to himself. TAG TEAM TITLE: DEMOLITION vs. BRITISH BULLDOGS Some really pointless booking here. DON “The Rock” MURACO vs. “Million Dollar Man” TED DIBIASE KOKO B. WARE vs RAVISHING RICK RUDE Geez, Koko sings the title track on “Piledriver” and they still won’t push him. ONE AND A HALF HOURS Saturday Night’s Main Event #17: “Snake Charmers & Ring Kings” (10/29/1988, Baltimore, MD) JAKE “THE SNAKE” ROBERTS vs. RAVISHING RICK RUDE Rude is wearing the airbrushed tights with Cheryl Roberts’ picture on them. Cheryl’s at ringside for the bout, but gets sent away after slapping Rick. André the Giant comes to the ring and attacks Jake post-match, but Damien evens the sides and André has a heart attack. That’s not figurative speaking, either. They’re actually trying to put over the idea that André is having a heart attack. TAG TEAM TITLE: DEMOLITION vs. HART FOUNDATION The Demos have Jimmy Hart in their corner again, and it’s pretty much a complete rehash of SummerSlam ’88, except that it’s the Rougeau Brothers who throw the megaphone in the ring, formally aligning themselves with Jimmy Hart. HULK HOGAN vs. KING HAKU Typical Hogan squash, with a major foreshadowing detail at the beginning. Elizabeth holds the rope open the way she does for Randy Savage, but Hulk responds by holding the rope open for her. Hmm… KEN PATERA vs. DINO BRAVO I guess this is the “typical Patera ending” I’ve heard so much about. JIM POWERS vs. BIG BOSS MAN Boss Man squashes Powers, all the while screaming, “Where’s Hogan?” Also includes promos for a Maple Leaf Gardens house show with Billy Red Lyons, Hulk Hogan, and Big Boss Man. ONE AND A HALF HOURS Saturday Night’s Main Event #19 (1/7/1989, Tampa, FL) HAIR vs. HAIR: BRUTUS “THE BARBER” BEEFCAKE vs. OUTLAW RON BASS The blowoff to the feud, and sort of a big deal because the WWF rarely does Hair vs. Hair matches. HULK HOGAN vs. AKEEM Hogan gets destroyed by Akeem and Big Boss Man throughout and after the match, and Randy Savage, watching backstage, takes his sweet time going to the ring. The minute they put their hands on Elizabeth, though, he’s there. INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE: ULTIMATE WARRIOR vs. HONKY TONK MAN Terrible. TITO SANTANA vs. RED ROOSTER Bobby Heenan is wearing a microphone so the fans at home can hear why he’s such a successful manager. He picks the wrong match to do it, as Rooster loses his first match and then kicks the crap out of Heenan, turning face. KOKO B. WARE vs. MISTER PERFECT The guy who jobs more often than he should against the guy who can’t job because it will screw up his gimmick. Perfect debuts the Perfect-plex here. BONUS! RANDY “MACHO MAN” SAVAGE vs. AKEEM from “WWF Superstars of Wrestling” a week later. Randy almost gets a pinfall until Big Boss Man runs in and attacks. Hulk Hogan makes the save, setting up the match for the NBC prime-time special. BONUS! THE BROTHER LOVE SHOW WITH THE MEGA-POWERS from one week before the NBC special. This has to be the longest promo of the pre-RAW era; both Vince and the crowd sound bored and numb when it’s finally over. ONE AND A HALF HOURS Saturday Night’s Main Event #20: “The Decision of a Lifetime” (3/11/1989, Hershey, PA) BRUTUS “THE BARBER” BEEFCAKE vs. RAVISHING RICK RUDE André the Giant comes to the ring and attacks Brutus for the DQ, but Jake Roberts and Damien come to the ring to even the sides. The heels get the upper hand despite that, but then Big John Studd lumbers to the ring and has a staredown with André. See, and you just thought they invented that kind of ending for RAW. HULK HOGAN vs. BAD NEWS BROWN Pre-Attitude storyline. Hogan is upset because Brown has spread rumors that Elizabeth performed “favors” for Jack Tunney to get special treatment! Hulk is also upset because Randy Savage hasn’t done anything to defend Elizabeth, which is stupid because Savage put Brown through a table at MSG and then wiped the floor with him at the Royal Rumble prior to this. BLUE BLAZER vs. MILLION DOLLAR MAN” TED DIBIASE DiBiase debuts the Million Dollar Belt on network television, and Blazer cuts a depressing pre-match promo where he says he’ll jump off the rafters if he has to and win this match. ELIZABETH tries to decide whose corner to stand in at the Wrestlemania V main event, and after Hogan and Savage both argue and plead their cases, Elizabeth opts for a neutral corner. ROCKERS vs. BRAINBUSTERS Excellent match!!!!!! RED ROOSTER vs. BROOKLYN BRAWLER Making Terry Taylor’s gimmick even worse is that he cuts an awful promo before the match that sounds like he’s running for public office. ONE AND A HALF HOURS Saturday Night’s Main Event #21 (5/27/1989, Des Moines, IA) INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE: RAVISHING RICK RUDE vs. KING DUGGAN Hacksaw Jim is a riot in his new “King” gimmick, and since he’s a proud patriot and this is airing on Memorial Day weekend, he gets a countout win and a victory celebration all to himself. JIM “THE ANVIL” NEIDHART vs. “MACHO MAN” RANDY SAVAGE The match is taking place to put over Savage’s new manager, Sensational Sherri. That aside, this is a reasonably good match. “NO HOLDS BARRED” SNEAK PREVIEW includes a clip of Zeus beating up Jeep Swenson (as Lugwrench. That’s right, I’ve actually watched this movie.) WORLD TITLE STEEL CAGE: HULK HOGAN vs. BIG BOSSMAN The final blowoff to the eight-month feud. Zeus attacks Hulk before the match, but Hogan rallies and wins after superplexing Bossman off the top of the cage and punching him in the face with a chain. *** ½ TAG TEAM TITLE: DEMOLITION vs. BRAINBUSTERS Brainbusters cheat, and Demolition loses it and starts double-teaming them, and when the referee tries to intervene, he gets shoved to the mat for the DQ. SUPERFLY JIMMY SNUKA vs. BORIS ZHUKOV Also includes a series of commercials for Miller Lite Beer featuring Vince McMahon, Jesse Ventura, Howard Finkel, Superstar Billy Graham, John Madden, and Bob Uecker as “The Masked Marauder.” ONE AND A HALF HOURS Saturday Night’s Main Event #22: “Rhythm & Bruise” (7/22/1989, Springfield, MA) “THE HONKY TONK MAN’S GREATEST HITS” A collection of Honky’s most vicious guitar shots. WORLD TITLE: HULK HOGAN vs. HONKY TONK MAN Basically a squash, actually even moreso than the usual Hogan match. Honky’s evidently done something to tick off Vince. SUPERFLY JIMMY SNUKA vs. GREG “THE HAMMER” VALENTINE with referee Ronnie Garvin, who Greg defeated in a career match under suspicious circumstances. The idea here is that Ronnie has a tendency to lose his temper and beat up heels in the matches he officiates, and WWF Prez Jack Tunney warns him pre-match that any type of altercation will result in a long suspension. Guess what happens. BRUTUS “THE BARBER” BEEFCAKE vs. “MACHO MAN” RANDY SAVAGE Beefcake’s best match. Zeus runs in and attacks for the DQ, Hogan makes the save with a chair but nothing he does will even phase the monster, and Hulk acts like he’s scared to death. Right angle, wrong wrestler. TAG TEAM TITLES, BEST OF 3 FALLS: DEMOLITION vs. BRAIN BUSTERS Historic for several reasons: First, the “both falls have to be pinfalls” rule is buried here, as Demolition is pinned only once; second, it’s the end of the longest tag title reign in WWF history, a record not likely to ever be beaten as they have since established an “everyone on the roster gets the tag titles at least once” rule; third, not counting the Friday night special, this is the ONLY title change the WWF did on the NBC specials, which baffles me. ONE AND A HALF HOURS Saturday Night’s Main Event #23: “The Million Dollar Match” (10/14/1989, Cincinnati, OH) “Superfly” JIMMY SNUKA vs. “Macho King” RANDY SAVAGE WORLD TITLE: HULK HOGAN vs. “Million Dollar Man” TED DIBIASE Zeus attacks Hogan during and after the match, but Jake Roberts evens the sides, setting up the Survivor Series main event. “Rowdy” RODDY PIPER vs. HAKU TITO SANTANA vs. RICK “The Model” MARTEL Ends in a DDQ when all the Survivor Series teammates interfere. BUSHWHACKERS vs. FABULOUS ROUGEAU BROTHERS ONE AND A HALF HOURS Saturday Night’s Main Event #24: “Brains and Brawn” (11/25/1989, Topeka, KS) INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE: ULTIMATE WARRIOR vs ANDRÉ THE GIANT Vince hypes the match beforehand as “one of the greatest championship matches we’ve ever had.” Uh-huh. WORLD TITLE: HULK HOGAN vs THE GENIUS Horrible comedy match, but Mister Perfect comes to ring and costs Hogan the match for a MAJOR upset. DUSTY RHODES vs BIG BOSS MAN The world is introduced to Sapphire after she costs Boss Man the match. RED ROOSTER vs MISTER PERFECT BEST OF 3 FALLS: ROCKERS vs BRAINBUSTERS What a sendoff for Arn and Tully. Bobby fires them and makes them look bad, and the Rockers score a clean win. MISTER PERFECT destroys the WWF Title belt with a hammer, explaining that it’s not a perfect belt unless Hulk gives him a title shot, and Hulk responds with a mournful interview. By the way, I firmly believe that the remains of the title belt here became the Hardcore Title belt. I’m no expert, but the type of damage and the appearance of the belt afterwards looks about the same. ONE AND A HALF HOURS Saturday Night’s Main Event #25 (1/26/90, Chattanooga, TN) KING TITLE: “Macho King” RANDY SAVAGE vs. “Hacksaw” JIM DUGGAN Only worth noting for my favorite comedy bump ever; Duggan gets fed up with Savage’s stalling and showboating on his throne outside the ring (the King Title throne that balanced on the ring) so Duggan goes outside and tips over the throne. HULK HOGAN & ULTIMATE WARRIOR vs. MISTER PERFECT & GENIUS Warrior accidentally clotheslines Hogan post-match, and there’s trouble brewing between the forces of good…also notable for a major continuity error, as the Genius got his hair cut by Brutus Beefcake a week earlier, and does the pre-match interview with short hair, and when he makes his way to the ring, his hair has miraculously returned. JAKE “The Snake” ROBERTS vs. GREG “The Hammer” VALENTINE Ted DiBiase and Virgil attack Jake post-match. DUSTY RHODES vs. “Ravishing” RICK RUDE The sexual overtones in the pre-match interviews involving Sapphire are pretty gross. “Rugged” RONNIE GARVIN vs. DINO BRAVO The Wrestlemania V rematch that the entire world was waiting for; Canadian Earthquake destroys Garvin post-match. ONE AND A HALF HOURS Saturday Night’s Main Event #26: “The Tussle in Texas” (4/28/90, Austin, TX) HULK HOGAN vs. MISTER PERFECT Hennig’s last match with the Genius is his corner. HILLBILLY JIM vs. EARTHQUAKE RICK MARTEL plugs his fragrance, Arrogance. HART FOUNDATION vs. ROCKERS A match between two face teams that, oddly enough, is used to launch a heel turn for Demolition. WORLD TITLE: ULTIMATE WARRIOR vs. HAKU BIG BOSS MAN vs. AKEEM Boss Man scored a clean pin at Wrestlemania VI, so tonight is the rematch where Ted DiBiase interferes and attacks the Boss Man…uh…you did this backwards, guys. ONE AND A HALF HOURS SummerSlam ’88: Where the Mega-Powers Meet the Mega-Bucks (8/29/1988, MSG) BRITISH BULLDOGS vs. FABULOUS ROUGEAU BROTHERS OUTLAW RON BASS ATTACKS BRUTUS BEEFCAKE from Superstars of Wrestling, the week before the show. Bass injures Beefcake’s eye, knocking him out of the Intercontinental Title match. KEN PATERA vs. BAD NEWS BROWN JUNKYARD DOG vs. RAVISHING RICK RUDE Jake Roberts interferes when Rick reveals the Cheryl tights. POWERS OF PAIN vs. BOLSHEVIKS Baron Von Raschke begins a very abbreviated run as the Powers’ manager. THE BROTHER LOVE SHOW with special guest Hacksaw Jim Duggan. For weeks Mean Gene had been hyping that Brother Love’s guest would be someone making their first ever appearance in MSG…I only recently found out it was supposed to be Ric Flair, who had given his word that he’d be there, only to have Jim Crockett screw up the whole thing by waiting until the last minute to convince Ric to stay, giving Vince a taste of his own medicine. INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE: HONKYTONK MAN vs. A MYSTERY CHALLENGER It’s the Ultimate Warrior, who brings a 14-month reign to a crashing end. DON “The Rock” MURACO vs. DINO BRAVO I’m surprised they didn’t push Muraco as a face harder than they did. TAG TEAM TITLE: DEMOLITION vs. HART FOUNDATION Jimmy Hart is in the champs’ corner to cost his former charges the match. KOKO B. WARE vs. BIG BOSS MAN Boss Man takes way too much of a pounding for someone who’s about to wrestle main events. JAKE “The Snake” ROBERTS vs. HERCULES A 10-minute match that feels like 40. MEGA-POWERS vs. MEGA-BUCKS with guest referee Jesse Ventura. The suspense here comes from the fact that DiBiase bribed Jesse a week before the show. Typical booking says that would lead to a Jesse Ventura face turn costing DiBiase and André the match, but he’s a heel all the way, and the Mega-Powers win with the help of Elizabeth’s distraction. This is the complete version of the show from the original PPV broadcast; this tape and has some tracking faults, but is still quite watchable. THREE HOURS SummerSlam ’89: Feel the Heat (8/28/1989, Meadowlands Arena, East Rutherford, NJ) COUNTDOWN TO SUMMERSLAM ’89 Mean Gene Okerlund recaps all the feuds leading up to this year’s show. HART FOUNDATION vs. BRAINBUSTERS The Busters are the tag champs, but the match was signed before the title change so it’s non-title. The Busters cheat to win, which negates the purpose of announcing this as non-title, but it’s still one of the best opening matches I’ve ever seen. **** DUSTY RHODES vs. HONKY TONK MAN Honky predates Cactus Jack by getting amnesia by way of his own guitar and giving an interview after the match where he asks Jimmy to show him to the stage. RED ROOSTER vs. MISTER PERFECT Terry Taylor seems to blow out his knee legitimately, and the match ends a little prematurely. RICK RUDE’S PRE-MATCH INTERVIEW Normally I wouldn’t note a pre-match interview in these listings, but this is the classic where the giant SummerSlam logo collapses in the background, Gene drops the “f-bomb,” and if you turn up the volume, you’ll hear Vince McMahon making fun of somebody right before Gene’s profanity. TITO SANTANA & ROCKERS vs. RICK MARTEL & FABULOUS ROUGEAU BROTHERS Excellent match! *** ½ INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE: RAVISHING RICK RUDE vs. ULTIMATE WARRIOR One of Warrior’s five best matches. Rowdy Roddy Piper makes a surprise appearance to distract Rude, and Warrior reclaims the belt. KING DUGGAN & DEMOLITION vs. ANDRE THE GIANT & TWIN TOWERS Jim Duggan is performing with, by my count, four different gimmicks (patriot, lovable dumb guy, King of Wrestling, honorary member of Demolition.) HERCULES vs. GREG “The Hammer” VALENTINE with guest ring announcer Ronnie Garvin. Greg scores the win with a Flair pin, but Garvin announces a DQ win for Hercules. SUPERFLY JIMMY SNUKA vs. “Million Dollar Man” TED DIBIASE HULK HOGAN & BRUTUS “The Barber” BEEFCAKE vs. “Macho Man” RANDY SAVAGE & ZEUS The event that began with one of the greatest opening matches in wrestling history concludes with one of the worst main events in wrestling history. Whatever you do though, DO NOT fast-forward through the Hogan-Beefcake pre-match interview, which is egotistical to an absolutely surreal level. THREE HOURS SummerSlam ’91: The Match Made in Heaven & The Match Made in Hell (8/26/1991, Madison Square Garden) THE DRAGON, DAVEY BOY SMITH, & TEXAS TORNADO vs WARLORD & POWER AND GLORY Boy, we’ve got a lot of crappy gimmicks inside that there ring. INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE: MISTER PERFECT vs BRET “Hitman” HART Fabulous match that was thought to be Hennig’s last at the time- *****! JAILHOUSE MATCH: BIG BOSS MAN vs MOUNTIE The loser will be arrested and sent to a New York City jail to spend the night. Mountie does a pre-match interview where he insults the cops waiting outside the arena, and instructs them to show no mercy. Guess what happens. MILLION DOLLAR BELT: “MILLION DOLLAR MAN” TED DIBIASE vs VIRGIL A lot of heat for this match, and Virgil’s victory here gets the LOUDEST pop of the entire show. BUSHWHACKERS vs NATURAL DISASTERS André the Giant is at ringside for the Bushwhackers because Earthquake broke his leg in a previous confrontation.
“Dangerous” DANNY DAVIS & HART FOUNDATION vs. SAM HOUSTON, REX KING, & VAN VAN HORNE SPECIAL INTERVIEW with Ted DiBiase & André the Giant. André promises to forfeit the belt to DiBiase if he beats Hogan on the NBC special. HACKSAW JIM DUGGAN vs. STEVE LOMBARDI HERCULES, “The King” HARLEY RACE, & “Ravishing” RICK RUDE vs. LEAPING LANNY POFFO, JERRY ALLEN, SCOTT CASEY January 30 HONKY TONK MAN vs. OMAR ATLAS ULTIMATE WARRIOR vs. TERY GIBBS DINO BRAVO vs. SPECIAL DELIVERY JONES ISLANDERS vs. SCOTT CASEY & LEAPING LANNY POFFO BAD NEWS BROWN vs. BRADY BOON Bad News’s WWF debut. SPECIAL INTERVIEW with Hulk Hogan, hyping the NBC special. DEMOLITION vs. OUTBACK JACK & ?? JAKE “The Snake” ROBERTS vs. DUSTY WOLF February 6 RICKY “The Dragon” STEAMBOAT vs. RAVISHING RICK RUDE Heenan family interferes & gangs up on Steamboat, but Jim Duggan and the 2x4 even the sides. “THE ROCK” DON MURACO” vs. DUSTY WOLFE OUTLAW RON BASS vs. GARY STARR HACKSAW JIM DUGGAN vs. BRIAN COSTELLO DINO BRAVO sets a bench press record with Jesse Ventura’s help. Mercifully-edited version from the Royal Rumble. BAM-BAM BIGELOW vs. GINO CARABELLO WOMEN’S TAG TITLE, 2 OUT OF 3 FALLS: GLAMOUR GIRLS vs. JUMPING BOMB ANGELS JIP, from the Royal Rumble. ONE MAN GANG vs. JERRY GRAY February 13 WORLD TITLE: HULK HOGAN vs. ANDRÉ THE GIANT from “The Main Event.” André wins the World Title with the help of a crooked referee. FALLOUT FROM THE WORLD TITLE MATCH Promos from Hulk Hogan, André the Giant, and Ted DiBiase (wearing the title belt!); Jack Tunney announces the title has been vacated & reveals the brackets for the Wrestlemania IV title tournament, and note that the brackets reflect the original booking for the tournament. (I only learned this whole thing recently, but it goes like this: DiBiase defeats Duggan in Round One, then faces One Man Gang in the Quarterfinal and bribes him into forfeiting with a roll of quarters, then draws a bye in the Semi-Final, then defeats a thoroughly exhausted Hulk Hogan to win the belt.) YOUNG STALLIONS vs. JOE MIRTO & TERRY GIBBS “The Natural” BUTCH REED vs. REX KING HACKSAW JIM DUGGAN vs. DAVE WAGNER BRITISH BULLDOGS vs. RED DEMON & VAN VAN HORNE DEMOLITION vs. ERIC COOPER & DAVE STOUDIMIERE February 20 BAM- BAM BIGELOW vs. SIKA WRESTLEMANIA IV REPORT Notable because Mean Gene cruelly teases us by pointing out that a Savage-Steamboat rematch is possible in the Quarterfinal round. ISLANDERS vs. OMAR ATLAS & RICK HUNTER DINO BRAVO vs. DAVE STOUDIMIERE JUNKYARD DOG vs. KEN JOHNSON BAD NEWS BROWN vs. JOE NEWKIRK ULTIMATE WARRIOR vs. KING HARLEY RACE Hercules runs in for the DQ. February 27 STRIKE FORCE vs. TOM STONE & DUSTY WOLFE GREG “THE HAMMER VALENTINE vs. LANCE ALLEN JAKE “THE SNAKE” ROBERTS vs. PETE SANCHEZ OUTLAW RON BASS vs. JACKSON We never learn Jackson’s first name. “Million Dollar Man” TED DIBIASE vs. ROCKY STEWART HULK HOGAN hypes Wrestlemania IV HONKY TONK MAN & HART FOUNDATION vs. OMAR ATLAS, LEAPING LANNY POFFO, JERRY ALLEN March 5 (Bruno Sammartino’s last WWF appearance) RANDY “Macho Man” SAVAGE vs. IRON MIKE SHARPE DEMOLITION vs. JIM EVEANS & MIKE RICHARDS “The Rock” DON MURACO vs. FRANK DEFALCO BRUTUS “The Barber” BEEFCAKE vs. STEVE LOMBARDI BRITISH BULLDOGS vs. TERRY GIBBS & BRIAN COSTELLO SPECIAL INTERVIEW with Honky Tonk Man. Brutus Beefcake runs out and chases him off with the scissors. KING HARLEY RACE, HERCULES, & RAVISHING RICK RUDE vs. SPECIAL DELIVERY JONES, SCOTT CASEY, & SONNY ROGERS 5 ½ HOURS WWF Superstars of Wrestling, March-April 1988 March 19 (Tracking fault throughout) HONKY TONK MAN vs. JIM EVANS STRIKE FORCE vs. JOHN ZIEGLER & IRON MIKE SHARPE KOKO B. WARE vs. PETE SANCHEZ The British Bulldogs are at ringside to show unity leading up to Wrestlemania; post-match, a clip is shown of Bobby Heenan “birdnapping” Frankie during a Ware-Rick Rude match. RICKY “THE DRAGON” STEAMBOAT vs. DAVE WAGNER ONE MAN GANG vs. RICK HUNTER HULK HOGAN hypes Wrestlemania IV. “MILLION DOLLAR MAN” TED DIBIASE vs. SCOTT CASEY March 26 BRITISH BULLDOGS vs. IRON MIKE SHARPE & JOE NEWKIRK HERCULES vs. DAVE STOUDIMIERE JAKE “THE SNAKE ROBERTS vs. PETE SANCHEZ DEMOLITION vs. MIKE RICHARDS & MARK YOUNG HACKSAW JIM DUGGAN vs. TOM STONE ANDRÉ THE GIANT & TED DIBIASE hype Wrestlemania IV. RANDY “MACHO MAN” SAVAGE vs. TERRY GIBBS April 2 WRESTLEMANIA IV TOURNAMENT HIGHLIGHTS RAVISHING RICK RUDE vs. ERIC COOPER “THE ROCK” DON MURACO vs. GEORGE PETRUSKI BAD NEWS BROWN vs. ??? BAM-BAM BIGELOW vs. CONQUISTADOR #1 ANDRÉ THE GIANT vs. BRIAN COSTELLO André, fuming about losing the tourney, knocks out Costello before the match, and is about to continue the attack until Jim Duggan challenges André to a match. André strangles him, and Duggan bleeds hardway from the mouth, until knocking André unconscious with the 2x4. André comes to a few minutes later and attacks referees, officials, an EMT, and a cameraman. Good angle! April 9 ULTIMATE WARRIOR vs. BARRY HOROWITZ DINO BRAVO vs. RENO RIGGINS Weird Frenchy Martin gives Dino a purple nurple after the match. STRIKE FORCE vs. CONQUISTADORS ONE MAN GANG vs. VAN VAN HORNE JUNKYARD DOG vs. BOB BRYANT RAVISHING RICK RUDE gives a woman in the crowd the Rude Awakening. “MILLION DOLLAR MAN” TED DIBIASE vs. FRANK DEFALCO ISLANDERS vs. MARK YOUNG & TONY CURTIS April 16 RAVISHING RICK RUDE vs. RENO RIGGINS A RINGSIDE BRAWL between JYD & Ron Bass. Bass chokes out the Dog with Miss Betsy. HACKSAW JIM DUGGAN vs. PETE SANCHEZ André attempts a sneak attack, but Duggan keeps him at bay with the 2x4. HONKY TONK MAN vs. OMAR ATLAS BRITISH BULLDOGS vs. BARRY HOROWITZ & DUSTY WOLF DINO BRAVO & WEIRD FRENCHY MARTIN run down Ken Patera and the USA. “THE ROCK” DON MURACO vs. JERRY HALL BAD NEWS BROWN vs. JIM EVANS KOKO B. WARE vs. TOM STONE April 23 JAKE “THE SNAKE” ROBERTS vs. CHRIS CURTIS HULK HOGAN wins the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award for Favorite Male Athlete of 1987. OUTBACK JACK vs. “MILLION DOLLAR MAN” TED DIBIASE OUTLAW RON BASS vs. LEAPING LANNY POFFO BRUTUS “THE BARBER” BEEFCAKE vs. BOB BRYANT HACKSAW JIM DUGGAN recaps his feud with André. RAVISHING RICK RUDE vs. JACK MILLIMAN CLASSIC ANGLE!!! Post-match, Rude goes to the front row to find a woman to give the Rude Awakening, but his chosen recipient refuses him, and when he presses her for a reason, she reveals her husband is Jake “The Snake” Roberts! RANDY “MACHO MAN” SAVAGE vs. “THE NATURAL” BUTCH REED JIP from Wrestlemania IV. As far as I can tell, they’re airing this to bury Reed, who skipped town very shortly following WM. May 7 STRIKE FORCE vs. ROB ROBERSHAUDI & TERRY GIBBS BRET “HIT MAN” HART vs. VAN VAN HORNE ONE MAN GANG vs. RENO RIGGINS JAKE “THE SNAKE” ROBERTS vs. SCOTT COLAMTENIO “MILLION DOLLAR MAN” TED DIBIASE vs. BILL BREWER SPECIAL INTERVIEW with Randy Savage. DiBiase hasn’t left the ring yet, so Randy takes a few minutes to gloat about winning the World Title. ISLANDERS vs. OUTBACK JACK, BRADY BOON, & JERRY WYMAN Longtime jobber Sivi Afi returns with a little more than half his body covered in tattoos, repackaged as “High Chief Afi,” the third Islander. Repackaging a recognizable jobber as a threat is typically a risky move, and this match doesn’t help; even by TV squash standards, this is an incredibly bad match, and that says a lot. HILLBILLY JIM vs. HONKY TONK MAN 5 ½ HOURS WWF Superstars of Wrestling, May-July, 1988 May 14 HACKSAW JIM DUGGAN vs. CHRIS DUFFY BAD NEWS BROWN vs. CARMINE SURACE BAM-BAM BIGELOW vs. BARRY HOROWITZ FABULOUS ROUGEAU BROTHERS vs. RICK GANTNER & TONY LEONE The Rougeaus are hinting toward a heel turn with more aggressive tactics and a funny insincere promo about their love of the USA. BRUTUS “THE BARBER” BEEFCAKE vs. WOODY LEE HULK HOGAN vs. BORIS ZHUKOV A rare TV match for the Hulkster, so we don’t forget what he looks like while he’s away making his crappy movie. OUTLAW RON BASS vs. BURT SANTINI May 28 JAKE “THE SNAKE” ROBERTS vs. BARRY HOROWITZ TUG OF WAR: KEN PATERA vs. DINO BRAVO Gee, I wonder what’s going to happen. BAD NEWS BROWN vs. MIKE RICHARDS STRIKE FORCE vs. RICK RENSLOW & DAVE WAGNER HONKY TONK MAN vs. BRADY BOON JUNKYARD DOG vs. TIM PATTERSON TED DIBIASE recaps his attack on Randy Savage following a Savage/Virgil match. HACKSAW JIM DUGGAN vs. HERCULES from Saturday Night’s Main Event. June 4 RAVISHING RICK RUDE vs. TIM YATES UPDATE Bret Hart continues having Jimmy Hart manage him officially, but won’t let him come to ringside for his matches. BOLSHEVIKS vs. RICKY ATAKI & BILLY COLEMAN ULTIMATE WARRIOR vs. STEVE LOMBARDI “MILLION DOLLAR MAN” TED DIBIASE vs. BUCK ZHUMOFF DINO BRAVO vs. FRANK DEFALCO Weird Frenchy Martin is a heat machine here, wielding a sign that reads “USA is Not OK.”…Wait a minute…I live in the USA! Boooooo! SPECIAL INTERVIEW The Rougeaus turn heel here, but the funny thing is they do it so subtly that stupid fans actually cheer when they insult America. BRUTUS “THE BARBER” BEEFCAKE vs. TOM STONE GREG “THE HAMMER” VALENTINE vs. J.T. THOMAS June 11 HACKSAW JIM DUGGAN vs. BILL ANDERSON YOUNG STALLIONS vs. DEMOLITION KOKO B. WARE vs. RICK GANTNER HERCULES vs. CHRIS JACKSON JAKE & CHERYL ROBERTS hype their feud with Rick Rude. I have to hand it to Cheryl, for somebody who was never involved in wrestling outside of this feud, she’s really good on the mic. OUTLAW RON BASS vs. LOUIE SPICOLLI KEN PATERA vs. LARRY SIMPSON SAM HOUSTON & FABULOUS ROUGEAU BROTHERS vs. DANNY DAVIS, CHRIS CURTIS, & PETE SANCHEZ So out of nowhere, Danny’s a jobber…Anyway, the Rougeaus continue the world’s funniest, subtlest heel turn. June 18 BRITISH BULLDOGS vs. TERRY GIBBS & BARRY HOROWITZ UPDATE Rick Martel & Harley Race are taking time off for injuries. Bobby Heenan cuts a weird promo, looking sadly at Harley’s crown and holding back tears, sounding like a surviving family member on “America’s Most Wanted.” BIG BOSS MAN vs. LOUIE SPICOLLI Bossman’s debut match. BRET “HIT MAN” HART vs. JERRY ALLEN The world-famous “Harley in the Sky with Diamonds” graphic makes its first appearance. BAM-BAM BIGELOW vs. TOM STONE RAVISHING RICK RUDE does another Rude Awakening. GEORGE “THE ANIMAL” STEELE INTRODUCES “MINE” GREG “THE HAMMER” VALENTINE vs. RICKY ATAKI Greg won’t release the Figure 4, so Don Muraco and Superstar Billy Graham come to the rescue. Muraco gets pre-occupied chasing Jimmy Hart, so Valentine puts the crippled Graham in the Figure 4. The live crowd is freaked! Oddly, though, this angle ended up going nowhere. ROCKERS vs. INTRUDER & IRON MIKE SHARPE Shawn and Marty return a year after being fired. June 25 JAKE “THE SNAKE” ROBERTS vs. CONQUISTADOR #2 ONE MAN GANG vs. MARTIN OLIVER ULTIMATE WARRIOR vs. LARRY SIMPSON “MILLION DOLLAR MAN” TED DIBIASE vs. LEAPING LANNY POFFO KOKO B. WARE vs. STEVE LOMBARDI SPECIAL INTERVIEW with the Heenan Family, minus Harley Race, the Islanders & King Kong Bundy (who left the promotion months ago but whom the production people still haven’t removed from the show’s opening.) Anyway, this is a beyond-creepy segment where Heenan again grieves the absence of Harley Race and blames Hulk Hogan for forcing the King to abdicate his throne. Weird moment of the night goes to the timekeeper tolling the bell ten times in Harley’s memory while the crowd boos. ROCKERS vs. MARK MING & BARRY HOROWITZ BAD NEWS BROWN vs. TONY LEONE July 2 HACKSAW JIM DUGGAN vs. TOM STONE GEORGE “THE ANIMAL” STEELE vs. INTRUDER DINO BRAVO vs. BILL JOHNSON HART FOUNDATION vs. SPECIAL DELIVERY JONES & BRADY BOON “THE ROCK” DON MURACO vs. DARRELL NICHOLS KILLER BEES vs. FABULOUS ROUGEAU BROTHERS The America-loving Rougeaus are wrestling this match to honor their favorite country on “Great Memorial Day weekend.” Funny! RAVISHING RICK RUDE vs. JOSE LUIS RIVERA 5 ½ HOURS WWF Superstars of Wrestling, July-August 1988 July 9 CORONATION OF KING HAKU BRITISH BULLDOGS vs. DUSTY WOLF & GINO CARABELLO BIG BOSS MAN vs. MARIO MANCINI JUNKYARD DOG vs. LEN KRUGER GREG “THE HAMMER” VALENTINE vs. OMAR ATLAS SPECIAL INTERVIEW Randy Savage cuts a promo and is sneak-attacked by Ted DiBiase & André the Giant, while Virgil forces Elizabeth to watch. BOLSHEVIKS vs. THE UNNAMED JOBBER CONNECTION BRUTUS “THE BARBER” BEEFCAKE vs. TOM ANGEL July 16 POWERS OF PAIN vs. TONY ULYSSES & IRON MIKE SHARPE The Powers’ WWF debut, covered with facepaint to make stupid fans think they’re the Road Warriors. UPDATE Randy Savage challenges André & DiBiase to a tag team match. DINO BRAVO vs. TONY PARKS FABULOUS ROUGEAU BROTHERS vs. CHRIS DUFFY & SCOTT COLONTONIO JAKE “THE SNAKE” ROBERTS vs. BOB EMERY “MILLION DOLLAR MAN” TED DIBIASE vs. LARRY STEVENS “THE ROCK” DON MURACO announces that per doctors’ orders, Billy Graham will no longer manage him.
“THE ROCK” DON MURACO vs. DAVE WAGNER “MILLION DOLLAR MAN” TED DIBIASE vs. MIKE RICHARDS
“THE CALL OF THE ACTION” DEMOLITION vs. ORIENT EXPRESS BRET “HIT MAN” HART vs. RICK “THE MODEL” MARTEL STEEL CAGE MATCH: ROWDY RODDY PIPER vs. RAVISHING RICK RUDE HULK HOGAN & BRUTUS “THE BARBER” BEEFCAKE vs. MR. PERFECT & THE GENIUS TWO HOURS 1st Annual WWF Survivor Series (11/26/87, Richfield, OH) CAPTAIN RANDY “Macho Man” SAVAGE, RICKY “The Dragon” STEAMBOAT, JAKE “The Snake” ROBERTS, BRUTUS “The Barher” BEEFCAKE, & “Hacksaw” JIM DUGGAN vs. HONKY TONK MAN, “Dangerous” DANNY DAVIS, “Outlaw” RON BASS, HERCULES, & KING HARLEY RACE Good opener that showcases one of the strong points about a 5-on-5 tag match: the weaker wrestlers come out looking like a million bucks because they’re not in the ring long enough for their weaknesses to be exposed. *** CAPTAIN FABULOUS MOOLAH, ROCKIN’ ROBIN, VELVET MACINTYRE, & THE JUMPING BOMB ANGELS vs. SENSATIONAL SHERRI, DAWN MARIE, DONNA CHRISTIANELLO, & THE GLAMOUR GIRLS Mainly a showcase for the Bomb Angels; overall not a bad match. CO-CAPTAINS STRIKE FORCE, BRITISH BULLDOGS, KILLER BEES, ROUGEAU BROTHERS, & YOUNG STALLIONS vs. CO-CAPTAINS HART FOUNDATION, DEMOLITION, BOLSHEVIKS, NEW DREAM TEAM, & ISLANDERS **** “The Million Dollar Man” TED DIBIASE celebrates Thanksgiving in a great segment recapping his debut promos. CAPTAIN HULK HOGAN, BAM-BAM BIGELOW, “Mr. Wonderful” PAUL ORNDORFF, “The Rock” DON MURACO, & KEN PATERA vs. ANDRÉ THE GIANT, KING KONG BUNDY, ONE MAN GANG, “Ravishing” RICK RUDE, & “The Natural” BUTCH REED Andre returns from an 8-month hiatus and gets the victory, but it’s Bam-Bam Bigelow’s night to shine. Guess what…it doesn’t suck! *** ½ THREE HOURS 2nd Annual WWF Survivor Series (11/24/1988, Richfield, OH) CO-CAPTAIN ULTIMATE WARRIOR, CO-CAPTAIN BRUTUS “The Barber” BEEFCAKE, BLUE BLAZER, SAM HOUSTON, & “Jumping” JIM BRUNZELL vs. CO-CAPTAIN HONKY TONK MAN, CO- CAPTAIN “Outlaw” RON BASS, BAD NEWS BROWN, GREG “The Hammer” VALENTINE, & “Dangerous” DANNY DAVIS CO-CAPTAINS POWERS OF PAIN, HART FOUNDATION, BRITISH BULLDOGS, ROCKERS, & YOUNG STALLIONS vs. CO-CAPTAINS DEMOLITION, BRAINBUSTERS, FABULOUS ROUGEAU BROTHERS, BOLSHEVIKS, & CONQUISTADORS Most people remember this match for the double-turn with the Powers going heel and the Demos going face, but I’ll always remember this match as the night the Conquistadors shined! CO-CAPTAIN “Hacksaw” JIM DUGGAN, CO-CAPTAIN JAKE “The Snake” ROBERTS, TITO SANTANA, KEN PATERA, & SCOTT CASEY vs. CO-CAPTAIN ANDRÉ THE GIANT, CO-CAPTAIN DINO BRAVO, HARLEY RACE, “Ravishing” RICK RUDE, & MISTER PERFECT CO-CAPTAINS MEGA-POWERS, HILLBILLY JIM, KOKO B. WARE, & HERCULES vs. CO-CAPTAINS TWIN TOWERS, KING HAKU, “Million Dollar Man” TED DIBIASE, & RED ROOSTER 2 ½ HOURS 4th Annual WWF Survivor Series (11/23/1990, Hartford, CT) THE WARRIORS (CAPTAIN ULTIMATE WARRIOR, “Texas Tornado” KERRY VON ERICH, & LEGION OF DOOM) vs. THE PERFECT TEAM (CAPTAIN MISTER PERFECT & DEMOLITION) Only noteworthy for two reasons: It’s Ax’s last WWF match, and Von Erich is billed as the Intercontinental Champion despite losing the belt at a TV taping two weeks prior. THE VIPERS (CAPTAIN JAKE “The Snake” ROBERTS, “Superfly” JIMMY SNUKA, & ROCKERS) vs. THE VISIONARIES (CAPTAIN RICK “The Model” MARTEL, WARLORD, POWER & GLORY) The announcers make a big deal about this being “the first time in history” that all four men on a team have survived at the end, even though this is only the fourth year for the event, and the 2nd year with the 4-on-4 format. THE DREAM TEAM (CAPTAIN DUSTY RHODES, KOKO B. WARE, & HART FOUNDATION) vs. THE MILLION-DOLLAR TEAM (CAPTAIN “Million Dollar Man” TED DIBIASE, A MYSTERY PARTNER, AND RHYTHM & BLUES) DiBiase’s mystery partner is still polluting WWF/E rings to this day. Bret Hart steals the show during the final minutes of the match. THE HULKAMANIACS (CAPTAIN HULK HOGAN, TUGBOAT, HACKSAW JIM DUGGAN, & BIG BOSS MAN) vs. THE NATURAL DISASTERS (CAPTAIN EARTHQUAKE, DINO BRAVO, HAKU, & BARBARIAN THE ALLIANCE (CAPTAIN NIKOLAI VOLKOFF, TITO SANTANA, & BUSHWHACKERS) vs. THE MERCENARIES (CAPTAIN SGT. SLAUGHTER, BORIS ZHUKOV, & ORIENT EXPRESS) Here’s something I’m surprised I’ve never seen anyone else point out…The team representing America and behaving patriotically is comprised entirely of foreigners (except for Tito, but he doesn’t count because we’re told he’s from Mexico) while the evil America-hating foreigners are all American-born. THE GIANT EGG HATCHES! For weeks the WWF had been carting around this giant egg promising it would hatch at the Survivor Series, as if anyone would order the show for just that reason. It’s the Gobbledy Gooker making his first of exactly two appearances in the WWF before being killed off entirely. GRAND FINALE MATCH OF SURVIVAL A clever idea where all the survivors from earlier in the night return for a final match. THREE HOURS 5th Annual WWF Survivor Series: “The Gravest Challenge” (11/28/91, Detroit, MI) JAKE “The Snake” ROBERTS ATTACKS RANDY “Macho Man” SAVAGE in one of the scariest angles ever, from “Superstars of Wrestling” ten days earlier; Roberts ties Savage in the ropes and then pulls out a king cobra that clamps onto Savage’s arm and won’t let go! Of course, the snake was devemonized, but this angle scared the crap out of me when I was eight, but naturally, that’s the point. The live crowd is freaked, and Jake is instantly the most hated heel in the company. CAPTAIN “Rowdy” RODDY PIPER, BRET “Hit Man” HART, VIRGIL, & “The British Bulldog” DAVEY BOY SMITH vs. CAPTAIN RIC FLAIR, WARLORD, MOUNTIE, & “Million Dollar Man” TED DIBIASE CAPTAIN “Hacksaw” JIM DUGGAN, SGT. SLAUGHTER, “El Matador” TITO SANTANA, & “Texas Tornado” KERRY VON ERICH vs. CAPTAIN COLONEL MUSTAFA, BERZERKER, HERCULES, & SKINNER WORLD TITLE: HULK HOGAN vs. UNDERTAKER Ric Flair interferes to give the belt to Undertaker, who gets a face pop! BUSHWHACKERS & ROCKERS vs. NASTY BOYS & BEVERLY BROTHERS Shawn Michaels begins his heel turn here, after a mistake by Marty Janetty gets him eliminated. BIG BOSS MAN & LEGION OF DOOM vs. IRWIN R. SCHYSTER & NATURAL DISASTERS THREE HOURS 6th Annual WWF Survivor Series (11/26/92, Richfield, OH) COUNTDOWN TO SURVIVOR SERIES Vince McMahon & Bobby Heenan host a clipfest of events leading up to the big show this year. REVEREND SLICK delivers a sermon, the point of which is not exactly clear. HIGH ENERGY vs. HEADSHRINKERS NIGHTSTICK MATCH: BIG BOSS MAN vs. NAILZ Boss Man’s last victory of any note in the WWF. TATANKA vs. RICK “The Model” MARTEL RANDY “”Macho Man” SAVAGE & MISTER PERFECT vs. RIC FLAIR & RAZOR RAMON VIRGIL vs. YOKOZUNA ELIMINATION MATCH: NATURAL DISASTERS & NASTY BOYS vs. MONEY, INC. & BEVERLY BROTHERS COFFIN MATCH: UNDERTAKER vs. KAMALA in a match that is way, way too high on the card. WORLD TITLE: BRET “Hit Man” HART vs. SHAWN MICHAELS THREE HOURS WWF Survivor Series 1995 (11/19/95, Landover, MD) THE UNDERDOGS (CAPTAIN BARRY HOROWITZ, MARTY JANETTY, HAKUSHI, & BOB “SPARK PLUGG” HOLLY) vs. BODY DONNAS (BODY DONNA SKIP, RAD RADFORD, “DOCTOR OF DESIRE” TOM PRICHARD, & 1-2-3 KID) This exists mainly to get the Kid over as a heel. CAPTAIN ALUNDRA BLAYZE, KYOKO INOUE, SAKIE HASAGAWA, & CHAPARITA ASARI vs. BERTHA FAYE, AJA KONG, TOMOKO WATANABE, & LIONESS ASUKA Believe it or not, this is setting up a big push for Aja Kong, which got turfed rather quickly once Alundra/Madusa jumped over to WCW. BAM-BAM BIGELOW vs. GOLDUST Bam-Bam is getting the hell out now that his superpush won’t be materializing, and Goldust scores the win. THE DARK SIDE (CAPTAIN UNDERTAKER, HENRY GODWINN, SAVIO VEGA & FATU vs. THE ROYALS (KING MABEL, JERRY “THE KING”LAWLER, HUNTER HEARST HELMSLEY, & DR. ISSAC YANKEM, D.D.S.) The Bill Watts brainfart that was the Masked Undertaker…I had completely forgotten about that until I got this tape. WILD CARD ELIMINATION MATCH: SHAWN MICHAELS, AHMED JOHNSON, DAVEY BOY SMITH, & SYCHO SID vs. YOKOZUNA, OWEN HART, RAZOR RAMON, & DEAN DOUGLAS A great premise where the teams where randomly selected in a drawing, forcing heels & faces to co-exist. WORLD TITLE, NO DQ, NO COUNTOUT: DIESEL vs. BRET “HITMAN” HART The poorly-thought-out attempt at “Dieselmania” is put to rest with a big win for Bret and a big heel turn for Bret. THREE HOURS WWF Survivor Series 2001 (11/18/01, Greensboro, NC) EUROPEAN TITLE: CHRISTIAN vs. AL SNOW TAJIRI vs. WILLIAM REGAL WWF INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE/WCW UNITED STATES TITLE UNIFICATION: EDGE vs. TEST WWF TAG TEAM TITLE/WCW TAG TEAM TITLE UNIFICATION STEEL CAGE MATCH: HARDY BOYZ vs. DUDLEY BOYZ IMMUNITY BATTLE ROYAL with Acolytes, Albert, Justin Credible, Tommy Dreamer, Spike Dudley, Sho Funaki, Chavo Guerrero Jr., Billy Gunn, Crash Holly, Hurricane, Billy Kidman, Hugh Morrus, Diamond Dallas Page, Chuck Palumbo, Raven, Stevie Richards, Perry Saturn, Shawn Stasiak, Lance Storm, Tazz, and Test. WWF WOMEN’S TITLE: TRISH STRATUS vs. LITA vs. IVORY vs. JACQUELINE vs. JAZZ vs. MIGHTY MOLLY TEAM WWF (ROCK, CHRIS JERICHO, UNDERTAKER, KANE, BIG SHOW) vs. TEAM WCW (“STONE COLD” STEVE AUSTIN, KURT ANGLE, BOOKER T, ROB VAN DAM, SHANE MCMAHON) The biggest flopped angle in wrestling history is put out its misery. Good riddance to bad booking. THREE HOURS The Tag Team Champions All matches are tag team title matches, and almost all are joined in progress. DREAM TEAM vs. BRITISH BULLDOGS Ends in a DQ, leading o the Wrestlemania 2 rematch MISTER FUJI & PROFESSOR TORU TANAKA vs. DINO BRAVO & DOMINIC DENUCCI DINO BRAVO & DOMINIC DENUCCI vs. YUKON LUMBERJACKS YUKON LUMBERJACKS vs. TONY GAREA & LARRY ZYBYSKO TONY GAREA & LARRY ZYBYSKO vs. JOHNNY & JERRY VALIANT JOHNNY & JERRY VALIANT vs. TITO SANTANA & IVAN PUTSKI TITO SANTANA & IVAN PUTSKI vs. WILD SAMOANS WILD SAMOANS vs. TONY GAREA & RICK MARTEL TONY GAREA & RICK MARTEL vs. MOONDOGS MOONDOGS vs. TONY GAREA & RICK MARTEL TONY GAREA & RICK MARTEL vs. MR. FUJI & MR. SAITO BEST OF THREE FALLS: MR. FUJI & MR. SAITO vs. STRONGBOW BROTHERS MR. FUJI & MR. SAITO vs. STRONGBOW BROTHERS with guest referee Ivan Putski. STRONGBOW BROTHERS vs. WILD SAMOANS WILD SAMOANS vs. ROCKY JOHNSON & TONY ATLAS ROCKY JOHNSON & TONY ATLAS vs. NORTH-SOUTH CONNECTION NORTH-SOUTH CONNECTION vs. MIKE ROTUNDO & BARRY WINDHAM MIKE ROTUNDO & BARRY WINDHAM vs. NIKOLAI VOLKOFF & IRON SHEIK from Wrestlemania. NIKOLAI VOLKOFF & IRON SHEIK vs. U.S. EXPRESS U.S. EXPRESS vs. DREAM TEAM ONE AND A HALF HOURS WWF Tuesday Night Titans Highlights from 1984 WENDI RICHTER & CYNDI LAUPER train for the Ladies’ Title Match at the next MSG show. WENDI RICHTER appears in the studio for a live interview. TONY GAREA talks about moving from the tag team division to singles competition. TONY GAREA vs. UNPREDICTABLE JOHNNY RODZ SUPERFLY JIMMY SNUKA vs. SAMU THE WILD SAMOAN Footage from MSG. A good match if you fast-forward through the marathon resthold. Also note to Gorilla Monsoon: It’s Samu, not Samuel the Wild Samoan. THE TNT MAILBAG Vince and Alfred field questions from marks about why Hulk Hogan doesn’t appear on TV since winning the title, and if any of the other wrestlers can sing like Ivan Putski. RED BASTIEN appears in the “We Want New Young Fans but Let’s Avoid Alienating the Older Folks” segment. TEXAS DEATH MATCH: RED BASTIEN vs. DORY FUNK, JR. 8mm footage from a date specified only as “yesteryear.” It’s several minutes of clips, but no ending is shown. GREG “THE HAMMER” VALENTINE hypes his feud with Tito Santana and gets a massage from his wife, Julie, who was supposed to assume a Miss Elizabeth-like role for Greg until that plan was scrapped. Includes a Valentine-Santana non-title match where Greg wins by count-out. ROWDY RODDY PIPER does a funny, hyper, egotistical, and obnoxious interview. Includes a Piper-SD Jones squash, a performance by Scottish dancers, and the “Coconut” incident from Piper’s Pit in its entirety. Piper loses his temper, slaps Alfred, and storms of the set, leading Vince to announce that Roddy Piper will never appear on TNT again. FABULOUS MOOLAH vs. PENNY MITCHELL JIP. BRIAN BLAIR vs. GENTLEMAN JERRY VALIANT CYNDI LAUPER/LOU ALBANO FEUD RECAP ANDRÉ THE GIANT talks about just about everything regarding his career, and then performs “The Fish Song.” KAMALA vs. JOSE LUIS RIVERA CAPTAIN LOU ALBANO gripes about Wendi Richter’s win. WENDI RICHTER’S VICTORY PARTY from backstage at MSG. TNT MAILBAG CRUSHER PURDUE vs. MARIO MILANO A special “Nostalgia Bout” from the early 1970s. No commentary 8mm footage. ARM WRESTLING: JESSE VENTURA vs. IVAN PUTSKI This segment goes on FOREVER. ADRIAN ADONIS takes Gene Okerlund and Dick Murdoch on a tour of his neighborhood in New York City. CHIEF JAY STRONGBOW tries to do an interview, but Adonis and Murdoch refuse to leave the set, making things difficult. CHIEF JAY STRONGBOW vs. TONY RUSSO CHIEF JAY STRONGBOW’S TRIBE performs a ceremonial dance in the parking lot. Geez, for a guy getting jobbed out of the promotion, Jay sure gets a lot of camera time. SGT. SLAUGHTER vs. ROGER SMITH PIPER’S PIT Roddy hypes the MSG Women’s Title match (obviously the stuff on this tape isn’t in perfect order) and reads a letter from Jimmy Snuka’s son. TAG TEAM TITLE: ADRIAN ADONIS & DICK MURDOCH vs. SPIKE HUBER & BRIAN BLAIR TIGER CHUNG LEE breaks bricks with Martial Artz. Includes a Lee-Steve Lombardi squash and JIP footage of Lee/Fuji vs. Wild Samoans from Philadelphia. BRIAN BLAIR vs. “MISTER WONDERFUL” PAUL ORNDORFF WWF REFEREE DICK WORLEY SPECIAL DELIVERY JONES TONY ALTAMORE reminisces about the Good Old Days. Also includes a few matches and promos from a 1987 “Wrestling Challenge” episode. SIX HOURS TNT (Late June 1985, hosted by Jesse “The Body” Ventura and Lord Alfred Hayes) “PRINCE” Jesse’s biggest fan comes for a visit and sits silently throughout while Jesse sings his praises. JIMMY HART GREG “THE HAMMER” VALENTINE Includes footage of Valentine vs. Ricky Steamboat from MSG. VINCE MCMAHON criticizes Jesse Ventura for trying to perpetrate a fraud by claiming the Prince impersonator to be the real thing. Also includes early footage of Vince as an announcer, interviewing Gorilla Monsoon after his showdown with Muhammad Ali. JUMPING JIM BRUNZELL Includes a Brunzell-Moondog Spot match from MSG B. BRIAN BLAIR Now that the team is complete we’re treated to a Killer Bees-Steve Lombardi/Dave Barbie squash. “PRINCE” tries to perform “1999” but gets mad at the band and storms off. Vince then says he’s called Prince’s management to verify that it’s not really Prince appearing on TNT and formally apologizes to the viewers of the WWF and USA Network. ONE HOUR TNT (Early September 1985, hosted by Rowdy Roddy Piper and Cowboy Bob Orton) BOBBY “THE BRAIN” HEENAN brags about his latest business deal, obtaining the contract of King Kong Bundy. Includes a post-match interview with André the Giant from the Maple Leaf Gardens show where Bundy attacked André. WWF UPDATE features a hilarious promotion for The WWF Wrestling Classic featuring Jesse Ventura. JIMMY HART, who sold Bundy’s contract to Heenan, plugs his song on the upcoming “Wrestling Album” and convinces Roddy to do a song. COOKING WITH CAPTAIN LOU ALBANO Lou makes spaghetti for Roddy and Bob, and puts Tabasco in the spaghetti sauce. JUNKYARD DOG is obviously drugged up, as he can’t stop laughing during his interview. They cover by saying he’s laughing at what happened in the previous segment, but Piper seems really thrown by JYD’s behavior. Includes a JYD vs. Steve Lombardi squash. UNCLE ELMER & COUSIN JUNIOR talk about Elmer’s upcoming wedding. Includes a Junior & Elmer vs. Barry O & Jerry Attis squash. ONE HOUR TNT (Mid-November 1985, hosted by Vince McMahon and Lord Alfred Hayes) RANDY “MACHO MAN” SAVAGE & ELIZABETH Includes a Savage-Jim Powers squash. IRON MIKE SHARPE talks about his father & uncle’s legendary status and wrestling styles in Japan. Includes a Sharpe/Jim Young squash. JESSE “THE BODY” VENTURA talks about the fraud perpetrated on his last appearance on TNT, the rock stars he knows personally, and his feud with Uncle Elmer. Later, Jesse participates in a Q&A segment where a fan who looks to be about 60 asks a completely incomprehensible question. Includes Piper’s Pit from SNME with the Hillbillies and Jesse, and a Ventura/Ron Hutchinson squash. ADVICE FOR THE LOVELORN with Classy Freddy Blassie, who is an absolute riot, questioning Dr. Ruth’s personal qualifications for dispensing sexual advice. TED ARCIDI talks about powerlifting and wrestling, and seems out of breath just talking. Gee, why would that be? Includes footage of Ted bench pressing 705 pounds. EGG TOSS: LORD ALFRED HAYES vs. JESSE VENTURA ONE HOUR TNT (Late March 1986, hosted by Vince McMahon and Lord Alfred Hayes) JIMMY HART hypes the Adrian Adonis-Uncle Elmer match at Wrestlemania 2. Included are clips of Uncle Elmer singing “Your Cheating Heart,” the Piper’s Pit where Adonis officially became a fruit, and a TNT interview where he actually says “I’m gay,” which is one step too far as far as this gimmick went. It’s one thing to have him be “flamboyant” but having him announce non-existent homosexuality and get booed is absolutely absurd. CAB CALLOWAY plugs Wrestlemania 2 in a brief promo. ROWDY RODDY PIPER trains for his Wrestlemania 2 boxing match in a very funny segment. DARYL DAWKINS plugs Wrestlemania 2 in a brief promo. LUSCIOUS JOHNNY VALIANT complains about the two-referee rule for the tag title match at Wrestlemania 2. Vince announces that Ozzy Ozbourne will be in the Bulldogs’ corner. CATHY LEE CROSBY plugs Wrestlemania 2 in a brief promo. MISTER FUJI hypes, you guessed it, Don Muraco’s Wrestlemania 2 match against Paul Orndorff. Boy, talk about a hard sell. ELVIRA blah blah blah. CAPTAIN LOU ALBANO hypes the Battle Royal and the Tag Team Title match. Includes promos from Russ Francis, Jimbo Covert, Bill Fralic, Harvey Martin, and Ed “Too Tall” Jones. HULK HOGAN-KING KONG BUNDY FEUD RECAP with footage of Bundy’s attack on Hogan from Saturday Night’s Main Event, a doctor’s report from the morning after the attack, Piper’s Pit with King Kong Bundy, and an absolutely embarrassing promo from Hulk Hogan at the Wrestlemania 2 press conference. ONE HOUR TNT (Mid-April 1986, hosted by Vince McMahon and Lord Alfred Hayes) LEAPING LANNY POFFO recites some poetry and hands out some Frisbees. Includes a Poffo-Rick Jacobs squash. RANDY SAVAGE AND ELIZABETH It’s supposed to be Elizabeth alone for a sit-down interview, but Savage doesn’t appreciate taking a backseat and comes out anyway. Includes a Savage-Bob Marcus squash, a recap of the Savage-George Steele feud, and Lord Alfred Hayes slow-dancing with Savage (you read that correctly). HAITI KID plugs his upcoming run of house show matches against Jimmy Hart. Includes clips of Piper’s Pit where Piper cuts Haiti’s hair, and clips of Haiti’s association with Junkyard Dog. HERCULES HERNANDEZ & CLASSY FREDDY BLASSIE Freddy recites a funny self-praising poem. Includes a Hernandez/George Wells match. IRON SHEIK talks about camel breath and how much he hates America, etc. Includes an audience Q&A segment. ONE HOUR TNT (Mid-April 1986, hosted by Vince McMahon and Lord Alfred Hayes) DON MURACO & MISTER FUJI This tape is clipped and the show picks up toward the end of a Muraco squash. Features clips of “Fuji Chan” and Fuji General.” TITO SANTANA talks about losing the Intercontinental Title. Includes footage of the title loss to Randy Savage. JIMMY HART discusses the Junkyard Dog, underwear, and midgets. Then Vince tells him that he has small genitals. Really. Includes a Funk Brothers vs. Jeff Ridley/Ivan McDonald squash and a Hart Foundation squash. What’s most interesting is that commentator Gorilla Monsoon actually says Dory’s name is Dory Funk, Jr. but that he prefers to be called Hoss. I thought the WWF was completely whitewashing the Funks’ family history. CLASSY FREDDY BLASSIE talks about his $45,000 bathroom. Includes a Volkoff/Sheik squash match. ONE HOUR TNT (April 1986, hosted by Vince McMahon and Lord Alfred Hayes) “Adorable” ADRIAN ADONIS & JIMMY HART Includes an Adonis vs. Paul Roma squash. Afterward, Adrian gets a makeover. The War to Settle the Score (2/18/1985, Madison Square Garden) TONS OF HYPE FOR THE MSG MAIN EVENT-Gene Okerlund & MTV veejay Alan Hunter host a series of clips, highlights, and interviews about the Hogan/Piper feud. Among the highlights are the video bios on Hogan and Piper, clips of Piper attacking Lou Albano & Cyndi Lauper, and interviews with Dick Clark, Geraldine Ferraro, Gloria Steinem, Dee Snyder, Ted Nugent, and a bunch of wrestlers and singers from the Rock & Wrestling Era. WORLD TITLE: HULK HOGAN vs. ROWDY RODDY PIPER- A big mess of a match, but the live crowd is really into this. After the fakest looking ref bump in the history of our great sport, Piper, Paul Orndorff, and Bob Orton give Hogan a three-on-one beating, then go after Cyndi Lauper. Mister T jumps out from the crowd for the save but gets beaten senseless, setting up the main event for WrestleMania I. ONE HOUR Wrestlemania I (Madison Square Garden, 3/25/1985) Download 498.77 Kb. Share with your friends:
|