The reviews keep coming. Today’s is Saturday Night’s Main
Event from March 12, 1988. Held in Nashville, Tennessee’s Municipal Auditorium.
First? Promos from all the guys in matches saying how they'll run the other guy into the ground.
We’ve got McMahon and Ventura on commentary making a redneck
joke before laying down the card. Classy.
First off, there was a recap of The Main Event, where Hogan
lost to Andre.
An interview with Jimmy Hart and Greg Valentine, who said
Valentine carried Brutus Beefcake during their tenure as tag team champions.
Followed by an interview with Brutus that had terrible haircutting puns.
Match: Greg “The Hammer” Valentine (with Jimmy Hart) vs.
Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake
The match started with Valentine outside the ring, seemingly
scared of Beefcake’s shears. Once Valentine got back into the ring, the two men
briefly struggled for control. Valentine gained the upper hand until Beefcake
covered a whip with a high knee and body slam. After a boot to the face, he
executed a couple atomic drops and an elbow to the head. He went for a failed
cover before cornering him by the turnbuckles. Valentine started cowering but
pulled off a cheap shot and turned the match around. He flew off the top rope
and tried to pin Beefcake. Valentine started going for a leglock but Beefcake
was able to grab a hold of the ropes. Valentine hammered on the knee, which
prompted Beefcake to slide out of the ring.
Honkytonk Man interrupted, mocking Beefcake while he was out
of the ring.
The match then resumed with Valentine tossing Beefcake back
into the ring and working on Beefcake’s head. Valentine kept the momentum,
continually softening the leg. In going to for the Figure Four, Beefcake
countered and was able to take momentum back and gave Valentine an elbow to the
face. He executed a sleeper hold, but Valentine was able to make it to the
ropes. The two fell outside the ring and continued fighting. Beefcake tried
going back, but was stopped by Hart. He tried chasing him, but Valentine
stopped, dragged Beefcake back in and performed a suplex. Valentine got the
three count, even though Beefcake got the shoulder up. The win was reversed in
Beefcake’s favor.
After the match Beefcake chopped off a tiny bit of Hart’s
hair.
Winner: Greg “The Hammer” Valentine
This was a great match and the perfect way to open the card.
Both men had good momentum and Beefcake’s knee didn’t stop him from turning the
match around. Interesting how the decision was reversed due to the three count
going after the shoulder was up. 4/5
Now for an interview with King Harley Race and Bobby Heenan,
who said all mortal men will bow to the king.
Another interview with Hogan, who said the wheels of Hulkamania
are still churning and that Race was just an obstacle in the way of reclaiming
the title.
Match: King Harley Race (with Bobby “The Brain” Heenan) vs.
Hulk Hogan.
Hogan started off by chasing Heenan, who fled from ringside.
Hogan slid into the ring and Race started elbow dropping. He
continued by headbutting Hogan after he stood up. None of it fazed Hogan who
started hammering away on Race. Now the match officially started and Hogan
clotheslined Race three times, the third time Race went over the ropes onto the
timekeeper table. Hogan shoved Race into the ring post as Heenan came back.
When distracted, Race went for Hogan. Though when going for either a drop or
piledriver, Hogan countered and dropped Race a couple times. He suplexed him
before throwing him back into the ring. Hogan continued to elbow and chop Race
before taking his tape and chocking Race twice. Hogan viciously choked Heenan
as well, before Race used the distraction to his advantage and turned the match
around. Race eventually suplexed and kneed Hogan before performing a
piledriver. Race threw Hogan out of the ring and placed him on the timekeeper
table. He dropped and Hogan moved out of the way causing Race to drop onto the
table. Hogan went back into the ring, and Race followed, continuing to hammer
on Hogan. After a top rope headbutt, Race tried to pin and Hogan went into God
Mode after breaking the count. He clotheslined and legdropped for the win.
Winner: Hulk Hogan
Let me say this was an interesting match, especially with
Hogan blatantly chocking Race and Heenan. I liked it though, it showed how
Hogan was willing to do anything to win and move onto WrestleMania IV to get
the title back. The table spot was also good. Great match. 4/5
An interview with Ted DiBiase who said no one has faith in
Hogan or Savage anymore. He also promised a surprise in his corner “worth its
weight in gold.”
Then an interview with Randy Savage, who said he’d bounce
DiBiase all over the ring and that Elizabeth was worth more than gold.
Match: Ted “Million Dollar Man” DiBiase vs. Randy “Macho Man”
Savage
Before the match, DiBiase’s surprise, Andre the Giant,
revealed himself.
Savage immediately fell for Virgil’s distraction of getting
close to Elizabeth. DiBiase took the opening it was and started to work on
Savage. He whipped and dropped him before shoving him against the turnbuckle.
As he strutted and let Savage get to his feet, he launched from the top onto
Savage, getting him back down. DiBiase brutally smeared Savage and though the
referee got him off, Andre was able to sneak in a hit. Savage was able to
counter a whip and give DiBiase a knee to the face and back. The latter sent
DiBiase out of the ring. Savage retrieved him and was able to get in an Atomic
Elbow. He bounced him off the top rope and kicked him in the chest. DiBiase
rolled out of the ring and came back in after Savage was able to bask in the
momentum. DiBiase returned and turned the match around, dropping Savage and
performing a few elbow drops. Once Savage returned to his feet, DiBiase chopped
him and whipped him into the buckles. As he charged, Savage kicked DiBiase in
the face and elbowed him. After a false pin, he slammed him and missed a knee
drop, letting DiBiase get the strength to start a leglock. Savage kicked him
and launched him back out. The two men eventually went outside the ring and
brawled until Andre distracted him and Virgil attacked from behind. The referee
tried to order Virgil to the back. When the match resumed, DiBiase was able to
get Savage back in and launched for an elbow to the head and another false pin.
DiBiase applied a headlock and kept hold
while kneeing Savage. He was able to get up, but DiBiase forced him back down
and kneed him a few more times. After fighting it, Savage got back to his feet
and elbowed DiBiase and gained enough momentum for a clothesline. Savage whipped
and body dropped DiBiase off the ropes. DiBiase was able get a couple hits in
before being whipped into the referee. Savage threw DiBiase out of the ring and
flew off the top rope. While outside, Andre headbutted Savage and threw him
into the ring post. DiBiase took this time to get back into the ring, Elizabeth
went into the back and Andre kept brutalizing Savage. The referee woke back up
and DiBiase blocked him from seeing Andre’s attacks. Savage was counted out.
DiBiase and Virgil decided to continue wailing on Savage until Hogan came out
with a chair to save Savage. DiBiase, Virgil and Andre decided to leave.
Winner: Ted “Million Dollar Man” DiBiase
While DiBiase won, I really liked this match. Andre was a
good surprise and Hogan’s coming to Savage’s rescue once again after being
caught in the losing beatdown helps solidify what’s forming between the two.
The match itself was great as well. Tons of momentum, heat and energy. 4/5
An interview with Heenan and the Islanders, with Heenan
talking about smoking bees.
Match: The Killer Bees vs. The Islanders (with Bobby “The
Brain” Heenan)
Brunzell and Tama started off, with Brunzell immediately
covering. He tagged in Blair, who also tried for a pin. Blair worked the arm,
tagging Brunzell back in to work on the arm. Brunzell went for another pin,
whipping Tama before failing a jump kick. Tama took the opportunity to pick up
Brunzell and was able to suplex him. Tama went for a pin, failed and tagged in Haku.
He whipped and successfully executed a jump kick, but failed for the pin. Tama
was tagged back in and kept going for the head. Brunzell was able to execute an
Atomic Drop before Tama tagged in Haku and both were downed from a double
clothesline. Tama and Blair were tagged in. Blair was able to knee drop Tama
and suplex both of them before attempting to roll up Tama. It failed when Brunzell
went into the ring to stop Haku and the referee stopped the count. Tama then
reversed the roll.
Winners: The Islanders
It was a short but good match with both sides showing good strength.
3/5
Interview with Slick and One Man Gang, where slick said the
US Olympic team was a bunch of losers.
Match: Ken Patera vs. One Man Gang (with Slick)
Gang attacked Patera before he was able to get his pants off
and choked him with said pants. Gang hammered away at Patera’s head. Patera was
able to return the favor and corner Gang. He whipped Gang and gave him a bear
hug before Gang’s punches to the head were too much. He got away for a moment
before giving Gang a full nelson. Patera continued wailing on Gang before Gang
was able to corner Patera who reversed he roles and whipped him again and kneed
Gang in the chest. Another whip, but Gang clotheslined Patera
Winner: One Man Gang
Another good match, not entirely one sided by Gang and
Patera had his moments. 3/5
All in all, this was a great show, earning 4/5 I’d say my favorite match was Savage/DiBiase. Great
heat, good power, and excellent energy.
Coming up next, another Superstars of Wrestling.
