Superstars of Wrestling 1/10/1987

What’s up everyone? It’s time to bring you a review of yet another vintage wrestling show.

Today, we get an episode of Superstars of Wrestling from January 10, 1987.

The Junkyard Dog, George “The Animal” Steele and Billy Jack Haynes vs. Frenchy Martin, Mike Lucca and Tim Patterson

Type: Six Man Tag

Haynes and Martin started off, with Martin trying to gain the upper hand, but Haynes swiftly took it. Steele was tagged in, taking over for Haynes and slamming Patterson repeatedly. Dog came in and continued.

Winners: Junkyard Dog, George “The Animal” Steele and Billy Jack Haynes.

For a six man tag match, that was quite slow. Not a very good way to open the card either. It was ok, lots of slams from everyone. I do like how it began. 2/5

Mr. Wonderful gave a promo, where he said he loved snapping men’s necks…

Honkytonk Man and Jimmy Hart visit Graceland.

The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff (with Slick) vs. The British Bulldogs (with Matilda the Bulldog)

Smith started off strong against Volkof, who quickly turned it around with along with Sheik. Volkoff came back in and continued to work on Smith, who found an opening when Sheik came back in and tagged Kid. Kid controlled the match until Slick hit him with his cane. Kid proceeded to take Matilda and chase him through the arena. The referee only saw the second part.

Winners: The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff via disqualification.

Good match, I like the balance of power and an interesting ending. 3/5

Randy Savage was Piper’s guest in Piper’s Pit.

Savage said Piper didn’t have the guts to take someone out of professional wrestling like he did to Steamboat. After giving Piper a Randy Savage action figure, Piper returned the favor by giving him a ringside ticket to Steamboat’s return match. Great comeback.

Alex Knight vs. Hercules (with Bobby “The Brain” Heenan)

And Hercules dominates the match.

Winner: Hercules

It may have been a one side domination, but Hercules has been built up to be that powerful. 3/5

Savage promo, who prided himself on making Steamboat almost choke on his own tongue

Jake “The Snake” Roberts vs. Billy Anderson

Roberts had the edge in the early match. Though Anderson tried to take it, Roberts wouldn’t let go of his grasp.

Winner: Jake “The Snake” Roberts

Pretty good match. Anderson did have a good attempt at trying to take the match away. 3/5

Steamboat Promo, who thanked his fans for all their concern and that he wasn't responsible for what would happen if his opponent was thrown out of the ring during his Lumberjack Match at The Garden

Jack Kruger and Kevin Collins vs. The Rougeau Brothers

The Rougeau’s began the match acting in sync to take out Collins. Though Kruger tried to turn the match around, Rougeau got out of the way and ended the match.

Winners: The Rougeau Brothers

Great match, especially in the way Kruger tried in vain to turn the match around. It was a great ending as well. 4/5

Outback Jack Promo. Looked interesting, but could barely understand it.

The Natural Butch Reed (with Slick) vs. Reggie Parks

The early match had a struggle to see any sort of control, but Reed was able to gain the advantage. From then on, Parks had a moment where he almost turned it around, but Reed denied him.

Winner: Butch Reed

The match was great. It was very energetic, with Parks almost turning it around. 4/5

It was a pretty good night, earning a 3.2/5

That’s it for today, coming up Wednesday, it looks like another Superstars of Wrestling

Superstars of Wrestling 11/22/1986

I think there are only two or three more individual shows that I can find video of for this year. But, I’ll continue to update even without video. But I’ll make sure this doesn’t turn into a simple run down blog, there are too many of those on the internet.

Tonight, we have an edition of Superstars of Wrestling from November 22, 1986.

Randy “Macho Man” Savage (with Miss Elizabeth) vs. Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat for the Intercontinental Championship

I fully expect Savage to retain, but let’s see.

Savage doesn’t leave the ring? Finally. Steamboat and Savage were evenly matched in the beginning, but Steamboat was able to gain the advantage, almost pinning him. Despite Savage’s several attempts to turn it around, Steamboat was able to hold his own for a long while. At one point, Steamboat decided to punch Savage instead of pin him… but was still able to attempt another after a while, but since the referee was knocked out, Steamboat’s pin of far more than 3 seconds didn’t count. Steamboat’s argument with the referee was all the advantage Savage needed. With Savage’s beatdown of Steamboat, it seems the victim swallowed and was choking on his tongue. As paramedics tried to help, Savage kept attacking.

Winner: Randy “Macho Man” Savage to retain the Intercontinental Championship

Well, I hated the ending, but that doesn’t detract from how amazing the match was. Steamboat was able to give Savage a great enough match that he almost won. It was highly energetic and great moves. Perfect first match. A feud should come from this. 5/5

The Junkyard Dog vs. Al Navarro

Hard act to follow.

And Junkyard Dog goes heavy on Navarro… winning in the first minute.

Winner: Junkyard Dog

While it was a hard act to follow, a one minute squash match was not what was needed after that. Terrible booking. 1/5

Hulk Hogan had an interview, where he spoke of his championship match between Kamala in Boston. Guess who wins?

Kurt Kauffman vs. Dino Bravo (with Johnny V)

Bravo started off with no mercy to Kauffman and ended the match in 55 seconds.

Winner: Dino Bravo

Another squash match, but I’ll have to admit, this one was a bit more entertaining than the last one. 2/5

The Islanders gave an interview, who said they were the real men, not Greg Valentine or Brutus Beefcake

Jimmy Jack Funk vs. Dick Slater

Funk started wailing on Slater before the bell rang. Soon though, Slater was able to turn the match in his favor. Though Funk had some more steam near the end, it wasn’t enough.  

Winner: Dick Slater

This was a good match. I like how Slater was able to turn it around and, even though he had some rough spots, keep the edge. 3/5

Piper’s Pit with Kamala, Kimchee and The Wizard

Kimchee and Kamala don’t speak English, so The Wizard told Piper he was going to need some friends someday. Piper went on to insult Kamala’s weight and face.

Billy Jack Haynes vs. Ray Vance

The match started before Piper’s Pit ended, with Haynes dominating Vance.

Winner: Billy Jack Haynes

Too quick, too boring. 1/5

Six Man Tag Team: Hillbilly Jim, Tito Santana, and Pedro Morales vs. Greg “The Hammer” Valentine, Johnny V, and Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake

Jim and Valentine started off, with Jim clocking Valentine and bringing in Morales, who was beaten down by Valentine, but when Beefcake came in, Morales was tag in Santana, who made short work of Beefcake. With Jim back in, Beefcake got the wind knocked out of him. Beefcake started to work on Jim, tagged in Valentine who continued as well as V. Santana was able to come in and work on V. Soon though, chaos erupted and a disqualification resulted.

Winners: Greg Valentine, Johnny V, and Brutus Beefcake

Not a bad match, all the talent had some good time in and it was an interesting end. The chaos wasn’t too chaotic and didn’t go on for too long. 3/5

Heenan gave an interview who said that Orndorrf had a news blackout, put down Junkyard Dog, while telling Hogan that he wanted what was left after Kamala got through with him.

At the end of the show, Sammartino gave an update on how Steamboat was doing, when Savage interrupted. The two exchanged verbal insults and Sammartino started choking Savage, having to be separated by various wrestlers.

Not that bad of a night, a solid 3/5 was the final score.

I’d say my favorite match was actually the first, it was a great way to open the card. The two matches that followed just drained any energy. The Funk/Slater and Six Man Tag matches did help to bring it back.

Coming up Friday: Starrcade 1986

Superstars of Wrestling 11/1/1986

Sorry this is late, but at least it’s still on time on the right day.

Today, I bring you Superstars of Wrestling from November 1, 1986. However, I can’t find any of the matches. So… automatically average. Sorry everyone.

  

Match: Randy "Macho Man" Savage (with Miss Elizabeth) vs. Sivi Afi

Winner: Randy Savage

Matc: Moondog Rex vs. The Junkyard Dog

Winner: The Junkyard Dog

Match: King Harley Race (with Bobby “The Brain” Heenan) vs. Jose Luis Rivera

Winner: King Harley Race

Match: Al Navarro vs. The Honkytonk Man

Winner: The Honkytonk Man

Match: Kamala (with Kimchee) vs Don Driggers

Winner: Kamala

Match: Rowdy Roddy Piper vs. Mr. Fuji

Winner: Mr. Fuji via disqualification

My information says that Don Muraco and Cowboy Bob Orton interfered with the match, causing Piper to chase them which is what led to the disqualification. I wish I could have seen it because it sounds interesting

So that was the night. Coming up Wednesday: Superstars of Wrestling from November 8.

Superstars of Wrestling 9/20/1986

Vintage Wrestling Reviews starts of a new week, this time with another episode of Superstars of Wrestling, aired on September 20, 1986.

Opening

We start off with… nothing.

This is the unfortunate thing, my dear readers. Going through a weekly show that aired for such a long time, such as Superstars of Wrestling, there’s bound to be some episodes that just can’t be found. All I can really do is give what my information says, just the match pairings. I said with matches I can’t find that I’d just give a 3/5, so with entire missing airings, I’ll just have to assume it was average.

Match: Mike Rotundo and Dan Spivey vs. Greg Valentine and Brutus Beefcake (with Johnny Valentine)

Winners: Mike Rotundo and Dan Spivey with a disqualification           

Match: George "The Animal" Steele (with Capt. Lou Albano) and the Junkyard Dog vs. Steve Lombardi and Tony Nardo

Winners: George Steele and the Junkyard Dog

Match: The Iron Sheik, Nikolai Volkoff, and Hercules (with Classy Freddie Blassie and Slick) vs. Billy Jack Haynes, Nick Kiniski, and Mario Mancini

Winners: The Iron Sheik, Nikolai Volkoff and Hercules

Match: Jake “The Snake” Roberts vs. Tony Garea

Winner: Jake “The Snake” Roberts

Match: B. Brian Blair and Jim Brunzell vs. Joe Mirto and Jack Kruger

Winners: B. Brian Blair and Jim Brunzell

Match: Magnificent Don Muraco (with Mr. Fuji) vs. Lanny Pofo

Winner: Magnificent Don Muraco

That was the entire night. I wish I could report on what happened in the matches, but this happens sometimes. Hopefully entire missing airings won’t happen all that much.

On Wednesday, we get another airing of Saturday Night’s Main Event

Saturday Night's Main Event 5/8/1986

So we leave behind the terrible WrestleMania 2 for another edition of Saturday Night’s Main Event aired on May 5 held in the Providence, Rhode Island Civic Center.

Mactch: Hulk Hogan and Junkyard Dog (with the Haiti Kid) vs. Terry & Dory Funk Jr. (with Jimmy Hart)

The match started with the Funks trying to get in preemptive strikes, but were shut down by Hogan and Dog. Soon enough, Dog and Dory started off as the legal men, with Dog in control. At one point, the Funks were able to swing the match into their favor, but Hogan put a stop to it.

After the match, the Funks and Hart tried to brand Haiti Kid, who was saved by Hogan.

Winners: Hulk Hogan and Junkyard Dog

To start the card off, this was quite a good match. The energy was there as well as good control by Hogan and JYD until the Funks started double teaming. 3/5

Might I say that Bobby Heenan on commentary is nothing short of amazing?

Match: King Kong Bundy vs. Uncle Elmer

Branded as “Battle of the Big Boys,” with Bundy being 468 lbs and Elmer being 430 lbs. 

Anyway, no one had any control over the beginning of the match, it being the human version of immovable object meets irresistible force. However, Bundy was able to bring Elmer to his knees and, despite a slight second wind, dominate the match.

Winner: King Kong Bundy

Well, this match was ok, but it wasn’t that good. I’ve seen much better “Giants Matches,” that had better pacing. This match should have gone on longer and Elmer should have gotten some better steam before starting to lose again. 2/5

Match: Paul Orndorff vs. Adrian Adonis.

Winner: Adrian Adonis 3/5

(couldn’t find the whole match)

Match: Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat vs. Jake “The Snake” Roberts
From what I had on my information, I really wanted to see this match, but couldn’t find it.

No Contest 3/5

Match: The British Bulldogs (with Capt. Lou Albano) vs. Nikolai Volkoff and The Iron Sheik (with Classy Freddy Blassie) in a 2 out of 3 Falls Match for the Tag Team Championship.

Davey Boy Smith and Volkoff started off in the ring with Smith providing the main offensive. But when Sheik came in, he executed the Camel Clutch for the first fall. After that Volkoff and Sheik started to dominate Smith. Eventually, Smith was able to turn it around for the second fall. In the final leg of the match, Sheik and Volkoff continued to have control over Smith and Dynamite Kid until Smith illegally came in.

Winners: The British Bulldogs to retain the championship

This was a great match. Sheik and Volkoff were very good challengers, giving the Bulldogs a run for their money. The match was rife with amazing tension that had points where it would seem the titles would change hands, but though the ending was fluid, it didn’t seem like a good way for faces to win a match. 4/5

Tonight’s show was better than WrestleMania 2, receiving 3/5. It might have been better had I been able to find those two matches, but we’ll never know. I would have to say my favorite match today was the Tag Team Championship match at the end, even if I didn’t like the ending that much.

That sums up this week. And unfortunately, for the next two weeks, I'll be unable to watch, write and update, so the next post will be August 27th, when we begin Superstars of Wrestling. 

WrestleMania 2

It’s time to continue the Archive Binge, today we delve into WrestleMania 2, simulcast from the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, the Rosemont Horizon in Rosemont, Illinois, and the L.A. Memorial Sports Arena in Los Angeles, California Did it do as good as WrestleMania I? Better? Worse? It’s time to find out!

Okerlund interviewed Hulk Hogan, who said the storm has come to King Kong Bundy and that his world title stood for America. No I’m fairly certain that’s the [then] NWA’s US Championship.

We’re in New York, with Vince McMahon and Susan St. James (?!) on commentary. 

Ray Charles sings “America the Beautiful.”

Roddy Piper then explains why he’s going to win his boxing match against Mr. T. Yes. Boxing in WrestleMania. I’ll let that sink in.

Match: The Magnificent Muraco (with Mr. Fuji) vs. Paul “Mr. Wonderful” Orndorff

The two circle each other like sharks while vying for control, which soon went to Orndorrf. Muraco tried to turn the tables, but Orndorrf held strong, at least until they started fighting outside the ring.

Double Countout

Slow and boring with a finish to match.  A horrible way to open the card. 1/5

Now Mr. T says Piper will be getting hurt in their match. I’d care if it was for an actual wrestling match.

Match: George “The Animal” Steele vs. Macho Man Randy Savage (with Miss Elizabeth) for the Intercontinental Championship

The match started with Savage running out of the ring after being pursued by Steele. Three times. I’ve seen this before, but where? Oh yes, every other Savage/Steele match.

Anyway, Steele finally catches Savage and proceeds to dominate. Yet, at one point, when George was distracted by Elizabeth, Savage gained the upper hand. At one point, Steele smothered Savage’s face with a bouquet and padding from the turnbuckle. Though disadvantaged, Savage was able to use the ropes as leverage.

Winner: Macho Man Randy Savage by cheating.

This match was ok. It would have been better had they not followed the exact same formula that every other match I see with these two follows. 2/5

Match: Jake “The Snake” Roberts vs. George Wells

Wells started on Roberts as soon as the bell rang, completely working Roberts. Only by a mistimed move did Roberts even get a hit in.

Winner: Jake “The Snake” Roberts

I have to admit, that was just bad. 1/5

Roberts then unleashed the python he brought to the ring, choking Wells with it. Considering Roberts debuted earlier in March, making this his Pay Per View debut, I think we have an establishing character moment.

Match: Mr. T (with “Smokin” Joe Frazier and The Haiti Kid) vs. Rowdy Roddy Piper (with Bob Orton and Lou Duva) in a 10 Round Boxing Match

Oh look. Joan Rivers is guest ring announcer with Darryl Dawkins (NBA), Cab Calloway, and G. Gordon Liddy as guest judges, and Herb as guest timekeeper. Yeah Herb! The guy from the terrible and poorly done Burger King advertising campaign!

In round one, no one had any sort of real control over the match, but they each got in some good slugs. It took everyone at ringside to break the two up after the first bell.

Late in round two, Piper was able to get in some really good hits to start having an edge.

In round three, T was able to fight back, weakening Piper.

In round four, T had a distinct advantage, but Piper decided to throw T down.

Winner: Mr. T by disqualification

As a boxing match, this was ok, but it should have really ended like a boxing match instead. At least the other match at Saturday Night’s Main Event had that. 2/5

And now we’re in Illinois! On commentary, we have Gorilla Monsoon, Gene Okerlund and Cathy Lee Crosby.

Match: The Fabulous Moolah vs. Velvet McIntyre for the Women’s Championship

Moolah didn’t waste any time in going after McIntyre, who was able to get in some good hits until Moolah moved out of the way.

Winner: The Fabulous Moolah to retain the championship

Well that was fast. At 1:25, that’s way too fast for a women’s championship match. Could have been much, much better. 1/5

Match: Corporal Kirchner vs. Nikolai Volkoff (with Classy Freddie Blassie) in a flag match.

Volkoff started strong in getting quite a few good hits and moves on Kirchner. It didn’t take long for Kirchner to find his sweet spot though.

Winner: Corporal Kirchner

I liked Kirchner’s win at The Wrestling Classic back in ’85 because it worked, but him just dominating Volkoff after being beaten down so hard? It doesn’t work. Only Hogan can use the Konami Code! 1/5

NFL /WWF 20 Man Over the Top Battle Royale.

For this match: guest timekeeper Clara Peller (the lady from the Wendy’s “Where’s the Beef” advertising campaign), guest referee Dick Butkus, guest referee Ed “Too Tall” Jones

It’s kind of hard to call a Battle Royale so here are just the participants:

Jimbo Covert (NFL), Pedro Morales, Tony Atlas, Ted Arcidi, Harvey Martin (NFL), Danny Spivey (NFL), Hillbilly Jim, King Tonga, The Iron Sheik, Ernie Holmes (NFL), The Killer Bees (tag team), Big John Studd, Bill Fralic (NFL), Bret “The Hitman” Hart, Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart, Russ Francis (NFL), Bruno Sammartino, William “Refrigerator” Perry (NFL),  and Andre the Giant.

Winner: Andre the Giant

This was actually quite good and I’m very glad WWF decided not to pull celebrity power with the winner of the match. 3/5

Match: The British Bulldogs (with Capt. Lou Albano and Ozzie Osbourne) vs. Brutus Beefcake and Greg “The Hammer” Valentine (with Luscious Johnny Valiant) for the Tag Team Championship

 Davey Boy Smith and Valentine started off in the ring, with Smith working on Valentine, and handing it off to Smith. The two had control for a while, with Beefcake taking some of it away, albeit temporarily. Midmatch, Valentine was able to wrestle the advantage from the Bulldogs, but The Dynamite Kid was able to turn the tide.

Winners: The British Bulldogs to become the new champions

This was a good match, the challengers had plenty of steam early on, but the champions were able to keep their speed throughout. They seemed like they were going to retain until the Bulldogs were able to get a second win. It worked well. 3/5

Finally, in Los Angeles, we have on commentary Jesse Ventura, Lord Alfred Hayes, and… Elvira. What’s with the celebrities who hardly know a suplex from a piledriver doing color?

Match: Hercules Hernandez vs. Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat

Hernandez never gave Steamboat a chance in the beginning, but Steamboat turned it around in good time. Despite Hernandez getting the offense in the latter half of the match, Steamboat was able to take it back.

Winner: Ricky Steamboat with a pin.

This was a good match. Steamboat had to work to get not only the beginning in his favor, but to turn the match around after it went pear shaped. Hernandez also did a fine job of how he started it off. 3/5

Lord Alfred Hayes interviewed Hogan, who said Hulkamania would live forever. Keep telling yourself that.

Match: Adorable Adrian Adonis (with Jimmy Hart) vs. Uncle Elmer

Elmer clocked Adonis with a cheap shot as the match started and stayed in control until the very end.

Winner: Adrian Adonis with a pin

This was an ok match, it was your average squash match until the end when Adonis sat up, let Elmer hit nothing but the mat and went for the top rope. It would have been better if it stayed a squash match. It was perfect for that, not too short, but not too long. 2/5

Another Hogan interview, this time Hogan said he felt sorry for Bundy because he would be climbing out of the cage without the belt.

Match: The Funk Brothers (with Jimmy Hart) vs. Tito Santana and Junkyard Dog.

Dog and Terry Funk started the match off, but it was soon chaos as both the Funks, Santana and Dog were in a brawl. The dust cleared with Terry and Santana being the legal men, with Santana having the offensive edge. The Funks were able to gain control later in the match, including Hart kicking Santana, but Junkyard Dog was able to bring it back until Terry Funk used Hart’s megaphone.

Winners: The Funk Brothers by cheating

I have to say, this was a great match. The chaos between all four men went perfectly and the Funks destroying Santana until Dog could get in the ring went well also. It would have been better had the Funks won without cheating, but oh well. 4/5

Match: Hulk Hogan vs. King Kong Bundy (with Bobby “The Brain” Heenan) in a reinforced steel cage for the World Heavyweight Championship

Tommy Lasorda Guest Ring Announcer and Robert Conrad as guest referee.

So… care to gamble on who wins? I won’t give you odds.

Hogan obviously started off the match strong, but eventually, Bundy stopped him and brought the match his own way. After some time of being trounced and stopping Bundy from leaving the cage, Hogan enters “up, up, down, down, left, right, left right, B, and A.”

Winner: Hulk Hogan to retain the championship

This was actually a good match, with Bundy having some nice near escapes and Hogan looking like he would finally lose it. 3/4

The show ends as Hogan throws Heenan into the cage and started wailing on him. Our hero.

Honestly, this wasn’t a very good WrestleMania, averaging a 2.1/5 it completely failed to even meet the standard of the first. (Even with my changed system, it averages a 3.8/5.) One of the biggest problems was that the show started off with horrible matches. Unfortunately, having bad matches in the undercard and midcards make people lose interest and causes them to not stick around for the best matches, of which there were few.  Other problems for this show are below, but I guess this does it for tonight. Friday, we finish off the week with Saturday Night’s Main Event from May 3.

The Boxing Match. Having Rocky III influence some of WrestleMania is fine, I’m all for a storyline, character or feud that has that or any other film as inspiration. On the other hand, if it’s the inspiration for a match style that has absolutely nothing to do with the style of show you’re producing? It makes no sense.

Too Many Celebrities. Like above, a couple celebrities is fine. However, this show took it to the extreme and you couldn’t turn around without hitting one. Plus, having them in positions which they had no place being in makes for a bad show. WrestleMania I did just fine with a guest ring announcer, timekeeper and referee for the main event and Cyndi Lauper as Richter’s manager. This one saw all that for every venue, celebrity managers, 10 NFL players in a Battle Royale (which is kind of stupid) and three different celebrity commentators who either kept quiet because they didn’t know what to say or didn’t know exactly what to say and wouldn’t shut up, much like Susan St. James constantly saying “uh oh.” That’s not just celebrity power, that’s celebrity domination.

Too Many Cities. When your competitive sports (or sports entertainment) show is not shown linearly in one city, there tends to be too much confusion. My video wasn’t in broadcast order, so I had to find a list of how it was shown. Broadcasting simultaneously from three different cities was definitely not a good idea. 

Saturday Night's Main Event 3/1/1986

Well I seem to have been dropping the ball recently haven’t I? I failed to have a review ready for last Friday. Well, I apologize and without further ado, here’s Saturday Night’s Main Event from March 3, 1986, held in the Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix, AZ.

Okerlund opens the show by interviewing Mr. T in the midst of working out, who goes off on him for interrupting his workout, but calls his 10 round Boxing Match (!?) with Cowboy Bob Orton a war.

Piper tries to mudsling Mr. T and does it almost as well as political parties do.

Mr. T has a proper interview with Okerlund now, who said he’s ready to take Orton out in 2-3 rounds. He also claims that Rocky III was just a movie and this is real life and he’ll win for sure. Right.

Match: Mr. T vs. Cowboy Bob Orton in a Boxing Match

Great way to start off a wrestling show… with a boxing match. Yeesh.

The match starts off with Orton striking T before the bell rings, which causes the match to start. Orton then had the greater advantage for the beginning. Orton thumbs T in the eye which causes the match to stall for a bit, but in starting back up, T had Orton on the defensive.  In the 2^nd round, T put Orton over the top rope.

Winner: Mr. T in the 2^nd round by countout.

This was an interesting idea, but it shouldn’t have started off the card. The match really should have gone on longer than two rounds and the ending was really disappointing. I am aware of the 20 count for being knocked out of the ring, but why make it so obvious? 2/5

After the match, Piper and Orton beat T down. The show can get better.

 Okerlund then interviewed Bobby Heenan, who said let Bundy get in the ring with Hogan for a shot at the title and King Kong Bundy, who said he wanted Hogan anywhere, anytime.

Match: Steve Gatorwlf vs. King Kong Bundy (with Bobby “The Brain” Heenan)

Oh look, an unknown name already in the ring. Time to squash the jobber.

I wasn’t wrong. Bundy dominated the entire thing.

After the match, Bundy called out Hogan anywhere, anytime.

Winner: King Kong Bundy

As far as squash matches go, this one was ok, but I think Bundy should have toyed with him a little more. Or at least have Gatorwolf actually look like he’s trying. 2/5

Okerlund now had an interview with Muraco, who said Hogan was behind Fuji’s sudden flu. Of course he is. Heenan was then revealed as Muraco’s temporary manager. Yay.

Now an interview with Hogan. He’s ready. He’s always ready. He doesn’t sleep because he’s always ready. Yeah.

Match: Hulk Hogan vs. The Magnificent Muraco (with Bobby “The Brain” Heenan) for the World Heavyweight Championship

No prize to guess the winner.

This is Hogan’s first entrance to “Real American”

Anyway, Muraco starts off with a strong offensive, giving Hogan no mercy. But Hogan was able to reverse things, giving Muraco everything back, plus more. Muraco was able to regain some steam mid match though, but Hogan took it away, only for Heenan to kick him in the head.

Winner: Hulk Hogan by disqualification to retain the championship

This had everything for a great match until Heenan kicked Hogan in the head. Every good title match should have a point where it looks like the champ is going to lose. This match had that from the beginning. Hogan had good offense to counter, but lost steam until he entered his cheat codes. And like I said, Hogan had a pin, it should have ended like that. Not ANOTHER disqualification. 3/5

After the match, Hogan attacked Heenan, but was stopped by Bundy, who then proceeded to smash.

Match: Dynamite Kid and Davey Boy Smith (with Capt. Lou Albano) vs Brutus Beefcake and Greg “The Hammer” Valentine (with Luscious Johnny) for the Tag Team Championship

Smith and Valentine started off with Valentine having the immediate edge and staying in control for most of the match, handing it off to Dynamite as well. Near the end of the match, Valentine and Beefcake were able to take some of the heat back.

Winners: Beefcake and Valentine to retain the championship

This was a very interesting match with a good ending to it. It really went back and forth, but the challengers were dominant in the beginning and the defenders had the offensive in the end. But the final seconds of the match saw the two legal men blindside each other, but Beefcake was able to get the pin. This was a good match. 3/5

Match: Junkyard Dog vs. Adrian Adonis (with Jimmy Hart)

The match started off with Adonis mocking Dog, who then brought the match into his favor. Mid match, after hurling Adonis outside the ring, Dog decided to mock Adonis and threw Hart into Adonis. At one point, Adonis and Hart kept the referee distracted to incapacitate Dog, bringing Adonis the upper hand. Dog was able to quickly turn it back around.

Winner: Junkyard Dog

JYD matches are almost always great, and this one was. I like how the cheating of Hart and Adonis were the only way to get offensive against JYD,  but still wasn’t enough. 4/5

The show almost reached “good” with a rating of 2.8/5 Maybe if they hadn’t had that bad boxing match and put a good wrestling match as a card opener, then the show could have reached it’s potential. The night was ok, it wasn’t bad but certainly could have been better. I think my favorite match was either the Tag Team Championship or the JYD match.

That’s it for today, coming up Wednesday, we have WrestleMania II! And Friday is another Saturday Night’s Main Event from May. Stick around!

Saturday Night's Main Event 1/4/1986

We’ve now hit a point of no return by entering 1986. And what a way to start the year off with an edition of Saturday Night’s Main Event held in the USF Sun Dome in Tampa, Florida on January 4

Before I get into the show, I wanted make something known. Video of some matches can’t be found sometimes, which is understandable. I will therefore just announce the match, the winner, and then give it a 3/5 rating. That’s just so I don’t cut the show as a whole short. Anyway, onto the show!

Before the credits, we’re treated to Hogan showing Gene how do to his signature pose and Piper watching Hillbilly Jim, Uncle Elmer, and Cousin Luke in inner tubes on the beach (creeper?) calling them Moby Dick with feet.

The show opens with Vince McMahon running down all the matches for the evening, before being cut off by Jesse Ventura, who called himself the only sports announcer to go into active competition. He also let Bobby “The Brain” Heenan replace him on commentary. It begins.

Okerlund also interviewed Piper and Orton who insulted the hillbillies’ idea of entertainment and then said that they were the ones who asked for the match.

He then interviewed the hillbillies who said they would win the match no matter what.

Match: Jesse “The Body” Ventura, Rowdy Roddy Piper, and Cowboy Bob Orton vs. Hillbilly Jim, Uncle Elmer, and Cousin Luke

This is apparently Jesse Ventura’s final in-ring match before completely retiring to commentary.

Ventura and Elmer started off in the ring, with Elmer gaining the upper hand. Piper eventually was able to get an advantage against Cousin Luke, which was handed off to Orton. The rest of the match was in control of the heels

Winner: Jesse Ventura, Rowdy Roddy Piper, and Cowboy Bob Orton with a sleeper hold

This was a pretty good match. I like how the heels were usually in domination and it erupted into chaos at all the right times. At least the Hillbillies were able to have a small advantage in the beginning. 3/5

Match: Hulk Hogan (with Junkyard Dog) vs. Terry Funk (with Jimmy Hart) for the WWF Championship

The match started with a quadruple reversal in Hogan’s favor. Funk’s every effort to turn it around, was met with failure. The time he tried to choke Hogan almost worked, but Hogan soon went into God Mode.  

Winner: Hulk Hogan with cheat codes.

An ok match, but what I’ve come to expect from Hogan. 2/5

Match: Randy Savage (with Miss Elizabeth) vs. George “The Animal” Steele (with Capt. Lou Albano)

The match started with Steele chasing Savage out of the ring. The third time, Steele was distracted by Elizabeth. Coming back in, both men continued to vie for an advantage until being Savage left the ring and used Elizabeth as cover. Savage used Elizabeth’s constant distractions to take care of Steele.

Winner: Randy Savage with Elizabeth as eye candy.

This match wasn’t that good. It was ok, but could have been a lot better. Like say, have the men spend more time in the ring than out of it? 2/5

Match: Nikolai Volkoff (with Freddie Blassie and The Iron Sheik) vs. Corporal Kirschner in a Flag Match

Winner: Nikolai Volkoff

3/5

Match: The Junkyard Dog and Ricky Steamboat vs. Mr. Fuji and The Magnificent Muraco

The match started in chaos, but soon the dust cleared with Muraco and Fuji in control over Junkyard Dog. Once Dog tagged in Steamboat, the match immediately turned around.

Winner: Junkyard Dog and Ricky Steamboat.

This was a good match, I like how Dog was the one to finish the match, but didn’t like how he was dominated in the early stages. Honestly, he’s better than this. 3/5

Well that was a quick night. The show averaged 2.6/5 and I don’t really think I have a favorite match. Not a great way to start the year off.

Oh well, we have another episode from March 1 coming your way on Friday!

The Wrestling Classic

Greetings and welcome to another edition of the Vintage Wrestling Review. Today we  finish off the week with The Wrestling Classic, taking place in the Rosemont Horizon in Rosemont, Illinois on November 7. It consisted of a title match and a 16 man elimination tournament. Plus, “Back in Time” by Huey Lewis and the News as a theme. That song makes anything worthwhile.

The show begins with Vince McMahon and Lord Alfred Hayes playing the entire tournament up as well as introducing the pairings which were drawn from a hat.

Match: Adrian Adonis (with Jimmy Hart) vs. Cpl. Kirchner

Kirchner started off on a good offensive, getting Adonis in a side headlock. Eventually, Adonis countered with a suplex and kept the edge.

Winner: Adrian Adonis with the pin

It was a good match to start the show off with. Both men were able to have their respective offensives and paced it rather well. The ending was interesting and worked well for the match. 3/5

After the match, Okerlund interviewed Hart and Adonis, who said he would teach everyone and that he was going to rewrite wrestling.

Match: Dynamite Kid vs. Nikolai Volkoff

As Volkoff was singing the Russian national anthem and denouncing America, Kid went to the top rope and dropkicked Volkoff.

Winner: Dynamite Kid with a dropkick and pin

That was… fun. I guess even Englishmen get tired of the gimmick too. It wasn’t much of a match, but it was greatly executed. 4/5

Okerlund then interviewed Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth who said he was ready to face Putski and had so much to burn that no one could touch him.

Match: Macho Man Randy Savage (with Miss Elizabeth) vs. Ivan Putski

Savage immediately bails, comes back and bails again after being hit by Putski. He comes back in and Putski gets the offensive. Despite attempts to turn it around, Putski kept his ground, until Savage cheated.

Match: Macho Man Randy Savage with the pin by cheating

This was an ok match. Putski had most of the offensive and Savage never really got anything going for him until the end, which seemed rushed and forced. 2/5

Nikolai Volkoff complained to Vince McMahon about how he was robbed of the match, called for American justice and said it wasn’t over yet. At least that’s what I think he said. Volkoff is very hard to discern at times.

Match: Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat vs. Davey Boy Smith

Both men started off having equal offensive, each having near wins. Smith was eventually able to get the match going in his favor, even with some comebacks by Steamboat. Ultimately, an encounter with the ring ropes injured Smith.

Winner: Ricky Steamboat with the referee conceding the match due to Smith’s injury.

This was a great match, highly energetic and really fun to watch. Neither man had an immediate advantage, making it interesting. It might have been an amazing match had it ended properly and not with Smith getting hurt. 4/5

Junkyard Dog was interviewed by Okerlund, saying you couldn’t take The Iron Sheik for granted and that he was giving thanks to the man above to be there.

Match: The Junkyard Dog vs. The Iron Sheik

Before Junkyard Dog could get ready, Sheik started attacking and gained an early advantage. Quickly though, Dog turned it around, making Sheik beg for mercy. At one point Sheik got The Camel Clutch in, but gave up, giving Dog what he needed.

Winner: Junkyard Dog with the pin

This was a pretty good match. I like how JYD was able to turn the advantage towards him quickly and how it looked like Sheik was going to win at one point. I do think that The Clutch shouldn’t have been given up so quickly though. 3/5

Okerlund interviewed Funk, who said he wanted the chance for the World Heavyweight Champion and that Roddy Piper was going to win the championship

Match: Terry Funk (with Jimmy Hart) vs. Moondog Spot

Funk immediately came out and said he didn’t want to wrestle Moondog and that he hoped Moondog didn’t want to wrestle him. He didn’t and both men walked away until the bell rang and Funk double-crossed Moondog. Before Funk could get back in the ring, Moondog dragged him away and got in himself.

After the “match” Funk and Hart started attacking Moondog and the referee.

Winner: Moondog Spot with Funk being counted out

Terrible. That is all. 1/5

Mr. Fuji and Don Muraco were with Okerlund, claiming Santana had met his match and that Muraco would beat the best.

Match: Tito Santana vs. Magnificent Muraco (with Mr. Fuji)

Muraco started heavy at Santana, having the early upper hand. Santana had a few spurts of advantage before getting the true offensive edge.  Muraco soon stole the match back until a mistake ended it.

Winner: Tito Santana with a surprise pin.

This match was good. Santana should have had more on offense though, but other than that, the two had good power. I like how it ended too, with Muraco thinking he won until Santana stole it from him 3/5

Okerlund had an interview with Bobby Heenan about how his men weren’t in the tournament. He claimed that Bob Orton was going to win the tournament.

Match: Paul Orndorff bs. Cowboy Bob Orton

Orndorff had control early on in the match, focusing mainly on Orton’s arm. Orton was able to gain some advantage, but eventually Orndorff came back only for to Orton to use his cast against him.

Winner: Paul Orndorff with a Disqualification.

Now this was a great match. Orton and Orndorff did very well in their moves, and it was very energetic. It was an interesting finish too, with Orton using his cast against Orndorff. I have no complaints, nor can I say what would have brought this match from great to amazing. 4/5

We then go to the leaderboard and Terry Funk throwing a tantrum about how the referee was arrogant, he should be having a title match and that he can beat anyone. Who’s arrogant?

QUARTERFINALS

Match: Adrian Adonis (with Jimmy Hart) vs. Dynamite Kid

Neither men had an early advantage, but Adonis picked up speed after leaving the ring for a quick second. While Jesse Ventura left the announce table to talk to Randy Savage, Adonis dominated Kid. Soon enough, Kid was able to get the offensive.

Winner: Dynamite Kid with a pin

This was a good match. Adonis wouldn’t let Kid get any true offense in until the end, which I believe should have gone on a little bit longer. But other than that, the two did very well. 3/5

Gene Okerlund spoke with Jesse Ventura after the match, who said Randy Savage was ready to face Ricky Steamboat. Ventura also said his commentary was never prejudiced and biased in his commentary.

Match: Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat vs. Macho Man Randy Savage (with Miss Elizabeth)

Before Steamboat could do anything, Savage pulled Miss Elizabeth in front of him as a shield. Quickly after, Savage had some good offense until Steamboat pulled him out of the ring and turned the match into his favor. At the end, Savage struck Steamboat with a foreign object.

Winner: Randy Savage with a foreign object and pin.

This match was good. Savage had some good heel steam in the very early match, but didn’t quite get any back and Steamboat did well once he brought it into his favor. Savage brought the object out too early though. He should have gotten a false lead only to have it taken away by Steamboat before he used it. 3/5

Gene interviewed Moondog Spot, who merely grunted and said nothing intelligible. I smell squash match.

Match: Junkyard Dog vs. Moondog Spot

Spot started for Dog before the bell rang, but Dog was able to turn everything around and… count the pin himself? Can he do that?

Winner: Junkyard Dog with a pin he counted by himself.

I smelled right. 33 seconds, I counted. As a squash match, this wasn’t that good. Why did I like the one at WrestlMania? Because it worked, plain and simple. This one didn’t. Plus, since when can the wrestler count his own pin? 1/5

Gene then interviewed Heenan again who said Hogan was drained and ready to be picked clean of his title. I side with Heenan for once.

Match: Tito Santana vs. Paul Orndorff

Santana started off with a side headlock and head scissors, which Orndorff reversed into a hammerlock to give him the offensive. It eventually resulted in a brawl outside the ring.

Double Countout and elimination from the tournament

This match wasn’t that good. While it had great tension, it was just slow and boring. The double countout and double elimination was interesting, but also seemed like a forced way to end the match. 2/5

We go back to McMahon and Hayes who played up the next Dynamite Kid/Randy Savage match and how Junkyard Dog had luck of the draw.  

We’re now at the Championship match. Will Hogan retain? Will Piper grab the title away? Do I even need to ask these questions?

Hogan told Okerlund that he was ready and that the whole country gets to witness Piper getting the full brunt of his wrath. Because watcha gonna do… when the Hulkster is getting shoved down your throat?

Match: Hulk Hogan vs. Rowdy Roddy Piper for the WWF Heavyweight Championship

Piper ripped the belt away from Hogan and threw him out of the ring just as the bell rang. The two started fighting outside the ring for the beginning of the match. Once in, Piper was on the immediate offensive. Both men went back and forth quite equally. At one point, Hogan ran into the referee, Piper picked up a chair and Cowboy Bob Orton ran out and interfered.

Winner: Hulk Hogan to retain the championship by Disqualification.

This actually wasn’t that bad of a match. It went back and forth with no real edge to it at all. There were even times when Piper cut Hogan down a few notches and brought the match back from a runaway finish. But the ending… was terrible. Was interference by Orton really necessary? Was Piper getting disqualified again really necessary? This honestly should have been settled in a cage. At least then it would have ended in either Piper getting pinned or having Hogan being counted out. He would have still remained champion with a fine ending. 3/5

Would have been 4 if Orton didn’t show up.

Okerlund interviewed Junkyard Dog, who said he trained hard enough and he was ready to win the tournament. Jimmy Hart showed up and was completely manic about the embarrassment Junkyard Dog showed him in the last Saturday Night’s Main Event.

SEMIFINALS

Match: Macho Man Randy Savage (with Miss Elizabeth) vs. Dynamite Kid

The early match saw no one have an immediate offense, but Savage finally found it. Kid tried to get an edge by dropkicking and superplexing Savage off the top rope, but it didn’t work.

Winner: Randy Savage with a countered pin

This was a good match. It was fast and furious in the beginning, with no one having a clear offensive edge. With Savage getting it and Kid trying to turn it around, only to have it stolen by Savage was a nice finish. 3/5

Some fan named Michael Hamley won a Rolls Royce. No one cared. Okerlund interviewed Hogan who said he wanted to face Piper and Orton again. Orndorff agreed. Yay.

Final Match: Macho Man Randy Savage (with Miss Elizabeth) vs. The Junkyard Dog

Oh look. Savage started off by using Elizabeth as a shield and hightailing it out of the ring. Savage would get back in only to immediately leave again. Thrice. Once in, Junkyard Dog had an immediate offensive advantage. Savage was able to get an edge in, incapacitating Dog outside of the ring. Once back in, Dog was able to turn it around.

Winner: Junkyard Dog with a countout.

This was a good match. Savage’s heel persona was very much evident in the beginning with using Elizabeth and getting in and out of the ring numerous times. While they both had good offensives (Savage outside of the ring and Dog inside the ring), the finish to the match was nicely ironic: JYD throwing Savage out of the ring to be counted out. 3/5

The pay per view was pretty good, with some good and great matches. Unfortunately, because of some horrible matches (the worst ones involving Moondog Spot. Pattern?), the show only gets an all around 2.8/5

I think my favorite point of the night was when Dynamite Kid dropkicked Nikolai Volkoff to immediately end the match. It was hilarious and worked really well, unlike the Junkyard Dog/Moondog Spot squash match.

I’m honestly glad this show’s over. Coming up Next week, we have a Saturday Night’s Main Event from December 19^th on Monday, Starrcade ’85 on Wednesday, and Friday, we move on into 1986 with an edition of Saturday Night’s Main Event from February 15.

Saturday Night's Main Event 11/2/1985

The archives continue once again with Saturday Night’s Main Event. Today I bring to you the Halloween edition aired on November 2 in Hershey, PA.  

The show opens with Okerlund interviewing Bobby Heenan. To emphasize what King Kong Bundy and Big John Studd were going to do to Hulk Hogan and Andre later on, he smashed two pumpkins together. So… they’re going to ignore them and form a mediocre rock group in Chicago?

Oh but then Hulk Hogan comes on, calling Heenan a weasel and continued to rant about how tonight was going to be a fair fight until Andre the Giant cut him off to get ready. Thank you Andre. Have a peanut.

Piper told Jesse Ventura that he loved interrupting the wedding and that Elmer and Hillbilly Jim were going to be made fools of on Piper’s Pit.

Finally, Okerlund interviewed Terry Funk and Jimmy Hart about Funk’s debut against Junkyard Dog. Funk claimed he was going to house train the Dog.

Match: Junkyard Dog vs. Terry Funk (with Jimmy Hart)

Dog dominated the match, even driving Funk from the ring and going after Hart. Eventually Dog would be so distracted by Hart that Funk was able to clock him with Hart’s dropped megaphone. After the match, Junkyard Dog pulled Hart’s pants off and made his mark with Funk’s branding iron.

Winner: Terry Funk with a megaphone and pin.

This match was good. It had a strong start, but slowed after Dog went for Hart the first time. It might have been better if Funk got the megaphone the first time instead of letting Dog get distracted a second time. Hart getting branded was amusing though. 3/5

It’s the Halloween episode so the show cuts to a pie eating contest. Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth were dressed as Tarzan and Jane, Junkyard Dog was a mummy, King Kong Bundy was Abe Lincoln, Tito Santana was Zorro, Hulk Hogan was Hercules, Hillbilly Jim, Uncle Elmer, and Cousin Junior were the Three Musketeers, Captain Lou Albano was Julius Caesar, Bobby Heenan was Davy Crocket, and finally The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Voloff were… Batman and Robin. Excuse me while I die a little inside. Captain Lou won.

Up next was Piper’s Pit. Piper continued to mock the wedding on the previous Saturday Night’s Main Event. The segment is usually good, but this one was completely forgettable.

Then there was the pumpkin dunk contest between Cousin Junior and Bobby Heenan, who won.

Andre the Giant and Hulk Hogan (with Lou Albano) vs. King Kong Bundy and Big John Studd (with Bobby Heenan)

Hogan and Bundy started off, Hogan on the primary offensive (is there any other way a match can start with Hogan?). However, Studd was able to get the drop on Hogan for a few seconds, but it didn’t last. Once Andre was in, he got tangled in the ropes, causing Bundy and Studd to go completely after him. After the match, Hogan and Andre made the point that the two can’t ever beat them fairly.

Winners: Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant by Disqualification

This match was ok. It would have been better if either Studd or Bundy had more offensive without Andre being tangled in the ropes. The All Powerful Hogan should have been toned down a few notches here too. If Studd and Bundy would have won, the match probably would have been good. 2/5

Between matches, they cut to Vince McMahon at Roddy Piper’s rented American house, showing how he celebrates Halloween: bowling ball candy apples, foil covered bricks and stealing the kids’ candy, which turned out well for him when they were actually chocolate coated red peppers. This was pretty funny in a very odd sort of way.

Then Gene interviewed Hulk Hogan (don’t they have OTHER talent?), who said that those kids outsmarting Piper gave him faith in kids all over the world. So… getting even with someone you don’t like is honorable? That was pretty inconsistent with how Hogan usually is.

Match: Kung Fu match between Mr. Fuji (with Don Muraco) and Ricky “the Dragon” Steamboat

Mr. Fuji tried to get some starting in chops, but they were blocked by Steamboat who was able to get an early going. Fuji did get some good strikes and dominated in the middle of the match. Once Steamboat executed a suplex, he was able to get the edge back.

Winner: Ricky Steamboat with a dropkick and pin

This match was good and fun to watch. There’s nothing I can really say about it. It wasn’t one of Steamboat’s best matches, but it wasn’t bad. The suplex and dropkick that ended it were really good. 3/5

Match: Randy Savage (with Miss Elizabeth) vs. Tito Santana

My information says that this match was on the card, but I couldn’t find video for it. What I have says it ended in a double countout with both of them fighting on the floor outside the ring. Since I can’t watch it, I can’t really say anything about it.

The show closed with a pumpkin passing contest. The faces won.

This show… was ok. I wasn’t able to find one of the matches, but it probably wouldn’t have made it better. The Halloween sketches were pretty fun, and the thing at Piper’s house was the best of them. If I had to choose a favorite match, it’d be the Funk/Junkyard Dog Match. 2.67/5

That finished it for today! Coming up Friday: The Wrestling Classic!