The Wrestling Classic

Legacy Review

The Wrestling Classic

November 7, 1985 from the Rosemont Horizon in Rosemont, IL

Commentary: Gorilla Monsoon and Jesse Ventura with Vince McMahon and Lord Alfred Hayes hosting

This isn't in the lineage of the Big 4 PPVs, but this is the first PPV to follow up on Wrestlemania. Featured is the final blowoff of the longrunning Hulk Hogan/Roddy Piper feud that the first Wrestlemania was built around, as well as a one night 16 man tournament for....pride? A winner's purse?

In a rare move it's Howard Finkel himself who does the voiceover on the intro video. Vince and Hayes are next to the giant tournament bracket. In a move that was still common for the time but wouldn't be much longer, they're using a local ring instead of a WWF one. It's a bit smaller and has no turnbuckle pads. Most matches are also reffed by local officials instead of the usual WWF referees.

First Round: Adrian Adonis (w/Jimmy Hart) def Corporal Kirchner in 3:21- This is right after Adonis was traded from Heenan to Hart but before he started to adopt his....effeminate gimmick. Hart is dressed like he's trying out to be the mascot for the Bengals. Kirchner hits a couple of armdrags and Adonis stalls. Looooooooooooooooooooooooong headlock from Kirchner. Adonis Saito suplexes out. Kirchner goes for a suplex but Adonis blocks it and turns it into a DDT to win. Not a promising start. This is the kind of match that can make time stand still (proven by Gallifreyan research). 1/4*

First Round: Dynamite Kid def Nikolai Volkoff (w/Freddie Blassie) in :09- Dynamite lets Volkoff sing the Soviet national anthem.....but as soon as he's done hits him with a missile dropkick off the top rope for the 3! Smart and fun booking. NR

First Round: "Macho Man" Randy Savage (w/Elizabeth) def Ivan Putski in 2:44- One of WWF's big angles over the summer was the introduction of Savage in the company (billed as "the hottest free agent in wrestling" by Vince) and his search for a manager. Literally every manager in WWF at the time offered Savage a contract, but he publicly spurned them all and introduced Elizabeth. Putski was a major part of WWWF in the '70s and was a former tag champ with Tito Santana but was on the last legs of his career. Classic heel Savage taunt and bail at the start. He teases coming off the top rope. Putski says "bring it" so Savage hops down and bails. Elizabeth is repositioned. Savage bounces off Putski trying to shoulderblock him. Putski uses the power of the punch to take over. Lots and lots of punches. While in the corner Savage gets a leg takedown, puts his feet on the ropes and gets a pin. About as good as it possibly could have been thanks to Savage. *

First Round: Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat def Davey Boy Smith by ref stoppage in 2:54- Now this has potential. Both guys are faces so Code of Honor handshake to start. A nice chain wrestling sequence ends with DBS hiptossing Steamboat. They do the bridge/backslide spot. A couple of press slams from DBS get a couple of near falls (with an agonizingly slow count from the local ref). Steamboat shows off some power of his own with a delayed suplex. Steamboat dodges a dive and DBS ends up all tied up in the ropes. The ref checks on him and calls for the bell? He rules DBS can't continue due to a nutshot by the ropes. Steamboat helps DBS to the back. Weak ass finish. They were going very nice up until then. *3/4

First Round: The Junkyard Dog def The Iron Sheik (w/Freddie Blassie) in 3:27- The local ref stops JYD as he gets in the ring demanding he take the chain off. He and JYD have what looks like a legit argument over it. Sheik pulls the ISIS-Gun attack as they argue. He chokes JYD with all available pieces of ring gear. JYD hulks up on some punches to the head. Sheik tries a full nelson, JYD powers out. JYD gently taps Sheik with a clothesline and Sheik does a delayed slow motion bump off it. Sheik dodges a falling headbutt. Camel Clutch to break his back and make him humble! He doesn't lock it all the way in and lets go as JYD starts to power out. JYD comes back, hits one headbutt, and gets the pin. 1/2*

First Round: Moondog Spot def Terry Funk (w/Jimmy Hart) by countout in :26- The Moondogs were a stable with rotating members that bounced back and forth between WWF and the Memphis territories. Funk takes the mic and claims neither guy wants to wrestle the other, why don't they take a draw and call it a night? Spot agrees, if Funk goes first. But Spot takes the lead on the floor and Funk ambushes him from behind. Funk tries to get back to the ring but Spot stops him. Spot leans over Funk to get back in first, and Funk is counted out. DUD

First Round: WWF Intercontinental Champion Tito Santana def The Magnificent Muraco (w/Mr. Fuji) in 4:17- Santana is on his second IC title run, taking it back from Greg Valentine in July. Muraco is who Santana beat to win the title for the first time. Muraco's looking extra pudgy tonight. Like all the Fat Hardy and pudgy Chris Jericho jokes, but for real. It's all Muraco early. Santana gets some quick moves for a few near falls. Muraco with a .5 Flair Flip, he lands back in the ring. Muraco hits a powerslam that gets a 3 count, but Santana's foot was on the ropes (off camera). As Muraco's celebrating Santana wraps him up in a Paul Smackage for the real win. 3/4*

Mean Gene is with Bobby Heenan. None of Heenan's guys are in the tournament, but like the government or Amazon, he's always watching. He reminds us that he's got a $50,000 bounty on Paul Orndorff and expects someone to collect tonight. Man, I miss bounties in wrestling. Imagine the Lana/Lashley/Rusev triangle if Lana had put a $100K bounty on Rusev.

First Round: "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orton def "Cowboy" Bob Orton by DQ in 6:30- Orton hit Orndorff with his cast to cost the heel team the win in WM 1 main event, but the heels blamed Orndorff and turned on him to turn him face. Orton is still wearing the cast after about 8 months since the original injury. I don't think this is entirely on the up and up. Lots of energy from the start. Orndorff works the arm, and atomic drops Orton with momentum sending his shoulder into the post. Orndorff drops a knee on the cast. Orton gets a knee up in the corner to get momentum. He drops Orndorff throat first across the top rope. Orndorff tries a sunset flip, Orton tries to punch out of it, but longtime heel Orndorff grabs two handfuls of tights to get Orton over for a 2 count. Orndorff dodges a corner dive and Orton gets draped over the top rope. A punch sends Orton over and out. While Hebner's holding Orndorff back Orton makes some adjustments to the cast, then nails Orndorff with it. But Hebner saw it and calls for the bell. Decent, played well off the feud, and easily the best thing on the show so far. **1/2

Back to the bracket. Vince has to pry Hayes away from borderline molesting the Vanna White substitute working the board. Hayes then goes over the bracket after the first round and it sounds like he didn't watch a single match.

Quarterfinals: Dynamite Kid def Adrian Adonis (w/Jimmy Hart) in 5:27- Rapid fire armdrags from Dynamite. Adonis powders, gets back in, and slingshots Dynamite into the top turnbuckle. Ventura leaves commentary to have a strategery confab with his buddy Randy Savage. Dynamite suplexes out of a chinlock but misses a follow up splash. Adonis works the knee for a bit then hooks in what would come to be called the Scorpion Death Lock or the Sharpshooter. Dynamite gets in the ropes. Dynamite vaults over onto Adonis' back in the corner and gets a spiffy roll up for 2. Adonis goes right back to the knee. Dynamite counters a bulldog. Adonis posts his shoulder. High octane comeback from Dynamite. A kneedrop off the second rope gets 2. Hart gets up on the apron. A roll up sequence ends with Adonis and Hart colliding and Dynamite dropping on top for the win. Afterward Adonis has a childish hissy fit. Decent. **1/4

Quarterfinals: "Macho Man" Randy Savage (w/Elizabeth) def Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat in 3:18- A year and a half before their legendary WM 3 classic Savage and Steamboat cross paths for the first time. Savage taunts, hides behind Elizabeth, and ambushes when Steamboat turns around. Steamboat slides under his legs and starts laying in the chops. In the corner Steamboat grabs a headscissors on a standing Savage, then uses his legs to leverage him over the top and out! Steamboat follows and hits more chops. Atomic drop on the floor. Back in Savage grabs the rope to stop himself and avoid a chop, charges, and gets chopped anyway. Savage ducks another chop and hits a belly to back suplex. He goes for the double ax handle off the top rope but Steamboat counters with a fist in the gut. Steamboat hits the high crossbody off the top but Savage kicks out. While on the apron Savage gets knucks out of his trunks, Steamboat picks him up to suplex him back in, and Savage waffles him with the knucks and gets the pin. That exact same finish would be used again when Savage beat Santana for the IC title the following February. That was so short it's borderline criminal. ***

Moondog Spot "promo". I can't decide if he's trying to be Captain Caveman or Gabby Johnson from Blazing Saddles. I think that's imitation frontier gibberish, not authentic.

Quarterfinals: The Junkyard Dog def Moondog Spot in :34- It's a dog eat dog world......I'll show myself out. Spot jumps JYD as he's getting in the ring but misses a dive off the second rope. JYD with the crawling headbutts. For some reason there's no ref in the ring. JYD counts 3 himself and somehow it counts. Ugh. DUD

Quarterfinals: Tito Santana and "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff go to a double countout in 8:07- Code of Honor handshake. Santana's leg is taped up from the previous match. Long Santana headlock. Orndorff rolls it into a pinning position. Eventually he powers out but ends right up in a headscissors instead. Another long stretch before Orndorff flips it into a cover for 2. Reset. Orndorff grabs a hammerlock. Both guys tease letting it break down into punching but restrain themselves. Ventura wants it to happen. Orndorff with an atomic drop and Santana tweaks the hurt leg. He takes forever trying to get back up and Orndorff gives him the time before going after the leg. Scientifically. Face/face match and all that. No tweeners in this era. Santana pushes out of a figure four attempt. During a rope break Orndorff gives Santana a forearm shot. Ventura loves it. Santana falls outside and Orndorff follows. They fight on the floor and both get counted out. Not terrible, but they went at a ridiculously slow pace, especially for them. This could have easily been tightened up and more time given to Savage/Steamboat. **

With another round down it's back to the bracket wall. And now Hayes is trying to kiss the model! Grody! That should not be allowed on TV.

WWF Championship: Hulk Hogan (c) def "Rowdy" Roddy Piper by DQ in 7:13- It's largely thanks to these two guys and this feud that Wrestlemania was a success and survived past its first year. In a sign that it's very early days for Hulkamania Hogan is in all white instead of classic red and yellow. They have a tug of war for the belt and Piper uses it to jump Hogan. Big brawl on the floor. Piper gets run into the guardrail. Back in the ring they have an eye poke exchange that goes advantage Piper. Hogan with a big clothesline in the corner. Piper sells it with a Valentine flop. Hogan rolls through the power moves and drops a couple of big elbows. The local ref stops Hogan punching in the corner and Piper gets a cheap shot in. Piper comes off the second rope but Hogan catches him in a bear hug. Piper eye pokes out. Sleeper! Hogan lays all the way down on the mat but get his arm up on the 3rd drop. Hogan throws himself over the top rope with Piper still on his back to break the hold. Nice. Piper gets posted and Hogan starts Hulking Up. This is well before the Hogan Formula Finish days. Big boot! Atomic drop! Piper reverses a whip and Hogan takes out the ref. Piper grabs a chair and gives Hogan a chairshot. Hogan stops a second one. They fight over the chair. Hogan wins and hits Piper with it. Hogan with a sleeper! Bob Orton runs in for the cheap DQ. Paul Orndorff makes the save. Pretty good match until the flat finish, but Piper never jobs. Hardly ever. **3/4

Semifinals: "Macho Man" Randy Savage (w/Elizabeth) def Dynamite Kid 4:54- Now, talk about potential. This is oozing with it. Fast lockups to start with no advantage. Nice mat wresling sequence that ends in a stalemate. Savage goes out to have a think. They lock up and roll all around the ropes. Savage gets in a sucker punch on a break. Dynamite runs over Savage at 100 MPH on a shoulderblock. Big backdrop. Dynamite with a crossbody but Savage rolls them through the ropes onto the apron. Dynamite tries a sunset flip. Savage blocks it and drops on top of him. Both guys are flying off the ropes. Dynamite ducks an elbow. Double clothesline! Savage uses the ropes to stand and manages to crawl to the top rope. Dynamite runs across half the ring and dropkicks him while he's standing on the top rope! Savage is crotched. Dynamite goes up top with him. SUPERPLEX! But Savage uses the impact to roll through, roll up Dynamite's legs in a semi-small package, and gets the 3! Tremendous finish to a tremendous match. Savage has to be carried to the back. Much like Sting and Muta topped the scale for a sub-10 minute match at GAB '89, this was as good a sub-5 minute match as you're likely to ever see. It's a shame Dynamite never got a singles push in WWF, or got hurt before he could get one. ***1/2

Finals: The Junkyard Dog def "Macho Man" Randy Savage by countout in 9:43- Savage limps all the way to the ring but is fired up. JYD tries to attack at the bell but Savage gets Elizabeth between them. Savage grabs a chair and throws it at JYD. JYD catches it, headbutts it and throws it away. Lots of stalling from Savage. Finally they lock up and JYD tosses Savage around. Headbut to Savage's back. Bear hug! Savage eye rakes out. JYD keeps working the back. Savage turns it around with a diving clothesline out of a corner bump with an awful sell from JYD. Savage throws JYD out. Multiple double ax handles off the top to the floor. Savage gets another chair and hits JYD with it. Hebner lets it go because it's on the outside. I guess. Savage seems to be trying for a countout win since he's hurting so bad. Finally he gives up on it and throws JYD back in. He tries another double ax handle but JYD gives him a shot in the gut. Crawling headbutts with amazing Savage sells. JYD backdrops Savage over the top and out. Savage can't get back up and is counted out. The Junkyard Dog is the tournament winner. The wrong guy went over, but it wouldn't hurt Savage any. Savage drug JYD kicking and screaming to an almost decent match. *3/4

JYD is announced as the winner. Ventura comes in and protests because JYD got a bye and Savage wrestled an "extra" match. JYD does....nothing. Just stands there.

OVERALL SHOW THOUGHTS- For a one night tournament, this isn't that bad. In fact from a pure match quality and show flow standpoint I'd call it better than the WM 4 one. There's some good matches worth watching in there, and it generally gets better as it goes on. Definitely check out Savage and Dynamite Kid and wonder what could have been if it wasn't for Dynamite's injury.
OVERALL SHOW GRADE: C