Saturday Night's Main Event VI

Legacy Review

Saturday Night's Main Event VI

May 3, 1986 (taped May 1) from the Providence Civic Center in Providence, RI

Commentary: Vince McMahon and Bobby Heenan

The show opens up with a shot of Damien slithering around followed by setting up all of tonight's matches. Bobby Heenan is replacing Jesse Ventura on commentary tonight.

WWF Champion Hulk Hogan and The Junkyard Dog (w/The Haiti Kid) def Terry & Hoss Funk (w/Jimmy Hart) in 13:30- Hogan's in all white again. Funk swings at JYD as soon as he gets in the ring. JYD dodges and slams. Hogan does the JYD crawling headbutts. The heels regroup. Kid messes with Hart and retreats. We settle in with Hoss & JYD. JYD blocks a slam and hits his own. Crazy Terry Funk wants to fight everyone. He posts his shoulder and falls to the floor. He chases after Kid but JYD pulls him back in. Hogan tricks the Funks into a criss cross, big boots Terry, and clotheslines Hoss. Big elbow drop on Hoss for 2. The Funks get JYD in their corner and double team. Hoss misses a charge in the corner. JYD whips Terry, and he Flair flips over Hoss! Kid gets on the apron and Hart whacks him with the branding iron. Hogan chases Hart off. JYD takes Kid to the back. Terry ends up on the timekeeper's table. Hogan suplexes Hoss for 2. Mini-donnybrook. Terry hits Hogan with the branding iron. He takes Hogan up the entrance ramp and runs him into the barricade. JYD runs out and slams Terry on the floor. Terry takes a backdrop on the floor! The Kid is back with his head bandaged up. The Funks get JYD down. Terry/JYD double clothesline. Terry misses a splash off the top rope and JYD tags. Hogan hits the legdrop and good night. The Funks throw the faces out and try to beat Kid up some more. Hogan saves him from another branding iron shot. Kid smacks Hart around while Hogan holds him down. They were going for controlled chaos, but it ended up a mess with too many moving parts all over the place. Still, at least it had more crazy Terry Funk bumping. *1/2

We go to the weigh in footage for the "Battle of the Big Boys". Bundy weighs in at a laughable 468 pounds. Eyeball test to me says no more than 350. Uncle Elmer is shoving down an Eric Cartman-sized bucket of "Uncle Elmer's Fried Pig Parts" with disgusting eating sounds badly dubbed over. He insists on being weighed with the bucket because "it's all going down there anyway". He hits a more believable 430.

 

King Kong Bundy def Uncle Elmer in 2:35- Heenan stays on commentary instead of being ringside for Bundy. I mean, it's not like they need to take Elmer seriously. Lockup and shoulderblock standoffs. Bundy works Elmer down and chokes him. Elmer fights back with punches and ass squashes in the corner. Bundy counters with an avalanche, drops an elbow, and gets the win. What you'd expect. Elmer left WWF soon after this. 1/4*

Mean Gene is in the back with Adonis and his life size cardboard standee of Orndorff. Without going into the details, let's just say Adonis is playing Goldust before Goldust.

 

"Adorable" Adrian Adonis (w/Jimmy Hart) def "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff by DQ in 12:00- Adonis is wrestling in a dress. Or "long shirt" as Heenan says. Orndorff hits a couple of armdrags. Adonis falls outside and Orndorff tries to follow, clearly wanting murder. Adonis tries to slow things down. Orndorff hooks in an abdominal stretch. Adonis takes control with an eye rake. Orndorff backdrops Adonis over the top to the floor! He pulls Hart in, picks him up, and drops him onto Adonis on the floor! Hart's having a rough night. Commercial. Back with Orndorff giving Adonis an airplane spin. Adonis grabs the top rope to get out and both guys tumble out. Hart causes distractions and Adonis gives Orndorff a shot with the megaphone. Slow Adonis offense follows. Orndorff dodges a kneedrop off the second rope but can't follow up. Adonis suplex for 2. He tries a splash off the top rope but Orndorff gets his knees up. Adonis gets tied in the ropes. Hart takes yet another shot. Orndorff rips Adonis' dress off, chokes him with it, shoves the ref away, and gets DQ'd. Meh. *1/4

Pretaped Hogan interview with Mean Gene in the empty arena before the show. They show the footage of Bundy attacking Hogan at the last SNME and Hogan says that he realized he has to fight for Hulkamania every day. Then they go to a lengthy recap/replay of the WM 2 main event. After that Hogan says his revenge hit list is Bundy, Muraco and Fuji and he's coming for all of them. They had a hard time finding Hogan a good heel foil during this period, which is why Orndorff would soon turn heel again.

 

Jake "The Snake" Roberts vs Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat never starts- Roberts is still billed as undefeated. He jumps Steamboat on the apron and gives him a couple of clotheslines. DDT on the floor! With no mats, just straight concrete. For the time, that is a massive move of near death. Roberts hoists the unconscious Steamboat into the ring and drops Damien on him. Damien shows off his wrestling performance training by wrapping around Steamboat's nose and mouth. Steamboat does the stretcher job.

After commercial, Vince says Steamboat has a "mild concussion" but will be good to go back in the ring next week! That's a hell of a Z-Pack. During the Soviet national anthem Vince says Volkoff is as good at singing as "the Soviets are at running a nuclear power plant". Burn! This was literally just days after the Chernobyl accident became public. (Side note: watch the superb HBO miniseries on Chernobyl, it's fantastic, and pleasantly honest in how it portrays the Soviet government and bureaucracy. The KGB is little more than a "circle of accountability" is a line that never fails to make me laugh.)

 

2 Out Of 3 Falls Match for the WWF Tag Team Championship: The British Bulldogs (c) (w/Capt Lou Albano) def Nikolai Volkoff and The Iron Sheik (w/Freddie Blassie) in 16:36- FIRST FALL: Volkoff charges right out of the gate. DBS dodges the charge and gets a small package for 2. Volkoff uses DBS's momentum to drop him on the top rope. Sheik hits a Saito suplex. Camel Clutch to break his back and make him humble! DBS submits.

SECOND FALL: DBS stays in peril. Sheik with the abdominal stretch to stretch his abs and make him humble! DBS hiptosses out but goes for an elbow drop and misses. Vince starts speculating if Dynamite is hurt with the usual Vince subtlety (screaming it down our throats at any opportunity). DBS gets a sunset flip on Volkoff but Sheik distracts the ref. Sheik barely gets DBS up for a gutwrench suplex. DBS gets an atomic drop for 2 but still won't tag. Midring collision. Volkoff keeps him from tagging. Vokoff slams DBS and covers but DBS has a foot on the rope. Volkoff celebrates like he won and DBS rolls him up, running him into Sheik in the process, for 3.

THIRD FALL: Vince "confirms" Dynamite has a torn meniscus in his knee, which is why DBS is working the whole match. Sheik with a Boston crab to, er, break his back more and make him humbler! DBS gets to the rope. Volkoff tries for a stack up cover with a handful of tights. DBS comes back and hits Sheik with the powerslam. Volkoff breaks the pin up. Tag to Dynamite! The heels put him in bear hugs to work his hurt knee. Sly strategery, let's see where it goes. Sheik with another gutwrench suplex. Camel Clutch to you know the drill. Donnybrook! The Bulldogs swap without tagging. DBS wraps up a Paul Smackage and the ref counts 3 even though the Bulldogs are wearing different color tights tonight and it's blindingly obvious the legal man isn't in. Nice little showcase for Davey Boy long before he'd become a singles star, and Sheik and Volkoff had their working boots on. **1/2

Saturday Night's Main Event V

Legacy Review

Saturday Night's Main Event V

March 1, 1986 (taped February 15) from the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix

Commentary: Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura

 

We're on the road to Wrestlemania 2, and since SNME is WWF's #2 show and top show on regular TV at this point we'll see a lot of build for the big show.

 

The show opens with Mean Gene interrupting Mr. T's training and getting told off, the fool. The fake crowd noise is glaringly obvious on the opening arena shot. Recap of Piper's Pit where Piper said Bob Orton wants to box and has an open contract to take on anyone, anytime. Hogan signs it for T. Piper is furious.

Boxing Match: Mr. T def "Cowboy" Bob Orton (w/Roddy Piper) by countout in 5:02- Scheduled 10 rounds. Piper with a lot of prematch agitation. Orton attacks T from behind while he's praying in the corner and we're on. The ref gets on Orton for not breaking clean. Orton pokes T in the eye. In true boxing style all the seconds, the WWF doctor, the athletic commission doctor, the on call staff from Phoenix Memorial and Banner hospitals, Arizona's top eye surgeon and the waterboy all get in the ring to see if T's OK. He pushes them all out to continue. T is on the attack as the bell rings to end round 1. As they're going back to the corners Orton pops T with a cheap shot. Round 2. Orton brags about dodging a punch to Piper, then eats one and gets pummeled. Piper gets on the apron to distract the ref. Orton knees T in the gut. The heels go for a double team. T ducks and Piper hits Orton. The heels go outside to regroup but Orton doesn't get back in time and it counted out. After the match Piper wants T and takes all his gear off to bare knuckle fight. Orton hits a high knee from behind and the heels beat T down, setting up the Piper/T boxing match at WM. 3/4*

Okerlund is with Heenan and King Kong Bundy. Bundy wants a shot at Hogan.

 

King Kong Bundy (w/Bobby Heenan) def Steve Gatorwolf in :41- Beat down, avalanche, done. Bundy wants the 5 count and gets it. Afterward he grabs Fink's mic and calls out Hogan. NR

Don Muraco is with Okerlund. Mr. Fuji is out tonight with a case of avian swine Spanish tummy flu, or something to that effect. Muraco introduces Heenan as his substitute manager for the evening.

 

WWF Championship: Hulk Hogan (c) def The Magnificent Muraco (w/Bobby Heenan) in 6:53- Hogan's back in yellow but for some reason is wearing the white kneepads. Weird mix. Muraco starts quick and gets a couple of backrakes in. Hogan reverses a whip, hits a backdrop, and a couple of backrakes of his own. Ventura complains, and when challenged by Vince says it was OK for Muraco to do it because he cut his nails before the match. Classic. Heenan gets on the apron and takes a shot. An atomic drop sends Muraco over the top and out. Slugfest. Hogan gets a bearhug. Muraco headbutts out. Kicks in Hogan's ribs. Muraco hits the spike in Hogan's throat from the second rope for 2. Hulk up. Big boot, legdrop, should be done but Heenan comes in and stomps Hogan so it's a DQ instead. Really not good. 1/2*

But we're not done. While Hogan's threatening Heenan Bundy comes in (with some obvious side glancing and getting into position by Hogan) and jumps Hogan from behind. Muraco holds Hogan down as Bundy hits multiple avalanches on Hogan's back, followed by big splashes on both Hogan's front and back. Hogan does the stretcher job and leaves in an ambulance. And there's your WM 2 main event all set up and ready to go.

 

WWF Tag Team Championship: The Dream Team (c) (w/Johnny Vailiant) def The British Bulldogs (w/Capt Lou Albano) in 12:00- The Bulldogs won a non-title match in January to get a title shot. DBS and Valentine start. DBS hits an atomic drop and the Bulldogs pinball Valentine back and forth with headbutts. Valentine flop! DBS suplexes him from the apron back in for 2. A double headbutt leads to Valentine flop 2. Dynamite almost legit runs the heels over he runs the ropes so fast. DBS hits a weak .6 press slam on Valentine. Had a hard time getting him up. Dynamite with some power moves and headbutts. DBS/Valentine forearm slugfest. DBS with a small package for 2. Valentine hits an inverted atomic drop and tags. The managers get into it on the floor and the teams jump out to separate them as we go to commercial. DBS hits a missile dropkick on Beefcake for 2. Valentine hooks the figure four on DBS but Dynamite runs in and breaks it up with a legdrop. Valentine hits Dynamite with an elbow off the second rope and shoulderbreaker for 2. Beefcake sets up and teases a big move, but runs up and just hits a stomp. Weak. Dynamite pushes out of a figure four attempt. Valentine goes up top but Dynamite throws him off and follows up with a missile dropkick off the top. Valentine gets a foot on the rope. Donnybrook! Valentine and Dynamite collide in the middle of the ring. Both guys go down, but Valentine's leg is on Dynamite, and the ref counts 3. The controversial finish will lead to a rematch at WM. Pretty decent, but the WM match is better, by far the best thing on an otherwise dreary show. The piss poor audio mix of commentary, the actual arena sound, and the fake crowd noise did this match no favors. **3/4

Okerlund is outside the local medical facility Hogan's been taken to but has no concrete information to share. What's that 900 number again?

Next up is the world premiere of the music video version of Hogan's Real American entrance music. If you've ever wondered where the GIF of Hogan playing a guitar in front of an American flag came from, this is it.

 

The Junkyard Dog def "Adorable" Adrian Adonis (w/Jimmy Hart) in 8:45- JYD flips Adonis around by his scarves. Adonis' shoulder is posted and he gets tied up in the ropes. Adonis does a 360ish sell of a clothesline for a 2 count. He comes back with uppercuts and a girlie slap, but JYD reverses a corner whip and Adonis does a Flair flip out to the floor. JYD headbutts Hart into Adonis. He drags both guys in, whips Hart into Adonis, and both guys go over and back out. Adonis dodges a fall down headbutt and distracts the ref so Hart can tie JYD to the rope. Adonis chokes until Hebner has enough and pulls him off by the hair. Adonis sets up a piledriver, but as he goes up JYD accidentally kicks Hebner down. JYD whips Adonis into Hart and drops on him to win. Adonis whacks JYD with the megaphone to get his heat back. Amazingly enough this match was best when JYD was on offense. Adonis knew how to take a beating. Another match where the audio mix sounded like it was being done by the same guy that mixed Bane's mask audio in The Dark Knight Rises. *

Mean Gene is with a supposed to be local or unaffiliated doctor, but I recognize him as WWF's regular on screen doctor from the era. He says Hogan's going in for more tests and we'll know more later. As the show closes Vince has breaking news! A statement from Hogan that his hospital can't hold him brother and he'll be out in hours brother.

Beach Blast '92

Legacy Review

Beach Blast '92

June 20, 1992 from the Mobile Civic Center in Mobile, AL

Commentary: Jim Ross and Jesse Ventura

This is the new addition to WCW's PPV calendar for '92, making them the first company to have half the year covered with scheduled PPVs. Former Mid-South boss Bill Watts is now the man in charge, and to show everyone he's in charge he's ruled all moves off the top rope are banned, all throws over the top rope are banned, and all those pesky ring mats on the outside were fired quicker than a ladder that won't stand up right for Shawn Michaels in 1995. Fortunately WCW's still got a really talented roster that's still motivated from the success of the short Kip Frey era to plow through some of these issues, for now.

I have to say, I've always liked the logo for this show, with the pumped arm made out of an animated wave. Cool stuff. The raised ramp is still in use, and it will see a lot of use. Watts comes out of his torture cave to join hosts Tony Schiavone and Eric Bishoff to ballyhoo the show in his zumbas and fanny pack, a mainstay for any wrestler in this period. Ventura also gets another super sized intro.

WCW Light Heavyweight Championship: Scotty Flamingo def "Flyin'' Brian Pillman (c) in 17:29- Flamingo is Raven. Pillman comes off the top rope during his entrance. Watts is probably already calculating fines. Flamingo gets a leg takedown and celebrates. Some decent chain mat wrestling ends with Pillman holding a hammerlock. Pillman does a crucifix but spins it into a sunset flip for 2. He hooks in a short arm scissors. Flamingo uses the tights to roll it into a pin attempt. There's a few more minutes of Pillman works the arm, Flamingo uses the ropes to get out, rinse and repeat. Flamingo goes for a tilt a whirl but Pillman seems to block it. Not sure they were sure what they were going for there. A Pillman dropkick sends Flamingo out but his feet hook the top rope and he's dangling upside down! Pillman helps him by unhooking his feet and Flamingo crashes to the uncovered concrete floor. Pillman with a double ax handle off the apron to the floor. He goes to the top rope (gasp shock horror!). Flamingo throws him off, face first rather than Flair throw style. Then he throws Pillman out and follow up with a plancha! Now there's finding a loophole in the new rules. Flamingo with a fist drop off the second rope (that's allowed) for 2. Flamingo charges while Pillman's on the apron, but Pillman counters with a slingshot flying tackle! That gets 2. Flamingo goes to the chinlock, which is probably Watts' favorite hold. Even Ventura calls it a rest hold. Pillman counters with a sleeper. Flamingo runs him into the top turnbuckle. They punch each other at the same time and both guys are down. Slugfest on knees. Flamingo hits a powerslam and grabs a handful of trunks but only gets 2. Pillman's knee gives out while Flamingo tries to whip him. He goes up to the second rope to brag, but Pillman makes him pay for it with a belly to back suplex! He covers but Flamingo's foot is on the rope. Pillman clotheslines Flamingo over the top and onto the entrance ramp, another loophole. Pillman tries a dive, but Flamingo dodges and Pillman splats face first on the ramp. Back in Flamingo hits a kneedrop to the back of Pillman's head off the second rope, and gets the clean pin and the title! Really good match considering all the handicaps. Take Bill Watts' shackles off and this could have been something really special. Say what you will about Flamingo/Raven, but he was always really good at match layouts. ***1/4

Next up is the start of the show long "bikini contest", hosted by Johnny B Badd. The contest is Missy Hyatt vs Medusa, and in this first round they're in evening gowns. They come out and pose, Badd says a lot of things like "shake it baby" and "show it off" and shoots his blaster off. Total waste of time.

JR hypes up next month's Great American Bash PPV. Sting vs Vader for the world title has already been booked for that show.

 

"The All American" Ron Simmons def "The Taylor Made Man" Terry Taylor in 7:10- Simmons throws Taylor out of the inital lockup and Taylor bitches about ponytail pulls. Simmons blocks a hiptoss, hits his own, and runs over Taylor's legs with a couple of low football tackles. He throws Taylor out to the ramp and press slams him back in. Taylor's clotheslined over the top rope and outside! Watts is definitely adding up the fines for that one. Simmons works the back, including a bear hug. Taylor eye pokes out. Simmons goes for anther tackle. Taylor dodges and Simmons flies outside to the ramp. Taylor hits a snap mare and the neck snap for 2. Simmons counters with a spinebuster. The powerslam finishes it. Serviceable. **

 

Greg "The Hammer" Valentine def Marcus Alexander Bagwell in 7:17- Bagwell shows off some speed and hits a hiptoss/armdrag/slam combo. Valentine elbows the back of his neck to counter a backdrop. Bagwell counters a piledriver attempt. He hits a couple of dropkicks and Valentine powders. Bagwell tries another hiptoss but Valentine whacks him with a clothesline. Stiff chops. Bagwell dodges an elbow off the second rope. Valentine dodges a kneedrop and goes to work on the knee. Bagwell pushes out of a figure four attempt. Valentine goes for it again. Bagwell wraps up a small package for 2. More quick pin attempts by Bagwell but his knee gives out on a leapfrog. Valentine hits a kneebreaker, locks in the figure four, and Bagwell gives it up. Meh. Not sure why you're putting Valentine over in a singles match on PPV in 1992. Seemed like a "teach this kid a lesson" match for Bagwell, which was a very Bill Watts thing to do. *3/4

 

Falls Count Anywhere Match: WCW World Heavyweight Champion Sting def Cactus Jack in 11:24- This is the first of two gimmick matches featuring the top two singles champions with the titles not on the line. Jack looks deadly serious. He waits on the ramp for Sting to enter. Sting takes his gear off at the start of the ramp, meets Jack in the middle, and we're on with a hockey fight on the ramp! Jack tries to hiptoss Sting off the ramp. Sting blocks it and turns it into a backslide for 2. Sting backdrops Jack on the ramp and follows up with a faceplant. He charges toward the ring but Jack dodges. Sting flies over the ring corner. Cactus elbow! Jack with a swinging neckbreaker on the floor for 2. He hits a sunset flip off the apron to the floor! The Mick Foley bumpometer is definitely a 10 tonight. Sting backdrops him over the barricade into the crowd! Suplex on the floor! They head into the ring to have something soft to bump off of for a minute or two. Big clothesline from Jack. He target's Sting's ribs that Vader hurt a few weeks ago with a body scissors. Mick Foley with a wrestling hold? Sting hulks up out of it. Cactus clothesline! Jack hits some chairshots on the floor. Bang bang! Sting counters with a belly to back suplex on the floor. They do a near fall tradeoff. Stinger Splash against the barricade! Jack tries a piledriver but his knee that's been wobbly most of the match gives out. He goes for the big Cactus elbow off the second rope to the floor but Sting dodges it. They go back to the ramp. Chairshots from Sting. He tries to hook in the Scorpion Death Lock but Jack flips out of it and they fall down to the floor. Jack with the double arm DDT on the ramp! Sting kicks out! Sting charges with a clothesline. Then he throws an FU to Watts, goes to the top rope, nails Jack with a flying clothesline, and that gets the pin! Absolutely fantastic, innovative match that wouldn't become common in mainstream wrestling for another 5 or 6 years. Foley was the master in this environment but Sting kept up every step of the way. ****

 

30 Minute Ironman Match: Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat def WCW United States Heavyweight Champion "Ravishing" Rick Rude- Paul E and Medusa have again been banned from ringside, and fortunately there's no suspicious looking ninja character hanging around either.

FALL ONE: They start fighting while Steamboat still has his entrance robe on. Steamboat hits a huge gutbuster, making Rude's ribs the major story of the first part of the match. Rude does a flop on a whip attempt. Steamboat targets the ribs and goes to work on them. Bear hug. Rude gets a kneelift in the corner to try and get some breathing room. Steamboat grabs a ZSJ like hold, stretching Rude's midsection. Rude eye rakes out. Steamboat rolls out of a monkey flip attempt and turns it into a Boston crab. Rude slowly crawls to the ropes. More attacks on the ribs. Steamboat's almost heelish here, targeting a hurt body part while taunting Rude to get up and fight. He lifts Rude up for a suplex but drops him face first. Rude gets a knee up in the corner, drops on Steamboat and grabs a handful of tights for a shock (almost babyface) pin. 1-0 Rude at 22:15 left

FALL TWO: Rude Awakening! Another pin for Rude. 2-0 Rude at 21:20 left

FALL THREE: After a slam Rude goes to the top rope. He drops a knee on Steamboat, but per Watts' edict the ref calls for the DQ. Intentional calculation by Rude, taking a DQ to inflict maximum damage. 2-1 Rude at 20:18 left

FALL FOUR: Rude wraps up a quick Paul Smackage to get the fall he just lost back. 3-1 Rude at 19:45 left

FALL FIVE: Steamboat gets some punches in Rude's ribs to try to come back. Rude counters a backdrop and goes into prevent defense mode with a couple of double chinlocks. Classic Rude bit where he tries to hip swivel but sells the hurt body part. Steamboat electric chair drops out of the chinlock. Rude gets his knees up on a splash attempt. Swinging neckbreaker for 2. Steamboat chops back. Another chinlock from Rude. He hits a piledriver for 2. He loads up a tombstone, but Steamboat reverses it, hits the tombstone, and gets a pin! He's back in it. 3-2 Rude at 12:18 left

FALL SIX: Both guys are recovering. Rude tights pulls Steamboat face first into the buckle. He goes up top again. Steamboat chops him, climbs up, and hits a superplex! (According to JR that's legal) Rude kicks out! Double clothesline. 10 minutes left. They do the bridge up/backslide spot, and the backslide gets Steamboat another pin! We're all tied up! 3-3 at 9:45 left

FALL SEVEN: Steamboat rolls through quick pin attempts. Rude counters with a jawbreaker. He hits some power moves for near falls. Steamboat chops back. They're still working at a furious pace and there's been very little resting the whole match. Rude hits forearms. He tries for the Rude Awakening again but Steamboat powers out. Steamboat hits a Rude Awakening! Rude just gets a foot on the rope at 2. 5 minutes left. Steamboat hits a couple of suplexes for near falls. Rude counters a whip and hooks on a sleeper! Steamboat runs into the buckle multiple times but Rude hangs on, literally riding Steamboat's back. Steamboat sloooooooooooooooowly crawls to the ropes and reaches a hand out, but Rude slaps it back down. Steamboat's going down. 2 minutes left. At 1 minute left the ref checks Steamboats's eyes and starts the arm drops. Steamboat's not done yet! He flips back off the top turnbuckle, lands on Rude, and pins him! 4-3 Steamboat with :32 left

FALL EIGHT: Rude is furious and desperately tries for a quick pin. Clothesline for 2. Shoudlerblock for 2. Another clothesline for 2. Small package for 2. Slam for 2. Time's up! Steamboat hangs on and wins 4-3!

For years this was the gold standard in Ironman matches, until Bret and Shawn did it for an hour at Wrestlemania 12. Both guys worked their asses off, and the layout and booking were fantastic. That sleeper at the end was as dramatic a sleeper hold as you'll ever see. ****1/2

Next up is part two of the Medusa/Hyatt "battle", the swimsuits. I have to admit, Hyatt does look pretty good. Otherwise, next.

 

"The Natural" Dustin Rhodes, Barry Windham and Nikita Koloff def WCW World Television Champion "Stunning" Steve Austin, Arn Anderson and "Beautiful" Bobby Eaton (w/Paul E Dangerously) by DQ in 15:32- Ole Anderson is reffing this match in his new on screen role as WCW's senior official. We're well into the winding down phase of the Dangerous Alliance angle as the group is being slowly disbanded. Austin and Windham start. Good back and forth. Austin goes up to the second rope and Windham Japanese armdrags him off. Arn wants Koloff, and slaps him! Koloff comes in wanting murder. Arn goes up to the top rope, remembers the new rule, comes back down, and acts like it was part of the plan all along. JR tries to defend the rule and doesn't get any further than "idiot sportswriters that don't know what they're talking about". Koloff hits Arn in the back of the head with a Sickle and Arn flies over the top rope and out, prompting a 5 minute debate from commentary about what is and isn't a throw over the top rope. Paul E wants a DQ. Arn breaks up a Koloff bear hug on Eaton. Koloff fights off all the heels. Regroup on the outside. Paul E wants to switch to plan 2. As long as we don't end up on plan 9. I don't think anyone's got any solaronite. Windham atomic drops Arn into the corner, but Arn ricochets off and they hit heads. Arn goes up top again, eye rakes out of a throw attempt, goes down to the second rope and drops a punch. Windham back suplexes out of a headlock and tags Rhodes. Mini--hot tag/donnybrook sequence where Rhodes takes out all the heels. Arn whips him into the heel corner and throws his head into Eaton's head. Rhodes goes full face in peril. Eaton posts Rhodes' knee....then goes to work on the arm. Big flying clothesline from Austin for 2. Arn stops a tag with a drop toe hold. Eaton dodges a Rhodes crossbody attempt. Rhodes flips out of a suplex and rolls Austin up for 2. Rhodes turns the tables on Arn, pushing his head into Eaton's head. Austin prevents the tag. Gun stun! But Rhodes falls near the face corner and *just* reaches over to tag. Donnybrook! Windham hits the superplex! While he's covering Arn tries coming off the top rope onto his back, but Ole sees it and calls for the DQ. Pretty pedestrian and disappointing considering all the talent in the ring. Ole was constantly out of position and just plain not good as the ref. **1/2

 

JR interviews Steamboat. Paul E crashes and yells at Steamboat that he'll never, ever get another title shot at Rude. Then Cactus Jack attacks Steamboat. JR speculates Paul E has hired Jack.

Round 3 of the Hyatt/Medusa duel, the hyped up "itty bitty teeny weeny tiny bikinis". I don't think it's possible for Hyatt to wear less than she did last time and still have it be near PG. And she doesn't. No winners are announced, call the 900 number now to cast your vote results will be later. And you thought they didn't start shilling that until Mean Gene came along.

 

WCW World Tag Team Championship: The Steiner Brothers (c) and The Miracle Violence Connection go to a 30 minute time limit draw- The MVC had been a top team in All Japan for about 2 years and are announced as currently residing in Nagoya. Of course both guys were well known to long time American wrestling fans. The Steiners were former IWGP tag champs and would actually win them again a week after this match, so we have a little cross promotion match between Japan's top two companies as well. Scott and Gordy start. They roll through some waistlock counters. Scott puts on a half nelson followed by some more mat wrestling. Gordy escapes to the ropes a couple of times and gets clean breaks. Both guys run into each other full speed for a shoulderblock where neither guy budges an inch. That collision pop would rival anything heard on a football field. Slugfest! Scott and Williams also go amateur on the mat for a bit. Scott ducks a clothesline and tries a German suplex, but Williams grabs the ropes to block it and back elbows Scott. Scott dodges a corner charge and gets a roll up for 2. Rick tags in, and JR mentions he and Williams used to be teammates in the Varsity Club. They make a hiptoss block look rough and stiff. Rick hits a belly to belly suplex! Suplex City, bitch. Williams hits a couple of low football tackles at the legs. He goes for a third but Rick kills him with a Steinerline! Gordy blocks a Rick German attempt and hits a Saito suplex. Rick responds with a Saito of his own. Williams throws Rick onto the entrance ramp. Spear through the ropes! Rick sunset flips back in. Gordy wraps Rick up in a leg scissors. Rick rolls it over for a couple of pin attempts. Gordy transitions to an old school spinning toe hold. Rick with another belly to belly. Scott freaking deadlifts Gordy and slams him. He wraps up a cloverleaf type hold and tries to turn it into a bow and arrow but Gordy blocks it. Williams blocks another belly to belly attempt. Scott crossbody on Gordy for 2. MVC double team, with Williams hitting chops and taking out Scott's knee. Gordy goes to work on it. Scott tries to come back with shots on Williams' knee but his own knee gives out again. Another MVC double team and Rick breaks up the pin. He's doing a better job of staying on the apron than usual. Gordy hits a suplex for 2. Back to the knee. Gordy tries a bow and arrow but can't roll Scott all the way over. Williams does a spit sell of a Scott punch and the crowd gasps. With about 10 minutes left Gordy and Williams take turns putting half crabs and a Boston crab on Scott. Scott slowly crawls over....and manages to get the tag! Rick powerslam for 2. Bulldog off the second rope! Gordy sticks his nose in to keep Rick from covering. The Steiners set up a double team but Gordy knocks Scott off the second rope to the floor. Huge Williams clothesline. Gordy powerslams Rick off the second rope. Rick kicks out! MVC double team for another 2. 5 minutes left. Gordy comes in and just potatoes Rick across his earpiece. Another Saito for 2. Williams hits a gutwrench power bomb for 2. Rick tries a Steinerline out of the corner but Williams shrugs it off and hoists Rick up for the Oklahoma Stampede. He hits one buckle, but going to the second Rick pushes off and *kills* him with a Steinerline! Williams tags. Gordy hits a corner clothesline, whips Rick the other way, and he eats a Steinerline! 1 minute left. Scott's tagged in. Backdrops. Slams. Double underhook powerbomb. No cover. He calls for the Frankensteiner, but as he's hitting it the bell rings for the time limit. You want stiff? This is as stiff as you can get. Just an amazing match with all the physicality you'd expect from these two teams. The only thing against it is some obvious time limit stalling down the stretch. The MVC would win the titles in a house show rematch a week before GAB. ****

OVERALL SHOW THOUGHTS: WCW's run of phenomenal PPVs in the first half of '92 continues, Bill Watts or no Bill Watts. And talk about variety. You've got an early Mick Foley all arena brawl, a great stand up wrestling match that's an Ironman to boot, and a tremendous stiff fest of a tag match, all hitting 4+ stars. Watch this thing.

OVERALL SHOW GRADE: A

Saturday Night's Main Event IV

Legacy Review

Saturday Night's Main Event IV

January 4, 1986 (taped December 19) from the USF Sun Dome in Tampa, FL

Commentary: Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura

Someone messed up when they put the WWF ropes on the local ring, they're in the wrong order (blue, red, white). If this was 1997 Vince would fire the ring crew and they'd be on Nitro the next week. Bobby Heenan replaces Ventura on commentary for the opener.

Jesse "The Body" Ventura, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and "Cowboy" Bob Orton def Hillbilly Jim, Uncle Elmer and Cousin Luke in 8:00- In between SNMEs Cousin Junior left the company and has been replaced by Cousin Luke (not Bushwhacker Luke). Of course this all goes unmentioned on TV, Luke's been there since the start don't question it. Elmer and Ventura start. Ventura pulls the Marty McFly special "WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?" move and gets an eye rake. Elmer comes back because he's big and Ventura sells like a champ. Piper offers the insincere handshake to Luke. Orton wraps up Luke's leg to prevent a tag even though Luke is making no effort to tag. Luke goes hillbilly in peril. He pushes Piper into the face corner to tag but Hebner's distracted by the heels. In the ensuing commotion Luke gets the tag. Piper and Elmer have a slugfest. Donnybrook! The heels regroup outside leading into commercial, and charge right back in after commercial. Donnybrook again! Jim no sells Piper headbutts. Luke comes in and hits a bunch of 2 handed Kirk Fu punches. Piper hooks in the sleeper. Donnybrook yet again. Orton hits Luke in the back of the head with his cast. Piper puts the sleeper back on and Hebner calls it. Not bad all things considered. They kept it lively. **

Ventura returns to commentary. The non-wrestling skits this show are all at a water park since it's in Florida. Jimmy Hart and JYD have a waterslide race to play off their fight at the end of the last SNME. Hart tries to flip onto his belly and JYD wins (JYD also had an inbuilt weight advantage). Funk cuts a promo and references Hogan being on the cover of a recent Sports Illustrated, a massive deal back then.

 

WWF Championship: Hulk Hogan (c) (w/The Junkyard Dog) def Terry Funk (w/Jimmy Hart) in 8:30- Funk challenged Hogan to a title match during The Wrestling Classic, and here we are. Multiple reverses end with the Hogan corner clothesline and Funk flops out. Funk runs into the ropes chest first and Hogan clotheslines him out. JYD makes sure Hart stays in his chair. Hogan steps on Funk's back multiple times while running the ropes and pushes Funk out again. Funk throws a chair in the ring. Hogan sits in it. After a normal lockup Funk gets some chops in the corner. Hogan counters with a corner whip and Funk does a .5 Flair Flip onto the apron. Hogan drags him back in. Funk gets some headbutts and a sneaky style low blow behind Hebner's back. He goes to the top rope, but Hogan shakes it and Funk falls off. Hogan hits a huge running clothesline and elbow drop. Hart tries to trip Hogan. Hogan chases, he and JYD corner him, and Hart scurries under the ring into Little People Land (he'll fit right in). Funk chokes Hogan with wrist tape. Piledriver! Hogan *just* gets a shoulder up! Hogan slowly starts hulking up. The big boot sends Funk outside again. Hogan tries to suplex Funk back in. Hart hits him with the branding iron and Funk falls on top, but Hogan fell with his foot on the rope and Hebner breaks the count. Hogan gives Hart a shot, murders Funk with a clothesline, and gets the pin. After it's over Funk assaults Hebner and throws more chairs in the ring. Call me crazy like Funk, but I really liked this. It's hard for crazy Terry Funk to have a bad match, they crammed a lot into the short time including two good near falls for Funk, and it's refreshing to see Hogan in this period before he started leaning on his formula finish like a crutch. ***

Mean Gene is with Steele and Albano at the kiddie slide. Albano assures us that Steele will have no ring rust from his long layoff. On the other side of the park, Savage tries to teach Elizabeth how to swim by throwing her into the pool.

 

"Macho Man" Randy Savage (w/Elizabeth) def George "The Animal" Steele (w/Capt Lou Albano) in 4:06- This is the start of the Savage/Steele feud that ran off and on for over a year. While Savage is admiring the crowd Steele starts hitting on Elizabeth. Albano pulls him back. Savage yells at her like it's her fault. Steele does some goofy circling and Savage bails. Steele bites Savage's nose and throws him over the top. Steele's distracted by Elizabeth again. They run around the ring and Savage hides behind her. Steele slams Savage and starts ripping the top turnbuckle pad apart. Savage tries to ambush but Steele throws him off with some foam in the face. Steele starts ogling Elizabeth again. Savage hits the double ax handle off the top and that's enough to win. As soon as the bell rings Savage carries Elizabeth to the back. Not much to the match (it's Steele) but it's a decent piece of storytelling that really sells Savage as the classic abusive boyfriend/husband. 3/4*

Video package trying to sell Kirchner as Rambo.

 

Peace Match: Nikolai Volkoff (w/Freddie Blassie and The Iron Sheik) def Corporal Kirchner in 4:32- "Peace Match" means that both guys have agreed to a technical amateur style wrestling match in spirit of glasnost. Code of Honor handshake to start. We get a couple of clean rope breaks. Volkoff gets a waist takedown. Kirchner counters into an armbar and headlock. Volkoff tries to power out and they have a strength standoff. Another clean rope break. Volkoff works another takedown into a pin attempt. Kirchner gets a roll up but Volkoff squirts out at 1. Volkoff cartwheels (!) out of a rope run and hits a shoulderblock. Kirchner gets an arm takedown and a small package for 2. Volkoff out of nowhere flips the heel switch, knees Kirchner in the gut, drops him on the top rope and pins him. I guess "Peace Match" be more guidelines than an actual code. 1/2*

 

The Junkyard Dog and Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat def Mr. Fuji and The Magnificent Muraco in 5:19- The heels pull the textbook Suzuki-Gun ambush. Fuji slams Steamboat on the floor while Muraco works JYD over in the ring. JYD counters with a backdrop but misses a headbutt. He shrugs off Fuji's karate offense and slams him. Muraco walks into a terrible .3 armdrag. He ends up in the face corner and Steamboat takes a shot. Fuji comes back in and martial arts JYD down. JYD backdrops out of a Muraco piledriver. Fuji cuts off the tag. JYD dodges a corner charge and Muraco posts his shoulder. Hot tag! Steamboat hits an enzuguri and slingshots Fuji into Muraco. High crossbody off the top. Fuji breaks up the pin. JYD comes in, hits Fuji with one headbutt, and pins him. *

Next time on SNME: Wrestlemania 2 build. They don't announce that but that's what's coming.

Saturday Night's Main Event III

Legacy Review

Saturday Night's Main Event III

November 2, 1985 (taped October 31) from Herseypark Arena in Hershey, PA

Commentary: Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura

 

This is a special Halloween edition of SNME. We get the usual run of promos to open up. Lots of fans in the arena are in costume. During the whole intro there's a bad ripoff of the main theme from Halloween playing.

 

Some clips are shown of Terry Funk abusing a ring attendant (who looks like Slick but I can't tell for sure) and attacking JYD with his branding iron during a summer MSG show.

Terry Funk (w/Jimmy Hart) def The Junkyard Dog in 5:16- JYD jumps from behind while Funk's jawing with the crowd. Funk gets crotched and JYD bounces him up and down. Funk sells like a maniac and goes outside to recover. Back in, Funk hits a slam but misses the follow up elbow drop. JYD slams him from the ring to the floor! Crawling headbutts. More mega selling from Funk. Hart grabs JYD's foot and JYD goes after him. Funk tries to ambush but JYD backdrops him on the floor! Funk gets a sleeper but JYD gets to the ropes. JYD puts on a sleeper of his own. Hart gets on the apron. JYD flips him in. Funk grabs the megaphone, whacks JYD with it while the ref's back is turned, and gets the win. JYD fights off the branding iron shot and gets his heat back by pulling Hart's pants off and "branding" Hart's ass over his tightie reddies. Terry Funk was Mick Foley before Mick Foley, someone who can make any match watchable through crazed bumping alone. **1/4

Next up is the first of the 3 part Halloween contest, pitting teams captained by Lou Albano (faces) and Bobby Heenan (heels) in Halloweeney competitions. First up: pie eating. It's Albano vs King Kong Bundy. Albano wins. Very little pie actually entered anyone's mouth.

Back to the arena for an edition of Piper's Pit featuring the Hillbilly family, following up on Piper's interruption of Elmer's wedding. He "mistakes" Hillbilly Jim for Mrs. Uncle Elmer. He asks Elmer how the wedding night was and if there's any family planning plans and gets a "none of your business" to both. The Hillbillys get to their feet and Piper claims it wasn't him that said all those awful things at the wedding, it was Ventura! Ventura comes in from commentary and owns every word he said. Bob Orton ducks down and Piper pushes Cousin Junior over him. The Hillbillys knock Piper out and corner Ventura. Ventura bails.

Halloween competition part 2: the pumpkin dunk. It's like bobbing for apples, except it's tiny pumpkins and they're all in chocolate syrup. This time it's Heenan vs Cousin Junior. Heenan uses heel tactics (picking up pumpkins with his hand when Okerlund's not looking) to win.

WWF Champion Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant (w/Capt Lou Albano) def King Kong Bundy and Big John Studd (w/Bobby Heenan) by DQ in 8:00- Hogan and Andre are billed as the "dream team". Not to be confused with the current WWF tag champs The, er, Dream Team. Hogan is in all white again, and the new pre-Winged Eagle WWF title belt is making its first major appearance here. Hogan and Bundy start. A shoulderblock standoff is followed up by a Hogan high knee. Hogan tries to slam Bundy but his back gives out. Andre goes into choking with the singlet straps mode again. Hogan hits a double ax handle from the second rope but the momentum sends him into the heel corner. Studd gives him a shot, traps him and tags in. Hogan hits a sloppy atomic drop. Andre beats Studd down, but is swinging so wildly he knocks the ref down. All four guys brawl in the corner! The faces stand tall and the heels regroup outside. Commercial. Cut back to Andre with Studd in a bear hug. Andre whips Studd into a big boot from Hogan. Andre with a big boot. Bundy runs in and Andre gets tied in the ropes. Studd holds Hogan down for a Bundy big splash. The ref calls for the DQ. Hogan fights the heels off and saves Andre. Not too shabby considering who all was in there. **

WWF Intercontinental Championship: Tito Santana (c) and "Macho Man" Randy Savage (w/Elizabeth) go to a double countout in 4:08- Santana comes out hot so Savage hides in the ropes. A rough hair pulling lockup ends with a Savage cheap shot. Kneedrop. Santana ducks an elbow, blocks a hiptoss and hits his own hiptoss. Savage dodges an elbow drop. Double ax handle off the second rope for 2. Savage pulls hair to keep Santana in a chinlock. Santana tries to elbow out Savage counters with a bionic elbow and slam. He tries to come off the top again but Santana counters with a shot in the gut. Santana hits the ropes, possibly loading up the flying pico de gallo, but Savage sees it coming and rolls out. Brawl on the floor. Savage makes Santana chase in and out of the ring and pops him when he's transitioning. He loads Santana up for a piledriver on the floor but Santana blocks it. Savage gives him a kneelift instead as the ref calls for the bell. Double countout. Savage would end up beating Santana for the title at a Boston Garden house show in February. **3/4

Vince McMahon joins Roddy Piper for Halloween at Piper's "rented" American home. This is indescribable classic ranting Piper insanity and I won't even try to do it justice because I can't. Just watch it.

Kung Fu Challenge: Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat def Mr. Fuji (w/The Magnificent Muraco) in 3:16- Twice Vince says "The rules are" and then gets conveniently interrupted or sidetracked. Steamboat hits a couple of karate chops and works an arm wringer. Fuji counters with that well known move of karate masters, the Low Blow of Torturous Agony +3. The Karate Kid was just too scrupulous to use it. Steamboat hits Fuji with kicks in the leg to bring him down, but Fuji gets another borderline blow. Fuji hits some throat shots. Steamboat reverses a suplex. A Steamboat missile dropkick off the top gets the 3. Muraco comes in and sprays red mist in Steamboat's face! A heel beatdown ensues. Fuji looked good for an 87 year old or however old he was here. 1/2*

We are at the finals of the Halloween competition: the pumpkin pass. This game has since been banned in all workplaces in 37 states, 2 territories and the District of Columbia. I won't bother with the details. The faces win. Savage blames Elizabeth for losing.

Ventura closes the show saying he wants to team with Piper against the Hillbilly family at the next SNME.

Starrcade '91

Legacy Review

Starrcade '91

December 29, 1991 from the Norfolk Scope in Norfolk, VA

Commentary: Jim Ross and Tony Schiavone

Once again, we have a non-traditional gimmick Starrcade. This year's experiment is called Battlebowl: The Lethal Lottery. The Lethal Lottery is the first part. 40 wrestler's names are placed in a bowl and drawn at random to form tag teams that will wrestle each other. Phase 2 is Battlebowl, where the winners of the tag matches compete in a 20 man double ring battle royale to crown a Battlebowl champion.

Marcus Alexander Bagwell and Jimmy Jam Garvin def WCW United States Tag Team Champion Tracy Smothers and Michael PS Hayes in 12:45- Just like WWF sold the idea of the first PPV Royal Rumble by starting with Demolition vs Demolition, we have the Fabulous Freebirds on opposite sides here. The Freebirds have turned face and the Pistols were in their ill advised heel run. Bagwell had just joined the company after his first pro run as The Handsome Stranger in the short lived GWF. Bagwell and Smothers start. Lots of Bagwell hits one move, Smothers stalls that kills about 5 minutes. Eventually Smothers asks for Garvin. Commentary thinks he's tricking Garvin in to make him wrestle Hayes, but Smothers seems intent on finishing this by himself and jumps Garvin from behind. Garvin sends him outside a couple of times. After getting an edge on Bagwell Smothers finally tags out, with zero hesitation like it was normal. Well, there goes the storytelling in the first half of the match. Hayes struts and schools Bagwell a bit. Smothers comes back in and walks Bagwell through the basics. Bagwell manages to tag out. Smothers dives and also tags. And both Freebirds are in! Both Garvin and Hayes are amused rather than mad they're facing each other. They have some lockup standoffs and trade armdrags. Hayes gets a roll up for 2. They're having fun out there. They have a strut off and both tag out. Bagwell and Garvin take turns working on Smothers. Bagwell goes to the corner and hits Hayes. Hayes comes in and clocks Bagwell with his vicious left punch. Then he clocks Garvin! It was purely on instinct and he's immediately apologetic. Garvin gets mad, shoves, and they argue. While they do Bagwell gets Smothers in a perfectplex and gets the pin. Slow, basic, lots of stalling in the first half, and just all over the place story wise. 3/4*

 

WCW United States Heavyweight Champion "Ravishing" Rick Rude and WCW World Television Champion "Stunning" Steve Austin (w/Paul E Dangerously) def Van Hammer and Big Josh in 12:56- The two cornerstones of the Dangerous Alliance get drawn together. Either Paul E is really lucky or has paid off the right people. Austin and Hammer start. Mind games clean break from Austin. Hammer blocks a suplex and hits his own. Austin gets a drop toe hold. Hammer mat wrestles out! Didn't think he had that in him. Austin has a snap marepalooza. Rude comes in, hits a clothesline and does the hip swivel. Hammer powers Rude over to tag out. Josh log rolls Rude. Rude gets up and says "You can't hurt these abs!". He no sells Josh punches to the gut. Josh changes tactics and clotheslines for 2. A double noggin knocker sends the heels out. Josh drops Austin on the top rope. Josh tries a roll up but Austin ducks and Rude pops him. Josh goes lumberjack in peril. Rude fist drop off the top for 2. The match bogs down a bit until Josh catches Austin on a leapfrog and slams him. But he doesn't try to tag out and misses an elbow drop. Paul E gets in a double team. Josh gets out and makes the tag. Hammer powerslam. Flying tackle. Rude breaks the pin up. Donnybrook! Austin gets a blind tag to Rude. He comes in, hits the Rude Awakening, and it's over. It teased getting decent but then didn't. The right team certainly won though. *3/4

 

WCW World Tag Team Champion Dustin Rhodes and Richard Morton def Larry Zbyszko and El Gigante (w/Medusa) in 5:54- Zbyszko is not happy to be stuck with Gigante. He gets up on the second rope to talk to him. Zbyszko and Rhodes start, renewing their recent world tag title feud. Zbyszko tries to strategize with Gigante again. A criss cross ends with a Rhodes knee to the gut. Rhodes tags in Morton. Zbyszko tags in Gigante. Morton panics and tags right back out. Rhodes gives it a go. Morton tries to run in and gets slammed. Gigante no sells a Rhodes dropkick. Rhodes tries a drop toe hold with no success. Gigante gets annoyed with Zbyszko's constant coaching. He slams Rhodes and tags out. Zbyszko gets a swinging neckbreaker for 2. Morton breaks up the pin attempt. Rhodes gets a small package for 2. Zbyszko yells at Gigante to put his knee up for a double team. No habla. Dustin comes back. Corner clothesline. Zbyszko counters the bulldog and tags out. More order barking and finally Zbyszko slaps Gigante! Gigante flips Zbyszko in. Rhodes and Morton, who have managed to stay on the same page (almost the old face Morton coming back) hit a double dropkick, and Rhodes gets the pin. Not much to write home about wrestling wise here, but unlike the opener the psychology was tight. *

 

WCW Light Heavyweight Champion Jushin Thunder Liger and Bill Kazmaier def Diamond Dallas Page and Mike Graham in 13:08- This is Liger's North American PPV debut. He upset Pillman for the Light Heavywight title on the Christmas night house show at the Omni, WCW's home arena at the time. I don't think you can get a bigger disparity of wrestling talent on one team than Liger and Kazmaier. DDP was just starting to transition from managing to wrestling and was still learning. Liger flips out of a Graham arm wringer. He goes for a flying headscissors but Graham botches it and lands on his head. He rolls out to legit recover. Liger does some midring flippydo. Graham just stops and watches it before trying a cover. Kazmaier throws Graham across the ring. Huge Kazmaier slam on DDP. DDP tries to throw him out but Kazmaier skins the cat and hits a clothesline for 2. Liger comes back in. Liger vs DDP would have been an awesome match around '97 or '98. DDP gets a Russian leg sweep for 2. Liger counters with a spinning kick. Liger slides under Graham's legs and hits an enzuguri. Graham tries to backdrop him out. Liger lands on the apron, trips Graham, and hits a slingshot splash for 2. Liger's getting really good reactions from a crowd that's never seen him before. Graham tries a leg takedown on Kazmaier. DDP goes for a slam but Kazmaier falls on top of him for 2. Liger puts Graham in the surfboard. Graham responds with a nice double leg takedown into a Boston Crab. Liger rolls out of it and turns it into a cover! He and Graham roll around trading covers a bit. When they get back up Graham offers a respect handshake. A headscissors leads to the bridge/backslide spot. DDP back elbows Kazmaier. He falls down and Kazmaier no sells. Switch back out please, thank you. Liger hits a pele kick on Graham and unleashes rapid fire strong style kicks. Tony: "I've never seen anyone kick that fast in my life before". Liger dodges a corner charge. Graham knees the top turnbuckle and tumbles outside. Liger flying senton over the top rope! This Liger kid, he's good, man. Back in Liger hits a moonsault off the second rope. DDP breaks up the pin. The heels get whipped into each other. Kazmaier press Liger and throws him on DDP (who I don't think was the legal man) for the pin! They got off to a rough start, but after a small adjustment Liger and Graham laid down some damn good stuff. Even Kazmaier existing and green DDP couldn't drag this one down. ***

 

WCW World Heavyweight Champion Lex Luger and Arn Anderson (w/Harley Race) def Terrance Taylor and "The Z Man" Tom Zenk in 10:25- Taylor is less than happy about getting paired with Zenk. Even though he's still a heel he'd been showing frustration with the York Foundation and teasing a face turn. Arn and Zenk start. Arn pops Taylor on the apron and ducks Zenk by rolling out. Taylor retaliates and throws Arn back in. Zenk hits an enzuguri. Luger breaks the pin up. They donnybrook early, with Taylor and Zenk cleaning house. After a reset they work Luger's arm a bit. Luger press slams Taylor. Taylor hits a snap mare and a neck snap. Luger gets a cheap elbow on a rope break. Taylor responds with a sunset flip. Luger fights it back to the corner and tags Arn. Taylor counters a neckbreaker into a backslide for 2. Zenk hits a crossbody off the top rope on Arn and almost flies right over him he gets so much height. Race trips Zenk and Arn plants him with a DDT. Taylor breaks the pin up. Zenk goes Z in peril for a bit. He faceplants Arn but gets cut off from making the tag. Luger gets a powerslam for 2. Zenk gets a knee up on an Arn charge, but Arn nails him in the gut coming off the second rope. Arn tries to come off the second himself and Zenk gets his boots up. Tag! Taylor atomic drops Luger into Arn and rolls Luger up for a long 2. Crossbody for 2. Taylor calls for the fivearm. Arn hits him as he hits the ropes. Luger gives Taylor the attitude adjustment piledriver, and it's over. Rock solid. Arn is Arn, Taylor is Taylor, Zenk was in the middle of the best run of his career, and even Luger looked as motivated as he did his entire '91 world title run. ***1/4

As the next names are drawn Missy Hyatt is caught saying "It's a shoot, huh?". When Parker's name is called Abby attacks him and pounds the hell out of him because if he can't tag with Jack, no one can.

 

WCW World Tag Team Champion Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat and Todd Champion def Cactus Jack and Buddy Lee Parker in 7:48- Abby tries to come down and the refs stop him. As he's leaving Parker has just made it crawling onto the ramp and Abby attacks him again. While that's happening Jack's been thrown out of the ring by Steamboat off camera. Crazy Jack beats Steamboat down until Steamboat comes back with chops. Jack tries to throw him out. Steamboat skins the cat and backdrops Jack out. TOPE SUICIDA! Back in Steamboat hits a superkick and an enzuguri. He tags Dolph Lundgren in and the match immediately becomes boring. Parker is crawling back down the ramp. Jack throws Champion out and gives him the Cactus Elbow. Bang bang! Parker makes it to the ring. Champion with a powerslam for 2. Jack dodges a legdrop as Parker gets to the corner. Jack and Champion hit heads. Jack falls into his corner, tags Parker, and helps him by flipping him into the ring. Steamboat hits Parker with a powerslam. The crossbody off the top rope finishes it. Fun overbooking with Steamboat and Jack ably carrying the wrestling part of the package. **1/4

 

Sting and Abdullah the Butcher def "Flyin'" Brian Pillman and "Beautiful" Bobby Eaton in 5:55- Abby looks thrilled to be teaming with Sting. Abby and Jack had been hired guns employed by Luger to take Sting out before Luger had to defend the title against him. As soon as Abby gets to the ring he attacks Sting. Pillman runs out and saves Sting. Eaton runs out and attacks Pillman, then goes after Sting. Pillman and Abby fight on the floor while Eaton works Sting's knee on the ramp and in the ring. Sting backdrops Eaton back onto the ramp. Flying dive over the top rope! Eaton begs off and eye pokes. Abby hits Sting again! That allows Eaton to take control. JR says Abby stole a pencil from the commentary table. Eaton takes Sting into Sting's own corner and Abby attacks Sting with the pencil. Pillman saves Sting again. Sting flips Eaton over the top from the apron to the floor. Off camera Pillman slams Abby. When things settle down again Pillman refuses to tag Eaton. He's given up on winning, he's just trying to help Sting. Eaton goes across and tags Abby! The ref shuts that down. Sting tries for a tombstone but can't hold Eaton up. Abby's in again. Pillman cuts him off. Jack comes down. They set up for a double team but Jack hits Abby. Sting hits Eaton with a crossbody off the top for the 3. After the match Abby attacks Jack and they fight all the way across the floor to the back. More fun overbooking, building on the previous match and taking advantage of the Lethal Lottery concept. **1/2

 

Big Van Vader and Mr. Hughes def Rick Steiner and The Nightstalker in 5:05- Vader's slowly starting to work more US dates and is close to becoming full time in WCW. The Nightstalker is the artist to be known as Adam Bomb and Wrath. He's still pretty green at this point, but already had a main event run in the AWA (broadcast on ESPN) under his belt because of his size and because late-'80s AWA was, frankly, desperate. Vader left his mask in the dressing room. Rick and Vader start. Hell. Yes. Give me 10 minutes of these two potatoing and tossing each other around and I'll give it all the snowflakes. Vader potatoes Rick a couple of times on his headgear earpiece, hits a short clothesline, and tackles Rick down on a rope run. Rick responds by exploding with a Steinerline out of the corner. Rick hits Vader with a belly to belly suplex! A Steinerline sends Vader over and out. Rick follows with some punches. Both guys really look like they're enjoying this. Vader posts Rick's back. He gets Rick on the apron and teases suplexing him out to the floor, but Rick reverses it and *just* gets Vader over and around for a suplex. Hughes tags in. Rick gives him a big backdrop and a German suplex. Rick clearly doesn't give a damn about tagging Nighstalker in, he's going to take care of this himself. Midring collision and both guys go down. Nightstalker reaches over and tags himself in. Vader blindsides him with a clothesline. Rick hits Hughes with a bulldog off the top rope. But the distraction lets Vader keep pounding Nightstalker. Vader murders him with a splash (and seeing the slo-mo replay, yeah, legit squashes him) and gets the win. Really messy finish. Rick and Vader were as awesome together as you'd expect. *1/2

 

Scott Steiner and Firebreaker Chip def Arachnaman and Johnny B Badd in 11:16- All four guys are faces here (Badd had just turned face about a week prior). Arachanaman is yet another masked gimmick for the underrated Brad Armstrong. The gimmick was short lived as Marvel threatened to sue when they saw it. One look at it can explain why. A Badd/Chip speed sequence ends with Chip hitting a couple of Japanese armdrags. Chip turns to the crowd and Badd channels his former heel self to land some blindside body punches. Chip does a springboard crossbody off the top rope and almost lands on his head. Scott catches a leaping Arachnaman and powerslams him, then Steinerlines him out. Badd gets a hard right on Scott on a rope break. Scott does a double leg pickup and Alabama slams him. Scott throws Badd around with power moves, occasionally tagging Chip in to rest and bore the crowd. Arachanaman dodges a Chip charge. Chip recovers and slides in with a sunset flip for 2. He catches an Arachnaman dropkick and puts on a Boston Crab. They trade cradles for 2. Chip tags Scott on a criss cross. Scott kills Arachnaman with a Steinerline. Arachnaman tries coming off the top but Scott catches him, hits a belly to belly, and gets 3. This never gelled. Scott almost ended up on the DL again with a blown out back from carrying this match. *1/4

 

Ron Simmons and Thomas Rich def WCW United States Tag Team Champion Steve Armstrong and PN News in 12:01- Simmons and Rich argue over who's going to start. Simmons gets a quick press slam on Armstrong then hits an ugly flying tackle. Rich and Armstrong have a decent back and forth. Rich tries to slam News. That's not happening. News throws Rich out of a headlock and a lockup. Both faces end up in. News and Simmons stick to fair play until News punches on a corner break. Avalanche! Simmons counters with a bulldog for 2. News clotheslines and does a crazy ugly crossbody for 2. Rich and Armstrong take turns choking each other with wrist tape. Simmons and Rich keep arguing every time they tag. More solid but unspectacular Armstrong and Rich back and forth. News hits a flying clothesline on Rich for 2. Armstrong hits an avalanche on Rich. He tries another but Rich dodges. News refuses Armstrong's orders to cheat and swap without tagging. Rich gets the tag. Simmons powerslams Armstrong, slams News, and hits Armstrong with the spinebuster to win. Mostly inoffensive. **

As the wrestlers make their entrance for Battlebowl the cameraman falls down and they don't cut away from his camera. Mr. Hughes is clearly trying to stay in character and not laugh as he walks by.

 

Battlebowl- For WCW, they've done a solid job to this point of keeping the night's gimmick matches straight, executing them reasonably well, and keeping some kind of internal logic. That's about to fall to pieces. All 20 tag match winners are in this. The announced rules are a wrestler has to be thrown from ring 1 to ring 2. Once they're in ring 2 it's normal over the top rope battle royale rules. The last guy standing in ring 1 will "meet" the last guy standing in ring 2. They're not clear about it, but it's still battle royale rules then, not a singles match. Sting and Vader meet up at the start to foreshadow their future rivalry. Arn and Steamboat fight on the ramp. Liger wanders around looking for a partner. Vader and Hughes clothesline Kazmaier over the top and onto the ramp, but it doesn't count because it's not into ring 2. Part of the problem with this match is WCW made overly convoluted rules and, for once, tried to stick to them no matter how little sense they made. Vader flips Steamboat over the top and onto the ramp. Steamboat dodges a Vader splash on the ramp. Vader tries to throw Steaboat from ring 1 to ring 2 but Steamboat squeaks out. More ineffectual brawling that seems to go on forever. This is a mess and shit. It's a messy shit. No one likes a messy shit. Rich is finally the first to get sent to ring 2. The crowd wakes up when Sting and Luger find each other. Bagwell goes to ring 2. Hughes throws Chip to ring 2. Liger goes over. Morton walks over! You're supposed to *not* want to go to oh who am I kidding what does it matter. Liger finally has some space to work and is bored so he puts on a flippydo showcase, topped off with a springboard moonsault (lionsault). Morton and Liger eliminate each other. Hughes flies over into ring 2. Rich gets eliminated off camera. Arn and Steamboat were fighting on the outside, but when they get back in it's in ring 2! *throws papers in the air in frustration* Tony's all confused like the rules matter or something. No one knows what to do. All the outside the ring fighting doesn't help any. Sting finds Rude and they start hockey fighting and end up in ring 2. Only Luger and Vader are left in ring 1. Luger clotheslines Vader over to ring 2 and is the "winner" of ring 1. And skipping ahead a bit because eff it.....the final 4 in ring 2 are Sting, Steamboat, Austin and Rude. With 3 camera angles still on screen for some reason. Sting whips Rude into Austin. He and Rude reverse and reverse and reverse whips and finally Sting uses it to Stinger Splash Austin! The Dangerous Alliance go for a double team, but Sting ducks and Rude eliminates Austin! Rude throws Steamboat out but he skins the cat and headscissors Rude to pull him out. Rude responds by dragging Steamboat to the floor to eliminate him. Sting "wins" ring 2. Rude comes in and gives him a Rude Awakening. Luger comes over and pecks away at the corpse. They end up on the ramp again. Race tries a cheap shot but Sting slams him. Luger pushes Sting off the ramp into the barricade. Sting blocks a rail shot, gives Luger a few and starts to come back. He props Luger up in the corner. Race comes in again and Sting suplexes him. Luger dodges the Stinger splash. He throws Sting over and celebrates, but Sting hung onto the ropes and landed on the apron. Sting clotheslines Luger over and wins Battlebowl! I'm very tempted to DUD this thing, but there was some effort being made from a wrestling standpoint, and they did use it to set up some future feuds (most notably Sting/Luger and Rude/Steamboat, but also gave us the first Vader/Sting tease) so I'll be generous. *

OVERALL SHOW THOUGHTS- There's some interesting things going on long term booking wise in the tag matches, if not a lot of great wrestling, and that part managed to play out moderately well. Battlebowl is the usual WCW gimmick match clusterfuck. Fortunately, this is the last major show run by Jim Herd. Kip Frey would take over as temporary steward in January (and oversee two of the best shows in company history, Superbrawl II and Wrestle War '92) before Bill Watts was hired and brought a whole new slew of company damaging ideas with him.

OVERALL SHOW GRADE: D+

G1 Climax 30 Preview

Johnny Legacy's Deep Thoughts

G1 Climax 30 Preview

The greatest time on the wrestling calendar is upon us again! The blocks for this year's G1 Climax tournament are now out, which means it's once again time for my horribly wrong predictions. Please note all the average points numbers for each wrestler are only from 2010 on, the year the current format (if not size) of the tournament settled in.

A Block

1. Kazuchika Okada (9th appearance, 14 last year, 12.5 avg, 2012 & 2014 winner)- Whenever Okada goes into a G1 without the belt you have to consider him the prohibitive favorite. Whether it happens or not is very up in the air. This year's tournament is pretty wide open. But however it shakes out, Okada will be in the mix. Projected points: 12-14

 

2. Kota Ibushi (6th appearance, 14 last year, 10.4 avg, 2018 runner up, 2019 winner)- The Golden Star has been the Ace of the G1 the last two years, totaling 26 points overall and making both finals. He's looking to become the first wrestler since Hiroyoshi Tenzan in '03-'04 to win back to back G1s, and the first ever to make three consecutive finals. If the hinted at and rumored turn to the dark side does indeed happen, another win setting up a renewal of his rivalry with Naito on the grand stage of the Tokyo Dome is not out of the question. Projected points: 12-14

 

3. Jay White (3rd appearance, 12 last year, 12 avg, 2019 runner up)- The Switchblade overcame an 0-3 start last year to score 12 points for the second straight year and make his first final. I don't see him as quite as much of a sure thing as Okada or Ibushi, but another run to the final is certainly possible. As my friend Cody Kahne postulated on Twitter, an all-Bullet Club final would be a very interesting story, with three top stars and now two former heavyweight champions all in the group. Projected points: 10-14

 

4. Will Ospreay (2nd appearance, 8 last year)- Ospreay finally makes his pandemic delayed return to New Japan, and is poised for a potentially huge tournament following his, in my opinion, wrestler of the year performance in 2019 and official move to heavyweight. But this block draw did him no favors. If he was in B block he'd be a favorite, here he's just a potential spoiler and dark horse. Projected points: 8-12

 

5. Shingo Takagi (2nd appearance, 8 last year)- Another wrestler poised to make a leap forward. The former Dragon Gate star has been steadily moving up the New Japan ladder, most notably going undefeated in block competition in the '19 Best of the Super Juniors and his recent run with the NEVER Openwight title. Like Ospreay, there's a lot to overcome in this block. Should New Japan ever get Naito's belts separated again, Shingo would be a top contender for the Intercontinental title. Projected points: 8-10

 

6. Tomohiro Ishii (8th appearance, 8 last year, 8.6 avg)- No one steps up their game, match quality wise, for G1 season like Big Tom, and you know exactly what you're going to get from him: a midpack finish, a big upset or two, and a pack of 4+ star matches left behind. Projected points: 8-10

 

7. Minoru Suzuki (9th appearance, first since 2018, 9.8 avg)- After missing last year's tournament, possibly due to contract renegotiations or sadly Suzuki not being able to work the Dallas show, the King is back, and newly recrowned as NEVER Openweight champion to boot. Suzuki is another guy that will have plenty of great matches during the tournament (we need to start having a conversation on if Suzuki is the best over 50 wrestler of all time, the guy has only gotten better with age) but not make any serious challenge for the top of the standings. Projected points: 6-10

 

8. Taichi (2nd appearance, 8 last year)- Taichi put together a respectable tournament last year, going a long way to winning a skeptic of his like me partially over, and should be in the same range this year. Hopefully Dangerous T shows up more than lazy "everyone interfere for me" Taichi. As Kevin Kelly aptly put it, he's not a max effort guy. Projected points: 6-8

 

9. Jeff Cobb (2nd appearance, 8 last year)- After a so-so debut last year Cobb is a surprise return to me. To be perfectly honest I'm not overly enthused to see him again but hope he does something to prove me wrong. A high points total, however, is not happening. Projected points: 6-8

 

10. Yujiro Takahashi (7th appearance, first since 2015, 6.3 avg)- He's just here to eat pins. Expect lots of crappy BC interference filled matches. Projected points: 2-6

 

B Block

 

1. Tetsuya Naito (11th appearance, 10 last year, 10.5 avg, 2011 runner up, 2013 & 2017 winner)- For the first time in his storied career Naito is walking into the G1 as the defending IWGP Heavyweight Champion. Naito had a by his standards disappointing run last year, while he was fighting through a legit eye injury that gave him double or even triple vision. He'll be looking to become the first wrestler in 20 years to win the tournament as champion, and he's drawn the weaker of the two blocks on paper, but the most likely outcome is a champion run like Okada and Kenny Omega had the last couple of years: a long winning streak to start with a couple of upset losses at the end to keep him out of the final. Projected points: 12-14

 

2. Zack Sabre Jr (4th appearance, 8 last year, 10 avg)- The #2 rank in this block was a very tough call, but I'm going with ZSJ because I think he has a slightly higher floor than the next couple of guys. After hitting double digits his first two tournaments he slipped to 8 last year (and despite what he says it's not Boris Johnson's fault). Expect a big rebound this year. If the tradition of the champion not making the finals holds up, ZSJ could well be in his first G1 final. Projected points: 12-14

 

3. KENTA (2nd appearance, 8 last year)- KENTA debuted in last year's G1 in huge fashion, defeating eventual winner Kota Ibushi the opening night. After working the tournament as a face but failing to win the support of the NJPW faithful, he turned heel and joined Bullet Club, then ruined Naito's victory celebration in the Tokyo Dome. He's already got one briefcase from the US New Japan Cup to challenge for the IWGP US Title. Can he add a second briefcase? He's in the group to make a serious run and I like his chances more of the two BC guys in this block. Projected points: 10-14

 

4. EVIL (5th appearance, 8 last year, 9.5 avg)- Filthy traitor EVIL showed his true colors (sorry, my LIJ fandom showing) when he shocked the wrestling world by turning on Naito and joining Bullet Club, and doubled the shock by winning the IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental titles. But after Naito won the titles back his story feels somewhat completed for now. I expect a strong but not winning run. The match between him and KENTA will be very interesting. Projected points: 10-12

 

5. Hiroshi Tanahashi (19th appearance, 8 last year, 11.6 avg, 2004, 2010 & 2013 runner up, 2007, 2015 & 2018 winner)- After pulling out a surprise 3rd G1 win in '18, last year's results really look like the Ace's time challenging for tournament wins is over. The "Tanahashi is aging" story has been played very heavily since he dropped the heavyweight title early last year, and his slow decline to New Japan Dad status should continue. It's a shame he and Ibushi aren't in the same block, especially if Ibushi's turn to the dark side is continuing. Projected points: 8-12

 

6. SANADA (5th appearance, 8 last year, 8 avg)- SANADA's been in 4 G1s. He's scored 8 points every time. There's not much reason to expect anything different this year. He could get a decent run, but I'm not banking on it. Projected points: 8-10

 

7. Hirooki Goto (13th appearance, 10 last year, 9.4 avg, 2016 runner up, 2008 winner)- I wrote him off for dead last year, but instead the Goto roller coaster continued and he put up a solid 10. Expect the coaster to dive back down this year. Projected points: 6-10

 

8. Juice Robinson (4th appearance, 8 last year, 7.3 avg)- The former 2 time US champ has yet to make a major mark on any G1. While he could shock us, I don't see that changing this year. Projected points: 6-10

 

9. Toru Yano (15th appearance, 8 last year, 8 avg)- After struggling to 6 points trying to be Fair Play Yano in '18, the sublime master thief returned with a vengeance last year, getting his usual 8 points but picking up huge upset wins over Naito, White and Moxley, the latter of whom never recovered and gave us the "you've been Yano'd" image for the ages. Hope for more of the same. Yano wrestling in a G1 is one of the most entertaining things ever in wrestling and we should enjoy it while it's still here. Projected points: 6-8

 

10. YOSHI-HASHI (3rd appearance, first since 2018, 5.3 avg)- After missing last year's tourney with an injury one of New Japan's permanent underdogs is back for another go. I said after 2018 I never wanted to see a HASHI match again, and I haven't really changed that stance. Always take the under with YOSHI-HASHI. Always. Prejected points: 4-6

Saturday Night's Main Event II

Legacy Review

Saturday Night's Main Event II

October 5, 1985 (taped October 3) from the Meadowlands Arena in East Rutherford, NJ

Commentary: Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura

 

Volkoff and Hogan open with dueling promos for their title match. Volkoff says he's going home with the belt and and will have "no hesitation to push the button and fire all the missiles at stupid Americans". Mean Gene is with the Hillbilly family as they prepare for the big wedding later in the show. Roddy Piper interrupts and rants right through the cut to the opening titles. During Vince and Ventura's stand up open Ventura complains (in his awesome pure '80s triangular shades) that weddings have no place on a wrestling show.

Flag Match for the WWF Championship: Hulk Hogan (c) def Nikolai Volkoff (w/Freddie Blassie) in 5:17- This isn't "capture the flag" rules, it's a normal match and the winner can fly their nation's colors. Which they were going to do anyway. Hogan's wearing his "American Made" shirt, is in all white gear, and comes out to Stars and Stripes Forever. Volkoff jumps Hogan from behind while he's placing the flag. He rips Hogan's shirt off and chokes him with it. Hogan counters a buckle shot. Corner clothesline. Running clothesline. The big boot (well, more like medium boot as Hogan only gets it about waist high) sends Volkoff out onto the timeskeeper's table. Hogan follows him out and gets posted. Volkoff works the back and gets a trunks assisted gorilla press into a backbreaker for 2. Volkoff tries a piledriver. Hogan backdrops out. Volkoff with a slam for 2. Hogan hulks up. He dodges a charge and Volkoff goes face first into the post. Legdrop and good night. Hogan desecrates the Soviet flag and waves Old Glory. For Volkoff that was a high end match. Hogan was an underrated worker in this period, but he was no miracle worker. *

 

Uncle Elmer (w/Hillbilly Jim and Cousin Junior) def "Gentleman" Jerry Valiant in :12- One body slam and it's over. It's announced as a WWF record 6 second win, beating King Kong Bundy's 9 second record from Wrestlemania. Both are exaggerated, but this one was definitely shorter. NR

Jesse Ventura hosts Bobby Heenan on his Body Shop talk show. Heenan says he's upping the bounty to take Paul Orndorff out of wrestling from $25,000 to $50,000.

 

"Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff and "Rowdy" Roddy Piper go to a double countout in 4:01- Full bagpipe corps entrance for Piper. Orndorff is so fired up the ref has to hold him back as Piper gets in. Heenan is at ringside with the bounty money. Slugfest start. Piper pounds Orndorff's head on the mat. Orndorff gets a takedown and does some ground and pound. With biting. They brawl on the mat. Piper hits a modified DDT with a weird sell from Orndorff and kicks him outside. Both guys take table shots and a chair gets involved. Back in, Orndorff hits an elbow off the top rope. Piper gets his casual two finger eye poke to get some space. Midring collision and both guys go down. An Orndorff crossbody near the ropes sends both guys over and out and they brawl on the floor. The ref counts them both out. Neither guy notices. The fight under the raised platform for commentary and all the way to the back. The cameras follow as Piper locks himself in a locker room to hide. Short and energetic, and has the traditional non-finish on TV to set up one of the big matches for the house show loop. **1/2

Next up is Uncle Elmer's legitimate in-ring wedding. Okerlund is on the organ. Some jackhole throws trash into the bride's face as she's speaking. Pure New Jersey. To her credit she barely flinches. Elmer keeps mishearing the judge and getting his lines wrong, amusing Ventura no end. At the "speak now or hold your peace" part Piper comes out, rants about weddings having no business in wrestling, and leaves. As the wedding party leaves we cut to the reception area with live pigs running around. Ventura: "The family's there already."

 

Andre the Giant and Tony Atlas (w/Capt. Lou Albano) def King Kong Bundy and Big John Studd (w/Bobby Heenan) by DQ in 4:26- This is part of the longrunning "who's the true giant in wrestling" feud. Andre and Bundy start. Andre goozles and uses Bundy's strap to choke him. Corner squash. More choking. Who's the heel here? Andre knocks Bundy's and Atlas' heads together. Studd runs Atlas over with a shoulderblock. Atlas counters with headbutts but misses a dropkick. While Studd and Andre fight in the face corner Bundy comes in and splashes Atlas. Atlas still manages to tag out. Andre big boot on Studd. Bundy jumps Andre from behind. Studd posts Atlas' back outside, then comes in and the heels double team Andre. The ref calls for the DQ. Hogan runs in to help. Why did Hogan help? Well, there's big plans in store but he'll tell you about it later. 3/4*

Up next is a skit with Mean Gene searching for George "The Animal" Steele at the Detroit Zoo. They check out some animals and Steele compares them to wrestlers (Heenan for weasels of course, Bundy for a hippo). At the end Steele runs back home into the jungle.

 

WWF Tag Team Championship: The Dream Team (c) (w/Johnny Valiant) def Lanny Poffo and Tony Garea in 3:30- Before the match we get a clip from the house show in Philadelphia in August when the Dream Team beat the US Express for the tag titles via heel shenanigans. The Express are in the crowd. Valentine and Poffo start. The Hammer hammers away. Poffo handstands out of a headlock and fights out of a double team. He hits a moonsault on Beefcake! That move is so new and out of place in 1985 no one knows how to react to it. Poffo gets caught in the heel corner again. He dives out trying to tag but is cut off. Beefcake gets a slam for 2. Poffo dives again and gets the tag. Garea knocks Beefcake around and gets a crossbody for 2. The heels work him down. Valentine drops an elbow, locks in the figure four, and Garea gives it up. That was maximizing your minutes. The Express never got their rematch as Barry Windham soon left the company for a pit stop in Florida before heading toward stardom in Mid-Atlantic. **3/4

The show closing skit is the wedding reception. Vince and Ventura are there in person. Ventura is working on a poem. We get tips on eating etiquette from Lou Albano. Lanny Poffo gives the couple a babyface poem. Ventura gives them the heel poem. Okerlund pushes him into the wedding cake (I'm noticing a trend here). At the end we get the big announcement Hogan was teasing: on the next SNME he's going to team with Andre against Studd and Bundy.

Saturday Night's Main Event I

Legacy Review

Saturday Night's Main Event I

Aired May 11, 1985 (taped May 10) from the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, NY

Commentary: Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura

After seeing the success of WWF's pre-Wrestlemania I specials on MTV, NBC honcho Dick Ebersol decided he wanted a piece of WWF's new national pie. SNME was put in the same timeslot as Saturday Night Live on weeks SNL was scheduled to be in reruns, and the original concept was that it would be a mix of a traditional wrestling and more backstage segments, particularly comedy, than were normally done at the time. This suited Vince just fine, as he was always looking for ways to put the entertainment in sports entertainment.

The US Express and Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat (w/Capt. Lou Albano) def WWF Tag Team Champions The Iron Shiek & Nikolai Volkoff and George "The Animal" Steele (w/Freddie Blassie) in 6:30- The faces look like a Young Lion team with their all black trunks. No black boots though. Sheik and Windham start. Windham blocks an attempted cheap shot on a rope break and hits his own. Sheik's hiptossed into the face corner and Steamboat chops him. Quick tag arm work by the faces. Vince mentions Rotunda went to Syracuse! He's turning into JR! Sheik grabs an abdominal stretch on Steamboat. Steamboat flips out and hiptosses all the heels. FACKING BULLSHIT! The heels recover on the outside. The crowd's loving it. Steamboat hits a powerslam! Not a normal move for him. Missile dropkick off the top. High crossbody off the top! Volkoff breaks the pin up. Volkoff tags in and gets whipped into Windham's boot in the corner. The Express hit a double dropkick for 2. Big legdrops from Rotunda. He gets a roll up and a backslide for 2. Windham with a BIG sunset flip for 2. Windham and Steele slug it out. Steele tries to tag out but Sheik and Volkoff drop off the apron and won't tag! Windham rolls him up and pins him. Fun stuff. Amazing what happens when you let the best workers control the match. The Express would win the tag titles back the next month on weekly TV. ***

After the match Volkoff and Sheik jump Steele! Albano, who used to manage Steele, comes in and calms him down. Mean Gene grabs Sheik to explain what happened. Blassie says Steele's nuts and they're done with him. As Steele leaves the arena floor they almost fight again. This was Steele's face turn.

Next up is Piper's Pit with guest Paul Orndorff. Piper and Orndorff argue about Orndorff taking the pin at WM and Piper and Orton dumping him after. It eventually comes to blows. Orndorff hooks Piper up for a piledriver and we see Piper's wearing blue tightie whities under his kilt instead of wrestling trunks. Orton makes the save.

 

WWF Championship: Hulk Hogan (c) (w/Mr. T) def "Cowboy" Bob Orton (w/Roddy Piper) by DQ in 6:54- Hogan and T tear each other's shirts off. Orton tries to ambush but Hogan was ready for him. Hogan throws him around while he still has his chaps on. Orton's shoulder/"injured" arm are run into the post. Hogan targets the cast. He posts the arm again. Orton counters with a jumping knee. Atomic drop for 2 (it's 1985). T and Piper get close and side eye each other. Orton rolls through slow offense until Hogan starts hulking up. Hogan clothesline. Elbow drop for 2. Mounted punches, countered by Orton with an inverted atomic drop. He mounts Hogan for the superplex. Hogan punches out and hits an elbow off the second rope. Legdrop! Piper reaches in and punches Hogan, drawing the DQ. T runs in. He and Piper brawl. Orton helps Piper take T down and they corner Hogan. Orndorff runs in to make the save! Solidifying his face turn. Match was decentish. **

 

WWF Women's Championship: Wendi Richter (c) def The Fabulous Moolah in 4:00- Moolah's used her stroke (.....her backstage stroke. POLITICAL stroke. Get your mind out of the gutter) to get Cyndi Lauper banned from ringside. During Lauper's counter promo she asks "Do you remember what happened at Wrestling Mania?". Is that before or after Summerfest? We JIP the match after commercial with Moolah in control. Moolah throws Richter out and kicks her on the apron. Richter sneaks behind Moolah while she's playing to the crowd and dropkicks her out. Moolah with a backdrop for 2. They brawl while on their knees. Moolah tries to hide in the ropes. Richter pulls her out. Richter reverses a slam attempt into a cover and gets the 3. 1/4*

 

The Junkyard Dog (w/Bertha Ritter) def Pete Doherty in 3:15- JYD's mom is here for Mother's Day. Pure jobber match. Doherty sells like a champ until JYD finishes it with a powerslam. 1/2*

We close with the first big SNME backstage skit- Cyndi Lauper's Mother's Day Bash. Sheik and Volkoff complain to Gene Mean their mothers couldn't make the trip and it's all Lauper's fault somehow. Blassie's got the arm candy/trophy girl and claims it's his mother. Albano gives the best mother's day speech on a WWF/E show until Mr. T's legendary ode to his mamma during his HOF speech. Hogan's with his mom (I assume, I haven't gone and verified it). Moolah crashes the party and insults Lauper's mom. Lauper pushes Moolah, and she and Okerlund end up crashing into the conveniently placed cake. End scene.

Just to note here, I'm not going to do a major wrapup or grade on these shows like I do PPVs because they're not really the same animal (I will still do it for Clash of the Champions because those are more mini-PPVs, SNME is more like super sized weekly TV). Suffice to say this was a decent start to what would be a very good WWF/NBC partnership that would run into the early '90s.