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Orton def Hillbilly Jim, Uncle Elmer and Cousin Luke in 8:00- In between SNMEs Cousin Junior left the company and has been replaced by Cousin Luke (not Bushwhacker Luke).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.