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.