The Main Event III

Legacy Review

The Main Event III

February 23, 1990 from the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit

Commentary: Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura

For the third straight year the road to Wrestlemania includes a live Friday night prime time special on NBC. This one wouldn't be nearly as consequential as the previous two, however.

 

Boxer James "Buster" Douglas is the guest referee for the WWF title match. It was originally scheduled to be Mike Tyson, but a couple of weeks before this Tyson went and jobbed to Douglas in the biggest upset in boxing history and messed everything up. Vince got Douglas instead, and Tyson would have to wait 8 more years for his big WWF guest spot. Vince claims in the open Tyson's management pulled him out, a likely story. In his promo Savage says he's glad Tyson is out because he did some research and discovered Tyson's grandmother is a dyed in the wool Hulkamaniac. Hilarious. All the talk about whether or not Douglas was going to be impartial is, in true WWF fashion, way over the top. He's not even scheduled to be the regular ref, he's only going to be the outside ref.

WWF Championship: Hulk Hogan (c) def "Macho King" Randy Savage (w/Sensational Queen Sherri) in 11:14- To continue the crazy over the top presentation of Douglas, he gets his own special entrance *after* the wrestlers. The crowd reaction is polite but lukewarm. Hogan knocks Savage around to start and Savage bails a couple of times. Hogan tries to follow but Douglas stops him. A Savage high knee sends Hogan out. Savage perches on the top rope but Douglas stops him from doing anything. Sherri gets on the apron. Hogan grabs her and Savage tries to take advantage but ends up taking Sherri out instead. Long pillar to post beating by Hogan. Regular ref Earl Hebner stops a Hogan ground and pound and Hogan doesn't like that. He hits the ropes and Sherri grabs his foot. Hogan grabs her again and this time Savage successfully ambushes him. Diving clothesline for 2. Chokes from Savage and Sherri. Douglas breaks up Sherri's choke and throws her out. We go to commercial as Douglas is escorting Sherri out. Back from break as Douglas is coming back and for some reason the bell rings again. Savage had been killing time with Hogan in a chinlock. Hogan does the comeback. Double clothesline but Savage no sells his end and covers Hogan with one foot for 2. Hogan goes out and Savage hits the double ax handle off the top with Douglas standing by and watching. Double ax off the top in the ring for 2. Savage does a bunch of quick covers that Hogan keeps kicking out of. They go outside again and this time Douglas stops Savage coming off the top again. So much for consistency. Savage hits the elbow! Hulk Up. The big boot sends Savage out. Brawl on the floor. As they're getting back in Hebner takes a ref bump. Hogan hits the legdrop and Douglas comes in to count the 3. After the bell Savage argues with Douglas. Hogan eggs them on. Savage slaps and taunts Douglas. This is going on almost as long as the match did. Finally Hogan pushes Savage into Douglas. Douglas punches him, but they mistimed something because Savage didn't even react to it! A second punch finally sends Savage down. Given the fact that Hogan and Savage having a good wrestling match was about 10th on the list of priorities for this whole thing, and Savage's general disgust of Hogan right now for politicking him down the card, this was borderline acceptable. **

WWF Intercontinental Championship: The Ultimate Warrior (c) def Dino Bravo (w/Jimmy Hart and Earthquake) in 4:11- Warrior's belt strap color tonight is yellow. Bravo tries a clothesline as Warrior gets in the ring. Warrior ducks and hits a powerslam. Warrior double ax handle off the top rope. He goes up again but Quake pulls him down. Shoulderblock standoff. Quake grabs Warrior again as he hits the ropes and Bravo hits him from behind. Warrior goes under the ring? Is he looking for help from Little People Land? On the other side Jimmy Hart gets grabbed and drug under the ring. After a minute Hart comes back out with no pants on, followed by Warrior. Er, what was going on under there? Second review in a row, I'm trying real hard to not get a line in referencing Warrior's homophobia but he's not making it easy. Quake grabs Warrior and slams him on the floor as Hart runs to the back. Bravo locks on a bear hug. Warrior Mongolian chops out and tries to grab one of his own but Bravo eye rakes out. Bravo hits the side suplex! Warrior kicks out and starts to Warrior up. Running clotheslines. Flying tackle. Splash. Done. Meh. *

 

After the match Quake attacks again and the heels double team. Warrior fights them off and gets Bravo out of the ring but Quake gets him down again. Quake hits a couple of big elbow drops. Instead of going for the Earthquake splash he gets up on the second rope. Hogan runs out to save Warrior. He punches Quake, who does a nice bump from the second turnbuckle, over the top, bouncing off the apron and to the floor. Warrior doesn't appreciate Hogan's help and they get face to face again as all the refs run in to separate them. Ventura accuses Hogan of deliberately trying to steal the spotlight from Warrior, stirring the pot. Commercial.

In the end show promos Hogan says he made the save because he wants Warrior at 100% so when he beats him at WM, Warrior was at his best. Warrior's promo is another "needs to be seen to be believed". The whole setup is unique and actually pretty well done. Ventura dips into forbidden terms as he says Hogan was trying to steal Warrior's heat. After the first two Main Events had huge, earth shattering angles setting up Wrestlemania, this was a real letdown. This was the first year more emphasis started to be placed on the Royal Rumble as the major setup show for WM, and we all know how important that would get.

Saturday Night's Main Event XXV

Legacy Review

Saturday Night's Main Event XXV

January 27, 1990 (taped January 3) from the UTC Arena in Chattanooga, TN

Commentary: Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura

We're in another pretape hole, as this show was taped before the Royal Rumble but not aired until the week after.

 

We get footage from the match that Savage won the King crown from Duggan with help of the Sherri's Loaded Purse of Solidity +2.

"Macho King" Randy Savage (w/Sensational Queen Sherri) def "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan in 9:14- Savage takes his time disrobing on his entrance to frustrate Duggan. Duggan fixes the situation by going and and tipping the throne over with Savage on it! After a few buckle shots Duggan no sells Savage's comeback attempt until Savage hits him with a clothesline. Duggan responds with his own clothesline for 2. After a huge Duggan atomic drop Sherri gets on the apron and Savage hits him from behind. Double ax handle to the floor. Double ax handle in the ring for 2. The top rope snap clothesline gets 2. Duggan dodges a charge and Savage ends up in the ropes. A Duggan backdrop puts Savage on the floor. Sherri argues with the ref and antagonizes Duggan to let Savage recover. Duggan does that splash/kneedrop combo looking thingy and Sherri distracts the ref again to save the pin. After Savage is knocked to the floor again Sherri hits Duggan in the back. Duggan chases, backs her in the corner and threatens to hit her. Savage gets him from behind with a high knee, then tries coming off the top rope again but they hit each other and both guys are down. Sherri slips Savage the purse of doom. Savage wallops Duggan with it. Duggan kicks out! Really good callback to the previous match. Duggan with a desperation small package for 2. He atomic drops Savage into the corner and hits more clotheslines. The 3 point stance clothesline sends Savage to the floor. Duggan suplexes him back in, but Sherri grabs his foot and they do the Wrestlemania 5 finish with Savage's feet also on the rope for good measure. Duggan was really regressing as a worker by this point, and with Sherri so heavily involved in all his matches in this period there's only so much Savage could do. **1/4

Replay of the Hogan/Warrior mini-match portion of the Royal Rumble. Ventura doesn't think they can work together and the egos are going to explode.

 

WWF Champion Hulk Hogan and WWF Intercontinental Champion The Ultimate Warrior def Mr. Perfect and The Genius in 8:02- Hogan and Perfect start. Ventura compares this to the Super Bowl, with Hogan/Warrior as the heavily favored 49ers and Perfect/Genius as the Broncos. Um, Jesse, I remember watching that game live. I bet that's a line he sorely regretted after the game took place the next day (55-10 49ers, still the biggest Super Bowl blowout to this day). Hogan unshockingly outpowers Perfect and has a bodyslam party for the heels. Warrior tags in and chases them outside, double noggin knockers, chases them back in and knocks them both out again. Perfect gets some shots in on Hogan in the corner. Hogan reverses a whip, back elbows Perfect and Perfect does a 360 over the top and out. As Genius writes some notes on his scroll Perfect goes into a series of classic Perfect flippy sells for everything Hogan does to him. If this was the NBA he'd be kicked out and fined for ridiculous flopping. A big boot sends Perfect out again. Genius slips him the scroll and Perfect whacks Hogan with it (without taking the time to read whatever was written on there, shows how much confidence Perfect had in Genius in a manager). Hogan wraps up a small package for 2. Chops, clothesline and the neck snap from Perfect. He takes the risk of tagging Genius in, but Genius gets a few kicks in and tags out again so that went OK. Genius struts around like a, well, fairy to annoy Warrior. There's SO many lines I could go for here but I'm not gonna do it. Perfectplex! But Perfect stops the count! Bold strategery Cotton. He tags Genius back in so he can finish it with the moonsault. Hogan gets his knees up, then puts his boot up when Perfect tries coming off the top. Hot tag. Warrior destroys everyone. Gorilla press on Genius. He hits the ropes for the splash but Hogan tags his back. Warrior stays in stride and takes Perfect out, while Hogan hits the legdrop to win. Pretty fun match. The action was nonstop with Perfect putting on a selling clinic and even keeping his finisher protected for his coming IC title reign. ***

While Hogan and Warrior celebrate Perfect attacks from behind and the melee is on again. In the confusion of it all Warrior clotheslines Hogan! Warrior instantly stops to check on him while Ventura crows he saw it coming and no way was it an accident. When Hogan gets up he shoves Warrior! They go nose to nose again, sadly to a much more lukewarm crowd reaction than they got at the Rumble. But regardless, the WM 6 main event is on.

Footage of Roberts stealing the Million Dollar Belt on weekly TV. Roberts teases the belt being in the bag with Damien but no one has the guts to check and see.

 

Jake "The Snake" Roberts def Greg "The Hammer" Valentine (w/Jimmy Hart) by DQ in 5:16- During his entrance Roberts shows that Damien is in fact the Guardian of the Belt, and leaves in in the bag with him. Valentine hits a couple of armdrags off the lockup and celebrates with Hart. Roberts armdrags out of an armbar and does the usual early DDT tease. Hart distracts and Valentine lays in with forearms and chops. He drops a hammer elbow and does an arrogant cover Roberts quickly kicks out of. Slugfest. Valentine goes into the corner and slooooowly Valentine flo.....nope, Roberts clotheslines him before he can do it. Short clothesline. Valentine backdrops out of a DDT attempt. Roberts dodges an elbow. Valentine dodges a kneelift. Good chess match stuff from two cerebral wrestlers. Valentine goes for the figure four. Roberts pushes out, Valentine and Hart (on the apron) collide, and Roberts hits the DDT! Before he can cover DiBiase and Virgil run in for the DQ. Virgil tries to psych himself up to stick his hand in Damien's bag to get the belt but Roberts chases them off before he can do it. Solid match from guys that rarely gave you anything less. **1/4

 

"The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes (w/Sapphire) and "Ravishing" Rick Rude (w/Bobby Heenan) go to a double countout in 9:04- There's a sort of feud here as Rude has been saying he could take Sapphire away from Dusty anytime he wanted to. Dusty and Sapphire share a prematch kiss and Rude ambushes. Dusty reverses a corner whip with another A+ Rude sell. Rude tries to slam Dusty but his back can't take the weight. Bionic elbows. Rude begs off and dodges an elbow drop. He hooks in a modified sleeper. Heenan goes across and gets in Sapphire's face. Dusty backdrops Rude, then sees Heenan and goes out to stop him. Rude hits him from behind. The ref throws both managers out. While they leave there's a fight on the floor and Dusty gets posted. Rude goes into time killing mode again with an armbar. Sapphire shows back up in the crowd, brandishing a front row ticket. Did she just buy that? Who sells tickets after the show starts? I hope she got a steep discount. Like, at least a 50% discount, like those guys at NCT Software like to give. Rude sticks with the arm work while Ventura plugs Mike Tyson's upcoming guest referee spot on the next Main Event. More on that later. Midring collision. Rude tries coming off the top but Dusty gives him a shot in the gut. Dusty goes for the figure four. Rude eye rakes out. Rude hits a snap mare and goes back to some more shots on the arm. See, this is what separates 1990 Rude versus the Rude of 1988 that kept Jake Roberts in a chinlock for 8 minutes to kill time for a time limit draw. Dusty boogies up and hits another bionic elbow. Rude counters a backdrop and goes out after Sapphire taunts him. Slugfest on the floor. There's no bell but we assume it was a double countout. Dusty's music still plays so he and Sapphire can horrify us with their dancing. As I've said before, counseling is available. That was as much as you were going to get out of broken down WWF Dusty. Rude's getting really damn good. **

 

Dino Bravo (w/Jimmy Hart and Earthquake) def "Rugged" Ronnie Garvin in 3:19- Bravo pounds away. Garvin ducks a clothesline and hits chops. Bravo throws Garvin outside so Quake can take a shot at him. Bravo elbowdrop for 2. Gutwrench suplex for 2. Garvin slips out of a slam and tries a roll up but Bravo grabs the rope. After more elbow dodging Garvin hits big chops and a backdrop. He flips Hart in and throws him down onto Quake. Quake catches him. Garvin Stomp, but Garvin interrupts it to stomp on Quake's hand. Garvin goes for a crossbody off the top, but Bravo reverses it for the pin. Afterward the heels double team and Quake squashes Garvin with two Earthquake splashes. Garvin does the stretcher job. 3/4*

The show closes with Savage and Hogan giving dueling promos for their upcoming Main Event title match, both focusing on Mike Tyson being the special guest ref. Ventura says that "maybe Tyson will meet his match". Well, turns out that Tyson did, but before he made it to the Main Event.....

Clash of the Champions IX

Legacy Review

Clash of the Champions IX: New York Knockout

November 15, 1989 from the Houston Field House in Troy, NY

Commentary: Jim Ross and Gordon Solie

 

We're heading into Starrcade '89 and the rather flat Iron Man tournaments they did that year but, hey, it's Starrcade. This show is also the first glimpse of what would be a regular thing for most of 1990: tag team heavy cards, taking advantage of the deepest tag division in history.

The Turner lads have the stage set up like a music video set, an idea they would reuse at Starrcade. For a wresting show, it doesn't really work. It does give this Clash a PPV-like feel though. The "New York Knockout" show graphic is pure late '80s/early '90s Turner graphics.

The Fabulous Freebirds def The Road Warriors (w/Paul Ellering) by DQ in 5:18- The on screen graphic lists the Freebirds as the world tag champs, but they don't have the belts and they're not introduced or mentioned by commentary as such. It's because they had taped the match where they drop the belts to the Steiners but it didn't air until the following Saturday. Hayes and Hawk start. Hawk cocks a fist and Hayes bails. Animal sneaks up behind him and press slams him back in. Big Hawk clothesline on Garvin. The crowd gets going with the "Freebirds suck" chant, letting Hayes stall a bit reacting to it. Pretty hot crowd for upstate New York actually. Hawk with a press slam. A confused Hayes tries to tag in the LOD corner and Animal pops him. Hayes leverages Hawk into Garvin's knee and Hawk has to fight out of the heel corner. Animal no sells a Garvin suplex and kills him with a clothesline. Then he no sells a Hayes back elbow and hits another clothesline. JR plugs the upcoming title change match. Garvin dodges an Animal charge and the Freebirds double team while hotheaded Hawk keeps running in, distracting the ref. After a few times Hawk has enough and tosses Tommy Young out of the way. Young calls for the bell. The LOD beat down the Freebirds and stand tall. Everyone was going through the motions here. *1/4

PWI head honcho Bill Apter is with JR for some year end awards. Sting has been named the most popular wrestler in the NWA. Specifically the NWA, because Hulk Hogan won the actual PWI award. And he presents Ric Flair with a special Wrestler of the Decade award. Just more fuel for the eventual Sting/Flair fire.

 

Doom (w/Woman) def "Hot Stuff" Eddie Gilbert and "Wildfire" Tommy Rich in 5:15- Troy wants nothing to do with Tommy Rich. This is one of Doom's first matches and they're still in masks. Gilbert and Doom 1 (Ron Simmons) start. Simmons shows off the power, tossing Gilbert out of the lockup and throwing him across the ring out of a headlock. Gilbert gets a shock roll up that Simmons instantly kicks out of. Gilbert does get a face plant in and the faces work Simmons' arm a bit. Rich blocks a Doom 2 (Butch Reed) hiptoss and hits his own. Gilbert leapfrogs out of a backdrop but Reed catches him and side suplexes him. Simmons hits a swinging neckbreaker for 2. Rich tags in and gets a hot tag-ish sequence. Donnybrook. Doom hits a decapitation device-like move for the win. Extended squash, but a spunky one. *

Next up is an edition of Jim Cornette's (still face, for now) Louisville Slugger talk show with guests the Steiner Brothers. The Steiners officially name Scott's move the Frankensteiner because they were watching Frankenstein and Rick had a brain wave. Their opponents tonight, the Skyscrapers, come up. "There's ain't a person in the world my brother and I can't suplex." True. Rick also says some unflattering and borderline non-PG things about Woman. If you think Scott's insane rambling promos were a new thing after he went singles, watch this and think again.

 

The Midnight Express (w/Jim Cornette) def The Dynamic Dudes in 9:22- The Express were technically still faces but had started to hint at going back to the dark side again. Cornette is in a neutral corner because he's been consulting the Dudes while still managing the Express. The Dudes offer a handshake. The Express blow it off and go out to argue with Cornette about not being in their corner. Eaton and Douglas start. Douglas tries an abdominal stretch. Eaton counters to a hammerlock and sandbags a Douglas armdrag a bit. Lane gets a drop toe hold but Douglas turns it around into his own hammerlock. Lane pulls his hair to get him into an armbar. Cornette gets on the apron to rat on Lane. Ace ducks a Lane enzuguri and goes on a dropkickfest on everyone. Eaton goes outside. Douglas with a plancha! Lane back suplexes out of a headlock but misses the follow up elbow. Eaton pops Douglas with straight rights, props him on the top turnbuckle, slaps him, and goes for a superplex but Douglas flips out of it and covers for 2, then hits a reverse crossbody for 2. Ace gets a big hiptoss and monkey flip on Eaton. He goes for a flying headscissors but midmove Lane punches him from the apron, to the delight of the crowd. Lane murders Ace with kicks in the corner. The Express go for the rocket launcher but Ace gets his knees up and tags. Douglas hits a Samoan drop on Eaton. Donnybrook! Eaton gets a chain. Douglas sees it and backdrops him. Cornette comes in and throws the chain out....the nails Douglas in the back with his tennis racket! Eaton covers for the win. The whole thing was a RUSE! The Express and Cornette officially turn back heel. That was a very condensed version of what could have been a great match, but the angle work was first rate. **3/4

 

"Dr. Death" Steve Williams def The Super Destroyer in 1:41- Super Destroyer is Jack Victory in a mask. Drink! During Williams' entrance Norman comes out as Santa Claus (It's not even Thanksgiving yet! I'm a stickler for no Christmas until after Thanksgiving. None.) causing TV to miss a lot of the first part of the match. Destroyer jumps Williams as Norman's coming out. Shoulderblock standoff. Williams hits a press slam, stiff clotheslines Destroyer to the floor, then hits the Stampede to win. For a guy that really wasn't going anywhere, Williams got a lot of squashes on Clashes. 1/2*

The Steiner Brothers def The Skyscrapers (w/Teddy Long) by DQ in 6:08- Rick comes in through the crowd with a box of popcorn he tosses on everyone. When he gets in the ring he steals Long's beret until Tommy Young takes it back. Spivey and Rick start. HUGE Rick German suplex on Spivey, followed by a Steinerline that sends him 360 and out. Back in Spivey catches Rick and spins him into a tombstone! Scott breaks the pin up and is tagged in. Frankensteiner on Spivey! Fallaway slam on Sid that Scott nearly dropped himself on his head on. Sid gets Scott into the heel corner and he's murdered with a Sid clothesline. Spivey with a big boot. Scott blocks and reverses a Spivey suplex. Steinerline! Tag to Rick. Steinerline! Rick powerslam. A member of Doom runs in and get Frankensteinered. Rick hits a belly to belly on Spivey and covers, but Young ignores it, shouts at everyone a bit, and calls for the DQ. In the chaos Woman comes in and hits Rick with her shoe. Bad move. But a big guy comes in and saves her. This was Woman's teased "big surprise", the debuting Nitron. Now the Road Warriors come in and we've got a massive brawl to set up the Ironman tag tournament at Starrcade. Except for somewhere in there Sid got hurt and suffered a punctured lung, which would lead to the Scrapers being removed from the tournament and replaced with the Samoan SWAT Team. It would also, strangely enough, lead to a guy named Mark Callaway getting his first break in the big time, temporarily replacing Sid on the team. The match was fine for what it was. The Steiners throwing and stiffing the shit out of people never gets old. **1/4

 

NWA United States Heavyweight Championship: "The Total Package" Lex Luger (c) def "Flyin'" Brian Pillman in 12:38- These guys had a great match at Halloween Havoc, so why not do it again? The crowd is pretty split, foreshadowing Luger's heel run wasn't going to last much longer. Pillman's fired up and Luger wants some space. A long speed sequence ends with Pillman dropkicks. Luger pounds Pillman down in the corner. Heading to the opposite corner, Pillman leaps over Luger, gets a shot in and Luger powders. Pillman hits some chops. Luger ducks and lifts Pillman, Pillman flips out and tries a roll up, Luger hangs on to the top rope, Pillman charges, Luger ducks, Pillman flies over but skins the cat back in and hits Luger with a spinning heel kick. Luger begs off. Pillman gets a boot up in the corner and hits a missile dropkick for 2. Luger blocks a corner whip so Pillman snaps his arm over the top rope, then works it around the ring post. Pillman works the arm a bit. Luger powers back. Pillman takes a Bret bump and Luger back suplexes him off the rebound. Luger hits a press slam and a Ultimate Warrior style gorilla press. Pillman chops back so Luger uses his tights to leverage him out to the floor again. Slam on the floor. Luger suplexes him back in and covers for a long 2 count. Pillman gets a shock rollup for 2. Luger hits a powerslam and calls for the rack. Pillman with another rollup for 2. Chop/punch exchange. Pillman ducks and hits a diving clothesline and backdrop. He goes for a crossbody off the top rope but ref Nick Patrick gets hit too. Luger goes out and gets a chair, whacks Pillman clean in the head with it, and covers to win. After the bell Luger continues the chair beatdown and puts Pillman into the rack until Sting comes in and makes the save. Luger and Sting stare down then fight back up the aisle. That was almost as good as their Havoc match. ***1/2

 

I Quit Match: NWA World Heavyweight Champion "Nature Boy" Ric Flair def Terry Funk (w/Gary Hart) in 18:33- This is a non-title match because both guys agreed this wasn't about the belt, it was about pride. Funk is still Crazy Ass Terry Funk but he's also trending more face again, promising to shake Flair's hand if he loses. Flair says if he says I quit it's "all over for him". Special entrances for both guys: cowboys with Funk, the usual women with Flair. Funk gets the mic before the bell and offers Flair a chance to quit now. Not happening. Flair ducks a Funk chop and chops Funk 360 and out! More chops in the corner. Chops on the floor. Funk with a shoulderblock, but as Flair goes down he trips Funk and they both try to choke each other on the mat. Fight on the apron. Big Funk headbutt. He throws Flair out and gives him a rail shot. Funk takes the mic and hits Flair with it. Flair chops back. Funk hits mounted punches with running commentary and sticks the mic in Flair's face. Flair's response is to inverted atomic drop out. Funk hits a swinging neckbreaker and slaps Flair. Flair goozles and chops. They go outside again and this time Funk takes rail shots. Flair pushes Hart out of the way. Flair gets the mic, chokes Funk and tells him to quit. Hart distracts Flair with the branding iron and Funk hits him from behind. Another neckbreaker. Funk gets the mic, says "You remember your neck?" and cinches up a piledriver. He tells Young to "ask him before I piledrive him". Flair tries to fight out but Funk hits the piledriver. Flair won't quit. Funk hits a legdrop and throws Flair outside. Funk hits Flair with a piledriver on the entrance aisle! Flair still won't quit. Another mic shot. Funk slams Flair on a ringside table. Flair chops back and smashes Funk's head hard into the table then LEAPS on Funk from behind. He whips Funk and Funk slides all the way across the table and ends up hitting a nearby chair face first! Flair gives Hart some shots and crotches Funk on the guardrail. Back in, Flair hits the kneedrop. After an inveted atomic drop he starts working Funk's knee. Flair pummels Funk with chops and another knee shot. Funk limps up the aisle. Flair hits him from behind. Kneebreaker on the floor. Flair suplexes Funk back in. "NOW!" He goes for the figure four. Funk fights it off and gets an eye poke. Flair rolls to the apron. Funk tries to suplex him back in the ring, but Flair reverses it and drops Funk on the apron! They go back in and Flair hooks in the figure four! Funk "NO! NEVER! NEVER!". He fights and fights and screams and finally "YES I QUIT!". One final Ric Flair masterpiece for 1989, the best year of his all time greatest career. This had all the intensity, drama, logical booking and feud callbacks you could ask for. *****

After the match, Hart is livid with Funk. Funk wants to keep his word and shakes Flair's hand despite Hart's attempts to stop him. Hart hits Funk! Flair pounds away on Hart until The Great Muta and the Dragonmaster come in. After a minute of beating in runs Sting to save Flair again! Flair and Sting hook Muta and Dragonmaster in their respective submission holds. Luger is out with a chair! He whacks Sting with it and while he's out the heels beat Flair down some more and walk out. On his way out Luger goes full petty and smashes one of the PWI trophies presented to Sting and Flair earlier. Another big brawl to sell the upcoming Iron Man tournament at Starrcade, as well as Flair and Sting getting the Four Horseman band back together on the long road to Flair turning back heel and Sting beating him for the title. Flair knew what he was doing as a booker too.

OVERALL SHOW THOUGHTS- Mostly a so/so show until the last two matches, but outside those the Express heel turn is good and worth watching. In the old tape trading days, Flair/Funk was as "beg, borrow or steal" must see watch as you could get.

OVERALL SHOW GRADE: A-

Saturday Night's Main Event XXIV

Legacy Review

Saturday Night's Main Event XXIV

November 25, 1989 (taped October 31) from the Sunflower State Expocentre in Topeka, KS

Commentary: Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura

For the third straight year we have a SNME in a fall pretape hole- being taped before Survivor Series but airing the Saturday after.

Recap of Andre attacking Warrior on weekly TV.

WWF Intercontinental Championship: The Ultimate Warrior (c) def Andre the Giant (w/Bobby Heenan) by DQ in 7:46- Tonight's Warrior belt strap color is classic black. Cautious start. Warrior, mental genius, gets up to play to the crowd and Andre hits him from behind. The usual Andre chokes follow, but with Warrior strongly fighting back and the two of them roughly throwing each other around a bit. A headbutt sends Warrior crashing outside to the floor. Back in Warrior goes reverse sneaky style (copyright Rocky Romero) and uses Andre's singlet to choke him! The ref is letting literally everything go. Andre dodges and Warrior flies outside again. Andre hooks in a chikenwingish type hold. Again Warrior shows some serious effort in trying to get out. A Warrior clothesline sends Andre out. Andre hits Mongolian-ish chops. Warrior responds with a bear hug. Andre nerve pinches out. Another headbutt. Now it's Andre's turn for a bear hug. Warrior tries to pound out with helicopter punches. Andre cuts it off with a headbutt to the gut. Warrior comes back with a stiff gut punch and big chops. Another Warrior clothesline sends Andre to get tied in the ropes, but he still manages to get a boot in Warrior's face on a charge. Heenan comes in and tries to whack Warrior with the belt but Warrior dodges. Warrior press slams Heenan into Andre and the ref calls for the bell. Based on what it looks like the ref saw it looks to me like Andre should be the winner by DQ but whatever. Weak finish to an otherwise shockingly not awful match. There was a lot of effort in there from both guys. Warrior was clearly trying to show he was ready to move up to the main event and Andre gave him all of what little he had left. **

 

WWF Championship: The Genius def Hulk Hogan (c) by countout in 7:34- Genius offers an insincere handshake and Hogan mocks it. Genius goes to warm up in the corner, frustrating Hogan, followed by the *ahem* effeminate strutting around. They finally lock up and Hogan throws him so hard he goes all the way to the floor. Another lockup, another Hogan throw down, but this time Genius kips back up! Hogan hits some power moves. He goes for the big boot but Genius grabs the top rope and slides out. Genius gets his scroll and does some quick calculations. If he has a 8 1/3% chance of winning and subtracts Hogan's 66 2/3 chance........no, no, that math is beyond any mortal man. Moving on. Back in, Genius hits an armdrag! And celebrates with a....fairy dance. Sorry, there's no other way to describe it. After a clean corner break Genius slaps Hogan! Hogan gets upset but calms down and chills in the corner while Genius does a mini gymnastics routine. I can hear Jim Cornette's blood pressure spiking. Finally Hogan has enough and charges out with a clothesline! Pillar to post beating. Hogan's having fun and mocks Genius' dance. Mr. Perfect comes to ringside and takes the title belt. He sticks his gum on it! How dare you sir! That's the Winged Eagle! Hogan goes out to have a word. Genius comes around and dropkicks Hogan from behind. Hogan gets posted. Genius with a moonsault! Hulk Up! Genius is terrified. Punches, big boot. Hogan picks Genius back up and they have an eye rake and back rake exchange. Hogan completely loses it and body slams Genius all the way to the floor! He chases Perfect off, but as he's getting back in Perfect nails him with the belt! Hogan gets counted out! The Genius beat Hulk Hogan! That's not going to ping anyone's workrate meter, but that was a hell of a fun match, and all the better for Hogan actually taking a loss. **1/2

 

"The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes def The Big Boss Man (w/Slick) in 4:47- This has been an ongoing feud since just after Dusty arrived in WWF. They both have nightsticks, Dusty's stolen from Boss Man. Dusty wants Slick thrown out. Slick gets his manager's license out for Hebner. Dusty punches away on Boss Man. Boss Man gets him down and hits a series of knees on the mat. Slick gets a choke in. Boss Man and Slick argue with "some lady" at ringside. That lady happens to be the currently unnamed Sapphire. Dusty goes after Slick and Boss Man hits him from behind. Dusty gets posted. Boss Man works the arm. Dusty stops selling and punches out. Boss Man cuts it off with a kneelift and goes back to the arm. Dusty elbows out of a hammerlock. Boss Man dodges an elbow drop. He tells Slick to get his nightstick. Before Slick can give it to him he gets distracted by Sapphire again. Dusty rolls Boss Man up and gets the pin. After the bell Boss Man and Slick argue, the first hint of Boss Man's coming face turn. Dusty invites Sapphire into the ring to dance with him and I believe there are therapy groups that still exist today to help anyone that's seen them dance. Bleh match. Boss Man's quality meter was pointing way up, but Dusty's was going way down as he was trying to get by on reputation and charisma with a body that couldn't go full time anymore. 1/2*

 

Mr. Perfect (w/The Genius) def The Red Rooster in 4:13- This is a rematch of a potentially great Summerslam match that got cut short when Taylor got legitimately injured a few minutes in and they had to improv a quick finish. Perfect opens with a stiff slap. Rooster gets a kneelift on a backdrop attempt and hits a Japanese style armdrag. Perfect with a drop toe hold, but Rooster counters into a hammerlock. Rooster tries for the chicken wing but Perfect gets to the ropes. Perfect with a back suplex. He hits the snap mare/neck snap combo. Rooster sunset flip for 2 and a headbutt. Perfect pounds away in the corner. Rooster gets a boot up in the opposite corner and hits a bulldog. Perfect blocks a hiptoss and hits a clothesline. The perfectplex finishes it. Pretty much these guys' floor. They didn't get time to do much else but there was a little sleepwalking going on too. I think Taylor had already mentally checked out from WWF. **1/4

Brain Busters promo where they show a ton of dissension in the ranks after dropping the tag titles back to Demolition. Ironically, by the time this match aired Tully had already been fired by the WWF and had his return offer revoked by WCW for failing a drug test, and Arn was literally on the road back to Turnerland.

 

2 Out Of 3 Falls: The Rockers def The Brain Busters (w/Bobby Heenan) in 7:32- FIRST FALL: Heenan walks out well ahead of the Busters and Tully and he argue again before the match starts. Janetty flips out of a hiptoss and slams Tully. Armdrag. Tully tries to hair pull but Janetty keeps kiping up. Tully fights to his corner. Janetty takes both heels out. Janetty sunset flip. Arn tries to help, but Shawn breaks that up and Janetty gets the pin. Afterward Heenan jumps in the ring and reads the riot act to the Busters.

SECOND FALL: While the heels are still arguing the Rockers roll them both up for 2. Double superkick! Heenan has enough and leaves. Arn and Shawn slugfest. Shawn does the climb up flip in the corner and hits a hiptoss. Shawn with a hurricanrana! Double dropkicks! Arn gets a headbutt and tags. Janetty flips out of an atomic drop. More double teams. Shawn tries a flying headscissors on Tully, but Arn grabs him, hot shots him, and Tully covers for the pin.

THIRD FALL: We cut to the back with Ventura and Heenan. Heenan gives an awesome promo running the Busters down. Back to the ring. Shawn is still hurt. World's Greatest Spinebuster! Janetty makes the save. A test of strength on the mat ends with Shawn getting a bodyscissors on Arn. Arn uses it to slinghsot Shawn into the corner! Shawn comes back with a crossbody off the top rope for 2. Arn and Shawn bang heads. Shawn ducks under Arn's legs and tags. Donnybrook! The Busters set up for the spike piledriver, but Shawn knocks Tully off the top rope, hits Arn with a crossbody off the top, and gets the win! Between all the angle work and the 2/3 falls format being a hindrance instead of a help (like the Busters' tag title win over Demolition) there was too much to overcome to raise this to the level of their previous matches, but they were still able to get flashes of their old magic in. ***1/4

Quick cut to Mean Gene. He's with Perfect, who's hammering and destroying Hogan's belt! He says it's "not a perfect belt". I beg to differ sir, that's the Winged Eagle! Perfect says he'll destroy all of Hogan's belts until he gets a title shot. And that's how a Hardcore title belt is born. After commercial Mean Gene is holding the broken remains of the title belt. Hogan comes in full of fury, vowing revenge.

Saturday Night's Main Event XXIII

Legacy Review

Saturday Night's Main Event XXIII

October 14, 1989 (taped September 21) from the Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati, OH

Commentary: Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura

 

In old school TV traditions this is the premiere of SNME's sixth and what would be final full season. Summerslam is behind us and Survivor Series is on the horizon.

We get footage of Savage's coronation as "Macho King" from a few weeks previous after he defeated Jim Duggan for the crown, the last of the title-like changes of the King crown that had been happening the prior couple of years, despite the fact the King of the Ring tournament still took place annually every year since '85. I could probably write a whole Deep Thoughts article on the pre-PPV KOTR tournaments. Maybe I will one day *makes note*.

"Macho King" Randy Savage (w/Sensational Queen Sherri) def "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka in 5:37- Savage ambushes Snuka as he jumps in the ring. Snuka fights back with a chop. Sherri gets on the apron. Savage tries to hit Snuka from behind but Snuka was ready with a kick. An atomic drop sends Savage outside. After some floor action Sherri grabs Snuka's leg as he's getting back in and Savage takes advantage. Kneedrop for 2. Savage uses Snuka's trunks to leverage him to the floor. Double ax handle off the top to the floor. Sherri kicks Snuka and chokes him with her purse strap. After some more outside beatdown Savage rolls Snuka back in and covers for a long 2 count. Snuka starts hulking up and comes back with chops and headbutts. Savage does a .5 Flair flip and ends up in the tree of woe. Snuka pounds away on him and even tosses ref Joey Marella aside. Marella forces Snuka back and Sherri gets Savage out, handing him her purse in the process. Sherri distracts again and Savage whacks Snuka in the back with the Loaded Purse of Deceptive Hardness +2 and rolls him up to win. Savage continues the beatdown after the bell and goes for the elbow off the top, but Snuka dodges it. Snuka sets up for the Superfly splash but Sherri blocks it. Snuka leaps over her and chops Savage out. The heels bail. **

Recap of the Hogan/Zeus feud. They keep trying to make Zeus out into this unstoppable, unbeatable, all-powerful monster even though anyone with a memory knows he hasn't won a damn thing the entire time. His unabrow is on point tonight, though.

 

WWF Championship: Hulk Hogan (c) def "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase (w/Zeus) in 8:24- Zeus immediately grabs Hogan's boot in the corner on the first lockup. Hogan gets away and pounds DiBiase. He hooks on a headlock and jaws with Zeus. During a shoulderblock sequence Zeus trips Hogan and they choke each other. Hogan squashes DiBiase with a corner elbow and does some more ground and pound. It goes on so long even Hebner pulls Hogan off. DiBiase uses the distraction for an eye rake from behind. Zeus chokes Hogan while he's down. Jake Roberts, who had been setting up a feud with DiBiase before going on the shelf with an injury over the summer, comes to ringside. DiBiase wants him gone. Hogan uses the distraction to try for Generic Raw Match Finish 2A, the distraction roll up, but DiBiase kicks out. During Hogan's comeback Virgil runs in, steals Damien, and runs off again like a thief in the night. DiBiase clotheslines Hogan 360 and out. After commercial Hogan's back in and DiBiase hits a clothesline for 2. Suplex for 2. Double ax handle off the second rope for 2. Hogan fights out of a chinlock. Double clothesline! (with Zeus entirely missing his cue and trying to hit Hogan one spot too early) Hogan's up first and he hits the ropes again. Zeus gets it right this time and hits Hogan in the back. DiBiase hits a kneedrop off the top rope and covers. Hulk Up. Punches, big boot. Zeus comes in and hooks Hogan, but he dodges and DiBiase clotheslines Zeus. Hogan rolls up a Paul Smackage and gets the pin. After the bell Zeus snaps Hogan's neck and DiBiase hooks in the million dollar dream until Roberts runs the heels off with Damien. There was high risk of that turning into an angle circus, but it held together well with the focus staying on the match and the main two guys in the ring putting solid effort in. **3/4

Recap of the Piper/Rude feud that's been going since Piper's WWF return. Piper's planning to run through the whole Heenan Family to get to Rude.

There's really nothing like a Roddy Piper promo. It's like an entire collegiate improv society getting drunk and taking the stage all at the same time.

 

"Rowdy" Roddy Piper def Haku (w/Bobby Heenan) in 3:02- Piper takes his kilt off on the apron so Haku can jump him before the bell. That's planning. Slugfest. Ring Gearhead note: Piper's wearing elbow pads for some reason and it looks so strange. Piper hits a series of quick strikes that would make Kota Ibushi smile and clotheslines Haku to the floor. Thesz press off the apron! Piper chases Heenan down. Haku hits him with a clothesline. Huge Piper sell of a back elbow. Shoulderbreaker for 2. Piper dodges a splash off the top rope and pounds Haku on the mat. Piper hits a belly to belly suplex and that gets the win! Wow, he learned some wrestling moves during his time away. Nice. *1/2

 

Tito Santana and "The Model" Rick Martel (w/Slick) go to a double DQ in 9:41- This is the closest we got to a major TV blow off of the Strike Force breakup. I always forget that Martel had Slick as a manager when he first turned heel. It didn't last long and Martel spent years as a rare WWF era heel with no manager. Slick said he had a surprise, and during Martel's intro he calls down the rest of Martel's Survivor Series team: the Twin Towers and the Honky Tonk Man. Santana responds by calling his teammates in too: the Red Rooster, Brutus Beefcake and Dusty Rhodes. We all know how this will end. Quick Martel start. A Santana atomic drop sends Martel outside. Santana hits a sunset flip and deep armdrag. A speed run ends with a Santana crossbody for 2. Martel tights pulls Santana into the top turnbuckle. He tries to put Santana in the tree of woe but Santana doesn't hook in and falls down. Santana counters a backdrop with a kick. Slugfest. Santana with a backdrop. Flying habanero! Slick distracts and both teams get on the apron to stare down. The refs restore control and the match resumes during commercial. Martel dodges a clothesline and leverages Santana out. A blocked hiptoss leads to a backslide standoff. Santana gets the edge and puts Martel down for 2. Martel hooks the Boston crab in. Santana immediately gets to the ropes, hand climbs up them, and flips Martel over for a 2 count. Martel climbs to the top rope. Santana shakes the rope and Martel gets crotched. He goes to hook the figure four in but Slick distracts again, Dusty runs in, Boss Man runs in, and the giant Survivor Series selling brawl is on as expected. This was another match that could have been lost in the angle, but they stuck with it and there was no way Santana and Martel weren't going to put something good out there. ***

 

The Bushwhackers def  The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers (w/Jimmy Hart) in 3:15- The Rougeaus offer an insincere handshake. The Bushwhackers politely decline the offer. With fists. They chase Hart around. The Rougeaus save him from a battering ram. Both teams play tug of war with Hart and in the course of events (thinking of a Coupling line there, "There's only so much that can be covered with 'in the course of events'.") Hart's pants come off and he's wearing fleur de lis boxers. The Rougeaus try to cover Hart, block the camera, and get him to the back. Once back in they take control. Raymond puts Butch in a Boston crab while Jacques kneedrops him. Butch dodges a double team and tags. Jacques flips out of a Luke backdrop. Luke congratulates him with a clothesline. After a mini-donnybrook the Bushwhackers hit the battering ram and double gutbuster to win. Total comedy match. 3/4*

Clash of the Champions VIII

Legacy Review

Clash of the Champions VIII: Fall Brawl '89

September 12, 1989 from the Carolina Coliseum in Columbia, SC

Commentary: Jim Ross and (face) Jim Cornette

WCW is riding high after the massively successful Great American Bash and heading into yet another new PPV on the calendar in '89, Halloween Havoc. The show opens with a recap of Sting saving Flair form the Funk/Muta attack post-main event at GAB. JR says "rumors are swirling" about problems in the J-Tex Corporation and kicks it to Gordon Solie, who's with Gary Hart. Hart denies any issues everything's just fine nothing to see here move along.

The Road Warriors (w/Paul Ellering) def The Samoan SWAT Team (w/Paul E Dangerously) in 6:46- Other than the normal mats around the ring no one's bothered to cover the basketball court on the floor. That's going to be a hell of a cleanup job for the arena crew after the show. Animal pounds away on Fatu to start. Fatu counters with a superkick as Animal comes off the ropes. Animal bounces right back with a powerslam and clears the ring out. Off a Hawk whip Samu grabs the top rope to stop and bails to the floor. Animal comes around and hits him from behind. Hawk fistdrop for 2. Animal kills Fatu with a shoulderblock. Fatu dodges a charge and Hawk posts his shoulder and falls down to the floor. Samu crotches Hawk on the guardrail. Fatu powerslam and bear hug. Hawk pounds his way across to his corner but the ref's distracted and doesn't see the tag. Chop exchange. The SST hit a Decapitation Device variation. Fatu comes off the top but Hawk gets a boot up. Tags on both sides. Animal hits a flying tackle. Donnybrook! The SST set up a phone shot on Animal. Hawk breaks it up and the phone flies to the floor. Off camera Ellering takes Paul E out. The Roadies hit the Doomsday Device and good night. After the match Ellering smashes Paul E's phone, and the SST seem none to happy with their manager as they leave without him. Good sprint. **3/4

 

"The Z Man" Tom Zenk def The Cuban Assassin in 3:36- This is Zenk's WCW debut, where he's poised for a push after working primarily as a tag wrestler and low midcarder in both the WWF and AWA. Basic start. Dropkicks send the Assassin outside. Assassin gets a cheap shot over the ref. Zenk leapfrogs, hits another dropkick and deep armdrag. Arm work follows, which in a 3 minute introductory match for a high flying wrestler doesn't seem like the best move. Zenk sunset flip for 2. Assassin misses a falling headbutt off the second rope. Zenk ducks a clothesline and hooks in a sleeper. Assassin goes out and it's over. Not a scintillating debut. Reminds me a lot of the Pillman/Bill Irwin match at GAB, just shorter. *

The governor of South Carolina declares it Ric Flair Day. Those opposed to Flair working as the current head booker immediately moan about him getting another title.

 

Sid Vicious (w/Teddy Long and Dan Spivey) def Ranger Ross in 1:08- Spivey sporting the Zumbas. Vicious ambushes Ross before the bell, throws him out and drops him on the rail. Ross hits what I think was the combat kick while Vicious was on the apron bragging (it's hard to tell because there's nothing special about it), but Vicious, being Vicious, barely sells it anyway. Vicious counters a backdrop into a DDT, then hits the helicopter slam and power bomb to finish it. We're not on Fort Bragg anymore, son. Squashy McSquashiness. 1/2*

Video package of Missy Hyatt and Robin Greene on a shopping spree with Greene testing the limits of Rick Steiner's Amex card. ("There's no spending limit!" Exactly.) Some real Rifftrax level acting in this one, somewhere between Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny and Birdemic. The whole point was to show Greene (Woman) as a gold digging hussy, foreshadowing her coming heel turn on the Steiners.

 

NWA World Tag Team Championship: The Fabulous Freebirds (c) def The Steiner Brothers (w/Missy Hyatt & Robin Greene) in 10:27- Hayes and Scott start. Hayes struts and stalls as usual. Scott hits armdrags and a roll up. As he's charging into the corner Hayes pops him with the straight left. Hayes with a crossbody off the top, but Scott rolls through it and gets a two count. Steinerlines on both heels. Scott schools Garvin a bit. Garvin bounces face first out of the corner and Scott nails him with a German suplex! I mean planted him. Rick tags in. Steinerline! Steinerline! The heels go out to regroup. Hayes gets back in and keeps backing off from Rick. Rick catches a leapfrog and powerslams Hayes....then grabs Garvin as he's coming off the top rope and powerslams him! Belly to belly on Hayes, with such force the camera feed cuts out for a second. Yeah, Brock Lesnar never did that. Hayes dodges a charge and Rick crashes in the corner. DDT! Scott saves the pin. Rick 360 sells a Hayes clothesline for 2. Garvin gets a 2 count off kicks. Rick snap mares out of a chinlock but Garvin cuts the comeback off. He cinches up for another DDT. Rick blocks it and hits a slingshot suplex. Hot tag! Frankensteiner on Hayes! Frankensteiner on Garvin! Powerslam! Garvin breaks the pin up. Scott hits the ropes but gets tripped by someone off camera. Hayes grabs him, hits the DDT, and gets the pin. Multiple camera angles are conveniently inconclusive as to who did the tripping. Scott blames Greene. Rick refuses to believe that magnificent perfect Woman could do anything wrong and blames Hyatt instead. To be continued. The match was fantastic. These teams gelled perfectly, wily veteran heels vs powerful young faces. It continues to amaze me how instantly ready for prime time the Steiners were, and they'd only get better. ***1/2

 

"Flyin'" Brian Pillman def Norman the Lunatic (w/Teddy Long) in 3:38- Pillman's got the giant cheer squad again. Norman ambushes before the bell. Pillman hits a dropkick. He suplexes Norman! Springboard clothesline! Norman goes outside. Pillman with a crossbody off the top to the floor! Back in he grabs the giant key from Long. Norman squashes him in the corner. Pillman with a Bret bump. A Norman splash off the second rope gets a 2 count. They go outside again and Norman squashes Pillman against the ring post. He goes for it again, but Pillman dodges and Norman is posted. Missile dropkick. Pillman slams Norman! And backdrops him! He goes for a springboard crossbody, but Norman catches and powerslams him. Pillman *just* kicks out. Pillman wraps Norman up in a crucifix, and gets the pin! Afterward Long reads Norman the riot act for losing. Amazing what happens when you get a couple of old Stampede guys together. Pillman looked amazing. This did more good for him than that plodding GAB match with Irwin ever could. **1/4

Solie is with Gary Hart again. Hart says people have no idea what they're talking about, of COURSE Terry Funk is in the building and and I'm not gushing sweat, you are.

 

"Dr. Death" Steve Williams def Mike Rotunda in 7:04- The Varsity Club explodes....again. This was more or less the group's last death rattle. Williams tears to the ring Ultimate Warrior style and goes right after Rotunda. Rotunda bails and they chase around the ring. Rotunda catches Williams getting back in. Williams reverses a whip and hits a clothesline and press slam. Football tackle. Rotunda counters a second one with a clothesline. He throws Williams out and does some ground and pound on the floor. Rotunda abdominal stretch. Williams gets a sunset flip for 2. Rotunda hooks a chinlock in and does more rope leverage games. Williams eventually jawbreakers out. Rotunda goes up top and gets slammed off. Williams with mounted punches. He dodges a charge and Rotunda goes to the apron. Williams scoops him up for the stampede. Rotunda grabs the top rope and falls on top of Williams, but Williams rolls through it, ends up on top, and gets the pin. Perfectly acceptable. **1/2

 

NWA United States Heavyweight Championship: "The Total Package" Lex Luger (c) def "Wildfire" Tommy Rich in 10:36- Rich blocks a corner shot and throws Luger around a bit. Luger backs off for time. A huge Luger shoulderblock gets some cheers, a sign of both that Luger's heel run wouldn't last long, and no one gave a shit about Rich. After a speed sequence Rich ducks a clothesline, pops Luger and hits an armdrag. Rich with a crossbody. Luger squirts out. Luger bounces face first off the buckles and Rich does a quick roll up for 2. Luger dodges a dropkick and hits a powerslam for 2. He starts working Rich's back, which is a smart setup for the rack. Rich gets a sunset flip from the apron for 2. Luger does his mandatory missing a dive and falling over the top to the floor spot. Rich tries to suplex him back in, but drops Luger down on his head, then Luger covers for 2. Not sure what the planned:botch ratio on that was but it didn't look good. Luger hits a side suplex and Rich just kicks out. Another powerslam from Luger and he calls for the torture rack. Rich slips out of it and tries for a roll up but Luger grabs the top rope. Luger sets up and hits a superplex! Again Rich just kicks out. Luger goes up top and Rich dodges the splash. Wildfire is wildfired up and hits a series of back elbows. Fist drop off the top for 2. Thesz press, Rich's finisher! Luger gets a foot on the rope. They go outside and Rich punches the post. Rich hooks in a sleeper while Luger's still on the apron. Luger drops him down over the top rope, covers and gets the pin. Another good match from Luger's best year. ***

Solie is with Hart yet again. Hart has a doctor's note and has also provided a pretaped interview from Terry Funk. On the tape Funk is in the hospital with a cast on his arm from Flair attacking it with the branding iron the previous week. Funk claims he came *this* close to losing the arm and promises to be in the building at the Clash. Cut to Flair and Sting with Solie. They don't care who they end up facing.

 

NWA World Heavyweight Champion "Nature Boy" Ric Flair and Sting def NWA World Television Champion The Great Muta and Dick Slater (w/Gary Hart) by DQ in 19:16- Slater also has a cast on from a Flair attack with the branding iron, but his is a few weeks older than Funk's so he got the call tonight. Sting and Muta start. The crowd is pumped up something serious. Fast back and forth. Slater runs in and gets clotheslined. The heels regroup. Sting with an armdrag. Slater takes a wild swing at Sting and almost falls in the ring. Taking the Terry Funk impression to the max. Sting with a backdrop. Flair breaks out the chops. Slater chops Flair. Flair turns it around and shows him how it's supposed to be done. Flair Flip! He runs over and chops Muta off the apron, then climbs the top rope and successfully gets off with an elbow to Slater's head! A Muta karate kick sends Flair outside. Muta plancha! Sting plancha on Muta! Donnybrook on the floor! The faces win the exchange and stand tall in the ring while the heels regroup again. Flair and Sting work Slater's hurt arm. Sting with a suplex for 2. Slater pushes him back and he has to fight out of the heel corner. Press slam on Muta. Flair gets a back suplex and kneedrop. Muta with an eye rake. Handspring elbow! Flair Flop! Slater counters a Flair backdrop with a swinging neckbreaker. Muta throws Flair out and Slater immediately hits him with an elbow off the apron. Muta locks on the Nerve Pinch of Japanese Precision +2. Flair inverted atomic drops out and tags. Slater weathers the Sting storm and gets him in the heel corner again. All four guys go at it again. While Flair and Slater fight outside Sting hits the Stinger Splash on Muta. He locks the Scorpion Death Lock in, but Hart comes in and nails him with a roll of coins. Muta covers but just gets 2. He barely gets Sting up for a power bomb that gets 2. Slater slams Sting on the floor and locks on a sleeper in the ring. Sting immediately jawbreakers out. Sting backdrops out of a piledriver attempt and tags. It's all chaos again. Muta sprays Sting with the yellow mist, conveniently mentioned by JR and JC as "the most dangerous of the mists". Flair goes for the figure four on Muta but Slater hits him with his cast. Flair's bleeding. Somewhere in all this mess Tommy Young got knocked out of the ring as well. Terry Funk comes to the ring! He takes a plastic bag and ties it over Flair's head trying to suffocate him! This guy is nuts I tell you, NUTS. Flair falls out of the ring with the bag still tied over his head. The heels take the branding iron and nail Sting in the leg with it, so hard the iron bent. There was no bell, but somewhere in there Young called for a DQ. The heels leave the ring, their damage done. Absolutely fantastic. The match had intensity, physicality and drama, and even the clusterfrell booking makes sense to make the heels look badass and give the faces that much higher a mountain to climb. ****1/2

Back from commercial, Flair's laying on the floor with the bag finally off but with officials huddled around him and barely moving. Apparently Brian Pillman gave him mouth to mouth resuscitation during the break. File that whole package under something you'll never, ever see in wrestling again.

OVERALL SHOW THOUGHTS: Just another great show in the incredible year of wrestling that was 1989.

OVERALL SHOW GRADE: A

Saturday Night's Main Event XXII

Legacy Review

Saturday Night's Main Event XXII

July 29, 1989 (taped July 18) from the Worcester Centrum in Worcester, MA

Commentary: Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura

 

It's an SNME summer special as we're on the road to Summerslam.

WWF Championship: Hulk Hogan (c) def The Honky Tonk Man (w/Jimmy Hart) in 6:14- Honky takes a wild guitar swing as Hogan's getting in the ring. Hogan drags him out and punches up the entrance aisle. Hart jumps on Hogan's back. Hogan carries him into the ring and squashes him in the corner, then dodges another guitar swing. Atomic drop and corner elbow by Hogan. He finally tears his shirt off. Hart gets dragged in the ring again and Hogan gives the heels a double noggin knocker. Hogan chases Honky outside. Hart sneaks up and gives Hogan a shot with the guitar in the back. Honky works the back for a bit. Hogan powers up out of a double chinlock and runs Honky into the top turnbuckle. Honky cuts off the comeback with a clothesline. He hits the shake, rattle and roll but gloats forever and takes his time covering Hogan. He knows what's coming anyway. We all do. He's just trying to put it off. Cover and Hulk Up. Punches, and the big boot sends Honky outside. Hogan takes the guitar and whacks Hart and Honky with it. Roll back in, legdrop, good night. Bog standard Hogan match. 3/4*

Recap of Greg Valentine beating Ron Garvin in a retirement match with a tights-assisted Paul Smackage, followed by clips of Garvin trying to be a ref and getting in fights with all the heel wrestlers. Jack Tunney comes on and says this is Garvin's last chance. Ref down the middle and don't get in fights or you're done.

 

"Superfly" Jimmy Snuka def Greg "The Hammer" Valentine (w/Jimmy Hart) in 3:14- Garvin is your special referee. Valentine jaws at Garvin during his entrance and Garvin takes it stone faced. Valentine ambushes Snuka from behind, pounds away on him and chokes. Snuka comes back with a chop and flying headbutt. He tries coming off the second rope but Valentine gets his knees up, catching Snuka in the face with his shin guard. Elbow drops and a cover for 2. He throws Snuka out. Garvin does a straight count. Every time Snuka tries to get back in Valentine kicks him out again. After three of those Garvin has enough and shoves Valentine. Garvin with a punch! A dazed Valentine turns around into a Snuka crossbody off the top rope. Garvin counts 3. He and Valentine jaw some more after. I think Garvin's days as a ref are over. 1/2*

Recap of Savage and Sherri attacking Beefcake and cutting his hair on Brother Love. The Summerslam tag match main event has already been booked.

 

Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake def "Macho Man" Randy Savage (w/Sensational Sherri) by DQ in 11:30- Lots of chasing and stalling before the bell. Beefcake gets a shoulder to Savage's gut and throws him outside while both still have their entrance gear on. He goes out and chases Sherri. Savage gets him from behind. Beefcake punches back and chokes Savage with his jacket. Clubbing blow to the face for 2. Savage gets a boot up in the corner. Beefcake dodges a corner charge and gets a crossbody for 2. Beefcake high knee for 2. Another Savage charge is dodged and Savage gets crumpled up in the ropes. Another high knee sends Savage to the floor. Sherri grabs Beefcake's boot as he gets back in and Savage throws him out. Double ax handle off the top to the floor. Sherri gets some kicks in, then whacks Beefcake with the Shoe of Extreme Solidity +1. Back in Beefcake gets a small package but Sherri has Hebner distracted. Savage hits a clothesline for 2. Beefcake with a backslide for 2. Sherri takes off a stocking and chokes Beefcake with it. Savage tries coming off the top but Beefcake gives him a shot in the gut. Sherri holds him down, but Beefcake dodges and Savage takes out Sherri. Beefcake backdrops Savage to the floor. As he's recovering Savage sends Sherri to the back and we get a commercial cut. Slightly JIP back from break with Savage and Beefcake doing solid but clear stalling back and forth stuff. Sherri comes back out, and she's got Zeus with her. Beefcake gets a sunset flip for 2. Sleeper! Zeus comes in and hits Beefcake for the cheap DQ. **1/4

And we're not done. Zeus has two moves: double fist mega punch, and bear hug. He's used one, so he slaps the bear hug on Beefcake. Hogan runs in and hits Zeus in the back. Nothing. Zeus puts Hogan in the bear hug. Savage wants to cut his hair and gets Beefcake's bag. The faces manage to fight them off. Beefcake ends up in Zeus' clutches again. Hogan grabs a chair and whacks Zeus in the back. Complete no sell. Savage gets Zeus to back off and they leave. The idea of Zeus walking out of a movie into "reality" is silly, but this was good build to what turned out to be an OK Summerslam main event despite only 3 guys in it being actual wrestlers.

Watching Zeus no sell everything, you have to think Vince already had the idea for the Undertaker cooking in his brain.

Mean Gene is in the back with Savage and Zeus. Savage cuts a killer promo on the death of Hulkamania, with good assist from Sherri. Zeus yells and slobbers all over himself.

 

2 out of 3 Falls Match for the WWF Tag Team Championship: The Brain Busters (w/Bobby Heenan) def Demolition (c) in 12:33- FIRST FALL: Tully and Ax start. Tully turns around and pops Smash, then grabs the ropes to stop himself after a whip and slides to the floor. Smash hits him from behind and press slam him back in. The Demos pinball him back and forth. Tully manages to push Ax into the heel corner. He tries to fight out, but Arn drags him down to the floor. Slugfest on the floor. A couple of double team attempts and counters end with the Demos clotheslining both Busters. Back in, the Demos try more double teams but the Busters skedaddle and regroup with Heenan. Arn tries some offense but Smash has an answer for everything. He drapes Arn over the face corner and they do a double team beatdown. Arn goes for Smash's knee that was hurt in the last match. Smash shrugs it off and it doesn't come up again the rest of the match. Smash scoops Arn up. Tully comes in and dropkicks Arn's back to drop him on top of Smash. World's Greatest Spinebuster! Arn takes his time covering and Smash kicks out. Smash gives Arn a hot shot, covers and gets a 3 count.

SECOND FALL: Back from break with Arn in trouble. Smash smashes and hooks in a neck wringer. Arn gets out and gets a tag. Tully slingshots Ax's throat into the bottom rope and works the neck a bit. Buster double teams. Heenan with a slap! A stiff one too. Ax counters a backdrop and tags. Bodyslam city from Smash. Donnybrook! Smash press slams Tully. Heenan gets on the apron. Smash runs him straight into the ring post! I mean *straight*, Heenan went right for it full speed. That had to have hurt. Andre the Giant comes to ringside. The Demos hit the Decapitation Device, but ref Joey Marella refuses to count and DQ's the Demos for double teaming well beyond the five count.

THIRD FALL: Tully is in peril until he gets an eye poke and throws Ax into Arn! He tags a clearly wobblelegged Arn. He and Smash ram heads again in the corner. Tags on both sides. Donnybrooking again! Arn and Ax fight outside, Tully and Smash inside. Arn gets posted. Tully flips out of a suplex. More chaos. In the melee Andre slides a chair into the ring. Tully gives Smash a hard shot in the back of the head, Arn drapes over, and gets the win! New champs! Demolition's then-record 478 day reign comes to an end, and the Brain Busters become the first team ever to win both the NWA and WWF world tag titles. The match was good but not as good as the last SNME. The 2/3 falls format hurt rather than helped, giving the whole thing a disjointed feel. ***

Ventura is in the locker room with the celebrating Heenan Family, who are at their zenith. Heenan has both the Intercontinental and tag titles now. Afterward, Mean Gene gets last words from Hogan and Beefcake on their upcoming Summerslam showdown with Savage and Zeus.

Saturday Night's Main Event XXI

Legacy Review

Saturday Night's Main Event XXI

May 27, 1989 (taped April 25) from the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Des Moines, IA

Commentary: Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura

Wrestlemania 5 is in the rear view mirror, with Hulk Hogan taking the WWF title back from Randy Savage and Rick Rude upsetting the Ultimate Warrior (with a massive assist from Bobby Heenan) for the IC title. In the interim, Jim Duggan also took the King crown from Haku on weekly TV.

WWF Intercontinental Championship: King "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan def "Ravishing" Rick Rude (c) (w/Bobby Heenan) by countout in 7:15- Duggan comes out to the King entrance music on the jobber carried throne. If Duggan is as proud of an American as he says he is, he should have had a real long think about accepting the "king" title. The Constitution expressly forbids titles of nobility. Rude goes for an early sunset flip. Duggan punches out. A clothesline sends Rude 360 and out. Duggan suplexes him back in for a 2 count. After three more clotheslines Rude does a nice delayed flop. I'm such a sucker for those. Kneedrop for 2. Rude comes back with a headbutt to Duggan's gut and hits a standing fist off the top rope. During a show off hip swivel Duggan grabs him and hits an inverted atomic drop with the usual mega Rude sell. Duggan piledriver! He takes his time covering and Rude gets a foot on the rope. Haku comes out to ringside and the match stops as Heenan and the refs get him out. Rude jumps Duggan getting back in. Measured elbows. Rude cuts off a comeback attempt with a knee to the gut. Fistdrop off the top rope. Rude tries buckle shots but that just gets Duggan fired up. Nothing in there to hurt. Duggan hits a backdrop. The 3 point stance football tackle sends Rude flying to the floor. Heenan tries to get Rude back in but he's counted out. Duggan celebrates like he won something. Well, he did win the match, just not the title. No title changes on a countout. Ventura points out that Duggan likely doesn't even know that. Borderline decentish. *3/4

 

"Macho Man" Randy Savage (w/Sensational Sherri) def Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart in 5:54- Savage's slow decent into midcard hell for the next two years is on, despite all the talk of him getting back into WWF title contention with a win here. Sherri jumps in right away, grabbing Anvil's ankle during the opening lockup. Savage hits a sunset flip. Anvil drops down on him for a 2 count. Anvil actually lifted up there, Savage didn't kick out. I think he realized he had him accidentally pinned for real. Anvil bear hug. Savage eye rakes out and hits a running knee to Anvil's back. Sherri gets a couple of chokes in. Double ax handle off the top for 2. Savage tries to slam Anvil, but Anvil leverages down on top of Savage for a 2 count. Anvil hits the slingshot over the top rope tackle! Clothesline for 2. An Anvil standing dropkick sends Savage out. Anvil scares Sherri off and hits another dropkick on the floor. Powerslam back in the ring for 2. Savage gets tied in the ropes. Anvil pounds away until Sherri gets him free. Savage dodges an Anvil charge and Anvil crashes down to the floor. Double ax handle off the top to the floor. Savage rolls Anvil back in, hits the elbow off the top, and gets the mostly clean win. Perfectly acceptable. **1/2

 

Steel Cage Match for the WWF Championship: Hulk Hogan (c) def The Big Boss Man (w/Slick) in 10:01- During Boss Man's intro Slick introduces his big surprise- Zeus! Zeus is the bad guy in the upcoming Hogan movie No Holds Barred, played by Tiny Lister. What makes this so surreal (or just plain dumb depending on your point of view) is it's not the actor Tiny Lister coming out. It's not Tiny Lister playing Zeus. It's *the character* Zeus walking out of celluloid and into the arena. The fact that he's a recognizable known actor makes it even weirder. Zeus parks it on the ring steps and has a staredown with Hogan on his entrance. Zeus kicks Hogan, screams and gently nudges him on the back a few times, then leaves. Hogan sells it like death on the floor. Boss Man comes out and throws Hogan into the ring. It's the usual escape rules only WWF cage match. Boss Man chokes Hogan with Hogan's own shirt. Hogan comes back reversing a corner whip and hitting a clothesline. Boss Man blocks a cage shot. Big boot. Hogan starts climbing but Boss Man cuts him off. Boss Man hits a slam and a big splash. He goes for the door but Hogan grabs his leg. Off the ropes Hogan spinebusters himself, and Boss Man tries to get in and make it look like he did it. Slight mistiming there. Boss Man starts climbing. He gets all the way over and halfway down to the floor before Hogan reaches through the cage to stop him. Hogan drags him back up to the top of the cage, hooks him up.....SUPERPLEX FROM THE TOP OF THE CAGE! HOLY SHIT! Both guys are down. Hebner comes in, checks them both, and outside any other options starts counting them both down. Hogan stirs at 8 and crawls for the door. Boss Man grabs him and hits a clothesline. Slick throws a chain in the ring. Boss Man chokes Hogan with it. Hogan blocks a chain punch. They block cage shots....then cage shot each other simultaneously! Both guys are down again. Hogan stops Boss Man from getting to the door. He gets the chain and punches Boss Man with it. Boss Man is bleeding. Barely, but bleeding. Hogan gives him cage shots and hits the legdrop. As he's climbing Slick comes in. While Hogan's dealing with him Boss Man starts climbing on the other side. Hogan stops him and crotches him on the top rope. He takes Boss Man's handcuffs and cuffs him to the top rope. Hogan starts to climb out, but Boss Man can still get to the door and he tries to get out. Slick gets the keys and starts unlocking the cuffs, but Hogan hits the floor first to win! That was way better than expected, especially after the Zeus stuff. They had good drama down the stretch when they could have just done the rote Hogan finish, it's a fantastic feud blowoff, and the superplex spot alone deserves a rating bump. ***

 

WWF Tag Team Championship: The Brain Busters (w/Bobby Heenan) def Demolition (c) by DQ in 9:15- Tully and Smash start. Tully tries a charge. Smash puts his boot up and Tully slams on the brakes. Smash uses the opening for a clothesline. That's vintage Tully Blanchard (no I'm not going Michael Cole on you). Smash hooks in a bear hug. Heenan gets on the apron and Arn sneaks behind to break it up. Demolition clotheslines take out both heels and they roll out to regroup. Go for plan B. Arn and Tully are working their Road Warriors match formula with Demolition and it fits perfectly. Arn hits the brakes on a corner whip to stop from ending up in the face corner and Ax nails him from behind with a clothesline. The Demos do a double team Demo beatdown. Tully gets a knee up in Smash's back on a rope run but Smash no sells Arn's follow up suplex. The Demos throw the heels around some more and they go out to restrategize again. Go for plan C. Tully tries some chops on Ax. Those don't go well. Tully gets knees up in the corner and tries coming off the second rope, but Ax catches him and squashes him in the corner. Tully does a .5 Flair flip and Ax elbows him off the apron. Smash press slams him back in. Ax 360 clotheslines Tully back out again, and he lands right on top of Heenan! The Busters hold Heenan back from getting in the ring. Arn suckers Ax in and clips Smash in the knee behind the ref's back. Finally they have the Demos on defense. Tully hits a hot shot. World's Greatest Spinebuster! Smash kicks out. Tully does a little strutting as the Busters hit more double teams. Tully does a basketball like block to keep Smash from tagging. Arn/Smash slugfest in the corner. They punch each other at the same time and both guys go down. Tully sneaks around the ring and pulls Ax down off the apron. Now Ax is pissed and he charges into the ring. Donnybrook! In the melee one of the Demos toss ref Joey Marella aside and he calls for the bell. Both teams continue fighting up the entrance aisle. Just another night at the office for one of the greatest teams of all time, and Demolition played their role well. ***1/2

Savage and Sherri are with Mean Gene. Savage declares himself #1 contender and promises to get his belt back from Hogan.

 

"Superfly" Jimmy Snuka def Boris Zuhkov (w/Slick) in 1:11- Snuka no sells buckle shots and hits a flying double ax handle. Backbreaker. The Superfly Splash finishes it. Quick squash to reestablish Snuka after his return to the company. 1/2*

The show closes with Hogan telling Mean Gene that Zeus has been giving him problems "before, during, and after" the movie shoot and challenges him to get in the ring. Then they plug No Holds Barred some more. All in all, another really good '89 SNME. They're on a roll.