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.