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Volume 2

Saturday Night's Main Event

Place To Be Nation Publications

Copyright © 2016 Place To Be Nation Publications. All Rights Reserved.

Published by Place To Be Nation Publications

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Thank you for downloading this ebook. This book remains the copyrighted property of the authors, and may not be redistributed to others for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to download their own copy from their favorite authorized retailer. Thank you for your support.

### Book Disclaimer:

We, like you, are wrestling fans. As such, we have our own opinions about what we like and what we don't like, and we don't mind sharing our opinions. The reviews in this book and in future volumes are OUR opinions. You may agree or you may disagree. That is one of the things that makes professional wrestling great. It caters to different tastes and there will be differences of opinion on what makes a particular match or segment "great".

JT and Scott began writing their PPV reviews back in 2007. In 2014, a refresh of those reviews began where each would rewatch and rewrite their reviews of the events. Along the way, Jeff came in to refresh and add new Fun Facts for the events. We re-released those refresh reviews and facts into our first volume ebook. This book is the second in the series as we look at the special events that came in between PPV events.

In our reviews, unless it is something very blatant, we will not tell you to definitely watch something or definitely not to watch something. Our opinions may sway you in one direction or another, but we want you to watch and be the judge for yourself.

We love reading everyone's feedback, which you can give on our Place To Be Nation Facebook page. At the end of each event, we have listed the podcast episode for the event. We encourage you to visit the Place To Be Nation website at placetobenation.com and listen to these podcasts as well as the array of other pop culture podcasts we produce.

We hope you enjoy our reviews.

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Table of Contents

###

  * SNME I – Uniondale, NY – May 11

  * SNME II – East Rutherford, NY – October 5

  * SNME III – Hershey, PA – November 2

###

  * SNME IV – Tampa, FL – January 4

  * SNME V – Phoenix, AZ – March 1

  * SNME VI – Providence, RI – May 3

  * SNME VII – Richfield, OH – October 4

  * SNME VIII – Los Angeles, CA – November 29

###

  * SNME IX – Hartford, CT – January 3

  * SNME X – Detroit, MI – March 14

  * SNME XI – Notre Dame, IN – May 2

  * SNME XII – Hershey, PA – October 3

  * SNME XIII – Seattle, WA – November 28

###

  * SNME XIV – Landover, MD – January 2

  * The Main Event I – Indianapolis, IN – February 5

  * SNME XV – Nashville, TN – March 12

  * SNME XVI – Springfield, MA – April 30

  * SNME XVII – Baltimore, MD – October 29

  * SNME XVIII - Sacramento, CA – November 26

###

  * SNME XIX – Tampa, FL – January 7

  * The Main Event II – Milwaukee, WI – February 3

  * SNME XX – Hershey , PA – March 11

  * SNME XXI – Des Moines, IA – May 27

  * SNME XXII – Worcester, MA – July 29

  * SNME XXIII – Cincinnati, OH – October 14

  * SNME XXIV – Topeka, KS- November 25

###

  * SNME XXV – Chattanooga, TN – January 27

  * The Main Event III – Detroit, MI – February 23

  * SNME XXVI – Austin, TX – April 28

  * SNME XXVII – Omaha, NE –July 28

  * SNME XXVIII – Toledo, OH – October 13

  * The Main Event IV – Fort Wayne, IN – November 23

###

  * The Main Event V – Macon, GA – February 1

  * SNME XXIX – Omaha, NE – April 27

###

  * SNME XXX – Lubbock, TX – February 8

  * SNME XXXI – Terre Haute, IN – November 14

Thank You

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  SNME I – Uniondale, NY - May 11

  SNME II – East Rutherford, NJ – October 5

  SNME III – Hershey, PA – November 2

# Saturday Night's Main Event I – 5/11/85

May 11, 1985 (Recorded May 10, 1985)

Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum

Uniondale, NY

Announcers: Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura

Attendance: 8,300

NBC Rating: 8.8

Fun Fact: The year is 1985. Vince McMahon is in the midst of changing the landscape of professional wrestling from a territorial system into his own global empire. The WWF has just pulled off their groundbreaking event, WrestleMania, and the Rock 'N' Wrestling era was in full swing. Dick Ebersol, the Executive Producer of Saturday Night Live, saw the huge ratings that the WWF had done in the special events they held on MTV in 1984 and 1985 and was looking to bring some of that ratings power to NBC. He struck a deal with McMahon to run periodic special events in place of Saturday Night Live. The Saturday Night's Main Event specials were unique for their time in that they featured matches between top names instead of typical squash matches normally seen on television. When it debuted, SNME became the first professional wrestling program to be shown nationally in prime time since 1955.

### 1) The US Express & Ricky Steamboat defeat Iron Sheik, Nikolai Volkoff & George Steele when Barry Windham pinned Steele with a roll up at 6:30

Fun Fact I: The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff captured the WWF tag titles at WrestleMania from the US Express and this match is a continuation of their feud.

Fun Fact II: William "Jim" Myers was born in April 1937 and grew up in Madison Heights, Michigan. He was athletic in high school, playing football, baseball, basketball and running track. He played football in the 50s for Michigan State before knee problems caused his football career to end. He would get his bachelor's degree from Michigan State and later a master's from Central Michigan before he began his teaching career back in Madison Heights. While teaching he also served as a football and amateur wrestling coach.

While looking to add some additional income to his teaching salary, Myers started wrestling in Detroit. He wanted to conceal his identity to protect his privacy, so he began wrestling under a mask and went by the name The Student. He was scouted by Bruno Sammartino and began wrestling in Pittsburgh, where he stopped wearing the mask and began going by the name George Steele. He soon made his way to the WWF under Vince McMahon, Sr. Steele's character had been developed to one of a wild heel that would tear the ring turnbuckles apart with his teeth and was given the moniker "the Animal" to fit his persona. Steele would remain a heel until this night at the first SNME event where he would turn face as his partners leave him in the ring following their match.

### Scott:

The first official match in SNME's rich history pits the former tag champions vs. the current tag champions with their friends mixed in. On the heels of the first WrestleMania, and that dastardly title switch with Freddie Blassie's cane, we keep the feud going on here at the Nassau Mausoleum. Man I remember getting so pumped up at 11 years old for this first big Saturday night show, particularly for our matches later but I was a big US Express mark and was hoping this would be a tag title match. We have a group of expert workers in the ring, with perhaps the exception of the Animal but that wasn't really his gig anyway. Sheik and Volkoff were carrying some red hot heat in this match after stealing the tag titles at Mania and of course their anti-USA sentiments. Vince and Jesse were a great team, although early on Jesse was still getting accustomed to his role as color commentator. He would get better and better as the years progress. The action is back and forth with no wasted motion early on, and the Nassau crowd is bonkers until the Animal looks to make a tag but his partners drop off the apron and hang him out to dry. Barry Windham rolled Animal up for the win, but it's the after-match that's the main issue. Steele goes after a turnbuckle, but then the tag champions come in the ring and beat their partner down. It's evident in this era of PPV that Animal would be a comedy babyface as opposed to his earlier heel incarnations in the pre-PPV era. The match itself isn't much but the Steele turn was needed to get the new era of the WWF an extra fan-friendly character.

### JT:

The inaugural installment of Saturday Night's Main Event kicks off with the voices of the show, Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura, welcoming us to the Nassau Coliseum and for the premier of wrestling on NBC. This episode was coinciding with Mother's Day weekend and that theme would come up throughout the night. Our opener is a spillover from WrestleMania, where Nikolai Volkoff and Iron Sheik upset the US Express for the tag team titles. The Express are looking for a measure of revenge and are set up to get their hands on the champs here, albeit the titles are not on the line as Ricky Steamboat and George Steele are also in the mix. Steamboat is still getting his feet wet in the promotion, having only debuted shortly before Mania. Steele is a heel stalwart, formerly managed by Lou Albano when the Captain was also a rulebreaker. Nikolai actually got the through the whole Russian national anthem, but the tide turned when the Express and Steamboat charged out to Born in the USA. Windham and Sheik kicked things off and Barry was full of fire early, flying around the ring and easily handling Sheik before spiking him down to the mat hard with a bodyslam. The faces worked some quick tags as they took the fight right to the pride of Tehran. Jesse was point immediately, calling out the strategy in the early goings. Sheik continued to be rattled, only gaining some daylight when he hooked Steamboat in an abdominal stretch. That was short-lived, though, and it led to a breakdown that saw all three heel tossed to the floor and forced to regroup. As the crowd cheered on the Express & Steamboat, we went to break. Ricky stayed hot after the break, hitting a powerslam and then a cross body off the top rope for a near fall. Sheik finally was able to tag Volkoff, but things didn't go much better for the big Russian. A distraction by Steele would allow Nikolai to land a few shots in on Rotundo, but the former tag team champ fought through it and tagged out to Windham. After a sunset flip into the ropes, Nikolai escaped and tagged in Steele, who quickly looked to tag out, however Sheik and Volkoff dropped to the floor and refused. As Steele tried to sort things out, Windham rolled him up and grabbed the win for his team. After the bell, the champs attacked Steele while he munched on his turnbuckle but the Animal fought them off to a big pop. Albano sensed a potential reunion with his old friend and approached him in the ring, calming him down and completing the face turn. There wasn't much to this one, as it was effectively a squash that existed to trigger Steele's turn. The crowd was pretty fired up, and the faces looked crisp and pretty great overall. More six-men tags with these three would have been a very welcomed sight here in 1985.

*** Mean Gene Okerlund interviews Volkoff, Sheik and Freddie Blassie in the aisle. Blassie calls Steele a "fruitcake" and says he wasn't tagging when he was supposed to per the plan. Steele would catch up to them and smack them around before ambling away. ***

*** Roddy Piper welcomes in his WrestleMania teammate Paul Orndorff for a special Piper's Pit. Bob Orton is also present and Orndorff dares him to take a shot. Piper attempts to ease their tensions that had been boiling since Mania but then changes course and calls Orndorff a loser. They would snipe and threaten each other with Piper accusing Orndorff of having "lost his nuts" and says he will slap Orndorff for embarrassing everyone in MSG. Orndroff fires back and shoves Piper and then fight both Hot Rod and Orton off. Orndorff would load Piper up for the piledriver, but Orton smacked him from behind with the cast. That drew out Mr. T to protect Orndorff from further harm. ***

### 2) Hulk Hogan defeats Bob Orton by disqualification when Roddy Piper interferes at 6:54; Hogan retains WWF Heavyweight Title

Fun Fact: With Paul Orndorff out of the picture, the stage is set for Roddy Piper's henchman, Bob Orton, to take on the world champion.

### Scott:

We get a title match here which was very special since you didn't see Hogan wrestle on the syndicated shows much back in those days. In fact the first World Title match I ever saw (after his win over the Iron Sheik) was on the first "Hulkamania" VHS tape. Ah, VHS wrestling tapes. Talk about childhood. Seeing Hogan taking wrestling advice from Mr. T is pretty comical. After some comedy work early, once Orton got going for the heel heat segment the match really took a good turn and was very entertaining. We know how great a worker Orton is and as he works the Champion over, we see Jesse start to really get going as a color announcer, egging Orton on to punish Hogan for a few more minutes before going for the pinfall. Hogan does his usual comebacks but as expected Roddy Piper wasn't going to let his bodyguard "Ace" lose so we get the disqualification and a brawl with Mr. T follows. This feud continues to brew all year long. It was great to see Hogan wrestle, but the match itself was relatively basic.

### JT:

After the Pit fiasco, Bob Orton had to dust himself off and regroup because he was set up to challenge Hulk Hogan in the very first WWF Title match in SNME history. The crowd was bananas for Hogan, natch, and he was all jacked up as he marched to the ring and posed for his adoring fans. After a break, the match got going and we would find out that both Roddy Piper and Mr. T had come out to act as cornermen. Orson tried for a fast start but stood no chance as Hogan smacked him around, slammed him to the mat and drove him to the floor before the Cowboy could even get his chaps off. Once he made it back in, Orton charged wildly but missed and smashed his shoulder into the post. Hogan pounced and worked the arm, targeting the cast and hammering away. Orton would eventually land a knee to the champ's chest and locked in from there, unloading some right hands as Piper cheered him on. The Cowboy would pick up a near fall with an atomic drop, but it was a forceful kickout, meaning Orton wasn't quite close yet. Piper and T would jaw on the floor as Orton maintained control, continuing to club away. The strikes were effective but stunted when the champ Hulked up and clobbered Orton with a clothesline and big elbow drop for a near fall. Orton wasn't done though as he countered some punch in the corner with an atomic drop and then set up Hogan for his superplex. Hogan blocked that and knocked Orton to the mat. He would hit the legdrop but as he covered, Piper reached in and jabbed him in the face for the DQ. Piper leapt into the ring and laid some kicks in but T made the save. A brawl kicked off from there, with Orndorff joining the fray and driving Piper and Orton away as Ventura complained about the odds. This was a spirited little affair and I liked Orton's comeback leading to the superplex tease. This also accomplished a few things as it established Hogan and his formula for the NBC audience but also continued both a troika of feuds for Piper between Hogan, T and Orndorff. Solid match a really well done angle.

### 3) Wendi Richter defeats Fabulous Moolah with an inside cradle to retain WWF Women's Title at 4:00

Fun Fact: This is a continuation of the Richter/Moolah feud that has been boiling since Richter first won the title from Moolah at The Brawl to End it All. To prevent "outside interference" in this contest, Moolah has gone to the WWF and has a proclamation that bars Cyndi Lauper from the ringside area.

### Scott:

In what many thought was the co-main event match of WrestleMania, Wendi Richter won back her title from Lelani Kai (or as Cyndi Lauper called her, LANNY KAI) after losing at War to Settle the Score. So to really beef up the debut episode of SNME, we have yet another title match stemming from the other big feud leading into Mania. This was probably supposed to be the "passing of the torch" match as Richter was red hot right now and Moolah was clearly on the far end of her Hall of Fame career. It's such a different style of hair pulling and punches/kicks but it was better than some women's matches back then. Richter wins the match with a small package on a Moolah body slam attempt. The match really wasn't much but this was a big moment (or so we thought) for the company as one would think that Wendi Richter would be the champion for a very long time. That wouldn't happen.

### JT:

Nothing screams targeting a youthful audience like showcasing the ancient Fabulous Moolah. Before the match, Moolah informs Gene that she is tired of Cyndi Lauper's interference and said she had paperwork banning the pop star from ringside. Lauper basically said that was horseshit and that she would be at ringside anyway. And she wasn't lying and she and David Wolfe jogged out alongside the champion, all to a raucous pop. The Fink would read Moolah's official proclamation, reiterating that Lauper was banned due to continued interference in past matches. The crowd did not like that one, but the pissed off Lauper was ushered to the back as they took a break. When we returned, we saw Lauper watching the match on a tiny monitor in the aisle and on the screen, Moolah was in control of the bout. Jesse noted that she has never been meaner as she choked away at the champ and then dumped her to the floor. Moolah was so slow by this point, tossing weak kicks at Richter and Wolfe, who remained at ringside. Moolah would allow herself to be distracted, allowing Wendi to knock her to the floor. Back in, Moolah grabbed a one count and went to work again with a sloppy sequence of strikes. Richter isn't bad but when in there with this fossil, she really can't get much done. And just when it looked like Moolah had things in control, Richter countered a slam with an inside cradle and nabbed the win to retain. Lauper charged down the aisle and celebrated with her friend, who still remained queen of the mountain. Match was not very good, with a couple of decent shots from Richter mixed in.

*** Gene Okerlund interviews Junkyard Dog and his mother Bertha, who is in town for Mother's Day. She is very proud of her son and ready to watch his upcoming match. ***

### 4) Junkyard Dog defeats Pete Doherty with a powerslam at 3:15

Fun Fact: Pete Doherty, also known as the Duke of Dorchester, came into the WWWF in 1977 under Vince Sr. He was primarily used as a jobber for the stars of the day. His character was known for his missing teeth, his long blonde hair and his loud screaming in the ring.

### Scott:

This match was nothing, just an opportunity for Vince to put another of his biggest stars on the screen in this debut episode. Really this entire episode was simply a showcase for all the WWF's top stars so NBC would keep the show on the air for the SNL off-weeks. That's probably why they told Jesse to be more neutral in his commentating than he normally would, to accentuate all the talent regardless of faces and heels. Pete Doherty is one of those lovable heel jobbers that you will see going ahead on Prime Time Wrestling and other house shows. JYD's mom is here too as Mother's Day was the next day, which is how we end this first episode. Cyndi Lauper throws a party for all the WWF's superstars' moms, which ends with some comedy hijinks with Moolah and a cake. This match was really nothing but an opportunity to see another top star.

### JT:

Well, the poor Duke of Dorchester stood no chance here as JYD was competing live in front of his mama on Mother's Day. Sorry Duke. Bertha proudly walked to the ring with her son and then parked it at ringside as he climbed in the ring to tussle with Doherty. Dog kicked things off with a big clothesline that knocked the Duke to the floor. As Duke started to give Bertha the business, Dog yanked him up by his hair, letting him dangle painfully. Once things got going back inside, Dog pelted Duke with his crawling headbutts and then slammed him off the top rope. After a couple more headbutts, Dog took Doherty down with a powerslam for the win. Squash city for the Dog.

*** Backstage, Cyndi Lauper hosts a Mother's Day party for the whole roster. JYD is there with his mom as are Volkoff & Sheik, who trash talk the host. Freddie Blassie is with a young lass, who he claims is his mother Laura. Albano would read a poem as Hulk Hogan stood with his mother. Lauper and Richter were with Cyndi's mother, who was very happy to have this party to celebrate all the moms out there. Moolah would crash the party to bitch about not getting invited and trash talk Cyndi's mom and that ended with the old bag getting shoved in the cake along with Gene, who got caught in the crossfire. ***

### Final Analysis:

### Scott:

The WWF really loaded up this first installment of what would be a landmark show for all our wrestling childhoods. Two title matches, and at the time a rare Hulk Hogan title match on TV. All the big stars were on and we even had a babyface turn for George Steele. The backstage stuff was funny camp like the Mother's Day party that ended with Moolah and Mean Gene in the cake. The shows would be more streamlined as time would progress and even Vince and Jesse's chemistry would solidify over time also. This was a fun debut show that gave the mainstream audience a taste of what the new WWF was going to offer.

Final Grade:

### JT:

This was a fine showcase for the WWF as their partnership with NBC officially gets underway. They showed off the majority of their top stars and pushed along a few major feuds as well. The Piper stuff was all very well done and really got his issues with Hogan, T and Orndorff in a good place in front of a national audience. There wasn't much in the way of in ring action but there was enough there to make this an entertaining little watch. I also dug the party at the end, as that would kick off a long standing tradition of SNME being the home of campy parties and skits. It was certainly a breezy watch and a nice snapshot of what the WWF looked like in the weeks following the inaugural WrestleMania.

Final Grade:

# Saturday Night's Main Event II – 10/5/85

October 5, 1985 (Recorded October 3, 1985)

Meadowlands Arena

East Rutherford, NJ

Announcers: Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura

Attendance: 8,000

NBC Rating: 8.3

### 1) Hulk Hogan defeats Nikolai Volkoff in a Flag Match to retain WWF Heavyweight Title with a legdrop at 5:17

Fun Fact: After Nikolai Volkoff and the Iron Sheik lost the tag team titles back to the US Express, Volkoff began wrestling more singles matches. The 80s were a prime time for US/USSR feuds in wrestling and in the WWF that meant the big Russian Volkoff going against the face of the company, Hulk Hogan, for the title.

### Scott:

We open the show with yet another WWF Title match, which again is a big deal because at the time we rarely saw WWF Title matches on TV. Nikolai was a big time heel challenger for the title in the 70s against Bruno Sammartino and Bob Backlund. After being a tag team champion earlier in the year Nikolai hops back in the ring as a solo star and goes after the big prize. Hogan is all American and a flag match is the perfect gimmick for these two guys. I found it odd that we didn't have an SNME during the summer as Saturday Night Live ran reruns for the most part. Jesse is full heel now after somewhat playing it down the middle on the first episode. Volkoff starts off with the big heel segment early with choking and power strikes. We are treated to the alternate all white Hogan combo, as he really wouldn't stick totally with red & yellow until 1986. Just like Nassau, the crowd is crazy as both guys really bring the goods here. Vince sometimes struggles with calling the moves, as at one point Volkoff is clearly going for a piledriver and Vince says it's a backbreaker. Volkoff really shows off his power here and is not rusty for a singles push after being in a championship tag team for the past few months. Hogan eventually makes is big comeback and successfully retains his WWF Title. The crowd is on their feet as he goes after Freddie Blassie and then shines his boots with the Soviet flag. The match was a lot of fun as it was a five minute sprint with good power moves and psychology.

### JT:

For the second straight SNME, we get the treat of a big Hulk Hogan World Title match. After taking the summer off, we are back it on NBC and this time around the Hulkster is defending the honor of America against the deadbeat Communist Nikolai Volkoff in a flag match. I love Nikolai's big ass Russian winter coat. That thing is pimp. And amazingly enough, Volkoff is 2-2 when it comes to singing the complete anthem on SNME. Hogan is decked out in white here and enters to Stars & Stripes Forever while toting the stars and bars. Nikolai wasted no time at all, kicking Hogan in the back before he could even take the strap off. Volkoff pounded on him with right hands and then slammed him into the buckle before yanking Hogan's shirt off and choking him with it. Hogan quickly made a comeback as the crowd was going bonkers, clotheslining the Russian down and dropping a quick elbow. A boot to the gut knocked Volkoff through the ropes and onto the timekeeper table. Hogan followed him out but Nikolai was able to run him into the post to take control of the bout. Back inside, Nikolai showed off his power with a backbreaker for a near fall. Nikolai followed by trying for a piledriver, but Hogan backdropped his way out of it. Hulkster tried to punch his way up but Nikolai caught him with some stuff kicks to the face and then scooped and slammed him again for two. And then Hogan hulked up. And that was that. Nikolai would miss a big charge in the corner and Hogan dropped the leg for the victory. America was defended successfully and yet again an invasion was thwarted. After the match, Hogan spit on the Russian flag and then shined his shoes with it. Insulting. Hogan would pose with the flag to celebrate and await his next great challenge. I liked this match. It was pretty spirited and both guys hustled and landed some good, heavy blows.

*** We check on the bride-to-be, Joyce, as she preps for her big wedding, which is coming later in the show. Gene Okerlund then checks in with Uncle Elmer and Hillbilly Jim and neither seem all to worried about Elmer's match or nuptials. ***

### 2) Uncle Elmer defeats Jerry Valiant with a bodyslam at :06

Fun Fact I: John Hill, aka Jerry Valiant, was a Canadian wrestler from Hamilton, Ontario. He began his wrestling career in 1959 in Canada and moved to the US in 1960 where he wrestled under the name Guy Hill. During his career in the 60s and 70s he wrestled throughout the US, Canada and Australia under various names, including Guy Mitchell, The Destroyer and The Stomper. He came to the WWWF in 1979 as Jerry Valiant. At the time, Jimmy Valiant had contracted hepatitis and a new "family" member was needed to team with Johnny. The duo won the WWWF World Tag Team Championship and when Jimmy recovered the three wrestled in six man tag matches. Jerry Valiant left the territory in 1980 to continue his solo wrestling career elsewhere. He returned to the WWF in 1984 as a referee and lower card wrestler.

Fun Fact II: Uncle Elmer sets a WWF record for quickest match, surpassing King Kong Bundy's win over Special Delivery Jones at WrestleMania.

### Scott:

I will leave the majority of my comments to my PIC who loves hillbillies about as much as I love midgets. Poor Gentlemen Jerry, a former tag team champion and here he's just fodder for the groom to be.

### JT:

Valiant is apparently a "big city clicker" according to Vince. We will see how he fares against the gigantic, sloppy farmer Uncle Elmer. And of course we get to be graced by the presence of jackass Cousin Junior and his stupid square dancing. Hillbilly Jim gives Elmer a hug and that is all the motivation he needed as he scooped Valiant up, slammed him and then just laid on him for the win. I'll take it. The less Junior and Elmer I have to watch, the better. Vince notes that the early reports indicate this was a new record and the Fink confirms it for us all. A true gift for us all.

*** Jesse Ventura heads to the ring for a special edition of the Body Shop, with guest Bobby Heenan. Heenan talks trash on Paul Orndorff, who fired the Brain earlier in the year. Heenan subsequently put a bounty on Mr. Wonderful and then doubled it to $50,000. He instructs Orndorff to just retire before someone collects. Gene then catches up with Orndorff, who says that anyone that wears a skirt isn't tough enough to collect a bounty. Gene would later catch up with Roddy Piper, who claimed he wasn't here just for money but instead to take out Orndorff. Gene asked him if he was worried that Heenan wouldn't pay up and Piper said if that happened, he would rip Bobby's throat out too. ***

### 3) Paul Orndorff wrestles Roddy Piper to a double countout at 4:01

Fun Fact: The Piper/Orndorff feud continues here at SNME II. Following WrestleMania, Orndorff fired Bobby Heenan as his manager on the April 26 episode of TNT. Heenan proceeded to place a $25,000 bounty on the head of Orndorff for anyone that could injure him. After no one was able to succeed, he upped the bounty to $50,000. Piper was one of the first to try to take Orndorff out at the higher target.

### Scott:

This match is just as much a spotlight match for this show as the title match was earlier in the night. This feud stems all the way back to WrestleMania when Piper and Bob Orton left Mr. Wonderful high and dry after losing in the main event. The situation was exacerbated on the first SNME back in May. Now both men finally meet face to face in the ring and I'm not expecting any expert in-ring moves here, just a lot of punching, kicking and probably a disqualification. Well I was right on the money as these two men brawl into the hallway and eventually both get counted out so we don't have a definitive winner. I think that hurts Orndorff's babyface run as Piper really needed to put him over if they intended a big push for Orndorff after this. The whole thing about Bobby Heenan's bounty really doesn't play into any of this. The brawl is entertaining but honestly Piper needed to do the right thing and at least have Orndorff win in some capacity. Entertaining match, but unfulfilling.

### JT:

Up next we have a very legitimate grudge match to help anchor this episode. Back in May, we saw these two go at it inside Piper's Pit as they exploded after their humiliating loss at WrestleMania. Things have boiled over since then and now Piper is looking to both eliminate Orndorff and also cash in on Bobby Heenan's bounty along the way. The match got off to a red hot start as the two traded right hands before Piper took over in the corner. Hot Rod landed a great kick and then slammed Orndorff's skull to the mat until Mr. Wonderful came back and hammered away with abandon. This was a real street fight as the two rolled around the mat tossing fisticuffs and ripping at hair and eyes. Piper's kicks were fantastic here. The match briefly spilled to the floor but quickly returned inside the ring, where Orndorff took Hot Rod up and over with a back suplex. The crowd is going nuts for this. So am I. The two would collide in the middle of the ring and instead of covering, Piper just went on the attack again. That backfired, as Orndorff buried a pair of knees in his gut to block a big splash. Orndorff would get a head of steam and fly into Piper, sending them both over the top and to the floor. Things got wild out there, as they brawled all around ringside and saw Piper whiff with a chair. They would brawl to the back and through the hallways and both get counted out, meaning no bounty would be cashed in on. Piper would eventually lock himself in a dressing room to escape. That was an awesome brawl and about as exciting a four minute match you will see during this era of WWF TV. The passion and fire was tremendous and between the existing bad blood and the bounty money on the line, the tension was really palpable. Toss in a great performance by Jesse and Vince and a hot crowd and this was my favorite SNME segment so far.

*** With Elmer, Jim and Junior in the ring with some other wrestlers and Gene Okerlund on the ivories, Joyce made her way to the makeshift alter, ready to seal the deal with the love of her life. Judge George Savino presided over the nuptials as Elmer was flanked by his hillbilly pals, Lou Albano, Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant (in tights). Jesse was great here, just trashing the whole thing and ripping everyone apart, especially Elmer as he struggled to hear the judge and fumbled his way through some of the vows. The judge went through the full vows but before they could finish, Roddy Piper showed up and ripped everyone from the aisle, saying the whole thing stinks. He would leave and finally Elmer and Joyce were wed. And as they sealed it with a kiss, Jesse hit his line of the night: "It looks like two carp in the Mississippi River going after the same piece of corn." ***

### 4) Andre the Giant & Tony Atlas defeat King Kong Bundy & Big John Studd by disqualification at 4:26

Fun Fact I: This match was billed as a tag team contest between the four largest athletes in the WWF. It would actually be the start of the slow build for the main event at WrestleMania II between Hogan and Bundy. Following the match, Hogan would come to the aid of Andre and the stage would be set for the next SNME event.

Fun Fact II: Anthony White, better known to wrestling fans as Tony Atlas, began his wrestling career in the NWA Mid Atlantic area in 1974. He wrestled throughout the territories during the 70s and 80s as well as becoming popular in the world of bodybuilding. He won the Mr. USA title on three different occasions in the late 70s and early 80s. He also made history with Rocky Johnson on November 15, 1983 by coming the first African Americans to win the World Tag Team Title when they defeated the Wild Samoans.

### Scott:

Now this is a match I can sink my teeth into. Three big hosses and the jacked up Tony Atlas go at it with Bobby Heenan at ringside. This goes all the way back to 1984 when Andre's hair was chopped by the Heenan family. Then at WrestleMania, Andre slammed Studd and threw $15,000 into the MSG crowd after the match. The battles continue here, but like our Piper/Orndorff match it ends inconclusively as Heenan's family dumps Atlas and begins really laying into Andre, who is really the highlight guy here as Atlas was just an afterthought. Both men really start beating Andre down until he is saved by the WWF Champion, as Hogan comes out to a huge megapop. He chases the big guys off and Hogan promises he will help Andre get rid of the Family members. Way to toss Tony Atlas to the curb. I loved that Bundy/Studd team, as nothing is more awesome than big hoss heel tag teams. Hogan is all over this show and his evening is still not over. Neither is the war between the Eighth Wonder of the World and the Heenan Family.

### JT:

Bobby Heenan's issues with Andre the Giant continue here. Back at WrestleMania, Andre defeated John Studd in the Bodyslam Challenge and had generally frustrated the Heenan Family over the past year. Studd is teaming with his regular partner King Kong Bundy and Andre has the powerful former tag team champion Tony Atlas in his corner. Vince takes us back six weeks ago to Toronto where Studd and Bundy double teamed Andre and left him laid out. Now, Andre has some backup. And he immediately goes for the jugular, choking the crap out of Bundy in the middle of the ring. He then back Bundy into the corner and smashed him with his huge frame before tossing in some chops. Atlas came in and ate a back elbow from Bundy but he dodged an elbow drop. Bundy tagged in Studd, but Atlas kept him rocking with some right and hands and headbutts before failing to slam the big man. Atlas whiffed on a bad looking dropkick, giving Studd the opening to stomp away. Studd would amble over and tussle with Andre, allowing Bundy to come in and splash Atlas. Andre would tag back in and kick Studd to the floor, but Bundy came in and started laying the wood. Outside, Studd rammed Atlas into the ring post and then slid back inside for some double teaming. With Atlas useless on the floor, Hulk Hogan showed up and helped clear the ring to another mega pop. Match was nothing but the angle was good and the heat was there as well. Looks like Andre may have a new partner in his war with the Heenan Family.

*** We cut to a jungle where Gene Oklerlund pulls up in a jeep, on the search for a cunning creature. And that creature is George Steele, who had been reported to have been sighted in the Detroit Zoological Park. Gene would indeed happen upon the Animal, who he claims the entire world had been looking for. He informs us that we haven't seen George since his electrotherapy that caused him to eventually relapse and disappear. In a funny bit, Gene saw a tiger and asked what kind it was, leading George to reply "Detroit". After some more hi-jinks, George ran away. ***

### 5) The Dream Team defeat Lanny Poffo & Tony Garea to retain WWF Tag Team Titles when Greg Valentine made Garea submit with the figure four at 3:30

Fun Fact I: Anthony Garelijich, aka Tony Garea, was born in 1946 in Auckland, New Zealand. He was trained by Wild Don Scott and made his debut in New Zealand before signing with the WWWF in 1972. He teamed with Haystacks Calhoun in May 1973 to win his first WWWF World Tag Team Championship. After winning the titles a second time with Dean Ho later that year, he started a short singles career in the spring of 1974. He would go back to tag wrestling in 1977 when he teamed up with new partner, Larry Zbyzsko. The team would strike gold again for Garea in 1978. In the early 80s Garea would team with Rick Martel to win a fourth tag team title. When Martel left the WWF in 1982, Garea became a jobber, helping newcomers to the business until he retired in 1986.

Fun Fact II: Lanny Poffo is part of the Poffo wrestling family, led by his father Angelo Poffo and his older brother, Randy, aka "Macho Man" Randy Savage. Lanny began his wrestling career in the 1970s in the NWA territory system. He joined his father's promotion, International Championship Wrestling, and held their primary title. When the promotion folded in 1984, he followed his brother to the CWA and then to the WWF. Lanny built a babyface persona where he would come to the ring with short poems that he had written that would ridicule the heel he was facing along with frisbees that he would throw out the audience. He was primarily used as an enhancement talent.

Fun Fact III: The Dream Team was made up of Greg Valentine and Brutus Beefcake along with manager Johnny Valiant and was formed in May 1985. Prior to the team's creation, Valentine was managed by Jimmy Hart and had won the Intercontinental Championship. Beefcake came into the WWF in 1984 and was managed by Valiant. The two managers put their talents together as a team in 1985. After Valentine lost the IC title in July, the duo concentrated their efforts on tag team wrestling and set their sites on the US Express. Over time, Valiant became the team's sole manager in their run for the titles. On August 24, 1985, the Dream Team won the titles after Beefcake took a lit cigar from Valiant and burned Barry Wyndham's eye with it.

### Scott:

We have new tag team champions since we last joined you as the heel team of former IC Champion Greg Valentine and his protege Brutus Beefcake won the straps from the US Express. Another title match to really boost this show up sees legendary tag wrestler Tony Garea and the newcomer Lanny Poffo looks to pull off the upset here. The match is sadly too short as we needed to fit this crap on the back end of the show. There probably would have been much more athleticism and workrate on this entire show with high profile matches that were sadly cut off so we can fit all this hillbilly junk. The Dream Team are one of the cooler heel tag teams of all time and one of my brother's favorites. The champions retain but the former champions (with Barry Windham rocking the eyepatch) watching from ringside waiting for their chance to regaining the titles.

### JT:

We close the night out with a tag title match as the new champions are ready for their first national TV defense. The Dream Team came together over the summer and upset the US Express, with an assist from Johnny V and his cigar, to grab the titles. Their opponents are definitely capable but this would certainly be a major upset. Both Tony Garea and Lanny Poffo were above average workers positioned as little more than enhancement talent for the stars at this point. As Valentine doled out elbows and slams to Poffo, we saw the US Express seated ringside. To help sell the cigar attack, Barry Windham was rocking an eyepatch. Beefcake would tag in but he got caught off guard and Poffo picked up a near fall on a moonsault. Beefcake came back and overpowered Poffo, but the poet laureate was able to tag in Garea, who came in and started doling dropkicks to both champions. After a near fall off a dropkick, Garea ate a back elbow from Beefcake and an elbow drop from Valentine. A moment later, the Hammer hooked on the figure four to pick up the win. Pretty much a squash here to showcase the new champs.

*** We head to the wedding reception backstage, where Vince, Jesse, Hogan and Orndroff are at a table chatting. Hogan thinks this could really rocket Elmer to the top of the promotion. Gene visits another table, where Junior and Albano are chowing down like the slobs they are. Poffo is also at the table (in his tights) and he reads a poem he wrote for the happy couple. A poem that including a little plug for NBC. Hillbilly Jim is the best man and proposes his toast and informs the couple he will be over for dinner every Sunday. Gene then welcomes in a surprise guest, musician Tiny Tim. Gene informs us that Tim had been involved in TV's most famous wedding until tonight. Tim is sure to mention that his wedding didn't work out but implores Elmer to be good to his wife and then gives them a ukulele as a gift. As Tim left, Jesse walked up and read a poem of his own, one that started nicely and then degenerated into a string of insults. Hillbilly didn't take that too kindly and hopped to his feet and shoved Jesse into the cake to a chorus of laughter. Before we wrap up, Vince and Hogan reveal that the Hulkster will team with Andre the Giant to battle King Kong Bundy and Big John Studd in four weeks at the next SNME. ***

### Final Analysis:

### Scott:

This show is unbelievably frustrating. We had multiple title matches and a blood feud stemming from WrestleMania as well as the continuing feud of Andre vs. the Heenan Family all cut painfully short so we can watch nonsense like hillbilly weddings and receptions in barns with pigs running at your feet. Hogan/Volkoff could have been better with a few extra minutes. Paul Orndorff needed a definitive win to the feud with Piper, even if was by countout or disqualification. The tag match was fun but short and the Andre brawl with Bundy/Studd was great, including the Hogan run-in that sets up our next SNME main event. All that could have been so much better if we didn't have to see that dope Uncle Elmer get married and poor Jesse gets embarrassed by falling into the stupid cake. Ugh big thumbs down for this one.

Final Grade:

### JT:

Well, this was certainly an interesting trip. The opener and Piper/Orndorff matches were a lot of fun and both had some pretty strong heat to will them along. The wedding stuff was quite campy but a fine enough through line for the episode. I also liked the Body Shop with Bobby Heenan to help push along the bounty angle. In fact, they did a nice job intertwining a few different angles throughout this show. Establishing the Hogan/Andre friendship was interesting too, lining them up as partners and setting up the main event for our next outing. Depending how entertaining you find the wedding stuff, your mileage may vary on this one. Regardless, it was a quick watch and the Piper/Orndorff brawl is certainly worth checking out. Until next time, may you find true love and one day wed in the middle of the ring.

Final Grade:

# Saturday Night's Main Event III – 11/2/85

November 2, 1985 (Recording October 31, 1985)

Hershey Park Arena

Hershey, PA

Announcers: Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura

Attendance: 8,000

NBC Rating: 6.8

### 1) Terry Funk defeated Junkyard Dog after hitting him with Jimmy Hart's megaphone at 5:16

Fun Fact I: Terry Funk's wrestling career began in 1965 working in the NWA territory in Amarillo, TX for his father, Dory Funk, Sr. He and his brother, Dory Jr., tagged together as well as rising into the upper card against top names in the business. In 1975, Terry won the NWA World Heavyweight title over Jack Brisco and held the title for 14 months before posting to Harley Race. Following the loss of the title, Terry and his brother travelled to different territories, Japan and Puerto Rico. Funk came to the WWF in 1985 and immediately stirred things up. In his debut on Championship Wrestling, he attacked ring attendant Mel Phillips for putting on Funk's cowboy hat. Funk proceeded to pummel Phillips. It was announced a week later on Piper's Pit that Funk was fined $5,000 for his actions.

Fun Fact II: The Funk/JYD feud began on house shows during August and September, but really came to a head in October. At a taping event at MSG on September 23, JYD pinned Funk. Following the match, Funk attacked JYD and ended up branding him with his branding iron. This footage is shown prior to the match here at SNME #3.

### Scott:

We open this festive episode with a blood feud dating back to the summertime. Terry Funk was a lost gem in 1980s WWF. He was an awesome crazed heel who waved the Double Cross Ranch branding iron. Over the summer at an MSG House Show Funk beat the JYD down with the branding iron and now the Dog gets his chance at revenge here. This is one of those fun themed SNME shows where we have a Halloween party interspersed throughout the matches with superstars dressed in costumes. Bobby Heenan cutting the promo in the open with chocolate sauce all over his face is pure hilarity. That is what made the Brain awesome. Anyway this match is all JYD early on beating down both Funk and Jimmy Hart but Funk eventually settles in and works a sleeper on the Dog. The Hershey crowd is red hot during the match, as the WWF was smart to have these first few episodes in East Coast venues where the crowd is extra red hot. I thought Funk winning was a huge upset here but he gets his heat back when Funk goes for the branding iron the JYD gets the iron and clubs Funk with it. Then in one of the most infamous moments in SNME history, Jimmy Hart gets his pants pulled off and the JYD brands his little red underwear with the Double Cross logo. A fun, quick match but this feud is far from over.

### JT:

I love me some theme shows and based on the opening, it was clear this would be much more treat than trick for me. Having everyone decked out in costumes and having a party backstage throughout the show was a really nice touch and added a unique atmosphere to things. I also enjoyed how many fans were dressed up too. Our opener features a WWF newcomer battling a popular stalwart in what has been a burgeoning feud. Terry Funk was well known around the world and a former NWA World Champion that had finally made his way to New York, picking up Jimmy Hart as his manager along the way. Leading up to this show, Funk branded JYD and the Dog was ready for revenge here. And he wasted no time at all, jumping Funk before the bell and smacking him around before he could even get his chaps off. Funk would survive and regroup but whiffed on an elbow drop. JYD would scoop Funk up and slam him over the top and to the floor in a great bump that popped the crowd. JYD kept pouring it on with slams with Funk continuously trying to regain his bearings. Things spilled to the floor when Jimmy Hart ran some interference, but that ended with JYD back dropping Funk on the exposed wood in another wild bump. Back inside, Funk finally slowed the Dog down and hooked on a sleeper, but the Hershey fans did the best they could to rally him through it. JYD would escape and grab a sleeper of his own and that again drew Hart onto the apron. JYD broke the hold and yanked Jimmy into the ring, but with the ref turned around, Funk grabbed the megaphone and popped the Dog in the head with it to win the bout. After the win, Funk again tried to brand the Dog, but JYD blocked it and nailed Terry with the iron. With Funk out, JYD drilled Hart and branded him for revenge. This was a really fun match with a hot atmosphere and some wild bumping from Funk. It may be one of my favorite WWF JYD matches that I have seen. I wish it was a bit longer and had a little bit of a heat segment, but they had an SNME formula already in place so I can't blame them there. JYD dominates the bout but Funk steals the win.

*** Backstage, the Halloween party festivities kick off with the pie eating contest. On one side is Lou Albano (Julius Caesar), flanked by Tito Santana (Zorro), Hulk Hogan (Hercules) and the hillbillies (Three Musketeers) and on the other is King Kong Bundy (Abe Lincoln), supported by Randy Savage (Tarzan), Nikolai Volkoff (Robin), Bobby Heenan (Davy Crockett) and Iron Sheik (Batman). Gene Okerlund (Pumpkin) presided over the contest, which Albano would win. An angry Bundy smashed a pie in Albano's face afterwards but he didn't seem to care. ***

*** Back in the ring, Roddy Piper hosts an edition of Piper's Pit with special guests Hillbilly Jim, Cousin Junior and Uncle Elmer. The hillbillies are looking to confront Piper about his antics during Elmer's wedding on the previous edition of SNME. Piper did his usual shtick, easily outworking the hillbillies on the mic and taking shots at them and Joyce. Piper said he agreed with what Jesse Ventura said about the wedding as well. Elmer then demanded Ventura come down to say those things to their faces, and of course the Body quickly obliged. Ventura stood by his words and refused to back down. The heat here was great and as Elmer said he was looking to fight, Bob Orton knelt down behind Junior and Piper shoved him down to the mat. Hillbilly Jim knocked Orton to the floor and Piper and Jesse bailed before further incident. Elmer would stomp on Jesse's hat as they stood tall in the ring. ***

*** Back to the party, it was now time for the pumpkin dunk contest. In this challenge, Bobby Heenan faced off with Cousin Junior. Heenan was assisted by Savage and Miss Elizabeth (Jane) while Junior was backed by Santana and Junkyard Dog (Mummy). Heenan clearly cheated throughout and would end up winning, drawing the overall contest even at 1-1. ***

### 2) Hulk Hogan & Andre the Giant defeat King Kong Bundy & Big John Studd via disqualification at 8:00

Fun Fact: This match is a result of the challenge that Hulk Hogan put forward after last month's SNME tag team match featuring Tony Atlas & Andre the Giant battling Big John Studd & King Kong Bundy.

### Scott:

It's awesome to see some continuity here as one month earlier in New Jersey the challenge was laid out and accepted by this powerhouse team. Why is Lou Albano here? Man he glommed onto every babyface team ever. The crowd is totally amped up for this one, as they were earlier. I like how Vince called Andre the "Big Boss Man", while Jesse is destroying the referee for allowing the babyfaces to apparently cheat. I loved Studd and Bundy as a tag team, as they should have been the tag team champions instead of the Dream Team. During the match Jesse talks about a possible challenge between the hillbillies and he and Piper in a match. That would be awesome. All four men end up brawling like crazy but Andre accidentally cracks the referee and has to be replaced although Jesse says the match should be cut short. Eventually Andre is tied in the ropes and the heels really give him the business until the referee calls for the disqualification by not allowing him to get out of the ropes. The faces clean house and the heels beg off. Andre wants more of the Family and I've never seen him this fired up before. Hogan still wears the alternate white combo, but my favorite combo was the blue that he rarely wore. The match wasn't much in the ring but it was still a fun segment that the crowd seemed to really get into.

### JT:

When we left our previous SNME, a challenge was issued and accepted, with the match set for this show. Big John Studd and King Kong Bundy had been all over Andre the Giant for quite a while now, including having shaved the Giant's famous afro. After Tony Atlas failed him a month ago, Andre hooked up with his buddy Hulk Hogan to finally put Studd & Bundy away. And for some reason, Lou Albano is with Hogan and Andre, having to glom on to a big time tag team yet again. This was really a big time matchup and it was impressive seeing Hogan and Andre tag. When all four stood face-to-face before the bell, you really gained an appreciation for all the pure size in the ring. Hogan and Bundy would start things off with Hogan failing to slam the big man and injuring his back in the process. He recovered to shoot Bundy into the corner and land a clothesline before tagging out to Andre, who started choking Bundy out with his very own tights. Hogan would get tagged back in but got trapped in the corner and worked over. He fought through it and then botched an atomic drop, basically hoisting Studd up and dropping him on the ground. Andre came back in and as he unloaded on Studd, Andre accidentally clocked the referee. A second ref came down and took over as the heels bailed to the floor to regroup. After a commercial, Andre and Studd were trading blows, leading to Andre hooking in a bear hug. Andre and Hulk would dominate a bit longer until Andre got tripped up and tied in the ropes. With the Giant unable to escape, Bundy and Studd went to work with Bundy dropping a big splash on Hogan's back. They also continued to hammer on Andre, forcing the ref to call for the DQ. The brawl continued after the bell, ending with the Heenan Family on the run. That was another fun match and again the crowd was red hot for it. And again there was basically no heat segment at all. No issue with the finish here as these four had legs as far as feuds went and you couldn't really have any of them lose just yet. It was enough just to see the spectacle of it all.

### 3) Randy Savage and Tito Santana wrestled to a double countout at 4:08; Santana retains WWF Intercontinental Title

Fun Fact I: Randy Poffo originally had his sights set on a professional baseball career. Coming out of high school, Poffo signed a contract with the St. Louis Cardinals and was sent to their minor leagues. He lasted four seasons in the minors before setting his sights on a career in his father's business, professional wrestling. He started wrestling in 1973 during the off season. At the suggestion of Ole Anderson, Poffo took on the name Randy Savage. Savage got his first major push while in Memphis in the Continental Wrestling Association battling Jerry Lawler. His star was on the rise and in mid 1985 the WWF signed Savage. His was dubbed the "top free agent in pro wrestling" and his introduction to the WWF audience was all of the top managers vying to provide their services to the star. He eventually chose Miss Elizabeth (Elizabeth Hulette, his real life wife) as his manager.

Fun Fact II: Tito Santana first won the Intercontinental Championship on February 11, 1984 by defeating Don Muraco. In doing so, Santana became the first Mexican-American to win the title. Santana held the title until September of that year when he was defeated by Greg Valentine, who in storyline injured Santana's knee and put him out of action for a few months. Santana returned in December and set his sights on Valentine and revenge for the loss of the title and the injury. Santana finally regained the title on July 6, 1985 in a cage match in Baltimore. Valentine was so pissed at losing the match, he destroyed the IC belt. The end result was the creation of the iconic Intercontinental belt, which Santana was the first to hold.

Fun Fact III: When Savage entered the Federation, he was given a strong push into the Intercontinental title hunt. This is the first televised match between the two, starting a feud that would last into the winter of '86.

### Scott:

The SNME debut of an icon of the Federation Era, hell of the entire WWF. Randy Savage takes on the current Intercontinental Champion, as we see the TV debut of the iconic Intercontinental Title belt that would last for the next thirteen years (though with some different leather from time to time). The match is fast paced with one expert worker in Tito and the other in Savage, who's still clinging to that Memphis stalling style which would slowly work itself out of him within the next year or so. Savage was easily one of those guys who once you looked at him you knew he was an immediate superstar and would be pushed to the moon. The match is a solid affair for the short time it got until both men continued to brawl outside and it ends in a double countout. Tito was one of the best workers in the early days of the Federation Era and before, but it is evident he is "transitional" for this newcomer who has the look of a bona fide superstar.

### JT:

Over the summer, Tito Santana had regained his beloved Intercontinental Title from his rival Greg Valentine. He barely had time to celebrate the win before newcomer Randy Savage was hot on his trail, looking to win gold and make an instant name for himself. Savage was well known and revered based on his work in Memphis and it was only a matter of time before he was scooped up by the WWF. He got an immediate push, tossed into a house show feud with Hulk Hogan and becoming a major player in the IC division as well. The two very evenly matched studs started with a lock up before Savage landed a kick to the gut and then dropped a stiff knee to the champion. Tito would land a hip toss but come up empty with an elbow. Savage was so quick here, flying around the ring and working a superb pace. After hitting an ax handle blow, Savage hooked in a tight chinlock. With the crowd rallying the champ, Tito elbowed his way out. Savage would slam him down but Tito hammered him with a right hand as the challenger came off the top rope. A fired up Tito unloaded a bucket of rights and lefts and kept Savage rocking. Macho Man would bail to the floor, with Tito following him out. They would keep brawling, leading to an eventual double countout. That was a really fun sprint with tons of energy and crisp strikes. This Hershey crowd has been top notch. Tito escapes with his title but it is clear that Savage is far from done with him.

*** We head to Roddy Piper's house, where he is visited by Vince McMahon as he preps for Halloween night. Piper wanted to exact revenge on trick-or-treaters that kept annoying him by ringing his doorbell, so he wraps up bowling balls and bricks as candy. And he does this in a very manic way. When the kids show up, Piper jams his rigged treats into their bags to break them and then steals some of their candy as well. The kids did get revenge as the candy Piper stole was laced with hot pepper. Piper's mouth would burn up, leading to him drinking water from a vase to cool down. ***

### 4) Ricky Steamboat defeats Mr. Fuji in a Kung Fu Challenge match with a dropkick off the top rope at 3:16

Fun Fact: This match is a continuation of a feud between Ricky Steamboat and the pair of Mr. Fuji and Don Muraco. On July 9, Steamboat was double teamed by the duo following a match and was hung from the top rope using his own belt. On the October 19 episode of Piper's Pit, Mr. Fuji issued the challenge to Steamboat for their match here.

### Scott:

This was one of my favorite early era feuds. Muraco and Steamboat waged a bitter war throughout late 1985 and into 1986. Muraco was sadly becoming a forgotten guy since the advent of PPV, as he was one of the best heels of the first half of the decade and one of its best Intercontinental Champions. Steamboat came in earlier in the year from Jim Crockett Promotions and has been in small stuff until this feud started. Steamboat was choked out by Muraco and Mr. Fuji earlier in the year and now Steamer was looking for payback. Steamboat blocks some chops from Fuji and started laying in with the strikes but Fuji would take control midway through the match with his mastery of the martial arts, but Steamboat takes control of it and wins the match. But to keep the heat going, Muraco comes in from outside and he and Fuji really lays the kicks into Steamboat which continues this hot rivalry on the house show circuit. This was probably the worst match of the card but the heat is still white hot for the feud.

### JT:

Leading into this show, Ricky Steamboat had entered a bitter feud with Don Muraco. Muraco and Mr. Fuji had really done a number on Steamboat, choking him out with a belt on TV over the summer. Here, Fuji steps into the ring but the gimmick is set up to potentially give him a shot to really hang with the Steamer. Muraco was at ringside to back up his manager and once the bell rang, all the kung fu tropes were extolled by both, right down to the mannerisms and strikes. Fuji actually dominated the first minute or so, but Steamboat quickly came back with kicks and chops. Fuji chopped him back down and impressively controlled again, but that ended when Steamboat blocked and then reversed a suplex. A moment later, Steamboat landed a dropkick from the top rope and won the match. There was no time for celebrating though, as Muraco hopped in the ring and sprayed mist in the Dragon's face. Muraco and Fuji stomped away on Steamboat and left him blinded in the ring. Match was nothing but the skirmish after was the important stuff.

*** Returning to the party, it was time for the final challenge of the contest: the team pumpkin pass. Before getting to the finals, Vince and Jesse recapped the previous events, leading to one of the greatest lines of Ventura's career: "Well, that didn't surprise me one bit, because Lou Albano is a big, fat, sloppy pig." The faces did a fine job, picking up five successful passes until Albano dropped it. The heels, now joined by Roddy Piper (SuperRod) were rolling as well, but Elizabeth botched her transition to Piper, leading to Savage and Piper berating her for blowing it. As the show wrapped up, Ventura issued a tag challenge for the hillbillies to face him and Piper at the next SNME. ***

### Final Analysis:

### Scott:

This is an iconic episode of Saturday Night's Main Event. There will be better moments in the ring but for pure top to bottom entertainment this one will always take the cake, or in Lou Albano's case, more pie. The costumes were great, the contests were hilarious and the back and forth banter was classic 80s cheese. The matches weren't horrible; in fact, they were good templates for what all the feuds can really bring when given time. I'm sure the Tito/Savage house show matches tore them down when given 10-15 minutes. I'm probably being very generous with this show, but it made laugh out loud multiple times.

Final Grade:

### JT:

This is one of my favorite SNME offerings of all time. It was super campy but in a really entertaining way and I love how the all bought in and went all the way with it. The costumes, the games, the puns...the big, fat, sloppy pig. It had everything you could ask for. Even the matches were all pretty solid this time around. The opener was hot and had some great Funk bumps, the tag was a superstar dream match and the IC title bout was well paced and a nice appetizer of what those two could do. I really liked the Piper at home bit and I enjoy how they continue to set up the next month's show as these wrap. A very spirited effort this time around.

Final Grade:

  SNME IV – Tampa, FL – January 4

  SNME V – Phoenix, AZ – March 1

  SNME VI – Providence, RI – May 3

  SNME VII – Richfield, OH – October 4

  SNME VIII – Los Angeles, CA – November 29

# Saturday Night's Main Event IV – 1/4/86

January 4, 1986 (Recorded December 19, 1985)

SunDome

Tampa, FL

Announcers: Vince McMahon, Bobby Heenan and Jesse Ventura

NBC Rating: 10.4

*** Hulk Hogan and Gene Okerlund make protein shakes by the pool to prep for Hulk's big match tonight. The Hillbillies hang in the pool while Roddy Piper and Jesse Ventura sunbathe with babes and make fun of them. ***

### 1) Roddy Piper, Bob Orton & Jesse Ventura defeat Hillbilly Jim, Cousin Luke & Uncle Elmer when Piper forced Luke to pass out in a sleeperhold at 8:00

Fun Fact I: James Janos, aka Jesse Ventura, was born in July, 1951 and was raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Ventura served in the US Navy as a Navy Seal from late 1969 through 1975, during the Vietnam War period. Following his military service, Ventura turned to bodybuilding and wrestling. He made his wrestling debut in 1975 and wrestled in the Central States and Pacific Northwest territories before making his way home to Minneapolis and the AWA. He tagged with Adrian Adonis in the AWA and won the World Tag Team Championship, a title the team would hold for nearly a year. After losing the titles, the pair moved to the WWF. Ventura's in-ring career came to an abrupt end in 1984 when he developed blood clots in his lungs. He would take on a commentary role with the company where he would primary back the heels, although he would give a babyface his due for a good performance.

Fun Fact II: This match came about as a result of the events from SNME #2 and the wedding of Uncle Elmer. During the wedding, Piper interrupted the ceremony and Ventura continually ridiculed the couple on commentary. In between these two shows, Cousin Junior was replaced by Cousin Luke.

### Scott:

I think that Jesse Ventura and Roddy Piper may be one of the top five most awesome heel tag teams of all time. Two of the greatest talkers of all time and whether you question their in-ring work is completely irrelevant. Ugh, even the Hillbillies' theme song makes me sick. Jesse back in the ring is pretty cool since most of us that were just becoming wrestling fans at that time didn't see him wrestle before being forced into retirement due to clots in his lungs. Bobby Heenan replaces Jesse in the broadcast booth with Vince, which is pretty much lateral awesomeness anyway. Well played there. The heels dominate the early going against Cousin Luke, who not only looks stupid wrestling barefoot with overalls but sucks in the ring. Piper cuts the ring off as he and his teammates dominate the early going until a missed face tag becomes a tag to Uncle Elmer. In some twisted way Elmer seems to be the highlighted guy on this team and seems to be getting the legit push. This is the first SNME to be outside the confines of the Northeast and the crowd is red hot for this one. Hillbilly Jim then takes control of Piper until he's sent into the corner and then the triple-teaming begins. I kind of thought the Hillbillies would win but no, Ace's cast gets the job done and the awesome heel team gets the win, and perhaps the only time in my wrestling fan infancy that I rooted for WWF heels.

### JT:

Our opener was set up at the end of the last SNME and really it was one that was brewing for even longer than that. The Hillbillies have been going about their business but happened to cross paths with noted assholes Roddy Piper and Jesse Ventura and all hell broke loose. Before the match, Ventura pops in to talk to Vince McMahon and lays out some wisdom, calling Luke "Cousin Mud Pie" and then saying he is the only announcer willing to step into battle and back up his words. He then brings in Bobby Heenan to fill in for him during his match. Jesse hadn't been involved in much action over the last year or so due to blood clots in his lungs, but it was cool that he could step into the ring on occasion for angles like this. I should note that Cousin Luke has stepped in for Cousin Junior and somehow they managed to find someone even stupid and more dense looking. He also seems really lost. At least Junior had some spunk. Elmer and Jesse opened things up and the Body went right to the eyes before clubbing away. Elmer came back with some choking and tagged in Jim. Jesse cut him off with a knee to the gut and tagged in Piper. Luke was tagged in and Hot Rod played some mind games by trying to get Luke to shake his hand but the dope didn't bite. It didn't matter as he got trapped in the corner and worked over by the machinelike heel team for the next few minutes. They kept quick tagging and keeping the pressure on until Luke stumbled back and tagged in Elmer, who was finally going to get his hands on Piper. They have done a good job building this up and keeping them apart physically until now. Elmer would lock in a bear hug but everyone else crashed the ring and brawled as things broke down. The heels eventually bailed to the floor to regroup as we took a break. When the show returned, the brawl reignited until it boiled down to Piper and Jim trading headbutts and right hands. Piper also paintbrushed Jim a bit and used his anger to twist him back into the heel corner for a gang up. Luke would get tagged in again but he walked right into a sleeper from Piper. The other four battled in the corner and Luke broke free. However, as he hit the ropes, Orton smashed Luke in the back of the head with his cast. Piper reapplied the sleeper and picked up the win for his team. Well, I enjoyed this more than I expected to. The heels were great and very effective in their execution, seamlessly weaving in and out of the ring and working over the hillbillies. And speaking of, I will begrudgingly give them credit as well for having good energy and hanging in with their selling and comebacks. Also, keeping Elmer on the apron for most of this helped as well. The right team won and this multi-episode arc has seemingly come to an end.

*** Back at the pool, we get a water slide race between Jimmy Hart and Junkyard Dog. Hart was looking for revenge for Dog humiliating him at the last SNME, but his plan failed as Dog won the race easily. Terry Funk is also there and claims he wants a nice tan so when he defeats Hulk Hogan tonight he will look good for Sports Illustrated. ***

### 2) Hulk Hogan defeats Terry Funk to retain WWF Heavyweight Title with a lariat at 8:30

Fun Fact I: Terry Funk was announced as the #1 contender to the WWF Championship leading up to the match. Funk's primary adversary during the time, the Junkyard Dog, is at ringside to even the score and keep manager Jimmy Hart in check.

Fun Fact II: Despite Hulkamania being in full swing by this point, Hulk Hogan was still not locked into the classic yellow and red combo that he is known for. In this match, Hogan breaks out the rarely seen light blue tights and boots. Thank goodness he did not stick with this combo.

### Scott:

We get a rare televised Hulk Hogan World Title match, and the even more rare blue alternate tights/boots combo on the WWF Champion. This match actually does have a backstory, as during a World Title match in Denver, Funk drilled Hogan in the head with the branding iron, then branded the prone champion. With no live TV shows or PPVs, the SNMEs were the place to be for the big feuds early on, and they load this match with the highest level talent, as the equally over Junkyard Dog seconds Hogan to the ring. Jesse is back in his commentary seat, ripping into JYD for bullying Jimmy Hart, but of course the Dog and Funk have issues, and those issues would persist throughout the early part of 1986. I'm guessing that the steroids were part of it, but Hogan seemed more bloated than he normally does for this match. Funk had some early momentum with chops and kicks but Hogan gains momentum with some right hands, although Jimmy Hart distracts him and Funk regains control. It's evident that Jimmy Hart is the #1 manager in the company, with Bobby Heenan at #2 but that would change over time. Funk comes very close to winning after a piledriver but Hogan eventually gets to hulking up and then the Funk distraction with the referee leads to Hogan retaining his title. Funk beats on Dave Hebner and chases him off to the back. This was a fun match with a lot of crazy interference and action. The crowd was hot as well, so all around a thumbs up.

### JT:

The Sun Dome would erupt as Hulk Hogan marched to the ring, decked out in his light blue tights, World Title strapped around his waist. Hogan has competed on every SNME so far and that certainly helps add to the importance of the show. He also has JYD in his corner to help neutralize Jimmy Hart. This was a great use of Funk, a big name and the perfect type of wild bumper to blend with Hogan's style. Hogan starts in control, beating on Funk and knocking him to the floor a pair of times as the crowd went nuts. Whenever Hart tried to help Funk, JYD forced him to sit in a chair and watch innocently. I really like these ongoing feuds that weave from SNME to SNME. Funk tried to take control when he got back in but after a long back and forth bouncing off the ropes, Hogan simply kicked Funk to the floor again. The wild man tossed a chair in the ring but that was quite ineffective as Hogan again wailed on him when he made it back inside. The champ chucked him into the corner and then took him down with a back suplex for a two count. Funk came back with some headbutts and a low blow and finally stopped Hogan in his tracks. He quickly relented control as Hogan slammed Funk down and dropped a big running elbow. Hulk is looking spry here, flying around the ring and keeping a great pace. As he hit the ropes, Hart popped up and grabbed Hogan's leg. The Hulkster came out and he and JYD chased Hart right under the ring. When Hogan slid back in, Funk jumped him and choked him with some tape from his wrists. He followed that with a piledriver for a close near fall, in fact it was so close that Ventura lost his mind yelling about how slow the referee was to make the count. Hogan quickly hulked up and pummeled Funk, drilling with the big boot and kicking him to the apron. As he went to suplex Funk back in, Hart jabbed Hogan with the branding iron, giving Funk a close near fall before Hulk got his foot on the rope. JYD would knock down Hart as Hogan smacked Funk with a running lariat to nab the win. That was a really fun sprint with a hot crowd backing it. They never slowed down and Hogan kept chugging along as Funk bounced around the ring. The JYD/Hart stuff was good too and never got overbearing. Possibly my favorite SNME match so far.

*** At the swimming pool, George Steele is flailing around and playing with a rubber duck as Lou Albano informs Gene Okerlund that there will be no ring rust on Steele. Jesse Ventura then catches up with Randy Savage and Elizabeth and Macho vows that he is not afraid of an Animal and then throws Liz off a ledge into a pool as a swimming lesson. Tremendous. ***

### 3) Randy Savage defeats George Steele with a double axe handle at 4:06

Fun Fact: This match would be the beginning of a love triangle feud that would last far longer than the two months it was originally expected to last. George Steele would become infatuated with Randy Savage's manager, Miss Elizabeth, which would cost him many matches due to being distracted. The feud would continue into 1987 and WrestleMania III (see the PTBN Vintage Vault website or Volume 1 ebook for full details).

### Scott:

Watching this episode made me realize how much I totally underappreciated the WWF heels in 1985-86. Asshole Savage throwing Liz in the pool when she can't swim may be one of the coolest douche heel moves ever. George Steele was used for nothing more than comedy babyface stuff as his better wrestling days were obviously behind him. Savage was only in the company for about seven months but it's evident he was a superstar in the making. This match was no great shakes for a couple of reasons. First, Steele is a terrible wrestler, and having useless sloppy pig Lou Albano around doesn't help either. Second, Randy Savage really hadn't tapped into his real workrate yet and was still working the Memphis running around and stalling style. Steele would get the upper hand multiple times but his being smitten with the lovely Elizabeth constantly distracts him and eventually Savage hits the double axe handle and gets the victory. Unfortunately this feud isn't over and continues for the next few months. Ugh.

### JT:

Ah, angry douchebag Macho Man. Tough to beat. Of course, like so many of us, George Steele was infatuated by Elizabeth's beauty and that seemingly kicks off here as he comes over and pets her while looking at her longingly. Albano would finally back him off just before Savage realized what was going on. As Ventura mentioned at the pool, Steele hadn't been in action too much lately but now was getting back into the swing as 1986 dawned. Savage stalled and took his time as Steele kept lunging at him. They would finally lock up and Steele grabbed Savage in a wristlock and then chucked him over the top to the floor. Steele followed him out and got distracted by Liz yet again, but he finally snapped out of his trance and got back inside. A moment later they were back on the floor with Steele chasing Savage, who finally ducked behind Liz for cover. When the reset the match, Steele tossed Savage away and tore into the turnbuckle, which Vince said was a fetish for him. Steele continued to be smitten by Liz and it finally cost him as Savage hit an axe handle off the top for the win. Macho would hoist up Liz and stomp to the back as Steele looked on confused. Match was nothing but it kicks off a fairly infamous angle. And regardless, this era of Macho Man is a treat to watch across the board, with in the ring and with his character work.

*** We get a WWF 1985 Year in Review music video, showcasing all the highlights and stars of promotion. ***

*** Back to the pool, where Corporal Kirchner shows off his army training tactics as he rides a zip line over a pool before dismounting for a splash landing. ***

### 4) Nikolai Volkoff defeats Corporal Kirchner in a Peace Match with a knee to the chest at 4:32

Fun Fact I: In early 1986, the US and Soviet Union had just completed a successful summit in Geneva, Switzerland, creating better communication between the two superpowers. In that same spirit, Nikolai Volkoff issued a challenge to Corporal Kirchner for SNME. In a press release issued before the event, Volkoff was quoted as saying, "In the spirit of the Geneva Summit, I am challenging this American warrior to wrestle, using only scientific techniques. It is my hope to show the superiority of the Soviet athlete using only peaceful means as opposed to the Star Wars brutality of Cpl. Kirchner."

Fun Fact II: Michael Penzel, aka Corporal Kirchner, was a real US Army paratrooper in his late teens to early twenties. After serving his country, he became a mechanic in Minnesota, where he met Hulk Hogan, who was in the AWA at the time. Hogan introduced Kirchner to Verne Gagne who began training Kirchner. He began his wrestling career in 1980 in the AWA before moving to the WWF in 1985. The Federation had just recently lost Sgt. Slaughter and was looking for another American hero. He was given the military character by Vince McMahon after learning about his military background.

Fun Fact III: Future WCW and WWF star Dean Malenko is the referee for this match.

### Scott:

After Sgt. Slaughter left to go back to the AWA, the WWF needed an All-American military presence to fill the gap so in comes Corporal Kirchner. The Corporal was younger and in better shape than the Sarge but it's evident he's way over his head and needed to be lower down the card to get some seasoning. Instead he's pushed right into a feud with the evil tag team of Sheik and Volkoff. A peace match apparently means no cheating, which I guess is supposed to be every match anyway? Well they go through the motions with mediocre to bad chain wrestling but really we were waiting for the Russian to obviously cheat to win the match. Well it seemed like every once in a while during the match he would be ready to brea the rules but then doesn't. Eventually we get the cheating finish as Volkoff drops the Corporal's throat on the top rope and then finishes the rookie off with a knee to the chests. Kirchner is fuming and attacks the former tag team champions before storming off. This feud has some legs left but the matches will never reach any kind of great levels. Kirchner always looked like he was a deer in headlights most of the time and was probably over his head for a feud of this magnitude. This match will probably be the best these two will do, but the feud isn't over.

### JT:

With Sgt. Slaughter long gone from the promotion, the WWF felt there was a glaring need for an All American military character to continue their jingoistic angles when needed. Enter Corporal Kirchner. Not nearly as polished or beloved as the Sarge, Kirchner always seemed a bit in over his head. Across the ring is known America hater Nikolai Volkoff as this bout was dubbed a "Peace Match". In a prematch interview it was revealed that Iron Sheik would be backing Nikolai to lend his "moral support". Sadly Nikolai is not rocking his awesome winter coat. Also, according to Jesse, because of the stipulation here, combat tactics wouldn't be allowed and that could affect Kirchner. For the first time on SNME, Nikolai's singing gets interrupted by an opponent as Kirchner and his army crew march down to the ring to the Halls of Montezuma. Kirchner did have a pretty good look so I can see why they got behind him so strongly here. Things certainly did get off to a peaceful start with both trading some wrestling holds and avoiding strikes. The Corporal showed off his power by winning a battle over a top wristlock as things remained clean. Kirchner got the first cover with a roll up but Nikolai kicked out at one. After another lock up, we got another clean break and a handshake, much to the shock of Jesse. Kirchner controlled the arm and got a small package near fall. Nikolai finally tossed in the towel on the rules, cracking Kirchner in the chops during a break and then slugging him down and dropping a hard knee to the chest for the win. Kirchner attacked by Sheik and Volkoff after the match and successfully ran both men off. That was a pretty neat finish with Nikolai baiting him all match before finally getting dirty and taking the win. Kirchner hung in OK here and I liked the psychology and stipulation more than expected. Do it for Mother Russia!

*** At the pool, we see Don Muraco surfing in a wave pool and then being mobbed by ladies in bikinis. ***

### 5) Junkyard Dog & Ricky Steamboat defeat Magnificent Muraco & Mr. Fuji when Junkyard Dog pinned Fuji with a headbutt at 5:19

Fun Fact: This is a continuation of the feud between Ricky Steamboat and Mr. Fuji & Don Muraco. To even the score, Steamboat is paired with another fan favorite babyface, Junkyard Dog.

### Scott:

They really loaded this show up with great vignettes and five full matches. We conclude the show with a feud that dates back to before the last SNME episode and now after Steamboat took care of Fuji in a singles match he grabs his buddy the JYD (who's all over this show) to face Fuji and his evil charge the Magnificent Muraco. Muraco was left off WrestleMania but is really back on TV quite a bit. It's also clear that the Junkyard Dog is the #2 most popular wrestler in the company behind Hogan as his presence has been all over these first four episodes of the show. The match isn't much (again due to time constraints) but Fuji obviously is on the back end of his career and can't do much but he takes a majority of the face comeback beating while keeping Muraco and Steamboat away from each other, since they have plenty more business to do together on the house show circuit. Fuji eats the pin and after some rough and tumble interference we are finished. This match wasn't much other than to showcase the JYD again and to further the Steamboat/Muraco feud.

### JT:

Ricky Steamboat's issues with Mr. Fuji and Don Muraco continue to roll on here. We saw Steamboat beat Fuji in a Kung Fu match at our last show, but the feud has raged on. Steamboat picks up Junkyard Dog as tag partner this time, leading to a strong babyface superpower team. In a funny prematch promo, Fuji talks about all the gross things people in his country do to dogs, including boiling them. We got off to a fast start with Muraco and Fuji jumping the faces off the bell. Steamboat got dumped to the apron by Fuji and then slammed on the floor as Muraco drilled JYD with a knee to the face back in the ring. Interesting start. JYD battled back in the ring, taking Muraco over with a back body drop but whiffed on a falling headbutt. Fuji tagged in for the first time and landed some of karate thrusts on JYD but the Dog came back and slammed the Fuj hard to the mat. Fuji escaped, but Dog kept in control of Muraco with a slam and some right hands. Muraco regained his composure and took back over, tagging in and out with Fuji as the crowd chanted for JYD. Muraco would make a big mistake with a whiffed charge in the corner, ending with him careening into the post and JYD making the tag. Steamboat was on fire, pelting Muraco with chops and then nailing Fuji as well. Steamer landed some kicks and thrusts and then slingshot Muraco into Fuji. A moment later, he hit a perfect high cross body on Muraco but Fuji made the save. A moment later, JYD tagged back in and cracked Fuji with a headbutt for the win. Steamboat gets his revenge. He would brawl a bit more with Muraco after the match, leading to another stalemate. These SNME matches certainly do allow for a good pace due to their abridged lengths and that certainly benefits them greatly. Again, there was nothing that stood out in this one, but it kept moving and the quick tags and short heat segments ensured it never lagged.

### Final Analysis:

### Scott:

This was an average outing with positives and negatives. The Hogan/Funk match was really entertaining and the water slide stuff was fun. We see the early greatness of Randy Savage not only with the skit with Elizabeth but with the match he had with Tito and what was coming from the future there. I loved the Muraco/Steamboat feud back then but this wasn't the best template of it, as it was just used to showcase Junkyard Dog, who at this point is still the #2 babyface in the promotion after Hogan. A decent episode that thankfully finished all the hillbilly crap (and rightfully too as the heels won) but from here we see some fresh feuds develop and a new year of WWF wrestling.

Final Grade:

### JT:

This was a pretty middle of the road offering, buoyed by the really fun Hogan/Funk title match. The skits were fine but not nearly as fun as the Halloween bits. As I mentioned above, I do like how they keep various storylines running from show to show and it was nice seeing the payoff to the Hillbilly fiasco that kicked off back in October. We also saw some new feuds start to brew here as well in the middle of the show and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed both Steele/Savage and Kirchner/Volkoff. For the first time, we don't have a mach set up for our next installment, but I am sure some of these angles will continue to boil over there. Until then, hit the pool and enjoy some fun in the sun!

Final Grade:

# Saturday Night's Main Event V – 3/1/86

March 1, 1986 (Recorded February 15, 1986)

Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum

Phoenix, AZ

Announcers: Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura

NBC Rating: 10.0

### 1) Mr. T defeats Bob Orton in a boxing match at 1:00 of Round Two

Fun Fact: On the 2/8/86 episode of Championship Wrestling, Roddy Piper brought out Bob Orton Jr. as his guest on Piper's Pit. At that time, Piper began referring to Orton as "Boxing Bob Orton", who challenged anyone who had wrestled in the WWF to a boxing match. Two weeks later, Hulk Hogan was a guest on Piper's Pit and signed the contract on behalf of Mr. T, who had been his wrestling partner at WrestleMania I. The match would take place here at Saturday Night's Main Event.

### Scott:

We begin perhaps my favorite SNME episode ever with a boxing match and lingering emotions from last March at Madison Square Garden. Roddy Piper took much pleasure from throwing his barbs at the star of the A-Team, and then we realized years later he really didn't like him. Mr. T's heckling and jaw jacking in his practice sessions reminded me of the iconic Clubber Lang in Rocky III. Mr. T borrows Hulk Hogan's entrance theme, which we will get into later in the show, to come to the ring for the big boxing match. I remember Orton knocking out a few tomato cans on Superstars and Wrestling Challenge leading up to this one but this was his real first challenge. Of course Piper and Orton using every dirty trick in the book, including a cheap shot after the bell of the first round. The second round ends with a complete mess as T starts flailing at everything and Piper distracts the ref as Orton gets punched out of the ring. Mr. T gets the win but now the true memorable part of the match. Piper gets in the ring and spits in T's face. T and Piper are about to go at it but Orton cheap shots T with a knee to the back and then with T held down Piper takes his belt off and starts whipping T in the back with his leather belt. At the time no one thought anything of it (nor did anyone say anything about Jesse's "Roots II" comment, which he stupidly repeated too) but in today's world that would never fly on television nor would Jesse's comments have gone unpunished but from a wrestling perspective you're talking big time heel heat and it leads to one of our big main events for WrestleMania II. The hatred between Piper and T in real life makes this one of mid-80's greatest feuds. The boxing match was nothing but the after match beatdown was pure heel genius.

### JT:

With the bad blood still lingering from WrestleMania I, Mr. T and Roddy Piper were still very bitter rivals nearly a year later. T resurfaced here against Piper's lackey Bob Orton, who had issued an open challenge to anyone to box him one-on-one. Hulk Hogan answered the bell on behalf of his buddy, setting up this bout. Of course, the boxing gimmick was in place to play off of T's turn as Clubber Lang in Rocky III. Before the match, Piper is his usual stuff, brandishing a paparazzi picture of T and Boy George and questioning if that was the type of man that should be a hero. We also got clips of T's sparring session as he smashed a tomato can. T even borrowed Real American from Hogan for this one. I love all the detail they baked into this boxing stuff, with all the sparring, trainers and cornermen. They really bought into it all. Round one was pretty standard stuff with T looking crisp and landing more shots early in. Orton kept doing his best to force breaks in the ropes while also tossing some haymakers when he the opening. Orton got right in T's grill after he shook off a shot to the eye. He also landed a big right hand sucker punch after the bell sounded for the end of round one. That was some great heel stuff, especially Orton's nonplussed saunter back to the corner afterwards. Orton was aggressive to kick off round two, showboating a bit and stalking T, who was being a bit cautious. T started to land some blows, but Piper distracted the ref, allowing Orton to bury a knee. Piper again got involved, but T knocked him to the ground and then tossed Orton to the floor, leading to the Cowboy getting counted out. That was an odd finish, they should have just done a knockout. As T celebrated, Piper hopped in the ring and disrobed, looking for a fight. Orton jumped in as well and the two double teamed T, slugging him down and stomping away. Piper would also grab his belt and whipped T viciously. Jesse then lands the most racist comment of the night by saying this was like "Roots II". That moved quickly and didn't really linger. I really enjoyed Orton's facials and aggression and T played his part well enough. The post match beat down continues to the feud and the whipping really built up some good heat.

### 2) King Kong Bundy defeats Steve Gatorwolf with an Avalanche at :41

### Scott:

This squash is nothing more than a set up for later in the night and to show Bundy is a legit main event contender. He calls Hulk Hogan out after the match and wants a title shot anytime, anywhere. Steve Gatorwolf is a legendary jobber during the Federation Era, and he does his "job" very well.

### JT:

The super push of King Kong Bundy has arrived and he has made it clear that he is gunning for the World Title of Hulk Hogan. He gets a prematch promo for him and Bobby Heenan to sell themselves and then a spotlight squash match on a big show like this shows the plans were serious for him. Bundy went right at Gatorwolf off the bell, smashing him with forearms and then plowing into him with an avalanche in the corner for the easy win, demanding for a five count as well. Nothing doing here, but a chance to showcase Bundy as a monster and get the point across that he was out for Hogan.

*** With Mr. Fuji ill backstage, Magnificent Muraco reveals that Bobby Heenan will be managing him for his match tonight. ***

### 3) Hulk Hogan defeats Magnificent Muraco to retain WWF Heavyweight Title by disqualification at 6:53

Fun Fact: At the start of the show, Jesse Ventura announced that The Magnificent Muraco was the #1 contender to the WWF title, which somehow happens when you go on a near one month losing streak to Ricky Steamboat.

### Scott:

After floating around throughout 1985, the Magnificent Muraco has been shown prominently on these first few SNMEs, and now gets a rare World Title match. Bobby Heenan is replacing the "sick" Mr. Fuji as Muraco's manager but that, as we see, has sinister overtones. This is our fifth SNME and our fourth Hogan World Title match which is why these early shows got great ratings for NBC as unless you were at live shows you didn't see many World Title matches on TV. Hogan is in his familiar gold tights but they are accented with white knee pads instead of the usual red. Muraco starts the match off fast but Hogan regains control and puts Muraco in a bear hug but Muraco breaks it with headbutts. Muraco uses the awesome Asian spike to perfection as Jesse says it sets up the piledriver perfecly. Well worked match by Muraco as the heel to dictate with power strikes and with Bobby as his manager (who has ten times as much heel heat as Fuji does) is cheering Muraco on and helping out when possible. Hogan gets his momentum and is about to pin Muraco when Bobby Heenan comes in to break the pin attempt and cause the disqualification. Hogan grabs Heenan by the throat, but this is when the fun begins (if you're a Hogan hater, or a lover of heels). As Hogan has Heenan by the throat, in comes King Kong Bundy to attack Hogan from behind. Then, in one of the greatest heel beatdowns in WWF history, Muraco holds Hogan in the corner and Bundy delivers one Avalanche after another. As Hogan slumps to the ground, Bundy delivers a couple of big splashes for posterity. Hogan is twitching on the canvas and eventually gets sent to the hospital. I believe we may have our main event for WrestleMania II on April 7. One of the most memorable SNME moments in history and a great starter for a blood feud. The match was average but everything else was awesome.

### JT:

Hulk Hogan's SNME match streak continues on here with his fifth straight bout. And yet again, the WWF Title is up for grabs as he defends against the heel stalwart Don Muraco. As mentioned above, Bobby Heenan is out with Muraco, never wasting a chance to potentially end Hulkamania. Muraco took control to start, raking the back of Hogan and hammering him with forearms and right hands. Hogan battled back with some back rakes of his own, only stopping to slug Heenan off the apron and to the floor. The match spilled outside with Hogan taking it right to Muraco. They would slug it out back in the ring, with Hogan winning that war and picking up a near fall. The champ would lock in a bear hug, which was interesting to see. Not sure I have ever seen a face use a bear hug as a control maneuver. Muraco headbutted his way out, rocking Hogan, who slumped down to the mat. Muraco started to kick Hogan in the ribs and then dropped a stiff knee to the head for a two count. The crowd tried to rally Hulk as Muraco slowly worked his offense, an assault that mainly consisted of ax blows and headbutts. He would follow with a Russian leg sweep and a thumb spike off the middle rope but Hogan wouldn't stay down. In fact, right after that, Hogan made a quick comeback, running through his usual before hitting the legdrop. However, as he covered, Heenan hopped in the ring and kicked Hulk to draw the DQ. As Muraco worked Hogan over, Bundy showed up and laid a stiff beating on the champ, including a series of avalanche splashes in the corner and big splashes on the mat. It was a great beatdown and a major storyline for SNME. It certainly established Bundy as a very legit threat to Hogan's title. The match was just OK as the pacing was sluggish while Muraco meandered through his offense. The open and close were pretty good but that middle stretch didn't deliver much.

*** Hulk Hogan was carted from the ring and loaded into an ambulance. Gorilla Monsoon joined him for the ride to the hospital. ***

### 4) The Dream Team defeat The British Bulldogs to retain WWF Tag Team Titles when Greg Valentine pinned Dynamite Kid after a double shoulderblock at 12:00

Fun Fact I: Davey Boy Smith and the Dynamite Kid were both British wrestlers who started their careers in the 1970s. Bruce Hart scouted the two talents and brought them into Stampede Wrestling where the two were actually adversaries. The duo feuded both in Stampede and in New Japan before the feud was finally settled. Afterward, the two formed the tag team of the British Bulldogs. When the WWF bought out Stampede Wrestling, McMahon brought in the Bulldogs along with the Hart Foundation. Since the two teams knew each other from their Stampede days, they feuded with each other and were able to showcase both teams. Following this feud, the Bulldogs set their sites on the WWF tag team champions, the Dream Team.

Fun Fact II: After the British Bulldogs won their match on the 1/25 episode of Superstars of Wrestling, they issued a challenge on Piper's Pit for the following week against the Dream Team. The next week, the Bulldogs defeated the champs in a non-title match. This leads to the rematch here with the titles on the line.

### Scott:

Yet another hot feud in the promotion pits the tag team champions against the hottest babyface team in the company. Valentine and Beefcake have been great heel champions, put together pretty much to give the Beefer a couple of mentors to help his early career after the debacle of a match at WrestleMania. The Bulldogs are graduates of Stu Hart's dungeon and have quickly moved up the ladder in the division. The Bulldogs were always my dad's favorite team because of their mix of speed and power with the two different types of wrestlers. Starting with this match, the next few years is a heyday of the WWF tag team division. The match is a lot of fun for a TV match, maybe the first SNME match that actually had a decent workrate middle of the match, one which included a commercial break. I loved this feud because these two teams have great chemistry and both teams really lay stiff shots into each other for twelve straight minutes. The heels win on a fluke as Valentine's leg just happened to land on Dynamite Kid after a double shoulderblock. It's evident this feud isn't over and, like in the two previous matches, we could be talking about a rematch on April 7. I enjoyed this feud so much back in the day because these teams worked so well together and was looking forward to the rematch.

### JT:

The Dream Team continues on with their stranglehold of the WWF tag team titles. The British Bulldogs were hot on their tail, having picked up a non title win over the champs back in January. Davey Boy and Greg Valentine opened things up and the Bulldogs started hot, rocking the Hammer with alternating headbutts. Smh grabbed a near fall off a nice suplex before tagging out to Dynamite, who kept the heat coming. Valentine was able to make the tag, but that didn't change a thing as the Bulldogs pounded him relentlessly, smothering him with strikes and starting to work the arm. Valentine came back in and things got no better as Smith grabbed another near fall from a suplex. The champs are in some real trouble here and the Bulldogs look unbeatable a few minutes into this one. Valentine came firing back at Smith with some big right hands but Smith hammered back with some stiff blows of his own. Dynamite got the tag but Valentine rattled him with an atomic drop and made the tag to Beefcake. Things broke down a bit as all four ended up on the floor to keep Johnny V and Captain Lou separated. After a commercial, Beefcake was back in trouble, eating a dropkick and splash from Dynamite, who got another close near fall. These teams have fantastic chemistry as this match has been hard hitting and smooth at the same time. Valentine tagged in and locked in the figure four on Smith but Dynamite made the save. The Hammer kept control, picking up a two count with a shoulderbreaker and then tagging Beefcake, which led to some double team strikes in the corner. Dynamite thwarted another figure four attempt and hit a flurry of offense, including a dropkick off the top rope. The match fell apart again as Valentine hit another suplex. A moment later, Valentine and Dynamite collided hard in the middle of the ring, but when they fell to the mat, Hammer's leg ended up draped across Dynamite as the referee counted three. And the champs retain despite the Bulldogs controlling the majority of the bout. That was a really fun match with stiff, fluid power offense and a quick pace kept up by all four men. As I mentioned, their chemistry was top notch and the Dream Team snagging the win was a good move to keep them strong as champs.

*** We get the world premiere of Hulk Hogan's Real American music video. ***

### 5) Junkyard Dog defeats Adrian Adonis when Adonis collided with Jimmy Hart at 8:45

Fun Fact: The tough persona of Adrian Adonis began an overhaul in late 1985. He was traded by then manager Bobby Heenan to Jimmy Hart. During a Piper's Pit segment on 1/11/86, Adonis came out with bleach blonde hair, pink tights and bows in his hair. He retired his old leather jacket and gave it to Piper, who wore it for years afterward. Adonis' change in character to the more effeminate "Adorable" character also coincided with a large increase in weight, where he maxed out at over 350 lbs.

### Scott:

Our next match pits another SNME stalwart, the Junkyard Dog against the flamboyant former tag team champion Adrian Adonis. The pre-match interview with Adonis was hilarious, talking about fighting German Shepherds and being "Mrs. Adonis". The JYD is wearing the same color tights as the Bulldogs, so I guess the official canine tights color is powder blue. JYD dominates Adonis throughout the early portion of the match, as the multi-show arc of the Dog torturing Jimmy Hart continues. That goes back to the early fall and the Dog's battles with Terry Funk. For a grossly overweight guy, Adonis still has the dexterity and moveset to flop around the ring like a smaller wrestler. Adonis actually loses clean, which kind of surprised me but Adonis gets his heat back by cracking JYD in the back with Jimmy's megaphone. Honestly I was very surprised that Adonis lost as the gimmick was relatively new. JYD was still the #2 babyface in the promotion and after what's happened with all the babyfaces tonight the crowd I guess needed to go home happy. The match was crap but the crowd leaves happy.

### JT:

Another SNME fixture, the Junkyard Dog, closes out the show for us here this month. JYD has been featured heavily in these shows and has done some good work along the way. Here he gets the increasingly effeminate Adrian Adonis, who is now sporting makeup, a scarf and pastel knee pads. It was certainly an interesting character twist for the former leather clad bad ass. JYD was red hot to start, smacking Adonis around and then sending him flying back into the ropes, where the Adorable One got all tangled up. JYD kept up the pressure and Adonis did his usual wild bumping all across the ring. Adonis landed some thrusts and slaps but JYD reversed a whip and sent the big guy flying over the top and to the floor, where he hugged Jimmy Hart to regroup. JYD snuck over and headbutted them down and then pranced around the ring making fairy gestures. This creamy is a very "80s mentality" episode of wrestling we have had here tonight. Hart would end up in the ring with Adonis, but JYD slung them into each other, leading to both tumbling over the top and hard down to the floor. Jesse called JYD a bully as we took a break. When the show returned, JYD grabbed a near fall, but a moment later, the Dog got tripped up and then Hart tied his leg to the bottom rope with Adonis' scarf. Adonis stomped away and eventually went for a piledriver, but Dog's legs knocked the referee down, causing Adonis to drop him. Hart hopped on the apron with the megaphone, but things backfired and Dog ran him hard into his manager. Adonis would crash to the mat and Dog covered for the win. After the match, Adonis cracked Dog with the megaphone, knocking him to the floor. The match was a fun little tilt with some great bumping by Adonis, as always, and some spirited offense and selling by the Dog. Hart was active at ringside as always and that added to the wild feel of the bout. Based on the closing moments of this one, you almost would assume they may rematch at Mania.

*** Gene Okerlund files a report from the hospital, where he interviews Hulk Hogan's doctor. The doctor gives an update and says there may be some broken ribs but they had to wait for the x-ray results to confirm. ***

### Final Analysis:

### Scott:

This is one of the best SNME episodes in history. Sure there isn't the goofy vignettes and themes we've had early on but I was fine straying away from that and getting down to creating new storylines and adding some realism to the product. I think the funniness of the early episodes was used to end current storylines and add some fun to the first few shows but now with WrestleMania around the corner we needed some fresh stuff to get the syndicated shows rolling with the build. Hulk Hogan needed a new, strong #1 contender and what a great way to establish that with a great heel beatdown. Ditto for Mr. T vs. Roddy Piper. The tag title match was solid and establishes the top two teams in the company. What it lacked in comedy, the show more than made up for in the building of storylines, oh and the iconic "Real American" video that I can watch over and over again. One of my favorite episodes of all time and a memorable show from my childhood.

Final Grade:

### JT:

This was an interesting installment in that it was the first not to feature a running theme or series of campy vignettes. It was definitely the most serious SNME so far and I would guess part of that was because of its close proximity to WrestleMania. The Bundy/Hogan segment may be the heaviest angle advancement we have seen so far. Toss in the Piper/T stuff and the continuation of the tag team feud, and this was a pretty important episode. However, outside of the tag match, there really wasn't much to write home about from an in ring quality POV. And I did miss the thematic campiness that has characterized these shows to date. Since the storyline stuff was so heavy and important, it helps the grade a bit, but overall I thought this installment was missing the sizzle of its predecessors but again, the hard sell for some Mania storylines and the tag title match keep it afloat and in line with the other grades thus far.

Final Grade:

# Saturday Night's Main Event VI – 5/3/86

May 3, 1986 (Recorded May 1, 1986)

Providence Civic Center

Providence, RI

Announcers: Vince McMahon and Bobby Heenan

NBC Rating: 9.3

### 1) Hulk Hogan & Junkyard Dog defeat Terry & Dory Funk when Hogan pins Terry with a legdrop at 13:30

Fun Fact: This would be the farewell match for Terry Funk from the Federation for twelve years. During his time away, he would go back to the NWA and see the transformation into WCW. In the mid 90s he would become more "extreme" as he battle in an infamous King of the Death Match tournament in Japan and would become a champion in ECW. Dory Funk would remain in the WWF and would team with Jimmy Jack Funk, who was billed as his brother despite having not relation to the Funk family.

### Scott:

I remember the big ad in my TV Guide and getting big time pumped up for this match. I've been saying all along that JYD is the #2 babyface in the company, and for the first time in SNME history the top two babyfaces are teaming together. It was smart to have the World Champion go first, as since the show started at 11:30pm, people may start to fade by the later portion of the show. So they wanted everybody tuned in right at the start of the show. I thought at this point Hogan stuck with the yellow and red but he wore the alternate white tights this time. Jesse Ventura isn't around on this evening, so Bobby Heenan comes in to rip Vince every 30 seconds, and he quickly calls Haiti Kid a "dirty little midget". As these shows have progressed it seems they've avoided some of the longer vignettes in between matches and given the matches a little more time. The babyfaces were dominating the action until Jimmy Hart smacked Haiti Kid (who seconded our heroes to the ring) with the Funks' branding iron. Eh, just another midget in the way. Even though Dory Funk was well into the twilight of his career he was definitely still a workable body in the ring and kept up his end of the team's work to match his brother's histrionics. This match has more than its share of action outside the ring but they brawl on the floor and the faces regain control. Funk goes for something on the top rope in the climax but he misses and JYD tags into Hogan and he finishes the match off with big boot and legdrop. After the match the heels beat down Haiti Kid down. They try to brand him but Hogan saves him and the heels beg off. Well the workers do, but Jimmy Hart gets his just desserts by the Haiti Kid. Surprisingly the JYD gets his theme played as we go to break, as I was anticipating Real American. This was a really fun opener with decent in ring work but a lot of action everywhere.

### JT:

For the sixth straight Saturday Night's Main Event, Hulk Hogan is in action. This time around, he is competing in a tag team match, hooking up with another SNME mainstay in Junkyard Dog to go to war with the wild Funk Brothers. Of course, Hogan bested Terry in a previous installment, but the feud didn't end there. And of course, we can go back a bit further to refresh ourselves on the issues between Terry and the Dog as well. Those carried on at WrestleMania II where the Funks cheated to beat JYD and Tito Santana. Jesse Ventura isn't around tonight so we will have our first full SNME without the Body. In his place is Bobby Heenan, ensuring a similar level of enjoyment from the booth. In a funny bit, we see locker room footage of the Funks practicing tossing Jimmy Hart's megaphone to each other, playing off that Mania finish. Hogan & Dog brought the Haiti Kid out with them as I assume they wanted to attempt to offset Hart. The Funks tried to attack before the bell, but JYD slammed them both down and Hogan dropped down and did JYD's headbutts on both to knock them to the floor. Cute spot. Kid also got involved quickly, yanking Hart off the apron and keeping him on the floor. Terry would briefly grab control but JYD brought that to a quick end when he shot Terry hard into the corner where he rattled his shoulder into the ring post. On the floor, Terry chased Kid around as Heenan called him a "dirty little midget". A lot of stooging from the Funks followed as they bumped all over the place, square danced and criss crossed as Hogan and JYD dominated. Heenan is fantastic here, slipping digs in left and right, like calling JYD "illiterate" off the cuff. He followed that up by saying Kid could do 250 sit-ups under a Chevy. The Funks finally trapped JYD in the corner and double teamed him to swing control. Even Kid got the shit end of the stick when Hart pelted him with the branding iron, clubbing him out cold. As JYD dragged him to safety, Terry came over and stomped his head. JYD vanished, carrying Kid to the back, leaving Hogan to work over both brothers. Hoss would eventually knock Hogan to the floor, where Terry met him by jabbing his rehabbed ribs with the iron. As Funk shot him into the guard rail, JYD reemerged to make the save. This match has been some wild fun. JYD got caught and worked over back in the ring as Kid returned and led the crowd in a loud "JYD" chant. Heenan is on fire. The Dog would eventually wriggle free and tag in Hogan, who almost immediately dropped a leg on Terry for the win. After the bell, the Funks held up Kid so Hart could smack him but before they could brand him, Hogan made the save. This was quite fun with a manic pace and some wild fighting in and out of the ring. The crowd was amped up too and the whole thing just had a great unpredictable air about it. The Funks are so fun to watch in this role and with Hogan and JYD this crazy over, it melded into a termed atmosphere.

### 2) King Kong Bundy defeats Uncle Elmer with an elbow drop at 2:35

Fun Fact I: This was a battle of big men who had recorded the last two "fastest recorded matches" in WWF history. Buddy's record was recorded at WrestleMania I with a nine second win over SD Jones (which bell-to-bell was 24 seconds). Just seven months later, Uncle Elmer would beat the record with a win over Jerry Valiant at SNME II in six seconds (which bell-to-bell was 12 seconds). Maybe during this period someone should have bought the time keeper a Timex.

Fun Fact II: We bid a fond farewell to Uncle Elmer as this will be his last televised match for the WWF. He would wrestle for the company until the end of May. He would continue to wrestle in Memphis and in the CWA before retiring from the ring in 1990. Elmer would die from kidney failure due to diabetes on July 1, 1992 at the age of 54.

### Scott:

The weigh-in before the match it utterly hilarious, with Uncle Elmer eating fried pig parts while a snorting pig noise goes in the background. Bobby is awesome here, ripping Elmer and his absurd dancing in the ring. Why we still deal with hillbillies is beyond me. Bundy is coming off his loss at WrestleMania II against Hogan in the cage, so he's here to rebuild his character and get a win against someone equally his size. Elmer gets the early advantage with his terrible offense and butt bumps in the corner but Elmer misses a corner splash and hits the deck. Bundy hits a big elbow drop and gets the well deserved win. Can we get rid of these terrible hillbillies (and midgets for that matter) and move on to some other superstars? This match was crap.

### JT:

I really love these shows just for all the random character building and enhancing pieces they do. Before this battle of the behemoths, we got to see the two of them weigh in on a giant industrial scale. While weighing in, Elmer was chowing down on fried hog parts from a massive bucket as Heenan noted he was a slob.The Brain continued to trash Elmer hard as he danced his way into the ring like a jackass. He also makes some great points about Bundy's wrestling acumen and resume and decides to stay in the booth out of confidence. Elmer stood his ground to start but Bundy busted him down to his knees and kicked his ribs before choking him. Heenan is making this match, calling Elmer a "sow". The hillbilly came back with some right hands to the gut and head, rocking Bundy into the corner. Elmer would miss a splash in the corner and Bundy quickly followed with an elbow drop for the win. Well, at least it was short. And Heenan was aces. Glad to see Bundy still getting some respect and a bit of a push post-Mania.

### 3) Adrian Adonis defeats Paul Orndorff by disqualification at 12:00

Fun Fact: After WrestleMania II, Adrian Adonis began mocking Paul Orndorff, claiming he was little more than Hulk Hogan's sidekick and calling him "Hulk Jr." This leads to our match here.

### Scott:

The two awkward promos heading into this match were awesome, with Adonis talking to the Orndorff cutout and Orndorff and Mean Gene hanging out in the sauna all sweaty and uncomfortable. This could be a pretty solid match because say what we want about Adonis' shape and character but he can still work a great match when he needs to. Orndorff had a pretty solid face run but he is probably the first victim of the "Hogan Title curse" as he really was hitting the glass ceiling because Hogan wasn't dropping the title or turning heel anytime soon. Adonis is wrestling in a dress or, as Bobby was calling it, the hotel shower curtain. The match isn't bad as Adonis actually looks more svelte than he had but perhaps it's the shower curtain. Adonis was great at selling his opponent's moves, for instance he takes an Orndorff dropkick and flies halfway across the ring to hit the ring post and put the move over strong. However Orndorff gets disqualified for pushing the referee and choking Adonis out with his dress. This was a surprising move, which means they felt more value for Adonis' heel run than Orndorff's face run. I was certain that Orndorff was going to win this match, but alas it didn't happen. The match was fun but the result made me scratch my head.

### JT:

And speaking of character development, we head backstage again where Adrian Adonis gushes over a cardboard cutout of Mr. Wonderful. He also threatens to crack his head open. Well then. Orndorff gets a nice reception from the Providence fans as we get a clip from earlier today when Gene Okerlund interviewed him in the sauna. Orndorff compares Adonis to Fabulous Moolah and says he "light in the loafers". Back in the ring, Orndorff was red hot, beating on Adonis and chucking him hard out to the floor. Adonis didn't even get his muumuu off yet. He would get dragged back in and sent flying back outside off a hard whip to the corner. I could watch Adonis bump all night. Adonis slowed things way down as he regrouped, keeping the muumuu on as Vince was aghast, commenting on how he had never seen anyone wrestle in a dress before. Orndorff worked an abdominal stretch as Heenan quipped that Adonis may be wearing a shower curtain. Adonis finally landed a shot and started to climb away but Orndorff ducked a charge and pitched him to the floor. Orndroff walked over and yanked Hart into the ring and then chucked him back out hard into Adonis. Orndroff would also show off his power with an airplane spin, but Adonis grabbed the rope and broke the hold. Things would spill to the floor, where Hart ran interference that allowed Adonis to clock Orndorff in the head with the megaphone. Adonis had some great heel mannerisms and facial expressions and really took right to this gimmick. After a few minutes of offense, Adonis got tangled in the ropes and then chucked into the corner. Orndorff would rip the dress off and choke Adonis viciously in the ropes, eventually shoving the referee down as well. And he would be disqualified for that. That was a great finish as Orndorff just snapped and was relentless in choking out Adonis. This could have been a pretty hot blood feud. The match was quite enjoyable with more great heat and some really good Adonis bumping fixed into some nice heat building and aggressive Orndorff offense.

### 4) Jake Roberts wrestled Ricky Steamboat to a no contest when Roberts attacked Steamboat prior to the bell ringing

Fun Fact: This match would be the beginning of a heated feud between Jake Roberts and Ricky Steamboat that would last into the fall of 1986. Steamboat was legit knocked unconscious by the DDT on the concrete, which added the extra element of realism to the feud.

### Scott:

We don't get an official match here but we do get one of the craziest moments in SNME history. Jake Roberts attacks Ricky Steamboat before the match and then, in a move Steamboat wanted to take according to Jake's DVD, the Snake DDTs Steamboat flush on the Providence Civic Center concrete. This instantly gave Jake tremendous heel heat as the beloved babyface is cheap shotted before the match and is out cold as Jake drops Damien on him, letting him slither over the prone Dragon's body. Bobby is awesome, taunting Steamboat's wife to help out her "pineapple picking husband". This did everything that was needed: Made the fans wait for a big match, gave the Dragon sympathy and give The Snake huge heel heat.

### JT:

Of course, there is never an official match here. But that was fine, because this was awesome. Before entering the arena, Ricky Steamboat chats with Okerlund, who notes that the Dragon is the first true test for the undefeated Jake Roberts. Jake had a great heel presence as he stalked to the ring, crowd revved up and a bit apprehensive of the snake. In a great twist, as Steamboat hopped on the apron, Roberts cracked him with a clothesline that knocked the Dragon to the floor. Roberts followed out and snapped him to the concrete with a nasty DDT. That was an insane bump and tremendous, instant heat for Roberts. Jack dumped Steamboat's limp body into the ring and then unleashed Damien on him. Roberts wrapped it around Steamboat's throat while the referee was helpless to stop it. Kudos for Steamboat for laying there and allowing this to go down. A bevy of officials finally drove Roberts from the ring but the damage was done. A fantastic, top flight angle with great work from both men.

### 5) British Bulldogs defeat Nikolai Volkoff & Iron Sheik to retain WWF Tag Team Titles in a Best of Three Falls match

Falls

  1. Iron Sheik forces Davey Boy Smith to submit in the Camel Clutch at 1:28

  2. Davey Boy Smith pins Nikolai Volkoff with a roll up at 5:58

  3. Davey Boy Smith pins Iron Sheik with an inside cradle at 9:10

Fun Fact I: Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff were seeking to regain the tag team championships they had been without since June 1985.

Fun Fact II: The Dynamite Kid had suffered a knee injury a month earlier at WrestleMania II, which resulted in Davey Boy Smith carrying the majority of this match.

### Scott:

Our new tag team champions have their first title defense here against one of 1985's WWF Tag Teams of the Year. Sheik and Volkoff definitely have slipped off the radar as the year turned as newer, fresher teams have started to galvanize the tag division with actual tag teams instead of two singles guys put together. This is the last big run for Classy Freddie Blassie as he's getting up there in years but he's still an awesome heel manager in his jeweled outfits and cane. The match being two of three falls adds time and workrate to the match and it's a perfect blend of power and speed. Iron Sheik was still a beast in the ring and Volkoff was pure power. Meanwhile the young and exciting Bulldogs are the best team in a while. They are an exciting combination of power and speed and clearly showing the tag division is evolving. Two out of three falls was the perfect stipulation for these teams and for it being the final match of the show it was a great ending. For those who hadn't seen WrestleMania II (unless you watched on closed circuit or one of the lucky ones who had early PPV) noone had seen the Bulldogs' epic win over the Dream Team after they lost to the former champions on the last SNME. Now they were the triumphant champions, complete with Johnny-come-lately manager Lou Albano, trying to pad his tag team champions stats. The match had some solid in-ring work and some great comedy spots, such as Volkoff celebrating two-counts and losing a fall in the process. The Providence crowd was red hot all show long and they were off the charts here as well. Davey Boy is wrestling a majority of the match while Dynamite (suffering from a knee injury) is on the apron for most of the match. He eventually does get tagged in and the champions survive the grizzled veterans and get the victory. This is a great example of boosting your new champions by taking on a past champion.

### JT:

Before the match we get an interview with the new tag team champs and their hanger on manager, Lou Albano. Okerlund crediting that slob for the success of the Bulldogs is terrible. The Captain calls his charges the "finest gymnastic wrestlers of the modern era". Tonight they are set for a best of three falls bout against the former champs, Nikolai Volkoff & Iron Sheik. This is a nice little challenge for the champs, a team that can hang in the ring and get dirty when needed, as we saw at the first WrestleMania. Nikolai immediately fell into trouble with both Bulldogs rattling him with headbutts but he tide turned when Volkoff dropped Smith across the top rope neck first. Sheik took quick advantage, taking Davey Boy over with a suplex and then locking on the camel clutch for a quick, shocking submission. That was quite the surprise and I would think the psychology is that Davey doesn't tap as quickly if he didn't have two more falls in his back pocket. Still, this certainly gave instant legitimacy to the challengers just a minute into the match. After a break, Sheik continued to put the hurting on Smith, nailing him with a clothesline before hooking in an abdominal stretch. Smith escaped but the challengers kept laying in the boots with a brief double team. Nikolai laid in some heavy blows while Sheik floated Smith over with a gutwrench suplex for a two count. Smith came back and nabbed a near fall on Sheik and then after fighting through some Freddie Blassie interference and a big Volkoff slam, Smith was able to even the odds after a back elbow and a roll up to pin the big Russian. In a funny moment, McMahon called Nikolai an idiot twice for celebrating a two count, which allowed the roll up. By this point, Smith has wrestled the whole match, which McMahon also kept taking him to task about. After a break, Vince notes that they were informed that Dynamite had a torn ligament in his knee, which is why Smith is wrestling the whole match. The challengers regained control and kept tagging in and out as they worked over the Bulldog. Vince noted that the Bulldogs vowed to be fighting champions and this is proof. Smith survived a Boston crab from Sheik and a backbreaker submission from Volkoff. However, he caught Sheik with a powerslam for a near fall before finally tagging in Dynamite. Sheik clobbered the Kid as he came in and trapped him in a bear hug, as did Volkoff after a tag. Sheik then followed with a camel clutch but Smith made the save and rolled up Sheik for the win, despite being the illegal man. Another fun match in a series of them tonight. I really dug the story with Dynamite being hurt and Smith gallantly wrestling most of the match by himself. It was a strong look for the champs as they live up to their vow of taking on all comers.

### Final Analysis:

### Scott:

We have a second straight SNME without any fluff pieces and although it was nice to have more storyline development I did miss some of the fun stuff that the early episodes had. The last episode needed to focus on the WrestleMania II build but this one was in that dead zone (although PPV schedules were not in focus as of yet) so bringing back a little of the comedy wouldn't have hurt. The matches are definitely getting better and just when I thought I couldn't get more awesome heel work on the last episode we get the incredible Roberts/Steamboat moment. Hopefully some of the fun stuff returns to really balance the show out. We get a solid installment for the second straight episode but as the year progresses allegiances change and some more fresh talent arrives.

Final Grade:

### JT:

After the Halloween installment, this has been my second favorite SNME to date. It was packed with really solid matches and a top notch angle in the middle of it. We didn't have any running skits or themes, but the show hummed along nicely with strong interviews and lots of WrestleMania recaps mixed into the card. The opener was very high energy and set the tone right through an enjoyable final match. Even the Elmer/Bundy match was surprisingly decent. The Steamboat/Roberts angle is a classic and the Providence crowd stayed heated the whole way through the show. A strong outing coming off of Mania to set up the summer run for the company.

Final Grade:

# Saturday Night's Main Event VII – 10/4/86

October 4, 1986 (Recorded September 13, 1986)

Richfield Coliseum

Richfield, OH

Announcers: Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura

Attendance: 21,000

NBC Rating: 9.4

Fun Fact I: Jesse Ventura returns to the WWF after some time away to film Predator, debuts his new short hair and announces that this is the season premiere of Saturday Night's Main Event.

Fun Fact II: This event is the beginning of the classic SNME promo shoots prior to the opening video sequence. Future events would see these promos shot where the background was keyed out and a black background with iconic character logos would appear.

*** An injured Roddy Piper, with his knee taped up, vows that he will ignore doctor's orders and compete in his match later tonight. ***

### 1) Hulk Hogan defeats Paul Orndorff to retain WWF World Title by disqualification at 10:00

Fun Fact: Tensions had been building between Paul Orndorff and Hulk Hogan for months before this match. The fallout began back in June when Adrian Adonis began claiming to Orndorff that Hogan was trying steal the glory away from Mr. Wonderful. The following week on the Flower Shop, Bobby Heenan issued a challenge to Orndoff and Hogan to face his two big men, Big John Studd and King Kong Bundy. Orndorff accepted the challenge without Hogan there. When Orndorff tried to contact the champion on the phone he was told Hogan was too busy to talk to him, which irritated Orndorff. The third week on the Flower Shop had both Hogan and Orndorff being interviewed with Orndorff proclaiming that the team would face the Moondogs the next week and would then take on Heenan's challenge the following week.

In their match with the Moondogs, Orndorff worked the majority of the match and intentionally did not tag Hogan in. The following week saw the turn of Mr. Wonderful. Prior to the match, Orndorff was again brought up the missed phone call with Hogan trying to get him to move on from it. During the match, Hogan accidentally ran into Orndorff and knocked him off of the ring apron. Studd and Bundy double teamed the World Champion with Orndoff refusing to help. Heenan's team was disqualified for their double teaming. After helping Hogan to his feet, Orndorff clotheslined him and then gave him a piledriver for good measure. Heenan soon signed on as Orndorff's manager. Hogan and Orndorff would battle for the title at The Big Event in Toronto in front of over 74,000 (see the PTBN Vintage Vault Volume 1 eBook for a full writeup on this event).

### Scott:

Wow, things have completely changed from when season one of SNME ended back in May! Paul Orndorff was a beloved but somewhat directionless babyface in the spring, losing by disqualification in a dopey match with Adrian Adonis. Over the summer they did what needed to be done and turned Orndorff heel to be a new challenger for the WWF Championship. After turning on Hogan over the summer and then competing in the title match at The Big Event in Toronto, Mr. Wonderful gets another shot here on the season premiere of SNME. I love how Jesse says the crowd is 50/50 as both men came in to Real American, which was pretty hilarious. Orndorff connects with Bobby Heenan as the Brain tries to pry the World Title from Hogan after King Kong Bundy failed at WrestleMania II. This match was fun as Hogan takes control early but the Brain distracts him and Orndorff takes control. We have lots of brawling around the ring and chasing by both men. The crowd is hot and the action, although not featuring great workrate is fast paced, and both guys are moving around the outside quickly and keeping the crowd on their feet and going crazy. As Hogan does his big comeback a large woman comes in the ring and attacks Hogan. That large woman is of course Adrian Adonis and he and Orndorff attack the champion. That brings in Roddy Piper who smacks Adonis with the crutch and chases both heels off. Hogan and Piper glare at each other and another brawl could have happened, but Piper instead leaves the ring. We have a disqualification which means this feud rightfully continues. Without any PPVs on the horizon these feuds need to be stretched out for many months and multiple house shows and TV tapings. This was a hot feud throughout the second half of the year and it won't be the last SNME match between these two.

### JT:

Season two of Saturday Night's Main Event brings us to the fall of 1986 and on deck is a nice mix of new feuds and ongoing wars that started back in the spring. Our opener features Hulk Hogan, competing in his seventh straight SNME, and he is facing off with former friend Paul Orndorff. In one of the greatest heel turns of all time, Mr. Wonderful shockingly turned on the Hulkster and aligned himself with Bobby Heenan. Here, he is gunning for his old pal's WWF Heavyweight Title on national TV. In a great heel touch, Orndorff enters to Real American to really mock the champion. Hogan started hot, peppering Orndorff with a series of right hands, but the challenger used a Heenan distraction to clothesline the champ to the floor. Hogan spiked Orndorff into the apron and took the fight to him again back in the ring. The audio mix is a bit wonky this episode as the noticeably fired up crowd sounds tamped down a bit and Vince and Jesse sound really over dubbed as a result. Heenan would run interference again, allowing Orndorff to deck Hogan from behind a second time and this go around it seemed to stick. With the Hulkster prone on the edge of the ring, Orndorff stomped away and dropped a tight knee to the chest, sending Hogan careening to the floor and into the timekeeper. Orndorff stayed aggressive, choking Hogan with an extension cord and continuously battering him back to the floor. Back inside, Orndorff kept the heat on, using hard strikes and a suplex to grab a near fall. Hulk made a comeback via a high knee but Heenan hooked his leg when he hit the ropes, again slowing the champ down. Hogan ducked a charging Orndorff, causing him to fall over the top to the floor as as he recovered, a bunch of security guards came to ringside and carried Heenan to the back, where he was trapped behind a locked door. After a break, we returned to see Hogan still keeping Orndorff at bay, but the challenger eventually baited Hogan to chase him around ringside and was able to catch him with a kneedrop as he slid back in. He targeted the neck with forearm blows and a short clothesline but Hogan was able to block a piledriver with a back drop. Hogan went to work from there, slugging away and then hammering him with the same clothesline Orndorff used to fracture their friendship. Hogan attempted a piledriver but before he could hoist him up, Adrian Adonis hopped out of the crowd and jumped Hogan to draw the DQ. Jesse is awesome as before he realizes it's Adonis he says "a fat sweat hog from the audience" jumped in the ring and then acts shock when Hogan hits "an old woman". As Adonis and Orndorff double teamed Hogan, Roddy Piper hobbled to the ring on his crutches to make the save. He went wild swinging at everyone, cracking Adonis in the arm and also including a swipe Hogan which led to a staredown, but cooler heads prevailed as Piper dropped the crutch and limped off proudly. Lots of heat here and a very aggressive match. The finish made a lot of sense to keep the Hogan/Orndorff feud simmering and also brings the Piper/Adonis issue to top of mind. A strong opener to showcase the WWF's top feud of late 1986.

### 2) Ricky Steamboat defeats Jake Roberts in a Snake Pit match with a crucifix at 6:19

Fun Fact: This will be the end of the Ricky Steamboat/Jake Roberts feud that started at the last SNME with the Snake's knockout DDT on the concrete floor. The duo battled in a Snake Pit match in Toronto at the Big Event (PTBN Vintage Vault Volume 1), which Steamboat won despite being dominated most of the match. This is a rematch from that event.

### Scott:

This feud has also burned through the summer, beginning back in May when Ricky Steamboat tasted the Providence cement via a DDT. Steamer got revenge at the Big Event by defeating Roberts in Toronto. I'm not sure what the stipulation means here but I think it's who can go after their respective lizard bag. Before the show no one was exactly sure what was in Steamboat's bag but we knew the awesome Damien was in Jake's bag. I liked Steamboat's blue and red tights combo, but that didn't last throughout the entire year. Jake was a crisp worker and really went into Steamboat with some sharp strikes and chokes. Roberts was always an underrated in-ring worker during his WWF tenure but in this early feud with Steamboat he definitely showed his skills. Just like the match in Toronto, Steamboat sneaks a quick pin (this time a crucifix) for the victory. Jake cheap shots the Dragon after the bell and then beats him down before going after Damien. However off camera something happens and then we see the Dragon holding...a dragon. It looks like a baby alligator but is was a Komodo dragon. Jake begs off and leaves the ring. This feud could be over but with both of Steamboat's wins via quick fluke roll-ups perhaps the feud isn't over. The match was fun but could have been better with a few more minutes. Steamboat's quickly moving up the babyface ladder but Jake really doesn't get hurt by this loss.

### JT:

We harken back to our last SNME where the feud between Jake Roberts and Ricky Steamboat violent ignited via a DDT on the floor. Since then, the two have warred around the country and Steamboat decided to tote out a Komodo dragon here to combat Damien. Steamboat landed some chops to kick things off, following that by focusing on breaking down the arm of the Snake. Nobody has explained the rules of the Snake Pit match to this point, but the focus of the match is certainly around the two reptiles. The Dragon grabbed a near fall on a flapjack before going right back to the arm. They cut a strong pace here as Steamboat was all over Roberts, giving him no room to breathe. Unfortunately, his aggression backfired as he tried a splash off the top but ended up eating a pair of knees. Jesse was all over that, saying Steamboat tried that move far too early in the match. Roberts started inching to his bag but when he saw Steamboat do the save, he sprinted over, dragged the Dragon to the center of the ring and cracked him with an gut buster. Roberts punished the ribs from there, angrily spiking Steamboat's head to the mat along the way. These guys are really bringing the hate. Both Jesse and Vince were all over the referee here, bashing him for his slow counts on pin covers. Steamboat mounted a comeback but Roberts drilled him with a knee to the ribs to shut him down. However, a moment later, Steamboat slipped in and took Roberts down with a crucifix to steal the win. And the count was quicker, leading to Jesse bitching about referee consistency. Roberts clobbered Steamboat from behind, knocking him to the floor where he ran the Dragon into the post a few times. Back inside, Roberts unleashed Damien, but Steamboat popped up and pulled the dragon out of his sack. The two would charge each other and each time, Roberts backed down before bailing to the floor and walking off. This was solid stuff and the pacing was great, but they certainly could have used another five minutes or so as the finish was so abrupt for a blood feud. Roberts was on point in his offense though, and that combined with Steamboat's selling kept this one humming along. The payoff was pretty good too.

### 3) Roddy Piper defeats Iron Sheik with a small package at :43

Fun Fact I: After taking some time off from the WWF, Roddy Piper came back in August to find that his popular Piper's Pit segment has been replaced by The Flower Shop, hosted by Adrian Adonis. Even Piper's own bodyguard, Cowboy Bob Orton had switched over to the new segment. Piper would begin crashing the show from week to week, leading up to a confrontation between the two. Adonis, Orton and Don Muraco teamed up on Piper and assaulted him, (kayfabe) injuring this knee in the process. Piper would get his revenge by destroying the Flower Shop set with a baseball bat.

Fun Fact II: Here we get our first SNME introduction to The Doctor of Style, Slick, the first African American manager in WWF history. Kenneth Johnson was trained in Texas All-Star Wrestling before moving on to the Central States territory in Kansas City and taking on the Slick persona. He debuted in the WWF in September of 1986, one month before the event here. With Freddie Blassie's health on the decline, he was being slowly phased out of storylines. Slick initially purchased an interest in Blassie's stable before taking them over full time.

### Scott:

This was nothing more than a quick squash to really hammer home that Piper is a babyface. He did threaten to smack Pedro Morales with the crutch as Pedro Morales was going to wrestle for him in his place. Piper goes crazy and beats Shieky Baby in less than a minute. We do get the SNME debut of the iconic Slick as Sheik's manager. He replaces the ailing Freddie Blassie and we will see much more of the Slickster down the line. There's no doubt Piper is fully a fan favorite as he had multiple awesome interviews and a big time squash to hammer that point home.

### JT:

As we heard earlier, Roddy Piper had promised to gut this one out despite his damaged knee. Iron Sheik is out first and with him is his new manager, the Doctor of Style, Slick. Slick had taken over a majority of Freddie Blassie's contracts when the Fashion Plate wrapped up his career. We immediately get some character building as we see footage of Slick and Sheik pulling up in a swank limousine. Pedro Morales was tabbed as Piper's replacement and heads down to the ring, but Piper hobbles down and stares him down until Pedro just throws his arms up and walks off. Sheik charged hard but Piper cracked him with the crutch as the bell sounded. Piper kept tossing haymakers and fought through a Sheik flurry to roll the former champion up into a small package for the quick win. That match was nothing but it went exactly as it should have gone, setting up Piper as the defiant badass who is quickly becoming very beloved. Piper has been fantastic on this night, manic post match interview later in the show included, as his change in allegiances continues to develop.

### 4) The British Bulldogs defeat The Dream Team to retain WWF Tag Team Titles in a Best Three Falls bout

Falls

  1. Greg Valentine forced Dynamite Kid to submit to the figure four at 4:41

  2. Dynamite Kid pinned Greg Valentine with a diving headbutt at 8:10

  3. Davey Boy Smith pinned Brutus Beefcake with a fisherman's suplex at 13:09

Fun Fact: This is a tag team rematch from WrestleMania II where the British Bulldogs first won the titles.

### Scott:

This was set up to easily be the match of the night as we have great workers in the ring and two iconic managers on the outside. Well Luscious John is awesome, and fat, sloppy Lou Albano is a freeloader who's padding his career stats. The premise here is that it's the European two out of three falls match, and immediately the Dream Team gets the first fall with Valentine's figure four forcing Dynamite to submit. From that point forward Jesse harps on the fact that this isn't Europe and the Dream Team got the submission and should have regained their championships. Vince no-sells that point and from that point forward Jesse doesn't let it go, and even tells Vince "I will not let it go!" The back and forth in this match is tremendous as the Bulldogs hit their sweet combination of power and speed. There's also an inordinate number of suplexes on both sides, just another example of the expert workers in this match. The tag team division is slowly growing with some top flight teams coming down the pike. Valentine and the Bruti are particularly aggressive and the referee is very lenient with the double teaming. The action continues non-stop with multiple instances of both teams brawling in the ring. In the climax both teams are brawling and Beefcake misses a knee in the corner. From there Davey Boy Smith hooks a fisherman's suplex for the victory and the retention of the championships. Every time the Bulldogs are on this show they come up aces in terms of putting on a great match. This may have been the end for the Dream Team as that was their contracted rematch. The Bulldogs easily are 1986's tag team of the year but the question is who is the next heel team to challenge them? This could be the best match in SNME history to this point and the two of three falls helped make it such.

### JT:

Back at WrestleMania II, the British Bulldogs upended the Dream Team to win the tag team titles. They have reigned strong ever since, but the Dream Team was hungry for a rematch and they finally get it here. These best of three falls tag matches have been a nice little trend here on SNME and helps the division stand out in front of a national audience. The Bulldogs wasted no time at all, doubling up on Greg Valentine until the Hammer came back by kicking away at the knee of Dynamite. Beefcake came in and hit a nice vertical suplex before also working over the knee. Dynamite would slide away and make the tag, leading to Smith working the shoulder but a double team turned the tide back to the challengers. Dynamite would end up back in the ring but the Dream Team bullied him down with Valentine worked his usual methodical assault, punctuating it with a shoulderbreaker. Beefcake would get a few licks in and a moment later, the Hammer hooked the figure four and forced Dynamite to submit to end the first fall. That was a great showing for the Dream Team, including Beefcake charging in and smashing Smith to prevent him from making the save. Beefcake has really improved over the course of 1986 as he is way more crisp and aware here. Fall two picked up after a break and Valentine and Beefcake were still punishing the knee with a precision attack. I like this story as it continues the angle of Dynamite's balky knee from back in the spring. Dynamite would survive the assault and tag out with Smith coming in on fire, grabbing a quick near fall after a vertical suplex. He followed with a powerslam but Beefcake broke up the pin. Smith then hoisted Beefcake onto his shoulders and Dynamite leapt off Brutus and landed a diving headbutt to draw the match even. The only downside there was Dynamite was now the legal man and had to fight through his balky knee against Valentine. And he did gut his way through it, fighting the Hammer off and taking him over with a crisp snap suplex. For some reason he didn't make the tag and instead whiffed on a sledge blow. The challengers went back to work on the leg yet again but Dynamite was able to kick out of a Valentine figure four attempt and make the tag out. Beefcake met Smith head on and gained the advantage, planting Smith with a clothesline and choking away. The Dream Team has really dominated this match from start to finish and has looked great in doing so. They really had Smith in trouble until thongs broke down and all four men ended up in the ring. During the confusion, Smith took Beefcake over into a fisherman's suplex to win the match and retain the straps. Man, that was fun. These teams have some wonderful chemistry. The Bulldogs have this great style going on and it makes them look like badasses as they keep fighting through pain and injury and find a way to come out on top at the end. Plus, their offense is so crisp and effective that it is believable they can hit a few moves and grab a match from the jaws of defeat. The Dream Team looked really good here too as Valentine really set the tone and pacing of the match and Beefcake's development allowed him to accentuate things nicely. I would put this slightly behind their WrestleMania match but it was still very good.

*** During the last match, Jesse Ventura announced that Adrian Adonis suffered a shattered elbow at the hands of Roddy Piper's crutch earlier in the evening. ***

### 5) Kamala defeats Lanny Poffo with a big splash at 1:44

Fun Fact I: This would be Kamala's return to the WWF. In his initial run in the WWF, he was managed by Skandor Akbar and Freddie Blassie. In his return, he is now paired with a masked handler named Kim Chee and is managed by The Wizard.

Fun Fact II: Kamala was the character portrayed by James Harris from Mississippi. Harris had been a burglar in his teens trying to help support the family after his father was shot dead. After being asked to leave town by local police, he moved to Florida and then later to Michigan where he met Bobo Brazil, who began training Harris. His pro career began in 1978 where he went by many different names before moving to the UK to wrestle for several years. While there he continued to build his skills while wrestling under the name The Mississippi Mauler. When he returned to the US to the Memphis territory, Jerry Lawler and Jerry Jarrett had him change his gimmick to the one he would be known by for the remainder of his career. He would take on the role of the Ugandan Giant, Kamala, an African cannibal covered in face and body paint and loincloth. He wrestled in Mid-South, Memphis and WCCW before making his first appearance in the WWF in 1984.

### Scott:

We wrap the show up with an effective squash for a new heel on the block. Kamala technically isn't a new heel to the WWF as he feuded with Andre the Giant in 1981 that culminated with a steel cage match in Toronto. Poffo is always a good guy to go in there and put over a monster heel. His house show matches are usually pretty solid but here he's tasked to take Kamala's licks and put him over. I was never a fan of the Wizard as his promos were kind of stupid but I did always love the iconic (i've said that word a lot on this review) Kim Chee. His manager has followed him through many promotions but I'm sure the guy has changed based on wherever they were. In any event the squash is effective and Kamala is back.

### JT:

We have a returning monster heel on the scene in the WWF, the Ugandan Headhunter Kamala. This time around he has the Wizard bellowing menacingly at him from his corner as well as the masked Kim Chee. Kamala pounces on the always game Poffo, mauling him with chops and kicks. Poffo has some interesting hair going on here looking like an extra from Police Academy. And he would have plenty of time to shoot the movie as this match was very short lived. Kamala would drop a big splash and take the easy win. Nothing to see here besides a showcase for Kamala.

### Final Analysis:

### Scott:

This was a fun show with some fresh matchups because so much has changed in the promotion since we were last on the air back in May. Orndorff a heel? Piper a BABYFACE? What's going on here? It actually added some fun and intrigue, particularly during the moment when Hogan and Piper were in the ring and glared at each other. The tag match may be the best SNME match so far and the tag division is just getting better and better. Jake and the Dragon still have unfinished business but soon Steamboat will have other priorities to deal with. This episode was definitely all Piper, all the time to put over his new role in the company and with our usual Hogan title defense this was definitely one of the better episodes thus far.

Final Grade:

### JT:

Season two of SNME kicked off with a pretty strong offering. The World Title match was very good and keeps a red hot feud churning along. The Piper stuff was all really good too and keeps the Adonis/Piper issue churning while also giving Piper a measure of revenge by busting up the Adorable One's elbow. Steamboat and Roberts had a good close to their feud and we saw the Bulldogs finally put away the Dream Team in a really good three falls match. Again, we have moved away from the running theme and campiness, but the Piper stuff played that through line role for this show and it clicked really well. This is definitely one of my favorite installments so far and well worth checking out.

Final Grade:

# Saturday Night's Main Event VIII – 11/29/86

November 29, 1986

Los Angeles Sports Arena

Los Angeles, CA

Announcers: Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura

Attendance: 16,000

NBC Rating: 9.7

### 1) Randy Savage wrestled Jake Roberts to double disqualification at 9:30

Fun Fact I: On the WWE's "The Best of Saturday Night's Main Event" DVD set, Jake Roberts discusses a conversation that he had with Dick Ebersol before his SNME VIII match with Randy Savage. In the interview he states Ebersol came to them and said, "Mr. Savage...Mr. Snake...if the ratings drop [during your match], this will be the last time you will be on Saturday Night's Main Event and you will be back in Poughkeepsie doing local television." So Savage and Roberts were extra motivated to put on a great performance. Roberts indicates it is one of his best matches ever and that Randy's father had stated that it was Randy's best match ever.

Fun Fact II: Going into this match, both men were still considered heels. The company thought that fans would cheer for Savage over the evil antics of Roberts. But to his surprise, fans cheered more for the Snake than Macho Man. A few months later, Jake Roberts would make an official face turn leading into WrestleMania III.

### Scott:

We begin the show with a very rare heel vs. heel matchup, yet one that has two pretty great workers here. Vince and Jesse are actually talking about the fact we have two rulebreakers in the ring, but Vince says the fans' edge may be with Savage. We haven't seen Savage on the big stage since his subpar match with George Steele at WrestleMania II. Jake has been battling Ricky Steamboat all over the country, including two highlight moments on this program. WWF needs to put the Macho Man on the big stage to prepare for what will be the feud that makes him a bona fide superstar. I think the focus of the match in terms of psychology is that they both treat Elizabeth like crap: Jake waves Damien in front of her and Savage hides behind her as a human shield. The storytelling was fascinating because you're really not sure how they can tell the story of two evil cheaters going to battle. As the match progressed that it seems like Jake was getting the face pops, so the match was going in that direction. Savage hadn't reached the levels of in-ring greatness yet but he still told a story perfectly, working desperately to keep his title while avoiding the DDT. With Savage dictating tempo it makes it out like Jake is the face in peril. Eventually chaos ensues and the referee calls for the double disqualification. Jake throws Damien on the Macho Man and he bolts with his IC Title. This was a lot of fun and the crowd got more into it than I thought they would for two bad guys.

### JT:

This is quite the important episode of Saturday Night's Main Event as NBC executives were in the house and looking to be impressed. Legend has it that WWF officials asked Jake Roberts and Randy Savage to go out and tear the house down. It is also interesting that this is a heel vs. heel match but both of these guys were already hearing a smattering of cheers despite their tendencies. I should also mention Jesse Ventura's absurd wig. Because it is ridiculous looking. It has been a strong year for both men, with Roberts working his way up the ladder while torturing Ricky Steamboat and Savage dominating the mid card as Intercontinental Champion. As the two played some mind games before the bell, Roberts seemed to be the crowd favorite on this night as chants of "DDT" rang echoed around the arena. Things were even early on with both men trading holds and fighting to a stalemate, showing lots of energy along the way. Roberts certainly seems be acting a bit more like a face early on, feeding off the fans. He would go for an early DDT but Savage felt it coming and bolted to the floor. When things resumed in the ring, Jake landed a boot to the gut but Savage blocked a DDT by shoving the Snake into the corner before catching him with a big foot to the face. Savage would work him over with his usual catlike quickness and aggression, fending off like Roberts comebacks here and there. Macho was able to get Roberts tangled in the ropes and used that opportunity to pitch Damien under the ring as the show went to break. When it returned, Roberts escaped and caught Savage with a nice running kneelift, which allowed him to reduce Damien and put him back in the corner. The Snake followed with a gourdbuster for a near fall but frustration was clearly starting to set in as Savage wouldn't stay down. McMahon noted how the crowd had chosen Roberts here, much to the surprise of both him and Ventura. Savage would block another DDT attempt and again hit the deck where he would use Elizabeth as a shield. Roberts turned to unleash Damien but Savage cracked him with a knee to the back that drove him into the post. Macho followed up with a pair of big axehandles off the top rope for a two count. Roberts blocked a third and the pacing here has been fantastic, which has led to a tremendous atmosphere. Both men spilled to the floor again but when they started to get back inside, Savage caught Roberts with a stomp and then shoved the referee down. Roberts would do the same a moment later and that led to a double disqualification. After the bell, Savage grabbed a chair but before he could use it, Jake dumped Damien on him. Savage would take off with his title, living to fight another day. That was a hell of a showcase match with two of the biggest studs on the roster letting loose on national TV. Both kept up with the hot pace and fed off the crowd as they laid in some strong strikes and mixed in a little chicanery along the way. This easily could have edged along for another ten minutes or so and has to be on the short list of best SNME matches to date.

### 2) Hulk Hogan defeats Hercules with a legdrop to retain WWF World Title at 6:30

Fun Fact: Late in 1986, Hercules Hernandez's contract with Slick was sold to Bobby "The Brain" Heenan. Shortly after this managerial change, a name change ensued with Hernandez dropping his last name from the character and solely going by the name Hercules, taking on more of a mythical character. He also began carrying a long steel chain to the ring with him. This match with Hulk Hogan would be one of, if not the biggest match of his career.

### Scott:

SNME has turned into the "Bobby Heenan's guy challenges for the World Title" show as through the first eight shows we've seen multiple championship matches with Bobby Heenan charges. This time its Hercules Hernandez, who was sold to him via Slick (including the awesome skit with both shysters at the bank). Once again we highlight the show with a Hogan title defense to get the big ratings on the early portion of the card. 1986 has been a crazy year for Hogan, fighting challengers from all corners, and here is his second nationally televised title defense inside the LA Sports Arena, after vanquishing King Kong Bundy at WrestleMania II. As expected, Hercules shows his immense power in a couple of spots and actually wrestled a great match for an inexperienced heel. He worked Hogan over with bear hugs and a backbreaker where he bowed Hogan's body over his knee. Hercules then put Hogan in his torture rack and Jesse was so convinced that Hogan submitted he's trying to tell Dave Hebner to call Hercules the champion. Hogan is limp on the mat while Hercules argues with Hebner and Jesse is losing it at the table saying Hogan quit; he's almost convincing me. Of course this lag gets Hogan's juices flowing and Hulk makes his big comeback and retains his title. I have to say even though I knew that Hercules had no shot to win here, the combination of the crowd, Herc's performance and Jesse's awesome commentary led it to be more entertaining that I expected. Vince is such a milquetoasty babyface it's nauseating as an adult, but I was marking out as a 13 year old. Jesse calls Vince the most biased announcer in wrestling. Sure he's right but heck that's how it worked in the 1980s. Another successful defense for the champion, and a much more fun match than I anticipated.

### JT:

The strong card continues as Hulk Hogan is set to defend his title yet again here on SNME. His war with Bobby Heenan continues on as the Brain has purchased the contract of Hercules from Slick and was able to secure his new charge this championship bout. I really like how they ensured Hogan competed on all of these shows, helping keep that special feeling alive. Before the match we get pretty good promos from both sides, including Hogan busting out the vintage "This is where the power lies" line. Hercules is starting to shed his wild afro that had been on display for much of his WWF run to date. The LA crowd was gushing all over Hogan, picking up where they left off back at WrestleMania. Hercules showed off his power early, taking control of a test of strength, but that was short-lived as Hogan fought to his feet and broke the challenger down until Herc caught him with a kick. Herc would take advantage and hammer Hogan into the corner until the champion reversed a whip and hit a stiff clothesline followed by a running high knee. Heenan would run some interference but it didn't work as Hogan landed a big boot and bodyslam but the champ came up empty on an elbow drop attempt. As Herc worked Hogan over, Ventura lost his mind over Dave Hebner being allowed to referee this match after getting tossed around in the last bout. Herc locked in a bear hug and then caught Hogan with a backbreaker. He followed that with the backbreaker and suddenly it looked like Herc was a legit contender. Until for some reason he dropped Hogan out of the hold and assumed Hogan had submitted. Hebner told him otherwise, which again sent Jesse through the roof. Herc then posed a bit for going for an ill fated pin cover. Hogan would hulk up and a few minutes later put this one to bed. Hercules really fucked up, he had Hogan beaten and gave it away. This was pretty fun and had some decent power offense blended into the formula Hogan bout and was also kept short enough to ensure the crowd stayed with it. Bobby Heenan comes up empty yet again and Hogan looks to wrap up 1986 as champion.

*** We get a clip of Jesse Ventura, Bob Orton and Jimmy Hart eating at a Mexican restaurant and talking about Orton's broken friendship with Roddy Piper. Orton claimed Piper always hid behind him but now has now friends to hide behind, especially tonight. We then see a video package highlighting the relationship before it fell apart. ***

### 3) Roddy Piper defeats Bob Orton, Jr. with a roll up at 3:48

Fun Fact I: Roddy Piper, now in full face mode, finally gets his in-ring opportunity against his former bodyguard, Bob Orton. After attacking Adonis at the last SNME, Piper had vowed to come after Magnificent Muraco and Orton, the other two men involved in his hurting his knee. On the 10/18 segment of Piper's Pit, Jimmy Hart gave Piper some gifts that he was not pleased with, including a pink cowboy hat and a rope from Bob Orton. Piper was told the rope was so he could hang himself with it. Piper ends up tying up Hart and pouring mouthwash in his mouth before jumping off of the stage and indicating his knee was better and he was ready to fight.

Fun Fact II: During this feud, Orton would sometimes come to the ring wearing a kilt as a mocking gesture to Piper.

### Scott:

I remember my brother being very sad for this match because he was the biggest fan of heels and this pair was the first great set of heels in the Federation Era. But Piper has become one of the most beloved babyfaces in the company practically overnight. I love Orton and Muraco in kilts to taunt the Hot Rod but that eventually doesn't help as Dave Hebner throws Muraco out of ringside to the back. Jesse continues to berate Hebner as being "power hungry" and being involved in every match of the show. This is one of those matches that would have been better with a few more minutes of time and work. Piper dominated early with his usual fighting skills but Orton did get a few shots in after Piper took a shot to the bread basket. Honestly this seemed like a glorified squash as in only four minutes Piper dominated about 90% of the match. Since the face turn it seems like the second objective of SNME (the first being showcasing Hogan) is to push Piper as a fan favorite. They are accomplishing that but he still has some more hills to climb: Defeating Muraco (or "Fat Albert" as Piper called him in a promo) and eventually the ring leader, Adrian Adonis.

### JT:

What a sad day. These two were true besties in a world filled with backstabbing and hatred. Their relationship seemed like it could never break apart. Yet here we are. An angry Roddy Piper is looking for revenge and a fired up Cowboy Bob is looking to prove he was more than just Hot Rod's muscle. Orton is decked out in plaid and also has a kilted Magnificent Muraco with him. As Orton proclaimed at the Mexican restaurant, Piper was out on his own but the Hot Rod clearly didn't seem to care. Muraco wasted no time hopping on the apron and it backfired as the ever-present Dave Hebner tossed him from ringside. You can imagine how Jesse took that news. Piper went right for Orton, peppering him with lefts and rights before spiking him with a bulldog. Piper continued to unload and Orton had no chance to even take a breath or get any momentum going. Hot Rod would finally make a mistake by ducking down on a whip, giving Cowboy the chance to slug him in the jaw. The crowd chanted "Roddy" as Orton stomped away at Piper before grabbing a near fall. Jimmy Hart would hop on the apron but Piper showed Orton into him and then rolled the Cowboy up for the win. You would expect more of a blowoff between these two but Piper needed to go over pretty strong as he still had to mow through Muraco and eventually Adrian Adonis before gaining his full revenge. This match was nothing but had a ton of heat and backstory to fuel it.

### 4) Killer Bees defeat The Hart Foundation when Jim Brunzell pinned Bret Hart with an inside cradle at 9:00

Fun Fact: The Killer Bees and The Hart Foundation have been locked in a nearly year long feud at this point. B. Brian Blair indicated at one point that the two teams wrestled somewhere between "300 and 600" times during the mid-1980s.

### Scott:

After vanquishing the Dream Team, the tag team champion British Bulldogs need a new #1 contender so we have what Vince was calling an "elimination" match between two top challengers. With the Bulldogs as babyfaces, it seemed pretty clear that the Hitman and the Anvil would win this match and become the new #1 contenders. Indeed they dominate a good portion of the match with expert double teaming and their combination of power and workrate. Then when the Harts throw both men out of the ring, we get the expected move where the Bees put the masks on to thoroughly confuse the Pink and Black attack and after some confusion and chaos in the ring, Bee #1 is switched with Bee #2 in the ring and the Hitman walks into a small package for the victory. I was pretty shocked as the WWF threw the conventional booking manual out the window. We had a heel/heel match for the Intercontinental Title, and now we will have a planned face/face match for the tag team championship. That adds some fun and intrigue into these title chases and some work to be done for the "Championship Committee". I wish there was still a committee to decide contenders. The match was ok but the result for me was a complete shock.

### JT:

We saw these teams back at WrestleMania II and both have been plying their trade on TV and around the country, but this is the first time we get to check them out on SNME. The stakes were really high here as the story being pushed is that a win for either team would slot them close to a tag team title match with the British Bulldogs. I like that we get this type of match in place of a title bout because it really showcases the depth of the division. Bret Hart and Jim Brunzell kicked things off and Brunzell used his speed to control early, popping Hart with a jumping kneelift and then quickly tagging in Brian Blair, who went to work on the arm. As that went on, Vince discussed how the Bees could get underhanded in the ring when they would bust out their masks and fool the refs and opponents. We even get an inset interview with the masked Bees playing head games with Gene Okerlund. The Anvil tagged in but as the Bees stayed in control, Jesse took a shot at NBC honcho Dick Ebersol, again highlighting that brass was in the building. The Hitman nailed Brunzell in the back with a knee from the apron to swing momentum and the beating was on. Anvil would hit a nice standing dropkick as Jesse and Vince talked about the Harts' new pink and black ring attire. Brunzell fell further into trouble as Hart picked him apart and then pitched him out to the floor. Pretty sure Brunzell is rocking Tom Berenger's Major League hair style here. Brunzell landed a few shots to the gut of the Anvil, but it wasn't enough to make much of a difference. The Bee came back with a big dropkick on Hart and was able to tag out by Dave Hebner missed the tag. This time Jesse backed him, which was funny. The Harts decked both Bees to the floor, but as they were out there, they ducked under the ring and put their masks on. As they did, Blair slipped into the ring and went right at Neidhart with plenty of energy and vigor. The Harts were rattled badly as the Blair ran right through them, capping the attack with a sleeper on Neidhart. Just as the Anvil was about to fade, Hart smashed Blair from behind with a sledge off the top rope. With Hebner tied up, we got another switcheroo, leading to Brunzell rolling up Hart for the win. That was a fun match, as usual for these two teams. I thought for sure the Harts would win this and line up for a title match, but I like that we got a surprise and also put the mask gimmick over. And it also keeps the Harts looking strong enough because the Bees clearly cheated their way to the win. The tag division is really growing and the depth is piling up as both of these teams were legit contenders to the Bulldogs' straps.

### 5) Koko B. Ware defeats Nikolai Volkoff with a roll up at 2:30

Fun Fact: James Ware was born in June 1957 in Union City, Tennessee. He made his pro wrestling debut in 1978 as Koko Ware. He travelled around a lot during his first few years, making his way through Mid-South, Georgia and other NWA territories. In 1980 he won his first title by winning a battle royal to become the first ever Mid-American Television Champion. In 1981, Koko teamed up to be managed by Jimmy Hart and his First Family. In doing so, he changed his name to Sweet Brown Sugar. He became more of a tag team wrestler at this point, tagging with Steve Keirn first and then with Bobby Eaton, who he won the AWA Southern Tag Team Championship with.

He took on another name change after he and Eaton's partnership dissolved into a heated feud. The two wrestled numerous grudge matches resulting in a final "Loser Leaves Town" match, which was won by Eaton. Shockingly, shortly there after a masked wrestler appeared in the territory with the name of Stagger Lee, who happened to wrestle very much like Sweet Brown Sugar. In 1983, Stagger Lee would be unmasked, revealing Ware as the mystery wrestler. He would next team with Norvell Austin, forming the tag team know as the Pretty Young Things or PYT Express, which would wrestle in the AWA, Memphis, Mid-South, WCCW and in Florida.

Ware moved on to the UWF after PYT dissolved and changed his name to the one he is best known by, Koko B. Ware. It was here that he began coming to the ring flapping his arms while his theme, "The Bird", played. He joined the WWF in 1986 and took on the persona of the "Birdman", complete with a macaw named Frankie that he would bring to the ring with him.

### Scott:

Our last two matches are a couple of glorified squashes to put over some new talent and build for future matches. Koko is fresh from Memphis and is popular with the fans, as he comes out with his macaw Frankie. Koko takes an early beating from the big powerful Russian, but eventually the speed takes over and Koko hits some quick dropkicks. Nikolai takes over with some power moves and even kicks out of the missile dropkick. Koko takes advantage of Nikolai talking to Slick and Koko rolls the Russian up for the victory. A nice little TV win for the very popular Birdman. Koko would embark on a great career during the Federation Era.

### JT:

As we edge later into the night, we dip into the lower mid card a bit. SNME stalwart Nikolai Volkoff is on the scene, with Slick in his corner. And his opponent is a newcomer straight from Memphis, Koko B. Ware. Ware came in with a strong rep and and an underrated career already built up so it would be interested where he slots in to the WWF roster. He had his macaw Frankie with him and his colorful look and energy made him an instant favorite amongst younger fans. Nikolai would jump the Birdman off the bell, using his power to smother the smaller Koko immediately. Koko fought through it and punched his way back into the match before taking the Russian over with a cool inverted monkey flip. A pair of dropkicks led to a near fall but Nikolai powered out strongly and then spiked Koko across the top rope. Nikolai would miss a knee drop and a moment later Koko pasted him with a dropkick off the top turnbuckle. Nikolai survived and hit a backbreaker but picked up Koko before the three count. He followed with a slam but then consulted with Slick which allowed Koko to roll him up from behind and pick up the win. Nothing to write home about here but Koko's energy certainly is infectious.

### 6) Magnificent Muraco defeats Dick Slater with a clothesline at 2:05

Fun Fact: Richard Van Slater was born in May, 1951 in Tampa, Florida. He began wrestling in 1968 in high school with Mike Graham. After high school, he attended the University of Tampa where he shared the wrestling mat with John Matuszak and Paul Orndorff. Following college, he turned down an opportunity with the Miami Dolphins to play football and chose to continue his focus on wrestling. Mike Graham got him involved in pro wrestling and he began his training in Tampa where he was trained by Jack Brisco, Bob Roop, Hiro Matsuda and Bill Watts. He spent most of his early years in Florida and then in Georgia Championship Wrestling before moving on to the Mid-Atlantic territory in 1983. Slater would later say that Jim Crockett ran one of the hardest promotions to work for. After a brief stint in Mid-South, Slater would join the WWF in 1986 where he would take on the role of a Southern Rebel. Unfortunately, his time in the WWF was not filled with much success. His past feuds and successes in other promotions were ignored and he was largely used as an enhancement talent (i.e. jobber) during his stay. Slater would move on from the WWF in 1987 and go back south to WCW.

### Scott:

This was nothing more than a set up match for whenever Muraco has to face Roddy Piper as part of the feud with Adrian Adonis. Slater was one of the better heels in history but I wasn't a fan of his babyface run. Slater was one of the guys who collected Harley Race's bounty on Ric Flair in 1983, along with another guy on this show tonight: Bob Orton. For once Mr. Fuji was useful as a manager as he trips Slater up and Muraco gets the victory. There's not much more to say here, as Muraco gets the win.

### JT:

Squash city incoming. Dick Slater was a solid worker and could have really added to the depth of the WWF roster but for some reason he was brought in as a face. Yes, a rebel in the Northeast territory was booked as a face. He was a great heel and should been used that way. Muraco battered Slater right off the bell, slamming his head into the corner and then slugging away. Slater got a glimmer of hope with a roll up and a few right hands, followed by an ax blow from the top rope. Fuji made the save for his boy and a moment later he tripped up the Rebel, allowing Muraco to catch his breath and pop Slater with a clothesline for the win.

### Final Analysis:

### Scott:

This was a solid episode with another Hulk Hogan title defense, some advancement of the Roddy Piper/Adrian Adonis storyline and the unique battle of two great heels in Jake Roberts and Randy Savage. The biggest shock was the Killer Bees actually defeating the Hart Foundation as I was sure they would have heels be set up to face the British Bulldogs for the tag straps. We had a major TV debut in Koko B. Ware, a guy who would be a staple of the Federation Era for the younger fans. My PIC is a particularly big Koko fan. Another themeless show but plenty of between match interview segments to stretch the show out. This seems to be the main formula for the SNME shows but the themes will return soon enough.

Final Grade:

### JT:

I really liked this installment of SNME. It flew by with a crisp pace and was packed with matches that wove through a nice and easy watchable format. Everyone got a prematch interview, every match had a story and there was no fluff or fill. As much as I enjoyed the themes of the early shows, they have really found their groove by jamming the show with matches and buzzing right along through the night. They are also spotlighting the big stars and angles early for the crowd that needs to tap out by midnight and leaving the filler for later in the show. However, they also leave a little treat dangling as we get a Hulk Hogan interview late in the night as well. We have seen eight SNME shows across a year and a half and you can tell they are really figuring things out. Here we got a Hogan title match, a great and unique opener, a fun tag team match with high stakes, a pair of squashes and a lot of advancement in one of the hottest feuds in the promotion. Oh, and the commentary was tremendous too. Not much to complain about here.

Final Grade:

  SNME IX – Hartford, CT – January 3

  SNME X – Detroit, MI – March 14

  SNME XI – Notre Dame, IN – May 2

  SNME XII – Hershey, PA – October 3

  SNME XIII – Seattle, WA – November 28

# Saturday Night's Main Event IX – 1/3/87

January 3, 1987

Hartford Civic Center

Hartford, CT

Announcers: Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura

Attendance: 10,000 (Including a 13 year old Scott, his brother and father)

NBC Rating: 10.6

### 1) Hulk Hogan defeated Paul Orndorff in a steel cage match to retain WWF World Title when he exits the cage at 10:42

Fun Fact: During their feud, Hulk Hogan and Paul Orndorff wrestled numerous matches without clean finishes. As a result, the two were signed for a steel cage match here to end their feud. Following the match, Orndorff would begin working a reduced schedule due to an arm injury that he sustained training during the Hogan feud. Since the two were drawing big money at the time, Orndorff did not want to take time off for surgery until the feud was completed. The six month feud was one of the most profitable feuds in the history of professional wrestling.

### Scott:

Words can honestly not describe how pumped up I was for my first ever live show. It worked out perfectly since I was a huge Hulkamaniac and my brother loved pretty much every heel in the entire company. The moment I heard Real American for the champ (not when Orndorff came out to it, which of course my brother cheered for) I was amped and ready to go. This is the end to a great blood feud that started back in the summertime and raged on the syndies and here on SNME. My brother was convinced that Orndorff was winning on this night and that there would be a big rematch at WrestleMania III. We have two referees here, as Joey Marella is the assigned referee but the questionable Danny Davis is there as well. That storyline has started to percolate, where Davis was leaning his refereeing towards the heels. Jesse is chewing Vince up for his Hogan bias, and for the first time since SNME started Vince is getting painted into a corner when he talks about Hogan, because as we know Jesse is smarter than he is. The bout has a great big match vibe and I remember the back and forth action well. I was hoping for some blood but knowing this would be on national TV I knew it wouldn't happen...and then it did. More on that later. Then the first great live crowd moment I've seen: Hogan and Orndorff start crawling to opposite edges of the ring then begin climbing over the wall of the cage. It's a race to the floor and...both guys hit the floor. The place went crazy, and in one of my favorite live moments ever, my brother gets up and heckles to our section that Orndorff is the new World Champion and he gets showered with pretzels and peanut shells by my fellow Hulkamaniacs. It was great. In any event the crowd is back to being focused on the match as evil Danny Davis shoves Marella to the floor and Hogan goes after him. Orndorff pearl harbors him and they restart the match. The action actually gets more hot and heavy until Hogan climbs out and beats Orndorff to the floor as Mr. Wonderful tried to get to the floor. This is one of my favorite TV matches ever (and I'm a little biased) but even watching now the energy is great and the controversial first ending to the match.

### JT:

We kick off our third calendar year of Saturday Night's Main Event with a big one. The Hulk Hogan/Paul Orndorff feud has raged hard throughout the back end of 1986 and it is time for one final showdown. Inside a steel cage. With the WWF Title on the line. Can Bobby Heenan finally take the gold off Hogan? Can Orndorff step out of the shadow and finish his former friend off for once? Anticipation was quite high and this may be our biggest on paper SNME matchup to date. It was also the first cage match in the show's run. Orndorff was still using Real American here as he kept tweaking the champ. He was also refusing to give interviews, speaking only through Heenan. Vince McMahon expressed immediate concern as shady referee Danny Davis was the second official manning the floor. Orndorff had gold in his sights as he jumped Hogan off the bell, stomping away viciously before heading to the door for a failed escape attempt. There was no pinfall option in this match, as it was escape only. And that is all Mr. Wonderful wanted to do: escape the steel. He was done wrestling Hogan at this point, he wanted the strap and he scaled the cage quickly for another attempt. The crowd was loudly behind Hogan as he made a last second desperation save, yanking Orndorff back into the cage by his hair. Jesse Ventura had a classic line there: "Hulk Hogan would not be champion if Mr. Wonderful was bald". Hogan got a little dirty, choking the challenger with his headband but Orndorff came back with more strikes to even things up. Hogan came back with a big right hand and went for the door but Davis had locked the door, making it difficult to get it open quickly. More back and forth would lead to a stalemate where they both banged into the cage and collapsed. As they both recovered, they scaled the cage walls, climbed over...and both hit the floor at the same time. The referees debated over who won as the crowd was going bonkers. Real American played but that obviously was much of an indicator at this point. Davis would shove down Joey Marella and as Hogan grabbed him, Orndorff buried a knee in Hulk's back. The match would be restarted after a tie was declared and after a break, it was back under way. Orndorff landed a stiff forearm shot off the top rope and then jabbed the champ with a foreign object. The crowd went crazy as Hogan made a fired up comeback, peppering Orndorff with right hands and chops. Hogan started to use the cage as a weapon, punishing Orndorff as revenge for these months of trash talking and attacks. He cracked the now bloody Orndorff with a backbreaker, dropped the leg and then scaled the cage, but was held up by Heenan, who had hopped in the cage. Orndorff made one last mad dash but Hogan fended off the Brain, stopped Orndorff, pitched the Brain into the cage, scaled the wall and won the match to a huge pop. After the bell, Hogan beat on Heenan a bit more and then celebrated his big win. That was certainly a fitting end to a really fun feud. The match had a ton of heat and backstory plus some really on point commentary and the referee stuff as well. That is a lot packed into ten minutes. The action was pretty basic and not as vicious as you may expect from a cage match blood feud, but the heat was there regardless. With Paul Orndorff finally dispatched the big question that is lingering centers around potential Mania challengers for the Hulkster. Who will step up?

### 2) Randy Savage defeated George Steele to retain Intercontinental Title by hitting him with the timekeeper's bell at 8:10

Fun Fact: The Savage/Steele feud, which began at the beginning of 1986, is still going on at the end of the year, much longer than the WWF anticipated or intended. However a new contender to the IC title and a new feud has developed. On the November 22 episode of Superstars, Ricky "the Dragon" Steamboat was challenging Savage for the title. Steamboat lost this match via count-out and was then attacked further by Savage, who took the ring bell and jammed it into Steamboat's throat, crushing his larynx. Steamboat makes his return from injury here to prevent Steele from suffering a similar injury at the hands of Savage.

### Scott:

My brother was recovering after the disappointment of the first match to now see his single favorite guy in the entire company at that time (and #2 behind Ric Flair in all of wrestling). I hadn't truly appreciated the Macho Man for a few more months and I was never a big George Steele fan anyway. The match starts fast as Savage gets pearl harbored by the Animal while Macho Man was berating Elizabeth. Savage was truly at his scumbag best, saying he'd slap Elizabeth and put her against the wall. Wow. A few minutes into the match and as Savage is about to hit Steele on the outside with a double axe handle when out comes the "surprise" that Steele was alluding to in the earlier interview: Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat. We all know what Savage did a couple of months earlier, when he crushed Steamboat's larynx with the ring bell. True heel greatness because anything done to Steamboat brings automatic heel heat. Then in something that made no sense, Steele grabs Elizabeth and takes her to the back. Why Steele wasn't counted out makes no sense, but I guess because Steamboat was in the ring the referee was distracted. I knew Savage wasn't going to lose the title but just a question of what happens with he and Steamboat. To keep the story going, Savage uses the ring bell again and cracks Steele over the head while the referee wasn't looking and gets the three count. To avoid further damage, Steamboat comes out (he was escorted by security earlier) and Savage bolts. The Steele storyline of 1986 is over, but the REAL storyline, the one that both men will be measured, really turns up.

### JT:

Another one of 1986's longest running feud sees a match go down on this show. Randy Savage knocked off George Steele back at WrestleMania II but the Animal has remained infatuated with Miss Elizabeth and continued to be a thorn in Macho's side. Here he was promising a big surprise for the IC champ but Ventura was nonplussed, calling Steele "an ignorant fool". His surprise was apparently an Animal action figure, a gift that Savage yanked away immediately. Steele snapped from there and started slamming and hammering away at the champion. Vince would piss Jesse off by saying officials had to allow for some leeway when Steele was in the ring. The Animal would beckon to the back, apparently calling someone out to ringside, but Savage drilled him from behind and went right to work. As Savage climbed to the top rope to set up the big elbow, Ricky Steamboat's music hit and he ran down to ringside making his big surprise return from his injury and distracting Macho. Steele would slam Savage off the top rope and send him flying over the top rope and hard to the floor. As Savage recovered, Steele scooped up Liz and stormed to the back with her. Steamboat blocked Savage's path so he couldn't follow after them but officials finally drove the Dragon back. After a break, Steamboat returned and chased Savage around until Steele came back as well, without Liz. Steele slugged away and used turnbuckle foam as a distraction tool while Steamboat was escorted away by the police. Both men got a little more sustained offense until Savage was able to dump Steele to the floor. The Animal came back in, brandishing a foreign object that he jabbed into the throat of Macho. Jesse continues to lose his mind over this stuff, including when Steele shoves the referee. Savage took advantage of that and bashed Steele with the ring bell to win the match. Well, that was a mess. The Steamboat stuff was great and Savage is awesome as always but Steele is tough to watch at this point. The Dragon is back and he is on a very clear collision course with the champion.

### 3) Junkyard Dog defeated Harley Race by disqualification at 6:00

Fun Fact: On December 13 at the Spectrum in Philadelphia, PA, Harley Race and JYD fought to a double count out after both men started brawling on the floor. As JYD went after Bobby Heenan on the ring apron, Race attacked him from behind. This would be the beginning of a feud that would carry into WrestleMania III. The two would battle again here the next night (12/14) at SNME, with the event airing on January 3, 1987.

### Scott:

I always thought Harley Race looked so strange when he arrived in the WWF. When he was seven-time NWA Champion, he had the dark hair, the grizzled beard combos and his awesome jacket with "Race" on the back. Here he's clean shaven, his hair is dyed and he's the "King". Of course back in those days the WWF didn't acknowledge their talent's previous careers. As 1986 concluded, it seemed like the shine on Junkyard Dog dulled just a little bit but he was still involved in high profile feuds and this feud about snobby royalty and the everyday Dog. The match wasn't much and Race gets DQ'd, then Race and Jimmy Hart beat JYD down while Danny Davis observes as Vince loses his mind. This feud continues on through 1987 as well. My brother was pissed that a seven-time NWA Champion was reduced to a weird gimmick.

### JT:

Bobby Heenan's busy night continues as he ushers out his King, Harley Race. The legendary Race arrived in the WWF in 1986 and was coronated by Bobby due to being a superior athlete and one of the all time greats as well as winning the WWF King of the Ring tournament. He was also hellbent on making people bow and that was the crux of his issues with Junkyard Dog. JYD vowed not to bow, but Race was dead set on making him do so. Race punched away early, picking up a two count, and then drove a kneelift to the chest to knock JYD down. JYD cut him off and slung him into the ring post shoulder first but Race came back with an eye poke and a belly-to-belly suplex. Race would try a falling headbutt but that backfired on him and gave JYD the opening to come back. The Dog shot Race hard into the corner, causing the King to flop over the top and down to the floor. JYD would grab the cape and crown and put them on, mocking Race until Heenan hopped in the ring to give him shit. JYD drilled the Brain with a right hand but Race snuck in and elbowed him in the back from the top rope. As Race and Heenan laid the boots in, the match was thrown out, giving Dog the duke by DQ. They would try to make Dog bow down but he battled through it and ran them from the ring. Danny Davis held JYD back, leading to JYD pelting him with a headbutt. Lots of sketchy face chicanery tonight. Nothing match here outside of a couple of cool bumps from Race. The feud will continue and the post match beating was the best part of the whole segment.

*** Backstage, Paul Orndorff flips out about his loss and Bobby Heenan says he will obtain the videotape and prove that Orndorff's feet touched the floor first and that he is the rightful champion of the world. ***

### 4) Adrian Adonis defeats Roddy Piper by countout at 3:35

Fun Fact: The Adonis/Piper feud is still at full boil here. On November 29, Adonis made his return after being taken out by Piper's crutch. Adnois attacked Piper with a crutch of his own and then proceeded to put him in a sleeper hold.

### Scott:

You knew this one was going to be nothing short of a fist fight. This has been percolating since the beatdown and stealing of Piper's Pit by Adonis and the traitor Bob Orton. Orton and Magnificent Muraco have been vanquished and now Hot Rod has his hands on the guy who stole his interview show. Piper continues to be quite popular, in fact he may be overtaking the previous #2 babyface in the company the Junkyard Dog. The match was a short sloppy brawl. Adonis cheats and uses the atomizer, which blinds Piper and he walks crazily around the ring. He gets counted out and Adonis gets the predicted cheap victory. This is a prelude to the big match March 29 in Pontiac, but of course no mention of that yet. The crowd is off the charts for this and perhaps organically, Piper's face turn may be the hottest creative thing in the entire company short of Hogan's World Title run. The match wasn't much but more from these two to come.

### JT:

This is a pretty heavy, loaded show when it comes to culminating or continuing 1986's top feuds. Roddy Piper's face turn is very much complete and the crowds love him wherever he goes. After mowing through Bob Orton and Magnificent Muraco, Piper wants his final revenge on Adrian Adonis. Adonis had been on the shelf for a while after Piper smashed his elbow up with a crutch on a previous SNME. Adonis was looking very rotund here and is working the Adorable gimmick very hard. Piper was on fire early, hammering Adonis and then knocking him into the ropes and kicking him in the head. Despite the girth, Adonis' bumping is still on point. Piper continued to fling the big man around as McMahon informs us that Miss Elizabeth has been released from where she was locked up. Adonis made a brief comeback and went for his sleeper but they both tumbled to the floor and brawled outside the ring. After Piper slugged Jimmy Hart, Adonis sprayed Piper in the eyes with his perfume. The referee would turn around and count the Hot Rod out, giving Adonis a shady win. Another quick match but this one had some pretty hot action and good bumping and the crowd was eating it all up. And yet again, another feud that will continue on here into 1987.

### 5) Blackjack Mulligan defeated Jimmy Jack Funk with a flying back elbow at 2:31

Fun Fact I: Blackjack Mulligan, born Robert Jack Windham, was a college football player at Texas Western College and had several tryouts with NFL pro teams before hanging up his cleats. He was scouted by Wahoo McDaniel, who urged him to look into professional wrestling following his football career. He initially trained with Joe Blanchard in Texas before moving on and getting further training with Verne Gagne in the AWA in 1967. After his time in the AWA, he moved on to the WWWF and took on the Blackjack Mulligan persona. He had great success in the territory being managed by the Grand Wizard. His time in the WWWF was cut short after a fan at the Boston Garden came from the crowd and slashed Mulligan's thigh with a knife, causing him to get hundreds of stitches to close the wound and putting him out of action for months. After healing, Mulligan returned to the AWA and teamed with Blackjack Lanza to form The Blackjacks tag team. The duo won several tag team championships in the AWA and WWWF in the mid 70s. Throughout his career, he would travel through other territories, spending time in Mid-Atlantic, WCCW and Florida, winning both singles and other tag titles along with way.

Fun Fact II: Ferrin Barr, Jr. began his wrestling career in 1980 and by the mid 80s was known as one of the top heels in Florida, wrestling under his given name. He won the NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship, holding the title twice between October 1984 and April 1985. He also held tag team gold with Rick Rude, winning the US Tag Team Championships. In the spring of 1986, Barr signed on with the WWF and was given the role of Jimmy Jack Funk, fictional brother of Terry and Hoss Funk. He got a strong push initially, but with Terry Funk leaving the promotion in June, he and Hoss lost steam and were pushed back down the card. Once Hoss Funk left, Jimmy Jack Funk quickly became little more than a jobber.

### Scott:

This is a simple throwaway match for the simple reason that with former tag team champion Blackjack Mulligan back they want to showcase a former champion. What's funny about this is that if you watched just Superstars and say, Prime Time Wrestling, all year and nothing else, you'd think he was a top superstar who is being pushed to the moon and is in line for title shots. Well as the year progresses you'll see he's nothing more than what he is here: a past his prime guy who's getting a hand from Vince to make some money and get some "end of career" shine against a bunch of jobbers. In case you were curious, Jimmy Jack isn't a Funk, he was simply used to carry some of Dory's load as he was also getting up there in years. He becomes a "JTTS" from here on out. Nothing more than filler and a chance for a former champion to get some shine.

### JT:

And as has become the format of SNME, we close the show with a low level match being used to push or reestablish a talent. This one is also coined "The Battle for Texas". Blackjack Mulligan had recently returned to the promotion and they were looking to set him up for a decent push. JJ Funk demands that Mulligan remove the spurs from his boots and then attacks him as he takes them off. It didn't matter as Mulligan came back and clotheslined Funk to the floor. Mulligan clubbed Funk without remorse and then polished him off with a jumping back elbow. This was a match.

### Final Analysis:

### Scott:

This is one of my favorite episodes of the show, not only because I was there but because there was so much involved. You have a big title match (and according to Vince, first network televised cage match in years), the return of a big babyface against the heel IC Champion and a rare Roddy Piper match. The company is leaving the doldrums of 1986 and entering one of its biggest years fiscally and creatively. We have one more big (and risky) move booking-wise before Vince decides it would be a great idea to attempt his biggest show in a 93,000-seat venue. In our next installment we will delve more into that as matches and feuds become clearer. I'm going to grade this show ridiculously high because of my personal feelings, but you may enjoy it that much too.

Final Grade:

### JT:

I did not enjoy this show nearly as much as Scott. It had a lot of really big storyline advancement and was quite loaded on paper, but I didn't think any of the matches really delivered. The cage match felt like a spectacle, but was really basic and a bit too formula given the feud behind it. Also, with the screwy finish, it felt like the angle was going to continue even though this should have been the decisive blow off. I am done with George Steele. Ricky Steamboat's comeback was a big deal and he is on a big time collision course with the Macho Man. The Piper/Adonis match was just there to push their feud along and while that is admirable, it kept the streak of subpar action alive in the back end of the show. Again, this was a really good outing for angle development but the action was just lacking a bit, which felt inexcusable given the lineup they assembled.

Final Grade:

# Saturday Night's Main Event X – 3/14/87

March 14, 1987

Joe Louis Arena

Detroit, MI

Announcers: Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura

Attendance: 21,000

NBC Rating: 11.6

### 1) Randy Savage defeats George Steele to retain WWF Intercontinental Title via countout at 4:30

Fun Fact: This is the continuing feud between Randy Savage and the love-struck George Steele. In this rematch from SNME IX, an additional stipulation has been added where both the IC title and Elizabeth are on the line.

### Scott:

I honestly thought this ridiculous feud was over, but sadly it isn't. George Steele is so out of style compared to the new crop of superstars that have arrived on the scene. Everything is all about Elizabeth in this match and we forget that Steele has gotten more than his share of IC Title shots and now we see the final one. Savage tries to bolt quickly with Liz but, as expected, Ricky Steamboat cuts him off at the aisle and forces the Macho Man back in the ring. Mercifully the match is only four and a half minutes, mostly with Steele mangling Savage in the early going. Then Steele the idiot starts to tear the turnbuckle up which gives Savage the advantage. They go back and forth with the usual punching and biting. Steele goes to another turnbuckle and throws stuffing in Savage's face. Steele is horrendous, running around the ring and grabbing Elizabeth. The match mercifully ends in a countout and we hope that this stupid feud is finally over and Savage can focus on Ricky Steamboat and a real feud for the Intercontinental Championship.

### JT:

As we inch towards the monstrous WrestleMania III, we squeeze in our tenth edition of Saturday Night's Main Event. Power, some things just never change. Yet again we have another Randy Savage/George Steele match in the feud that won't end. And this time the stakes are even higher as both the IC Title and Miss Elizabeth are on the line. Lots to gain for the Animal, lots to lose for Macho. Of course, at our last show back in January, Ricky Steamboat made his big return from injury when these two were locked in battle. Now, Steamboat has a showdown with Savage at the Silverdome and you would have to assume he will show up during this one. Poor Liz had to sit on a red, white and blue lifeguard chair, hung on display, her career up for grabs. Steele went over there to say hi to Liz but Savage came off the top and cracked him with an axe handle blow. Macho then tried to walk off with Liz but Steamboat showed up and blocked his exit, driving him back to the ring so the match could get started. Back in the ring, Steele went to work, clubbing away at the champ before ramming his head into the turnbuckle. However, he would distract himself by tearing the buckle open and chucking the foam around. Savage took advantage and drilled him with a knee and a slam. Idiot. Steele would make a comeback, biting Savage and then tossing him with a tree slam. But he again ripped apart another buckle, this time jamming the foam in Savage's face. Instead of going for a pin, he went over to Liz and led her off her perch, again giving Savage a chance to knock him down. Macho then dropped the giant chair on Steele's back, leaving him trapped and eventually counted out. Steele really wasn't very bright here at all. The Animal beat on Savage and chucked him to the floor but it was too little, too late. This was marginally better than most Steele stuff, but that isn't saying much. Savage deserves much more by this point.

### 2) Hercules wins a 20 Man Battle Royal

Entrants:

Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, Ron Bass, B. Brian Blair, Jim Brunzell, Ax, Smash, Haku, Tama, Billy Jack Haynes, Hillbilly Jim, Honky Tonk Man, Blackjack Mulligan, Paul Orndorff, Lanny Poffo, Butch Reed, Sika, Nikolai Volkoff, Koko B. Ware, Hercules

Fun Fact I: Ronald Heard began his wrestling career in 1975, mainly working his way through the NWA territories. Depending on what territory he was in at the time, he either went by "Cowboy" Ron Bass, "Outlaw" Ron Bass or Sam Oliver Bass. The Outlaw made his way into the Federation here in 1987 where he would take a predominantly midcard role. Bass was unique in his heel run in the WWF in that he did not have a manager during his time. Bass would take part in the inaugural Survivor Series event later this year as well as the inaugural Royal Rumble in 1988.

Fun Fact II: The Islanders, made up of Haku and Tama, made their debut as a team in the WWF in 1986. Haku, formerly King Tonga, came into the Federation in 1985 while Tama, formerly the Tonga Kid, had been in the the promotion 1984 before leaving after a feud with Roddy Piper. When he returned 1986, he was given his new name and paired with Haku. The duo began their run as faces, wrestling primarily early card matches. With the depth of teams in the Federation at this time, the Islanders couldn't catch a substantial break. In a few short months, we will see this team make a heel turn that will serve them well.

Fun Fact III: William Albert Haynes III was born in Portland, Oregon in 1953. He began his wrestling training in Calgary in Stu Hart's Dungeon and competed in Stampede Wrestling, teaming with Bruce Hart. He later moved on to the Pacific Northwest territory and took on the character name he is best known for, Billy Jack Haynes. Haynes had very short stays in many territories through the mid 80s including Florida, WCCW and Jim Crockett Promotions. He came to the WWF in 1986, first going after the IC title and then moving on to his most notable feud with Hernandez over which competitor had the better Full Nelson hold.

Fun Fact IV: Bruce Reed, aka Butch Reed, was born in 1954 in Warrensburg, Missouri. After a brief career in pro football with the Kansas City Chiefs, Reed began training as a professional wrestler in Kansas City in 1978. Through the early 80s Reed travelled through the territories, primarily in Kansas City, Georgia and Florida. In 1983 he joined Bill Watts' Mid-South territory where he would feud with "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan and the Junkyard Dog. During his run in Mid-South, Reed would win the Mid-South Tag Team Championship with Jim Neidhart and would win the Mid-South North American Heavyweight Championship multiple times. He returned to Kansas City in 1986 where he teamed with Rufus R. Jones to form the Soul Patrol before turning on Jones and joining up with his new manager, Slick. During the summer of '86, Reed lost a Loser Leaves Town match against Bruiser Brody. Reed and Slick both left Kansas City and were brought into the WWF together in July 1986. Reed colored his hair blonde and took on the moniker "The Natural" Butch Reed.

Fun Fact V: Leati "Sika" Anoaʻi was born in 1945 in American Samoa. He is part of the famous Anoaʻi wrestling family. Sika began his career in 1974 and teamed with his brother Afa to form The Wild Samoans tag team. The team signed with the WWF in 1979 and held the tag team championships on three different occasions. Four days after winning their third championship, Sika was injured during a match and was forced to take time off. When he returned, Afa had left the WWF, forcing Sika to find another tag partner. He began teaming with Kamala and was managed initially by The Wizard and later by Mr. Fuji. During this time, Sika also wrestled as a singles competitor under Mr. Fuji's watch.

Fun Fact VI: The tag team Demolition was made up of Bill Eadie (Ax) and Barry Darsow (Smash). The team made their debut in January 1987 with Randy Colley (Moondog Rex) as a member of the team instead of Darsow. The change was made to Darsow in February due to people recognizing Colley from his former character. Darsow had been working with Jim Crockett Promotions as Krusher Khruschev, but had recently left the promotion after a dispute. The team came to the ring dress in silver, white and red face paint, studded leather vests and masks. At this time, the Road Warriors had a similar look and some comparisons were made between the two teams from different promotions. Ax and Smash would become mainstays in the tag title picture through the mid-late 80s.

Fun Fact VII: Roy Wayne Ferris was born in Bolivar, Tennessee in January 1953. After graduating from the University of Memphis in 1975 and a short run as a high school football coach, Ferris began training as a professional wrestler, making his debut in 1977 in the Memphis territory. He travelled the territories, spending time in the AWA, Mid-Atlantic, WWC and Stampede, wrestling under his Wayne Ferris name. In 1986, he signed with the WWF and came in with a rock and roll gimmick with the new name, The Honky Tonk Man, a takeoff of Elvis Pressley. He initially came in as a babyface favorite, but soon after debuting shot a series of vignettes insulting the audience, turning him heel.

### Scott:

This is a perfect opportunity for the Hogan/Andre feud to get fired up in a big way on a national stage. I remember that Piper's Pit like it was yesterday, when Andre walked out with Bobby Heenan and ripped the shirt and the cross off of Hogan. Wow that was gigantic and maybe the biggest heel turn in the WWF since Larry Zbyzsko and Bruno Sammartino. With a battle royal being a perfect stage for Andre to show his power by just chucking guys out of the ring and then beating down Hogan. Andre busted Lanny Poffo open hardway on a headbutt, and starts chucking big guys like Blackjack Mulligan out of the ring. Then we get the obligatory face to face between Hogan and Andre. Hogan gets whipped into Andre but then the heels go after Hogan and the face to face is cut off. Hogan eliminates Orndorff but Andre grabs him from behind, headbutts him and chucks Hogan out of the ring to eliminate him. Andre's awesome hand wave as if Hogan is garbage was perfect. Now here's where I think the booking made no sense. Andre should have won this thing and continued pitching guys over the top rope and he and Bobby Heenan should have stood tall here and really pulled the rip cord on the storyline. I mean even if it wasn't clearly announced, it is obvious Hogan/Andre is going to be the main event at WrestleMania III. Now this was taped over a month earlier so WrestleMania wasn't even mentioned. The rest of the battle royal was anticlimactic, even as Bobby's other guy Hercules won the match, but it was evident that Hogan and Andre were on a collision course to Pontiac.

### JT:

For the first time in SNME history, we have a battle royal and this is a pretty big one because the two top stars in the company are headlining it. Back in January, Hulk Hogan dispatched of Paul Orndorff, putting that feud to bed. However, since then another friend stabbed him in the back out of desire for WWF gold: Andre the Giant. Now backed by Bobby Heenan, Andre was likely to challenge the Hulkster at WrestleMania in arguably the biggest, highest profile bout since 1980. Lining them up in the battle royal here was a neat way to have them cross paths without really tussling. We also have some new faces in here as the company starts to mix in some fresh talent to shake things up a bit. Some have been around for a bit and some are newcomers, but overall the company is definitely going through some changes. As the bell sounded, the Heenan Family all immediately ganged up on Hogan, beating him down but he eventually fought through it and eliminated Honky Tonk Man. Andre would match the champion by chucking Sika out of the ring. Andre really was a force and a sight to see in this setting as he just towered over everyone else. He tossed Haku with ease and then began to stalk Hogan. On his way, he walked into Lanny Poffo, who he crushed with a vicious headbutt before eliminating. And in a great tough, Poffo started to gush blood, having been ripped open by the Giant. That is a killer blade job...and stretcher job as Poffo was carried on. Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura spouted about how we are seeing a new, more aggressive and vicious Andre now. Hogan would toss Bass and he and Andre are responsible for every elimination thus far. And on cue, Andre hip tossed Blackjack Mulligan and Hogan followed by dumping Nikolai Volkoff. As bodies kept flying, everyone was waiting for the two megastars to meet up. Andre sent Brian Blair to the floor as Hogan and Paul Orndorff reignited their feud in the corner. After another moment, we finally got the big showdown. They traded a few blows but it was brief as Orndorff and then everyone else got involved as well. It was a mistake by Paul as Hogan scooped him and threw him out. However, Andre grabbed hold of Hogan, drilled him with a headbutt to the back of the skull and then shockingly shoved him to the floor. That was really well done and helps build suspense for their eventual title match.

As Hogan was ushered away by officials, the match continued on through a break. Andre pushed Jim Brunzell to the floor, but a handful of competitors rushed over and were able to hoist Andre up and out to the floor in another upset. Bodies continued to fly as Hercules sent Tama flying and Hillbilly Jim knocked out Demolition Ax. However, Jim's night ended a moment later when Smash got revenge for his partner. That brought us to our final five, which quickly became four when Koko B. Ware dropkicked Butch Reed over the top. As things reset, Bobby Heenan warned Hercules not to trust anybody. He went right in on Koko as Smash and Billy Jack Haynes slugged away across the ring. Herc dumped Koko and then he and Smash punished Haynes. Billy Jack wriggled free and knocked Smash to the floor. As he and Hercules traded blows, Heenan jumped on the apron. As Haynes went over to grab him, Herc snuck up and pushed him out to win the match. That was a great battle royal! The action never slowed down and we had some really big moments, specifically with Andre and Hogan, which is what really mattered. The Poffo stuff was awesome and the finish came quick, with none of the late meandering you often get in these. It was also a good little win for Hercules. And I am fine with Andre not winning as he got what he wanted: he proved he could get the best of Hulk Hogan. I really dug this and it is one of my favorite battle royals by far.

### 3) King Kong Bundy defeats Jake Roberts by disqualification at 6:14

Fun Fact: On the February 22 episode of Wrestling Challenge, Jake Roberts had the Honky Tonk Man as his guest in The Snake Pit. During the segment, Honky Tonk Man attacked Roberts with a guitar. There have been conflicting stories from different people regarding the guitar shot that ended up injuring Roberts. HTM was supposed to hit Roberts with a tricked guitar that would shatter easily. However, Roberts was hit with a real guitar, injuring his neck and back. This injury would lead to Roberts dependence on prescription pain medication. Roberts had already been getting face cheers from the crowd prior to this segment, but the attack sealed the face turn.

### Scott:

King Kong Bundy is slowly sliding down the card from one year ago when it was he who attacked Hulk Hogan and was the #1 contender for the WWF Title. Now he's midcard fodder for the new babyface Jake Roberts. I think when Jake was getting face pops during his match with Randy Savage a few episodes ago the bookers thought maybe they should turn him and get another babyface on the roster. We've talked about the hierarchy of fan favorites after Hogan, and for a while it was Junkyard Dog in the #2 slot. Now though it seems some other candidates are moving up the ladder, in particular Ricky Steamboat and Jake Roberts. This match involved a lot of bobbing and weaving until Bundy took control with a front face lock and leaning all that girth. Bobby Heenan, still managing Bundy, came out and was going to take Damien but is chased off. Bundy continues to work Jake over with clotheslines and other power moves. Jake plays a great face in peril, but for some reason the match ends in a disqualification as Jake takes out the referee when he tried to block him from getting to Damien. We do get the obligatory DDT but it's after the match. The decision really makes no sense but Jake loses cheap, which makes no sense at all. Why protect Bundy?

### JT:

Back in November, we discussed how the pops and support for Jake Roberts were really starting to swell. Since then, he had a brief feud with Hulk Hogan that was aborted because he actually got cheered over the Hulkster. That meant it was time for an official turn, so here we are. Jake Roberts is officially a face and is lined up for a big tussle with the always well regarded King Kong Bundy. Jake tried to attack the arm off the bell but Bundy just hammered him to break free. Jake started to stick and move and even tried to play some mind games through the presence of Damien. Bundy started to use his power to push Jake to the mat and then eventually grind him down with a front facelock. Jake would stop short after an Irish whip and rock Bundy with a kneelift before peppering him with right hands. As Bundy cracked Roberts, Bobby Heenan grabbed Damien and ran off. Jake followed in hot pursuit and after a break, he reemerged, sack slung over his shoulder. However, once he got back in the ring, Bundy regained control, pasting Roberts with a big clothesline. Jake got a break when he was able to sidestep a charging Bundy, leading to the big man careening into the corner. Roberts fired away with a flurry of right hands and a clothesline but instead of covering, he went for Damien. As the referee tried to intercept Roberts, Jake surprisingly just buried a knee in his gut for a DQ. That was weird. Bundy drilled Roberts but whiffed on a cool looking diving elbow. Jake then snapped off the DDT to a huge pop but before he could drape Damien across his back, Heenan pulled his charge to safety. Man the crowd loved that. Jesse didn't and he was flipping out about Vince defending Jake's actions at the end of the match. That was a fun little power brawl with good heat and the post match made up for the confusing finish. The Jake Roberts face turn is a great idea as the crowds were just dying to cheer the man.

### 4) Hart Foundation defeat Tito Santana & Dan Spivey to retain WWF Tag Team Titles when Bret Hart pinned Santana after Danny Davis hit him with Jimmy Hart's megaphone at 5:31

Fun Fact: On the February 7 episode of Superstars, the Hart Foundation faced off against the British Bulldogs for the tag team titles. The referee of the match, Danny Davis, allowed the Hart Foundation to execute numerous illegal double team moves. Davis ended up assisting the Hart Foundation to win their first WWF Tag Team Championship.

### Scott:

After their tainted title win over the British Bulldogs thanks to the disgraced Danny Davis, the Hitman and the Anvil have their first title defense against two solid fan favorites. Dan Spivey had replaced Barry Windham in the US Express in 1986, but after Mike Rotundo left he floated around aimlessly. Tito lost the IC Title over a year earlier and now looks for another tag team championship reign. Spivey has what I assume are patriotic tights but they look French to me. Bret Hart's hair has that mid-80's fluffiness to it that would eventually morph into the stringy, wet look we would get accustomed to. Tito gets control after a solid back and forth affair, and he's about to hook the figure four on Bret, but Danny Davis interferes as expected and hits Tito from behind, getting the Harts the victory and retaining the titles. I was not a Hart Foundation fan as of yet so I was pretty upset and would continue to be throughout the year.

### JT:

In a major development since our last show, we have brand new WWF tag team champions in the Hart Foundation. The Harts have been around for over a year but have finally landed into position for a big push. And their goofiness and camaraderie were pretty infectious. Their prematch promos here, giggling and dicking around with Jimmy Hart were really good and it was fun having an asshole team back on top of the mountain. As part of all this, Danny Davis was finally fully exposed as dirty and was transitioned from his referee gig to the role of an actual in ring competitor. And everyone that he screwed was looking for revenge. However, he had his buddies to protect him. And one of the people he had dicked over was Tito Santana, as Davis had turned a blind eye to the cheating of Randy Savage over a year ago when the Macho Man stole Tito's IC title. Santana is teaming with Danny Spivey, a lower mid card act that was talented enough to slip into spots like this. The Anvil used his power on Spivey, but Danny reversed a whip and sent him flying into his partner in the corner. The Hitman tagged in and gave it a go but Spivey fended him off and made the tag. Santana went right to work but when he made the tag, Spivey got caught by the champs to turn the tide. The Harts quick tagged and kept Spivey trapped in the corner as they picked him apart. In a nice spot, Hart hit a stiff backbreaker and then yanked Anvil into the ring with a big splash by tugging on the top rope. The Harts were really good at the classic heel tricks but they made a big mistake when Spivey dodged a charging Hart, who crashed into the Anvil. Santana tagged in and cracked the Anvil with a flying forearm before shoving Davis to the floor. He would drill Hart with a forearm as well and the hooked the Hitman in the figure four. As Hart writhed in pain, the referee got tied up with Anvil and Spivey, allowing Davis to pop Tito with the megaphone. Hart would cover Chico and that was that. Fun little match that pushes along the Danny Davis angle, showing how integral he is to the Foundation's success. Also, the Harts as champs was a really good move as they have the heel stuff down pat and draw some great heat.

### 5) Ricky Steamboat defeats Iron Sheik with a top rope karate chop at 3:29

### Scott:

This is nothing more than a spot to push the Savage/Steamboat feud, and sure enough the Intercontinental Champion comes out and then joins Vince and Jesse on commentary. Savage puts himself over while Steamboat and Sheik have a suplex-fest for the first couple minutes. Jesse is in all his glory as Savage was one of his favorite guys and he never hid it on commentary. Sheik took control and took it to the outside, slamming Steamboat into the steps but too much showboating led to Steamboat taking control back and hitting the high cross body for the victory. The post-match stuff was so much more entertaining as Steamboat and Savage start to jaw jack back and forth from a distance. This SNME clearly set up the two showcase matches of WrestleMania III: Hogan vs. Andre and Savage vs. Steamboat. Because this was taped many weeks in advance there hasn't been any mention of WrestleMania III within these feuds.

### JT:

In his first SNME match since his throat injury, Ricky Steamboat has a tricky challenge in the former WWF Champion Iron Sheik. Before the bout, Randy Savage shows up and tries to interfere but he is driven from the ring and ends up in the commentary booth. Sheik would grab early control as Savage talked about how Steamboat couldn't lace his boots. Sheik tried to dump Steamer, but he skinned the cat and came back in hot, hitting a back suplex. Steamboat slugged away while Savage vowed to hurt Steamboat even more next time they crossed paths. Sheik made a brief comeback and knocked the Dragon to the floor but he celebrated instead of following. It didn't seem to matter as he suplexed Steamboat back into the ring for a near fall. The Dragon fought out of an abdominal stretch and quickly put Sheik away with a karate chop off the top rope. Nada going on here, but Steamboat looks great, is over his injury and is clearly gunning for Savage's title.

*** Gene Okerlund interview Roddy Piper, who talks about his upcoming retirement. Gene notes that Piper is going out while on top and Piper says he is heading to Hollywood and wants to give it 110%. We then check out a tribute music video of the Hot Rod. ***

### Final Analysis:

### Scott:

The only mention of WrestleMania III was when Mean Gene mentioned it referring to Roddy Piper's retirement. Otherwise they made this entire show feel like some of these things COULD be at WrestleMania III. Of course we all knew what would happen but it was unfortunate they couldn't splash the WrestleMania logo all over the place and that the show seemed very disconnected from the build. The action was average but Andre settled into his heel role very nicely here, looking very smug and arrogant while chucking guys all over the place. I still don't understand why he didn't just win the battle royal but that's neither here nor there. Savage and Steamboat are on a big time collision course and the build on that tonight was awesome. The show itself was fine, but because it aired almost a month after taping it the lack of WrestleMania mention knocks the grade down for me.

Final Grade:

### JT:

I really enjoyed this episode. I think this was may favorite Savage/Steele match and by that I mean it was the least annoying of the series and was also hopefully the end of the road. The battle royal was fantastic and did a brilliant job of nudging the Hogan/Andre issue along and adding some intrigue to their future battle. Roberts/Bundy was well done too and showcased just how over the Snake is with the fans. The tag match was fine and again, it helped develop the Hart Foundation/Danny Davis relationship, meaning that nothing on this card was really a throwaway as every bout had some level of meaning behind it and most pushed ahead stories that would be a big part of the coming months. Especially when you toss the Roddy Piper stuff in as well. The show flew by and was very focused throughout. I know Scott mentioned the lack of specific mention of WrestleMania, but I think with all the seeds being planted here, you didn't need to be obvious about it. The point was to lay the groundwork, whether you could call it out or not. And this show more than did that.

Final Grade:

# Saturday Night's Main Event XI – 5/2/87

May 2, 1987

Joyce Athletic & Convocation Center

South Bend, IN

Announcers: Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura

Attendance: 9,345

NBC Rating: 9.5

Fun Fact: This is the first Saturday Night's Main Event that did not feature Hulk Hogan in a match.

### 1) Kamala defeats Jake Roberts with a big splash at 4:18

### Scott:

We open the show with a match that has a lot of unpredictability here. Jake Roberts is coming off that cheap loss to Honky Tonk Man at WrestleMania and was having neck and head issues after that stiff guitar shot from the Snake Pit before Mania. Kamala is back in the WWF after being here earlier in the decade and having a legitimately great feud with Andre the Giant that ended with an epic cage match in Toronto. Great psychology early on as Kamala uses his big strength to set up a bear hug, but Jake uses Kamala's bare feet as a liability by stepping on his toes over and over again. Kamala takes control again and starts choking Jake out with his bare feet, which looks really gross. Jake mastered the face in peril quite quickly after becoming a fan favorite. Jake makes the big comeback, including a sweet knee lift off the top rope but as he's about to hit the DDT on Kamala, Mr. Fuji distracts the referee and Kim Chee hits Jake from behind. Kamala hits the big splash and gets the victory. However the even cooler swerve at the end of the match happens when Kim Chee takes off his shirt and mask to reveal it was the Honky Tonk Man in disguise! What an awesome heel moment, and he completes the screwjob by beating Jake down further and even hitting the Shake, Rattle an Roll to cap it off. I was stunned that Jake lost but the Honky swerve made the moment for me.

### JT:

As we shift past WrestleMania III and head towards the summer, the company has definitely undergone some changes, both on the roster and in overall presentation. And also for the first time in SNME history, we have a show without Hulk Hogan wresting in the ring. I guess the company felt the brand was now established enough to draw a strong rating sans the Hulkster. Our opener does feature one of the top non-Hogan faces on the roster in Jake Roberts. His opponent is the Ugandan Giant Kamala, led to the ring by Kim Chee as always, but he also now has Mr. Fuji with him. Fuji took the reigns from The Wizard who had vanished from the company. The story heading in is that Kamala was afraid of snakes, but Fuji was sending him out there to confront it anyway. Kamala would jump Roberts before the bell but the Snake came back with a few right hands as the crowd rallied him. Kamala came right back and locked in a bear hug but Roberts stomped his foot to break it. The tide turned right back yet again and Kamala took his time choking away at Roberts in between dancing around. The Snake kept plugging away with right hands whenever he could but he could not get any sustained offense going. He finally would get enough momentum to allow him the time to smash Kamala with a leaping knee off the middle rope. However, before he could follow up, Fuji hopped on the apron to tie up the referee. That gave Kim Chee the chance to sneak in and bop Roberts with the cane. Kamala followed with the big splash and picked up a surprising win. After the bout, Kim Chee unmasked and revealed himself to be Honky Tonk Man under the hood. Jesse was great here, acting like Honky has always been Kim Chee. Honky would hit the Shake, Rattle and Roll and then thank the audience. I was definitely shocked to see Roberts eat another loss coming off his face turn and the Mania defeat to Honky. But, I would assume they were prepping Kamala for a house show run with Hogan or another top card star and also wanted to keep the Honky/Roberts feud burning. The match was as basic punch and kick as it gets with a fun spot or two blended in but the after match was a lot of fun and a nice swerve that completely caught me off guard.

### 2) Randy Savage defeats George Steele in a lumberjack match with the big elbow at 6:44

_Lumberjacks_ _:_

Danny Davis, Ricky Steamboat, Hercules, Jake Roberts, Jim Duggan, Kimchee, Honky Tonk Man, Bret Hart, Jim Neidhart, Dynamite Kid, Davey Boy Smith, Tito Santana, Rick Martel, Tom Zenk, Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff

Fun Fact: This would be the final match in the feud that began back in January 1986 at SNME IV. At WrestleMania III, George Steele helped Ricky Steamboat get the win and the Intercontinental title over Randy Savage. Looking for a degree of revenge, a lumberjack match was signed here between Steele and Savage.

### Scott:

I can't believe that this is the 11th installment of SNME and this is the, what, fourth match between these two? And really none of the others was any good, but perhaps with all the guys around the ring this will add to the juice of the match and not make it as much of a stinker as the others. At least Savage has been showcased throughout his time in the WWF via this show and now as former Intercontinental Champion he has to come to the ring beltless. We are of course coming off the five star classic he and Ricky Steamboat had at WrestleMania, and that feud is still fresh with both men on camera here. Most of the early match is both guys getting tossed in and out of the ring by the lumberjacks while the other feuds in the promotion are going on outside the ring, including matches later on. The in-ring action is better than the earlier matches but the lumberjacks break things up, including Jim Duggan and that stupid 2×4. Ugh, I was reminded during the open of the show that this clown finally has arrived in the company. Shoot me now. The match continues with Savage using wrestling moves and Steele using the turnbuckle fluff. Savage has definitely showed his workrate chops in the couple of months after his match with Steamboat, realizing the Memphis stalling he used before that wasn't going to fly in this company, as the mid-card needs to be more mat-based since currently the main events aren't at all. I have to say this is the most entertaining of the matches these two have had, including last year's disaster at WrestleMania II. The lumberjacks start brawling outside, and while the chaos is going on Savage drills Steele with the ring bell and after the big elbow Savage gets the three count. As expected the lumberjacks just start brawling around the ring until Jake lets out Damien and everybody scatters. The match actually wasn't bad and the lumberjacks added some more fun to it.

### JT:

How are these two still feuding? Every time they throw down on SNME I assume it has to be the last one. Yet, here we are yet again. Of course, George Steele played a big role in Randy Savage dropping his IC Title to Ricky Steamboat at WrestleMania, so Savage is looking for revenge once and for all. This time we have a bevy of lumberjacks around the ring to keep things contained and hopefully put this feud to bed. In a funny touch, Honky Tonk Man and Kim Chee come out to ringside together to take their spots as lumberjacks. Prematch, Steamboat says "WrestleMania number three" which made me chuckle. The Dragon would accompany the Animal to the ring for this one. Steele started hot, beating Savage around the ring and getting an assist from the face lumberjacks a couple of times. Steele started biting as well which drew the immediate ire of Ventura. Savage peppered his way back into the match and started working him over in the corner. Savage followed with an axe blow off the top rope and then pitched him outside, where the heels all went right to town on the Animal. Jim Duggan would storm the ring with his 2×4 to get the crowd fired up but Dave Hebner would eventually kick him out and send him backstage. On the floor, Steele pasted Danny Davis with a headbutt and came back in on fire. After spiking Savage he tore open the turnbuckle and shoved the foam into Macho's face. Savage countered with a suplex and then dumped him outside again into the comforting arms of Steamboat, which pissed Ventura off even more. A moment later, Steele sent Savage flying into the Dragon, who aggressively shoved him back inside. This may be the best of the bunch between these two thanks to all the bells and whistles. With Savage back on the outside again, a big brawl erupted with the lumberjacks. As they warred, Davis snuck in the ring and pasted Steele with the the ring bell. Savage would scamper to the top rope and drop the big elbow for the win. After the bell, the lumberjacks all piled into the ring and erupted into a massive fight as the crowd went nuts. Roberts would reemerge with Damien, chase Honky off and then pitch the reptile onto Kim Chee. Well, I enjoyed that way more than I expected as Steele's deficiencies were hidden well enough and the lumberjacks all stayed active and kept things chugging along nicely. That said, I really hope we are done with these two wrestling as enough is enough. It has been over a year! Savage needs to move on and Steele needs to go home.

*** Gene Okerlund sits down with Andre the Giant and Bobby Heenan to discuss Andre's encounter with Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania III. They argue that Andre was cheated due to biased referring, which they aim to prove by showing video of the close near fall at the start of the bout. ***

### 3) British Bulldogs defeat Hart Foundation in a Best of Three Falls match; Hart Foundation retain WWF Tag Team Titles

Falls:

  1. British Bulldogs win by disqualification at 4:34

  2. Dynamite Kid pins Jim Neidhart after Davey Boy Smith slammed him on top of Neidhart at 9:48

Fun Fact: The Hart Foundation and the British Bulldogs continue their tag team feud here after the Harts' controversial win of the titles and their win at WrestleMania III. The Bulldogs are joined at ringside by Tito Santana as they were at WrestleMania III to try to even to odds as the Hart Foundation has manager Jimmy Hart and former referee Danny Davis in their corner.

### Scott:

Now for the workrate portion of the show, as the tag team champions give the former champions their rematch. We had that great six-man tag match at WrestleMania with more heel chicanery leading to the bad guys winning. The Bulldogs have their new mascot Matilda chasing Jimmy Hart around the ring and even chewing on the megaphone. The Harts dominate early in the first fall, while Jesse rips Vince's announcing, saying Jimmy on the megaphone is a better PBP guy than he is. Dynamite Kid is getting double teamed by the Harts while Tito Santana chases Danny Davis around the ring, leading to a DQ finish. So the Bulldogs lead 1-0, although this is where the whole "what constitutes a fall in a 2 of 3 falls match" confusion starts. In fact Jesse says when the second fall starts that there's two falls left. How do we know that? Don't the Bulldogs already have one and need just one more to win? Dynamite Kid gets a bloody nose during the second fall while Neidhart has him in a front face lock. The second fall overall is tremendous wrestling as Davey Boy Smith hits big moves on the Anvil but he keeps kicking out of the pinfall attempts. Davey Boy throws Dynamite Kid on top of Anvil and they get the second fall. However since the first fall was a DQ, the Bulldogs win the match but not the titles. So make two out of three falls no DQ then? It makes absolutely no sense and that's probably why you saw this stipulation slowly be fazed out. Too much confusion involving it, although it probably gets tweaked for storyline purposes. This was one of the best matches in SNME history with so much action in the ring and great announcing.

### JT:

In one of the hottest feuds on the roster, the tag team champion Hart Foundation are set to defend their straps against the former champion British Bulldogs in a best of three falls bout. I do enjoy how that stipulation is utilized regularly here on SNME. Playing off their WrestleMania matchup, the Bulldogs are backed by Tito Santana here while the Harts have the ever-present Danny Davis with them. I do always enjoy just how smug Davis acts when he struts to the ring. That expression changed quickly when Matilda started gnawing on Jimmy Hart as they entered the ring. Bret Hart and Davey Boy Smith opened things up, trading some early arm work that saw Davey take full control of the limb. Smith grabbed a near fall with a crucifix but art eventually rammed his shoulder hard into the sternum to slow his roll. Neidhart entered and hammered away and from there the champs tagged in and out while punishing the Bulldog. After a Hart near fall on a backbreaker, Smith was able to tag out to Dynamite, who punished Hart and grabbed a near fall. Anvil popped into the ring and chucked Smith to the floor, where Davis put the boots to him. As Santana chased him off, the Harts double teamed Dynamite mercilessly until the referee called for the DQ to bring an end to fall one. After a commercial break, the match continued with the Harts working over Dynamite some more, continuing to mix strikes with double team maneuvers. The referee started to lose control again as the Hart brigade ran interference to allow his boys to maintain their offense. Dynamite's selling was on point here and the quick tagging by the champs really kept the pacing up. Things quickly changed when Dynamite ducked a charge and Hart careened into the ropes. Both men would tag out but Smith was all over Neidhart, including a great vertical suplex for a near fall. A Harts double team would finally backfire as Neidhart accidentally smashed Hart off the apron. Tito would drop Davis and the crowd started to go bonkers as they sensed an impending title change. A moment later, Smith pressed Dynamite over his head and slammed him down hard onto Hart for the win. As the fans lost their minds and the Bulldogs and McMahon celebrated, Jesse Ventura reveals the twist...because the first fall ended in DQ, the titles wouldn't change hands. Well ain't that a kick in the nuts. The Harts scampered off with the gold as the Bulldogs stewed in the ring. Dynamite also had a pretty gnarly bloodied nose from that one. The match was very fun with great heat and a quick pace with all the tagging. No surprise here at the chemistry of these four and having Davis and Santana at ringside helped the excitement as well.

*** Gene Okerlund chats with Hulk Hogan, who narrates us through some clips from his iconic battle with Andre the Giant at WrestleMania III. He says the footage speaks for itself and that he would welcome a rematch as he fears nobody. ***

### 4) Ricky Steamboat defeated Hercules by disqualification to retain WWF Intercontinental Title at 6:42

Fun Fact: After winning the IC title at WrestleMania III, Ricky Steamboat asked WWF management for some time off to be with his wife as she gave birth to their first child. Steamboat had been set up to be a long term champion, so this news did not sit well with management. It was decided that they would strip Steamboat of the title. A month after this defense here on SNME he would drop the title to the Honky Tonk Man, who went on to hold the title for over a year and become the long term champion that Steamboat should have been.

### Scott:

The Dragon apparently hasn't defended the title since WrestleMania which has been longer than 30 days as Mean Gene says to Steamboat it's his first title defense. Hercules has alrady received a World Title shot on SNME against Hulk Hogan, and now he has an IC Title shot against the Dragon. The match has added sizzle when we see Randy Savage watching the match backstage and rooting for Steamboat to win so he can win the title himself. Both men go back and forth until Hercules hooks the full nelson on Steamboat until Savage comes out and pulls Hercules' ankle which breaks the hold. Seeing heels arguing with each other was very rare and weird in 1987 WWF. Savage stays at ringside and openly is rooting for Steamboat to win the match. The match ends when Steamboat is being choked by Hercules' chain and the champion wins via DQ. Jesse does refer to the injured throat from last year as Hercules is choking Steamboat out with the throat. Savage gets into the ring and looks to be helping Steamboat but then Savage, the awesome heel he is, goes to the top rope and drops the big elbow. The match was ok but Savage's presence makes everything better.

### JT:

Our next bout features Ricky Steamboat defending his newly won IC Title on SNME for the first time. His challenger is the rejuvenated Hercules, hot off his big battle royal win and a stiff war with Billy Jack Haynes at WrestleMania. As Steamboat hit the ring for this WrestleMania II rematch, we saw Randy Savage watching the match on a monitor in the locker room and he lets Gene Okerlund know he wants Steamboat to win so he can take the title off Steamboat himself. Bobby Heenan is out with Hercules but is sporting a neck brace after he was assaulted by his former charge Ken Patera on Superstars. Hercules brawled out of the gate, hammering Steamboat with clubbing blows. The champ came back with a series of chops to knock Herc to the floor. Dragon followed outside and hit a big atomic drop but Herc was able to push him into the post to gain control. As the match worse on we would see Savage in an inset box rooting on the Dragon. Herc would pop Steamer with a stiff clothesline and do an elbow for a near fall. Steamboat fended off the assault and ran Herc into the corner before landing a swinging neckbreaker but he was too worn out to cover. Herc took advantage of how tired he was by locking in a full nelson. As he worked the hold, Savage sprinted to the ring and yanked Herc's leg to break the hold. As Herc slid outside and argued with Savage we took a break. After the show returned, Herc tried to come off the top rope but ate a pair of knees on the way down. Herc came back with a nice scoop slam but missed an elbow. This is some pretty good stuff and Herc is all full of pep. Steamboat would dodge a charge in the corner and lay in some chops to the ribs and chest but Herc caught him with an atomic drop. Heenan would throw the chain into the ring and Herc used it to choke out Steamboat, drawing a DQ along the way. Macho looked on from the aisle as Herc viciously yanked on the chain as it was tied around the champ's neck. Herc and Heenan would leave and a moment later Savage would pretend to help Steamboat but instead leapt to the top rope and dropped an elbow on his nemesis. I really enjoyed that match. Hercules looked damn good with some crisp offense and more energy than usual and Steamboat's selling was great as always. Plus the Savage stuff was really shrewd and well done, especially with the payoff at the end. Steamboat looked a bit weak, basically getting bailed out twice, but the feud with Savage continuing was a good thing.

*** Gene Okerlund interviews Jim Duggan at ringside. He espouses his love for America and states his hate for those that oppose it. He bought a ticket to sit ringside and will refuse to allow Nikolai Volkoff to sing that "Russian trash". ***

### 5) Can-Am Connection defeat Nikolai Volkoff & Iron Sheik when Martel pinned Sheik with a roll up at 4:45

### Scott:

This match is nothing but a chance to introduce us all to the face of America: Hacksaw Jim Duggan. Yeah, I double take that too. Actually the other reason for the match is to introduce us to this fresh team the Can-Am Connection, which got a big win at WrestleMania and now faces former tag team champions in Slick's charges. Slick looks dapper in his suit and his Mercedes logo on a chain. Tom Zenk is the face in peril as the Iron Sheik works him over with suplexes and an abdominal stretch while Duggan keeps sticking his nose where it doesn't belong. Duggan gets in the ring to interfere while Zenk wins the match with a roll up on Sheik and Jesse is beside himself. Joey Marella is the referee and Jesse continues to rip him to pieces as he was the ref in the Hogan/Andre WrestleMania title match. The match isn't much but Duggan's fingerprints are all over it.

### JT:

Time for our final bout of the evening, crammed in late in the show. The Can Am Connection was a hot team comprised of Rick Martel and Tom Zenk and they had just grabbed a good win in the opener at WrestleMania. Sheik and Volkoff amble out and despite a warning from Jim Duggan, Volkoff proceeds to sing the Russian National Anthem anyway. And Duggan makes good on his promise as he charges the ring and decks the "two commies". After rallying the crowd, we take a break. Upon returning, the match was underway with Martel pasting Volkoff with a dropkick. The Can Ams staying in control with Zenk slugging away at the Sheik. Sheik would land a kick to the chops and then send him flying into the boot of Volkoff. After a gutwrench suplex for a near fall, Sheik hit a vertical suplex for a second two count. Volkoff and Sheik hit a few quick tags and laid the wood to Zenk, including a nice belly-to-belly suplex by Sheik. He followed with an abdominal stretch and then chucked Zenk hard to the floor. Sheik would do the same to Martel and then he and Volkoff headed outside as well. While out there, Duggan got involved, swatting at the foreign duo and then threatening them with his 2×4. He would eventually slip into the ring and as he did, Martel was able to roll Sheik up for the win. Sheik and Volkoff laid the boots to Duggan, but Hacksaw and the Can Ams slid back in and ran them off. That was another peppy little match with a good offensive display by the Sheik. I wish we got more from the Can Ams on offense, but they just ran out of time. The Duggan stuff was slightly overbearing but they were working to get the feud over.

### Final Analysis:

### Scott:

Although it seemed like the focus of the show was the controversy surrounding the Hogan/Andre match at WrestleMania, the showcase guy was indeed Randy Savage. His match with George Steele was very entertaining with all the lumberjacks and the chaos. Then he interjects in the IC Title match between Steamboat and Hercules but when we think some compassion's coming he drops the big elbow. Pretty awesome stuff, as well as Honky Tonk Man dressed as Kim Chee to get some extra shots in on Jake Roberts. The tag title match was great and may be the best SNME match thus far. Overall this was a really fun show and it served two purposes: Continuing the Hogan/Andre feud and really pushing Randy Savage as a top guy in the company.

Final Grade:

### JT:

This was quite the fun little episode. On paper the card was questionable but each match over delivered in one way or another. The Honky Tonk Man stuff in the opener was really well done and the lumberjack match surprised me big time. The tag title bout was hot and the IC title match was a good sprint with strong booking. Toss in a decent closer and all of the Hogan/Andre stuff and this was a non stop installment with tons of stuff to enjoy. They also really kept a lot of feuds burning hot throughout the show, with each match meaning something, which is different than some past episodes. The overall workrate was decent enough too, buoyed by the two title matches. The Hogan/Andre progression was well done, as they didn't bang you over the head but they clearly hinted a rematch was on the way. A healthy dose of Savage will always be welcomed by me, but there was plenty of other stuff to enjoy on this one as well.

Final Grade:

# Saturday Night's Main Event XII – 10/3/87

October 3, 1987

Hershey Park Arena

Hershey, PA

Announcers: Vince McMahon and Bobby Heenan

Attendance: 9,000

NBC Rating: 9.7

### 1) Randy Savage defeats Honky Tonk Man by disqualification when Bret Hart interfered at 13:00; Honky Tonk Man retains WWF Intercontinental Title

Fun Fact I: As was mentioned at the last SNME, Ricky Steamboat asked for time off from the company for the birth of his son. Since he was holding the IC title at the time, someone had to be found to take the title from him so the champion could stay on the road. On the July 13, 1987 episode of Superstars, The Honky Tonk Man won the title in a major upset by reversing Steamboat's inside cradle and holding onto the ropes. At the time, The Honky Tonk Man was only supposed to be a transitional champion who would drop the title to Jake Roberts. But Roberts was still suffering effects from the guitar shot The Honky Tonk Man had given him earlier. As a result, he remained champion much longer than originally planned.

Fun Fact II: After his IC title victory, The Honky Tonk Man began proclaiming himself to be the greatest Intercontinental champion of all time and putting down former champions, including Randy Savage. The Macho Man was on his way to a big face turn during this time and began challenging HTM to get the title back. This match would be the first of those IC title matches.

### Scott:

Wow, what a huge change we have since our last episode! Back in May, Randy Savage was a smarmy heel hell bent on regaining his Intercontinental Championship from fan favorite Ricky Steamboat. Well Steamboat lost his title to the HTM, and now all of a sudden Savage is getting huge pops from the crowd. I do think it was only a matter of time before they would switch the Macho Man to a fan favorite. We have a very different dynamic with Bobby sitting next to Vince this episode, replacing Jesse Ventura who was shooting "Predator" at the time. The match has Savage going on Honky with reckless abandon with punches and chokes. Elizabeth and Jimmy Hart cause chaos outside and Savage protects here, which leads to Honky hitting him from behind and taking control. Savage and Honky go back and forth until Jimmy Hart gets involved again and Savage takes him to school as well. This brings out Hart's other charges, the tag team champion Hart Foundation. The Hitman, Anvil and Honky take Jimmy to the back as they go to commercial. For the early part of the Federation Era, even though Bobby Heenan was more high profile, Jimmy Hart was the top heel manager as he had two of the three champions in his stable. After commercial, the stable really gives Savage the business as Honky takes full control. Savage does try to make a comeback but the Hart Foundation come in to cause the disqualification. Savage is beaten down, and when Elizabeth tries to save him, Honky (in a memorable heel moment) shoves Liz to the ground. She leaves for backup, and returns, with...HULK HOGAN? He comes in and helps Savage clean house, then they go back to back, but instead of brawling, they shake hands. Oh yes, the first of what was yet to come with these two. We'll discuss this more in future episodes but for now, Savage has gotten his first glimpse of the main events.

### JT:

After taking the simmer off, we are back for the twelfth installment of Saturday Night's Main Event and the landscape of the WWF has changed quite a bit in that time. We have an influx of new talent and some stalwarts have switched allegiances, one of which is on display right out of the gate here. Also on display is our brand new Intercontinental Champion. Over the summer, Ricky Steamboat requested some time away from the ring to be with his wife and new son and as a result he was asked to drop his strap to someone that would be on tour. And in an upset of upsets, the Honky Tonk Man was the competitor chosen to be the next champion. In the booth tonight is Vince McMahon and Bobby Heenan, once again subbing for Jesse Ventura. That is some amazing depth. The Savage/Honky issue got heated quickly as Savage was hellbent on getting his title back and Honky kept teasing him along by claiming to be the greatest IC champion of all time. It was only a matter of time before Savage turned face as the fans were really getting behind him, especially after his classic at WrestleMania III. Plus they have always adored Elizabeth. And the Hershey fans were no different as Macho gets very warm welcome as he marches to the ring. After a brief lockup, Savage took control of things, choking away and slinging the champ into the corner. As Savage dropped a stiff knee to the head, Heenan tried to convince everyone that Liz had eyes for Honky. Jimmy Hart would run some interference on the floor, using Liz to bait Savage out and allowing Honky to nail him from behind. However, back inside Savage came right back with a flurry of jabs before he whiffed on another knee drop. Honky landed some strikes but things would spill to the floor with Savage making another comeback, capped by a big double axe blow off the top rope. In the ring, he almost tool the title with a roll up and a back suplex but Hart broke up three separate pin covers. Savage finally decked Hart to a huge pop and then continued to stomp away at the champ but as he worked him over, the Hart Foundation showed up at ringside. They would carry Hart to the back and then return after a commercial, but Savage still maintained control in the ring. Even when Honky would get an opening, it was always short lived as Savage just dominated the majority of the action here. Macho started to pick up near falls again until Honky slung him to the floor, allowing the Harts to pounce right away, dropping Savage across the guard rail and stomp him viciously. Savage rebounded again and dropped the big elbow but as he covered, Bret Hart leapt in the ring and broke up the pin for the DQ. So close! Honky and the Harts pounded Savage over and over as Liz looked on frightened. The Harts would hoist Savage up as Honky grabbed his guitar and taunted Macho. Before he could swing, Liz hopped in the ring and stood in front of Honky. She begged for Savage's mercy but Honky shoved her down, berated her and then bashed Savage with the guitar. Talk about heel heat, my lord. The crowd was pissed but then exploded as Liz returned with Hulk Hogan! Hogan caught a quick beating but he battled back and he and Savage partnered to clean house. The two would shake hands and celebrate afterwards and the crowd just lost its collective mind over it all. The match was pretty basic but the heat was there all throughout and the post match was next level. Great way to open the show while both continuing the war and also launching the partnership of Savage and Hogan.

### 2) Hulk Hogan defeats Sika to retain WWF World Title with the legdrop at 7:59

Fun Fact: A few weeks prior to this event, Kamala walked away from the WWF due to unhappiness over pay. He left the company without warning, causing the company to fill in previously advertised events with other members of his group, including Mr. Fuji, Kim Chee and, in this case, Sika. In a recent interview with Bleacher Report, James Harris, aka Kamala, indicated this was his biggest mistake in the business and that he should have handled the situation better.

### Scott:

After the memorable opening to this show, we have a non-descript Hogan title defense against a former tag team champion. Sika returns to the WWF for a quick payday in the twilight of his career. The match is mostly Mr. Fuji using his cane to choke Hogan out, but then when Hogan tries to use the cane a second referee comes out to stop him from using it, which is pretty funny. It's Dave Hebner and that infamous "always angry looking" referee. Sika dominates the middle portion of the match with shots to the throat and a chest claw submission move. Heenan keeps saying that Hogan is spent from running in earlier to save Savage. The Hershey crowd is hot as we have our first repeat SNME building, and they're rooting for our champion as he's working for the comeback but Sika actually brings the business to Hogan more than I thought he would have. Hogan would eventually recover and get the victory. That was a better match than I anticipated as Sika really brought the goods and Hogan had to bring his working boots for this one.

### JT:

Fresh off of saving Randy Savage, Hulk Hogan has to head back to the ring to defend his WWF Title against the beefy Samoan Sika. Sika has Mr. Fuji and Kim Chee with him as he is replacing Kamala here. It was lined up as a pretty formulaic Hogan defense, but Sika was portrayed as quite dangerous, as most Samoans are. Sika came right at Hogan, laying in heavy kicks and feeding him right to Fuji, who choked Hulk with his cane. Hogan fought through it and dropped Sika down before landing some elbow drops. The match spilled to the floor where Hogan shoved Sika into the post and then yanked Fuji's cane away. The referees would eventually wrest away the weapon but that gave Sika a chance to regain the advantage. He landed a few thrusts to the throat and then choked away. Fuji again got involved with his cane and all of a sudden Sika looked like a threat. The Samoan would lock in a nerve hold for a bit until Hogan broke it up. The challenger knocked Hulk back down and started pelting him with falling headbutts for a two count. In the blink of an eye, Hogan made his big comeback and put Sika away with the legdrop to retain his title. This wasn't Hogan's best formula match as it was fairly pedantic with the majority of the heat coming thanks to Fuji's cane. Sika tried but in no way was h a credible threat and his lack of offense really hampered things. Hogan's rolls on but his involvement earlier in the show was much more important than this outing.

### 3) King Kong Bundy defeats Paul Orndorff with the Avalanche at 8:00

Fun Fact: After his weightlifting injury and taking time off to recover, when Paul Orndorff returned in July 1987 he received a babyface reaction. This wasn't the reaction the WWF expected and caused them to change Orndorff's character again. He fired Bobby Heenan again in late August and took on Sir Oliver Humperdink as his manager. Here Orndoff takes on one of his former Family members, King Kong Bundy.

### Scott:

In the battle of guys who may be on the way out the door, Bundy isn't even the biggest guy in the Heenan Family anymore, and in the span of 18 months Orndorff has switched from face to heel and back to face again. Orndorff is a great talent but it seemed that by the end of 1987 into 1988 the company really had nothing left for him. Honestly he may have had the spot Randy Savage is getting if Savage wasn't here. That's the upper mid-card spot and maybe forgiveness from Hulk Hogan but sadly the crowd probably doesn't buy Orndorff as anything anymore. As for Bundy, he went from main eventing WrestleMania II to facing midgets a year later in Pontiac. We also see the SNME debut of Oliver Humperdink as a manager. There hasn't been a solid face manager since the fat, sloppy pig Lou Albano but Ollie brings some stability to the mid-card fan favorites. Orndorff was actually dominating this match until Heenan's "surprise", Andre the Giant comes to ringside. Bundy weathers the storm and with the help of Andre holding Mr. Wonderful's tights. Bundy hits the avalanche and get the victory. A much needed win for the Heenan Family and perhaps the final nail in Mr. Wonderful's WWF coffin.

### JT:

Over the summer, Paul Orndorff decided to turn face and realign with Hulk Hogan yet again. As part of that process, he had a big falling out with Bobby Heenan and hooked up with newcomer Oliver Humperdink as his new manager. Here, his feud with the Brain continues as he battles longtime family stalwart King Kong Bundy. Before the match, Gene Oklerlund tells us that Heenan is staying in the booth and Bundy says that choice is all about confidence. The camera work during Bundy's entrance was pretty neat as the angle was over his shoulder looking at Orndorff in the ring baiting him on while the crowd booed loudly. Orndorff jumped Bundy off the bell and hammered away as Vince needled Heenan right away for making a mistake by staying in the booth. Bundy quickly turned the tide and started to lean on Orndorff while clubbing away. Paul tried to fend him off with kicks but Bundy's size was too overwhelming. He continued to use some basic strikes mixed with choking but Orndorff kept tossing blows wherever he could. Bundy would finally slip up by whiffing on an elbow drop and Orndorff laid into him with a flurry of punches as Vince trolled Heenan some more. Bundy would hit the mat for the first time followed by an Orndorff elbow for a near fall and that was enough to finally draw Heenan down to the ring. Orndorff nailed a dropkick but the camera panned over to see Andre the Giant march to the ring as Heenan returned to the booth. Bundy got knocked to the floor and conferred with Bundy as Humperdink and Orndorff chatted as well. After a break, Orndorff stayed in control with more right hands but Bundy hung in with strikes of his own. The crowd was going nuts as Orndorff landed some sharp elbows one after the other until Bundy finally dodged the last one. Lots of energy and really good action so far in this one. Bundy slowed things down a bit with a rear chinlock but the crowd rallied Orndorff through it. Bundy came up empty on an Avalanche attempt and Orndorff made one last effort to put this away. However, he got too close to Andre, who yanked him back into the corner and allowed Bundy to squish him for the win. What a really fun outing by these guys. Orndorff had lots of fire and charisma as a face here and Bundy oscillated between leaning heavily on him and bumping around for his offense. They also timed everything really well and I loved the Andre stuff too as the Heenan Family works together and tortures any friends of Hulk Hogan. This match certainly exceeded my expectations.

### 4) Hart Foundation defeat Young Stallions to retain WWF Tag Team Titles when Bret Hart pins Paul Roma after the Hart Attack at 4:35

Fun Fact I: Paul Roma & Jim Powers were placed together as a team in March 1987. Initially the duo was being served up to higher ranking tag teams both on TV and on the house show circuit. The team got their first big victory in May when they upset Bob Orton and Don Muraco in Madison Square Garden. Roma and Powers would begin getting a push from the company in August 1987 when they faced off against the Hart Foundation in a non-title match. In that match, the duo pulled off a major upset in their non-title defense. The team continued winning, defeating Orton and Muraco in several matches. On August 30, the team yet again defeated the Hart Foundation, this time via DQ. A team name was finally given a name, the Young Stallions.

Fun Fact II: Due to their earlier victories over the Hart Foundation, the Stallions were provided with a title match here at Saturday Night's Main Event.

### Scott:

Our final match of the night has the tag team champions' second appearance after working over the company's top faces at the top of the show. This is a glorified Prime Time or Superstars match as the champions really dominate the action until the faces get their token flurry of hot tags and comebacks but in the end The Hart Attack is too much and the champions retain. This was nothing more than a filler to the ending interviews and the music video.

### JT:

Wrapping up a fairly eventful evening is a WWF tag team title match with the arrogant Hart Foundation defending against the upstart Young Stallions. The Stallions had recently joined forces and actually knocked off the champs in a non title match to set up this tilt here. Jim Powers and Jim Neidhart kicked things off with Powers using his speed to control. Bret Hart tagged in shortly after but Powers brought the fight right to him, grabbing a near fall in between working the arm. The tide turned when Hart caught Powers in a backbreaker and tagged in the Anvil, who started raining heavy blows down across Powers' back. The champs continued to tag in and out while dominating Powers, who has spent the whole match in the ring to this point. Roma would finally get the hot tag and things quickly broke down into a brouhaha. The Stallions knocked Anvil to the apron and Roma caught Hart with a powerslam but Neidhart made it back in time to break up the near fall. With Powers tying up the referee, the champs hit the Hart Attack on Roma to win the bout and retain. That was a very abridged version of a potential great match between two teams that had nice chemistry. It was the ultimate time fill to get us to the end of the show and a nice little win for the Harts.

*** Gene Okerlund interviews Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan backstage. The two officially solidify their friendship with a classic handshake and talk about how their worlds are now aligned. That is followed by the world premier of the Piledriver music video. ***

### Final Analysis:

### Scott:

This is yet another historic episode for a few reasons. The expected babyface turn of Randy Savage, the birth of the Mega Powers and the Piledriver music video. The matches were ok, mostly to fill the gaps of the Hogan/Savage stuff as that feud with Honky was the hottest in the promotion next to Hogan/Andre. Both men were on this episode but had no interaction. Survivor Series was around the corner and the feud was still raging even as Andre hadn't wrestled much after WrestleMania. This episode was meant to get Randy Savage over as a top babyface, perhaps usurping the fading Junkyard Dog as the #2 fan favorite. The last two matches weren't much which drops the grade but the first match and surrounding action makes up for some of it.

Final Grade:

### JT:

This was an interesting premier episode for the fall season with a real major angle unfolding at the top and bottom of the show and then a bunch of filler in between. I really liked Bundy/Orndorff but enough to say it was a great anchor match or anything and Hogan/Sika and the tag title bout were throwaways. Of course, the forming of the Mega Powers is massive and it was really well done as the heat on Honky Tonk Man in the opener was off the charts, especially when he shoved down Liz. The iconic handshake to close the night launches one of the greatest angles in company history. This was a breezy enough watch but not enough meat to call it one of the best installments.

Final Grade:

# Saturday Night's Main Event XIII – 11/28/87

November 28, 1987

The Coliseum

Seattle, WA

Announcers: Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura

Attendance: 16,000

### 1) George Steele defeats Danny Davis by disqualification when Davis kicks the referee at 3:49

Fun Fact: The feud between Danny Davis and George Steele began back in May at SNME XI during the Savage/Steele lumberjack match. Davis was one of the lumberjacks at ringside during the match. While his role was to make sure neither wrestler escaped, Davis took the opportunity to initiate a feud with Steele when he was outside the ring by hitting him with the ring bell. The two feuded on the house show circuit off and on through the late spring into the fall with nothing spectacular occurring during the feud. This match would be the blow off to this less than stellar feud. In the end of year award from the Wrestling Observer, this feud was voted the Worst Feud of the Year for 1987.

### Scott:

You know immediately this match is going to be a colossal mess for two reasons. You have two guys with limited wrestling ability, and Danny Davis is no Randy Savage to dictate a match like a good heel wrestler would. Instead Danny Davis runs around the ring and Steele bites and throws chairs. Davis then uses a foreign object to choke Steele out, and then hides it in his tights. Steele then holds Davis up in an armbar for a submission but then Davis kicks Joey Marella down and gets disqualified. Jesse says it was an accident and honestly they framed it pretty well so it looks like it. This is a throwaway match to end a feud from the last episode but pretty soon the Animal is gone from the WWF. George has been a SNME mainstay since the show started a year and a half ago. However the roster is always getting better and he is clearly looking very dated. Our show gets off to a shaky start with a bad throwaway match.

### JT:

Our final SNME of 1987 comes on the heels of the inaugural Survivor Series and is looking to set us up for a big 1988. Jesse Ventura is back in the booth and with this opener, we are going to need his anger and wit. Danny Davis' run as any sort of legitimate heel player is just about over and he is nothing more than a jobber to the stars at this point. Sadly his opponent here is in the same boat, but these two have been programmed with each other for quite a while now. George Steele is really at the end of his usefulness and his act was getting really stale, but at least he is finally away from Randy Savage. Although maybe not, as Steele was fondling an Elizabeth figurine during his prematch interview. Steele went right at Davis and wasted no time biting him and then hoisting him up high with a chokehold to the delight of the fans. Steele would knock Davis to the floor where the Dangerous one regrouped and bitched out the referee. Davis tried to sneak up on Steele but the Animal saw him coming and actually took him down with a drop toehold, shocking Jesse. Steele would try to bring a chair in the ring but the referee stopped him, allowing Davis to jab a foreign object in his throat and then choke him with it. Steele came back and hooked the flying hammerlock but Davis' legs clipped Joey Marella to draw a weak DQ. Well that was a fine waste of time. The crowd at least was into it and they kept it short but it was full of nothing and had a dumb finish to top it off. I am done with the Animal.

### 2) Randy Savage defeats Bret Hart with an inside cradle at 12:03

Fun Fact: This match between Savage and Hart is a result of interference at SNME XII. During the Honky Tonk Man/Randy Savage IC title match, Savage had hit HTM with his elbow from the top rope and went for the pin. Bret Hart came into the ring and broke up the pin, causing a DQ win for Savage, but not a title victory.

### Scott:

Now we are talking a complete 180 degree turn with two great in-ring workers, a match that today many considered mythic. But it certainly did happen, and even though Bret Hart hasn't blossomed into the Hall of Fame worker he would become he's still an expert talent and was the better choice than the Anvil to have this match. There's an urban legend Savage actually requested this match because of the potential the match had on paper. Now from the start it was utter chaos with battling and brawling outside the ring and Bret being thrown into everything from the stairs to the steel barricade. Savage is incensed from what happened on the last episode when Bret cost Savage the IC Title and helped in Elizabeth getting assaulted by Honky Tonk Man. Savage had things his way in the match until he took a spill to the floor. Savage either sells it well or his legitimately hurt but he's holding his left leg/ankle. He actually takes his boot off but "angry referee" keeps the Hart Foundation at bay. After a commercial Savage toughens it up and decides to continue wrestling on one foot. Bret of course takes vicious advantage of it and stomps on the foot, throwing it into the steel post. Savage is crawling around the ring and raking Hart's eyes, but in a great finish Bret is going to slam Savage but (like what was done to him at WrestleMania) Macho Man hooks the leg and cradles Hart for the three count and the huge victory. It's evident that Savage has immediately become the #2 babyface in the promotion and that rise would continue as the calendar turns to 1988. This was a fun match with a hot crowd and a great psychological finish.

### JT:

Our next match is a continuation of a heated feud that went next level at our previous SNME. A pissed off Randy Savage is looking for revenge after Jimmy Hart's group of champions beat him down and also put their hands on Miss Elizabeth. It was a step too far and Savage is gunning to make an example out of the Hitman here. He also doesn't allow Liz into the ring and has her stay on the floor. She would be an early distraction as Neidhart and Jimmy would inch towards her, drawing Savage to the floor to protect her. Before the match started, we got a word from Honky and also saw Seahawks star Brian Bosworth making his way out to his seat. Savage jumped Hart on the floor and hammered him a few times and shoved him into the post before things reset. Back inside, Savage stayed on offense, slinging Hart into the corner but missing a charge. Hart went to work but Savage battled back and went to the eyes before sending him flying off the ring apron and into the barricade sternum first. That was a great spot and bump. Savage continued to clean house as he slammed Neidhart and Jimmy together but then made a huge mistake as he flew off the top rope to the floor but on the way down Hart bashed him in the gut with Jimmy's megaphone. That was another great bump. Back inside, the Hitman zeroed in on the abdomen and whipped him hard into the corner before planting him with a piledriver for a near fall. It was then Hart's turn to make a mistake as he charged at Savage but Macho dodged him and he careened into the post shoulder first. Savage shoved him away and scooted to the top rope, leaping off and decking Hart with a sledge blow for a two count. Savage followed by spiking Hart's throat across the top rope but after getting tangled with the referee, Hart took advantage and sent Savage flying over the top rope an hard to the floor, injuring his lower leg in the process. After a break, Savage was still on the floor but now had his boot off and pulled himself back inside. And Hart ferociously attacked that ankle, slamming it into the ring post and then picking it apart with a spinning toe hold and stomps. Savage kicked Hart into the corner and stole a near fall but Hart recovered and continued his assault, turning over a single leg crab. Hart methodically stayed in control but as he went to scoop Savage off the match, Macho snatched him into an inside cradle and picked up the surprising win. What a great match and finish. Jesse can't believe Savage won on one leg and the crowd was nuts, including am airhorn blaring in the background. Savage fended off the Anvil and then dodged the Mouth as he accidentally belted the Hitman with his megaphone. The Hart Family scampered as the gutty Macho Man alternated between celebrating and gripping his ankle. Well, if he wasn't fully a face yet, this type of showing will do it. This match needed another ten minutes to push it to the next level but as is it was a terrific little sprint that blended in nice limb work and some big spots along with a hot crowd.

### 3) King Kong Bundy defeats Hulk Hogan by countout at 13:45; Hogan retains WWF World Title

Fun Fact: This was more of a Heenan Family vs Hogan match than anything else. While it was a rematch of the WrestleMania II main event, the real story was Andre the Giant in the corner of Bundy. The continuing tension between Andre and Hogan would come to a head in just a couple of months...so stay tuned.

### Scott:

After facing the unpredictable Sika in our last episode Hogan faces his WrestleMania II opponent with his WrestleMania III opponent outside the ring. This crowd is red hot for a Northwest locale and the Hogan chants are deafening. The match starts similar to the Andre match at Mania, as Hogan goes for a body slam but can't get big Bundy up and for the next few minutes the challenger works Hogan's back over with submission knees and stomps. Andre then interferes and the bell rings, but instead of the match ending, Andre has to leave the ring or else Hogan wins the match. Andre is frustrated with having to leave the ring and Heenan is begging him to leave so Bundy doesn't get DQ'd. Andre shoves a cameraman to the ground (which was pretty cool) and finally the big guy leaves the ring. When we resume Bundy dominates the action again and really drills Hogan's back over and over, then squeezes him with a bear hug. Watching all these episodes, I have to say I have a new respect for him as an 80s heel. He was a big hoss who put on solid matches when needed. After a Bundy splash, we get the obligatory Hogan comeback (including a slam) but instead of a leg drop and victory Bundy and Hogan go outside, but thanks to Bobby Heenan grabbing Hogan's foot Bundy gets back in the ring and wins the match by countout. That was kind of a shock to me but that's ok, it was still a really fun big man match. Hogan beats on Bobby like he always does. Hogan's title matches have been fun on these shows for various reasons but it's evident the war between the Champion and the Family is far from over.

### JT:

The Hulk Hogan vs. Heenan Family war continues to rage right along as he has to fend off a challenge from his old WrestleMania II opponent King Kong Bundy. And if that wasn't challenge enough, Heenan's big surprise for the Hulkster is that Andre the Giant will be in Bundy's corner. The crowd erupted as the WWF Champion marched to the ring, ready to battle the odds as always. Andre's jacket was pretty swank and he stood on stoically, already distracting Hogan before the bout started. As the bell sounds, Jesse points out that Joey Marella is the referee and is not very happy, claiming he always finds a way to referee Hogan's biggest title matches. That of course was a reference to WrestleMania III and the close near fall for Andre early in the bout. Bundy won the early battle, smashing Hogan to the the mat with a shoulderblock but Hogan pasted him with a high knee. Hogan tried for a slam but Bundy collapsed his weight onto the champ and started to work the lower back. Bundy would whiff on a splash giving Hogan the chance to rock him with right hands and a clothesline. The guys have some really strong chemistry and always cut a nice pace. Hogan kept pelting Bundy but got caught with his head down, giving Bundy the opening to slug him across the back before hooking on a chinlock. This crowd is really good too, willing Hogan to his feet but Bundy leaned harder and forced him back to the mat. Hogan again fought to his feet and drilled Bundy with the big boot but as he hit the ropes for the legdrop, Andre tripped him up to draw the DQ. Hogan dumped Bundy to the floor but the Fink reveals that the match was not quite over. He decreed that Andre had to leave or else the match would end now. If he went to the locker room, the match would start back up. Andre wanted to get in the ring but Bundy and Heenan convinced him to finally retreat. In a great dick move, Andre slugged a cameraman as he slowly stalked to the back. This some great heat building here, what a presence from Andre. The low camera angle of his head bobbing over the sea of fans was so well done too.

As the match restarted, Hogan gained momentum, running Bundy from corner to corner as the crowd went insane. Bundy would fall but Hogan came up empty on an elbow drop to turn the tide. Bundy returned to working the back, locking in a big bear hug, which Hogan sold great as always. What a raucous crowd that has really taken this episode up a notch. Bundy shot Hogan into the corner and after the champ fell he dropped the big splash on him for a two count. Hogan blew out of the cover and Hulked Up before finally getting that body slam. Bundy rolled to the floor and dragged Hulk out as well. They traded blows out there until Hogan shoved Bundy back inside. As Hogan climbed on the apron, Bundy rolled into the referee and Heenan hooked Hogan's leg, giving Bundy the count out victory. The crowd did not like that at all. Heenan celebrated like crazy as boos and trash rained around the crowd. Hogan would smack and toss Bobby around after the bell and then posed for his fans. Man that was some fun stuff. Both guys worked hard and the heat was great. Factor in the Andre stuff and this had a nice dose of storyline advancement too. Plus it ties in to the Survivor Series finish as well, where Hogan was also counted out in his war with the Family.

### 4) Bam Bam Bigelow defeats Hercules with a slingshot splash at 7:00

Fun Fact I: Bam Bam Bigelow was substituting for Jim Duggan in this match.

Fun Fact II: Scott Charles Bigelow, who would come to be known to wrestling fans around the world as Bam Bam Bigelow, was born in Asbury Park, New Jersey in September, 1961. He trained at the Monster Factory under Larry Sharpe and made his in-ring debut in 1986 in Memphis. He had a very unique look in that he was tall (6'4"), heavyset (390 lbs.) and his bald head was covered with a colorful flaming tattoo. He debuted as a monster heel who was strong and agile for his size. In the territory he was dubbed "The Beast from the East" and began making his way up the ladder toward Jerry Lawler's title. After brief stints in CWA and WCCW in early 1987, Bigelow signed on with the WWF in May. Upon his arrival, all of the heel managers wanted Bigelow in their stables and were jockeying for his services. In the end, Bigelow turned face after turning them all down and going with manager Oliver Humperdink. Bigelow would take part in the main event of the inaugural Survivor Series as part of Hulk Hogan's team.

### Scott:

Our finale involves another Heenan family member taking on the Beast from the East, the pride of Asbury Park baby. Bigelow was such a unique individual with his massive size but pretty mobile in the ring. It was cool to see Oliver Humperdink in the WWF as the company needs some babyface managers for some of the guys who need a mouthpiece. They go back and forth for a bit but the match at first ends in a double countout. But Bigelow didn't come all the way from New Jersey for a draw. So the match restarts and Bigelow gets the win with his slingshot spash. Not much overall here, just a showcase for the Beast from the East.

### JT:

With Bobby Heenan banged up, Hercules had to go it alone here against the big newcomer Bam Bam Bigelow. Bigelow is accompanied by the flamboyant Oliver Humperdink, and part of the story here is that Heenan was angry about being spurned by Bammer when he joined the company. Bigelow had a great, unique look and blended impressive athleticism with his burly physique. He was certainly a nice add to the roster to help bolster the face side of the ledger. Hercules tries to overpower Bigelow off the bat but Bammer wouldn't budge as Jesse wondered if Herc may have to win this one through finesse. Herc shot Bigelow in hard to the corner but Bammer caught him with a kick and started to unload his arsenal of strikes. Herc came back with a clothesline and after two more, Bammer went tumbling hard over the top rope to the floor. Herc ended up out there too and they traded heavy blows until the bell rang for a double countout. Continuing the trend for the night, we aren't done as the match is restarted at Bigelow's request. That was an odd choice, but anyway, we are back under way. After a break the two brawlers lined up in a three point stance and collided hard in the middle of the ring. They lined up again but Bigelow ducked it and rammed into Herc with a shoulderblock before just straight up punching Herc in the grill a few times. That was really well done. Bigelow came up empty on a dropkick as Herc started dropping elbows with some force. Herc would head to the top, but Bigelow caught him, pressed him to the mat and then hit a slingshot splash for the win. That was an impressive showing for Bigelow and made him look like a big deal with how he demanded the restart and then picked up the hard hitting win. The Era of Bam is underway.

*** Gene Okerlund chats with Andre the Giant and King Kong Bundy and it is revealed that Bundy will receive a rematch with Hulk Hogan and that Andre will be in his corner yet again. ***

### Final Analysis:

### Scott:

We have another excellent edition of the show, as they really got into a great groove of forwarding storylines and highlighting new stars. The Hogan/Heenan Family feud is raging through all the members as well as with Randy Savage and Jimmy Hart's stable of champions. Maybe finally we've exhausted ourselves of George Steele and replaced him with a fresh, better face in Bam Bam Bigelow. 1987 was a landmark year for the WWF and it seems the roster is really loading up with top talent for 1988. The year had top to bottom an entire slate of great SNMEs, even if they did eschew the themes like they had in 1985 and early 1986. I'm pretty sure those return soon. The Savage/Hart match is a hidden gem you must check out. Overall another great episode.

Final Grade:

### JT:

This is certainly one of the best installments of SNME to date. The crowd and atmosphere was fantastic and every match felt like a really big deal as a result. The opener was a throwaway but once that ended, we were cooking right through the finish. Savage and Hart put on a clinic that was dripping with tension and hate and had a great finish that helped further along Savage's entrenchment as a face. Hogan and Bundy put their chemistry on display and had a good power match that sets up a future rematch and also keeps the Hogan/Andre war simmering. Andre looked like a badass, especially when he slugged the cameraman. Bigelow's SNME debut was done well too and closed out the show on a strong note. As we eschewed the campiness of the early editions, the gravity and importance of these shows has really amplified with less throwaway matches and more storyline advancement and major moments. 1987 comes to a close but Hulk Hogan's biggest nemesis from throughout the year remains in front of him.

Final Grade:

  SNME XIV – Landover, MD – January 2

  The Main Event I – Indianapolis, IN – February 5

  SNME XV – Nashville, TN – March 12

  SNME XVI – Springfield, MA – April 30

  SNME XVII – Baltimore, MD – October 29

  SNME XVIII – Sacramento, CA – November 26

# Saturday Night's Main Event XIV – 1/2/88

January 2, 1988

Capital Centre

Landover, MD

Announcers: Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura

Attendance: 13,000

### 1) Strike Force defeat The Bolsheviks in a Best of Three Falls match to retain WWF Tag Team Titles in 7:55

Falls:

  1. Rick Martel forced Boris Zhukov to submit to the Boston Crab at 4:23

  2. Tito Santana pinned Boris Zhukov after Nikolai Volkoff accidentally hit him with a cane at 7:55

Fun Fact I: Why isn't Nikolai Volkoff wrestling with his traditional partner The Iron Sheik here? Well, in May 1987, "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan and The Iron Sheik were pulled over by a police officer in New Jersey. The officer suspected Duggan of DUI and when they searched the car they found Duggan under the influence of marijuana while Sheik was high on cocaine. The story made news across the country and was an embarrassment to the WWF since the two were feuding on-screen at the time. The feud came to an immediate end, they were taken off of television and both left the company for a period of time.

Fun Fact II: Once The Iron Sheik was released, Volkoff was left without a tag partner. The WWF brought in James Harrell as Boris Zhukov, a character he had taken on during his time in the AWA. The two "Russians" were paired together in late 1987 as The Bolsheviks. They made their PPV debut one month earlier at Survivor Series 87 and their SNME debut here. The team never made their way out of the mid-card and never had the success that Volkoff and Sheik had together.

### Scott:

A breath of fresh air for new tag team champions, but let's not discount the great run for the Hart Foundation as champions. But with some new teams on the horizon it was time to switch things up and have a hot babyface team at the top right now. After his loss to Randy Savage almost two years earlier Tito Santana seemed to have floated around aimlessly, hooking up with other guys' feuds like Junkyard Dog. Rick Martel was a tag team champion in the WWF earlier in the decade and more recently was AWA World Champion. Now he's returned east and is wearing the gold around his waist. With the Iron Sheik gone, Nikolai Volkoff needed a new tag team partner and he gets another alumnus of the AWA, Boris Zhukoff. Now the new heel communists take on Strike Force here with the straps on the line. The first fall is almost a squash as the champs dictate all the action and Martel gets a submission on his Boston crab. The second fall is a little more even as the challengers start to use their power moves and even with a hot tag the Russians keep control, until Slick attempts to reenact the end of the tag title match from WrestleMania I when he tries to use his cane, although this time Tito ducks and Boris is smacked with the stick and three seconds later the champions win two straight falls to retain their titles. That was a fun quick match with a hot DC crowd and a good showing for the new tag champions.

### JT:

We open up 1988 with a big Saturday Night's Main Event that is headlined with a big rematch from our last installment. Right out of the gate we have some change here in the new year as our new tag team champions open up the show. Strike Force was born from the ashes of the Can-Am Connection, with Tito Santana replacing Tom Zenk, and the duo knocked off the Hart Foundation in a surprising upset late in 1987. Here they square off with the Bolsheviks in a SNME standard: two out of three falls tag team title match. When Iron Sheik was turfed, Boris Zhukov was imported from the AWA to team with Nikolai Volkoff and while the team was presented as threats, they certainly took a step back in overall effectiveness when that switch went down. The Bolsheviks logo during their preshow promo was really top notch. The had a funny little angle going where they kept wishing peace and saying they were goodwill ambassadors which I loved as I always dig the heel false sincerity gimmick. And of course Strike Force had the epic Girls in Cars as their theme music, which is a GOAT contender for sure. Santana started off with Zhukov and corralled him to get things underway, working the arm a bit The champs would double team and quick tag as they worked over the big Russian until Boris jabbed Martel in the face and made the tag. Nikolai laid the lumber but Martel nabbed a near fall with an inside cradle and then fought away and made the tag to Tito who almost got the first fall with a cross body. Volkoff got a two count of his own with a clothesline and then kept hammering Tito with knees and boots. The Russians would then work the quick tag game as they tried to use their weight to wear down Tito. Martel would get the hot tag and clean house as the crowd cheered him on. After a hot little sequence, he would trap Boris in the Boston crab and pick up the first fall via submission.

The second fall started with some double teaming and Martel locked Zhukov right back in the crab but Nikolai made the save before he submitted. Nikolai went to work at a pretty urgent pace, knowing they were in must win more now. He hit a gut-wrench suplex and a gut buster for near falls, using his power to his advantage. They kept getting close to evening up the match but couldn't quite get it done and eventually Martel was able to tag out after he and Nikolai wiped each other out with clotheslines. In a funny bit of commentary, Vince McMahon called out that "idiot Zhukov" because he inadvertently pushed Martel into the tag. Santana came in firing and pasted Boris with the flying forearm but Nikolai made the save. A moment later, Volkoff grabbed Slick's cane but accidentally nailed his partner with it, allowing Tito to cover for the win. Good tag opener to get this show going and having the champs sweep was a smart decision. The Russians worked a much quicker pace than usual and it led to a fun match. Martel and Tito were really good at both selling and showing fire in their offense and it helped keep the crowd into things until the finish.

### 2) Jake Roberts defeats Sika with a roll up at 3:35

### Scott:

Sika continues to do his job, which is to...job. Jake Roberts is trying to kick start his year with a bang after slowly moving up the ladder as a babyface he's set to be a top flight guy. The match isn't much as Sika worked Jake over but the Snake would recover, and after some heel chicanery Jake wins with a roll up which I found weird. I'm surprised that he didn't win with a DDT, even as he delivered one to Mr. Fuji after the match. The Snake gets the throwaway win on the show with a seasoned veteran. The weird promos with Sika ripping heads off chickens is pretty funny.

### JT:

As 1988 opens up, Jake Roberts is seemingly a man without a feud. His face run has been a success but ever since the switch he hasn't had much of a program to sink his teeth into once he moved away from Honky Tonk Man. Here he tussles with the glorified Samoan jobber Sika, who is seconded by Mr. Fuji, natch. The Snake peppered Sika in the early going until Samoan caught him with a back drop to take control. Fuji would get involved, pelting Roberts with his cane, and allowing Sika to keep Roberts grounded. Sika locked in a lazy looking nerve hold that Jake eventually fought out of before coming back with some right hands. Fuji would trip him up to slow his offense but a second later, Roberts dodged a charge and rolled up Sika for the win. That was very blah and all of Sika's offense was basically Fuji interference. After the bout Jake smashed Fuji with the DDT which was easily the highlight of the bout. He would then dump the snake on the Fuj for one last laugh. Sika is useless, Fuji needs a better heavy to employ. And Roberts needs a legit feud to get him up and running once again.

*** Bobby Heenan reveals that he is allowing Andre the Giant to take his spot at ringside with King Kong Bundy for on evening only. Heenan claims that doctor's orders due to the neck injury he suffered at the hands of Hulk Hogan are keeping him in the locker room. ***

### 3) Hulk Hogan defeats King Kong Bundy to retain WWF World Title with a legdrop at 12:09

Fun Fact I: Following their match at SNME XIII, King Kong Bundy made a challenge to Hulk Hogan for a rematch with Andre in his corner. Hogan later accepted that challenge in an interview with Gene Okerland. Their rematch takes place here in Landover.

Fun Fact II: This would be the last major show for King Kong Bundy in the WWF for quite a while. During 1987, Bundy was not being paid well by the company, so he decided to do an ad for a Dutch computer company for extra money. McMahon did not like his wrestlers working outside of the company and was livid when he saw the ad. In later interviews, Bundy indicates that McMahon began treating him differently and admits the ad was the "kiss of death" to his career in the WWF. In early 1988, Bundy left the WWF and stepped away from wrestling until his return to the ring in 1994.

### Scott:

We have a rematch from our last SNME as Hogan meets the condominium with legs from Atlantic City. Bundy won by countout in the first encounter thanks to Bobby Heenan, but this time Andre the Giant is the side man for Bundy and Jesse says that changes the dynamic of this match completely. Bundy got more title shots since Wrestlemania II than I thought he did. Hogan and Bundy really had chemistry by the time they got to this match as they've wrestled quite a bit in 1987. I bet if you check house show results throughout the year, you'll see Bundy and Hogan worked the house show circuit and not Hogan and Andre. At this point Andre was probably picking his spots on the schedule, only working TV and PPV's. Bundy dominated the middle portion of the match until the referee got knocked out by a Bundy avalanche. Hogan got the advantage and pitched Bundy out of the ring but Bundy was able to recover as Dave Hebner became the ref while they scraped up the other one and got him out. Bundy again took control, and I have to say after his loss to Hogan at Wrestlemania II I thought he pretty much vanished from the main shows and was relegated to fighting midgets and mid-card. However the end of 1987 saw him re-ignite his feud with the World Champion and now back to back World Title shots on SNME. Andre was a great manager, barking things at the referee and setting Hogan up for a loss. Bundy hits Hogan with back to back avalanches and a splash but of course at 2 Hogan gets up, does what he does best and gets the three count to retain his championship. Jesse kept saying that Bundy's foot was touching Hogan and that there should have been a three count. Jesse was awesome, but he was even more excited post-match. Hogan was taunting Andre to get into the ring but he wouldn't. Then when Hogan was posing to his music, the Giant came in and attacked Hogan. He head butts him, and then chokes him out. A myriad of babyfaces from the back try to stop him but Andre just won't let go of the choke. Finally Jim Duggan cracks Hogan with the 2×4 but it only pissed Andre off. He does let Hogan go and leaves the ring in anger. Hogan is out, and we are prepared now for what will be the biggest network television match in wrestling history. The rematch. I liked the match and the post-match a lot, because it sets up the most anticipated rematch in wrestling history.

### JT:

Our highly anticipated rematch from our last SNME is upon us. Back in November, King Kong Bundy defeated Hulk Hogan by countout, earning him a rematch here. And just like last time, he will once again have Andre the Giant in his corner, this time for the entire bout as it is officially sanctioned. We discussed the strong chemistry between Hogan and Bundy last time and we will see if that rolls into this showdown. We started fast as Bundy came charging at Hogan but whiffed, giving Hulk the chance to run him from corner to corner and bang him with right hands in between, eventually knocking him hard to the floor. A clothesline would end with the same result a moment later, each time ending with Bundy consulting with Andre. The champ started to work the arm of the King of Bundamania but Bundy used the hair to switch leverage and hook an armbar of his own. Hogan landed a few shoulderblocks but ate an elbow on a charge and Bundy went right back to work on the arm with a long armbar. Hogan punched out of it and scooped and slammed Bundy but missed an elbow drop, rattling his injured appendage off the mat. Bundy would slam Hogan but then he missed an elbow drop as well as Jesse noted that Hogan was relying on his speed in this one. In a weird spot, the referee got all mixed up in the action, somehow leap frogging Hogan and then randomly yelling in his face as Bundy slammed into him from behind, knocking him out cold. Bundy would come up empty with a wild big splash and Hogan came up firing as a new referee came down to take over. As the old referee was stretchered out, the match paused, giving Bundy time to regroup and chat with Andre.

When the match resumed, Bundy choked away on Hogan and then drilled him with a clothesline and knee drop for two. A Bundy chop would knock Hogan to floor and when he rolled back in, Bundy really leveraged his size by standing on Hulk and powering him to the mat. After a chinlock wrenched Hogan's neck, Bundy rocked Hogan with an Avalanche in the corner and then hit a second one as Andre cheered hm on. He followed that with a big splash but Hogan kicked out and Hulked Up... and a moment later it was over courtesy a legdrop. Jesse was going nuts as he claimed Bundy's foot was touching Hogan's while he pantomimed a three count, saying that should have been a legal fall. Can't agree with you on that one, Jess. After the bout, Andre teased getting in the ring and then walked away. But, once Hogan started to pose, Andre snuck in from behind and choked Hogan out from behind while also whacking him with a headbutt. As Hogan's music blared, he buckled to his knees in agony, just about passing out. The British Bulldogs came out to help, but Andre swatted them away like flies and went back to choking the champ. Eventually. Roberts, JYD and Strike Force came out but it wasn't until Jim Duggan showed up and battered Andre with his 2×4 that the hold was broken. And even then Andre wasn't hurt, just annoyed. Hogan was pulled to safety but Andre looked like a monster here as he held the WWF Title high over his head and laughed. Well, that match was fine but a step behind their November tussle. It felt a little more formulaic and relied more on rest holds than in the past. The finish was a bit rushed too as Hogan got barely any offense in at all before the finish. However, none of that mattered as the post match was what was important and that was really fantastic. Andre looked lethal and poised to finally take the gold home from Hogan, who was left laying in shambles. Whenever their rematch is going to be, the heat and build is going to be fantastic. Also, a sad farewell to Bundy, who exited the promotion shortly after this show. I have enjoyed watching him evolve through these episodes and come to appreciate him much more than I ever did before.

### 4) Greg Valentine defeats Koko B. Ware with the figure four at 7:30

### Scott:

We close the match portion of the show out with a standard bout with two mid-carders. We haven't seen Valentine in a singles capacity for quite a while, as he's been in both pairs of dream teams with Brutus Beefcake and Dino Bravo. Now he has acquired Jimmy Hart as his manager and takes on the maestro of Piledriver. Speaking of the Beefer, the Barber comes down to ringside to rekindle their feud from 1987 when Valentine (with Bravo and Johnny Valiant) left Beefcake in the ring at WrestleMania III. The match was pretty stiff as Valentine really brought all the goods to Koko but the Birdman makes a big comeback with dropkicks but Valentine squashes the comeback with a knee to the shin. Valentine ratchets the figure four and Koko surprisingly submits. I wasn't expecting that but a well-deserved win. Valentine then puts the move back on which brings Brutus Beefcake back (he was ejected by the referee during the match). However we need Jimmy Hart to get his and the Barber gets a hunk of Jimmy's mullet. The match was standard TV fare and a big win for the Hammer.

### JT:

We close out this month's show with a midcard showdown between the always reliable Greg Valentine and the highly energetic Koko B. Ware. Jesse brings the racism out immediately, saying Koko "looks like Buckwheat and sings like Kingfish from Amos & Andy". Hammer landed the first blow, dropping Koko across the top rope with a stun gun and clubbing him in the head for a near fall. He would try for the figure four but Koko kicked free and avoided the hold. Valentine stayed in control, grinding Koko to the mat and hooking in a chinlock. As he was trapped, Jimmy Hart yelled at Koko to sing some Piledriver which made me chuckle. As the Hammer worked over Koko, his former tag partner and current nemesis Brutus Beefcake marched out to ringside and distracted him, allowing Koko to pick up two quick near falls and get back into the match. Joey Marella would hop to the floor and demand Beefcake leave, which he eventually did after a brief argument. After a break, Valentine had regained control of the bout, rattling Koko with a chop and sending him down with a back drop. Koko finally made a comeback, getting his first sustained offense of the bout with a dropkick and some right hands. However, Hammer caught him with a shinbreaker and locked in the figure four for the win. Wow, that was pretty much a squash. I expected more from Koko but it did made Valentine seem really quite strong and seemed to be setting him up for something substantial it would seem. Valentine hooked the hold again after the bell and Beefcake reemerged to make the save. The Barber was able to trap Jimmy Hart and actually shear some of his locks before the Mouth escaped. Looks like Beefer's feud with the Hart Family is kicked up a notch here. The match was fine, but nothing special.

*** Gene Okerlund chats with Bobby Heenan and Andre the Giant who promises that he closing in on the biggest deal in sports history and that at the end of it all, Andre would be very successful and eventually win the WWF World Title from Hulk Hogan. Okerlund also notes that Hogan has suffered damaged to his windpipe as a result of the earlier attack. ***

### Final Analysis:

### Scott:

We begin 1988 with another jam packed episode with storylines and character development galore. The Hogan/Andre feud is reignited as the WWF prepares for the biggest Network event in wrestling history. Jake Roberts gets a win to keep his ascension going as well as a win for the tag team champions, Strike Force. That Bolsheiviks graphic was pretty awesome though wasn't it? The only guy surprisingly missing from the show was Randy Savage but that's ok, we will get much more of him as 1988 commences.

Final Grade:

### JT:

I really wasn't much of a fan of this episode as a whole. The Hogan/Andre stuff was epic and lit the powder keg that would explode soon enough but outside of that there really wasn't much else going on here. The tag opener was fine bit nothing that stood out, Roberts/Sika was nothing and the Valentine/Koko match was basically a squash with the highlight being Beefcake cutting Hart's hair. Hogan/Bundy II was a step back from their first tilt so no matches here really were that captivating. The Andre attack saves it but overall I think this is one of our worst outings in a while.

Final Grade:

# The Main Event I – 2/5/88

February 5, 1988

Market Square Arena

Indianapolis, IN

Announcers: Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura

NBC Rating: 15.2

Fun Fact: This is the first SNME spin-off episode which would be a live Friday night prime time broadcast from Market Square Arena in Indianapolis. The WWF's popularity was flying high at this point. After an historic year in 1987, with the massive showing at WrestleMania III, the creation of their second PPV event Survivor Series and ratings of their SNME events which aired during late night on Saturdays, everything the WWF was touching turned into money.

Vince McMahon and Dick Ebersol wanted to see how things would go if the program was put into prime time. Ebersol gave McMahon one hour on Friday night. In return, McMahon promised a WrestleMania main event as well as indicating something big would happen.

The end result was massive for both the WWF and NBC. The live broadcast drew 33 million viewers and a 15.2 rating, which to this day both remain records for an American wrestling broadcast on television. It would also result in the end of the four year title reign for Hulk Hogan and would set things up for WrestleMania IV.

### 1) Randy Savage defeats Honky Tonk Man via countout at 8:39; Honky Tonk Man retains WWF Intercontinental Title

Fun Fact: We start the broadcast with another rematch, this one from SNME XII for the Intercontinental title. Following the XII match, Savage was triple teamed by HTM and the Hart Foundation. As HTM lifted his guitar to hit Savage, Miss Elizabeth jumped in the way to save him. HTM pushed her to the mat and then brought the guitar down on Savage's head. Elizabeth ran to the back and returned with Hulk Hogan, who cleared house, initiating a new friendship between Savage and Hogan. Savage continued to pursue the IC title on the house show circuit, with many DQ or countout results. HTM claimed during the leadup to this rematch that he would not only keep his title but would also win Miss Elizabeth.

### Scott:

This show was huge, super huge. This wasn't Saturday night at 11:30pm. This was prime time on a Friday night at perhaps the high point of the Federation Era. So they had several matches for the arena crowd, including some characters that would be on the forefront for 1988. However the main focus for this show was the top guys in the company and both these men certainly are it. This feud had been raging for months after Savage's face turn in the early fall. After what happened in October when Savage got belted with the guitar and Elizabeth was shoved to the ground, things were very heated. This match right from the get go is so much better than their first meeting. Savage is all over the place attacking Honky in and out of the ring and really wanting to be IC Champion again. Jimmy Hart and Peggy Sue (one of Savage's future managers) were a distracting presence and Savage couldn't corral Honky to win the match. In what was almost a glorified squash where the champion had literally no offense, Jimmy Hart clocks Savage with the megaphone while he was distracted. Honky was counted out anyway so the chicanery in the ring was all afterwards. Savage chases everybody off with the guitar and gets his hand raised in victory, but without the Intercontinental Championship. That's ok with Savage because soon as he just may have bigger fish to fry in a few months. The match was fun and proved Savage is running with the main eventers, and Honky is the greatest chicken shit champion of all time.

### JT:

For the first time in decades, professional wrestling arrived in prime time as this special edition of The Main Event aired live on a Friday evening on NBC. And knowing this was such a massive opportunity, the WWF loaded the card up with two big time matches that were looking to wrap two of 1987's hottest and most enduring feuds. In our opener, Randy Savage is looking for revenge on the Honky Tonk Man and wants to gain back his Intercontinental Title while doing it. Honky still has a tight grip on the gold he unbelievable won back in the summer and upped his heel ante when he shoved the beloved Elizabeth hard to the mat in October. The Indianapolis crowd was raucous as the show started up and the hype continued to build. Honky Tonk and Jimmy Hart emerged first and Honky was joined by his main squeeze Peggy Sue and the trio danced happily, looking very confident about the title bout. The fans went bonkers for Savage and Macho wasted no time going right at Honky, cracking him with a series of elbows both in and out of the ring. Savage rammed Honky's head into Hart's and just kept on pounding the champ. Savage was a man possessed but eventually whiffed on a charge and crashed into the corner. Savage recovered but bounded to the floor to chase Hart, who had caused distraction. Back inside, the referee was tied up with Hart, allowing Honky to pelt Savage in the gut with the megaphone. Honky started wearing Savage down but Macho broke free and landed another elbow. Honky cut that comeback quickly with a knee to the gut that knocked Savage to the floor. Back inside, the champ was aggressive with his kicks and punches, clearly trying to match Macho's pace and understanding the urgency due to Savage's demeanor earlier. Honky cut off another comeback and then went outside to taunt Liz, but that just gave Savage a chance to recover and slug him from behind. Back in the ring, Savage brought the heat, kicking Honky in the chops and then chucking him to the floor. He careened off the top with a double axe handle and pitched the champ back inside, looking for the kill. Savage hit another axe blow but could only get a two count. As he hooked a sleeper, Peggy Sue went at Liz, drawing Savage out to the floor. Honky chased after but gut rammed into the post as the crowd buzzed. Savage rolled inside and would end up winning by count out but Honky retained his title. Honky would grab his guitar and have a stand off with Savage, but Hart bopped Macho with the megaphone, knocking him to the mat. Liz scurried to his side and protected her man, but Honky didn't care and took a swing... but thankfully Savage popped up and blocked it. The crowd went bonkers as Honky scampered away. Savage would welcome Liz into the ring and raise her hand before hoisting her on his shoulder, officially cementing his face turn and showing his respect for Liz as opposed to his jealous rage that we had been so used to. The match was really very basic but the crazy heat and strong energy and pacing from both guys provide enough intangibles to bump this up a notch. Savage doesn't get the gold but he did get the win and also saved his woman. So not a total win... but bigger things just may lay ahead.

### 2) Andre the Giant defeats Hulk Hogan to win WWF Heavyweight Title with a double underhook suplex at 9:05

Fun Fact: This is the rematch most wrestling fans had been looking forward to since WrestleMania III. At the very beginning of that match, Hogan went to bodyslam Andre, but wasn't able to get him up. Instead, Andre falls on Hogan, leading to a very near pinfall, which Andre thought was a three count. This one moment in the match lead to a near year-long build to their rematch. Between that match and here, a new character had entered the fray looking for the title, The Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase. According to him, "everyone has a price for the Million Dollar Man". In late 1987, DiBiase announced that he was going to buy the WWF championship. When Hogan turned him down and told him that he would have to win it in the ring, DiBiase turned to Andre to get the title for him. DiBiase had purchased Andre's contract from Bobby Heenan and had promised Andre a large sum of money to deliver the title to him after beating Hogan. At the USA Network special, Royal Rumble, Hogan and Andre signed the contract for the rematch setting the stage for the biggest rematch in pro wrestling, which would occur live on national television.

### Scott:

Well here we are. The biggest rematch in WWF history, live on network television. This match was almost as big if not bigger than their first match at WrestleMania. That was on PPV, but this on free TV on a Friday night. Millions (including me) watching live at home with my brother (rooting hard for the Giant of course) and I thought this was going to be a typical Hogan title defense where he will get beat down, make his comeback and win. The presence of newcomer Ted DiBiase adds some different sizzle to the match rather than Bobby Heenan. One thing I noticed now is that in the pre-match interview Hogan had his normal WWF Championship belt, but when he came down the aisle he had this new "Winged Eagle" belt. That will be the WWF Title belt for the next decade, and most fans decry as their favorite incarnation. Hogan comes out red hot and takes out DiBiase and his bodyguard Virgil but Andre took control and spent most of the match choking out the champion and weakening him. This may be the last time in his career Andre will be this mobile, and even so he's using basic power offense and working Hogan with chops, boots and punches with the occasional bodyslam. It seems to me that Andre is more aggressive with his offense even if he is moving very slow. Hogan makes his comeback and hits his legdrop but the referee is occupied with Virgil so his pinfall attempt isn't counted. Andre then hits his "Andre suplex" and as I'm awaiting the kick out, Hogan lifts his shoulder at two, but the referee kept counting to three. Wait, what? No this must be a mistake. I was awaiting a reversal and a restart of the match. Hogan's shoulder clearly lifted his shoulder at two but Jesse (who was on cloud nine) says there's no instant replay. And then the referee gives the title to Andre. I was stunned, literally stunned. I was staring at the TV completely frozen. My brother was dancing around the living room laughing at me and I had no words. Hulk Hogan's epic four-year run as WWF Champion as the face of the company was over. Andre, then in an incredible turn of events, hands the title over to Ted DiBiase, who walks out with the WWF Title and Hogan is completely inconsolable. This was an incredible moment on live network television. But then out comes a guy who looks exactly like Dave Hebner. CHICANERY! We have two referees that look alike? Dave Hebner has a twin brother Earl, who was a referee down in Jim Crockett Promotions. Now it looks like Ted DiBiase paid off a referee to get plastic surgery to look like Dave Hebner. Total outside the box nonsense that was so great. The only bad thing is that Andre spent his entire career wanting the WWF Title, then he gets it and just hands it over to Ted DiBiase for cash. Weird. The entire package was worth the hackneyed finish but now (for the moment) a new WWF Champion. We will see how long that lasts.

### JT:

Ever since Hulk Hogan slammed and defeated Andre the Giant at WrestleMania III, the hype for a rematch has been boiling hot. Andre took some time off for surgery but returned in the fall to defeat Hogan by count out at Survivor Series. He then was sold to Ted DiBiase and finally was set to receive his title rematch here. It was a really big deal for a bout this huge to be given away on free network TV but it was a stroke of genius to do so. Even with DiBiase roaming ringside, many had to assume Hogan would retain heading into WrestleMania. The anticipation grew as Andre lumbered to the ring, his enormous back casting a shadow across the the aisle and his presence creating a stir amongst the molten Indianapolis crowd. Hogan entrance was fantastic too as the fans went bonkers. The shot of Andre, DiBiase and Virgil standing on the apron as Hogan tore of his shirt was really cool. As was the slow pan up Andre's body that ended on his confident smirk. The buzz grew and grew until Andre finally stepped in the ring and the match got underway. Hogan cleaned house, beating on DiBiase and Virgil before rocking Andre with some big right hands and chops. Andre stayed on his feet and absorbed the blows but Hogan kept laying them in. He tried a couple of clotheslines while also cracking Virgil and DiBiase yet again but Andre would not go down. This is a great way to start as it is keeping the crowd super engaged and making Andre look like a monster. Hogan kept pounding but made a huge mistake when he went to the top rope as Andre blocked him and slammed him to the mat. The champ dodged an elbow but got caught in a choke by the prone Andre. Back on their feet, Andre slung Hogan hard into the corner and then slammed him hard to the mat. Andre choked away as Jesse Ventura put over the great job Dave Hebner was doing in calling things evenly. The Giant drilled Hogan with a boot to the face that knocked him to the floor but Virgil pitched him right back in, allowing the challenger to go right back to the choke.

Hogan broke free and started laying in more chops and right hands and this time his aerial strike worked as he hit a clothesline off the middle rope. Virgil started tying up the referee as Hogan dropped the leg and covered. Hogan popped up and yelled at Hebner but Andre stalked him, cracked him with a pair of headbutts and hit a double arm suplex... for the win? Hogan got his shoulder up at two but the referee counted three and granted Andre the win and the title. The crowd lost their minds and Hogan freaked out as Jesse celebrated and rubbed it in to McMahon. DiBiase and Virgil surrounded the new champion, who was granted the title by Hebner. Things got crazier as Andre then forfeited the title to DiBiase, who took the belt and laughed away in Hogan's face. The batshit madness continued as another Dave Hebner showed up... yes, a twin. The two referees stared each other down as the crowd booed lustily and Hogan tried to sort everything out. The Hebners shoved each other until one slugged the other and kicked him out of the ring. Hogan grabbed him and pitched him over the top rope into... er, over the arms of Andre, Virgil and DiBiase. This was wild stuff that shocked the wrestling world on many levels. It was amazing to see Hogan's run end like this, especially right before Mania. It was also a huge boost to the character of Ted DiBiase, who instantly has caused all sorts of mayhem with his millions of dollars and deep greed. I think the match itself may even have been better than their one at Mania and the post match kerfluffle was some of the best storytelling we have seen in the PPV era. For the first time in our review, Hulk Hogan is no longer World Champion and chaos has fully ensued.

Fun Fact: On the live broadcast, the show was running long and there was not enough time for the final match to air to completion. So the Strike Force/Hart Foundation tag match was still going on when NBC ended the show. When the events were placed on the WWE Network in 2014, the ending of this match was included and shown for the first time ever. Strike Force would win the bout.

### Final Analysis:

### Scott:

This was a one match show to bring millions to their TV sets. It was the biggest moment for Vince, as there hasn't been prime time network wrestling since the DuPont days of the AWA. Not only was the buildup to the match great, but to now have the shocking moment of Hogan actually losing the WWF Title and then the chicanery that followed it. The Savage/Honky match was there to give Savage some shine and to fill the network block up. I'm not sure if the tag team title match was accidently dumped or if they knew they were going to run out of time but no bother. Clearly Hogan's post-match interview was more important than the match anyway. The overall grade won't be great, but that doesn't discount the incredible moment of the match, the hot crowd and the shocking finish. Not that we put two and two together at the time, but with WrestleMania IV around the corner, this was the start of that build.

Final Grade:

### JT:

A massive night of wrestling television in prime time that more than delivered. This night wasn't about workrate or in ring action. It was all about getting eyeballs on the product and delivering a major, memorable moment. Mission accomplished. We have a new WWF champion... maybe. We have chicanery and mischief and mayhem and madness. Ted DiBiase is immediately positioned as a major player... hell, he may be the new champion! Also, Randy Savage seemingly has put his issue with Honky Tonk Man to bed and based on the crowd reaction, he is easily the second hottest face on the roster. The company was cooking heading toward Mania but decided to shake things up and really open up a lot of potential doors in advance of their trip to Atlantic City. This show easily delivered on the hype and put a huge stake in the ground for the company.

Final Grade:

# Saturday Night's Main Event XV – 3/12/88

March 12, 1988

Municipal Auditorium

Nashville, TN

Announcers: Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura

Attendance: 10,000

NBC Rating: 10.0

### 1) Brutus Beefcake defeats Greg Valentine by lifting his shoulder up during a bridge suplex at 9:00

Fun Fact: The feud between Brutus Beefcake and Greg Valentine started back at WrestleMania III when Valentine and Dino Bravo argued with and dropped Beefcake from the Dream Team. Beefcake became "The Barber" in a face role. Bravo and Valentine would form The New Dream Team, a team that Valentine was not pleased to be a part of. He felt the two did not have much chemistry together. Valentine briefly left the WWF after he was asked to kidnap the mascot of the British Bulldogs, Matilda. He was later brought back under Jimmy Hart as a singles wrestler. He would feud with Beefcake for the better part of 1987 into early 1988, with this match being their last major television match together.

### Scott:

After over a year we finally get the on-camera battle between the former members of the Dream Team. The Beefer has been gaining big momentum since the babyface turn while Valentine was off the radar somewhat until he hooked up with Jimmy Hart. The commentary with Vince and Jesse continues to be the buzz about our last episode and the controversy involving the WWF Title. Jesse mentions WrestleMania in his opening but no details even though we were less than a month away from Trump Plaza. I love how Jesse has spun that saga to where he feels Hogan brought the fake referee to cause chaos so he wouldn't lose clean to Andre. So funny. Beefcake was never a workrate marvel so this match is a lot of strikes and posturing. Valentine is a technician and a master of dictating tempo. Midway through the match Jimmy Hart's crown jewel, Intercontinental Champion Honky Tonk Man, makes his way out. He grabs the mic and starts taunting the #1 contender to his title, the Beefer. That match is announced for March 27 as Honky refers to it in his promo. After the break the match really picked up and both men went back and forth with strikes and grapples. Beefcake hits a big elbow then cranks up his sleeper but both men fall out of the ring. Jimmy Hart gets Beefcake to chase him and he walks into a Valentine stomp. Then Valentine hits a German suplex and both men's shoulders are down but Beefcake lifts his shoulder at two and gets the win. I thought the win needed to be more definitive but a win is a win I suppose. Beefcake chases both guys off with his big shears, so it seems like this feud isn't over. It probably is because Beefcake has bigger fish to fry on March 27: A shot at the Intercontinental Championship.

### JT:

We sit just weeks away from WrestleMania and squeeze in one last Saturday Night's Main Event before the big day. With all of the major players getting ready to jockey for the WWF Title, we have a solid slate of matches ahead here. A year ago in the Silverdome, the Dream Team officially came to an end and here the former tag team champions tussle, both in very different spots on the card. Greg Valentine has become a heel stalwart, tossed into the ring with anyone that needs a battle of credibility. Brutus Beefcake is on the rise, moving quickly up the face ranks and having his eyes locked on Honky Tonk Man's Intercontinental Title...and perhaps his hair too. And he is also gunning for the hair of Jimmy Hart, who is now managing Valentine full time. Beefcake is still sorting things out as the Barber gimmick is fully in place but he still puts out a bit of a crazy man vibe with his mannerisms and facial expressions. Vince McMahon notes their history together as they trade off some blows early on. Beefcake landed the first big strike with a knee to the face and a slam before decking him with some right hands. After some epic selling from a pair of Barber atomic drops, Valentine hit the deck hard from an elbow to the dome. With the referee temporarily tangled up, Valentine landed a cheap shot and went to town, laying in some stiff elbows and forearms. He was able to hook the figure four in but Beefcake was too close to the ropes and forced the break... but not until after Hammer used the ropes too to inflict some damage. With Beefcake dumped outside and writhing on the floor, Honky Tonk Man strutted to ringside and grabbed the mic to taunt Beefer as he recovered. Honky was forced to the back during a break and when we returned, Valentine was still doling out clubbing blows and then started to punish the leg to set up another shot at the figure four. Before he could, Beefcake made a comeback with some stinging punches and a back elbow followed by locking on the sleeperhold. Valentine staggered to the ropes and pulled both himself and Beefcake to the floor, where the proceeded to trade punches. Hart tried to get involved but Beefcake chased him off until Hammer made the save. Valentine then took Beefcake over with a back suplex into a bridge, but during the count, Beefcake got his shoulder up giving him the big win and some momentum heading into his big title shot. That was a tidy little match with some stiff offense on both ends. The psychology was basic and effective and we even got the little tease with Honky to set up Mania. Beefcake got a needed win and even snips some of Hammer's hair after the bell.

### 2) Hulk Hogan defeats Harley Race with a legdrop at 6:37

Fun Fact: Table spots are a pretty typical thing in today's wrestling matches, using worked tables that break easily. This wasn't the case back in 1988, so the spot that Harley Race took with Hulk Hogan in this match was atypical. Hogan, lying prone on a table outside of the ring, moved out of the way as Race came off the ring and tried to hit Hogan with a headbutt. Race went crashing into the table. The impact with the table forced the metal edge of the table into Race's abdomen, causing a hernia. Race continued to wrestle with the injury for a few months before finally taking time off in June for surgery and recovery. He would make a brief comeback in 1989 before leaving the WWF for good.

### Scott:

So for the first time in SNME history, Hulk Hogan is wrestling a match WITHOUT the WWF Title around his waist. It was really weird and unsettling as a fan to not see him as champion but the wheels were turning in the company and in Hogan's professional life. This was somewhat of a dream match as Race was a former multi-time NWA World Champion and could give Hogan a really good match. They spend the early portion of the match on the outside and Jesse makes the point that obviously the referee isn't counting to either of these guys. Hogan is ultra-aggressive here, slamming Race into the steel post and choking him out with the tape on his hand. Hogan is going insane, even so much as to lift Bobby Heenan up and start viciously choking him out until Race hits Hogan from behind and takes control. Then in an important moment of the match, Hogan is laid out on a table and Race goes for a flying headbutt, but Hogan dives out of the way and Race goes into the table. However Race suffers an severe abdominal injury and is out for the rest of 1988. Hogan makes his comeback and wins the match. During his posing I feel like Hogan had dropped some mass and looked trimmer than he had in the past couple of years. I thought this match was longer than it was but it was a lot of fun with a lot of action and different kind of performance from the former WWF Champion. I enjoyed this match a lot but I wish it was longer.

### JT:

Still reeling from his stunning loss a month ago, Hulk Hogan is out to wreck anyone related to Andre the Giant in any way. And since Bobby Heenan fit that bill, he was ready to mow through the King of the Family, Harley Race. For older fans this is a real battle of top legends, but in the land of the WWF it is just another match to push Hogan's never ending feud with the Brain. Harley doesn't have much going on in the way of feuds or storylines and just sort of floats from match to match as needed. And this is arguably his biggest with the company. Hulkster didn't even have his shirt off and his music was blaring as Race jumped him and caught a beating as the crowd went crazy. Hogan kept mowing Race down with clotheslines as the match finally got underway and topped it off by sending Race over the top rope and onto a table at ringside. Hogan followed him and rammed him into the ring post and then blocked a Race piledriver with a back drop as the match continued as a brawl on the outside. Hogan used the post again and then slammed Harley on the floor before finally pitching him back inside. Vince mentions Hogan's tournament match with Andre as he kept hammering away, even choking the King with his wrist tape. Hogan is wild here and it is really fun. And Race is the perfect guy to bump all around for him. Jesse calls out Joey Marella again, basically saying he is in Hogan's pocket. Some Heenan interference finally gave Race a chance at some offense and he laid in a headbutt and stiff knee drop. Back outside, Race put Hogan on the table and went to the apron. He dove off with a headbutt but Hogan dodged and he smashed into it, splintering it in half. That spot fucked him up bad, causing internal injuries that did some real damage. Somehow Race recovered and hit a top rope diving headbutt but Hogan kicked out and finished off the King with his standard barrage. I really dug that match as it was a super fun brawl with Hogan just going crazy and pounding Race all around ringside. Harley's offense was good too and the table bump was really neat to see at this time. The crowd heat was there as you would expect and with all the Hogan/Heenan tie-ins, this had a lot going for it.

### 3) Ted DiBiase defeats Randy Savage by countout at 11:39

Fun Fact I: Less than three weeks before WrestleMania IV and their main event encounter for the world title, Ted DiBiase and Randy Savage met here on SNME for the first time on WWF television. This match planted the first seed in the formation of the Mega Powers.

Fun Fact II: Before the WWF vacated the title following the result of The Main Event title match, Ted DiBiase was billed as the WWF Champion on three house shows, including one on February 8 in Los Angeles where he defended the title against Bam Bam Bigelow. However, DiBiase is not recognized as having a WWF title reign since the title could not change hands by someone giving him the title.

### Scott:

As the storylines in the company start to weave into each other heading into Wrestlemania IV, the #2 babyface in the company takes on (at this moment) the most despised heel in the company. Fans still haven't forgiven him for robbing their beloved Hulk Hogan of the WWF Title and now we see the other big fan favorite going toe to toe with him. Savage started 1987 in the position DiBiase was; a despised heel going after beloved fan favorite Ricky Steamboat. Fast forward and he's a big fan favorite. Typical Savage match starts with him going crazy on DiBiase, bouncing around the ring and the outside throwing strikes and going crazy. DiBiase's insurance policy, Andre the Giant, comes down the aisle as protection. We will see plenty of that over the next month. I think the hilarious part of Savage as a face is that now Jesse says Macho Man sometimes hides behind a skirt, where Vince says he's never seen that. Well of course we saw it plenty of times in 1986 and through half of 1987. Virgil hits Savage from behind and gets ejected before the commercial break. Both men keep it up with the strikes, and what I loved about watching Savage is that he can go at a breakneck pace when he's in control and still hits his moves crisply without looking too wild. The referee gets bumped and the real chicanery happens. DiBiase is being shielded while Andre lays the business down on Savage outside with chops and headbutts. The referee recovers to count Savage out and the Million Dollar Man wins cheap. He and Virgil start laying the wood on Savage in the ring until Hogan comes out with a chair and the heels scatter. We are full on towards the World Title tournament March 27 in Atlantic City and this shows who could be the favorites and the underdogs.

### JT:

We are yet to have seen Ted DiBiase wrestle on a SNME but he has wreaked all sorts of wild havoc in the promotion during his brief stay. He has flaunted his money and attempted to buy the WWF Title, sending the company into chaos as a result. With the belt upheld, both he and Randy Savage were slated for the big WrestleMania tournament to determine a new champion. Savage is now 100% a face, solidified back at the Main Event and is also one of the favorites to walk out of Mania with the gold. As Savage entered the ring and stood across DiBiase, Andre the Giant sauntered out to stand in his owner's corner. The mind games continued as Virgil stalked Elizabeth, drawing Savage for the save and allowing DiBiase to kick him from behind and go to work with aggressive strikes. He choked away viciously as Vince put him over as a tactician and Jesse wondered which Hebner was refereeing the bout. Savage found an opening when DiBiase dropped his head. Macho knocked DIBiase to the floor but pitched him right back in to avoid any nonsense. He hit a top rope axe blow and DiBiase scurried to the floor to regroup and chat with the Giant. DiBiase regained control but it was brief because he ate and was rattled by Savage boot on a charge. Macho landed some shots until he missed a knee drop but he was able to kick DiBiase to the floor to break up a spinning toehold. DiBiase pulled him outside and the two tussled there until Andre distracted Macho, allowing Virgil to deck him from behind. The official tossed Virgil away from ringside Andre was able to stick around and DiBiase took advantage by hooking in a rear chinlock, leaning on Macho to wear him out. Savage broke free and heated up, bringing the fire with some clotheslines and a back drop. A moment later. the referee got knocked down and Savage pitched DIBiase to the floor. He followed with a double axe handle off the top but Andre came over and started pounding Savage, leading to Liz sprinting off to the locker room. Andre was relentless as he clubbed Macho and in the meantime DiBiase slid back inside and shielded the recovered Hebner. After the damage was done, Hebner laid the count on and reached ten, giving DiBiase the count out victory. I liked that finish a lot as it really builds heat for DiBiase's group of thugs and also preps the two for a feud to continue. Hulk Hogan would emerge after the match to protect his new buddy and run off the assailants. The match was really good with a great back and forth pace and no lengthy heat segments either way. They showed off their chemistry right away and were both so smooth as they wove through the story of the match. I didn't mind the countout one bit as it really made all the sense in the world, plus Andre looked like a monster as he kicked the shit out of Macho on the floor, weakening him for the tournament.

### 4) Islanders defeat Killer Bees when Haku pinned Brian Blair following a side kick at 3:38

Fun Fact I: The Islanders were formed in mid-1986 when Tama was paired with Haku. Initially the team had a face run where they wrestled a lot of preliminary matches. With the large amount of talent in the tag team ranks during that period, the Islanders became lost in the shuffle and ended their initial run as jobbers to other teams. Shortly after WrestleMania III, the Islanders were wrestling the Can-Am Connection when Bobby Heenan came out to ringside. The Islanders made their heel turn and became part of the Heenan Family. During their heel run, they had two major feuds, one with Strike Force and the other with the British Bulldogs. At the time of this SNME event, the tag team was coming to an end. One month after this, Tama would leave the WWF. High Chief Afi would join the team briefly and would tag with Haku to keep the team together, but that tag combination was short lived. By the end of the May 1988, the Islanders would no longer exist as a tag team.

Fun Fact II: This match between the Islanders and the Killer Bees was originally shown on SNME as a one fall match. However, the match was actually a best 2 out of 3 falls match. The third fall was shown on the broadcast. The other two falls would be seen on Prime Time Wrestling on 4/18. The Islanders won the first fall, the Bees won the second fall and (as seen on SNME) the Islanders won the third fall and the match.

### Scott:

With our main events done, we have a couple of filler matches to round the show out. The Islanders were a babyface team but with some of his bigger guys gone, Bobby Heenan needed a new fresh tag team and this was a perfect one to turn heel and join him. The Killer Bees seem like such an outdated team as they've been around since late-1985, so this is almost like an elimination match in the tag team division. The match was actually a two out of three falls match but this fall was the only one televised. The Islanders were a great team with awesome chemistry and they went back and forth with the Bees for a few minutes before some heel chicanery with the referee getting distracted leads to the Islanders getting the only televised fall of the match. Not much more to see here except that Tama and Haku are the fresher, cooler team then two guys in bumblebee tights.

### JT:

This show has been quite loaded so far but the time has come to fill out the back end of the program. The Islanders have turned heel as the calendar turned and along with gaining a douchebag attitude, they also picked up Bobby Heenan as their manager. They are slated to battle the stalwart Killer Bees here and on paper this is a real nice matchup. In a funny bit, Heenan comes out in a beekeeper mask, teasing the Bees about their gimmick. The Bees came out first, using their speed and quick tags to control Tama. Brunzell would whiff on dropkick and Tama laid in a big headbutt to send him to his knees. He followed with a suplex for a near fall and then started to tag in and out with Haku to maintain control. Brunzell tried to wriggle free but he and Haku collided with a double clothesline, leading to both men struggling on the mat. However, both were able to tag and Blair laid the wood on Tama. He rolled the Islander up and the official counted but decided to stop at two to force Brunzell and Haku out of the ring. That momentarily confusion allowed Haku the chance to deck Blair with a side kick for the win. This was the third fall of the match and the only one shown on TV but the Islanders clearly had the higher stock right now and needed the solid win. This could have been really good with time but this just wasn't the place for it.

### 5) One Man Gang defeats Ken Patera with a clothesline at 3:00

### Scott:

Wow, now this is a throwaway match if I ever saw one! One Man Gang was all over the country in the 1980s, as I remember him in the Apter mags from World Class to AWA to Crockett. Now Vince gets another big man on the heel side to add to Slick's stable. Ken Patera came back from prison with his bad fluffy hair and creamy hairless legs to gain revenge on Bobby Heenan, and he never really did. Now here he's fodder for the big bad man from Chicago. Not much more here.

### JT:

Our final match of the night is a showcase bout for the One Man Gang, who is being prepped as a legit contender for the title tournament. Opposite him is the quickly fading Ken Patera, who was never the same after his stint in the hoosegow. These two were on opposite sides at Survivor Series and Gang eliminated Patera there. And he picks up right where he left off, jumping Patera as he disrobed and choked him with his track suit. Gang dropped some heavy blows but Kenny battled right back and actually hooked on a bear hug, even hoisting him off the mat. That was a really cool spot. Gang raked the face to break things up but Patera ducked an axe blow and locked in his full nelson. Gang reached the ropes but Patera had him on his heels and looked like he may steal this one until Gang got him trapped in the corner and buried him. Patera got one last flurry in the corner, raining down blows but a moment later Gang cracked him with a clothesline and just collapsed on him for the win. Damn if that finish was a little cleaner, this would have been a hell of a three minute tussle. After the bell, Patera got more offense in but Slick came in and broke things up. Weird way to set up Gang for Mania. Patera looked pretty good and showed nice energy and that bear hug spot was really cool and that was a surprisingly feisty little match.

### Final Analysis:

### Scott:

This was an important episode of SNME for a few reasons. First, as we head into WrestleMania IV the players all had to be placed in the proper positions as the World Title tournament looms. Second, it's the first major show where Hulk Hogan isn't the WWF Champion and the question was would the fans still love him if he's just another guy on the roster. Well that question was answered swiftly in a win over Harley Race. Finally, you're seeing how the show rotates guys in and out based on what the hot feuds are. For instance, Jake Roberts is usually a mainstay of SNME, but since he's not really in a storyline right now he gets the night off (or wrestled off camera). Randy Savage (even more than Hogan) will always be considered the face of SNME, and from this point forward he's pretty much on all of them. This was another fun episode with great storyline advancement and the usual great commentary from Vince and Jesse.

Final Grade:

### JT:

Wow, what a hidden gem this episode was! It was a lot of fun and really flew by. The opener was quite solid and pushed along our IC title feud. Hogan/Harley was a really good and unexpected brawl and had the memorable table spot. Savage/DiBiase was a very fun showcase of their immediate chemistry and everything involved in that match played off the Main Event and set us up for Mania. Even Patera/Gang was fun as a brief squash, with Patera showing good energy and some impressive power. Jesse and Vince were right on point here, setting us up for the showdown at Trump Plaza. This is not an episode you hear much about, but it is well worth your time to check out.

Final Grade:

# Saturday Night's Main Event XVI – 4/30/88

April 30, 1988

Civic Center

Springfield, MA

Announcers: Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura

Attendance: 9,000

### 1) Jim Duggan defeats Hercules by disqualification at 8:00

Fun Fact: This match with Jim Duggan is more a match with the Heenan Family than with one individual. At WrestleMania IV, Andre the Giant tripped Duggan during his match with DiBiase which led to DiBiase winning the match. On the April 2 episode of Superstars from Winston-Salem, NC, Duggan came out following Andre's match to challenge him. Andre began choking Duggan, but Duggan fought back, hitting Andre with his 2×4 and knocking him out. Following the altercation, Bobby Heenan would again become Andre's manager, purchasing his contract back from DiBiase, and would vow revenge for attacking a Family member.

### Scott:

Well the moment has (sadly) arrived for me. We now get the endless SNME appearances for the drooling dope Jim Duggan. Duggan is still in his Mid-South black tights and white knee pads. Jesse calls Duggan "a wounded water buffalo in heat." I knew Jesse was my favorite journalist. All the matches tonight stem from the results of WrestleMania IV and that includes this one. Andre the Giant cost Duggan his first round match in the World Title tournament against Ted DiBiase and revenge could come here against fellow Heenan Family member Hercules. We know that this won't be a technical display and certainly it's a lot of power moves and posturing. Bobby goes for the cheap shot and Duggan goes for the 2×4 and waves it all over the ring. That's what always bugged me: The lack of logic involving this idiot. All the other heels in the WWF get lambasted by the babyface announcers for foreign objects but whenever Duggan brings the 2×4 in the ring he's "defending himself and AMERICA!!!" Even in the years of kayfabe that pissed me off. Duggan hits Hercules with the three point stance but the Family comes in to stop the pin and cause the disqualification. Duggan clears house as well as an assist from the run-in by the Ultimate Warrior. Warrior is slowly moving the up the babyface food chain, and with no Hulk Hogan on this show we need some fresh faces to boost the crowd and the ratings. The match wasn't much but seeing Warrior was very cool.

### JT:

With WrestleMania in our rear view window and a brand new WWF Champion not named Hulk Hogan leading the charge for the first time in the SNME era, we have an interesting card ahead. And an interesting time ahead for the company as a whole as this was a whole new world in many ways. In our opener, Andre the Giant has finally been transitioned off his long running feud with Hulk Hogan and onto an issue with Jim Duggan. Here, his stablemate Hercules is looking to put a beating on Hacksaw on his behalf. The build of their feud was pretty good as Duggan cracked Andre with his 2×4 and knocked him unconscious, which was a very rare sight. Of course that stemmed from Andre costing Hacksaw his WrestleMania tournament tilt with Ted DiBiase. I never tire of the buzz that fills the arena when the Giant enters on these shows. Jesse Ventura laid into Duggan's wrestling ability immediately as the two powerhouses traded blows. Hacksaw rattled Herc with a clothesline and a back drop but came up empty on a knee drop. Herc clubbed away, dodging a comeback before dealing stiff punches to Duggan's grill. Hacksaw would knocked to the floor but on his way back in, he grabbed his 2×4 and chased both Hercules and Heenan into hiding. After a break. the referee yanked away the board, allowing Herc to drill Duggan from behind and go back to work with his fists before hooking in a bear hug. Duggan fought free but Herc buried a knee, cutting off another comeback. Herc has been really aggressive here and looks sharp. Duggan finally found an opening and a minute later he cracked Herc with a running clothesline but the cover was broken up by Heenan to draw the DQ. Andre climbed in as well and they triple teamed Duggan until Ultimate Warrior made the save to a huge pop. That was a fun little power match with a lot of energy and aggression by both. Toss in the Andre stuff and this was a solid opener.

### 2) Brutus Beefcake defeats Danny Davis with a sleeper at 3:10

Fun Fact: This is another stable revenge match from WrestleMania IV. At that show, Brutus Beefcake got to do a little handy work on Jimmy Hart's hair. Danny Davis and Hart are out for revenge for Jimmy and his stable in this match.

### Scott:

1988 was the first year in the Federation Era that we saw an extended stretch without Hulk Hogan, so the company needed to really boost the other babyfaces in the company for the fans to clamor for while the former WWF Champion does "No Holds Barred". We've already seen two of them in Ultimate Warrior and Jim Duggan, now we see another one in the Bruti, facing the fading Danny Davis. After WrestleMania IV when Beefcake got hosed out of the Intercontinental Title, he goes after Jimmy Hart and cuts his hair. So the Mouth of the South comes out with a beret on his head to cover Brutus' chop job. The match itself isn't much as Brutus wins easily with the sleeper and then not only cuts Danny Davis' hair but paints it as well. Another nothing match but it served its purpose to give the fans another favorite to cheer for.

### JT:

Back at WrestleMania, Brutus Beefcake came up short in his quest to capture the Intercontinental Title but he did get a consolation prize when he cut Jimmy Hart's hair. Hart is with Danny Davis here and is carrying a pair of shears as he looks for revenge. Davis is really on his last legs as a gimmick and is pretty much just a jobber to the stars by this point, his heat pretty much dissipated for good. Davis stalled off the bell but Beefcake caught up to him and chucked him around the ring. Davis landed a cheap shot and choked away the Barber but his offense was short-lived as Beefcake came back and hit a knee to the head that really shook Davis up. In fact he may have caught him square because Davis looked out on his feet and Brutus protected him through the rest of his offense until he hooked the sleeper and grabbed the win. After the bell, Brutus gave Davis a trim while Hart flipped out at ringside. He followed that by spray painting his head and whipping him across the ring and to the floor. Match was nothing but this was all about reestablishing Beefcake and continuing his issue with the Hart Family.

### 3) Randy Savage defeats One Man Gang to retain WWF Heavyweight Title with the flying elbow at 6:03

Fun Fact: This would be Randy Savage's first televised title defense against one of the people he defeated during the title tournament. During their tournament match, the One Man Gang would get disqualified for using Slick's cane on Savage. At the beginning of the event, Vince McMahon indicates that the One Man Gang is the #1 contender to the title.

### Scott:

Continuing the trend of filling the Hulk Hogan void, no one had bigger shoes to fill than this man did. The new WWF Champion had the top stage all to himself after his epic four-match victory performance last month in Atlantic City. Tonight he takes on one of the guys he vanquished in the tournament, Slick's One Man Gang. Gang got DQ'd for using Slick's cane at WrestleMania but he vowed there would be no cheesy ending. This match is one of the examples of why, for me, Savage was the hardest working guys in the Federation Era. Whether he was on the offensive or he was the face in peril he worked literally every second of the match. He was always moving around and always keeping the match moving regardless of who the opponent is. Jesse (who loved Savage) found it hard to criticize him when he was a babyface but in the end he always gave Macho Man his due. Slick was stalking Elizabeth all match long which will continue being a detriment over time but he always overcame it like he did here. There will be more opponents for Savage as the year continues and for him it's vital he stay hot with the fans while holding the World Title. I think he's doing just fine right now.

### JT:

Up next is our first televised WWF Title defense for our brand new champion, Randy Savage. En route to his big win, he knocked off the One Man Gang by disqualification but since Gang dominated a lot of that match, he is set up here to challenge Macho out of the gate. Having Savage as champ and the new man definitely adds a new, fresh feel to the program as a whole. It is such a radical change and one that really was needed to help bring someone else up to Hogan's level and Maco was so damn over it made perfect sense. Gang tried to overpower early but Savage ducked and moved, even shifting his weight on a slam attempt to grab a near fall. He followed with a high cross body off the top for a two count and then snapped Gang across the top rope for another. Savage is fast as he darts around the ring at a frenetic pace. Gang finally did use size to put Savage on the mat and got an assist from Slick, who choked away with his cane. In a great spot, Savage rebounded off an Irish whip, dodged Gang and slid to the floor, where he chased Slick around the ring. Slick baited Savage right back into the ring, where Gang met him with an elbow. Gang kept pouring it on, slamming his forearms into Savage's chest in the corner before grabbing a near fall. Savage recovered and clotheslined Gang to the floor and then crashed into him with an axe blow off the top rope, knocking Gang into a cameraman. Gang shook off the cobwebs and made it back inside but he caught Savage coming off the top rope and put the champ on the mat. Gang went for the killshot but missed a 747 splash off the middle rope. As Savage pulled himself up, he saw Slick stalking Liz and made a beeline for him. Jesse went off here, saying Liz is a detriment as he has to constantly protect her in addition to wrestling. With the ref tied up with Liz, Slick hopped on the apron but accidentally popped Gang with his cane. Savage scurried to the top and hit the elbow to pick up the win and retain his title. For the second straight time, they made it like Gang could beat Macho but beat himself. Helps protect Gang but not sure it does a ton for Savage. As they continue to make him the top dog, they need to ensure he grabs some good, clean wins and not always luck into victories. The match was just OK with a few nice spots and a good pace mixed in.

### 4) Demolition defeats British Bulldogs in a non-title match by disqualification at 5:00

Fun Fact: This is a matchup between the new tag team champions (Demolition) versus a team of former champions, the British Bulldogs.

### Scott:

We have the SNME debut of the new Tag Team Champions, as Ax and Smash won the titles at WrestleMania and here take on the former champions in a non-title match. Demolition was the WWF's version of the Road Warriors and many wrestling fans drew a line in the sand about both teams. Demolition reminds me about the fact that starting in 1988 we really started to see the pre-PPV era wrestlers like George Steele and Tony Atlas and guys like that and we are starting to see really the faces of the Era that we as fans in our childhood latched on to. Demolition always reminded me of that fact. The tag team division is getting bigger and bigger and more talented all the time. Demolition is a great brawling team with face paint and leather studs. The match wasn't that great with lots of distractions from Mr. Fuji to Matilda. The Bulldogs chase Fuji off and eventually are disqualified for using Fuji's cane. The match shows the Bulldogs are pretty low on the pecking order and the Demos are at the top of the tag team mountain.

### JT:

We waste no time rolling right into our next match, this one featuring the brand new tag team champions, Demolition, battling the former champs The British Bulldogs in a non-title tilt. Demolition quickly caught fire in late 1987 and shot to the top of the pile at WrestleMania when they knocked off Strike Force to take the gold. They had a fantastic look and presence and, of course, theme music and just looked like stars as they marched to the ring. The Bulldogs were both really juiced here, looking the biggest they have been since they showed up in the promotion in 1985. Smash and Smith opened things up and after a quick criss cross, Dynamite tagged in and pelted Smash with a clothesline. Ax headed in right after but the Bulldogs quick tagged and double teamed to control him. Dynamite tried for a snap suplex but Smash snuck and clubbed his back to give the champs control. Dynamite tried to wriggle free and landed a shot, but Smash hooked his legs and tagged out, showing great awareness and teamwork. Smash came back in but ate a boot on a charge, allowing Dynamite to tag out. Davey Boy came in hot, cleaning house and landing a nice dropkick. Smash eventually slowed him up and then chucked Dynamite to the floor, where Fuji kicked away at him. Smith grabbed Matilda and chased Fuji to the back with Dynamite in pursuit as well. They eventually returned, Fuji's cane in tow and they used it to punish the champs for the DQ. That was a really lame finish that made the Bulldogs look like stupid hotheads. Demolition easily outworked them throughout and the Bulldogs are starting to feel like relics in many ways. A clean win here could have been a good change of the guard but we get a pretty blasé match with a schmozz ending instead.

### 5) Ted DiBiase defeats Don Muraco with a bodyslam at 4:12

Fun Fact: This is yet another rematch from the WrestleMania IV title tournament. Ted DiBiase and Don Muraco wrestled in the quarterfinals with DiBiase pinning Muraco in just over five minutes.

### Scott:

We have another WrestleMania tournament rematch as the Rock takes on the Million Dollar Man. Muraco was a big but slightly out of shape heel, and suddenly he wears tie-dye and is jacked to the gills. Oh wait, his manager is Superstar Billy Graham so that's not a surprise. DiBiase fell just short of becoming WWF Champion and now will have to work his way back to the top of the ladder. The match is ok as Muraco has some (although limited) mobility and takes it to the Million Dollar Man for a few moments but then some, chicanery? Or maybe not. DiBiase goes for a pinfall but the Rock's leg is on the ropes. The referee doesn't see it and DiBiase gets the three count for the victory. The match, like most on this show, was not great but it did keep storylines going and keep DiBiase at the top of the heel food chain.

### JT:

In another WrestleMania tournament rematch, Don Muraco squares off with finalist Ted DiBiase. Muraco turned face late in 1987 and picked up the legendary Billy Graham as an advisor. And also took a metric ton of steroids as he is just massive at this point. I am not sure how can even move at that size. DiBiase's hook at this point is that he was robbed of the WWF Title twice in 1988 so far, once by Jack Tunney and once by Randy Savage. DiBiase was locked in, dodging Muraco and then blasting him with chops until Muraco caught him with a back drop and and shot him head first into the buckle. DiBiase would regroup outside but nothing changed when he returned as Muraco continued to overpower him, taking him over with a powerslam for a near fall that saw Virgil make the save at the last second. DiBiase took advantage of the confusion with a clothesline and kept the heat on but again made a big mistake by dropping his head, giving Muraco the chance to hit a neckbreaker. Muraco hit another powerslam but again could only get a two count. DiBiase came back with a bodyslam and covered for the win...however Muraco's foot was on the rope, but the referee missed it. Vince immediately wondered if he was paid off, a comment Jesse shouted down. A feisty little match and a solid win for DiBiase. Muraco looked good too and the finish seems to set up a rematch at some point.

### 6) Rick Rude defeats Koko B. Ware with a Rude Awakening at 3:44

Fun Fact: Koko B. Ware has in the middle of a minor feud with the Heenan Family at this time. Back at WrestleMania IV, he was tagging with the British Bulldogs against the Islanders and Bobby Heenan. The heels got the win when the Islanders slammed Heenan on top of Ware for the pinfall. Following WrestleMania, Ware found himself involved with Rick Rude, another of Heenan's stable. This would be the first of their encounters.

### Scott:

Ah, another awesome heel makes his SNME debut, the great "Ravishing" Rick Rude. Rude was a great heel all over the territories from World Class to Memphis to Jim Crockett Promotions and now he has arrived in New York. His awesome tights and his promos cutting down the crowds become Federation staples and incenses crowds all over the world. He takes on jobber stalwart Koko here and it's probably the best match of the night. Rude had very basic workrate but he meshed ok with Koko's fluid high flying style. Rude would get better over time, as for the most part during his early territory run he faced guys not exactly workrate marvels. Now in the big time he will have to step his game up, although he's already dominated the tights and promo skills. Koko had the comeback but missed a flying cross body and Rude hits the Rude Awakening for the victory. It was an ok match but another character advancer.

### JT:

The showcasing of newer stars continues with our final match as Rick Rude continues to work his way up the card. After debuting late in 1987, Rude has built up a nice resume for himself. Koko B. Ware continues his role as a quality enhancement player and spots like this are perfect for him. Rude caught Koko at the bell, smacking him with some forearms but Koko slugged right back into it. Things would reset with a lockup that Rude won but Koko kept using his speed to fire back at Rude. The Ravishing One finally landed a tight fist to the face over the referee to bust Koko down and then started to target the lower back with authority. Rude landed a suplex and headed up top, landing a nice leaping fist drop to the head. He followed that up with a dropkick, really showing off his arsenal and impressing Jesse along the way. He tried for another dropkick but Koko dodged it and unloaded with some fists and a back drop. Rude survived the comeback, calmly drilled Koko and then snapped him down with the Rude Awakening for the win. That was basically a squash, but an effective one for sure.

### Final Analysis:

### Scott:

This is the first episode where I can honestly say the in-ring stuff was not great at all. Savage/Gang was as good as its going to get considering Savage's opponent but the rest of the matches were crap. There were a lot of fresh faces as they tried to give the fans missing Hulk Hogan some other fan favorites. I was surprised Jake Roberts wasn't on as he's one of the top three or four guys in the promotion of the face side. It was a great showcase for new WWF Champion Randy Savage as well as new tag champs Demolition and Rick Rude, but if you're looking for workrate, this episode is lacking.

Final Grade:

### JT:

Our final SNME of the season was just OK. They really expanded the card this time, squeezing in more matches while slashing the times and other antics and vignettes. As a result, the show hustled but nothing had much time to breathe. The roster overhaul is in full effect and everything had a pretty fresh feel to it overall. It will take time though as they try to churn things up and phase out much of the old guard that has taken us to this point. Many of those old SNME stalwarts are gone and the show as a whole definitely has evolved to a much different spot than those early editions. We didn't really get much in the way of an anchor match or major angle advancement and it felt like they were mailing this one in a bit with the Mania rematches and knowing they were off NBC until the fall.

Final Grade:

# Saturday Night's Main Event XVII – 10/29/88

October 29, 1988

Baltimore Arena

Baltimore, MD

Announcers: Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura

NBC Rating: 8.7

### 1) Jake Roberts defeats Rick Rude by disqualification at 7:22

Fun Fact: This feud started over six months ago. On the 4/23 episode of Superstars, Rick Rude approached a woman at ringside to give her a Rude Awakening kiss, something he had begun doing following his victories. This time, however, the woman rejected Rude's advances. The woman was Cheryl Roberts, wife of Jake Roberts. She proceeded to slap Rude in the face and Rude countered by grabbing her arm. Jake ran from the locker room area to make the save and the two brawled to the back. Rude began wearing tights with Cheryl's face on the crotch, which enraged Jake. In the early fall, Cheryl would begin appearing in Jake's corner during matches with Rude so she could slap him after her husband won. On the 9/10 episode of Superstars, Rude wore the tights with Cheryl's face again. This time, Jake came to the ring, beat up Rude and ripped his tights off. The broadcast showed a black "censored" circle over Rude so as not to give the home audience a rude awakening. This match at SNME would be the culmination of their feud.

### Scott:

We open the new season with a match that's been months in the making. Rick Rude went after Jake Roberts' wife back in April and they've been going back and forth ever since. Before this feud started Rude and Roberts met in the WrestleMania IV Title tournament and it ended in a draw. They had separate matches at SummerSlam (which still makes no sense to me) and now here on NBC the feud may finally come to an end as Cheryl seconds Jake to the ring. Of course looking back you can easily think that Cheryl would turn heel and join Rude. That seemed to always work with Jake, as his psychology always brought sympathy with the fans. This match is a long time coming and it was very back and forth with neither guy really getting a big advantage. At one point Cheryl slaps Rude in the face and the referee sends her to the back. The match continues to go back and forth until Jake hits a DDT out of nowhere. However instead of going for the pin Jake tries to rip Rude's tights off with Cheryl's face on it. Bobby Heenan comes in to cause the DQ, and then down the aisle comes Andre the Giant to protect his fellow Family member Rick Rude. Then we get the transfer from one Heenan member to another, as Jake brings Damien into the ring and Andre is petrified. This is where I started to hate Andre as a heel and the way they booked him. Andre was always the Eighth Wonder of the World and the BOSS. A storyline where he's afraid of snakes is utterly stupid. The match here was fun and it's fine to transfer to another feud but being afraid of Damien doesn't work for me in Andre's case. This feud moves along and we will see how the Heenan Family counters it.

### JT:

We are back after our summer vacation, set for another full season of Saturday Night's Main Event and the roster overhaul continues to change the landscape of the company. The landscape of America was also changing, as this show was just a week or so before the Presidential Election that saw George Bush take the top seat in the land. As a result, we even get a Dan Quayle joke from Jesse Ventura. We then get clips of the build for this heated feud, which was ignited when Rick Rude inadvertently hit on Jake Roberts' wife Cheryl and then started trolling Roberts about how he would steal her away at some point. Roberts was a mad man and it was great to see the Snake in a deep, hot feud after meandering around for a while. Rude was at his smarmy best throughout all this, laying the sleaze on thick as he tried to romance Cheryl away. Many were surprised that they didn't square off at SummerSlam, but instead the feud was kept burning on the circuit until they clashed here. Jesse was on fire here, calling Cheryl "Robin Givens", which was probably a more accurate comparison than he realized at the time. The two wasted no time tangling up as the bell sounded with Jake landing a big knee and peppering Rude with a couple of punches. He continued to rattle the Ravishing One but Rude slipped to the floor to block an early DDT attempt. Rude tried to settle things down and work the arm before hitting a clothesline. Rude kept levying punches, working aggressively, possibly remembering their WrestleMania draw in the back of his mind, but also taking time to taunt Cheryl at ringside. He would shoot the Snake in hard to the corner and then started to target the lower back as a follow up. However, Cheryl would catch his eye again, allowing Jake to pelt Rude with a clothesline and then drag him to the ropes so Cheryl could smack him across the grill. The crowd like that one. Jesse didn't.

After a break, the two men tussled on the floor, where Rude posted Roberts hard twice to slow his roll. Back inside, Jake battled back again as the crowd heated up but Rude cut him short and hit a fist off the top for a near fall. Jake would block the Rude Awakening and hit a DDT but instead of covering, he tried to rip off Rude's tights (which were airbrushed with Cheryl's face). That drew Bobby Heenan in for the DQ and he was followed by Andre the Giant, who quickly punished Roberts. As Andre and Heenan tended to Rude, Roberts returned with Damien, which spooked the Giant, who begged off and looked quite scared as Jake stalked him with it. He eventually tossed Damien onto the neck of Andre, who flipped out, grabbed his chest and fell to the mat writhing in pain. I don't know how I feel about any of this. The match was just OK and while it had some good heat, it never really kicked into the next gear and the DQ ending was a flat way to end the feud. The Roberts/Andre feud starting out of the finish made sense but Jake comes across like a pretty rotten heel by letting Damien slither around Andre as he was apparently having a heart attack. He should have maybe pulled him off and showed a little remorse, instead it came off as mean. Also, where the hell were the doctors and officials while Heenan tried to revive poor Andre? The crowd liked it all but looking back everything came off a little flat and then mean spirited by a top face.

### 2) Demolition defeats Hart Foundation to retain WWF Tag Team Titles when Smash pinned Jim Neidhart after using Jimmy Hart's megaphone at 5:58

Fun Fact I: The spring and summer of 1988 saw two allegiance changes in the tag team division. In May, the Hart Foundation began having issues with their manager Jimmy Hart before finally break ties with him and turning babyface. In early July, the Rougeaus turned heel on the Killer Bees during a televised match. Hart, looking for a new tag team, signed the Rougeaus and gave them each 25% of the Hart Foundation contract, which he still owned. This would spark the feud between the teams that would last into 1989.

Fun Fact II: On the 8/13 episode of Superstars, Jimmy Hart announced an alliance between him, Mr. Fuji and Demolition and that he would appear in their corner at the inaugural SummerSlam event. Demolition defeated the Hart Foundation at SummerSlam '88 when Ax hit Bret with Jimmy Hart's megaphone. This encounter at SNME is a rematch from that event.

### Scott:

Time for a SummerSlam rematch between the current champions and the former champions, with the lynch pin being Jimmy Hart stealing the Pink and Black secrets and selling them to Demolition, but really it's for his new team the Rougeau Brothers. They battled at MSG back in August and the Demos kept the straps and now the Harts get one more title shot here. The tag division is getting bigger and bigger and within the next month two more teams join the fray and really amp up the division with talent top to bottom. You will start seeing more seasoned teams like the British Bulldogs and the Killer Bees take a back seat to some of the newer teams in the promotion that will be showcased next month at Survivor Series. The Harts fought very hard here because they will be shunted down the ladder if they don't win the titles. This was the time where discussion in the Apter Mags started about the WWF creating a second set of tag team titles because of so much talent. That will be an ongoing discussion for the next several months. In any event, back to the match. The Hart Foundation was in control until the aforementioned Rougeaus came out and thanks to referee distraction, the megaphone was in Smash's hand and he smacked Neidhart in the back with it. Demolition gets the win and the Pink and Black will get kicked back in the line. The Demos were getting a smattering of face chants during this match. Think they switch? Hmmmm. The match was fun and the best from the tag division is yet to come.

### JT:

Our SummerSlam tag title rematch is up next and this storyline was a really good one. Jimmy Hart sold out his longtime pals the Hart Foundation and gave a portion of their contracts to the Rougeau Brothers. However, because he still owned a piece of the Harts' contracts, he was free to be at ringside during their matches. In addition to that, he was hired by Mr. Fuji as a special advisor to Demolition in their title tilts with Hart & Neidhart. Deep, good stuff and it paid off in a really fun match back in MSG that saw Jimmy aid the champs in retaining. I liked the Harts face turn as some balance was needed and they really ran their course as the douchebag heel kingpins. Anvil and Ax traded heavy blows to start things off but the champs double teamed their way into control pretty quickly. Neidhart blocked a suplex and tagged out to the Hitman, who used his speed to overwhelm Smash, drilling him with a second rope elbow before Smash just cracked him with a quick clothesline. The champs went back to double teams and quick tags as they wore down the Hitman, grinding him with their power and angry offense. Demolition has been around a while now but they have really built up a nice presence and legitimacy in fairly short order. As soon as they won the belts they felt like they belonged at the top and that is on display here. Hart would duck a clothesline and hit one of his own before tagging out to the Anvil who just mauled both champs to the shock of the Body. Anvil hit a powerslam and covered by Ax made the save. Things broke down with all four brawling around the ring. As the referee totally lost control, Hart popped Fuji and then the Anvil dragged Jimmy into the ring. However, as this was going on, the Rougeaus made their way down the aisle and charged the ring. Jacques would toss Smash the megaphone and he proceeded to bop Anvil with it for the win. The Harts are screwed again and the storyline continues on. With the Foundation set to move into a feud with the Rougeaus, Demolition would move on to search for new contenders. The match was fine, a step or two behind SummerSlam, but it got the point across fine.

### 3) Hulk Hogan defeats King Haku with a legdrop at 6:16

Fun Fact: At SNME XV, Harley Race suffered a legit injury during the match with Hulk Hogan. While taking time off for surgery and to heal, Bobby Heenan began searching for a new king of wrestling. On the 7/9 episode of Superstars, a coronation ceremony was held to crown King Haku as the successor to Race.

### Scott:

The Hulkster makes his SNME return after taking the last episode off to film No Holds Barred. In that time he returned to help Randy Savage and the Megapowers got the win at SummerSlam over the Megabucks. Now Hogan takes on the new King of the WWF, Haku. When Harley Race got hurt they transferred the gimmick to another Heenan Family member. Elizabeth is now managing both Savage and Hogan but when they came down the aisle Jesse started insinuating that something salacious was going on between Hogan and Liz behind Randy's back. All the way back in October the accusations and statements started coming out. Haku was always a solid worker and he and Hogan actually work a pretty solid match. At one point Haku is pitched outside and Hogan put the crown on, and he looked like a total doofus. I was hoping at the time this wasn't going to create a King Hulk Hogan. A red and yellow crown? Hogan gets the win with his usual boot and leg drop combo but there's no King transfer. Jesse is so bitter, saying things like "Look at that ego, it's never looked better!" I treasure the shows on which he does commentary. Jesse didn't belabor the Elizabeth point, but just enough to sneak the point in, like when Hogan lifted Elizabeth on his shoulders. The match is solid enough but Jesse starts planting the seed.

### JT:

When Harley Race went down to a serious injury after his tussle with Hulk Hogan, Bobby Heenan decided to award the crown to another stable member, the former Islander Haku. It was a shrewd move because Haku had a lot of in ring talent but was pretty bland and wasn't a great talker. Giving him the hook of being the king and letting Bobby do the talking brought him up a notch for sure. And that is clear here since he is given a big SNME bout with Hulk Hogan, who's returning to Saturday Nights after skipping the last outing. It was weird not seeing him back in April and felt right to have him in the mix here. To offset Heenan, Hogan has Miss Elizabeth with him in his corner. Of course, since our last show, the Mega Powers have officially formed and Liz would manage both Hogan and Randy Savage. Although Jesse seems to disagree and thinks something fishy is up as Liz is rarely anywhere without Savage. Haku started off hot, landing kicks and strikes as he pummeled the surprised Hulkster. Hogan survived a kick to the body and then punched and chopped away before landing a clothesline. Heenan would run some interference, allowing Haku to nail Hulk and take back over. Haku utilized his array of kicks and chops, eventually knocking Hogan to the floor but messing up on a leaping chop from the apron when Hogan pulled Heenan into his path. While Haku consoled his manager, Hogan pranced around in his crown to the roar of the crowd. Heenan was brought to the back during a break and when we returned Haku mowed Hogan with a clothesline and dropped a headbutt on him. Haku certainly works a pretty basic offense but everything he does looks so believable. Hogan would hulk up after a suplex, hammer Haku with punches and drop the leg for the win. This was just another decent match in a series of them tonight, with all having been very paint-by-numbers thus far.

### 4) Dino Bravo defeats Ken Patera with a side suplex at 3:03

Fun Fact: Ken Patera and Dino Bravo had been feuding off and on since April, including numerous competitions of strength, such as arm wrestling matches and a tug of war. This would be the final singles match in their long-standing feud.

### Scott:

Well at least we have my PIC's favorite manager in this match. Patera is hanging by a thread in this company as his usefulness ended a while ago. Dino Bravo has been moving up the heel ladder after the infamous bench press at the Royal Rumble back in January. The match isn't much of anything and Bravo wins with his side suplex. Frenchy Martin went from being a Prime Time jobber to a manager, although I never thought Bravo really needed a second but I guess it fits anyway. Let's move on.

### JT:

After the Dream Team crumbled at the end of 1987, Dino Bravo has struck out on his own into the midcard, having hired on useless manager Frenchy Martin. This feud has been raging on for quite a while as the two powerhouses battled over both who was stronger and for the respect and honor of their countries. Bravo wanted Patera to pledge allegiance to Quebec but Patera promised to...stamp his passport? Poor Kenny. He also cut his afro back a bit here and looks even more like your haggard chain smoking, bridge playing aunt than he did before. Patera clubbed away to open up the match, eventually knowing Bravo to the floor. Dino came in with some fire, landing a boot to the gut and then punching away. Patera reversed the tide and landed punches of his own, but Bravo would land a boot to the face on a charge and then hit the side suplex for the win. If you love punching, this is the match for you! Bravo rolls on and Patera is on his last legs as any sort of believable threat.

### 5) Big Boss Man defeats Jim Powers with the Boss Man Slam at 2:34

### Scott:

We wrap the show up with a character building squash for Slick's newest guy the Big Boss Man. Early Big Boss Man was so fat but I guess it fit the character at this point. I'm somewhat surprised to see Jim Powers here, and he even got his own graphic. I guess Koko B. Ware wanted the night off. Big Boss Man has already started the feud with Hulk Hogan that would lead into Survivor Series. Boss Man wins with ease and then as he had been doing since his arrival, he handcuffs Powers to the rope and gives him the business with the nightstick, like he did to Hogan on the Brother Love show. The match was nothing but it served its purpose: Big Boss Man is about dishing out justice.

### JT:

Slick's newest monster heel, the Big Boss Man, is on display here with a quick squash match against now jobber Jim Powers. Boss Man had beaten up Koko B. Ware back at SummerSlam and was quickly moving up the card and being prepped for a main event run that had just gotten underway when he beat up Hulk Hogan on the Brother Love Show. It was a good spot for Slick too, who was building cache as a manager and climbing the ladder in those ranks. The Young Stallions were pretty much cooked by this point so Powers and Roma were working job duty as needed, using their names to help establish others. Powers tried for a quick sleeper but that was fruitless as Boss Man squished him in the corner and took it from there. Powers would get a quick flurry in late, but Boss Man cut him down with the Boss Man Slam for the easy victory. Boss Man cuffed and beat down Powers after, building up some more heat to end the night.

### Final Analysis:

### Scott:

A standard episode of SNME, although I'm a little bummed they didn't get back into the theme spirit with a Halloween motif. Perhaps Vince thought the shows were important enough they could stand on their own. Still, it would have been cool to see costumes and such. The matches were a little better than last episode with a couple of squashes at the end. Hulk Hogan makes his return after a one show absence and has Elizabeth next to him as WWF Champion Randy Savage has the show off. Jesse plants that seed here and it slowly sprouts throughout the next few months. Demolition established themselves as the top tag team in the division but will get plenty of competition as new teams come through soon and by 1989 the WWF has perhaps its best year in the tag team division. The show is pretty standard, nothing bad but nothing extraordinary.

Final Grade:

### JT:

We kick off the new season with our second straight subpar installment of SNME. Their were some pretty big matches on the docket here but none of them ever really clicked and got to the next level. Everything was just decent up to the squashes at the end. We did get a nice dose of storyline development with the snake incident and the Hart Foundation's war with Jimmy Hart raging on, but outside of that there wasn't much here. It was also interesting that Randy Savage wasn't utilized here. Perhaps a World Title match picks the card up a bit. Hopefully we get back on track soon because this show was on a nice little streak until slowing up after WrestleMania.

Final Grade:

# Saturday Night's Main Event XVIII – 11/26/88

November 26, 1988

Arco Arena

Sacramento, CA

Announcers: Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura

NBC Rating: 9.4

### 1) Ultimate Warrior defeats Super Ninja to retain WWF Intercontinental Title with the big splash at 2:11

Fun Fact: Super Ninja was portrayed by Rip Oliver, a wrestler from the Pacific Northwest territory. During his time in the Pacific Northwest, Oliver set the record for holding the NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight title the most. He also held numerous tag team championships during his career. He left the northwest to wrestle in the WWF. Oliver had one house show match with the WWF in September, 1988. This match on SNME was his only on-screen appearance for the promotion.

### Scott:

The Intercontinental Champion that won the strap at SummerSlam defends his title against a mysterious challenger that Mr. Fuji brought from the Far East. A masked worker who apparently has incredible fighting skills and can give the champion all that he can handle. Well Super Ninja came into the ring and proceeds to get pummeled in two minutes. A quick, effective TV squash to put over this crazed fan favorite who won the title in similar fashion. My buddy Tom was an immediate Ultimate Warrior fan, but I was just lukewarm to him at that time. 1989 would completely change my opinion of him. Honestly there's not much more to say here, as it's nothing more than an effective squash to put over a new fan favorite quickly.

### JT:

The winds of change continue to blow as we wrap up the year 1988 with one final SNME, a show happening on the heels of the second annual Survivor Series. By this point, much of the old guard in the promotion was quickly being whittled out with the new fresh faces quickly ascending up the card to completely shake the fabric of the promotion up. In our opener, our still freshly minted Intercontinental Champion Ultimate Warrior is set up for a title defense against Mr. Fuji's mysterious Super Ninja. It is also Warrior's first ever SNME match. Once he dethroned Honky Tonk Man, Warrior has just been mowing through random challengers and contenders, building up his credibility and resume as the new year dawns. The prematch Ninja & Fuji promo was pretty funny with Gene Okerlund saying he is well versed in "Western Scientific" style and Fuji saying he has secretly trained for seven years on seven continents in seven arts. The Ninja also had some weird 80s pop synth music of some sort, I wish it was a bit louder so we could hear more clearly. Warrior charged to the ring a ball of energy as always and the crowd was pumped to see him. Ninja attacked off the bell but Warrior just shrugged off all his offense and literally dumped him on his head. Ninja tried some lame martial arts strikes but Warrior mowed through him as Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura took turns dumping on the situation. A few moments later, Warrior polished Ninja off with the press same and big splash, ending this quick squash. I like that they tried to build up this guy as a challenge and let Warrior wreck him as it gives more credence to the win than just a jobber. Quality squash to build Warrior up.

### 2) Hercules defeats Virgil with a powerslam at 3:20

Fun Fact: One month prior to this match, Bobby Heenan sold the contract for Hercules to Ted DiBiase. In this match, Hercules battles for his freedom from DiBiase. Since DiBiase did not want to dirty his hands against his "slave", he has sent his bodyguard Virgil to take care of business.

### Scott:

This entire storyline would never happen today. Ted DiBiase said over and over that Hercules was his "slave", after being sold by Bobby Heenan to the Million Dollar Man. All the alluding to selling people and Herc's chain and Jesse's referring to Kunta Kinte. Yeah, none of that would fly in today's world. Ted DiBiase says he doesn't touch "the help" so he sends his bodyguard Virgil out there to put their "property" in his place. The match is the usual power stuff and Virgil gets put in his place. Hercules starts whipping that chain around and DiBiase bolts. This storyline continues on but in all honestly even Dick Ebersol had to be a little uncomfortable with all the innuendo during this feud, and I think as time progresses it starts to fade. We are 0 for 2 in matches tonight, with back to back stinkers.

### JT:

Before we even got to the match, Vince McMahon positions this feud as "owner vs. slave", which is pretty insane to think about. I do like how Bobby Heenan and Ted DiBiase are hooking up for another business deal here in 1988, that is a nice touch. DiBiase tried to buy Hercules from Heenan, but the Mighty One didn't like that idea and smacked around The Brain, turning face in the process. Before the bout, DiBiase was adamant about his ownership of Hercules and said he would settle it in the ring instead of the court, officially taking ownership of his slave via Virgil. That whole promo should probably be stricken from the record for the sake of everyone involved. I do think a face turn for Hercules made sense as he had pretty much hit a wall as a heel mid carder. He has been much more solid and reliable in the ring than I had remembered as his energy and offense in many of these matches we have watched was higher level than expected. Why not take a shot at him breaking through? And, sigh, Jesse wastes no time comparing Herc and his chains to Kunta Kinte. Not a good look here at all. It was unfortunate that Herc had the chain gimmick in place because it really makes the slave stuff look even worse, even though it wasn't add in just for this angle. Virgil and DiBiase jumped Herc as the bell rang but he ran through both guys with a clothesline and knocked Teddy to the floor. Virgil gave it a go, but Herc recovered and dumped the bodyguard to the floor as well. Herc slid outside and chased DiBiase around before turning his attention back to Virgil. Herc hammered away, thwarting any attempts at offense from Virgil before burying him with a kneelift. Herc finished things off with a powerslam, making an emphatic statement that he can't be bought, capped when he chucked Virgil down into DiBiase on the floor. DiBiase would smack Virgil around angrily as they stumbled to the back, adding even more fuel to the absurd fire that was burning here. Another squash, but another entertaining and effective one. Despite the very questionable material, Herc showed good aggression and fire here in destroying Virgil and at this point you would think he is set up for a good face run.

### 3) Randy Savage fought Andre the Giant to a double disqualification at 8:51; Savage retains WWF Heavyweight Title

### Scott:

After taking the past show off the WWF Champion gets a big title defense here against the former champion. Jesse is starting to complement Macho again as a guy who's a fighting champion that takes on all comers. When Jesse starts changing his opinion on a babyface, you know something could be coming down the line. Now this was taped BEFORE Survivor Series but aired after the PPV where some Megapowers tension had started. Savage is still a whirling dervish, going at Andre with all his strength but early on the challenger worked Macho Man over with power moves and illegal chokes with his strap while Bobby Heenan ran interference with the referee. Then all of a sudden down the aisle comes Jake Roberts with Damien in the bag and suddenly the entire match changed. Andre is petrified of snakes (as we saw in the last episode) and his attention is not on the match but on where the bag with Damien is around the ring. The match continues on until more chaos leads to a double disqualification and then back is Jake while Andre is tied up into the ropes and as Damien is released Andre is loosened from the ropes and escaped without dealing with the snake. We see a big feud continuing and one that will likely culminate April 2 in Atlantic City. As for Savage, it's a disappointing double DQ and a sign (since he mentioned in the promo that Hogan beat Andre when he was champion, so will he) that perhaps there is a change coming. Savage is a great champion, who's fought everybody throughout the year, but Hulk Hogan is back and perhaps things are changing.

### JT:

Our World Champion and one of the faces of SNME is back at it as Randy Savage defends his WWF Title against Andre the Giant. Despite slipping down the ladder a bit, Andre is still a very credible and legitimate challenger and a top level heel. The formula of Savage against big men is a strong one as he built sympathy so damn well. His reign has been really good overall, tusseling with a swath of opponents while also working alongside Hulk Hogan in the Mega Powers. Andre was still having his issues with Jake Roberts based off the snake attack last month, he he steps away to take another shot at the gold here. Before the match, Savage mentions that if Hulk Hogan could beat the Giant, so can he as they are both great champions. Indeed. Savage went right on the attack but Andre swatted him away and laid in some headbutts. Savage tried to stick and move but Andre caught him and clubbed him down hard to the mat before burying him in the corner with knee lifts. Every time Savage landed a shot, he kept getting caught, drawing the ire of Jesse, saying he wasn't wrestling a smart match at all. Andre choked Macho with his strap but Savage just kept coming even though he was making no progress at all. The structure of this has been kind of cool with Andre just playing defense, allowing the stubborn Macho Man to come at him and then pelting him with strikes while shoving him away. Savage finally found a seam and a burst of energy and he was able to rock Andre with some shots, including an axe blow off the ropes. Andre recovered but as he did, Jake Roberts showed up at ringside and hid Damien under the ring. I should mention Jake is also wearing a leather coat and pants set. Andre and Heenan freaked out as the referee forced Roberts to leave, but not before Savage consulted with him leading into a break. The match was a bit more balanced after that, mainly because Andre was preoccupied with Damien's whereabouts. Jesse was not happy with the snake distracting Giant during such a big time match that he was in control of. Heenan frantically searched for Damien as Andre demanded he find it. That gave Savage a chance to drill him from behind but Andre kept fending him off in between lumbering around and giving Heenan orders. Bobby finally found the sack but Jake met him and the referee finally just threw the match out. Andre would get knocked back into the ropes as Savage chucked Heenan to the floor. With Andre trapped and tied up, Roberts unleashed Damien but Heenan freed the Giant in time to escape. I actually really enjoyed the style and presence of the match until it devolved into the weak finish with all the interference and nonsense. I get they were building that feud up and also didn't want Andre eating pins, but just as I was really getting into it, it was cut off prematurely. Savage retains and rolls on as champ.

### 4) Jim Duggan defeats Boris Zhukov in a Flag Match with a running clothesline at 2:27

Fun Fact: The Cold War continues to be fought in the squared circle as the American flag waving Hacksaw Jim Duggan feuds with his Russian counterpart, Boris Zhukov. Prior to this, Duggan had been feuding with Dino Bravo and indicated that he would not allow flags other than that of the United States to wave in arenas, including Bravo's Quebec flag. This winner of this flag match would get to wave their flag following the match.

### Scott:

Here's another throwaway match involving one of the most popular guys in the company. I'm starting to get concerned that the show is becoming a glorified Superstars or Wrestling Challenge episode, with bad squashes except instead of jobbers in low mid-card guys. The premise of the match is that the winner gets to raise their flag and hear their national anthem, like the Olympics. Boris gets no offense in and Duggan wins with the three point tackle. By now the WWF has that core group of top flight babyfaces (Hogan, Savage, Duggan, Warrior, Roberts). The heels are slowly starting to galvanize themselves as more talent comes from the territories. So we have another character-enhancing squash. Where's Barry O for these? Poor Boris.

### JT:

Next up we harken back to the early SNME days with a good old fashioned USA vs. Russia flag match. All American Jim Duggan defends the US against that evil Boris Zhukov, who is waving a flag "from a hardware store" as Duggan claimed before the bout. Zhukov has very little legitimacy as a singles competitor in the WWF so this didn't have much intrigue on the surface. Duggan started off 1988 hot but has started to peter out here and has began settling into the mid card jingoistic character that he would best be known for. Duggan rattled Boris with an atomic drop and a clothesline, sending him to the floor to regroup right away. Back inside, Boris landed a few basic strikes but Duggan battled through them and dodged a charging Boris. Duggan missed an elbow and Boris laid in some offense, but it was short lived as Duggan slammed the big man and hit his running clothesline for the victory. This is a rough night of in ring action. Basically another squash here but the crowd did love that Old Glory got to fly high over the ring as the National Anthem echoed in the arena.

*** We get a special edition of the Brother Love Show, with special guest Hulk Hogan. Before that begins, clips are shown of the last time this went down, when Big Boss Man attacked Hogan on the Brother Love set and viciously beat him down with his nightstick. Love then swerves Hulkster by bringing out Slick instead. No complaints about hearing Jive Soul Bro from this review. Hogan was backstage with Mean Gene and wasn't amused at this okie doke but Love brought him out next and he entered to a raucous ovation. Love would do his usual shtick of pumping up and chatting with Slick while also cutting off Hulk anytime he went to talk. This went on for a bit until Hulk finally grabbed the mic away and unloaded on both guys, saying his Hulkamaniacs would all get in line to beat on Slick and then called out the Brother for spreading his phony love and he would be guilty and executed if Hulk and his fans were judges. None of this made much sense. Slick would eventually put his hands on Hogan but Hulk swatted him away and chucked him over the top rope. Love landed a shot from behind but Hogan then slammed him down hard, cuffed him to the ropes and posed to end the segment. ***

### 5) The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers defeat The Young Stallions when Raymond pinned Paul Roma after the Bombs Away at 3:05

### Scott:

This isn't an enhancement match as much as the others. The Stallions were built as a lower mid-card team but they got some wins on TV, mostly against teams like the Shadows and other masked jobbers on Prime Time Wrestling. I mean it seemed very likely that the Rougeaus were going to win, especially after they interfered in the tag title match on the last episode of SNME. Although the match was painfully short it was definitely a more back and forth match than the others tonight. The megaphone led to the victory as Jacques cracked Paul Roma over the head with the megaphone and Raymond gets the three count. The Rougeaus get the win to move up the tag team ladder but by the start of the year it seems like they get lost in the shuffle.

### JT:

One last squash to close things out. Before the match, Jimmy Hart reveals that the Rougeau Brothers have officially moved to the USA...Memphis, TN to be exact. So tremendous. The Young Stallions were on their very last legs as a team here as they would go their separate ways soon enough. The Rougeaus turned heel over the summer and it was very much needed to help freshen them and the division up a bit. Adding in the "All American Boys" stuff was great heel character work as well. Jacques and Powers opened things up and Jacques landed the first big blow with a dropkick to the mush. Powers made a little comeback but Jimmy Hart smacked him in the knee with his megaphone, allowing his charges to take full control and use teamwork to batter Powers. Powers would duck a blind cross body block and make the tag just as Jacques tagged out to Ray. Roma squashed him with a powerslam and hit a forearm off the middle rope followed by a missile dropkick for a near fall. Everything broke down from there, leading to the Rougeaus hitting the Bombs Away for the win. That was a spirited little affair and if given another five minutes or so, it could have been pretty good.

### Final Analysis:

### Scott:

For the second episode in a row we get a lot of quick squashes designed to put over characters, with the Brother Love/Hulk Hogan segment taking up a big hunk of the show. Even the WWF Title match with Savage and Andre seemed to take a back seat to the Andre/Jake drama. That's fine in one aspect but clearly the WWF Title doesn't get the shine when someone else holds it as when Hogan held it during the first three years of the show's run. I'm really disappointed that we aren't getting better matches on really the only show where top flight guys face each other in better matches. This one may be one of the lowest I ever grade.

Final Grade:

### JT:

This was a second straight disappointing SNME to close out 1988, and honestly may be one of the worst we have seen. And honestly it wasn't a tough watch or down right bad but it is just that nothing really stood out as must-see or can't miss. The match quality was all very low as we didn't even get one good anchor workrate match. The WWF Title match was fun for a while until it crumbled towards the end. Otherwise it was a parade of showcase squashes, which is fine for syndicated TV but using them here makes it feel like SNME isn't as special or unique as it used to be. It also didn't help that the Brother Love Show segment fell flat too after eating up a good chunk of time. A lot of good stuff is in place heading into 1989 but we finish off 1988 with a very soft offering.

Final Grade:

  SNME XIX – Tampa, FL – January 7

  The Main Event II – Milwaukee, WI – February 3

  SNME XX – Hershey, PA – March 11

  SNME XXI – Des Moines, IA – May 27

  SNME XXII – Worcester, MA – July 29

  SNME XXIII – Cincinnati, OH – October 14

  SNME XXIV – Topeka, KS – November 25

# Saturday Night's Main Event XIX – 1/7/89

January 7, 1989

SunDome

Tampa, FL

Announcers: Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura

Attendance: 9,176

### 1) Brutus Beefcake defeats Ron Bass in a Hair vs. Hair Match with a sleeperhold at 7:40

Fun Fact I: The Bass/Beefcake feud began on the 8/20/88 episode of Superstars. After defeating Jim Evans in a quick squash match, Bass went on to attack Evans more and was about the use his spurs on him when Beefcake came to the ring and stopped the attack. Beefcake used this hedge clippers to cut up Bass' whip, "Miss Betsy", and his cowboy hat. One week later, Bass interfered in one of Beefcake's matches, attacking him and using his spurs, "Bret" and "Bart", across Beefcake's forehead. A big red "censored" X appeared on the screen during the broadcast as Bass continued his attack. Beefcake had been scheduled to face the Honky Tonk Man at the inaugural SummerSlam event two days later, but this attack prevented him from competing. Their feud would rage through the fall until finally culminating here at SNME in a hair vs. hair match.

Fun Fact II: We bid farewell to Ron Bass here from Saturday Night's Main Event. He would participate in the 1989 Royal Rumble, which would be his final major event with the WWF. He would be used as a preliminary wrestler into March '89 before he left the promotion. He continued on the independent circuit until he retired in 1991.

### Scott:

We open the new year with a match that stems from a feud earlier in 1988. Brutus Beefcake was set to get a rematch at SummerSlam for the Intercontinental Title against Honky Tonk Man, but the Outlaw drove his spurs into Beefcake's face and the spot was opened up, and we know who took that title shot at SummerSlam. So now things come to a head and follicles are on the line in this one. The opening of the show has Vince and Jesse there, but as the first match unfolds it sounds like they were in an audio booth laying the commentary down. Vince sounds like he has a bit of an echo. It's very strange. Unless that opening shot was in front of a green screen. It's hard to tell. The match seemed like a lot of punching and shoving around and not much of anything else. Brutus was a tough guy to watch because sometimes it felt like he really didn't know what to do from move to move. Bass really worked him over in the middle of the match with punches and choke moves. He lifted Brutus up during a pair of covers, really wanting to humiliate the Barber. Bass lifts up a third time and this time it cost him as Brutus recovers to duck a clothesline, then cinch up the sleeper for the victory. Bass then gets a heavy trim, courtesy of the Bruti. The match wasn't really much but Brutus gets his revenge and the Outlaw is buzzed.

### JT:

We have arrived in 1989 and our first major show of the new year opens up with the culmination of a pretty hot feud from 1988. Ron Bass brutally attacked Brutus Beefcake back in August and it cost him a SummerSlam Intercontinental Title match. So he looks to settle the score here and both men's hair is on the line to really help solidify a victor. Bass was a solid heel but outside of this feud with the Barber, he never really did much else during his stint in New York. The Barber was definitely on the rise, getting involved in these deeper feuds but also having been aligned with the Ultimate Warrior back at Survivor Series. Bass got the party started right away, hammering Beefcake as he entered the ring and then choked him with Miss Betsy. Brutus wriggled free and grabbed hold of the whip but Bass bailed until things settled down. Bass made it back in but ate a knee lift and got pelted right back to the floor by the Beefer, who was all fired up. Beefcake kept unloading with strikes, giving Bass no room to breathe and showing no interest in going for the win as he just pounding The Outlaw with right hands. Bass finally slowed his roll with an inverted atomic drop and a stomach breaker before draping him across the top rope and kicking him hard to the floor. Bass mixed in some kicks, focusing on the ab area as the crowd tried to rally Beefer back into it. The Outlaw followed that with a nice stiff piledriver but Bass didn't cover and instead decided he wanted to render Brutus unconscious. He dropped Beefer with a hot shot but again pulled the Barber up ahead of a there count and decided to mock and humiliate him instead. Bass' offense is really good here as he unloaded a huge clothesline on Beefcake for a close near fall. Brutus recovered, dodged a clothesline and hooked the sleeper for the win. Bass had that one and really blew it. Beefcake would chop Bass' mullet to pieces and shave him bald, officially putting this feud to bed. The match wasn't bad thanks to Bass' offense and the built in hate but the finish was abrupt and Beefcake seemed a little off early on.

### 2) Hulk Hogan defeats Akeem by disqualification at 8:00

Fun Fact: At Survivor Series '88, Akeem and The Big Boss Man were captains for the heel team that took on the Mega Powers team. In that event, Hulk Hogan was handcuffed to the bottom rope by the duo, allowing them to double team Randy Savage. The Akeem/Boss Man team would play a vital role at The Main Event II in setting up the WrestleMania V main event, so stay tuned.

### Scott:

The Mega Powers/Twin Towers feud that started in the fall and was escalated at Survivor Series continues here as the Hulkster takes on the African Dream with plenty of action around ringside too. Elizabeth seconds Hogan to the ring while Slick and fellow Twin Tower Big Boss Man join the Dream. Hogan dominates most of the action until Akeem pushes the referee in front of a Hogan clothesline, knocking him out. Then in comes Big Boss Man with the nightstick and, with the referee out, the Twin Towers really start laying the business on Hulkster. Meanwhile backstage Randy Savage is rooting his Mega Power partner on, but then Elizabeth comes back to plead with the WWF Champion to come out and help. Savage stayed back and said Hogan would be fine. Indeed Hogan was starting to make his comeback but Boss Man ends the match with a nightstick shot in the ribs and a disqualification. Once again Hogan gets beat down by the Twin Towers, and still no Savage. Until Boss Man grabs Elizabeth and hooks her in hand cuffs, THEN the WWF Champion comes down with a steel chair and chases everyone off. Elizabeth looks after Hogan, which gets Randy a little rankled. That's where Jesse starts smelling a rat within the Mega Powers. The match is standard TV fare but the seeds continue to grow towards April 2 in Atlantic City. We are a week away from the Royal Rumble in Houston and the Megapowers are still strong, sort of.

### JT:

My heart be still as my hero Akeem gets a big time, prime slot against Hulk Hogan here, continuing the ongoing Mega Powers/Twin Towers feud. The Towers have been booked very well and positioned as a dominant main event level team, having done a lot of damage to both Hogan and the WWF Champion Randy Savage. Akeem looks to dole out some more pain here and he has Boss Man with him at ringside despite Vince McMahon's anger about it. However that was balanced out when Hogan revealed that Savage would back him up in this one by keeping his eyes on the actions of the Boss Man from the locker room. Elizabeth led the Hulkster out, which Jesse thinks is a mistake. Hogan started hot, grabbing Slick and shoving him into Akeem and covering them both for a near fall. He rattled Akeem to the mat and then slid outside where he wiped out both Boss Man and Slick. Back inside he punched away but Akeem blocked a bodyslam with a clubbing blow, followed by more. He also danced in between his strikes. He is the best. Hogan made a comeback, running Akeem from corner to corner and punching away before knocking the big man down with a pair of clotheslines. Boss Man was completely neutralized again as he hopped on the apron and got knocked back down when Hogan shoved Akeem into him. Hogan kept laying the wood with right hands but the referee would get knocked out in the midst of the attack, leading to Boss Man coming into the ring with the nightstick and smacking Hogan around. Backstage, Savage said he thought Hogan would fight through it and be OK and wasn't going to head out just yet. The vicious double team continued with both men hitting big splash after big splash while Liz sprinted back to the locker room to find Macho. After a break, Boss Man was back outside and the referee was slowly recovering. Liz found Savage and begged him to come out but Savage said he was keeping the faith and staying put. Akeem headed to the middle rope but Hogan dodged a splash to earn a chance to catch his breath. Hogan hulked up and made a big comeback while Savage cheered him on confidently. He ran Boss Man into the apron, jacked up Slick with a reverse atomic drop and then looked to put Akeem away with a big boot, slam and legdrop but before he could finish things off, Boss Man nailed him for the DQ. The double teaming resumed, including choking and ramming Hulk with the nightstick. With Hulkster down, the Towers looked to cuff Liz and that finally drew Savage out for the save. The Towers really generated some great heat and came off like such dickheads. They deserved this slot for sure. Savage's motives here have to be questioned as he played it off like he had faith in Hogan and left him hanging out to dry as a result. He was also seemingly annoyed that Liz kept checking on Hogan and was chirping at both of them the whole way to the back. Jesse said he had a feeling something was happening with the Mega Powers but left it at that. I dug that match as Hogan was really working hard, bouncing in and out of the ring to fight off both Towers. It also continued the story and feud very well and all of the Savage stuff was compelling. The Mega Powers seem to be having some issues for sure and time will tell just how deep those problems are.

### 3) Ultimate Warrior defeats Honky Tonk Man to retain WWF Intercontinental Title with a flying shoulderblock at 5:07

Fun Fact: Following Brutus Beefcake's injury at the hands of Ron Bass two days before SummerSlam, an opponent was needed for The Honky Tonk Man. He would be facing an unknown opponent for the belt. Once in the ring at SummerSlam, HTM got on the mic and called out to the lockeroom, "Give me someone out here to wrestle. I don't care who it is." A few short seconds later, the energetic tones of the Ultimate Warrior's theme sounded in the arena as he sprinted to the ring and quickly pinned HTM to win the IC title. They would feud through the fall. This match at SNME is HTM's final attempt to win back his title.

### Scott:

The long awaited rematch from the epic squash at SummerSlam where the Ultimate Warrior ended the long reign of terror of the Honky Tonk Man as IC Champion. Warrior skyrocketed up the roster ladder and now is the #2 guy in the company (well #2.5 if you count Hogan as 1A/1B with Savage). Now Honky gets his rematch here but anybody who thought the former champion was going to get his belt back were in for a rude awakening. Warrior really plowed through Honky in a five minute squash to put his reign over and get 1989 off to a great start. Soon Warrior gets himself in a feud that will define his career. Hey Honky, remember when you sold your soul to be Intercontinental Champion? Time to pay the debt.

### JT:

Our only title match on the evening features the Ultimate Warrior defending his Intercontinental Title against the man he defeated back at SummerSlam, the Honky Tonk Man. Honky was pretty confident about regaining his title and Jesse notes that the former champion has actually been able to prepare this time around and we will see a different result because of that fact. Warrior was really building momentum up as a burgeoning star as his presence was fantastic and the crowd loved him. Warrior was all over Honky early, knocking him to the floor and then kicking him in the face when they got back inside. Hart tried to get involved but Warrior smacked them together and kept the offense coming. After laying in some chops, Warrior charged Honky in the story and rammed his shoulder hard into the former champ's gut. Honky found a window and after knocking Warrior down he grabbed Hart's megaphone and bashed the champ with it while the Mouth tied up the referee. Honky worked Warrior over with some ax blows and knees to the back but his offense was really soft and pedestrian looking. Warrior quickly made a comeback and roughed Honky up but the challenger got his knees up on a big splash for one last gasp. That failed though, as the champ would duck a clothesline and finished Honky off with a running shoulderblock to retain the gold. Nothing much to see here, just Warrior finally putting Honky behind him for good. Honky's offense was weak and Warrior seemed a bit off key as well.

### 4) Tito Santana defeats Red Rooster with a roll up at 7:27

Fun Fact: In late 1987, Terry Taylor left the NWA and moved on to WCCW in Texas for a short stint before signing with the World Wrestling Federation in the summer of 1988. He debuted as a babyface, teaming with Sam Houston. In his TV debut, he turned heel on his partner and signed on with Bobby "the Brain" Heenan where he was rebranded as the "Red Rooster". Despite his previous experience and success in the NWA territories, in the WWF he was billed as a novice wrestler who Heenan was having to coach to success.

### Scott:

A lower level storyline involved poor Terry Taylor, a solid worker in the territories, taking the second place gimmick. Bobby Heenan took a guy with no talent and made him something, although he still treated him like a piece of trash in the interview with Jesse. They totally mock Rooster as slow, weak and clumsy. I don't remember it being this ridiculous in terms of Bobby berating him this much. The match was actually quite fun with two solid workers in the ring, but the added touch of Bobby being miked during the match makes the entire package even better. Rooster loses when he's jawing with his manager and gets rolled up by Tito. Heenan is irate and gets in the ring, ripping into and slapping his manager. Rooster has had enough and starts beating Heenan down in the ring. This was a unique storyline because Bobby was almost forgotten throughout 1988 and was being reenergized as the top heel manager in the company. This storyline will continue, although Terry Taylor should have been allowed to go to his real name after this, but instead the gimmick gets even dummer.

### JT:

In mid-1988 Terry Taylor hopped up north after a run with the NWA but was instantly saddled with a very bizarre gimmick: The Red Rooster. It was a weird name and idea but basically Bobby Heenan wanted to prove he could take anyone to the top and a lot of their time together is spent with Heenan aggressively correcting and bitchng out Rooster. A real vote of confidence there. Vince keeps saying the Rooster is undefeated but he definitely took a loss back at Survivor Series. Regardless, the real hook of this match is that Bobby Heenan is miked up at ringside so we can hear him coaching on his protege. With his partner Rick Martel still on the shelf, Tito Santana hasn't had much else going on so he just competes in matches like this against random challengers. Santana controlled early as Heenan chirped at the Rooster and also consulted with George Steinbrenner, who was sitting at ringside. Santana caught some knees to the gut on a splash attempt and the Rooster went to work. Tito punched his way back in, rook Rooster down and slugged away at him on the mat for a near fall. He would block a Rooster sunset flip and continue to rely on his fists to levy out damage. With every offense move from Tito, Bobby continued to fret and bitch out Rooster. Rooster would block a figure four but as he escaped, Heenan dragged him to the floor and berated him loudly, even shoving him in the chest. Rooster shoved him back as Heenan begged off a bit and the show went to break. When we returned, Tito took Rooster back into the ring with a suplex as Bobby gathered his bearings. Rooster did get more offense in but it was short lived again leading to a pair of near falls by Tito. Rooster recovered and spiked Santana with a nice piledriver but could only get two. He followed with a stun gun and went for the scorpion deathlock but Tito blocked that with a thumb to the eye as Heenan screamed more instructions. Tito knocked him to the floor with a clothesline but an angry Brain pitched him right back inside. As Rooster yelled down at Bobby, Tito rolled him up for the win to end his undefeated streak officially. After the match Bobby flipped out on Rooster in the ring, pushing and slapping him in the face. Rooster said he didn't need Bobby any more and then punched him the face before whipping him hard into the corner and then slugging away some more. Rooster finally just let lose and unloaded all of his built up emotion there, solidifying his face turn. The match was marred by the storyline and never really got into gear with lots of starts and stops. Heenan was funny at ringside but that was about all we had going on here. Rooster is now on his own... but I am not sure if that is for the best, as we soon see.

### 5) Mr. Perfect defeats Koko B. Ware with the Perfectplex at 3:10

Fun Fact: This is Mr. Perfect's first appearance on SNME. Perfect is set to debut a new move on his opponent, the Perfectplex.

### Scott:

We end the show with another fresh character plucked from another territory. Curt Hennig was a former AWA Champion with bloodlines in the business. His dad, Larry "The Ax" Hennig was an AWA mainstay in the 1970s. The money smelled good and Hennig moved east to New York, where he and Terry Taylor were in the running for a superb gimmick. Well as you can see above Terry Taylor didn't get it, so Hennig got "Mr. Perfect". With it a Hall of Famer was born. Here he takes out the resident SNME Jobber to the Stars, Koko B. Ware. Perfect still had his AWA tights and boots on, but by WrestleMania would have his signature neon singlet. Not much else here except yet another boost to the already burgeoning roster.

### JT:

Closing out the night we have the SNME debut of Mr. Perfect. Curt Hennig had jumped from AWA to the WWF back in the summer and had delivered a nice performance at Survivor Series to really get his career started well. His gimmick was fantastic and he took right to it out of the gate. Plus, with his execution and in ring ability, the name Mr. Perfect seemed to fit like a glove. He battles Koko B. Ware here, a formidable challenge but also someone that can make Perfect look good. Perfect slugged away off the bell but Koko hit a hip toss and bodyslam before dropkicking Perfect to the floor. Vince and Jesse called Perfect "Curt" and "Hennig" a lot here and I am curious when the finally phased that out. Perfect landed some stiff jabs but Koko hit another hip toss to kill his offense. After a really nice series of leap frogs and charges, Koko hit a big arm drag to put Perfect on the mat. Perfect bounced up and went to work on the abs before kicking him to the floor. Koko caught Perfect with a shoulder to the ribs as he came back in and landed another flurry that ended with a missed charge in the corner. Perfect quickly grabbed hold of him and snapped him over with the Perfectplex for the victory. And Mr. Perfect remains undefeated with a nice little victory. Koko looked good here too and they played up how Perfect can snatch a win out of nowhere.

*** Mean Gene chats with the Mega Powers who proclaim their unity and are completely focused and ready to roll. No issues to see here at all. ***

### Final Analysis:

### Scott:

Not much here except the teased breakup and end of show reunion of the Mega Powers. There was some veiled tension at the end of Survivor Series and also some here as well as Randy Savage was "a little late" coming to Hulk Hogan's rescue. The rest was mostly character development, like Ultimate Warrior as the top mid-card babyface and what seems like a reestablishment of Bobby Heenan as the top heel manager in the promotion. Mr. Perfect debuting doesn't hurt either as Vince's roster is looking better than ever. 1989 will see the best year of tag teams and mid-card feuds, proving that at this time, the WWF was the undisputed king of sports entertainment. This show is ok, but it at least shows off the promotion's depth.

**Final** **Grade:**

### JT:

We are easily in the worst stretch of SNME offerings since the show kicked off in 1985. The campiness and levity has vanished, which is fine, because it has been replaced by important storyline plot points and character development. However, since WrestleMania IV, the shows have felt flat and uninspired with little in the way of strong in ring action. Even here, the crowd seems pretty dead and it was obvious that some of the noise was piped in as the fans were sitting most of the time. Even Jesse and Vince felt and sounded subdued and I think it was their weakest outing since the series began as well. The Mega Powers stuff was all well done and Hogan's match with Akeem was the best of the night (faint praise) and it clearly is setting up bigger issues between the two in the near future. I still enjoy watching these shows but that electric energy of the early years has faded a bit. Hopefully the live Main Event can jolt that energy back into the program.

Final Grade:

# The Main Event II – 2/3/89

February 3, 1989

Bradley Center

Milwaukee, WI

Announcers: Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura

Attendance: 20,000

NBC Rating: 11.6

### 1) Hulk Hogan & Randy Savage defeat The Twin Towers when Hulk Hogan pins Akeem with the legdrop at 22:00

Fun Fact I: Trouble has been brewing between the members of the Mega Powers for several months now, going back to the Survivor Series. Akeem and The Big Boss Man were involved in that match with the Mega Powers as well as last month's SNME contest between Akeem and Hogan, where they double teamed Hogan after the match. Savage made the save when the duo went after Miss Elizabeth. On the 1/21 episode of Superstars, Savage was also double teamed with Hogan making the save. This sets up a big tag team match here between the Mega Powers and the Twin Towers.

Fun Fact II: For a full bio of Akeem, please see our Vintage Vault Refresh, Volume 1 eBook. The bio in the Survivor Series '88 event, Match #4.

### Scott:

The last time we had a Friday prime time event Hulk Hogan lost the WWF Championship controversially. Now one year later we see the powerhouse main event team of WWF Champion Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan against the awesome hoss team of the Twin Towers. I still think they should have gotten a tag team title rub and a feud with Demolition. This war has brewed since the fall when Hogan was attacked by Boss Man on the Brother Love show. We've had two PPVs worth of wars, which not only included the Mega Powers taking care of business but there has been some veiled (and not so veiled) tension between Hogan and Savage. At Survivor Series Savage thought Hogan and Elizabeth were getting a little too cozy after the match but that was worked out. Then at the Royal Rumble Hogan eliminated some heels and "accidentally" eliminated Savage in the group. That was apparently worked out too as Savage said he was simply a "victim of circumstance". Now here on a big stage the Mega Powers are working together again. The match goes back and forth with both teams battling, and then the story really begins. Savage is whipped through the ropes, and crashes into Elizabeth on the outside. Honestly I have to say she takes a pretty good bump. Hogan becomes incredibly distraught, and out comes the EMT crew. However, for no reason whatsoever Hogan decides to grab Elizabeth and walk her to the back. Meanwhile his tag team partner gets the tar beat out of him by both Boss Man and Akeem. We leave the match while Hogan is so ridiculously over the top distraught. This is where the total lack of logic in this feud happens. There's EMTs and medical professionals on site to help Elizabeth. Should Hogan have just draped her over his arms? What if she had a broken neck? Vince is fumbling over his words trying to justify this mess while Jesse is losing his shit over Hogan deserting his partner. Also, Hogan kept saying to a half conscious Elizabeth "Randy didn't mean to do it." Yeah, he didn't mean to get involuntarily whipped through the ropes by a 400 pound behemoth. I mean who's really acting like the heel here?

Vince is trying to justify that it's ok for Savage to be left out in the ring alone to get the shit beat out of him while Hogan is fawning over another man's woman in the locker room. Finally Hogan gets back to the ring apron and Savage starts to gain an advantage and tosses both Towers are on the floor. Hogan wants to be tagged in, so...Savage tags him in. By pimp slapping him clear across the face. My brother lost his mind with delight. I was still drinking the orange cool aid but 25 years later, and I would have pimp slapped Hogan too. Savage thinks about returning, then comes back to grab his title and leave. Hogan would make his obligatory comeback, and then goes backstage. Then the fireworks (and continued lack of logic) continues. Hogan is whining that Savage left him out there alone. Really? You are now complaining about being left alone? Then he tells Savage "You knocked Elizabeth down!" Yeah, because he was whipped into her by a 400 pound Twin Tower. The whole thing was utterly illogical. Was everyone in 1989 that doped up with Hulkamania drugs to not see that Hogan is clearly the heel here? Instead Savage goes on a tirade, then when Hogan isn't looking, smacks Hogan with the belt and then beats him down before officials come in to break it up. Savage flips the gurney and walks out. The whole this is awesome but completely illogical. For Savage it gets even more frustrating as the feud builds. This is obviously set up to be the main event April 2 in Atlantic City. The match was fun as was everything else, as little sense as it made.

### JT:

After 1988's Main Event set all sorts of TV records you knew NBC would be ready to invite the WWF back for another highly anticipated special prior to WrestleMania, so here we are. Ever since the fall, cracks have been forming within the Mega Powers but each time they found a way to patch them back up. During that time, the Twin Towers and Slick have been consistent thorns in their sides and it all built up to a mammoth tag team war here in Milwaukee. The opening video with the various cut out graphics and mock newspaper headlines was tremendous in both an effective and cheesy way. Right out of the gate, Jesse Ventura continues his never ending quest to deride Elizabeth as a manager, saying the Twin Towers have the clear numbers advantage. Any time you get to hear Jive Soul Bro in a main event setting it is an automatic, immediate win. The crowd was pumped as Savage, Hogan and Liz marched to the ring and they settled in as the bell sounded and everyone cleared out, leaving Boss Man and Hogan to open things up. Hulkster would clear the ring to a big pop, showing lots of fire to start. Hulk kept pouring it on, slamming Boss Man's head repeatedly into the corner and then dumping him right back outside. Akeem would tag in as things reset but it was more of the same as the Powers took turns working the Dream over with a series of quick tags and double teams. The fun ended with a thud as Boss Man tagged in and caught Boss Man with a stiff piledriver. However, instead of covering he tagged out to Akeem, leading Jesse to call them out for not going for the kill. Hulkster got a brief window on the floor when he shoved Boss Man in the post but it wasn't enough to sway momentum and Boss Man grabbed a near fall back in the ring after hitting a spinebuster. Hogan was finally able to escape and tag out and Savage grabbed a near fall with a cross body but Macho was cut down when Slick smacked him with the nightstick from the floor. Jesse gloated about his prediction from earlier being born out. Akeem leaned on the champion, wearing him down and just chucking him viciously to the floor. Savage crawled back in but Akeem sent him flying back out again...however this time he careened hard into Miss Elizabeth in a nasty bump. The crowd booed as Hogan darted to floor to check on both of them. As Savage came to he saw Hogan leaning over Liz and questioned exactly what he was doing. As Macho tried to sort that out, Akeem dragged him back in the ring. Jesse was awesome here, calling Liz useless and saying she ruined this match for the Powers. As the Towers double teamed Savage, Hogan pulled Liz up and carried her to the locker room.

We continued to cut back and forth, seeing footage of the Towers dominating Savage while Hogan joined medics in taking care of Liz in the first aid room. Hogan was super dramatic here, begging the doctors to make sure she was alive and begging them to "please save her". It was a bit much. "Randy didn't mean it, I swear he didn't!" After Hogan confirmed that she wasn't dead, he jogged back to ringside and took back his perch on the apron. The Towers kept double teaming, including a nice double backbreaker, but after Hogan was able to yank the top rope down, leading to Akeem tumbling to the floor, Savage made his comeback. He dumped Boss Man to the floor and then pitched Akeem back out as well. However, instead of tagging out to Hogan... he slapped him across the face and then left the ring and eventually walked to the back. With Hogan distracted, Boss Man kicked him in the head and tossed him into the ring. The Towers pounded on the Hulkster as the crowd booed the departing champion. Looks like the Mega Powers are dead. Hogan started to come back with some right hands and was able to drop the leg on Akeem to pick up the win but the celebration was short lived as Boss Man clobbered him from behind. Boss Man tried to cuff Hulk to the rope but he wriggled free and cuffed Boss Man to Slick and then bolted to the back. Well, this match was all about the angle, pure and simple. There was some good stuff in the ring, mainly around the double teams and the excitement of the crowd, but once Savage splattered into Liz in a wicked bump, the focus shifted. I do think Hogan could have easily taken a believable loss here, even by countout but at least they made it a flash type win where he caught Akeem with a quick boot and dropped the leg to sneak the win. He didn't come off as dominant at all as that would have been a bit too much to digest. The angle doesn't end here for the night, but the match certainly ate up a large chunk of this show, and rightfully so.

*** When Hulk Hogan arrived backstage, Randy Savage was rambling to Elizabeth, who was in pain on the stretcher. Hogan demanded answers on why he was left alone but Savage was looking for the same type of information. Savage jammed his finger in Hogan's face and said he had "jealous eyes" and that he is number one in the Mega Powers. Hogan tried to talk him down but Savage said Hogan knows he could never beat him and that he is just jealous. Hogan told him he was wrong but Savage kept pouring it on, saying he had lust for Liz and dared him to come at him for the title. Hogan begged Liz to talk sense into Savage, but Macho decked him with the title, sending him crashing into a table of medical equipment. Savage hammered away but Liz dove in between them. Macho grabbed Liz and chucked her across the room as Vince called him an "idiot". Savage was about to bash Hogan with the belt, but Brutus Beefcake blocked him, giving officials a chance to protect Hulk. Savage smacked Beefcake and tossed one of the officials away before storming off. ***

### 2) Ted DiBiase defeats Hercules with a roll up at 7:12

Fun Fact: After Virgil was unable to take care of Hercules last month at SNME, DiBiase gets into the ring against his former "slave".

### Scott:

Our only other match is the continuing battle between the Million Dollar Man and the pride of Hercules who didn't wanted to be treated like anybody's slave. I'm so perplexed as how DiBiase didn't have an entrance theme by this point, as it wouldn't debut for another year. The match starts fast for Hercules, taking out both DiBiase and Virgil but eventually the better wrestler took control and worked Herc over with his usual exceptional strikes. Hercules does make a comeback but then Virgil wraps the chain around the post and DiBiase whips Hercules into it and DiBiase gets the three count from that. There's not much more to say other than I am surprised DiBiase didn't get his here, but the feud between Hercules and his former manager Bobby Heenan will fire up again. The match wasn't much and the feud quietly ends.

### JT:

Well, talk about a tough spot. Poor Hercules had to power walk to the ring after THAT went down, but here we are. Herc is now officially a solid face, complete with new theme music and dark blue rights. Ted DiBiase sauntered out next as these two were looking to finally settle their battle that started when DiBiase tried to buy Herc as his slave. Herc didn't like that and wiped out Virgil at a previous SNME before finally getting a crack at Ted. DiBiase was rocking his awesome green suit but Herc knocked it right off him when he mowed through both Ted and Virgil as soon as the hit the ring. He sent Ted flying to the floor and continued to lay a beating on Virgil too. Once things settled down, Herc hoisted up DiBiase in a military press and spiked him hard to the mat. This has been smartly booked so far as the fast pace hooked the crowd right in. An atomic drop sent DiBiase flying to the floor but Ted turned the tide on the outside with a series of right hands. Back in the ring, Ted pelted him with a clothesline and slowed things down to a pace that better suited his style. DiBiase worked Herc over and kept going for covers but couldn't put his rival away. Herc came back with a suplex but it wasn't enough as Ted stayed in control. Herc finally caught Ted in the corner and smacked him into the buckles before hitting a really nice powerslam. DiBiase punched back into the match as Virgil hopped on the apron and wrapped the chain around the top buckle. However, that backfired as Herc ran DiBiase into for a very close near fall. That seemed like the finish for sure. Herc hoisted Ted up into his backbreaker but the referee decided to unwrap the chain instead, allowing Virgil to yank Herc's tights and break up the hold. DiBiase took advantage of the distraction and rolled up Herc for the win. Herc got his heat back after but him taking a loss here tells you where he stands as a potential high level face. As this was the blowoff to their big feud, him losing meant he was set to be depushed a bit. The match was solid and they were smart to cut such a brisk pace to bring the crowd into it.

*** Backstage, a shaken and angry Hulk Hogan stomped around looking for Randy Savage in a rage, attacking random wrestlers along the way. ***

### Final Analysis:

### Scott:

There was a myriad of matches not televised, including title defenses for the Ultimate Warrior and Demolition, plus what was probably a swank Brain Busters/Rockers match. But the focus was of course the Mega Powers' implosion. All the illogical nonsense aside it was great television. This was the big moment to kickstart the WrestleMania push for the main storyline and as time moves on the others will continue moving along. This was a quick fun watch but it would have been nice for NBC to give a little more time and add a couple more matches.

Final Grade:

### JT:

That was a very hectic hour of prime time pro wrestling. The Mega Powers was a major angle development, and while not as huge as what happened in 1988 it was still really big and sets us on a clear course for WrestleMania. The story has been well crafted and built since the fall and the two mega stars finally blew to pieces here. Neither match was any great shakes but really none of that mattered as this was all about setting the course for Mania. Jesse and Vince were great here too, pushing the story along as they have been doing since the summer. And for that single reason it was successful. The pacing of the whole was fantastic as no moment was wasted. This was a great entry point for new viewers and a hell of a payoff for dedicated fans. For the second straight year, WWF delivered on NBC prime time.

Final Grade:

# Saturday Night's Main Event XX – 3/11/89

March 11, 1989

Hershey Park Arena

Hershey, PA

Announcers: Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura

Attendance: 9,000

NBC Rating: 10.0

### 1) Brutus Beefcake defeats Rick Rude by disqualification at 5:45

Fun Fact: Apart from some house show matches, Rick Rude and Brutus Beefcake were not feuding at this time. Rick Rude was in a feud with The Ultimate Warrior which had begun at the Royal Rumble. Beefcake had recently finished his feud with Ron Bass, but was not in a new program with anyone. Heenan claimed during the pre-match interview that he would rid the WWF of the Barber and his bad haircuts. This match served mainly as a tool to advance the Jake Roberts/Andre the Giant feud, as both would get involved in this match.

### Scott:

We open the SNME leading into WrestleMania V with the #1 contender for the Intercontinental Title against the former #1 contender for the IC Title. Beefcake has slid into the best buddy role for Hulk Hogan on TV, replacing Randy Savage in that role. Rude attacked Ultimate Warrior after their posedown at the Royal Rumble, and Warrior is on Rude's tights here. That means that at this point either the IC title match either is about to be or is already booked for Wrestlemania V. The match was a back and forth between the two as they battled to see who could hook a sleeper in. A few minutes into the match Andre the Giant comes down the aisle. Bobby Heenan (who has a busy night ahead) says everything's ok. Then Rude occupies the referee while Andre starts choking out Beefcake with his strap. That of course brings Jake Roberts out to continue their feud but Rude attacks Jake and all chaos breaks out. Beefcake wins by disqualification but that doesn't end things. Rude and Andre double team Jake and then Andre works over Beefcake. Then out of nowhere, Royal Rumble winner Big John Studd comes down the ramp and he and Andre go nose to nose. That is weird considering four years earlier Studd was the heel and Andre the face. The match was average but the post-match stuff was fun and really fired up all these guys for April 2.

### JT:

With just weeks to go before WrestleMania, we stop in for one more SNME to help set the stage. The Mania card was pretty filled up and featured just about everyone on the roster, so it will be interesting to see how the stars are all utilized here and if any last minute storylines are pushed along. And it was clear from the start that there would be a ton of focus on the Mega Powers exploding. In our opener, the surging Brutus Beefcake lines up with the stalwart heel Rick Rude. This was quite the tuneup for Rude as he would be challenging to win his first ever singles title at Trump Plaza. Both of these guys were in very similar positions on the ladder and it was cool to see them randomly cross paths here. The crowd was hot for the Beefer as he and Rude circled around the ring before locking horns. The Barber took early control with a series of right hands a big back body drop that rattled Rude's back. Rude continued to be kept on his heels, unable to get any offense going as Beefcake rammed him into the corner. He finally turned the tide with an inverted atomic drop, allowing him to regain his bearings and then drill Beefcake with a stiff right hand. He gained a near fall off a snap suplex and was feeling good as he clamped on a reverse chinlock. Beefcake broke the hold with a jawbreaker but as he did Andre the Giant stalked to ringside to join his manager. Beefer gave Rude some of his own medicine with a deliberately executed inverted atomic drop of his own. Rude fought back and dumped Beefer to the floor where Andre met him by sitting on his back and then choking him out. Jake Roberts finally emerged and threatened to unleash Damien until Andre scooted away. The referee finally called for the bell as Rude and Andre worked over Roberts. I love the touch there with Jake's two most bitter rivals working together to wreck him. Brutus eventually made the save but Andre mowed through him as well. This postmatch fight was fantastic and it made Andre look like a monster. That ended when John Studd strutted to the ring and squared off with the Giant, staring him down to a stalemate. Roberts showed back up with Damian and Andre finally bolted. The match itself was pretty fun and with more time could peaked higher, but despite the DQ, the brawl after was great and pushed along a big Mania storyline. It also drew lines in the midcard with Beefcake and Roberts being aligned at the top of the division.

### 2) Hulk Hogan defeats Bad News Brown with the legdrop at 9:44

Fun Fact I: Allen Coage, known as Bad News Brown in the WWF, was initially a judo competitor and champion. Coage trained for nearly two decades in judo, earning a bronze medal in the 1976 Olympics in Montreal for the US team. In 1978, Coage decided to try professional wrestling and began training under Antonio Inoki. He took on the persona of Bad News Allen in short tenures in New Japan and the WWF before settling into a role in Stu Hart's Stampede Wrestling in Calgary where he wrestled from 1982 to 1988, with quick stops in Australia and Florida during that time. When Vince purchased Stampede, Coage came along and had his character name changed to Bad News Brown.

Fun Fact II: After walking out on his team at Survivor Series 1988, Brown got on the mic with Sean Mooney and indicated that the Survivor Series didn't mean anything to him, but the WWF title did. He stated that he was undefeated in the WWF and didn't know why he had not gotten a championship match against Randy Savage. Here at SNME, Brown indicates that he will go through Hogan to get his title shot.

### Scott:

Seeing Hulk Hogan coming out alone with Elizabeth seems so sleazy it makes me sick. Of course we have to forget all this logic and call Savage a piece of trash. Meanwhile Bad News Brown is accusing Elizabeth of giving "favors" to Jack Tunney to give Randy Savage preferential treatment while WWF Champion. So in other words, Elizabeth is a whore. I'm stunned that this is even being alluded to on television. It's amazing how different 1989 television is. Well until the Attitude Era anyway. Hogan is on a different level of angry going into this match, which is probably a good thing since Brown is a brawling bad ass. This match is a crazy brawl with no flow to it but that's fine considering the guys in the ring and the state of Hogan's character at this point. Brown made his character known back at Survivor Series when he walked out on his teammates. He was definitely a revolutionary character that was not the perfect fit of the Federation Era. Bad News heads back to the entrance and grabs a shovel (which Vince couldn't recognize). Brown then took control and worked Hogan over, even almost getting a legit three count if Hogan didn't put his foot under the bottom rope. Brown grabs the mike and starts awesomely taunting Hogan while he was down, but then he misses the Ghetto Blaster and Hogan makes the obligatory comeback. High knee, leg drop, three count. The match was actually a lot of fun with crazy brawling. Hogan sets himself up for the big match April 2 in Atlantic City.

### JT:

The feud between Bad News Brown and Randy Savage had burned through the back end of 1988 with much of Brown's atteck focused on allegations of Elizabeth performing favors on Jack Tunney to help protect Savage's title. Hulk Hogan is now in the mix as well as Bad News has set his sights on him as a target because Hogan is defending Liz's honor when Savage just ignored the claims. This was some pretty good stuff that probably deserved a more high profile program. Bad News' prematch promo was great too, especially with Jesse egging him on throughout it. On the flip side, Hogan was kind of creepy in the way he lurched over and spoke about his concern for Liz and thoughts on Savage. With Liz smiling while leading Liz out, Jesse assumed that meant she had already made her decision as to which corner to be in at Mania, but the decision was yet to officially be made. Bad News was locked in from the get go, jumping Hulk off the bell and laying the wood right away. Hogan dodged an elbow drop and came back with a quick flurry that knocked Brown to the floor. Now Hogan stayed aggressive, following him out and slinging him right back inside where he unloaded with a shoulderblock, clothesline and some elbowdrops. Brown made a comeback but Hogan cracked him with a boot on a charge and knocked him back outside with an atomic drop. He again followed out and smashed Brown into the guardrail. Aggressive Hogan is always fun, especially when he mixes it up with a pure brawler like Brown. They kept trading control and both would hit the post before Hogan blocked a chair shot and popped Brown in the head with it instead. Brown shook it off and searched for more weapons before stalking to the locker room. Hogan kept stopping the count and Brown eventually returned with a giant shovel that Hogan yanked away after a commercial break. Back inside, Brown regained control with a big clothesline and then started to stomp away. On the floor, Liz protected Hogan, leading to Brown chasing her around the ring. That gave Hogan the chance to recover and run him down but Brown threw him into the post and chucked him back into the ring, where Hogan barely got his leg on the rope to break a cover. In a great bit, Bad News grabbed a mic and shit talked Hogan as Hulk dragged himself up off the mat. Brown announced that he was going for the Ghetto Blaster but that backfired as Hogan was able to time and duck it once he knew it was coming. A fatal mistake as noted by Jesse. Hogan quickly hulked up, hit a running knee and dropped the leg for the really hard fought win. This was a hella fun match with tons of anger and brawling and all sorts of aggression. They also kept the Liz stuff to a minimum which was nice. Brown looked like a legit player here and Hogan was on his game too, keeping pace with his fired up rival. A bit of a hidden gem in the SNME canon.

### 3) Ted DiBiase defeats Blue Blazer with a powerslam at 3:57

Fun Fact I: Owen Hart was born to Stu and Helen Hart in May, 1965. He was the youngest of the 12 Hart children. He was an experienced amateur wrestler in high school, but wrestling was not what Owen wanted to go into as a career. He tried different options before deciding to give pro wrestling a shot. He was trained in his father's Dungeon and was a popular figure in Stampede Wrestling before 1987 when he took some time away to wrestle in Japan. When he returned in 1988, he signed on with the WWF. Instead of billing him as Bret's younger brother, he was given the masked character, The Blue Blazer. He would leave the WWF shortly after WrestleMania V to wrestle on the independent circuit before returning in 1991.

Fun Fact II: On February 15, 1989, a vignette is run showing Ted DiBiase enter Betteridge Jewelers in Greenwich, CT to discuss the making of the Million Dollar belt. Over the next two weeks, additional segments are run showing DiBiase giving instructions on how he wants the belt to look. On the 3/4 edition of the Brother Love Show, the masterpiece is unveiled, the only championship money could buy. The belt makes its in-ring debut here at SNME and will make its PPV debut at WrestleMania V only a few weeks later.

### Scott:

The legendary Million Dollar Belt makes its SNME debut here against the baby Hart brother. Blazer gets in the ring with the best workers in the company (he faces another great worker at Wrestlemania), but sadly they never let these matches go longer than a few minutes before Blazer is looking at the lights. Unfortunately the thinking in the company back then was putting over the top talent instead of putting a great match on per se. That was the major difference between the WWF and say NWA/WCW/Crockett at that time. It was a great four minutes sprint where Blazer went all over the ring and gave DiBiase everything he could offer, until he ran right into a DiBiase power slam for the three count. That was a great little sprint that showed how great a wrestler Owen Hart was even that early in his career. DiBiase survives, barely.

### JT:

Despite revealing his brand new Million Dollar Title belt before the match, Ted DiBiase was really aimless at this point, ambling around without much a feud and set for a random battle with Brutus Beefcake at WrestleMania. After being a major part of the main event picture in 1988, it was clear they were resetting him and planning to wait until after Mania to fire him back into a top angle. So here he faces off with the exciting Blue Blazer, who had mainly been showcasing his wares on TV and around the house show circuit. DiBiase wastes no time drilling Blazer as he flipped into the ring and hammered away at him in the corner before pasting him with a back elbow. Blazer got a flash backslide but otherwise this was all Ted working him over and showing lots of pissed off aggression. Blazer got a burst after eating a suplex, dropkicking DiBiase to the floor and then diving out after him. Blazer stayed on the attack outside before pitching Ted into the ring. He followed with a high cross body for a two count and kept the pressure on, grabbing two more near falls. However, a moment later DiBiase caught Blazer on a whip and took him down with a nice powerslam for the win. That was a really good little match, worked at an efficient pace and filled with good energy. Another 10 minutes tacked on and that could have been a classic.

*** Gene Okerlund welcomes Miss Elizabeth to the podium so she can reveal which corner she will be in at WrestleMania V. Liz says her decision is difficult because she cares for both men and hoped it never came to this. She announced that she wouldn't be in Hulk Hogan's corner and with that Randy Savage bolted out and celebrated, saying when the smoke clears, she would still be standing with the champion. Liz then clarified that she would not be in Savage's corner either and that drew Hogan out. He threatened to take Savage's head off but said he had too much respect for Liz and that he would wait until Mania to take his title back. ***

### 4) Rockers and Brainbusters wrestle to a double countout at 9:00

Fun Fact I: These two tag teams first squared off at Survivor Series 88 where both teams were eliminated by double disqualification. This sparked a heated feud that lasted into the spring of 1989. Following their double DQ, the teams met numerous times on the house show circuit including a match on January 23, 1989 at Madison Square Garden (Anderson and Blanchard's first appearance at the Garden) that was rated as one of the top 50 matches in PWI's 10th anniversary issue.

Fun Fact II: Bios of both The Rockers and The Brainbusters can be found in PTBN's Vintage Vault, Volume 1 ebook (cheap plug} available at BN.com, Smashwords.com and in the iBooks Store) under Survivor Series 1988.

### Scott:

Now we are talking. Two expert tag teams that have instantly jacked up the tag division work here on the big stage. These two teams were having workrate wars on the house show circuit at this time, including two memorable house show battles at MSG and the Boston Garden. They work so well together and this match is no different. So much great controlled chaos which is the hallmark of Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard matches. They know how to keep the match contained yet make it feel so out of control. Bobby Heenan gets thrown out after he pulled the top rope down and Shawn Michaels hit the deck on an Irish Whip. In the end all four guys just brawl like crazy until the referee counts everybody out. I loved this feud and it was a great way for both teams to be introduced to the WWF crowd. Ric Flair always considered Bobby "The Fifth Horseman" and managing the Brain Busters seemed a perfect match. This match was so much fun but again I feel cheated by the length, although for TV I shouldn't complain about nine minutes.

### JT:

Up next is a highly anticipated tag team bout between two teams new to SNME. Both of these teams debuted back in the fall and have been battling across the country ever since. The Busters had a great NWA legacy behind them and were a real coup for the WWF, immediately adding a high level of class to the company. The Rockers were party animals from the AWA that captured the hearts of young women with their looks while dazzling other fans with a high flying style. It was fitting that both teams make their SNME debuts against each other since they have been married to each other for around six months to this point. The Busters stuck first, knocking Shawn Michaels to the floor and trying to pick up a quick pin on Marty Jannetty, but things backfired and the match erupted into a four way brawl won by the Rockers. Michaels and Arn were in there after the dust settled and Shawn slammed Anderson off the top rope before everything broke down again. This time the Rockers cracked both Busters with superkicks, knocking them to the floor to regroup again. Michaels continued to outwork Anderson until he ran into a kneelift that swung momentum around. Bobby Heenan got in on the action too, yanking down the top rope, causing Michaels to careen to the floor. Heenan would get thrown out by the referee and after a break the Rockers were back into the match as Jannetty had tagged in. The Busters quickly reestablished control with a stiff clothesline. From there, the Busters picked Marty apart with quick machinelike double teams. Jannetty came close to tagging out, but the Busters kept him trapped, ratcheting up the attack with a nice Anderson spinebuster. The crowd was really rallying Marty and he was able to get his knees up to counter a splash from the middle rope by Anderson. Marty finally made that tag and the crowd cheered on Shawn as he exploded through both opponents. The brawling continued, including a Busters near fall, until all four men spilled outside and fought into a double countout. Super fun tag match even with the finish. These guys all had great chemistry and this was an effortless nine minute outing that was super crisp and had a hot crowd pushing it along. Smooth work across the board and you could tell they had wrestled many times before this.

### 5) Red Rooster defeats Brooklyn Brawler with an inside cradle at 1:05

Fun Fact I: After slapping Bobby Heenan at the SNME in January, the Red Rooster (Terry Taylor) was ambushed by Heenan's new protege on Prime Time Wrestling, Steve Lombardi, who Heenan repackaged as the Brookyln Brawler.

Fun Fact II: Following this match and Heenan's loss to the Red Rooster at WrestleMania V, the Brooklyn Brawler would be phased out of the Heenan Family. Heenan would say in commentary that the split was amicable. The Brawler will return later in an enhancement talent role.

Fun Fact III: A short bio piece on the Brooklyn Brawler can be found in PTBN's Vintage Vault, Volume 1 ebook under WrestleMania V.

### Scott:

This was a quickie match to keep the feud going between Rooster and Bobby Heenan. On an episode of Prime Time Wrestling, Heenan apparently wanted to make amends, but when they shook hands Heenan smacked him across the face and then the Brooklyn Brawler (former jobber Steve Lombardi) smashed him with a chair. Then out of the blue he hits Gorilla Monsoon with the chair! That was shocking for those days because Gorilla was almost considered untouchable at this point, but he was still durable enough to put an angle over and he sure did there. This entire storyline seemed beneath Bobby Heenan, considering what was coming on the horizon for him throughout the rest of 1989. On top of that, Terry Taylor went from being called Red Rooster, to actually LOOKING like a Rooster. Poor bastard. Losing the Mr. Perfect gimmick is one thing, but now it feels like he's being punished. The match isn't much, just a warmup to set up Rooster/Bobby at WrestleMania.

### JT:

Back in January, the Red Rooster turned on Bobby Heenan and decide to strike out on his own, tired of being abused by his manager. Heenan wanted to prove that the Rooster was a nobody when he found him, so to get that point across he dug up jobber Steve Lombardi and turned him into the Brooklyn Brawler. It was a neat angle for Heenan but due to the caliber of what was going on, it was clear it would never really take off. The attack on PTW was pretty good though. Also, the Rooster now officially has his rooster hairdo in place and is acting like a chicken, further solidifying his descent into gimmick hell. It was announced here that at Mania, Rooster and Heenan would officially be squaring off so this was a bit of a warmup. Brawler jumped Rooster at the bell but his offense was short lived as Rooster avoided a charge and started peppering away with right hands and a dropkick. Rooster kept on him before finishing things off with an inside cradle. Well, this surely proves Brawler is indeed a nobody. Brawler and Bobby jumped Rooster after the match and worked him over but the chicken man came back and knocked Brawler to the floor as Heenan bailed. Rooster gets his first taste of revenge and looks to Mania to complete the quest.

*** Gene Okerlund confirms that Miss Elizabeth will be in a neutral corner at WrestleMania and we see Randy Savage tear up a locker room out of anger, saying he will always be the champion. The show then ends with a video on the rise and fall of the Mega Powers. ***

### Final Analysis:

### Scott:

Everybody had their working boots on here, from the wrestlers to the announcers to the camera crew. We had come pretty solid matches and a decent amount of storyline advancement. It was dominated by the Mega Powers as we are on the road to one of the biggest WrestleMania main events in history. The company needed a big main event after the tepid tournament the year before, but what's also helping is the roster is really filling up with great tag teams and top flight mid-card talent. This begins a run of really exceptional SNME shows throughout 1989 to showcase all this talent, before and after WrestleMania. In a year where there is only four major PPV shows, the SNMEs in the middle really filled the gaps nicely and this one is a great example of that.

Final Grade:

### JT:

Now this is more like it. After a pretty shaky run of shows, we are back on track with a solid outing filled with good matches and a red hot through line that carries us from beginning to end. It was Mega Powers overdrive here, and rightfully so as it is a mammoth storyline leading to one of the most anticipated matches in company history. Hulk Hogan was great on this show, bringing all sorts of aggression and emotion in his fun match with Bad News Brown and the Elizabeth announcement segment. Savage was equally as good, as were McMahon and Ventura. Add in a crisp tag match, a solid opener and a real good semi-squash and this may be our best in ring SNME offering in quite some time. With the excitement of WrestleMania blended in it made this a really fun and entertaining watch that is well worth checking out.

Final Grade:

# Saturday Night's Main Event XXI – 5/27/89

May 27, 1989

Veterans Auditorium

Des Moines, IA

Announcers: Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura

### 1) King Jim Duggan defeats Rick Rude by countout ay 7:15; Rude retains WWF Intercontinental Title

Fun Fact: On the May 13 episode of Superstars, Jim Duggan defeated King Haku to become the new "King of the WWF". Following the match, Bobby Heenan ran to the back with the crown and robe to prevent Duggan from getting them.

### Scott:

We have a gold-filled show on this evening in Des Moines, as all three championships are on the line. We begin with the new IC Champion, who swiped the gold from the Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania thanks to Bobby Heenan's chicanery, holding Warrior's foot. His opponent is the new king of the WWF, who took the crown from Haku. Jim Duggan was one of the most popular guys in the company but was not in any title plans, so being King is pretty much a third singles title to a certain extent. His promos full of drooling and snot make my stomach turn. The match is a brawl for the most part, and there is a moment where you may think Duggan could win, but Rude does the one thing that always cuts off close pinfalls: He put his foot on the bottom rope. That was his personal bailout throughout his IC Title reign, rather than kicking out at 2¾. Haku comes out to cause interference when Rude was in trouble but the referee dispatched him to the back.1989 was Bobby Heenan's year as he has his first title in the promotion after three years of struggles and almosts. Rude hooks on a facelock and he looks to rip his nose off. It would be an improvement to be honest. Then Rude tries to throw Duggan's noggin into the turnbuckle and that of course doesn't work because there's cement up there. Duggan hits the three point tackle but Rude falls out to the floor and gets counted out. So we have the predictable SNME ending when a heel is champion: Babyface wins the match by countout or DQ, but the heel keeps the title. It's a hot Des Moines crowd for the drooling boob as he walks around with the American Flag on this Memorial Day weekend, but Bobby Heenan's guy keeps the gold.

### JT:

With WrestleMania V firmly in our rear view mirror and order restored to the WWF Championship universe, we enter the summer with a healthy roster of well established stars anchoring the promotion. And many of them are shifting around into different presentations and feuds. Hacksaw Duggan has been a steady upper mid card force since his debut but after stagnating a bit, he is given a gimmick here as he knocked off Haku to take the official crown of the WWF. Yes, King Hacksaw Jim Duggan. Rick Rude is our new Intercontinental Champion, having upset the Ultimate Warrior back at Trump Plaza and it has only enhanced his already robust arrogance. I enjoyed how Vince McMahon welcomed us to "corn country" but it is clear he and The Body are no longer present in the arena for these shows. That said, they still have a really fun feel around them. This is a Memorial Day edition so they really played up Duggan's patriotism as he was carted to the ring with the regal music playing. The crowd pumped out a loud "USA" chant as Duggan and Rude locked horns to open things up. Hacksaw dominated the early moments with right hands, a clothesline and a big suplex for a near fall. Duggan landed some stiff knees to the head but Rude caught him in the gut to slow the assault down. Rude picked his spots, gyrating and playing to the crowd which allowed Hacksaw to rattle him with an atomic drop and a great piledriver for a real close near fall. Where the hell has this Duggan been hiding? Haku showed up at ringside looking to steal back his crown, but Duggan slipped out to block him. Some officials came out as well and walked Haku to the back, but the break gave Rude a chance to recover and regroup and he took advantage by decking the King as he climbed back inside. Rude wore down Hacksaw with a chinlock and then drilled him with a high knee and forearm blow. Rude kept plowing ahead but Duggan shook off the shots and began firing away before sending Rude flying through the air with a back drop. He followed with the three point stance clothesline but Rude flopped to the floor and ended up being counted out, meaning he lost but retained his strap. This was surprisingly fun with tons of energy and hustle and a rowdy crowd. Duggan looked great and the King stuff was a nice touch. Rude was at his douchiest best too. Good opener.

### 2) Randy Savage defeats Jim Neidhart with the flying elbowdrop at 5:54

Fun Fact I: On the 4/15 episode of Superstars during the Brother Love Show, Macho Man introduced Sensational Sherri Martel as his new manager, after dropping Miss Elizabeth after WrestleMania V.

Fun Fact II: Following WrestleMania V, the members of the Hart Foundation would compete over the next several months in more singles matches than tag matches. Neidhart would find himself battling The Barbarian and The Warlord while Bret Hart would lock up numerous times with Mr. Perfect.

### Scott:

Coming off the heels of his WrestleMania V loss to Hulk Hogan, the Macho Man has his new manager and takes on a big hoss in the Anvil. Jesse complains that Savage should get an automatic rematch for the title instead of having to face Neidhart. That of course is true, except when the storyline doesn't dictate it. Logic be damned! This is nothing more than a showcase match for Savage and his new more psychotic manager. The premise here is to show that Sensational Sherri is a more hands-on manager who's willing to cheat for her man. Neidhart really looks sharp here, snapping off some pretty good shoulder blocks and clotheslines, giving you thought that he could win. Sherri's cheating leads to Savage hitting his elbow and getting the three count. It's hilarious how Savage has to work so hard to get to Hulk Hogan and the title. Even acting as a heel, it feels like a babyface fun, that he has to get so far up the ladder to get back the man who stole his woman and his title. The match was average TV fare, but the key is Sherri is a much different manager than Elizabeth.

### JT:

For the second straight summer, the Hart Foundation are being pared apart for test singles runs, this time as faces. Jim Neidhart cut a pretty strong promo prematch, calling out Randy Savage for shoving around women and telling him if he wants his title back, he needs to get through the Anvil first. And for the first time in a long time, Savage is in a situation where he really isn't directly involved with any type of gold. It is an odd place for him as he tries to hang on as the top heel of the company while simultaneously being shifted down into other random one off feuds. This is a really cool match on paper though. Savage has also picked up new manager as for the first time since his debut he is without Miss Elizabeth. Liz has been replaced by Sensational Sherri, the former Women's Champion. Now that the title has gone dormant, she was shifted to a role outside the ring as she was too talented to just have her walk away like some of the other ladies on the roster. Savage still had his star aura and presence and felt like a top star, so his lengthy reign certainly paid off as far as establishing him as a high level player in the company. Savage stalled early as Jesse shit talks Hogan, saying he sent Anvil to do his dirty work because he knows he got lucky at Mania. Sherri got involved early on, tying up Anvil's leg but the powerhouse maintained control, slamming Savage's head into the corner. Macho turned the tide and Sherri continued to land her blows as well, showcasing the important role she would be playing going forward and establishing the stark difference between her and Liz. Anvil landed a pair of shoulderblocks, with the second coming via slingshot, and then hit a clothesline for a two count. He followed with a dropkick that knocked Macho to the floor where the Anvil met him with another dropkick. Back inside, Anvil hit a powerslam for another near fall. Jesse talked about the importance of this match for Savage, as if he lost it may bust him way down the ladder. Sherri paid dividends again as she untied Savage from the tangled ropes which cause Anvil to spill outside. Savage clubbed him with a an axe blow into the guard rail and then polished him off with the flying elbow back inside. Man, another fun little sprint here. Savage mowing through contenders on the ladder in a quest for a title rematch is a good story, especially since he can have solid matches with all of them along the way. Anvil showed good energy too in this rare singles tilt.

### 3) Hulk Hogan defeats Big Boss Man to retain WWE Heavyweight Title in a steel cage match when he escapes the cage at 10:01

Fun Fact I: In an attempt to boost Hulk Hogan's acting career, the WWF produced a movie starring Hogan as Rip Thomas and Tiny Lister as his rival, Zeus. With the movie slated for release on June 2, 1989, trailers and clips began running on WWF TV during the month of May. The Zeus character would cross over from the silver screen to WWF programming and would become a real opponent of Hogan during the summer of '89.

Fun Fact II: The Mega Powers feud with the Big Boss Man and Akeem began following the inaugural SummerSlam in 1988 and lasted nearly a year to this point, during with the Mega Powers "exploded" and the WWF title changed hands back to Hulk Hogan. This match would be the conclusion of the feud between Hogan and the Big Boss Man.

### Scott:

On this night we have the continuation of a red hot feud. Hulk Hogan defends his title against Boss Man in the cage, which continues a feud from 1988, but there's a big wrinkle in the mix. ZEUS! Slick brings him out and he stands at the entrance to the cage, and while Hogan comes out he sees the obstacle standing in front of the cage. Hogan tries to get by but Zeus attacks him with a boot to the chest and clubbing forearms, leaving the champ on the floor beaten down. Could there be a big upset? Could the Boss Man win the title from this. Well the match does start and... it's amazing. The Boss Man brings all the goods to Hogan and honestly, this may be the best match Hogan's ever worked in SNME's history. It's a back and forth brawl with one of the biggest spots in the show's history. Both men are on the top of the cage as Boss Man is trying to escape, and Hogan... yes Hogan of all people... hits a superplex off the top of the cage and both men thunder to the mat. That was a spot I think no one ever expected. The place is going bonkers and I remember hi-fiving my buddy when we were watching at my house. The match continues to go back and forth and includes Boss Man choking Hogan out with a steel chain and the night stick. Hogan, as he always does, weathers the storm and even survives Slick running in and grabbing Hogan's leg as he's trying to climb the cage. Hogan races with Boss Man (similar to the Orndorff cage match in 1987) and the camera angle is perfect of Hogan hitting the floor in the background while Slick tries to unhook the handcuffs on Boss Man. Hogan celebrates after the match, which to me is the best in SNME history to date. Hogan and Boss Man worked their asses off here and the superplex came out of nowhere. However, even with Hogan celebrating we have one loose end that comes from this match; ZEUS.

### JT:

Hulk Hogan has been dealing with Slick and the Twin Towers since the fall, unable to shed them from his tail. Now that he is WWF Champion, he is feuding one-on-one with the Big Boss Man and that issue has led them inside a steel cage in a big time setting here. Before the bout Slick promised a big surprise and that surprise was revealed off the bat as the monstrous Zeus was brought out by Slick to meet the champion at the door of the cage. Zeus was the antagonist in Hulk Hogan's No Holds Barred movie and he decided to come haunt Hogan at his day job as well. Hogan tried to enter the cage but Zeus met him with a kick to the chest and a series of rattling blows to the shoulders. As Hogan was left prone on the floor, Zeus stalked off. After a break, Hogan pulled himself up and made it into the cage for the title match but he was immediately met by the challenger, who choked him with his torn shirt and peppered him with fists. The match as escape rules only and the crowd was buzzing as Hogan came back with a clothesline and right hands of his own. Boss Man cut him back down and then dropped a big splash on him before trying his first escape. Hogan made the save and the two traded blows until Boss Man dropped him with a spinebuster. Boss Man ascended the cage and actually made it all the way down the other side, but Hogan caught him at the last second and started choking him. He pulled Boss Man up, choked him again and then hit a mammoth superplex off the top of the cage! Hache mache! That was a fantastic spot. Both men took a while to recover but Hogan was able to recover first and he began crawling for the cage door until Boss Man hooked his foot and dragged him back in. Boss Man slugged Hulk down again and Slick tossed him in a chain, which he used to choke out the champion. I will say that Slick and Boss Man have executed a hell of a gameplan so far. Hogan would block a shot into the cage but both men ended up running the other into the steel right after, leaving both rattled again. As they got up, Hogan spiked Boss Man into the buckle and then got some revenge with the chain. As the champion climbed up the side of the cage, Slick bounded into the ring and tied him up, making the save. Hogan crotched Boss Man across the top rope and then cuffed him to it. The bleeding Boss Man got close to the door but couldn't reach the floor. As Slick scrambled and tried to unlock the cuffs, Hogan scaled the wall and escaped for the win. He capped it off by ramming Boss Man into the steel and then beating Slick around. This was a really strong title cage match here. Boss Man was built up very well as a heel challenger and felt like a legitimate threat for the gold. Hogan worked hard and the superplex spot was so damn awesome. Slick has really done a nice job as a top level manager during this feud too as he kept pulling tricks out of his sleeve to keep his guys in the mix. Hogan retains his title on a SNME for the first time in quite a while and it was a very hard fought win.

### 4) Brian Busters defeat Demolition by disqualification at 9:15; Demolition retains WWF Tag Team Titles

Fun Fact: This would be the beginning of a hot feud between the tag team champions, Demolition, and Heenan's in-ring technicians, The Brain Busters (Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard). By this point, Demolition had held the title belts for 14 months dating back to WrestleMania IV.

### Scott:

We haven't seen the tag team champions on SNME in a while, but we see them here against the #1 contenders. It's evident that based on the fact that, well they're awesome, Tully & Arn moved right up the ladder to be #1 contenders for the straps and they get their shot here. Early on the bigger champions really manhandle the smaller technical guys for the early portion of the match. Then, we get expert heel work by Arn. Tully is in a submission hold, so his partner sneaks into the ring, makes Smash come out to get the referee distracted, then he kicks Ax in the knee. The match goes back and forth with brawling vs. technical double teaming. The fight is a lot of fun and it ends when a frustrated Ax shoves Joey Marella and the champions get disqualified. The brawl continues out into the aisle and the floor. This feud is easily far from over and a rematch is definitely in the offing and the show has been one of the best top to bottom episodes in quite some time, with three solid title matches and a lot of guys who brought their working boots.

### JT:

When the Brain Busters were imported from the NWA, you knew it was only a matter of time before they were inserted into a tag title feud. We haven't seen much of Demolition here on SNME but they are fully blown faces now and are super over with the fans. After dispatching the Powers of Pain at Mania, they were ready for their next contenders. Tully and Smash kick things off but it quickly devolved into a brawl as the Busters tried to double team to no avail. When the dust settled, Ax and Arn Anderson were in there and the challenger was taking a beating. The champs tagged and double teamed, clubbing away viciously at Arn in the corner. Arn landed a blow and celebrated but that was short lived as Smash popped up and whacked him back down. A moment later, the Busters were regrouping outside as the champs stood tall. Back inside, Ax clobbered Tully, keeping him rocking and then knocking him back outside. Smash pitched Tully inside but Ax clotheslined him right back to the floor, where he collided with Bobby Heenan. After regrouping yet again, Tully climbed back inside but things picked up where they left off as Ax locked him in a neck vise and then tagged out to Smash, who hoisted Tully high in the air with a choke. And then the tables finally turned as Arn snuck in and kicked Smash in the back of the knee, causing him to collapse hard to the mat. And the challengers went right to work with their menacing quick hitting double team offense. They continued to lean on Smash, picking up near falls in between tags and wear down holds. This is where the Busters were at their best, working a frenetic yet controlled pace where they do whatever they can to frustrate their opponents while also wearing them down. And the tactics were effective as Ax finally stormed in the ring and just shoved the referee to the mat to draw a DQ. So, they retain the belts but the Busters get the win... meaning this feud is likely to continue. The match was well worked and pretty heated and really felt like the kick off to something much bigger. It was definitely a sharp tag team title feud to set things up for the summer.

### 5) Jimmy Snuka defeats Boris Zhukov with a Superfly Splash at 1:11

Fun Fact: Jimmy Snuka left the WWF in July 1985. During his time away from the Federation, he split his time between New Japan Pro Wrestling and the American Wrestling Association. Snuka made his return to the WWF at WrestleMania V and makes his in-ring return here at SNME.

### Scott:

This was a quick show-ending squash to showcase a WWF legend from before the Federation Era started. Snuka left in 1985 to join the AWA and get some quick money from Verne (if he had any left). I remember watching Snuka on ESPN feuding with Col. DeBeers and getting some big wins on TV. But clearly the writing was on the wall in Minneapolis and he came back to Vince for some more dough. He made an unusual return at WrestleMania V, being randomly announced before a match. Poor Boris is a relic as the Cold War was slowly ending by the end of the decade. Nothing more here than a showcase return for the Superfly.

### JT:

After being gone from the company for nearly four years, Jimmy Snuka made his surprise return at WrestleMania V, waving to the crowd and establishing that he was back. Now, he is back in the ring as well and closes out the show with a tilt against the beefy Russian Boris Zhukov. And the match was very short lived as Snuka made very quick work of the Bolshevik with a flurry of offense capped with a Superfly splash. Snuka was a good name to have back and he can be used in a real mid card role to help establish heels coming up the ladder and being prepped for bigger things.

### Final Analysis:

### Scott:

This is one of the best all-around episodes in quite a while. All three titles were on the line and all three title matches were fun to watch, particularly that WWF Title in the steel cage. I don't believe anybody expected Hulk Hogan and the Big Boss Man to put on that great of a match but they did. Almost 25 years later it still holds up as one of the best SNME matches of all time. Randy Savage gets some shine as he looks for his WWF Title rematch. So is Zeus sticking around? After what we saw clearly he is. Rick Rude and the Brainbusters are showcased as Bobby Heenan's family is at its best here. If there's only one SNME episode you would want to throw in at any given time, this one should be it. Plenty of great ring work and storytelling. Jesse and Vince were at their best married couple broadcast team here. Enjoy!

Final Grade:

### JT:

1989 continues to be a good year for SNME with our second straight strong outing. The matches here all clicked and with three titles on the line, the card certainly was stacked. The opener was a lot of fun with Duggan working really hard and Rude bumping all around. Savage/Neidhart was fine for what it was as it only existed to help get Savage a nice rehab win and set him up for title rematches around the country. The cage match was very good with the awesome superplex spot, some focused work by both men and the tease with Zeus to kick it all off. The tag title match was fine too even thought it was clearly stage one of a multi-part affair. The Snuka squash was fine too, just there to reintroduce the Superfly to the promotion. The energy was high level and avoided the usual post Mania doldrum and that is thanks to a deep roster that was easy to mix-and-mash due to all the talent brimming from it. This one is definitely worth checking out if you haven't seen it, just for the superplex spot alone.

Final Grade:

# Saturday Night's Main Event XXII – 7/29/89

July 29, 1989

Worcester Centrum

Worcester, MA

Announcers: Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura

### 1) Hulk Hogan defeats Honky Tonk Man to retain WWF Heavyweight Title with the legdrop at 6:14

### Scott:

I almost forgot Honky Tonk Man was still in the company. He lost his IC Title rematch a while back to Ultimate Warrior and then he kind of vanished from the SNME scene while other, better mid card heels like Rick Rude and Mr. Perfect grab some screen time. But now he's the "heel of the month" getting the World Title shot with Hogan. Now the past few shows I wasn't totally sure if Vince and Jesse were actually at the arenas or were on a green screen doing audio after the fact. After seeing the crowd shift up and down during the open of the show, that pretty much clinches it for me. Hogan dominates the action early, including carrying Jimmy Hart around on his back while Honky was getting beat down. Then on the outside, with the referee not looking, Jimmy smacks the Champion with the guitar and Jesse now senses an upset. I never understood when Hogan was clenching his opponent's foot when he was down. It looked so pathetic; I guess it was to tell the story. Honky actually hits his Shake, Rattle and Roll, but instead of going for the pin he postures around the ring and when he finally gets around to pinning Hogan, we get the strong kick out, hulking up, leg drop and three count. Hogan vanquishes another heel of the show, and poses afterwards. Average match, but not the last time we will see the WWF Champion.

### JT:

We hit a rare summertime Saturday Night's Main Event here and this bonus card was certainly loaded up to prep everyone for the second annual SummerSlam PPV. Things open up with the WWF Champion Hulk Hogan taking on an old stalwart of the promotion, the Honky Tonk Man. Honky has slowly slid his way down the ladder since he lost to the Ultimate Warrior back at SummerSlam but he gets a golden opportunity here with a high profile title shot. Hogan has his big SummerSlam match lined up for the Meadowlands but first he has to fend off the former Intercontinental Champion before he can truly focus on that tag team war. Honky tried to jump Hogan with his guitar during the entrances but the champ fended him off and punched away, taking the fight into the aisle. Jimmy Hart got involved and diverted the Hulkster back to the ring but Hogan swatted him off and still dodged another guitar attack. Hogan poured it on, hammering the challenger with right hands and a clothesline before rattling him with an atomic drop and running back elbow. Honky had zero momentum going on as Hogan tore his shirt off and then slammed the challenger and his manager together, sending them both out to the floor to regroup. Hulk followed him outside but that backfired as Hart smacked him from behind with the guitar. I have no clue how the referee missed that one as he was looking right at them all. Honky regained his composure and landed a double ax blow off the apron and then pitched Hulk back inside. Honky zeroed in on the neck and back, hooking on a rear seated chinlock but Hogan was able to power to his feet and run the challenger into the top buckle to breaking the hold. Honky hit a desperation clothesline and followed with the Shake, Rattle & Roll but instead of covering he danced and paraded around the ring like a jackass. He finally covered but Hogan blew out of the cover and powered up. Things spilled back outside where Hogan got revenge by bashing both Hart and Honky with the guitar before polishing off Honky with the legdrop for the win. Again, the referee was looking right at that one, but whatever. This was total paint-by-numbers with some good heat and a more aggressive style than you usually see from either man despite essentially being a squash.

### 2) Jimmy Snuka defeats Greg Valentine with a flying cross body at 3:14

Fun Fact I: Roger Barnes, known to wrestling fans as Ron Garvin, started his wrestling career in 1962 after being trained by Pat Patterson. He teamed with "brothers" Terry and Jimmy Garvin to win several regional tag team championships. After breaking away from the other Garvins, Ron gained popularity in the late 70s through the southern territories in Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama in Southeastern Championship Wrestling and International Championship Wrestling. After a stint in Georgia Championship Wrestling Garvin moved on to Jim Crockett Promotions where he would have his most success. In September 1987 he would defeat Ric Flair to hold the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. He only held the title for two months before Flair regained the title. He moved on to the AWA in 1988 before signing with the WWF at the end of that year.

Fun Fact II: The story of this match was not a feud between the two competitors, but instead a feud between Greg Valentine and the referee for the match, "Rugged" Ronnie Garvin. Following his loss to Dino Bravo at WrestleMania V, Garvin entered into a feud with Valentine. After several battles with each other, on the April 29 episode of Superstars the two competed in a retirement match where the loser would have to retire from wrestling. Valentine defeated Garvin, sending Garvin into an early retirement. But Garvin wasn't done in the squared circle. He signed on as a referee for the WWF. During his tenure he engaged in arguments with several heel wrestlers that would not listen to his instructions and was warned by President Jack Tunney about his behavior in the ring.

### Scott:

The actual feud is between Garvin and Valentine, as the Hammer retired Garvin in a match earlier in the year. So Garvin is in a referee's position here and Valentine is very suspicious. The match (which was probably a barn burner at a 1984 MSG house show), was nothing more than a veiled blip in the Valentine/Garvin saga. After a couple minutes of worthless work, Valentine and Garvin are jawing, until Garvin throws his hand of stone and stuns the Hammer. Snuka goes to the top rope and hits a high cross body for the victory. The storyline continues, for before the match in a taped segment WWF President Jack Tunney said any further chicanery would lead to a long suspension for Garvin. Will he abide by it? We will see.

### JT:

Greg Valentine was in the middle of a pretty interesting angle, having forced Ronnie Garvin into retirement due to a loss on Superstars, driving the Rugged One into becoming a referee. Of course, Garvin kept getting into physical altercations during the matches he worked and was given a final warning by Jack Tunney: stop fighting or be suspended. And as fate would have it, Garvin gets to ref this match here between his arch nemesis and Jimmy Snuka. Valentine jawed at Garvin right away, trying to bait him into a brawl that could end his career for good. The Hammer jumped Superfly off the bell and clubbed and chopped away, keeping him grounded with some stiff blows. Garvin called things straight down the middle as Snuka made a quick comeback, using his speed to dodge Valentine before pelting him with a chop. His offense quickly came to a close when he ate Valentine's shin on a leap off the middle rope. Hammer would knock Snuka to the floor and Superfly almost beat Garvin's steady count into the ring but Valentine kept kicking him back to the floor. Garvin finally had enough and shoved Valentine away. As they argued, Snuka scaled the top rope. Garvin finally snapped and slugged Hammer in the face as came flying off with a high cross body for the win. The Body didn't like that one at all and it looks like Jack Tunney probably won't either. Garvin decked Valentine to the floor and celebrated with Snuka as Jesse was very confident that Garvin would be cooked for a while because of the altercation. Nothing match here as it was all centered around the Garvin/Valentine storyline and had no flow or heat otherwise.

### 3) Brutus Beefcake defeats Randy Savage by disqualification at 11:30

Fun Fact: Tensions between Randy Savage and Brutus Beefcake began back in April when Savage named Sensational Sherri as his new manager. Savage and Sherri interrupted Beefcake's interview on the Brother Love Show. Throughout that segment, Beefcake referred to Sherri as "Scary Sherri", which resulted in Sherri slapping him and Savage holding him down while Sherri cut off some of Beefcake's hair. In early July, Savage issued a tag team challenge to Hogan. It would be Savage and Zeus vs. Hulk Hogan and Beefcake. This match is a precursor to their SummerSlam battle.

### Scott:

Continuing the feud between the Macho Man and the Hulkster, Randy Savage cut Brutus Beefcake's hair on an episode of Brother Love and now they go at it here. Savage keeps reminding us that he is the #1 contender for the World Title (even though guys will get title shots before he does. Never understood that). That keeps the connection between Hogan and Savage while adding other things to the mix like Beefcake and Sensational Sherri. This is actually a very fun match as both guys are going a million miles an hour, and plenty of Sherri interference is tossed into the mix. She was no doubt the right choice to replace Elizabeth as Macho Man's new heel manager. After Sherri takes a bump, Macho Man sends her to the back to get his SummerSlam tag team partner, ZEUS! The Human Wrecking Machine comes out and when Beefcake gets the sleeper, Zeus gets in the ring to attack Beefcake to draw the disqualification. Zeus puts Beefcake in the bear hug which brings Hulk Hogan out and a double axe handle to Zeus. Zeus smiles at him. All four men battle and eventually Hogan brings a chair into the ring and smacks Zeus in the back. Then, in one of my favorite SNME moments of all time, Zeus turns around with a shit-eating grin on his face and Jesse yells "IT DOES NOTHING...ZEUS IS SMILING AT HIM!" This was easily one of my favorite storylines of all time as Hogan looks legitimately scared holding the dented chair while Zeus is cackling. All four men are in the ring as we go to commercial. This was another great overall package of storytelling and psychology, and this time we actually had a pretty fun match to go along with it. The main event of SummerSlam had already been announced to this was just gas on the fire. It's one of my favorite, if not absolute favorite segments in SNME history.

(  for the entire segment)

### JT:

While things were still simmering between Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage, Hogan's new best buddy Brutus Beefcake has also gotten into the fray and become a top target of the Macho Man. Back in the spring, Savage and his new manager Sensational Sherri attacked the Barber and cut his mullet on the Brother Love Show, triggering a lengthy feud that would eventually set up the SummerSlam main event. This was a pretty highly anticipated matchup and a big test to see if Beefcake was ready for that move into the main event scene. Savage teased a major surprise during his prematch interview but wouldn't reveal any details, just focusing on getting another crack at his championship. Savage tried to attack as Beefcake strutted around the ring but the Barber caught him and chucked him to the floor. He then chased Sherri around the ring until Savage smashed him from behind and pitched him back inside. Beefcake fired right back and choked Savage to the mat with his jacket before clobbering him with a double ax blow to the face for a near fall. Savage turned the ride with a kick to the gut and then started peppering the Barber with some punches. Macho would miss a charge in the corner and Beefcake kept him off balance by ducking any sort of strike and landing some of his own, including a leaping knee for a two count. Savage finally landed a punch but came up empty on another charge, this time getting caught up in the ropes and then knocked to the floor by another running knee. The Barber followed as Savage used Sherri as a shield for a momentary rest. Beefcake got around that but Sherri got involved again, hooking his leg and allowing Savage to smack him back to the floor. Macho followed with a double axe handle and Sherri got in the action again too, drilling Beefer with her high heeled shoe. Jesse really loves putting over Sherri as a manager vs. Elizabeth as far as effectiveness. And she was proving him right as she distracted the referee when Beefcake hooked a small package. Beefer again grabbed a near fall with a backslide, finding small windows for offense during Savage's attack. Macho and Sherri would alternate punishing Beefcake, doing everything they could to keep him grounded. Savage headed to the top and flew off but Beefcake met him with a right hand to the gut. He has had an answer for everything Savage has tossed at him. More Sherri interference backfired as Savage collided with her, sending her crashing to the floor. Savage soon joined her courtesy a Beefcake back drop. As Savage recovered, he sent Sherri to the back for help. That was a cool nod to the old Savage/Liz/Hogan bits. After a break, Beefcake remained in control but Sherri eventually returned with Zeus, the not-so-secret surprise. Savage briefly took over but Beefcake ducked a clothesline and hooked on the sleeper. That was all Zeus needed to see as he hopped in the ring and hammered Beefcake to break the hold and draw the DQ. Zeus locked in a bear hug but Hulk Hogan arrived to break that up. Hulk laid in right hands but Zeus just no sold them and hooked Hogan in a bear hug. Savage got in on the action with a double axe handle to the back and threatened to cut Hogan's hair before Beefcake made the save. Hogan would grab a chair and bash Zeus with it, but again it was no sold with a smile and defiance. Beefcake grabbed a chair too and eventually Savage convinced Zeus to walk away and save himself for SummerSlam. Well, that was certainly exciting. The match was really well worked and Beefcake looked awesome thwarting all of Savage's offense as Sherri's interference. The crowd dug it all too and I came away from this thinking the Barber easily fit in this main event scene. The post match stuff was really well done and added tons of heat for SummerSlam. The view of Hogan and Beefcake staring down Zeus with chairs is an iconic one and sets up for the Meadowlands perfectly.

### 4) Brian Busters defeat Demolition to win WWF Tag Team Titles in a Best of Three Falls Match at 12:33

Falls:

  1. Smash pinned Arn Anderson after a stun gun at 5:00

  2. Demolition was disqualified for double teaming at 9:29

  3. Arn Anderson pinned Smash after Tully Blanchard hit him with a steel chair at 12:33

Fun Fact: In a rematch from the last SNME broadcast, the Brain Busters defeat Demolition for the tag belts. With the win, the Brain Busters became the first team to win both the NWA and WWF tag team championships. This would be the beginning of their only WWF title reign. In losing, Demolition ended the longest WWF tag team reign in history, one that last through this writing in 2016, 478 days.

### Scott:

After the schmozz ending two months earlier on SNME, the champions and the #1 contenders have a rematch here. I wasn't sure what was going to happen here, as Demolition actually lost the match in May by DQ so I thought the feud would end here with the Demos keeping the titles. For the second show in a row both teams really brought the goods with the titles on the line. I never totally noticed it in NWA but when they were in the WWF Arn & Tully really amped up the level of energy in their matches, as well as the level of chaos. They ran all over the ring both when they were in peril and in control. Ax and Smash went along for the ride and brought their own brand of chaos. Demolition dominated early on and got the first fall when Smash pinned Arn after a Stun Gun on the top rope. As the match progresses in comes Andre the Giant to keep things in line. After Demolition gets disqualified again like the last show, Andre finally makes his presence felt. Smash has Arn pinned, but the ref is distracted with Ax and Bobby. Andre slides a chair into the ring and Tully pastes Smash in the head with it. Three seconds later and the record breaking title run of Demolition come to an end in what at the time was a pretty big upset. The huge celebration of the entire Heenan Family after the match was so awesome and for the first time since he arrived in the WWF, Bobby Heenan is the undisputed #1 manager in the company. The match was great and wraps up a super episode.

### JT:

Up next we have a rematch from the May SNME, about that ended in a DQ loss for the tag team champions. Since then, the Brain Busters have continued to chase after Demolition in their ongoing quest for gold. This time around, we have a three fall match in place for the gold. Demolition was still super over and have become a steadying force in the tag division, having reigned as champions for well over a year now. Ax and Tully Blanchard opened things up and while Tully did what he could to outsmart the champion, brute force took right over as both Ax and Smash rattled him with right hands. Ax eventually got caught in the wrong corner but he hammered his way right out of it. The numbers caught up to him but Smash showed up and the champs continued to clean house. Heenan gathered his troops and helped them gather their bearings as the match reset with Smash and Arn Anderson hooking up. Arn landed a few shots but Smash choked him down to his knees and the champs continued to double team the challengers with their power advantage. Despite every step the Busters took to take control, Demolition just kept fighting through it like bulls in a china shop. Arn finally cut Smash down with a spinebuster but Smash kicked out at two. The Busters both came in the ring but Ax gave a hand from the apron and a moment later, Smash caught Arn with a stun gun to win the first fall.

After a break, the second fall got under way with Smash bringing the fight right back at Arn. Bobby Heenan fretted at ringside as Arn stood no chance and got no offense in at all. The champs just swarmed and dominated him until he found a way to break a neck vise and finally tag out. Tully came in hot, aggressively choking away and then slingshotting Ax neck-first into the bottom rope. The Busters tagged in and out and beat away at Ax's back until he was able to swat away Tully and make the tag. Things broke down with a big brawl that included Heenan getting rammed into the ring post. The champs frenetically double teamed Tully and as they did Andre the Giant showed up to support his stablemates. Demolition nailed Tully with the Decapitation Device but the champs were disqualified for blatant double teaming, drawing the match even at one. Jesse clarified that the third fall must end cleanly and not by DQ, which of course goes against finishes we have seen on SNME previously, but I digress.

The third fall picked up after another break and Andre was now seated at ringside with a big smirk on his face. Ax kept bringing the fight to Tully and it is amazing that we are tied at one as the Busters have gotten very little offense in at all. They had to feel lucky to even be in this at this point, but it speaks to their style and goal of controlled chaos. They excelled at hanging around long enough to find the seam and sneak out wins. Tully was able to slam Ax into Arn, rattling both men but giving the challengers some hope. Even that fell apart quickly as Ax came right back with some clubbing blows. Arn and Ax smacked heads in the ring, wiping both men out. Eventually the match completely broke down again, playing right into the hands of the challengers. As they all brawled, Andre slipped a chair in the ring and Tully just blasted Smash in the back of the head. Arn crawled over and covered Smash to win the bout and the titles. The crowd was pissed as Andre, Bobby and the new champions celebrated their huge win. Andre was really fun here. The match was really damn good too with tons of mayhem and really sharp offense by both teams. I loved that we never really had a heat segment as it made Demolition look unbeatable but played into the strength of the Busters, who always found a way to pull wins out of clear defeats. Also, some of the offense looked damn great, including one of the best Decapitation Devices I have ever seen and a crackling chair shot from Tully for the finish. This is easily up there with the best tag matches we have seen on SNME and it was a really historical moment as Demolition's dominant title reign officially comes to a close. The post match Heenan Family celebration was gold as well.

### Final Analysis:

### Scott:

1989 continues to roll with one great show after another and this one is no exception. We get our first title change in SNME history here, as well as great storyline advancement with the main event feud and Valentine/Garvin. We are on a one way course to SummerSlam with multiple feuds going. The only one that wasn't advanced here that I thought would be was Rude/Warrior, but they were tearing it up on the house show circuit and on the syndicated shows. These and the shows in 1990 are really the vintage era of Saturday Night's Main Event, the truly memorable moments that everybody remembers. This might be the best episode thus far. This is one that can be watched in a vacuum to see how NBC polished the show up and WWF was in the heyday of its production value, and with the loaded roster everything is working seamlessly. So grab this one off the WWE Network and watch it, because you will be thoroughly entertained.

Final Grade:

### JT:

Well, this certainly was a pretty important installment of SNME. I love that they created a special bonus summer edition to help build to SummerSlam and they did just that, laying some pretty important groundwork for the tag team main event in the Meadowlands. The first two matches were nothing special but the back end of this show was rocking with two really good matches, a red hot angle and a historical title change. And even in the Valentine/Snuka match, we had good angle advancement with the Garvin stuff. You really can't ask for much more from one of these shows, expect maybe a better contested World Title match, but a Hogan squash worked this time around. This is definitely one of my favorite episodes to date and has me hyped for SummerSlam all over again.

Final Grade:

# Saturday Night's Main Event XXIII – 10/14/89

October 14, 1989

Riverfront Coliseum

Cincinnati, OH

Announcers: Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura

Attendance: 14,000

NBC Rating: 9.5

### 1) Randy Savage defeats Jimmy Snuka with a roll up at 5:37

Fun Fact: On the September 25 episode of Prime Time Wrestling, Randy Savage defeated King Jim Duggan to gain the crown as King of the WWF. The official coronation ceremony was broadcast on the 30th during WWF Superstars. His real-life brother, "The Genius" Lanny Poffo read a special poetic proclamation as he was crowned. A scepter was given to him by Ted DiBiase, which would come into play in numerous matches in the future.

### Scott:

We open the show with the new King of the WWF, as Randy Savage took the crown from that clown Jim Duggan. This is pretty much a consolation prize for Savage after not winning back the WWF Championship from Hulk Hogan, effectively ending that feud. Now as King he takes on the first Phenom of the WWF, the Superfly. Savage and Sherri worked perfectly in this gimmick as the promotion's royalty. I think Savage and Sherri's chemistry during matches was underrated, as they really worked well together as a heel team. Clearly Snuka wasn't going to win here unless they were going with some weird Snuka as King angle. That wasn't going to work since they already had an incoherent goof as King and it quickly ended. The match was solid enough, with Savage using the infamous "loaded purse" that's been prevalent all summer to get the victory. After the match Savage tried to drop the big elbow for good measure but Snuka rolled out of the way. Snuka was going to hit the big splash but Sherri stood in front of him, defending her King. That was a decent enough opener to put over Savage's new gimmick.

### JT:

It has been a while since our last Saturday Night's Main Event, and here we are now, solidly into the fall of 1989. SummerSlam has come and gone and we are edging towards Survivor Series and while many of the faces are the same, much of the landscape and look of the promotion has changed. And we start here as Randy Savage is now royalty, having taken the crown and King title from Jim Duggan with some help from his Queen, Sensational Sherri back in September. If Savage was going to be hanging outside the main event scene, this was a good hook for him and it helped reinvent him and mix it up for this new stage of his career. We even get footage from the awesome coronation. Jimmy Snuka returned back in the spring but already has slid solidly into near jobber status, entering random feuds here and there but always coming out on the short end of the purse. Still, his name value counts for something and he was good to have around to help put over others as needed. Savage and Sherri getting carried to the ring on the sedan thrones just feels so right. He was also wearing some pimp purple and gold trunks and kneepads. Snuka avoided a Savage attack off the bell and rattled him with a leaping headbutt before sending him careening to the floor with a reverse atomic drop. Superfly followed him out and laid in some stiff chops but Sherri got involved by tying him up, allowing Savage to deck him from behind. This Sherri & Savage pairing is great and they have really developed it well, showing how much she gets involved and helps on the floor as a dichotomy to Elizabeth. Savage kept hammering away and then yanked Snuka over the top and to the floor. He followed right after him with an axe handle blow off the top rope and Sherri topped it off with some kicks to the gut. Both Savage and Sherri continued to lay in shots on Superfly but Macho couldn't quite put him away. Snuka came back with some more headbutts and chops and then pasted Savage with a clothesline. He followed that by shooting Savage into the corner so hard that Savage flipped upside down and got tangled in the tree of woe. As Snuka was tied up with the referee and Sherri, Savage grabbed Sherri's purse and drilled Superfly in the kidneys with it. Savage then rolled him up for the win. After the bell, Savage tried for a flying elbow but Snuka dodged it and then went for the Superfly Splash but Sherri stood tall in front of her man to thwart him. That was a feisty little match that, as usual for Savage, never slowed up. The Sherri stuff continues to entertain and Savage flew all around the ring when he was in control. Snuka looked good too. Fun, quick sprint of a match.

### 2) Hulk Hogan defeats Ted DiBiase to retain WWF Heavyweight Title with a small package at 8:00

Fun Fact I: Shortly after WrestleMania V, Ted DiBiase and Jake Roberts entered into a feud. Following a victory over Virgil on the 5/6 episode of Superstars, Roberts was attacked by DiBiase and placed in the Million Dollar Dream. In kayfabe, this put Roberts out of action for several months to have surgery to repair the disc damage caused by the move. In reality, Roberts was facing aggravated battery charges after punching a man in the face and stomach following an argument over the quality of life and women in Daytona Beach, Florida. DiBiase continued to stoke the fire in their feud during Roberts' absence by one week bringing out a gold neck brace for Roberts now that his career was over. The feud would kick back into gear in September when Roberts returned to action.

Fun Fact II: Following SummerSlam, the million-dollar champion Ted DiBiase opened up the purse strings again and acquired the services of Zeus to be his enforcer leading into Survivor Series with Hogan's team.

### Scott:

The World Title on the line next as Hulk Hogan continues his schedule of (almost) alternating shows to defend his title. Ted DiBiase has almost been forgotten throughout 1989 but now with the Million Dollar belt, and now he has the transferred Zeus as his "insurance policy". Zeus' relationship with Randy Savage temporarily ended after their SummerSlam loss, but Zeus still has plenty of juice left since his pinfall was via the "loaded purse". Zeus starts immediately, grabbing Hogan's leg while both men lock up in the corner. DiBiase is probably long overdue for this title match, and won't let the opportunity slip away. Zeus continues to interfere, as at one point both he and Hogan start choking each other. A moment later DiBiase distracts the referee and Zeus starts choking Hogan again but this time Hogan's backup comes down in the form of Jake "The Snake" Roberts, another guy who hasn't been on SNME in quite some time. DiBiase and Jake are feuding dating back to WrestleMania when DiBiase took Damien during Jake's match with Andre the Giant. The match goes back and forth until Zeus comes in to grab Hogan from behind, and DiBiase (who isn't disqualified) goes for a move but Hogan moves out of the way and he hits Zeus. Hogan rolls up DiBiase to get the victory. The important moment happens afterwards. Hogan and Zeus are in the ring alone. The early rumor was that this was going to be our main event for WrestleMania VI in Toronto. Before they start to brawl, DiBiase comes back in we get some double teaming until Jake comes in with Damien to clean house. Hogan keeps his title, but was the seed planted for our WrestleMania main event.

### JT:

It has been a little while since Ted DiBiase was in the World Title mix, but he picks up a big title match here with Hulk Hogan, who is still reigning on top since winning the strap at WrestleMania. Also, Zeus is still here. We first saw him in May, when he was brought in by Slick and Big Boss Man. Over the summer, he was aligned with Randy Savage, leading to a big SummerSlam tag match. And now, he is on the payroll of the Million Dollar Man, acting as DiBiase's muscle for his big showdown with the Hulkster here tonight. Hogan and DiBiase locked up to start and Zeus wasted no time getting in Hulk's grill, trying to help Ted out. Hogan fought through it early on, keeping an eye on Zeus but also working a tight headlock on the challenger. The distraction would payoff momentarily as DiBiase caught Hogan looking away but the champ came right back with a clothesline and stiff elbow in the corner. DiBiase turned things around again and then tied up the referee as Zeus choked away at Hogan. That drew out Jake Roberts to even the odds and he now caused distraction for his arch nemesis DIBiase. Hogan would get a quick roll up but DiBiase broke free and went back to work with stomps. Hogan came back with some punches in the corner and as Roberts jawed with Zeus, Virgil grabbed Damien and sprinted to the back. Jake chased after him and that allowed DiBiase to clothesline Hogan to the floor. This has been a wild match. After the break, DiBiase had Hogan back in the ring and was wearing him out with clotheslines and elbows to the back of the head. The challenger hit a perfect suplex for a near fall and then cracked Hogan with an elbow off the middle rope for a two count. He followed up with a rear chinlock, looking to wear Hogan down a bit more. Hogan broke free but a moment later both men were on the mat following a double clothesline. It looked like Zeus whiffed on a spot there when Hogan hit the ropes because as soon as Hulk was back to his feet he awkwardly hit the ropes again and this time Zeus clobbered him in the back. DiBiase hammered away and then landed a big stomp off the top rope. However, that would be it as Hogan hulked up from there and punched away at the challenger. Zeus came in from behind and hooked Hogan but Hulk ducked and DiBiase clobbered the big man. Hogan then snuck up from behind and grabbed an inside cradle for the win. After the bell, Zeus and DiBiase went back to work as Zeus snapped Hogan's neck with some sort of wrenching vise. DiBiase then hooked the Million Dollar Dream on until Roberts reemerged with Damien for the save. That was a surprisingly effective post match attack. And it was also a really fun match. I loved the early chaos with all the interference and shenanigans at ringside and the back end was well done with good near falls and some crisp offense. I also liked that Hogan won with the inside cradle instead of the usual. This was a pairing we don't see a ton of on TV or PPV and I really enjoyed them going at it here. It also furthered along multiple storylines at once and sets up nicely for Survivor Series.

### 3) Roddy Piper defeats Haku with a belly-to-belly suplex at 3:02

Fun Fact: On the July 17 episode of Prime Time Wrestling, Roddy Piper joined as the new co-host. The week prior, Bobby Heenan walked off the program to start his own show. This began a rift between Piper and the Heenan family. After weeks of verbal sparring between Piper and Heenan, the August 21 episode of Prime Time saw sparks fly as Piper and Heenan Family member, Rick Rude, had to be held apart after a verbal altercation. Piper showed up at SummerSlam where he mooned Rude during his Intercontinental Championship match against the Ultimate Warrior, causing him to lose the belt. On the September 9 episode of the Brother Love Show, Piper was the special guest. After being berated by Brother Love for sticking his nose in Rick Rude's business, Piper gave a lesson on hygiene, stuffing dental floss, toothpaste and mouthwash into Brother Love's mouth. Following the "lesson", Rude attacked Piper from behind, throwing mouthwash into his eyes and hitting him with the lectern. Piper makes his return to SNME here as he continues his rivalry with another Heenan Family member.

### Scott:

We have the triumphant return of the HOT ROD to SNME, after making his big return at WrestleMania. There he humiliated Morton Downey Jr, and then at SummerSlam mooned Rick Rude, and eventually cost him the Intercontinental Title to the Ultimate Warrior. Now he sets his sights on taking out the entire Heenan Family, and he started here with Haku. As with most Piper matches, it's a quick punch and kick fest that ends with a Piper victory. The Hot Rod is back but his feud with another Heenan Family member, Rick Rude, continues.

### JT:

After returning to the promotion back at WrestleMania, Roddy Piper mainly just played an announcer role, co-hosting Prime Time Wrestling and staying out of the ring. At SummerSlam, that all changed as he inserted himself in Rick Rude's Intercontinental Title defense against the Ultimate Warrior. Rude and Bobby Heenan would blame Pipe for the defeat, triggering a big time feud and drawing Piper back into active competition. So, here Piper gets a match against another Heenan Family member, the former king, Haku. Piper hadn't competed on SNME since early 1987 and it was great to see him back in the ring on the show he helped build in the early years. And the Hot Rod wasted no time, peppering Haku with a wild flurry of punches that knocked him right to the floor. Piper dove off the apron and kept laying in the fists before finally popping up and sliding back inside to a round of cheers. Piper and Heenan would put on a little comedy act but before Piper could levy any damage, Haku made the save. Haku whacked Piper with a clothesline and then landed a shoulderbreaker for a near fall. Piper quickly made a comeback and polished off Haku with a random belly-to-belly suplex. Heenan seethed at ringside as Piper celebrated his comeback win. The match was nothing but the story was all about Piper chasing Heenan and his Family as he aimed his sights on Rude.

### 4) Tito Santana wrestles Rick Martel to a double disqualification at 9:00

Fun Fact I: This feud of former tag team partners began back at WrestleMania V when Rick Martel walked out on Tito Santana, turning heel in the process. Martel felt that Santana had been riding his coattails for too long. Martel took on the role of an arrogant model.

Fun Fact II: While this episode of SNME aired on October 14, it was recorded on September 21. Martel and Santana would actually be wrestling each other on October 14 as they met in the finals of the King of the Ring tournament in Providence, Rhode Island. Sanata would win the tournament that night.

### Scott:

It's time for the long awaited battle between former Strike Force members. Rick Martel turned on Tito Santana at WrestleMania, cutting the historic promo where he proclaims that Tito "IS A LOOSER!" in the awesome French Canadian accent. Martel gets the upper hand at SummerSlam, winning that great six-man tag match against Tito and the Rockers but now here they go face to face, one on one. However to amp up the awesomeness of this segment, Martel brings down his Survivor Series team of the Twin Towers, Jimmy Hart and Honky Tonk Man. Tito, not to be outdone, brings out his Survivor Series team of Brutus Beefcake, Red Rooster and, making his SNME debut, the "American Dream" Dusty Rhodes. Big Dust has Boss Man's hat and nightstick, drawing the ire of Boss Man. Rhodes took the tools during the summer, igniting their feud. The match is a lot of fun with all the guys jaw jacking at each other at ringside, and even a second referee had to come in as both sets of guys were just going to go at it in the ring. After some really good action the match devolves into total chaos as both teams just start going at it in a free for all that ends the match as a double DQ. This war will culminate next month in Chicago at Survivor Series.

### JT:

In more fallout from WrestleMania, the former Strike Force goes to war here in the back end of SNME. After bailing on Tito Santana, Rick Martel went heel, got some powder blue trunks and picked up Slick as a manager. And along with Slick comes Jive Soul Bro, which is always just so fun and amazing to hear. In more hype for Survivor Series, Slick brought Akeem, Big Boss Man and Honky Tonk Man out with Martel to stack the odds against Tito. Martel dancing with Slick is so great, as is Tito's theme music. And Tito would even the odds as he brought out Red Rooster, Brutus Beefcake and Dusty Rhodes to watch his back. Martel went right at Tito as Jesse said that due to the hatred flowing here what would have normally been a scientific affair is now likely to be a brawl. And that seemed to be the case to start as the two traded straight blows in and out of the ring. Santana got the first near fall of the match with a sunset flip and then kept pouring it on, landed kicks and then just grabbing at Martel's face. He followed with a cross body block for another two count but Martel was able to catch him with a shot to the gut and then yank him into the middle buckle to put Tito on his back. Martel stomped away as his teammates rooted him on from the floor. After a spurt of offense from Martel, Tito punched his way back into it and hit the flying forearm but Slick jumped on the apron and drew Santana off the cover. That led to all eight men hopping on the apron and stopping the match momentarily. After a break things settled down as Martel went back to work with more punches and then eventually shoving Tito to the floor. Once Santana got back inside, Martel went to work on the lower back as Vince informed us that he calls himself the Model now. Santana elbowed out of a side headlock and got a backslide for a near fall but Martel popped up and spiked Tito's head to the mat to maintain control. He would hook the Boston crab but Tito got the ropes to force the break. Martel tried to go up top but Tito was able to crotch him and punch him down to the mat. Tito slugged Martel down again and went for the figure four but Slick again jumped on the apron for the distraction. That brought Boss Man in and he was followed by everyone and that triggered a large brawl that lead to a double DQ. The faces eventually won the fight but we still don't have closure on the Strike Force issue. The match was a good watch but mainly due to the atmosphere and chaos around the ring. Much of the action inside was strike based and didn't have a great flow to it, but again that played off the hate filled storyline. I would like to see them get some real time to go one-on-one but the point of this outing was mainly to sell Survivor Series, and rightfully so. Grade: **

### 5) Bushwhackers defeat Fabulous Rougeau Brothers when Butch pins Jacques after a double gutbuster 3:15

Fun Fact: Fellow PTBN staffer, Dave Musgrave, has written a fantastic historical piece covering the history of the Bushwackers. You can read all about this unique team and their history at http://tiny.cc/ptbn-bushwackers.

### Scott:

These two teams were pretty much attached to each other for about 18 months, including three PPV matches. They also battle here but this one is nothing more than comedy fodder, with yet another SNME moment where Jimmy Hart gets his pants pulled off. This was a glorified squash win for the Bushwhackers, which surprised me as the Rougeaus were a solid heel team. I didn't know at the time that they were out the door soon too. There's not much more to say here.

### JT:

Our WrestleMania fallout themed show continues as the Rougeau Brothers are looking to avenge their Mania loss to the Bushwhackers here tonight. The Whackers marched to the ring and attacked the Rougeaus immediately, knocking them to the floor and then chasing Jimmy Hart around the ring until they tore his pants off, revealing boxer shorts adorned by the Quebec flag. He was eventually saved by his boys and scampered to the back as the crowd cheered on the mayhem. The Rougeaus made the Whackers pay by nailing them from behind and double teaming Butch with a clothesline and a Boston crab/kneedrop combo. They kept the heat on Bitch as the crowd rallied him on. Another double team would backfire, allowing Butch to make the tag. Luke came in hot, rocking Jacques with a right hand and leaping clothesline. A moment later, the Whackers smashed Jacques with the battering ram and then polished him off with a double gut buster. Well that was a quick one and a real waste of the Rougeaus. They are too talented to be relegated to comedy matches and squash losses like this, but alas their time seems to have past. Nothing to see here, just a match to fill out the final few minutes of the show.

### Final Analysis:

### Scott:

This was the typical "in-between" episode of SNME, where debuts, returns and sustained mid-card feuds took up a majority of the time. Roddy Piper's first SNME appearance in over two years is a success as well as the first guy to ever be on a SNME and a Clash of the Champions, Dusty Rhodes. The Santana/Martel stuff was a lot of fun with both teams going at it back and forth. The Hogan title match was fine and the tease was there for a Hogan/Zeus match but would it actually sell tickets? Maybe for the Royal Rumble, but not for WrestleMania. This episode wasn't as strong as the previous two but it was still entertaining and 1989 is still an awesome year for wrestling.

Final Grade:

### JT:

This episode was a pretty good snapshot of this era as it was filled with memorable characters, defined feuds, quick pacing and lots of storylines...but the in ring action was lacking. Hogan and DiBiase had a good little affair that ended up match of the night but it still wasn't anything special. Martel and Santana could have delivered that signature performance but storyline dictated that match. That said, the atmosphere here was great and the show hummed right along, wrapping up some lingering issues and setting the stage for Survivor Series. The rest of the card was filled out with virtual squashes but each at least served some sort of purpose to set up the PPV. Also, it must have been abnormally hot in that arena because all these guys were pouring sweat, even those at ringside in the Santana/Martel bout. This was a step back from the last couple of shows, but it still moved quickly enough to make it an easy and enjoyable watch.

Final Grade:

# Saturday Night's Main Event XXIV – 11/25/89

November 25, 1989

Expocentre

Topeka, KS

Announcers: Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura

NBC Rating: 8.7

### 1) Ultimate Warrior defeats Andre the Giant by disqualification to retain WWF Intercontinental Title at 7:46

Fun Fact: The Ultimate Warrior began a feud with Andre the Giant following his SummerSlam Intercontinental Championship win. On the 8/26 episode of Superstars, following the Warrior's victory, Bobby Heenan came out and distracted Warrior while Andre came up behind him and choked him out. On the house show scene, most of their matches were very short, well under one minute squash matches booked to build Warrior into a main event superstar.

### Scott:

After Warrior's win over Rick Rude at SummerSlam, the IC Champion continues his war against the Heenan Family. They show highlights from the summertime when Andre attacked Warrior after a match on Superstars. That at the time was to soften him up before the title match with Rick Rude but now Andre goes after the championship here in Topeka. It's very clear as I'm watching these that the SNME shows were part of roster cycles. We haven't seen Warrior in the past few shows but as we end the year and begin the new WrestleMania season, it's obvious the IC Champion is big in the plans. Just how big we're not sure yet. Although taking on Andre is a big step up the ladder, even if he doesn't defeat him clean it's still Andre. The match goes back and forth until both men give each other almost simultaneous bear hugs. Of course the 500-pound Giant has the more effective one until Warrior battles back with chops and clotheslines. Andre gets tied up in the ropes but that is only momentary as Andre boots Warrior in the face. As the referee tries to untangle Andre, Bobby Heenan comes in and tries to attack Warrior with the title belt. Jesse actually questions the thought process of the Brain here, but Warrior has his way with the Brain until Andre is unhooked. Warrior tosses Bobby into Andre and they fall to the floor. The referee DQs Andre for Bobby being in the ring and the Warrior retains his gold. The match is typical TV fare but it shows that the Ultimate Warrior is clearly on the main event radar.

### JT:

Our final Saturday Night's Main Event of 1989 comes on the heels of the third annual Survivor Series and on paper it is a pretty unique card. The company was in somewhat of a status quo and was blending feuds together all over the place, especially at the top of the card. And one man that was rapidly solidifying a place in the Main Event scene was the Ultimate Warrior. Warrior had been the sole survivor over Bobby Heenan's Family a few days earlier and as part of that win he had cracked Andre the Giant with a quick clothesline and caused him to be counted out. The two had been warring all over the country with Warrior usually picking up quick wins, mainly due to the deteriorating condition of Andre's back. So, here we get the big blowoff to what could be looked at as a passing of the torch type of feud. It was also kind of cool that Andre was challenging for the IC strap as the title has really been elevated through Warrior's reign. Even in this advanced age and fragile state, Andre still had such an awesome presence and came off like the star he has always been. Warrior charged the ring and Andre went right into stalking the champ, who seemed a bit hesitant early on. Andre went on the attack, chopping and choking away at Warrior with anger. Warrior quickly came back and viciously choked away at Andre, getting some neat revenge. However, Andre got a respite when Warrior wildly charged and ended up tumbling to the floor. Warrior slowly climbed back in but Andre met him with kicks and punches to the gut before hooking in an inverted bear hug/surfboard combo. The champ broke free and knocked Andre out to the floor, where the big man was rattled as we went to break. After the commercial, Andre was still slowly trying to pull himself back in, but he was just baiting Warrior as he clobbered him with a right hand and choked him with the bottom rope when he got too close. Andre kept the chokes, trap submissions and bear hugs coming, doing whatever he could to sap the energy from Warrior. The champ wailed his way out of the bear hug and then laid in some heavy chops but Andre again cut him down with a headbutt. Warrior battled right back, drilling Andre with a clothesline that led to the Giant getting tangled in the ropes. Warrior went for the kill with a charging dive but Andre met him with a boot. As the ref untied Andre, Bobby Heenan grabbed the IC title and tried to spike the champ with it, but Warrior dodged him and started beating him around the ring, eventually chucking him into Andre. The referee finally caught on and called for the DQ and in a rare moment, Ventura actually questioned what Heenan was doing as Andre was very much in this match and he possibly cost him a strong shot at the gold. This was way more fun than I expected and Andre was moving around fairly well. Warrior kept bringing the energy too and all of the various comebacks were well timed. The power strikes were really laid in and the rest holds never lingered. The fans were into it too and the match felt like a really big deal. Warrior defeats Andre and retains but the Giant still came out looking strong as always.

### 2) The Genius defeats Hulk Hogan by at 7:34; Hogan retains WWF Heavyweight Title

Fun Fact: In March, "Leaping" Lanny Poffo underwent a change from the poetry reading face into the arrogant and intellectual character, The Genius. While he continued to read poetry, his verses were now berating of the fans and his upcoming opponents. He came to the ring dressed in an academic cap and gown and carrying a clipboard that he would write mathematical equations on during his matches. On the 10/7 episode of Superstars, The Genius would introduce Mr. Perfect as his new protege during his appearance on the Brother Love Show.

### Scott:

In one of the more unusual title defenses in WWF history has the Hulkster taking on the eccentric Genius. Perhaps this is also a shock as, since Randy Savage keeps saying he's the #1 contender that his real life brother actually got a title shot before he did. Genius frustrates Hogan with his histrionics and his stalling tactics until Hogan snaps and starts clotheslining him all over the ring. This looks like another ho-hum title defense until Mr. Perfect comes down to ringside and puts his gum on the WWF Title belt. Hogan comes out and is "perfectly" distracted so the Genius attacks from behind. The rest of the match is back scratching and eye gouging. To be honest there was probably about six moves in the entire match. Perfect then grabs the WWF Title belt and smashes Hogan in the head with it. Hogan falls out of the ring and is counted out. Yes, Hogan is counted out. So even though no belt changed hands, the record book will say shockingly that the Genius defeated Hulk Hogan in a match. So what one Poffo brother couldn't do, the other did. Genius and Perfect then run off with the World Title belt in tow. The match was garbage but Perfect is becoming more prevalent of a heel on the roster. Just like the first match, with the beginning of WrestleMania season around the corner, the major players start getting more TV time.

### JT:

Earlier in 1989, longtime fringe jobber Lanny Poffo transitioned into a new gimmick: The Genius. He had always been into poetry but now he took it all to a new level, focusing on his intellectual side and utilizing it both in and out of the ring. Heading into the fall, Genius had hooked up with Mr. Perfect, serving as his manager and occasional tag team partner. With Perfect being lined up to challenge Hulk Hogan in the near future, having Genius grab a SNME title match helped kick those wheels into motion. In the prematch interviews were pretty funny, especially Gene's line about Genius blending aerial acrobatics and Machiavellian tactics. This was a really neat match on paper as Hogan rarely seemed to get into matches or feuds with guys like the Genius, and SNME was the perfect place for it. I also enjoyed Jesse pushing Genius and saying he is the most intelligent challenger that Hogan has ever faced. Off the bell, Genius went right into his usual shtick, skipping around the ring, offering a left handed hand shake and then gingerly stretching in the corner. When they finally locked up, it ended poorly for the Genius as Hogan just shove him all the way to the floor. Hogan followed up with a slam but Genius landed a quick shot and bailed to the floor, where he did some math equations on his scroll board. He really had this gimmick nailed down and executed it perfectly, right down to his exaggerated skin the cat into the ring. Jesse was on point as usual, talking about how Hogan always battles power guys and he is taken off guard by the tactics and plan of the Genius: pure frustration. After more machinations, Genius slapped Hogan across the face and then did cartwheels around the ring while showing off for the booing crowd. Hogan finally had enough, mowing Genius down with clothesline and whipping him from corner to corner and the mimicking Genius' prancing. As Hogan kept pounding on his contender, Mr. Perfect sauntered to ringside to take a look at the proceedings. Perfect grabbed the WWF Title, said it wasn't a perfect belt and jammed his gum on it. That drew Hogan to the floor to chase Perfect, allowing Genius to chase from behind and dropkick Hogan into the ring post. He whipped him in a second time and slid in the ring. Hogan crawled back in but Genius met him with a moonsault off the middle rope for a near fall. Hogan hulked up and hammered away and landed the big boot but Genius went to the eyes and a back rake to slow the champ down. Hogan returned the favor as Genius flailed all around the ring and then capped things off with a nasty bodyslam over the top to the floor. That was a heck of a bump by the Genius! Hogan went to the floor as well and shoved Perfect away. He pitched Genius back inside but Perfect bashed him with the title, allowing Genius to win the bout by countout in one of the biggest upsets in modern WWF history to this point. What a well booked match with some comedy, storyline advancement and a wild bump at the end. Perfect and Genius escaped with the WWF title in tow as Hogan stalked after them. We are two for two with matches surprising me on this show. This one was a lot of fun and seeing Hogan in a different type of battle definitely made it unique. Genius was a great character and knew how to build heat with his absurd stalling tactics and mannerisms. The angle at the end was really well done too and sets up Hogan's feud with Perfect...perfectly.

### 3) Dusty Rhodes defeats Big Boss Man with a roll up at 4:47

Fun Fact I: Dusty Rhodes, a mainstay in the NWA territories, was fired in November 1988 from Jim Crockett Promotions following a match with the Road Warriors where he booked Animal to take out a spike from his shoulder pads and jammed it into Rhodes' eye causing lacerations and lots of blood. Turner Broadcasting had issued a "no-blood" policy when they purchased JCP earlier in the year. Rhodes went back to Florida for a while before making his way to the WWF in mid-1989. He was given a "common man" gimmick and wore black and yellow polka dotted gear to the ring.

Fun Fact II: On the July 22 episode of Superstars, the Big Boss Man was about to attack Jim McPherson after he had beaten him. Rhodes came out to the ring and stole the nightstick from Slick before BBM could make the attack.

Fun Fact III: During the match, an African-American woman was seen yelling at Slick and cheering for Rhodes. Following the match, Rhodes would bring her into the ring to dance with him. While she was not named at the time, we would soon find out more about her. Juanita Wright, known in the WWF as Sapphire, was a big wrestling fan in St. Louis. She would become the first woman in Missouri to get a wrestling referee license. Before appearing in the WWF, she would wrestle under the name Princess Dark Cloud.

### Scott:

This feud goes all the way back to the summer when Dusty Rhodes stole Nig Boss Man's handcuffs and nightstick. Rhodes officially becomes the first superstar in TV history to be on both a Clash of the Champions and a SNME. He was on the last episode but not in an official match. Boss Man has been a prevalent heel in 1989, feuding with the Mega Powers early on and then transferred to the American Dream. The match is a lot of kicking and punching, as well has histrionics with Slick on the outside. Many thought Rhodes was being degraded in the WWF having to wear polka dots after his big main event runs in Florida and the Carolinas. However the WWF crowd is truly a different type of animal and colors and shapes help. I don't know, I'm trying to justify it myself. Slick goes after the nightstick and is about to pass it off to Boss Man when he stops to jaw with a Dusty Rhodes fan at ringside. While that happens, Dusty rolls Boss Man up for the three count. Boss Man and Slick are chased off, while Dusty and his #1 fan at ringside start dancing at ringside. She doesn't have a name yet, but she will soon. Jesse talks about the building shaking while they bump. This begins the hilarious quips the Body will have pertaining to Rhodes and his #1 fan throughout the next few months.

### JT:

Since the legendary Dusty Rhodes debut in the summer, he has been embroiled in a hot feud with the evil Big Boss Man. He confronted him and stopped him from abusing a jobber and stole Boss Man's nightstick, cuffs and hat to help prevent him from further brutalizing opponents. Boss Man has been on the chase ever since. The two clashed at Survivor Series, with Rhodes winning the match but Boss Man beating the piss out of him afterwards. Boss Man has had a great year in 1989 and this was a perfect feud for him, and for knowledgeable fans as they had history dating back to their NWA days a few years earlier. Dusty is making his SNME here and is fully ensconced in his polka dots regalia. Before the bout, Gene asked Dusty how he would handle Slick, who often abets Boss Man in attacks and Dusty basically said he would handle both of them. Jesse stayed hot here, singing his own version of Dusty's theme, calling him a thief and a criminal. Before the bout, Dusty ask the referee to send Slick to the back but the Doctor produced his manager's license and was able to stick around. Dusty thwarted an early attack with right hands but a distraction by Slick allowed the Boss Man to clobber him from behind and go to work, both in the ring and out. Both Boss Man and Slick jawed with an enthusiastic Dusty fan at ringside but that didn't deter them from laying in more punishment as Boss Man spiked Rhodes into the post. Back inside, Boss Man worked over the arm and shoulder until Dusty punched his way free. Rhodes ran into a sharp kneelift and Boss Man started wrenching the arm again. Dusty got back into things after dodging a Boss Man charge in the corner. He peppered him with right hands but missed an elbow that allowed Boss Man to jump on him as he was draped across the middle rope. Boss Man called for Slick to grab the nightstick but on his way back to the ring, he got held up arguing with the fan. Boss Man for distracted by that and Dusty took advantage with a roll up for the win. After the match, Boss Man shoved and yelled at Slick, who was blaming the fan for everything that went down. The match was not very good at all with some bland brawling and slow action, a step down from Boss Man's last SNME match for sure. Dusty would dance with the fan after the bout and it sure seems like it isn't the last we will see of her...sweet dance moves.

### 4) Mr. Perfect defeats Red Rooster with a Perfectplex at 4:13

Fun Fact: Earlier in the evening during the Hulk Hogan/Genius match, Mr. Perfect came to the ring, hit Hogan with the championship belt and then took the belt with him. Following his match, Perfect would be seen smashing the belt with a hammer. While many believe this broken belt would go on to later become the Hardcore title during the Attitude era, this is not true. The belt along with as many of the broken pieces that could be found were put into the private collection of ring announcer Mel Phillips until it was sold in 2007. The winged eagle belt was dual plated nickel and gold while the Hardcore belt was all gold.

### Scott:

In the battle of the "Mr. Perfect" gimmick, the guy who got it versus the guy who, well didn't. I never understood why poor Terry Taylor had to have a red Mohawk. Poor bastard. This should have been an expert technical match as Taylor was exceptional in the ring but he never seemed to get his fair shake. After he and the Genius swiped the belt earlier in the show, Perfect takes on the Rooster and is having his way with him. Rooster makes the obligatory face comeback but it gets squelched and after the Perfectplex, Curt Hennig gets the victory. Perfect starts jawing with Hogan on camera. I wonder if this was the match that the bookers were possibly thinking of as a singles match at the Royal Rumble? It did seem like they were leaning that way. The match was crap, and now we wait for what Perfect and Genius have in store of the World Title belt.

### JT:

Mr. Perfect has already had a great night. And he looks to pile on some more success with a win in this big SummerSlam rematch. Before the bout, Ventura asked Perfect what his plans were regarding the WWF Title but he vowed everyone would find out his plans as soon as he picked up another win to keep his perfect record in tact and prove to everyone he should be the next top contender to Hogan. The Genius was back out as well, welcoming Perfect to the ring with a poem as Red Rooster looked on in anger. To go along with this high level push, Perfect also had his brand new theme music to escort him out as well. Times sure are changing. Rooster got off to a quick start and even pecked around in excitement as a result. The two traded some holds on the mat with Perfect narrowly escaping the chicken wing and then landing a back suplex to take control. Perfect picked Rooster apart, landing a stiff right hand to the face after surviving a near fall on a desperation sunset flip. Perfect's in ring arrogance and precision offense is really on display here and you can tell how locked in he is for this push. Rooster battled back with some right hands and a boot to the face, followed by a bulldog. Rooster kept spiking Perfect's face into the mat and sent him flying with a back drop for two. Perfect would block a hiptoss with a vicious clothesline and then finish the bird off with the Perfectplex. A good, hard fought win for The Perfect One. The added bonus of Perfect's acknowledged perfect record being on the line in these matches definitely helps add some nice intrigue regardless of opponent. It has been a good night for Perfect and Genius so far... but is it over yet?

### 5) The Rockers defeat The Brain Busters in a Best of Three Falls match

Falls:

  1. Marty Jannetty pinned Tully Blanchard with a sunset flip at 1:50

  2. Tully Blanchard pinned Shawn Michaels with a stun gun at 3:59

  3. Shawn Michaels pinned Arn Anderson with a high cross body at 7:32

Fun Fact: This would be the final match of the Anderson/Blanchard team, not only in the WWF, but in any promotion. The team was already looking to go back to the NWA, which is the reason for the breakup angle at this show. On the day of Survivor Series, Blanchard would be fired from the WWF for failing a drug test. Heenan would fill in for Blanchard in the Survivor Series match. Anderson would leave the promotion after the event and would make his way back to the NWA, but Blanchard wouldn't be as lucky. The NWA would not rehire him after finding out about the failed test. He would continue to try to negotiate a contract with the NWA, but was never given one close to the salary he previously had with them.

### Scott:

After losing the tag team titles back to Demolition, Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard have some dissension with Bobby Heenan. Three months ago the Brain was on top of the world holding the Tag and Intercontinental Titles. Now he has neither and there is dissension with the Brain Busters as evidenced by their bickering during the pre-match interview. This feud raged throughout the house show circuit in 1989 and here is their first SNME match against each other. Speaking of the Rockers, they have had a solid first year in the company and will have a great 1990 too. As for Arn and Tully, since this was taped before Survivor Series and aired two days after Survivor Series, it was set up that Bobby Heenan was ready to cut them loose. At Survivor Series Tully was not there, in real life because of a failed drug test. After the Heenan Family lost the match to Ultimate Warrior's team the Busters were cooked. So they treated this match like Arn & Tully's swan song. In fact the Busters lose the first fall on a sunset flip very quickly. Bobby argues with and then walks out on them. The Busters recover to get the second pinfall and now we go down to the rubber fall. I wonder if it was already known that Tully was fired and Arn's one year deal was up and decided to leave and head back down to the Carolinas. The Rockers get the third fall and the Busters are out the door. A big win for the Rockers and a sad farewell for perhaps 1989's Tag Team of the Year.

### JT:

In a big rematch from a previous SNME, the Rockers and Brain Busters are looking to end their ongoing feud once and for all. There has been recent turmoil within the Heenan Family and that was fully on display at Survivor Series when Bobby Heenan had to step into the ring to replace Tully Blanchard, who had been fired right before the show. This SNME was taped before that, so Tully is still around for this one. Before the bout, the three of them argue backstage, mainly centered around how the Busters had lost the tag team titles back to Demolition. Heenan was adamant about his boys listening to him and keeping the Family in focus and the Busters seemed to be tiring of listening to his direction. Marty and Tully opened the first fall with Marty thwarting some offense and landing a slam, dropkick and arm drag into an armbar. Marty kept pouring it on, running through both Busters and picking up the first fall with a sunset flip on Tully. That was a hell of a two minute flurry and the crowd was loving it. Lots of energy. Heenan was flipping out, yelling at both Busters before the second fall kicked off. All four men tussled as the bell sounded and that ended with a double superkick that knocked both Busters to the floor. And with that Bobby Heenan finally had enough as he stormed to the back, abandoning the ship. Michaels and Anderson traded blows back in the ring and that devolved into a four way great melee with a Shawn head scissors takeover and dropkick that knocked Tully to the floor. The crowd is eating this all up and the pacing has been tremendous. The Rockers continued to double team, flying around the ring with wild energy and keeping both Busters reeling. Michaels's first mistake cost the Rockers a fall as he leapt up on Tully but got caught and Arn yanked him across the top rope with a stun gun to even the match up. That is tough to swallow for the Rockers as they have dominated the whole bout but now sit even at a fall apiece. As the third fall opened up, Jesse caught up with Bobby backstage and the Brain officially severed ties with the Busters, telling them to go hit the road and beg on the street for all he cared. Back in the ring, Tully mauled Michaels with right hands and the Busters seemingly have steadied the ship as they tagged in and out and kept on the pressure. Michaels got a near fall on a cross body but it wasn't enough until he and Arn cracked heads, which allowed him to tag in Jannetty. Marty wiped the mat with both opponents until he got caught with a knee to the back. Shawn yanked Tully to the floor but Blanchard posted him hard. He would climb to the top but Shawn knocked him to the floor. With Arn trying to piledrive Marty, Shawn flew off the top and hit a cross body to win the match. What a great finish. Jesse talked about this happening because the Busters refused to listen to Heenan. I am really intrigued with where this was going as this was filmed before Tully was fired. Did they know they were leaving and shot this angle to explain their departure? It sounded like were angling for it but it didn't seem official. Was there a face turn in the works? Interesting stuff. Either way, the match was really fun with a wild pace and good storytelling. The Rockers looked awesome throughout the whole match and came off as real stars that the crowd loved. The Busters have had a hell of a run but it ends just as quickly as it started, sadly.

*** Backstage, Mr. Perfect is smashing up the WWF Title with a hammer as Genius pranced around and sang a victory song. He vowed to smash every title Hogan had made to carry around until he received his title shot that he so deserved. The WWF Title would not be perfect until it was around his waist. That was followed by a Hulk Hogan interview as he cradled the busted title belt in his hands and talked about how much it bothered him to lose to the Genius. However, Perfect wrecking his championship cut him to the bone and desecrated everything Hulkamania stands for. He claimed Hulkamania couldn't be destroyed by trashing a materialistic object and that the Hulkamaniacs were still in tact. He accepted the challenge and vowed a perfect defeat for his challenger. ***

### Final Analysis:

### Scott:

The final SNME of the year was a crazy show with weird results. The Genius' win over Hulk Hogan is probably the biggest upset in the show's history, compounded by him and Mr. Perfect destroying the belt at the end. The dramatic moment of Mean Gene and Hogan holding the destroyed belt was a bit over the top but it was the Federation Era. The breakdown of the Brain Busters was a heartbreaker but they were due and more teams were on the horizon. Mr. Perfect seems to have jumped ahead of Rick Rude in the heel department after Rude's SummerSlam loss but that's fine. It was nice to see Dusty Rhodes make his historic debut, in defeating the fading heel Big Boss Man. The company is cranking on all cylinders and a new decade is upon us. Will this show continue to dominate? We shall see. This one was another home run.

Final Grade:

### JT:

We close out 1989 with yet another really fun installment of SNME. The whole year has been packed with entertaining shows that had good matches sprinkled in and lots of major angle development. This was easily the best year for the show since the early going. The first two matches were unexpectedly very solid with great heat and both closure for one feud and a jumpstart of another. The middle bouts were quick and painless and we close with a molten hot best of three falls tag with major character implications throughout. The show closed with a high level, memorable angle that moved Mr. Perfect directly into a main event program. There was a lot happening on this night and makes it one of the more important shows we have had.

Final Grade:

  SNME XXV – Chattanooga, TN – January 27

  The Main Event III – Detroit, MI – February 23

  SNME XXVI – Austin, TX – April 28

  SNME XXVII – Omaha, NE – July 28

  SNME XXVIII – Toledo, OH – October 13

  The Main Event IV – Fort Wayne, IN – November 23

# Saturday Night's Main Event XXV – 1/27/90

January 27, 1990

McKenzie Arena

Chattanooga, TN

Announcers: Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura

NBC Rating: 11.1

### 1) Randy Savage defeats Jim Duggan by collapsing on Duggan during a suplex when Sensational Sherri hooked Duggan's leg at 9:14

Fun Fact: Following the crowning of the Macho King, Randy Savage and Jim Duggan battled throughout the fall on the house show circuit. This would be the final confrontation between the two as Duggan seeks to get his revenge.

### Scott:

Our first SNME of the 1990's begins with a rematch for the crown. Back in September the Macho Man became the Macho King by beating Jim Duggan with the loaded purse. Four months later Hacksaw gets his rematch. Savage settled into this role nicely after being on the losing end of the Hogan feud. Savage was on top of his throne (carried by a bunch of jobbers) until Duggan flips him over onto the floor. Queen Sherri was getting into her hot cougar phase starting with this show as she leads her King to the ring. Savage begins his run of wearing long tights instead of his usual short trunks with words on the back. Savage also starts using colors more now, with his robes and tights changing with every show. It's funny how Danny Davis has settled into being a referee again with no reference to his heel past. Duggan actually dominated the action but every time there was a pin attempt Sherri would distract the ref or put Savage's foot on the ropes. Duggan chases Sherri around, even grabbing her skirt (which shows off some panties; not sure NBC was thrilled about that). Eventually Savage loads the purse and decks Duggan, but Hacksaw actually kicks out of it. I thought that perhaps the crown would change heads but when Duggan brings Savage over the ropes with a suplex, Sherri would grab the leg while Savage put his on the ropes and the Macho King keeps his throne. That was actually a fun match and maybe...just maybe...one of Duggan's best WWF matches.

### JT:

We roll into the 1990s with a lot of excitement for potentially monstrous WrestleMania in Toronto's SkyDome and with the Royal Rumble in our rear view mirror tonight's show is the next major building block for our main event and perhaps flushing out the rest of the card as well. Our opener features a rematch from late 1989 when Randy Savage ripped the royalty right out of Jim Duggan's hands to officially become King of the WWF. Duggan is looking for revenge here but as always has the odds against him due to the ever active Queen Sherri. Savage and Sherri really bought into the gimmick hard and did an awesome job executing it with their promos and mannerisms. They felt like true wrestling royalty and carried themselves as such. Duggan wasted no time getting started, knocking Savage off the sedan and clobbering him back into the ring. He missed a charge in the corner but shook it off before Savage shoved him to the mat and started choking away. Savage was still so damn quick in the ring, bouncing all over the place and laying in shots from all angles. Duggan came back with a clothesline and followed with a flurry of offense that was cut short due to a Sherri distraction. Savage smashed him with a pair of axe blows and went right to work, going for pin covers whenever he could. Duggan responded by sending Savage flying over the top and to the floor but Sherri again got involved to prevent a count out. Duggan met Macho with a clothesline on the floor and the crowd was rocking as the show went to break. When they returned, Duggan brought the fight to Macho, picking up steam but Sherri continued to get into the mix to prevent a loss. Savage couldn't get in gear at all but Sherri did her best, even falling into near danger as Duggan dragged her into the ring. That bought Macho just enough to time to recover and drill Duggan with a knee to the back. Savage followed with another axe and then grabbed Sherri's loaded purse and cracked him with it but this time Hacksaw kicked out. Duggan laid into Macho and hit the running clothesline but it knocked Savage to the floor. Hacksaw tried to suplex Savage back in but Sherri tripped him up and Savage collapsed on top, put his feet on the ropes and stole the win. That was pretty fun as Duggan had his working boots on and Savage was his usual pinball self, bouncing all over the ring. I also liked how Duggan was so focused and never let Savage breathe and it was Sherri that ran just enough interference to get Macho out with his crown. They are an awesome pair and seem unbeatable as a unit. I never appreciated how well they worked together until watching this all unfold more closely.

### 2) Hulk Hogan & Ultimate Warrior defeat Mr. Perfect & Genius when Hogan pinned Genius with the legdrop at 8:02

Fun Fact: Lots of puzzle pieces fitting together in this match. As you will recall from the last SNME, The Genius and Mr. Perfect stole Hulk Hogan's belt and destroyed it backstage. Just a few days prior to the airing of this show, Hogan and Perfect were the last two participants in the Royal Rumble match, with Hogan making the elimination and winning. During the match, Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior had a faceoff that the crowd went crazy over. The two larger than life superstars would be teammates here before looking ahead to WrestleMania.

### Scott:

We now officially can say what the main event of WrestleMania VI is going to be. It's just a question of what path do they take. Hogan wants a piece of Mr. Perfect after his belt was destroyed on the last episode of SNME. Hogan got some revenge when he tossed Perfect out last at the Royal Rumble, but of course that PPV is remembered for the face to face between the WWF Champion and the Intercontinental Champion. They tag here against Perfect and his manager, The Genius. The match is all Hogan and Warrior as their power and strength leads to both heels getting bounced around like ping pong balls, until the referee is distracted and Perfect smacks Hogan with the metal scroll. Watching this again, I never realized how effeminate the Genius gimmick was. The turning point is when Hogan eats the Perfectplex and instead of getting the three count, Perfect stops the referee and wants Genius to get the pin. Well we all know what that leads to. We get the obligatory face comeback and then Warrior cleans house. Hogan blind tags him and drops the leg for the three count. Pretty straightforward right? Well now the fun begins. Perfect takes Hogan outside, while Warrior battles the Genius. Perfect comes back in and Warrior starts clotheslining the heels, but then Hogan comes back in the ring. Warrior, blindly thinking he's being attacked again, clotheslines Hogan without really seeing him. Hogan is steamed and both men go face to face. Jesse predicted it but Vince says it was clearly an accident. The match was solid, but time to ask the question: Toronto, anyone?

### JT:

Our next match exists to tie multiple storylines into one bout, resolving one issue and igniting another. Hulk Hogan capped off his running feud with Mr. Perfect by chucking him out of the ring to win the Royal Rumble. During that same match, he also had a red hot encounter with Ultimate Warrior that nearly blew the roof off the O-Rena. The writing was on the wall for Mania but before we get there we see the two top champions team up as a dream team in an attempt to plunge one last dagger through Mr. Perfect world title aspirations. Perfect has the Genius with him as always but they are really just a back drop for the potential tension across the ring. From the jump Jesse Ventura predicted there would be issues with Hogan and Warrior due to their massive egos and we will see if that plays out. Hogan opened the match up hot, slamming Perfect and Genius over and over until they bailed and regrouped. Warrior met them there and smacked them around and then restarted the match in the ring by smashing both guys and knocking them both to the floor yet again. That was an incredibly hot start featuring two great pinball sellers doing their thing. Things settled down as Perfect landed a couple shots but Hogan sent him flying back outside with a big elbow and then the Hulkster slung him hard into the guardrail. As Hogan kept the offense going, Genius grabbed his scroll and started jotting down notes in the corner. Things spilled back outside where Genius' plan unfolded as he handed Perfect his scroll, allowing him to smash Hogan with that and a chair. Back inside, Perfect and Genius tagged in and out and picked apart Hogan, wearing him down slowly but surely. Perfect took Hogan over with the Perfectplex but before the referee counted three, Perfect reached up and blocked him before releasing the hold. He tagged in Genius but that immediately backfired as Hogan fired up, fought both off and tagged in Warrior. Warrior kicked the shit out of both men, dropped Genius with a press slam knocked Perfect to the floor and allowed Hogan to come in and drop the leg for the win. Jesse pointed out Perfect and Genius' epic mistake and it is hard to argue with it as they had the Hulkster beat for sure. Perfect and Genius weren't done as they came in and attacked Warrior. During the scrum, Hogan came in to protect Warrior, but Warrior blindly swung and wiped Hogan out. Warrior tried to check on Hogan but that led to a shoving match and face-to-face showdown that ended the segment. Mission accomplished. The match was a lot of fun with tons of pinball selling and great crowd heat and anticipation. Perfect had a strong little run at top but will now slide back into the mid card for a bit. The closing segment was great and really sets the stage for our soon to be WrestleMania main event.

### 3) Jake Roberts defeats Greg Valentine by disqualification at 5:16

Fun Fact: On the 1/20 episode of Superstars, Jake Roberts came out to the ring following a Ted DiBiase match, attacked DiBiase and Virgil, stole the Million Dollar belt and put it into the snake bag.

### Scott:

In the lead up to this show, Jake Roberts swiped Ted DiBiase's Million Dollar Belt. Now it's wrapped safely within Damien in the bag. Valentine is tasked with trying to get the belt back for DiBiase. Valentine is coming off his loss to Ronnie Garvin in that great match at the Royal Rumble and now he begins his quiet slide down the roster, clearly past his prime with the other young heel lions on the roster. The match is straightforward and ends when Jake hits the DDT, but before getting the pin, in comes DiBiase and Virgil to attack the Snake and get the DQ. Both try to go after the bag with the title belt but once Damien is unleashed both heels run for the hills. This feud is far from over and will also lead us right into SkyDome. Not much more to say here.

### JT:

Jake Roberts' issue with Ted DiBiase was still smoldering after having lit up way back at WrestleMania V and he recently captured Ted DiBiase's most prized possession: his Million Dollar Title. He shows it off gleefully before his bout here with the always tough Greg Valentine. The Hammer struck first with a pair of arm drags but as he started to work the arm Jake wriggled free and teased an early DDT that sent the Hammer out to the floor in retreat. Valentine came back in focused, whipped Roberts hard into the corner twice and then dropping a hammer blow for a two count. Jesse got all over Valentine for his lax cover as the Hammer peppered the Snake with stiff right hands. Hammer worked the back for a moment until Roberts made a quick comeback that rattled the grizzled veteran with a pair of clotheslines. Roberts loaded Hammer up for the DDT but took too long and Valentine was able to counter. Hammer then dodged a running knee but would collide with Jimmy Hart and then walk into a DDT. Before Roberts could cover, Ted DiBiase and Vigil hit the ring and drew the DQ. As DiBiase punished Jake's back, Virgil reluctantly went after the belt in the bag. His hesitance cost him as Jake clubbed them both and unleashed Damien to chase them to the back. The feud rolls on. The match was fine and Jake's selling of the lower back was really good but it was too short to amount to anything special.

### 4) Dusty Rhodes wrestles Rick Rude to a double count out at 9:04

### Scott:

This match for me means only one thing: Hearing Jesse trash Sapphire literally every 30 seconds. He tells Rude during the pre-match interview "I wouldn't touch her on a bet..." I'm also realizing Jesse will only be on for a few more shows and I'm becoming very melancholy. Rude is getting decimated by the Dream, while Bobby is getting in Sapphire's face and reading her the riot act. Eventually the referee throws both of them out, but Sapphire returns with a ticket and she's sitting at ringside. The match starts to level out and both men go at each other. Wait, how is there still a ringside seat for this sold out show? Hmmm, maybe Jesse was right about Jack Tunney's corruption. Rude goes outside to grab Sapphire and Rhodes follows and they brawl on the on the floor. Jesse is making me laugh out loud when he says things like "Stop showing her on camera". The match ends in a double countout and Rude leaves while Dusty and Sapphire dance in the ring, as Jesse is disgusted. That match was fun too, even with way too much Sapphire on camera.

### JT:

After a really jam packed 1988 and 1989, Rick Rude finds himself aimless for the first time in his WWF run. Here he takes on the American Dream, who has entered into a heated issue with Randy Savage that was amped up a few notches at the Royal Rumble. Rhodes officially has Sapphire with him as a full time manager now, but we last saw her on SNME as aa boisterous fan in the crowd. Vince lands what may be the best line of the night when he wonders if Rude will be distracted by Sapphire because she is "beautiful in her own way". Jesse quickly topped that by saying Rhodes and Sapphire were "tons of fun" and the barbs didn't end there. Rude jumped Dusty to start but the Dream used his power to fire back, followed by a sharp elbow to the lower back. Rhodes chucked Rude to the floor where he drilled him into the edge of the ring, keeping the focus on the lumbar. Rude tried to come back with a slam but his back crippled that attempt and left Dusty still in charge until the Dream came up empty on an elbow drop. Rude was moving gingerly but was able to cinch on a rear chinlock that was quickly broken up by Dusty. On the outside, Bobby Heenan got in Sapphire's grill, pointing and screaming at her, which drew the Dream out and allowed Rude to clobber him from behind. The referee would throw Heenan out of ringside causing Jesse to lose his mind. Sapphire was tossed too so things stayed even. After a break, Rude was in control but that lower back was still causing him some serious pain. As Rude worked the arm, Sapphire reemerged at ringside, somehow being able to purchase a front row seat halfway through the show. Rude made a mistake coming off the top rope and Rhodes caught him with a right hand before attempting a figure four that was broken up by an eye rake. They would go back and forth from there until they spilled to the floor and battled to a double count out. This match was pretty feisty and fun and featured a lot more chemistry and flow than I expected. Even the manager stuff at ringside was pretty well done. Too bad they didn't have and extended series because their was a natural storyline in there to mine.

### 5) Dino Bravo defeats Ron Garvin by reversing a high cross body at 3:19

Fun Fact: Flashback less than one year, Dino Bravo and Ron Garvin battled each other at WrestleMania V. Following this event, Frenchy Martin left the WWF in his role as a manager. He would not appear in a WWF ring again until 1990 where he would return as an enhancement talent. Following Martin's departure from the company, Dino Bravo would join the Hart Family.

### Scott:

This match has squash written all over it, simply because of who seconds Dino Bravo to the ring. The massive Canadian Earthquake, who has main event heel written all over him. Even two years later Vince and Jesse still talk about Bravo's tainted bench press record. Bravo dominates early with elbows and power moves, but eventually Hands of Stone recovers with punches and chops. Garvin always had that NWA/territory feel to his matches. Garvin goes to the top rope for a high cross body, but Bravo's momentum rolls him over and he gets the three count. Garvin attacks Bravo but that leads to the inevitable attack by Earthquake, two squashes and Garvin is done. Thus begins the reign of terror that the massive Earthquake goes on for the next eight months.

### JT:

Our final match of the night features a WrestleMania V rematch but this time around Dino Bravo is running with a different crowd. Gone is the useless Frenchy Martin and is his place is Jimmy Hart and Hart's new prized heel, Earthquake. Ronnie Garvin is in his final months with the company here but still as rugged and hard hitting as ever. He and Bravo trade big right hands for a bit until Bravo throws Garvin to the floor where Quake met him and ran him hard into the edge of the ring. Garvin was pitched back inside and Bravo went right to work with elbows and stomps. Garvin would dodge more elbow drop attempts and start pouring in chops and fists before pulling Hart into the ring and then chucking him out into Quake. He then slugged down Bravo and clobbered him with the Garvin Stomp but a Quake distraction allowed Bravo to shove him to the floor. Garvin headed up top and came off with a cross body but Bravo rolled through for the win after Quake tipped him off to Garvin's plan. Quake jumped Garvin after the bell and squashed the piss out of him, signifying what was to come throughout 1990. Nothing match but this was all about Earthquake's reign of terror.

*** Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage deliver promos for the big WWF Heavyweight Title match on the February 23 Main Event. It is announced that Iron Mike Tyson will be the special enforcer referee for the bout. ***

### Final Analysis:

### Scott:

The first SNME of the decade is a solid one with big storyline advancement as WrestleMania season is in full swing. It's no doubt that Hogan/Warrior is being primed for the main event in Toronto, and that build will continue. The other feud the WWF focused on was Jake Roberts vs. Ted DiBiase, as the Million Dollar Man did not get his belt back. We also saw the Canadian Earthquake make his presence felt, a superstar that will dominate for the first 3/4 of the year. It's sad to see WWF stalwarts like Greg Valentine considered afterthoughts but the roster at this point has fresher talent filling it up. We have a prime time Main Event before we reach Toronto April 1, which includes (at this moment anyway) a major celebrity as part of the main event.

Final Grade:

### JT:

We start off 1990 with a pretty solid installment of SNME. There is no stand out classic match, but the show met its goal of setting up major WrestleMania angles and progressing the directions of various characters. The opener and Rhodes vs. Rude were surprisingly more fun than they looked on paper and the anchor tag was a big time match with huge fallout for WrestleMania. We also get lots of late hype for The Main Event, which made sense in the case considering the stakes and involvement of Mike Tyson. One of the few issues here, and it really started in mid 1989, is the proliferation of wonky finishes as they attempt to protect everyone. We get lots of interference, distractions, count outs and DQs all over the roster. Eventually clean finishes are needed and hopefully this is a brief blip and not a long trend, but we will track it as we move through 1990.

Final Grade:

# The Main Event III – 2/23/90

February 23, 1990

Joe Louis Arena

Detroit, MI

Announcers: Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura

Attendance: 21,000

NBC Rating: 12.8

Fun Fact: The first three Main Event specials were all shown live. Following this broadcast, all future Main Events would air on a delay. When Saturday Night's Main Event returned to NBC in 2006, they would broadcast the second of those specials live.

### 1) Hulk Hogan defeated Randy Savage to retain the WWF Heavyweight Title at 11:14

Fun Fact I: This is a rematch of the main event from WrestleMania V. This was supposed to be the first time that we would see Mike Tyson in a WWF ring. However, that whole plan changed just two weeks prior to the Main Event taping.

Fun Fact II: Going into his fight on February 11 in the Tokyo Dome, Mike Tyson was undefeated and was the undisputed heavyweight boxing champion of the world. This fight in Tokyo was seen by many to be just a warm-up fight before Tyson would take on Evander Holyfield, the #1 contender. Buster Douglas entered the fight with a record of 29-4-1. Douglas dominated the champ throughout the fight and in the 10th round knocked Tyson down for the first time in his career. Tyson was counted out and in one of the biggest upsets in sports history, Douglas became the heavyweight champion of the world.

Since Tyson has originally been scheduled to be the guest referee, the WWF had to immediately change plans to have Douglas involved in the match. This change definitely was a big loss for the WWF, but Tyson would eventually appear in a WWF ring.

### Scott:

The long awaited WrestleMania V rematch is finally upon us. Will the same thing happen tonight that happened two years ago. When was the last time we had a WrestleMania title rematch on The Main Event? First off, I need to digress and say that I watched the Mike Tyson vs. Buster Douglas match live at my friend's house and I was completely stunned. I was a huge Mike Tyson fan and was awaiting the eventual match with Evander Holyfield. That would happen years later, when both were past their prime. Another discussion for another day, so back to the subject at hand. Buster Douglas now is in the spotlight and will be the outside official for Randy Savage's overdue shot to regain the title. Since the main event of WrestleMania VI had already been announced, the result of this match was easily predicted. I don't think Hogan would be going to WrestleMania without the WWF Title. Even more so if the challenger of the next match would win the title. Then the Warrior/Hogan match would have no titles? In those years, that makes zero sense. The match went about the way you would expect, with Hogan gaining the early advantage but Savage (thanks to Sherri) would dictate the middle portion of the match. Douglas would stop Hogan and Savage from going outside a few times, but his biggest decision would be tossing Sherri out of the match. With an outside celebrity, you can anticipate a referee bump inside the ring and sure enough Dave Hebner gets knocked down. Hogan goes for a pin and Douglas slides in and gets the three count, even though it did look like Savage kicked out. Then we see Savage getting hot and wanting to start sparring with the World Heavyweight Boxing Champion. Savage slapped Douglas across the face, but in the end Hogan shoves Savage into him and Douglas pops him with a right hand. It was a fun moment and the Detroit crowd was red hot during the post-match segment. This to me is officially the match where Savage is shunted down the card for the next year. He was already getting into a weird phase, but now he really dives deeper. Hogan heads to Toronto as the WWF Champion, and I think popular opinion was he was indeed the favorite.

### JT:

We are in the waning weeks before a giant WrestleMania in Toronto, but we have one last major stop on the road with our third annual February Main Event prime time special on NBC. As usual, we have a big two match show but for the first time we actually have our WrestleMania map drawn up and are just biding time until we get there whereas the past two years have used this show to set up the top Mania draw. Since Randy Savage dropped his WWF Heavyweight Title back at WrestleMania V, he has been chasing Hulk Hogan all over the country. They battled on house shows in singles bouts and on PPV in tags but Savage was set up for one last title match here on national TV. There was on catch: a special enforcer referee. And that enforcer was originally supposed to be the iconic "Iron" Mike Tyson but just two weeks before this show, Tyson was upset for his title by chronic underachiever James "Buster" Douglas. Thus, Tyson was out and the new champ stepped in to his spot here. One problem: Douglas didn't have near the charisma of Tyson and wasn't even close to as big of a draw. It was a tough break for the WWF for sure. The early highlight was Buster's absurd manager giving him a big pep talk in a promo before the show started proper. Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura wasted no time justifying the referee switch, talking about Buster's qualifications and reminding everyone of how he dropped the former unbeatable champ. There were also plenty of teases that either Savage or Hogan could tussle with Douglas if he didn't play things down the middle. They gave Buster a hell of an entrance, coming in after Hogan and Savage and his theme rocking the arena as Fink really put him over. One of the downsides of running this show after the Mania direction was established is that it made it pretty unlikely to see a title change here. Hulk Hogan vs. Ultimate Warrior was such a big time, marquee matchup that it made this a super longshot when it could have been a match filled with some legit intrigue.

Buster would take his place on the outside as Hogan overpowered Savage to start the match. The tension was thick as the match reset and the two old friends felt each other out a bit. Douglas also set the tone early on, not allowing Hogan to follow Savage to the floor as he regrouped. Back inside, Savage landed a jab and went to work, snapping Hulk's neck across the rope and then driving a knee into his back to send him to the floor. Douglas played things even, blocking Savage from coming off the top to the floor, which really pissed off Jesse. Hogan got back inside, knocked Sherri to the floor, which also aggravated the Body, and started to mow through Macho with punches, clotheslines and chops. Sherri again got involved and as Hogan went at her, Savage drilled him from behind and went to work on the champ. It has been so much fun watching this Savage and Sherri pairing evolve show to show. Although this time her interference cost her, as she was caught choking Hogan by Buster and the boxing champ ejected her from ringside as a result. After a break, we came back to see Savage with a sleeperhold locked on Hogan but the champ quickly fought to his feet and broke the hold. Savage eluded a comeback and pasted Hogan with a clothesline for a two count before pitching Hogan to the floor. This time Buster wasn't around to block Savage and he was able to leap from the top with an ax blow. He tossed Hogan inside and hit a second for a near fall. Savage kept peppering Hulk, knocking him back outside and this time Douglas did prevent follow up. Macho didn't let it get in his head and instead stayed focus, slamming Hulk and then hitting his flying elbow... but Hogan kicked out and Hulked Up. Not sure why they needed to wax Savage's finisher in a Hogan match yet again. Hogan punched Savage to the floor but the King yanked him outside and raked his eyes. As Hogan came back in, he punched Macho, who rebounded into Dave Hebner. With Hebner down, Hogan hit the leg drop and covered Savage, drawing Buster into the ring to count the fall. Jesse flipped out and said it was a fast count and Savage didn't seem much happier. Hogan egged on the two to fight as Savage stuck his finger in Buster's grill and then mocked boxing mannerisms. Savage eventually went too far, slapping Douglas across the face and then flaunting it. Savage kept taunting Douglas and eventually Hogan shoved Savage forward and Douglas cracked him with a pair of right hands to drop the King for good. The match on its surface was just OK and a far cry from their Trump Plaza tilt, but all of the shenanigans with Sherri and the teases and hype with Douglas propped it up nicely. For as much of a flash in the pan as Buster was, WWF got him at his hottest peak and he honestly did feel like a big deal here. Having Savage, Douglas and Hogan in the ring together felt like some high level star power and that was a big deal for prime time. Hogan holds on to his gold, finally dispatches Savage and looks ahead to WrestleMania.

### 2) Ultimate Warrior defeats Dino Bravo with the big splash at 4:11

Fun Fact: After joining the Hart family in late 1989, Dino Bravo entered into a feud with the Ultimate Warrior over the IC title. They feuded for three months with this match being their final major match before Warrior turned his full attention to Hogan and their match at WrestleMania VI.

### Scott:

Now the other half of our WrestleMania VI main event will defend his title against the Canadian strongman. This might be the only singles title match I've ever seen Bravo get. The match isn't much, as it's mostly Jimmy Hart getting his pants pulled off, again. Earthquake tries to attack Warrior on the outside, but eventually the IC champion regains composure, hits his shoulder blocks and splash and retains his IC Title. The key part of this match is the aftermath. Bravo and Earthquake attack Warrior after the match and beat him down. Bravo is chucked but Earthquake was about to drop him from the second rope, when down the aisle comes WWF Champion Hulk Hogan to save his WrestleMania opponent, which Jesse is completely befuddled by. Warrior apparently doesn't like the "help" and the two men start shoving and jawing with each other until they're broken up by officials. Big time tension building to April 1 in Toronto, but the match was crap. On a secondary note, it was also evident that Earthquake was being pushed for big things, being shoehorned into this feud.

### JT:

With Hulk Hogan's place at WrestleMania officially locked in, his opponent needs to survive one last test to solidify himself as challenger for the World Title. The Ultimate Warrior has been on fire since mid-1989 and has quickly rose up the ranks and positioned himself as the future of the WWF. While he was mowing through the competition and setting himself up for Mania, Jimmy Hart's newest import, Earthquake, had been making his mark as well. Wrecking dudes and sending them to the hospital left and right, it was clear he was going to be a force of nature for anyone at the top of the card at some point soon. For now, he has the back of his buddy Dino Bravo as he challenges for Warrior's IC title. Warrior chugged right into the ring and they wasted no time as the bell sounded when Warrior took Bravo down with a powerslam. He hit the top rope and crashed into Bravo but when he tried it a second time, Quake tripped him up. When things reset, the two powerhouses rammed into each other but every time Warrior had some momentum, Quake got involved. Bravo would knock Warrior to the floor, but the champ resourcefully ducked under the ring to avoid Quake and then sucked Jimmy Hart into the abyss as well. Hart reemerged pantsless, followed by Warrior, who hoisted the Mouth up and chucked him into Quake. Bravo jumped Warrior from behind and Quake laid in a shot and a slam as well. Bravo would lock in a bear hug and work the back, however, it didn't matter as Warrior shook it off and ran through Bravo with his shoulderblocks and splash to retain his strap. After the bell, Quake got in the ring and he and Bravo started to lay the wood on the champ until Hulk Hogan made the save. As Ventura questioned this strategy, Warrior made it clear he didn't care for the assist. Tempers flared and the tension convention fired up as the heat for the Ultimate Challenge was reaching a fever pitch. The collision course is now official: Ultimate Warrior vs. Hulk Hogan, title for tile: The Ultimate Challenge in Toronto.

### Final Analysis:

### Scott:

The dark matches on this show all had unpredictable moments, such as Mr. Perfect actually losing clean to Dusty Rhodes? That's perplexing. Demolition losing to the Colossal Connection prepped them for the big title match at WrestleMania. This show was fun but, with no disrespect to Buster Douglas, it would have had even more cache with Mike Tyson here. That's ok, he'll get his chance eight years later. I wish that NBC would have given the WWF more time so some of those dark matches could air, but it was what it was. We got the main stuff we really needed. The undercard of WrestleMania wasn't totally put together yet, but the main event is what's selling the show. This was fun, but I wished these Friday shows had more meat to them.

Final Grade:

### JT:

While it lacked the important, meteoric storylines of the previous two editions, this Main Event episode had some really important stuff tucked into it and also brought the mainstream heat with the suddenly superstar level Buster Douglas in a spotlight position. Randy Savage is put to bed as a main event challenger for a while and Earthquake is set up as a potential title contender in the coming weeks, but this show was all about one thing: solidifying and hyping the Ultimate Challenge. And it did its job. The matches weren't anything special but that didn't really matter here at all. Buster Douglas was the mainstream draw and Hogan and Warrior got themselves prepped for a major money match in the Skydome.

Final Grade:

# Saturday Night's Main Event XXVI – 4/28/90

April 28, 1990

Frank Erwin Center

Austin, TX

Announcers: Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura

Attendance: 8,500

### 1) Hulk Hogan defeats Mr. Perfect with the legdrop at 8:03

Fun Fact: This is a continuation of the Hulk Hogan/Mr. Perfect feud that kicked into high gear back at SNME XXIV when Perfect and The Genius stole and destroyed Hogan's title belt. Since that point, Hogan and Perfect were the last two participants in the '90 Royal Rumble, with Hogan tossing Mr. Perfect for the win. At WrestleMania VI, Mr. Perfect's undefeated streak came to an end at the hands of Hogan's bestie, Brutus Beefcake, and Hogan lost the World Championship to the Ultimate Warrior.

### Scott:

Our post-WrestleMania edition of SNME begins with the final blow-off that dates back to late-1989 when the Genius scored an upset countout win over Hogan, then he and Perfect smashed the WWF Title belt. Hogan did eliminate Perfect as the final guy back in January at the Royal Rumble. Both Hogan and Perfect looked at the lights at WrestleMania. No belt on the line here, but Hogan can finally get his piece of Mr. Perfect and put this feud to bed. For the first time in years we have somewhat of a theme, as Vince and Jesse are sitting on horses as we are at the home of Longhorns basketball. The match is usual TV fare, as Hogan gets off to the hot start, but then Perfect takes it to the floor and dominates the next few minutes until he ducks a boot to the face and hits the floor. Hogan follows him to the floor and attacks him. Since his loss in Toronto, Hogan does seem to be extra vicious. He abuses Perfect with fists and threw him into the steel post. Some referee interference allows The Genius to toss the metal scroll to Perfect who smacks Hogan in the head with it. Perfect works him over some more and then hooks the Perfectplex. Well you know what's happening next. Hogan kicks out, pumps up, boot, leg drop, three count. After the match Hogan is celebrating and gesturing that he wants the WWF Title back. I don't know at the time if a rematch with Ultimate Warrior was in the offing, but for now Hogan vanquishes Mr. Perfect and moves on to another big (and I mean big) feud.

### JT:

We enter a post WrestleMania world with a brand new WWF Champion and a pretty shaken up roster as a whole. Hulk Hogan has no gold around his waist for the first time in over a year but he shows up here to battle his nemesis Mr. Perfect. Instead of being prepped as a potential high level title contender, Perfect has seemingly slipped down the card a bit as he lost his Mania match to Brutus Beefcake and then steps into the ring here for what feels like a blowoff to his issues with the Hulkster. I always enjoyed the motif to this episode, with the cowboy theme in place as it harkens us back to 1985 when all of the SNME installments had a gimmick to them. And with Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura ride down the aisle on horses, we can confirm they are back inside the arena for this one. Back to the ring, Mr. Perfect heads out, no longer undefeated, and the Genius accompanies him, no longer with his own hair, as they look to back on track. Since his head was shaved by the Barber in Toronto, Genius is rocking an absurd wig which makes for a good laugh. Hogan would power walk to the ring and as he did, Perfect and Genius bailed to ensure they got things started on their own volition. As the bell sounded, the two circled each other before locking up and getting things under way. Hogan showed off his strength to start, leading to Perfect bailing back out to regroup. Perfect would come back with a hiptoss that was followed by a great Genius skipping celebration at ringside. Hogan overpowered again but Perfect bailed back out to kill the momentum. Hogan followed him out and Jesse thought that was a sign that Hogan was frustrated and outsmarted. It didn't seem that way as Hogan flung Perfect into the post and then shot him back inside. Hogan kept pouring it on, cutting Perfect down with a clothesline and then slinging him over the top to the floor. He followed out a second time and hammered away as Jesse started to lose his mind about Hulk's antics. Genius would run some interference and that allowed Perfect the chance to smack Hogan with the metal scroll and take over. Perfect laid in punches and kicks while Jesse just kept unleashing a verbal assault on Hogan (for cheating) and McMahon (for defending the cheater). Hogan made a brief comeback but Perfect stopped that with a clothesline and a Perfectplex... but Hogan blew out at two and Hulked his way back to his feet. The crowd rallied the Hulkster as he wagged the finger, slugged away at Perfect and put him down with the big boot and leg drop for the win. Well, it was nice while it lasted, Perfect. Genius tried to attack Hogan after the match but that ended poorly for him. This was effectively a nail in the coffin of Perfect as a World Title player with Hogan blowing out of his finisher and pinning him clean in under ten minutes. Hogan is back on track after losing the Ultimate Challenge and time will tell what his next challenge will be.

### 2) Earthquake defeats Hillbilly Jim with the Earthquake splash at 1:58

Fun Fact: John Tenta was born in June, 1963, in Surrey, British Columbia. He began amateur wrestling at the early age of six and after graduating high school he received a wrestling scholarship to LSU. Following college, he moved to Japan and began a career in sumo wrestling after being recruited by a former Yokozuna (top level sumo wrestler). Despite his success in sumo where he won all of his matches, his stay in it was very brief, only eight months. After leaving sumo, he quickly signed on to learn professional wrestling in Japan under the guidance of "Giant" Baba. He spent two years in All Japan before getting offers from promotions in the west. He signed on with the WWF in the fall of 1989, making his television debut in November.

For information on Earthquake's debut in the WWF, please see the PTBN Vintage Vault Refresh Volume 1: The Federation Years, under the Survivor Series 1989 review.

Fun Fact II: We bid farewell to Hillbilly Jim as an active wrestler after this show. We will see him again in the WWF in the mid 90s in other roles with the company.

### Scott:

We haven't seen Hillbilly Jim doing much of anything in the past few years, so this is clearly nothing but a showcase for Quake to take someone out other than a nameless jobber. The match is similar to Apollo Creed vs. Ivan Drago. Hillbilly comes out quick with lefts, rights and shots to the turnbuckle but then Jimmy Hart takes Jim's horseshoe which gives Quake a chance to recover. He drops the big elbow, and then we get the obligatory Quake Drop, and three seconds later Hillbilly Jim heads back into obscurity. Quake drops an aftershock on Jim for good measure. There's not much more to say here, as Earthquake moves on and faces a bigger challenge.

### JT:

Ever since debuting in November, Earthquake has been wrecking shit left and right, up and down the roster. He was embroiled in the middle of the Ultimate Challenge feud but hasn't quite entered the fray fully yet. Instead, he was focused on destroying under card stars while building his resume and confidence. We haven't seen Hillbilly Jim in active action on SNME in quite a few years as he had settled into an announcer role on air. But he got back into action a bit here in 1990 and this would easily be the biggest test of his return. Quake tried to attack before the bell but Jim dodged him and unloaded with some punches that rattled the big man. Quake finally stabilized and rammed Jim hard into the corner. Jim was able to kick his way back into things, staggering Quake with more punches and chops but he would get distracted by Jimmy Hart and that was about it. Quake squashed him in the corner, dropped an elbow and finished the Hillbilly with the Earthquake splash. That was followed by two more to really put the hurting on Jim. And that is about it for Hillbilly as an active competitor. Quake continues to roll on, looking as dominant as ever.

### 3) Hart Foundation wrestles the Rockers to a double disqualification at 9:30

Fun Fact: The winner of this match would be in excellent position to face the newly crowned tag team champions, Demolition. This would also be an early look at the rivalry between Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart.

### Scott:

We haven't seen the Hitman & the Anvil on SNME in a while, whereas Shawn & Marty battled the now-departed Brain Busters in 1989. After losing the tag team titles in late-1987, they seemed to have faded into the mid-card while other teams battled Demolition. Now both teams are in the limelight to take on the Demos, who seems to be leaning away from full babyfaces and will start to edge back towards their original heel status. That has more to do with another team debuting in the company later in the year. The match is what you would expect; two expert teams working very well together. A wrench is thrown into the mix when the Tag Team Champions, still babyfaces, come down to observe the teams. Of course with three babyface teams it's about misunderstandings and shoving. It happened when Bret Hart was tossed out and later in the match when Shawn Michaels was dumped to the floor. Marty Jannetty attacked Smash and then all hell broke loose. The referee rings the bell and we have a double DQ and a total schmozz. We're not sure who the #1 contender is yet, but we're pretty sure it is the Hart Foundation after their declaration challenge after WrestleMania. These two teams will battle more in the next year (including an infamous match with an equipment malfunction) while Demolition goes through their personality change. The match was really going well until the finish.

### JT:

With Demolition back reigning on top of the tag team mountain, there was a lot of jockeying underneath to see which team would step up to receive the next title shot. The Hart Foundation had issued an official challenge back before Toronto and then picked up a big Mania win and seemed prime to take their long missing titles back. The Rockers had been scuffling a bit but a quality SNME win here could certainly mean being things for the title hopes. It was the perfect setting for two teams like this, clashing to move up the ladder. The Harts were actually positioned as heels a bit with Jesse stumping for them and taking digs at the Rockers. Bret Hart and Marty Jannetty opened things up and after a quick little sprint of reversals, Jannetty slammed Hart into the corner and made the tag. Shawn Michaels came in with a cross body but Hart rolled through for a near fall. The Rockers started to double team but the Anvil got pissed, hit the ring and mowed both guys down. Hart then tagged him in and he started to show off his power while Jannetty outworked him with speed before tagging out. Michaels would tag back in and the stalemate continued until he hit the ropes and was clubbed from behind by the Hitman. Jesse enjoyed that bending of the rules. Anvil went to work, sending Michaels high in the air and to the mat with a back drop before tagging back out. The Harts tagged in and out, trading off between sharp strikes and brute power. It was clear that Michaels was in a dire situation as the Harts kept softening him up. As the Hitman kept the pressure on, Demolition sauntered to ringside, which made Jesse wonder about their motives. Michaels tried a comeback but ran hard into a Hart boot. A second later he dodged a Hitman elbow and made the tag to Jannetty, who came in and cleaned house with great fire. He snapped Hart over with a powerslam and landed a crescent kick for a close near fall. Hart found an opening when Jannetty dropped his head but when he tried to catapult Anvil into the ring, Jannetty dodged it and the big man crashed to the mat. Michaels got the tag and he and Anvil collided in the center of the ring as the crowd was buzzing hard. Michaels would get tossed to the floor and as Demolition checked on him and helped him back in the ring, Jannetty jumped the champs, thinking they were causing problems. From there everything broke down and all six men brawled with the match ending in a no contest. Ventura was pissed and demanded the champions be fined for instigating. That was a damn good tag match that could have been an all time classic with another ten clean minutes. I also loved how the Harts were working heel and it felt so good after so much time on the face side of the ledger. The tag division was still in a really good spot at this point thanks to the heat and ability of these three top teams.

### 4) Ultimate Warrior defeats Haku to retain WWF Heavyweight Title with the big splash at 4:49

Fun Fact: This is the first televised title defense for the Ultimate Warrior following his championship win at WrestleMania VI.

### Scott:

In his first TV title defense since his epic win in Toronto, the Ultimate Warrior wears the same outfit he wore April 1; the orange tights and orange tassles with green boots. Haku is clearly just a solid opponent for Warrior to work with while they figure out what heels can battle him. Sadly right now, there's...none. They should have had Hogan face Dino Bravo on this show to build the Earthquake feud and had Warrior face Mr. Perfect to build a solid heel opponent. It's a pretty decent TV match as Haku works his chops and kicks, including a sweet one-footed drop kick to Warrior's throat. Warrior recovers and hits his shoulder blocks and splash for the victory. The one observation is Warrior's promos are still comically incoherent, but they are much more subdued now that he's WWF Champion. Warrior does get a summer feud going, but it seems all too familiar.

### JT:

After a long year of being prepped as a top flight superstar and face of the company, the Ultimate Warrior finally cashed in at WrestleMania, doing the unthinkable by pinning Hulk Hogan clean to win the WWF Title. However, one problem that gets identified almost immediately is that there was no clear heel challenger to help him carry the load. Nobody was lined up besides Earthquake and he was paired off with Hogan. Warrior gets Haku here in a throw away match, which is fine, but going forward he needs a legit contender with whom to tour the country and draw some houses. Despite his loss at Mania, this has been a strong sixteen months for Haku, having reigned as king and had a run as tag team champion. And now he looks to cap it all off with the big one. Warrior had great energy as always and fended off a quick Haku attack with kicks and chops until Haku bailed out to regroup. Once he returned, Warrior kept pouring it on, chopping away and working the arm. Haku eventually came back with some clotheslines, chops and headbutts. Vince was good here, noting how well Bobby Heenan knows Warrior and how that is aiding Haku in his attack. Haku grabbed near fall with a splash but that was it for him as Warrior fought to his feet, mowed through Haku with clotheslines and then polished him off with the big splash. This was paint-by-numbers and a tidy title defense but we see right away that Warrior's formula TV title defense match may clock in at a much shorter time than Hogan's usually did.

### 5) Big Boss Man defeats Akeem via disqualification at 3:18

Fun Fact I: This is a rematch from WrestleMania VI.

Fun Fact II: Up to the Royal Rumble, Akeem and the Big Bossman were tag team partners, The Twin Towers, under the management of Slick. In the feud between Ted DiBiase and Jake Roberts, Roberts had stolen the Million Dollar Belt and was carrying it around in the same bag that he kept Damien in. Following a match on the 2/3 episode of Superstars, Bossman handcuffed Roberts to the ring rope and took the bag with the belt. He, Slick, DiBiase and Virgil all made their way to the Brother Love set. DiBiase explained how his money can buy anything and that in order to catch a thief he had to buy the best police officer. At this, Bossman's expression changed. He was under the impression that he was just recovering stolen property, not that he had been bought. He told DiBiase that he will never be bought, took the belt and bag back to the ring and gave the handcuff key to Jake. Bossman later went back to the set and shoved down his former manager and repeated that he will never be bought.

Fun Fact III: We say our second goodbye of the night to Akeem, aka the One Man Gang in his earlier days with the promotion. Akeem would stay with the WWF into the fall, but would not appear in a major capacity past this point.

### Scott:

Our final match is a WrestleMania rematch between the former Twin Towers partners. Boss Man had a change of heart when he wouldn't take Ted DiBiase's money and now is a huge babyface. The crowds really got behind Boss Man after that and then he defeated his former partner at WrestleMania. Before that match Ted DiBiase (who had just wrestled Jake Roberts earlier in the card) came out of nowhere and attacked Boss Man before the match for not taking the money. Boss Man recovered to win the match, but as he's about to grab the victory here back out comes DiBiase and Virgil to beat down Boss Man and get the DQ. DiBiase tries to handcuff Boss Man to the ropes but fails and they flee. This was a big moment for Big Boss Man as this really moved him up to the babyface stratosphere. Sadly we won't see Akeem too much longer on national TV. Untapped potential there for a great heel. Oh well.

### JT:

Our final bout is a WrestleMania rematch between the two former tag team partners. After having a strong 1989, the Twin Towers split apart early in 1990 after Ted DiBiase tried to buy off the Big Boss Man. Boss Man wasn't having it and turned his back on Slick and Akeem en route to getting payback on DiBiase. Boss Man made quick work of Akeem in Toronto but the Dream gets another crack here. Before the match, Slick hints that DiBiase paid them off to take out the Boss Man here on SNME. I could watch Akeem's absurd strutting and hand movements as Jive Soul Bro echoes in the arena all night long. Akeem tried to attack off the bell but Boss Man dodged him and started to hammer away before tossing Akeem across the ring. He followed by with the leg drop to the back as Akeem was draped in the ropes and then punched away in the corner. Akeem turned the tide and used his girth to pound Boss Man down in the corner and hammer away at his back. Boss Man was wobbling as Akeem laid in the right hands, eventually falling to a back elbow. Akeem would hit his big splash but Boss Man actually kicked out and turned the tide by back dropping Akeem to the floor while blocking a piledriver. Boss Man flipped Akeem back into the ring and rattled him with right hands before hitting the Boss Man Slam. Before he covered, DiBiase and Virgil attacked from behind and laid the wood. They put a pretty good beating on him and even cuffed him to the ropes before laying in more strikes. Boss Man eventually dug out the key, unhooked himself and ran off his assailants. The match was nothing but the post bell beatdown was really good and added some strong heat to this feud. I will miss you, Akeem. Please come back someday.

### Final Analysis:

### Scott:

This post-Mania SNME closes some doors on feuds, like Hogan/Perfect and Boss Man/Akeem. We also reinvigorate the tag team division as the Hart Foundation reemerge and the Rockers move to the forefront. For the second time in his WWF career, Hulk Hogan drops out of the spotlight to make a movie, so the World Title is shifted to another top babyface. Randy Savage did a yeoman's job in 1988 which led to another great feud. I don't really see Ultimate Warrior eventually turning heel so we will see where this title reign will go. This was a standard SNME episode with no real surprises or memorable moments.

Final Grade:

### JT:

This was a fun show to watch but you could tell the company was hitting the post WrestleMania and post Hulk Hogan doldrums. The arena was very dimly lit and when the lights did shine a bit, there were lots of empty seats out there. The WWF was doing a nice job of overhauling the roster a bit and shaking things up and even the presentation feels a bit more crisp and on point as well. The opener was solid but it was sad to see Mr. Perfect's main event essentially ended by Hogan. The tag match was match of the night and really solidified the tag division while giving a taste and a reminder of how awesome the Harts were as heels. We also got some fun Rick Martel vignettes throughout the night as he was pimping his new cologne Arrogance. Outside of those matches, the in ring action was pretty pedestrian but we did get some solid angle development and continued reshuffling up and down the card. This is worth checking out for a look at the reboot of 1990, but the show itself is nothing special outside of the hot tag match.

Final Grade:

# Saturday Night's Main Event XXVII – 7/28/90

July 28, 1990

Omaha Civic Auditorium

Omaha, NE

Announcers: Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura

Attendance: 10,303

NBC Rating: 7.2

Fun Fact: This will be the last SNME with Jesse Ventura on commentary. Ventura would leave the WWF over a disagreement with McMahon over a video game contract. Ventura was in negotiations to sign with Sega to use his likeness in a game. McMahon had recently signed a contract with Nintendo and told Ventura he couldn't sign. Ventura, who has stated in interviews he was not under contract at the time, told McMahon that he did not own him and he was fired in August 1990.

### 1) Ultimate Warrior defeats Rick Rude to retain WWF Heavyweight Title by disqualification at 9:43

Fun Fact: At the time, Rick Rude had been the only person to pin the Ultimate Warrior when he cheated to win the IC title from him at WrestleMania V. He resumed his feud with Warrior during the summer of 1990 as he pursued the WWF title.

### Scott:

We fire this episode up with a World Title match right out of the gate. To this point, the Ultimate Warrior's landmark feud is reignited. Rick Rude defeated Jimmy Snuka back at WrestleMania but then he seemed to vanish into thin air. Well he returned, complete with a haircut as the bookers try to push that Rude is the only guy to beat Warrior in a match. That was back at WrestleMania V when Bobby Heenan held Warrior's foot and Rude won the IC Title. One year later and with no real strong heels in the company that aren't already occupied, they had to repackage Rude somewhat. I thought that perhaps this match should have been set for SummerSlam, unless they needed a first match so they can book a gimmick rematch. The match was a fun back and forth affair, similar to their 1989 wars. Rude cinches the sleeper and Warrior is slowly fading. Perhaps they will have Rude win again, and then Warrior wins the rematch? Warrior recovers and hits the jaw jack reversal. Rude comes back with right hands to soften him up, and then tries to hit the Rude Awakening, but Warrior again attempts to power out of it. Unlike 1989 Rude actually hits it, but Warrior kicks out. Warrior makes his big clothesline comeback and when he hits the splash to attempt the pin, Bobby Heenan throws Warrior off him. All three men brawl to the outside and Warrior wins by disqualification. According to Vince, the SummerSlam match was already announced, which begs the question: Why are they wrestling now? I thought that was bizarre. In any event, the match ends in a schmozz, which adds the steel cage stipulation to next month's PPV in Philadelphia. This match was paint by numbers for these guys.

### JT:

For the second straight year we have a very special summertime episode of SNME and once again it is really loaded up with big time title matches. We also have our second straight themed show, as we go inside the Wild Kingdom. The WWF is around a month away from SummerSlam and in an interesting twist, the main event slated for Philadelphia opens up our show here. Following Wrestlemania, Rick Rude was transformed into a serious main event heel. Gone was the curly mullet and he spent weeks training intensely to be rebuilt as a credible challenger. There was backstory here and Rude certainly looked like he could be a threat but the real question was whether true intrigue was there after they spent all of 1989 feuding. Warrior still had great presence and energy but there was a real lack of direction for him and it showed in the house show attendance numbers and general malaise with the company. The Rude feud would be a good litmus test of whether or not he could carry a big title program with a fairly tepid opponent. Rude attacked off the bell but Warrior swatted him off and rattled him with early offense. Ventura claimed this one could be determined by brain not brawn, but a moment later Warrior viciously launched Rude into the corner and pummeled him with kicks. Warrior punished the midsection before charging into his challenger with a clothesline that knocked him to the floor. The champ continued to press Rude, keeping him all off kilter with a manic attack that featured a good variance of offense. That crashed to a halt when Rude dodged a big splash, finally giving the Ravishing One a chance to catch his breath. He gained his bearing and landed a big blow by smashing Warrior in the head with the title belt. Rude took a risk after that but got caught coming off the top by Warrior, who went right back to the midsection. However, Rude caught him with a knee on a charge and went to work for a bit. The strategy and format of this match is interesting so far because they need to keep Warrior strong but they need to also present Rude as viable of SummerSlam. Rude would lock in a sleeperhold but Warrior survived and the two began trading hammering blows. Warrior would block an attempt at the Rude Awakening but Rude was able to finally snap it off... but Warrior kicked out. That seems ill advised at this point. Warrior got hot and started mowing through Rude, hitting the big splash but right before he picked up the win, Bobby Heenan smacked him in the head. Warrior chased after him, as did Rude but Heenan landed another blow and hopped in the ring to Warrior to finally draw the DQ. That was a fun match but also a really bad booking decision. This was already slated as the main event of the second biggest show of the year and they had Warrior fight off Rude's best, kicking out of his finisher and had him beat before Rude got saved. This made no sense in establishing Rude as a threat in Philly. Rude should have won this by countout or something to at least tease the possibility. Anybody that watched this bout would have no true fear that Rude could steal a win at this point. Good match, poor booking.

*** Gene Overland and Lord Alfred Hayes kick off a series of vignettes that see them traverse through the jungle, happening upon various WWF superstars and animals. ***

*** A dramatic video package airs, chronicling Hulk Hogan's glory days and subsequent injury at the hands of Earthquake, setting the stage for their co-main event match at SummerSlam. Hulk Hogan then makes his official return to WWF TV as he hits the ring for a special interview with Vince McMahon. At the end, Earthquake and Dino Bravo came down looking for a fight but Tugboat made the save and the segment ended in a stand off. ***

### 2) Demolition defeats The Rockers to retain WWF Tag Team Titles when Smash pinned Shawn Michaels after an Ax clothesline at 9:31

Fun Fact: Following WrestleMania VI, Demolition began a slow heel turn. Following a segment on the Brother Love show they attacked the Hart Foundation from behind. They also began to cheat to win during the matches. Finally, they added a third member, Crush, and began using the "Freebird Rule", where any two of the three members of the team could defend the titles. In reality, Crush was brought in due to a shellfish allergy that Ax had developed. Crush was brought in to fill in while Ax was recovering.

### Scott:

Demolition is in full heel mode now, as they've added a third member to their team in Crush. Now they swap guys in and out and the fans turned on them. In reality it was that Ax was having heart issues and had to ease back his schedule. The heel turn was based on the fact that another leather-studded team has arrived in the WWF and they would be overwhelming babyfaces. The match was pretty solid, as the Rockers opened with their speed moves and bobbing and weaving, but Demolition takes control with their power and one thing I applaud them for is they changed the way they wrestled when they went from face to heel. They did obviously wrestle as heels in 1987-88 but with the added chemistry over the past couple of years they really worked as a cohesive unit. Crush is working the majority of the match with Jannetty as the face in peril until the late hot tag to Shawn Michaels who cleans house on the champions and perhaps we are heading to a Harts/Rockers tag title match at SummerSlam, which I think no one would have a problem with. In fact Shawn had a pinfall attempt, but with the referee distracted Demolition wins when Ax comes in and attacks Shawn, then takes the pin himself. The Hart Foundation comes out to argue with the referee, followed by the new tag team on the block, the Legion of Doom! Yes my beloved Road Warriors have arrived in the WWF and they will make a huge impact over the next year. The match was a fun tag team affair on what is turning out to be a great night of wrestling.

### JT:

Since our last SNME, our tag team champions have undergone a major change. First off, they have turned heel for the first time since late 1988. And with Ax ailing physically, a younger third member of the team was imported from Portland: Crush. Very green but very big, Crush started competing in the majority of the matches alongside Smash with the champs utilizing the Freebird rule. They were set to battle the Hart Foundation at SummerSlam, but first they need to get through the energetic Rockers, who are getting a rare big time title match. Ventura has done a quick 180 on the champs, destroying them in April but putting them over here, claiming the Rockers are way overmatched due to the size. Ax was again on the floor here as Smash and Crush would defend the straps. Smash and Jannetty opened things up and Marty used his speed to set the tone, finishing with a dropkick that sent Smash to the floor. A quick double team later and the champs were all out of synch before finally slowing down and getting their sea legs back. The challengers hit a blind tag and used another double team but Crush changed the mood with a vicious clothesline on Michaels. The power display continued with Crush working over Jannetty but the green showed through when the big man was out of position leading to a sloppy sunset flip by Marty. The challengers went back to their quick tag offense but Ax would get involved to twist momentum and put the champs back on top. The match has been pretty good so far but it is really noticeable how raw Crush was to be in a spot like this. Demolition took a big time hit with that swap. Although after a lot of sloppiness, he would hit a nice move like a swift chokeslam on Jannetty that showed you the potential the company saw. Smash came in and locked in a tight bearhug but Marty punched his way free. Jannetty would wriggle free and make the tag to Michaels who came in and ducked and dodged his way through a flurry of offense. Things broke down from there with the challengers hitting the double top rope fist drop but that led to another botch as Crush was too far out to make the save and the referee had to slow his count way down. As the brawl continued, Michaels rolled up Smash but Ax popped in and mauled Michaels with a clothesline and then covered to steal the win. Nice heel work! After the match, the Hart Foundation and newly arrived Legion of Doom came out to bitch at the referee for what happened. Jesse took them all to task saying they were afraid to face Demolition and wanted things overturned. The match was really good but got slowed down due to Crush. If Ax was in there this could have reached have really popped even more as the Rockers were clearly game as always. The tag division continues to be red hot with four top flight teams at the top and others simmering underneath. Demolition is under fire from all sides but they survive here and get themselves ready for Philly.

### 3) Mr. Perfect defeats Tito Santana to retain WWF Intercontinental Title with an inside cradle at 10:11

Fun Fact I: Following the Ultimate Warrior's WWF title win at WrestleMania VI, the Intercontinental title was vacated and a tournament was held from April 4-23 to crown a new champion. Mr. Perfect won the eight man tournament, defeating Jimmy Snuka and Tito Santana to win the title. Others in the tournament were Roddy Piper, Rick Martel, Dino Bravo, Brutus Beefcake and One Man Gang.

Fun Fact II: During the summer leading up to SummerSlam, Mr. Perfect and Tito Santana feuded on the house shows. This would be a rematch from the April IC tournament final.

### Scott:

Perfect won the IC Title tournament after Ultimate Warrior had to vacate the belt when he won the World Title at WrestleMania. Perfect defeated Tito Santana in the finals of that tournament, and Tito gets the rematch here. This match has an interesting wrinkle, because usually with ref bumps matches end fairly quickly. Well Perfect hits Tito a few minutes into the match and Earl Hebner's leg is rolled up. He spends the next few minutes writhing in pain around the ring, even as Santana is dominating the action and getting numerous pin covers that if the referee was healthy would have made him the new IC Champion. Instead the counts are slow and Perfect is kicking out. The match was so much better than anybody probably thought it was supposed to be. Tito goes for pin after pin until Perfect goes for the Perfectplex. Tito reverses the attempt into a small package, but Perfect reverses that into a small package of his own and gets the three count to retain his title. That could be the best SNME match ever to this point as both guys really went at it as the storytelling went beyond a regular TV match and ventured into PPV/house show quality where they had time to build psychology. Not to be forgotten is that Perfect has retained Bobby Heenan as his manager, giving the Brain his third titleholder in his WWF career.

### JT:

Following WrestleMania, Ultimate Warrior was forced to vacate his Intercontinental Title, which was then put up for grabs in a tournament. Mr. Perfect had been depushed out of the main event scene but to help keep him in the mix, he was given the win in the tournament and took on the IC gold with pride. He also dumped the Genius and picked up Bobby Heenan as a manager and that was a match made in Heaven. In that tournament final he knocked off the stalwart Tito Santana in the finals but Tito gets lined up for a rematch here tonight in our last title match of the evening. The veteran Santana was all fired up and got off to a scorching hot start that caught Perfect off guard. He wasn't taking this match for granted at all. He unloaded with fists and chops and followed Perfect all around the ring and floor. Perfect cut him off and hit a nice standing dropkick as Jesse fired off as many racist comments as he could in his final SNME appearance. Perfect hooked on a chinlock as he slowed the pace and reset himself a bit. He also made sure to slip a choke in there when Bobby would distract the ref. Perfect released the hold and slugged away but Tito caught him with a boot to the face and a big clothesline. As Perfect begged off, Santana stalked and crushed him with a winding right hand that knocked Perfect back into the referee, who twisted his ankle in the process. As he writhed on the ground, Santana locked Perfect in the figure four, which he kept locked on for a while until he finally broke to check on the referee. Perfect got to his feet but Santana decked him with the flying forearm. Unfortunately, the referee was slow to crawl over which allowed Perfect to barely survive. A pissed off Santana stalked the referee and then regained his focus and hit another forearm off the middle rope but the ref again was too slow in coming over, giving Perfect the chance to slip free. Santana's frustration was palpable as a second referee finally emerged to help out. However, Tito turned around and walked right into a stiff right hand. Santana shook it off and hit a cross body for two. The pacing here has been great, especially for 1990 WWF. The crowd rallied Tito as Perfect smacked him around and racked him with a neck snap. Perfect kept focusing on the neck and head with a side kick and another stiff right hand. Tito came back with his own punches, knocking Perfect over the top rope and to the floor. He chased him out an back in, where he chucked Perfect across the ring and into the post crotch first. Tito was fired up and picked up a real close near fall as Heenan freaked out. The challenger blocked a Perfectplex attempt and wrapped him up with a small package but Perfect reversed momentum and rolled through to grab the hard fought win. What match! One of the best in SNME history for sure. These two went toe-to-toe and Santana looked amazing, reminding us all of how great he really was. I also loved how Perfect got the win in a clean way but still did it in a manner that made Santana look strong. Great booking and the match of the night for sure.

### 4) Texas Tornado defeated Buddy Rose with a Tornado Punch at 3:09

Fun Fact I: This would be the television debut of Kerry von Erich, aka The Texas Tornado. For a full bio of Tornado, see PTBN Vintage Vault Volume 1 – SummerSlam 1990.

Fun Fact II: This would also be the only SNME appearance for "Play Boy" Buddy Rose. For a full bio of Rose, see PTBN Vintage Vault Volume 1 – WrestleMania 1, where he wrestled as the Executioner. In his second run with the WWF, his physique has undergone quite a change from that inaugural WM match, something he would turn into a comical gimmick. Rose was mainly used as enhancement talent during this time into 1991.

### Scott:

Our final match is nothing more than a showcase match for the debuting Kerry Von Erich. With World Class crumbling in the Dallas area, Tornado went for the pay day and came to the WWF. Buddy Rose had the infamous "blow away diet" storyline (if you can call it that) but he was easy fodder for the newcomer to the promotion. Not much more to say here, except that Tornado probably was going to get a smooth transition into the WWF. Instead, as we see at SummerSlam, he's thrusted right into the spotlight.

### JT:

We cap off a night of hot title matches with the SNME debut of a big time star. Kerry Von Erich was a legend in Texas and a superstar around the world. With a gap in star power in WWF, the company finally came calling and brought Von Erich in for a run as the Texas Tornado. You could tell they planned on giving him a quick push by the way he was put over and there definitely a spot for him to fill. Here he faces off with Playboy Buddy Rose, a great wrestler that was fully into JTTS duty at this point in his career. In 1990 he was most famous for the Blow Away Diet skits that aired on TV but he had a resume that was nearly as sparkling as Von Erich's. Tornado put his power on display, tossing around the rotund Rose and slamming him with ease. He continued to punish Rose, sending him tumbling to the floor and barely breaking a sweat as the match edged along. Rose went to the eyes and then actually headed up top but Tornado caught him coming off and then finished him with the discus punch for the win. Nothing doing here besides a chance to showcase the Tornado.

*** Ultimate Warrior and Rick Rude deliver promos that confirm the SummerSlam main event will take place inside a steel cage. ***

### Final Analysis:

### Scott:

After a fantastic year of episodes in 1989, this one may trump those. We have a full blown theme episode for the first time since 1985 and not only do we have all three championships on the line but we actually have a great IC Title match that wasn't booked as a TV sprint but a house show mini-marathon. It would probably be one of Tito Santana's last great TV matches in WWF history. Hulk Hogan's huge return from the Earthquake beatdown caused one of SNME's all-time pops, and hell we even had a Buddy Rose appearance! Sure the Rude/Warrior match before their...other match may have been a little illogical but they do have great chemistry. To this point, for me it's the best SNME episode of all time and that includes the great run of 1989 episodes. There's everything you need for a great network TV special.

Final Grade:

### JT:

Well, hard to ask for much more out of a show like this. You could tell they really hyped up these summer specials and saw them as a major stepping stone for SummerSlam as well as a chance to hook in an audience bored with network TV repeats. Loaded with three title matches and some big angle development, this one definitely delivered. Perfect/Santana was an all time SNME classic and a WWF MOTYC. The opener was fun but quite a mess from a booking perspective and that just really spotlighted the issues with Warrior's title reign and general lack of legitimate challengers. Beyond that, this one cruised along, filling the gaps between matches with the quick hit comedy bits and a couple of key interviews, specifically the one with Hulk Hogan. Finally, this is our sadly our final chance to hear Jesse Ventura on commentary as he came to issues with the company over his contract and royalties and departed the WWF a few weeks after this show. It was a tough loss to take, especially with SNME where he was the true voice of the show. We have more of these shows to look at but some of the soul will certainly be missing as he brought so much to the presentation, both in the booth and with his interviews that drove so many angles. Top to bottom this was a strong outing, perhaps falling just short of the July 1989 offering and a couple others for a top spot in the SNME pantheon.

Final Grade:

# Saturday Night's Main Event XXVIII – 10/13/90

October 13, 1990

Toledo Sports Arena

Toledo, OH

Announcers: Vince McMahon and Roddy Piper

Fun Fact: Following the departure/firing of Jesse Ventura from the WWF, a new color commentator was needed. Vince McMahon tapped Roddy Piper to bring his unorthodox style to that position. This is Piper's first SNME in this role.

### 1) Ultimate Warrior & Legion of Doom defeat Demolition when Warrior pins Smash with with the big splash at 4:59

Fun Fact I: The Road Warriors were a tag team made up of Michael Hegstrand ("Hawk") and Joseph Laurinaitis ("Animal"). The duo began their tag team run in Georgia Championship Wrestling as part of the Legion of Doom, a stable that also included the likes of Jake Roberts, King Kong Bundy, The Iron Sheik and the original Sheik, led by manager Paul Ellering. While the stable did not last long, the moniker of the Legion of Doom became associated with the Road Warriors and the two names became interchangeable throughout their tag career. Their hard style and intimidating look made them feared competitors in every promotion they went to. Through the 80s they travelled through the AWA, Japan and the NWA territories, winning tag team championships in all of them. The group left the NWA/WCW territory for the WWF in 1990 due to issues with the head of WCW, Jim Herd. Upon entering the WWF, McMahon dropped the Road Warriors moniker and went with the Legion of Doom as their name.

Fun Fact II: Fans of both the NWA and WWF in the late 80s could easily see the resemblance between Demolition and the Legion of Doom. When LOD signed with the WWF in 1990, it was natural to have the two teams enter into a feud. At SummerSlam 1990, Demolition was trying to regain the tag titles from the Hart Foundation. During the match, Smash and Crush were the two legal wrestlers in the match. Ax came out during the match and tried to substitute himself in behind the referee's back. LOD came out and stopped the deception and in the process started the feud between the two sets of face-painted warriors.

### Scott:

We open the Oktoberfest edition of SNME with the WWF Champion teaming with the hottest new team in the promotion against the old guard of the company. LOD joins Dusty Rhodes as the second talents to be on both a SNME and a Clash of the Champions. Jesse Ventura is gone (tear rolling down cheek) and Vince McMahon has the Hot Rod with him for this show. Piper's performance at SummerSlam a few months earlier was not great, but he does work more and more to really hone down his color commentating and so far he's not bad working this match. Demolition are clearly falling down the ladder further and further as this match only goes about five minutes and the babyfaces win pretty clean. Warrior's World Title reign has been fairly average, as he's really only feuded with Rick Rude and since dispatching him at SummerSlam he's been in six-man tag matches exactly like this one. He's pdefended the World Title at house shows but not often on any big stages. This match isn't nearly as good as it could have been even a year ago. Ax is winding down as are the former three-time tag team champions as a whole. It also seems like the World Champion is an afterthought. Sure the Champion usually worked the opening match since the show started at 11:30 EST at night. Still, it felt like they won the match and the show was whisked right to commercial. Maybe the company realized he was sinking as champion? I'm not sure; they have no one to blame but themselves in that case.

### JT:

After a few months off, we are back on NBC for our fall edition of SNME and we have a few things to talk about. First off, our dear friend Jesse Ventura has departed and with him went a big chunk of the soul of the show. He added so much to each of them that nobody was going to be able to just step in and fill the gap. He was SNME. In his place is Roddy Piper, who does his damnedest to plug the hole but it just isn't the same. Also, as has been the trend here for most of 1990, we have another theme show, just like back in the debut year of 1985. This time around, the gimmick is Oktoberfest so we get lots of skits of various stars hamming it up with drinking, sausage stuffing and general German themed fun. Our opener continues to exhibit the severe lack of depth in the main event scene as Ultimate Warrior is in a six man tag instead of defending his gold or queuing up his next big title match. He is merely backing up the Legion of Doom in their war with Demolition. LOD arrived on the scene over the summer and stepped into the void left by Demolition when they turned heel. Smash and Crush lost the tag straps at SummerSlam but their three man game continues on here in what many would have considered a dream tag team match for years. However, with Ax winding down his career and the team no longer the mega faces they were for the last two years, the shine had dimmed a bit by the time they began clashing. As Piper noted, this was basically a prelude for Survivor Series as these six men would be involved in a match there as well. Warrior still had his great energy and the crowd was into him and LOD. He also looked pretty cool in his back trunks. Piper also called out that Dustin Rhodes, son of Dusty, was sitting ringside and Vince responded by saying "all the luminaries" were in the house. Well then. Animal and Smash smacked each other around to start with Animal getting the first near fall on a powerslam. Ax came in next but he had to square off with Warrior, who kicked the piss out of him. The champ mowed him down with a pair of shoulderblocks and a clothesline and also ran right through Smash and Crush as they tried to get involved. Warrior went for the killshot but Ax dodged the big splash and tagged out. Demolition kept quick tagging and triple teaming as Warrior staggered around the ring. Crush would make it in and start choking Warrior and then shoved him back into his corner where all three choked away as well. Demolition is looking pretty crisp here. They would try for the Decapitation Device but Animal made the save, allowing Warrior to tag in Hawk. Hawk ran through Smash and Warrior recovered to join the fray as well. Things quickly fell apart but Warrior finished things off by dropping the splash on Smash for the victory. Poor Demolition. It was clear they were on fumes and that LOD were being set up to take their spot and they are basically treated as jobbers here. The Warriors win and loo towards Hartford and Survivor Series.

*** A series of Oktoberfest vignettes air throughout the night with Gene Okerlund narrating us through various superstars partaking in the fun. ***

### 2) Randy Savage defeated Dusty Rhodes by countout at 9:30

Fun Fact I: This would be the end of the feud between Dusty Rhodes and Randy Savage. The two battled through WrestleMania VI and SummerSlam before "the common woman" Sapphire left Rhodes, costing him the SS match. Following this match, Savage would turn his sights back on the ultimate prize, the WWF championship and the Ultimate Warrior.

Fun Fact II: Dustin Runnels (Dusty's real life son) makes his first WWF TV debut here. Dustin had been wrestling on house shows for the company since April, but had not appeared on screen before.

### Scott:

This feud has been brewing since late-1989 but after Randy Savage defeated Dusty Rhodes and Sapphire ran off with Ted DiBiase at SummerSlam, things have pretty much cooled off. It seems they've been focusing on Savage challenging Ultimate Warrior for the WWF Title since he ripped up a Warrior poster before this match. As for the Dream, he's changed his polka dots from yellow to red and speaking of DiBiase that feud also changes focus. During the match the Million Dollar Man and Virgil buy out everyone sitting in the front row. The only one who doesn't take the money is Dusty's son Dustin, who we caught on camera in the earlier match. So Virgil and DiBiase take a seat on either side of the Dream's son and start cheering the Macho King on against Papa Rhodes. After a few minutes, well you know what's coming. DiBiase and Virgil attack Dustin and throw him over the barricade to the outside area. They beat Dustin down while Dusty has his back turned in the ring. Eventually he turns around and protects his son from further damage while he himself takes kicks from DiBiase and Virgil. Due to that, Savage wins the match by countout. The match itself is forgettable as the focus was on the outside story with Dustin. Dustin is obviously here as a favor to his dad, so it's interesting how long he will last here.

### JT:

This feud has been raging since 1990 opened but took a new twist at SummerSlam when it was revealed that Ted DiBiase had bought Sapphire and taken here away from the American Dream. After losing that piece of his heart, Dusty turned to the dark side a bit and you could tell things changed for him. He even changed the color of his polka dots from yellow to red. However, there was one bright spot still: his son Dustin, who had been showing an interest in the business and was seated ringside here tonight. He may have lost his woman, but he still had his family. So, Dusty gives it one last go against the Macho King, who has spent most of 1990 either battling the Dream or piddling around the mid card, filling air time and doing his thing. He was, however, seemingly on the verge of moving back up the ladder as he had set his sights on Ultimate Warrior and the issue was being nudged along. Dusty grabbed hold of Savage and whipped him around the ring, picking up a near fall on a backslide and then cutting Savage down with a back elbow. As she often did, Sherri hopped on the apron and distracted the Dream long enough for Savage to drill him from behind. Savage and Sherri got down to business from there, running through their offense, which was basically a tag team routine at this point. Savage found his way into hooking on a sleeper but as that went on, Ted DiBiase and Virgil appeared in the crowd and paid off everyone in the front row, buying their seats and leaving just themselves and Dustin, who refused to sell, alone in those seats. Dusty broke out of the sleeper and hopped out to confront DiBiase but Savage nailed him from behind and got back to work. Dustin kept rallying his dad but the due of Savage and Sherri were relentless. Dusty tried to punch his way back in but Savage smacked him back down and maintained control...until he whiffed on a charge and flopped into the ropes and back to the mat. Dusty punched away and then cracked Savage as he came off the top rope. At ringside, Dustin stood up to cheer his dad but DiBiase yanked him into the seat. That was enough as Dustin drilled DiBiase, triggering a two on one beatdown that ended with a stiff chairshot to the head that busted Dustin wide open. Dusty went out to save his son but that allowed Savage to nail him with a top rope axe blow and win the match by countout. DiBiase and Virgil kept pouring it on until Dusty was able to cover up his son until officials separated everyone. The match was super basic but the angle was fire, especially Dustin's blade job and the vicious beatdown by DiBiase. They have done a real good job building this one up. Savage finally breaks free from the Dream, picking up the win in their final tilt and sets his sights on a bigger prize. The Rhodes Boys are out for revenge.

### 3) Hulk Hogan & Tugboat defeat Rhythm & Blues by disqualification at 7:20

Fun Fact I: Fred Ottman began wrestling in 1985 in Georgia after having been trained by Boris Malenko, He also wrestled in Texas, the CWA and Florida through the mid-late 80s before coming to the WWF in the summer of 1989. Originally his character was Big Steel Man and he was paired with Slick as his manager. After only a few months with this name, it was changed to Tugboat Tyler, then Tugboat Thomas. Shortly after his TV debut in January 1990, his name was shortened to just Tugboat. He was a fan favorite for his colorful ring attire (red/white striped shirt and white pants) and his mimicking of the horn from a tugboat.

Fun Fact II: Before their stint together as Rhythm and Blues, Greg Valentine and the Honky Tonk Man were both members of the Hart Family and came together for a brief time as a team in 1989 known as Double Trouble. They were mainly brought together to defend Jimmy Hart against the now-face team of the Hart Foundation. They were not the primary tag team in the Hart stable at the time, but when the Rougeaus left the WWF in 1990, Hart brought the two back together and rebranded them as Rhythm and Blues. Valentine, who had been a blonde throughout his career, dyed his hair jet black and began wearing Elvis-like clothing and carrying a guitar. The team would stay together through the end of 1990.

### Scott:

The Hulkster's feud with Jimmy Hart's crew continues here. Since the bizarre countout win over Earthquake at SummerSlam, Hogan continues to battle with Quake, Bravo and all the other guys in the Colonel's stable. It was so weird seeing Greg Valentine's hair dyed jet black but the blue tights was a different look. Honky Tonk Man was clearly on his way out as he's been relegated to gimmick tag teams. I didn't think Tugboat was still involved in this feud as my memories were that Big Boss Man was transitioned into things before SummerSlam and stayed in that secondary role. Piper is getting a little bit better as the show was progressing. On a side note we have another themed episode as this is all about Oktoberfest, so we have lots of beer and wiener jokes, as well as the disgusting Bushwhackers shoving cheese in their mouth. The match is going about as you would think, and when Hogan gets the hot tag and starts working Honky over, down the aisle comes Earthquake and Dino Bravo. They go to commercial and they've been pushed down to the back during it. Tugboat was choking out Jimmy Hart and Honky pastes him with the guitar, but the referee sees it and there's a disqualification. That brings Quake and Bravo back out and they work the Hulkster over. Tugboat saves him from another Quake shot when he waves Honky's guitar around and smacks everybody. The feud continues, and another Hogan/Quake confrontation is on the horizon.

### JT:

Best friends Hulk Hogan and Tugboat are back together here after they each recovered from attacks by Earthquake. Hogan defeated Quake by countout at SummerSlam, but their issue wasn't quite done yet. In the prematch interview, Tugboat notes that they wanted to face Quake and Dino Bravo here tonight but Jimmy Hart made them face Rhythm & Blues instead before they could get that shot. R&B is a fun little veteran team featuring two guys that had stalled out as singles. This was a good spot for them to basically act as high quality JTTS but to do it the tag ranks to freshen things up a little. Plus Valentine with that black hair and "Suspicious Minds" tights was a sight to see. Tugboat had some fun energy but a real dopey gimmick and look and it is kind of farcical that this goof would be best buds with Hulk Hogan of all people. Hogan is as over as ever, even without his gold, and it was neat to see him in a match and feud like this, away from the big gold. Honky and Hogan opened up but R&B quick tagged and tried double team that failed when the Hulkster mowed through both of them. Tugboat tagged in and worked over the Hammer's arm before giving way to Hogan, who did the same. Tugboat made his way back in but the Hammer landed a blow to rock him and tagged out. Honky came charging in but Tugboat caught him a bear hug that Valentine eventually broke up. Honky and Hammer alternated kicking and clubbing away at the big man but he eventually made the hot tag to the Hulkster, who wrecked Honky, Hammer and Jimmy Hart, who went sprinting to the locker room right after. Hogan was starting to put the finishing touches on Valentine but Tugboat stopped him and brought his attention to the aisle, where Earthquake and Dino Bravo were forcing their way towards the ring. After a break. Hogan and Tugboat went back to work on Valentine while Quake and Bravo were driven to the back. A moment later, Honky grabbed his guitar and slugged Tugboat to draw the DQ. That was an odd decision, why not just have one of them eat a pin? Quake and Bravo reemerged and the four Hart Family members laid a stiff beatdown on Hogan while Tugboat recovered on the floor and eventually made the save. The match was standard SNME fare until the soft DQ but the post match assault was pretty good and set up Survivor Series nicely. Hogan was aggressive and Tugboat was his usual self but R&B actually hustled and moved with purpose in this one. The crowd was hot for Hogan as always and his feud with Quake still had gas left in the tank.

### 4) Texas Tornado defeats Haku with the Tornado Punch at 3:10

### Scott:

Rewatching these shows, I never remembered that Tornado actually had a televised IC Title match other than the win and eventual loss to Mr. Perfect. After having a great 1989 with two of the three major champions, Bobby Heenan seems back to being in the background, except for Mr. Perfect. Perfect has this show off after the upset loss at SummerSlam. There really isn't much to say about this match, as Haku is just a serviceable heel to put into a tv match. I thought it could have been longer than three minutes, but it seems all the matches were shortened to fit the Oktoberfest vignettes in between. Tornado lucked out as being IC Champion simply because they needed a face pop moment in Philly. Let's move on.

### JT:

Back at our last SNME, Texas Tornado made an impressive debut and was seemingly set up for a strong push. That manifested itself at SummerSlam when he upset Mr. Perfect to take home Intercontinental gold. He still has the title strapped around his waist here as he faces off with another Heenan Family member, the stalwart Haku. Tornado slammed Haku to start and teased the claw but Haku bailed to consult with the Brain. When he returned, Haku grabbed a chinlock, slowly wearing the champ down to his knees before breaking the hold and trading blows. Haku battled through the comeback attempt and unloaded some more punches and a headbutt before choking away. Haku has looked pretty good here. Tornado quickly came back, hooked the claw and pasted Haku with the discus punch for the win. Fine little semi-squash with a good little sequence by Haku before he ate the punch for the loss. Tornado rolls on but he has a return date with Perfect to deal with sooner than later.

### 5) Sgt. Slaughter defeated Koko B. Ware by submission with the knuckle hold at 5:18

Fun Fact: Robert Remus was trained by Verne Gagne and made his wrestling debut in 1972. He would take on the ring name Sgt. Slaughter and initially wrestled in the NWA territories and AWA before making his first stop in the WWF in 1980. His career took off in 1984 during his second run in the Federation when he turned face and took on the hated Iron Sheik. During this time he signed a deal to have his likeness used as part of the GI Joe franchise. His third WWF run is where we find him here in 1990. Real life tensions in the Middle East caused McMahon to turn Slaughter into an Iraqi sympathizer and into the #1 heel in the company.

### Scott:

Our final match features the new heel on the block, and using very real news to push his storyline. Slaughter was a heel during the pre-PPV era in the early 80s, both in the WWF and in the Mid-Atlantic area. However this is very different. Just three months after Iraq invaded Kuwait, Vince decides to create the ultimate heel and have the GI Joe babyface of the 1980s turn into an Iraqi-loving heel. As has been with most new heels, they face Koko B. Ware in the final match of the night. And as usual, Koko gets some shots off, but in the end the heel locks in a submission and Koko's done. Slaughter's post-match salute is interrupted by new babyface Nikolai Volkoff, now a US supporter after the end of the Cold War. That holdover feud clearly won't last long. The match is nothing, just a character showcase.

### JT:

Over the summer, former WWF hero and GI Joe icon Sgt. Slaughter made his return to the promotion after over five years away. However, in a change from the last time we saw him, he was now a heel, one pissed off at his soft country and implying an allegiance to US rival Iraq. Those implications blew up to full on sympathizing when he picked up Iraqi General Adnan as his manager right as the Gulf War was about to get under way. It was good to see Koko B. Ware back as it has been a while since he popped up on SNME but was last seen on PPV at WrestleMania. He is still just doing JTTS duty, which continues here. Koko used his quickness off the bat, dodging Sarge and sending him flying around with arm drags. Sarge shook that off and stood steady as Koko tried a shoulder block but a dropkick from the Birdman took him off his feet. A moment later, momentum changed when Sarge avoided a leaping charge in the corner. He would spend the next few minutes methodically working through his offense, trying for pin covers along the way. Piper was big on the anti-Iraq stuff already, just outwardly shitting all over Sarge and rooting on Koko. Koko came back with a swinging neck breaker and pair of dropkicks but Sarge caught him with a stun gun to kill that comeback off. He followed that up with some sort of temple noogie submission to win the match. After the match, while Sarge and Adnan waved the Iraqi flag, Nikolai Volkoff appeared on the interview podium and waved the American flag back at them. Americana! There was some nice energy in this one as Koko is great at this stuff and Sarge was a good base for him. Slaughter definitely needed a better finisher and to clean up his look a bit before he got going as his hair was all messed up and he just didn't look like he pieced it all together yet.

*** The Ultimate Warrior officially accepts Macho King's challenge, making him the official number one contender. ***

### Final Analysis:

### Scott:

The matches on this show were all pretty bad, mere pieces of the bigger storylines for the winter into 1991. After a very solid 1989, these shows are definitely lacking in workrate and even in entertainment. That's why I think the last couple of shows have gone back to the themes with long vignettes in between. Sergeant Slaughter as a heel is a shocker and fascinating at the same time. I don't think at the time they had any idea what to really do with him other than a mid-card heel facing guys like Duggan. The Hogan/Quake feud seemed to lose steam after the non-finish at SummerSlam, but they tried to reignite it here. Our World Champion is in a feud with a faction, rather than facing top singles wrestlers. They are alluding to a feud with Randy Savage but that isn't fully developed yet. I miss Jesse too, and Piper did his best but losing Jesse also took a little steam out of the show. It may recover after a few episodes but this one is lacking in a lot of things.

Final Grade:

### JT:

Well this was a fun watch with the Oktoberfest stuff but in ring it may be one of our worst SNME offerings to date. And while we did get some solid Survivor Series build, there wasn't much in the way of big angle or story developments to really hang your hat on either. The only top development that really went down was in the final moments when it was revealed that Macho King was now the number one contender. This one was just kind of there. Plus, the downgrade from Ventura to Piper was noticeable. Hot Rod wasn't bad at all but he just isn't Jesse and Jesse could carry even the most mediocre matches or shows. The lack of star power for the company is clear and while the roster still has quality performers on it, everyone seems just kind of shuffled into the mix just below the main event. If you like this era, this was fun to check out but definitely doesn't touch the upper half of SNME.

Final Grade:

# The Main Event IV - 11/23/90

November 23, 1990

Allen County War Memorial Coliseum

Fort Wayne, IN

Announcers: Vince McMahon and Roddy Piper

Fun Fact: The opening match on this show was supposed to be a tag team, best 2-out-of-3 falls contest between the Hart Foundation and the Rockers for the WWF tag team championships. The match did take place, with the Rockers winning falls one and three to become the tag team champions. During the second fall of the match, one of the ring ropes broke, taking away the ability for any high flying moves and causing disruption in the match.

The title win was never acknowledged by the WWF and it would get wiped out behind the scenes for two reasons. First, before the airing of the show, NBC wanted a one hour Main Event show instead of the 90 minute Saturday Night's Main Event. At the time of the taping, viewers can tell it had been planned to be an SNME event by the banners in the arena and the microphone flags showing the SNME logo. The tag match was cut from the show and it was rebranded as The Main Event for broadcast.

Also, there are claims that the WWF had fired Jim Neidhart, which had originally caused the booking of the title change. However, after the match Neidhart came to an agreement with the company and was re-signed. The WWF gave the titles back to the Hart Foundation and nullified the change, indicating it was due to the ring rope malfunction in the second fall. Shawn Michaels makes the claim in one of his books that the Hart Foundation did some politicking to get the belts back.

### 1) Ultimate Warrior defeats Ted DiBiase to retain WWF Heavyweight Title by disqualification at 9:47

Fun Fact: During the month prior to the match, Randy Savage and the Ultimate Warrior had begun a war of words over the belt, with Savage saying that he would easily take the title from Warrior. This aftermath of this match would serve as the beginning of the physical feud between the Ultimate Warrior and Randy Savage that would culminate at WrestleMania VII.

### Scott:

We have a special Friday night Main Event usually reserved for February, this time the day after Thanksgiving. I complained on the last episode that Warrior hadn't defended the World Title much other than the two against Rick Rude. Here he defends the Title against perennial heel challenger Ted DiBiase. He's in the midst of his feud with Dusty Rhodes that was amped up on the last episode in October. I was hoping a guy like DiBiase would bring the goods and give Warrior a great match, and indeed I think he did. This match really hit the gas early on and didn't stop. DiBiase went right at the champion and took it to the limit and Warrior went right back at him with quick strikes and great storytelling. I didn't think Warrior would lose the title but I did think Randy Savage would get involved somehow, and sure enough he did. DiBiase would get disqualified and Savage (who admitted later in the show he was paid off to help out) beat Warrior down and took the World Title belt and held it over his waist. These two were on a collision course to a big World Title match, perhaps at the Royal Rumble in January. The match was really a lot of fun and better than I remembered but it was really about the pending battle between Warrior and the Macho King.

### JT:

For the first time we have a second Main Event in one calendar year, with this one going down just days after Survivor Series. Coming off the last shaky SNME, the company was looking to deliver a big night of action to set the tone for what was to come in 1991. Ultimate Warrior is still reigning as WWF Champion and has entered into a feud with Randy Savage but that was still simmering, so he takes a detour here and takes on the always game Ted DiBiase. DiBiase had just shaken up the company a bit in Hartford when he debut the Undertaker as his mystery partner and was still tormenting Dusty Rhodes as well. Despite being out of the title picture for quite a while now, he always had the credibility to step right back in as a legitimate challenger. DiBiase's sweating problem is really out of control as he was drenched in his prematch promo. Warrior always looked weird when he teased his hair back into a mullet but his white tights here were pretty cool. Warrior won a pair of early lockups and looked dominant until DiBiase buried a knee to the gut and unleashed a quick series of strikes. Warrior came back with a pair of clotheslines that sent sent DiBiase flying hard to the floor. The champ followed him out and pasted both him and Virgil before pitching the challenger back in and meeting with a sledge blow off the top. DiBiase is bumping like crazy as usual and it is leading to a fun little power beatdown to this point. Warrior would eat a knee on a charge and then get put down with a clothesline as DiBiase took over and went to work. DiBiase got a near fall but Warrior blocked a piledriver and made a comeback. However, Virgil would trip him up as he hit the ropes and the distraction allowed DiBiase to knock the champ to the floor and regain control. Nice payoff there as Roddy Piper kept claiming Virgil was the ace in the hole at ringside and he struck right on cue. DiBiase kept bringing the heat and picking up near falls in between wearing Warrior down. Warrior almost nabbed the win by blocking a suplex and getting a sunset flip but DiBiase survived and went right back on the attack. Warrior would block another suplex and hit one of his own but that was followed by a collision where both men got wiped out. Both slowly reached their feet but Warrior was the first aggressor, running right through DiBiase and having him beat until Virgil jumped in the ring to draw the DQ. Not a surprise they wanted to protect DiBiase with the dearth of credible heels but poor Warrior needs a win in here somewhere. Warrior put the beatdown on Virgil after until Randy Savage showed up and worked Warrior over with his scepter. This was an energetic tussle that DiBiase carried really nicely and Warrior even showed a little variance in his offense as well. I could take or leave the DQ but it is what it is in this era. The post match attack was really good added a bunch of heat on Savage as the top contender.

### 2) Nikolai Volkoff and Sgt. Slaughter wrestle to a no contest at 0:00

### Scott:

This match is a no-contest as Slaughter attacked the US supporter with his riding crop before the bell, until Jim Duggan comes out with his 2x4. Nothing more here, except Slaughter's gimmick gets better.

### JT:

As Sgt. Slaughter's Iraqi ties strengthened, he continued to look to eliminate anyone that defended the country he once professed to love. At Survivor Series, Slaughter and Nikolai went toe-to-toe with Sarge eliminating his nemesis but falling to Tito Santana at the end. Volkoff wanted revenge and the big blowoff for their feud was set for this show. Unfortunately for Nikolai, the match never happened as Sarge beat the piss out of him with his riding crop until Jim Duggan made the save. This was officially a sign that Slaughter was done messing with guys on Volkoff's level and was ready to be elevated to something bigger, starting with Hacksaw.

### 3) Mr. Perfect defeats Big Boss Man by countout at 8:15

Fun Fact: During the summer, Bobby Heenan and Rick Rude had started making jokes about the Big Boss Man's mother. This verbal assault infuriated Boss Man and he vowed to avenge this attack on his momma. After a four minute barrage of momma jokes by Rude and Heenan on the Brother Love show in October, President Jack Tunney took the unprecedented step of indefinitely suspending Rude (a way to write Rude out of storylines since he had left the WWF), censoring Bobby Heenan against any further comments about BBM's mother and forcing Heenan to replace Rude in all singles matches that had been signed between Rude and BBM. The original plan prior to Rude leaving was a feud with Boss Man. With his departure, it became more of a feud with Heenan and the Family members instead.

### Scott:

Bobby Heenan insulted Boss Man's mama. It does sound like a stupid way to start a feud, but the bookers give and the wrestlers accept. Boss Man and Perfect put on a striking clinic, as both guys really pounded the crap out of each other. Perfect was a perfect foil for Boss Man's power offense, which is many strikes and big power moves like the sidewalk slam. I always loved when Perfect would hit an exposed turnbuckle and then flies in the air flipping over a million times. Perfect couldn't turn Boss Man over for the Perfectplex and it turns into a small package for the big man. The battle continues with both guys beating on each other, until Boss Man turns his attention to Bobby Heenan, and he chases the Brain down the aisle. Unfortunately that gets Boss Man counted out and the Family wins again, outsmarting the Cobb County corrections officer. This feud is literally just getting started and more will come between now and March 24 in Los Angeles.

### JT:

Throughout the fall, Big Boss Man had been feuding with Bobby Heenan after the Brain had relentlessly started ragging on his mama. It was meant to be the beginning of a program with Rick Rude but Rude bolted the promotion after a disagreement and Boss Man instead transitioned into a program with the whole Heenan Family, with the end game being a chance to steal Mr. Perfect's prized Intercontinental Title. However, Perfect wasn't champion here, that belt was still around the waist of the Texas Tornado, so Perfect is out there fighting for his manager's name while Boss Man wanted revenge. Perfect broke out his really cool bi-colored singlet here with the neon yellow and blue color scheme. A true classic. Heenan didn't accompany Perfect here, staying in hiding away from his enemy. Perfect stuck and moved to open up, landing a couple of slaps before leading Boss Man around the ring in a foot race. Boss Man actually caught up and yanked Perfect hard to the floor and chucked him back inside where he mowed him down with a hard clothesline. He would torture the perfect one, dragging him around by his hair and then spiking him with a backbreaker. Boss Man got a little ahead of himself though as he went to the top rope and whiffed on a splash. It was the break Perfect needed and he made it count, cracking Boss Man's head to the mat with a great reverse neck snap. He kept laying in the strikes, targeting the lower back with a focused attack that he never let up on. As the referee checked on Boss Man, Perfect yanked off the turnbuckle pad but it backfired as Boss Man blocked Perfect and then shove this head into the exposed steel. Perfect was woozy but Boss Man struggled to take advantage and as things reset a bit, Heenan jogged down to ringside to hopefully see the finish of the match. Perfect was up first and went for the Perfectplex but Boss Man turned into an inside cradle for a near fall. Perfect survived that and then did hit the Perfectplex but Boss Man kicked out as the degeneration of that move continued. Perfect and Heenan had some miscommunication that led to Perfect tumbling to the floor and Boss Man grabbing the Brain but Heenan met him with a slap and then sprinted to the back. Boss Man followed after but by the time he was back to ringside he was counted out, giving Perfect the win. Another fun match with a lot of energy here tonight. The storyline is crisp in this one and there was a lot of heat on Heenan for his actions. Boss Man and Perfect are a good fit too as both have fun offense and sharp bumping and selling. This one is far from over.

### 4) Rick Martel defeats Tito Santana with a Boston crab at 6:46

Fun Fact: This would be the end of the on/off feud between Tito Santana and Rick Martel that had been going on since their Strike Force breakup at WrestleMania V.

### Scott:

It is oft-forgotten that these two actually had a second match after their battle in late-1989. The feud is obviously over at this point and this was merely a filler match to finish the show out. Both guys are game workers as we know but Martel is the fresher character. He's in the midst of the feud with Jake Roberts after spraying him in the eyes with "Arrogance", leading to the iconic white contact lens that Jake had to wear for a few months. The match is pretty good as both guys have great chemistry with each other. I was surprised that Tito would job clean but this has become his role in the company. It pretty much was the case throughout 1990, putting over the Barbarian at WrestleMania and the Warlord at SummerSlam. Tito is a WWF mainstay and he made good money in his decade-plus in the company but his time as a top flight guy is past. He does get a rub at Survivor Series when he's part of the final team with Hogan and Warrior, but after that he's pretty much floating around the company doing what he can. Martel wins the match, but a showdown with the Snake is imminent. Jake actually has a promo to close the show where he still has the white contact lens on his left eye. Only Jake could really pull that off.

### JT:

In a perfect world, Tito Santana and Rick Martel will feud until the end of times. It is a battle that should be waged for ever and ever just for pure comfort if nothing else. Martel is fully ensconced in his Model persona at this point, having switched to his purple attire and really pushing his Arrogance cologne. Of course, he was embroiled in a serious issue with Jake Roberts after he blinded the Snake by spraying the atomizer right in his eyes on the Brother Love Show. Martel got the last laugh at Survivor Series but Roberts wasn't done with him just yet. Santana has had a really solid 1990 in the ring even though he has lost quite a bit. Martel jumped Santana off the bell and knocked him outside as McMahon and Piper discussed whether or not Martel's blinding of Roberts was a mistake. Martel followed out but Tito caught him and worked him over with aggression. Back inside, he cracked him with a sledge blow off the middle rope and then worked over the arm. The two traded offense with Tito sneaking in a near fall on an inside cradle and continuing to focus on that arm. Martel finally found daylight when he shoved Tito hard into the corner and followed with some choking and stomping. Tito tried for a last ditch comeback, but Martel maintained control and landed a backbreaker before heading to the top rope. For the second straight match tonight, that strategy backfired as Santana met him with a big right hand and Martel fell hard on his crotch and collapsed to the mat. The crowd was hot for Tito's wild flurry of punches that had Martel on his heels. Tito hit a second rope clothesline but couldn't put the Model away. Tito blocked an atomic drop and went for the figure four but Martel turned that into an inside cradle for a close near fall. Martel held on tight and turned into the Boston Crab for the win. Whew, what a fun little sprint. These guys had such great chemistry each and every time they were in there. If this had another ten minutes to build it would have been one the best WWF TV matches of the year, it was that crisp and locked in. The finish was really good too. Martel gets a clean win over his former friend and turns his attention back to the Snake.

### Final Analysis:

### Scott:

After a stinker in October, this Friday night special was a fun sprint. Three matches that were all fun with quick paces and stiff strikes, with a no-contest thrown in that made sense for the USA vs. Slaughter feud. Randy Savage is clearly (at the moment) being positioned as the #1 contender for the World Title, and a title match should be on the horizon. As history dictates, they do not go that route. More on that in the next installment. The Boss Man vs. The Heenan Family feud is just getting started and will get more entertaining over the coming months. The Ultimate Warrior did show that he can bring a great match with the right opponent. The problem in 1990 was there weren't many opponents to go around. The clock turns, and the players change, some new and some old.

Final Grade:

### JT:

Given the up and down nature of these shows throughout 1990, I was unsure what to expect here but this one really surprised me with how fun it was. All three matches were pretty limited from a time perspective but they all delivered within those constraints and you could argue that if each had another 5-10 minutes to really expand their stories it could have rivaled the July card for one of the best of the run. As is, we cleanse a bit post Survivor Series and did a lot of building for our big winter feuds heading into the New Year: Warrior vs. Savage, Boss Man vs. Heenan, Martel vs. Roberts, Slaughter vs. Duggan and of course Hogan vs. Earthquake, which was not featured here. A lot was accomplished in a very short time but we close out our sixth year of SNME with a good one.

Final Grade:

  The Main Event V – Macon, GA – February 1

  SNME XXIX – Omaha, NE – April 27

# The Main Event V - 2/1/91

February 1, 1991

Macon Coliseum

Macon, GA

Announcers: Vince McMahon and Roddy Piper

Attendance: 7,500

NBC Rating: 6.7

Fun Fact: At the time of this broadcast, the US was at war in the Middle East. Operation Desert Shield, the buildup of forces in the region had just finished and Operation Desert Storm, the combat phase of the conflict, had just begun.

### 1) Hulk Hogan & Tugboat defeat Earthquake & Dino Bravo when Hogan pins Bravo with a roll up at 8:56

Fun Fact: This feud had been building since the summer of '90 after Dino Bravo and Earthquake had attacked both Hulk Hogan and Tugboat and seperate occassions. In May, Earthquake attacked Hogan during a segment on the Brother Love Show and did several splashes onto Hogan's ribs. Manager Jimmy Hart and Earthquake would go on to gloat over supposedly ending Hogan's career, which upset Tugboat, a friend of Hogan at the time. Dino Bravo, another member of the Hart stable, began making comments about ending Tugboat's career, just like Hogan's. During his recovery, Hogan announced that Tugboat would be in his corner at SummerSlam as he was set to face Earthquake. In August just before SummerSlam, Tugboat was double teamed by Quake and Bravo, receiving the same splashes that Hogan had received, knocking him out of SummerSlam action. Hogan and Tugboat began teaming together and vowing revenge. This match would be the end of this feud.

### Scott:

Our road to Los Angeles stops in the Deep South. At this point we were about six weeks away from WrestleMania VII, and really only a week removed from the Royal Rumble where the shocking upset occurred, as Ultimate Warrior lost the WWF Title to Sergeant Slaughter. More on that later. We open this show with the final chapter of the Hulk Hogan/Earthquake feud that started back over ten months ago. That was the dramatic attack on the Brother Love show that cost Hogan a few months and set up their big match at SummerSlam. I have to say right off the bat: I'm not sure if there is a green screen or if Vince McMahon & Roddy Piper are actually there. Sometimes you can really tell but sometimes you can't. Tugboat is still Hogan's running buddy although that pretty much ends here. Remember, that spot was originally slated for Dusty Rhodes, but he was practically gone from the promotion by this point (or almost out the door). The heels really dominated the action early as Tugboat was really getting worked over by Bravo & Quake as Hogan kept breaking up pin attempts to the outside. There's a great spot where Quake is about to drop the bomb on Tugboat but Hogan clotheslines him in mid-run. Tugboat finally gets the big tag to Hogan, who cleans out Bravo to win the match. It was a fun nine minutes that showed Hogan was back as clearly the man in the company again and Tugboat was the forgotten sidekick. Hogan's night wouldn't be done.

### JT:

For the fourth straight year we have a special Friday night Main Event on NBC. We haven't been on the peacock since Thanksgiving weekend, which was also a one hour special. Of course, we are about six weeks away from WrestleMania and lots of change is in the air, mostly stemming from Miami's Royal Rumble. One thing that is still lingering is the issue between Hulk Hogan and Earthquake and here we get the match that didn't happen back in October as Hogan teams with his pal Tugboat to battle Quake and Dino Bravo. The feud was really on fumes by this point and Hogan basically stomped it out in Miami when he tossed Quake to win he Rumble match. This is effectively the final TV blowoff, mainly because Hogan was already being transitioned and set up to challenge the new WWF Champion in Los Angeles, as evidenced by the opening video package that detailed his recent USO tour. Tugboat was surely over by association but it was clear he needs some sort of overhaul as a gimmick. Hogan and Bravo opened things up and go right into a big power struggle with each showing off their strength. And speaking of Bravo, pretty crazy that he is still hanging on in the same role but it is clear his allegiance to Quake has kept him in the mix. Tugboat and Hogan rattled Bravo and then settled into the Tugger working the strongman's arm. Bravo caught Tugboat in the corner and then put him down with an inverted atomic drop. Quake came in but whiffed on an elbow drop. Tugboat tagged in Hogan and the crowd went nuts as the Hulkster peppered him with punches and then slammed him. That is how you know this feud is wrapping up as Hogan tossed him with ease. Hulk kept pouring it on and then tagged in Tugboat but Quake landed a boot and shut down the superfriends' offense with a thud. Quake and Bravo would double team a bit and do what they could to keep Tugger trapped, including a big Quake elbow drop and bear hug. Just when it looked like Tugboat found a sliver of hope, Bravo popped him with Jimmy Hart's megaphone, wiping him back out. Quake was ready to finish with his sit down splash but Hogan ran in and clobbered him to break that up. Tugboat tagged out a second later and within a blink, Hogan rolled up Bravo for the win. This was a template SNME style tag match but the heat was there for sure and all four hustled around the ring. It also was a good conclusion to the long standing feud they all had going on. Hogan can finally move on and Quake has to find a way to keep up his high profile. Bravo and Tugboat... well they need to hope they even stick around.

### 2) Jim Duggan defeats Sgt. Slaughter by disqualification at 6:50; Slaughter retains WWF Heavyweight Title

Fun Fact: At the last Main Event in November, 1990, Sgt. Slaughter had attached Nikolai Volkoff before their match even started. Jim Duggan came out to the ring waving the American flag and swinging this 2x4 to make the save, kicking off a short feud between the two.

### Scott:

After the abomination that occurred at the Royal Rumble, the new hated WWF Champion defends his World Title against one of the most patriotic in the company. This is clearly a throwaway title defense as we don't really know who he will defend the World Title against March 24 in Los Angeles. Or do we? It was pretty clear, as Hulk Hogan came out to second Jim Duggan to the ring, but then had to go back to the dressing room as he wasn't a legal corner man. Yet why else would he second Duggan to the ring? We will get the big announcement from that fossil Jack Tunney later in the show. The bout is a sloppy back and forth power match with lots of interference from General Adnan. After doing a lot of TV work after Jesse Ventura left, Roddy Piper did settle in and do a decent job as color commentator. It's a different dynamic that really makes Vince work as a PBP man because he wasn't interrupted as much as he was with Jesse. As expected the match ends in a disqualification, and then Slaughter beats down on Duggan post match. That brings Hogan back out and he gets beaten down with a steel chair and left in the ring. Now we have our WrestleMania main event. Unofficially anyway. Jack Tunney seals that deal later.

### JT:

Well, this is quite the change from the last episode of The Main Event back in November. Then, Sgt. Slaughter was beating down the lowly Nikolai Volkoff and now he is WWF Champion. It was quite the meteoric rise out of nowhere. One constant has remained: he is still an Iraqi sympathizer and still very anti-USA. Back on that November night, Slaughter entered into a feud with Jim Duggan and despite his sudden rise up the card, they still were locked into the issue and that is on display here. It is also a rare World Title shot for the Hacksaw, so a lot was on the line. In his prematch promo, Sarge vowed that the WWF was now playing under Slaughter Rules, which are his and his only. He really upped his game in 1991, with some tremendous promo work that really made you hate him in every way. To really play up the US vs. Iraq theme of this whole thing, Duggan entered to Stars & Stripes Forever and had Hulk Hogan march out with him waving the American flag. After some early bombs from both, Sarge started to choke and punch away, slipping in some dirty tactics while Adnan tied up the referee. The crowd echoed "USA" as Duggan came back with heavy right hands that knocked Sarge right to his face. This is like a heavyweight slugfest, jeez. Duggan sent Sarge flying with a back drop but when he went for a slam, Adnan hooked his ankle and Sarge collapsed on top for a two count. Adnan got involved again but it backfired as Duggan ducked away and Sarge popped his manager in the face. We got some back and forth with more big blows by both but Sarge finally gained control and popped Duggan in his face with the 2x4. Duggan hung in and was able to chuck Slaughter over the top rope to the floor. He followed him out and shot him into the steps and post but Adnan got involved yet again. Slaughter took the chance to paste Duggan with a chair, drawing a DQ. Normally you would want the champion to go over strong here but the whole gist of the night is Slaughter igniting his "rules" and this is all part of it. He doesn't need to win, he just needs to survive and inflict punishment on his enemies. It worked perfectly. Hogan returned make the save but Sarge clobbered him with the chair as well and then spit on both men before heading out. This was better than I expected for sure thanks to the stiff offense and wild heat plus I really dug the finish.

### 3) Legion of Doom defeat Orient Express at 5:11 when Hawk pins Kato after the Doomsday Device

Fun Fact I: As Demolition slowly faded as a tag team, the Orient Express, another team managed by Mr. Fuji, stepped in to take over in the feud with the Legion of Doom. For the most part, the feud was very one-sided in favor of LOD.

Fun Fact II: For additional information on the reformation of the Orient Express, please see PTBN's Vintage Vault Refresh: Volume 1, under Royal Rumble 1991.

### Scott:

This is merely a showcase match for the team that would eventually be the top team in the company. The Hart Foundation are the current champions, but you have the feeling that wasn't going to last. The Orients had one of the federation's greatest PPV matches just a week earlier at the Royal Rumble against the Rockers, but now they face a completely different team with a whole different set of moves. The Orients do a nice job of working their reversals into LOD's power moves. Mr. Fuji throws salt in Animal's eyes, but that doesn't stop the force that is my Road Warriors. The match is an effective squash to keep the LOD hot leading into Mania.

### JT:

As 1990 came to a close, the Orient Express underwent a bit of a shakeup when Sato was kicked to the curb and Paul Diamond was handed a mask to become Kato, reuniting his old Badd Company team with Tanaka. It was clearly an in ring upgrade but it also happened when the Express slid down the ladder into near tag jobber territory. Here they are marched out to stand off with the red hot Legion of Doom, who were looking to get into the title mix after dominating their fire six months in the promotion. Animal and Kato started things off and it didn't go quite well for the masked one at first. He did use his speed to dodge Animal for a moment but a powerslam later and the LOD was back in control. Things broke down but it ended with the Express both on the floor trying to regroup. Things reset with Hawk and Tanaka and thanks to an assist from Fuji, the Express gained a very brief advantage that quickly flickered out. Kato tried to escape to the floor but Animal met him and pressed back into the ring. He would get dumped right back out and was met by a stiff Animal clothesline on that visit. The LOD kept dominating as the Express just couldn't get any sustained offense. Fuji would chuck some salt in Animal's eyes but even that didn't get the Express much offense in. A moment later, Hawk climbed up top and crunched Kato with the Doomsday Device for the strong win. Well, nothing more than a red hot squash as the LOD keeps rolling on with their eyes dead set on the gold.

*** Gene Okerlund interviews Jack Tunney in the ring. Gene runs through all the potential contenders to challenge Sgt. Slaughter at WrestleMania before Tunney officially announces that Hulk Hogan will receive the shot. Oklerlund also notes that Hogan had never received his rematch from his title loss back at WrestleMania VI. We then get reaction interviews from both Slaughter and Hogan. ***

### Final Analysis:

### Scott:

With the patriotic theme of the show (as Operation Desert Storm was a couple of weeks old) rampant, you knew it was all about Hulk Hogan being positioned as the #1 contender. He wins the Royal Rumble, ends the feud with Earthquake and takes a beating at the hands of the evil WWF Champion. Then Jack Tunney effectively reveals the worst kept secret, and Hogan will face Slaughter March 24 in Los Angeles. The Macon crowd was hot and we were on our way. Not that Ultimate Warrior wouldn't have been a bad pick, but he will eventually have other fish to fry. With the patriotic mood in the air, this was pretty much a no-brainer. That was pretty much the full monte of the show, with the over LOD as the finale to keep them strong. There's not much more to say here, except that we are reaching the end of the line. It seems the NBC specials were getting less and less frequent. There hasn't actually been a show on Saturday in over six months. We won't worry about that now, but we will focus on extracting the WWF Title from that evil Iraqi sympathizer. Our American hero will do that, and on this show it was made official.

Final Grade:

### JT:

Another breezy Main Event but unlike our November offering, this episode was lacking the in ring quality. The crowd was hot though and the matches all made sense and led to storyline closure or preparation for future angles and pushes. Sgt. Slaughter was tremendous here, both on the mic and in the ring, and has really taken his game to the next level as champion, establishing his rules and sending his confidence through the roof. The announcement at the end of the show was a big deal as well and it was neat that they held it here. This is our final Main Event special and it has been a show that was filled with big angles and WrestleMania preparation, right until the very end.

Final Grade:

# Saturday Night's Main Event XXIX - 4/27/91

April 27, 1991

Civic Auditorium

Omaha, NE

Announcers: Vince McMahon and Randy Savage

Attendance: 9,400

NBC Rating: 7.7

Fun Fact I: This episode was originally recorded for broadcast as an episode of "The Main Event" as can be noted by the banners in the arena and the microphone flags. The event was changed by NBC to a Saturday Night's Main Event episode before airing.

Fun Fact II: In 1990, NBC acquired the rights to cover NBA basketball and began to lose interest in covering wrestling. Ratings had fallen and NBC decided to drop SNME from their lineup. This would be the final broadcast of wrestling on NBC until the relationship with the WWE was revived in 2006.

Fun Fact III: Following his loss at WrestleMania VII in the retirement match, this would be Randy Savage's first run a color commentator on the show. Despite the Elizabeth storyline face turn at WrestleMania, tonight Savage's commentary is more as a heel, as would be the case for his first few months in the role.

### 1) Ultimate Warrior defeats Sgt. Slaughter by disqualification at 8:00

Fun Fact: This is a rematch of their encounter at Royal Rumble 1991, except this time neither has the championship. Also, the Gulf War had concluded nearly two months earlier, yet Sgt. Slaughter continues his Iraqi sympathizer role.

### Scott:

We open with the long-awaited Royal Rumble rematch. Sgt. Slaughter's feud with Hulk Hogan has gone past WrestleMania when he threw the fire in Hogan's eyes minutes after losing the title. However, he has to deal with someone else whose wrath he incurred. Warrior seems to be floating aimlessly after beating Randy Savage at WrestleMania, but was overshadowed by Savage's reuniting with Elizabeth. Speaking of Macho Man, he's commentating here with Vince since his in-ring career is "technically" over. Slaughter dominates the action early including a long bear hug. This definitely sounds like the audio was laid down after the fact. I know it's been that way for a while, but sometimes it sounds worse than others. This time it definitely sounds like they're in a studio. During the match Paul Bearer wheels out the casket that Warrior was locked in a few weeks earlier in the Funeral Parlor. Warrior is shaken at first, but then recovers to get the advantage and starts to build the momentum to win the match, until the casket opens and out comes the Undertaker! He, along with Col. Mustafa and General Adnan start beating Warrior down, causing the disqualification. The four-on-one beatdown commences until WWF Champion Hulk Hogan comes out to help his friend. We get a Zeus-like moment where nothing handed to him affects the Undertaker. An effective way to keep the Slaughter feud going without any definitive finish, but a LONG road to SummerSlam begins.

### JT:

A little over a month removed from WrestleMania we encounter our final SNME on NBC. It has been a hell of a run but with the overall popularity and ratings taking a dip, it was time for the partnership, which had already been dwindling, to officially come to an end. Our opener is a big one, featuring the last two WWF Champions going at it in a Royal Rumble rematch. Sgt. Slaughter's brief reign came to an end in Los Angeles at the hands of Hulk Hogan. However, even with the Gulf War tapering, his heat is still there as he had quickly built himself into quite the detestable heel. We have another shakeup in the booth as well as the recently retired Randy Savage steps in next to Vince McMahon, sending Roddy Piper to backstage interview duty as a result. Savage was still in heel mode despite the tearful resolution to his Mania war with the Warrior. Sarge tried to get off to a sneaky start but Warrior caught him on the top rope and slammed him hard to the mat. Warrior mowed through him from there, looking to put this one away early. Sarge was able to turn the tide and knock Warrior to the floor, where Col. Mustafa also got involved in weakening the Ultimate one. Sarge hopped out as well and used the edge of the ring apron to help his attack as Savage blatantly rooted him on. Back inside, Slaughter focused on the lower back and when Warrior tried to make a comeback he collapsed from the pain of his weakened lumbar. Sarge would crank on a bear hug and as he wore down Warrior, Paul Bearer showed up, pushing a casket down the aisle to ringside. Warrior was captivated with that arrival, allowing Slaughter to drill him from behind and knock him back to the floor. Warrior would eventually come back with clotheslines and a shoulderblock but as he did, the casket opened and the Undertaker sat up and stared him down. Warrior stood in shock until Sarge, Adnan and Mustafa all jumped him. Taker joined in on the fun and all four laid in some kicks until Hogan showed up for the save. The crowd loved that one. As Hogan and the Triangle fought to the back, Warrior went toe-to-toe with Taker with neither man really coming out on top. This was pretty paint by numbers as far as matches go but the main goal was to continue Hogan's feud with Slaughter while pushing along Warrior's issues with Undertaker.

### 2) Nasty Boys defeat the Bushwhackers to retain WWF Tag Team Titles when Knobbs pinned Luke with a roll up at 6:48

### Scott:

This match seems so short of excitement, simply because this is the Bushwhackers, not the Sheepherders. Now that would be a fantastic match of violent proportions. However, it's not it. I like that even though Savage reunited with Elizabeth, he's still acting like a full blown heel on commentary. Just because he has his woman back doesn't mean he should have to be a babyface. For now, anyway. The Nasty Boys dominate the action by really beating the Bushwhackers down until the hot tag to Butch. I noticed on one camera angle that there was a "Superstars" banner hanging from the Omaha rafters. That must have been a long night of matches. A great heel finish as Knobbs had Butch rolled up and Sags had his foot on Knobbs' butt for extra leverage and the champions retain the belts. Honestly there was no way the Bushwhackers were winning this match. Those belts are being saved, for two guys with spiked football pads.

### JT:

Back in Los Angeles, the upstart Nasty Boys stole the tag team titles from the Hart Foundation, surprising many longtime WWF fans along the way. The Nasties had surprisingly jumped from WCW in late 1990 and were quickly pushed to the top of the mountain here. Their first major TV defense is against the stalwart Bushwhackers, who we haven't seen on SNME in quite a while, but the story is always the same when it comes to them. Luke and Knobbs opened things with some strikes and brawling until things broke down and all four men tussled, ending with the Nasties getting knocked outside. When things resumed, Sags worked over Butch but that was short-lived as Butch punched his way out and tagged in Luke, who grabbed a near fall. A moment later, the Whackers cracked both tag champs with battering rams but both were knocked to the floor. Once again, the Nasties made it back inside and immediately grabbed control. This time they quick tagged in and out, putting a beating on Luke with their basic brawling style offense. Luke eventually escaped and made the hot tag to Butch, who came in on a tear, ripping through both champs with clotheslines and almost nabbing the titles. Butch was looking really jacked here, moreso than usual. The Nasties cheated as the referee was tied up, but weren't able to put the Whackers away. The challengers would get a super close near fall after some trickery of their own, but a moment later, Knobbs rolled Luke up and got an assist from Sags to pick up the win. Not a bad little tag match as it had a lot of back and forth and quick tagging on both ends. The Whackers may have been prepping for some sort of run as they looked to be in pretty damn good shape. The Nasties escape with the gold and their unlikely title run rolls on.

### 3) Mr. Perfect wins a 20 Man Battle Royal at 12:30

Participants:

The Barbarian, Big Boss Man, The British Bulldog, Jim Duggan, Earthquake, Haku, Hulk Hogan, Kato, Tanaka, Hercules, Paul Roma, Jake Roberts, Shawn Michaels, Marty Jannetty, Jimmy Snuka, The Texas Tornado, Tugboat, Greg Valentine, and The Warlord

Fun Fact: This would be the final SNME appearance for several superstars in the Battle Royale. Paul Roma, who would make his final PPV appearance at SummerSlam 1991 before leaving the company in October. His partner Hercules would stay on through early 1992, mainly being used as enhancement talent. Greg Valentine would stay with the company through the Royal Rumble in 1992, but would not be around when SNME reappears on Fox in the spring of '92. Valentine's value in the WWF was diminishing and he decided to resign with WCW. The Barbarian would also stay through the Rumble '92 before going back to WCW.

### Scott:

This is the star-studded main event, as both singles champions are in the match here against most of the top contenders (sans Slaughter and Warrior). We know what Hogan did at WrestlemMnia, and Mr. Perfect (although losing the match) kept his Intercontinental Title against Big Boss Man. Earthquake's heel run is slowly fading, as well as the fact Jake Roberts has a new snake now, Lucifer after Quake squished Damien. Watching this Battle Royal, I still think to this day Warlord would have made a great #1 contender for Hogan's World Title instead of Slaughter, as I feel that feud fades very quickly and they should have had great power battles throughout the summer leading to a big match at SummerSlam. Perfect and Barbarian do a great double team and eliminate Boss Man, effectively ending that feud I imagine. An interesting final four is Greg Valentine, Perfect, Barbarian and Shawn Michaels. The battle continues, and a most fitting booking decision, the Intercontinental Champion stays strong and wins this battle royal. Mr. Perfect stays strong throughout the spring and summer, but a pink and black attack is on the horizon.

### JT:

It has been a while since we had a good old SNME battle royal, but like previous ones on this show, this bout is loaded with quality talent. Not only is our reigning WWF Champion Hulk Hogan in there, we also have IC Champion Mr. Perfect, Big Boss Man, Earthquake, Jake Roberts and others. Big time. There were a lot of lingering issues mixed in as well. Of course, Boss Man and Perfect still had eyes for each other and we also have The Snake looking for big time revenge on Quake, who had murdered Damien shortly before this show. Hogan was obviously pegged as the favorite but anyone taking the field may have a good shot given the talent spilling from the ring. The champ wasted no time igniting the fight as soon as he entered the ring and the match was officially on. Hogan and Roberts double teamed Quake in one corner as everyone else began to pair off around the ring. Paul Roma was the first to go, getting kicked out by Marty Jannetty, but Romeo returned the favor by yanking Marty to the floor as well. Hogan and Quake continued to battle on the ropes as things hummed along. There were some really cool pairings in this one things to the mix of talent. Hogan and British Bulldog almost eliminated Perfect but he hung on. Quake was really the main force in there as whenever he was away from Hogan, he bounced all over the ring and attacked whomever was in his way. Really impressive for a big guy. Shawn Michaels would avert near danger as he was basically crowd suffering amongst a few guys but slipped back inside. Perfect would almost go out again at the hand of Hogan and Greg Valentine but he also hung tight. However, a moment later Warlord got his WrestleMania revenge by eliminating the Bulldog. That one surprised me as I thought he may have a deep run here. Tanaka and Jimmy Snuka were the next to go out, followed by Roberts next as Quake snuck up on him from behind and shoved him to the floor. More great heat building for Quake, but a moment later, Roberts showed up with his new snake Lucifer and tossed it towards Quake, grinding the match to a halt as we went to break. After commercial, Perfect and Hogan traded more blows and the match edged along. There has been a real lot of action throughout this one, making it one of the better battle royals we have seen to date. In a shocking moment, Tugboat slugged Hogan from behind, leading to a big standoff between the friends. That played off the Rumble a bit when Hogan eliminated Tugboat. Warlord broke up the fight but he paid for it when Hogan chucked him out. Texas Tornado followed right after him, courtesy Barbarian. Quake struck again by dumping Duggan but he met his end at the hands of his nemesis Hogan, who again gets more revenge for that attack a year earlier. As Hogan was about to push Kato out, Tugboat snuck from behind and pushed his buddy to the floor, gaining his Rumble revenge. His celebration was short lived as Michaels came up and knocked Tugger out as well. Hercules was chucked into the fray as Hogan bitched out Tugboat, as was his usual reaction when this sort of thing happens. Regardless, that was a big shock to see Quake and Hogan go out in the middle like that. That left Boss Man as the top face but he went out next after a team up by Barbarian and Perfect. Michaels would dropkick Haku out a moment later, leaving us with our final four: Perfect, Michaels, Barbarian & Valentine.

It was a hell of a showing for Michaels to be in there as the top face this late and to take the fight right at Perfect at a breakneck pace. However, he moved a bit too fast and ended up on the apron, giving Perfect the easy opening to bump him to the floor. Valentine did his best to hang in throughout the double team and a miscommunication ended up with Barbarian on the floor and a fired up Hammer left with Perfect as the final two. After a quick battle with both laying in some stiff chops, Perfect was in trouble and the crowd was really into the underdog Hammer story. And he came close to winning but Perfect was able to stay alive. Valentine stayed with it and tried to push Perfect out but his momentum carried him over as well. Perfect held on as Hammer hit the floor and that was that, another big SNME win for Mr. Perfect. We don't rate battle royals but this one was really good and is one of my all time favorites. It had a lot of talent and everyone kept moving and working hard throughout right up until the finish. It was a nice break from the usual SNME format and stands out accordingly.

### 4) Bret Hart wrestled Ted DiBiase to a double countout at 9:56

Fun Fact: Following the tag team title loss at WrestleMania VII to the Nasty Boys, the Hart Foundation split and Bret Hart began his singles career. Jim Neidhart started a less successful singles run, but also joined the commentary team for Wrestling Challenge broadcasts.

### Scott:

This is a match that has been teased for years at Survivor Series and other shows, and now it finally is here. Bret Hart is officially on his solo course and he takes on an equally talented opponent in the Million Dollar Man. DiBiase has taken Sherri into the fold after she essentially dumped Randy Savage at WrestleMania. It must be weird for Macho Man to say anything on commentary after that moment during this match. Roddy Piper has joined commentary here because of the DiBiase/Virgil storyline that Piper is involved in. After DiBiase dictated things early, both guys go back and forth with expert technical maneuvers. Meanwhile Piper comes down to ringside (leaving the "broadcast booth", well timed there...) and chases Sherri around the ring with a broom between his legs. We can leave it at that. Meanwhile Bret and DiBiase continue to brawl out to the aisle and eventually both men get counted out. The match was really good but a lot of the outside stuff took away from it a bit. Bret continues his march to one goal: Mr. Perfect.

### JT:

With the Hart Foundation dropping their tag team gold in Los Angeles, the long rumored Bret Hart solo push is upon us. And it begins in earnest here in a big time singles match against the perpetually main event level heel, Ted DiBiase. Of course, DiBiase was embroiled in a feud with his former bodyguard Virgil and Virgil's mentor Roddy Piper, who hops in the booth for this one. Of course, we also see Sensational Sherri who had hooked up with DiBiase after the Macho King's career came to an end. They had a hell of a run together and she was equally as good a fit for a douchebag like DiBiase. Hart held his own early, weathering a quick storm and rattling DiBiase with clotheslines that eventually sent him to the floor. The Hitman popped the crowd with a nice dive over the rope and it looked like he was locked in for this big opportunity. Hart kept pouring it on and even dodged some interference from Sherri. However, he got a little too aggressive and was caught on a charge and hung across the top rope via a DiBiase stun gun. DiBiase stayed focused on the neck, drilling Hart with a piledriver for a near fall. Hart would end up on the floor where Sherri finally got her licks in, clobbering the Hitman until DiBiase pitched him back inside. Teddy laid in some more offense, focusing on the neck in between levying kicks and chops. After shooting Hart hard into the corner, DiBiase went for the Million Dollar Dream but Hart blocked it and rammed him into the buckles to break up the hold. Hart racked DiBiase with right hands and then grabbed a near fall on a Russian leg sweep as well as after a backbreaker and elbow off the second rope. The crowd was really heated up by this point but before Hart could put DiBiase away, he got distracted by Sherri, which drew him to the floor to get in her face. DiBiase attacked from behind and shoved him back inside just as Roddy Piper marched to the ring to even up the sides. He forced Sherri away from ringside and then grabbed a broom, which he used to make a witch joke and also smacked her on the ass with it. DiBiase finally went after Piper and Hart followed, leading to a double countout finish. Well, can't blame them for that finish but if we did get a clean fall, this could have been a true gem, especially with DiBiase's focused offense around the neck. As was, it was a lot of fun, was crisply worked and got its main point across: Bret Hart could hang with the big boys and was ready for this type of push. DiBiase's issues with Piper continue to evolve but we also get to see that Sherri is going to remain hyperactive at ringside and play a major role in his matches.

### 5) Mountie defeats Tito Santana after using the cattle prod at 4:29

Fun Fact: This is a rematch from WrestleMania VII. This contest was over three times as long as the one in LA, although it was still less than five minutes.

### Scott:

This is a WrestleMania rematch to finish the show off. Mountie is the fresher character, so we know what Tito's job is here. They work for a few minutes before the cattle prod goes into Tito's throat and the Mountie advances on. Honestly there's not much more to say here.

### JT:

Our final match of the NBC era is a WrestleMania rematch set to spotlight a relative newcomer: The Mountie. Jacques Rougeau had returned in late 1990 under this new gimmick but retained Jimmy Hart as his manager. After mopping up Koko B. Ware at the Royal Rumble and picking up a quick win over Tito Santana at Mania, he gets a rematch with Tito here. During his brief run to date, it was clear that Mountie wasn't above cheating and bullying his way to wins, doing whatever he could to get the duke. Tito rocked him with a huge right hand early on and took the fight right to the Mountie with a pair of dropkicks. Tito followed Mountie to the floor and they traded blows there but eventually Tito came out on top and shoved him back inside. Tito kept bringing the heat but Mountie blocked a monkey flip and Tito crashed hard to the mat. Mountie got some brief offense in but ate a pair of knees on a splash attempt. Santana looked ready to put this one away as he hit the flying forearm but Jimmy Hart dove in the ring and distracted the ref. Tito popped up and drilled Jimmy with a forearm as well but that allowed Mountie to grab his cattle prod and zap Tito with it for the dirty win. This wasn't bad for a quickie and I loved Tito smashing Hart with the forearm. Mountie gets the win and continues to build his resume as Santana continues to be one of the most underutilized guys on the roster.

### Final Analysis:

### Scott:

All the stars were out for this one as we were about a month past WrestleMania and some feuds continued while others ended. One thing I definitely noticed is I feel like Ultimate Warrior took a step back on this show, and everything was about Hulk Hogan again. Bret Hart looked like a star here even though he didn't win his match. We have a Jake Roberts SNME sighting for the first time in a while. Mr. Perfect is clearly the #2 guy in the entire company, and even a higher heel than Sergeant Slaughter. Sadly NBC had decided wrestling wasn't as good as in 1985-1988 so this will be the last show of a great run, which is a bummer. By the time we are on this stage again in February, the WWF will look very, very different.

Final Grade:

### JT:

It has been an awesome run of 29 SNME installments on NBC. We have seen some great episodes and some clunkers, but there have been tons of memorable matches and moments mixed in everywhere. By this point, the WWF was on a downward slide and NBC was ready to jump ship. That writing has been on the wall for a while as the 1990 and 1991 episodes were fewer and had more space in between than in the early years. This last one was loaded as every important member of the roster was on the scene and involved in the show. We see Ultimate Warrior's big feud with Undertaker on display while Hulk Hogan's issue with Sgt. Slaughter continues to rage on. Mr. Perfect gets a showcase win as do the Nasty Boys. We also kick off the solo run of Bret Hart with a fun battle against the ever present Ted DiBiase. The match quality was up and down here but it was a really fun episode to watch and the battle royal was really solid and anchored the show nicely. We still have a couple more of these to go but it won't be or feel the same.

Final Grade:

  SNME XXX – Lubbock, TX – February 8

  SNME XXXI – Terre Haute, IN – November 14

#  Saturday Night's Main Event XXX - 2/8/92

February 8, 1992

Municipal Coliseum

Lubbock, TX

Announcers: Vince McMahon and Bobby Heenan

Fox Rating: 8.2

Fun Fact: After being bumped from the NBC lineup, Saturday Night's Main Event was picked up by FOX in 1992. The show had a new logo, new theme music and intro, a trimmed down 60 minute format and a prime time slot instead of late night. FOX was a very new network, having only started broadcasting in October 1986.

### 1) Roddy Piper defeats Mountie to retain WWF Intercontinental Title after using the cattle prod at 3:30

Fun Fact I: On January 17, two days before the Royal Rumble, at a house show in Springfield, MA, The Mountie defeated Bret Hart for the Intercontinental Title. Bret was sick with the flu and had a 102 degree fever, but said he would at least get in the ring and drop the title. The other reason for the switch that has been floating around is that Bret and the WWF were in the midst of contract negotiations, and the WWF wanted to make sure that if Bret did leave the company that the belt was protected. He obviously re-signed, and would soon be in the hunt to get the title back.

Fun Fact II: At the Royal Rumble, Roddy Piper defeated The Mountie for the IC title. This made The Mountie the shortest reigning IC title holder for many years to come. Tonight's SNME match is a rematch for the title. In a pre-match stipulation for the match, Bret Hart would face the winner of this match at WrestleMania VIII for the belt.

### Scott:

Well things have indeed changed a lot since the last time we were on SNME. We have new talent, a new logo and even a new network. NBC had tired of wrestling by 1991 and cut the WWF loose. It was clear that the product had started to slide in terms of ratings, and by the early 90s, Saturday Night Live had one of their best casts ever (Farley, Miller, Nealon, etc.) . So NBC decided the "filler wrestling program" was no longer needed. As a network Fox was only about five years old, so adding some programming didn't hurt. The last time we were on air back in April, Roddy Piper was Vince's color commentator. Fast forward to now, and all of the sudden he's the Intercontinental Champion. The roster went through such a change in the fall of 1991 with the additions of Sid Justice and most importantly Ric Flair, the elevations of Piper, Bret Hart and Undertaker and the return of Randy Savage to active competition (as well as a babyface turn). The real glaring omission is Ultimate Warrior, who one year earlier was at the top of the card and the former WWF Champion and now is nowhere to be found. Well, on to the card. Mountie shockingly won the IC Title in early January when Bret had a fever (kayfabe) and was in contract negotiations (real reason). When Bret was fine (in both situations), Roddy Piper made history at the Royal Rumble and won his first singles title in the WWF after eight years. So the Mountie gets his rematch here. It's a lot of punching and kicking, but I was wondering why Piper was wrestling with a t-shirt on. Then I realized after Mountie's shock stick didn't work. Piper shocked Mountie back while the referee was down and got the three count. Piper took his shirt off and he had a "shock proof" vest on. Pretty cunning I must say. So the match is set for April 5 in Indianapolis: Roddy Piper vs. Bret Hart for the Intercontinental Title. This wasn't much, but the next IC Title match will be.

### JT:

Well, this looks like an SNME, and is presented as one... but, it just isn't the same. Regardless, here we are on a Saturday Night on Fox with a pretty big card lined up for this reboot episode, which was actually just an hour instead of the usual ninety minutes. Vince McMahon is still in the booth but he is joined by Bobby Heenan, who hasn't called an SNME in over five years. And they are definitely in the house as they are actually at ringside here. The company was in a very interesting spot here, coming off a red hot Royal Rumble and featuring a very load roster that had veterans and youngsters flowing over into what was becoming a very enjoyable product. In our opener, brand new IC champ Roddy Piper just his title on the line against the former champ, the Mountie. Mountie had upset Bret Hart for the gold a few weeks earlier but his run was brief as Piper was granted a title shot at the Rumble and cashed in for his first ever singles gold. This was an interesting match because you would assume Piper would hang on to the strap until at least WrestleMania but there was a chance that Mountie could steal it back and set up a Mania bout with Bret Hart, who had already been slotted for the Mania IC title match, to give the Hitman some revenge. Mountie jumped Piper from behind and tossed him to the floor but Hot Rod sprinted back in and slugged both Mountie and Jimmy Hart from behind. Mountie bailed outside but Piper stayed on top of him and harassed him right back into the ring. Before he could even get his shirt off, Mountie caught Piper coming into the ring and went to work with some stiff kicks, picking up a near fall along the way. Piper made a quick comeback with a flurry of punches but Mountie blocked a bulldog and shoved Piper into the referee. With the official down, Mountie stuffed Piper with a piledriver and then dumped water all over the Hot Rod. Mountie would then grab his cattle prod and attempt to electrocute him but Piper sat right up, punched Mountie, zapped him and picked up the win to retain his strap. After the bell, Piper revealed that he had a protective shock proof vest under his shirt in a nice little storyline bit. This match was basically a TV squash but Piper always brought such great energy and the vest gig was pretty funny. Piper now aims his eyes to Indianapolis as he has a date lined up with Bret Hart. Also, to really hammer home that we are on Fox, Vince makes a "Homey don't play that" joke, so there ya go.

### 2) Hulk Hogan & Sid Justice defeat Ric Flair & Undertaker by disqualification at 11:42

Fun Fact: The road to this match has taken many twists and turns. Ric Flair came to the WWF in late 1991 claiming to be the real World Heavyweight Champion (with the very REAL NWA title belt). At Survivor Series 91, The Undertaker defeated Hulk Hogan with the assistance of Ric Flair. An immediate rematch was ordered by President Jack Tunney for This Tuesday in Texas. Hogan wins here after throwing ashes in Taker's eyes and rolling him up. Tunney vacates the belt and sets the Royal Rumble match to be where a new champ is crowned. Flair wins the Royal Rumble after Sid Justice throws Hogan out and Hogan helps pull Sid out as Flair pushes him over the top rope. Hogan was named the #1 contender to the belt, which infuriated Sid who thought it should be him. Sid apologized to Hogan for his angry remarks.

Fun Fact II: For a full bio of "Nature Boy" Ric Flair, see PTBN's Vintage Vault Refresh Volume #1 - The Federation Years, under Survivor Series 1991.

### Scott:

It's a general consensus that the 1992 Royal Rumble is one of the best PPV shows ever. Ric Flair won the WWF Title on that night, but there was also the issue between Hulk Hogan and Sid. If you watched that show live, you know that when Sid dumped Hogan over the top rope the crowd went crazy (as did I, for at the time I was a big Sid mark), then Hogan yanked Sid over the top rope to give Flair the title and everybody booed. In the most obvious editing job in WWF history to that point, all the highlight packages from that point forward had such overdubbed booing when Sid dumped Hogan it was ridiculous. Then when Hogan was named #1 contender at WrestleMania in that cheesy staged press conference everyone was even more pissed off. Sid snapped after the presser, but then made amends and "apologized" to everybody, including Hogan. That brings us to this tag team encounter, as the two powerhouses combined to face the World Champion and the Deadman. Bobby Heenan was awesome here (as he was during Flair's entire reign as champion). Sid gets beaten down by the heels, but then he finally tags Hogan, who starts getting worked over by Taker & Flair. Sid is apparently making no effort to tag in or help Hogan in the ring. Finally after a double clothesline, and Hogan crawling to his corner, Sid drops off the apron, and walks away. Maybe Sean Mooney no-selling him in the pre-match interview was the final straw, or maybe he was just fed up like everybody else in the WWF. The roster was so loaded with other top talents that Hogan is now no longer the #1 guy in the company and the crowd knows it. I was a huge Sid fan at the time and had really waned with my orange kool-aid drinking. You knew the Flair/Hogan title match for WrestleMania wasn't holding. This match was needed really to push this storyline with Sid and not much else. Flair is still the man, but Undertaker was changing from this point. He was getting some cheers from the fans, and maybe a turn for him was in the offing. At this point in early February, you knew the WrestleMania card was going to change.

### JT:

Our star powered main event has quite the dynamic behind it with most the issues having stemmed from the closing moments of the Royal Rumble. It was there in Albany that Sid eliminated Hulk Hogan, followed by Hogan pouting and repaying the favor, ultimately giving Ric Flair the vacant WWF Title as a result. Flair and Undertaker had been in cahoots since the fall and they team up here to take on Hogan and Sid, who had mended fences despite Justice being pissed off that Hogan had been granted the title match against Flair at WrestleMania. So, the question heading in here was simple: could Hogan trust Sid or would they be torn apart and destroyed by Flair and Taker? The narrative was clearly being set that it was Sid who was underhanded for shoving Hogan out from behind but he was playing within the rules. Hogan was not. And it made him look like the jerk, which harkens back to the odd booking decisions of early 1989. Hogan and Sid had Brutus Beefcake in their corner as he and his reconstructed face had returned in the summer of 1991 to host a talk show and back up his buddy. Sid and Flair started things off and Sid used his size to set the tone, tossing the champ around until he hit the floor to consult with Mr. Perfect. Sid tagged in Hogan and things reset as Flair returned. Our WrestleMania prelude opened with Hogan also tossing Flair around, as well as Taker when he hit the ring to make the save. Sid tagged in and went at it with Taker in a cool little slugfest and then Hogan came in and mowed through both guys again as the crowd went bonkers. Great atmosphere here for this one. Things finally turned as Taker was able to slip in a thrust blow to Sid, followed by Flair coming in for a double team.

That momentum was short-lived as Hogan again made the save and he and Sid worked together to clean house. So far, so good for the Hulkster and Justice when it came to teamwork. Flair and Taker regained control after a commercial and started to work over Sid in their corner, exhibiting strong heel tag work. Sid survived and swatted off Flair to tag in Hogan but Perfect hooked Hulkster's leg, allowing Flair to kick out the knee and finally slow Hogan down. Flair went right to work on the leg, hooking in the figure four. Hogan inched his way to the corner but when he reached out to tag, Sid turned his back and adjusted his kneepad and then waved to the crowd. Hogan would reverse the hold and crawl to his corner but Sid made no effort at all to tag or help his partner up. Vince and Bobby started to sniff the dissension as Taker cracked Hogan with a leaping clothesline. Hogan kept slipping free and trying to make that tag but Sid just looked off in the distance, ignoring the pleas and letting Hogan get dragged back to the opposite corner and worked over. Hogan gave it one last go as he Hulked Up out of the corner, walking through Flair's chops and shoving him into the corner. Taker came in and the double team was on but Hogan cut them both down with a double clothesline and looked for the tag again. But this time Sid looked him in the eye and basically told him to fuck off as he dropped from the apron and sauntered away. The crowd pissed all over that and Beefcake tried to talk sense into him but Sid threatened to smash Brutus in the face before walking off to the back. Flair and Taker kept pounding in the ring until they were finally disqualified. Beefcake came in to help out and they were able to run off Flair and Taker to bring an official end to the match. I never get sick of this one. There was so much going on and the pacing was nonstop. Plus the crowd was super into everything and it all tied together wonderfully with everything going on between Hogan and Flair and Hogan and Sid. Despite the wonky nature of what happened at the Rumble the crowd was now rabid for Hogan to get his hands on Sid and things are starting to seem murky for Mania. This match is always an easy watch and Bobby and Vince on commentary were great pushing the angle along as well. The star power doesn't hurt it either.

### 3) Sgt. Slaughter & Jim Duggan defeat Beverly Brothers when Slaughter pinned Blake after Duggan hit the running clothesline at 2:39

Fun Fact I: This match was originally supposed to be the Legion of Doom vs. the Beverly Brothers. LOD member Hawk had failed a drug test which necessitated a change to the match. Slaughter and Duggan took their place here.

Fun Fact II: For a full bio of The Beverly Brothers, see PTBN's Vintage Vault Refresh Volume #1 - The Federation Years, under Survivor Series 1991.

### Scott:

So as I'm watching this, it's pretty evident that this show doesn't have the same flow and excitement that past shows did. This seemed more like a canned Superstars or Prime Time. I have no idea what this match was for, as it was only a couple of minutes. Vince and Bobby in essence glazed over this match while they were still talking about the Sid/Hogan situation. The All Americans win, and that's that.

### JT:

Next up we have a quick tag team showcase to cool the crowd down a bit. The Beverly Brothers got off to a hot start in late 1991 but have settled into a mid card tag role, adding the Genius into their corner and coming off a feud with the Bushwhackers. After finally losing his feud with Hulk Hogan, Sgt. Slaughter saw the error of his ways and asked his country and fans to forgive him. Everyone welcomed him back, especially Jim Duggan, and the two patriots formed a team and actually seemed set up for a potential WrestleMania tag title match. The Legion of Doom were originally scheduled for this bout but they were having some issues with the company and were subbed out for Sarge and Duggan instead. Unfortunately for the Beverlys this one was pretty short lived. They got a blip of offense in, but everything quickly fell apart on them when Sarge tagged in and smacked them around before Duggan smashed Blake with the running clothesline for the win. The way this one went certainly made it seem Duggan & Sarge were getting that Mania title shot.

### 4) Randy Savage defeats Jake Roberts with the flying elbow at 5:25

Fun Fact: This hot feud has been going since SummerSlam 91. During the wedding reception of Miss Elizabeth and Randy Savage, a live snake was opened by Elizabeth. Jake Roberts and Undertaker then attacked Savage. In October, Roberts kept egging Savage on, who could not get revenge since he lost a retirement match back at WrestleMania VII. He was able to get him in the ring, attack him, tie him up in the ropes and have a (devenomized) king cobra bite him. Savage was reinstated beginning their in-ring feud. This match marks the end of this feud.

### Scott:

This is the final chapter of the feud that started way back in August after SummerSlam. Even when Randy Savage won at This Tuesday in Texas, we had the post match beatdown where Jake slapped Elizabeth across the face. They had interaction at the Royal Rumble but this was the final blow-off to put this thing to bed. Savage was another example of the major changes in the WWF one year. In February 1991 Savage was a top flight heel who cost the Ultimate Warrior the WWF Title and was going to face Warrior for his career at WrestleMania. Savage had a topsy-turvy rest of 1991 and now he's a sympathetic babyface who's taking out the guy who almost killed him with a cobra and struck his wife. The match is a fun, fast-paced brawl that Savage won, but it was more Savage attacking Jake post match, including trying to hit him with the ring bell. Jake crawls away, and Elizabeth comes out to celebrate with her husband. It was a great finish to send the crowd home happy. Jake Roberts was hiding behind the curtain as we went off the air. Why? Check out our WrestleMania VIII review and you'll find out.

### JT:

One of 1991's greatest feuds finally comes to a close here with the last showdown between Jake Roberts and Randy Savage. The feud kicked off back at SummerSlam when Roberts crashed the wedding reception and sprung a cobra on Elizabeth. Things got ugly from there, with Savage getting bitten by another cobra and getting reinstated, Roberts slapping Elizabeth and Savage eventually eliminating Roberts at the Royal Rumble. It was an unforgettable feud and an epic heel turn for the Snake, a man driven to madness after the death of snake. So, Savage gets to give it a go at Roberts one more time here. In a cool historical trivia point, these two actually tussled on a SNME way back in 1986 as well. This one was just a tad more heated than that showdown. Savage went right at Roberts on the floor off the bell, scratching at his face and wailing away with kicks. Roberts broke free but Savage hunted him down and posted him before driving him to the ground. This is how you work a blood feud blowoff. You can feel the hate spewing from Savage as he mauls Roberts. Savage started to choke away at Roberts in the ring and then kept clawing at his face until Jake punched him off and sent him flying outside. Savage sprinted back in and slugged Roberts again until Jake was able to chuck him back outside again. Roberts actually got busted open at the bridge of his nose but finally regained his composure and cooly slammed Savage head first into the ring post. Back inside, Savage made a quick comeback but got caught with a right hand coming off the top. Roberts struck quick from there, snapping off a DDT and then sitting contently in the corner, allowing the referee to levy a ten count for Macho instead of going for a pin cover. Savage blocked a second DDT and flipped Jake to the floor. He hammered him with an axe blow that drove the Snake into the barricade, jamming his throat hard into the steel. Back inside, Savage hit the elbow smash and picked up the win to put the Snake down for good. Savage pounced with a second elbow after the ball, jumping right over a gaggle of officials to land on his nemesis. Macho wouldn't stop, grabbing the bell from ringside but the officials rolled Jake out of the ring. As Roberts slithered to the back, Savage tossed around the officials with fury until he calmed down and called Liz to the ring. The two embraced and celebrated the victory but backstage Roberts hid behind the curtain and vowed that this feud wasn't over yet. Just like Tuesday in Texas, this was all storyline moreso than workrate but the feud was so well orchestrated that was all it needed to be successful. Both men are so awesome at conveying emotion and working a frenetic pace when needed and because of that they had instant chemistry that popped on screen. Savage's manic attack throughout was fueled by weeks and months of attacks but Roberts and his fury was palpable. It is what wrestling is all about and this whole storyline was a tremendous course by two of the masters.

### Final Analysis:

### Scott:

From a television perspective, this show didn't have that slick production that previous SNMEs did. Clearly Fox just wanted filler programming and didn't put any real time or effort into it. On top of the fact they gave the WWF only 60 minutes instead of the normal 90 minutes made things feel rushed. There was major storyline advancement, including what was the start of a new feud and match for WrestleMania VIII. The roster was so top heavy with stars that it may be the most loaded (and crowded) main event situation in the company's history. That most definitely made a certain yellow and red superstar a little nervous. By the next (and sadly, final) SNME the company looks even more different than the final show on NBC. This show had its moments, but sadly it felt like SNME "Light".

Final Grade:

### JT:

SNME debuts on Fox with a bang. Sure, the feel was different and it felt more like a pure wrestling show than than the slick corniness of the vintage editions, but it was loaded up with stars and big matches and angles and cruised along for 60 minutes. There was no nonsense or BS to slow us down and it worked at a time like this because they had the horses to deliver where it mattered and didn't need to cover for them. This stretch from the Rumble until Mania was red hot with big issues and stars all over the place. In ring, this wasn't a strong night of action, but it was good enough to get everything accomplished to get the company on the road to WrestleMania. The tag main event alone was a perfect snapshot of what SNME was designed to be and it was executed so well. This is easily one of my favorite SNME episodes and the fresh feel of the Fox reboot helped break the stale feeling of the final few NBC installments and get us back on track.

Final Grade:

# Saturday Night's Main Event XXXI - 11/14/92

November 14, 1992

Hullman Center

Terre Haute, IN

Announcers: Vince McMahon and Bobby Heenan

Fox Rating: 6.1

Fun Fact: This will be the final SNME broadcast until NBC picked up the franchise in 2006. By that point, the entire wrestling landscape had changed. Monthly pay-per-views were the norm instead of just the "Big Four". Prime time wrestling programs RAW and Smackdown provided 4+ hours of wrestling per week including matches between top stars, something that wasn't seen back in the 80s and early 90s. While SNME would return in 2006, the feel and significance of the show was not the same and its second run on NBC would only last into 2008. The second run of SNME will not be covered in our Vintage Vault series at this time.

### 1) Ultimate Warrior & Randy Savage defeat Money, Inc by countout at 9:54; Money, Inc retain WWF Tag Team Titles

Fun Fact I: The Ultimate Maniacs were a short-lived team made up of the Ultimate Warrior and Randy Savage. The two came together as a team after both of them were attacked by Mr. Perfect and Ric Flair during their SummerSlam '92 match.

Fun Fact II: The team was supposed to feud with Ric Flair and Razor Ramon, who had helped Flair win the belt from Savage shortly after SummerSlam, at Survivor Series '92. However, that would not happen. During this time, the government was cracking down on steroid use in wrestling. The Ultimate Warrior was caught using steroids and growth hormone and was suspended. Warrior would then skip dates in protest of how McMahon handled the situation. He left the company on November 21, 1992. Warrior would not return to the WWF until 1996.

### Scott:

A tear is rolling down my cheek as we begin the final episode of the first era of the weekend tradition since my childhood. I will say this is probably the first episode in ages where all three titles are on the line. There have been even more crazy changes in the company since our last episode way back in February. Where's Hogan? Where's Sid? Who are all these weird champions? Our opener is the tag team champions, who you wouldn't have come close to expecting being the champions when 1992 started. Ultimate Warrior is back too? What happened between February and now? Since the last episode, Randy Savage has won and lost the WWF Title, Warrior returned and had a title shot, and this Money, Inc. team was put together and DiBiase has his first championship in his five-plus years in the company. The match was a frenzy of punching and kicking and Money, Inc. ducking out of the match. We get the typical heel "We're done with this" walkout and they get counted out. The Maniacs follow them and we get a brawl in the aisle until Ric Flair and Razor Ramon come out to beat down their Survivor Series opponents. This was a throwaway melee to set up the tag team main event for Richfield. Other than that, not much here.

### JT:

It has been a hell of a road, but here we are. After just our second episode of SNME on Fox, we are winding up the series. Big changes were coming to the WWF TV schedule and axing SNME was on the list. It has been a big part of storyline and character development since 1985 but with the new direction the company was heading in, it wasn't really going to be ended anymore. So, in our final installment, all of the championships in the company are on the line, starting with the tag straps. Money, Inc. formed early in 1992 and have pretty much dominated the tag division outside of a small blip in the summer. They step up to the main event scene here to battle Ultimate Warrior and Randy Savage, the two men who battled over the WWF Title at SummerSlam but have since joined forces. The two were using this as an early tuneup for their Survivor Series showdown with Ric Flair and Razor Ramon. Warrior and Savage made for a cool team and it was neat seeing Macho sprint down the aisle with Warrior. They rushed the ring and went right at the tag champs, battering them all around and chucking them out to the floor with abandon. Things would settle down with Savage and DiBiase locking up with Savage taking control and grabbing a near fall before tagging out. Warrior blocked a DiBiase comeback attempt and hit a suplex for a two count but things turned when he whiffed on a shoulderblock attempt. IRS tagged in and started to work Warrior over with his base offense, including hooking in a sleeper. As Warrior faded, we heard from Flair, Ramon and Mr. Perfect, who talked shit about the Ultimate Maniacs in advance of Survivor Series. DiBiase would tag in and lock in the Million Dollar Dream but Savage made the save and eventually both men would tag out to reset things again. Savage came in hot, taking out both champs and heading up top and landed the flying elbow but DiBiase made the save. Things broke down from there with all four brawling until the Maniacs cleaned house. The champs had seen more than enough as they grabbed their straps and headed to the back, eating the countout loss to avoid more damage. The Manaics assaulted the champs in the aisle but Ramon, Flair and Perfect joined the fray and the Maniacs were left laying in the end. Very fitting that we get one last SNME style tag match featuring the top stars of the company. This flowed easily with a limited heat segment and saw lots of offense and brawling until the finish. The stage for Survivor Series is set for one half of the double main event but as we know, things get quite shaken up before we get there.

### 2) Shawn Michaels defeats British Bulldog to win WWF Intercontinental Title when he landed on top of Bulldog during a superplex at 10:28

Fun Fact: The original plans were to have Bret Hart drop the IC belt to Shawn Michaels prior to SummerSlam, but these plans changed when they decided to hold SummerSlam in England. The decision was made to put the belt on Davey Boy Smith at SummerSlam and then have him drop the belt to Shawn later.

Fun Fact II: We say goodbye to the British Bulldog here after this event. Davey Boy was found to have been receiving growth hormone from England and was released along with the Ultimate Warrior. Smith would return to the WWF in 1994 after a brief run in WCW.

### Scott:

After his epic win over brother in law Bret Hart at SummerSlam, The Bulldog takes on the Sexy Boy for the Intercontinental Championship. It's been a little under a year since he threw Marty Jannetty threw the Barber Shop window and Shawn Michaels has slowly moved up the ladder with his girl Sherri at his side. He had what could have been a fantastic match with Rick Martel at SummerSlam if they didn't have that annoying "no hit in the face" stipulation on top of it. Now he gets a shot at the IC Title, after already being booked for the WWF Title at Survivor Series against Bret Hart. Bulldog dominated early, and Shawn is bouncing around for him. Michaels settles down and works on Bulldog's back with separate abdominal stretch segments. The one positive from the changes in the company is that we now have faster paced, more technically sound matches. Bulldog worked with Shawn on speeding things up and making the match more energetic. The Terra Haute crowd is on their feet as Bulldog gets the final spurt of momentum to take the challenger out. However, earlier in the bout Shawn loosened a turnbuckle pad and minutes later he Irish whipped Bulldog into that corner right into the steel ring. In the climax Bulldog tries a superplex but the back goes out and three seconds later, a legacy is born. Shawn Michaels wins his first singles championship and soon the Bulldog is out of the WWF as the company cleans out its muscular power guys. The match was a lot of fun and the best IC Title match on the show since Tito/Perfect two years earlier.

### JT:

The IC Title has long been considered the workers' title of the WWF, with a rich bloodline of titleholders since its inception, it always helped prep the up and comers and housed some of the best matches in company history. That tradition continued at SummerSlam when Bret Hart fell to his brother-in-law Davey Boy Smith in an instant classic. The Bulldog's reign has been fine since then but here he runs into another guy trying to make a name for himself as a singles star in Shawn Michaels. Michaels has had a nice year since breaking off with Marty Jannetty but he was ready to take that next step and elevate himself heading into 1993. As of this point he was set to challenge Bret Hart for the WWF Title at Survivor Series in a match that was originally non title when first announced. Now there was a chance it could be champion vs. champion. We got a bit of a stalemate early as Michaels tried to work around Bulldog's power advantage where he could, knowing he couldn't trade bombs with him. Michaels worked the arm and maintained control thanks to his quickness but Bulldog countered that with some power when, in a really cool spot, he hoisted Michaels high into the air and slammed backwards to break a cross armbar. Bulldog followed with a military press slam that rattled Michaels and a clothesline that sent the challenger to the floor. Michaels eventually found an in road and survived another Bulldog clothesline before dodging a charge that sent Bulldog hard to the floor. As the referee levied a count, Michaels removed the turnbuckle pad. After a commercial, we returned to see Michaels going to work on the lower back of the champion, punishing the area in hopes to really kill off that power advantage. He pressed on, really doing some damage and things were beginning to look dark for Bulldog's chances. But that tide turned and Bulldog did whatever he could to drop some big blows and go for covers before his back gave out, including a hard duplex for a near fall. Michaels would reverse a whip and send Bulldog into the exposed corner, leading to him crumpling him to the mat in pain. Bulldog hobbled his way back up and went for a superplex but his back gave out during the hold and Michaels collapsed on top for the upset title win. A new champion has been crowned and Bulldog's brief title reign has come to an end. I love that they did the switch here. Bulldog maxed out at SummerSlam and Michaels was clearly a rising the star so get the strap on him now and shoot him along up the ladder. The match was quite good with tons of focus on Bulldog's back that all paid off in the end. I also liked how Michaels worked around the power disadvantage and pick apart Bulldog with his speed. We are now set up for champion vs. champion in Richfield.

### 3) Bret Hart defeats Papa Shango to retain WWF Heavyweight Title with the Sharpshooter at 13:26

Fun Fact I: Bret Hart won the WWF title at a Superstars taping in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on October 12. The match was not televised, but was taped as was included on future Coliseum and WWF Home Video releases. This would be Hart's first title run with the company.

Fun Fact II: Charles Wright originally got into wrestling after being seen tending bar by some wrestlers during the filming of the movie "Over the Top". He was trained by Larry Sharpe and eventually got a spot wrestling in the USWA as the Soultaker, based off of one of his tattoos. After touring in Japan and in other independent promotions, he was brought into the WWF at the suggestion of the Undertaker. He wrestled briefly with the promotion with the name Sir Charles before undergoing a full makeover and major push. In January 1992 he was given the new name, Papa Shango, a voodoo practitioner. His first big push began at WrestleMania VIII as he interfered in the Sid/Hogan main event. Originally he was scheduled to be in a feud with Sid, but Sid left the company before the feud could get started. Warrior took Sid's place. The feud never went very far and was eventually dropped. The Papa Shango character would stick around until the middle of 1993 before fading away. We will see Wright in other roles with the company in the near future, so stay tuned PTBN Universe.

### Scott:

Is that true? Ric Flair was the WWF Champion facing Hulk Hogan at Wrestlemania on our last SNME. Now, Bret Hart is the champion? Once again it's the cleansing of the roster. All the big, muscular guys are being fleshed out with the Feds breathing down the WWF's neck after Dr. Zahorian was pinched. So just like our previous match, we showcase a guy who has paid his dues since 1985 in low level singles and then with one of the best tag teams in WWF history. Now Bret Hart, a trusted employee of the company, is being handed the keys to the kingdom. So on October 12 in Saskatoon, literally out of nowhere Ric Flair tapped out to the Sharpshooter and Bret Hart became the first "small" WWF Champion since maybe Bob Backlund. In his first title defense he takes on big man Papa Shango. The match is similar to the previous match except in reverse. The heel Shango works over the babyface Hart with power moves, until the WWF Champion recovers, hooks up the Sharpshooter and retains his championship. So now it's Champion vs. Champion at Survivor Series. We aren't sure at this point which belt is on the line, but check out our Survivor Series 1992 review to find out what does happen. This match is solid enough and wraps up the in-ring portion of the show with three different endings to the title matches: A Schmozz, a title change and a successful title defense.

### JT:

The final match of our original SNME run is fittingly for the WWF Title as our new champion Bret Hart squares off against the mysterious Papa Shango. Shango had spent most of 1992 torturing the Ultimate Warrior but his stock began to dip as the summer ended. Still, he was thought of well enough to be given a prime slot here. The Hitman unexpectedly won the title from Ric Flair back in October and was suddenly thrust into the spotlight as the ace of the WWF, a role he had been dying to play for years. Shango was aggressive in clobbering Bret off the bell but the champion took to the ropes and started doing what he could to get Shango off his feet. Bret landed a flurry but after a break Shango gained control and worked a power offense in dominating the champ. After a lengthy heat segment, Hart made his initial comeback but that was cut short when Shango broke up a sleeper by running the Hitman hard into the corner. After a little more punishment from the challenger, Hart found a crease and ran through his now standard offense before hooking on the Sharpshooter for the submission win. This was a rock solid TV title defense for the Hitman, something that would become a hallmark of his title reign. Shango took the fight to him and delivered a pretty good challenge but Hart survived and got the victory and can now look towards Richfield and his biggest challenge to date.

*** Paul Bearer hosts a special edition of the Funeral Parlor. The Undertaker was on set as well and Bearer basically used the time to hype their casket match with Kamala at Survivor Series. Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels then have a confrontation backstage to argue over their WWF Title match in Richfield. Finally, as the show ends, Bobby Heenan teases that he has breaking news in that one of the Ultimate Maniacs will not show up to Survivor Series and the other will have a new tag partner by the event. ***

### Final Analysis:

### Scott:

The last SNME of the Federation Era still had that chopped down, cheap production look that Fox's first one did. However at least we see the taste of the next chapter of WWF history. Gone are the bloated heroes of the 80s like Hulk Hogan and Sid. Warrior and Savage are in a throwaway opening match to saturate the Survivor Series build. But now we have smaller, more athletic risk-takers that will sacrifice to win the crowd over. It's ok to still have our heroes of the past but at least they're not clogging up the title picture anymore. A main event of Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels at Survivor Series didn't seem like a ticket seller (at the time) but it needed to be done to hammer the point home that steroids were a big problem and that it was time to elevate the mid-card guys to main event status. On a separate note Fox as atrocious at these shows, slamming 90 minutes of stuff into 60 and with less than slick production values, it was a far cry from the NBC classics of the day. Farewell, Saturday Night's Main Event. You entertained for many an overnight sleepover with the guys in West Haven for the second half of the 1980s.

Final Grade:

### JT:

And now, the time is here... SNME officially goes to rest after a tremendous seven year run across two major networks. The success of the show is a real pride point for the WWF, to have taken on a network TV slot, with five coming in prime time on NBC, and delivering a strong ratings and chugging along for half a decade. We close up shop with a pretty fun episode that had some strong in ring action and lots of hype for Survivor Series. For the second straight episode, we had no frills or nonsense, just straightforward wrestling and it really clicked. I loved the Heenan tease at the end too. The promotion was going under major changes across the roster and within its general structure and presentation. This would be our final look at guys like the Ultimate Warrior and British Bulldog as the company was filtering them out due to the steroid scandal and turning their sights on smaller workers like Hart, Flair and Michaels. This was a great snapshot episode to catch you up on what was going on in the exciting Fall of 1992, but we also got three good title matches and one big time title change as well. It has been a fun ride ripping through these thirty-one Saturday Night's Main Events and five Main Events but the time has come to close the book on a storied legacy.

Final Grade:

###

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