Find out how the WWF superstars are keeping busy as head into the summer in 1988!
WWF World Championship Scene (currently held by Randy Savage)
Savage has a new challenger for the WWF World Championship, Ted DiBiase.
Savage defeated DiBiase at Wrestle Mania IV with the help of Hulk Hogan
and a steel chair. DiBiase is looking to claim what he believes is
rightfully his. At the May 10th taping of WWF Superstars, Savage pinned
DiBiase’s bodyguard, Virgil. After the contest, DiBiase and Savage had
to be held apart by WWF officials.
Throughout the month, DiBiase would get several opportunities to
defeat Savage for the championship but failed on every occasion. Savage
picked up several pin fall victories and victories by way of
disqualification. Despite the losses, DiBiase was not anywhere through
with Savage. That would be made clear in June. DiBiase had some more
tricks up his sleeve.
WWF Intercontinental Championship Scene (currently held by Honky Tonk Man)
Honky’s feud with Brutus Beefcake continued into May with a high point
of the feud occurring at the May 10th taping of WWF Superstars. At the
taping, Jimmy Hart distracted Beefcake during an interview segment which
allowed Honky Tonk Man to smash Beefcake over the head with his guitar.
Due to the attack, Beefcake bled from the back of the head. Later on,
Beefcake promised that he would tear Honky Tonk Man apart and win the
WWF Intercontinental Championship. Can Beefcake finally get the job done
and win the championship? Or will Honky continue to Shake, Rattle and
Roll his way past all challengers?
WWF World Tag Team Championship Scene (currently held by Demolition)
Demolition continued their feud with Strike Force when Strike Force
attacked Demolition before the champions could use Mr. Fuji’s cane on
the Young Stallions during a bout at the May 10th taping of WWF
Superstars. Their feud would not last long, though. This will be made
apparent during the June 1988 update.
Other Happenings:
– Hulk Hogan did not appear on television or on any house shows
during the month of May. Hulk’s wife Linda gave birth to their first
child, Brooke on May 5th, 1988. Hulk would remain off of WWF events for a
couple months.
– The feud between Jim Duggan and Andre the Giant continued. They
would compete in singles matches tag matches with Duggan teaming with
Jake Roberts while Andre would team with Rick Rude. Duggan and Roberts
would win on a regular basis.
– Speaking of Rick Rude and Jake Roberts. Their feud continued to
progress throughout the month. At the May 7th Boston Gardens house show,
Roberts prevented Rude from kissing a female fan by chasing him to the
backstage area. Roberts’s wife Cheryl would play a park in the feud when
at the May 10th taping of WWF Superstars Cheryl put down Rude saying
that Rude wasn’t a good enough man for her. Throughout the month of May,
Roberts would not lose to Rude. If Roberts didn’t win the match
outright, they would compete to double count-out finishes.
– Bret Hart and Bad News Brown continued their feud. Brown would
usually beat Hart but on several occasions they would compete to a draw.
There wasn’t any new development to their story as the main focus was
Brown’s attack on Hart at WrestleMania IV.
– Dino Bravo started a feud with Ken Patera over who was the
stronger man. Throughout the month they would have arm wrestling
contests where Bravo would attack Patera before contest and win by
forfeit. On May 21st at a house show in Pennsylvania Bravo viciously
attacked Patera with a table after losing a match to Patera. Bravo was
getting the better of Patera.
– The Fabulous Rougeaus began to display heelish tendencies where
they began to consider themselves to be Americans despite being
Canadian. This didn’t sit well with the fans and they began to get jeers
instead of cheers as they were accustomed to getting.
– Greg Valentine started to use a shin guard to add extra leverage
to his figure four leg lock. Valentine would cause several injuries to
enhancement talent with the shin guard. Valentine began to feud with Don
Muraco after Valentine refused to stop attacking Muraco when Muraco was
caught in the ropes. The first instance of that happened at a May 21st
house show in Philadelphia.
– The Hart Foundation was turned into a babyface tag team since Bret
Hart had turned babyface back in March at WrestleMania IV. As a result
of turning into babyfaces, they got fed up with their heel manager Jimmy
Hart. Jimmy Hart was sent backstage during the Hart Foundation’s
matches several times as Jimmy would constantly interfere in their
matches. It seemed to be only a matter of time until Jimmy was going to
be fired as the Hart Foundation’s manager.
Bob’s Reaction:
Not much on my end here as I feel like a lot of the feuds are advancing. The feuds between Rude/Roberts and Savage/DiBiase are the top attractions for the company. I feel like all the feuds, for the most part, have some interest attached to them. All the major stars, aside from Hogan, have been busy since WrestleMania IV.
Feel free to share your thoughts on the WWF during the month of May in 1988!
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