Yearly Review: WWF August 1989

WWF World Championship Scene: (currently held by: Hulk Hogan)
WWF World Champion Hulk Hogan and Brutus Beefcake defeated Randy Savage and Zeus at SummerSlam when Hogan pinned Zeus following a leg drop. Prior to the match, Miss Elizabeth came out to be in Hogan’s corner. After the bout, Beefcake cut some of Sherri’s hair.

WWF Intercontinental Championship Scene: (currently held by: Rick Rude)
The Ultimate Warrior regained the WWF Intercontinental Championship at SummerSlam after Roddy Piper distracted Rick Rude by mooning him at ringside. This marks Warrior’s second title reign and the second consecutive SummerSlam where he won the championship. Rude and Heenan tried to get the match restarted after seeing the video replay of the finish but were unsuccessful.

During the August 29th taping of Wrestling Challenge, Andre the Giant made it clear that he would bring the championship back to the Heenan Family.

WWF World Tag Team Championships Scene: (currently held by: Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard) 
Anderson and Blanchard defended the championships against the Bushwhackers and Demolition throughout the month. They would usually lose by disqualification but as a result retained their championships.

They competed at SummerSlam but in a non-title contest against the Hart Foundation. They prevailed after Anderson, who was illegal, pinned Bret Hart following a top rope axe handle shot. Hart had Blanchard pinned prior to the axe handle shot by Anderson.

Other Happenings: 
– The Rockers and the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers competed in a series of sixty minute iron man matches on the house show market. The Rockers were victorious in each instance that the stipulation was used. At SummersSlam, the Rockers teamed with Tito Santana to take on the Rougeau Brothers and Rick Martel in a six man tag match. Martel pinned Jannetty following a clothesline while Jannetty had one of the Rougeau’s rolled up.

– Barry Windham had returned to the WWF recently and was given the nickname the Widowmaker. Windham’s first feud began during the August 8th taping of WWF Superstars after he delivered a neck breaker to the Red Rooster on the ring apron.

– Rick Rude and Roddy Piper’s issues really became to escalate during the August 8th taping of WWF Superstars. Piper bullied Brother Love during a talk show segment shoving toothpaste among other things down his throat. Bobby Heenan ended up distracting Piper long enough for Rick Rude to come out and spit mouth wash into Piper’s eyes and delivered a Rude Awakening.

– Dusty Rhodes continued to aggravate the Big Bossman when he prevented Bossman from attacking a jobber after a match. Rhodes stole yet another nightstick during the August 8th taping. Rhodes competed at SummerSlam where he pinned Honky Tonk Man after Jimmy Hart accidentally hit Honky with a guitar.

– Mr. Perfect continued his winning ways and at SummerSlam defeated the Red Rooster.

– Demolition and Jim Duggan defeated Andre the Giant, Akeem and Big Bossman when Smash pinned Akeem after Duggan hit Akeem with his 2×4.

– Ted DiBiase overcame Jimmy Snuka at SummerSlam after he bragged about ending Jake Roberts’s career. At the August 30th taping of WWF Superstars, Jake Roberts revealed that if he had one more chance to DDT someone he would DDT Ted DiBiase.

– Greg Valentine defeated Hercules and after the match was got in an altercation with Ronnie Garvin who served as the special ring announcer for the bout.

– During the August 30th taping of WWF Superstars, Randy Savage defeated Jim Duggan to win the kings crown after hitting Duggan with Sherri Martel’s loaded purse. Afterwards, Savage hit Duggan with three top rope elbow drops. At the same taping, a coronation for Savage and Sherri took place. During the ceremony, Ted DiBiase gave Savage a golden scepter.

– During the August 30th taping of WWF Superstars, Rick Martel revealed that because of his good looks he would become a model.

Buy-rate:
SummerSlam 1989: 4.8

Bob’s Opinion: 
Quite a bit of new developments taking place as the WWF prepares for the fall and winter months. I’m actually interested in most of the feuds. Rude and Piper are two great characters and from what I’ve watched from ’89, their feud was quite heated. They are two big names and should help the undercard for the WWF.

I’m not interested in a Andre/Warrior feud over the Intercontinental Championship.

Barry Windham’s return to the WWF isn’t all that exciting for me personally. He had a good run in the NWA with a few entertaining matches against Flair. I;d have to look into how his performance was. I will be able to do that since I recently got Superstars ’89 DVD set.

Considering Rick Martel is an underrated wrestler, in my opinion, it’s good to see Martel develop a heel persona with the Model gimmick. It’s a gimmick I enjoyed and thought more could have been done with it.

I kind of want to find the Rockers/Rougeau sixty minute iron man matches. I wonder if any of them were recorded. Did anyone ever attend a show with that match happening?

Yearly Review should be back and running on here. Please feel free to share your thoughts on what was going on in the WWF during this time.

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