What the World Was Watching: WWF Superstars – January 27, 1990

Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura are doing commentary and they are still in Birmingham, Alabama.

Opening Non-Title Contest: The Ultimate Warrior (Intercontinental Champion) pins Bob Bradley after a splash to the back at 1:39:

As many fans know, the Warrior started as a bodybuilder as part of Rick Bassman’s Powerteam USA. WCW star Sting was also part of that group and he and the Warrior teamed up as the Blade Runners for a few matches in Bill Watts’ UWF. Following the breakup of the team, the Warrior went to World Class and adopted the Dingo Warrior gimmick. After a short run there, the Warrior was signed by the WWF in 1987 and his colorful look, crazed promos, and manic theme music rocketed him up the card. He famously squashed the Honky Tonk Man at the inaugural SummerSlam the next year and spent 1989 feuding with Rick Rude and Andre the Giant, trading the Intercontinental belt with Rude between WrestleMania V and SummerSlam ’89.

During the match, the Warrior screams about Dino Bravo being an appetizer. Bradley lasted fourteen minutes against Tito Santana on Prime Time but comes nowhere close to that mark here, falling victim to the Warrior’s power offense. After the squash, the Warrior carries Bradley to the locker room where Ventura alleges that he plans to dump poor Bradley on the cement backstage.

Gene Okerlund announces that WrestleMania VI will originate from Skydome in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on April 1. He also recaps Demolition beating up the Colossal Connection on last week’s Wrestling Challenge.

The Mr. Perfect-Jim Powers match from Prime Time Wrestling airs.

A replay of Jake Roberts attacking Ted DiBiase and Virgil post-match and stealing the Million Dollar Championship Belt is shown.

Jake Roberts (1-0) pins Pete Sanchez after the DDT at 2:04

Sanchez was a local midcarder in Pittsburgh wrestling and a long-time WWF enhancement talent with work stretching back to 1983, winning some opening matches at house shows. He might be most famous for calling former WWF Champion Pedro Morales a liar and alleging that the reason Morales lost the WWF title belt in the 1970s was because of gambling problems, necessitating a sale of the title for $125.

During the squash Roberts cuts a split screen promo against Ted DiBiase, telling him that if he wants the Million Dollar Belt back that he can find it in his snake handler bag. Sanchez has a similar jobber style to Rip Rogers, loudly yelling as Roberts does some token arm work. A short-arm clothesline and DDT finish shortly thereafter.

After the match DiBiase and Virgil head toward the ring. When Virgil is reluctant to get into the ring, DiBiase slaps him and shows him the money he will earn for giving it a go. Roberts opens his snake bag and urges Virgil to put his hand in. Virgil tries to steal the bag when Roberts is not looking, prompting Roberts to empty the bag and Virgil to quickly flee backstage.

The Bolsheviks (1-2) defeat Mark Reagan & Lyn Wagner when Boris Zhukov pins Wagner after a clothesline to the back of the head at 2:22:

In a split screen promo the Bushwhackers say that they can do anything better than the Bolsheviks, including biting. McMahon and Ventura debate how well Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior will team together on tonight’s episode of Saturday Night’s Main Event. The Bolsheviks do not have many double team moves outside of their finish and most of the offense in this squash comes from Nikolai Volkoff’s kicks and double underhook suplex.

A recap of the Brother Love Show from The Royal Rumble airs.

Tugboat Thomas pins Mike Sharpe after a splash at 2:26:

Thomas was a brother-in-law of Dusty Rhodes and began his wrestling career under the tutelage of Boris Malenko in 1984. After wrestling for Georgia Championship Wrestling, the CWA, and CWF – where he beat Rhodes for the NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship – he was signed by the WWF. Originally positioned as a heel on house shows, seconded by Slick, and sporting the name Big Steel Man he was repackaged as a sailor named Tugboat Tyler, and then Tugboat Thomas before making his television debut.

And this is that debut match. Sharpe fails to slam Tugboat, who throws a dropkick and his weight around on the road to a win. It is an okay squash as the finisher looked good but everything up to that point was just standard big guy stuff that fans had seen a million times before.

Bad News Brown (3-0) pins Chuck Coates after the Ghetto Blaster at 2:26:

Brown wails away on Coates for a few minutes and uses the Ghetto Blaster to remain undefeated.

Ted DiBiase and Virgil rant about Jake Roberts stealing the Million Dollar Belt. DiBiase challenges Roberts to meet him on next week’s show.

Roddy Piper (2-0) defeats John Justice with a small package at 1:27:

In the split screen, Piper says he is still crazy about wanting to face Rick Rude, so it appears that the WWF is putting a delay on his program with Bad News Brown. Justice puts his head down too early on an Irish whip, so Piper catches him with a small package for the pin. When Justice complains after the match, Piper plants him with two side suplexes and pins him again. The initial finish was different and the post-match antics were funny.

Jake Roberts says he is not gutless and will be happy to meet Ted DiBiase on next week’s program.

Mr. Perfect and the Genius hype their tag team match against Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior on Saturday Night’s Main Event. Perfect vows that the two babyface forces will be destroyed.

Hogan and the Warrior do a rebuttal promo and their promo styles do NOT mix. Hogan cuts a good promo about Perfect no longer being perfect and the Genius not being smart until the Warrior cuts in with a crazed ranting.

Tune in next week to see Jake Roberts against Ted DiBiase!

The Last Word: The promise of a feature match on next week’s telecast is good since Superstars has lacked that so far in 1990. There was not a lot of discussion of the fallout of The Royal Rumble yet, nor the plans for Saturda

Up Next: Saturday Night’s Main Event for January 27!