Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura are doing commentary and they are starting a new set of television tapings in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, a location the WWF does not highlight in the show’s opening. According to thehistoryofwwe.com, the taping took place on May 15.
Opening Contest: Brutus Beefcake (11-0-2) defeats Jim Ruby via submission to the sleeper hold at 2:07:
In the split screen, Beefcake says he has nothing to lose going after Mr. Perfect while Perfect stands to lose the Intercontinental Championship and his hair. Ruby has a long mullet, which is probably why he got slotted into this bout as Beefcake puts him to sleep and cuts some of it after the bell.
Gene Okerlund recaps Hulk Hogan’s beatdown at the hands of Earthquake on last week’s Brother Love Show. Okerlund speculates that Hogan’s career might be over. Earthquake and Jimmy Hart do a promo where they brag about ending Hulkamania. A somber Tugboat does a locker room promo about how it is time for fans to return the love Hogan gave them because that will help him recover. Okerlund can barely keep it together as he urges fans to write Hogan a message at P.O. Box 911 in Venice, California.
The Orient Express (w/Mr. Fuji) (9-0) defeat Paul Roma & Greg Frent when Sato pins Frent after a sitout powerbomb at 2:06:
During the match, the Express and Fuji do an insert promo where Fuji promises vengeance on the Rockers. Roma holds his own as McMahon and Ventura put him over. A missed elbow drop forces Roma to tag Frent, who is laid out by Tanaka’s flying forearm and finished with Sato’s sitout powerbomb.
Akeem and Slick say they love the WWF ice cream bars, which they ate on one of their African journeys.
Dusty Rhodes (w/Sapphire) (9-0-1) pins Tony Leone after the Polka Dot Drop at 1:43:
Leone was a long-time jobber for the AWA, starting work with that company in 1980. McMahon asks Ventura, who wrestled Leone that year to give some information on him since Leone is trying “a comeback” but Ventura declines the offer.
In the split screen, Rhodes talks up Sapphire’s odds against Sensational Sherri, with Sapphire promising that Sherri will be on the receiving end of pain when they meet again. Rhodes does some token pounding, knocks Leone down with an elbow, and then drops the elbow for his ninth straight singles win.
Dino Bravo (w/Jimmy Hart) (14-3-2) pins George Anderson after a sidewalk slam at 1:34:
Bravo is keen to pick fights with a lot of people lately as he calls out Tugboat in the split screen. Bravo, who has made more television appearances than anyone this year, runs through his usual power offense to set up the sidewalk slam and win a third straight match.
Nikolai Volkoff defeats Boris Zhukov (0-2) via disqualification at 1:09:
Before the match, Zhukov sings the Soviet National Anthem and when Volkoff gets into the ring he surprises the crowd and gets a pop for signing “The Star Spangled Banner.” Or at least the first half of it as Zhukov jumps him during the song. Zhukov beats Volkoff up around the ringside area and rolls him into the ring, where he takes off his boot and uses it as a weapon, getting disqualified in the process. After WWF officials intercede, Zhukov makes his way to the locker room and an irate Volkoff chases after him.
Rick Rude and Bobby Heenan appear on the Brother Love Show. Rude shows off his physique as Heenan promises no more fan kissing until Rude becomes the next WWF champion. The promo continued the job of positioning Rude as a more serious character, but this feud needs an Ultimate Warrior appearance to take it to the next level.
Rick Martel drives off with an attractive blonde in a mock ad for his Arrogance cologne. He promises that his product will improve one’s engine performance and get one into the fast lane.
The Bushwhackers squash from Prime Time Wrestling is shown.
Hacksaw Jim Duggan (15-1-1) pins Al Burke after a three-point stance clothesline at 1:47:
McMahon complains that he has not been able to find Arrogance at K-Mart, leading into a funny tirade from Ventura about how only an idiot like McMahon would expect to find that product there. Ventura then speculates on whether Arrogance could make Duggan sexy. Burke is able to avoid an early three-point stance clothesline, allowing Duggan to do an insert promo against Earthquake and promise revenge for Hulk Hogan. When Burke gets back into the ring, Duggan slams him and hits his second attempt at the three-point stance clothesline.
Tune in next week to see Jake Roberts, Rhythm & Blues, the Hart Foundation, Tugboat, and Mr. Perfect in action! Also, there will be an update on Hulk Hogan’s condition!
The Last Word: The feature match adds some heat to the Nikolai Volkoff-Boris Zhukov program but there are much better acts on the babyface side than Volkoff so unless he is going to become part of a new, full-blooded American tag team he has a low ceiling. The WWF got a lot of responses to the “Get Well Hulk” campaign and used it to build a mailing list to send out merchandise catalogs and other junk mail in the future.
Up Next: Wrestling Challenge for June 3!