Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan host tonight’s program.
Opening Contest: Boris Zhukov (1-3) defeats Ronnie Garvin (6-3-1) via disqualification when Nikolai Volkoff interferes at 6:00:
This match took place at the Wrestling Challenge taping in Rochester, New York. Much of the contest is a strikefest and if Zhukov could hold up his end, the match would be better. Garvin nearly wins with a sloppy flying body press, but a blind charge puts him on the canvas. After that, Zhukov goes for a Flair pin, but Volkoff runs down to ringside, pushes Zhukov’s feet off the ropes, and then chases his rival back to the locker room. Garvin’s loss illustrates how his feud with Rick Martel is below the Bolshevik blowoff on the WWF’s feud pecking order. Rating: *
Gene Okerlund’s Update segment airs the Hulk Hogan tribute. Also, buy your copy of WrestleFest ’90!
Dusty Rhodes (w/Sapphire) (11-0-1) pins Black Bart after the Polka Dot Drop at 2:39:
As Rhodes slugs away, Randy Savage and Sensational Sherri appear in the split screen. Savage gives Sherri some gifts and pushes her away, telling fans that he is the best. After an elbow off the ropes, Dusty drops the big elbow to keep him strong for the Savage feud.
Rick Rude (w/Bobby Heenan) (11-1-1) pins Jim Powers after the Rude Awakening at 2:37:
Rude and Heenan do an insert promo that puts him over as the next WWF champion. Rude was trying to work through his tricep injury, wearing a black bandage over his left arm. He busts out a new move, a flying leg drop, as a setup for the Rude Awakening. The leg drop was botched as Rude’s rear end smashed onto Powers’ face.
Heenan is baffled that Monsoon cares so much about Hulk Hogan when Hogan is not paying him any money to care for his welfare.
Koko B. Ware (9-2) beats Dale Wolfe with a bulldog at 2:12:
Although Ware teamed with Jimmy Snuka in a losing effort last week, he is on a roll in singles competition. During the squash, the Genius pops up in the split screen and Sean Mooney cannot get comments from him, so it looks like that will be Ware’s next house show program. Ware works quickly, foreshadowing the style of wrestling that would take off in the 1990s.
The Rosati Sisters make another appearance, giving Monsoon “The Host with the Most” Award. Heenan is given the “Liar of the Year” Award. The Rosatis also give Monsoon a weasel stuffed animal to help his stress in having to work with Heenan.
Promo time with Sean Mooney! The Rockers pledge to travel all around the country to get a hold of the Orient Express, which is a greater priority for them than winning the WWF Tag Team Championship. Rick Martel puts over Arrogance, which is now in a bigger container, and says he is going to the top of the WWF.
Earthquake’s squash from Wrestling Challenge airs.
Demolition’s squash from Superstars is shown. Monsoon questions whether three men can defend the WWF Tag Team Championship. Heenan tells him to check with WWF President Jack Tunney.
A replay of the Brother Love Show with the Ultimate Warrior on Superstars airs.
The Warlord (w/Slick) (7-0) pins Brady Boone after a running powerslam at 6:20:
Before the bout, Monsoon chides Heenan for picking the wrong Power of Pain member to manage. Boone uses his smaller size to escape the Warlord early, doing some front flips and back flips. The booking tries to make Boone look competitive as he keeps trying offense against the Warlord, who no sells it. However, the size difference between the two meant that the Warlord should have won in less than three minutes to continue building him as a threat to top acts on the card.
Heenan urges his fans to write at least 200 letters to Hulk Hogan, telling him to stay away from the WWF because Earthquake is waiting for him.
A replay of Ted DiBiase’s visit with the Big Bossman’s alleged old library teacher is shown.
Nikolai Volkoff (3-0) defeats Mike Sharpe after a clothesline to the back of the head at 2:49:
Volkoff now has theme music, coming out to John Philip Souza’s “Stars and Stripes Forever.” Sharpe grunts a lot as Volkoff kicks him and takes him the buckle sixteen times, setting up a clothesline to the back of the head to remain undefeated on the year.
More promos with Mooney! Dino Bravo and Jimmy Hart celebrate that Hulk Hogan has been knocked out of professional wrestling. Bravo says that Earthquake is now a national hero in Canada. The Big Bossman promises that Ted DiBiase will feel his wrath because he is at the top ten of his most wanted list.
The Brooklyn Brawler (0-9) defeats Martin Roy after a powerslam at 3:37 shown:
This jobberific match took place at Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens on May 27. Roy was the jobber that tried to get himself over before facing the Warlord several weeks ago by doing pre-match crazy faces. The bout is joined in progress, and it is a long Brawler squash. Mooney speaks for a lot of fans when he says “The torture is over.”
When the broadcast comes back to the studio, Heenan is in the midst of a long story that bores Monsoon about the Brawler helping rescue a lady’s purse from a mugger.
Jake Roberts (13-1) beats Akeem (w/Slick) (7-3) via disqualification when Slick interferes at 6:25:
According to thehistoryofwwe.com, this match took place at the recent Superstars taping in Binghamton, New York. Roberts sells Akeem’s beating well and the big man finds three ways to escape the DDT, slipping out of it, backdropping out of it, and getting Slick involved. Roberts proceeds to chase Slick around the ring with the last piece of interference, and the when the chase spills into the ring, the referee calls for the bell. Slick eats a DDT but Akeem rescues his manager before Damien is thrown on him. Some well-timed comebacks by Roberts kept the match’s momentum going before the screwy finish. Rating: *½
Monsoon hypes WrestleFest ’90, which has a tag team match where the Ultimate Warrior teams with Jake Roberts to face Akeem and Ted DiBiase where another superstar is the guest referee. After the commercial break, Heenan tells Monsoon that he can kill time after the show by taking the Rosati sisters out for dinner. He adds
Tune in next week to see Hercules against Mr. Perfect! Also, Jimmy Snuka, Haku, the Big Bossman, Tugboat, and Rick Martel will be in action!
The Last Word: The feature match was decent enough but the banter between Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan was not as good as previous weeks. This show is just killing time until we get closer to SummerSlam.
Up Next: WWF Superstars for June 30!