Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura are in the booth, and they are taped from Dayton, Ohio. According to thehistoryofwwe.com, the taping took place on June 25 and attracted a crowd of 7,500 fans. At the top of the broadcast, Ventura is confident that Hulk Hogan will announce his retirement.
Jake Roberts’ match against Paul Diamond from Prime Time Wrestling leads off the show.
A somber Hulk Hogan thanks fans for all the cards and support, claiming to have read more than 300,000 of them. He also thanks Tugboat for nursing him back to health and riding on Harleys through Venice Beach. Hogan tells Earthquake, Dino Bravo, and Jimmy Hart that he is not retiring and feels rejuvenated, informing fans that he has signed a contract to face Earthquake at SummerSlam. He promises to slam Earthquake and open the Earth, while Tugboat, who will be in his corner, takes care of Bravo and Hart. Hogan was not a great actor, but this is arguably his best work as he effectively transitioned from serious to cartoonish.
Tugboat’s squash from Prime Time Wrestling airs.
The Orient Express (w/Mr. Fuji) (13-0) defeat Reno Riggins & Gary Jackson when Sato pins Jackson after a sitout powerbomb at 3:44:
Ventura reveals on commentary that Sapphire has been received mysterious gifts, with McMahon adding that the gifts have been lavish. The Express wear down Riggins and Jackson in turn with methodical strikes to setup the usual finish with Sato’s sitout powerbomb. Sato and Tanaka still wrestle independently more than as a unit and they have no heat.
The Barbarian (w/Bobby Heenan) (11-0) pins Red Tyler after a flying clothesline at 2:29:
Heenan is wearing a headset at ringside for reasons that are not explained. Ventura suspects that Heenan might have a spotter in the crowd that will relay instructions for how the Barbarian can improve. Tyler flips upside down for a Barbarian clothesline and does the same later for the flying variation. It is time to transition the Barbarian into a feud or a feature match where he can start moving out of the lower midcard.
The Hart Foundation are this week’s guests on the Brother Love Show. Bret says that Demolition are scared of the Foundation, which is why they added a member to their side. Jim Neidhart adds that the numbers do not matter because the WWF Tag Team Championship is coming back with them. Neidhart calls out Demolition, who answer the challenge. Ax suggests that the Foundation are trying to have a built-in excuse for when they lose in the future. In response, the Foundation challenge Demolition to a tag team title match to settle the issue once and for all, but when they start going toward the ring, all three members of Demolition attack them until WWF officials intervene. The Foundation eventually recover and brawl backstage with Demolition to end a good segment.
Koko B. Ware’s victory over Buddy Rose on Prime Time Wrestling is shown.
Non-Title Match: Mr. Perfect (Intercontinental Champion w/Bobby Heenan) (20-2) pins Darryl Yates with the Perfectplex at 2:04:
Heenan has the headset on again, causing McMahon and Ventura to keep speculating as to why he has it. McMahon tells fans that Brutus Beefcake suffered severe facial injuries in a parasailing accident and that will suspend Beefcake’s plans to go after the Intercontinental Championship. He promises that Gene Okerlund will provide an update on Beefcake’s condition next week. Never one to make his offense look weak, Perfect talks more trash and easily checkmates Yates. After the bout, Heenan gets Yates on his feet so that Perfect can level Yates with a clothesline. Perfect now has more singles wins on the year than anyone else in the company.
An irate Hart Foundation are shown in the dressing room, with Bret Hart receiving medical attention for a cut above his right eye. Jim Neidhart says that Demolition have proven that they are yellow, while Bret promises that the tag team belts will soon be theirs.
Tune in next week to see Nikolai Volkoff, Dino Bravo, the Rockers, and Ted DiBiase in action! Also, the Legion of Doom will make their first appearance! And Rick Rude will be a guest on the Brother Love Show!
The Last Word: Hulk Hogan’s segment was great and his match with Earthquake becomes the first announced match for SummerSlam. This is another indication that Hogan, despite not wearing the WWF Championship, is still the promotion’s top attraction. Demolition and the Hart Foundation’s feud got a nice build on this show too as both teams had an effective pull apart brawl. And it is an open question as to who Sapphire’s mysterious admirer might be, but “lavish gifts” provides a small ounce of foreshadowing.
Up Next: Wrestling Challenge for July 15!