Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan are doing studio duty for this evening’s show.
Opening Contest: Jimmy Snuka (10-2) pins Tom Stone after the Superfly Splash at 3:39:
Snuka’s heat is dissipating as the crowd does not bother doing “Ooos” to match him anymore. Snuka bumps delicately when Stone gets some token offense. He goes on to win with a headbutt off the ropes and the Superfly Splash.
Gene Okerlund’s Update segment discusses the formation of Power & Glory.
Ted DiBiase (w/Virgil) (15-1-1) defeats Rick Rice via submission to the Million Dollar Dream at 1:37:
Rice was trained by Eddie Sharkey, a veteran of the AWA and was given a strong push in Sharkey’s Pro Wrestling America (PWA) promotion in Minneapolis, defeating Mad Dog Vachon for the company’s heavyweight title. In 1988 Rice started working for the AWA, working a lot in tags with various partners and feuding with the Nasty Boys, Badd Company, and the Destruction Crew. After wrapping up his AWA run as a masked military wrestler called the Unknown Solider, Rice worked for Stampede Wrestling in 1989 and went back to the PWA, winning back the heavyweight title and serving as the promotion’s champion when he made this WWF appearance.
In the split screen, DiBiase puts over his Hasbro figure as the best that money could buy. Rice throws a nice dropkick, but that only antagonizes DiBiase, who takes his head off with a clothesline and drops a bevy of elbows. Rice is put away with the Million Dollar Dream shortly thereafter.
The Hart Foundation (13-0-1) beat Kent Carlson & Black Bart when Bret Hart pins Carlson after the Hart Attack at 2:16:
The Foundation have not wrestled a television match since early June, spending the summer doing promos against Demolition. Demolition do an insert promo about how the stipulations at SummerSlam favor the Foundation but the Foundation are not sure which two members of Demolition they will be competing against until they show up in Philadelphia. Like his recent tag team outing against the Legion of Doom, Bart barely gets involved, leaving his jobber partner to take most of the beating.
Monsoon warns Heenan that there are no more tickets available for SummerSlam so he should not ask for any. Heenan complains that he has an invalid aunt and needs twenty-five tickets to help her get around.
Promo time with Sean Mooney! Demolition say they are crazy, and the Hart Foundation is not sure who they are going to face at SummerSlam. The Foundation rebut that they will make the most of their title match at SummerSlamand walk out of Philadelphia with the tag team titles.
Monsoon does a pitch for fans to buy WWF oatmeal cookies.
The Orient Express (w/Mr. Fuji) (14-0) defeat Jim Evans & Randy Fox when Sato pins Evans after a sitout powerbomb at 1:22:
In the split screen, Hacksaw Jim Duggan and Nikolai Volkoff say that they would love to team up in the spirit of glasnost. They issue a challenge to Mr. Fuji to face his team. The promo takes up much of the match and when things get back to the action, Sato finishes off Evans.
Gene Okerlund does the SummerSlam Report.
Dino Bravo’s squash from Wrestling Challenge airs.
Tugboat (16-0) defeats Haku (3-3-1) after a splash at 3:13:
After racking up a lot of squash wins, Tugboat gets his first real test on the roster in this match that took place at a Wrestling Challenge taping in Des Moines, Iowa on July 17. For reasons that are unexplained, Heenan does not appear in Haku’s corner. Reports of Haku being punished for a recent bar brawl check out as Tugboat quickly beats him with an avalanche against the buckles and a splash. Rating: ¼*
The Legion of Doom’s appearance on the Brother Love Show on Superstars is shown.
Mr. Perfect’s victory over Jim Brunzell on Wrestling Challenge is shown. Afterward, Monsoon asks why Perfect does not have an opponent for SummerSlam. Heenan argues that WWF President Jack Tunney is holding everything up, but Monsoon does not believe him, thinking that Perfect and Heenan are holding out for more money.
More promos with Mooney! The Big Bossman says President Tunney came to him to referee Jake Roberts-Bad News Brown at SummerSlam because he was the only man who could keep the match under control. Roberts says that the Harlem sewer rats are going to be a nice snack for Damien.
There is a replay of Sergeant Slaughter’s latest vignette.
Jake Roberts (16-1) pins Spike Jones after the DDT at 1:26:
Vince McMahon is enamored with the potential clash between Damien and Harlem sewer rats at SummerSlam. In the split screen, Bad News Brown says that the rats will get Damien first and then they will attack the Big Bossman. With comments like those Brown is not making things easy for himself at the pay-per-view. After taking a few slams, Roberts rebounds, hits the DDT, and dumps Damien onto Jones after the match. This is Roberts’ tenth straight singles win.
Heenan continues to beg for tickets for his aunt Gail. Monsoon responds that Heenan told him that his aunt’s name was Cynthia. When Monsoon says that Heenan is not getting tickets, Heenan threatens to write Monsoon out of his will.
Monsoon hypes the special “SummerSlam Fever” episode of Prime Time Wrestling that will take place on Sunday, August 19 at 8 p.m. on the USA Network. Heenan runs down the fashion of people in Utica, New York. He reveals some of the matches on the show: Hacksaw Jim Duggan vs. Earthquake, Bret Hart vs. Smash, and Nikolai Volkoff vs. Boris Zhukov.
Rhythm & Blues (w/Jimmy Hart) (19-0-1) defeat Troy Williams & George Anderson when Greg Valentine pins Anderson after a double back suplex at 1:36:
Before the match, the Blues talk about how they do not fear the Legion of Doom because they just keep having one hit after another. The Blues work quickly through the jobbers so they can sing “Hunka Hunka Honky Love” for the crowd.
Rick Martel (14-1-1) defeats Ronnie Garvin (6-5-1)after reversing an O’Connor roll and using Garvin’s tights for leverage at 8:18:
This match took place at Maple Leaf Gardens on May 27. These two had a house show feud in the spring so this serves as its on-screen blowoff. After some mat wrestling Garvin appears to have the match won with a sleeper hold but decides to break it before Martel’s hand can fall for a third time. Martel blocks the reverse figure-four by going to the eyes and the fight spills into the corner, where Garvin tries to roll up Martel, only to have the Model keep rolling with it and using the tights to come out on top. Serviceable TV match that keeps Martel’s midcard momentum going and keeps Garvin’s losing streak against name competition intact. Rating: **
The Last Word: Haku and Ronnie Garvin are two acts that have lost all their momentum from the first part of the year, but Haku’s affiliation with the Heenan Family still gives him a chance of being rehabilitated later. Most of this show continues the build to SummerSlam and the audience was given an explanation, albeit generic, for why the Big Bossman was shoved into the Jake Roberts-Bad News Brown feud.
Up Next: WWF Superstars for August 4!