Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan man the studio for tonight’s show. Monsoon announces that February 18 will be the date of the new format of Prime Time Wrestling, making this the last Prime Time show with Monsoon and Heenan at a desk.
The Hart Foundation-Orient Express match from Wrestling Challenge begins the show.
A replay of Jack Tunney’s WrestleMania announcement on The Main Eventand WWF Champion Sergeant Slaughter’s post-announcement promo airs.
The Nasty Boys (w/Jimmy Hart) (3-0) defeat Reno Riggins & Mike Williams when Jerry Sags pins Williams after the Trip to Nastyville at 2:42:
Williams also wrestled under the names of Mike Lane and Captain Badd. He did television jobs for the WWF, WCW, and the UWF between 1988-1993.
In the split screen, the Nasty Boys talk about their desire to “nastisize” the WWF. The Nasty Boys rack up another easy win to keep their push going in the tag team division. Afterward, Brian Knobbs yells into the camera that the Nasties are coming for the WWF tag team titles.
Monsoon urges fans to write to Prime Time Tickets, P.O. Box 3857, Stamford, Connecticut 06905 to get tickets to the new studio edition of Prime Time.
Highlights of Virgil’s babyface turn at The Royal Rumble are shown, along with a replay of Ted DiBiase’s taped promo of how he is going to leave Virgil and Roddy Piper in the gutter.
A replay of Tugboat’s squash on Wrestling Challenge airs. Monsoon says that he wants to see Tugboat face the Undertaker but thinks Brother Love will not put the Undertaker in that type of match.
Highlights of the Sergeant Slaughter-Hacksaw Jim Duggan match on Main Event air, along with Hulk Hogan’s failed save attempt and promo later in the show.
In a telling sign of WrestleMania’s ticket woes, the new ads for the show talk about how it will be in Los Angeles but not at the Coliseum.
The Mountie’s squash from Wrestling Challenge is shown.
Promo time with Sean Mooney! The British Bulldog puts over his undefeated streak in the WWF after five months and hypes future battles against the Warlord and Dino Bravo. Bravo and Jimmy Hart talk about how no one can overpower the World’s Strongest Man.
Demolition’s squash from last week’s Prime Time airs.
Tito Santana beats Koko B. Ware (1-1) after the flying forearm at 10:09:
A veteran of the Canadian Football League, Santana trained under Hiro Matsuda and Bob Orton and broke into the business in 1977. He was one of the most decorated WWF talents in the 1980s, winning the tag team titles with Ivan Putski and Rick Martel and winning the Intercontinental Championship twice. After losing the on-screen portion of a feud with Martel in 1989 he settled into a role of putting over new talent or the stars that the WWF wanted to push. In 1990 he lost to Dino Bravo, the Barbarian, the Warlord, and Sergeant Slaughter but, in a reflection of his talent and past standing, he made the finals of the Intercontinental Championship Tournament before losing to Mr. Perfect and reached the Grand Match of Survival at Survivor Series, teaming with Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior.
This match, a unique clash between lower tier babyfaces, took place at the recent Madison Square Garden show. After a few minutes of clean wrestling, Ware gets frustrated and decks Santana after a handshake, going back to his Memphis days and playing heel. Heenan, who is commentating the match with Mooney, loves this and cheers the Birdman on. Most of the match is basic, but there is a fun boxing-like slugfest between both men in the middle and there is a hot finish as Ware feeds into Santana’s comeback before Santana ducks a clothesline and blasts Ware with his finisher. Rating: **½
After the bout, Ware gets in Santana’s face and is not happy that he lost. In the studio, Heenan says that Frankie was worried that Santana would take him home and put Tabasco sauce on him.
Power & Glory & the Warlord (w/Slick) wrestle the Legion of Doom & the British Bulldog to a double disqualification at 7:15:
This hoss battle took place at the Wrestling Challenge tapings in Chattanooga, Tennessee on January 8. It features the first on-screen battle between the Bulldog and the Warlord, who have been doing arm wrestling matches on the house show circuit. The match is all action, with different combinations pairing off and slugging it out. What hurts it is a lame, but predictable finish as the Bulldog is on the verge of breaking out of the Warlord’s full nelson and Power & Glory rush into the ring, with the Legion running in to defend the Bulldog. Referee Joey Marella barely bothers to corral the action and just calls for the bell, causing the bout to end in a double disqualification. Rating: **½
Intercontinental Champion Mr. Perfect’s title defense against the Texas Tornado on Superstars is shown. Afterward, Heenan complains about how the Big Bossman is stalking him.
Shane Douglas’ squash win from Superstars airs.
Hacksaw Jim Duggan (3-0) pins Tony Burton after the three-point stance clothesline at 2:28:
Burton was a Tennessee-based wrestler who was used as an enhancement talent for the CWA. He did his first enhancement match for the WWF in 1988.
Duggan leads the crowd in USA chants before slamming Burton and mowing him down with a three-point stance clothesline.
Monsoon tells Heenan that the new Prime Time will happen in Studio A because they need more room. This is news to Heenan because no one told him. Heenan is also worried about the live studio audience touching him.
The Last Word: The last studio edition of Prime Time Wrestling ends on a solid note with an interesting Tito Santana-Koko B. Ware clash and a fun six-man tag team battle. Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan made a great team but the current format had outlived its usefulness, especially with the WWF throwing lots of replayed matches on the show.
Up Next: WWF Superstars for February 9!