What the World Was Watching: WWF Superstars – February 9, 1991

Vince McMahon and Roddy Piper are in the booth, closing out the television tapings in Huntsville, Alabama.

Opening Contest: Tugboat (4-0) defeats Earthquake (w/Jimmy Hart) (3-0) via disqualification after Earthquake uses Hart’s megaphone at 3:23:

Aside from the spectacle of seeing two big men exchange shoulder blocks and clotheslines there is not much to this. Earthquake ends up tied in the ropes after a clothesline, prompting Hart to hop on the apron. Tugboat grabs him, causing Hart’s megaphone to enter the ring. Earthquake uses it but does so in view of the referee and gets disqualified. Rating: ¼*

After the bell, Earthquake gets his heat back by dropping a few elbows on Tugboat and doing the Earthquake Splash. Hulk Hogan cannot be bothered to save his friend anymore, probably still upset that Tugboat tried to toss him out of The Royal Rumble.

The Nasty Boys squash from Prime Time Wrestling airs.

Gene Okerlund’s Update segment reveals that the Ultimate Warrior challenged Randy Savage to a match where if he lost, he would retire and Savage countered with the same stipulation so it is official that they will face off in a career-ending match at WrestleMania. Savage and Sensational Sherri claim that the Warrior lives in Savage’s shadow because Savage had a better reign with the WWF Championship. The Warrior rebuts that Savage might represent the madness, but he represents the wildness of the WWF.

The Warlord (w/Slick) (2-1) defeats Tom King via submission to the full nelson at 1:36:

King is half the size of the Warlord, which makes it easy for the Warlord to rag doll him with slams. It makes the full nelson finish look good too because the Warlord can lift King up after locking in the hold.

Jake Roberts (3-0) pins Tony Burton after the DDT at 1:47:

McMahon and Piper put over Roberts’ increased aggressiveness to get ready for WrestleMania. Roberts floats over a Burton slam attempt, hits the short-arm clothesline, and the DDT follows. After the bout, Roberts dumps Damien onto Burton.

WWF Champion Sergeant Slaughter and General Adnan after guests on the Brother Love Show. Slaughter says that his critics think that his methods are too brutal but he is a different breed. He warns Hulk Hogan, who he dubs “the Immortal Slime,” that he faces destruction at WrestleMania.

Okerlund does the first WrestleMania Report. Footage of Hulk Hogan visiting U.S. military bases is shown and then there is a promo where Hogan promises to put Slaughter on his Harley, take him to the Persian Gulf, and have a “Hulkamissile” destroy him. Other matches announced for the show include a blindfold match between Jake Roberts and Rick Martel, a match Martel fell into because he did not read his WrestleMania contract. An angry Martel complains that the stipulation gives Roberts an unfair advantage. It is also announced that Jimmy Snuka will face the Undertaker and that Mr. Perfect will defend the Intercontinental Championship against the Big Bossman. The Bossman vows to take the title away from the Heenan Family to complete his revenge. And a last bout announced is the British Bulldog facing the Warlord. There will also be an instant replay debate on the show between prominent sports names and “America the Beautiful” will be sung by Willie Nelson.

Ted DiBiase (1-0) beats Len Wagner via submission to the Million Dollar Dream in 44 seconds:

DiBiase, still irate over the events of The Royal Rumble, tears into Wagner without taking off his entrance attire.

Tune in next week for a seven-team tag team battle royal to determine who gets to face the Hart Foundation for the WWF Tag Team Championship at WrestleMania!

The Last Word: The feud between the Ultimate Warrior and Randy Savage feels hotter than anything else in the company, including the WrestleMania main event for the WWF Championship between Hulk Hogan and Sergeant Slaughter. Hogan and Slaughter are fine on the mic but that match has a predictable outcome since it is out of Hogan’s 1980s playbook of defeating foreign heels. The booking of Jake Roberts against Rick Martel in a blindfold match is perfect comeuppance for Martel as well since he blinded Roberts last year and is now at a disadvantage due to his own actions. This show did a good job establishing the direction for WrestleMania and the product remains hot creatively as we head into the second month of the year.

Up Next: Wrestling Challenge for February 10!