Gorilla Monsoon, Bobby Heenan, and Jim Neidhart are providing commentary, starting a new taping cycle in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. According to thehistoryofwwe.com, this taping took place on April 16 and attracted a crowd of 6,693 fans.
Opening Contest: The Bushwhackers (6-1) defeat Tony Scrivins & Dan Johnson when Butch pins Scrivins after the Battering Ram at 1:51:
Scrivins was a veteran of Strongman competitions, wrestling as “Tony the Annihilator” for the Wisconsin-based Packerland Pro Wrestling.
Power & Glory and Slick pop up in the split screen, arguing that they are problem solvers with their fists. After the promo is done, the Bushwhackers flatten Scrivins with the Battering Ram and start a new win streak after losing to the Nasty Boys on Saturday Night’s Main Event.
Lord Alfred Hayes’ Special Report recaps the Jake Roberts-Earthquake angle on Superstars last week.
Haku’s squash from Prime Time Wrestling airs.
The Big Bossman’s squash from Prime Time Wrestling is shown.
Power & Glory (w/Slick) (6-1) beat Sonny Blaze & George Anderson when Paul Roma pins Anderson after a torture rack-flying elbow combination at 3:44:
Anderson did jobs for the WWF the year prior, losing to Dino Bravo, Sergeant Slaughter, the Warlord, Demolition, Power & Glory, and Rhythm & Blues.
Power & Glory have transitioned to a long tights look. As Power & Glory destroy Blaze, the Bushwhackers do an insert promo about how there will not be a lot of glory enjoyed by the heels when they beat them. After a long three minutes, Power & Glory do a new finisher, where Hercules holds Anderson in a torture rack while Roma comes off the top rope with an elbow. It is an awkward move that does not thrill the audience.
Berry de Mey tells people to call 1-800-736-1420 to get their tickets to the WBF Championship at Taj Mahal.
Roddy Piper is a guest on Brutus Beefcake’s Barber Shop. Or at least that is the original idea before Piper comes out, takes the mic, and tells Beefcake to take a seat, thereby turning the segment into Piper’s Pit. Piper puts over Beefcake’s recovery from facial injuries last summer and how that, as well as actor Michael Landon’s battle with cancer, pales in comparison to his recent knee injury. He emphasizes that Ted DiBiase lacks the same heart as Beefcake.
Intercontinental Championship Match: Mr. Perfect (Champion w/Bobby Heenan) (11-2) defeats Tugboat (7-2) after Tugboat misses a splash off the second rope at 4:11:
Tugboat got a rub by eliminating Hulk Hogan on the Saturday Night’s Main Event battle royal but nothing comes of it in this match. Perfect circles the big man for the first three minutes, unable to move him or manage any offense. Tugboat asserts his size advantage and slams the champion but he misses his finishing splash off the second rope and Perfect covers for a cheap win. They tried to put over that Perfect was cheating my pulling the tights on the cover, but all Perfect could do is barely grab a handful of Tugboat’s pants. This barely had any action for the fans in attendance. Rating: ¼*
Irwin R. Schyster does a new vignette, exposing new tax cheats that he has found in the WWF. He attacks Koko B. Ware and the British Bulldog, albeit not by name, for asking for deduction for bird food and travel expenses for a bulldog. He says he is going to stop this thievery in the WWF.
Hacksaw Jim Duggan (11-0) pins Tom Bennett after the three-point stance clothesline at 2:03:
Referee Danny Davis does not care that Duggan hits Bennett with his 2×4 in the early stages of the match. That allows Duggan to go into his formula as Monsoon rips the composition of Heenan’s stable. Surprisingly, Colonel Mustafa abstains from doing a promo during this match.
The Orient Express and Mr. Fuji tell the Legion of Doom that they know their weaknesses and are prepared to fight them. The Legion rebut that the Express are in for a butt kicking.
Tune in next week to see the Legion of Doom face the Orient Express! Also, Colonel Mustafa, Virgil, and the Undertaker in action! Irwin R. Schyster will also make his debut! And Jake Roberts will be a guest on the Barber Shop!
The Last Word: There was nothing that made this show worthwhile. The feature match was poor, some of the matches were recycled from Prime Time, and the Barber Shop segment with Roddy Piper did little to keep his feud with Ted DiBiase fresh.
The WWF wrapped up its tour of the United Kingdom during the first week of May, while continuing to run another circuit of shows in the United States. Here were the results of those shows, courtesy of thehistoryofwwe.com:
West Palm Beach, Florida – West Palm Beach Auditorium – April 29, 1991 (5,500; sellout): The Big Bossman pinned the Mountie…Colonel Mustafa beat Johnny Ace via submission…Rick Anderson defeated Randy Hunter…Sergeant Slaughter beat WWF Champion Hulk Hogan via disqualification when Hogan hit Slaughter with a steel chair that Slaughter had brought into the ring…Marty Jannetty pinned Kato…Irwin R. Schyster beat Tugboat…Ted DiBiase pinned Virgil…The Legion of Doom beat WWF Tag Team Champions the Nasty Boys via count out.
Birmingham, England – NEC – April 30, 1991: Dave Taylor, Tony St. Clair & Danny Collins defeated Drew McDonald, Chic Cullen & Johnny Smith when Collins pinned Cullen…Greg Valentine defeated the Brooklyn Brawler via submission to the figure-four leg lock… The Barbarian pinned Koko B. Ware with a Mafia kick…The Bushwhackers (w/Andre the Giant) beat Demolition when Butch pinned Smash after Andre hit Smash with Mr. Fuji’s cane…The British Bulldog beat the Undertaker via disqualification…Hacksaw Jim Duggan pinned Haku…The Berzerker (substituting for Rick Martel) pinned Tito Santana…The Hart Foundation beat Power & Glory when Bret Hart pinned Paul Roma after Hercules and Jim Neidhart took turns reversing Bret’s small package behind the referee’s back…Jake Roberts defeated Intercontinental Champion Mr. Perfect via count out after Perfect took a DDT and fell to the arena floor. After the match, Roberts left with the Intercontinental Championship Belt.
London, England – Wembley Arena – May 2, 1991 (11,000): Dave Taylor, Tony St. Clair & Danny Collins beat Drew McDonald, Chic Cullen & Johnny Smith when Collins pinned Cullen with a piledriver…Koko B. Ware pinned the Brooklyn Brawler with a missile dropkick…Hacksaw Jim Duggan beat the Barbarian…The British Bulldog defeated Intercontinental Champion Mr. Perfect via count out…Power & Glory defeated the Bushwhackers when Paul Roma pinned Butch…The Berzerker (substituting for Rick Martel) pinned Tito Santana…The Hart Foundation beat Demolition when Bret pinned Smash…Greg Valentine pinned Haku…The Ultimate Warrior defeated the Undertaker via disqualification.
Atlanta, Georgia – The Omni – May 3, 1991 (4,800): Tugboat pinned Colonel Mustafa…Irwin R. Schyster beat Jim Brunzell…The Rockers defeated the Orient Express when Marty Jannetty pinned Tanaka…The Legion of Doom beat WWF Tag Team Champions the Nasty Boys via count out…The Big Bossman pinned the Mountie…Earthquake defeated Jake Roberts via disqualification…Ted DiBiase beat Roddy Piper via referee’s decision when the referee deemed Piper unable to continue…Sergeant Slaughter beat WWF Champion Hulk Hogan via disqualification.
Backstage News*: In response to WCW running a show in St. Louis, the WWF has decided not to run shows in the city for the time being. They hope this will put pressure on other localities that might abandon exclusivity arrangements with the WWF and allow WCW to run shows. WCW is reportedly holding back its tour dates for The Great American Bash out of fears that the WWF will run opposition to them.
*The WWF’s “Rampage” tour of the United Kingdom drew well, arguably better than the company is doing in the United States right now.
*In a testament to the Undertaker’s drawing power, the WWF drew a crowd of 15,000 to the Los Angeles Sports Arena for a show headlined by the Undertaker against the Ultimate Warrior. The WWF expected to draw 5,000 since Hulk Hogan was not on the card.
*Although ratings for the recent Saturday Night’s Main Event were respectable, the show failed to outperform the typical ratings of Saturday Night Live. This might lead to more problems in the WWF-NBC relationship.
*The WWF recently opened its Titan Towers building. It has a Gold’s Gym and health food restaurant inside.
*In talent relations news, Rick Martel has quit the WWF but is expected to return at some point. The WWF gave tryouts to Kevin Kelly and Del Wilkes at its Superstars taping in Rockford, Illinois on May 6.
*Backstage news provided courtesy of Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer for May 18.
Up Next: Prime Time Wrestling for May 7!