This week we look back at a special issue of PWI that went to press November 4th, 1988 and sold for $2.95 in the U.S, $3.50 in Canada, and £1.50 in the U.K. In this issue, PWI lists their Achievement Awards, including 1988’s Match of the Year! But first, let’s get right to Ratings, where we have new NWA World tag team champions coming it at number one in the tandem division.
Let’s begin proper with Between Falls, the mailbag section. Christian from Brenham, Texas says Randy Savage must not have completed high school if he thinks Hulk Hogan will remain by his side. “If Macho Man remains loyal to Hogan, he will eventually get burned.” He also warns the Hulkamaniacs that they too will get burned, reminding us that Hogan was a rulebreaker some years back. “Sooner or later, Hogan will turn his back on the fans just as Andre the Giant did before WrestleMania III.” Meanwhile, Paul from Bathgate, Oklahoma says PWI went to far in suggesting Hogan is only friends with Savage because he wants to steal Elizabeth, adding, “I’ll wait before deciding the Megapowers are doomed.” Then there’s Andrew from Lincoln, Nebraska who says that after Brutus Beefcake suffered an injury and couldn’t wrestle at Summerslam, Honky Tonk’s match should have been made non-title. “There is precedent for this. Once, when Rick Martel was supposed to defend the AWA title, his opponent, Mr. Saito was unable to make it. Michael Hayes filled in and defeated Martel but did not win the title because Hayes’ name wasn’t on the contract.” Beyond that, Andrew says it’s clear the Ultimate Warrior should have been disqualified for attacking the Honky Tonk Man before the bell. He also adds, “I completely disagree with Matt Brock who calls Pedro Morales the greatest Intercontinental champion of all time. Honky Tonk has beaten Morales before and could easily do it again.” And finally, Andrew says that the silver lining with the IC situation is that it frees Honky up to go after the world title.
Greg from Leduc says he recently saw the Bulldogs in Edmonton was happy they made an appearance without Matilda, allowing them to concentrate on wrestling. “I have only seen the Bulldogs this good when they won the belts at WrestleMania 2.” Rob from Texas complains about Jerry Lawler sucker punching Kerry Von Erich. “Jerry ‘Court-jester’ Lawler has lost my respect. We had come to expect this type of behavior from Lawler’s cousin, the Honky Tonk Man, but Lawler’s action took everyone by surprise. Rest assured, Kerry won’t take this lightly. He’s going to tear Lawler up!” And finally, Ryan from Fairhaven, Massachusetts says he’s happy Ronnie Garvin defeated Greg Gagne for the AWA TV belt, but he’s frustrated that Garvin is now being used to introduce “AWA Classics” as opposed to defending the belt on TV.
Next, From the Desk of Stu Saks, where Stu says Vince McMahon has never come out and said it, but his long-range goal is to run the only wrestling promotion in the U.S. “Think about it. With his vast roster of wrestlers, many of whom are capable of being champions yet languish in obscurity, how important was it that McMahon secure the services of Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson? The answer is simple: Tully and Arn, while talented in their own right, where not needed in the WWF. The importance of bringing them to the WWF was to take away a top draw from the NWA.” (That sounds like he was trying to hurt the other guy.) Stu says McMahon is aggressive, fearless, and ruthless, but he’s also a winner. He knows what he wants, and he takes it. But that said, Stu thinks a WWF monopoly could be disastrous for wrestling. “The consumer is always the biggest loser when he doesn’t have a choice of product. The more viable promotions there are, the better for all of us. Vince McMahon has had it too good for too long. The future of wrestling does not belong to him, it belongs to all of us.”
Next, No Holds Barred with David Rosenbaum, where Dave reflects on 1988. His list of significant events:
- The NWA’s failure to draw at the Nassau Coliseum, beginning with a disastrous Bunkhouse Stampede in January. Meanwhile, the WWF pulled out of Nassau for much of the year until returning in October. Dave says the message from the WWF is clear. If you book the NWA, you can’t have us. “Have we seen the last of the NWA in New York?”
- The February 5th Main Event match between Hogan & Andre, marking the return of wrestling to national prime time network television. Dave points out that this was the highest rated show on in its timeslot and the most watched wrestling show ever. In fact, Dave says, NBC has scheduled another prime time special for 1989 and also plans to broadcast the Slammy Awards. (Well, actually…) “No match has ever had such a big effect on the sport.”
- May 5: Brook Hogan was born. And as Papa Hogan turned his attention elsewhere, Randy Savage flourished as WWF champion.
- June 17th: Jerry Lawler vs. Taylor Taylor. Lawler, the AWA champion, put his title on the line against Taylor, the World Class Texas champion, marking the first time in several years a World champ has defended his belt against a wrestler from another federation.
- July 17: the death of Bruiser Brody. If a wrestler cannot be safe in the dressing room, where can he be safe? Accused killer Jose Gonzalez is still awaiting arraignment.
Dave closes by noting wrestling is much different than it was 365 days before, and wonders how it will be different 365 days later. “Are we ready for 1989?”
Next, Ringside with Bill Apter! The Road Warriors won their first NWA World Tag Team title on October 29 in New Orleans, defeating the Midnight Express and ending a lengthy drought in North America, where the Warriors hadn’t been World tag team champions since dropping the AWA tag championship on September 29, 1985. They say the big win was a result of their return to their rulebreaking ways. “You guys say we lost our killer instinct,” Hawk says, “and you were damn right.” Speaking of killer instincts, charges against Joes Gonzalez, also known as Invader I, for the stabbing death of Bruiser Brody in Baymaon, Puerto Rico, were reduced from first-degree murder to manslaughter during a November 2 pre-trial hearing. Judge Jose Lino Carrasquillo ruled that the prosecution did not have enough evidence to sustain a first-degree murder charge. Gonzalez is currently free on $120,000 bail, and the trial is scheduled to begin January 3. Other news:
- Only 2,400 fans attended the WWF’s second card at the Greensboro Coliseum in North Carolina, even with Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson on hand to wrestle the Rockers. Blanchard pinned Marty Jannetty to win the match.
- In the AWA, Soldat Ustinov and Teijho Khan have left the AWA and are reportedly negotiating with Stampede. Meanwhile, D.J. Peterson has left the WWF and is now wrestling for AWA/Central States, and the Warlord, one half of the Powers of Pain, is sidelined with a back injury.
- In Continental, Jerry Stubbs and Tony Anthony have been stripped of the tag team belts after Alan Martin interfered in a match pitting Stubbs & Anthony against Humongous and Tim Horner. Martin hit Humongous with a 2×4, resulting in Humongous having to get 40 stitches to close a cut around his right eye. Bill is confused by the decision to hold up the titles since Martin manages Kokina and has no connection to Stubbs & Anthony. Nonetheless, a tournament will be held to crown new tag team champs. Don’t expect Humongous & Horner to win it, however, as Horner is rumored to be headed to the WWF.
- In Western Pennsylvania, Johnny Valiant is wrestling for the National Wrestling Federation.
- In Florida, Mark Starr recently attacked tag team partner Dustin Rhodes. Starr is now teaming with Jim Backlund (Jimmy Del Rey). Look for Rhodes to team with Mike Graham.
- Central States officials have decided to recognize all AWA titles.
- The Grappler, who lost the Pacific Northwest title to IWGP champ Tatsumi Fujinami, is headed to Japan in an attempt to regain the belt.
- In Stud Stable news: Robert Fuller and Jimmy Golden were boasting that they deserved a match against AWA tag team champs Bad Company when Cactus Jack and Gary Young, the CWA tag champs insisted they deserved the shot. Fuller then hit Jack from behind with a kendo stick and Sylvia, valet for the Stable, hit Downtown Bruno with another kendo stick, igniting a four-man battle. When the smoke cleared, Jack was lying in a pool of his own blood, Young was bleeding from the head, and Bruno was unconscious on the floor. So now it’s Fuller and Golden, with Sylvia, against Jack and Young, led by Bruno. (That sounds like an opening segment on Raw.)
- Bruno Sammartino and Capt. Lou Albano will co-host a night of wrestling at the Westchester County Centre in White Plains, New York on December 21. Proceeds will go to the Multiple Sclerosis Society. The event will feature a match between the Iron Sheik and Sgt. Slaughter.
- And finally, Ron Simmons’ jersey was retired by Florida State University to honor the former nose guard who played for the Seminoles from 1977 to 1980. Simmons is only the sixth athlete in Florida State history to be so honored. When reporters caught up with him afterward to ask him what he thought of the ceremony, he said he could only hope to someday come up with a short and succinct word to express his feelings for such situations.
Next, it’s Off the Top Rope with Eddie Ellner, where Eddie gives his own year-end awards:
- Wrestler of the year: Randy Savage
- Mistake of the year: Savage befriending Hulk Hogan
- Move of the year: threeway tie between Lex Luger’s decision to leave the Four Horsemen, Tully Blanchard & Arn Anderson’s decision to leave the Four Horsemen, and Dusty Rhodes’ triple-somersault to get to the head of the line at Wan-Foo’s All-U-Can-Eat Chinese Smorgasbord
- Wrestler most likely to die from embarrassment in a rare moment of introspection: Dusty Rhodes
- Wrestler most likely to receive next year’s PWI Editor’s Award: Andre the Giant Idiot
- Tag team whose fans’ ages most closely approximate their IQs: The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express
- Female wrestler most likely to induce cardiac arrest in Bill Apter: Madusa Miceli
- Wrestler most likely to burn in hell forever: Jose Gonzales
- Valet most likely to have an affair with bald-headed, orange skinned former WWF champion: Miss Elizabeth
- Federal agency toward which this columnist has the most animosity: the Post Office
Onto the mailbag. Meggie from Minneapolis says she’s been praying for Honky to lose the IC title, but now she’s stuck with the Ultimate Warrior. Still, she says it’s an upgrade and asks for Eddie’s thoughts. Eddie says Honky was the worst major titleholder in pro wrestling history and the Warrior, who may keep his brains in his biceps and can’t actually wrestle, nonetheless did us all a favor.
Meanwhile, Gary from Cold Spring, Kentucky asks, “Why you guys hate Hulk Hogan so much? He may not be the greatest scientific wrestler in the world, but he is the greatest champion of all time. My 83-year-old aunt has even heard of him! Your magazine is the best wrestling magazine I have ever read, but please do not ruin it by putting down Hulk Hogan.” (Eddie, be kind. This fan might only be 6 or 7. Wait… 83-year-old aunt? Nevermind, let him have it.) Eddie says, “On behalf of Pro Wrestling Illustrated, please accept our deepest apologies. Certainly it was not the intention of myself or the editorial staff to offend you or your doddering relative by printing slanderous stories about Hulk Hogan. After all, the intention of this magazine is to please you and your wrinkly kin. Whoever said Hogan’s neat-looking and legal helmet with the rock-hard fist attached—which he uses fairly to legally beat up opponents—is an offensive and reprehensible affront to the sport should be sentenced to 40 hours in a steambath with Dusty Rhodes. Gary, if you would be so kind as to provide us here at PWI with a list of stories and topics that you and Aunt Senile approve, you’d cut the length of our tension-filled editorial staff meetings in half. Would you like to do that for us, Gary? I knew you would.” (Geez, Eddie. If you’re not careful here, you’ll start a new trend where the media doesn’t report based on what we need to hear but instead reports what its niche audience wants to hear in an effort to stroke a pleasure area with an echo chamber of confirmation bias, which in turn will begin to polarize our society as different people begin obtaining their news from separate customizable sources that suit their pre-conceived beliefs. Wait a second… DAMN YOU EDDIE! It’s all your fault!!!)
Lastly, Melissa from Hamilton, Ohio (home of hip-hop musical theatre) writes in to take her shot: “I was hoping for a Megabuck defeat at Summerslam 88, but the way it was achieved has left a sick taste in my mouth. My opinion of the Megapowers and Elizabeth has drastically changed for the worst. The way Elizabeth demeaned herself by ripping off her skirt was insulting to me as a woman and as a wrestling fan. If Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage are so fantastic, why did they resort to such vulgar and unseemly tactics?” Eddie says, “A pet dying… a spurned first love… a lingering illness… these are tragic lessons that rip from us the fragile veils of innocence. The WWF will eventually destroy the character and reputation of each of its wrestlers, even those of near flawless breeding like Elizabeth. Let us pray this unseemly fact doesn’t turn Melissa into a hard, calloused, and cynical old witch.
Next, In Focus with Craig Peters, where Craig comes with a bag of Yuletide gifts:
- For Dusty Rhodes, a copy of Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People. (Craig notes it’s been a rough year for the Dream, having had Barry Windham, Ronnie Garvin, and the Road Warriors each turn against him.)
- For Andre the Giant: a permanent invalidation of his wrestling license, applicable worldwide. “Andre hasn’t looked healthy in three years.”
- For Sting: a 1989 that shows as much improvement, enthusiasm, and fan support as 1988.
- For Hacksaw Duggan: one of those foam 2×4 souvenirs to replace the wooden one he keeps hitting people with.
- For J.J. Dillon: two more Horsemen.
- For Hulk Hogan: “a better way to camouflage his balding pate than the fist-bedecked “Hulkster” helmet.”
- For Nikita Koloff: A gross of disposable razors. “Nikita simply doesn’t look as awesome and fearsome with hair as without.”
- For Jerry Lawler: a peaceful three-month hiatus from teh ring at Caneel Bay on St. John in the Virgin Islands. “After the way he traveled and wrestled in 1988, he deserves a rest!”
- For the Road Warriors: a string of top-flight opponents. “That way they’ll be able to make their first NWA World tag title reign the kind of tenure we all dreamed about since 1983.”
- For Rick Rude: a steady girlfriend so he’ll leave everyone else alone.
- For Kevin Sullivan: a date with Elvira.
- For Vince McMahon: a date with Elizabeth so he’ll finally stop drooling while she’s at ringside and talk about the match.
- For Gorilla Monsoon: the knowledge that the word “literally” means “in actual fact” so he’ll stop saying things like, “He’s literally on the shelf now, Jesse” or “He’s literally beating his brains out.” (From WrestleMania IV: “He literally threw Virgil to the wolves!”)
- For Col. DeBeers: a copy of the Sun City album and a one-way ticket to Cape Town.
- For Lex Luger: a one-on-one cage match against Ric Flair, no time limit, one fall to a finish.
- For Randy Savage: a series of matches against Ted DiBiase without interference.
- For Captain Lou Albano: a record-shattering level of charitable donations in the fight against multiple sclerosis.
- For Barbara Goodish and Bea Franke: the knowledge that while Bruiser Brody and Adrian Adonis may be gone, they will never be forgotten.
Next up, 1988 in review! Highlights included Randy Savage and Jerry Lawler winning world titles. Meanwhile, Flair held his all year. At the same time, pay-per-view came into its own, transforming how fans came to watch wrestling.
Let’s look at some numbers:
- $19.95: the most common price charged by cable companies for pay-per-view wrestling events
- $5,000: collected by Brian Pillman for winning a battle royal on February 5 in Regina, Alberta
- $10,000: won by Bam Bam Bigelow for winning a 14-man battle royal on August 12 in Chicago
- $25,000: won by Willie B. Hert for winning the “Grab For the Green” battle royal October 3 in Birmingham, Alabama. (I wonder if the government could ever use facts printed in a magazine in a case against the wrestlers for tax evasion, assuming they never paid taxes on these “winnings.” Can someone ask Mike Rotundo for me?)
- $25,000: bounty imposed by Eddie Gilbert on the head of Jerry Lawler. No one collected it.
Next, wrestlers missing in action:
1989 Might Just Be Their Year: Sting, the Rougeau Brothers, Rick Steiner, and Paul E. Dangerously.
And now, the PWI 1988 Achievement Awards:
And now, some unofficial awards from fans:
- All that talent and no champions: Bobby Heenan
- Best argument for separation of wrestling and state: the Maryland State Athletic Commission
- Best dressed: Slick
- Best PWI cover: The Four Horsemen, December, 1988
- Best ring entrance: the Ultimate Warrior
- Biggest ripoff: NWA stealing the Tower of Doom from World Class
- Chip off the old block: Dustin Rhodes
- Disgrace to the race: One Man Gang
- Doublemint Twins: Dave and Earl Hebner
- Et Tu Bruno: The WWF labeling Superstar Graham as a living legend
- False prophet: Brother Love
- Honorary soul brother: Akeem
- Human Hemorrhoid: Gorilla Monsoon
- Hypocrite of the year: Barry Windham
- If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em: Barry Windham
- Insult to the universe’s intelligence: Get well cards to Matilda
- Johnny Carson & Ed McMahon trophy for comedy team: Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan
- Loudest announcer: Jim Ross
- Most improved tag team: Pat Tanaka & Paul Diamond
- Most likely to be struck by lightning: Brother Love
- Most underrated tag team: the Conquistadors
- Older than Methuselah: Mr. Wrestling II
- Philosopher of the year: Rick Steiner
- Scientific wrestler of the year: Blue Blazer
- Shock of the year: the death of Bruiser Brody
- The amazing expanding man: Buddy Rose
- Unanswered question of the year: What was on Baby Doll’s photos?
- Worst announcing job ever: John Ayres at Clash of the Champions III
- Worst case of amnesia: Ron Tonguard, who moved from the AWA to the WWF, saying, “I don’t know anything about The Rockers.”
- Worst feud: Dino Bravo vs. Ken Patera
Next, Fan Predictions for 1989!
- Al Perez will split up with Gary Hart and become one of the most popular and successful wrestlers in the NWA
- Steve Williams will win the 1989 Bunkhouse Stampede championship to end the three-year reign of Dusty Rhodes
- Rick Steamboat will come out of retirement and win the NWA title
- Savage will wrestle Jerry Lawler at WrestleMania V to unify the WWF, AWA, and World Class championships
- Roddy Piper will return to humiliate Brother Love
- Brutus Beefcake will leave for the AWA
- Bad News Brown will defeat the Ultimate Warrior for the Intercontinental title.
- Dusty Rhodes and Magnum T.A. will win the Crockett Cup
- Lord Humongous will wrestle Jason the Terrible in a loser-loses-mask match
- Greg Valentine will return to the NWA
- Curt Hennig will defeat Savage for the WWF title
- Roddy Piper will make a special appearance at WrestleMania V
- The Hart Foundation will win the tag team title a second time
- The Rockers will turn rulebreaker and bring in Paul E. Dangerously as their manager
- The WWF will introduce a new title belt
- Jim Crockett will wrestle Vince McMahon on pay per view
- Savage will beat Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania V
- Flair will lose his title to Lex Luger or Bam Bam Bigelow
- Demolition will lose their belts to the Powers of Pain, who will then lose them to the Brain Busters
- The Ultimate Warrior will hold the IC title all year
- The Road Warriors will join the Four Horsemen
- The WWF will lose Andre the Giant, the Honky Tonk Man, Ted DiBiase, and Rick Rude but will bring back Ricky Steamboat, Tom Zenk, Bob Backlund, Billy Jack Haynes, Roddy Piper, Bob Orton, King Kong Bundy and Butch Reed.
- Hulk Hogan will defeat Randy Savage for the WWF title at WrestleMania V
- The Ultimate Warrior will have to surrender the IC title after being severely injured by the Big Boss Man
- Bam Bam Bigelow will defeat Barry Windham for the U.S. championship
- Andre the Giant will defeat Savage for the WWF title and then lose it to Hulk Hogan at Wrestlemania V. Andre will then turn good and team with Hogan to defeat Ted DiBiase and Akeem in the Giant’s retirement match. Ric Flair will then challenge Hulk Hogan for the WWF title in New York’s Shea Stadium as the main event of Summerslam ’89.
- Brutus Beefcake will quit wrestling and open up a chain of barber shops across the country.
- Virgil will dump Ted DiBiase
- The Rockers will turn bad and win the WWF tag team championship
- After failing to get two new members, the Four Horsemen will disband
- Bad News Brown will win the WWF title at WrestleMania V
- Ron Simmons will join the Varsity Club
- Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair will wrestle each other for the AWA title
- The WWF will bring in Kendall Windham, Greg Gagne, Lex Luger, and Ronnie Garvin
- The British Bulldogs will regain the WWF tag team championship
- World Class will expand nation-wide and the WCCW title will be recognized as a world title
- Andre the Giant will retire and become a manager
- Jim Ross and Bill Watts will resurrect the UWF
- Kevin Kelly and the Road Warriors will jump to the WWF
- Curt Hennig will win the WWF title at Summerslam ’89
- Greg Gagne will break the 220-pound barrier
- Tito Santana, Jerry Lawler, Curt Hennig, and the British Bulldogs will jump to the NWA
- Magnum T.A. will return to wrestling
- Wahoo McDaniel, Rick Morton, Eddie Gilbert, and Brad Armstrong will join the WWF
- Greg Valentine and Sherri Martel will start dating
- The Ultimate Warrior will lose his IC title to Rick Rude
- Owen Hart, Bruce Hart, and Brian Pillman will come to the WWF as the Hart Foundation, making it the most powerful group in the WWF. (Any room for the British Bulldog?)
- Randy Savage will wrestle Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania V in a steel cage. Both wrestlers will exit simultaneously and be beat down by Ted DiBiase, the Honky Tonk Man and the Heenan Family. A huge cage war will ensue, and Savage and Hogan will clean house. (Holy crap, this fan just backed into booking WCW’s Uncensored 1996!)
Breaking news! Turner Broadcasting has bought a “Controlling Interest” in the NWA. Turner has announced that he’s formed the Universal Wrestling Corporation to run the organization with Jack Petrik as president and Jim Crockett as vice president. Petrik promises to improve both the in-ring action and the promotional aspects of the company. Meanwhile, the reaction in England and Japan to the news has been positive, but officials from the Soviet Council on the Control and Development of Athletics in Moscow, Russia have condemned the sale, saying Ted Turner just likes to buy and sell people and things, and Russia will think twice before sending its athletes to the United States to wrestle. In other news, Bam Bam Bigelow is challenging Barry Windham for the U.S. championship, and Ronnie Garvin has signed with the WWF. Garvin says he wants to be just the second man to hold both the NWA championship and the WWF championship. (Buddy Rogers was the first.) Elsewhere, the Iron Sheik and Col. DeBeers joined forces in a mission to destroy all U.S. born wrestlers, with Sgt. Slaughter as their main target.
And finally, let’s get to this month’s poll, all about what we should expect in 1989:
That’s all for this week! Tune in next week, same time, same channel. And if you’re new here, be sure to leave a comment and check out the archive. Also, check out my website to see what books I’ve written!