Vince McMahon moderates tonight’s panel of Gorilla Monsoon, Slick, Bobby Heenan, and Mr. Perfect. Monsoon does some revisionist history, saying that Sid Justice spent more time eyeing Hulk Hogan in the SummerSlam main event last year instead of serving as the special guest referee. Heenan contends that Sid did nothing wrong in the Rumble so people need to get off his back. Slick argues that people lost respect for Sid when he acted like a crybaby after not getting the WrestleMania title shot. After showing video footage of Sid’s heel turn, Monsoon gives faint praise to Sid for outwitting WWF President Jack Tunney and getting him to change the WrestleMania main event so he could face Hogan. Perfect concludes the segment by ranting about how he was not consulted by Tunney before rebooking Flair’s WrestleMania title match.
Opening Contest: Tatanka (2-0) pins Kato (0-4) after a Samoan drop at 4:04:
This was a match that took place at the Wrestling Challenge taping in Fort Myers, Florida on January 8. Even though Kato is descending into enhancement status, he is still getting some respect on Prime Time by being given an entrance with the Orient Express theme. Lord Alfred Hayes also builds him up, saying that there are wrestlers who are afraid of facing him. The match is basic, with Kato throwing some chops and throwing Tatanka over the top rope, leading to a generic comeback and the Samoan drop finish. Rating: *
Footage of Slick delivering a sermon at his church airs.
The Warlord (w/Harvey Wippleman) (3-0) beats Hercules (1-1) after a running powerslam at 5:38:
This bout was filmed in Madison Square Garden on January 31. Booking Hercules against another heel is a sign that he is on his way out as the WWF no longer cares about his affiliation. Both men have used the full nelson as a finisher but again, the WWF does not care about building Hercules anymore so that angle is not played up in the bout. The Warlord is creative with a headlock, wrenching it many times and dazing his opponent when he lets go of the hold. That is all that is notable about a slow, rest hold filled match that ends when the Warlord blasts Hercules with a big boot and uses his old finisher – a running powerslam – to rack up another win. Rating: ½*
Bret Hart’s squash on Wrestling Challenge is shown.
Monsoon predicts that Randy Savage will win the WWF Championship at WrestleMania and Bret Hart will regain the Intercontinental Championship there too. Perfect argues that Roddy Piper should be in a straight jacket because he is crazy, so he expects a fight with Bret instead of a technical wrestling match.
The Beverly Brothers (w/the Genius) (5-1) defeat Brian Elmore & Dale Wolfe when Beau pins Elmore after the Shaker Heights Spike at 2:58:
In the opening poem, the Genius promises that the Beverlys will destroy the New Foundation’s pants and save the WWF. He later wads up the poem and throws it at Wolfe during the Beverlys beatdown. Beau yells about not getting any competition but the Beverlys fared poorly when they got some recently on Saturday Night’s Main Event. Blake drops a lot of elbows on Elmore, softening the jobber up for the Shaker Heights Spike.
Gene Okerlund does the WrestleMania VIII Report.
Rick Martel’s squash on Superstars airs.
The Nasty Boys & the Natural Disasters (w/Jimmy Hart) defeat the New Foundation, Hacksaw Jim Duggan & Sergeant Slaughter when Earthquake pins Jim Neidhart after an elbow drop at 9:02:
This bout took place at a Superstars taping in Amarillo, Texas on January 28. It takes nearly six minutes for the heels to take control as the babyface team capitalizes on several miscommunication mistakes. Slaughter puts Typhoon in a sleeper but the Nasties break that up and it puts the former WWF champion in peril. Neidhart gets a hot tag after Slaughter escapes a Nasties double team and all hell breaks loose when Owen Hart dropkicks Jerry Sags out of the ring when Sags tries to use Jimmy Hart’s megaphone. Neidhart ends up holding on to Brian Knobbs too long in the corner, so Earthquake avalanches him from behind and drops an elbow, giving the heels the win. The action was okay but lots of the participants never got involved. It was also odd for Slaughter to end up in peril when Owen would have been better suited for that role. Rating: *½
Heenan is shown stealing money from the collection plate at Slick’s church.
A replay of the Roddy Piper-Mountie match from Saturday Night’s Main Event airs.
Shawn Michaels (w/Sensational Sherri) (1-0) beats Louie Spicolli after the Teardrop Suplex at 3:10:
Sherri’s ring gear is moving away from the more ornate outfits she had with Ted DiBiase but Michaels is still saddled with his awful prom-like entrance theme. Hayes like it, though. The squash is a good showcase for Michaels, who does a nice flying clothesline off the apron, suplexes Spicolli in, does a superkick, and finishes with the Teardrop Suplex. After the bout, Michaels rolls Spicolli out of the ring and poses with Sherri.
The babyface panelists blast Heenan for billing himself as “Indiana’s favorite Bobby” because Bobby Knight commands the hearts and minds of the Indiana faithful.
The Big Bossman (3-0) beats the Berzerker (w/Mr. Fuji) (3-1) via count out at 3:37:
The Berzerker and Bossman exchange quick near-falls in this match from the Wrestling Challenge taping in Lubbock, Texas on January 27, with the Berzerker scoring after a big boot and the Bossman doing so after a spinebuster. The Berzerker almost wins moments later with a flying shoulder block and a Fuji cane shot keeps the Bossman on the defensive. However, a flying knee drop off the second rope misses and a Cactus clothesline sends both men to the floor. That leads to a brawl on the floor, with the Bossman rolling back into the ring to beat the count and his opponent. Overall, this was a quick but enjoyable match. Rating: **
After the bell, the Berzerker drags the Bossman back out to the floor and tosses him into the guardrail. He pulls up the ring mats and slams the Bossman on the concrete. However, the Bossman recovers to reverse a whip into the steps and the Berzerker does not re-engage once the Bossman grabs the nightstick.
The Undertaker’s squash from Wrestling Challenge is shown.
The British Bulldog’s squash from Superstars airs.
Tune in next week to see the Texas Tornado face Rick Martel! Also, Bret Hart faces the Mountie and El Matador wrestles Hercules!
The Last Word: The Big Bossman-Berzerker match was a fun brawl. Nothing else was notable as the WWF is doing its annual slow build to WrestleMania.
Up Next: WWF Superstars for February 22!