The Fan-Cam Files: WWF @ Johnstown, PA – 07.21.1987

Welcome back to the Fan-Cam Files! Last time on the series, we took a look at what a live event looked like during the Attitude Era, stopping off in Montreal a few weeks ahead of WrestleMania XIV. We’re going way back to the golden era of Hulkamania, but don’t get your hopes up, Hulk Hogan is coming nowhere close to this one. We’re in the Cambria County War Memorial from Johnstown, PA. We’ve covered a show from this location before (May 21st, 1988) and the quality of the video is pretty good (minus the tinting), but the show itself was one of the rare, if not the only, time I’ve handed out an F for overall quality. The good news tonight is the entire card is here, so we won’t be robbed of creative editing/dead batteries!

The WWF ran three tours on this date, the A-Tour in Oklahoma City, OK with Hulk Hogan defending the WWF Championship against Randy Savage. Other matches scheduled included Tito Santana vs. Harley Race and Don Muraco (subbing for Billy Jerk Haynes) vs. Hercules. The second show ran in Ft. Wayne, IN, with the Honkytonk Man defending the Intercontinental Title against The Junkyard Dog as the Main Event, with Kamala vs. King Kong Bundy and Judy Martin & Leilani Kai defending the Women’s Tag Titles against the Jumping Bomb Angels. Notice that neither show had the Tag Team Championship… SPOILERS: THIS SHOW DOESN’T, EITHER. Also, if you’re doing the math, go ahead and try to piece together the card with what talent is not used on either of those cards.

Omar Atlas vs. Nikolai Volkoff:
Huh… Omar Atlas is a guy we’ve seen from time to time as enhancement talent for Superstars of Wrestling and Wrestling Challenge, but he rarely was on the road for the house show loop. This 2-week stretch in July and August seems to be the most work he’s had for the company, probably due to the thinning of the roster and still insisting on running three tours at the same time. Atlas is a spry 49 years-old here, and just a few years away from retirement. Volkoff is lost in the shuffle with the termination of the Iron Sheik during the Spring of ‘87, though I doubt anyone was worried about giving Nikolai a renewed push. Even with the introduction of Boris Zhukov and forming the Bolsheviks, Volkoff’s best days are officially behind him, and he’s never going to come close to sniffing that level again.

We join the match shortly after the bell. Volkoff with a sucker punch and choking before tossing Atlas to the outside. He keeps Atlas from getting back in and traps him with a choke on the bottom rope. Whip to the ropes, Atlas ducks a clothesline and takes Volkoff over with a sunset flip for two. Volkoff gets sent to the corner with the anti-Bret bump, taking baby-steps before gently brushing the buckle and flopping to his belly. Volkoff forces a break from a side headlock and delivers a pair of knees to the midsection. Atlas gets sent from corner to corner and caught in a bearhug. Volkoff transitions into a stack-up, attempting to use the ropes for leverage, but the referee catches him. Atlas gets fired up but is cut off in short order. This referee is VERY animated.. Atlas with another comeback, picking the ankle and grabbing some bizarre half-crab that ends with them rolling around until ending up in the ropes. Volkoff with twinkle-toes and a spin kick that completely whiffs and Atlas gets dumped again. Jeez… We cut ahead with Atlas throwing a chair in the ring, sending Volkoff for a powder. The tragedy rolls on, as Volkoff drops the nail file gimmick and it bounces right in front of the referee and Volkoff STILL pops Atlas in the throat! Atlas with more punchy-kicky and the referee keeps trying to make himself the star of the match. Atlas charges into the boots and Volkoff finally ends this turd with a flying stomp at 13:00 (shown). Woof. Volkoff can’t bump, didn’t have a deep enough bag to keep a match going for this long, Atlas really didn’t offer much other than decent bumping, and the referee was a distracting clown at times. -*

Jacques Rougeau vs. Dino Bravo (w/ Johnny Valiant):
I don’t know if I should be thankful or not. It’s Dino Bravo, but in 1987, I’d gladly take Bravo over the prospect of Nikolai Volkoff going 10+ minutes. Dino Bravo officially took Brutus’ spot in the Dream Team when they dumped the soon-to-be-Barber following their match with the Rougeau Brothers at WrestleMania III. The Rougeaus and the NEW Dream Team would work regularly throughout the Spring and early Summer, but for this card, we’re splitting the teams up to fill the show with two singles matches.

Bravo and Valiant get heel heat by hugging each other. Jacques insists Valiant be removed from ringside, annoying Bravo to the point he threatens to walk. Valiant remains at ringside, so now Jacques plays to the crowd about how unfair things are, and bless them, they’re into these antics. There’s quite a few edits, which means we probably trimmed several minutes of standing around. Bravo gets the jump on Jacques after all the gaga and sends him into the turnbuckle. Bravo with an inverted atomic drop and a clothesline across the top rope for a two-count. Whip to the corner and Jacques misses the twisting blind body press. Bravo shows off to the crowd by executing some jumping jacks and slaps on a bearhug, with Jacques selling like he’s having his bones turned to dust. He fights free with right hands, but Bravo goes to the eyes and dumps him to the floor, where Valiant gets a receipt for all the hassle from earlier. Bravo keeps Jacques on the floor, knocking him backwards and THROUGH the rinky-dink barricade! It looks to be some simple metal bars with cheap curtains draped across. Back inside, Bravo with a slam, followed by knees to the ribs for a two-count. Jacques teases a comeback, but a piledriver attempt is countered. He slips out of a slam and catches Bravo in a sleeper, but they end up in the ropes. Whip to the ropes and Bravo hangs back to avoid a dropkick. Valiant hops on the apron for whatever reason. Jacques knocks Bravo into Valiant with a dropkick and covers for three at 7:00 (shown). Looks like Bravo was kicking out early, on top of taking the entire match before the banana-peel finish. Jacques worked his butt off for the duration of the match, making this look like an all-timer compared to the opener. On the normal scale, this is fine. **

Rick Martel vs. Islander Tama (w/ Haku):
Yay, I get to talk about Tom Zenk! The Can-Am Connection seemed likely to be the tag team to dethrone the Hart Foundation for the Tag Team Titles, but Zenk left suddenly on less-than-ideal terms, saying the factor in his decision was the difference in pay between himself and Martel, with him alleging Martel negotiated a better deal for himself… in a business where if you don’t look out o yourself, you’re going to be eaten alive. Not to mention Martel is a veteran with previous WWF exposure, and Zenk was an unproven commodity. Anyway, the WWF went out of their way to bury Zenk on TV for a solid month, with Martel cutting promos about his partner quitting on him, and announcers getting in on the fun. The Islanders, who turned heel shortly after WrestleMania III, have targeted Martel, which would lead us to the formation of Strike Force, but we are still a few weeks away from that becoming official. The ring announcer, who sounds like he popped a few valium before the show, reminds us that Tom Zenk will not appear.

We do the coin toss gimmick to decide which Islander will compete, and if you’ve read the match above, you already know the result. The bell rings and BOTH Islanders attack, but Martel quickly clears the ring with a double clothesline and a pair of dropkicks. Tama loses it on the floor, destroying some of the rinky-dink barrier. He offers Martel a laurel and hearty handshake, but IT’S A TRAP! Martel escapes the corner and sends Tama to the floor following a hip toss and slam. Tama complains about a hair-pull, but Martel pleads his innocence with the referee. Lockup to the corner and Tama gives a clean break while wearing the most sh*t-eating grin imaginable. He isn’t as courteous on the second try and unloads with rights. Martel turns things around quickly, and Tama’s complaints of phantom hair-pulling gets the referee to force Martel to relinquish the hold! Martel goes back to the arm, and in a moment of pure brilliance, TAMA PULLS HIS OWN HAIR AND GETS THE REFEREE TO BITE AGAIN. They run the ropes before Tama catches Martel and drops him across the top rope.

Martel gets dumped to the outside, where we see Haku casually seated. Back inside, Tama with a slam and a pair of chops across the throat. Martel briefly turns things around, but he misses a charge to the corner, smacking his shoulder on the post. Martel fights out of a nerve hold, only to run into a knee. Martel with another escape, sending Tama into the turnbuckle. Whip across the ring, Tama ducks a twisting body press and drops a leg across the chest for a two-count. Tama cuts Martel off AGAIN, dumping him through the ropes and sending him crashing into the post. Tama brings Martel in from the apron with a suplex for two. Martel avoids a flying fist-drop and gets himself worked up for the real comeback. He takes Tama out of the corner with a monkey-flip, followed by a back body-drop. Haku picks the ankle to slow him down, but we get heel miscommunication, and Martel covers for three at 14:25. Post-match, the sore-loser Islanders do a quick beatdown, because Martel’s got no friends. We probably could have trimmed out one of those nerve holds, but this was the kind of action that is the epitome of professional wrestling. Fired up babyface, heel schtick, some cute spots, a decent heat section, and the babyface triumphs despite a numbers disadvantage. I would have left the post-match antics off as well, but we saw a similar situation in the previous match where the babyface took advantage of heels being dumb, so I’m OK with them not running with the same playbook back-to-back matches. ***¼

Killer Khan (w/ Mr. Fuji) vs. Terry Gibbs:
Wow, Killer Khan is one of the few singles heels you’re actively pushing, and he’s working against an enhancement geek, and not just any geek, but a HEEL geek. Was Jose Luis Rivera already booked elsewhere& Oh, he actually was, he worked on the Ft. Wayne card. I wish I had something interesting about Terry Gibbs. He had a relatively short and uneventful career, retiring way back in 1989.

Khan does the sumo gimmick before locking up. Gibbs avoids the big HASSAN-CHOP and grabs Khan by the hair of his chinny-chin-chin, with the referee forcefully breaking them apart. Hey referee, that’s not your job! Gorilla Monsoon would have your license suspended. Khan no-sells some strikes and chases Gibbs out of the ring. Back inside, Khan with chops and a nerve hold that draws a “Boring” chant. Gibbs fights free, but a pair of shoulder blocks have zero effect, but a thumb to the eyes and some back rakes work fine! Khan no-sells some more and knocks Gibbs out of the ring where Fuji greets him with some taunting. Wow, no cane shot? EARN YOUR PAYCHECK, FUJI! Back inside and Khan finishes a back breaker and flying knee drop at 5:36. Basically an extended squash match for Khan that didn’t land because no one cares to watch heel vs heel. ½*

Mario Mancini vs. Islander Haku (w/ Tama):
Seriously? How thin is our roster in the Summer of 1987 that we’re digging into the pool of names like Omar Atlas and Mario Mancini to fill out a card?! Mancini is a Northeast-based regular for WWF syndication tapings, never elevating above enhancement talent, working through the 80’s and into the 90’s. Mancini’s name has popped up from time to time in recent-ish years, being one of the names outspoken on behalf of Rita Chatterton, the former referee that accused Vince McMahon of sexual assault in exchange for employment and promises to be a star. Mancini’s physique can best be described as babyface Nikolai Volkoff if he stopped lifting weights.

Lockup and they do a little chain sequence that ends up in the ropes. Mancini goes for the arm, but Haku casually places him on the turnbuckle and backs off. They mistime a spot in the corner that’s supposed to be Haku missing a charge, but Mancini doesn’t move out of the way in time. Haku shrugs off more arm work, laying out Mancini with a reverse crescent kick. Mancini avoids an elbow drop and GOES BACK TO THE ARM. Good gravy, Haku could have a more entertaining match wrestling the Invisible Man. I guess this explains why Mancini kept getting the call for a solid 8-9 years for enhancement work but was never given much of a look beyond that. Haku turns it up a notch and chops some skin particles into the 5th row. Somewhere, Bret Hart is going on about how much he hates chops. Haku with his signature DROPKICK TO THE FACE. He continues laying it in, dumping Mancini to the outside. Back in the ring, Haku no-sells Mancini’s offense and drops him with a headbutt. Whip to the ropes and Haku finishes with a second crescent kick at 7:58. Mancini was a waste of a roster spot, but Haku turning up the heat in the final moments was a good time. *

Raymond Rougeau vs. Greg “The Hammer” Valentine (w/ Johnny Valiant):
The law of averages suggests a victory for Greg Valentine, with Jacques Rougeau having defeated Dino Bravo earlier on the card. Valentine seems like a safer bet to have a decent match than Dino Bravo, but a disinterested Valentine is as common as a pack of 1987 Topps baseball cards.

The crowd hates heels that hug each other, so Valiant and Valentine give them an encore performance. Valentine backs into the corner, telling the referee to do something about Raymond’s fists. Valentine unloads with chops, but a trip to the turnbuckle backfires and it’s Valentine who tastes the buckle, leading to a powder. Dino Bravo shows up at ringside for more manly hugging and just as quickly disappears. That was… random. Back inside, Raymond works the arm. Valentine with a hip toss, but an elbow misses and Raymond goes back to work. Another escape from Valentine and he takes over with a chin-lock, using a yank of the hair to his benefit. Snap mare and elbow to the top of the head for a two-count. Valentine takes it between the legs as he drives to use his weight to leverage Ray’s shoulders to the canvas. Raymond with a sleeper, but he gives up the hold to take a swipe at Valiant. The distraction allows Valentine to clobber him from behind and hook the tights for three at 7:06. This was your bare minimum paint-by-numbers effort, what would be a typical Prime Time exclusive taped between episodes of Challenge. *½

16-Man Battle Royal:
Participants: Demolition Ax and Smash, Killer Khan, Omar Atlas, Terry Gibbs, Greg Valentine, Dino Bravo, Johnny Valiant, Jacques and Raymond Rougeau, Mario Mancini, Bruno Sammartino, Nikolai Volkoff, Rick Martel, Islanders Haku and Tama
Main Event, and it’s my favorite trope, the “re-use everyone from the card” Battle Royal, with a few names appearing for the only time on the card, notably Demolition, who haven’t had any storylines to care about on syndication, and THE LIVING LEGEND BRUNO SAMMARTINO. OK, I think we already know who is taking this victory… yup, Omar Atlas.

Bravo offers a hug to Tama in a show of heel friendship and Tama immediately betrays the alliance as soon as the bell rings. We get the usual hugging in the ropes, with a few guys throwing punches and a bunch of just standing around with their thumbs up their butts. I’m getting a real kick out of Khan and Ax doubling up on poor Omar Atlas, and not too long after, Bravo dumps him out at 2:40. Jacques quickly sends Bravo out at 3:00, with a bump rivaling that of a Bushwhacker from the Mania 17 Gimmick Battle Royal. Valentine throws out Mancini at 3:51, then Raymond dumps Valentine at 4:00, while Jacques back-drops Gibbs out on the opposite side of the ring. Khan and Volkoff have a miscommunication that leads to a short brawl.

The Islanders double up on Martel, and all three get dumped in one big pile at 4:55. Bruno is the target of a bunch of guys who feel comfortable mugging an elderly immigrant. Jacques, Ax and Smash are the next batch to go out in one go at 5:35, leaving us with Volkoff, Khan, Johnny Valiant, Bruno, and Raymond Rougeau. Khan goes for Bruno, and Raymond leads the charge in tossing Khan out at 6:05. Wow, we’re down to the literal dirt worst options for heels to make up the final four. Bruno/Volkoff and Raymond/Valiant pair off. The faces are whipped into each other and Volkoff tosses Raymond at 7:22. Bruno survives a mugging from the mid-70’s WWWF heels. Volkoff whiffs a right hand on Valiant with Valiant comically throwing himself out at 8:15, and Bruno throws out Volkoff for the victory at 8:22. Run of the mill Battle Royal. It was short and inoffensive, and honestly, that’s the best you can hope for from a WWF Battle Royal from this era.

Strength of Card: No Championships defended, not even the Women’s Title, and the highest profile feud represented on the card, and honestly the only one with storyline heat, is Rick Martel vs. The Islanders. We don’t get any tag team matches, just a bunch of singles matches of mostly tag team wrestlers as well as some of the bottom-of-the-barrel enhancement guys to pad the lineup. If not for Bruno Sammartino making the trip to add some star power to the Battle Royal, I would be very tempted in giving this the worst rating possible, but instead, it only gets my worst rating for “Strength of Card” since doing these Fan-Cam reviews. Grade: D-

Highs: Rick Martel vs. Tama was some good old-time professional wrestling, almost like they put in effort some save for the biggest stops on the house show loops, but had enough respect for their paying audience to give them something along those same lines. Uh… Dino Bravo was in a match that wasn’t complete garbage. I guess I should compliment that they didn’t book DQ or Count-Out finishes, but looking at this lineup, you really didn’t need to stoop to those levels.

Lows: Singles matches featuring Omar Atlas, Mario Mancini, and Terry Gibbs (and he’s opposite KILLER KHAN, the most high-profile heel on the card!). I’m sorry, I know this was a C-Tour lineup, but half of the matches featuring Superstars and Challenge geeks is hard to get around, and one of those matches was absolutely terrible.

The Rest: The Battle Royal was fine if nothing special, and Raymond Rougeau vs Greg Valentine wasn’t awful, but somewhat disappointing based on the skill levels of both men involved.

Final Thoughts: Only one match is what I would consider above-average effort and quality, with a couple of decent matches to fill out a card light on star power with some real turds stinking up the place. Honestly, if you cut out Volkoff vs Omar Atlas, you have a show that isn’t blowing anyone over, but balances out the good with the bad better, but that being the opener and being one of the longest matches really puts the balance stronger on the side of negativity. If you can get by that, it’s an easy hour-ish of action to sit through, and the quality of the recording is clean, so you’ll easily follow the action (well, matches WITH action, at least). Final Grade: C-