The SmarK Rant for WWF in Boston Garden – 06.04.88

The SmarK Rant for WWF in Boston Garden – 06.04.88

Originally written 06.04.26

The Vault put the six-man from this show up this morning as a “this day in history” deal, but I figure that I might as well just review the whole show.

Taped from Boston, MA, drawing 8000. Oddly enough they were also running a show in the LA Sports Arena at the same time as this one, PLUS a C-Show in Ohio, showing what kind of star power they had.

Your hosts are Rodger Kent & Superstar Billy Graham. Kent was a lifelong AWA fixture and I guess this was Vince trying to steal every possible piece of Verne’s operation. He didn’t last and quickly went back as far as I know.

Jerry Allen v. Conquistador #1

Wow! A main event anywhere in the country to open the show. I’m assuming it’s Jose Luis Rivera in this case. They trade hammerlocks to start and Allen gets some slams and dropkicks him to the floor. Allen slingshots him back into the ring and sends him into the corner with an atomic drop, but he’s got no followup and the Conquistador regroups. Jerry goes to work on the arm, but the Conquistador slugs him down and chokes him out in the corner. Rivera seems to be having fun being a heel for once and doing all the cheap heat stuff at least. Back elbow gets two and a slam gets two. Backbreaker sets up a splash, but that hits knees and Allen makes the comeback and slugs him down. HIptoss gets two. Butterfly suplex gets two. Bodypress misses, however, and Conquistador drops an elbow on him for the pin at 10:44. This was a perfectly cromulent opener, as Allen had a good look and knew how to do the moves but just didn’t have any charisma. **1/4

One Man Gang v. Don Muraco

Man Muraco in his Billy Graham redemption role was just so lame. Gang attacks, but Don chokes him out with his own jacket and slugs him down while Graham cheers him on. Don goes to work on the leg, drawing great heat, and he struggles his way into a figure-four. First time for everything I guess. Gang makes the ropes and Muraco is probably more relieved than anyone. Muraco drops fists on him and wraps the leg around the post and then controls him with a leglock on the mat. Yup, when you’re thinking of Gang and Muraco, you’re thinking of mat-based submission wrestling! Gang fights back and does a wacky sell of the leg where he looks like he just had a stroke, and then goes to a bearhug to slow it down and let the crowd catch their breath. Don powers out of that and dropkicks Gang into the corner, but Gang beats on the back and goes back to the bearhug. Rodger Kent doing stuff like explaining the meaning of “double axehandle” is actually kind of appreciated, especially if you’re a newer fan watching this stuff. They collide for a double down, but Gang elbows him to the floor and runs him into the post. But then he charges and runs into the post himself, and Muraco beats the count at 11:30. I know it’s wrestling, but why wouldn’t he just stop running? Anyway this had good heat but not much else going for it, and Muraco was DOA in this character. *

Bad News Brown v. Bret Hart

Bad News raises a good point in his pre-match promo: Bret Hart was an idiot. Did he think they were going to split the trophy at Wrestlemania IV? Brown attacks and Bret dodges him and goes to work on him in the corner, and then backdrops him out of there and out to the floor. They do a chase and Bret catches him with an atomic drop on the way in and then dropkicks him to the floor. We get another chase, but this time Bad News suckers him into a shot on the way in and headbutts him down to take over. “That headbutt will send you out for a cup of coffee when you don’t want any!” notes Roger. Bad News beats him down and follows with a chop to lay him out, and a legdrop gets two. Running powerslam gets two, but Bret is in the ropes. Brown chokes him out in the corner and slugs him down with the BLACK GLOVE, which Graham alleges might have some lead or steel in it, and he chokes away and beats on Bret in the corner. Bret tries a blind charge and Brown clobbers him with a forearm to block. It’s time for the GHETTO BLASTER, but Bret ducks it and makes the comeback, backdropping him to the floor and then following with a pescado. Bad News gets pissed and takes a swing at Bret, but he misses and hits the post and they head back in the ring as Bret comes back with the hooking clothesline for two. Backbreaker gets two. Bret with the sleeper and Brown runs him into the corner to break, so Bret rolls him up for two. But then Brown grabs the tights and reverses for the pin at 11:24, winning by the skin of his teeth and then pointing to his head to indicate his intelligence like a true heel. This was a HELL of a match and Brown clearly was out there making sure to do everything he could to get Bret over in that role. ***3/4

Hercules v. Bam Bam Bigelow

It’s funny because I was a big fan of Bigelow as a kid, but he was so clearly miscast as a babyface. Dude was 400 pounds with a tattooed head and you’re expecting people to CHEER for him? “Don’t let him fool you with his bulkiness” notes Graham. They trade armbars and Kent offers an interesting discussion about judo techniques that feels like it belongs in a different match. Bam Bam slugs him out to the floor and suplexes him back into the ring again before going to a chinlock. Bammer misses a blind charge and Herc puts him down with a running forearm as they’re having a lot of trouble working out their shit here. Herc kind of muscles him over with a half nelson for two and follows with a clothesline for two. Herc with the bearhug but Bigelow powers out of it and then misses a splash. Herc goes up with a forearm from the top, but Bigelow catches him with a hotshot and finishes with the slingshot splash at 8:44. Bigelow seemed like he had something up his ass here and wasn’t interested in selling, and he was gone from the promotion by the end of the month, so it’s not a surprise I guess. *

Ravishing Rick Rude v. Jake Roberts

Jake of course attacks to start and chases him to the floor, given their feud was just getting heated up on TV. Back in the ring, Rude goes after the back and Jake catches him with the kneelift, prompting Rude to run away. Back in, Rude waits for Jake to go for the snake bag and then attacks him from behind, beating him down and going to the chinlock. Jake breaks free, but misses a blind charge and that allows Rude to go up with the flying fistdrop. Rude stops to swivel and Jake cradles for two, but Rude slugs him down again. Jake makes the comeback and crotches Rude on the top rope, so Rude bails to the floor and they brawl out there until it’s a double countout at 10:57. Wasn’t much to this one but it had huge heat. **. And Rude gets the snake draped on him for some revenge from Jake, before running away.

Hacksaw Duggan v. Andre the Giant

Andre is apparently in no mood tonight and immediately decides to leave and stall for time, walking around the ring and back to the dressing room before road agent Pedro Morales sends him back out to the ring again. Graham claims to have wrestled Andre “at least 25 times in his career”, which is not true at all. But Graham is of course an old school bullshitter of the highest degree so that’s to be expected. Andre just will not get in the ring and instructs Graham to silence the people, but Billy sadly doesn’t have that power. Hey look, we’d all be happier if we never had to listen to Mark Wahlberg talk again, but it’s probably not happening. Finally Andre gets in at just under 6:00 past the opening bell, and Duggan immediately ties Andre in the ropes. Graham: “I’ve never seen Andre tied in the ropes like that!” Sir, have you ever watched wrestling before tonight? Duggan tries beating on him but gets nowhere, and Andre goes to work in the corner and then grabs Duggan’s board. So Duggan gets all offended and slugs away on him, but Andre gives him the big kneelift and chops him down. Andre with a surfboard and he chokes Duggan out before beating on him with the hamhocks in the corner. Bone in! Duggan ducks a clothesline and bumps Andre into the corner, but he tries the three point stance and runs into a boot, and Andre pins him at 10:37. DUD

The Ultimate Warrior & Strike Force v. Demolition & Mr. Fuji

Well this is a unique combo to say the least. Martel slugs away on Smash to start and Fuji actualy comes in, so Martel hits him with a slam and dropkicks him back to the corner. Warrior and Ax trade power moves and Warrior clotheslines him down. Back to Smash and he beats on Warrior in the corner, but the babyfaces trap him in their corner and work him over. But then Warrior takes a cheapshot and the heels go to work, and Fuji gets the falling headbutt to the groin. Ax misses a charge and tito gets a hot tag and hits Ax with the flying forearm and figure-four. Fuji loads up the salt and Warrior clobbers him to prevent that, but Ax makes the ropes anyway. Fuji is apparently hurt after that interaction and gets taken to the back, leaving the match 3-on-2 for the babyfaces. Not exactly sure what happened there. Ax runs Tito into the turnbuckle and it’s back to Smash, who drops Tito on the top rope and chokes him out to take over. Tito fights back on Smash, but Ax comes in and goes to a chinlock to cut him off. Demos continue beating on Tito in their corner and Smash drops him for two. Smash to the neck vice, but Ax slams him and then misses an elbow. Smash also misses one and Tito leaps for the hot tag to Martel and he cleans house with dropkicks and puts Smash into the Boston crab. It’s BONZO GONZO as Ax breaks it up and Warrior brawls with him, but Ax dumps him over the top. Demos double-team Martel in the corner, but Warrior comes off the top with a double axehandle and pins Ax at 16:30. Obviously Fuj the Stooge was intended to be doing the job here but they had to rearrange the finish. Pretty entertaining main event regardless, as Demos and Strike Force were both pros who knew what to do together. ***

I liked this show! It featured a lot of big TV feuds at the time and the matches were mostly pretty decent, and it’s worth a watch.