The SmarK Rant for WWF Ultimate Challenge Special – 03.25.90

The SmarK Rant for WWF Ultimate Challege Special – 03.25.90

Originally written 09.01.25

Welcome to 1990 Week on the blog! I’m helping out with a project for an upcoming book and I need to review the various 1990 WWF PPV hype specials as a part of it. Don’t need to ask me twice! So this week we’re gonna cover The Ultimate Challenge, Summerslam Fever, and the Survivor Series Showdown!

Taped from San Francisco, CA, as a part of a Wrestling Challenge taping on 03.07.90

Your hosts are Gorilla Monsoon & Bobby Heenan, who are in Toronto for Wrestlemania VI. Gorilla calls it a “special international edition of Prime Time Wrestling” so I guess it was basically just an episode of that show. It’s not up on Peacock so I can’t verify that for sure. These things definitely didn’t air outside of the US.

The matches are done by Vince & Jesse.

But first, a word from a reader before school starts…

Hi Scott,

For the last 2 years the blog has helped out a couple of teachers of mine with their classroom supply wishlists. We started up school again and there is just a few items left they could use some help with. If anyone does choose to help out with an item please send a note and mention the blog of doom sent you (had a fun time explaining that last year). And feel free to drop your email in the note because the new QR codes don’t allow someone to send a thank you through it. Thank you all!

Kindergarten (Ink, Laminate and stickers are most beneficial)

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/87JJ86NH7NWQ?ref_=wl_share

1st Grade (I know she could really use the headphones right now for the computer station and the charms/stickers)

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/18OH4P4AYTQID?ref_=wl_share

Once again, the US school system is BANANAS. In Canada, parents buy all that stuff. Luckily my kid is old enough to where she doesn’t need all new supplies every year, thankfully. Good luck!

Ted Dibiase v. The Red Rooster

It’s a very farm-themed match, since we’re in the Cow Palace and Red Rooster is wrestling. I guess he’s warming up for the Snake by beating up other animal themed wrestlers? Also notable because this is the official debut of “Money Money Money”, which Jesse sings along with to annoy Vince. Dibiase chops on Rooster in the corner, but misses a charge and Rooster clotheslines him for two. Rooster with a headlock and he talks trash to Dibiase, really egging him on, and a backslide gets two. Jesse: “He was counting the chickens before they hatched.” Rooster with the headlock while Vince discusses famous chickens in history, but Dibiase sends Rooster to the floor before he can come up with any examples. We pause the thrilling action and take a break. Back with Dibiase in control with a suplex, as it turns out that Roosters can kind of fly. Kneedrop gets one and Dibiase goes to a chinlock. Rooster slams out of it, but falls backwards and Dibiase gets two. Ah, damn, he went off half-cocked there. Fistdrop gets two. Dibiase goes back to the chinlock, but Rooster rolls him up for two. Dibiase goes for the Dream, but Rooster breaks free with a jawbreaker and follows with a neckbreaker to make the comeback. Another jawbreaker and he slugs away on Dibiase and follows with an atomic drop and fivearm, but Dibiase drops him on the top rope with a stungun. And the Million Dollar Dream finishes at 8:20, as he won’t be crowing again for a while. They had good chemistry together, they should have teamed up as The Price of Eggs. ***

UPDATE! WITH MEAN GENE OKERLUND!

In case you haven’t heard, it’s Wrestlemania VI coming up right away, and Ultimate Warrior is challenging the Orange Gaslighting Son of a Bitch in what will surely kick off his run at the top of the WWF as a top draw forever! But first we recap the goings on between Hogan and Warrior, which as usual is Hulk sticking his nose where it’s not needed or wanted. And of course we get a promo from Warrior on the subject of HALL KOGAN. Warrior? NO FEAR. Hall Kogan? NOTHING BUT FEAR. The math checks out.

Boris Zhukov v. Big Bossman

Boris actually tries to do the Soviet National Anthem gimmick, which is … something. Boris attacks and quickly gets chased to the floor. Back in, Bossman clotheslines him out of the corner and chases him to the floor again. Boris decides to retreat back to Soviet occupied Alabama but Bossman sends him back into the ring again, only to miss a blind charge and hit the post. So we get the thrilling sight of Zhukov on offense for once, using his giant head to work on the arm like he’s Bonk the Caveman or something. Bossman grabs him by the beard to escape a nerve hold, but Boris chokes him out on the ropes to take over again. Bossman comes back with a backdrop and finishes with the Bossman slam at 5:44, although it was more like a spinebuster. Well the match is over and that’s the important thing. DUD. Afterwards, Boris gets handcuffed and beaten to teach him that being from another country is NOT OK.

The Honky Tonk Man & Greg Valentine v. Jim Gorman & Jerry Monti

Hot take: Valentine leaving his hair blond and rebranding as a country and western singer would have been a better gag than the stupid black hair. Or, change his name to Valentino and become a lounge singer. They quickly double-team Monti and pin him with a double back suplex at 1:45. And they didn’t even have a match at Wrestlemania!

Afterwards, Rhythm and Blues keep the party going in the ring too long, and their music gets cut off because the Bushwhackers have a match. That’s about right for a feud kickstarter in 1990.

The Bushwhackers join us for their match, but Honky and Valentine hit them with guitars and generally beat the crap out of them to kick off their war. Pretty good beatdown too, which is the kind of heavy heat angle that the Bushwhackers typically stayed away from.

Macho King Randy Savage v. Dusty Rhodes

Well not exactly a fresh matchup here. I still can’t believe they managed to milk this thing all the way until Summerslam. Dusty hits him with an elbow while he’s posing for his subjects in the front row, which is pretty rude. Into the ring and Dusty beats on him with elbows in the corner and then tosses him at Sherri on the apron, which results in Savage taking a bump OVER Sherri and hitting the floor. But Savage runs him into the post and back in with the double axehandle for two before going to a sleeper. Dusty escapes to the floor and Sherri gives him a lovetap on the way by and Savage adds a shot as well. Sherri throws a pretty nice head kick, but that’s ineffective because there’s nothing up there and Dusty shoves her down. Savage sends him in and gets two, and then Dusty escapes to the floor AGAIN and Savage hits him with a double axehandle out there as we take a break. Back with Savage in control and he comes in with the ringbell. Classic Macho Man! That gets two, although Savage was only using one foot so it was not effective. He slugs away and Dusty makes the comeback with his flipping and flopping and whatnot. But Savage thumbs him in the eye and goes up again, only to get caught by Dream on the way down. Meanwhile, Sherri takes care of Sapphire and they threaten to get into a brawl, but Savage goes out to straighten out the womenfolk and accidentally collides with Sherri as a result. Back in the ring, she’s had enough of being abused by Dusty and attacks him for the DQ at 9:32, but Sapphire saves and the babyfaces clean house. Pretty decent meeting between these two. **1/2

The Brother Love Show, with special guest Earthquake. He’s gonna be the next WWF champion and sit on Hulk Hogan!

Meanwhile, we get the contract signing between Warrior and Hogan, with corrupt old Jack Tunney presiding. More rambling from the Warrior and surprising amounts of bitterness from the Orange Gaslighting Son of a Bitch.

WRESTLEMANIA REPORT! WITH MEAN GENE!

All the stars are coming to Skydome! We got Warrior v. Hogan, Savage & Sherri v. Dusty & Sapphire, Bossman v. Akeem, Earthquake v. Hercules, Colossal Connection v. Demolition, Tito v. Barbarian, Hacksaw v. Bravo, Beefcake v. Perfect, Superfly v. Rude, Koko v. Martel, Hart Foundation v. Bolsheviks, Jake v. Dibiase, Rockers v. Orient Express and something with Rhythm & Blues! We used to be able to cram 13 matches into a three hour PPV LIKE A PROPER CIVILIZED NATION! And that’s how we liked it, consarnit!

Earthquake v. Rugged Ronnie Garvin

Jesse notes that Garvin’s haircut “went out with Bill Haley and the Comets”. I’ll give him that, I liked Ron’s shaggy locks in Montreal and Georgia better. Garvin slugs Quake into the corner, but he tries a go-behind and can’t even get his hands around the waist. So he chops Quake instead, and an annoyed Quake chokes him down on the mat. Quake puts the boots to him for two, but Garvin fights back with chops and goes up with a double axehandle to actually put Quake down. Garvin tries the Hammer Jammer or whatever he was calling the Scorpion, but Quake shoves him away. Quake misses a charge and Garvin goes up with a flying bodypress, but Quake catches him, slams him and it’s goodnight at 4:55. Garvin gave him a good match before taking the butt splash and going out on the stretcher. **1/2

The Colossal Connection v. The Rockers

Non-title match here. The Rockers get Andre tied in the ropes with a double dropkick, but Haku immediately kicks Shawn’s ass while poor Andre is left to lay there. So Haku runs Shawn into Andre’s head and then adds another headbutt of his own. Marty comes in and Haku hits Shawn with a clothesline, but Shawn dropkicks Marty onto Haku and that gets two. But then Andre comes in and WRECKS Marty with headbutts in the corner. Maybe if it was a drinking contest it would be more of a fair fight. Haku adds a backbreaker for two and Shawn tries to come in and save, but Andre tosses Shawn to the floor like he’s bag of crap and then they hit Marty with the double-team superkick and go back to destroing Shawn again. But Demolition runs in for the DQ at 3:44, which let’s be honest, probably saved the Rockers’ lives because Andre was COMING FOR BLOOD here and I don’t think Shawn would have made it out alive judging by the mood the Giant was in. Nothing to the match aside from the Rockers just getting obliterated like a couple of geeks. ½*. Did Shawn owe Andre money or something?

This was a fun show with a good card and a couple of unexpected bangers by 1990 standards, which admittedly is a low bar to clear. Give it a look on YouTube, I’d say.