1987 — page 2

July 11, 1987


From the Market Square Arena in Indianapolis, IN


Your hosts are Bruno Sammartino, Jesse “The Body” Ventura, and Vince McMahon

In action this week will be Ken Patera, Hercules & King Kong Bundy & King Harley Race, Honky Tonk Man, Can-Am Connection, and Jake “The Snake” Roberts

Iron Mike Sharpe vs. Ken Patera


Vince puts over Patera’s strength as he works the arm of Sharpe. Patera then hits a clothesline and slams Sharpe as Vince tells Jesse that Patera has already paid his debt to society when he referred to him as a jailbird then shortly after that, Patera got the win with a bearhug (2:46).

Thoughts: Vince was really pushing Patera hard here but the fans just weren’t buying.






WWF Update with Craig DeGeorge. This week’s subject is the “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase as we see him tossing money out to the fans as he is heard in a voiceover saying he gives his money away because he enjoys watching “swine” fight over it as he proclaims that everyone has a price. This was such an interesting character and it instantly clicked as a top heel act. You can tell Vince was heavily invested in the gimmick too, which helped a lot.

Vince plugs the WWF Magazine “Win Lunch With Hulk” contest as Jesse cracks jokes about that.

Mario Mancini & Jim Evans & Paul Roma vs. Hercules & King Kong Bundy & King Harley Race w/ Bobby Heenan


Before the match, Heenan yells at the crowd to bow as they boo. Match starts with Hercules destroying Mancini then we get an insert promo from Heenan, who states that he has signed Bam Bam Bigelow. Back to the match as Bundy is now destoying Mancini. Evans tags as Bundy hits the Avalanche then drops an elbow then demands a five count and that gets the win (2:23).

Thoughts: The action was forgettable but the biggest takeaway again was the intrigue about Bam Bam Bigelow and the multiple claims by various matches that they have signed him. It was a good way to build for the debut of Bam Bam.





Gene Okerlund is with Brutus Beefcake, who will be facing Greg Valentine at Madison Square Garden. Beefcake talked about the rush he gets from cutting hair.

Can-Am Connection vs. Terry Gibbs & Dusty Wolfe


The Can-Ams take control early, hitting stereo monkey flips and atomic drops then partake in a lame celebration. The match settles down as they use their high flying offense while we get an insert promo from the Islanders as they promise to destroy the Can-Ams. Back to the match as Gibbs pulls the ropes on Martel as he dumps to the floor. However, Martel fights back shortly after that then holds up Wolfe as Zenk comes off the op with a missile dropkick as the Can-Ams get the win (2:56).

Thoughts: Zenk had actually quit the WWF by the time this made it to air, making this is last appearance on “Superstars of Wrestling.” They seemed to have big plans for this feud too.






Okerlund is now with Hulk Hogan, who will face Killer Khan at the August 1st show at the Meadowlands arena. Hogan promises to eat Khan alive and warns him and Mr. Fuji that Hulkamania is coming. After several weeks of strong build on TV, Khan is now facing Hogan for the title at house shows across the country.

A replay of last week where Khan sprayed mist into the face of Outback Jack as they build up Khan as a serious threat to Hogan in their upcoming matches.

Jake “The Snake” Roberts vs. Brian Costello


Jake beats on Costello in and out of the ring. Back inside, he hits the short-armed clothesline then follows with the DDT for the win (1:45). After the match, Jake dumps the snake on Costello, who freaks out and leaves the ring.

Thoughts: Not a whole lot of talk about Jake and his feud with Honky here as it was merely a showcase for Jake to get a quick win and for the fans to see him use the snake.






WWF Special Report with Craig DeGeorge. This is about Danny Davis as they show clips of him that led to Jack Tunney suspending him for life as a referee. Then, DeGeorge shows us the clip of Mr. T being named the new “Special Enforcer” of the WWF as we hear from Davis, who says that he is a good wrestler.

A small clip of Jesse Ventura from the film “Predator.”

New Dream Team w/ Johnny V. vs. Sivi Afi & “Leaping” Lanny Poffo

Poffo’s pre-match promo was poking fun at Johnny V’s haircut courtesy of Beefcake. The New Dream Team beat on Afi as we see Johnny V. in an insert promo saying that he has signed Bam Bam Bigelow. Beefcake joins the announcers table as Bravo hits Afi with a dropkick. Beefcake says that he has something special for the New Dream Team. Bravo misses a top rope senton as Poffo tags in and cleans hammers away. Valentine breaks up a pin after a moonsault then the New Dream Team take control of the match. Valentine stares down Beefcake then puts on the Figure Four as Poffo submits (3:32). Valentine keeps the hold on after the bell then Beefcake runs down to the ring and cuts off a piece of Valentine’s hair as the crowd goes nuts. The New Dream are flipping out as they are outside of the ring while Beefcake is playing with his hair.

Thoughts: They continued the Beefcake vs. Dream Team feud here as it was at least helping Beefcake get over. Bravo & Valentine sucked as a team but the important thing was getting over the guy with the new push and it worked in that aspect.



DeGeorge is with Slick and Butch Reed, who are not impressed with the latest Superstar Billy Graham video, which shows him in various poses. Reed then promises to show us a posedown next week.

Honky Tonk Man w/ Jimmy Hart vs. Omar Atlas

Atlas reverses an Irish whip then gets two with a sunset flip. However, he ducks his head on a backdrop attempt and gets kicked in the face as we see an insert promo from Jimmy Hart as he tells us that is the one who signed Bam Bam Bigelow, even promising us exclusive footage next week. Back to the match as Honky catches Atlas with a clothesline then puts him away with the Shake, Rattle, and Roll (1:41). After the match, Honky poses for his fans.

Thoughts: Match was nothing but this segment sure made Hart seem like the favorite to land Bigelow.

In action next week will be Brutus Beefcake, Demolition, One Man Gang and the featured match of Junkyard Dog & Billy Jack Haynes & Hillbilly Jim vs. Don Muraco & Bob Orton & Ron Bass. Plus, Mr. T will be the guest on the “Snake Pit.”

Final Thoughts: The show was fine this week in pushing newer acts. They put over DiBiase’s gimmick a lot and are hyping up Bam Bam as good as you can without having him actually appear on TV. They also are getting Beefcake’s barber gimmick over with the crowds as well. Hogan has a new opponent for house show matches in Khan, who they are making an attempt to get over by having him spew mist. Still, they need stronger feuds at the top of the cards and Patera vs. the Heenan Family is not working.




Here is my schedule for the rest of the week:

Thursday: RF Video Shoot & Undercover with New Jack (2004)
Friday: WWF Wrestling Challenge 7/12/87
Sunday: WWF Superstars of Wrestling 7/18/87
Tuesday: WWF Wrestling Challenge7/19/87

July 5, 1987


From the Louisville Gardens in Louisville, KY

Your hosts are Bobby Heenan and Gorilla Monsoon

In action tonight will be Jake Roberts, Honky Tonk Man, Demolition, Brutus Beefcake, and Killer Khan.

Tony Leone vs. Jake “The Snake” Roberts


Leone lands a few punches in the corner but Roberts comes back with a clothesline. Heenan then tells us that he has signed “Bam Bam Bigelow,” who he tells us weighs 396 lbs. Back to the match as Roberts hits a slam then shortly after that hits the DDT for the win (1:27). After the match, Roberts puts the snake on Leone, to the delight of the fans.

Thoughts: The fans loved Roberts but the announcers talking about Bam Bam was the theme of the show as Monsoon would goad Heenan about the other managers claiming to have signed Bam Bam as well.






“Leaping” Lanny Poffo recites a promo about the WWF Ice Cream Bars

Jim Powers vs. Honky Tonk Man w/ Jimmy Hart


Both guys trade off working the arm as Jimmy Hart is shown in an insert promo announcing that he has signed “Bam Bam.” Back to the match as Honky is in control then puts Powers away with the Shake, Rattle, and Roll (1:38). After the match, Honky thanks the fans then dances.

Thoughts: Honky did a good job getting heel heat here but the story of the show is still just exactly who is Bam Bam, as Hart told us that he is 6’6 and can do everything.






Gene Okerlund is with the Killer Bees, who tell us that they have been having fun this holiday weekend as Blair gives him some “orange blossom special.” Brunzell looks ungodly hungover here as he talks about masked confusion. These guys gave us a lot of really corny promos.

Frankie DeFalco vs. Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake 


Beefcake is carrying a mirror to the ring. He starts the match by beating on DeFalco as the announcers talk about the haircut Johnny V. received. Beefcake then catches DeFalco with a sleeper and gets the win (1:46). After the match, Beefcake puts on his coats and cuts DeFalco’s hair before spraying it red.

Thoughts: Beefcake was another wrestler that found success with a post-match gimmick. During a time when the company needed help in the midcard, the success of Beefcake was welcome.






S.D. Jones & Paul Roma vs. Demolition w/ Mr. Fuji


The faces briefly work over the arm of Smash to start. Smash comes back with a slam on Roma as Fuji is shown in an insert promo announcing that he has signed Bam Bam Bigelow. Back to the match as Roma comes back with a dropkick on Ax but gets caught with a stungun then put away with the Decapitation (2:21).

Thoughts: Most of the focus was on the Bam Bam situation. Demolition needs a feud.






We are shown the replay of the Heenan Family beating down Ken Patera after his match from the 6/27 edition of Superstars of Wrestling.

Killer Khan w/ Mr. Fuji vs. Mike Richards


Khan destroys Richards as Heenan thinks Khan can beat Hulk Hogan for the title. Khan hits a thrust kick then sprays mist into Richards eyes. Khan then hits a piledriver before putting Richards away with a flying knee drop (3:24).

Thoughts: They certainly tried to put over Khan as a credible threat to Hogan. As far as the match, it went on for too long. Khan should have put this clown away in half the time.






Next week in action will be the Junkyard Dog, Hart Foundation, One Man Gang, and Hillbilly Jim & Billy Jack Haynes & Tito Santana. Plus, the featured match will have the Killer Bees take on Don Muraco & Bob Orton.

Final Thoughts: They did a great job in making you want to see just who Bam Bam was but other than that, there was no real feud advancement to speak of besides a clip of Patera getting beat down. Not the most exciting show and really nothing you would have needed to see back in the day.

Here is my schedule for the next several days:

Tuesday: WWF Superstars of Wrestling 7/11/87
Thursday: RF Video Shoot Interview with New Jack (2004)
Friday: WWF Wrestling Challenge 7/12/87
Sunday: WWF Superstars of Wrestling 7/18/87

July 4, 1987


From the Market Square Arena in Indianapolis, IN

Your hosts are Bruno Sammartino, Jesse “The Body” Ventura, and Vince McMahon

The featured matchup this week is Killer Khan vs. Outback Jack. Also in action this week will be Randy Savage, Kamala & Sika, Tito Santana, and Brutus Beefcake.

Sonny Rogers vs. Randy “Macho Man” Savage w/ Elizabeth


Rogers surprises Savage with a rollup but gets clotheslined shortly after that. Savage hits a double axe handle then yanks him up after two then dumps him outside and hits another one then  rolls him back inside and sets him up for the flying elbow smash as he gets the win (1:41).

Thoughts: Savage got a lot of cheers here, especially after winning. Not even blowing off Mr. T. could get him heel heat.






WWF Update with Craig DeGeorge. This week’s focus is on Ken Patera and the beatdown he suffered last week on Superstars at the hands of the Heenan Family. We are then shown footage from the locker room as Billy Jack Haynes and Brutus Beefcake tell Patera, whose back is covered in welts after getting whipped with a belt, that they are on his side. Patera is then shown in a promo telling the Heenan Family that they have created a monster while mispronouncing words such as “humiliated.” After this segment, they show Patera in the WWF Magazine as he holds his high school diploma as Jesse makes fun of him.

Jim Powers & Mario Mancini vs. Kamala & Sika w/ Mr. Fuji & Kimchee


Powers tries to use his speed to get the best of Sika but misses a dropkick then gets chopped down. Kamala tags in and goes on the attack as we are shown an insert promo from Mr. Fuji, telling us that he will be managing “Bam Bam” as the announcers wonder who he is talking about. Back to the match as Sika hits Mancini with a Samoan Drop then tags Kamala, who gets the win with a splash (1:55).

Thoughts: Quick match to put over Kamala & Sika but the real story was about this “Bam Bam” that Fuji was talking about.






Gene Okerlund, wearing sunglasses, is with the Honky Tonk Man and Jimmy Hart. They hype their match next week against Jake Roberts as Honky guarantees victory. Actually, Jake never wrestled this match as he was replaced by Bruno Sammartino. Jake was still hurt at the time.

Another “Million Dollar Man” vignette is shown. DiBiase cannot believe that people put morals and value ahead of money and tells us that everyone has a price. We are then shown DiBiase and Virgil enter a public pool that is filled with children. DiBiase then bribes the guy running the pool to kick everyone out, even saying that he pays more taxes in a month then their parents pay in a year (Seems like a line Vince would write). Virgil yells at the kids to leave as DiBiase tells us not to get mad at the pool manager as he has a price, just like everyone else. Great stuff and it is easy to see how the WWF got over this gimmick. It was tremendous.

Terry Gibbs vs. Tito Santana


At this point, Santana was starting to grow his mullet out. Santana starts the match by working the arm of Gibbs. He hits a few armdrags and hip tosses then Gibbs comes back with some basic heel offense. Gibbs gets two with an elbow drop but Santana fights back. He dropkicks Gibbs then gets the win with a flying forearm (2:42).

Thoughts: Santana had nothing going on at this time but that was all about to change in the next couple of months.






Okerlund is with the Can-Am Connection. Martel warns the Islanders that they will not get away with what they did to them and in Boston, they will show how they are not pushovers. Zenk promises the Islanders they will not be smiling after their match. Another match that never took place as Zenk quit the day before the show and was replaced by the Junkyard Dog.

We are shown footage of Superstar Billy Graham’s workout video. After it airs, Butch Reed is with Craig DeGeorge and says he is not impressed as they try to build up this feud.

Outback Jack vs. Killer Khan w/ Mr. Fuji


Khan beats the crap out of Jack to start. Jack ducks a clothesline and comes back with a forearm smash and some other strikes that all look terrible. He then knocks Khan with a sorry excuse of a clothesline. Khan ducks underneath the ropes as the ref holds Jack back then gets up and super kicks Jack before spitting mist into his face. Jack rolls around like he has been pepper-sprayed then hits a backbreaker before putting him away with a flying knee drop (2:10). After the match we get a slo-mo replay of the mist and Khan did it perfectly as it went directly into Jack’s eyes. Jack is then shown being carried to the back with a towel over his face.

Thoughts: This match was really awful but I at least give Jack credit for selling the mist. It was the only thing about this match that didn’t suck. Speaking of Jack, this was the beginning of the end for him as he was essentially a TV jobber after this match.






Snake Pit with guests the Killer Bees. Good reaction for the Bees here, who are wearing their masks. Jake asks them about beating the champs last week as they talk about waiting two years for a title shot. They promise to counter Danny Davis and Jimmy Hart with masked confusion. Jake then picks up the snake to show them as the Bees then leave. They have now built up the Killer Bees as the #1 contenders.

Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake vs. Chris Curtis


Curtis cheapshots Beefcake after a break but ends up getting knocked down. Beefcake hits a clothesline then catches him with a sleeper for the win (1:11). After the match, Beefcake puts on his coat and pulls out the clippers as he cuts some hair, setting Jesse off. He gave Curtis one shitty haircut by the way. He then sprays the top of Curtis’ head with pink spray then surprises him with a mirror when he wakes up as Curtis flips out when he sees his new hairstyle

Thoughts: Beefcake continues to get over the barber gimmick as the fans are really digging the haircuts at the end of the match.






DeGeorge is with Danny Davis, who wants to talk about Jack Tunney giving Mr. T a referee’s license. DeGeorge then says that next week, Tunney will show us why Davis was suspended as a referee.

Now, we are shown another clip of the Jumping Bomb Angels as they wrestled the Glamour Girls from the 6/24 “Wrestling Challenge” tapings in Louisville, KY. That match was shown on the 7/20 edition of “Primetime Wrestling.” Vince promises us that we will see more of them in the coming weeks.

Frankie DeFalco & S.D. Jones vs. The Islanders w/ Bobby Heenan


Loud “weasel” chant by the crowd. Match starts with Haku beating on DeFalco. We are then shown an insert promo by Heenan, who promises that “Bam Bam” will be the newest member of the Heenan Family. S.D. is in and gets in some offense, including an atomic drop on Tama. DeFalco tags but Tama clotheslines him then he puts DeFalco away with a top rope splash after a powerslam from Haku (2:29).

Thoughts: More intrigue here as to who exactly was this “Bam Bam” the managers were talking about. The Islanders looked good in this match.






Okerlund, without the shades, is with Jake Roberts, who talks about his match against the Honky Tonk Man in Boston. Jake tells us that it will be stormy in Boston and that Honky will be unable to see what is going on and is now in a no-win situation. Good promo from Jake but those poor fans in Boston must have been pissed. The card for that show was terrible.

Next week in action will be Ken Patera, Hercules & King Kong Bundy and King Harley Race, Can-Am Connection, and Jake Roberts. Plus, an update on the medical condition of Outback Jack.

Final Thoughts: This show had some good stuff, like the Million Dollar Man vignette and the hype about “Bam Bam.” They put over Khan strong with the mist, although you can debate if he was even worth pushing at this time. However, the company doesnt have any hot feuds and too many older guys (Graham, Patera) are getting pushed the hardest on TV. They continue to struggle finding their groove.




Here is my schedule for the next several days:

Saturday: RoH Beating the Odds 9/6/03
Sunday: WWF Wrestling Challenge 7/5/87
Tuesday: WWF Superstars of Wrestling 7/11/87
Thursday: Shoot Interview TBD
Friday: WWF Wrestling Challenge 7/12/87

June 28, 1987


From the War Memorial in Rochester, NY

Your hosts are Bobby Heenan and Gorilla Monsoon

Tonight’s featured match is Greg Valentine vs. Raymond Rougeau. Also in action are the Can-Am Connection and Randy Savage.

Dave Stoudemire vs. “Macho Man” Randy Savage w/ Elizabeth


Before the match, ring announcer Mel Phillips introduced Mr. T as the new enforcer of the WWF. He got a decent reaction here then tries to shake the hand of Savage, who turns his back on him, to the amusement of Heenan. The match begins as Savage immediately attacks Stoudemire. He slams him down then goes up top for the flying elbow smash and that gets the win (0:35). Savage did not even remove his shades here.

Thoughts: Easy work for Savage here. The big story from this match is that Mr. T is back in the WWF as an “enforcer.” This did not last long.






Wrestler’s Rebuttal with Craig DeGeorge. He is with the Junkyard Dog, who tells us that his new catchphrase is “fightin’ and a bitin'” before he teaches DeGeorge how to juke. Same old routine from JYD, who was past the point of usefulness here.

Greg “The Hammer” Valentine w/ Johnny V. & Dino Bravo vs. Raymond Rougeau w/ Jacques Rougeau 


Match starts with Valentine taking control as we are shown an insert promo from Brutus Beefcake, threatening to cut the hair of the New Dream Team. Back to the match as Vaentine stops a comeback with a knee to the gut then works the leg. Valentine heads up top but Raymond slams him off then gets a nearfall with a sunset flip. Bravo trips up Raymond from the outside and that sets off Jacques as he runs in and breaks up Valentine’s Figure Four as the match is ruled a no-contest (3:12). The teams then brawl for a bit.

Thoughts: This feud continues although it is not particularly exciting or anything.






Gene Okerlund is with Hercules. He asks him about Bobby Heenan as Hercules tells us the Heenan Family has never been stronger. He also says that he has never been stronger and that Ken Patera will pay for what he did to Heenan. Decent enough promo from Hercules.

We are now shown the first “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase vignette. This was originally aired on the 6/27 edition of “Superstars of Wrestling.” He is in his limo holding a stack of money while he tells us that he can buy happiness, love, and even by any of us before introducing us to Virgil, who is driving the car. DiBiase then suffers a paper cut from flicking through his money as he orders Virgil to take him to the hospital, where he cuts ahead of everyone after giving the nurse $300. DiBiase then tells us that the nurse did what everyone watching would have done as she had her price, just like everyone of us has too. Great introductory vignette. This character was an awesome idea for a heel and these would continue on for the next several weeks.

Can-Am Connection vs. Terry Gibbs & Jimmy Jack Funk


Zenk starts the match by working the arm of Gibbs. The match breaks down as Zenk gets tossed but comes back in to help Martel take down Gibbs with a sunset flip. The Can-Ams then send Funk to the floor with a double dropkick as they take control of the match. Funk clotheslines Martel behind the referee’s back then tags in and gets two off of a shoulderbreaker. Martel blocks a suplex and hits one of his own as both men are down. Zenk gets tagged in and runs wild then Martel holds up Gibbs as Zenk connects with a missile dropkick and gets the win (3:47).

Thoughts: The crowd wasn’t that into the Can-Ams here but to be fair it was the final show of the taping and they looked burned out. Plus, this taping did not exactly produce the most compelling TV in WWF history.






King Harley Race & Hercules & “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff w/ Bobby Heenan vs. Don Driggers & Mario Mancini & ?????


I have no idea who the third guy is on the jobber team. He never even tagged in here.  Before the match, Heenan cut off ring announcer Mel Phillips to introduce Orndorff as he has his own entrance in an attempt to re-establish him into the company. Match starts with the heels tossing around Driggers. Mancini tags in and gets clotheslined by Orndorff, who shortly after that puts Driggers away with the piledriver (2:12).

Thoughts: This was designed to put over the Heenan Family as a threat while spotlighting Orndorff and how he is ready to be a threat again to the top of the card.






Craig DeGeorge welcomes Mr. T, who is the new enforcer in the WWF. Mr. T tells him that he has been preparing by chopping trees as DeGeorge tells Danny Davis to look out. Nothing you haven’t seen before from a Mr. T promo.

“Cowboy” Frankie Lane vs. “The Outlaw” Ron Bass


Bass tosses Laine to the floor then we hear Bass in an insert promo talking about his whip, Miss Betsy, and how he wants to use it to humiliate people after he beats them. Back to the match as Bass is beating the crap out of Laine for a bit until he hits the Texas Gordbuster for the win (2:35).

Thoughts: Dull and the crowd sat on their hands for this one. Bass wasn’t a bad worker at all but he seemingly bored the crowd to tears in this match.






DeGeorge is with Slick and “The Natural” Butch Reed, who says that Superstar Billy Graham does not have the body or the mentality like he does as he runs down Graham further for being old and broken down. They are looking to start a Reed/Graham feud.

Clips of the Hart Foundation vs. Killer Bees match from the 6/20/87 edition of “Superstars of Wrestling.”

Okerlund is with Billy Jack Haynes, who talks about the grand opening of his new gym in Oregon. Okerlund then asks him about his workout regime as Haynes tells us that he works out 1.5 hours a day six days a week. He then asks him about his feud with Hercules as Haynes tells Hercules what goes around, comes around, and is not ranting and raving like a psychopath this time as he wants to settle the score with Hercules once and for all. A calm Haynes almost worries me more than a screaming psychotic Haynes.

In action next week will be Jake Roberts, Brutus Beefcake, and the British Bulldogs

Final Thoughts: The Million Dollar Man vignette was cool and the Mr. T as an enforcer angle was intriguing. Plus, they established that JYD and Orndorff returned, which is fine, but they were past their primes. The WWF was trying to get things going at this time but a lot of plans got derailed one way or another.

Here is my schedule for the rest of the week:

Thursday: RF Video Shoot Interview with Jerry Lynn
Friday: WWF Superstars of Wrestling 7/4/87
Saturday: RoH Beating the Odds 9/6/03
Sunday: WWF Wrestling Challenge 7/5/87
Tuesday: WWF Superstars of Wrestling 7/11/87

June 21, 1987

From the War Memorial in Rochester, NY

Your hosts are Bobby Heenan and Gorilla Monsoon

In action this week are the Islanders, Honky Tonk Man, Ken Patera, Koko B. Ware, and Demolition

Paul Roma vs. Honky Tonk Man w/ Jimmy Hart

Honky immediately goes to work on the arm of Roma, who fights back and hits an atomic drop. Roma comes back with a nice dropkick then a slam but misses an elbow drop. Honky beats down Roma then taunts the crowd before going to work in the corner. We get an insert promo from Randy Savage, thanking Honky for taking care of Ricky Steamboat as he proclaims he will climb to the top and beat Hogan. Back to the match as Honky catches Roma with an elbow to the neck before hitting the Shake, Rattle, and Roll for the win (1:57). After the match, Honky dedicates his win to the fans then begins to dance.

Thoughts: Honky continues to get massive heel heat. The most hated WWF wrestler in 1987 if I had to choose.



Wrestler’s Rebuttal with Craig DeGeorge. He is with the British Bulldogs and Matilda as Davey tells us that Matilda gives them advice. A waste of thirty seconds.

Rick Renslow vs. Ken Patera

Before the match, Patera points at Heenan, who goes off about Patera being a “violent animal.” Patera shoves down Renslow a few times. Heenan puts down Patera constantly as Renslow takes a breather outside. Back in the ring, Renslow uses an eye rake but Patera fights back and slams him down. He follows with a suplex before getting the win with a bearhug (2:12).

Thoughts: Patera’s push continues to fizzle out as not even Heenan could ignite their feud. Patera had nothing left in the ring.

Gene Okerlund puts over the Tag Team Division before bringing out the Can-Am Connection. Martel puts over all the teams then wants to know why the Islanders aligned with Heenan in a promo that seemed like a struggle. Zenk then promises they will be all over the Islanders. Rough promo from these two.

Scott Casey & “Leaping” Lanny Poffo vs. The Islanders w/ Bobby Heenan

Poffo’s pre match promo involved the Can-Am Connection beating the Islanders. Johnny V. has replaced Heenan on commentary for this match, sounding more drunk than usual. Casey takes Tama over after an Irish whip sequence. Haku tags in and gets taken down with a few arm drags but is able to come back with a chop. The Islanders double-team Casey for a bit as they are in control of the match. Casey dodges a splash and tags out as Poffo runs wild. The match breaks down until Casey gets dumped then Poffo misses a dropkick as the Islanders hit the double diving headbutt for the win (3:27).

Thoughts: The heel push for the Islanders continues as their feud with the Can-Am Connection is getting a lot of TV time.

Okerlund is with Bob Orton & Don Muraco and brings up rumors of dissention between the two. Muraco tells us that sometimes in the heat of battle you can lose control but can easily rectify the situation as Orton says everything is alright and that they are ready to take on the competition. Muraco then cuts off Orton as he was talking as they are now both talking over each other. These two will be splitting soon.

Johnny K-9 vs. Koko B. Ware

Koko hits a backdrop as the announcers plug the WWF Magazine and how its now a monthly publication. Koko then hits a dropkick as the camera zooms in on Frankie. Koko gets the crowd going as K-9 takes a breather. Back to the action as Koko catches K-9 with a slam then hits a missile dropkick before hitting the Ghostbuster for the win (2:10). Man, that looked vicious.

Thoughts: Koko looked good here but had nothing going on at this point other than a feud against Danny Davis at house shows.

DeGeorge is with Danny Davis, who says the officiating has gone downhill since he was let go, something DeGeorge disagrees with. Davis then warns everyone that he is even better as a wrestler. Too bad his ring work never matched his mic skills because he could have been something.

Billy Jack Haynes tells us that he does not smoke, drink, or take drugs as there is not one positive thing you can get out of drugs as he pleads with the kids that drugs are negative while they are a positive influence to the world. This happened.

A repeat of the latest update on Superstar Billy Graham from this week’s “Superstars of Wrestling.”

One Man Gang w/ Slick vs. Brian Costello

Gang destroys Costello in the corner as Gorilla asks Heenan about Bundy and how he abuses the midget wrestlers. Costello is now in the tree-of-woe as Gang chokes him out with his foot. Gang roughs up Costello some more until he puts him away with a gordbuster (1:53).

Thoughts: Odd to see after a few weeks of putting over the Master Blaster that Gang switched to a new finisher.



Jim Powers & Jerry Allen vs. Demolition w/ Mr. Fuji

Ax beats on Powers as we get an insert promo from Fuji, telling us that Demolition will destroy every other team in the WWF. Smash now beats on Powers as Heenan proclaims that Demolition will not last ten minutes against the Islanders. Allen tags in and also gets destroyed. Ax clotheslines Allen over the top rope then they slam him repeatedly when he re-enters the ring then Demolition get the win with the Decapitation (3:45).

Thoughts: Total domination by Demolition here. They were such an awesome team.



Okerlund is with Randy Savage, who still states he is happy that the Honky Tonk Man beat Steamboat for the IC belt as he is now going to beat Hulk Hogan for the Heavyweight Title. Savage then guarantees he will win and is now doing things his own way as the “Macho Madness Bandwagon” has surpassed Hulkamania. Okerlund then brings up Elizabeth and when she is coming back with him for the interviews as Savage yells at him. They are subtle in planting the seeds for Savage’s face turn. In hindsight, it was very well done.

Next week in action will be Randy Savage, Can-Am Connection, and Greg Valentine vs. Raymond Rougeau

Final Thoughts: Not that bad of a show but again, the company was in a downswing here. I dont have a lot more to add other than that but I dont have a copy of the 6/27 edition of Superstars (which featured the first-ever Million Dollar Man vignette) so I will skip to the 6/28 edition of Challenge this Tuesday.

June 20, 1987

From the Memorial Auditorium in Buffalo, NY

Your hosts are Bruno Sammartino, Jesse “The Body” Ventura, and Vince McMahon

In action this week will be the Can-Am Connection, George Steele, Killer Khan, and the featured match between the Killer Bees and the Hart Foundation

Killer Bees vs. Hart Foundation w/ Jimmy Hart & Danny Davis

This is a non-title match. Blair starts the match by working over the arm of Neidhart. He gets a quick rollup for two then tags Brunzell, who also works the arm. Bret tags in and Brunzell takes him down and works the arm briefly until he gets caught with a knee. The Hart Foundation neutralize Brunzell in their corner for a minute. Brunzell tries a comeback then Davis yanks Blair off of the apron as the referee orders Davis to the dressing room and as that happens, the Bees sneak underneath the ring and put on their masks as Blair is now in the ring. He cleans house then as Bret attempted to block a sunset flip, Neidhart came in trying to help him out but the ref ordered him back then Brunzell pushed Bret down as Blair gets the win with the sunset flip as Jesse flips out on commentary (4:18).

Thoughts: Fun match. It also ensures that the Bees will get a title shot in the future as they are still trying to determine the #1 contenders.



WWF Update with Craig DeGeorge. This week’s subject is the Honky Tonk Man as they show a clip of him beating Ricky Steamboat for the Intercontinental Title last week and the celebration in the heel locker room. DeGeorge is then shown interviewing Honky in the locker room as Honky thanks the fans and gloats about always being the champion.

Al Navarro vs. George “The Animal” Steele

Steele immediately attacks Navarro then chases off the referee. He then bites open a turnbuckle and throws the stuffing at the referee as he waits for Navarro to re-enter the ring. We get an insert promo from Davis talking trash about the referee’s for tossing him from the ring as Steele puts Navarro away with the flying hammerlock (1:18). After the match, Steele takes down the ref then raises his hand before biting open another turnbuckle.

Thoughts: This crowd loved Steele, who was used perfectly in the WWF at this time in short squash matches and wins over lesser talent at house shows to get good crowd reaction.



Gene Okerlund is with Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake, who hypes his match against Greg Valentine at the July Boston Garden show.

We now get a brief clip of the Jumping Bomb Angels in action as Vince tells us that we will be seeing them soon in the WWF. The clip didnt show much at all to be honest but the team was way ahead of its time.

Rick Renslow & Dave Wagner vs. Can-Am Connection

Zenk gets attacked by Wagner as Renslow distracts the referee. He comes back with a monkey flip then tags Martel, who hits a jumping back elbow smash off of Zenk’s back. We get an insert promo from Bobby Heenan and the Islanders as they laugh at the Can-Am Connection, who are in full control of this match. Zenk then gets briefly trapped in the corner but dodges an attack then makes the tag to Martel, who cleans house. Martel then tags Zenk before holding up Renslow as Zenk comes off of the top with a missile dropkick and gets the win (2:52).

Thoughts: Good action from the Can-Ams as their feud against the Islanders was heavily pushed here.



Okerlund is with Jake Roberts, who tells us that he is essentially stalking the Honky Tonk Man and will get a rematch and promises he will hit him with the DDT. Really good promo from Jake.

Killer Khan w/ Mr. Fuji vs. Brian Costello

Khan kneels down to pray before the match as Jesse tells us he does not believe Hogan can beat Khan. The match finally starts as Khan beats down Costello. He then hits a backbreaker and bows to Fuji before climbing up top and getting the win with a knee drop (1:42).

Thoughts: They certainly put Khan over as a title contender here. His finisher was cool but that was about it from him.



Snake Pit with guests Randy Savage and Elizabeth. Savage congratulates the Honky Tonk Man for winning the IC title then rubs it in Jake’s face. Jake then questions Savage for previously saying he wanted to make sure that he beats Steamboat to get back his belt. Savage switches focus to Hogan and how he wants to go after him then guarantees he will take down Hulkamania because Hogan is number two while he is number one as Jake keeps telling Savage he does not think he can get the job done. Good promo from Savage, who dodges all questions about not getting the IC Title from Steamboat, like he promised. Keep that in mind over the next few months.

WWF Special Report with Craig DeGeorge. We get another update on Superstar Billy Graham as he continues to rehab from surgery. These segments were all overly long and to push a star that was relatively unknown to the younger audience.

And missing from my copy are Billy Jack Haynes defeating Steve Lombardi and Hercules & King Harley Race & King Kong Bundy & Paul Orndorff vs. Jim Powers & Paul Roma & Mario Mancini & Don Driggers.

Final Thoughts: Not too bad from what I saw. The action was entertaining for the most part and we had excellent interviews between Roberts and Savage, as they are now positioned as the top two contenders for the IC Title.

Here is the rest of my schedule for the next several days:

Sunday: WWF Wrestling Challenge 6/21/87
Tuesday: WWF Wrestling Challenge 6/28/87
Thursday: Shoot Interview TBD
Friday: WWF Superstars of Wrestling 7/4/87
Saturday: RoH Beating the Odds 9/6/03

June 14, 1987

From Madison Square Garden in New York, NY

Your hosts are Lord Alfred Hayes and Gorilla Monsoon

In action tonight we have Hulk Hogan defending the World Heavyweight Title against King Harley Race in a Texas Death Match. Plus, Hercules vs. Billy Jack Haynes and Paul Orndorff vs. Junkyard Dog.

The Shadows vs. Can-Am Connection

Bobby Heenan has joined the announcers table. The Shadows were Randy Colley (Moondog Rex) and Jose Luis Rivera wearing masks and bodysuits. They go by #1 and #2 here, respectively. Match starts with Martel using his speed to elude #1. Zenk tags and dropkicks #1 as both teams take a break in their corners. Martel stops Zenk as he gets whipped into the corner then the Shadows take a break due to frustration. Back inside, the heel stall as Heenan and Gorilla go back and forth over Gorilla’s claim that he is not paying his talent well. #2 keeps on complaining about non-existent hair pulls then Zenk grabs a hold of his arm and works on that for a bit. #2 goes low on Martel but ends up getting dropkicked to the floor. Martel dropkicks #1 off of the apron then starts high-stepping and pumping his fist in the air. Back inside, the Can-Ams take turns neutralizing #1, mostly using headlocks. #2 fucks up a leapfrog spot and falls down when he was supposed to bounce off of the ropes, then gets caught with a reverse rollup but #1 makes the save then hits Zenk in the back of the head. The Shadows double-team Zenk behind the ref’s back while Martel is frustrated. #1 puts Zenk in a chinlock as Heenan talks up the Islanders and how much better they are than the Can-Ams. Zenk tries to make the tag and does but the ref did not see it take place. Martel breaks up a pin attempt after #2 interfered then Zenk gets tossed to the floor. #1 suplexes him back inside for a nearfall but misses on a splash attempt as Zenk got his knees up. #2 tags in and knees Zenk in the mid-section. He tries a suplex but that gets blocked and Zenk hits one of his own as both men are down. Zenk finally makes the tag as Martel cleans house by himself. The match breaks down as the heels try a double noggin-knocker but Zenk ducks as Martel flies over him and hits #2 with a crossbody (18:56) *1/2. After the match, Heenan grabs the mic and calls them lucky because the Islanders would have beaten them a long time ago. Martel then tells them that they should bring the Islanders to the ring and wrestle right now. The Islanders come out as the crowd goes nuts but several officials hold them back as Heenan tells them they are lucky.

Thoughts: The match was a bore but the antics afterwards were entertaining as they did a fine job of pushing along the Islanders/Can-Am Connection feud.



Billy Jack Haynes vs. Hercules


Hercules spits at Haynes, who goes nuts and starts hammering away. Hercules ducks outside then re-enters and stalls for a bit, pissing off the crowd in the process. Haynes clotheslines him then hits a vertical suplex and a backbreaker as he is overpowering Hercules. He heads up top but missed a fist drop as Hercules catches his breath in the corner before nailing Haynes with a clothesline. Hercules puts the boots to Haynes then knocks him outside where he hits a forearm smash from the apron. Haynes gets whipped into the guardrail then re-enters the ring and taunts the crowd. The action heads back inside where Hercules chokes out Haynes before working over the neck for a while. Haynes tries to mount a comeback but that is stopped short as Hercules maintains control of the match. Hercules gets nearfalls with a backbreaker and a suplex but is unable to put Haynes away. He chokes out Haynes with his wrist tape for a bit then hammers away as Haynes is fighting back. Hercules wins that slugfest then grabs a bearhug that Haynes easily escapes from with an eye rake as both men are down. Haynes boots down Hercules but is unable to capitalize on that as Hercules takes control then puts on the full nelson. Haynes tries to escape as Hercules does not have his fingers locked. He manages to break free after a struggle then clotheslines Hercules as both men are down. Haynes starts firing away then chokes out Hercules with his wrist tape for a bit. He backdrops Hercules then hits a side slam. Elbow drop gets two. They are now slugging it out, laying into each other with stiff chops, until Haynes hits a back elbow smash. He heads over to Hercules, who is able to pull him by the tights as Haynes crashes to the floor. Both guys are now brawling outside and make it in before the ten count. They slug it out again in the ring until the bell rings, signaling a time-limit draw (22:05) ***.

Thoughts: Good match. These two worked a hard, physical style. The finish also signals that a return bout is looming. Haynes and Hercules had always had solid chemistry together.






Gorilla is with Hulk Hogan, who talks about beating Andre the Giant at WrestleMania III and how he will retire if he loses to King Harley Race tonight in their Texas Death Match. That was the stipulation for Hogan title matches a lot of the time in 1987.

Jim Powers & Paul Roma vs. The Islanders w/ Bobby Heenan


Tama yells at the crowd then struts around the ring before the match. Man, he was an awesome heel. Match starts with Roma working a hammerlock on Tama, who runs to the ropes then complains to the referee. Roma comes back with a slam and a dropkick as Tama ducks outside to huddle with his partner and manager. Tama tries to trick Roma with a handshake but Roma catches his foot after he attempted a kick then hits an atomic drop. Powers tags and works over Haku briefly until Tama tags back into the match. Powers works the arm for a bit then hits a dropkick after Tama believed he had outsmarted him. Roma & Powers take turns working the arm of Tama for a few minutes. Roma gets backed into the Islanders corner as Haku tags and roughs up Roma. He hits a dropkick then hammers away. He misses a move but Tama trips up Roma from outside the ring as the Islanders are in complete control as they work over Roma for a few minutes. Roma reverses a suplex on Tama but was unable to capitalize as the Islanders go back on the attack. Roma tries to make the tag but Tama cuts him off each time. Haku slams Roma down but misses a flipping senton as both men are down. Powers tags and fires away on both members of the Islanders. The match breaks down as Haku goes behind the ref’s back and hits a backbreaker then Tama comes off of the top with a splash for the win (19:02) **1/2.

Thoughts: Solid match. Tama did a fantastic job here getting heat and was the glue here. Too bad he let himself go because he should have been a much bigger star. Roma & Powers got in a healthy amount of offense in the loss as their small push continues.

“Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff w/ Bobby Heenan vs. Junkyard Dog

Gorilla says that this match could main event any arena in the country. Two years prior it could have. The size difference between Orndorff’s arms is very noticeable here. Match starts with Orndorff stalling for a bit until they fight over a lockup. Orndorff bails before JYD can hit him with the crawling headbutts. Back inside, JYD works the arm then a headscissors as this match boasts very little action. Orndorff now is in control and hits a few elbow drops. Orndorff now slams JYD’s head off of the mat but that has no effect as JYD fights back. He gets a nearfall with a small package then Heenan trips up JYD, who drags him up on the apron. Orndorff hits JYD from behind but its not enough to put him away. JYD charges but gets caught in one of the most pathetic looking stunguns I have ever seen as that is enough to get Orndorff the win (9:47) 1/4*.

Thoughts: Awful match between two guys whose star power was rapidly fading away. JYD was essentially immobile as Orndorff was far too hurt to be working the match. The biggest highspot of the match was a fucked-up looking hiptoss. Fans were not into this either. As a matter of fact, they were not all that into the show altogether.

Gorilla and Hayes are with Outback Jack, who will be facing Jose Estrada tonight. He says a whole lot of nothing here as his push continues to bomb.

Dave Winfield joins the announcers. He tells them they (Yankees) are three games back and not happy about that. Winfield seemed to be enjoying himself.

WWF World Title
Texas Death Match
King Harley Race w/ Bobby Heenan vs. Hulk Hogan

Race tries to attack Hogan as he entered the ring but ends up getting backdropped to the floor. Hogan beats on Race halfway up the aisle then remains in control as the action heads back into the ring. Hogan is going berserk as he hammers away on Race. He chops him through the middle rope then outside the ring smashes a chair over his head as it ends up around Race’s head. Race finally gets in some offense after a low kick as he hits a piledriver for a nearfall. Race hits a falling headbutt that sends Hogan tumbling across the ring. Gutwrench suplex gets two. Hogan reverses an Irish whip into the corner that sends Race to the floor as he took a wild bump. Hogan then chases after Heenan but that allows Race to attack him from behind. Race rams the end of the chair into Hogan’s throat then hammers away but misses a falling headbutt as his head whacks the concrete. Hogan powers up and takes the action back inside where he hits the big boot. Hogan then hits an atomic drop before taking him to the floor with a running clothesline as Race falls into the chairs set up in front of the guardrail. Hogan chases Race up the aisle but ends up getting piledrived onto the floor. Back in the ring, Heenan hands Race the title belt as he uses it to attack Hogan. He leaves the belt next to him then climbs up top for a diving headbutt but ends up hitting the belt instead. Hogan gets up and grabs the belt and whacks Race in the head and that is good enough for the win (9:56) ***1/4.  After the match, Hogan rids Race from the ring then holds the belt up like a baseball bat, begging Race to re-enter the ring.

Thoughts: Good match. Race sold like a champ here too. He was awesome. Hogan now needs a new opponent for the house show circuit.

Hayes is with the Can-Am Connection tell us that they have signed the contract to face the Islanders at MSG on July 25th. Well, that never took place as Zenk quit the company before it took place. Instead we got Rick Martel vs. Tama. You can tell the WWF really wanted to put over this feud and the Can-Ams.

Jose Estrada vs. Outback Jack

Talk about your crowd-cooling match. Jack gets a backdrop to start the match. Estrada uses an eye rake then they engage in a terrible brawling sequence in which Jack was way out of position. Jack then keeps kicking Estrada away after getting taken down as that happens a few times. Estrada uses another eye rake then hammers away as the crowd looks to be sitting on their hands. Jack fights back and hits a slam then drops an elbow for a nearfall. Estrada headbutts Jack in the groin and heads up top to deliver a forearm smash that gets two. Estrada roughs up Jack a bit more until he gets caught with a slam then Jack hits the Boomerang for the win (4:47) DUD.

Thoughts: Estrada tried but Jack was just terrible. And the crowd did not respond to Jack at all. He was soon-to-be a TV jobber.

Hart Foundation & Danny Davis vs. British Bulldogs & Billy Jack Haynes

Haynes pulls double-duty here as Koko B. Ware, the scheduled partner for the Bulldogs, did not appear. Jimmy Hart was not here for the match as he was with the Honky Tonk Man, who was headlining the “B” show in Tuscon, AZ. The Bulldogs & Haynes attack their opponents before the match as the Hart Foundation and Davis regroup outside for a minute. Hart and Davey start off the match. Hart sells a shoulderblock by rolling all the way to the floor/ Davey then works the arm before tagging Haynes, who uses a bell clap. Dynamite then knocks Hart down from the apron before Haynes grabs a chinlock. Davey tags back in the match but Hart coutners a crucifix with a Samoan Drop. Neidhart tags but misses a fist drop as the faces regain control of the match for a bit until Neidhart rakes the eyes of Dynamite. The heels work over Dynamite for a while, with Davis acting as cocky as ever as he kicks Dynamite while he is down. Davis gets brought in with a slingshot splash but Dynamite got his knees up then makes the tag to Haynes, who runs wild. Haynes hits Davis with a press slam then locks on the full nelson but that gets broken up by the Hart Foundation, who are now in control of the match. Haynes takes a beating but is able to kick out of a few pin attempts. The Hart Foundation and Davis use all sorts of illegal tactics as Haynes takes a beating for several minutes until he comes back with a double clothesline on the Hart Foundation then makes the tag to Davey. who runs wild. He hits Hart with a delayed vertical suplex then gets a small package for two. The match breaks down as the faces clear the ring until only Hart is left. Hart gets whipped into the buckle then Davey launches Dynamite at Bret for a headbutt as that gets the win (18:08) ***. Dynamite appeared in a lot of pain after that.

Thoughts: Fun match to close the show. Hart worked his ass off here too. He was bumping like a maniac for his opponents. 

Final Thoughts: I thought the show was solid for a house show. However, this drew the lowest attendance for a show headlined by Hogan as a champ at MSG at this point. His feud with Race was not selling at the box office and the low attendance can also be attributed to the product, which was ice cold at the time. Still, there were for quality matches but also a few stinkers. I’d recommend this show for the good matches while you can skip over the rest.

Here is my schedule for the rest of the week:

Thursday: 1989 WCW Timeline as told by Jim Cornette
Friday: WWF Superstars of Wrestling 6/20/87
Sunday: WWF Wrestling Challenge 6/21/87
Tuesday: WWF Superstars of Wrestling 6/27/87

June 14, 1987


From the War Memorial in Rochester, NY. This was the TV taping in which the Rockers showed up to and got fired a few days afterwards.

Your hosts are Bobby Heenan and Gorilla Monsoon

In action this week will be Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake, Killer Khan, Junkyard Dog, and the Ricky Steamboat vs. Honky Tonk Man match from the 6/13/87 edition of “Superstars of Wrestling.”

Don Driggers & Mario Mancini vs. Sika & Kamala w/ Mr. Fuji & Kimchee


Mancini has shaved off his trademark mustache this week in an attempt to look younger but it fails as Sika kicks his ass. Kamala tags and beats him down some more. Driggers tags in and gets kicked down a few times and tags Sika, who catches Driggers with a Samoan Drop then tags Kamala, who gets the pin with a splash (2:21).

Thoughts: Kamala & Sika weren’t really doing much here other than TV squash matches. They were not set up for any feuds or even being discussed in the Tag Team Title picture.






Wrestler’s Rebuttal with Craig DeGeorge, who is with the Can-Am Connection. They are still pissed off at the Islanders for turning on them. Their promos were not good at all.

Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake vs. Dusty Wolfe


Beefcake frustrates Wolfe by strutting around as we get an insert promo from the Rougeaus as they talk about haircuts. It went nowhere and was terrible. Back to the match as Wolfe lands a few shots but Beefcake struts around then catches him in a powerslam before putting him away with a sleeper (2:29). After the match, Beefcake puts on his smock and cuts the hair of Wolfe.

Thoughts: Beefcake started to do his signature taunts (Strut, go to sleep motion) and this was good in that the crowd was responsive to him. The haircutting after the match is also catching on with the crowd. All important things when pushing a new character.






Gene Okerlund is with the Killer Bees. They talk about the WWF Tag Team Division as Blair tells us a story about talking to Hogan as he gets lamer and lamer until it eventually ends. As talented in the ring as the babyface teams of the 80’s, they were the exact opposite on the mic.

Killer Khan vs. Eric Cooper


Khan beats on Cooper while screaming like a lunatic. He hits a Russian leg sweep, which Gorilla calls a “suplex” then shortly after that he puts him away with a top rope knee drop (1:56).

Thoughts: They continue to build up Khan as a possible threat to the World Title.






Okerlund is with Slick and puts him over for bringing in the One Man Gang, who eventually enters the interview. Slick said the ultimate goal in wrestling is the World Title and he is convinced the One Man Gang can bring it home. They are building up another monster heel as a possible World Title threat.

Steve Lombardi vs. Junkyard Dog


Match starts with JYD tossing Lombardi around. We get an insert promo from Slick and Nikolai Volkoff as they both tell him he will be sent back across the tracks. JYD works the arm then hits a few headbutts and an atomic drop before getting the win with a powerslam (2:11).


Thoughts: JYD really looks awful at this point and as a result, spent the rest of his run putting guys over or winning over lower card guys but never involved in any major storylines.






DeGeorge is with Ron Bass, who does not attack people from behind but rather looks them in the eye. He then calls out Hulk Hogan and a few other babyfaces as he promises to bring in his whip “Miss Betsy.” They are trying to get over Bass and his whip.

A replay of the Superstar Billy Graham recovery piece.

The replay of the Honky Tonk Man vs. Ricky Steamboat match from the 6/13/87 edition of Superstars is shown.

Iron Mike Sharpe & Cowboy Bob Orton & Don Muraco vs. Hillbilly Jim & S.D. Jones & Billy Jack Haynes

Orton hip tosses Haynes then celebrates. Haynes comes back with one of his own then hits a few more. He then takes down Muraco as he runs in while Heenan calls him a “show off.”The announcers talk about the Honky Tonk Man winning the IC Title as Gorilla wonders if Heenan is jealous of Hart for managing the IC and Tag Team Champions. The match breaks down as all the faces ram the heels in the corner. S.D. headbutts Muraco a few times but gets caught with a powerslam. Muraco is dazed and tags in Sharpe as Orton is pissed. Muraco and Orton argue on the apron then Muraco tries to clothesline S.D. from the second rope behind the referee’s back but he ends up hitting Sharpe by accident then S.D. covers for the pin (3:25). After the match, Muraco and Orton argue in the aisle as the faces celebrate.

Thoughts: This is the beginning of the split between Orton and Muraco. The way in which it happened was not all that exciting. It’s shocking to see S.D. score the pin here too.






Okerlund is with Jimmy Hart, who is gloating about the Honky Tonk Man’s win. The Hart Foundation walk in and say there is not stopping them and that Danny Davis will be Hulk Hogan to win the World Title. The Foundation then turns their attention to the Killer Bees and call them cheaters, wondering how they can even sleep at night. Neidhart says that they do not have to hide their faces under masks then talk about the other teams. Great interview here.

We are shown the heel locker room celebration as the Honky Tonk Man enters after winning the IC Title. Randy Savage was the first person to congratulate him.

Next week in action will be the Honky Tonk Man, Ken Patera, The Islanders, Koko B. Ware, and Demolition.

Final Thoughts: Not that much going on here, unless you missed the title change on Superstars. They focused on the Tag Team Division and focused on building up some of the midcard guys but beyond that it was forgettable. Its clear the WWF was struggling at this time due to firings, injuries, and pushing stale talent. It was a real down time until the end of the year.

Here is my schedule for the next several days:

Saturday: RoH Bitter Friends, Stiffer Enemies 8/16/03
Tuesday: WWF Madison Square Garden 6/14/87
Thursday: 1989 WCW Timeline as told by Jim Cornette
Friday: WWF Superstars of Wrestling 6/20/87

June 13, 1987


From the Memorial Auditorium in Buffalo, NY

Your hosts are Bruno Sammartino, Jesse “The Body” Ventura, and Vince McMahon

Tonight, our featured match will be for the Intercontinental Title as Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat defends the belt against the Honky Tonk Man. Also in action are the British Bulldogs, Islanders, and the returning Junkyard Dog. Plus, Jesse lets us know that we will see footage of himself from the film “The Predator.”

Before the show started, they replayed the comments from Steamboat and the Honky Tonk Man from last week as they are hyping up this match in a big way.

Johnny K-9 & Dusty Wolfe vs. British Bulldogs


K-9 spills out to the floor after running through a leapfrog by Davey. Back inside, the Bulldogs beat on K-9 as we are shown an insert of Matilda. Wolfe tags in and takes a goofy bump after getting whipped into the corner then Davey put him away with a diving headbutt (2:11).

Thoughts: The Bulldogs are on the down swing here. Also, Matilda is getting pushed stronger than the team itself. With Dynamite’s health, its not a shocker.






WWF Special Report with Craig DeGeorge. We are shown more footage of Superstar Billy Graham as he attempts to recover from hip surgery and return to the ring, despite doctors telling him that his a bad idea. Those doctors were right. They spent months and months hyping a return that lasted a handful of matches.

Outback Jack plugs the WWF Ice Cream Bars. When that ended, Jesse was laughing hysterically at Jack trying to bite into the bar as he made fun of his lack of teeth. I laughed.

Eric Cooper & S.D. Jones vs. The Islanders w/ Bobby Heenan


Match stars with S.D. slamming Tama as we get an insert promo from the Can-Am Connection as they warn the Islanders that they will not get away after attacking them. Back to the match as Cooper is getting his ass kicked. The match breaks down as Tama backdrops S.D. to the floor then the Islanders put Cooper away with a double diving headbutt (2:35).

Thoughts: The Islanders were a better heel team. Tama was very charismatic and pulled off the cocky heel role quite well. He also appeared to gain about 15lbs since the last TV taping.






Gene Okerlund is with the Can-Am Connection, who will be facing the Islanders at the July 11th show in Boston. They are pissed over the Islanders turning on them as they used to have respect for the duo. The Can-Ams also promise the Islanders will not be laughing after what they will do to them. Promos were really not Zenk’s strong suit, or Martel’s for that matter.

We are shown a clip of Jesse in “The Predator.”

Terry Gibbs vs. Junkyard Dog


Its JYD’s first appearance on TV since WrestleMania III. Gibbs attacks JYD to start. JYD comes back with a hip toss off of a criss-cross but misses a falling headbutt then gets clotheslined. Gibbs hurts his hand punching JYD in the head and that allows JYD to fight back as we are shown an insert promo from him saying that he is back. JYD tosses Gibbs to the floor then shortly after that puts him away with a powerslam (1:43). After the match he invites several kids into the ring with him as they dance.

Thoughts: They tried pushing JYD as being bigger and faster than ever but the only thing bigger than ever was his gut. He was just awful in the ring at this point. Even the fans seemed a lot less into him and after almost three years of the same act, its not tough to figure out why. He didn’t ever bother to really smile when dancing with the kids.






Okerlund is now with “The Outlaw” Ron Bass, who is cracking his whip. Bass then tells us that he sees wrestlers with partners, managers, and friends so he didnt want to have a disadvantage so he got himself a whip, named “Miss Betsy.” Bass warns the “goody-goody guys that he will split them from one end to the other and there will be some changes. They gave Bass his new gimmick. I didn’t mind him to be honest but he was almost 40 at this point and looked older than that so he was going to get that much of a push.

New Dream Team w/ Johnny V. vs. Scott Casey & “Leaping” Lanny Poffo


The post match promo by Poffo is about the announce team and how Jesse turns them into the three stooges and how the fans hate him, which has Vince laughing like an idiot. Match starts with Casey getting the best of Bravo as the camera shows Johnny V., who is still pissed about Brutus Beefcake cutting his hair. Casey hits Valentine with a few armdrags and hip tosses but gets stopped with an eye rake. Bravo tags back in and misses an elbow drop as Poffo tags into the match. He runs wild on the New Dream team very briefly until Valentine knees him in the back from the apron then shortly after that Bravo puts him away with a side slam (2:48).

Thoughts: The WWF debut of Casey. He would be followed by future jobbers such as Barry Horowitz and Sam Houston in the coming months. All he did here was armdrags and hip tosses. The New Dream Team just isn’t working out. There is no chemistry at all between Bravo and Valentine.






Snake Pit with guests Hillbilly Jim and Little Beaver. Roberts tells Beaver he is lucky to be alive after getting elbow dropped by King Kong Bundy as Jim calls Bundy a coward and promises to go after him. Beaver tells Jim to go after Bundy in a jumbled promo. It was quite terrible, actually. Almost three months after their WrestleMania III match, Jim and Bundy resume their feud.

Ricky Steamboat tells us to “Say No To Drugs” and to get naturally high, just like himself. Okay.

WWF Intercontinental Title Match
Honky Tonk Man w/ Jimmy Hart vs. Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat


The crowd is pumped for this match as the announcers debate whether or not Honky deserves a title push while putting over Steamboat for being a fighting champion. Steamboat starts the match by skinning-the-cat, knocking over Hart as the fans hoot and holler. Back inside, he dumps Honky to the floor then hits a back suplex when he re-enters. Steamboat hits a few chops then gets a reverse rollup for two but Honky kicks out and ends up ramming Steamboat into the corner in the process as Jesse wonders if his larynx is hurt again. Honky attacks the throat briefly but misses an elbow drop. Steamboat fights back then gets hit by Honky, who sets up for the Shake, Rattle, and Roll. Steamboat counters that with a backdrop and follows with a bunch of chops. He hits a flying chop but Hart jumps up on the apron to distract the referee. Steamboat gets off of Honky and attacks Hart then dropkicks Honky into his manager. Steamboat then puts Honky in a small package but it gets reversed as Honky grabs the rope for leverage and ends up getting the win and the title as the crowd is shocked (3:53) *1/2. After some confusion it is revealed that Honky is the winner as the crowd boos. Jesse screams about how this is a major upset, rubbing it in the face of Vince and Bruno for not believing he was worthy of a title shot.

Thoughts: Fun while it lasted, although the finish looked terrible. Honky’s win was a major shock, especially when the babyface announcers, for weeks, kept on telling us that Honky was undeserving of a title shot to begin with. It worked as the announcers threw off the fans. This was the start off the longest IC Title reign in WWF history.






Silvano Sousa vs. One Man Gang w/ Slick


Gang immediately attacks Sousa and continues his assault as we get an insert promo from Gang and Slick, who puts over the Master Blaster finisher and that seeing his believing. Back to the match as Gang hits the Master Blaster then puts Sousa away with an elbow drop from the middle rope (1:31).

Thoughts: Another dominant performance from Gang, who is getting pushed up the card. This match also marked the first time I have ever heard Slick yell out his “turn out the lights, the party is over” line. I am a fan of Slick. The crowd was still in shock over the title change






Okerlund is with Mr. Fuji, asking him about Demolition, who eventually come out. Ax calls Gene “Howard” as he says its about time they got their names right then talks about listening to Fuji and destroying their opponents. Okerlund and Demolition and some decent chemistry together.






Back to the ring as the Honky Tonk Man returns to the ring, with Hart and the IC Title as he thanks the fans for their support. He also says the belt is the fans as he dances to his music. Great job at heeling the crowd.

Next week in action will be George Steele, Can-Am Connection, Killer Khan, and the Hart Foundation vs. the Killer Bees in the featured match.

Final Thoughts: This show is only memorable for the IC Title change and that was a good segment. Other than that, it was dull and showed just how little the company had going on at the time. Lots of feuds with washed-up guys were being featured. Track down the IC Title match but you could skip everything else and not miss a beat.

Here is my schedule for the next several days:

Thursday: Highspots Developmentall Speaking Shoot Interview with Brian Myers
Friday: WWF Wrestling Challenge 6/14/87
Saturday: RoH Bitter Friends, Stiffer Enemies 8/16/03
Tuesday: WWF Madison Square Garden 6/14/87

June 7, 1987


From the Sports Arena in San Diego, CA


Your hosts are Bobby Heenan and Gorilla Monsoon

In action tonight will be the Honky Tonk Man, Hercules, George “The Animal” Steele, and “Macho Man” Randy Savage

Jerry Allen vs. Honky Tonk Man w/ Jimmy Hart


Before the match, Phillips lets the crowd know that the DDT will not be banned, causing Honky and Hart to flip out. Allen then attacks Honky and takes him down with a dropkick. He tries another one but Honky pulls up on the ropes then goes to work. He clotheslines Allen down and hammers away until getting the win with the Shake, Rattle, and Roll (1:34). After the match, Honky plays guitar for the crowd, who respond by pelting him with garbage.

Thoughts: Honky is probably the hottest heel on WWF TV at this point and time. The crowd hated him and the Honky/Hart pairing was money. Those two together were heat magnets. 







Wrestler’s Rebuttal with the Hart Foundation, who dismiss the rumors that they are hiding behind the Tag Team Titles. Both guys let us know that they will defend the belts anywhere at anytime then close out the segment by starting a “we’re not afraid” chant. This was truly a great heel team and firing on all cylinders in 1987.

Replay of the Can-Am Connection vs. Islanders match from the 5/30/87 edition of Superstars. This is when the Islanders turned heel and aligned with Bobby Heenan.

Gene Okerlund is with Ken Patera, who cuts an awful promo about Heenan saying stuff about his family and how he will get his revenge on him. Patera seemed like he was reading off of a teleprompter here and barely showed any emotion. His face turn and push continues to flop.

Jerry Monti vs. Hercules w/ Bobby Heenan


Johnny V. has replaced Heenan in the booth. He seems hammered tonight. Hercules beats the piss out of Monti then gets shown in an insert promo talking about his strength as he puts Monti away with a full nelson (0:31).

Thoughts: No mention of Haynes on commentary as they are phasing away from that feud.






Okerlund is with Jim Powers & Paul Roma. They both talk about being a young and up-and-coming team and in the process come off as two guys just happy to be wrestling and not guys you would ever take seriously.

Clips of the George “The Animal” Steele vs. “Macho Man” Randy Savage lumberjack match from “Saturday Night’s Main Event” are shown, with Danny Davis whacking Steele with the timekeeper’s bell.

Rudy Ryder vs. George “The Animal” Steele


Ryder was referred to as “Buddy” previously. Steele goes right after Ryder and tosses him through the ropes. He beats on Ryder some more as we get an insert promo from Davis, telling us he is afraid of no man or beast and how Steele is in the middle of the two. Davis’s smug look was priceless here. Steele then puts Ryder away with the flying hammerlock (0:40). After the match, Steele tosses Ryder to the floor then takes down the referee, who is able to escape.

Thoughts: Designed, along with the previous segment, to push a Steele/Davis feud.






Craig DeGeorge is with the One Man Gang and Slick. They put over Gang’s finisher, the Master Blaster, as Slick says that Gang is so scary that he is even afraid of him. Gang tells us that his hobby is beating people up. A decent segment to put over Gang as a monster. He had a good look.

New Dream Team w/ Johnny V. vs. Jim Powers & Paul Roma


Roma catches Bravo with a hiptoss and a dropkick as we get an insert promo from the Rougeaus, telling the New Dream Team will be where ever they are. Back to the match as Bravo takes control. Valentine tags in and hits a suplex as the announcers hype the IC Title match next week. The New Dream work over Roma, using quick tags, until Roma dodges an attack and tags Powers. Valentine goes after Powers, who fights back. Johnny V. is  on the apron and distracts the ref as Bravo clotheslines Powers from the apron after he attempted a reverse rollup then Valentine drops an elbow for the win (4:21).

Thoughts: Nowhere near as competitive as the past several Roma & Powers tag matches on TV. The New Dream Team really do suck though. No wonder these two were split up soon afterwards as there was zero chemistry here.






Another replay of Superstar Billy Graham’s comeback piece.

Bill Anderson vs. “Macho Man” Randy Savage w/ Elizabeth


Anderson shocks Savage with a takedown to start. Savage attacks him then hits a suplex. He tosses him outside and follows out with a double axe handle from the top rope. Back inside, Savage hits a gutwrench then shortly after that puts him away with a flying elbow smash and covers him with one foot  (2:31).

Thoughts: Savage got a decent amount of cheers after dropping the elbow. Him going mental since losing the IC Title has been fun.






Okerlund is with Mr. Fuji and asks him about his guys until Kamala, Sika, and Kimchee come out. Okerlund tries to interview as Fuji tells us it is lunch time for them as they leave. A goofy promo to put over the least impressive tag team in Fuji’s stable.

Next week, the IC Title match between Ricky Steamboat and Honky Tonk Man will be shown.

Final Thoughts: The WWF is still trying to come up with new feuds since WrestleMania III ended but they are not very successful. And the firing of Duggan and Sheik killed their hottest TV program, which meant more of the Patera vs. Heenan Family stuff that was failing. The one positive thing going on was with the tag team division as they had several teams considered in the running for the #1 contender and a majority of them looked strong. But the next few months of the WWF would remain stagnant until several newcomers came in and they would shape up the WWF for the rest of the decade.








Tuesday: WWF Superstars of Wrestling 6/13/87
Thursday: Shoot Interview TBD
Friday: WWF Wrestling Challenge 6/14/87
Saturday: Ring of Honor Bitter Friends, Stiffer Enemies 8/16/03

June 6, 1987


From the Convention Center in Anaheim, CA

Your hosts are Bruno Sammartino, Jesse “The Body” Ventura, and Vince McMahon

In action this week are Koko B. Ware, Demolition, Ken Patera, Kamala & Sika, and Brutus Beefcake.

Paul Roma & Jim Powers vs. Demolition w/ Mr. Fuji


Before the match, Roma & Powers are shown in an insert promo talking about how they wanted a rematch because Demolition cheated last time and even though they might not win, Demolition will know that they have been in a battle with them after the match is over. Not exactly brimming with confidence. Powers hits a pair of dropkicks after dodging an elbow drop from Ax. Smash tags and catches Powers off of a crossbody attempt but Roma dropkicks his partner on top of Smash for a two count. Smash gains the advantage as Demolition hammers on Powers in the corner. Powers breaks free and tags Roma, who runs wild until he runs into a clothesline from Ax then gets pinned (2:54). Odd finish to that one.

Thoughts: Roma & Powers got in a lot of offense but losing off of a clothesline is very weak. They are slowly pushing the guys as underdogs who refuse to back down.






WWF Update with Craig DeGeorge. Back to the regular update desk here with the original song. This week’s subject are the Islanders and how they turned heel by aligning with Bobby Heenan after beating down the Can-Am Connection. We are shown a replay of the attack then get a promo from Heenan and the Islanders on how they are on a roll, referring to Tama as “Toma.”

Tiger Chung Lee vs. Koko B. Ware


Koko taunts Lee to start as we are shown an insert promo from Koko and Frankie plugging the WWF Ice Cream Bars and that ends with Frankie eating from it as that causes Jesse to no-sell an awful joke from Vince about wanting to see Frankie put his beak around Jesse’s nose. Koko uses his speed to elude Lee until he gets cheap-shotted off of a break. Koko comes back with a dropkick and hits a few more moves until putting Lee away with a terrible-looking missile dropkick (2:31).

Thoughts: Not much to note here as this was really a backdrop for Jesse to make “Buckwheat” jokes at the expense of Koko.






Gene Okerlund is with Hulk Hogan, who is facing King Harley Race in a Texas Death Match in Boston tonight. Typical Hogan promo here.

Jack Tunney reveals the results of the “Ban the DDT” vote as the move will not get banned, which has Jesse referring to him as a dictator.

Don Adams & Sivi Afi vs. Kamala & Sika w/ Mr. Fuji & Kimchee


Afi tries to slam Kamala, like and idiot, and fails that before getting caught with a thrust kick. Adams tags in and gets beat on by both guys until Kamala puts him away with a splash (1:15).

Thoughts: Same as every other Kamala & Sika squash match.






Okerlund is now with King Harley Race, who promises to end Hogan’s career in Boston tonight. He also promises to extinguish the legend of Hogan and how he will bow to his feet. Solid promo from Race and much less goofier than the usual stuff he was doing at the time.

WWF Special Report with Craig DeGeorge. This is about Superstar Billy Graham and how he is training for a comeback, against doctors orders. Nothing we haven’t seen before to be honest.

Jimmy Jack Funk vs. Ken Patera


Patera overpowers Funk to start as Vince goes after Jesse for making fun of Graham. Funk makes a comeback as we are shown an insert promo from Heenan, who puts down the “humanoids” for cheering for an ex-con and that he has a score to settle with him. Jesse then questions his colleagues on what is a humanoid then Patera gets the win with a bearhug.

Thoughts: The crowd is just not into Patera, who is now in the top TV feud with Duggan now fired at this point. You could see fans leave their seats and Vince trying to pretend that he got a huge ovation at the end did not work. They did put over the “humanoid” remark a lot though as they seemed to want to get that over.






Snake Pit with guest Outback Jack, who puts over the WWF competition and the wonderful people. Jack cuts a dopey promo about winning in the ring, giving you zero reason to cheer the guy. The beginning of the end for Jack, if the end hadn’t happened already. The History of WWE site lists Butch Reed, Iron Sheik, Nikolai Volkoff, and Slick as guests so I am guessing that when Sheik and Duggan got fired they replaced it with this in most markets.

Tito Santana & Billy Jack Haynes vs. Terry Gibbs & The Raider



Tito works the arm of Gibbs as Jesse makes ethnic jokes at his expense. The Raider tags as Tito takes him down with a flying headscissors then the match breaks down as the faces get the double noggin-knocker and Haynes puts The Raider away with a full nelson (1:43). Vince informs us after the match that next week Ricky Steamboat will defend his Intercontinental Title against the Honky Tonk Man.

Thoughts: Not much to this at all other than Jesse getting in jokes at the expense of Tito. Haynes got the win despite not being the legal man.






Another Killer Khan vignette airs. Fuji narrates as Khan does all sorts of training. These were quite bizarre.

Tim Patterson vs. Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake


Brutus is shown in an insert promo warning the New Dream Team that he will be doing more cutting and strutting the next time they face off. Brutus takes control of the match as the announcers talk about next week’s Intercontinental Title match, with Bruno and Vince saying Honky does not deserve a chance at the belt while Jesse questions them as to why. Patterson hits a shoulder block but shortly after that gets caught with a sleeper as Brutus gets the win (2:40). After the match, Brutus grabs his scissors and cuts Patterson’s hair, tossing it in the air afterwards to the delight of the crowd.

Thoughts: The Beefcake push continues as the fans were loving the hair cutting at the end of his matches.






Okerlund is with the Honky Tonk Man, who will be facing Koko B. Ware in Boston. He doesnt say anything of note then leaves. Demolition and Mr. Fuji come out next and talk about their opponents, the Can-Am Connection, as Fuji says they are looking for “fresh meat” as Demolition promises to destroy them. Decent promo from them.

Next week, Ricky Steamboat will defend the Intercontinental Title against the Honky Tonk Man and we comments from both guys.

Final Thoughts: The WWF is struggling to get a feud going. Duggan getting fired was a big loss as he was groomed as the #2 babyface. Patera is not cutting it in his feud against the Heenan family and most of these matches were with guys who had nothing going on at the time. Very skippable show this week but the next one is a memorable one.






Schedule for the next several days:

Sunday:  WWF Wrestling Challenge 6/7/87
Tuesday: WWF Superstars of Wrestling 6/13/87
Thursday: Shoot Interview TBD
Friday: WWF Wrestling Challenge 6/14/87

May 31, 1987

From the Sports Arena in San Diego, CA

Your hosts are Bobby Heenan and Gorilla Monsoon

In action tonight will be Koko B. Ware, One Man Gang, Demolition, and Ken Patera. Plus, another update on the status of Superstar Billy Graham and more.

Dusty Wolfe vs. Koko B. Ware

Heenan tells us that Frankie’s nose looks just like Bruno Sammartino’s as Koko takes comtrol of the match. He hits a dropkick and a hip toss as Gorilla reminds Heenan that Patera will be appearing tonight. Wolfe lands a few shots but Koko blocks a sunset flip attempt then hits a missile dropkick before putting Wolfe away with the Ghostbuster (2:35).

Thoughts: Not a whole lot to this other than a backdrop for Gorilla and Heenan to talk about the top happenings in the WWF.



Mario Mancini vs. One Man Gang w/ Slick

Gang immediately attacks Mancini and chokes him out with his vest. He continues his assault as we get an insert promo from Gang and Slick, who tells us he is ecstatic to have Gang, who says he will cripple everyone on his way to the top. Gang then sits on the top rope and uses his weight to drive Mancini’s face into the mat then puts him away with an elbow drop from the middle rope (2:03).

Thoughts: Dominant performance from Gang, who is getting pushed strong a few weeks after his debut.

Gene Okerlund is with George Steele, who does his usual routine. It was fine as it was all good-hearted stuff and the two had solid chemistry to make these pieces work.

Clips from the Patera/Heenan Family feud are shown.

Tim Patterson vs. Ken Patera

Patera points at Heenan in the booth before the match, which got the crowd going. Patera tosses Patterson then taunts Heenan. We get an insert promo from Patera in which he proclaims the whole Heenan Family will fall. Patterson flexes and attempts to engage in a test of strength but loses that as Patera continues to point at Heenan, who threatens to leave. Back to the match as Patterson lands a few shots but Patera fights back and it looks awful but Heenan sells it like Patera is a madman. Patera then puts Patterson away with a bearhug (2:42).

Thoughts: The crowd was into Patera pointing at Heenan for a little bit but did not seem to be into him all that much. The crowd likely would have been into anyone threatening Heenan at this point. Patera was just not in ring shape her either and most of what he did looked terrible.



Okerlund is with the Fabulous Moolah. He puts her over as the longest reigning champ then asks her about the top contenders as she names off several of the ladies who wrestled at this time. Okerlund then questions Moolah about the rumor she will be retiring but Moolah proclaims that false and says there is no one worthy enough to take the title from here. They are once again trying to reestablish the Women’s Division with the story that everyone was going to be gunning for Moolah.

Billy Graham is with Craig DeGeorge as they are shown walking. Graham falls while on crutches but is determined to get back up and climb the mountain all by himself.

Bill Anderson & Jerry Allen vs. Demolition w/ Mr. Fuji

Smash destroys Anderson as we get an insert promo from Fuji and Demolition who promise to inflict pain until they capture the titles. Allen tags and lands a kick but gets his ass kicked after that. He comes back with a kick then tags out as Anderson lands several shots on Ax with minimal effect until he gets whipped into the corner then Demolition gets the win with the Decapitation (2:39).

Thoughts: Another strong showing from Demolition. They were really an impressive team once Darsow joined.

DeGeorge is with Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake as he promises to turn the New Dream Team into a nightmare and threatens to shave off their hair. He then teases DeGeorge with the clippers as the segment ends.

Killer Bees vs. Jimmy Jack Funk & The Raider

Brunzell gets the best of Funk to start as the Bees start off the match in control. They then hit just about the lamest double-team move I’ve ever seen when Brunzell leap-frogged Funk, who got caught in a small package by Blair. The Bees are still in control as this is lasting much longer than necessary as Heenan makes convict jokes and references about Patera. Heenan is just great on commentary for this match by the way. The match finally ends when Brunzell puts the Raider away with a dropkick (4:42).

Thoughts: This went on far too long. I don’t think the jobbers even got in a single move.



Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff & “The Natural” Butch Reed w/ Slick vs. Joe Mirto & Brad Rheingans & S.D. Jones

Before the match, Slick taunts Jim Duggan as Volkoff sings the Russian Natioanl Anthem. Rheingans blocks a suplex from the Sheik and hits one of his own. Sheik comes back as we are shown an insert promo from Slick and his guys as he tells us that they do like something about the U.S. and that is the money as they all proceed to pull out a fan of dollar bills. Funny stuff. Back to the match as Reed and Jones bore us to tears and the match drags along until Sheik makes Mirto submit to the Camel’s Clutch (3:41).

Thoughts: Dull match. This was Sheik’s last TV appearance for over a year as he was fired by then time this made it to air.

Okerlund is with Danny Davis, Jimmy Hart, and the Honky Tonk Man. Amusing segment as both Davis and Honky were great characters at this point, making all their appearances entertaining. Honky accused Jack Tunney of hiding votes that were cast for the “Ban the DDT” movement.

Next week in action will be the Honky Tonk Man, Hercules, George Steele, and Randy Savage.

Final Thoughts: Not a good show tonight. The last two matches dragged badly and the only feuds being pushed was Patera vs. Heenan Family and Patera was not getting over enough to warrant the push. They did push the One Man Gang and Demolition continues to look awesome but that was about all.

May 30, 1987

From the Convention Center in Anaheim, CA

Your hosts are Bruno Sammartino, Jesse “The Body” Ventura, and Vince McMahon

Tonight, we will see the Can-Am Connection vs. The Islanders. Also in action will be Ricky Steamboat, Honky Tonk Man, Jim Duggan, and King Harley Race. Plus, a special report on the health of Superstar Billy Graham and more.

Can-Am Connection vs. The Islanders

The Islanders looked intense as they make their way to the ring, not stopping to slap hands with the fans. Martel and Haku lock up as we get an insert promo of the Islanders and what they think of the Can-Ams as Tama is shown laughing hysterically while Haku stands their with his hands folded. Zenk tags after Martel gets a nearfall with a crossbody and works the arm. Haku slams Zenk but misses an elbow as Zenk works the arm. Haku boots Zenk in the face then tags Tama as he goes back and forth with Zenk. Bobby Heenan is then shown in the aisle as the Can-Ams are distracted but that allows The Islanders to attack them from behind as Jesse starts to laugh. The Islanders beat the crap out of the Can-Ams from outside of the ring then roll back inside as they get the win via countout as Vince yells at Jesse for knowing all along that the Islanders were Heenan’s team as Jesse laughs some more (3:52). The Islanders then walk off with Heenan.

Thoughts: I thought the whole Islanders turn was brilliant. They got increasingly more aggressive each week and Heenan even made fun of them on commentary but as the team showed more anger, Heenan then said one week that they were missing something but did not know what and when Heenan announced that he had a new team the week prior, it all came to this. And the Islanders became over instantly as heels due not only by aligning with Heenan but also turning on the Can-Am Connection.



WWF Update with Craig DeGeorge. This week’s subject are the WWF Ice Cream Bars as we see clips of George “The Animal” Steele visiting the factory to see how they are made. The typical goofiness you would expect from Steele.

Billy Anderson vs. Honky Tonk Man w/ Jimmy Hart

Honky has theme music now as the fans boo while Hart carries the “Ban the DDT” sign. Vince reminds us that this is the last week to vote on whether or not to ban the DDT. Honky works over Anderson in the corner as we get Hart shown in an insert promo pleading with us fans to ban the DDT, even though Honky is not scared of the move. Honky stays on the attack until he puts Anderson away with the Shake, Rattle, and Roll (2:45). After the match, Honky thanks his fans then plays the guitar as a graphic is shown where you can send your vote for the “Ban the DDT” movement.

Thoughts: Honky remains loathed by the fans as his stock rises as a heel.



Gene Okerlund is with Hulk Hogan, who will be facing King Harley Race in a Texas Death Match at the Boston Garden. Hogan puts over the stipulation that he will quit wrestling if he loses as we promises to destroy Race.

We are shown another wacky video with Killer Khan and Mr. Fuji, who puts over just how vicious and dangerous Khan can be, saying that he has the “mind of the devil.”

Iron Mike Sharpe vs. Hacksaw Jim Duggan

The crowd is loving Duggan as he hits Sharpe with an atomic drop. Jesse thinks that Jack Tunney should ban the 2×4 as Duggan stays in control of the match. Sharpe fights back briefly but gets clotheslined down. Duggan comes back with a shoulder tackle before getting the win with a running clothesline (1:53). After the match, Duggan leads the crowd into a “USA” chant.

Thoughts: Unfortunately for Duggan, he was arrested with the Iron Sheik four days before this aired and was fired from the WWF as a result. It left a huge hole on the babyface side of the roster too as Duggan was in the midst of a huge push.



Okerlund is with George Steele, who gives Okerlund a note and he will be facing Danny Davis in Boston. Koko B. Ware then comes out and promises that he will play the guitar on top of the Honky Tonk Man’s head as those two will also be wrestling in Boston. I will be reviewing that Boston Garden show on the blog.

WWF Special Report with Craig DeGeorge. They show Superstar Billy Graham as he talks about making a comeback to the ring then they show footage of his hip replacement surgery then tease next week’s report as he is shown training. Not bad but Graham was old news to the younger fanbase.

Joe Mirto vs. King Harley Race w/ Bobby Heenan

Race knees down Mirto as Vince talks about the Islanders aligning with Heenan. Race slams Mirto around a few times before getting the win with a cradle suplex (1:52).

Thoughts: Race squash matches are usually dull and this was no exception.



Snake Pit with guests One Man Gang and Slick, who proclaims that the Gang’s Master Blaster finisher is more vicious than the DDT as we are shown that in an insert video. Gang then tells us that he will take no prisoners and eventually run through Hogan. Fine segment to help establish Gang as a monster heel.

We are shown clips of the Brutus Beefcake vs. Dino Bravo match from “Wrestling Challenge” last week where the Rougeaus ran in and saved Brutus from a 3-on-1 attack.

Another Ron Bass promo in which he promises to brand people.

Dusty Wolfe vs. Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat

Steamboat works the arm as we get an insert promo from Danny Davis, who wants a shot at the Intercontinental Title. Steamboat continues to work the arm as Vince and Bruno talk about how preposterous it is for Davis to challenge for the IC Title. Wolfe makes a comeback and goes to work on the arm as well. Steamboat fights back and slams Wolfe down before getting the win with a flying chop (3:42).

Thoughts: They continue the gimmick of Steamboat as a fighting champion here.

Okerlund is with Jimmy Hart and Danny Davis as they talk about George Steele. Honky comes out and briefly plays the guitar before leaving. Heenan comes out and says that while he was not there the last time, he will be there to see Race defeat Hogan for the belt in Boston. Another segment to sell the local house show.

Next week in action will be Koko B. Ware, Demolition, Ken Patera, and Kamala & Sika.

Final Thoughts: Solid show that was highlighted by the Islanders turn. They are trying to build guys up but old guys like Graham, Khan, and Patera are not very inspiring choices. They did hype the OMG and really put over the “Ban the DDT” gimmick so that was good. The WWF is still trying to establish a top feud at the moment but just aren’t there at this point.

I will have my shoot interview recap up on Thursday but cannot say for sure if I will be able to get anything else posted this week. Stay tuned for updates.

May 24, 1987

From the Sports Arena in San Diego, CA

Your hosts are Bobby Heenan and Gorilla Monsoon

Tonight’s featured match is Brutus Beefcake vs. Dino Bravo. Also in action will be Rick Steamboat, Kamala & Sika, and Hacksaw Jim Duggan

Dino Bravo w/ Johnny V. vs. Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake

Beefcake frustrates Bravo to start the match. He hits a slam then Bravo bails as he regroups with Johnny V. Back in the ring as Bravo works the arm then hits a gutwrench suplex. Elbow drop gets two. We get an insert promo from the Rougeaus, who cut some unbelievably lame promo about how after the Barber Shop, the New Dream Team will have to go to the “Rougeau Shop.” Back to the match as Beefcake comes back with a clothesline then hammers away. He hits an inverted atomic drop as Heenan hilariously questions why Beefcake turned on his former team. Beefcake knocks Johnny V. off of the apron then puts Bravo in the sleeper but Greg Valentine runs in and attacks Beefcake for the DQ (3:50). Beefcake gets triple-teamed briefly until the Rougeau Brothers run out for the save.

Thoughts: Nothing more than a segment to continue the feud between all these guys. I will say that the Beefcake turn has yielded positive results.



Ron Bass tells us that it is “Round Up” time as he will be going around the country branding people with his iron. They have now given Bass a gimmick since his feud with Mulligan was all done but the problem is that he still does not have a feud.

Iron Mike Sharpe vs. Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat

Sharpe works over the back of Steamboat to start. Steamboat hits Sharpe after an Irish whip sequence then sends him to the floor with a dropkick. Back inside, Steamboat skins-the-cat then backdrops Sharpe to the floor. We get an insert promo from the Honky Tonk Man asking Steamboat since he claims to be a fighting champion he should give him a shot at his Intercontinental Title. Sharpe works over Steamboat until he gets outsmarted then hit with a flying body press as Steamboat gets the win (2:32).

Thoughts: The story here was that Steamboat was a fighting champion and with the insert promo from Honky it seems that these two would be facing off in the future. This was aired before the tapings in which Honky beat Steamboat for the belt took place.



Gene Okerlund is with Koko B. Ware. He asks Koko about his hometown as he talked about it being small as Koko talks about loving what he does then Okerlund asks him to sing as Koko sings some a capella about “doing the bird.” The main point here was that Koko can sing.

Jerry Monti vs. King Harley Race w/ Bobby Heenan

Johnny V. has replaced Heenan on commentary. Race dropkicks Monti then we get an insert promo from Race about how his crown is above and beyond any man. Race beats on Monti as the camera zooms in on the crown then hits a powerslam before getting the win with a cradle suplex (1:36).

Thoughts: Another match to build up Race for his house show run against Hogan.



Okerlund is with the Killer Bees. Just a lame, generic interview to illustrate the depth of the WWF Tag Team Division at this time. The Bees were definitely starting to get phased out at this time.

Carl Schmidt & Terry Gibbs & Dave Barbie vs. Hillbilly Jim & Tito Santana & Billy Jack Haynes

Haynes chops the shit out of Schmidt before taking him down with a dropkick. Jim and Gibbs are in the ring now as Jim hits him with an atomic drop and a slam after getting attacked when offering a handshake. Tito beats on Barbie now then Schmidt tags as Tito puts him in an armbar as Gorilla makes fun of Heenan’s neckbrace. Haynes tags and beats on Schmidt until he puts him away with the full nelson (2:52). After the match, all three faces do the do-si-do. You haven’t lived until you see Haynes and Tito dance around together.

Thoughts: Just a match with three guys thrown together to pop the crowd.



Craig DeGeorge is with Danny Davis, who tells us that everything is coming together as far as him being a wrestler. Davis had arrogance like no one else.

Rick Hunter & “Leaping” Lanny Poffo vs. Kamala & Sika w/ Mr. Fuji & Kimchee

Poffo’s pre match promo is about how Kamala & Sika belong in the zoo. We get an insert promo from Outback Jack and how they look ugly, as Heenan laughs at Jack calling someone ugly. Poffo manages to kick Sika then tag out but Hunter gets knocked down then hit with a Samoan Drop then finished off by a splash courtesy of Kamala (1:31).

Thoughts: Quick squash to put Sika & Kamala over like monsters.



We get a replay of the Superstar Billy Graham segment from “Superstars of Wrestling” where he tells us that despite what the doctors say he will return to the ring.

Steve Lombardi vs. Hacksaw Jim Duggan

Duggan overpowers Lombardi to start the match. He yells “Hooooo!!!!!” throughout the match as he beats on Lombardi until getting the win with a running clothesline (1:49). After the match, Duggan sings “God Bless America.”

Thoughts: The crowd was into Duggan a lot. However, two days after this aired was when Duggan and Sheik got arrested together and that was the end of his mega push.



Okerlund is with Randy Savage, who refers to himself as the “uncrowned Intercontinental and World Heavyweight Champion.” He tells us that he and Elizabeth know that “Macho Madness” has had a minor setback but that he is a rock and everything will get better and better. Savage was in the zone here.

Next week in action we will see Koko B. Ware, One Man Gang, Demolition, Ken Patera, and the Killer Bees.

Final Thoughts: Not much of a show. They pushed some feuds but they were not terribly exciting or anything. I really dont have much more to add other than that.



Here is my schedule for the next several days:

Tuesday: WWF Superstars of Wrestling 5/30/87
Thursday: RF Video Shoot Interview with Al Snow, Volume 1
Friday: WWF Wrestling Challenge 5/31/87
Sunday: WWF Superstars of Wrestling 6/6/87

May 23, 1987


From the Convention Center in Anaheim, CA

Your hosts are Bruno Sammartino, Jesse “The Body” Ventura, and Vince McMahon

Tonight, Hulk Hogan will be wrestling in our featured bout as he squares off against Cowboy Bob Orton. We cut it to Mean Gene as he declares this a special Memorial Day edition of Superstars as Hulk Hogan comes on and says the greatest Americans are the ones we will honor today as they dedicated their lives to freedom and Hogan promises to win and honor those veterans today.

Jerry Monti vs. Randy “Macho Man” Savage w Elizabeth


Once again, Savage flips out after being referred to as the “former Intercontinental Champion.” Monti surprises Savage with a quick rollup for two as Ricky Steamboat is shown in an insert promo taking about how he will not duck any challengers, including Savage, and will face him anytime. Savage then slams Monti to the mat after tossing him outside and gets the win with a flying elbow smash (1:33).

Thoughts: They certainly teased another Steamboat/Savage match here. Speaking on Savage, I loved how he was full on mental over losing the IC title at this point. He was great.






WWF Update with Craig DeGeorge. They no longer have the newasnchor-style desk as DeGeorge is sitting in what would be called the “Event Center.”  The opening music and graphics have changd as well and not for the best, IMO. This week’s subject is Superstar Billy Graham as he show a clip of him destroying a jobber as we hear a doctor tell us that Graham’s hip is destroyed and will need to be replaced and thus unable to wrestle. However, Graham is shown hobbling on crutches saying that no matter what the surgeons say his career is not over and he will come back. Next week we will get another update. There was no point of even pushing Graham at this point. He did come back for a few months but was practically immobile.

A vignette with Mr. Fuji and Killer Khan airs that shows him in his native land praying as we get creepy closeups of his face while Fuji talks about Khan being devastating and ugly. Khan’s push is getting stronger.

Buddy Ryder & Dave Barbie vs. Hillbilly Jim & Outback Jack


Jesse asks if either Jim or Jack can read and write then we get an insert promo of both guys tasting foods from their native land. The crowd seems to be digging this team. Barbie beats on Jack then tags Ryder, who works one of the worst sequences I have ever seen as Ryder’s offense is nowhere near Jack, who keeps moving out of position. Hot tag to Jim as he offers a handshake but Ryder kicks him low. Jim then catches him with a boot and drops an elbow. He cartwheels as Vince cackles like an idiot then tags Jack, who gets the win with a bulldogs (2:24). After the match, Jack and Jim do the do-si-do as Vince is in all his glory.

Thoughts: The wrestling in this match was nothing short of embarrassing but the crowd was into Jack & Jim enough for them to traction as a lower card tag team. Jack was one horrendous wrestler.






Okerlund is with Hogan, who hypes up his “Texas Death Match” in Boston against King Harley Race. They did this on the house show circuit for a month or so.

The Fabulous Moolah plugs the WWF Ice Cream Bar and wonders why one wasnt made for her. She was referred to as the WWF Women’s Champion as she seems to be back on the scene after an absence of two years.

Jesse Cortez vs. One Man Gang w/ Slick


This is the TV debut of Gang, who destroys Cortez immediately after the bell. Gang looks impressive in beating down Cortez as we get an insert promo from both Slick and Gang, who says that he likes to cripple people. Gang then bulldogs Cortez before putting him away with an elbow drop from the second rope (1:47). The crowd boos Gang after the match then Jesse Ventura breaks the news of Bobby Heenan having a new tag team before they cut away.

Thoughts: Strong debut here for Gang, who was moving around well for a man his size during the match.






Okerlund is with Bobby Heenan, who says that he doesnt care about Hogan and promises that Race will become the champion. Race comes on and promises to leave Hogan laying in a pool of his own blood as there is nothing he cannot and will not do. Heenan was funny when ragging on Okerlund and Race did a fine job during his portion as well.

Replay of Danny Davis costing George “The Animal” Steele is match against Randy Savage from “Saturday Night’s Main Event.”

The Gladiator vs. Ken Patera


Vince asks Jesse about his report of Heenan having a new tag team but Jesse just talks about how the Heenan Family is going to go after Patera. Billy Jack Haynes is shown in an insert promo putting over Patera as a changed man as Patera slams The Gladiator a few times before putting him away with a bearhug (2:04).

Thoughts: Patera is still not in ring shape. They were trying to sell and promote him as a great guy who was wronged by Heenan but I don’t believe too many people were buying that.






Snake Pit with the Heenan Family as his guests. This was the first time the “Snake Pit” was shown on Superstars of Wrestling. Missy Hyatt was going to have the show on Superstars but that did not end up working out. Heenan comes out with just Hercules and Race as he tells us that his other men are unavailable. Jake taunts Heenan about his neck injury as his family warns Patera that he will pay.

Cowboy Bob Orton w/ Mr. Fuji vs. Hulk Hogan


The place goes nuts for Hogan, who comes out holding the American flag. Match starts with Orton backing Hogan into the corner. They go back and forth as Orton pulls up to avoid a punch but ends up getting clotheslined over the top rope. Orton heads back inside and gets whipped into the corner a few times, taking overexaggerated bumps. Hogan hits a slam then a trio of elbows as he plays up to the crowd, who cheer in approval. Hogan hits the Axe Bomber for two then works a front facelock. He hits a corner clothesline as the top rope nearly snaps off as it is barely hanging up. Fuji jumps up on the apron and Orton attacks Hogan from behind. Orton then knees Hogan through the ropes where Fuji hits him with his cane in the throat as we head to commercial. Back from break, Orton beats on Hogan, who is draped over the apron. He targets the back of the neck before applying a side headlock. Orton gets a few nearfalls and roughs up Hogan some more before applying another headlock as the crowd rallies behind Hogan, who fights back. Orton boots Hogan, who dropped his head for a backdrop attempt then gets two with a Roll of the Dice-type move as Jesse astutely notes that the fact the top rope is snapped prevents him from using his finisher, the superplex. Hogan mounts a brief comeback but Orton knocks him down. Orton tries antoher pin attempt but Hogan hulks up then hammers away as the crowd goes nuts. Hogan hits the big boot then the leg drop for the win (8:12, not including the commercial break) **1/2. After the match, Hogan plays up to the crowd as Jesse wonders why Hogan is not honoring him as he is a veteran.

Thoughts: Good match. Not everything in the ring was smooth but it was at a decent pace. Orton spent most of the match on offense and looked the best he has in months. The story of Orton trying to put Hogan away without his finishing move, due to the top rope being broken, was fairly clever. It really was a treat to see Hogan on TV and they were smart making it part of a special holiday show, even if it did come off a bit corny.






Okerlund is with Danny Davis, who will be facing George Steele in Boston. Davis says he is booked to face Steele as some sort of conspiracy as Steele is a dangerous man. Okerlund accuses him of being paranoid as Davis talks about knowing everything there is to be a referee before leaving. Demolition then appears as Smash yells at Okerlund for getting his name wrong. They cut a promo on the Can-Am Connection, their opponents in Boston. Good stuff by Demolition, who were without Fuji here. They were not bad at all on promos.

Next week’s featured matchup is the Can-Am Connection vs. The Islanders. We will also see the Brutus Beefcake vs. Dino Bravo match from “Wrestling Challenge.” Bobby Heenan is shown and tells us that the Heenan family will be growing as his newest tag team will be revealed next week.

Final Thoughts: Fun show. We got a good main event and the debut of the One Man Gang. There were some negatives as Patera is way over pushed at this point and the Jim & Jack tag match was pathetic. This show also was a reminder that they needed to get away from pushing stale acts and older guys but the overall holiday theme and the long (by TV standards anyway) match featuring Hogan outweighed all of that for this show.






Here is my schedule for the next several days:

Sunday: WWF Wrestling Challenge 5/24/87
Tuesday: WWF Superstars of Wrestling 5/30/87
Thursday: RF Video Shoot Interview with Al Snow, Volume 1
Friday: WWF Wrestling Challenge 5/31/87

May 17, 1987

From the Coliseum in New Haven, CT

Your hosts are Bobby Heenan (returning to commentary from the beating he received from Ken Patera and sporting a neckbrace) and Gorilla Monsoon

Tonight’s featured match is “The Natural” Butch Reed vs. Ricky Steamboat in a non-title match. Also in action will be Killer Khan vs. Outback Jack, Islanders vs. Killer Bees, and the Hart Foundation.

“The Natural” Butch Reed w/ Slick vs. Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat

Reed attacks Steamboat as he enters the ring and attempts to take off his belt so he can choke him out. Reed suplexes Steamboat into the ring then chokes him out with his own jacket as Heenan rants about how he is not done with Patera. Reed briefly targets the back then tosses him through the ropes as Slick gets caught trying to hit him with his cane. Steamboat slides underneath Reed’s legs then chops him down but ends up running into a big boot. Reed works over the back and tries a press slam but Steamboat floats over and hits Reed with a back suplex as both men are down. They both get up then collide as they are down again. Reed heads up top but Steamboat slams him off of the top. Slick jumps up onto the apron to distract Steamboat, who follows him outside. He chases him around and into the ring then chops away at Reed. Steamboat tries a crossbody as Reed catches him but the momentum takes both guys over the top rope then Steamboat slides back in just before the ten count as he wins the match (6:08) *1/4.

Thoughts: Not much of a match. Reed was generally awful in the ring during his WWF run. Maybe he was hurt for most of it but is offense looked weak and he seemed blown up halfway through the match. Steamboat did not look too strong during the match.



Joe Mirto & Jack Miller vs. Hart Foundation w/ Jimmy Hart

Neidhart runs through Mirto as we get an insert promo from Danny Davis, who says he is taking applications for his refereeing academy. Man, Davis was awesome as a heel. The way he delivered his lines was fantastic. Too bad he sucked in the ring. Back to the match as Miller gets his ass kicked. Speaking of Miller he has a beard and the most random rat tail I have ever see. He then gets put away quickly with the Hart Attack (2:10).

Thoughts: Quick squash for the Hart Foundation, who are without a team to feud with at the moment.



Gene Okerlund is with Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake, who cuts a zany promo with many hair styling puns. Main point of this was to establish that Beefcake was 100% babyface and had fan support, which he did at the start of the gimmick.

Dave Wagner vs. Koko B. Ware

Koko takes down Wagner with an armdrag then rallies the crowd. Koko uses his speed to frustrate Wagner as the camera zooms in on Heenan and his neck brace. Koko clotheslines Wagner then hits a missile dropkick before getting the win with his Ghostbuster (2:20).

Thoughts: Poor Koko had nothing going on at this point, besides jobbing to Honky on the house show circuit. He came around about 10 years too late. His size hamstrung him a lot more in 1987 than it would have today.



Okerlund is with Jimmy Hart and the Honky Tonk Man. Okerlund asks Honky where his guitar went as Honky says he will not bring it out because of Okerlund “badgering” him into singing all of the time. Good stuff from Honky and Hart, who truly came off as a hateable duo.

Outback Jack and Killer Khan are in the ring for their scheduled match but Khan attacks Jack before the bell then chokes him out with Mr. Fuji’s cane as he screams like a lunatic. Several referees run out to break it up as Khan and Fuji leave Jack behind in the ring. Jack finally gets up as he clutches his throat. Designed to get Khan over as a killer and somewhat protect Jack, who was all but a lost cause at this point anyway.

Snake Pit with guests the New Dream Team and Johnny V. Jake talks about how the original is always the best. He then asks why they got rid of Brutus Beefcake as Johnny is hiding out with his hands over his head to hide the haircut he received from Beefcake two weeks ago. Jake then taunts the New Dream Team if they are next to receive a haircut from Beefcake as Johnny promises Beefcake will pay. Man, the New Dream Team just did not work. They never got over enough as heels. But they did have a role in getting Beefcake over as a face.

The Islanders vs. Killer Bees

Both teams shake hands before the match, prompting Heenan to call them “sissies.” Match starts with Blair and Tama going back and forth in a nice sequence. Haku and Brunzell tag in and trade moves until Haku shoves Brunzell down off of a break as Heenan talks about the Islanders missing the ability to want to hurt someone and if they had that they could be the Tag Team Champions. The Islanders work over Brunzell for a few minutes until Brunzell hits Tama with a shinbreaker. Blair tags and runs wild for a bit until Haku puts a stop to that. Blair hits Tama with the Bee Sting then tags Brunzell, who hits a dropkick, but Haku breaks up the pin. Haku tosses Brunzell to the floor then breaks up a pin attempt from Blair. The Islanders double-team Blair then Haku shoves the referee down when he tried to intervene as the match is ruled a DQ in favor of the Bees (5:32) **1/4. After the match, Tama climbs up top and plays to the crowd.

Thoughts: Really good action here. And the subtle heel turn of the Islanders continues. Tama acting cocky on the top rope after the match was a nice touch.

Iron Mike Sharpe vs. Billy Jack Haynes

Haynes slams Sharpe then hits him with an atomic drop. Haynes is then shown in an insert promo where he tells us he has no sympathy for Heenan and his neck. Sharpe attacks Haynes for a bit but misses an elbow drop as Haynes fires away. Sharpe reaches into his tights but Haynes ducks then gets puts him in the full nelson for the win (2:40).

Thoughts: These two seemed testy here and I’m pretty sure this was the match in which Haynes legitimately knocked out Sharpe backstage after it took place, with Haynes feeling Sharpe was shooting on him and not selling his moves. From what I saw, Sharpe’s offense looked stronger than usual and he seemed to not want to take the full nelson at all.



In action next week will be Hacksaw Jim Duggan, the debut of the One Man Gang and the featured match of Dino Bravo vs. Brutus Beefcake. Plus, the “Snake Pit” with the entire Heenan Family as the guests of the show.

Final Thoughts: Fun show this week. You had two competitive matches and they were pushing some newer acts. Heenan back on commentary made for some good banter between him and Gorilla too. The midcard was shaping up well at this point but the top of the card was getting really stagnant.

Here is my schedule for the next several days:

Thursday: 1986 WWE Timeline as told by George Steele
Friday: WWF Superstars of Wrestling 5/23/87
Sunday: WWF Wrestling Challenge 5/24/87
Tuesday: WWF Superstars of Wrestling 5/30/87

May 16, 1987

From the Centrum in Worcester, MA

Your hosts are Bruno Sammartino, Jesse “The Body” Ventura, and Vince McMahon

Tonight’s featured match is Ken Patera vs. Hercules. Also, we will see the Islanders vs. Demolition, Honky Tonk Man, and Hacksaw Jim Duggan.

The Islanders vs. Demolition w/ Mr. Fuji

Haku starts by hammering away on Ax. Tama tags and works the arm as the Islanders use quick tags to stay in control as we get an insert promo from Demolition, stating they will demolish anyone who stands in their way. Tama gets trapped in the wrong corner as Demolition beats on him for a bit. Smash and Haku slug it out briefly then the Islanders take control of the match. Tama climbs up top as the ref tries to separate Ax and Haku, allowing Fuji to trip him with his cane then Smash drops an elbow for the win (3:50).

Thoughts: The action here was okay but the main purpose was the Demolition push as they slowly went through the bottom of the Tag Team Division



WWF Update with Craig DeGeorge. This week’s subject is King Harley Race. We get a clip of him beating the Junkyard Dog at WrestleMania III then Race talks about how everyone, including Hulk Hogan, will bow to him. Gotta sell the Hogan/Race main events across the house show circuit.

Ricky Steamboat hypes up the WWF Ice Cream Bars. This was very corny, much like 95% of Steamboat interviews in the 80’s.

Dave Barbie vs. Hacksaw Jim Duggan

Duggan beats on Barbie inside and outside of the ring as we are shown an insert of Slick singing the Russian National Anthem. Duggan hits a clothesline and drops a knee as he has the crowd chanting along with him. He then catches Barbie with a slam before finishing him off with a flying clothesline (2:49). After the match, Duggan calls out Volkoff, Sheik, and Slick before singing “America the Beautiful.”

Thoughts: Duggan’s mega push continues as the crowd chants along with everything he does and loves the pro-USA gimmick too.



Gene Okerlund is with Hulk Hogan, who has his head bandaged up selling the attack from Harley Race in Boston, who will be facing Race again in Boston in a Texas Death Match. Hogan sells us on the stipulations, which Hogan will retire if he loses the match.

Clips of the Honky Tonk Man, disguised as Kimchee, attack Jake Roberts on “Saturday Night’s Main Event.”

Joe Milano vs. Honky Tonk Man w/ Jimmy Hart

Hart is still carrying his “Ban the DDT” sign around with him. Honky beats on Milano as the camera zooms on the back of Honky’s guitar that also has a “Ban the DDT” sign. Honky maintains control then puts away Milano with the Shake, Rattle, and Roll (1:46). After the match, Honky dances and plays the guitar as Hart dances around with his sign.

Thoughts: Honky continues to draw a ton of heel heat. His pairing with Hart was perfect.



Okerlund is with George Steele and asks him about the card at the Boston Garden Show. Steele gives one word answers and does his usual schtick, which still works in small doses.

Rick Hunter vs. Killer Khan w/ Mr. Fuji

Khan attacks Hunter from behind then stomps away. Bob Orton & Don Muraco are shown in an insert promo putting over how dangerous Killer Khan is as he continues to beat on Hunter until he hits a top rope leg drop for the win (1:23).

Thoughts: Khan is getting pushed as a monster who will soon be fed to Hogan.



DeGeorge is with the New Dream Team, who warn Brutus Beefcake that he will pay for humiliating Johnny V.

Hercules w/ Bobby Heenan & King Harley Race vs. Ken Patera

Hercules ambushes Patera from behind. He stomps away as Jesse talks about Patera being away from wrestling too long to compete in this match. Hercules continues the assault but Patera comes back and looks awful as even Jesse flat out says he looks out of shape. Patera appears blown up already as Hercules hits a backbreaker. Patera escapes from a bearhug then comes back with a clothesline. He slams him down as the crowd wakes up. Patera slams Hercules again then puts on a bearhug but Race comes in and knees Patera in the back for the DQ (3:18). Both Hercules and Race beat on Patera until Billy Jack Haynes clears the ring. The fans go nuts for Haynes.

Thoughts: The match itself was awful as Patera was not in any sort of ring shape here. They did continue the Patera/Heenan family feud and with this segment they have a tag match to go with but Patera looked really bad in his TV return to the ring.



Okerlund is backstage with Patera, who tells Heenan to bring out all of his men as he will rid the WWF of all the scum, with Heenan at the top of the list.

The Shadows & Iron Mike Sharpe vs. Blackjack Mulligan & Tito Santana & Billy Jack Haynes

The Shadows are Randy Colley and Jose Luis Rivera wearing body suits and masks. Jesse tells us that he heard the Shadows go by “Light and Dark.” This match starts out with a lot of weak brawling and restholds. Tito gets caught in the opposite corner as Vince tells us that next week we will see Bob Orton vs. Hulk Hogan. That’s a pretty huge deal, actually. The heels beat on Tito behind the ref’s back but he breaks free and tags Haynes, who beats on Sharpe. He also kicked the shit out of Sharpe in real life as well. Haynes then puts him in the full nelson for the win (4:40).

Thoughts: The match was completely boring but the news of Hogan appearing and in a match against a non-jobber was big as Hogan rarely ever wrestled TV matches.



We get promos from Orton and Hogan to hype their match next week. Hogan’s promo is set to his theme song with fireworks in the background as Hogan proclaims he will beat Orton for the veterans on Memorial Day. Bit of an odd promo from the Hulkster here, with the background making it seem wacky.

Final Thoughts: Not a bad show. They are pushing all the top TV feuds but the momentum from WrestleMania III is waning. Patera ended up flopping as a babyface and Duggan blew his chance as he was fired ten days after this show aired after getting arrested with the Iron Sheik and charged with drinking and driving. Duggan really fucked up a huge push with that arrest. Other than that, the were relying on the likes of Blackjack Mulligan (who was gone from the company before this show aired) and a newly turned Brutus Beefcake, which were not all successes.




Here is my schedule for the next several days:

Tuesday: WWF Wrestling Challenge 5/17/87
Thursday: 1986 WWE Timeline as told by George Steele
Friday: WWF Superstars of Wrestling 5/23/87
Sunday: WWF Wrestling Challenge 5/24/87

May 10, 1987

May 9, 1987


From the Centrum in Worcester, MA

Your hosts are Bruno Sammartino, Jesse “The Body” Ventura, and Vince McMahon

This week’s featured match is Bret Hart vs. Davey Boy Smith. Also in action this week will be Ricky Steamboat, Nikolai Volkoff & Iron Sheik & Butch Reed, and Jake Roberts. Plus, an update on Bobby Heenan’s health and much more.

Tiger Chung Lee vs. Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat


Lee attacks Steamboat from behind to start the match. Steamboat comes back with a chop and a slam then they trade strikes until Lee knocks him onto the apron. Steamboat comes back with a another slam but Lee gets his knees up on a splash attempt before hammering away. Lee heads up top but Steamboat slams him off before climbing up himself and hitting the flying chop for the win (3:25).

Thoughts: On commentary, Jesse was strongly pushing that everyone was gunning for Steamboat and his IC Title. The Steamer sure wasn’t booked to look that strong with the belt but that’s what you get after asking for time off in the 80’s WWF.






WWF Update with Craig DeGeorge. This week’s focus is on Bobby Heenan and his condition after Ken Patera injured his neck. We are shown a clip of Heenan wearing a neckbrace telling us his neck is sprained. Heenan then promises that Patera will pay as he challenges him to take on Hercules next week. DeGeorge tells us we will find out tonight whether or not Patera accepts the challenge. They were pushing Hercules as the strongest man in the WWF here to build him for Patera.

Jim Powers & Paul Roma & Joe Mirto vs.Nikolai Volkoff & Iron Sheik & “The Natural” Butch Reed w Slick 


Before the match, Slick flips out on Duggan before Volkoff sings the Russian National Anthem without any interruption. Match starts but not before an insert promo from Outback Jack, saying that if Duggan was here this week he’d have put a stop to Nikolai’s singing. Powers works over the Sheik’s arm then tags Roma, who has his sunset flip attempt blocked. Roma gets caught in the wrong corner then eventually escapes to tag Mirto, who gets destroyed until Reed gets the win with a Gorilla Press slam (2:38). After the match, Volkoff yells as Slick tells the crowd to stand on their feet so he can sing the Russian National Anthem. Holy shit did this sound terrible and Jesse couldnt even hide his laughter here.

Thoughts: The story here is that without Duggan, the evil foreign heel will do whatever they please, including the domestic terror act Slick committed when he sang.






Gene Okerlund shows us comments from Hulk Hogan, who will be facing King Harley Race in a “Texas Death Match” at the Boston Garden. Hogan says he will quit wrestling and hand the World Title over to Heenan if he loses the match. Hogan did that “quit wrestling if losing” stipulation for several house show feuds in the 80’s.

Clips of the Honky Tonk Man cheating to beat Jake Roberts at WrestleMania III.

Rick Gantner vs. Jake “The Snake” Roberts


Roberts beats on Gantner then tosses him outside, where he beats the shit out of him. Jake is ultra aggressive tonight. Back inside, he continues the assault as Honky and Jimmy Hart are shown in an insert promo talking about Honky’s newest single about Snakeskin boots then Roberts gets the win with a DDT (1:23). After the match, Roberts dumps Damien on top of Gantner.

Thoughts: They put Jake over as more vicious than ever since Honky cheated to beat him at WrestleMania III.






Okerlund is with Billy Jack Haynes, who cuts another screaming and psychotic promo on Hercules, telling him that one of them will end up in an ambulance. These promos made Haynes look like the most frightening man on the planet. And is yellow vest over a collared shirt was a sight to behold.

A vignette of Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake in a salon telling his enemies that he will give them a haircut. Some salon as this featured a black-and-white palm tree. Overall, a fairly lame segment.

Mike Richards vs. Killer Khan w/ Mr. Fuji


Khan destroys Richards as we get an insert promo from Mr. Fuji, who says that Khan will wipe out everyone and how he was even afraid of Khan himself. The match goes on with Khan beating on Richard some more until putting him away with two knee drops to the head from the middle rope (2:52).

Thoughts: Dull as Khan works best in squash matches that last about a minute. The crowd did not seem to care about him.






DeGeorge is with Ron Bass, who yells at Blackjack Mulligan its not his fault Sara Jo is over 300lbs and that he is yellow for not bringing out Sara Jo to the crowd. Sadly, we never got that angle paid off.

George “The Animal” Steele shills the WWF ice cream bars, telling us that they are good.

Killer Bees & Koko B. Ware vs. Steve Lombardi & Pete Doherty & Terry Gibbs


Koko is sporting the Bees mask for this match too. The Bees work over Gibbs as we get an insert poem from Lanny Poffo about the Bees & Ware team. Back to the match as Jesse tells us that Koko’s mask makes him look like an “Oreo” then Brunzell is getting beat down in the opposing corner. He does get his knees up on a charging Lombardi and makes the tag to Blair, who cleans house. Doherty tags in and gets hit with a double backdrop before Koko puts him away with the Ghostbuster (2:53).

Thoughts: Just filler here as the winning team did not have much going on at this point.






Bret Hart w/ Jimmy Hart & Jim Neidhart vs. Davey Boy Smith w/ Dynamite Kid


Davey sends Bret to the floor with a shoulderblock after an Irish whip sequence. Back inside, Bret takes control of the match as Jesse asks what happened to Danny Davis. Vince promises we will hear from Patera before the show ends as Bret stays in control of the match. Bret counters a crucifix with a Samoan Drop but gets caught with a pair of shouderblocks. Davey picks up Bret by the hair then clotheslines him down as Neidhart attempts to interfere. Dynamite yanks Neidhart down as they brawl on the floor. Bret dropkicks Davey, who then slips out of a backbreaker attempt and hits Bret with a running powerslam for the win (3:44). After the match,Davey goes after Jimmy but Danny Dauvis runs down and hits him from behind as its 3-1 against Davey with Neidhart taking care of Dynamite outside of the ring.

Thoughts: The action was fine as this feud continues. Speaking of this feud, its about time to end it at this point.






Okerlund is with Jimmy Hart and the Honky Tonk Man, who will be facing Koko B. Ware at the next Boston Garden show. Honky talks about not giving the fans what they want because if you do in fact give them what they want, they will never come back. Honky then says he does nothing for free and if he isnt making a dollar then he will not do it as he accuses Okerlund of badgering him to sing for free. Honky then promises to hit Koko in the head with his guitar. Jimmy Hart and Honky was just a tremendous pairing. They were perfect for each other.

Patera tells us that he has accepted the challenge of Heenan to face Hercules in a terrible promo that saw him stumble all over his lines.

Also next week we will see the Islanders vs. Demolition, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, and the Honky Tonk Man.

Final Thoughts: Not a bad show but my problem is that they were pushing a bunch of washed up guys (Patera, Mulligan, Khan) in storylines that could have gone to others. Luckily, the WWF signed a lot of new talent around this time that would be debuting in the coming months.

Here is my schedule for the next several days:

Thursday: RF Video Face Off Volume 11 with Honky Tonk Man & Missy Hyatt
Friday: WWF Wrestling Challenge 5/10/87
Saturday: RoH Bitter Friends, Stiffer Enemies 8/16/03 *
Sunday: WWF Superstars of Wrestling 5/16/87
Tuesday: WWF Wrestling Challenge 5/17/87

*Time permitting