1987 — page 4

March 7, 1987


From the Coliseum in New Haven, CT

Your hosts are Bruno Sammartino, Jesse Ventura, and Vince McMahon.

In action tonight will be the Junkyard Dog, Ricky Steamboat, and the Hart Foundation. Plus, an appearance by Andre the Giant and another “WrestleMania Report.”

Mary Hart tells us that she is ready for her timekeeper’s role at WrestleMania III and promises to have a lot of fun. This was fine and like Bob Uecker, she was a good sport in these segments.

Pete Doherty vs. Junkyard Dog

JYD starts by hitting Doherty with a backdrop. Slam gets two. JYD no-sells some punches to the head then tosses Doherty around. The match briefly goes back and forth until JYD catches him with a powerslam for the win (2:27).

Thoughts: This match felt like it lasted for an hour. JYD moved around slower than any other time in his WWF run at this point. JYD’s act is starting to die down a bit with the crowds too.



WWF Update with Gene Okerlund. This week’s focus is on the WrestleMania III match between Jake Roberts and the Honky Tonk Man. Roberts is shown sitting on a couch with Alice Cooper cutting a promo on Honky, with Cooper saying that they are not imitations, like Honky and Jimmy Hart. Jake was great, Cooper was passable here. He did not appear as enthused as the other celebrities.

Replay of Adrian Adonis accidentally cutting the hair of Brutus Beefcake from their match last week.

Demolition w/ Johnny V. vs. Mike Lucca & Tommy Sharpe

Demolition came out to theme music for the first time. This was the theme they would use for their run in the company. Johnny V. is shown in an insert promo saying that Beefcake is alright as Vince says how he would be pissed if he was Beefcake. Both guys take turns destroying Sharpe. Lucca tags in and gets tossed outside where Smash tosses him into the guardrail. Ax then comes out and slams Lucca to the mat. Back inside, Ax tags and slingshots Lucca as Smash clotheslines him down then covers for the win (1:45). That finished looked awful as it was quite mistimed.

Thoughts: Demolition looked awesome except for their finisher, which was terrible. Thank god they stuck with the Decapitation. And the music really made their entrance special, IMO.



Okerlund is with Adrian Adonis and Hercules to hype up the elimination match in Boston. Heenan makes fun of Piper by saying he will be parking cars in Hollywood as the other two cut basic promos about their opponents. Those elimination matches at house shows were fun.

Bob Uecker and Mary Hart are backstage doing a comedy bit about how they are going to date each other. The end had Uecker buy a fur coat for Mary to wear then gets reminded by her that the show is held indoors. Not bad at all.

Terry Gibbs vs. Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat

Gibbs rakes the eyes of Steamboat then hammers away. Randy Savage is shown in an insert promo telling us how George Steele will be a non-factor in their match and that he get the win. Steamboat takes control of the match by working the arm. He then hits an armdrag after an Irish whip sequence as Jesse is on commentary saying that Steamboat should retire. Steamboat slams Gibbs before going back to the arm. Gibbs tosses Steamboat over the ropes then stands there like an idiot as Steamboat skins-the-cat back into the ring before punching him in the face. Steamboat gets booted after ducking his head as Gibbs climbs up top and misses an attack. Steamboat then hits a pair of dropkicks before hitting a flying body press for the win (3:27).

Thoughts: Okay-ish action. For some reason, these two did not have good chemistry in the ring. The main point of this though was the announcers putting over the importance of Steamboat/Savage at WrestleMania III with Jesse talking about how he should retire as this match might end his career, leaving doubt in the fans minds that he has a shot in this match and even suggesting it might end his career.



Okerlund is with Uecker as they talk about the midget match. Uecker said he wants to see this match and that he loves the “little beaver” as Gene quipped how he got the impression he did. Gene then asked if he knew him personally as Uecker said not yet then they both laughed before we get shown the places to watch on closed-circuit TV. Hilarious stuff as these two were clearly enjoying themselves. Fun to see that happen instead of reading scripted junk that lacks passion.

Now, Okerlund is with Bob Orton & Don Muraco. He asks them about the Can-Am Connection as Orton said they are now a machine after working together for several months. Muraco talks about how everyone will be excited in a rather tame promo.

A Hacksaw Jim Duggan vignette is shown of him getting out of his truck calling out Nikolai Volkoff and how this is his America as he bangs a 2×4 against the bed of the truck. This vignette was not very impressive but this character was different from his most-known persona as here he was more of an “everyman” while the other was more gimmicky with the 2×4 and catchphrases.

Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff w/ Slick vs. S.D. Jones & Brad Rheingans

Sheik and Rheingans start off the match going back and forth. Rheingans gets two off of a suplex as the Killer Bees are shown in an insert promo using all sorts of lame bee puns to hype their match at WrestleMania III. Sheik takes control of the match then tags Volkoff as Jesse talks about Rheingans amateur wrestling background. Rheingans dodges an attack and tags Jones, who knocks down Volkoff with a headbutt. He then hits an atomic drop but misses a charge in the corner. Volkoff then hits a backbreaker before tagging Sheik, who gets the win with a Camel Clutch (3:05).

Thoughts: Dull and the parts with Volkoff and S.D. going at it were abysmal. Rheingans did a few house show matches (mostly openers) and TV jobs in his brief WWF run.



Piper’s Pit with guests Andre the Giant and Bobby Heenan, who was uninvited. Heenan tells Piper that he talks to him as he handles all of Andre’s matters. Heenan then accuses Piper, the fans, and Hogan of “using” Andre as Capt. Lou Albano comes out to plead with Andre, asking him why he has let down his fans and disgraced his family by aligning with Heenan. Albano then said that he hopes Hulk “whips his butt” as Andre then chases Albano off of the set. The camera then zooms in on Andre’s face as the segment ends, with Andre just starring angrily at the fans. Another good segment that established how Andre was unable to be swayed to leave Heenan and has officially turned his back on the fans.

Another replay of the contract signing between Hogan and Andre. Again, great stuff.

Jim Powers & Jerry Allen vs. Hart Foundation w/ Jimmy Hart & Danny Davis

The fans hated the Hart Foundation here. Match starts with Brett booting down Powers as Davis cuts an insert promo on his opponents for WrestleMania III. Neidhart is now in as he slams Allen before tossing him into the corner. The Hart Foundation then use quick tags to isolate Allen until they put him away with the Hart Attack (1:48).

Thoughts: The Hart Foundation looked great here in the ring and were firing on all cylinders at this time.



Okerlund is now with Hogan and Piper as the hype up the elimination match in Boston. They are all friendly with each other and both seem high as a kite. This promo is all kinds of wonderful as they run down their opponents. I have included it below for all of you to see for yourselves. Pure 80’s WWF insanity here.

Next week in action will be the Killer Bees, Hercules, and Randy Savage. Plus, “Piper’s Pit” with guest Hulk Hogan and another WrestleMania Report.

Final Thoughts: Although not as memorable as the past several weeks, this was still a solid show. WrestleMania III has been promoted brilliantly and the top feuds are still going strong, making this time period must-see TV for wrestling fans.

March 1, 1987


From the Civic Center in Springfield, MA

Your hosts are Bobby Heenan and Gorilla Monsoon

In action tonight will be the Hart Foundation, Randy Savage, and the featured bout of Bruno Sammartino vs. Nikolai Volkoff. Plus another special report on WrestleMania III and more.

A clip of the Hart Foundation winning the Tag Team Titles from the British Bulldogs is shown.

Hart Foundation w/ Jimmy Hart & Danny Davis vs. S.D. Jones & “Leaping” Lanny Poffo


Poffo’s poem is directed at Davis and how he will get destroyed at WrestleMania III. Match starts with Neidhart attacking Poffo but missing a corner charge. Poffo hits a dropkick then tags out. Brett catches S.D. with a knee in the back from the apron as we get an insert promo from Tito Santana & British Bulldogs to hype their WrestleMania III match. The Hart Foundation double team S.D. then use quick tags to isolate him until they get the win with the Hart Attack (2:35). After the match Davis stomps on S.D.

Thoughts: A nice little showcase for the Tag Team Champions. It also helped further establish Davis as part of the act.






We get a replay of the contract signing between Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant from “Superstars of Wrestling.” If you have not seen this before, click on the link below. It is an incredible segment.

Mario Mancini vs. King Harley Race w/ Bobby Heenan


Johnny V. has replaced Heenan in the booth. The Junkyard Dog is shown in an insert promo telling Heenan that he is going to show him how to courtsey, in response of Heenan teaching him to bow before Race. Match starts with Race taking down Mancini and dropping the knee as Johnny V suggests the female referee for this match go home and wash her dirty dishes. Race then hits a few stomps and a couple more kneedrops. Race hits a gutwrench suplex then finally puts him away with the cradle suplex (1:25).

Thoughts: Just another segment to keep the lukewarm JYD/Race feud going. Race was a dud as the King. Even Heenan yelling at the crowd to bow couldn’t get him much heat. His methodical style of wrestling also did not help things any either.






Gene Okerlund is with Billy Jack Haynes and asks him about his feud with Hercules. Haynes goes nuts and tells him that he is the master of the full nelson, promising that he will break his neck in the middle of the ring. Good lord he is a lunatic.

Iron Mike Sharpe vs. Koko B. Ware


Sharpe ducks outside as Koko pumps up the crowd. Back inside, Sharpe hits a clothesline as Butch Reed is shown in an insert promo threatening Koko. Sharpe gets sent to the floor then gets dragged back into the ring. Koko hits a backdrop then connects with a missile dropkick before getting the win with a ghostbuster (1:59).

Thoughts: The Birdman is still able to get the crowd going with his ridiculous act. It was quite the accomplishment. Sadly, he was one step above a TV jobber.






Bob Uecker is backstage with Jesse Ventura, who teaches him how to pose. Jesse tells him that he looks a lot better than Vince McMahon as Uecker is flexing. Again, Uecker looks to be having a blast doing these segments.

Okerlund is with the Rougeau Brothers, asking them about their match against the Dream Team at WrestleMania III. Jacques talks about dreaming to wrestle at the Montreal Forum as a kid but now that dream is WrestleMania. Okerlund talks about how 93,000 fans will be in attendance as Raymond cuts a promo in French for all of their fans. Another bland babyface promo from the Rougeau Brothers.

We are shown a vignette of Hacksaw Jim Duggan sweeping stuff out of the arena door saying that he is looking to take out the trash, like Randy Savage. Duggan was sporting the jeans and American Flag bandana look here. As far as the vignette itself it was only about 25 seconds long and not particularly good.

Jim Powers vs. Randy “Macho Man” Savage w/ Elizabeth


Johnny V. has rejoined the booth, replacing Heenan. Savage slugs away then slams Powers as Ricky Steamboat is shown in an insert promo talking about how he has put a twist in things by having George Steele in his corner. Powers blocks a turnbuckle smash and hits one of his own. He fires away but Savage blocks his monkey flip attempt and shortly after that, Savage gets the win with a flying elbow smash (1:41).

Thoughts: Savage TV squash matches were always fun. He was the best all around wrestler in the company and probably the entire country at this point.






Replay of the “WrestleMania Report” from “Superstars of Wrestling,” where we learn that Alice Cooper will be in the corner of Jake Roberts at WrestleMania III in his match against The Honkytonk Man.

Nikolai Volkoff w/ Slick & Iron Sheik vs. Bruno Sammartino


This replaces the previously advertised Roddy Piper vs. Paul Orndorff matched, which was postponed for some reason. I know Orndorff was hurt but he was still working house shows at this point as he worked the night before in Toronto and at the “Saturday Night’s Main Event taping a few days after this was taped. Nikolai attacks Bruno then stomps away for a while but eats boot on a charge. Bruno then fights back and slugs Volkoff down. Bruno punches away in the corner as we get an insert promo from the Killer Bees hyping their WrestleMania III match against Sheik & Volkoff. Back to the match as Bruno is destroying Volkoff. He then puts him in a single leg crab but Sheik runs in to break it up for the DQ (2:37). Bruno fights them off for as long as he can until the Killer Bees run out to make the save.

Thoughts: Fun way to end the show and it gives the Bees a rub to be next to Bruno like that. Bruno could still go in the ring at this point. Volkoff was useless here.






Okerlund is with the Haiti Kid, Little Beaver, and Hillbilly Jim, who talks about his “little buddies.” Jim tells us that King Kong Bundy is a “nasty fellow” but he promises that he will protect them from Bundy as long as they take care of their fellow midget competitors. Beaver and Haiti, who can barely speak English, then cut unmemorable promos.

Next week in action will be the Can-Am Connection, Tito Santana, and Kamala.

Final Thoughts: Not a bad show. It advanced feuds and storylines for all of the undercard matches at WrestleMania III plus you got to see the contract signing incase you missed “Superstars of Wrestling.” Its been an entertaining ride on the road to WrestleMania III.

Here is my schedule for the next several days:

Thursday: RF Video Shoot Interview with Kimberly Page
Friday: WWF Superstars of Wrestling 3/7/87
Saturday: RoH Death Before Dishonor 7/19/03
Sunday: (no recap on the Sunday of a WWE PPV)
Tuesday: WWF Boston Garden House Show 3/7/87

February 28, 1987


From the Civic Center in New Haven, CT

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

In action tonight will be the Honky Tonk Man, Kamala, and the featured bout of Billy Jack Haynes vs. King Kong Bundy. Plus, “Piper’s Pit” with guests Tito Santana and the British Bulldogs and more updates on WrestleMania III.

We are shown the contract signing between Andre the Giant and Hulk Hogan for their match at WrestleMania III. Both guys are staring intensely at each other with the belt on the table in front of WWF President Jack Tunney. Bobby Heenan said when Andre wins, he wants a new belt made that can fit a giant then tells Hogan how he has used Andre throughout the years. Hogan looks both anxious and pissed off as he yells “sign it if you are going to sign it” as Andre stares him down the smirks before signing the contract. Hogan looks at him then says how he never thought it would come to this and tells Andre that if he wanted a title match, all he had to do was ask then yells about how Andre tore the soul out of him and the little Hulksters when he aligned with Heenan. Andre then tells Hogan that WrestleMania III would be his last match and starts to speak in French as Hogan demands that he speak in English to him and says as far as he is concerned the contract is not signed in ink but rather in blood as Andre calmly gets up and says that if he wants him to speak in English, he will speak in the ring at WrestleMania III before saying “au revoir” as he gets up to leave. Another incredible segment from the Hogan/Andre feud. Hogan was great here as he was both nervous and angry at his former friend. Andre as the calm, confident heel also shined here as this upcoming match is a must-see at this point for any wrestling fan, casual or die-hard.

Billy Jack Haynes vs. King Kong Bundy w/ Bobby Heenan


Bundy knees Haynes before knocking him down with a back elbow smash. Haynes then rolls away from a splash but gets caught with a clothesline as we get an insert promo from Hillbilly Jim, Little Beaver, and the Haiti Kid as Jim is concerned that Bundy might hit one of the midgets with the Avalanche. Back to the match as Bundy slams Haynes twice but misses a corner charge then Haynes locks on the full nelson. Heenan runs in to break it up as the ref rings for the bell (1:55). Haynes then chases Heenan around the ring but gets attacked from behind by Hercules, who leaves Haynes lying on the floor.

Thoughts: Solid segment that built up the Haynes/Hercules feud and promoted Bundy’s WrestleMania III match. I thought they did a good job of keeping both guys strong too as Bundy looked dominant and Heenan being afraid of Haynes’ full nelson as he had to interfere immediately when the hold was applied to his guy.






WWF Update with Gene Okerlund. This week’s subject is George “The Animal” Steele and his obsession with Elizabeth as they showed the clip of Steele carrying her away from “Saturday Night’s Main Event.” Elizabeth is then shown talking about how Steele is a nice man who would never hurt her as Savage comes out and yells at her to get away. Savage was such a dick to Elizabeth when he was a heel. It’s what made him great in that role.

The Rougeau Brothers vs. Dave Wagner & Rick Renslow


Raymond gets attacked from behind to start until Jacques knocks them out of the ring. We get an insert promo from Dino Bravo, who warns the Rougeau Brothers that he will take them out at WrestleMania III. Back in the ring as Wagner gets double-teamed until he gets put away after getting pinned by Raymond after an assisted senton (1:49).

Thoughts: The match was a backdrop to further along the underwhelming midcard feud between Bravo and the Rougeau Brothers.   






Okerlund is with Hogan and Haynes as they hype their elimination match at the March Boston Garden show (which I will review) then run down their WrestleMania III opponents (Hercules and Andre the Giant). Nothing in particular stood out here.

Replay of the Honky Tonk Man attacking Jake “The Snake” Roberts on the set of the “Snake Pit.”

Jerry Monti vs. Honky Tonk Man w/ Jimmy Hart


We get an insert promo from Jimmy Hart, promising a big surprise that will be revealed in tonight’s “WrestleMania Report.” Honky beats on Monti then taunts the fans, who loudly boo his act. He then rams Monti into the corner and follows that with a clothesline before getting the win with the Shake, Rattle, and Roll (1:32). After the match, Hart runs in the ring and hands Honky a microphone. Honky then thanks the fans for their support as he dances.

Thoughts: Honky’s heel act worked great as the crowd hated him even more than before. He really did an awesome job and exceeded with what looked to be a lower card gimmick.






Okerlund is with Bob Uecker, who is the guest ring announcer for the main event at WrestleMania III. Okerlund then puts him in Andre the Giant’s sportscoat, which is obviously huge on him. Okerlund then lets us know where to see the show on closed circuit. Uecker always looked like he was having a good time in the WWF.

Now, Okerlund is with the Killer Bees and asks them about their WrestleMania III match against Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff as well as the tag team division in general. They are both happy to be on the show and say that their ultimate goal is to become the Tag Team champions. Blair closes with a lame promo that is only slightly better than the crap they are currently giving Roman Reigns.

Mary Hart from Entertainment Tonight is shown out in Hollywood with Bobby Heenan. Hart wants to wear his jacket then gets in a comment about how he is a weasel. Fine for what it was.

Kamala w/ The Wizard & Kimchee vs. David Stoudemire


We get an insert promo from Hacksaw Jim Duggan, making his first on-screen appearance in the WWF, as he calls out Kamala. Kamala starts the match by tossing down Stoudemire. He then hits a splash before climbing up top for another one to get the win (0:56).

Thoughts: Same as every other Kamala squash match. Duggan was originally supposed to face Kamala at WrestleMania III according to Dave Meltzer. If I can, I will try to find out why that did not happen and put it one of these reviews.





Piper’s Pit with guests Tito Santana and the British Bulldogs. Before his guests come out, Piper goes off on Adrian Adonis and hypes their hair vs. hair match at WrestleMania III. The crowd was jacked for that. The Bulldogs and Santana come out as Davey cuts a shitty promo and Dynamite does one that is 100x worse. I couldn’t make out one word that he said. Santana cuts a brief promo as Piper talks up these guys about how they are going to reclaim their titles.

WrestleMania III Report with Gene Okerlund. He lets us know that a new match has been added to the card, Jake “The Snake” Roberts vs. Honky Tonk Man, and that in Jake’s corner will be Alice Cooper. Okerlund then runs down the rest of the card. Heenan is with Uecker as they talk about WrestleMania III. Uecker then says that he wants to be like Heenan and puts on his jacket then takes it off so he can flex like Hogan. Again, Uecker seemed like he was having a blast here. Jesse is then with Mary Hart as they jokingly tease that they are together in another fun segment. Hart was a good sport. Also, Aretha Franklin will be singing the National Anthem to start off the show.

Dream Team & Adrian Adonis w/ Johnny V, Jimmy Hart, and Dino Bravo. vs. Can-Am Connection & “Leaping” Lanny Poffo

Poffo’s pre match poem is about how he hopes Piper does not lose his hair and that Adonis is a slob. The heels then jump the faces from behind to start. The faces then quickly clear the ring as the fans were going nuts. Christ, the Can-Am Connection were over. Adonis is shown in an insert promo with a pair of scissors promising Piper will leave WrestleMania III bald. The Dream Team are working over Martel briefly but he fights back and tags Zenk. Valentine takes control when Zenk misses a corner charge. Zenk comes back and tags Martel, who runs wild. Adonis then runs into the ring
but accidentally gets backdropped to the floor by Valentine. Beefcake slams Martel and beats on him in the corner as Hart hands a pair of scissors to Adonis, who thinks he is cutting Martel’s hair but it’s really Beefcake’s, who is going nuts then Martel rolls him up for the win (3:34). After the match, Beefcake flips out on Adonis but gets held back by his guys.

Thoughts: I don’t think that Poffo even tagged into this match. The crowd was insane for the Can-Am Connection. The pop for the win was incredible. They also planted the seed for the Brutus Beefcake babyface turn. It looked too contrived as their was no way that Adonis, who was looking at the hair, could not figure out how it was Beefcake’s hair he was cutting. The crowd did cheer for Beefcake as he went after Adonis.



Okerlund is with Adrian Adonis and Hercules to hype the six-man elimination match in Boston. Basic stuff from these two.

Next week in action will be the Junkyard Dog, Ricky Steamboat, Hart Foundation and another WrestleMania III report.

Final Thoughts: Another fine show on the road to WrestleMania III. The Hogan/Andre contract signing is a must-see segment and they did their best to make all of the matches on the PPV seem important. The past few months have been masterful from a booking aspect. They perfected the build of their top feuds as they all are still red hot just a month away from the show.

Here is my schedule for the rest of the week. Sadly, there will be no RoH review for tomorrow night as I did not have the time to review Death Before Dishonor, as it is a 4.5 hour long show. It will be posted the following Saturday.

Sunday: WWF Wrestling Challenge 3/1/87
Tuesday: WWF Superstars of Wrestling 3/7/87
Thursday: Shoot Interview TBD
Friday: WWF Boston Garden Show 3/7/87

February 23, 1987


Your hosts are Bobby Heenan and Gorilla Monsoon

Paul Roma vs. “Italian Stallion” Salvatore Bellomo


Bellomo comes to the ring in a yellow boxing robe and even throws some punches into the air as a fan pelts him with garbage. The stallion on the the back of his robe and attire look more like a donkey if you ask me, which is fitting for Bellomo. His attire is also as pathetic as his wrestling skills. Well Bellomo as a comedy heel is more suitable than a babyface. Lots of stalling and posing from Bellomo to start as Gorilla and Heenan talk about WrestleMania III. They have a fast-paced Irish whip sequence that ends with Roma getting a nearfall off of a reverse rollup. Bellomo then takes down Roma and works the arm for a long time as he screams and laughs. They fight over a key lock that Roma wins as he takes Bellomo down. Roma works  side headlock on the mat as this match is putting everyone to sleep. Bellomo then breaks up an arm wringer with an eye rake before taking Roma down with an European uppercut. Dropkick gets two then Bellomo applies a chinlock. Roma fights out and takes Bellomo down with a hiptoss then goes back to work on the arm. Bellomo fights back and takes Roma down with a snapmare then targets the back. Bellomo slows things down even further with another chinlock as a few fans are crapping on the match as the announcers talk about everything else going on in the company. Roma then hits a backdrop and dropkicks Bellomo, who takes a breather outside. He heads back in as Roma slams him then runs up to the second rope to deliver a fist drop. Roma whiffs on a crossbody attempt but shortly after that Roma gets the win with a powerslam (12:29) *.

Thoughts: Seeing Bellomo as a comedy heel of sorts was certainly something else. This only lasted for a few weeks until he left the company though. Roma was getting a minor singles push at the time and the announcers tried to sell this as an upset win. The match itself was way too slow and the last few minutes where clunky.






The Islanders vs. Demolition


No Johnny V. tonight for Demolition. Tama and Smash start off as Tama is overpowered but Haku comes in and they take him down with a double dropkick as Demolition regroups outside. Back in the ring, Ax and Haku are in and they go back and forth until Haku grabs an arm wringer. The Islanders work over Ax for a it. Ax then beats on Tama and tags out as Smash tosses Tama on the floor. Ax then knocks Tama over the guardrail as Haku brings him back over and helps him get into the ring where Demolition double-teams him. Tama gets tossed back to the floor after a pin attempt as Haku goes to check on him again as this match has slowed down an awful lot. Haku then slugs it out with Smash on the floor as Ax gets two with an elbow smash. Smash tags and drops Tama throat-first onto the top rope. Tama fights out of a bearhug but Smash is able to ground him with a leg lock then tags Ax, who gets kicked when he ducks his head on a backdrop. Tama makes the tag as Haku runs wild. Tama tags back into the match and gets two with a crossbody then the match breaks down and as the ref orders Haku back onto the apron, Demolition hits Tama with the Decapitation for the win (9:13) **1/4.

Thoughts: Decent enough match although it was really slow at the beginning. Demolition was slowly starting to get over as a menacing heel act with the crowd, who were in awe of their entrance gear and presence in the ring. The Islanders were over with the crowd a bit but near the bottom rung of the tag team ladder at the time.






Sika vs. Koko B. Ware


The Wizard is not here tonight. Sika starts by tossing Koko into the corner then he knocks him down. Koko tries to fight back but gets shoved back down then Sika rakes his back. Koko then goes outside and crawls underneath the ring and comes out from the other side to confuse Sika. Koko then dropkicks Sika in the back and rolls him up off of the rebound for the win (4:51) DUD. After the match, Sika attacks Koko and tosses him to the floor.

Thoughts: Sika was quite lazy here and this match was a total bore. The ending also did nothing to elevate either of these guys. Koko was treated like a joke in this match.






“The Natural” Butch Reed w/ Slick vs. Tito Santana


Reed starts the match of by stalling for a couple of minutes, which is the theme of the night so far. Tito hammers away for a bit until Reed ducks outside for a breather. He heads back in but gets sent back out after a pair of dropkicks. Reed then is able to choke out Tito with the middle rope from the apron then heads back into the ring. Tito boots down Reed after he ducked his head then grabs a front facelock as Slick joins on commentary complaining about the referee allowing Tito to cheat. Reed then breaks free and takes control of the match as he targets the throat of Tito. Slick is ecstatic as Reed has Tito in a chinlock for a while. Reed then gets two with a mat slam before he puts on another chinlock. Tito sends Reed into the corner then fires up as he beats on Reed. He uses mounted punches and gets two off of that but gets sent into the corner then clotheslined down. Reed takes Tito down with a kneelift then stomps away. Reed goes for an atomic drop but Tito blocks that and takes Reed down and goes for the figure four leg lock but Reed is able to reach the ropes. Reed then takes Tito down and distracts the referee as Slick heads inside with his cane but Koko B. Ware runs out and stops that as the ref signals for the bell. Koko and Tito then clear the ring as the match is ruled a double disqualification (12:10) *1/2. After the match, Slick struggles to hold Reed back.

Thoughts: Bland match.






WWF Tag Team Championship Match
Killer Bees vs. Hart Foundation w/ Jimmy Hart & Danny Davis


Neidhart and Brunzell start off the match as Jimmy has joined the announcers to talk about Davis being a former Gold Gloves champion and a high school wrestler before leaving. Brett tags and he and Brunzell go back and forth for a bit. The Bees are now working over Brett’ arm then Blair slingshots Brett into Neidhart as the Hart Foundation regroup outside. Back inside, the Bees work over the arm of Brett but that doesnt last long as he knocks Blair into his corner then tags Neidhart. The Hart Foundation double-team Blair then toss him out to the floor. Back in the ring Blair manages a quick rollup but Brett immediately puts him in a front facelock. The Hart Foundation use some solid double-team moves then Blair sends Brett into the corner as both men are down. Blair is up first and manages a small package but Brett escapes then grounds Blair before tagging out. Neidhart put Blair in a bearhug then stops Blair from making the tag when he escapes. Brunzell tags but the ref did not see that then Brett tags in and puts on a chinlock but Blair breaks that up with an electric chair drop then tags Brunzell, who goes nuts on Brett in the corner. Brunzell then connects with a dropkick but Neidhart breaks up the pin as the bell is rung prematurely then Davis attacks Brunzell as he had Brett up for a slam and that gets turned into a small package as the Hart Foundation retains the gold (13:52) **3/4.

Thoughts: Solid match. The heat segment on Blair was the best part. They are establishing Davis as part of the act in order to hype the WrestleMania III match and to give the Hart Foundation an additional outside threat. The Bees were fine here and these two teams worked well together.






Gorilla is with Outback Jack, who will be making his MSG debut. Jack says that the competition is tough in the WWF but thinks he is prepared.

And Gorilla is now with Jake Roberts, who is defying doctor’s orders to face King Kong Bundy tonight. The story is that Roberts was concussed from the guitar shot he took from Honky at the last “Superstars of Wrestling” taping.

Jimmy Hart and the Honky Tonk Man are with Gorilla, who is disgusted over what he did to Jake Roberts. Honky says he feels good and is going to tap dance on the head of Pedro Morales. He also warns Roberts that if he hits him in the head again that he will not get up.

Randy Savage is with Bobby Heenan as Gorilla asks him about the elimination match main event. Savage promises that his team will win 3-0.

Barry O. vs. Outback Jack


Jack overpowers Barry to start. He hits a few slams and a hiptoss that sends Barry outside for a breather. The crowd is completely silent by the way. Back inside, Jack backs Barry into the corner but gets his eye poked as Barry takes control. He catches Jack with a kneelift then rams him into the corner. Jack reverses a whip and catches Barry with a backdrop. Jack gets two off of a splash but Barry yanks him into the corner. Jack ducks a swing and hits an atomic drop before hitting Barry with a boomerang for the win (3:33) 1/2*.

Thoughts: Jack was not over at all and based on this reaction and his TV debut, it was clear that this character was never going to get over to the extent they originally thought.






King Kong Bundy w/ Bobby Heenan vs. Jake “The Snake” Roberts


Jimmy Hart is on commentary for Heenan in this match. He is also petrified when the camera shows Damien trying to get out of his bag. Match starts with both guys fighting over a lockup as Jake wins that battle and knocks down Bundy. A loud “Bundy sucks” chant breaks out as he stalls on the apron. They try a test of strength that Bundy wins then but Jake grabs a hold of the ropes after an Irish whip as the crowd applauds. This is a pro-Jake crowd tonight. Jake ducks a clothesline but gets caught with a slam. Bundy gets two with an elbow drop then stops as he adjusts the straps of his singlet, which appear too big for him. Bundy puts Jake in a chinlock as both Heenan and Hart remain scared of the snake at ringside. Jake escapes and tries for a DDT but Bundy blocks that then misses an elbow drop. Jake falls outside as Bundy goes out and roughs him up before tossing him back in as the bell rings with Bundy getting counted out (9:17) 1/2*. After the match, Bundy misses an Avalanche then Jake grabs Damien and chases Bundy, Hart, and Heenan to the back.

Thoughts: Bad match. Bundy had to stop to adjust his straps throughout the match and moved very, very slowly as a result. The crowd liked Jake but this was a poor match with a bad finish.






Honky Tonk Man w/ Jimmy Hart vs. Pedro Morales


Slick has joined on commentary to say that something needs to be done about wrestlers putting their hands on managers then promises that Butch Reed will destroy Koko at WrestleMania III. Honky starts the match by stalling as he keeps on ducking under the ropes then takes a breather outside. Gorilla threatens to grab Slick by the neck if he interferes as Pedro slams Honky twice. Honky heads back outside then goes back in as the crowd is all over him. Honky tries to fight out of an arm wringer but gets caught with an atomic drop instead as Honky yet again goes back outside, which is getting in some heel heat at least. Honky heads back in but Pedro punches him through the ropes as this match is getting quite repetitive. Back inside, Pedro grabs a side headlock but Honky is able to dump him outside and onto the Japanese announce table, which had been mentioned a few times throughout the show. Honky rams Pedro shoulder-first into the post from the apron then targets the back. Honky fires away then stomps on Pedro in the corner until he goes outside. Pedro walks over towards Jimmy Hart, who backs away, then yanks Honky outside where he rams him into the post and the guardrail. They head back in the ring where Honky takes control. Suplex gets two. He slams him down but misses an elbow drop from the second rope as both men are down. Pedro hammers in Honky, who is now begging for mercy in the corner. Pedro gets two with a small package then hits Honky with a backdrop before putting him in a Boston Crab but Hart jumps up on the apron and Pedro goes after him then after that Honky trips up Pedro and rolls him up, with his feet on the ropes for leverage, and gets the win (11:58) **.

Thoughts: Honky did about 90% of the work here and made it entertaining and a lot better than I expected. He really did a fantastic job as a heel, which suited the character a lot better than being a babyface. Morales was about as lazy and useless as you would expect. Pedro is not trying if he is booked to lose.






Elimination Match
“Adorable” Adrian Adonis w/ Jimmy Hart & King Harley Race w/ Bobby Heenan & Randy “Macho Man” Savage w/ Miss Elizabeth vs. Junkyard Dog & Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat & Roddy Piper


This is being billed as the final MSG appearance for Piper and the crowd goes nuts for him. Piper stares down Adonis but it is Savage who starts off the match for his team. Piper knocks down Race then runs around and tags Steamboat as Savage ducks outside. Savage comes back in to attack Steamboat but gets caught with an armdrag. JYD and Race tag in as Race bumps like a maniac for JYD’s offense. The crowd is jacked right now as Race flips over the top rope after a clothesline from JYD, who looks horrendous here, but Race is doing everything in his power to make him seem good. Slick insults JYD on commentary by saying he is unable to read. Race takes control briefly then tags Savage but JYD beats on him. Steamboat tags but Savage tags in Adonis then after that Piper tags as their is a six-man brawl inside of the ring. The ref finally maintains control then Adonis & Race hit Piper with a double suplex. Adonis catches Piper in a sleeper but gets rammed backwards into the turnbuckle and locks on a sleeper of his own. Savage and JYD are now the legal men as JYD slams him down. Savage takes control and tags Adonis, whose punches have no effect on JYD. Adonis then tackles JYD as they brawl outside then everyone else brawls as well. Piper chases Adonis up the aisle with a chair as JYD and Race duke it out. Back inside, Piper hits Race with a back suplex but the ref does not count as the bell rings as both Adonis and JYD have been counted out and have been eliminated (7:50). Piper gets worked over in the corner by Race and Savage as Slick continues to make fun of JYD on commentary. Piper tries to make a tag but Race stops that with an elbow drop. Savage then chokes out Piper against the ropes then misses a jumping attack but is able to tag Race. Piper counters a suplex with one of his own and makes the tag to Steamboat. He hits Race with a bunch of chops then he and Piper hit a double clothesline. Steamboat gets two off of a flying chop then gets Race in a small package but Savage reverses it behind the referee’s back and Race gets the pin (11:42). Steamboat pumps up Piper before leaving as he is at a 2-1 disadvantage. Piper beats on Race as Savage tries to interfere. He knocks Race outside then takes a chair away from Savage. Piper falls victim to the numbers game as Savage takes and chokes him out. Double axe handle from the top rope gets two. Piper fights off both guys now but Race hits him from behind. Powerslam from Race gets two. Piper reverses a gutwrench suplex with one of his own and get two as Savage breaks that up. Race signals for Savage to climb up top as he holds Piper in place but Piper escapes as Savage accidentally hits Race with a double axe handle then Piper covers and gets the pin (15:43). Piper bulldogs Savage then bites his fingers. Piper chases Savage around but fails to get him over on a sunset flip attempt. Savage clotheslines Piper for two then elbows him in the throat. Piper then fights back and unloads on Savage then both men collide as Savage flies through the ropes. Piper is playing possum in the ring as Savage climbs up top and misses the flying elbow smash then Piper puts Savage in a small package for the win (20:22) ****.

Thoughts: Fantastic match. Piper in particular was awesome here as Race and Savage also had on their working boots. JYD was pathetic but they were smart enough to get him out early. Tremendous fun as these elimination matches would main event house shows for the next few weeks. Also, I must say that Slick and Gorilla on commentary was entertaining. They should have let Slick done more on commentary.






Gorilla is backstage with Piper, congratulating him on his win. Piper says he always gave 110% then talks about the hair vs. hair stipulation match against Adonis at WrestleMania III. The end was Piper being his typical crazy self.

Final Thoughts: The main event was awesome but nothing else was all that great. Some of these matches just flat-out sucked as well. All in all, check out the main event, which was also part of the “WWE Top 50 Superstars of All Time” DVD but other than that, I cannot really recommend anything else that you should go out of your way to see. A majority of these matches were featured on the 3/9/87 edition of Prime Time Wrestling if you were wondering.

Here is my schedule for the next several days:

Thursday: 2008 WWE Blue Timeline as told by Brian Myers (Curt Hawkins)
Friday: WWF Superstars of Wrestling 2/28/87
Saturday: RoH Death Before Dishonor 7/19/03
Sunday: WWF Wrestling Challenge 3/1/87
Tuesday: WWF Superstars of Wrestling 3/7/87

February 22, 1987


From the Lee Civic Center in Fort Myers, FL

Your hosts are Bobby Heenan and Gorilla Monsoon

In action tonight will be Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, Junkyard Dog, and the featured bout of George “The Animal” Steele vs. “The Natural” Butch Reed. Plus, we will hear all of the announced matches for WrestleMania III and more.

Chic Donovan vs. Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat


Both guys start off by trading moves and that leads to a fast-paced Irish whip sequence ending with a hip toss from Steamboat. The Wizard is shown with Sika & Kamala in a screaming promo about WrestleMania III as Donovan has Steamboat grounded. Steamboat hits a backdrop then comes back with a slam and a dropkick. Steamboat hits a clumsy looking backbreaker before applying a chinlock. Steamboat switches to a headlock and maintains the hold after a backbreaker but then gets hit with a back suplex. Donovan dumps Steamboat outside and beats on him as the crowd chants for Steamboat. The announcers hype WrestleMania III as Steamboat fights back and slams Donovan outside the ring then rolls him back in and hits the flying body press for the win (4:53).

Thoughts: The announcers spent most of the match talking about WrestleMania III but really didnt devote all that much time to the Savage/Steamboat saga. Donovan looked solid here. He was a journeyman who wrestled all over and had a solid physique and blonde hair but was on the short side. He could have made a fine lower card guy in the WWF at this time as he had some semblance of a personality. He got in a decent amount of offense as well.






Barry O. vs. Junkyard Dog


Barry bounces off of JYD then misses a dropkick. Heenan is shown in an insert promo with King Harley Race hyping his WrestleMania III match as Barry clotheslines JYD. Barry starts to taunt the crowd but turns around and walks into a sorry excuse for a headbutt then gets the win with a powerslam (1:33).

Thoughts: Barry worked about 99.9% of the match himself as JYD barely even moved. JYD was pathetic in the ring at this point and would become even worse over the next few years.






Gene Okerlund is with Billy Jack Haynes, who talks about how he has been the master of the full nelson for five years. He then asks the fans for support, as he claims he has never turned his back on them, then tells Hercules the only way he will submit is if his neck is broken then yells about how he will break the neck of Hercules to settle this feud once and for all. Holy shit was Haynes scary here. You really believed him when he said that it would take someone’s neck to be broken in order for hi feud against Hercules ended.

We get a replay of Okerlund’s interview with Roddy Piper from the 2/21/87 edition of “Superstars of Wrestling” in which Piper confirms that WrestleMania III will be his last match. They then show a clip of Piper’s match against Adrian Adonis from “Saturday Night’s Main Event”

Okerlund is with Bobby Heenan, who tells us that Hogan has never offered Andre the Giant a championship match and is a “miserable excuse of a human being” for using Andre and now, they will use Hogan.

A replay of the clip with the Can-Am Connection being hounded by female fans from a few weeks with Jesse Ventura disgusted by this taking place.

Cowboy Bob Orton & Don Muraco w/ Mr. Fuji vs. David Stoudemire & Salvatore Bellomo


Freddie Blassie makes a surprise apperance on commentary as Bellomo works over Orton briefly until he runs into a forearm. Muraco tags and hits a gutbuster as the heels are beating on Bellomo in the corner. We get an insert promo from Mr. Fuji warning the Can-Am Connection what will happen at WrestleMania III as Muraco hits Stoudemire with a gordbuster then tags Orton, who gets the win with a superplex (2:04).

Thoughts: Quick match to build up the vets for the Can-Am Connection at WrestleMania III.






Replay of the “Snake Pit” from the 2/21/87 edition of “Superstars of Wrestling” where the Honky Tonk Man attacked Jake Roberts with a guitar.

WrestleMania Report with Gene Okerlund as he runs down all of the matches and gives us information on how to get tickets and the local locations that are showing it on closed-circuit television.

“The Natural” Butch Reed w/ Slick vs. George “The Animal” Steele


Steele chased Slick out of the ring before the match but that allows Reed to attack him from behind. Steele fights back and chases him around the ring but gets distracted again by Slick. Steele fights back and when the ref checks on Reed, Slick hits Steele with his cane. Steele chases Slick backstage and is looking for him as he sees Koko B. Ware backstage watching on the monitor where he tells Steele to get back into the ring. At this point the bell has already rung but Steele & Koko run out to the ring and sees Slick and Reed. Steele chases after Slick then Koko hits Reed with a missile dropkick to finally clear them both from the ring (1:33).

Thoughts: Although the action was poor it was a bit entertaining to watch and it helped build more tension for the Reed/Ware match at WrestleMania III. Steele truly was great in his role.






Okerlund is with Ricky Steamboat, who promises to give everything he has so he can win the Intercontinental Title. He leaves then Hogan comes in and first says that he thrives on the passion of guys like Ricky Steamboat and Billy Jack Haynes then cuts a promo on Andre as he calls him a liar and to be ready for the test of his life. Good promos from both guys.

Next week in action will be Nikolai Volkoff & Iron Sheik, Hart Foundation, and the featured bout of Roddy Piper vs. “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff.

Final Thoughts: This show was okay overall but it would have been a lot better had you missed “Superstars of Wrestling” because you got all of the hot angles. They did some angle advancement for the WrestleMania III lower card matches as far as original stuff and had some entertaining promos as well.

Here is my schedule for the next several days:

Saturday: RoH Wrestlerave 6/28/03
Sunday: WWF Madison Square Garden 2/23/87
Tuesday: WWF Superstars of Wrestling 2/28/87
Thursday: Shoot Interview TBD
Friday: WWF Wrestling Challenge 3/1/87

February 21, 1987

From the Sun Dome in Tampa, FL

Your hosts are Bruno Sammartino, Jesse Ventura, and Vince McMahon.

Tonight, we will hear from Roddy Piper on whether or not he is retiring. Plus, the Hart Foundation defend the Tag Team Titles against The Islanders. Also in action are Koko B. Ware, Billy Jack Haynes, and King Harley Race. And we will find out about more matches that have been added to the WrestleMania III card.

Before the first match, Jimmy Hart introduces Danny Davis as the newest member of the Hart Foundation. Davis comes out wearing a ridiculous pair of referee-striped trunks with a white jersey tucked into them.

WWF Tag Team Championship Match
Hart Foundation w/ Jimmy Hart & Danny Davis vs. The Islanders

Tama chops down Brett after a fast-paced Irish whip sequence. The Islanders beat on Brett for a bit until Neidhart catches Tama with a knee from the apron. Neidhart tags and beats on Tama as we get an insert promo from Hillbilly Jim hyping the Andre/Hogan match at WrestleMania III. The Hart Foundation are beating on Tama as they take advantage of the referee being out of position. Tama escapes and tags Haku, who runs wild. He chops down Brett before catching him with a thrust kick. The fans go nuts as Tama tags and goes up top for a splash but Davis pushes Tama in midair, who splats on the mat then Neidhart crawls back in the ring to make the cover and gets the win (4:33).

Thoughts: Decent action here. Also, the introduction of Davis in the Hart Foundation worked as he helped his fellow stable mates retain the belts. The crowd hated the Hart Foundation in this match.



WWF Update with Gene Okerlund. This week’s topic is Roddy Piper and whether or not he is retiring. Okerlund is then shown interviewing Piper in an empty arena where Piper confirms that he is in fact retiring. Piper cuts a promo and seems like he was on the good stuff. He really didn’t say anything other than his last match would be at WrestleMania III.



Salvatore Bellomo vs. King Harley Race w/ Bobby Heenan

Bellomo is sporting a moustache and gets pissed when the crowd boos him during the introductions. He starts the match by hitting a dropkick but misses on his second attempt. Race then takes control as we get an insert promo from the Junkyard Dog about how he will win Race’s crown at WrestleMania III then Race puts Bellomo away with a cradle suplex (1:09).

Thoughts: Race still is not impressing as the King but the fans still liked JYD so there was some interest in their feud. This was Bellomo’s last televised WWF match. He was transitioning to his heel role that lasted for about a couple of weeks until he quit.

Okerlund is with the Hart Foundation. Neidhart says that they are not going to hide behind the belts and will defend the titles. They then promise to destroy the Rougeau Brothers in Boston. Neidhart was awesome here and Bret was showing some improvement on the mic as well, although he was still not any good.

Jimmy Hart is with Danny Davis and announces that at WrestleMania III, Davis will make his in-ring debut teaming with the Hart Foundation against the British Bulldogs & Tito Santana



Morgan Bastien vs. Billy Jack Haynes

Haynes destroys Bastien as the announcers talk about the news of Danny Davis making his debut. The camera then shows Hercules watching the match backstage as he talks to Haynes through the monitor about how he has to go through him. Back to the match as Haynes hits a suplex then puts on the full nelson for the win (2:13).

Thoughts: They are keeping the Haynes/Hercules feud fresh. Haynes tossed Bastien like a rag doll after he got the win. Even Vince seemed surprised at how brutal it looked.

Okerlund is with Randy Savage, who says that Ricky Steamboat is no problem at all and that George Steele is not a problem but rather a witness to his greatness. Savage was just money at this point.



Paul Roma & Frankie Rose vs. Dream Team w/ Johnny V. & Dino Bravo

Valentine slams Roma then drops an elbow as the Rougeau’s are shown in an insert promo saying that they will be facing the Dream Team at WrestleMania III. The Dream Team continue to work over Roma until he comes back with a dropkick on Valentine. Jesse breaks the news about King Kong Bundy & Little Tokyo & Lord Littlebrook vs. Hillbilly Jim & Haiti Kid & Little Beaver taking place at WrestleMania III. Rose tags and gets slammed by Valentine then Beefcake roughs him up until Valentine gets the win with the Figure Four (2:53). After the match, Roma tries to fight off the Dream Team but Dino Bravo comes out and holds up Roma so he can get destroyed.

Thoughts: Boring match as the Dream Team continues to fall down the card. Adding Bravo did not help things either. Only thing notable was the announcement of the tag match at WrestleMania III.



Snake Pit with guests Jimmy Hart and the Honky Tonk Man. Snake Pit is appearing tonight as “Piper’s Pit” has been preempted this week. Jake talks about how stupid the Honky Tonk Man name is as he then comes out and talks himself up as the crowd boos. Jake taunts Honky with the snake then promises to stop because he wants Honky to “make an idiot of himself” by singing. Honky does a great job of playing to the crowd by stalling. He then sings briefly but Jake puts the snake in his face and Honky runs away. Jake then goes halfway into the tunnel but Honky ended up sneaking back around then whacks Jake with the guitar. Honky continues to beat Jake with the guitar as Hart is laughing and jumping around all over the place as the crowd boos them out of the building. Awesome segment that began Jake’s babyface turn. Incredible stuff.

Gene Okerlund lets us know that Butch Reed vs. Koko B. Ware will take place at WrestleMania III then runs down the rest of the card. Five weeks away from the show and they almost have a full card in place. Gene also noted that the Can-Am Express might have a surprise in their corner. They then take it to the street to ask fans who will win the Hogan vs. Andre match as the fans seem to be 50/50. They then show the wrestlers opinion of the matches as the faces pick for Hogan and the heels pick Andre. Well, Zenk picked Andre.



Red Demon vs. Koko B. Ware

Demon misses a charge and gets dropkicked as a result. Butch Reed is shown in an insert promo with Slick talking about how he will destroy Koko at WrestleMania III, which causes Jesse to laugh because he threatened the bird. Demon takes control then mocks Koko by doing the bird. Koko comes back with a dropkick and a hiptoss then heads up top with a missile dropkick. Koko then does the bird before hitting the Ghostbuster for the win (3:10).

Thoughts: Koko had a cool moveset and was over with the fans but never got past the level he was here in the WWF. Too bad as he was a talented guy.

Okerlund is with Billy Jack Haynes and Hulk Hogan, who will be teaming with Piper to take on Adonis, Orndorff, and Hercules in an elimination match in Boston. Hogan does the talking as Haynes does a fine job of rubbing his hands and looking insane. Hogan tells Haynes he cannot wait to see what he does with his muscles. Haynes then tells us that he loves Hogan because they both do not smoke, drink, or do drugs. Haynes says he backs Hogan 100%, who says that he trusts his last dying breath in the hands of Haynes. This was awesome 80’s wackiness.

Next week in action will be Adrian Adonis, Honky Tonk Man, and the featured match of King Kong Bundy vs. Billy Jack Haynes.



Final Thoughts: Another tremendous show on the road to WrestleMania III. Piper announcing his retirement was huge news and the Snake Pit segment was awesome and they way WrestleMania III has been built has been fantastic. Every match on the card makes sense and the shows are a breeze to watch. Plus, the promos are fun, the character development is super, and the overall product is great. I really loved this time in the WWF.

February 15, 1986


From the Lee Civic Center in Fort Myers, FL

Your hosts are Bobby Heenan and Gorilla Monsoon

In action tonight will be Tito Santana, Randy Savage, King Harley Race, and the Rougeau Brothers & Hillbilly Jim vs. The Dream Team & Johnny V. Plus, updates on WrestleMania III and much more.

Johnny V. & The Dream Team w/ Dino Bravo vs. Rougeau Brothers & Hillbilly Jim


Jim catches Valentine’s foot then his an atomic drop. Raymond tags and they slug it out until he hits a chop. Jacques and Beefcake tag in and have an Irish whip sequence that ends with Jacques getting two off of a backslide after Valentine breaks that up. Valentine tags and softens up Jacques before tagging Johnny, who acts cocky then gets caught with a small package as Jacques gets the win (2:43). After the match, Bravo runs in and hits Jacques. However, the faces end up clearing the heels from the ring shortly after that.

Thoughts: This was designed to further along Bravo’s feud with the Rougeau Brothers. And really, it also shows how much the Dream Team and even Hillbilly Jim were afterthoughts at this point.






Gene Okerlund tells us we can join the WWF Fan Club by reading the details inside of WWF Magazine. That’s how you sell the magazine to the kids.

A replay of Jack Tunney suspending referee Danny Davis for life then Jimmy Hart declaring that Davis is now a wrestler and the newest member of his stable. They actually showed it in its entirety, which was several minutes long.

Okerlund is with Paul Roma. He talks him up a bit before asking him about Steve Lombardi, who Roma says they have signed a contract to wrestle. Okerlund then puts over Roma’s physique. You could tell they thought something of Roma here and really he was a solid worker with a good look. Too bad he was short though. That held him back, IMO.

We are shown a vignette of Jimmy Hart and the Honky Tonk Man in the recording studio. Honky says that he doesnt care about the fact that he is holding Elvis Presley’s guitar or that he is in his studio because he cannot sing. Honky then says that he is not like Elvis as he can sing and does not need grease in his hair. These vignettes managed to make Honky and Hart even more unlikable, which was tough to do at this point.

Jerry Allen vs. Randy “Macho Man” Savage w/ Elizabeth


Allen attacks Savage from behind to a massive pop but gets caught with a stungun. Savage then slams Allen before climbing up top and getting the win with the flying elbow smash (0:29). Savage had his glasses and coat on the entire time.

Thoughts: Gorilla put over Savage as a fighting champion here and other than that, not much else to say.






We are now shown a promo from Savage who promises to make sure that Steamboat remains handicapped if they ever wrestle again. Even the 3rd billing on WrestleMania III had a tremendous build.

Okerlund is with George Steele, who is holding a bowl filled with Valentine’s Day candy. They have a comedy segment in which Steele picks the good candy for Elizabeth and gives Savage a “lemon.” Not bad as these two are pros and could make it interesting.

Moondog Spot vs. King Harley Race w/ Bobby Heenan


Before the match we are shown an insert promo of Heenan teaching the Junkyard Dog how to bow and kneel before the King. Johnny V. has replaced Heenan on commentary. Match starts with Race headbutting Spot off of a break. Spot comes back and hits a running knee smash but Race avoids a second one then puts Spot away with a cradle suplex (0:36).

Thoughts: The announcers talked about the venue for WrestleMania III for the duration of this short match.






Replay of Piper’s Pit with Hogan accepting Andre the Giant’s challenge for WrestleMania III is shown.

Billy Jack Haynes vs. Tiger Chung Lee


Heenan is back on commentary as Gorilla goads him about Hogan accepting Andre’s challenge, with Heenan not thinking it is a big deal. Haynes starts the match by hitting a crossbody and a dropkick. Haynes then grabs a chinlock as we get an insert promo from Hercules challenging Haynes to a match at WrestleMania III. Lee briefly takes control with his shitty offense that consists of nerve holds and back rakes. Lee chops him down but Haynes blocks a second one then locks on the full nelson as Lee submits (2:53).

Thoughts: Haynes was pretty over with this crowd. Heenan called him “Billy Jerk” repeatedly.






Red Demon & The Gladiator vs. Killer Bees


For those wondering, the Red Demon is Jose Luis Rivera under the mask. The Bees trade off working on the arm of the Red Demon. Slick is then shown in an insert promo telling us that Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff will be facing the Bees at WrestleMania III. The Gladiator tags in and gets caught with a dropkick but the Demon makes the save as the match briefly breaks down. The Bees use the double noggin-knocker then Blair hits The Gladiator with the Bee Sting for the win (3:12).

Thoughts: Dull stuff but we have another match added to WrestleMania III now so that is good. The Bees act was starting to wear thin around this time.






Okerlund is with the Hart Foundation, who think the British Bulldogs have sour grapes over losing the titles. Brett says that they have the secret weapon, which Neidhart walks right in front of the camera and yells “Hart Attack.” The Hart’s then put over Jimmy Hart as Neidhart cracks me up the entire time. With Neidhart’s personality and Brett’s in-ring ability, they made a perfect team.

Next week in action will be Ricky Steamboat, Junkyard Dog, and the featured match of George “The Animal” Steele vs. “The Natural” Butch Reed.

Final Thoughts: Solid show. They replayed all of the big moments from “Superstars of Wrestling” and furthered along the secondary feuds too. The WWF was putting out a great product at this time.

And my schedule for the rest of the week:

Tuesday: WWF Superstars of Wrestling 2/21/87
Thursday: RF Video Shoot Interview with the Fantastics, Disc One
Friday:RF Video Shoot Interview with the Fantastics, Disc Two
Friday: WWF Wrestling Challenge 2/22/87
Saturday: RoH WrestleRave 6/28/03
Sunday: WWF Madison Square Garden 2/23/87

February 14, 1987

From the Sundome in Tampa, FL

Your hosts are Bruno Sammartino, Jesse Ventura, and Vince McMahon.

Tonight, we will find out if Hulk Hogan has accepted the challenge from Andre the Giant for a match at WrestleMania. Plus, the Can-Am Connection, Junkyard Dog, and Demolition will be in action. Also, we will find out about the other matches that have been signed for WrestleMania.

Clips of the Hart Foundation winning the Tag Team Titles last week from the British Bulldogs.

Craig DeGeorge is backstage with Jack Tunney, who has an announcement to make about Danny Davis, who runs by on his way to the ring. Tunney chases after him as Davis goes into the ring and shoves the other official down. Tito Santana, who is in the ring for a match, almost comes to blows with Davis but Jack Tunney then grabs the mic and announces that Danny Davis has been suspended for life. The crowd goes nuts then Jimmy Hart runs out and takes Davis with him.

Terry Gibbs vs. Tito Santana

Gibbs attacks Tito right after the bell but Tito comes right back and puts him away with the flying forearm (0:20).

Thoughts: Crowd was still jacked after the match as they were still high on the news of Davis getting suspended.



WWF Update with Gene Okerlund. This week’s subject is WrestleMania III and how the Pontiac Silverdome won a bidding war to host the event. Gene says that the indoor attendance will be broken for this show.

Cowboy Bob Orton & Don Muraco vs. Leo Strohein & “Leaping” Lanny Poffo

Poffo’s pre match promo is about the Andre/Hogan saga as Jesse believes that Hogan will duck Andre. Orton looks pissed after a miscommunication spot when Strohein went for an armdrag as Orton ran through him. Strohein gets destroyed in the corner as Orton & Muraco maintain control of the match. Muraco no-sells a few punches as Vince tells us that Roddy Piper has a lot of movie offers from Hollywood then we get an insert promo from Hillbilly Jim playing the guitar before saying how Hogan will accept the challenge from Andre and win the match too. Orton hits a suplex then Muraco puts away Strohein with a tombstone piledriver (3:23). After the match, Orton and Muraco destroy their opponents some more.

Thoughts: Orton & Muraco looked good here but they no longer had the heel heat they once had and fans didn’t seem to care.



Okerlund is with Hogan and asks him about Andre the Giant. Hogan says that those who doubt his chances against Andre will be in for a surprise then talks about the 6-man elimination match in Boston where he will be teaming with Piper & Billy Jack Haynes up against Paul Orndorff & Hercules & Adrian Adonis. Hogan says this is the tune-up he needs for WrestleMania III. Hogan all but said he was facing Andre at WrestleMania here so that about clears up whether or not he will accept Andre’s challenge. I will be reviewing that Boston show on the blog.

Adonis said that he heard from “Crazy Larry” that Piper will be retiring as he cannot take the punishment like he can. Adonis compares himself to a Veg-o-Matic as he will slice and dice Piper. After ignoring that feud on TV for the past few weeks, they are going back to pushing it on TV.

John Valkower vs. Junkyard Dog

Valkower is billed at 420 lbs. That seems about 50lbs too many. Lots of stalling to start. Valkower pushes JYD against the ropes then backs off as Vince and Jesse hype WrestleMania. JYD headbutts Valkower, who bumps like he got hit by a mack truck. JYD hits some sorry excuse for a shoulder tackle as Valkower bumps around like he is Dolph Ziggler. An insert promo from the U.S. Express is shown as Rotundo thinks Hogan will accept Andre’s challenge but Spivey does not believe that he will. JYD then picks up Valkower and hits the powerslam for the win (2:03).

Thoughts: Man, for a big fat guy Valkower could bump like a motherfucker. That is really the only thing to take away from this match.



Okerlund is with the Rougeau Brothers, who will be facing the Hart Foundation in Boston for the Tag Team Titles. Jacques says that they deserve the titles and since they beat them the last time they wrestled in Boston that they will indeed win the belts. This was a bad babyface promo, actually. They came off as a couple of lame-ass losers.

Mario Mancini & Sivi Afi vs. Demolition w/ Johnny V.

Barry Darsow is in the Smash role permanently now after debuting on the 2/8/87 edition of “Wrestling Challenge.” The face paint of Demolition still looks terrible though. Afi bounces off of Smash a few times before getting caught with an inverted atomic drop. Mancini tags and Ax beats him down. Demolition uses quick tags to destroy Mancini until they finish him off with the Decapitation (1:19).

Thoughts: Darsow was so much better than Culley and it made Demolition look even more badass. They completely dominated the match.

Piper’s Pit with guest Hulk Hogan. Before Hogan comes out Piper recaps the past few weeks of what happened between Hogan and Andre on the Pit. As Piper talks, Hogan comes out, looking dejected and holding onto his shirt in one hand and his cross in the other. Piper asks him what is going on between him and Andre. Hogan said that he doesn’t understand as he worshipped Andre and thought he was his best friend. even patterned his life after him because of how good he was in and out of the ring. Hogan said that they used to fight for the same things but that Heenan got into Andre’s head and when he tore off his shirt and cross, he really tore out his heart. Piper then asks Hogan point blank if he will fight Andre at WrestleMania III for the title and he screams “yes” as he crowd goes nuts. Another tremendous segment, although Hogan’s interview with Okerlund from earlier pretty much confirmed he was accepting the match.

Jimmy Hart is with Danny Davis. Hart says that Davis is now a wrestler and the newest member of the Hart Foundation. Hart says that he can team with the Hart Foundation, wrestle in a tag team, or even in singles competition. And this was the climax of the Davis evil referee storyline. It ended well.

Hollywood Laxton vs. Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat

Hollywood is some pudgy jabroni billed from Tennessee. Ventura takes offense at Laxton for calling himself “Hollywood.” He takes over Steamboat with a headlock then grabs a front facelock. Steamboat fights back with chops as we get an insert promo from George Steele on how he likes Steamboat then says some other stuff that no one can figure out. We will learn just exactly what was said later on in this show. Laxton knocks down Steamboat but misses a crossbody and falls outside. Steamboat then follows out with a flying body press then rolls Laxton inside and hits a flying chop for the win (2:02).

Thoughts: The Steamer sold a lot here but the real story here was what Steele said and the announcers were trying to figure out what he meant.



We get a vignette of Jimmy Hart and the Honky Tonk Man looking at one of Elvis’ old planes. Honky says that he will be flying around in a 747, unlike this old piece of junk.

Can-Am Connection vs. Tiger Chung Lee & The Gladiator

Zenk works over Lee as Vince breaks the news that Ricky Steamboat will be facing Randy Savage at WrestleMania III and will have George Steele in his corner. Jesse thinks that Steamboat has made a mistake taking that match. The CAC use quick tags to beat on Lee as we get another insert from Don Muraco & Bob Orton making fun of Zenk & Martel and how they will beat them at WrestleMania III. Gladiator pulls down the top rope on Martel as he crashes outside then beats on him for a bit. Martel gets his knees up on a charge then makes the tag. Zenk runs wild on both guys then catches The Gladiator with a powerslam and takes Martel, who gets the win with a slingshot splash (3:19).

Thoughts: The action was okay but the big news was that they announced two matches that would take place at WrestleMania III.



Okerlund is with Bobby Heenan and Hercules. He asks him about the six-man elimination match in Boston. He calls Haynes “Billy Jerk” several times throughout the interview. Hercules then talks about Haynes going crazy and attacking Heenan so he had to hurt him.

Next week, we will find out whether or not Roddy Piper is going to retire. Plus, the Hart Foundation will defend the Tag Team Titles against the Islanders. Also in action will be King Harley Race, Koko B. Ware, and Billy Jack Haynes. And we will find out what other matches have been added to the WrestleMania III card as well.

Final Thoughts: Another good show. The official announcement of both Hogan and Andre and Steamboat vs. Savage taking place at WrestleMania III was big news. Also, Davis getting suspended for life as a referee ended that several month long storyline too. Nothing else here sucked as the WWF still continues to produce awesome shows leading up to WrestleMania III.

February 8, 1987

From the Lee Civic Center in Fort Myers, FL

Your hosts are Bobby Heenan and Gorilla Monsoon

Tonight in action will be Koko B. Ware, Jake Roberts, and Adrian Adonis.

Jimmy Jack Funk vs. Koko B Ware

Funk bails after Koko catches him with a pair of hiptosses. Gorilla plugs WrestleMania III and how we will find out what the main event will be tonight. Slick is then shown in an insert promo talking about how he can’t stand Koko, who hits Funk with a backdrop then a dropkick. Koko then hits Funk with a missile dropkick after faking him out before getting the win with the Ghostbuster (2:56).

Thoughts: They continue to tease tension between Ware and Slick/Reed. The crowd still was big into Koko at this point.



Craig DeGeorge (Who was unnamed) in his WWF TV debut is with Jack Tunney, who has a big announcement to make. He says that the Silverdome in Pontiac, MI has been chosen to host WrestleMania as they both talk about how the venue holds 90,000 people. Tunney promises that it will be the biggest event in wrestling history.

The Hart Foundation vs. British Bulldogs match from the 2/7/87 edition of “Superstars of Wrestling” is shown. This is when the Hart Foundation won the Tag Team Titles.

Gene Okerlund is with Kamala, Sika, Kimchee, and The Wizard. Lots of screaming from the Wizard as they says that Sika & Kamala are the team to be reckoned with as Kamala is whacking Sika in the head with a stick. That was funny as Sika no selling the attacks was hilarious. Kamala & Sika were a scary looking team, especially to kids.

David Gold vs. Jake “The Snake” Roberts

Lots of cheers for Jake during the introductions. Jake beats on Gold as the Honky Tonk Man is shown in an insert promo talking about how much he hates snakes and shortly after that, Jake gets the win with the DDT (1:11). After the match, Jake dumps the Snake on Gold as the fans are happy.

Thoughts: Jake was getting huge babyface reactions at this point and with the Honky Tonk Man’s insert promo, they have planted the seed for that feud.



Okerlund is with Billy Jack Haynes, who challenges Hercules to sign the contract to see once and for all just who is the master of the full nelson. Haynes was crazier than ever here.

Demolition w/ Johnny V. vs. Don Driggers & S.D. Jones

Smash overpowers Jones as we get an insert promo from the Dream Team who insist they do not have a problem with Johnny V’s new team. Driggers tags and gets destroyed until Demolition put him away with the Decapitation (1:58).

Thoughts: They were trying to tease tension between the Dream Team and Demolition here. Nothing really came from that though.



Replay of Piper’s Pit from 2/7/87 where Andre the Giant turns on Hulk Hogan and challenges him for the World Heavyweight Title. One of the best segments in wrestling history.

“Adorable” Adrian Adonis w/ Jimmy Hart vs. Mario Mancini

Adonis works on Mancini as Gorilla is “waiting” for Heenan to get back as they are pretending like the Pit was shown live on this broadcast. Adonis is then shown in an insert promo claiming to have not heard about Piper retiring from wrestling as Heenan rejoins the booth. Adonis then puts Mancini away with the Good Night Irene as Heenan tells us that he has in fact signed Andre the Giant (1:13).

Thoughts: All filler and a backdrop for the fallout from the Andre turn.



Iron Mike Sharpe & Steve Lombardi vs. Can-Am Connection

The females were going crazy for the Can-Am’s. Heenan talks about Andre as the Can-Am’s use a lot of cool double-team moves on Lombardi. Gorilla and Heenan argue about Andre as Lombardi takes control with a backbreaker. Sharpe tags and beats on Zenk as we get an insert promo from Don Muraco & Bob Orton as they claim to be more attractive than the Can-Am’s. The crowd rallies behind Zenk, who is able to make the tag to Martel. Sharpe makes the save after a rollup but Martel dropkicks him to the floor. Zenk tags and hits a powerslam then Martel slingshots in with a splash for the win (4:23).

Thoughts: They teased more tension between the Can-Am’s and Muraco/Orton. The Can-Am’s were really, really over with the crowds.



Okerlund is with Slick and Reed. They call out Tito Santana for hurting Slick. Not a bad interview.

Final Thoughts: Decent show. They recapped all of the hot angles and segments from “Superstars of Wrestling” and started to get things in motion for the WrestleMania undercard too. Nothing here felt like filler either.

February 7, 1987


From the Sundome in Tampa, FL

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

Tonight, we will have both Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant on “Piper’s Pit.” Also, the British Bulldogs put their Tag Team Titles on the line against the Hart Foundation. Plus, the debut of Outback Jack and more.

David Gold vs. Randy “Macho Man” Savage w/ Elizabeth

Savage backs Gold against the ropes to start. Gold shifts his weight on a slam and falls on top of Savage for two. Gold then slams him down but has an Irish whip reversed and gets caught with a clothesline. Gold gets tossed to the floor as Elizabeth is shown in an insert promo hoping that neither Savage or Ricky Steamboat get hurt. Gold gets tossed back inside and Savage finishes him off with the flying elbow smash and covers with one foot for the win (1:39). A good amount of cheers for Savage after the win.


Thoughts: Interesting to see Savage get that many cheers from the crowd in the midst of his feud with Steamboat.

WWF Update with Gene Okerlund, who reveals that the WWF has chosen the Pontiac Silverdome in Detroit for the location of WrestleMania III. Okerlund tells us that it will accommodate 90,000 fans and “confident” that a new indoor attendance record will be broken. Okerlund really talked up the arena and how fans from all over the world will be at the event.

WWF Tag Team Championship Match
Hart Foundation w/ Jimmy Hart vs. British Bulldogs (Champion)

Davey chases the Hart Foundation out of the ring by using Matilda but Hart sneaks up from behind and whacks Dynamite in the back of the head with his megaphone. In the ring, Davey fights off the Hart Foundation while Dynamite is out cold with referee Danny Davis checking on him. Vince is screaming about Davis allowing the Hart Foundation to both be in the ring at the same time. Davey hits Neidhart with the running powerslam but Davis is back on the floor checking on Dynamite. Davey drags Davis back in by the hair but gets attacked by Bret. Davis checks on Dynamite again as Davey gets drilled with a double DDT then finish him off with the Hart Attack for the win and the Tag Team Titles (2:57). The crowd is pissed as the Hart Foundation celebrate their victory as Vince calls this the biggest disgrace in officiating he has ever seen.

Thoughts: They had to get the belts off of the Bulldogs due to Dynamite’s injury. The original plan was for Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff to win the belts but Dynamite Kid said he would only drop them to the team that worked as hard as they did, which was the Hart Foundation. Creative match here as they worked around Dynamite’s injury with the Danny Davis angle.

Gene Okerlund is backstage with Randy Savage, who is facing Bruno Sammartino in a Lumberjack match tonight in Boston. Savage promises that Bruno’s legend will die tonight.

Hercules w/ Bobby Heenan vs. Buddy Blake

Hercules picks up Blake and drops him throat-first across the top rope before going to work. We get an insert promo from Billy Jack Haynes, challenging Hercules in a full nelson match. Hercules hits Blake with a backbreaker as Ventura goes on about Haynes being a lunatic. Hercules then grabs a front facelock for a while as the announcers hype up WrestleMania III, specifically the amount of fans that the arena holds. Hercules softens up Blake a bit more until he finally puts him away with the full nelson (3:06).

Thoughts: Way too long for this type of squash but Hercules looked good so I guess it worked out. Still, he was typically putting guys away in under a minute at this point.

Okerlund is backstage with Hercules and Bobby Heenan, who proclaims that the days of Billy Jack Haynes putting people away with his full nelson are over.

Hillbilly Jim is in the ring as he introduces us to Outback Jack, who will be making his debut tonight. Jack comes down the aisle and shakes hands with the fans.

Steve Lombardi vs. Outback Jack

Jack backs Lombardi against the ropes then breaks the hold as Vince plugs the Hulk Hogan/Andre the Giant confrontation that will be taking place on Piper’s Pit tonight then hints that Piper himself might be retiring soon. Jack catches Lombardi with a slam as Jesse makes fun of his looks. Lombardi lands a few shots then rake his eyes across the top rope. Jack blocks a slam attempt but Lombardi rakes his eyes as the fans are getting restless. Jack comes back with an atomic drop then hammers hits a terrible looking clothesline and follows that with a clothesline to the back of Lombardi’s head for the win (2:49). Holy shit that looked awful. Jack got a lukewarm pop from the fans at the end.

Thoughts: A terrible debut for Jack. Lombardi tried as hard as he could have and bumped around like a pinball but it was not enough to hide the fact that Jack did not belong in a WWF ring. After two months of vignettes, this was a massive disappointment.

Piper’s Pit with guest Jesse Ventura. Jesse asks Piper if he has Hogan, who comes out. Andre then comes out………..with Bobby Heenan by his side! Hogan looks devastated as the arena is shocked. Hogan pleads with Andre to tell him what is going on but Andre stares him down. Hogan talks up Andre some more and begs for him to leave Heenan, because he was the one who taught him how to respect the fans. Heenan cuts off Hogan and says that he used Andre and had to steal Andre’s moment when he received his trophy. Well, he does have a point. Hogan brings up how Andre poured champagne on his head when he won the belt as Heenan asks Hogan why he has not offered him a title match. Andre then pulls up Hogan’s head and demands he looks in his face when he is talking. Andre then says he is here for one reason: to get a Heavyweight Championship Match. He then rips off Hogan’s shirt before walking away. Hogan is on the ground as his chest is bleeding and appears to be on the verge of tears until Piper consoles him. An incredible segment. Heenan, Andre, and Hogan were all fantastic and with all of the mention on the Silverdome’s seating capacity throughout the show, its pretty clear to see this is how they planned to fill up the stadium. And it worked. A must-see segment for all wrestling fans.

Killer Bees vs. Al Navarro & Jimmy Jack Funk

Vince and Bruno are in complete shock over what happened on the Pit as the Bees work over Funk. Jesse believes that Hogan is a coward and will not face Andre as Navarro is now getting worked over by the Bees as the announcers hype up WrestleMania III as everyone is ignoring this match and after the previous segment, who could blame them. The Bees work over Navarro some more until Brunzell puts him away with a dropkick (5:29).

Thoughts: The ultimate cool off the crowd match here. No one gave a fuck about this. The Bees looked good though for what it’s worth.



David Stoudemire vs. “The Natural” Butch Reed w/ Slick

Reed is beating down Stoudemire as we get an insert promo from Koko B. Ware, who calls out Reed for not being Natural. Reed press slams Stoudemire then drops an elbow and makes the cover with his foot, getting the win (1:51). After the match, Slick grabs the mic and warns Tito Santana that the same thing will happen to him.

Thoughts: Reed got some heel heat here. And it looks like both Koko and Tito, who put his hands on Slick last week, are going after Reed.

Okerlund is with Billy Jack Haynes, who looks crazier than ever as he cuts a promo on Hercules. Steamboat comes out and says he gave Bruno is word he will only act as a lumberjack and that his time against Savage will come. Bruno comes out and cuts the same promo on Savage that he has been for the past month.

Next week, Hulk Hogan will give us his answer to Andre’s challenge. Plus, more matches announced for WrestleMania III and word about the possible retirement of Roddy Piper.

Final Thoughts: This was one great hour of television. The Piper’s Pit segment was a classic, the Hart Foundation winning the belt was another memorable moment as well. Sure, the Outback Jack debut sucked but the good far outweighed the bad and the boring here. The WWF really was producing awesome stuff at this time.

 

February 1st, 1987


From the Hersheypark Arena in Hershey, PA

Your hosts are Johnny V., Bobby Heenan, and Gorilla Monsoon

In action this week will be the Islanders vs. Nikolai Volkoff & Iron Sheik, Jake Roberts, Billy Jack Haynes and Koko B. Ware vs. King Harley Race

King Harley Race w/ Bobby Heenan vs. Koko B. Ware


Koko uses his speed to avoid a charge then backdrops Race as Johnny V. says that Frankie and Bruno Sammartino have the same type of nose. The crowd claps along with Koko, who takes Race down with a hip toss. Race catches him with a punch to the gut then gets one with a belly-to-belly suplex. Race goes to work as Johnny V. puts over referee Danny Davis as the crowd starts a loud “weasel” chant. Race misses a falling headbutt from the second rope as both men are down. Koko heads up top but Heenan shoves him off then Race covers as Davis quickly counts to three (2:09). After the match, the Junkyard Dog runs off Race and Heenan then checks on Koko. Davis warns JYD to leave and JYD gets in his face then takes him halfway across the ring with a hip toss as the crowd goes nuts.

Thoughts: They advanced two storylines here: JYD/Race and the Davis angle. This fast count was very deliberate here too, making it obvious to everyone. Poor Koko, who had been getting good crowd reactions, was just a pawn here. They had no plans for the guy. The action was fine for what it was.






Don Driggers vs. Hercules w/ Bobby Heenan


An insert promo of Hulk Hogan is shown as he puts over the strength of Hercules and how he pushed him to the limit and is the ultimate test. Hercules slams Driggers then hits a delayed vertical suplex before making him submit to the full nelson (0:48).

Thoughts: Strong effort to put over Hercules here as he dominated the match and had Hogan put him over in a promo.






Ken Resnick is with George Steele, who speaks about Bruno and Steamboat beating Savage and how Elizabeth should manage George. Typical Steele promo here.






Billy Jack Haynes comes down to the ring for his match and has a confrontation with Hercules, who was being held back by Heenan.

Jimmy Jack Funk vs. Billy Jack Haynes


The mach starts with both guys fighting over a lockup. Funk cheapshots Haynes then rakes his face across the top rope. Haynes reverses an Irish whip then clotheslines Funk down as we see Hercules and Heenan watch from ringside. Haynes hits a press slam then a suplex that gets two. Haynes then hits the an atomic drop before making Funk submit to the full nelson (2:07). Heenan is telling us that Haynes’ full nelson stunk as they tease another confrontation between Hercules and Haynes but that does not happen as Heenan walks him back to the locker room.

Thoughts: They have really tried to heat this feud up on this show. That is nice to see as they have been typically treating Challenge as a recap show or sorts. Using it to further along the midcard feuds is a fine idea.






Resnick is with Jimmy Hart and the Honky Tonk Man. When asked why he aligned with Hart, Honky said that he is the only one in the WWF he can trust, unlike Hulk Hogan. They have been pushing the Hart/Honky duo strong recently.

Jim Parks & Paul Roma & Tony Garea vs. “Adorable” Adrian Adonis & Hart Foundation w/ Jimmy Hart


Heenan is back on commentary, replacing Johnny V. Adonis holds up Garea for Brett but accidentally gets hit with a dropkick. Brett hits a backbreaker but misses an elbow drop as Garea tags out. Roma hits a dropkick then goes to work on the arm. Parks tags but Bret hits him with a side slam. He nearly dropped him altogether and was supposed to hit a backbreaker. Adonis tags and drops an elbow from the second rope then gets the win with the Good Night Irene (2:03).

Thoughts: Not much to say here. Roma did look good in his brief time in the ring though.






A replay of the 1/31 edition of Piper’s Pit is shown where Ventura promised Andre would appear next week and Piper promised that Hogan would appear. A classic segment.

Danny Davis is in the locker room as he wants JYD fined and suspended for putting his hands on an official.

Gary Starr vs. Jake “The Snake” Roberts


Roberts got a good amount of cheers at the introduction. Roberts toys with Starr before beating him down then hitting the DDT for the win (0:28). Roberts didnt even take off his t-shirt. He then puts Damien on Starr.

Thoughts: Roberts was really over at this point with the crowds. He was such a cool character too. Lots of guys try to imitate his style but they have not come close.






A graphic hyping WrestleMania III airs

Nikolai Volkoff & Iron Sheik w/ Slick vs. The Islanders


The Islanders work over Volkoff as Heenan grills Monsoon about WrestleMania III and how no ones knows the main event or even the location of the show. Tama gets trapped in the opposite corner but is able to hit Sheik with a suplex then tag out. Haku hits a dropkick then a press slam as Tama comes off of the top with a splash but Volkoff distracts the referee as Slick comes in and whacks Tama with his cane, who sells it like he has been shot, then Sheik covers for the win (2:14).

Thoughts: The match itself was alright but more filler than anything else. The Islanders were low on the totem pole and Sheik & Volkoff were on the decline.






Resnick is with Ricky Steamboat, who is still talking with a coarse voice. Steamboat cuts a passionate promo about how he will seek revenge on Savage. Not too bad.

Monsoon is with Andre the Giant and asks him if he will be on “Piper’s Pit.” Andre stares into the camera, points his finger and says “I’ll be there.” Andre did not look too happy here.

Next week in action will be Randy Savage, Tito Santana, Butch Reed, and a rematch between Koko B. Ware and King Harley Race plus the airing of “Piper’s Pit from Superstars with Andre the Giant and Butch Reed

Thoughts: Decent show this week. They furthered along the Hercules/Haynes feud and confirmed that Andre will in fact be appearing on Piper’s Pit. Nothing here was terrible and everything was making sense at least.

January 31, 1987

From the Meadowlands Arena in East Rutherford, NJ

Your hosts are Bruno Sammartino, Jesse Ventura, and Vince McMahon

In action tonight will be “King” Harley Race, Jake Roberts, and The Rougeau Brothers. Plus, Greg Valentine vs. Haku and Tito Santana & Pedro Morales vs. Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff.

Tito Santana & Pedro Morales vs. Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff w/ Slick

Tito and Pedro attack their opponents as Volkoff was singing the Russian National Anthem. Vince then asks Jesse if he had found out anything about Andre’s suspension as he said we will find out everything he knows tonight as the match settles down. Volkoff stomps on Morales in the corner for a bit. Tito tags and takes Volkoff down with a dropkick but ends up getting caught in the wrong corner. Sheik tags and gets two with a gutwrench suplex. Tito blocks then hits a suplex of his own then makes the tag to Pedro, who is a house of fire. He gets two with a backbreaker as Volkoff broke up the pin then the match breaks down. Slick jumps up on the apron and whacks Tito with his cane, pissing him off in the process as the ref rings the bell for the DQ (3:12). Tito then chases down Slick and ends up slamming him in the ring as the crowd goes nuts. The heels flee to the outside then Butch Reed runs out and joins them as he is screaming at Tito for putting his hands on slick.

Thoughts: The action here was alright but more importantly, they seemed to have found a singles feud for Santana, who has been doing nothing for about a year. Reed also needs a feud at this point as he was overpushed.

A graphic airs about WrestleMania III



WWF Update with Gene Okerlund. This week’s subject is Ricky Steamboat and how he has gone through rehabilitation in order to rejoin the WWF. They show him speaking at a school for kids with disabilities as he talks off his time healing up from injury when he could not talk then in unison says “I love you” with the children in English and in sign language.

Slick is in pain backstage as Reed starts screaming about how he is going to hurt Santana, just like he hurt Slick. Fine job here by Reed.

Greg Vance vs. “King” Harley Race w/ Bobby Heenan

Heenan got pelted with garbage as he took Race’s robe and crown out of the ring. Race hits a dropkick as we are shown the Junkyard Dog in an insert promo on how he will not bow down to the King. Race then puts Vance away with a cradle suplex (1:23). After the match Vince wonders if Race will be defending his crown at WrestleMania.

Thoughts: Just continuing the JYD/Race feud here and that is perfectly fine.



Gene Okerlund is with Bruno Sammartino, who is facing Randy Savage for the Intercontinental Title in Boston. Pretty much the same Bruno promo he has been saying during this feud, meaning he calls Savage a coward and that he is not after his belt because he is retired. Even still, it was solid work.

The Honky Tonk Man and Jimmy Hart are in Graceland as Honky promises to put out gold records under the “Honky” label.

Rougeau Brothers vs. Al Navarro & Tiger Chung Lee

Navarro cheapshots Jacques to start but gets caught with a monkey flip. Lee tags as Dino Bravo comes down to the ring and walks around staring down the Rougeau Brothers, the team he has been calling out the past few weeks, before joining the French commentary table. Jacques catches Navarro with a jumping back elbow smash for two. Raymond puts Navarro in a sleeper that Lee breaks up then the whole match breaks down as we are shown an insert of Bravo speaking in French about the Rougeau’s, who the hit Navarro with the Rougeau Bomb for the win (3:01).

Thoughts: After weeks of saying he is the best Canadian wrestler in the WWF via insert promos, Bravo turns it up a notch by blasting them on commentary after staring them down. At least it is something meaningful for these guys to do.



Ken Resnick is with King Kong Bundy, who will be facing Pete Doherty in Boston. Bundy is pissed that promoters have sunk this low to have him face Doherty in a match. Where they going for a Bundy face turn at this point? He has cutting promos on Kamala and facing Doherty, a shit bum heel.

We are shown footage of last week when Steve Lombardi tossed Paul Roma out of the ring as he was about to start his match. Roma then cuts a wooden promo about how he might be a rookie but knows he can beat him. Even the jobbers are getting feuds now. At least it makes sense.

“Adorable” Adrian Adonis vs. Jack Kruger

Adonis tosses Kruger outside as the fans chant for Piper, driving Adonis crazy. Adonis then roughs up Kruger on the apron before dragging him outside and putting him asleep with the Goodnight Irene (1:17). After the match, Jesse leaves the booth to head over to Piper’s Pit.

Thoughts: Too brief to mean anything and the most memorable thing that happened was Jesse leaving commentary to head over to Piper’s Pit.



Piper’s Pit with guest Jesse Ventura. Both Andre’s and Hogan’s trophies are on the set. Piper brings out Ventura and asks him why he is stirring up trouble regarding the trophies. Ventura says that Andre’s suspension hearing was fishy as he was not there and Heenan was and decided to go out and find what happened and that we will not believe what took place. As Piper wants Ventura to tell us, Ventura goes on and says that this is worse than “Watergate and Iran-gate” but that he is not going to talk. Piper calls him out for being a liar and that he really knows about nothing as Jesse compares the trophies, saying Hogan has a bigger trophy and that he has only been champ for three years and ducks challengers, compared to Andre being undefeated for fifteen years. Piper stands up for Hogan saying that he has not ducked anyone as Jesse touches the trophies, saying that Hogan’s is made of real gold while Andre’s is made of “rotten, old lead.” Jesse and Piper then go back and forth as Jesse says they can settle this two ways: in the ring, which makes the crowd go crazy, or the other way by bringing out both Hogan and Andre for a discussion next week. Jesse guarantees he can bring out Andre next week, as he owes him a favor then challenges Piper to bring Hogan out. Piper then says “you damn betcha, man” then yells some more before leaving. Words cannot describe how great this segment was. Both guys were perfect here and the whole story of Andre turning is the type of compelling storyline the WWE wishes they could create today.

Another Outback Jack vignette as they show him going to the airport on his way to America. Judging by his debut, he was better off missing the plane.

Greg “The Hammer” Valentine w/ Johnny V vs. Haku

Haku chops down Valentine as Brutus Beefcake comes down to the ring. Haku knees Valentine as Tama comes out but whiffs on a clothesline as Valentine takes control. Haku kicks out of a figure four attempt then starts yelling at Beefcake and Johnny V for grabbing his leg, allowing Valentine to take control. Tama then returns the favor by tripping Valentine and referee Danny Davis sees this and rings the bell, awarding Valentine the win via DQ (3:03). After the match they also show the replay of Beefcake tripping Haku with Davis watching the whole thing take place.

Thoughts: The match kinda sucked and all this did was further along the Davis storyline, which was getting played out. They could have done a feud with these teams but the Islanders did not do anything after losing and were pretty low on the pecking order of teams at the time.

Jerry Allen vs. Jake “The Snake” Roberts

This match is joined-in-progress. Roberts works the arm but Allen fights back. Roberts gets his knees up on a charge before hitting a gordbuster then finishes with the DDT (0:48). After the match, Roberts wraps Damien around the throat of Allen. The fans popped for both the finish and the snake.

Thoughts: Jake was getting about 75% face reactions from the crowd. He came across so cool plus the fans loved the DDT as much as the snake.



Resnick is with the Hart Foundation, who will be facing the Rougeau Brothers in Boston. Short promo from them but it was enjoyable due to Neidhart’s manic behaviors. Hercules comes out next and he promises to defeat Billy Jack Haynes with the full nelson. He leaves then Randy Savage comes out to hype his match against Bruno Sammartino. Savage says that Sammartino could not handle him even in his prime and now he is washed up and the fans will have to swallow the fact that Bruno will be done and finished. A nice series to back-to-back-to-back promos to build up the house shows.

Another graphic airs hyping WrestleMania III

Hulk Hogan is in the locker room where he gets approached by Piper, who is a bit nervous in asking Hogan on to the Pit next week but an irritable Hogan says that he will be there as Piper is ecstatic, making it official.

Next week we will have the head-to-head discussion on “Piper’s Pit” between Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant. Plus, the debut of Outback Jack and a Tag Team Title Match between the Hart Foundation and the British Bulldogs. Damn, that is a loaded show.

Final Thoughts: An excellent show. Every segment meant something, even if it didn’t completely workout. Piper’s Pit was one of the more compelling segments in WWF history and we saw a lot of feuds being planned out in the midcard, which is good as it gives them some direction. And with next week’s show another stacked hour of programming, the WWF was really firing on all cylinders at this time. Awesome stuff.

January 25, 1987


From the Hersheypark Arena in Hershey, PA

Your hosts are Bobby Heenan and Gorilla Monsoon

In action tonight are Demolition, Junkyard Dog, Kamala, and the featured match of Jacques Rougeau vs Don Muraco

Al Navarro vs. Junkyard Dog


JYD beats on Navarro as we get an insert promo from King Harley Race, who is pissed about JYD refusing to bow for him. JYD hits a few headbutts then gets yelled at by referee Danny Davis. Navarro sneak attacks JYD but shortly after that he gets put away with a powerslam (2:01). After the  match, JYD yells at Davis before bringing a kid in the ring to dance with him.

Thoughts: The feud between Race and JYD continues. JYD didn’t look as bad as usual here.






A “Wrestler’s Rebuttal” with Adrian Adonis and Jimmy Hart. Adonis tells Piper that he is finished. That was all.

Jerry Allen & Sivi Afi vs. Demolition w/ Johnny V. 


Smash is still being played by Randy Culley. Ax starts by beating on Allen then we get an insert shot of Demolition. They have on a lot of color like blue paint on their faces. They beat on Allen some more until they put him away with the Demolition Decapitation (2:47).

Thoughts: I don’t think the jobber team got a single offensive move in during this match. Demolition looked strong but their goofy facepaint and for some reason partly colored hair (maybe from taking off their masks and having it rub off on their hair) look would improve over time. It looks like a kid is doing their facepaint.






Ken Resnick is with the U.S. Express. Rotundo says that 1987 will be a great year because they are more mature and will win a match in every city in the country. Spivey said that he is back from his injury and that has given him a bad attitude towards other wrestlers as they try to attack his knee. Rotundo would leave the WWF a few weeks after this interview aired.

Nick Foley vs. Kamal w/ The Wizard & Kimchee


Foley is indeed Mick Foley. Mel Phillips called him “Nick Faley.” Kamala beats Foley down to start. Kamala slams him down then hits a splash for the win (0:27). After the match, Kamala heads up top and hits another splash after ignoring Kimchee’s orders.

Thoughts: Another Kamala squash match, another stretcher job for his opponent.






Resnick is with Hillbilly Jim, who tells us that he is our representative. Of what I have no idea.

Foley is getting taken out on a stretcher.

We are shown the clip of Hercules attacking Billy Jack Haynes from “Superstars of Wrestling” two weeks ago.

David Vance & Barry O. vs. Killer Bees


Blair keeps his mask on to start. The Bees take turns beating on Barry as we get an insert promo from Danny Davis saying that he disqualified the Bees for wearing illegal masks and that no one will make a fool out of him. Vance tags and the Bees take care of him until Blair gets the win with a Bee Sting (3:23).

Thoughts: Davis was targeting midcard acts like the Bees and Tito Santana, Pedro Morales, and Hillbilly Jim at the time and this match was just for the sake of keeping his angle going.






A replay of Piper’s Pit from this past episode of “Superstars of Wrestling” when Andre the Giant received a trophy for being undefeated then walked off the set when Hogan appeared and kept on talking about how Andre was his inspiration.

Don Muraco w/ Bob Orton vs. Jacques Rougeau w/ Raymond Rougeau


Heenan on commentary flips out about Hogan stealing Andre’s spotlight in that segment as Gorilla calls him a liar. Jacques has Muraco in a headlock but gets caught with a slam as Gorilla asks Heenan why he is behind Andre,a man that he despises, as Heenan said that he is just calling it like he sees it while Jacques has Muraco in a sleeper. Orton then goes after Raymond outside as Jacques comes out and they all end up fighting until the referee rules it a DQ. The Rougeaus go after Fuji, who hit them with a cane, and slam him to the floor (3:07).

Thoughts: The action was alright but the focus here was on commentary with Heenan’s anti-Hogan/pro-Andre that even had Monsoon question him as to why he was favoring his supposed enemy.






Tiger Chung Lee vs. Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat


Steamboat sends Lee to the floor with a dropkick. Back in the ring, Steamboat hits a crossbody then works the arm. He messes up a slide between the legs then comes back up and hits a few armdrags before going back to the arm as Heenan rants and raves about Hogan. Lee comes back with a throat thrust and targets that as we get an insert promo from Elizabeth about how Steamboat’s injury was a terrible accident. Steamboat then fights back and hits a flying body press for the win (3:16).

Thoughts: Lee was a terrible worker at this point and seemed to be out of position multiple times in this match and moved far too slow to keep up with Steamboat’s pace.






Resnick is with Randy Savage as he talks about George Steele being unlucky after getting hit with his title belt and then tells us that Ricky Steamboat is not at 100%.

Next week in action will be the Islanders, Jake Roberts, and the featured match of Koko B. Ware vs. King Harley Race.

Final Thoughts: Unless you missed “Superstars of Wrestling” there wasn’t much you missed here except for Heenan dropping hints about Andre on commentary.

January 24, 1987


From the Meadowlands Arena in East Rutherford, NJ

Your hosts are Bruno Sammartino, Jesse Ventura, and Vince McMahon

In action this week will be Paul Orndorff, Koko B. Ware, Randy Savage, and the featured bout of the Can-Am Connection vs. Don Muraco & Bob Orton

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


Orndorff is still using “Real American” as his theme song. Orndorff starts the match with a shoulderblock but gets caught with a dropkick then rolls outside and gets some advice from Heenan, who is shown in an insert promo about how Orndorff is the uncrowned Heavyweight Champion. Back to the match as Roma is working the arm. Orndorff clocks Roma in the head then stomps him in the corner. Orndorff catches him with a clothesline then finishes him off with the piledriver (2:29).

Thoughts: Roma looked solid on offense here. Orndorff had nothing much going on but was still using Hogan’s music and they had the gimmick of Heenan saying he was the real champ but his house show run with Hogan was just about over.






WWF Update with Gene Okerlund. This week’s subjects Kamala and King Kong Bundy, who tells Kamala that his splash does not compare to his Avalanche. Seems to be building towards a Bundy/Kamala feud here. They did a few house show matches together but that was all.

Back from break as the referee’s are helping up Roma, Steve Lombardi comes in and tosses him to the floor.

Steve Lombardi vs. Koko B. Ware


Lombardi attacks Koko as he was taking off his jacket. He gets two off of a clothesline as the announcers talk about Lombardi’s new found aggression. Backbreaker gets two. Lombardi chokes out Koko then stays in control of the match. He slams down Koko but misses an elbow drop from the second rope as both men are down. Koko is up first and hits a backdrop. Powerslam gets two. Swinging neckbreaker gets two as Lombardi is still in this match. Koko catches him with a clothesline then a dropkick. He heads up top and connects with a missile dropkick then covers for the win (3:32).

Thoughts: Lombardi dominated most of the match and came out looking a lot better than Koko did, even if defeat. Why the bothered to push Lombardi on this show is beyond me and its especially odd seeing as Koko was pretty over at this point and he looked like a jabroni here for struggling to put away a jobber.






Ken Resnick is with Ricky Steamboat, who will be facing Sika at the February Boston Garden show. Steamboat talks about Savage as he is still selling the effects of his throat injury and will be a lumberjack for his match against Bruno Sammartino and will not be responsible for what happens if he falls in front of him. Great promo by Steamboat here. He showed a ton of intensity and was not as over-the-top as he has been on the mic.

A replay of Steve Lombardi attacking Paul Roma from earlier in the show. We then get a promo by Lombardi directed at Roma, who he tells to stay out of his way. And we are now giving TV time for a jobber feud.

“Cowboy” Bob Orton & Don Muraco w/ Mr. Fuji vs. Can-Am Connection


All four men start brawling before the bell. Orton briefly works over Martel as Fuji whacks Zenk with the cane. Martel comes back with a rana then slams him down as Mr. Fuji is shown in an insert promo stating that after this match the Can-Am Connection will be old and ugly. Zenk gets caught in the opposite corner but comes back with a flying headscissors. He tries it again but Muraco knocks him down from the apron, right in front of referee Danny Davis. The heels continue to double-team Zenk as Davis lets it happen. Martel gets fed up and trips Muraco from the floor and the match breaks down and that causes Davis to ring the bell and rule the match a double disqualification (3:57).

Thoughts: Decent action here and this seems like it will lead to a feud, which it did. Martel was a phenomenal worker at this point in his career.






Resnick is with Billy Jack Haynes, who will be facing Hercules in the Boston Garden. Haynes says that he is in the best shape of his life and he will break his neck with the full nelson. Haynes is a crazy dude and one guy I would never fuck with.

Another Outback Jack vignette as he talks about food and how he will in the WWF soon. Can’t wait.

Tommy Sharpe vs. Randy “Macho Man” Savage w/ Elizabeth


Savage knocks down Sharpe from behind then tosses him to the floor. He hits a double axe handle then tosses him over the guardrail. Savage then rolls Sharpe back inside and hits the flying elbow smash for the win (0:47). Savage wrestled the whole match in his glasses and headband.

Thoughts: Savage was awesome here and this was a complete domination on his part as he is still pissed about Steamboat returning to the WWF.






Piper’s Pit with guest Jack Tunney. Another giant trophy is on the set. Tunney then brings out Andre the Giant to present him a trophy for being the only undefeated guy in WWF history. Piper asks him what he has to say to the fans and Andre says he has only one thing to say but Hulk Hogan comes out and puts over Andre for being undefeated and a great role model. Hogan then puts him over some more but Andre decides to walk off the set as Hogan leads the crowd into applause. Another memorable segment just before their feud kicked off. The more I watch the more impressed I am with how the feud and Andre’s turn was put together.

A vignette of Jimmy Hart and the Honky Tonk Man at Elvis’ restaurant. When asked what he was going to eat, Honky said he was going to have some “honky burgers.”

Hart Foundation w/ Jimmy Hart vs. Scott McGhee & Tony Garea


Before the match we see Davis pat Hart on the shoulder. McGhee takes down Brett and works the arm. Garea tags but Brett hits him in the face then the Hart Foundation take turns beating him down. An insert promo of Matilda is shown as Vince cackles like an idiot when the segment ends. Garea runs over and tags McGhee after a leapfrog. McGhee gets two with an inverted atomic drop. Brett catches him with a backbreaker then after that they put McGhee away with the Hart Attack (2:43).

Thoughts: On commentary Vince was hinting that Davis was in cahoots with the Hart Foundation and that is something to keep in mind.






The Gladiator & Jimmy Jack Funk & “The Outlaw” Ron Bass vs. U.S. Express & Blackjack Mulligan


The WWF debut of Bass here. The match starts as Spivey works over Funk. Vince asks Jesse about his investigation into Andre’s reinstatement as Jesse says he has discovered some information and will share it next week on “Piper’s Pit.” Bass is in and he beats on Rotundo as we are shown an insert promo of him calling out Mulligan. Rotundo plays the face-in-peril as Jesse and Vince talk about what will happen next week. Rotundo finally makes the tag as Mulligan comes in and puts away the Gladiator with a jumping back elbow smash (3:33).

Thoughts: A nothing match that was just the backdrop while Vince and Jesse discussed the news Jesse had supposedly heard about Andre’s reinstatement. Bass’ debut was unmemorable and the fact they are pushing a completely washed up Mulligan is not an exciting prospect.






Resnick is with Randy Savage, who calls out Bruno Sammartino for being old and cuts a promo on Steamboat about how he will be throwing fire at the dragon.

Final Thoughts: Good show with one very memorable segment. And the tease of next week’s installment of Piper’s Pit is must-see TV. The Lombardi mini-push shocked me as well. Never knew that happened. But, the tag division has a lot of solid teams and the top feuds are all doing well so it was still a good time to be a WWF fan

January 18, 1987

From the Hersheypark Arena in Hershey, PA

Your hosts are Bobby Heenan and Gorilla Monsoon

In action tonight will be the Can-Am Connection, Butch Reed, and the featured match of the Dream Team & Dino Bravo vs. Tito Santana & Pedro Morales & Hillbilly Jim.

Ray Miller & Joe Mirto & Steve Lombardi vs. Mike Rotundo & Danny Spivey & Blackjack Mulligan

Mulligan finally makes his return to the ring after months of vignettes. Heenan makes fun of him for being fat. Lombardi gets his ass kicked as we get an insert promo from Ron Bass, who will be making his WWF debut very shortly. He screamed a lot as Heenan puts him over. The U.S. Express work over Mirto for a while until Miller tags into the match. The crowd chants for Blackjack and he finally gets tagged into the match as the crowd enjoys seeing him go nuts until he puts Miller away with a jumping back elbow smash (3:41).

Thoughts: The crowd enjoyed seeing Mulligan here. Bass debuting via insert promo does not really seem like the WWF had high hopes for him in the company. Match was boring.

Randy Savage is holding a copy of the new issue of “WWF Magazine” that features him on the cover as he runs down Ricky Steamboat.

Before the next match, Andre the Giant is introduced to the crowd. They go nuts as Andre smiles and heads into the ring. Andre shakes the hand of Mancini then goes over to Slick, who turns his back on Andre, who leaves.

Mario Mancini vs. “The Natural” Butch Reed w/ Slick

Match starts with Reed attack Mancini before the bell. Reed then hits a high knee smash we get an insert promo from Slick telling us how everyone wants to buy Reed’s contract from him but that Reed is not for sale. Reed then press slams Mancini then drops an elbow for the win (0:57).

Thoughts: Despite minimal results, the WWF continued to push Reed strong as they are using the gimmick of everyone wanting to buy his contract from Slick due to his unbelievable potential.

Ken Resnick is with the Hart Foundation and asks them about Danny Davis helping them win. Neidhart said that is ridiculous then says that the British Bulldogs taking orders from Matilda is what bothers him as Brett says they should see a psychiatrist. They end by saying they are the best team in the WWF and will become the Tag Team Champions. Neidhart was 99.9% of the team’s personality and was killing it in these interviews. Brett struggled mightily on the mic at this point.

Terry Gibbs & The Gladiator vs. Can-Am Connection

The fans are going nuts for the Can-Am’s. Heenan and Gorilla go into their bit about joining the WWF Fan Club with Heenan pretending to be excited. Mr. Fuji gives us an insert promo saying the Can-Am’s are going down as they are in complete control of the match. Zenk ducks an attack from the Gladiator that knocks Gibbs off of the apron. Gibbs gets revenge and trips him up from the floor. Gladiator is in control then stupidly tosses Zenk into his corner so he can tag out. Martel is a house of fire as he takes out everyone. The Gladiator eats a double dropkick then Zenk hits him with a powerslam and after that, Martel puts him away with a slingshot splash (3:26).

Thoughts: The Can-Am’s were insanely over after a short amount of time in the WWF. Girls were constantly screaming for them and the male fans seem to enjoy their fast-paced wrestling. I can’t believe Zenk fucked up his meal ticket here.

Tom Sharpe vs. Honky Tonk Man w/ Jimmy Hart

Honky misses a chop and gets caught with a small package for a nearfall. Honky then comes right back and knocks down Sharpe, who is shown in an insert promo saying that If Honky wrestles as good as he sings that it will be an easily victory of him then right after that, Sharpe losses to the Shake, Rattle and Roll (0:47).

Thoughts: Very quick win for Honky, who was getting his new heel push.

A replay of “Piper’s Pit” from 1/17 when Hogan was presented with his trophy for being a champion for three years as Andre walked on and shook Hogan’s hand hard as he said that three years was a long time .

Dino Bravo & Dream Team w/ Johnny V. vs. Pedro Morales & Tito Santana & Hillbilly Jim

Before the match, Heenan rants about how he is disgusted that Hogan got a trophy for being the champion for three years while Andre got nothing for being undefeated for 15 years. He also thinks that Andre deserves more recognition then plays it off like he is not friends with Andre when Gorilla seems suspicious of his motives. Tito and Bravo go back and forth as Gorilla and Heenan are having a heated conversation about Andre and Hogan. Tito hits Beefcake with a flying forearm and covers but Davis refused to count to three. Tito is irate then Beefcake suplexes him and tags Valentine. Shoulderbreaker gets two for Valentine but Tito kicks out of a figure four attempt then tags Morales, who cleans house. Morales covers but Davis stops at one then walks away as Pedro gets up and shoves him then goes after Davis but gets stopped as he walks out with Jim and Tito, who grabs the mic and says that they cannot have a match with Davis as a referee (4:35).

Thoughts: The discussion between Heenan and Gorilla really advanced the storyline about Andre’s suspension being lifted as Heenan finally stopped being vague and was 100% pro-Andre on commentary. This also further advanced the Davis storyline as now wrestlers are refusing to work matches with him as a referee due to his antics. They made two key storyline advances in one short TV match. For the guys actually working the match, they were all doing nothing at the time and it stayed that way until WrestleMania.

Tony Nardo vs. George “The Animal” Steele

Steele attacks Nardo and bites his forehead. Steele then tosses Nardo outside and rams his head off of the steps as the announcers talk about WrestleMania III but Gorilla has no information on where it will take place or what the main even will be. Steele tosses Nardo inside and gets the win with a flying hammerlock (1:17).

Thoughts: Typical Steele squash match that the fans liked to see.

Resnick is with The Wizard, Kamala, and Kimchee. Wizard screams about how Kamala is crushing everyone with his splash and how he will take away Hogan’s WWF Title.

In action next week will be the Junkyard Dog, Demolition, Kamala, and the featured match of the Rougeau Brothers vs. Don Muraco & Bob Orton

Final Thoughts: Decent show this week. They had a lot of angle advancement here with Danny Davis and through commentary on the Andre angle. Blackjack Mulligan made his return and that made the fans in the building happy. Also, they are giving pushes to Can-Am Connection and Butch Reed to inject some new blood near the top of the card. Not bad at all.

January 17, 1987


From the Meadowlands Arena in East Rutherford, NJ

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

Tonight, Ricky Steamboat makes his return to the ring. Also in action will be Kamala, Hercules, and the Junkyard Dog vs. Harley Race match from “Saturday Night’s Main Event.”

Barry O. vs. Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat


The fans are going nuts for Steamboat’s return. Steamboat ducks a crossbody then slams Barry down. He works the arm and does not let go when Barry goes outside. In the ring, Barry catches Steamboat with a powerslam for two but Steamboat comes right back with an atomic drop as we get an insert promo from Randy Savage about he will not watch Steamboat on TV because he already beat him when he was at 100%. Barry targets the throat of Steamboat and tries to drop him throat first on the top rope but that gets blocked and Steamboat fires away. He then heads up top and puts Barry away with the flying body press (2:37).

Thoughts: Steamboat’s reaction was off the charts and this matched proved that he is back and seeking revenge.






WWF Update with Gene Okerlund. This week’s subject is a match between Billy Jack Haynes and Harley Race from a Superstars taping as Haynes went after Heenan when he interfered and tried to put him in the full nelson. After that we get a promo from Heenan saying that he has someone to go after Haynes. And that is how the Haynes/Hercules feud started.

George Steele is flipping through the WWF magazine and slams it down when he sees Savage and screams “bad.”

Don Driggers vs. Kamala w/ Kimchee


Kamala tosses Driggers down and beats on him until he hits a splash. Kamala then goes up top and hits another splash for the win (0:33). After the match, Kamala goes up again but Kimchee yells at him to get down.

Thoughts: The squash matches are starting lose it’s appeal as Kamala has not beaten anyone with a shred of star power on TV.






Ken Resnick is with Bruno Sammartino,who will be facing Randy Savage in a Lumberjack Match in Boston. Sammartino calls Savage a coward for running away during their last match and promises that will not be able to happen this time.

We see Driggers getting taken out of the ring on a stretcher.

Resnick is with Raymond Rougeau, who will be facing the Hart Foundation at the Boston Garden. Raymond says that the Hart Foundation are in their way of getting another title shot. Generic babyface promo from Raymond.

Another vignette of Outback Jack. This time he is drinking at a bar and tells us that he works hard and plays hard and is tough enough for the WWF.

Salvatore Bellomo & Mario Mancini vs. Demolition w/ Johnny V. 


This is the debut of Demolition, who were the new team that Johnny V. had for the WWF. Smash is played by Randy Culley (Moondog Rex) while Ax is Bill Eadie. The face painting they have looks like shit and definitely improved over the months. Ax starts by beating the shit out of Bellomo, which is always a good time. Smash tags and continues the assault as we get an insert promo from Johnny V. putting over his two teams. Mancini is in the ring and he also gets destroyed until Demolition finally puts him away with not-yet named Decapitation (2:22).

Thoughts: Solid debut, even if Culley was not much of a worker. The jobber team did not land one single offensive move and they looked unstoppable. The crowd didnt react much either way to the team but seemed to be in awe of their domination.






Piper’s Pit with guest Jack Tunney. There is a giant trophy on the set. Tunney says that this trophy is to honor Hulk Hogan, for being a WWF Champion for three years and for basically popularizing the WWF. Hogan comes out and raises the trophy and gives a speech as we see the clips of his career. Hogan is ecstatic and says that the Hulkamaniacs and himself will only go to higher places. Andre the Giant comes out as the fans go nuts. Piper asks him if he has something to say as Andre says that three years to be a champion is a long time. He turns and smirks at Hogan while shaking his hand very firmly then he walks off as Hogan seems surprised at what Andre did but goes back to celebrating with his trophy. One in a series of famous editions of “Piper’s Pit” leading up to WrestleMania III. And the brilliant story leading to Andre’s heel turn continued as he showed a tiny bit more attitude with each appearance.

Jim Parks vs. Hercules w/ Bobby Heenan


Hercules rams Parks in the corner as Jesse talks about Andre on the Pit. Hercules slams Parks down and drops an elbow then hits a vertical suplex. Hercules then puts Parks in the full nelson and gets the win via submission (1:27). After the match, Heenan grabs the mic and dares any wrestler, including Billy Jack Haynes, to try and get out of the full nelson. Haynes then comes out to the ring and dares Hercules to put on the hold but Heenan says no then distracts him enough so Hercules and can attack him from behind. Hercules then locks on the full nelson as Haynes almost gets out but Heenan boots him down as the fans loudly boo the heels.

Thoughts: Well, this answers the question as to who Heenan had in mind to go after Haynes. And this angle would kick off their feud that led to their WrestleMania III match.






A graphic airs that says WrestleMania III will be on March 29th.

Terry Gibbs & Iron Mike Sharpe vs. Killer Bees


The Bees are wearing their masks as Davis warns them about cheating. Match starts with the Bees taking turns beating on Gibbs. Brunzell gets caught in the wrong corner as we get an insert promo from Jimmy Hart and the Hart Foundation talking about how the masks are illegal. The Bees are now working over Sharpe’s leg but Brunzell is again caught in the wrong corner and Davis lets him get double-teamed in the corner as Vince lets us know that Davis’ Referee’s License expires at the end of March. Jesse talks about WrestleMania and says that Davis has earned a position on the show as Brunzell continues to get double-teamed. The match breaks down as Davis refused to count for Blair’s cradle. The Bees yank off their own masks then Brunzell puts Gibbs away with a dropkick after he got hit with an atomic drop (5:23).

Thoughts: Average match at best but this was more about Danny Davis than the teams in the ring. The Bees were just used as fodder for the Davis evil referee story.






Resnick is with the Hart Foundation. Neidhart is whacked out even more than usual as he harasses Resnick and compares what they will do to the Rougeau’s in Boston to what a Biology student does to a frog. Savage then comes out and tries to out-crazy Neidhart as he gives a warning to Sammartino that he will be done for good.

Next week in action will be Paul Orndorff, Koko B. Ware, Randy Savage and the featured match of the Can-Am Connection vs. Don Muraco & Bob Orton.

Final Thoughts: Awesome show. Every segment served a purpose and they started off segments that led to WrestleMania III. The WWF was firing on all cylinders at this time and it would only get better as the months went on leading up to the big show.






Here is my schedule for the next several days:

Tuesday: WWF Wrestling Challenge 1/18/87
Thursday: RF Video Shoot Interview with Chris Kanyon
Friday: WWF Superstars of Wrestling 1/24/87
Saturday: RoH Night of the Grudges 6/14/03
Sunday: WWF Wrestling Challenge 1/25/87

January 11, 1987


From the Community Center in Tucson, AZ

Your hosts are Bobby Heenan and Gorilla Monsoon

In action tonight will be Randy Savage, Tito Santana, Kamala, and the featured match of the Killer Bees vs. Don Muraco & Bob Orton

Steve Gatorwolf vs. Randy “Macho Man” Savage w/ Elizabeth


Gatorwolf works the arm but Savage knees him after reaching the ropes and takes control. He hits him with a knee drop after a snapmare before hitting a suplex. Gatorwolf manages to fight back and does a tribal dance that does not excite the crowd. Savage fights back and tosses Gatorwolf to the floor then flies out and hits him with a double axe handle. Savage then rolls Gatorwolf back inside and slams him down before putting him away with the flying elbow smash, covering him with one foot (2:16).

Thoughts: The announcers didn’t talk all that much about the Savage/Steamboat feud here but rather they put over Savage for being a fighting champion.






We get another Outback Jack vignette of him with the Aborigines.

Jimmy Jack Funk vs. Tito Santana


Tito and Funk battle over a lockup as we get an insert promo from Tito wishing us a Happy New Year. Tito takes control then clotheslines him to the floor. Back in the ring, Funk breaks up an arm wringer with an inverted atomic drop. Funk follows that with a belly-to-belly suplex then gets a nearfall with a fist drop from the middle rope. The fans chant for Tito as both men fight over a backslide in a weird spot as it took Tito forever to get Funk’s shoulders to the mat and the move looked awkward. Tito fires away and hits Funk with a backdrop and a slam. Funk calls for a timeout but Tito stomps him then slams his face off of the mat. Tito softens up Funk a bit more befor getting the win with a flying forearm (4:19).

Thoughts: Nice to see Tito get a singles match. The crowd loved him still,despite being buried in the midcard. Tito was damn good in the ring here too, unlike his opponent.






Ken Resnick is with Slick and Butch Reed. Slick warns us that anyone who messes with him in 1987 will have to deal with Reed, who says that he will take down the top competition.

Jesse Cortez vs. Kamala w/ Kimchee


Before the match we get an insert promo from Jack Tunney talking about banning Kamala’s top rope splash but it was interrupted by Heenan, accusing Tunney of leaking the story of Andre’s suspension and knows it wasn’t Andre. They dropped a lot more hints than I remembered. Anyway, match starts with Kamala tossing Cortez around until he splashes him then finally puts him away with a top rope splash (1:00).

Thoughts: Same old Kamala squash match. No Wizard for this match. He wasn’t gone from the company yet though. That would happen in a couple of months

Resnick is with Koko B. Ware and Frankie. Koko tells us that Frankie has a girlfriend named Lucille and knows that they are not related because he asked Frankie himself. Koko the Bird Whisperer! This ends with Koko doing the bird. Vince did love the bird on commentary so I am sure he personally put this segment in because it was completely pointless.

Jerry Monti vs. King Harley Race w/ Bobby Heenan


Heenan cuts off ring announcer Mel Phillips so he can do it himself. He also orders the crowd to stand. Johnny V. has replaced Heenan on commentary. The Junkyard Dog is shown in an insert promo talking about how Race is not a king. Race starts the match by decking Monti. He hits him with a swinging neckbreaker and roughs him up for a bit. Race pulls Monti up after hitting him with a powerslam then bores the crowd with his offense until hitting the cradle suplex for the win (1:58).

Thoughts: Race’s gimmick was so bad that Heenan couldn’t even get him heat from the crowd. No one cared when he wrestled here.






Snake Pit with guests Butch Reed and Slick. Reed declares himself a natural man then calls the crowd “morons” as he says he is in the WWF to go straight to the top. Boring stuff from Reed, who really struggled to get over.

We are now shown a video highlight package of the Ricky Steamboat/Randy Savage feud.

Another Blackjack Mulligan vignette. This time he talks about his honey wagon.

Don Muraco & Bob Orton w/ Mr. Fuji vs. Killer Bees


Blair gets the best of Orton to begin the match. Muraco tags and beats on Blair in the corner. Blair comes back and appears to have messed up as he went for a dropkick but just landed on his feet after jumping and got two with a small package. Brunzell tags and gets two with a slam. Blair tags back in but Muraco takes him down with a Samoan Drop then tags Orton, who slugs away. Blair avoids a clothesline and tags Brunzell as the Bees regain control of the match. Orton hits Blair from behind as he had Muraco in an abdominal stretch then tags and hits a neckbreaker. Gorilla goes off on referee Danny Davis, who is frequently yelling at Brunzell on the apron. Davis did not see the tag from Blair and yells at Brunzell some more as the heels double-team Blair. Both Bees get sent to the floor then they put on their masks. Blair hits Muraco then slingshots back in the ring with a sunset flip and has him on the mat forever but Davis comes over and rings the bell as he has disqualified the Bees for putting on their masks as the Bees thought they had the match won (5:39).

Thoughts: The match was fine but this was more about the Danny Davis angle than the guys wrestling, who had nothing going on at the time.






Resnick is with the Junkyard Dog, who loves the holiday season. He says that in 1987 he is going to do things right because in 1986 he was coming in late, problems with his ex-wife and getting fined and that was because he “got a lot of money and the new wife stuff.” Judging by this promo, I’d say he still had the “white stuff.” Blackjack Mulligan comes out and is pissed that his wife got him a Timex instead of a Rolex watch. He then tells us his wife gained 15lbs before wishing us a Happy New Year as JYD is bobbing around in the background. I wonder how many people watching this caught on how JYD was cutting a promo about how he was not going to fuck around and get high and stay straight? Below is the link to the promo:

Next week in action will be Blackjack Mulligan, Honky Tonk Man, and George Steele

Final Thoughts: The tag match was decent and JYD cut somewhat of a shoot promo but other than that, this was a skippable show. Minimal angle advancement took place as well.

January 10, 1987

From the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix, AZ

Your hosts are Bruno Sammartino, Jesse Ventura, and Vince McMahon

In action tonight will be the Junkyard Dog & George Steele & Billy Jack Haynes, Jake Roberts, and the main event of Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff vs. British Bulldogs in a non-title match.

Mike Lucca & Tim Patterson & Frenchy Martin vs. Junkyard Dog & George “The Animal”  Steele & Billy Jack Haynes

Match starts with Haynes overpowering Martin. Steele tags and slams down Martin then does the same to Patterson. JYD now tags and he hits Lucca with the running powerslam for the win as Steele eats the turnbuckle (1:30).

Thoughts: The crowd barely reacted to this match, which is surprising because JYD and Steele always got favorable reactions. Haynes did not fit in with this group. Well, his character didn’t anyway.



WWF Update with Gene Okerlund. This week’s subject is Paul Orndorff as we get a promo from both Heenan and himself about just how wonderful he really is and how much Orndorff loves hitting his opponents with the piledriver.

We now are shown a vignette of Jimmy Hart and the Honky Tonk Man outside of Graceland in Tennessee. They both consider renaming the mansion “Honkyland.” Honky told about how miserable he was filming these vignettes as it was freezing cold the whole time and he stood outside in a knit Elvis jumpsuit on his 1987 WWE Timeline from Kayfabe Commentaries.

Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff w/ Slick vs. British Bulldogs

This match was taped a few days before the Dynamite Kid suffered his back injury at the 12/13/86 house show in Hamilton, Ontario that all but ruined his career. They continue the angle of Slick being afraid of Matilda before the match too. Match starts with Davey overpowering Nikolai but Slick trips him up and that allows the heels to take the advantage. Sheik gets nearfalls with a clothesline and a gutwrench suplex. Davey eventually fights back and hits a vertical suplex before making the tag. Dynamite gets two with a snap suplex then locks on a sleeper but Slick breaks that up by whacking Dynamite with his cane. Vince screams about how referee Danny Davis had to have seen that but he didn’t and now Davey takes Matilda and chases Slick all the way to the back as Davis now declares Sheik & Volkoff as the winners due to outside interference (3:00).

Thoughts: They were at one point leaning towards Sheik & Volkoff regaining the Tag Titles but Dynamite would only drop them to the Hart Foundation and that was the end of the feud. With Dynamite hurt, Davey would defend the titles with several different partners.



Piper’s Pit with guests Randy Savage and Elizabeth. Piper and Savage get into it verbally as Savage has a Ricky Steamboat action figure and calls him a “has-been” then tells Piper that he was unable to put someone (Adonis) out of wrestling unlike himself. Savage then gives Piper a action figure of himself as a gift as Piper then gives Savage a gift, which is a ringside ticket for next week to see Steamboat wrestle as Savage is in disbelief. Good stuff here as Piper and Savage had wonderful interactions with each other.

Alex Knight vs. Hercules w/ Bobby Heenan

Hercules beats on Knight then takes him down with a clothesline. He then drops a few elbows before making Knight submit to the Backbreaker (0:57).

Thoughts: Hercules is getting a solid push now and he was a solid power wrestle so I have no problem with that.



We get another clip of Ventura trying to get information from Heenan about Andre the Giant’s suspension being lifted. Heenan completely avoids the question and talks about how he acquired Hercules as Ventura can’t believe this is happening again.

Ken Resnick is with Randy Savage, who comes out and rants about Bruno Sammartino having to resort to cheating to beat him down. Savage was great here as the crazy heel.

Another vignette from Blackjack Mulligan at his ranch. He calls out King Kong Bundy while riding a horse.

Jake “The Snake” Roberts vs. Billy Anderson

Anderson got a pop due to being billed from Phoenix. Match starts with Roberts beating on Anderson in the corner. He hits a slam as the announcers put Roberts over as a threat to both singles titles. Roberts works the arm as we get an insert promo from Roberts as he talks about his DDT. Roberts hits the short-arm clothesline then puts Anderson away with the DDT for the win (1:38). After the match, Roberts puts the snake on Anderson as Vince is irate on commentary.

Thoughts: Roberts is also getting a strong push as a top heel now and Vince was really going all out trying to get the post-match stuff over on commentary.

Resnick is with Ricky Steamboat, who cuts a promo while selling the throat injury on Sika, his opponent at the February Boston Garden show. Steamboat’s acting still sucks.

Another airing of the music video package set to “Bad Boy” from the Miami Sound Machine.

Jack Kruger & Kevin Collins vs. Rougeau Brothers

The Rougeau’s work over Collins as we get an insert promo from them wishing us a Happy New Year. Kruger tags and slams Jacques but misses a top rope splash, which is ironic since Kamala hit him with one that had Kruger cut a promo on how devastating the move was, then the Rougeau’s hit him with the Rougeau Bomb (1:26).

Thoughts: Nothing but filler. The announcers talked a bit about Kamala. The Rougeau’s came across as a lame team with their corny promos.

Another Outback Jack vignette as he shaves his face with a knife while talking about how he can compete in the WWF.

“The Natural” Butch Reed w/ Slick vs. Reggie Parks

Parks wrestled for years in the NWA and AWA. He started wrestling in the 1950’s too so he was an old-timer. Parks starts by taking down Reed but the crowd doesn’t care. They seemed burned out as this was the final match of the taping. Reed takes control and whips Parks into the corner as Jesse will be attempting to get some information out of Andre the Giant next week. Parks fights back as the crowd starts a “Reggie” chant but Reed knocks him down then gets the win with a flying clothesline (2:06).

Thoughts: The crowd actually got into Parks here. He could throw a decent punch at least. The announcers talked about the Andre the Giant angle for a majority of the match.



Ventura is shown at the entrance expecting Randy Savage to walk through the door as he hears girls going crazy but it turns out to be the Can-Am Connection, which disgusts Ventura for some reason. The Can-Am push started very quickly and ended just as soon, courtesy of Tom Zenk. At one point, the Can-Am’s were scheduled to face the Hart Foundation for the Titles at WrestleMania III but that idea got scrapped.

Resnick is with Bruno Sammartino, who tells Savage that there will be nowhere for him to hide in their Lumberjack Match at the Boston Garden in February. Bruno also promises to teach him a lesson.

Next week, Johnny v. will introduce us to his new tag team (Demolition). Also, Ricky Steamboat will make his return to the ring and Outback Jack will be here (he wasn’t).

Final Thoughts: They had a big advancement in the Steamboat/Savage storyline and made it clear that they are pushing Hercules, Jake Roberts, and the Can-Am Connection so that was good. The rest of the show seemed like filler but with the intrigue of the Andre the Giant storyline and the Piper/Adonis feud they still had a lot of stuff going on in the company. Overall, a solid show.

Here is my schedule for the next several days:

Thursday: Kayfabe Commentaries 1988 WWE Timeline as told by Jim Duggan
Friday: WWF Wrestling Challenge 1/11/87
Saturday: RoH Do or Die 5/31/03
Sunday: WWF Superstars of Wrestling 1/17/87
Tuesday: WWF Wrestling Challenge 1/18/87

January 3, 1987


From the Civic Center in Hartford, CT.

Your hosts are Jesse Ventura and Vince McMahon

Matches tonight include Paul Orndorff vs. Hulk Hogan in a Steel Cage Match for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship, Adrian Adonis vs. Roddy Piper, George Steele vs. Randy Savage for the WWF Intercontinental Championship, and King Harley Race vs. Junkyard Dog.

WWF World Heavyweight Championship Steel Cage Match
“Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff w/ Bobby Heenan vs. Hulk Hogan (Championship)


Before the match Vince flips out because Danny Davis is the referee. Orndorff attacks Hogan before the bell then drops a few elbows. Orndorff tries to escape but Hogan grabs his leg as Vince tells us that Davis shouldn’t even be the referee here as Joey Marella is here and listed as the official for the match. Orndorff almost climbs out of the cage but Hogan grabs him by the hair as Jesse jokes how Hogan would not be the champion right now if Orndorff was bald. Hogan stays in control then tries to climb out but Orndorff yanks him down then hammers away. The crowd chants for Hogan as Orndorff is stomping away. Orndorff misses a pair of elbow drops then Hogan hulks right up and fights back. Orndorff prevents Hogan from going through the door then is able to go back on offense. Then in a goofy-looking spot, both guys slam each other’s head off of the cage. They slowly get up and climb up opposite sides of the cage and both jump down as Hogan is declared the winner by Marella but Davis says that Orndorff was the winner. Davis then knocks Marella down so Hogan takes him out then Finkel lets us know that it was a “tie” as they both have to go back in and finish the match. Orndorff roughs up Hogan then rolls him back inside as Davis is carried to the back. Orndorff fires away but Hogan hulks up then chops away. Hogan rams Orndorff into the cage then hits a backbreaker before the leg drop. Heenan runs into the cage and distracts Hogan enough to let Orndorff get up but Hogan stops that then whips Heenan into the cage and climbs out of the cage before Orndorff can get through the door for the win (10:42) **3/4. Hogan gets back into the cage after the match and goes after Heenan as Jesse rags on Hogan. They then show the replay of the “tie” as Jesse tries to explain that Orndorff won because Hogan’s legs were bent when they hit the floor.

Thoughts: Good match. These two had solid chemistry in the ring and the way this ended could have been used to prolong the feud (Heenan goes to Tunney and gets a rematch or something like that). However, this ended up being the end of the Hogan/Orndorff feud as he would wrestle Kamala at house shows for a bit then get a new feud very shortly after this.






WWF Intercontinental Title Match
George “The Animal” Steele vs. “Macho Man” Randy Savage (Champion) w/ Elizabeth


Before the match we get a promo from Savage as he yells at Elizabeth to shut up before he “slaps her and pushes her against the wall.” Is that line edited on the Network? Steele also promises us a surprise during the match. This match is the result of Steele’s infatuation with Elizabeth, something that has been going on for about a year at this point. Before the match Steele gives Elizabeth his action figure as Savage flips out and takes it from her. Steele then attacks Savage and slams him down but goes to the corner and appears to wave someone on but Savage yanks him down. Savage then goes to climb up top but Ricky Steamboat’s music hits as he comes out to the ring. Savage is beside himself then gets tossed to the floor. Steele then goes outside and picks up Elizabeth and carries her up the aisle. Savage sees this and is out of his mind but Steamboat stands in his way and he stays in the ring. Steamboat tries to enter the ring but a few officials try to stop him as he breaks free. Steamboat gets escorted to the back by the police as Steele comes back without Elizabeth and beats on Savage. Steele bites open the turnbuckle and throws it in Savage’s face. Savage comes back and beats on Steele in the corner but Steele returns the favor then starts to bite Savage. Steele gets kicked a few times but is able to bite Savage’s arm. Steele then pulls a foreign object out of his trunks and uses it to knock Savage out of the ring. Steele then pushes down the ref after he tried to search him but Savage grabs the timekeeper’s bell and uses it to whack Steele in the back of the head then covers for the win (8:30) *1/2. Savage tries to attack Steele some more but Steamboat runs down and chases Savage away.

Thoughts: They used a lot of smoke and mirrors here and it worked about as well as you could have hoped for anyway. Steamboat’s return was huge and a great surprise. They also managed to keep two storylines going in this match.






King Harley Race w/ Bobby Heenan vs. Junkyard Dog


Again, Vince flips out because Davis is the referee for this match. Race punches JYD down then drops an elbow as Vince says it happened because Davis distracted JYD. Race hits a high knee smash then gets two with a knee drop but JYD gets up and fights back. Race goes shoulder first into the post but comes back with an eye rake. He hits a belly-to-belly suplex then tries a headbutt but JYD no-sells that then hits a few of his own then takes Race out of the ring. JYD then grabs Race’s robe and crown and puts it on as the fans applaud. Vince yells at Davis for not counting out Race as Heenan tries to attack JYD but that fails. JYD knocks Heenan down, who comically oversells the punch, then picks him up again but Race hits him from behind with a top rope elbow smash. Race hits a pair of elbow drops then the bell rings as JYD won by disqualification (6:00) 1/2*. After the match, Race and Heenan attack JYD but that fails as JYD chases them away. Davis tries to stop JYD but gets knocked down with a headbutt.

Thoughts: Very slow and dull match as Race’s methodical style was passe and JYD was abysmal in the ring at this point. Their feud, which started over JYD saying he would refuse to bow down to Race, would continue.






We see a clip of Heenan and Orndorff backstage. Heenan tells Orndorff that he saw the video replay and saw that he hit the floor before Hogan and will prove that he is the champion and go to Jack Tunney to straighten it out. Heenan kept calling Orndorff “champ.” We are shown the replay again as Jesse tells us that the tape is doctored.

“Adorable” Adrian Adonis w/ Jimmy Hart vs. Roddy Piper


Piper tosses his kilt at Adonis’s face then backs him into the corner. Piper takes him down with a knee lift as the kilt remains over Adonis’ face. Adonis bumps like a maniac for Piper then comes back with an eye rake. He then rakes Piper’s back but gets knocked down. Piper slams Adonis’ face off of the mat then Adonis comes back with the Good Night Irene but Piper takes them both through the ropes and they brawl. Adonis gets free and squirts his fragrance in the eyes of Piper then rolls inside and wins by count out as Piper could not see where he was (3:35) *. After the match Piper flips out as a few referees eventually calm him down to wipe his face.

Thoughts: Decent for while it lasted but it was just a short match to keep their feud going. Adonis was really, really big here. He could at least go in the ring though.






Okerlund is backstage with Hogan in the locker room. Hogan says that he won the match and will move on to other challengers. Okay then.

Jimmy Jack Funk vs. Blackjack Mulligan


This is billed as the “Battle of Texas.” Vince lets us know that Elizabeth is unharmed. Funk makes the referee order Mulligan to take off his spurs before the match. Funk lands a few shots but gets whipped into the corner then tossed to the floor as we get an awful insert promo from Mulligan as he is interviewed by Okerlund. He just rambled on and on using every single lame cliche about Texas. Mulligan beats on Funk in the corner before putting him away with a jumping back elbow smash (2:31) 1/4*. After the match, Mulligan tries to hang Funk with his rope but he was able to escape.

Thoughts: Just filler, really. I’ll never get why they tried to push Mulligan here. All of this build was wasted.

Final Thoughts: As a stand alone show, it wasnt much, but in the grand scheme of things this advanced a lot of storylines and the first ever steel cage match on Network TV was really cool to see,especially since it was a title match, so this was a good show overall that looks even better in hindsight as it laid the foundation for three WrestleMania matches. The WWF had a really good product at this time that was fun to watch.