October 18, 1986
From the Onandoga War Memorial in Syracuse, NY
Your hosts are Bruno Sammartino, Jesse "The Body" Ventura, and Vince McMahon
In action this week are the Killer Bees, Hercules Hernandez, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, and "The Natural" Butch Reed. Also, we get footage of Hillbilly Jim visiting is granny's home and more.
S.D. Jones vs. Hercules Hernandez w/ Slick
Hercules starts by attacking Jones from behind. We are then shown an insert promo from Mike Rotundo, who says that his partner, Danny Spivey, is recovering from knee surgery and will be back soon. It was a terrible promo as he tripped all over his lines. The crowd starts a boring chant as Hercules is stomping Jones. Hercules drops an elbow as Slick tells us that is what "Huck Hogan" is gonna get as Vince rags on Slick for not being able to say his name. Hercules puts Jones in a chinlock but Jones escapes and hits a few headbutts but Hercules catches him with a sideslam then makes him submit to the backbreaker (3:16).
Thoughts: Dominant win for Hercules. Usually a guy like SD would get in some offense but he got next to nothing. With this win, it seems like Hercules is in line for a sizable push.
WWF Update with Gene Okerlund. This week's focus is on Bob Orton & Don Muraco as we see a clip of them at home watching clips of them destroying Piper. They are shown in an insert watching and reacting to the clips that we are seeing. Muraco was pretty funny here. Although his workrate was decreasing, Muraco was still delivering the goods in his promos.
Johnny Valiant is with his newest acquisition, Dino Bravo, who he proclaims he will reach the top of the "World Federation." Bravo was in a suit and still had is natural hair color, which was black. Bravo did not seem like a huge deal here. He was actually part of the WWF briefly in late 1985 and the beginning of 1986 then came over along with Rick Martel and Tom Zenk at the time here as Vince plucked them from the struggling Lutte Internationale promotion. Martel & Zenk would make their debut in the coming weeks.
Tony Parks vs. Dino Bravo w/ Johnny Valiant
Ventura notes how Bravo was usually a good guy but now is aligned with Valiant. Bravo cheapshots Parks after a break then hits him with a gutwrench suplex and a leg drop. He drops Parks throat-first across the ropes then Parks flies through the ropes after getting hit with an atomic drop. Back inside, Parks fights back but gets turned inside out with a clothesline. Bravo hits him with a double underhok suplex then tosses him to the floor. Back inside, Bravo hits him with a dropkick then finishes off Parks with a back suplex (2:28). After the match, Bravo tosses Parks to the floor.
Thoughts: Bravo looked decent here as this was before he got too jacked up and could barely move. He was also a babyface for many years although it did not seem like the crowd recognized that here. The announcers at least put that fact over with Ventura giving him high praise.
Ken Resnick runs down the November show in Boston and brings out Roddy Piper, who will be facing Don Muraco. Piper says the people in Boston are insane because they like him. Piper brings up how Muraco fought Snuka for a year but he was the one who put Snuka out of work, unlike himself. He closes by saying that he is Roddy Piper and Muraco is not. Good stuff by Piper
We are shown a clip of Brutus Beefcake telling us how he takes care of his body then we are shown a clip of his partner, Greg Valentine, getting massaged by his wife (who was hot) on "Tuesday Night Titans," from almost two years ago. An odd way to put over the Dream Team.
Bob Bradley & Tiger Chung Lee vs. The Killer Bees
Lee is wearing boots here instead of going barefoot. The Bees work over the arm of Lee to start. Lee catches Brunzell with a throat thrust then tags Bradley, who hammers away. Brunzell knees him in the face then tags Blair, who hits a powerslam. The Bees use quick tags to work over Bradley as Ventura eggs on Vince for playing favorites when it comes to the wrestlers and referees. Bradley fights back but Blair gets his knees up on a splash attempt. Blair then hits an atomic drop and tags Brunzell, who puts Bradley away with a dropkick (2:36).
Thoughts: No mask confusion this time for the bees. Not a whole lot to add here besides that.
Resnick is with Randy Savage, who will be facing Ricky Steamboat in Boston. Savage reminds Steamboat that he failed to beat Don Muraco and Jake Roberts then tells him that he will never get the Intercontinental Title. They are starting the Steamboat/Savage feud
Rick Hunter vs. "The Natural" Butch Reed w/ Slick
These two start off on the mat and end in a stalemate with Hunter kipping up to showcase his atheltic ability. Pretty good for a flabby, middle-aged jobber. Reed switches to a headscissors on the mat after Hunter took him down with a side headlock. Reed then stomps Hunter on the mat and hits a slam. Reed grabs a chinlock that Hunter escapes from. Hunter takes Reed down with a shoulder block but eats a knee smash on a charge. Reed then gets on the middle turnbuckle and hits a flying clothesline for the win (3:07).
Thoughts: I thought Reed sold way too much for Hunter in this match, especially when you consider that they were giving Reed a big push upon his debut.
Piper's Pit makes it return, with the crowd going nuts. He invites Jimmy Hart, who comes bearing gifts. Piper promises how he wants to hear what Hart as to say and will not attack him. Hart then gives gifts to Piper because his wrestling career is over and gives him a crutch, a Hawaiian Lei from Don Muraco, a pair of panties from Mr. Fuji to wear under his kilt, and a pink cowboy hat and a rope from Bob Orton, so Piper can hang himself. Piper laughs sarcastically and invites Hart to sit down because he has a present for him but first, he has to shut his eyes. Piper then ties Hart to the chair and gives back the Lei to Hart, saying its the only lay he is ever going to get. Piper then brings out mouthwash ad pours it down Hart's throat then forces him to spit it in Orton's hat before putting it on Hart's head. A memorable segment that had the crowd going crazy.
And now, we see Hillbilly Jim at his granny's house. Jim then plays some of her favorite songs on his guitar. Granny is almost in tears over this song as she is knitting. Jim then leaves and goes to put some wood in the stove as he shows us a workout routine he learned from his friend, Hulk Hogan. He is elbow dropping a mattress in a kitchen then puts granny's dog in a headlock as granny is unhappy. Jim apologizes as Granny invites us all to her home because she cooked up a "whole mess of food." This lasted too long and the old footage to promote guys who were becoming less popular in this show is puzzling.
Iron Mike Sharpe vs. Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat
These two lockup to start then Steamboat gets caught with a slam after a pair of leapfrogs. Sharpe sends him into the corner with a forearm smash then drags him outside and slams him on the floor. The fans cheer for Steamboat, who sends Sharpe into the post. Steamboat hammers away as they head back into the ring. Steamboat hits a flying chop that gets two. Steamboat gets another nearfall with a chop. Sharpe comes back with a clothesline for two then they trade chops until Sharpe rakes the eyes. Steamboat fights back and chops down Sharpe then climbs up top and hits the flying body press for the win (3:03).
Thoughts: Decent action in this one. The fans were really into Steamboat too, who did not come out with his dragon tonight.
Resnick is with Don Muraco, who will be facing Piper in Boston. Muraco references their match from the "King of the Ring" tournament in Foxboro, MA from a few months prior and how that is when Piper got his first taste of magnificence. Muraco cut another great promo on Piper.
Next week in action will be Koko B. Ware, Jake "The Snake" Roberts, and the featured matchup of the Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff vs. Tito Santana & Pedro Morales.
Final Thoughts: A solid show. They have really went all out with the Piper feud, even with Adonis suspended from the company. The Machines angle also was just about finished with Andre away and Albano either fired or quitting the promotion and that was a good thing as the feud was a major flop. The potential Steamboat/Savage feud is very intriguing at this point and pushing newcomers and hyping up the tag division was keeping the product fresh.
From the Onandoga War Memorial in Syracuse, NY
Your hosts are Bruno Sammartino, Jesse "The Body" Ventura, and Vince McMahon
In action this week are the Killer Bees, Hercules Hernandez, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, and "The Natural" Butch Reed. Also, we get footage of Hillbilly Jim visiting is granny's home and more.
S.D. Jones vs. Hercules Hernandez w/ Slick
Hercules starts by attacking Jones from behind. We are then shown an insert promo from Mike Rotundo, who says that his partner, Danny Spivey, is recovering from knee surgery and will be back soon. It was a terrible promo as he tripped all over his lines. The crowd starts a boring chant as Hercules is stomping Jones. Hercules drops an elbow as Slick tells us that is what "Huck Hogan" is gonna get as Vince rags on Slick for not being able to say his name. Hercules puts Jones in a chinlock but Jones escapes and hits a few headbutts but Hercules catches him with a sideslam then makes him submit to the backbreaker (3:16).
Thoughts: Dominant win for Hercules. Usually a guy like SD would get in some offense but he got next to nothing. With this win, it seems like Hercules is in line for a sizable push.
WWF Update with Gene Okerlund. This week's focus is on Bob Orton & Don Muraco as we see a clip of them at home watching clips of them destroying Piper. They are shown in an insert watching and reacting to the clips that we are seeing. Muraco was pretty funny here. Although his workrate was decreasing, Muraco was still delivering the goods in his promos.
Johnny Valiant is with his newest acquisition, Dino Bravo, who he proclaims he will reach the top of the "World Federation." Bravo was in a suit and still had is natural hair color, which was black. Bravo did not seem like a huge deal here. He was actually part of the WWF briefly in late 1985 and the beginning of 1986 then came over along with Rick Martel and Tom Zenk at the time here as Vince plucked them from the struggling Lutte Internationale promotion. Martel & Zenk would make their debut in the coming weeks.
Tony Parks vs. Dino Bravo w/ Johnny Valiant
Ventura notes how Bravo was usually a good guy but now is aligned with Valiant. Bravo cheapshots Parks after a break then hits him with a gutwrench suplex and a leg drop. He drops Parks throat-first across the ropes then Parks flies through the ropes after getting hit with an atomic drop. Back inside, Parks fights back but gets turned inside out with a clothesline. Bravo hits him with a double underhok suplex then tosses him to the floor. Back inside, Bravo hits him with a dropkick then finishes off Parks with a back suplex (2:28). After the match, Bravo tosses Parks to the floor.
Thoughts: Bravo looked decent here as this was before he got too jacked up and could barely move. He was also a babyface for many years although it did not seem like the crowd recognized that here. The announcers at least put that fact over with Ventura giving him high praise.
Ken Resnick runs down the November show in Boston and brings out Roddy Piper, who will be facing Don Muraco. Piper says the people in Boston are insane because they like him. Piper brings up how Muraco fought Snuka for a year but he was the one who put Snuka out of work, unlike himself. He closes by saying that he is Roddy Piper and Muraco is not. Good stuff by Piper
We are shown a clip of Brutus Beefcake telling us how he takes care of his body then we are shown a clip of his partner, Greg Valentine, getting massaged by his wife (who was hot) on "Tuesday Night Titans," from almost two years ago. An odd way to put over the Dream Team.
Bob Bradley & Tiger Chung Lee vs. The Killer Bees
Lee is wearing boots here instead of going barefoot. The Bees work over the arm of Lee to start. Lee catches Brunzell with a throat thrust then tags Bradley, who hammers away. Brunzell knees him in the face then tags Blair, who hits a powerslam. The Bees use quick tags to work over Bradley as Ventura eggs on Vince for playing favorites when it comes to the wrestlers and referees. Bradley fights back but Blair gets his knees up on a splash attempt. Blair then hits an atomic drop and tags Brunzell, who puts Bradley away with a dropkick (2:36).
Thoughts: No mask confusion this time for the bees. Not a whole lot to add here besides that.
Resnick is with Randy Savage, who will be facing Ricky Steamboat in Boston. Savage reminds Steamboat that he failed to beat Don Muraco and Jake Roberts then tells him that he will never get the Intercontinental Title. They are starting the Steamboat/Savage feud
Rick Hunter vs. "The Natural" Butch Reed w/ Slick
These two start off on the mat and end in a stalemate with Hunter kipping up to showcase his atheltic ability. Pretty good for a flabby, middle-aged jobber. Reed switches to a headscissors on the mat after Hunter took him down with a side headlock. Reed then stomps Hunter on the mat and hits a slam. Reed grabs a chinlock that Hunter escapes from. Hunter takes Reed down with a shoulder block but eats a knee smash on a charge. Reed then gets on the middle turnbuckle and hits a flying clothesline for the win (3:07).
Thoughts: I thought Reed sold way too much for Hunter in this match, especially when you consider that they were giving Reed a big push upon his debut.
Piper's Pit makes it return, with the crowd going nuts. He invites Jimmy Hart, who comes bearing gifts. Piper promises how he wants to hear what Hart as to say and will not attack him. Hart then gives gifts to Piper because his wrestling career is over and gives him a crutch, a Hawaiian Lei from Don Muraco, a pair of panties from Mr. Fuji to wear under his kilt, and a pink cowboy hat and a rope from Bob Orton, so Piper can hang himself. Piper laughs sarcastically and invites Hart to sit down because he has a present for him but first, he has to shut his eyes. Piper then ties Hart to the chair and gives back the Lei to Hart, saying its the only lay he is ever going to get. Piper then brings out mouthwash ad pours it down Hart's throat then forces him to spit it in Orton's hat before putting it on Hart's head. A memorable segment that had the crowd going crazy.
And now, we see Hillbilly Jim at his granny's house. Jim then plays some of her favorite songs on his guitar. Granny is almost in tears over this song as she is knitting. Jim then leaves and goes to put some wood in the stove as he shows us a workout routine he learned from his friend, Hulk Hogan. He is elbow dropping a mattress in a kitchen then puts granny's dog in a headlock as granny is unhappy. Jim apologizes as Granny invites us all to her home because she cooked up a "whole mess of food." This lasted too long and the old footage to promote guys who were becoming less popular in this show is puzzling.
Iron Mike Sharpe vs. Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat
These two lockup to start then Steamboat gets caught with a slam after a pair of leapfrogs. Sharpe sends him into the corner with a forearm smash then drags him outside and slams him on the floor. The fans cheer for Steamboat, who sends Sharpe into the post. Steamboat hammers away as they head back into the ring. Steamboat hits a flying chop that gets two. Steamboat gets another nearfall with a chop. Sharpe comes back with a clothesline for two then they trade chops until Sharpe rakes the eyes. Steamboat fights back and chops down Sharpe then climbs up top and hits the flying body press for the win (3:03).
Thoughts: Decent action in this one. The fans were really into Steamboat too, who did not come out with his dragon tonight.
Resnick is with Don Muraco, who will be facing Piper in Boston. Muraco references their match from the "King of the Ring" tournament in Foxboro, MA from a few months prior and how that is when Piper got his first taste of magnificence. Muraco cut another great promo on Piper.
Next week in action will be Koko B. Ware, Jake "The Snake" Roberts, and the featured matchup of the Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff vs. Tito Santana & Pedro Morales.
Final Thoughts: A solid show. They have really went all out with the Piper feud, even with Adonis suspended from the company. The Machines angle also was just about finished with Andre away and Albano either fired or quitting the promotion and that was a good thing as the feud was a major flop. The potential Steamboat/Savage feud is very intriguing at this point and pushing newcomers and hyping up the tag division was keeping the product fresh.
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