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.
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.
Jake takes one of the most awkward bumps in history off that first guitar shot. I don't know if he actually broke vertebrae or not but it clearly fucked him up bad. Looked great, though.
ReplyDeleteI went through the '87 Observers trying to figure out who the Can-Ams were going to have in their corner, but never got a definitive answer. Lou Albano, Bruno Sammartino, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Pete Rose, and actor Bruce Boxleitner were all rumored to be making appearances. Samantha Fox as well--she was the original keeper of the crown for the Race-JYD match.
I did the same thing myself and came up empty. I could see Albano as a choice, being that he managed a lot of tag team champions.
ReplyDeleteI read once that he did in fact damage to several vertebrae and his addictions really began to ramp up shortly after. Might have been a recap from one of his shoots.
ReplyDeleteGreat review as always, Bayless.
ReplyDelete"Bret", though ;)
Jake claims Honky fucked him up and that the guitar wasn't gimmicked. I have a hard time buying Jake from that era, especially a claim that Honky of all people was stiff with even a guitar shot.
ReplyDeleteI purposely do it here as the graphic still read "Brett" at this time when he wrestled.
ReplyDeleteGotcha. Fair enough!
ReplyDeleteI don't buy everything he says (he's claimed that this segment was actually a double turn, when it clearly wasn't--Honky was obviously a heel going into it), but compare this guitar shot to the many other ones HTM has done and I can easily believe the guitar wasn't gimmicked--it looked brutal and stiff as hell, unlike the others than just disintegrate on impact.
ReplyDelete