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WWF Superstars of Wrestling March 21st, 1987

March 21, 1987

From the Hara Arena in Dayton, OH

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

Tonight's featured bout is the Iron Sheik vs. Hacksaw Jim Duggan. Also in action will be "Adorable" Adrian Adonis, British Bulldogs & Tito Santana, and the Honky Tonk Man




Iron Sheik, Nikolai Volkoff, and Slick are in the ring. Before the match, Craig DeGeorge is backstage with "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, who goes off on the Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff then flips out and grabs his 2x4 when he hears the Russian National Anthem. Duggan chases the heels around the ring before they head backstage with his 2x4 then grabs the mic and talks about the Iran Hostage Crisis then gets the crowd going with some Pro USA stuff as he warns Volkoff that he will not be singing the Russian National Anthem in the WWF again as long as he is around. The crowd was going nuts for Duggan here. However, the match between Duggan and Sheik never took place on this show.



WWF Update with Gene Okerlund. This week's focus is on the Billy Jack Haynes/Hercules feud. They another psychotic screaming promo from Haynes, which are my guilty pleasure. Decent piece to hype their WrestleMania III match.



DeGeorge is now backstage with Sheik, Duggan, and Slick. They are all livid as to what Duggan did to them.



Corporal Kirchner & Mario Mancini vs. Cowboy Bob Orton & Don Muraco w/ Mr. Fuji

Kirchner briefly works over Orton until he eats knee on a charge. They slug it out as we get an insert promo from the Can-Am Connection who warn Orton & Muraco that at WrestleMania they will show them what teamwork is all about. Muraco knees Kirchner from the apron then tags. Mancini also tags and gets drilled with a clothesline. Kirchner runs into the ring but gets sent to the floor as we hear a poem from Lanny Poffo about WrestleMania. Orton holds Mancini up for a suplex as Muraco comes off of the top rope with a crossbody for the win. That looked awkward (1:47).

Thoughts: Sad to see Muraco and Orton as just shells of their former selves. They still had a little bit of credibility as a team due to their past but that was starting to fade away.



Gene Okerlund is backstage with the Hart Foundation, Jimmy Hart, and Danny Davis. Neidhart makes all sorts of dog jokes about the Bulldogs then proceeds to bust out a Chihuahua impression and rants about how they hang around "the corners with the greasy taco stands."



We get a vignette of the Rougeau Brothers in action as they are performing all sorts of Winter sports set to "Danger Zone" by Kenny Loggins. Only in the 1980's would this have been considered a good idea.



"Adorable" Adrian Adonis w/ Jimmy Hart vs. Jim Young

Young gets in a few moves, that all looked terrible, until he runs into an elbow. Brutus Beefcake is shown in an insert promo telling Adonis that he hopes Roddy Piper cuts his hair after the match. Adonis then puts Young away with the Good Night Irene (1:48). Adonis attacks Young after the match

Thoughts: This was just as much geared towards Beefcake's hatred of Adonis than putting over Adonis himself for his match against Piper.



Okerlund is with Mary Hart. They engage in some playful banner as Okerlund gives her the WWF Swatch, because Hart is the guest timekeeper at WrestleMania III. Quick segment to plug a celebrity appearance and showcase the WWF Swatch. That's a two-fer!



Now, Okerlund is with the Junkyard Dog who talks about his match against Harley Race at WrestleMania III. He then leaves when he sees Randy Savage entering. Savage comes in holding a chair then tosses it down to point at his belt, saying that he will be the Intercontinental Champion when he leaves WrestleMania III.



Bob Uecker is backstage with Jimmy Hart. He asks Hart how he will counter Alice Cooper's snake as Hart ensures that he will take care of Cooper.



Al Navarro & Steve Lombardi & Rick Renslow vs. British Bulldogs & Tito Santana

Davey catches Lombardi with a hiptoss before hitting him with a press slam. Santana tags and ducks a clothesline before firing away. Renslow tags in as Santana hits him with an atomic drop. Dynamite headbutts him from the apron as Renslow gets trapped in the opposing corner. Navarro tags and lands a few shots on Tito but he escapes and tags Davey, who hits a running powerslam. He then backdrops Navarro before tagging Tito, who gets the win with a flying forearm (2:48).

Thoughts: A quick showcase for Santana and the Bulldogs before their match at WrestleMania III. Dynamite never tagged into the match and seemed like he could barely walk to the ring.



Piper's Pit with guest Jack Tunney. Before Tunney come out, Piper warns Adonis about their match at WrestleMania III as the fans are going mental for Piper. Tunney shows us a new World Championship Belt that would fit Andre the Giant if he won the title at WrestleMania III. Heenan and Andre then come out as Heenan says that he will win the belt as Andre complains that the belt does not fit him. Piper then asks the crowd if Andre deserves to wear the belt right now as they scream no then Andre says that in one week they will finally see a real champion. Good segment as the new belt gave doubt as to if Hogan could beat Andre.



The WrestleMania III report airs as it runs down the entire card. It lasts for about five minutes and it is nothing you haven't seen before if you've been watching these shows.



"Leaping" Lanny Poffo vs. Honky Tonk Man w/ Jimmy Hart

Poffo uses his speed on Honky but ducks his head on a backdrop attempt and gets booted in the face then Honky puts him away with the Shake, Rattle, and Roll (0:38). After the match, Honky grabs the mic and thanks the fans for their support then proceeds to dance as the crowd boos until his music gets shut off then they cheer. Honky demands to know who shut off his music then Jake Roberts voice is heard as he tells Honky that both Damian and himself were watching his match.

Thoughts: Very quick match. Honky insincere act with the fans got him some heel heat.



Okerlund is with Hulk Hogan. He asks him about his match against Andre at WrestleMania III. Hogan hints that he has god watching out for him as he hypes up the match. Not much out of the ordinary here.



Next week in action will be the Can-Am Connection, "The Natural" Butch Reed, Jake Roberts, and the Hart Foundation.



Final Thoughts: This was really just an infomercial for WrestleMania III as there were barely any angle advancements. Not much else to say about this other than that but the buzz remains strong as they are a week away from the show.









Comments

  1. Raymond.
    Raymond!
    RAYMOND!
    ...
    danger zoooooooone

    ReplyDelete
  2. As a kid I always felt that Duggan interrupting the Soviet national anthem while declaring the United States, the land of the free as hypocritical since he denied Nikolai Volkoff's right to free speech.

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  3. "Danger Zone" by Kenny Loggins? Vince rally paid for that? Are you sure it wasn't "Unsafe Area" by Jimmy Hart?

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  4. They used a lot of legit songs back then

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  5. WWF Swatch??? Sweet! Also I just want to say I've other Jim Young squashes from the 80's and he was one of the worst jobbers of all time.

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  6. YankeesHoganTripleHFanFebruary 13, 2015 at 5:16 PM

    I wonder what would have happened with the Dynamite Kid's career if he hadn't had the back injury.

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  7. He was fucking terrible

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  8. Free speech doesn't apply to foreign invaders trying to take over your country. You have to understand Volkoff and Shiek were invaders, trying to gain superiority over the US to sway their governments to attack the US.

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  9. They paid for Tie Me Kangaroo Down sport for a guy that was reduced to jobber in less than three weeks.

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  10. With his style an injury would have done inevitably done him in regardless. A matter of "when," not "if." It's like asking what would happen if Len Bias had lived to play in the NBA--he'd either OD later on or get suspended.

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  11. They were pro wrestling heels whose actions are limited to what's in the ring. Even within kayfabe they were sponsored athletes, not terrorist invaders.

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  12. Still in the cartoon world of the WWF, I think it was more like He-Man vs. Skeletor or Superman vs. a villain. WWF sold itself like a weekly 1950's episode of George Reeves superman.

    But remember even Uncle Ivan placed fear in everyone if Nikita could have beaten Ric Flair - they were going to take the belt to the Kremlin. They had rights to perform as athletes, yes, but they placed a fear of how if Russia can beat us at sports - they may send armies to slaughter us. And yeah I'm speaking from kayfaybe.

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  13. Randy Savage got them a discount as he's been there...

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