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WWF Superstars of Wrestling June 6th, 1987

June 6, 1987

From the Convention Center in Anaheim, CA

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

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





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

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

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



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



Tiger Chung Lee vs. Koko B. Ware

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

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



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



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



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

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

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



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



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



Jimmy Jack Funk vs. Ken Patera

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

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



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



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


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

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



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



Tim Patterson vs. Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake

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

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



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



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



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



Schedule for the next several days:

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

Comments

  1. This period seems to be a transitional time. At this point the wrestlers and storylines which will dominate the next 2-3 years are just coming in while closing the book on everything that was happening before.

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  2. Great review, I was starting to think this is no longer a wrestling blog what with all the comic talk in the daliy thread. Anyway...why is the week after this show a memorable one?

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  3. Because it has a hot main event.

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  4. Steamboat vs. Honky

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  5. Great review. A Texas Death match in Boston... was the Massachusetts Death match already booked?

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  6. The WrestleMania to Survivor Series period is such a dead zone

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  7. Absolutely

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  8. Still seems to me that the Demos look like the strongest team. Was it a forgone conclusion that they would be getting the straps before the Harts even lost them?

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  9. God, I was such a huge Beefcake fan as a kid. He was my favorite.

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  10. Sometimes I wish Jesse and Tito were running buddies with all the ethnic jokes.

    http://youtu.be/cRyy7WHq8mI

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  11. I'm sad they treated Don Adams like a jobber. I know he wasn't a wrestler and he probably took the wrestling gig to pay bills and alimony to his three ex-wives and he did the three revival/reunion movies of

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  12. He was over. I think the stigma knowing he got his push maybe from being Hogan's buddy ruined things later.

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  13. Hey Paul Orndorff's babyface turn is coming and Oliver Humperdink as a smiling babyface manager is coming too.

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  14. The IC match opened the show.

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  15. What ruined things later was the parasailing accident. Beefcake was actually improving as a wrestler before then but after that accident he was so bad that his matches were very unwatchable. Plus, all the gimmick changes he had in WCW did not help his case.

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  16. Orndorff's turn doesn't have the same umph his heel turn did

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  17. It's still the main event regardless of its placement.

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  18. Lots of new faces came in the Summer of 87. Helped shaped up the rest of the decade.

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  19. Jesse: Hey McMahon, you ever tried one of Tito's tacos?

    Vince: He doesn't sell tacos.

    Jesse: You're right, it was burritos.

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  20. His career died in 1990, but I wasn't too offended at the Starrcade 94 Main Event. It was one of the few early angles I liked. In hindsight, I would have had Hogan drop the title to Flair in August and win it back in October - and then have Beefcake there to betray as planned. Hogan takes out Beefcake and then faces Vader as originally planned - but sadly I would have ended the feud then.

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  21. It's hard to be a solid face again when you'll never be #2 again after being the #1 heel for eight months. I liked the fact they tried, but times were changing and Paul was gone before 1988. Studd left in 86, and Bundy's only 88 apperance was taped in 87.

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  22. Boston Tea parties may have offended the chowderheads.

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  23. Once Piper turned there was no way Orndorff was getting close to that #2 spot. Hell, you can argue Piper was just as over as Hogan was

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  24. So Tito Santana vs. Pez Whatley in 1990 would be considered a main event then?

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  25. It was '87, so just do a Bill Buckner Can't Bend Over Death Match

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  26. Yeah, I keep forgetting the 86-87 Piper factor. Man was extremely over upon his return. He had been the #1 heel and when he returned he was getting monster pops. Reminds me of Savage a year later in 87-88 - almost over enough to be the guy.

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  27. WWF Champion Savage lacked that craziness until his heel turn

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  28. Unless you're just being purposefully dense, no. The marquee match is the main event, regardless of whether it opens (many, many TV matches through the years), closes (most PPVs), or is in the middle (most WWF house shows until the late '90s).

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