New champions are crowned. Hogan and Zeus settle things inside a steel cage.
WWF World Championship Scene: (currently held by: Hulk Hogan) During the December 12th taping of Wrestling Challenge, Hulk Hogan teamed up with Brutus Beefcake to take on Randy Savage and Zeus inside a steel cage. The match would be aired on December 27th, 1989. Hogan was able to overcome one of his biggest challengers to date when he pinned Zeus following three leg drops. For the rest of the month, Hogan would defend the WWF World Championship on the house show market but would lose to Mr. Perfect by count-out. Despite losing the matches, Hogan retained the championship.
WWF Intercontinental Championship Scene: (currently held by: the Ultimate Warrior) The Ultimate Warrior continued to have issues with Dino Bravo and the Canadian Earthquake. After Bravo had a match during the December 13th taping of WWF Superstars, the Ultimate Warrior made an appearance but was distracted by Earthquake which allowed Bravo to use a chair on Warrior.
While Warrior had to deal with Bravo, Jimmy Hart and Earthquake he also had his mind focused on winning the 1990 Royal Rumble so he could challenge the WWF World Champion at WrestleMania VI.
Back to his issues with Bravo, they would have matches on the house show market with Warrior managing to pick up pin fall wins over Bravo on a regular basis.
WWF World Tag Team Championships Scene: (currently held by: Demolition)
The Heenan Family was able to regain the WWF World Tag Team Championships during the December 13th taping of WWF Superstars. Andre the Giant and Haku won the titles after Andre dropped an elbow on Smash. Ax wasn’t able to get involved in the match due to constant double teaming and thus was unable to make the save.
On the house show market, Demolition would lose to Andre and Haku by count-out more often than not.
Other Happenings:
- With the Royal Rumble next month, a lot of focus was put on the wrestlers giving their reasons as to why they will win the bout and main event WrestleMania VI. However, there were a few minor storylines taking place outside of the championship scenes.
- Brutus Beefcake got under Rick Martel’s skin as he was modeling clothes during the December 13th taping of WWF Superstars. Beefcake ended up getting on the podium after his match and shredding Martel’s clothing.
- During the December 13th taping of WWF Superstars, the Bolsheviks came out while the Bushwhackers competed and waved their Soviet Union flag. There wasn’t any confrontation but it could be hinted at as a future angle between the two teams.
- After a few months of feuding, Roddy Piper defeated Rick Rude on December 28th inside a steel cage at a Madison Square Garden show.
Bob's Opinion:
It's rather surprising to me that Andre the Giant was holding a championship this late in his career. I'd imagine it was more of a thank you for everything throughout his career. Demolition back in the chase is always a good thing too, I suppose.
I've never been a fan of Dino Bravo. He isn't entertaining to me whatsoever. A feud between Warrior and Earthquake would have been better, but Earthquake was being saved for bigger and better things down the road. Warrior hasn't been able to find a suitable opponent since winning the championship.
Finally the end to Hogan/Zeus. Personally, I didn't find it all that interesting. Zeus was never any good in the ring and was simply used as a way to promote No Holds Barred.
The cage match between Rude and Piper is really good and worth a watch, by the way. A really good feud towards the end of the year. What are your memories of the WWF at this time? Leave them below!
WWF World Championship Scene: (currently held by: Hulk Hogan) During the December 12th taping of Wrestling Challenge, Hulk Hogan teamed up with Brutus Beefcake to take on Randy Savage and Zeus inside a steel cage. The match would be aired on December 27th, 1989. Hogan was able to overcome one of his biggest challengers to date when he pinned Zeus following three leg drops. For the rest of the month, Hogan would defend the WWF World Championship on the house show market but would lose to Mr. Perfect by count-out. Despite losing the matches, Hogan retained the championship.
WWF Intercontinental Championship Scene: (currently held by: the Ultimate Warrior) The Ultimate Warrior continued to have issues with Dino Bravo and the Canadian Earthquake. After Bravo had a match during the December 13th taping of WWF Superstars, the Ultimate Warrior made an appearance but was distracted by Earthquake which allowed Bravo to use a chair on Warrior.
While Warrior had to deal with Bravo, Jimmy Hart and Earthquake he also had his mind focused on winning the 1990 Royal Rumble so he could challenge the WWF World Champion at WrestleMania VI.
Back to his issues with Bravo, they would have matches on the house show market with Warrior managing to pick up pin fall wins over Bravo on a regular basis.
WWF World Tag Team Championships Scene: (currently held by: Demolition)
The Heenan Family was able to regain the WWF World Tag Team Championships during the December 13th taping of WWF Superstars. Andre the Giant and Haku won the titles after Andre dropped an elbow on Smash. Ax wasn’t able to get involved in the match due to constant double teaming and thus was unable to make the save.
On the house show market, Demolition would lose to Andre and Haku by count-out more often than not.
Other Happenings:
- With the Royal Rumble next month, a lot of focus was put on the wrestlers giving their reasons as to why they will win the bout and main event WrestleMania VI. However, there were a few minor storylines taking place outside of the championship scenes.
- Brutus Beefcake got under Rick Martel’s skin as he was modeling clothes during the December 13th taping of WWF Superstars. Beefcake ended up getting on the podium after his match and shredding Martel’s clothing.
- During the December 13th taping of WWF Superstars, the Bolsheviks came out while the Bushwhackers competed and waved their Soviet Union flag. There wasn’t any confrontation but it could be hinted at as a future angle between the two teams.
- After a few months of feuding, Roddy Piper defeated Rick Rude on December 28th inside a steel cage at a Madison Square Garden show.
Bob's Opinion:
It's rather surprising to me that Andre the Giant was holding a championship this late in his career. I'd imagine it was more of a thank you for everything throughout his career. Demolition back in the chase is always a good thing too, I suppose.
I've never been a fan of Dino Bravo. He isn't entertaining to me whatsoever. A feud between Warrior and Earthquake would have been better, but Earthquake was being saved for bigger and better things down the road. Warrior hasn't been able to find a suitable opponent since winning the championship.
Finally the end to Hogan/Zeus. Personally, I didn't find it all that interesting. Zeus was never any good in the ring and was simply used as a way to promote No Holds Barred.
The cage match between Rude and Piper is really good and worth a watch, by the way. A really good feud towards the end of the year. What are your memories of the WWF at this time? Leave them below!
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Bring back the blue steel cage.
ReplyDeleteI don't think the Wrestlemania match was promised to the Rumble winners at this point, was it? I was sure that didn't happen until 1993.
ReplyDeleteAx was the one in the ring the whole time, not Smash. I think the Bill Eadie phase-out was already starting in retrospect.
ReplyDeleteCorrect
ReplyDeleteYeah, you're right. A goof on my part!
ReplyDeleteThere was a column last week about favorite moments.....I totally forgot about Warrior & Hogan clashing in the Rumble.
ReplyDeleteAll these years later it was the only time Schiavone got something right when he said everybody was on their feet. It was such a fun moment, truly unique for that era.
I always hated it when fans whined for the "superior" NWA cages. Running into a fucking CHAIN LINK FENCE doesn't hurt!
ReplyDeleteI'm in the camp that maintains Schiavone was actually a pretty good announcer, who became a caricature of himself during the Nitro era because of poorly WCW television was produced. He had a unique voice, legitimate broadcasting credentials, and a good rapport with most of his partners.
ReplyDeleteOnly thing is, the chain link fence is good for doing the face-raking spot.
ReplyDeleteWeird how they got squashed to lose the titles here, before losing clean to the Powers of Pain at Survivor Series. What was up with Demolition and the WWF at the time?
ReplyDeleteYeah, but if you rake your face against a real chain link fence, it doesn't hurt nor do you bleed.
ReplyDeleteDunno...never made much sense to me. I think they only regained the title because Andre really couldn't go any longer, and Vince didn't think anybody else could beat Haku/Andre and have it be convincing. I think if they hadn't signed the Road Warriors, Ax would've been released sooner.
ReplyDeleteNext you'll tell me you couldn't get your finger stuck in one!
ReplyDelete