October 19, 1985
Your hosts are Bruno Sammartino and Vince McMahon
Tonight, Wendi Richter will defend her Women's Championship against Judy Martin. Also in action are Ricky Steamboat, Randy Savage, British Bulldogs, Hart Foundation and the return of Hillbilly Jim.
Steve Lombardi vs. Hillbilly Jim w/ Uncle Elmer & Cousin Junior
This is Jim's long awaited in-ring return and the crowd is into the Hillbilly act in a big way. The pre-match dance last for a while. Jim shoves Lombardi through the ropes after they lockup. Lombardi charges but gets caught with a slam as Elmer rings his bell and Junior stands there looking mentally challenged. Jim sends Lombardi into the post after reversing an Irish whip. He knocks him down with a headbutt then catches Lombardi in a bearhug, who immediately submits (2:20). After the match, the Hillbillies dance some more in the ring as Vince goes mental screaming "GET DOWN CUZ" at Junior during his wacky dance.
Thoughts: As goofy as the Hillbilly bullshit was, it was extremely over here. Vince was putting over Jim big time too and his new theme song, "Don't Go Messin' with a Country Boy." Vince was really trying to get over the theme music on commentary when the "Wrestling Album" came out.
WWF Update with Lord Alfred Hayes. This is about the "Wrestling Album" as we see clips of wrestlers singing their songs, such as Hillbilly Jim and Jimmy Hart.
Jose Luis Rivera & S.D. Jones vs. Hart Foundation w/ Jimmy Hart
The fans are starting to respond to the Hart Foundation, instead of being silent as they have been. Bret backs away from S.D. as Jimmy agitates the fans at ringside with his megaphone. S.D. catches Bret with a dropkick then tags out as Rivera works the arm. Bret catches Rivera wth a knee then hits a backbreaker before tagging the Anvil then they put Rivera away with the Hart Attack (2:23).
Thoughts: Nice to see the Hart Foundation starting to get over a bit as a heel act but this match wasnt much and the jobbers were in control for most of the match.
Gene Okerlund is backstage with Hulk Hogan. He runs down a list of challengers for his belt such as Randy Savage, Terry Funk, Big John Studd, and King Kong Bundy. He then said he will give his opponents the "James Brown" treatment after he slams then down in the middle of the ring, whatever the fuck that means.
WWF Women's Championship Match
Judy Martin w/ Fabulous Moolah vs. Wendi Richter (Champion)
They roll around on the mat then Moolah grabs Richter by the hair. Martin then leads Ricchter around by the hair as the ref yells at Moolah. Martin drops Richter in a reverse Death Valley Driver for two. The crowd breaks out in a loud chant for Wendy as Martin tosses her out to the floor. Moolah kicks Richter as she is down. More hair pulling from Martin as he drags Richter back into the ring. Richter then hits a poor excuse of a crossbody block and a dropkick. She places Martin on the top then tosses her off. Both women are down then Richter leapfrogs Martin and takes her over with a rollup for the win as the crowd goes nuts (3:23). Moolah is irate at what happened.
Thoughts: Match was alright, mostly due to the fact that Martin was in control. She was a really good wrestler and very underrated as far as women wrestlers are concerned. Richter sucked in the ring but connected with the fans and they went nuts for her.
Okerlund is with Bob Orton. He asks him about his cast as Orton said he is the best wrestler in the world and does not need a weapon in the ring.
A plug for the WWF Calendar airs set to a generic 80's jazz solo.
Ron Shaw vs. Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat
Shaw roughs up Steamboat for a bit. Steamboat comes back with a dropkick after a dull Irish whip sequence then works the arm. He hits Shaw with a chop before putting him away with the flying body press (2:45).
Thoughts: The crowd went nuts for Steamboat. The match itself was really dull and Shaw looked gassed during the Irish whip sequence and never recovered. No mention of Steamboat's feud with Muraco and Fuji during the match.
Piper's Pit with guests Don Muraco and Mr. Fuji. This segments starts off with all of the heels gushing over each other. Piper also said it was "disgusting and distasteful" watching Steamboat use illegal kicks and chops and thinks it should be banned. Muraco calls Piper a genius for recognizing that Steamboat uses illegal martial arts then says that he has the sensei in his corner in Mr. Fuji and can counter anything Steamboat has to offer. Fuji challenges Steamboat to a martial arts match as Piper makes fun of Steamboat for wearing "Ballerina tights." Good segment that re-sparked the feud.
Mario Mancini vs. Randy "Macho Man" Savage w/ Miss Elizabeth
Vince gushes over Elizabeth and wonders what she sees in the Macho Man then Bruno lets us know that she is a tough negotiator. Savage catches Mancini with a clothesline then stuns Mancini's neck off of the ropes. He tosses Mancini outside and follows him out with a double axe handle then rolls him back inside and finishes him off with the flying elbow smash (1:10). After the win, Savage goes up top and hits Mancini with another elbow smash.
Thoughts: Really fun match. Savage looked awesome and went all out in this short match. He was getting over more and more each week and his elbow smash was probably the most impressive finishing move in the company at this time.
Joe Mirto & A.J. Petruzzi vs. British Bulldogs
Davey works on the arm of Petruzzi to start. He then hits a backdrop before tagging out. Dynamite knocks down Mirto with a shoulderblock. He catches him with an armdrag then a missile dropkick before tagging Davey. He gets two off of a slam then puts him in a chinlock. Dynamite nearly kills Mirto with a snap suplex then drops the leg before Petruzzi tags. Petruzzi then fights off a Boston Crab attempt but the Bulldogs take turns tossing him around before Mirto tags. Davey catches him with a running powerslam then Dynamite finishes him off with a flying headbutt after being launched by Davey for the win (4:43).
Thoughts: The announcers were really putting over the ability of the Bulldogs throughout the match. They looked impressive, even if Mirto couldnt take some of their offense. The crowd popped big for the finish.
Okerlund is with Jimmy Hart and the Hart Foundation. He asks them about the Killer Bees as the Anvil mockingly said he is scared of them and talks about how as a kid, he pulled apart the wings of bees and watched them drop, prompting Okerlund to call him a sick indiviual. Bret gets interviewed and promises that they are going to put them away and shows a little bit of personality for once. After they leave, Terry Funk joins the set and tells Okerlund that JYD is a "jackass and yells at Okerlund to shut up after he told him he couldnt say that word. They were referring to the entire Jimmy Hart stable as the "Hart Foundation" at this time.
Next week, Paul Orndorff & Killer Bees take on the Hart Foundation & Barry O. Also in action are Terry Funk, David Sammartino & Tito Santana, King Tonga, The Dream Team, and Cousin Junior & Uncle Elmer. Plus, Piper's Pit with Rick McGraw.
Final Thoughts: A really fun show with a lot of important segments. Hillbilly Jim made his in ring return and the Women's Championship was defended. Also, they furthered the Steamboat/Muraco feud and had some good in-ring action as well. There was really something for everyone here. At this time, the WWF started to develop a pretty damn good in-ring product too as well as a blossoming tag-team division. They also continue to decently plug the "Wrestling Classic" PPV.
Your hosts are Bruno Sammartino and Vince McMahon
Tonight, Wendi Richter will defend her Women's Championship against Judy Martin. Also in action are Ricky Steamboat, Randy Savage, British Bulldogs, Hart Foundation and the return of Hillbilly Jim.
Steve Lombardi vs. Hillbilly Jim w/ Uncle Elmer & Cousin Junior
This is Jim's long awaited in-ring return and the crowd is into the Hillbilly act in a big way. The pre-match dance last for a while. Jim shoves Lombardi through the ropes after they lockup. Lombardi charges but gets caught with a slam as Elmer rings his bell and Junior stands there looking mentally challenged. Jim sends Lombardi into the post after reversing an Irish whip. He knocks him down with a headbutt then catches Lombardi in a bearhug, who immediately submits (2:20). After the match, the Hillbillies dance some more in the ring as Vince goes mental screaming "GET DOWN CUZ" at Junior during his wacky dance.
Thoughts: As goofy as the Hillbilly bullshit was, it was extremely over here. Vince was putting over Jim big time too and his new theme song, "Don't Go Messin' with a Country Boy." Vince was really trying to get over the theme music on commentary when the "Wrestling Album" came out.
WWF Update with Lord Alfred Hayes. This is about the "Wrestling Album" as we see clips of wrestlers singing their songs, such as Hillbilly Jim and Jimmy Hart.
Jose Luis Rivera & S.D. Jones vs. Hart Foundation w/ Jimmy Hart
The fans are starting to respond to the Hart Foundation, instead of being silent as they have been. Bret backs away from S.D. as Jimmy agitates the fans at ringside with his megaphone. S.D. catches Bret with a dropkick then tags out as Rivera works the arm. Bret catches Rivera wth a knee then hits a backbreaker before tagging the Anvil then they put Rivera away with the Hart Attack (2:23).
Thoughts: Nice to see the Hart Foundation starting to get over a bit as a heel act but this match wasnt much and the jobbers were in control for most of the match.
Gene Okerlund is backstage with Hulk Hogan. He runs down a list of challengers for his belt such as Randy Savage, Terry Funk, Big John Studd, and King Kong Bundy. He then said he will give his opponents the "James Brown" treatment after he slams then down in the middle of the ring, whatever the fuck that means.
WWF Women's Championship Match
Judy Martin w/ Fabulous Moolah vs. Wendi Richter (Champion)
They roll around on the mat then Moolah grabs Richter by the hair. Martin then leads Ricchter around by the hair as the ref yells at Moolah. Martin drops Richter in a reverse Death Valley Driver for two. The crowd breaks out in a loud chant for Wendy as Martin tosses her out to the floor. Moolah kicks Richter as she is down. More hair pulling from Martin as he drags Richter back into the ring. Richter then hits a poor excuse of a crossbody block and a dropkick. She places Martin on the top then tosses her off. Both women are down then Richter leapfrogs Martin and takes her over with a rollup for the win as the crowd goes nuts (3:23). Moolah is irate at what happened.
Thoughts: Match was alright, mostly due to the fact that Martin was in control. She was a really good wrestler and very underrated as far as women wrestlers are concerned. Richter sucked in the ring but connected with the fans and they went nuts for her.
Okerlund is with Bob Orton. He asks him about his cast as Orton said he is the best wrestler in the world and does not need a weapon in the ring.
A plug for the WWF Calendar airs set to a generic 80's jazz solo.
Ron Shaw vs. Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat
Shaw roughs up Steamboat for a bit. Steamboat comes back with a dropkick after a dull Irish whip sequence then works the arm. He hits Shaw with a chop before putting him away with the flying body press (2:45).
Thoughts: The crowd went nuts for Steamboat. The match itself was really dull and Shaw looked gassed during the Irish whip sequence and never recovered. No mention of Steamboat's feud with Muraco and Fuji during the match.
Piper's Pit with guests Don Muraco and Mr. Fuji. This segments starts off with all of the heels gushing over each other. Piper also said it was "disgusting and distasteful" watching Steamboat use illegal kicks and chops and thinks it should be banned. Muraco calls Piper a genius for recognizing that Steamboat uses illegal martial arts then says that he has the sensei in his corner in Mr. Fuji and can counter anything Steamboat has to offer. Fuji challenges Steamboat to a martial arts match as Piper makes fun of Steamboat for wearing "Ballerina tights." Good segment that re-sparked the feud.
Mario Mancini vs. Randy "Macho Man" Savage w/ Miss Elizabeth
Vince gushes over Elizabeth and wonders what she sees in the Macho Man then Bruno lets us know that she is a tough negotiator. Savage catches Mancini with a clothesline then stuns Mancini's neck off of the ropes. He tosses Mancini outside and follows him out with a double axe handle then rolls him back inside and finishes him off with the flying elbow smash (1:10). After the win, Savage goes up top and hits Mancini with another elbow smash.
Thoughts: Really fun match. Savage looked awesome and went all out in this short match. He was getting over more and more each week and his elbow smash was probably the most impressive finishing move in the company at this time.
Joe Mirto & A.J. Petruzzi vs. British Bulldogs
Davey works on the arm of Petruzzi to start. He then hits a backdrop before tagging out. Dynamite knocks down Mirto with a shoulderblock. He catches him with an armdrag then a missile dropkick before tagging Davey. He gets two off of a slam then puts him in a chinlock. Dynamite nearly kills Mirto with a snap suplex then drops the leg before Petruzzi tags. Petruzzi then fights off a Boston Crab attempt but the Bulldogs take turns tossing him around before Mirto tags. Davey catches him with a running powerslam then Dynamite finishes him off with a flying headbutt after being launched by Davey for the win (4:43).
Thoughts: The announcers were really putting over the ability of the Bulldogs throughout the match. They looked impressive, even if Mirto couldnt take some of their offense. The crowd popped big for the finish.
Okerlund is with Jimmy Hart and the Hart Foundation. He asks them about the Killer Bees as the Anvil mockingly said he is scared of them and talks about how as a kid, he pulled apart the wings of bees and watched them drop, prompting Okerlund to call him a sick indiviual. Bret gets interviewed and promises that they are going to put them away and shows a little bit of personality for once. After they leave, Terry Funk joins the set and tells Okerlund that JYD is a "jackass and yells at Okerlund to shut up after he told him he couldnt say that word. They were referring to the entire Jimmy Hart stable as the "Hart Foundation" at this time.
Next week, Paul Orndorff & Killer Bees take on the Hart Foundation & Barry O. Also in action are Terry Funk, David Sammartino & Tito Santana, King Tonga, The Dream Team, and Cousin Junior & Uncle Elmer. Plus, Piper's Pit with Rick McGraw.
Final Thoughts: A really fun show with a lot of important segments. Hillbilly Jim made his in ring return and the Women's Championship was defended. Also, they furthered the Steamboat/Muraco feud and had some good in-ring action as well. There was really something for everyone here. At this time, the WWF started to develop a pretty damn good in-ring product too as well as a blossoming tag-team division. They also continue to decently plug the "Wrestling Classic" PPV.
Needed some Tito.
ReplyDeletehttp://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FSh2s_lmthI
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTUT0PxVLyM
ReplyDeleteNot enough SWERVEZ~!
ReplyDeleteNo Hillbilly Jim.
ReplyDeletewe need to have scary bees, provide by the divas
ReplyDeleteboo-bees
Then Triple H will come out and cancel the match because Sting has always been a "Bee Plus Superstar."
ReplyDeleteTo this day, I don't understand why WWE didn't include the Piper's Pit where Roddy interviewed himself, on his DVD. Too much awesome for one DVD, perhaps?
ReplyDeleteHIYO!
ReplyDeleteOf course you don't give him such a silly name as "Sting!" You give him a new, WWE Creative Seal of Approval name. Like Rufus Albuquerque.
ReplyDeleteThen you send him to NXT for two years of learning WWE Style©.
Where the fuck do you find these people?
ReplyDeleteIncredibly, a Koko B Ware joke is still in play. Go for it, people!
ReplyDeleteThen he's kidnapped by The Wyatt Family, and returns as Baatista.
ReplyDeleteWill you BEE serious!?
ReplyDeleteIt says "bee" and there's a picture of a bee on it!
ReplyDeleteHe is a master of all stinging creatures.
ReplyDeleteNot really. I still remember the awesome period of Smackdown '09 (heel Punk, Jeff Hardy, Edge, Jericho, Rey Jr, Ziggler, Morrison tearing it up every week) coming to a very sudden and emphatic end when Undertaker returned and a few weeks later Teddy Long got into his limo, which promptly filled with purple smoke. The limo's partition window rolled down, revealing Undertaker behind the wheel. He turns and growls: "Buckle up, Teddy!"
ReplyDeleteMy housemate and I howled with laughter. Then stopped watching. Haven't seen Smackdown since.
Rubbish. But lights go out and spotlights reveals Crow Sting in the rafters might make for a moment.
ReplyDeleteNah, the choo-choo-choose element will herald the return of A-Train. All aboard!
ReplyDelete"I think WWE needs to move FORWARD with Sting's character, not just play off nostalgia."
ReplyDeleteThey should take this approach to the entire company.
Threadjack: Wade Keller (whose sources are dubious, but he's been around forever) says the WWE has some serious heat with Orton over him being disgruntled backstage lately and there's a good chance he jobs the belt at EC as punishment for his shitty attitude lately.
ReplyDeleteWonder if he realized how awful he's been booked to look? Or maybe they're pissed that Orton's brain manually reboots any time the crowd does something he isn't expecting.
Everything from 1978-1990 is better with Tito Santana.
ReplyDelete"going on wikipedia and researching bees"
ReplyDeleteYou win the Interwebs.
You win
ReplyDeleteWill a streak of honey bee on the line?
ReplyDeleteQuite ignorant from someone with a picture of Superbrawl III and named WWF1987. A lot of the "no good hacks" WCW pushed at the end were players in WWE in the 2000s.
ReplyDeleteIt's on this DVD:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.amazon.com/WWE-Legends-Wrestling-Roddy-Piper/dp/B001QVHMO4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1391826784&sr=8-1&keywords=Roddy+Piper+Terry+Funk
And yes, its every bit as awesome as you say it is.
So Bobby Roode, WWE champion is in play? Or James Storm, WWE Champion?
ReplyDeleteHe's right in one way, TNA has NEVER had the public's eye on it like WCW did in 96-98. On it's BEST day, TNA's ratings still don't match WCW (or WWF, even) on their WORST day.
Were (and still are, some would argue) they a fun wrestling organization to watch? Absolutely. Were they "critically" successful? Yeah, they have been at times. I was happily calling Impact the best and fastest two hours in wrestling just a year ago.
But, they've never had the kind of success that translates into major dollars, or any sustained "success"... and that's despite the efforts (some would say it's because of those efforts) of quite a few huge names in the industry.
And the problem is that their best talents are either in their primes, or past them... they do not have a deep "bench" of up and comers. Then again, I could argue the same is true of WWE, even with their greater resources.
Sir, who is your dealer, so I may contact him for whatever you're on.
ReplyDeleteOoh -- Rick McGraw on the pit. As I recall, this led to a really nasty match (nasty in a good way).
ReplyDelete