Sage Cortez
It has been a while since I’ve written an article reviewing assorted WWF matches, but it’s time once again to do so! The WWF is getting hotter and hotter, and in my opinion still hasn’t reached the heights that it did over time. That’s a good thing for me, as I get to watch through all of it. I also should mention since I haven’t done so in some time, that the WWF’s TV taping schedule, and where they are at, has still not changed.
– Taped to Air November 2nd, 1985, on Championship Wrestling from Poughkeepsie, New York
“Rowdy” Roddy Piper vs. Rick McGraw
Pre-Match Thoughts: McGraw wore Piper’s shirt to the ring due to a mini-angle they ran the week before. McGraw was on Piper’s Pit, and challenged Piper to a match. It turned out that this match aired the day after McGraw died. Not a good look for the WWF. Bret Hart says that McGraw had been taking downers, and would pass out every night. Unfortunately, this is the first of many deaths I will have something to say about, and that’s quite sad. As for the match…
Match Review: McGraw throws Piper’s merchandise back at him, so Piper appears to spit at him. Piper has also been walking around the ring, getting some heat for not getting right in there. Vince McMahon hypes The Wrestling Classic, as McGraw attacks Piper upon his entering the ring. He gives Piper a hip-toss, but Piper clocks him in the face and starts screaming while kicking the shit out of him. McGraw takes a spill over the top rope, and gets rammed hard into the steel guardrail. Piper does his eyepoke spot, the crowd gets mad, then Piper does a back suplex. Piper and McGraw trade punches, until Piper rams his head into the mat and gives McGraw a DDT. Piper then gives McGraw a swinging neckbreaker, and a suplex. After another DDT, the referee stops the match due to TKO, and Piper gets the victory at 3:52.
McGraw does a stretcher job afterward, but that isn’t shown on my clip.
My Thoughts: This wasn’t really a squash, and I liked it way more than I should have. *3/4. Sad that McGraw died, though.
– Taped to Air November 9th, 1985, on Championship Wrestling
Rusty Brooks vs. Hulk Hogan (WWF Champion)
Match Review: Hogan squash matches on TV are quite rare! Clearly there is a reason for this! Hogan points at that JABRONI, and OH SHIT THERE’S THE MACHO MAN. What is the meaning of this silliness? Elizabeth gets on the microphone and says…”why don’t you wrestle anybody with credentials?” Oh shit, she’s HEELING. Brooks attacks Hogan, gets punched three times. Gets clotheslined, and Hogan scoop slams him. THEN HE DROPS THE LEG BROTHER, it’s over after 36 seconds.
SAVAGE flies in by jumping off the top rope with a double axehandle, and beats up Hogan a little, but Hogan fights back and knocks him over the top rope as the crowd is going crazy.
My Thoughts: This was a funny little inclusion that set up Savage and Hogan’s house show series. I will only be reviewing their gimmick matches, or something in particular that catches the eye.
– November 10th, 1985, from Toronto, Ontario
Andre The Giant & Hillbilly Jim vs. King Kong Bundy & Big John Studd
Pre-Match Thoughts: It’s a little strange to review a match with these slugs, I know. However, this is a feud that has been going on in some fashion for some time. In September, after Andre had a match with Bundy, Andre was attacked by Big John Studd. In October, this tag match first happened, and ended with everybody brawling in the ring.
Match Review: Jim and Bundy are in the ring as this is joined in progress, and Jim misses a charge to the corner. Bundy misses an elbow drop, and Jim responds by kicking him right next to the nads. Studd tags in, the two HOSSES square off, and Jim gives Studd a headbutt. Andre tags in, and punches Studd a few times. Andre turns around to look at Bundy, and Studd attacks him. In comes Bundy to beat up the giant, which he and Studd do until Andre gives Studd a big boot. Andre chases Studd to the outside, and Bundy hooks him in the ropes. Then Studd grabs a table, and HITS ANDRE IN THE HEAD WITH IT. Andre falls to the concrete floor, and looks to be down for the count. The referee has decided to disqualify Studd and Bundy at about 6:05 (JIP).
Jim is also laid out at ringside, but he wakes up, and Andre sells this table shot as a DEATH MOVE. He goes out on a STRETCHER. Doubt that happened very often.
My Thoughts: Not a good match, but that was an interesting post-match. 1/2* and it sucks that fans had to go home after that, because that’s quite a downer. I thought that the stretcher job would be cooler, but it was so realistic that it wasn’t. Anyway, moving on…
– November 25th, 1985, from New York City, New York
Spider Lady vs. Wendi Richter for the WWF Women’s Championship
Match Review: Gorilla ruined the surprise 5 seconds into my video. Why do wrestling announcers always do that? Spider Lady is pretty much wearing a gimp mask. Richter kicks her down, and they do the women sandwich the referee spot that I thought became more commonplace in the future. Richter tosses her out of the ring, follows Spider to the outside, and they fight. Richter chases her around ringside, Spider gets into the ring first, and gets beaten up even more. Richter puts on a leg-lock, and works over that left leg quite a lot. A stepover toe-hold follows, and Spider reverses it into a half-crab looking hold. Spider then chokes Richter, and Richter tries to pull off Spider’s mask, but that isn’t happening. Richter spills to the outside, and comes back in with a dropkick. She hair-tosses Spider, botches an awful flying-headscissors attempt, and Spider pins her for 2. Spider rams Richter into the top turnbuckle, and pins her for a 1 count. Gotta come up with something better. Richter drives Spider back into the ropes, and hits her with a clothesline. Gets a 2 count. Spider cradles Richter, and the referee counts 3 despite Richter’s kicking out at 6:38.
Why, whatever is going on here? Richter runs over to attack Spider, and pulls off her mask to reveal that Spider Lady is in fact The Fabulous Moolah. Richter gives Moolah a backbreaker, with Moolah not being too keen on cooperating. Richter covers Moolah, but the referee tells her to get off., because the match is over. Moolah takes her chance to walk across the ring with her hands held high, takes the title belt, and then Richter attacks her. This is funny as hell. Richter rips the belt out of the referee’s hands, but Moolah is crowned the new champion. Richter hits Moolah with the belt, cracks her in the head with it, and whips her on the ass until Moolah walks out of the ring. Haha.
My Thoughts: Well, this was quite the interesting screwjob. The backstory here is that there was some sort of contract dispute between Vince and Richter, and I assume this was Vince’s idea to get the belt off Richter without her taking it somewhere else. I’m sure that would have embarrassed him. The match sucked, but everything after the match was amusing in its own way. DUD. It’s safe to say that while in some ways Richter was a trail blazer for female wrestlers, her work in the ring wasn’t good.
Ricky Steamboat vs. Don Muraco (w/Mr. Fuji)
Pre-Match Thoughts: This feud is really picking up, and this seems to be the longest match of the bunch from this year. Therefore…review time. Have been looking forward to this match, too.
Match Review: Steamboat backs Muraco into a corner, but he’s such a good guy that he wouldn’t dare do anything dirty and hit him. Steamboat does an enziguri after a few leapfrogs, chases Muraco around the ring, and the crowd liked that. So they’re back in, and Muraco pushes Steamboat to the corner. He is a dirty fighter, and beats him up on that corner. Steamboat fights back, and gives Muraco a neck snap. Muraco takes a powder after that. Upon his re-entry to the ring, he wants to do a test of strength, but Steamboat kicks him. Steamboat puts a head vice on Muraco and that lasts for some time. Muraco gets chopped in the gut, then in the face, and heads to the outside to regroup again. Steamboat gives Muraco a backdrop, and two armdrags, then a drop toe-hold. Steamboat puts Muraco in a chinlock, and I am a bit surprised about the slow pace of this match. Steamboat chops Muraco in the head, and puts on a front face-lock. Steamboat works the hold, and I’d expect nothing less from him. Muraco gives Steamboat an inverted atomic drop, and a clothesline. Finally! Another clothesline follows, and so do a few chops. Then Muraco decides that he wants to pick Steamboat up, and ram him head first into the ring post. Steamboat is busted open very badly, so Muraco digs his thumb into the wound. Dirty! Muraco throws Steamboat out of the ring, and catapults him into the ring post once again. Steamboat is so good at turning towards the camera in a way that his bleeding will surely be put on display. Muraco then puts him into the ring post for a third time! Muraco slingshots Steamboat into the ring, and heads to the second rope, which he comes off of with the FLYING FIST. Steamboat tries to lay in some chops, and they’re really fucking hard. The comeback is on, but Muraco shoots Steamboat into the turnbuckle and clotheslines him. Muraco tosses Steamboat out of the ring again, and Fuji tries for a cane shot, but Steamboat grabs the cane and struggles over with Muraco. It looks like Muraco will get the cane, but Steamboat kicks Muraco, the referee, and the cane down, but Muraco gets it and tries to destroy Steamboat with the cane. He misses, Steamboat enziguris him, and the crowd goes insane. Then Steamboat grabs the cane, AND BREAKS IT OVER MURACO’S BODY. The referee sees that and disqualifies Steamboat at 16:37, but that doesn’t matter, BECAUSE HE HAS NINJA STICKS BROTHER. He jabs one into Muraco’s forehead, busting him WIDE OPEN, and the crowd loves it. That’s one of the most heelish things I’ve ever seen Steamboat do! These two are fighting and rolling around the ring, rolling to the outside, and beating the crap out of each other. Steamboat gets the better of it, and gives Muraco what he deserves, ramming him into the ring post! Into the barricade Muraco goes, and Steamboat is pointing at Fuji now. If only! Steamboat slingshots Muraco into the ring, and beats him up even more! He hits Muraco with a flying chop, Muraco begs for mercy, and leaves.
My Thoughts: This wasn’t the best match, it was far surpassed by the post match activity which they were clearly saving energy for. The psychology was good, and technically the post-match does count as part of the match, because that’s when it all started. So, **1/2 for this. This is a really good feud despite the match quality not being that high, and further cements my belief that the booking team in this period’s WWF knew how to book Steamboat better than anyone else on the roster.
– December 7th, 1985, from Boston, Massachusetts
Ricky Steamboat vs. Randy Savage (w/Elizabeth)
Pre-Match Thoughts: Nice to get one of their matches before both have gotten comfortable as WWF wrestlers and hit their groove. Hopefully it will be good. Gorilla and Jesse are on commentary, and this is on WWE’s Savage DVD, which there desperately needs to be another volume of. Preferably with a documentary.
Match Review: Savage does his hide behind Elizabeth thing as a pretext to attack Steamboat, but Steamboat replies by throwing him into the turnbuckle and subsequently out of the ring. Steamboat slams Savage’s arm into the ring post, brings him back in, and takes him down while working over the left arm. Steamboat has it in an armbar. He picks Savage up in the air by the arm, tosses him down, and Savage tries to leave the ring. Unfortunately for Savage, he gets pulled back in. Steamboat shoulderblocks Savage for a 2 count, and gives him a great armdrag. Savage pulls Steamboat’s hair to break the hold, and heads outside the ring to recuperate. Steamboat chases Savage around the ring, but they get back into the ring and Steamboat gives him a flying hammerlock. Don’t see that move often anymore, and not that often then either. The two wrestlers do a criss-cross, and Savage takes that opportunity to finally get the rest he wanted. Steamboat follows him though, and Steamboat armdrags Savage once AGAIN when they get back in the ring. Savage gets up and tosses Steamboat out of the ring, but Steamboat skins the cat, and Savage clocks him to knock him back to the outside. Savage follows Steamboat with a double axehandle from the top turnbuckle, that’s quite the jump. Savage then sneaks around the ring, attacks Steamboat from behind, and knocks him over the guardrail into the crowd! Savage slingshots Steamboat back into the ring, and heads up to the second rope, coming off that turnbuckle with an elbow. Savage covers for 2, gets chopped by Steamboat, and reverses a bodyslam into another cover for 2. Savage goes up top for the FLYING ELBOW, but misses! Steamboat chops away as usual, but Savage rakes the eyes. Steamboat counter Savage by ramming him into the top turnbuckle, and Savage goes for a back suplex, which gets reversed by Steamboat into an atomic drop. Steamboat goes up top now, and Savage slams him down! Doesn’t that usually happen to heels. Savage slams Steamboat again, and heads up top again, but Steamboat stands up and clocks him in the gut. Steamboat gives Savage a kneelift, then gives him a suplex. Cover got 2. Steamboat hits Savage with a karate kick for 2, and chops him in the chest quite a bit. Savage takes a spill to the ring apron, and Steamboat tries to do something, but the referee pulls him away from the ropes. Savage digs for something in his tights, which he soon finds. Steamboat goes back to the ropes, goes for a back suplex, and Savage hits him with brass knuckles for the 3 count at 11:15! Repeat of the finish from The Wrestling Classic, and the precursor to another match which will remain unmentioned for now.
My Thoughts: I find the repeat finishes a bit business exposing, but it was a pretty good match otherwise. At the same time, it was Savage heading to the outside on his own, so maybe it isn’t that business exposing. In any case, this was a good match, nothing compared to their later extravaganza, but a good match. ***1/4 for a lot of action.
Bruno Sammartino vs. Roddy Piper
Pre-Match Thoughts: It is a bit strange that they would run this as the month’s main event in Boston as opposed to New York. Maybe they didn’t like Bruno’s last Garden effort or something, I don’t know. It would have sold out easily. Savage vs. Hogan in MSG sold out too, so I suppose it doesn’t matter.
Match Review: Piper attacked Bruno before the introduction, and lost a punchout with the former champion. And what the hell, Bruno gets some boos for the pleasure. He rams Piper into the ring post, into a chair, and Piper is leaking blood. Bruno rams Piper into the turnbuckle, boots him in the cut, and poses for the crowd. Bruno works Piper over in the corner, pushes the referee out of the way and apologizes, but Piper hits him in the nuts while the referee isn’t looking. Ha. Piper gets a 2 count, rakes Bruno’s eyes, and knocks him out of the ring with a big right hand. Piper rams Bruno into the guardrail, gives the referee the finger, and goes after Bruno, only to be kicked away. Bruno knocks Piper out of the ring now, and chases him so that he can’t make it to the locker room. Bruno throws him back in the ring, gets punched, chases Piper, brawls with him, throws him back in the ring again, etc. Unfortunately Bruno pulls down Piper’s trunks and we get a glimpse of Piper’s ass. Piper gets some control, and hits Bruno in the back with a few double axehandles. Bruno swings at Piper, but Bob Orton runs into the ring, bringing a disqualification upon Piper at 5:05.
Sammartino tries to rip off Orton’s cast, and throws him over the top rope. Then he punches Piper, and drives his head into the mat repeatedly, but Orton finally catches up to old Bruno and clocks him in the head with his cast. Oh no! Orton and Piper tie Bruno up in the ropes, give him a beatdown, and leave.
My Thoughts: This was a fun kick-punch match, but I don’t think there were any wrestling moves involved. Still, a good way to spend 7-8 minutes or so. **. The upcoming cage match between the two may be interesting.
The Killer Bees vs. The Dream Team for the WWF Tag Team Championships
Pre-Match Thoughts: It cannot be understated how much I dislike the Killer Bees ring attire. Fortunately Beefcake doesn’t wear that cut up stuff at this time, because I don’t like that either. Blair and Brunzell are really hard to tell apart, to be quite honest. One has curly hair and one doesn’t, but that doesn’t always register with me during a quickly paced match. First of two tag title matches here!
Match Review: Valentine pushes Blair into the corner, and gives him a drop toe-hold leading into a hammerlock. Blair reverses into a fireman’s carry, breaks a head-scissors, and we’re back to square one. Blair gives Valentine a powerslam, Beefcake runs in to eat a slam, and Blair atomic drops Valentine into Beefcake, so they collide and both head out of the ring to regroup. Back in, and Blair gives Valentine a back suplex, which gets a 2 count. Killer Bees give Valentine a double back elbow, also gets 2. I don’t think the crowd buys a possible title change, but that means the Bees have to work harder to get them into it, and I’m all for that. Brunzell works over Valentine’s legs, Blair tags back in and does the same, and he gives Valentine a FIGURE-FOUR. Beefcake runs in to break the hold, Valentine knees Blair in the face, and Valentine tags in. Beefcake takes Blair down, and stomps on him. Into the ropes, and Beefcake gives Blair a back elbow. He chokes Blair, then pins him, but just gets a 2 count. Beefcake slams Blair, tags in Valentine, and Valentine gives Blair a FLYING FIST. Valentine does his wind-up falling chop thing, which gets a 1 count to his disappointment. Beefcake and Valentine exchange tags, during which they both slam Blair into the turnbuckle. Cover gets 1. Valentine throws Blair over the top rope, and stooge so that Brunzell doesn’t go to help his partner. Valentine goes to the second rope, and hits Blair with a big elbow. Falls on top for a two count. Blair tries a slam, but Valentine falls on top again for two. Valentine gives Blair a gutbuster, and tags in Beefcake. As we know, Beefcake is an idiot, so Blair kicks him in the chest and finally makes the tag to his partner.
Brunzell comes into the ring, rams Beefcake into the turnbuckle, gives the champions a noggin knocker, and kicks Beefcake down low. He gives Beefcake a great dropkick, but that only gets a 2 count. Blair runs in to attack Valentine, Brunzell puts a sleeper on Beefcake, but while the referee is chasing Blair out of the ring, Valentine comes off the second rope with a double axehandle to Brunzell’s head. Beefcake falls on top for the cover, and the victory for the champions at 9:48.
My Thoughts: Very 80’s finish, there. Perfectly acceptable tag team wrestling, and a good way to get familiar with both teams if you currently are not. Google the match and I’m sure you’ll find it. **1/4.
– December 17th, 1985, from Poughkeepsie, New York
The Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff (w/Freddie Blassie) vs. The Dream Team (w/Johnny V) for the WWF Tag Team Championships
Pre-Match Thoughts: This was taped specifically for Coliseum video, and is one of the stranger matchups I can remember. Both teams are heels, so I am wondering if the crowd will default to cheering the Americans or not. Or if the champions will wrestle as babyfaces. Former champions getting a title shot!
Match Review: Sheik drives Valentine to the corner, but gets hip-tossed by the Hammer. Valentine bodyslams Sheik, then Sheik walks over to the wrong corner to get beaten up. Beefcake tags in and grabs Sheik’s arm, and wrenches it to his best. Sheik boots Beefcake in the gut, tries for another one, and Beefcake is obviously playing babyface here. What the fuck. He gives Sheik an atomic drop, but gets driven to the challengers corner and Volkoff tags in. The Soviet punches Beefcake, and puts him in a headlock. Volkoff throws Beefcake into the corner, but misses a charge and Valentine tags in to the fans delight. What is going on here? Valentine gives Volkoff a back elbow, but telegraphs a backdrop and gets kicked. Sheik tags in, and chops Valentine in the throat for a 2 count. Sheik puts Valentine in a poor abdominal stretch, the crowd chants for Valentine to break the hold, which he does with a hip-toss. Valentine misses an elbow drop, and Sheik then hits him with a dropkick. That’s weird. Volkoff tags in, and summarily gets elbowed in the back of the head. Beefcake tags in and the crowd likes it, and he does a hilarious looking house of fire segment. Beefccake attacks Volkoff the most, and tries to give him a splash from the second turnbuckle, which misses. Volkoff puts Beefcake into a bearhug, and the crowd chants U-S-A. Sheik tags in, and gives Beefcake a gutwrench suplex. Sheik puts Beefcake in the CAMEL CLUTCH, and heel Valentine makes an appearance by clubbing Sheik in the back. Valentine tags in, and gives Sheik a suplex. He calls for the FIGURE-FOUR, the crowd is into it, but Volkoff kicks him in the head. Both teams brawl in the ring now, and the referee rings for a double disqualification at 7:30.
My Thoughts: That was certainly interesting. Heel matches are an interesting situation in that fans don’t often know who to cheer, but in those days, the heels who spoke English usually got the babyface reaction. It was interesting seeing Valentine in the role. *3/4, it was acceptable, but nowhere near as good a match as both teams could have.
There are admittedly a few omissions. Deliberate, of course. First was the debut of Hercules Hernandez. I didn’t see the point of showcasing a squash match for him, given that his managerial situation and the like would change so much. Second was a Terry Funk vs. Hulk Hogan match that I really like, but I’m reviewing Saturday Night’s Main Event #4 next, and there’s a match between the two on there that is of similar length. All in all, I’d have to say that this outing was a little disappointing. The TV angles are pretty much non-existent. I suppose it was the lull before the storm of WrestleMania buildup.
Best: Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat. That shouldn’t be a surprise.
Worst: Moolah vs. Richter. Terrible match, poor title change, and all of that.
