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WWF: Hulkamania era (1984-`1992)

Cackling Co Pilot Kamala

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Even if it would've been exciting in the short term, I can't imagine Hawk & Animal in WWF if they had jumped in the mid '80s.

Just the idea of those two being in the same locker room as the British Bulldogs is enough to send a shiver down my spine.
I don't know that the business could've supported that model at the time. PPV still wasn't as widely available as it would be and I don't see that price point sticking because of it, especially if you're still running SNME at the same time. Those shows would also put a big dent in the home video market, I think.
My answer was more as to whether they could have done it rather than whether they should have done it. I feel like there was a similar discussion a month or so back but I don't think PPV was easily available for the entire country until not long before the monthly PPV era started and I don't they became easily accessible (IE you could purchase them at home) until the late '90s/early '00s. I know my dad had to go down to the local cable operator to order Survivor Series '96 for me and my brother.
 

Valeyard

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Armand was so much the lesser Rougeau. The Mike Von Erich of the group.
 

BruiserBrody

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[quote author=BRODY link=topic=7317.msg606823#msg6
RE: The bi-monthly PPVs.
The WWF business was actually a little soft by the fall of 85. The Mania hype had subsided, Cyndi Lauper was done after a random Puerto Rico house show/Plus Richter getting screwed. Gossip rags were listing the WWF on their "Out" side of what's in and what's out.
WM 2 may have not made a profit, depending on if you buy Meltz math.
The Orndorff turn fired up business, which lead right into Kamala breaking records too vs Hogan, Andre was the big dragon to slay and then Hogan had a run with Race but according to the sheets at the time, by mid to late summer into fall business was again getting soft. (Summer lull?)
Post Mania 3 the fans didn't come out for more Savage/Steamboat matches, plus Piper was gone, JYD was gone, Jake was out. Etc.
There was still highs like Hogan/Andre's NBC match (26 million people viewing sounds crazy, but supposedly it was considered a disappointment by NBC. )
You can see a lot of business in 88 being only "ok" and stuff like Andre/Duggan's MSG main event failed to draw.
By the time you get to Hogan vs Warrior in 1990, a match that was as epic as could be for a kid watching at home...but it didn't do nearly the PPV buys as was hoped.
There was good potential in 86 if Hogan works Terry Funk, then maybe a Texas Death rematch with a tag match blowoff w/JYD making SNME or something. That would fill in the first half of the year until the Orndorff turn.
They would have to resist the temptation to book Hogan vs Savage even more than they did IRL. After a loop in later 85 and early 86, it was decided to put the match on the back burner until they could build it up to really make some cash. Pushing it back 3 1/2 years is pretty impressive patience.
Another factor in the 1986 PPV booking was that Hogan had a bum knee. I'd have to check the exact date, but the WON spoke of Terry Funk possibly getting the title for a bit while Hogan went to get his knee done. Hogan decided to work through it, and not so coincidentally, that is where his workrate started to decline into paint by numbers Hogan.
 

Cackling Co Pilot Kamala

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RE: The bi-monthly PPVs.
The WWF business was actually a little soft by the fall of 85.
Listening to OVP's weekly recaps of WWF Championship Wrestling from 1982 through 1985, it really is interesting to hear the ebbs and flows of the national expansion in real time. Narrative is always "Hogan won the World Title from the Sheik then a year later WrestleMania I happened and WWF became this staggeringly dominant sports entertainment monolith." but that's not quite the case. There were times even in late '80s where it felt like a rag tag operation. I really didn't think WWF fully resembled the modern WWE until '89/'90.

Something like Tuesday Night Titans, which is used as example of WWF ruining wrestling by making it a slick more palatable to the mainstream product really just seems a well budgeted, public access series.
 
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Valeyard

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Maybe short, cheap ppvs of just compilations would work. If it's 1988, run a super clipped and condensed 90 minute version of the first Wrestlemania. Maybe more goofy shit like that No Holds Barred ppv where it's just silliness until an exclusive match.
 

BruiserBrody

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[quote author=BRODY link=topic=7317.msg606823#msg6

I was originally amused that former number one contender to Bob Backlund's world title, Iron Mike Sharpe made a list of up and comers, but then I saw 2 names I'm not familiar with and will have to head over to the result sites to investigate.

- Jim Young. Before I enlarged it I thought this was Tom McGee with a stache.

- Gino Carabella appears to be off spec Ted Dibiase.
 

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That article was in the first issue of WWF magazine that I ever got off the stands. Gino Carabello was his name; I don't know why the magazine misspelled it as Carabella. He did semi-regular job duty on weekend morning TV between 1984-89, although I want to say that I saw him lose matches earlier than that.

According to Wrestlingdata, Gino defeated Jim Powers...and nobody else.
 

HarleyQuinn

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When did the "unbuckle the turnbuckle to win"/"show you're a heel" really start appearing in the WWF? I feel like there had to be many instances in the 1980s but the October '92 SNME between Shawn and DBS was one of the first times I legit recalled seeing it as a young fan.

 

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That's the first big one that I remember. Up to a few years before that, in WWF anyway, top turnbuckle removal was a babyface comedy spot.
 

BruiserBrody

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[quote author=BRODY link=topic=7317.msg606823#msg6
Just to postulate a bit on what bimonthly PPVs would look like in 1986, I edited the MSG offerings into their non jabroni offerings.


WWF @ New York City, NY - Madison Square Garden - January 27, 1986 (20,225; sell out)
Televised on the MSG Network - included Gorilla Monsoon & Jesse Ventura on commentary:
Prime Time Wrestling - 6/30/86: Paul Orndorff defeated Big John Studd (w/ Bobby Heenan) via disqualification at 5:26 when Heenan interfered as Orndorff attempted to bodyslam Studd; after the bout, Orndorff cleared Heenan from the ring
Randy Savage (w/ Miss Elizabeth) defeated WWF World Champion Hulk Hogan via count-out after Hogan hit the steel ring post shoulder-first at 8:33 when Elizabeth kept blocking Hogan from ramming Savage into the post; after the bout, Hogan put the challenger in a bearhug until officials and other wrestlers broke it up (Best of the WWF Vol. 7, Macho Man Randy Savage & Elizabeth)
Adrian Adonis (w/ Jimmy Hart) defeated the Junkyard Dog via disqualification at 3:20 after JYD pushed the referee and hit Adonis with Hart's megaphone
TNT - 3/28/86: WWF Tag Team Champions Greg Valentine & Brutus Beefcake (w/ Johnny V) defeated Davey Boy Smith & the Dynamite Kid (w/ Capt. Lou Albano) at 7:46 when Beefcake pinned Dynamite after Johnny V reversed Dynamite's pin attempt, putting Beefcake on top for the win

WWF @ New York City, NY - Madison Square Garden - February 17, 1986 (20,225; sell out)
Televised on the MSG Network - included Gorilla Monsoon & Lord Alfred Hayes on commentary:
Prime Time Wrestling - 3/3/86: Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart (w/ Jimmy Hart) fought B. Brian Blair & Jim Brunzell to a time-limit draw at 18:48 as Brunzell covered Hart following a dropkick (Best of the WWF Vol. 8, The Bret Hart Story: The Best There Is, Was, and Ever Will Be)
Ricky Steamboat (w/ King Tonga) pinned Don Muraco (w/ Mr. Fuji) in a martial arts match at 12:47 after Tonga reversed Muraco's small package as Fuji tended to the referee who had been knocked out moments earlier; prior to the match, Steamboat went backstage and came back with Tonga after Fuji refused to leave ringside; after the bout, Muraco attacked Tonga and dropped him with the tombstone
Adrian Adonis (w/ Jimmy Hart) defeated George Steele (w/ Capt. Lou Albano) via disqualification at 4:04 after Steele used Hart's megaphone as a weapon
Prime Time Wrestling - 6/30/86: The Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff (w/ Freddie Blassie) defeated Cpl. Kirchner & Dan Spivey at 9:41 when Sheik pinned Kirchner with a boot to the sternum
WWF World Champion Hulk Hogan pinned WWF IC Champion Randy Savage in a lumberjack match at 7:36 after George Steele tripped Savage, allowing Hogan to hit the legdrop for the win; other lumberjacks included: Lanny Poffo, Danny Spivey, Ricky Steamboat, King Tonga, Tony Atlas, the Iron Sheik, Nikolai Volkoff, Cpl. Kirchner, Les Thornton, Barry O, King Kong Bundy, Don Muraco, Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart; Hogan's ribs were heavily taped for the match following the attack he sustained on Saturday Night's Main Event from Bundy (Macho Man Randy Savage & Elizabeth)

WWF @ New York City, NY - Madison Square Garden - March 16, 1986 (matinee) (20,225; sell out)
Televised on the MSG Network - included Gorilla Monsoon & Jesse Ventura on commentary:
Prime Time Wrestling - 3/24/86: Dump Matsumoto & Bull Nakano defeated Linda Gonzalez & Velvet McIntyre when Matsumoto pinned Gonzalez at 10:02 with a diving headbutt
Prime Time Wrestling - 6/30/86: Pedro Morales defeated Bob Orton Jr. via disqualification at 9:19 after Orton hit a suplex from the apron so that Morales landed crotch-first across the top rope
Prime Time Wrestling - 3/24/86: Don Muraco (w/ Mr. Fuji) pinned King Tonga at 8:05 after using Fuji's cane behind the referee's back who was distracted by Fuji on the apron
Prime Time Wrestling - 3/24/86: Lioness Asuka & Chigusa Nagoya defeated Leilani Kai & Penny Mitchell at 7:05 when Nagoya pinned Mitchell with a flying bodypress off the top
Superstars of Wrestling - 4/5/86: King Kong Bundy (w/ Bobby Heenan) pinned Hillbilly Jim at 6:03 with a splash following the Avalanche
Prime Time Wrestling - 3/24/86: Ricky Steamboat pinned Mr. Fuji at 6:09 with a flying crossbody
Tito Santana defeated WWF IC Champion Randy Savage (w/ Miss Elizabeth) via disqualification at 9:28 when the champion grabbed the referee and threw him into Santana as the challenger had the figure-4 applied (Macho Man Randy Savage & Elizabeth)
Davey Boy Smith, the Dynamite Kid, & Capt. Lou Albano defeated Johnny V, WWF Tag Team Champions Brutus Beefcake & Greg Valentine at 13:09 when Dynamite pinned Beefcake, the illegal man, with a roll up as Beefcake pounded away at Albano in the corner (The British Bulldogs)

WWF @ New York City, NY - Madison Square Garden - April 22, 1986 (15,000)
Prime Time Wrestling - 8/4/86: WWF Tag Team Champion the Dynamite Kid pinned Brutus Beefcake (w/ Johnny V) at 11:18 by blocking a suplex into the ring and reversing it into a roll up; after the bout, Beefcake tied Dynamite upside down in the corner and pounded away at him until Davey Boy Smith made the save (The British Bulldogs)
WWF IC Champion Randy Savage (w/ Miss Elizabeth) pinned Tito Santana in a No DQ match at 12:16 with a roll over and using the tights for leverage; late in the bout, Savage knocked out the referee with a punch; after the contest, Santana cleared Savage from the ring (Macho Man Randy Savage & Elizabeth)
Prime Time Wrestling - 8/11/86: Greg Valentine (w/ Johnny V) pinned WWF Tag Team Champion Davey Boy Smith at 9:12 following an axe handle from the middle turnbuckle to the back of the head (The British Bulldogs)
Prime Time Wrestling - 4/28/86: Cpl. Kirchner defeated the Iron Sheik (w/ Freddie Blassie & Nikolai Volkoff) via disqualification at 4:56 when Volkoff attacked Kirchner with Blassie's cane on the floor; after the bout, Volkoff & Sheik continued to attack Kirchner in the ring but Kirchner eventually chased them off with a steel chair (Villains of the Squared Circle)
WWF World Champion Hulk Hogan & Hillbilly Jim defeated Big John Studd & King Kong Bundy (w/ Bobby Heenan) via disqualification when Heenan interfered at 10:48 and kicked Hogan as Hogan had Studd covered following the legdrop; after the bout, Hogan threw Heenan in the corner just as Bundy was about to hit the Avalanche on Jim, with Bundy hitting Heenan instead (Hulkamania 2)

WWF @ New York City, NY - Madison Square Garden - May 19, 1986
Nikolai Volkoff (w/ Freddie Blassie) pinned Cpl. Kirchner at 11:30 after holding his knees up when Kirchner charged at him in the corner, and holding the top rope for leverage; after the bout, Kirchner cleared Volkoff from the ring
Tito Santana fought WWF IC Champion Randy Savage (w/ Miss Elizabeth) to a no contest at 13:25 when Adrian Adonis interfered and attacked guest referee Bruno Sammartino before attacking the challenger; moments later, Sammartino attacked Adonis until Savage and Adonis double teamed Sammartino; eventually, Santana made the save with a steel chair (Macho Man Randy Savage & Elizabeth)
Prime Time Wrestling - 5/26/86: King Kong Bundy (w/ Bobby Heenan) pinned Tony Atlas at 8:04 with an elbow drop after blocking an attempted splash
Jake Roberts fought Ricky Steamboat to a double disqualification at 7:36 after both wrestlers shoved the referee; after the bout Bret Hart, Tiger Chung Lee, & Paul Christy came out and held back Steamboat, with Jake then able to attack Steamboat; Sivi Afi, SD Jones, & Lanny Poffo then tried to also hold back Roberts, with Roberts and Steamboat eventually brawling back to the locker room (Best of the WWF Vol. 8)
Prime Time Wrestling - 5/26/86: Jim Neidhart fought Jim Brunzell to a 20-minute time-limit draw
WWF Tag Team Champions Davey Boy Smith & the Dynamite Kid (w/ Capt. Lou Albano) defeated Greg Valentine & Brutus Beefcake (w/ Johnny V) at 11:54 when Dynamite pinned Valentine with a roll up after Valentine was celebrating thinking he had pinned Dynamite, but the referee called off the pin after he noticed Johnny V was holding down Dynamite's legs

WWF @ New York City, NY - Madison Square Garden - June 14, 1986 (13,000)
Prime Time Wrestling - 6/23/86: Pedro Morales defeated the Iron Sheik via disqualification at 11:16 when Sheik pushed referee Dick Kroll as Morales was trapped in the ropes; after the bout, Morales cleared Sheik from the ring after hitting him in the head with the microphone
Prime Time Wrestling - 6/23/86: Nikolai Volkoff defeated George Steele (w/ Capt. Lou Albano) via disqualification at 6:21 after Albano handed Steele a steel chair, who then used it on his opponent
WWF IC Champion Randy Savage (w/ Miss Elizabeth) & Adrian Adonis (w/ Jimmy Hart) defeated Bruno Sammartino & Tito Santana via count-out at 9:40 after Savage dropped a double axe handle off the top onto Sammartino, who was on the floor ramming Adonis into the ring apron; after the contest, Sammartino & Santana scared Savage & Adonis from the ring (Macho Man Randy Savage & Elizabeth)
Big John Studd (w/ Bobby Heenan) fought King Tonga to a double count-out at 3:50 when both men were brawling on the floor; both men continued brawling long after the bell on the floor and eventually back in the ring until Tonga cleared Studd from ringside with a headbutt (Best of the WWF Vol. 8)
The Junkyard Dog defeated King Kong Bundy (w/ Bobby Heenan) via disqualification at 8:43 when Heenan tripped JYD from the outside allowing Bundy to splash him; after the bout, Heenan slapped JYD in the corner as Bundy prepared to hit the Avalanche but JYD pushed Heenan into Bundy's path (Best of the WWF Vol. 8)

WWF @ New York City, NY - Madison Square Garden - July 12, 1986 (16,000)
Televised on the MSG Network - included Gorilla Monsoon & Lord Alfred Hayes on commentary:
Jimmy Hart won a 22-man $50,000 battle royal when Greg Valentine and the Junkyard Dog eliminated each other at 12:53; Hart spent the entire match hiding underneath the ring; other participants included: the Junkyard Dog, Harley Race, Billy Jack Haynes, King Kong Bundy, Sivi Afi, Brutus Beefcake, Bobby Heenan, Pedro Morales, Lanny Poffo, Mike Sharpe, Moondog Spot, Jimmy Hart, King Tonga, Big John Studd, the Dynamite Kid, Davey Boy Smith, Greg Valentine, Johnny V, SD Jones, Tony Garea, Moondog Rex, & Tony Atlas; order of elimination: Studd by several wrestlers (0:13), Bundy by several wrestlers (0:19), Heenan by several wrestlers (0:43), SD Jones by Moondog Spot (2:21), Sharpe (3:27), Atlas by Spot (3:35), Johnny V by Morales (3:49), Garea by Valentine (5:05), Race by Morales (5:44), Afi by Beefcake (5:54), the Moondogs by the Bulldogs via simultaneous dropkicks (6:31), Dynamite by Beefcake (7:54), Morales by Valentine after three blows to the chest as Morales was perched upon the top rope (9:20), Beefcake by Smith, Haynes, and Poffo (9:33), Haynes by Valentine via backdrop (9:47), Tonga by Valentine via backdrop (9:54), Davey Boy by Valentine via powerslam over the top (10:36), Poffo by Valentine (10:47); WWF Women's Champion the Fabulous Moolah was originally scheduled to compete in the match as well (Best of the WWF Vol. 9)
Prime Time Wrestling - 7/21/86: Billy Jack Haynes defeated Brutus Beefcake (w/ Johnny V) via disqualification at 6:26 when Johnny V tripped Haynes (Best of the WWF Vol. 10)
All American Wrestling - 8/24/86: King Kong Bundy & Big John Studd (w/ Bobby Heenan) defeated King Tonga & Sivi Afi when Bundy pinned Tonga after a kneedrop to the chest at 8:33, even though it seemed Bundy wasn't attempting to get the pinfall (Best of the WWF Vol. 9)
The Junkyard Dog fought Greg Valentine to a double count-out at 13:32; prior to the bout, the referee ordered Johnny V backstage
Prime Time Wrestling - 7/28/86: Bruno Sammartino & Tito Santana defeated WWF IC Champion Randy Savage & Adrian Adonis in a steel cage match at 9:51 when Sammartino left through the door as Santana escaped over the top; prior to the bout, both Jimmy Hart & Miss Elizabeth left ringside (Sammartino's last MSG appearance for 28 years) (Inside the Steel Cage)

WWF @ New York City, NY - Madison Square Garden - August 25, 1986 (22,092)
Televised on the MSG Network - included Gorilla Monsoon & Lord Alfred Hayes on commentary:
Prime Time Wrestling - 9/8/86: Billy Jack Haynes defeated Hercules (w/ Slick) via count-out at 21:29 after Hercules left ringside with Slick; the match originally went to a time-limit draw at 18:52 but the referee granted them 5 more minutes; Freddie Blassie helped accompany Hercules ringside before the bout but went backstage before the match began
Prime Time Wrestling - 9/8/86: Paul Orndorff (w/ Bobby Heenan) pinned Cpl. Kirchner at 9:42 with the piledriver
King Kong Bundy & Big John Studd (w/ Bobby Heenan) defeated Big & Super Machine (w/ Giant Machine) via disqualification at 9:07 after Giant Machine illegally entered the ring with the referee eventually realizing when he attempted to pin Studd following a double clothesline; after the bout, Giant Machine cleared Studd from the ring; later in the show, Bobby Heenan returned to the ring and challenged Capt. Lou Albano to bring all three Machines to a 6-man tag against Studd, Bundy and himself as he was sick of Albano trying to make a fool out of him, and sick of the Machines
Adrian Adonis pinned Tony Atlas (w/ Jimmy Hart) at 7:20 after catching Atlas in mid-air and dropping him throat first across the top rope; Atlas got up and immediately left ringside after the pinfall (Atlas' last MSG appearance for 4 years)
Prime Time Wrestling - 9/8/86: Nikolai Volkoff & the Iron Sheik (w/ Slick) defeated Dan Spivey & Mike Rotundo at 12:46 when Sheik pinned Spivey after Volkoff hit Spivey with Slick's cane as Spivey attempted a powerslam on Sheik; after the bout, Rotundo eventually cleared Sheik, Volkoff, and Slick from the ring; Freddie Blassie helped accompany Volkoff & Sheik ringside before the bout but went backstage before the match began (Legends of Wrestling: Andre the Giant and the Iron Sheik)
Prime Time Wrestling - 9/16/86: Pedro Morales defeated WWF IC Champion Randy Savage (w/ Miss Elizabeth) via count-out at 7:19 after getting back in the ring just before the 10-count after blocking Savage's attempt to use a chair
WWF Tag Team Champions Davey Boy Smith & the Dynamite Kid (w/ Capt. Lou Albano) defeated Jimmy Jack & Dory Funk Jr. (w/ Jimmy Hart) at 5:27 when Dynamite pinned Jimmy Jack after being thrown by Smith; after the bout, the Funks attempted to hogtie Dynamite until Smith made the save; the Bulldogs then tried to hogtie Jimmy Jack but Dory made the save before the could; prior to the bout, when Howard Finkel was announcing the card for the next MSG show, he introduced Albano who gave Finkel the announcement that he had accepted Bobby Heenan's challenge from earlier in the show and that it would be Big & Super Machine teaming with the Hulk Machine

WWF @ New York City, NY - Madison Square Garden - September 22, 1986 (12,000)
Televised on the MSG Network - featured Gorilla Monsoon & Lord Alfred Hayes on commentary:
Prime Time Wrestling - 10/9/86: Bob Orton Jr. (sub. for Adrian Adonis) (w/ Jimmy Hart) pinned Billy Jack Haynes at 9:31 by grabbing the tights for leverage
Prime Time Wrestling - 10/9/86: Jacques & Raymond Rougeau defeated Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart when Jacques, the illegal man, pinned Neidhart with a sunset flip into the ring at 14:52 (the Rougeaus' MSG debut) (The Hart Foundation)
Prime Time Wrestling - 10/9/86: King Harley Race (w/ Bobby Heenan) pinned Tito Santana at 12:43 with a reverse roll up after Heenan distracted Santana from the ring apron; after the bout, Santana attacked Race on the floor until Race was able to escape
WWF World Champion Hulk Hogan (as Hulk Machine), Big & Super Machine defeated King Kong Bundy, Big John Studd, & Bobby Heenan at 8:45 when Hogan pinned Studd with a bodyslam and the legdrop (Hulkamania 2)

WWF @ New York City, NY - Madison Square Garden - October 20, 1986 (13,000; the Wrestling Observer newsletter listed it as 9,800)
Prime Time Wrestling - 11/18/86: Brutus Beefcake pinned B. Brian Blair at 9:24 by holding onto the tights for leverage after the momentum of a crossbody by Blair put Beefcake on top
Prime Time Wrestling - 11/11/86: King Kong Bundy pinned Super Machine at 3:17 with the Avalanche; after the match, Bundy briefly grabbed the microphone to speak but the discussion of the commentary team drowned out what he said
Prime Time Wrestling - 11/11/86: WWF Tag Team Champion the Dynamite Kid pinned Jim Neidhart at 5:49 with a roll up
Prime Time Wrestling - 11/11/86: Jacques Rougeau pinned the Iron Sheik at 7:29 with a sunset flip into the ring; prior to the bout, Sheik was escorted to the ring by Nikolai Volkoff
All American Wrestling - 10/26/86: Mike Rotundo fought Jim Brunzell to a double count-out at 9:10 when both men failed to get back into the ring after falling over the top rope to the floor as Brunzell was hoisted into a fireman's carry by Rotundo; prior to the match, the two shook hands
Prime Time Wrestling - 11/11/86: Greg Valentine pinned WWF Tag Team Champion Davey Boy Smith at 12:57 by using the ropes for leverage
Prime Time Wrestling - 11/11/86: Haku pinned Nikolai Volkoff at 4:51 with a roll up after Volkoff missed a clothesline and ran into the corner; during the cover, Volkoff clearly had his shoulders up
Bret Hart pinned Raymond Rougeau at 8:34 with a double leg pickup and putting his feet on the ropes for leverage as Rougeau had Hart cornered (Best of the WWF Vol. 13)
Prime Time Wrestling - 5/4/87: The Islanders won a $50,000 tag team battle royal by last eliminating King Kong Bundy & Big John Studd at 10:20; other teams included the Moondogs, SD Jones (sub. for Danny Spivey) & Mike Rotundo, Chief Jay Strongbow & Steve Gatorwolf, WWF Tag Team Champions Davey Boy Smith & the Dynamite Kid, Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart, B. Brian Blair & Jim Brunzell, the Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff, Big & Super Machine, Jacques & Raymond Rougeau, and Greg Valentine & Brutus Beefcake; order of elimination: the Moondogs were eliminated, SD Jones eliminated by ?, Strongbow eliminated by several wrestlers, Sheik eliminated by a Machine, Hart and Dynamite eliminated each other, Brunzell eliminated by Beefcake, Jacques Rougeau eliminated by Studd via backdrop, Beefcake eliminated by a Machine via backdrop, a Machine eliminated by Bundy via clothesline to the back of the head as the Machine attempted to eliminate Big John Studd, Studd eliminated after Bundy accidentally clotheslined his own partner out of the ring (Even More Unusual Matches)

WWF @ New York City, NY - Madison Square Garden - November 24, 1986 (19,700 paid; sell out)
Televised live on the MSG Network - included Gorilla Monsoon & Lord Alfred Hayes on commentary:
Prime Time Wrestling - 12/2/86: Billy Jack Haynes fought Bob Orton Jr. (w/ Jimmy Hart) to a double count-out at 13:43; Orton came into the ring wearing a kilt and also a jacket with the words “Hot Bob” on the back; during the match, Jimmy Hart briefly joined the commentary team of Gorilla Monsoon and Lord Alfred Hayes at ringside
Prime Time Wrestling - 12/2/86: Hercules (w/ Bobby Heenan) pinned Pedro Morales with a roll up at 9:07 as Morales was distracted by Heenan; moments earlier, Morales chased Heenan around ringside and into the ring after Heenan prevented Morales' cover following a backbreaker
Kamala (w/ the Wizard & Kimchee) pinned George Steele with a splash off the top at 3:16 following a regular splash after using the Wizard's horn as a weapon; Kamala hit another splash after the match before being restrained by Kimchee and the Wizard; Steele was taken from ringside on a stretcher (Best of the WWF Vol. 11)
Prime Time Wrestling - 1/5/87: Hillbilly Jim defeated Don Muraco (w/ Mr. Fuji) via disqualification at 7:06 when Fuji interfered as Jim had the bearhug applied on Muraco and attacked Jim with his cane, while ripping his overalls at the same time; Muraco came to the ring wearing a kilt and to Roddy Piper's music (Best of the WWF Vol. 11)
WWF World Champion Hulk Hogan & Roddy Piper defeated Paul Orndorff & King Harley Race (w/ Bobby Heenan) when Piper pinned Race at 8:15 after Orndorff accidentally clotheslined his partner; immediately after the match, Piper left ringside while Hogan was double teamed; eventually Hogan cleared the ring of the opponents (Best of the WWF Vol. 11)
Prime Time Wrestling - 12/2/86: Koko B. Ware pinned Jimmy Jack Funk with the Ghostbuster at 8:46; before the bout, Capt. Lou Albano joined the commentary table to give an update on the condition of George Steele, with Albano revealing that Steele had escaped the ambulance he was in and was running through Central Park
Prime Time Wrestling - 1/5/87: Greg Valentine & Brutus Beefcake (w/ Johnny V) defeated the Islanders when Beefcake pinned Tama at 13:13 after Valentine dropped Tama crotch first on the top rope behind the referee's back; during the match, Johnny V briefly joined Monsoon and Hayes at ringside

WWF @ New York City, NY - Madison Square Garden - December 26, 1986 (sell out)
Televised live on the MSG Network - included Gorilla Monsoon & Bobby Heenan on commentary:
Prime Time Wrestling - 12/30/86: Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart defeated Cpl. Kirchner & Dick Slater when Neidhart pinned Kirchner after the Hart Attack at 12:36
All American Wrestling - 1/25/87: WWF Women's Champion the Fabulous Moolah pinned WWF Women's Tag Team Champion Leilani Kai at 10:10 with a double axe handle and roll up after dropkicking the challenger into the referee (Best of the WWF Vol. 12)
Pedro Morales defeated Dino Bravo via disqualification at 14:24 after Bravo accidentally punched referee Dick Kroll when Morales ducked his head
WWF World Champion Hulk Hogan defeated Kamala (w/ the Wizard & Kimchee) via disqualification at 6:39 when the Wizard tripped up Hogan from the outside and then held his legs down for Kamala to splash him twice; Hogan was then triple-teamed and was held down by the Wizard and Kimchee for Kamala to hit a splash off the top but Hogan was able to escape and clear all three from the ring; following the bout, Bobby Heenan interviewed the Wizard, Kimchee, & Kamala backstage until Kamala was attacked by Hogan, with both having to be separated by several wrestlers and officials, including Vince McMahon (Hulkamania 2)
Prime Time Wrestling - 4/27/87: Hillbilly Jim defeated Mr. Fuji in a tuxedo match at the 4-minute mark (Best of the WWF Vol. 11)
Prime Time Wrestling - 12/30/86: Hercules (w/ Bobby Heenan) pinned Tito Santana at 15:40 after Santana was distracted by Heenan at 15:40; Heenan was introduced prior the match beginning before rejoining Gorilla Monsoon at the announce table; originally the match ended at 12:46 after Heenan left the commentary position and rang the timekeeper's bell while Santana had the figure-4 applied on Herc, attempting to confuse referee Dick Kroll that the time-limit had expired but the referee ruled there was still time left in the match
Prime Time Wrestling - 2/9/87: Blackjack Mulligan pinned Nikolai Volkoff (w/ Slick) at the 33-second mark with a flying back elbow; prior to the bout, Mulligan attacked Volkoff as he was singing the Russian National Anthem; after the contest, Volkoff attacked Mulligan until he was sent from the ring
 

alkeiper

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Something like Tuesday Night Titans, which is used as example of WWF ruining wrestling by making it a slick more palatable to the mainstream product really just seems a well budgeted, public access series.
I remember a TNT episode where Roddy Piper and Bob Orton are seen under the opening credits getting in position behind the stage curtain.
 
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