Sage Cortez
SummerSlam was over and done with, and we’re nearly into my favorite era of wrestling in the WWF. No, I’m not kidding about that. Despite business going into the toilet during 1991 and 1992, the talent in the WWF was such that I love it. However, this was still 1990, and there wasn’t quite as much in the WWF yet. There were some interesting changes, some I may have mentioned. Shawn Michaels was out with a knee injury, so they substituted Shane Douglas into his spot in the Rockers. I won’t be watching that. Bad News Brown was out of the picture, I may have mentioned that. By the way, Vince McMahon was in the middle of starting his concept for a BODYBUILDING FEDERATION. WHAT A GREAT IDEA. A lot of the other things I have to mention, I’ll do so in the article. Let’s get to it!
– Taped to air September 1st, 1990, on Superstars, from the Civic Center in Providence, Rhode Island
SGT. SLAUGHTER’S RETURN MATCH!
Video quality is bad, but I think you guys get the gist of this. Slaughter did not have General Adnan with him yet, and he certainly got heat during his entrance. This was a generic squash, with Nikolai Volkoff cutting a promo on Slaughter during it. I wonder if that was all they had planned for Slaughter until Saddam ramped things up. He used a damn noogie as his finish. I can hardly believe that. Not long after this, there was a Brother Love Show in which General Adnan was introduced. That was at a different taping, so the seeds weren’t entirely planted for the Iraq thing at this point.
– Taped to air September 8th, 1990, on Superstars, from the Civic Center in Providence, Rhode Island
The Brother Love Show with Queen Sherri
This is good setup for future events. While the WWF did have the Ultimate Warrior teaming with the Legion of Doom to face Demolition on their house shows around the country, there had to be something more planned. As such, seeds were planted here. Queen Sherri had some paper in her hands, and she said that the Ultimate Warrior was a coward. It appears that Warrior was watching this interview as well. Sherri then said that she had a contract for a title match between Warrior and the Macho King that those guys needed to sign. Now, I like that! She cut a great promo on the guy, then Warrior came out to counter it. He ripped that contract up, and called out the Macho King. That’s funny, Savage wasn’t there at all. Eventually, Sherri snapped and slapped Warrior. Warrior said that Savage wasn’t so macho, then Sherri slapped him again. Piper pretty much advocated for Warrior to slap Sherri. I’ll make no comment on that at all, but when Warrior said Savage was in love with somebody else, Sherri slapped him for a third time. Warrior then picked up Brother Love’s podium, threw it off the stage, and got in Sherri’s face before overturning her stupid throne and running backstage. Hot segment.
– Taped to air September 15th, 1990, on Superstars, from Hersheypark Arena in Hershey, Pennsylvania
SABA SIMBA DEBUTS!
THAT’S TONY ATLAS! They couldn’t just present him as somebody completely new because everyone would know that’s bullshit. In doing so, they buried Atlas from the start. His finisher was a Samoan drop. Is there something different I should call that?
– September 21st, 1990, from Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York
Paul Roma (w/Hercules) vs. Marty Jannetty
Pre-Match Thoughts: This MSG card was a bit of a box office flop. Under 12,000 tickets sold for a show with an LOD & Warrior vs. Demolition match had to be considered a disappointment, but that was the facts of life in the WWF at that time. The industry was headed to a downturn. I’ve previously seen that match, and they also had a match at a Saturday Night’s Main Event. Due to them having an SNME match, I will not watch that. Instead I’m watching something that may or may not be good. I’m cool with taking a chance. The best workers in the company weren’t on the card, sadly.
Match Review: To start things off, Marty gave Roma a dropkick, which sent Roma into Hercules and knocked him out of the ring. Marty then gives Roma an atomic drop, and takes him to the corner for some punches. After a series of turnbuckle shots, Marty takes Roma down with a FRANKENSTEINER. Nice. This started off very well. Roma pulls Marty by his tights to send him to the outside, then when he makes the apron, Roma knees him into the railing. Marty pulls Roma to the outside, but gets rammed into the apron and has to crawl back into the ring. Marty tries to come back with a sunset flip, but Roma winds up blocking it. Roma then hits the canvas on accident, Marty ducks under him, and puts his head down for a backdrop that Roma blocks. Roma whips Marty from post to post, then heads up top for an elbow that gets 2. Roma gives Marty a backbreaker, then hoists him up for a running powerslam that gets 2 after a long time before covering. Roma then goes for a hip toss, but Marty reverses to a backslide that gets 2. Marty tries a cradle and that gets 2, then Roma puts a chinlock on him. Roma follows that with a clothesline, which Marty sells by turning himself inside out. Back to the chinlock they go, until Marty makes it to his feet and drives Roma back into the corner to break it. Marty misses a charge to the opposite side, so Roma drops an elbow on him. To the chinlock again, and they’ve been in that hold for a LONG time. Marty gets out again, lands some punches, and gives Roma a suplex. He follows that with an inverted atomic drop, and a clothesline as well. Marty then hits Roma with a flying back elbow, and a knee lift after that. Marty then blocks a charge to the corner, and takes Roma down with a kind of bulldog. He heads up top for the first time, and comes down with a fist drop that gets 2 thanks to Hercules pulling him out of the ring. Marty rams Hercules into the apron, then gets back in and gives Roma a superkick. Marty goes for a bodyslam, but Hercules grabs the foot of Marty Jannetty, Roma falls on top, and Roma gets the victory with a 3 count at 13:43. After the match, Marty tries to attack Hercules, and gets stomped on until another referee runs out from the back to stop them.
My Thoughts: This match started off well, and it finished well, but the middle of it was horrible. Absolutely nothing went on other than a long series of chinlocks. Sometimes I get lucky when picking something to watch and sometimes I don’t. This time I didn’t. *3/4.
Rick Rude (w/Bobby Heenan) vs. Jim Duggan
Pre-Match Thoughts: After feuding with Warrior, this would seem like taking a big step down the card. In actuality it’s not. Other than Kerry Von Erich and Hulk Hogan, there wasn’t much of anyone else for Rude to feud with after his match at SummerSlam. Hacksaw was still very over, so it’s a natural fit. They were also building towards a series between Rick Rude and the Big Boss Man, which was just as good a fit as this was.
Match Review: It took almost 4 minutes for introduction before the match started, and it begins with these guys locking up. Hacksaw pushes Rude backwards, and Rude does some push-ups. The second time they lock up, Hacksaw shoves Rude to the canvas. Rude then puts a hammerlock on Hacksaw, and gets elbowed in the face. Hacksaw has a problem with Rude stalling, and wants a test of strength. Rude rakes the eyes instead, but Hacksaw comes back with a backdrop. He follows that with an atomic drop, then clotheslines him. Hacksaw bodyslams Rude twice, then puts Rude in a bear hug. Rude bites Hacksaw to break free, but Hacksaw returns the favor. Rude clotheslines him anyway, and heads up top to hit Hacksaw with a big right hand. He goes up again, and does the same for a 2 count. Rude puts a chinlock on Duggan now, which he breaks out of in good time. So, Rude puts a sleeper on Hacksaw, until Hacksaw drives him into the corner. Rude then tries to go up top, but Hacksaw hits him on the way down. He rams Rude’s face into the mat, then whips him from corner to corner. Hacksaw misses on a rush into the corner, then Rude winds up going to work with some punches. Eventually, he throws the referee to the canvas, and gets disqualified at 9:10. Shouldn’t try to stop Rude from punching people, I guess. Rude posts Hacksaw, and Hacksaw eventually gets up and scares him out of the ring with his 2×4.
My Thoughts: Nothing special at all, I only watched it because Rude was on his way out. I’ll have bits about that at the end. I bet his matches with Boss Man would have been very good too. So, that’s unfortunate. *1/4. Examining this card, quite a few people left after this. Ron Garvin and Ax both made their exit as well. As a bonus, here’s a promo Rude had about Boss Man’s mother.
– Taped to air October 6th, 1990, on Superstars, from the Sports Arena in Toledo, Ohio
The Brother Love Show with Rick Martel
This is one of my favorite angles. Martel was hyping up ARROGANCE, but Brother Love was going to invite out Jake Roberts as well. When he does, Martel pumps Arrogance around the entire area. Maybe Roberts smells. Roberts threatens to take Damien out of the bag, and at that point, Martel pumps Arrogance at it when Roberts can’t see him. Roberts pushes him, and eventually, Martel pumps more Arrogance at the snake. Then, Martel sprays Roberts in the eyes with it, and plays it off like an accident. The Big Boss Man runs out there, as do a bunch of officials, and Martel leaves the scene. I love the way this turns out.
– October 10th, 1990, from the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau, Missouri
The Orient Express (w/Mr. Fuji) vs. Koko B. Ware and BattleKat
Pre-Match Thoughts: I really wanted to get a look at this BattleKat thing. While Brady Boone did play BattleKat, that wasn’t the case at this taping. This taping was the start of major changes in the WWF as well. I have no idea why this match made TV, honestly. BattleKat was sporting a mask, as I think was obvious by what I just said. Lord Alfred lied about the Orient Express not losing by pinfall. Blatantly lied.
Match Review: After some stalling, the match begins with Tanaka and BattleKat in there. Lots of taunting and posing for the crowd. BattleKat kicks Tanaka in the head, then chops him into the corner. He then hits Tanaka with a super slow handspring elbow, this is amusing because of how silly and unnatural the offense looks. Tanaka trips BattleKat, and tags in Sato for the first time. BattleKat hip tosses Sato, and arm drags him. Koko finally gets in there, and takes both guys out before doing some dancing. Koko just keeps doing that, but Sato finally gets after him and tags out. Tanaka comes in and Koko hip tosses him, then BattleKat tags in for a back elbow and axe kick. Sato tags in as well, takes BattleKat down with a snap mare, and misses an elbow drop. Koko tags in again, and gets chopped by Tanaka. Koko then takes Tanaka down and puts him in a Boston crab, but Sato comes in and breaks it up. Tanaka then gets cradled up by Koko, and barely gets his shoulder up at 2. Sato tags in, gives Koko a bodyslam, then heads back out. Koko then evades Tanaka and hits him with a missle dropkick from the top, and cradles him up. However, all four guys were in, the referee was distracted, and Sato hit Koko with Mr. Fuji’s cane. Tanaka covers, and picks up the win at 7:33.
My Thoughts: This was awful, these guys had no chemistry at all and it showed. I was really regretting watching that, it was bordering on painful. It’s funny that I was looking forward to the next match during this one given what that next match is. This was a DUD, and that match is…
Earthquake (w/Jimmy Hart) vs. Tito Santana
Pre-Match Thoughts: Man, what a matchup for Coliseum Video. Those people who rented them really got their money’s worth. Obviously I’m being sarcastic. I am interested to see if they work a big vs. little style here, and if Quake could have a good match at this point of his career with somebody who wasn’t named Hulk Hogan. On my video of this, Santana had a promo before the match. Why didn’t Earthquake have one? That’s shit.
Match Review: They lock up, and of course, Quake shoves Santana into the corner. Santana tries a wristlock, but he gets shoved back again. Next it’s a try at a headlock, and Quake picks him up and throws him into the ropes. Quake then squashes Santana in the corner, and misses a right hand, leading to Santana hitting him a lot. Santana then puts a wristlock on Quake, and knocks him to one knee with it. Quake breaks free and catches a cross body attempt, which leads to a bodyslam by Quake. He misses a big elbow drop, so Santana goes back to the arm. Quake breaks out with an elbow, and drives Santana back to the corner. He follows that with an atomic drop, and there’s a bear hug. Eventually, Santana makes the ropes and climbs the turnbuckles, which allows him to bite Quake to break the bear hug. Santana continues to land punches, and hits Quake with some dropkicks and the FLYING FOREARM. He covers, but Quake kicks out at 2. Santana misses another attempt at a dropkick, so Quake picks him up and powerslams him. Quake follows that with a big elbow drop, and signals for the BUTT SPLASH. For some reason, here comes TUGBOAT. He runs in, clotheslines Quake, and that’s going to be a DQ of Santana at 7:40.
Now, here comes Dino Bravo! They double team Tugboat, and eventually it turns into a two on two situation. At least, until Jimmy Hart brings out two more of his guys, these being the Honky Tonk Man and Greg Valentine. They throw Santana out of the ring and quadruple-team Tugboat, seems like a time for Hulk Hogan to make the save. Instead, it’s HACKSAW JIM DUGGAN. He has the 2×4, and everyone leaves the ring rather than deal with that.
My Thoughts: This match was good enough, I wasn’t bored at all by it. A lot better than the previous match, and they had a good finish that held my interest. They did follow the formula I wanted to see, and because Tito Santana was so good, it helped the match a lot. ** seems appropriate.
So, as far as matches and angles go, that is that. However, there were lots of big changes in the WWF ahead. One was that they decided to cut out their third tier tour of house shows due to the downturn in business. Wrestling was frankly not as popular as it was two years before. As such, the other house shows would feature better matchups. Also, the guys lowest on the totem pole would have to go because of it. Ron Garvin, Jim Brunzell, Jim Powers, Nikolai Volkoff, and Boris Zhukov were completely dropped over the upcoming months. Koko B. Ware, Greg Valentine, and Jimmy Snuka had their roles reduced. In addition to that, some guys quit either before being fired, or for other reasons. Perhaps other people would have been fired if not for people quitting. One person who quit was Akeem. He was tired of life on the road. Rick Rude also quit. He had gotten injured and was advertised for shows. He thought he should be paid like he was working them because he was part of the advertising. They didn’t pay him, so he left. The thing about his SummerSlam PPV bonus being too small, I don’t know if that’s true or not. I love watching Rick Rude’s matches, and he had a great character, so I’m sad to not be watching him for a while. Anyway, the show goes on, and next up for me is SNME #28. Also sad to be winding down to the finish of that run.
Best: Brother Love Show with Queen Sherri and Ultimate Warrior. Definitely.
Worst: Lack of quality matches, which has always been my problem with this era of the WWF. That changes soon!
