Sage Cortez
This time, we’re going from the Rumble up to Main Event #3. I’m not that jazzed about the Main Event, but these matches I’ve found like awesome. I have one between Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart, another between Roddy Piper and the Macho King, and one between Jake Roberts and Ted DiBiase. I’m getting awfully close to WrestleMania!
– January 22nd, 1990, from Miami Arena in Miami, Florida
The Macho King (w/Queen Sherri) vs. Roddy Piper
Pre-Match Thoughts: This was a nice bone for them to throw the fans who sat through the TV taping, and those were usually terrible to sit through. I’m hoping for a hot crowd similar to the one at the Rumble in Orlando. Obviously, this match was taped for Coliseum Video, or there’s no way I’d be watching it.
Match Review: Sherri’s job is to seduce Piper, but he’s a WRESTLER, he isn’t going to mess around with that. She takes some swings at him and falls down, which allows Savage to attack from behind. Piper comes back with a clothesline, and an atomic drop follows that for 2. Piper tries a sunset flip, it gets only 1. Savage fires off a back elbow, but Piper cradles him up for 2. So, Savage will take a break. Piper follows, and drags him back into the ring. Sherri distracts Piper again, which allows Savage to follow with BOMBS AWAY! Now he sends Piper into the ring for a double axehandle that gets 2, and he knocks Piper out of the ring with a knee. Once again Savage goes to the outside with BOMBS AWAY, but these moves are getting no reaction at all. Perhaps the crowd has already been killed by the boredom of taping TV. Sherri kicks Piper back into the ring, and Savage drops a knee on him for 2. Savage puts Piper in a chinlock, but Piper fights out for a clothesline. Piper punches and bites away, then sends Savage upside down into the corner. Rarely see him take that bump! Savage begs off for a bit, and Piper kicks him in the gut. Then, he picks Savage up for an AIRPLANE SPIN that gets 2. Savage falls on top during a bodyslam, and that gets 2 as well. Macho goes for his own AIRPLANE SPIN, and his was so fast it was absurd. Great spot. Savage points to the corner and heads up top, and tumbles out of the ring before making it up there. Haha. Piper goes out to the floor with a double axehandle, and pounds away until Sherri latches onto his back. Of course, the bell rings for a disqualification, and Piper wins after 9:29!
They keep fighting even though the match is over, with Piper putting Savage in a SLEEPER. Sherri tries to make Piper break it, and now what? Piper puts her in the SLEEPER, until Savage knees him from behind. Savage gets thrown into Sherri, and Piper grabs a belt to beat Savage with until Savage leaves the ring.
My Thoughts: I think these guys could have done anything and the crowd wouldn’t have given a shit. The airplane spin spots were great, but otherwise they were going through the motions a bit and the match wasn’t fought with any real intensity. ** seems like an appropriate rating, maybe if the crowd was into the match, things would have gone differently.
– Taped to air February 3rd, 1990, on Superstars, from Jefferson Civic Center in Birmingham, Alabama
Ted DiBiase (w/Virgil & Slick) vs. Jake Roberts
Pre-Match Thoughts: This was the site of a really big WrestleMania angle. I’ve never seen this before, but it’s safe to say a lot of things happened during and after this match. I really want to just watch it. Why is Slick at ringside for this match? Only time will tell. Also remember that Roberts stole the Million Dollar Championship.
Match Review: DiBiase attacks, and we’re underway. Roberts comes back with a shoulderblock, but he gets tied up in the ropes as a result of it. They should go for the bag, now. Virgil is too scared to do it, so Roberts gets out of the ropes and fights back with a hip toss. He follows with a knee lift, and goes for the DDT only for DiBiase to get out of town. He gets back in and rams Roberts into the buckle, but Roberts returns the favor. DiBiase tries a piledriver, but Roberts backdrops him. Now he goes for the DDT, and DiBiase backdrops him. DiBiase misses an elbow drop, and once again Roberts tries for the DDT and it gets blocked. Now, DiBiase sends Slick to the back. WONDER WHY? Roberts and DiBiase start fighting outside the ring, and here comes the BIG BOSS MAN with the nightstick for a DQ at 3:14. Well, that sucks for Roberts.
Boss Man handcuffs Roberts to the ropes, and gets in the bag. HE AIN’T SCARED! Now, Brother Love’s music comes on, and we have an impromptu Brother Love Show. DiBiase says his money can buy anything, and this is a great example. DiBiase says that he bought the Big Boss Man, and now Boss Man is a bit taken aback and unhappy. Boss Man says he doesn’t take bribes, and he will NOT retrieve DiBiase’s belt. OH SHIT, SON. He gets in the bag to take out the belt, and says if DiBiase wants it, he’s gonna have to get it the old fashioned way. YES. The crowd popped so big for all this, and it culminated in Boss Man taking the bag back to Roberts and taking off the handcuffs. Boss Man then walks back to the podium and pushes Slick away, ending the segment.
My Thoughts: Hell of a babyface turn, perfectly executed. This was great storytelling, as they were able to have two things run concurrently into one program. I’ve always loved Big Boss Man as a face, so I’m excited to see the results. No rating for the match, but the angle being what it was, it was definitely worth watching. Will probably be the best thing on here.
– Taped to air February 10th, 1990, on Superstars, from Miami Arena in Miami, Florida
The Powers of Pain (w/Mr. Fuji) vs. Demolition
Pre-Match Thoughts: I can’t figure out why I decided to watch this. I was looking at my list and was like…why? I must have put it there for a reason. Perhaps because this was the last TV match between these teams? I don’t really know.
Match Review: Smash and Barbarian will start things off with a test of strength, or not as Barbarian utilizes a punch instead. Smash comes back with his own, and out he goes, tagging in Ax. Smash and Ax exchange tags while mixing in punches, and not a lot is going on here. Barbarian attacks Smash from behind, and maybe now something will happen. Warlord tags in with some clubbing blows, and back out he goes. Barbarian hits Smash with a big headbutt, and he misses a charge to the corner. Smash nails him with a clothesline, and Ax makes the tag in. Warlord rushes in too, and Ax takes them both out with clotheslines. He drops Barbarian with a bodyslam and elbow drop, which gets 2. Now Smash is in, and the PoP get thrown into each other. After Demolition knocks them down with clotheslines, Warlord gets Fuji’s cane and Ax hits him before he can get hit. Then, Smash wrecks both guys with the cane, and that’s it. Demolition won via DQ at 4:55.
My Thoughts: Okay, so I don’t know why I watched that after all. DUD. Bad match with nothing going on, I can’t even think of something else to say about it.
Jack Tunney announces the WrestleMania MAIN EVENT
BAH GAWD, WE’RE GOING TO HAVE HULK HOGAN FACE THE ULTIMATE WARRIOR! Tunney did not announce which title would be defended, but as we know, it was TITLE FOR TITLE.
– Taped to air February 11th, 1990, on Wrestling Challenge, from the Civic Center in Fort Myers, Florida
Shawn Michaels (w/Marty Jannetty) vs. Bret Hart (w/Jim Neidhart)
Pre-Match Thoughts: These two teams should have faced each other at WrestleMania, instead of what we got. There’s no doubt about that. Given that they didn’t, I don’t know why they’re facing each other here. I’ll try to judge which guy is more over once again, seeing as they’re both babyfaces.
Match Review: These two men lock up, and don’t give an inch. They fight over a wristlock, with Michaels using an arm drag to get out of it. Once again they fight over it, and Michaels gets out by elbowing Bret in the face. Bret catches him for an inverted atomic drop, then he clotheslines him. Bret misses an elbow drop, and now it’s Michaels who grabs onto a headlock. He dropkicks Bret as well, and heads up top only for Bret to slam him down. Michaels comes back with a backslide for 2, and flips through a backbreaker attempt for a bodyslam. Michaels drops the leg, and these guys collide with each other after that. Michaels and Bret then fight over a suplex, and get tied up in the ropes. They start shoving each other, and Bret hits Michaels with a cheap shot. Marty gets on the apron, and clocks Bret, then the Anvil gets on the apron and all four guys start fighting, leading to a double DQ at 4:23.
My Thoughts: This match was going really well, and they obviously would have torn the house down given 15 minutes. Otherwise, I don’t know what the point of this was. They didn’t build towards anything at WrestleMania at all. I wonder if Vince knew that these guys were the future of his business. Probably not. **1/4.
– Taped to air February 17th, 1990, on Superstars, from Miami Arena in Miami, Florida
Rick Rude (w/Bobby Heenan) vs. Brutus Beefcake
Pre-Match Thoughts: The commentary for this match should be good, even if nothing else is. I find it a bit counterproductive to be launching Rude to the main event level when he has these matches on TV that he obviously won’t win or lose. So, what’s the point?
Match Review: The crowd is going crazy for the Barber, as these two lock up. They then have a pose down, and Vince loves it. OF COURSE HE DOES. Time for a test of strength, and we have an insert promo from Mr. Perfect! He’s watching the Barber, who gets clocked in the face with a big right hand. Beefcake comes back with his own, and here comes Mr. Perfect! At 3:16 Rude gets disqualified, but Perfect, Rude, and Genius all stomp on the Barber. The Barber grabs his shears to clear the ring, but Perfect got some shots in and that’s all that matters.
My Thoughts: Poor match, but they were trying to remind people that Perfect and Beefcake were facing each other at WrestleMania. It worked. 1/2*.
– February 19th, 1990, from Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York
Earthquake vs. Ron Garvin
Pre-Match Thoughts: I wanted to get a look at the big guy before seeing his matches against Hogan, and this is one of the only chances I have. I expect that he’s going to take Garvin out again in an effort to get him over. I’ve always found Earthquake to have a good theme, but brown is not a good color choice for his attire.
Match Review: The crowd seems impressed by Quake. He smashes into Garvin to take him out, but Garvin comes back with foot stomps and punches. He separates, and it’s back to square one. Quake knocks him down with a big right hand, and walks over him. He misses an elbow drop though, and Garvin covers for a count of 0. Haha. Quake continues to beat Garvin up, and squashes him in the corner. Garvin dodges the second try, and Earthquake picks him up with a choke shortly after. Garvin tries to come back with chops and a poke to the eye, then he heads up top for a double axehandle, which knocks Quake down. He kicks Garvin away, and knees him in the face. Quake misses a charge to the corner, and Garvin trips him shortly after. Now Garvin heads up top, and Quake catches him for a big powerslam. BUTT SPLASH, that’s the end at 7:35. After the match, Garvin takes 2 BUTT SPLASHES and goes out on a stretcher.
My Thoughts: Quake should NOT have went down in a match against Garvin. The end made up for it, but I feel bad for Garvin having to continue taking stretcher jobs. A former world champion is better than that, I think. 1/2* for the match, and I base that on absolutely nothing at all.
The Powers of Pain & Mr. Fuji vs. The Rockers and Jim Duggan
Pre-Match Thoughts: After the great match the PoP and Rockers had in January, and the beatdown after, it’s necessary to have a rematch. Hopefully Hacksaw’s contributions are good, and the rest of the match can follow the same pattern. I have low hopes though!
Match Review: The Rockers hit the ring and attack quickly, clearing it! After a long period of stalling, we have Michaels starting with the Warlord. Warlord launches Michaels into the corner, and clubs away with his right arm until Michaels climbs his shoulders for some punches and a victory roll. Barbarian runs in to deal with Marty, and the Rockers drop the Powers with stereo sunset flip attempts aided by a Hacksaw double clothesline. They got 2 counts. Hacksaw clears the ring with clotheslines, and the crowd is loving this so far. No Fuji involvement yet! Hacksaw and Barbarian go head to head, and Hacksaw gets the better of the ensuing battle. He clotheslines Barbarian, and in comes Marty. Warlord tags in and Marty takes him down with a drop toe-hold, but Warlord puts him in the corner. Marty dodges a charge, dropkicks the Warlord, and puts him in a headlock. Michaels makes a tag in and Hacksaw launches him onto Warlord for a 2 count, and Michaels then gets clotheslined off the apron by Warlord. Barbarian slams Michaels back into the post, and Warlord gives Michaels a huge backdrop when he gets back in the ring for a 2 count. Damn. Warlord follows with a gorilla press slam, but misses a splash. As such, Barbarian tags in there and slams Michaels. Fuji finally makes a tag in, and headbutts Michaels down low. He puts a nerve hold on Michaels, which Michaels gets out of only to run into a high knee. Back to the nerve hold, I guess. Michaels gets out with a bodyslam, but misses a splash and eats knees. Warlord heads back in, and launches Michaels upside down into the corner. Barbarian tags back in there, and headbutts Shawn’s back. He follows that with a big boot, and it gets 2. Barbarian drops Michaels with a shoulder-breaker, and heads up top for the first time. Down he comes with a flying headbutt, but it misses. Michaels makes the tag out to Hacksaw, who goes after the Powers with a noggin-knocker. Clotheslines follow that, and Hacksaw takes Barbarian out with his THREE POINT STANCE. Warlord breaks the cover, and now it’s time for them to work over Hacksaw. The match may die, now. Fuji tags in and punches away, then he tags back out. Barbarian puts a nerve hold on Hacksaw, but Hacksaw fights out, only to wind up in the wrong corner. So, Warlord tags in and clotheslines Hacksaw for 2, then puts him in a bear hug. Hacksaw gets out, and tries a cross body which gets 2. After dodging an elbow drop, Hacksaw makes the tag out to Marty. Marty comes in with a knee lift and clothesline, and the dropkick knocks Warlord down for 2. Marty and Shawn come off the top with dual double axehandles for a 2 count, then Fuji makes a tag in. He goes to work with karate shots, but Marty comes back with punches and a poke to the eye. Barbarian attacks him from behind, and now Fuji’s going for salt as Hacksaw backdrops Barbarian over the top. Hacksaw gets the 2×4, clocks Fuji with it, and Marty covers for the victory at 16:38!
My Thoughts: I was right about the match dying when Hacksaw got in there. It sure did. Before that, it was a strong match that was a lot of fun. The finish wasn’t really built towards, so all in all the whole thing was a disappointment and nothing compared to the match a month before. Too bad, really. They should have finished it off after the first heat segment. **.
– Taped to air February 24th, 1990, on Superstars, from Miami Arena in Miami, Florida
The Brother Love Show with Jake Roberts
Now Brother Love is saying that Ted DiBiase is his benefactor. That actually makes a lot of sense, you know. It doesn’t make sense that Jake Roberts is his guest, though. Roberts gets into an argument with him, and he brings out THE BIG BOSS MAN! Boss Man says something intimidating, and it’s clear he’s a babyface now, not that it was ever in doubt.
– Taped to air February 25th, 1990, on Wrestling Challenge, from the Civic Center in Fort Myers, Florida
Haku (WWF Tag Champion, w/Bobby Heenan) vs. Smash
Pre-Match Thoughts: It was very rare for the WWF to build towards a tag team match and have the guys compete in a singles match against each other beforehand. That’s what we have here, though! Times really were about to start changing.
Match Review: The match begins with these two locking up, and Haku using a hip toss on Smash. He locks Smash in a wristlock, but Smash gets out for some big right hands and his own hip toss. He does another hip toss, and rams Haku into the buckle. After some double axehandles by Smash, he puts Haku in an armbar. Haku blocks a backdrop attempt, and he misses an elbow drop. Smash clobbers away again, before putting Haku in a chinlock for a brief moment. Smash misses a charge to the corner, and Haku takes over for a bit. After some headbutts, Haku hits Smash with a back elbow for 2. Haku follows with a bodyslam, and lands a diving headbutt for 2. He drops Smash with a back suplex, and that also gets 2. Haku tries a cross body, but Smash reverses it for a 3 count at 3:55!
My Thoughts: So, they just had a champion get pinned. That was RARE. I think they just wanted to establish that Haku was the weaker of the Colossal Connection, and if Demolition could make a tag at WrestleMania, they had more than a fighting chance. The match was totally acceptable, especially for WWF TV at the time. ** once again, not a lot of quality in the matches here, but everything had some importance.
And that’s it! I’m saving some news notes for my next article because the show I’m covering was so short, but I do have one about the Rockers. TV was taped in Arizona, and apparently the Rockers showed up all beaten up after getting wrecked by each other in Denver. Why do friends have to fight? Anyway, they didn’t want to team together anymore and Marty was asked to turn heel. Didn’t happen though. Marty has actually told a story about it, and says that Roddy Piper instigated it. But who knows? I also noticed while watching this stuff that in many respects this was the last stand for the old guard. After all, look at how many wrestlers got pushed downward or left the company after this. Even with tag teams, there were splits and the general tone of the card changed a lot. Anyway, next up is the Main Event, andlast time I checked, Mike Tyson lost in Japan to Buster Douglas even though they were advertising him to appear as a referee on the Main Event. I’ll cover that there!
Best: Jake Roberts/Ted DiBiase/Big Boss Man angle. By far.
Worst: I guess I’d say Dusty Rhodes being programmed with Randy Savage, but they were quick to keep that off TV up to this point. To this point…
