Post by Shatter Machine on Apr 17, 2016 9:33:50 GMT -5
The format was a bit different this year, as the winners of the matches would be paired up in a final “match of survival” at the end of the night. (They set it up so that winners of certain matches would be on certain teams, so you could generally figure out who would win which matches and wind up in the finals. I really feel like this is a format they should bring back.) Also, this was during Operation Desert Shield in the Persian Gulf, leading up to the first Gulf War in Iraq and Kuwait, so the xenophobia was beginning to build up toward the Arab world. It was a different time, I guess, but I was never comfortable with the amount of overt racism in the whole Gulf War angle that they presented.
From Hartford, CT
Gorilla Monsoon and Roddy Piper on commentary
The Perfect Team (Mr Perfect, Ax, Smash, & Crush (with Bobby Heenan and Mr. Fuji)
Vs
The Warriors (WWF Champion The Ultimate Warrior, Intercontinental Champion Kerry Von Erich, Hawk & Animal)
Mr Perfect had actually won the I-C title back from KVE a couple of weeks before this, but it hadn't been broadcast on TV, so Kerry was still being billed as champion. Kerry was so drug-addled and suicidal that they needed to get the belt back on Perfect ASAP to ensure that they didn't have to vacate the title because the champion was in jail or dead. Demolition had been in masks for a while during the build to this show, but they were back in face paint here. Animal mauls Smash, who gets ping ponged around the face corner. Smash gets a cheap shot and a suplex. It all breaks down very quickly, but Kerry gets caught in the Demolition corner. He gets the claw on Ax, who gets wiped out with a shoulder block by the Warrior and pinned at 3:23 to make it 4-3. Crush comes in on Warrior and there's a short heat segment there. Warrior gets a boot up in the corner and a clothesline. Hawk comes in and flexes at Mr Perfect, who bumps like mad. They fuck up a WHIP TO THE CORNER, so they redo the spot, and Hawk misses a charge. He plays face in peril for a little bit, but manages to take Smash out with a shoulder block. He doesn't make the tag, though, and hits a top rope clothesline. Smash, Crush, Hawk and Animal are DQ'd for brawling in the ring at 7:36. It's down to Mr Perfect Vs Kerry Von Erich and the Ultimate Warrior. They tease Warrior-Perfect, but Perfect wants Kerry. Kerry tags in, and Perfect ambushes him, but gets discus punched over the top. While Mr. Perfect tries to take a powder, Warrior runs him and Heenan together and dumps Heenan over the railing. Back in, and Perfect dodges Kerry in the corner and Kerry posts himself. Perfect gets a thumb to the eye, then runs him to the buckle, which has no pad, and gets the Perfectplex for the pin at 11:02. Warrior comes in, and he gets a Perfectplex on HIM right away, but that only gets 2. Perfect gets a dropkick (and a nice one at that) for 2. Warrior starts his comeback, and Perfect bumps like nuts for him, and Warrior hits a shoulder block and a splash for the pin at 14:20. Not great. * ½ Survivor: Ultimate Warrior.
The Dream Team (Dusty Rhodes, Koko B. Ware, & WWF Tag Team Champions The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart))
Vs
The Million Dollar Team (Ted DiBiase, Honky Tonk Man, Greg Valentine & The Undertaker; with Jimmy Hart, Virgil, and Brother Love)
The shock and awe surrounding the Undertaker is absolutely astounding. He starts with Bret and just goozles him right away. The Anvil comes in and gets slammed. Koko lunges at him and misses, and Undertaker debuts the tombstone piledriver getting the pin at 1:39. Valentine tags in, and he goes with Rhodes. Dusty has abandoned the polka dots at this point, and in re watching this I realize that this is really a showcase for Bret. Neidhart powerslams and pins Honky Tonk at 4:16. He clotheslines DiBiase, then hits a slam. Rhodes comes in and hits a series of elbows in the corner on DiBiase. Dusty hits a DROPKICK! HOLY SHIT! Neidhart comes back in and hits a suplex for 2. Virgil trips Neidhart, and DiBiase clotheslines and pins him at 5:49. Bret comes back in, and he and DiBiase go briefly, but Dusty tags back in. Dusty was just not feeling it here, as he couldn't even bump well anymore. It was sad to see this guy that had been so great barely be able to move and obviously just not care anymore. Bret gets caught in the heel corner, but hits DiBiase with an atomic drop. Dusty comes back in, but UT makes the tag, walks the rope, and hits Dusty with an ax handle for the pin at 8:26. Brother Love cheap shots Dusty, who goes after him, so Undertaker chases him down the aisle and gets counted out at 9:17. We're down to Bret Vs DiBiase and Valentine, and as I type it, Bret counters the Figure Four into an inside cradle to pin Valentine at 9:57. Bret and DiBiase have a great little mini-match, and Bret hits a slingshot plancha, then sends DiBiase to the post. Bret works him over in the corner, and there's the famous “Charge, reverse” call from DiBiase and Bret takes the chest first bump in the corner. Bret gets a backslide for 2. Bret trips over DiBiase, faking a knee injury and getting a rolling cradle for 2. Virgil jumps up on the apron to grab Bret, but Bret moves and DiBiase nails him, and Bret rolls him up for 2. Backbreaker, second rope elbow gets 2 for Bret. DiBiase rolls through a cross body for the pin at 13:54. That was really good. *** If you're wondering why Bret got so much here, it's because he had dedicated the match to his recently deceased brother, Dean, and Vince let him have some time for a tribute. Survivor: Ted DiBiase.
The Visionaries (Rick Martel, Paul Roma, Hercules, and the Warlord, with Slick)
Vs
The Vipers (Jake Roberts, Jimmy Snuka, Shawn Michaels & Marty Jannetty)
This is just mid-card filler. Shawn and Marty wrestle circles around everyone else, but this is possibly the most boring survivor match I've ever seen. Warlord and Hercules are both so juiced I'm surprised that either guy could move. Warlord, in a tag match, grabs a bearhug on Jannetty. Jannetty escapes and leaps into a powerslam and gets pinned at 5:08. Michaels hits a rana on Warlord. Jake comes in and clotheslines Warlord down. Egotistical pile of shit Paul Roma tags in and puts the boots to Shawn. (See, Roma is probably the biggest jerk in the history of wrestling, and that's covering a lot of ground. He once stopped cooperating with Alex Wright in a match because he felt that he was too far above Wright, for which he was promptly fired.) Warlord launches Shawn into the outer atmosphere with a backdrop, and Martel comes in with a knee drop for 2. Shawn dodges a charge and tags Snuka in. Snuka gets rolled up and pinned by Martel with a handful of tights at 9:28. Jake comes in and goes with Hercules, teasing the DDT. Herc bails out. The heels have a confab, and Jake fires off shots at Herc, until Martel blindsides him. Roma comes in and puts the boots to Jake. He misses a fist drop from the top, and Jake tags Michaels. Shawn with a roaring elbow and a suplex. Elbow from the second rope gets 2. Atomic drop, but Roma makes a blind tag, and Hercules just murders Shawn with an elbow. Clothesline, and Shawn is down. Press slam, and Martel comes in. Herc tags back in, and he and Roma finish Shawn with the Powerplex (Superplex by Hercules, top rope splash by Roma) at 15:40. Jake is down 4-1, and he gets squashed. Warlord grabs a bearhug, because that's literally all he can do. Jake nails him with the DDT, but Martel sneaks in with his atomizer full of cologne, so Jake chases him off with Damien and gets counted out at 15:42. All four Visionaries survive. First time ever. Not a great match. * ½
The Natural Disasters (Earthquake, Dino Bravo, Haku, and Barbarian)
Vs
The Hulkamaniacs (Hulk Hogan, Hacksaw Duggan, Tugboat, and The Big Bossman)
Duggan and Haku start, and why not? They're seriously the best two workers in the match. Not kidding: Hogan is Hogan, and would only work in Japan. Tugboat was the fucking Shockmaster, Barbarian was not great, Bravo was immobile, Earthquake was 500 pounds, and Bossman was improving, but wasn't what he'd be quite yet. Bossman pins Haku with the Bossman slam at 3:15. He goes after Heenan and runs him to the post. Barbarian suplexes him rather easily (which is terrifying). Duggan is the next to go when he gets pissed off at Jimmy Hart and then Earthquake and hits him with his 2x4 and gets DQ'd at 6:12. Hogan cleans house on the heels, going for the slam on everyone, including Earthquake. Earthquake hits Hogan with a powerslam, and Bravo hits a leaping elbow, and another, but Hogan gets an inside cradle at 7:59. Earthquake misses a charge, and Bossman comes off the second rope with a cross body, and Hogan pushes him over for 2. Earthquake gets an elbow for the pin on Bossman when Barbarian hits a kick from the apron at 9:08. Tugboat is such a non-factor that Gorilla and Piper forgot he was there. Hogan goes to slam Earthquake again, and 'Quake falls on him for 2. Earthquake misses a splash, and Hogan hot tags Tugboat. Tugboat knocks Earthquake to the ropes, and Hogan pulls him out. Tugboat and Earthquake brawl to a double countout at 11:33. Hogan has a brief encounter with Barbarian, who manages to botch a PILEDRIVER, but Hogan wins it with the usual at 14:49. Survivor: Hogan * ¾ Hogan beats up Heenan after the match, because that's what they do. Bobby always took a great shit-kicking for Hogan, I'll give him that.
Gene Okerlund talks to Randy Savage, who issues a challenge to the Ultimate Warrior, whom he refers to as “The Ultimate Chicken”. No, no, Ultimate poultry was later in the show.
The Alliance (Nikolai Volkoff, Tito Santana, and The Bushwhackers)
Vs
The Mercenaries (Sgt. Slaughter, Boris Zhukov and The Orient Express; with Mr. Fuji and Gen. Adnan)
Slaughter stops and does an interview before his team is introduced, mostly to generate an immense amount of heat during Operation: Desert Shield, which it did. This match is set up to showcase Slaughter as an upper mid-card ass-kicker, as his team is eliminated in two minutes: Tito pins Boris with a flying forearm at :48, Butch puns Sato after the Battering Ram at 1:46, and Tito pins Tanaka with the flying forearm at 2:13. Slaughter comes in and pummels Nikolai with elbows and a clothesline. Nikolai, does an amazing job of selling and bumping, and Slaughter pins him with an elbow drop at 5:25. The Bushwhackers double team Slaughter, but he pins Luke with a gut buster at 6:30. Butch comes in and gets clotheslined and pinned at 6:52. Tito fares better, though, hitting a dropkick and backdrop. He hits a forearm off the top, but Slaughter blocks a monkey flip. Slaughter hits a neckbreaker for 2. Backbreaker gets 2. Roddy Piper starts putting over the toughness of the Latin people, but it just comes off awkward. Suplex by Slaughter for 2. The ref gets bumped, and Tito hits the flying forearm. Adnan comes into the ring and nails Tito with his flagpole (the actual flagpole, not his dick) RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE REFEREE! Slaughter puts the Camel Clutch on Tito, but the ref calls for the DQ at 10:52. Way too quick to be anything of note. * Survivor: Tito Santana
Sean Mooney talks to Ted DiBiase & Rick Martel's team.
Gene Okerlund hosts the hatching of the Gobbledygooker. See, there was this giant egg that had been traveling around to various TV tapings, and it was set to hatch at Survivor Series. What was going to be in it? A debuting or returning wrestler? King Kong Bundy? Someone major from WCW or Japan? Nope. It was Hector Guerrero in a turkey costume. This is the REASON there is Botchamania. This has bad gimmick/angle awards named after it. After Gene and the Gooker dance in the ring and the crowd shits all over it, the Gooker would disappear until the gimmick battle royal at WM X-Seven.
Grand Finale Match of Survival:
Ted DiBiase (with Virgil), Rick Martel, Warlord, Paul Roma, and Hercules (with Slick)
Vs
Hulk Hogan, Tito Santana, & WWF Champion The Ultimate Warrior
Even as a kid I wondered why Tito was out there, but it might just be as a reward for years of loyal service, since he was a JTTS by this point. He gets his due by flattening Warlord with the flying forearm and pinning him at :28. Roma levels him right after. DiBiase comes in and hits Tito with a suplex. Tito hits a clothesline, but misses the flying forearm, and DiBiase gets a hotshot for the pin at 1:51. Hogan comes in and he has a short heat segment, even selling for Roma, who's just such a fucking jobber pile of shit asshole. Hercules wears Hogan out with punches, and DiBiase hits a couple of fist drops for 2. Herc sets Hogan for the Powerplex, but Hogan kicks out at 2, and Hogan finishes Roma with the AXE BOMBA at 5:57. Warrior tags in and pummels Martel, who decides that discretion is the better part of valor when Hogan hits the big boot and a clothesline sends him to the floor, and he's counted out at 7:17. DiBiase grabs control of Hogan, but that doesn't last, as Hogan clotheslines him in the corner, then the boot and legdrop gets the pin on DiBiase at 8:30. Hercules rushes in, and Hogan powerslams him. Warrior squashes him like a bug and pins him with a splash at 9:07. ** Survivors: Hogan & The Warrior. They hold the ropes open for each other in a show of mutual respect. I wish they had gone with the rematch of the century instead of Hogan-Slaughter and Warrior-Savage at WM VII, especially if Vince wanted to fill the L.A. Coliseum.
The Bottom Line: This would be the definition of “throwaway show” if not for two things: the debut of the Undertaker and the gigantic turd that was the Gobbledygooker. The rest of the show was distinctly not memorable. The matches were brief, and, for the most part, the right guys went over and the right guys were protected. Thumbs solidly in the middle.
From Hartford, CT
Gorilla Monsoon and Roddy Piper on commentary
The Perfect Team (Mr Perfect, Ax, Smash, & Crush (with Bobby Heenan and Mr. Fuji)
Vs
The Warriors (WWF Champion The Ultimate Warrior, Intercontinental Champion Kerry Von Erich, Hawk & Animal)
Mr Perfect had actually won the I-C title back from KVE a couple of weeks before this, but it hadn't been broadcast on TV, so Kerry was still being billed as champion. Kerry was so drug-addled and suicidal that they needed to get the belt back on Perfect ASAP to ensure that they didn't have to vacate the title because the champion was in jail or dead. Demolition had been in masks for a while during the build to this show, but they were back in face paint here. Animal mauls Smash, who gets ping ponged around the face corner. Smash gets a cheap shot and a suplex. It all breaks down very quickly, but Kerry gets caught in the Demolition corner. He gets the claw on Ax, who gets wiped out with a shoulder block by the Warrior and pinned at 3:23 to make it 4-3. Crush comes in on Warrior and there's a short heat segment there. Warrior gets a boot up in the corner and a clothesline. Hawk comes in and flexes at Mr Perfect, who bumps like mad. They fuck up a WHIP TO THE CORNER, so they redo the spot, and Hawk misses a charge. He plays face in peril for a little bit, but manages to take Smash out with a shoulder block. He doesn't make the tag, though, and hits a top rope clothesline. Smash, Crush, Hawk and Animal are DQ'd for brawling in the ring at 7:36. It's down to Mr Perfect Vs Kerry Von Erich and the Ultimate Warrior. They tease Warrior-Perfect, but Perfect wants Kerry. Kerry tags in, and Perfect ambushes him, but gets discus punched over the top. While Mr. Perfect tries to take a powder, Warrior runs him and Heenan together and dumps Heenan over the railing. Back in, and Perfect dodges Kerry in the corner and Kerry posts himself. Perfect gets a thumb to the eye, then runs him to the buckle, which has no pad, and gets the Perfectplex for the pin at 11:02. Warrior comes in, and he gets a Perfectplex on HIM right away, but that only gets 2. Perfect gets a dropkick (and a nice one at that) for 2. Warrior starts his comeback, and Perfect bumps like nuts for him, and Warrior hits a shoulder block and a splash for the pin at 14:20. Not great. * ½ Survivor: Ultimate Warrior.
The Dream Team (Dusty Rhodes, Koko B. Ware, & WWF Tag Team Champions The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart))
Vs
The Million Dollar Team (Ted DiBiase, Honky Tonk Man, Greg Valentine & The Undertaker; with Jimmy Hart, Virgil, and Brother Love)
The shock and awe surrounding the Undertaker is absolutely astounding. He starts with Bret and just goozles him right away. The Anvil comes in and gets slammed. Koko lunges at him and misses, and Undertaker debuts the tombstone piledriver getting the pin at 1:39. Valentine tags in, and he goes with Rhodes. Dusty has abandoned the polka dots at this point, and in re watching this I realize that this is really a showcase for Bret. Neidhart powerslams and pins Honky Tonk at 4:16. He clotheslines DiBiase, then hits a slam. Rhodes comes in and hits a series of elbows in the corner on DiBiase. Dusty hits a DROPKICK! HOLY SHIT! Neidhart comes back in and hits a suplex for 2. Virgil trips Neidhart, and DiBiase clotheslines and pins him at 5:49. Bret comes back in, and he and DiBiase go briefly, but Dusty tags back in. Dusty was just not feeling it here, as he couldn't even bump well anymore. It was sad to see this guy that had been so great barely be able to move and obviously just not care anymore. Bret gets caught in the heel corner, but hits DiBiase with an atomic drop. Dusty comes back in, but UT makes the tag, walks the rope, and hits Dusty with an ax handle for the pin at 8:26. Brother Love cheap shots Dusty, who goes after him, so Undertaker chases him down the aisle and gets counted out at 9:17. We're down to Bret Vs DiBiase and Valentine, and as I type it, Bret counters the Figure Four into an inside cradle to pin Valentine at 9:57. Bret and DiBiase have a great little mini-match, and Bret hits a slingshot plancha, then sends DiBiase to the post. Bret works him over in the corner, and there's the famous “Charge, reverse” call from DiBiase and Bret takes the chest first bump in the corner. Bret gets a backslide for 2. Bret trips over DiBiase, faking a knee injury and getting a rolling cradle for 2. Virgil jumps up on the apron to grab Bret, but Bret moves and DiBiase nails him, and Bret rolls him up for 2. Backbreaker, second rope elbow gets 2 for Bret. DiBiase rolls through a cross body for the pin at 13:54. That was really good. *** If you're wondering why Bret got so much here, it's because he had dedicated the match to his recently deceased brother, Dean, and Vince let him have some time for a tribute. Survivor: Ted DiBiase.
The Visionaries (Rick Martel, Paul Roma, Hercules, and the Warlord, with Slick)
Vs
The Vipers (Jake Roberts, Jimmy Snuka, Shawn Michaels & Marty Jannetty)
This is just mid-card filler. Shawn and Marty wrestle circles around everyone else, but this is possibly the most boring survivor match I've ever seen. Warlord and Hercules are both so juiced I'm surprised that either guy could move. Warlord, in a tag match, grabs a bearhug on Jannetty. Jannetty escapes and leaps into a powerslam and gets pinned at 5:08. Michaels hits a rana on Warlord. Jake comes in and clotheslines Warlord down. Egotistical pile of shit Paul Roma tags in and puts the boots to Shawn. (See, Roma is probably the biggest jerk in the history of wrestling, and that's covering a lot of ground. He once stopped cooperating with Alex Wright in a match because he felt that he was too far above Wright, for which he was promptly fired.) Warlord launches Shawn into the outer atmosphere with a backdrop, and Martel comes in with a knee drop for 2. Shawn dodges a charge and tags Snuka in. Snuka gets rolled up and pinned by Martel with a handful of tights at 9:28. Jake comes in and goes with Hercules, teasing the DDT. Herc bails out. The heels have a confab, and Jake fires off shots at Herc, until Martel blindsides him. Roma comes in and puts the boots to Jake. He misses a fist drop from the top, and Jake tags Michaels. Shawn with a roaring elbow and a suplex. Elbow from the second rope gets 2. Atomic drop, but Roma makes a blind tag, and Hercules just murders Shawn with an elbow. Clothesline, and Shawn is down. Press slam, and Martel comes in. Herc tags back in, and he and Roma finish Shawn with the Powerplex (Superplex by Hercules, top rope splash by Roma) at 15:40. Jake is down 4-1, and he gets squashed. Warlord grabs a bearhug, because that's literally all he can do. Jake nails him with the DDT, but Martel sneaks in with his atomizer full of cologne, so Jake chases him off with Damien and gets counted out at 15:42. All four Visionaries survive. First time ever. Not a great match. * ½
The Natural Disasters (Earthquake, Dino Bravo, Haku, and Barbarian)
Vs
The Hulkamaniacs (Hulk Hogan, Hacksaw Duggan, Tugboat, and The Big Bossman)
Duggan and Haku start, and why not? They're seriously the best two workers in the match. Not kidding: Hogan is Hogan, and would only work in Japan. Tugboat was the fucking Shockmaster, Barbarian was not great, Bravo was immobile, Earthquake was 500 pounds, and Bossman was improving, but wasn't what he'd be quite yet. Bossman pins Haku with the Bossman slam at 3:15. He goes after Heenan and runs him to the post. Barbarian suplexes him rather easily (which is terrifying). Duggan is the next to go when he gets pissed off at Jimmy Hart and then Earthquake and hits him with his 2x4 and gets DQ'd at 6:12. Hogan cleans house on the heels, going for the slam on everyone, including Earthquake. Earthquake hits Hogan with a powerslam, and Bravo hits a leaping elbow, and another, but Hogan gets an inside cradle at 7:59. Earthquake misses a charge, and Bossman comes off the second rope with a cross body, and Hogan pushes him over for 2. Earthquake gets an elbow for the pin on Bossman when Barbarian hits a kick from the apron at 9:08. Tugboat is such a non-factor that Gorilla and Piper forgot he was there. Hogan goes to slam Earthquake again, and 'Quake falls on him for 2. Earthquake misses a splash, and Hogan hot tags Tugboat. Tugboat knocks Earthquake to the ropes, and Hogan pulls him out. Tugboat and Earthquake brawl to a double countout at 11:33. Hogan has a brief encounter with Barbarian, who manages to botch a PILEDRIVER, but Hogan wins it with the usual at 14:49. Survivor: Hogan * ¾ Hogan beats up Heenan after the match, because that's what they do. Bobby always took a great shit-kicking for Hogan, I'll give him that.
Gene Okerlund talks to Randy Savage, who issues a challenge to the Ultimate Warrior, whom he refers to as “The Ultimate Chicken”. No, no, Ultimate poultry was later in the show.
The Alliance (Nikolai Volkoff, Tito Santana, and The Bushwhackers)
Vs
The Mercenaries (Sgt. Slaughter, Boris Zhukov and The Orient Express; with Mr. Fuji and Gen. Adnan)
Slaughter stops and does an interview before his team is introduced, mostly to generate an immense amount of heat during Operation: Desert Shield, which it did. This match is set up to showcase Slaughter as an upper mid-card ass-kicker, as his team is eliminated in two minutes: Tito pins Boris with a flying forearm at :48, Butch puns Sato after the Battering Ram at 1:46, and Tito pins Tanaka with the flying forearm at 2:13. Slaughter comes in and pummels Nikolai with elbows and a clothesline. Nikolai, does an amazing job of selling and bumping, and Slaughter pins him with an elbow drop at 5:25. The Bushwhackers double team Slaughter, but he pins Luke with a gut buster at 6:30. Butch comes in and gets clotheslined and pinned at 6:52. Tito fares better, though, hitting a dropkick and backdrop. He hits a forearm off the top, but Slaughter blocks a monkey flip. Slaughter hits a neckbreaker for 2. Backbreaker gets 2. Roddy Piper starts putting over the toughness of the Latin people, but it just comes off awkward. Suplex by Slaughter for 2. The ref gets bumped, and Tito hits the flying forearm. Adnan comes into the ring and nails Tito with his flagpole (the actual flagpole, not his dick) RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE REFEREE! Slaughter puts the Camel Clutch on Tito, but the ref calls for the DQ at 10:52. Way too quick to be anything of note. * Survivor: Tito Santana
Sean Mooney talks to Ted DiBiase & Rick Martel's team.
Gene Okerlund hosts the hatching of the Gobbledygooker. See, there was this giant egg that had been traveling around to various TV tapings, and it was set to hatch at Survivor Series. What was going to be in it? A debuting or returning wrestler? King Kong Bundy? Someone major from WCW or Japan? Nope. It was Hector Guerrero in a turkey costume. This is the REASON there is Botchamania. This has bad gimmick/angle awards named after it. After Gene and the Gooker dance in the ring and the crowd shits all over it, the Gooker would disappear until the gimmick battle royal at WM X-Seven.
Grand Finale Match of Survival:
Ted DiBiase (with Virgil), Rick Martel, Warlord, Paul Roma, and Hercules (with Slick)
Vs
Hulk Hogan, Tito Santana, & WWF Champion The Ultimate Warrior
Even as a kid I wondered why Tito was out there, but it might just be as a reward for years of loyal service, since he was a JTTS by this point. He gets his due by flattening Warlord with the flying forearm and pinning him at :28. Roma levels him right after. DiBiase comes in and hits Tito with a suplex. Tito hits a clothesline, but misses the flying forearm, and DiBiase gets a hotshot for the pin at 1:51. Hogan comes in and he has a short heat segment, even selling for Roma, who's just such a fucking jobber pile of shit asshole. Hercules wears Hogan out with punches, and DiBiase hits a couple of fist drops for 2. Herc sets Hogan for the Powerplex, but Hogan kicks out at 2, and Hogan finishes Roma with the AXE BOMBA at 5:57. Warrior tags in and pummels Martel, who decides that discretion is the better part of valor when Hogan hits the big boot and a clothesline sends him to the floor, and he's counted out at 7:17. DiBiase grabs control of Hogan, but that doesn't last, as Hogan clotheslines him in the corner, then the boot and legdrop gets the pin on DiBiase at 8:30. Hercules rushes in, and Hogan powerslams him. Warrior squashes him like a bug and pins him with a splash at 9:07. ** Survivors: Hogan & The Warrior. They hold the ropes open for each other in a show of mutual respect. I wish they had gone with the rematch of the century instead of Hogan-Slaughter and Warrior-Savage at WM VII, especially if Vince wanted to fill the L.A. Coliseum.
The Bottom Line: This would be the definition of “throwaway show” if not for two things: the debut of the Undertaker and the gigantic turd that was the Gobbledygooker. The rest of the show was distinctly not memorable. The matches were brief, and, for the most part, the right guys went over and the right guys were protected. Thumbs solidly in the middle.