1989.10.10 WWF Superstars on Skyy Sports
Jul 21, 2017 21:55:21 GMT -5
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Post by Shatter Machine on Jul 21, 2017 21:55:21 GMT -5
From London Arena in London, England. Attendance was around 15,000, and it was on Skyy Sports. This was never broadcast in the US, but I think parts of it may have shown up on various CV releases over the years. Graham Cawthon’s site says no, with the exception of the Rockers-Fabulous Rougeau Brothers match showing up on a show somewhere. Hosted by Tony Schiavone and Lord Al Hayes, with Gene Okerlund wandering around doing interviews. They had a split crew, with the other crew in Bakersfield, CA; in a show headlined by Roddy Piper and Rick Rude. There isn’t much else to say, other than the quick list of champions:
WWF World Champion: Hulk Hogan (2nd reign, 191 days)
WWF Intercontinental Champion: Ultimate Warrior: (2nd reign, 43 days)
WWF Tag Team Champions: Demolition (2nd reign, 8 days)
WWF Ladies Champion: Rockin’ Robin (1st reign, 368 days)
There was also a dark match listed, no time or finish (As usual, all my times come from Cagematch.net):
Dave Finlay, Mark Rocco & Skull Murphy defeat Al Perez, Dale Wolfe & Tim Horner
Boris Zhukov (with Nikolai Volkoff)
Vs
Koko B Ware
Koko gets a decent shine early, sending Zhukov to the floor a couple of times. Zhukov comes in and gets a knee to the gut and runs Koko to the buckle, but Koko no-sells and returns the favor. Because he’s black, see, and black guys have hard heads. Volkoff low bridges Koko, and he tumbles over the top to the floor, allowing Zhukov to take control with his ponderous offense. Koko gets a sunset flip hope spot, but Boris keeps pounding away. He grabs a chinlock, because he wasn’t moving slowly enough. Koko fights out, but runs into a boot in the corner. Boris covers for 2, then goes back to the chinlock. I swear I’m going to start calling him “Boring Zhukov” because I just typed that. Koko fights out, but misses an elbow. Zhukov gets 2. He whips Koko into the corner, but misses a blind charge, and Koko starts peppering him with fists, then head fakes him and finishes with a missile dropkick at 10:59. Koko was game, but Boris was a total lump. *
Gene Okerlund is with King Duggan.
Bret Hart
Vs
Dino Bravo (with Jimmy Hart)
Bravo was in the midst of the most puzzling upper-card/main event push of all, and Bret was basically a tag team wrestler who was split from his partner. Bravo is way over as a heel, but he’s such a useless lump. Bret bumps like a ping pong ball for him, with Bravo hitting a shoulderblock and an atomic drop. Bravo buries punches to the stomach, but Bret ducks a clothesline and hits a crossbody, an atomic drop, a dropkick, and a clothesline. Bravo, reeling, bails out, where Jimmy Hart consoles him. He climbs back to the apron, and Bret nails him and knocks him off. Bravo teases walking away from the match, but Jimmy talks him into coming back. Bret works an armwringer into an armbar, then starts pounding it. They do a leapfrog/crossover spot, but when Bravo tries a monkeyflip, Bret stops short and drops an elbow. Back to the armbar. Bret goes for a crucifix, but one of them fucks it up, so Bravo just gives him the arm and they go back to the armbar again. Bravo hits him, but Bret won’t let up and nails a forearm. He takes Bravo down and nails him in the gut, but Bravo gets a shot to the stomach and kicks him to the floor. He nails him across the chest on the apron a few times, then sends Bret to the railing. Bret said in his movie that he broke some ribs here and they had to ad lib the rest of the match, but he doesn’t seem to be particularly injured. Bravo kicks him in the head and drops an elbow for 2. Bravo works an chinlock, but Bret elbows out and Bravo gets 2 again. Bravo gets a reverse chinlock, but Bret comes out of it, so he hits a gut wrench for 2. Bret gets a backslide for 2. Bravo slows it right back down again with a bearhug, but they go back to the corner. Bravo whips him hard to the far corner for 2 and grabs the bearhug again. Bret fights free and Bravo eats boots on a charge. Bret misses a second rope elbow, and Bravo goes to the top, but Bret nails him in the stomach coming down. Bret fires away and hits a backdrop. He drops a leg for 2, then an inside cradle for 2. Backbreaker gets 2, and Bret starts bitching about the count. He goes for an O’Connor roll, but Bravo holds on, so Bret dropkicks him to the floor and hits a pescado, much to everyone’s delight. Bravo pulls him off the apron and slides back in to play to the crowd. Back in, Bret gets an O’Connor roll, but Bravo rolls through and manages to get the pin at 16:09. That was really good, especially for Bravo. *** ½
Gene Okerlund is with Jimmy Hart and the Honky Tonk Man, then Honky takes off and the Fabulous Rougeaus come in. I love the Rougeaus as heels with Jimmy.
King Duggan
Vs
Honky Tonk Man (with Jimmy Hart)
Duggan takes forever to get started, but does manage to get the crowd in London to chant “USA”, so I’ll give him some props. He also looks hilarious with the cape and crown on. Eventually, Duggan chases Honky down and pummels him. He controls with kicks and punches until Jimmy Hart distracts him long enough for HTM to get in a shot and take over. Honky uses a chinlock, but Duggan fights out. Duggan charges off the ropes, but Honky Tonk hits a knee to the stomach, and Duggan falls to the floor. He runs Duggan to the post, then brings him back in and hits a back elbow and goes to a neck crank that he turns into a chinlock on the mat. Duggan fires out of it, but Honky Tonk gets a thumb to the eye. Honky misses a charge to the corner and telegraphs a double ax, allowing Duggan to get a shot to the stomach and finish Honky off with the clothesline out of the 3-point stance at 9:06. Duggan goes after Jimmy Hart after the match, but Honky Tonk Man nails him with Jimmy’s megaphone. Duggan grabs his 2x4 and runs off Honky Tonk and Hart. It’s awesome that Honky was putting over everyone under the sun clean as a whistle after his I-C title reign ended over a year earlier. * ½
Gene Okerlund is with Jimmy Hart and Dino Bravo. I swear Hart is the only manager on this tour. Bravo cuts a promo about the tag match the following night, featuring he and Randy Savage against WWF Champion Hulk Hogan and Hacksaw Duggan in Birmingham. Duggan runs them off with his 2x4.
After a break, Gene is with WWF Champion Hulk Hogan and Elizabeth. Liz is absolutely SMOKING HOT here, like 11/10. She threatens to slap Savage.
The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers (Jacques and Raymond, with Jimmy Hart)
Vs
The Rockers (Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty)
The Rockers storm the ring and nail stereo crescent kicks to knock the Rougeaus to the floor. Everyone kind of gathers themselves, and Jacques does a nice kip-up and taunts Marty. They take turns showing off their athletic ability for a few minutes, then Marty tags Shawn, who does a flip off the top rope. The Rockers then mock the Rougeaus, trying to get them to do the same. Jacques tries to climb up, but is too unsteady, so he climbs down, steadies himself, then climbs back up. The Rockers shake the ropes and crotch him and the match begins in earnest. Shawn runs him into the buckle about 22 times and they hit a back elbow. Jacques tries to bail, but they drag him in. Marty hits a fist from the second rope, and Jacques scurries over to get the tag to Ray. They hug it out, and it’s Marty and Raymond in the ring. He doesn’t fare any better, as Marty drops an elbow on a dropdown. Ray tries the same thing, and of course, Marty moves. The hit a splash on his knee, and the Rockers switch in and out a couple of times behind the referee’s back. It’s so awesome to see this stuff, and it’s just not done anymore. This is a match that should be standard viewing at the performance center. Jacques’ indignance at the Rockers’ switches is INCREDIBLE. Shawn gets distracted by Jacques after a really, really long shine segment, and Ray knees him in the back to take control. They choke Shawn in the corner with the tag rope, then get a near-fall. Jacques shows off his acrobatics again, then stomps on Shawn’s fingers. Shawn gets karate kicked to the floor by Raymond, and when Marty comes over to tend to him, the ref chases him back to the corner. Lord Al explains that one of the rules is that when your partner goes to the floor, you must hold the tag team rope. Shawn finally makes it back in, and Ray turns him over into an almost Boston Crab, but just slingshots him into the corner, where Jacques nails him. Ray puts on the crab, and Jacques drops the knee across his back. They do the flying gutbuster on Shawn, and Jacques gets a rollup for 2. Abdominal stretch by Jacques, and they do the partner assist bit behind the ref’s back. Ray comes in, but Marty can’t stand it, and HE comes in, allowing a Rougeau double-team. Raymond puts on a reverse chinlock, but Shawn almost manages a tag by dragging him to Marty in the corner. Ray flattens him, then he and Ray fight over a rolling short-arm scissors. Shawn fights for the tag, but Marty distracts the ref, and the Rougeaus get a double-team for 2. Shawn forces Jacques back, and Ray cuts him off but nailing Marty, allowing a double-team again as the ref puts him out. They do the false tag, but Shawn dodges a knee from Jacques, who hits Raymond, and Shawn makes the ULTRA RED-HOT TAG to Marty, who hits everything that moves, including Jimmy Hart. He gets a backslide for about a 9-count on Jacques, but Ray has the ref distracted. Ray trips Marty, Jacques hits him with a piledriver, then the Rougeaus go to hit Marty with Jimmy Hart’s megaphone. The ref grabs it and while he’s putting Raymond out, Michaels grabs it and nails Jacques, and Marty falls on him for the pin at 24:09. Holy balls that was absolutely fucking amazing. Why have I never seen this before? **** ½
The Brooklyn Brawler
Vs
Paul Roma
Brawler jumps him at the bell, but Roma manages a leapfrog. Brawler clotheslines him, then they go to the corner. They start duking it out, and Roma hits a hiptoss and a dropkick. Tony Schiavone is just giving Roma such a verbal blowjob here. They start shoving, then trading punches again. Roma gets a brief headlock, and Brawler misses a charge to the corner. He works the headlock again, then more punches. Roma goes back to the headlock, then comes off three different corners with forearms. Brawler takes a walk, then Roma chases him around ringside. Brawler hits a backbreaker coming in, and that gets 2. He sends Roma to the corner and bites his forehead. Slam, and Brawler goes up. Roma slams him off and hits a clothesline. Brawler begs off into the corner, but Roma catches him and muscles him into a running powerslam for 2. Delayed suplex gets 2 for Roma, and he goes up. He hits a top rope cross-body, but Brawler rolls through and pulls the trunks for the pin at 6:13. That was a decent sprint. I wonder who Roma pissed off to have to put the fucking Brooklyn Brawler over? * ½
Gene Okerlund talks to Randy Savage and Sensational Sherri.
WWF Championship:
Hulk Hogan (Champion, with Elizabeth)
Vs
Randy Savage (with Sensational Sherri)
Savage is the ultimate heel, running his mouth, ducking out of the ring, and just generally being a dick here. He grabs a quick headlock, but Hogan mows him down with a shoulderblock. Savage bails out and throws a chair into the ring, so Hogan sits in it. Hogan chases Savage around the floor, and Savage just runs and runs. He grabs the house mic and cuts a quick promo, dedicating his win tonight to “The prettiest woman who ever walked the face of the earth, Sensational Sherri.” Sherri and Savage get Hogan down and start kicking him in the ring. Savage gets knocked out of the ring, leaving Hogan alone with Sherri. He sends her for the ride, but Savage pulls her out, so Hogan runs them both to the apron. Savage menaces Liz, so Hogan nails him. They go back in, and Hogan sends him in and catches a boot. He hits the corner elbows, then a choke lift. Sherri is up on the apron, so Liz dumps her into the ring. All this distraction leads to Savage nailing Hogan. Sherri tries to run Hogan to the post, but all it does is piss him off. Savage hits a double ax off the apron, and they both put the boots to him. Savage comes off the top to the floor with the double ax, then does the same in the ring for 2. He gets a chinlock, which he turns into a sleeper. Hogan fades, then elbows his way out and mows Savage down with a shoulderblock. They clothesline each other down, then each guy misses a couple of elbows. Savage gets a rollup for 2. Savage gets about six near-falls, then he goes to a sleeper again. Hogan comes up, then goes back down and fades almost completely. Sherri is so completely coked up, running her mouth at Liz on the floor, but Hogan powers up and drops an elbow on Savage. Sherri trips Hogan, so he grabs her, allowing Savage to nail him. He grabs Sherri’s loaded purse and nails Hogan with it, but pulls him up at 2 so that he can finish him with the elbow. He drops it, and Hogan pops up. Boot, then Hogan holds Savage for a slap from Liz, who has to kick Sherri away. He nails Savage with a clothesline and drops the leg for the pin at 14:04 as Liz keeps Sherri from breaking up the pin. Hogan runs Savage and Sherri’s heads together and celebrates in the ring after the win. Pretty much a paint-by-numbers Hogan 1989 title defense against Savage. (Not saying that’s a bad thing.) *** ½
And now it’s time for my show awards, the idea for which I totally stole from the PBTN Podcast:
Best Performer: This is hard, because there are so many choices: Sherri, The Rockers, the Rougeaus, Bret, Savage, or Hogan. I’m going to go with the Rougeaus. Their heel work was so amazing here, they sold when they had to, they were the perfect assholes when they had to be, and they put over the babyfaces in every way possible.
Worst Performer: Boris Zhukov. I never understood this guy at all, and he just wasn’t any good here. Koko couldn’t get anything out of him, and Volkoff, on the floor, actually worked harder than he did.
Best Match: Obviously, it’s the Rockers-Rougeaus. I was thinking that it was going to be 5-stars, but the end really killed that idea. Apart from that, it was basically a perfect tag-team match. I loved every single second of it, and I can’t wait to get my hands on the marathon tag team match from that unreleased gems DVD or whatever it’s going to be called.
Worst Match: Koko B. Ware Vs Boris Zhukov. What a boring shitpile this one was. Zhukov just used restholds and Koko couldn’t drag him out of neutral. The Duggan-HTM match was only a little better, but I love seeing Honky get beaten clean, so it’s the opener.
The Bottom Line: This was a really good show, with a crazy-hot crowd throughout. The WWF had not toured the UK before, and it showed here with the turnout. They’d keep doing it, building until they had SummerSlam ’92 fill Wembley Stadium three years later. The matches were paced perfectly, and in a totally correct order to allow the crowd to catch their breath. The Rockers-Rougeaus match really put this one over the top for me. 8/10 recommended show.
WWF World Champion: Hulk Hogan (2nd reign, 191 days)
WWF Intercontinental Champion: Ultimate Warrior: (2nd reign, 43 days)
WWF Tag Team Champions: Demolition (2nd reign, 8 days)
WWF Ladies Champion: Rockin’ Robin (1st reign, 368 days)
There was also a dark match listed, no time or finish (As usual, all my times come from Cagematch.net):
Dave Finlay, Mark Rocco & Skull Murphy defeat Al Perez, Dale Wolfe & Tim Horner
Boris Zhukov (with Nikolai Volkoff)
Vs
Koko B Ware
Koko gets a decent shine early, sending Zhukov to the floor a couple of times. Zhukov comes in and gets a knee to the gut and runs Koko to the buckle, but Koko no-sells and returns the favor. Because he’s black, see, and black guys have hard heads. Volkoff low bridges Koko, and he tumbles over the top to the floor, allowing Zhukov to take control with his ponderous offense. Koko gets a sunset flip hope spot, but Boris keeps pounding away. He grabs a chinlock, because he wasn’t moving slowly enough. Koko fights out, but runs into a boot in the corner. Boris covers for 2, then goes back to the chinlock. I swear I’m going to start calling him “Boring Zhukov” because I just typed that. Koko fights out, but misses an elbow. Zhukov gets 2. He whips Koko into the corner, but misses a blind charge, and Koko starts peppering him with fists, then head fakes him and finishes with a missile dropkick at 10:59. Koko was game, but Boris was a total lump. *
Gene Okerlund is with King Duggan.
Bret Hart
Vs
Dino Bravo (with Jimmy Hart)
Bravo was in the midst of the most puzzling upper-card/main event push of all, and Bret was basically a tag team wrestler who was split from his partner. Bravo is way over as a heel, but he’s such a useless lump. Bret bumps like a ping pong ball for him, with Bravo hitting a shoulderblock and an atomic drop. Bravo buries punches to the stomach, but Bret ducks a clothesline and hits a crossbody, an atomic drop, a dropkick, and a clothesline. Bravo, reeling, bails out, where Jimmy Hart consoles him. He climbs back to the apron, and Bret nails him and knocks him off. Bravo teases walking away from the match, but Jimmy talks him into coming back. Bret works an armwringer into an armbar, then starts pounding it. They do a leapfrog/crossover spot, but when Bravo tries a monkeyflip, Bret stops short and drops an elbow. Back to the armbar. Bret goes for a crucifix, but one of them fucks it up, so Bravo just gives him the arm and they go back to the armbar again. Bravo hits him, but Bret won’t let up and nails a forearm. He takes Bravo down and nails him in the gut, but Bravo gets a shot to the stomach and kicks him to the floor. He nails him across the chest on the apron a few times, then sends Bret to the railing. Bret said in his movie that he broke some ribs here and they had to ad lib the rest of the match, but he doesn’t seem to be particularly injured. Bravo kicks him in the head and drops an elbow for 2. Bravo works an chinlock, but Bret elbows out and Bravo gets 2 again. Bravo gets a reverse chinlock, but Bret comes out of it, so he hits a gut wrench for 2. Bret gets a backslide for 2. Bravo slows it right back down again with a bearhug, but they go back to the corner. Bravo whips him hard to the far corner for 2 and grabs the bearhug again. Bret fights free and Bravo eats boots on a charge. Bret misses a second rope elbow, and Bravo goes to the top, but Bret nails him in the stomach coming down. Bret fires away and hits a backdrop. He drops a leg for 2, then an inside cradle for 2. Backbreaker gets 2, and Bret starts bitching about the count. He goes for an O’Connor roll, but Bravo holds on, so Bret dropkicks him to the floor and hits a pescado, much to everyone’s delight. Bravo pulls him off the apron and slides back in to play to the crowd. Back in, Bret gets an O’Connor roll, but Bravo rolls through and manages to get the pin at 16:09. That was really good, especially for Bravo. *** ½
Gene Okerlund is with Jimmy Hart and the Honky Tonk Man, then Honky takes off and the Fabulous Rougeaus come in. I love the Rougeaus as heels with Jimmy.
King Duggan
Vs
Honky Tonk Man (with Jimmy Hart)
Duggan takes forever to get started, but does manage to get the crowd in London to chant “USA”, so I’ll give him some props. He also looks hilarious with the cape and crown on. Eventually, Duggan chases Honky down and pummels him. He controls with kicks and punches until Jimmy Hart distracts him long enough for HTM to get in a shot and take over. Honky uses a chinlock, but Duggan fights out. Duggan charges off the ropes, but Honky Tonk hits a knee to the stomach, and Duggan falls to the floor. He runs Duggan to the post, then brings him back in and hits a back elbow and goes to a neck crank that he turns into a chinlock on the mat. Duggan fires out of it, but Honky Tonk gets a thumb to the eye. Honky misses a charge to the corner and telegraphs a double ax, allowing Duggan to get a shot to the stomach and finish Honky off with the clothesline out of the 3-point stance at 9:06. Duggan goes after Jimmy Hart after the match, but Honky Tonk Man nails him with Jimmy’s megaphone. Duggan grabs his 2x4 and runs off Honky Tonk and Hart. It’s awesome that Honky was putting over everyone under the sun clean as a whistle after his I-C title reign ended over a year earlier. * ½
Gene Okerlund is with Jimmy Hart and Dino Bravo. I swear Hart is the only manager on this tour. Bravo cuts a promo about the tag match the following night, featuring he and Randy Savage against WWF Champion Hulk Hogan and Hacksaw Duggan in Birmingham. Duggan runs them off with his 2x4.
After a break, Gene is with WWF Champion Hulk Hogan and Elizabeth. Liz is absolutely SMOKING HOT here, like 11/10. She threatens to slap Savage.
The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers (Jacques and Raymond, with Jimmy Hart)
Vs
The Rockers (Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty)
The Rockers storm the ring and nail stereo crescent kicks to knock the Rougeaus to the floor. Everyone kind of gathers themselves, and Jacques does a nice kip-up and taunts Marty. They take turns showing off their athletic ability for a few minutes, then Marty tags Shawn, who does a flip off the top rope. The Rockers then mock the Rougeaus, trying to get them to do the same. Jacques tries to climb up, but is too unsteady, so he climbs down, steadies himself, then climbs back up. The Rockers shake the ropes and crotch him and the match begins in earnest. Shawn runs him into the buckle about 22 times and they hit a back elbow. Jacques tries to bail, but they drag him in. Marty hits a fist from the second rope, and Jacques scurries over to get the tag to Ray. They hug it out, and it’s Marty and Raymond in the ring. He doesn’t fare any better, as Marty drops an elbow on a dropdown. Ray tries the same thing, and of course, Marty moves. The hit a splash on his knee, and the Rockers switch in and out a couple of times behind the referee’s back. It’s so awesome to see this stuff, and it’s just not done anymore. This is a match that should be standard viewing at the performance center. Jacques’ indignance at the Rockers’ switches is INCREDIBLE. Shawn gets distracted by Jacques after a really, really long shine segment, and Ray knees him in the back to take control. They choke Shawn in the corner with the tag rope, then get a near-fall. Jacques shows off his acrobatics again, then stomps on Shawn’s fingers. Shawn gets karate kicked to the floor by Raymond, and when Marty comes over to tend to him, the ref chases him back to the corner. Lord Al explains that one of the rules is that when your partner goes to the floor, you must hold the tag team rope. Shawn finally makes it back in, and Ray turns him over into an almost Boston Crab, but just slingshots him into the corner, where Jacques nails him. Ray puts on the crab, and Jacques drops the knee across his back. They do the flying gutbuster on Shawn, and Jacques gets a rollup for 2. Abdominal stretch by Jacques, and they do the partner assist bit behind the ref’s back. Ray comes in, but Marty can’t stand it, and HE comes in, allowing a Rougeau double-team. Raymond puts on a reverse chinlock, but Shawn almost manages a tag by dragging him to Marty in the corner. Ray flattens him, then he and Ray fight over a rolling short-arm scissors. Shawn fights for the tag, but Marty distracts the ref, and the Rougeaus get a double-team for 2. Shawn forces Jacques back, and Ray cuts him off but nailing Marty, allowing a double-team again as the ref puts him out. They do the false tag, but Shawn dodges a knee from Jacques, who hits Raymond, and Shawn makes the ULTRA RED-HOT TAG to Marty, who hits everything that moves, including Jimmy Hart. He gets a backslide for about a 9-count on Jacques, but Ray has the ref distracted. Ray trips Marty, Jacques hits him with a piledriver, then the Rougeaus go to hit Marty with Jimmy Hart’s megaphone. The ref grabs it and while he’s putting Raymond out, Michaels grabs it and nails Jacques, and Marty falls on him for the pin at 24:09. Holy balls that was absolutely fucking amazing. Why have I never seen this before? **** ½
The Brooklyn Brawler
Vs
Paul Roma
Brawler jumps him at the bell, but Roma manages a leapfrog. Brawler clotheslines him, then they go to the corner. They start duking it out, and Roma hits a hiptoss and a dropkick. Tony Schiavone is just giving Roma such a verbal blowjob here. They start shoving, then trading punches again. Roma gets a brief headlock, and Brawler misses a charge to the corner. He works the headlock again, then more punches. Roma goes back to the headlock, then comes off three different corners with forearms. Brawler takes a walk, then Roma chases him around ringside. Brawler hits a backbreaker coming in, and that gets 2. He sends Roma to the corner and bites his forehead. Slam, and Brawler goes up. Roma slams him off and hits a clothesline. Brawler begs off into the corner, but Roma catches him and muscles him into a running powerslam for 2. Delayed suplex gets 2 for Roma, and he goes up. He hits a top rope cross-body, but Brawler rolls through and pulls the trunks for the pin at 6:13. That was a decent sprint. I wonder who Roma pissed off to have to put the fucking Brooklyn Brawler over? * ½
Gene Okerlund talks to Randy Savage and Sensational Sherri.
WWF Championship:
Hulk Hogan (Champion, with Elizabeth)
Vs
Randy Savage (with Sensational Sherri)
Savage is the ultimate heel, running his mouth, ducking out of the ring, and just generally being a dick here. He grabs a quick headlock, but Hogan mows him down with a shoulderblock. Savage bails out and throws a chair into the ring, so Hogan sits in it. Hogan chases Savage around the floor, and Savage just runs and runs. He grabs the house mic and cuts a quick promo, dedicating his win tonight to “The prettiest woman who ever walked the face of the earth, Sensational Sherri.” Sherri and Savage get Hogan down and start kicking him in the ring. Savage gets knocked out of the ring, leaving Hogan alone with Sherri. He sends her for the ride, but Savage pulls her out, so Hogan runs them both to the apron. Savage menaces Liz, so Hogan nails him. They go back in, and Hogan sends him in and catches a boot. He hits the corner elbows, then a choke lift. Sherri is up on the apron, so Liz dumps her into the ring. All this distraction leads to Savage nailing Hogan. Sherri tries to run Hogan to the post, but all it does is piss him off. Savage hits a double ax off the apron, and they both put the boots to him. Savage comes off the top to the floor with the double ax, then does the same in the ring for 2. He gets a chinlock, which he turns into a sleeper. Hogan fades, then elbows his way out and mows Savage down with a shoulderblock. They clothesline each other down, then each guy misses a couple of elbows. Savage gets a rollup for 2. Savage gets about six near-falls, then he goes to a sleeper again. Hogan comes up, then goes back down and fades almost completely. Sherri is so completely coked up, running her mouth at Liz on the floor, but Hogan powers up and drops an elbow on Savage. Sherri trips Hogan, so he grabs her, allowing Savage to nail him. He grabs Sherri’s loaded purse and nails Hogan with it, but pulls him up at 2 so that he can finish him with the elbow. He drops it, and Hogan pops up. Boot, then Hogan holds Savage for a slap from Liz, who has to kick Sherri away. He nails Savage with a clothesline and drops the leg for the pin at 14:04 as Liz keeps Sherri from breaking up the pin. Hogan runs Savage and Sherri’s heads together and celebrates in the ring after the win. Pretty much a paint-by-numbers Hogan 1989 title defense against Savage. (Not saying that’s a bad thing.) *** ½
And now it’s time for my show awards, the idea for which I totally stole from the PBTN Podcast:
Best Performer: This is hard, because there are so many choices: Sherri, The Rockers, the Rougeaus, Bret, Savage, or Hogan. I’m going to go with the Rougeaus. Their heel work was so amazing here, they sold when they had to, they were the perfect assholes when they had to be, and they put over the babyfaces in every way possible.
Worst Performer: Boris Zhukov. I never understood this guy at all, and he just wasn’t any good here. Koko couldn’t get anything out of him, and Volkoff, on the floor, actually worked harder than he did.
Best Match: Obviously, it’s the Rockers-Rougeaus. I was thinking that it was going to be 5-stars, but the end really killed that idea. Apart from that, it was basically a perfect tag-team match. I loved every single second of it, and I can’t wait to get my hands on the marathon tag team match from that unreleased gems DVD or whatever it’s going to be called.
Worst Match: Koko B. Ware Vs Boris Zhukov. What a boring shitpile this one was. Zhukov just used restholds and Koko couldn’t drag him out of neutral. The Duggan-HTM match was only a little better, but I love seeing Honky get beaten clean, so it’s the opener.
The Bottom Line: This was a really good show, with a crazy-hot crowd throughout. The WWF had not toured the UK before, and it showed here with the turnout. They’d keep doing it, building until they had SummerSlam ’92 fill Wembley Stadium three years later. The matches were paced perfectly, and in a totally correct order to allow the crowd to catch their breath. The Rockers-Rougeaus match really put this one over the top for me. 8/10 recommended show.