WWF Championship Wrestling October 27th, 1984

October 27, 1984

Your hosts are Bruno Sammartino and Vince McMahon

This week’s featured match is the Tonga Kid vs. Roddy Piper. Also, JYD, Paul Orndorff, Adrian Adonis & Dick Murdoch, and Brutus Beefcake will all be in action.

John Callahan vs. Junkyard Dog

Callahan attacks JYD as he enters but gets knocked down quickly. JYD hits a forearm smash then uses his crawling headbutts. Callahan comically oversells everything as Vince cant get enough of JYD’s taunts. He bites Callahan’s forehead then eventually gets the win with a running forearm smash (3:31). After the match, JYD dances with the fans as Vince talks about how he can boogie in and out of the ring.

Thoughts: Match was pretty bad but JYD was really over with the crowds. They were desperate for faces in the mid-card and JYD was an instant success.

WWF Update with Lord Alfred Hayes. This week’s subject is Kamala and his translator Friday. They show a clip of him beating Jose Luis Rivera from a few weeks ago. Kamala would be gone from the WWF in a few weeks.

Rick McGraw vs. Paul Orndorff

The “Paula” chants are in full effect. Orndorff starts by shoving McGraw, which triggers a brawl. Orndorff wins that easily then hits a backdrop. He hits a backbreaker then drops an elbow before grabbing a chinlock. McGraw breaks and starts a comeback. He hits a dropkick and gets two off a sunset flip. He tries a flying headscissors but Orndorff tosses him throat first on the ropes. He hits a swinging neckbreaker then gets the win with a piledriver (2:39).

Thoughts: Orndorff beat the shit out of McGraw. Orndorff squash matches are usually entertaining and this was no exception. Orndorff is another wrestler who needs a feud but the lack of quality faces is the problem.

Gene Okerlund plugs the November 26^th show at Madison Square Garden. He brings out Greg Valentine, who talks about his rematch against Tito Santana. He promises to put him in the figure-four leg lock.

David Sammartino vs. Charlie Fulton

Sammartino shoves Fulton away a few times before they lock up. Sammartino hits a backdrop then goes to work on the arm. He ducks a clothesline and hits a scoop slam before going back to the arm. Sammartino hits several forearm smashes before catching him with a powerslam for the win (3:19). Finkle calls him David Bruno Sammartino.

Thoughts: Decent enough but Sammartino is not getting that much of a reaction. He is okay in the ring but lacks the charisma that his father has, to say the least.

Gene Okerlund is with Big John Studd and Bobby Heenan. He wants to put up $15,000 against Hulk Hogan’s title. He is outraged that he lost to Hogan in Los Angeles. Heenan says that they will win the belt in the Battle Royal on the November 27^th show in Los Angeles.

Mario Mancini & Tony Garea vs. Adrian Adonis & Dick Murdoch

Garea and Murdoch start out, with Vince mentioning his previous title reigns. Garea ducks an attack and knocks down Murdoch. They do some matwork and Murdoch manages to tag out despite being in a headscissors. Adonis comes in but Garea knocks him out of the ring and cleans house. Murdoch tags in and Garea puts him in an abdominal stretch. Adonis breaks that up and Garea tags out. They rough up Mancini until Adonis gets the win with a top rope elbow drop (3:19).

Thoughts: It’s ridiculous to see how they protect a jobber like Garea. Hell, they protected him then better than the WWE protects their current Intercontinental Champion. Adonis and Murdoch were a good team. Adonis was also packing on the pounds at this point.

Piper’s Pit with Greg Valentine and Capt. Lou Albano. The Captain wants Valentine and Piper to “bury the hatchet,” which was in reference to their feud in the NWA from last year. They shake hands as Piper puts over Albano. It was a love-fest between the heels and a fine segment.

Salvatore Bellomo vs. Brutus Beefcake w/Luscious Johnny Valiant

Vince drools over Beefcake’s physique. Bellomo blocks a punch and grabs a headlock. They then fuck up an armdrag spot and Bellomo uses a hiptoss as Beefcake takes a breather in the corner. Beefcake ducks an attack and hits a flying knee smash for the win (1:49).

Thoughts: Awful match. No one cares about Beefcake as the fans are silent whenever he appears. He was not over at all when he first started, no matter how much Vince talks about his physique. Bellomo was is usual self, which meant he was terrible.

Tonga Kid vs. “Rowdy” Roddy Piper

Piper stalls by slowly walking around the ring. He pulls down Tonga and goes in the ring and beats him down. Tonga somersaults underneath a clothesline attempt and gets a crossbody block. He beats on Piper in the corner and hits a few headbutts. He hits a dropkick and the fans are going nuts. Piper begs for mercy for a bit then uses Tonga’s momentum to toss him over the ropes. Piper rolls Tonga back in the ring and grabs a chair. Tonga ducks a chairshot and knocks Piper down. He hits a top rope headbutt grabs the chair instead of covering and wails on Piper as the ref rings the bell for the DQ (3:40). Hw goes nuts as several heels run in to get him away. Tonga goes back and jumps on Piper, who gets taken out of the ring. Tonga celebrates in the ring.

Thoughts: The match was fine but the finish was wild and it turned the Tonga Kid into a star. Piper was awesome, nailing all of the heel mannerisms to go along with his brilliant selling of Tonga’s offense. Speaking of the Tonga Kid, he did great and showed a ton of fire, especially for someone who was only 19 years old that the time.

Gene Okerlund is with Ken Patera, who states everal magazines wrote about how he  beat Bruno Sammartino in 1979 then runs down his son, David, and says that Lou Albano will be in his corner when he faces Sammartino at MSG on Noember 26^th.

Bruno Sammartino holds up the chair from the previous match as the camera closes up on a dent. Vince states that since Piper brought in the chair, Tonga Kid won by disqualification. They plug next week’s featured match, which is Judy Martin vs. Wendi Richter in a non-title match.

Final Thoughts: The featured bout was great. There was some really bad wrestling but the Piper/Tonga feud is really hot and they are continuing to get JYD over as a face act. They need to work on a feud for the tag-champs as the Samoans were about done and they were using JYD & Slaughter to go against Sheik & Volkoff for the house shows.