July 27, 1985
Your hosts are Bruno Sammartino and Vince McMahon
In action tonight are Junkyard Dog & George Steele, Nikolai Volkoff & Iron Sheik, and Pedro Morales & Tito Santana. Plus, Randy Savage and Paul Orndorff in singles action.
Les Thornton & Mr. X vs. Pedro Morales & Tito Santana
The fans go nuts for Tito. Morales takes Thornton over with a headlock and works that for a minute. Mr. Fuji joins the booth and says that he should win the "Manager of the Year" award. Tito tags and takes control for a bit. He ends up in the wrong corner but is able to escape and tag Morales. He roughs up Mr. X for a bit then Tito tags and gets the win with the flying forearm (3:40).
Thoughts: This was a nothing match. Thornton was billed as the WWF Jr. Light Heavyweight Champion but was used exclusively as a jobber during this run with the company. Morales might have been the laziest wrestler in the company in 1985. The crowd loved Tito though.
WWF Update with Lord Alfred Hayes. This week, Hayes lets us know that Greg Valentine believes he only lost his Intercontinental Championship due to an incompetent referee.
Mario Mancini vs. Randy "Macho Man" Savage
Mancini surprises Savage with an arm drag to start. Savage gets pissed then angers the crowd before taking control. He hits Mancini with a knee in the back of the head before tossing him to the floor. Savage hits his top rope double axe handle before rolling Mancini back into the ring. Savage hits a slam then goes up top but jumps off and rams him into the corner. I think Savage was pissed at Mancini, thinking he was going to stay down for his finish, so he slams him down then kills him with the top rope elbow drop, covering Mancini with his knee while flexing his muscles (3:06).
Thoughts: Fun match. Savage was so fucking good at antagonizing the crowd. They couldn't stand him. The #1 free agent gimmick they used was awesome too. There was some truth to that as he was wrestling for an outlaw promotion before going to the WWF.
Gene Okerlund is with Ricky Steamboat and asks him about last week's attack by Don Muraco and Mr. Fuji. He cuts a promo about himself and partner at the upcoming Boston Garden house show, JYD, dealing with racism. He then proceeds to choke himself with his bandana and promises to unleash the "fist of fury" onto Muraco and Fuji. I admire Steamboat's intensity in his promos but other than that, he was as over-the-top ridiculous as any other performer the WWF had in the 1980's.
Salvatore Bellomo vs. Greg "The Hammer" Valentine w/Jimmy Hart, Brutus Beefcake, and Johnny Valiant
Valentine is pissed over losing the IC title. He backs Bellomo into the corner then hammers away. He hits a shoulderbreaker then the fans go nuts as Hillbilly Jim and Uncle Elmer make their way ringside. Valentine works the arm as Hart is squawking away on the megaphone. Bellomo makes a comeback, hitting a dropkick and a snapmare. He tries a reverse rollup but Valentine shakes him off then drops an elbow and shortly after that, he puts him away with the figure four leglock (3:23).
Thoughts: No idea what the deal was with the Hillbillies as they came out but no confrontation was teased.
Okerlund is with Roddy Piper about his match against Paul Orndorff. Piper mocks Okerlund for his comments about the match not being a "walk in the park" then claims that he once fought the entire city of Boston and won. He then blames Orndorff for losing at WrestleMania. Good promo by Piper
Keith Diamond & "Leaping" Lanny Poffo vs. Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff w/Freddie Blassie
The crowd starts a "U-S-A" chant. Lanny gets a few nearfalls before tagging out. Diamond is sent to the floor by Volkoff. Sheik tags then hits a suplex before applying the Camel Clutch for the win (1:53).
Thoughts: This match was nothing, really. The crowd still hates Sheik & Volkoff and the Russian National anthem gimmick continues to draw a lot of heat.
Piper's Pit with guests Adrian Adonis and Bobby Heenan, with the suitcase containing the $25,000 bounty. Piper talks about how Orndorff is wrestling tonight and could use the money. Adonis has his own briefcase and says he had awful partner but now has Bobby Heenan. Piper lets us know that Orndorff is wrestling next. It was pretty clear after this segment that Piper was going to be involved in some way in Orndorff;s match.
The Axe vs. Paul Orndorff
Orndorff gets attacked from behind but fights right back. He hits a slam then a clothesline before hitting the piledriver but Roddy Piper runs in and attacks Orndorff right as he makes a cover for the DQ (0:47). Piper tosses Orndorff to the floor then attempts to grab a chair from Heenan, who is now on the apron, but Orndorff is able to come back in and fight back. Bob Orton runs out and helps Piper beat on Orndorff as Heenan is screaming out orders. Tito Santana and several other jobbers run out and attempt to break up the fight. Several more jobbers then run out and things finally get under control.
Thoughts: This was all just a set up for the brawl between Orndorff and Piper and it worked great.
Captain Lou Albano gives us a PSA about wearing seatbelts.
Jerry Adams & AJ Petruzzi vs. Junkyard Dog & George Steele w/Capt. Lou Albano
The faces work the arm of Adams. JYD then hits a few headbutts before tagging Steele. He rams Allen in the corner then eats the turnbuckle, throwing the stuffing around. He does the same in the opposite corner but this allow Adams to tag out. The faces maintain control then Steele gets the win with a flying hammerlock (4:02). Steele proceeds to throw the stuffing all over the place as Albano finally gets him to stop. Then, JYD and Albano try to teach Steele to dance and he starts to mimic JYD.
Thoughts: It was weird seeing Steele tag in and out like a regular wrestler but the match as nothing and the crowd didnt seem to care at all about this team. There was no chemistry at all between JYD and Steele and honestly, it is tough to develop chemistry with Steele as a partner due to his gimmick. It only works as a singles wrestler.
Okerlund is backstage with Mr. Fuji. He cuts a wacky promo on Ricky Steamboat. He also laughed a lot too
Next week in action are the Hart Foundation (The first time on TV they are referred to as that), Barry Windham & Mike Rotundo, and the British Bulldogs. Also in action are Terry Funk, Randy Savage and the Missing Link plus "Piper's Pit" with guest Tito Santana
Final Thoughts: This show was okay. The Piper/Orndorff feud continued and the brawl was great but everything else was forgettable. They also heavily promoted the feud between Muraco and Steamboat through backstage interviews. Besides that, it was a skippable show.
Your hosts are Bruno Sammartino and Vince McMahon
In action tonight are Junkyard Dog & George Steele, Nikolai Volkoff & Iron Sheik, and Pedro Morales & Tito Santana. Plus, Randy Savage and Paul Orndorff in singles action.
Les Thornton & Mr. X vs. Pedro Morales & Tito Santana
The fans go nuts for Tito. Morales takes Thornton over with a headlock and works that for a minute. Mr. Fuji joins the booth and says that he should win the "Manager of the Year" award. Tito tags and takes control for a bit. He ends up in the wrong corner but is able to escape and tag Morales. He roughs up Mr. X for a bit then Tito tags and gets the win with the flying forearm (3:40).
Thoughts: This was a nothing match. Thornton was billed as the WWF Jr. Light Heavyweight Champion but was used exclusively as a jobber during this run with the company. Morales might have been the laziest wrestler in the company in 1985. The crowd loved Tito though.
WWF Update with Lord Alfred Hayes. This week, Hayes lets us know that Greg Valentine believes he only lost his Intercontinental Championship due to an incompetent referee.
Mario Mancini vs. Randy "Macho Man" Savage
Mancini surprises Savage with an arm drag to start. Savage gets pissed then angers the crowd before taking control. He hits Mancini with a knee in the back of the head before tossing him to the floor. Savage hits his top rope double axe handle before rolling Mancini back into the ring. Savage hits a slam then goes up top but jumps off and rams him into the corner. I think Savage was pissed at Mancini, thinking he was going to stay down for his finish, so he slams him down then kills him with the top rope elbow drop, covering Mancini with his knee while flexing his muscles (3:06).
Thoughts: Fun match. Savage was so fucking good at antagonizing the crowd. They couldn't stand him. The #1 free agent gimmick they used was awesome too. There was some truth to that as he was wrestling for an outlaw promotion before going to the WWF.
Gene Okerlund is with Ricky Steamboat and asks him about last week's attack by Don Muraco and Mr. Fuji. He cuts a promo about himself and partner at the upcoming Boston Garden house show, JYD, dealing with racism. He then proceeds to choke himself with his bandana and promises to unleash the "fist of fury" onto Muraco and Fuji. I admire Steamboat's intensity in his promos but other than that, he was as over-the-top ridiculous as any other performer the WWF had in the 1980's.
Salvatore Bellomo vs. Greg "The Hammer" Valentine w/Jimmy Hart, Brutus Beefcake, and Johnny Valiant
Valentine is pissed over losing the IC title. He backs Bellomo into the corner then hammers away. He hits a shoulderbreaker then the fans go nuts as Hillbilly Jim and Uncle Elmer make their way ringside. Valentine works the arm as Hart is squawking away on the megaphone. Bellomo makes a comeback, hitting a dropkick and a snapmare. He tries a reverse rollup but Valentine shakes him off then drops an elbow and shortly after that, he puts him away with the figure four leglock (3:23).
Thoughts: No idea what the deal was with the Hillbillies as they came out but no confrontation was teased.
Okerlund is with Roddy Piper about his match against Paul Orndorff. Piper mocks Okerlund for his comments about the match not being a "walk in the park" then claims that he once fought the entire city of Boston and won. He then blames Orndorff for losing at WrestleMania. Good promo by Piper
Keith Diamond & "Leaping" Lanny Poffo vs. Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff w/Freddie Blassie
The crowd starts a "U-S-A" chant. Lanny gets a few nearfalls before tagging out. Diamond is sent to the floor by Volkoff. Sheik tags then hits a suplex before applying the Camel Clutch for the win (1:53).
Thoughts: This match was nothing, really. The crowd still hates Sheik & Volkoff and the Russian National anthem gimmick continues to draw a lot of heat.
Piper's Pit with guests Adrian Adonis and Bobby Heenan, with the suitcase containing the $25,000 bounty. Piper talks about how Orndorff is wrestling tonight and could use the money. Adonis has his own briefcase and says he had awful partner but now has Bobby Heenan. Piper lets us know that Orndorff is wrestling next. It was pretty clear after this segment that Piper was going to be involved in some way in Orndorff;s match.
The Axe vs. Paul Orndorff
Orndorff gets attacked from behind but fights right back. He hits a slam then a clothesline before hitting the piledriver but Roddy Piper runs in and attacks Orndorff right as he makes a cover for the DQ (0:47). Piper tosses Orndorff to the floor then attempts to grab a chair from Heenan, who is now on the apron, but Orndorff is able to come back in and fight back. Bob Orton runs out and helps Piper beat on Orndorff as Heenan is screaming out orders. Tito Santana and several other jobbers run out and attempt to break up the fight. Several more jobbers then run out and things finally get under control.
Thoughts: This was all just a set up for the brawl between Orndorff and Piper and it worked great.
Captain Lou Albano gives us a PSA about wearing seatbelts.
Jerry Adams & AJ Petruzzi vs. Junkyard Dog & George Steele w/Capt. Lou Albano
The faces work the arm of Adams. JYD then hits a few headbutts before tagging Steele. He rams Allen in the corner then eats the turnbuckle, throwing the stuffing around. He does the same in the opposite corner but this allow Adams to tag out. The faces maintain control then Steele gets the win with a flying hammerlock (4:02). Steele proceeds to throw the stuffing all over the place as Albano finally gets him to stop. Then, JYD and Albano try to teach Steele to dance and he starts to mimic JYD.
Thoughts: It was weird seeing Steele tag in and out like a regular wrestler but the match as nothing and the crowd didnt seem to care at all about this team. There was no chemistry at all between JYD and Steele and honestly, it is tough to develop chemistry with Steele as a partner due to his gimmick. It only works as a singles wrestler.
Okerlund is backstage with Mr. Fuji. He cuts a wacky promo on Ricky Steamboat. He also laughed a lot too
Next week in action are the Hart Foundation (The first time on TV they are referred to as that), Barry Windham & Mike Rotundo, and the British Bulldogs. Also in action are Terry Funk, Randy Savage and the Missing Link plus "Piper's Pit" with guest Tito Santana
Final Thoughts: This show was okay. The Piper/Orndorff feud continued and the brawl was great but everything else was forgettable. They also heavily promoted the feud between Muraco and Steamboat through backstage interviews. Besides that, it was a skippable show.
Well done. May want to break the match descriptions into paragraphs or something as they are a bit long.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas BoD. I hope everyone is having a safe day with your loved ones.
ReplyDeleteThe Walker v. Severn match was in November. Titan must be on the outs with the TCW version of HHH because he went from being a champ to jobbing in consecutive weeks.
ReplyDeleteHow good was Adrian Adonis? I've seen some of his promos but he's mostly "meh" to me. You jar people talk about him with reverence like he could have been a bigger star if he gaunt died so early, but he was out if the wwf after wm3. Revisionist history, or was he actually talented?
ReplyDeleteThese are the things you think about when you're working a dead Xmas shift.
Seriously, I appreciate the tip because I want people to read this and not feel like it's a chore to get through.
ReplyDeleteNo worries. Its well written just a bit intimidating because the wall of text is so large.
ReplyDeleteI think Adonis' stardom had long peaked. He was a tremendous wrestler in the early '80s--great matches with Backlund and good work with Jesse and Murdoch in tags, in both the AWA and WWF as well as NJPW.
ReplyDeleteHe genuinely did lose a lot of weight right before he died--he did a 1988 tour of New Japan where he was closer to 1985 levels than he'd been in awhile (he was always a "bad body" type, frustrations with which may have contributed to his eventual ballooning). Depending on whom you believe, he may have been in line for a run with Crockett.
Adonis was legitimately excellent, IMO. I absolutely hated him as a mark kid. He could go in the ring and the promos were over-the-top and funny. Track down the one where he and Dick Murdoch take Mean Gene through the streets of New York, if you can. Even when his weight ballooned, he was remarkably agile.
ReplyDeleteHe had a horrendous match against JYD at the Big Event then after that, he really spiraled down as far as workrate was concerned. However, he was heavier than usual at this point and he could still go in the ring. His work before he became "adorable" was very good
ReplyDeleteI finally got to watch the show and really enjoyed the first two matches. Sigmon/Walker put on a good match with decent psychology. I always like when the do logical things like, "My submission is locked on the arms, so I'm working the arms to set up for it." The Stretch Muffler is an odd looking finish though. I really got into the tag team match. I like the "ref didn't see the babyface tag b/c he's distracted by the heels" spot. I also thought they did a good job of getting over the fact that there is bad blood between the teams. I agree with your thoughts on the last match too. I was just glad they didn't have Tarver dancing.
ReplyDeleteI would respectfully add Kincaid on your "guys to watch" list.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I forgot Kincaid. The guy is interesting in look, and I've seen some innovative stuff from him.
ReplyDelete"First, I want to wish all the little BoDers a very Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Happy Kwanzaa, and Righteous Ramadan."
ReplyDelete...and may your Boxing Day be A-OK.
Adonis actually said he had an "awful partner?" Was he talking about Jesse the Body, or did he have another partner around this time that I'm forgetting about?
ReplyDeleteWas he talking about Piper's partner (Orndorff)?
ReplyDeleteHe seemed to be hinting at Murdoch
ReplyDeleteAh, there WAS another partner that I forgot about! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteWait... Les Thornton? Did he also write some Apter-Mag style wrestling books? I seem to recall that name being on a wrestling-themed book at my Junior High School library.
ReplyDeleteThat might have been Les Thatcher. Thornton was from England and was already 50 years old at this point.
ReplyDeleteThat's a weird fuck you to the Canadians, Australians, Europeans etc. But a belated merry Christmas to all anyway.
ReplyDeleteAnd have yourself a Kwazy Kwanzaa.
ReplyDeleteYES! That's where I know the name from! Very similar names, too. But if the other guy's British, then it couldn't be him- I still remember the first bit of the book talking about how awesome Bruno Sammartino was, and watching his friend cry as Sammartino beat Buddy Rogers for the WWWF World Title.
ReplyDelete