WWF Championship Wrestling May 31st, 1986

May 31, 1986

Your hosts are Bruno Sammartino and Vince McMahon

Bob Bradley vs. Corporal Kirchner

Vince plugs that Jake Roberts will be appearing tonight. Kirchner dumps Bradley to the floor. Back in the ring, Kirchner works a headlock then backs him in the corner. Bradley takes control and slams Kirchner then follows it up with a dancing falling headbutt or sorts. Bradley gets an ugly hiptoss but Kirchner comes back with a sunset flip for the win then picks him up and hits a Samoan Drop and gets another pinfall (4:19).

Thoughts: There was a lot of miscommunication in this match and the end just confused everyone watching. Kirchner tried but was just not very good at all. His matches usually had some ugly spots.

WWF Update with Gene Okerlund. This week, they talk about George Steele and his manager Capt. Lou Albano. They show a clip of Steele beating a jobber. After that, someone gives Gene a bag of chips as Gene says that he “has to be ribbing him.” When Okerlund took over the Update segments, they tried to add a lot of comedy.

“Leaping” Lanny Poffo & Chris Duffy vs. Hoss & Jimmy Jack Funk w/ Jimmy Hart

Poffo’s post-match promo is about JYD. Poffo starts by getting the best of the Funks but tags Duffy, who gets his ass kicked. Hoss tosses Duffy over the top rope then Jimmy Jack smashes his face against the guardrail. Back inside, Poffo tags and gets one off of a crossbody but Hoss gets his knees up on a moonsault. Duffy tags and the Funks beat him up until Hoss makes him submit to the Texas Cloverleaf (2:36). After the match, the Funks hogtie Duffy.

Thoughts: They are trying to get over the Funk’s but the crowd only cared about Terry and he was already gone from the company.

Ken Resnick is with Hulk Hogan who plugs his title match on June 27^th in Boston against Randy Savage. Typical Hogan interview here.  

Dave Barbie vs. “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff

Orndorff hits a dropkick then works a front facelock. Barbie lands a few shots but Orndorff hits a back suplex then tosses Barbie to the floor. Back inside, Orndorff takes his head off with a clothesline then hits the piledriver but pulls him up and hits another one for the win (3:33).

Thoughts: The announcers spent all match putting over the aggressiveness of Orndorff, who looked dominant.

Resnick is with Bobby Heenan and King Kong Bundy, who hype the June 27^th show in Boston and predict that Savage will win the World Heavyweight Title from Hulk Hogan. Bundy will be facing the Junkyard Dog on that date in what was probably a horrendous match.

Don Muraco & “Cowboy” Bob Orton w/ Mr. Fuji vs. Scott McGhee & Don Driggers

This is the TV debut of the Muraco & Orton team. McGhee gets the best of Orton to start in a nice fast-paced sequence. Capt. Lou Albano joins on commentary as Vince asks him about Heenan’s accusation against Andre the Giant. Albano confirms that Andre has been suspended and said he is trying to fight this case. Back to the match as Muraco knees McGhee in the back from the apron and the heels take control. McGhee escapees and tags Driggers, who gets tossed in the opposite corner then Orton finishes him off with the superplex for the win (3:06).

Thoughts: This match was a backdrop for the Andre/Heenan angle but the new heel team of Muraco & Orton looked solid. This was also pretty much the end of Muraco as a singles heel threat. Too bad McGhee was short because he could go in the ring but his lack of size meant that he was not getting any push in the WWF.

The Flower Shop with Adrian Adonis. He is sporting the veil over his eye as this was the taping in which Danny Spivey gave him a black eye in a fight. The guests are the British Bulldogs, or as Adonis calls the “Puppies.” Adonis antagonizes Albano and blames him for causing the Dream Team to lose the Tag Team Titles at WrestleMania 2.

Mad Richard & Primo Manzello vs. Tito Santana & Pedro Morales

Facially, Richard looks like Daniel Bryan would if he gained 125lbs. Manzello is a huge guy with a tiny head. Morales starts off the match by working a side headlock on Richard then getting two with a small package. Manzello tags in then the faces use quick tags to work the arm. Richard tags and Santana works the arm then gets caught in the corner. Santana dodges a flying knee that knocks down Manzello and tags Morales, who hits a backdrop then finishes off the match with a backbreaker (3:16).

Thoughts: This was an ugly match. Tito was just wasting away by tagging with Morales. Even still, the Mid-Hudson Civic Center crowd loved him.

Ricky Steamboat gives a PSA about saying no to drugs.

Rick Hunter vs. Jake “The Snake” Roberts

Roberts tosses down a few times by the hair but walks into a slam after a leap frog. Ricky Steamboat joins on commentary as he wants to see how Roberts operates. Roberts works the arm as Steamboat talks about what happened at “Saturday Night’s Main Event” and how the DDT on the floor that he suffered is all he has been thinking about. Roberts takes down Hunter with a kneelift then works the arm again as Steamboat talks about the snake. Roberts then blocks a hiptoss and plants Hunter with the DDT for the win (4:18). After the match, Steamboat heads down to the ring and attacks Roberts as the fans go nuts. The ref tries to restrain Steamboat and finally does after Jake escaped and headed up the aisle, where he eggs on Steamboat.

Thoughts: What a great job they have been doing with this feud. Roberts was awesome here and the post-match brawl was tremendous. It really made you want to see these two wrestle.

Resnick is with Savage, who spits on the Intercontinental Title and tosses it to the ground saying that no longer will they call him the Intercontinental Champion and he will also spit at Hulk Hogan because he does not scare him at all. Savage ends by ripping off his shirt.

Final Thoughts: I thought this was a fun show. They have done an awesome job building up the Roberts/Steamboat feud and the Hogan vs. Savage match at the June 27^th Boston Garden show. They also continued the Andre/Heenan angle, which has been intriguing so far. Despite the fact that everything else was basically filler, the three feuds that they have been pushing are good enough to carry these shows.