WWF Wrestling Challenge March 29th, 1987

March 29, 1987

From the Ohio Center in Columbus, OH

Your hosts are Bobby Heenan and Gorilla Monsoon

This show aired the same day as WrestleMania III

In action tonight will be Tito Santana, King Harley Race, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, and "Adorable" Adrian Adonis.





Mary Hart is backstage with Andre the Giant and Bobby Heenan. She asks him about tossing Hulk Hogan from the ring during the SNME battle royal as he tells her to take care of her business while he will take care of his business.



Greg Valentine w/ Johnny V. & Brutus Beefcake & Dino Bravo vs. Tito Santana w/ British Bulldogs

Tito wins a slugfest to start the match. Danny Davis is shown in an insert promo speaking about how he is not afraid of Tito or the British Bulldogs as Valentine takes control of the match. He puts Tito in a chinlock after getting two with a fist drop. Tito fights out then hits Valentine with a forearm smash. They slug it out again until Valentine counters a mounted punch attack with an inverted atomic drop. He then tries an atomic drop but Tito blocks that then puts Valentine in the Figure Four as the crowd goes nuts. Johnny V. jumps up on the apron as Bravo slides in and pulls Valentine over to the ropes then starts hammering away on Tito as Johnny V. joins in but Beefcake distances himself from the duo until the Bulldogs chase them away with Matilda as the ref signals for the bell as the match is ruled a double DQ (3:58).

Thoughts: Good action between longtime rivals. The end, with Beefcake distancing himself from his allies was the story here as they continue to play up his anger from Adonis accidentally cutting his hair.



Craig DeGeorge is backstage with King Kong Bundy, who warns the midgets that they will get hurt if they try to stand in his way. DeGeorge, the dumbass that he was, then asks Bundy if he is going to be kind towards the midgets as Bundy tells him he has never been kind to anyone in his life. Generic big man promo from Bundy.



Replay of Hacksaw Jim Duggan chasing off the Iron Sheik, Nikolai Volkoff, and Slick with his 2x4.



Rick Hunter vs. King Harley Race w/ Bobby Heenan

Johnny V. has replaced Heenan on commentary and says that Hunter looks like Robert Redford. Race ambushes a distracted Hunter from behind. He continues to beat the shit out of him then puts him away with the cradle suplex as JYD is shown in an insert promo talking about how he will be the king after WrestleMania III (0:38). After the match, Heenan makes Hunter bow then Race knees him in the face.

Thoughts: They actually got Race some heat at the end of this match but his feud with JYD was somewhat of a disappointment as Race was never over as a heel and JYD's popularity was not what it was two years prior.



Gene Okerlund is backstage with Sheik, Volkoff, and Slick as they hype their WrestleMania III match against the Killer Bees. Not much of note other than Sheik referring to Okerlund as "Gene Mean" during his tangent.



Dino Bravo warns the Rougeau Brothers that at WrestleMania III the Dream Team will tear those "French Frogs" apart. Funny moment as when they cut back to the ring, Monsoon joked how Bravo "isnt exactly Irish" himself.



Rougeau Brothers vs. Dave Wagner & Rick Renslow

The Rougeaus use their speed to take control of the match. Johnny V. is shown in an insert promo denying the rumors about dissension within the Dream Team. Renslow slams Raymond but misses a splash off of the middle rope. Jacques tags and slingshots in with a sunset flip that gets broken up by Wagner. Raymond tags back in and hits a crescent kick but Wagner also breaks that up then the Rougeaus double-team both guys in a clunky sequence before putting away Renslow with the Rougeau Bomb (2:23).

Thoughts: Good action here from the Rougeaus who were just not good enough to be near the top of the tag team division due to the depth it was boasting at the time.



"Adorable" Adrian Adonis w/ Jimmy Hart vs. Corporal Kirchner

These two lockup as we get an insert promo from Piper cuts a promo on Adonis, who gets sent outside. Adonis re-enters the ring then beats on Kirchner in the corner until he gets the win with a splash from the top (1:42).

Thoughts: This was okay I suppose and really just another segment to hype the hair vs. hair match at WrestleMania.



Jimmy Jack Funk vs. Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat

Match is joined in progress as Funk suplexes Steamboat as Savage cuts a promo on Steamboat about how Steamboat is overmatched and that he will not lose the title. Steamboat fights back with his "martial arts" offense. He follows with a vertical suplex but ducks his head on a backdrop attempt and gets booted in the face. Steamboat skins-the-cat then backdrops Funk over the ropes as he goes out and roughs him up for a bit. Back inside, Steamboat catches Funk with a back elbow smash then climbs up and hits the flying chop for the win (2:10).

Thoughts: Really fun two-minute match. This was all action. Savage cut an awesome promo on Steamboat here too as they were really making Steamboat out as the underdog here.



Okerlund is with Hogan, who addresses all of the non-believers. He then says that there is no way, with all of the people behind him and all of the prayers and vitamins, that he will stay on top of the mountain. Really promo from Hogan, who sold this match even more here if that was possible.



Next week we will get part one of the "Ken Patera Story" as Heenan is shocked about this. Also in action will be Kamala, Honky Tonk Man, The Islanders, and Billy Jack Haynes.



Final Thoughts: This show was fine. WrestleMania III did not need anymore hyping at this point as I'm sure everyone watching was ready for the PPV. Very few shows have been built up as good as WrestleMania III.



Here is my schedule for the rest of the week:

Thursday: RF Video Shoot Interview with Koko B. Ware
Friday: WrestleMania III
Sunday: WWF Superstars of Wrestling 4/4/87
Tuesday: WWF Wrestling Challenge 4/5/87