WWF Wrestling Challenge June 28th, 1987

June 28, 1987

From the War Memorial in Rochester, NY

Your hosts are Bobby Heenan and Gorilla Monsoon

Tonight's featured match is Greg Valentine vs. Raymond Rougeau. Also in action are the Can-Am Connection and Randy Savage.





Dave Stoudemire vs. "Macho Man" Randy Savage w/ Elizabeth

Before the match, ring announcer Mel Phillips introduced Mr. T as the new enforcer of the WWF. He got a decent reaction here then tries to shake the hand of Savage, who turns his back on him, to the amusement of Heenan. The match begins as Savage immediately attacks Stoudemire. He slams him down then goes up top for the flying elbow smash and that gets the win (0:35). Savage did not even remove his shades here.

Thoughts: Easy work for Savage here. The big story from this match is that Mr. T is back in the WWF as an "enforcer." This did not last long.



Wrestler's Rebuttal with Craig DeGeorge. He is with the Junkyard Dog, who tells us that his new catchphrase is "fightin' and a bitin'" before he teaches DeGeorge how to juke. Same old routine from JYD, who was past the point of usefulness here.



Greg "The Hammer" Valentine w/ Johnny V. & Dino Bravo vs. Raymond Rougeau w/ Jacques Rougeau 

Match starts with Valentine taking control as we are shown an insert promo from Brutus Beefcake, threatening to cut the hair of the New Dream Team. Back to the match as Vaentine stops a comeback with a knee to the gut then works the leg. Valentine heads up top but Raymond slams him off then gets a nearfall with a sunset flip. Bravo trips up Raymond from the outside and that sets off Jacques as he runs in and breaks up Valentine's Figure Four as the match is ruled a no-contest (3:12). The teams then brawl for a bit.

Thoughts: This feud continues although it is not particularly exciting or anything.



Gene Okerlund is with Hercules. He asks him about Bobby Heenan as Hercules tells us the Heenan Family has never been stronger. He also says that he has never been stronger and that Ken Patera will pay for what he did to Heenan. Decent enough promo from Hercules.



We are now shown the first "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase vignette. This was originally aired on the 6/27 edition of "Superstars of Wrestling." He is in his limo holding a stack of money while he tells us that he can buy happiness, love, and even by any of us before introducing us to Virgil, who is driving the car. DiBiase then suffers a paper cut from flicking through his money as he orders Virgil to take him to the hospital, where he cuts ahead of everyone after giving the nurse $300. DiBiase then tells us that the nurse did what everyone watching would have done as she had her price, just like everyone of us has too. Great introductory vignette. This character was an awesome idea for a heel and these would continue on for the next several weeks.



Can-Am Connection vs. Terry Gibbs & Jimmy Jack Funk

Zenk starts the match by working the arm of Gibbs. The match breaks down as Zenk gets tossed but comes back in to help Martel take down Gibbs with a sunset flip. The Can-Ams then send Funk to the floor with a double dropkick as they take control of the match. Funk clotheslines Martel behind the referee's back then tags in and gets two off of a shoulderbreaker. Martel blocks a suplex and hits one of his own as both men are down. Zenk gets tagged in and runs wild then Martel holds up Gibbs as Zenk connects with a missile dropkick and gets the win (3:47).

Thoughts: The crowd wasn't that into the Can-Ams here but to be fair it was the final show of the taping and they looked burned out. Plus, this taping did not exactly produce the most compelling TV in WWF history.



King Harley Race & Hercules & "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff w/ Bobby Heenan vs. Don Driggers & Mario Mancini & ?????

I have no idea who the third guy is on the jobber team. He never even tagged in here.  Before the match, Heenan cut off ring announcer Mel Phillips to introduce Orndorff as he has his own entrance in an attempt to re-establish him into the company. Match starts with the heels tossing around Driggers. Mancini tags in and gets clotheslined by Orndorff, who shortly after that puts Driggers away with the piledriver (2:12).

Thoughts: This was designed to put over the Heenan Family as a threat while spotlighting Orndorff and how he is ready to be a threat again to the top of the card.



Craig DeGeorge welcomes Mr. T, who is the new enforcer in the WWF. Mr. T tells him that he has been preparing by chopping trees as DeGeorge tells Danny Davis to look out. Nothing you haven't seen before from a Mr. T promo.



"Cowboy" Frankie Lane vs. "The Outlaw" Ron Bass

Bass tosses Laine to the floor then we hear Bass in an insert promo talking about his whip, Miss Betsy, and how he wants to use it to humiliate people after he beats them. Back to the match as Bass is beating the crap out of Laine for a bit until he hits the Texas Gordbuster for the win (2:35).

Thoughts: Dull and the crowd sat on their hands for this one. Bass wasn't a bad worker at all but he seemingly bored the crowd to tears in this match.



DeGeorge is with Slick and "The Natural" Butch Reed, who says that Superstar Billy Graham does not have the body or the mentality like he does as he runs down Graham further for being old and broken down. They are looking to start a Reed/Graham feud.



Clips of the Hart Foundation vs. Killer Bees match from the 6/20/87 edition of "Superstars of Wrestling."



Okerlund is with Billy Jack Haynes, who talks about the grand opening of his new gym in Oregon. Okerlund then asks him about his workout regime as Haynes tells us that he works out 1.5 hours a day six days a week. He then asks him about his feud with Hercules as Haynes tells Hercules what goes around, comes around, and is not ranting and raving like a psychopath this time as he wants to settle the score with Hercules once and for all. A calm Haynes almost worries me more than a screaming psychotic Haynes.



In action next week will be Jake Roberts, Brutus Beefcake, and the British Bulldogs



Final Thoughts: The Million Dollar Man vignette was cool and the Mr. T as an enforcer angle was intriguing. Plus, they established that JYD and Orndorff returned, which is fine, but they were past their primes. The WWF was trying to get things going at this time but a lot of plans got derailed one way or another.



Here is my schedule for the rest of the week:

Thursday: RF Video Shoot Interview with Jerry Lynn
Friday: WWF Superstars of Wrestling 7/4/87
Saturday: RoH Beating the Odds 9/6/03
Sunday: WWF Wrestling Challenge 7/5/87
Tuesday: WWF Superstars of Wrestling 7/11/87