Prime Time Wrestling (9/22/86)
– While most PTW’s from this time period usually featured several matches from single events, usually from MSG, Boston Gardens, MLG, the Spectrum, etc.. this episode mixed things up a bit.
– Your hosts are Gorilla Monsoon & Bobby Heenan. Oh yeah, woop woop!
Match #1: Kamala (w/Friday) v. Pat Patterson: Friday is later renamed Kim Chee, during Kamala’s second tenure in the WWF, however this match is from his first time in. This match is exactly two years old having happened at Madison Square Garden on 9/22/84. Kamala attacks Patterson to start off, Pat fights back to get the Ugandan off his back. Patterson tries to tackle Kamala but nothing’s happening. Pat’s pretty much here as a name to put the newer guys over at this point, and that he does, after some stalling and some toe stomping, Kamala finished the match with a big splash at 5:28.
Rating: A blah match but made Kamala look unstoppable, DUD
– Gorilla & Heenan chat about Kamala, until Mean Gene wanders onto the PTW set. Heenan asks why Okerlund’s invading his show and asks how would Gene like it if he was to pop up on All American or Spotlight. Please do Bobby. Gene comes out with a list of names of people who have slammed John Studd and says Heenan owed $120,000 in all.
Match #2: Moondog Rex v. Terry Gibbs: This match is from MSG originally taped on 1/21/85 and is in progress, luckily. Both men are lower card heels, kinda like the Brooklyn Brawler’s of their time. Rex is the more credible of the two being a former tag champion and all. Gibbs goes for a backdrop but telegraphs it and Rex takes over control on Gibbs. In between chin locks the Moondog gets a version of the Hot shot and a back breaker in on Terry. Rex tries a big splash but Gibbs gets his knees up. Terry tries some offense but Rex goes back to the chin lock. Moondog now tries a backdrop and it’s Rex this time who telegraphs the move and Gibbs hits a kneelift, followed by an inverted atomic drop. A back suplex gets two on the Moondog. Gibbs AGAIN ducks his head for a backdrop which allows Moondog Rex to hit a neck breaker for the win at 6:37.
Rating: Surprisingly not completely horrid, but they used the same spot 3 times. 1/4* though
– Bobby tries to poke fun that Mean Gene forgot a name on the “Who slammed John Studd” list. Monsoon points out that Heenan now owes $135,000, which changes Bobby’s tune. D’oh!
– Ken Resnick interviews George Steele, here is what the Animal had to say. “Prime Time, Tough Wrestlers, see, see, Weasel, see, Elizabeth… nice, Macho… bad”. Wow, could he cut a promo or what?
Match #3: Peggy Patterson & Penny Mitchell v. Velvet McIntyre & Desiree Peterson: From the Meadowlands, I’m guessing around March of ’85. I can’t find the exact date but that’s when these girls were in town. Gorilla and HOWARD FINKEL are your commentators. The faces work over Peggy at first but Penny is tagged in and gains control for her team. Mitchell & Patterson switch on and off with the longest side headlocks I’ve ever seen on Desiree. The heels move from headlocks to front face locks to a camel clutch. Peterson makes a tag but the ref does not see it. A form of an armbar now applied on Desiree. Peterson comes out of nowhere with a body block and tags in Velvet. McIntyre hits a series of kicks on Mitchell. Penny cuts Velvet off but McIntyre hits an enzuiguri to make the tag back to Desiree. Peterson gets a dropkick and body slam for two on Penny. Desiree gets a backdrop but Peggy comes in and cuts her off. A little miscommunication sees the heels run into each other and Peterson now makes the THIRD HOT TAG of the match. Velvet’s back in with a victory roll on Penny for two. The heels are thrown into each other and McIntyre now with a sunset flip on Peggy to get the win at roughly 16:00.
Rating: Ridiculously long. Velvet was the only one worth much in this match. 1/2* for the THREE HOT TAGS
Match #4: Tag Champions: The British Bulldogs (w/Capt. Lou) v. Jack (Mick) Foley & Les Thornton: Oh yeah, it’s that match, the one from Foley’s book. This match is from a Superstars Taping in Providence, RI on 8/26/86. Davey Boy & Thornton chain wrestle for a bit, Thornton hits a European Uppercut, or just a plain old uppercut since he’s from Europe. Smith gets a victory roll for two and Dynamite & Foley are in…LOOK OUT!!! Dynamite gets a snap suplex followed by a double under hook. The Kid gets in a back breaker and tags in Davey Boy. Running Powerslam & a delayed suplex on Foley for two. Foley somehow manages to hit a flying back elbow but Smith just stands there and no sells it leaving the future Cactus Jack looking stupid on the mat. Dynamite gets in a clothesline and a back suplex from the top rope for the finish at 3:43.
Rating: Basic squash match but since it has some history in it, I’ll go 1/4*
– Monsoon and Heenan get on the topic of wrestling bears. Gorilla mentions he wrestled a bear once. Bobby thinks he means “bare” as in naked. You can only guess where this goes.
Match #5: Moondog Spot v. Jose Luis Rivera: The match is said to be in progress but actually just started. We’re coming from the Boston Gardens, this match was taped on 4/26/86. Rivera works over Spot’s arm while some fans chant “BORING”. I agree! If I were there I’d chant along with them. Spot gets the cut off 5:00 in and applies a chin lock. Jose tries a sunset flip for two and Spot is right back on top with an EVIL nerve hold. Spot with an inverted atomic drop but misses a Jerry Lawler fist drop. Rivera ties Spot in the ropes and fires in with some right hands. Spot reverses an Irish whip and catches Jose with a surprisingly nice shoulder breaker for the pin at 10:30.
Rating: Long, Very boring, very slow, very bad. -*
– Ken Resnick is with Randy Savage. Macho rants for a bit about nothing of importance, but it’s still so cool.
Match 6: The Killer Bees v. Tag Champions The Dream Team (w/Johnny V.): This match is from 12/7/85 in the Boston Garden. For some reason the Killer Bees get a round of boos as do the Champions at the time when this match was taped. The Bees work over Valentine’s leg early on but Beefcake gets the tag and takes over on Blair. Brunzell has a heel beard going here BTW. Brian eventually starts doing some weird wigging out on the canvas, I’ve never seen a sell job like that before, and he makes the tag to Brunzell. Jumping Jim with a dropkick on Brutus but Valentine breaks the count. Brunzell slaps the sleeper on Brutus, but Valentine nails Jumpin’ Jim from behind and Beefcake covers for the 3 count at 9:35.
Rating: It was there but wasn’t much. 3/4*
– Although the previous match is like 9 months old, Monsoon states that the referee, Danny Davis, was turning heel even back then. In closing, Heenan promises footage of the Worst Professional Wrestler EVER next week on PTW. Apparently he doesn’t realize that there are several “worst wrestlers ever” and they all fought this week on the show.
Final Thoughts: More often than not the actual Monsoon/Heenan host segments are more entertaining than the matches, this episode is no exception to that rule. PTW was in between tapings and we got stuck with some leftovers, really bad leftovers. The kind of leftovers you sit back in your fridge and forget about until the aluminum foil itself is all moldy, then you don’t wanna touch so it still sits there until Vince McMahon sees it and wants to air it on USA.
Match of the Night: The Dream Team v. The Killer Bees
