Prime Time Wrestling 2/29/88
Hot damn! Finally got the episodes I was missing. A special thanks to the wrestling fairy out there, you know who you are! 😉
Anyway, it’s leap year, and we’re on the road to WrestleMania IV. I know I posted the 3/21 show already, but now that I have these three shows I wanted to go back and bring everything up to date. So we’ll have 2/29, 3/7, and 3/14 coming your way over the next week or two. Once I’m caught up to 3/21, we’ll continue on with the rest of the year in chronological order (hopefully).
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– Gorilla Monsoon runs down tonight’s card, Bobby Heenan with a few one liners. Not too much to report here as the opening is a quick one this week.
Match #1: George “The Animal” Steele v. Sika. From Madison Square Garden 2/22/88. Most of the match is just Sika refusing to let Steele get in the ring. Finally Animal slides in and knocks Sika to the floor. Sika pulls Steele outside and rams him into the time keeper table. Sika gets back in the ring, George throws a bunch of chairs in the ring and climbs back in. Sika swings a chair at George, Steele ducks, the chair bounces off the top rope and knocks Sika out cold. I thought Samoans had hard heads? Steele covers for the win in 2:49. Awesome. This thing was over before I knew it. I’ll give this thing 1/4* just for dodging trying to have an actual match between these two. No five minute nerve hold from Sika? That works for me! And to think, they both got paid for this!
Match #2: WWF Women’s Champion Sensational Sherri v. Rockin Robin. From the Kansas Coliseum in Wichita, Kansas, “Superstars” TV Taping 2/16/88. Gorilla & Bobby do the voiceover work for this match. This is a non-title match, your referee is Joey Marella. Sherri misses an attack in the corner and Robin makes several quick pinfall attempts. Sherri tries to escape but Robin follows her outside and rams her into the apron, then drops Sherri throat first across the top rope. Robin yanks Sherri back into the ring by her hair. Side headlock by Robin takes Sherri down. Gorilla and Bobby spend the majority of the match discussing Heenan’s 6-man match for WrestleMania. Sherri finally takes over with a lot of cheating and screaming. Robin gets tossed outside, but Sherri returns a favor from earlier and drops RR across the top rope. Sherri eventually drags Robin back inside, where Robin is able to counter with a BULLDOG, but Sherri gets her foot on the rope at 2! Clothesline by Robin and Sherri gets out. Robin tosses Sherri into the corner but Sherri tries a reverse cross body from the second rope. Robin ducks and Sherri misses. Robin misses a knee in the corner and Sherri applies a Boston Crab, some pinfall counters follow. Completely blown spot is next and I have no idea what it was supposed to be. Sherri takes Robin down and goes to the top rope but misses a cross body, and Robin goes to the second rope and hits a shitty looking facebuster that was probably supposed to be a bulldog to get the win in 8:34. Lots of blown spots by Robin, some were not so obvious, at least one was blatant. This match was going pretty good, you can tell when Robin’s spots are planned because she’s good at those spots. It’s the parts of the match where Robin has to adlib or listen to Sherri call spots that were a mess. Robin really should have never been champion in 1988. I want to give this match * because it still wasn’t terrible or anything.
– Update with Craig DeGeorge. We go back to the 2/5/88 Main Event with the Macho Man and Elizabeth celebrating after issues with the Honky Tonk Man. An interview with Randy Savage follows. He’s going to the top, the WWF Title. Elizabeth, looking about as good as she ever has, is excited about WrestleMania IV.
– The WWF fans pick who they think will win the WWF Title at WrestleMania IV. Three fans? They show three fans? What was the point of that video?
– Bob Uecker is with The One Man Gang and Slick. They’re promoting WrestleMania IV and the Gang is in the tournament. Slick says OMG will win. Apparently he’s forgotten about Butch Reed.
Match #3: Ken Patera v. Demolition Ax (w/ Mr. Fuji). From Madison Square Garden 2/22/88. Announcers are Gorilla, Heenan, and Alfred Hayes. Patera gets the better of Ax as things get going and Ax takes a break outside. They resume action and Ken hooks an armbar. Ax manages to free himself but Ken comes back with a forearm blast off the top rope, using his forearm brace as a weapon! That’s illegal referee! Ken gets a 2 count. Ax sent into the corner, Patera runs right into Ax’s foot. While Ax distracts the ref, Fuji cracks Ken in the chest with his cane. Ax misses a falling headbutt and Ken takes over with a big clothesline. Patera locks on the Full Nelson, but Fuji on the apron. Ken lets go and decks Fuji! Ax swings, Patera ducks, and locks in the Full Nelson again! Smash now on the apron, and Patera nails Smash as well! But Ax from behind with a knee in the back of Patera, and Ax steals this one in 7:27. 1/2*
After the match, Demolition attack Ken Patera until the Junkyard Dog makes the save with his dog chain. JYD blocks off Demolition from doing any more harm to Patera. Ken gets hold of Mr. Fuji’s derby and stomps it to hell.
– British Bulldogs Promo. They announce Matilda will return at WrestleMania IV. Back in the studio Heenan responds.
Match #4: The Junkyard Dog (w/ Ken Patera) v. Demolition Smash (w/ Mr. Fuji). From Madison Square Garden 2/22/88. We pick right up where the last match left off, JYD, Patera, and Demolition all still at ringside. JYD is subbing for Billy Jack Haynes, who was most recently in a feud teaming with Ken Patera against Demolition. Haynes had just recently left the company presumably due to his instability. Both guys trade shots with Dog finally getting the better and Smash bails to the floor where he runs into Ken Patera. Smash stalls before finally returning to the ring. Smash works JYD in the corner, but Dog reverses a whip and hits a clothesline. Well honestly, he completely whiffed it. Smash took the bump before Dog even threw it. JYD misses a splash in the corner on Smash, and Smash goes back on top with a slam for 2. Smash applies a reverse neck vice, JYD fights free, and the two land a double clothesline. Both guys back up, trading punches, Dog goes off the ropes and he’s tripped by Ax! Then Smash goes off the ropes and he’s tripped by Patera! The referee becomes distracted by the wrestlers outside the ring, which allows JYD to grab his dog chain and nail Smash with it for the win after 3:44. Pretty much a DUD, but I’ll go 1/4* because I liked the finish.
– Some fun banter with Gorilla and Bobby as the Brain explains why the previous loss only bolsters Demolition’s confidence for their title match at WrestleMania. Bobby says Smash lost to a chain and an ex-con on the floor, which actually makes Smash the winner. Bobby explains it better.
– A Hostess Pudding CAKES commercial? I remember Pudding Pies, but Pudding Cakes? Man, Hostess wanted to stuff pudding into everything. I wonder if Pat Patterson and Terry Garvin owned a stake in that company?
Match #5: Jacques and Raymond Rougeau v. Rick Renslow and Dave Wagner. From the Kansas Coliseum in Wichita, Kansas, “Superstars” TV Taping 2/16/88. Bruno Sammartino, Ventura and McMahon on commentary. Some flashy moves by the Rougeaus to start. The Rougeaus were great in the ring, they just needed that “oomph” to get them from being so bland. They’d get that oomph in a few months, unfortunately they’d have to cut their offense in half as heel. Anyway, lots of good stuff from the Rougeaus clears the job boys out of the ring. Renslow and Wagner were often tag partners both in WWF, and especially in the AWA as they were from around those parts. The jobbers actually get Raymond in their corner for about 5 seconds and work him over, even choking him with the tag rope, but Ray isn’t there long. Jacques tags in, Renslow and Wagner blow all kinds of spots to the point Vince McMahon can’t even ignore it on commentary. The Rougeaus try to whip the jobbers into each other, and Renslow and Wagner COMPLETELY MISS running into each other!!!!! How the hell do you do that???? Wagner bumps anyway, which makes it all the move ridiculous while Renslow walks around in an uncomfortable daze. The Rougeau Bomb follows and the French Canadians score the win after 2:57. It was a squash by every sense, DUD, but some of the blown spots just have to be seen to believed.
– Craig DeGeorge with the Honky Tonk Man. I really didn’t care for DeGeorge, his voice was annoying and honestly, he just sucked. Honky has Brutus coming after the IC Title at WrestleMania IV. HTM plans to retain. No duh.
Match #6: Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake v. Brian Costello. From the Kansas Expocentre in Topeka, Kansas, “Wrestling Challenge” TV Taping 2/17/88. Heenan and Gorilla on commentary. Brutus is all kinds of colorblind. Purple zebra striped jacket, blue zebra stripes pants, yellow zebra striped forearm bands. Beefcake with an atomic drop and Costello takes a crazy bump over the top rope, getting tied in the ropes and nearly breaks his wrist. A little hammering by Brutus and he whips Costello into the corner. Brian comes stumbling out and the there’s a bad video edit. The camera angle changes and you can clearly see a spot has been edited out, likely Costello blew the spot. So they cut from the whip into the corner to a new camera angle where Brutus is locking in the sleeper for the win after 2:09. Beefcake with the easy win, and he must have liked Costello because he takes a little off the back instead of the top. There was really noting to this match, an atomic drop and then a sleeper, some punching in between. The Rougeaus match was much better, even with the blown spots. I loved catching the edit in the match here. DUD
– Special Interview in the arena. Craig DeGeorge, ugh, interviews Hulk Hogan. Brother, he wants his belt back. Brother… Brother.
– WrestleMania IV Report with Craig DeGeorge. Damn that guy is all over this episode. Can’t wait for Sean Mooney to arrive! Donald Trump comments on WrestleMania IV coming to Trump Plaza. Hercules v. Warrior has been added to the card, both men respond. Nightmares are the best part of Warrior’s day, while Hercules says he’s the one who snapped the chain. Also added, Demolition challenge the champions Strike Force. We hear from the Demos and Strike Force. Demos say they’ve beat everyone and now the WWF is forced to give them their title shot. Tito and Martel say they’re ready for these “monster” and want to see what they’re like underneath the paint. Vanna White speaks after being announced as Guest Time Keeper.
– Bobby Heenan is on the phone. He says he is talking to Vanna White, and she told Bobby he can turn her letters any time. Gorilla and Bobby talk about Hercules’ chain. Monsoon wants to know where you buy a chain, ACE Hardware? Bobby says Hercules’ chains are custom made. More quick wit from Heenan in this short banter segment. Bobby was just so quick, so slick, even the simplest thing had hilarious delivery.
Match #7: Koko B. Ware v. “Ravishing” Rick Rude (w/ Bobby Heenan). From the Kansas Expocentre in Topeka, Kansas, “Wrestling Challenge” TV Taping 2/17/88. Gorilla and Alfred Hayes on inserted commentary, Dave Hebner the referee. Rude’s initial plan of attack doesn’t work too well and Koko is all over Ravishing Rick as things get started. Bobby Heenan gets up on the apron and it slows things down. Rick takes over with a back suplex and sits on Koko’s back with a chinlock. Koko walks the hold to the corner and drops Rude face first into the top turnbuckle. Rude with a little fancy footwork and he gets Ware back down with the chinlock. We go to a commercial break, and when we come back Rude slowly changes from a chinlock to a bearhug. Ware finally breaks the hold and Rude misses a dropkick. Koko starts flapping his wings, series of punches by the Birdman. Rude reverses a whip to the corner and Ware fakes a reverse cross body, Rude ducks, but Koko comes off the top with a Flying Dropkick on Rude! Heenan can feel the match slipping so he steals Frankie! Heenan literally takes Frankie’s perch and runs backstage with it. Koko comes chasing after Heenan and gets counted out. Really? Rick Rude can’t beat Koko in the ring? Rude gets the count out win in 8:51, WTF is that. I get that they wanted to reenact the Heenan stealing Matilda thing since Koko is in the WrestleMania 6-man, but did they have to do it at the expense of Rude?
Koko returns with Frankie to show everyone the bird is ok. Ware then clears the ring from Ravishing Rick and celebrates to “Piledriver” after the match. Half of this match was a chinlock and a bear hug, and then the lousy finish, but this is still probably the best thing on the show. *1/4
Final Thoughts: We’re a month from WrestleMania IV, the big event has just about fully developed as far as special guests and matches announced goes. Some mediocre stuff from Gorilla and Bobby this week, which still blows away anything from current day. Your typical Prime Time episode with some undercard house show matches mixed with TV taping leftovers. Not a whole lot to say on this show, it wasn’t terrible so I can’t rip on it, and it wasn’t great so I can’t put it over. It was just another average Prime Time episode, it had some sprinkles of fun at times.
Match of the Night: Rick Rude vs. Koko. This was one of the more lackluster WRESTLING episodes of the show, nothing was really all that great. The ladies match could have easily won this honor had Robin not blown so many spots. It’s still close to a toss up between the ladies and Koko/Rude, but I leaned towards the boys because of Koko’s work in the opening minutes and the finish.
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