Prime Time Wrestling (10/14/86)
– And now your hosts Gorilla Monsoon & Bobby “The Brain” Heenan. All Matches are from the Maple Leaf Gardens 9/28/86.
Match #1: “Cowboy” Frankie Lane v. Barry O: Bitter Barry O is one of the guys who exposed the business and the brother of Cowboy Bob Orton, uncle of Randy. Frankie Lane is a popular Canadian star and worked on a lot of the WWF’s shows up north. Orton looks to be jacked up a good 25 pounds here, and still didn’t make it, even with the roids. A lot of mat work and stalling by both men. Orton hits a side slam out of nowhere for the win at 5:55. Rating: This match is one of many reasons why Barry O never “made it”. DUD
Match #2: “Iron” Mike Sharpe v. Sivi Afi: Tons of back & forth action, one of Afi’s better matches, and Sharpe’s for that matter. Sharpe gets tied in the ropes and Sivi charges but catches a boot. Iron Mike sends Afi to the floor and into the guardrail. Sivi trips up Sharpe and posts his nuts in the corner. Afi back inside with an atomic drop and a headbutt low blow for a two count. Sivi gets a Vaderbomb for two. Afi gets a Russia leg sweep on Sharpe and throws him to the floor. Mike regroups but Afi hits a cross body for two. Sharpe comes back and tries a splash but lands on Sivi’s knees. Afi covers for two. Sivi goes to work on Sharpe as the 15 minute time limit expires. Sharpe attacks after the bout but Afi sends him packing. Rating: Not as bad as you’d think. *1/4
– Ken Resnick interviews the Honky Tonk Man. Honky’s still a face at this point but seems very uncomfortable playing the part. The gimmick just doesn’t work as a face, at least back then. After the interview Heenan responds to comments Honky Tonk Man made about him.
Match #3: Jose Luis Rivera v. Mr. X: Mr. X is referee Danny Davis with really bad acne on his back, more commonly known as “Backne”. No wonder he wore a shirt when he did the Dangerous gimmick. Jose got a decent push as Mac Rivera earlier in his WWF tenure. Jose is also well known as one half of the late 1980’s team, the Conquistadors. X works over Jose as we join this match in progress. X charges into a knee by Rivera and Jose hits a quick dropkick from the middle rope for the win in 2:58. Rating: Only 3 minutes of the match were shown, just as well. DUD
Match #4: Tiger Chung Lee v. Jerry Allen: Allen has just entered the WWF at this point. Lee has control of Allen and works him over sooooo sloooooowly. Tiger throws Allen out onto the ramp. Jerry gets to his feet and Lee goes to powerslam him back into the ring but Allen turns it into a small package for the win at 4:39. Rating: Allen got very little offense, didn’t show much, DUD
– Heenan keeps teasing the unveiling of his action figure, err sorry, DOLL. Gorilla is anxious to see. Bobby makes references to his secretary Miss Betty. Monsoon says Bobby should give Miss Betty a bonus in her check. Heenan says when he gives her bonuses it isn’t in cash. OH MY! LOL, that was a great line, Gorilla even laughs.
Match #5: Paul Roma v. Terry Gibbs: Wow, jobbers galore on this Maple Leaf show. 5 matches in and everyone of them has been Jobber v. Jobber matches, unless you wanna consider Sivi Afi a mid-carder…I don’t. Most of the first 5 minutes of this match is Roma in control with a side headlock. Gibbs breaks out and Roma misses a charge allowing Gibbs to take over. Terry throws Roma to the floor for a bit to catch his breath inside. Gibbs hits a gut buster but Roma still finds a way to come back. Paul gets a dropkick for two. Inside cradle and a backslide, both for 2 counts. Gibbs tries a roll up but Paul reverses it to get the win at 9:06. Rating: Not too much here 1/4*
– Ken Resnick is with The Wizard (King Curtis Iaukea). Listening to him talk I’m just waiting for him to yell SULLIVAN!!! He doesn’t say Sullivan, however he does point out that Sika & Kamala’s nostrils are 3 inches wide. Okay, umm? He also calls Hulk Hogan a rare white Bengal tiger, as he would do in WCW again in the 1990’s, and says his men are hunting for him.
Match #6: Mike Rotunda v. Iron Sheik (w/Slick & Nikolai Volkoff): We’re having a Russia/Iraq v. USA war in Canada of all places, makes sense doesn’t it. Sheik attacks Rotunda but Mike turns things around quickly and begins choking the Sheik with his own ring attire. Mike catches Sheik’s boot and hits an atomic drop and a slingshot into the corner. Sheik tries for a SOMERSAULT SENTAN but misses. Sheik gets in a backdrop and clothesline and feeds Rotunda out to his comrades. Gut wrench suplex and the Sheik applies the camel clutch. Mike finally makes it to the ring rope. The Iranian slaps on an abdominal stretch and tries for another suplex but Rotunda reverses it for two. Mike locks on a sleeper but Slick gets up on the apron and distracts the ref to allow Volkoff to attack Rotunda. Sheik covers but only gets a two count. Nikolai now distracts the ref and Slick goes to hit Rotunda with his cane but Mike ducks and Slick nails the Sheik instead. Mike covers for the win at 7:15. Rating: Not bad, Sheiky actually tried at times. *
– More Bobby Heenan doll shenanigans
Match #7: Hercules Hernandez v. Pedro Morales: In progress but only stalling to that point. Herc attacks Pedro early in the bout and mauls him for a while. Herc misses an elbow and Morales gets in a backdrop for two. Pedro misses a charge into the corner and Hercules hits a vertical suplex for the win in 4:00. The ref failed to notice Pedro’s foot was on the ropes during the cover. Rating: Very short, coulda been good. 1/4*
– A clip is shown of the construction of the NEW Piper’s Pit.
Match #8: IC Champion Randy Savage (w/Elizabeth) v. George Steele: Savage attacks Steele before the bell but George comes back and throws Savage out to the floor. The Animal throws Macho into the guardrail and the ramp. Savage tries a clothesline but Savage catches Savage’s arm in his mouth. George bites o Savage until Macho nails George with a foreign object. Macho hits a flying double axe handle for two. Savage tries to use a hair but Steele takes it. While the ref is getting the chair from Steele, Savage nails the Animal with a foreign object yet again, and again, and again. Macho tries again but George grabs Savage’s arm and the referee sees the object. Steele begins to use the object on Macho and is DQ’d at 3:46. After the match the Animal slams Savage on the ramp. Rating: Really short, but Savage was always able to carry Steele to at least entertaining fights. 1/2*
– Heenan finally opens his package but finds every WWF doll except his. The show ends with a salty Bobby the Brain.
Final Thoughts: Too many jobber v. jobber matches for my taste. A lot of these guys were jobbers for a reason. Pretty nice seeing 8 matches from the same event though.
Match of the Night: Not much to pick from, I’ll go Rotunda v. Iron Sheik
