This is a continuation of Year in Review – WWF Prime Time Wrestling (1986) – Part 1. For full matchlists of Prime Time Wrestling, check out the WWF 1980 WWE Network matchlists page.
Prime Time Wrestling #79 (9/8/86)
From MSG on August 25, 1986.
The summer is coming to an end and Prime Time is kicking off with Jake “The Snake” Roberts working Sivi Afi in a match that RULES, a 16-minute wrestling match that sure has a solitary long chinlock but also has a hot crowd, great cut-offs, and Jake being the most aggressive fucker of a wrestler. He does a great sell when he misses an elbow drop, like ahhh geez, then he goes full Terry Funk and bumps off a falling headbutt by standing up, swinging at nothing and falling outside. Jake puts his knees up to counter the Superfly Splash and does an AMAAAAAZING wait for the DDT which gets a massive pop when delivered. He LAYS HIS BACK on Afi for 3. Brilliant.
Hercules Hernandez is so big and impressive he’s got two managers now, Freddie Blassie and Sick. He works Billy Jack Haynes and it’s not pretty but Herc does some legitimately amazing rope-running while Haynes manages to get him up for apress slam. Other than that, this sucker goes TWO COMMERCIAL BREAKS and features a shit clothesline from Haynes along with this line on commentary: “time for a powerslam… no, just an ordinary slam.” Gorilla comments that the match was going longer than he anticipated, and before you know it we’re at a damn time limit draw – the BALLS on this company. They brawl and Haynes almost gets on a full nelson before Hercules escapes. Six more months of this until Mania.
Paul Orndorff enters to Hulk Hogan’s music and goes at Corporal Kirchner with some real intense lockups followed by calm clean breaks. Kirchner eats it on a missed crossbody before Orndorff absolutely PLANTS him with a piledriver.
The U.S. Express or The American Express battle Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkkoff in our main event, a match that just doesn’t click. Rotundo and Sheik do a terrible struggle over a suplex and there’s a whole lot of abdominal stretches that Gorilla can’t help himself but bury the action. The Spivey hot tag does get a big pop to be fair, before a cane shot to his ribs wins it for the bad guys.
Worth Watching?: Yes
Prime Time Wrestling #80 (9/15/86)
From MSG on August 25, 1986, and The Big Event on August 28, 1986.
Hidden Gem alert here, as Savage vs. Pedro for the IC Title from MSG is amazing – big Macho movements with a little extra on everything followed by some actually believable near falls by Pedro as Macho scrambles around to escape before a double DQ saves his title. This is ***1/2 stuff, which for Prime Time Wrestling is basically five stars.
Nick Kiniski goes toe-to-toe with Les Thornton in just the dirt worst match that is pretty much all Nick who if he isn’t being grappled to the mat or having his ribs smacked is applying a hammerlock. A long, gosh dang hammerlock. The son of Gene Kiniski is a heck of a pedigree, but the son of Gene Kiniski coming to the WWF and actually working just like Gene Kiniski comes off like an odd choice. The crowd gets fed up pretty quicky and Gorilla ethers the referee for a decision or two to try and provide something interesting out of this. Kiniski gets a very unsatisfying debut win with a German suplex hold and would not last long, though longer than you’d think – guy was around until May ’87!
Then, we’ve got matches from The Big Event – though nothing too Big so as to not give anything worth buying a tape over away. Prime Time provides us the full 20-minute King Tonga vs. Magnificent Muraco draw, because of course, along with Ted Arcidi vs. Tony Garea in which Heenan comments that Arcidi wasn’t just thrilled to be at The Big Event but was probably thrilled to just be booked. Gorilla mentions Arcidi’s attitude possibly deteriorating, and the strong fellow would wrap up with the Federation within a week or two after this aired.
JYD vs. Adonis and Dick Slater vs. Mike Sharpe are also shown, along with The Rougeau Brothers vs. The Dream Team. Monsoon calls the Rougeau Brothers unbelievable, to which Heenan responds that he can’t believe they’re in wrestling.
Also shown here is Adrian Adonis and Cowboy Bob confronting Roddy Piper on the relaunched Piper’s Pit for another great promo exchange, with Pipes completely prepared to take over the World Wrestling Federation as top babyface should Hulk Hogan happen to spontaneously combust.
Worth Watching?: Yes, though feel safe skipping The Big Event and Nick Kiniski stuff
Prime Time Wrestling #81 (9/22/86)
From all kinds of places – MSG, the Meadowlands, the last TNT, and even what’s listed as a dark match at the March 1986 TV tapings. This has also got Mick Foley getting squashed by The British Bulldogs!
I did a double take as Gorilla began “Let’s go down to ringside for Kamala… and Pat Patterson!” but they open the show with footage from Kamala’s first WWF run two years prior, as he’s now returned to New York. Seeing Kamala casually walk through the backstage area and curtains at MSG like a living breathing human being is real cool. They dub the jungle music over, so all you hear is MSG hollering for the experience that is Kamala the Ugandan Giant.
If Gorilla’s understanding is correct the man has cannibalistic tendencies, which seems like an odd choice for a professional competitor at Madison Square Garden. Pat was in the twilight but still pretty great – he ducks under Kamala’s legs and socks him, then exits the ring like a smart man. He stomps his bare feet too, also like a smart man. A long test of strength results in Kamala getting the upperhand and eventual win with THE SPLASH.
Mean Gene Okerlund emerges from the shadows of Prime Time, two days until the final TNT airs. Gene seems like he’ll be OK, as he’s hosting All-American Wrestling and Wrestling Spotlight and has stopped by the show to mess with Bobby.
Moondog Rex and Terry Gibbs have the ultimate WWF 80s snoozer at MSG, while Ken Resnick plays along with George “The Animal” Steele’s shtick during an interview as Steele stares into the camera and shouts “SEE! SEE!”
The WWF Women’s Tag Team Championships are defended here too, with Velvet McIntyre & Desiree Patterson defending against Penny Mitchell and Peggy… Patterson. No relation. They’re up against a tough crowd: Heenan outright says he doesn’t want to watch, the crowd is whistling, and Velvet is introduced as “the fiery redhead from Dublin” … but THE FINK is on commentary with Gorilla Monsoon and he is putting these girls OVER!!! Fink thinks they can get it done as good as the guys! He says Gorilla might be impressed by the tag champs as Gorilla appears to crack up off-mic. Most of the match is front facelocks, of which Gorilla thinks they might try on their boyfriends. Velvet’s thing is that she’s fired up, because she’s a readhead, and she front cradles Penny for a 2-count before Velvet sunset flips the illegal Peggy for 3. Cool cool cool. A mess for many reasons.
Heenan says he doesn’t want to watch, lots of whistling, Velvet introduced as the fiery red head from Dublin… but THE FINK is on commentary with Gorilla and putting dem girls over and says they can get it done as good as the guys. Kind of incredible there are two Patterson’s. “I think you’re gonna be impressed with uh Velvet and Desiree” as Gorilla seems to crack up off-mic. Lots of front facelocks, of which Gorilla thinks they might try on their boyfriends. Velvet is fired up, cause she’s a redhead, and she front cradles Penny Mitchell and Peggy breaks it up, so Velvet sunset flips illegal woman Peggy for 3. Cool cool cool.
MICK FOLEY! Is young and handsome and just getting started in this business, and he is being broken in during one of his three WWF enhancement matches by teaming with Les Thornton against reigning WWF World Tag Team Champions, The British Bulldogs. Foley comes off as the most obvious scrub, and Davey drops him with a big powerslam and suplex before he no-sells a soft back elbow and Dynamite wrecks Mrs. Foley’s Baby Boy with a lariat.
“Well, Jose Luis Rivera is certainly a wrestler.” Thank you, Brain. He and Moondog Spot match have a match joined in on boring chants – always a good move. You could call this match The Longest Armbar.
Dream Team retains the Tag Titles over The Killer Bees from earlier in the year in a match that’s almost good.
Worth Watching?: Yes, for Jack Foley and good guy Fink and Kamala
Prime Time Wrestling #82 (9/30/86)
From the Boston Garden on September 6, 1986, a show I reviewed here: Happy Thoughts – WWF Old School (Boston Garden 9/6/86).
Prime Time had been airing Mondays, is now on Tuesday, and next week will be on Thursday. It settled on Tuesday eventually.
While most of this show was already covered, it does feature a big time Piper/Adonis angle that’s shown in all its’ full glory.
Already reviewed most of this on WWF Old School, but a big time Piper/Adonis angle shown in full where they have a simultaneous Piper’s Pit and Flower Shop. Piper receives an absolute ovation as he steps on his set, while Adrian Adonis introduces Acey Bob Cowboy Orton onto his. Piper heads over to The Flower Shop, gets in Orton’s face, then returns to the Pit and declares that the boss is back. Piper introduces Magnificent Muraco, now sporting a beard, as the Piper’s Pit guest and then goes in on Adonis, thinking what he’s doing to wrestling is downright “sickening” – “I have children! I have chldren! I don’t want my children watching this idiot!” screams Piper to roars of approval from the crowd, creating a cognitive dissonance in my head of respect for the legend and disdain for the promo he is screaming with conviction.
Magnificent Muraco starts arguing for free speech and about how times have changed before he goes back to doing it the old-fashioned way and grabs Piper to beat the shit out of him with Adonis and Piper. They tear the set down, Muraco slams a wooden chair on Piper’s leg, Adonis covers Piper’s face in lipstick, Orton tears up a Piper poster, and Hart shoves Piper’s face through it. Probably could’ve just kept the angle to this, you know?
King Kong Bundy and Big John Studd get interviewed and they are so tall that you can see above the traditional blue backdrop. They talk about guys leaving the Fed and retiring, then explain that the power of Bundy’s Avalanche splash has been calculated: it’s 2000 pounds per square inch. I believe it.
Kenny Resnick puts over the new look of the WWF’s TV, as around this time Prime Time begins to brighten up and Superstars of Wrestling brings the banners and big angles to regular WWF programming. He also interviews Jake the Snake, who zones in on Hogan for a feud that was sadly never to be: “Hulkster! You’ll hear me soon… you’ll hear the footsteps, you’ll feel the shadows, and then you’ll hear that little noise… of Damien.”
Astounding to see Hart Foundation vs. American Express go two commercial breaks here. Gorilla mentions that “No Prime Time Wrestling event would be complete without an appearance from the #1 Frenchman, Rene Goulet.” He puts over Goulet’s dreaded French Croissant Crunch as some devastating new maneuver while the crowd gets restless as he works over Pedro Morales. This one had a vaguely sloppy reverse cradle finish, but I liked the way Pedro pivots his leg and really sells that he’s holding Goulet down with everything he has. Bulldogs retain the Tag Titles in the main event vs. Sheik & Volkoff in the final match too, both at the Boston Garden and on Prime Time.
Bobby Heenan promises to show footage of a “really bad person” and the “worst wrestler in the world” throughout the show, and at the end Monsoon throws to a clip of Heenan getting beat up by Hogan at WrestleMania 2.
Worth Watching?: Yes
Prime Time Wrestling #83 (10/9/86)
From MSG on September 22, 1986, with SCORES of empty seats. 12,000 fans showed up to the usually 20k-strong MSG to see a show headlined by the dumb Machines angle, with Big & Super Machine teaming with Hulk Machine (guess who) to face King Kong Bundy, Big John Studd, and Bobby Heenan.
Because of the way the last show ended Heenan’s hot at Gorilla all show.
Cowboy Bob Orton’s new alliance with Adrian Adonis means he’s being managed by Jimmy Hart too, and as he wrestles Billy Jack Haynes, Lord Alfred recounts a story of Bob saying he doesn’t get shit in New York for wearing a pink cowboy hat because nobody’s harder than him. He proves that by countering a headscissors by lifting out and simply spinning Hayes around. He rolls Hayes up and pulls his tights, causing an ass blur and 3-count.
“There opponents will be making their way towards the ring momentarily… from the beautiful South Pacific, at a total combined weight of five-hundred-and-eleven pounds… Haku and Tama, The Islanders!” King Tonga is now Haku, Tonga Kid is now Tama, and we’ve got ourselves a new babyface tag team in the WWF. Tama is all YEAHHHH GOOD GUY while Haku continues to look unimpressed – I love it. The Islanders play very basic babyface while The Moondogs bump around for them, and Haku just looks cool as fuck as usual. “The Moondogs appear to be very sluggish… for some reason,” observes commentary. Tama jumps into Haku’s arms when they win like a good good guy.
Rowdy Roddy Piper destroys The Flower Shop set on new WWF program Superstars of Wrestling and screams that “The war… has just begun!”
“Mr. Electricity” Steve Regal shows up in the WWF and provides a whole lot of chinlocks opposite Jose Luis Rivera before he wins with a belly-to-belly suplex. “Mr. Wrestling didn’t show me an awful lot of voltage,” thinks Monsoon.
Tito Santana vs. Harley Race is on this show and manages to be a hot match based purely on who’s involved. Harley does a belly-to-belly suplex early that Tito kicks out of, and I wonder if Harley’s is weaker than Mr. Electricty’s in the match before it or if Tito is stronger than Rivera. Or both? Harley gets slammed off the top, misses a diving headbutt, and takes advantage of a foreign object shot from Heenan for a rollup 3. The slow-mo of the 3-count provides a nice shot of Tito putting the shoulder up and Race fumbling to cover him.
Monsoon grills Heenan post-match:
Heenan: Did I enter that ring?
Monsoon: You jumped up on the apron.
Heenan: Did I touch a man? I was pulling up my undertights, is what I was doing.
Jesse Ventura takes Ken Resnick’s place for an extra special with the WWF Champion Hulk Hogan, who doesn’t take kindly to The Body’s attitude: “Standing next to me, you look like a weeping willow tree, little man.”
The Rougeau Brothers vs. The Hart Foundation main events, a match I’m sure I’ve seen a dozen times but am also not confident I ever have. Jacques does a wristlock where he backflips over Bret’s back and dropkicks him which looks very nice. Neidhart is great here reacting to stuff too – how the fuck did this guy kickout, ahhh shit he made a tag! Neidhart grabs Raymond but Jacques sunset flips over them, which gets the 3-count after an awfully long time.
Worth Watching?: No
Prime Time Wrestling #84 (10/14/86)
From Maple Leaf Gardens on September 28, 1986.
This is a bad, lazy show with the only redeeming thing being a better-than-expected Mike Rotundo vs. Iron Sheik match. Otherwise we’ve got a somehow worse-than-normal undercard and a Savage/Steele headline match that goes three minutes. The only other match these poor Canadian fans got that isn’t aired here was a Machines vs. Bundy & Stud match, so God bless those poor souls.
Barry O vs. Cowboy Frankie Lane is the perfect lazy 80s match to start this lazy 80s show, with Barry O looking jacked but also a bit puffy as Monsoon estimates he’s put on 40 pounds. Barry O works over Frankie Lane and does the most low rent stalling bad guy shtick while nobody cares about poor Lane.
Iron Mike Sharpe’s shtick is funny, Sivi Afi seems like a nice guy – why stretch them to a 15-minute draw? Sharpe tries to slam Afi off the top rope which Afi counters by dropping to the apron and putting him in a sleeper, and I’m not sure if I’ve seen that before.
Bobby Heenan gets delivered a box labeled “Prime Time Wrestling USA Host” with “Host” crossed out. The box shakes all show and ends up being action figures for everyone but Heenan’s, which he claims exists. A big Hulk Hogan doll ends up being the heavy thing in there and Heenan finds a “letter” that simply explains all his dolls sold out.
The HONKY TONK MAN makes his debut on this show in the form of an interview, just happy to be here and talking some trash about Bobby Heenan. Seems like he’s a good guy – I imagine that lasts.
Jose Luis Rivera quickly beats Mr. X with a second rope missile dropkick. Tiger Chung Lee breathes heavily as he beats on poor Jerry Allen, who we will apparently be seeing a whole mot more from in the coming weeks and months. Paul Roma can run the ropes and Terry Gibbs can react to stuff but those two paired off for 9 minutes was not great – there’s a LONG headlock and Gibbs responds to a heckle by asking why they bought a ticket. I don’t think anybody bought a ticket for this.
The Wizard also appears for the first time, an act that didn’t last long but what an impact. He’s King Curtis Iaukea managing Kamala and Sika and claiming he’s the re-incarnation of WWF manager The Grand Wizard, who passed away in 1983.
Mike Rotundo jogging down the Maple Leaf Gardens runway with the American flag after Sheik and Volkoff do their shtick and Volkoff sings the “Russianal National Anthem” is money. Sheik attacks him pre-bell and chokes him with the Iranian flag and his headdress as Slick wonders aloud where new manager Slick got all his money. Rotundo takes heat, rallies out of the Camel Clutch, fights back against Volkoff interference, ducks a cane shot from Slick, and pins Sheik to a big pop.
Hercules Hernandez pins Pedro Morales, who has his foot on the ropes at the 3. The way the referee stares at the foot afterwards makes me think he has a shame he doesn’t want to admit OR he’s just too dumb to realize what he did.
Savage vs. Steele for the IC Title for 5 minutes isn’t essential but the counterpoint is that it is Randy Savage. Steele counters a Savage lariat with a BITE, but Savage uses a foreign object to keep control until Steele is DQ’d for using said object. Steele bodyslams Savage back into the ring before he scurries off, and I will tell you this: Steele’s death stare at Savage up the Maple Leaf Gardens entrance ramp is EPIC. He raises his arm and lets out a guttural scream that feels REAL.
Worth Watching?: No
Prime Time Wrestling #85 (10/21/86)
From a variety of places and times.
A Hulk Hogan & Junkyard Dog vs. Funk Brothers tag from Boston Garden, previously reviewed here, is the headline match on this show but also cut from it for whatever reason.
Oh God, The Killer Bees are getting a push. The mask switcheroo gimmick is in full effect and they tell Ken Renisck they’ve added another weapon to their arsenal: “Confusion. Masked confusion!
Greg Valentine vs. Junkyard Dog for the IC Title from back in June 1985 is shown and it’s pretty great match that starts slow with a lengthy JYD armbar but as the referee backs him off Valentine just DROPS him with a running elbow smash. The crowd chants for JYD as he takes heat, and he goes all in on a falling headbutt comeback attempt that misses. Valentine sets up the figure-four, JYD pushes Valentine into Hart, a schoolboy gets 2 followed by a small package for 2 and Valentine begs off. JYD headbutts away, then grabs Hart but gets kneed in the back and Hart holds his leg down as Valentine covers for 3. The baddies storm off BUT the referee announces JYD has actually won by countout.
For whatever reason, a S.D. Jones & Paul Roma squash from Prime Time Wrestling 67 is re-aired.
Respect for working an armbar and all but screw you Nick Kiniski. He commits to a missed crossbody spot vs. Steve Lombardi, then takes a nasty fall onto the apron when he attempts a snake eyes. Monsoon speculates that Bobby Heenan’s Family could use “another loser” like Lombardi, but Heenan declines and says he doesn’t mess with losers. The punchline is he’d end up managing Brooklyn Brawler in a couple years. Until then, he talks trash: “You know what they say about Lombardi – it’ll take a good man to beat him, it it won’t take ’em long.”
Magnificent Muraco joins the show for an interview and not only says Adrian Adonis looks like a bloated toad but accuses Roddy Piper of being closeted.
A couple promo segments end this show, a welcome addition. Piper’s Pit with Jimmy Hart from the syndicated TV is tremendous, as Piper has promised not to lay a fingr on Hart in order to get him on the show. Hart brings a crutch, a Hawaiian lei for Muraco, a Bob Orton cowboy hat, and a rope “to hang himself with.” Piper has Hart sit down in a chair then ties him up, puts the lei on him, shoves liquor down his mouth and tells him he can’t spit unless he does it in Orton’s hat. He hobbles off set with one foot as Hart struggles in the chair before he smacks Hart and puts the liquor-drenched hat on top of him. Hilarious torture!
Meanwhile at a gym Paul Orndorff is training for upcoming matches and basically harasses and bullies this poor young woman before he flexes in the mirror for a few 20-somethings and the camera closes in on his biceps and dick. It is both must-watch and never watch.
Worth Watching?: No, though the Piper’s Pit is great
Prime Time Wrestling #86 (10/28/86)
From the Boston Garden on October 4, 1986, a show I reviewed here: Happy Thoughts – WWF Old School (Boston Garden 10/4/86).
It’s Halloween Week, so Prime Time is celebrating with a pumpkin on-set that is supposed to look like… Harley Race?
There’s also a full Corporal Kirchner & George “The Animal” Steele vs. Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff match from Baltimore in March that had a clip on TNT #73 but here it is in full. And it’s solid, even if Kirchner could never shake coming off as a goof. Sheik and Volkoff are earning HEAT, baby, and there’s a great camera shot of Steele getting choked. Kirchner drops Volkoff with a STIFF Samoan drop before Sheik hits him from behind and Volkoff covers for 3.
Nearly two-year-old Hillbilly Jim footage from Granny Kim’s house on TNT is shown, just because. I assume he was on one of his twentieth returns to the squared circle.
The Dream Team’s interview here is also worth mentioning, as Greg Valentine is wearing an incredible get-up: shades, freshly bleached hair, and a sport coat with Hawaiian shirt that has the top two buttons undone. Brutus Beefcake’s stare into the camera at the end is captivating too.
For the Dream Team interview, Valentine is wearing an incredible get-up – shades, bleached hair, suit jacket with Hawaiian shirt two top unbuttoned, Beefcake staring into camera at the end captivating.
Worth Watching?: No
Prime Time Wrestling #87 (11/3/86)
This was a special one-hour aired on Monday, from The Houston Summit on October 19, 1986. Five matches from that show were reviewed here – Happy Thoughts – WWF Old School (Sam Houston Coliseum 10/19/86) – and in addition to the crappy S.D. Jones/Brutus Beefcake and Steve Gatorwolf/Greg Valentine matches, Prime Time introduces two new matches from the show.
Dynamite Kid vs. Moondog Rex sees Rex work over Dynamite before a crucifix hold seals it for the Bulldog, while Bret Hart vs. Raymond Rougeau provides some solid action before Bret seals it with a reverse rollup.
New bumper graphics between commercials start with this show too.
Heenan sits in Monsoon’s chair and plays host, while Monsoon plays Heenan and wears a few different hats. Like literally – different hats. The WWF action figures are all over the desk, as they were all the time at this point. Monsoon says he’s finally found Heenan’s figure and it ends up having a tail glued to its’ backside. Heenan keeps teasing a special guest throughout the show and it ends up being King Harley Race, who yells at Monsoon and demands his own action figure.
Worth Watching?: No
Prime Time Wrestling #88 (11/11/86)
From MSG on October 20, 1986, a show I reviewed here: Happy Thoughts – WWF Old School (MSG 10/20/86).
Heenan is again in the primary host seat, but Monsoon has his “close personal friend Ker” (Kerwin Silfies, one would guess) switch around the shot so Heenan is back in the co-host seat. Camera tricks!!!
Monsoon actually puts over the shitty Rotundo/Brunzell match from this show as scientific, which really damages the Gorilla’s credibility. “I enjoy these types of matches, Bobby,” he says, to which The Brain reponds: “Who cares?”
Heenan’s endeavor to get anyone in power on the phone, from USA Network executives to “WWF President” Jack Tunney, continues here as he calls Jim Barnett, one of the “head honchos” in the World Wrestling Federation.
The Hart Foundation also lays down one of their now typically creepy interviews, as Neidhart asks Resnick what a female dog is called and they get him to say bitch and just LOSE IT at the thought of The Bulldogs taking orders from “a bitch.”
Worth Watching?: No
Prime Time Wrestling #89 (11/18/86)
From various locales, with quite a few things seen before.
Heenan teases opening another box all show, which ends up being a Jack in the Box that plays Pop Goes the Weasel.
Sika with The Wizard beats Leaping Lanny which is highlighted by Wizard cutting one of his crazy promos on commentary and Sika just outright rejecting a standing wristlock from Poffo. Tama vs. Nikolai Volkoff is a new pairing, though it also feels like nothing new at all. The skit where Bobby Heenan and Slick visit a bank so Heenan can withdraw cash and buy away Hercules is shown, the gimmick being Heenan has bad credit. And Jake the Snake wants the MONEY so he is going after Savage’s IC Title now – oh baby.
The main event here is strong, a tag match from MSG in April 1985 pitting Junkyard Dog & Tito Santana vs. The Dream Team. Tito takes big heat but when Valentine slaps him Tito grabs him by the tights and just punches and grabs at his face. Big Tito selling, big JYD hot tag, JYD takes heat, Tito hot tags, and a melee ends with Tito hitting the flying forearm for 3.
Worth Watching?: No
Prime Time Wrestling #90 (11/25/86)
From the Boston Garden on November 1, 1986, a show I reviewed here: Happy Thoughts – WWF Old School (Boston Garden 11/1/86).
This particular Boston Garden show is actually awesome, but Prime Time only shows the bad matches. Classic!
It’s the Thanksgiving Edition of Prime Time Wrestling so Bobby Heenan is in full Pilgrim costume and talking up his Thanksgiving dinner as Prime Time puts on a very sleepy show. Poor Sal Bellomo, always the butt of a joke, joins the set and awkwardly explains that they actually don’t even celebrate in Italy as Heenan tries not to burst out laughing. Heenan wonders where Hogan is going to mooch a Thanksgiving meal from this year now that he can’t go to the Orndorff Family’s, and at the end of the show they bring an actual live turkey to set which scares off Heenan as it flaps its wings. Seems irresponsible.
Elsewhere, The British Bulldogs are interviewed and it appears Dynamite Kid understands what Matilda the dog is saying, while Gorilla Monsoon takes a call from Terry Garvin. Yikes.
Worth Watching?: No
Prime Time Wrestling #91 (12/2/86)
From MSG on November 24, 1986.
This is a bigger show than normal, as the Savage/Steamboat feud kicks off and the build for Andre the Giant’s return begins. The set switches from black or dark blue to a backlit blue and it seems just a little more inviting.
The MSG show this airs the undercard from has Kamala putting George “The Animal” Steele on a stretcher, something reference several times on commentary but not something aired on Prime Time. Near the end of the show Captain Lou joins commentary to announce that George had escaped the ambulance. The main event is Hogan/Piper vs. Orndorff/Race too, which seems like a big deal.
There’s a midget tag where everybody is in their little gimmick – Pepe’s blanket and ammo, Karate Kid’s gi, Little Tokyo’s robe, and Lord Littlebrook’s… polka dot bandana and sunglasses? They go real long just like all the midget matches did, and poor Tokyo gets tossed by the referee halfway across the ring when he lands in his arms.
BIG TIME ANGLE ALERT! First Bundy splashed Hogan, then Jake the Snake DDT’d Ricky Steamboat, then Orndorff turned on Hogan, and now Macho Man Randy Savage has injured Ricky Steamboat’s throat – these are the Angles of our Lives. Monsoon and Heenan open the show discussing Steamboat’s injury and after the midgets have their match we go to footage from Superstars of Wrestling, the WWF’s newest flagship show. A Savage/Steamboat IC Title match ends when the referee gets knocked out and that rat bastard Danny Davis runs in to do something nefarious. Savage and Steamboat end up on the floor, where Savage snake eyes Steamboat onto his throat on the guardrail, drops a double axehandle from the top rope that sends Steamboat’s throat further into the guardrail, and finally brings him inside the ring where he drops the ring bell and its’ wooden frame on his throat.
Vince immediately saying “It looks like he’s trying to swallow his tongue!” as Steamboat does his over-the-top-selling doesn’t read like the right execution in the moment, but this whole thing felt different and it upped Savage’s psychopath cred by a lot. Savage goes up top again but a referee bravely knocks him off and sends him away.
A WWF Update is aired, which features an interview with Steamboat’s wife Bonnie who thinks he might have to retire considering he’s lost his voice and she’d love to have him at home. She actually does a great job sounding legitimately shook. Mean Gene lays out the stakes: “A young and tremendously gifted young athlete, apparently cut down at the peak of his professional wrestling career. We certainly hope that it’s not over for Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat.
Elsewhere, Hercules has to use a rollup to beat Pedro Morales. Steve Lombardi applies a lot of holds on Lanny Poffo in a match where it’s put over that he might be doing better than usual because he’s wrestling in his hometown – until he loses to a somersault legdrop.
Lots of Lombardi restholds vs. Poffo, idea is he’s doing better than usual cause he’s the hometown guy and then he goes to the top and gets pushed off and loses to a somersault legdrop.
George “The Animal” Steele prepares to join Piper’s Pit in a clip from Superstars of Wrestling, but the show is crashed by Jimmy Hart and Adrian Adonis who go back-and-forth talking shit with Piper until Hart slaps Piper, Piper lifts Hart up by the throat, and Adonis attacks Piper from behind with a crutch and puts him out with a sleeper hold.
In other news, Andre the Giant is returning to the WWF and has been spending his time in London filming The Princess Bride. He’s interviewed by a British fellow named Gary Davis and says that he’s been keeping up with the WWF, where he plans to return soon.
Koko B. Ware also starts his WWF career doing some weak wrestling against Jimmy Jack Funk, though his brainbuster finish is gorgeously disgusting.
Worth Watching?: Yes
Prime Time Wrestling #92 (12/11/86)
From Maple Leaf Gardens on November 16, 1986.
Here’s another show that feels bigger and more relevant than usual – business is picking up.
But first, Dino Bravo. Yeah, he’s been around. But now he’s here more permanently. Cause the Canadian territories are drying up. And he’s got black hair, so he’s more bland than usual – the blonde at least gave him some zazz. He faces Pedro Morales who nearly cripples himself on a fall to the floor, then gets back in and applies a Boston crab but is informed he’s been counted out. Aw.
Another update is provided on Ricky Steamboat’s injuries via Hogan’s Favorite Doctor Robert Panovich, who thinks Ricky should QUIT professional wrestling. Danny Davis, who was getting a little push as a crooked referee, comments afterwards: “The way I figure it, that’s the brakes.” This INCENSES Mean Gene Okerlund. An injury angle, a crooked doctor, a crooked referee, an incensed interviewer – this is professional wrestling.
Frankie Lane was a regular enhancement guy in Canada throughout the 80s and is a real gawky old prick of a man who wrestles like a slightly more animated Orange Cassidy. I think ol’ Frankie’s best days were behind him, but his stretch of control is so distressing and continuous that Rivera’s eventual sunset flip out of the corner for the win feels legitimately good.
Before he throws to Steve Lombardi vs. Paul Roma, Gorilla Monsoon on WWF TV now via the WWE Network mentions that Lombardi is now under the tutelage of Terry Garvin and Louie Dondero, two of the WWF’s most notable homosexuals – Garvin for being a creep, Dondero for being Pat Patterson’s by all accounts good guy boyfriend. I don’t think any viewer of WWF television back in the day had any reason to know those two names. Heenan follows with “Yeah they own a piece of him alright.” My goodness.
Whatever the reason for his moderate success, Lombardi does make young Paul Roma look pretty great before clobbering his ass with a clothesline.
WWF’s on-screen President and in reality Maple Leaf Gardens promoter Jack Tunney makes what I think is his earliest appearance on the WWE Network thus far, introduced thusly: “Ladies and gentleman, you all know who I am, Jesse the Body VENTURA, but a lot of fans out there in the World Wrestling Federation might not know who this dude is… so let me tell ya who this is, this is Jack Tunney, President of the World Wrestling Federation!”
Tunney is brought on-screen to provide some gravitas to the Andre the Giant situation, which is escalating week-to-week. He was suspended a couple months after WrestleMania 2 for what was said to be missing shows, and while his return was teased as a part of masked Machines tag team in reality he was filming The Princess Bride and nursing injuries. The rigors of professional wrestling were catching up with his giant body, but the wheels for his return and a pretty big match were set in motion as 1986 came to a close.
Tunney says that the hearing for Andre’s reinstatement was bizarre, but it’s privileged information and all he can say is that Andre was not there but Bobby Heenan was. Back on set, Heenan sweats as Monsoon grills him about why he’d want Andre to come back. SEEDS PLANTED!!!
If Jack freakin’ Tunney wasn’t enough, we’ve got the Honky Tonk Man Approval Vote promo too! Honky had just come to the WWF as a babyface who was loosely an Elvis impersonator but the crowd quickly turned on him, due to either an incredible miscasting or a deliberately brilliant introduction. Honky flashes a wide smile as Jesse Ventura asks the question: do the fans approve or disapprove of The Honky Tonk Man? He says that 674,383 votes were cast and Honky Tonk absolutely flips out with joy: “WOOOO that makes me feel good! I knew they’d like me!” Ventura informs him that only 71,111 people voted their approval, and if I’m a math man (I’m not) that’s barely over 10%! “That can’t be true!” the Honky Tonk Man shouts in a way that just doesn’t make you feel bad. What a performer, that Wayne Farris.
This show also has the absolute treat that is the infamous Honky Tonk Man match where he works babyface opposite the masked Mr. X (played by Danny Davis) in Toronto and is mercifully booed through the entire match. He wears an obnoxious blue and purple suspenders outfit in the ring and the crowd proceeds to very loudly boo every single thing he does while uproariously cheering for anything the one-note Mr. X pulls off. I’m not sure if this match’s reaction was deliberate or not either, but Honky Tonk Man staring at the fans with dead eyes after his win doing the obnoxious Elvis dance is pro wrestling gold.
Adrian Adonis back from a month-long absence for God knows what so they air a match from Superstars where he enters with an oxygen mask to big heat. He beats two-time squash recipient Paul Roma real quick with a sleeper and stuffs flowers down his throat.
Dino Bravo, Danny Davis, Honky Tonk Man, and now Butch Reed – lots of acts are getting moving on this show. “The Natural” Butch Reed has arrived in the WWF from Mid-South and he’s managed by Slick, all roided up with bleached blonde hair, sunglasses, a bandana, a jacket – doesn’t seem so Natural if you ask me. He and Tito go to a 20-minute draw and boy do they take their time. Butch is a tough asshole of a man and that probably ruled in the moment but that shtick going 20 with Tito dragged a little bit. They apply two LONG holds about 15 minutes in and Butch seems just tickled that the crowd is actually into it – bless you Tito.
Worth Watching?: Yes
Prime Time Wrestling #93 (12/17/86)
The WWE Network originally had this listed as 12/17, but it might be 12/16. TheHistoryofWWE.com has both. The set is rocking a Christmas trim and most of the matches are from The Summit on November 26, 1986, though there’s one from Wrestling Challenge and one from Superstars and one from South Bend, Indiana, a town I may have never heard of in my life if it wasn’t for one Democratic Presidential Candidate.
The Bulldogs defending the WWF World Tag Team Title against Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff opens the show and it’s your classic three-star WWF tag – don’t get too excited, but the wrestling sure is completely solid and effective. Matilda harasses Slick before we get a lot of Bulldog armbars, Dynamite taking heat, a Camel Clutch struggle, and finally a missile dropkick to Volkoff’s back by Dynamite that causes Davey Boy to fall on top of him for the win.
Butch Reed again goes long, this time working Steve Gatorwolf for a little under 15 MINUTES but I’ll be honest here: it’s not good, but it’s not bad! Reed works a chinlock for all its worth and Gatorwolf’s brief fire-up is completely passable.
Slick says he’s proud to be the first black manager in professional wrestling and the very best manager in professional wrestling today. He also talks some shit about Steamboat: “poor little baby Dragon can’t talk, sign language is for little kids!” Jeez, Slick!
A Mid-South Reunion match takes place as Jake Roberts faces “The Rebel” Dick Slater on Superstars with Danny Davis as referee. Jake seems to be working with more urgency than usual and the crowd is into it as they’re milking everything and working the shit out of some leglocks. Slater appears to get the 3 off a top rope elbow smash, but Danny Davis says Jake’s foot was on the rope. Jake grabs the snake bag and Slater punches him, but Danny grabs Slater and Slater throws him and Danny calls a DQ. The North wins again!
Dan Spivey vs. Moondog Spot is the most basic of matches but ends with the sweetest bulldog out of nowhere.
Adrian Adonis wrestles S.D. Jones on Wrestling Challenge in a match where Adonis throws his jacket at S.D. and attacks before Rowdy Roddy Piper shows up to observe, then distract. Adonis eventually throws S.D. inside and Piper goes after him leading to an awesome pull-apart brawl that spills into the crowd. Monsoon notes afterwards that Piper paid S.D. the winner’s share out of his own pocket to make up for getting him DQ’d – brilliant.
I wrote one note for Mike Rotundo vs. Moondog Rex: “lots of Rotundo working a headlock.”
The Islanders vs. Magnificent Muraco & Cowboy Bob Orton from South Bend closes the show and it’s real basic but a classic kind of basic, with a hot babyface team getting put over by a pair of midcard legends while two legendary managers stand at ringside. Haku takes heat before Tama throws the most excited hot tag. He and Bob just barely get over the top with a crossbody to the floor where Muraco and Bob run The Islanders heads into each other… this is no-sold, of course. Then everybody gets counted out.
Worth Watching?: No
Prime Time Wrestling #94 (12/23/86)
From the Boston Garden on September 6, 1986, a show I reviewed here: Happy Thoughts – WWF Old School (Boston Garden 12/6/86). They don’t air it here but there’s a sweet Islanders vs. Dream Team match that’s worth checking out.
In addition to the Christmas trimmings we’ve got Christmas trees in the back and in addition to Boston Garden footage we’ve got Hulk Hogan defending the WWF World Heavyweight Title against Hercules Hernandez, a Christmas present for the FOLKS.
The journey of Ricky Steamboat continues as he visits a speech pathologist in the ultimate ridiculous campy WWF angle. Mean Gene puts on his spectacles and circles around in his chair for a WWF Update, where he introduces footage of Steamboat trying to enunciate “E” and it only comes out “HEEE.” It’s hilarious and you’d think nobody would buy it for a second but the fact that Ricky Steamboat is on-screen looking SO ridiculous actually makes it feel distantly legitimate. Heenan just assumes he forgot the alphabet: “it’s a shame, at his age.”
Blackjack Mulligan, fresh (?) off a run as Big Machine, laid down a squash in Boston on Jimmy Jack Funk but he also gets a promo segment here on some farm with something I don’t recognize because I’m a depraved city boy. He shows off what he calls his honey wagon, and he says it like this: “You’re lookin’ at the original honey wagon, momma.” He goes on and on about it and Monsoon provides the punchline after: “that’s nothing but a good old-fashioned manure spreader!” So the gimmick is Mulligan’s gonna take shit like King Kong Bundy and fertilize Texas with it. The Fiend’s granddaddy was only around for a few more months.
Andre the Giant is once again interviewed, this time by Jesse Ventura who grills him about his reinstatement and why Heenan was at the hearing and not him. Andre matter of factly says it’s none of his business, and that’s that. Back on set Heenan remains coy, while Monsoon says he’s more friends with Andre than Heenan or Ventura so maybe he’ll have to do the interview and get to the bottom of this. It all kind of feels like overt foreshadowing with over thirty years of retrospect, but Heenan had also spent the last couple years being such a bullshitting loser that I don’t know how obvious it might’ve come off.
Heenan opens one of the presents on the desk to find a weasel, then gets grilled by Surprise Mean Gene for owing him money over the Denver game.
I wrote one note for Rotundo and Spivey interview here: “Rotundo says you gotta step on people’s faces sometimes.”
Outback Jack! OUTBACK JACK! The infamous Australian’s first vignettes begin running on Prime Time, and over dark close-ups of a bearded man with a knife he offers us this: “Good day, mates. I’m Outback Jack from down under in Australia. These are my mates from the Buckeye tribe. They taught me how to live and survive in the Outback. The Barbarie… that’s to prepare me to do battle in the World Wrestling Federation. I reckon I’m ready. I’m Outback Jack.”
That jerk Danny Davis again has an interview, asked about fans complaining about his officiating. “Are you kiddin’? Fans don’t bother me!”
The Heenan/Hercules match from Saturday Night’s Main Event is a treat, and a few weeks later Heenan is still claiming you can hear Hogan submit.
The show ends with Monsoon gifting Heenan a working telephone, a glass eye tearjerker to the highest degree.
Worth Watching?: Yes
Prime Time Wrestling #95 (12/29/86)
From MSG on December 26, 1986. You bet your ass all these boys worked Christmas. Not New Year’s Eve though. But New Year’s Day? BET YOUR ASS.
This might have aired on 12/30. Either way, it’s the New Year’s Edition. And Hercules Hernandez is just Hercules now.
It begins with a neat ankle, as Sivi Afi is again used to heat up the new heel in town as Honky Tonk Man attacks him during the introductions, hits the Shake Rattle & Roll Neckbreaker, and smiles. The match does actually go on later in the show, and Afi beats some ass right away before Honky puts his knees up on a Vader splash and wins pretty quickly with the Shake Rattle & Roll. He gets on the mic afterwards and thanks the fans for their support, then lurks around ringside long enough that Tito Santana walks out for a match and waves him off. This prompts Honky to attack him from behind and injure his knee.
Cold-ass Fink goes right into the intros as Tito struggles on the floor: “The following contest is scheduled for one fall…”
This leads into the main event, Tito vs. Hercules (still Hernandez) with Bobby Heenan on commentary. Herc works over the knee for a while which isn’t the best but at least has a hook, and Herc does do some pretty great facial expressions whether he’s wrenching a hold like a psycho or getting his hair pulled and being all WHAAAOOO. The camera gets a nice close-up shot of Hercules just stepping on poor Tito’s knee, before Heenan calls for “snack crackle and pop time” and Herc rams Tito’s knee into the post.
Tito of course is always selling, always looking for an opening, and when Herc goes up for a top rope splash he puts the knees up and makes his comeback by just GOING at Herc’s knee. He applies the figure-four but Heenan rings the bell, causing confusion and an announcement that the match will continue. Tito continues going at Herc, but Heenan grabs him and Herc hits a knee to the back for 3. Really good match, Tito was still a genius and at sporadic times in his career Hercules could go.
Dondero and Garvin are again named by Monsoon as Steve Lombardi’s managers before a match where he attacks Jose Luis Rivera before the bell but quickly gets caught in a backslide for 3. He attacks after the match but takes a massive shoulder bump into the corner post for his troubles.
ANOTHER ultra campy Ricky Steamboat thing airs via WWF Update, this one a straight-up promo on Randy Savage where his voice 100% yet so he goes for a bit talking normal then aggressively coughs. Embarrassing but fascinating.
Another Outback Jack vignette makes it clear he’s 6 foot 6, 305 pounds, and missing teeth. He also hangs out with alligators on the regular.
Paul Roma vs. Terry Gibbs is an adorable two-star match, with Roma such a wonderful ultra-basic good-looking babyface running the ropes and doing monkey flips. He does a risky but pitch perfect sunset flip off the top to win.
Rowdy Roddy Piper lays down a promo on Adrian Adonis and it’s very intense but also not as hateful as some of the others and in this case with this subject matter that’s a good thing.
Lord Alfred Hayes gives us a few Andre the Giant clips, as it turns out the real The Machine was the WWF marketing machine.
The Hart Foundation provide some solid tag work against Corporal Kirchner & Dick Slater, and they completely commit to setting up a double chop that Slater jumps through and causes them to collide with each other. Neidhart selling for armdrags is the good stuff too.
Heenan gets champagne brought to set and says these words: “87 is gonna be my year… 87 is gonna be the best year I’ve ever had.”
Worth Watching?: Yes
The end.
