This edition of Saturday Night’s Main Event was taped on 4/28/87 at the Joyce Athletic & Convocation Center in sunny South Bend, Indiana.
The WWF spent April 1987 in their usual post-WrestleMania hibernation, with eventful but not TOO eventful wrestling taking place. On this episode, Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant are still reacting to their extra famous WrestleMania main event, Randy Savage and Ricky Steamboat are still feuding, the Hart Foundation and The British Bulldogs are still wrestling, and there’s a new babyface team and All-American Guy to battle Sheik and Volkoff.
There’s less skits on Saturday Night’s Main Event now, though the WWF wrestler logos introduced earlier in the year are getting really impressive. These are detailed things.
A dark match with Hulk Hogan & the recently returned Ken Patera vs. Andre the Giant & Hercules preceded the show.
The opening promos highlight the absolute CAST the WWF had employed at this time: Macho Man Randy Savage, Miss Elizabeth, Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, Bret Hart, Jim Neidhart, Colonel Jimmy Hart, Danny Davis, Bobby “The Brain” Heenan, Andre the Giant, and no less than Hulk Hogan begin the show spreading their gospel.
As usual, Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura provide commentary with their excellent diction and explanation.
Jesse Ventura Fashion Watch: the same cut-off fringe Hollywood shirt he wore on the January SNME, a red boa, white-and-red-rimmed sunglasses, and silver tinsel wig over his big bald head.
1. Jake Roberts vs. Kamala w/ Mr. Fuji and Kim Chee
Before Kamala was terrified of caskets, he was terrified of the snake. Mean Gene is amazing in Jake’s pre-match promo reacting to the snake – some wrestlers wrestle like their characters, Mean Gene listened like his character. He goes from paranoid to scared and back again, all in the span of 60 seconds. Jake charges to the ring for a pretty basic punch-choke-comeback match that suddenly gets wild when Jake throws a STIFF knee lift from the second rope then drops the Ugandan Giant with a DDT that the crowd goes INSANE for.
The work was basic, but these nutjobs knew exactly who they were and the crowd bought in. Kim Chee runs in and hits Jake with a foreign object before he can take advantage, then Kamala drops a splash for 3. After the match, Kim Chee unmasks to reveal he was Jake’s Mania opponent Honky Tonk Man all along and he is SUCH a shit about it. Jake would be out until October after this with a suspension and/or injury. **
2. Lumberjack Match: George “The Animal” Steele w/ Ricky Steamboat vs. Macho Man Randy Savage w/ Elizabeth
“Oh this isn’t right, Vince – I really don’t think George ‘The Animal’ Steele understands how brutal a Lumberjack can be!” Mean Gene again crushes the pre-match promo, giving you all you need to know. It is incredible how many times Savage/Steele happened during this era, and though literally none of the matches are actually “good” they are two classic personalities who always get by.
Most of the cool stuff here comes from the lumberjacks – Neidhart laughs, Hacksaw gets a showcase, Steamboat and Hercules almost come to blows. Savage is punchin’ and bumpin’ and gougin’ eyes, while Steele provides one of his last great insane bumps when Savage tosses him under the top rope. Danny Davis eventually hits George with the ring bell, then Savage drops an elbow for 3. All the lumberjacks brawl until Jake runs everybody off with the snake. **3/4
Exclusive Interview: Andre the Giant and Bobby Heenan on WrestleMania III
I guess it made a little more sense in the 80s, but the WWF’s insistence from then until even now with advertising “Exclusive Footage” of big matches that is either the same footage or a slightly different camera angle has always been off-putting. Heenan (wearing a neckbrace) and Andre (wearing a big freaking suit) claim that the referee counted 3 when Andre fell on top of Hogan’s first bodyslam attempt and that Andre is the WWF Champion. They refuse to admit the truth, even as clips of the match showing otherwise plays.
3. 2/3 Falls – WWF World Tag Team Title: The Hart Foundation [c] w/ Jimmy Hart and Danny Davis vs. The British Bulldogs w/ Tito Santana
Mean Gene calls The Hart Foundation a disgrace and black eye on professional wrestling, and Jimmy Hart thanks him. Before the match they do the thing where the Bulldogs’ actual dog Matilda goes after Jimmy Hart and though it seems like all fun and games I found myself just a little uncomfortable seeing Jimmy straight-up fall with all of his weight on the scrambling bulldog. Then I got way more comfortable as I summoned all the dark knowledge of how much the Bulldogs fucked with that dog.
Anyways THE MATCH was good, really good. The 2/3 falls stip doesn’t add much, but whether they were running ropes or building heat or popping the crowd this pairing was one of the best. It’s solid wrestling and a beatdown by the Hart Foundation early before Bret takes his chest bump into Davey’s legs to setup the hot tag, then does it again right away for the hot tag itself. Danny Davis runs in and is chased around the ring by Tito Santana, which gives fall #1 to the Bulldogs as the Foundation is DQ’d.
The Hart Foundation always ate incredible shit and there’s plenty of it in the second fall: Bret detonating himself in the ropes, Anvil running into Bret by mistake, and Tito wrecking Davis to name a few. Davey Boy press slams Dynamite Kid on top of Anvil for 3 and the crowd goes crazy as nobody is kind enough to announce what commentary takes a moment to explain. Jesse sardonically reminds Vince that a title can’t change hands by disqualification, to which Vince simply responds: “I forgot all about that. You’re right about that.”
Then we move onto Hogan. ***1/2
Exclusive Interview: Hulk Hogan on WrestleMania III
“Now that I know the Heenan Family can’t handle Hulkamania, Hulkamania shall live forever – long after I’m gone!” I’m not sure Hogan got the means correctly but he might be right on the ends.
4. WWF Intercontinental Title: Ricky Steamboat [c] vs. Hercules
Even though he slowed down as his mass increased, Hercules could always go and he certainly did opposite prime Ricky Steamboat. Plus, Savage pops onto the screen throughout the match kind of rooting Steamboat on because he wants the IC Title back from The Dragon specifically. There is some great Steamboat selling and comeback-ing here that ends when Herc chokes him out with a chain for the DQ. Savage runs out and teases that he’s checking on his rival, doing it so good that the crowd appears ready for a babyface turn. Then he drops an elbow. ***1/4.
5. The Can-Am Connection vs. Iron Sheik & Nikolai Voloff
Newcomer Hacksaw Jim Duggan is interviewed in the front row, as he bought a ticket so that he could sit front row and ensure Nikolai doesn’t sing the Russian National Anthem. I mean, I appreciate it and all but the guy tried to stop Nikolai from singing for like six months – at some point you have to wonder who is the babyface and who is the heel?
The match? The match was the basics. It worked. **1/2
Happy Thoughts: This was a bridge show, a low key entry into the SNME canon, and nearly everything had a crappy finish. On the strength of the roster and era alone though, it was still pretty good. 6/10
