Daily Archives: February 10, 2008

The Wrestling Classic

Posted by Matt

WWF’s The Wrestling Classic
November 7, 1985
Chicago, IL
Rosemont Horizon

The current WWF Champs were as follows:
World Champion: Hulk Hogan (1/23/1984)
Intercontinental Champion: Tito Santana (7/5/1985)
World Tag Team Champions: Greg Valentine & Brutus Beefcake (8/24/1985)
Women’s Champion: Wendi Richter (3/31/1985)

This is THE first-ever wrestling PPV. I’m not actually sure they announced what the winner of the tournament actually wins. I just kept hearing Gorilla say that the winner will be able to “write his own ticket.” Whatever that means. Okay, let’s get started!

Your hosts are Gorilla Monsoon & Jesse Ventura! Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in WWE

1 Comment

Tags: Adrian Adonis, Bob Orton Jr., Bobby Heenan, Corporal Kirschner, Davey Boy Smith, Don Muraco, Dynamite Kid, Elizabeth, Hulk Hogan, Iron Sheik, Ivan Putski, Jimmy Hart, Junkyard Dog, JYD, Moondog Spot, Mr. Fuji, Nikolai Volkoff, Paul Orndorff, Randy Savage, Ricky Steamboat, Roddy Piper, Terry Funk, Tito Santana

Saturday Night’s Main Event #3 (11.85)

Feb 10

Posted by Matt

WWF Saturday Night’s Main Event #3
November 2, 1985
Hershey, PA
Hershey Park Arena
(Taped on 10/31/1985)

Because this is the SNME Halloween ’85 special, some of the wrestlers are dressed up (more than usual) in fitting costumes for a faux Halloween party. For example, Bobby Heenan is dressed as Daniel Boone with a “weasel” cap on his head. The best has got to be Piper dressed up as SUPERROD. Great stuff.

Your hosts are Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura! Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in WWE

2 Comments

Tags: Andre the Giant, Big John Studd, Bob Orton Jr., Bobby Heenan, Captain Lou Albano, Cousin Junior, Don Muraco, Elizabeth, Gene Okerlund, Hillbilly Jim, Hulk Hogan, Iron Sheik, Jesse Ventura, Jimmy Hart, Junkyard Dog, JYD, King Kong Bundy, Mr. Fuji, Nikolai Volkoff, Piper's Pit, Randy Savage, Ricky Steamboat, Roddy Piper, Terry Funk, The Land of a Thousand Dances, Tito Santana, Uncle Elmer

Saturday Night’s Main Event #2 (10.85)

Feb 10

Posted by Matt

WWF Saturday Night’s Main Event #2
October 5, 1985
East Rutherford, NJ
Meadowlands Arena
(Taped on 10/3/1985)

Your hosts are Vince McMahon & Jesse Ventura! Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in WWE

Saturday Night’s Main Event #1 (05.85)

Feb 10

Posted by Matt

WWF Saturday Night’s Main Event #1
May 11, 1985
Long Island, NY
Nassau Coliseum
(Taped on 5/10/1985)

The current WWF Champs were as follows:
World Champion: Hulk Hogan (1/23/1984)
Intercontinental Champion: Greg Valentine (9/24/1984)
World Tag Team Champions: Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff (3/31/1985)
Women’s Champion: Wendi Richter (3/31/1985)

Besides grabbing Hogan from Verne Gagne and taking a chance on Wrestlemania, putting Saturday Night’s Main Event on NBC was the best idea Vince had in the 1980s. When you consider that the majority of America back then did not have cable or satellite television, not everyone could enjoy WWF programming so this show played a big part in making the WWF the most popular wrestling promotion in the country. The show also played a major role in kick-starting many of the huge Wrestlemania main-event feuds. The first episode is the fallout to the first Wrestlemania. A couple things that you need to remember before I go ahead with the recap; in the main-event at Wrestlemania, Orndorff took the fall and was therefore blamed by Piper and Orton for losing the biggest match in their careers. Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff captured the tag titles from the US Express, Barry Windham and Mike Rotunda. Also with Cyndi Lauper at her side, Wendi Richter regained the Women’s title against Lelani Kai who was managed by Fabulous Moolah. As you might be able to tell, I’m being a lot tamer on this show compared to the newer, over-exposed SNME’s. It’s just not the same!

We hear from Wendi Richter, Cyndi Lauper, Hulk Hogan and Mr. T!

Your hosts are Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura! Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in WWE

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Tags: Barry Windham, Bob Orton Jr., Captain Lou Albano, Cyndi Lauper, David Wolfe, Fabulous Moolah, Freddie Blassie, Gene Okerlund, George "The Animal" Steele, Hulk Hogan, Iron Sheik, Junkyard Dog, JYD, Lelani Kai, Mike Rotunda, Mr. T, Nikolai Volkoff, Paul Orndorff, Pete Doherty, Piper's Pit, Ricky Steamboat, Roddy Piper, US Express, Wendi Richter

WrestleMania

Feb 10

Posted by Matt

WWF WrestleMania
March 31, 1985
New York City, NY
Madison Square Garden

The current WWF Champs were as follows:
World Champion: Hulk Hogan (1/23/1984)
Intercontinental Champion: Greg Valentine (9/24/1984)
World Tag Team Champions: Mike Rotunda and Barry Windham (1/21/1985)
Women’s Champion: Lelani Kai (2/18/1985)

Your hosts are Gorilla Monsoon and a relatively unbiased Jesse Ventura throughout the event! Mean Gene starts us off with the National Anthem. It’s good they hired actual talented singers in years to come. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in WWE

1 Comment

Tags: Andre the Giant, Barry Windham, Big John Studd, Bob Orton Jr., Bobby Heenan, Bruno Sammartino, Brutus Beefcake, Buddy Rose, Captain Lou Albano, Cyndi Lauper, David Sammartino, David Wolfe, Fabulous Moolah, Freddie Blassie, Gene Okerlund, Greg Valentine, Hulk Hogan, Iron Sheik, Jimmy Hart, Jimmy Snuka, Johnny Valiant, Junkyard Dog, JYD, King Kong Bundy, Lelani Kai, Matt Borne, Mike Rotunda, Mr. T, Muhammad Ali, Nikolai Volkoff, Pat Patterson, Paul Orndorff, Ricky Steamboat, Roddy Piper, SD Jones, The Executioner, Tito Santana, US Express, Wendi Richter, WrestleMania

Starrcade 1989

Feb 10

Posted by Matt

NWA Starrcade ’89: Future Shock
December 13, 1989
Atlanta, GA
The Omni

This year for the NWA’s biggest show of the year, they’ve taken All-Japan’s concept of the Real World Tag League tournament and applied it to both singles and tag divisions. This round-robin-style tournament (its named the Iron Man/Iron Team tournaments here) is based on a point system: 20 points for a pinfall/submission win, 15 points for a countout victory, 10 points for a DQ win, 5 points for a 15-minute time limit draw and zero points for a loss. The singles contestants are NWA World Champion Ric Flair, Sting, NWA U.S. Champion Lex Luger and NWA World TV Champion Great Muta. The tag team contestants are the NWA World Tag Team Champions The Steiners, Doom, the Road Warriors and the Wild Samoans who are subbing for the recently injured Skyscrapers. Scott Steiner had punctured Sid’s lung at the last Clash and put him out of action for six months. Flair vs. Funk was blown off at the same Clash in November and now Terry Funk has seen the errors of his ways and turned into a straight-laced color commentator. Honestly, the Clash card probably should’ve been Starrcade, as it was such a great card comparatively. You should just never perform an experiment that your audience isn’t used to seeing on your biggest show of the year. Also, Arn Anderson had left the WWF right after Survivor Series and is already back in the NWA alongside his pals Ole Anderson and Ric Flair to reform the good guy Four Horsemen along with their newest addition: Sting. That should set the stage quite nicely here. I felt I should catch you up on things since we’re moving on past the Flair/Funk feud.

Your hosts are Jim Ross and Terry Funk for the singles matches, and Jim Ross and Jim Cornette for the tag matches! Read the rest of this entry →