WWF The Main Event #5
February 1, 1991
Macon, GA
Macon Coliseum
(Taped on 1/28/1991)

The current WWF Champs were as follows:
World Champion: Sgt. Slaughter (1/19/1991)
Intercontinental Champion: Mr. Perfect (11/19/1990)
World Tag Team Champions: Hart Foundation (8/27/1990)

Opening montage: When Hulk’s not gunning for the WWF title or making movies, he goes on the USO tour and hangs out in tanks at local army bases or he’s cheering up kids in hospitals. On his way to the arena today, he nursed a sick bunny rabbit back to health! It was red, white and blue and everything! Hulk Hogan is great!

Your hosts are Vince McMahon & Roddy Piper!

• Hulk Hogan & Tugboat vs. Earthquake & Dino Bravo (w/Jimmy Hart)
  

It’s time for this feud to die once and for all. Bravo starts off pushing Hulk into the corner out of a tie-up, which Bravo makes into a big deal. They tie-up again and Hogan shoves Bravo off into the corner and mocks Bravo. Jimmy Hart hops up on the apron for some reason and gets nailed naturally. Hogan ducks a clothesline from Bravo and atomic drops him into Tuggie for a little ping-pong. Tugster comes in and bores us with a wristlock. Tugaroonie whips Bravo into the corner, but charges into a foot. Bravo sneaks up and gives T-Money an inverted atomic drop and tags in the big ol’ Earthquake. He misses an elbow drop right off the bat to set up the HOT TAG TO HOGAN! He goes SLAM CRAZY on everybody and then bites on Earthquake in the middle of some ten-count corner punches. Tugger tags in for a double-team Big Boot with the Hulkster, but even that won’t put the nasty Earthquake down. T-Boat makes the same mistake twice by running into another boot. Tugmeister gets stuck in the heel corner and eventually takes a big ol’ elbow drop from Earthquake for 1-2-NO! Hulk makes the save. Bravo tags and grabs the Tuginator before he can reach Hogan. Bravo draws in Hulk to distract the ref so they can double-clothesline the El Tugboato. Oh no! Earthquake walks across Tug the Boat’s chest and then chokes him up in the ropes. Tuggin’ Boat reverses a corner-whip on Earthquake and follows in for a splash. Earthquake finally gets floored with a clothesline, but then Bravo has Jimmy Hart’s megaphone and wallops Mr. Tug B. Oat with it as he comes off the ropes. Hogan can’t believe the ref didn’t see that! The heels continue on with the punishment. We even see a false tag spot, which calls for a double-team slam on King Tug. Uh oh, EARTHQUAKE SPLASH is coming up! NO! As he comes off the ropes for the splash, Hogan runs in and catches Earthquake with a clothesline. Hogan goes back to his corner and begs for the tag! He gets it! Hogan delivers three punches to Bravo, hits the Big Boot and rolls him up for the quick 1-2-3. (9:03) Formula stuff with a lot of Earthquake and Tugboat. Not the best match in the world. *

We recap on what transpired between the Ultimate Warrior and Randy Savage at the Royal Rumble, including the scepter smash to the face that ended Warrior’s title reign.

Sgt. Slaughter interview: He talks about how people now have to play by Slaughter’s rules, and that’s an order.

• WWF World Champion Sgt. Slaughter (w/Gen. Adnan) vs. Hacksaw Jim Duggan
  

Hulk Hogan comes out with Duggan originally with Old Glory, but gets sent to the back because he’s not a real manager. Tons of USA chants as you would imagine. Lots of stalling here too. Slaughter chokes and grinds his knuckles into Duggan’s head to start, but Duggan comes back and clotheslines Slaughter out to the floor. Duggan tries to slam Sarge back in the ring from the apron, but Adnan trips him up and Slaughter falls on top for two. Heel miscommunication ensues. Duggan fires away on Sarge, but then telegraphs a backdrop and pays for it. More choking from Slaughter follows before he takes Duggan’s 2×4 and jabs him in the throat when the ref is with Adnan. He puts his foot on Duggan’s chest for 1-2-NO! Duggan starts to HOOOOO and whips Slaughter in the corner for his patented bump into the ringpost. Duggan throws Sarge into the steel steps and then into the ringpost. Adnan attacks, which turns Duggan away from Slaughter for a good WHACK with a steel chair. Duggan wins by DQ. (6:50) Well, at least Duggan seemed motivated. Slaughter is just way too past his prime by this point. Post-match, Slaughter continues the assault on Duggan. Hogan runs down for the save, but Slaughter beats him down with the chair too. Hogan doesn’t really sell the chairshot and helps Duggan up to his feet as he holds the American flag. Why, Hulk Hogan is George Washington times three! ½*

• The Legion of Doom vs. The Orient Express (w/Mr. Fuji)
  

Kato tries his best against Animal, but the guy just won’t sell anything. Kato takes a powerslam and Tanaka goes up RIDICULOUSLY high on a double-team backdrop from LOD. Hawk and Tanaka give it a go. Hawk hits a shoulderblock, but gets tripped up by Kato when he comes off the ropes. The Express double-whip Hawk into the corner, but he explodes out to clothesline both guys. Oh wait, Kato ducks and manages to escape to the floor, but Animal is there to throw him back in the ring only to be clotheslined out. Tanaka tags and tries for a hiptoss on Animal, but that ain’t happening. Tanaka flips over Animal, but gets dropped with a clothesline. Now all four men get in the ring and during the confusion, Fuji tosses some salt in Animal’s eyes to set up a Tanaka superkick. The Express deliver the leapfrog/backbreaker on Animal, but then he comes right back with a double-clothesline. Hawk tags in and kills everything. DOOMSDAY DEVICE puts Kato away for the 1-2-3. (5:14) Too bad the Nasties weren’t already the tag champs to give that face/heel title switch at ‘Mania because the crowd was reacting like crazy people to every move Hawk and Animal made. *½

Main Event interview: WWF President Jack Tunney announces Hulk Hogan as the #1 contender to the WWF title at WrestleMania VII despite Gene Okerlund mentioning several other people as viable contenders (Warrior, Duggan, Savage). How will Sgt. Slaughter respond? Let’s find out!

Sgt. Slaughter interview #2: Slaughter goes all Osama Bin Laden on us and calls the Hulkamaniacs infidels. “Let the people be damned!” Back in the ring…

Hulk Hogan interview: At WrestleMania VII, he and Slaughter are going to war. Hogan also fills us in on his view of the Persian Gulf war as though we were asking his opinion. He leads Macon in the pledge of allegiance to the American flag. He’s doing it for America, brothers! Oh, and for certain networks who are considering dropping WWF programming from their schedules because of Sgt. Slaughter’s controversial character.

Final Thoughts: Hulk Hogan looked great tonight. I mean, the only bad thing that happened to him was one lousy chairshot from Slaughter. We see the closing of the Hogan/Earthquake chapter as we head full-steam in WrestleMania VII with Hogan/Slaughter. Wrestling and angle-wise, this was a completely passable show as this would be the last primetime special for the WWF in network television until 2006 due to dwindling ratings and wrestling hitting a down period. Thumbs down for the Main Event #5.