WWF: Boston Garden
February 11, 1989
Boston, MA

The current WWF champs were as follows:
WWF World Champion: Randy Savage (3/27/1988)
WWF Intercontinental Champion: Ultimate Warrior (8/29/1988)
WWF World Tag Team Champions: Demolition (3/27/1988)
WWF Women’s Champion: Rockin’ Robin (11/8/1988)

Your hosts are Rod Trongard (for the last time on NESN) and Lord Alfred Hayes.

• Jim Powers vs. Iron Mike Sharpe
  

Lots of yelling from Sharpe to start. It’s really what he does best. He tries to match strength with Powers since after all he is Canada’s greatest athlete. Of course, Powers wins the test of strength, and then legdrops the arm. Sharpe gets tied up in the ropes, but Powers runs into his boot. Powers fires back with a crossbody block, but then telegraphs a backdrop. He avoids a piledriver and mounts his comeback. A dropkick lands Sharpe too close to the ropes, but a powerslam in the middle of the ring is perfect as Powers picks up the win. (11:07) Sadly, this actually turns out to be one of the best matches of the night. *

• Koko B. Ware vs. Boris Zhukov
  

Koko debuts some new green and white tights tonight, says Lord Alfred. Zhukov appears to be ducking Koko to start. Lot of stalling and nothing happening. Boris finally puts the boots to Koko and grabs a bearhug. Diving headbutt misses, and Koko comes back with the Missile Dropkick for the three-count. (9:02) Just nothing going on here. ½*

• Big John Studd vs. Akeem
  

Oh boy. Studd is fresh (as he can be in 1989) off his Royal Rumble win from a month ago. He pushes Akeem off out of a tie-up and clotheslines him to the floor. Back inside, they slowly beat each other up for a while. Of course, Akeem can’t slam Studd. Eventually, they crawl out to the floor and brawl some more until there’s a double-countout. (8:05) As much as the crowd didn’t like Akeem, they didn’t seem to care if he beat up Studd. CRAP

• Bad News Brown vs. Pete Doherty
  

Crazy Pete Doherty is subbing for Rick Martel here. Not exactly sure what kept Martel from appearing. When Bad News isn’t treating Doherty like a jobber, Doherty bites on Bad News all over his body. Brown makes him pay with the GHETTO BLASTER at 4:59. Let’s just move on. ¼*

• The Fabulous Rougeaus vs. The Bushwhackers
  

I’m going to go ahead and just assume this is happening because of the Dynamite Kid incident with the Rougeau brothers. Is it just me or did Vince bring in the Sheepherders to the WWF to punish other wrestlers? Anyways, the Rougeaus attack and try for the STEREO BATTERING RAM move, but the Bushwhackers shove them off into each other to clean house. Back in, Jacques does the backflip over Luke and grabs him as Raymond comes inside. Now Butch grabs Raymond for an awkward predicament, but Luke breaks loose and nails Raymond to send him running. Jacques is left taking a double-clothesline. Back in again, Raymond grabs an ab stretch on Butch, only to get bitten on the butt by Luke. Another regroup session for the Rougeaus. Finally, Luke gets nailed from behind to set up a heat segment. They do their darnedest to work the back of Luke. A double slam leads to an ab stretch. Meanwhile, the Rougeaus keep knocking Butch off the apron. He tries to save his partner by threatening Raymond with the ring bell, but Jacques nails him from behind. We get a false tag spot setting up the Quebecers finisher. Jacques covers for 1-2-NO! Double-KO leads to the HOT TAG TO BUTCH! DOUBLE NOGGIN KNOCKER on the Rougeaus! The match breaks down as the Bushwhackers run down the Rougeaus, but then Luke shoves ref Joey Marella and the match gets thrown out. (14:36) Even though the bell has rung, Jacques takes their finisher. This was actually a pretty fun formula tag considering these two teams typically stink together. **¼

• Outlaw Ron Bass vs. Paul Roma
  

This is near the end of Ron Bass in the WWF. He’s already had his hair cut by Beefcake, so there’s not much else for him to do but squash Paul Roma. Bass lays a Texas-size beating on Roma to start. He surprises Bass with a crossbody block out of the corner for two. Dropkicks and headscissors send Bass running. Back in, Roma messes with the Outlaw’s lack of hair, and gets ran out of the ring. Roma goes to work the arm until Bass has enough, and yanks him to the floor by his tights to run Roma into the ringpost a few times. Don’t mess with the hair, Paul. In the ring, Roma makes one more comeback before crashing and burning after trying that crossbody out of the corner again. Bass hits the TEXAS GOURDBUSTER for the win. (8:51) It’s like a Pedigree without hooking the arms. He just jumps up and drives your face into the mat with your head in between his legs. Just a long squash. *

• Rick Rude vs. Tito Santana
  

Looks like this could be the highlight of the night. Rude challenges Tito to a test of strength. It goes back and forth, but Santana wins and steps on the hands. Like a fool, Tito wants another test of strength. Rude kicks him in the gut and grabs a headlock. After some trading of hairpulling, Santana eventually fights out and starts whipping Rude into the corner to damage the back. He sits down and pulls back on a chinlock, but jumps up and down on Rude’s back one time too many and lands on Rude’s knees. An inverted atomic drop stuns Santana. Rude wants to swivel the hips, but his back hurts too much. VINTAGE RUDE! He grabs a chinlock. Tito backs him into the corner, but then runs into a boot. Rude follows up with a flying forearm smash. He then telegraphs a backdrop, but then a splash from Santana hits knees. Rude buries a knee, but Tito counters a suplex. Rude can’t slam Tito because of his back, and takes an inverted atomic drop to add to his troubles. HERE COMES SANTANA! There’s a series of turnbuckle smashes. Rude tries to get away, but then Santana sets up Rude for the FIGURE-FOUR. Rude grabs the ropes and slides out. Tito brings Rude back inside and goes for a sunset flip, but Rude drops to his knees on top of Santana, and grabs the ropes for the added leverage for the cheap 1-2-3. (16:44) Yep, highlight of the night as Rude picks up a W over a former IC champ leading into WrestleMania. ***¼

• WWF World Champion Randy Savage vs. WWF Intercontinental Champion The Ultimate Warrior
  

The WWF champ enters first for some reason. Boston does not like what Savage has done since he last appeared on the famous Main Event show where he attacked Hogan and nailed him with the title belt after accusing him of being jealous of his belt and his woman. A couple guys in the front row bug Savage with a huge cardboard cutout of a heart that says “Hogan Loves Elizabeth”. Looks like somebody got a new refrigerator. Savage jumps Warrior, but Warrior fires back with a jumping shoulder tackle to send him to the floor. Warrior punches Savage up against the guardrail and then throws him back inside the ring. Savage goes on the move outside and lowers the boom as he baits Warrior in the ring. Savage tries a flying bodypress, but WOYAH tries to catch him and loses his balance. Warrior wants Savage in the tree of woe, but can’t even do that right. Warrior takes Joey Marella away and sits him over in the corner (DQ, just maybe?). Savage attacks and avoids a corner charge before giving WOYAH the big running knee out to the floor. As Warrior stands back up, Savage dishes out the Flying Double Sledge on the outside. Back in, the running hotshot gets two. Savage grabs a chinlock, but Warrior elbows out into a clothesline. Flying Double Sledge gets two. Warrior presses him off the pin and hits a suplex. Hey look, it’s Rick Rude out to distract Warrior with his muscles. Warrior pays him no mind though. Big atomic drop to Savage gets two. Savage tries to sneak a schoolboy with a handful of tights for two. Warrior wants the WOYAH SPLASH, but Savage brings up the knees to block. That gets two. Time to WARRIOR UP! Punches and clotheslines follow. Still Warrior has not paid Rude any attention. Okay, now he does. He chases Rude around the ring. Once he gets his hands on Rude, Savage flies down with another Double Sledge on the Warrior. As Savage slides back inside, ref Joey Marella counts Warrior out. (10:35) Afterwards, Rude and Savage shake hands letting everybody know it was all a diabolical plan to screw with the Warrior. Of course, Warrior breaks up the lovefest by dumping out Savage so he can press slam Rude. WrestleMania VII, this ain’t. **

Final Thoughts: If I were you, I wouldn’t skip out on watching Santana v. Rude if you had a chance to see it. Otherwise, this show wasn’t much to see. The crowd’s response to what happened on the Main Event between the Mega Powers is pretty interesting though.