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WrestleMania V

WWF WrestleMania V
April 2, 1989
Atlantic City, NJ
Trump Plaza

The current WWF Champs were as follows:
World Champion: Randy Savage (3/27/1988)
Intercontinental Champion: Ultimate Warrior (8/29/1988)
World Tag Team Champions: Demolition (3/27/1988)
Women’s Champion: Rockin’ Robin (10/7/1988)

This is the only WrestleMania to ever originate from the same location consecutively. On a little more interesting note, the WWF once again wasn’t able to air a WrestleMania without the NWA putting on an awesome Clash of the Champions up against it. Those who decided to watch the NWA over the WWF witnessed a 2/3-falls match with NWA World Champion Ricky Steamboat vs. Ric Flair in a 60-minute classic. That is just WRONG to air that against this show. Funny, but so wrong.

Your hosts are Gorilla Monsoon & Jesse “The Jesse” Ventura! Read the rest of this entry

Royal Rumble 1989

WWF Royal Rumble
January 15, 1989
Houston, TX
The Summit

The current WWF Champs were as follows:
World Champion: Randy Savage (3/27/1988)
Intercontinental Champion: Ultimate Warrior (8/29/1988)
World Tag Team Champions: Demolition (3/27/1988)
Women’s Champion: Rockin’ Robin (10/7/1988)

Your hosts are Gorilla Monsoon & Jesse Ventura! For some reason, Jesse’s dressed like Rocky Balboa when he’s down on his luck. Read the rest of this entry

Survivor Series 1988

WWF Survivor Series 1988
November 24, 1988
Richfield, OH
Richfield Coliseum

The current WWF Champs were as follows:
World Champion: Randy Savage (3/27/1988)
Intercontinental Champion: Ultimate Warrior (8/29/1988)
World Tag Team Champions: Demolition (3/27/1988)
Women’s Champion: Rockin’ Robin (10/7/1988)

A lot in American wrestling changed in 1988: the AWA had basically gone to being the WORST promotion in the world, media mogul Ted Turner buys a major portion of the NWA (Jim Crockett Promotions) and attempts to salvage the mess that Dusty had made throughout the year, and then you had wrestlers who were either jumping ships or abandoning the ship altogether. What makes 1988 even worse is that we’re given major shows like this where you’ve got maybe one or two things going on that are interesting, is that everything else is just plum whacko.

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

WrestleMania IV

WWF WrestleMania IV
March 27, 1988
Atlantic City, NJ
Trump Plaza

The current WWF Champs were as follows:
World Champion: Vacant
Intercontinental Champion: Honky Tonk Man (6/2/1987)
World Tag Team Champions: Strike Force (10/27/1987)
Women’s Champion: Sensational Sherri (7/24/1987)

Basically every review I’ve ever read of WrestleMania IV considers reviewing the show a mind-numbing task. Its 3½ hours long (I have the Anthology DVD version) and not the best quality wise, but it’s actually a historically significant show. The WWF World Title was declared vacant for the first time since 1962 a week or so after “The Main Event” show due to the “Twin Referees” scandal/angle, and a 14-man tournament was created. 14-man tournament you say? Yep, since Andre and Hulk both had claims to the belt, they received byes straight to the quarterfinals and were scheduled to meet each other there. With the on-going McMahon vs. Crockett wars, the Crocketts fired the next shot by putting on the rather awesome first-ever Clash of the Champions on TBS. Since WrestleMania began to bore the crap out of most of its buyers, they stopped watching and tuned in to the NWA. The cable companies were pissed about it because both they and the WWF lost millions of dollars as a result. To say the least, these were interesting times.

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

Saturday Night’s Main Event #15 (03.88)

WWF Saturday Night’s Main Event #15
March 12, 1988
Nashville, TN
Municipal Auditorium
(Taped on 3/7/1988)

The current WWF Champs were as follows:
World Champion: Vacant
Intercontinental Champion: Honky Tonk Man (6/2/1987)
World Tag Team Champions: Strike Force (10/27/1987)
Women’s Champion: Sensational Sherri (7/24/1987)

Tonight, Macho Man says DiBiase is a bad check and he’s about to get bounced up outta here! Beefcake likes to use hair puns! One Man Gang does his best Brick Tamland impression! Harley Race thinks he’s going to beat Hogan! It must be time for Saturday Night’s Main Event! Oh snap, we have NEW SNME music! It’s pretty rockin’ if I do say so myself!

Your hosts are Vince McMahon and Jesse “The Fedora Hat Wearing” Ventura! Read the rest of this entry

Royal Rumble 1988

WWF Royal Rumble 1988
January 24, 1988
Hamilton, Ontario, CA
Copps Coliseum

The current WWF Champs were as follows:
World Champion: Hulk Hogan (1/23/1984)
Intercontinental Champion: Honky Tonk Man (6/2/1987)

World Tag Team Champions: Strike Force (10/27/1987)
Women’s Champion: Sensational Sherri (7/24/1987)

Once again, Vince wouldn’t let JCP have a big event on the same night without him, so he uses Pat Patterson’s idea and turns it into a special cable television event on the USA network. Nevertheless, what only started out as a big “screw you” to Jim Crockett in the ongoing promotional wars, turned into an annual affair that would set up many of the main event feuds heading into WrestleMania.

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

Survivor Series 1987

WWF Survivor Series 1987
November 26, 1987
Richfield, OH
Richfield Coliseum

The current WWF Champs were as follows:
World Champion: Hulk Hogan (1/23/1984)
Intercontinental Champion: Honky Tonk Man (6/2/1987)
World Tag Team Champions: Strike Force (10/27/1987)
Women’s Champion: Sensational Sherri (7/24/1987)

It’s the first-ever Survivor Series! Vince decided that Ted Turner shouldn’t have ALL the fun on Thanksgiving with Starrcade, so he started a tradition of his own. A festivus for the rest of us, if you WEEL.

Your hosts are Gorilla Monsoon and Jesse “The Pilgrim” Ventura. Read the rest of this entry

Saturday Night’s Main Event #10 (03.87)

WWF Saturday Night’s Main Event #10
March 14, 1987
Detroit, MI
Joe Louis Arena
(Taped on 2/21/1987)

The current WWF Champs were as follows:
World Champion: Hulk Hogan (1/23/1984)
Intercontinental Champion: Randy Savage (2/8/1986)
World Tag Team Champions: The Hart Foundation (1/26/1987)
Women’s Champion: The Fabulous Moolah (7/9/1986)

Andre has torn out the hearts and souls of the little Hulksters by joining with the Heenan family. Now Hulk wants some revenge! Elizabeth is having her SCARIEST NIGHT EVER! The Hart Foundation likes to giggle! Damien is hungry enough to eat a huge fat guy! This is Saturday Night’s Main Event!

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