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Post by darbicus on Sept 28, 2022 21:34:10 GMT 1
Yeah Yeah this is being done to death. But let's give it a whirl. This first post can serve as a title tracker of sorts. Though only shows 1985 and beyond are being re-written, the entire title history for the 4 existing titles in the company at that point are being rewritten, to accomodate for my different booking. docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1f23IP0dcnSKGv4y6W6m9U2qA-mBiJiLW_Yr8B7tVlUs/edit?usp=sharingCurrent Champions
WWE Champion: Roman Reigns
World Heavyweight Champion: Roman Reigns
WWE Intercontinental Champion: Gunther
WWE United States Champion: Solo Sikoa
World Tag Team Champions: Imperium [Giovanni Vinci & Ludwig Kaiser]
WWE Tag Team Champions: The Usos [Jimmy & Jey Uso]
WWE Women's Champion: Charlotte Flair
Women's World Champion: Ronda Rousey
WWE Women's Tag Team Champions: The Unholy Union [Alba Fyra & Isla Dawn]
NXT Champion: Bron Breakker
NXT North American Champion: Ilya Dragunov
NXT Tag Team Champions: Doc Gallows & Karl Anderson
NXT Women's Champion: Roxanne Perez
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Post by darbicus on Sept 28, 2022 21:36:54 GMT 1
Note: I'm copying this from another board that's essentially dead. Moving it to be here exclusively now, so the first few posts (up until III) will be done quickly, then at semi-regular intervals afterwards.
WWF Wrestlemania IMarch 31, 1985New York City, NYMadison Square Garden*Rocky Johnson d. "Playboy" Buddy Rose by Pinfall
The first ever match in Wrestlemania history saw former tag champion Rocky Johnson defeat Buddy Rose in a competitive contest. Rose controlled most of the match with rest holds and, when unable to pin Johnson, attempting to win via countout. Johnson was able to roll into the ring to avoid the countout though and picked up a win following a cross body block that caught Rose unaware.
*King Kong Bundy w/Bobby "The Brain" Heenan d. Ivan Putski by Pinfall
In a quick squash match, newcomer King Kong Bundy made quick mincemeat out of Polish Power, squashing him flat in less than 30 seconds with his Avalanche finisher and a subsequent elbow drop.
*Bret Hart w/Jimmy Hart d. The Dynamite Kid by Countout
One half of the Hart Foundation, Bret Hart had turned on The Dynamite Kid and joined with the villainous Jimmy Hart going into Wrestlemania. Though the match was great (despite its short length) the match sprawled out onto the floor, where the technically minded Hart (combined with timely distraction from the Colonel Jimmy Hart) was able to beat the ten count back into the ring.
*The Magnificent Muraco w/Mr. Fuji d. The Junk Yard Dog by Disqualification
Muraco was flummoxed by the JYD's unique offense, and unable to gain a power advantage as he was wont to do in his matches usually. However the Devious Mr. Fuji paid dividends for his man, attempting to get involved by tossing a cane into the ring behind the ref's back. The cane was intercepted by the JYD, who proceeded to use it on Muraco, only for the referee to turn around and see the action, disqualifying the Dog and awarding the match to the Magnificent One.
*Bruno Sammartino & David Sammartino d. Brutus Beefcake & Johnny Valiant by Pinfall
The father-son duo managed a successful teamup, mutch to the delight of the MSG crowd to see their hero Bruno back in the ring once again. Bruno cleaned house after David took the brunt of the offense for most of the match, pinning Johnny V after two hard bodyslams in the center of the ring.
*The U.S. Express [Barry Windham & Mike Rotundo] w/Capt. Lou Albano d. The Brisco Brothers [Jack & Jerry Brisco] w/Fred Blassie by Pinfall to Retain the World Tag Team Titles
Back in January, The US Express had been a late substitute for the injured former champions in the Brisco Brothers on a live event, and had managed to defeat Adonis & Murdoch to win the titles. Later when the Express met with the Briscos on an episode of Piper's Pit ostensibly for the former champions to offer the congratulations, the Briscos turned on Windham and Rotundo, aligning themselves with hated manager Fred Blassie and challenging the youngsters for "their titles". However the younger duo were more than a match for the Oklahoma natives, as they pinned Jerry Brisco following a Superplex from Windham to him and then a fist drop from the second rope from Rotunda, despite Blassie attempting to use his cane to interfere on the Brisco's behalf.
*Tito Santana d. Greg "The Hammer" Valentine w/Jimmy Hart by Submission to Win the Intercontinental Title
Finally able to get revenge following his career nearly being ended at the hands of The Hammer, Santana won this special "Submissions Only" match by utilizing Valentine's own Figure-4 Leglock to full effect, causing the champion to quit in the center of the ring, thus regaining the Intercontinental Title.
*Andre the Giant d. Big John Studd w/Bobby "The Brain" Heenan via Bodyslam
The rules of this match meant that if Andre couldn't slam Big John Studd within 15 minutes, he would retire from wrestling. Fortunately for everyone, Andre was able to hit a bodyslam about 8 minutes in, securing his career and winning a $25,000 bounty in the process. As Andre set about tossing the money into the crowd, Bobby Heenan quickly jumped into the fray and grabbed the cash, hightailing it out of the ring in the process.
*Wendi Richter w/Cyndi Lauper d. Leilani Kai w/The Fabulous Moolah by Pinfall to Win the Women's Title
Set on revenge from her loss a month earlier, Richter ignored the blatant attempts at interference by former champion The Fabulous Moolah, securing the pinfall with a rollup to regain her championship, celebrating with Lauper after the match was over.
*Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat d. The Iron Sheik w/Fred Blassie by Pinfall
Former WWF Champion The Iron Sheik took on the high flying star Ricky Steamboat in this standard match. Sheik seemingly had the match won following locking Steamboat in the Camel Clutch, but the Dragon was too close to the ropes and was able to slip his foot underneath the Bottom Rope to break the hold. When Sheik dragged the Dragon into the center of the ring, Steamboat cinched up on a small package while Blassie was distracted on the outside and scored the upset pinfall over the Iranian Sensation.
*Hulk Hogan & Mr. T w/Jimmy Snuka d. Roddy Piper & "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff w/"Cowboy" Bob Orton by Pinfall
In the main event attraction, television star Mr. T teamed with WWF Champion Hulk Hogan to take on the Hulkster's hated nemesis Roddy Piper and his lackeys, Orndorff and Orton. Despite not being a trained wrestler, the actor availed himself quite well, even delivering an Airplane Spin to Piper during the match. The event quickly spiraled out of control in the end, as special guest ring enforcer Muhammad Ali was distracted on the outside by Piper. This led Orndorff and Orton to attempt to use the Cowboy's cast on Hogan, only for the Hulkster to move out of the way, causing the Cowboy to knockout Mr. Wonderful. Hogan then delivered his signature legdrop to pick up the victory.
OFF-CAMERA TITLE CHANGES
*June 2, 1985: Brutus Beefcake w/Johnny Valiant d. Tito Santana by Pinfall to Win the Intercontinental Title
*July 2, 1985: The Gargantuans d. The US Express by Pinfall to Win the World Tag Team Titles
*September 21, 1985: Hulk Hogan & Andre the Giant d. The Gargantuans by Pinfall to Win the World Tag Team Titles. Hogan's WWF Title was also on the line.
*September 24, 1985: Hogan & Andre relinquish the World Tag Team Titles, due to Hogan's status as WWF Champion.
*October 8, 1985: Bruno & David Sammartino d. Nikolai Volkoff & The Iron Sheik by Pinfall to Win the World Tag Team Titles.
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Post by darbicus on Sept 28, 2022 21:37:38 GMT 1
The Wrestling ClassicNovember 7, 1985Rosemont, ILRosemont Horizon*The Junk Yard Dog d. "Adorable" Adrian Adonis w/Jimmy Hart by Pinfall in a 1st Round Match
In the 1st Round of the Wrestling Classic Tournament, The Adorable one was "forced" to take on the filth of the JYD. Adonis spent much of the match prancing around, attempting to distract the Dog and score shots where he could, but The Dog was unusually disciplined and quickly caught on to Adonis' game, reversing a suplex attempt into a series of headbutts and finishing off the Adorable One with a powerful body slam.
*The Iron Sheik w/Fred Blassie d. Barry Windham w/Capt. Lou Albano by Submission in a 1st Round Match
The tournament continued with the former WWF Champion managing to corral the former tag team champion in Barry Windham, taking advantage of a Fred Blassie distraction to hit a high knee into the lower back of Windham in order to set him up for the dreaded Camel Clutch, which quickly netted him a submission victory.
*The Dynamite Kid d. The Magnificent Muraco w/Mr. Fuji by Pinfall in a 1st Round Match
Muraco and Fuji attempted to cheat their way through the tournament, quickly attacking The Dynamite Kid before the bell rang, with the Magnificent One holding Dynamite for Fuji to use his trademark salt. However the salt throw went errantly, hitting Muraco in the eyes instead. Kid dropkicked Fuji out of the ring as the bell rang to start the match, and then quickly ended as he executed a schoolboy rollup and pinned Muraco in an upset.
*"Macho Man" Randy Savage w/Miss Elizabeth d. Tito Santana by Pinfall in a 1st Round Match
In what was likely the first round's most surprising match, the Macho Man continued his winning ways by dispatching the former Intercontinental Champion with his top rope elbow drop in a shockingly straight forward manner, to advance to the next round.
*Terry Funk w/Jimmy Hart d. Davey Boy Smith by Pinfall in a 1st Round Match
The Last Outlaw and The British Bulldog squared off in the 1st Round, with the Mouth of the South again utilizing cheap tactics in order to help get his man a win. Funk was aided by the appearance of his brother, Dory "Hoss" Funk, on the outside, which cause a distraction and allowed Funk to hit Smith with a branding iron, knocking him out and scoring the pinfall to advance.
*"Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff & "Cowboy" Bob Orton Wrestled to a Double Countout in a 1st Round Match
The two former allies (with Orndorff having turned face following the events of Wrestlemania) engaged in a donnybrook brawl that the referee could hardly contain. The match spilled out onto the floor, and the referee was forced to count both men out of the tournament. This had the effect of giving Terry Funk an automatic bye into the Semifinals.
*Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat d. Bret "The Hitman" Hart w/Jim Neidhart by Pinfall in a 1st Round Match
Certainly the most technically savvy match of the 1st round, both men matched each other move for move. The end came when Bret's tag team partner, Jim Neidhart, attempted to intervene on the Hitman's behalf, tripping up Steamboat as he rebounded off the ropes. The referee caught the action though and proceeded to eject Neidhart from the match. The momentary distraction on the Hitman led to the Dragon scoring a small package and picking up the pinfall victory.
*Greg "The Hammer" Valentine w/Johnny Valiant d. Brutus Beefcake by Disqualification in a 1st Round Match
The Intercontinental Champion had begun teaming with the former Intercontinental Champion Greg Valentine when the latter's contract was purchased from Jimmy Hart, with the two forming "The Dream Team" as a tag. However, jealousy soon reared its ugly head as Valentine coveted Beefcake's Intercontinental Title, eventually turning the champion face after he turned on him and attacked him on Saturday Night's Main Event. The two former partners finished off the 1st Round, with the IC Title not on the line. Valentine worked over the champion's knee in an effort to set up the Figure 4 Leglock. However Beefcake countered with his own Spinning Toe Hold on the former champion. In the end, Johnny V attempted to get involved by distracting the referee while throwing some brass knuckles to Valentine. The Hammer tried to use the knucs, only for Beefcake to counter and use them himself, right as the referee turned around, resulting in a disqualification victory for the former champion.
*The Junk Yard Dog d. The Iron Sheik w/Fred Blassie by Pinfall in a Quarterfinal Match
In a match that could best be described as "bowling shoe ugly", JYD and The Iron Sheik squared up to each other with neither man really selling greatly. The Sheik attempted to use the Iranian flag against the Dog, but the JYD countered and broke the flag over his knee before delivering his powerslam finisher to the Sheik and advancing to the semifinals.
*"Macho Man" Randy Savage w/Miss Elizabeth d. The Dynamite Kid by Pinfall in a Quarterfinal Match
Dynamite had the advantage in the early going, given how quickly his first round match had ended, but the cardio endurance of the Macho Man proved too much for the tag specialist, as Savage finished him off with a Top Rope Elbow.
*Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat d. Greg "The Hammer" Valentine w/Johnny Valiant by Pinfall in a Quarterfinal Match
It appeared as if Valentine had the advantage over The Dragon when Steamboat seemingly injured his knee during a dive through the ropes. The Hammer quickly zeroed in on the weakness, focusing on the knee and locking in the Figure-4 Leglock in an attempt to win. Steamboat gutted through the pain though and reversed the hold, eventually overcoming the odds and pinning The Hammer with a Top Rope Crossbody to advance to the Semifinals.
*The Junk Yard Dog d. "Macho Man" Randy Savage w/Miss Elizabeth by Disqualification in a Semifinal Match
In contrast to his previous two matches, the Macho Man appeared to be stumped by how to deal with the raw power and brawling nature of the Dog. This was compounded when Savage's legendary jealousy reared its ugly head, as the Dog helped Miss Elizabeth at ringside when she appeared to be hurt. This sent Savage into a tail spin as he viciously assaulted the Dog, going so far as to attack him with a steel chair, earning the disqualification and sending JYD to the finals.
*Terry Funk w/Jimmy Hart d. Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat by Referee Stoppage in a Semifinal Match
The previous match's knee injury caught up to The Dragon, as Funk easily focused on it and caused no end of suffering for the babyface. Eventually the referee had to step in and stop the match before any further damage could be done to Steamboat's knee, helping Funk into the finals.
*"Rowdy" Roddy Piper, King Kong Bundy & Jesse "The Body" Ventura w/Bobby "The Brain" Heenan d. Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant & Mr. T by Pinfall
In a continuation from their Wrestlemania feud, Piper and Hogan continued to battle one another. In contrast to Wrestlemania though, Piper was content to allow Bundy to do most of the hard work, as the giant focused his attack on Hogan's ribs repeatedly. Eventually all hell broke loose between the 6 men, and the referee lost control of the match. Ventura eventually nailed Mr. T with a loaded boot and pinned him to pick up the win for his team.
*The Junk Yard Dog d. Terry Funk w/Jimmy Hart by Pinfall in the Tournament Final
In the finals of The Wrestling Classic, the JYD took on a man he had been feuding with since the so-called Rumble in the Bronx event back in September in Terry Funk, when the Outlaw had cheated his way to victory in a battle royal by last eliminating the Dog. Funk was certainly the fresher man of the two, having received a bye in the Quarterfinals and faced a weakened opponent in the Semifinals, but despite this the Dog perservered and won the match when Jimmy Hart's attempt to use Funk's branding iron failed, with the JYD using it on the Outlaw instead. This gave the Dog the win and the tournament crown.
Off-Camera Title Changes
*December 1, 1985: Judy Martin d. Wendi Richter by Pinfall to Win the WWF Women's Title
*December 10, 1985: Terry & Dory "Hoss" Funk d. Bruno & David Sammartino by Pinfall to Win the WWF World Tag Team Titles
*January 4, 1986: "Rowdy" Roddy Piper d. Hulk Hogan by Pinfall to Win the WWF Championship
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Post by darbicus on Sept 28, 2022 21:38:27 GMT 1
Note: I will be changing the location of a few events along the way. This mostly applies to Wrestlemania events, which (I believe) should usually take place in a large stadium as opposed to a small arena. The New Generation and early Attitude eras not withstanding. For Wrestlemania 2 however, it has been confined to one location (Los Angeles) and moved to a bigger arena (The Forum) for our purposes here.Wrestlemania 2April 6, 1986The ForumInglewood, CA*The Hart Foundation [Bret "The Hitman" Hart & Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart] w/Jimmy Hart d. Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat & Tito Santana by Pinfall
The feud between the Hart Foundation and Ricky Steamboat had continued since the Wrestling Classic, with the Dragon teaming with a variety of babyface wrestlers during that time. Enlisting the aide of former IC Champion Tito Santana, it appeared as if Steamboat had found a winning combination as the new team caught the Foundation off guard with quick tags, isolating the Hitman in the early going. Timely intervention from the Mouth of the South, however, turned the tide in the Foundation's favor, and as the referee lost control of the match at the end, the Anvil used the Megaphone to drill Santana in the head and pinned him to get the win.
*"Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff d. The Magnificent Muraco w/Mr. Fuji by Pinfall
The second match of the evening saw Mr. Wonderful take on The Magnificent One in a match of Power vs. Power. To the surprise of some, Orndorff got the better of a Test of Strength with Muraco, working over Don's arm in the early going. A quick distraction from Fuji turned the tide, and Muraco locked Orndorff in a Bear Hug, trying to siphon Mr. Wonderful's strength. Orndorff made a comeback, hitting a pair of body slams before setting up for the Piledriver. Fuji again distracted the referee, tossing his ever present cane into the ring for Muraco to use. However Orndorff ducked the cane shot and then stole it from the Magnificent One, hitting Muraco with it instead and following up with a Piledriver for the 3 count.
*Corporal Kirchner d. Nikolai Volkoff w/Fred Blassie by Pinfall in a Flag Match
In this match, the winner would get to hoist their respective flag high into the air as a sign of their superiority. The hardhitting Kirchner and the Russian veteran were evenly matched for the most part, with Blassie unable to turn the tide in favor of his client. Kirchner eventually scored the pinfall with a flying body press off the ropes, not only gaining the victory but also raising Ole Glory high into the air in the corner of the ring after the fact.
*Mr. T w/"Mr. USA" Tony Atlas d. Jesse "The Body" Ventura w/Mad Dog Vachon by Disqualification
At The Wrestling Classic, an issue had formed between Ventura and A-Team star Mr. T when the former pinned the latter in a six man tag match by using a loaded boot to the back of his head. After weeks of berating Mr. T as a phony wrestler and phony athlete, Mr. T surprised The Body on an episode of his talk show, The Body Shop, challenging him to a match at Wrestlemania. Ventura initially refused to face Mr. T in a wrestling match, claiming that Mr. T couldn't even last 5 minutes in the ring with a hand picked opponent. Mr. T took him up on that offer, facing Mad Dog Vachon on an episode of Saturday Night's Main Event, only for Ventura to again attack Mr. T, before the wrestler turned commentator agreed to the match. Ventura came in with Vachon in his corner, but Mr. T came armed with "Mr. USA" Tony Atlas in his corner, to nullify Ventura's advantage. Despite The Body's experience advantage, Mr. T more than held his own and seemed to be on the verge of a huge upset, when Vachon and Atlas began fighting at ringside. Ventura then tried again to use the loaded boot, only for the referee to turn around and see the attempted attack and disqualify Ventura. Mr. T then took the boot from The Body and drilled him with it as a measure of revenge.
*Bruno Sammartino d. David Sammartino w/Mr. Fuji by Pinfall
After the father-son tag team of Bruno and David Sammartino had split, David began to grow jealous of his father and felt that he needed to break from him in order to establish himself. On an episode of Jesse Ventura's Body Shop, David told his father not to accompany him to ringside anymore, which Bruno disagreed with but decided to honor his decision. This descended further into an argument, that led to David attacking his own father with a weight bar. David then aligned himself with a new manager in Mr. Fuji, challenging his father to a match. In an emotionally charged bout, Bruno defeated David after hitting a bridging German Suplex, after Fuji's attempt at interference backfired when he threw salt in the eyes of David. After the match, Bruno tried to shake hands with his son after chasing off Fuji, but a dejected David simply left the ring.
*"Macho Man" Randy Savage w/Miss Elizabeth d. Brutus Beefcake w/George "The Animal" Steele by Pinfall to Win the Intercontinental Title
After being virtually unbeaten since his debut nearly a year earlier, The Macho Man was a shoe in to receive an Intercontinental Title match against Brutus Beefcake. However there was an additional wrinkle to the mix when Beefcake brought George Steele into the ring as his cornerman, as The Animal had been lusting over Miss Elizabeth for several weeks prior to Wrestlemania. Despite this playing Mind Games with the challenger, Savage was clearly the equal of Beefcake, and he utulized his high flying offense to full effect. The champion did make a comeback towards the end of the match, but felt obligated to keep The Animal in check as he stalked Miss Elizabeth, allowing Savage to have an opening to hit a low blow to Beefcake and then followup with his top rope Elbow Drop to pick up the win and the IC Title.
*"Adorable" Adrian Adonis w/Jimmy Hart d. Hillbilly Jim w/Uncle Elmer by Pinfall
The issue between Hillbilly Jim and The Adorable One arose mainly due to Jim being "uncouth and unkempt", appearing in Adonis' Flower Shop and "soiling it forever". Over the course of several weeks, Jimmy Hart had managed to interfere on Adonis' behalf on several occasions, allowing him to pick up the win. To counter this, Jim enlisted the help of his Uncle Elmer, a massive 500 pound behemoth, to keep an eye on Jimmy Hart. However Elmer's appearance was for naught, as Adonis picked up the win following a a big back suplex.
*Andre the Giant d. King Kong Bundy w/Bobby "The Brain" Heenan by Disqualification
The issue between Andre the Giant and the Heenan Family had continued throughout 1985, with much of it centering around the Walking Condominium King Kong Bundy. Bundy had been instrumental in attacking Hulk Hogan, costing him the WWF title, and Andre was seeking revenge for his friend, as well as trying to determine who the true Giant of Professional Wrestling was. Despite Bundy using his size to actually bully the Eighth Wonder of the World around for once, Andre was able to quickly regain the upper hand...right up until Heenan decided to get involved, resulting in Andre winning the match via disqualification.
*The British Bulldogs [Davey Boy Smith & The Dynamite Kid] w/Capt. Lou Albano & The Junk Yard Dog d. Terry & Dory "Hoss" Funk w/Jimmy Hart by Pinfall to Win the Tag Team Titles
The highly athletic team of The British Bulldogs had been making attempts to win the World Tag Team Championships from the Funk Brothers for a number of weeks, only for their efforts to be thwarted by Jimmy Hart on every occasion. With the help of noted manager Lou Albano, though, the Bulldogs felt they finally had the means to win the titles. Also providing his assistance was the Junk Yard Dog, who acted as the self-appointed Enforcer and tried to keep Jimmy Hart at bay. Early on, the Funks isolated Dynamite Kid, trying to ground the highly athletic Brit and keep the powerhouse Davey Boy out of the ring. Eventually a hot tag was made to Davey Boy, who quickly cleaned house. In an eerily reminiscent scene, it appeared that the Funks would cheat their way to victory again as they attempted to use the Branding Iron on Davey Boy, only for the Bulldog to duck out of the way, causing Terry to hit Hoss square in the head with it, knocking him out. Dynamite then delivered a diving headbutt to the fallen Funk and pinned him, winning the tag team titles at last.
*Hercules Hernandez d. "The World's Strongest Man" Ted Arcidi by Disqualification
Two powerhouses squared off as The World Bench Press Record Holder, Ted Arcidi, took on the Master of the Full Nelson in Hercules Hernandez. In a slow lumbering match between the two, Hercules was unable to lock Arcidi's massive arms in the Full Nelson, resulting in him attempting to use his trademark chain as a weapon. Arcidi would take the chain himself though and whip Herculez with it, resulting in a disqualification loss. After the match, Arcidi displayed his strength and broke the chain in half with his bare hands, impressing the crowd.
*Hulk Hogan d. "Rowdy" Roddy Piper w/Cowboy Bob Orton by Cage Escape to Win the WWF Championship
To the surprise of everyone, Roddy Piper had managed to defeat Hulk Hogan for the WWF Championship. Though he did have help from a paid off Big John Studd and King Kong Bundy, Piper was able to score a tainted victory nonetheless, having to pull out all the stops just to survive. Although Piper initially declined to face Hogan for the title a second time, WWF President Jack Tunney did not agree, forcing Piper to defend the title at Wrestlemania 2, and furthermore ordering the match be made a steel cage match to put the issue between the two men to bed once and for all. Despite having taped up ribs following several assaults by King King Bundy, Hogan gritted his teeth through the pain and easily attacked Piper whenever he got his hands on him. Piper utilized the steel cage to his advantage, particularly using it to target the injured ribs of the former champion. In the end though, Hogan hit his legdrop finisher, chased off Cowboy Bob Orton and exited the cage, regaining the WWF title to close the show.
Off-Camera Title Changes:
*May 10, 1986: Velvet McIntyre d. Judy Martin by Pinfall to Win the Women's Title
*August 26, 1986: The Fabulous Moolah d. Velvet McIntyre by Pinfall to Win the Women's Title
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Post by darbicus on Sept 28, 2022 21:39:22 GMT 1
Note: For the sake of continuity, 1987 will be the year when the "Big 4" are established. This means that the first Royal Rumble will take place in January and the 1st Summerslam in August (Labor Day weekend in September, actually). WWF Royal RumbleJanuary 11, 1987Boston GardenBoston, MA*Velvet McIntyre, Noriyo Tateno & Itsuki Yamazaki d. The Fabulous Moolah, Judy Martin & Leilani Kai by Pinfall A six woman tag team match kicked things off at the Rumble event, with the feud between the Women's Champion Moolah and Velvet McIntyre continuing unabated. Moolah actually stayed out of the match for as long as possible, seemingly unwilling to get involved with her rival McIntyre. This left "The Glamour Girls" and "The Jumping Bomb Angels" carrying much of the match. The end game when Moolah had actually gotten into the ring with Tateno, only for McIntyre to get a blind tag to her partner behind Moolah's back. McIntyre then surprised the women's champion with several clotheslines and a dropkick before rolling her up from behind for the win, scoring the pin on the Women's Champion.
*Bruno Sammartino d. "Macho Man" Randy Savage w/Miss Elizabeth by Disqualification (Savage Retains IC Title)
In recent weeks, Macho Man Randy Savage had viciously assaulted one of the top contenders to his Intercontinental Title in Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, slamming down into his throat with a ring bell and crushing his throat. After gloating about it, Savage had been confronted by The Living Legend Bruno Sammartino, leading to a feud between the two over the IC Title. Despite his age, Bruno was able to keep pace with the younger champion, forcing Savage to bail out of the ring on a few occasions to slow down the challenger. Savage was only able to turn the tide after using Elizabeth as a human shield, which caught Bruno off guard and allowed the Macho Man to take advantage. Bruno eventually powered out of a sleeper hold, and looked like he was going to complete the upset and win his first Intercontinental Title, when Savage grabbed the title belt from ringside and leveled Bruno with it, causing the disqualification. Savage then proceeded to attack Bruno further with a Top Rope Elbow Drop. He looked to use the ring bell on the Living Legend, but Sammartino was saved by a returning Ricky Steamboat, who chased off Savage. Bruno picked up the win, but the title didn't change hands.
*"Hacksaw" Jim Duggan & The Iron Sheik w/Slick Wrestled to a Double Countout
The recently debuted Hacksaw Jim Duggan, an All-American if ever there was one, had recently run afoul of foreign heels Nikolai Volkoff and The Iron Sheik. His issues with the Sheik were clearly on display in this match, as both men simply brawled with each other to the backstage area, resulting in a double countout finish.
*The Hart Foundation [Bret "The Hitman" Hart & Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart] w/Jimmy Hart d. The British Bulldogs [Davey Boy Smith & The Dynamite Kid] by Pinfall to Win the WWF Tag Team Titles
A lengthy rivalry over the tag team titles had been brewing for a number of months, and the title confrontation between the Harts and the Bulldogs finally happened here. Both teams engaged in a super athletic contest, with quick tags between them and a large amount of back and forth action. Eventually Neidhart and the Hitman got Dynamite isolated and flagrantly used double team moves in front of referee Danny Davis, while Davey Boy was quickly shouted down any time he tried to help his partner. Davis eventually lost control of the match as all four men began brawling. The finish came though when Davey Boy executed a victory roll on the Hitman while Dynamite and Neidhart were fighting on the outside, only for Davis to kick him in the back, allowing Bret to reverse the move. Davis then made a quick three count, giving the victory to the Hart Foundation.
*Andre the Giant won the Royal Rumble Match
The inaugural 30-Man Royal Rumble match began with Haku of the Islanders taking on Billy Jack Haynes. Every two minutes another superstar entered, leading to some interesting confrontations. Billy Jack and Hercules eliminated each other, continuing their feud, while the Junk Yard Dog was suckered over the top rope by Harley Race, whom had been eliminated just minutes earlier. In the end the match came down to The Eighth Wonder of the World, Adrian Adonis and King Kong Bundy. Adonis and Bundy attempted to double team the Giant, but Andre's size proved to be the deciding factor, as he threw both Bundy and Adonis over the top rope, winning the Rumble match. As a prize for winning the Rumble, Andre was given a small trophy, presented to him by WWF Champion Hulk Hogan. Hogan proceeded to "hog the spotlight" as commentator Jesse Ventura put it, causing Andre to leave in a surprising amount of disgust to end the show. This would help lead in to their Wrestlemania encounter.
Royal Rumble Entry/Exit Order (Two Minutes Between Entries)
1. Haku
2. Billy Jack Haynes
3. Tama
4. B. Brian Blair
5. Outback Jack
6. "The King" Harley Race
- Outback Jack Eliminated #1 by "The King" Harley Race
7. Brutus Beefcake
- Tama Eliminated #2 by Brutus Beefcake
- Haku Eliminated #3 by Billy Jack Haynes
8. Nikolai Volkoff
9. The Honky Tonk Man
- B. Brian Blair Eliminated #4 by "The King" Harley Race
10. Hillbilly Jim
11. Hercules
- Billy Jack Haynes Eliminated #5 by Hercules
- Hercules Eliminated #6 by Billy Jack Haynes
12. Koko B. Ware
13. "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff
14. "Jumpin'" Jim Brunzell
- The Honky Tonk Man Eliminated #7 by Brutus Beefcake
15. "Cowboy" Bob Orton
- Koko B. Ware Eliminated #8 by "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff
16. Tito Santana
- Nikolai Volkoff Eliminated #9 by Tito Santana
- Hillbilly Jim Eliminated #10 by "The King" Harley Race
17. The Junk Yard Dog
18. Andre the Giant
- "Cowboy" Bob Orton Eliminated #11 by Andre the Giant
19. "The Natural" Butch Reed
20. Greg "The Hammer" Valentine
- Brutus Beefcake Eliminated #12 by "The Natural" Butch Reed
21. Corporal Kirchner
- "The King" Harley Race Eliminated #13 by The Junk Yard Dog
- The Junk Yard Dog Eliminated #14 by "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff
22. The Magnificent Muraco
23. "Rowdy" Roddy Piper
- "Jumpin'" Jim Brunzell Eliminated #15 by Greg "The Hammer" Valentine
24. King Kong Bundy
25. Jim Powers
- The Magnificent Muraco Eliminated #16 by Andre the Giant
26. Paul Roma
- "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff Eliminated #17 by "Rowdy" Roddy Piper
27. Jimmy Jack Funk
- Corporal Kirchner Eliminated #18 by King Kong Bundy
- Greg "The Gammer" Valentine Eliminated #19 by Tito Santana
28. George "The Animal" Steele
- George "The Animal" Steele Eliminated #20 by King Kong Bundy
- Jim Powers Eliminated #21 by "The Natural" Butch Reed
29. Lanny Poffo
- Jimmy Jack Funk Eliminated #22 by Andre the Giant
30. "Adorable" Adrian Adonis
- "Rowdy" Roddy Piper Eliminated #23 by King Kong Bundy
- "The Natural" Butch Reed Eliminated #24 by Tito Santana
- Lanny Poffo Eliminated #25 by "Adorable" Adrian Adonis
- Paul Roma Eliminated #26 by Andre the Giant
- Tito Santana Eliminated #27 by "Adorable" Adrian Adonis
- "Adorable" Adrian Adonis Eliminated #28 by Andre the Giant
- King Kong Bundy Eliminated #29 by Andre the Giant
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Post by darbicus on Sept 28, 2022 21:41:03 GMT 1
WWF Wrestlemania III March 29, 1987 Pontiac Silverdome Pontiac, MI
*Tito Santana, Brutus Beefcake & Outback Jack d. "Dangerous" Danny Davis, Greg "The Hammer" Valentine & "Adorable" Adrian Adonis w/Jimmy Hart by PinfallThe opening match featuredthree wrestlers who had suffered controversial losses due to the machinations of crooked referee Danny Davis. Due to his actions as a referee (specifically his actions during the tag title match at the Royal Rumble), Davis had been officially "banned for life" from refereeing by WWF President Jack Tunney, causing his turn to becoming a wrestler for manager Jimmy Hart. Valentine and Adonis spent much of the match fighting off the babyfaces, with Davis only coming in at specific spots. However in the end, Tito finally got his hands on Davis and locked him in a Figure 4 Leglock, seemingly coming close to breaking his leg. The match ended though with Beefcake catching Adonis in the back with a high knee to the head and then rolling him up for the pinfall victory.
*"The Natural" Butch Reed w/Slick d. Koko B. Ware by PinfallAfter the Slickster attempted to pluck feathers from Koko's bird Frankie to use in his hat, a rivalry between The Birdman and The Natural followed. In a highly athletic match, Reed used a distraction from the Doctor of Style to his advantage to hit a floatover suplex into a pinning combination, scoring the pinfall.
*"The King" Harley Race w/Bobby Heenan d. The Junk Yard Dog by PinfallThe long running feud between the self-professed "King" of the World Wrestling Federation and the JYD finally came to a head, in which the loser would have to bow to the winner. The match between the two was relatively slow paced, with Race's attempts to use headbutts failing. In the end, Race took advantage of a Bobby Heenan distraction to hit a belly to belly suplex on JYD and pick up the win. Afterwards, the Dog did bow to Race, but then hit him with a chair and stole his robe and crown to the delight of the crowd.
*The Fabulous Moolah d. Velvet McIntyre by Pinfall to Retain the WWF Women's TitleIn a very quick match, Women's Champion The Fabulous Moolah defeated former champion Velvet McIntyre with a roll up and using the ropes for leverage, stealing the victory and retaining her title.
*The Islanders [Tama & Haku] w/Chief Curtis Iaukea d. The Killer Bees [B. Brian Blair & Jim Brunzell] by PinfallBoth of these teams had been feuding over the past few weeks, trading wins on Primetime Wrestling while jockeying for position in the tag team division. Chief Curtis (the former King Curtis Iaukea) was on the outside, but didn't get heavily involved in the match, as The Islanders reversed a cross body attempt from Brunzell to score the victory via pinfall.
*The British Bulldogs [Davey Boy Smith & The Dynamite Kid] d. The Hart Foundation [Bret "The Hitman" Hart & Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart] w/Jimmy Hart by Disqualification (Hart Foundation retain Tag Team Titles)After losing the tag team titles at the Royal Rumble (due in no small part to the actions of former referee Danny Davis), The British Bulldogs were looking for redemption here, and a chance to regain their titles. Much like their previous encounters, this was a hard hitting match in which the momentum changed regularly. The Foundation isolated Dynamite Kid and kept him from making a tag to Davey Boy Smith. Once the hot tag was made by the Bulldogs, however, the match kicked into high gear. The end came when the Bulldogs seemingly had the match won, only for "Dangerous" Danny Davis to make his second appearance of the night, trying to interject himself as a referee into the match. With the actual official distracted, Neidhart used Jimmy Hart's Megaphone on Davey Boy Smith and got the initial pinfall, only for a 2nd official to come out and cause the decision to be reversed, giving the victory to the Bulldogs via disqualification, but keeping the titles with the Hart Foundation.
*"Rowdy" Roddy Piper d. "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff w/Bobby Heenan by SubmissionIn what was billed as Roddy Piper's final match, he was seemingly outmatched by Mr. Wonderful, who was looking for revenge from his elimination in the Royal Rumble match. Orndorff controlled much of the match, only for Piper to turn the tide by reversing a Piledriver attempt. Attempted outside interference from The Brain didn't deter the Hot Rod, who eventually locked in a Sleeper Hold and picked up the victory, leaving to a chorus of cheers as he entered temporary retirement.
*"Hacksaw" Jim Duggan & Hillbilly Jim d. The Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff w/Slick by PinfallThe long running feud between Pro-USA patriot Jim Duggan and The Iron Sheik finally saw some semblance of a conclusion, as Duggan and his hand-picked partner, Hillbilly Jim, were able to survive consistent cheating from the heel team of Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff, to pick up the win, Duggan hoisting Old Glory high into the air.
*Billy Jack Haynes & Hercules w/Bobby Heenan Wrestled to a Double CountoutIn a battle of the "Master of the Full Nelson", strongmen Hercules and Billy Jack Haynes were evenly matched. It was clear to the commentators as well that Bobby Heenan appeared to have his mind elsewhere, as the time for the main event was quickly approaching. Hercules tossed Haynes to the outside and tried to continue the beatdown, only for Haynes to lock in his version of the Full Nelson. The hold couldn't be broken, leading to a double countout finish for the match, with a feud that was far from over.
*Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat w/Bruno Sammartino d. "Macho Man" Randy Savage w/Miss Elizabeth by Pinfall to Win the Intercontinental TitleMany months earlier, the Macho Man had used a ring bell on the throat of Ricky Steamboat, crushing his larynx and nearly ending his career. Steamboat had returned at the Royal Rumble to stop Savage from doing the same thing to the Living Legend Bruno Sammartino. This led to Sammartino being in the corner of Steamboat for this IC Title classic. Both men exerted ultimate effort to win the title, with Bruno's presence on the outside enough to deter Savage from any kind of underhanded tactics. The end came when Savage went for a slam on Steamboat, momentarily distracted by Bruno on the outside, which gave The Dragon enough time to score a small package and pick up the pin to win the title.
*The Honky Tonk Man w/Jimmy Hart d. Jake "The Snake" Roberts by DisqualificationAfter turning on Roberts by smashing a guitar over his head, The Honky Tonk Man was faced with the prospect of facing The Snake and his dreaded DDT finisher. The Honky Tonk Man did everything in his power to avoid the move, eventually hitting Roberts below the belt to get himself intentionally disqualified. When even that didn't deter Roberts, Honky Tonk Man through his own manager, Jimmy Hart, into the Snake's Maw, causing the Colonel to get drilled with the DDT himself.
*Hulk Hogan d. Andre the Giant w/Bobby Heenan by Pinfall to Retain the WWF ChampionshipThe proverbial matchup of the Irrestible Force meeting the Immovable Object, The Eighth Wonder of the World had done the unthinkable by turning heel and joining with Bobby "The Brain" Heenan to challenge Hogan for the WWF Title. Throughout much of the match, it appeared as if the 15-year undefeated streak of the Giant would continue unabated as well. However Hogan surprised the challenger with a clothesline late in the match, and then proceeded to Hulk up, shocking the world by slamming the Giant and then delivering his Leg Drop to finish him off, scoring the pinfall victory.Off-Camera Title Changes
*June 23, 1987: "Sensational" Sherri Martel d. The Fabulous Moolah by Pinfall to win the WWF Women's Title
*August 25, 1987: The Killer Bees d. The Hart Foundation by Pinfall to win the WWF World Tag Team Titles |
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Post by darbicus on Sept 29, 2022 1:05:59 GMT 1
Note: The Big Boss Man, who debuted in April/May of 1988 in real time, will instead debut in September/October of 1987.
Summerslam September 6, 1987 Carrier Dome Syracuse, NY
*The British Bulldogs [Davey Boy Smith & The Dynamite Kid] d. The Hart Foundation [Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart] w/Jimmy Hart Two out of Three Falls
This match was initially scheduled to be the final Tag Team Title match between the two teams, until The Killer Bees upset the Hart Foundation a couple of weeks prior. WWF President Jack Tunney ordered this match to go forward, with the winners receiving a future tag team title shot. The Foundation took the first fall, catching The Dynamite Kid with their Hart Attack finisher after a Jimmy Hart distraction. They immediately moved to try and capitalize to gain the 2nd fall quickly, but the Bulldogs perservered. Eventually Dynamite scored a victory rollup on Neidhart to even the score, before making a hot tag to Davey Boy who cleaned house. Jimmy Hart again tried to get involved, but was knocked off the apron by the Dynamite Kid. With Neidhart tied up in the ropes as well, Davey Boy Smith hit a running powerslam on Bret before Dynamite finished him off with a diving headbutt to win the third and decisive fall.
*"Hacksaw" Jim Duggan & Kamala w/Kim Chee & Chief Curtis Iaukea Wrestled to a Double Countout
In a hard hitting match, Duggan and Kamala simply brawled with each other recklessly, with the All-American matching the strength of the Ugandan Giant blow for blow. Before long the battle spilled out onto the floor, and not even Chief Curtis or Kim Chee could control Kamala as he pummeled away on Duggan, resulting in a double countout finish.
*"Superstar" Billy Graham d. "Ravishing" Rick Rude w/Bobby Heenan in a Posedown
This was more of a segment than a match, with both the Superstar and Ravishing One engaging in bodybuilding poses to try and showcase who had the better physique. However, before a decision could be rendered, Rude responded negatively to the crowd's praise of Graham, attacking the Superstar from behind with a workout bar, resulting in a "disqualification."
*Jake "The Snake" Roberts d. The Honky Tonk Man w/Jimmy Hart by Pinfall
In this match, Jake Roberts was banned from using the DDT per a pre-match stipulation. Despite this handicap, Roberts was able to outwrestle the Honky Tonk Man on several occasions. This frustrated the Honky Tonk Man, so much so that he tried to hit Jake with his guitar in full view of the referee. Jake however countered with a boot to the gut and a roll up to pick up the pinfall victory. Honky Tonk Man then tried to use the guitar a second time after the match, only for it to be countered and for the musician to eat the DDT after all.
*Demolition [Ax & Smash] w/Mr. Fuji d. The Killer Bees [B. Brian Blair & "Jumpin'" Jim Brunzell] by Pinfall to Win the World Tag Team Titles
Demolition had been steamrolling every opponent put in front of them since their debut, and this was no exception. Despite being on a roll and having upset the Hart Foundation for the World Tag Team Titles just months earlier, The Killer Bees were no match for Ax and Smash, who made short work of their opponents and won the Tag Titles in the process.
*Billy Jack Haynes & Ken Patera d. Hercules & "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff w/Bobby Heenan by Pinfall
Olympian Ken Patera had recently returned to the WWF, but had rejected Bobby Heenan's offer to resume membership in the Heenan Family, which drew the ire of Mr. Wonderful in the process. Orndorff teamed with Hercules, who was still feuding with Billy Jack Haynes as to who the true master of the Full Nelson was. Despite never having teamed before, Billy Jack and Patera were effective against the Heenan Family, at least until a blind tag to Orndorff caused Patera to be isolated by the heels. Patera eventually reversed a piledriver attempt from Orndorff, getting the hot tag to Billy Jack. All four men spilled into the ring, brawling with each other. As the referee tried to get Patera out of the ring, Orndorff held Billy Jack for Hercules to hit with his steel chain wrapped around his fist, only for Billy Jack to duck, causing Orndorff to be KO'ed. Haynes then made the cover after the miscue, picking up the victory. After the match, Herc and Orndorff argued, with Heenan barely able to restrain Mr. Wonderful from attacking Hercules.
*Dino Bravo w/Frenchy Martin d. Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake by Pinfall
Fresh from his "return from Barber School", the newly christened Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake was intent on giving Frenchy Martin a close shave. However he ran into the Canadian Powerhouse of Dino Bravo, who eventually pinned Beefcake after using his patented Side Suplex finisher.
*Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat d. "The King" Harley Race w/Bobby Heenan by Pinfall to Retain the Intercontinental Title
The King tried to add to his lengthy resume by becoming Intercontinental Champion at the expense of The Dragon. Adding intrigue to the match was the fact that former IC Champion Randy Savage was doing guest color commentary at ringside. The King dictated the pace against Steamboat, wrestling a slow style match and keeping the high flying champion on the ground for much of the match. Steamboat would rally for bursts of offense on occasion, eventually hitting a cross body that sent the King sprawling out to the outside. Once there, Race took control again by ramming the champion's head into the ringpost, before jawing with Savage at ringside. Savage took exception to the King, nearly hitting him, but providing a distraction that let Steamboat get back into the ring to avoid the countout. Race tried his belly to belly suplex, only for Steamboat to escape. Savage then hit a neckbreaker across the top rope on the King, who turned around into a small package from The Dragon that scored him the pinfall.
*"The Natural" Butch Reed w/Slick d. Blackjack Mulligan by Pinfall
Blackjack Mulligan had also recently returned to the WWF, but ran into a buzzsaw in the form of Butch Reed, who pinned the former tag team champion after a powerslam.
*Hulk Hogan d. Andre the Giant w/Bobby "The Brain" Heenan by Disqualification to Retain the WWF Championship
Hulk Hogan was out to prove that his victory over Andre at Wrestlemania 3 was more than a fluke (and also trying to counter claims that a bad count on a referee's part had cost Andre the match) by facing the Eighth Wonder of the World in the "rematch of the century". This match was a similar encounter to their Mania 3 match, with Andre dominating much of the match despite Hogan's attempts at power offense. Eventually though Hogan was able to Hulk up and slam the Giant once again. Before he could put away Andre though, Hogan was attacked by Virgil, the bodyguard of The Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase, as well as other members of the Heenan Family, resulting in a DQ victory for the Hulkster. DiBiase sauntered his way down to ringside to oversee the dismantling of Hogan, but the Hulkster was saved by the second appearance of the Macho Man that night, as Savage came down armed with a steel chair and chased off the heels. Savage and Hogan then shook hands, forming the Mega Powers tag team together to close the show.
Off-Camera Title Changes: October 3, 1987: Andre the Giant d. Hulk Hogan by Pinfall (after interference from the debuting Big Boss Man) to win the WWF Championship
October 11, 1987: Bobby Heenan, on behalf of Andre, sells the WWF Title to Ted DiBiase. This leads to Andre (who was unaware of the transaction) to turn on Heenan, only to be laid out and severely injured by both the Big Boss Man (Ted DiBiase's personal security enforcer) and the newest member of the Heenan Family, Bad News Brown. After some concern, the title change to DiBiase is (reluctantly) allowed to stand by WWF President Jack Tunney. November 10, 1987: "Ravishing" Rick Rude d. Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat by Pinfall to win the WWF Intercontinental Title |
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Post by darbicus on Sept 29, 2022 15:33:38 GMT 1
Note: The concept of the Survivor Series is actually changed here for its first iteration (and possibly more, haven't decided yet.) It combines elements of WCW's Battle Bowl, where the teams are actually "randomized", resulting in strange bedfellows partners. This then ends with all surviving team members competing in a Battle Royal to close the show. Also in this universe, The Rockers were never fired in 1987, leading to them retaining their jobs and appearing at this event.WWF Survivor SeriesNovember 26, 1987Richfield ColiseumRichfield, OH*One Man Gang, "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, Bret "The Hitman" Hart & Shawn Michaels d. Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake, Nikolai Volkoff, The Honky Tonk Man & Marty Jannetty in a Survivor Series Match
- One Man Gang d. Marty Jannetty by Pinfall
- Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake d. Shawn Michaels by Pinfall
- Bret "The Hitman" Hart & The Honky Tonk Man Were Counted Out
- "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan d. Nikolai Volkoff by Pinfall
- One Man Gang d. Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake by Pinfall
[One Man Gang & Duggan Survivors]
*"Macho Man" Randy Savage, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, "The Rock" Don Muraco & Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart d. Jake "The Snake" Roberts, Jim Powers, Raymond Rougeau & "The Natural" Butch Reed in a Survivor Series Match
- "Macho Man" Randy Savage d. Jim Powers by Pinfall
- "The Natural" Butch Reed was Disqualified
- Jake "The Snake" Roberts d. Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart by Pinfall
- "Macho Man" Randy Savage d. Jake "The Snake" Roberts by Pinfall
- Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat d. Raymond Rougeau by Pinfall
[Savage, Steamboat & Muraco Survivors]
*Bad News Brown, Demolition Ax, Davey Boy Smith & Hulk Hogan d. The Big Boss Man, Tito Santana, Rick Martel & Boris Zhukov in a Survivor Series Match
- Hulk Hogan & The Big Boss Man were Counted Out
- Tito Santana d. Demolition Ax by Pinfall
- Davey Boy Smith was Disqualified
- Bad News Brown d. Boris Zhukov by Pinfall
- Bad News Brown d. Rick Martel by Pinfall
- Bad News Brown d. Tito Santana by Pinfall
[Bad News Brown Sole Survivor]
*"The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase, Demolition Smash, Jacques Rougeau & "Ravishing" Rick Rude d. Greg "The Hammer" Valentine, "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff, Dino Bravo & Paul Roma in a Survivor Series Match
- Paul Roma d. Jacques Rougeau by Pinfall
- "Ravishing" Rick Rude d. Paul Roma by Pinfall
- Dino Bravo was Counted Out
- "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff d. "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase by Pinfall
- Greg "The Hammer" Valentine was Disqualified
- "Ravishing" Rick Rude d. "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff by Pinfall
[Smash & Rude Survivors]
*"The King" Harley Race, Haku, The Dynamite Kid & Bam Bam Bigelow d. Kamala, Tama, "The Outlaw" Ron Bass & Blackjack Mulligan in a Survivor Series Match
- Bam Bam Bigelow d. Kamala by Pinfall
- "The Outlaw" Ron Bass d. Haku by Pinfall
- The Dynamite Kid d. Tama by Pinfall
- "The Outlaw" Ron Bass & Blackjack Mulligan were Counted Out
[Race, Dynamite & Bigelow Survivors]
*Bad News Brown Won the Ultimate Battle Royal of Survival, Last Eliminating Bam Bam Bigelow
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Post by darbicus on Sept 30, 2022 20:36:26 GMT 1
WWF Royal Rumble January 24, 1988 Kopps Coliseum Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
*"The Natural" Butch Reed w/Slick d. Sam Houston by Pinfall A simple match to kick things off, with Butch Reed scoring a relatively easy victory over the newcomer in Sam Houston.
*Demolition [Ax & Smash] w/Mr. Fuji d. The British Bulldogs [Davey Boy Smith & The Dynamite Kid] by Pinfall to Retain the WWF Tag Team Titles The British Bulldogs had been clamoring for a Tag Team Title shot since their victory over The Hart Foundation at Summerslam. A match on Saturday Night's Main Event ended when Mr. Fuji interfered on his charges behalf, throwing salt in the face of The Dynamite Kid. For this match however, Fuji would be locked in a shark cage at ringside, negating his interference. Without the Devious One in their corner, it seemed as if Demolition's unbeaten streak would finally come to an end, as Davey Boy was able to withstand many of their power moves and get a hot tag to Dynamite to even the odds. The referee was inadvertantly knocked down from an errant strike from the Bulldogs though, leaving no one to count when it looked as if Davey Boy had Ax pinned with a Running Powerslam. Suddenly from the back came Haku and Tama, The Islanders, whom had been feuding with the Bulldogs as well, who attacked the Bulldogs and made off with their "mascot" Matilda. This attack came totally behind the referee's back, and when he came to he saw Ax and Smash hit the Decapitation on Dynamite to score the pinfall and retain the titles.
*Rockin' Robin, The Fabulous Moolah & Velvet McIntyre d. "Sensational" Sherri Martel, Judy Martin & Leilani Kai by Pinfall The feud between Women's Champion Sherri Martel and former Women's Champion The Fabulous Moolah had expanded to include most of the division by this point, setting up this six woman tag team match. In the end Moolah had little impact on the finish, as the champion was rolled up for the victory by Rockin' Robin, as she positioned herself as the new #1 contender for the title.
*"Macho Man" Randy Savage Won the Royal Rumble Match The prize for this year's Royal Rumble match (as it would be in subsequent years, with a few exceptions) was a major one, as the winner would go on to face "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase for the WWF Championship in the main event of Wrestlemania IV. In fact this was the only way that former champion Hulk Hogan had of trying to gain a title shot, due to the "No Rematch" clause stuck in his championship match contract with Andre the Giant in October, which had dictated no rematch for either man. Hogan's feud with the Million Dollar Man had been all encompassing, including a famous spot where, after DiBiase had been "assaulted" by Hogan, the Hulkster was arrested by policeman (including the Big Boss Man, who would ultimately cost Hogan the title in October), much to the chagrin of Hulkamaniacs everywhere. Hogan's issues with the Boss Man would continue into the Rumble sadly, as the Boss Man would be the one who eliminated him from the match courtesy of his trusty night stick supplied to him by an entering Virgil. In the end, the match came down to the Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat and the "Macho Man" Randy Savage, which eventually saw Savage duck down with the top rope as Steamboat came charging in, sending the Dragon over the rope and giving Savage the win and main event slot.
*"Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff w/"Superstar" Billy Graham & Oliver Humperdink d. "Ravishing" Rick Rude w/Bobby Heenan by Disqualification (Rude Retains Title) Paul Orndorff and Rick Rude had been feuding as an extension of Rude's feud with Superstar Billy Graham. In October, Rude had viciously attacked Graham (along with Butch Reed), breaking his leg and ending the Superstar's attempted comeback to the ring prematurely. Orndorff had come to Graham's aid, targeting the Ravishing One, especially after Rude had won the Intercontinental Title. In December, Rude had one-upped Orndorff, costing him a match with WWF Champion Ted DiBiase on an episode of Primetime Wrestling. With Graham returning to be in Mr. Wonderful's corner, it seemed like Orndorff was set to win the IC Title, but outside interference from Bad News Brown and Bobby Heenan would ensure that Rude would keep the championship, as he lost the match via disqualification to Mr. Wonderful. Orndorff however was saved by the returning Andre the Giant, who chased off Brown and the Heenan Family, standing tall to end the show.
Royal Rumble Entry/Exit Order (2:00 Between Entries)
1. "Dangerous" Danny Davis
2. Tito Santana
3. "The Outlaw" Ron Bass
4. Marty Jannetty
5. "The King" Harley Race
- Marty Jannetty Eliminated #1 by "The Outlaw" Ron Bass
6. Bam Bam Bigelow
- "Dangerous" Danny Davis Eliminated #2 by Bam Bam Bigelow
7. Dino Bravo
8. The Ultimate Warrior
- "The Outlaw" Ron Bass Eliminated #3 by The Ultimate Warrior
- "The King" Harley Race Eliminated #4 by The Ultimate Warrior
- The Ultimate Warrior Eliminated #5 by Dino Bravo
9. Shawn Michaels
10. B. Brian Blair
11. Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart
12. The Big Boss Man
- Tito Santana Eliminated #6 by The Big Boss Man
13. Jake "The Snake" Roberts
14. The Junk Yard Dog
- The Junk Yard Dog Eliminated #7 by The Big Boss Man
15. Hulk Hogan
16. Virgil
- Hulk Hogan Eliminated #8 by The Big Boss Man
- The Big Boss Man Eliminated #9 by Bam Bam Bigelow
17. The Honky Tonk Man
18. "Macho Man" Randy Savage
- Dino Bravo Eliminated #10 by Jake "The Snake" Roberts
19. Hillbilly Jim
- B. Brian Blair Eliminated #11 by The Honky Tonk Man
- Virgil Eliminated #12 by "Macho Man" Randy Savage
20. Bret "The Hitman" Hart
21. "The Rock" Don Muraco
- Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart Eliminated #13 by "The Rock" Don Muraco
22. One Man Gang
- Bam Bam Bigelow Eliminated #14 by One Man Gang
- Shawn Michaels Eliminated #15 by One Man Gang
23. Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat
24. Boris Zhukov
- Jake "The Snake" Roberts Eliminated #16 by One Man Gang
- Hillbilly Jim Eliminated #17 by Bret "The Hitman" Hart
25. Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake
- The Honky Tonk Man Eliminated #18 by "Macho Man" Randy Savage
26. Nikolai Volkoff
- Boris Zhukov Eliminated #19 by "Macho Man" Randy Savage
- "The Rock" Don Muraco Eliminated #20 by One Man Gang
27. Jacques Rougeau
28. "Jumpin'" Jim Brunzell
- Jacques Rougeau Eliminated #21 by Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat
29. Greg "The Hammer" Valentine
30. "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan
- Greg "The Hammer" Valentine Eliminated #22 by Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake
- Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake Eliminated #23 by Bret "The Hitman" Hart
- "Jumpin'" Jim Brunzell Eliminated #24 by "Macho Man" Randy Savage
- "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan Eliminated #25 by One Man Gang
- Nikolai Volkoff Eliminated #26 by Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat
- Bret "The Hitman" Hart Eliminated #27 by "Macho Man" Randy Savage
- One Man Gang Eliminated #28 by Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat
- Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat Eliminated #29 by "Macho Man" Randy Savage
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Post by darbicus on Oct 1, 2022 21:15:01 GMT 1
Wrestlemania IV March 27, 1988 Trump Plaza Hotel (Boardwalk Hall) Atlantic City, NJ
*The Rockers [Shawn Michaels & Marty Jannetty] d. The Hart Foundation [Bret "The Hitman" Hart & Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart] w/Jimmy Hart by Pinfall The opening contest pitted two of the best tag teams in the WWF against each other, with the former champions heavily favored over the young upstarts. However Michaels and Jannetty's team work threw off the veteran Foundation. Eventually the match settled down and The Hitman and The Anvil isolated Jannetty, scoring several near falls. Michaels eventually made the hot tag into the match though, facilitating a four man melee. With the ref distracted at one point, The Anvil held Jannetty for Jimmy Hart to drill him with the ever present megaphone, only for Jannetty to duck out of the way, causing The Anvil to get KO'ed. The Rockers took advantage and quickly pinned The Hitman, scoring the huge upset. After the match, Jimmy Hart lambasted his team for their failure, going so far as to slap The Anvil in the face. This led to the Hitman and The Anvil grabbing Jimmy Hart by the coat and throwing him out of the ring, apparently firing the Colonel as their manager.
*Jake "The Snake" Roberts d. Dino Bravo w/Frenchy Martin by Pinfall This feud had started at the Royal Rumble, when Jake Roberts eliminated Dino Bravo from the match. Since then, Canada's Strongest Man had decried The Snake as a threat to wrestlers everywhere by carrying around his pet snake, Damien. Jake tried to show Damien was "harmless" by introducing him to the strongman, which caused the Canadian to have a near panic attack at the sight of the snake. In the match, Dino attempted to use his strength to dominate the match, with The Snake slipping out of difficult situations numerous times, though being equally stifled whenever he tried to hit the DDT. The end came when Martin attempted to remove the Snake from ringside when Roberts looked towards the bag. A tug of war ensued and the snake eventually came loose from the bag. When Dino saw it, he again went into convulsions, and the distraction allowed Jake the opening to hit the DDT and pick up the victory.
*The Honky Tonk Man w/Jimmy Hart d. Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat by Pinfall On an episode of The Brother Love Show, Ricky Steamboat had appeared with his infant son, showing him to the world as he was a Family Man. This happened to coincide with The Honky Tonk Man also making an appearance there, wanting to perform his theme song on national television. When Honky made a disparaging remark about Steamboat's son, The Dragon took offense, setting up this match. Steamboat dominated most of the match, when it was even, but Jimmy Hart (still stinging from being fired by The Hart Foundation) would interject himself at key moments to switch the momentum. Eventually The Dragon tried to rally, but missed a cross body block when Jimmy Hart tripped him up on an Irish Whip. This allowed the Honky Tonk Man to catch The Dragon with the Shake, Rattle & Roll and score the pinfall.
*Andre the Giant d. Bad News Brown w/Bobby Heenan by Disqualification In October, at Saturday Night's Main Event, Andre the Giant had finally achieved his goal of defeating Hulk Hogan for the WWF title, albeit with help from the debuting Big Boss Man, the personal security enforcer of the Million Dollar Man. The following week on WWF Superstars, the title was sold out from under Andre by his manager, Bobby Heenan, who took Ted DiBiase's million dollar offer and handed him the belt on behalf of Andre. The Eighth Wonder of the World had rejected this notion, turning face once again, but before he could undo the measure or get revenge on Heenan, Andre was laid out by a vicious assault from Bad News Brown, a debuting new member of the Heenan Family. This injured Andre, laying him up until his eventual return at the Royal Rumble, when Andre looked to get revenge on Brown and Heenan. The match here was a slow moving affair, as Andre repeatedly tried to get his hands on The Brain. However Brown couldn't really move the Giant all that much. In the end, Brown resorted to using a slapjack to try and KO Andre, busting him open slightly, but only succeeding in angering the big man. Andre chased off Brown and Heenan to stand tall, earning the DQ victory.
*Rockin' Robin d. "Sensational" Sherri Martel by Pinfall to Win the WWF Women's Title After Rockin' Robin had pinned the champion in a six-woman tag team match at the Royal Rumble, she had earned a string of title matches at live events that always ended in disqualification or countout victories. This caused WWF president Jack Tunney to order Sherri to defend the title without a Champion's Advantage. With Sherri left with nowhere to go, Robin was able to finally secure the pinfall and win the Women's Title fairly in the ring.
*Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake d. The One Man Gang w/Slick by Submission in a Hair vs. Hair Match Since rechristening himself the Barber, Brutus Beefcake had been prone to taking chunks of hair out of his opponents heads after putting them to sleep. After a match with Butch Reed caused him to nearly do the same to the "Doctor of Style" Slick, Beefcake was attacked by the One Man Gang, leading to a hair vs hair match. The Barber was initially overwhelmed by the Gang's size and power, but managed to rope a dope the larger athlete to the point where he could eventually lock on the Sleeper Hold, causing the Gang to pass out. Despite Slick trying to save his client, The Barber lived up to his name and shaved off the trademark mohawk of the Gang, leaving him furious when he came too.
*The Islanders [Haku & Tama] w/Bobby Heenan d. The British Bulldogs [Davey Boy Smith & The Dynamite Kid] by Pinfall The feud between the Islanders and the British Bulldogs had been ratched up a notch at the Royal Rumble when Haku and Tama interrupted a tag team title match between the Bulldogs and Demolition, stealing the Bulldogs' mascot Matilda in the process. They would then taunt the Bulldogs consistently over the next several weeks, holding the Bulldog hostage, leading to this match at Mania. The brawling Islanders isolated Davey Boy for much of the match, leading to Dynamite trying desperately to get the hot tag in. Once he did bedlam spilled out, and the referee had trouble controlling the match. Dynamite eventually locked Tama in a small package behind the referee's back while Davey Boy and Haku were brawling on the outside. The distraction allowed Bobby Heenan to sneak into the ring and kick Dynamite in the head, causing Tama to reverse the cradle just as the referee turned around and counted the three count for the Islanders. After the match though, the Bulldogs chased off the Islanders and retrieved Matilda from ringside.
*Strike Force [Tito Santana & Rick Martel] d. Demolition [Ax & Smash] w/Mr. Fuji by Disqualification (Demolition Retain Tag Titles) The tag team of Demolition had been nigh unstoppable since their debut in the summer of 1987, winning the Tag Team titles in convincing fashion at Summerslam the previous year. However their toughest challenge came in the form of Strike Force, Tito Santana and Rick Martel, who had actually managed to defeat the champs in a non-title match on Primetime Wrestling. The duo continued their success against the brawlers, and for one of the few times it appeared that Demolition's titles were in jeopardy. However, the end of the match came when Martel had Smash locked in a Boston Crab while Tito was distracted by Mr. Fuji, allowing Ax to come in and drill Martel in the back of the head with the cane. Smash initially made the cover and the referee counted three, however a second referee came out with the Hart Foundation (who had a backstage confrontation with Demolition before the match) and explained what happened to the first official, causing the decision to be reversed and giving the win via disqualification to Strike Force.
*"Ravishing" Rick Rude w/Bobby Heenan d. "The Rock" Don Muraco w/"Superstar" Billy Graham by Pinfall to Retain the Intercontinental Title After defeating Mr. Wonderful at the Royal Rumble, Rick Rude continued to feud with Superstar Billy Graham, saying that the former WWF Champion couldn't stand up to his physique or find anyone else who could. However the Superstar found a new client in former 2 time Intercontinental Champion Don Muraco, who came to Graham's defense when he was confronted by the Heenan Family on an episode of WWF Superstars, leading to this IC Title defense. Muraco used his power to try and wear down the champion, and for a while it appeared as if it would work. However Rude was eventually able to find an opening after removing a turnbuckle pad, whipping Muraco hard into the exposed steel and then applying the Rude Awakening to pick up the victory and retain his title.
*The Ultimate Warrior d. Greg "The Hammer" Valentine w/Jimmy Hart by Pinfall In a virtual squash match, the Ultimate Warrior defeated the veteran Greg Valentine in a matter of less than a minute, easily winning with a big splash after a massive shoulder tackle.
*Hulk Hogan d. The Big Boss Man by Pinfall The issue between Hulk Hogan and Ted DiBiase's personal security enforcer the Big Boss Man extended back to October on Saturday Night's Main Event, when the Boss Man (who had previously been a cop who "roughed up" Hogan during DiBiase's arrest of the champion) had cost the Hulkster the WWF title. Hogan had tried and failed to overcome the Boss Man on numerous occasions since then, most notably in the Royal Rumble when the Boss Man was able to eliminate Hulk (thanks to a surreptitious nightstick handed to him by an entering Virgil) from the match, thus preventing him from earning a title match against the Million Dollar Man. In their first one on one encounter, the trend line continued with Boss Man controlling much of the match and withstanding Hulk's offense. However Hogan eventually rallied, hulking up and finally slaying his personal demons by pinning the corrupt law man after a leg drop.
*"Macho Man" Randy Savage w/Miss Elizabeth d. "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase w/Virgil by Pinfall to Win the WWF Championship The Million Dollar Man had exasperated the issues between himself and the Royal Rumble winner during an episode of the Brother Love show by offering to "purchase the services" of Miss Elizabeth. This sent Savage into a jealous frenzy, as he showcased his true feelings for his manager at that time. The match between the two was a very evenly paced, technical affair, with neither man gaining a clear advantage for very long. If DiBiase was planning on relying on the interference of Virgil and the Boss Man to carry the day, he was thwarted by the presence of Hulk Hogan on the outside who made sure the match stayed in the ring. The end came when DiBiase had the Million Dollar Dream locked on the Macho Man, only for Savage to fight out of the Sleeper (the only person besides Hogan to do so). Savage then delivered his Top Rope Elbow and pinned the champion, with Hogan their to present him the belt as Savage and Elizabeth celebrated to end the show.
Off-Camera Title Changes:
*April 23: Demolition Stripped of the WWF World Tag Team Titles Due to Suspension by WWF President Jack Tunney
*June 10: The Hart Foundation d. The Islanders in a Tournament Final to Win the World Tag Team Titles |
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