WWF Saturday Night's Main Event IX (Version II)

Original Airdate: January 3, 1987

From Hartford, Connecticut; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura

Backstage, Bobby Heenan and Paul Orndorff have purchased championship belt insurance ahead of their title match tonight, while Hulk Hogan wants to listen to a Beatles record

WWF Title Cage Match: Hulk Hogan v Paul Orndorff: Paul attacks him as he climbs into the cage (if I were a wrestler, I'd always insist on entering the cage first), and whips him with the title belt! Well, guess he's going to put that insurance policy to good use. Pair of pointed elbowdrops allow him to go for the door, but Hogan cuts him off. Another pointed elbowdrop, and he tries climbing, but Hulk grabs a handful of hair to pull him back over - prompting the famous quip from Ventura about how Hogan wouldn't be champion if Orndorff were bald. When was the last time ANY WWE announcer even approached a line that good? Hulk hammers him for a bit, but Orndorff pulls him down off the top rope as he tries to climb, and chokes him. He goes for the door, but Hulk pulls him back, and this time manages to dodge the pointed elbowdrops and unload with some rights. He goes for the escape, but there's some confusion with the door that delays him, and Orndorff recovers. He tries ramming Hogan into the cage, but gets reversed, and both guys make climb attempts on opposite sides of the ring. It's a foot race, and both leap down at 6:10 - one referee awarding it to Hogan, the other to Orndorff. Hogan doesn't take it well, and attacks the poor referee (what a jerk!), until valiant Orndorff steps in to save him. They decide to restart the match, and Orndorff drags Hogan back in for a flying elbowdrop. Paul with a kneedrop and a short-clothesline, but he runs into the HULK UP!! Fists of Fury! Cage Tosses! Backbreaker! Legdrop! Hulk climbs, so Bobby Heenan makes a last ditch effort by coming in and hooking Hogan's ankle to allow Orndorff to try and escape, but Hulk destroys them both and climbs out at 10:42. Not a great wrestling match, but a fun one, with a memorable angle to boot. * (Original rating: ¾*)

Backstage, Randy Savage's robe gives new meaning to the term 'garish.' Lucky I'm watching this via WWE Network on a high definition monitor in 2015, because I can only imagine the havoc that would have played on a poor 80s CRT TV. Meanwhile, George Steele is busy choking a chicken - namely Gene Okerlund

WWF Intercontinental Title Match: Randy Savage v George Steele: Jesus, again? Macho objects to Steele's gifts for Elizabeth, so George attacks him, and delivers a pair of bodyslams. He stops to wave somebody down, but turning his back on Savage proves to be a mistake, and Macho kneedrops him, then chokes him with the top rope. Bodyslam sets up a Flying Elbowdrop, but as Randy perches, we see who Steele was signaling: Ricky Steamboat! The place explodes as the Dragon makes his way out, and George slams Randy down off the top rope, then launches him over the top to the floor - featuring a brilliant take from Howard Finkel as he gets the hell out of the way. With Savage down, Steele kidnaps Elizabeth, and Macho can't go after her - his path blocked by the Dragon! A long standoff commences, until several referee's finally manage to remove Steamboat - just as Steele returns, sans Elizabeth. George takes advantage of Savage's disoriented state with a few turnbuckle smashes, and a bodyslam follows, but Steele stops to munch a turnbuckle, and takes a trip into the corner. Savage with a series of jabs and an overhead elbowsmash, but Steele bites at him to block a sleeper. The referee objects, and as Steele is busy arguing with him, Savage grabs the ring bell, and wallops him with it for the pin at 8:30. Afterwards, he tries to finish the job with the bell, but Steamboat rushes back in to save. This was actually one of the better of their many, many matches from this period - though that isn't saying much. * (Original rating: ¼*)

We take a look back at Harley Race's coronation as King of the WWF, made official by a midget bestowing a crown upon him. Can't get more official than that! Junkyard Dog, however, is not impressed with Harley Race, or his midget

Junkyard Dog v Harley Race: Harley lives up to the 'Race' part of his name in the pre-match promos, as he wants to make Dog bow down in servant hood to him. Well, that's awkward. Dog refuses to bow at the bell, so Race attacks, and drops an elbow for two. High knee and a kneedrop are worth two, but a whip into the corner is reversed, and the Dog headbutts him down. Race rakes the eyes to keep control, and hits a belly-to belly suplex to setup a falling headbutt - only to hurt himself on JYD's hard head. So... much... racism. Dog with a series of headbutts and a cross corner whip to put Harley on the outside, and he steals the King's cape and crown. That doesn't sit well with Bobby Heenan, however, and he attacks the Dog from behind - getting Race disqualified in the process at 6:00. Not much to this one, but it was more about furthering the angle than anything else, and that's fine for TV. ½* (Original rating: ½*)

Backstage, Paul Orndorff and Bobby Heenan vow to fight the referee's decision, since Orndorff's feet touched first earlier on

Also backstage, Adrian Adonis vows to 'take a licking, and keep on digging.' Indeed, keep on digging, my friend! Stay strong! Meanwhile, Roddy Piper does not dig that

Roddy Piper v Adrian Adonis: Piper attacks right away, and beats him with gusto. Adonis manages to return fire for a slugfest, but Piper gets the best of it, and smashes his face into the mat a couple of times. Whip into the ropes is reversed, however, and Adonis hooks the Goodnight Irene sleeper on, but Roddy dives for the ropes, and they go tumbling out of the ring. Adrian sprays some perfume in his eyes out there, and rolls back in to grab a countout win at 3:35. Like the Dog/Race (dog race!) match, this was more about furthering the angle in front of a big network audience than anything, and there's nothing wrong with that. ¼* (Original rating: ¼*)

Backstage, Hulk Hogan is on an 'all natural high'

Blackjack Mulligan v Jimmy Jack Funk: Girl referee alert! And she's rocking a crazy mullet. Funk makes a stink over Mulligan wearing spurs into the ring, and jumps him as he removes them, but gets reversed during a cross corner whip, and clotheslined out of the ring. Mulligan follows with a backdrop on the floor, then unloads a press-slam on the way back in. Lariat and a jumping backelbow finish at 2:31. Just a quickie to send us home. ½* (Original rating: ½*)

BUExperience: Another stacked card this time out, with the big blowoff to the Hogan/Orndorff feud on here, as well as heavy development on the angles for WrestleMania III. Good episode