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

Original Airdate: March 14, 1987

From Detroit, Michigan; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura

Backstage, Gene Okerlund is with Hulk Hogan as the WWF Champion prepares to confront Andre the Giant in the Battle Royal later on, just weeks after Andre turned on him - kicking off one of the biggest (and best) angles in wrestling history

Also backstage, Randy Savage threatens to slap the duckpin man, while Elizabeth dresses for a night out with Diana Ross

WWF Intercontinental Title Match: Randy Savage v George Steele: Winner also gets Elizabeth's managerial services. Kind of a one-sided deal there, no? What is Steele putting up? Steele goes after her before the bell even sounds, and gets jumped with a flying axehandle on the outside by the champion. Savage tries to bail with Liz in tow, but Ricky Steamboat shows up in the aisle to scare him back. That allows Steele to jump him, and he bites at the champion before unloading a turnbuckle smash. Cross corner battering ram leaves Macho dizzy, but George stops to snack on the turnbuckle, and Randy comes from behind with a high knee. Bodyslam sets up a flying axehandle, but the Animal counters a clothesline with a bite, and adds a chokeslam. He throws some turnbuckle stuffing in Savage's eyes, and decides to leave with Elizabeth, but gets jumped on the floor, and rammed into the rail. Randy beats him with the special lifeguard chair setup for Liz before heading back in, and Steele is counted out at 4:30. After a decent outing last time, we're back to the usual Savage/Steele comedy match here. ¼* (Original rating: DUD)

Backstage, Andre the Giant is big

20-Man Battle Royal: We've got: Andre the Giant, Hulk Hogan, Ron Bass, Demolition, Billy Jack Haynes, Hillbilly Jim, Hercules, The Honky Tonk Man, The Islanders, The Killer Bees, Blackjack Mulligan, Paul Orndorff, Lanny Poffo, Butch Reed, Sika, Nikolai Volkoff, and Koko B. Ware. Interesting to see these early versions of Honky Tonk Man (in suspenders!) and Demolition (with Barry Darsow only recently replacing Randy Colley) here, as they haven't quite gotten the kinks worked out just yet. Hogan comes for Andre, but Paul Orndorff attacks him before they can collide, and all the heels gang up on Hogan while all the faces go for Andre - keeping them apart. Honky is the first victim of Hulkamania tonight, and Sika gets dumped by Andre. The storyline for the match plays out with Hulk and Andre trying to get at each other, but having their paths blocked by everyone else, and tossing random guys as they try to clear the ring. Poffo does a pretty gory bladejob (especially for a fucking battle royal) en route to being tossed by Andre here, and Volkoff gets dumped by Hogan - still no contact made between the two. They finally collide when Orndorff and Hercules accidentally whip Hogan right into Andre, and we have an epic slugfest. Unfortunately, it doesn't last, as Orndorff and Demolition attack the Hulkster. Hogan dispatches Mr. Wonderful, but that allows Andre to attack from behind with a headbutt, and he casually tosses the Hulkster to the shock of the crowd. As usual, Hulk acts like a gigantic baby about it, and has to be escorted to the back kicking and screaming by half a dozen officials. Fuck off, Hogan, it was fair and square! Unfortunately for Andre, everyone else in the match (heel or face) don't want to deal with him either, and gang up to eliminate him - exposing the back brace he had to wear underneath is tights at this point in the process. With Hogan and Andre both gone, things start going home, and we're quickly down to Hercules, Billy Jack Haynes, Ax, and Ware. Everyone trades off, and Ware is the first to go, via Hercules. He and Ax double-up on Billy Jack, but Haynes manages to reverse Ax going over the top. Slugfest with Hercules follows, but Bobby Heenan hops up onto the apron to distract Haynes, and Hercules dumps him at 11:16. Most battle royals are just an excuse to pack a lot of names onto a card, but this was one of the few that was actually entertaining, and had a purpose. ½* (Original rating: *)

Backstage, Andre the Giant has two things to say

Also backstage, Jake Roberts wants to eat four hundred pounds of real pork

Jake Roberts v King Kong Bundy: Jake actually tries working a wristlock with the mammoth Bundy to start, but gets swatted away. Jake changes gears to a stick-and-move routine, but stupidly agrees to a test-of-strength, and nearly gets pinned during it. You know, for a master of psychology, Roberts is making literally all the wrong choices in this one thus far. Bundy hammers him in the corner before slapping on a front-facelock. You know, I don't think anyone has ever tried it, but if the ropes are out of reach, and you can't find a counter, I'm pretty sure a finger up the butt would totally break that hold. Something to think about, for all you aspiring young wrestlers. Jake mounts a comeback, so Bobby Heenan steals the snake to distract him, and Roberts has to abandon the match to go after it - allowing Bundy to jump him. King Kong with a few shoulderblocks, but the Avalanche misses, and Jake unloads a series of jabs, followed by a clothesline. He goes for the snake, so the referee objects, and Roberts makes the mistake of decking him - getting disqualified at 6:14. Again, for a master of psychology, he's pretty fucking dumb. I guess he was still getting used to wrestling as a full fledged face. Dull match. ¼* (Original rating: ¼*)

We take a look back to January, when the Hart Foundation won their first tag title from the British Bulldogs with help from crooked referee Danny Davis

WWF Tag Team Title Match: The Hart Foundation v Tito Santana and Dan Spivey: Spivey's tights look like everyone's Facebook profile photo this week. Jim Neidhart starts with Spivey, and loses a criss cross to a bodypress for two. Another criss cross goes better for the Anvil with a clothesline, but a cross corner whip gets reversed, and Dan delivers an atomic drop. Tag to Bret Hart, but he takes a trip into the corner as well, and Tito tags for a tandem backelbow. Criss cross ends in Santana bodyslamming Bret, and Spivey tags in with a shoulderblock for two. Cheapshot from Neidhart allows Bret to deliver a pointed elbowdrop, and the champs cut the ring in half on Dan. Double-team on the apron backfires, however, and Spivey makes the tag. Santana is a casa of fire, and looks to finish Bret with the jumping forearm to setup the Figure Four, but Danny Davis comes in with Jimmy Hart's megaphone, and Bret scores the winning pinfall at 5:31. The Hart's looked great here, and everyone worked hard to have an energetic match. * ½ (Original rating: ½*)

Ricky Steamboat is ready for a test

Ricky Steamboat v Iron Sheik: Randy Savage (sporting a pair of bedazzled jeans that would make Elton John blush) joins Vince and Jesse on commentary - distracting Steamboat enough for Sheik to attack from behind. My my, how things change. Here, Savage is volunteering to sit in on commentary. Sheik works Ricky over, but misses the Dragon skinning the cat back in, and Steamboat side suplexes him. Sheik begs off, but the Dragon slaps on a side-headlock, then wins a criss cross with a hiptoss. Chinlock, but Sheik dumps him to the floor to escape, then brings him in with a vertical suplex for two. Sheik grabs an abdominal stretch, but Ricky manages to hiptoss free, and he hits a pair of falling chops. Bodyslam sets up a flying tomahawk chop to finish at 3:29 - as Savage goes berserk on commentary. Okay, though it was more about the Savage feud than anything else. ½* (Original rating: ¼*)

Hulk Hogan is ready for fifteen years of undefeated obesity

Gene Okerlund is backstage with Roddy Piper, and they watch a music video commemorating his career, ahead of his announced retirement following WrestleMania III

BUExperience: A fun episode, with a lot of driven focus on the two big title angles for WrestleMania III