WWF Saturday Night's Main Event VIII (November 1986)

Original Airdate: November 29, 1986

From Los Angeles, California; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura – with Jesse wearing a special toupee for the occasion, as they’re in Hollywood.


Opening WWF Intercontinental Title Match: Randy Savage v Jake Roberts: Both guys try to psych each other out at the bell, and trade armdrags to try and one-up the other man. Jake finally wins a tie-up with a side-headlock, but Savage goes right to the hair to break it up. Jake responds with the DDT – but Macho isn't near worn down enough yet, and scrambles to the outside to block. Back in, Jake tries again, so Savage steamrolls him into the corner, and drives his boot into Jake's face off of a cross corner charge. Snapmare, and Savage drops a knee for two, then an elbow for two. Falling axehandle gets a series of two counts, so Jake starts throwing jabs, only to get tied up in the ropes. Savage uses the opportunity to hide the snake under the ring (how awesome would it be if he unleashed it on the tied up Roberts - as Jake would do to him five years later?), but he takes too long, and Jake catches him with a short-clothesline coming back in. Forward falling suplex gets two - frustrating Jake - so he starts unloading jabs again. DDT, but Savage bails into the ropes to block again. They spill outside - with Macho hiding behind manager Elizabeth - which is enough to distract Jake for Savage to hit a high knee. Flying axehandle to the outside, and another in the ring gets two. Third, but Jake nails him on the way down, so Savage blows him low to stop another DDT attempt. Slugfest, but the referee gets involved - and when both men shove him, we have a double disqualification at 9:30. Really fun heel v heel match - though Jake was getting a pretty clear babyface reaction from the fans (he was even cheered for DDT’ing Hogan around this period – forcing them to drop their program altogether), compelling the WWF to properly turn him face not long after. Intense, well paced match – well booked to allow both men to stay strong. **

WWF Title Match: Hulk Hogan v Hercules: Bobby Heenan had just bought Hercules' contract from manager Slick, and gotten him this shot against Heenan's #1 nemesis. Test-of-strength to start – initially controlled by Herc - but Hogan has the power of Hulkamania, and shit, and powers up. Hercules with a cheap shot to stop that effort (the power of Hulkamania didn't extend to his nuts. Not until about twenty years later, anyway) - but Hogan catches him with a cross corner clothesline, and a slam. Elbowdrop misses, however, and Hercules goes to work on the champ - hammering the back. Bearhug can't finish, so Herc tries a backbreaker submission. No dice, so he tries a torture rack, but makes the mistake of letting off too early. Eh, Hogan's still dead though - I'm sure Herc'll easily pin him. He covers, but HULK UP!! Clothesline! Ten turnbuckle smash count! Big boot! Legdrop! 6:30. Standard 'Hogan formula' match - with Hulk dominating the early going, missing something to allow the heel a heat segment, and then Hulking Up - but done nicely, as Hercules worked the back well, and it was kept short enough. ½*

Roddy Piper v Bob Orton: Bob Orton went on to father of current WWE Superstar Randy Orton. Roddy Piper went on to use a shitter in at least 46 states (and Canada!). They don't properly tie-up, as Orton's pal (and fellow Piper nemesis) Don Muraco keeps interfering from the apron. The referee finally ejects him from ringside, and Piper unloads with fists of fury. Bulldog, and Orton begs off - so Piper bites him. Orton takes an impressive Flair Flip, and Piper hits a kneelift for two. Backdrop, but Orton decks him on the way, and blows him low. Gutbuster gets two, but Orton gets distracted when his manager, Jimmy Hart, tries to assist, and Piper schoolboys him for the pin at 3:48. Fun match, not a good match. ¼*

The Hart Foundation v The Killer Bees: Bret Hart and Jim Brunzell start, and Jim jumps him with a high knee off of a criss cross. Tag to B. Brian Blair, and he hooks Bret in an armbar. Cross corner charge misses, allowing a tag to Jim Neidhart - but he gets caught in an armbar as well. A well timed cheap shot from Bret turns the tide, and the Harts hit a Demolition Decapitator for two. Neidhart with an impressive dropkick, and the Foundation cut the ring in half on Jim Brunzell. Bret gets sick of Brunzell's uppity kicking out shit, so he dumps him to the floor to try a countout victory. It nearly works, but Blair helps him beat the count - only to walk into more abuse from the Harts. He probably got a mouthful for that in the showers that night. Um... meaning he yelled at Blair. The Harts dump Brunzell again, and this time he and Blair take the time to put on masks (their gimmick involved doing this, that way allowing the fresh man to get in without tagging, as the referee was 'confused'), and Blair is a house of arson. Sleeper looks to finish Neidhart, but Bret breaks it up - allowing the Bees to switch again. Bret tags in to finish him properly, but walks into the fresher man, and gets cradled at 9:00. Some nice stuff from the Harts - expertly cutting the ring in half, and working all sorts of cheap heel tactics – as well as working crisp, well executed offense. Great - unintentionally funny - bit during the match, as they aired a pretaped Bee's interview with Mean Gene Okerlund, but hadn't gotten the format for those in-screen interviews down yet - not placing it at the top where the action won't be blocked, instead placing it at the bottom of the screen - leading to a hilarious bit as the editors keep sliding the interview back-and-forth across the screen based on where the action was. *

Koko B. Ware v Nikolai Volkoff: This was shortly after Koko’s debut. Volkoff jumps him at the bell, taking him to school in the corner – though he doesn't get past fifth grade, as Koko starts unloading fists of fury. He busts out a variation of a rana, and a dropkick - but Volkoff drops him throat first across the top rope. Kneedrop misses, however, and Koko catches him with a missile dropkick. He gets caught up with his new manager Slick (who had recently bought his contract from Freddie Blassie, and likely wanted to discuss dinner plans with Volkoff before all the good tables get taken), allowing Koko to schoolboy him for the pin at 2:30. They worked well enough for what it was – but booking under three minutes isn't much of a canvas to paint a masterpiece. ½*

Don Muraco v Dick Slater: Muraco dominates to start - throwing him around like a child (not that I'm endorsing throwing around children, but it is what it is) - only to run into a jab from Slater. Flying elbowsmash gets two, so Muraco manager Mr. Fuji trips him up - allowing Muraco to clothesline him for the pin at 2:05. Someone ordered the squash tonight. DUD

BUExperience: The lack of skits once again allowed them to put on a better show – taking the time to showoff a batch of new stars and angles, and put on a really fun Roberts/Savage match. Nothing to loose your mind over not having seen, but a good outing.