WWF Saturday Night's Main Event XVI (April 1988)

Original Airdate: April 30, 1988

Formatting note – with the expansion of our coverage to… covering… wrestling TV programs like this one, you’ll notice that there is now a nifty new index on the top of each page: one for the WWE/WWF pay per views, WCW/NWA, and a separate one for TV programming from all promotions. Locate whatever you are looking for, and read in order if you wish to do so. There is also a search bar in the upper left corner of each page – good for searching a particular show, wrestler, match, or just how many times I’ve used the word ‘fuck.’ This should clear up any future organizational issues, as many of these shows will likely be posted out of order.

From Springfield, Massachusetts; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura.


Opening Match: Jim Duggan v Hercules: Hercules tries to overpower Duggan to start, but makes the mistake of trying to attack his head (nothing in there to hurt, brother), and gets atomic dropped. Backdrop, but a kneedrop misses, and Herc goes right after the leg. Hercules dumps Duggan to the outside, allowing manager Bobby Heenan to get his shots in. Predictably, Duggan grabs his 2x4 to clean house, but, for whatever reason, the referee isn't cool with him using a piece of lumber in a sanctioned match, and takes it away. What a killjoy. The distraction of following the rules allows Herc to jump him, and hooks a bearhug. It goes nowhere, though, 'cause Duggan's CRACKING UP!! Ten punch count! Hiptoss! 3-Point Stance! but Heenan blatantly runs in to break up the count, and get Hercules disqualified at 8:47. Yeah, Duggan clears the ring with a 2x4 – no problem – but Bobby Heenan just trying to get a good view to make sure the referee is counting correctly (there had been a major screw job recently, you know) is suddenly a problem. Even as a kid, I never liked Duggan's act - as he always reminded me of an angry child, throwing a tantrum. Or just a grown retarded man throwing a tantrum. Either way, not appealing. Later in life, I would learn that 'Duggan syndrome' is actually just people on crack, who are not necessarily throwing tantrums of any sort. Match had a decent pace, but nothing notable. You know, other than the stuff I noted above. ¼*

Brutus Beefcake v Danny Davis: Beefcake wins the initial tie-up by shoving Davis on his ass – leading to a complaint of hair pulling. Well, Beefcake is a hair care specialist – it’s not outside the realm of possibility. Davis stalls, but catches Beefcake with a poke to the eyes to takeover. He chokes away, but runs into a (botched) high knee to turn the tide. Sleeper finishes at 3:10. Squash. DUD

WWF Title Match: Randy Savage v One Man Gang: This was set up when OMG got disqualified against Savage during the WrestleMania Title Tournament - which Randy went on to win. Savage uses speed to dodge the big man, and unloads a series of jabs and elbowsmashes. Bodypress gets two - when Gang's kickout presses him all the way to the floor - but Savage springs right back up and hits a flying bodypress for two. He snaps his neck across the ropes for two, but gets railroaded into the corner, and chokeslammed. Regular choking follows, but a blind charge misses, and Savage clotheslines him to the floor. He follows out with a flying axehandle, but another on the inside gets him decked. Gang 2^nd rope splash misses, so manager Slick goes after Elizabeth to allow Gang a sneak attack. Another chokeslam, but a miscommunication with Slick allows Savage to hit the Flying Elbow to retain at 6:03. Good back-and-forth pacing, but dull – outside of a couple of spots from Savage. Gang never really interested me anyway, until he discovered his 'African roots' and changed his name to Akeem. ½*

The British Bulldogs v Demolition: Demolition were actually the tag champs at this point, having won the titles at WrestleMania IV, but since this match was 'signed before the win,' it's non-title - a minor bit, but one I always loved as a kid, because it made it seem more like a real sport, with credible titles. It's the little things. Davey Boy Smith and Smash start, with Smash smashing him. He gets too caught up with that to notice Davey pop off a tag to the Dynamite Kid, and gets dropkicked. Tag to Ax, but the Bulldogs work the arm. Kid tries a snap suplex - only to get a cheap shot from Smash - and he tags in with a backbreaker for two. Bearhug, and Kid fights out - only to get hooked with a droptoe-hold to prevent a tag. Demolition continue to cut the ring in half, but Smash misses a blind charge, and Davey tags in. He's a house of arson, but makes the mistake of tagging Kid back in before he can properly kill the champs. That leads to Demo manager Mr. Fuji getting involved, but when the Bulldogs steal his cane away, they get disqualified at 5:05. Ending aside, it was a fun match - though too short to properly develop. ½*

Ted DiBiase v Don Muraco: DiBiase jumps him at the bell, but runs into a backdrop, and pinballs around the ring for Muraco. DiBiase bails to regroup, and pulls off a hiptoss coming in, but quickly misses an elbowdrop. Muraco powerslams him for two, but a distraction from valet/slave Virgil (he was trying to sell him an 8x10) allows DiBiase a suplex for two. Gutwrench suplex gets two, but a backdrop attempt gets him Russian legswept. Muraco with a running powerslam for two, but DiBiase catches him with a simple bodyslam for the win at 4:12 – when the referee doesn't see Muraco's foot on the ropes. Fun back-and-forth stuff, with fantastic selling from DiBiase through and through. ½*

Koko B. Ware v Rick Rude: Koko goes right for him, catching him with a dropkick, and taunting him by mocking the hip-swivel. Rude outsmarts him on a 'clean' break in the corner, though, and pounds the lower back before showing off a proper swivel. Crisp snap suplex, flying fist drop and a dropkick find their marks, but a second try doesn't. Not that it helps Koko, as he quickly misses a dive, and Rick hits the Rude Awakening for the pin at 3:44. Another squash, but a much better use of under four minutes than Beefcake/Davis earlier. ¼*

BUExperience:  Dull, post-WrestleMania show, as they start to push stuff for Summer ’88, and clean up the leftovers from ‘Mania – which is essentially the ‘season finale’ of the WWF’s year. No real intrigue, no particularly good matches, and a lot of squash-level stuff. Pass.