WWF The Main Event (February 1991)

Original Airdate: February 1, 1991

This was the last edition of The Main Event, as the WWF’s declining ratings through 1990 weren’t showing any improvement, and NBC decided not to devote an hour of primetime to their programming anymore. Much like the original concept for The Main Event, this took advantage of the primetime network slot to set up the main event of WrestleMania – and desperately try to sell their insane 100,000 ticket goal for the LA Coliseum, back in the days when packing near one hundred thousand in for a WrestleMania was still based on the card, and not the prestige of the show alone.

From Macon, Georgia; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon and Roddy Piper.


Opening Match: Hulk Hogan and Tugboat v Earthquake and Dino Bravo: Hogan and Bravo start, with Dino unleashing his Napoleon complex on Hogan to start - trying to shove him around - but that goes about as well as it did for actual Napoleon in the end (he, too, got his ass kicked by Hulk Hogan). Tugboat tags in to work the arm, but misses a blind charge, and Bravo hits an inverted atomic drop on the way to tagging Earthquake. He misses an elbowdrop, however, and Hogan tags in to properly showdown. He pulls off a relatively nonchalant bodyslam, and a cross corner clothesline connects. Ten-punch count, and a double big boot, but Tugboat trips up, allowing Earthquake the tag. They cut the sea in half, but a Hogan cheap shot finally allows Tug to make the tag, and he quickly rolls Bravo up for the pin at 8:56. Pretty standard tag formula - which is fine - but the heat segment on Tugboat was unbearably slow and boring. ½*

WWF Title Match: Sgt. Slaughter v Jim Duggan: Duggan brings Hulk Hogan out as his flag bearer, and, you know, to get people to actually watch. Duggan goes right at him, hammer away, and backdrop the champ. Big clothesline knocks him over-the-top, but Sarge topples him during a slam for two. A miscommunication with Slaughter manager General Adnan allows Duggan to pick up where he left off, but a backdrop doesn't work out, and Slaughter whacks him with his own 2x4. Backscratches (guy must have been quietly, shrewdly training for Hogan), and he levels Duggan with a chair, but the referee isn't cool, and disqualifies him at 6:50. He continues the assault with his Military Crop - drawing Hogan in - but he takes a chair shot, too. Slaughter drew some appropriately powerful heel heat, and indeed this was around the period when he was receiving death threats, and had his manager (a kayfabe Iraqi General) stabbed. I can only imagine some non-fan flipping past this on NBC, seeing a guy dressed in military fatigues, and getting booed, then thinking, ‘stupid wrestling fans…’ ¼*

The Orient Express v The Legion of Doom: Sato and Animal start, and Sato goes right for the eyes – but Animal shrugs it off, and pitches him across the ring. Sato responds by literally running away - but it's a ploy, as he suckers him into an attack. Not that it does him any good, because Animal quickly no-sells it, and cleans house on the Express. Both guys tag, and Hawk continues to dominate with power – throwing bunches of shoulderblocks. A cheap shot from Sato still won't cause any selling (in fact, getting him beat down for even trying), so manager Mr. Fuji blinds Animal with a handful of salt. Hey, if he won't do business, Mr. Fuji will do business for him. The Express try to cut the ring in half, but even blind Animal starts no-selling. Tag to Hawk, and he's a house of arson. Doomsday Device finishes Sato at 5:11. Complete, total an unapologetic squash, but super energetic. ¼*

BUExperience: Certainly no Mega Powers break-up, or Twin Referee Screwjob level stuff here – pretty dull card, in fact, with even the Hogan/Slaughter stuff they were hoping to entice 100,000 people into showing up in LA for falling a bit flat. Undoubtedly the worst of The Main Event specials, as they really went out with a whimper.