WWF Saturday Night's Main Event XXIV (November 1989)

Original Airdate: November 25, 1989 – airing two days after the ’89 Survivor Series, though taped about a month prior.

From Topeka, Kansas; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura.


Opening WWF Intercontinental Title Match: The Ultimate Warrior v Andre the Giant: Warrior can't think of how to go at Andre - flipping out and shaking the ropes in frustration - so Andre takes the initiative, and chokes him out. Warrior responds in kind, but trying to choke Andre is a fool’s errand. He hooks a bow-and-arrow, but Warrior powers out, and manages to clothesline the Giant to the outside. It takes Andre a while to make it back in, but when he does Warrior grabs a bearhug. Man, he's really going for the whole 'taste of his own medicine' bit here. Again, though, wrapping your arms around Andre the Giant is easier said than done (frankly, I don't even like saying it), and Andre easily reverses into a bearhug of his own. Warrior slugs out, and chops away, tying Andre up in the ropes. He tries a bodypress while he's caught up, but Andre kicks him out of the air. Bobby Heenan tries to get involved to jump Warrior while Andre’s still tied up, and that's a disqualification at 7:46. Andre put Warrior over a bunch of times during this period on the house show circuit, though usually they were quick, minute-long squashes - mostly because Andre couldn't stand working with the guy. Andre was in the last few months of his career here - his health badly deteriorating - and this match was a good exemplification of his work towards the end, mostly plodding around. His dedication to the business is certainly noble, but he shouldn’t have been in a ring by this point. ¼*

WWF Title Match: Hulk Hogan v The Genius: Genius is Randy Savage's brother, Lanny, though that wasn't officially acknowledged. He offers Hogan a handshake to start, but the Hulkster sees through him and refuses, so Genius goes into the corner to sulk with a yoga session. When they finally tie-up, Hogan shoves him so hard he flies to the floor. Again, and Hogan throws him across the ring - but Genius kips-up. Hogan is less than impressed, however, and goes for the big boot - but Genius dodges, and bails to the floor. Hogan gets frustrated, but tries to keep his cool as the Genius slaps him across the face. Um, probably not the smartest move there, guy named 'The Genius.' Genius puts on a display of cartwheels to faze Hogan, but the Hulkster finally loses it - charging out of the corner with a clothesline. Atomic drop and a side suplex hit, followed by a series of elbowdrops. Ten-punch count, as Mr. Perfect wanders out. He messes with the title belt - sticking his gum on the main plate - and the distraction allows Genius to dropkick Hogan. He posts him for good measure, and hits a 2^nd rope moonsault, but Hogan's HULKING UP!! Fists of Fury! Big boot! Eyerake! Backscratches! Bodyslam, over-the-top to the floor! That gets Perfect involved again, clocking Hogan with his own title belt (and then stealing it), giving Genius gets a countout win at 7:34. Poffo played a very effeminate character with 'Genius,' literally prancing around, and relaxing his wrists - which they played off of well, with Hogan mocking him at every turn, though also not quite knowing how to handle him. Later in the show Perfect would memorably smash the title belt to bits with a hammer, in protest of Hogan refusing to give him a title shot.  *

The Big Bossman v Dusty Rhodes: These two had been feuding since the summer, as Bossman attacked Rhodes with his nightstick. Dusty comes in hot, but quickly gets distracted by Bossman manager Slick, and knocked to the floor for some abuse. Bossman posts him, and tries to hammer the shoulder back in the ring (with some of the loosest shots I've ever seen - though at least he's trying for psychology), and hooks an armbar. Rhodes fights out, and hits an elbowsmash, but misses an elbowdrop. Bossman capitalizes by going for the nightstick, but a Dusty Rhodes super fan in the front row distracts Bossman, allowing Rhodes to schoolboy him at 4:47 - which is kind of awkward, as it blows off their feud (which makes sense for those seeing this after Survivor Series), but not so much for the live crowd. The super fan would continue to follow Dusty around, until he let her become his manager - Sapphire. Match made a respectable attempt at psychology, but was looser than... a really loose whore. DUD

Mr. Perfect v The Red Rooster: Rooster tries to tie-up, but Perfect sends him a stiff slap across the face to make him think twice. He tries again, so Perfect amps it up to a few punches. Again, so Perfect takes him to the mat, and drops him with a side suplex. Hennig-necksnap, but Rooster counters a backdrop with a sunset flip for two. That only serves to piss Perfect off more, and he smacks him around. Slugfest goes Perfect's way, but a blind charge doesn't, and Rooster bulldogs him. Backdrop gets two, but he gets caught in the Perfect-plex, and it's over at 4:13. Could have been really, really fun with about another five-minutes, but even as-is, a good back-and-forth match. *

2/3 Falls Match: The Brain Busters v The Rockers: Tully Blanchard and Marty Jannetty start, but both get arrested on drug charges before they can tie-up. Happily, they make bail to finish the bout, however, and Marty takes him down with an armbar. Marty gets overpowered into the wrong part of town, but fights off Arn Anderson, and hits a sunset flip for the first fall at 1:30. Manager Bobby Heenan chews the Busters out over it, and the distraction allows the Rockers to clean house, as Heenan abandons the team. Inside, Arn takes on Shawn Michaels, and dodges a moonsault, but not a rana. Four-way brawl breaks out - with The Rockers cleaning house again - and Shawn tries a headscissors takedown on Tully, but gets stungunned and pinned at 5:00. Tully goes right after him to try and get another fall while he's still hurt, but Michaels fights. Anderson tries a spinebuster, and a slingshot sends him into Tully's fist. The Busters cut the ring in half, but a double knockout allows Shawn to tag. Marty's a house of arson, and a flying bodypress from Michaels finishes at 7:32. Blanchard was already out of the WWF by the time this aired, with Anderson following suit shortly after - and along with the 'Heenan firing them' angle, it was no secret their push was dead. Fun, fast paced tag match, anyway - though that ceaseless 80s 2/3 Falls standby was really unnecessary, and hurt the flow at points. *

BUExperience: Solid action up-and-down, along with the memorable introduction of Sapphire, and the Perfect belt-smashing bit make this one a good edition.