WWF Saturday Night's Main Event V (March 1986)

Original Airdate: March 1, 1986

With WrestleMania 2 around the corner, this edition of Saturday Night’s Main Event was used to set up the main event, as well as promote the card.

From Phoenix, Arizona; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura.


Opening Boxing Match: Mr. T v Bob Orton: This is scheduled for ten three minute rounds, with T taking on nemesis Roddy Piper's pal Orton.
ROUND 1: Orton jumps T as he prays him his corner (the God of Mohawks was too busy making sure The Road Warriors were properly coiffed for their NWA debut), and they get to slugging!  Orton tries to work in some cheap shots, but T holds him off until Orton goes to the eyes. T goes ballistic, but Orton manages to clobber him when the referee tries to intervene, and that's round one.
ROUND 2: Orton dances around, but T lays into him, so Roddy Piper tries to get involved - only to deck Orton, which allows T to knock him to the outside for the victory at 4:00. Afterwards, Piper does the obligatory beat down to sell his own match with T at WrestleMania. DUD - but it served its purpose.

King Kong Bundy v Steve Gatorwolf: Gatorwolf tries to tie-up, but Bundy destroys him, and finishes with the Avalanche at 0:41 - insisting on a five-count from the referee. Afterwards, Bundy (who had been campaigning for a shot at Hulk Hogan) calls the champ out. DUD

WWF Title Match: Hulk Hogan v Don Muraco: Muraco clobbers him with a forearm out of a collar-and-elbow, and lays in a pair of backscratches. He unloads on Hogan in the corner, but Hulk manages a backdrop, and gets in on the back scratching fun. Cross corner clothesline, and an atomic drop puts Muraco on the outside, so Hogan drags him back in. Slugfest goes Hulk's way, and he hugs his challenger like a bear. Muraco breaks with a solid headbutt, and he drops a knee for two. He fires off a few shots at the ribs, and gives him a falling headbutt to the nuts. Russian legsweep, and a 2^nd rope fistdrop, but he's HULKING UP!! Fists of Fury! Cross Corner Backelbow! Big Boot! Legdrop! - but Bobby Heenan (subbing for Muraco manager Mr. Fuji - who's 'sick') runs in for the disqualification at 6:53. Afterwards, Hogan looks to kill Heenan, but King Kong Bundy reemerges, and gives Hulk a series of Avalanches and splashes, breaking his ribs (kayfabe), and setting up their main event for WrestleMania. Dull, formula match - but again, served its purpose, as they set up the WrestleMania main event well, with Hogan selling the attack nicely, and doing a stretcherjob for good measure. ¼*

WWF Tag Team Title Match: The Dream Team v The British Bulldogs: Greg Valentine starts with Davey Boy Smith, and the Bulldog throws him around. Atomic drop puts Valentine in the wrong corner, and the challengers pinball him around. Davey with a suplex for two, and he tags Dynamite Kid - but Valentine plants a fist in his gut ('fisting') and tags Brutus Beefcake. Kid fists him back ('pedophilia'), and Davey Boy gets Brutus with a backelbow. Back to Valentine, Davey press slams him for two, and Kid with a side suplex. Falling headbutt gets two, and a 2^nd rope kneedrop allows Davey to plant a dropkick on him for two. Missile dropkick on Beefcake for two, but Smith loses a slugfest, and the champs wishbone him. Valentine hooks the Figure Four to finish, but Kid breaks it up, and gets the tag. He hammers Valentine, but loses a slugfest, and Greg with a shoulderbreaker for two. The champs cut the ring in half, but Valentine can't hook the Figure Four, so he goes to the top rope. Kid slams him off, and hits a missile dropkick for two, and a clothesline for two. Snap suplex triggers a four-way brawl, and a double knockout leaves Valentine passed out on top of Kid for the fluke win at 12:00. Good, fast paced, back-and-forth tag match - filled with crisp execution, and not married to formula. Because of the 'controversial' nature of the victory, The Bulldogs were granted 'one final' shot against the Dream Team at WrestleMania, where they would go on to capture their first and only WWF Tag Titles. ** ¾

Music Video!: The premiere of Hulk Hogan's ‘Real American’ music video - an absolute 80s gem - featuring JFK, MLK, Hulk Hogan playing an American Flag Telecaster, Hulk Hogan riding a motorcycle, and, best of all, Hulk Hogan defiantly crumpling up an 8 x 10 of Muammar Gaddafi - possibly scorned that the African dictator didn't respond to Hogan's fan letter with an autographed copy.

Adrian Adonis v The Junkyard Dog: Adonis tries to give the JYD a festive scarf, but Dog decides to do some proper gay-bashing, and quickly posts him. Dude, never look a clotheshorse in the mouth. Dog with an earringer, and Adrian Flair Flips to the floor. Dog nearly gets the countout off of it, but then stupidly drags him back in - only to dump him again. Adonis rolls around on the floor with manager Jimmy Hart for a while, but manages to beat the count back in, and gets walloped. Jimmy Hart steps in, and ties JYD's bootlaces to the bottom rope to allow Adonis a few cheap shots. Since Dog apparently never learned the reverse bunny ears method, he can't figure his way out, and Adonis takes advantage of his stupidity. Piledriver bumps the referee, so Hart takes the opportunity to whack JYD with his megaphone - only to have Dog reverse Adonis into it, and get the pin at 8:45. These two had a bunch of matches around this period - and this was actually on higher end of the range. DUD

BUExperience: Bulldogs/Dream Team is a fine little tag match, and the rest features a lot of the most important angle developments for WrestleMania 2 – the Hogan injury particularly well played, with Gene Okerlund providing live updates from the local hospital throughout the evening. Add ‘Real American’ as the cherry on top, and it’s a definite winner.