WWF The Big Event (Version II)

Original Airdate: August 28, 1986

From Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Your Hosts are Gorilla Monsoon, Johnny Valiant, and Ernie Ladd

Opening Match: The Killer Bees v Hoss Funk and Jimmy Jack Funk: B. Brian Blair starts off with Hoss, and wins a criss cross with a hiptoss, followed by a bodyslam. That draws Jimmy Jack in, but Blair is ready with a slam for him too, and the Funks bail. Dust settles with Hoss catching Blair with a knee, but Brian manages to fight his way out of the heel corner, and clean house again. Tags to Jimmy Jack and Jim Brunzell, and Brunzell wins a criss cross with a bodyslam. Tag back to Hoss, but Brunzell throws a bodypress at him for two, then armdrags him over. Tag to Blair, and the Bees work Hoss' arm, but he gets bored of them, and lets Jimmy Jack take the abuse instead. This is a big ass crowd, but damn that is one ugly stadium, though. A little symmetry goes a long way. Skydome was a much better venue in every way. Some cheap heel tactics turn things around, and the Funks slam Brunzell on the floor to take control, so the Bees decide to don the masks, and switch off - Jimmy Jack succumbing to an inside cradle at 6:53. Really basic stuff (even for the time period), but an energetic opener overall. ¾* (Original rating: ¼*)

Don Muraco v Haku: Haku looks so plain young here. Big criss cross goes his way with a couple of hiptosses, and he bodyslams Don - Muraco bailing to the floor. Back in, Don tries to fool him with a handshake, but Haku dropkicks him to the floor again in response. Well, that's just not very sportsmanlike. Back in, Haku works a wristlock, but walks into a cheap shot from Mr. Fuji, and Muraco takes over with a kneelift. He dumps Haku to the floor for Fuji to abuse with the cane, as I start envisioning Fuji pulling one of his signature pranks on Haku, and Haku's likely lethal reaction. Can you imagine if those two ever joined forces? Holy shit! Muraco with a bodyslam on the way back in, and he locks on a nervehold. Meanwhile, at ringside, Mr. Fuji takes notes, hoping to pass them on to a future client one day. Hope that works out for him. Haku escapes and starts throwing dropkicks, but misses a charge in the corner, and Muraco wraps his leg around the post. Don with a falling headbutt to the groin, and he locks on a figure four, but Haku gets the ropes. Don keeps after the leg, but a trip to the top rope gets him slammed back down, and Haku starts throwing chops. Flying bodypress looks to finish, but the time limit expires as the referee counts the fall at 11:25 shown of 20:00. No idea why they'd book a long, crowd dulling time limit draw like this here (especially such a slow one), but maybe they wanted people to have time to hit the merchandise stands? There was some clipping here (mostly around restholds... so much for the Network being unclipped), but even with the bulk of the resting trimmed, this was painfully boring. DUD (Original rating: ¼*)

Ted Arcidi v Tony Garea: Arcidi displays his power by controlling through a trio of lockups, but Garea manages a headlock. Arcidi escapes, and they size each other up with some running shoulderblock stalemates. Back to the headlock by Tony, as the crowd suddenly turns their heads away from the action en masse. Must have been a fight. That or, well, this match sucks. It is weird to watch literally the entire crowd on the camera side with their backs to the action, though. Like, whatever's going on out there must have been crazy, and I kinda wish the camera guys would have focused on that instead. Pricks. Anyway, Arcidi with a bearhug at 2:41. Not that the crowd notices, though. DUD (Original rating: DUD)

Junkyard Dog v Adrian Adonis: Dog goes right after him with the chain, the referee doing an absolutely shitting job of stopping him. Like, he barely even makes a peep about it! I'd love to see this match today, with dueling PC crowds taking sides. #DOGLIVESMATTER. Dog keeps pounding him at will, but ends up shoving the referee for finally protesting (though the referee STILL doesn't DQ him), but that allows Jimmy Hart to spray Dog in the face with Adonis' perfume! Good! He was cheating outrageously, and clearly the official wasn't doing shit about it! Hart's just evening the odds! Adrian goes to work, but the action spills to the outside, and JYD wins via countout at 4:15. This referee sucks! DUD (Original rating: -½* )

Dick Slater v Mike Sharpe: Slater is sporting a Confederate Flag jacket here, which again, I'd love to see the reaction to today. Test-of-strength results in both guys taking cheap shots, and Dick gets the best of that one - Sharpe bailing. Back in, Sharpe begs off, but Slater hammers him in the corner, and hits something vaguely resembling a swinging neckbreaker. Russian legsweep follows, and a flying elbowsmash sets up a somersault cradle for the pin at 2:34 shown of 6:24. If that's what they left in, I shudder to think what they cut out! Another stinker, in a series of them here. DUD (Original rating: DUD)

Six-Man Tag Team Match: Lou Albano and The Machines v Bobby Heenan, King Kong Bundy, and Big John Studd: Super Machine starts off with Studd, and actually nearly bodyslams him. The shit? Shoulderblock showdown against Studd doesn't go so well, however, but Super throws a series of clotheslines to knock him to the floor, where Studd runs into Giant Machine. Back in, Super very nearly gets the bodyslam again, but Studd manages to tag out to Bundy. He squares off against Big Machine, and it's more power stalemate stuff, until a cheap shot turns the tide. The heels work him over, but Heenan screws it up (of course), and Albano gets the tag. Lou kills him, but Bobby rakes the eyes, and tags out to Studd. That brings Giant Machine in, however, and the referee disqualifies the Machine's at 7:49. The crowd liked the angle, but the match was dog shit. DUD (Original rating: DUD)

Snake Pit Match: Jake Roberts v Ricky Steamboat: 'Snake Pit' basically meaning 'No Holds Barred' in this case. I remember being so disappointed by that as a kid, after seeing 'Snake Pit match' on the VHS box at Blockbuster, and imagining what kind of insanity it would be. And then they're all like, 'well, countouts are waived!' Oh, well! Steamboat takes advantage of the no holds barred environment with a hardcore wristlock, then goes fucking crazy with a mat-based hammerlock. Don't get Ricky mad, guys! They spill to the outside, and Jake bodyslams him on the floor. Snapmare sets up a kneedrop out there, but Ricky gets a chair away from him, and lets him have it. Flying tomahawk chop on the way back in gets two, and he works an armbar. I'd love to have been Ricky meet Arthur Janov. 'Now, get mad Ricky... let it out...' 'Oh, I'm enraged. Didn't you see? I didn't even offer him a cold drink when he came in! That water... was room temperature...' Dragon tries a ten-punch, but Jake reverses a cross corner whip, and Steamboat bumps to the floor. Jake follows with a slingshot into the post, and Ricky's busted open. Shot into the rail follows, and inside, Roberts works the cut. Short-clothesline sets up the DDT, but Ricky railroads him into the corner to block. Jake keeps control with a kneelift and an inverted atomic drop, followed by a stomachbreaker, but an arrogant cover backfires when Ricky counters with a sunset cradle for the pin at 10:17. This was a hot feud, but a dull match - even by 1986 standards. Like, the big spots were strong, but it lacked intensity throughout - which is a little surprising given fucking JAKE is out there. ¾* (Original rating: **)

Hercules v Billy Jack Haynes: This is the same referee as from the Dog/Adonis match earlier. Too bad they didn't have him for their showdown at WrestleMania III! Criss cross goes Hercules' way with a shoulderblock, and he tries a bearhug, but Billy rings his ears to escape. Hercules with a series of three elbowdrops for two, but Billy reverses a cross corner whip, and they work a double-knockout spot. Haynes makes a comeback with a series of kicks, followed by a backbreaker. 2^nd rope pointed elbowdrop gets two, and he goes for the Full Nelson, but Hercules mulekicks him to block. He dumps him to the floor to go for the countout, but Billy beats it, so Hercules vertical suplexes him for two. Clothesline gets two, but a neckbreaker is countered with a backslide by Haynes at 6:08. ½* (Original rating: DUD)

The Dream Team v The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers: Dream Team attack during the weapons check, but the Brothers manage to take control, and clean house. Dust settles on Jacques Rougeau hitting Greg Valentine with a slingshot sunset flip for two, and a snapmare sets up a kneedrop. Tag to Raymond Rougeau with a mulekick and a kneelift for two, then back to Jacques with a jumping backelbow for two. Jacques grabs an abdominal stretch, but Valentine manages to hiptoss out, and tag to Brutus Beefcake with a bodyslam for two. Another shitty referee here, constantly out of position and slow counting. But then, he looks like Mr. Treeger from Friends, so we'll let it slide. Raymond manages to snapmare Brutus over for a seated senton splash for two, but gets pounded in the corner, and Valentine delivers a flying elbowsmash for two. Greg with a bodyslam for two, but Raymond manages a bodypress out of a criss cross for two. Tag to Jacques for a tandem dropkick into a somersault cradle for two. These guys are just BRINGING IT here! Cheap shot in the heel corner turns the tide, however, and Greg delivers an atomic drop as the Dream Team begin cutting the ring in half on Jacques. Raymond comes in for a four-way brawl, and the Brothers manage to reverse a battering ram, followed by an assisted swanton bomb on Beefcake for two. The Dream Team scramble to take it to the floor, allowing Valentine to ram Raymond back-first into the apron a couple of times to take the pep out of his step. Well, that'll do it. Inside, Beefcake press-backbreakers Raymond for two, and a kneedrop is worth two. Valentine tries a bearhug, but Raymond slugs free, so Greg fistdrops him for two. Back to the bearhug, and Beefcake adds a 2^nd rope axehandle for two. Earringer works, but Valentine misses a pair of elbowdrops, and Jacques gets the tag! He's a maison of fire with bodyslams and dropkicks, but gets doubled up on in the wrong corner, and pounded. He manages to dodge a tandem clothesline with a double-dropkick, but misses a 2^nd rope fistdrop on the Hammer! Valentine tries capitalizing with the Figure Four, but Raymond saves. That triggers another four-way brawl, and Greg tries for the Figure Four again, but this time Raymond catches him with a sunset flip to save Jacques, and gets the pin with it at 14:51 - despite not being the legal man. I never really cared for this one through multiple previous viewings (as a kid, or in the earlier review), but it's actually a helluva tag match, with good pacing and fun offense. *** (Original rating: **)

Harley Race v Pedro Morales: Morales controls a slugfest, but Harley sweeps him to the floor, and throws him into the timekeepers table. Race with a falling headbutt out there, and a ram into the post for good measure. The refereeing on this show is some bullshit, yo. Back in, Race tries a vertical suplex, but Morales reverses, and hooks an inside cradle for two. Sunset flip gets two, but Harley manages to sweep him in the corner, and gets the pin with two feet on the ropes for leverage at 3:23. Well, that was certainly brisk. ¼* (Original rating: ½*)

Main Event: WWF Title Match: Hulk Hogan v Paul Orndorff: Orndorff takes his head off with a lariat during the weapons check, and hey, the crowd pops pretty big for it! Bizzaro world! Bizzaro world! They pop pretty big for Hogan turning the tide too, though, so they get WrestleMania VI anyway. Hulk dumps him to the floor with a knee, but Orndorff pulls him right out with him, and they brawl around ringside. In, Hulk clotheslines him, and drops an elbow. Cross corner clothesline and an atomic drop hit, but Hulk makes the stupid mistake of going after a meddling Bobby Heenan on the outside, and Paul puts the boots to him. Big 'bullshit' chant for that, actually. Clothesline knocks Hulk to the floor, and Paul follows with a nice vertical suplex out there. Pointed elbowdrop off the apron gets two on the inside, and a bodyslam sets up another pointed elbowdrop for two. Flying fist to the throat, and the crowd is pretty solidly behind him as he calls for the Piledriver. He goes for it, but Hulk counters with a backdrop - though, again, they cheer Hogan strongly as well. They're reacting like it's a face/face match, though Orndorff is supposed to be a major heel. Hulk tries slowing him down with a side-headlock, but Orndorff side suplexes his way out for two when Hulk's in the ropes. Orndorff misunderstands and thinks he's won it, however, and the confusion allows the champ to blast him with a high knee. Hulk with a piledriver of his own, but Heenan comes in with a stool (like the thing that goes under your butt, not what comes out of it) to save him - the referee down, and did not see it. Orndorff hooks the leg, and the referee crawls over... only to disqualify Paul at 11:05 for knocking him over earlier. The crowds reaction to the announcement is interesting too, as they seem happy that Hogan is still the champion, but annoyed that he kept it in such a cheap fashion. Solid main event, if a bit slow at points. * ¼ (Original rating: *)

BUExperience: Despite the big stadium show feel, I never really cared for this show as a kid, and not much has changed as an adult. The Dream Team/Rougeau tag match was much better than I remember it being, but the bad still heavily outweighs the good here, with an endless parade of DUDs, and little in the way of actual blowoffs or serious angle development.

DUD