WWF at Madison Square Garden (January 23, 1984)

Original Airdate: January 23, 1984

From New York, New York; Your Hosts are Gorilla Monsoon and Pat Patterson

Opening Match: Tony Garea v Jose Luis Rivera: Handshake at the bell, and they trade waistlocks to a stalemate. Hammerlock exchange also goes to a stalemate, but a reversal sequences ends in Rivera holding a mat-based side-headlock. Garea escapes, so Rivera throws a bodypress for two as they criss cross, but gets armdragged into an armbar. Rivera tries a rollup for two, but Garea dodges a monkeyflip. Criss cross ends in Rivera throwing an ugly dropkick, but Tony manages to avoid it, and a snapmare gets him two. Rivera tries a 2^nd rope bodypress, but Tony rolls through for the pin at 6:46. Heated up towards the end, but the bulk of this was very slow. ¾*

The Invaders v Mr. Fuji and Tiger Chung Lee: Am I the only one who finds it odd that, even prior to becoming a manager, he's still known only as 'Mr. Fuji?' I kinda have a feeling they were calling him that in grade school, too. Invader #1 starts with Lee, and catches him with a sunset flip for two out of a criss cross. Tag to Invader #2, and the Invaders utilize quick tags as they work the arm. That was a very energetic little sequence there. Unfortunately for them, Lee basically ignores it all, however. Tag to Fuji, but he gets slugged down, and trapped in a wristlock. Criss cross goes #1's way with a bodypress for two, and he armdrags his way back to the wristlock. Tags the #2 and Lee, and the Invaders go back to the arm. #2 gets caught in the wrong part of town, however, and the heels cut the ring in half. He manages to slam Fuji off the top rope to allow the tag back to #1, and he backdrops Lee for two, but runs into a side suplex for two. The heels cut the ring in half on their new victim, but he manages to fight of the Fuj long enough to tag. #2 comes in hot, but a 2^nd rope bodypress on Tiger is countered with an inverted atomic drop. He manages to get back to #1, and a dropkick on Lee is worth two. The Invaders take turns splashing the knee, and #2 grabs a leglock. Eyerake breaks that and allows the tag to Fuji, but the Invaders quickly take over, and take turns splashing HIS leg. They take turns working an abdominal stretch on Lee next, until suddenly they pull Fuji in (with no provocation) to trigger a brawl. The Invaders control, but the time limit expires at 20:23 before they can finish. No wonder they dragged Fuji in randomly - they were running behind here. This overstayed its welcome with me, but these old school guys could competently work a tag formula in their sleep. * ¼

Chief Jay Strongbow v The Masked Superstar: Strongbow's lilac tights are an interesting choice. Darkwing Chief works a headlock to start, though 'to start' may be the wrong way to describe it, as the headlock goes on for literally half of the match. He switches over to a chinlock, but an attempt to go for the mask ends with Superstar bailing to the floor. It's Demolition Ax, for those wondering. Back in, Strongbow starts rain dancing, but wastes times going for the mask again, and Superstar elbows him down. More dancing leads to a sleeper from the Chief, but Superstar catches him with a clothesline to end it at 7:26. Dull stuff. ¼*

Sgt. Slaughter v Ivan Putski: Sarge hilariously tries to intimidate him by flexing at the bell, causing Putski to look like he'll literally pop as he responds in kind. Ivan with a bodyslam, and he grabs a standing side-headlock. Sarge escapes, so Putski blasts him with a shoulderblock - Slaughter overselling by nearly flying out of the ring. Back to the headlock, but Slaughter manages an atomic drop to escape, and adds a backbreaker for two. Powerslam into the turnbuckles and another backbreaker get two, but Ivan reverses a turnbuckle smash, as Sarge starts wildly overselling everything. He manages a clothesline, but Ivan bodypresses him for two to block a slam. Slaughter tries another clothesline, but Putski catches him with the Polish Hammer. Slugfest leaves Sarge bloody, but Ivan doesn't mind the count, and gets counted out at 11:29. Slaughter was bumping around like crazy here for Putski, and it was a fun match. *

Paul Orndorff v Salvatore Bellomo: This is Orndorff's MSG debut, as well as Roddy Piper's first MSG appearance since leaving the NWA the month before. Long stallfest to start, as Orndorff and Piper refuse to get started due to a knee brace Bellomo is sporting. The stalling goes on for literally five minutes before Paul finally takes off his robe, and goes right after Bellomo. Pointed elbowdrop and a bodyslam put Bellomo down for some stomping, and a backdrop is worth two. Another slam, but Bellomo manages a bodypress for two to counter, and Sal dodges a cross corner charge. Bellomo with a pair of mulekicks, and he grabs a wristlock. Paul tries backdropping out, but Bellomo manages a headscissors on the mat, then shifts back to the wristlock. Orndorff drops him with a side suplex to escape, then dumps him to the floor for Piper to lay the badmouth on. Paul follows out to bodyslam Bellomo on the exposed concrete, and back in, Mr. Wonderful delivers a vertical suplex for two. Paul's tights have his initials printed on the rear as 'OP,' which is maybe the only time I've ever seen that. Maybe the costume guy was dyslexic? Orndorff with a bodyslam, but a flying kneedrop misses, and Bellomo makes a comeback. He runs into a powerslam, however, and Paul finishes him off with the Piledriver (and a good one!) at 14:06. Pretty much a very extended squash, where a quickie would have probably been better suited. * ¼

Main Event: WWF Title Match: Hulk Hogan v Iron Sheik: Hogan goes ballistic on Sheik before the bell, and wastes no time hitting a cross corner backelbow. Hogan chokes Sheik down with his own entrance gear, and hits a clothesline to set up a kneedrop. Big boot gets one, but Hulk isn't humbled, and picks him right up for another clothesline. He adds an elbowdrop for two, but another cross corner charge misses, and Sheik stomps him. Backbreaker gets two, but a Boston crab is easily blocked by the Hulkster. Sheik keeps after him with a gutwrench suplex for two, and slaps on the Camel Clutch to finish. Hogan fades, but the power of Hulkamania allows him to power to his feet and fall into the corner to break, then hit the Legdrop to win his first WWF Title at 5:40. Not a great match, but certainly one of the most historically significant bouts in all wrestling history. *

Jimmy Snuka v Rene Goulet: Why on earth wouldn't the title match go on last? Goulet attacks at the bell, and backelbows the Superfly down. Bodyslam gets two, but Snuka manages to hiptoss him out of the corner, so Goulet throws an eyerake, and snapmares the Superfly over for a clawhold. Kneelift, but Snuka dodges a clothesline, and headbutts Goulet down. Rene tries a side-headlock, but Snuka wins a criss cross with a big knife-edge chop, and a flying bodypress finishes at 3:54. Nothing to this one. ¼*

Six-Man Tag Team Match: Andre the Giant and The Soul Patrol v The Wild Samoans: Tony Atlas starts with Samula, and avoids getting suckered into the heel corner, and grabs a standing side-headlock. Tony with a bodypress for two, and he controls a waistlock exchange ahead of a tag to Rocky Johnson. He overpowers Samula for a bit, but Tony gets caught in a full-nelson. Atlas powers out, and whips Samula into Andre before tagging. Samula manages to take the big man down, and he passes out to Sika. The heels attempt to cut the ring in half on Andre, but you can guess how that goes. Seated-senton finishes at 5:29. DUD

BUExperience: Hulk Hogan’s first title win (which kicked off the Golden Era of professional wrestling that would last for the rest of the 1980s) alone makes this whole show historically significant enough to check out, but the rest is largely forgettable

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