WWF Saturday Night's Main Event XXIV (Version II)

Original Airdate: November 25, 1989

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

Flashback to August, when Bobby Heenan confronted Ultimate Warrior in the aisle after a match, allowing Andre the Giant to attack the Warrior

WWF Intercontinental Title Match: Ultimate Warrior v Andre the Giant: Poor Andre looks more miserable than he does menacing in the pre-match interview, clearly suffering a great deal at this stage in his life. He attacks Warrior at the bell, and goes to town with the chokehold. Warrior responds in kind, but misses a charge, and goes flying out over the top. Back in, Andre holds a standing bow-and-arrow, but Warrior powers out, and knocks the Giant out of the ring with a pair of clotheslines. Andre nearly gets counted out, so an impatient Warrior tries getting him back in, and gets clobbered for his efforts. Should have just let it be, dumbass. And, speaking of stupid, Warrior actually has the gall to try and bearhug the Giant on the way back in. Really? REALLY?! Andre headbutts free and reverses, but Warrior won't quit fighting, and unloads with a series of chops, followed by a clothesline that leaves the Giant tied up in the ropes. As the referee works to free him, Bobby Heenan capitalizes by trying to jump Warrior with the title belt, but ends up getting press-slammed into a recovering Andre - the referee disqualifying the challenger at 7:46. Yeah, I think I liked these better when they ran ten seconds. I'm sure all those fans who demanded refunds following their quickie house show matches would have gladly shut the fuck up had they known what the full length version looked like. It wasn't boring though, give them that. ¼* (Original rating: ¼*)

Backstage, the Genius offers a poem for Hulk Hogan, while the Hulkster suggests that maths are on his side in this battle

WWF Title Match: Hulk Hogan v The Genius: They play for comedy in the early going, with Genius' effeminate behavior drawing heat from the crowd. Ha, Genius has 'HI-IQ' on his boots. Never noticed that before. Hulk throws him around with ease, but Genius manages to dodge the big boot, and bails to the floor to write out a mathematical equation for how to beat the champion. Can't he just use an app for that? Apparently the results of his equation point to him slapping Hogan as the method of choice, and the look on Hogan's face as he watches Genius dance and prance around is absolutely hilarious. He murders him with clotheslines, and an atomic drop sets up a side suplex. Pair of elbowdrops and a bootrake draw Mr. Perfect out to ringside, and as Hulk unloads a ten-punch count, Perfect sticks a gob of chewing gum onto the WWF Title belt. Hogan takes exception and goes after him, but that allows Genius to dropkick the champion into the post, and he hits a flying moonsault on the way back in - triggering a Hulk Up! Fists of Fury! Big Boot! Genius tries to comeback with backrakes, but Hogan responds in kind, and throws Genius clear out of the ring with a bodyslam! Perfect tries to help his pal up, but Hogan shoves him away, so Perfect decides to crack Hulk with the title belt - the champ getting counted out at 7:34, as Perfect leaves with the gold! Mostly a comedy match with an angle tacked on than anything else. * (Original rating: *)

Flashback to July, when Dusty Rhodes tried to prevent Big Boss Man from beating a black jobber with his nightstick. How timely!

Big Boss Man v Dusty Rhodes: Dusty tries to have Slick bounced from ringside, but he's got his manager's license on him and everything, so that doesn't fly for Rhodes. Boss Man attacks and knocks Dusty to the outside for a beating, as the still unidentified Sapphire protests from the first row. Inside, Boss Man works the arm, but misses an avalanche, and Dusty makes a comeback. Elbowdrop misses, however, and Boss Man hits a straddling ropechoke. He calls for his nightstick, but ends up getting distracted by Sapphire in the process, and Rhodes schoolboys him at 4:47. Shit match. DUD (Original rating: DUD)

Backstage, Red Rooster is feeling cocky, while Mr. Perfect just feels like being a dick

Mr. Perfect v Red Rooster: Perfect walks into a kneelift early, and Rooster counters a drop-toehold into a hammerlock. Backslide, but Perfect gets into the ropes to block, and side suplexes him. Snapmare sets up a somersault necksnap, but a backdrop is countered with a sunset flip for two, so Perfect punishes him an earringer. Rooster keeps fighting with a bulldog and a pair of facebusters, then delivers a backdrop for two. Hiptoss, but Perfect counters with a short-clothesline, and the PerfectPlex finishes at 4:13. This was fine, but honestly, their truncated SummerSlam match was stronger. * (Original rating: *)

Backstage, the Rockers are ready to rock, while the Brain Busters are ready to bust brains. Wow, good thing those team names weren't reversed then, boy!

2/3 Falls Match: The Brain Busters v The Rockers: The Busters are teasing a falling out with manager Bobby Heenan here, which was the original plan to write them out of the promotion, before Tully Blanchard failed a drug test and got booted early. This is actually their last aired television appearance for the WWF, though this was taped prior to Survivor Series (which aired first, sans Blanchard). Tully starts with Marty Jannetty, and a quick reversal sequence ends in Marty bodyslamming him, then hitting a dropkick. Armdrag puts Blanchard in an armbar, but he gets uppity, so Marty throws a jumping backelbow at him for two. Cheap shot from Arn Anderson looks to turn the tide, but Marty easily fights them off, and hits Tully with a slingshot sunset flip for the first fall at a brisk 1:50. Man, if you needed any more proof that the Brain Busters were done in the WWF even before the drug charge controversy, look no further. Heenan chews his guys out over the lost fall, allowing the Rockers to sneak up with stereo rollups for two. Those are almost as good as Fruit Rollups! Almost. Dust settles on Arn and Shawn Michaels, as Heenan walks out on his team. Shawn with a hiptoss on Anderson and a rana on an incoming Blanchard - Marty rushing in to help Shawn tandem-dropkick both Busters out of the ring. Back in, the Rockers continue double-teaming, but a headscissors takedown by Michaels is countered by Blanchard with a stungun to even the score at 3:59. Wow, we're flying right through this, aren't we? Meanwhile, backstage, Bobby Heenan officially dumps the Busters as his team. You know, a guy who calls himself 'the Brain' should really have waited, they might still win this thing. But then, I guess that's why they don't call him 'the Patience.' Back in the ring, the Busters cut the ring in half on the battered Michaels, but Shawn catches Tully with a flying bodypress for two, and he evades Arn long enough to tag. Jannetty is a house of fire, and Roseanne Barr the door, we've got a kettle on! Blanchard goes up for a spike piledriver with Arn, but Shawn knocks him off, and hits Anderson with a flying bodypress to win the last fall at 7:32. This was fine, but too rushed to really be anything (three falls in under eight minutes, really?), though this was more about doing the breakup angle than about being a great match, anyway. ** (Original rating: *)

Backstage, Mr. Perfect takes a hammer to Hulk Hogan's WWF Title belt, as the Genius prances around. Interestingly, I know the guy who ended up owning (and still owns) that particular smashed up belt - it did not become the Hardcore Title, despite some persistent rumors

Hulk Hogan shows up to find his destroyed title belt and, well, he's not happy about it

BUExperience: There were a couple fun bits (like Mr. Perfect smashing up the title belt, and the Genius’ antics), but overall, this is a pretty flat episode – mostly due to being taped nearly a full month before Survivor Series, yet airing two days after the pay per view