WWF SummerSlam 1990 (Version II)

Original Airdate: August 27, 1990

From Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon and Roddy Piper

Opening Match: The Rockers v Power & Glory: Power & Glory attack them on the floor, and Hercules takes Shawn Michaels out with his chain out there - leaving Michaels (who had a legitimate knee injury going into the show) down on the outside as the match starts. They try doubling up on Marty Jannetty in the ring, but he sticks and moves, and holds off both heels. Inside cradle on Paul Roma gets two when Hercules breaks the count, and the referee has yet to gain control of this match. The dust finally settles when Marty backdrops Hercules over the top, but he gets clobbered by Roma, as Hercules takes a recovering Michaels out on the floor again. Marty keeps fighting, but gets overwhelmed, and they cut the ring in half on him, as Shawn ramps up the drama on the outside like a champ. Roma with a two-alarm no-release backbreaker for two, but Marty manages to powerslam him, and he hits an incoming Hercules with a superkick. Flying fistdrop gets two on Roma, but a cheap shot from Hercules flattens him again, and there's no one to back him up as the heels hit a tandem-flapjack, then finish with the Powerplex at 5:54. Funny, this always felt a lot longer as a kid. Fun match, as Jannetty's selling carried things nicely, and made the new heel team look like total killers. ** ¼ (Original rating: *)

WWF Intercontinental Title Match: Mr. Perfect v Kerry Von Erich: This was supposed to be Brutus Beefcake challenging for (and likely winning) the title here, but a real life parasailing accident nearly ended his career. For those keeping score, that's twice in three years that Beefcake was scheduled to challenge for the Intercontinental title at SummerSlam, but ended up being replaced by a guy with tassels on his boots. Perfect wastes no time going into oversell mode to put over Von Erich's strength, but he manages a couple of takedowns, and hits a chop in the corner. Cross corner whip is reversed, however, and Kerry follows with a bodyslam before sending the champion to the outside with a clothesline. Back in, Kerry works a wristlock, but Perfect isn't above decking him to escape, and a snapmare sets up a somersault necksnap. Cross corner whip sets up a sleeper, but Von Erich won't go down, so Perfect unloads on him in the corner instead. He gets cocky and hit with a slingshot, however, and Von Erich immediately capitalizes with the Discus Punch (sold with a nice spiral by Perfect) for the title at 5:15. Perfect's selling was fun, as usual, but the match barely got off the ground and felt disjointed. * (Original rating: ¼*)

Sensational Sherri v Sapphire: Sherri must not have been very happy with her position in the WWF at the time, as she looks like she came straight from a callback for Cats here. I guess there was traffic coming in from New York. And it looks like Sapphire got caught in it too, as she no shows, and Sherri is awarded the bout via forfeit. Hey, anything that keeps Sapphire out of the ring is A-okay with me

Tito Santana v Warlord: Tito tries a standing side-headlock to start, but Warlord casually tosses him off. Tito dodges him in the corner and tries sticking and moving, using a pair of dropkick to put Warlord down, and a third to send him to the outside. Back in, Santana tries a wristlock, but Warlord bodyslams him to escape, only to miss an elbowdrop. Tito tries some mounted punches, but gets pressed out of the ring when he tries for the pin, and Warlord follows him out for a ram into the post. Back in, Warlord hammers the back in plodding fashion, but a charge in the corner misses, and Tito levels him with a lariat for two. He mounts his comeback, but the diving forearm only gets two. Monkeyflip is blocked, however, and Warlord polishes him off with a running powerslam at 5:28. Basically just an extended squash. ½* (Original rating: DUD)

WWF Tag Team Title 2/3 Falls Match: Demolition v The Hart Foundation: Smash starts with Bret Hart, and a tug-of-war breaks out, with Crush trying to come in with a cheap shot, but getting cut off by Jim Neidhart. Bret capitalizes with a rollup for two, and he armdrags Smash over for a quick armbar before passing out to the Anvil. Neidhart works his one armbar, then back to Hart for a 2^nd rope axehandle. He takes Smash down for an overhead wristlock, but the champion escapes with a bodyslam, and tags. Crush gives Bret a bodyslam as well, but misses a kneedrop. Bret fires back with a bodypress, but gets caught in yet another bodyslam, so he hooks a schoolboy for two, and both men tag. Neidhart controls Smash with shoulderblocks in a power display, but a cheap shot from Crush turns the tide - only for Jim to level him with a lariat as he tries following up. Back to Bret for a clothesline on Smash, and a dropkick on Crush, as he fights off both tag champions - the referee losing control of the match. Russian legsweep on Smash gets two, and a backbreaker sets up a 2^nd rope pointed elbowdrop for two - Crush saving after taking Neidhart out on the floor. And with Jim still down, Demolition are able to gang up on the Hitman with the Decapitation at 6:09. That was quite the first fall - all action. Things pick right back up with the Demos cutting the ring in half on Hart, but Bret manages to hit Smash with a hangman's clothesline during a criss cross for the hot tag to the Anvil! Neidhart blasts Smash for an axehandle for two, and a powerslam is worth two. Back to Bret for a tandem move, and the Hart Attack has Smash finished - only for Crush to break up the fall to make it a DQ instead at 10:06. Not really sure what the point of that was, since it didn't exactly save face or make Smash look like he was any less beaten. The champs clobber Bret and dump him to the outside between falls, but he comes back at Smash with a slingshot sunset flip for two. Inverted atomic drop, allows the tag to Neidhart, and he slams Bret onto Smash for two. Um, not the legal man, guys. Not that it seems to matter, as Bret just keeps on wrestling like he is anyway. Demolition decide to take advantage of the referee's ineptitude, as Smash rolls to the outside, and makes a switch with Ax underneath the ring. The fresh Ax comes in hot and unloads on the Hitman, and a bodyslam gets two. Yeah, the official is totally clueless, looking Ax right in the face, and not realizing the switch. Ax with a Russian legsweep for two, and a cross corner whip gets two. Crush with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for two, as Neidhart has enough, and just comes in without a tag. That allows the champs to pummel Bret on the outside and Smash switches back in to hit the Hitman with a stungun, as Crush takes out Neidhart. That draws the Legion of Doom down to clobber the heels, and the Foundation capitalize with Neidhart hitting Crush with a slingshot shoulderblock for Bret to pin at 14:24! It's kind of interesting that this is considered the lesser version of the team, but this match is far superior to the Harts/Demos match from the first SummerSlam. The last fall featured tons of overbooking, but after months of Demolition getting heat on babyfaces with their trio routine, it was a nice payoff to an exciting match. *** ½ (Original rating: * ¾)

Jake Roberts v Bad News Brown: Big Boss Man acts as the special guest referee for this one. Brown attacks before the bell, but misses a charge in the corner, and barely avoids eating the DDT. Back in, Brown manages a hiptoss, but he gets into it with Boss Man, and just narrowly avoids another DDT attempt. It spills to the outside for a brawl, and you can guess who gets the better of that. 'Way to protect the business, JAKE!' Back in, Brown cross corner whips him a few times, but a 2^nd rope fistdrop misses, and Jake is able to come back with a kneelift. Series of jabs and a short-clothesline follow, but Brown backdrops out of a DDT attempt, and knocks Jake to the outside with a series of boots. He follows for a chairshot, and Boss Man has enough - disqualifying Brown at 4:44. Even at under five minutes, this felt endless. ¼* (Original rating: DUD)

The Orient Express v Jim Duggan and Nikolai Volkoff: Duggan now has blonde highlights in his hair. For those keeping track. He and Volkoff clean house to start, and things settle on Tanaka and Nikolai. Volkoff controls, so Sato takes a cheap shot, and the Express immediately start cutting the ring in half. That may literally be the fastest I've ever seen a heat segment established. It lasts about as long, too, as Volkoff dodges a splash from Tanaka, and gets the tag. Duggan bounces both heels around with ease, and Roseanne Barr the door, we've got a kettle on! 3-Point Stance finishes Tanaka at 3:22. Yeah. ¼* (Original rating: DUD)

Randy Savage v Dusty Rhodes: But just as they're about to start, Ted DiBiase shows up on the little stage near the entrance area, and announces that the reason Sapphire missed her earlier bout wasn't traffic on the way back from a Cats audition, but because he has bought her 'lock, stock, and barrel.' For those keeping track, that's now two black people Ted DiBiase owns. Naturally, this upsets Rhodes, and he tries to go after Ted, but Savage attacks him in the aisle before he can. Hilarious bit, as some kid slaps Macho on the back as he's pummeling Dusty, and Randy spins around to shout at him, causing the kid to fly back in sheer terror. Macho knew how to heel. Into the ring with a flying axehandle, and Sherri gets her licks on from the floor. Savage with a series of jabs in the corner, but Rhodes turns the tables with an overhead elbowsmash, and he unloads. More elbows and a dropkick put Savage on the outside, but a distraction from Sherri allows him to blast Dusty with her loaded purse for the pin at a brisk 2:15. Total junk. DUD (Original rating: DUD)

Main Event: Hulk Hogan v Earthquake: Hogan has the Big Boss Man in his corner, while Earthquake has Dino Bravo. It's a sad day when, even in a small way, Dino Bravo has a claim to the main event of a SummerSlam. Feeling out process to start, and Hulk stupidly tries a bodyslam early, but gets clobbered when he can't do it. Hulk's like that stupid kid everyone knew in school who thought he could lift anything, and would spend all of recess trying to press the jungle gym over his head. They spill to the outside for a brawl with the seconds, and the faces take then both out with tandem-bit boots. Despite the blatant double-teaming, the referee doesn't do jack shit. Bravo helps Earthquake turn the tide, and the big guy hits an elbowdrop for two. Earthquake with a flying forearm smash (a shitty one, but still) to setup a Boston crab, and Hogan fails to power out - having to hold the ropes to escape! He bails to the floor for a breather, but Bravo is there with a bodyslam, and Earthquake hits one of his own on the way back in. Elbowdrop misses, so Hogan tries the bodyslam again, but gets toppled for two. Earthquake grabs him with a bearhug, which Hulk hilariously sells by ripping the referee's shirt off. Well, whatever gets you through the night, Terry. He slugs out of the hold and tries a bodypress, but Earthquake catches him in a scoop powerslam for two. Earthquake Splash leaves Hogan a pile of jelly, but a second triggers the HULK UP!! Fists of Fury! Big Boot! Bodyslam! Legdrop! But in comes Jimmy Hart and the action spills to the floor. Hulk dodges a megaphone shot out there and bodyslams Earthquake onto a table, leaving him out there for the countout win (complete with Rocky-like celebration) at 13:16 - thus setting up months of house show rematches. ½* (Original rating: *)

Main Event: WWF Title Cage Match: Ultimate Warrior v Rick Rude: Rude stands on top of the cage to hold the high ground as Warrior enters, but Warrior knocks him off during a slugfest, and hits a flying axehandle right away. He launches Rude into the cage a few times to draw blood, but a bodypress misses, and Warrior crashes into the steel. Rude uses the opportunity to climb, but Warrior is able to block an escape, so Rude hits a flying forearm smash instead. We're three minutes in, and both guys are selling and moving like they've been out there for thirty minutes. Rude sends him into the cage as well, then grinds his face against the bars, as Vince notes that they never claimed this match 'would be pretty.' Yeah, there's an understatement. Rude Awakening looks to finish, but Warrior blocks it, and blasts him with a short-clothesline. Splash, but Rick lifts the knees to block, and hits the Awakening. Flying axehandle off the top of the cage isn't enough to keep Warrior docile though, so Rick climbs again, but a second is met with a gutpunch. Warrior crawls for the door, but Bobby Heenan is there to slam it in his face, and Rude hooks the leg for two. He goes for the door himself, but Warrior drags him back, and clobbers Bobby at the same time. Rude makes a last ditch effort with a lariat, but Warrior starts BLOWING UP!! Series of Clotheslines! Press-Slam! And Warrior climbs out to retain at 10:06. Despite being really short, they seemed to be moving at half speed throughout, almost like this was a clipped version of a much longer match. Easily the worst Warrior/Rude match I've seen. * ½ (Original rating: *)

BUExperience: This is one of those shows I loved watching as a kid, but which does not at all hold up today. In ring, the Tag Title match is the only thing worth checking out, though a lot of these old school shows made up for what they were lacking in workrate in other ways – WrestleMania VI being a great example. This one does not do that, with super short TV matches throughout, bad finishes, and very little settled for a major pay per view

DUD