WWF Ultimate Challenge Special (March 25, 1990)

Original Airdate: March 25, 1990

Your Hosts are Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan from the top of CN Tower in Toronto Ontario Canada

Ted DiBiase v Red Rooster: All of the matches tonight were taped on March 7 1990 in San Francisco California, with Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura on commentary. Vince was still pretty funny and witty at times back in the day, telling Jesse to ‘stand back’ when the Body tries singing along with DiBiase’s theme. Rooster with a backdrop for two right away, and he takes Ted to the mat in a side-headlock. Ted counters into a cradle for two, but Rooster sinks his beak into the hold. Ted finally forces a criss cross, but Rooster is ready with a shoulderblock, and a backslide gets him two. Back to the headlock, but Ted fights him off, and tosses him to the outside to try to buy time - only for Rooster to hop right back in and take him back to the headlock. DiBiase fights out, and a vertical suplex allows him an elbowdrop for two. Now in control, Ted works a chinlock, but Rooster fights to a vertical base, and escapes with a side suplex. Bodyslam, but DiBiase topples him for two, and Ted throws a clothesline as both guys get back to their feet. Ted with a fistdrop for two, and he goes back to the chinlock. Rooster fights to his feet, so Ted throws a knee, but Rooster is ready with a schoolboy for two. Jawbreaker and a swinging neckbreaker follow, and Ted is begging off, but Rooster stays on the comeback trail. Chincrusher leaves DiBiase on spaghetti legs, and an atomic drop finds the mark. Jumping forearm connects, but a second try gets caught in a hotshot! That allows DiBiase to get the Million Dollar Dream on, and Rooster is done at 8:00. This was a really solid little wrestling match, with both guys game to work hard, and tell a story. ** ½ 

Gene Okerlund is in the studio with an update on the WrestleMania VI main event, recapping all the various happenings between WWF Champion Hulk Hogan and Intercontinental Champion Ultimate Warrior thus far, followed by both guys cutting pre-taped promos

Big Boss Man v Boris Zhukov: Boris attacks before the bell, unloading on Boss Man for a bit, but getting reversed into the ropes, and eating a backelbow. Boris ends up on the outside to stall Boss Man out, but Boss Man keeps hammering when Boris finally gets back in. Cross corner whip and a bodyslam allow Boss Man to unload some mounted punches, and Boris bails again. He decides to walk out on the match altogether, but Boss Man drags him back in, as Vince hopes someone will invite him to their WrestleMania party so he can watch it on pay per view. Boy, I sure hope someone did, it was a big show. Boss Man misses a corner charge, hurting his shoulder, and allowing Boris to take control. Boris works the part, until Boss Man just gets kind of sick of selling, and makes a comeback. Spinebuster finishes Boris off at 5:45. This wasn’t very good. ½*

Rhythm & Blues v Jerry Monti and Jim Gorman: The heels split screen in to complain that Robert Goulet is singing the Canadian national anthem at WrestleMania, which seems like a very specific complaint. A tandem side suplex finishes at 1:44. “I don’t think Robert Goulet has anything to worry about,” notes Vince. Way to put your heels over, McMahon. Afterwards, the Bushwhackers come out for their match, but R&B refuse to vacate the ring, and end up giving Luke and Butch a beating. DUD

WrestleMania VI ad

Randy Savage v Dusty Rhodes: Rhodes takes a cheap shot at Macho, and then complains when Randy takes one back at him. Rhodes with a cross corner whip, and he unloads in the corner. Sensational Sherri hops onto the apron to protest, so Dusty chucks Randy at her, and Macho goes over the top. Dusty follows, but gets distracted by Sherri, and Savage clobbers him. Savage with a flying axehandle for two on the way back in, and he slaps a chinlock on, but Rhodes fights free. Savage puts him back down with a knee, and Rhodes ends up on the outside, where Sherri attacks. Savage follows, but gets reversed into the apron, as Jesse goes on a rant about how the Mixed Tag rules for WrestleMania are sexist. No wonder he came back in ‘99. Another attack from Sherri allows Savage to keep control anyway, so Rhodes shoves her to the ground, and Macho saves. Randy with a kneedrop for two on the way back in, so Rhodes bails again, but Macho dives after him with a flying axehandle on the floor. Inside, that gets Savage another two, so Randy grabs Sherri’s loaded bag, and hits Rhodes with another dive for two. Macho with a series of jabs, but Dusty gets fired up, and makes a comeback. Savage goes to the eyes, but another flying axehandle gets blocked, so Sherri tries to help. Sapphire cuts her off this time, so Savage goes after her, but Rhodes saves. Inside, Rhodes hits Randy with a backblow, so Sherri runs in to cause the DQ at 7:49. This wasn’t great, but Savage was so great that he could make a watchable match out of almost nothing. Sherri’s contributions are not to be undervalued too, she really added so much to Savage’s act. That was easily her best pairing, as she was never quite as good with her other charges. She had the same vibe with Ric Flair in 1994, though it was pretty short-lived. * ¾ 

The Brother Love Show with Earthquake and Jimmy Hart, with Earthquake hyping up his match with Hercules for WrestleMania, and predicting that no matter who wins in the main event, Earthquake is coming for the champion

WrestleMania VI ad

WWF Champion Hulk Hogan and Intercontinental Champion Ultimate Warrior are in President Jack Tunney’s office for the official contract signing. I’ve only ever seen clips of this segment before, and it’s a pretty strong little segment actually. And, unlike literally every other contract signing in wrestling history, this one doesn’t end with a brawl

Gene is in the studio with the WrestleMania VI Report! I know the box office for this show was considered something of a disappointment, and that the lion’s share of the blame fell on Hogan/Warrior being a babyface/babyface match, but I don’t buy that. That match was huge, and seeing the two biggest babyfaces collide for all the marbles was a big, big deal. Honestly, the rest of the card was pretty uninteresting, with not much in the way of major or exciting programs outside of the main. There were a couple of big angles like Ted DiBiase/Jake Roberts, the Mixed Tag, or the Tag Title match, but none of those were especially big, and the card felt pretty cold. Which was somewhat uncharacteristic, as their pay per views were always really well developed during that era

Earthquake v Ron Garvin: Garvin looks like a real short stuff next to Earthquake here. And he’s not especially small at 5’10”. Lots of posturing in the early going, with Earthquake dominating him. Earthquake misses an elbowdrop to allow Ron a cover for two, and he adds a flying axehandle on the big man. Sharpshooter, but Earthquake blocks. He tries a charge, but Garvin sidesteps, and puts him down again. Garvin with a flying bodypress, but he gets caught in a scoop powerslam, and the Earthquake Splash finishes at 4:59. Earthquake should have picked up a much quicker, more decisive victory here, given where he was going after ‘Mania. Not good, but energetic enough. This would have been a better fit for Earthquake at ‘Mania than the boring Hercules match. ½*

The Colossal Connection v The Rockers: The Connection's WWF Tag Team title is not on the line tonight. Oddly, Gorilla puts over that Haku is getting sick of having to carry the load for the Connection, which seems to be setting up a Haku face turn, though they went in a completely different direction with it there. The heels attack before the bell, but the Rockers get Andre the Giant tied up in the ropes in short order. Dusty settles on Haku holding Shawn Michaels in a headlock, but Marty Jannetty blind tags in. The Rockers with a double team for two, but Andre tags in, and that’s the end of that party. Andre hammers on Marty, and the heels cut the ring in half on him. Blind tag to Shawn allows them to fly around, but Andre clobbers them both. He comes in to hold Marty for Haku to superkick, and clearly Shawn was taking notes, though he should have checked with Marty about the finer points later. But then, they were on the outs by 1994, so that’s not all his fault. The Connection keep dominating, but Demolition run in at 2:31. ¼*

WWF tour ad

BUExperience: This was a solid hype special. Not their best one, but solid.