WWF Prime Time Wrestling (June 23, 1986)

Original Airdate: June 23, 1986

Your Hosts are Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan from the studio

The Moondogs v The American Express: From New York City on June 14 1986. Moondog Spot and Mike Rotundo start, and a criss cross ends in Rotundo bodyslamming him. Snapmare sets up a chinlock from there, but Spot fights to a vertical base, and tags out to Moondog Rex. Criss cross ends in Mike throwing a dropkick, and he tags Dan Spivey in to work an armbar, as the announcers discuss how he looks like Hulk Hogan. Back to Spot, but he ends up trapped in the armbar as well, and Dan backdrops him when Spot tries to criss cross. Back to Rex, and he wants to try slugging it out, but Dan wins that one, and Rex ends up on the outside. Back in, Spivey hits him with an atomic drop, and a bodyslam follows. Back to Rotundo for a flying axehandle, but he fails to cut the ring in half, and Spot tags back in. Mike takes him to the mat in a headlock, but the Moondogs take a cheap shot, and that’s enough to successfully turn the tide. The Moondogs work Rotundo over, until Mike reverses a vertical suplex from Rex, and gets the hot tag off to Spivey - Roseanne Barr the door! Small package on Rex gets two, and a neckbreaker looks to finish, but Spot saves. That allows Rex an atomic drop, but Dan reverses, and Rotundo finishes with an airplane spin at 12:19. Solid action. **

Iron Sheik v Pedro Morales: From New York City on June 14 1986. Lots and lots of stalling to start, and Pedro easily controls any time they engage, so Sheik keeps turning it into more stalling. Pedro takes him down for the Boston crab, but Sheik is in the ropes before the hold can even be applied. Sheik goes to the eyes to help turn the tide, and he uses his boot to aid in a turnbuckle smash. That allows him to choke Pedro down, and he dumps Morales over the top. Pedro beats the count, so Sheik puts him in the camel clutch. Pedro manages to fight free, and it’s comeback time in New York. Sheik manages to tie him up in the ropes to buy time, but the referee objects, so Sheik nails the official for the DQ at 11:23. This was long and dull. DUD

Ken Resnick catches up with WWF Champion Hulk Hogan. Been a while since we’ve seen him - in any form - on this show. So, his house show matches rarely made Prime Time, and he worked Superstars squashes even more rarely, what a deal. In fact, for all of 1986, he only worked in televised matches a sum total of three times outside of Saturday Night Main Event specials, or house shows that aired on local TV stations. It really was a very different time

Lord Littlebrook v Cowboy Lang: From New York City on June 14 1986. Joined in progress, with Lang in control. Littlebrook gets tired in the ropes for a bit, and Lang backdrops him, then hooks a cradle at 5:14 shown. The full match was about ten minutes, so I’ll refrain from rating it, but let’s just say that I’m glad they decided to trim it. 

Gene Okerlund is on location in Tokyo Japan, trying to find out more about the mysterious Machines. This wasn’t a bad segment, but way too long. Though, Gene walking the streets of Tokyo, checking out the ladies along the way, is not unfunny 

Hoss Funk v George Wells: From New York City on June 14 1986. Wells steals the cowboy hat before the bell, which I don’t think is going to end well for the kid. Posturing to start, and Wells knocks him to the outside with a shoulderblock, so Hoss regroups. Inside, George works a standing headlock, and Funk ends up on the outside again not long after. Back in, Wells with a bodyslam, but he runs into a boot while charging in the corner, and Hoss dives with a flying bodypress - only to get caught in a backbreaker for two. Jimmy Hart trips him up to allow his man to successfully attack, but Funk loses a criss cross when Wells throws a bodypress for two. 2nd rope splash, but Hoss lifts his knees to block, and George gets pinned at 9:47. A lot of nothing, but Wells took that final bump like a man. That’s how I’ll remember him from now on, as opposed to the dude foaming at the mouth at WrestleMania 2. ¼*

Resnick catches up with Tito Santana, and he’s as popular as anyone! Just ask him!

Harley Race v Lanny Poffo: From New York City on June 14 1986. Poffo reading a rude poem about Race also feels like something that’s going to end badly, but considering how these former NWA champions are getting treated on this show thus far, Harley’ll probably reverse a cradle on him, or something. Poffo takes him down in a headlock to start, but Harley fights to a vertical base in the ropes, and pops him with a headbutt on the break. Race with a suplex to set up an elbowdrop for two, but Poffo counters a piledriver with a backdrop, so Harley pounds him in the corner. Second try at the piledriver connects for two, and Harley plants a pair of kneedrops on him. Punch knocks Lanny to the outside, and Harley follows, vertical suplexing him on the floor for his troubles. Inside, Race works him over, and a flying headbutt drop connects. A standard headbutt sends Lanny back to the outside, and Races chases to pound him out there. Race with a headbutt drop on the floor, and he drops more knees on the way back into the ring. Poffo manages a cradle for two, and a dropkick sends Race onto the apron, so Lanny uses a headscissors to bring him back in. Another headscissors, but Race drops him across the top rope to block, a muscle buster finishes at 10:34. A little on the dull side, but not poorly worked. *

Nikolai Volkoff v George Steele: From New York City on June 14 1986. Another George?! Are we sure Vince McMahon was running things in 1986? Volkoff stalls early on, hesitant to engage with the Animal. Volkoff manages to pound him into the corner once they get going, and he unloads for a bit, so Steele snacks on a turnbuckle to keep himself busy. George throws the stuffing in Volkoff’s eyes, and works on him in really dull fashion. Volkoff tries a clothesline, but Steele bites the arm to block (in a unique counter), so Volkoff tosses him over the top. Steele responds by grabbing a chair, and he whacks Volkoff with it for the DQ at 6:21. DUD

BUExperience: Boy, that was one dull house show they were pulling from this week. Not even a Hulk Hogan sighting could save this one.