WWF Prime Time Wrestling (August 25, 1986)

Original Airdate: August 25, 1986

Your Hosts are Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan from the studio

Lanny Poffo v Mr X: From Boston Massachusetts on August 9 1986. X works a standing side-headlock to start, and takes it to the mat, but Poffo counters to a hammerlock. Lanny digs in with it, but X makes the ropes, and both guys go to a vertical base following a clean break. X gets a full-nelson, but Poffo fights him off, and gives X another clean break in the ropes. Reversal sequence sees Poffo get a full-nelson on, but X throws an elbow to escape, so Poffo starts throwing fists. X responds by hiding on the apron, but gets whipped into the corner when he comes back in, and Lanny uses a headscissor takedown. X asks for a handshake, but Poffo is too wise, and takes him down in an armbar instead. X escapes, so Poffo uses another headscissors, and holds it on the mat. X goes to the eyes to allow him a turnbuckle smash, and he hammers Poffo down to get control. X with a springboard flying splash, but Poffo rolls out of the way, and delivers a standing dropkick. He goes for the mask, but X fights him off, and goes to the eyes again. A snapmare sets up a legdrop for X, and an earringer follows, but Poffo starts throwing rights. Cross corner whip leads to a front-powerslam, and Lanny adds a flying somersault senton splash at 7:19. Lots of posturing before finally picking up with some hot moves in the last act. Really basic otherwise, but competent. *

Tito Santana v Bob Orton: From Boston Massachusetts on August 9 1986. Feeling out process to start, dominated by Santana. He dumps Bob out of the ring for a beating, and he drags Orton back in before Bob can do any kind of stalling. Tito with a somersault cradle for two, and he grabs an armbar from there. Orton escapes and dumps Tito for a trip into the guardrail on the outside, and inside, Ace works the abdomen. Orton works a chinlock, so Santana tries to criss cross, but gets clobbered. Back to the chinlock, until Tito fights free, and goes on the comeback trail. He starts working the leg, and the figure four looks to put things away, but Orton quickly gets the ropes. Bob tries bailing, but Tito keeps him inside, and stays on the leg. Orton throws closed fists to turn it back around, but the leg is slowing him down now. Things devolve into a slugfest, and time expires at 30:19. This wasn’t bad, just really long, and didn’t have enough behind it to justify the length. ¾*

Ken Resnick catches up with Junkyard Dog, who says shit about fuck

Dick Slater v Pete Doherty: From Boston Massachusetts on August 9 1986. I’m still not sure how Slater was supposed to get over as a babyface in this promotion while wearing no less than three Confederate flags on his gear. And against a guy who is a Boston native, no less. Doherty attacks before the bell, and dominates Dick on the mat, but gets dumped over the top. Slater chases for an atomic drop on the floor, but Doherty beats the count. Pete tries a side-headlock, but Dick fights to an overhead wristlock, and uses another atomic drop to send Doherty back to the outside. Pete beats the count, so Dick welcomes him in with a Russian legsweep, and he grounds Doherty in a chinlock. Slater with a bootrake and a swinging neckbreaker for two, but he telegraphs a backdrop, and Doherty clobbers him. Pete hammers away, but Slater is in no mood, and wins a slugfest. Doherty manages a clothesline to stay in the game, and he gets Dick grounded in a chinlock to try and wear him down. Pete goes up for a dive, but Slater slams him off the top, and dives with a flying elbowsmash ahead  of a somersault cradle at 6:44. ¾*

Gene Okerlund is in the studio for Update, announcing that the Machines have officially made it to the WWF. That must have been one hell of a layover

On Tuesday Night Titans, Mr Fuji introduces Little Tokyo, who is now a mini version of Fuji. TNT was a weird, weird show. And apparently they had an actual live studio audience?! I always figured they were just shooting those on closed sets

From a recent episode of the Flower Shop, Slick’s crew pays Adrian Adonis a visit

SD Jones and Paul Roma v Terry Gibbs and Gino Carabello: From Poughkeepsie New York on August 5 1986. This is promoted as ‘SD Jones in action,’ no wonder Roma eventually got a huge chip on his shoulder. Joined in progress here, as Roma pulls off a suplex, and Monsoon pays him the highest compliment of his career, saying that it’s almost as well executed as Bret Hart’s. He and Jones with a combo at 4:12 shown. Safely a DUD

Resnick catches up with Ricky Steamboat, and his head is, like, all messed up. Like, the skull and stuff, you know

The Hart Foundation v Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff: From Boston Massachusetts on August 9 1986. The Foundation attack during the anthem, and you’d think Nikolai would have remembered that when WrestleMania VI rolled around. ‘Fool me once,’ and all that. The dust settles on Bret Hart and Volkoff to start, and Bret wins a cross cross with a beautiful dropkick. Tag to Sheik, and he tries a big punch on the ropes, but Hart ducks, and Sheik goes sailing over the top. Inside, the heels try a double team, but it backfires, and Bret whips Sheik right into Anvil. Bret uses a backbreaker to set up a dive off the middle, but Volkoff grabs him from the apron to prevent the move, and Sheik clobbers the Hitman. Sheik with a clothesline, and a forearm to the throat follows. Bret tries a sunset flip, but the referee is caught up with Slick, so no count. The heels keep control and work Hart over, but Jim Neidhart breaks up Sheik’s camel clutch. That allows Bret to reverse a vertical suplex, and Jim gets the hot tag - Roseanne Barr the door! Dropkick on Volkoff gets two, but Sheik sweeps the leg as Jim is trying a bodyslam, and Volkoff topples for the pin at 8:33. It’s hardly news, and I know I’ve said a million times, but Bret Hart was one of the best (if not the best) to ever do this. Every move, every nuance, every bit of selling - masterful. * ½ 

BUExperience: The Big Event was, what, three days away when this aired? Not that you’d ever know it.