WWF at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena (October 16, 1988)

Original Airdate: October 16, 1988

From Los Angeles, California; Your Hosts are Rod Trongard and Superstar Billy Graham

Opening Match: Paul Roma v Steve Lombardi: Posturing to start, and Steve gets control with what Rod clarifies is either ‘judo or karate.’ Glad we got that cleared up. Roma wins a criss cross with a bodyslam, however, and Lombardi bails to regroup. Back in, Roma works a wristlock, but Lombardi forces a criss cross, and blocks a monkey flip with a stomp to the face. Steve bounces his head off the turnbuckle, and takes a ‘karate’ shot to the throat. Well, glad Trongard has made a call on it. Lombardi with a backelbow for two, and he grounds Roma in a chinlock. Steve with a backbreaker for two, and a small package is worth two, so a frustrated Lombardi dumps him to the outside. Lombardi suplexes him back in for two, and he goes back to the mat with another chinlock to wear Paul down. Paul escapes and makes a comeback, and the missile dropkick gets three at 14:08. Not the most exciting match, but solid wrestling. *

Blue Blazer v Jose Estrada: Jose stalls to start, so Blazer starts using speed on him, and a takedown allows Blazer a wristlock. Jose forces a criss cross, but Blazer nails him with a dropkick to win it, and an armdrag puts Estrada in another wristlock. Jose tries another criss cross, but Blazer busts out a rana, and he goes back to the mat with a hammerlock. Jose gets into the ropes, and rakes the eyes on the break, allowing Estrada to turn it around. He goes upstairs with a flying punch, and he delivers a second one for two. Jose works a nervehold, but Blazer escapes, only to lose a criss cross to a knee. Jose stays on him with an axehandle, and a snapmare puts Blazer on the mat for another nervehold. Blazer starts to escape, so Estrada dumps him to the outside, and Blazer tries to shake it off. Jose blocks him from coming back in, so Blazer uses a slingshot sunset flip for two. Jose responds with another flying punch to cut him off, however, and it’s back to the nervehold. Estrada is very limited, isn’t he? Estrada with a bodyslam to set up a flying somersault senton splash, but Blazer dodges. Blazer comes back with a dropkick that puts Jose on the outside, and Blazer is on him with a tope. Blazer vertical suplexes him back into the ring, but a 2nd rope elbowdrop misses, and Estrada nails him with a shoulderblock. Blazer fires back with a gutwrench suplex, however, and a backbreaker sets up a flying splash at 11:02. This turned into a hell of a match by the end, and they were doing all kinds of stuff that was way ahead of the curve for 1988. **

WWF Intercontinental Title Match: Ultimate Warrior v Honky Tonk Man: Warrior attacks before the bell, and knocks Honky out of the ring before even taking the title belt off. Warrior chases to the outside to bash Honky’s head together with Jimmy Hart’s, and inside, Warrior continues tossing his challenger around. Warrior with an elbowdrop, but Jimmy trips him up ahead of a second, and Warrior chases. That allows Honky a sneak attack on the outside, but Warrior no-sells it, and presses the challenger back into the ring. Warrior follows for a few turnbuckle smashes, but a corner splash misses, and Honky grabs the megaphone for a cheap shot. Honky hammers him with axehandles, and the swinging neckbreaker looks to finish, but Warrior backdrops to block it. Honky goes back to the axehandles, but Warrior is done with it, and goes on the comeback trail. He sets up for the press-drop, but Hart runs in before he can execute it, triggering a DQ at 4:03. This was fun for what it was, and the cheap finish was to set up a no DQ rematch for the next pass through the city, so at least it had a purpose. ½*

Mr. Perfect v Jim Brunzell: Posturing to start, with Perfect giving him a hard time. Perfect manages to sweep the leg and get a toehold on, but Jim escapes, and cross corner whips him into an armdrag. Jim tries to hold it into an armbar, but Perfect gets out of the ring before Brunzell can really get it locked. Back in, Perfect gets a side-headlock on, but Brunzell escapes, and uses a turnbuckle smash, followed by an earringer. Another one gives Perfect another chance to oversell, but Jim telegraphs a backdrop, and Perfect nails him. Perfect cracks him with chops, but it wakes Brunzell up, and Jim knocks him over the top with a series of rights. Inside, Brunzell gets a sleeper on, but Perfect gets into the ropes, so Jim rattles him with a series of turnbuckle smashes instead. That gets Jim a two count, and a dropkick gets another two when Perfect is in the ropes. Should have hooked the leg, fool. Perfect comes back with a powerslam from there, and gets the pin (with the legs hooked) at 8:12. Solid contest. * ½ 

Hulk Hogan v Haku: Hulk’s got the first helmet on again, but sadly no license plate necklace this time. Haku attacks during the patdown, and rattles Hulk with a turnbuckle smash right away. Haku unloads, but Hulk gets fired up, and returns fire. Hulk with a forearm smash to set up a pair of elbowdrops, and a bootrake follows. Hogan with a short-chop, and a cross corner clothesline finds the mark. Hogan with a clothesline to set up the legdrop, but Bobby Heenan trips him up to block. Hulk chases after him, allowing Haku to recover, and he clobbers Hogan on the way back into the ring. Haku lands a dropkick for two, but Hulk blocks another turnbuckle smash, and uses a bodyslam. Elbowdrop, but Haku dodges, and gets Hogan in a nervehold. He wears Hogan down in it, and capitalizes with a chop thrust to the throat from out of the ropes. Back to the nervehold to keep the Hulkster grounded, and I’m pretty sure Larry David based his George Steinbrenner voice on Trongard. Hulk fights to a vertical base, so Haku throws an elbow, and superkicks him out of the ring. Hulk narrowly beats the count, and Haku immediately starts pummeling him again. Haku with a vertical suplex for two, but it triggers the HULK UP!! Fists Of Fury! Big Boot! Heenan grabs the helmet, but it backfires back on Haku, and Hulk delivers the legdrop at 8:51. Not great wrestling, but lots of energy, and engaging. * ¼ 

Big Boss Man v Koko B Ware: Koko tries running around, but ends up getting clobbered, and Boss Man works him over in dull fashion. Boss Man gets a bearhug on, wearing Koko down for a splash, but Ware dodges. Koko makes a comeback, so Boss Man grabs the nightstick, and tees off. That allows Boss Man the scrapbuster, and we’re done at 5:50. This was really, really boring. DUD

The Hart Foundation v The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers: The Harts attack before the bell, cleaning house. Bret Hart and Raymond Rougeau start once the dust settles, and Hart uses an inverted atomic drop, before pounding Ray into the corner for a double team. Trongard notes that he can’t tell the Brothers apart, which, really?! I get it with the Usos or other twin teams, but them?? The Foundation tee off on Ray for a while, until they’re satisfied, and Bret shoves him into a tag so they can do the same thing to Jacques Rougeau. That was some badass shit. And, indeed, they destroy Jacques next. That goes on for a while, until Jimmy Hart finally gets involved, and the heels are able to turn it around. Good timing on that, as the beatings had been going on for a solid ten minutes, and the crowd might start feeling bad for the Brothers if it kept going. So the heels cut the ring in half on the Hitman, until Bret fights a monkey flip from Jacques… only to have Ray distract the referee so he misses the hot tag! The heels go back to wrecking Hart, but Bret just keeps kicking out. He hooks Jacques in a small package for two, but gets cut off in the heel corner, and Ray tags in. Backdrop, but Hart blocks, and finally gets the hot tag to Jim Neidhart! Anvil runs wild, and the Foundation hit Jacques with a combo for two. That draws Ray in, and Roseanne Barr the door! The Foundation set up the Hart Attack on Rey, so Jacques shoves the referee into Bret as he runs the ropes, blocking it. Great spot! Bret punishes Jacques with a backbreaker, but it doesn’t matter, as a second official runs out to call the DQ on Jacques for the shove at 21:20. These are all good wrestlers, but I’ve just never been a big fan of their matches. They’re all just so damn long. * ½ 

Main Event: Jake Roberts v Rick Rude: Jake goes to work right away, making the most of his chance to get a hold of Rude amidst this vicious blood feud, with… a wristlock. Maybe Vince wasn’t off base when he didn’t give Jake that role as an agent. DDT, but Rude hits the deck, and bails. Inside, Rick turns it around, nailing Jake with a clothesline, and taking control. Rude goes after Cheryl Roberts on the outside, but Jake recovers enough to chase after him. Jake successfully prevents any sexual harrassment, but ends up taking an inverted atomic drop, keeping Rude in control. Rick sends Jake into the post for good measure, and inside, Rick corner whips him, then takes it to the mat in a chinlock. Jake dumps him to the outside to break free, and he makes a comeback, but Rude holds the ropes to block the DDT. Rude tries bailing, but Jake keeps him inside with a short-clothesline. DDT, but Rude blocks again. Kneelift, but Rude sidesteps, and Jake ends up falling on his ass. That allows Rick to go upstairs with a flying fistdrop, but he delays the pin attempt to go flirt with Cheryl, and it only gets two. Rick with a piledriver for two, but he goes to flirt again, and Jake schoolboys at 20:33. See my comments on the tag match, and apply here. Only neither guy is as good as Bret Hart. *

BUExperience: This is a pretty enjoyable house show. So long as you keep in mind that it’s just that (a house show), and that the volume is turned down on the performances, you can get something out of this, as most of it hovers in that ‘solid/fine/watachable’ level, and that’s really all you need for a live event.

Boss Man/Koko really sucks, though. Skip that.

**