WWF Wrestling Challenge (September 14, 1986)

 

Original Airdate: September 14, 1986 (taped August 27)

From Hartford, Connecticut; Your Hosts are Gorilla Monsoon, Ernie Ladd, and Johnny Valiant

Junkyard Dog and George Steele v Hoss Funk and Jimmy Jack Funk: The Funks charge while Steele is eating the turnbuckle, but Dog slams them around, as Lou Albano split screens in to hype his babyface team. Which he does for so long that they eventually just cut the sound on him mid-promo. The dust settles on the Funks doubling up on Steele, but they fail to cut the ring in half, and JYD tags. He charges Jimmy in the corner, but gets nailed, and Hoss throws a cheap shot for good measure. But then things just break down, and everyone brawls, ending in JYD nailing Jimmy with a weapon for the pin at 2:30. There was nothing to this. Like, at all. DUD

Wrestlers’ Rebuttal features the Hart Foundation complaining about the fans calling them names

Kamala v Mario Mancini: This show seems to be some sort of rib to see just how many people Gorilla can carry in an hour. Between his broadcast partners, and Lord Alfred Hayes doing the ring announcing, he’s got his work cut out for him. And speaking of terrible, Wizard split screens in to yell and scream about shit. Possibly literally. Hard to understand that guy. Kamala with a splash at 1:37. DUD

Ken Resnick brings Captain Lou Albano in to congratulate him for helping George Steele be less of an animal 

Hillbilly Jim and Cousin Luke v Jack Kruger and Joe Mirto: These are some real bottom of the barrel jobbers here. Jimmy Hart split screens in to promise that his guys are coming for Jim and Luke. Jim with a bearhug at 2:40. DUD

Resnick brings the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers in to discuss their hopes in the tag division 

Honky Tonk Man is hanging around, and apparently still a babyface

Ricky Steamboat v Roger Kirby: Steamboat doesn’t even take his headband off for this, so Kirby’s probably going down pretty quickly. Steamboat with a flying bodypress at 4:32. While still within the length that I consider acceptable for a squash, this was still longer than it needed to be. ¼*

Jake Roberts hosts the Snake Pit with guest Hillbilly Jim. Which basically amounts to Jake insulting him a bunch. These Snake Pit segments were really weird, with the interviews just going to commercial without an actual payoff two weeks in a row now

King Kong Bundy and Big John Studd v Paul Roma and Billy Jack Haynes: The announcers constantly fawning over the female ring attendants is getting creepy. Harley Race split screens in right away to celebrate being crowned king. Studd and Billy start, and Haynes nearly bodyslams him, but can’t get it turned over. Bundy throws a cheap shot to make sure he doesn’t try again, and Bundy tags in to tag Billy with a backelbow. An elbowdrop follows for two, but Billy dodges the avalanche, and tags out. Roma comes in with fists of fury, but eats the avalanche at 2:37. ¼*

Six-Man Tag Team Match: Iron Sheik, Nikolai Volkoff, and Hercules v Corporal Kirchner, Jim Powers, and Salvatore Bellomo: The babyfaces clean house to kick start things, and Kirchner hooks Volkoff in a sunset flip for two. Tags to Sheik and Bellomo, and Sheik backdrops him. Tags to Hercules and Powers, as the announcers speculate how Slick earns his money. Interesting theories for Sunday morning TV. The heels clobber Powers to take control, and the idiot official isn’t even bothering to clear all the trash out of the ring so they can work safely. Superstar Billy Graham split screens in, wandering around in the desert, on his way back to the WWF. Hercules finishes Powers with a torture rack at 2:56. Poor kid didn’t even get to make a hot tag - took the heat segment, and got polished off. ¼*

Resnick brings the Hart Foundation in to clarify that they are not, in fact, the Nasty Boys. I was clear on that. Maybe the presence of Jimmy Hart was confusing people. They should dump him 

BUExperience: This show was leaps and bounds ahead of the shit Crockett was putting out on Saturday nights, that much is for damned sure.