WWF Wrestling Challenge (October 5, 1986)

 

Original Airdate: October 5, 1986 (taped September 17)

From Salisbury, Maryland; Your Hosts are Gorilla Monsoon and Johnny Valiant, with Bobby Heenan a no show

Harley Race v Allen Martin: Heenan shows up with Race here, which should have been obvious to Gorilla, if he’d just looked at the damn card. Harley wastes no time, and goes crazy on Martin with a barrage of suplexes and slam, before finishing with fisherman suplex at 1:12. Monsoon notes that the fisherman suplex is ‘very difficult to master,’ but that Harley delivered it ‘with absolute perfection.’ Somewhere, Curt Hennig’s ears were suddenly burning. ¼*

Wrestlers Rebuttal features the Machines being racists 

The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers v Steve Regal and Bob Bradley: Now that Race is done, Heenan takes over as color commentator for the rest of the show. The Brothers split screen in to cut a promo in French, which Bobby complains about. Regal and Bradley do a nice job of bumping around, before getting finished off with a combo at 2:42. “It took two men to beat one man,” decries Heenan. ¼*

Backstage, Ken Resnick catches up with Corporal Kirchner, who is gunning for Randy Savage’s WWF Intercontinental title. Well, it’s good to have goals

From the September 27 episode of Superstars (taped September 16 in Baltimore Maryland), it’s Piper’s Pit v The Flower Shop. Adrian Adonis tries having Bob Orton on as the guest, but of course, Roddy responds in his usual level headed, non-hateful manner. Piper brings Don Muraco out as his guest, but Adonis complains that Piper’s set has no color, so Piper puts a pair of pink panties over his head. Muraco notes that this is a free country, and Piper shouldn’t mock Adonis. This, of course, makes Don the heel. And the crowd goes especially wild for Piper when he notes that he has kids, and ‘doesn’t want them watching someone like’ Adonis. That ends in Adonis, Orton, and Muraco all beating Piper with a chair as they destroy the Pit set, and all of that would make them massive babyfaces here in 2023, but in 1986, everyone boos them. Great segment, though

Resnick brings Dick Slater in, so Dick can tell us all about how great Dixie was. Again, times change, the guy draped in the rebel flag is the babyface in a mainstream promotion in 1986. And a Northern promotion, at that!

Dick Slater v Tiger Chung Lee: And then Slater forces a kiss on one of the Federettes, to boot! They posture for a while, and then Slater gets a headlock on, but can’t get him to the mat in it. Slater uses a snapmare and a kneedrop for one, so Lee gets into the ropes, and then throws a thrust to the throat. Lee works on him for more shots to the throat, and a sleeper looks to put it away, but Slater side suplexes his way out. Dick makes a comeback, and a flying elbowsmash finishes at 2:53. ½*

Jake Roberts hosts the Snake Pit, with guests Butch Reed and Slick. And Jake hopes Butch is ‘the black snake’ who will take out ‘the black dog’ running around the WWF. Oof

The Dream Team v Don Hastings and Jerry Allen: Gorilla wants to discuss the Flower Shop/Piper’s Pit thing, and Bobby notes that Roddy always acts like he can take on six guys at once, so he shouldn’t be surprised when it actually happens. He’s got a fair point. We’ve got Danny Davis refereeing here, and he’s favoring the heels, as that angle continues to build. Greg Valentine with the figure four at 2:18. DUD

Junkyard Dog v Jimmy Jack Funk: Dog misses a charge, allowing Funk to get him down. Funk with a bodyslam to set up a 2nd rope fistdrop, but Dog dodges, and delivers a series of headbutts. Dog with a clothesline and an earringer, so Funk tries throwing rights, but Dog turns the tables. Dog slaps on an abdominal stretch, but Funk gets into the ropes, and throws a kneelift. Funk adds a fistdrop and an elbowdrop for two, but Dog just starts making a comeback, and a powerslam finishes at 4:36. Woof. DUD

Resnick catches up with King Kong Bundy and Big John Studd, who promise to take care of those stupid racist Machines. About time somebody stepped up

BUExperience: Another enjoyable episode! Some zealous jobbers this week, too.