WWF Wrestling Challenge (November 9, 1986)

 

Original Airdate: November 9, 1986 (taped October 29)

From Glens Falls, New York; Your Hosts are Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan

Junkyard Dog and George Steele v Al Navarro and Joe Mirto: This is like the tag team from hell. Thankfully, they never really teamed in any major instances. Weird ending here, as Dog has the jobber pinned, but the referee stops the count at two, and claims the shoulders aren’t all the way down. So Dog has to reposition and hook the leg again to get three at 1:28. I appreciate the realism, but are you kidding me, ref?! DUD

Wrestlers’ Rebuttal is the Dream Team complaining that they lost a battle royal because everyone ganged up on them. Isn’t that, like, what a battle royal is? Also, apparently Fabulous Moolah won it?! It was intergender? In 1986?! I need to know more about this immediately

On a recent Piper’s Pit, Roddy Piper had Mr. Fuji as a guest, and the verbal sparring led to Fuji challenging the still injured Piper to a match. Despite being on crutches, Piper accepts

Roddy Piper v Mr. Fuji: From Superstars on November 1 1986 (taped October 6) in Syracuse New York. Piper is still on crutches here, but then removes the tape, and surprises Fuji by revealing that he’s healed up. And that goes badly for Fuji, who gets destroyed. Fuji goes low to shake him off, and Fuji hammers on him. Fuji goes up with a flying legdrop, but Piper rolls out of the way, and tackles him down for mounted punches. That draws Don Muraco, Bob Orton, and Jimmy Hart out, and they all attack Roddy, though the referee (Danny Davis) doesn’t call for the bell. He tries restoring order, but to no avail, so Piper grabs his crutch to clean house, and now it’s a DQ at 2:39. The match was just background for the angle. And that’s fine. DUD

Ken Resnick catches up with Hillbilly Jim, and apparently he appeared at Farm Aid? I can’t find any photographic evidence, so I’m going to assume it’s just bullshit

Earlier today, Bobby Heenan bought Hercules from Slick, but had to take him down to his bank to get cash, because Slick doesn’t take checks

Hercules v Scott McGhee: I’m officially dropping ‘Hernandez’ from his name, since I assume Bobby didn’t pay enough to get both. Hercules with a torture rack at 1:02. Hercules looked tired here. DUD

Resnick talks to the Islanders, and it’s very odd hearing Haku calmly speaking. I’m so used to his later work, where it’s all grunting and shouting. And did Meng ever talk at all?

Jesse Ventura catches up with Honky Tonk Man, and Jesse wants to know how Honky feels about the fans ‘not responding’ to him. Honky notes that he’s pretty upset about it, since he kissed a lot of ‘ugly babies’ to endear himself to the fans. So, I guess this is the start of the heel turn

Hillbilly Jim and Billy Jack Haynes v Jimmy Jack Funk and Rick Renslow: It’s like a redneck bonanza with these names. Funk is just bouncing around between partners all over the place lately. Meanwhile, Jim and Haynes split screen in to make eyes at each other. Haynes with the full nelson at 1:45. DUD

Jake Roberts hosts the Snake Pit with guests Paul Orndorff and Bobby Heenan, and Orndorff is so confident that he’s better than Hulk Hogan that he even polled Hulk’s girlfriend to verify

Butch Reed v Jerry Allen: Heenan announces that Captain Lou Albano will announce his retirement right here next week, though Gorilla throws cold water on it. That ended up being quite true! Reed with a 2nd rope clothesline at 2:14. DUD

Lou Albano confirms that he will be retiring, but he’s going to step into the ring one last time next week

The Islanders v Frenchy Martin and Dave Wagner: Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff split screen in to trash talk the Islanders, which seems like a weird feud for both teams. Tama with a flying splash at 2:20. DUD

Resnick catches up with Orndorff and Heenan, and Paul wants respect, damn it. And he’s going to make sure Hulk Hogan gives it to him

BUExperience: I’m a fan of this show, but this one was weak. The Heenan/Slick segment was hilarious, though.