WWF Prime Time Wrestling (December 30, 1986)

 

Original Airdate: December 30, 1986

Your Hosts are Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan from the studio

Honky Tonk Man v Sivi Afi: From New York City on December 26 1986. Honky attacks before the bell, and delivers a beating, so we get no official match. But, supposedly, they’ll try again later. Why not just show clips of that before the actual match, instead of an individual segment. It’s a studio show, we know the matches are all taped.

Jose Luis Rivera v Steve Lombardi: From New York City on December 26 1986. I enjoy the way Howard Finkel says ‘Rivera.’ Or, really, anything he says. Rivera with a backslide at 2:39. A main event anywhere in the country. DUD

Ken Resnick catches up with Blackjack Mulligan, who is excited to throw his hat in the ring for a Bunkhouse Battle Royal

Gene Okerlund is in the studio with Update, giving us a look at Ricky Steamboat’s recovery. “I thought he’d sound more ‘Godfather-ish” laments Gorilla

Outback Jack vignette 

Paul Roma v Terry Gibbs: From New York City on December 26 1986. Roma with a flying sunset flip for the pin at 9:21. Yes, they’re giving squash matches ten minutes. Welcome to 1986. DUD

Resnick catches up with Roddy Piper for some year end gay bashing. Again, welcome to 1986

Lord Alfred Hayes is in the studio, introducing clips from the illustrious career of Andre the Giant

The Hart Foundation v Dick Slater and Corporal Kirchner: From New York City on December 26 1986. Slater and Kirchner make for an odd pairing. Bret Hart starts with Kirchner, and the Hitman takes control after some posturing. He drives Kirchner into the heel corner for Jim Neidhart to choke with the tag rope, and the heels work Kirchner over from there. Kirchner dodges Bret during a criss cross to allow the hot tag to Dick, and Slater runs wild. A backelbow on Bret sets up a bootrake, and a hiptoss sets up a pointed elbowdrop. Dick grabs a standing headlock, so Bret forces a criss cross, and Jim throws a cheap shot from the apron to put him down. Anvil tags in to hammer on Slater’s back, and the Foundation work him over. Dick manages to knock their heads together to fight off a combo, and he tags Kirchner - Roseanne Barr the door! Kirchner gets Jim in a Boston crab, but Bret saves, and the Foundation hit Kirchner with the Hart Attack at 12:17. ¾*

Honky Tonk Man v Sivi Afi: From New York City on December 26 1986. Honky tries to Pearl Harbor again, but Afi is wise to him now, and Afi unloads. Afi with a knife-edge chop, and a backelbow follows. Afi with mounted punches, and he takes Honky to the outside to feed him some guardrail. Inside, Afi misses a bodypress, allowing Honky to take control, and he hammers on Afi. Honky with a 2nd rope pointed elbowdrop for two, but he telegraphs a backdrop, and Afi uses a sunset flip for two. Honky cuts him off and dumps him out of the ring, and inside, a swinging neckbreaker puts it away at 7:02. Well, this match was worth the wait. Afterwards, Honky crosses paths with Tito Santana as Tito is on his way out for a match, and beats him down for some perceived insult. ¼*

Tito Santana v Hercules: From New York City on December 26 1986. Tito can’t even get into the ring after Honky took out his knee, so Hercules forces him in to kick start the match. Hercules stays on the knee, and works a leglock. Nothing much of note, just Hercules working the leg and working the leg and working the leg, without really any hope spots from Tito. Hercules with a kneebreaker for two, and an elbowdrop follows. Hercules goes upstairs with a flying splash, but Tito gets his knees up to block. That hurts Hercules, but aggravates Tito’s bad knee as well. “He probably should have rolled out of the way,” notes Heenan. Regardless, Tito makes a comeback, going after Hercules’ knee. Tito gets the figure four on, so Heenan runs over and rings the bell, trying to fool the referee into thinking it’s a time limit draw. It fails, however, and the match continues. He does however succeed in fooling Santana, who lets off the hold before figuring out what actually happened. Tito manages to get back on track by going after the leg, so Hercules tries a bodyslam, but the leg gives out, and Tito topples for two. Tito tries another figure four, but Hercules manages to block, and a distraction from Heenan allows Hercules to nail him for the pin at 17:59. Psychologically sound, but the first act with Hercules just working the leg with dull holds was really boring. It got a lot more exciting by the end, though. *

BUExperience: A cure for insomnia episode. Happy New Year.