WWF Wrestling Challenge (December 21, 1986)

 

Original Airdate: December 21, 1986 (taped December 10)

From Tucson, Arizona; Your Hosts are Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan

Honky Tonk Man v Lanny Poffo: Poffo calls Honky a ‘sorry imitation’ of Elvis, which feels like fighting words. Meanwhile, Honky now has Jimmy Hart as a manager, and he fights off the initial barrage from Poffo, and hammers Lanny down. Poffo throws rights, but Honky quickly cuts him off with a clothesline, and delivers a swinging neckbreaker at 1:43. Over and out. DUD

Wrestlers’ Rebuttal is Paul Orndorff complaining that the WWF Magazine is ‘not wonderful,’ since he isn’t on the cover

Gene Okerlund visits with two of Ricky Steamboat’s doctors, who can’t come to an agreement on whether or not he can return to the ring

The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers v Dennis Stamp and Mike Lucas: Good to see Dennis get booked. The Brothers split screen in to remind us that they’re French Canadians here, just in case we forgot. I joke, but giving each act a personality, and hammering it home, was part of what made this era so great. The Brothers with a combo at 2:16. ¼*

Ken Resnick catches up with Hillbilly Jim, and Resnick is still praising Jim’s grandmother’s cooking at Thanksgiving, so Jim invites him over for Christmas as well. Kind of last minute there, Jim

Blackjack Mulligan vignette

Hercules v David Gold: Johnny Valiant sits in for Heenan on commentary here. Hercules challenges Gold to wrap the other end of the chain around his wrist for a tug of war, and referee Danny Davis actually allows it. Allowing impromptu chain matches makes him a heel in my book, that’s for sure. Hercules with a torture rack at 2:47. DUD

Resnick catches up with Tito Santana, and immediately rubs in how weak 1986 was for him, bringing up that he lost the WWF Intercontinental title earlier in the year, and basically listing his biggest accomplishment as ‘not suffering a serious injury.’ Oof, Resnick is a bitch, and I’m liking it

Jesse Ventura catches up with Andre the Giant, and he wants answers about how his suspension was lifted, but Andre is being tight lipped

Six-Man Tag Team Match: Pedro Morales, Hillbilly Jim, and Billy Jack Haynes v Tim Patterson, Buddy Ryder, and Kevin Collins: Kind of a random babyface team here. It’s like WrestleMania booking, where they’re just getting as many guys a payday as possible. Valiant is still on commentary here. Haynes gets a full nelson on for the win at 3:48. This dragged. DUD

Jake Roberts hosts the Snake Pit, with guests Harley Race and Bobby Heenan. Nothing of any note here, just time wasting

Montage of various wrestlers doing various wrestling moves. Riveting 

Junkyard Dog meets Matilda, and compares favorite treats 

Six-Man Tag Team Match: Davey Boy Smith, Dynamite Kid, and Junkyard Dog v Greg Valentine, Brutus Beefcake, and Moondog Spot: Davey and Greg start, and the babyfaces take turns slamming Valentine around. Greg manages to get control on Kid, and a shoulderbreaker gets him two. Tag to Spot for a backbreaker for two, and Beefcake tags in with a hanging vertical suplex for two. They continue to work Kid over, but Spot gets clobbered on a criss cross, and Smith gets a tag for a double team. Tag to JYD, and Spot takes a scoop powerslam at 3:15. ½*

Resnick catches up with Lanny Poffo, and his perm. Lanny brings George Steele in to celebrate Christmas, and George has a new Jimmy Hart LJN action figure. This was pointless from a storyline perspective, but great from a general character development standpoint 

BUExperience: Nothing of real note this week, as they kind of spin their wheels through the holiday.