WWF Wrestling Challenge (January 18, 1987)

 

Original Airdate: January 18, 1987 (taped January 6)

From Hershey, Pennsylvania; Your Hosts are Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan

Six-Man Tag Team Match: Mike Rotundo, Dan Spivey, and Blackjack Mulligan v Steve Lombardi, Ray Miller, and Joe Mirto: Lombardi’s gear makes him look like he should be tagging with the American Express in place of Blackjack. Meanwhile, Ron Bass split screens in, since he’s a cowboy… Mulligan is a cowboy… you do the math. Blackjack puts this one away at 3:40. DUD

Wrestlers’ Rebuttal is WWF Intercontinental Champion Randy Savage promising to burn Ricky Steamboat. Hasn’t he done enough already?!

Andre the Giant comes out to soak up some cheers, in celebration of his reinstatement. And he looks pretty agile here, all considered 

Butch Reed v Mario Mancini: Slick split screens in, noting that he’s been rejecting big money offers for Reed’s contract left and right. Reed with an elbowdrop at 1:02. Hot finish. DUD

Ken Resnick catches up with the Hart Foundation, who are ready to take the WWF Tag Team title off of the British Bulldogs

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Outback Jack vignette 

The Can-Am Connection v Terry Gibbs and Gladiator: Gorilla is all about the Connection, and they certainly were a fun babyface team. Mr. Fuji split screens in, but doesn’t see much of a future for them. The Connection with a combo on Gladiator at 3:24. This went on for too long. DUD

Resnick catches up with Randy Savage, who is none too pleased when Ken reminds him that Steamboat’s career is confirmed as not over. Randy threatens to set him on fire again. Okay, before it was just bravado, but now I’m actually concerned

Honky Tonk Man v Tommy Sharpe: The jobber actually gets to split screen in, and promises a relatively easy victory… just as Honky is putting him away with the swinging neckbreaker at 0:45. Okay, that was pretty funny. DUD

From the January 17 episode of Superstars, Roddy Piper hosts Piper’s Pit, where President Jack Tunney presents Hulk Hogan with a trophy in honor of holding the world title for three years. Hulk is very excited, and then Andre the Giant shows up - all smiles, but he gives Hulk a really firm handshake. Maybe a little too firm. Great, subtle start to the angle. And all the better because no one actually discusses the stiff handshake - it’s just a little moment between the two

Six-Man Tag Team Match: Pedro Morales, Tito Santana, and Hillbilly Jim v Greg Valentine, Brutus Beefcake, and Dino Bravo: Heenan goes on an epic rant here, about how sick it makes him that Hulk got such a nice trophy, while Andre got bupkis despite being undefeated for fifteen years. Gorilla wonders why Bobby would stick up for nemesis Andre, but Heenan just thinks it’s wrong - even if he doesn’t like the guy. The babyfaces dominate Dino early, but Tito gets dropped across the top rope, and Beefcake catches a tag. A criss cross allows Tito a bodypress, but referee Danny Davis stops counting at two. That allows Beefcake to recover with a vertical suplex, and Greg tags in with an elbowdrop for two. Greg with a shoulderbreaker for two, but Tito blocks the figure four, and gets the tag to Pedro. Morales runs wild on Valentine, but the referee again stops his count when the babyface has a pinning combination. The babyfaces have had enough, and decide to walk out in protest - giving the heels the countout win at 3:58. This was mostly just advancement for the Danny Davis angle, and that’s fine. ½*

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George Steele v Tony Nardo: Gorilla and Bobby discuss WrestleMania, and while Gorilla knows the date, he doesn’t know where the event will be taking place. It’s incredible to me that they don’t even announce the city at this point, two months out. That’s just mindboggling, and makes it all the more impressive that they drew the crowd they did. Steele with a hammerlock at 1:17. DUD

Resnick catches up with Kamala, which means we get to hear Wizard screech. He continues to prove my theory that any ‘wizard’ not played by Peter Boyle is worthless 

BUExperience: I enjoyed this one. It was a fun episode, and started some serious build for WrestleMania.