WWF Championship Wrestling (August 3, 1985)

 

Original Airdate: August 3, 1985 (taped July 9)

From Poughkeepsie, New York; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon and Bruno Sammartino

The US Express v Barry O and Larry Finnegan: The WWF Tag Team title is not on the line for this one. The Dream Team show up to observe as the Express work their jobbers over, and they’re still around as Barry Windham finishes up with a bulldog at 3:11. DUD

Lord Alfred Hayes is in the studio with Update, giving us a look a Corporal Kirchner. Boy, they used Axel F for everything in ‘85, didn’t they?

Missing Link v Jim Londos: Hillbilly Jim is out to do guest commentary here. Meanwhile, the ring rope breaks off early on here, and Link is quick to make the best of it, using pieces of the ring to beat Londos up with, on his way to the pinfall win at 1:29. DUD

Gene Okerlund catches up with Paul Orndorff, who is ready to rip into Roddy Piper

The Hart Foundation v George Wells and Joe Mirto: Bret has ‘Hitman’ as a nickname at this point, but the graphic still refers to him as ‘Brett.’ Wells actually goes after Jimmy Hart at one point here, which is very feisty for a jobber. No wonder he worked a WrestleMania! The Foundation with the Hart Attack at 2:26. ¼*

Don Muraco and Mr. Fuji are going to use the choke chain on Junkyard Dog. But even JYD is not as big of a joke as that Ricky Steamboat punk

Terry Funk v Jim Young: Funk doesn’t look like your stereotypical WWF star from this period, but he has ‘it,’ and you can tell. Terry with a sleeper at 3:22. DUD

Roddy Piper hosts Piper’s Pit, with guest WWF Intercontinental Champion Tito Santana. Was he the guest every damn week? And it’s the same conversation, with Roddy trying to get him to collect the bounty on Orndroff

Randy Savage v Paul Roma: Savage still has no manager at this point, but Vince notes that he’ll be making a decision soon. I dunno, I can’t imagine him with a manager. Randy toys with him early on, and he takes Paul to the mat for an armbar. Backdrop, but Roma counters with a sunset flip for two, and a bodyslam gets him another two. Paul grabs a headlock, but Savage forces a criss cross, and tosses him out of the ring. That allows Savage to dive with a flying axehandle on the floor, and he delivers a bodyslam on the way back in - setting up the flying elbowdrop at 2:03. You had to know Savage was going to be a massive star right away. ½*

Hillbilly Jim with a PSA: be careful crossing the street. Stop telling me what to do, clown

The British Bulldogs v Moondog Spot and Jerry Adams: Well, that’s an odd pairing. Apparently, Rex was off doing a stint in Mid-South at the time, so I guess that’s why. You’d think they’d just bring in some other guy to play a Moondog, and be done with it. I mean, it’s not like it would be the first time. The Bulldogs with a flying powerslam/flying headbutt drop combo on Adams at 3:40. DUD

Gene catches up with Roddy Piper, who is reminiscing about all the times he had to listen to Paul Orndorff’s bullshit as they were driving up and down the roads

BUExperience: It’s the WWF golden age. You really can’t go wrong here, just enjoy the colorful cast, and go with it.