WWF at Boston Garden (January 9, 1988)

 

Original Airdate: January 9, 1988

From Boston, Massachusetts; Your Hosts are Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan

Opening Match: SD Jones v Iron Mike Sharpe: Jones dominates early on, but Sharpe gets control, and works him over. Jones makes a brief comeback, but gets knocked silly by Sharpe’s forearm brace, and pinned at 8:33. If not for the chemistry of Monsoon and Heenan on commentary, I’d likely have fallen asleep here. DUD

The British Bulldogs v The Conquistadors: The Bulldogs chase Heenan (who had recently dognapped Matilda) away from ringside, leaving Monsoon to call this one alone. Davey Boy Smith starts with Uno, and outmoves him. That draws Dos in, so Davey presses Uno into him, and he passes to Dynamite Kid. Kid dominates both guys, and a snap suplex on Dos is delivered. Tag to Davey for a snapmare into a chinlock, but Uno manages to maneuver into his home corner, and Uno chokes Smith from the apron. The heels work Davey over in their corner, and they cut the ring in half, fighting off Davey’s hope spots. Uno misses an elbowdrop to allow the tag to Kid, and he blasts Uno with a clothesline. Kid with a bodyslam to set up a 2nd rope headbutt drop for two, and a turnbuckle smash rattles his brain. Kid stays on him with a sleeper, but Dos saves, and Uno is up first, nailing Kid with a right hand. Kid responds with a small package for two when Dos saves, but the heels get control, and work him over. Kid manages to catch Dos with a headbutt to allow the hot tag to Davey! A clothesline on Uno gets dos, and a hanging vertical suplex is worth another two. A piledriver follows, and the running powerslam looks to finish, but Dos comes in to save. Kid cuts him off, and Dos gets dumped - allowing the Bulldogs to finish off Uno with a combo at 13:11. Basic, but not poorly worked. *

Jake Roberts v Ted DiBiase: Some posturing to start, as they trade wristlocks and such. Ted with a few punches, but Jake blocks a bodyslam, and uses a series of jabs to send DiBiase to the outside. Ted beats the count, and they get into a test-of-strength, and DiBiase looks for a cheap shot, but almost gets caught in the DDT. Ted bails to the outside to regroup, but Jake nearly drops him with the DDT a second time when he comes back in, so DiBiase bails again. Jake gets sick of it, and rolls out to bash his head into Virgil’s, and Ted chews his bodyguard out. Virgil tries to mend fences by distracting Roberts, but DiBiase blows the sneak attack. Virgil with another assist, and Ted manages to successfully deliver a fistdrop as they head back into the ring. Ted goes to work, and a 2nd rope axehandle gets him two. DiBiase adds a clothesline ahead of a chinlock, but Jake escapes, and goes on the comeback trail. DDT, so Virgil goes after the snake bag, and Ted is able to avoid it. Jake goes after Virgil, and DiBiase schoolboys at 10:53. Nothing special. ½*

Dino Bravo v Jerry Allen: Heenan is hilarious here, trying to dodge Monsoon’s interrogations about Matilda. And then he gets sick of it, and just walks out again. Did he have a stomach bug that day, and they needed a cover? Bravo with a sidewalk slam at 3:31. DUD

Main Event: WWF Title Match: Hulk Hogan v Rick Rude: Jimmy Hart sits in on commentary here, since Bobby is with Rude/on the toilet. Rude wants an arm wrestling match, and Hulk obliges. Hogan wins that, and he knocks Rick into the corner from there, then sends him over the top with an atomic drop. Heenan tries a distraction, so Hulk hauls off and slugs him, and Rick regroups with his battered manager on the outside. Rude manages to get control, and he grounds Hogan in an armbar. Hulk escapes, but misses an elbowdrop, and Rick works his neck. He tries a turnbuckle smash, but Hogan reverses, and then goes after Bobby. That allows Rude to nail him, and the challenger cracks Hulk with a chair while Bobby distracts the official. Cover, count, but Hogan is in the ropes at two. Rick stays on him with a chinlock, but Hulk powers out, so Rude puts him in a backbreaker rack. That’s pretty impressive, considering how huge Hogan is. It goes nowhere, though, other than wearing Hulk down. Rick capitalizes with a flying fistdrop for two, but he triggers the HULK UP!! Fists of Fury! Cross Corner Clothesline! Bodyslam! Legdrop! 11:41! This was surprisingly dull. Afterwards, DiBiase and Virgil show up, and lay Hogan out with a title belt shot - complete with a bladejob from the Hulkster. ½*

WWF Women's Tag Team Title Match: Leilani Kai and Judy Martin v The Jumping Bomb Angels: The champs dominate early, but the Angels turn it around, and dominate Martin. The Angels dominate the match, but a cheap shot from the heels allows them to retain at 10:30. Not my tempo. ½*

Greg Valentine v Brutus Beefcake: Slugfest to start, won by Beefcake. Beefcake with a turnbuckle smash to flop the Hammer, and an elbowdrop to the groin follows. Beefcake with an atomic drop to set up an elbowdrop, and he hammers Greg with punches. Greg manages to sweep the leg, and he chokes Beefcake down for mounted punches, but Brutus reverses. Greg manages a clothesline for two, and he grounds Beefcake in a modified reverse chinlock. Greg tries a figure four, but Beefcake blocks, and they get into another slugfest - again won by the Barber. Beefcake gets the sleeper on, but Greg gets into the corner to force a break. Greg bails, so Beefcake chases, unloading on the outside. Beefcake rolls him in, so Jimmy Hart attacks, and the distraction prevents Beefcake from beating the count at 7:29. ½*

WWF Tag Team Title Match: Strike Force v The Hart Foundation: I’d forgotten that the Harts were still heels at this point. Rick Martel and Bret Hart start, and Bret tries bullying him around, but gets caught in the corner, and Hart bails. Back in, Martel grounds the Hitman in a hammerlock, and he passes to Tito Santana for a double team. Santana works a hammerlock of his own, but Bret manages to tag Jim Neidhart, and the Foundation are quick with a cheap shot on Martel to gain control. They cut the ring in half on Rick, until a miscommunication allows a hot tag to Tito - Roseanne Barr the door! Santana hits Hart with a jumping forearm, but Anvil saves. Martel clears him out, allowing Santana to put Bret in the figure four, so Jim comes back in with Jimmy Hart’s megaphone to wallop Santana for the DQ at 12:02. ¾*

BUExperience: A promising enough card on paper, but man was this one boring house show.

DUD