WWF Superstars of Wrestling (January 10, 1987)

 

Original Airdate: January 10, 1987 (taped December 9, 1986)

From Phoenix, Arizona; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon, Bruno Sammartino, and Jesse Ventura

Six-Man Tag Team Match: Junkyard Dog, George Steele, and Billy Jack Haynes v Frenchy Martin, Tim Patterson, and Mike Lucca: Before going back into this period, I never realized just how many six-man tags they were booking back in the day. JYD with a powerslam at 1:27. DUD

Gene Okerlund is in the studio for Update, with a look at Paul Orndorff, who gets off on breaking necks

Hercules v Alex Knight: More like ‘Alex Wrong.’ Hercules with the torture rack at a brisk 0:54. DUD

Recently, Ventura caught up with Bobby Heenan, again trying to get him to spill the beans on the Andre the Giant reinstatement hearing, but the Brain would rather discuss Hercules

Adrian Adonis is ready to introduce Roddy Piper to Irene. “No high heels, no miniskirt, just two bulking arms.” I think I’d swipe left on that one, personally

Blackjack Mulligan vignette

Jake Roberts v Billy Anderson: Anderson gets a huge reaction here, since he’s announced as a local. Gosh, that was a Hogan-like pop. And, speaking of Hulk, Jake split screens in here, laughing off the talk about Hulk’s ‘pythons’ being bigger than Damien. Jake with the DDT at 1:34. DUD

Ken Resnick catches up with Mr. Fuji, who is ready to unleash hell in the Bunkhouse Battle Royal, in the form of Bob Orton

Honky Tonk Man visits Graceland, rejecting the idea to buy the place, since it’s such a dump. He’d rather build a new place, and call is ‘Honkyland.’ I’m guessing it would be in the south

The British Bulldogs v Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff: The WWF Tag Team title is not on the line. Davey Boy Smith starts with Volkoff, and wins a series of power showdowns, so Slick trips him up. That allows the heels to double team, and Sheik tags in with a backdrop. Sheik catches him with a clothesline for two, and a gutwrench suplex is worth another two. The heels work Smith over, until Davey reverses a vertical suplex on Sheik, and makes the tag. Kid comes in with a hiptoss on Sheik for one, and a snap suplex is worth two. Sleeper, but Slick nails him with the cane to break it up. Davey chases Slick away (with the aid of Matilda), which causes the referee to disqualify the Bulldogs at 2:25. This was too short to be of any real note, but it wasn’t bad by any means. ¾*

Roddy Piper hosts Piper’s Pit, with guests WWF Intercontinental Champion Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth. Macho wants to show off his new action figure, but Piper would rather remind him that Ricky Steamboat is on his way back to town

WWF Fan Club ad

‘Bad boys of the WWF’ music video, set to ‘Bad Boy’ by the Miami Sound Machine

The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers v Jack Kruger and Kevin Collins: Vince notes that K-uger recently faced Andre - somehow mixing Andre the Giant up with Kamala. That’s quite the mix up. The Brothers split screen in here to wish us a happy new year. How sweet. The Brothers with a combo at 1:25. DUD

Outback Jack vignette. These went on forever. Jack wasn’t such a horrible wrestler for this era, or anything, but the build went on for so long that anything short of the next Hulk Hogan would have been a disappointment by the time he showed up. Not unlike Glacier a decade later

Butch Reed v Reggie Parks: Yes, the same Reggie Parks who crafted so many of the title belts from this era. And also from the famous Owen Hart rib on his father, Stu. Reed with a 2nd rope clothesline at 2:06. DUD

Recently, Ventura tried to get an interview with Randy Savage, but instead witnessed the Can-Am Connection getting mobbed by the girls outside of the arena

Resnick catches up with Junkyard Dog, who isn’t worried about what kind of weapons guys like Fuji or Lanny Poffo might be bringing to the ring for the Bunkhouse Battle Royal. I mean, most people aren’t too afraid of frisbees

Piper recounts all the injuries he’s had over the years (including referencing the Dog Collar match with Greg Valentine at Starrcade), but all that’s nothing compared to what he’s going to do to Adonis

BUExperience: Nothing major, but things moved here. They shoot from segment to segment with incredible efficiency, and it makes the show very watchable.