WWF Wrestling Challenge (April 12, 1987)

 

Original Airdate: April 12, 1987 (taped March 22)

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

Six-Man Tag Team Match: Tito Santana, Davey Boy Smith, and Dynamite Kid v Jimmy Jack Funk, Gladiator, and Barry O: Danny Davis split screens in here, noting that he’s not impressed with the Bulldogs or Tito. I get why they had this match on March 22, but I don’t get why they’re airing it post WrestleMania. Were they planning to make this a regular team? This one drags on forever, before Santana puts Funk away with a jumping forearm at 3:57. Was that really only four minutes? DUD

Wrestlers’ Rebuttal is Brutus Beefcake showing off the ziploc of carries around, filled with Adrian Adonis’ hair. Yeah, that’s not quite the flex he seems to think it is

Butch Reed v Sivi Afi: Reed with a little stalling early on, complaining about everything from hair pulling to tight hooking, as Slick split screens in to rant about Koko B. Ware ripping up his clothes at WrestleMania. Reed gets control, and ropechokes Afi, ahead of a facebuster. Reed dumps him to the outside, but Afi beats the count, so Reed snaps his throat across the top. Reed with a cross corner whip, but the charge in misses, and Afi starts throwing chops. A jumping headbutt gets him one, but he telegraphs a backdrop, and gets clobbered. That allows Reed a press-drop for the pin at 3:09. DUD

Gene Okerlund catches up with Tito, hyping a six-man tag. Oh, so I guess he’s going to be teaming with the Bulldogs again after all! Oh, wait, he’s teaming with Hogan and Jake Roberts. Makes the earlier match seem even more pointless

WWF Champion Hulk Hogan is glad to have the DDT on his side. Looks more like he’s got the HGH at this point

Beefcake promises to turn the New Dream Team into a nightmare. Just show them the bag of human hair you carry around like a security blanket, Brutus. That ought to give anyone nightmares

The Killer Bees v Dave Wagner and Rick Renslow: Heenan mocking Jack Tunney’s authority (over the Bees’ mask situation) here is hilarious, as always. Jesse made the better arguments, but Bobby made the more entertaining ones. Both were wonderful. The Bees with a combo at 2:33. DUD

Gene catches up with Koko, who thinks he can handle Danny Davis. Well, considering his last big effort was beating up a manager, I’d say he’s on the right trajectory 

The Ken Patera Story! Part 2! All roads still lead to prison

Harley Race v Jim Young: Johnny Valiant takes over for Bobby on commentary for this one, since Heenan is out there with Harley. Outback Jack split screens in here, apparently thinking he’s on Race’s level. Well, good to have ambitions. Harley with a cradle suplex at 1:08. DUD

Jake Roberts hosts the Snake Pit with guest Ron Bass, who wants to prove that he’s the ugliest guy to ever come out of Texas. I don’t think we have enough time for that

Demolition v Lanny Poffo and Billy Anderson: Poffo trying to read poems at Demolition feels like about the most inept thing imaginable. Mr. Fuji split screens in here, promising to take Demolition to the top. He fails to add ‘and then dump them while they’re the reigning champions,’ but I guess he hadn’t thought that far ahead yet. Demolition with a combo on Anderson at 2:50. DUD

Gene catches up with Honky Tonk Man and Harley Race, hopefully to talk about their new team, the Memphis Kings

BUExperience: Just kind of ‘stuff,’ this week. Nothing especially notable, but not hard to watch.