WWF Prime Time Wrestling (May 11, 1987)

 

Original Airdate: May 11, 1987

Your Hosts are Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan from the studio. Heenan is sporting a neckbrace to sell the Ken Patera angle, and he’s milking it for all it’s worth, bless him

Bret Hart v Davey Boy Smith: From the May 9 (taped April 23) episode of Superstars of Wrestling from Worcester Massachusetts. Criss cross goes Davey's way with a hard shoulderblock that sends Hart to the outside, and he unloads on him in the corner upon re-entering. Bret blocks an Irish whip and slugs at the Bulldog, and drives a knee to take him down during another criss cross. Legdrop and an inverted atomic drop follow, and a backdrop sets up a pointed elbowdrop. Davey tries a crucifix during another criss cross, but Hart drops him like a Samoan, and follows up with another pointed elbowdrop - only to get reversed going into the corner. Smith cross corner whips him to set up a hairpull-slam, and a forearm smash follows. That draws Jim Neidhart onto the apron to protest, and Bret is able to throw a dropkick thanks to the distraction. Meanwhile, Dynamite Kid brawls with Neidhart on the outside, and Davey is able to counter a tilt-a-whirl into the running powerslam at 3:44. Obviously they'd have far better singles matches with each other later on, but this was a good little quickie. ** ½ 

Paul Roma v Steve Lombardi: From Philadelphia Pennsylvania on March 14. Posturing, dominated by Roma. He takes Lombardi to the mat in a side-headlock, but Steve powers to a vertical base, and railroads into the ropes. Irish whip, but Roma reverses, and a criss cross allows Paul a bodypress for two. An armdrag leaves Lombardi in an armbar, but Steve fights free, and dominates on the mat for a while. Lombardi with a vertical suplex for two, but a cross corner whip gets reversed, and Roma corners him for a ten-punch. Roma with a hiptoss and a dropkick, so Lombardi begs off, but Paul keeps coming. A hangman clothesline gets him two, and a powerslam is worth two. Paul goes up, and a flying sunset flip finishes at 9:40. He got some distance on that one! ½*

Craig DeGeorge is in the studio for Update, with his own look at the Heenan/Patera saga

Sika v Pete Doherty: From Boston Massachusetts on May 2. The mat is stained with blood here, from what looks like it was a crazy bloody Hulk Hogan/Harley Race match. Gosh. Sika kills him with a Samoan drop at 3:07. DUD

From Tuesday Night Titans, as Gene Okerlund has Don Muraco and Mr. Fuji as guests, talking about their Hollywood exploits 

WWF Intercontinental Title Match: Ricky Steamboat v Hercules: From Saturday Night's Main Event on May 2 (taped April 28) in Notre Dame Indiana. Slugfest to start, which goes Hercules' way, and he unloads a turnbuckle smash, but Ricky slides between his legs on a clothesline attempt, and throws a pair of dropkicks. They spill to the outside, and the Dragon unloads with chops, then delivers an atomic drop before they head back in. Hercules manages to drop him into the corner to take control, and a clothesline puts the champ down for two, as Randy Savage watches from backstage. Ricky snapmares his challenger over, then delivers a swinging neckbreaker, but Hercules rakes the eyes to thwart the effort. He goes right for the Full Nelson, but Randy Savage objects, and runs out to hook Hercules' ankle, as he doesn't want anyone to beat Steamboat but him. Naturally, Hercules doesn't appreciate that, and lets off the hold to go deal with Macho - making Steamboat look kinda like a chump in the process. I mean, first he needed George Steele's help to win the title, now this. Hercules tries to regroup with a flying splash, but the Dragon lifts his knees to block. Hercules desperately tries to keep control with a bodyslam, but misses an elbowdrop, then misses an elbowsmash in the corner - Steamboat able to capitalize with a few chops to the midsection. Ten-punch is countered with an inverted atomic drop, but Hercules uses his chain in full view of the official, and gets disqualified at 6:42. Well, he kinda deserved it. He didn't even TRY to disguise the cheating! Afterwards, Savage comes back and gives Steamboat a Flying Elbowdrop to make sure he knows who's boss. This was about on par with their WrestleMania 2 match the year before, though I didn't really care for the booking. *

Brutus Beefcake v Johnny Valiant: From the May 2 (taped April 23) episode of Superstars of Wrestling from Worcester Massachusetts. Beefcake officially debuts ‘the barber’ gimmick here, though he actually wears a standard white barber’s coat here, instead of the more stylized ones we’d come to know. Johnny attacks to kick start the match, but a whip into the corner gets reversed, and Beefcake bodyslams him. Beefcake throws an uppercut to send Valiant over the top, and he drags him back in, but Johnny catches him with a shot on the way. Valiant hammers, but gets reversed into the ropes, and Beefcake grabs a sleeper at 1:44. And then afterwards, Johnny takes a haircut to get the new gimmick over. DUD

Honky Tonk Man v George Steele: From the May 10 episode of Wrestling Challenge (taped April 24) in New Haven Connecticut. Steele chases him around the ring, and smashes up his guitar, but the referee thinks that should constitute a DQ at 0:24. This was just an angle. DUD

Gene catches up with Randy Savage, and he’s going to let Steamboat keep the title, just long enough until he can take it back. Because he’s the ‘cream of the crop,’ as evidenced by the fact that he literally carries creamer around with him

Six-Man Tag Team Match: Iron Sheik, Nikolai Volkoff, and Butch Reed v Paul Roma, Jim Powers, and Joe Mirto: From the May 9 Superstars. Jim Duggan is not in the house, so they sing the anthem with no risk. Outback Jack split screens in here, white knighting for America in Duggan’s absence. Reed with a press-drop on Mirto at 2:28. Afterwards, Slick sings the Soviet anthem with soul. Back in the studio, Monsoon suggests that ‘a hanging is in order, a lynching,’ in response to a person of color singing a song. The things they presented without batting an eye in the 80s, fuck. DUD

Gene catches up with the Can-Am Connection. I like Rick Martel as a babyface. He’s a better heel, but underrated as a babyface

The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers v Don Muraco and Bob Orton: From Worcester on April 23. Jacques Rougeau and Muraco start, and Bruno Sammartino sounds like someone’s grandfather on commentary here. “Well, let’s see if they can give the superplex!” Jacques manages a victory roll for two, so Don backs off, as Jacques tags to Raymond Rougeau. Don powers Ray around, but Ray outsmarts them during a double team, and Orton ends up whacking Muraco. Ray with a bodypress on Bob for two, and he passes back to Jacques for a slingshot sunset flip for two. Jacques cranks a wristlock, so Orton passes to Muraco, and Jacques uses a pair of armdrags into an armbar. Tag to Ray to hold an armbar of his own, so Mr. Fuji trips him up during a criss cross, and the heels gain control. They go to work on Raymond, until he gets them to collide, and gets a hot tag off to Jacques. Jacques runs wild, and blasts Orton with a jumping backelbow for two. Tag back to Ray for a sidekick for two, and then right back to Jacques for stereo dropkicks, so Muraco comes in, and Roseanne Barr the door! The heel isolate Jacques, but fail to heed the referee’s count to break up their double team, and that’s a DQ at 10:07. ½*

BUExperience: Nothing of note on here in terms of matches, but Heenan was in rare form this week, really sinking his teeth into this Patera angle throughout.