WWF Prime Time Wrestling (May 25, 1987)

 

Original Airdate: May 25, 1987

Your Hosts are Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan from the studio

The Young Stallions v Don Muraco and Bob Orton: From New York City on May 18. Jim Powers starts with Muraco, and Don knocks him around with ease. Tag to Bob, and Orton nails Powers with a boot, then a press-backbreaker. Orton works a cravat, but Powers slugs free, and whips Bob into the corner. Powers unloads in the corner before passing to Paul Roma, and he hits Bob with a dive on the way in. Roma works a headlock, and bashes Bob into the turnbuckle with a smash when Orton tries to escape. Back to the headlock, so Orton throws him out of the ring, where Muraco is ready to attack. Bob brings him back in with a hanging vertical suplex, and the heels go to work cutting the ring in half on Paul. Muraco misses a 2nd rope elbowdrop, allowing Roma a dropkick, and he grabs a full-nelson. That draws Orton in, but he hits Muraco by accident, and Roma covers for two. Tag to Powers for a headlock, so Muraco tries to criss cross, but gets dropkicked. That allows Powers to take the headlock down to the mat, but Don fights to a vertical base, and Orton throws a cheap shot from the apron. The heels take control on Powers, until a pump-splash gets blocked, and Roma gets the hot tag - Roseanne Barr the door! Roma and Orton fight over a small package as the referee is distracted by Muraco, and Paul ends up getting the better of it when the official turns his attention back to count the fall at 11:05. Good tag work from all involved. Both teams are kind of underrated, honestly. * ¾ 

Craig DeGeorge is in the control center for Update, with a look at Superstar Billy Graham, whose career is over due to needing a hip replacement 

Outback Jack v Frenchy Martin: From Toronto Ontario Canada on May 17. Interesting how styles change. Jack has very short hair, nearly a shaved bald head here, which Heenan notes is ‘a nice haircut… if you’re going to the chair.’ Jack with a clothesline to the back of the head at 4:22. DUD

Sam Houston v Terry Gibbs: From New York on May 18. Some guys were obvious and easy transitions from Crockett, but guys like Houston never made sense in the WWF. He had a southern gimmick, and was too small to overcome it. I’m surprised he did as well as he did, frankly. Houston with a bulldog at 7:51. ¼*

Gene Okerlund catches up with Brutus Beefcake, who is really into his new barber gimmick

The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers v Jimmy Jack Funk and Tiger Chung Lee: From San Diego California on May 13. Boy, they’re really giving us the ‘A’ matches from all of these cards, aren’t they? We had Hulk Hogan defending the WWF Title on Superstars that week, and this is the best they could come up with for Prime Time? The Brothers with a combo on Funk at 4:03. DUD

Nikolai Volkoff v Corporal Kirchner: From Toronto on May 17. Volkoff attacks him with the flagpole to kickstart the bout, and he unloads. Kirchner fights him off, and bashes Volkoff’s leg into the post, and then adds a boot to the groin. Volkoff nails him, but a cross corner whip gets reversed, and Kirchner corners him for a ten-punch. A charge misses, however, and Kirchner takes a bump over the top to the apron. Volkoff brings him in to cover for two, and a gutwrench suplex gets him another two. Nikolai slaps on the bearhug, and wears Kirchner down for an axehandle to the back. He works a Mexican surfboard from there, but Kirchner escapes, and tags him with a backelbow. That allows Kirchner a pair of kneedrops for two, and a backslide is worth two. Kirchner delivers a clothesline to set up a splash off the middle, but Volkoff gets his knees up to block, and then delivers a press-backbreaker at 9:52. ½*

Back in the studio, Bobby brings his Hollywood lawyer in to meet Monsoon, and invites him back to sit in next week, to see how poorly he’s being treated, and possibly find grounds for a lawsuit. The lawyer may or may not be Vincent Schiavelli

Okerlund catches up with Lanny Poffo, who stumps for Jerry’s Kids

Tito Santana v Butch Reed: From Anaheim California on May 12. Reed triggers a slugfest, but it backfires when Santana wins it, and Butch ends up on the outside. Inside, Reed slugs some more, but Santana hooks a rollup for two, and throws a pair of dropkicks to send Butch over the top. Reed returns with a hidden weapon, and pops Tito with it to take control. Reed goes to work, and I’m actually really enjoying Jesse Ventura and Bruno Sammartino’s constant debate and bickering on commentary. Jesse elevated every single person he worked with on commentary. Reed holds a chinlock to wear him down, and a piledriver gets him two. Reed tries for a 2nd rope axehandle, but Tito blocks him, and makes a comeback. Santana slaps on the figure four, but Reed makes the ropes. They slug it out from there, as time expires at 18:35. This was solid enough, but too long. ¾*

BUExperience: The commentary teams for the matches were really good this week, which elevated otherwise dull in-ring performances.