WWF Superstars of Wrestling (May 2, 1987)

 

Original Airdate: May 2, 1987 (taped April 23)

From Worcester, Massachusetts; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon, Bruno Sammartino, and Jesse Ventura

Randy Savage v SD Jones: Macho flips out on the ring announcer for introducing him as the ‘former Intercontinental champion,’ and declares himself not just the uncrowned Intercontinental champ, but the uncrowned world champion as well! You tell him, Randy! Savage with the flying elbowdrop at 1:42. Fired up Macho Man is always fun, and he gives Jones another elbow after the bell, and then dumps him to the outside for a flying axehandle on the floor for good measure! ¼*

George Steele is perplexed by the concept of a lumberjack match

Craig DeGeorge is in the studio for Update, and he’s still talking about the Hercules/Billy Jack Haynes ‘master of the full nelson’ dispute

Johnny Valiant isn’t sweating Brutus Beefcake, since he was the weak link in the Dream Team the whole time anyway

Brutus Beefcake v Johnny Valiant: 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

Gene Okerlund catches up with Jake Roberts, who is looking for revenge on Honky Tonk Man

Killer Khan v Nelson Veilluex: This is Khan's first WWF match since 1982, and he shows up in a split screen promo with Mr. Fuji here to reintroduce himself. Khan with a 2nd rope kneedrop at 1:18. DUD

Gene catches up with Bobby Heenan, who promises that Hulk Hogan will only hear himself introduced as world champion one last time, because Harley Race will be taking the title 

Outback Jack is into WWF Ice Cream Bars. Not in a sexual way

Speaking of food, Kamala and Sika raw dog some shellfish

The Can-Am Connection v Dusty Wolfe and Rocky Stone: I’m still disappointed that Tom Zenk blew his shot in the big time, because I liked the Connection as a team, and I’d have probably dug his eventual singles run as well. Wolfe eats a combo at 2:58. ¼*

DeGeorge catches up with Blackjack Mulligan doesn’t care what kind of names you call him, so long as you remember that he’s a Texan. Was anyone… disputing that?

More of the Ken Patera Story

Okerlund moderates an in-ring ‘debate’ between Heenan and Patera to ‘determine’ whose fault it actually was that Ken went to jail. Didn’t the courts already do that? It’s kind of weird that Ken came to the debate in his singlet. Did he do the same in court? Because that might have something to do with why they threw the book at him. Anyway, Heenan is harsh, but his points about how he can’t be held responsible for Ken’s actions aren’t wrong. He isn’t a babysitter! And Ken comes off like a total crybaby, complaining about how Heenan didn’t come visit him in jail, and that his wife never even got a letter from Bobby! Not even a letter? No wonder he’s bitter. I mean, stamps were still pretty cheap back then. Hilariously, the crowd is totally siding with massive heel Heenan here - you can see people jump up and cheer him. So all this comes to Bobby trying to attack Ken, but that ends badly for him, and Patera destroys him, which gets the crowd back on his side. I mean, Bobby may make some good points, but no one likes him

Adrian Adonis v Jake Milliman: This is Adrian's one and only TV match post WrestleMania III, and he'd already wrapped up his non-TV appearances by the time this aired. Jimmy Hart split screens in, noting that Adrian isn’t laughing about the haircut, and he’ll show Beefcake just how ‘funny’ it is. Adrian with the sleeper at 1:07. DUD

Okerlund catches up with the Hulkster, who looks like he hit the tanning salon hard before this taping

 

Bret Hart is ready to take on Davey Boy Smith next week, one-on-one

 

Davey Boy is... also ready. But, to take on Bret. Not himself 

BUExperience: This was alright. We got pissed off Macho Man, the debut of the Barber gimmick, the epic debate, and Adrian Adonis’ last appearance. That feels like a win.