WWF Superstars of Wrestling (May 23, 1987)

 

Original Airdate: May 23, 1987 (taped May 12)

From Anaheim, California; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon, Bruno Sammartino, and Jesse Ventura

Gene Okerlund catches up with WWF Champion Hulk Hogan, who is ready to celebrate Memorial Day

Randy Savage v Jerry Monti: WWF Intercontinental Champion Ricky Steamboat split screens in here, offering Savage a rematch any time. Yeah, well when did you give it, Steamboat? Talk is cheap! Savage with the flying elbowdrop, and an arrogant pin at 1:33. Macho was getting a great reaction here, and it’s no wonder they turned him babyface later in the year. DUD

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 

Killer Khan vignette 

Hillbilly Jim and Outback Jack v Dave Barbie and Buddy Ryder: Jim and Jack split screen in here, sharing foods from their native lands. I’m not sure who I feel worse for. Bruno reacting to it is great, since you have to believe he’d know good food. Jack with a bulldog at 2:11. DUD

Gene catches up with Hulk again, and he’s fuming about Harley Race

Fabulous Moolah likes WWF Ice Cream Bars, but is annoyed that she isn’t on one of them. They probably didn’t want to pay her 50% of their profits

One Man Gang v Jesse Cortez: This is Gang’s debut, and he’s managed by Slick. They split screen in here with an introduction, which basically amounts to ‘look at how big he is!’ Some things never change. Gang with a 2nd rope elbowdrop at 1:48. ‘Now that’s what you call a Bionic Elbow,’ notes Ventura. Oh, just wait. DUD

Gene catches up with Harley Race, who promises to take Hogan ‘all night long.’ Let’s keep private lives private, please

Ken Patera v Gladiator: Billy Jack Haynes split screens in here to put Patera over. Oh, well, if Billy likes him, shit. Patera with a bearhug at 1:59. DUD 

Jake Roberts hosts the Snake Pit, with guests Bobby Heenan, Harley Race, and Hercules. We haven’t seen this segment in a minute. Heenan is still sporting the neckbrace as a result of the attack from Patera a few weeks ago, and the Family swears revenge. Where’s Andre been? Has he even made an appearance since WrestleMania? 

WWF Title Match: Hulk Hogan v Bob Orton: Orton muscles him into the corner right away, and unloads, but Hulk returns fire. Hulk grabs a headlock, but Bob reverses, so Hogan whips him into the ropes, and clotheslines him over the top. Orton takes a bump into the first row off of it, which is wild. Bob beats the count back in, so Hogan cross corner whips him, with Orton taking a flip bump into it. Hulk with another corner whip that sees Orton bump over the turnbuckles, and Hogan uses a bodyslam to set up a trio of elbowdrops. Hulk with the axe bomber for two, and he puts Bob in a standing front-facelock, but Orton railroads into the corner. Bob tries a cross corner whip, but Hulk reverses, and follows in with a clothesline, as the ropes break. A distraction from Mr. Fuji allows Orton to knock Hulk out of the ring, and Fuji goes to work with the cane. Bob hammers on the champion, and he dives with a 2nd rope axehandle, as the broken ropes mess with their timing. I’m surprised they didn’t stop to fix it, considering it was a taped show. Orton with a chinlock, and a pair of fistdrops connect on a worn down Hulkster. Bob with a vertical suplex for two, and a modified neckbreaker gets two. Back to the chinlock, but Hulk escapes, so Orton bodyslams him, and delivers a kneedrop for two. Bob with a swinging neckbreaker for two, and he tries a turnbuckle smash, but Hogan reverses. Hogan takes him from corner to corner with a series of smashes, so Bob throws a knee, and snapmares him. That allows Bob a legdrop for two (after abandoning an attempt to climb the ropes), but it triggers the HULK UP!! Fists of Fury! Cross Corner Whip! Big Boot! Legdrop! 9:14! This was solid, but the ropes breaking hurt it. It’s not like they would have been doing crazy dives otherwise, but it just messed with their timing. * ½ 

Gene catches up with Danny Davis, who has George Steele on his mind

Gene catches up with Demolition, who promise to put the Can-Am Connection in the hospital

 

Bobby Heenan promises two new members of the Heenan Family, right here next week

BUExperience: I mean, we had Hulk Hogan defending the WWF Title. This was basically a pay per view level show for 1987. Seriously… Hulk, Macho, debut of One Man Gang… there was a lot going on here.