WWF Wrestling Challenge (June 14, 1987)

 

Original Airdate: June 14, 1987 (taped June 3)

From Rochester, New York; Your Hosts are Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan

Kamala and Sika v Don Driggers and Mario Mancini: Gorilla notes that both heels have ‘cannibalistic instincts,’ which is an interesting way of putting it. A combo finishes at 2:09. DUD

Craig DeGeorge catches up with the Can-Am Connection, who are ready to get revenge on the Islanders

Brutus Beefcake v Dusty Wolfe: Beefcake has some gear here that looks like he’s trying out as the third Beverly Brother. But, it’s better than the animal print stuff, so no complaints. The Rougeau Brothers split screen in here, praising Beefcake for his babyface turn. Brutus with a sleeper at 2:19. DUD

Gene Okerlund catches up with the Killer Bees, who have been training with Hulk Hogan. And you know it’s legit, because B. Brian Blair uses the expression ‘hanging and banging.’ That checks out

Killer Khan v Eric Cooper: Gorilla suggests that Khan ‘could have been a member of the Heenan Family,’ and even Bobby is left speechless at that. Monsoon also calls a Russian legsweep as a ‘suplex,’ so who knows what the fuck with him anyway. Khan with a flying kneedrop at 1:55. DUD

Okerlund catches up with One Man Gang and Slick, and Gang is very excited about being 6’9” and 450 pounds. I’m not sure if his cardiologist would be equally excited 

Junkyard Dog v Steve Lombardi: Nikolai Volkoff split screens in here, and apparently he has an issue with JYD being the wrong color. You know, not ‘red.’ Dog with a scoop powerslam at 2:12. DUD

DeGeorge catches up with Ron Bass, who is whipping up a storm. It’s interesting how they ran almost the same segments on Superstars and Challenge, just with a different interviewer. I am both impressed and shocked by that

DeGeorge is in the control center with yet another update on Superstar Billy Graham. Apparently, he’s slightly less old and broken down this week, and might even make a comeback

WWF Intercontinental Title Match: Ricky Steamboat v Honky Tonk Man: From Superstars of Wrestling on June 13 (taped June 2) in Buffalo New York. Honky attacks, and manages a turnbuckle smash to rattle the champion. Honky tries dumping him over the top, but Steamboat skins the cat, and backdrops Honky over the top. Steamboat uses a side suplex to force him back in, and an chop drop finds the mark. Steamboat with a snapmare to set up a somersault necksnap, and he uses a turnbuckle smash of his own. Steamboat keeps coming with a backelbow, and he throws some chops, then wins a criss cross with a rollup for two. Honky sends him into the turnbuckle with the force of the kickout, and the challenger quickly capitalizes by snapping the Dragon’s throat across the top. Honky with a bodyslam to set up a 2nd rope elbowdrop, but Steamboat dodges. Ricky makes a comeback, but he telegraphs a backdrop, and gets nailed. Honky tries for the swinging neckbreaker, but Steamboat backdrops him to block. Honky tries a charge, but misses in the corner, and Steamboat puts him down with chops. That allows Ricky to go up with a flying tomahawk chop, but Jimmy Hart is distracting the referee, so no count. Steamboat goes after him, allowing Honky to recover, but the sneak attack backfires. Steamboat hooks him in a small package, but Honky reverses into a leveraged pin at 3:53. They didn’t get a lot of time here, but they worked really hard with what they had. * ¾

Six-Man Tag Team Match: Hillbilly Jim, Billy Jack Haynes, and SD Jones v Don Muraco, Bob Orton, and Iron Mike Sharpe: Why even bother doing this as a six-man here? Haynes and Orton start, and Bob dominates with armdrags. A criss cross allows Haynes to respond in kind, so Don rushes in, but eats an armdrag as well. Too bad Steamboat isn’t in this, we could have really had something. Tags to Jim and Don, and Muraco escapes a headlock with shots in the corner. Orton rushes in, but so does everyone else, and Roseanne Barr the door! A heel miscommunication ends in Jones pinning Sharpe at 3:04. The guy I expected to job jobbed, but I was surprised to see SD to score the pin here. DUD

Okerlund catches up with WWF Tag Team Champions The Hart Foundation

We get clips of Honky celebrating in the heel locker room, where former champion Randy Savage endorses him

BUExperience: This was okay, though the only worthwhile match was a repeat from Superstars.