WWF Prime Time Wrestling (July 6, 1987)

 

Original Airdate: July 6, 1987

Your Hosts are Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan from the studio. After a plethora of LJNs on the desk last week, they’re down to only one this week (the Hulkster)

Outback Jack v Killer Khan: From Superstars of Wrestling on July 4 (taped June 23) in Indianapolis Indiana. Khan stomps him down, but Jack slugs back. Jack lands a clothesline, but Khan manages to throw a superkick, and he blinds Jack with some mist. That allows Khan a backbreaker, and he dives with a flying kneedrop at 2:09. This was terrible. DUD

Brad Rheingans v Tiger Chung Lee: From Boston Massachusetts on June 6. Does Rheingans have the AWA logo on his entrance jacket there? Lee with a tombstone at 5:53. What’s more shocking: that this made TV, or that Lee actually got the win? DUD

Gene Okerlund catches up with Danny Davis, who thinks getting fired as a referee by Jack Tunney was the best thing that ever happened to him

Ted DiBiase vignette. This time, he’s visiting a doctor’s office, but doesn’t want to wait for care, and pays off the receptionist. Isn’t that just how it works? I’m pretty sure that’s just standard operating procedure in the medical field. We’re still really early in the development of the character here, and you can already tell that he’s going to be a massive success

Craig DeGeorge catches up with Butch Reed to watch footage of Superstar Billy Graham working out. Reed is none too impressed. I am! He went from ‘basically dead’ to bodybuilding in a matter of weeks! That’s something!

DeGeorge is in the studio for Update, giving us a look at the Heenan Family’s attack on Ken Patera last week. As soon as he got back to the dressing room, Billy Jack Haynes and Brutus Beefcake tended to him, and he’s fuming

One Man Gang v Eric Cooper: From Superstars on June 27 (taped June 2) in Buffalo New York. Mr. T sits in on commentary here, as they continue trying to get over his new role that I don’t at all remember. So, good job, obviously. Gang with a 2nd rope elbowdrop at 2:31. DUD

SD Jones v Pete Doherty: From Boston on June 6. Another main event anywhere in the country. Not the world though, let’s not overstate it. Jones puts this dork away with a slam at 6:50. DUD

Hillbilly Jim v Steve Lombardi: From Toronto Ontario Canada on June 28. Monsoon objects to the referee patting Hillbilly down, since he ‘just has some chewing tobacco’ in his pockets. And we’re just supposed to take the guys word for it?! How did this guy ever become president of the promotion? He then continues to get my blood boiling by noting that Steve is ‘from the Bronx.’ Come on now. Jim with a bearhug at 7:23. He’ll probably never be able to show his face in the Bronx ever again after that loss. DUD

Okerlund catches up with Brutus Beefcake, and tries to finagle a free haircut 

Brutus Beefcake v Johnny Valiant: From Toronto on June 28. Valiant attacks while Beefcake is distracted trying to cut Bobby Heenan’s hair, and really, that’s his own fault. Bobby was just sitting there doing commentary, and this bully came after him. So Johnny goes to work, until Beefcake manages to grab him by the throat. Beefcake with a series of turnbuckle smashes, and he crotches Valiant on the post for fun. Again with the bullying. Beefcake with a ten-punch count, and a corner whip leads to a backdrop on the rebound. Beefcake keeps going with a few facebusters, and the sleeper finishes at 4:59. This was entertaining, even if not a workrate classic. And, of course, Johnny takes a haircut afterwards. ¼*

King Kong Bundy v Corporal Kirchner: From Toronto on June 28. They measure each other to start, and Bundy gets pissed. He hits him with a backelbow, but misses an elbowdrop, and Kirchner uses a bodypress for two. Bundy fights back with a knee, and he rams Kirchner into the turnbuckle for a smash. Bundy with a snapmare to set up a kneedrop for two, but he telegraphs a backdrop, and gets nailed. Kirchner wants to turn it into a comeback, but Bundy quickly cuts him off. Avalanche, but Kirchner sidesteps, and goes on the comeback trail, for real this time. Kirchner with a fistdrop and an elbowdrop for two, and a cross corner whip works, but ends up backfiring when Bundy rebounds with a clothesline. He adds an elbowdrop, and scores the pin at 3:07. This was energetic. ¼*

Billy Jack Haynes v Ron Bass: From Toronto on June 28. Sounds like a very loud ‘asshole’ chant is going down here. Haynes dominates him early, until Bass bails to regroup. Back in, he tries a corner whip, but Haynes reverses, and bodyslams him on the rebound. Haynes grabs a side-headlock, so Ron forces a criss cross, but Haynes wins it with a sunset flip for two. Haynes hammers on the arm, as Bobby tries to get Gorilla to clarify what the crowd is chanting for the people at home. Haynes with a hammerlock, but Bass escapes, and manages to finally turn things around. He delivers a bodyslam before dumping Haynes to the outside, where Bass feeds him the guardrail. Inside, Bass works the arm, until Haynes reverses a turnbuckle smash, and goes on the comeback trail. Haynes delivers an elbowdrop for two, and he goes for the full nelson, but Bass is in the ropes before he can lock it. Ron pops him with a fist on the break, and he grabs the bullwhip to choke Haynes with. The referee tries to intervene, but Bass shoves him down, and that’s the DQ at 10:35. ¾*

BUExperience: They’re not even pretending this show is anything less than garbage anymore.