WWF Prime Time Wrestling (August 31, 1987)

 

Original Airdate: August 31, 1987

Your Host is Gorilla Monsoon from the studio, with Bobby Heenan missing in action (and replaced by an action figure). Lord Alfred Hayes eventually joins him, after no one can find Bobby

Nikolai Volkoff v Paul Orndorff: From Boston Massachusetts on August 15. Volkoff attacks him before the bell, but Paul fights him off. Paul throws a knee and a kneedrop for two, but Volkoff is able to grab a standing side-headlock. Volkoff misses a charge in the corner, allowing Paul a few elbowsmashes, and he grabs a wristlock. Volkoff fights into a bearhug, but Paul cradles for two, so Volkoff goes to a Boston crab. Paul counters to another cradle for two, so Volkoff calls for a test-of-strength. Paul accepts, and catches him with a dropkick, then an elbowdrop. Volkoff tries a big charge, but misses, and Paul blasts him with a flying elbowsmash, then a clothesline at 9:39. This had energy, and crowd support, but wasn’t great work. ½*

Craig DeGeorge catches up with Strike Force, who are ready to strike the Islanders with force

DeGeorge is in the studio with Update, giving us a look at Brutus Beefcake training as a barber 

The British Bulldogs offer pet care tips. That legitimately terrifies me 

Jesse Ventura catches up with Mr. Fuji, sharing the news that Fuji is out of the running for Bam Bam Bigelow

Ted DiBiase v Sivi Afi: From Boston on August 15. Posturing to start, with DiBiase dominating. Sivi gets him with a bodypress for two, but Ted fires back with a clothesline, and he puts the boots to him to turn the tide. Ted with a turnbuckle smash, and he unloads on Sivi in the corner. Ted with a cross corner whip, and he backdrops Sivi on the rebound. That allows Ted to get to the middle rope for an elbowsmash, and a bodyslam follows. Ted with a snapmare into a chinlock, but Sivi fights up, and goes on the comeback trail. Ted withstands it, and catches him with a Russian legsweep at 7:13. Afterwards, DiBiase brings a woman out of the crowd, and pays her $300 to get down and kiss his feet. No idea if she was a plant, but she was way overdressed for a regular fan. ½*

The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers v Dino Bravo and Johnny Valiant: From Boston on August 15. Was Valentine taking a shit, or something? Jacques Rougeau starts with Johnny, and Valiant takes a bump to the outside off of a dropkick almost immediately. Tags all around, and Raymond Rougeau wins a criss cross with a bodypress for two. A blind tag to Jacques allows them stereo dropkicks, and Jacques adds a splash for two. Jacques tries a monkey flip out of the corner, but Bravo counters with an inverted atomic drop, and he passes to Johnny to put the boots to him. The heels works Jacques over, but Ray catches the hot tag, and he runs wild on Valiant. An elbowdrop gets two, and a savate kick is worth two. Bravo comes in, but lands on Johnny with a legdrop, allowing Raymond to cover at 7:38. ½*

Gene Okerlund catches up with Beefcake, taking stock together of the Dream Team breakup - and Greg Valentine moving on 

Iron Mike Sharpe v Brady Boone: From Boston on August 15. Posturing to start. Sharpe gets control, and works him over, despite Boone using superior speed tactics. Boone manages to tag him with a jumping backelbow out of the ropes, and that’s enough to let him go on the comeback trail. A kneelift gets him two, and a dropkick is worth another two. Boone keeps coming in the corner, so Sharpe nails him with the loaded forearm pad, and that’s enough for three at 9:33. ½*

Elimination Match: Honky Tonk Man, Bret Hart, and Jim Neidhart v Bruno Sammartino, Tito Santana, and Jake Roberts: From Boston on August 15. After some switching around, they settle on Bret and Tito to start. Hart with a cross corner whip, but Santana blocks the charge in, and puts the boots to the Hitman. Tag to Jake for a wristlock, so Bret tries a hiptoss, but gets reversed. DDT, but Hart hits the deck, and bails. Tag to Anvil puts Jake into trouble, and the heels work him over from there. Honky blows it once he gets tagged in, however, and Jake destroys him. A distraction from Jimmy Hart allows Honky to bash Jake with the megaphone, however, and Roberts is counted out at 7:03. Bruno comes in, but Honky hides in his home corner to avoid getting stretched. Bruno manages to get a shot in, but immediately gets grabbed by Neidhart, and Bret starts unloading. The Foundation beat Bruno down, but he slips away long enough to tag, and Roseanne Barr the door! The Foundation isolate Santana, but Bruno tips Jim up during a criss cross, and Tito hits Bret with a bodypress at 12:02. Neidhart immediately goes to town on Santana from there, and the heels cut the ring in half on him. Santana manages to make a fiery comeback, but Jimmy trips him up from the outside, and Neidhart pins him at 17:21. The heels double up on Bruno, but he fights valiantly. Bruno eventually gets overwhelmed, however, and he’s left taking boots from Honky. Jimmy tries another shot with the megaphone to cap this off, but misses, and Neidhart takes it. That allows Bruno to cover at 20:14. That leaves Honky alone, and despite being way outgunned, Honky goes in with gusto. He pounds Bruno into the corner for a ten-punch, and he uses a pair of kneedrops. Bruno manages to force a criss cross, however, and he plants a knee to the head for the win at 21:45. This was pretty fun. What would it look like if they did a whole pay per view of these matches? * ¾ 

BUExperience: A lot of the matches were kind of okay(ish), but the studio segments were really lacking without the Monsoon/Heenan banter. The Elimination match was cool, though.