WWF at Madison Square Garden (March 18, 1989)

 

Original Airdate: March 18, 1989

From New York, New York; Your Hosts are Tony Schiavone and Lord Alfred Hayes

Opening Match: The Young Stallions v The Conquistadors: I know it’s been years and years, and he was a great announcer, but I still can’t quite wrap my head around Schiavone calling WWF matches. The Stallions dominate early, and they kind of cheat wildly for two white meat babyfaces, actually. Finally, the heels manage to make an illegal switch, and they get the advantage on Paul Roma. Well, to be fair, the Stallions had made several illegal switches already. It’s just too bad that Jesse Ventura wasn’t out there, because he would tell it like it is. Roma shakes them off long enough for the hot tag to Jim Powers, and Roseanne Barr the door! Roma with a missile dropkick at 13:07. The crowd got into the finish here, and it was a solid way to open the show. ½*

WWF Women's Title Match: Rockin' Robin v Judy Martin: Martin beats on her right at the bell, and tosses Robin over the top. Robin is stunned, and takes a moment to regroup, before coming back in swinging. Robin with a turnbuckle smash, and she gets a couple of two counts, before missing a dropkick. That allows Martin a kneedrop, followed by a splash for two. Robin grabs an armbar to try and get control, but Judy fights her off. A criss cross results in a double knockout spot, and both stagger up to simultaneously try dropkicks, leaving both looking up at the lights again. Robin is up first, and delivers an elbowdrop for two, before grabbing a front-facelock. Martin gets the ropes, so Robin smacks her on the break, and delivers a shoulderblock. Robin with a legdrop for two, and a bulldog is worth two. Martin nails her while Robin argues the count, and legdrop gets her two. Martin with a knife-edge chop for two, but Robin counters a backdrop with a sunset flip for one. Robin keeps coming with right hands, so Martin goes to the eyes, and delivers a vertical suplex for two. Martin with a stomachbreaker for two, and a corner whip sets up a corner splash. Another corner whip, but the charge in misses this time, and Robin schoolboys at 9:57. Most of the execution was lacking, but there was effort, and the match was competitive. * ¼ 

Mr. Perfect v Ron Garvin: Posturing to start, dominated by Garvin. Perfect manages to get a standing side-headlock on, and he sinks his teeth into that for a while, avoiding multiple escape attempts. Garvin escapes, and starts slugging, allowing Perfect to do some quality pinballing. Ron gets a sleeper on, but Perfect drops into the corner to escape. Ron responds with a series of turnbuckle smashes, and Garvin tags him with a pair of punches, ahead of a schoolboy for one. Garvin tries a piledriver, so Perfect backdrops him, but Ron counters to a sunset flip for two. Another big punch from Ronnie, so Perfect tries a sunset flip of his own, but Garvin blocks. Ron adds an elbowdrop for two, so Perfect forces a criss cross, and both men go down on a collision. Garvin wisely rolls out to the apron to buy himself time, but Perfect is on him, beating on him on the apron. Ron fights him off, and snaps Perfect’s throat across the top rope. Ron goes up with a flying bodypress, but Perfect rolls through for the pin at 11:59. **

Main Event: Cage Match: Hulk Hogan v Big Boss Man: The crowd is wild for the Hulkster. Hulk attacks with his t-shirt to kick things off, and he gives Boss Man a pair of corner whips, then follows in with a backelbow. Hulk plants the big boot, and a vertical suplex follows, allowing Hulk a bootrake. Hogan tries to climb, but Boss Man pulls him down, and pops Hulk with a headbutt. Boss Man climbs, but Hulk follows, and pounds Boss Man with punches on the top rope. Boss Man drops him with another headbutt, and he gets back to his escape attempt, but Hulk catches up to him. That was a close escape, really wringing the drama out of it. Hulk brings Boss Man back in with a superplex off the top of the cage, and both men are left looking up at the lights following that one. Hulk stirs first, and goes for the door, but Boss Man cuts him off, and delivers a spinebuster. Boss Man with another headbutt, and he finds a chain to choke the Hulkster down with. Hulk tries slugging, so Boss Man goes to the eyes, but Hulk reverses him into the cage. Hulk with a bodyslam, and he finds the chain Boss Man dropped earlier. He gets some revenge with it, and then feeds Boss Man the cage a few times. Hulk lands the legdrop, and tries to escape, so Slick comes in. That allows Boss Man to try to climb, but Hulk takes Slick out in time to save. Hulk manages to handcuff a bloody Boss Man to the ropes, and he climbs out for the win at 11:59, as Slick desperately tries to unlock the cuffs so Boss Man can slip out of the door. These two had fun chemistry. * ¾ 

The Brain Busters v The Rockers: Arn Anderson starts with Shawn Michaels start, and feel each other out. Shawn uses some speed to get control, and he corners Anderson with a ten-punch, so Anderson uses an inverted atomic drop, but Michaels clotheslines him. That draws Tully Blanchard in, but Marty Jannetty is right there as well, and the Rockers clean house. The dust settles on Marty holding Blanchard in an armbar, and he tags to Shawn for an armbar of his own. Tully manages to get away long enough to tag Arn, but Marty posts him on the outside, and puts on a wristlock as they head in. Arn manages to send Marty into the home corner to allow Blanchard a cheap shot, but in comes Shawn to save from more double team abuse, and the Rockers clean house again. The Rockers each dive out after them, and the dust settles on Blanchard and Michaels slugging it out. Michaels with an atomic drop, but an attempt at a headscissors ends badly when Arn nails him from the apron in mid-move. That allows the Busters to get control, and they work Shawn over. Tully gets himself slammed off the top while trying a dive, and Marty gets the hot tag - Roseanne Barr the door! A sunset flip on Blanchard gets two, so Arn dumps Shawn out so they can have their way with Marty. Shawn saves, allowing Marty a rollup on Blanchard for two, and Michaels flies in with a flying splash for two - count broken when Arn pulls the referee out. Unfortunately for Anderson, that draws a DQ at 13:17. You could really feel the influence of the matches Arn and Tully had with the Rock ‘n’ Roll Express here. * ¾ (Original rating: ** ½)

Red Rooster v Brooklyn Brawler: Bobby Heenan is banned from ringside for this one. Brawler doesn’t want to let Rooster into the ring, so Rooster sweeps him to the outside to kickstart things. Inside, Rooster lands a dropkick, and a bodyslam sets up a 2nd rope fistdrop. Brawler manages punch to the gut to buy time, and he chokes Rooster with his t-shirt. Kneelift, but Rooster dodges, and Brawler lands on his ass. Rooster returns the favor with the t-shirt choke, and Brawler bails. Brawler manages to nail him on the way back in, and he works a chinlock for a while. Brawler with a corner whip, and he ropeburns Rooster from there. Backelbow, but Rooster ducks, and rebounds with a bodypress for two. Brawler chokes him down to cut off a comeback attempt, and Rooster ends up down on the outside. Rooster hooks a small package for two on the way back in, but Brawler cuts him off again. Brawler gets into an argument with the referee, allowing Rooster a schoolboy for two, but Brawler vertical suplexes him for two. Another try at the backelbow, but Rooster counters with a bulldog this time. That allows Rooster to go on the comeback trail, and a backslide puts it away at 11:13. Solid. *

Hercules v Bad News Brown: Brown tries a sneak attack while the referee works to get the chain away from Hercules, but it backfires. Bad News manages to clobber him, and he goes to work on Hercules, in dull fashion. The match drags on and on, until they brawl on the outside, and both guys are counted out at 14:15. This was terrible and endless - great combination. DUD

Six-Man Tag Team Match: Dino Bravo, Jacques Rougeau, and Raymond Rougeau v Jim Duggan, Butch, and Luke: All kinds of goofing around before the bell, until things finally get started with Raymond and Butch. Ray pounds him, and hooks a rollup, so Luke comes in to bite Ray to save. That draws everyone in, and the babyfaces clean house. The dust settles on Dino and Jim, and Duggan bounces him around. Luke tags in, and that proves to be a mistake for the babyfaces, as the heels quickly take control of the match. They cut the ring in half on Luke, until Diggan gets the hot tag, and Ray eats a three-point stance. Cover, but Dino makes the save at two. Tag to Butch, and everyone comes in, Roseanne Barr the door! Duggan whacks Jacques with the 2x4, allowing Butch the pin at 11:24. DUD

BUExperience: This would’ve been an absolute dream house show. A stacked lineup, big-name stars, solid action, and a freaking cage match? Back in the day, I would’ve been in heaven sitting in that crowd.

Even now, it’s still a blast to watch.

The last two matches nearly kill the mojo, though.

**