WWF Prime Time Wrestling (October 15, 1987)

 

Original Airdate: October 15, 1987

Your Hosts are Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan from the studio

Sika v SD Jones: From Peoria Illinois on September 15. Commentator Bruce Prichard notes that “this should be a great matchup.” No wonder some people think he has a credibility problem. Sika drops him like a Samoan at 5:41. DUD

George Steele v Brian Costello: From Peoria on September 15. Steele with an elevated hammerlock at 1:35. Don’t give a shit about fuck. DUD

Piledriver music video. I will never stop being amazed that this exists

Craig DeGeorge is in the control center with Special Report, tracking Ken Patera’s injury du jour

From Superstars, DeGeorge brings Andre the Giant and Bobby Heenan out for a podium interview, and they’re finally getting their chance to get revenge on Hulk Hogan for cheating them at WrestleMania, and it’s going to happen at Survivor Series. Bobby is selling the hell out of this, he was probably responsible for 20% of the buyrate right here

Survivor Series ad

Outback Jack v Tiger Chung Lee: From Philadelphia Pennsylvania on September 18. Jack pins him at 3:00. DUD

Gene Okerlund catches up with Butch Reed, who doesn’t appreciate Superstar Billy Graham competing with him for being the ‘big man’ in the WWF. He does realize what promotion he’s in, right? Maybe you were a big man in Florida, but this is the land of giants

Strike Force v Barry Horowitz and Tiger Chung Lee: From Superstars of Wrestling on October 10 (taped September 15) in Peoria. The Islanders split screen in here, promising to finish the job on Strike Force soon. Force put Barry away at 3:38. DUD

Scott Casey v Iron Mike Sharpe: From Philly on September 18. I get that they were still very much focused on the house show business in 1987 (mainly focused, really), and that they don’t want to give those matches away on free TV, but couldn’t they at least show something better than a literal parade of jobbers and JTTS matches? Casey with a bulldog at 8:59. ¼*

Survivor Series ad. I get why guys got shuffled around to fit with the current programs, but it feels weird that Harley Race was slotted in the opener, instead of in the main event with the rest of the Heenan Family

From Wrestling Challenge, DeGeorge brings WWF Tag Team Champions The Hart Foundation out, and man, why does every belt in the WWF look like it was made for Bret Hart? They’re hyped up to prove they’re the best team at the Survivor Series. Doesn't the belt already do that?

Lanny Poffo v Barry Horowitz: From Philly on September 18. Joined in progress for this one, with Poffo in control. They put Barry over as a ‘newcomer making a name for himself,’ so I guess he was just a really, really late bloomer. Barry actually scores a pinfall here, with a Russian legsweep at 10:35 shown of 12:34. ¼*

WWF Tag Team Title Match: The Hart Foundation v The Killer Bees: From Philly on September 18. Boy we ate a lot of shit to get to this free sub. Jim Neidhart starts with B. Brian Blair, as the announcers discuss how charitable most wrestlers are. Yeah, a real wholesome, well adjusted bunch in this era. Posturing, and Jim Brunzell tags in, so Anvil tries a bearhug, but Brunzell rings his ears. The Bees stick and move through quick tags, but Bret Hart manages to catch a tag in. He suffers the same quick tag sticking and moving, and Blair puts on a figure four to try and put it away, but Neidhart saves. That allows Anvil to tag in, and the Foundation get control, working Brian over, as the crowd chants ‘greaseball’ at them. Well, it takes one to know one, Philly. Blair avoids a double team in the corner to leave both champions down, and Brunzell gets the hot tag. He backdrops Bret for two right away, and then unloads mounted punches. A clothesline connects for two, and a high knee is worth two. Bodyslam, but Bret counters to a sleeper, so Blair saves. That allows Brunzell to recover with a dropkick on the Hitman, and he tries a vertical suplex, but Neidhart sweeps the leg from the outside, and Bret topples for the pin at 13:05. Classic tag psychology, and good pacing, but pretty basic otherwise. * ¼ 

BUExperience: "Go fuck yourself." - the editors of this show, probably.