WWF Championship Wrestling (March 2, 1985)

 

Original Airdate: March 2, 1985 (taped February 12)

From Poughkeepsie, New York; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon and Bruno Sammartino

Tito Santana v Carl Fury: Tito with the figure four at 3:56. DUD

Lord Alfred Hayes is in the studio for Update, giving us a look at Junkyard Dog

Jim Neidhart v Jim Powers: Bruno sounds especial fogey-ish here, trying to explain body guys to Vince. Speaking of ‘bodies,’ Anvil looks positively skinny at this point. Jim with a powerslam at 3:22. DUD

Gene Okerlund catches up with Junkyard Dog, who wants to do some singing and some dancing

Brutus Beefcake v Paul Roma: Beefcake with a high knee at 1:52. Not that a sleeper was a big, innovative move even in the 80s, but at least it was a viable finisher. Who was buying the high knee?! And then he went back to it in the mid-90s (though, at least, that was to make a pun work, I can respect that). DUD

Okerlund catches up with Captain Lou Albano, who is going to handle Roddy Piper for Cyndi Lauper. Meanwhile, the US Express are ready to defend their WWF Tag Team title against Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff

The US Express v Pat Poland and Gino Carabello: This is non-title. Barry Windham with a bulldog on Poland at 2:20. DUD

Roddy Piper hosts Piper’s Pit, with guest Paul Orndorff, so they can sit around and make racist jokes about Mr. T. I get that they’re heels, but this is way over the line

WWF Women’s Title Match: Wendi Richter v Leilani Kai: From New York City on February 18. Joined in progress, with Wendi holding an armbar, with Cyndi Lauper cheering her on from the outside. She tries a backdrop, but telegraphs it, and Kai nails her. That turns the tide, but Richter manages a slam for two, followed by a kneelift for two. Richter with a jumping clothesline for two, and a splash gets two. Richter with a bodyslam for two, but here’s Fabulous Moolah to attack Lauper. That distracts Richter, and Kai nails the champion, then hooks a backslide at 3:48 shown of 11:49. Oh man, thank goodness they didn’t show the full match, because even four minutes of this was brutally bad. The angle was great, though. 

Ken Patera and Big John Studd v SD Jones and Rick McGraw: Andre the Giant shows up before the bell, looking to take on the $15,000 bodyslam challenge that Bobby Heenan made on behalf of Studd. Bobby loses his mind, and Andre is sent to the back, since he isn’t signed for this match. Patera with a shoulderbreaker on McGraw at 2:17. DUD

Okerlund catches up with WWF Champion Hulk Hogan and Mr. T, who are ready to take Piper and Orndorff to the streets at WrestleMania

BUExperience: We’re full speed ahead for WrestleMania.