WWF Prime Time Wrestling (January 4, 1988)

Original Airdate: January 4, 1988

Your Hosts are Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan from the studio

Jim Duggan v Sika: From New York City on December 26 1987. Posturing to start, and Duggan takes control with an armbar on the mat. Sika fights back, and does some plodding offense, until Jim pops off with the three-point stance at 9:14. This was really dull. DUD

Dino Bravo v Hillbilly Jim: From Philadelphia Pennsylvania on December 5 1987. Posturing to start, and Bravo gets control. He chops away in the corner, but a cross corner whip leads to a charge in that Hillbilly blocks. Bravo ends up on the outside, and he calls for a test-of-strength on the way back in, which Jim dominates. Bravo takes a cheap shot, but Jim responds in kind, and uses a monkeyflip to win the exchange. Jim tries cornering him from there, but Bravo shakes him off, and drops him to the mat. Dino with a headbutt drop to the groin, and he hammers on the back, taking control of the match. Dino works a chinlock, but Jim gets into the ropes, so Bravo puts the boots to him. Bravo with a bootrake, and a sidewalk slam sets up an elbowdrop, but Jim rolls out of the way. That allows Jim to go on the comeback trail, but a distraction from Frenchy Martin… distracts him… and Bravo capitalizes with a high knee for the pin at 9:27. ½*

Craig DeGeorge is in the studio with Update, filling us in on the search for Matilda. Obviously, the search started with Bobby Heenan and the Islanders, but they claim they have no idea where she is. And, apparently that’s good enough for the crack investigation team they’ve assigned to the case. Points to the British Bulldogs, who are doing a great raspy voice performance, sounding like they just got done crying over the dog

The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers v The Conquistadors: From New York City on December 26 1987. The announcers get into a hilarious conversation here about what languages various guys in the match speak, one that I can’t do justice, but I will call out Lord Alfred Hayes for a perfectly timed “I think he does speak Spanish” that elevates an already fantastic bit. Raymond Rougeau starts with Conquistador #1, and dominates him until he bails. Conquistador #2 rushes in, but gets the same treatment, and Ray tags out to Jacques Rougeau. The dust settles on Jacques and Conquistador #1, and a criss cross allows Jacques a monkeyflip. That sends Conquistador #1 to the outside, so Conquistador #2 rushes in, but takes a monkeyflip as well. The dust settles on Raymond and Conquistador #2, and Ray grabs a wristlock. Tag to Jacques for another wristlock, but Conquistador #2 punches him in the brain to break, and tags out. Jacques ends up tied in the ropes for some abuse, so Ray comes in with a dropkick, and the Brothers clean house. The Brothers continue to dominate, until Jacques gets into trouble, and the heels take control. They cut the ring in half, until Ray gets the hot tag, and Roseanne Barr the door! The Brothers hit a combo for the pin at 13:30. Solid enough, but the heat segment was dull. ¾*

WWF Women's Title Match: Sensational Sherri v Velvet McIntyre: From Paris France on October 23 1987. Sherri tries attacking to kickstart things, but McIntyre shrugs it off, and a monkeyflip followed by a dropkick puts Sherri on the outside. Inside, Velvet continues to dominate the champion, and Sherri is just doing nothing but get killed in there. She finally manages to slam her way out of a bodyscissors, and that allows Sherri to deliver a legdrop. Sherri works her over a bit, but a clothesline misses, and McIntyre comes back with a (stiff looking) spinkick. Velvet with a giant swing to set up a splash for two, and a small package gets another two. 2nd rope bodypress, but Sherri ducks it, and they criss cross - allowing McIntyre a bodypress, but the champ rolls through for the pin at 15:24. The match had kind of a weird structure, with the babyface dominating the lion’s share of the match. ½*

Gene Okerlund catches up with Ron Bass to hype the ‘Rumble Royal,’ which he repeats multiple times, so either it was a mistake no one bothered to correct, or it was actually what the event was originally going to be called when they taped the segment. By the time this show aired, it was already ‘Royal Rumble,’ complete with graphics, so I wonder if they were actually thinking of calling it ‘Rumble Royal,’ or what. Glad they didn’t, either way

SD Jones v Iron Mike Sharpe: From New York City on December 26 1987. This is one of those ‘main events anywhere in the country,’ I guess. Sharpe pops him in the head with that forearm brace for the pin at 5:50 shown of 7:33. I can confidently call this a DUD

King Kong Bundy v Bam Bam Bigelow: From Des Moines Iowa on November 17 1987. Posturing to start, as Jesse notes that the referee should have an easy gig, because certainly there won’t be any hairpulling in this one. Bigelow knocks him down during a criss cross, and he pounds Bundy into the corner, but a cross corner whip gets reversed. Bundy follows in, but Bigelow sidesteps, and delivers an elbowdrop for two. Bam Bam grabs an armbar from there, but Bundy turns it around, and unloads on him. A big right hand knocks Bigelow over the top, and Bundy tries a splash as he gets back in, but it misses. That allows Bigelow to hit a splash of his own for the pin at 3:43. Jesse was right, that was a crazy fast count. ¼*

BUExperience: At least there were less squash matches this week, I guess? Didn’t help that the big feature match lasted less than four minutes, though.