WWF Wrestling Challenge (December 20, 1987)

 

Original Airdate: December 20, 1987 (taped December 10)

From Fort Myers, Florida; Your Hosts are Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan

Norman Jones, manager of the arena, welcomes the WWF to his venue

The Young Stallions v Dave Wagner and Rick Renslow: Paul Roma with a flying sunset flip at 3:11. Nothing interesting here, neither in the ring, nor in any angle. DUD

Craig DeGeorge is in the control center for Update, giving us a preview of what we’ll see at the Slammy Awards

Rick Rude v Outback Jack: Rude hammers him right away, but he telegraphs a backdrop, allowing Jack to hammer (out)back. Jack runs into a boot while trying a charge, however, allowing Rick a facebuster, as Rude split screens in, promising to win the Jesse the Body Slammy. Jack rakes the eyes to shake Rude off, but Rick reverses him into the ropes, and gets the backbreaker rack on at 1:29. Man, Outback Jack was never a top guy, but he dropped to full jobber in remarkable time. DUD

Gene Okerlund catches up with Brutus Beefcake, who apparently had to politic his way into getting his match with Greg Valentine. Really? I don’t recall Greg ducking him. Sounds like bullshit. Anyway, Brutus is ready, since he’s feeling at ‘one hundred million percent,’ while I’m relatively sure is not an actual mathematical possibility. But then, I’m not, like, a math calculations guy, so I dunno

Brutus Beefcake v Barry Horowitz: Barry’s hair is the longest that I’ve ever seen it, so I guess he’s ready to get that haircut bonus check. Greg Valentine split screens in here, threatening to break Beefcake’s leg. Exactly, does that sound like a man who is ducking anyone? Beefcake with the sleeper at 1:33. He put up almost as much of a fight as Outback Jack! And, indeed, Horowitz gets a trim afterwards. DUD

Butch Reed, Ultimate Warrior, One Man Gang, Bam Bam Bigelow, Demolition, The British Bulldogs, Sika, Don Muraco, Billy Jack Hayes, and Ken Patera offer individual soundbites hyping the Bunkhouse Brawl

Koko B. Ware is ready to do some singing at the Slammy’s

Butch Reed and One Man Gang v SD Jones and Lanny Poffo: Don Muraco split screens in here, promising to get revenge on Reed and Gang on behalf of Superstar Billy Graham. Too bad Graham didn’t have a tag match in him, they could have marketed the hell out of that. It would have been terrible, obviously, but I like closure in my booking. The heels pick up the win here at 3:14. DUD

DeGeorge brings Jim Duggan out for a podium interview about how much Jim loves the holidays. Man, some of these segments are really stretching it when it comes to proving their usefulness. I mean, usually, the idea is to feature guys who have something notable going on, and with all the stuff actually going on during this period, what’s the point of wasting time on Duggan talking about holidays?

The Bolsheviks v Mike Richards and Mr. Harte: Gorilla is shocked that the Bolsheviks have been ‘very derogatory to the USA,’ which proves that not only doesn’t he pay attention to WWF history, but to world history, either. Nikolai Volkoff scores the pin for the heels at 1:16. DUD

Ultimate Warrior v Rex King: Warrior is getting a great reaction, and he finishes with a press-drop at 1:14. This was well booked, instead of making Warrior drag through a three minute squash. They should have turned the volume even higher though, let him go full Road Warrior and kill dudes in twenty seconds. DUD

Honky Tonk Man v Scott Casey: The WWF Intercontinental title is not on the line. Honky introduces us to Peggy Sue here, who Gorilla feels “looks like a refugee from Back to the Future.” You know it’s bad when Gorilla Monsoon is making fun of you for looking dated. Or for your fashion choices in general. Honky split screens in, excited for the Slammy’s. Honky with the swinging neckbreaker at 1:57. DUD

Slammy Awards ad

Okerlund catches up 

Slammy Awards ad

BUExperience: Very little of note going on here, as even the biggest angle in the promotion (Ted DiBiase’s attempts to buy the WWF Title) didn’t get any airtime. This was all about pushing the Slammy’s, and literally nothing else.