WWF at Boston Garden (March 7, 1987)

 

Original Airdate: March 7, 1987

From Boston, Massachusetts; Your Hosts are Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan

Opening Match: Pedro Morales v Jimmy Jack Funk: Gorilla claiming to be friends with Alice Cooper has to be the most ‘what’s up, fellow kids’ moments of his career. Morales sells for a while, before making his comeback, and finishing with a backbreaker at 7:19. ¼*

Moondog Spot v Jim Duggan: They slug each other around early, with Spot dominating him. Duggan manages a bodyslam to set up a kneedrop for two, and the three-point stance puts this away at 7:11. Not exactly the most exciting way to introduce Duggan to their general audience. DUD

Don Muraco and Bob Orton v Dan Spivey and Jerry Allen: Boy, with Mike Rotundo disappearing, Spivey’s fortunes collapsed in a hurry. He gets some shine here, but you know his team ain’t going over here. And, indeed, Orton superplexes Allen for the pin at 12:19. ¼*

Ron Bass v SD Jones:  Joined in progress with Bass in control. He works Jones over, as Heenan goes on and on about the victory celebrations set for Andre after WrestleMania. In a good way. Bass with a jumping backelbow at 7:07 shown of 10:59. Enough shown to call this a DUD

WWF Tag Team Title Match: The Hart Foundation v The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers: Jim Neidhart starts with Jacques Rougeau, and they do a bunch of posturing, before Bret Hart decides to tag in. Bret puts Jacques down with a cheap shot during a test-of-strength, but Jacques fights him off when Hart puts the boots to him. Bret bails to regroup, and both guys tag on the way back in. The challengers double up on and outsmart Neidhart, but a dropkick from Raymond Rougeau inadvertently allows a tag back to Bret. Hart with a bodyslam, but an elbowdrop misses, and Ray uses an armdrag into an armbar. Bret tries a rollup, but Ray blocks, and throws a savate kick, before tagging Jacques for a seated senton splash on the leg. The challengers go to work on the Hitman’s leg, but Bret goes to the eyes on Ray, and tags. The Foundation with a double team to put Ray in trouble, and the tag champs go to work. Ray is in trouble, but manages to get a knee up to block a charging Hitman in the corner, and even though the Foundation try doing a false tag distraction, Jacques gets a legal tag anyway! Jacques runs wild on Bret, so Anvil comes in, and here comes Raymond - Roseanne Barr the door! The Foundation collide, and the Brothers isolate Bret. That allows them to set up their finish, but Neidhart saves. Jacques stays on Bret with a small package, but Danny Davis turns it over, and Bret gets the pin at 15:09. This was fine. *

 

Outback Jack v Jimmy Jack Funk: Funk attacks before the bell, and snapmares him down for a series of fistdrops. Cross corner whip, but Jack reverses, and nails him with a well placed backelbow on the rebound. And then a bulldog to finish at 1:02. ¼*

Main Event: Elimination Match: Hulk Hogan, Roddy Piper, and Billy Jack Haynes v Paul Orndorff, Adrian Adonis, and Hercules: Crazy heat for everyone involved here, especially Hogan and Piper. The babyfaces attack to kickstart things, and they clean house. After some stalling, the dust settles on Hulk and Hercules. Hercules hammers him into the corner, but a cross corner whip gets reversed, and Hogan follows in with a clothesline. Tag to Billy, and he looks to unload, but Hercules gets a tag off to Paul before Haynes can get too much in. A criss cross allows Billy a shoulderblock and a bodypress for two, but Paul manages to put him down. Over to Adonis, but Haynes catches him with a backdrop, and follows with a bodyslam. Tag to Roddy, but Adrian bails to Paul before contact is made. They get into a test-of-strength, and Roddy gets the better of it, before passing to Hulk for a 2nd rope axehandle. Hulk stays on Paul with a wristlock, and it’s over to Billy, who stays on the arm. Paul railroads into the heel corner to allow Hercules a cheap shot, and all three heels trap Haynes in their corner. Hercules tags in to properly hammer, but a turnbuckle smash gets reversed, and Haynes throws chops. Cross corner whip, but Hercules reverses, and throws a solid clothesline on the rebound. A bodyslam hits on the way to tagging Adonis in for a splash. The heels work over Billy, but Adonis doesn’t notice a blind tag to Piper, and Roddy goes to town! That draws everyone in, and Roseanne Barr the door! In the chaos, Piper and Adonis brawl to the outside, and both are counted out at 12:04. Piper refuses to leave, and wants more of Adonis, but Jimmy Hart leads Adrian away, and Piper takes a ‘final’ bow in the Boston Garden, on his way to his retirement match at WrestleMania. Paul distracts Hogan to allow Hercules a sneak attack, and Hercules unloads. Tag to Paul for some pounding from him as well, and a trio of pointed elbowdrops hit, but a fourth misses. Hercules comes in to try and cut Hulk off, but Hogan bashes their heads together. Backdrop on Paul, but Orndorff blocks, and drops an elbow to the leg of the Hulkster. The heels try another double team, but it backfires this time, and Hogan schoolboys Paul at 16:52. I pegged this as coming down to Hogan and Orndorff, so I’m a little surprised. Paul is upset, and beats up both Hogan and the official in response, as Hercules unloads on Billy in the background, and pins him at 17:49. If not Hogan/Orndorff, I’d have thought it would end with Hulk getting to beat Adonis… I did not predict Hercules to get to the very end. Anyway, Hercules puts a battered Hogan in a torture rack, and he drops him to pin, but only gets two - triggering the HULK UP!! Fists of Fury! Turnbuckle Smashes! Clothesline! Legdrop! 19:30! Basic, but entertaining, and loaded with star power. *

BUExperience: The main event is fun, as is the tag title match, but it’s not enough to make this worth your while.

DUD