WWF at Maple Leaf Gardens (January 11, 1987)

 

Original Airdate: January 11, 1987

From Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Your Hosts are Gorilla Monsoon and Johnny Valiant

Opening Match: Jose Luis Rivera v Terry Gibbs: Rivera with a sunset flip at 7:56. Yes, this was eight minutes long, and they opened a show with it. DUD

Don Muraco v Koko B. Ware: Joined in progress as Koko tries grabbing a side-headlock, but Don gets sick of him, and dumps Ware to the outside. Don holds the ropes open for him, then clobber Koko when he takes the bait, and Muraco dives with a 2nd rope thumb drop. Don with another thumb drop into a blatant choke, then a somersault necksnap after the referee protests. Muraco works a nervehold, which drags on for a long while, like into full Yokozuna territory. No wonder Mr. Fuji had both of their contracts. Koko finally escapes, so Don goes to the top, but Ware slams him off. That allows Koko to goko on the comeback trail, and he nails the missile dropkick, but Don is in the ropes to save himself on the cover. Koko stays on him with a bodyslam, and he slaps on a Boston crab, and he covers for two after suitably wearing Don down. Or, well, not quite suitably, considering it wasn’t a three. Ware with a headbutt and a headbutt drop for two, so Don tries a bodyslam, but Ware topples for two. They stagger for a slugfest, won by Ware, but time expires at 13:36 shown of 20:00. Some decent stuff mixed in, but far too heavy on the nerveholds overall. ¾*

The Dream Team v The American Express: This is kind of a last hurrah, as both teams would be done within a few months of this. Greg Valentine and Dan Spivey start, and Dan dominates. Tag to Mike Rotundo for stereo backelbows for two, and Mike grounds Greg in an armbar. Greg escapes, and manages a tag, but the referee gives them shit about the tag rope not being held, which is great. You have to enforce the rules, even the often forgotten ones, from time to time, to make sure they are firmly established. Brutus Beefcake officially tags in, and Dan holds him in a wristlock. Brutus manages a corner whip, but misses the charge in, and Mike tags to hammerlock Beefcake. Mike gets into trouble, allowing the Dream Team to take control, and they cut the ring in half. Forever. Greg slaps on the figure four to finish him off, but Spivey saves, and gets the tag - Roseanne Barr the door! Dan catches Brutus with a bulldog, but Greg comes off the middle rope to save, and Brutus covers at 18:04. Just soooo slooowww. ½*

George Steele v Johnny Valiant: Honky Tonk Man claims to be hurt, so Valiant is substituting for him. Valiant kickstarts the bout, but gets shrugged off, and he stalls on the outside. Valiant begs off after climbing back in, but George wants no part of it, so Honky distracts him. That allows Valiant to attack, but Steele shrugs Johnny off again, so Honky comes in to attack for the DQ at 1:57. DUD

Dino Bravo v Scotty McGhee: Joined in progress with Scott in control. Bravo manages to dump him over the top to turn things around, and he holds a front-facelock once Scott gets back inside. Dino hammers away, but a criss cross ends in Scott throwing a bodypress for two. Scott stays on him with some uppercuts in the corner, and a vertical suplex sets up a pair of kneedrops for two. Bodypress, but Bravo hits the deck, and side suplexes Scott at 4:52 shown of 5:54. DUD

Paul Roma v Barry O: Roma knocks him out of the ring early on, but Barry comes in with fire, and gets Paul on the mat for a chinlock. Barry dumps him to the outside, but Paul rebounds with a slingshot sunset flip for two, so Barry cracks him with a shoulderbreaker for two. Barry goes to a front-facelock, and a corner whip works, but the charge in hits a knee. That allows Roma to go on the comeback trail, and a vertical suplex gets him two. Paul hooks a small package for two, and a backslide is worth two, so Barry goes to the eyes. Backdrop, but Roma blocks, and delivers a powerslam at 7:13. They were moving in slow motion here. ¼*

WWF Tag Team Title Match: Davey Boy Smith and Junkyard Dog v The Hart Foundation: JYD is subbing for Dynamite Kid. Smith starts with Bret Hart, and they get right into posturing, with referee Danny Davis immediately accepting any accusations of cheating levied by the Hitman. Tag to Jim Neidhart, and some measuring ends in Davey taking him down in a stepover-toehold. Over to JYD, and he dominates Neidhart with a wristlock. Jim tries to pull the hair, but then ends badly, so he tries a headbutt, but that ends very badly. Dog powers Neidhart into the corner, so Davis physically pulls him off with such force that he essentially matslams JYD. That allows Neidhart to cover for two, and Bret tags in to unload on Dog. Shots to the head ends badly again, however, and Davey tags in for a double team, but Davis conveniently misses the pin attempt. Neidhart ‘sneaks’ in in full view of the official to take a cheap shot at Bulldog, and that’s enough to allow the Foundation to get control. They go to work on Davey, until Bret misses a charge, and Dog catches the hot tag. He runs wild, and looks to put Bret away with a scoop powerslam, but Neidhart saves. That draws Bulldog back in, and Roseanne Barr the door! Bret hooks a small package, so Davey reverses it, and Davis fast counts three (not realizing the reversal had been made) at 14:17. This was another dull, overlong match, but the antics from Davis were tremendous, and the crowd was losing their minds for it all. ¾*

Main Event: WWF Title Cage Match: Hulk Hogan v Kamala: Kamala attacks as Hulk climbs into the cage, and he takes the title belt off to attack the champion with. A big shot misses, allowing Hulk to return fire with it, but Kamala blocks a shot into the cage. Kamala tries one, but gets blocked, and Hulk chokes him with his t-shirt. Kamala goes for the door, but Hulk whacks him with the title belt again, and the effort is blocked. Kamala goes to the eyes, and tries sending Hulk into the cage, but gets blocked. Kamala dashes for the door, but Hulk cuts him off, and gives him a backrake. Kamala goes to the eyes, and this time manages to send the Hulkster into the cage! That allows Kamala a splash, and he goes for the door, but Hulk stops him. Kimchee tries pulling Kamala the rest of the way, but Hulk keeps the challenger inside anyway, so Kamala starts hammering him with tomahawk chops - Hogan busted open! Kamala with a bodyslam to set up a splash, but it triggers a HULK UP!! Cage Smashes! Chops! Bodyslam! Legdrop! Kimchee beats up the referee and comes into the ring to attack Hulk, as Wizard revives Kamala. Hulk fights off Kimchee, and he takes out Wizard, just in time to stop Kamala from escaping. Hulk hits him with an atomic drop, and he goes out the door at 6:19. They were giving it to each other out there. *

BUExperience: Man, for a promotion that was setting the world on fire, they were sure running some boring ass house shows. People who grew up in the 90s would be shocked to know how much Hogan’s ring work was saving these cards. 

DUD