WWF at Maple Leaf Gardens (June 28, 1987)

 

Original Airdate: June 28, 1987

From Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Your Hosts are Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan

Opening Match: Outback Jack v Johnny K-9:  Johnny misses a dive off the top, allowing Jack to go on the comeback trail, and he finishes with a bulldog at 3:11. DUD

Hillbilly Jim v Steve Lombardi: Monsoon objects to the referee patting Hillbilly down, since he ‘just has some chewing tobacco’ in his pockets. And we’re just supposed to take the guys word for it?! How did this guy ever become president of the promotion? He then continues to get my blood boiling by noting that Steve is ‘from the Bronx.’ Come on now. Jim with a bearhug at 7:23. He’ll probably never be able to show his face in the Bronx ever again after that loss. DUD

The Hart Foundation v The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers: The WWF Tag Team title is not on the line. Bret Hart starts with Raymond Rougeau, and Ray dominates some early stuff, with Hart hiding in the ropes to avoid various pinning combinations. Ray manages to dropkick him over the top, and he passes to Jacques Rougeau. Jacques holds Bret in an armbar, but Hart wants to criss cross, so Jacques throws a bodypress for two. An armdrag puts Bret in a wristlock, but Hart throws an elbow to escape, and tags Jim Neidhart. Jim comes in all fired up, but walks into an armdrag. Tag to Ray for a wristlock, so Jim whips him into the ropes, and Bret throws a cheap shot from the apron. That allows the Foundation to go to work on Ray, with all their expertly timed shenanigans on full display. Finally, Ray slips free to make the hot tag, and Roseanne Barr the door! Jacques hits Bret with a jumping backelbow for two, but he gets drilled by the Anvil while trying a piledriver, and Bret hooks the leg at 7:48! Fun stuff here. **

The New Dream Team v The Killer Bees: Greg Valentine starts with Jim Brunzell, and they feel each other out. Jim gets a sleeper on, but they’re in the ropes right away, so he tags to B. Brian Blair, who works the arm of the Hammer. The Bees double up, but Jim gets caught in an inverted atomic drop, and the heels take control. They work Brunzell over, but Blair gets the hot tag, and runs wild. He manages a hip attack, but gets double teamed by the heels, and Greg delivers a shoulderbreaker for two. Dino Bravo with an inverted atomic drop, and they work Blair over. Bravo gets a suplex reversed on him, and the Bees double team for the pin on Dino at 8:12. ¼*

King Kong Bundy v Corporal Kirchner: They measure each other to start, and Bundy gets pissed. He hits him with a backelbow, but misses an elbowdrop, and Kirchner uses a bodypress for two. Bundy fights back with a knee, and he rams Kirchner into the turnbuckle for a smash. Bundy with a snapmare to set up a kneedrop for two, but he telegraphs a backdrop, and gets nailed. Kirchner wants to turn it into a comeback, but Bundy quickly cuts him off. Avalanche, but Kirchner sidesteps, and goes on the comeback trail, for real this time. Kirchner with a fistdrop and an elbowdrop for two, and a cross corner whip works, but ends up backfiring when Bundy rebounds with a clothesline. He adds an elbowdrop, and scores the pin at 3:07. This was energetic. ¼*

Brutus Beefcake v Johnny Valiant: Valiant attacks while Beefcake is distracted trying to cut Bobby Heenan’s hair, and really, that’s his own fault. Bobby was just sitting there doing commentary, and this bully came after him. So Johnny goes to work, until Beefcake manages to grab him by the throat. Beefcake with a series of turnbuckle smashes, and he crotches Valiant on the post for fun. Again with the bullying. Beefcake with a ten-punch count, and a corner whip leads to a backdrop on the rebound. Beefcake keeps going with a few facebusters, and the sleeper finishes at 4:59. This was entertaining, even if not a workrate classic. And, of course, Johnny takes a haircut afterwards. ¼*

Main Event: 21-Man $50,000 Battle Royal: We've got Bret Hart, Jim Neidhart, Jim Brunzell, B. Brian Blair, Ken Patera, Billy Jack Haynes, Greg Valentine, Dino Bravo, King Kong Bundy, Outback Jack, One Man Gang, Corporal Kirchner, Paul Orndorff, Jacques Rougeau, Raymond Rougeau, Hillbilly Jim, Brutus Beefcake, Johnny Valiant, Kamala, Kimchee, and Ron Bass. I always found it hilarious when Gorilla would put battle royals over as one of the most dangerous match types, when they literally just lay on the ropes and hug each other most of the time. We get down to Hart, Neidhart, Brunzell, and Blair. Brunzell gets dumped, leaving Blair alone with the Hart Foundation, and they work him over. A miscommunication allows Blair to dump Neidhart, but Bret takes him out. He dumps Blair, but Brian makes a switch with Brunzell (using the mask trick), and Bret gets unfairly eliminated at 13:32. No wonder he lost his shit when it happened to him again ten years later. Or the next year. Bret just didn’t have much luck with battle royals, did he? ¼*

BUExperience: Bad! And a bad main event to boot.

DUD