WWF Wrestling Challenge (January 17, 1988)

 

Original Airdate: January 17, 1988 (taped January 6)

From Nashville, Tennessee; Your Hosts are Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan

Mayor Bill Boner (pronounced exactly as you’re hoping) is excited about having the WWF in town. Well, watch out then

Jake Roberts v Gino Carabello: Heenan claims that the Islanders have been reinstated, but he doesn't want to pull the notice out in this dangerous town, so it’s in his safe. But trust him. Fitting thing to say. Roberts with the DDT at 2:14. DUD

Craig DeGeorge is in the control center for Special Report, with a look at Dino Bravo’s goal of breaking the world bench press record at the Royal Rumble

Demolition v Omar Atlas and Rex King: I’m just realizing that King is the future Timothy Well, of Well Dunn. Not exactly a big step up, but a step nonetheless. Demolition with the finisher at 4:05. DUD

Gene Okerlund catches up with Ron Bass, and Okerlund is still calling it ‘Rumble Royal.’ Gosh, how far in advance were they taping these bits? Because they’ve been calling it ‘Royal Rumble’ (along with graphics) for several weeks now, and here’s Gene still getting it backwards

Bad News Brown is ready to create controversy. “I’m sure about that,” notes Heenan. Yeah

Jim Duggan v Joe Mirto: Harley Race split screens in here, and he hasn’t forgotten his beef with Duggan. Okay, so his memory is good, we’ve established that. That’s important with these old timers. I joke, but Race was only forty four at this point. He just reads older. Duggan with the three-point stance at 2:15. DUD

Rick Rude v Van Van Horne: Now that Johnny Valiant is gone, Gorilla has to call these alone when Bobby is managing. And it’s not pretty. Rude with the neckbreaker at 2:10. Rude had a brutal looking neckbreaker, it’s no wonder that he settled on it as his finisher, after years of doing different ones. DUD

DeGeorge (also calling it ‘Rumble Royal’) catches up with Butch Reed and One Man Gang, and it’s killing me that they didn’t edit all of these backwards references out. They were usually much better about that sort of thing. Every time I hear anyone make fun of WCW from now on, I’m throwing this shit right back in their faces

The Young Stallions v The Conquistadors: Jim Powers starts with Uno, and throws him around. A hiptoss and an armdrag end in Uno in an armbar, but he bodyslams his way out, and tags. Dos misses an elbowdrop, allowing Powers another armdrag, and he tags Paul Roma. The Stallions catch Dos with a combo, and Paul armbars him. Dos fights to a vertical base, so Paul shifts to a hammerlock, and passes back to Jim for a wristlock. Dos slugs free, but it triggers a slugfest, and he loses that exchange. Powers goes back to the wristlock, but a cheap shot from Uno ends that, and allows the heels to turn the tide. They work Powers over, but Dos misses a dive, and Roma gets the hot tag. He runs wild on Uno, so Dos comes back in, but Paul throws him around as well. Tag to Powers, and Uno eats a powerslam at 3:17. Too short to be much, but I’ve seen enough fifteen minute matches between these teams to know that I don’t want to see another fifteen minute match between these teams. A solid six minute match would have probably been welcome enough, though. ½*

DeGeorge brings Andre the Giant and Ted DiBiase out for a podium interview, and we have a date for Andre’s title rematch with Hulk Hogan. And, as soon as he secures the title, he’ll be turning it over to DiBiase

Ultimate Warrior v Brian Costello: Warrior with a splash at 1:50. They were getting better at presenting Warrior by the day. DUD

Eight-Man Tag Team Match: Nikolai Volkoff, Boris Zhukov, Butch Reed, and One Man Gang v Jim Brunzell, B. Brian Blair, Lanny Poffo, and Rick Hunter: The Bees attack during the anthem to kickstart things, and the Bees lead the charge, dominating the Bolsheviks. Boris manages to nail Brunzell long enough to tag Volkoff, but Jim manages a rollup for two. Volkoff cuts him off with a bearhug, but Jim escapes, and tags Lanny. Volkoff pops Poffo with a backelbow, and Reed tags in with a snapmare and a fistdrop on him. Lanny manages to sneak off a tag, but it’s to Hunter, and that doesn’t end well. Reed destroys him, then tags Gang in to finish with a gourdbuster at 2:45. ¼*

DeGeorge catches up with Brutus Beefcake, who has the perfect counter to Jimmy Hart’s megaphone: giving everyone in the crowd megaphones of their own. Oh, so he’s responsible for that asshole at the inaugural Royal Rumble?

BUExperience: I enjoyed the action this week. Even if the Rumble Royal stuff was driving me crazy.