WWF at Boston Garden (September 12, 1987)

 

Original Airdate: September 12, 1987

From Boston, Massachusetts; Your Hosts are Gorilla Monsoon, Lord Alfred Hayes, and Pete Doherty

Opening Match: Lanny Poffo v Pete Doherty: Pete actually picks up a win here, with a backbreaker at 9:36. DUD

The Shadows v SD Jones and Scott Casey: How do you know that you’re a jobber? You lose to SD Jones and/or Scott Casey. The Shadows are jobbers at 12:08. Yes, this actually got twelve minutes. DUD

Sivi Afi v Steve Lombardi: Fun. Afi throws a bodypress, but Steve rolls through for the pin at 9:15, as this nightmare house show continues. DUD

Main Event: WWF Title Match: Hulk Hogan v Killer Khan: Khan attacks before the bell, and chokes the Hulkster down. Khan whacks him with the title belt a few times, and goes to work. Hulk’s got the black kneepad under one of his red ones here, which gives off 1999 vibes. It’s so weird how even the most minor aesthetic changes can make a massive difference to long time fans. For example, to me, once he switched to the yellow wristbands instead of the white tape, it ruined his look. Hulk starts coming back, and they spill to the outside, where the champion blasts him with a chair, then sends him into the post. Khan manages to get control on the way back in, and he works a nervehold. Hulk fights out and makes a comeback, fighting through the mist, and delivering the legdrop at 9:40. ½*

Davey Boy Smith v Hercules: Posturing to start, and they just keep flexing at each other for an extended period. They finally decide to do a test-of-strength to settle things, but Hercules immediately takes a cheap shot. Davey manages to fight to an armbar, but Hercules kicks at him, and grabs a headlock. Smith forces a criss cross to escape, and hooks a small package for two. Hercules tries a clothesline, so Davey attempts a crucifix to count, but Hercules drops him like a Samoan to block. Hercules goes to work from there, and a bearhug looks to force a submission, but Davey reverses! Hercules goes to the eyes to shake that off, and a clothesline gets him two. Vertical suplex, but Bulldog reverses, then gives him another one for good measure. Bulldog with a backelbow, and a clothesline of his own is worth two. Running powerslam, but he doesn’t cover, instead going to the top for a flying fistdrop, which he misses. That allows Hercules to slap on the full nelson, and Smith is done at 10:34. This was solid. *

Brutus Beefcake v Ted DiBiase: Ted offers him $500 cash to forfeit the match, which Beefcake responds to with a closed fist. You know, a simple ‘no, but thank you, sir’ would have done just fine there. Brutus onloads on him early, sending Ted to the outside for some regrouping. Inside, Barber gets a side-headlock on, but Ted escapes. Bodyslam, but Beefcake counters to the sleeper, so Ted dives into the ropes to quickly escape. Ted bails to the outside to regroup again, and manages a turnbuckle smash on the way back in, but a cross corner whip gets reversed, and Beefcake backdrops him on the rebound. Beefcake with a stomp to the groin that sends Ted back to the floor to break the momentum, and he manages to take control on the way back in, and keep it this time - as the ring fills with more trash than a 1997 episode of Nitro. DiBiase had some serious heat, no wonder they went right to the top with him. Ted works him over, but telegraphs a backdrop, and Beefcake cradles for two. Ted immediately cuts him off with some stomping, however, and a vertical suplex gets DiBiase two. Ted with a snapmare into a chinlock, and a kneedrop gets him another two. 2nd rope axehandle, but Beefcake blocks with a gut-punch, and he makes a comeback. Virgil trips him up before he can finish, however, and Ted schoolboys at 9:05. Solid enough, though quite basic overall. * ¼

WWF Tag Team Title Match: The Hart Foundation v Sika and Mr. Fuji: Fuji is subbing for Kamala here. Jim Neidhart starts with Fuji, as the Foundation claim that Fuji has a hidden weapon, but Fuji is too slick for the referee, and keeps avoiding getting caught during the repeated patdowns. Tags all around, and Bret Hart outmoves Sika, so Fuji takes a cheap shot from the apron, and that puts Bret into a bad way. The challengers go to work on the Hitman, until Anvil gets the tag back in, and Bret suckers Fuji into a combo at 6:06. Well, Fuji would get his revenge on Hart about six years later, just wait. ¼*

Harley Race v George Steele: Steele destroys him early on, until Race manages to fire off a headbutt to the abdomen to turn the tide. Harley goes to work, but Steele bashes him into the post a few times when they spill to the outside. Race responds by grabbing a chair, and he whacks George for the DQ at 5:42. DUD

BUExperience: A couple of decent matches, but not a great experience overall.

DUD