WWF Prime Time Wrestling (February 19, 1988)

 

Original Airdate: February 19, 1988

Your Hosts are Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan from the studio

WWF Title Match: Hulk Hogan v Andre the Giant: From The Main Event on February 5 in Indianapolis Indiana. Funny gigantic 'Andre WHO?' sign in the crowd. This is also the debut of the classic 'winged eagle' design for the belt - still the greatest title belt design of all time. In hindsight, they probably should have just waited for WrestleMania IV to debut it though, given the whole tournament deal. Hulk attacks as Andre talks strategy with DiBiase and Virgil, and gets rid of his seconds with a pair of big boots. The crowd is just rabid for this. He goes back to pounding Andre for an extended period of time, and manages to stagger him after dozens of shots, but can't quite knock him down. Well, at least he's not stupidly trying to slam him again. With everything in his usual arsenal unable to take the Giant off his feet, Hulk decides to try going to the top rope and send his weight at the challenger, but Andre slams him down, and grips him in a chokehold on the mat. Cross corner whip and a bodyslam leave Hogan down and in trouble, and Andre puts the boots to him. Series of headbutts and a big boot follow - though executing the big boot knocks Andre onto his ass as well. Probably shouldn't be trying stuff like that, big guy. More choking, but Hulk fights free, and starts slugging away again. 2nd rope clothesline is finally enough to knock Andre down, and Hulk adds the Legdrop, but the referee is caught up with Virgil. Hulk lets off to go protest, but that allows Andre to attack with another series of headbutts, and he hiptosses Hulk over for the three count at 9:05 - despite Hogan clearly getting the shoulder up at two! And, now having been awarded the title, Andre immediately relinquishes it to DiBiase per their arraignment, and Hogan goes fucking berserk. He chases the heels away, but it's too late for him - the decision has been made, and he is no longer the champion! While all this is going on, suddenly another referee joins them in the ring - an exact double of Dave Hebner (Earl, in his surprise debut). You see, DiBiase had hired his evil twin brother to stand in for him, and screw Hogan out of the title. And, of course, big man Hogan beats up the puny referee as well, since he can't take it out on Andre or DiBiase - nearly killing him with a press-slam halfway up the aisle. Great visual, though. This was a helluva piece of business, not so much for the in-ring action (which was decent for the guys involved) as the extracurricular activity. One of the better angles of the era. * 

WWF Champion Ted DiBiase celebrates with his new title belt, along with pal Andre the Giant

WWF President Jack Tunney compares the title match to fucking Pearl Harbor. So, the referee’s decision is, unfortunately, final. So, Hogan is indeed no longer the champion. But, neither is DiBiase, since the rules say you have to win it in the ring. And neither is Andre, since he effectively forfeited it. He declares the title vacant, and announces a tournament for the belt, to take place at WrestleMania IV. They unveil the brackets, and while the matches are the same, the placing is wildly different, with both Randy Savage and Ted DiBiase in the bottom half, which wouldn’t allow them a path to meeting in the finals. Actually, the brackets here, assuming a Hogan/DiBiase final, would have likely been a hell of a tournament, with Hogan/Rick Rude in the semi, Savage/Ricky Steamboat in the quarter, and Savage/DiBiase in the other semi. I’m just guessing, of course, but that appears to be the most likely booking

Lanny Poffo and Scott Casey v Steve Lombardi and Barry Horowitz: From Hershey Pennsylvania on January 26, in some sort of jobber WrestleMania main event. Lombardi pins Poffo, after a cheap shot from Horowitz, at 5:02. ¼*

WWF Intercontinental Champion Honky Tonk Man has a brand new belt, and a nice poster of himself to look at

Hillbilly Jim v Ron Bass: From New York City on January 25. Bass attacks as Jim climbs into the ring, but Jim fights him off. Jim plants a big boot on him to set up a splash for two, and Ron wisely bails. Back in, Bass offers him a free go at a headlock, which Jim gladly accepts. Well, that wasn’t as wise as Ron’s last strategic move. Bass eventually escapes, and rocks Jim with some turnbuckle smashes, and an elbowdrop gets him two. Jim gets fired up and makes a comeback, but a splash misses, and Bass delivers a pedigree at 6:28. ¼*

The British Bulldogs are clearly keeping up with their milk injections 

Dino Bravo v SD Jones: From Philadelphia Pennsylvania on January 9. Dino with a sidewalk slam at 8:56. DUD

Gene Okerlund catches up with Randy Savage

The Conquistadors v Brady Boone and Omar Atlas: From Salisbury Maryland on January 27. Gosh, another WrestleMania main event? The jobbers are eating good this week. The masked men put Omar away with a combo at 6:17. DUD

Okerlund catches up with DiBiase and Andre, and Ted is furious, because clearly Hogan bought a lookalike referee to confuse things after Andre pinned him clean in the middle. DiBiase is great here

Okerlund catches up with Hogan, who knows his truth

WrestleMania IV ad

The British Bulldogs v Harley Race and Hercules: From Hershey on January 26. The Bulldogs clean house early, and the dust settles on Davey Boy Smith and Race. Race tries a cross corner whip, but Smith reverses, and throws a clothesline on the rebound, getting two. Tag to Hercules, and he manages a bodyslam, then grabs a bearhug, but Smith quickly escapes, and delivers a bodyslam of his own. A snapmare allows Davey a chinlock, and Dynamite Kid tags in with a snap suplex into a chinlock of his own. Race breaks it up, allowing Hercules to throw a series of rights, and he passes to Harley for a suplex, but Kid reverses. Kid adds a headbutt drop, but it’s Harley, so he no-sells. They decide to trade headbutts, and Kid gets the better of it, before clotheslining Race over the top. Tag to Smith, and Race begs off as he comes back in, then pops off a cheap shot. A criss cross ends in Race shoulderblocking him down, and he uses a headbutt drop to the groin. Back to Hercules for an inverted atomic drop, and a backdrop follows. The heels work Davey over, as Bobby Heenan shows up at ringside with Matilda’s dog collar. He taunts Davey as the heels control things, until Hercules misses an elbowdrop, and Kid gets the hot tag. He runs wild, but Heenan keeps taunting, and the Bulldogs take off after him - abandoning the match at 10:26. This was solid. Afterwards, the Bulldogs return from behind the curtain with the collar, and clean house with it. * ½ 

BUExperience: The WrestleMania IV build getting going makes this an easy watch.