WWF Superstars of Wrestling (February 27, 1988)

 

Original Airdate: February 27, 1988 (taped February 16)

From Wichita, Kansas; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon, Bruno Sammartino, and Jesse Ventura

Sam Fulco, manager of the venue, welcomes the WWF

Strike Force v Dusty Wolfe and Tom Stone: The WWF Tag Team title is not on the line. Despite having great wrestler names, neither of these guys ‘fits’ their name at all. Rick Martel finishes Stone with a Boston crab at 2:55. DUD

Craig DeGeorge is in the studio for Update, and it’s weird that we’re focusing on the Honky Tonk Man/Randy Savage beef this close to WrestleMania. And it’s not like it’s one of the local market spots where they’re hyping some house show, this was a national segment. Along with the bracketing, this makes you think there might be something to all of those rumors that they weren’t originally planning to put the world title on Savage

Greg Valentine v Lance Allen: Jimmy Hart split screens in, looking forward to the Hammer’s run in the tournament. Greg with the figure four at 1:44. DUD

DeGeorge catches up with Don Muraco to talk about the tournament. Apparently, he thinks they’re competing for Harley Race’s crown

DeGeorge catches up with Dino Bravo to talk about the tournament - but in French!

Bob Uecker lets Brutus Beefcake give him a trim. Bob was always great in everything he did for them

Jake Roberts v Pete Sanchez: Rick Rude split screens in, noting that Jake had the ‘misfortune’ of drawing Rude’s name in the tournament. Oh, we all had that misfortune. Jake with the DDT at 1:46. DUD

Ron Bass v Gary Jackson: We just go straight into the next match here, not even stopping for entrances, or anything. That’s unique for this show. Maybe they were pressed for time. Vince notes that Bass likes dishing it out, but ‘doesn’t appreciate taking the punishment.’ Gosh, such brilliant insight. Bass with a pedigree at 2:11. “I like that move,” notes Jesse. Well, then get used to it. DUD

DeGeorge catches up with Koko B. Ware and the British Bulldogs, and they can’t wait to make Bobby Heenan and the Islanders answer for Matilda. And she’ll be back at WrestleMania to get a piece of Heenan’s ass herself

Various fans offer opinions on the tournament 

Ted DiBiase v John Stewart: Jim Duggan split screens in here, because nothing foreshadows a main event run like having to wrestle Jim Duggan. Stewart takes a nice bump over the top here, before taking a powerslam at 2:00. Gosh, when is he going to introduce the Million Dollar Dream as a finisher already? I never realized how long he went without it. ¼*

DeGeorge brings Hulk Hogan out for a podium interview, and Vince introduces the segment by referring to Hulk as the ‘WWF Champion,’ which Jesse jumps all over. It does feel super weird to see him without the belt after years of him as champ

DeGeorge is in the control center for the WrestleMania IV Report, complete with Donald Trump hyping the event up

Six-Man Tag Team Match: Honky Tonk Man, Bret Hart, and Jim Neidhart v Lanny Poffo, Omar Atlas, and Jerry Allen: That new Intercontinental belt is a work of art. Honky scores the pin with the swinging neckbreaker on Atlas at 2:23. ¼*

DeGeorge catches up with Brutus Beefcake, who is going to take the title off of Honky Tonk Man

BUExperience: Gosh, DeGeorge must have been winded and whiplashed by the time this show ended, poor guy