WWF Wrestling Challenge (March 13, 1988)

 

Original Airdate: March 13, 1988 (taped February 17)

From Topeka, Kansas; Your Hosts are Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan

The British Bulldogs v Iron Mike Sharpe and Terry Gibbs: Still no Matilda. Booking the Bulldogs to have their squashes on Challenge instead of Superstars was a masterstroke, because it gives Bobby a chance to cut promos and build WrestleMania without needing a separate segment. The Bulldogs put this away at 2:48. DUD

Craig DeGeorge is in the control center for special report, which is just basically a lowkey WrestleMania Report

WrestleMania IV ad

Greg Valentine v SD Jones: Greg split screens in, looking forward to completing his triple crown at WrestleMania. Greg with a figure four at 3:12. DUD

DeGeorge catches up with Jim Duggan, who is just proud as punch to get a shot at becoming world champion

DeGeorge catches up with Ted DiBiase, who is on a roll, and certainly not looking to get derailed by the likes of Jim Duggan. Hey, good to have standards

Don Muraco v Rick Renslow: Muraco hits the tombstone at 1:55. DUD

Ron Bass v Scott Casey: Casey gets crazy, and actually kickstarts the match with a flying bodypress, and he gets a bunch of shit in, before Bass stops him. These two look like they could be brothers, they should have repackaged them as a tag team. It’s not like Bass was doing anything better anyway. Bass with the win at 2:24. ¼*

DeGeorge catches up with WWF Intercontinental Champion Honky Tonk Man

DeGeorge catches up with Brutus Beefcake

Ted DiBiase pays Bob Uecker to be a fan

Dino Bravo v Gary Jackson: Bravo with a sidewalk slam at 1:36. DUD

DeGeorge brings Hulk Hogan out for a podium interview, and the crowd is just nuclear for Hulk. They keep popping so loudly that you’d think someone else was coming out, but nope, they’re just going nuts for Hulk

DeGeorge is in the control center for the actual WrestleMania IV Report

WrestleMania IV ad

The Young Stallions v Tom Stone and George Petraski: Bad News Brown split screens in here, which should tell you everything you need to know about where the Stallions fall in the pecking order. I mean, they didn’t even have an issue, he’s just cutting general promos during their matches! The Stallions win at 3:09. DUD

DeGeorge catches up with Hercules

DeGeorge catches up with Ultimate Warrior. Warrior was still completely coherent at this point

BUExperience: Going back and watching all the buildup shows, it’s hard to believe just how much of the WrestleMania build was done in cruise control. All the big matches had almost zero interaction between the principals, just individual promos. They could really do a lot with a little back then.