wrestling / Video Reviews
Hall’s WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event IX Review
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...Saturday Night’s Main Event IX
Date: January 3, 1987
Location: Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, Connecticut
Attendance: 10,000
Commentators: Vince McMahon, Jesse Ventura
While Hulk Hogan vs. Andre The Giant is remembered as the huge feud of the late 80s (and fair enough), there was one other major feud for Hogan not long before. That’s what we’ll be looking at today, as we have the big blowoff of the Hogan vs. Paul Orndorff feud as they face off in a cage. Let’s get to it.
Bobby Heenan and Paul Orndorff say Hulk Hogan has nowhere left to hide so Hulkamania dies tonight.
Hogan, in the cage, is ready to end Orndorff.
Jimmy Hart and Adrian Adonis want revenge on Roddy Piper.
George Steele has a surprise for Randy Savage.
Harley Race says that the Junkyard Dog will learn to bow to him.
The Junkyard Dog only bows to the good Lord above.
Opening sequence.
Jesse and Vince talk about the cage match, which is a first on network television. All that matters is anything goes and violence is promised.
Bobby Heenan says Paul Orndorff has beaten Hulk Hogan again and he’ll do it here. Orndorff has to get to the ring because he’s ready to go.
Hogan says it has been a long road to get here and he’s ready to finish Orndorff for good.
WWF Title: Hulk Hogan vs. Paul Orndorff
Hogan is defending in a cage, Bobby Heenan is here with Orndorff, and Danny Davis runs in to be a second referee, which can’t go well. Also of note: Orndorff comes out to Hogan’s Real American music, having stolen it a few months earlier. That’s a great personal aspect to an angle that you really don’t see used.
Orndorff jumps him to start and whips away with the belt to start fast. It’s WAY too early to get through the door though and Orndorff is pulled back inside. That earns Hogan some elbows to the back but he has to grab a diving Orndorff a second time in a row. With that not working, Orndorff goes over the top of the cage but Hogan makes another save (allowing Ventura to get in the all time line of “Hogan wouldn’t be champion if Mr. Wonderful was bald.”).
This time Hogan hammers him down and goes for the corner but gets pulled to the mat for a change. A ram into the cage drops Hogan, who is able to grab Orndorff to keep him inside again. Orndorff misses some elbows and realizes he might be in trouble as Hogan starts hammering away. Back up and Orndorff gets in a knockdown of his own, followed by a Junkyard Dog crawling headbutt of all things.
They get back up and ram the other into the cage for a double down, leaving them to climb over opposite sides of the cage. They both both get over the top and drop down right around the same time at 6:26, meaning we have a screwy finish (and a great bonus as Real American plays but that’s technically the song for both of them). Hogan goes after the pro-Orndorff referee, allowing Orndorff to knee Hogan from behind. The match is ruled a tie so let’s get back inside and do this again.
We take a break (thankfully missing nothing as this is taped) and come back with Orndorff throwing him back inside. McMahon wonders why Orndorff doesn’t just leave, but Ventura is there to explain that Orndorff’s feet have to touch the mat. It doesn’t explain why he doesn’t just throw Hogan in, put his feet in like two inches and then jump back out, but wrestlers can be rather odd at times.
Orndorff keeps hammering away and naturally that triggers the Hulk Up. Hogan sends him into the cage over and over and a backbreaker (yes a backbreaker) sets up the legdrop. That means it’s time to go over the top but Heenan comes in. That lets Orndorff try to go over the top but Hogan makes the save, beats both of them up, and climbs over the top to retain at 13:04 (counting the time with the arguing on the floor).
Rating: B-. These two had some good chemistry together and it was on display again here, with the double landing making it even better. At the same time, it wasn’t exactly a red hot match as the feud had already been played out by this point. Either way, it was nice to have a cage match on television, as that was a huge deal back in the late 80s.
Post match Hogan goes back inside and beats up Heenan again, much to the fans’ delight. We look at a split screen of the two hitting the ground and to this day I still don’t get Ventura’s insistence that Orndorff’s legs being straight means he had to hit the ground first. Anyway posing ensues.
We recap Randy Savage vs. George Steele, which is about Steel’s infatuation with Elizabeth.
Elizabeth is asked about Steele but Savage tells her to shut up because no one cares what she has to say.
Steele says he has a surprise for Elizabeth and shoves Gene Okerlund’s face up against the camera because he’s kind of odd.
Intercontinental Title: Randy Savage vs. George Steele
Savage, with Elizabeth, is defending and Steele comes out with what looks like a Steele action figure. Steele hands the doll to Elizabeth but Savage takes it away and slams it onto the mat. The fight starts fast and Steele slams him down a few times. That lets Steele wave….something to the ring but it lets Savage get in a shot from behind and choke on the ropes. Savage gets in a slam….and RICKY STEAMBOAT is back after being injured at Savage’s hands.
Naturally Savage panics and gets slammed off the top as Ventura wants a DQ. Steele throws Savage crashing over the top and onto the wooden steps (OUCH) before kidnapping Elizabeth and carrying her to the back. Savage gets up but is stopped by a ticked off Steamboat so we pause to look at Savage injuring Steamboat last year.
We take a break and come back with Steamboat chasing Savage some more and Steele returning. That means he gets to jump Savage and stop to eat a turnbuckle (his big thing) and then shoving the stuffing in Savage’s face. Savage fights back and chokes away in the corner, followed by a running ax handle.
Of course Steele bites him in the face, which is fine with McMahon, which shouldn’t be a surprise. A bite to the arm has Savage even more confused but he knocks Steele over the top for a crash to the floor. That lets Steele grab a foreign object to knock Savage outside for a change and somehow the referee doesn’t notice. Steele shoves him down for the incrimination, but the distraction lets Savage deck Steele with the bell to retain at 8:07.
Rating: D. These two feuded for the better part of ever, even facing off at the next two Saturday Night’s Main Events, and it never got good. Steele was so all over the place and doing his wild and crazy antics while Savage was trying to do his usual stuff. The parts with Steamboat were really intense and made me want to see them fight, but geez Steele was a rough watch.
Post match Savage loads up the bell again but Steamboat runs in for the save.
We look at Harley Race’s coronation as the King of the WWF.
Bobby Heenan and Race insist that everyone will bow to him in servitude. Yes this includes Gene Okerlund, with Heenan insisting that the Junkyard Dog will be “bow wowwing”. Only Heenan can make that line work.
The Junkyard Dog says we don’t bow to a king or queen in this country but just to the good Lord.
Junkyard Dog vs. Harley Race
Bobby Heenan is here with Race. Dog slugs away to start but gets kneed down, setting up a knee drop for two. Back up and Dog headbutts him down but walks into a belly to belly. Race’s headbutt just huts himself so Dog fires off some headbutts of his own. That’s enough to send Race outside, allowing Dog to steal the crown and cape. Heenan comes in with a cheap shot from behind and he immediately realizes that was a big mistake. Dog punches him down but Race comes in off the top to hammer away. Race and Heenan double team Dog for the DQ at 4:33.
Rating: C. It’s a simple idea for a feud and you could tell this one wasn’t over. What mattered here was the Dog getting to put on the crown and robe, which had the fans going nuts. Race can make something work with anyone and while this wasn’t particularly great, it did what it needed to do in the limited time they had.
Post match the beating continues with Race and Heenan trying to make Dog bow. That doesn’t happen as Dog fights them off but gets pulled back by referee Danny Davis. Dog isn’t having that either and headbutts him down as well. At least Dog does help him up.
Paul Orndorff is ranting about how he won the match but Bobby Heenan assures him that he’s the real world champion. Heenan is going to get Jack Tunney to look at the footage and give Orndorff the belt. Gene Okerlund comes in and asks Orndorff about the loss, earning quite the anger. That sends Okerlund running off, but all I can focus on is that sweet WWF gym bag on the top of the locker.
Adrian Adonis is back after getting attacked by Roddy Piper and Jimmy Hart is ready for revenge.
Piper knows Adonis is back and he has a chance to get him for good. He’s fighting for pride.
Roddy Piper vs. Adrian Adonis
Jimmy Hart is here with Adonis and Piper throws the kilt at him to start fast. Piper ties him up in the ropes and then sends him into the Tree Of Woe for some biting to the head. We get word that Elizabeth is officially out of George Steele’s custody, which seems like something that should have been done a lot faster. Piper snaps the arm over the top rope and yells a lot but Adonis hits him in the face.
Some rakes to the chest have Piper in more trouble but naturally he comes out swinging. Adonis is sent face first into the mat but tries a sleeper, with the two of them crashing out to the floor. Hart tries to get involved, allowing Adonis to spray Piper in the face with cologne. Ventura thinks it was due to Piper’s bad breath as Piper is blinded enough for the countout at 3:49.
Rating: C+. Well there’s your Wrestlemania grudge match, as it was clear these two hated each other and it was fun to see them beating each other up. Piper could make a fired up comeback like few others ever and he was starting to roll here. The ending was a good way to put more heat on Adonis and it kept the feud going, which is a rather good idea.
Post match referees towel Piper’s eyes off.
Hulk Hogan (in a snazzy red jacket) says he loved the match result but Gene Okerlund (he’s working tonight) talks about Bobby Heenan taking the footage to Jack Tunney (Hogan’s side eye at the reveal is awesome). Hogan isn’t overly worried.
Blackjack Mulligan vs. Jimmy Jack Funk
This is the Battle For Texas. In Connecticut. Funk complains about the spurs on Mulligan’s feet so they get taken off, allowing Funk to kick away in the corner. That earns him a chest first whip into the corner and Mulligan knocks Funk crashing over the top. We get an insert interview about the Battle For Texas starting on New Year’s Eve involving an aunt finding some redeye (I think?) behind the barn. Anyway, he doesn’t like Funk and finishes with the elbow at 2:47.
Post match Mulligan hangs Funk, which seems quite a bit too far.
The hosts wrap up the show. We’ll be back in a few weeks in Detroit and Happy New Year. Ventura: “What’s so happy about it?”
Roll credits.
Results
Hulk Hogan b. Paul Orndorff – Hogan escaped the cage
Randy Savage b. George Steele – Bell shot
Junkyard Dog b. Harley Race via DQ when Bobby Heenan interfered
Adrian Adonis b. Roddy Piper via countout
Blackjack Mulligan b. Jimmy Jack Funk – Elbow to the face
