wrestling / Video Reviews

The Name on the Marquee: WWF Prime Time Wrestling (12.12.1988)

November 17, 2018 | Posted by Adam Nedeff
WWF Prime Time Wrestling Bobby Heenan, WWE Network
6.6
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The Name on the Marquee: WWF Prime Time Wrestling (12.12.1988)  

-Ooooh, a cold open: Gorilla is standing at the entrance to Busch Gardens, and he’s annoyed because Bobby Heenan is 40 minutes late for this week’s taping.

-Originally aired December 12, 1988.

-Your sole host for the moment is Gorilla Monsoon.

KING HAKU vs. SPECIAL DELIVERY JONES

-From Boston. Okay, we have to be close to the end for SD Jones because I KNOW he wasn’t there when I started watching in early ’89.

-Haku throws chops, SD punches back and dodges an attempted dropkick. SD goes for a backdrop and Haku gives him a shot to the throat to take over. Chinlock by the king, but SD punches free, only to get elbowed down again. SD reverses a suplex, but Haku comes back with what Rod Trongard problematically refers to as “boots” to the head. Double headbutt is to SD Jones’ favor, so “black” outranks “Tongan” for anyone with a Headbutt Intensity Ranking chart, like the one I keep. Kick to the back of the head finishes SD after a fairly lethargic bout. And hey, a quick check on History of WWE says I was right! SD worked a house show the following night and then packed it in.

-Bobby Heenan, in inexplicable safari gear, strolls in late because he didn’t realize this was actually a Prime Time taping. He thought USA Network was sending him to Busch Gardens for a vacation as a reward for his fine work as co-host.

UPDATE

-Rockin’ Robin is the new-ish Ladies Champion after a bout in Paris over a month ago. Rockin’ Robin’s cue card warns Sherri to look out if she plans on making trouble.

-Gorilla explains they’re in Busch Gardens because they’ve heard that the newest tag team in the WWF, the BUSHWHACKERS, are wandering around somewhere in the park.

HERCULES vs. BORIS ZHUKOV

-From Daytona Beach. Boris charges and runs into a slam, then heads out to the floor and pisses around before he decides that fighting on the floor is a thing he could do, so he drags Hercules out by the ankle and attacks. Back in, Hercules reverses an Irish whip and Zhukov takes an uncharacteristic big bump off that, flying over the turnbuckles and hitting the floor. Back in, Herc charges and Boris ducks, and Herc hot shots himself and he’s in trouble. Chinlock by Boris. Herc fights free but he’s trained so Boris just slams him down and goes to the second rope. Herc raises his knees at the last possible second and clotheslines Boris around for a bit, and the torture rack finishes. That was surprisingly energetic and exceeded my expectations a bit.

-Gorilla and Bobby ride a flatbed truck around a giraffe pen, and Bobby is terrified of giraffes.And they finally spot the Bushwhackers marching around eating hay, and they enthusiastically greet Gorilla. THE BEST THING EVER is happening in the background, as a bunch of zebras are milling around, and as soon as the Bushwhackers show up, marching and yelling at the top of their lungs, the zebras all just line up side-by-side to watch the Bushwhackers, and they’re totally mesmerized.

EVENT CENTER

-The Million Dollar Man reminds us that he ALWAYS gets what he wants, and he hints that he’s slipping the Big Boss Man a few extra dollars for all the trouble he’s causing Hulk Hogan. The Ultimate Warrior says…words. English, mostly.

AKEEM vs. PETE DOHERTY

-From Boston, and the commentators place bets on how fast Doherty will lose, with Superstar Billy Graham placing the over/under at two minutes. Doherty comes out swinging with punches all over AKeem’s head and torso. Arm wringer by the Duke, but Akeem comes to life, hammering Doherty down, and the big splash finishes. Doherty held on for three minutes.

SPECIAL INTERVIEW
Mean Gene welcomes Randy Savage and Elizabeth, and they’re absolutely MOBBED as they make their way to the podium. Bad News Brown will PAY, ooooooh yeah!

RUGGED RONNIE GARVIN vs. IRON MIKE SHARPE

-Garvin’s WWF debut, and by far the most interesting thing about it is that in very un-WWF-like fashion, Garvin is being allowed to work Super Clash III tomorrow night to finish his AWA commitments.

-Garvin throws chops and takes Sharpe to the mat to stretch his arms. Sharpe has had enough and pounds Garvin with the forearm brace. Garvin chops back and whips Sharpe into the corner, and the Garvin stomp follows. Wedgie piledriver by Garvin gets the win for the first crowd reaction of the match.

-Gorilla and Bobby go for a train ride.

“Mister Perfect” CURT HENNIG vs. JOSE LUIS RIVERA

-From the damn darkest building in Hamilton, Ontario, or “Toronto” if you’re Sean Mooney & Lord Alfred Hayes.

-Rivera stymies Hennig by out-wrestling him and applying an armbar. Hennig backs him into a corner and goes to the aggressive path, chopping and putting the boots to him. Sleeper by Hennig, but Rivera fights free and whips Hennig into the corner, with Hennig taking a bump that reminds you why he needed time off for major surgery three years later. Hennig dodges a dropkick and finishes with a Perfect-plex. This was OK.

BROTHER LOVE

-From Saturday Night’s Main Event. Brother Love and Slick screw with Hulk Hogan until Hulk gets fed up and kicks both their asses.

ROCKERS vs. BRAIN BUSTERS (with Bobby Heenan)

-From the Cow Palace. The match never starts, as a brawl breaks out on the floor and they end up going all the way back to the locker room. This feud bookended Arn & Tully’s entire WWF run, as it’s their first feud, and a year later, they finished up by putting over the Rockers.

-A mother and her daughter recognize Gorilla and approach, and Bobby complains about how rude they are until the little girl yells “Weasel” and stomps on his foot. Trivia: It’s Bobby’s wife and daughter.

KOKO B. WARE vs. RED ROOSTER

-From Boston. Rooster stalls before shoulderblocking Koko down and applying a side headlock. Boston is already done with this match as Koko locks on headscissors, then knocks Rooster out to the floor. Rooster kills more time before they go to a fist fight, and Rooster takes a CRAZY bump on an Irish whip, Flair flipping onto the ungimmicked commentary table, all the monitors on top of it, and Rod Trongard’s lap.

-Back from commercial, Koko has a side headlock applied. Dropkick sends Rooster to the floor. Back in, Koko misses a corner charge. “You do a thing and then I’ll do a thing has been seemingly the story of this match. Koko makes a comeback, I guess, but Rooster counters with a neckbeaker. Rear chinlock by Rooster, but the time limit hasn’t expired yet, so they continue the search for things to do. Suddenly they start exchanging two-counts so we must be in the home stretch, and Superstar Billy Graham says he has a feeling something’s going to happen soon. Koko counters a double axehandle with a shot to the stomach. Bodypress by Koko connects right as the bell sounds for the time limit draw that Boston saw coming as soon as Rooster clamped on the side headlock.

6.6
The final score: review Average
The 411
Notable moments and some not-classics-but-decent-matches make this a perfectly acceptable episode.
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