The WWF At Boston Garden (2.11.1989) Review

-It’s February 11, 1989.

-Your hosts are Rod Trongard and Lord Alfred Hayes.

JIM POWERS vs. IRON MIKE SHARPE
-Sharpe wastes no time, attacking from behind with the forearm brace, but Powers comes back with a dropkick that sends Sharpe tumbling to the floor. Iron Mike rethinks his strategy and goes for Powers’ eyes, then applies a side headlock. Powers sends him into the ropes and Sharpe goes for a dropkick, but Powers dodges.

-Sharpe insists on a test of strength and boots Powers down with a triumphant “YAAAAAAAAAY!” Powers makes it back to his feet and boots Sharpe down himself. Sharpe retaliates with a chop that the fans in the cheap seats can feel and it gets a well-earned “Oooooooooh” from Boston. But Powers fights right back with an armbar.

-Sharpe connects with the arm brace, but Powers atomic drops him into the ropes and Sharpe accidentally tangles himself. Powers takes advantage, but as soon and Sharpe’s free, he goes nutzo with the arm brace again and chokes Powers over the rope. Powers with a bodypress as they’re doing their stuff in perfect alteration and never finding a flow.

-Sharpe goes back to arm brace attacks. Attempted piledriver is counted by a backdrop from Powers. Powers rams him into the turnbuckles. Dropkick nearly finishes, but Sharpe gets a foot on the ropes. Sharpe hits the ropes for really no reason and charges, but Powers catches him and turns it into a powerslam for three. 0 for 1. Great energy but neither guy could figure out what to do with it.

KOKO B. WARE vs. BORIS ZHUKOV
-Boris stalls and stalls for a bit before slamming Koko and celebrating. Koko demands a “USA” chant, and Boris is so outraged that he turns his back on Koko for no reason, and Koko rolls him up for two. Boris goes to the floor and stalls a bit before coming back in and throwing a forearm. Koko reacts by mowing him down with a clothesline and dropping a fist for two.

-Koko demands another “USA” chant but now Boris is inspired to throw kneelifts and rake the back. Zhukov decides he’s earned a bearhug at this point and clamps it on. Koko places his open hands directly next to Boris’ head while writhing and wondering if there’s some possible way of breaking this hold that hasn’t occurred to him.

-Koko throws punches until Zhukov lets go and slams him into place for a diving headbutt, but it misses and Koko starts getting revved up. Koko teases a bodypress off the second rope. Boris ducks down while Koko heads to the top, and when Boris stands back up to look for him, Koko hits a missile dropkick for three. 0 for 2. Swipe left.

BIG JOHN STUDD vs. AKEEM
-Studd gets the dream match that he begged for on Prime Time! Akeem backs him onto the corner, but Studd shoves him off and Akeem flies backward and tumbles to the opposite corner. Akeem tries shoulderblocks and hurts himself while Studd no-sells everything Akeem throws at him, and a single clothesline from Studd levels Akeem and he retreats to the floor. Akeem’s a company man.

-Rights by Studd and Akeem is taking Bluto bumps for everything, jumping in the air on impact each time. Armdrag by Studd, and Akeem just gets mad and starts throwing African Hammers (south of Poland) at Studd’s head to turn the tide. Akeem goes for a slam, but Studd’s too heavy.

-Akeem settles for a clothesline and a legdrop. He could pin, but he’s hellbent on proving he can slam Studd. Studd falls on top of him instead and mounts a comeback with forearms and elbows. Akeem hits the corner hard but rebounds with a clothesline that repels Studd into the opposite corner, and Akeem acts quickly and hits an avalanche.

-Studd ends up on the floor, but drags Akeem by his hair to join him out there. They battle it out as the referee counts ten for the weak double count-out. 1 for 3. 100% of that point was earned by Akeem, who was clearly told to go out there and make Studd look like a million bucks, and Akeem busted his ass to do it.

-Oh, no, wait, Studd grabs the mike and says he didn’t come all the way to Boston for a double count-out. It looks like Akeem’s going to take him up on an offer to restart the match but…nah.

BAD NEWS BROWN vs. PETE DOHERTY
-Fun fact: This was supposed to be Bad News vs. Rick Martel, but green card issues necessitated a substitution.

-Doherty enters second and he’s ready for Bad News’ tactics, so they trade punches until Bad News chops him and sends him into the turnbuckle, which Doherty sells by marching a lap around the ring. They should have just booked Doherty against Sharpe to watch them compete to see who could go more over-the-top with clown-shoed selling.

-They trade punches again and Alfred Hayes is legit busting up at everything Doherty does. Bad News slams the Duke of Dorchester, but Doherty rolls out of the way of a splash and bites the arm, to Bad News’ utter shock. Doherty clamps down on the leg and Bad News sells it like he’s scared for his life. Bad News tries to rake his eyes, but since that’s putting his fingers to Doherty’s face, Doherty counters by biting his fingers. Bad News goes into the corner, but when Doherty charges, Bad News raises a boot and hits the ghetto blaster immediately just to get the hell out of there. 2 for 4. That was a pretty damn funny four minutes.

BUSHWHACKERS vs. FABULOUS ROUGEAU BROTHERS
-Rougeaus attack but get whipped into each other to clear the ring right away. Luke and Jacques trade punches and the Rougeaus attempt a double-team, but it backfires due to a well-timed butt thrust from Butch, and a clothesline clears the ring completely again.

-Abdominal stretch by Raymond, but Luke sneaks in and bites Raymond’s ass to break the hold, and the Rougeaus retreat out to the floor to fill out a report for HR. Butch and Luke tag, noogie the referee, then tag again without actually doing anything to the Rougeaus.

-Luke misses a charge and the Rougeaus go right to work, ganging up on him with stomping and choking. Jacques knocks Butch off the apron and Butch retaliates by breaking a near-fall, but that distracts the referee and gives the Rougeaus an opening to double-team. Raymond knocks Butch to the floor. The whole fight goes to the floor and the Rougeaus pretty much dominate it and head bak in to celebrate and wait for the imminent count-out victory.

-But the Bushwhackers hang on and Luke makes it back in. Front facelock by Raymond while Jacques keeps blocking the hot tag. Tower of Quebec nearly finishes but Butch breaks the tag. Raymond and Luke collide in the middle of the ring. Everybody tags and Lord Alfred Freud says that Butch has been “storing up lots of energy and now he’s ready to release it.”

-All four men go at it hot and heavy in the ring, but Butch and look ram Jacques and Raymond so hard they can barely move. Butch comes at Raymond from behind and the impact sends Raymond to the floor. Shitty finish sees the Bushwhackers shove the referee for the DQ, which sets up Wrestlemania V I guess. But this match blew that one out of the water. 3 for 5.

PAUL ROMA vs. OUTLAW RON BASS
-Bass attacks from behind and elbows Roma down. Roma comes back with a second rope bodypress and a series of dropkicks. Flying headscissors, and Bass retreats.

-Back in, Bass goes for a backdrop, but Roma drives his knuckles into Bass’ now-vulnerable skull and Bass is pissed off. Roma works the arm, but Bass has just had enough and sends Roma out to the floor, sending him into the post and then snapping his neck over the top rope on the way back in.

-Roma starts fighting back with rights and dropkicks Bass down. Fistdrop off the second rope gets two. Elbow gets two. Another elbow. Another. Still just two. Bass ducks a second rope bodypress, and Bass hits the pedigree to finish. Roma was really desperately trying to get something going as a singles worker at this point and worked his ass off. 4 for 6.

TITO SANTANA vs. RAVISHING RICK RUDE
-For no discernible reason, Sean Mooney is special guest ring announcer for this match. This was an old recording (this show isn’t on the Network) and again, good god, it feels shockingly good to hear Rude’s real music.

-Rude demands a test of strength and Tito surprises him by overpowering him. Tito asks for another test of strength and Rude very reluctantly approaches…then boots him in the stomach. How rude! Ahh, I get it, that’s why his name is…well, anyway, Rude applies a side headlock, but Tito gets free and whips him from corner to corner.

-Chinlock by Tito, but Rude rolls over and a double-boot to Little Tito stops Santana in his tracks. Inverted atomic drop by Rude as he definitely has a strategy to work with now. Rude swivels the hips to celebrate, but he’s too hurt himself to do anything. He goes for a chinlock, but Tito whips him into the corner. Rude catches him coming with a boot.

-Rude is getting fatigued as he throws forearms. When he goes for a backdrop, Tito faceplants him and hits the ropes for a splash, but Rude raises the knees. Inverted atomic drop by Tito, and he rams Rude into the turnbuckles ten times and these may be the ten best turnbuckle shots in wrestling history. Tito just RAMS Rude into the buckle for each one and Rude looks like he has whiplash by the time Tito lets go.

-Tito takes out Rude’s legs and applies the figure four, but Rude makes the ropes and bails. Back in, Tito tries for a sunset flip, but Rude shifts his weight and lands on top with his hands on the ropes, and it gets the three-count. Well, that was a hell of a match. 5 for 7.

TITLE FOR TITLE: “Macho Man” RANDY SAVAGE (WWF Undisputed Champion) vs. ULTIMATE WARRIOR (Intercontinental Champion)
-Crowd reaction for Randy Savage is just nuclear heat, and Dave Meltzer was begging for the WWF to reconsider Wrestlemania V and keep the belt on him for just this reason.

-Savage attacks as Warrior enters, but Warrior tackles him and Boston loses their shit like they just…uh, saw Nomar eating some clam chowder at the pahk, I guess. Savage goes to the floor and Warrior press slams him back in.

-Warrior goes for a backdrop, but Savage boots him and goes to the top rope, hoping to end this right now. He goes for a bodypress but Warrior catches him and trips and falls in such a way that it happens to look like the powerslam that he wanted.

-Chops by the Warrior, but Savage avoids a corner charge and takes control, snapping Warrior’s neck over the top rope. Savage goes to a chinlock. Warrior elbows out, but Savage clotheslines him before the comeback can start. Axehandle off the top by Savage gets two. Warrior reverses a suplex for two as Rick Rude drifts to the ring to provide the only finish this match could possibly have.

-Savage keeps dishing it out, but Warrior starts to Warrior up and clotheslines Savage into putty. And then he goes after Rude and Rude hasn’t even attempted to interfere in this match. In fact, if anything, Rude had an incentive not to interfere here, but Savage takes advantage of the distraction as Warrior circles the ring and gets his hands on Rude on the floor, so Warrior falls victim to the top rope double axehandle, and it’s enough to keep Warrior on the floor for a ten-count. Both men retain, but Savage is the winner and shakes hands with Rude. 6 for 8. A main event that had a true main event feel to it.

7.5

The final score: review Good

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