wrestling / Video Reviews
Universal Wrestling Federation (6.14.1986) Review
Image Credit: Universal Wrestling Federation
Loading...-We take another look at Lady Maxine beating the hell out of Dark Journey a few weeks ago.
-Originally aired June 14, 1986.
-Your hosts are Jim Ross & Michael Hayes. Hayes reads “an apology note from Dark Journey” for blowing him off a few weeks ago, and JR recognizes Michael’s handwriting and sounds like a disappointed teacher.
-Last week: Terry Taylor gets a surprise win over Buzz Sawyer to capture the TV Title!
“Dr. Death” STEVE WILLIAMS vs. THE SHADOW
-Hiptoss by Williams to start off. The Shadow threatens to throw a chop, which leads JR and Hayes to speculate that he might have martial arts training. Tackle and the Stampede finish, and the crowd is HOT for Doc this week.
-We have a special statement from referee Tommy Gilbert. He denounces his son Eddie’s actions, but Eddie’s behavior is casting a shadow over Tommy’s own performance as a referee, so he announces that he’s resigning from the company.
-Next, we go to President Watts, who rejects the resignation because Tommy’s performance as a referee has been completely uncompromised by his son’s bullshit.
KORCHENKO & THE BLADE RUNNERS (with Eddie Gilbert) vs. PERRY JACKSON, BRETT WAYNE SAWYER, & JEFF GAYLORD
-Eddie shows off a photo of bloodied and beaten Bill Watts buried under the Soviet flag, and he’s had it blown up into a poster.
-Blade Runners dismantle Sawyer. Jackson tags in, but Rock clotheslines him down and follows with a press slam. Sting comes in and splashes Jackson, getting some AIR on it, as again, you can watch him improving and gaining agility with every passing week, and it’s just amazing to watch this big lumbering statue become good at this, and so quickly.
We get a video package about the stellar two-month career of Terry Gordy in the UWF. Some biased narration from Joel Watts accompanies the highlights, complaining that Gordy had help from three people on the way to winning the UWF Heavyweight Title tournament.
-Tommy Gilbert expresses his gratitude to the UWF for rejecting his resignation. Nobody wants to see their son get hurt, but honestly, getting an ass-kicking by Bill Watts might be just the thing to help Eddie get his act together.
TED DIBIASE vs. BUZZ SAWYER
-Ted DiBiase grabs the mic before the match and calls out Michael P.S. Hayes, saying that the P.S. probably stands for “Prissy Sissy.”
-DiBiase manages to get a quick start on Sawyer, armdragging him and working the arm over. Sawyer fights back by biting DiBiase and suplexing him. DiBiase tries to mount a comeback, but Sawyer powerslams him for two. DiBiase rolls to the floor to try to catch his breath, but Sawyer follows him out and rams him into the barricade.
Back in, Sawyer clamps on a bearhug and drags DiBiase down with the mat to attempt a pin with it. DiBiase gets free and cradles Sawyer out of nowhere for two, then backslides him out of nowhere for two. Sawyer panics and reapplies the bearhug to try to finish this thing.
-DiBiase comes back again with a series of lefts and an “illegal elbow” according to Hayes. A powerslam by DiBiase finishes clean as a sheet. Hot little match.
-Jim Ross is in the ring to declare a winner in the Wrestling Trivia contest. Recapping the clues…
#1. His boyhood nickname was Moose.
#2. Early in his career, he wrestled as The Convict.
#3. His favorite finishing maneuver has felled many wild animals.
#4. His favorite type of match is partially the title of an award-winning movie.
-Answer: Hacksaw Jim Duggan. (The last clue is a very tenuous hint to “Coal Miner’s Glove”)
-J.R. picks a winner from all the fans who submitted the correct answer. Hayes congratulates her on winning Bill Watts’ old belt, which isn’t as good a prize as dinner with the Freebirds.
TAG TEAM TITLE: FANTASTICS (Champions) vs. SHEEPHERDERS (with Jack Victory)
-Donnybrook right away, and the Fantastics clear the ring in seconds. Back from commercial with Tommy clearing the ring AGAIN. Luke finally comes to life and gets some offense going, but Tommy dropkicks him and tags Bobby in.
-Fantastics work the arm on Luke while the commentators note that Maxine is missing and speculate that she’s afraid Dark Journey might be in the building. What’s actually happening is we’re about at the point where Maxine just threw her arms in the air and decided “Fuuuuuuuck the wrestling business.”
-Sheepherders finally get things going right when JR gives us the two-minute warning for the TV hour. Bobby applies a sleeper on Luke, but Butch breaks it and we have a pier sixer. We get a weird and really obvious edit to Luke illegally coming off the top rope and hitting Tommy’s knees. Bobby gets thrown over the top rope behind the referee’s back, and Jack Victory assists in a spike piledriver on the floor to knock Bobby cold, and he gets dragged back into the ring and pinned, giving the Sheepherders the gold.
-BUT WAIT! Tommy Gilbert comes to the ring and tells referee Carl Fergie about all the bullshit he missed, and as the credits roll, Fergie raises the Fantastics’ arms and runs to the locker room to get the belts back from the Sheepherders. I’m not going to roll my eyes and say “Oh come on!” to that one because Hayes makes a point on commentary that indicates they’re setting up a nice story–Hayes’ theory is that Tommy is so ashamed of his son’s actions that to make up for it, he’s being extra, extra good to the babyfaces from now on.
