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WWF Wrestling Challenge (11.8.1986) Review
Loading...-Originally aired November 8, 1986.
-Your hosts are Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan.
GEORGE “The Animal” STEELE & JUNKYARD DOG vs. JOE MIRTO & AL NAVARRO
-Mirto tries a sneak attack, and Steele totally ignores it and just starts beating the hell out of him. Steele tags Dog and Gorilla reacts like it’s some kind of brilliant strategy. We get the weirdest ending as Mirto just sandbags the shit out of an attempted slam, so Dog pretty much just puts him down and pins him. Referee counts two and stops even though Mirto didn’t kick out, and the referee, JYD, and Mirto just straight up have a conversation in plain sight, and the referee begins counting again, and this time he makes it to three. So the WWF had the means for post-production at that point but opted not to use them here. Hot garbage.
WRESTLERS’ REBUTTAL
-The Dream Team complain about a wacky house show battle royal where the Fabulous Moolah snuck in and won, which is the most unethical thing Moolah would ever do.
-Last week on Superstars, Mr. Fuji was a guest on Piper’s Pit…Fuji taunts Piper with insulting fortune cookie fortunes. And fair’s fair, I was all set to shit all over them for conflating Japanese and Chinese with the fortune cookies, but some quick Googling around reveals that there’s actually some credible evidence that fortune cookies originated in Japan, so shut my mouth. Piper and Fuji jaw, and it ends with the two of them agreeing to a match.
ROWDY RODDY PIPER vs. MR. FUJI
-From Superstars, with Danny Davis in the ring, so shenanigans are afoot.
-Piper hobbles to the ring on a crutch with his leg all bandaged up, but he ditches the crutch and removes the bandage before the bell, which is a pretty lame payoff. Suckering in Fuji for a rope-a-dope and then just kicking the shit out of him would have got a huge reaction.
-Piper beats on Fuji and keeps pushing Davis aside when Davis tries to intervene. Fuji finally just chops Piper square in the balls and Davis doesn’t do a thing about it; would you?
-Fuji actually goes to the top rope, but a splash misses and Piper gets on top of him for a Scut Farkus-style beating, but here come Bob Orton, Don Muraco, and Jimmy Hart, and they surround the ring while Fuji goes to the floor for a rest. Orton and Muraco storm the ring, and Davis actually sees them attack, but then just turns back around and watches Fuji, waiting for him to get back in. Piper gets his crutch back as an equalizer and cleans house, which gets him DQed.
-Ken Resnick talks to Hillbilly Jim, who encourages us to support Farm Aid.
-A fantastic skit at a local bank. Slick has agreed to sell Hercules’ contract to Bobby Heenan, but he won’t accept checks because he runs a cash-only business, so Heenan arranges to have stacks and stacks of money brought out and Slick brings his own paper bag to take it away. It might not sound like much, but Heenan and Slick made the absolute most out of the 60 seconds that this segment lasted.
HERCULES (with Bobby Heenan) vs. SCOTT MCGHEE
-So Heenan’s strategy for taking Hercules to the top involves unloading his last name, which is fine when it’s a cool name like Hercules and not goddamn RIDDLE. Herc doesn’t get paid by the hour and the torture rack finishes instantly.
-Ken Resnick talks to The Islanders to give us an early indication of why the heel turn was a good move.
-Jesse Ventura talks to the Honky Tonk Man for some major course correction. Honky complains about shaking greasy hands and kissing ugly babies and not getting the reaction he deserves. So Jesse suggests a Vote of Confidence and asks the fans to write in and just tell us if they like the Honky Tonk Man or not.
HILLBILLY JIM & BILLY JACK HAYNES vs. JIMMY JACK FUNK & RICK RENSLOW
-Oh my god, the Dream Team isn’t even out here and they’re talking about how the Dream Team is distraught about losing at Wrestlemania 2.
-Renslow gets knocked around by the babyfaces while we get pre-taped words from Haynes and Hillbilly, highlighting how little chemistry there is here. Haynes locks on the full nelson for the win.
THE SNAKE PIT
-Jake congratulations Bobby Heenan on obtaining Hercules’ contract. Paul Orndorff steps out and he still has that thing with Hulk Hogan.
“The Natural” BUTCH REED (with Slick) vs. JERRY ALLEN
-Bobby Heenan emphatically returns to the broadcast booth to announce that there’s a rumor swirling in the locker room that Captain Lou Albano will retire next week. I mean, when the Tag Team Champions let you know that they’re replacing you with a dog, the writing is pretty much on the wall for a manager.
-Allen gets some offense in until Reed levels him with a clothesline, and another clothesline off the second rope finishes. Gorilla hangs the big lampshade on this whole gimmick and sneers that the hair doesn’t look very natural. Thank you, Ted, that was the joke.
-Captain Lou Albano confirms the rumor Heenan heard earlier. Yes, he’s retiring, both wrestling AND managing, and to punctuate that, he’s signed for one last match as a wrestler for next week.
THE ISLANDERS vs. FRENCHY MARTIN & DAVE WAGNER
-Tama is a one-man wrecking crew for a while. Haku tags in to help with a double dropkick. Rocket launcher by the Islanders, and a big splash by Tama finishes.
-Ken Resnick talks to Mister Wonderful, who says he has EARNED the world title.
