WWF Wrestling Challenge (9.13.1986) Review

-Originally aired September 13, 1986.

-Your hosts are Gorilla Monsoon, Ernie Ladd, and Johnny V.

JUNKYARD DOG & GEORGE “The Animal” STEELE (with Captain Lou Albano) vs. THE FUNK BROTHERS (with Jimmy Hart)
-Terry got burned out and quit back in April, according to Lanny Poffo, after going on a shouting rampage about how tired he was of wrestling “the goddamn Junkyard Dog” every night, so fittingly, here we are in September, and Hoss & Jimmy Jack are STILL dealing with him. Again, Junkyard Dog’s WWF run is vastly overrated, as he’s remembered now as 2nd-only-to-Hulk in that era, and hell NO, he wasn’t; the company had this tendency to give him something to do for a little bit and then forget he was there, and Dog really just kind of floated through the company for four years.

-Jimmy Jack gives Dog a shot to the throat and they bungle a spot from the second rope. Hoss tries to hogtie the Dog, but Steele chases Hoss in quite leisurely fashion out of the ring. Back suplex by Dog gets the three-count, and the referee is already on the mat and counting one before Dog is even touching Jimmy Jack’s body. Hoss/Dory Jr. got the hell out of the company after this match, and who can blame him?

WRESTLERS’ REBUTTAL
-The Hart Foundation is tired of the fans referring to them as “Nasty Boys.” Hey, they could be calling you Conquistadors, how would that make you feel?

KAMALA (with The Wizard and Kimchee) vs. MARIO MANCINI
-One name, six letters, he’s already had a run in the company, and Lord Alfred Hayes still manages to call him “Kamalee.” Ernie Ladd speculates that Kamala’s weight is wrong and he’s probably closer to that 500-pound mark, and that’s probably what got him fired from the show because I can imagine Gorilla folding his arms and muttering “That’s MY thing.”

-Chops and headbutts by Kamala, which leads Gorilla to speculate that someone is teaching Kamala the martial arts. We get pre-taped words from The Wizard. I don’t remember asking for that. Big splash by Kamala gets the win.

-Ken Resnick talks to Captain Lou Albano, who credits psychologist/gynecologist Rodney Pupufnik with teaching George Steele fluent English.

HILLBILLY JIM & COUSIN LUKE vs. JOE MIRTO & JACK KRUGER
-This match is scheduled for one flaw, according to Lord Alfred. Hillbilly actually hasn’t been in the company since May or so, but they’re taking the WWF approach of just pretending he’s been there the entire time and not acknowledging that this is a return. Heels attack but get whipped into each other to clear the ring.

-Jim and Luke pound down on Mirto as Jimmy Hart drops in to warn that Hart Foundation is keeping an eye on the hillbillies.. Jack “Ron Swanson Shrunk in the Wash” Kruger tags in and gets hiptossed by Luke. Double-slam by the hillbillies, and a bearhug by Jim gets the submission. Kruger would go on to greater fame in the WWF as “That one referee that always screamed everything.”

-Ken talks to the Rougeau Brothers, who will take on all comers.

-We get words from the Honky Tonk Man, who went dancing with Betty Lou last night because he’s feeling so good about coming to the WWF and getting his hands on Paul Orndorff.

RICKY “The Dragon” STEAMBOAT vs. ROGER KIRBY
-This should be a pretty decent match. I’ve seen very little of Kirby to be honest, but he had a GREAT career around the territories, and he’s winding down as a jobber now.

-Kirby blocks and reverses a hiptoss. Steamboat fights back with a dropkick and a series of armdrags. Kirby levels him with boots and rakes the eyes. Backbreaker by Kirby gets two. Steamboat makes his comeback with chops, but Kirby blocks an attempted turnbuckle shot and whacks Steamboat so hard that he tumbles through the ropes and hangs himself upside-down. Steamboat gets his third wind and slams Kirby down, and heads to the top rope and comes off with a bodypress for three. Again, make your opponent look good, and you’ll look like a star for beating him.

THE SNAKE PIT
-Jake, wearing a shimmering purple and black robe, tries to intimidate Hillbilly Jim, and they just swap insults back and forth, and it’s just death. “Piper’s Pit” done by Jake the Snake just looks like a stroke of genius on paper, but nah.

KING KONG BUNDY & BIG JOHN STUDD (with Bobby Heenan) vs. PAUL ROMA & BILLY JACK HAYNES
-Studd and Haynes fight for a top wristlock while we get words from King Harley Race, who vows to rule his kingdom with an iron hand. Not sure why we needed to be told that right this second.

-Bundy tags in and drops an elbow for two. Avalanche misses and hot tags Paul Roma. Dropkicks by Roma, but he goes for the Irish whip and Bundy easily reverses and that, and this time the avalanche makes contact for three.

NIKOLAI VOLKOFF, IRON SHEIK, & HERCULES HERNANDEZ (with Classy Freddy Blassie & Slick) vs. CORPORAL KIRCHNER, JIM POWERS, & SALVATORE BELLOMO
-Stars are actually “currently in the ring” for the intros, and the ring absolutely fills with garbage until the jobbers rush down the aisle and start a brawl. Ernie Ladd says that without a shadow of a doubt, we don’t know where Slick got his money. That sounds very much like something that has a shadow of a doubt, Ernie. Blassie grabs Powers leg to keep him caught in the corner. Sheik suplexes Powers around as we get pretaped words from Superstar Billy Graham, who brags about walking 47 miles today. Torture rack by Hercules finishes while Graham is still rambling about owning a chimney made of skulls.

-We get another promo from the Harts, warning the fans not to call them “Nasty Boys.” They didn’t quite make Fetch happen with that, but it is weird to hear this faint buzz of the name of the guys who ended the Hart Foundation five years later.

5.6

The final score: review Not So Good

The 411

Second half of the show picked up a bit.