March 1987

AWA World Heavyweight Champion Nick Bockwinkel vs Curt Hennig - AWA Showboat 3/7/86 In a lot of ways this is just the TV version of the St. Paul match so that the whole AWA territory understood the angle to setup Superclash II. There is a real feeling that both men want to prove to each other and the world who is the best. Again, Bockwinkel goes for the underhanded tactics early. On a rope break, he buries HUGE shoulderblocks into the midsection and then rams knees to send Hennig out of the ring. Hennig comes roaring back into the ring. Hennig slaps on an abdominal stretch and Rod Trongard very matter of factly calls it a Boston Crab twice, which made me laugh. Bock a…

I love a good 80's handheld match. Tons of heat between Takada/Maeda and Fujiwara, but especially between hot-head Takada and old iron-head Fujiwara. Kido is the low man on the totem pole and things slow down whenever he's in the ring but, for the most part, he manages to fit in with these guys and does some neat stuff on the mat. At one point, he's got Takada in a leglock and when Takada struggles, Kido kicks his opposite foot to put the pressure back on Takada. Later on, he's able to catch a back kick from Takada and take him down into the single leg crab. But man, once Fujiwara gets in there vs. Takada, the match sizzles. Takada starts cracking Fujiwara's legs with ki…

WWF World Tag Team Champions Hart Foundation vs Rougeau Brothers - WWF, Boston 3/7/87 The Hart Foundation are fresh off the screwjob of the Bulldogs so this match will at least have heat. I would say this maybe the best Hart Foundation match ever. We start off with a little Rougeau bullshit to get everyone revved up and Bret is at his slimy best. I really this is a great performance from him. He heels it up to 11 with the combination of "Look at me, Mom!" and cowardice. He milks a Rougeau slap for all its worth. Even the Anvil takes a nice bump for Raymond. They work over Bret's leg in an entertaining fashion, before they trap Raymond in the heel corner. The Harts wor…

NWA International Tag Team Champions Jumbo Tsuruta & Genichiro Tenryu vs Road Warriors - AJPW 3/12/87 I did a little research on the tag team titles in All Japan. The NWA International Tag Team Championship was the Main Championship it was primarily held by Baba & Jumbo and when Baba went into semi-retirement it became Jumbo & Tenryu's titles and this was the title that they feuded with Choshu & Yatsu over that I have not gotten to yet because I am saving it for a day when I can knock out all four major matches. The PWF Tag Team Titles were only created in 1984 and these were Stan Hansen's titles. He won them with Brody and then it was awarded to DiBi…

NWA US Tag Team Champions Barry Windham & Ronnie Garvin vs Dick Murdoch & Ivan Koloff - NWA World Championship Wrestling 3/14/87 The short-lived tag team of Windham & Garvin had some great matches against the Midnight Express but here they are having another great match with the equally short-lived tag team of Ivan Koloff & Dick Murdoch. The fans were yelling "traitor" at Murdoch so Nikita's babyface turn has not bridged the gap for all Soviets. Uncle Ivan has a Nikita replacement named Vladimir Petrov. Stone Cold Steve Austin really broke the mold when he shaved his head. Up until that point it was only Commie bastards that shaved their heads. B…

This was flirting with Full Five status for me until that awful finish. It really did feel like the culmination of a rivalry that showed a true sense of progression. Hansen guzzled Colon in the first couple of matches just like he always did everyone. The last two matches showed Colon fighting back and here, it was clear he had Hansen's number. The match never would have worked as well as it did without allowing Hansen to be Hansen early in the feud, because his perilous state as they moved from one match to the next became increasingly surreal. All of the extracurricular brawling around the ring didn't bother me, mainly because of what I'd label an iconic visual in wrest…

Jerry Lawler & Bam Bam Bigelow vs Austin Idol & Tommy Rich - Memphis 3/16/87 Double Jeopardy A double jeopardy match for those that don’t know, like myself, before watching this match is essentially a two-ring circus. It is two singles matches going on simultaneously in rings side by side where partners can switch off whenever they want and two men of the same team can only be in the same ring at the same time for 60 seconds. I don’t like three ring circuses. I like my attention squarely focused on one thing and don’t like the idea I am missing something. I thought overall that was mitigated by them constantly interacting with each other. The face shine fo…

Aired on the International version of Wrestling Challenge. Talk about it here

This was a good. We had the girls handcuffed at ringside. Sunshine and Baby Doll were awesome here working a hate filled fight. I loved the Buddy Roberts and Chavo exchanges. We get a nice Face shine to start. Roberts takes a bump onto the girls. This is where the girls really get the brawl going. Officials have to come out and un handcuff them. We're back to action and Chavo does a roll up on Buddy Jack into the wrong corner. This results in the heels stomping a mud hole in him to set up the heat. Chavo's FIP work was really compelling helped by the viciousness by Hayes and Gordy. Eventually we get a hot tag to Teddy. By this point both rings are being used, and it's tot…

All four men played their parts to perfections in this action-packed tag. The UWF invaders laid some brutal shots into the young NJPW upstarts. Koshinaka gets in a number of incredible hope spots here, including one where he changes the tide of the match by evading a potential match-ending wheel kick into the corner by Maeda. I know Mutoh gets a lot of stick for being lazy and dull these days, but in his prime, he was a fired-up babyface with one of the best moonsaults in the business. Although there are a few people in the crowd cheering on Maeda, by the time they reach the molten-hot finishing stretch, everyone in the building is rooting for the NJPW lads. Every match I…

Jerry Lawler & Bam Bam Bigelow vs Austin Idol & Tommy Rich - Memphis 3/23/87 Texas Death Match Rematch in the Mid-South Colseium after the brawl from last week. This time Texas Death Match rules! Bam Bam is pissed and throws steps into the ring and manhandles the ref and that’s how you start a Texas Death Match baby! Not fucking cartwheels, brutha! Lawler & Bam Bam commence to kicking ass. Rich charges at Lawler and just gets punched in a fun spot. Idol has a 2x4, but has no effect on Bam Bam. You cant hurt steel BABY! Idol hits a ballshot on Lawler and goes behind Bigelow to hit a ballshot on him. Gotta love that testicular psychology. Idol uses exten…

Antonio Inoki vs Masa Saito - NJPW 3/26/87 Masa Saito is BACK BABY! Saito had served his time, finished out some work in AWA and was ready for the big money feud with Inoki. This would be match one in a series that would culminate in the famous Island Death Match which may have been the pioneer in cinematic pro wrestling. Saito became Inoki's main rival for 1987 and along side the return of Riki Choshu ensured that the New Japan would continue its hot streak after the return of the UWF workers in 1986. The April match is a wild, red hot match, this being the first match in the series is more of the technical match then turns into a Vince Russo Wet Dream Angel. …

This was a whirlwind of non-stop, no nonsense action, with plenty of stiff kicks and suplexes from Team UWF. I mean, the selling is non-existent but there's little to no downtime. This builds from their 3/20 match with Takada being a little more on the ball when it comes to Koshinaka's wiliness. After Koshinaka catches a foot, Takada slaps his way free and blasts him with a back kick to the grill. Maeda suplexes everyone around the ring, including dumping Koshinaka on his noggin with a belly-to-belly. Mutoh pulls off the moonsault press for a fired up crowd but it's not enough to beat the shooters. Koshinaka tries for a few roll-ups but Takada is able to counter an attemp…

The definition of a popcorn match if I'd ever seen one. Koko surprised me with a high dropkick followed up with a cartwheel. I wasn't expecting that level from athleticism from him. Reed wins after flipping a Koko crossbody and grabbing a handful of tights. Tito runs down and makes the save. Nothing offensive, but they could of left this from the card and nobody would of noticed. ★½

This felt like the last hurrah for guys who looked like Orton and Muraco as we are coming to a time where Vince wanted guys who looked like Warrior and Savage and not workers who were stocky and pudgy. Despite them not looking like a superstar in the landscape of 1987 WWF, Orton and Muraco were great at cutting off Zenk and Martel and bumping for them in that entertainingly corny 80's way. Monsoon refers to Zenk as the 'Excellence Of Execution' and Orton's long-term wrist injury has finally healed as he's cast-free here. This was an enjoyable match to open the card and the finish was quite creative, with Muraco accidentally back body dropping his own tag partner! …

Just a three minute match showcasing how over JYD was and how excellent Harley Race was, even in his advancing years. The stipulation of this match is that the loser must bow to the winner. Harley bumps like crazy for JYD here. He misses a nasty falling headbutt of the apron and you can see why he regrets inventing that move. I'm not sure why a non-finish was needed here. Surely JYD could of done with the win, especially considering he's the man standing tall in the aftermath of this segment. ★★¾

So this was meant to be for the Tag Team titles, but Dynamite Kid's injury prevented this. It was then made a six man tag match to cover up his limitations and it does so well. Danny Davis is fantastic as a chicken shit heel non-wrestler. He tags in when an opponent is down and he takes a shot and tag himself back out. This riles up the crowd and they can't wait to see Davis get taken down. Santana gets the hot tag and isolates Davis and beats him down, much to the roaring approval of the audience. Davey Boy Smith tags in and delivers an absolutely viscous Tombstone Piledriver before Davis sneaks away with a cheap win. Who would of thought a match …

A basic power match, pitting the two users of the Full Nelson up against each other. Hercules cuts one of the most batshit promos ever before the match, talking about his time in Ancient Rome. The match starts with an intense stare down after which Haynes gets his shine in before he's brutally cut off by a Herc lariat. Billy Jack Haynes refuses to tap out to Hercules' Full Nelson and once he's able to lock in one of his own, Hercules launches himself with Haynes still on his back out of the ring. The result of this one is a double countout after they refuse to get back into the ring. Hercules busts open and lays out Haynes with a chain shot. I'm not going to hate on the n…

The commentators talk about the small performers like they are literal children. They get their little person shit in before it's time for Hillybilly Jim and King Kong Bundy get tagged in and stink up the place. Little Beaver tries to square up against Bundy and immediately regrets his decision. Bundy has had enough and lays out Beaver with a slam and a nasty elbow dropped, causing a disqualification and the heel little people to turn on Bundy. Not going to lie, I popped big for the Beaver assault, but there's nothing worth seeing here if you've already seen the famous ending. ★

WWF World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan vs Andre The Giant - Wrestlemania III My favorite running gag of Titans was Parv always asking after every Hogan/Andre 1980 match how it compared to Wrestlemania III and finally Pete got wise and watched it. It always got a laugh out of me. I don't really have a new take on this match. I sit right where pretty much everybody who has watched this match. It feels enormous, but it is not a good match. I really wanted to be able to construct an argument for it, but it is not there. It is amazing Andre competed for another three year after this because he looked to be in a lot of pain. I did really like Hogan's selling in t…

It's so strange seeing The Rougeaus as babyfaces. This unremarkable bout just barely makes the four minute mark and it's only purpose is to lay the groundwork for Beefcake's face turn. After The Rougeaus land their neat looking finish, Dino Bravo runs in and helps the heels steal this one. Beefcake is annoyed by Dino getting in the ring. Bobby Heenan, Bravo and Valentine sneak out of the ring area on those cool ring carts, leaving Beefcake alone. This is isn't the last we'll be seeing off Beefcake tonight. These guys were capable of putting on something better than this, but this felt quite rushed. ★★¼

It's Honky and Jake The Snake, so nobody is expecting a workrate classic, but they stick to what they know and the crowd eat up everything they do. The ever valiant babyface Roberts attacks Honky before the bell and rips off his suit. Ventura refers to Honky's attire as an Elvis suit, the only time I think they referenced Elvis when talking about Honky. Roberts is accompanied by Alice Cooper. Damien popping up in his bag got one of the biggest pops of the match. I love the spot where Roberts punches Honky into the ropes and HTM sells it like he's in a rocking chair. HTM steals the win, but Jake gets the last laugh as he smashes Honky's guitar, beats on Jimmy Hart and lays…

Has there been a more dislikeable babyface than Jim Duggan in WWF? He decided to interrupt Volkoff singing the Soviet national anthem as he's in the land of the free. Fucking idiot. He sticks around and decides to manage The Killer Bees. Volkoff and Sheik get a lot of heat and the crowd even throw some garbage into the ring. The match is very simple and only lasts five minutes before Duggan decides to cost the Bees the victory by getting them disqualified by attacking the Russians with his 2 x 4. I'd be pissed if I was in the Killer Bees. ★½

WWF Intercontinental Champion Randy Savage vs Ricky Steamboat - Wrestlemania III History beckons the Macho Man! One of the all-time great promos and singular lines in pro wrestling. I had forgotten that during the Steamboat promo that they do mention this is the Dragon's last shot, which is only further proof why the match was worked the way it was and the correct way to go about it. I always loved how they weaved in the George Steel story into this match. I love how Savage moves Liz away from Steele because of what happened at the last SNME where he kidnapped her. Well-played spot. The finish is just awesome with Steel saving Steamboat from the bell. It is to…

Much like the JYD/Race match, this has phenomenal bumping. Adonis throws himself around the ring in an almost slapstick like fashion. The spots where Jimmy Hart gets involved are even more marvelous. Roddy Piper is super over and the crowd even believes this is his final match. Piper's offense may look weak, but Adonis sells it so well it's forgivable. A total Adonis carry job. ★★★