Superstar Sleeze

Randy Savage vs George "The Animal" Steele - SNME 1/4/86 So the love affair begins! Steele completed his face turn in 1985 and Mean Gene found him in the Detroit Zoo, which is silly, but funny. The Ventura/Macho Man segment where Savage throws Liz into the pool to teach her how to swim was the Macho Man at his dickish best. This whole feud really exemplified Macho Man as the jealous, jackass boyfriend. The way he cups her chin, what a fucking asshole. You want to sock him. Steele does his best Tarzan/Jane here. Some fun antics and Macho Man keeps it moving. Savage putting Elizabeth in front of him doesn't work as well because Steele wants to pet her. Steele does the turnbuckle gimmick which is a great spot. He gets totally distracted by Elizabth and Savage hits the double axehandle for the win. Fun sidebar for the Macho Man while he challenged Tito and Hulkster around the loop. Lets him show his character.

I definitely shortchanged Steamboat. I do prefer Tito in selling but going and watching Steamboat/Jake & Steamboat/Savage. Had me questioning who is the best of these three. I realize due to Wrestlemania III that Steamboat won't be forgotten but it wasn't until I really thought about it that I realized how remarkable his run was. He debuted around Mania I as basically number three babyface never was below that and was the definitive number two babyface by Mania III. Given the fact he was not good at promos and New York was a promo territory that's quite the accomplishment. Easy lock for top 50! For a short tenure in the WWF (March, 1985-March, 1988), Ricky Steamboat had a big impact. Even though he was not a flashy promo, he was still booked at the top of the card throughout his run in New York. Taking the number three position immediately working with Tito Santana (number two babyface) and havign his first major feud with "Magnificent" Don Muraco & Mr. Fuji after the two hanged him. After establishing himself against Muraco, he worked a underrated program with the newly debuted Jake "The Snake" Roberts in summer of 1986 after Jake The Snake DDT'd him on concrete. This all led to the incredibly famous Macho Man feud in late 86, early 87 where he was unequivocably the number two babyface at the height of the WWF in the 80s. They had many great matches heading into the famous larnyx crushing angle, which is one of the best angles in wrestling history (masterful selling by Steamboat) and led to TWO of the greatest matches in WWF history in the form of their Toronto bloodbath in February and their technical marvel at Wrestlemania III. So in only three years, Steamboat had match of the year contenders in 85, 86 and 87 and was consistently a top drawing babyface and was hugely influential in how in-ring performance in the WWF. http://ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2017/10/the-dragon-vs-snake-ricky-steamboat-vs.html?m=1 http://ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2017/10/how-to-train-beach-bum-ricky-steamboat.html?m=1 http://ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2017/10/best-of-ricky-dragon-steamboat-wwf.html?m=1 http://ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2017/10/history-beckons-macho-man-randy-savage.html?m=1

I realize due to Wrestlemania III that Steamboat won't be forgotten but it wasn't until I really thought about it that I realized how remarkable his run was. He debuted around Mania I as basically number three babyface never was below that and was the definitive number two babyface by Mania III. Given the fact he was not good at promos and New York was a promo territory that's quite the accomplishment. Easy lock for top 50! For a short tenure in the WWF (March, 1985-March, 1988), Ricky Steamboat had a big impact. Even though he was not a flashy promo, he was still booked at the top of the card throughout his run in New York. Taking the number three position immediately working with Tito Santana (number two babyface) and havign his first major feud with "Magnificent" Don Muraco & Mr. Fuji after the two hanged him. After establishing himself against Muraco, he worked a underrated program with the newly debuted Jake "The Snake" Roberts in summer of 1986 after Jake The Snake DDT'd him on concrete. This all led to the incredibly famous Macho Man feud in late 86, early 87 where he was unequivocably the number two babyface at the height of the WWF in the 80s. They had many great matches heading into the famous larnyx crushing angle, which is one of the best angles in wrestling history (masterful selling by Steamboat) and led to TWO of the greatest matches in WWF history in the form of their Toronto bloodbath in February and their technical marvel at Wrestlemania III. So in only three years, Steamboat had match of the year contenders in 85, 86 and 87 and was consistently a top drawing babyface and was hugely influential in how in-ring performance in the WWF. http://ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2017/10/the-dragon-vs-snake-ricky-steamboat-vs.html?m=1 http://ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2017/10/how-to-train-beach-bum-ricky-steamboat.html?m=1 http://ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2017/10/best-of-ricky-dragon-steamboat-wwf.html?m=1 http://ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2017/10/history-beckons-macho-man-randy-savage.html?m=1

Ricky Steamboat vs Rick Rude - WWF Superstars 2/6/88 I was interested to watch this match because I don't recall reading about an angle between these two so I thought by watching this I might find something. The angle here was the Heenan Family (Race & Hercules) started to interfere after Steamboat was rolling with some top rope moves. So ULTIMATE WARRIOR in black trunks came out. I honest to God didn't even recognize him. He was kinda treated liked a JTTS getting beaten down and it was Hacksaw Duggan who made the real save. So it made sense Rude/Steamboat, Duggan/Race and Warrior/Herc going into WM IV. As for the match, sub-5 minutes, I could watch these two do criss cross sequences all day so beautiful.

Interesting! I feel like Rude bumped better in the shine at MSG...his selling of arm was better...his offense was better at MSG. I thought Steamboat was good in both matches. I felt like this just showed how Rude could be so hit and miss until the WCW run.

Ricky Steamboat vs Rick Rude - WWF Royal Rumble 1988 It is generally unusual that matches that happened in WCW are more fondly remembered than the ones in the WWF, but this is for good reason as Steamboat/Rude's series in 1992 is lightyears better than the matches in late 87 and 88. I thought this was a condensed and more pedestrian version of their MSG draw a couple of months or so before this, the inaugural Royal Rumble. Rude does not have Heenan, which does lessen the fun. They do the spot where Steamboat skins the cat and sends Rude flying. The issue with this match is Rude just isn't as good as in the MSG match. He is not bumping as big. His offense is so weak that Steamboat is not bumping for him. He is trying to help him by selling but there is no heat. He finally musters up a transition but it is just a lame kneelift to the back. They do the usual Rude chinlock spots. Then they do the usual Steamboat nearfall sequence. The wrinkle in the end is Rude throws the ref into a diving Steamboat. He picks up Steamboat into an Argentine backbreaker. Ref calls for the bell you think Rude has won due to submission they even play his music, but Steamboat wins by DQ. The MSG match is actually very good and I recommend that. I think this is totally skippable and probably the worst Steamboat match I have seen in the WWF.

The description for this week's Smackdown says "gloriously talented Bobby Roode" lol

WWF Intercontinental Champion Randy Savage vs Ricky Steamboat - WWF Superstars 11/22/86 "I think he may have swallowed his tongue and that's a horrible thing to say." - Vince McMahon doing an excellent job calling this angle. This is actually a great TV sprint before the big angle. You know because it is TV in the 80s there will be an angle, but they went about 8 minutes and just gave it there all. I would say this is like a Best of Savage vs Steamboat, all the hits are there and they are flying around. They are all able to portray eveness without it coming off like an exhibition. I think that is Savage's true strength is that he sort of innovated the longer sequence type of wrestling but he made it look every bit organic as it should. Today it looks rehearsed but he always looks like a man totally out of control. Both men do big moves off the top. There is a ref bump. Steamboat has the Macho Man down for a long time due to a cross body here comes crooked Danny Davis. I love that Ventura calls Davis and Dave Hebner the two most competent refs given what was happening with Davis and would happen with Hebner. After this, Savage just snaps. He drops Steamboat throat first across the railing. Then gives him the double axehandle draped across the railing. Then the coup d'grace in one of the most famous moments he comes off the top rope with the ring bell on the throat. He does a great job playing this all up and the crowd is livid. McMahon is in his element. The key to all this is Ricky Steamboat who gives a ***** sell job of all this, I love him falling off the gurney. He was coughing and contorting his body. Honestly, it takes what is an amazing angle on paper and makes it legendary. I cant believe it took me until now to see this. ***** angle without a doubt. Must-see.

You know who you are, thanks for the hookup! WWF Intercontinental Champion Randy Savage vs Ricky Steamboat - Toronto 7/27/86 There is something about these two and Toronto that just creates magic. You take two of the best wrestlers of all time and then add all the fixins' you get one helluva match. I could watch Savage and Steamboat run around the ring and have Savage end up in an armdrag everytime and never get tired of it. These two work with such energy in AND out of holds. Everything goes back to that armdrag-armbar, but Savage sells so well and outside that hold they come up with some great criss cross routines. I loved Savage's reverse crossbody with Steamboat rolling through for a nearfall. Savage is so selfless everything is about Steamboat looking better than him. Even when it looks like he might get control, Steamboat sends him packing and he has to hide behind Elizabeth. Savage is milking this for all its worth both to let his arm heal and to get under the skin of the Dragon. It is working. The stall tactics work here most effectively because of how well, Steamboat sells them. At first Savage looks like a fool because when he does get back in, Steamboat spits on him and gets under his skin! Two can play at mind games and Steamboat gets back in the driver's seat. It is only when Savage used Steamboat own momentum to send him crashing into the buckles the complexion of the match changed. He rams Steamboat into the railing and then double axehandle off the top for two. He goes again, but Steamboat catches him and then sends the Macho Man flying over the railing. I am loving how heated this has become. The ref is actively trying to get Steamboat to stay in the ring, holding his leg. It looks like this will give Savage the advantage, but Steamboat sends the Macho Man into the post and he taps a gusher. He is bleeding profusely. Steamboat is chopping that cut. When he comes off the top with the overhand karate chop on the cut, everyone in Toronto thought there would be a new champion. Savage in an excellent move pulls the ref in front of him and Steamboat chops him. Then we get all the Steamboat nearfalls with the dramatic slow counts. I am eating this up with a spoon. You can tell how influential Savage is on wrestling not just from character and work, but layout, this would be the normal for the next twenty years. Savage has a foreign object and jabs it in Steamboat's eye. What makes this work so well is Steamboat commitment to selling for the rest of the match (2-3 minutes), taking swings at the ref, blindly back dropping Savage over the rope and then wandering too close and being pulled to the outside. The ending outside brawl is fantastic and Steamboat beats the count for the win! Incredible match! One of the best in the WWF during this timeframe from opening matwork where Steamboat both injures and frustrates Savage. Savage after trying to wrestle straight tries stalling tactics and finally gets his opening. Of course, Steamboat makes a big comeback but they throw in a bladejob, ref bump and a foreign object to put the icing on a delicious cake. Excellent wrestling and excellent theatre. ****1/2

WWF World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan vs Terry Funk - Philly 12/7/85 This is pretty surreal that this even exists. Hogan at the peak of his powers defending against middle aged & crazy, former NWA World Champion and All Japan mainstay, Terry Fuckin Funk in Philadelphia of all places. It is just wild. It speaks to Terry's career at just being everywhere. You can say that Jimmy Hart was the most successful manager in WWF of the 80s guiding Greg Valentine, The Hart Foundation & Honky Tonk Man to title reigns where Heenan had to wait until 1989 before his first. However, Hart never really got a crack at Hogan and this was probably his best chance at the championship. Just perfect blend of comedy and insanity from Funk and Hogan just goes a long for the ride. Funk attacks Mel Phillips, a cameraman and almost comes to blows with Gorilla. Hogan elbow drops Funk's cowboy hat, catches a chair from Funk who threw one in the ring and ends up branded when all is said and done. Funk Is flying over ropes, falling on his ass and gets stepped on by Hogan repeatedly during one of the funniest criss crosses you will ever see. When it comes time to get heat, Funk gets heat. Ties Hogan up in the ropes, attack on the outside, uses the tape to choke. Nice piledriver gets two. It is the sleeper that climaxes the heat segment. Hogan rams him into the buckle. It is a non-traditional Hulk Up because Funk is always squirming, but Hogan big boots him to the outside. Funk catches the ropes as he is suplexed in and falls on top of Hogan for two. The Mouth of the South wants to get the boot into the ring, but Hogan gets it and wipes out Terry Funk for the three. Funk is pissed and attacks Hogan and brands him. Hogan is red hot now and gets a chair to run them off. I don't think they ran any follow up in Philly, which is weird. I wish Hogan would just let loose in some of these brawls. You can see from Harley Race matches especially and the Kamala matches, the mutahfucka can brawl. This match with Funk could have been a corker if he just let loose. Still a lot of fun especially watching Funk make an ass of himself and a good finish. ***1/2

Tito Santana vs Harley Race - Boston 10/4/86 I knew I had seen this before because I still remember Harley Race taking that bump down the steps at the Boston Garden. It has been four years but still that's a damn great bump, brutha. Tito has entered mid-card purgatory after finish up with the Macho Man in the summer of 86. Going around the horn with midcard acts like Cowboy Bob Orton, Harley, tagging with Pedro and a long program with Butch Reed. He would be rejuvenated in the summer of 87 with the formation of Strike Force. In the meantime, he did have a great match with Ron Bass of all people and hell pulled out the only good match of Butch Reed's WWF career. This match was pretty damn good in its own right. It featured Tito doing what he does best throwing hands and selling. Harley bumped well for him early as Tito pounded him. Sounds like they were going to turn Big John Studd face against Bundy before he left later this month. Harley backs him into a corner and works him over with headbutts and knees. Piledriver! Tito mounts a comeback, but Harley jobs a foreign object in the eye. Some really good heel work from Harley between the foreign object and later on a ballshot to cut off Tito. Tito makes another big fisted comeback and he even brings The Brain in the mix with a double noggin knocker. This is when Harley gets the ballshot. The finish is Harley goes for a suplex, but doesn't bridge and Tito gets the shoulder up for the win. It was a good little midcard match that I will forever remember for Harley's nutty bump down the ring steps. ***1/4

Randy Savage vs Ricky Steamboat - Boston 12/7/85 I gotta say WrestleMania III overshadows a great series of matches (I know hardcores know about Toronto 2/15/87), but I think overall this is an underexplored series even though the main match is so famous. They had amazing chemistry together. I am not going to say this was on par with Savage's selling in the Bret Hart SNME match, but this was damn close. Macho Man takes us to school on how to sell as he does a great job with his arm throughout the match. Just amazing. I loved Macho Man shoving Steamboat at the bell, putting Liz in front of him, Steamboat backs off and he jumps him. It is such a great dick move. Steamboat overwhelms him and throws him shoulder first into the post. It is just textbook arm work here from Steamboat and the selling from Savage is magnificent. They way they work in and out of the armbars is just great. Savage taking those powders to nurse the injury. Steamboat following him out there. All great stuff. I loved Savage using the skin the cat to attack Steamboat and then nail the double axehandle to the floor. The little things Macho Man does like doing the sneak up and then high knee to Steamboat sending him flying over the railing is just great. Savage uses the arm as a way to give Steamboat life, but The Dragon does a great job selling all these sneak attacks. Savage missing the elbow drop really should have been an opening for some that Dragon breathing fire like we would see against the Nature Boy, but don't quite get to those fever pitch levels. They foreshadow the Savage/Tito title switch finish which would be executed two months later in the Boston Garden as Savage pulls something out of his tights and nails Steamboat with it as he brings back into the ring for the win. All in all, just great classic wrestling with the Savage selling arm showing why he is one of the all-time great sellers. ****

Ricky Steamboat vs Jake "The Snake" Roberts - SNME 10/4/86 Snakepit Match Man, Jake The Snake should only be allowed to wrestle Steamboat. I usually find the Snakeman to be completely devoid of energy and his matches to be plodding borefests, but I have loved these Steamboat matches. It is not just The Dragon either. Roberts actually looks motivated! He is bumping and running! WHAT!?!? The shine is great loved Steamboat ducking Roberts punches and chopping him. Great bumps by Roberts throughout the shine. Just lots of energy. Steamboat is on fire. He looks to end it early with a big splash from the top, but Roberts gets the knees up. Great heat segment ensues not just because Steamboat is the king of selling because Jake is vicious. He gets a gutbuster and is just nasty working the ribs. I would have liked to see some DDT teases, but the work on the ribs was great. Finish is out of nowhere just a crucifix just as the match was really getting good. It was SNME so you knew it be short, but hot damn this was building nicely until abrupt finish. They tease the DDT on the concrete, which is what started this feud on May edition of SNME, but Steamboat gets out and he pulls out his dragon (looked like a small alligator) to scare off Jake & Damien. Thus this was the TV blowoff to their feud. One of the best Jake Roberts performance I have ever seen both in bumping on offense! ***3/4

How do I get my hands on this match?

I'd probably buy that. I have not seen Orton vs Santana from Boston 1986 which is supposed to be good. Orton underwhelmed against Bob Backlund. So yeah, I think is the best Bob Orton match from WWF. Best ever is the match against Terry Funk from Southwest Championship Wrestling, 1983.

WWF Intercontinental Champion Honky Tonk Man vs Ricky Steamboat - MSG 8/22/87 Lumberjack I figured I should watch at least one full-length Honky Tonk Man match in my life (correction: I have seen the Savage SNME match that leads to the MegaPowers forming so I guess this number two). This seems like his most critically acclaimed match and I have to admit this is a pretty damn good way to spend about 15 minutes. Highly entertaining. Honky Tonk feels like an overpushed jobber. Like if they gave Heath Slater the IC or US title and let him run with it. I think Slater is horribly underutilized and would shine. My point is that Slater's value is in bumping and stooging. That's Honky Tonk's value. Tremendous shine. Big smile the whole time. I loved Steamboat skinning the cat so fast the heels couldn't get him. While Honky was desperately trying to find a way out, but kept being held up at the apron and getting throttled. Steamboat giving chase into the lumberjacks were great. The bumping by Honky Tonk in the ring made each Steamboat cover feel huge. The Islanders trip Steamboat so Animal Steele trips Honky Tonk to a huge pop! Love it! Honky blocks a monkey flip and Steamer does a huge sell. Honky does not do much for me on offense. Steamboat really roared back with his comeback. Had some really good strong nearfalls. Jimmy Hart distracts the ref and Steele comes in counts for Steamboat. Raises his hand. Steamboat decks the Mouth of the South. In the fracas, Honky gets the megaphone and knocks out Steamboat to retain. All in all, really fun match especially the beginning when Honky Tonk was a total ham and Steamboat was on fire. The end was good wrestling theatre. ***3/4

Ricky Steamboat vs Rick Rude - MSG 12/26/87 I often forget that Steamboat stuck around after dropping the IC Title to Honky Tonk Man. The result was a feud with Ravishing Rick Rude, which I have never watched before (it is not as critically acclaimed as their '92 WCW feud). Rude is such a great character. He doesn't quite have that swagger when he tells all the New York Sleazebags to piper down while he shows all the ladies what a real, sexy man looks like but it was definitely there. Steamboat did not look pumped here. Very subdued entrance. I am guessing he took a lot of time off for his newborn and doesn't seem invested. Nice opening shine with Steamboat skinning the cat, but hitting Heenan in his bad neck on the way up and then back body dropping Rude out of the ring who takes a big bump onto a chair. Besides that bump, thought Rude did an excellent job selling the arm which Steamboat worked on for like 10 minutes. Steamboat won wrist control out of a test of strength. Really good, straight wrestling here. Is there anyone better at simple criss cross exchanges than the Dragon. Simply electric. I thought Rude did a good job creating movement for Steamboat to work in armdrags. Nice eyepoke and great selling of the arm while throwing bows with his good arm. Steamboat runs him into the buckles, but as he is charging he runs into them too. Second half of the match is Rude working holds. I thought they worked good hope spots then cutoffs before going back into holds. Rude cant flex his left bicep, but he can his right. Love it! Rude misses the seat drop. Steamboat goes for the slam, but his back gives out. Steamboat gets out of bearhug but Rude hooks the ropes to avoid dropkick. Eventually Steamboat gets the famous Electric Chair spot and then Rude goes up top and Steamboat catches him. Classic Steamboat finish run with a ton of nearfalls for both men. Steamboat gets the big chop off the top and the bell rings calling for the time limit. Heenan gets on the mic to say he could beat the Dragon now but it is a trap and Rude blindsides him and smashes the microphones into his head. Steamboat makes a comeback and throws him out. It was clear they were working a WWF time limit draw with all holds, but it was such a textbook match. I just enjoyed the selling and the beauty of the exchanges. It was simple, lo-fi, but effective. ***1/2

Randy Savage & Bob Orton vs Tito Santana & Paul Orndorff - Championship Wrestling 5/3/86 The finish is very surprising here so I wont spoil it. Savage is great on the apron, stalling and waiting for Orton to get Santana in a comprising position. Santana is great a the fire. Wonderful & Orton are just two pros. The finish will have you going wild!

WWF Intercontinental Champion Tito Santana vs Randy Savage - SNME 11/2/85 I was expecting a hot sprint to set up the house show loop but this was fine. Tito is good at turning anything into a blood feud. The way he cocks his fist and Savage bails through ropes is great. Both guys fly around Savage wins with double axehandle. Chinlock city. Tito starts unloading. They go outside and Savage cant get the piledriver and both are counted out. Not much in the way of post-match. Not necessary.

I have seen them. I'll rewatch them eventually.

WWF World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan vs Randy Savage - Detroit 4/22/86 The finish of this match is very strange. Savage hits the elbow drop and we get the Hulk Up. Pretty normal. Hogan big boots Savage and he goes to outside. Also normal to setup a countout finish. Elizabeth gets in the way; Hogan moves her. Hogan puts him back in. Now Hogan has lost the energy of the Hulk Up and telegraphs a back body drop. Savage goes for another elbow but eats the foot ala Toronto, but doesn't kick out at three. I don't think I have ever seen the rhythm of the Hulk Up broken like that. Also weird that Savage was pinned clean. They do the whole Savage steals the titles and beats Hogan with it like in Toronto and Hogan reclaims it. Before the finish, I liked this match the best. Savage jumps him with the robe and then the belt. I liked how they used Elizabeth in two momentum shifts one with Savage getting distracted and then the next Hogan is distracted. Great bumping by Savage here. Hogan has some great offense. They put the stalling in the middle, which I don't like, but this involved spitting, which is gross, but effective. Savage's heat segment is good. Like I said finish is weird. I don't think there has been a great Hogan/Savage match. They are all just kinda good. ***1/4

WWF World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan vs Randy Savage - MLG 10/13/85 After all these Hogan's matches, I am still not sick of "Real American", I bring this up because it is the first time I have heard of his theme between Eye of Tiger and Real American. It is unbelievably bland, glad they made Real American. Next major match between these two after their Philly match in 9/85 and the one before the big MSG series that solidified Savage as a money heel in the promotion. Pretty amazing that his first major program is against the Hulkster. Lots of stalling and using Elizabeth in this one. Savage peppering the jabs at the beginning only to have Hogan erupt and hit a wicked high knee was awesome. Loved Macho Man putting Elizabeth in front of him. Just when I think I found a lost classic the stalling kicks in hard and grinds the match to a halt. Another cool spot is Hogan catching Savage from the top and giving him a backbreaker. Savage's heel segment starts due to a knee to the kidney which seems too simple. Usual Savage offense controls as he is just perpetual motion. He hits the Big Elbow for two. That was a big nearfall. Then Hogan gets the foot up on the next elbow and Savage kicks out right at three. No legdrop and the kickout at three keep this from being super clean and make sure for rematches. Savage attacks Hogan with belt shot from the top. Macho Man poses, but Hogan runs him off. The stalling was a little too much for me, but there is plenty to love in this match. It has an interesting finish. ***1/4

I was so close, but I think burnt myself out on Hogan. WWF Intercontinental Champion Randy Savage vs Ricky Steamboat - Boston 11/1/86 Tremendous match this pre-dates the larynx crushing angle on TV by a couple weeks so this wrestled more straight. Savage is the consummate heel. I have said this time and time again. In that ring he is utterly despicable. Here it is the stalling, the hair pulling, and foreign object. He is such a product of Memphis, but this is what the WWF needed as variety from your Studds & Bundys. Steamboat is a great white meat babyface here. He does a great job not losing his concentration during Savage's stalling tactics. He is committed to working the left arm. Some really nice, deep armdrags by the Dragon. Savage is making him earn these holds by creating movement through hair pulls. I love that. Savage is achieving three things at once: hair pull - heel, movement - interest, Steamboat overcoming the cheating - struggle. Awesome stuff! Like I said it is not the psychology but the execution from these two is completely on point. Loved Steamboat wrenching the arm against the ropes. Savage realizing his arm is in a bad way and hair pulling is not working; reaches down into his tights and finds an foreign object to jab in the Steamer's eyes. Savage is perpetual motion now with the double axehandles and bodyslams on the outside. He makes sure to sell the arm. The arm prevents him from suplexing and piledriving Steamboat. Great stuff! Steamboat looks ready to mount the comeback backdropping out of the aforementioned piledriver, but Savage goes fishing for the foreign object again. This time he misses the straddle on the ropes. Now the Dragon is breathing fire! Great series of hot nearfalls for Steamboat here reminiscent of Mania III. Savage sends The Dragon flying over the top rope when he sidesteps an overzealous Steamboat. He gets greedy and goes for a double axehandle to the outside misses and loses by countout. Terrific psychology and execution throughout. Loved Savage's selling of the arm and his commitment to cheating. This is workrate meets great heel psychology. ****

Hulk Hogan & Andre The Giant vs Heenan Family (Bobby Heenan, Big John Studd, King Kong Bundy) - Philly 1/11/86 "I'm Manager of the Year" - Bobby "The Brain" Heenan "You are Weasel of the Year" - Andre The Giant Fun, popcorn match. Andre and Hogan both bodyslam Studd at the outset to massive pops! Heenan takes a nutty bump. I loved Heenan pushing Bundy on top of Hogan when he was going for the slam. Great opening minutes. The heat segments on Hogan and Andre are big and fun. Heenan bumping around for Hogan at the end is a ton of fun. Fun way to spend ten minutes. ***

WWF World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan vs King Kong Bundy - Philly 2/8/86 I think the one thing Bundy has going for him over all other Hogan opponents is his devastating finish: Avalanche. It gives his matches a sense of drama that a lot of other Hogan matches. Whats Harley Race going to do bump to win the title? Is Big John Studd just gonna clubber? The Avalanche has a sense of finality to it. The matches themselves are among the more boring of the Hogan matches I have seen, but I will give Bundy that. Hogan gets a shine in this one making this better than the Boston match. The Bundy heat segment is shorter but still consists of two chinlocks and a bearhug. The no sell of the second Avalanche into the Hulk Up was badass. Heenan was tremendous in the post-match bumping like a madman and taking a Avalanche. Post-match was great. We will see how WrestleMania II goes.