This is the first time since November that I have watched anything from my pile of WWF house shows. I am going to continue to watch them in order:
Oct. 1985 Maple Leaf Gardens
Jesse Ventura and Gorilla Monsoon are on the call. Ventura lies and says some of the greatest matches ever have been booked for the evening. (I don't know what's coming up BTW....)
Vince McMahon makes a rare house show TV appearance as he chats with Billy Red Lyons.
Monsoon and Ventura both say the place is sold out to the rafters as the camera shows tons of empty seats. Maybe late comers?
Scott McGhee vs. Barry O.
Ventura speaks of the "nutrition" that WWF stars follow to look so good. Dianabol is well known to be common in fruits and tuna fish. The guys do some arm work, and the crowd starts to boo like this is 2020. Wait, we don't have crowds now.
O gets lots of time to wear on McGhee. The ref is getting really really close to the guys when counting pins. Very odd to see a ref basically touching the guys as he counts. McGhee gets a little shine, O makes a brief comeback, leading to McGhee snatching him with a power slam for the flash pin. A perfectly acceptable opener.
The way the TV graphic shows, this show may have been dubbed "Hulkamania". I am a bit taken aback that they felt they needed a boost for the card since the previous month had Andre the Giant doing an injury angle with Studd and Bundy that should have easily bolstered ticket sales from the buzz.
Tony Parisi vs. Rene Goulet
Parisi is in his mid 40s and Goulet is 53. Its a little surprising they are not working younger talent to give some of the new guys a win. They work a much longer match than I would expect, with both men working hard and the crowd responding well to the ebb and flow. Parisi delivers a "cannonball" butt splash for the exciting finish.
Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff vs. George Steele and Cpl. Kirschner
Volkoff actually sings the whole Russian National Anthem. Someone in the crowd has taken the time to draw and color the Russian flag on a sign. Commie Canadian?
The faces clear the ring and the crowd goes bananas. Kirschner waves the Canadian flag instead of his home country's. Steele is mugged by the heels on the floor, setting up a four way brawl. Steele does his wacky shaking and shouting to scare off the Sheik once things settle down to a standard match.
Kirschner goes back and forth with both villains, eventually settling into the face in peril role. The Corp. makes the comeback and the fans start to chant for blood. Kirschner blows a clothesline and he and Sheik both go down from it. Sheik locks on the camel clutch, leading to Steele whacking Sheik with a chair and earning the DQ. Steele tries to eat the ref in response and Kirschner is SHOCKED that using a chair has earned his team a DQ. This was harmless fun.
SD Jones vs. "Iron" Mike Sharpe
Jones is wearing his pajamas. As I type that, Ventura makes the same comment. Monsoon thinks Jones may weigh over 300 pounds, which is ABSURD. Jones looks thick, but certainly not that big. These guys trade lots of forearms and punches, with the crowd gladly getting on Sharpe with "Wimp!" chants.
Sharpe works a series of headlocks and the crowd gets restless. Sharpe rolls through on a cross body for the "upset(
) win. Jones attacks him after, despite losing clean.
Vince McMahon interviews Terry Funk. Funk challenges any fan or Vince himself to fight him after his match tonight.
Steve Gatorwolf vs. Terry Funk
Funk smacks Gatorwolf around right at the bell. The fight goes to the floor, where Funk leaps off the barricade to assault the Native American. Funk takes some comedy bumps around the ring and out onto the announce table. Funk is then knocked to the ramp and stumbles off of it. They trade sleepers, with both men tumbling over the ropes. Funk hangs himself upside down, because he is determined to entertain, even against a prelim geek. Funk slaps on a sleeper to end things soon after.
Vince McMahon is with the Dream Team and Johnny V. Vince cuts off the Hammer's promo. Beefcake gets 1 line since he can't cut a promo yet.
British Bulldogs vs. Beefcake and Valentine
Valentine tries to ground the TNT Kid to start, but the Bulldogs quickly turn the momentum in their favor. Beefcake comes in and fares no better. It's charming to see the crowd pop huge for an elevated armbar. These teams were probably becoming very familiar with one another, helping to make this a smoothly developing match. The heels of course gain the advantage, with the Hammer working most of the match for the sake of not exposing Beefcake's limited abilities.
Davey Boy makes the hot tag and is a dropkick and suplex machine. The crowd gobbles this up with relish. A four-way brawl busts out and the heels are shoved together. The Bulldogs hit their headbutt finisher as the crowd goes bonkers. Valentine cheap shots the Kid and Beefcake steals the win. I might be seeing this match a bunch coming up as the teams feud at least until April.
Dino Bravo vs. Mr. X
Bravo is still a babyface. His big drawing power in Montreal has yet to spread to Toronto since the WWF took over the Bravo's promotion in August. The crowd chants "boring!" right away. Yes, Bravo kind of sucks. I assume after a few hot matches, the crowd was not interested in this cool down before the Hulkster appears. The up close and personal ref is back from earlier. He continues to pause awkwardly as he checks the shoulder blades before his slow count. Bravo largely trashes X, but the crowd does not warm up to the match at all.
Vince McMahon is with "Macho Man". Savage promises Hulkamania dies tonight. Liz is portraying a more heelish persona during the promo.
Billy Red Lyons is with the Hulk. He says he loves Toronto and he may buy a home here. Macho Man has the "body of a God, face of a Dragon and mind of a Demon!" He compares this event to be like Wrestlemania. The crowd can be heard chanting for Hogan out in the arena and it's awesome. Goosebumps!
WWF champ Hulk Hogan vs. "Macho Man" Randy Savage
Hulk shoves Macho Man and mocks his heel taunts. Hogan dominates the early moments, forcing Macho Man to hide behind Liz on the floor. The ringside security team is wearing sailor caps. I am amused.
Ventura says he doesn't have a wife, which may have angered a certain lady back in Minnesota if she got wind of it. Hogan gets sick of Macho Man doing the Memphis heel stalling, so he goes to the floor to stall himself.
Savage tries to launch himself on Hogan back in the ring but is caught and driven to the mat. Savage goes back to hiding behind Liz.
Hogan out wrestles Savage, working an arm bar and turning it into a hammerlock. Macho uses some knees to down Hogan, who Hulks up with a massive kick out. Savage got almost no heat segment, so the crowd did not roar for that spot. Savage cuts off the Hulk up and sends Hogan to the floor. Hogan fights his way back in the ring, then downs Savage with a big clothesline and suplex. A big boot sends Macho to the floor. Liz tries to block Hogan, so he moves her aside. Macho downs Hogan in the ring and drops the big elbow for 2 and 3/4ths. Savage tries a second elbow, but is greeted by Hogan's boot. Hogan covers for the 1-2-3, with Savage kicking out just a second after. Savage knocks Hogan to the floor afterward, so Hogan grabs his title and chases him off.
I was fully expecting Hogan to lose via count out or DQ to set up more matches. Savage did not get much in on Hogan at all. This didn't feel like it lived up to the hype since Savage was not able to ramp up the drama.
