The Main Event #5- I hope you're really into '91 Hogan, and his feud with Slaughter

We start with footage of Hulk Hogan on (I believe) a USO tour. He even did a zipline-like thing.

Hosted by Vince McMahon and "Rowdy" Roddy Piper. Piper has a yellow ribbon on, like the stripe down Sgt. Slaughter's back.

Earthquake/Dino Bravo vs. Tugboat/Hulk Hogan- This is the typical SNME blowoff months after a feud ended on the house show circuit, though I guess Hogan and Quake faced off at the end of the Royal Rumble a week or so before this. Hogan starts off with Bravo, and the gorilla shoves him into the corner. They lock up again,and this time hogan overpowers him. Back bodydrop, punch to Jimmy Hart, punch to Quake, atomic drop and Bravo gets pinballed between Hulk and Tugboat. Boat works Bravo's arm. The Canadian tries to get the tag, but can't reach. Tug eats boot on a charge, and gets atomic dropped. Quake gets tagged and misses an elbowdrop. Hulk in, and he punches Tenta and slams Bravo. Hogan bodyslams the nasty stinky wart-infested giant. The faces pinball quake, and Hulk gets a clothesline. Hogan punches and bites in the corner, and tags Boat. The faces do a double big boot. Tug runs into a boot in the corner, and Quake then impressively kicks him. Quake chokes Boat on the ropes. Dino bearhugs Boat until Hogan gets a blind tag, but the ref missed it. Quake and Dino double-slam Boat, and Quake sets up his big move. Hogan though clotheslines Quake as he prepares the butt drop, then gets the legal tag. He quickly big boots and rolls up Dino for the win. * Hulk was obviously ready to be done with Quake (and Boat, really). 

We immediately go to footage from the Royal Rumble, as Randy "Macho King" Savage helps Sgt. Slaughter defeat the Ultimate Warrior for the title, since Slaughter guaranteed he'd give Savage a title shot while Warrior said no to that request. Savage did an awesome job in this whole deal, though Slaughter winning the title suuuucked.

Gene with Gen. Adnan and Slaughter. Gene accuses him of employing questionable tactics. "It doesn't matter how I came to power. It doesn't matter what devices I used." I could easily see another, current tyrant saying this. Hint- he was in attendance at Wrestlemania VII. I just knew too much at this point to see Slaughter as a threat. I had watched him for years getting fatter in the AWA, and the first Iraq War was all but finished by this point.

WWF championship, Sgt. Slaughter (c) vs. "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan- Hogan comes out as Duggan's flagbearer, in case there was any doubt who would win this match and who would challenge at Mania. Slaughter shoves Duggan, as McMahon explains Hogan got sent to the back. Duggan eventually shoves Slaughter to the mat. Sarge slugs away and chokes Duggan. Thrilling. Duggan reverses a whip, and punches Sarge in the corner. Baaaack bodydrop, and Duggan clotheslines Slaughter to the floor. Duggan picks him up in a slam position, but Adnan trips him and Slaughter gets two. Adnan then holds Duggan but Sarge whacks his very own manager. Duggan hits a back elbow and "hoooo!s." Sarge kicks Duggan on a back body drop attempt, and chokes Duggan on the ropes. Slaughter drops an elbow with Duggan on the apron, and hits Duggan in the throat with his 2x4. Slaughter stands on him for two. Sarge rakes his back to really up the workrate. He rams Duggan to the turnbuckles, and he no sells.Duggan punches away and Slaughter takes his usual whip to the corner bump. Duggan whips him over the step outside, then into "the iron ringpost." Adnan distracts Duggan, and Slaughter hits him with the chair for the DQ. 1/2* Slaughter works him over with the chair and riding crop, until Hogan runs in. Slaughter whacks him with the chair, and walks out. Hogan helps Duggan to his feet. 

The Orient Express vs. The Legion of Doom- Gene talks to the L.O.D. The Warriors make a lot of car-related puns. It's "Oh, what a feeling vs. Ohhhh,what a rush!" Ok, that was clever. Animal throws Kato to the corner, then tosses him from like a front chancery position. Kato chops Animal, then the Warrior chases him around ringside. Back in, Kato gets powerslammed, and Tanaka gets backdropped to the heavens (a dipsy doodle, according to Piper). Hawk and Tanaka come in legally, and Pat gets shoulderblocked down. Twice. Kato grabs Hawk's foot, then the Express double-Irish whip him. Hawk misses a double  clothesline, and Kato bails rather than taking one. Animal press slams him back in, though., and Hawk clotheslines him right back out. Animal then clotheslines Kato on the floor. Tag to Tanaka, who flips out of an armbar and gets clotheslined. Noggins are knocked, and Fuji throws salt in Animal's eyes. Tanaka savate kicks Animal, and Kato rakes his face. Kato holds Animal on the ropes and Kato jumps on his back. Animal gets a double clothesline, tags Hawk and he shoulderblocks Kato down. He clotheslines Tanaka, hits Fuji, and the Doomsday Device finishes. * What was the point of this? The Hart Foundation could've squashed the Express; they were the champs heading into Mania.

Gene introduces Jack "Best President since Noriega" Tunney to make the formality of Sarge's Mania opponent. 

Sean Mooney talks to Sarge. "Hogan has never faced an opponent like me before. " He says he'll do whatever it takes to win. 

Hulk then appears for the umpteenth time on this hour show in the ring. Blah blah, Hulkamania, shooting down his SCUD missiles. Hogan pledged to his countrymen and God that he'll be the next champion. He then leads the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance. Nope, not over the top at all.

Wrestlemania VII is one of my favorite Manias, but this show was straight-up garbage. No wonder NBC soon canceled them. Oh, and I should probably mention that after the next review, I will finish my ebook collection of these reviews, which will include never before released bonus content. In the meantime, go ahead and click one of the links to the right to buy my previous ebooks. Buy the books!

Main Event #4: Good, but not a blowaway show

This was originally intended to be a ful SNME episode, but NBC changed its mind and instead this became a Friday night primetime special. The show also was to included the Hart Foundation-Rockers 2 out 3 falls match where the top rope broke and the title changed, but Vince and Co. decided it wasn't good enought and it was erased for about 18 years.

We start with "Mean" Gene Okerlund interviewing Ted Dibiase. We see clips of Dibiase kicking the basketball away from SHAWN!, and kicking kids out of a pool to use all by himself. Worst of all, he used twin ref magic to steal the WWF championship.

Sean Mooney is with the Ultimate Warrior for a counterpoint. Warrior spews some cheesy puns that were obviously written for him by someone from NBC or Once a Month Productions.

WWF championship- Ted Dibiase vs. Ultimate Warrior (c)- As Vince McMahon and "Rowdy" Roddy Piper introduce the show, Piper holds a drumstick and says he'll soon look like Roseanne Barr. That reference has somehow become topical again, though I don't think she uses "Barr" anymore. They lock up and Warrior shoves him to the corner, twice. He tries an overhead wristlock, but Warrior still puts him down. Dibiase knees him in the gut and chops away. Warrior ducks a clothesline and hits one of his own. Warrior clotheslines Dibiase to the floor and poses in the corners as Ted and Virgil huddle. Noggins are knocked, and heads are smashed into the apron. Warrior hits an axehandle coming back in, and pounds away in the corner. He whips Dibiase to the corner, but runs into a knee in the corner and gets clotheslined. Dibiase hits an axehandle of his own for two. The MDM then piledrives (!) the Warrior. A second attempt gets reversed, Warrior tackles him twice, but Virg grabs his ankle. dibiase then clotheslines Warrior to the floor. Raw, I mean the Main Event, rolls on... We're back! My tape had a Michelob Dry and an "In the Line of Duty" ad. Dibiase pounds on Warrior and necksnaps him. Fistdrop gets two. Warrior Hulks Up out of a headlock, and they shoulderblock each other in a stalemate. Dibiase clotheslines Warrior down, and when he ucks down Warrior gets a sort-of backslide for two. Dibiase suplexes him for two. warrior blocks another, and SUNSET FLIPS Dibiase for two. Whoa. MDM throws Warrior to the floor, and rams his head to the steps. MDM throws him back in, and punches away. He goes for a fisherman's suplex (Perfect Plex), but gets suplexed himself. The two collide coming off the ropes, and the ref starts counting both men down. DIbiase is up first, goes off the middle rope but Warrior punches him in the gut. warrior shakes them ropes and gets his special, and hits several clotheslines. He hits a flying shoulderblock, but Virgil breaks up a pin. DQ, ***. Warrior hits a huge clothesline on Virgil and gorilla presses him, but Randy "Macho King" Savage runs in and hits him with his scepter (like he was delivering his elbow drop). He then jumps off the top and hits Warrior in the throat with it. Savage throws down some referees, and chokes Warrior on the mat. Sherri also kicks and chokes Warrior. Warrior eventually holds up the belt to thunderous applause.

Okerlund talks to Savage and Sherri. Savage says he accepted the royal payment. He'll be the new World Wrestling Federation champion, sez he.

Nikolai Volkoff vs. Sgt. Slaughter- Sarge tells Gene "to hell with Nikolai Volkoff and to hell with Old Glory." He only salutes the Iraqi flag. The U.S. has no guts, so therefore they have no glory. Get the hook. After a break Slaughter attacks Volkoff from behind with a riding crop, and puts him in the camel clutch. "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan then runs out with his 2x4. Duggan would challenge Slaughter for the WWF title (spoilers, I know) at the next Main Event broadcast in February, after Slaughter beat Warrior with Savage's help. At least stories were being advanced here. Oh, and there was no Sarge-Nikolai match.

Gene talks to the Big Boss Man. Heenan did his mama wrong. "Justice may be blind, but no when it comes to weasels insulting my mama!"

Mr. Perfect vs. Big Boss Man- Hennig may have been Intercontiental champion again at this point; I'm not sure when he actually beat Texas Tornado vs. when it was broadcast. BBM chases Hennig out of the ring to start. Heenan is not out there. Hennig slaps BBM, then ducks out of the ring. BBM chases him around the ring, and pulls him down by his hair. Back in, BBM whips Hennig, who evades a clothesline with a cartwheel before Boss Man connects with one. Perfect oversells a punch. BBM whips him to the buckle, with authority. When he does it again Perfect does a front-flip sell. BBM then drags perfect around by his hair, then biels him with hit which cause Perfect to crotch himself on the post. Boss Man gives Hennig a backbreaker, then goes to the top and misses a splash. Hennig then does that neck snap thing he likes to do (Tony Schiavone and Conrad Thompson recently discussed the lack of a name for it) for a one count. Perfect kicks BBM in the ribs. He gets two off of a small package. Perfect continues to work BBM over and try for pins. Hennig takes off a turnbuckle pad, but BBM stops him from rmming BBM's head to it. Instead, what is good for the goose is also satisfactory for the gander. BBM punches him down to the mat. BBM snaps Hennig's head between hi knees, but gets whipped to the buckle by Hennig. Heenan runs out and encourages Hennig. He goes for the Perfect Plex, but gets small packaged in the process. Hennig then chops away but BBM answers with punches. Hennig then hits the P-Plex, but BBM kicks out at two. Heenan then holds the top rope down, but Hennig falls out of the ring. BBM then chases Heenan out of the building. We even see a Heenan prat fall in the back. Hennig by countout. ** Hennig's selling was downright ridiculous at times, and a decision in the match would've been nice.

We got back to Okerlund, and Heenan flies into the scene, asking Gene to help him.

We see the infamous "Playboy" Buddy Rose Blowaway diet video. Just like  today,the WWF was entertaining an  audience of  one  here.

Rick Martel vs. Tito Santana- I'm such a mark for this theme for Tito. Martel attacks to start, and tosses Tito to the floor. Martel then charges, but hits his arm on the ringpost. Tito smashes it on the apron and throws Martel back in. Tito axehandles him from the second buckle, and gives him a drop of the atomic variety. Tito then works the arm. The Model leakfrogs Santan coming off the rope, but when Martel goes down for a monkey flip Tito just kicks him in the head. Simple but effective. More arm wringing. Martel then gets a leapfrog, but Tito small packages him for two. Arrrrrrrmbar. Tito punches him to bweak fwee (sorry; I feel bad making fun of Arianna Grande at this point) . He gets a snapmare then a headlock, which Tito reverses to a hammerlock. Martel makes the ropes, and then as Tito argues with the ref over a cheap stomp, Martel flings him into the turnbuckles, and chokes him on the mat. Martel rams him head to the top buckle, and punches him a lot. Martel grabs a headlock and chokes while the ref isn't looking. Tito hits him in the belly and Martel rakes his eyes. Martel gives him a backbreaker, and then another. After teasing it Martel finally goes to the top, and Tito crotches him. He flips into the ring, and Tito kicks away at him. Tito whips him into the corner, and forearms Martel. Tito hits a dropkick, , then a backbreaker of his own. Tito goes to the middle rope and hits a forearm for two. Martel gets an atomic drop, but Tito goes for the figure four. Martel then rolls him up for two. Martel then locks in his boston Crab. Tito taps but I think he verbally submits before the ref calls it. ***1/2. I think you could call this the blowoff to the Strike Force breakup, even though their paths would cross again.

Gene talks to Jake "The Snake" Roberts and shows when Martel blinded him with Arrogance (Martel's cologne in an atomizer). My tape cuts this off, though. I can tell you that this week on Saturday Night Live: Rick Moranis and Ricky Lee Jones.

Mooney talks to Warrior. He's holding the belt and mumbling, talking about muscle tissue and Macho King trying to break his bond with his Warriors. Macho will see nothing but "Raaaaaaage!"

We close with a shot of Warrior raising up his belt.

This is a strange show. I don't really count it as a part of the same series as the live versions that featured Hogan-Andre, the Megapowers exploding and even Hogan-Macho with Buster Douglas refereeing. I liked all of the matches enough, though.