Saturday Night's Main Event #28 (for real this time)

We see scenes from the Oktoberfest party that they will check into several times. I think it's supposed to seem like they don't think they're on their air yet.

Hosted by Vince McMahon and "Rowdy" Roddy Piper.

The three members of Demolition cut a promo. They're gonna celebrate Oktoberfest Demolition-style. Then we go to the Legion of Doom, for more German puns. Warrior pops up from the floor, and he and his partners chant "blitzkrieg."

Demolition vs. Legion of Doom/Ultimate Warrior- Why yes, the Ultimate Warrior was the WWF champion at this point. Why do you ask? I didn't care; this was a dream match I never knew I wanted back then. The faces charge the heels to start. The Demos regroup outside, as we get a peak at Dustin Rhodes in the crowd. Smash clotheslines Animal down, and chokes him on the ropes. Animal hits a powerslam for two on a charging Smash. Ax comes in, but Animal tags Warrior. He kicks Ax in the midsection several times. Ax eats boot and gets shouldered down several times. He clotheslines Ax, slams Smash, slams Crush, and then one for Ax. Axis the Demolisher moves from an attempted Warrior splash, however. Smash throws Warrior to the floor, where Crush rams him to the apron and chops him in the throat. Warriors gets double and triple-teamed in the corner. Crush comes in with an axehandle, and chokes Warrior. More corner chicanery from the Demos. Animal comes in to throw Crush out, but Smash knocks him out. Hawk then breaks up a Demolition Decapitation. Hawk gets tagged, and he hits a back elbow on Smash, and a shoulderblock. Hawk hits a clothesline from the top. The pin gets gets broken up, but Warrior is tagged. He hits a splash off the top. Warrior knocks the other Demos to the floor, hits a shoulderblock on Smash and pins him with a splash. **1/2 These teams met at the Survivor Series after this, with Mr. Perfect and the Texas Tornado added to the respective teams. 

"Mean" Gene is on the scene at Octoberfest. He tries to throw it to Lord Alfred Hayes, but he's having a pint while talking someone's ear off. 

"Macho King" Randy Savage (with Sensational Queen Sherri) vs. Dusty Rhodes- Don't get excited. Piper says Sherri is the only person the Ultimate Warrior is afraid of, after she recently slapped him thrice. Dusty embraces his son at ringside. I'm sure Dustin won't figure into the match at all. Dust chases the King and Queen out to begin. Savage rips up a Warrior poster on the outside. Dusty chops Savage, whips him to the buckles twice, and locks on a bearhug. Savage rakes his eyes to escape, but Dusty gets a backslide for two. Sherri jumps on the apron, and Savage knees Dusty in the back. Sherri chokes Dusty and Savage distracts the ref. Savage gets two off of that. They work a headlock for a bit, as Ted Dibiase and Virgil make their wa to ringside. Dusty gets a shoulderblock. Dibiase and Virg bought off the fans in the front row, so they are sitting by Dustin. Dusty runs out to yell at Dibiase. Macho King chokes Dusty after a break, and Sherri does the same. Savage gets two from that. Savage snaps him throat on the top, and hits an axehandle for two. Dusty fights back, and rams Savage's head to the buckle. Savage misses a buttsplash with Dusty on the bottom rope. Dusty headbutts Savage, and gets two on a near fall. Savage goes to the top but Dusty punches him in the gut. Dustin stands up to Dibiase and gets hit with a chair outside. Dusty goes out to protect him, but Savage hits a flying axehandle on the floor. Savage wins by countout. 1/2* Dusty laid on the mat for most of the match. Dusty covers Dustin as Dibiase and Virgil continue to attack. 

Sean Mooney talks to Hogan and Tugboat. They aren't gonna celebrate until they even the score with Quake and Dino. They're taking the Autobahn. Rhythm and Blues will be playing in an Oompah band, too. Sounds like Hogan's on the good, Wrestlemania IV shit again.

The Bushwhackers cut the cheese at the Cheese Factory (presumably not the maze at Chuck E. Cheese I'd get lost in for hours). Yep.

Rhythm & Blues vs. Hulk Hogan and Tugboat- After a break, Hulk drops elbows on each, knocks noggins (Vince makes a knockwurst pun), whips both into Tugger's boot. Tag to Tugboat, who works Valentine's arm. Quick tags, as they continue working on the arm. Greg rakes the eyes, and chops Tug. Honky tagged, but gets bearhugged. Valentine axehandles Tugger in the back, and Honky takes over. Tag to Hammer, who drops elbows and fists. Honky drops an elbow, but Hulk breaks up a pin. More doubleteams on the big man. A double-elbowdrop misses, and Hogan gets the tag. Hulkpunches both men and Jimmy Hart, and knocks noggins. Hart runs to the back as Hulk clotheslines Valentine, and Hammers on him. Hogan hits a back elbow, big boot, but Tugboat stops him from ropping the leg because Earthqyake was walking back out. Ugh, this match continues after a break. The faces hit a double clothesline, and Tugger splashes Hammer in the corner. He goes after Jimmy Hart, and Honky kabongs him with the guitar. DQ, 1/2*. Hogan throws Hart onto Rhythm and Blues, and knocks Bravo's noggin into R&B. But Earthquakethen enters and slams Hogan, and the heels push Quake onto Hogan in a splash. He tries a buttdrop, but Tugger hits him with the guitar coming off the ropes. I didn't enjoy any of this. 

Back at Oktoberfest for a sausage stuffing contest, with sausage-stuffing hall of famer The Genius (I didn't get that Mean Gene joke back in the day). It's a competition between The Orient Express/Mr. Fuji and The Hart Foundation/ "Hacksaw" Duggan. Fuji drops a premade sausage on the table with one second left. I'm not sure what that accomplished. Gene tries to throw it to Lord Al, but he's blubbering on drunkenly.

WWF Intercontiental championship, Haku vs. Texas Tornado (c)- How does Meng keep getting these SNME title shots? I have no recollection of this match at all. His graphic still calls him TT Kerry Von Erich. Heenan tells Kerry he can give him the belt and we'll call it even. Kerry gets an armdrag and body slam, and tries for the claw. The Islander rolls outside to confer with Heenan. Back in, Haku reverses a whip and gets a standing side headlock.Haku turns it into a choke while Heenan distracts the ref. Kerry somehow gets out of that and punches away. Haku splashes Kerry in the corner, which looked botchy, like Kerry was supposed to move. Then Kerry whips him into the buckles and locks on the Iron Claw. Haku gets the ropes, forcing a ref break, so Kerry then hits him with a discuss punch for the win. *

Mooney talks to Hulk and Tugboat. Hogan makes a bunch of nautical references. But does he have a nautical-themed pashmina afghan?! Other than his partner being named Tugboat, I don't know what this all has to do with anything. Quake is going to sink 20,000 leagues under the sea. Maybe he can find the sea creature from Southpaw Regional Wrestling?

Koko B. Ware vs. Sgt. Slaughter- Ugh. In case you don't know, Slaughter had returned to the WWF as an Iraq-sympathizing heel. At first it was topical, but the U.S. defeated Iraq in the first Iraq War long before the turncoat angle concluded. Koko evades him to begin. Gen. Adnan yells "you're gonna get it" to Koko. I think Adnan was at least an Iraqi. Koko hits a dropkick, hiptosses and dances. Koko hits a shoulderblock, but can't drop Slaughter. Koko goes under Slaughter and dropkicks him, but misses a charge. Slaughter throws forearms and hits a baaaack bodydrop. Slaughter covers him for two, then forearms him some more. Backbreaker gets two. Koko hits a Shake, Rattle and Roll (!) and then two dropkicks. A headbutt knocks Slaughter into the ropes, but Slaughter catches a charging Koko for a hot shot. The noogie gets the submission. Um, 1/2* for Koko's spirited offense, I guess. Nikolai Volkoff starts waving the American flag on the interview platform. I hate the Slaughter turncoat character now, and even back then I thought it was offensive and unbelieveable, since I had been watching Slaughter for years in the AWA. He never even won their world title!

Now we see Anvil and Slick having a dance off at Oktoberfest. I feel like the crowd is biased here. Al is now schnockered, and his friend walks away in disgust. A food fight breaks out, and it's reminiscent of that TNT wedding reception that WWE desperately wants to convince us is funny. 

Mooney talks to the Warrior. We see Sherri challenging (and slapping) Warrior. He accepts Savage's challenge. Piper then talks to Sherri and Savage. Warrior has sealed his destiny, she says. Piper slaps Sherri on the behind, and says "Farfegnugen."

My recording ends here, so if there was more than that I apologize. This show at times felt like a fever dream, full of bad matches and stupid skits. I do really like the Warrior/L.O.D. vs. Demolition match, if for nothing else than for pairing all the face painted guys in one match.

Saturday Night's Main Event #28- We got your Summerslam main right here!

My copy starts with Vince McMahon and Jesse "The Body" Ventura running down  the card. We then get the intro video.

From Omaha, Nebraska.

Bobby "The Brain" Heenan says it's survival of the fittest. "Ravising" Rick Rude is the deadliest predator of them all, apparently. The Ultimate Warrior knows no boundaries, and fears no predators. He's the Ultimate Animal!

WWF championship, Rick Rude vs. The Ultimate Warrior (c)- Rude jumps Warrior to start, but Warrior reverses an attempt to ram his head to the top buckle. Warrior whips Rude back-first into the corner, then tosses him into it the same way. More back work, then an atomic drop. Warrior clotheslines Rude over the top, in front of Heenan. Noggins get knocked, and Warrior comes out to ram Rude's head into the mat. Back in, Warrior clotheslines Rude and GOES UP! Warrior hits an axehandle, runs the ropes, but the pool is dry when he attempts a big splash. Warrior rolls out to the floor, and with Heenan distracting the ref, Rude hits Warrior with the belt. Rude seems content to win by countout, but eventually rolls out to rough up Warrior some more. Rude goes up to the top but Warrior hits him in the belly-welly, and gets an atomic drop. Warrior charges but eats knee, then gets clotheslined. Rude goes for a slam, but Warrior stops and hits him in the back. Warrior gets his own slam, but then gets sleepered. The ref raises Warrior's leg, which he raises on the third try. Warrior gets a Stone Cold Stunner, but Rude punches away. Rick goes for the Rude Awakening, but Warrior blocks it. Rude kicks him low and hits the Awakening. Rude covers lazily, and only gets two. Warrior gets his special, clotheslines Rude several times, and shoulders him. Heenan pulls Warrior off on a pin attempt, and Warrior goes after him. Warrior presses Rude, but Heenan knees Warrior in the back to put Rude down. Warrior rams the Brain's head into the buckles back in, then tosses Heenan over the top. Warrior wins by countout. **3/4. There wasn't much story here; the heat went back in forth until the end sequence. And it probably shows the lack of challengers Warrior had that he faced his Summerslam opponent here, and would have pinned him if not for Heenan. I will always contend Warrior should have gotten the Earthquake feud instead of Hogan.

So all night long, they have skits with Lord Alfred Hayes and "Mean" Gene Okerlund in like the Wild Kingdom. Hayes calls Gene "Jim," and Okerlund makes a Pete Rose "up the river" joke. How 'bout it?

Mountain Dew Slam of the Night! It's the Big Boss Man. I feel like they used this exact one multiple times.

Now we see the famous Hulk Hogan tribute video, complete with ominous tones and sour notes of "Real American," as they show Earthquake squashing Hogan on the Brother Love Show. I was one of the dopes who wrote Hulk a letter urging him to "Get Well, Soon," so you know this worked on me. I also got a postcard back from "Hulk," which I sold in the last year on eBay. Yay me?

Vinnie Mac himself conducts Hogan's return interview. Hulk continues his trend of wearing alternate merch/gear on SNME, this time sporting the re Hulkamania shirt with yellow text. He's back, he's going to write to all of the Hulkamaniacs to wrote him, etc. Quake, Dino Bravo and Jimmy Hart come out and menace Hogan until Tugboat comes to rescue Hogan. I'm still not sure why Tugboat was taken out from seconding Hogan at Summerslam '90 vs. Quake.

Hayes and Jim discover Koko B. Ware and Frankie, Jake Roberts (in tights) and Damian, and the Bushwhackers marching down railroad tracks.

WWF tag team championship, Demolition (c) vs. The Rockers- This may have been the Rockers' first WWF title shot, unless the match against the Collosal Collection was one. Jannetty starts with Smash, and the Rocker gets clubbered. Smash misses a charge, and gets armdragged, clotheslined, clipped and dropkicked out of the ring. The three Demos huddle outside, but Smash and Crush get headscissored reentering, and dropkicked to the floor. Jannetty gets hit low, but Jannetty tags Michaels, and Jannetty dropkicks Smash's back for a victory roll or somesuch. Crush then takes Michaels' head off with a clothesline, perhaps previewing King of the Ring '93.  Crush then gets tagged, and works over Michaels. The Rockers double hiptoss Crush, and make quick tags. Crush sets Jannetty on the top, then chokes him. Jannetty, though, hits a sunset flip for two. Jannetty works a headlock, and Michaels comes in on Crush's arm. Jannetty does the same. Jannetty slips between Smash's legs to the floor, but gets a "love tap" (according to Ventura) from Ax on the outside. After a break Smash is pounding on Jannetty. Smash chokes Marty on the top rope, and hurls him outside. Crush then press slams him into the ring. Crush goes to the top and drops an axehandle to Jannetty's back. Crush does a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, brah. Crush then breaks his back the normal way, and doesn't go for a cover. Crush chokeslams a charging Jannetty, and tags Smash. Darsow grabs a bearhug. Marty tries a sunset flip but Smash punches him. Crush in, and Marty takes Bret Hart's sternum bump. Marty takes Crush over on a backdrop attempt, and both men tag. Michaels hits a tackle and dropkicks Crush. Michaels whips them together, and the Rockers double-dropkick both. Double sweet chin music, and the drop fists on Smash. Crush breaks up a pin attempt, Shawn rolls up Smash again, but with the ref distracted Ax clotheslines him and covers Shawn himself. *** The heat machine didn't like that. The Hart Foundation and the Freakin' Legion of Doom then run out to protest.

Gene and Marlon Hayes continue their expedition. Gene gets stung by a mosquito and then acts like various animals. Yep. I bet Burger King was proud to get a shoutout right after that one. 

WWF Intercontiental championship, Tito Santana vs. Mr. Perfect (c)- "It's Saturday night; I'm at my best," Perfect tells Gene. I was sure he'd say it's alright for fighting. Perfect forearms Chico (hey, that's how the color man constantly refers to him) on his shoulders, but Hennig gets hiptossed,, armdragged and dropkicked over the top rope. Tito then chases him in and out or the ring, and chops him outside. Back in, they trade arm wringers, and Perfect kicks Tito on a backdrop attempt. Perfect then clotheslines him down with his elbow, as Hennig is want to do. Perfect hits a kneelift, then chops and punches Tito. A standing dropkick puts Tito down, but he kicks away at Hennig. Perfect slams him, and locks on a chinlock. While Heenan distracts the ref, Hennig chokes Santana. Tito lifts his arm on a third try, and punches Hennig to get free. Hennig chops away, but runs into Tito's foot in the corner. Santana hits a big clothesline, and Perfect begs off. Tito nails Perfect, who falls on the ref's knee. Santana kicks Perfect's leg an he does a 360 sell. Tito grabs the figure four, but Earl Hebner (?) is still holding his leg facing the other way. Tito goes to help the ref, then hits the flying forearm. Tito covers and Hebner slowly crawls over and finally counts a close fall. Tito is livid. Santana hits a clothesline from the middle rope, and Hebner still takes forever. Santana rops a knee,and waves down another referee. So this of course is the commercial break, as they always kind of restart the match when they come back. Hennig punches and kicks Tito, but Santana hits a bodypress for two. Hennig punches and chops Tito. He hits his neck snap thing, and Heenan towels him off. More kicks from Hennig, but Tito gets Arribaderci (TM the Ultimate Warrior), and Hulks Up. Hennig twists Tito's neck between his knees. Tito eventually punches Hennig over the top rope, and goes outside to chop him. Back in, Tito beals Hennig by the hair, and Hennig posts himself. Santana atomic drops him twice, Hennig boounches into the top buckle, Santana clotheslines him, and gets a 2.9 count. Tito gets a small package when Hennig tries the Perfect Plex, but Hennig rolls over for the win. ****.  Just excellent. .

Jesse talks to Earthquake about his Summerslam match with Hogan. Thankfully we also hear Dino Bravo vow Tugboat won't interfere, he'll see to that. That one ended up being true.

More Gene and Hayes bullshit. They spot Superfly, Akeem and Slick. Hayes whips Gene into a river. Gene finally corrects him that his name isn't Jim. Thrilling.

Kerry Von Erich (The Texas Tornado) vs. "Playboy" Buddy Rose- Rose does jumping jacks to begin. This is Von Erich's WWE debut. Von Erich goes for Rose's leg, unsuccessfully. Rose slaps Kerry after a rope break, and bails outside. Rose goes for a hiptoss, and does one of his own. Rose goes for a slam, but Kerry slams him, twice. Kerry whips Rose to the corner, and when he does it again Rose flips into the buckles. Dropkick by Kerry gets two. Kerry hits him and Rose gets tied up in the ropes. Kerry punches away, and Rose falls out on his ass. Rose rakes his eyes and neck snaps Von Erich, and goes up. Kerry slams him off of the top, and hits the discuss punch to win. * This was really odd for a big debut; I guess it was kind of impressive for Von Erich to slam around such a big man, but Rose was kind of getting himself over with the overselling. I only remember Rose being a job guy in the WWF in 1990.

This is one of the better SNMEs if not the best, workrate-wise. It also does a good job of setting up Summerslam '90.