Saturday Night’s Main Event #21 – May 27, 1989

 

Tonight’s SNME comes to us about six weeks after Wrestlemania V, where the Mega Powers exploded. The fallout from the biggest PPV of they year happens tonight from Des Moines, Iowa. First let’s recap Wrestlemania V, which took place in Atlantic City, New Jersey for the second year in a row. Hulk Hogan overcame former tag team partner Randy Savage to regain the WWF World title for the second time, at the team that was a big deal. Only Bruno Sammartino had won the title twice, since Backlund’s loss & second reign was never recognized by WWF at this point. Also at Wrestlemania we crowned a new IC champion, as Rick Rude scored a controversial pin over the Ultimate Warrior, thanks to Bobby Heenan holding Warrior’s ankle. After the match Warrior destroyed Heenan, who still had a match with Red Rooster coming up. Rooster crushed Bobby in 32 seconds, but was attacked by Brooklyn Brawler in a feud that basically went nowhere. Strike Force broke up at Wrestlemania, when Tito Santana accidentally nailed Rick Martel with the flying forearm during the match. This prompted Martel to walk away and leave Santana alone with Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson, and Santana got beaten. We also had the Wrestlemania debuts of Mr. Perfect, Powers of Pain, Owen Hart as the Blue Blazer, Shawn Michaels, and Bad New Brown. The tag team Champions, Demolition, were able to retain their gold beating former manager Mr. Fuji and his new protégés The Powers of Pain in a handicap match, as the Demolition celebrated one full year as champions. Finally we had a huge return at Wrestlemania, as Rowdy Roddy Piper returned after a two year absence. The Hot Rod hosted his classic Piper’s Pit with guests Brother Love and talk show host Morton Downey Junior. Piper did what he does best by humiliating both guests as he stripped Brother Love and sprayed Morton with a fire extinguisher. That brings us to tonight, as we have my favorite Hulk Hogan match as he faces Big Boss Man in the steel cage, so let’s get to it.

Saturday Night’s Main Event #20 – March 11, 1989

 

   While I wait for my copy of last night’s Elimination Chamber PPV, let’s continue our journey through the Saturday Night’s Main Events. Tonight’s episode comes to us from Hershey, PA and is about three weeks before Wrestlemania V, the Mega Powers explode. Last month on the Main Event, Randy Savage attacked partner and friend Hulk Hogan and accused him of having eyes for Elizabeth. Hulk was knocked silly with the World title and left laying by the Macho Man, and stormed the backstage area looking for him. At Wrestlemania the Mega Powers will face off for the World Title and Miss Elizabeth! But before we get to Wrestlemania we have to go through SNME 20!

The Main Event II: February 3, 1989

 

The Main Event II: February 3, 1989

   After the massive success of the original Main Event last year, headlined by the Hulk Hogan v. Andre the Giant controversy, WWF decided to do a second one. Tonight’s episode is headlined by the Mega Powers v. The Twin Towers. At the first PPV Royal Rumble Hulk Hogan eliminated Randy Savage causing friction between the Mega Powers. Miss Elizabeth had to come down to the ring and calm things down, and Savage finally left, still irate. Randy Savage started to believe that Hulk Hogan had eyes for Elizabeth, while Hulk kept claiming the relationship was business only. Slowly the pot started to simmer, as the Mega Powers were becoming unstable, would tonight be the boiling point? Let’s find out.

Saturday Night’s Main Event #19 – January 7, 1989

 

Saturday Night’s Main Event #19 – January 7, 1989

   Another SNME and another year, as we enter the final year of the eighties. We slowly begin to head toward Wrestlemania V, which emanated once again from Trump Plaza in Atlantic City, New Jersey. But first we have tonight’s episode of SNME, as Randy Savage is still the World Heavyweight Champion, as is Ultimate Warrior and Demolition the IC and Tag champs respectively. At the last SNME, IC Champion Ultimate Warrior destroyed Mr. Fuji’s latest find, Super Ninja to retain his title, Randy Savage went to a double DQ with Andre the Giant, Hercules destroyed Virgil, Jim Duggan crushed Boris Zhukov and Rougeaus dismantled the Young Stallions one on of the worst SNMEs of the series. All the matches were very one sided and boring, let’s hope tonight’s episode is better as we head to Tampa, Florida.

WWF Saturday Night’s Main Event #18 – November 26, 1988

WWF Saturday Night’s Main Event #18 – November 26, 1988

Here we go with another classic episode of Saturday Night’s Main Event. Tonight’s episode comes only 48 hours after the second annual Survivor Series. Coming out of the Survivor Series we had the double turn of Demolition and the Powers of Pain, as Mr. Fuji turned on his team, Demolition and joined with the formerly face team of the Powers of Pain. Demolition had held the titles since Wrestlemania IV and Fuji believed they were getting weak so he left to go to the Powers of Pain, who would basically do nothing and be split up by next year, while the Demolition would hold the titles for almost another year. Also tension was teased between Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage after a victory over the team of Akeem and Big Boss Man, when Hulk hugged Elizabeth. Also going in the WWF at this time was the face turn of Hercules, who was sold to Ted DiBiase as a slave by Bobby Heenan. Herc did not like this and decided he would take out his anger on Heenan and DiBiase. With that, let’s head to the Arco arena in Sacramento, California and see what the WWF has in store tonight.

WWF Saturday Night’s Main Event #17 – October 29, 1988

WWF Saturday Night’s Main Event #17 – October 29, 1988

It’s been a little while since the last SNME, both here and on TV. Tonight episode is six months after the last one, and a few things have changed. The WWF debuted a new PPV idea, Summerslam, on August 29, 1988 and had the Megapowers, Hulk Hogan & Randy Savage defeat the Megabucks, Andre the Giant & Ted DiBiase in the main event. Brutus Beefcake was scheduled to face IC Champion, The Honky Tonk Man and would probably have won the belt. However this was not to be as Outlaw Ron Bass took offense to Brutus cutting his hat and whip, and ripped apart Brutus’ head with his spurs. This was at the time very graphic for TV, and I still remember the big red X across the screen during it. This caused Brutus to be pulled from the card, and Honky made the vintage mistake of issuing the open challenge. Out came The Ultimate Warrior who quickly decimated the longest reigning IC champion and won the title in about thirty seconds. The other extremely hot feud at the time involved Ravishing Rick Rude and Jake Roberts, as Rick Rude had taken to kissing woman at ringside after his matches. After one match he approached a young lady who rebuffed Rude and said she was married to a wrestler, that wrestler being Jake Roberts. Rude got rough with her and Jake came to the rescue. This feud also consisted of Rick Rude wearing Cheryl Roberts, Jake’s wife, face on his tights, and Jake promising to rip them off. One week, Rude pulled down the tights he had on to reveal tights underneath with Cheryl’s face. Jake made good on his promise by running down to the ring, and stripping Rude of his tights. Viewers at home were treated to a censor box over Rude’s crotch, to make us think he was nude in the ring. Other major events during the summer of 1988 included the debuts of Big Boss Man and the Powers of Pain, along with the face turn of the Hart Foundation who fired long time manager Jimmy Hart. Dino Bravo got a new manager in Frenchy Martin, as Johnny V decided it was time to retire. So, with the stage set, let’s go to SNME episode 17, from Baltimore, Maryland.

WWF Saturday Night’s Main Event #16 – April 30, 1988

WWF Saturday Night’s Main Event #16 – April 30, 1988

Tonight’s episode of SNME comes to us four weeks after Wrestlemania IV, and we have a new World Champion. Randy “Macho Man” Savage survived a grueling, for him and the viewers, fourteen man tournament to win the title. Randy defeated Butch Reed, Greg Valentine, One Man Gang and finally “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase to win the tournament. In the opening round Ted DiBiase fought Hacksaw Jim Duggan, and won with assistance from Andre the Giant, tonight Duggan goes for revenge against Heenan Family member Hercules. Andre’s contract was sold back to Bobby Heenan after Wrestlemania, thus he is once again a member of the Heenan Family, Also at Wrestlemania One Man Gang beat Bam-Bam Bigelow via countout and in the most bizarre of decisions Jake Roberts and Rick Rude went to a time limit draw. Why they took out the favorite, Bigelow, and two of the most talented, Jake & Rude in the first round I still don’t understand twenty two years later. Honky Tonk Man was able to retain his IC title from Brutus Beefcake with a little chicanery, as Honky get himself disqualified to keep the title. However this did not prevent Beefcake from doing some haircutting as he got a hold of Jimmy Hart and gave him a nice spring trim. Tonight Hart goes for revenge and sends Danny Davis after the Barber. Finally also at Wrestlemania the Tag Titles changed hands as the team of Strike Force, Tito Santana and Rick Martel, were defeated by Mr. Fuji nefarious duo of Ax and Smash, The Demolition. This was not without a little cheating as well, as Demolition used Fuji’s cane on Martel to score the win. So with the scene set, that brings us to tonight, as we begin the sixteenth episode of Saturday Night’s Main Event.

WWF Saturday Night’s Main Event #15 – March 12, 1988

WWF Saturday Night’s Main Event #15 – March 12, 1988

Welcome back to another episode of SNME, tonight’s episode takes place only 15 days before Wrestlemania IV. After the most controversial match in WWF history took place last month, from the Main Event. When Andre the Giant scored the pinfall on Hulk Hogan, who clearly had his shoulders up, and then handed the title to Ted DiBiase, Jack Tunney had no choice but to step in. The investigation revealed that it was not plastic surgery, as Hulk Hogan had cried, but instead the referees were twin brothers, Earl and Dave Hebner. Ted DiBiase paid off Earl, and Dave beaten by Virgil, and the plan was set in motion. However President Tunney had other plans, he declared that he could not overturn the decision, so Hulk was no longer champion. He also ruled that Ted DiBiase was not champion, because Andre could not just hand over the title, but Andre did officially surrender the title, thus making him not champion either. Therefore there would be no current WWF Champion, and a tournament was announced for Wrestlemania IV from Atlantic City, New Jersey. This tournament would then crown the undisputed World Champion. But before we get to Atlantic City, we have to go through Nashville, Tennessee tonight for Saturday Night’s Main Event.

WWF Main Event #1 – February 5, 1988

WWF Main Event #1 – February 5, 1988

This was the first prime-time network special from the WWF, and aired live from Indianapolis, Indiana. Last month we had the very first ever Royal Rumble, which took place on January 24th, and was aired live on the USA network, not on PPV. This show featured Ricky Steamboat beating Rick Rude by disqualification, The Jumping Bomb Angels beat the Glamour Girls to win the Women’s Tag Titles, The Islanders beat the Young Stallions, Hacksaw Jim Duggan win the first ever, 20 man Royal Rumble. Also on the show Andre the Giant and Hulk Hogan signed a contract for the rematch from Wrestlemania III, which would take place on this show, live on NBC. This would become the biggest rating for a wrestling match ever, a record still held today, and had one of the most controversial endings in WWF history. So let’s get to the show!

WWF Saturday Night’s Main Event #14 – January 2, 1988

WWF Saturday Night’s Main Event #14 – January 2, 1988

It’s a new year for the WWF, and as we enter 1988 we head toward Wrestlemania IV. Hulk Hogan is approaching his four year anniversary as champion, a feat that would be unheard of nowadays, and has faced multiple opponents and has decimated all of them. However one man decided to try his hand again, after a loss at Wrestlemania II, King Kong Bundy regrouped and decided to take one more shot at the unstoppable champion. This time Bundy had an ace in the hole, Andre the Giant, who would be at ringside with Bobby Heenan for the challenger. Unfortunately for King Kong Bundy, Andre got caught tripping the champion and was ordered back to the locker room, leaving Bundy with Heenan, but the dastardly duo had a backup plan. When Hulk Hogan went after Bundy on the floor, they put the plan in motion. As Hulk tossed the mammoth challenger back in the ring to finish him off, Bobby Heenan capitalized on the moment and grabbed the ankle of the Champion. Hulk was unable to get back in the ring, and was counted out; giving Bundy the win he so wanted, but not the title. A furious Hulkster knocked Bundy out of the ring and gave Bobby Heenan the beating he deserved. This brings us to tonight, as Bobby Heenan is no condition to be at ringside, he has secured the services of Andre the Giant to be the manager of King Bundy in this epic rematch. All this and much more, tonight on Saturday Night’s Main Event!!!