WWF All Star Search #10 - Saturday Night's Main Event 1

Hello Turnbucklers! It's edition #10 and we're looking at our first and the first Saturday Nights Main Event in this one! Not a big card as SNME was only an hour long but they were significant and important viewing for any WWE fan. This card looks alright with a 6 man tag match, two title matches (one of which is a WWE Title match) and also an important Pipers Pit. Last edition I had to watch a complete pile of bilge so let's hope this one is short and sweet! Onwards we go!

The Card:

The US Express/Ricky Steamboat vs Iron Sheik/Nikolai Volkoff/George Steele

Piper's Pit ft Paul Orndorff

Hulk Hogan (WWE Champion) vs 'Cowboy' Bob Orton [WWE Title Match]

Wendi Richter (Womens Champ) vs The Fabulous Moolah [Womens Title Match]

Junkyard Dog vs Pete Doughety

 

The Show:

So before we even start up flashes Wendi Richter and Cyndi Lauper hyping up their match tonight. Then, Hulk Hogan and Mr T pop up to hype up Hogan's match tonight and T is in his corner! Mr T growls at us to seal home the point.

Our commentary team tonight is Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura. Not even 30 seconds in, McMahon is trying to save Jesse on commentary when he didn't need saving. Calm it, Vince!

The US Express/Ricky Steamboat vs Iron Sheik/Nikolai Volkoff/George Steele

Before the match gets underway, of course we have the Soviet anthem and some spitting to get through via the heels. We also get a very speedy promo from the faces where by Windham says he wishes it was for the tag titles...and gets some subtle evils from Steamboat for doing so. Damn right Ricky, you are a third wheel on this night! This is George Steele's debut on our All Star Search and he announces himself by...flailing his arms. Windham and Sheik start us off while Steele is told to stand on the apron and not in the ring. Windham takes early control with an arm drag, a sneaky punch from Steamboat and a scoop slam. Rotundo and Steamboat both get shots in on Sheik from the top rope before Rotundo maintains control with headlocks and armbars. Steamboat in who nails a chop to Sheik but soon finds himself in an abdominal stretch. It doesn't last long as the faces clear the ring of the heels and the crowd is a buzzin'. A massive USA chant breaks out...and the only one who plays to it is George Steele...the American on the heel team? Nice dropkick off top on Sheik followed by a cross body off the top by Steamboat. In comes Volkoff but eats eats a double dropkick from Steamboat and Windham. Rotundo in who levels the Russian with legdrops but gets distracted by the heels allowing momentum to shift for...a second...before Rotundo regains control. An awkward sequence of backslides follow and Windham tags back in. George Steele in now to big heat and him and Windham trade awful looking punches. Steele goes for a tag out but the tag champs just drop down to the floor allowing Steele to be pinned with a roll up from Windham for three. The tag champs attack Steele after the match but it doesn't go too far. That big heat for Steele are now big cheers and Captain Lou comes in to calm down Steele. Face = turned. Good, quick, action despite the lack of offense by the heels. Surely if the US Express were to dominate...why not have kept the titles on them at Mania? Match Rating: *1/2
After the match Mean Gene Okerlund catches up with the champs who claims Steele was at fault and he deserved them to shun him.

Piper's Pit with Paul Orndorff

Straight into Piper's Pit now and Mr Wonderful Paul Orndorff is the guest. If you remember, at Wrestlemania, Piper and Orton left Orndorff alone in the ring after their loss and last month, Orndorff lost to Hogan but shook his hand afterwards. Piper tries to talk but Orndorff cuts him off and tells Cowboy Bob Orton to go stand in the corner like the 'dunce' he is. Of course the tension between Piper and Orndorff is off the charts. Piper of course starts getting cheeky and calls Orndorff a loser who gets angry as a result. Not angry enough NOT to sit down when Piper asks him too. Nonetheless, more back and forth snarkiness between Piper and Orndorff and Piper is great here. He says Orndorff lost his guts and Orndorff replies with 'you've been drinking your own bath water'. Tension escalates as expected until the heels attempt the cheapshot but fail. Orndorff goes for a piledriver on Piper but gets nailed by Orton's cast. Mr T runs down for the save and Face = Turned. Short but sweet segment to solidify Orndorff's turn and it definitely worked. Piper was superb.
Mean Gene is with Hogan who says he's happy it's Mother's Day soon and the following match is for his mummy. Orton...how injured is your arm because Hogan says he's coming to find out.

Hulk Hogan (WWE Champ) vs 'Cowboy' Bob Orton [WWE Title Match]

The man with too many names...Mr Ace Cowboy Boxing Bob Orton is out first with Roddy Piper. The place naturally explodes when Hogan comes out and he's accompanied by Mr T! They get in the ring and rip each others shirts off and who says wrestling can seem gay? The match itself is your standard Hogan quick formulaic match. It spills to the outside but its a case of brawling and basic manuevers. Of course Piper on the outside plus Orton's cast provide enough of a challenge to keep the crowd hot throughout. Hogan eventually gets the legdrop but Piper breaks up the count with a cheapshot from the outside to cause the DQ win for Hogan. There's afters between the four until Orndorff comes out to support the good guys since he is now solidly one of them. Suprised they didn't just give Hogan the clean win on this one. I'm starting to notice the challengers get more offense in against Hogan on TV and supercards in comparison to house shows. Match Rating: *

Before we move onto the next match, we get to watch Cyndi Laupers new (at the time) music video. It was too sappy for my liking but hey, whatever floats your boat people. Although I approve of any love themed music video featuring Nikolai Volkoff.
Cyndi Lauper and Captain Lou are in the back, who both seem very confident that Wendi Richter is winning against the 106 year old Fabulous Moolah. Lauper worries about Albano's 'medula swelling.' Roddy Piper appears and has a screaming match with Lauper, its all good!
Mean Gene is with Moolah who says she's winning tonight and she's sick of Lauper cheating. She's also sick of people putting bags on her head, I however would encourage it, except plastic, 'coz that's dangerous!

Wendi Richter (Womens Champ) vs The Fabulous Moolah [Womens Title Match]

Big heat for Moolah when she comes out. Lauper and Richter come out to another Lauper song and Richter is such an after thought here. It's a shame because this of the potential if Lauper was the mouthpiece of a women's wrestler with actual in ring ability. Before the match, Fink makes the announcement that Lauper is banned from ringside and has to go backstage. The crowd chant bullshit but if that was 2014, that would've resulted in a 45 minute concert at Wrestlemania so keep your angst to yourselves on this one fans! The match of course is absolutely dreadful and the crowd die a slow death as soon as Lauper leaves. Richter eventually gets the win with a small package and the crowd wake up again in time for Lauper to come back and celebrate. Match Rating: DUD

Junkyard Dog vs Pete Doughety

Straight into the last match now and Pete Doughety gets the jobbers entrance and no reaction. 'Another One Bites the Dust' hits and out comes Junkyard Dog with his ma because it's Mothers Day. Only two interesting things in this one...1) Pete Doughety has a lovely scream when he's selling and 2) Pete Doughety is supposedly the Duke of Dorchester. Its a quick one and Junkyard Dog gets the win with his Powerslam. What a strange choice of ending matchwise but hey, Junkyard Dog and mum dance after the match. Is she really his mother because they look the same age, hmmm. I wish I liked the Junkyard Dog more but I can't take a bloke doing dog impressions seriously. Match Rating: DUD
Into the back with Mean Gene who is with several wrestlers celebrating Mothers Day. Freddie Blassie's mother is about 40 years younger than him which is lovely. Cyndi Lauper is with her mum and everyone is having a good time. Hogan and Sheik are bickering in the background and Moolah crashes the party and lays into Mummy Lauper while Lauper quacks on until shes covers Moolah in cake.
McMahon and Jesse Ventura go through their highlights to close us out.

Wrestler Scores:

• Ricky Steamboat +6 (18)
• Mike Rotundo +6 (22)
• Barry Windham +6 (21)
• George Steele +3 (3)
• Iron Sheik +4 (27)
• Nikolai Volkoff +3 (18)
• Roddy Piper +6 (36)
• Paul Orndorff  +7 (26)
• Hulk Hogan +5 (46)
• Bob Orton +4 (14)
• Fabulous Moolah +2 (3)
• Wendi Richter +2 (5)
• Pete Doughety +1 (1)
• Junkyard Dog +3 (11)

Piper and Orndorff brought in some decent points this week for that Piper's Pit segment and their various appearances throughout the episode proving how important the non-in-ring segments are too. Matches overall were disappointing whereby only the face team in the opener truly looked good. At this point overall, Hogan is in the lead after 10 editions with 46 points. Tito Santana isn't too far behind him and Roddy Piper and Greg Valentine after them. Shoutout to Iron Sheik who has impressed me more so than I thought, not so much Volkoff though. Onwards to our last house show of 1985.

WWE All Star Search #9 - 20th May 1985 - Adam Ross

Hello Turnbucklers! It's edition #9 of our All Star Search and the scores are starting to show who's been impressing...and who hasn't. I'll probably post an article looking at the Wrestler Scores before I get to Wrestlemania 2 and we'll delve into them. Until then, we move forwards in 1985 onto this MSG show in May! Last edition we had what was probably the best show I've watched in the series so far. The card for this one looks like sh*t on paper to me unfortunately with a lot of 1984 jobbers getting some time in the ring. We do get a WWE Title match with Don Muraco who is making his blog reappearance. The main event is exactly the match that should've been on the Wrestlemania 1 card but wasn't, in favour of a DUD. Finally we also get another match between the US Express and the tag champs but let's hope that this is the last one.

The Card:

Rocky Johnson vs Rene Goulet

Jim Neidhart vs Ivan Putski

Pedro Morales vs Terry Gibbs

Hulk Hogan (WWE Champ) vs Don Muraco [WWE Title Match]

Bret Hart vs Rick McGraw

Ken Patera vs Tony Atlas

The US Express vs Iron Sheik/Nikolai Volkoff (Tag Team Champs) [Tag Team Title Match]

The Missing Link vs SD Jones

Jesse Ventura vs Tony Garea

David Sammartino/Bruno Sammartino vs Brutus Beefcake/Johnny Valiant

The Show:

Our commentary team for tonight is Gorilla Monsoon and Mean Gene Okerlund.

Rocky Johnson vs Rene Goulet

Another opening contest featuring Rene Goulet? He must really be thought of highly backstage as he's still going strong being given 10+ minute matches. This is Rocky Johnson's final MSG appearance and his last appearance on this blog for now. Once again this is a 10 minute opener and the term 'nothing special' comes to mind. The main focus seems to be Goulet's missing glove? O...K. Johnson actually looks quite good in this one, showing off both strength and speed which I wasn't expecting so much. It's still weird to hear him being referred to as 'The Rock'. Goulet does get some offense in but its mixed in between his heely stalling tactics. I actually like Goulet, he's easy to hate which makes him a good heel. Johnson gets the 3 count in the end with a roll up and we move on. Match Rating: *

Jim Neidhart vs Ivan Putski

Straight into the next match now and on paper this one is self-explanatory as to what to expect. Neidhart is still fairly new to the WWE scene and Putski is coming to the end of his career. Both are pushed as powerhouses. That is exactly what we get in this one and the early goings are spent by both trying to out power the other. Of course it breaks down into restholds and the pace slows down by a hefty amount. The crowd are alive towards the end and really get behind Putski in his final flurry of offence but its no use and Neidhart counters a suplex attempt into a roll up for 3. Impressive way to end considering the size of both men and how smooth the sequence actually was. Neidhart still looks strong going forward but the match was too slow for the majority. Match Rating: 3/4*

Pedro Morales vs Terry Gibbs

This is another match that doesn't exactly make me jump out my seat. This is Morales' first appearance on our blog. His biggest career peaks came before this show but I'm interested to see how he comes off on his return and whether he's another former great who's still stuck in a former decade style-wise. Terry Gibbs is a perennial jobber here. The commentary team say Morales looks great....but he doesn't. This match itself was sinfully boring. So many restholds at such a slow pace, it was just hard for me to care. Unfortunately the timekeeper plays a harsh trick on me and rings the bell halfway through the match...but it wasn't over! Damn him! Eventually Morales gets the win with a Boston Crab to decent crowd noise, so I assume the crowd only watched the last 10 seconds of the match. Match Rating: 1/4*

Hulk Hogan (WWE Champ) vs Don Muraco [WWE Title Match]

The crowd has really lit up for this one and Don Muraco comes out to major heat with Mr Fuji! Eye of the Tiger plays and the crowd goes mental as usual! The ringbell is doing my head in at this point as it won't stop pissing ringing. Action kicks off straight away as Muraco blindsides Hogan before he de-belts. He lays in the boots before choking Hogan with his T-shirt. Muraco's offense doesn't last long as Hogan hulks up quickly and sends Muraco to the outside. He nails an atomic drop on the floor before they both make their way back in the ring. Hogan starts choking Muraco with his T-shirt now and even finds time to gob in his face...lovely. The crowd don't care though as they are unglued. They head back outside where they trade chairshots right in front of the ref but no DQ. It makes even less sense when Hogan rolls in and out of the ring to break the countout. Muraco actually gets busted open via these chairshots. Back in the ring and Hogan hits a back suplex and soon after, a standing suplex. Its not long before he hits the leg drop for the 3 count. However Mr Fuji had put Muraco's foot on the ropes so the 3 count doesn't count. This gives Muraco the chance to blast Hogan in the eyes with a load of salt for the DQ. Stupid, pointless finish to a glorified squash match. The crowd noise made this match much better but Muraco got no offense in after the initial phase and its safe to say his career ain't going higher than this. This match is very similar to Hogan vs Orndorff from the month before. Match Rating: *1/2

Lord Al Hayes replaces Mean Gene on commentary and immediately acts like a lecherous old git.

Bret Hart vs Rick McGraw

Is this our first blog Bret singles match? It could possibly be! Last month he looked extra good in the tag match with the Bulldog's. This time out he's against Rick McGraw who is the definition of...OK. At this point he's still sporting an extra 'T' in his name. He seems less enthusiastic this time around and it shows in his in ring work. The match is slower than I expected with very little to talk about. Bret did show glimpses of good entertainment but that's all they were, glimpses. McGraw was...OK...considering the last time we saw him he was being jobbed out to Ken Patera quite quickly. Strange commentary as Lord Al rants on about Stu Hart but starts getting a bit creepy. Bret eventually got the win via a second rope elbow drop. I'm quite disappointed with this one and Bret honestly came off as well as any other lower card heel in this one. Match Rating: *

Ken Patera vs Tony Atlas

This card is not getting better is it. Out comes out favourite 1970's throwback in Ken Patera and the immensely roided Tony Atlas. Bobby Heenan is out with Patera so maybe he can add something. Before the match even gets under way, both men engage in a posedown with Patera looking old and Atlas looking camper than a picnic basket. Pretty basic start as both men try to out power the other. Patera gains early control using restholds early on. They end up outside where Patera rams Atlas into the apron before getting back in the ring to pose. Patera locks on a bearhug which Atlas wiggles out of into one of his own. That also looked really gay on Atlas' part. Nice cross body followed by a suplex by Atlas into a sleeper that is quickly broken up. Patera tries to stall but Atlas isn't having any of it and nails an atomic drop. They go back and forth until Patera is sent out to the floor. Patera and Heenan suffer a dreaded double noggin knocker before Atlas gets distracted trying to beat up Heenan/ Patera uses that to nail Atlas off the top rope for the 3 count. Better than I was expecting and better than most the crap on the card. Both men still seem very outdated though. Match Rating: *3/4

Into the back with Mean Gene and Bobby Heenan who is representing the Missing Link. Heenan tells us that everyone better have paid their insurance premiums because the Missing Link is going to be piling up the bodies. The Missing Link says nothing and wanders around the background. Its a middle-aged bloke with Einstein hair and a green face. He looks like someone sneezed on him. Thank God that Heenan gave him at least some legitimacy.

Still in the back and Jesse Ventura is now with Mean Gene. Mean Gene is just as shocked as me that Ventura looks somewhat human. Ventura says he's the best on commentary and the best in the ring so watch out Garea!

STILL in the back and this time Mean Gene is with Johnny Valiant and Brutus Beefcake. They talk about San Fransisco and then the Sammartino's. Beefcake doesn't freeze which is an improvement and actually shows off some good confidence. They're ready!

STILL...in the back with Mean Gene and this time he's with the Sammartino's. Bruno's promo's always seem the most real, no yelling and always confident in what he's saying. David on the other hand is a stuttery mofo. Bottom line...they're ready!

The US Express vs Iron Sheik/Nikolai Volkoff (Tag Team Champs) [Tag Team Title Match]

The heels are out first to big heat as per! 1980's xenephobia really was an amazing heat catalyst, I mean, it's hard to take the champs as seriously as I'd like too but the crowd disagree. Of course Volkoff sings before the match to big heat and I love hit! 'Born in the USA' hits and out come the US Express with Captain Lou Albano. The crowd don't seem as into them as they were 2 months ago which is strange. Big USA chant breaks out right on cue. Quick action to start with the faces taking control over Sheik to major crowd noise. Nice double leg drop by the faces and an atomic drop by Rotundo. Sheik misses a Senton splash attempt which was a nice suprise. Sheik eventually tags out to Volkoff just as Windham comes in and the pace slows down slightly. Windham does gets some shots in but misses a dropkick and the tide doth turn. The heels take turns working over Windham. Sheik hits a lovely gutwrench suplex and maintains control until Rotundo gets the hot tag. It doesn't last long as Volkoff pearl harbours him. Windham takes the time to bust Sheik open on the ringpost in the melee. It all breaks down outside the ring and the champs get counted out but keep their belts. Was a decent little match for what it was but I'm hoping thats the last we see between the two. Match Rating: **

The Missing Link vs SD Jones

Before the match starts, Bobby Heenan lists off a load of face wrestlers and tells them to pay attention. He tells them to pay attention to his newest Heenan family member...The Missing Link. For all that build up, this guy better be good! I should mention that in the time between this show and the last, Orndorff cemented his face turn and fired Heenan. Heenan is now offering $25,000 to anyone to take Orndorff out. None the less, Heenan feels the Missing Link is the dude who will get that dollar. Match is a total squash but christ, The Missing Link looks awful. He's slow, weak and very disjointed. He gets the quick 3 with a falling headbutt/punch (?) from the top rope. I would mention SD Jones...but there is literally nothing to mention other than he just got battered. The officials run away from the Missing Link after the match while Heenan tries and fails to control him. Match Rating: DUD

Jesse Ventura vs Tony Garea

Straight into the next match now as we get the in-ring blog return of Jesse Ventura after his blood clot incident last year. His opponent is Tony Garea who is once again solid, but not spectacular. It takes an age for Jesse to take off all his shit and actually start the match. Of course, even then there's a fair amount of stalling. In fact, the first half of this match is a hefty mix of stalling by Jesse and rest holds by Garea. When Garea is on offense, he works over Jesse's arm throwing in some decent psychology but unfortunately its all for nothing as Jesse forgets to sell. The crowd really hate Jesse here so that adds a lot to this one. Garea gets in a sunset flip and tries to abdominal stretch but unfortunately it all goes sloppily wrong. Finish comes when Garea tries to ram Jesse into the turnbuckle but its countered so Garea levels his own head, staggers down to the mat allowing Jesse to hit a weak looking elbow drop for the win. I really, really wish I liked Jesse Ventura's in ring work more than I do but alas, I don't and this match was crap until the final third. Match Rating: 1/2*

David Sammartino/Bruno Sammartino vs Brutus Beefcake/Johnny Valiant

Time for our main event now and it's not quite a Wrestlemania rematch although this is the match that should've been on the card. Out first is Beefcake and Valiant to big boo's. Valiant is another 70's flashback by the look of him. Beefcake looks like a golden ticket allowing you into Wonka's factory. The Sammartino's come out with a Hogan style entrance (without music) and they get a huge pop, granted though, it was mainly for Bruno. Bruno starts and cleans house early while the crowd go mental. It's apparent though he's aged a little too much to be a regular in ring performer. He seems sluggish and clunky although the crowd distracts you from it. Bruno continues to keep control working over both heels. He works over Beefcakes arm and tags in David who keeps working on the arm. Eventually the heels take control and work over David with lots of chokes and strikes. The finish comes out of nowhere as Valiant misses a charge in the corner and David rolls him up for the win. The heels do some damage to Bruno after the match but in my opinion, they should've left this for a Sammartino feelgood moment. Match itself was better than the Wrestlemania match and I maintain this should've been on that card instead. Still a poor, dull match though. Neither David or Beefcake looked great in this which is wrong considering they're the future. Match Rating: *

So there we have it, edition #9 is done and wow, what a hard show to sit and watch. The things I do for my Turnbucklers. Nevertheless, onto the next show! First...let's see the updated Wrestler Scores.

Wrestler Scores:

Rocky Johnson +4 (10)
Rene Goulet +2 (9)
Jim Niedhart +4 (14)
Ivan Putski +2 (6)
Pedro Morales +2 (2)
Terry Gibbs +1 (4)
Hulk Hogan +5 (41)
Don Muraco +3 (9)
Bret Hart +4 (11)
Rick McGraw +3 (8)
Ken Patera +4 (14)
Tony Atlas +3 (7)
Mike Rotundo +6 (16)
Barry Windham +5 (15)
Iron Sheik +4 (23)
Nikolai Volkoff +4 (15)
The Missing Link +2 (2)
SD Jones +1 (7)
Jesse Ventura +3 (10)
Tony Garea +3 (7)
David Sammartino +3 (9)
Bruno Sammartino +3 (3)
Johnny Valiant +3 (3)
Brutus Beefcake +4 (13)

So there we have our updated list after this show. After edition #10, I'll be going through the scores so far and the patterns and reasons behind them. Hopefully you'll see us in edition #10! Please leave a comment, follow us on Twitter @TheWrestlinDork.

WWE All Star Search #6: 17th March 1985 (ft. The War to Settle the Score) - Adam Ross

Welcome Turnbucklers! Its edition #6 and we are back in MSG for another house show on our road to the very first Wrestlemania. Not going to lie, finding shows between October 1984 and March 1985 was hard, very hard. So to make up for it, I'm adding two HUGE events into this edition. First I'm going to look at an IC Title match, followed by a key match in the Rock 'n' Wrestling era which is the WWE Title match from the War to Settle the Score. Then it's onto the last big show before Wrestlemania 1 and we have a massive list of new faces in this one so let's see how they make their first impressions on the All Star Search. Finally, the main event is a Lumberjack Match so let's hope that turns out to be fun. Would like to add a big thank you and hello to any new readers out there, last edition broke my viewing records by x5 which is overwhelming and very humbling! Shall we begin...?

The Card:

Tito Santana (IC Champ) vs Greg 'The Hammer' Valentine [IC Title Match]

Hulk Hogan (WWE Champ) vs Rowdy Roddy Piper [WWE Title Match]

Rocky Johnson vs Charlie Fulton

Barry O vs Rene Goulet

Jim Neidhart vs SD Jones

King Kong Bundy vs Jose Luis Rivera

David Sammartino vs Matt Borne

Andre The Giant/Jimmy Snuka/Junkyard Dog vs Ken Patera/Jesse Ventura/Big John Studd

Ricky Steamboat vs Terry Gibbs

Greg Valentine (IC Champ) vs Tito Santana [IC Title Match - Lumberjack Match]

The Show:

Let's begin with an IC Title match from September 1984 between the champ, Tito Santana and Greg 'The Hammer' Valentine. They've had a run of good matches each in this series so far with Hammer made to look strong in his contendership. They had a decent match a few months earlier but it was overshadowed by the whole Jimmy Snuka stretcher job going on at the time.

Tito Santana (IC Champ) vs Greg 'The Hammer' Valentine [IC Title Match]

Its September 1984 here and Tito is your defending IC champion. They've had previous interactions and this feud has been simmering nicely. Albano is with Hammer in this one and both are getting solid heat. Tito is nursing a poor leg in this one and Valentine uses it to his advantage in his normal methodical way. Crowd is solidly behind Santana in this one with many a chant. Valentine works over the injured leg but Santana escapes and manages to hit his Flying Burrito for a close two count. He continues on the offense and gets another close two. He thinks he's won though and while his back is turned, Hammer nails him with a knee to the back...and that gets the 3 and we have a new IC Champion! Crowd chant bullshit and everyone seemed slightly confused about the finish. Santana did a great sympathy job and Valentine looked crisp as always. Match Rating: **1/4

Hulk Hogan (WWE Champ) vs Rowdy Roddy Piper [WWE Title Match]

Talk about a money match! This was hyped up beyond another level at this point in time. Hogan being Hogan was riding high as champion but oh boy, Piper was generating unparalleled heat! This was shown live on MTV much like the Brawl to End it All and again, drew HUGE numbers. Piper comes out to major heat accompanyed by his bagpipe players and Cowboy Bob Orton (with a cast on his arm). Piper to generate some extra heat...destroys a nice looking guitar! In the words of a friend...SOME GUY! is our special ring announcer...but being from anywhere that isn't America...no clue who he is. Eye of the Tiger hits to a monstrous pop...as per! You can't even dream of comparing Cena to Hogan watching this. Cyndi Lauper, her fella and Captain Lou Albano are accompanying Hogan. By the way, Albano is a face now after realising the errors of his ways. Crowd is hot as they start off like a house of fire trading shots. We hear Mr T is in the crowd as Hogan takes control in the early going with slams. The crowd is unglued. Piper does take control eventually with boots and gets solid heat. Sleeper by Piper and Hulk...Hulks up...but doesn't get too far with it. Piper with more offense than I was expecting at this point. Orton tries to get involved and fails so Hogan regains control. Mr Wonderful Paul Orndorff comes out to support Piper from the outside and the ref gets bumped. Orndorff gets involved and he and Piper double team Hogan. Lauper gets on the apron to do some mouthing off and the heels get sucked in but hold on...crowd pops HUGE...and Mr T of all people gets involved to even the odds. Mr T however ends up getting double teamed until Hogan is up and bails him out. The match itself is thrown out as a no contest. Well, well, well, that was certainly a fun little match. If Piper got the belt here in time for Wrestlemania...the reaction would have been catatonic. The heat for everyone involved was smoldering. Of course, this puts us firmly on the road to Wrestlemania 1! Exciting! Match Rating: **1/2

Onto the MSG House Show now and our commentary team are Gorilla Monsoon and Mean Gene Okerlund once again. At this point its worth me mentioning that their commentary dynamic is a little off. Both play very similar roles and are obviously both face. More balance is definitely needed soon.

Rocky Johnson vs Charlie Fulton

What a way to start us off! Boring, slow paced match with literally nothing to mention. Punches and stalling head scissors is the peak of this one in fact. The crowd were somewhat dead during this one. At one point, Rocky is referred to as 'Rock' which is a fun little precursor. Johnson gets the win with a sunset flip. Match Rating: DUD

Barry O vs Rene Goulet

Into the next match now and we have a first debut of this edition. Barry O is Cowboy Bob's brother and Randy Orton's uncle. Rene Goulet is my 1984 foreign heel of the year...a trophy is on his way to him. 'Who knows what that O could mean' - Gorilla Monsoon. The match itself is as dull as dull can be. The commentary team spend the majority of the match discussing Wrestlemania and its tag team main event. Nice powerslam by Barry for 2. It picks up slightly towards the end of the match and a small package gets the win for Barry O. Dull, simple as. Barry O looked as vanilla as a discount Vienetta. Match Rating: 1/4*

Jim Neidhart vs SD Jones

Its blog debut number 2 and it's Jim 'soon to be Anvil' Neidhart! His appearance instantly makes him stand out from most of the roster in a positive way. His opponent is SD Jones who is slowly becoming more and more of a jobber as months drift by. Neidhart is with Jimmy Hart who I think is also making his blog debut. Fun early goings with both men trading offense. Neidhart shows off the personality we'll become accustomed too over time with his overexaggerations. He does show off his size and power though which is a good thing. They do the scoop slam/reversed into an armbar spot which I've seen numerous times since starting these reviews but I haven't seen it before. SD Jones uses the hard-head gimmick but its all in vain as Neidhart eventually gets the easy win with a crisp Powerslam. Good debut from Neidhart, I found it hard not to be entertained by him. Match Rating: 3/4*

King Kong Bundy vs Jose Luis Rivera

Blog debut number 3 - King Kong Bundy! We're going to be seeing a lot of him over the next year. Jimmy Hart is back out with Bundy. Rivera, much like SD Jones is slipping further into jobber territory. In comparison to everyone but Andre and Big John Studd, Bundy is just ridiculously big. He puts his size to good use, easily overpowering Rivera on a number of occasions. The crowd are quiet but seemingly because their in awe of Bundy. Rivera gets 2 dropkicks in but Bundy is barely phased. Bundy gets the win not long after with a massive elbow drop. Utter squash match but Bundy looked impressive as a beast, if not just for his look. Match Rating: 1/2*

Into the back with Hulk Hogan and Mr T. Hogan says Mr T is the best partner he could've found for Wrestlemania. Mr T says he specialises in work, torture and pain...his words, not mine. Bottom line 'they dead meat!' says T and Hogan says he apologizes for whats the come.

Well, well, well, we're getting a live Piper's Pit! Out comes Piper with 'Cowboy' Bob Orton alongside him to major heat. The microphone is annoying dodgy. Piper says that he's out there talking because no one wanted to fight him. He rips on New York as a heel would...but slightly funnier. He trolls the crowd something fierce by hyping up his next guest making it sound like Mr T...but it's Mr Wonderful Paul Orndorff. Big boo's for that one. Orndorff tries talking but just makes sound...I think I heard him say 'outhouse'. Piper tells Mr T to stop snorting Cocaine and come join him in the ring. Which he promptly does to big cheers and he's brought Hogan and Jimmy Snuka with him. Snuka hasn't been mentioned since he was stretchered out months ago which is nice. Piper tells T to sit down and of course, rips into him while still trying to play it friendly and cool. It doesn't last long and tensions soon rise but the crowd eat it up. Piper runs down T's life acheivements and tells him he's giving T the chance to back out the fight to save face and there will be no shame! T fires back and says he ain't quitting. Piper brings out a painting of Mr T with his arm in a sling but T ain't scared! Things start getting physical but no brawl. Heels bail out the ring leaving the faces to soak up mild cheers. Mr T says Piper gonna pay! He promises! Good promo and I am actually hyped for Mania 1! Piper was gold here and Mr T was great in his role too.

David Sammartino vs Matt Borne

Blog debuts number 4 and 5! David Sammartino is the vanilla looking son of Bruno and Matt Borne is the son of 'Tough' Tony Borne...but you'll know him better as Doink the Clown. Borne looks like Charlie Fulton and here's me thinking I'd never get Charlie Fulton in a reference. Slaps and shoves to start before we get into some back and forth. Sammartino shows of some decent greco roman skills and Borne nails a lovely belly to belly suplex. Borne showing good aggression that we'll see later down the road. Of course it breaks down into restholds and strikes before Borne eats a big back body drop. More restholds before Sammartino gets a suplex and takes control. Sammartino goes up top but Borne slams him down for a slow 2 count. He goes for a powerslam but Sammartino rolls through for the 3 count! Sammartino looked...vanilla and Borne looked decent but too many restholds. Match Rating: 1/2*

Andre The Giant/Jimmy Snuka/Junkyard Dog vs Ken Patera/Jesse Ventura/Big John Studd

We have blog debut number 6 in this one and you better grab dem cakes as it's the Junkyard Dog! Lots of big names in this one. Andre and Studd are developing a feud that will lead towards Wrestlemania. Jimmy Snuka makes his first blog appearance since turning one of my previous editions into an episode of Casualty. Jesse Ventura is back from his bloodclot late last year and Patera is enjoying a decent push since his return. Bobby Heenan is with the heels in this one and Cpt Lou Albano is with the faces. Andre wastes no time getting to Studd but Studd bails to the floor. Faces control the early stages with JYD hitting his unique strikes and headbutts and Andre nailing a double noggin knocker on the heels. Everyone brawls with both sides getting a brief advantage. Eventually Snuka comes in and finds himself as face in peril as each of the heels take turns working him over. Eventually Snuka gets the tag to Andre who comes in and nails Studd with strikes. Ventura gets tagged in but realises he's out of his depth. A big boot and a superfly splash get the win for Snuka and his team! I really enjoyed that one, good flow, good balance and everyone played their role well. JYD is already proving popular in the WWE and his brief in ring appearances in this were harmless. Andre and Studd continued their feud towards Wrestlemania and showed good heat between the two. Snuka played a good face in peril, which makes sense as he has the least reason to be protected. Jesse found himself with little to do but that's a good thing considering his recent health issues. Match Rating: **3/4

Ricky Steamboat vs Terry Gibbs

Another debut here as we have Ricky 'The Dragon' Steamboat making his first blog appearance. He's another performer who was on the 1983 Starrcade card and I think, also the 1984 card too. Terry Gibbs...is also here. Lots of back and forth with Gibbs getting a decent amount of offense in. Steamboat looked as crisp as ever hitting his usual arsenal of moves. He makes Gibbs look great when Gibbs is on the offense. Steamboat shows off his array of chops and strikes. With a couple of poses thrown in for good measure. Steamboat gets the win with a flying cross body! Nothing special, just a way to get Steamboat some ring time. Match Rating: *

Greg Valentine (IC Champ) vs Tito Santana [IC Title Match - Lumberjack Match]

It's the main event! As mentioned earlier, Valentine is now the IC Champ and is now with Jimmy Hart at his side and Tito wants his belt back! This is Lumberjack rules so we have an array of superstars around the ring. Big pop for Tito which is always a good sign. Hammer pearl harbours him to start put to no avail as Hammer quickly ends up outside. The heels seem to protect him but ultimate babyface Ricky Steamboat, calm as you like, walks over and throws him back in. Santana keeps control for a few minutes while Hammer sells like gold but the tide shifts with an atomic drop for Hammer. Santana regains control, Hammer tries to escape but the faces throw him back into the ring. Hammer selling so much like Flair its silly....that includes flops and all. Someone randomly rings the ringbell but its ignored so I have no idea what that was about. Hammer in control now and works over the legs of Tito...good psycology working his way to the figure four and what's even better, Tito sells it! Tito thrown outside and then thrown back in like he's just a corpse. He's thrown back outside to the faces who...protect him...no! That's not your job lads. Hammer goes for the figure four but its countered into a cradle for 2. Tito fights back and Hammer Flair flops again. Suplex by Santana and he goes for his own Figure Four. Hart distracts the ref while the heels help out Hammer. Tito distracts himself with the outside heels but gets pearl harboured by Hammer. They hit a shoulderblock on each other, Hammer falls on top of Santana and that gets the 3! Hammer is completely KO'd too though. Really enjoyed that one and the Lumberjack was a nice tweak to the usual formula between these two. Santana is by far the best at gaining sympathy from the crowd and Valentine is WWE's very own Flair (just not as good). Match Rating: ***

Wrestler Scores:

(I'm taking into consideration the two extra matches reviewed and the live Piper's Pit. Mr T gets a rating therefore as he played a crucial role in a main segment in the show.)

• Tito Santana +12 (29)
• Greg Valentine +13 (26)
• Hulk Hogan +7 (25)
• Roddy Piper +14 (21)
• Rocky Johnson +2 (6)
• Charlie Fulton +1 (4)
• Barry O +2 (2)
• Rene Goulet +2 (7)
• Jim Neidhart +4 (4)
• SD Jones +2 (4)
• King Kong Bundy +4 (4)
• Jose Luis Rivera +1 (4)
• Mr T +4 (4)
• David Sammartino +3 (3)
• Matt Borne +3 (3)
• Jesse Ventura +5 (7)
• Ken Patera +5 (10)
• Big John Studd +5 (8)
• Andre The Giant +5 (10)
• Jimmy Snuka +4 (14)
• Junkyard Dog +4 (4)
• Ricky Steamboat +3 (3)
• Terry Gibbs +3 (3) 

Don't forget to follow me on Twitter @TheWreslinDork and I shall see you next time...for Wrestlemania 1!!

WWE All Star Search #5: 22nd September 1984 - Adam Ross

Welcome Turnbucklers! Its edition #5 and we are back in Madison Square Garden for the September supercard. So who's new to the blog this time round? Well we got...Brutus Beefcake (this show is his MSG debut), Nikolai Volkoff, Big John Studd and...AND...one of my personal favourites, Bobby Heenan, who makes his suprise debut on this show. Its worth mentioning Hogan is on this show and Santana isn't so let's do this shall we!

The Card:

Brutus Beefcake vs Salvatore Bellomo

Nikolai Volkoff vs Chief Jay Strongbow

David Schultz vs SD Jones

Greg Valentine vs Jose Luis Rivera

Big John Studd vs Hulk Hogan (WWE Champ) [WWE Title Match]

Ken Patera vs Rick McGraw

Sgt Slaughter/Wild Samoans vs Cpt Lou Albano/Adrian Adonis/Dick Murdoch (WWE Tag Team Champs)

B. Brian Blair vs Iron Mike Sharpe

Kamala vs Pat Patterson

The Show:

Your commentary team tonight are Gorilla Monsoon and Mean Gene Okerlund.

Brutus Beefcake vs Salvatore Bellomo

Beefcake's debut and he comes out looking like a gay magician. Before we start Howard Finkel announces Jesse Ventura is in hospital so won't be there tonight. Big heat for Fink giving the address for well wishes to be sent! Big John Studd is announced as his replacement to a MASSIVE pop. Wow. As far as jobbers go, Bellomo has been doing alright in this blog. He gets some nice offense in early in this one, so far so good. Beefcake admittedly is coming across as nothing special and has had barely any offense so far. Nice mule kick by Bellomo that I've not seen before....by a human at least. When Beefcake is in control, the problem is he shows no personality and neither does he move set and to me that's lowcard/jobber to me. The only personality he shows is a small hip shuffle to prove his flambouyancy. He is methodical but its all so basic and boring. He does however catch Bellomo is a lovely powerslam for the win! Not a great debut for Brutus but decent finish.Match Rating: 3/4*

Nikolai Volkoff vs Chief Jay Strongbow

I'm not expecting a high flying spectacle for this one. We start with Volkoff singing the USSR national anthem and gets big, Cold War heat. Turns out there were a lot of rest holds in this and a lot of scrappy looking punches. There was a long nerve hold spot by Volkoff. Volkoff gets the win with a shot to Strongbow's chest. Boring match that made Volkoff look poor.Match Rating: DUD

S.D Jones vs Dr D David Schultz

I've not seen much of either of these two so this might be interesting. Crowd seem restless and are still quite loud. The early goings of the match are just scraps between the two with Jones coming out on top. Jones looks like an idiot though as he keeps accepting Schult'z test of strength...except Schultz keeps slapping him at the last second. Jones didn't catch on until the THIRD time. The finish is awkward as Schultz nails a jumping leg lariat for the count 3...but the 3rd count was delayed and it looked like SD kicked out. Boring match where neither looked too great. Schultz was OK. Match Rating: 1/2*

Greg 'The Hammer' Valentine vs Jose Luis Rivera

I don't like Rivera's chances in this one as he was the quintessential jobber. Valentine had a decent match last month against Tito so I'm interested to see how he comes off with a less formidable opponent. Hammer gains control pretty early and shows off his methodical side while going for the figure four. He hits a lovely knee to the stomach which Gorilla calls a 'reverse backbreaker'. He throws Rivera to the outside, suplexes Rivera back in...or so it looked until he turned it into a shoulderbreaker instead, nice! Rivera eventually gets 2 scoop slams worth of offence but that's it as Hammer drops him over the top rope. Rivera fights back and the crowd is alive now. Lovely double underhook suplex by Hammer followed by an elbow. Figure four gets the win for Hammer not long after. Hammer looked good in this and Rivera got the crowds sympathy. Still a squash match but it was fun. Match Rating: *1/4

Into the back with BOBBY 'THE BRAIN' HEENAN and Big John Studd. I'm a massive Heenan fan so I'm buzzing he's now appeared. He claims he's outsmarted every one in wrestling for bagging Studd as his client and he's soon to be world champ. Studd claims to be the winner tonight and new champ too. Heenan finishes by saying Studdomania will run wild!

Hulk Hogan (WWE Champ) vs Big John Studd [WWE Title Match]

Big heat for Heenan and Studd but I don't know whether it's because they know them and their characters already or because they're facing Hogan. Hogan, by the way, comes out to the biggest pop I've heard yet on this blog. Holy ship, it's deafening and he's still using Eye of the Tiger so he looks like a complete superstar. That right there, gets the guy points already. Hogan is bleeding from the chest...before any physical interaction. The commentators say he might have scratched himself...I just think it's where the needle went in. Anyway...Studd controls from the start but Hulk instantly Hulk's up...but gets cut off with a knee to the chest. Hulk counters in the corner and sends Studd reeling outside while the crowd go mental. Hulk back in control, tries for a body slam but can't quite do it so Studd takes control. There's a bearhug spot by Studd but Hogan expectantly escapes...but runs into a shoulderblock. Crowd are still buzzing at this as another bearhug is applied. Hogan hulks up, counters and both men go down for a breather. Hogan sent outside where he blades and won't be let back in the ring by Studd. Hogan hulks up, back in the ring and plows through Studd. He tries to slam him again and fails again. Back outside the ring for a big brawl to take place. In the melee, Heenan pushes Studd back in the ring and he gets the countout win! The heels knick the belt and run off to the back while Hogan moans and bollocks the referee. Crap match, slow and sluggish but the crowd were molten hot. That is why Hogan will forever has his place in wrestling, because no wrestler with such unrelatability gained that reaction week in, week out. Big John Studd for me was Big John DUD. Match Rating: 3/4*

Ken Patera vs Rick McGraw

So it's the recently reappeared Ken Patera versus Quick Draw. Ken Patera still looks like a poor man's Ric Flair and is a complete throwback to the previous decade. This is a complete squash match and not a fun one. Patera uses his power and his Olympic prowess to quick control, working on McGraw's leg. Patera gets the win with a Full Nelson. Crowd didn't care and neither did I. Match Rating: 1/2*

Into the back with Captain Lou Albano who says he's going to un-mar his name and although he may be effectively useless in ring tonight, he can still help...and still may cripple someone.

Sgt Slaughter/Wild Samoans vs Cpt Lou Albano/Adrain Adonis/Dick Murdoch (WWE Tag Team Champs)

The Wild Samoans are after revenge here after being screwed out of the titles by Albano and the champs. Slaughter is added into this one because...extra face value? So was it better than last months *1/4 encounter...Well the crowd are hot early on when the faces clean house and Albano waddles to the back. The Samoans no sell a double noggin-knocker...because they're not American I assume. Albano briefly comes in and nails a few punches but they get no sold and he's quickly back out. More no selling by the Samoans and Murdoch finds himself in the wrong corner and panics like a hipster without hummus. If the Samoans don't feel pain with elbows shots and headbutts...does that make all head maneuvers irrelavant. Would they no sell an Undertaker Tombstone at Wrestlemania? The heels take control of Sgt Slaughter as he feels pain apparently. The heels are methodical and aggressive when controlling as you'd expect from the champs. The crowd love it all! Especially when Albano comes in and gets beaten by the Samoans. Adonis hits a great missile dropkick from the top rope! Slaughter eventually comes back in and cleans house of the heels then everyone brawls as the crowd eats it up.Finish comes when Slaughter manages to slam Murdoch off the top rope for 3! The crowd were hot and the heels successfully kept them intrigued and would up. It was the same Murdoch/Adonis match I've seen a couple of times so far. The Samoans used way too many headbutts and way too many no-sells. Slaughter was...Slaughter and Albano was fun to watch. The addition of Slaughter and Albano made this slightly better than last months match. Match Rating: *1/2

B. Brian Blair vs Iron Mike Sharpe

So here we have a rematch from last month where both men looked decent. Sharpe does his normal mouthing off routine and even hijacks the microphone to talk about his arms. Blair at this point was one of the smoother and quicker workers on the roster and was still enjoying his newbie push. The beginning of this match is a lot of stalling on the part of Sharpe until his aggressive nature gives him control. He uses the railings and chairs to punish Blair on the outside. Blair eventually gets some offense in of his own, working over Sharpe's legs. The match was very back and forth with lots of counters and reversals between the 2. Sharpe definitely had more control than I was expecting from him. Unfortunately it's Blairs lack of personality that's letting him down. If you took Blair's in-ring work and Sharpe's characteristics and charisma...you got yourself a superstar. The balance in this match has been perfect. Great balance between offense amount that both men get, the different styles of moves and their selling. The one thing that bugs me is the crowd seem I bit uninterested. Finish comes after some really good back and forth when Sharpe shoves the referee down after using a foreign object. Blair wins by DQ. Better than their original match, best match of this card so far and it's a shame neither man made it too far up the card. Match Rating: **1/4

Before our main event, Bobby Heenan comes back out. He complains about Studd not winning the title despite winning the match. Surely you know the rules Bobby? He has a contract for Hogan to sign for a rematch whereby Hogan can lose the title on a countout. Hogan comes out to a big pop as per and signs the contract. Hogan gets some fighting talk in and heads to the back.

Kamala vs Pat Patterson

So THIS is our main event?! WWF had some strange ideas when it came to card chronology. Kamala comes out to no reaction so we can appreciate he's stereotypical tribal theme in all it's outdated glory. Kamala pearl habours Auntie Pat and goes through his basic array of strikes and chokes. Patterson fights out but can't get the scoop slam. Pat Patterson uses his brains to keep control but it's a shame Kamala can't sell. Not long later, Kamala hits a splash for the 3 count. What a way to end the night. Match Rating: DUD

Awful show, highlight being Blair vs Sharpe, which should tell you all you need to know. Nice intro for Heenan though and it means I can look forward to his appearances from now on.

Wrestler Scores:

• Brutus Beefcake +2 (2)
• Salvatore Bellomo +2 (11)
• Nikolai Volkoff +2 (2)
• Cheif Jay Strongbow +1 (6)
• David Schultz +3 (3)
• SD Jones +2 (2)
• Greg Valentine +4 (13)
• Jose Luis Rivera +3 (3)
• Big John Studd +3 (3)
• Hulk Hogan +6 (18)
• Ken Patera +3 (6)
• Rick McGraw +2 (5)
• Sgt Slaughter +3 (11)
• Afa +3 (10)
• Sika +3 (10)
• Cpt Lou Albano +3 (3)
• Adrian Adonis +4 (11)
• Dick Murdoch +4 (10)
• B Brian Blair +5 (9)
• Iron Mike Sharpe +5 (8)
• Kamala +2 (4)
• Pat Patterson +2 (4)

WWE All Star Search #4: 25th August 1984 - Adam Ross

Welcome Turnbucklers! It's edition #4 and we are in Madison Square Garden for another house show! We're a month removed from WWE's groundbreaking show, The Brawl to End it All, so let's see if they are riding a wave of momentum. A couple of new blog appearances in this one including Roddy Piper, Ken Patera and Jesse Ventura. Terry Daniels is also back so here's hoping to see some armbars! Shall we get on with it...?

The Card:

Kamala vs Chief Jay Strongbow

B. Brian Blair vs 'Iron' Mike Sharpe

Rick McGraw vs Salvatore Bellomo

Dick Murdoch/Adrian Adonis (Tag Team Champions) vs The Wild Samoans [Tag Team Title Match]

Ken Patera vs Pat Patterson

Jesse Ventura vs Ivan Putski

Fabulous Freebirds vs Butcher Vachon/Ron Shaw/Pete Doherty

Roddy Piper vs Jimmy Snuka

Terry Daniels vs Fred Marzino

Tito Santana (IC Champ) vs Greg 'The Hammer' Valentine [IC Title Match]

The Show:

Our commentary team for tonight is Gorilla Monsoon and Lord Alfred Hayes.

Kamala vs Chief Jay Strongbow

Chief Jay Strongbow is already in the ring when Kamala heads out to his awful music with Freddie Blassie and Friday. Kamala is slapping that belly so I guess he means business. He won't let go off his spear so lots of stalling is a foot (no pun intended). Gorilla tells us to note the serious expression on Strongbow's face but to be honest, he just looks bored...slightly melancholic. Strongbow uses his quickness in the beginning and nails some chops and punches but Kamala no sells and goes to work on Strongbow. Kamala misses a splash and Strongbow gets a sleeper on briefly. Kamala takes back control with nothing more than weak looking chops and punches. This goes on for about a minute until Strongbow has enough and fires himself up. He nails a couple of chops and kicks and charges at a cornered Kamala. Unfortunately he eats nothing but boot and then eats nothing but a splash and that gets the 3 count. Squash match with two wrestlers with huge limitations. Match Rating: DUD

B. Brian Blair vs 'Iron' Mike Sharpe

Straight to the ring for our next match and we get more first time blog appearances. Future Killer Bee, B. Brian Blair who gets a decent reaction and 'Iron' Mike Sharpe who gets decent heat. Sharpe makes sure we and the crowd know his biceps are 20 inches. Apparently they call Sharpe 'the wimp' which for a wrestler must be crap. Stalling by Sharpe to start to big heat as he mouths off to the crowd and avoids Blair. They lock up and swap wristlocks and Sharpe escapes to the apron. Funny criss-cross spot whereby Sharpe outsmarts Blair. They repeat the spot but this time Blair nails some dropkicks and armdrags to put Sharpe in his place. Sharpe brings a chair in the ring but immediately drops it back outside. Sharpe takes control and starts working on the eyes of Blair. He then moves to working on the neck, dropping Blairs neck across the top rope repeatedly. Blair reverses a whip into a nice monkey flip out the corner followed by a really nice flying head scissors which sends Sharpe reeling to the outside. Nice! Sharpe back in and partakes in some more mouthing off before being refused a handshake. So much stalling by Sharpe here and it seems slightly misplaced within the match. Blair with a cheap shot and starts working over Sharpe's leg. Sharpe regains control with knees and armdrags followed by a lovely double backbreaker which is held into the submission attempt but Blair escapes. More back and forth action until Blair is just plain thrown outside to boo's. Sharpe with more taunting of the crowd and he heads outside to Blair and rams his head into some chairs. At this point Blair surely should've been counted out once Sharpe got back in the ring about 30 seconds ago. Sharpe still won't let Blair back in the ring so Blair sneaks under the ring across the other side, back in the ring and levels Sharpe with right hands and an elbow from the second rope. Out goes Sharpe and Blair follows with an elbow to the outside. They slug it out and the bell rings for the double countout and crowd seem slightly peeved. Good match, Sharpe was really fun to watch, had good aggression and I liked those backbreakers. Blair had a good one in this showing off a good array of moves and a good quick pace. Match Rating: **1/4

Salvatore Bellomo vs 'Quick Draw' Rick McGraw

I think this is face vs face and I don't know why this match is featured apart from it being filler. Back and forth to start with the swapping of headlocks. McGraw hits a nice array of armdrags and locks in an armbar. Nice sequence where Bellomo manages to hit a scoop slam while in the armbar, but the armbar is kept on by Bellomo throughout and keeps control. A drop toe hold leads to a hammerlock for McGraw. Hip lock by Bellomo but McGraw gets him back in the armbar. McGraw ought to have a chat with Terry Daniels and swap armbar notes. It last forever until McGraw works it into a nice cradle for 2. Not seen that before! Test of strength between the two which McGraw wins and manages to bridge Bellomo and a lovely counter sequence ensues followed by some mat wrestling, all very crisp! McGraw ends up locking the armbar back on and uses his knees to add further damage. Bellomo gets him up on his back, goes to drive him in the corner but actually places him on the ropes and they both let go and shake hands to big boo's from the crowd. What was so sweet I now have diabetes...weird. Headlock by Bellomo but McGraw gets an armdrag, goes for a monkey flip but Bellomo lands on his feet and nails a cross body for 2. McGraw takes back control and goes back to an armbar. Christ, we've got a Terry Daniels match later too. Cut to random grizzled old man watching on and back to the ring and Bellomo sends McGraw to the outside. McGraw nails a sunset flip for 1 but Bellomo replies with an uppercut and a stomp. Both men start to get aggressive and have a cat fight. Bellomo works on McGraw's legs until both men knock each other out with parallel shoulderblocks and then again with parallel dropkicks. And again! ...And again into a 2 count for Bellomo. Scoop slam by Bellomo for another 2 and McGraw gets a 2 of his own via a small package. The bell rings during a sunset flip pin attempt by McGraw but its the time limit expiring. It's a draw and this one needed a winner. Good action from both men with some unique offense. Bellomo blesses America and everyone shakes hands. Aww. Match Rating: **

Into the back with the tag champs, Murdoch and Adonis. They say the wrecking crew is gonna wreck everything and we see a brief glimpse of Captain Lou Albano talking to the champs before the match even though he's the Wild Samoans manager. Hmm, fishy.

Adrian Adonis/Dick Murdoch (Tag Team Champs) vs The Wild Samoans [Tag Team Title Match]

Big cheers for the Samoans and big boo's for the champs. Albano is our special ref in this one which makes the earlier backstage clip even fishier. Sika and Adonis start us off with a lockup and Sika hits a back drop on both heels before taking control on Sika. The champs regroup on the outside, get back in the ring but neither heel can take control on Sika. A double elbow by the champs is sold and they both get sent back outside for a slow count by Albano. The heels regroup again and Murdoch finally takes control with punches and elbows. Sika with a slam on both heels. Afa in as well and both champs eat more scoop slams and Murdoch eats a double clothesline. Murdoch forgets the Samoan hard head rule tries a charge into the corner and eats knees. He stumbles to the wrong corner for a tag which gets him a punch in the face but he finally finds Adonis for the tag. Adonis comes in a quickly locks on a sleeper hold while Murdoch nurses himself on the outside. Afa escapes and Adonis tags back out to Murdoch who methodically works over Afa until he misses an elbow and suffers an atomic drop. In comes Sika but the champs double team him in the corner. Adonis nails a scoop slam and heads to the top rope but gets crotched and headbutted outside. Murdoch in for a double headbutt but Albano doesn't count the 3 and instead rings the bell. He raises the champs hands because they won by DQ as Sika didn't have hold of the tag rope, huh. The Samoans want revenge and chase the heels off but keep hold of the belts. Match was OK but the Samoans are too basic even for 1984. Murdoch was all punches and elbows in this one too. Match Rating: *1/4

Ken Patera vs Pat Patterson

Both men are out of date at this point so I'm not expecting a classic. This is Patera's return to MSG after 4 years. Patera by the way looks like a poor man's Ric Flair. Patera shows off his strength and Patterson responds with a headlock. Armbar by Patterson, forearm by Patera but he eats a flying cross body by Patterson! A flying stooge! Patera with some hard right hands and Patterson responds with some of his own. Patera manages to end up stuck in the ropes but Patterson doesn't take much advantage. Patera goes for a boot but Patterson catches it, floors Patera, drags him to the ringpost and rams his knee into it a couple of times. Patera sells it slightly and takes control with a backbreaker for 2. He puts on a sleeper hold which Patterson tries to reverse into a wristlock...but ends up in a chinlock. Patera taunts the crowd but they don't care, thats not good after 4 years gone. Patterson escapes another chinlock attempt and levels Patera with a slingshot to the corner for 1. Scoop slam by Patterson and he goes up top but Patera rolls out of the way. A botched powerslam attempt by Patera ends up straddling Patterson across the top rope. Patera locks on the full nelson and Patterson can't escape so Patera gets the win! Wasn't as bad as I was expecting but wasn't much better. Match Rating: 3/4*

We head to the back with Jesse Ventura who tells Ivan 'Paduski' to expect a beating tonight and that he will become the number 1 contender. He looks like a travesty both in the back and in the ring. He's wearing some weird purple potective goggles and a sparkly green buret, bearing in mind his awful hair style poking through. He looks like a gay alien wizard. 

Jesse 'The Body' Venture vs Ivan Putski

In the ring and Ventura doesn't look much better. His hair is multicoloured which doesn't distract from his bald bounce surrounded by streaks of long hair. Ventura tries to take advantave straight away but it backfires and Putski takes control. Ventura awkwardly sells a punch to the stomach and falls outside. Back in the ring and then straight back out for Ventura to get his breath back. Putski, the little roid ball, is pumped up. No countout for Ventura despite him being outside for well over a minute. Billy Connelly! That's who Ventura looks like! Headlock by Putski and a slap on the bald spot for Ventura. Ventura driven head first into the mat and eats some vicious kicks. The crowd is RED HOT! Jesse does some sneaky heel antics with his wrist tape which the tries yet fails to see. Ivan knicks the wrist tape now and uses it himself to strangle Ventura and the ref does...nothing. They bail outside and onto the apron, Jesse pulls something out his tights and nails Putski outcold. Ventura wins via countout. Crap match although the crowd were hot. Jesse just knows how to be hated. Match Rating: 1/4*

The Fabulous Freebirds vs Ron Shaw/Butcher Vachon/Pete Doherty

This is a 2 out of 3 falls match will they failed to mention until mid-way through the match. So here we have the Fabulous Freebirds who gained success all over the countries territories. They had a massive feud with the Von Erichs which is still mentioned to this day. Their opponents are Jobber UTD and I can only see one winner here. The match was an elongated squash match. Basic moves mixed in with a series of awkward dances and gyrations from the Freebirtds. Michael Hayes is especially irratating and I think he thought he was way better than he actually was, he was definitely sloppy in this. Terry Gordy is a big lad and he showed it off here. He looks like a swollen Bob Orton in my eyes. Buddy Roberts was as vanilla as they go. The jobbers did there bit. I always have a soft spot for Butcher Vachon because he just physically stands out. Freebirds win by two straights falls, neither anything beyond average. Match Rating: *

Jimmy 'Superfly' Snuka vs 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper

Straight into the next match and the crowd are hot for this one. Snuka is looking for revenge after attacks and jibes from Piper throughout the year. Even before we start the intensity is staggering. Snuka doesn't even blink during his long stare with Piper. Piper gets solid heat and even gets nailed with flying debris from the crowd and this is his first in-ring appearance of the series so he finally starts getting scored! Action is hot from the beginning with the intensity through the roof. Snuka gets the early control using his martial arts. I don't really like martial arts in wrestling as most the time it seems far too staged and lothargic. Snuka is a good example of that here, stalling after every chop. He gets heat but how heated is a blood match if you pose in the early stages...at all in fact? Piper gets control using heel tactics like a sneaky thumb to the eye but his domination is stop and start. Snuka uses a sleeper which baffles the commentary team. Surely he's picked it up by watching endless of others in other matches at least. I bet he's mastered the arm bar too. Piper goes into the ringpost and tries to use a chair by fails. He busted open though from the post shot and the crowd are louder than chavs on the tram. Piper stops Snuka in his tracks when he goes up top and he takes a nasty tumble outside giving Piper the countput win. Theirs afters as Piper lets loose with a chair on Snuka's neck. Snuka does a stretcher job as the commentators play it serious. The crowd want Piper's blood...which is luckily for them, pouring out his noodle. Match Rating: ***

Terry Daniels vs Fred Marzino

Time to count the armbars, if there's any less than 4, I'll riot...or at least be slightly disgruntled. We don't even show the match's early goings as instead we watch a zombie-fied Jimmy Snuka backstage. We cut back to the match for literally a glimpse of Armbar #1 before going back to Snuka having his pulse checked...he's still not dead. Back to the match for Daniels IN an armbar...doesn't count. Back to Snuka 5 SECONDS later and now he's being bandaged. Is this Holby City? Seriously, we're on Snuka for minutes while the match is going on. Back to the ring to a backslide for 3! Why bother keeping this on the card for home viewers?? Altogether...less than 20 seconds of match and worst of all, only one armbar from Daniels. Match Rating: One a scale of * - Jimmy Snuka,  I'm giving this one...a Snuka!

Tito Santana (IC Champ) vs Greg 'The Hammer' Valentine [IC Title Match]

This one should be alright given that we actually get to see it. Santana starts in control and Valentine does his Valentine begging off. Has that ever worked Greg? For you or Flair. Valentine does get control not long after using his normally aggressive punches and nails a lovely shoulderbreaker for 2! Valentine bitch slaps him and Santana responds by punching like a bitch. Into the back to see Snuka being stretchered out and I don't think today's audience would appreciate missing the main event. Back to the ring for a glimpse of a chinlock and straight back to Snuka while Monsoon tells us to say a prayer for Snuka. How many kids did pray that night and how embarassed would the now athiests be that they did? Valentine still in control while Santana tries to fight back. Ref bump and Valentine tries to take advantage but eats a flying jalepeno forearm for the 3 count for Tito! Valentine locks on the figure four afterwards and poses with the IC belt afterwards. He looks pissed and shocked when Santana was announced the winner...which makes NO SENSE as Valentine lost clearly. No point in the ref bump in this one. Match Rating: *1/2 of that what I saw.

That's all we have folks for tonight as the commentators worry about Jimmy Snuka and Tito gets interviewed by Lord Al. Santana makes some noises I never want to hear from him again.



Wrestler Scores:

• Kamala +2 (2)
• Chief Jay Strongbow +2 (5)
• B. Brian Blair +4 (4)
• Iron Mike Sharpe +3 (3)
• Rick McGraw +3 (3)
• Salvatore Bellomo +3 (9)
• Dick Murdoch +3 (6)
• Adrian Adonis +4 (7)
• Afa +2 (7)
• Sika +2 (7)
• Ken Patera +3 (3)
• Pat Patterson +2 (2)
• Jesse Ventura +4 (4)
• Ivan Putski +2 (4)
• Michael Hayes +2 (2)
• Buddy Roberts +2 (2)
• Terry Gordy +3 (3)
• Ron Shaw +1 (3)
• Butcher Vachon +1 (3)
• Pete Doherty +1 (1)
• Roddy Piper +7 (7)
• Jimmy Snuka +6 (10)
• Terry Daniels +1 (3)
• Fred Marzino +1 (1)
• Tito Santana +5 (17)
• Greg Valentine +6 (9)