WWE All Star Search #21 - March 1986 (pt 2)
Hello Turnbucklers! We're still working our way to Wrestlemania 2 and we're almost there. In this stop we're looking at an episode of Championship Wrestling and after that, the Maple Leaf Gardens show! This edition will see the debut of a popular tag team and the return of a giant superstar. Quite a few tag team matches on this edition with the highlight looking to be the Hart Foundation and the Killer Bees. Ricky Steamboat and Don Muraco continue their long running feud on this card also, this time in a martial arts match. So let's get underway shall we...
The Card:
Jeff Cripley vs Adrian Adonis
Bob Bradley/Mr X vs The Killer Bee's
Joe Mirto/Les Thornton vs Uncle Elmer/George Steele
Tony Stetson vs Randy Savage (IC Champ)
The Iron Sheik/Nikolai Volkoff vs Jim Powers/Lanny Poffo
King Tonga vs Paul Christie
Bob Bradley/Mr X vs The Killer Bee's
Joe Mirto/Les Thornton vs Uncle Elmer/George Steele
Tony Stetson vs Randy Savage (IC Champ)
The Iron Sheik/Nikolai Volkoff vs Jim Powers/Lanny Poffo
King Tonga vs Paul Christie
The Moondogs vs The Rougeau Brothers
Bob Orton vs Lanny Poffo
Ricky Steamboat vs Don Muraco (Martial Arts Match)
The Hart Foundation vs The Killer Bees
Corporal Kirchner vs Iron Mike Sharpe
Jake Roberts vs George Wells
Jimmy Hart/The Funk Brothers vs Andre the Giant/Junkyard Dog
The Show:
So let's start with the 15th March episode of Championship Wrestling. Our commentators are Vince McMahon and Bruno Sammartino and of course, they run down the card.
Jeff Cripley vs Adrian Adonis
That man with bows in his hair struts to the ring to the normal big heat we've come to expect. Adonis tells someone in the crowd they stink before posing to even more heat. Faggot chants break out and Cripley encourages it more so! The win comes when Adonis hits the DDT (which Vince calls the 'Gramcracker'?) and that gets the 3 count. It pains me to think all the heat Adonis gets is purely for his stereotypical characterisation but he does deserve heat none the less because he is a good performer despite that. Squash Rating: ***
Update time with Lord Al and this week he's looking at Wrestlemania 2, especially the battle royal that's been signed. He runs through the people who will be involved and pardon me but I have NO IDEA who any of the NFL players are because shockingly, no one cares about the NFL outside of the USA (unless its the Superbowl...but even then...yawn!).
Bob Bradley/Mr X vs The Killer Bee's
I thought I heard buzzing. It's the Killer Bee's time and I'm expecting solid yet unspectacular work as always from these two. It's hard not to appreciate the Bee's work rate but with the Hart Foundation and Bulldogs on the scene, it's hard for them to stand out. In fact, apart from their double dropkick, I can't think of a maneuver I expect to see in a Bee's match. Finally Vince explains that Jim Brunzell is called 'Jumpin' because of his dropkicks. Really cool spot from Brunzell who does a headlock and headscissors on both heels. A sloppy abdominal pin gets the win for the Bee's. This one was solid with a little pinch of spectacle. Squash Rating: ***
Wrestlemania 2...it's coming!!
Into the back with Mean Gene who runs down the Wrestlemania card. He's joined by The British Bulldogs. Davey says that two referee's at Mania will sort out Valiant. Dynamite reiterates but fuck, Dynamite is terrifying.
Joe Mirto/Les Thornton vs Uncle Elmer/George Steele
Seriously, who's idea was it to put Elmer and Steele together. Both men together make a third of a wrestler and if you take into account Elmer is the size of a Hodor...that's sad news. Steele again tries and fails to dance with Elmer and Captain Lou. We see Cousin Luke on the outside with a cast on his ankle that was apparently courtesy of the Hart Foundation. The heels try everything they can to make the faces look good but it's all an uphill battle for them. The finish comes when Elmer hits an avalanche in the corner and Steele tags in, locks on a hammerlock and that gets the win. Poor form lads. Squash Rating: DUD
Into the back with Mean Gene who once again, runs through the whole Wrestlemania card. He's joined by Hulk Hogan who says that he's glad it's all laid out. This is the first time he's defending the title in a steel cage. He loves being alive and his Hulkamaniacs and Bundy deserves to be champion if he can cheat his way to the top. Huh?
Tony Stetson vs Randy Savage (IC Champ)
I always get a buzz when Savage's music hits and this match lasts less 10 seconds...as Savage pearl harbours Stetson, hits the flying elbow and that's all she wrote. George Steele comes down ringside and hands Liz flowers. She tries to explain she can't take them but Savage pearl harbours a distracted Steele. He ties him in the ropes, grabs the flowers and proceeds to beat Steele with them before shoving them in his mouth. Steele eventually escapes and attacks Savage as the crowd love it. Savage grabs Liz and scuttles off backstage as Steele gives (slow) chase. As much as I think Savage is wasted in this feud, at least the feud now has some heat to it. Squash Rating: *
Piper's Pit time and he's joined by two random women who he claims to be his fans but want to meet the tag champs, The Dream Team. Out they come and they proceed to have awkward interactions with the two women. The champs say the Bulldogs don't scare them and they proceed to swoon over the women.
The new edition of the WWE magazine looks at Dan Spivey...so I think I'll pass.
Into the back with Jesse Ventura who cuts to a press conference with Roddy Piper. Piper rips into Mr T and apparently T will have Smokin' Joe Frazier in his corner at Wrestlemania. We then cut to Mr T who's holding a rubber chicken. He says no one ever whipped his ass other than his mother and that he'll be eating his cereal and will be ready for Wrestlemania. We cut to King Kong Bundy now who reminds us of last Wrestlemania and that he will be champ at the next Wrestlemania. Finally we cut to Hulk Hogan who hypes up Bundy's attack from SNME. He will get his revenge a Wrestlemania even if he has to climb the cage with one good limb.
The Iron Sheik/Nikolai Volkoff vs Jim Powers/Lanny Poffo
Of course Volkoff does the Soviet anthem to big USA chants. It seems like a long time since we last saw these two. Poffo cuts a poem before the match and we see that Corporal Kirchner has made his way ringside albeit briefly and somewhat pointlessly. The heels get the win when Sheik locks in the Camel Clutch to Powers and clear the ring after the match. Solid and simple. Squash Rating: **
Into the back with Mean Gene who once again, runs down the Wrestlemania card. He's joined by Macho and Liz and Macho hypes himself up for being so great. Macho gets mad when Gene tries to talk to Liz about the Wrestlemania card and that's all for this episode.
So in that case, we move onto The Maple Leaf Gardens show from the 23rd March. Our commentators are Gorilla Monsoon and Jesse Ventura! The entrance ramp is a raised ramp circa ECW 1998.
King Tonga vs Paul Christie
Crowd is loud for the introductions but fall deathly silent straight after. Good to see King Tonga in a singles match without having to rely on Ricky Steamboat for back up. After some relentless stalling from Christie they eventually lock up but more stalling irks the crowd. Finally they do lock up and Tonga works over the arm. He locks on an armbar and Christie tries to escape but Tonga holds on. We get a criss-cross spot and Tonga comes out on top with a punch which of course leads to more stalling by Christie. He heads outside for a breather and that really pisses the crowd off which is all fine and dandy for a random heel jobber. He gets back in and tries to lock on a headlock, fails and then begs for mercy. Another lock up and Christie gets some punches and eye gouges in. Tonga tries to fight back but Christie levels him with a middle kick before locking on a sleeper. Tonga escapes briefly but Christie keeps the advantage using chokes to help him. Tonga hits a scoop slam, goes for a splash but Christie gets his knees up and gets a 1 count before going back to the choke. Tonga manages to fight back with a chop to the throat and proceeds to ram Christies head into the turnbuckle. Tonga hits a chop that makes an awesome sound and then hits a hip toss. He hits a thrust kick before following with a splash and that gets the win. Endlessly boring and Tonga doesn't do much for me. Match Rating: 1/4*
The Moondogs vs The Rougeau Brothers
Hold on, who the fuck is Moondog Rex? In two years of blog, not seen him once. Massive reception for the Canadian Rougeau Brothers which makes sense as they're in Canada. This is their All Star Search debut and it's good to have another tag team on the scene. Rex and Jacques start us off and its not long before the action gets quick via the Rougeau's and a series of dropkicks and a splash. They double team Rex and use quick tags to keep the pace up, all the while working over Rex's leg. In comes Spot but he quickly finds himself in the same position. Me and Jesse both get confused as to who is actually the legal Rougeau but Gorilla tells us that its Raymond who's legal, which is all fine, as he's currently got an anklelock applied on Spot. Jacques tags in and applies to same hold before hitting a scoop slam and tagging in Ray for a big stomp. Rex distracts the ref and a pin attempt is missed and the crowd really hated that spot! Does that spot ever draw heat anymore? Rougeau's still work over the legs and if Spot sells it, I'll eat my own face. Rex breaks things up and the Moondogs finally get some offense in. Its as basic as basic can be but its offense none the less. Spot back in...and he's not selling the leg...sigh. The Moondogs double team Jacques but he counters into a sunset flip for 1 on Spot. Apparently the Moondogs were once tag team champions? If true, I couldn't be happier I missed that period of time. Jacques hits a crossbody but Rex propels him outside. Spot follows and sends him into the railing at ringside. It's a really old school concert metal railing kind of deal too. The ref continues to be distracted meaning Jacques continues to be beaten up on the outside. He's long past what should be a countout but Rex suplexes him in the ring for 2. Spot comes in and he hits an elbow from the second rope for 2. Spot locks on a headlock but Jacques fights out although not for long as Spot hits a really nice shoulderbreaker! Rex back in and he drops Jacques across the top rope before trying and failing for a suplex. Jacques hits one of his own and the crowd come alive but die once again when Spot comes in. Jacques still fights back and manages a 2 count from a flying forearm but once again soon finds himself in a headlock. The crowd rallies behind Jacques and he fights out again but Spot block the tag being made. The tag finally gets made but the ref is distracted again and it doesn't count! Crowd again don't like that and rally behind the Rougeau's again. Rex locks on a bearhug for about a minute but Jacques escapes and gets the HOT tag! He cleans house with dropkicks and elbows as the crowd go mad! Awful chop to Spot and another to Rex for 2. All four men are in the ring brawling and the Rougeau's knock the Moondogs into each other. Jacques locks on a sleeper and that gets the win for the Rougeaus! Suprisingly good match considering the Moondogs were in it. To be fair their heels tactics were classicly and positively executed. They woukd've been perfect if they sold the legs early on. The Rougeau's were good, showing a lot of pace and stamina. Would've liked to have seen a proper finisher to give them the win as I'm not a big fan of the sleeper...especially in a tag match! Match Rating: **1/2
Bob Orton vs Lanny Poffo
Of course Lanny has a poem to start us off and of course, it's crap and Orton has to sell it like it's cutting. Chain wrestling starts us off but we get a stand off as a result and the crowd don't care. Orton locks on an armbar but Poffo bridges out impressively and counters into an armbar of his own. More quick paced action with both trading advantages but Poffo ends up locking on another armbar. They both stumble through the ropes awkwardly both Poffo holds on. They get back in the ring and Poffo continues to work over the left arm of Orton, using a chickenwing this time. The crowd and myself start wilting as Orton still can't escape despite his attempts and it is Terry Daniels-esque. They again stumble through the ropes and this time Orton uses his strength to take advantage. He rams Poffo into the bell, then the ringpost and then powerslams him back into the ring for 2. He whips him into the corner but misses a charge, leaving him holding the left arm...psychology! Poffo rams his head in the corner and gets a 2 count before going to work...on the RIGHT arm...and then putting on a facelock. Orton levels Poffo with the worst punches I've ever seen, they were like inches away from connection. Orton hits a weird, standing bulldog but that only gets a 2 count. Orton rallies away with knees to the head before sending Poffo flying out to ringside. Poffo gets a close 2 with a small package when he gets back in and follows up with a suplex. Cradle pin gets a close 2 count and he follows with a scoop slam. He heads up top for a very early looking Senton Bomb but it only gets 2 again and again. He hits a scoop slam and hits a diving moonsault!!! That again only gets a 2 but Orton seems dead on his feet. He whips Orton upside down in the corner and chokes away as the ref does nothing for a while. Poffo with a dropkick to send Orton outside now and another dropkick on the outside while the ref doesn't count him out. Poffo misses a third dropkick and Orton returns in the ring. He stops Poffo on the top rope this time and hits a big superplex and that gets the 3 count! I was considering giving this a really low rating until the second half of the match. Poffo's unique aerial offense is cool to see in 1986 and Orton is such a good heel that is seemingly so hard to beat. The superplex to finish was a nice ending but all that working on the arm from Poffo was ultimately pointless and thus pointlessly boring. Match Rating: *1/2
Ricky Steamboat vs Don Muraco (Martial Arts Match)
Judging from previous experiances of watching these martial arts matches, I expect no difference from a regular match. Steamboat gets a HUGE pop when he comes out and the camera angle from behind the entrance looks amazing! Steamboat looked like a legitimate star just then. Handbags to start between the two lads before they both put on martial arts robes. Muraco looks like he's dressed for a Sauna is his gear and of course, he's joined by Mr Fuji at ringside. Steamboat start us off cornering Muraco in the ropes before nailing a kick to the back of the head to send Muraco to the outside to big cheers. Muraco runs back in to pearl harbour Steamboat but the crowd successfully warned him in a really cool spot. Hip toss by Steamboat followed by a scoop slam and Muraco just can't seem to get out the blocks. Gorilla and Fuji have words at the commentary table due to excessive cane waving apparently. They lock up again and this time Muraco does get a shot in but Steamboat manages to use his pace to nail another kick to the back of the head which sends Muraco to the outside once again. Steamboat tries a headlock but Muraco just throws him to the floor. Another lock up and this time Dragon locks on a headlock but again, Muraco uses his strength to escape. Dragon locks on another headlock but gets pushed off so he slides through Muraco's legs, twice, before hitting a sloppy swinging neckbreaker for 2! Another headlock is applied by Steamboat before both men run the ropes and Steamboat hits and elbow followed by a scoop slam. A snapmare leads to a nerve hold by Steamboat but that is countered nicely into a Samoan Drop by Muraco. He tries to throw Steamboat to the outside, but it doesn't quite work so Mr Fuji whacks Dragon with the cane while Muraco distracts the ref. Muraco snapmares him back in the ring before working over Dragon in the corner. He can't hit the slingshot out the corner and Dragon gets a quick shot in before going after the interfering Fuji on the outside. He grabs a chair but Muraco blindsides him. Fuji now grabs the chair and holds it up while Muraco slingshots him into it...but no DQ. Back in the ring Dragon is bleeding and Muraco is still in control with clotheslines before whipping Ricky with his own belt. Muraco now begins to choke Dragon with the belt...still no DQ...but Dragon escapes briefly before finding himself back to being choked. Dragon escapes using the turnbuckle and is now bleeding I should mention. Dragon rallies through his standard strikes before whipping Muraco with both belts now! Dragon hits a clothesline and the crowd is on fire as he heads up top. He hits a flying chop and rams Muraco's head into the corner. Steamboat won't get Muraco out the corner and the ref ends up being bumped and missing a pin attempt by Muraco. Both men botch something before Muraco hits a crossbody but Steamboat rolls through it and gets the 3 count! I assume what they botched was a first attempt at that finish. After the match, the heels choke Steamboat and attack him with Mr Fuji's cane to decent heat. Match was decent and the crowd were into it definitely. Steamboat seemed to be in 3rd gear here instead of 4th but he still performed better than anyone else so far on the card. Muraco still has a lot to offer the WWE but you can start to see his decline and I worry for him once Wrestlemania comes and goes. Match Rating: **
We go to the ring and it's time for the live Body Shop with Jesse Ventura. He's dressed like 1985 Adrian Adonis and starts by hyping up Wrestlemania 2. He starts to hype up the boxing match taking place and apparently his guest tonight is Mr T! Out he comes in a kilt and immediately says he don't trust Jesse. Mr T is still carrying around a rubber chicken and apparently its because Roddy Piper is a chicken. Apparently that's meant to explain why he's wearing a kilt too...but doesn't quite, does it? T says Smokin' Joe Frazier is coaching him and he is ready and he will win. They continue to talk boxing and I swear T starts to get some boo's. Ventura predicts Piper to win in 3 rounds and that riles up Mr T. Jesse gets riled up too and we have a stand off to the happiness of the crowd. Jesse bails on a fight after the endless stand off before Gorilla emerges to escort him away. A bit boring but hey, just a reason to get Mr T some extra hype on the way to Wrestlemania.
The Hart Foundation vs The Killer Bees
So far, the show has been admittedly decent and on paper, this match should be a good'n too! The Foundation are not yet the Pink n Black attack and are instead the pastelle blue and black attack in this one. Bret and B Brian start us off and Blair hits a nice back suplex for 2. Neidhart tags in but Blair manages to hit a cross body for 2. Brunzell tags in and he stops Neidhart getting a tag before working on his left leg. Blair tagged back in and both men work on Neidharts leg. More double teaming by The Bees but Bret is eventually tagged in. Things go just as badly for him as the Bee's start to work over his legs. Blair gets a 2 count off a sunset flip before more nifty team work takes place. Brunzell goes for a Boston Crab but can't turn him over, so gives up. Figure 4 locked on but Anvil breaks it up. Harts tag illegally but the ref just completely ignores it and some heel tactics allow Anvil to take control. Bret gets a tag and the Harts do a guillotine knee drop for 2. Bret hits a nice backbreaker but that only gets a 2 count. Anvil tags back in but ref is distracted when Blair manages a sunset flip and its not long until Anvil has him in a chinlock. Bret tags in and kitchen sinks Blair before Anvil gets some cheap shots in. He tags in but Blair still can't get to Brunzell, especially when Bret runs over and kicks him off the apron while awaiting the tag. Nice battering ram double team by the Foundation but that only gets 2. Bret tags in but he gets reversed into the corner but Blair still can't take advantage as Anvil flattens him and Bret gets another 2. Atomic drop by Bret and Anvil tags in again and he locks in a Bearhug. Bret tags back in, rakes the eyes and puts on a headlock and Blair still can't tag in Brunzell. When does eventually, the ref is distracted again! The Harts collide into each other and FINALLY the hot tag is made. Noggin knocker followed by a high knee for Bret and an atomic drop. Snapmare and a legdrop by Brunzell followed by a sweet dropkick but that only gets 2. Blair and Anvil fight outside the ring before heading in ring. The Foundation get whipped into each other before Bret gets double teamed. Bret reverses an irish whip and Anvil clocks Blair from the outside and that gets the 3. I might be a little picky on this one but it just didn't click completely for me. Maybe it was the crowd not really being too vocal or maybe it was the fact that it was a carbon copy of the previous tag match on the card. If it is the latter, that should put things into perspective, because the previous match involved the freaking Moondogs. Still, a solid match with a weak ending. Match Rating: **1/2
Corporal Kirchner vs Iron Mike Sharpe
So we get a rematch from the last house show we did. This time, we're in Sharpe's country so surely the crowd will bury Kirchner, SURELY?! Sharpe cheap shots Kirchner to start in control. Kirchner reverses an Irish whip and almost botches a monkey flip. He hits three dropkicks and thats enough to send Sharpe to the outside. Kirchner misses an atomic drop and Sharpe rolls through locking on a headlock. Kirchner struggles to fight out but when he does, he eats a series of shoulderblocks. He does hit a back body drop and follows up by teasing a kick between the legs spot...but doesn't. You know the spot, the low blow that isn't actually a low blow because it's the top of your leg. Either way, Kirchner gets booed for not doing it and both men have a test of strength. Of course, the heel cheap shots his way to control but its brief as Kirchner kicks his way to an advantage. He hits an awkward suplex but Sharpe hits a clothesline in return. He celebrates instead of going for a pin but slaps Kirchner just for my benefit...I'm sure of it. Kirchner gets thrown to the floor and then through the ringside barrier in a brutal looking spot! The barrier is wooden as well so the sound was just as brutal as the throw. Kirchner can't get back in the ring but the ref is distracted from the countout. Kirchner eventually gets back in the ring and hits a cross body for 2. Awful looking clothesline followed by a roll up also gets 2 for Kirchner. He misses a dropkick as Sharpe seems to be adjusting his forearm pad. He misses a forearm shot and Kirchner uses the forearm against Sharpe himself and that gets the 3. This was a carbon copy of last editions match between the two and let's hope we don't have to see it again. Match Rating: 1/4*
Jake Roberts vs George Wells
Another Jake match now, and after a decent debut in our last edition, he's facing another jobber this time. Of course, he's got the sack with him and I wonder if we'll finally see the snake released. They mess around with lock ups and chain wrestling to start but neither man can take control so Jake responds by flashing that creepy smile and acting as cool as cool can be. Wells manages to get a shoulderblock but still can't follow up on it. He manages a headlock and a shoulder tackle so Jake slithers out the ring to regroup. More stalling once he's back in the ring and finally Jake gets some offense in by sending Wells out the ring. Jake drops an elbow on the back of Wells head and follows up with more slithering. This is very slow paced if you havn't gathered already. Jake levels some punches before hitting a scoop slam and it gets a slow 2 count. Snapmare leads into a sleeperhold for Jake all the while taunting Wells with the sack in the corner. Wells does escape but Jake is still on his case using strikes and punches. Wells whipped hard into the corner and Jake goes over to the sack. Ref stops him and Wells manages to almost hit a sunset flip but Jake counters with a punch. Wells hits some football tackles that just look like awful spear attempts before he nails a back body drop. Wells misses a charge, Jake drops an elbow, grabs the tights and gets the cheeky win. Really poor match with a slow pace and very little action. To be fair to Jake, there's only so much he can do with these jobbers. Disappointed not to see the DDT as well or Damien. Match Rating: 1/4*
Jimmy Hart/The Funk Brothers vs Andre the Giant/Junkyard Dog
So a very similar main event to the previous house show we reviewed. Granted, this time we have the inclusion of Jimmy Hart and Andre. Andre, by the way, we havn't seen in months but he looks in better shape (slightly) than the last time we saw him. The crowd I should point out seem slightly more subdued than I'd expect with this main event. Jimmy Hart is wearing an Stoke City kit circa 1970 and a headband with 'JYD' scrawled on it. Andre and Terry start us off with Andre immediately taking control with a headlock. JYD tags in a rallies rallies through his headbutts while Andre throws Jimmy off the apron. Dory tags in but can't hit a shoulder block or a scoop slam so JYD responds by scoop slamming everyone. The heels regroup on the ramp before getting back into the ring for an amusing criss-cross spot. Dory taunts Andre on the apron but JYD doesn't tag him in and instead locks on a headlock. Dory counters and rallies through some nice uppercuts before tagging in Terry. Terry hits a nice piledriver and tags in Jimmy Hart to wake the crowd up. Hart kicks away at JYD but JYD no sells and Terry is tagged back in to throw JYD outside where Dory can work him over. Back in the ring and Terry tries to keep control but JYD counters and thrusts Terry's head into the turnbuckle for the 10 count. JYD misses the following headbutt and Dory tags back in and locks on a sleeper. He holds it briefly before tagging in Terry to take over on the sleeper. Jimmy tags in (albeit illegally) and that gives Andre the chance to tag in...and it was the coldest hot tag I've ever heard. None the less, Andre cleans house until Dory levels him with a kick to the face allowing the heels to double team him. Big 'Andre' chant breaks out as the heels struggle to keep Andre down. Eventually Andre does fight back and floors Dory with awful looking punches. He misses a big boot and ends up trapped in the ropes...because let's face it, it's an Andre match afterall. Terry tags in and Andre no sells his chops. Andre with shots of his own before tagging in JYD. JYD with headbutts before Dory tags in. The Funks try and double team but it all ends up in a mass brawl. In the kerfuffle, Jimmy Hart comes off the top with a megaphone, whacks JYD and that gets the heels DQ'd. The faces abuse Jimmy Hart in the ring afterwards before chasing off the heels with an chain swinging Andre. Another case of a slow pace but slightly more action in this one. Andre's role was kept to a minimum for obvious reasons but JYD just doesn't have enough range in his offense to carry them. The Funks were solid as always and Dory is starting to look like a badass, especially by not backing down from Andre. Silly finish though, would've made more sense for Hart to be pinned, I mean, it wouldn't exactly hurt and the crowd would've gone home happy. Match Rating: *1/4
So let's score them!
Bob Orton vs Lanny Poffo
Of course Lanny has a poem to start us off and of course, it's crap and Orton has to sell it like it's cutting. Chain wrestling starts us off but we get a stand off as a result and the crowd don't care. Orton locks on an armbar but Poffo bridges out impressively and counters into an armbar of his own. More quick paced action with both trading advantages but Poffo ends up locking on another armbar. They both stumble through the ropes awkwardly both Poffo holds on. They get back in the ring and Poffo continues to work over the left arm of Orton, using a chickenwing this time. The crowd and myself start wilting as Orton still can't escape despite his attempts and it is Terry Daniels-esque. They again stumble through the ropes and this time Orton uses his strength to take advantage. He rams Poffo into the bell, then the ringpost and then powerslams him back into the ring for 2. He whips him into the corner but misses a charge, leaving him holding the left arm...psychology! Poffo rams his head in the corner and gets a 2 count before going to work...on the RIGHT arm...and then putting on a facelock. Orton levels Poffo with the worst punches I've ever seen, they were like inches away from connection. Orton hits a weird, standing bulldog but that only gets a 2 count. Orton rallies away with knees to the head before sending Poffo flying out to ringside. Poffo gets a close 2 with a small package when he gets back in and follows up with a suplex. Cradle pin gets a close 2 count and he follows with a scoop slam. He heads up top for a very early looking Senton Bomb but it only gets 2 again and again. He hits a scoop slam and hits a diving moonsault!!! That again only gets a 2 but Orton seems dead on his feet. He whips Orton upside down in the corner and chokes away as the ref does nothing for a while. Poffo with a dropkick to send Orton outside now and another dropkick on the outside while the ref doesn't count him out. Poffo misses a third dropkick and Orton returns in the ring. He stops Poffo on the top rope this time and hits a big superplex and that gets the 3 count! I was considering giving this a really low rating until the second half of the match. Poffo's unique aerial offense is cool to see in 1986 and Orton is such a good heel that is seemingly so hard to beat. The superplex to finish was a nice ending but all that working on the arm from Poffo was ultimately pointless and thus pointlessly boring. Match Rating: *1/2
Ricky Steamboat vs Don Muraco (Martial Arts Match)
Judging from previous experiances of watching these martial arts matches, I expect no difference from a regular match. Steamboat gets a HUGE pop when he comes out and the camera angle from behind the entrance looks amazing! Steamboat looked like a legitimate star just then. Handbags to start between the two lads before they both put on martial arts robes. Muraco looks like he's dressed for a Sauna is his gear and of course, he's joined by Mr Fuji at ringside. Steamboat start us off cornering Muraco in the ropes before nailing a kick to the back of the head to send Muraco to the outside to big cheers. Muraco runs back in to pearl harbour Steamboat but the crowd successfully warned him in a really cool spot. Hip toss by Steamboat followed by a scoop slam and Muraco just can't seem to get out the blocks. Gorilla and Fuji have words at the commentary table due to excessive cane waving apparently. They lock up again and this time Muraco does get a shot in but Steamboat manages to use his pace to nail another kick to the back of the head which sends Muraco to the outside once again. Steamboat tries a headlock but Muraco just throws him to the floor. Another lock up and this time Dragon locks on a headlock but again, Muraco uses his strength to escape. Dragon locks on another headlock but gets pushed off so he slides through Muraco's legs, twice, before hitting a sloppy swinging neckbreaker for 2! Another headlock is applied by Steamboat before both men run the ropes and Steamboat hits and elbow followed by a scoop slam. A snapmare leads to a nerve hold by Steamboat but that is countered nicely into a Samoan Drop by Muraco. He tries to throw Steamboat to the outside, but it doesn't quite work so Mr Fuji whacks Dragon with the cane while Muraco distracts the ref. Muraco snapmares him back in the ring before working over Dragon in the corner. He can't hit the slingshot out the corner and Dragon gets a quick shot in before going after the interfering Fuji on the outside. He grabs a chair but Muraco blindsides him. Fuji now grabs the chair and holds it up while Muraco slingshots him into it...but no DQ. Back in the ring Dragon is bleeding and Muraco is still in control with clotheslines before whipping Ricky with his own belt. Muraco now begins to choke Dragon with the belt...still no DQ...but Dragon escapes briefly before finding himself back to being choked. Dragon escapes using the turnbuckle and is now bleeding I should mention. Dragon rallies through his standard strikes before whipping Muraco with both belts now! Dragon hits a clothesline and the crowd is on fire as he heads up top. He hits a flying chop and rams Muraco's head into the corner. Steamboat won't get Muraco out the corner and the ref ends up being bumped and missing a pin attempt by Muraco. Both men botch something before Muraco hits a crossbody but Steamboat rolls through it and gets the 3 count! I assume what they botched was a first attempt at that finish. After the match, the heels choke Steamboat and attack him with Mr Fuji's cane to decent heat. Match was decent and the crowd were into it definitely. Steamboat seemed to be in 3rd gear here instead of 4th but he still performed better than anyone else so far on the card. Muraco still has a lot to offer the WWE but you can start to see his decline and I worry for him once Wrestlemania comes and goes. Match Rating: **
We go to the ring and it's time for the live Body Shop with Jesse Ventura. He's dressed like 1985 Adrian Adonis and starts by hyping up Wrestlemania 2. He starts to hype up the boxing match taking place and apparently his guest tonight is Mr T! Out he comes in a kilt and immediately says he don't trust Jesse. Mr T is still carrying around a rubber chicken and apparently its because Roddy Piper is a chicken. Apparently that's meant to explain why he's wearing a kilt too...but doesn't quite, does it? T says Smokin' Joe Frazier is coaching him and he is ready and he will win. They continue to talk boxing and I swear T starts to get some boo's. Ventura predicts Piper to win in 3 rounds and that riles up Mr T. Jesse gets riled up too and we have a stand off to the happiness of the crowd. Jesse bails on a fight after the endless stand off before Gorilla emerges to escort him away. A bit boring but hey, just a reason to get Mr T some extra hype on the way to Wrestlemania.
The Hart Foundation vs The Killer Bees
So far, the show has been admittedly decent and on paper, this match should be a good'n too! The Foundation are not yet the Pink n Black attack and are instead the pastelle blue and black attack in this one. Bret and B Brian start us off and Blair hits a nice back suplex for 2. Neidhart tags in but Blair manages to hit a cross body for 2. Brunzell tags in and he stops Neidhart getting a tag before working on his left leg. Blair tagged back in and both men work on Neidharts leg. More double teaming by The Bees but Bret is eventually tagged in. Things go just as badly for him as the Bee's start to work over his legs. Blair gets a 2 count off a sunset flip before more nifty team work takes place. Brunzell goes for a Boston Crab but can't turn him over, so gives up. Figure 4 locked on but Anvil breaks it up. Harts tag illegally but the ref just completely ignores it and some heel tactics allow Anvil to take control. Bret gets a tag and the Harts do a guillotine knee drop for 2. Bret hits a nice backbreaker but that only gets a 2 count. Anvil tags back in but ref is distracted when Blair manages a sunset flip and its not long until Anvil has him in a chinlock. Bret tags in and kitchen sinks Blair before Anvil gets some cheap shots in. He tags in but Blair still can't get to Brunzell, especially when Bret runs over and kicks him off the apron while awaiting the tag. Nice battering ram double team by the Foundation but that only gets 2. Bret tags in but he gets reversed into the corner but Blair still can't take advantage as Anvil flattens him and Bret gets another 2. Atomic drop by Bret and Anvil tags in again and he locks in a Bearhug. Bret tags back in, rakes the eyes and puts on a headlock and Blair still can't tag in Brunzell. When does eventually, the ref is distracted again! The Harts collide into each other and FINALLY the hot tag is made. Noggin knocker followed by a high knee for Bret and an atomic drop. Snapmare and a legdrop by Brunzell followed by a sweet dropkick but that only gets 2. Blair and Anvil fight outside the ring before heading in ring. The Foundation get whipped into each other before Bret gets double teamed. Bret reverses an irish whip and Anvil clocks Blair from the outside and that gets the 3. I might be a little picky on this one but it just didn't click completely for me. Maybe it was the crowd not really being too vocal or maybe it was the fact that it was a carbon copy of the previous tag match on the card. If it is the latter, that should put things into perspective, because the previous match involved the freaking Moondogs. Still, a solid match with a weak ending. Match Rating: **1/2
Corporal Kirchner vs Iron Mike Sharpe
So we get a rematch from the last house show we did. This time, we're in Sharpe's country so surely the crowd will bury Kirchner, SURELY?! Sharpe cheap shots Kirchner to start in control. Kirchner reverses an Irish whip and almost botches a monkey flip. He hits three dropkicks and thats enough to send Sharpe to the outside. Kirchner misses an atomic drop and Sharpe rolls through locking on a headlock. Kirchner struggles to fight out but when he does, he eats a series of shoulderblocks. He does hit a back body drop and follows up by teasing a kick between the legs spot...but doesn't. You know the spot, the low blow that isn't actually a low blow because it's the top of your leg. Either way, Kirchner gets booed for not doing it and both men have a test of strength. Of course, the heel cheap shots his way to control but its brief as Kirchner kicks his way to an advantage. He hits an awkward suplex but Sharpe hits a clothesline in return. He celebrates instead of going for a pin but slaps Kirchner just for my benefit...I'm sure of it. Kirchner gets thrown to the floor and then through the ringside barrier in a brutal looking spot! The barrier is wooden as well so the sound was just as brutal as the throw. Kirchner can't get back in the ring but the ref is distracted from the countout. Kirchner eventually gets back in the ring and hits a cross body for 2. Awful looking clothesline followed by a roll up also gets 2 for Kirchner. He misses a dropkick as Sharpe seems to be adjusting his forearm pad. He misses a forearm shot and Kirchner uses the forearm against Sharpe himself and that gets the 3. This was a carbon copy of last editions match between the two and let's hope we don't have to see it again. Match Rating: 1/4*
Jake Roberts vs George Wells
Another Jake match now, and after a decent debut in our last edition, he's facing another jobber this time. Of course, he's got the sack with him and I wonder if we'll finally see the snake released. They mess around with lock ups and chain wrestling to start but neither man can take control so Jake responds by flashing that creepy smile and acting as cool as cool can be. Wells manages to get a shoulderblock but still can't follow up on it. He manages a headlock and a shoulder tackle so Jake slithers out the ring to regroup. More stalling once he's back in the ring and finally Jake gets some offense in by sending Wells out the ring. Jake drops an elbow on the back of Wells head and follows up with more slithering. This is very slow paced if you havn't gathered already. Jake levels some punches before hitting a scoop slam and it gets a slow 2 count. Snapmare leads into a sleeperhold for Jake all the while taunting Wells with the sack in the corner. Wells does escape but Jake is still on his case using strikes and punches. Wells whipped hard into the corner and Jake goes over to the sack. Ref stops him and Wells manages to almost hit a sunset flip but Jake counters with a punch. Wells hits some football tackles that just look like awful spear attempts before he nails a back body drop. Wells misses a charge, Jake drops an elbow, grabs the tights and gets the cheeky win. Really poor match with a slow pace and very little action. To be fair to Jake, there's only so much he can do with these jobbers. Disappointed not to see the DDT as well or Damien. Match Rating: 1/4*
Jimmy Hart/The Funk Brothers vs Andre the Giant/Junkyard Dog
So a very similar main event to the previous house show we reviewed. Granted, this time we have the inclusion of Jimmy Hart and Andre. Andre, by the way, we havn't seen in months but he looks in better shape (slightly) than the last time we saw him. The crowd I should point out seem slightly more subdued than I'd expect with this main event. Jimmy Hart is wearing an Stoke City kit circa 1970 and a headband with 'JYD' scrawled on it. Andre and Terry start us off with Andre immediately taking control with a headlock. JYD tags in a rallies rallies through his headbutts while Andre throws Jimmy off the apron. Dory tags in but can't hit a shoulder block or a scoop slam so JYD responds by scoop slamming everyone. The heels regroup on the ramp before getting back into the ring for an amusing criss-cross spot. Dory taunts Andre on the apron but JYD doesn't tag him in and instead locks on a headlock. Dory counters and rallies through some nice uppercuts before tagging in Terry. Terry hits a nice piledriver and tags in Jimmy Hart to wake the crowd up. Hart kicks away at JYD but JYD no sells and Terry is tagged back in to throw JYD outside where Dory can work him over. Back in the ring and Terry tries to keep control but JYD counters and thrusts Terry's head into the turnbuckle for the 10 count. JYD misses the following headbutt and Dory tags back in and locks on a sleeper. He holds it briefly before tagging in Terry to take over on the sleeper. Jimmy tags in (albeit illegally) and that gives Andre the chance to tag in...and it was the coldest hot tag I've ever heard. None the less, Andre cleans house until Dory levels him with a kick to the face allowing the heels to double team him. Big 'Andre' chant breaks out as the heels struggle to keep Andre down. Eventually Andre does fight back and floors Dory with awful looking punches. He misses a big boot and ends up trapped in the ropes...because let's face it, it's an Andre match afterall. Terry tags in and Andre no sells his chops. Andre with shots of his own before tagging in JYD. JYD with headbutts before Dory tags in. The Funks try and double team but it all ends up in a mass brawl. In the kerfuffle, Jimmy Hart comes off the top with a megaphone, whacks JYD and that gets the heels DQ'd. The faces abuse Jimmy Hart in the ring afterwards before chasing off the heels with an chain swinging Andre. Another case of a slow pace but slightly more action in this one. Andre's role was kept to a minimum for obvious reasons but JYD just doesn't have enough range in his offense to carry them. The Funks were solid as always and Dory is starting to look like a badass, especially by not backing down from Andre. Silly finish though, would've made more sense for Hart to be pinned, I mean, it wouldn't exactly hurt and the crowd would've gone home happy. Match Rating: *1/4
So let's score them!
Wrestler Scores:
- Jeff Cripley +1 (5)
- Adrian Adonis +3 (44)
- Bob Bradley +1 (2)
- Mr X +1 (3)
- B Brian Blair +9 (29)
- Jim Brunzell +9 (20)
- Davey Boy Smith +1 (42)
- Dynamite Kid +1 (45)
- Joe Mirto +1 (5)
- Les Thornton +1 (7)
- Uncle Elmer +2 (11)
- George Steele +3 (23)
- Hulk Hogan +2 (88)
- Tony Stetson +1 (3)
- Randy Savage +3 (61)
- Roddy Piper +2 (71)
- Bob Orton +7 (47)
- Greg Valentine +1 (62)
- Brutus Beefcake +1 (38)
- Mr T +2 (17)
- King Kong Bundy +1 (42)
- Iron Sheik +3 (38)
- Nikolai Volkoff +3 (35)
- Lanny Poffo +6 (16)
- Jim Powers +1 (4)
- King Tonga +3 (18)
- Paul Christie +2 (2)
- Moondog Spot +6 (16)
- Moondog Rex +5 (5)
- Jacques Rougeau +6 (6)
- Raymond Rougeau +6 (6)
- Ricky Steamboat +5 (75)
- Don Muraco +5 (40)
- Bret Hart +6 (42)
- Jim Neidhart +5 (37)
- Corporal Kirchner +3 (29)
- Iron Mike Sharpe +2 (13)
- Jake Roberts +4 (9)
- George Wells +2 (3)
- Andre the Giant +4 (28)
- Junkyard Dog +4 (62)
- Terry Funk +4 (44)
- Dory Funk +5 (13)
- Jimmy Hart +2 (2)
So there we have it, this editions list of scorers. The Killer Bee's did the best by far with two strong showing on both the TV show and the house show. In fact, most of those in tag team competition did alright, with even the Moondog bringing in their biggest points haul to date. Not much going on however for the main eventers like Hogan and Piper as they didn't really appear much. A decent debut score for both Rougeau's as well so it will be interesting to see where they end up on the grand tag team spectrum. Finally, Bob Orton did well this edition mainly because of his many appearances in interviews and promo's but also because of a strong showing against Lanny Poffo. That points haul has actually put him into the Top 10 and pushed out Adrian Adonis. So let's take a lot of the updated All Star Search current Top 10 and I shall see you in a few days for our last stop before Wrestlemania 2!
- Hulk Hogan - 88 Points
- Ricky Steamboat - 75 Points
- Tito Santana - 75 Points
- Roddy Piper - 71 Points
- Greg Valentine - 62 Points
- Junkyard Dog - 62 Points
- Randy Savage - 61 Points
- Paul Orndorff - 54 Points
- Bob Orton - 47 Points
- Dynamite Kid - 45 Points
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