WWE All Star Search - Checkpoint #1

WWE All Star Search - Checkpoint #1 (1984/1985)

Current Top 5

1. Hulk Hogan - 62 Points
2. Tito Santana - 51 Points
3. Roddy Piper - 47 Points
4. Greg Valentine - 40 Points
5. Paul Orndorff - 39 Points

5 Must-See Matches of 1984/1985

1. The Hart Foundation vs The British Bulldogs (23/9/1985)
2. Mr Fuji/Tiger Chung Lee vs The Invaders (23/1/1984)
3. Hulk Hogan vs Roddy Piper (The War to Settle the Score)
4. Hulk Hogan/Mr T vs Roddy Piper/Paul Orndorff (Wrestlemania 1)
5. Randy Savage vs Dynamite Kid (The Wrestling Classic)

5 Superstars I Expect to Do Well Next Year

1. Roddy Piper
2. Paul Orndorff
3. Ricky Steamboat
4. Randy Savage
5. The Hart Foundation/The British Bulldogs

5 Superstars That Gained More Points than Expected:

1. The Iron Sheik
2. Bob Orton
3. Ken Patera
4. Jim Neidhart
5. Salvatore Bellomo

5 Best Jobbers:

1. Rene Goulet
2. Salvatore Bellomo
3. Les Thornton
4. Rick McGraw
5. Charlie Fulton

WWE All Star Search #14 - The Wrestling Classic

WWE All Star Search #14 - The Wrestling Classic

Hello Turnbucklers! We are here once again to further our search for who is really the greatest of all time. This is going to be our final edition of 1985 and our #14 edition overall! This time we're looking at the Wrestling Classic, which I do believe is WWE's first attempt at PPV. This is a singles match tournament where by the winner gets a nice car and a shit load of money. Some of the matches within the tournament, on paper, would make your eyes water with excitement. Steamboat vs Savage stands out to me as does Orndorff and Santana! We do get a WWE Title match on this card too and it's between our two highest scoring superstars so far, Hogan and Piper. I'm expecting quick matches and little storyline progression but I might be pleasantly surprised! 

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The Card:

Adrian Adonis vs Corporal Kirchner

Dynamite Kid vs Nikolai Volkoff

Randy Savage vs Ivan Putski

Ricky Steamboat vs Davey Boy Smith

Junkyard Dog vs The Iron Sheik

Moondog Spot vs Terry Funk

Tito Santana vs Don Muraco

Paul Orndorff vs Bob Orton

Dynamite Kid vs Adrian Adonis

Randy Savage vs Ricky Steamboat

Junkyard Dog vs Moondog Spot

Tito Santana vs Paul Orndorff

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

Randy Savage vs Dynamite Kid

Randy Savage vs Junkyard Dog

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The Show:

Our commentary team tonight are Jesse Ventura and Gorilla Monsoon.

Into the back first where we see tonights tournament entrants picking their opponents from a hat. Randy Savage gives Liz a bollocking as he ain't too happy with his pick!

Adrian Adonis vs Corporal Kirchner

So a return for Corporal Kirchner! Think of this guy as the WWE's half hearted replacement to fill the patriotic serviceman gap that was left by a departing Sergeant Slaughter. Last time we saw him he had a stinker against Moondog Spot...if that's possible! Adonis is still in his leather biker phase it seems and gets decent heat. Match itself is very quick as the majority will be on this card. Both men get offense in but its Adonis that comes out on top with his DDT after reversing a suplex attempt. Cool finish but the match itself was nothing at all. Kirchner looked good enough but right decision to send the more experianced and established one through to the next round. Match Rating: 3/4*

Dynamite Kid vs Nikolai Volkoff

Straight into the next one now...and straight back out of it. Dynamite Kid nails a missile dropkick during Volkoff's singing and gets the 3 count instantly. I understand the purpose of it and at least they used the comedy character to suffer the embarassment. Match Rating: DUD

Randy Savage vs Ivan Putski

OK, a Savage match should pick things up, surely? Out he comes with Liz and she gets a huge pop and he gets huge boo's which is always nice. I'm suprised Putski is still around at this point and I doubt we'll see much more of him...or at least I hope. The match itself, well, most of the first half is stalling on the part of Savage and the rest are weak punches on behalf of Putski. There is some psychology in it though, as Putski's stamina gives out on him in the end giving Macho the easy win after a simple sweep of Putski's legs. It made Macho look good believe it or not, especially in the brains and stamina department. Time for Putski to leave the WWE landscape too. Match Rating: 3/4*

Ricky Steamboat vs Davey Boy Smith

Now this is more like it! On paper this could be a good match although their differing styles may clash. I'd expect Steamboat to get the win in this one, mainly because he's a singles wrestler and there would be no real useful reason for Smith to move forward. Both men get good reactions which is great for a face/face dynamic. The match itself is great, with plenty of fast pace. Steamboat gets to show off his quickness and versatility whereby Davey gets to show off his strength. The match lasts less than 3 minutes which is a HUGE disappointment. The finish comes when Davey charges at Steamboat and crotches himself in the ropes...and that's it...Davey can't continue. Such a copout ending that makes very little sense, I mean his opponent was no where near the win...but the ropes were enough to derail him. So very weak. Match Rating: 3/4*

Into the back with Mean Gene and he's with Junkyard Dog! He waffles on in his JYD style about winning the tournament but he manages to forget the name of Chicago Bears...smooth!

Junkyard Dog vs The Iron Sheik

This one could be shenanigans central although again, in ring wise, not expecting a masterclass...or even a * match. JYD comes out to a decent pop and Sheik gets good heat. I guess Sheik will always have good heat, he's just so hateable, like Pierce from Community. Match is how you'd expect, weak strikes and lots of heely stalling. Sheik tries for a full nelson and the camel clutch but neither can keep JYD down and he wins with a headbutt in another 3 minute match. Entertaining for any nostagic fan, painful for any wrestling fan. Match Rating: 1/4*

Moondog Spot vs Terry Funk

Who thought it was a good idea to put Moondog Spot in this show? This one is heel vs heel which is a weird one considering who's in this. Funk is with Jimmy Hart and together they try and convince Moondog Spot to forfeit the match alongside them resulting in no winner. All goes to plan until Funk tries a sneak attack before legging it to the ring. Things go wrong however as Moondog Spot beats him to it and wins via the countout! Who's idea was it to let Spot progress?? This is one more time Terry Funk looks like a fool instead of the intense nutcase he should be! Match Rating: DUD

Tito Santana vs Don Muraco

Straight into the next match and on paper this could be OK. These two have history over the Intercontinental title that is around Santana's waste but this match has nothing to do with the belt. Muraco is with Mr Fuji so of course both get decent heat. Santana still got a decent pop but it's less intense than it was a year previously. The match itself sees Muraco in control for the majority. He uses his strength to maintain Santana in restholds...but its all dull stuff. Muraco does manage to nail a powerslam and gets the 3 count! But wait! Santana's foot was on the ropes so it doesn't count. No one tells Muraco as he gets rolled up for the real 3 count mid-celebration. Muraco really got screwed out of that one and Tito looked like a fluky bitch after being beaten all match. Again, this match was barely 4 minutes long. Match Rating: 1/2*

Into the back with Mean Gene and Bobby Heenan. Of course Heenan is his awesome self and claims that although none of his lads are there to cash in the Orndorff bounty (see: Previous All Star Searches) he'll still be watching!

Paul Orndorff vs Bob Orton

Hold on, more storyline development? These two were on the same page back at Wrestlemania 1 but things have obviously gone sour between the two since. Orndorff has been impressing me over 1985 and hopefully Orton will be a good foil for him. Orndorff hasn't really changed his style since his face turn and I think that helps him find a niche as a 1980's face. It gets heated from the off with Orndorff taking control from the beginning. Orndorff aims for Orton's cast and surely Orton must realise it's a huge bullseye! Orton does take control eventually and locks on a long bodyscissors. Eventually Orndorff does escape and Orton tries fora jumping headscissors. Unfortunately he eats the ropes but that doesn't end the match like earlier. The match ends when Orton just clocks Orndorff with the cast right in front of the ref and gets DQ'd. The ending made Orton look like an absolute moron but apart from that, it was harmless. Match Rating: *

That's the first round out of the way as Vince McMahon and Lord Al go through the tournament so far. Lord Al by the way leeches on some poor woman.

Dynamite Kid vs Adrian Adonis

At this point, I'm hoping the quality and time of these matches increases. Neither men look too gassed despite previous (short) appearances. Dynamite gets the early control and sends the heels reeling and they reassess the situation. Its seems to work as Adonis nails a lovely suplex on Dynamite. He locks on a chinlock and Jesse Ventura disappears from commentary to go for a chat with Randy Savage...but that's not what you're being paid to do Jesse! Dynamite gets out of the chinlock and hits a nice backdrop. He misses with the following diving headbutt allowing Adonis to lock on a sharpshooter...in WWE 1985! So he's introduced the sharpshooter and the DDT to the WWE so far, well done Adonis! He goes for a bulldog but misses allowing Dynamite to fight back including a crisp clothesline. He hits a nice snap suplex but Jimmy Hart tries to get involved. It doesn't end well for him as the heels end up bumping into each other allowing Dynamite the 3 count around 5 minutes in. Best match of the night so far. Dynamite is very easy to get behind and made Adonis look great. Adonis continues to teach me just how impress me with solid in ring work and a nice array of yet to be seen moves. Match Rating: *3/4

Randy Savage vs Ricky Steamboat

Jesse Ventura is back at commentary and am I ready for this one! Hells yes! Savage heels it out to start with only a sprinkling of stalling before he pearl harbours Steamboat. Steamboat holds his own though and chops Savage all the way out to the floor. Savage comes back in the ring and charges at Steamboat...but eats nothing but floor again in a really cool headscissors spot. Steamboat follows outside this time and hits an atomic drop of Savage as the crowd eat it up. Savage gets some offense in but it all falls short once he heads up top. Of course being a heel it doesn't work out for him and he eats a suplex from the Dragon. A crossbody gets a 2 count for Steamboat. Savage heads to the apron and gets something out of his tights. Steamboat goes for a suplex but gets hit with whatever Savage had in his tights and that gets the 3 count for Macho! Short and sweet! Two more minutes given and it could have rated much higher. I expected Savage to get more offense in but that's a small complaint. Match Rating: *3/4

Junkyard Dog vs Moondog Spot

Not much to say to this one and Moondog Spot misses he chance to take control, eats a JYD headbutt and that gets the 3! Oh, I should mention JYD counted the pin himself as there was inexplicably no ref. Waste of time and made no sense if logic is important to you. Match Rating: -*

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Tito Santana vs Paul Orndorff

Tito comes out with his knee bandaged up for this one. It would be logical for Orndorff to go through on this as Tito has his IC belt. We get some good chain wrestling from the two to start us off with each getting a couple of close near falls. There's a stand off but Orndorff is notably teasing using his old heely bastard tactics. He doesn't resort and hits an atomic drop instead. When Tito is down however, there's more notable heel teasing but he allows Tito back up. A drop toe hold later and Orndorff begins to work the injured leg as the crowd quietly start to turn on him. He goes for a figure four but its countered. Both men end up on the outside and brawl to a countout finish. An average match at the time but the storytelling was spot on. Interesting that they are teasing an Orndorff heel turn so soon after his face turn. If they wanted to test him out as a face...why not let him win this tournament...and then turn him heel if THAT didn't get him over. Match Rating: **

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

The fact that these two are still feuding makes me a happy boy, as to me, there is no one at this point who can match up to Hogan's hero more so than Piper. Piper of course gets major heat on his way out and Hogan gets a major pop! The crowd is ready for this one as they brawl to start, first inside the ring and then on the outside. Piper tries to cheat back in the ring but eats a Hogan clothesline in the corner. Hogan runs through his arsenal but theref distracts him long enough for Piper to get a cheap shot. His momentum doesn't last for long as Hogan gets a bearhug locked on. Piper cheats again to eascape and locks in a sleeper. Hogan sends Piper to the floor to escape and Piper eats the ringpost. Back in the ring Piper nails Hogan with a chair but ends up in a sleeper of Hogans. Out comes Orton to nail Hogan with the cast and that's what gets the DQ win for Hogan. Typical Hogan - Piper match of the times but with a silly finish. Why not just DQ Piper for the chairshot? Match Rating: *1/4

Randy Savage vs Dynamite Kid

Another potentially good match and I'm praying it doesn't disappoint on a card full of them so far. Gorilla Monsoon says you couldn't write a tournament like this...and I think it's time someone told him the truth. They lock up to start and Dynamite hits a strong shoulderblock followed by a big crossbody. He can't pin him though as Savage is in the ropes. He can get a sunset flip but eats a splash by Macho in retaliation. They hit a nice double KO spot using clotheslines. Macho gets up first and heads up top. He hasn't learned any lessons yet as of course, Dynamite stops him using an awesome dropkick while Savage is up top. Dynamite hits a nice superplex but Savage hooks his legs for the cheeky win! Crisp and cool, best match of the night so far! Match Rating: **1/2

Randy Savage vs Junkyard Dog

Junkyard Dog gets a bye straight to the finals due to the finish of Orndorff/Santana. It's strange that JYD got the bye when wrestling 101 says the face has the more troubled route to the final while the heel gets a breather. Of couse, lots of stalling by Savage to start involving chairs and Liz. JYD actually no sells chair shots to himself...as to why I don't know. They finally start with JYD getting the early advantage including headbutts (of course). He locks on a bearhug but Savage manages to escapes before JYD works his back. We get a caught in the ropes spot with Macho Man and JYD takes advantage of this like all good faces do...with kicks and chokes. Savage comes back with a clothesline for 2 followed by an ax handle from the top when JYD rolls outside. Another ax handle to the outside by Savage and we almost get another countout. Savage uses a chair and its blatantly ignored by the watching ref. Back in the ring and Savage goes up top again but behold...JYD counters and nails his patented crap headbutts. Savage charges at JYD but gets backdropped out to the floor in a nice bump...and gets counted out! That's how this ends? Sigh, JYD wins the whole tournament on a countout...after getting a bye. The wrong guy won on this one plain and simple. Match was decent and Savage was awesome as always, showing the WWE audience at the time something completely different. Match Rating: *3/4

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Wrestler Scores:

• Adrian Adonis +5 (21)
• Corporal Kirchner +2 (5)
• Dynamite Kid +7 (19)
• Nikolai Volkoff +1 (24)
• Randy Savage +8 (19)
• Ivan Putski +1 (7)
• Ricky Steamboat +6 (35)
• Davey Boy Smith +4 (17)
• Junkyard Dog +6 (26)
• Iron Sheik +2 (29)
• Moondog Spot +2 (7)
• Terry Funk +1 (11)
• Tito Santana +5 (51)
• Don Muraco +3 (17)
• Paul Orndorff +7 (39)
• Bob Orton +3 (22)
• Roddy Piper +4 (47)
• Hulk Hogan +5 (62)

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So there we go, The Wrestling Classic! My advice like it normally seems to be is to watch it for historical context, avoid it for overall quality. There are some good matches on here and a lot for Randy Savage, JYD and Dynamite Kid fans in there. It was cool to see Steamboat/Savage volume 1 and also cool to see Savage/Dynamite and neither disappointed really. Savage gained huge points here mainly for his workrate and effort...could have scored higher though with less stalling and a promo. Dynamite was made to look great all night and Steamboat had two good matches. JYD would've scored higher if his final win wasn't so lame...as well as his in-ring quality. Finally Hogan and Piper scored average because their match simply wasn't that great nor felt anyway special in this one. The time to put the belt on Piper came and went at War to Settle the Score. Anyway...onto 1986 and our All Star Search just got bigger...as now I'll be looking at weekly television too...jobbers and all! I can't wait! So see you next time when we look at January and Saturday Nights Main Event 4!

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WWE All Star Search #13 - Saturday Nights Main Event 3

WWE All Star Search #13 - Saturday Nights Main Event 3

BOO! Hello Turnbucklers! It's edition #13 and this time we're looking at Saturday Nights Main Event 3...which was less than a month after the previous one. This one is a special Halloween themed episode of SNME so get ready to be spooked by some classic 80's WWE. The card has some big names on it such as Hogan, Andre and Savage. The tag match I'm not expecting much in-ring wise from it but the crowd should be red hot. Randy Savage vs Santana could be a good one and I expect plenty of shenanigans in the last one. Throughout the night there is a Halloween party going on so expect that to be a reoccurance. Let's get started shall we?

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The Card:

Terry Funk vs Junkyard Dog

Hulk Hogan (WWE Champ)/Andre the Giant vs King Kong Bundy/Big John Studd

Randy Savage vs Tito Santana (IC Champ)

Ricky Steamboat vs Mr Fuji [Martial Arts Exhibition Match]

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The Show:

We open with Bobby Heenan dunking for pumpkins to the tune of Tubular Bells while Mean Gene shills the card.

Cut to Hogan who has some fighting words for the giants before Andre ushers him away.

Jesse Ventura is with Roddy Piper where they both laugh at the hillbillies and their failure of a wedding! We've got a Piper's Pit tonight with said hillbillies and that may be fun.

Mean Gene is now with Terry Funk and Jimmy Hart who says its a matter of time before he's champion, however tonight he's housetraining the JYD. Funk spits tobacco at the camera and here we go!

On commentary we have Vince McMahon and a ridiculously dressed Jesse Ventura.

Terry Funk vs Junkyard Dog

Before we start, we see highlights of Terry Funk beating up a ringside assistant, then clips of Funk branding JYD and then another promo from Terry Funk who calls JYD dog meat. He finally gets to the ring to little heat before we cut to JYD with Mean Gene who says today is his day. JYD comes out to Grab Them Cakes and the crowd is solidly behind him. He takes control of Funk early while his music still plays. JYD heads after Jimmy Hart on the outside but stops short to crotch Funk on the ropes. The heels regroup before Funk heads back in the ring. Funk nails a scoop slam, misses an elbow drop and then eats a scoop slam to the outside by JYD. Back in JYD takes control again and starts hitting his dog-headbutts that to me look ridiculous. Jimmy Hart distracts JYD from the outside and gets chased. Funk tries to save Hart but gets backdropped on the concrete. Back in the ring and Funk nails some stinging punches and gets a 2 count. Sleeperhold by Funk as the crowd get behind the JYD (he is mega over in this one). JYD escapes and locks in a sleeper of his own until Hart distracts him again. Hart gets thrown into the ring but that allows Funk to nail JYD with the megaphone behind the ref's back for the 3. After the match they go to brand JYD but JYD catches the iron, sends Funk outside and then brands Jimmy Hart to a HUGE pop! All good fun but I'm not really a JYD fan. The crowd loved him in this one and Funk is a great heel, very underused at this point. Match Rating: *1/2

Into the back with Mean Gene who is with a line of Halloween dressed superstars. Macho Man and Liz are Tarzan and Jane, Nikolai Volkoff is Robin, Sheiky baby is Batman - baby, Heenan is Davey Crockett with added weasel themed hat, Tito Santana is Zorro, Hogan is Hercules (not Hernandez), the hillbillies are the three musketeers and Bundy is Abe Lincoln. There's a pie eating contest between Bundy and Captain Lou Albano. Things get messy and its like watching my Aunt Michelle eat. Captain Lou wins while Bundy fails fat men everywhere. Albano gets pie faced by Bundy to finish the segment and it's all good fun!

We get some highlights from the hillbilly wedding from the last SNME before we go to Piper's Pit in the ring with the group of hillbillies. Roddy Piper comes out to good heat with Cowboy Bob Orton. Piper is quick to start ripping into the hillbillies while they just sit and stare at him. Elmer reels off his catchphrase, 'that's none of your business' while Piper rips his sexual tendencies. Hillbilly Jim stands up and confronts Piper who deflects the heat to Jesse Ventura. Ventura makes his way to the ring and lays into the hillbillies himself to big heat. We see Orton sneaking behind the hillbillies and the little one eats floor in a jock 'n' nerd spot. The hillbillies level Piper outside the ring and go after Ventura but he escapes to the floor. The hillbillies celebrate by comically stamping on Ventura's hat!

Backstage again and its Heenan vs Cousin Junior in a pumpkin bobbing contest. Once again it messy, its cheesy and it's very much 80's. Heenan gets the win and lets off an awesome heel laugh in victory. Liz and Macho Man were there helping and boy did Liz look DAMN hot.

Mean Gene is with a cleaned up Bobby Heenan, King Kong Bundy and Big John Studd. They hype up their following match and say they're going to prove they're the best. Studd botches his lines and Heenan was good enough to distract.

Mean Gene is now with Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant and Captain Lou. Hogan hypes up Andre while Andre cuts him off to tell him its time to kick oversized ass!

Hulk Hogan (WWE Champ)/Andre the Giant vs King Kong Bundy/Big John Studd

Big Weasel chant for Heenan before Hogan's now familiar 'Real American' theme hits and out come the faces to a MASSIVE pop. Hogan still finds time to chew on his bandana on his way to the ring and I wouldn't wanna catch that if he threw it! Crowd is buzzing for this one as Hogan and Bundy start us off. Hogan gets Bundy off his feet quickly with a knee but fails in slamming him. That allows Bundy to try and attack but to no avail as Hogan nails a clothesline in the corner. Tag to Andre as McMahon calls him 'the Big Boss Man.' Andre chokes Bundy for what seems like an age as the ref just stands and stares. Hogan back in and he nails an ax handle of the second rope. The heels take control when Studd tags in but it's not long until he eats a sloppy atomic drop before Andre comes back in. More chokes by Andre but he accidentally knocks out the referee. It all breaks down into a 4 way brawl while another ref comes down to take over. Heels get sent to the outside for a breather before Andre and Studd restart us off. More chokes by Andre and Hogan nails a cheap shot. Hogan tags in and nails a crap looking clothesline on Studd. Andre back in and he nails a crap looking boot to the face. Andre gets caught in the ropes like he always seems to do and the heels take control with the clear advantage. The bell rings and Hogan makes the save. Andre is released and the faces clear the ring of the big, bad heels. Hogan and Andre are announced the winners via DQ. Mean Gene gets a few words with Andre who wants more of the heels while Hogan says they proved that they can't beat Andre fairly. The crowd were hot which is good considering these are the names that will be centre stage for the forseeable future. The match itself was so, so, so bad though, especially Andre and Studd. That makes me worry considering I know to expect a one on one between them in the near future. I thought they'd make Bundy look a little stronger than they did but they kept his interaction minimal and basic. Suprised Hogan took him off his feet after 2 moves too. Match Rating: DUD

Mean Gene is with Randy Savage and Liz. Macho Man calls Gene stupid for asking about Liz. Liz gets a few words in and Savage lets her! Savage is ready to be IC champion and off they go to the ring as their music plays.

Randy Savage vs Tito Santana (IC Champ)

Tito got the jobber entrance despite being the champion which doesn't bode well for his future. They lock up quickly but Savage stalls something fierce and the crowd give him heat. They lock up again and Savage takes control and nails a knee drop. Savage misses an elbow and eats an arm drag. Savage regains control and nails a clubbing blow from the top rope for 2. Sleeper hold applied by Savage as a Tito chant breaks out. Savage puts on a wristlock and turns it into a headlock but Tito eventually tries to fight out of it but eats a scoop slam. Savage misses his top rope elbow and Santana takes control including a botched knee left of all things. Scoop slam by Tito but Savage bails outside before he can hit something else. Tito follows outside but Macho Man runs away. He stops Tito coming back into the ring and tries to piledrive him on the concrete. Both men get counted out but that doesn't stop them brawling. Good to see Savage moving towards the IC Title already but the match itself was really disappointing. Tito is slowly but surely losing his high spot on the roster. Match Rating: 3/4*

Into the back with a gurning Mr Fuji who is preparing for his martial arts exhibition with Ricky Steamboat. We cut to Steamboat who is preparing also by breaking planks of wood with his fists.

We head to Roddy Piper's house now and he's enjoying Halloween at home. He puts a stick in a bowling ball to be used as fake candy apples (I'm stealing all these ideas because I'm a meany) and wrapping bricks in tinfoil. Piper does an uncomfortable impression of a 'native' including the use of a makeshift spear. Piper gets wound up by McMahon's questions and says he can do whatever he wants! The doorbell rings and its some kids! One of them is dressed as Hogan...and I bet their inring skills are better than the original. Piper banters with the kids and hands out his Piper treats. These are some nosey kids by the way... 'whats that Mr Piper'. Piper's treats ruin the kids bags and acts like what can only be described as a nutcase. Here's the twist though, the kids were playing Piper all along...as he's eaten their chocolate covered chilli. Ooooooh the shenanigans.

Into the back with Mean Gene who watches Mr Fuji chop through wood and bricks...all impressive stuff. He headbutts some more wood and seems happy with himself.

Still in the back and Mean Gene is with Ricky Steamboat. They show clips of Steamboats history with Fuji and Don Muraco including him being hung by his neck over the top rope with a belt. Steamboat says tonight Fuji will feel his only fear...the Dragon.

Ricky Steamboat vs Mr Fuji (Martial Arts Exhibition Match)

Out comes Steamboat to a HUGE ovation...Hogan-esque! Fuji and Muraco are already in the ring and I don't really know what the rules are for this one. Steamboat poses while Mr Fuji tries some chops and kicks. Steamboat takes control and nails some elbows to send Fuji reeling. Fuji takes control with a cheap shot and nails a stiff chop to the chest. Dragon fights back briefly but it doesn't last for long. He does eventually manage to hit a nice suplex to stop Fuji's momentum. Dragon goes up top and nails a lovely missile dropkick and that gets the 3! Straight after Muraco attacks Dragon and the heels beat him down before leaving. I was expecting Steamboat to have most the offense in this one but it wasn't the case. I guess it highlights just how much of a babyface he is, even letting Mr Fuji look good against him in 1985. Hopefully Dragon finishes this feud soon and goes onto something better and more suitable to his style. Match Rating: 3/4*

Into the back once more and it's our final Halloween event and it's a pumpkin pass. Liz drops her teams pumpkin so the heels lose. Savage rips into Liz to end the show!

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Wrestler Scores:

• Terry Funk +5 (10)
• Junkyard Dog +5 (20)
• Roddy Piper +6 (49)
• Jesse Ventura +1 (12)
• Bob Orton +1 (19)
• Hillbilly Jim +1 (1)
• Uncle Elmer +1 (3)
• Cousin Luke +1 (1)
• Hulk Hogan +6 (57)
• Andre the Giant +5 (25)
• King Kong Bundy +5 (20)
• Big John Studd +3 (16)
• Tito Santana +4 (46)
• Randy Savage +5 (11)
• Mr Fuji +3 (10)
• Don Muraco +1 (14)
• Ricky Steamboat +6 (29)

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So the show wasn't spectacular but it was definitely fun. Despite the in-ring quality being somewhat poor, a lot of featured superstars gained some extra points with their backstage shenanigans and their promo's. Steamboats crowd reaction boosted him slightly and Piper's promo's and segments were really entertaining. Two new blog debuts via Hillbilly Jim and Cousin Luke but who knows how far they'll go in our points system. Although Savage's match was disappointing, I loved his promo's and interaction with Liz throughout the night so he gets a boost too. Disappointing to see Studd score so low considering who he is working with and the crowd reactions for it but I can't ignore how sloppy he was on the mic and in the ring. Anyway...onto the next show which will be...The Wrestling Classic!

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WWE All Star Search #12 - Saturday Nights Main Event 2

WWE All Star Search #12 - Saturday Nights Main Event 2

Hello Turnbucklers! It's edition #12 already and this time we're going through Saturday Nights Main Event 2 taking place in October 1985. The first SNME earlier in the year brought in huge numbers for the WWE so it looks like we best get used to this Saturday night entertainment. This card looks stacked to be honest with Hogan, Piper, Orndorff and Andre all appearing. The focus of this week is on the hillbillies and Uncle Elmers wedding...but more on that later. The Orndorff/Piper situation continues this week after 6+ months of tension and build up. Shall we start?

Great tickets and great prices!

The Card:

Hulk Hogan (WWE Champ) vs Nikolai Volkoff [Flag Match]

Uncle Elmer vs Jerry Valiant

Paul Orndorff vs Roddy Piper

King Kong Bundy/Big John Studd vs Andre the Giant/Tony Atlas

Brutus Beefcake/Greg Valentine (Tag Team Champs) vs Tony Garea/Lanny Poffo [Tag Team Title Match]

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The Show:

We start with Mean Gene with Nikolai Volkoff and Freddie Blassie. Volkoff promises to take the belt back to Russia in the worst English I've ever heard.

Hulk Hogan cuts a promo telling us young Americans (I see) that he's doing this for us...and I'll say it again, cheers Hulk!

Mean Gene is with Hillbilly Jim and Uncle Elmer who hype up the wedding and party, neither man look too happy though. Piper comes in and rips them a new arsehole with his mean words. PS...who the f*ck is Uncle Elmer?! How is he a relatable character for a worldwide audience?

Our commentators in this one are Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura.

Hulk Hogan (WWE Champ) vs Nikolai Volkoff [Flag Match]

Of course we start with Nikolai Volkoff giving us a rendition of the Soviet anthem to big heat. That's what The Authority lack today...a Cold War to support their heeldom. Before he comes out, Hogan cuts ANOTHER promo about how sick Volkoff and his patriotism makes him...and then he goes on about protecting the stars and stripes. Out comes Hogan to some patriotic American theme to a HUGE pop. He waves the flag around and everyone is loving it...except non-Americans who are indifferent. Volkoff pearl harbours Hogan to start us off while Hogan isn't even out of his title belt. Volkoff chokes Hogan with his own shirt and I don't think he's gonna get much more offense. I'm very right very quickly as Hogan counters in the corner and floors Volkoff with shots to the head. Clothesline by Hogan sends Volkoff down and he eats an elbow. Headbutts by Hogan which Ventura says he's never seen him use. Volkoff is sent outside where he lands on ... and rings ... the ringbell. Hogan gets sent into the ringpost and Volkoff takes control with a ax handle from the second rope. Nice backbreaker by Volkoff but he doesn't go for the cover until its far too late. Volkoff works over Hogan until he tries for another backbreaker and it gets reversed into a back drop by Hogan. They trade shots with Volkoff keeping control and he nails a scoop slam for 2. Hogan starts to hulk up, no sells punches and you know whats coming. Punches by Hogan, Volkoff goes down, eats a leg drop and Hogan gets the 3 and the chance to wave his flag and abuse the Soviet flag. As Marc P would say, that was a foregone conclusion match. I somehow couldn't see Volkoff waving the Soviet flag on TV mid-Cold War. Match was more fun than other Hogan matches we've seen in the blog so far. Match Rating: *3/4

Mean Gene is with Hogan again and he enjoys the fact he just won. He calls Nikolai Volkoff 'babydoll' before hyping up the upcoming wedding. McMahon and Ventura talk about the wedding dress.

Mean Gene is with Uncle Elmer and Hillbilly Jim and christ, Uncle Elmer says 3 words about his match and wedding and that's all I need to hear from him. Seriously, did WWE find these people at the bus stop?

Uncle Elmer vs Jerry Valiant

Out come the Hillbillies to a good reaction so they must be impressing some people! The Hillbillies dance before Uncle Elmer starts us off with a scoop slam...and gets the 3 count! Why even bother unless they want to PUSH UNCLE ELMER!? The Hillbillies dance after the match. Match Rating: -*

Mean Gene is with Uncle Elmer and friends again and Uncle Elmer almost cuts a promo...but doesn't quite make it.

Jesse Ventura is with Bobby Heenan in the ring and wants to know about Paul Orndorff. Heenan talks about Orndorff firing him and the bounty he put on his head in retaliation. He says he raised that bounty because no one can refuse such a sum of money. He calls Orndorff thick and says he should just retire. Always love hearing from Heenan.

Mean Gene is with Paul Orndorff who retaliates by talking about dresses and plumbing. Someone in the crowd has a broken airhorn and I want to give them a colonic with it at this point.

Mean Gene is now with Roddy Piper who says he's here to pick up the bounty and to fight a guy in baby oil. If he doesn't get that $50k, he'll rip out Heenan's throat. Piper rips on Uncle Elmer and the wedding to finish off.

Paul Orndorff vs Roddy Piper

Orndorff out first and his reaction is pale in comparison to Hogan's. Piper comes out with the bagpipers and Heenan isn't too far behind. The match starts off quick and heated with both men throwing punches. Piper with a clothesline followed by a boot to the face and some choking. Orndorff fights back with right hands and chokes of his own. More brawling between the two and this is just a fight, all good stuff and the crowd agree! Piper with a sloppy looking DDT followed by a boot to the face of Orndorff. They go to the outside where Piper tries to use a chair but gets thrown into a table instead. Orndorff comes off the top rope as they go back in the ring followed by a nice back suplex and the crowd love it. Knee lift by Piper turns the tide until both men KO each other with shoulderblocks. More back and forth and it spills outside again where they continue to brawl until both are counted out. They both continue fighting each other all the way to the back until Piper locks Orndorff out of his dressing room. Really fun stuff and the crowd loved it! That is how a heated feud should be built up and Orndorff really grew throughout that match. The non-finish actually makes sense and I hope there's a finish to this feud. Match Rating: **

Have you got your hats? It's wedding time and the crowd are already baffled into silence. Hogan and Andre (in wrestling briefs) are there to offer support. Its all cringe-worthy as you would expect as the crowd turns on it pretty quickly. The poor bride even gets nailed in the face by flying garbage from the crowd. McMahon and Ventura continue commentating over the actual wedding. McMahon is painful as he treats it in all seriousness where as Ventura at least treats it as the farce it is. Thankfully Roddy Piper does come out and rips on the whole proceedings to salvage at least something from this one. Our first wedding on our blog and it was really embarassing.

Into the back and we're in the reception area and there's a shit load of farm animals.

Mean Gene is with King Kong Bundy, Big John Studd and Bobby Heenan. They rip on the wedding before claiming that they are the giants of the WWE and Andre is in fact...the third placed giant. Studd reminds Andre that he cut his hair! Ooooo...

King Kong Bundy/Big John Studd vs Andre the Giant/Tony Atlas

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Heels are already in the ring when we see Andre on his way. We see clips of the heels destroying Andre's ribs a few months earlier. What hurts is that any in-ring quality action we get will be from Tony Atlas of all people in this one. Andre and Bundy start this one of for us and the crowd are hot for this one. Andre chokes Bundy as the ref does fuck all about it. He uses Atlas' head as a weapon before tagging him in. Now Bundy takes control using his size but Atlas uses his speed to try and fight back. In comes Studd who goes back and forth with Atlas. Atlas goes for a body slam but can't get it so Studd takes control again. Andre distracts Studd as Bundy gets a cheap shot on Atlas. Andre tags back in and goes back and forth with Studd, sending him to the outside before Bundy comes back in and batters Andre. Studd nails Atlas against the ring post on the outside. Bundy and Studd both squash Andre in the corner but the bell rings for the DQ for both heels getting involved at the same time. Hogan runs out to big noise to make the save. Crap match where by there was no speed involved whatsoever. Hogan and Bundy finally have some interaction setting us up on the way to Wrestlemania 2. Hogan cuts a promo after saying that he's sick of the heels taking shortcuts. It's not your fight (yet) Hulk! Match Rating: DUD

We get a video of Mean Gene looking for George Steele. He does find him roaming around a zoo of some sorts. He shows Mean Gene around the park while doing his animal impressions and this is all good, 80's cheese! Weirdly enough, Mean Gene was quite funny in this one!

Mean Gene is with Brutus Beefcake, Greg Valentine and a cigar, smoking Johnny Valiant. They go back to when they won the titles from the US Express and everyone seems happy with themselves. 

Brutus Beefcake/Greg Valentine (Tag Team Champs) vs Tony Garea/Lanny Poffo [Tag Team Title Match]

Valentine and Poffo start us off and it's not long until Valentine takes control with headlocks. Poffo shows off some athleticism as we see the US Express watching from the crowd. Big scoop slam by Valentine before tagging in Beefcake. Poffo gets some brief offense including dropkicks and scoop slams and then nails a DIVING MOONSAULT...in 1985 WWE! Beefcake regains control and the champs use quick tags. Garea gets the tag and comes in like a house on fire on Beefcake. Dropkicks and a flying body press on Beefcake gets a 2 count. Valentine tags in and nails an elbow, locks on the Figure 4 and that's all she wrote! Champs looked strong with Valentine showing off a slightly bigger arsenal of moves but Poffo's moonsault, as sloppy as it was, suprised me! Match Rating: *

Into the back and we're invited to Uncle Elmer's wedding reception. We see Hogan, Orndorff, Ventura and McMahon all sat together. They review the wedding and Ventura doesn't shut the fuck up. PS...just after seeing Orndorff appear at Wrestlemania 30, I'm gutted he has no moustache. Captain Lou Albano tells us how to eat like a hillbilly before we go to Lanny Poffo who recites a poem but the less we say about the better. We chat to the hillbilly's before SOME GUY (thank you Marc P) called Tiny Tim appears and says its lovely to be there and talks about weddings. Ventura now recites a poem for the new couple and rips them a new one. To be fair, it's nail on the head stuff and all good. Jesse however ends up face first in the wedding cake and lol's are had by all to finish the show!

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Wrestler Scores:

• Hulk Hogan +5 (51)
• Nikolai Volkoff +5 (23)
• Uncle Elmer +2 (2)
• Jerry Valiant +1 (1)
• Paul Orndorff +6 (32)
• Roddy Piper +7 (43)
• King Kong Bundy +3 (15)
• Big John Studd +3 (13)
• Andre the Giant +4 (20)
• Tony Atlas +2 (9)
• George Steele +1 (4)
• Brutus Beefcake +4 (17)
• Greg Valentine +4 (40)
• Tony Garea +2 (9)
• Lanny Poffo +4 (6)

So there we have it, this editions updated scores! Hogan stays ahead overall and pulling out a standard Hogan formula match still gets 5 points mainly due to crowd reaction...same goes to Volkoff. Uncle Elmer would've had just the point for appearing...but he was a central point of the whole episode so I gave him another. Piper and Orndorff had a good show featuring prominently throughout plus advancing their feud with a decent brawling match. Finally I gave George Steele a point for his video package because it's all promotion in the end. None the less, this was a poor show worth viewing for storyline context alone. We did get our first MINUS match of the blog and our first wedding (although it made me wince...yes, wince!) Next edition its Saturday Nights Main Event 3! Remember to share the blog if you like it...follow me on Twitter @thewrestlindork ... and give the World Wrestling Alliance page a like on Facebook of which I am the resident reviewer (and old man)! Later days!

WWE All Star Search #11 - September 23rd 1985

WWE All Star Search #11 - September 23rd 1985

Hello Turnbucklers once again for edition #11! It feels since forever since I've seen a really good match on these blogs so here's hoping we see one soon! This edition there's no Hogan but looking at the card it still looks stacked...in one case quite literally. We have some debut's on this edition as always including one bigg'n! We also say some  goodbyes on this edition to some wrestlers we've met along the way so far. Before we start because we are 3 months ahead of the last edition, let me fill you in on a few changes. Firstly,  Greg Valentine lost the Intercontinental Title to Tito Santana in a cage match in July. Secondly, the Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff did eventually lose the titles to Barry Windham and Mike Rotundo...who then lost the belts to Brutus Beefcake and Greg Valentine. Hulk Hogan is still your WWE Champion but will he keep it for long...probably not. Anyway...let's do this!

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The Card:

Scott McGhee vs Les Thornton

Adrian Adonis vs Rick McGraw

Randy Savage vs Paul Roma

Andre the Giant vs King Kong Bundy

Bob Orton vs SD Jones

The British Bulldogs vs The Hart Foundation

The Missing Link vs Lanny Poffo

Ricky Steamboat vs Don Muraco

Corporal Kirchner vs Moondog Spot

The Junkyard Dog vs Terry Funk

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The Show:

Our commentators are THANKFULLY Gorilla Monsoon and Jesse Ventura. No more good guy/good guy announcing for us, these two can bounce off of each other.

Scott McGhee vs Les Thornton

OK, on paper not the best way to start but these two are both making their blog debuts so maybe just maybe they'll surprise. Scott McGhee was on the Starrcade 1985 card and I think got pretty bloodied. Les Thornton is a hometown lad on my part as he's a fellow Mancunian! Match itself is actually a weird one. It isn't bad by any means but it is somewhat boring to say the least. There are rest holds from start to finish in this one but the chain wrestling and strikes between the rest holds were superb. Both men have a superb uppercut and looked like they were holding nothing back in this one. McGhee eventually gets the win with an anti-climactic roll up. Match Rating: *

Adrian Adonis vs Rick McGraw

Rick McGraw gets the jobber entrance for this one before Adrian Adonis comes out with Bobby Heenan to big heat. Adonis is still in his leather, New Yorker style and is strangely carrying a brief case with him tonight. Adonis may be able to impress more than earlier in the blog when he was teaming with Dick Murdoch. Rick McGraw is solid but unspectacular. The briefcase turns out to be the $25,000 bounty on Paul Orndorff. Match is slow as Adonis works over the arm of McGraw while Monsoon calls him fat. Crowd has died early in this one and Adonis sends McGraw to the outside. On the plus side, McGraw lands on then sells the arm that Adonis was working over and Adonis keeps targeting it and working it over...great psychology! McGraw is eventually sent back to the outside where Heenan teases nailing him with the briefcase and actually does it...to no reaction. Suplex back in by Adonis and he goes up top. 80's wrestling 101 says this won't end well...and they've read the rulebook too as it fails. McGraw gets some offense in including a sloppy looking suplex but it's not long until Adonis counters, nails the DDT and gets the 3 count. Although slow, the psychology was superb in this one with the arm being targeted. It was forgotten about somewhat in the final goings which is a shame but for the most part it was all good. Adonis looked good in this one which I'm sure was the aim. Match Rating: *3/4

Into the back with Gorilla Monsoon and RANDY SAVAGE! We're just an Ultimate Warrior and Ted DiBiase away from the 80's all star deck. He says that Paul Roma is actually Hulk Hogan in his head tonight. He talks what can only be described as noise and rips off his tye-dye T-Shirt. Short promo but this bloke is unlike anyone else on that roster promo-wise so will it get him far?

Randy Savage vs Paul Roma

Paul Roma gets the jobber entrance in this one as we see Randy Savage and the stunning Elizabeth come to the ring. Unfortunately their overshadowed by Otto Wanz...who has a huge gut and gets to wave at the fans. Macho Man is wearing a lovely blue robe with white tassles which is all good. He stalls like a motherf*cker while also finding time to give a bollocking to Liz. They do start but only gets in the way of Macho Man's stalling. Once Savage gains control everything he does is crisp and cool. Roma does get some offense in including a scoop slam and a cool sunset flip from the top rope. Macho Man regains control by sending him outside and the bell randomly rings but Monsoon plays it off. Savage hits an Ax Handle from the top rope onto Roma on the floor which is a great spot in 1985 WWE. Back in the ring, a nice suplex by Savage followed by his signature Macho Man Elbow Drop...and another...and that gets the 3. Short but sweet and he mouths off on the mic to celebrate. Macho Man looked awesome from pre-match to post-match and I look forward to seeing more of him. Paul Roma looked good too in-ring and was allowed more offense than I expected. Match Rating: *1/2

Andre the Giant vs King Kong Bundy

The Colossal Jostle is what this one is being hyped up as. A couple of weeks before this show, Bundy and Big John Studd had injured Andre so he's looking for revenge. King Kong Bundy and Jimmy Hart are in the ring and have good heat on them which is good. Andre the Giant comes out with Captain Lou Albano to a huge Hogan sized pop. It feels like I havn't seen Bundy in a while and Andre has been inconsistent with his appearances. They lock up quickly and Andre chokes him in corner and should've been DQ'd already but f*ck it, who needs rule consistency. More choking until Bundy nails some weak punches but they don't last for long. This is painful viewing but the crowd love it, firmly behind Andre. To be fair, both men sell each others crap strikes but still...I hope this ends soon. Andre botches a WRISTLOCK and locks on an Armbar instead and ends up still managing to recline mid-hold. After an absolute age, Bundy fights out but eats a headbutt to send him outside. He lands on a table but it doesn't break...just wrap your head around that, a table in wrestling maintaining the weight of King Kong Bundy. Back in the ring Bundy takes control with more strikes and chokes but it seems the crowd are losing interest too, not quite gaining momentum on an Andre chant. More back and forth until Andre nails a big boot, goes for the cover but Big John Studd runs in for the DQ win for Andre. It all kicks off afterwards as Bundy and Studd try to attack Andre but Andre grabs a chair and the heels bail. That was far too long of a match but it kept Bundy looking like a good threat to Hogan. Andre at this point has no right to be anything other than a novelty appearance and not an in-ring performer. The fact Savage was on previously to this match just proves how important basic mobility is to good in-ring entertainment. Match Rating: DUD

Bob Orton vs SD Jones

Straight into the next match and this is a filler match to be realistic. Orton still sells like a bandit for Jones even though he's nothing but a jobber at this point. Orton nails a dropkick of all things but Jones works over the arm. I say works over, he literally just holds it. When he does actually attack Orton's arm, it gets sold and it all looks good. Orton stalls like a bandit but ends up back in wristlocks and armbars. Orton takes control with a straight up punch to the mush and works over SD's neck and back. Neither sell their respective weak point which just makes this match boring until Orton wakes me up with a crisp atomic drop. Orton hits a flying headscissors which was impressive but Jones takes control with headbutts and a suplex for 2. More and forth until Orton hits a second rope reverse splash for the 3 count. Match Rating: 1/2*

The British Bulldogs vs The Hart Foundation

Now we're talking! These two teams had a great match a couple of editions previously but back then they were new to the WWE landscape. Now we're 6 months down the line it'll be interesting to see how they've grown and how they'll gel. Bret and Dynamite start but Bret stalls and makes a big deal about hair pulling. They eventually lock up and the action is fast and furious straight away ending in a Dynamite slingshot and the heels regrouping on the outside. Back in they trade wristlocks until Bret is sent back outside and the heels regroup once again. Anvil comes in and nails a hard scoop slam. Davey Boy in and he gets a scoop slam of his own on Anvil. Davey Boy hits a dropkick and the heels regroup once again but more briefly this time. Bret tags back in and nails some punches but gets caught in a cool victory roll spot for a 1 count. Bret takes control and tags out to Neidhart who continues the offensive and then back in. More quick tags as they continue to work over Davey Boy including Anvil locking in a bearhug. Dynamite gets tagged in and cleans house of the heels. A Bret cheap shot derails Dynamite as the Hart Foundation start laying into him now. Anvil sends him to the outside where Bret scoop slams him on the concrete. The Harts use heely tactics and Bret takes over on Dynamite including his signature second rope elbow for 2. Anvil back in and he lays in some strikes to the back and a front facelock. Dynamite tries to get to Davey and the crowd are heating up. Unfortunately Bret breaks it all but gets chased by Davey around the ring. All the while, Dynamite is being choked out by Anvil during the distraction. Dynamite pushes to make the tag once again and makes it but oh no (!), ref didn't see it so won't allow it! Bret works over Dynamite now but gets caught in a backslide for 1! Bret traps Dynamite in the ropes, or so he thought as he charges, misses and crotches himself. Davey gets the hot tag and cleans house of the heels. Bret whipped chest first into the corner for 2 and then eats a picture perfect press slam for 2. Bret hits a perfect backbreaker and Anvil comes off the top with a ax handle to add to the backpain. The heels work over Davey and actually nail the Hart Attack! Ref is distracted though while Bret is pinning Davey so Dynamite comes off the top with a flying headbutt and Davey gets the 3 count! Harts attack after the match and leave the Bulldogs nursing bruises but soaking up cheers. Great match and the should be blueprint for most tag team matches. Bulldogs were solid but Davey looked slightly better in this one mainly due to being allowed more offense in. Bret looked good showing off some crisp offense that will come to be his signature moveset and Anvil was entertaining yet limited as always. Match Rating: ***1/2

Into the back with Jesse Ventura, Don Muraco and Mr Fuji who kiss each others arse and tell Ricky Steamboat to watch out later!

Still in the back with Gorilla Monsoon, Jimmy Hart and Terry Funk. They're looking for revenge on Junkyard Dog for trying to drown Jimmy Hart. Funk says Tito and Hogan are more important than JYD.

The Missing Link vs Lanny Poffo

Ah, The Missing Link, we hardly had time to get to know each other. This is his last appearance on the blog and also Lanny Poffo's first. The brother of Randy Savage and I want to know if talent runs in the family. Bobby Heenan introduces himself as the Manager of the Year to some subtle heat. Poffo throws a selection of scrolls into the crowd. Poffo uses his quickness to dodge Link but Link is moving so slow that he may as well not be there. A lot of stalling in the early goings but slowly and surely they get into it. Link should be coming off as strong in this one but he's so clunky that it just doesn't help. He grabs a chair but doesn't need nor use it and continues to show off his hard head gimmick that all foreigners or freaks seem to have. Poffo doesn't get any offense in on the grand scheme of things and Link gets the win after interference from Heenan and a headbutt from Link off the second rope. Thank lord that was Link's last appearance, two dreadful appearances was all I needed. Match Rating: DUD 

Ricky Steamboat vs Don Muraco

On paper this one could go either way. Muraco had a push earlier in the year and Steamboat has been consistently impressing for a while. We start off quickly with Muraco going for the Pearl Harbour attempt but it doesn't get him far as Steamboat unloads with chops and strikes. He chokes Muraco with his belt right in front of the ref and nails a chop from the top rope sending Muraco down and then to the outside. Steamboat looks like he's wearing pajamas in this one. Back in the ring and Steamboat stays in control until he's tripped by Mr Fuji on the outside. Once Muraco is in control he's runs through the heel handbook including an extra long nerve hold. Steamboat escapes briefly but nails slingshotted out of the corner and finds himself back in the nervehold. Muraco goes for a tombstone piledriver but Steamboat counters. He then counters another slingshot attempt. He goes on the offensive and goes for a splash but eats nothing but knees. Muraco gets a 2 count before Mr Fuji tries to get involved. He ends up meeting heads with Muraco allowing Steamboat to go up top. Mr Fuji cuts him off though with salt to the eyes and Steamboat wins by DQ. Match was OK and the finish hurt neither guy I guess. I would've liked to have seen Steamboat get the clean win but at least he looked like a top babyface in this one. Match Rating: *3/4

Corporal Kirchner vs Moondog Spot

Now THIS is the match I was looking forward to the most when I looked at this card. This is Kirchner's debut on the blog and he's what I can only see as a replacement to Sgt Slaughter. His reactions are not nearly as big and he seems like a diet version. On top of that, how tough are corporals in comparison to other ranked army officials. The match is as you would expect but what really stands out to me are Kirchners little tantrums to hype him up. Kirchner eventually gets the win with a samoan drop. I'm not a fan of patriotic American characters repeatedly shoved down my throat since its the WORLD Wrestling Federation...but hey, why complain, not like it's going to change in the next 30 years. Match Rating: 1/4*

The Junkyard Dog vs Terry Funk

Terry Funk is out first with Jimmy Hart to very little reaction. Junkyard Dog comes out to Grab Them Cakes and Funk wastes no time in starting things off, meeting JYD on the outside with punches. Funk gets backdropped on the concrete and struggles to get back in the ring thanks to JYD. JYD heads outside to slam Funk on the concrete and that's two hard blows to the back in the early goings. Funk Flair flops over the corner to the outside and still can't get any offense in. JYD poses to the crowd and he gets a small reaction. JYD suplexes Funk into the ring but gets low blowed and Funk takes control. Elbows and headbutts by Funk but JYD no sells and nails some headbutts of his own. Funk tries to cheat but the ref catches him. As Funk argues with the ref, JYD rolls him up for the 3 count! Afterwards Jimmy Hart distracts JYD long enough for Funk to attack. Funk brands JYD to prove his point. Match was quick and not too bad. It was all about the ending as Funk looked like the maniac he is but also made JYD look great just by selling like a bandit to his basic moveset. Match Rating: *1/4

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Wrestler Scores:

• Scott McGhee +4 (4)
• Les Thornton +4 (4)
• Adrian Adonis +5 (16)
• Rick McGraw +2 (10)
• Randy Savage +6 (6)
• Paul Roma +4 (4)
• Andre the Giant +3 (16)
• King Kong Bundy +3 (12)
• Bob Orton +4 (18)
• SD Jones +3 (10)
• Bret Hart +7 (18)
• Jim Neidhart +6 (20)
• Davey Boy Smith +7 (13)
• Dynamite Kid +6 (12)
• The Missing Link +2 (4)
• Lanny Poffo +2 (2)
• Don Muraco +4 (13)
• Ricky Steamboat +5 (23)
• Corporal Kirchner +3 (3)
• Moondog Spot +2 (5)
• Junkyard Dog +4 (15)
• Terry Funk +5 (5)

There we have it for this edition. The show started off OK but hit it's peak (by quite a distance) with the tag team match. No big changes to the overall scores even though though top scorers didn't appear on the show. We have a couple of decent scorers this edition and Ricky Steamboat would've been higher if the crowd weren't as dead as they were. Anyway...onto the next show which is Saturday Nights Main Event 2 and then 2 more 1985 shows left to go! See you next time!

@thewrestlindork 

WWE All Star Search #10 - Saturday Nights Main Event 1

WWE All Star Search #10 - Saturday Nights 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!

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The Card:

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

Piper's Pit ft Paul Orndorff

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

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

Junkyard Dog vs Pete Doughety

America's Oldest Popcorn Popper

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 ft 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

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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

WWE All Star Search #9 - 20th May 1985

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.

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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

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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.

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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.


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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, click on any affiliates that take your fancy and please check out Across The Pond where you can find these articles plus so much more!