Written By: Matt Peddycord
WWF Saturday Night’s Main Event #26: The Tussle in Texas
April 28, 1990
Austin, TX
Erwin Center
(Taped on 4/23/1990)
The current WWF Champs were as follows:
World Champion: Ultimate Warrior (4/1/1990)
Intercontinental Champion: Mr. Perfect (4/23/1990)
World Tag Team Champions: Demolition (4/1/1990)
This would be the first themed episode of SNME in over four years. Since they are wrestling in Texas, the clichéd-cowboy theme is taken a little bit to the extreme with McMahon and Ventura (complete with cowboy hats) riding out on horses to the announcers table. Also during the whole show, McMahon tries to use as many cowboy metaphors as possible. I’m guessing the next sentence goes without saying.
Your hosts are Vince McMahon & Jesse “Haystacks” Ventura!
Hulk Hogan vs. Mr. Perfect (w/The Genius)
Will Hogan’s loss at WrestleMania hold him back, or is he more motivated than ever? Can he wrap up this feud with Perfect, or will Perfect prevail against the battered Hulkster? We’re about to find out all those answers in just one match! Perfect won the IC title in a tournament finals match earlier in the day by defeating Tito Santana during a Superstars taping even though that match would not air until mid-May. Hogan overpowers Perfect to start. Perfect bails and comes back in to take over. That is, until Hogan reverses a whip and goes for the Big Boot. Perfect puts the brakes on just in time and heads out to the floor again. Hogan goes out and brings Perfect away from Genius and tosses him into the ringpost. Back in, Hogan hits the running clothesline followed by the running corner clothesline. A couple more clotheslines puts Perfect back out on the floor, which leads to Genius sneaking Perfect his scroll to clobber Hogan. Perfect takes Hulk to the guardrail and brings him back in for the running neck snap. Hogan looks to mount a comeback, but he ducks low off a whip and gets kicked in the teeth. It’s PERFECTPLEX time! He gets 1-2-NO! HULK UP, Big Boot, LEG DROP! It’s over. (7:57) It’s back to business as usual. Not as good as I remembered it, but not too shabby either. **
Earthquake (w/Jimmy Hart) vs. Hillbilly Jim
This is my favorite Earthquake match. You’re about to find out why. Earthquake misses a corner splash and gets pounded by Jim for only a moment. Earthquake goes to the eyes and squashes Jim for a bit, but then charges into a boot. Meanwhile, Jimmy Hart tries to grab Jim’s horseshoe on a chain to bring Jim over to him. That sets up Jim perfectly for the corner splash followed by the EARTHQUAKE SPLASH for the win! (1:58) Hahahahaha. Idiot. After the match, Jim takes TWO more EARTHQUAKE SPLASHES, which is just the best. Jesse ~ “I find that kind of humorous.” CRAP
The Hart Foundation vs. The Rockers
Both teams want tag title shots, so it only makes sense they would be facing each other. Back and forth stuff to start with Bret nearly pinning Shawn after rolling through a flying crossbody. The Rockers deliver a double-team Russian legsweep, but then kip up into a double-clothesline from Neidhart! Neidhart tags in and shoulderblocks the Rockers all over the ring. He tries a slam on Shawn, but Shawn slips away and catches him with a dropkick for two. Shawn tries a crossbody, but Neidhart catches him for a slam. Shawn comes off the ropes for Bret to stick in that knee off the apron. Neidhart follows up with a SICK backdrop and then tags in Bret. He whips Shawn from corner to corner and tags in Neidhart for a double-whip shoulder-ram in the corner for 1-2-NO! Shawn tries to come back with a sunset flip on Bret for two as Demolition makes their way down to ringside. Bret hits a backbreaker and spots the champs, so Shawn dropkicks Bret out in front of them. Back in, Bret continues to control Shawn. Bret tries an elbow drop from the middle rope, but he misses to set up the HOT TAG TO JANNETTY! Jannetty hits a powerslam and then delivers a Jack Brisco rollup out of the corner for 1-2-NO! He ducks low off a whip though and Bret catches him with a swinging neckbreaker. Neidhart tags for a slingshot splash, but Jannetty rolls out of the way and tags in Shawn. Anvil puts a stop to Shawn’s momentum with a shoulderblock, which Shawn sells like he just got hit by a school bus going 90 mph downhill for 1-2-NO! Shawn surprises Neidhart with a back elbow for two, but then gets caught by Neidhart coming out of the corner. Michaels powers Neidhart down for 1-2-NO! Anvil presses Michaels out to the floor in front of Demolition. They toss him back in, but Jannetty doesn’t like that one bit and starts fighting with Smash. Now Ax gets in the ring and we’ve got a six-man brawl going down now as the ref throws the match out. (9:17) Great match that should’ve had a finish. ***½
WWF World Champion Ultimate Warrior vs. Haku (w/Bobby Heenan)
This is Warrior’s first title defense on TV. Warrior controls early by tossing Haku in and outside the ring for the first few minutes. Haku fights back with clotheslines and delivers a backbreaker into a pin for two. Back suplex from Haku gets two. He follows up with the GORILLA SPLASH for 1-2-NO! Warrior WARRIORS up, hits a couple shoulderblocks and finishes with the real GORILLA SPLASH to retain. (4:49) Nothing to it really, but I’ll be kind. *
Akeem (w/Slick) vs. Big Bossman
Here’s a rematch from WrestleMania. Bossman wins a slugfest and hits the Bossman Straddle, but then misses a charge in the corner. Akeem delivers a corner splash and then gives Bossman a stinkface. Akeem looks to finish with a splash, but Bossman kicks out at two and presses big huge Akeem of him. Akeem gets right back on top of Bossman though and tries a piledriver up against the ropes, but Bossman backdrops Akeem out to the floor instead. Back in, we see the BOSSMAN SLAM, but DiBiase and Virgil run in for the DQ. (2:59) DiBiase handcuffs Bossman to the ropes for a beatdown, but Bossman uses his key to escape and ends up chasing the heels to the back. ½*
Final Thoughts: Two stand-out matches on a five-match show isn’t too bad. The Harts/Rockers match can be seen on Bret’s DVD, so at least check that one out. These SNME’s are hard to find these days. Thumbs up for a SNME that signals the beginning of the end for the WWF’s glory days. Be sure to email me your thoughts on my stuff and anything that’s on your mind!