Written By: Matt Peddycord
WWF Saturday Night’s Main Event #16
April 30, 1988
Springfield, MA
Civic Center
(Taped on 4/22/1988)
The current WWF Champs were as follows:
World Champion: Randy Savage (3/27/1988)
Intercontinental Champion: Honky Tonk Man (6/2/1987)
World Tag Team Champions: Demolition (3/27/1988)
Women’s Champion: Sensational Sherri (7/24/1987)
TONIGHT! Jim Duggan hints to us that one day he’ll have a janitor gimmick, but first the Heenan Family wants to turn him into a jigsaw puzzle! Gang = BAD, Macho = MAD(ness)! When I speak craziness like this, it must mean it’s time for Saturday Night’s Main Event!
Your hosts are Vince McMahon and Jesse “The Crocodile Hunter” Ventura!
Hercules (w/Andre the Giant & Bobby Heenan) vs. Hacksaw Jim Duggan
After Andre cost Duggan in his match with Ted DiBiase in the WWF World title tournament at WrestleMania IV, Duggan and Andre got into it on Superstars a week later. Since Duggan messed with the family, this is what he gets instead of Andre. Oh well, HOOOOOOOO! Duggan no-sells some stuff and then hits a clothesline out of the corner. Andre gives Hercules a little advice, but evidently it wasn’t very good advice because he gets an atomic drop from Duggan. He looks over at Andre and then delivers a backdrop to Hercules. Duggan goes for OLD GLORY, but Hercules avoids it. Hercules goes right after the hurt knee. Duggan tries to come back, but he misses a charge in the corner. Duggan gets tossed out to the floor a couple times for Bobby Heenan to get in some shots. Duggan grabs his 2×4 and chases Heenan around with it. Hercules attacks Duggan from behind and unloads in the corner. Hercules goes to the bearhug. Duggan escapes, but then takes a knee to the gut. Hercules ducks low off a whip and Duggan takes advantage with a ten-count corner punch. One hiptoss later and he delivers the THREE-POINT STANCE! Duggan covers, but Heenan runs in and breaks up the count for the DQ. (7:30) While Duggan backs Heenan into a corner, Andre nails him from behind. Duggan gets a triple-team beatdown until the Ultimate Warrior makes the save. *
Danny Davis (w/Jimmy Hart) vs. Brutus Beefcake
THIS is Jimmy Hart’s idea of revenge for getting his haircut at WrestleMania? Davis cowers away and gets his head driven into the turnbuckle a couple times. Davis delivers a cheap shot to take over and chokes Beefcake in the ropes. Beefcake screws up what appeared to be a knee lift and knees him right in the face. Beefcake struts and then applies the SLEEPER for the submission win. (3:02) Beefcake gives Davis a haircut after the match and beats him up some more. This is the last time we would ever see Davis wrestle on SNME. CRAP
WWF World Champion Randy Savage (w/Elizabeth) vs. One Man Gang (w/Slick)
Since the Gang lost to Savage only by DQ in the semifinals at WrestleMania, he’s somehow deemed the #1 contender to the WWF title. Slick won’t leave Elizabeth the HECK alone so we can start this thing. Gang misses a shot in the corner and lets Savage run rampant all over him. Savage hits a crossbody for two and then connects with a FLYING crossbody for 1-2-NO! Savage delivers the running hotshot for two. Gang finally gets Savage cornered again and pounds away. Gang gives Savage a chokelift and then Savage comes off a whip and slides outside to chase Slick around the ring. Slick wisely brings Savage into the ring to give him an elbow drop from OMG. Gang delivers his usual gouging and elbow drops for two. He misses a charge in the corner and then takes a clothesline out to the floor. Uh oh, top-rope double ax from Macho Man. Savage tosses Gang back in the ring for another double-ax, but OMG catches him on the way down. Gang goes up for the 747 SPLASH, but Savage moves out of the way! Slick heads over to talk some filthy garbage to Elizabeth, which distracts Savage enough for Gang to get up and hit him from behind. The ref is busy with Liz while Slick hits Gang accidentally with his cane to set up the MACHO ELBOW for the 1-2-3! (6:01) The way Savage used his speed to beat that mammoth of a man made for a fun little match. **
WWF World Tag Team Champions Demolition (w/Mr. Fuji) vs. The British Bulldogs (w/Matilda the BULLDOG!)
Smash starts off with typical Demolition offense by smashing Davey Boy down to mat. Dynamite gets a blind tag and gives Smash a clothesline. Smash holds on to the ropes when Dynamite tries a rollup and lets Dynamite fall back down and hit his head on the mat. Ax gets trapped over on the British side of town until Smash breaks up a SNAP SUPLEX attempt from Dynamite. Smash tags in and gives Dynamite a backbreaker for two. Dynamite escapes out of a bearhug, but gets clipped so that he can’t reach his corner. Demolition trade tags hammering away on Dynamite’s back, but then Smash runs into a boot in the corner. HOT TAG TO DAVEY BOY! He takes care of Demolition for a minute and then tags in Dynamite again and gets overpowered. Smash tosses Dynamite out to the floor for Fuji to kick him, but Davey Boy tries to get Matilda to chase Fuji to the back. Actually Davey Boy runs after Fuji and drags Matilda by her lease, leaving the dog no choice BUT to run. Once Fuji is in the locker room (one would assume), the Bulldogs come back with parts of Fuji’s cane and beat down Demolition with it to draw the DQ. (4:38) Terrible finish, but the crowd was into everything else here. *
Don Muraco (w/Superstar Billy Graham) vs. Ted DiBiase (w/Virgil)
Apparently, the winner of this match gets a title shot. That should definitely give the winner away right there. Virgil distracts Muraco right at the bell and that allows DiBiase to attack. Muraco quickly reverses a whip and hits a backdrop and drives DiBiase’s head to the buckle as he rolls out to the floor. Back in, Muraco hits a clothesline and follows up with a powerslam for 1-2-NO! Virgil puts DiBiase foot on the bottom rope. DiBiase regains control and hits a suplex for two. He follows that up with a gutwrench suplex for another two. DiBiase ducks low off a whip, and Muraco counters with a Russian legsweep. Muraco delivers a standing powerslam, but only gets two. DiBiase fights back and slams Muraco near the ropes. He puts his foot on the bottom rope, but the ref doesn’t see it and counts three. (4:12) Kind of a lame finish, but still done in a heel-type fashion. *
Rick Rude (w/Bobby Heenan) vs. Koko B. Ware (w/Frankie the PARROT!)
Rude pounds away to start until Koko leaps over Rude and puts him down with a standing dropkick. Rude nails Koko to take back control. He hits a suplex and follows up with a top-rope fist drop. Rude delivers a dropkick, but then whiffs on a second try. Koko gives Rude a HUGE backdrop, but then misses a charge into the ropes. RUDE AWAKENING gets the 1-2-3. (3:42) Poor Koko has been turned into nothing more than squash fodder. ½*
Final Thoughts: Nothing really happened that was all that amazing with all the terrible finishes. The Savage/Gang match was kind of fun, but it’s not worth getting the show for. I’m giving SNME #16 a thumbs down, as these shows are starting to run together with not a whole lot happening on them outside of the shows that build towards WrestleMania. I’m guessing “The more things change, the more they stay the same” cliché is appropriate here.