WWF SNME #23 10/14/1989

Written By: Matt Peddycord

WWF Saturday Night’s Main Event #23
October 14, 1989
Cincinnati, OH
Riverfront Coliseum
(taped on 9/21/1989)

The current WWF Champs were as follows:
World Champion: Hulk Hogan (4/2/1989)
Intercontinental Champion: Ultimate Warrior (8/28/1989)
World Tag Team Champions: The Brain Busters (7/18/1989)
Women’s Champion: Rockin’ Robin (10/7/1988)

Tonight, Roddy Piper has to deal with *HAKU* tonight. Bless me. But first, Randy Savage plans to be a royal pain in Jimmy Snuka’s behind. OOO YEAH! Somebody call my momma, the Bushwhackers are here! Oh, and can’t forget about this next one. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, Ted DiBiase and Zeus are together. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! And finally, Hulk says all of DiBiase’s money can’t buy him the WWF title. Umm, somebody roll the tape from I believe the date was February 5, 1988 in Hogan’s life. His memory not so good. This is all so confusing, so it must be time for Saturday Night’s Main Event!

Your hosts are Vince McMahon and Jesse “The Male Cleopatra” Ventura.

Jimmy Snuka vs. Randy Savage (w/Queen Sherri)

Savage attacks right at the bell, but then runs into a double chop and a Jumping Headbutt. HUGE atomic drop puts Savage on the floor and we are rockin’ and rollin’! Back in, Sherri grabs Snuka’s foot to help out her man. Jumping knee drop from Savage gets two. Snuka gets dumped out for a flying double-sledge. With the ref distracted, Sherri and Savage take turns choking Snuka on the apron. Savage hits a high knee to the back and Snuka starts to JIMMY UP! He chops Savage into an oblivion. Savage flips himself into the corner and gets stuck in a tree of woe. Snuka shoves the ref around and that allows Sherri to free Savage up and sneak her loaded purse to him. Sherri gets grabbed on the apron as Savage nails Snuka with the purse! Savage gets rid of the evidence and rolls up Snuka using the tights and gets 1-2-3. (5:39) Savage tries the MACHO ELBOW after the match, but Snuka moves. He heads up for the SUPERFLY SPLASH, but Sherri stands in his way long enough for Savage to get to his feet. He winds up leaping over Sherri and headbutts Savage out of the ring. Ahh, Savage is always fun. **

WWF Flashback: They show clips of Zeus from the past five months where Hogan has been completely unable to stop him. When a chairshot doesn’t phase your enemy, it’s time to leave.

WWF World Champion Hulk Hogan vs. Ted DiBiase (w/Zeus) – Million Dollar Match

DiBiase has bought him a new insurance policy so he can finally grasp hold of the WWF title for real this time. Yeah, I don’t know what a ‘Million Dollar Match’ is exactly. Just a fancy subtitle, I guess. Zeus starts grabbing Hulk’s ankles right from the start. Hogan unloads on DiBiase, but Zeus grabs his foot again and they start choking one another. DiBiase nails Hulk, but Hogan comes right back and charges into the corner with an elbow. He starts pounding away on DiBiase past the five count, so ref Earl Hebner pulls him off Ted by the little hair that he has left! When Hogan goes to argue with Hebner, DiBiase rakes the face and Zeus gets in some more choking. Hulk’s Survivor Series teammate Jake Roberts comes down to even the score. DiBiase gets distracted by Roberts and rolled up by Hulk for 1-2-NO! Hogan avoids a pair of elbow drops and fires away on DiBiase. Meanwhile, Virgil runs down and jets past Roberts to grab Damien’s bag to bring Jake away from ringside. I miss heels having backup plans like that. DiBiase clotheslines Hulk out to the floor as we go to break. AND WE’RE BACK! Hogan fights out of a chinlock into a double-KO. Zeus nails Hulk as he comes off the ropes to cut off his comeback. DiBiase hits the Fist Drop and a flying knee drop. Cover, 1-2-NO! It’s HULK UP time! He connects with the three punches and a Big Boot, but Zeus comes in and grabs Hogan from behind. Heel miscommunication ensues and DiBiase gets caught in a small package for 1-2-3. (8:03) Hogan and Zeus have another standoff. DiBiase nails Hulk from behind and tells Zeus to twist his head off. Sounds like a plan to me. Hogan gets his head twisted, leaving DiBiase and Zeus to stand tall. It’s like Jesse Ventura is booking everything Zeus does. DiBiase clamps on the MILLION DOLLAR DREAM until Jake Roberts and Damien scare them away. **½

WWF Flashback: The Roddy Piper/Rick Rude feud.

Roddy Piper vs. Haku (w/Bobby Heenan)

Now Piper will take out the Heenan Family one-by-one starting with Haku to get at Rick Rude. Piper delivers some Misawa blows to Haku to start. I’m talking a Rolling Elbow in there, folks. Haku takes a clothesline to the floor and Boobsy gets chased around. Haku saves Heenan with a clothesline. Back in, Haku delivers a shoulderbreaker for two. He tries a flying splash, but there’s nobody home. Here comes Piper! He finishes Haku off with a belly-to-belly suplex? (3:03) What, is he Rick Steiner now? Harmless Heenan Family beating. *

Tito Santana (w/Red Rooster, Brutus Beefcake & Dusty Rhodes) vs. Rick Martel (w/Slick, Big Bossman, Akeem, Honky Tonk Man & Jimmy Hart)

Martel brings his Survivor Series team with him to the ring, so Santana returns the favor. Huge slugfest to start. Santana surprises Martel with a crossbody for two. Martel goes low and yanks Tito into the corner. Martel quickly ducks low off a whip and Santana’s back in control. FLYING JALAPENO! Cover, 1-2-NO! Slick gets up on the apron to get Santana off the cover. It ALMOST breaks down to an eight-man brawl as we go to break. AND WE’RE BACK! Martel nails Santana from behind and avoids a clothesline, which takes Santana to the floor. Back in, Martel starts to work on the back to possibly set up for the Quebec Crab. Santana elbows out of a chinlock and gets a backslide for 1-2-NO! I love how Martel sells the backslide – when he goes down, it’s like falling backwards off a cliff. Martel applies the QUEBEC CRAB, but Santana is quickly in the ropes. Santana powers out into a pinning predicament for 1-2-NO! Martel hits a backbreaker and heads up top, but Santana shakes the ropes and crotches his former Strike Force partner. Santana proceeds to beat the ever living crap out of Martel and looks to go for the Figure Four until Slick gets up on the apron again. That causes Bossman to hop in the ring and this eight-man brawl cannot be postponed any longer. As a result, both guys are DQ’ed. (8:11) One of my personal favorite rivalries that never got the right payoff. ***

The Bushwhackers vs. The Rougeau Brothers (w/Jimmy Hart)

Before the match really gets under way, Jimmy Hart gets stripped down to his French Canadian boxers by the Bushwhackers and he runs to the back in shame. The Rougeaus attack after the fact and deliver the Quebec crab/knee drop combo to Butch. Jacques connects with the jumping reverse elbow, but then accidentally hits Raymond with a high knee. HOT TAG TO LUKE! Jacques flips over Luke, but gets nailed with a clothesline. Raymond runs in and elbow drops his brother by accident and the Rougeaus take a DOUBLE NOGGIN KNOCKER! BATTERING RAM to Jacques, and the Double Gutbuster gets the 1-2-3. (3:20) Never seen the Rougeaus dominated like that before by a comedy team. ½*

As usual, we close the show out with Hulk Hogan, brother. He whines about his neck and vows revenge at the Survivor Series. Now we know where his son learned how to whine.

Final Thoughts: Not a bad show to tag along with the Survivor Series. For any other reason, you may just want to check it out for Santana vs. Martel. Thumbs in the middle for SNME #23.