WWF Wrestlefest 1990

Written by: Matt Peddycord

WWF WrestleFest ’90

Macho King Randy Savage (w/Queen Sherri) vs. Roddy Piper – (taped 1/22/90)

Sherri gets all up in Piper’s face, allowing Savage to come off the top to start. It doesn’t help a whole lot as Piper goes right after him. Piper takes Savage’s head to the turnbuckle and an atomic drop, followed by a clothesline for two. Sherri interferes and it backfires once again. Piper gets in a sunset flip for two, but Savage comes back with an elbow. Piper comes back with a small package for two. Savage bails and Piper beats on him back to the ring. Sherri distracts Piper again and Savage regains control. Savage connects with a double-axe handle from the top for two. Top-rope neck snap and a knee to the back sends Piper flying out to the floor, and then follows him out with a double axe-handle on the floor. Back in the ring and Savage chokes on him for a couple of pinfall attempts. Piper fights up with elbows and a clothesline, then he boxes him in the corner and bites. Savage flips in the corner and hangs in the Tree of Woe, allowing Piper the chance to kick on him REAL good. Piper goes OLD SKOOL with the airplane spin and drops him down. Piper regroups and covers for 1, 2, NO! However, Piper is still pretty dizzy and falls back on a slam, giving Savage a near-fall. Savage does his own airplane spin! This one is even faster and twice as long. He goes to the top to finish, but he’s SO DIZZY and just falls off to the floor! Piper goes out with Savage to beat on him some more for the double-countout. (9:30) It was classic Macho Man material, but I just hate count-outs! Post-match, Piper puts Savage in the SLEEPER! Then he turns around and gives one to Sherri! Savage breaks it up, but then gets beat down again. Piper goes out and grabs a leather belt from somewhere and chases the King and Queen away! **

WWF IC Champion Ultimate Warrior vs. Dino Bravo (w/Jimmy Hart & Earthquake) – (taped 2/14/90)

Immediately, Warrior delivers a powerslam! He tries to go up top, but Earthquake is there to pull him down and cause him to give chase while Bravo does a sneak attack. Back in, Warrior gets a hiptoss and takes Bravo’s head to the buckle. Warrior tries to come off the ropes, but Earthquake is there to yank his boot. Dino comes up from behind and knocks Warrior out to the floor. As Dino plays to the crowd, Warrior crawls underneath the ring and grabs Jimmy Hart by the leg. Somehow, his pants come off and he gets pressed into Earthquake’s arms. Warrior tries to get back in, but gets kneed back out by Bravo. Warrior yanks Bravo out with him and chops away. Back in, Bravo ducks low off a whip and takes a suplex. Warrior goes for the GUERILLA SPLASH, but Bravo brings up his knees. They do a test-of-strength, but Warrior kicks out. Bravo avoids a corner charge and delivers a back suplex. It’s bearhug time! Wow, Bravo HUMPS the guy when he locks on his bearhug. Warrior punches out and applies a bearhug of his own, but then gets poked in the eye. Dino delivers an inverted atomic drop, but misses a leg drop. Warrior slams Bravo but then sells a back injury, allowing Bravo to knee him in the back to send him to the floor. Bravo keeps the ref busy while Earthquake slams Warrior out on the floor. Back in, Bravo hits the SIDE SUPLEX! He covers for 1, 2, NO! Warrior gets up and shakes the ropes, hits three clotheslines, the flying shoulder block and then the GUERILLA SPLASH as Earthquake comes in to break up the pin to give Warrior the DQ win. (8:14) Post-match, Earthquake DESTROYS Warrior with a pair of elbows and then drags him over to a corner to splash him as Hogan comes down to save the Warrior! This was actually a fairly entertaining match. *½

They do a little funny promo on Mr. Fuji who explains how DEVIOUS he is. HE IS EVIL INDEED!

Brutus Beefcake vs. Rick Martel – (taped 12/28/89 in MSG)

Good gosh, Hillbilly Jim does color commentary with Monsoon here and he sounds more redneck than all the Blue Collar Comedy Tour guys combined could EVER hope to be. These two guys must get paid BIG bucks to waste time because they are doing everything but wrestle in the first two or three minutes as they argue over who has the better body. Seriously though, WHO CARES! Beefcake goes for the SLEEPER immediately, which causes Martel to bail and waste more time. Martel gets back in for some more stalling where he does the “shake my hand” bit and gets kicked in the gut for it. Beefcake does the ten-count corner punch and then goes to headlock. Martel shoves him off and tries a monkey flip, but Beefcake puts on the brakes and stomps him in the face. Martel counters out of another ten-count punch for an inverted atomic drop. A whole lot of stomping by Martel preludes a chinlock. FINALLY, Brutus fights up but goes down after taking a knee to the gut. A Martel knee drop gets two. Beefcake gets in an inside cradle for two. Ha, someone in the front row has a Four Horsemen t-shirt! Martel gets crotched up top and falls to the canvas after some shots from Beefcake. A pair of atomic drops and a clothesline sends Martel out to the floor. Beefcake goes out and throws Martel back in and then tries a sunset flip, but Martel holds on to the top rope for the cheap win. (12:30) That was a chore to sit through. After the match, Beefcake gives Martel the SLEEPER and tries to cut his hair, but Martel escapes just in time. *

We get a word from the Hart Foundation who is PISSED OFF that they don’t have the tag titles. Well, they didn’t say pissed off, but they weren’t happy about it.

The Hart Foundation vs. The Powers of Pain (w/ Mr. Fuji) (taped 1/23/90)

Alright! This one has Tony Schiavone in it! Barbarian and Anvil start and trade some shoulderblocks. After a little miscommunication from the heels, Anvil gets a quick rollup on Barbarian for two. Bret comes in to take on the Barbarian. Bret sneaks in a blind tag to Anvil and that causes a double-team attack to occur for two. The Harts trade some tags and work on Barbarian’s arm. He fights out and tags in Warlord, who immediately misses an elbow drop. Anvil tags in and starts working on the Warlord’s arm. They give the Warlord the same treatment by tagging in and out while working the arm. Warlord finally breaks free with a backbreaker and tags in Barbarian. Now the PoP tag in and out while working on Bret’s back. Bret finally makes the hot tag to Anvil and takes out both men. Fuji trips up Anvil and that causes him to go out after him, which brings everybody out to the floor. Warlord holds Neidhart for Fuji to whack him with his cane, but Anvil moves and slides back in the ring to cause the PoP to lose by countout. (10:37) This was kinda boring to be honest. After the match comes the most exciting part where Bret destroys the PoP with Fuji’s cane! Shortly after this, they split up the PoP for good and put Barbarian with Heenan and Warlord with Slick as mid-card singles guys. ½*

The Hart Foundation vs. Honky Tonk Man & Dino Bravo (w/Jimmy Hart) (taped 8/9/89)

Bravo gets a stiff shoulderblock out of a headlock to start, but then turns around into a small package from Bret to start. Bravo kicks Bret down but then takes a shot in the back from Anvil and then a high crossbody from Bret for two. A Thesz Press (!) from Bret gets a near-fall. HTM tags in and immediately gets nailed by the Hitman. Anvil tags in and together, he and Bret give Honky Tonk a wishbone split! After delivering some shoulderblocks in the corner, Anvil lifts Honky up for a bearhug. Honky gets out with an eyepoke and tags in Bravo. They trade blows and then Anvil gets caught with an inverted atomic drop. Bravo goes over and nails Bret to bring him in to cause a double-team stomping on Anvil. They keep Anvil in their corner and beat on Anvil real good for a while. Honky misses a fist drop as Anvil makes the hot tag to Bret. He gets a rollup off the ropes on HTM for two. Bret hits the middle-rope elbow as Bravo comes in to break up the pin. Everything begins to breakdown as all fours guys are in the ring. The Harts do the double cross-corner collision, but Bravo reverses Bret into Honky. While the ref is trying to get Anvil out of the ring, Jimmy Hart tosses his megaphone in the ring for Bravo. As he leans over to pick it up, Bret surprises Bravo with a sunset flip but Bravo isn’t the legal man so it doesn’t matter. I guess Bret wasn’t ALWAYS the smartest wrestler ever. Anvil comes back in and nails both Honky and Bravo with the megaphone, causing them to lose by DQ. (8:57) That’s five matches down and zero clean wins. *

The Hart Foundation vs. The Rockers (8/29/89)

This just might be the highlight of the tape right here. I’ve still got my fingers crossed for Hogan/Perfect. Bret and Marty start. Jannetty gets a crossbody for two and then applies an armbar. Shawn tags in and comes off the top with an axe handle to Bret’s arm. Michaels continues to work on the arm and then whips Bret in the ropes. Shawn leapfrogs over Bret a couple times and gets caught with an inverted atomic drop. Neidhart tags in and dominates Shawn with some power moves. Bret turns heel for a second and nails Shawn in the head from the apron off a whip, then comes in to deliver a nice back breaker. Neidhart tags in and places a knee to Shawn’s neck to rest. So wait, are the Harts heels at this point or not? Shawn fights out but then runs into a bearhug. Bret tags in and hammers Shawn in the corner. Then, Bret tries a backbreaker off a whip but Shawn flips out and slams Bret, only to be hit with an elbow to the head to stop a tag. Neidhart tags in again and delivers a standing dropkick (!) for two. A HUGE backdrop from Anvil gets two. Bret tags in and comes at Shawn with elbows to the head. The Harts try a double-team catapult splash from the apron, but Shawn rolls out of the way. After Bret tags in, Shawn reverses a cross-corner whip but then runs into a boot. Bret comes off the second rope for an elbow drop, but it misses. HOT TAG TO JANNETTY! Marty delivers a flying back elbow, dropkick, and a powerslam on Bret for 1, 2, NO! They clothesline each other out of the corner, which Bret seemed to have gotten the worst of, as Jannetty covers 1, 2, NO! Jannetty gets a knee-lift for two! Shawn tags in for a double superkick for one as Anvil makes the save. Snap suplex from Shawn gets two. Shawn jumps over Bret out of a cross-corner whip reversal, but then gets caught with a sick clothesline. Bret makes the tag to Anvil, who comes in and shoulderblocks Shawn to the other side of the ring. Anvil whips Shawn into Bret, sending Bret diving into the railing. Anvil goes out to check on Bret as the Rougeau Brothers come down to beat up the Rockers to cause a DQ in favor of the Rockers. The Harts make the save for the Rockers and help chase the Rougeaus back to the dressing room. (11:30) Good formula match, but I’ve never felt like the Harts/Rockers matches ever got the chance it deserved. **¾

They show a little vignette on how the WWF moving crew rolls.

WWF Champion Hulk Hogan vs. Mr. Perfect (w/The Genius) (1/15/90 at MSG)

Match of the tape? My fingers are crossed! Hogan looks PISSED! Actually, I am too! Hillbilly Jim is back on commentary! AHH! After Perfect takes a walk out on the floor, they lock up with Hogan shoving Perfect into the corner, so Perfect takes another walk. Back in, Hogan gets a pair of slams that causes Perfect to roll out again. This time, Hogan goes out after him. DOUBLE-NOGGIN KNOCKER! Hogan throws both Genius and Perfect in to cause him to get a double-stomping which leads to him beating up two men at once. A back elbow into the ropes causes Perfect to get his neck caught in between them as Hogan sends Genius out with a pair of atomic drops. While the ref tries to break Perfect free, Hogan comes over and starts wailing on him while he’s still in the ropes! What the heck, Hulk? Hogan runs out again and rams Genius into the ringpost. Good gosh, Hulk! CALM DOWN! Back in, Hogan pounds away and charges at Perfect in the corner with a back elbow to send him flying out to the floor again. Hogan goes out for another double-noggin knocker (it’s not as cool a second time to earn all caps) before throwing Perfect back in the ring. Hogan controls with ordinary Hogan offense until he ducks low off a whip. Perfect stomps and chokes Hulk all around the ring before knocking him out to the floor. Perfect goes out after him and tries to whip Hogan into the ringpost, but Hogan reverses. Hogan sends Perfect into the post once more before coming back in the ring. Perfect sneaks a shoulder into the gut from the apron and drives Hulk face-first into the buckle. Hogan tries to slam Perfect off the top, but Perfect pokes him in the eye REAL good. I know how people like to say Hogan doesn’t sell, but I think he really did get thumbed in the eye here as he just holds his eye and doesn’t sell the double-ax from the middle rope. Perfect hooks on a sleeper as Hogan crumbles to the mat. Hogan’s arm drops twice, but not three times as he hulks up. He tries to elbow out but Perfect ends up on his back. As Hogan runs towards the corner to drive Perfect’s face into the buckle, Perfect shoves him off instead. Perfect goes up top and gets crotched. While still in a bad position, Hogan lifts Perfect up by his hair and repeatedly drops him crotch-first on the buckle! Hogan delivers an atomic drop and kicks Perfect’s legs all up in the ropes as he does that flip-sell that he does. Hogan comes off the ropes for an elbow drop, but Perfect moves out of the way. Perfect gets the PERFECTPLEX, but Hulk kicks free at two. It’s Hulk Up time! One punch, two punch, three punch, and the big boot sends Perfect flying over the top rope to the floor. Perfect pulls Hogan out with him on the floor and tries to WHACK him with a steel chair against the ringpost, but Hogan ducks. Perfect gets back in the ring. While the ref is trying to get Hulk back in the ring, Perfect gets some taped knucks from Genius and then nails Hogan with him once he gets on the apron. Just as it looks Hogan is out cold, he rises up and makes it back into the ring. Perfect tries to nail Hogan again with the taped knucks, but Hogan blocks and steals the object off of Hennig’s hand. He takes it and knocks Perfect out, but the ref saw the whole freakin’ thing and DQ’s Hogan. (13:38) Not nearly as good as their SNME match. While for the most part it was good, there was just too much punch-kick-sleeper hold stuff. After the match, Hogan chases everybody out so he can have the ring all to himself to pose WAY longer than any human ever should. **½

The tape should’ve ended right here, but instead we get…

Ted DiBiase & Akeem (w/Virgil & Slick) vs. Jake Roberts & Ultimate Warrior – Special Referee: Big Bossman (taped 3/6/90)

Now I know Akeem and Bossman hate each other and that Roberts and DiBiase hate each other, but what does Warrior have to do with this? Anybody want to shed some light on that? Why didn’t they just do Bossman/Roberts vs. Akeem/DiBiase? Was Bossman injured or something? Onto the match, Roberts and DiBiase start it off exchanging wristlocks. Roberts pounds away and tries the DDT, but DiBiase rolls out of it. Back in, DiBiase gets whipped shoulder-first into the buckle as Roberts continues his work on the arm. Roberts tries the DDT, but DiBiase avoids it. Back in, Akeem tags in and misses an elbow drop. Warrior tags in to a RIDICULOUS pop from the crowd as he comes off the middle rope with a double-ax to the arm. Warrior takes Akeem off his feet with a flying shoulderblock. Akeem reverses a whip in the corner but then runs into a boot and then takes a clothesline. Roberts tags in and tries the DDT on Akeem, but he backdrops out of it. He whips Roberts from corner-to-corner several times and then chokes on him. Bossman backs Akeem up for a staredown. DiBiase tags in and nails Roberts in the shoulder off the middle rope. He stomps on Roberts while taunting Warrior at the same time. What a great heel. Piledriver by DiBiase! He covers for 1, 2, NO! Roberts gets his foot on the bottom rope. Akeem tags in and hits the Bossman straddle on Roberts. DiBiase tags in and applies a reverse chinlock, but Roberts fights out with a jawbreaker. Roberts gets an inverted atomic drop, the short-arm clothesline and then signals for the DDT. Virgil gets up on the apron as DiBiase pushes Roberts into the corner to prevent the DDT. HOT TAG TO WARRIOR! Clotheslines for DiBiase and a slam for Akeem leads to a GUERILLA SPLASH for the three-count as the crowd goes completely insane! (6:47) The Bossman and Warrior save Roberts from a post-match beatdown, but Virgil gets trapped and takes the DDT. Out comes Damien! And Bobby Walker said WCW held the black man down… *

Final Thoughts: This had less matches than the WrestleFest ’91, meaning it had less chances to suck. Macho Man being our host on the ’91 tape, compared to the ultra-bland Sean Mooney on this tape made this a little less fun for me. While it did have four watchable matches out of eight, nothing really blew me away. However, I did like seeing a rare match between Piper and Savage, which I only remember their stuff from their senior citizen days in WCW. The decent Warrior/Bravo match was fun. Plus, the Harts/Rockers match was worth seeing. Also Hulk and Perfect was good, but I’ve seen them do better. Let’s just go with thumbs in the middle leaning down for WrestleFest ’90.