WWF Prime Time Wrestling 4/20/1987

Written by: Man of Steel from Place To Be

Prime Time Wrestling
April 20, 1987
Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan

OPENING ANIMATION

Gorilla welcomes us to this week’s show, and he corrects Bobby that next week is his one year anniversary. This week we have a big time 6-man tag team match, plus “Fuji goes to Hollywood”.

Honky Tonk Man defeats George “The Animal” Steele by countout
3/21/87; Las Vegas, Nevada
Jesse Ventura and Bruno Sammartino

Very unusual combo of Jesse and Bruno doing this match, as there’s no real play-by-play guy like Vince or Gorilla. Usual Steele posturing as he keeps chasing Honky out of the ring. The third time Steele chases after Honky and they go back in the ring together. Finally Honky gets Steele to come back in the ring too slow and Honky clotheslines him into the ropes, tying Steele’s feet together. Honky gets some cheap shots in while the ref undoes Steele’s feet. Steele gets loose and goes off on Honky, lifting him up by the throat and dropping him to the mat. Honky heads out of the ring and Steele chases him. Jimmy Hart cuts Steele off and the Animal goes after him. However Honky gets back in the ring and the ref counts Steele out. Wow that was a colossal waste of time.

-After the commercial break, we head to the update room with Craig DeGeorge which updates us on the firing of Brutus Beefcake by Johnny Valiant, and the hiring of Dino Bravo to join Greg Valentine as the new Dream Team.

-From there we go to part 3 of “The Ken Patera Story”, where they go into detail what happened in Wisconsin when he threw the rock through the McDonalds window (with a co-defendant, which in reality was Mr. Saito) and then the cops went to the motel and a melee ensued. Patera got 2 years in the pokey, of which he blamed Bobby Heenan for everything. When the piece finished Gorilla held Bobby responsible. Honestly, though this was one of those “Push a storyline to make the face look good even when it makes no sense” cases. Why should a guy’s manager be responsible for his take out meal? Or fighting with the cops? This whole thing was really dumb, but in the kayfabe era we were all supposed to fall for it. I never liked Ken Patera anyway so I didn’t care.

Outback Jack defeats The Raider with a clothesline to the back of the head
3/11/87; Columbus, Ohio
Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan

We’re back to studio and Bobby is still pissed off, and frankly I don’t blame him. We start the match and the men exchange blows, but Jack gets the better of it and concludes with a knee lift. They lock up again and The Raider with a headlock and a right hand. Snap mare and a boot to the chest. More right hands but Jack fights back with shots of his own and a low clothesline. He then comes from behind with a clothesline to the back of the head for the 3 count. Wow this 6-man tag main event must be pretty long if the other matches this week are on the express line.

-Gorilla and Bobby are really getting heated up about this Ken Patera situation, as Gorilla said Bobby should have made Patera see things more clearly, instead of feeling invincible. Bobby wants his attorneys. We now go to an interview with Mean Gene and Koko B. Ware (Bigelow34 favorite) and he says he wants to take out Danny Davis. Nice continuity as they did have a match on Prime Time last week.

B. Brian Blair defeats Moondog Spot with a sunset flip
7/20/85; Landover, Maryland
Gorilla Monsoon and Gene Okerlund

This match is joined in progress as Blair reverses a headlock into an atomic drop and Doggie bails. Spot back in and another headlock into a hammerlock by Blair. Reverse elbow by Spot breaks it but off the ropes and he walks into a body slam. Dog begs off and the crowd’s going crazy. They lock up and Blair with an armbar into a fireman’s carry. Spot pushes Blair into the corner and a head butt. Blair whips Spot into the other corner and Blair with a back drop and elbow for 2. Back to the armbar into a hammerlock and we have a few moments of bridges and knee drops by Blair. I’m sure Brunzell and Moondog Rex wrestled elsewhere in the card. Spot reverses the hammerlock, but Blair flips over into a shoulder block but Spot with a knee lift. Spot with a shoulder block for 2. Spot with the right hands and puts Blair’s head into the turnbuckle a few times. Blair tries to fight back with some right hands but Spottie with a reverse atomic drop. Knee drop for a 2 count, and Spot with a headlock. In the 80’s we checked if the arm slips under the chin for a choke. Blair finally fights out of it and after some criss-crosses Blair gets a cross body for 2, then Spot with a cross body for 2. Spottie goes back to the headlock as we go to break. We’re back, Bobby’s not talking and Spot still has the headlock on Blair. Spot was always a solid, serviceable guy in these house show matches. This rest spot has gone on for a couple of minutes as Blair’s still trying to fight out of it. Blair fights to his feet and gets a jawjacker off to break the hold. The Cap Center crowd is buzzing as Blair with rights and lefts to the midsection and Spot is wobbling. Blair off the ropes with a clothesline and some elbows for 2. Blair with a butt drop and Spot hits the floor. Blair follows him and pitches Spot back in. Blair goes to the corner with some kicks and goes for an elbow but Spot moved out of the way and Blair hits the turnbuckle. He recovers and dodges a blind charge by Spot, who’s dazed and is completely caught off guard as Blair goes to the top rope and hits a sunset flip for the 3 count and the win. Nice match as the crowd was into it.

-Mean Gene does an interview with the Tag Team Champs, the Hart Foundation, and Jimmy Hart’s new find Danny Davis. Bret does a funny piece on Danny Davis being in the Cub Scouts and the Kiwanis Club.

-We’re back and Bobby introduces “Fuji goes to Hollywood”. It involves Fuji and Muraco finding an agent to represent them in Hollywood. It’s actually quite entertaining, better than any of the other pieces. It includes visiting Hulk Hogan’s Rock n Wrestling cartoon show.

-Next is Craig DeGeorge interviewing Elizabeth, who says its rough being with Randy Savage since losing the Intercontinental Title at Wrestlemania III. We then go to new Intercontinental Champion Ricky Steamboat, whose wife Bonnie announces that they’re having a “little dragon”. Of course that “little dragon” would lead to Steamboat losing the title in a few months, but more on that when we get there. Next clip is Craig DeGeorge with Randy Savage, who flips out because he’s not the champ.

Billy Jack Haynes, Roddy Piper & Hulk Hogan defeat Hercules, Paul Orndorff, & Adrian Adonis in a six-man elimination tag match
3/7/87; Boston, Massachusetts
Gorilla Monsoon

Wow, pretty juicy main event for a Prime Time. Hogan isn’t wearing the belt coming in, which is kind of strange. The bell rings and all 3 pairs start swinging at each other. As expected the faces get the advantage and clean the heels from the ring. Things settle down as Piper awaits Adonis in the middle of the ring. Gorilla doing this match solo. Hercules actually starts with Hogan, which jacks the crowd up. They lock up and Herc with forearms to the champ but Hogan whips him into the corner into a clothesline. Tag to Haynes and he gives the boots to Hercules, who rolls into his corner and tags Mr. Wonderful. Orndorff and Haynes look each other over. After a criss-cross Haynes with a cross body for 2. Crowd is excited as this must have been a real treat for us young fans back in 1987. Orndorff and Haynes lock up again and they battle until Orndorff gets an armdrag but Haynes with a head scissors. Orndorff kicks out and gets a headlock on Haynes, then tags to Adonis. Adrian with a headlock but he’s pushed off into a back body drop. Then walks into the wrong corner and eats a Hogan right hand. Haynes with a body slam and a tag to Piper. Adonis runs across the ring and tags Orndorff. Paul and the Hot Rod lock fingers as we go to break. We return and Orndorff takes control, but Piper turns the tables with a flip and a boot to the gut. He tags Hogan and the champ comes off the second rope with a double axe handle to the arm. Hogan winding the arm up and drops it over the top rope. Tag to Haynes and the arm continues to be wrenched. Armbar by Haynes but Orndorff backs up and blind tags Hercules who starts clubbing the surprised Billy Jack. Adonis comes in illegally to give Haynes the business as the ref turns around to get Hogan back in the corner. Hercules puts the boots to Haynes and his head into the turnbuckle. Haynes blocks a turnbuckle shot but Hercules with a big clothesline. Tag to Adonis and a flying elbow. Adrian works over Haynes’ knee. Adonis cheap shots Piper and Hogan tries to intervene but the ref stops him. Adonis with a power slam and he celebrates. Adonis lifts Haynes up for an atomic drop but he’s too close to Haynes’ corner and Billy Jack blind tags Piper and the Adorable One doesn’t know it. Piper goes off with rights and lefts as the crowd goes crazy. Piper whips Adonis into the corner and he goes over and out. All six men are brawling now and the bell rings. Adonis and Piper are both counted out, so now its 2 on 2. Piper sits in the ring with a steel chair and waits for Adonis, but the ref eventually makes him leave. We go to break as order is restored. A crazy, exciting main event with 2 breaks. Hercules catches Hogan with a blind clothesline as he and Mr. Wonderful give him the business. Back in the ring and Herc with right hands and knee drops. Tag to Orndorff and he gets some right hands in on Hogan. Orndorff with a series of elbow drops but Hogan gets out of the way of the last one and he throws some right hands, then a shot to Herc. Hogan went for a backdrop but Orndorff kicks him. Orndorff with some more boot shots. Hogan pushed into their corner and Herc holds Hogan wide open. Orndorff bounces off the ropes and Hogan predictably gets out of the way and Orndorff whacks Herc. The stunned Orndorff is rolled up by Hogan for a 3 count and he’s out. Now its Herc vs. Hogan and Haynes. Orndorff is beating on Hogan as Herc and Haynes are going at it. Orndoff whacks the ref for no reason and he leaves. Meanwhile Herc rolls up Haynes for a 3 count. So now its down to Hogan vs. Hercules and I wonder how this will turn out. Hercules gets his shots in and Hogan is down, then Hercules puts the backbreaker on him. Inexplicably (or explicable if you know 80’s Hogan matches) Herc puts Hogan down before he submits. He realizes his mistake but its too late, and the Hulkster starts shaking and Hogan blocks the punch and rams Herc’s head into all four turnbuckles. Clothesline, leg drop and good night Herc. Hogan postures as Real American blasts throughout Boston Garden. Bobby’s caught in the ring and Hogan tosses him out. Fun match, and probably a big surprise for us 1987 fans for a random Prime Time.

-Back to the studio to wrap things up as Gorilla brings out the cake slated for next week that was to commemorate the Brain’s 1 year with Prime Time. Bobby’s told the cake is no good, and he bends down to smell it, but the phone rings (Gorilla’s awaiting a call from Jack Tunney). Gorilla goes to pick it up and Bobby’s face goes into the frosting. Good way for a good show to end.

DRAMA’S TAKE: An exciting episode this week with a very hot main event, some good mid-card stuff and important interviews involving actual historic events, like Wrestlemania results, instead or random jabbering. The matches started really awful, but the Blair/Moondog match as well as that crazy hot 6-man tag match made for an overall fun show. The Ken Patera stuff is pretty lame, but the WWF needed to do something to fill the gap throughout the year. Overall a solid Prime Time that I would actually watch again, it was that entertaining. FINAL GRADE: B+