Written by: Matt Peddycord
WWF: Madison Square Garden
New York City, NY
December 28, 1990
The current WWF champs were as follows:
World Champion: Ultimate Warrior (4/1/1990)
Intercontinental Champion: Mr. Perfect (11/19/1990)
World Tag Team Champions: The Hart Foundation (8/27/1990)
Your hosts are Gorilla Monsoon and Lord Alfred Hayes.
- Koko B. Ware vs. Black Bart
Koko controls to start and causes Bart to reevaluate himself on the floor. Back in, Koko stomps on Bart’s hands during a test of strength and dropkicks him to the outside. Back in again, Black Bart rakes the face and kicks Koko down into the corner. He drops Koko throat-first on the top rope for two. Koko escapes a chinlock, but runs into a double-KO. He avoids an elbow drop and tries a slam, but Black Bart is just too big and falls on top for two. Black Bart misses a charge and gets rolled up for 1-2-NO! Suplex gets two. Bart goes to the face again and starts pounding Koko, but he hulks up with a forearm smash and a jumping headbutt. Missile dropkick sets up the GHOSTBUSTER for the 1-2-3. (10:09) Sometimes matches just happen. Nothing wrong with it, but it doesn’t stay in your memory for very long. *
- Jimmy Snuka vs. The Warlord
Warlord attacks from behind and pounds on Snuka. He telegraphs a backdrop though. Snuka tries a ten-count chop, but Warlord comes out with an inverted atomic drop and runs him down with a clothesline. Snuka tries to chop back, but Warlord boots him out to the floor. Warlord tries to win via countout by backing Snuka into the ringpost, but he just winds up giving him a suplex back into the ring since that doesn’t get the job done. Bearhug, but Snuka headbutts out and follows up with a flying headbutt for 1-2-NO! Snuka with more chops, but he charges into a hotshot. Warlord continues to choke Snuka on the top rope past the five count, so he gets DQ’ed. (8:37) Snuka comes back after the bell and chops Warlord out of the ring. ¾*
The Gobbledygooker comes out and dances with some kids and Howard Finkel. And you thought he was done at Survivor Series. Nah uh.
- The Rockers vs. Power & Glory
Now THIS might be good. Michaels puts Roma out to ringside so he and Jannetty can double-team Hercules with STEREO SUPERKICKS. Herc finds that cute and beats on Jannetty’s back before tossing him inside to Roma. Jannetty tries a sunset flip and avoids the punch from Roma. Another sliding move in from the apron and he tags Shawn. Roma thinks he’s missed the punch from Shawn, but then turns back around into a punch from Jannetty. While Shawn tries a ten-count corner punch, he flies back on top of Hercules to finish the ten count. P&G get whipped into each other as Jannetty slingshots Shawn into a double shoulderblock on the two. Now they clean house with STEREO SUPERKICKS. Back in, Herc jumps Michaels with a forearm and slows the pace down. Jannetty gets drawn in several times as P&G take advantage of the opportunity. Hercules misses a charge and Jannetty gets a tag as the Rockers start winding up Herc’s arm. During a wristlock on the mat, Hercules stands up and stomps Jannetty in the face to break loose and tag Roma. He runs right into an armdrag though. The Rockers work off an armbar for a while. However, Jannetty gets shoved off into the ropes and gets nailed by Hercules. Roma drops the ball though and gets hit with a clothesline out of the corner. Tag to Shawn, Hercules pulls the top rope down on him as he goes flying out to the floor. Now Hercules tags in and while he draws in Jannetty, Roma backs Shawn into the apron and then gives him a slam. Shawn takes the Ray Stevens corner bump to set up a bearhug. P&G continue to toil with Shawn for a while cutting the ring in half. Eventually, a false tag spot ensues. Roma takes out Jannetty with a dropkick. As they set up Shawn for the Power-Plex, the middle rope breaks! At least it isn’t the top rope this time. Jannetty pushes Roma off the top. Meanwhile, Shawn avoids the superplex and clotheslines Herc down. HOT TAG TO JANNETTY! As the match breaks down, Hercules turns a small package over into Roma’s favor, then Shawn gives the advantage back to Jannetty for 1-2-NO! Tag to Shawn, Roma takes a double slam and Hercules eats another superkick. Rocket Launcher to Roma! Oh, but the bell rings signifying a time-limit draw. (21:18) Everyone was feeling it here tonight. I liked this one. After the bell, the Rockers clean house and sit in some chairs in the ring asking P&G to come get some. They just take their chains and go home. ***½
- Greg Valentine (w/Jimmy Hart) vs. Saba Simba
Poor Tony Atlas doing the native African gimmick. Lots of blows in this one. Valentine does the face-first sell and heads to the floor to regroup. Back in, he elbows Saba and headbutts the groin. Simba fights out of a chinlock and gets dumped to the floor for his troubles. He refuses to take that crap and heads right back in to beat him down. Valentine still manages to stomp Simba in the corner. Saba blocks the FIGURE-FOUR and starts to NO-SELL. He telegraphs a backdrop and gets nailed though. Valentine drops the Hammer and gets two. Simba comes back with turnbuckle smashes. Valentine reverses a cross-corner whip and while he’s punching Simba, the ref gets pushed away for the DQ. (8:29) Jimmy comes in with Honky Tonk Man’s guitar and KABONGS Valentine to bust him open by mistake. When Valentine figures out what happened, the crowd encourages him to blast Jimmy. He starts to get really incensed as the crowd erupts. He asks the crowd if he should slap the taste out of Jimmy’s mouth, but Jimmy gets away just in the nick of time. Probably the biggest match for the Saba Simba gimmick. ½*
- Hulk Hogan & Tugboat vs. Earthquake & Dino Bravo (w/Jimmy Hart)
Last month in MSG, Quake and Bravo doubled up on Hogan. This month, he’s got his buddy with him. Bravo starts off with the Hulkster and pushes him off into the corner. Next time, it’s Hulk with the power advantage. As he flexes, Bravo charges into a backdrop. Now Hulk punches everybody including Jimmy Hart and then atomic drops Bravo into between he and Tugboat for some ping-pong. Tag to Tuggie, they deliver a double back elbow. Tugster grabs a wristlock for a short while and tags Hulk. He hits a running corner back elbow and then follows up with a turnbuckle smash on the opposite side. Back to Tugamania. Now they hit Bravo with a double big boot. Bravo catches Tug charging at him in the corner with a boot and follows up with an inverted atomic drop. Tag to Quake, he misses an elbow and Hogan tags. He pounds Quake and slams Bravo for a warm-up slam before slamming Quake. Hogan continues with clotheslines and boots. Tag to Tuggerino, he avalanches Quake and runs him down with a clothesline. As he comes off the ropes, Bravo nails Tugmeister with the megaphone. Whoops. Tag to Bravo, he covers Tugboat for 1-2-NO! Hogan gets drawn in as Bravo and Quake deliver a double clothesline to Tug. Big splash by Quake, but Hogan breaks up the pin. Standard tag stuff as Bravo cuts the ring in half with a headlock on the Shockmaster. Hogan gets a false-tag and Toots gets double-slammed. Quake hits an elbow drop and calls for the EARTHQUAKE SPLASH, but Hogan cuts him off with a clothesline. HOT TAG TO HOGAN! Three punches, Big Boot, and Bravo stumbles around into a schoolboy for the 1-2-3. (9:24) Same old Hulk, but boy was he into this. After they pose for the crowd for a few minutes, Quake and Jimmy head back inside the ring. Tugboat gets powered by Jimmy while Quake blasts Hogan with a steel chair and gives him the EARTHQUAKE SPLASH. They try to give Hogan the stretcher job, but he will not go out like this. Not again! Tugster helps Hulk backstage as they are just the best of friends. *½
- Kerry Von Erich vs. Virgil
DiBiase was supposed to meet KVE here, but he’s recovering from knee surgery. Virgil catches Kerry on the apron to start and makes him stay out on the floor after bouncing his face off the steps. While back on the apron, Von Erich pulls Virgil out to the floor and hits him with the TORNADO PUNCH. Now he makes Virgil pay by bouncing his face off the steps THREE times. Inside the ring, Von Erich misses a corner charge and runs his shoulder into the post. Now Virgil grabs an armbar. Kerry fights out and hits a backdrop. Virgil begs off, but takes a suplex anyway. Another backdrop by Kerry and he grabs a Boston crab. When that doesn’t work, he goes for the CLAW. Virgil makes the ropes, but can’t duck the TORNADO PUNCH as Kerry picks up the three-count. (7:55) Afterwards, Virgil asks for a handshake and gets it. Gorilla likes it. ¾*
Jimmy Hart comes out and tells the crowd that what happened to Hulk Hogan tonight was just the beginning. As for Greg Valentine, the Honky Tonk Man issues a challenge to him for next month’s MSG show. Jimmy doesn’t think Valentine has the guts to accept, but where is Honky Tonk Man in January? Not in the WWF.
- Dusty Rhodes & Hacksaw Jim Duggan vs. Sgt. Slaughter & Gen. Adnan
Slaughter gets owned to start and takes that crazy corner bump he does out to the floor. Duggan does most of the work as Dusty comes in every so often for some Bionic Elbows. Adnan grabs Duggan’s foot allowing Slaughter to clothesline Duggan out to the floor. Dusty keeps trying to help Duggan while Slaughter and Adnan dish out the pain on the floor using the ringpost and steps. Back in, they cut the ring in half on Duggan. Slaughter hits a backbreaker, but misses a flying knee drop. HOT TAG TO DUSTY! He’s all elbows and punches, but then misses a corner charge. Slaughter calls for the CAMEL CLUTCH, but Duggan knocks him away. Adnan makes him pay by jabbing him with the flagpole into his kidney. That causes Duggan to chase Adnan back to the locker room. Meanwhile in the ring, Slaughter applies the CAMEL CLUTCH until Dusty can’t continue. (9:10) After the bell, Duggan returns to the ring and chases away Slaughter with his 2×4. *
- WWF Intercontinental Champion Mr. Perfect vs. Roddy Piper
Gorilla feels Bobby Heenan is conspicuous by his absence. After a staredown, Piper slaps Perfect silly back into the corner. Perfect tries a waistlock, but Piper elbows him back. Now Piper wins a chop fest and knocks Perfect out onto the announce table. Back in, he pulls Perfect around by his hair. Perfect tries a low blow, but Piper stops him and tosses him over the top rope to the floor. Piper follows him out and bounces a chair off his face. They fight up the aisle where Perfect’s singlet gets ripped. Back in again, Piper rips more of the singlet and punches Perfect through the ropes. While he’s leaned up against the bottom rope, he pokes Perfect in the eyes. Nyuk nyuk nyuk. Double-KO ensues. Once Perfect is up, he exposes a turnbuckle and smashes Piper’s face onto the steel. Cover, 1-2-NO! Now Perfect punts Piper a few times and then dropkicks him out to the floor. He makes Piper pay for everything by bouncing his head off the guardrail and jabbing a chair into his throat. Back in, Perfect hooks a sleeper and uses the ropes for leverage. A jawbreaker helps Piper escape. Perfect slugs Piper and tries a suplex, but Piper falls on top for 1-2-NO! Piper fires back with a knee lift for two. Perfect though nails a clothesline and delivers the PERFECTPLEX for 1-2-NO! Piper sneaks a schoolboy for 1-2-NO! Piper takes a backdrop to the floor and after Perfect tosses him back in, Piper shakes the ropes with Perfect on the top rope causing him to fall back to the floor for the countout. Doesn’t the count usually stop when you’re on the apron? (12:38) After the bell, Perfect attacks with the belt and fails. Piper runs him into the post and then gives him a belt shot. And that’s that. **½
Final Thoughts: Check out the Rockers/P&G match, but everything else is forgettable. Unless you care that much about the Greg Valentine face turn.