WWF House Show 5/4/1986

Written by: Bob Colling

World Wrestling Federation House Show
Date: 5/4/1986
From: Toronto, ON

Opening Contest: Don Kolov vs. Tiger Chung Lee: Neither one of these guys got a face reaction during their introduction. I’d have to think that Kolov was designed to be a good guy, but the fans simply didn’t care much about him. It’s a slow start to the match with Lee slowly controlling Kolov with a few basic strikes. Lee misses a splash in the corner and Kolov sent Lee to the floor with a dropkick. Lee returns to the ring and maintains control of the match with several strikes to drop Kolov to the canvas. Kolov runs into a boot in the corner and Lee wins the match with a tombstone piledriver. (*. It was only a few minutes long and the tombstone finisher was a good finish to get a pop from the crowd. This was pretty much an extended squash match.)

Second Contest: Scott McGhee vs. Johnny K9: McGhee got a decent reaction from the crowd. McGhee takes Johnny down with a fireman’s carry and controls the arm for a few moments. This has a similar start to the previous match as it is rather slow and they are keeping the action really simple and basic. Johnny comes off the ropes to it a falling headbutt for a two count. McGhee comes back with a few uppercuts and drives Johnny down to the canvas for a near fall. McGhee continues with a snap suplex for another near fall. McGhee blocks being sent into the ropes with an uppercut and a knee drop. Johnny misses a splash in the corner and McGhee wins the match with a German suplex. (*. Similar to the opener in that it was just a squash for McGhee, it felt like. McGhee had a good fire offense and the German suplex isn’t a normal finisher for the time, either. I’m liking that the action is short for these lower level matches.)

Third Contest: Bret Hart vs. Jim Brunzell: Brunzell has his left arm taped up and Bret believes that there is an illegal weapon in there. Bret works over Brunzell early with strikes to knock Brunzell down to the canvas. Hart kicks Brunzell in the midsection and stomps on Brunzell causing Jim to roll to the entrance ramp. Bret stomps on Brunzell as they are on the ramp. Brunzell gets to the floor and regroups while Hart taunts the fans. Brunzell takes Hart down and wraps his left leg around the ring post. Brunzell focuses his attack on the left leg kicking Hart to the canvas. Brunzell continues to beat on the left leg weakening the Hitman on the mat. Brunzell attempts the figure four but Hart kicks Jim’s injured arm away. Hart drops a few elbows and a leg drop to get the momentum. Hart is selling the knee pretty well, giving the match purpose. Hart drives Brunzell down with a backbreaker for a two count. Hart stops Brunzell with an atomic drop and locals in a sleeper hold. Brunzell tries to get out of the headlock with an atomic drop but Hart keeps hold. Brunzell breaks free in the corner but runs into a big boot. Hart comes off the middle rope a forearm shot for a two count. Brunzell nearly wins with a sunset flip rollup. Hart misses a clothesline and Brunzell decks Hart with his taped up arm. Brunzell delivers a leg drop and has the fans behind him. Brunzell works over Hart in the corner and tosses Bret chest first into the turnbuckle. Brunzell pummels Hart with several strikes. Brunzell dropkicks Hart but only manages a near fall. Brunzell punches Bret several times on the canvas. Hart eye rakes Brunzell and crotches Jim over the top rope, causing a disqualification. After the match, Hart beats on Brunzell for a few moments. (**. There was some decent action here as they kept a good face and it held my interest. I’d say it was a quality undercard match.)

Fourth Contest: Jim Neidhart vs. B. Brian Blair: Neidhart shows his strength advantage by shoving Blair away at the start of the match. Blair comes off the ropes to forearm Neidhart to the entrance way. Blair tries to send Neidhart across the ring but Jim counters with a few strikes. Neidhart misses a splash in the corner and is met with an arm drag out of the corner. Blair controls Neidhart on the mat with a knee drop to the arm. Blair tries to grab Jimmy Hart on the apron but is clubbed by Neidhart from behind. Neidhart works over Blair and hit a running shoulder strike to drop Blair. Neidhart keeps Blair on the canvas with a sleeper hold. Blair and Neidhart trade blows with Blair hitting an atomic drop and a clothesline. Blair continues to work over Neidhart in the corner and rubs Jim’s eyes over the top rope. Blair scoop slams Neidhart and heads to the middle rope to deliver an elbow strike but misses an elbow drop. Neidhart clubs over Blair a few more times and chokes him in the corner. Neidhart goes for a spear in the corner but Blair counters with a rollup and gets a three count! (*. This one didn’t do much for me. I’d rather have seen a tag match between these teams instead of two singles matches.) After the match, Bret Hart comes out to double team Blair. Brunzell runs in to make the save but he gets sent to the floor. Hart Foundation hit a double team elbow drop/back breaker on Blair. Brunzell runs them off with a steel chair. The aftermath was far more enjoyable than the match.

Fifth Contest: WWF Intercontinental Champion Randy Savage vs. Tito Santana in a no disqualification match: Savage puts Elizabeth in his way and quickly goes to work over Santana, who was distracted by that. Savage comes off the top but is met with a strike to the midsection. Santana works over Savage a few times and prevents Savage from escaping the ring. Santana rams Savage head first into the turnbuckle. Santana decks Savage with a right hand but Savage rolls to the floor. Santana quickly follows ramming Savage face first into a steel chair and follows up with chair shot to the head. Santana tosses Savage over the railing and brawls with the champ before bringing the action back to ringside. Santana comes off the middle rope to drop Savage with a forearm shot. Santana stomps on Savage while on the apron. Savage stops Tito with an eye rake and tosses Tito over the top to the floor. Tito fights back with a few punches to the midsection but runs into a knee in the corner. Savage comes off the top rope to hit a double axe handle. Savage chokes Santana over the top rope and continues to hammer away on the challenger. Savage connects with a knee drop and gets a two count. Savage clotheslines Santana for a near fall. Savage scoop slams Santana but misses a leaping knee drop attempt. Savage keeps Santana on the canvas with a forearm shot, again. Savage tries to get a three count but Santana continues to power out. Santana counters a slam attempt with an inside cradle for a two count. Savage decks Santana with a forearm shot and nearly wins. Savage tosses Santana to the floor where Savage leaps off with a double axe handle. Savage kicks Santana in the ribs on the floor and grabs a steel chair. Savage misses a chair shot hitting the ring post instead. Savage sends Santana over the railing but just sends Santana back into ringside. Savage comes off the railing with an axe handle.

Savage leaps off the top looking for an axe handle but Santana hit him in the ribs with a steel chair in midair! Santana continues to work over Savage ramming him head first onto the announcers table. Savage crawls up the ramp way trying to escape but Santana stops him again ramming Savage head first onto the ramp. Savage walks down the entrance steps but Santana sends him into the wall before bringing him back into the ring. Santana attempts a figure four but Savage stops Tito an eye rake. Savage is able to roll to the floor to buy himself some time but Santana comes out as well and kicks the champ several times. Santana sends Savage ribs first into the guard railing. Savage tosses Tito head first onto the announcers table. Santana is able to send Savage face first into the ring post and Savage has been busted wide open as a result. Savage struggles into the ring and Santana is unable to get to his feet. Santana blocks a strike and punches Savage several times. They are trading several shots in the middle of the ring. Savage jabs Santana and the referee gets knocked down. Santana comes off the ropes with a flying forearm but the referee is knocked down. Santana makes his own count and the fans erupt as if he had won the match. Santana scoop slams Savage but can’t get a cover since the referee is still knocked down. Santana tries to get the referee up and Savage knee lifts Tito from behind. Santana has a rollup but Savage counters and rolls Santana up with a handful of tights to win the match! (****. I thought this was a great match and they both played their exhaustion very well. The crowd was into the match and these two worked extremely well with each other, as usual. The blood use by Savage added emotion to the match. I really dug this match.)

Sixth Contest: Jimmy Jack & Dory Funk Jr. vs. Lanny Poffo & George Wells: This actually got plenty of time. Like, fifteen minutes of action and I’m not even sure why. Anyway, it felt like a filler tag match and was won by the Funk’s after Jack hit a power slam on Wells.

Seventh Contest: SD Jones vs. Harley Race: They got about five minutes and it’s mostly just an exhibition for Race as he controls Jones for the majority of the match. Race spikes Jones with a piledriver early in the match for a two count. Race hit a neck breaker but Jones kicked out at one. Jones continues to kick out at one, which comes across kind of weird. Race comes off the middle rope with a diving head butt but Jones continues to power out at two. Jones battles back with a few headbutts but Race plants him with a power slam for the win. (*. Yeah, it was an extended squash. I thought Race looked good, though.)

Eighth Contest: Danny Spivey vs. Adrian Adonis: Spivey shoulder blocks Adonis at the start and Adonis stumbles to the floor. On the floor, Spivey scoop slams Adonis on the concrete. Spivey returns to the ring with Adonis to deliver another scoop slam. Adonis works over Spivey against the ropes and runs over Spivey with a shoulder block. Spivey stops Adonis with a scoop slam and locks in a headlock. Adonis gets control and kicks Spivey a few times followed by a leaping forearm drop. Spivey is laying on the entrance ramp until Adonis tries a piledriver only for Spivey to counter with a backdrop. Spivey misses an elbow drop and they end up back in the ring. Adonis attempts a double under hook but Spivey got out of it and hammers away on Adonis. Spivey drives Adonis down with a backbreaker for a two count. Spivey backdrops Adonis out of the corner and runs over Adonis with a shoulder tackle. Spivey misses a spear in the corner hitting the turnbuckle shoulder first. Adonis heads to the top and is slammed off but Adonis rolls through and cradles Spivey for the win. (*1/4. I’m left here thinking that Spivey probably should have gotten a bigger push in the WWF. He seemed well connected with the crowd and his work isn’t bad, either. Maybe I’m alone on that.)

Main Event: WWF World Champion Hulk Hogan & Junkyard Dog vs. Big John Studd & King Kong Bundy: JYD and Studd kick off the tag team main event. JYD starts the match with a few headbutts to stagger Studd. JYD delivers a few forearm shots and goes for a scoop slam but Studd holds onto the ropes and clubs away on Dog. Studd scoop slams JYD and taunts Hogan. Hogan ends up getting tagged in and fans go nuts for that. Studd works over Hogan in the corner with a few strikes. Hogan ducks a clothesline and goes for a scoop slam but Studd blocks it and slams Hogan down. Studd scoop slams Hogan a second time and taunts the champion to get up. Hogan comes back with a scoop slam on Stud and the same for Bundy! JYD enters and chases them out of the ring, too. The crowd is going nuts. Hogan hammers away on Studd and Bundy. Hogan sends Studd into JYD’s head in the corner. JYD tags in and headbutts Studd, who tags in Bundy. Bundy works over JYD in the corner but JYD sends Bundy across the ring and hammers away on him. Hogan tags back in and kicks Bundy in the ribs. Hogan comes off the ropes with a clothesline and decks Studd on the apron. Bundy stops Hogan with an eye rake and continues to work over Hogan before tagging in Studd. Studd hammers away on Hogan against the ropes and locks in a bear hug. Studd rams Hogan into the corner and Bundy enters to continue work over Hogan hitting an elbow strike. Bundy chokes Hogan over the middle rope to maintain the cheap advantage. Bundy slams Hogan and follows up with a knee drop for a two count. Bundy misses a second knee drop and JYD gets tagged in. JYD hammers away on Bundy followed by a head butt strikes. JYD clotheslines Bundy but misses a falling head butt attempt. Studd tags in and beats on JYD with stomps on the canvas. Bundy continues to work over JYD with strikes and an elbow drop for a two count. Bundy tries for a cover but JYD isn’t going to stay down. Studd tags in and beats on JYD some more with basic strikes. JYD nails Studd with a head butt and tags in Hogan who hammers away on Studd. Hogan clotheslines Studd in the corner and delivers an atomic drop. Hogan comes off the ropes to hit a leg drop but Bobby Heenan enters and stomps Hogan causing a disqualification. After the match, Hogan has Heenan but sends him to the corner where Bundy accidentally splashes him inserted of JYD, who was the original target! Hogan and JYD stand tall in the ring while the heels walk up the ramp. (*1/2. I didn’t think the action was all that great and it wasn’t as competitive as I would have liked, really. The cheap finish is okay, I guess. Hogan can have these guys as eventual singles challengers at a later time, I suppose.)

Final Thoughts:
Savage/Tito was really good and by far the best match on the show. The crowd was really into the majority of the show, which is always a good thing. The lower end matches were kept relatively short and were mostly inoffensive. I’m going to give this a mild thumbs up for the Tito/Savage match, a hot crowd, and the main event, which was decent, really.

Thanks for reading.