WWF at Sam Houston Coliseum
May 15, 1987
by Scrooge McSuck
The WWF makes their debut at the Sam Houston Coliseum, as the UWF falls apart with Bill Watts selling to Jim Crockett, while Paul Boesch partnered with the WWF, putting WWF in the old Houston Wrestling time slot, with exclusive promos taped for the area from the Houston studio. Like all other situations, the partnership didn't last long, but it's a fun little blip on the radar that is 1987. We only have a partially available card. Matches confirmed to take place but never made available through home video or TV broadcast: Tito Santana vs. "The Natural" Butch Reed, and The Killer Bees vs. Demolition. Hillbilly Jim, The Iron Sheik, and the One Man Gang were also scheduled for action.
Paul Roma & Jim Powers vs. The Shadows:
Featured on the June 1st episode of Prime Time Wrestling. If you're going over the tag team depth chart, these teams probably are outside the top 5 of either side. Roma and Powers still aren't established enough to have a team name, and the Shadows (Randy Colley and Jose Luis Rivera) were given competitive matches at TV tapings but are still bottom-feeders. Roma starts with Shadow 1 (Colley). Lockup to the ropes and Powers gives a clean break. Shadow 1 is really slow running the ropes and gets knocked into the corner with a dropkick. Shadow 2 (Rivera) and Roma have a go next. Lockup and Shadow 2 complains to the ref that Roma pulled the mask. Basic prelim work, nothing fancy, competently executed. Cute spot where Roma uses his body to protect Powers in the corner, and the Shadows trying to do the same backfires. Powers keeps wasting time going for the mask, unsuccessful with each attempt. Shadow 1 misses a charge to the corner, allowing Powers to take him off his feet and work the leg. More silly shenanigans as Roma shakes the ropes for Shadow 2 to take a prat fall. Rare instance where the ref misses the heel tag. Shadow 2 finally gets in and quickly finds himself in the same predicament as his partner. Powers with the Figure-Four but Shadow 1 drops an elbow to make the save. Powers brings up the knees on a splash attempt and follows with an enzuigiri. Roma runs wild with rights and they mis-time a dropkick. Heck breaks loose and Powers finishes Shadow 1 with a cross body press at 13:47. A little one-sided, surprisingly, but fit the position on the card and the crowd seemed to enjoy most of it. **WWF Ladies Championship Match: The Fabulous Moolah (c) vs. Angie Minnelli:
Ugh, Moolah is still a thing, I keep forgetting that. Well, the doomsday clock is ticking (THANK GOD). Also broadcast on the June 1st episode of Prime Time, we're Joined in Progress with Minnelli in control, working the arm. Moolah picks the leg but gets sent crashing face-first. Minnelli misses a body press, allowing Moolah to take control, taking her over with a pair of hair-mares. Moolah's look and basic movement just feels ridiculously dated, and that's not even a knock at her age, but unwilling to adapt. It's like I'm watching a match constructed in 1961. I've seen more relevant wrestling work from an episode of The Munsters. Moolah hotdogs and takes a big ol' bump over the top rope. Angie nearly decapitates Moolah under the rope on a slingshot and Moolah immediately stops selling and gives her a receipt. Minnelli throws awfully soft knees in the corner and hooks a body-scissors. Another spot falls apart. Moolah's strikes are poor and Minnelli is inconsistent with her execution. Minnelli with a slam but Moolah rolls through with a cradle to end this turkey at 6:18 (shown). No bueno. ZERO STARSSam Houston vs. Iron Mike Sharpe:
Nice to see Sam Houston getting booked for the Sam Houston Coliseum. Houston hasn't debuted properly on WWF TV (meaning he isn't working syndication, so he exists outside the typical WWF canon), and only started making appearances for the WWF earlier in the month. He'll get some showcase on Prime Time Wrestling via shows like this and other regional broadcasts repurposed, but we won't see him on Superstars until October. Lockup and Sharpe very loudly shoves Houston into the corner. Houston goes for a Full Nelson, but Sharpe is too big and strong. Sharpe counters, but Houston slips out and takes the big man over with a series of arm drags. Sharpe wants a test of strength and gets mad at the crowd for telling Houston not to trust it. Houston locks up anyway and Sharpe doesn't waste time with the cheap shots. Houston escapes and hits Sharpe with an atomic drop for two. Sharpe counters a bulldog, sending Houston crashing into the turnbuckle. Whip to the ropes, Houston ducks a clothesline and hits the bulldog for three at 5:03. Nothing much to this one, but not an embarrassment of a match. *Ted DiBiase is in the ring, and because of what the Houston area and it's fans have meant to his career, he wanted this to be the first to know that from this day forward, he will wrestle for the World Wrestling Federation. As DiBiase makes this known, the One Man Gang and Slick make their way to the ring for the Gang's match (that we won't see). There's an unfriendly tension, but no physicality as Dibiase leaves peacefully.
"Hacksaw" Jim Duggan vs. Nikolai Volkoff (w/ Slick & The Iron Sheik):
The only match of the night that was featured on Houston Wrestling (basically repurposed syndication matches with the local promos). Volkoff with the easy heat and Duggan chases everyone from the ring with his 2x4 in hand. Volkoff attacks while Duggan parades around the ring with the US flag. Duggan fights back with right hands, sending the big Russian over the top rope. Back inside, Volkoff goes to the eyes and throws a series of rights. Duggan responds with more of the same and comes off the ropes with a knee across the chest. Volkoff is so, so bad, especially as a singles worker. Whip to the ropes and he buries a knee to the midsection of Duggan. They mess up a simple spot where Duggan ducks under an elbow, and then mess up ANOTHER spot. Duggan hits the ropes again, this time getting tripped up by Sheik, and Volkoff covers for three at 3:30. Post-match, the three heels work over Duggan until he gets his 2x4. Post-match, he cuts a promo, promising a partner the next time they're in Houston. Spoilers: NOPE. Also, that was a poor effort from all. -*
WWF Intercontinental Championship Match:
Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat (c) vs. "Macho Man" Randy Savage (w/ Elizabeth):
The Main Event, though I cannot confirm if this went last. This match made the cut on the Randy Savage Unreleased DVD set, though I'm sure it aired elsewhere, as the match floated around the usual places years before that. Lockup into the ropes and Steamboat gives a clean break. Steamboat blocks a cheap-shot in the ropes and a right hand sends Savage to the floor, threatening to bring a chair in the ring. Loud "Macho" chant as the action resumes. Both men fight off being sent to the buckle, with Savage getting the clean hit with an elbow to the top of the head. Steamboat blocks a snap mare and they fight over a back-slide, with Steamboat taking Savage over for a two-count. Savage pops up immediately with an elbow and dumps the Champion over the top rope. Savage cuts off re-entry, dropping an elbow across the chest and sneaks around ringside, hitting Steamboat across the back with a high knee. Savage attempts to slam him in from the apron, but Steamboat counters with a small package for two. Savage with a twisting body press and Steamboat rolls through for another two-count. Whip to the corner and Savage with his signature clothesline, followed by a flying axe-handle for a two-count. Steamboat fires off a series of chops, trapping Savage's HANDS in the ropes. Savage frees himself, only to get whipped into the corner and trapped in a tree of woe. Savage counters a back body-drop attempt, but Steamboat fights out of the corner and dives off the second rope with a forearm for two. Savage makes the slow climb and is nailed on the way down.
Savage tries to powder, but Steamboat gives chase. Back inside, Savage blocks a sunset flip attempt with a well-placed punch between the eyes for two. Savage celebrates pre-maturely and gets rolled up for two. He misses the seated splash, hitting the ropes instead. Steamboat with a slingshot, sending Savage into the turnbuckle. Savage goes to the eyes to create separation, but Steamboat is able to fight out of a piledriver attempt and comes off the top with the big chop for a near-fall. Savage with a handful of tights, sending Steamboat into the corner. They go through a series of counters and smack heads in the middle of the ring for a double-down. Savage bails and snatches the timekeeper's bell. He swings and misses, with the bell bouncing off the buckle and smacking him in the face, and Steamboat covers to retain at 10:55. In the shocker of all shocks, these two had a great match, though the finish was a bit contrived with the bell bouncing off the buckle being a little silly looking. ****
Final Thoughts: I'm always one to be willing to give a show a chance, but there was no surprise that this was a poor quality show (for what is available) with the exception of Steamboat/Savage. I gave decent praise to the Not-Quite-Stallions/Shadows, but it wasn't a match I'd go out of my way to see, so as you would expect, I'm going to say track down Steamboat vs. Savage and don't bother with the rest.
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