WWF at Madison Square Garden
May 18, 1987
by Scrooge McSuck
Feels good to get some looks at the house show circuit after a long stretch of feasting on TV taping content. This is the first trip to the World's Most Famous Arena since February, which featured Roddy Piper's "last match at Madison Square Garden" as part of a Six-Man Tag Team Elimination Match. The WWF is regularly running three tours per date at this point; The Hart Foundation defending against The Bulldogs in a Steel Cage for Tacoma, WA, and poor Davenport, IA got Hercules vs Billy Jack in a Chain Match on top, with a miserable card with stuff like Outback Jack vs. Frenchy Martin, Mike Sharpe vs. Sivi Afi, Nikolai Volkoff vs. Cpl. Kirchner, and Tom Magee vs. Jimmy Jack Funk.
Gorilla Monsoon, Lord Alfred Hayes, and Bobby Heenan (with neck support on) are calling the action, unless otherwise noted. The Rougeau Brothers vs. The NEW Dream Team was advertised but didn't take place for unknown reasons.
Sam Houston vs. Terry Gibbs:
Houston's debut at Madison Square Garden as he continues to work live events but isn't factored into syndication canon. Interesting that noted-creep Mel Phillips mentions this is Houston's area debut like we're taping Championship Wrestling in the pre-expansion era WWF. Gibbs has no interest in accepting a handshake and quickly powders for easy heat. Lockup and a clean break from Gibbs. Houston ducks a cheap shot on the second go and rocks Gibbs with a right hand. Houston shows off the fancy footwork and comes off the ropes with a body press for two. Houston stays one step ahead of Gibbs as he works the arm. Gibbs pops Houston with an elbow but quickly finds himself in the same predicament. Whip to the corner and Houston smacks his shoulder on the post. Gibbs brings the fight to the floor, planting Houston on the concrete with a slam. Back inside, Gibbs blocks a sunset flip and drops a knee across the chest for two. Hangman's neck breaker and Gibbs gives himself a round of applause before going for the pin. Houston with the comeback, getting several near-falls off cradles. Gibbs misses an elbow and Houston finishes with the bulldog at 7:52. About what you'd expect from Gibbs and Houston looked fine. **Paul Roma & Jim Powers vs. The Magnificent Muraco & "Cowboy" Bob Orton:
I was expecting more Roma/Powers vs. Shadows action, but I'll gladly take this to change up the taste in my mouth. Muraco and Orton have plummeted down the card and are now stuck on the bottom fighting two guys who aren't getting wins on syndication. Both this and the opener were featured on the May 25th episode of Prime Time, in case you were wondering. Zahorian was making bank just by looking at three bodies in this contest. Muraco starts by unloading on Powers and taking him down with a snap mare. Orton with a gorilla press into a back breaker. Powers reverses a whip, sending Orton into the turnbuckle, straddling the top rope in the process. Roma grabs a side headlock but Orton escapes by grabbing the tights and throwing him through the ropes. Muraco meets him on the floor, sending him to the post. Orton brings Roma back in with a delayed suplex. Muraco with a back breaker but he misses a flying nothing from the second turnbuckle. Roma sends Muraco into the corner with a dropkick, where he gets to play pinball between right hands from Roma and Powers.We get heel miscommunication, but thankfully no fighting among Muraco and Orton. I swear, Powers has like 2 spots he learned in 1983 and refused to improve, and he somehow maintained steady employment for the better part of a decade. Powers gets caught on the wrong side of town and Orton takes him over with a belly-to-belly suplex. He grabs a bearhug, which catches Gorilla by surprise. Combo back suplex and flying clothesline from Muraco and Orton, but no effort made to attempt a cover. Instead, Muraco grabs a bearhug of his own. Muraco looks like he's about to explode (and somehow would end up MORE roid-bloated in 1988!). Orton with his weird dropkick, but a splash from the second turnbuckle meets the knees. Roma runs wild with right hands and a DOUBLE NOGGIN KNOCKER. Heck breaks loose with all four men in the ring. Roma and Orton go back-and-forth in a small package. Muraco pushes the pile over, but it ends up with Roma on top and that's good for three at 10:27. Wow, the faces can't win on their own AND the heels look like idiots. Great finish. Muraco is oblivious to the result and Orton isn't happy with him. The fight continues afterwards, with Orton and Muraco getting their heat back. So now the faces can't win on their own AND get whooped afterwards. **½
Koko B. Ware vs. "Dangerous" Danny Davis (w/ Jimmy Hart):
We're entering the next phase of the Danny Davis saga; he survived WrestleMania III and stole a pin, and now he thinks he's hot soup and signing up for singles action, and Koko is the man answering the call more often than not. Davis attacks before the bell and within 5-seconds Koko fires back, sending him to the floor. Koko forces him back in with a slingshot and Davis plays a game of hide in the ropes, and repeat. Davis busts out a sunset flip, but Koko sits down on the chest to counter. Danny with some cheap tactics to control a test-of-strength, only for Koko to pop him with a standing dropkick. Things finally go Davis' way as Koko misses a dive into the corner and straddles the turnbuckle. Davis controls with the most basic of offense. I guess if it works, it works. Whip and a sloppy diving clothesline gets a two-count. Koko fights out of a sleeper and hops on Davis' back with a sleeper of his own before Davis sends him face-first into the buckle. Koko brings up the knees on a splash attempt and starts to do the Bird. He unloads on Davis with right hands, knocking him out of the ring. Koko chases him back in the ring and lays in with a series of headbutts. Koko with a very sloppy powerslam into the ropes. The referee tries to create separation, allowing Jimmy to pass something off to Davis. He pops Koko with the taped up gimmick and covers for the three-count at 13:17. Poor Koko, at least he didn't do a clean job. Way too long for what they were going for. I appreciate what they were trying to do, but it just felt like they needed to trim 3-4 minutes. *½"Leaping" Lanny Poffo vs. Dave Barbie:
Oh boy, we're digging DEEP if we're putting Dave Barbie on the card. Barbie is a Northeast-based enhancement talent that got the occasional work in the mid 80's and was GOD AWFUL (and would work his final match for the WWF at the end of May). Poffo's pre-match poem puts over the Jerry Lewis telethon… Poffo hands the novelty flying discs to Monsoon who does the honors tonight. Barbie wants nothing to do with the handshake offered to him. I'm getting flashbacks to the dreary Poughkeepsie tapings looking at these two shuffling around. Barbie has the strength advantage, so Poffo tries to out-wrestle him. Barbie has zero sense of timing, like he'll bust out a swinging neck breaker as a transition move to stomping instead of building to it for a near-fall. He literally follows every big move with a stomp or a fist drop. Poffo takes over, dumping Barbie out and prevents him from getting back in the ring. THANK YOU, LANNY. Back inside, Barbie avoids a dropkick and drops an elbow. Poffo survives a suplex and finishes with a slam and moonsault at 8:03. This was no good, but Poffo was trying, if in vain. ½*WWF Championship Match:
Hulk Hogan (c) vs. "The King" Harley Race (w/ Bobby Heenan):
We've seen them work Boston earlier in the month, and I wouldn't be surprised if we follow a similar script. This feels like a very cold, random house show program, with no hot angle and keeping Hogan working against the Heenan Family after toppling Andre. Lockup and Race with a knee to the midsection to gain the early advantage. Hogan with a whip reversal into the corner and knocks Race over the top rope with a clothesline. Race takes a big ol' bump backwards over the top and pleads for mercy. Hogan taunts him and pays for it, getting thrown through the ropes and pummeled as he re-enters the ring. Wow, about time someone didn't take Hogan's crap. Hogan fires back with right hands and knocks Race through the ropes with the big boot. He brings the fight to the floor and again, Race with the cut-off, raking the eyes and slamming Hogan face-first into the guardrail. The headbutt misses, with Race making contact with the concrete himself. Back inside, Hulk with a slam but he misses the elbow drop. Hogan survives the sleeper hold. He comes off the ropes with a pair of shoulder blocks, followed by a flurry of rights and elbows. Race pops him with a series of headbutts, busting the Champion open. He's not leaving puddles of blood on the canvas like when they worked in Boston. Race misses the flying headbutt and Hogan rolls him up to retain at 7:52. The celebration is short-lived, as Race lays a beating on Hogan, setting up a rematch for next month. Nothing fancy, but Race working a fresh style made it an enjoyable experience. ***
WWF Ladies Championship Match:
The Fabulous Moolah (c) vs. Debbie Combs:
Can we speed up that Doomsday Clock on Moolah's WWF run, please? This match was featured on TWO Coliseum Video releases; The Best of the WWF Vol. 13 and The Women of the WWF. I said earlier that Poffo vs. Barbie felt like a blast from the past, but this is like 20 years past the best-by date. Moolah and the referee do a comedy bit that like 5 people find amusing. Combs with the early control, hitting a series of hair mares and a dropkick. Moolah won't stay down for a ONE count and powders. Moolah takes her big ol' bump in from the apron and is sent across the ring with a slingshot. Somehow, the referee is the worst part of the match, if you can believe it. Moolah takes over with the usual hair pulling and choking across the top rope. Combs catches Moolah in a Full Nelson and transitions to that body-scissors spot that feels like something out of Apartment Pro Wrestling. Moolah with the escape, only to run into a monkey-flip. Moolah digs into her gear for the imaginary gimmick schtick. Well, at least it's better than working like it's 1962. Combs gets dumped and we hang out on the floor a bit as little of interest takes place. Back inside, Combs makes a 6-second heated comeback before Moolah cuts her off with dog crap strikes that might be stiff but look fake to the audience. Moolah's awful Boston Crab is countered, knocking Moolah out of the ring. Combs gives the old crow a slam and the world's worst atomic drop into the post (Moolah looks like she was sand-bagging), and Moolah is counted out at 8:52. I was not sports entertained, easily the worst match of the night (so far). ZERO STARS
Hulk Hogan comes out, bandaged from earlier, and challenges Harley Race to the rematch where if Hogan loses, he will quit professional wrestling. Might as well offer a full refund to everyone in the building as well.
The Killer Bees vs. Demolition:
No Fuji at ringside, and no real beef here, just a match to fill out the card. Demolition is starting to build a little momentum, and the Bees have been stuck in purgatory as the good hands who put people over spot, but you never know when you'll get that "humble someone" finish for the sake of it. Ax and Blair start. Ax with his clubbing blows, but he misses an elbow drop, allowing Blair to get a few shots in. Brunzell hits Smash with a cross body press and goes to work on the arm. Smash escapes with a short-clothesline, but is caught off the ropes with a drop toe hold and the Bees take turns working the leg. Ax manages to tag in and finds himself in the same predicament. The crowd isn't too impressed by the work of the Bees. Blair busts out a Figure-Four, but Smash makes the save, dropping an elbow.Smash begins pounding (or smashing) away at Blair, trapping him in friendly territory. Ax grabs a chin-lock, and just in case you couldn't tell these guys are going long, Smash tags in to do the same as we approach the 10-minute mark. Blair sneaks in a sunset flip and back-slide, but Demolition is firmly in control. Smash sends Blair to the floor with an elbow, and I half-expected them to do the masked confusion gimmick. Back inside, Ax grabs another chin-lock. Smash changes things up with a bearhug. Blair goes for a slam on Ax, but buckles underneath. Blair escapes another bearhug with the ears smack and we get a clothesline double-down. Brunzell with the hot tag… BUT THE REFEREE DIDN'T SEE IT. Blair hits Ax with a diving forearm and Brunzell with the real tag. He unloads on both men and hits a DOUBLE NOGGIN KNOCKER. Brunzell hits Smash with his signature dropkick, but Ax saves. Heck breaks loose, and the referee is out of position, looking at the action as Ax clubs Brunzell to break up an O'Connor Roll and makes the cover as the illegal man at 16:10. Lots of time-filler work and the referee muffed the finish. Not the best match you'll see from either team. *½
Jose Luis Rivera vs. "The Outlaw" Ron Bass:
They're over-stuffing this show with prelim nonsense. With Blackjack Mulligan gone, that means Bass has nothing to do but make vague threats in generic promos and won't have another TV angle until we flip the calendar to 1988. Monsoon gets a word from Bass pre-match, leading to a heated exchange between the two. Wow, don't tease me with Monsoon coming out of retirement and kicking a$$. Bass plays a game of "hide the gimmick" as soon as the bell rings. Didn't we just see this nonsense with Moolah? Bass with clubbering, sending Rivera out of the ring while barking at Monsoon some more. Back inside, Rivera fires off a series of rights and sends Bass to the outside with a dropkick. Rivera works the arm as I contemplate working the skip forward button. Bass turns things around, choking Mac across the middle rope, followed by a knee to the midsection for two. Mac gets trapped in the Andre Special, giving Bass plenty of time to get some free shots. Rivera mounts a comeback and the crowd doesn't care much. Even Monsoon doesn't have much faith in Rivera. Whip to the corner and Bass pops out with a clothesline before finishing with the face-buster at 9:32. Just prelim filler junk. ½*The WWF returns to Madison Square Garden on Sunday, June 14th. Matches confirmed: Paul Roma and Jim Powers will take on "formidable competition" in Tama and Haku. The RUGGED Hercules battles on Billy Jack Haynes, and in Six-Man Tag Team action, The Hart Foundation and "Dangerous" Danny Davis will meet The British Bulldogs and Koko B. Ware.
Ken Patera vs. The Honkytonk Man (w/ Jimmy Hart):
Patera is subbing for the injured Jake Roberts, and this match would be featured on the infamously poor "Ken Patera Story" home video. Patera's working at the Garden for the first time since May 20th, 1985. Honky is in no rush to get physical, hanging out on the apron after the bell. Patera hits a taunt combo of inappropriate gestures. Honky swings wildly and misses then gets launched across the ring with a pair of slams. Patera with an atomic drop and the ultimate insult; messing with Honky's hair. HOW DARE YOU TOUCH SUCH BEAUTIFUL HAIR. Patera misses a charge into the corner, smacking his shoulder on the post and giving Honky offense for the first time at the 6-minute mark of the match. Honky punishes the arm and spams the taunt button. This card really fell off a cliff as far as enjoyment goes once we got to the intermission. Patera avoids a goofy jumping double-axehandle and gets hyped, including an excited splits in mid-air like he's babyface Randy Orton or a girl jumping on a trampoline on the Man Show (wow, there's a deep cut). Patera throws Honky around some more and slaps on the bearhug. Jimmy Hart runs in for the DQ at 9:56 and Patera sends the crowd home happy by putting both Honky and Jimmy in the bearhug. Patera throwing people around is fine and the post-match spot was cute, otherwise… blech. ¾*Final Thoughts: This one started off fine and had an enjoyable enough Championship/Main Event, but then intermission came and we were left with some truly uninspired work with some poor finishes. I was especially disappointed by the Bees vs. Demolition, who have worked plenty of times during this period with far more effort put forward. Hogan vs. Race is the only match worth seeking out, and they've worked other cards with TV coverage, so it's not a must see, either, so you can comfortably skip this one and know you aren't missing anything of interest.
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