WWF at the Philadelphia Spectrum
July 18, 1987
by Scrooge McSuck
After working our way through two sets of TV tapings, we're finally back to some regional network coverage, and here we are, back in the Spectrum courtesy of PRISM. Last time we made a trip to Philadelphia, we headlined with a tag team match of Hulk Hogan and Ken Patera against The King and Hercules, with Paul Orndorff vs. Billy Jack Haynes and Ricky Steamboat vs. Kamala as our highlights underneath.
Tonight we are blessed with Dick Graham and Lord Alfred Hayes calling the action, unless otherwise noted. The WWF ran separate tours in Toronto (Maple Leaf Gardens) and Halifax, with the latter getting Hulk Hogan vs. Randy Savage as their Main Event, while Toronto got the Hart Foundation defending against Jim Brunzell and George Steele (Blair got popped for cocaine and taken off the road for a suspension) with Mr. T doing his special enforcer gimmick.
Brady Boone vs. Barry Horowitz:
We're off to a wonderful start as the chyron identifies Horowitz as "AL HOROWITZ". Horowitz is a fresh face to the WWF, having joined up with the company full time at the TV tapings preceding this card, and Boone is going to get some work and Boone started up not much earlier, though his tenure with the company wouldn't cover as much of the timeline as Horowitz will. Graham calls him by the wrong name, but Alfred breaks kayfabe talking about seeing him work in Florida. Boone looks like he's on the chicken and broccoli diet, but he's too short for the era. It's your typical prelim opener, lots of chain wrestling and working the crowd, with Boone getting the better of things. Horowitz catches Boone coming off the ropes, dropping him face-first. Barry uses all the dirty tactics; raking the eyes with his boot laces and rope, and clawing the back with his nails. Boone escapes a chin-lock, but the comeback is short-lived, as Horowitz pops him with a knee and dropkick for a pair of two-counts. Boone with another escape from a chin-lock and sunset flip for two. Horowitz with a back-slide for two. Boone ducks under an elbow and hits a diving elbow of his own. He goes high risk, but Horowitz takes him down with a back suplex. Horowitz goes for his half-nelson cradle, but things don't work out. Boone busts out a snap suplex and jumping splash. Horowitz avoids another attack from the top, but Boone surprises him with an O'Connor Roll and that's good for three at 11:35. Fine opener, nothing fancy, but not a slog to get through. **Scott Casey vs. "Ravishing" Rick Rude:
Our first look at Rude on the live event circuit, having made his TV taping debut a few days earlier. Rude was one-half of the NWA World Tag Team Champions at the time, forcing the Crockett production staff to get creative. Casey is not as fresh as Rude, but he's only been part of the touring group since early June. Rude grabs the house mic to address the crowd, and let's say he'll workshop that routine before nailing it. Lockup to the ropes and Rude gives a clean break. Casey snaps off an arm drag and Rude complains about a yank of the hair. Whip to the ropes, Casey with a shoulder block followed by an arm drag into the arm bar. Rude escapes with rights, but misses an elbow drop, allowing Casey to regain control. Another escape, and back to the arm. Rude brings up a boot in the corner and takes Casey down with a suplex. He plants Casey with a slam and comes off the top with a flying fist attack. He keeps getting up from pin attempts and grabs a chin-lock, which seems pointless. He continues to play to the crowd and grab rest-holds to stretch this one out. Whip reversal and Casey loses his footing on a back body-drop attempt. Casey runs wild briefly, but Rude absorbs the punishment and finishes with a slingshot suplex at 11:44. This dragged with Rude in control, and it wasn't that much better before that. *Koko B. Ware vs. Nikolai Volkoff:
With the Iron Sheik gone, now we've got Volkoff randomly plugged into prelim spots. I guess we can consider this a pick ‘em scenario, since neither guy is even mid-tier priority. Koko uses his quickness to frustrate Volkoff in the opening moments. Volkoff with a cheap shot in the ropes and Koko fires back. OK, I can already tell the quality of match we're getting, but maybe things will turn around. Volkoff has a very 1975 feel to his work, and I don't mean a GOOD 1975. Koko works the arm and drops Volkoff to one knee with a headbutt. Volkoff returns fire and dumps Koko to the outside, then does a CARTWHEEL for no good reason, but I'll add ¼* to the final rating for that kind of silly shenanigans. Lots of headbutts getting thrown in this match. Koko avoids the overhead press and rolls Volkoff up for a near-fall. Volkoff quickly (well, kinda) regains control with an inverted atomic drop. Whip to the ropes, Koko catches a boot and hits an atomic drop for two. Volkoff misses a knee in the corner and Koko comes off the turnbuckles with a fist drop for two. Whip and they smack heads for a double-down. Koko gets fired up, laying into Volkoff with rights. Volkoff brings up the boots in the corner and hits a double under-hook suplex for two. Gorilla press into the back breaker, but Koko is on the ropes. Volkoff thinks he's won, allowing Koko to hit a missile dropkick and cover for three at 11:15. Not the worst match I've ever seen, I'm surprised Volkoff sold so much for Koko, considering his tendencies to not sell for anyone. *¼Outback Jack vs. The One Man Gang (w/ Slick):
Craig DeGeorge is filling in now for Alfred. This should be short. Gang is getting the fast-track to challenging Hulk Hogan for the WWF Title, and Outback Jack is barely allowed to work on Superstars unless he's getting merked by someone getting pushed. Lockup takes them around the ring and Gang can't do anything with it? WITH THIS GEEK?! Jack comes off the ropes with a pair of shoulders and unloads with forearms. Gang reverses a whip across the ring, but meets the buckle, allowing Jack to work the arm. Gang takes over with clubbing blows and slows it down with a bearhug, and the bearhug is most of the next few minutes across multiple applications. Jack gets fired up, but Gang cuts him off with a clothesline, and the forward suplex finishes at 6:05. This was all it needed to be, and that was short (and yet Jack got too much shine). ½*Rick Martel vs. Tama (w/ Haku):
Likely scheduled to be the Can-Am Connection vs. The Islanders, but Tom Zenk taking his ball and going home forces a change in plans and a search for a new partner. Martel has no time for games, hitting the ring and knocking Haku through the ropes with a dropkick before unloading on Tama with left hands. Whip to the ropes, and a dropkick sends Tama to the floor to talk strategy with his partner. Back inside, Tama offers a handshake, but Martel is no dummy, so Tama leans in with a right hand and pounds away. Martel avoids a charge in the corner and chases Tama out of the ring again, this time following an arm drag and slam. Martel brings him in with a slingshot and works the arm. Tama complains of a hair pull, but it falls on deaf ears. Tama does the handshake deal again, and it's even less successful than the last time!Tama finally gets one up on Martel, catching him on a dive and dropping him across the top rope. Whip and Tama with a diving back elbow, followed by a series of strikes across the throat. Tama snaps the arm across the top rope and slows things down with the nerve lock. Martel escapes with elbows, but a knee cuts off his comeback and Tama goes back to the hold. Martel with another escape but his sunset flip is blocked. We go to the well once too often with the nerve hold, and it's Martel's THIRD comeback attempt that is quickly derailed, with Tama ducking a twisting body press and following up with a leg drop for two. Tama misses a charge into the corner and Martel briefly stuns him with a big left hand. Tama keeps pushing the pace, but misses a flying fist drop. Martel runs wild for a bit before they meet in the middle with a double-clothesline. Tama with a flying body press, but Martel rolls through and gets the three-count at 15:27! Post-match, Haku jumps on Martel before he can enjoy the victory and it's a 2-on-2 beating until referees get things under control. Too much of that nerve hold, otherwise a very solid outing. If only Martel could find a partner... ***
George "The Animal" Steele vs. "Dangerous" Danny Davis:
Oh sweet Zombie Jesus, please let this be short. Would you believe they were in headline positions in cage matches for C markets? Yep. GEORGE STEELE VS DANNY DAVIS IN A STEEL CAGE. Steele rushes into the ring, cornering Davis. He sends the disgraced ex-referee to the turnbuckle and a double choke lift has him taking a powder. Steele plays dumb (plays?) in the corner to lure Davis back in, but Davis quickly runs away as soon as Steele makes a move. Steele brings Davis in with a handful of hair and plants him with a pair of slams. Davis pulls a weapon from his tights and drops Steele. Davis continues using it to his advantage, but Steele eventually blocks and disarms Davis, then uses it himself... and it's an ultra-lame DQ victory for Davis at 7:00. Steele enjoys himself a turnbuckle, a poster of Elizabeth, and invites a few kids into the ring despite the loss. The match was what you would expect from this pair. ZERO STARS.
Leapin' Lanny Poffo vs. Killer Khan:
Another match that shouldn't be too long, considering Khan is getting title matches against Hulk Hogan and Poffo is enhancement talent, but Gang let Outback Jack hang with him for 6-7 minutes, so knows at this point. Poffo recites a poem that totally glazes Bruno Sammartino. Lockup and Khan with clubbing strikes across the left arm. He cranks on a side headlock and comes off the ropes with a pair of shoulder tackles. Poffo avoids a third and knocks Khan through the ropes with a dropkick. Back inside, Khan screams a lot as he stomps away at Poffo. Poffo ducks under a chop but makes the mistake of attempting a slam. Oh God, A NERVE HOLD… Poffo escapes and tries the slam again! Khan misses a knee in the corner and Poffo gets the slam on the third try! Poffo with the moonsault, but it only gets a two-count. He gets down and dirty, biting at the forehead. Khan withstands the comeback, catches Poffo with a back breaker, and finishes with the flying knee drop at 7:03. OK, this was a decent little match with Khan clearly being the better man, but Poffo getting a little bit of hope to make it interesting. **WWF Intercontinental Championship Match: The Honkytonk Man (c) vs. Bruno Sammartino:
I guess this explains Poffo's poem from earlier, as Bruno is very near the end of his in-ring career. There's no TV storyline purpose for this, Bruno is mostly here to fill a spot left vacant by Jake Roberts. Bruno doesn't waste time, getting in the ring and immediately going after Honky with right hands and boots to the midsection. Bruno with a pair of slams, sending Honky to the outside. Back inside, Bruno works the arm, ripping it across the top rope. Bruno with an atomic drop, and Honky is knocked out of the ring again. Poor Honky can't get anything going, caught in the middle of the ring with an arm bar. Bruno cranks it, getting the crowd to count along with each one. BRUNO HAS A CROWD COUNTING ALONG WITH AN ARMBAR CRANK.Honky goes to the eyes to create separation and a knee to the back sends Bruno crashing into the turnbuckle. Honky puts the boots to the Living Legend and taunts the crowd without much use of his left arm. Honky doesn't do anything fancy, keeping Bruno in a compromised position with boots and right hands. Whip across the ring and Honky turns himself upside down in the corner on a spectacularly failed idea. Bruno runs wild with heavy strikes, with Honky slinking out of the ring. Bruno follows, sending him face-first into the apron, and Bruno rolls back in for the cheap Count-Out at 10:56. I know we weren't getting a decisive finish, but dang if ending a show with a count-out isn't a little disappointing, but this card is light on headlining matches, so you get what you can. **¼
Final Thoughts: I'm surprised to say most of the matches on the card were kept reasonably long. I did grumble about some of the enhancement talent not getting crushed immediately, but I was expecting everything to go long to make up for some of those weaker matches, and it's only Tama vs. Rick Martel that gets significant time (though one could argue Rude and Casey overstayed their welcome). It won't blow you away, but there's a few fun matches on here despite being a weak B-Show lineup on paper.
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