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WWF @ Phildelphia Spectrum
June 28, 1986
by Erick Von Erich
We're taking another trip back to 1986, a year I did a deep dive into some years back, but unfortunately didn't have many regional shows available to me, limiting me to just Championship Wrestling and (shudders) TNT (formerly Tuesday Night Titans, which moved days multiple times). The Spectrum is probably my least favorite of the Northeast stops on the tour, usually offering weaker lineups than MSG or Boston, but at the same time, it does give us some weird odd-ball matches from time to time.
Dick Graham and Gorilla Monsoon are ringside to call the action, unless otherwise noted. Graham says it's a sold-out crowd, and judging by the listed attendance, I think he's telling the truth, with over 17,000 packed into the building tonight. Hulk Hogan is on the card, and it's peak Hogan, so that number makes sense even more now. A separate tour was running in Denver with the following results: The British Bulldogs def. The Dream Team to retain the Tag Titles, Jake Roberts def. Ricky Steamboat, Cpl. Kirchner def Nikolai Volkoff in a bootcamp match, The Iron Sheik def Cousin Luke, Bob Orton def Lanny Poffo, Brian Blair def Rene Goulet, Jim Brunzell def Iron Mike Sharpe, and Cowboy Lang def Lord Littlebrook.
Brickhouse Brown vs. Moondog Rex:
Wait, BRICKHOUSE BROWN? Brown's probably mostly associated with his work in Memphis and surrounding areas throughout the 80's and 90's. He got a few looks in the mid 90's as enhancement talent for TV, but nothing came of it. According to sources, Brown is subbing for David Sammartino, who I swear was gone at this point, but probably came back for 2 weeks before losing his mind again. Oh, and I've got it wrong, it's Rex Moondog, not Moondog Rex. Monsoon says Brown was a "male dancer" before entering pro wrestling. We get the international and Brown puts Rex on notice following a dropkick. Brown catches the boot and eventually spins him around for an atomic drop. Brown does the theatrical punches that Monsoon compares to Tony Atlas, but I was going to say Rocky Johnson. Whip to the corner and Brickhouse meets an elbow. Rex with a spinning elbow and splash for two. Brown escapes a chin-lock, but Rex counters a body press with a back breaker. Brown counters a piledriver and starts throwing more rights and lefts. Rex reverses a whip and Brown springs off the ropes with a body press for three at 6:31. Brown looked like he had potential with his athleticism, but some of his execution was poor. *½
Mike Rotundo & Dan Spivey vs. Hercules Hernandez & Tiger Chung Lee:
God bless the Spectrum and their wacky matches. I'm trying to visualize how this one might be good, but that involves Rotundo and Hercules doing all the work and being extra motivated. Rotundo and Spivey come out to Born in the USA, in case you didn't believe Spivey was shoehorned in as Windham's replacement. Rotundo and Tiger start, with Rotundo controlling the early action. Spivey tags in and works the arm. Tiger is sucking wind just running the ropes for a few seconds. Hercules tags in and is moving at triple speed compared to Tiger, but he also ends up on the canvas with Spivey working his arm. Crisscross, including a leapfrog from Hercules. Rotundo with an atomic drop, but Hercules hangs back to avoid a dropkick. Tiger with a slam, but an elbow drop misses. Spivey tags in and we get a DOUBLE NOGGIN KNOCKER. Whip and Spivey with a dropkick. Tiger ducks an elbow and cuts Spivey off with chops. Whip and a double elbow from the GreeKorean Connection. Rotundo is lured in, allowing some double mud-hole stomping in the corner. Suddenly, a fan hops the guardrail and gets dragged off by security. Spivey and Hercules with a double-down, but no tag for the U.S. Express 2.0. Tiger gets thrown from the top rope and Rotundo with the hot tag. He runs wild with dropkicks and another DOUBLE NOGGIN KNOCKER. Spivey comes back in and comes off the ropes with the bulldog for three at 12:34. This turned out to be a decent match, nothing fancy, but nothing to be ashamed of. Maybe I'm getting soft in my old age. **
Tito Santana vs. "Adorable" Adrian Adonis:
Adrian has nuclear heat with the Philadelphia crowd. I wonder why... Since dropping the Intercontinental Title in February, Santana has started his decline down the card, while Adonis has factored into programs involving top stars. No Jimmy Hart at ringside. Feels like managers often miss the Spectrum stops unless it's the Main Event. Fans taunt Adonis with a limp wrist. Lockup and they trade hammer-locks. Adonis with an arm drag and Santana transitions to a head-scissors. Santana quickens the pace with an arm drag and pair of slams for a two-count. The crowd gets restless as Santana works a long hammer-lock. We're so bored, Graham runs down the rest of the card. Adonis escapes and is immediately caught in an abdominal stretch. Santana can't get it properly applied and gets dumped through the ropes. Adonis brings the fight to the floor and is sent to the post for his effort. We get one of my least favorite spots, where the referee holds back the arm, holding the babyface wide open for a cheap shot. Adonis tries keeping Santana on the floor, but Santana picks the ankle and wraps Adonis' leg around the post. Back inside, they do a god awful roll-up off the ropes. These guys are not on the same page for the last minute or so. They do it again, this time Adonis holds the ropes, causing Santana to smack his head on the canvas. Adonis covers and hooks the tights for three at 12:30, despite Santana getting his shoulder up as he flails around. I hate when he does that. Match fell apart at the end, and wasn't very good to begin with. *
Billy Jack Haynes vs. Moondog Spot:
I did it again, that should be Spot Moondog. Whatever. Haynes is new to the scene, and would hang around as a prelim/low-mid card guy before getting involved in a feud with Hercules. Monsoon references Haynes' VERY brief stint in the Fall of 1984, lasting all of 1 or 2 matches, but hyped for several weeks on TV. Haynes shows off his strength, as well as a tendency to make rude gestures. He starts working the arm and boy am I ready for this one to be over. Commentary talks about Spot being a good Santa, so you know they're deeply invested. Spot takes control and dumps Haynes to the floor. Back inside, Spot grabs a chin-lock. Whip to the ropes and Haynes counters a back body-drop with a knee lift, but Spot remains in control, hitting an atomic drop for a two-count. Haynes with a sunset flip for two. Spot with a clothesline, but a flying headbutt misses. Haynes has Spot begging off and throws some terrible chops. He plants Spot with a slam and comes off the ropes with a leg drop for two. Maybe you shouldn't be using that move, Billy Jack. Spot blocks a monkey-flip out of the corner, then misses a flying senton. Haynes with the Full Nelson, and Spot gives up at 10:39. This was a lot of nothing until the last 2-minutes. ¾*
The Junkyard Dog vs. The Magnificent Muraco (w/ Mr. Fuji):
In the middle of the previous match, Monsoon hyped up this match and commented on Muraco and Fuji's antics trying to get into Hollywood, and I'd rather watch those segments than Muraco vs JYD any day of the week. Muraco begs off and powders immediately. Lockup to the corner, JYD no-sells a forearm and pops Muraco with a straight right. Whip to the ropes, JYD ducks a clothesline and plants Muraco with a slam. I don't think either man has thrown a strike that looks anything close to like a believable blow. JYD seems to have an answer for everything and Muraco spends time out of the ring like he's got paid vacation out there. Muraco goes to the eyes and unloads with forearms. JYD no-sells more headshots and hits a clothesline for two. Fuji hops on the apron to distract the Dog. The ref gets tossed, Muraco uses the cane, and it's a cheap Disqualification at 6:35. Muraco continues to attack and the referee makes ZERO attempt to stop him. JYD shows color and makes his comeback, including whacking the referee with the broken cane. God bless the WWF reaching a point where only their referees were allowed to work, because these locals were some of the dirt-worst. The winner is never announced, but I'm guessing JYD is the winner. Then some guy acting on behalf of the commission announces a rematch between them in a strap match, but JYD wants a dog-collar match. Whatever. ½*
WWF Championship Match:
Hulk Hogan (c) vs. King Kong Bundy (w/ Bobby Heenan):
Not quite what I was hoping for, but I'll take it. Looks like Hogan was defending against Bundy, Big John Studd, Adrian Adonis, and Randy Savage around this time. The crowd is so loud, I can barely hear Hogan's music. Joey Marella is the referee, so at least we won't have some random geek messing things up. Bundy opens up strong but misses an Avalanche. Heenan hops on the apron and pays for it. Hogan sends Bundy across the ring and charges in with a clothesline. Whip to the ropes and Hogan with another big clothesline before dumping Bundy through the ropes. Hogan follows and chokes Bundy with the strap from his singlet. Back inside, Hogan goes for a slam, but Heenan hops on the apron and shoves Bundy on top of him. Marella sees the assist and ejects Heenan from ringside. Bundy with a slam for two. Whip is reversed and Hogan takes Bundy over with a powerslam. Bundy actually recovers first and drops a knee across the chest for another two-count. Bundy hits the Avalanche and it's HULK-UP TIME. Hogan with the right hands, big boot and leg drop but Adrian Adonis (in a dress and wearing a blonde wig) runs in for the disqualification at 7:35. Adrian Adonis is not an attractive woman. We get heel miscommunication and Hogan stands tall, taunting the duo while wearing the wig. Perfectly fine action, but might as well give us the clean 1-2-3 considering Hogan hit everything. What are you protecting Bundy from at that point? **½
George Wells vs. "Handsome" Harley Race:
This will certainly get the Philadelphia crowd excited. Since he's still "Handsome", you know this is VERY early in Race's run with the WWF, winning the annual King of the Ring Tournament and being rebranded "The King of Wrestling" about a month later. Lockup, Wells grabs a side headlock and comes off the ropes with a shoulder block. He tries it again and Race nails him with a clothesline. Race with a swinging neck breaker for two. This match is ICE COLD. Wells fights out of the ropes and grabs another side headlock. Race escapes and hits a belly-to-belly suplex for two. Snap mare and knee across the face for two. Wells gets dumped to the floor and Race drops a headbutt on him. Back inside, Wells mounts a comeback, hitting Race with a headbutt and running shoulder block. Race avoids a second attempt, sending Wells crashing into the ropes, and finishes with the Fisherman Suplex at 6:07. Boring but not the worst in the world. *
King Tonga vs. Les Thornton:
What are these prelim matches doing this late in the card? I was expecting Tonga vs John Studd, to be honest, but I guess this means I won't get to type "goes for a slam, but Studd grabs the ropes" over and over again. Les Thornton offers the same excitement as watching paint dry. Back to the crappy state athletic commission referees. Tonga with a side headlock. Thornton can't throw him off, so he lays into the body with forearms. We're so excited, we see a ringsider getting happy wearing Hulk's torn shirt. "Boring" chants pick up. Tonga works the arm while I work on making a sandwich. Thornton goes to the eyes repeatedly and the referee seems cool with it. Tonga catches Thornton off the ropes with a slam and the "karate" kick finishes at 4:16. At least it was short. ½*
WWF Intercontinental Championship Match:
"Macho Man" Randy Savage (c) (w/ Elizabeth) vs. "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff:
See, another match you weren't getting often (Philadelphia also got Randy defending against babyface Honkytonk Man in the Fall, to further prove my point). Thanks to the magic of television, Mr. Wonderful already taped his betrayal of Hulk Hogan (on June 24th), but it won't make broadcast for a month, so we'll pretend he's still a hero and Hulkamaniac to the end. Joey Marella is back on assignment, because this match matters, too. Orndorff snatches the belt and poses with it, then threatens to hit Savage with his own title belt! Savage offers a handshake, but Orndorff isn't falling for it. Lockup, Orndorff grabs a wrist-lock and Savages goes to the ropes to force a break. Orndorff with a pair of arm drags, sending Savage to the floor again. He chucks a chair in the ring, breaking it in the process. Orndorff powders now to present Elizabeth with a bouquet of flowers. Savage snatches them and rushes Orndorff, only to have the assault backfire. Savage cuts Orndorff off with a boot in the corner, followed by a big clothesline. Savage comes off the top with a double axe-handle for two. Orndorff surprises Savage with an O'Connor Roll, but Savage quickly regains control. Savage with a delayed suplex for two. Orndorff works the body but is cut off with an elbow to the top of the head. Savage tries another axe-handle, but this time Orndorff was ready for him. They take the action to the floor. Orndorff lays Savage out with a clothesline and rolls back in for the Count-Out victory at 8:17. Another weak finish, but at least they seemed to be trying. **¾
Final Thoughts: I didn't enjoy this card at all. There's a couple of decent matches, but nothing outstanding, and not nearly enough to make up for an otherwise weak show with every match of significance having a cheap finish. Maybe you spice it up by adding at least one more tag team match to break the monotony of singles matches, especially with how thin the roster was getting on able bodied singles stars who you could count on to put on a good show.
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