home | wrestling | flashback_reviews | wwe | misc

WWF TV Taping: Indianapolis, IN - June 23, 1987

by Scrooge McSuck

>

We're back with another taping cycle for WWF Superstars of Wrestling (with some bonus content), as we work our way through the Summer as we wait for the next hot angle or idea to take place. With these three weeks of TV, we'll have worked most of our way into July, and we'll check in on the Wrestling Challenge taping the next day from Louiseville, KY, but I wouldn't expect too much out of that in the dog days of the Summer schedule.

July 4th, 1987:

The usual trio of Vince McMahon, Jesse Ventura, and Bruno Sammartino welcome us and promise us Randy Savage, Kamala and Sika, Tito Santana, Brutus Beefcake, and an interesting match of Killer Khan vs Outback Jack. I don't know when they switched the preview images, but these outdated images look so second-rate against the top-tier production values that the company has gradually adopted.

"Macho Man" Randy Savage (w/ Elizabeth) vs. Sonny Rogers - Savage seems like the go-to opener of an episode during every taping cycle. We're still a bit of time away from Savage's face turn, as Vince hasn't budged yet on his stance. Savage gives Rogers nothing (good) and finishes with the elbow at 1:43... Kamala & Sika (w/ Mr. Fuji & Kim-Chee) vs. Jim Powers & Mario Mancini - Does Paul Roma know that Jim Powers is cheating on him? Fuji with a promo, mentioning a new wrestler that can do everything and weighs 397 pounds. "BAM! BAM!" Quick squash, as Mancini is put away with a combo Samoan Drop and Splash at 1:56... Tito Santana vs. Terry Gibbs - Gibbs gets a little bit to show that he's higher on the pecking order than the Sonny Rogers of the enhancement world. It's actually an OK prelim match on an accelerated clock. Santana wins with the Flying Forearm at 2:45... Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake vs. Chris Curtis - Beefcake doesn't waste time, putting Curtis away with the Sleeper at 1:10 and giving him a dreadful haircut... The Islanders (w/ Bobby Heenan) vs. S.D. Jones & Frankie DeFalco - Just like Mr. Fuji earlier, Heenan cuts a promo about new talent and also says "Bam Bam". Jones gets a few shots and casually tags out for DeFalco to get eaten alive. Tama finishes with the splash at 2:30.

Outback Jack vs. Killer Khan (w/ Mr. Fuji)

I guess we can consider this a "feature" match. These two were scheduled for action before on an episode of syndicated programming, but the match never happened due to an attack from Khan. Now it's time for Outback's Revenge! Lockup and Khan immediately punishes Jack with knees and kicks. Whip to the ropes, Jack ducks an elbow and throws a series of forearms. Khan is on the ropes following a clothesline, but recovers, hitting Jack with a side crescent kick. Green mist is blown in the face of Jack, and Khan easily finishes with a back breaker and flying knee drop at 2:12.

Update with Craig DeGeorge - Last week, the Heenan Family put quite the beating on Ken Patera, repeatedly lashing him with Heenan's belt. We get a promo from Patera, vowing to take out the Heenan Family one-by-one and rid the world of the scum that "the Weasel" stands for.

"Superstar" Billy Graham's comeback is still in progress, and the duo of "The Natural" Butch Reed and Slick are not impressed.

We get our 2nd vignette introducing "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase. It's a hot Summer afternoon and he wants to go swimming, so he pays off the pool attendant at the local center to clear the place out so he can enjoy it by himself. You see, EVERYBODY HAS A PRICE.

The Snake Pit with The Killer Bees. Yes, we're giving the interview stage to the babyface team that is, at best, tied for 3rd from the top with the Rougeau Brothers. The Bees come out with the masks on. We recap when the Bees defeated the Hart Foundation in a Non-Title Match, and they switch spots a few times, which seems to be more a comedy thing than selling them as legit contenders.

Local Promos - We're getting a feed from the Boston market, so we're hyping the return to the Boston Garden on July 11th! The Honkytonk Man defends the Intercontinental Title against Jake Roberts! Brutus Beefcake vs. Greg Valentine! Can-Am Connection vs Islanders! Tito Santana vs. Butch Reed! Dino Bravo, One Man Gang, and MORE! We get interviews from Honkytonk Man and Jimmy Hart, the Can-Am Connection, and Jake Roberts.

July 11th, 1987:

Vince McMahon, Jesse Ventura, and Bruno Sammartino welcome and tease us with the following; Ken Patera, The Honkytonk Man, and Jake Roberts in singles action, the Can-Am Connection in tags, and Hercules, King Kong Bundy, and Harley Race representing the Heenan Family in a Six-Man Tag.

Ken Patera vs. Iron Mike Sharpe - Lots of confidence putting Patera in the opening spot! Sharpe is allowed to stand toe-to-toe with Patera briefly, a tell that he's in that Gibbs territory of "enhancement talent, but also on payroll." Far from embarrassing considering Patera's reputation of the time. Patera wins with the bearhug at 2:45... Hercules, Harley Race and King Kong Bundy (w/ Bobby Heenan) vs. Paul Roma, Jim Evans, and Mario Mancini - A-HA! Roma WAS at this taping! So why split them up? Heenan with a promo, saying Fuji got confused, and he's got the man that goes BAM BAM BAM. Roma never tags in, and the Family completely destroys Mancini and Evans, with Bundy finishing off Evans at 2:23... The Can-Am Connection vs. Terry Gibbs & Dusty Wolfe - For a three-week cycle, you would think we wouldn't recycle job guys as often as we've seen. The more I watch the Can-Ams, the more I'm not impressed by Zenk. Gibbs and Wolfe get some token offense before Zenk runs wild with the hot tag. Zenk finishes Wolfe with a sloppy missile dropkick at 2:57... Jake "The Snake" Roberts vs. Brian Costello - No promo or mention of a feud, so Jake is officially in a cool-off spot. Costello gets thrown around a bunch, including a guardrail spot. Jake uses his entire arsenal and finishes with the DDT at 1:47... The New Dream Team (w/ Johnny V) vs. Sivi Afi & Leaping Lanny Poffo - Valiant's covering his head from the routine embarrassments at the hands of Brutus Beefcake. Speaking of Beefcake, he sits in on commentary. Valentine and Bravo take turns pounding Afi. Poffo runs wild for a bit, but he's quickly finished off with a side slam from Bravo and the Figure-Four from Valentine at 3:38. Valentine won't let go, so Beefcake runs down and starts cutting Valentine's hair... The Honkytonk Man (w/ Jimmy Hart) vs. Omar Atlas - Now Jimmy Hart claims to have the services of Bam Bam! Standard Honky squash as we put pieces in place for his next program, Shake Rattle ‘n' Roll finishes at 1:42.

Update with Craig DeGeorge - We get our next look at Ted Dibiase, throwing money at the crowd and enjoying them flock to it like peasants. I'm trying to figure out where this could have taken place, considering Dibiase's heel turn hadn't happened at live events at the time this taping cycle began, but the footage here suggests that it's from the June 28th show in Battle Creek, MI, where they taped another spot for the Million Dollar Man.

Special Report: Craig DeGeorge runs down the history of Danny Davis, showing clips of his blatant bias as a referee, costing Tito Santana the Intercontinental and the British Bulldogs the Tag Team Titles, then converting to a wrestler when Jack Tunney suspended him for life (plus ten years). The WWF has a "special official" to enforce the rules in Mr. T, and Danny Davis isn't happy. I know Mr. T isn't the same celeb status in 1987 as he was in 1985, but really? Mr. T and Danny Davis?!

Local Promos - This time we're in the New York Market, hyping the Nassau Coliseum on July 17th, Madison Square Garden on July 25th, and the Meadowlands on August 1st, and all with different cards. During the New Generation era, we would get promos for all three stops but with the same lineup for each show, in consecutive days.

July 18th, 1987:

We wrap up the cycle with the usual suspects hyping Brutus Beefcake, Demolition, The One Man Gang, a Six-Man Tag featuring Junkyard Dog, Billy Jack Haynes and Hillbilly Jim, and the Snake Pit with Mr. T.

The One Man Gang (w/ Slick) vs. Sonny Rogers - Add Slick to the list of managers claiming rights to Bam Bam. Gang finishes with the gourd buster/forward suplex at 1:20... The Rougeau Brothers vs. The Shadows - Hey, the Shadows getting some time on syndication! You know what to expect, accelerated action and a short heat segment. Raymond pins Shadow Rivera following the Rougeau Bomb at 2:57... Demolition vs. Scott Casey & Omar Atlas - Did I miss mentioning Scott Casey's arrival? A name from Southwest Championship Wrestling (and other territories), Casey was mostly enhancement talent, but did get to work prelims on the house shows, so he was under contract for several years. Fuji says he's got Bam Bam, and Ax pins Atlas with the elbow at 2:35... Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake vs. Pete Sanchez - Another quick squash for Beefcake, finishing Sanchez with the sleeper at 1:06... The Hart Foundation (w/ Jimmy Hart) vs. Jerry Allen & Mike Richards - The Foundation dominates the match and Bret pins Richards following the Hart Attack at 2:22, then they give him the move a second time for the hell of it. Feels like the title reign has lost some steam.

The Junkyard Dog, Billy Jack Haynes and Hillbilly Jim vs. "The Outlaw" Ron Bass, The Magnificent Muraco, and Bob Orton

Woah, this is actually a competitive match, and they only advertised the babyface side?! That tells you everything you need about the stock of Bass, Muraco and Orton, when they're afterthoughts in the run down of today's episode. We get an inset promo from Ron Bass, who puts over Miss Betsy (his whip). How nice of him. JYD no-sells the turnbuckle and has Bass running following a pair of headbutts. Haynes and Muraco with a short exchange, with Haynes getting the better of a shoulder block challenge. Jim is still super-over despite being infrequently used. Orton cuts him off with knees and elbows, but Jim turns things around and sends Orton over the ropes with a big boot. Muraco and Orton have a tiff on the floor and get counted-out at 2:50. Wow, that is certainly a terrible finish you don't see often!

Update with Craig DeGeorge - More fun with the Million Dollar Man. Ted Dibiase is hungry and cuts the line at the restaurant, paying off the host to seat him immediately, because everybody has a price. Hmm... I wonder if Dibiase's endless supply of cash will come in handy when it comes to the wrestling ring...

"The Natural" Butch Reed, unimpressed by Superstar Billy Graham's comeback attempt, presents himself with a well-lit posing demonstration. I don't know where on the Insta-Feud meter this lands, but at least they're trying to get something out of Graham before his body falls apart again.

The Snake Pit with Mr. T - I still can't believe I'm talking about T in the WWF in 1987. Mr. T says he's going to take care of business because the referees don't know what they're doing. He's been chopping down trees so he can handle these big ‘rasslers. Danny Davis comes out to dispute Mr. T's claims, saying T will get his butt-kicked by the wrestlers in the WWF, and he might be one of them. T pays him no attention and Jake scares him off with the snake. This marks the end of Jake Roberts' "Snake Pit" segment, and in fact, retires the wrestler-hosted segment for nearly a year, with Craig DeGeorge and Gene Okerlund taping live interviews.

BONUS CONTENT:

/ As always, we'll look at any matches or segments of significance that made it to broadcast outside the syndication bubble or were released for home video (or in modern era, dumped on YouTube via WWE Vault)

The Snake Pit with Hulk Hogan - The July 18th episode featured Mr. T and Danny Davis in most markets, but for those that had Hogan vs. Killer Khan scheduled for a local card, they got this segment instead. Hogan is on top of the mountain after defeating the Giant at WrestleMania, and feels sorry for the next #1 contender. This brings out Mr. Fuji and Killer Khan. Hogan isn't intimidated, so Khan spits the green mist in his face and walks off set. Jake does everything he can to help Hogan, and even Gorilla Monsoon comes out to lend a hand!

The Dingo Warrior vs. Jose Estrada

A dark match that later surfaced on WWE's Unreleased DVD compilation. Not only are we getting one of the first appearances of the Dingo Warrior, but he's introduced from Queens, NY. "Ultimate Warrior from Parts Unknown" is much better. Warrior gets the better of Estrada early on, working like a normal white-meat babyface, complete with leapfrog and arm drag. Estrada goes to the eyes and takes Warrior over with a snap mare. Estrada keeps Warrior grounded with nerve holds and a chin-lock. Warrior fights to his feet, sends Estrada to the canvas with a press slam, and goes back to the arm bar. Control goes back to Estrada, and this is borderline painful to watch. Warrior gets fired up, hits an atomic drop, and finishes with a crappy-looking diving clothesline at 6:16. Warrior had the look, but having him working C-Tour houses for a few months before putting him on TV was the right move. ¼*

Brutus Beefcake & The Rougeau Brothers vs. The New Dream Team & Johnny Valiant

/ Featured on the Coliseum Video "The Best of the WWF Vol. 14". We've covered it enough, but there's existing rivalries with all six men involved, with Johnny V getting the Barber and hair stylist treatment around the house show circuit. Raymond and Bravo start and we immediately get heel miscommunication to pop the crowd. Valentine lights Jacques up, probably for being Jacques. Whip reversal Jacques gives it back. Beefcake in and Valentine jumps ship for another hugging session. Bravo traps Brutus in the corner, and of course Valentine is happy to get in the ring now. Even happier is Johnny V, with Beefcake worn down. Raymond gets the tag and the Rougeaus get some shine on Bravo, with Valentine repeatedly making the save. Raymond gets fed up with the interference, but the tactic pays off, as Bravo clobbers him from behind. Raymond gets dumped to the outside, where Bravo gets a few free shots while the referee tries to keep order. Back inside, Bravo with an inverted atomic drop, followed by an elbow. Valentine goes for the Figure-Four, but Raymond counters. Bravo with the side slam, but a second elbow drop misses. Beefcake with the hot tag, running wild on poor Johnny V. Heck breaks loose with all six men in the ring, and Beefcake puts Valiant away with the sleeper at 11:38. Valiant gets the usual treatment afterwards. Really fun with a hot crowd, with no lazy 2-3 minute chin-locks. ***

The Snake Pit with Randy Savage and Elizabeth - Hey, sneaking one more interview in, featured on the August 3rd episode of Prime Time Wrestling. Jake makes sure to note that Savage is the FORMER Intercontinental Champion. According to Jimmy Hart, the Honkytonk Man is the Champion because he's better than Macho. Savage says he's being fed unrequested information and whether it's Hulk Hogan or Honkytonk Man, he's the better man and the future of the WWF.

WWF @ Louisville, KY - June 24th, 1987:

Is there any interesting content from our latest taping for Wrestling Challenge? We've got a couple of matches taped for Prime Time Wrestling, and maybe a feature or two for syndication. Dark matches featured the likes of Dingo Warrior, Rick Rude, and Bam Bam Bigelow in individual action, and thankfully we won't be subjected to more Warrior after that Estrada match from Indianapolis.

The Honkytonk Man (c) (w/ Jimmy Hart) vs. George "The Animal" Steele

Featured on the July 13th episode of Prime Time Wrestling. I swear, Honky worked a ton of pointless matches with George Steele and Hillbilly Jim at TV tapings, and I'm sure we can all predict how this one ends. Steele chases Honky out of the ring with his wild (goofy) antics. Honky spams his taunt button then runs away again. We do the routine AGAIN, and this time Steele follows. Honky catches Steele in the ropes with a clothesline and unloads with forearms across the chest. Steele makes the comeback, messing up Honky's hair and planting him with a slam. Jimmy draws Steele's attention, and the Animal chases Hart from the ring, getting counted out in the process at 3:38. Steele returns with the guitar and whacks Honky across the back. ZERO STARS

Non-Title Match: Leilani Kai & Judy Martin vs. The Jumping Bomb Angels

Featured on the July 20th episode of Prime Time Wrestling, and the first of many televised matches between the yet-to-be-named Glamour Girls (Leilani Kai and Judy Martin) and the Jumping Bomb Angels (Noriyo Tateno and Itsuki Yamazaki). The Bomb Angels are credited as reigning Champions dating back to August 1st, 1985, when they defeated Velvet McIntyre and Desiree Petersen... in Cairo, Egypt?! I'd question the legitimacy, but in recent years, Leilani has posted photos touring Egypt, so who am I to doubt her? Maybe it happened, maybe it didn't, but I appreciate the wink that blurs the lines. Leilani and Martin have not switched to the black-and-gold gear or the blonde dye job yet.

Craig DeGeorge and Johnny Valiant are on the call and Valiant speed runs some questionable comments based on the ethnicity of the Bomb Angels (and called this "Sweet and Sour Chicken vs Downhome BBQ"). YIKES. We open hot, with the Angels working Leilani over. To my surprise, DeGeorge identifies them both immediately! Maybe he's wrong, but it's a better effort than most. Martin in and Tateno pops her with a running high knee. Martin blocks a slam and plants Yamazaki with gusto. Leilani's attempts at a fireman's carry throw is blocked, but Martin quickly comes in to help. Tateno bridges out of several pin attempts and cleans house with a pair of dropkicks.

Back inside, Yamazaki works the arm of Martin. Side Note: It's weird how some taped matches get canned reactions and then others have the natural sounds intact (this would be the latter). Momentum swings back in favor of the Champions. Whip and Leilani with a diving forearm, followed by a slam for two. Valiant with his 6th or 7th tasteless joke. Yamazaki avoids a sandwich spot, but the referee won't allow the tag as Tateno wasn't on the apron. More heat on Yamazaki as I wish I could watch this without the commentary (at least not Valiant's). Yamazaki with a double dropkick, setting up the hot tag. Tateno runs wild with dropkicks of her own, followed by a diving clothesline. Lielani gets brought in the hard way and sent across the ring with a slingshot for a near-fall. Tateno with the flying knee drop and now heck breaks loose. During the confusion, Yamazaki (the illegal member of the team) comes off the second rope with a sunset flip on Leilani and gets three-count at 11:09. The heat segment was a little dull (and gave us an audible "boring" chant), but these teams, even on one of the "lesser" efforts, had natural chemistry, and was still a solid match. **¾

The Killer Bees vs. The Magnificent Muraco & Bob Orton

Featured on the July 12th episode of Wrestling Challenge. I'm going to make a bold prediction and say that Orton and Muraco are going to have trouble getting along late in the contest. Blair and Muraco start. Lockup to the ropes and Muraco gives a clean break. They trade holds, with Muraco going to the ropes for the break. He pops Blair with an elbow, so the Mr. Nice Guy routine is over. Blair catches Muraco with a powerslam, and Orton accidentally hits his partner with a leg drop in an attempt to break up a cover. Blair with an atomic drop, sending Orton into Muraco again. Whip to the ropes and we get ANOTHER miscommunication, putting a pause on the action as they yell at each other. Despite the troubles of staying on the same page, they manage to work Brunzell over. Heck breaks loose, Orton accidentally decks referee Jack Kruger, and that's a disqualification at 4:15. Muraco and Orton argue more afterwards.

The Can-Am Connection vs. The Shadows

Featured on the July 19th episode of Wrestling Challenge. I just had terrible flashbacks to these teams going 20-minutes at one of the recent live events we covered, but this being Challenge, I know we're going to get a wonderfully rushed match instead. Martel starts with Shadow Rivera and sends him to the ropes to escape a hammer-lock. Martel uses the ropes to get some height and take Shadow II over with a head-scissors. Zenk in and he's caught in the corner with a body-scissors. Whip across the ring, Zenk gives Shadow II a taste of the same and busts out his own head-scissors. Shadow Moondog in and an assist from the corner gives them control. Zenk ends up getting the lukewarm tag and runs wild on both men. Double dropkick sends Shadow Conquistador to the floor and Zenk finishes Shadow Smash with a cross body press at 4:12. Meh. Colley and Rivera have zero team chemistry.

Final Thoughts: Who is the man that signed Bam Bam?! Seriously, if there's one note to remember across this set of TV taping, we should expect big things from this man. The last time we had all the managers tripping over themselves to sign new talent, it was the debut of Randy Savage in the Summer of ‘85, and look at his two years with the company. The "enforcer" angle with Mr. T seems like such a waste of time, and Mr. T's stock has plummeted, so I don't understand the point of bringing in someone that was difficult to work with in higher profile spots. We've also kicked off a program between Billy Graham and Butch Reed which should be... interesting, I guess. Next in the timeline we have a stop at the Maple Leaf Gardens on June 28th and Boston Garden on July 11th, and good news, those are already in the archives! Next time, we return with MORE TV taping, as we head to Glens Falls, NY.

Sound Off!
Comment about this article on Da' Wrestling Boards!