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WWF Prime Time Wrestling - December 14, 1987

by erick von erich

Hello again everyone, it's Gorilla Monsoon...and your host, Bobby "the Brain" Heenan, with another edition of Prime Time Wrestling. This week, the host desk is flanked by a giant cardboard cut-out of a "Slammy Award". The 37th Annual Slammy Awards will be broadcast this weekend and "it will be a happening". The Brain teases that he'll have his own award to give out: The Bobby Heenan Scholarship Award. But with so much going on in the World Wrestling Federation, let's get down to ringside for...

Match 1: Jake "The Snake" Roberts vs. "Dangerous" Danny Davis

From Madison Square Garden on November 24, 1987, with Gorilla Monsoon, Lord Alfred Hayes and Nick Bockwinkel on the call. This was pretty much the start of Davis' 18 month run as a prelim flunkie, after his push with the Hart Foundation had faded. Or his return to prelims, if you count his days as "Mr. X". Match begins with Davis stalling and ducking into the turnbuckles for a good 4 or 5 minutes. He finally backs into Damien's corner and freaks out. They go for the Penultimate KnuckleLock Challenge, but Jake takes over and cranks away on Davis' arm. Bockwinkel then goes into the way Jake is now pandering to the fans and talks a little more about psychology between a wrestler and the fans. Jake lifts Davis into a one-arm slam, then Davis bails for the floor. Jake follows him out to smack him around. Davis catches Jake on the return to the ring and is all punchy/kicky. Jake tries a charge into the corner, but Davis gets his knees up, nails him, and gets a quick 1 count. Jake quickly comes back with a kneelift and the DDT to get the pin. Wasn't anything spectacular, but Davis' dodgy tactics made it watchable.

Match 2: WWF Women's Tag Team Championship
Glamour Girls (c) (w/Jimmy Hart) vs. Jumping Bomb Angels

(Lelani Kai & Judy Martin vs. Itzuki Yamazaki & Noriyo Tateno)
More from the same MSG card. While the Angels' names are listed, the announcers make no effort to call them by their names. It's just "the Japanese Girls"...so forgive me for not knowing who does what. The Glamour Girls give Hart a stereo smooch as they're announced. The Angels start quickly with flying elbows, slams, flying headbutts and a flying arm-screw off the top rope. Alerts the crowd, as they really get into this match. Kai tries to lift one into an airplane spin, but the Angel hops out, then misses a senton splash from the second rope. Glamour Girls try several pin attempts, but the Angels bridge out, each time. They work over one Angel for a good 5-8 minutes, with several desparation sunset flip pin attempts mixed in. Kai actually works the sharpshooter for a bit. Hot tag is finally amde as the Angels hit both Glamour Girls with a doubel flying crossbody press. Martin is the victim of a flying clothesline off the second rope and is covered for 2. Kai makes the save and suddenly all four are in. The Angels blast Kai with a double dropkick from two different turnbuckles. They make the cover, but while theref tries to usher the other Angel out of the ring, Martin sneaks in an powerbombs the legal girl. Kai makes the cover as the Glamour Girls retain. The Angels get some revenge by clearing the ring. Y'know... aside from Ricky Steamboat and Ted DiBiase, this match probably had the four best worker in the WWF, at that time.

Back in the studio, Monsoon complains that the "Angels got JAPPED in the Garden". Oh, real smooth... then I supposed when an Italian wrestler gets screwed in a match, he/she gets "whopped"?

Quickly moving on, Gorilla stirs up some unrest in the Brain, by talking about Ted DiBiase's offer to buy the WWF Championship from Hulk Hogan.

A Very Special Craig DeGeorge Podium Interview with Greg "The Hammer" Valentine & Jimmy Hart

While the Hammer barks out theats at Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake, we see clips from their match last week, where Hammer caught him in the figure four. Valentine then declares to Beefake that he'll "rid you of professional wrestling". Hmm...the gist is there, but I think the words were switched around a little.

A Very Special Craig DeGeorge Interview with Jack Tunney

DeGeorge asks WWF President Jack Tunney about the legalities of DiBiase buying the championship. Tunney isn't sure, but he's looking into it.

A Very Special Craig DeGeorge Backstage Segment with Hulk Hogan

DeGeorge catches Hogan coming out of the dressing room and asks him about DiBiase's offer. Hogan is a little pertubed that DiBiase went to the Hulkster's family while trying to convince him. Hogan can't offer a decision right now, but he plans to make a special announcement, next week!

Match 3: Demolition (Ax & Smash w/ Mr. Fuji) vs. Brady Boone & Jim Evans

Re-boradcast from Superstars of Wrestling with Vince McMahon, Jesse Ventura and Bruno Sammartino on the call. Jesse and Bruno talk about this is Boone's second shot at Demolition--after a recent match where they beat the tar out of him until his "cousin", Billy Jack Haynes made the save. Boone starts off with some backflips and spinning kicks, but Smash catches him in a high press-slam-drop. Evans coems in and gets pummeled with two slams from Ax. An inset interview flies in from Billy Jack Haynes and Ken Patera, letting Demolition know that they're watching this match. Okay-- side note ran: Who exactly are you talking to when you cut a promo like that? The Demos are IN the ring, so they can't really hear ya'. Back in the ring, the Demos crush Evans with their "Decapitation" double-team manuever and get the pin. Mild pop for that, as well. They toss Boone to the floor, then hit Evans with the Decapitation one more. Boons returns and gets hammered, but suddenly Billy Jack and Patera hit the ring to make the save. Patera chases the Demos away and stands tall with Fuji's cane.

A Very Special Craig DeGeorge Studio Interview with KoKo B. Ware and the Junkyard Dog

Just to announce them as a new tag team, as JYD says they "don't worry 'bout nuthin'". I don't speak fluent JYD, but it sounds like he rattles of the names of the other tag teams in the Whirl 'Rasslin Faration.

Match 4: Killer Bees vs. Bolsheviks (w/Slick)

(Jumpin' Jim Brunzell & B. Brian Blair vs. Nikolai Volkov & Boris Zhukov)
More MSG and it's Joined-In-Progress. The Bees are working on Nikolai's legs, then apply a step-over toe hold on Zhukov. Volkov takes over with an atomic drop and a front facelock on Blair. Blair is worked over in thr wrong side of twon, with a double-team clothesline and a gutwrench suplex. A Bearhug Happens, courtesy of Nikolai. Zhukov comes in, performs an awful verticla suplex and gets 2. The Russians keep working on Blair, until they make the mistake of tossing him outside. Brunzell crawls over and the Bees go under the ring to don their masks. A fresh Brunzell takes Blair's place in the ring with a slam, backdrop, skullcracker and dropkick on Zhukov. Zhukov responds with a side backbreaker and then all four men enter the ring. In the confusion, Blair (still the legal man) flies off the top turnbuckle with a flying bodypress to pin Zhukov.

Zip back to the studio, where the Brain is set to announce the candidates for his Scholarship Award. They are... Harley Race, Hercules, Andre the Giant, Rick Rude and the Islanders. Gorilla interrupts him and plugs the Slammys, again. They both talk about how Vince McMahon is planning to sing. Heenan mentions that everyone will head for the doors when he does. Heenan then wonders about what happened with the other 35 editions of the Slammys.

Match 5: Ivan Putski vs. Greg "the Hammer" Valentine (w/ "Luscious" Johnny V)

In the studio, the Brain brings out a mini ironing board, which he claims belongs to the diminutive Putski. From the Philadelphia Spectrum with Dick Graham and Craig DeGeorge calling the spots. Just a little weird to see the Hammer on this show with two different managers. Copy n' paste time, as I recapped this match for one of our "Old School" shows, about two years ago.

Putski's return to the Spectrum after an absence of two years and he gets a good response. He was gone for a few more years after this match, as well. Putski wiggles his pecs and goads Valentine into the Penultimate Knucklelock Challenge. Buncha' brawling and headlocks with Valentine cinching a belly-to-back suplex. Putski pounds back and the Valentine FLOP happens! Putski gets the Polish Hammer on the... Hammer. Valnetine rolls out and pulls Putski out as well. He rams Putski's leg into the ringpost, then hops back inside to hook the figure four. Putski screams "no", but almost immediately the bell rings to signal a submission victory for Valentine. Weird ending-- the Spectrum Screw-job?!! Putski's fun, but this was definitely a turd.

A Very Special Tribute to "Superstar" Billy Graham

Recap and clips of Superstar's comeback from April 1987 until it was ended at the hands of Butch Reed and the One Man Gang after a match in October 1987. Also shown is a match against Steve Lombardi (wuth Superstar wearing 20 pounds of earrings, no less) and a "pose down" against Reed. The clip ends with the attack from Reed and OMG. Could this be the end for Superstar?

In the studio, the Brains wonders why they did a tribute. Did Superstar die? Gorilla then informs him that Superstar had, in fact, retired. Heenan: "Who cares?"

Match 6: Bam Bam Bigelow (w/Oliver Humperdink) vs. Killer Khan (w/Mr. Fuji)

From a Boston Garden taping, with Gorilla, Duke Doherty and Nick Bockwinkel on the sticks. They lock-up and Bam Bam gives a clean break. Once more, but Khan gets in a cheap shot after the break. Khan tries a headlock, but Bam Bam shoves him off for a shoulderblock. Nobody moves, so both guys do a stare-down and slap the other in the mush. Bigelow lands an atomic drop to send Khan bailing. Khan returns and suckers Bam Bam in with the offer of a handshake. He pounds away, whips Bigelow to the ropes for a reverse elbow, then chokes him on the bottom rope. Big Khan legdrop gets a 2 count. Fuji tries to interject with his cane, but Humperdink runs over to cut him off. Bigelow fights back with a clothesline out of the corner and a diving headbutt for a 2 count. He slams Khan, then tries a flying headbutt, but only gets 2. Khan chops him in the throat, then connects with a reverse thrust kick. Khan sets up for his Green Mist spew. Bigelow simply...ducks... throws a dropkick, then pins Khan with a quick splash off the ropes. A decent big man match.

Back in the studio, the Brain isn't impressed and calls Bigelow "lucky". After all, Khan's just a "preliminary ham n' egger". Whoa... the Brain pushing the kayfabe envelope! After a final commercial break, Gorilla wraps it up and plugs the Slammys once more. It will be... a happening. So long, everyone!

Why'd You Tape This??
For Prime Time Wrestling, this is a great episode. Only one true "jobber squash" and that had a fun lil' run-in (the Demos with Billy Jack and Patera). Plus you have the update segments with Hogan and DiBiase and three more prefectly acceptable matches. The only match that stinks is Valentine/Putski, but that's still interesting due to the ending. Throw in the usual Gorilla and the Brain banter and you've got yourself an entertaining vintage episode.

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