WWF Saturday Night's Main Event XXI - 5/27/89
by MichaelPowersShow started out with Hogan cutting a promo in a cage. The gist of it: Hulkamania will run wild and Big Bossman will lose. Shocking, I know.
Commentators are Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura.
Clips aired from WrestleMania V, showing how Rick Rude won the title from Ultimate Warrior. That was such a great match. Then it was time for Mean Gene to interview Heenan and Rude. Heenan said a couple bald jokes and claimed Rude had done nothing wrong. Right after this, KING~! Jim Duggan was interviewed. He had just beat Haku to win the crown. Typical Duggan promo, nothing of real value.
1. Intercontinental Title Match: Rick Rude (w/Bobby Heenan) vs. Jim Duggan
Duggan dominated early with Rude doing fantastic selling as always. Rude got brief control after a boot to the face and a right hand off the top rope. His gyrations allowed Duggan to go back on the offensive and get a nearfall off a piledriver. At this point Haku came out to take the crown back, but he was sent away. That was pretty pointless. Commercial break followed. After the break, Rude hit an amazing standing dropkick, hitting Duggan right in the head. After another fist off the top rope, Duggan no-sold everything and threw Rude around. He then got in the three point stance and hit his clothesline. This knocked Rude out of the ring for a countout victory. Pretty short match, but good while it lasted. (**)
Mean Gene interviewed Jim Neidhart and asked him why he would want to face Randy Savage. It’s because he hates him, apparently.
Next Ventura interviewed Randy Savage and Sensational Sherri. They both talked about how useless Elizabeth (they didn’t mention her by name) was. Savage vowed to win the World Title back from Hulk Hogan.
Sean Mooney was in the studio for the MOUNTAIN DEW SLAM OF THE NIGHT~! It was Big John Studd throwing a jobber around a bunch of times. That's more than one slam, so it really should have been plural.
2. Jim Neidhart vs. Randy Savage (w/Sensational Sherri)
McMahon pushed that if Savage won, he would certainly get a rematch. Sherri got involved right away by pulling Neidhart’s leg and distracting him. Neidhart only got in very brief offense before Savage took control, with Sherri choking him while the ref was distracted. Crowd was really into when Neidhart kicked out of a double axe handle and made his comeback. He hit an impressive shoulderblock from the apron over the top rope and a standing dropkcick. Savage hit him with a double axe handle on the floor followed by the elbow off the top for the pin. Even shorter than the first match, but still, pretty good. (**1/2)
Ventura was backstage with Big Bossman and Slick. Slick said he got Bossman’s match against Hogan “very slickly.” He also said there would be a big surprise.
3. Steel Cage Match for WWF Title: Hulk Hogan © vs. Big Bossman (w/Slick)
Slick immediately brought out the surprise, Zeus. Way to build up that up. After he came out, they showed clips of him in No Holds Barred. Zeus blocked the entrance to the door when Hogan came out. He hit him with a horrible kick and a couple forearms that knocked Hogan out. Zeus then just left. Back from commercial, Hogan was STILL knocked out. How did the heels never capitalize on Hogan’s major weakness, his inability to contend with forearms? Bossman threw him in the cage and the match started. After he was thrown around a bit, Hogan miraculously made a comeback, hit the big boot, and started to climb the cage, but Bossman cut him off and went back in control. Bossman was on the other side of the cage, about one step from being on the floor, when Hogan pulled him up and hit a superplex off the top of the cage. Both guys were out cold, so Earl Hebner came in the cage to put in a ten count. Hogan got up and went for the door, so Hebner left the cage, locked the door, and then immediately opened it again. Genius. Bossman cut Hogan off and Slick threw a chain in. Hogan eventually got the chain and used it himself as well as throwing him into the cage a whole bunch of times. Hogan hit the legdrop and started climbing up, but Slick knocked out then ref and stopped Hogan from climbing up. Hogan beat them both up, handcuffed Bossman to the cage and climbed out. Post match, Hogan hit Slick with the nightstick. Match was good in spots, but was boring for a large portion as well. I can’t believe I just wrote this much about this match. (*1/2)
Ventura interviewed Bobby Heenan with the Brain Busters. Heenan vowed to have his second title tonight. Good promo with Heenan saying the only thing he was worried about was getting lead poisoning from Demoliton’s cheap paint.
Demolition was backstage with Mean Gene. They yelled some and left.
4. WWF Tag Team Title Match: Brain Busters (w/Bobby Heenan) vs. Demolition
Demolition completely dominated early despite Heenan distracting the ref. Anderson and Blanchard would get control just long enough to get arrogant before getting thrown around some more. Busters did eventually get the heat on Smash, using lots of double team moves and briefly taking the match to the floor. After getting pulled off the apron when Smash was about to make the tag, Ax just ran in and it turned into a four-way brawl. Ax threw the ref down for the DQ. Good match, but I really didn’t like the finish. (**1/2)
Ventura interviewed Savage and Sherri. Basically the same promo as before.
Jimmy Snuka and Boris Zuhkov came out for a match, but the DVD skipped right through it and all I saw was Snuka pinning Zukhov. It’s probably for the best.
A clip aired from NO HOLDS BARRED~! Robbers came into the restaurant Hulk was at, so he of course had to bring them to justice. He pulled a bar stool that was screwed to the floor off, threw a whole lot more at them, and then gave a thumbs up. The only notable thing was how amazingly awful his full tie-dye outfit was.
Mean Gene interviewed Hogan. Hogan wants to face Zeus, who he apparently had problems with during the filming as well. He invited all of us to see it.
McMahon asked Ventura if he enjoyed himself, to which he responded, “yeah sure” while rolling his eyes. Great man. McMahon said they’d be back in July, which made Ventura irate.
Final Thoughts: I have no real complaints about this show. While there was nothing fantastic, all the matches were pretty solid, so I'm going to have to give this a thumbs up.
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