Prime Time Wrestling - August 25, 1986
by Erick Von Erich
Hello everyone and welcome. It's Gorilla Monsoon...and Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, who has something to say about being host. After the end of last week's episode, Heenan found out that he had a big zero (actually the letter "O") on his back, so this week he has an "H" on the front of his jacket. Which stands for "HOST", for all you humanoids out there! But with so much going on n the World Wrestling Federation, let's get down to ringside for...
"Leaping" Lanny Poffo vs. Mr. X
From Boston Garden. Mr. Poffo has a poem which he would like to recite for this evening: "Lord Alfred Hayes is teaming up with his partner, Gorilla Monsoon and the wrestling fans rely on every word. For in the Boston Gardens, it's the very happy home of the Celtics and a man named Larry Bird"! Yes, he said "Gardens" not "Garden", but that's a very common mistake. X works a headlock to the mat, allowing Poffo to flip over and counter. X tries a full Nelson, but Poffo drops down and kicks him in the chin. X tries the same counter as Poffo applies the full Nelson, but it doesn't work and he's quickly back in the hold. Poffo catches X with a very dainty reverse head-scissors and flips him out of the corner. X does his usual antics of getting in some forearm shots, then stalling and offering a handshake. Poffo twists him around with another flying head scissors until X goes all pucnhy/stompy. X tries a springboard splash from the middle of the top-rope, but the lake is dry. X with a legdrop and a skullcracker, then they go into a brawl. Slam from Poffo, then a top-turnbuckle flying senton to get the pin. Yes, he used a straight senton and not his trademark second-rope moonsault.As usual, in the studio, Heenan claims he's (once again) waiting for a call from Jack Tunney.
Tito Santana vs. "Ace/Cowboy" Bob Orton
Looks like the same Boston show and I imagine this will get a lot of time. They start off all AWA-ish, fighting over basic grappling holds. Ace complains about something, then suckers Tito in with a kneelift. Irish whip reversal into the corner and a clothesline gets 2 for Tito. Armbar, then Ace hops outside for a break. More mat stuff and Tito gets the advantage with a hammerlock. In a nice bit of continuity, Tito goes after Orton's left forearm; the one that was in a cast for over a year. They stay on the mat for a good 5-8 minutes, as Tito tries a headlock and Orton counters with a variation of a head scissors. Orton beals Tito to the opposite corner, but misses a splash and gets dumped out, knocking over the wooden ringside barrier. Tito brings him back in for some forearms shots and a double-leg takeover for a 2 count. Then it's back to the left arm to slow things down. Backslide gets 2, then more arm stuff. Orton powers up and takes over with an inverted atomic drop. Orton gets caught in the corner and Tito smacks his left arm on the ringpost. Orton tosses Tito out and rams him into the barrier. Orton suplexes him back in, dropping him on the ropes. Criss-cross (JUMP! JUMP!) sequence until Tito smacks him int he head and begins stretching out the hamstrings. Figure four is applied... but Orton makes the ropes! Orton thumps his way back and drops an elbow. Things degenerate into a straight-out brawl and the bell rings for a time limit draw (probably about 20 minutes). They keep fighting, even shoving the ref. Orton sells being "wobbly" and flops out to ringside. Pretty much the definition of a midcard "meh" match.Ken Resnick Studio Interview with the Junkyard Dog
JYD gives his thought on the Hulk Hogan/Paul Orndorff issue, then talks about the "Dog Tour '86". Coming soon to Hawai'i and... um, "Ugga! Ugga! Ugga! Down in the bottom country", which translates to "Australia" in JYD-speak.Dick "The Rebel" Slater vs. "The Duke of Dorchester" Pete Doherty
Back to Boston, as Slater gets boo'ed during the introductions. Duke attacks with a snapmare, then falls victim to a series of elbows and a leg takedown. Duke trips up Slater and tries working the legs. Outside, as Slater delivers an atomic drop. Back in, Slater lands a Russian Legsweep, which Gorilla calls a "reverse neckbreaker". Duke misses a sit-down splash in the corner, almost to comedic effect. Spinning neackbreaker gets 2 for Slater. Brawl for a bit, as Duke sells like he's loaded on whiskey. WEAK clothesline from Duke, then into a seated reverse chinlock. Slater misses and elbowdrop, allowing Duke to celebrate and climb to the top. Slater press-slams him to the mat, then comes off the top with a flying elbow for the 3 count. Sure, Duke was sort of a local favorite, but the boo-birds for Slater were quite audible.Update with "Mean" Gene Okerlund
It's an...umm...update on the Machines-- Super Machine and Giant Machine. Quick flashback to TNT, where Bobby Heenan and King Kong Bundy dispute that the Machines are Japanese. Gene announces that the "masked Machines have arrived".TNT Flashback with Mr. Fuji
Fuji introduces his newest protege-- Little Tokyo; who comes out dressed as Fuji's "Mini Me". Fuji says that he'll take all of Little Tokyo's money, since he doesn't need much because he's a little dude. Tokyo rightfully protests, jabs Fuji in the tummy with a cane, and they're off to play a game of chase throughout the studio. Back in the studio, Heenan makes some rascist comments about how Little Tokyo isn't a midget wrestler, rather he's an normal-sized Japanese guy. Oh boy.The Flower Shop with Adrian Adonis
Big role call, this week, as we've got Ace Orton, Jimmy Hart, Adonis, Freddy Blassie, Iron Sheik, Nikolai Volkoff, Hercules and Slick. "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, fresh from a match, interrupts and throws some insults at Adonis and Slick. Maybe 60 seconds long.In the studio, Heenan gets a call from Paul Orndorff. Gorilla grabs the phone, tells Orndorff off and violently hangs it up. Heenan sells a hand injury, of course. They argue about the phone, as Gorilla insists that there will be no more phonecalls on the show.
Paul Roma & S.D. Jones vs. Gino Carabello & Terry Gibbs
Joined-in-progress from a syndicated leftover with Gorilla and Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart on the sticks. Carabello lands some reverse elbows and slams Roma for 2. Slam and suplex gets Roma his own 2 count. Tag-offs and they go to work on Gibbs' arm. Jones with some shots, a vertical suplex and an atomic drop on Carabello. Headbutt from Jones, of course. Roma gets caught in the wrong corner, but reverse Carabello's Irish whip into a backdrop. Jones press-slams Roma onto Carabello to score the 3 count.Ken Resnick Studio Interview with Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat
Steamer and his HEADBAND are in to talk about Jake "The Snake" Roberts. Steamboat mentions that the DDT he received from Roberts sent him to the hospital for two weeks.Hart Foundation vs. Nikolai Volkoff & The Iron Sheik (w/Slick)
"Feature match" from Boston and, yup, it's heels-vs-heels! The Harts get a fairly positive reaction during the introductions. They get an even bigger pop when they attack and cut-off Volkoff's singing of the Soviet National Anthem. Double Irish-whip sends Sheik and Volkoff into each other, then rolling out of the ring. Volkoff returns and knocks down Hitman with two charging shoulder-blocks, celebrates with a cartwheel, then eats a drop-kick Sheik tries to attack Hitman, but he simply dodges and Sheik sails over the top rope. Miscommunication spot, as Volkoff gets hit with a Pointy Boot, as the Harts go to work on the Sheik. Side back-breaker from Hitman, but Volkoff blocks the second-rope elbowdrop. Two big clotheslines and a loogie from Sheik! Hitman gets worked over for a bit, but manages a surprise sunset flip on Volkoff, which the ref misses of course. Sheiks slaps on an abdominable stretch, the obligatory gut-wrench suplex, then the Camel Clutch! Now that I think about, I'm surprised that the modern-day Iron Sheik hasn't tweeted a profanity-laced tirade about how he once: "had Hitman Hart beat in the middle of the Bostons Gardens!" Anvil finally enters to make the save, but gets shoo'ed back to his corner and the Hitman beatings continue. Hitman reverses a vertical suplex and makes the hot tag to Anvil, who cleans house with a series of dropkicks and the ol' double-noggin-knocker. All four guys brawl, until the ref forces Hart back to his corner. While the ref's distrated, Neidhart tries a slam on Volkoff, but Sheik grabs the leg from the outside. Volkoff falls on top of Neidhart and the ref counts the 3. Harts played the face role through the entire match; which may be why Jimmy Hart was absent. Gorilla was even on their side, as he called this decision a "miscarriage of justice". Decent match, all around.As we wrap things up, Heenan has a bag of ice on his hand, to stop the swelling from Gorilla's phone-slam. He threatens that he just may bring "Mr. Wonderful" in, next week, as a bodyguard. Heenan then bolts to use a payphone to call his lawyers.
Why'd You Watch This?:
Definitely a one-match show: Harts vs. Volkoff/Sheik. The TNT segment and comments could be deemed offensive, if they weren't playing for "laughs". The last few segments, with the bickering over the phone and some Bob Newhart-ing, might be considered "vintage Prime Time". Some fresh blood on the scene, with the arrivals of Dick Slater and Slick. Add in the Piper situation, Hogan/Orndorff and the Machines, and it appears that they're finally past their post-WrestleMania II funk.
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