WWF TV Taping: Glens Falls, NY - July 15, 1987
by Scrooge McSuck
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We're back with even more TV taping fun! Since the last time we taped for Superstars of Wrestling (and those other shows that most people don't care about), we've made stops at the Maple Leaf Gardens (June 28th) and Boston Garden (July 11th). The WWF also made several appearances in Houston, but so little footage made it to TV, it wasn't worth dedicating a recap to the compiled footage that's available. This taping cycle will carry us through the weekend of August 8th-9th, and if there's something to look forward to, it's the saga over which manager really has the rights to this guy named "Bam Bam."
July 25th, 1987:
Vince McMahon, Jesse Ventura and Bruno Sammartino welcome us to Superstars of Wrestling, promising Koko B. Ware, The Islanders, Macho Man, and the return of Superstar Billy Graham! In other news, Ricky Steamboat and wife Bonnie just had a baby boy! There's also a hype package for Jake Roberts set to Tom Petty's "Jammin' Me".
Koko B. Ware vs. Barry Horowitz - I honestly wouldn't mind a competitive match between these two. Horowitz gets some offense, so we know where he stands in the enhancement talent pecking order. Koko with the missile dropkick and ghostbuster for the finish at 1:41... The Islanders (w/ Bobby Heenan) vs. S.D. Jones & Steve Casey - Jones' seniority in the company probably saves him from jobbing. Heenan with a promo suggesting Rick Martel give up before he regrets not doing so. Tama gives a little to both S.D. and Casey before the cut-off. To my surprise, JONES takes the loss after being hit with a double clothesline and headbutt at 2:35... "The Outlaw" Ron Bass vs. Leaping Lanny Poffo - Poffo's poem suggests Miss Betsy is the only lady in Bass' life. Bass doesn't take kindly to it and beats on Poffo outside the ring. Poffo makes a comeback, busting out his moonsault for a two-count. Bass cuts him off just as quickly and finishes with the face-buster at 1:27... The Killer Bees vs. Iron Mike Sharpe & Tiger Chung Lee - We're getting the JTTS All-Star Squad this week! Also, TIGER IS STILL HERE! Bees start the match with the masks on. Danny Davis cuts a promo about the masks being illegal. The Bees control most of it and finish Tiger Chung Lee with a dropkick at 3:36... "Macho Man" Randy Savage (w/ Elizabeth) vs. Omar Atlas - Omar out here looking like he should be collecting social security. Savage gives him a little more than usual, but doesn't take long to put him away once he's on offense, finishing with the elbow at 2:02.
"Superstar" Billy Graham vs. Steve Lombardi
Graham is returning from hip replacement surgery. Graham returned to the company in the Fall of ‘86, worked one or two dates knowing his body was shot, and I guess Vince felt bad enough for him to finance the operation (and then have it paid back gradually as they keep finding a spot for him in the company through all of 1988 and into 1989). Graham looks old, moves old, and struggles to have a decent squash, finishing Lombardi with a sleeper at 1:20. Yeah, those Graham/Reed matches are going to need some magic.
Craig DeGeorge Special Interview with... Butch Reed and Slick
Now that the Snake Pit is finished, we don't have Superstar-dedicated talk show segments, so now DeGeorge interviews people from the platform that is located near the audience. Is Reed quivering at the thought of facing Billy Graham? HECK NO, BRUDDA. Reed's not impressed one bit, because Superstar is not a "Natural" man. Well, he's technically not wrong. Reed lays down the challenge for a posedown. YAY.Update with Craig DeGeorge - We've got MORE from Ted Dibiase! He's been whipping out hundred dollar bills to skip the line at a restaurant and kick kids out of a public pool. This time, we see Ted Dibiase in the ring following a match, getting a young fan to kick his sweaty feet. This is definitely the show from Battle Creek, MI, and the young fan is best known for his in-ring career as Rob Van Dam.
The Battle For Bam Bam! - Now that it's clear that NO ONE has signed Bam Bam Bigelow, we have Mr. Fuji, Slick, Jimmy Hart, Johnny Valiant, and Bobby Heenan make their pitches to secure his rights, and poor Bobby runs out of time.
BREAKING NEWS: The other half of the Can-Am Connection has quit! We can't even mention him by name! Rick Martel is hurt and when times got tough, his partner left, but he's not a quitter, he's a fighter, and will take the Islanders on by himself!
Local Promos: The WWF returns to the Cow Palace on Tuesday, August 25th. Featured on the card includes Billy Jack Haynes and Ken Patera vs. Demolition, Brutus Beefcake vs. Danny Davis, and Hulk Hogan defending the WWF Title against Killer Khan! Promos from Hulk Hogan, Brutus Beefcake ("the hometown boy"), and Mr. Fuji with Demolition and Killer Khan.
August 1st, 1987: Vince McMahon, Jesse Ventura and Bruno Sammartino with the usual introduction. This week we have Brutus Beefcake teaming with the Rougeau Brothers, Ken Patera, The Honkytonk Man, and the pose-down between Butch Reed and Superstar Billy Graham.
Brutus Beefcake & The Rougeau Brothers vs. Bubba Kirk, Rick Renslow, and Dave Wagner - These are some bottom of the barrel jobbers! I guess we spent all the good ones on the first week of TV. Inset promo from the New Dream Team and Johnny V to remind us why this trio is working together. Rougeau Bomb finishes Kirk at 1:52... Ken Patera vs. Terry Gibbs - Gibbs wastes no time bringing the fight, but Patera quickly turns things around and we get some sorry-looking turnbuckle shots. The canned reactions are very obvious this week. He busts out his suplex and slam, finishes with the bearhug at 1:18... The Honkytonk Man (w/ Jimmy Hart) vs. Joe Milano - We're getting that theme music change sooner than later. WWF Magazine is running a promotion where you can have lunch with Hulk Hogan. Chicken and broccoli, washed down with some Python Powder, daddy. Shake Rattle ‘n' Roll finishes at 2:20... Killer Khan (w/ Mr. Fuji) vs. Eric Cooper - We get words from Outback Jack about the effects of the green mist. Khan hits his big moves and finishes with the flying knee at 1:12.
Super Posedown: Superstar Billy Graham vs. "The Natural" Butch Reed (w/ Slick)
Gene Okerlund is the master of ceremonies for this exciting competition. Graham looks over-tanned and can barely stand up straight at this point. Reed doesn't care for how things are playing out and jumps Graham from behind, putting the boots to the hip and whacking Graham repeatedly with his weight-lifting belt. Graham makes his own comeback and sends Reed and the Slickster running.Harley Race, Hercules, and "Ravishing" Rick Rude (w/ Bobby Heenan) vs. Jerry Allen, Mario Mancini, and Rick Hunter
This is Rude's unadvertised debut for the WWF, fresh from Jim Crockett Promotions where he was still one-half of the Tag Team Champions before departing. The Heenan Family has certainly grown over the last few months, and now has two guys who have the "don't I have a wonderful physique" characteristics. Ventura gushes all over Rude. Rude starts, catching Allen off the ropes with a powerslam. Hunter in and Rude busts out a slingshot suplex, and that's all folks at 1:34. Mancini getting the easy payday!Craig DeGeorge Special Interview with... Rick Martel - Last week, we found out Martel lost his quitter tag team partner. After all they've been through, Martel was left when he needed his partner most. If there's one thing Martel isn't, it's not a quitter, and the Islanders will pay for it.
Update with Craig DeGeorge - There is a NEW WWF Women's Champion, as Sherri Martel has defeated the Fabulous Moolah in Houston, TX. Can Sherri live up to the standards set by the greatest Champion the title has ever had? Only time will tell. BARF.
The Million Dollar Man continues to flaunt his never-ending cash supply and people willing to sell out for a few hundred bucks by getting newlyweds kicked out of the honeymoon suite.
August 8th, 1987: And to complete the taping period, we're greeted by the usual suspects and hyped up with appearances from Jake Roberts, Demolition, The Hart Foundation, George Steele, and the One Man Gang. Also, we have an update from Jesse Ventura; Jimmy Hart is eliminated from The Battle for Bam Bam! Well, he's still got two Champions under his control, so no big loss!
Demolition (w/ Mr. Fuji) vs. Sivi Afi & Brady Boone - We're getting our first look at Boone, who would be regularly featured in house show prelims but primarily used as an enhancement geek on syndication (so equal to a Sivi Afi or S.D. Jones). Afi gets a few shots in before Ax wipes him out with his stiff-arm clothesline. Boone shows off his athleticism but Smash cuts him off with a back breaker. Smash with a hot shot and the decapitation elbow finishes at 2:51... George "The Animal" Steele vs. Dusty Wolfe - Please God, be short. Wolfe gets dumped out, Steele chews on a turnbuckle, and the flying hammerlock finishes at 1:48... Jake "The Snake" Roberts vs. Barry Horowitz - No promo, no hype for a possible opponent, just a filler squash. Roberts finishes with the DDT at 1:09... The One Man Gang (w/ Slick) vs. David Stoudimiere - Gang makes short work of Stoudimiere, putting him away with the gourd buster at 1:00. Post-match, he does it again, then does the move to the referee, and then beats on a couple of jobbers running down in a pathetic attempt to help out.
Hillbilly Jim, Tito Santana, and Junkyard Dog vs. The Magnificent Muraco, Bob Orton, and Joe Mirto
I see we're doing this again. They've been milking this Muraco and Orton angle for months. The fight starts immediately with all six men involved... and then it just settles down like nothing happened. Jim no-sells Mirto's shoulder blocks and boots him in the face. JYD runs the ropes VERY slowly and sends Muraco out of the ring with a series of headbutts. Orton offers some support but Muraco doesn't seem too accepting. Santana and Orton in for the next exchange and it's a bit sloppy coming out of the corner. Orton turns things around, popping Tito with his head down. Orton tries using the reverse piledriver that is from Muraco's playbook and Tito counters. Muraco decides he'll do a Super-Plex, but Orton blocks him from doing it, and Santana lands on top for three at 3:00! Muraco and Orton bicker after the bell and they finally have enough of each other and start trading blows, taking the fight to the floor and through the crowd.The Hart Foundation (w/ Jimmy Hart & Danny Davis) vs. Paul Roma & Jim Powers
Non-Title, of course. Powers and Roma are treated with a little respect, beating the Shadows a bunch at house shows while having competitive matches with other opponents in losing efforts, but still haven't established themselves as anything more than typical enhancement talent on syndicated TV. Before the match begins, Fink introduces Mr. T, decked in SPECIAL ENFORCER gear. The Foundation attacks from behind, isolating Powers. I'm surprised that the Foundation and Demolition are both doing the back breaker/second rope elbow combo. Powers reverses a whip, sending Bret chest-first to the buckle, finally getting out of the ring. Roma runs wild with dropkicks and sends the Champions crashing into each other. Bret blocks a monkey-flip, stacks Roma up, and puts his feet on the ropes for three at 2:58. BUT WAIT! Mr. T informs the referee of the shenanigans, and the decision is over-turned, giving Roma and Powers a cheap W! Poor Danny Davis stands up for his men and Mr. T plants him with a slam.Update with Craig DeGeorge - We recap the recent issues between Billy Graham and Butch Reed, including footage from last week's Posedown. Reed cuts another promo about putting Graham back in the convalescing home that he came from.
Craig DeGeorge Special Interview with... The Islanders and Bobby Heenan - Did you hear that Rick Martel's partner quit? Well, he did. Heenan says that other guy quitting probably means he's smarter than Martel, who could do the same and get a safe job shoveling snow in Canada, but he wants to stick around and get his butt kicked.
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 the modern era, dumped on YouTube via WWE Vault). Dark matches that never made it through included Jake Roberts (subbing for Billy Jack Haynes) pinning the Honkytonk Man in a Non-Title Match (with some help from Mr. T), and Hulk Hogan defending the WWF Championship against Randy Savage.
Tito Santana vs. Greg "The Hammer" Valentine (w/ Johnny V)
Featured on international markets of Wrestling Challenge. Craig DeGeorge and Brutus Beefcake are calling the action, so I might as well watch this match on mute. Lockup into the corner and a reluctant break. It's a slow feeling out process, with both men surprising the other with a quick roll-up attempt. Valentine takes a cheap shot in the corner and jumps off the ropes with an elbow. Santana gets dropped throat-first across the ropes and Valentine settles down with a chin-lock. Santana fights free with a top wrist-lock, but Hammer cuts him off with a yank of the hair. He misses a follow-up elbow, but manages to derail a comeback attempt, popping Santana with a clothesline. There's a strategic edit and lingering shot on the crowd that has me suspect they cut a chunk of the match, especially with how sweaty Valentine is all of a sudden. They trade blows, with Tito getting the better of the exchange. Whip to the ropes and Santana with a sunset flip for a near-fall. Whip to the corner and Santana charges into the knee... and then the bell rings at 8:25 as we linger on another crowd shot, and it's announced as a DRAW. Valentine tries attacking after the announcement, but Santana stands tall. This was a lot of nothing with some weird editing choices that make it impossible to fairly evaluate. Why even bother putting this on TV for anyone under these circumstances?
WWF Tag Team Championship Match:
The Hart Foundation (c) (w/ Jimmy Hart) vs. Rick Martel & The Junkyard Dog
Featured on the August 3rd episode of Prime Time Wrestling. JYD is subbing for That Guy Who Quit™, and Rick Martel is sporting red trunks that I don't recall seeing again. Bret and Martel start, with Martel taking the bait of a Neidhart distraction. He quickly recovers, snapping off a series of arm drags to clear the ring. Back inside, Bret wants a test-of-strength. Martel fights through the shortcut to control the arm. Whip to the ropes and Martel sits down on a sunset flip attempt for a two-count. JYD with a small package on Neidhart for two. Yes, that was correctly identified. The straps come down, which means the Anvil means business. JYD misses a headbutt and Neidhart lays him out with a clothesline. JYD avoids a charge to the corner, bringing Martel back in. He runs wild on Hart, but Neidhart scoops the ankle to regain control.
The Foundation takes turns working Martel over, and the crowd is definitely still invested in Martel, so clearly his ex-partner was no real loss. JYD keeps getting baited into coming to Martel's aid, leading to more abuse. Back inside, Neidhart pulls back on a rear chin-lock. Martel escapes with elbows but is caught with a knee to the back from the Hitman. Martel fights through a front face-lock, but the referee misses the tag! Neidhart accidentally blasts his partner with a dropkick, allowing JYD to get the hot tag for real. He unloads with headbutts and right hands, followed by a DOUBLE NOGGIN KNOCKER. Heck breaks loose with all four men in the ring. Neidhart scoops up the Dog and Hart comes off the top with a clothesline... and it's a DISQUALIFICATION at 12:25?!? What the hell kind of finish is THAT? How hard is it to book coherent finishes? The match was going well until that terrible finish. **¾
WWF @ Lake Placid, NY - July 16th, 1987:
Is there any interesting content from our latest taping for Wrestling Challenge? Well, not too much, but we'll take a look at what we have available. Dark matches featured on this night included The Killer Bees and George Steele vs. The Hart Foundation and Danny Davis, The Honkytonk Man vs. Koko B. Ware, and in the Main Event, Hulk Hogan and Ken Patera vs. Hercules and Harley Race.
"Superstar" Billy Graham vs. Terry Gibbs
Featured on the August 1st episode of WWF Spotlight. We're digging deep for this one, baby! Graham returned to action a few weeks ago after having HIP REPLACEMENT SURGERY, and he's already on the verge of breaking down again. The canned reactions are unbelievable, a roaring crowd while everyone quite literally sits on their hands. Gibbs is doing the same routine he would with the likes of Ted Arcidi, bumping off the easiest stuff because they can't do anything else. Graham shows off his Kung-Fu abilities. Gibbs goes to the eyes and climbs the ropes, but Graham slams him across the ring and Gibbs TAKES A COUNT OUT at 2:17. Oh. My. God. TERRY GIBBS couldn't take a submission or pin-fall loss for Graham.WWF Women's Tag Team Championship Match: Judy Martin & Leilani Kai (c) vs. The Jumping Bomb Angels
Featured on the August 10th episode of Prime Time Wrestling. The Angels won a Non-Title Match at the last TV taping, so we're getting continuity! Martin and Kai are still in their regular singles attire, having yet to switch over to their Glamour Girls look. Tateno and Yamazaki don't take long getting going, running wild with double clotheslines and dropkicks. Tateno with a diving forearm and body press on Leilani for a one-count. Yamazaki with a gut-wrench suplex for two. Kai fights to her corner to escape a front face-lock. Martin with a snap mare, but Tateno bridges up and smoothly hits a hair mare coming out of it. Yamazaki with a flying wrist-lock, sending Martin across the ring and Leilani rejects the tag attempt. Things continue to go poorly for the Champions, as the Angels lock in synchronized Figure Four Leg-Locks. Leilani's leg takes a beating, but she hangs through and fights out of a body-scissors and splats Tateno with a spine-buster.Martin in, reversing a whip and planting a boot to the midsection, followed by a running elbow for a two-count. Martin with a fireman's carry drop across the knee of Kai. Tatano blocks a whip and rolls Martin up, but Martin rolls through and traps the leg. Kai comes off the middle rope with an accidental strike to Martin, allowing Yamazaki to get the hot tag. She hits both women with a body press and repeatedly drops Kai on her tailbone. Yamazaki with a slam and Tateno off the top with a knee for two. Yamazaki with a twisting body press and Martin makes the save. Heck breaks loose, Martin makes Yamazaki part of the canvas with a Powerbomb, and Kai covers to retain at 10:33! I liked this one much better than the previous taping, with things allowed to breathe a bit better and smoother spots and transitions. ***½
WWF Women's Championship Match: The Fabulous Moolah (c) vs. Sherri Martel
Taped on July 24th, 1987 from the Sam Houston Coliseum in Houston, TX, and our last bonus match of the day. Lockup and Moolah sends Martel to the canvas with a handful of hair. Sherri returns the favor and Moolah complains to the referee. Moolah grabs the hair again, controlling a top wrist-lock. Sherri counters and Moolah quickly escapes with a snap mare. They go back and forth, and it feels like heel vs heel even though Martel is new to the WWF and not established for the audience. Moolah pops Sherri with a knee and hangs her up across the top rope. She busts out a pair of headbutts and goes back to the ropes with a choke. Moolah wastes time playing the crowd and gets brought back in from the apron. Sherri with the slingshot that sends Moolah across the ring. GOD AWFUL whip into the corner that the crowd absolutely poops on. Another whip and Sherri loses her footing on the ropes. Sherri gets dumped through the ropes to reset. Sherri pulls Moolah to the outside and plants her on the concrete with a slam. Moolah returns the favor, barely selling it and throws Sherri around some more. She tries to bring Sherri back in with a slam, but Sherri rolls through with a cradle and pins Moolah for the Championship at 10:07! Post-match, Moolah makes it about herself, of course. The match ranged from OK to total crap. ½*Final Thoughts: We're getting through the dog days of Summer, and while we're light on any game-changing storylines, we're setting the table for some new names, including the Million Dollar Man and the mysterious Bam Bam Bigelow. Billy Graham and Butch Reed getting the fast track house show feud is our biggest angle, but the sudden loss of Rick Martel's partner has shaken things up with the Islanders feud that only recently kicked into gear. Oh, and then we have the special enforcer Mr. T, which is going to be forgotten about by the time we get to the next taping cycle. At least we have some more regional coverage to enjoy before we get to there, starting with our favorite, the Philadelphia Spectrum.
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