WWF TNT- June 24, 1986
by Scrooge McSuck
Hosted by "Mean" Gene Okerlund, along with co-host Lord Alfred Hayes. Tonight’s guests include Hercules Hernandez, Arnold Skaaland, Jimmy Hart, "Adorable" Adrian Adonis, Mr. Fuji, and the Magnificent Muraco.
Okerlund has his Chase variant red blazer for tonight’s episode and doesn’t waste time talking about the efforts of Mr. Fuji and the Magnificent Muraco in trying to enter the world of Hollywood, cutting to the chase and calling everything they’ve done a disaster. We get clips from "Fuji Vice", the latest and greatest of the Fuji and Muraco series. Okerlund says Cecil B. DeMille would do a triple back-flip if he saw that footage.
Guest(s) #1: The Magnificent Muraco and Mr. Fuji
I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if this was taped the same night as their appearance from two weeks ago. Who knows what the taping schedule was for TNT, I could make it up and I could be right all along? Muraco claims there’s been nothing but chants for "Fuji Vice" and "Fuji Chan" wherever he goes. Okerlund complains Muraco doesn’t have the command on the English language and asks how he’s supposed to be successful in Hollywood. Fuji randomly chimes in "How now brown cow" but it falls on deaf ears."Golden Boy" Danny Spivey vs. The Magnificent Muraco (w/ Mr. Fuji):
Joined in Progress, from the April 26th card held at the Boston Garden. Spivey was a sub for Uncle Elmer, who was let go for a variety of reasons shortly after WrestleMania 2. Muraco is in control of a side headlock. Crisscross and Spivey catches Muraco off the ropes with a slam. Spivey sweeps Muraco out of the corner and plants a boot in the midsection. Spivey grabs a side headlock but Muraco forces a break in the ropes and drives a knee to the chest. They take it to the floor, with Spivey being sent through the barricade. Muraco thought it was so nice, he does it twice. Back in the ring, Muraco comes off the top with a fist across the back and takes Spivey over with a suplex... and that’s all we get to see, about 3:00 shown. BOO!Back in the studio, Muraco complains about Okerlund’s lack of respect for their success. Okerlund doubles down, saying Muraco doesn’t know how to emote, then throws it to Lord Alfred to deliver some Shakespeare. Okerlund then challenges Fuji to do the same, and says "ah, so" a little off kilter, with Muraco going "watch your language." Muraco says their expert comedians, so the challenge is laid down for them to perform a set. Sure enough, we come back from commercial with Muraco and Fuji ready to showcase their comedy chops. Muraco speed-runs through his lines, sucking wind half-way through. If they’re effort is to be as bad as possible, mission accomplished. Absolutely NOTHING from this could be considered good, straight-faced comedy. Okerlund and Hayes are dying watching this, as the segment just keeps going. Someone finally brings out the hook to wrap it up. I guess we were 17 years away from the invention of the wrap-it-up box. Muraco complains about being mistreated and set to fail. When all is said and done, Muraco and Fuji ate up nearly half the run time of the episode (and for good reason, they’re at least somewhat entertaining guests).
Guest(s) #2: Hercules Hernandez & Fred Blassie
Wow, TOTAL disrespect from Lord Alfred not announcing Blassie as one of tonight’s guests. Okerlund tells Blassie to instruct Hercules to properly give a handshake. Any truth to the rumors about an affair between Blassie and the Fabulous Moolah? Blassie says he thinks Okerlund can go either way and trails off into accusing Okerlund of having an eye for Moolah himself. He corrects Gene, saying Hercules isn’t one of the strongest men, he IS the strongest in the WWF.Scott McGhee vs. Hercules Hernandez:
Joined in Progress from the May 24th card held at the Boston Garden. Will we get to see the finish to this match? Hercules is in control with McGhee playing dead on the floor. Back inside, Hercules measure him up for a right hand and chokes him with a foot on the throat. McGhee blocks a suplex, countering with a snap suplex and dropping a knee across the chest. McGhee with a belly-to-belly suplex. He makes the trip to the top rope and hits a sloppy flying knee drop for a near-fall. Whip is reversed and Hercules catches McGhee with a back breaker for three at 2:00 (shown).Back in the studio, Okerlund asks if Blassie would object a challenge to a test of strength. He pulls out a ¾ inch bar of steel tubing. Hercules laughs it and easily snaps it across the back of his neck. Okerlund pulls out a 1-inch bar and Hercules again snapped it in half. Coming up next, he’s got the piece of equipment to stretch out that Hercules says is for pencil-neck geeks and puts it around Gene’s neck. Okerlund isn’t amused, so Hercules teases giving him a slam to wrap up the segment.
Guest #3: Arnold Skaaland
We must be running low on available talent to interview. He says when he was a kid, he would carry Alfred’s bags in so he could watch the wrestling matches. Okerlund asks if he went on a tour with Moolah to Bermuda. Skaaland denies making the trip with Moolah, but he did go. Okerlund says she came up with a nickname for him, and "Nummy-Nuts" is that name. Skaaland is convinced Blassie put Okerlund up for this. Okerlund again mentions the tour of Australia, since it’s the token talking point when there’s nothing else worth bringing up. Next, we focus on the sense of style of Skaaland. Is this segment over yet? Wait, that was it, and Gene even takes a shot at Uncle Elmer, noting the watch Skaaland is wearing is an original. Apparently, Elmer was known for selling bootleg merchandise, including fake Rolex watches.Guest(s) #4: Jimmy Hart & "Adorable" Adrian Adonis
Hart comes out first, and he’s wearing that black and red zebra print jacket and spandex that I’m pretty sure he wore last time. It’s all about fashion, including a new line of fashion courtesy of Adrian Adonis. Okerlund asks Hart would wear something so tight with how high his voice is. Hart breaks the news that we’ll have a fashion show where Adrian models his new outfits. OH GOD. Adonis comes out in an evening gown, and they’re even using the runway used for the dog show, so this had to be taped the same night as the June 10th episode. THE OVERDUBBED MUSIC IS UNBELIEVABLY TERRIBLE. We come back from a commercial break, and this time Adonis is at least wearing something somewhat masculine, and by somewhat, I mean barely, but at least he isn’t wearing a damn dress."Adorable" Adrian Adonis (w/ Jimmy Hart) vs. Mario Mancini:
Recycled from the April 19th episode of Championship Wrestling. Adonis takes Mancini over with a side headlock. The crowd with their usual derogatory chant at Adonis. Whip to the ropes and Mancini gets a pair of arm drags, frustrating Adonis. Adonis comes out of the corner with a hard left hand and connects with a hangman's neck breaker. He hooks a modified Camel Clutch, and its Goodnight, Irene at 2:30. Adonis celebrates by prancing around and Jimmy sprays Mancini with the perfume.Back in the studio, Okerlund recommends to Hart that Adrian shouldn’t quit his day job. Hart accuses Okerlund of not being man enough to say it to Adrian’s face. The fashion show isn’t over, and with summer here, it’s time for the beach wardrobe. OH NO. Adrian comes out in ridiculous novelties like oversized sunglasses. They tease he’s wearing a two-piece bikini. He threatens to walk off without showing the goods, and yeah, that’s how the segment wraps in what feels like an awkward edit. When we return from commercial, Lord Alfred is out, modeling the last outfit Adonis was wearing. The crowd rightfully boos this nonsense. I’m 100% serious when I say I can’t believe they didn’t have Adonis trotting around in a two-piece bikini.
Final Thoughts: This one went off a cliff after the Muraco and Fuji segment(s). Hercules was an inoffensive guest, but Arnold Skaaland added nothing, and the fashion show at the end was not only annoying with the dubbed over music being a distraction, but they didn’t pay it off with the obvious. No, I don’t WANT to see Adonis in a bikini, but if you’re teasing it, give it to me and put me out of my misery. I will say though, that Okerlund as host is like the conductor on a runaway freight-train, and even if I’m not quoting every dirty thing he says, I know I’m going to be shocked by how lude and crude it can be sometimes.
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