WWF Saturday Night's Main Event #15 - 12/03/1988
Hulk Hogan vs King Harley Race
A huge main event in regards to wrestling history as the prolific NWA World Champion ever at this point takes on the biggest star in the world. The match starts fast as Hogan unloads punches on Race while his music continues to play. The bell officially signifies the start of the match but Race continues being a bump machine for Hogan. Race attempts to piledrive the former champ but gets a body drop for his troubles. Race is able to get some offence on Hogan but only when Bobby Heenan distracts Hogan. This happened twice, both leading to extending beat downs. The big spot of the match was Race splashing himself onto a table and almost breaking it in two. Hogan makes his famous comebacks following kicking out of a diving headbutt. Easy street. **1/2
Randy Savage vs Ted Dibiase
Million Dollar Man announced that he had a surprise worth its weight in gold. And it was obvious who it was going to be, but nevertheless Vinnie Jr pretended to be shocked. But the real issue Savage had, which showed immediately, was Virgil harassing Elizabeth. He went right out and slapped Virgil for daring to get near Elizabeth. Dibiase attacked him from behind and started to smugly beat Savage down. Andre attempts to get involved in the meantime too. But despite the odds, Savage continues to fight and knocks Dibiase around. Dibiase’s high risk bumps are tremendous here, especially when Savage hangs Dibiase across the ropes. The pace and energy are electric, as well as the work. The two have great chemistry and don’t treat this like an easy day's pay. The momentum is crazy, constantly switching which helps the pace. Dibiase is in the middle of doing the spinning toe hold, being a texas guy himself, and Savage sends him to the floor. But Virgil attacks Savage from behind. Instead of DQ’ing Dibiase, Virgil is sent to the back. The match continued which added great drama as Savage is now on the backfoot with Dibiase working him over. Savage throws Dibiase into the ropes and an accident occurs with Dibiase running into Dave Hebnre. He’s down. And Andre strikes. He’s destroying Savage on the floor as Elizabeth runs in fear. Is she running away like Jesse Venture proclaims? No, she is instead getting Hulk Hogan who makes the save. Unfortunately Savage loses the match via count-out, thanks to Andre. But the result isn’t key here. What is key is the continuing formation of the Mega Powers. This was a fantastic match, and credit to Dave Meltzer for thinking it as much even if he has a real hate boner for WWE at the time. This was exactly what this era should’ve been doing. Heavy sprints that are both developed, full of quality but streamlined for the newer audience. ****
AWA Superstars - 13/03/1988
AWA World Tag Team Title Match: The Midnight Rockers (Marty Jannetty & Shawn Michaels) (c) vs. The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs & Jerry Sags)
The Nasty Boys are put over on commentary for their size but they prove they are just as spry as the Rockers, just about. However The Rockers prove to be smarter and cleaner in their wrestling, being able to take advantage, getting great shine in the early portion of the match. Then the Nasties took over with their basic, simple heel work which worked to the hot tag. Jannetty took a lot of the shine and gets the hot tag and the finish as well. Solid tag match in my book. Not a classic but I think it told the standard formula in a good way. ***1/4
WWF Copps Coliseum - 13/03/1988
Greg Valentine (w/Jimmy Hart) vs. Brutus Beefcake
A lot of this was comedy house show malarky. I didn’t watch the SNME match so I could watch this but this is just weird comedy where Valentine was overselling an atomic drop while sporting a proto-type Red Rooster haircut. Valentine did get an extended beat down but still there isn’t much you can do with Beefcake. He goes for the figure four but Beefcake avoids it, and almost puts him to sleep until Jimmy Hart interferes and Valentine hits Beefcake with a megaphone. This is beneath Valentine, even in 1988. **
Leilani Kai (w/Jimmy Hart & Judy Martin) vs. Noriyo Tateno (w/Itsuki Yamazaki)
A rare televised singles match between the two teams, in this case pitting former Women’s champ,Lelani Kai against Noriyo Tateno. They keep a lot of the same technical tricks and workrate pace that the tag matches have. Kai isn’t nearly as dynamic on her own, but she is pretty good at working over Tateno, who does her best with the limited crowd heat behind the match, although that grows as the match progresses. Again to their credit. Soon the match culminates as the seconds get involved and Kai runs into Jimmy Hart,allowing Tateno time to get the pin. ***1/4
Bam Bam Bigelow & Hulk Hogan (w/Sir Oliver Humperdink) vs. Ted DiBiase & Virgil (w/Andre The Giant)
Bam Bam is back being Hogan trustee partner on the house shows, working Dibiase and Virgil. This played similar notes as the last match I saw of this fixture. Strong opening shine with Dibiase playing pinball for both Hogan and Bigelow until the heels find an advantage, and they get one through Andre The Giant. Virgil makes use of his time on top and poses with one foot on Hogan, which I bet Hogan HATED. Bigelow gets the hot tag but doesn’t really do much until Andre trips him and stunts his momentum. They sort of rush to the finish with Bam Bam struggling to hoist Virgil up in the gorilla press and Hogan hitting the big leg. There is a little brawl but nothing substantial until Hogan sends them away. Another fine match between these two. **3/4
NJPW Big Fight Series 1988 - Day 11 - 14/03/1988
Keiichi Yamada & Masakatsu Funaki vs. Kazuo Yamazaki & Nobuhiko Takada
I'm loving these straight laced pro-style tags with shoot influenced wrestlers. Takada is the senior of the match, and one of the biggest stars in the promotion, so his presence also elevates this. There is no real story, just action and more action as they go out there and work their craft in an entertaining way. Thrills come through flashy submissions like Yamada’s surfboard, which would soon come to fame, and a tope plancha to the floor. Yamazaki and Funaki are given the finish as Yamazaki gives him the hammer blows to finish him off in a good match. ***1/4
ASW Wrestling - 16/03/1988
Danny Boy Collins vs Fit Finlay
21 years old Welterweight champion is taking on the rugged, mean Fit Finlay in a 8 five minute round bout. This is a lively crowd. There are a few Finlay fans in the crowd, but a lot are cheering for the blue eyed babyface. Finlay stalls to kiss Princess Paula before locking Collins in a headlock, in which Collins escapes with a fancy cartwheel. The first round was mostly Collins outsmarting Finlay and frustrating him with his skills. Finlay gets the upperhand in the second fall, bending the rules slightly, blurring the lines of cheating just enough to almost get awarded with a warning. He eventually pins Collins with a hard body slam. Finally, around the end of the third round, Finlay hits Collins with a punch to the stomach which draws a yellow card and a public warning and Collins follows suit not long. This eventually ends with a double KO following a clashing of the heads in round 5. Lame end but it was a good match. ***1/4
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