OK, so this is the end of my collection of SNME, as I repost the last archived review from 1998 before the return to network TV of Saturday Night’s Main Event here in 2006.
Saturday Night’s Main Event #27 (July 28 / 90)
– Taped from Omaha, Nebraska.
– Your hosts are Vince McMahon & Jesse Ventura
– This one has a “Wild Kingdom” theme.
– Opening match, WWF title: The Ultimate Warrior v. Ravishing Rick Rude. Warrior destroys Rude (who has the new crewcut look at this point in an effort to give him credibility) by tossing him from end to end and atomic dropping him out of the ring. Back in and Warrior with a couple of clotheslines and an axehandle off the top, but Rude moves out of the way of the splash. As per the Saturday Night’s Main Event formula, Rude gets Warrior to chase him out of the ring and nails him with the designated foreign object (in this case, the WWF title belt) and takes control until the commercial break. But first Rude takes his contractually obligated reverse atomic drop. But alas for Warrior, Rude gets a sleeper hold after slipping out of a bodyslam. In an insanely ridiculous bit, Joey Marella tests the Warrior’s consciousness by lifting his leg (instead of his arm). Warrior fights out, but Rude hits the Rude Awakening. It gets two and Warrior makes the wildman comeback with the usual, but Heenan puts Rude’s foot on the ropes at two. They fight outside the ring and Rude gets counted out. Warrior brutalizes Bobby Heenan for fun. Not a good match. 1/2* This was leading to a cage match at Summerslam 90. I thought it would have sold better to have Rude win the title here and Warrior regain it at Summerslam, but then I’m not the booker. Some say I should be…
– And wasn’t the world just waiting for a career retrospective on Hulk Hogan, who suffered that awful career-ending injury against Earthquake. *Sniff*. Get well, Hulk! Just to piss me off way back when, my dad made a giant banner saying “Get Well Hulk” and hung it in my room, for which I’ve never quite forgiven him. Of course, this is the same guy who used to fashion nooses and randomly hang my LJN wrestling figures around the house, so you can see how my upbringing may have warped my life….
– The Immortal Orange Goblin comes out for a quasi-inspirational interview to hype his grudge match against Earthquake at Summerslam. I fast forward. Earthquake and Dino Bravo run in to attack, but Tugboat makes the save. Wow, this is sure exciting.
– WWF tag title match: Demolition v. The Rockers. This is the sort-of debut of Crush, who was known as “B.A.” at house shows before this. Let’s see, we have a wannabe golf pro, an nWo Japan scrub, a retiree, a jobber and a three-time WWF World champion. 8 years ago, could *you* have guessed which would be which? Smash and Crush are doing the honors tonight. The Rockers start with some SWEET double-team flying headscissors and housecleaning. Shawn hits a sort-of rana (with help from Marty) but Crush decks him from behind to give the champs the advantage. Crush is really, really bad at this point. He f*cks up a sunset flip with Jannetty and can’t sell properly. The Rockers control with double-teams on the arm of Crush but inevitably the Demos cheat and gain the advantage. Jannetty is dead on the outside as we head to commercial. We return with Smash going medieval on Marty, who takes a couple of really choice bumps. Crush debuts the tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and hits a pretty good chokeslam. Marty hits a desperation move on Crush after some more punishment and hot tags Shawn, who is his usual awesome self. Superkick and double dropkicks get rid of Crush, and they hit the double superkick and the double flying fist on Smash for two, but Crush makes the save. Shawn rolls up Smash and Ax rolls in and hits a wicked clothesline on Shawn and makes the illegal pin himself. Good little match with a hot ending. *** The Hart Foundation and the LOD run in to plead the Rockers’ case, but no luck.
– Intercontinental title match: Curt Hennig v. Tito Santana. Hennig dumped the Genius at the end of May and won the Intercontintal title tournament with the help of new manager Bobby Heenan, defeating Santana in the finals. This is the rematch. From here until Summerslam 91, Hennig was God. Santana blitzes Hennig to start, sending Hennig over the top (of course) and chasing him around the ring. Tito puts his head down and gets decked very quickly. Off-night for Hennig as he kicks and rests his way through the offensive portion. Tito hairpulls his way out of a chinlock and begins El Comeback Superman-o. Hennig does a triple somersault off a punch and takes out Earl Hebner, and of course Santana goes for the figure-four then. Crowd is going nuts. And you know the great part? When Tito releases the hold, Hennig sells the STRAIGHT LEG! Awesome. Flying jalapeno as Hebner crawls over…for…two. Santana with a clothesline off the top for…another…two…count. That’s some twisted ankle Hebner’s got there. Santana calls in a new referee as we go to commercial. We come back as Hennig also comes back. Chops (whoo). Now Hennig goes through the Patented Offense ™ and gets towelled off by Heenan. Hennig even pulls out a thrust kick. Santana returns fire and sends him over the top again with a punch, and of course Hennig goes crotch-first into the ringpost. Santana with atomic drop both ways, and a clothesline for two. Super hot crowd. Santana puts his head down and Hennig hooks the Perfectplex, but Santana inside cradles him for two, but Hennig reverses that for three. Whew. GREAT MATCH! ****
– I’m skipping the various stupidity with Mean Gene and Lord Alfred Hayes on safari for obvious reasons.
– Playboy Buddy Rose v. Kerry Von Erich. This is the Tornado’s WWF debut. The announcers make fat jokes about Rose to kill time. Total squash as Von Erich decimates Rose. Rose gets the token offense but gets dumped off the top and tornado punched for the pin. DUD
– Rude comments.
– Warrior rebutts.
– Vince and Jesse wrap it up.
