Superstar Sleeze

WWC Universal Heavyweight Champion Carlos Colon vs Abdullah The Butcher - WWC 9/21/85 With GWE 26 behind us, all eyes are to GWE 36 and what better spirit to have then expand my horizons to Puerto Rico. Got my first taste with the epic Carlos Colon vs Stan Hansen which help Hansen get another Top 5 finish on my ballot. Colon is someone I’d consider but need to see more of. I have seen a limited amount of Abdullah the Butcher who is never as imposing as you think he will but the fat tub of goo has some charm undoubtedly. Even with my limited knowledge of both men I expected double juice, working the cuts with short punches, Headbutts and gnawing. That’s exactly what I got. I feel like we JIP’d of fast forwarded to the part where both men have been battered, bruised, exhausted and eaten away by attrition rather than earning it. There was nice flurry of action early with Colon getting the upper hand I was surprised by an early bump by Abby and then powering. Then after that they acted like it was minute 10 or 15 of the match. I would have liked to seen more of each of them fighting through the others offense. They made it too easy on each other. Abby especially is a bad at selling. He just sort of stands there and gets hit. Then after enough time has gone by he hits back with punches and Headbutts and Colon starts to sell. Loved Abby standing on Colon dropping the elbow. I love Colon going for the balls not once not twice but three times and doing his touch the toes jump in excitement after the first ball shot fell the monster. Colon gives us our first high spot a vertical suplex and a middle rope leg drop. I appreciate how minimalist and Lo-fi this is. I don’t appreciate Abby just bent over for minutes just taking shots. He’s just a ragdoll. But at the same time some of the shots punches and Headbutts down the stretch with both men bleeding is so captivating. High Knees from Colon. He wants something up top and he crashes down on a standing Abby and Colon ricochets off him and bumps the ref. I forgot to mention JJ Dillon is managing Abby who I believe has brought Abby into Crockett and is managing him there as well. He takes some shots from Colon and bumps off the apron when Abby inadvertently charges him. Dillon blades who knows why he is a Crockett guy in Puerto Rico I guess. Colon and Abby do some crowd brawling come to think of it I was surprised how they wrestled the whole match in the Ring. We lose them in the crowd never to come back. Must have been a Double Countout or a No Contest. Checking Wikipedia they said the WWC Universal Title was held up as a result. Some great Lo-fi brutal elements here. The stuff you expect to be good is good the working the cuts with punches, Headbutts and gnawing. The selling needed to be better especially on Abby’s part. He was NOT No Selling; he was just not selling. Like he was No Selling it would have added to his monster aura. He was just absorbing and doing nothing. It is my first Colon/Abby match keeping any open mind. *** 1/4

Look forward to going through all the lists and it will be the perfect activity when the baby wakes me up at 330am tonight. I gotta say @Microstatistics putting Shawn Michaels at #2 popped me huge. Didnt have the balls to put him that high, had him at #13. Glad to see there is another HBK fan besides me and @Jimmy Redman

Tito Santana vs Hercules - WWF MSG 12/26/86 Tito has been stuck in midcard purgatory since the Savage feud ended taking on a motley crew of Bob Orton, Harley Race, Butch Reed and Hercules. Credit has to go to @Loss for pimping this match because I would have skipped it otherwise. Besides the Hogan SNME match I don’t think I have ever seen a Hercules match. I have been watching a lot of WWF TV from summer and fall of 86. He is with Classy Freddie Blassie then Slick after he took over the contracts. He has long hair and is in a Greco-Roman ensemble. My wife was being a good sport and etching episodes of the Flower Shop with me and at the time he was trying to portray that he was the real Hercules from Mount Olympus even though his last name is Hernandez go figure. He definitely has Bruiser Brody’s look and mannerisms. Or to use Gen Z parlance he is giving Bruiser Brody. However, in this match and I believe SNME match he is with the Brain, his hair is shorn and he has his classic Chain and gone are Brody mannerisms. Honky Tonk Man fresh off losing a popularity contest has adopted the Mouth of the South Jimmy Hart excuse me Col. Jimmy Hart as his manager is loitering at ringside and jumps Tito with some of the weakest shots in history. We are going to pretend like he destroyed Tito’s knee. Tito puts on one of the best knee selling performances of all time basically wrestling this match crawling and on the mat while Hercules holds up his end up of the bargain with some great leg work. Like I said I have very limited experience with Herc, he is not Bret Hart working the leg but he he gets the job done and he is laser focused. It is all the good stuff, leg locks, crashing down on the leg, strikes, wrap around the Ring post. Tito does a great job ramping his comeback. First it is a punch from his back. Herc cuts off then a hair grab Herc cuts off. Finally he gets up and it is lunging / collapsing punches and headbutts. Excellent. Herc kneecrusher. Hercules goes up top and splash eats the knee which hurts Tito but levels the playing field. Awesome spot. Then the match goes from very good to great! TITO RAVENOUSLY ATTACKS HERC’s KNEE! It was amazing he was like a Pitbull dog. He never stood for more than like 30 seconds. Just lunging, punching, collapsing on Hercules knee. Excellent leg work by Tito all while selling his own knee. It has to been seen to be believed. FIGURE-4! The Brain rings the bell which fucks up Tito. Tito back in the groove but Herc eye rake slam BUT Hercules’ Knee gives out! I would have popped huge for a 3 count. Herc kicks off Tito on the Figure-4. Tito jaws with the Brain and Herc CRASHES DOWN on Tito with a knee for the 1-2-3! WOW WOW WOW Amazing Tito performance one of the best ever individual performances. Hercules holds up his end of bargain ends up doing some amazing selling as well. Bravo! **** 1/4

Hulk Hogan & George Steele vs Randy Savage & Adrian Adonis - WWF Boston 8/9/86 It is my favorite Rando team of Macho Man & Adorable Adrian vs my new favorite rando team of The Hulkster and The Animal. Savage & Adonis are fresh off their 1986 WWF MOTY against Tito and Bruno at MSG and now they provide comedy gold here. Don’t worry I won’t be writing this review in metered verse that took way too long for Harley and Lanny. Turnbuckle stuffing is everywhere! George says Hulk try it and he does. He likes it, Hulk-y really likes it! Heels try to jump the babyfaces but they eat turnbuckle stuffing and Hogan sends the Adorable One in for the ride using his scarf. We are off to a cracking good time. George The Animal Steele an embarrassment to his children but beloved by all others but isn’t that the fate of all fathers with a sense of humor. That dance he does just screams “Dad stop” but to everyone else it is funny, They got a lot of mileage out of Steele and Savage. Classic Memphis Savage but Hogan stops him from running into the double gozzle. Hogan and Adonis fucking ruled. Adonis was a total bump freak and the cherry on the Sundae was the crotch onto the railing that gave way!!! Awesome! If the heat segment was a bit hotter I think I would have went crazy high because this shine was unreal. Adonis drop toehold and Savage lays the boots to Hogan Bur he breaks free. Steele bites Macho Man in the chest but then Savage sends him flying into the buckle. They heat segment is tepid on George except Steele bites the arm of Savage who just clocks him. The heat segment on Hogan is too easy. Adonis rakes the eyes and gets two easy suplexes on the Champ. They kick back into gear for the finish. Adonis eats knees on a top rope splash. They whip the heels into each other Savage back drops Adonis HOGAN DROPS THE LEG! Good craic tons of fun they put on a show for Boston! *** 3/4

Harley Race vs Lanny Poffo - WWF MSG 6/14/86 O Handsome Harley who looked quite gnarly Had face to Leapin Lanny who looked quite dandy There were Suplexes Galore And Headbutts all the more But before he showed him the door Each had to be done on the floor! Harley knew no other way Then to make Lanny’s day Together they tumbled While Bobby grumbled A leaping Headscissors Oh My A second surely he must die Crashing onto the top rope Harley suplexed and cradled the dope. And now Leapin Lanny was not so dandy. But Handsome Harley Is really not so gnarly. *** 1//

From 2013 WWF World Tag Champs The British Bulldogs vs Heenan's Family (Studd/Bundy) - 5/17/86 Smart big man vs small man match that only lasts 5 or so minutes. The Bulldogs can only gain the advantage momentarily with quickness or with a double dropkick (I prefer their double dropkick to the RnRs or the Rockers). Bundy is more agile than Studd and is more entertaining to watch. I actually got King Kong Bundy's autograph when I was a kid when he did a local New England Indy (NWA New England, I believe). He is one big dude. Studd looks massive compared to the Bulldogs. Dynamite comes in illegally to put Studd in a sleeper and Studd tosses a ref for a DQ. Bundy tries to Irish Whip Studd into Smith, but he eats turnbuckles causing dissension in the Heenan Family. Was Studd supposed to turn babyface? If so, why, there is nothing, about Studd that makes him seem like a decent babyface.

Junkyard Dog vs Terry Funk - WWF Championship Wrestling 2/15/86 It is the run up to WrestleMania, ahhhh remember when WrestleMania II, remember when WrestleMania Season was not a bore or chore neither do I as I was not alive yet. The main angles get put over on the SNME But this was a big upper midcard house show feud so to put on TV meant one of two things JYD was vanquishing Terrible Terry for good or an angle. Funk jumps JYD and Thats it for him and this is the JYD show. Funk is the perfect opponent for JYD because he will bump and stooge and do his comedy around a limited JYD. JYD punches and slams and the DoggieStyle headbutts. Funk careens and bumps along the railing. He eats the buckle and over and over again. The Mouth of the South tries to save, Funk caught in the ropes. JYD has the branding iron he has branded Terrible Terry But Dory “Not Yet Hoss” Funk (no Junior) attacks in a business suit taking off his cowboy boot and clocks JYD. They put the boots to JYD. Jimmy Hart rips off his clothes to show what a scrawny little pipsqueek he is and gets his licks In. Babyface midcarders save JYD. I like Dory Funk Junior a lot but this was not he is suited for his. He was so subdued and milquetoast when he attacked JYD should have felt hotter. They should have waited until Mania II to brand Terry. A solid TV angle now JYD has two Funks he has to worry about who will get as a partner!

Roddy Piper & Adrian Adonis in 1986 In the Summer of 1986, Adorable Adrian Adonis, coincidentally debuted his new look on a Piper’s Pit in early 86, had the hottest property in all of pro wrestling the Flower Shop! Here he established his alliance with the Macho Man where they would go onto have the 1986 WWF MOTY against Tito & Bruno at MSG in July. It was here where he dropped poison into the ear of Mr. Wonderful Paul Orndorff leading to the turn against Hulk Hogan. We pick up the story when Junkyard Dog a frequent Adonis opponent on Saturday Nights Main Event and on the house show loop wrecked the Flower Shop. Because of this heinous attack by JYD, on the August 9th episode of Championship Wrestling, Adorable Adrian Adonis has hired protection and it is the best protection money can but it is the #1 bodyguard in all the land, Ace Cowboy Bob Orton who will henceforth be known as Acey and wear a pink cowboy hat. Next week wouldn’t you know it is just so happens that Orton’s former employer Rowdy Roddy Piper returns and he wants his show back. When he gets some lip from Adonis he goes after Orton being called Acey and wearing a pink Cowboy hat. Piper asks him to return to his side. Orton says the money is too good with Adonis and Jimmy Hart. Piper gets mad and I Don’t think this the last they will hear from him. The next week things gets weird. As Piper decides to beat up a jobber with one arm behind his back and make a racist joke about Slick’s lips as Adonis calls him the most rudest superstar. Superstars replaces Championship Wrestling on 9/6 and now things are cookin’. Piper starts talking ratings fuck we have been talking ratings for 40 years and he makes some transphobic jokes. He says WWF executives have pulled the plug on the Flower Shop. Piper’s Pit is back next week to the roar of the crowd. The crowd has been lapping up Piper with a spoon since his return. He is over like rover. Next week Adonis interrupts the Pit says Piper is a weasel for going to the higher ups to get what he wants. He challenges Piper to a debate in two weeks on the 9/27 Superstars. Piper says youre on! FLOWER SHOP VS PIPERS PIT! 9/20 just shows some vignettes of each side getting hyped up. The big Flower Shop vs Pipers Pit Debate rather than make their cases themselves each brings in a star witness to give testimony about their show. Adonis brings on the impartial Acey Bob Orton donning his fetching pink cowboy hat. He trumpets a lot of Adonis has to say before that Piper is old hat as Adonis is wont to say and says it here they are 1995 Aka they are the future they are cutting edge. 40 years later trans rights are not doing so hot. Hot Rod brings out Magnificent Muraco Ok bringing out a heel to be your witness is a bad idea. Piper goes between mocking Adonis and Muraco. Muraco gets hot when Piper won’t pay attention to him. Then they get into surreal debate over trans rights in 1986. Where Muraco of all people makes the case it is a free county and Adonis can dress how he pleases. Then Piper makes the lame case WHAT ABOUT THE CHILDREN? I grew up on Goldust dude and I came out fine. The kids are going to be alright. Come to think of Piper feuded with Goldust. Just saying. Then the heels finally jump him. Muraco and Orton hold him as Adonis smashes a flower pot over his head. TREMENDOUS ANGLE! The Muraco & Orton team is born out of this. The next week Piper destroys the Flower Shop with a crutch and baseball bat and thus ends the run of the best pro wrestling talk show in history. RIP Flower Shop. Piper would go on to attack Adonis with his crutch on the next SNME. Look Piper was hemmed in here he had to make some jokes about Adrian Adonis ridiculous get up. The comment about Slick’s lips and bringing the children into it give me a break. Adonis looked goofy that is fair game. Adonis, Jimmy Hart and Orton knocked this out of the park even Muraco played his part well. Awesome week to week storytelling in a promotion that is not known for week to week storytelling especially in the 80s. This is the type of serialized story telling I wish they would go back to. Everyone remember Piper destroying the Flower Shop but the best segment is the week before with the Debate and the Adonis/Muraco/Orton attack. Definitely watch the whole thing week to week. Two thumbs up.

WWF World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan vs Randy Savage - WWF Boston Garden 5/24/86 Boston was the last city to get Hogan and Savage as I have covered their matches from Philly, Toronto, MSG and even Detroit. This is a doozy! Not as good as the January MSG match but my second favorite of the 85-86 series. This is the most Memphis match. Savage really gets on his bike and rides. Lots of stalling, jaw jacking, stare downs, spitting at each other. They just short of grabbing the microphone and cutting promos on each other and I thought they were in the Mid-South Coliseum. Hogan finally starts unloading with the heavy artillery you know the stuff and Atomic Drop sends the Macho Man outside good use of Elizabeth. Savage takes over on one of the chase scenes back into the Ring. Savage starts flying around hitting Double Axe handle bombs from every angle. Turns out the Boston Garden barricade is pretty easy to topple as Hogan explodes through it. Savage is pouring it on. MACHO MAN ELBOW! OH NO! HE ACCIDENTALLY HIT THE REVIVING ELBOW! HULK-UP!!! Savage sent to the outside and picks up Liz out of the way. Back into the Ring, Hogan clobbers the ref and Macho sends Hogan careening out of the Ring. Savage blasts him with the Championship belt off the top rope to the floor. The ref counts out Hogan out to give Macho Man the victory and a rematch that no one seems to like. Savage tries to abscond with the title but a bloody Hogan in White, Fireman Carries him back to the ring, retrieves the title, kicks his ass, sends him packing and poses. I can see if you’re really into Memphis style wrestling this being your favorite. Lots of Gaga early, strong Hogan offense But also strong Macho Man offense which isn’t always the case and bloody ending! Good shit too bad the rematch is panned. *** 3/4

Tito Santana vs Cowboy Bob Orton - WWF 8/9/86 Ace is donning the Pink Cowboy Hat as Gorilla he has recently taken a job with Adorable Adrian Adonis. They reference that it will be a rough job because Adonis has managed to antagonize everyone in the WWF: he was the impetus behind Orndorff’s turn on Hogan, he is Macho Man’s partner in crime inserting himself in Tito’s business, he has a personal feud with Junkyard Dog and Piper is set come back and wreck the Flower Shop. The Adorable One is the straw stirs the 1986 WWF drink. I was hoping to see the technical side of Tito who basically wrestles every match like his opponent owes him money and I figured in a 30 minute draw I would see a different side of him. I was right there was a few flares of fisticuffs But for the most part this is wrestled straight. What I found was the Bob Orton show and I liked it! I just think Tito was totally overshadowed by Orton. in a different time and place, Bob Orton could have been the top heel in a territory hell watching this he wouldn’t have been a bad NWA Champion. He has a little Funk, Murdoch in him. He can wrestle on the ground, he can brawl, he can bump & stooge. I thought this was a very Flair-Esque performance from him. The changing of strategies first with the drop toe hold. Then he tries fists. He does some high flying a flying headscissors! He cheats goes for the hair and the eyes. Just like Flair he is thwarted at every pass either Tito goes for the arm or lights him up with a punch. Besides ramming his forearm into the turnbuckle, HEY WHAT HAPPENED TO HIS CAST?, it was a very subdued and sleepy performance by Tito. Orton was bringing the energy and fun. His second attempt of the flying headscissors where he gets caught up in the ropes woke me and the crowd up. I loved his Funk esque bump into the barricade toppling it over. I think once he realized it was so easy to topple The barricade he made sure to ram Tito into it and a great transition to heat. I liked him hanging Tito out to dry. After that the chinlock got a bit long in the tooth. Tito wakes up at the end does some spirited leg work climaxing with a figure-4. I am a bit confused what Orton does when he is in between Tito’s leg I thought he head butted him in the balls but then they worked the abdomen he was nowhere close to the abdomen. They light each other up as they go to a draw. Good heated brawl as Orton takes a Murdoch esque bump face first between the bottom and middle rope letting his feet catch the bottom rope. Good craic. Flair, Funk and Murdoch are all more charismatic than Orton and also have better offense on top. However, it is a shame Orton didnt get a chance to prove himself on top because I think he had the tools to do it. It was not Tito’s typical match. It was not a bad performance per se but it was uncharacteristically lifeless except at the end with the leg work and the punching. It is a very good match but 30 minutes you have to be great if I will ever watch you again. *** 1/2

WWF World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan vs Paul Orndorff - WWF Big Event Even though I love the heel turn angle, Mr. Wonderful has never been a draw for me. I often put off his matches but this was very good and I have high hopes for the rest of the feud I plan on watching the Philly series and have seen the SNME cage match already. I would argue this was the Hulkster’s first real feud in the WWF. Yes there was the Bundy angle but this feels different than Hogan vanquishing Giants or wrestling Terry Funk and Randy Savage. They got ~70k in Toronto for this match and this was the inspiration for going big for WrestleMania III. Very marquee and influential feud! I love that Orndorff opens with an underhanded clothesline as the ref is checking Hogan nice play off the Clothesline that turned him heel. Great scuffle on the mat. Hogan gets the best of it. Very energetic fisticuffs follow. Hogan gets the best of it and sends Wonderful packing. I love how they fake out us a couple times before actually going to heat. Though eventually transition leaves a little to be desired. I liked Hogan chasing the Brain but the stomp to the back of the head didn’t look impactful enough to warrant a transition. Good heat segment by Orndorff nice suplex on the outside good heel offense focused on the throat. He signals for the Piledriver back drop out, but no Hulk Up. Nice Fist from Top Rope by Wonderful and a back Suplex. That triggers the Hulk Up! HOGAN HIGH KNEE WIPES OUT WONDERFUL & REF! HE RAISES ORNDORFF’s HAND AND CLOBBERS HIM WITH A CLOTHESLINE! How does that taste, Mr Wonderful? Piledriver with booty shake but Heenan hits Hogan with a stool triggering the DQ. Orndorff has the title Bur Hogan sends him packing and retrieves the title. The feud is off and running! Thought this was a very good Hogan formula match we get a bit more shine and I loved the finish with Hogan hitting the Traitor Clothesline on Wonderful for revenge. Hope the Philly matches are just as good. *** 1/2

Big & Super Machine & Capt Lou Albano vs Heenan Family (Big John Studd, King Kong Bundy, Bobby Heenan) - WWF Big Event I watched this for Tag Teams Back Again WHOOMP THERE IT IS! Andre wrestled very little for the WWF after WrestleMania II wrestling a lot for New Japan. So this is a rare appearance for the Giant. Heenan in the pre match promo says the masks are coming off and Okerlund gets the crowd to chant Weasel. At first it looks like Andre is wrestling but it is Albano as Gorilla gets correct. Gorilla dont know their names: Big, Giant and Super Machine. Super Machine Can be differentiated from Big by Eadie’s very distinctive punches. Pretty basic match. Super Machine Cant body slam Studd but he knocks him off his feet with a clothesline. Big Machine knocks Bundy off his feet. Then the Heenan Family takes over. One heat segment per Machine each time Heenan tries unmask the Machine. I liked Bundy coming in and knocking into a Machine as they were revving up to get Studd back on top. Nice sliding knee by Studd on the apron as this was a good Studd performance. When Heenan loses control of Super Machine we get The Brain vs Captain. The match devolves as we get what we want Andre head butting Heenan, double noggin knocker on Studd and Bundy and generally putting a whipping on Heenan Family. Match feels incomplete like it ends abruptly. Studd & Bundy looked good in this.

WWF Intercontinental Champion Randy Savage vs Koko B Ware - WWF Challenge 11/16/86 Non-Title For the love of God tell me theres a long form match between these two either from Memphis or WWF because this rules! Savage jumps Ware in his ring attire before Koko can get in the Ring. Savage is usual Tasmanian Devil self running around like a madman not letting Koko breathe. Koko starts mounting his comeback with the prettiest punches you’ll see. He goes all the way up to the top. MISSILE DROPKICK TO THE MACHO MAN! Foot on the ropes! Koko charges and goes flying over the top rope crashing to the floor. Macho Man leaps to dive on him and Koko catches him in the breadbasket with a punch. They brawl on floor until they get counted out Excellent! I want more! *** 1/4

AWA World Heavyweight Champion Nick Bockwinkel vs Boris Zhukov - AWA 9/16/86 A return bout on ESPN as AWA has little in the way of heels. It is too bad they didn’t give us a random title defense against Buddy Rose as we get another Zhukov match in November and a Nord match this month. I thought this was about the same level as the July match. Zhukov is a solid wrestler he is going to do his part. Bock seems ill-suited for this role as much as I like him. He doesn’t have much in the way of offense to get a shine going or fiery comeback. Nick flusters Boris early evading him as Zhukov charges and misses. Classic 80s sequence but seen done better a bunch of times in Backlund matches. It is a shame Backlund wasn’t pushed in the AWA in 85-87. Bock works the headlock. Zhukov’s leg work is very good just as good as the arm work in the previous match. Bock is selling well. I liked the leg yank on the apron into the chops. Indian Deathlock was nice surprise. Good heavy blows by Bock to get out. I liked Zhukovs headbutts to take back over. He needs to tighten up that Full Nelson. Bock pushes off the buckles. Is it a double pin? No! Bock wins! Another good match but AWA is sad at this point. It is funny Bock/Hennig and Rockers/Rose & Somers both have Top 100 matches of all time in 1986 but the depth is not there to support week to week television. ***

AWA World Heavyweight Champion Nick Bockwinkel vs Boris Zhukov - AWA 7/15/86 Ahhhh pro wrestling from Las Vegas on ESPN but feels a lot different 40 years ago. Bockwinkel is wicked over at the Showboat. I believe this is his first televised defense of his AWA World Title which was awarded to him under a cloud of controversy as Stan Hansen was stripped of the title and it was awarded to Bock. Why not just make this match for the title? With the departure of Hansen and others since WrestleRock, AWA is getting real thin. Blackwell’s health is failing him. You have up and comers like Hennig and the Rockers and a green Scott Hall. The Rockers have great adversaries in Rose & Somers but the singles heels are pretty dire Larry Zbyszko, Boris Zhukov, Nord the Barbarian and Col. DeBeers. Zbyszko is legitimately good but more in a No 2/3 Heel he’s not someone who can carry a company on his back. Coming off WrestleMania, this is so simple in its execution. The opening headscissors and Full Nelson are but flaccid but the rest of strength is very well-worked as the headlock by Bock. I thought the Arm work by Zhukov is the highlight of the match as was Bock’s selling. Love a hammerlock slam and arm stretcher. Nice heavy blows by Bock as he starts his comeback. He is crowding Zhukov in the corner. The finish is Zhukov has his feet on the ropes but ref sees. Zhukov thinks he won Bock dropkicks Zhukov into Al-Kaisse and wins the match. Felt like they had another ten minutes in them. Bock after decades of working heel is well-suited for a shine or comeback which you can see him. I enjoyed the Arm work. They have two more television matches I might watch them. ***