[1990-01-27-WWF-Saturday Night's Main Event] Hulk Hogan & Ultimate Warrior vs Mr Perfect & The Genius

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

This is really fun, as Perfect and Genius play pinball for 10 minutes to some lame-looking offense. The whole match looks a little contrived at times, but it works and I can't deny that. It's a shame the Hogan/Perfect feud wasn't big, because they have strong chemistry in the ring. I love Genius taking notes during the match on his scroll! Hogan plays FIP. Perfect is the aggressor while Genius flutters by in front of Warrior, much to his chagrin. Hogan tags himself in right before the finish to hog all the credit. Warrior accidentally hits Hogan in the post-match melee, which causes some problems. Wrestlemania, here we come.

[PeteF3]

The difference between AWA Curt and Mr. P is pretty evident once you've watched a million different matches of Curt as AWA World Champion. Jesse stirs up shit as Warrior clotheslines Hogan in a blind rage.

[soup23]

This match doesn't look exactly even on paper. I loved Genius' poem on the pre match promo and Hogan/Warrior buddy promo is testosterone overload. I think the reason that Perfect vs. Hogan never worked was due to how much perfect bumped for him and the lack of danger you sensed for Hogan's sake. Vince lets us know not to be flamboyant in front of the warrior. Perfect hits the perfect plex and Warrior can't be bothered to make the save but Perfect stops the count in a complete illogical and dumb move. Post match see dissention between Warrior and Hogan and even casual viewers should know where Wrestlemania is headed now. Pretty fun match overall.

[Kevin Ridge]

I do enjoy Genius' poems. Picked up his poetry years ago. Definitely a one sided looking match that seemed to be the case early with Perfect bouncing all over the ring to every move he takes. Genius takes his lumps also. Finally the get Hogan in trouble with use of the scroll. Hennig is anything but perfect when he lets go of the Perfect Plex before the three count. That was really silly. It's Hogan and you don't make mistakes like that.

[Cox]

Man, Curt Hennig loved to bump. I mean, he just straight up loved bumping. In some ways, that makes him Hulk Hogan's perfect opponent, but yeah, there's never any sense of danger when Hogan and Perfect are in there together that Perfect is going to win, even with the Perfect record gimmick. I wonder if Perfect stopping the count on the Perfect Plex was because Warrior was supposed to break the count and didn't, and they wanted to at least protect the Perfect Plex. At any rate, exactly what you'd expect this match to be. Kinda surprised they didn't do anything to tease dissension during the actual match, to at least make it look like Perfect and Genius have a shot here.

[JerryvonKramer]

Ventura is always very entertaining when he smells some discord in the face camp, he's ready to stir shit up.

 

I maintain Genius is the ultimate gay act, maybe not in terms of work, but in terms of being very funny.

 

Very uneven teams here. Hogan and Warrior look like action figures. Ventura: "why don't they enter as a team ... two egomaniacs" - awesome analysis.

 

Always thought that Mr. Perfect had springs in his feet.

 

I hated Warrior so much as a kid, even more than Hogan. Time has done nothing to dampen those emotions, still hate him.

 

Perfect BOUNCES off the turnbuckle. His bumping is absolutely insane, like they are wrestling on a bouncy castle. Genius taking notes is cool.

 

Genius skipping and flouncing around the ring in front of Warrior is the sort of thing I love to see.

 

Don't feel like Perfect did enough to Hogan before the perfectplex -- what had he done to him a few punches? It is clear that Warrior missed his cue, because there was no reason to stop the count and Hogan didn't look like he was kicking out.

 

I like that Hogan tagged HIMSELF in for the legdrop. That is, if you think about it, telling a little story about him wanting the glory for himself. Warrior was going for his big splash.

 

There was tension even before the clothesline. Warrior trying to help Hogan up by putting his hands all over his face was annoying, I'd have reacted like that too. Hate having hands on my face. Hogan is really good in that closing segment, his anger is real. Hated everything Warrior did here.

[Johnny Sorrow]

This was fun. I still kinda hate a lot of 1990 WWF gimmicks. Like, I hated that there's a guy who's name is only "The Genius" when "The Genius" Lanny Poffo is what I would have preferred. It's fucking stupid, but shit like that helped turn me off of watching wrestling back then.

[Busterira]

This was a lot of fun. I was always a fan of the Mr Perfect and "the Genius" combination. Its not on the set because I think it happened in late 89 but when "The Genius" beat Hogan by a count out and he and Perfect took Hogans belt and destroyed it backstage was hilarious. I just found them entertaining. But I completely agree with Johnny Sorrow with the gimmick names and all that bullshit. It was just getting ridiculous and would only get worse in the next couple of years.

 

As I watch this set unfold I realize how much I hated the Warrior back then and do to this day. I find him unbearable. I was 18 at this time and like Johnny it was at this point I just started checking out of wrestling. From 90-94 I barely watched wrestling beyond watching Wrestlemania. Then I started watching ECW and slowly started getting back into it.

[Laney]

This was a fun match even though the teams were uneven and I don't think anyone thought that Perfect and Genius stood any chance here. The highlight of this match was Perfect bumping like a madman and just bouncing all over the place. Hogan came off as a dick here by tagging himself in to steal the pin. This match did a great job of building to the match at Mania.

[bradhindsight]

Perfect's bumping is just phenomenal as many have mentioned. "Springs in his legs" is a good anecdote Parv. Even to the ring post outside, the guy just flies around.

 

I thought it was interesting - Perfect also hit Hogan with the Perfectplex in the Rumble although it did little damage despite Hogan having been in the Rumble for a good bit longer than Perfect. I can't see Warrior missing a cue there, seems like they really wanted to play up a little arrogance from the heel team. Especially after the choreographed blocks Hogan hits when each guy goes off the top rope.

 

Ventura never missed Hogan slapping Warrior on the back of the head to tag himself in. Warrior totally no sold this also - he could have turned around in anger after seeing Hogan get the pin but instead he did nothing, until the accidental clothesline later.

[ajsmith_7]

Really enjoyed this match, mainly due to the Perfect & Genius team, like everyone else has said, Perfects bumping for Hogan is insane and a lot of fun! I love the Genius character and his singles match vs Hogan on the previous SNME at the end of '89 is also a lot of fun.

 

Didn't understand the finish, tagging yourself in after your partner has hit his finisher just to steal the pinfall for yourself seems rather heelish to me?? Also, does anyone else hate how Hogan can't hit the leg drop with his left leg, really annoys me and looks bad!

[garretta]

As I said in an earlier thread, Curt and Lanny could have been the Conquistadors for all that it mattered in this one. Curt bumped way too comically for the offense Hogan put on him, and I'm usually not one to criticize bumping or selling.

 

For the record, it was explained during the match that Curt stopped the count on the Perfectplex so Lanny could get the fall on Hogan, which he'd been denied on the last SNME. Of course, that plan, like all their others on this night, went straight to hell.

 

As for the postmatch stuff, an actual fight would have been nice, but whoever threw the first punch would have turned heel, and Vince wanted this to be a face vs. face matchup. That's why the "wrong" was spread equally: Hogan was at fault for tagging himself in to get the pin in the manner he did (slapping Warrior in the back of the head), but Warrior should have watched who he was clotheslining too. Each man's fans could justify their hero's actions without the other guy looking too evil, and the winner could unite the two strongest forces in the wrestling world once Mania was over and make Vince a ton of money. If only it had worked out that way.

 

My WWF watching is now complete for January. This match isn't even close to Garvin/Valentine at the Rumble, so that bout takes Match of the Month honors, with Rockers/POP a respectable second. We'll see if Ronnie and Greg can hold on to their crown through February and the succeeding months in the race to be my WWF Match of the Year!

[Stiva]

I agree that this is probably the weakest WWF match on the set thus far but it's still really fun, exclusively for Perfect and Genius who just throw themselves around for Hogan and Warrior's offense. I loved all of Genius' antics on the apron; taking notes, prancing around to anger Warrior and in the end, the heel's arrogance costs them. More heelish Hoganisms as he tags himself in during Warrior's hot tag and a decent angle to start the build to Mania. An effective segment but probably the weakest tag this month.

[Danish Dynamite]

Not too into 89/90 Hogan vs. Perfect. But would have loved to see early 80's heel Hogan vs. maybe a 86-87 Curt. ... This match was fun in a junk food kinda way.

[drew wardlaw]

Really interesting and cool angle here. Mr. Perfect is the obvious MVP, but it was really interesting to see Warrior get the hot tag and not take a single bit of offense all match. I wonder if Hogan and Warrior will have a match, they sure seemed hot at each other!

[Grimmas]

#wrestling365

 

taped on January 3rd, 1990.

 

This brings back some memories. SNME was my favourite thing as a kid, because my dad would tape it and I could watch it the next morning. Unlike ppv which I had to wait till the video store got and the TV never had real matches.

 

I was HUGE into wrestling at this point, maybe the biggest of my childhood, so I really remember these shows.

 

This was unfathomable at the time. Hogan and Warrior teaming was crazy. Perfect and Genius seemed like such a mismatch.

 

The match is so fun. Perfect is a pinball, while The Genius is writing poetry in the corner. They get Hogan to the outside and then use the scroll for some poetry in motion to send Hogan into a FIP. We are pretty far into the match and it's all Hogan and Perfect.

 

Perfect Plex and Perfect lets him up, tags Genius who misses a moonsault which leads to the hot tag. Destruction, Hogan with a sneak tag to pin with the leg drop.

 

Really fun and it has the angle to set up Warrior-Hogan afterwards. Big trip down memory lane here.

[DeanColes1987]

This could have been anyone on the heel side, the only point to the match was would Hogan and Warrior get along?

 

The Hogan/Perfect feud has never clicked for me, maybe if I was watching back then it would have.

[wrestlingchick]

Just a stop along the road to WrestleMania. There's history with the Hogan/Perfect rivalry, but this is all about progressing the feud between Hogan and Warrior following their epic encounter a few days beforehand at the Rumble. Right from the outset, Jesse plays up the potential for things to break down between the two. The match itself is really nothing special, just a standard TV main event tag. Its mostly a showcase for the top two babyfaces in the company prior to their pending clash in April. Perfect was his usual awesome self bouncing around, and actually got a nearfall on Hogan with the Perfectplex, but it was not to be. Hogan and Warrior managed to stay on the same page throughout, with Hogan putting Genius away with the legdrop for the victory. The post-match is the real story here though, as Perfect and Genius look to attack after the bell. In the mist of the babyface comeback, Warrior inadvertently clotheslines Hogan, leading to a shoving match between the two. A hot crowd and perfectly fine storyline progression here.

 

Grade: **1/4

[dawho5]

Hogan tagging himself in was 100% in character and it's a great setup for the feud, especially after the Rumble incident. Otherwise, Perfect makes this match.

[cactus]

A one-sided match to set up the main event of Wrestlemania. It doesn't out stay it's welcome, does what it sets out to do and it's entertaining enough, what more do you want out of 1990 WWF?

 

★★¾

[Badlittlekitten]

Warrior and Hogan getting right into each others faces, nose to nose, is such a classic image. The most striking thing about the scene is how quite the crowd is. It's like they're still trying to figure out how to react to two superhero babyfaces colliding and there's just a strange muted reaction to it.

The match itself was pretty fun with Curt doing a solid job working over Hogan before he and Genius go crazy with the bumps. Watching Hennig pinball around the ring is even more fun in 2121 where everyone pretty much does the same thing.