Manny Fernandez in the WWF 1987

[RCS1988]

I've been watching NWA World Championship Wrestling shows on the Network and enjoy the team of Manny Fernandez & Rick Rude as NWA Tag Team Champions with Paul Jones, so I decided to come up with a little booking if Fernandez decided to join his Awesome Twosome partner. Fernandez last appearance in the NWA was September 27, 1987. Fernandez gets the call from Rude, and he wants him to come. Jones says in the NWA. Fernandez debuts at a house show on October 2, 1987 distracting Outback Jack in a match against Rick Rude. That brings us to his first TV taping.

 

WWF @ Milwaukee, WI - Mecca - October 6, 1987
WWF Superstars taping:

Prime Time Wrestling - 10/22/87: Manny Fernandez pinned SD Jones at 4:02 with the flying forearm (Fernandez's WWF debut match)

Prime Time Wrestling - 10/22/87: Paul Orndorff (w/ Oliver Humperdink) defeated Hercules (w/ Bobby Heenan) via disqualification at 6:23 when Rick Rude interfered and prevented the pinfall after Orndorff hit the piledriver; after the bout, Rude attacked Orndorff, threw him to the floor, and posed until Orndorff attacked him, which led to Manny Fernandez coming out and nailing Orndorff with the flying forearm with Rude, Fernandez, & Heenan later embracing (the reuniting of Rick Rude & Manny Fernandez after a 5 month absence) (Best of the WWF Vol. 14)

Superstars - 10/24/87:

Rick Rude (w/ Bobby Heenan, Manny Fernandez, & Andre the Giant) defeated Mike Richards via submission with the backbreaker at 1:41; prior to the bout, Heenan introduced Andre the Giant and the newest member of the Heenan Family Manny Fernandez, who stayed in Rude's corner for the duration of the match; during the bout, Paul Orndorff & Sir Oliver Humperdink appeared at the interview platform, with Orndorff posing in an attempt to distract Rude

 

WWF @ Green Bay, WI - Veterans Memorial Arena - October 7, 1987
Wrestling Challenge taping:

Wrestling Challenge - 10/18/87:

Rick Rude, Manny Fernandez, & Hercules (w/ Bobby Heenan) defeated SD Jones, Scott Casey, & Jim Evans via submission at 3:17 (Fernandez's TV debut)

 

Fernandez would work house shows getting wins over Outback Jack, Brady Boone, SD Jones, Lanny Poffo, etc.

 

WWF @ Syracuse, NY - War Memorial - October 27, 1987 (6,000; sell out)

WWF Superstars taping:

Prime Time Wrestling - 11/19/87: Manny Fernandez (w/ Bobby Heenan) pinned Outback Jack at 3:32 with the flying forearm

 

WWF @ Rochester, NY - War Memorial Arena - October 28, 1987 (7,600; sell out)

Wrestling Challenge taping:

Wrestling Challenge - 11/15/87:

Rick Rude & Manny Fernandez defeated Brady Boone & Hillbilly Jim via submission at 1:20

 

During this time, Don Muraco takes out Butch Reed with an injury, so Heenan has Fernandez take Reed's place at Survivor Series.

 

Fernandez continues working house shows against low card featured wrestlers, but not tag matches and would lose to guys like Sam Houston, Jake Roberts, & George Steele, but by countout and disqualifiation.

 

WWF @ Seattle, WA - Coliseum - November 11, 1987 (16,000)

WWF Tag Team Champion Tito Santana pinned Manny Fernandez at 12:42 with the flying forearm, after Fernandez missed his flying forearm (Fernandez's first loss)

 

After this show he misses all his bookings and 2 TV tapings, but returns for Survivor Series 87.

 

Survivor Series 87 - Richfield, OH - Coliseum - November 26, 1987 (21,000; sell out)
Thanksgiving Night

Andre the Giant (w/ Bobby Heenan), Rick Rude, King Kong Bundy, Manny Fernandez (sub. for Butch Reed), & the One Man Gang (w/ Slick) defeated WWF World Champion Hulk Hogan, Bam Bam Bigelow (w/ Sir Oliver Humperdink), Paul Orndorff, Ken Patera, & Don Muraco (sub. for Superstar Billy Graham) in an elimination match at 24:07; prior to the bout, Hogan came out carrying the American flag; Hogan pinned Fernandez at 3:06 with the legdrop after a double clothesline from Hogan and Orndorff; the Gang pinned Patera at 8:45 after both men hit a clothesline, with OMG falling on top; Rude pinned Orndorff at 10:25 with a roll up and using the tights for leverage after Bundy attacked Orndorff from behind; Muraco pinned Rude with a powerslam at 11:20 after Rude jumped over Hogan; OMG pinned Muraco at 12:56 with a splash after a headbutt from Andre; Hogan was counted-out at 18:05 when Bundy and OMG prevented him from returning to the ring; Bigelow pinned Bundy at 20:32 with a slingshot splash into the ring after Bundy missed a splash in the corner; Bigelow pinned OMG at 22:52 after OMG missed a splash off the top; Andre pinned Bigelow with a butterfly suplex after Bigelow missed a splash in the corner; after the match, Hogan returned to the ring and blasted Andre in the head with the world title belt, sending him to the floor; moments later, Gene Okerlund conducted a backstage interview with Andre & Heenan in which they discussed a rematch against Hogan and bragged about the win (Andre's in-ring return after a 7-month absence & Fernandez's last appearance) (Survivor Series 06)

 

 

Fernandez would receive a pay deduction, for missing dates, but was initially hired with the promise that he & Rude would win the WWF Tag Team Titles, so Fernandez quit the company, and Rude stayed.

 

So his run only last a few weeks, but his appearances were memorable. Think you can do a better booking of Manny Fernandez in the WWF?

[BruiserBrody]

He and Duggan might be fun but his brawl and blade style was ill fitting for the WWF.

[I Broke Bruno's Neck]

I would've pushed the Rude/Fernandez team to upper mid-card. Maybe give them a run with the belts, only if Manny could keep his ego in check (big if).