[1986-09-20-WWF-Philly Spectrum] Hulk Hogan vs Paul Orndorff

[Superstar Sleeze]

WWF World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan vs Paul Orndorff - WWF Philly 9/20/86

WWF booking is so interesting at this time as this is clearly their #1 feud the big TV angle built for weeks and weeks to a Fever pitch with the turn on Championship Wrestling the literal Big Event in Toronto. But then they never run this match in Boston or MSG. So weird. So following the Philly Series. 
 

Always heard about entrance music stealing for decades and what a neat gimmick BUT once you see it in execution. It doesn’t quite work. The Real American music you want to pop for. You know only half of the audience really knows the gimmick so you get more confusion then you get boos. It is funny because they didn’t smarten up Dick Graham. So he thinks the Challenger is coming out But then he hears Real American and switches it to Hogans music. So Gorilla is trying to explain it to him on commentary and you can hear Dick putting the pieces together. You can’t really stop music and Cue it back up so they keep the music running and show the Hulkster hot about it  charging to the apron. I think it would work better now with the heavier emphasis on TV and how they do the entrances now.
 

Electric Hogan performance. The Shine is unreal. He is just pelting him with rights and manhandling him. Wonderful tries to bring it to the outside but Hogan will not be denied. Inside outside Hogan is pinballing him. Great use of the Atomic Drop as the climax to a fun shine. They run a pretty similar transition to heat from Toronto. Hogan chases the Brain and Orndorff stomps him getting back in the Ring. Orndorff’s heat segment isn’t as good as the Big Event. I am not a big Orndorff guy and was hoping this match turn me in his favor. Lots of clubbering offense and elbows. The Wonderful Clothesline only gets two. Surprised no Hulk Up we do a simple Vertical Suplex for two aahhh theres the Hulk Up and it is a doozy. Similar transition to the finish as Toronto. High Knee wipes both out. Hogan is on fire with his theatrics. He hits the Wonderful Clothesline on Orndorff how does that taste brutha. He is calling for fucking him in the ass oh wait Gorilla says it is a piledriver lol. Brain gets involved but instead of the DQ finish there we get the twist. Orndorff gets Brass Knux and clocks Hogan busting him wide open. By time the ref makes it over kick out now BLOOD SOAKED HULK-UP OH HELL YEAH! Rips the Knux out of the hand and is about to wreck him when the ref yanks it out of the Hulk’s hands BOOOOOOOOO! Hogan is blind with rage throws the ref down twice and is beating and choking Orndorff. Ref throws the match out with Wonderful winning by DQ. Wrestlers come from the locker room to separate them as Hogan poses down. 
 

Good first match in a series. Hogan’s shine and two Hulk Ups were unreal! The epitome of why he was so over in the 80s. A real electricity to it. What takes this down is the Orndorff heat segment and the DQ finish but looking forward to the next two matches. *** 1/4