[1986-11-24-WWF-MSG] Hulk Hogan & Roddy Piper vs Paul Orndorff & Harley Race

[Superstar Sleeze]

Hulk Hogan & Roddy Piper vs Paul Orndorff & Harley Race - WWF MSG 11/24/86

For those Superfans of Tag Teams Back Again (Whoomp There It is!) you will know we covered  this back in the day. At the time, I dont think I understood the magnitude of what I was witnessing. Logically I understood it was Hulk Hogan & Roddy Piper teaming 20 months after WrestleMania thats a big deal, but I didnt feel it emotionally. But now that I have seen the Saturday Night's Main Event, where Piper saves Hogan, seen the Hogan/Wonderful turn, the Flower Shop angle, I FEEL THIS MATCH~! I wish it was Adonis, Muraco or Orton in the role of Harley Race. I understand that by using Harley Race it keeps it in the Heenan Family, but I wish it was one of the three perpetrators of the Flower Shop Assault.  I really wish it was Orton the most the tie-in to WrestleMania I would have been perfect, Oh Well! It is interesting even though Hogan and Orndorff was being run hard in Philly, this was the only time they touched in MSG and they never wrestled in Boston interesting booking. 

As for the match, it is all about the Hogan & Piper interactions. The opening clearing of the ring only for them to go back to back and then each rip their shirt off was AWESOME~! It was all downhill from there but that was killer! Hogan and Piper working like an 80s blowjob babyface tag team working the arm of Harley Race with quick tags but each tag had so much TENSION~! behind it. It was awesome. Hogan and Piper did some really fun arm work and it was fun watching them work like they were the Rockers. Race threw Piper's head into Wonderful's knee and hit a belly to belly suplex. Pretty standard heat segment, Race hitting bombs like Thump Powerslam and suplex; Orndorff clubbering. Piper breaks free. Really liked Hogan hot tag. He was so explosive. Wiping out both of the Heenan Family, clocking the Brain and dropping the Leg on Harley I wish that was the finish, but Mr. Wonderful breaks it up. Orndorff hits the Wonderful Clothesline on Race and Piper quickly covers for 3 but he was not legal and there was a whole kerfuffle. Piper leaves the ring to let Hogan fend for himself against the Heenan Family, but he sends all three packing easily and does his posedown. 

 

I thought the beginning was great, heat segment was alright, Hogans hot tag ruled, but the finish was clunky and Piper leaving Hogan was weird. Piper went out of his way to save him on SNME but leaves him high and dry here. Then Hogan looks like a bigger star by vanquishing them and Piper kinda looks like a chump because he missed out on the celebratory glory. A cool moment, but not much of a match. ***