Hey Yo Stud Muffins & Foxy Ladies,
Pro Wrestling Love vol. 21:
The Best of WWF 1984-1987
Objective: Break up the Greatest Match Ever Project
(hosted at gwe.freeforums.project.net) into more manageable chunks to help me
build my Top 100 List for the project.
Motivation:
Contribute to the discussion around these matches to enrich my own
understanding of pro wrestling and give a fresh perspective for old matches and
even hopefully discover great pro wrestling matches that have been hidden by
the sands of time.
Subject: This twenty-first
volume of Pro Wrestling Love is the beginning of the Top 12 countdown of the best
matches to take place in WWF between 1984-1987. This is the first half of the
Hulkamania Era. The starting point is pretty self-explanatory. For wrestling
fans, the 1984 is basically the year 1 AD as Vince McMahon & Hulk Hogan are
in full force and completely change the pro wrestling landscape. I chose 1987
as the end date for three reasons. The year 1987 saw the end of territories. Crockett
bought out Watts. In 1988, World Class, AWA & Memphis on their last legs
tried to form a triple alliance that went nowhere. The year 1988 also sees
Vince McMahon try for the first time to go on without Hogan as they do the
screwjob title change to lift the belt off Hogan. I also feel that 1988 sees a
shift in the WWF presentation to brighter colors and more vibrant gimmicks. All
this makes 1987 feel like it is the last year of WWF as a territory and it is
also the peak of Hulkamania with Hogan vs Andre in the Silverdome at Wrestlemania
III. You can revisit past Pro Wrestling Love Volumes at
ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com. You can check out the full version of these
reviews in ProWrestlingOnly.com by going to the forums and finding the folders
associated with the date of the match.
Contact Info: @superstarsleeze
on Twitter, Instagram & ProWrestlingOnly.com.
 |
| The Irresistible Force vs Immovable Object |
Honorable Mentions
This era of the World Wrestling Federation has been an
absolute treasure trove of great wrestling and I implore all to seek out as
many of these matches as possible. There are many matches here in Honorable
Mentions that I rated ****1/2 I just couldn’t fit into the final countdown. That’s
how loaded this era is. I italicized the matches I rated ****1/2 in the honorable mentions.
WWF I-C Champion Tito Santana vs Greg “The Hammer” Valentine – Philly 3/31/84
WWF I-C Champion Tito Santana vs Greg “The Hammer” Valentine – Philly 5/5/85
WWF I-C Champion Tito Santana vs Greg “The Hammer” Valentine – MSG 6/16/84
WWF I-C Champion Greg “The Hammer” Valentine vs Tito Santana – MSG 11/26/84
WWF I-C Champion Greg “The Hammer” Valentine vs Tito Santana – MSG 1/21/85
WWF I-C Champion Greg “The Hammer” Valentine vs Tito Santana – MSG 3/17/85
If there is one flaw of the amazing, heated Tito Santana vs
Greg “The Hammer” Valentine feud is that they had too many great matches as you
can see above. Since none of the matches really stand out above the others,
they get overlooked when ranking matches. One of their matches does make my top
12 of course because there is no way I was leaving my favorite feud,
unrepresented. Still, this is not just one of the greatest WWF feuds, but one
of the greatest feuds in wrestling history. It feels like you are watching
BattlArts in Madison Square Garden as these are two of the best sluggers of all
time. Their matches are some of the best wars of attrition style matches you
will ever see. In my opinion, MSG 6/16/84 and 11/26/84 stand out above the
others and I would say MSG 11/26/84 would be #13, it was the last one out.
Sgt. Slaughter vs
Iron Sheik – MSG 4/23/84
Sgt. Slaughter vs
Iron Sheik – MSG 5/21/84
These are the must-see first two parts of the MSG Trilogy
pitting the newly minted, patriotic babyface Sgt. Slaughter against the most
vile of foreign heels, the Iron Shiek. These are amazing matches in their own
right and are mandatory viewing before you watch the Bootcamp match.
WWF Intercontinental
Champion Randy Savage vs Ricky Steamboat – Toronto 7/27/86
WWF Intercontinental
Champion Randy Savage vs Ricky Steamboat – Boston 11/1/86
Another feud where the wrestler just had insane chemistry
with each other. As you would expect two Steamboat vs Savage matches made the
top twelve so I just did not have room for another even though their July 1986
match at the Maple Leaf Gardens is a classic in their own right. Whereas
Santana/Valentine is a personal, physical blood feud and Slaughter/Sheik is a
larger than life brawling feud, this is WWF’s answer to Crockett with their own
workrate feud but with the added wrinkle of Savage’s unique despicableness
where he mixes cowardice and insanity in the perfect entertainment package.
WWF World Tag Team
Champions North-South Connection of Adrian Adonis & Dick Murdoch vs Jack
& Gerry Brisco – MSG 12/28/84
Dick Murdoch vs Barry
Windham – Philly 2/16/85
This is how deep WWF was in this era, they just had Dick
Murdoch, Jack Brisco & Barry Windham just kicking around their midcard
putting on stellar matches in their tag scene. Dick Murdoch steals the show in
any match he is in. If you have not seen Captain Redneck, you need to remedy
that pronto. WWF felt like such an all-star promotion at this point and I love
all the unique combinations you get to see.
WWF World Tag Team
Champions US Express vs The Dream Team – Philly 8/24/85
WWF World Tag Team
Champions British Bulldogs vs The Dream Team – SNME 10/4/86
The Dream Team vs
Can-Am Connection – MSG 1/19/87
The Dream Team of Greg “The Hammer” Valentine & Brutus
Beefcake was the best tag team of this era not named the Islanders. Their title
victory over the US Express of Barry Windham & Mike Rotundo is an amazing
heel performance and their match against the hunky Can-Am Connection of Rick
Martel & Ton Zenk is one of the best random tag matches in the WWF. The Dream
Team is represented in the Top 12, but their other great, overlooked classic is
the first great Saturday Night’s Main Event in a Two out of Three Falls match
against the offensive dynamos that are the British Bulldogs. They were the
Bulldogs best opponents and this was their best match together.
WWF World Heavyweight
Champion Hulk Hogan vs Kamala – MSG 12/26/86
WWF World Heavyweight
Champion Hulk Hogan vs Kamala – MSG 1/19/87 No DQ
Anyone who says the Hulkster cant work is a tool. Hogan is
represented in the Top 12, but his other great matches from this era are
against the Ugandan Giant, Kamala. Kamala who literally has no good matches
with anyone else (ok the Andre matches are ok) had his best matches with Hogan
because Hogan is so damn good at bringing electricity to any arena. Hogan is
especially in his element against monsters and Kamala was great in the monster
role forcing Hogan to climb the mountain so to speak. The No DQ match is especially
good as they basically bust out every gimmick in the book. I highly recommend
this series.
Sgt. Slaughter vs Mr.
Wonderful – Philly 6/2/84
“Rowdy” Roddy Piper
vs Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka – Meadowlands 7/15/84
Two great matches from the WWF’s stacked 1984 roster. Listen
to this babyface roster: Hulk Hogan, Andre The Giant, Jimmy Snuka, Sgt. Slaughter
and Junkyard Dog. Literally any of those five could be your top babyface.
Everyone know about the Coconut Smash Hear ‘Round The World, but few talk about
the follow-up matches, but their bloodbath in the Meadowlands is one of the
best brawls of the era. Slaughter vs Wonderful shows WWF’s WCW-esque versatility
at the time as you could pit pretty much any hot babyface & hot heel and strike
gold.
WWF I-C Champion Randy “Macho Man” Savage vs Tito Santana – MSG 4/22/86, No DQ
Ricky Steamboat vs Jake
“The Snake” Roberts – Boston 6/27/86
You know your promotion is stacked when a feud like the
Macho Man vs Tito Santana don’t have a singles match that makes the top 12.
Tito is at his best in a blood feud. He loves to punch and punch hard. After
Savage screwed him out of the Intercontinental Championship in Boston by using
a foreign object you know Tito was double hot and they had a badass brawl at
MSG. Now, their feud is represented in the top 12 in the form of a tag match.
Another great feud from 1986 is the Steamboat vs Jake The Snake feud, which
does have a match represented in the Top 12. The match listed here is the
lead-in match and I highly recommend watching this one first. I normally hate
Jake The Snake for his slow, minimalist style (I find myself screaming “Do
something” at the screen), but the Dragon gets the absolute best out of
Roberts. Besides a Roberts/Flair match from Mid-South, these are by far the
best Jake The Snake matches.
Rick Martel vs Tama –
MSG 7/25/87
Strike Force vs The
Islanders – MSG 10/16/87 2 out of 3 Falls
These were killers to leave out. Part of it is because I
watched them five years ago and I couldn’t find them online anymore. I did find
room for one of their matches to make my Top 12. The Strike Force vs Islanders
was the BIG find of my re-watching of all WWF tag team matches from the 1980s
which led to Tag Teams Back Again. I will recount the story here. Legend has it
that the hunky Can-Ams were slated for a big tag team run. Then Zenk decided to
quit this led to the Islanders turning heel, taking out Zenk permanently and
taking on The Brain as their manager. The Islanders were a happy go lucky
middle of the pack babyface team and overnight they became the best heel tag
team in promotion and besides Randy Savage probably the best heels in the
promotion. Tama should have been a megastar heel. He was such a cocky prick and
such a great big bumping heel. Anyways, the Islanders wanted to finish the job
and take Martel out. So Martel wrestled two singles matches against each
Islander two months in a row at Madison Square Garden. The first match against
Tama channels Martel’s AWA Title Reign as he goes right into champion mode. At
the time, I said the match was so good it rivalled Savage vs Steamboat from the
same year. However, without a rewatch, I cant compare, but my review and
recollection is that this is one of the best matches of all time. After being
outnumbered two-on-one, Martel needed back up and this came in the form of the
aimless Tito Santana. Tito had wrapped up with Savage and needed something new
to do. Strike Force was born. As two of the greatest babyfaces of all time
formed an amazing tag team. The ensuing tag team feud with the Islanders is one
of the greatest tag team feuds in the history of pro wrestling and should be
discussed more.
Holy shit! How has no one ever told me of this match before. This match was an instant classic for me and currently one of my favorite matches. Before the match (shown on MSG Classics), Mean Gene shows a clip from Superstars where Tito gets assaulted by the Islanders due to him saving Martel from an earlier attack. So it is now personal between all four men. They do not wait for the formal ring introductions as Strike Force storms the ring and KATIE BAR THE DOOR BECAUSE THERE IS A PIER-SIX BRAWL A BREWIN!!! Islanders bail and Heenan leaves his hand on the apron and Strike Force stomps each hand. Then Martel brings in Tama the hard way who does a belly flop into the ring. A Martel dropkick send Tama over the top rope. I am loving every bit of this and so is the Garden.
Tama asks for time out, bitch please. Martel ducks a corner shot and he levels him. They set up the arm bar as the base of their attack with Tito coming off the ropes with an elbow to Tama's elbow and then swiftly knocking Haku off the apron. Tito leapfrogs over Tama and then turns around leveling Tama with a clothesline. Tama breaks up the armbar with headbutts and he tags Haku in. Haku promptly misses his big elbow. Time for him to play pinball for Strike Force. Once again, the armbar is the base with Martel using his speed. This is the best face shine sequence I have seen save for the MX/RNR Wrestlewar '90, which is also wicked fun.
All good things must come to an end and while the ref's back is turned, Tama comes off the top rope with an illegal forearm on Tito to set up the heat segment. Tama hits a wicked reverse elbow. The Islanders do all the good stuff: double teaming, choking with the tag rope, and false hot tag. Haku hits a monster superkick, but Tito kicks out at two. Haku goes for the kill with a SOMERSAULT SPLASH, but misses. TITO MAKES THE HOT TAG!!! THE GARDEN EXPLODES! ITS RICKY MARTEL TIME, MUTHAFUCKAS!!! He is one man wrecking crew, but as he has Tama in a pinning predicament Haku blasts Martel with the ref distracted. Haku vehemently chokes Martel with his foot.
Tama had Martel scouted on his reverse cross body. Martel has been watching his share of film too and avoids the second rope headbutt. The ref busy with keeping Tito out of the ring allowed Haku to hit Martel with a headbutt and throw Tama out to get the pin.
I loved this match. It was bell-to-bell action with great face/heel dynamics. When you have watched the whole angle progress you just couldnt wait to see Strike Force manhandle The Islanders that is what you get in the outset. The Islanders are no slouches in the offense department and really work a solid heel tag team. They could be a bit more vicious and there were times they were, but this is late 80s WWF so given the circumstances it was good enough. Santana and Martel are two of the best babyfaces of all time and holy shit is Rick Martel a MONSTER hot tag. I have this as my favorite 80s tag team match topping the Bulldogs/Dream 2 Out Of 3 Falls SNME match.
They wrestled a totally different match this go around and one that I thought is pretty unique overall. Jake Roberts is definitely a low risk, conservative type wrestler. He does not have much in the way of flashy moves or bumps. He bides his time and measures the moment. He transformed this into a really interesting strategy of blocking Steamboat's chops at every turn. This frustrated the Dragon and stymied his uptempo game. The Snake played into the dickishness by reminding everyone how smart he is for formulating this strategy. There were times where it looked like Steamboat would be able to goad him into his game like a quick slugfest or a criss cross but both times Jake remembered his game plan and refused to be suckered into it. Jake planned on leveraging this counterwrestling strategy by attacking the arm, which would negate the chop. Overall, this was a much better plan than his last outing in the Garden, which was high-risk counterwrestling waiting for the right time to use Steamboat's momentum against him. Eventually, Steamboat was able to break down Jake's defenses, I think the best example was when Jake went block high and Steamboat hit low to set up a chop flurry. Steamboat really started to get on a roll. I thought this paid off the first part of the match perfectly. Then they upped the ante when Steamboat hit his left hand on the post going for a chop. What a perfect transition! What ensued is why I love pro wrestling. Steamboat milking the hand injury for all its worth. Jake giving into his tortuous inclinations. He was smashing that hand into everything and working it over. It was just awesome. Steamboat trying to use other body parts come back, but Jake going right back to the hand. Jake The Snake wanted to choke Steamboat and this was his flaw when he deviated from his game plan. It led to Steamboat snapping Roberts' throat over the top rope. I liked the symmetry there. Steamboat basically fought back with one hand in a really thrilling comeback where he hurled Roberts into the barricade and table. I am really liking violent Ricky The Dragon. I really liked the Snake's selling. Steamboat continued his barrage even hitting his big karate flying chop. I did think the finish was a misstep. Roberts sent The Dragon into the ref and then got two visual pins on the Dragon, short arm clothesline and then gutbuster before Roberts frustrated with no ref was rolled up for the loss. I feel like the finish does no one any favors. If the plan was to advance Jake The Snake up a rung to face, Hogan, which I think he earned with these great performances then just let him win, don't make slip on the banana peel and even a loss would not kill him. How does that help Steamboat who is trying to gain revenge and all he gets is a roll up. On top of that, Jake still gets to plant him with a DDT. This was a very protected finish for Jake The Snake. I usually don't let booking cloud my judgment of a match, but even just on face value, it is a very unsatisfying finish. Really badass and unique stuff in this match and up until the finish an absolute classic.
I could have sworn I had seen this before, but there is no way because I would never forget such a badass match. Honestly, this could be the best Hogan match of his career and this is going to sound weird but I think this is the greatest Harley Race match I have ever seen. I have seen a lot of "Texas Death" matches in WWF and besides the Patera '80 one they aren't really all that violent and awesome. This was violent and this was awesome. Hogan tears into Harley. Lots of brawling around the ring. This would feel more comfortable in Memphis or Greensboro. Hogan just ramming Harley's hard head into hard object. He HORSE COLLARS him with a chair on point. Loved the transitions in this as he is bringing him back into the ring, Harley's old trick knee flares up and just whacks him in the balls. Not even the Immortal Hulk Hogan is invulnerable to that. Harley is great with the piledriver and the suplexes and those great headbutts. He takes some great bumps in this. His trademark one out the corner hooking the ropes looked totally out of control. Hogan sees red but wants the Brain and Harley uses this take control ramming a metal chair into the throat of Hogan. This is gnarly. But he misses the headbutt and eats concrete. Great spot. They are fighting up the rampway and PILEDRIVER ON THE FLOOR! Harley looks like he has this won. Heenan gives him the Championship Belt first he holds it high before using it as a weapon. Classic! The spot could have been executed better, but loved the intention. Harley comes off the top rope looking to end the interminable reign of Hogan with a flying headbutt but eats the Gold! (the belt was not in perfect position I think Hogan could have moved it to make it look like he did it, small quibble). Hogan does his best Chief Jay impersonation with the belt and then smashes Harley in the face and the covers while holding the belt high. Badass! Simply badass!
Unless I am forgetting some Rockers match, this is definitely my pick for best match in SNME history (Rockers/Busters match is close). Make no mistake about it, this is the Randy Savage show and one of the few times in his whole WWF career where Bret takes a backseat to someone in a match. As much as we can debate whether this is Bret's coming out party, this is definitively Savage's coming out party as the number two babyface in the company. Thus it is only logical that Savage is the star of the match, but that being said, there are very few heels at this point in time in the promotion that could have delivered the same performance as Bret did in this match. I think that is really when a match transcends into something special is when both wrestlers are crucial to the success of the match in such a way no other wrestler could take their place. To state in the converse fashion, neither wrestler feels like a generic, warm body to partake in the routine of someone else's match.
Savage is not a fan of extended segmenting in his matches especially he likes short babyface shines when he is a babyface. What I like about this is that adds a sense of struggle in a way that most WWF matches lack. Bret is almost getting in "heel hope spots" during the shine just to spice things up. They establish Macho Man will have plenty of extracurriculars to concern himself early especially how the Honky Tonk Man and the Harts treated Elizabeth on the last SNME. This is also the first instance of the rather proliferate Bret bump off the apron onto the guardrail that I have noticed.
One thing I love in my wrestling is urgency. Has there ever been a more urgent North American wrestler than Savage? I loved how he kicked Bret on the telegraphed back drop. He seemed so out of control. Savage crashes and burns on his double axe-handle to the guardrail. Bret delivers a piledriver that would make Bob Backlund proud before ramming his shoulder back into his post. Savage does a mini-control segment before being back dropped over the top rope and onto the floor. That was a crazy high bump. Thus begins Savage's Emmy campaign. If you have force me, I would say I prefer Savage' knee selling over Toshiaki Kawada's by a hair. Savage is just so excellent on fighting on one leg. Elizabeth helping Savage take off his boot is such a nice touch. Bret is in his element working over the leg and does a fantastic job. I don't think there was anyone on the WWF roster that could have pulled that role off and I don't think anyone could have sold as well as Savage. It was just a perfect confluence. They work this to such a fever pitch that crowd pops huge for Savage's desperation inside cradle off a bodyslam attempt to win.
An excellent match that illustrates how the WWF style had the potential to deliver powerful stories even if they didn't always. I loved this match and I think it is a harbinger of Bret's future and a testament to what Savage could be as a babyface. Perfect TV match.
This match sure lived up to the hype and may be the best Beefcake performance I have ever seen. This match was all about tempo. Santana was in his red-hot feud with Valentine who had broken his leg and taken his title. The crowd was molten for that angle. The babyfaces worked their entire end in an up-tempo, fired -up fashion. The Dream Team knowing they could not match this attempted every trick in the book to break their momentum and work a real grinding style. This led to a really good match.
Early on Steamboat and Santana have a hot shine sequence with Beefcake and Valentine just bumping all over the place for them. I have been down on WWF Steamboat, but he was pumped for this match just flying around the ring. You know that Tito is going to bring the hate with his fists balled up. Beefcake and Valentine do their best to stall and break this momentum, but at first there seems like no end to this onslaught. Until, Tito goes for the figure-4 on Valentine, who grabs his trunks and hits a knee in the midsection. Once he hits a shoulderbreaker he consolidates the advantage for the Dream Team and grinds the match to a halt. They work on Santana with some double teams and Valentine slaps on an arm bar. Tito is almost able to make the tag, but Valentine knocks Steamboat off the apron and then Beefcake comes around and beats on Steamboat. The crowd was just eating this all up. The Beefer gets cocky and goads Steamboat. Tito is able to crawl past Beefcake and get the hot tag to Steamboat. IT IS BREAKING LOOSE IN TORONTO! Steamboat with his best hot tag I have seen. He unloads on both the Hammer and the Beefer with karate shots. The crowd was losing their shit for this. Steamboat grabs the sleeper hold, but Beefcake with an eye-rake. Valentine and Steamboat have a good exchange until an eye-rake does Steamboat in and Valentine consolidates with a gut buster. I preferred the Steamboat FIP is a better at selling and the Dream Team really unloaded with double teams and offense. Valentine starts to warm him up for the figure-4, but Steamboat knows his way around the figure-4 and grabs an inside cradle. Steamboat fights out of the corner and is able to Tito. ARRIBA! Double noggin knocker. Tito drops Valentine with a right. Flying Burrito to a huge pop! Beefcake saves. Melee ensues. They are double teaming Tito and Steamboat flies off the top onto Beefcake. Tito blocks Valentine's atomic drop and applies the figure-4 for the submission victory. ARRIBA! Wooooooooooooo, I am out of breathe after that one.
This is babyface wrestling 101, folks. Steamboat and Santana gave maximum effort and I bet it is real easy when you have a crowd as hot as this one at the Maple Leaf Gardens. The Dream Team wrestled a smart match to ensure constant heat throughout the match as they built not one, but two really hot tags. In some of those double FIP AWA tags, the first hot tag is not all that hot, but in this match that Steamboat hot tag is just as red-hot as the following Santana one. Beefcake actually wrestled pretty well here and was not as awkward as usual. The Hammer is going to clog the lane every time and make sure that babyface earns every shot.
Holy shit! Hart Foundation & British Bulldogs eat your hearts out, this is how you do a workrate match in the 1980s. You expect the MSG crowd to shit all over this, but they come out so blazing hot that all four women are immediately over with the Garden. I know watched this for Tag Teams Back Again, but this match blew me away all over again. It was the perfect combination of workrate and babyface/heel dynamics. I have no clue which Japanese girl is which and in fairness I have a hard time keeping track of the Glamour Girls. I just know Judy Martin as the woman with the Kick of Fear! The babyface shine is so amazing and in 1987 it was downright revolutionary. This is my point that it is not about the moves, it is about the energy and emotion. The moves the Jumping Bomb Angels used here would be passe now, but what makes this timeless is the energy and excitement with which they are hit. Those flying high knees and crossbodys are hit with such vigor that you are pumping your fist with all these New Yorkers. New York loses its shit for the top rope kneedrop and then top rope lucha armdrag. It was exhilarating. The Glamour Girls were great at stooging and acting discombobulated with all the powdering. They were also good at attacking first and forcing the Jumping Bomb Angels to overcome their offense. The transition to heat was great with one of the Jumping Bomb Angels missing a HUGE Top Rope Senton. The Glamour Girls were the perfect heels once they got control they stuck with hair pulling and choking. This heat segment had all the trappings of a great tag team match. Man, New York lost its shit on the false hot tag. They were pissed. They got even louder when one Jumping Bomb Angel saved the other from the Scorpion Deathlock. The ref held her back and that Angel was just going off on the ref. The crowd was molten hot! I love how into the match the Japanese girls were they. They really sold their emotional investment. Lots of good hope spots that kept you believing. I liked the ankle pick and all the roll ups. The best were the bridges out of the pins it really put over the strength and athleticism of the Jumping Bomb Angels. The Glamour Girls go for a JBA Sammich but the Japanese girl ducks and The Glamour Girls collides. HOT TAG! OH SHIT! Its on! I loved the stereo bridges out of the pin attempts and then throwing the Glamour Girls together. DOUBLE MISSILE DROPKICK! MSG LOST THEIR FUCKING MINDS! I AM RIGHT THERE WITH THEM! JBA COUNTS WITH HER OWN HAND! 1-2-3! IT DOESNT COUNT! 1-2-JUDY MARTIN BREAKS IT UP AND POWERBOMB! POWER-FUCKING-BOMB! 1-2-3 for the Glamour Girls! WOW!
There is some sloppiness in the JBA's offense and the rollup constantly being the hope spot got a little old, but still HOLY SHIT WOW! The energy level was great, I loved the heat segment and that finish run is one of the best all time. This is a pretty famous match, but if you have not watched it, you got to do it. It is definitely one of the 100 best WWF matches of all time.
No comments:
Post a Comment