Wrestlemania

[Guest AWCUK]

Wrestlemania

Preview

In 1985, Vince McMahon’s vision of a sports entertainment event of the century would revolutionize wrestling, became the reality of the first Wrestlemania in New York City’s Madison Square Garden. The festive event featured celebrities from both the film and sports worlds, including Liberace, New York Yankees manager Billy Martin and rocker Cyndi Lauper. That night legendary Hall of Famer late Andre the Giant took on Big John Studd for $15,000 and pride in a bodyslam challenge. In the main event, television and movie star Mr. T and Hulk Hogan battled Rowdy Roddy Piper and “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff!

 

Live from New York, New York

March 31, 1985.

Your hosts are Jesse “The Body” Ventura and Gorilla Monsoon

We start with an introduction from Vincent Kennedy McMahon, who runs down the card, with the aid of the futuristic picture with no background The WWE production values where definitely in the toilet until Main Event came along.

Gene Okerlund sings the national anthem, being British it does not float my boat, but I think that even Stephanie could sing better than him.

Opening match: Tito Santana v. The Executioner.

The Executioner is Buddy Rose in a mask and making the generic heel gestures. Apparently, he’s undefeated in the company. Headlock by the Executioner, with Santana sending him into the ropes, whilst starting a criss-cross, Tito drops down, backdrops him and dropkicks the Executioner to the outside. They lock-up and Tito gains the advantage with a side-headlock, which he holds while sling-shotting off the top rope to take him down, getting a 2 count. Tito continues with the headlock until kicks to the left knee cause him to release the hold. Tito with punches to the head and throws the Executioner’s head into the canvas. The Executioner retreats to the corner and changes the momentum as he catches Tito with a kick to the stomach, Tito runs off the ropes but is caught with a knee to the mid-section. The Executioner works the leg with a step over toehold, which is due to the fact that Greg Valentine injured the leg in 1984, Tito kicks of the hold. Executioner still attempts to attack the knee until Tito fends him off with shots. Tito has him reeling with punches and goes for a piledriver, but it is reversed with a back body drop. Executioner with a scoop slam and climbs the top rope, but he is stroke with Flair syndrome and is slammed from the top. Santana with a bodysplash, which is countered with, raised knees. Executioner puts Santana leg on the rope, but Tito sends Executioner flying out of the ring. Tito places Executioner back in the ring with a body slam and nails with a flying forearm (the Flying Jalapeno), which knocks him out, but Tito locks in the Figure Four Leglock for the submission.

Time: 4:48

Heat: 5/10

Storyline: 6/10

Wrestling: 6/10

Average: 6/10

 

SD Jones v. King Kong Bundy (w/ Jimmy Hart).

When the bell rings, SD Jones runs off the ropes to try and attack Bundy, but is caught in a bear hug and is rammed hard into the corner, Bundy then avalanches him in the corner and splashing him for the finish (drawing ooo’s from the crowd which never happens nowadays for a splash). The time on my watch is 23 seconds but the WWE’ watch must have magically stopped at 9 seconds.

Time: 0: 23

Heat: 7/10

Storyline: 7/10

Wrestling: 1/10

Average: 5/10

 

Matt Borne v. Ricky Steamboat.

Borne is the original Doink The Clown, which seems weird when you look at him here with long bleach blonde hair and black beard. This is one of Steamboats first matches in the WWE after coming from the NWA and has mainly being tagging with Jimmy Snuka as the South Pacific Connection, giving him some residual heat. Borne locks up with Steamboat in a collar and elbow tie-up, whilst Jesse says that Borne is a second-generation wrestler as his father is ‘Tough’ Tony Borne. They criss-cross in the ropes and Steamboat leapfrogs Borne twice and attempts a chop, but Borne hangs onto the ropes. Borne then charges Steamboat who meets him with a chop. Steamboat snapmares Borne into a chinlock, which Borne fights out of. Steamboat with a headlock that he synchs on tight, Borne attempts a backdrop suplex, but Steamboats flips out and re-applies the headlock, where again Borne tries a backdrop suplex but Steamboat flips out and gives Borne a delayed atomic drop, which makes Borne do into Lanny Poffo oversell, whilst Steamboat works the neck again by re-applying the headlock. This time Borne counters with a stiff inverted atomic drop and a knee lift to the face, then forearms him into the corner. Borne whips Steamboat into the opposing corner and charges, but Steamboat counters with a headscissors, and a kick to the head, allowing him to nail a karate chop from the second rope and Steamboat chops him again to the mat. Steamboat continues the punishment to the neck and throat with the headlock again, which evolves into a front-face lock, but borne pushes him into the corner and feigns a clean break, but gives him 2 knees to the gut and a Steiner (sloppy) belly to belly suplex and a snap suplex for a 1 as he didn’t hook the leg. Both get off the canvas and its Steamboat’s chops against Borne’s forearms, Steamboat wins the exchange, knocking Borne to the canvas. Steamboat with a backdrop and a reverse neckbreaker, leading to a running karate chop to the neck and a knee drop in quick succession, giving a 2 count. Borne with an eye rake and Steamboat is whipped into the ropes, but nails Borne with a flying punch and ascend the turnbuckle to hit a flying bodypress for the victory

Time: 4:35

Heat: 5/10

Storyline: 7/10

Wrestling: 7/10

Average: 7/10

 

Brutus Beefcake (w/ Johnny V) v. David Sammartino (w/ Bruno Sammartino)

Bruno and thus David get a standing ovation from MSG, as Bruno was and is a MSG and WWE legend, who had recently retired. Brutus and Johnny apparently psych David out as they stall. David and Brutus lock up in a collar and elbow tie-up, when Brutus over powers David and throws him into the corner. Brutus gives him a break, but as David tries to lock up again, Brutus struts away. David with another lock-up, and pushes Brutus into the corner, he charges out, but is taken down by a drop-toe hold. Another lock-up leads to David gaining a back lock-up, which is reversed and Brutus with an amateur takedown to the mat, David fakes out of the hold, leading to Brutus bailing to the outside for a breather. Another lock-up gives David a hammerlock, when he trips the leg and takes a front face lock, with him rubbing Brutus’ face into the mat until Brutus finds the ropes, and on the break argues with the referee for absolutely no reason. They lock-up again and David finds an arm-ringer that is broken with a rake to the eyes and a slam by Beefcake. But David holds onto the armbar and delivers a knee to the exposed bicep. A tie-up and a headlock by Beefcake, which is taken down to the mat, David fights out and whips Brutus into the ropes, but Brutus with a shoulder knock down. Brutus continues to run the ropes, David tries a hip-toss that is reversed by Brutus into one of his own, but David flicks out his legs into Brutus’ face. David with a drop toehold and into a double toehold (or Haas of Pain). David changes the move to an ankle twist, but Brutus kicks out of it. But David with a leg trip and back to the ankle twist and evolutes into a spinning toehold, then to basic knee to the leg, this is broken up with Brutus raking the metal on his glove in David’s eyes, Brutus with forearms and then a back body drop. Brutus with elbows to the head and a bodyslam, Brutus with the ‘heavy artillery’ forearms to the chest and jaw. Brutus continues to pound on the back and this leads to a nasty elbow in the corner, Brutus whipping him in the corner and continues to beat David down with elbows, chokes and knees to the gut. Brutus with a whip to the corner, which is reversed by David, whip hits him with a back body drop. Brutus back in control with shots to the head, but David rallies back with punches to the stomach, and turns the tide with an European uppercut and a vicious knee to the head. David struggles to get him up for a vertical suplex, but it gets 2. Brutus headbutts him in the solar plexus and throws him through the middle rope. This gives Johnny V an opportunity to bodyslam David on the concrete floor, causing Bruno to attack Johnny, throwing him in the ring and hammering way in the corner before Brutus attacks from behind. Then David enters the ring nailing Beefcake, the 4 now brawl and the Sammartinos clear the ring of the heels, whilst the referee throws out the match as a double disqualification.

Time: 11: 40

Heat: 8/10

Storyline: 3/10

Wrestling: 6/10

Average: 6/10

 

INTERMISSION:

COMING SOON

WRESTLEMANIA 2 - 3 CITIES, 2 GOOD MATCHES, 1 RANT WRESTLEMANIA 3 – THE BEST THING OUT OF DETROIT SINCE DIESEL

 

Intercontinental title: Greg Valentine (w/ Jimmy Hart) v. Junkyard Dog.

JYD tries to intimate Valentine by faking punching him, but ‘schuking’ and jiving. JYD starts off with a tie-up, followed by an arm ringer, whilst continually adding the leverage by twisting the arm. JYP continues to punch and headbutt the exposed arm, Valentine fights out of the hold and whips JYD into the ropes trying a big boot. The foot is caught by JYD who spins him around and knocks him down with a big right hand, Valentine retreats to the corner and JYD motions for him to come on and fight, but Valentine takes his time, a lock up which Greg turns into a knee to the gut and a knockdown shot to the back of the head. Valentine with a telegraphed forearm misses and JYD barks in his face, until Valentine rolls out of dodge. A test of strength takes place with Valentine reversing the grip into an arm ringer, tying up his hands giving Greg 2 free shots to the head, knocking JYD to the mat. Elbow to the knee, a knee strain, kicks to the hamstring and a leg lock soften the leg of JYD, stomps to the knee hinder The Dogs movement, The Hammer continues to stretch out the groin and attempts a figure four leglock, but JYD pushes him off. JYD gets to his feet, they exchange blows and JYD wins that, as begins to headbutt Valentine but holds onto the hair so he goes nowhere, and finally headbutts him to the ground. Jimmy Hart gets on the apron taking exception to the holding of the hair, JYD grabs a hold of Hart, but moves just when Valentine attacks, knocking the two together sending Hart crashing headfirst to the floor. The crowd erupts sensing the end; JYD continues the punishment, pounding The Hammer with punches and headbutts, sending him into the corner, before he rakes the eyes of The Dog. This causes JYD to lose his bearing, allowing Valentine to take down his legs and roll him up in the Flair pin for the win.

However as Hart and Valentine celebrate the victory, Tito Santana comes to ringside and tells the ref what happened at the end of the match, causing the referee to restart the match, this causes Valentine to be counted out, giving JYD the victory but not the belt, Greg tries to re-enter the ring, but Hart restrains him from doing so.

Time: 6:00

Heat: 7/10

Storyline: 7/10

Wrestling: 6/10

Average: 7/10

 

WWF Tag team title: Barry Windham & Mike Rotundo (w/ Lou Albano) v. Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff (w/ Classy Freddie Blassie)

If this were happening today, it would be like Kane and RVD facing La Resistance for the Tag Team Championship (and now you know the ending). Volkoff sings the Soviet National Anthem (that gimmick would never work today) and the fans throw rubbish into the ring to show their adoration for the USSR. The commentators say that both foreigners competed for their countries at the Olympic games, but fail to mention that Sheik actually trained the US wrestling team at the 1976 games. Rotundo and the Iron Sheik begin the bout, they lock up and Sheik gets a headlock, which he synchs in tight, Rotundo breaks it by pushing Sheik into the ropes, but he comes back with a shoulder block. They continue running the ropes, as Rotundo out-thinks Sheik and gives him a hiptoss, dropkick and delayed bodyslam. Whilst staggering from those shots, Windham nails The Sheik as he wondered into the wrong corner. Rotundo with a headlock takedown, which The Sheik cradles with the tights for 2, back to the headlock, when Rotundo tags in Windham, who delvers a top rope elbow to the back of The Sheik’s neck after being exposed in the headlock. Windham with a legdrop to the stomach and a headlock. His headlock gets moved into team evil foreigners corner, where Nikolai holds Windham breaking the headlock, but The Sheik attempts a dropkick when Windham moves, making him nail Nikolai by mistake. But the US Express fail to capitalise on the advantage as Windham backs off and The Sheik tags in Volkoff, whilst Barry tags in Rotundo. Rotundo and Nikolai feel each other out, and Rotundo whips Nikolai into the ropes and nails him with a standing elbow and then an elbowdrop, gaining a 1 count. Rotundo then rings the arm, when he tags Windham into the match, who hits a tope rope double axehandle onto the shoulder, and continues ringing Nikolai’s arm. Windham then tags Rotundo back in and he nails a top rope double axehandle on the shoulder of Volkoff. Rotundo holds an arm bar until Volkoff pulls the hair causing a release, allowing Nikolai to club the chest of Rotundo; he then throws Rotundo into the pointed ends of The Sheiks boots. Sheik tags in and whips in Rotundo, who takes a back body drop and an elbow drop for 2. A gutwrench suplex then follows for 2, he then tries a suplex, but its reversed into suplex by Rotundo. Nikolai tags in and stomps down Rotundo and hits a stungun on him, following that up with a hammerlock but this reversed by Rotundo into his version of a hammerlock, Volkoff powers out and sends Rotundo into the ropes, who sunset flips Nikolai for 2. Nikolai kicks him down and whips him into the ropes and nails a knee to the gut, before returning to nail Rotundo’s head with big boots. He takes him over to his teams corner and hits him off The Sheiks boots before making the tag, Sheik nails him with a boot and locks in abdominal stretch to put pressure on the stomach of Rotundo, Rotundo comes back with a hiptoss to break the hold, Rotundo goes for an elbow but misses, both men crawl to their respective corner, Volkoff gets the tag and so does Windham, he nails Volkoff repeatedly, whips him into the ropes and he meets him with a big dropkick. Windham keeps on him hitting with all he has, Nickolai backs off into the corner, but Windham nails his patented running bulldog, the cover 1, 2, The Sheik breaks up the pin with a shot to the head. Rotundo comes into the ring to take care of The Sheik; he dropkicks him out of the ring. The US Express has Nickolai in the middle of the ring, as Windham keeps hitting Volkoff with his punches, he signals