THE WRESTLING CLASSIC
What's that you say, what exactly is Wrestling Classic? Believe it or not this was the first ever pay-per-view released by the World Wrestling Federation. Since Wrestlemania 2 was months away Vince decided to put together a wrestling tournement not unlike the King of The Ring house shows that were taking place in Massachusettes/Rhode Island. The only difference was pay per views had a time window whereas house shows could go all night. This tournement would be the first and last of its kind, although it gave the basic premise for the Wrestlemania 4 title tournement and later on moving King of the Ring to pay per view. We open the tape with the mid 1980's intro with the trumpets and trombones, heh, always brings back memories. Vince shills the action then sends us over to Alfred Hays and some woman named Susan to check out the brackets. Most are face vs heel but the two matches that aren't are a face encounter between Ricky Steamboat and Davey Boy Smith and a heel encounter between Moondog Spot and Terry Funk. The main event would be a one on one encounter between "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and WWF Champion Hulk Hogan....the war that didn't settle the score.
NOVEMBER 7, 1985
ROSEMONT HORIZON
CHICAGO, IL
Commentators: Gorilla Monsoon and Jesse "The Body" Ventura
Apparently we get some highlights before we get started of who faces who and what not. The competitors draw names out of an actual fishbowl....weird. Ricky Steamboat draws Davey Boy Smith of the British Bulldogs and acts surprised even though he clearly knew. Miss Elizabeth draws Ivan Putski as Randy Savage's opponent and Macho Man yells at her. Mr Fuji draws Tito Santana on behalf of Magnificent Muraco and laughs....FINALLY lets go to ringside to get the night started.
First Round Match 1
Corporal Kirchner vs Adrian Adonis (with Jimmy Hart)
28 year old Corporal Kirchner was brought in the WWF to be the face militant of the company since Sgt Slaughter bolted for the AWA, which was in the middle of their last boom period. 31 year old Adrian Adonis had begun to pile on weight even though he still could bump and sell like he did 100 lbs ago, which led to his infamous Adorable gimmick. Kirchner had a reputation of being a very stiff worker inside the ring and Adonis is no slouch either so lets see how this turns out. First round matches have a 10 minute time limit so these 8 matches should breeze by.....hey wait, I just noticed there are no turnbuckle pads on the turnbuckles, what the hell? Anyway, they lock up as Gorilla mentions the tag team title reign of Ventura and Adonis, then Adrian wrestles Kirchner into the corner. Kirchner arm drags Adonis twice before applying a standard headlock, which is countered into a back suplex. Adrian goes on offense with left elbows and a snap mare then drives an elbow into the chest area. Adrian applies a rest hold before Kirchner powers out of it in the corner. Kirchner goes for a suplex but Adonis counters it into a double arm DDT, innovative for the time period. Adrian covers for 1....2....3 and that's it, Adonis advances to the second round. Short and sweet, damn that DDT was ahead of its time.
Time of Match: 2:37
Winners: Adrian Adonis by pinfall
There is no segment, on to the next match.
First Round Match 2
"British Bulldog" Dynamite Kid vs Nikolai Volkoff
Dynamite looks ready to roll in singles action but before the match starts, Nikolai demands the mic in order to sing the Soviet National anthem. Nikolai belts out the tune as Dynamite Kid has enough by the end and goes upstairs. The bell rings when Volkoff is done and Dynamite comes off the top with a dropkick then covers for 1....2...3 holy crap that was fast. Nikolai still had his shirt on and his hat in his hand while being pinned, guess Dynamite needed to save his strength for the next round. 8 seconds is all it took.....can't really rate a match that short but it was entertaining to see Volkoff get nailed just like that.
Time of match: 8 seconds
Winner: Dynamite Kid by pinfall
There is no segment, on to the next match
First Round Match 3
"Polish Power" Ivan Putski vs "Macho Man" Randy Savage (with Miss Elizabeth)
Talk about a passing of the torch match. 44 year old Putski's career was winding down while 33 year old Savage had just begun in the WWF. Savage enters to Pomp and Circumstance being the first wrestler to enter to music all night as Jesse makes fun of his former rival Putski. The bell rings and Putski chases Savage out of the ring before he gets back in. Savage goes for a quick full nelson but Putski counters and spits his in his face as Ventura scoffs. Savage bails to the outside and moves Elizabeth around for no reason then climbs back in the ring. Savage locks up with a side headlock but runs into a shoulderblock. Putski poses to the crowd's delight as Savage throws him into the corner...cept Putski counters by ramming Randy headfirst into the turnbuckle tape. Savage rakes the eyes then goes on offense but Putski counters with a headlock/punch combo. Ivan hammers away with big right hands and whips him into the corner where he continues to fire away. All of a sudden Savage scoops the leg and puts his feet on the ropes for 1....2....3 and Savage wins it. Putski and Gorilla scoff as Ventura says "He outsmarted em Gorilla!"
Time of match: 2:46
Winner: Randy Savage by pinfall
There is no segment, moving right along to the next match
First Round Match 4
Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat vs "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith
Now this is a little more like it. The first 3 matches have all been mismatches talent wise so lets see if this can be salvaged. They shake hands to show good sportsmanship before locking up as Ventura says there could be a heel turn in the works. Its funny because Steamboat in his entire 20 plus years in the business NEVER worked heel while Davey Boy wouldn't turn heel for another 10 YEARS. They go through standard go-behinds before Davey hiplocks Steamboat to the ground. Davey Boy back drops Ricky in a pinfall position for 1....2...nope, Dragon bridges out of it and turns it into a backslide for 1...nah. Steamboat runs off the ropes into a overhead press slam. Davey covers for a near fall then applies a front headlock as Ventura says Stemboat's giving up a lot of strength to Bulldog. Davey hits another overhead press slam for another 2 count as Monsoon scoffs at Davey for not hooking the leg. Davey goes for a suplex but Steamboat counters with a delayed suplex of his own.....Davey Boy's trademark. Ricky goes for a splash but Bulldog gets the knees up to counter. Davey Boy executes two standing dropkicks which send Steamboat into the ropes. Bulldog goes for a third dropkick but Ricky moves out of the way and Davey Boy crotches himself on the top rope. The ref runs over, checks on Davey and calls for the bell......what the hell? Steamboat also goes and checks on Davey Boy as the ref awards the match to Dragon.....first and last time I've ever seen a match end this way. Cheap ending but it was a good match for a 3 minute crash style.
Time of match: 2:54
Winner: Ricky Steamboat by stoppage
There is no segment, on to the next match
First Round Match 5
Junkyard Dog vs The Iron Sheik
Sheik is wearing his standard wrestling trunks rather than those plaid groin-covers he wore at Wrestlemania....and he immediately attacks JYD with his ring robe while still wearing his turban. Sheik continues to fire away on JYD and eventually strangles him with the turban. Sheik gives the arm and the elbow to the fans, allowing JYD to recover. Dog no-sells a few blows before going to town with right hands and a headbutt. Sheik bows to JYD but he'll have none of that so he headbutts him again. Sheik bails to regroup then gets back in the ring before applying a full nelson. JYD powers out of it and hits a very sloppy looking clothesline then covers for 1...2..nope. JYD snap mares Sheik and goes for the falling headbutt but Sheik rolls out of the way. Sheik calls for the Camel Clutch and applies it, Monsoon says its over but the Dog manages to stay on his knees, where eventually Sheik lets go. Sheik doesn't know what to do next so he fires away in the corner, the ref steps in so Sheik shoves him out of the way. Both Monsoon and Ventura say that's a bad idea to push referees and Sheik does it again, then right on cute JYD hits a big headbutt and covers for 1....2...3 and this turd is finally over. JYD sure is loved by the fans and Sheik has a great amateur background but they don't mesh well at all, maybe it was the time limit but either way it sucked...next.
Time of match: 3:27
Winner: Junkyard Dog by pinfall
There is no segment, on to the next match
First Round Match 6
Terry Funk (with Jimmy Hart) vs Moondog Spot
Terry Funk in a WWF ring? Talk about a welcome rarity, and he's bringing Moondog Spot with him! The Moondogs were basically American versions of the Wild Samoans in terms of crazed lunatics. They had their run in the early 80's but were old news by this point. Funk gets on the mic and says he doesn't want to wrestle Spot while Spot says he doesn't want to wrestle Terry. Funk says they should both leave and have a draw so Spot complies. They make their way to the back when Funk doublecrosses Spot and runs to the ring. Spot catches him in time and pulls Terry off the apron. Spot charges and Funk backdrops him into the ring where the ref completes the count.......oh my god. Terry Funk, the hardcore legend former NWA and eventual ECW Heavyweight champion....jobbed to Moondog Spot. I think I'm gonna hurl, Funk is irate and he beats up Spot after the bell. I wonder what WWF fans in 1985 thought when they saw Spot being put over instead of Terry Funk, because in 2008 it looks really stupid.
Time of match: 31 seconds
Winner: Moondog Spot by count out
There is no segment, on to the next match
First Round Match 7
WWF Intercontinental Champion Tito Santana vs The Magnificent Muraco (with Mr Fuji)
After the last two steaming piles, maybe this one will be good with both workers in their prime. Tito is the current IC champ but his title is not on the line, only a spot in the next round. Muraco pushes the action with his superior muscle strength to start. Muraco beats on Santana as Ventura questions why Santana is even in the tournement because if he gets hurt, he'll have to forfeit the title. Muraco is a former champ himself and he continues to control the match with right hands until Santana executes a flying bodypress out of nowhere for 1...2..nope. Muraco comes back with right hands but Santana applies a sunset flip for another 2 count. Muraco appears to be attempting a Stone Cold Stunner but Tito counters with a backslide for another near fall. Santana whips Muraco in the corner and he Flair Flips back into the ring. Santana works over the arm and applies an armringer for a bit. Muraco counters by bodyslamming Tito throat first on the top rope then working him over with knee drops. Muraco clotheslines Santana, drops an elbow then drops a knee before the cover gets a 2 count. Muraco continues to fire away with forearms then hits a powerslam. Muraco goes to hook the leg but doesn't and instead covers just the shoulders for 1...2...3 and that's it. No wait, apparently Santana got the leg on the ropes and the referee notices thus negating the pinfall, way to give away the finish Muraco! Santana pounces and delivers a small package on Muraco for 1..2.....3 and there's your real winner. Ventura doesn't have a clue to what's going on and Monsoon has to point out that Santana's foot was on the rope. That was a good 4 minutes although I agree with The Body that it was a cheap ending.
Time of match: 4:19
Winner: Tito Santana by pinfall
We go to Mean Gene who's with Bobby Heenan and the gist of this is that since none of his men such as King Kong Bundy are in the tournement, he's put a 50,000 dollar bounty on the head of Paul Orndorff. He is quite sure someone will collect it, hmmmmm didn't Harley Race do the same bit 2 years earlier against Ric Flair?
First Round Match 8
"Mr Wonderful" Paul Orndorff vs "Cowboy" Bob Orton
The first high profile match of the night as these 2 used to be part of Piper's crew until the Hot Rod and Orton left Orndorff for dead at Wrestlemania. Orndorff and Orton chain wrestle to start as Paul goes for the injured arm of Orton. Paul executes an atomic drop which sends Orton shoulder first into the ringpost. Orndorff continues to attack the injured arm covered by the infamous cast until Orton catches him with a headlock takeover. Orndorff headscissors out of it then arm drags Orton before continuing to work over the left arm with a leglock snapback.....impressive. Orton begs off in the corner but Orndorff has none of it but the charge eats knee. Orton drops a few knees and hot shots Paul off the top rope, then continues to stomp away. Orton resorts to a punch kick offense until Orndorff attempts a sunset flip....which Orton counters with more punches. Orndorff eventually hooks the tights to get the flip for a near fall, then Orton goes to the rest hold. Bob applies a head scissors and after a while Orndorff flips over, but Orton bridges then turns it into a backslide for 1....2...nope. Orton goes for a flying head scissors but Orndorff moves causing Bob to crotch himself on the top rope. Why did Bulldog get the shaft and not Cowboy Bob? Orndorff gets his second wind and takes over with right hands before catching Orton with a back elbow smash. Paul rams Orton's head into the mat then punches Bob over the top rope to the floor. Back inside Orton re-adjusts the cast on his arm and waffles Orndorff with it right in front of referee Dave Hebner. Hebner calls for the bell as Orndorff wins it by DQ and advances to the next round. Guess Heenan's 50 grand will have to go to someone else because Orton has failed.
Time of match: 6:30
Winner: Paul Orndorff by DQ
We go back to Vince and Alfred who go over the second round brackets. Adrian Adonis will take on Dynamite Kid which should be awesome. Randy Savage vs Ricky Steamboat.....no need to tell you that's gonna rule because you already know. Moondog Spot vs Junkyard Dog...ugh. Last is a face vs face encounter between Tito Santana and Paul Orndorff which also should be good....the next round has a 15 minute time limit so the matches should...keyword SHOULD be long and exciting to watch. Lets go back to ringside
Quarterfinal Match 1 (Match 9 overall)
Adrian Adonis (with Jimmy Hart) vs Dynamite Kid
Now here's a match I'd never thought I'd see, but I won't complain. They lock up and Dynamite runs into a shoulderblock before arm dragging Adrian twice in about 3 seconds, damn he's quick. Adrian retreats to the outside and regroups with Jimmy before getting back in. Adrian goes to work on offense with shots and an elbow to the dome then slingshots him into the corner. Jesse figures out the next match is Savage and Steamboat so he bails to go talk to Savage....wtf is that about? Monsoon's left all alone meanwhile Adrian covers for only a 1, for a second I thought Ventura was going to interfere on his former partner's behalf but instead he actually does leave the ringside area. Adrian catches Dynamite with a suplex then covers for another 1 count then applies a rest hold as Monsoon says how Ventura was supposed to be a future tag team partner of the Macho Man.....good thing that never happened. Dynamite eventually powers out of it with a back suplex but misses the headbutt attempt. Adonis works over the left leg and applies...the sharpshooter? Wow, the sharpshooter in 1985 no less, Bret was still in Stampede while Sting was a Bladerunner out in Memphis, props to Adonis. Dynamite makes it to the rope so Adonis lets go then throws him into the corner then charges into a beautiful sunset flip by Dynamite for 1....2..nope, Adonis kicks out in time. Adonis goes back to work on the left leg then goes for a bulldog but instead is thrown shoulder first into the ringpost by Kid. Dynamite drops a knee then clotheslines him down, then runs up the ropes (10 years before Rob Van Dam and Sabu) and delivers a flying knee drop. Dynamite covers for 1....2..negative, Adonis gets the shoulder up. Dynamite delivers a snap suplex and another falling headbutt. Jimmy Hart hops on the apron distracting Dynamite long enough for Adrian to deliver a running roll up for 1...2. nope, Dynamite kicks out and Adonis runs right into Hart. Dynamite covers a fallen Adrian for 1....2...3 and Dynamite wins it. After the match Hart protests that his foot was on the rope, which the camera shows Adonis wearing boots with the New York Yankees logo on them, no wonder he lost haha. Adonis throws a temper tantrum in the ring as Monsoon goes to the replay, that was fun. That was a good match but it was too short, perfect crash style but this is NOT supposed to be crash style.
Time of match: 5:28
Winner: Dynamite Kid by pinfall
We go to Gene Okerlund who's with Jesse Ventura. Jesse says he's working with Savage and Elizabeth and preparing him for the rest of the tournement. I guess they wanted Ventura to become a future tag partner for Savage but with Jesse unable to work around his career ending injury and the fact Savage was way too good on his own, it never happened.
Quarterfinal Match 2 (Match 10 overall)
Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat vs "Macho Man" Randy Savage (with Miss Elizabeth)
Now we're really talking, even though they have a 15 minute time limit this should rock the house. Before the match Savage sticks a finger into Ricky's face who slaps it away then Savage runs and hides behind Elizabeth, heh what a heel. Stemboat turns his back so Savage attacks him from behind while still wearing his headband and cape. Steamboat slides under Savage and chops him through the ropes to the outside. Randy pulls Ricky out and brawls with him outside before they roll back in. Savage takes over on offense with right hands in the corner until Steamboat counters with a head scissors over the top rope to the floor. Steamboat chops Savage on the floor then atomic drops him to the concrete. Ricky throws him inside then hits his karate chop to the chest of a running Macho Man. Savage ducks under a second chop and delivers a back suplex as Ventura makes his way back to the commentating table. Savage goes upstairs but Ricky catches him in the gut with a right hand then delivers a knee lift. Steamboat unloads with a series of fists drops then suplexes Savage halfway across the ring. Steamboat goes upstairs and hits THE FLYING CROSSBODY for 1...2...thre...no wait, Savage kicked out at 2. Ventura is openly cheering for Savage and Steamboat chops and punches Savage to the ring apron. Savage reaches into his tights for a Foreign Object and when Steamboat goes for a back suplex, Savage nails Ricky with whatever he had. Savage covers for 1....2...THREE???? You gotta be kidding, that was WAY too short for 2 guys as talented as they were. It was going good too, damn.....should have been much longer. Monsoon says that Ventura gave Savage brass knuckles in the back as Ventura scoffs.
Time of match: an unacceptable 3:26
Winner: Randy Savage by pinfall
There is no segment, on to the next match.
Quarterfinal Match 3 (Match 11 overall)
Junkyard Dog vs Moondog Spot
The match starts and there's no referee, what the hell? Spot attacks JYD and knocks him down then goes up to the second rope but misses the splash attempt. Dog headbutts Spot a few times from the ground then delivers a real headbutt. Dog covers and looks around for the ref but there isn't one so he counts 1...2....3 himself. Dog angrily walks out of the ring and I guess its official but Monsoon says otherwise until Spot himself leaves so Monsoon says the judge at ringside made it official.....whatever. Ventura says "I've seen it all now Gorilla" yeah no kidding, that's pretty bizzare to not have a referee in a match. The first and last time I've ever seen that happen, I can't even rate the match it was so weird, you be the judge.
Time of match: 31 seconds
Winner: Junkyard Dog by pinfall
We go to Mean Gene who's with Heenan again, this time Heenan's downtrodden since Orndorff survived the first round. Mean Gene says that since Paul's facing the face Tito Santana that he won't be giving out 50 grand but Heenan says ya never know. Heenan then says that Piper will be the new champ since Hogan is "tired" from basically wrestling non stop as champion for the past 2 years.
Quarterfinal Match 4 (Match 12 overall)
"Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff vs Tito Santana
Here we got a face vs face encounter with two great technicians, maybe this match will approach the 15 minute mark. They shake hands to start then tie up as Jesse says Tito may turn on Orndorff....wouldn't it make sense for it to be the other way around? Tito goes for the side headlock as Jesse notices a bandage on Santana's thigh and speculates that Muraco may have done something to him. Santana continues to work on the headlock before Orndorff powers out of it only to be head scissored by the IC champ. Santana holds him there for an unusually long time as Ventura says that the REAL Paul Orndorff may show up, referring to the heel he portrayed for a year and a half. Orndorff flips over and the ref covers 1...2..nope, near fall. Orndorff chain wrestles into a hammerlock then chicken wings it to the ground, looks painful. Santana gets to his feet and reverses the hammerlock until Orndorff makes it to the ropes to break the hold. Ventura says its just a matter of time before Orndorff goes to his cheating ways as they tie up again then Santana clean breaks when they roll into the ropes. Tito applies another headlock but Orndorff delivers an atomic drop that injures Santana's thigh. Santana limps around as Paul looks to be concerned about Tito;s health until he applies a drop toe hold to the injured leg. Lot of mat wrestling so far, which is a welcome sight to some of the matches that went far too short, the crowd boos but I don't care. Santana goes for an elbow drop/leg lock combination before Santana gets to his feet. They tie up as Orndorff backs Santana to the ropes and delivers a forearm that knocks Santana out of the ring, guess Ventura's right about Orndorff's heel tactics shining through. They trade blows outside the ring as Santana throws Orndorff into the ringpost, but then the referee counts them both out....OH BULLSHIT, the match was just getting good. Not only are both men out of the tournement, but they ruined the story by having Orndorff turn with 10 seconds remaining in the match. Who booked this damn thing, George C Scott?
Time of match: 8:06
Winners: None (Double countout)
We go back to Hays and McMahon who go over the rest of the brackets. Savage will face Dynamite in the semi-finals while JYD has a bye all the way to the final match, well that's stupid. Why wouldn't Savage have the bye to set up a face longshot against rested heel finals? Oh well, we get Savage and Dynamite so I'm not complaining. Piper makes his way to the ring with a bagpipe band as we go over to Mean Gene for an interview with Hulk Hogan himself. Total count....Dude: 0, Brother: 3, Jack: 0, Man: 2, if you took the under then you win.
Match 13
"Rowdy" Roddy Piper vs Hulk Hogan for the WWF Heavyweight Championship
The big re-match from the war that didn't settle the score, Hogan and Piper one more time. Finkel says theres a one hour time limit..HAHAHAHAHA, none of the matches has reached 10 minutes so this ain't goin anywhere near an hour. Piper throws Hogan outside then Hulk pulls Piper out then throws him into the steel guardrail. Hogan chases Piper inside the ring where they exchange eye rakes, fists and knees....a sheer contrast to what we just saw between Santana/Orndorff. Hogan clothesline Piper in the corner as Roddy does a Vallentine Flop, then Hulk continues to fire away with rights and a back suplex. Hogan drops a series of elbows then Hulk returns to the punch kick offense in the corner. Piper answers with punches and kicks then climbs the second rope....then jumps into a bearhug. Piper gets the finger to the eye to get out of the bearhug then continues to punch away before covering for a one count. Piper sends Hogan off the ropes and catches him with his SLEEPER HOLD....champ's in big trouble, Hogan actually grabs the top rope but the ref doesn't make Roddy break the hold meaning either Hogan screwed up or the ref is blind, maybe both. Hogan fades as Ventura says we're gonna have a new champion then the ref lifts the arm..1.....2...noooooo, Hogan revives right on cue. He runs over to the ropes with Piper still on his back and they topple to the floor together. Hogan throws Piper into the ringpost then Hulks Up on the outside of the ring before chasing Roddy back inside. They trade blows in the center of the ring before Hogan delivers a sloppy big boot that doesn't even knock Roddy off his feet. Hogan executes an atomic drop then goes for a clothesline but Piper moves and Hogan crashes into the referee...D'OH! Piper goes outside and grabs a steel chair...10 years ahead of its time, then waffles Hulk with it. Piper goes to hit him again but Hulk takes it away then nails Roddy with it. Hogan puts Piper in the sleeper until out of nowhere Bob Orton hits the ring and lays waste to Hogan. Orton and Piper doubleteam Hogan until Paul Orndorff of all people runs in with the chair to save Hogan. Hogan and Orndorff celebrate in the ring as the heels make their exit, wow that was tough to sit through but at least it was short. The one match I'm actually glad that it was short, hopefully the next match will be long.
Time of match: 7:07
Winner: Hulk Hogan by DQ (Still world champion)
There is no segment, onto the next match
What's that you say, what exactly is Wrestling Classic? Believe it or not this was the first ever pay-per-view released by the World Wrestling Federation. Since Wrestlemania 2 was months away Vince decided to put together a wrestling tournement not unlike the King of The Ring house shows that were taking place in Massachusettes/Rhode Island. The only difference was pay per views had a time window whereas house shows could go all night. This tournement would be the first and last of its kind, although it gave the basic premise for the Wrestlemania 4 title tournement and later on moving King of the Ring to pay per view. We open the tape with the mid 1980's intro with the trumpets and trombones, heh, always brings back memories. Vince shills the action then sends us over to Alfred Hays and some woman named Susan to check out the brackets. Most are face vs heel but the two matches that aren't are a face encounter between Ricky Steamboat and Davey Boy Smith and a heel encounter between Moondog Spot and Terry Funk. The main event would be a one on one encounter between "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and WWF Champion Hulk Hogan....the war that didn't settle the score.
NOVEMBER 7, 1985
ROSEMONT HORIZON
CHICAGO, IL
Commentators: Gorilla Monsoon and Jesse "The Body" Ventura
Apparently we get some highlights before we get started of who faces who and what not. The competitors draw names out of an actual fishbowl....weird. Ricky Steamboat draws Davey Boy Smith of the British Bulldogs and acts surprised even though he clearly knew. Miss Elizabeth draws Ivan Putski as Randy Savage's opponent and Macho Man yells at her. Mr Fuji draws Tito Santana on behalf of Magnificent Muraco and laughs....FINALLY lets go to ringside to get the night started.
First Round Match 1
Corporal Kirchner vs Adrian Adonis (with Jimmy Hart)
28 year old Corporal Kirchner was brought in the WWF to be the face militant of the company since Sgt Slaughter bolted for the AWA, which was in the middle of their last boom period. 31 year old Adrian Adonis had begun to pile on weight even though he still could bump and sell like he did 100 lbs ago, which led to his infamous Adorable gimmick. Kirchner had a reputation of being a very stiff worker inside the ring and Adonis is no slouch either so lets see how this turns out. First round matches have a 10 minute time limit so these 8 matches should breeze by.....hey wait, I just noticed there are no turnbuckle pads on the turnbuckles, what the hell? Anyway, they lock up as Gorilla mentions the tag team title reign of Ventura and Adonis, then Adrian wrestles Kirchner into the corner. Kirchner arm drags Adonis twice before applying a standard headlock, which is countered into a back suplex. Adrian goes on offense with left elbows and a snap mare then drives an elbow into the chest area. Adrian applies a rest hold before Kirchner powers out of it in the corner. Kirchner goes for a suplex but Adonis counters it into a double arm DDT, innovative for the time period. Adrian covers for 1....2....3 and that's it, Adonis advances to the second round. Short and sweet, damn that DDT was ahead of its time.
Time of Match: 2:37
Winners: Adrian Adonis by pinfall
There is no segment, on to the next match.
First Round Match 2
"British Bulldog" Dynamite Kid vs Nikolai Volkoff
Dynamite looks ready to roll in singles action but before the match starts, Nikolai demands the mic in order to sing the Soviet National anthem. Nikolai belts out the tune as Dynamite Kid has enough by the end and goes upstairs. The bell rings when Volkoff is done and Dynamite comes off the top with a dropkick then covers for 1....2...3 holy crap that was fast. Nikolai still had his shirt on and his hat in his hand while being pinned, guess Dynamite needed to save his strength for the next round. 8 seconds is all it took.....can't really rate a match that short but it was entertaining to see Volkoff get nailed just like that.
Time of match: 8 seconds
Winner: Dynamite Kid by pinfall
There is no segment, on to the next match
First Round Match 3
"Polish Power" Ivan Putski vs "Macho Man" Randy Savage (with Miss Elizabeth)
Talk about a passing of the torch match. 44 year old Putski's career was winding down while 33 year old Savage had just begun in the WWF. Savage enters to Pomp and Circumstance being the first wrestler to enter to music all night as Jesse makes fun of his former rival Putski. The bell rings and Putski chases Savage out of the ring before he gets back in. Savage goes for a quick full nelson but Putski counters and spits his in his face as Ventura scoffs. Savage bails to the outside and moves Elizabeth around for no reason then climbs back in the ring. Savage locks up with a side headlock but runs into a shoulderblock. Putski poses to the crowd's delight as Savage throws him into the corner...cept Putski counters by ramming Randy headfirst into the turnbuckle tape. Savage rakes the eyes then goes on offense but Putski counters with a headlock/punch combo. Ivan hammers away with big right hands and whips him into the corner where he continues to fire away. All of a sudden Savage scoops the leg and puts his feet on the ropes for 1....2....3 and Savage wins it. Putski and Gorilla scoff as Ventura says "He outsmarted em Gorilla!"
Time of match: 2:46
Winner: Randy Savage by pinfall
There is no segment, moving right along to the next match
First Round Match 4
Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat vs "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith
Now this is a little more like it. The first 3 matches have all been mismatches talent wise so lets see if this can be salvaged. They shake hands to show good sportsmanship before locking up as Ventura says there could be a heel turn in the works. Its funny because Steamboat in his entire 20 plus years in the business NEVER worked heel while Davey Boy wouldn't turn heel for another 10 YEARS. They go through standard go-behinds before Davey hiplocks Steamboat to the ground. Davey Boy back drops Ricky in a pinfall position for 1....2...nope, Dragon bridges out of it and turns it into a backslide for 1...nah. Steamboat runs off the ropes into a overhead press slam. Davey covers for a near fall then applies a front headlock as Ventura says Stemboat's giving up a lot of strength to Bulldog. Davey hits another overhead press slam for another 2 count as Monsoon scoffs at Davey for not hooking the leg. Davey goes for a suplex but Steamboat counters with a delayed suplex of his own.....Davey Boy's trademark. Ricky goes for a splash but Bulldog gets the knees up to counter. Davey Boy executes two standing dropkicks which send Steamboat into the ropes. Bulldog goes for a third dropkick but Ricky moves out of the way and Davey Boy crotches himself on the top rope. The ref runs over, checks on Davey and calls for the bell......what the hell? Steamboat also goes and checks on Davey Boy as the ref awards the match to Dragon.....first and last time I've ever seen a match end this way. Cheap ending but it was a good match for a 3 minute crash style.
Time of match: 2:54
Winner: Ricky Steamboat by stoppage
There is no segment, on to the next match
First Round Match 5
Junkyard Dog vs The Iron Sheik
Sheik is wearing his standard wrestling trunks rather than those plaid groin-covers he wore at Wrestlemania....and he immediately attacks JYD with his ring robe while still wearing his turban. Sheik continues to fire away on JYD and eventually strangles him with the turban. Sheik gives the arm and the elbow to the fans, allowing JYD to recover. Dog no-sells a few blows before going to town with right hands and a headbutt. Sheik bows to JYD but he'll have none of that so he headbutts him again. Sheik bails to regroup then gets back in the ring before applying a full nelson. JYD powers out of it and hits a very sloppy looking clothesline then covers for 1...2..nope. JYD snap mares Sheik and goes for the falling headbutt but Sheik rolls out of the way. Sheik calls for the Camel Clutch and applies it, Monsoon says its over but the Dog manages to stay on his knees, where eventually Sheik lets go. Sheik doesn't know what to do next so he fires away in the corner, the ref steps in so Sheik shoves him out of the way. Both Monsoon and Ventura say that's a bad idea to push referees and Sheik does it again, then right on cute JYD hits a big headbutt and covers for 1....2...3 and this turd is finally over. JYD sure is loved by the fans and Sheik has a great amateur background but they don't mesh well at all, maybe it was the time limit but either way it sucked...next.
Time of match: 3:27
Winner: Junkyard Dog by pinfall
There is no segment, on to the next match
First Round Match 6
Terry Funk (with Jimmy Hart) vs Moondog Spot
Terry Funk in a WWF ring? Talk about a welcome rarity, and he's bringing Moondog Spot with him! The Moondogs were basically American versions of the Wild Samoans in terms of crazed lunatics. They had their run in the early 80's but were old news by this point. Funk gets on the mic and says he doesn't want to wrestle Spot while Spot says he doesn't want to wrestle Terry. Funk says they should both leave and have a draw so Spot complies. They make their way to the back when Funk doublecrosses Spot and runs to the ring. Spot catches him in time and pulls Terry off the apron. Spot charges and Funk backdrops him into the ring where the ref completes the count.......oh my god. Terry Funk, the hardcore legend former NWA and eventual ECW Heavyweight champion....jobbed to Moondog Spot. I think I'm gonna hurl, Funk is irate and he beats up Spot after the bell. I wonder what WWF fans in 1985 thought when they saw Spot being put over instead of Terry Funk, because in 2008 it looks really stupid.
Time of match: 31 seconds
Winner: Moondog Spot by count out
There is no segment, on to the next match
First Round Match 7
WWF Intercontinental Champion Tito Santana vs The Magnificent Muraco (with Mr Fuji)
After the last two steaming piles, maybe this one will be good with both workers in their prime. Tito is the current IC champ but his title is not on the line, only a spot in the next round. Muraco pushes the action with his superior muscle strength to start. Muraco beats on Santana as Ventura questions why Santana is even in the tournement because if he gets hurt, he'll have to forfeit the title. Muraco is a former champ himself and he continues to control the match with right hands until Santana executes a flying bodypress out of nowhere for 1...2..nope. Muraco comes back with right hands but Santana applies a sunset flip for another 2 count. Muraco appears to be attempting a Stone Cold Stunner but Tito counters with a backslide for another near fall. Santana whips Muraco in the corner and he Flair Flips back into the ring. Santana works over the arm and applies an armringer for a bit. Muraco counters by bodyslamming Tito throat first on the top rope then working him over with knee drops. Muraco clotheslines Santana, drops an elbow then drops a knee before the cover gets a 2 count. Muraco continues to fire away with forearms then hits a powerslam. Muraco goes to hook the leg but doesn't and instead covers just the shoulders for 1...2...3 and that's it. No wait, apparently Santana got the leg on the ropes and the referee notices thus negating the pinfall, way to give away the finish Muraco! Santana pounces and delivers a small package on Muraco for 1..2.....3 and there's your real winner. Ventura doesn't have a clue to what's going on and Monsoon has to point out that Santana's foot was on the rope. That was a good 4 minutes although I agree with The Body that it was a cheap ending.
Time of match: 4:19
Winner: Tito Santana by pinfall
We go to Mean Gene who's with Bobby Heenan and the gist of this is that since none of his men such as King Kong Bundy are in the tournement, he's put a 50,000 dollar bounty on the head of Paul Orndorff. He is quite sure someone will collect it, hmmmmm didn't Harley Race do the same bit 2 years earlier against Ric Flair?
First Round Match 8
"Mr Wonderful" Paul Orndorff vs "Cowboy" Bob Orton
The first high profile match of the night as these 2 used to be part of Piper's crew until the Hot Rod and Orton left Orndorff for dead at Wrestlemania. Orndorff and Orton chain wrestle to start as Paul goes for the injured arm of Orton. Paul executes an atomic drop which sends Orton shoulder first into the ringpost. Orndorff continues to attack the injured arm covered by the infamous cast until Orton catches him with a headlock takeover. Orndorff headscissors out of it then arm drags Orton before continuing to work over the left arm with a leglock snapback.....impressive. Orton begs off in the corner but Orndorff has none of it but the charge eats knee. Orton drops a few knees and hot shots Paul off the top rope, then continues to stomp away. Orton resorts to a punch kick offense until Orndorff attempts a sunset flip....which Orton counters with more punches. Orndorff eventually hooks the tights to get the flip for a near fall, then Orton goes to the rest hold. Bob applies a head scissors and after a while Orndorff flips over, but Orton bridges then turns it into a backslide for 1....2...nope. Orton goes for a flying head scissors but Orndorff moves causing Bob to crotch himself on the top rope. Why did Bulldog get the shaft and not Cowboy Bob? Orndorff gets his second wind and takes over with right hands before catching Orton with a back elbow smash. Paul rams Orton's head into the mat then punches Bob over the top rope to the floor. Back inside Orton re-adjusts the cast on his arm and waffles Orndorff with it right in front of referee Dave Hebner. Hebner calls for the bell as Orndorff wins it by DQ and advances to the next round. Guess Heenan's 50 grand will have to go to someone else because Orton has failed.
Time of match: 6:30
Winner: Paul Orndorff by DQ
We go back to Vince and Alfred who go over the second round brackets. Adrian Adonis will take on Dynamite Kid which should be awesome. Randy Savage vs Ricky Steamboat.....no need to tell you that's gonna rule because you already know. Moondog Spot vs Junkyard Dog...ugh. Last is a face vs face encounter between Tito Santana and Paul Orndorff which also should be good....the next round has a 15 minute time limit so the matches should...keyword SHOULD be long and exciting to watch. Lets go back to ringside
Quarterfinal Match 1 (Match 9 overall)
Adrian Adonis (with Jimmy Hart) vs Dynamite Kid
Now here's a match I'd never thought I'd see, but I won't complain. They lock up and Dynamite runs into a shoulderblock before arm dragging Adrian twice in about 3 seconds, damn he's quick. Adrian retreats to the outside and regroups with Jimmy before getting back in. Adrian goes to work on offense with shots and an elbow to the dome then slingshots him into the corner. Jesse figures out the next match is Savage and Steamboat so he bails to go talk to Savage....wtf is that about? Monsoon's left all alone meanwhile Adrian covers for only a 1, for a second I thought Ventura was going to interfere on his former partner's behalf but instead he actually does leave the ringside area. Adrian catches Dynamite with a suplex then covers for another 1 count then applies a rest hold as Monsoon says how Ventura was supposed to be a future tag team partner of the Macho Man.....good thing that never happened. Dynamite eventually powers out of it with a back suplex but misses the headbutt attempt. Adonis works over the left leg and applies...the sharpshooter? Wow, the sharpshooter in 1985 no less, Bret was still in Stampede while Sting was a Bladerunner out in Memphis, props to Adonis. Dynamite makes it to the rope so Adonis lets go then throws him into the corner then charges into a beautiful sunset flip by Dynamite for 1....2..nope, Adonis kicks out in time. Adonis goes back to work on the left leg then goes for a bulldog but instead is thrown shoulder first into the ringpost by Kid. Dynamite drops a knee then clotheslines him down, then runs up the ropes (10 years before Rob Van Dam and Sabu) and delivers a flying knee drop. Dynamite covers for 1....2..negative, Adonis gets the shoulder up. Dynamite delivers a snap suplex and another falling headbutt. Jimmy Hart hops on the apron distracting Dynamite long enough for Adrian to deliver a running roll up for 1...2. nope, Dynamite kicks out and Adonis runs right into Hart. Dynamite covers a fallen Adrian for 1....2...3 and Dynamite wins it. After the match Hart protests that his foot was on the rope, which the camera shows Adonis wearing boots with the New York Yankees logo on them, no wonder he lost haha. Adonis throws a temper tantrum in the ring as Monsoon goes to the replay, that was fun. That was a good match but it was too short, perfect crash style but this is NOT supposed to be crash style.
Time of match: 5:28
Winner: Dynamite Kid by pinfall
We go to Gene Okerlund who's with Jesse Ventura. Jesse says he's working with Savage and Elizabeth and preparing him for the rest of the tournement. I guess they wanted Ventura to become a future tag partner for Savage but with Jesse unable to work around his career ending injury and the fact Savage was way too good on his own, it never happened.
Quarterfinal Match 2 (Match 10 overall)
Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat vs "Macho Man" Randy Savage (with Miss Elizabeth)
Now we're really talking, even though they have a 15 minute time limit this should rock the house. Before the match Savage sticks a finger into Ricky's face who slaps it away then Savage runs and hides behind Elizabeth, heh what a heel. Stemboat turns his back so Savage attacks him from behind while still wearing his headband and cape. Steamboat slides under Savage and chops him through the ropes to the outside. Randy pulls Ricky out and brawls with him outside before they roll back in. Savage takes over on offense with right hands in the corner until Steamboat counters with a head scissors over the top rope to the floor. Steamboat chops Savage on the floor then atomic drops him to the concrete. Ricky throws him inside then hits his karate chop to the chest of a running Macho Man. Savage ducks under a second chop and delivers a back suplex as Ventura makes his way back to the commentating table. Savage goes upstairs but Ricky catches him in the gut with a right hand then delivers a knee lift. Steamboat unloads with a series of fists drops then suplexes Savage halfway across the ring. Steamboat goes upstairs and hits THE FLYING CROSSBODY for 1...2...thre...no wait, Savage kicked out at 2. Ventura is openly cheering for Savage and Steamboat chops and punches Savage to the ring apron. Savage reaches into his tights for a Foreign Object and when Steamboat goes for a back suplex, Savage nails Ricky with whatever he had. Savage covers for 1....2...THREE???? You gotta be kidding, that was WAY too short for 2 guys as talented as they were. It was going good too, damn.....should have been much longer. Monsoon says that Ventura gave Savage brass knuckles in the back as Ventura scoffs.
Time of match: an unacceptable 3:26
Winner: Randy Savage by pinfall
There is no segment, on to the next match.
Quarterfinal Match 3 (Match 11 overall)
Junkyard Dog vs Moondog Spot
The match starts and there's no referee, what the hell? Spot attacks JYD and knocks him down then goes up to the second rope but misses the splash attempt. Dog headbutts Spot a few times from the ground then delivers a real headbutt. Dog covers and looks around for the ref but there isn't one so he counts 1...2....3 himself. Dog angrily walks out of the ring and I guess its official but Monsoon says otherwise until Spot himself leaves so Monsoon says the judge at ringside made it official.....whatever. Ventura says "I've seen it all now Gorilla" yeah no kidding, that's pretty bizzare to not have a referee in a match. The first and last time I've ever seen that happen, I can't even rate the match it was so weird, you be the judge.
Time of match: 31 seconds
Winner: Junkyard Dog by pinfall
We go to Mean Gene who's with Heenan again, this time Heenan's downtrodden since Orndorff survived the first round. Mean Gene says that since Paul's facing the face Tito Santana that he won't be giving out 50 grand but Heenan says ya never know. Heenan then says that Piper will be the new champ since Hogan is "tired" from basically wrestling non stop as champion for the past 2 years.
Quarterfinal Match 4 (Match 12 overall)
"Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff vs Tito Santana
Here we got a face vs face encounter with two great technicians, maybe this match will approach the 15 minute mark. They shake hands to start then tie up as Jesse says Tito may turn on Orndorff....wouldn't it make sense for it to be the other way around? Tito goes for the side headlock as Jesse notices a bandage on Santana's thigh and speculates that Muraco may have done something to him. Santana continues to work on the headlock before Orndorff powers out of it only to be head scissored by the IC champ. Santana holds him there for an unusually long time as Ventura says that the REAL Paul Orndorff may show up, referring to the heel he portrayed for a year and a half. Orndorff flips over and the ref covers 1...2..nope, near fall. Orndorff chain wrestles into a hammerlock then chicken wings it to the ground, looks painful. Santana gets to his feet and reverses the hammerlock until Orndorff makes it to the ropes to break the hold. Ventura says its just a matter of time before Orndorff goes to his cheating ways as they tie up again then Santana clean breaks when they roll into the ropes. Tito applies another headlock but Orndorff delivers an atomic drop that injures Santana's thigh. Santana limps around as Paul looks to be concerned about Tito;s health until he applies a drop toe hold to the injured leg. Lot of mat wrestling so far, which is a welcome sight to some of the matches that went far too short, the crowd boos but I don't care. Santana goes for an elbow drop/leg lock combination before Santana gets to his feet. They tie up as Orndorff backs Santana to the ropes and delivers a forearm that knocks Santana out of the ring, guess Ventura's right about Orndorff's heel tactics shining through. They trade blows outside the ring as Santana throws Orndorff into the ringpost, but then the referee counts them both out....OH BULLSHIT, the match was just getting good. Not only are both men out of the tournement, but they ruined the story by having Orndorff turn with 10 seconds remaining in the match. Who booked this damn thing, George C Scott?
Time of match: 8:06
Winners: None (Double countout)
We go back to Hays and McMahon who go over the rest of the brackets. Savage will face Dynamite in the semi-finals while JYD has a bye all the way to the final match, well that's stupid. Why wouldn't Savage have the bye to set up a face longshot against rested heel finals? Oh well, we get Savage and Dynamite so I'm not complaining. Piper makes his way to the ring with a bagpipe band as we go over to Mean Gene for an interview with Hulk Hogan himself. Total count....Dude: 0, Brother: 3, Jack: 0, Man: 2, if you took the under then you win.
Match 13
"Rowdy" Roddy Piper vs Hulk Hogan for the WWF Heavyweight Championship
The big re-match from the war that didn't settle the score, Hogan and Piper one more time. Finkel says theres a one hour time limit..HAHAHAHAHA, none of the matches has reached 10 minutes so this ain't goin anywhere near an hour. Piper throws Hogan outside then Hulk pulls Piper out then throws him into the steel guardrail. Hogan chases Piper inside the ring where they exchange eye rakes, fists and knees....a sheer contrast to what we just saw between Santana/Orndorff. Hogan clothesline Piper in the corner as Roddy does a Vallentine Flop, then Hulk continues to fire away with rights and a back suplex. Hogan drops a series of elbows then Hulk returns to the punch kick offense in the corner. Piper answers with punches and kicks then climbs the second rope....then jumps into a bearhug. Piper gets the finger to the eye to get out of the bearhug then continues to punch away before covering for a one count. Piper sends Hogan off the ropes and catches him with his SLEEPER HOLD....champ's in big trouble, Hogan actually grabs the top rope but the ref doesn't make Roddy break the hold meaning either Hogan screwed up or the ref is blind, maybe both. Hogan fades as Ventura says we're gonna have a new champion then the ref lifts the arm..1.....2...noooooo, Hogan revives right on cue. He runs over to the ropes with Piper still on his back and they topple to the floor together. Hogan throws Piper into the ringpost then Hulks Up on the outside of the ring before chasing Roddy back inside. They trade blows in the center of the ring before Hogan delivers a sloppy big boot that doesn't even knock Roddy off his feet. Hogan executes an atomic drop then goes for a clothesline but Piper moves and Hogan crashes into the referee...D'OH! Piper goes outside and grabs a steel chair...10 years ahead of its time, then waffles Hulk with it. Piper goes to hit him again but Hulk takes it away then nails Roddy with it. Hogan puts Piper in the sleeper until out of nowhere Bob Orton hits the ring and lays waste to Hogan. Orton and Piper doubleteam Hogan until Paul Orndorff of all people runs in with the chair to save Hogan. Hogan and Orndorff celebrate in the ring as the heels make their exit, wow that was tough to sit through but at least it was short. The one match I'm actually glad that it was short, hopefully the next match will be long.
Time of match: 7:07
Winner: Hulk Hogan by DQ (Still world champion)
There is no segment, onto the next match
