WWF MSG August 22, 1987

Tama v. Scott Casey

This was pretty boring and the crowd thought so too. Casey was on top for a while as Tama kept complaining about hair pulling. Casey dropkicked him outside and he immediately complained about a hair pull. Tama won out with a blatant low blow in the corner but his advantage only lasted a little bit. Casey worked on the left shoulder and even started some hair pulling and eye poking. 

Casey tried for a back dropped but Tama saw it and delivered a headbutt. He maintained control with a nerve hold for the longest time. Gorilla could not fathom why Tama was only working on Casey's traps instead of his legs or some other useful body part. Casey got his comeback and nailed a piledriver but he waited to cover him and only got a two. 

 He then tried charging into Tama in the corner but missed and Tama splashed him from the middle rope for the win.

“Outlaw” Ron Bass v. Tito Santana

These guys had fought before and Tito got hurt bad by Bass, so this was the return match and Tito was pissed. On July 25^th, in MSG, Bass attacked Tito and they fought to a DQ on June 20^th in Philadelphia. Tito destroyed Bass initially as they brawled outside with chairs and Bass was sent into the railing. Bass got back in and Tito ripped his vest up over his head and continued to destroy him. Bass tried to leave but Tito went and got him. Then, Tito went for Betsy which prompted Bass to grab a chair and throw it in the ring and Tito caught it. The place was going nuts for this. Bass was begging for mercy and Tito was giving none. Tito went for a pin but pulled him up at two for more of a beating. Bass ended up outside and he slipped a foreign object into the ring and clocked Tito with it. Bass tossed Tito out and crotched him on one of the railings and then he hit a headbutt onto the floor. Bass means business. 

Bass hit a piledriver and later sunk in a headscissors and used the ropes for leverage. The ref wondered why the ropes were shaking and Bass explained that one of the camera men did it. On a side note, how in the hell does grabbing the rope in any way equal more pain for the guy in the submission? I never quite got that. Tito got a ropebreak and nailed his forearm with little height. Tito locked in his figure four but Bass escaped and Tito hit a full-force forearm out of nowhere and Bass flew outside until the bell rang. The time limit expired and it was a draw. However, Tito wanted five more minutes and Bass teased that he was getting back in for it but he left instead. This was a pretty long match and it wasn't too bad, nothing classic though. Of course, New York loved Tito.

Velvet McIntyre v. Sensational Sherri-WWF Women's Championship

Velvet

This was a pretty decent match here that was back-and-forth the whole way through. Sherri won the belt in her first WWF match against Moolah in Houston on July 24, 1987. Sherri was wrestling in the AWA prior to this and even had her last match there on June 22, 1987, so she was fresh by this point. McIntyre had been wrestling for the WWF since 1984. Velvet rushed her right away with a high knee but Sherri tried to escape only to be caught by her cape for a few seconds. Sherri did a ton of cheating in this match with chokes and hair pulling. Velvet exploded with a good exchange of a leap frog into a crossbody and then a slam and a sunset flip off the ropes. Sherri went back to her choking and hair pulls as Velvet took a breather outside. Sherri then missed in the corner and Velvet delivered three big one-foot dropkicks as Sherri bailed out this time. Velvet followed and decked Sherri with a right hand. Velvet put her in a bodyscissors and rolled her around the ring into a pin but referee Billy Caputo was too slow in counting. In fact, he was terrible at doing his job with all the cheating going on. 

Sherri managed to flip herself around in the move, facing Velvet, so she could try some pin attempts. Then, she hoisted up Velvet by her hair and dropped her down, almost in a powerbomb. This was a great move but it got no heat, which was the story of the match. Velvet exploded and hit a giant swing but she missed a crossbody in the corner. Sherri then went up top but was caught and slammed down as Velvet got only a two-count. She started arguing with the ref and Sherri came up from behind and gave her a back suplex for the win.

Rick Martel v. Haku

Martel was really hot at points in this match but he seemed to fizzle a little by the end. Tama was out with Haku and they wouldn't let Martel into the ring. As a result, Tito Santana came out and evened the odds. The Islanders had recently attacked Martel and Tito came to his aid and they decided to form Strike Force from that, on August 4^th taped for August 15^th Superstars. Martel had been teaming with Tom Zenk until July 9, which was their last match together. This match was pretty hot to begin with as Haku flung Martel into the ropes, missed an elbow and a clothesline, and Martel exploded with a huge crossbody but only got a two. That felt like it could have been the finish as I've seen matches end that way with a good amount of heat. Haku got control and tried for a back drop but Martel cartwheeled out of it, hit a dropkick, and then a rana.

 Haku regained control with a crescent kick in the corner and he started working over Martel, who had some hope spots. Later, Haku went for a middle rope splash and missed, setting up Martel's slow comeback. This was the point where he seemed to fizzle out and the crowd did too. He hit a monkey flip and tried for another rana but Haku launched him backwards into the corner, which looked sick. 

Then, he hit a big running headbutt and a false finish. Haku began distracting the ref and Tama came down with a chair and nailed a weak shot on Martel and Haku then pinned him. Tito came back down too and cleared the ring of the Islanders as Martel was stretchered out. Oh yea and “Duke” Pete Doherty was introduced as a new member of the announcing team.

Ricky Steamboat v. Honky Tonk Man w/Jimmy Hart-IC Title Lumberjack Match

 I already reviewed this for the 2-1-88 Primetime show, so I'm just copying my review from that. Steamboat's theme is totally awesome and I don't recall it being on the episode of Primetime but for this it was.  Here's my original post with some more pics

This was an ok match and Ricky was pretty over. George Steele started by trying to pump up the crowd by pounding on the mat. Honky attacked Steamboat and threw him out but Ricky skinned the cat. Then, he dropkicked Honky and threw him over the top three times, and each time Honky was tossed back in. Jimmy Hart went on commentary and said there was a conspiracy against Honky tonight because he kept getting thrown back in by the faces. Steamboat was on top for a little bit and he smashed Honky's head into two turnbuckles, ten times each as the crowd counted along. Lord Alfred Hayes still referred to the Hart Foundation as the tag champs. Honky gained control and the Islanders tripped up Steamboat and then Steele tripped Honky followed by a quick roll-up for Ricky. Steamboat hit a back suplex then tried a monkey flip but it was blocked and Ricky sold it in an upright position for nearly ten seconds which was weird. According to Gorilla, the lumberjacks could catch the wrestlers if they so desired, as they flew out. Ricky hit a cross body hope spot and later went into his less than fiery comeback. He gave Honky a slingshot, then a slam, and went up top and hit his karate chop move and pinned him. The only problem was that the ref was being distracted by Jimmy Hart. George Steele came in and made the count and Hart came into the ring. Then, Ricky went after Hart as the ref was distracted by Steele and this led to Honky nailing Steamboat with the megaphone for the win. After the match, all ten or so of the lumberjacks came in and fought and the fans chanted bullshit.

Gorilla Monsoon interviewed the Duke of Dorchester Pete Doherty on his new announcing job in the WWF. Doherty said the WWF has shown smarts and brains for getting someone like him to give color on all the blacks, yellows, and whites inside that ring. I kid you not, he actually said that. Gorilla remembered him as a mad man inside the ring and he wondered if that would carry over into his announcing.

We got a “Superstar” Billy Graham promo about how no one figured he'd walk again much less wrestle but he has survived and he has beat the odds. He said watch out for the bear hug as there is no escape for it.

Gorilla interviewed Butch Reed and Slick. Slick said that if Billy thinks his beating was tough from before, he should go into early retirement now and Reed can take him on. Butch said that there's two things that don't last long in his business: dogs that chase cars and broken down wrestlers. Must be a shot at Matilda with that one.

Gorilla interviewed JYD and George Steele on their match with Demoltion. JYD said the Demos are dangerous but his team has plans of their own. Steele spouted out some jibberish and then grabbed a table as JYD smiled.

“Superstar” Billy Graham v. “The Natural” Butch Reed w/Slick

This was the main reason I bought this show, so I could see Superstar in the Garden in 1987, against Butch Reed, of all people. I thought this was the sell-out show he did but it turns out that was on October 16^th against Reed. I'll have to find that one now. Reed had been criticizing Graham for a while and they even had a posedown in Glens Falls, NY on July 25^th. The match was pretty basic but it was fun if you're a Superstar fan. Graham exploded right at the beginning and went after Slick and knocked him out of the ring. As Graham was fighting Reed near the ropes, Slick handed Reed a foreign object and later, nailed Superstar with it to gain the advantage.

 Reed ripped off Superstar's tie-dyed shirt and choked him with it and targeted Graham's bad hip. Slick even got some cheap shots in. Superstar had several hope spots and he finally got his second wind. He nailed in the bearhug, right in the middle of the ring, only for Slick to jump in and hit Superstar with a cane to the back. Well, Superstar no-sold that one like a beast and went after Slick until Reed nailed him from behind. Graham kept fighting and put the bearhug on again but wouldn't release it this time. Refs and officials tried to stop him but to no avail. Even Gorilla Monsoon came in t try and stop him but he only ended up delivering an elbow to Slick. Finally, the hold was broke and the official decision was a double DQ as Superstar posed a little.

Bearhug

 

 

“Leaping” Lanny Poffo v. Jose Estrada

This was a dreadful match with absolutely no heat except for some boring calls. Poffo read a poem and threw out some signed frisbees, as he came across as the gayest wrestler of the night, especially with his manly mustache and sequined jacket. Maybe he should have had Pat Patterson as a mentor too. Estrada was on top most of the time. When Poffo got him on the ground, Estrada would beg off and nail Poffo with a cheap shot. The third time this happened, Poffo didn't fall for it though. Poffo hit a headscissors and missed his crappy moonsault that is always off the mark. Gorilla was complaining how referee Billy Caputo was talking too much to the wrestlers. Estrada missed a splash in the corner and Poffo then hit a somersault off the top for the win.

Lord Alfred Hayes interview with the Demolition. Smash said they're a major disaster for JYD and Steele tonight. Ax said they were zookeepers tonight and they're going to have to clean house.

Demolition v. JYD/George Steele

Gorilla said this was a gynamic main event. This was short and basic and safe. Steele wanted the Demos to take their masks off.

JYD started off on Ax and Steele got a hold of him and bit him and had makeup all over his face. Steele came in but got distracted and double teamed. Smash hit a clothesline on Steele only for Steele to bite his forearm instead and make the tag to JYD. However, JYD got isolated until a double clothesline spot with Smash. Steele made the tag but the ref didn't see it. Well, Steele didn't care and stayed in anyways, only to get tossed out by Ax and Smash, who proceeded to double team JYD some more. Steele grabbed a chair and brought it in and nailed Ax in the kidney with it and the ref called for the DQ. Afterwards, Steele chased the ref out of the ring. 

Don't forget to follow me on Twitter @stevesgraps for tons more pics that I didn't have room for here.  I'm always looking for followers.  I'm going to start the next episode of Primetime 88 right away and soon I should have some stuff coming in like the October 87 MSG with Reed/Superstar in a cage and some older stuff.  Also, I've got an 89 Philly show with Demolition v. The Powers of Pain to fall back on.  Thanks for reading.