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First of all, thanks to everyone who emailed me with comments about the return of my SNME reviews. Especially those of you reading from rajah.com. It was a real pleasant surprise to get so many responses from you, as even though I had been posting columns at the Oratory, this was the first time I’ve posted a column at Rajah. Thanks for the warm welcome. I also received a remarkable amount of requests as to where I got those SNME DVDs from. . I also have the full run of NWA/WCW Clash of the Champions, as well as quite a few other tapes and DVDs downstairs in the “vault”. If you’re interested in finding out where to get any of that stuff, drop me an email at gnagus@comcast.net and I can give you the details.
Tonight’s episode is from Seattle, WA with Vince McMahon and Jesse “The Body” Ventura doing the play-by-play.
GEORGE “THE ANIMAL” STEELE vs. “DANGEROUS” DANNY DAVIS
I know what you’re thinking. “I know who George “The Animal” is, but who the hell is Danny Davis’”
For those of you not familiar with Davis, he was a referee for years with the WWF, but over the last several months, had begun to show some very heelish tendencies, many times overlooking any rulebreaking during matches that he officiated and making life rough for the babyfaces. Davis had direct involvement in the Hart Foundation winning the Tag Titles from the British Bulldogs. Numerous additional incidents where Davis overtly aided heels in winning their matches resulted in WWF President Jack Tunney running out to ringside prior to a match and publicly announcing that Danny Davis has been suspended for life! An incensed Davis storms out of the ring, but not out of the WWF. Since he had only been suspended as a referee, Davis hooked up with his good friend Jimmy Hart and joined the Hart stable as an actual wrestler. Davis as a wrestler was quite comical. He wore a black and white striped outfit (similar to a traditional referee’s uniform), and despite the fact that Davis was more than 200lbs, he looked really skinny. This was good though, as he was supposed to look that way, as Davis in his new role as a wrestler was mainly used as a Jobber to the Stars, who generally got his ass kicked by all the babyfaces he screwed over as a referee. You could usually though, expect lots of interference by Jimmy Hart, and the Hart Foundation to help Davis out during his matches.
On an aside note, Davis’ lifetime suspension only turned out to last about a year and a half, as he was quietly reinserted as a referee in late 1988 or early 1989 with nary a mention of his previous angles as a heel ref.
Right off the bat, Steele runs into the ring and attacks Davis relentlessly. Both Davis and referee Joey Marella immediately bail out of the ring. Davis manages to get back in and attack Steele from behind. Steele sells none of it though, and pounds Davis until the hapless former referee goes flying out of the ring again. A second attempted attack by Davis is thwarted by Steele. A third attempt by Davis is met with tonight’s first “Hell Freezing Over” moment, as Steele takes Davis down with a DROP TOE HOLD! You can prettymuch count the amount of technical moves that Steele uses, on the fingers of one hand, and both Jesse “The Body” Ventura and Vince McMahon nearly fall out of their seats calling the action. Davis is still outside the ring, but this time Steele chases him around the ring and follows Davis in the ring, but Davis manages to get a hold of a foreign object and begins choking Steele on the ropes and gouging him in his mouth with it.
Frankly, this is the exact tactic that Steele himself used for years during his heel days when he’d use a spoon or some other similar object on his opponents with the ref unable to see what’s happening. When the ref would try to check Steele, he’d hide the object either in his tights, or even in his mouth thus enraging the audience who couldn’t understand how Steele keeps getting away with it. Well now it’s The Animal’s turn as Davis works him over with the object while keeping it from the ref. It doesn’t last too long though, as Steele manages to grab Davis’ arm in mid strike and turn it into his patented flying hammer lock. The ref is checking for a submission when Davis kicks the referee, earning him an immediate disqualification. Davis attacks Steele after the match, but the Animal chases him to the back.
This match didn’t really do it for me, as Steele had appeared in virtually every SNME since its inception and almost every one of his matches were against Randy Savage. Davis was good for getting some heat, but once the bell rang, you weren’t going to see anything of interest in the ring.
”MACHO MAN” RANDY SAVAGE vs. BRET “HITMAN” HART
This was a grudge match from last month’s SNME where Savage fought the Honkytonk Man. Savage would win by DQ when HTM and the Hart Foundation ran in and destroyed him and accosted Elizabeth. This altercation led to the formation of the Megapowers and cemented Savage as the WWF’s newest major babyface. Now it’s time for some revenge as Savage gets Bret Hart one on one. At this point, it was extremely rare to see Bret Hart in singles action. But let me tell you, you got an early taste of how good “The Hitman” would look like as IC and WWF Champion.
Bret Hart is accompanied to the ring by both Jimmy Hart and his tag team partner Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart. With Savage and Bret in the ring, both Neidhart and Jimmy Hart immediately go after Elizabeth on the outside, but Savage puts a quick stop to that. The ref should have sent Neidhart to the back, but for whatever reason, has allowed him to remain. Savage chases Bret around the ring and attacks him before getting back in. Savage is right on Bret as the Hitman enters the ring. Savage whips Bret to the corner, and charges in for a running elbow, but Bret moves out of the way in time. Bret begins pounding on Savage, relentlessly pressing the advantage in the corner. Snapmare by Bret and he drops an elbow on Savage. Staying on Savage, he whips Savage to the ropes and telegraphs a back drop, but Savage kicks Bret and then nails him with an elbow to the top of the head. Savage Has Bret on the outside apron and sends the Hitman off the apron into the ringside barrier. Neidhart and Jimmy Hart attend to the Hitman and Savage taunts them. Jimmy Hart & Jim Neidhart get in the ring, but Savage sends them both flying. Savage then goes to the top to deliver a double ax handle to the Hitman still on the outside, but Bret nails Savage with Jimmy Hart’s megaphone.
Neidhart puts the stunned Savage back in the ring and Bret presses the advantage. An irish whip and a boot to the gut puts Savage on the mat. Bret drops a leg and then hangs Savage upside down in the corner and kicks the Macho Man repeatedly. Savage frees himself, but Bret still manages to hit a piledriver and covers Savage for the first 2 count of the match. Bret picks Savage up and elbows Savage to the mat. Bret picks Savage up again and whips him to the corner and charges in, but rams his shoulder in the turnbuckle as Savage gets out of the way just in time. Savage then sends Bret shoulder first into the far corner. Both men appear hurt here, but Savage has the advantage. Savage snap mares Bret to the mat and as Bret gets back up, Savage drops a double ax handle from the top rope for a 2 count. Bret hits Savage with his patented back breaker, and then attempts an elbow from the second rope (2 more of Bret’s “5 moves of doom”) but Savage rolls out of the way. Savage follows up with a kick to the gut and then runs Hart throat first into the top rope and then covers him for 2.
Savage has Bret on the ropes, but the ref breaks it up. Savage then charges at Bret and gets back dropped over the top rope and out of the ring. Savage appears to have injured his left ankle in the fall, and Elizabeth tries to help him by taking his boot off to alleviate the pressure. Bret goes to attack Savage, but the ref orders him back in the ring. Savage with only one boot on finally rolls back in the ring, but can’t stand. The ref checks him to see if he should end the match, but Savage makes it to his feet. Bret of course immediately goes after Savage’s ankle, attacking it relentlessly with kicks, punches and finally a spinning toe hold. Savage manages to push Hart off, and then runs Hart into the ropes throat first again before covering him again. Bret kicks out and then goes back to work on Savage’s ankle with a stepover toe hold that gets broken when Savage grabs the ropes. Bret then goes for a half-Boston crab. Another rope break though saves Savage again. The Macho Man tries to go to the outside, but Bret snapmares Savage back in the ring and goes back to work on the leg. Savage tries to go outside again. Bret attempts to bodyslam Savage back into the ring and Savage rolls through it and traps Bret in a small package for the surprise 3 count!
FANTASTIC MATCH! But it’s not over, as Jimmy Hart and Jim Neidhart run in to attack Savage. Savage throws out Neidhart, Jimmy Hart accidentally nails Bret with the megaphone, and the Hart Foundation is sent packing while Savage and Elizabeth celebrate a very hard won victory in the ring. This was in my opinion among the top 2 or 3 matches ever aired on SNME. If I were into star ratings, this match would get 4.5 stars. I can’t stress this enough folks, this was a great match. Savage was in his prime here, and Bret showed exactly why he would distinguish himself in the coming years as one of the best singles wrestlers the WWF ever had. This match made tonight’s SNME worth watching.
KING KONG BUNDY vs. HULK HOGAN
In his pre-match interview, Bundy’s manager Bobby “The Braiin” Heenan promises that he’ll have a big surprise for Hulk Hogan tonight. And we learn that surprise in short order, as once Heenan and Bundy get to the ring, Heenan brings out Andre the Giant!
With both men in the ring and Hogan wary about Andre being at ringside, the bell rings and the action begins. Both men lock up with Hogan getting a side headlock. Bundy shoots Hogan to the ropes and both men collide with nobody moving. Hogan runs off the ropes again for another shoulder block, but goes down himself. Hogan runs the ropes again and drops Bundy with a jumping knee lift. Hogan goes for the cover but Bundy kicks out. Hogan then attempts to bodyslam Bundy, but Bundy falls on him and gets a 2 count of his own. Bundy presses the advantage, choking, pounding and kicking Hogan until the Hulkster rolls out of the ring. Hogan gets back in, and Bundy goes back to work on the champ. Bundy slams Hulk, but misses a big splash. Hogan gets his second wind and levels Bundy with a running clothesline. Hulk drops 2 elbows and gets a 2 count. Hulk with several punches, and an irish whip, but a telegraphs a backbody drop and Bundy drops a forearm on Hogan’s exposed back. Bundy then covers Hulk but only gets 2. Bundy then slows the match down with a rear chin lock on Hogan.
Hogan eventually makes it to his feet, breaks the hold and runs off the ropes to deliver a punch to Bundy’s forehead. Hogan follows with several more punches, and irish whip and a big boot. Hogan runs the ropes to deliver his leg drop, but Andre the Giant grabs Hogan’s leg to stop him. Hogan yells at Andre and Bundy attempts to attack Hogan from behind. Doesn’t work though, as Hogan gets out of the way, and sends Bundy out of the ring. We hear a bell ring, and a second referee comes down to ringside. At first it looks like the match was called, but we hear ring announcer Howard Finkel announce that if Andre does not leave the ringside area immediately, Bundy will be disqualified. Andre isn’t too happy about this, but Heenan and Bundy convince him to leave.
The match gets back under way with both men now pretty well rested. They lock up, and Bundy gets the advantage again pounding Hogan in the corner. Hogan reverses an irish whip and sends Bundy to the far corner and follows it up with a clothesline. Hogan rams Bundy into all 4 corners and then delivers several chops. Irish whip by Hogan and another kneedrop takes Bundy down. Hogan attempts an elbow drop but Bundy moves just in time. Bundy drops a forearm and gets a 2 count. Bundy fires Hogan into the corner and Hogan is back on the mat. The 450lb Bundy adds insult to injury by standing on Hogan’s back. He then follows up with a big bear hug. The ref checks Hogan to see if he can continue. Hogan attempts to muscle his way out of the hold and succeeds, but Bundy nails him with an elbow to get the advantage again. Bundy sends Hogan to the corner and nails Hogan with his patented Avalanche splash. Hogan is on the mat, and Bundy splashes him again and goes for the cover. Hogan kicks out and hulks up! 3 punches by Hogan and a successful bodyslam! Bundy rolls to the outside, but Hogan follows him and the two brawl at ringside. At the count of 7, Bundy returns to the ring. Hogan attempts to get back in, but Bobby Heenan holds Hogan’s leg preventing him from getting back in the ring and Bundy wins the match via countout. Hogan then gives Heenan his customary beating and then poses for the fans afterward.
Not too bad considering the participants. It also served to keep Andre the Giant in play, as our next episode of SNME will involve Andre and lead into one of the biggest angles of 1988.
BAM BAM BIGELOW v. HERCULES
Bigelow with his manager Sir Oliver Humperdink has recently arrived in the WWF as the new babyface in town and is getting a pretty big push. Just several days earlier at the Survivor Series, Bigelow participated as part of Hulk Hogan’s team and wound up being the only team member left alone against the 3 of the WWF’s biggest heels in King Kong Bundy, One Man Gang and Andre the Giant. Bigelow single handedly scored clean pins on both Bundy and the Gang before being eliminated by Andre.
Bigelow and Hercules are yelling at each other at the opening bell. They eventually lock up and try to overpower each other. Bigelow backs Herc into the corner, but the ref breaks it up. Herc runs the ropes for a shoulder block but Bigelow doesn’t move. Another attempt gets the same result. Herc fakes a lockup, but knees Bigelow in the gut and begins hammering Bigelow with forearms. Hercules fires Bigelow to the corner but misses a clothesline as Bigelow moves out of the way. Bam Bam punches Herc in the corner and then goes for an irish whip. Herc reverses it and misses a clothesline as Biglow rebounds off the rope. Bigelow keeps running off the far rope and gets hit with an elbow by Herc. Bigelow is backed into the ropes and Hercules then clothelines Bigelow over the top rope to the floor. Bigelow makes it back to the apron, but Hercules hits him with forearm. Another forarm is coming, but Bigelow blocks it and pulls Herc out of the ring. Both men brawl out of the ring until the bell sounds with both men being counted out. Bigelow immediately snatches the mic from Howard Finkel and demands that the match be restarted! Hercules assents and gets back in the ring to restart the match.
The match kicks back in with both men are on opposite sides of the ring in a football stance. They charge each other, but neither man moves. Hercules challenges Bigelow to another go, and tries to outsmart Bigelow by dropping down before they make contact. Bigelow sees this, and cartwheels over the surprised Hercules and rebounds with a shoulder block that takes Herc to the mat. Bigelow then starts pounding Herules with several punches. Bigelow whips Herc to the ropes and attempts a dropkick but misses when Herc holds onto the ropes. Hercules drops several big elbow drops but doesn’t cover Bigelow. Herc drops a knee but allows Bigelow to start getting to his feet. Herc goes to the top rope and goes for a cross body block but Bigelow catches him! Bam Bam presses Herc over his head and slams him. Bigelow then goes to the outside and slingshots himself over the top rope and onto Hercules in a big splash for the 1-2-3.
This was a good showcase for Bigelow, as most people had never seen in the WWF him against any actual competition unless they saw the Survivor Series on PPV just 2 days earlier. Bigelow made a great showing here proving not only that he was big on power, but also on speed and agility despite weighing nearly 400lbs. Bam Bam would remain near the top of the roster for the next several months, teaming with Hulk Hogan against Ted DiBiase and Virgil, and in singles matches against Andre the Giant.
Today’s show gets a solid 8 from me. And about 7 of that comes from the Savage/Hart match. There was nothing unwatchable here, but Good Lord! Savage and Hart stole the whole damn thing. This show was worth it just for that match alone. Everything else, was basically middle of the road.
I’ll be back soon with the 1/2/88 episode. I promise. And keep those emails coming. I answer all of them and like hearing what you folks think. It goes a long way in how I put together future columns. Also let me know if you'd like me to post some of my earlier reviews. I've only posted reviews for SNME #12 & 13 so far, but I've written reviews for the first 11. If you'd like to see them, let me know and I'll put them up. You can reach me at gnagus@comcast.net
Thanks for reading,
-Corey
