Sunday 20 January 2019

WWF Saturday's Night Main Event February 5th, 1988 Edition

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Hello and welcome one and all to another edition of Seanomaniac Wrestling Reviews, the only wrestling review series on the internet that is more foolish than having Strowman lose to Lesnar again! It is time of quite possibly the most iconic Saturday Night’s Main Event of all-time, the WWF Championship is on the line as Hulk Hogan defends his WWF Championship against Andre The Giant, the crowd is freaking out before a match has even begun. We also have a tag team championship match towards the end of the show while Macho Man Randy Savage takes on The Honky Tonk Man.


(WWF Intercontinental Championship Match) The Honky Tonk Man © W/ Jimmy Hart vs Macho Man Randy Savage W/ Miss Elizabeth


Honky Tonk Man makes about ten Elvis references in his promo, truly terrific, a truly annoying chicken-shit heel. Jimmy Hart distracts Savage, Honky Tonk Man dances in front of Elizabeth before running for his life. Savage chases Honky, big elbow, neck-snap using the ropes. Honky and Jimmy Hart clash heads, Jimmy Hart distracts Savage. Eye rake by Honky but the sunset flip does not work, right hand by Savage. Savage misses a corner clothesline, shoulder is damaged. Snapmare by Honky, Savage dodges an elbow. Jimmy Hart distracts Savage, into the ring comes Jimmy Hart. Hart drops the megaphone, Honky uses the megaphone behind the referee’s back. Whack to the ribs for two, Honky is irate.


I must mention Peggy Sue is at ringside, Peggy Sue is Sherri in disguise. Savage escapes a chinlock, shoulder block by Savage but Honky comes back with a knee to the ribs. Apron axe handle by Honky, Honky gestures towards Elizabeth. Headlock and a right hand by Honky, Jimmy Hart chokes Savage behind the referee’s back. Honky dances for Elizabeth, Peggy Sue attacks Savage. Right hands by Honky, Savage begins to block and jab with his lefts. Low knee by Honky, massive clothesline floors Savage.


Multiple elbows by Honky, Honky dances at Elizabeth some more. Honky advances towards Elizabeth, Jimmy Hart corners Elizabeth. Savage is up, axe handle to Honky. Honky begs for mercy, Savage tosses Honky to the floor. Diving axe handle from the top rope, elbow and a scoop slam.  Diving axe handle connects, two for Savage. Jimmy Hart is on the apron, Savage yanks him into the ring. Honky knees Hart by accident, sleeper by Savage. Peggy Sue threatens Elizabeth, Savage saves Elizabeth. Honky tries an axe handle, Savage punches Honky and sends Honky into the turnbuckle, Savage wins by count-out. Honky corners Savage with his guitar, Jimmy Hart clocks Savage with his megaphone. Elizabeth is covering Savage, Honky tells Elizabeth to move. Savage blocks the guitar shot, kick to the ribs but Honky flees, Savage will have to wait his turn but Savage breaks the guitar. Savage holds open the ropes for Elizabeth, we never get to see that and the crowd erupts.


The crowd is on fire, I am sorry but Savage is fantastic and Honky is great too but this crowd, this motherfucking crowd is so on fire for everything that an elbow, a punch, a slam means so God damn much. Savage won by count-out and the fans erupted, if Savage broke that guitar over Honky, the cheers would have been deafening. Love the work of Honky, so annoying, so antagonizing, you want Savage to annihilate him, you are begging for it, it’s just good ol’ wrestling and I am hooked!


Winner: Randy Savage over Honky Tonk Man via Count-Out!


(WWF Heavyweight Championship Match) Hulk Hogan © vs Andre The Giant W/ Ted Dibiase & Virgil


The biggest rematch of all-time, they build the hype times a million for this. No shortage of drama, Andre almost pinned Hogan at Wrestlemania 3, it seemed controversial and Andre claims to have never truly been beaten by Hogan. A year in the making, Survivor Series was all about these two, wrestling was these two and there is nothing that can compare to the big title match feeling.


The bell rings, Hogan awaits Andre who stands on the apron taking everything in but here comes Andre slowly but surely. Andre’s facials are fantastic, they are worth a mention here. The arrogance and smugness who fears nothing, not even The Hulkster. Andre talks strategy with Dibiase and Virgil, Hogan comes over and attacks everyone. Dibiase and Virgil are knocked around by Hogan. Andre and Hogan, right hands by Hogan. Big right hand, chops to Andre. Andre meets the turnbuckle hard, kicks to the ribs and Mongolian chops. Elbow to the head, Andre is staggering around the ring. Axe bomber but Andre still stands, Virgil eats a right hand.


 Eye rake by Hogan, corner clothesline. Big right hand, eye rake again by the champion. Hogan climbs to the top rope, Andre catches Hogan. Bodyslam by Andre, Andre misses a falling headbutt. Hogan tries to pin Andre, choke by Hogan. Andre gains control with his chokehold, Irish whip to the corner. Scoop slam by Andre, kicks to the back. Coconut crush from Andre, big boot by Andre. Hogan falls to the floor, Virgil attacks Hogan. Choke from Andre, Andre uses his singlet to choke Hogan. More choking from Hogan, Hogan is rallying and shaking off Andre.


Hogan is on his feet from the choke, knees to the ribs. Chops from Hogan, right hands by the champion. Eye rake by Hogan, Hogan is on the middle rope. Diving clothesline by Hogan, Virgil stops the leg drop. Hogan nails the leg drop behind the referee’s back, Virgil is with the referee. Hogan is furious, Andre grabs Hogan. Headbutts to the back of the head, Butterfly Suplex from Andre. The referee counts to 3, Hogan’s shoulder was up but the referee did not see it? What is going on? This is insane! Mean Gene is here, Andre tells everyone that he is surrendering the title to Dibiase, Dibiase is champion without winning the championship, what a disgrace? Hogan is irate, hold on one second. There are two referees that look the same, what could this be? Twins, they are screaming at one another, Earl kicks down Dave Hebnar. Hogan knows that this Hebnar is the rat, Hogan asks for the crowd to decide what is next. Hogan picks up the referee, Earl is tossed onto Dibiase and Virgil, crazy times.


Without a shadow of a doubt, one of the greatest angles of all-time. We have heard of tag team partners swapping out, brothers swapping out but this was God damn identical twins, nothing better than identical twins. Hogan and Andre delivered, the outrage this caused was just pure awesome. How dare Dibiase pay off an identical twin to screw Hogan out of the championship, but it might just be the smartest heel move in the history of wrestling in a kayfabe sense of course, smartest heel move in wrestling is obviously Triple H marrying into The Mcmahon Family. Anyways, this was so much fun and an ingenious angle that I am surprised has not been ripped off more often. Great match, great angle, some of the best childhood memories wrestling fans will have.


Winner: Andre The Giant over Hulk Hogan Via Butterfly Suplex!


(WWF Tag Team Championship Match) The Hart Foundation vs Strikeforce ©


We cut to a Hogan interview and miss the tag team match…. What? The Fuck is this? Why even show it so? POINTLESS


That was one of the most memorable Saturday Night’s Main Events of all-time. No disputing that, two matches and a match being caught off before it really gets going is not a great show but the matches delivered ten fold for this edition of the show. Savage and Honky tear the house down to begin with, back and forth it is the perfect mix. Savage looking to rip the head off of Honky, Honky uses his “charm” on Elizabeth, Jimmy Hart protecting his meal ticket in Honky Tonk Man. It is all sorts of fun with a finish that you would feel would fall flat but the energy and passion of the crowd carries it and all in all, I was extremely happy once it was over. Then came the main event, Hogan and Andre, one more time. Andre crippled at this point but such a presence that he gets away with it, back and forth the match sucks you in and that finish nobody saw coming and the drama that comes with it, it was fantastic. You simply need to see this edition of Saturday Night’s Main Event. Thanks for reading and supporting, see you next time and remember: There’s always another night!

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