WWF Saturday Night's Main Event October 29th, 1988 Edition Review

Welcome to another edition of Seanomaniac Wrestling Reviews, the only wrestling review series on the internet that continues to tear the house down like a Walter match! It’s time for Saturday Night’s Main Event of October 26^th in 1988, the last main event before Survivor Series 1988! We have a tag team championship match, we have Jake Roberts vs Rick Rude and The Hulkster is in action. What a night of action and it’s live now!

Jake The Snake Roberts W/ Cheryl Roberts vs Ravishing Rick Rude W/ Bobby Heenan

A feud that has been brewing for months, Rude was turned down by the wife of Jake Roberts, leading to Rude wearing tights with Jake’s wife’s face airbrushed onto his tights. Roberts wants to destroy Rude for obvious reasons and this should be an excellent rematch of their Wrestlemania IV match which was hampered by the time limit expiry finish.

Rude continues to wind up Roberts, here we go with the two brawling in the ring. Wrist-lock from Roberts, Rude dives over the ropes for a break but Roberts drags Rude back into the ring. Arm-wrench, Rude leapfrogs Roberts but gets caught with a right hand, DDT time but no, Rude powders out to Heenan. Wrist-lock from Roberts, Rude ducks and nails a clothesline. Roberts meets the turnbuckle hard, Roberts is swinging wildly and missing as Rude drills Roberts with precise right hands. Elbow to the head, Rude taunts Cheryl at ringside, Irish whip to the corner from Rude. Roberts collapses, the damage to the lower back too much. Rude grinds his hips at Cheryl, Irish whip to the corner. Rude poses for too long, clothesline from Roberts.

Left jabs from Roberts, big right hand floors Rude. Roberts ties up Rude and allows Cheryl to slap Rude in the face, the two brawl on the floor. Roberts hits the ring-post hard, Rude grinds in the ring like a boss. Rights and lefts from Roberts, back drop from Roberts. DDT attempt is countered as Rude scores with a back drop, fist drops and Rude climbs to the top rope. Massive diving fist drop from Rude for two, Rude Awakening is blocked with biting from Roberts.

Roberts hangs onto the ropes from an Irish whip, Roberts fakes a punch and Rude ducks, DDT from Roberts, the crowd goes wild. Rude is out but Roberts looks to rip the tights off of Rude, Heenan calls for Andre before attacking Roberts. Andre attacks Roberts, throwing him to the floor but Andre forgets about Roberts and his snake, Roberts has Damien and oh my goodness, Andre is terrified of snakes, who knew?

That is some old-school fun wrestling, a classic feud between Roberts and Rude, much better than their Wrestlemania match. Crowd is electric and the build up to that DDT is tremendous, love the whole sequence and Andre and Heenan are tremendous during this segment, this was a whole lot of fun and Roberts gets a measure of revenge against the dastardly Rick Rude.

Winner: Jake The Snake Roberts over Rick Rude via DQ!

(WWF World Tag Team Championship Match) The Hart Foundation vs Demolition © W/ Mr. Fuji & Jimmy Hart

Neidhart and Ax begin, Ax backs Neidhart into the corner. In comes Smash, Demolition beat down Neidhart. Neidhart counters a suplex with ease, tag to Bret. Irish whip and kick by Bret, dropkick floors Smash. Bret goes to the middle rope, Bret’s rope elbow drop for two. Arm-wrench from Bret, Smash counters with a clothesline. Tag to Ax, Demolition choke Bret in the corner with Neidhart jaw-jacking with the referee. Tag to Smash, Smash clubs Bret in the corner. Snapmare and reverse chinlock, tag to Ax. Ax boots Bret in the face, Neidhart is getting frustrated on the apron.

 Bret blocks a right, Smash has been rocked. Clubbing blows from Smash, Bret ducks a clothesline and scores with a clothesline. Bret tags Neidhart, Nedihart runs wild. Dropkicks and clotheslines, the match has broken down. Demolition are whipped into one another but look at this, here comes The Rougeau Brothers. Neidhart chokes Jimmy Hart, Jacque hands the megaphone to Smash who cracks Neidhart in the back of the head, Demolition retain their championships.

Decent tag team match, Ax and Smash work a nice heat segment on Bret who sells his ass off as he always does, Neidhart comes in like a house of fire and we have quite the finish building up a feud between The Hart Foundation and The Rougeau Brothers.

Winners: Demolition over The Hart Foundation via Megaphone To The Head!

King Haku W/ Bobby Heenan vs Hulk Hogan W/ Miss Elizabeth

Haku cheap shots Hogan, back-rake from Haku. The King attacks the throat of Hogan, Haku bites the head of The Hulkster. Throat thrust from Haku, Hogan dodges an elbow drop, Hogan tees off with right hands.  Big right hand floors Haku, Heenan distracts Hogan but Haku cannot take control. Chops from Hogan, Irish whip and an axe bomber from Hogan. Series of elbow drops and a boot to the head from Hogan, chop from The Hulkster. Heenan grabs Hogan’s leg, allowing Haku to attack Hogan.

Choke from Haku, Hogan rallies using the crowd’s energy. Rake to the eyes from Haku, Hogan eats a double chop to the head, Savate Kick from Haku and Hogan is down on the floor. Heenan berates Hogan as Haku looks to continue his control. Hogan waits on the floor, Haku looks for a diving chop but Hogan pulls Heenan in front as a shield. Heenan is down and hurt, Hogan has used his wits to even the playing field in this match. Haku drills Hogan with a clothesline in the ring, diving headbutt from Haku.

Suplex from Haku, Hogan powers out of the pin at two. Haku continues to chop and thrust but Hogan is Hulking Up. Right hands and a massive big boot, Atomic Leg Drop and Haku has been defeated by Hulk Hogan. Hogan celebrates with Miss Elizabeth.

Standard Hogan Match, the interaction with Heenan was great stuff, anytime Heenan is involved, it is gold. Haku got some great offense in the match too, all you could hope for from a Hogan match on Saturday Night’s Main Event.

Winner: Hulk Hogan over King Haku via Atomic Leg Drop!

Ken Patera vs Dino Bravo W/ Frenchie Martin

Bravo applies the side headlock, two men clash with neither man backing down. Patera back drops Bravo, scoop slam too. Bravo powders to the floor, re-entering the ring at his pace. Headbutt to the ribs, Patera is rammed into the turnbuckles. Left jabs and a massive right from Bravo, choke in the corner. Patera reverses an Irish whip and punishes Bravo, ten punches in the corner. Snapmare and elbow to the face, scoop slam by Patera.

Shoulder block by Patera, Patera wants his Full-Nelson but Bravo makes it to the corner. Irish whip to the corner, boot from Bravo. Inverted atomic drop and Bravo applies his Sidewalk Slam for the win. Squash match, little sizzle and little steak. DUD!

Winner: Dino Bravo over Ken Patera via Sidewalk Slam!

The Big Bossman W/ Slick vs Jim Powers

Knees and clubbing blows from Bossman, Irish whip. Powers slides through the legs and applies a sleeper before Bossman backs into the corner, corner splash from Bossman. Headbutt and taunting from Bossman, leg across the back to Powers. Two-handed choke and throat thrust from Bossman, bearhug from Bossman. Powers is whipped off the ropes, dropkicks out of nowhere before a Bossman Slam ends this one before it began. Another squash with little substance, Bossman handcuffs Powers to the ropes while using the nightstick to punish Powers. DUD!

Winner: Big Bossman over Jim Powers via Bossman Slam!

Not a memorable episode of Main Event, you do get a great match out of Rude and Roberts leading to the setup of a feud between Roberts and Andre The Giant. Andre’s expressions were very funny too but this is an episode that does little to advance storylines leading into Survivor Series so I guess we will see where we are going next! Thanks for reading and remember: There’s always another night!