SPOTLIGHT: Hogan vs Savage - 1987

WWF Championship: Hulk Hogan(c) vs Randy Savage

WWF June 3, 1987 Rochester, NY

Dark matches, for those not in the know, are matches not meant for broadcast that are held before or after an advertised card takes place. They are never really the best matches, but serve as more of a historical curiosity. For example, is anyone out there clamoring to see if Samoa Joe and Essa Rios could tear the house down if matched up? Not really, but if you wanted to see Joe's WWF dark match from fourteen years ago against Rios, it's out there and fairly easy to find. This match today looks short, but it should be a treat to watch the preview of WrestleMania V's main event a year and a half before the Mega Powers explode. Hulk Hogan, a man who over the years has gone from a national icon to one of the most polarizing men around, is defending his WWF Championship against Randy "Macho Man" Savage. Savage is another who needs no introduction as his garish outfits, Miss Liz, Slim Jim, and generally being crazy as all fuck catapulted him into uber-legend status. If anyone is wondering why I would bother with Hogan in light of things he should've left unsaid, well, Michael Hayes still has fucking job right?

WWF even informs us that this is a dark match, which for the time, seems bizarre.

This was released by Coliseum Video at some point, because we have Heenan, Jimmy Valiant (noooo), and someone I can't place at all in a tiny box shilling old videos during introductions. The nameless guy botches his very first sentence as he states that Hogan won the belt January 24, 1984, when it was the 23rd. No big deal, I never expect a whole lot from these Coliseum broadcast teams anyway. Hogan is coming off the biggest win in wrestling history by way of pinning Andre, but if you asked him, he would swear he gorilla pressed him and hit the powerslam off the top rope. Macho is also hotter than pissed off lava, having the match of the year against Ricky Steamboat.

Hindsight says your lips are WAY too close to touching here.

Immediately, Hogan fails to redeem himself to me by stalling at levels that would make Tetsuya Naito proud. No bullshit, I finished half my cup of coffee between Rick Derringer's "Real American" cueing up and the bell ringing. Savage suddenly transformed into my spirit animal and unleashed some wicked shots as Hulk was handing Earl Hebner the belt. Whereas Hogan came out lollygagging and looking like he was going through the motions, Macho Man is hauling balls, throwing around some really intense offense. If you need a visual aid, think about WMV when Savage took over the match and click on the your video player's 3x button. I would be remiss in not mentioning that Savage beating on Hogan while still wearing the bandana and shades was badass. Hogan blocked a shot to the buckles and whipped Macho from pillar to post, even knocking off his glasses and putting them on. Oh shit, that means war.

Booker T! I'm comin' for YOU.....BROTHER!!!

Savage bailed and hid behind Liz for a bit, giving Hogan's Special Meter a chance to cool off. That strategy didn't pay off worth shit as Hulkster caught him coming in, hit the Axe Bomber, and sent him back out with an atomic drop. Sidenote: Never change the name of the atomic drop. It completely owns as is. Macho tried the Liz tactic again, but Hulk is wise and calmly moved Liz before taking the action back to the ring. AGAIN, the action went outside as Savage tricked Hogan and hit the top-rope double axe-handle to the floor that probably ate up his knees over the years. Inside once more as Macho nailed an impressive body slam before coming off the top with his trademark elbow. If you don't know how that went, you've never seen a Hulk Hogan match. If that's the case, he kicks out and uses the power of Hulkamania to shrug off punches, kicks, bullets, tanks, fire, and missiles until he wagged his magic finger, hit the body slam, and threw a oversized yellow boot into Savage's face. Randy wisely bailed after the boot and sent the oncoming champion into the guardrail. Right as Hogan is fixing to have his bald spot caved in by a chair, Liz yanked it away, sending the crowd into hysterics. Macho Man decided that the time was nigh to hit the elbow and take this home, but Hogan moved and caught Savage in a school boy for the pin at 6:43. Savage berated Liz, Hogan posed presumably until curfew, the crowd is molten and all is well in Rochester tonight.

For no reason at all, here is a Macho Stare.

WWF Championship: Hulk Hogan(c) d. Randy Savage by pinfall (6:43)

VERDICT:
Meh. Too much stalling and not enough action to call this even a CliffsNotes version of WrestleMania V. Macho teased a great match in the beginning, however, the power of Hulkamania cooled it off after the first awesome Savage flurry. The fans were into it, but these two were so over that they could've both come out with two toilets and taken a shit and the crowd would've found a reason to go wild. If you are a completionist and need to see every battle these two had, have at it, but they would follow this up with much more motivated work and far better matches.

MEL PHILLIPS!!! HIDE YOUR FEET!!! (You're on your own here. Google it.)

WQ REVIEW - WWE NXT 8-12-15

William Regal kicks off off the show by stating that since Finn Balor agreed to take on any match any time, the championship match at NXT: Brooklyn against Kevin Owens is now indeed a ladder match. I'm looking for some creative spots out of the wazoo during that one.

Tye Dillinger d. Solomon Crowe by pinfall (4:36)

Crowe's original suited hacker gimmick he was rolling with upon debuting was intresting enough to give a shot, but now he seems to have more or less reverted back to Sami Callahan. Dillinger has worked dark match a-plenty already, so the former Shawn Spears has quite a bit fan support coming out. This was a good TV match that stayed moving and had both guys busting ass. Tye stopped every now and then to work the crowd into giving him his new trademark 10/10, which definitely has legs. Dillinger snuck in his inverted overdrive appropriately named The Perfect 10 for the three count.

Mojo Rawley interrupts Zack Ryder's tweeting to cut some insane promo that I half understood that ended with Mojo miscounting the number of chicks he had been with the night before. Okie dokie.

Baron Corbin d. Axel Tischer by pinfall (:33)

Longer than your usual Corbin match because the jobber was tossed into the turnbuckle and then hit his knees for awhile until Baron walked over and brought him back up. One forearm and Fall of Man later and this was over. He's never going to get better if they keep throwing him in these types of matches. Corbin grabs a mic and cuts a pretty confident heel promo about no one being in his league. This challenge is answered by STEVEN F'N CUTLER, but he also eats a Fall of Man before he can unleash his god-like skills upon an unsuspecting Orlando. No, really, who is Cutler? After standing tall and wanting more, the challenge is met by Samoa Joe. Oh, boy. Joe is his huckleberry, but Corbin says not yet and bails. On his way out of the ring, he bumps into Joe like that wa going to intimidate him, and the shit is on. Baron gets a few shots in, but Joe counters his finish with the Kokina Clutch, finally called such by Corey Graves. Our favorite Samoan with anger issues leaves the kid laying out cold in his own piss and spit. This match has possibilities and I'm intrigued how they handle it. Crowd gives a big "thank you Joe" for finally putting SAMCROberg in his place.

Quick video of Bull Dempsey as he see his gym work picking up steam and him working towards gains or beast mode or whatever gym people call it.

Tyler Breeze gives us his thoughts about his match in Brooklyn against Jushin Thunder Liger and isn't worried one bit. It's a spotlight and that's what he craves. I've always dug the Breeze character, because he reminds me of Narcis Prince from Super Punch-Out!!! If only he rolled with Prince's gimmick of freaking out whenever his face got punched. Liger is going to cash a WWE check, making hell freeze over by one more step. Better late than never, I always say!

Finn Balor d. Marcus Louie by pinfall (2:44)

Remember during the Brody review about wild men who you could tell were putting on too much of a show? Louis is definitely one of those type and it comes off slightly corny at times. Finn is as over as one can be inside this building and my private worries about killing his mystique with the fans by making him talk too much recently are thankfully put to rest. Total squash here and Louie only got in a few punches and a uranage before Balor ate him alive and finished with the Coup de grace. Kevin Owens blindsided Finn on his way out, but before he can nail his apron powerbomb, Finn countered out. Their brawl is cut short when, after a struggle following the pop up part of it, Owens finished the powerbomb and mocked the champion's pose while standing above him with the title.

The Vaudevillains revealed that they have a plan to counter Alexa Bliss's recent antics. Bliss shows up, slaps the taste out of both of their mouths, and walks off wishing them luck. If there is a wrestling god, let the plan be Bubba Ray Dudley.

Terry Creed is coming to win the title and they show shots of him training with that Axel fellow from before. I don't mean to sound cliche, but these names like Apollo Crews are getting hilarious. Then again, if a man named Dolph Ziggler can get over, anybody can. Still no word on who his first opponent will be. Rhyno maybe?

#1 Contenders Match: Bayley d. Becky Lynch by pinfall (11:43)

The Boss herself arrived to join the commentary team and calmly explain that these other girls aren't shit. You'd think this is a foregone conclusion with Bayley being the only upper level women's wrestler that didn't get taken in the recent purge. Is it bad when you are bummed out when someone gets a promotion now? Becky Lynch always worries me that her neck is going to fly off during her entrance mosh one day. If you think this is where the hot streak of the Four NXT Horsewomen is going to end, you'd be sadly mistaken. This was even better than the Bayley-Charlotte contest from a few weeks ago, because Becky was working that arm like she is directly related to Dean Malenko. Bayley more than held her own and gave as well as she took with some really nice junior heavyweight style stuff. Bayley was in alot of trouble after escaping the kneeling armbar of Lynch, but reversed a second standing armbar attempt into a pin to face Sasha in Brooklyn. Old school in-ring storytelling and I loved it. The Boss closes things out by standing on top of the announce table and informing Bayley that it's on in New York.

VERDICT
Always a great show when any of the four golden girls go at it. Opening match was above average and the Joe-Corbin scuffle has me intrested in more, so that on top of a hell of a main event makes this week a winner in my book.

NXT 8-12-15 RESULTS

Tye Dillinger d. Solomon Crowe by pinfall (4:36)

Baron Corbin d. Axel Tischer by pinfall (:33)

Finn Balor d. Marcus Louie by pinfall (2:44)

#1 Contenders Match: Bayley d. Becky Lynch by pinfall (11:43)