411's Roundtable Review: Summerslam 1989

Posted by Ryan Byers on 08.09.2006

Brown, Pelletier, and Carapola cover Hogan, Zeus, and ANGRY MEAN GENE~!

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to 411's Roundtable Review for Summerslam 1989. For those of you who missed yesterday's column, the 411Mania staff has gathered together this August to examine the Summerslams of years gone by as a way of counting down to this year's event. Today we've got another all-star panel of columnists who will be taking each and every match to task. Those men are:

- First off, we've got 411 tape reviewer emeritus Sydney Brown. From 2002 to 2005, he provided this site with his fabulous Down with the Brown video reviews, and he's come back for this feature.

- Up next it's Stuart Carapola, better known as the curator of all things extreme on 411. He also wrote another column at some point, but That Was Then.

- Finally, we've got a young man making his Wrestling Zone debut. He comes to us from 411 Sports. It's Justin Pelletier, who likes to give you his weekly Perspective on the world of non-kayfabed sports.

With the cast of characters introduced, let's head on to the show itself. The follow-up on the original Summerslam looked like the card for the previous year's show in many ways. The main event was a tag team match that pitted Hulk Hogan against his opponent from the preceding Wrestlemania – though this time his former partner Randy Savage would be on the other side of the ring. Oh yeah, and they were saddled with the black hole of talent known as Zeus as part of a motion picture promotion that made this year's Kane push look sane by comparison. Elsewhere on the card, the Ultimate Warrior locked horns with Rick Rude in what is widely considered one of the Warrior's best matches, and a smark wet dream became reality when the Brainbusters and the Hart Foundation faced off against each other. But you're not here for my analysis . . . you're here for the panel's. Let's do it.

Match Number One: The Brainbusters (Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard) vs. The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart)

Sydney Brown: To me, this is as close as McMahon ever got to having a legitimate NWA vs. WWF match on PPV. Tully and Arn stunned the world by dethroning Demolition on SNME the month prior (stunned because it was a rare case of letting non-McMahon groomed talent get put over his boys) and as such this match is "non-title" because the match was signed before the title change. Quite possibly one of my favorite tag team matches, and easily one of the better opening matches in WWF history, the Harts dominate the action (maybe a little TOO much), but the Busters doing an awesome job of playing both chickenshit heels and aggressors simultaneously. Lots of innovative offense and fun stuff. A great way to start the show, and the fact that the NWA guys win probably tells you why the match got buried on the line-up like it did. ***½.


Stuart Carapola: I really thought Blanchard (who I called Jolly Rancher back then) and Anderson were just a couple of losers who showed up, got the titles, lost them again, and went back to obscurity. I had no idea of their history in the NWA as former World Tag Team Champions, World TV Champions, US Champion (Blanchard), and of course Horsemen, and so their win over a great team like the Harts made no sense to me.

Justin Pelletier: The show opens with what will be by far the best match on the card. Interesting strategy. Man Bret Hart had the same entrance music for 20 years. At least he has music as the tag champs enter sans music. The Anvil was the perfect compliment for the Hitman. He played the power man to a tee. This has been a really good match. I'm not going to give much PBP or star because, well, there are many people much more qualified to do so than I. I'll just say this is text book tag wrestling. I know it's fashionable to complain about the WWE but this match just proves how good announcing can improve a match. Now I'm no huge Tony Schiavone fan but the Schiavone/Ventura tandem really made this match. Schiavone did simple PBP while Ventura actually analyzed the match, explaining the little things the wrestlers were doing and how they were effective. Also they played a clear cut face/heel team which I feel is totally lacking now. You don't have two guys have a love fest while yelling about puppies or government mules and what the hell does "not for nothin" mean anyway. Oh yeah the match. It continued to be booked perfectly as the Foundation looked like they were on their way to victory until AA broke up a pin with the DEADLY double ax handle that allows the Busters to win. Double Ax Handle? Are you kidding me?

Match Number Two: Dusty Rhodes vs. The Honky Tonk Man

Sydney Brown: This match got a weird push as some kind of major match when Honky hadn't done a thing since SummerSlam'88 aside from punk out Jimmy Snuka. People like to say how Rhodes entire WWF run was designed to humiliate him, but aside from his last six months, he was pushed pretty hard as the #3 face. And he gets a pretty big reaction for his entrance. Nothing special here aside from Tony's over-the-top commentary. Jimmy Hart knocks Honky silly with his own guitar leading to the Dusty win. Highlight is Honky's post-match interview where he really thinks he's Elvis. *1/2.

Stuart Carapola: I later found out Rhodes was a three-time NWA World Champion and head booker for several territories. He beat the Honky Tonk Man. I just thought he was some goofball mascot at the time.

Justin Pelletier: In the back Dusty Rhodes cuts one of the most nonsensical promos I've ever heard. The Dream is out and now I know where the Sopranos got Vito's look from. Like the black with yellow polka dots weren't bad enough they had to add policeman's hat AND nightstick. This is the worst match on the card. The worst possible match-up is a chicken shit heel against a face that is mostly charisma as neither does any real moves to speak of. There is absolutely no chemistry between these two. Ventura is the only reason I can even tolerate this mess. He gets in a good one about Rhodes winning an award for most abs, not BEST abs, MOST abs. God knows they couldn't give away clean match between these two. HTM NEEDS protection. Dusty wins when Jimmy Harts' guitar blow misses Big Dust and drills his charge.

Match Number Three: Mr. Perfect vs. The Red Rooster

Sydney Brown: It's kinda sad how far Hennig went and how far Taylor didn't when you consider both guys were hired almost simultaneously. Hell, Terry Taylor could just as easily have been "Mr. Perfect." Hennig and Taylor have a pretty intense staredown with Hennig mocking the "rooster" image. So Taylor just PASTES him with a slap to the face. Taylor's knee blows out a minute into the match with a failed slam and the two are forced to improvise. Taylor gives it an effort but he can barely stand let alone walk, so Hennig ends it early with a Perfect-plex. Not a good match by any stretch, but interesting to watch two pros work around an injury.

Stuart Carapola: Following the last ***** classic, we get former AWA World Champion Curt Hennig, now known as Mr Perfect, defeating the Red rooster, who used to be a respectable wrestler and former UWF TV Champion Terry Taylor. This one was too short, but I think the reason was that Taylor blew out his knee and they had to go home early.

Justin Pelletier: Terry Taylor should sue the WWE for emotional distress because of this gimmick. I think he'd have a case. He has the top of his hair spiked up and colored red to look like a rooster's comb. Then to top it off he constantly struts like a rooster as he moves around the ring. Really CONSTANTLY. Hennig is still pretty new to the WWF at this point and the Rooster is clearly a jobber. Henning squashes him and finishes it with the Perfectplex.

Mean Gene Drops the F-Bomb

Justin Pelletier: Mean Gene is all set to interview Rick Rude and Heenan when the Summer Slam sign behind him falls down and they quickly cut away. Tony Schiavone acts like nothing happens. Finally Ventura saves the segment by saying somebody must be out to get Gene and it's about time because Gene is a trouble maker. Classic.

Match Number Four: The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers & Rick Martel vs. Tito Santana & The Rockers

Sydney Brown: Fun little six-man all thanks to the heel work of the Rougeaus and Martel who had the asshole heel down to a science. Tito Santana wrestles WAY too much of the match, leaving one wondering if the Rockers were living up to their names the night before. Tito plays the face in peril very well here, getting several near falls despite all the punishment. And a really smart finish as Martel pins the illegal Rocker but covers the Rockers head with his body so the ref can't tell. Very good match though not as great as I remember it being.


Stuart Carapola: Now we get another former AWA World Champion, Rick Martel, teaming with the Rougeau Bros to take on Tito Santana (who, ironically, was the one person on this show whose credentials were OVERstated, with constant claims of many WWF Tag Titles with several partners...yeah) along with former AWA World Tag Team Champions The (Midnight) Rockers. I was a huge Jannetty mark at the time, and wa kind of bummed to see him to the job again here.

Justin Pelletier: Strike Fore explodes. This was a part of Martel turning on Santana but since nobody really cares about those two they added the tag teams. This is a fun match with six guys who could actually go and believe it or not the crown actually responds. It's funny to watch this because at this point you really can't tell that Shawn will be the break out star of the Rockers. I wonder how much of it had to with Jannetty's personal problems. The Rockers are clearly the most over part of this match. How did they never win the tag titles? Ridiculous I tells ya. The match breaks down as can be expected and like the Foundations & Busters early it ends weakly when a simple punch by Martel to Jannetty. I guess a punch is five times as deadly if it comes from an illegal man.

Match Number Five: The Ultimate Warrior vs. Rick Rude (c) for the WWF Intercontinental Championship

Sydney Brown: One of the two or three greatest Warrior matches ever, and proof that even the biggest stiffs can be carried to great matches. Rude bumps like a madman, including taking a press-slam from the ring to the concrete. And this might be one of Jesse Ventura's brightest moments as he goes ballistic the entire match (his "you're even DUMBER than Monsoon" trashing of Schiavonne is a highlight.) Rude comes off like a main-eventer for probably the first time in his WWF career, making it look like he could cleanly pin Warrior multiple times. And Warrior does his share of selling, almost breaking his neck by not prepping for a Rude power bomb. Even with outside interference from Roddy Piper, this is an outstanding match. ****.

Stuart Carapola: A decent match for both men. Roddy Piper makes an appearance and distracts Rude by mooning him, thus allowing Warrior time to recover and beat Rude. After the match, Roddy Piper tells some crappy jokes.

Justin Pelletier: I must apologize to Dusty Rhodes for saying that his promo was incoherent because an Ultimate Warrior promo just aired. The Warrior's promo makes Dusty sound like Morgan Freeman. The crowd goes ape shit for the Warrior. Schiavone tries to sell Warrior's intensity and tell Ventura to "look at his face" to which The Body replies "Do I have to?" CLASSIC. I was a Warrior mark as a kid and as I've gotten older I've really taken to more all around athletic wrestlers (HBK, Angle) but say what you want about guys like Warrior and Hogan and their inability to actually wrestle but these guys knew how to put on a professional wrestling match. The match helps but it the story that sells. It also helps that Rude is selling like hot cakes to make the Warrior look good but the bottom line is these two had the chemistry that HTM and Dusty didn't. Warrior looks to have the match won on two separate times when he hit a piledriver and went for his big splash but Rude manages to stay alive but Roddy Piper's ass is too much for Rude as Piper made his way to ringside and mooned Rude, distracting Rude and allowing Warrior to capitalize for the title victory. Apparently Rude and Piper have issues from Superstars that I don't remember. This was done well as it allowed the Warrior to move on from the Rude feud and allowed Rick to have a good feud of his own. As a side not Piper has been playing that same crazy icon gimmick for 20 years.

Match Number Six: Demolition & Jim Duggan vs. The Twin Towers & Andre the Giant

Sydney Brown: Probably the largest six-man team ever, this is a surprisingly decent match. Smash pulls out power moves I didn't think he had by slamming both Bossman and Akeem in succession. Duggan's in "King" Duggan mode for what would be the last time, as Savage would destroy him a week later. Pretty ridiculous finish as Akeem drops a second rope splash on Smash who practically no sells it after Duggan smacks Akeem with his 2x4. Harmless match that was better than it had any right to be.

Stuart Carapola: My 11 year old heart was filled with delight to discover that we next got the second six man tag of the evening, as former UWF Champion King (Jim) Duggan teamed up with Demolition (comprised of Krusher Khruschev and the Masked Superstar) as they took on Andre the Giant (who I later discovered used to be able to move more than two feet without having to stop and rest on the ropes), as well as another former UWF Champion in One Man Gang (now known as Akeem) and former bodyguard to Jim Cornette and the Midnight Express, Big Bubba Rogers, now known as the Big Boss Man. Terrible match, though. Duggan and the Demos get the win.

Justin Pelletier: I liked Demolition but we're looking at a very early example that WWE creative just doesn't get it. I mean they wanted their own Road Warriors so what do they do? Get two relatively fat guys and dressed them up for an S & M club. Duggan removes his Demo mask to reveal that his face is painted with the American flag and Jesse the Body keeps me in stitches by saying that there should be an amendment passed to stop such things. Bossman is BY FAR the most athletic guy in this match. Andre and Akeem are both protected as Taylor does the bulk of the ring work for the heels. Faces win when Duggan uses the 2X4 while the ref is distracted.

Match Number Seven: Hercules vs. Greg Valentine

Sydney Brown: Recently reinstated Ron Garvin serves as guest ring announcer reminding all of how horrible his mike skills are with his poor insults of Greg Valentine (who can't decide if he's insulted or not.) Match barely gets started before Valentine uses his feet on the ropes to pin Hercules, showing us just how far down the card he's gone. Garvin reverses the decision and Valentine punks him out with a shot more believable than anything in the previous 3 minute match. At least it's short. *1/2.

Stuart Carapola: Now we get former NWA World Champion Ronnie Garvin out as ring announcer as Hercules (who used to be alive) took on Greg Valentine, a former NWA US and World Tag Team Champion who had had a terrific, bloody feud with Roddy Piper years earlier. Valentine gets a cheap win with his feet on the ropes, and Garvin makes fun of him.

Justin Pelletier: There is nothing like a throw away match at the companies second biggest PPV as this match only serves to continue a Valentine/Ronnie Garvin feud. The hand cuffs are off! Valentine off the top rope! The Hammer wins with his feet on the ropes to mercifully end this nonsense.

Match Number Eight: Ted DiBiase vs. Jimmy Snuka

Sydney Brown: Snuka's 1989 return really should have been as a heel as he just seemed too generic as a face for the fans to really take to him like they did years prior. Snuka blows a leapfrog early, landing on DiBiase's head who either improvises beautifully or got hurt legit as he staggers for a while afterwards. Other than that, it's a pretty unspectacular match as neither man seems terribly motivated. DiBiase gets a countout win to save face, and Snuka splashes Virgil to save face. Inoffensive, but nothing memorable.

Stuart Carapola: Former WWF North American Champion Ted Dibiase (which, strangely, was never mentioned ONCE during his stint as the Million Dollar Man) now went up against former NWA US Champion Jimmy Snuka. I always thought it was weird that Ted won this one by countout instead of pinfall, since Snuka was essentially a glorified jobber at this point.

Justin Pelletier: Another throwaway match as DiBiase cuts a promo on Jake Roberts before the match. Snuka rubs his nose on the way out. Gotta make sure there's no "snow on the edge of the cliff." Big time blown leapfrog nearly kills DiBiase.
Snuka goes up top and he's got to be jazzed out of his mind. With all the guys on his PPV who are now dead I wonder how the hell is this guy still staggering around? Snuka's distracted by Virgil and is counted out? Wow that sucks. Virgil takes the Superfly after the bout. That makes me wonder if maybe Virgil wouldn't have been such a jobber had Pat Patterson been a little more impressed with his "assets" upon his hiring.

Match Number Nine: Hulk Hogan & Brutus Beefcake vs. Randy Savage & Zeus

Sydney Brown: And before I even get to the match, note the ringside fan that has the "Hogan and Burtus Rule" sign before the Hogan interview. Hogan and Beefcake surprise Savage by bringing Elizabeth to second them, and Savage freaks out accordingly. Zeus of course, is terrible, no-selling everything and literally having three moves: punch, choke, and bearhug. So it's up to Savage to save things all by himself, and I'll be damned if he doesn't give it an effort. And in a surprising bit of booking, after Zeus kicks Hogan's ass all over the place, it's BEEFCAKE who actually gets the offense on Zeus with an eyerake and a sleeper. Zeus taking the fall (a rare occasion where a non-wrestler jobs) makes the appropriate ending, though the post-match gets all ECW on us as Hogan beats up Sherri (with Elizabeth delivering her first ever weapon shot) and the three all cut Sherri's hair which somehow grew about two feet in a week. I'd be lying if I said this match was even remotely good, but there is a perverseness to it, as this match ended up probably being the prototype for every WCW PPV main event from summer 1994- summer 1996 (at least two of the participants of this match were somehow involved in every WCW main event during that time.) It's not horrible, but it's not very good either.

Stuart Carapola: Finally, we hit the wall in the main event, as Hulk Hogan (who, I was surprised to find out, wasn't a WWF creation but was doing the Hulk thing for years, including a run as the Hulk against AWA Champion Nick Bockwinkel years earlier) teams with his longtime buddy Brutus Beefcake to take on former Memphis star Randy Savage and Zeus (no joke needed). Hogan and Beefcake get the win when Hogan somehow manages to pin the actor, then he beats the shit out of Sensational Sherri and cuts her hair to close the show.

Justin Pelletier: Sherri & Savage cuts a promo about the cauldron of Madness through which they can see the future. I say they're cooking Meth. ON a side not Zeus has an incredible uni brow. Who exactly thought that would make him look tough? Next comes a Hogan promo where he actually compares himself to Moses. I kid you not. I couldn't make that up. Mean Gene grins like he's popping an erection. This match makes me ponder the question: What are the chances Hogan gets Beefcake in the WWE Hall of Fame before Savage? Out comes Hogan and the place goes NUTS. When exactly did everyone turn on his lame babyface shtick? It couldn't have happened soon enough in my opinion. Zeus dominates Hogan early. Remember when Hogan actually knew pace a successful match? You know nobody in WCW does. The building is seriously going crazy for Hogan. You forget how crazily he was over after a while but people LOVED that guy. Savage and Zeus continue to dominate Hogan. I only remember Hogan looking this vulnerable two other times (against Warrior and Brock). The Macho Man is working his ass off. He's about the only guy working out there. He's running around like a mad man, throwing himself around and playing a great gimmick where he's trying to keep the crazy Zeus calm. Savage is the only redeeming aspect of this. Macho lands the big elbow on Hogan and I'll give you three guess as to how Hogan sold it. The first two don't count. Shenanigans ensue as both Liz and Sherri get in the ring and a loaded purse is used and somehow Hebner missed it all. This was just like EVERY OTHER Hulk Hogan match.

Final Thoughts

Sydney Brown: Much like it's hard to think of SummerSlam ‘95 without thinking about Mabel, it's even harder to think of SummerSlam ‘89 without thinking: Zeus. Which is a shame because I've always considered the second SummerSlam to be one of the better ones top-to-bottom. Barring the main event, this is quite possibly the most solid WWF PPV show since WrestleMania III. You have two outstanding matches (Harts-Busters, Warrior-Rude), two very good matches (both six mans) and even the matches that are really bad are kept short. Add in a hot crowd and Jesse Ventura at the top of his game, and I think this one of the better SummerSlams. It's certainly a big improvement over the first one. Thumbs up, recommended, A-.

Stuart Carapola: Summerslam 89 was such a funny show looking back on it now, because when I first saw it on tape at age 11, I had absolutely no idea what kinds of careers some of these guys had before coming to the WWF. The really funny part is that the WWF completely ignored every single one of these guys' careers prior to joining the WWF. You know, going to the WWF is even better than going into the Witness Protection Program. If you sign a contract with them, nobody will ever have any idea who you actually are.

Justin Pelletier: This was the second Summer Slam and it was good for what it was. I mean beyond the Hart Foundation/Brain Busters match the ring work wasn't anything to write home about and in some cases (Rhodes/Honky in particular) the wrestling was pretty awful. The people got what they wanted in the Hogan and Warrior victories and this acted as the catalyst for Warrior's World Title push. Each match had its own reason it was interesting and the card was filled with some of the top wrestlers of the last 20 years and that alone makes Summer Slam '89 worthwhile.