wrestling / Video Reviews

The Name on the Marquee: WWF Championship Wrestling (1.19.1985)

February 22, 2014 | Posted by Adam Nedeff
4.1
The 411 Rating
Community Grade
12345678910
Your Grade
Loading...
The Name on the Marquee: WWF Championship Wrestling (1.19.1985)  

-Originally aired January 19, 1985.

-Your hosts are Vince McMahon & Bruno Sammartino.

BLACKJACK MULLIGAN vs. R.T. REYNOLDS
-Vince notes that Reynolds is a seasoned veteran who has read the book on Blackjack Mulligan, so Mulligan immediately armdrags Reynolds and follows with a backdrop so everyone will know that the boss is an idiot.

-Mulligan keeps beating on Reynolds with his “special Eagle Pass, Texas boots” and tosses Reynolds to the floor. Reynolds gets a few punches, but Mulligan catches him with a dropkick…holy cow…and drops an elbow to finish.

-We return to Studio 54 for a backstage interview. Cyndi Lauper, David Wolff, Captain Lou Albano, and Hulk Hogan discuss Captain Lou’s calcium deposits on his brain, and he’s seeking treatment. He professes admiration for Hulk and wishes he could have managed a champion like Hulk.

BRUTUS BEEFCAKE (with Luscious Johnny Valiant) vs. JIM POWERS
-Beefcake takes a looooonnnnnggg time getting ready for action, and then some well-timed distraction by Johnny allows Brutus to take control with a sneak attack. Powers goes to work with a slam and a few fists, but Brutus comes right back with a high knee, and that’s enough to end it right there.

-Gene Okerlund talks to Andre the Giant about the big Texas Tornado match at Boston Garden.

JUNKYARD DOG vs. RUSTY BROOKS
-JYD has chopped off the afro and is wearing pretty ordinary gear this week, with none of his usual insignia adorning them.

-Headbutts by JYD. Brooks fights back with punches but runs right into a clothesline and Brooks kicks…uh, rolls over and out at two. Brooks, perhaps feeling the inspiration of Blackjack Mulligan, tries a dropkick. Dog dodges it and finishes with a Duggan-style three-point stance to finish. Post-match, Brooks is dazed and staggers around the ring, so Dog lifts him up and barrel-rolls him through the ropes. It’s a big victory for Junkyard Man, according to Bruno.

-Gene Okerlund chats it up with the Iron Sheik, who says that Mike Rotundo reminds him of all the good-looking Italian people who live in Boston and will come to support all-American state champions of the Syracuse, but Sheik doesn’t care about people who say “USA.” Gene Okerlund notes that Sheik used to be a world heavyweight champion, and Sheik yells at him for forgetting to mention that he’s a former world heavyweight champion.

THE SPOILER (with Luscious Johnny Valiant) vs. SALVATORE BELLOMO
-The commercial bumper graphic preceding this segment titled this match “Spoiled Italian.” Cute.

-Spoiler clubbers away at Bellomo and goes old school with the rope walk. Bruno notes that Bellomo’s mother is in attendance this week and is probably displeased by the ass-kicking that her son is taking.

-Bellomo shows life with a dropkick and punches, but Spoiler kicks him away, and Vince notes that Bellomo lacks God-given gifts and has to work for anything he accomplishes. I’m thinking Bellomo didn’t bother saving this tape.

-Clawhold by the Spoiler to finish, and Spoiler refuses to let go. Spoiler is a weird case of a guy that they stole and did absolutely nothing with. No feuds, and they didn’t even give him a token job-to-Hulk match at a TV taping or anything.

PIPER’S PIT
-Tito Santana is Piper’s guest this week as a result of a bunch of mail that female viewers sent in. Piper finds that odd because he can’t see the appeal in a has-been former champion. He can’t wrap his head around why Tito would want a rematch with a guy who destroyed his leg AND took his belt. Tito says he’s mastered his own version of the figure four, and when Piper calls bullshit, Tito offers to apply it.

-Piper happily accepts, then orders Cowboy Bob Orton to lie down and take the figure four instead. Orton obliges and Tito clamps it on. Orton immediately begins screaming and Tito lets go and leaves. Orton insists that the move didn’t hurt and he feels fine, all while wincing and grabbing his leg.

KEN PATERA & BIG JOHN STUDD (with Bobby Heenan) vs. PAUL ROMA & JIM YOUNG
-Studd shoves Roma on his ass, and Roma immediately tags out. Young actually goes for the $15,000, but Studd clubs him down and Patera tags in to beat on both of his opponents. Jobbers trap Patera in their corner and get some offense going, but Patera fights them off and suplexes Young. Studd tags in and finishes with a unique backbreaker, holding Young in a Razor’s Edge position until he gets the submission.

-We return to Hawaii, where Mr. Fuji and Magnificent Muraco taunt the people in America for not having women as beautiful as the women in Hawaii.

HULK HOGAN (WWF Champion) vs. THE UNPREDICTABLE JOHNNY RODZ
-The crowd clearly wasn’t expecting Hulk, which makes for a hell of a reaction.

-Front facelock by Hulk as Brutus Beefcake and Luscious Johnny show up. Luscious Johnny whispers something to Beefcake. If I’m reading lips well, he’s saying, “Align yourself with that guy; you’ll add, like, ten years to your career.”

-Hulk pays Brutus no mind and continues beating on Johnny until Brutus leaves without incident. Damn, I want to pay money for this main event NOW.

-Hulk works the arm as the crowd just suddenly DIES, and Hulk keeps working the arm. Vince notes that Rodz will be the number-one contender if he beats the champion, apparently booking RAW a full 19 years in advance to show why he’s a billionaire.

-Rodz gets in exactly enough offense to give Hulk an opening to kick out of a pinfall, Hulk up and finish business with the legdrop. The funny part: the referee gets on his knees and just waits there until Hulk connects with it.

-Gene Okerlund chats with the Magnificent Muraco about his big return to the WWF. Muraco notes that Mr. Fuji has gained weight and is nearly 350 pounds to reflect the mental and spiritual growth he’s done since becoming a manager.

-Vince wraps up by announcing that Hulk will be back next week for the debut of Hillbilly Jim.

The 411: A just-there week this time around, especially while all sit on our thumbs waiting for that sequestered footage from MSG.
 
Final Score:  4.1   [ Poor ]  legend

article topics

Adam Nedeff

Comments are closed.