Gorilla Monsoon

WWF SUMMERSLAM 1991 Recap + Review – Match Made in Heaven, Match Made in Hell, Virgil’s Shining Moment, Hart vs. Perfect

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DATE: August 21, 1991
VENUE: Madison Square Garden (Manhattan, NY)
COMMENTATORS: Gorilla Monsoon, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, & Bobby “The Brain” Heenan
VIEWING METHOD: Peacock

WWF SummerSlam 1991 features a Match Made in Heaven (the wedding between Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth) and a Match Made in Hell (Hulk Hogan & Ultimate Warrior vs. Sgt. Slaughter, Gen. Adnan, & Col. Mustafa with Sid Justice as the special guest referee), a legendary Intercontinental Championship match, a JAILHOUSE MATCH, and arguably the biggest moment in Virgil’s career that isn’t related to meat sauce at the Olive Garden. This is the first PPV I ever watched live so the nostalgia for me is STRONG, let’s see how it holds up.

CHAMPIONS

  • WWF CHAMPION: Hulk Hogan
  • WWF INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPION: Mr. Perfect
  • WWF TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS: The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs & Jerry Sags)

LINEUP

  • The Dragon, The Texas Tornado, & The British Bulldog vs. The Warlord and Power & Glory (**1/2)
  • Bret Hart [c] vs. Mr. Perfect for the WWF INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP (****1/4)
  • The Bushwhackers vs. The Natural Disasters (*)
  • Ted DiBiase [c] vs. Virgil for the MILLION DOLLAR CHAMPIONSHIP (****)
  • JAILHOUSE MATCH: The Big Boss Man vs. The Mountie (*1/2)
  • STREET FIGHT: The Nasty Boys [c] vs. The Legion of Doom for the WWF TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP (**)
  • Greg Valentine vs. Irwin R. Schyster (*1/2)
  • THE MATCH IN MADE IN HELL: Hulk Hogan & The Ultimate Warrior vs. Sgt. Slaughter, Gen. Adnan, & Col. Mustafa [w/ Sid Justice as the Special Guest Referee (*1/4)
  • THE MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN: The Wedding of Randy Savage & Miss Elizabeth (NR)

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‘WWF WRESTLEMANIA IX’ Recap + Review – Bret vs. Yoko, Mega Maniacs vs. Money Inc., Maybe I Don’t Hate Giant Gonzalez?

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DATE: April 4, 1993
VENUE: Caesar’s Palace (Las Vegas, NV)
COMMENTATORS: Jim Ross, “Macho Man” Randy Savage, & Bobby “The Brain” Heenan

Long regarded as one of the worst WrestleMania events of all-time, the 9th edition of the event really leaned into their Caesar’s Palace (parking lot) location from the graphics to mostly everyone being decked out in togas. It was an interesting experiment that many considered a failure. But was it? Was it really?

…

Okay kinda but I think I did end up liking the show a lot more than most people. Let’s run down the show and I’ll tell you why.

CHAMPIONS

  • WWF CHAMPION: Bret “The Hitman” Hart
  • WWF INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPION: “The Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels
  • WWF TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS: Money Inc. (“The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase & Irwin R. Schyster)

LINEUP (Personal Favorites in Bold)

  • Shawn Michaels [c] vs. Tatanka for the WWF INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP
  • The Steiner Brothers vs. The Headshrinkers
  • Crush vs. Doink The Clown
  • Bob Backlund vs. Razor Ramon
  • Money Inc. [c] vs. Mega Maniacs for the WWF TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
  • Mr. Perfect vs. Lex Luger
  • The Undertaker vs. Giant Gonzalez
  • Bret Hart [c] vs. Yokozuna for the WWF CHAMPIONSHIP
  • A TOTALLY FINE AND NOT ALL CONTROVERSIAL SECOND MATCH I WON’T SPOIL HERE

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‘WWF WRESTLEMANIA 2’ Recap + Review – Hogan vs. Bundy, Dream Team vs. Bulldogs, 3 Venues in 3 Cities

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DATE: April 7, 1986 VENUE 1: Nassau Coliseum (Uniondale, NY) VENUE 2: Rosemont Horizon (Rosemont, IL) VENUE 3: Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena (Los Angeles, CA) COMMENTATORS: Various After taking a big gamble with their first WrestleMania the year before, the WWF decided to ride their wave of popularity and one-up what they had done … Read more

[PPV Recap] ‘WWF ROYAL RUMBLE 1991’ – Warrior vs. Slaughter, Virgil Becomes His Own Man, Also a Rumble

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DATE: January 19, 1991
VENUE: Miami Arena (Miami, FL)
COMMENTATORS: Gorilla Monsoon & “Rowdy” Roddy Piper

The 1991 Royal Rumble features a WWF Championship match for the first time on its card as The Ultimate Warrior defends against the traitorous Sgt. Slaughter. Also on the show The Big Boss Man slaps meat with The Barbarian, The Mountie makes his WWF PPV debut, and oh right there’s a Royal Rumble match too. How silly of me.

CHAMPIONS

  • WWF CHAMPION: The Ultimate Warrior
  • WWF INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPION: Mr. Perfect
  • WWF TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS: The Hart Foundation (Bret “Hitman” Hart & Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart)

LINEUP

  • The Rockers vs. The Orient Express (****)
  • Big Boss Man vs. The Barbarian (***1/2)
  • Ultimate Warrior [c] vs. Sgt. Slaughter for the WWF CHAMPIONSHIP (*3/4)
  • Koko B. Ware vs. The Mountie (*)
  • Dusty & Dustin Rhodes vs. Ted DiBiase & Virgil (*1/2)
  • THE 1991 ROYAL RUMBLE (***)

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[PPV Recap] ‘WWF SURVIVOR SERIES 1990’ – A Legacy Begins, an Egg is Hatched

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DATE: November 22, 1990 VENUE: Hartford Civic Center (Hartford, CT) COMMENTATORS: Gorilla Monsoon & “Rowdy” Roddy Piper Survivor Series ‘90 features a unique (and sadly one time only) spin on the Survivor Series format as the survivors of each match will go on to a final Survivor Series match to determine the ULTIMATE winner of … Read more

[TV Review] ‘WWF Monday Night Raw’ 1.2.95 – Luger/Davey Boy vs. Bigelow/Tatanka TWICE, King’s Court

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Commentators: Gorilla Monsoon & “The Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels

The first Monday Night RAW features Lex Luger & Davey Boy Smith taking on Bam Bam Bigelow & Tatanka, and in the main event…Lex Luger & Davey Boy Smith take on Bam Bam Bigelow & Tatanka! Also on this episode Jeff Jarrett teases singing, Todd Pettengill delivers a Royal Rumble report, and Jerry Lawler invites fellow king Owen Hart on The King’s Court.

CHAMPIONS

  • WWF CHAMPION: “Big Daddy Cool” Diesel
  • WWF INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPION: “The Bad Guy” Razor Ramon
  • WWF TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS: Vacant

LINEUP

  • Lex Luger & Davey Boy Smith vs. Bam Bam Bigelow & Tatanka (*1/2)
  • Duke Droese vs. Mike Bell
  • Jeff Jarrett vs. Buck Quartermain
  • Lex Luger & Davey Boy Smith vs. Bam Bam Bigelow & Tatanka (*1/2)

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[PPV Recap] ‘WWF WrestleMania VIII’ – Hogan vs. Sid, Savage vs. Flair, Piper vs. Hart

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Date: April 5, 1992
Venue: The Hoosier Dome (Indianapolis, IN)
Commentators: Gorilla Monsoon & Bobby ‘The Brain’ Heenan

WrestleMania VIII features a “double main event” as Ric Flair defends the WWF Championship against Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan takes on Sid Justice in Hogan’s “final match”. Lots of quotations going on here folks. Also on the show Roddy Piper defends the Intercontinental Championship against Bret Hart, a newly babyface Undertaker faces off against former friend Jake Roberts, and much more! I don’t think I’ve watched this since the live PPV and I was five back then, so let’s see how it holds up now.

CHAMPIONS

  • WWF CHAMPION: ‘The Nature Boy’ Ric Flair
  • WWF INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPION: ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper
  • WWF TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS: Money Inc. (‘The Million Dollar Man’ Ted DiBiase & IRS)

LINEUP

  • Tito Santana vs. Shawn Michaels (***)
  • The Undertaker vs. Jake Roberts (*¼)
  • Roddy Piper [c] vs. Bret Hart for the WWF INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP (***¾)
  • Jim Duggan, Sgt. Slaughter, Big Boss Man, & Virgil vs. The Mountie, Repo Man, & The Nasty Boys (*½)
  • Ric Flair [c] vs. Randy Savage for the WWF CHAMPIONSHIP (****)
  • Tatanka vs. Rick Martel (**)
  • Money Inc. [c] vs. The Natural Disasters for the WWF TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP (¾*)
  • Owen Hart vs. Skinner (NR)
  • Hulk Hogan vs. Sid Justice (DUD)

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[PPV Recap] ‘WWF WrestleMania VII’ – Hogan vs. Slaughter, Warrior vs. Savage

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Date: March 24, 1991
Venue: Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena (Los Angeles, CA)
Commentators: Gorilla Monsoon & Various

The 7th annual WrestleMania features the FIGHT FOR AMERICA as Hulk Hogan challenges turncoat Sgt. Slaughter for the WWF Championship. Also on the show The Ultimate Warrior and Randy Savage meet in a Retirement Match, Jake Roberts takes on Rick Martel in an infamous (for the wrong reasons) Blindfold Match, and also seven hundred other matches. It’s another beefy boi of a card, so strap in.

CHAMPIONS

  • WWF CHAMPION: Sgt. Slaughter
  • WWF INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPION: Mr. Perfect
  • WWF TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS: The Hart Foundation (Bret ‘Hitman’ Hart & Jim ‘The Anvil’ Neidhart)

LINEUP

  • The Rockers vs. Haku & The Barbarian (***½)
  • Kerry Von Erich vs. Dino Bravo (*)
  • Davey Boy Smith vs. The Warlord (**)
  • The Hart Foundation [c] vs. The Nasty Boys for the WWF TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP (**½)
  • BLINDFOLD MATCH: Jake Roberts vs. Rick Martel (*¾)
  • Jimmy Snuka vs. The Undertaker (*½)
  • RETIREMENT MATCH: The Ultimate Warrior vs. Randy Savage (****¼)
  • Genichiro Tenryu & Koji Kitao vs. Demolition (*)
  • Mr. Perfect [c] vs. The Big Boss Man for the WWF INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP (**)
  • Greg Valentine vs. Earthquake (*)
  • The Legion of Doom vs. Power & Glory (NR)
  • Virgil vs. Ted DiBiase (**)
  • Tito Santana vs. The Mountie (NR)
  • Sgt. Slaughter [c] vs. Hulk Hogan for the WWF CHAMPIONSHIP (***)

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[PPV Recap] ‘WWF SummerSlam 1988’ – Mega Powers vs. Mega Bucks, A Warrior Emerges

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Date: August 29, 1988
Venue: Madison Square Garden (Manhattan, NY)
Commentators: Gorilla Monsoon & ‘Superstar’ Billy Graham

The first-ever SummerSlam features a tag team main event, as The Mega Powers (Hulk Hogan & Randy Savage) take on The Mega Bucks (Ted DiBiase & Andre The Giant) with the SUPER IMPARTIAL Jesse Ventura as the special guest referee. Also on the show The Hart Foundation challenge Demolition for the Tag Team Championship, The Honky Tonk Man’s record-setting reign as Intercontinental Champion meets its ULTIMATE end, and…Ken Patera takes on Bad News Brown? If that last match doesn’t sell you on this show I’m not sure what will.

CHAMPIONS

  • WWF CHAMPION: ‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage
  • WWF INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPION: The Honky Tonk Man
  • WWF TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS: Demolition (Ax & Smash)

LINEUP

  • The British Bulldogs vs. The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers (**3/4)
  • Ken Patera vs. Bad News Brown (1/2*)
  • The Junkyard Dog vs. Rick Rude (1/4*)
  • The Powers of Pain vs. The Bolsheviks (*)
  • The Honky Tonk Man [c] vs. ??? for the WWF INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP (NR)
  • Don Muraco vs. Dino Bravo (1/4*)
  • Demolition [c] vs. The Hart Foundation for the WWF TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP (**1/2)
  • Koko B. Ware vs. The Big Boss Man (*1/2)
  • Jake Roberts vs. Hercules (**)
  • SPECIAL GUEST REFEREE – JESSE VENTURA: The Mega Powers vs. The Mega Bucks (**)

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[PPV Recap] ‘WWF WrestleMania VI’ – The Ultimate Challenge

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Date: April 1, 1990
Venue: The Skydome (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
Commentators: Gorilla Monsoon & Jesse ‘The Body’ Ventura

I have watched WrestleMania VI more than any other show I had on VHS, and I’ve even reviewed it already a couple of times since I began writing about pro wrestling. So why am I doing it again? Nostalgia aside WrestleMania VI is an important show that shifts the WWF from its 80s heyday to the 90s with a stellar main event that is way better than it had any right to be. Also it’s WrestleMania season and I feel like it. Cool? Cool. Let’s gooooo.

CHAMPIONS

  • WWF CHAMPION: Hulk Hogan
  • WWF INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPION: The Ultimate Warrior
  • WWF TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS: The Colossal Connection (Haku & Andre The Giant)

LINEUP

  • Koko B. Ware vs. Rick Martel (*3/4)
  • The Colossal Connection [c] vs. Demolition for the WWF WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP (*3/4)
  • Hercules vs. Earthquake (**)
  • Brutus Beefcake vs. Mr. Perfect (**)
  • Roddy Piper vs. Bad News Brown (DUD)
  • The Hart Foundation vs. The Bolsheviks (NR)
  • Tito Santana vs. The Barbarian (**)
  • MIXED TAG TEAM MATCH: Dusty Rhodes & Sapphire vs. Randy Savage & Sensational Sherri (**1/4)
  • The Rockers vs. The Orient Express (**1/4)
  • Jim Duggan vs. Dino Bravo (*1/4)
  • Ted DiBiase [c] vs. Jake Roberts for the MILLION DOLLAR CHAMPIONSHIP (**)
  • Big Boss Man vs. Akeem (NR)
  • Jimmy Snuka vs. Rick Rude (*1/2)
  • CHAMPION VS. CHAMPION: Hulk Hogan [World] vs. The Ultimate Warrior [Intercontinental] for the WWF CHAMPIONSHIP & WWF INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP (****3/4)

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