klunderbunker
Welcome to My (And Not Sly's) House
So for some reason I wrote this a month ago and saved a copy on my flash drive as I always do, but I never posted it. I guess I thought I did and I completely forgot to. I'm working too hard on these.
Hulkamania Volume 2
Host: Gene Okerlund
Commentators: Gorilla Monsoon, Ernie Ladd, Alfred Hayes, Jesse Ventura, Gene Okerlund
Its part two in this six volume set (shoot me now, please?) about Hulk Hogan in the 80s and early 90s. Id assume this is closer to Mania 3 but that could be completely wrong. No idea whats on this but its longer so lets get to it.
It has the old school Coliseum Video opening so it cant be much past 87. That opening is on Survivor Series 87 but I dont think it was on Mania 4 so Id bet around 86/87 for this.
Gene flat out tells us that this is being produced in January of 1987. That helps. Its also subtitled The Saga Continues. As long as its not the Twilight Saga Im fine.
Hillbilly Jim/Hulk Hogan vs. King Kong Bundy/Big John Studd
Studd and Jim to start. Is Hogan the smallest guy in this? Jim is recently back from a leg injury. This would be just after Mania 2 if the dates I can find are correct. Studd is still doing the $15,000 slam thing. Studd slams him instead and says he wants Hulk. Hogan is in white here which is odd indeed. Heres Hogan and he gets his ass kicked with relative ease. This clearly should have been the Big John Studd set.
Hogan fights back and slams Studd and then Bundy with relative ease. Something tells me he wont get his money. Everything breaks down and the good guys clean house with Hogan drilling Heenan. Hayes says Hogan is the first man to slam Studd. I give up. Things settle down and its Hogan vs. Studd. Off to Bundy who has some better success.
Ladd wants to talk about football and is completely ignored in a funny bit. Studd and Bundy work Hogan over and its a bearhug by Studd. Off to Bundy who is immovable apparently. If so, how is he moving? An elbow misses and its off to Jim again. He crushes Jim and were right where we were a minute ago but with more denim and Deliverance references this time
Gorilla says Hogan should come in to break up the chinlock but Al says Hogan wont break the rules. And people make Superman jokes about Cena? Off to a bearhug by Studd to Jim which is relatively easily broken. Hot tag to Hogan, house is cleaned, a leg is dropped, but its broken up by Bundy and everything is thrown out for a big double DQ.
Rating: D+. Eh this was ok I guess but its the same thing you would see at any given house show in this era. That being said, the fans ate it up which is exactly the right idea since this was likely the main event. Nothing terrible, but nothing we havent seen a million times. Granted it was a simpler time.
Heenan gets splashed post match and somehow Hogan and Jim win it.
WWF World Title: Hulk Hogan vs. King Kong Bundy
In Boston I think here. Most importantly though we get the Hulks Rocking Wrestling theme! OH HELL YES!!! This is pre-Mania 2 as the tights are still white and the belt is still different looking. Granted it looked that way for over another year but theres a Wrestling Album reference so that solidifies the date. Plus a website listing the dates that I have. Bundy hammers away to start and after a brief Hogan comeback he takes Hogan down. Surprising.
Hogan gets sent to the floor and Bundy tries to keep him there because clearly you can win the title that way. Hulk pulls him to the floor and hammers away like only he can. Back in and Hogan uses his speed for a change. Usually its coke rather than speed so this is a rarity. Hogan cant slam him though so maybe he should have gone with the cocaine. Bundy falls on top for two.
We hit the chinlock for awhile as the ending is about as clear as possible. Granted every time I say that its not the typical Hogan ending so what do I know? Hogan fights up and hits some shoulder blocks but an elbow takes him down with ease. A pair of Avalanches (splash, Bundys finisher) gets two and here it comes. Third avalanche is no sold and Hogan wins with a powerslam. Damn it Im wrong again!
Rating: C. Oh come on its Hogan vs. a monster in the 80s. What were you expecting here? This is the formula to end all formulas and it works almost every time. This was perfectly acceptable as Hogan popped the crowd against large opponent #4. Whats wrong with doing what the crowd wants?
WWF World Title: Hulk Hogan vs. Randy Savage
Gene says that Savage is a better athlete. Thats something you dont hear every day in comparison (Im assuming) to Hulk. Savage is IC Champion here and this was the big house show match for like a year. Savage was great, but I dont think anyone knew how great. His time would come. Real American is here now. Crowd is CRAZY for Hogan. Still in Boston here.
Savage hides behind Liz to start and then jumps him when Hogan takes the belt off. Some heel moves just never get old. Belt to the back puts Hogan down as Savage still has his sunglasses and bandana on. Double axe from the top puts Hogan down. Liz gets on the apron for unclear reasons so Savage tells her to sit down. Hogan puts on the sunglasses and looks like an idiot.
Out to the floor we go with Hogan in control. Savage goes face first into the post and is in trouble. Actually it might have been should first but it was hard to tell. Back in and a clothesline puts Savage down. Belly to back suplex has Savage in even more trouble. The ever nice guy world champion chokes away. The referee has white shoes on which is odd to see.
Liz gets up on the apron but is thrown out rather quickly. Hogan busts out a headbutt and is destroying Savage here. Vertical suplex gets no cover. Hogan never was one to go for a cover other than at the end of the match. Savages left arm gets caught in the ropes so Hogan tries to use it for a snack. Savage manages to send him out to the floor though and drops the axehandle off the top.
Gene criticizes Savage for breaking the rules after Hogan bit, raked the eyes of and choked Savage. Maybe Jesse and Heenan were right about him all along. Savage takes him down on the floor again and sends him back in for the elbow. The fans and announcers didnt really acknowledge it as they knew the Hulk Up was coming. And wouldnt you know it there it is. Legdrop ends it as usual.
Rating: C+. Fun match as these two had mad chemistry together. Savage was the new kind of heel and it helped that he was incredibly talented. They would have better matches and this was far from their usual formula of all Savage until the very ending when Hogan would do his thing to win.
Post match Adrian Adonis runs out in a dress for the double beatdown. Hogan fights them off and pulls Adrians blouse and wig off, exposing his bra. Yes Adonis was a gay/crossdressing wrestler if youre not familiar with him.
We go to The Flower Shop which is Adrians talk show segment. Heenan has issued a challenge for Studd/Bundy vs. Hogan/Orndorff. The microphone is in a bouquet of flowers so the visuals are a bit odd. This is the beginning of the biggest feud of 1986 and we get the seeds of it here.
Adrian mentions Hogan not answering a phone call. This is in reference to Heenan trying to convince Orndorff that Hogan doesnt care about him because Hogan wont answer his calls because hes busy working out. This makes Orndorff insecure and wanting more say so in the team. Hogan says the challenge has been accepted but Orndorff says hes made a match with the two of them against the Moondogs as a practice match.
Hulk Hogan/Big John Studd vs. Hulk Hogan/Paul Orndorff
Before the match we see Hogan and Orndorff in their dressing room and Hogan says he was working out and to forget the phone call. Studd is introduced as the giant John Studd here which is a new one for me. Orndorff comes out first but Hogan literally walks past him to be in the ring first. Orndorff insists that he gets to start to prove his worth against Studd.
He grabs a sunset flip on the big man and uses the tights to get Studd down for one. Off to Bundy now as Orndorff actually raises the roof. Bundy is like bitch its the 80s and drills him with an elbow. Avalanche misses and Orndorff hammers away. Off to Studd again and Orndorff wont tag out. Paul cant slam him so its a dropkick for both heels instead. With the bad guys on the floor Hogan is finally brought in.
He hammers on Studd and gets the slam that Orndorff couldnt. Notice a pattern here? Orndorff smacks the rope and is ticked off over that. Atomic drop puts Studd down after a brief posing session. All Hogan here until he runs into a big clothesline to take him down. Off to Bundy but Studd comes in as well. Headbutt to Studd but it knocks Hogan backwards into Orndorff, sending him to the floor. The double team is on and Studd shoves the referee for the DQ.
Rating: C+. Match was nothing special as far as the in ring action went but that wasnt the point here. The idea was to make Hogan look like a self worshipping prick and to that extent it worked like a charm. The post match stuff is what matters here so Ill stop talking and get to that.
Studd/Bundy hammer away on Hogan until Orndorff finally makes the save. He raises Hogans hand and then drills him with a clothesline and a Piledriver, turning heel and starting the biggest feud of Hogans first title reign of anyone not named Andre. He calls the monsters back in but an army of faces come out to protect their meal ticket. Uh I mean friend. Yeah friend. In the back the Heenan Family and Harts guys cheer for Orndorff and praise him to no end, giving him the attention and respect that he had been wanting from Hogan all along.
This is from Saturday Nights Main Event so Im copying and pasting.
WWF World Title: Hulk Hogan vs. Paul Orndorff
This is the first cage match on network TV apparently. Well thats kind of cool. Paul has stolen Hogans music at this point which is such a great heel tactic and someone needs to steal it today. Hogan says its time for a new start but the cage is a dead end for Orndorff. His eyes are bugging out of his head so hes liked coked half to death.
Today this would be the main event of a major PPV like the Rumble with ease, if not Mania. In other words, this was HUGE. Orndorff jumps him early and were off to the races. Jess says the winner is the new champion. Does that mean the title is vacant? There are two officials here so keep that in mind as itll come into play later. Orndorff gets over the top but Hogan grabs him by the hair, allowing Jesse to get my favorite of his lines ever: Hogan would not be champion if Mr. Wonderful was bald. The delivery of it is just great.
Jesse is oddly hypocritical here by saying anything goes in a cage but then bitching about Hogan choking with a bandana. Vince keeps calling Hogan Champion Hogan. Hes done it at least 5 times in as many minutes. Danny Davis, the future evil referee, has the door locked for Hogan but unlocked for Orndorff. In a rather stupid moment, Hogan blocks a shot into the cage and rams Orndorff in, but Hogan winds up going in as well. Weird.
We get to the famous finish as both guys climb up on opposite sides and hit the floor at the seemingly same time where Davis names Orndorff as referee but Marella (Gorilla Monsoons son in some not that well known trivia) says it was Hogan. Jesse and Vince got at it over this. Fink says its a tie so were going to continue!
One key thing here is Orndorff is taking it to Hogan. Hes not a bit afraid of Hogan at all and isnt your traditional challenger as hes smaller than Hogan. One thing Ive always wondered: why doesnt Orndorff throw Hogan in and then just step back out and win the title? Davis is taken away thanks to Hogan hitting him earlier. Hogan Hulks Up and beats the living hell out of Wonderful, just completely destroying him for a long time before a leg drop (set up by a backbreaker of all things) lets him get out. He beats up Heenan for fun afterwards as a total dick since Heenan wasnt even facing him.
Rating: B. You need the context of this match to get why its so good. This was the final blowoff to this feud that went on for at least half a year. It was the undisputed top feud in the company and drew a TON of money. Also keep in mind that this was the first televised cage match ever on national TV. It was a PPV-level main event on free TV so how could it not be huge? However, it was only the appetizer as soon after this, Hogan would get a trophy for being world champion for three years. Andre would get a smaller one for being undefeated for fifteen years. The Frenchman wasnt happy with it.
WWF World Title: Hulk Hogan vs. Brutus Beefcake
This is from Landover, Maryland which I think is just outside of Baltimore. Hogan is in white again as the yellow wasnt quite finalized yet. This is the Dream Team Brutus so hes just a tag wrestler for the most part. This would be just a step ahead of Edge vs. Justin Gabriel today. Brutus struts a lot. This is from August of 85 apparently. Basically every time Hogan goes for a punch Brutus struts away so Hogan finally does the same thing for a nice reaction.
Clothesline by Hogan puts Brutus down and an atomic drop puts him on the floor. Back in and Brutus lands some forearms and Hogan goes flying. You would think he had been shot or something. Hogan rams him into the buckle and chokes away, showing off that extensive offensive repertoire. Hogan throws a headbutt for the third match on this tape with the commentators saying theyve never seen it before. This is the earliest chronologically here so maybe they havent seen it at this point.
Brutus takes over again and sends Hulk to the floor. Hogan fights back with his usual stuff and bites Brutus head. Brutus is like boy you dont bite the Booty Man and sends him into the railing. That gets two back in the ring. Powerslam by Beefcake gets two. Theres a bearhug which is an odd move as Brutus isnt a very muscular guy at this point. This eats up a good minute and a half to two minutes.
Hogan fights out of it and hits a big clothesline to take Brutus down. An elbow sets up a bunch of left hands (it was 1985 so he didnt have the routine down just yet). Theres the big boot and then a slam to set up the legdrop .for two? Oh ok Johnny V, the manager of Brutus that I may not have mentioned, distracted Hogan. A high knee from Brutus takes Johnny down and Hogan rolls up Brutus to end it.
Rating: D+. This wasnt anything great at all. The problem at the end of the day is that Brutus meant nothing here and didnt have any real history with Hogan. Heenans guys had a history against Hogan but Johnny V was a nothing manager with like one tag team to his name that meant anything. Boring match and not Hogans bread and butter which hurt it a lot.
George Steele/Hulk Hogan vs. Randy Savage/Adrian Adonis
This is going to be a comedy match Id assume. Steele tries to bite Adrian after their entrance before we get going. He also rips his shirt off ala Hogan in a funny for some reason bit. Hogan eats a turnbuckle and everything is insane. We finally get down to a match with Steele vs. Savage in the ultra rare dark red boots and tights.
Savage runs to the floor and Hogan scares him right back in. Back to the floor again as you can see that Savage cut his teeth in Memphis. Thats pure old school Lawler/Jarrett stuff and it works very well. We shift off to Hogan vs. Adonis with the ring covered in the turnbuckle stuffing. Corner clothesline to Adonis and it all breaks down again. Adonis is kind of crotched on the railing outside but it kind of missed.
Back in and its Hogan with a big boot to Adonis but he makes a blind tag to bring in Savage. Hogan beats up Savage too because he can and its off to Steele. Steele is sent into the corner and Adrian hammers away on him. Off to Savage who does exactly the same. He tries a sleeper but Steele bites his arm instead. Off to Hogan and Adonis with Adonis hitting a suplex for two.
Another suplex hits for the same result. According to Hayes ONLY Hogan could kick out of that. Sweet damn did they suck up to him way too much. Sleeper, Adonis finisher, goes on until Adonis just drops him and throws down Hogan. Middle rope splash eats knees and its off to Savage. Everything breaks down again and Savage accidently backdrops Adonis and the leg drop ends him.
Rating: C. Just a glorified comedy match for a house show main event. Not a thing wrong with that as the whole thing worked for its purpose. The fans loved it and we got some slightly funny spots out of it also. What more can you ask for from a match with Adrian Adonis and George Steele in it?
WWF World Title: Hulk Hogan vs. Kamala
I think were in MSG here and Kamala was in the middle of something resembling a main event push. Hogan has the yellow on here too. Leap frog by Kamala and Hogan is taken down by a shoulder which has Hogan stunned. Hogan cant slam him but Kamala can slam Hogan.
Something resembling a forearm to the downed Hogan misses and here comes Hogan. He pounds away but cant take Kamala down even with a flying knee. Kamalas manager The Wizard interferes and here comes Kamala again. He chokes away and adds some basic strikes as I think I know where this is going.
The Wizard is King Curtis Iaukea who died last year and was the Master in the Dungeon of Doom. Heenan says hes going to interview the world champion post match and he thinks itll be Kamala. Thats why I love Bash at the Beach so much: Heenan was FINALLY able to be right about Hogan. Splash, Kamalas finisher, gets two and Hogan starts gyrating. Hogan slaps his stomach like Kamala and gets the slam. Wizard pulls Hogan to the floor so Kamala can splash him and its a DQ. Cheap ending.
Rating: D+. The ending hurts it here but the match was nothing we havent seen five times on this tape already. Its not bad but we get it: Hogan can beat up monsters. Hogan probably should have just beaten him here but Im assuming this is to set up a rematch next month or something like that.
Hogan cleans house post match.
Bobby Heenan/Big John Studd/King Kong Bundy vs. Super Machine/Big Machine/Hulk Machine
Super is Ax from Demolition, Big is Blackjack Mulligan and theyre a comedy team that usually had a guest third partner that more often than not was Andre. Theyre here because Andre is suspended before he turned heel. Still in MSG here and its yet again a fun match to send the fans home happy. Hogan vs. Bundy to start us off here. Slam to Bundy and the fans are exploding already. See what I mean about sending them home happy?
Off to Studd vs. Big Machine now which lasts for a second as its back to Bundy. Off to Super now and Studd comes back in for some double teaming. You can tell thats Ax as he hammers away like he would in Demolition a few years later. They mention a pair of tags so apparently Im not going crazy. Bundy vs. Mulligan (I think) and we get a front facelock by Bundy to give him control.
Super comes in and gets hammered down quickly as the fans want Heenan in there. Bundy vs. Ax if youre confused at the moment. The future Demolition guy avoids a splash and hits some shots but winds up back in the corner again. Hey its Heenan for a change. He gets caught in the ribs but tries a headbutt which hurts himself. Off to Hogan now who cleans house.
Heenan gets to his corner but Bundy cant master the concept of slapping hands so Bobby takes more of a beating. Its off to Bundy and Super Machine now with the masked dude in control. Mulligan has been in here just a bit the entire match now. Bundy takes over with a splash and then he and Studd just change places. Now theres a tag or something but its kind of confusing. The Machines do some masked magic to bring in Hogan. Slam to Studd and the leg drop ends this.
Rating: C. Again this is the same thing as before with nothing special about it but the fans loved it. Cant really complain but with a two hour tape and about 90 minutes of it being the same stuff over and over again this was a bit much. Either way though this wasnt bad and at least its over now.
Overall Rating: C+. This definitely worked but like I said it can get repetitive. Im a life long Hulkamaniac though so this worked for me. If nothing else we got some meat to it with the whole Orndorff thing. They could have used some more stuff in here and less cheap finishes, but overall you cant complain for a two hour tape showcasing Hogans level of awesome. Better than Volume 1.
Hulkamania Volume 2
Host: Gene Okerlund
Commentators: Gorilla Monsoon, Ernie Ladd, Alfred Hayes, Jesse Ventura, Gene Okerlund
Its part two in this six volume set (shoot me now, please?) about Hulk Hogan in the 80s and early 90s. Id assume this is closer to Mania 3 but that could be completely wrong. No idea whats on this but its longer so lets get to it.
It has the old school Coliseum Video opening so it cant be much past 87. That opening is on Survivor Series 87 but I dont think it was on Mania 4 so Id bet around 86/87 for this.
Gene flat out tells us that this is being produced in January of 1987. That helps. Its also subtitled The Saga Continues. As long as its not the Twilight Saga Im fine.
Hillbilly Jim/Hulk Hogan vs. King Kong Bundy/Big John Studd
Studd and Jim to start. Is Hogan the smallest guy in this? Jim is recently back from a leg injury. This would be just after Mania 2 if the dates I can find are correct. Studd is still doing the $15,000 slam thing. Studd slams him instead and says he wants Hulk. Hogan is in white here which is odd indeed. Heres Hogan and he gets his ass kicked with relative ease. This clearly should have been the Big John Studd set.
Hogan fights back and slams Studd and then Bundy with relative ease. Something tells me he wont get his money. Everything breaks down and the good guys clean house with Hogan drilling Heenan. Hayes says Hogan is the first man to slam Studd. I give up. Things settle down and its Hogan vs. Studd. Off to Bundy who has some better success.
Ladd wants to talk about football and is completely ignored in a funny bit. Studd and Bundy work Hogan over and its a bearhug by Studd. Off to Bundy who is immovable apparently. If so, how is he moving? An elbow misses and its off to Jim again. He crushes Jim and were right where we were a minute ago but with more denim and Deliverance references this time
Gorilla says Hogan should come in to break up the chinlock but Al says Hogan wont break the rules. And people make Superman jokes about Cena? Off to a bearhug by Studd to Jim which is relatively easily broken. Hot tag to Hogan, house is cleaned, a leg is dropped, but its broken up by Bundy and everything is thrown out for a big double DQ.
Rating: D+. Eh this was ok I guess but its the same thing you would see at any given house show in this era. That being said, the fans ate it up which is exactly the right idea since this was likely the main event. Nothing terrible, but nothing we havent seen a million times. Granted it was a simpler time.
Heenan gets splashed post match and somehow Hogan and Jim win it.
WWF World Title: Hulk Hogan vs. King Kong Bundy
In Boston I think here. Most importantly though we get the Hulks Rocking Wrestling theme! OH HELL YES!!! This is pre-Mania 2 as the tights are still white and the belt is still different looking. Granted it looked that way for over another year but theres a Wrestling Album reference so that solidifies the date. Plus a website listing the dates that I have. Bundy hammers away to start and after a brief Hogan comeback he takes Hogan down. Surprising.
Hogan gets sent to the floor and Bundy tries to keep him there because clearly you can win the title that way. Hulk pulls him to the floor and hammers away like only he can. Back in and Hogan uses his speed for a change. Usually its coke rather than speed so this is a rarity. Hogan cant slam him though so maybe he should have gone with the cocaine. Bundy falls on top for two.
We hit the chinlock for awhile as the ending is about as clear as possible. Granted every time I say that its not the typical Hogan ending so what do I know? Hogan fights up and hits some shoulder blocks but an elbow takes him down with ease. A pair of Avalanches (splash, Bundys finisher) gets two and here it comes. Third avalanche is no sold and Hogan wins with a powerslam. Damn it Im wrong again!
Rating: C. Oh come on its Hogan vs. a monster in the 80s. What were you expecting here? This is the formula to end all formulas and it works almost every time. This was perfectly acceptable as Hogan popped the crowd against large opponent #4. Whats wrong with doing what the crowd wants?
WWF World Title: Hulk Hogan vs. Randy Savage
Gene says that Savage is a better athlete. Thats something you dont hear every day in comparison (Im assuming) to Hulk. Savage is IC Champion here and this was the big house show match for like a year. Savage was great, but I dont think anyone knew how great. His time would come. Real American is here now. Crowd is CRAZY for Hogan. Still in Boston here.
Savage hides behind Liz to start and then jumps him when Hogan takes the belt off. Some heel moves just never get old. Belt to the back puts Hogan down as Savage still has his sunglasses and bandana on. Double axe from the top puts Hogan down. Liz gets on the apron for unclear reasons so Savage tells her to sit down. Hogan puts on the sunglasses and looks like an idiot.
Out to the floor we go with Hogan in control. Savage goes face first into the post and is in trouble. Actually it might have been should first but it was hard to tell. Back in and a clothesline puts Savage down. Belly to back suplex has Savage in even more trouble. The ever nice guy world champion chokes away. The referee has white shoes on which is odd to see.
Liz gets up on the apron but is thrown out rather quickly. Hogan busts out a headbutt and is destroying Savage here. Vertical suplex gets no cover. Hogan never was one to go for a cover other than at the end of the match. Savages left arm gets caught in the ropes so Hogan tries to use it for a snack. Savage manages to send him out to the floor though and drops the axehandle off the top.
Gene criticizes Savage for breaking the rules after Hogan bit, raked the eyes of and choked Savage. Maybe Jesse and Heenan were right about him all along. Savage takes him down on the floor again and sends him back in for the elbow. The fans and announcers didnt really acknowledge it as they knew the Hulk Up was coming. And wouldnt you know it there it is. Legdrop ends it as usual.
Rating: C+. Fun match as these two had mad chemistry together. Savage was the new kind of heel and it helped that he was incredibly talented. They would have better matches and this was far from their usual formula of all Savage until the very ending when Hogan would do his thing to win.
Post match Adrian Adonis runs out in a dress for the double beatdown. Hogan fights them off and pulls Adrians blouse and wig off, exposing his bra. Yes Adonis was a gay/crossdressing wrestler if youre not familiar with him.
We go to The Flower Shop which is Adrians talk show segment. Heenan has issued a challenge for Studd/Bundy vs. Hogan/Orndorff. The microphone is in a bouquet of flowers so the visuals are a bit odd. This is the beginning of the biggest feud of 1986 and we get the seeds of it here.
Adrian mentions Hogan not answering a phone call. This is in reference to Heenan trying to convince Orndorff that Hogan doesnt care about him because Hogan wont answer his calls because hes busy working out. This makes Orndorff insecure and wanting more say so in the team. Hogan says the challenge has been accepted but Orndorff says hes made a match with the two of them against the Moondogs as a practice match.
Hulk Hogan/Big John Studd vs. Hulk Hogan/Paul Orndorff
Before the match we see Hogan and Orndorff in their dressing room and Hogan says he was working out and to forget the phone call. Studd is introduced as the giant John Studd here which is a new one for me. Orndorff comes out first but Hogan literally walks past him to be in the ring first. Orndorff insists that he gets to start to prove his worth against Studd.
He grabs a sunset flip on the big man and uses the tights to get Studd down for one. Off to Bundy now as Orndorff actually raises the roof. Bundy is like bitch its the 80s and drills him with an elbow. Avalanche misses and Orndorff hammers away. Off to Studd again and Orndorff wont tag out. Paul cant slam him so its a dropkick for both heels instead. With the bad guys on the floor Hogan is finally brought in.
He hammers on Studd and gets the slam that Orndorff couldnt. Notice a pattern here? Orndorff smacks the rope and is ticked off over that. Atomic drop puts Studd down after a brief posing session. All Hogan here until he runs into a big clothesline to take him down. Off to Bundy but Studd comes in as well. Headbutt to Studd but it knocks Hogan backwards into Orndorff, sending him to the floor. The double team is on and Studd shoves the referee for the DQ.
Rating: C+. Match was nothing special as far as the in ring action went but that wasnt the point here. The idea was to make Hogan look like a self worshipping prick and to that extent it worked like a charm. The post match stuff is what matters here so Ill stop talking and get to that.
Studd/Bundy hammer away on Hogan until Orndorff finally makes the save. He raises Hogans hand and then drills him with a clothesline and a Piledriver, turning heel and starting the biggest feud of Hogans first title reign of anyone not named Andre. He calls the monsters back in but an army of faces come out to protect their meal ticket. Uh I mean friend. Yeah friend. In the back the Heenan Family and Harts guys cheer for Orndorff and praise him to no end, giving him the attention and respect that he had been wanting from Hogan all along.
This is from Saturday Nights Main Event so Im copying and pasting.
WWF World Title: Hulk Hogan vs. Paul Orndorff
This is the first cage match on network TV apparently. Well thats kind of cool. Paul has stolen Hogans music at this point which is such a great heel tactic and someone needs to steal it today. Hogan says its time for a new start but the cage is a dead end for Orndorff. His eyes are bugging out of his head so hes liked coked half to death.
Today this would be the main event of a major PPV like the Rumble with ease, if not Mania. In other words, this was HUGE. Orndorff jumps him early and were off to the races. Jess says the winner is the new champion. Does that mean the title is vacant? There are two officials here so keep that in mind as itll come into play later. Orndorff gets over the top but Hogan grabs him by the hair, allowing Jesse to get my favorite of his lines ever: Hogan would not be champion if Mr. Wonderful was bald. The delivery of it is just great.
Jesse is oddly hypocritical here by saying anything goes in a cage but then bitching about Hogan choking with a bandana. Vince keeps calling Hogan Champion Hogan. Hes done it at least 5 times in as many minutes. Danny Davis, the future evil referee, has the door locked for Hogan but unlocked for Orndorff. In a rather stupid moment, Hogan blocks a shot into the cage and rams Orndorff in, but Hogan winds up going in as well. Weird.
We get to the famous finish as both guys climb up on opposite sides and hit the floor at the seemingly same time where Davis names Orndorff as referee but Marella (Gorilla Monsoons son in some not that well known trivia) says it was Hogan. Jesse and Vince got at it over this. Fink says its a tie so were going to continue!
One key thing here is Orndorff is taking it to Hogan. Hes not a bit afraid of Hogan at all and isnt your traditional challenger as hes smaller than Hogan. One thing Ive always wondered: why doesnt Orndorff throw Hogan in and then just step back out and win the title? Davis is taken away thanks to Hogan hitting him earlier. Hogan Hulks Up and beats the living hell out of Wonderful, just completely destroying him for a long time before a leg drop (set up by a backbreaker of all things) lets him get out. He beats up Heenan for fun afterwards as a total dick since Heenan wasnt even facing him.
Rating: B. You need the context of this match to get why its so good. This was the final blowoff to this feud that went on for at least half a year. It was the undisputed top feud in the company and drew a TON of money. Also keep in mind that this was the first televised cage match ever on national TV. It was a PPV-level main event on free TV so how could it not be huge? However, it was only the appetizer as soon after this, Hogan would get a trophy for being world champion for three years. Andre would get a smaller one for being undefeated for fifteen years. The Frenchman wasnt happy with it.
WWF World Title: Hulk Hogan vs. Brutus Beefcake
This is from Landover, Maryland which I think is just outside of Baltimore. Hogan is in white again as the yellow wasnt quite finalized yet. This is the Dream Team Brutus so hes just a tag wrestler for the most part. This would be just a step ahead of Edge vs. Justin Gabriel today. Brutus struts a lot. This is from August of 85 apparently. Basically every time Hogan goes for a punch Brutus struts away so Hogan finally does the same thing for a nice reaction.
Clothesline by Hogan puts Brutus down and an atomic drop puts him on the floor. Back in and Brutus lands some forearms and Hogan goes flying. You would think he had been shot or something. Hogan rams him into the buckle and chokes away, showing off that extensive offensive repertoire. Hogan throws a headbutt for the third match on this tape with the commentators saying theyve never seen it before. This is the earliest chronologically here so maybe they havent seen it at this point.
Brutus takes over again and sends Hulk to the floor. Hogan fights back with his usual stuff and bites Brutus head. Brutus is like boy you dont bite the Booty Man and sends him into the railing. That gets two back in the ring. Powerslam by Beefcake gets two. Theres a bearhug which is an odd move as Brutus isnt a very muscular guy at this point. This eats up a good minute and a half to two minutes.
Hogan fights out of it and hits a big clothesline to take Brutus down. An elbow sets up a bunch of left hands (it was 1985 so he didnt have the routine down just yet). Theres the big boot and then a slam to set up the legdrop .for two? Oh ok Johnny V, the manager of Brutus that I may not have mentioned, distracted Hogan. A high knee from Brutus takes Johnny down and Hogan rolls up Brutus to end it.
Rating: D+. This wasnt anything great at all. The problem at the end of the day is that Brutus meant nothing here and didnt have any real history with Hogan. Heenans guys had a history against Hogan but Johnny V was a nothing manager with like one tag team to his name that meant anything. Boring match and not Hogans bread and butter which hurt it a lot.
George Steele/Hulk Hogan vs. Randy Savage/Adrian Adonis
This is going to be a comedy match Id assume. Steele tries to bite Adrian after their entrance before we get going. He also rips his shirt off ala Hogan in a funny for some reason bit. Hogan eats a turnbuckle and everything is insane. We finally get down to a match with Steele vs. Savage in the ultra rare dark red boots and tights.
Savage runs to the floor and Hogan scares him right back in. Back to the floor again as you can see that Savage cut his teeth in Memphis. Thats pure old school Lawler/Jarrett stuff and it works very well. We shift off to Hogan vs. Adonis with the ring covered in the turnbuckle stuffing. Corner clothesline to Adonis and it all breaks down again. Adonis is kind of crotched on the railing outside but it kind of missed.
Back in and its Hogan with a big boot to Adonis but he makes a blind tag to bring in Savage. Hogan beats up Savage too because he can and its off to Steele. Steele is sent into the corner and Adrian hammers away on him. Off to Savage who does exactly the same. He tries a sleeper but Steele bites his arm instead. Off to Hogan and Adonis with Adonis hitting a suplex for two.
Another suplex hits for the same result. According to Hayes ONLY Hogan could kick out of that. Sweet damn did they suck up to him way too much. Sleeper, Adonis finisher, goes on until Adonis just drops him and throws down Hogan. Middle rope splash eats knees and its off to Savage. Everything breaks down again and Savage accidently backdrops Adonis and the leg drop ends him.
Rating: C. Just a glorified comedy match for a house show main event. Not a thing wrong with that as the whole thing worked for its purpose. The fans loved it and we got some slightly funny spots out of it also. What more can you ask for from a match with Adrian Adonis and George Steele in it?
WWF World Title: Hulk Hogan vs. Kamala
I think were in MSG here and Kamala was in the middle of something resembling a main event push. Hogan has the yellow on here too. Leap frog by Kamala and Hogan is taken down by a shoulder which has Hogan stunned. Hogan cant slam him but Kamala can slam Hogan.
Something resembling a forearm to the downed Hogan misses and here comes Hogan. He pounds away but cant take Kamala down even with a flying knee. Kamalas manager The Wizard interferes and here comes Kamala again. He chokes away and adds some basic strikes as I think I know where this is going.
The Wizard is King Curtis Iaukea who died last year and was the Master in the Dungeon of Doom. Heenan says hes going to interview the world champion post match and he thinks itll be Kamala. Thats why I love Bash at the Beach so much: Heenan was FINALLY able to be right about Hogan. Splash, Kamalas finisher, gets two and Hogan starts gyrating. Hogan slaps his stomach like Kamala and gets the slam. Wizard pulls Hogan to the floor so Kamala can splash him and its a DQ. Cheap ending.
Rating: D+. The ending hurts it here but the match was nothing we havent seen five times on this tape already. Its not bad but we get it: Hogan can beat up monsters. Hogan probably should have just beaten him here but Im assuming this is to set up a rematch next month or something like that.
Hogan cleans house post match.
Bobby Heenan/Big John Studd/King Kong Bundy vs. Super Machine/Big Machine/Hulk Machine
Super is Ax from Demolition, Big is Blackjack Mulligan and theyre a comedy team that usually had a guest third partner that more often than not was Andre. Theyre here because Andre is suspended before he turned heel. Still in MSG here and its yet again a fun match to send the fans home happy. Hogan vs. Bundy to start us off here. Slam to Bundy and the fans are exploding already. See what I mean about sending them home happy?
Off to Studd vs. Big Machine now which lasts for a second as its back to Bundy. Off to Super now and Studd comes back in for some double teaming. You can tell thats Ax as he hammers away like he would in Demolition a few years later. They mention a pair of tags so apparently Im not going crazy. Bundy vs. Mulligan (I think) and we get a front facelock by Bundy to give him control.
Super comes in and gets hammered down quickly as the fans want Heenan in there. Bundy vs. Ax if youre confused at the moment. The future Demolition guy avoids a splash and hits some shots but winds up back in the corner again. Hey its Heenan for a change. He gets caught in the ribs but tries a headbutt which hurts himself. Off to Hogan now who cleans house.
Heenan gets to his corner but Bundy cant master the concept of slapping hands so Bobby takes more of a beating. Its off to Bundy and Super Machine now with the masked dude in control. Mulligan has been in here just a bit the entire match now. Bundy takes over with a splash and then he and Studd just change places. Now theres a tag or something but its kind of confusing. The Machines do some masked magic to bring in Hogan. Slam to Studd and the leg drop ends this.
Rating: C. Again this is the same thing as before with nothing special about it but the fans loved it. Cant really complain but with a two hour tape and about 90 minutes of it being the same stuff over and over again this was a bit much. Either way though this wasnt bad and at least its over now.
Overall Rating: C+. This definitely worked but like I said it can get repetitive. Im a life long Hulkamaniac though so this worked for me. If nothing else we got some meat to it with the whole Orndorff thing. They could have used some more stuff in here and less cheap finishes, but overall you cant complain for a two hour tape showcasing Hogans level of awesome. Better than Volume 1.