Sunday, April 1st, 1990
SkyDome
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Follow me on Twitter: @WorkTheNetwork2
Off The Grid, Volume 21:
It should be noted that I am watching the DVD version of this show so that it is the complete show.
We kick things off with the awesome constellation Vince intro and with the ultimate WrestleMania theme music. Robert Goulet is here to sing O Canada and we're underway.
Koko B Ware vs. Rick Martel
Just minutes into the show, you can tell we are getting prime Gorilla Monsoon. Koko gets off to a hot start with some dropkicks and a clothesline to send Martel out of the ring. Koko brings him back in the hard way, but Martel is able to dump him out of the ring. Martel slows things down and tries to put Koko in the Boston Crab, but he's able to fight his way to the ropes before he can flip him over. Koko makes a comeback, but misses with a second rope reverse crossbody. Martel grabs the legs and flips him into the Boston Crab for the victory. That was an enjoyable opener, even if it was on the short side. Both of these guys were always reliable for solid matches.
Match Rating: **
We get a quick promo from the tag team champs, where Bobby Heenan doesn't get to say too much. We then head to Demolition who let us know that they're going to smash the champions.
WWF Tag Team Championship Match
Colossal Connection vs. Demolition
Things get started in a hurry and as you would expect, it's a brawl. I'm kind of bummed that this version has the generic music instead of the real Demolition theme. I always have liked Smash/Barry Darsaw, but I've really grown to appreciate Ax over the last few years. Andre really could barely move at this point, which is sad. After an early advantage, Haku is able to shift the momentum. Smash gets the hot tag and they even knock down Andre who tries to come in. Andre holds Smash, but he ducks and Haku kicks him so that he is tied up in the ropes. Demolition hits Demolition Decapitation and we have ourselves new champions with one of my favorite pops ever. It's totally ruined by this generic music blaring, but still pretty great. After the match, Heenan starts losing it at Andre. Heenan slaps him and that's not a good idea. Andre grabs him by the neck and hits him with some slaps to the face. Heenan is kicked out and then Haku tries to kick him, but Andre catches him. Andre headbutts him and rolls him out of the ring. Heenan and Haku try to get on the mini ring cart, but Andre kicks them out and heads back alone. The match was pretty good for what it was and the crowd loved it.
Match Rating: **1/4
Earthquake is here with one of his bouncing promos as Hercules heads to the ring.
Hercules vs. Earthquake
Jimmy Hart is in WrestleMania mode, no question about it. Herc gets in a few jabs before Quake goes out to regroup. Earthquake bouncing angrily in the ring is always pretty impressive. Hercules gets in more offense than you would expect here. Quake hits his impressive elbow drops and then signals for the end. He hits the running splash and that's all. After the match, he hits a second splash for good measure.
Match Rating: *1/2
Rona Barrett is with Miss Elizabeth, who promises that if she returns to ringside that she'll be far more active than she has ever been.
Brutus the Barber Beefcake, what are you doing? We'd all like to know. Brutus says that he's going to ruin his perfect record.
Mr. Perfect vs. Brutus Beefcake
Perfect bumps around for Beefcake, who admittedly was still pretty over here. They show Mary Tyler Moore in the crowd and claim that she's a huge fan of Brutus. Genius gets up on the apron and leaves the scroll for Perfect. Perfect nails him in the face behind the ref's back and Brutus is in trouble. Perfect works on Beefcake for a little bit, but then Beefcake hits a slingshot where Perfect hits the ring post and that's the end of the perfect streak. I know I'm not alone in saying that I'm sure I could have thought of someone better to beat Perfect for the streak. Beefcake goes after the Genius after the match and throws him back in the ring. He puts him in the sleeper and starts trimming away. This match was disappointing considering how good Perfect was in this time period.
Match Rating: **
They show highlights of Bad News Brown and Roddy Piper brawling to the back at Royal Rumble. We then get one of the low points of Piper's career where he painted himself and cuts a pretty racist promo. I'm not sure how any of this ever got approved.
Bad News Brown vs. Roddy Piper
This match is a straight up punch and kick fest. Bad News dominates most of the match and removes the turnbuckle pad behind the referee's back. Piper moves out of the way and Bad News runs into the exposed steel. Piper puts on a Michael Jackson style glove, just to make this worse. The action spills outside and Bad News goes for a fist, but Piper ducks and he hits his hand on the ring post. They begin brawling and again and the bell rings for a double countout. They start brawling out through the aisle. This one wasn't that great and then throw in Piper's terrible decision, so this is far from a stellar effort.
Match Rating: 3/4*
I'm switching over to the Peacock version. We go back to Steve Allen with the Bolsheviks practicing in the shower and honestly I love this segment.
Hart Foundation vs. Bolsheviks
The Bolsheviks of course want to sing the Soviet national anthem and of course the Hart Foundation attack them. Neidhart clotheslines Volkoff over the top rope. They hit the Hart Attack on Zhukov and that is all. On a card with so many matches, you have to have at least one of these and this was the right choice.
Match Rating: 1/4*
WrestleMania VII is going to be at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on March 24th. We promise!
Surprisingly, Tito gets a promo spot on the first stop of his jobbing to the Powers Of Pain tour he did in 1990.
Barbarian vs. Tito Santana
Barb is still rocking the face paint here. I always liked the antler look he developed after this. This is a rare Tito match where the crowd isn't really into it. Crowd fatigue is a real thing and somehow companies still keep putting on 4+ hour shows. Barbarian hits a big boot to the face and follows it up with a shoulder breaker. He goes up to the second rope, but misses with the elbow drop. Tito hits a couple of dropkicks and the flying forearm, but Heenan is there to put Barbarian's foot on the bottom rope. Barbarian is able to pull Tito's neck into the top rope and then hits the top rope clothesline for the finish. Tito's sell of that was really good. What a pro he was.
Match Rating: *3/4
After showing highlights of their feud, Dusty Rhodes and Sapphire are with Sean Mooney. Dusty hints at a crown jewel for tonight.
Randy Savage & Sensational Sherri vs. Dusty Rhodes & Sapphire
Dusty gets on the mic and introduces Miss Elizabeth out to a big pop. We get some shenanigans to start and we quickly get to the butt bopping of Sapphire. She looks to be moving in slow motion, especially with Savage in this match. Savage is just so good. He hits the double ax handle from the top to the floor and Sherri rakes Dusty's eyes behind the referee's back. Savage then hits a second ax handle. Savage then throws Sapphire to the floor and then hits a double ax handle inside the ring. Savage grabs the scepter and hits him in the back with it. Sherri then hits a top rope splash on Dusty and for some reason the ref counts it. Dusty fires back with a double noggin knocker. Sherri gets thrown outside and Elizabeth throws her back in. Sherri gets into it with Elizabeth and she pushes Sherri over Sapphire's back and they get the pin. Dusty then clears the ring with the scepter and we get a dancing celebration by the victors. This match wasn't particularly good, but the characters all played their roles well.
Match Rating: *3/4
Mean Gene is with a distraught Bobby Heenan. Heenan seems to lose his train of thought and then goes on another rant.
Gorilla and Ventura are with Rona Barrett, who looks tiny. She hints at an adult video featuring Ventura, so they send over to an irate Savage and Sherri. We then go back to Gene with Demolition and I really will never understand why they decided to turn them heel after this. They were still very, very over.
Now it's time to hear from Hulk Hogan and he talks about the greatest arena of all times, SkyDome. Hulk then says it doesn't matter if you win or lose, it just matters what kind of winner and loser you are. Right.
Now we go to Sean Mooney and Ultimate Warrior. Warrior then tells Mooney that he's not allowed to breathe the same air that he and Hogan breathe.
Orient Express vs. Rockers
I prefer the Kato version of the Express. Rockers hit some double teams, including a double dive to the outside. Fuji hooks the top rope with his cane and Jannetty goes to the floor. He then gets in a cheap shot with a cane to the back and the Rockers are in trouble. There are 3 pretty marvelous mullets in this one. Tanaka is able to get in a kick to the back of Michaels to stop the Rockers' momentum. Michaels hits the hot tag to Jannetty after a clothesline and he's able to take care of both men on his own. A double dropkick sends Kato out of the ring and they hit a double back body drop on Tanaka. They go for the double top rope maneuver, but Fuji hooks the leg of Jannetty. Marty goes after Fuji and gets salt thrown in his face. He falls over the rail and the Rockers are counted out in a bummer of a finish. I know a lot of people are hard on this match and the Rockers were supposedly not in the best shape here on this night, but this is still a good tag team match. It just has an awful finish for a WrestleMania match.
Match Rating: ***
Steve Allen is backstage and interviews Rhythm & Blues and he just basically makes fun of Honky while Valentine stands there.
Dino Bravo vs. Jim Duggan
It's kind of interesting that you would book a guy who brings an American flag down with him to face a Canadian in Canada. Earthquake is at ringside for this one. Ventura's commentary is more entertaining here than the match. I certainly don't like Bravo, but I'm not sure he's my least favorite like many retro wrestling fans out there. Things break down with distractions and Duggan grabs his 2x4 and hits Bravo in the back and picks up the victory. In comes Earthquake and he attacks Duggan. Quake hits the splash and build up for his feud for Hogan has begun. Jimmy Hart pinning the referee in the corner is good stuff. Earthquake ends up hitting 3 splashes on Duggan. The match was what it was.
Match Rating: 3/4*
Jake Roberts delivers one of his most iconic promos here. Good stuff.
Million Dollar Championship Match
Ted Dibiase vs. Jake Roberts
Jake takes things a little slow for a grudge match, but dominates the early portion. Jake misses with a high knee and slows things down even more. The wave gets started in the crowd, which is never what you want during your match. DiBiase hits a piledriver, but takes his time to pin him. Jake reverses the pin, but DiBiase kicks out at 2. DiBiase is able to snap on the Million Dollar Dream and Jake is starting to fade, but he gets his foot on the bottom rope. DiBiase goes off the second rope, but Jake his a punch to the midsection. Jake hits a back body drop and the short arm clothesline. He also stalls before signaling for the DDT. Virgil pulls Jake out of the ring, so Jake hits him with a body slam. DiBiase comes from behind and puts Jake in the Million Dollar Dream. Jake hits him into the post, but Virgil rolls DiBiase in the ring and he gets the victory by countout. This is the second bummer of a finish in a 3 match span. The match was slightly better than I had remembered, but still disappointing given the story that went into the build. After the match, Jake clotheslines both DiBiase and Virgil. Virgil runs off to the back with the Million Dollar belt and Jake hits the DDT. Jake gives away some of the money and people fighting over the bill on the floor is great entertainment. He then hands one to Mary Tyler Moore and we get a rare agreement from Gorilla and Jesse that she doesn't need it. Jake brings out Damien, but out runs Virgil to roll DiBiase out of there. Jake has to run all the way to the back with that huge python on his back. That's no easy task.
Match Rating: *3/4
Slick and Akeem are with Sean Mooney. Slick was always such a great promo. Boss Man is with Mean Gene and talks about DiBiase being scum and that he doesn't take money from anyone.
Akeem vs. Big Boss Man
DiBiase was hiding under the ring and he attacks Boss Man before the match. This leads to a classic argument between Jesse and Gorilla of what's fair. Akeem can't get the easy victory and gets a little bit of offense before Boss Man hits a botched inverted atomic drop. He hits the Boss Man Slam and that's it. I like Boss Man from this era, but this stunk. Boss Man then gets revenge on Slick.
Match Rating: 1/4*
Sean Mooney is out in the crowd and asks some kids about Honky's new hit single. He then goes over to Mary Tyler Moore who seems to be having a good time, but knows nothing about really what's going on.
It's time for the Rhythm & Blues performance and they of course come out in Diamond Dallas Page's pink Cadillac. Greg Valentine is the best part of this. He is just so out of place, it's fantastic. The Bushwhackers are out disguised as merch salesmen. Rhythm & Blues hurry to the back and Butch and Luke mock and then destroy their guitars.
Howard Finkel announces the attendance record for SkyDome at 67,678 fans.
Rick Rude vs. Jimmy Snuka
Steve Allen joins the announce booth for this one. Rude's music is so underrated. Snuka knocks him down and mocks Rude's dance. He dropkicks Rude out of the ring and Rude comes back in and goes for a sunset flip. Snuka holds onto the ropes to block it. Rude hits a suplex and shows us the real dance. Rude's tights are among his best ever here. Snuka misses a second rope headbutt and Rude hits the Rude Awakening for the victory. Rude looked good here as they re-build him up as a top contender. This was a pretty spirited match despite having to be rushed.
Match Rating: **
It's now time for the hype video for the Ultimate Challenge.
WWF Championship Match
Ultimate Warrior vs. Hulk Hogan
Despite this show not doing as big of business as previous Manias, the crowd is absolutely phenomenal here. We get a test of strength to start things off. Warrior brings Hogan to his knees and Hogan looks to be in complete agony. He of course battles back up and brings Warrior to his knees. Hogan takes him down and looks for a quick pin. Crisscross and Hogan hits a scoop slam. Warrior is right back up and we crisscross again. Warrior then hits a scoop slam, but Hogan is slow to get up. Warrior clotheslines hi over the top. Hogan is on the outside selling a knee injury. Warrior rolls him back in, but Hogan is limping. No knee injury is enough to stop Hogan and he's back hitting elbow drops with ease. Hogan goes for a rare small package, but Warrior kicks out. After a few pin attempts, Hogan slows it down with some rest holds. Warrior breaks the hold with some elbows and we get the iconic double clothesline. Warrior starts shaking the ropes as he puts Hogan on the other side of Hulk up. Warrior hits a series of clotheslines and slaps on the bearhug. Hogan battles out of it and when Warrior runs the ropes, Hogan ducks and he accidentally hits the referee. Warrior goes up to the top rope and hits a double ax handle. Warrior goes for the running shoulder tackle, but Hogan moves and pushes him to the mat. The referee isn't there to count, so Hogan does and complains. Warrior is back up and hits a back suplex and this time Warrior covers Hogan with no ref. The ref is back up and Hogan gets a 2 count. Hogan hits an elbow that pushes Warrior over the top rope. They battle outside and Warrior shoves Hogan into the ring post. Back in the ring, Warrior gets Hogan up and hits the gorilla press. He hits the splash, rolls Hogan over, but Hogan kicks out. Hogan is Hulking up and he hits the big boot. Warrior moves out of the way for the leg drop, he hits the big splash and we have a new champion. That's two crowd pops on this show that still give me chills to this day. I love the little twist thrown in at the end with Hogan hulking up after Warrior did, giving you that feeling that of course Hogan is going to win again. This was a very worthy WrestleMania main event with good storytelling. The rest holds probably could have been cut down a little bit, but that's about the only complaint. After the match, Hogan raises the hand of the Warrior and we get a big hug. Warrior gets the big pyro finale as Hogan gets carted off to the back.
Match Rating: ***1/2
Well, this one was a lot more enjoyable than I remembered. Obviously from my match ratings, there weren't a handful of great matches or anything, but this is one of those comfort food types of shows that you like to go back and re-watch. The commentary, the crowd and the roster are all very good and really make the show. The main event isn't an absolute classic, but it's a big nostalgia trip for most retro fans and one that's worth taking.
Overall Rating: 81%
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