Saturday Night's Main Event II Review

Original Airdate: Saturday, October 5th, 1985
Brendan Byrne Arena
East Rutherford, New Jersey

Follow me on Twitter: @WorkTheNetwork2

I figured that since I recently realized that Saturday Night's Main Event was still on Peacock, that now would be a good time to start back up on these again. I already did the first one, so it's time to do the second episode. I don't really like 1985 much, but let's see how this episode is. 

Nikolai Volkoff and Freddie Blassie are with Mean Gene and we get a quick promo and then it goes to a solo Hogan promo. Hogan is all about the red, white and blue. Now it's time for Mean Gene with Hillbilly Jim and Uncle Elmer to talk about the first televised wedding since 1979. Piper comes in and makes fun of Elmer and then we go into the intro music. This takes us to Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura running through tonight's card. I have seen this show once before, but I really don't remember any of it. They show Volkoff in the ring while he waits for Vince and Jesse to shut up. Jesse says that the wedding has no business being on the show. 

WWF Championship Match
Nikolai Volkoff vs. Hulk Hogan

Volkoff sings the Soviet anthem and no Hogan run in. Mean Gene does a live interview with Hogan and he can't stand seeing our enemy's flag in the ring. Vince says that should be truly one of the best matches. I bet it won't be. Volkoff attacks Hogan as he is putting the flag down and we get the obnoxiously bad bell ringing that plagues this era. The attack naturally doesn't last long and Hogan hits a big clothesline. It is always weird to see Hogan wear something other than yellow in WWF. Hogan knocks Volkoff and he lands on the table outside the ring. Volkoff is able to shove Hogan into the ring post to regain control. Volkoff struggles to do so, but he holds Hogan up above his head to hit a backbreaker. He brags about it and only gets the 2 count. Volkoff has to be one of the least athletic looking wrestlers of the pay per view era. It looks like it takes every ounce of athleticism he has just to do a stomp. It's time for the Hulk up and he avoids a Volkoff charge in the corner. Hogan hits the leg drop and that's all. This was your normal non-threatening Hogan match from this era. Hogan grabs the Soviet flag and spits into it and then shines his boot with it. He holds up the American flag over it and please just get this off my television. 

Match Rating: *1/2

We get another interview with Hogan and he calls Volkoff "baby doll". Why did people ever like Hogan again? Mean Gene reveals that he'll be playing the organ at the wedding tonight. They show a shot of the bride getting ready and then back to Uncle Elmer and friends. This was not very good. 

Jerry Valiant vs. Uncle Elmer

Valiant runs right into Elmer and he body slams him and pins him for the win. Yes, this is real. This show is off to a roaring start. They say that it breaks the record of King Kong Bundy and then show the match that they claim is only 9 seconds and it clearly is way longer than that. Doubling down on stupidity, sort of like his buddy in office.

Match Rating: 1/4*

We get another interview with the hillbillies, and it looks like it was taped at the same time as the last interview. 

It's time for the Body Shop with Bobby Heenan. Maybe we'll actually get something good here. Heenan confirms that Paul Orndorff fired him and the only reason he did was because he heard Heenan was going to dump him. They talk about the bounty on Orndorff for $50,000. It just kind of ends and then they go to Orndorff with Mean Gene and he cuts a terrible promo about Roddy Piper. Orndorff heads to the ring and now it's time to talk to Piper. He says he has no problem ripping Heenan's throat out if he doesn't deliver on the bounty and rips on Orndorff for putting baby oil on himself. 

Paul Orndorff vs. Roddy Piper

Piper gets the bagpipe entrance here. After a commercial break, they start brawling for a hot start. It's odd that they are both wearing blue trunks. Orndorff hits a clothesline but Piper comes back with a boot. Orndorff hits an elbow off the top rope and hits a back suplex. Piper comes back and hits a knee to the face. They collide in the center and both men are down. Piper goes for a splash and Orndorff gets the knees up. Orndorff goes for a crossbody and the momentum throws them both outside the ring. They continue brawling outside and we get the obvious double countout as they continue to fight. They fight under the elevated announce table and then into the backstage area. Piper goes into a dressing room and locks the door. We all knew this would have a non-finish, so I can't really be surprised there. They did give it their all for this one, even though it was really short. 

Match Rating: **

Mean Gene is indeed playing the organ. This feels so bush league. Jesse just keeps ripping on Elmer, who is wearing overalls and a tie. Andre the Giant and Hulk Hogan are among those in the ring for this epic ceremony. This is just absolutely terrible television. Someone threw something in the ring and it hits the bride in the head. Somehow there is about 8 minutes of wrestling left and over a half hour left in the show. Elmer keeps screwing up his lines. Out comes Roddy Piper and he says there is no room for romance and wrestling. He says that everything stinks and leaves after Hogan gives him a dirty look. The wedding is over and they show the reception area with hay, chicken and pigs walking around. 

We go to Mean Gene with Bobby Heenan, Big John Studd and King Kong Bundy. They say Andre is the 3rd best big man and Studd brags about cutting his hair before commercial break. 

Big John Studd & King Kong Bundy vs. Andre The Giang & Tony Atlas

Andre starts choking Bundy with the strap from ring gear. Atlas gets in a lot of offense for a guy who I forgot still worked here during this time. He goes for some sort of leaping move, but Studd hangs on to the ropes and Atlas misses. Andre and Studd distract the ref and Bundy splashes Atlas. Andre gets tagged in and gets in some kidney shots and a headbutt. Andre hits a boot and Bundy comes in from behind to attack Andre. On the outside, Studd drives Atlas into the ring post. Bundy hits an avalanche and then both men repeatedly double team him as the bell rings. Out comes Hulk Hogan, just in case he wasn't in this episode enough. He takes care of the villains and the crowd likes it. This was as bad as you would think it was. 

Match Rating: 1/2*

Mean Gene is out to interview Hogan still in his wedding gear. For someone like me who has hated Hogan since I started watching wrestling over 35 years ago, this is way too much Hogan for me. 

We now go out in the field to Mean Gene. He's in a tiger striped truck. He's Jungle Gene tonight and he's looking for George Steele. They are at the Detroit Zoo. Big shoutout to one of my favorite places to hang out at. He's at the camel exhibit that is still pretty much in the same state in 2026. They show Steele getting shock treatment and then they go around the zoo. This is a really bad variation of a Coliseum Video spots they liked to do. They show a hippo, which I can confirm is no longer at the zoo. This was stupid. 

Lanny Poffo & Tony Garea vs. Dream Team

We get a promo from the Dream Team before the match and say mostly nothing. Lanny looks quite different here I have to say. They show Barry Windham and Mike Rotundo in the crowd watching the match. This was not a great tag team title scene here in 1985. Poffo is able to withstand Valentine's early offense and hits a moonsault on Brutus. Garea gets a hot tag but it isn't long before Valentine is putting on the Figure Four. Garea submits and that was a match that happened. Beefcake dumps Lanny to the floor and continue to attack Garea. 

Match Rating: *1/4

It's time for Elmer's reception. Vince is sitting with Hogan, Orndorff and Ventura. Vince is interviewing the wrestlers and Jesse just keeps mumbling over them talking. Mean Gene is with Captain Lou and Cousin Junior. He then goes over to Leaping Lanny and he does one of his lame poems. How was this ever a babyface gimmick? Everyone claps when it's over. The best man is Hillbilly Jim and he proposes a toast. I couldn't imagine trying to stay up for this at 1:00 am. Tiny Tim is now out and rambles on like anyone cares about what he has to say. He gives them a ukelele. Jesse comes up now and reads a poem. It ends with him talking about how love and wrestling don't mix. That brings up Orndorff and Hogan with some terrible acting and then Hillbilly Jim trips him into the cake. 

We come back after commercial that King Kong Bundy and Big John Studd will take on Andre The Giant and Hogan for the next Saturday Night's Main Event. Then we get another commercial. 

Vince signs off with Elmer and Joyce dancing in the background.

Look, I get it. I wasn't really around for 1985 TV, but I grew up close enough to all of this to know this wasn't good. I get that they were breaking some new ground, but I just don't care about most of the performers from this era. There have been worse shows, but I was checking how much time was left on this show far too often. 

Overall Rating: 36%