-Technical Issues
-Today we look at WWE Old School from January 23, 1984.
-The WWF on MSG Network was shown from MSG in New York City on January 23, 1984.
-Old School and MSG Network intros.
-Gorilla Monsoon and Pat Patterson are the announcers for the event and welcome us to MSG.
-Jose Luis Rivera vs. Tony Garea: Howard Finkel welcomes us and introduces the officials for the night. Garea and Rivera lock up and drive to the corner and break clean. They circle each other. Rivera with a hammerlock. Garea reverses. Rivera gets to the ropes. They have a series of reversals. Rivera with a side headlock takeover. He gets some two counts. Garea gets back to his feet and out. Rivera with a crossbody for a two count. Garea with an arm drag. Rivera pushes off and Garea comes back with a shoulder block. He gets another and then an arm drag into an arm bar. Rivera with a scoop slam, but Garea hangs onto the arm bar. Rivera gets back to his feet. Back and forth. Rivera with a roll up for a two count. Garea with a single leg takedown. Rivera goes for a dropkick as Garea goes for a backdrop and it gets awkward. Garea with a snap mare for a one count. Rivera with a reverse crossbody, but Garea rolls through to get the pin.
-Mr. Fuji and Tiger Chung Lee vs. The Invaders: Invader 1 and Lee start. They drive to the ropes. Break clean. Another drive and break. They trade chops. Lee with a suplex and Invader 1 comes back with a sunset flip for a two count. Invader 2 comes in and has a wrist lock on. Into an arm wringer and Invader 1 tagged back in. Invader 2 tagged back in and the Invaders are quick tagging. Invader 1 in and Lee picks him up and brings him to the other corner. Invader 2 out of the corner and they circle each other. They exchange hammerlocks and Fuji tagged in. They lock up and Invader 2 with an Irish whip and a shot. Fuji pushes off from an arm lock and Invader 2 with a shoulder block. Invader 2 with a crossbody for a two count. Invader 2 with an arm drag. Lee tagged in and he gets arm dragged. Invader 1 tagged in. Back and forth. Invader 2 tagged in. Quick tags by the Invaders. They keep an arm bar on Lee as Invader 1 back in. Lee comes back and he and Fuji choke and double team Invader 1 in their corner. Fuji tagged in. Headbutt to Invader 1's midsection. Then another one. Lee tagged in. He gets an arm bar. He gets an Irish whip and a backdrop for a one count. Fuji tagged back in and gets a nerve hold and a suplex. Invader 1 reverses a suplex. Fuji goes up top, but gets caught and slammed off. Lee and Invader 2 both tagged in. Invader 2 with a corner whip and beating Lee down in the corner. Invader 2 with a side headlock. Lee with a back suplex to get out of the move. Fuji tagged in. He gets a side suplex, but Invader 1 breaks up the pin. Fuji goes back to the nerve hold. Invader 2 coming back, but Fuji cuts him off with a chop. Lee tagged in. He gets a bear hug on Invader 2. Invader 2 gets up, but can't make the tag. Lee goes back to the bear hug. Invader 1 breaks it up, but while the referee was getting him out, Fuji and Lee make the phantom tag. Fuji with a hold on the kidney area. Invader 2 makes the tag to Invader 1. He gets a dropkick. Lee tagged in. They trade blows. Lee with a series of corner whips and an inverted atomic drop. He follows it up with a snap mare and a chin lock. Invader 1 comes back with a dropkick. He goes for a corner splash, but Lee moves. Invader 2 tagged in. He gets a dropkick for a two count. Invader 1 tagged in and goes to work on Lee's leg. Both Invaders working over the leg. Invader 2 with a leg lock on Lee. Fuji tagged in. Invaders keep quick tagging as they are now working on Fuji's leg. Invader 1 gets a two count. He then gets an abdominal stretch. Lee tagged in and Invader 1 gets the abdominal stretch on him. Invader 2 goaded in, so Fuji breaks up the hold. Invader 2 tagged in. He gets the abdominal stretch on Lee. Now all four men in and the heels run into each other and then the Invaders put the row boat on as the bell rings and it's a time limit draw. The crowd boos when the decision is announced.
-The Masked Superstar vs. Chief Jay Strongbow: The bell rings and they circle each other. They lock up and drive to the ropes. They break. They look like they are bad mouthing each other in the ring, but you can't hear anything. Strongbow with a side headlock. Superstar gets to the ropes. They lock up again and Strongbow goes back to the side headlock. Superstar pushes off. Strongbow comes back with a shoulder block and goes back to the side headlock. Superstar pushes off and Strongbow comes back, slides through Superstar's legs and goes back to the side headlock. He gets Superstar down to the mat. They trade holds. They lock up again and surprise, Strongbow goes back to the side headlock. Superstar pushes off. Strongbow ducks a chop and hits one of his own. He goes back to the side headlock. Superstar pushes off and Strongbow chops him down. Very repetitive match. Strongbow goes after the mask. Superstar goes outside to regroup. He gets in the ring and they go back and forth. Strongbow hits some knee lifts and goes after the mask again. Superstar comes back with an elbow to the ribs. Strongbow with an Irish whip and the sleeper on Superstar. Superstar fights out and hits a clothesline to Strongbow to pin him.
-Ivan Putski vs. Sgt. Slaughter: Slaughter takes his time taking his gear off. Putski shadow boxing Slaughter. Slaughter steps out to the apron. Slaughter posing to Putski making fun of Putski. Putski responds by posing himself. They stall trying to psych each other out. They finally lock up, but break. Another lock up and push off. Putski shoves Slaughter off and scoop slams him. Putski with a side headlock. Slaughter pushes off and Putski comes back with a shoulder block that knocks Slaughter down to the mat. Putski goes back to the side headlock. Slaughter goes to push off, but Putski holds onto the hold. Slaughter with an atomic drop. He hits some backbreakers to get a two count. Slaughter runs Putski into the turnbuckle. Putski then runs Slaughter into the turnbuckle. Putski kicks Slaughter into the top turnbuckle and Slaughter is just laying there. He then corner whips Slaughter into the opposite corner. Slaughter reverses another corner whip and hits Putski with a clothesline. Slaughter goes for a scoop slam, but Putski falls on him for a two count. Putski ducks a clothesline and hits the Polish Hammer. He follows it up with a shoulder block to send Slaughter to the outside. Slaughter is bleeding. They exchange blows on the ring apron. Slaughter chopped into the ring as the bell rings. They are still going at it in the ring as Putski corner whips Slaughter, who does his up and over to the floor bump, so TASIYDAH. They continue to slug it out and the referee is trying to separate them. Slaughter wins by count out.
-Mean Gene Okerlund interviews Paul Orndorff. Orndorff says he's better than everyone else. He promises that Sal Bellomo will take the piledriver.
-Paul Orndorff with Roddy Piper vs. Sal Bellomo: The heels take their time getting to the ring. Piper tells the referee to check Bellomo's knee pad. The heels threaten to leave and get booed. They get in the ring and Piper takes his time disrobing Orndorff. This takes way too long. Orndorff attacks Bellomo from behind and just demolishes him. He drops a knee on Bellomo's throat and slams him down. He slaps Bellomo. Orndorff with an Irish whip and a backdrop. He gets a two count. He goes to scoop slam Bellomo, who falls on Orndorff for a two count. Orndorff with a corner whip, but Bellomo moves on the charge. Bellomo making a comeback. Back and forth. Bellomo with an arm bar. Orndorff coming back. Bellomo goes back to the arm bar. They trade moves. Orndorff with a belly to back suplex. He then throws Bellomo to the outside. Piper screams at Bellomo and Orndorff keeps Bellomo from getting into the ring. Orndorff comes out and slams Bellomo on the floor. He gets Bellomo back in and suplexes him for a two count. Orndorff with a knee to Bellomo in the corner. Bellomo still fighting back. Orndorff slams Bellomo and goes for a flying knee drop, but Bellomo moves out of the way. Bellomo coming back. Orndorff catches Bellomo with a power slam and hits the piledriver to get the pin.
-Mean Gene interviews Fred Blassie and The Iron Sheik. Blassie says they tried to pull something on them by substituting Hulk Hogan, but the Sheik is ready.
-WWF Heavyweight Championship Match. The Iron Sheik with Fred Blassie vs. Hulk Hogan: Sheik and Blassie in first. Hogan is shown in the back with a red American Made T-shirt on. The Network dubs in Real American, but originally it was Eye of the Tiger. The crowd loves Hogan and hates the Sheik and Blassie. The bell rings and Hogan attacks Sheik before he can take his stuff off and the crowd is here for it. Hogan with a corner whip and back elbow to Sheik. Hogan grabs Sheik's headgear, Irish whips Sheik, and clotheslines him with the head gear. The referee gets the head gear away. Hogan with another Irish whip and clothesline to Sheik. He follows it up with a knee drop. He then chokes Sheik for a three count. He then hits the big boot and covers for a two count. Hogan with an Irish whip and a running elbow to knock Sheik down and drops another elbow. He gets another two count. Hogan with a corner whip, but Sheik moves on the charge. Sheik hitting Hogan with some right hand shots. Sheik follows it up with a backbreaker for a two count. Back and forth. Sheik kicks Hogan in the throat and loads up his boot. He kicks Hogan in the back. Sheik gets the Boston crab on. Hogan powers out. Sheik with a gut wrench suplex. He gets a two count. Sheik with a boot to the kidney and gets the Camel Clutch on. Hogan fighting it. Hogan stands up, but still has Sheik on his back. Hogan goes back and rams Sheik into the corner to knock him off. Hogan hits the leg drop and pins Sheik to become the new WWF Champion and a new era of Hulkamania is born. The crowd goes wild. Hogan is presented with the belt and holds it up high. They keep it up as Howard Finkel announces the result. Officials come out and load Sheik on a stretcher. Sheik gets off the stretcher and he and Hogan go at it again. Hogan throws Sheik out of the ring to the delight of the crowd. Sheik grabs a chair and throws it into the ring. Hogan grabs the chair and tells Sheik to bring it and officials get Sheik to the back.
-Mean Gene interviews Hulk Hogan. Andre the Giant comes in and pours Champagne on Hogan. Ivan Putski and Rocky Johnson also come in and celebrate.
-Rene Goulet vs. Jimmy Snuka: Goulet attacks Snuka as soon as the bell rings. He bites Snuka. Goulet with an Irish whip and a back elbow. He gets a two count. Goulet keeps up the attack. Snuka starts to come back with a flying mare. Goulet covers up in the corner. Back and forth. Goulet with the claw on Snuka. Snuka fights back. Goulet with a knee lift and an Irish whip. Snuka comes back with a chop and a headbutt. He chops Goulet and hits a crossbody for the pin.
-Mean Gene interviews Hulk Hogan and his parents. They are proud of their son.
-The Wild Samoans Afa, Sika, and Samula vs. Rocky Johnson, Tony Atlas, and Andre the Giant: Faces get a great reaction when they get to the ring. Atlas and Samu start. They go back and forth. Atlas with a crossbody. Slow moving match, but the crowd is drained after all they have seen. Johnson tagged in. Samoans get him in their corner, but he fights out. Atlas tagged in. Samu gets the full nelson on. Atlas fights out. Andre tagged in and the crowd came to life. He Irish whips Samu, who comes back with a headbutt. Sika tagged in. Andre to his feet and Sika trying to headbutt him back down. Andre headbutts Sika down and then runs the Samoans' heads together when Afa comes in. Samu tagged in. Andre hits a big boot and gets the pin. Monsoon and Patterson recap the night and sign off from MSG.
-Final Thoughts: A historic show. Hulkamania runs wild and wrestling wouldn't be the same.