-Today, Project 45 lands in the year 1990 as we look at the episode of WWF Prime Time Wrestling that aired on January 1, 1990.
-1990:
-WWF Prime Time Wrestling was aired on the USA Network on January 1, 1990.
-Intro.
-Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan welcome us to Prime Time. They say it's a new decade here at Prime Time as the set is decorated for the New Year. Gorilla says Heenan has been fined $5,000 for his actions the previous week and is on probation for a year. Roddy Piper is gone from PTW. This all stems from Heenan dressing up as Santa and Piper attacking him. Heenan says he would like to clear something up. He said that what happened was a ploy to suck Piper into his trap. He tells Monsoon that they don't need Piper.
-Bad News Brown vs. Mark Young: Young is Chief Jay Strongbow's son. He gets some early offense in. Brown rolls to the outside to regroup. After more offense by Young, Brown starts to go towards the back, but changes his mind and comes back. Brown takes over. He wins after the Ghetto Blaster. Really competitive match.
-Monsoon and Heenan talk about the Royal Rumble.
-Mean Gene Okerlund with a Royal Rumble update. They show highlights of the 1989 Royal Rumble.
-Monsoon and Heenan talk about Ted DiBiase buying a higher number and how there will be extra security this year.
-Hercules vs. John Justice: Pre-recorded comments by Hercules about the Royal Rumble. All Hercules and he wins with the backbreaker.
-Heenan and Monsoon talk about the controversy between the cable companies and the WWF. They were pushing this hard at the time on all WWF Shows as some companies had said they were not going to carry the Royal Rumble.
-Dino Bravo with Jimmy Hart and Earthquake vs. Reno Riggins: Bravo in against my Facebook friend Reno Riggins. A USA chant goes out at the beginning of the match as they show pre-recorded comments from the Ultimate Warrior who was feuding with Bravo at the time. Bravo totally dominates. He hits some side suplexes, but lifts Riggins up several times before the three count. A minor Warrior chant goes out. Warrior comes out and attacks Bravo to the delight of the crowd. He clotheslines Bravo to the outside. Warrior goes out after him and Earthquake gets into the ring. Warrior gets up on the apron and Bravo hits him on the back with a chair. Warrior falls to the floor. Bravo beats and stomps on Warrior. A Warrior chant goes out as more officials come down and get Bravo off Warrior.
-Monsoon and Heenan discuss what just happened. After a break, Monsoon and Heenan hypothesize what would happen if the Rockers picked the first two numbers in the Royal Rumble. Or Haku and Andre?
-The Rockers Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty vs. Pat Rose and Arvil Hutto: This match was from the same taping as the No Holds Barred Cage Match. Rockers hit some impressive double team moves. Michaels gets the pin after a top rope fist drop.
-Heenan and Monsoon talk some more about the Royal Rumble before throwing it to some of the participants for comments. Mr. Perfect, Koko B. Ware, Honky Tonk Man, The Hart Foundation all talk about the Royal Rumble.
-Royal Rumble ad.
-Al Perez vs. The Brooklyn Brawler: Match joined in progress from MSG. Gorilla Monsoon and Hillbilly Jim on the call. Perez wins after a spinning suplex.
-Heenan and Monsoon talk about some of the other things happening at the Royal Rumble.
-WWF Tag Team Championship Match. Demolition Ax and Smash vs. The Colossal Connection Andre the Giant and Haku with Bobby Heenan: Ax and Haku start and Haku attacking immediately. He chokes Ax on the top rope as a Weasel chant goes out towards Heenan. Ax comes back with some shots. Haku with an Irish whip and a back elbow. Haku runs Ax into Andre's head. The referee pulls Haku away, allowing Andre to kick Ax. Haku with some throat thrusts to Ax in the corner. The referee drags Haku away, allowing Andre to choke Ax. Smash comes in, but gets cut off by the referee. Andre comes in to continue choking Ax in the corner. Smash again tries to come in and then goes after Heenan. Haku and Andre double teaming Ax during all of this. Ax is trying to come back and he and Haku exchange shots in the center of the ring. Haku hits a backbreaker and gets a two count. Haku gets up and kicks Ax several times in the back. Andre tagged in and he hits Ax with a shot that knocks him down. Smash complains to the referee, allowing Andre to go back to choking Ax. Andre manhandling Ax. He gets Ax in the corner, tags Haku in, and then goes back to smashing Ax in the corner while the referee is tied up with Smash. Andre moves as Haku goes for a three point stance, but Ax moves and Haku hits the corner post. Haku cuts off a tag attempt. Haku with forearms to Ax in the corner. Haku with a corner whip, but Ax hits him with a back elbow when he charges him. Haku again cuts off a tag attempt. Haku misses a shot, Ax picks him up and atomic drops Haku, but as he was being lifted up, he tagged Andre in. He grabs Ax and headbutts him a couple of times. All four men in now. The referee gets Smash out, allowing Haku to hit Ax with a thrust kick while Andre holds him. Andre then drops an elbow on Ax and pins him. New tag team champions! Andre attacks Ax with his belt and body until Smash comes in and attacks Andre with a chair.
-Gorilla and Bobby talk about the match and Heenan gloats and is brilliant.
-The Brother Love Show with guest Jake Roberts. He comes out with Damien wrapped around him. Brother Love asks Roberts about the Royal Rumble. Jake says he doesn't care when he comes in. Brother Love says Roberts could have a lot of enemies in the Royal Rumble. It breaks down and Roberts insults Brother Love before leaving.
-Mean Gene has a Royal Rumble report.
-Heenan and Monsoon talk about the Ronnie Garvin/Greg Valentine submission match coming up at the Royal Rumble.
-Rick Rude with Bobby Heenan vs. Mario Mancini: Rude wins quickly with the Rude Awakening.
-Sean Mooney with another Royal Rumble report, followed by a Royal Rumble ad. They are selling this thing like crazy.
-The Bolsheviks Nikolai Volkoff and Boris Zhukov vs. The Hart Foundation Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart: Volkoff does his Russian National Anthem gimmick, but gets cut off by the Hart Foundation coming out. It takes a while to get started. Hart and Zhukov start. Hart misses an elbow. Zhukov with a scoop slam and he misses an elbow when Hart moves. Hart with a roll up for a two count. Zhukov misses a clothesline attempt and Hart hooks his arms for a backslide. He gets a two count. Hart with a scoop slam. Hart with a stomp to the crotch area as Neidhart was distracting the referee. Volkoff tagged in. A USA chant goes out. Volkoff distracted by the chant. They lock up and Volkoff knees Hart in the stomach. Volkoff with a double ax handle. Volkoff lifts Hart up, but Hart slips behind and rolls Volkoff up for a two count. Volkoff wants to lock up for a test of strength. Hart stalling to play mind games with Volkoff. He starts to go for it before tagging Neidhart in. They do the test of strength. After the commercial break, Volkoff has Neidhart down and stomps him. He picks Neidhart up, gets a side headlock on, and hits Neidhart with a shot to the throat. Zhukov tagged in. Volkoff holds Neidhart for Zhukov to hit in the face. Zhukov then hits Neidhart with a double throat thrust. He then picks him back up and headbutts him. Volkoff tagged back in. Zhukov holds Neidhart for Volkoff to kick in the stomach. Volkoff with an Irish whip and a knee to the midsection. He then kicks Neidhart in the head several times. Zhukov tagged back in and the Bolsheviks with a double Irish whip and a double clothesline. Zhukov gets a two count. Zhukov misses some shots and Neidhart comes back with shots of his own. Zhukov with a side headlock. Neidhart pushes off. Zhukov comes back with a shoulder block and both men go down. A double count going. USA chant goes out again. Volkoff comes in to distract the referee so he doesn't see Neidhart tag Hart in and the referee won't allow the tag. Volkoff Irish whips Neidhart, who comes back with a sunset flip. The referee was tied up trying to get Hart out, so Neidhart only gets a one count. Volkoff with a double ax handle to Neidharts back. Volkoff gets Neidhart in the corner and Zhukov tagged in. Double team to drive Neidhart back into the corner. Zhukov with a front face lock. Neidhart trying to push his way out of the heels corner. Volkoff tagged back in. He kicks and hits Neidhart several times. Double Irish whip, Neidhart ducks a double clothesline attempt and comes back with a double clothesline of his own on the Bolsheviks. Hart finally tagged in and he comes in and hits Zhukov with some shots. He clotheslines both Russians and runs their heads together. He atomic drops Volkoff. He does the second rope elbow for a two count. Small package for another two count. Hart with an Irish whip and a shot to the midsection. Neidhart tagged in and Hart slingshots him into Volkoff. He gets a two count, but Zhukov breaks up the pin attempt. Hart comes in and while referee Mike Chioda tries to get him out, Zhukov takes his boot off and goes to the second rope while Volkoff holds Neidhart. He hits Neidhart with the boot, but Chioda sees it and calls for the disqualification. The Russians attack Hart, but Neidhart gets the boot and starts hitting both Russians with it. They both roll out of the ring.
-Bobby and Gorilla talk about the Royal Rumble before signing off from Prime Time.
-End Credits.
-Final Thoughts: A nice little palate cleanser of a show. The tag switch is good to see if you haven't seen it. Nice to give Andre a title in his last year as a competitor. Recommend.