-New Years Eve 2011 and the corkscrew.
-Today we look at the SNME from January 1987 from the WWF.
-SNME IX aired on NBC on January 3, 1987. It was recorded December 14, 1986 from the Hartford Civic Center in Hartford, CT. There were 10,000 in attendance and the show did a 10.6 rating.
-Bobby Heenan and Paul Orndorff say Hulk Hogan, you've got nowhere left to go and nowhere left to hide. Orndorff says Hulkamania dies tonight.
-Hulk Hogan is shown inside the big blue cage. He says nowhere to run? Nowhere to hide, Mr. Wonderful, I like that idea man. The supreme part of pro wrestling, the cage. Let it be the judge and if a mere mortal man like Hulk Hogan goes down, let it be, but Hulkamania, Mr. Wonderful, will live forever.
-Jimmy Hart says Roddy Piper, do you remember this when you did it to Adrian Adonis as they showed the clip of Piper hitting Adonis with his crutch on a previous edition of SNME. Adonis says tonight, I'm back and it's payback time for Adorable Adrian. Happy New Year Roddy.
-Mean Gene Okerlund is with George Steele and asks him what he has in store for Randy Savage. Steele says Surprise!
-Harley Race says he is the King of wrestling and the Junk Yard Dog just like every other man, will learn to bow to him in servitude.
-The Junk Yard Dog says Harley Race, you want the Dog to bow down to you? The Dog don't bow down to no man but the good Lord above.
-Opening Credits.
-Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura talk about the show. Jesse says Hulk Hogan can't run in a cage and there will be a new champion tonight. Vince says it's the first time a steel cage match has been on Network television. Jesse says only one man is going to walk out of the cage and it ain't going to be Hogan. Jesse says it's good they are in Hartford because Bobby Heenan has taken out a large insurance policy on Paul Orndorff's new championship belt. They then throw it to Mean Gene who is with Bobby Heenan and Paul Orndorff.
-Mean Gene asks Heenan if he has purchased Championship belt insurance and Heenan says you bet I have. Mean Gene says since Orndorff refuses to be interviewed, let's go back to the time Orndorff betrayed Hulk Hogan. Heenan is irate, saying Orndorff didn't betray anybody. All he did was wrestle Hulk Hogan in Cleveland. He beat that man, he left him laying and when he finishes with Hulk Hogan tonight, he's going to be like an old newspaper, lining the bottom of a birdcage. They then leave.
-Steel Cage match for the WWF Championship. Hulk Hogan VS. Paul Orndorff with Bobby Heenan: As Bobby Heenan and Paul Orndorff come to the ring, they Show referee Joey Marella at the cage door. Then referee Danny Davis shows up, building on his heel referee gimmick that he was doing at the time. This is called foreshadowing.
-Mean Gene interviews Hulk Hogan. Mean Gene says it's been a long and winding road as the Beatles put it. Hogan says well Mean Gene, it has been a long road, but I can promise you, it all stops here. All the Hulkamaniacs, they're ready for a new start and a New Year and the steel cage is a dead end for Mr. Wonderful. Mean Gene says in the last year, Hulk Hogan, you established yourself as the finest practitioner ever in steel cage competition. Why didn't you settle this feud with Orndorff earlier? Hogan says Mean Gene, the steel cage is the most brutal arena of human competition. It is the last resort man, as Mr. Wonderful is about to find out.
-Hulk Hogan gets a great reaction as he comes out. Jesse says he's already heard this music. Vince says that's because Paul Orndorff stole the music and tonight he'll try to steal, cajole, whatever possible to get the WWF title. Hogan goes around and tests the strength of the steel cage. Jesse says nothing will be stolen in a steel cage. Hogan climbs over into the cage and tears his t-shirt. He gets attacked by Orndorff as soon as his feet hit the mat. Orndorff hitting Hogan with forearms to the back. He rips the title off of Hogan and starts to hit him with it. He then starts kicking Hogan while Hogan is face down on the mat. Orndorff then goes for the door. Hogan hangs onto his ankle. Orndorff drops an elbow on Hogan. He goes for the door again and again Hogan grabs his ankle. Orndorff rakes the eyes. Orndorff with some boots and a clothesline to Hogan. Orndorff then drops an elbow on Hogan. Orndorff then starts to climb up. Hogan grabs him by his hair. Hogan choking Orndorff on the top of the cage. Jesse says Hogan would not be the champion if Orndorff was bald. Hogan punching Orndorff in the head. Hogan dragging Orndorff over the top back into the cage. Hogan rams his head against the cage. Orndorff falls between the ropes and the cage. Hogan takes off his headband and chokes Orndorff with it and Jesse is irate. Orndorff down to his knees and Hogan hits him with a right hand. Another right knocks Orndorff down and Hogan starts to climb the cage. Orndorff rushes over and grabs Hogan's leg. Orndorff with a shot to Hogan's stomach. An uppercut knocks Hogan down to the mat. Orndorff dropping knees on the prone Hogan. Orndorff starts to crawl for the door. Hogan grabs his leg. Orndorff goes to drop the elbow on Hogan, but Hogan moves. Hogan hulking up! Orndorff starts to climb the cage. Hogan drags him off the cage. A big right hand drops Orndorff to the mat and Hogan goes for the cage door. They have trouble unlocking the door and Orndorff grabs Hogan. Orndorff clips Hogan's knee. Orndorff drops a knee on Hogan. Orndorff drops another knee on Hogan. Orndorff headbutts Hogan on the mat. Orndorff runs Hogan's head into the mat. Orndorff goes to run Hogan into the cage. Hogan blocks it and runs Orndorff into the cage instead, but Hogan also goes into the cage with the momentum and both men are down on the canvas. Both men struggle to get to their feet., then both start to climb the cage on opposite sides. They both drop down. Jesse says Orndorff hit first. Vince says Hogan won. Joey Marella raises Hogan's hand and Danny Davis raises Orndorff's hand. The referees start to argue and Davis shoves Marella down. Hogan starts to argue with Davis. Hogan grabs Davis, but gets attacked by a high knee from Orndorff from behind. Orndorff runs Hogan's head into the cage. Orndorff arguing with Marella. Howard Finkel announces to the crowd that the match is a tie. He says that the match must continue. When they come back from commercial break, Orndorff has Hogan by the hair and is trying to drag him back in the cage. He throws Hogan back in. Orndorff climbs up top and hits Hogan with a shot off the top rope. Orndorff rubs something in the eyes of Hogan as Davis is shown being carried away. Orndorff drops a knee on Hogan. Orndorff drops a fist on Hogan. Then another fist drop on Hogan. Orndorff with a clothesline to Hogan as Jesse accuses Vince of biased announcing towards Hogan. Orndorff drops a fist on Hogan. Hogan hulking up again. Orndorff hammers away at Hogan to no effect. Hogan blocks a shot and hits Orndorff with big right hands. Then a series of chops to Orndorff. Hogan runs Orndorff into the cage. He runs him into the cage several times. Orndorff selling hard. Hogan with a backbreaker. Leg Drop. Hogan starts climbing the cage. Heenan gets through the door. He grabs Hogan by the leg. Hogan kicks Heenan off. Orndorff starts to climb, but Hogan pulls him off of the cage. Hogan with two big right hands and an atomic drop to Orndorff. Hogan then runs Heenan into the cage. Hogan goes over the top of the cage as Orndorff goes for the door. Hogan gets to the floor first. Jesse calls it an atrocity as he says that Orndorff won the match earlier. Hogan goes back in the cage and nails Heenan again. He atomic drops Heenan through the cage door. Hogan must pose as Jesse and Vince look at the raw footage from earlier showing Hogan and Orndorff hitting the ground at the same time. Jesse says Orndorff was 300th of a second quicker. Vince says both men will never be the same again. Jesse agrees with that. Jesse says it's better to be lucky than good and that Hulk Hogan is lucky.
-Highlights of what has happened between Randy Savage, Elizabeth, and George Steele.
-Mean Gene interviews Randy Savage and Elizabeth. Gene asks Elizabeth what she thinks the surprise is. She starts to answer, until being told to shut up by Savage. He says he's the champion and nobody cares about Elizabeth. He tells her to get moving and threatens Gene as they leave.
-WWF Intercontinental Championship Match. Randy Savage with Elizabeth VS. George Steele: Mean Gene interviews George Steele about his "surprise". We get absolutely nothing from this video as he says surprise, Elizabeth, and see. Steele comes to the ring and gives his LJN figure to Elizabeth. Jesse thinks that is the big surprise and is unimpressed. Savage rips the doll away and it bounces hard on the mat and Steele attacks Savage from behind. He lifts Savage up by the throat and slams him down. He gets Savage in a headlock and runs him into a corner turnbuckle. Steele with a scoop slam. Then another scoop slam. Steele then signals to someone in the back. Savage attacks Steele from behind. He chokes him with the top rope, but Ricky Steamboat's music hits and he comes racing down to ringside, tears his shirt off, and points at Savage. Savage is distracted by Steamboat and gets slammed off by Steele. Steele throws Savage over the top rope to the outside. Steele grabs Elizabeth at ringside and takes her away down the aisle to the roar of the crowd. Jesse says that is kidnapping. Savage gets up and sees what's happening and starts to go after Elizabeth, but Steamboat is standing in his way. A group of referees are keeping Steamboat away from Savage as they show a flashback of Savage injuring the throat of Steamboat. When they come back from commercial, Steamboat is still trying to get in the ring at Savage. Steele comes back to the ring without Elizabeth. Steele runs Savage into a turnbuckle. Steele then tears the top turnbuckle apart. He throws some of the stuffing into Savage's face. He then throws some into the referee's face. He then scoop slams Savage. Steele then tears another turnbuckle apart. Savage gets Steele against the turnbuckle and hits him with a series of jabs. Savage throws Steele into another corner, but Steele gets his boot up on the charge in. Steele follows that up with a series of right hands. Steele then bites Savage on the forehead. Savage comes back with some boots to the gut of Steele. Savage with an Irish whip and goes for a clothesline, but Steele bites his arm. Savage with a right hand that knocks Steele outside. Steele takes an object out of his pants and hits Savage with it. Savage is knocked to the outside and the referee is looking for the object on Steele. Steele pushes the referee down as Jesse says he is going to talk to President Jack Tunney about this situation. Savage picks up the ring bell and hits Steele with it from behind. Savage then gets the pin. Savage goes up top with the bell, but Steamboat runs back down again and blocks him from using it. Savage leaves to go look for Elizabeth while Steamboat brings Steele back to consciousness. The crowd gives Steele and Steamboat a great ovation.
-Mean Gene interviews Harley Race and Bobby Heenan. They flashback to Race being proclaimed the King of Wrestling. Heenan says he is a superior athlete and Race says he's the King of Wrestling, the King of all Wrestling, and everyone should bow to him in servitude. Mean Gene starts to ask another question, but Race says I said bow and makes Gene get on his knees. Gene says you'll never get JYD to bow like that. Heenan says he's going to be on his hands and knees and he will guarantee that. Heenan and Race then left. As Heenan and Race come to the ring, Vince and Jesse talk about Race winning the King of the Ring Tournaments that were held.
-Mean Gene interviews the Junk Yard Dog. JYD says this country has never had a King or Queen. I get what he is saying even though it isn't true. He says his parents told him to bow down to the good Lord and no one else. He says Harley Race, who do you think you're dealing with?
-The Junk Yard Dog VS. Harley Race with Bobby Heenan: As JYD gets in the ring, Vince is upset that Danny Davis is the referee. Race with a cheap shot while JYD was distracted talking to Davis. Race with a side headlock and a shot to JYD's throat. Race then drops an elbow on JYD. He gets a two count. Race with another shot. Race with an Irish whip and a high knee to JYD. He drops a knee on JYD. Gets another two count. JYD coming back with some right hand jabs. JYD with a corner whip and Race goes shoulder first into the post. JYD with a headbutt. Race with an eye rake. Race with a belly to belly suplex. Race with a headbutt and they say it hurt Race worse as we have reached the 80's insensitivity portion of the show. JYD with two headbutts and a corner whip and Race goes up and over to the outside. Heenan goes to check on Race and a weasel chant goes out. JYD grabs Race's crown and robe and brings them into the ring and puts them on. The crowd loves it. Jesse says he can't do that until he wins the match. Heenan comes in and attacks JYD from behind. Heenan backs up when JYD turns around. JYD nails Heenan with a right hand and Heenan spins around. JYD continues to hit Heenan allowing Race to hit him from behind with a forearm from the top rope. Race drops an elbow on JYD. Heenan and Race both attacking JYD. The bell rings. Race continues to drop knees on JYD as the bell rings. JYD wins by DQ, but keeps getting beat down by Race. Heenan puts the robe and crown on Race. Heenan gets JYD by the arms when he is on his knees and he and Race try to get JYD to bow. JYD starts to go after Race, but get grabbed by Davis. JYD headbutts Davis.
-They show Bobby Heenan and Paul Orndorff in the locker room. Orndorff is mad and says he should be the champion. Heenan tells him he is going to get the footage, go to Jack Tunney's office, and in less than a month, Orndorff will be declared the champion. Mean Gene comes in and says this can't be the way that they wanted to start the new year. Orndorff gets irate, but Heenan calms the situation down by saying he's taking the footage to Toronto. They show the footage again and Jesse says they are more doctored than the Watergate tapes.
-Mean Gene interviews Adrian Adonis and Jimmy Hart. They showed Roddy Piper injuring Adonis with the crutch again. Adonis says that would have put out an ordinary wrestler, but he can take a lickin and keep on tickin. He says Piper what he is going to put on you, not even Ajax will get off. Hart says you couldn't keep Adonis out of the ring for a million bucks.
-Mean Gene interviews Roddy Piper. Piper says Adonis has humiliated him. He says he's made a lot of mistakes in his time. It ain't a shame to get knocked down. The shameful part is not getting back up. Piper says the fact that Adonis is prostituting his sport eats him inside. The fact that he has a chance to go get Adonis in the ring, that eats him inside. He ain't fighting for money, he's fighting for pride.
-Roddy Piper VS. Adrian Adonis with Jimmy Hart: Piper with a fantastic ovation coming out. Piper throws his kilt on Adonis and bites his head. Piper with a hip toss out of the corner. Piper with a right hand and another hip toss. Piper with a knee lift. Adonis up and over and caught in the ropes. Piper with a kick to knock Adonis down. Piper with a corner whip and Adonis flips upside down in the corner. Piper bites Adonis' forehead. Adonis falls down on the mat. Piper slings Adonis across the ring as they announce Elizabeth has been released from George Steele's protective custody. Piper slams Adonis' injured arm down on the top rope. Adonis with two uppercuts to Piper's midsection. Adonis attacking Piper in the corner. Adonis ripping Piper's flesh with his fingernails as a Roddy chant goes out. Back and forth. Piper coming back with some right hands. Piper running Adonis face first into the mat. He looks to the crowd for approval before doing it again. Adonis reverses an Irish whip and gets Piper in the Goodnight, Irene sleeper. They tumble to the outside. Piper with some right hands and then grabs Hart when he tries to come over to interfere. Piper punches Hart. Adonis then grabs the atomizer and hits Piper with it and then squirts him in the eyes. He sprays it over and over. Piper can't see to get back in the ring and gets counted out. Piper finally does make his way back in the ring and hip tosses referee Joey Marella thinking it is Adonis. The other referees come in with a towel for Piper and lead him out of the ring.
-Mean Gene interviews Hulk Hogan. He says it feels great to have beaten Paul Orndorff. Mean Gene tells him that Bobby Heenan is planning on disputing the end of the match. Hogan says he hit the ground first and then went on to beat Orndorff again. He is looking forward to the new year, new challenges, and bigger and better things. Be careful of what you wish for, Hogan.
-Blackjack Mulligan VS. Jimmy Jack Funk: Billed as the battle for Texas. Funk complains that Mulligan still has his spurs on. Funk attacks Mulligan as he takes them off. Mulligan reverses a corner whip. Mulligan with a corner clothesline that knocks Funk to the outside. Funk goes to attack Mulligan on the outside, but gets back body dropped by Mulligan as they go to an interview Mean Gene did with Mulligan earlier. He talks about his New Years Party and says that it has been decided that Jimmy Jack Funk doesn't even belong in Texas. Mulligan with a clothesline. Mulligan with a corner whip and a back elbow to get the pin. Mulligan gets Funk's noose and goes to hang him over the top rope, but Funk slips out of it pretty quickly.
-Vince and Jesse recap what happened that night, including Roddy Piper being sprayed in the eyes, Ricky Steamboat coming back, and the controversy surrounding the cage match before signing off from Hartford.
-End Credits.
-Final Thoughts: A fun little show to waste an hour on. The cage match was good. The George Steele/Randy Savage feud went on forever, but at least we got Ricky Steamboat coming back out of the match.