-It’s the time of the year to start putting some shows in the can because of the busy holiday schedule.
-My wife and I joined a gym to try to get into better shape.
-Today we look at the SNME from November 1986 from the WWF.
-SNME VIII was shown on NBC Thanksgiving weekend, November 29, 1986. It was recorded November 15, 1986 from the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena in Los Angeles, California. There were 16,000 in attendance and the show did a 9.7 rating on NBC.
-Jesse Ventura welcomes us to his town, Hollywood. It’s Saturday Night’s Main Event and the pleasure will be all ours.
-Jake Roberts with Damien says you have to squeeze harder when you squeeze the Macho Man. He says we have to squeeze the champion’s air out of his body. We have to squeeze the fight out of the man, that's the only way you’re going to squeeze the title off of a champion. But they have ways to do it. He says Macho Man, try me if you feel lucky.
-Randy Savage is with Elizabeth and says freak out freak out. He says he’s the #1 wrestler in the World Wrestling Federation. He’s the Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion. The Macho Man Randy Savage. He says isn’t that right, Elizabeth? She says that’s right, Randy and he tells her to shut up and keep polishing his belt. He tells her if he loses tonight, it’s her fault.
-Koko B. Ware is with Frankie. He says he’s got Nikolai Volkoff and tonight brother, when he flies, he’s going to drop some bombs all over you.
-Roddy Piper says he’s probably the toughest son of an unnamed goat you’ve ever seen in your life. You want to see him fight? Put grandma to bed, make yourself a bologna sandwich and watch him squish a couple of worms, Bob Orton and Jimmy Hart. It won’t be a pretty sight, but he will be when it’s finished.
-Jimmy Hart and The Hart Foundation say tonight they face The Killer Bees in a tag team match. They say the three best ways to kill a bee? 1. Swat them. 2. Spray them. 3. Give them a Hart Attack.
-Hulk Hogan says tonight, the Hulkster faces his Ultimate Challenge. (That’s actually three years away, but I digress.) He says he knew that someday a super human like Hercules would come along. The body of a god. The power of all the thunder and lightning in the heavens. He says Hercules, I accept your challenge. Hercules, I’m ready for you. And whatcha gonna do when the 24 inch pythons challenge you?
-Opening credits.
-Vince McMahon welcomes us to the L.A. Sports Arena. He then brings on Jesse Ventura and says apparently he has grown a great deal of hair as Jesse has a wig on. Jesse says he is Hollywood and a professional sports announcer and he’s not going to dignify McMahon’s remarks with an answer.
-Mean Gene Okerlund interviews Jake Roberts with Damien. Roberts says turn your back to me again, fool as he had come up behind Gene and scared him with Damien. Roberts says some people reach out to him and shake his hand but few people shake them a second time. Nobody wants to trust a snake. He says he shook the world and they all made a noise when he challenged the Macho Man. He says how can you know where he is headed when you don’t know where he’s been? He says some people are content in life to sit in their own stinking home town. In their own backyards playing in the sand box. Waiting for life to bring them something by. He says he’s not that kind of man. He’s not content with that. Like Hayley’s comet, nothing is stopping him, so Macho Man, tomorrow morning when they’re dry cleaning your hair, you think back. I’m the one your mother always warned you about.
-Vince and Jesse discuss the Macho Man. Jesse says Savage ain’t no fool. He won’t underestimate the snake, but he certainly isn’t going to be shaking like Mean Gene. Jesse says he couldn’t tell if Mean Gene was holding a microphone or a vibrator. Jesse Ventura in 1986, People! Moving right along.
-Mean Gene interviews the Macho Man and Elizabeth. He asks Elizabeth if she is afraid of snakes and Savage says forget her. He’s the Intercontinental champion. Mean Gene then asks Savage if he’s afraid of snakes. Savage says it’s totally impossible that he can be intimidated. After the match, he’s going to make some boots and belts out of that creature. Mean Gene says you’re going to skin Damien? Savage says no forget about that, he’s going to make a Jake skin belt and unless Mean Gene starts to respect him, he’s going to make a belt buckle out of him. He then says Elizabeth, down that aisle.
-This is a very interesting match for the time. Both men are heels but both are getting their share of cheers in this match. If I had to pick who got more cheers, I would give the slight advantage to Jake the Snake.
-Intercontinental Championship Match. Randy Savage with Elizabeth VS. Jake Roberts with Damien: Savage gets a good ovation coming out considering he’s a heel. Roberts goes after Elizabeth with Damien as a big DDT chant goes out. Savage points his finger at Roberts then backs up and hides behind Elizabeth when Roberts comes back with Damien. The bell rings and they circle each other. Savage points at Damien’s bag. They both go for punches, but stop short of hitting each other. They lock up and Savage gets a wrist lock. Roberts reverses it. Savage yanks Roberts down by the hair. Then another one. Roberts then returns the favor. Roberts with an arm drag. Savage backs up and steps on Damien’s bag and freaks out. They lock up again. Roberts with a side headlock. Roberts with a takeover. Savage yanks the hair to take back the advantage. They go back and forth. Savage goes to drop an elbow and misses. Roberts goes for the DDT, but Savage slips out of it and goes to the outside. Roberts comes out after Savage. Roberts stalks Savage until they both climb back in. Savage goes off the ropes and Roberts stops him short with a boot to the ribs. Roberts goes for the DDT, but Savage runs him into the corner. Savage with a series of left hands. Roberts reverses a corner whip, but Savage gets his boots up on the charge. Roberts falls down like he is out of it. Savage gets a two count. Savage drives Roberts face first into the mat. Another two count. Savage with a snap mare. He then drops a knee on Roberts. He gets another two count. Roberts with a shot to the midsection of Savage. Then an uppercut to Savage. Savage comes back with an elbow to the head of Roberts and Savage then hits Roberts with a double ax handle. Savage gets another two count. Savage choking Roberts on the top rope. He then snaps him off and covers him again for a two count, but Roberts gets his foot on the ropes. He goes to pin him again but can’t get him. Savage drops another double ax handle on Roberts and gets a one count. Roberts coming back with shots of his own. Savage with an elbow shot. He ties Roberts up on the ropes. Savage grabs Damien’s bag. He puts the bag under the ring. Savage on the apron as Roberts gets loose and he hits Savage with a knee lift as Savage was coming through the ropes. Roberts goes after the bag. Savage with a shot to the stomach as the DDT chant goes out again. Savage with a wrist lock. Roberts with a boot to the stomach. Roberts with a short clothesline. Roberts gets a two count, but Savage gets his foot on the ropes. Roberts hits a face buster. The crowd wants the DDT. Another two count, but Savage gets his foot on the ropes again. Roberts with a series of left jabs. Then a right hand knocks Savage down. Roberts with an Irish whp, but drops his head too early and Savage kicks him in the face. Savage with a side headlock, but Roberts blocks a shot to the face and hits a big right hand to knock Savage down. Roberts goes for the DDT, but Savage is caught up in the ropes. Savage goes outside. Roberts goes outside after Savage. Savage puts Elizabeth back in front of him again. Roberts goes for Damien in the bag, so Savage hits him with a high knee from behind. He then climbs up to the top rope and hits a double ax handle to Roberts on the outside. He then puts Roberts on the inside and then climbs back up to the top rope. He hits Roberts with another double ax handle. He gets a two count. Savage climbs up top again, but gets caught by Roberts with a shot as he comes off the top rope. Roberts with left jabs. Savage fights back with a knee to the stomach of Roberts. Roberts drags Savage to the outside. He hits him and pushes him back in the ring. Savage attacks Roberts with boots to the midsection as he rolls back in. Referee Dave Hebner tries to stop Savage, so Savage throws him across the ring. Roberts hitting Savage with right and left hands. Hebner comes back over and Roberts also pushes him. Savage throws a chair into the ring as Hebner signals for the bell. Hebner tries to stop Savage from using the chair as Roberts grabs Damien and puts it on Savage so Savage and Hebner take off. Howard Finkel announces that both men have been disqualified.
-They show Bobby Heenan buying the contract of Hercules from Slick for a pile of money.
-The WWE really missed an opportunity several years ago to cash in on the whole Rick Rolled thing by doing Slick Rolled for a few weeks.
-Mean Gene talks to Bobby Heenan and Hercules. Hercules says everybody knows Bobby Heenan is the smartest manager in professional wrestling. The kind of manager he wants to manage his career as the world heavyweight champion. Mean Gene says wait a minute, you’re not the champion yet. Heenan says let me tell you something, Okerlund, don’t you get down on my champion. Show a little respect. Hercules says I am the champion over and over.
-Mean Gene then interviews Hulk Hogan. Hogan says the pythons are ready. He says he’s checked Hercules out. He’s got the body of a god. He even looks like the real Hercules. He says Hercules could have been a Greek god, he could have been an immortal. Since he’s led by Bobby Heenan, he’s trained for the dude like he’s an immortal. He starts spouting gibberish about hanging in the garden of Eden with Eve and spending time on the Titanic to get ready for Hercules. He holds up his hand and says Hercules, this is where the power lies. Mean Gene asks him about Hercules’ new manager, Bobby Heenan. Hogan says it's the same old story with the weasel. He keeps throwing them at Hulk, and Hulk keeps throwing them down. He tells Hercules he is top shelf talent, but he’s in Hulk’s way. He’s on Hulk’s hit list. He’s going to feel the wrath of Hulkamania. He holds his hand up again and says this is where the power lies.
-WWF World Championship Match. Hulk Hogan VS. Hercules with Bobby Heenan: Hogan gets a huge reaction when he comes out. Hogan gets in the ring and does his ear cupping thing to all four sides to a great ovation. They lock up for a test of strength. Hogan driven to his knees. He’s fighting it. He makes his way back to his feet. Hercules drives his head into Hogan’s midsection. He picks Hogan up on his shoulder and runs him into the corner. He hits Hogan with an elbow to the head. Hogan reverses a corner whip and follows it up with a corner clothesline. Hogan with a series of right hands to Hercules. Hogan with an Irish whip, misses a clothesline, and then hits Hercules with a high knee. Heenan gets up on the apron, so Hogan takes off after him. Heenan goes into the ring to get away from Hogan. Hercules jumps Hogan, but Hogan knocks him down. Hogan then slams Hercules down. Then Hogan goes to drop the elbow, but Hercules moves. Hercules drops a knee on Hogan. Hercules with a corner whip. Hogan falls to the canvas and Hercules drops the knee again and again. Jesse complains that Dave Hebner is reffing again after being knocked out in the previous match. Hercules gets Hogan in a bear hug. He picks Hogan up and delivers a backbreaker. He gets Hogan up in what they call the Hercules Backbreaker or as it is better known, the Torture Rack. Jesse says he heard Hogan quit. Hercules drops Hogan to the ground and raises his hand. Hebner puts Hercules' hand down and waves him off. Hercules arguing with Hebner. Hercules covers Hogan and gets a two count. Hogan hulks up. Hercules attacks with a right hand. No sell. Hogan coming back. Hogan blocks the right hand. He punches Hercules. He knocks Hercules down. A running elbow smash to Hercules. He then runs Hercules into the corner turnbuckle. Then into the opposite buckle. Then back to the first turnbuckle. He runs Hercules into it several times. He knocks Hercules down. Then the big boot, leg drop, and pin. Jesse says Hulk Hogan’s power is in his hand meant that he had the referee in his back pocket. Since the ref is Dave Hebner and considering what will go down 14 months from now, that's funny. Hogan must pose.
-I must say I didn’t expect to see the Torture Rack on WWF TV from 1986!
-Roddy Piper comes up on a video screen and says when we come back, you’ll see what it’s like to pay the Piper.
-In a pre-tape, Jesse interviewed Bob Orton and Jimmy Hart. Jesse says we saw what Roddy Piper did to Adrian Adonis on the last SNME. He says Piper said it’s now their turn. Hart says he hurt Adonis. That lunatic Piper used a heavy wooden crutch. Jesse says that’s right he used a foreign object, but what’s to say he won’t do that again? He says to Bob Orton that he and Roddy Piper were best of friends. How is that going to determine the outcome of tonight’s match? Orton says they were not friends, Piper used him. He did all of the dirty work while Piper stood back and got all the glory. Piper has never been a good wrestler, he always hid behind Orton. He then points to the camera and says Piper, you have no one to hide behind tonight. Tonight, you have no friends.
-Video of the Roddy Piper/Bob Orton friendship. Generic music here, but it was originally You’re a Friend of Mine by Clarence Clemons and Jackson Browne.
-Mean Gene interviews Roddy Piper. Mean Gene says that Bob Orton says there was never any friendship between them. Piper says never any friendship huh? Piper says he got women to go out with Orton. He picked him up out of the gutter. He stood him up, put a hat on him, and made him something. Now he has Magnificent Muraco with him. The Fat Albert of professional wrestling. They think they are so tough. So tough that Adrian Adonis comes and starts hitting him upside his head. Orton starts hitting him from the other side. Muraco starts to hit him from the front. It doesn’t matter to him. Tonight he takes care of Orton, because he was Rowdy before Rowdy was cool.
-Roddy Piper VS. Bob Orton with Jimmy Hart and Don Muraco: Piper gets a great ovation as he comes out. They lock up and go to a corner. Break clean and Piper gets away as Muraco tries to grab his legs from the outside. Muraco gets up on the apron and Piper spits at him. Piper goes to hit Muraco, who jumps off the apron. The referee throws Muraco out. Piper and Orton go back and forth with right hands. Piper hits a lot of body shots and hits a bulldog on Orton. Orton begging off. Piper grabs Orton and bites his face. Piper with a corner whip that leaves Orton upside down in the corner. Then a classic Piper eye poke. Then Piper with an uppercut. Then a big right hand knocks Orton down. Piper with a knee lift to Orton. That gets a two count for Piper. Piper with an Irish whip, but Piper drops his head and Orton hits a big right hand. Orton with a shot and an inverted backbreaker. That gets a two count as a Roddy chant goes out. Orton drops an elbow for another two count on Piper. Orton misses another elbow drop. Hart climbs up and grabs Piper for Orton to hit. Piper moves and Orton stops short of hitting Hart. Piper with a double ax handle that knocks Orton into Hart and Piper rolls Orton up to win. Crowd goes insane at the win.
-Mean Gene interviews Roddy Piper. Mean Gene says he’s got to be pleased with his performance. Piper says he’s pleased he got the pink cowboy hat off of him he guesses. Not pleased that Adrian Adonis is still hitting him in the head. Don Muraco is still out there. The work has just begun. A small victory like that isn’t worth it. Mean Gene says all of a sudden, you have become a crowd favorite. He says he knows Piper didn’t set out to win any popularity contests, but he has. Piper says I don’t know, when I was in high school, I was voted most likely to marry the cheerleading squad. He says he’s not running for president. He fights to feed people. What Orton and Muraco wear are dresses, he wears a kilt. When it comes right down to it, When he’s good he’s good, when he’s bad, he’s much better.
-Tag Team Match The Hart Foundation Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart with Jimmy Hart VS. The Killer Bees Jim Brunzell and B. Brian Blair: Mean Gene talks to The Hart Foundation. He says if they beat The Killer Bees tonight, they will be that much closer to a title shot with The British Bulldogs. Jimmy Hart says that is their goal. Bret Hart says we are the world. Jim Neidhart says no, we are the champions. Mean Gene says that’s easier said than done, exactly how are you planning on defeating the Killer Bees? Jimmy Hart says we are going to clip their wings. Bret Hart says snap their stingers. Jim Neidhart says and when we’re done with them they won’t be called the Killer Bees, they’re going to be called the Ween Bees. Bret and Brunzell start. Lock up and push off. Another lock up and Bret with a forearm to the back. Bret with an Irish whip. He misses a clothesline. Brunzell comes back with a high knee. Brunzell with an arm drag. Blair tagged in. He hits an elbow smash to Hart. Blair with a wrist lock. They go to an inset promo that Mean Gene did with the Killer Bees earlier while they were wearing their masks. They confuse Mean Gene by both claiming they are Brian Blair. While this is going on, both Blair and Bret get two counts from roll ups. Neidhart tagged in. Blair does an arm drag and a wrist lock on him and tags Brunzell back in. Killer Bees with a double back elbow on Neidhart. Brunzell then goes back to the wrist lock on Neidhart. Neidhart with an Irish whip. Bret plants a knee into Brunzell’s back when he hits the ropes. Brunzell in the heels corner and Bret tagged in. Neidhart holds Brunzell on his knee so that Bret can drop an elbow on his throat from the second rope. Bret covers, but the referee was out of position so Bret only gets a two count from it. He tries again and only gets another two count from it. Neidhart tagged in. He hits a standing dropkick on Brunzell. Neidhart with a rear chinlock on Brunzell. Brunzell tries to get out of it with elbows to Neidhart. Bret tagged back in. He hits Brunzell with an elbow and a headbutt. Back and forth with shots. Bret with a big forearm. They get Brunzell in their corner. Bret distracts the referee while Neidhart chokes Brunzell with the tag rope. That brings Blair in trying to stop it. The referee cuts Blair off allowing The Hart Foundation to double team Brunzell. Neidhart tagged in and guillotines Brunzell on the top rope and Bret then puts his boot on Brunzell’s throat. Neidhart goads Blair into the ring so that the referee will stop him so the Hart Foundation can double team again. Bret drops an elbow on Brunzell to prevent him from making the tag. Hart hits a backbreaker. Bret misses another elbow when Brunzell moves out of the way. Bret throws Brunzell to the outside where he lands hard. They go to a commercial break and when they come back, Brunzell is finally making his way back into the ring. He hits Bret with a shoulder block from the apron and then sunset flips into the ring. He gets a two count on Bret. Bret with a stomp to the hamstring. Neidhart tagged in. He hits Brunzell with a forearm to the back. He then gets Brunzell in a front face lock. Bret tagged back in. They go back and forth with shots. Bret goes for a European uppercut. Brunzell hooks both arms and goes for a backslide. He gets a two count. Bret with a side headlock. Brunzell pushes off. Brunzell drops down and then hits a big dropkick to Bret. Neidhart tagged in and trying to cut off Brunzell from making the tag. He gets the tag but the referee didn’t see it. He doesn’t allow Blair in. The Hart Foundation take advantage and throw Brunzell to the outside. Neidhart then knocks Blair off the apron. The Killer Bees go under the ring and put their masks on. Blair then gets in the ring and punches Neidhart. He knocks Neidhart down and then hits Bret Hart. Blair taking both members of The Hart Foundation on in the ring. He hits Bret with an atomic drop. Bret walks into the wrong corner and Brunzell claps both of his ears. Brunzell runs Neidhart into Bret. Blair with a sleeper on Neidhart. Bret climbs up top. That brings Brunzell in. The referee cuts Brunzell off allowing Bret to hit Blair from the second rope with a double ax handle. The referee goes to get Bret out of the ring, so Brunzell takes Blair’s place on the mat. Bret tagged in. He tries to set Brunzell up for something, but Brunzell gets him in an inside cradle to get the pin.
-Mean Gene interviews Koko B Ware with Frankie. Koko says he and Frankie are both fired up. He says they want to go all over the world and Frankie wants to go to Russia. Mean Gene asks to Moscow? Koko says everywhere and blow. Weird interview.
-Nikolai Volkoff with Slick VS. Koko B Ware with Frankie: Koloff in the ring to do the Soviet National Anthem gimmick. Jesse interviewed Volkoff and Slick earlier. Slick says to wrestle good, you’ve got to feel good. To feel good, you’ve got to look good. To look good, it takes money. To get money, you’ve got to have the guiding hand of the Slickster over your career. Slick says he doesn’t know Koko from a coconut, but he’s the one who better beware, cause the only way the Slickster likes his bird is deep fried. I see what you did there, Slick. Volkoff says Slick’s not like most Americans, he’s an honest man. Slick #1, Russia #1, Nikolai Volkoff #1. Sheik is going to go after Volkoff with his clubs if Volkoff keeps infringing on his gimmick. Volkoff attacks Ware before the bell as the referee tries to get Slick out of the ring. He drops knees on Ware in the corner. He keeps beating him down in the corner. The referee tries to get Volkoff off. Volkoff with a corner whip, but Ware leapfrogs over the charge in. Ware with body shots to Volkoff. He knocks Volkoff down. Ware hits a proto Frankensteiner on Volkoff. Then a pair of dropkicks to Volkoff. He gets a two count. Volkoff picks Ware up and drops him throat first on the top rope. He hits Ware with a scoop slam. He misses the knee drop. Ware goes up top and hits a missile dropkick to Volkoff. He gets a two count. Volkoff with knees to Ware. He hits a backbreaker on Ware. He picks Ware up after a one count. Scoop slam to Ware. Slick calls Volkoff over to give him some advice and Ware rolls him up for the three count.
-Mean Gene interviews Hulk Hogan. Mean Gene says Jesse Ventura saw some weaknesses in Hulk. Hogan says some of what Jesse sees, he misinterprets. If you talk about weaknesses, he’s dead wrong. A man of equal strength, equal wrestling ability. He said against Hercules, the deck is stacked in his favor. When the going gets rough, he reaches for his Hulkamaniacs. They turn him from a mere mortal to Superman. Anyone who gets in his way. The big wheels of Hulkamania are going to grind you and eat you alive. The Hulkster won’t be here forever, but Hulkamania is going to live forever.
-Mean Gene interviews Don Muraco and Mr. Fuji. Mean Gene asks Muraco that it’s his second appearance in the ring tonight, does he think it will hurt his chances? Muraco says he took the match for two reasons. He said so that he could protect Bob Orton and Jimmy Hart from that lunatic Roddy Piper. The second reason is they like that Rebel song and Mr. Fuji starts singing Dixie and now that is going to be burned in my brain forever.
-Don Muraco with Mr. Fuji VS. Dick Slater: Muraco rams Slater’s head into the turnbuckle. Then a double head clap and a throat thrust to Slater. Muraco with a corner whip. Muraco follows it up with a right hand and a back elbow. Muraco goes for an airplane spin, but Slater slips off and goes for a rollup. He gets a two count. Slater with a right hand. Then another right hand by Slater. Slater with an elbow to the head. Slater with an Irish whip and a back elbow. Slater with a boot heel to the eyes of Muraco. Slater with an elbow smash from the top rope. He gets a two count, but Mr. Fuji puts Muraco’s foot on the ropes. Slater with a throat thrust and a side headlock. Slater comes off the ropes, but Mr. Fuji trips him. Muraco misses an elbow drop. Muraco hits a clothesline and gets the pin.
-Vince and Jesse recap what has happened that night and say they will be back on New Year’s weekend before signing off from Hollywood.
-End credits.
-Final Thoughts: A fun little show that is worth it for the Savage/Roberts match alone.