-Joe Pedicino: Saturday Night Wrestling Block in Atlanta.
-Scott Bowden: Legendary Memphis manager.
-Today we look at the Saturday Night’s Main Event from November 1988 from the WWF.
-SNME XVIII was shown on NBC on November 26, 1988. It was taped November 16, 1988 from the Arco Arena in Sacramento, California.
-The Ultimate Warrior says Thanksgiving might be a time of peace, but not when his belt is on the line.
-Andre The Giant and Bobby Heenan say it’s time that the WWF Championship came back to Andre.
-Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth say that tonight, Randy will beat Andre like David beat Goliath.
-Ted DiBiase and Virgil say Hercules belongs to the Million Dollar Man, and Virgil is going to collect on an overdue bill.
-Hulk Hogan says Brother Love set him up to fall to the Big Boss Man. Tonight, he lets the pythons do the talking.
-Opening Credits.
-Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura welcome us and run down the card.
-Mean Gene Okerlund interviews Mr. Fuji and Super Ninja. Fuji says that Super Ninja has been training in secret and that secrecy is the key. Remember Pearl Harbor? Yikes! They head to the ring.
-Mean Gene then interviews The Ultimate Warrior. He says that war only holds victory for The Ultimate Warrior.
-WWF Intercontinental Championship Match. The Ultimate Warrior VS. Super Ninja with Mr. Fuji: Super Ninja tries to strike early but Warrior is having none of it. Super Ninja goes outside and Warrior goes after him. Warrior gets Super Ninja up and presses him. He then hits the big splash for the win. Total Squash win for The Ultimate Warrior.
-Flashback to the Million Dollar Man trying to buy Hercules as his slave.
-Jesse Ventura interviews Ted DiBiase and Virgil. DiBiase says he owns Hercules lock, stock, and barrel. He says he isn’t going to fight Hercules because he doesn’t touch slaves, that’s for Virgil. You should see the look on Virgil’s face when he says this.
-Mean Gene interviews Hercules. He says he is a free man. His chain represents all of his victories.
-Hercules VS. Virgil with Ted DiBiase: Jesse has some risqué commentary here about Roots and Chains. As the bell rings, Ted DiBiase is helping Virgil, but Hercules overcomes them. He clears the ring. Hercules then takes over on Virgil. DiBiase Distracts Hercules. Virgil still being punished. Hercules hits the power slam for the win. Hercules clears the ring with the chain.
-They flashback to the Jake Roberts/Andre The Giant confrontation on the last SNME.
-Mean Gene interviews Bobby Heenan and Andre The Giant. Andre doesn’t want snakes brought up. They say Andre is still the “real” world champion. This is three years before Ric Flair came to the WWF. They head to the ring.
-Mean Gene interviews Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth. Savage says to be a great champion, he’s got to beat the giant. He says if Hulk Hogan can beat Andre, he can.
-WWF World Heavyweight Championship Match. Randy Savage with Miss Elizabeth VS. Andre The Giant with Bobby Heenan: Andre with an early advantage. Savage sticks and moves but gets caught. Andre doing his usual cheating spots. (Corner Smash, choking with the tights, etc.) Savage trying to escape. Savage is such a great worker here. Andre is past his prime, but also working his butt off here. Savage goes back to stick and move. Back and Forth. Andre gets knocked down to his knees. Jake Roberts shows up. The referee tells him to get out of here. Commercial break and when we come back Andre has Heenan looking for Damien’s bag. Roberts come back and chases Heenan into the ring. The bell rings. Savage throws Heenan into Andre who does his ropes tied up spot. Roberts comes in. Damien comes out of the bag. Andre runs and falls down in the aisle. Roberts and Savage shake hands and Jesse says the whole thing has been a conspiracy.
-Mean Gene talks to Jim Duggan. He’s got the United States Flag with him. He’s got a flag match with Boris Zhukov coming up.
-Flag Match. Jim Duggan VS. Boris Zhukov: Duggan with the early advantage. Knocked outside early. Zhukov comes back with some elbows. Back and Forth. Duggan hits a big clothesline for the pin and Old Glory is raised.
-Flashback to Hulk Hogan being attacked by the Big Boss Man on The Brother Love Show. Brother Love is in the ring. He calls out Slick. Hulk Hogan is with Mean Gene and upset because he was supposed to be the guest. Once Slick gets in, they call Hogan to the ring. Brother Love and Slick keep cutting him off. Hogan finally takes the microphone. He talks about what he would do to Slick and the Big Boss Man. He does say “Boy” to Slick at the end of one of his sentences and I know it’s 1988 but it sounds so bad now. He throws Slick out and Brother Love tries to attack him from behind. Hogan slams Brother Love, then handcuffs him to the ropes. Hogan must pose.
-Jesse Ventura interviews The Rougeau Brothers and Jimmy Hart. They have officially moved to the USA.
-The Young Stallions Paul Roma and Jim Powers VS. The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers with Jimmy Hart. Jacques takes over. Tags Raymond in. Powers tries a comeback. Hart clips him with the megaphone. Jacques misses a cross body. Raymond and Roma tagged in. Roma hits a dropkick. Jacques hits a move from the top rope and Raymond gets the pin.
-Jesse interviews Andre The Giant and Bobby Heenan. Andre blames Jake Roberts for the loss. He says he’s not afraid of snakes, but Roberts should come alone.
-Mean Gene interviews Jake Roberts. He says Andre is afraid and he and Damien won’t stop until they consume the Giant.
-Mean Gene interviews Hulk Hogan. He was the judge on the Brother Love show. The only criminal left is the Big Boss Man. They sign off from Sacramento.