-Today we look at SummerSlam 1990 from the WWF.
-SummerSlam ’90: The Heat Returns was shown on PPV on August 27, 1990 from the Spectrum in Philadelphia, PA. There were 19,304 in attendance.
-Classic Vince McMahon opening. He welcomes us and new color commentator Roddy Piper (Jesse who?) to SummerSlam.
-Hot Rod says Wham, Bam, SummerSlam! Where bagpipes are hot, and Baghdad is not! I have remembered that for 30 years. They run down the double main event before throwing it to the first match.
-The Rockers Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty VS. Power and Glory Hercules and Paul Roma with Slick: Hercules jumps Michaels before the match to cover the real injury that Michaels had. Roddy is doing a bit of heel work on commentary early. They do allude to Michael’s knee being hurt before he came to the ring. Crowd likes it when Jannetty makes a comeback. There are also some fans of Power & Glory in the crowd and they like the finisher that they do to win as Roma pins Jannetty. They attack Michaels again after the match and he is carried out.
-Sean Mooney interviews Mr. Perfect and Bobby Heenan about The Texas Tornado. They say they aren’t worried. They do the Nobody beats Mr. Perfect line which I like.
-Mean Gene Okerlund interviews Kerry Von Erich. He is out of it. Go back and watch his eyes. He also says Ter-nado.
-Intercontinental Championship Match: Mr. Perfect with Bobby Heenan VS. The Texas Tornado: If Jesse were here, he would be livid that Mr. Perfect came out first, so I’m mad on his behalf. Perfect doing a fantastic selling job. It’s all Von Erich, but Perfect finally comes back. Von Erich gets the claw and the discus punch and gets the pin and the title.
-Mean Gene interviews Mr. Perfect and Bobby Heenan who are beside themselves. They vow to get the belt back.
-Queen Sherri is introduced. She has some cat makeup on. Sweet Sapphire doesn’t come out. Sherri wins by forfeiture.
-Mean Gene interviews Dusty Rhodes about Sweet Sapphire. Classic Dusty Rhodes/Jim Duggan interplay about looking for Sapphire. Then Dusty gets off the immortal line about that’s not my bidness.
-The Warlord with Slick VS. Tito Santana: Roddy says a couple of Jesse Taco references, but mostly does his own thing. Warlord displays power moves. Roddy does a stereotypical Amos & Andy voice towards Slick and I am uncomfortable. Stay away from that, Hot Rod. If you’re looking to make Warlord look good, this match is going way too long. Santana getting a lot of offense in. Warlord wins with a power slam.
-Sean Mooney talks to Demolition, who are acting coy about which two members will be at ringside and they call the LOD imposters.
-WWF Tag Team Championship Match 2/3 falls Demolition VS. The Hart Foundation: Demolition come out first, so I’m glad Jesse isn’t here. It’s Crush and Smash. Mean Gene interviews The Hart Foundation. Jim Neidhart says they don’t pay him to think. Bret Hart tells him to settle down.
-First Fall: Hart Foundation takes over and Vince tells us he can’t tell Demolition apart even though there is a height difference and they look nothing alike. The crowd gets into it the closer to a fall it looks like they get. Demolition wins the first fall with the Demolition Decapitation.
-Second Fall: The crowd loses it over a close two count. Crush tackles the ref to prevent a pin and gets disqualified.
-Third Fall: Ax sneaks down and gets under the ring. Some close counts in this fall. Ax and Smash trade places. Ax does the side Russian leg sweep on Bret Hart, a classic Bret move. Double team on Bret. The LOD come out to a big pop. They distract Demolition on the outside and Bret Hart gets the pin. New Champions.
-WrestleMania VII commercial plays and at this point they are still planning on running the coliseum.
-Mean Gene interviews LOD. They want Demolition and now they have their attention. The Hart Foundation come in and say they will take on anyone.
-Sean Mooney tries to interview Demolition but they won’t open the door.
-Mean Gene interviews Queen Sherri. She gloats about winning and puts down Sweet Sapphire.
-Mean Gene runs down the second half of SummerSlam. They show a possum as a Harlem sewer rat.
-Mean Gene interviews the Big Boss Man. He says he’s here to serve law & order.
-Sean Mooney interviews Nikolai Volkoff and Jim Duggan. Nikolai says that Jim Duggan is his idol. This will not end well for Nikolai.
-Mean Gene interviews Earthquake, Dino Bravo, and Jimmy Hart. Earthquake bounces while talking about Hulk Hogan and Tugboat while they show the attacks that they did on Hogan and Tugboat. Bravo calls him the Hearthquake.
-Sean Mooney interviews Jake Roberts. Jake says Damien is hungry and on a related note, I hate snakes.
-Bad News Brown VS. Jake Roberts with Damien: The Big Boss Man is the special guest referee. Boss Man gets to come out last. Roddy says he is on Jake’s side and he hates snakes. I’m with you, Roddy. Bad News Brown hits Roberts with a chair on the outside which as we know from SummerSlam ’89 is legal. Slow paced match. Crowd chants DDT and Roberts signals it, but Brown counters it. He goes back to the chair, but gets disqualified by Boss Man. Tony and Jesse would be appalled. Brown jumps Boss Man, Damien comes out of the bag and Brown bails.
-Another WrestleMania VII promo.
-Mean Gene interviews Demolition. They are understandably mad at the LOD and The Hart Foundation. They call the LOD imposters again.
-The Brother Love Show with Sgt. Slaughter. Sarge is anti-American, but not quite pro-Iraq yet. He presents Brother Love with the Greatest American Medal. Slaughter also declares war on Nikolai Volkoff.
-Sean Mooney interviews The Orient Express and Mr. Fuji, who puts down Jim Duggan and Nikolai Volkoff. Volkoff must be over, he has had two different heels talk about him back to back.
-Mean Gene tries to interview Sweet Sapphire, but she goes into a dressing room and won’t talk to him.
-The Orient Express with Mr. Fuji VS. Nikolai Volkoff and Jim Duggan: Piper says he doesn’t trust Nikolai. Duggan and Volkoff sing God Bless America. It is a song, that’s as much as I can say for their rendition. This match just doesn’t interest me. Duggan and Volkoff win.
-Mean Gene is with Dusty Rhodes who wants Sapphire to open the door.
-Dusty Rhodes VS. Randy Savage with Queen Sherri: The crowd loves Rhodes. Sean Mooney interviews Randy Savage while he’s up on the throne. Savage says the rumors about Dusty Rhodes must be true. Ted DiBiase and Virgil come out and say everyone has their price, and that includes Sapphire. They say that Sapphire hated this angle, as she loved being with Dusty Rhodes. Rhodes goes after DiBiase, but Savage jumps on him. Piper keeps putting down Rhodes. He’s definitely more heelish on commentary than he would be later. Savage hits Rhodes with Sherri’s purse and pins him.
-Sean Mooney tries to interview Ted DiBiase. He says there’s nothing his money can’t buy as we see Rhodes running to catch the limo before it leaves. Piper asks what Rhodes was going to do if he got there.
-Hulk Hogan with The Big Boss Man VS. Earthquake with Jimmy Hart and Dino Bravo: Mean Gene interviews Hulk Hogan and Boss Man. Hogan remembers Earthquakes attack and also the massive mailing list, I mean cards and letters that he received. He also mentions Tugboat being attacked. Separate entrances for Boss Man and Hulk Hogan. Boss Man has a bruise by his eye that was not there in the promo. Weird. Everyone is in at one point, but no disqualification? Earthquake gets the Boston Crab on, but Hogan gets to the ropes. Hogan later in a bear hug and he pulls off pieces of the ref’s shirt, I’ve never understood this moment. Earthquake hits several splashes, but Hogan kicks out. Hogan wins by count out. Hogan must pose. Earthquake gets hit several times with a chair post-match.
-Sean Mooney interviews Rick Rude and Bobby Heenan. Rude brings up Rocky since they are in Philadelphia and says that art will imitate life.
-Mean Gene talks to Dusty Rhodes. He says he offered up his innocence to Sapphire, and she paid him back in scorn. Yikes.
-Lord Alfred Hayes talks about the cage being put up.
-Mean Gene talks to Hulk Hogan. He says he will finish off Earthquake and get back to the number one contender spot. He also adds a fourth demandment: believe in yourself.
-Sean Mooney talks to Earthquake and company. He has giant bloody marks on his back. They want Hulk Hogan and the Big Boss Man.
-Mean Gene interviews The Ultimate Warrior who snarls his way through the interview.
-WWF Championship Match Cage Match: The Ultimate Warrior VS. Rick Rude with Bobby Heenan: Rude sells hard for Warrior. Piper puts Warrior down on commentary. Rude gets busted open. Heenan slams the door on Warrior, but Rude can’t get the pin. Warrior gets the press, the splash, and climbs out to win.
-Warrior celebrates as they sign off from Philadelphia.