WWF Saturday Night’s Main Event #18 (11.26.88) 

 

November 26, 1988 (Taped: November 16, 1988) 

 

We’re in Sacramento, California. Hosts are Vince McMahon & Jesse Ventura. This is an odd show as it was taped before Survivor Series but aired afterwards. So, nothing can really happen here as we’ve already seen the future. Randy Savage defends his WWF title on this show but he was shown with that belt at Survivor Series, which is in the future but also in the past. If this is confusing, wait till we get to WCW’s taping schedule where people lost the belt before they even won it! This did a whopping 9.4 rating on NBC, the Saturday after Thanksgiving.  

 

 

WWF Intercontinental Championship 

Ultimate Warrior (c) vs. Super Ninja  

Yes, “Super Ninja”, or “Super Ninja #1” as Gene Okerlund calls him. Mr Fuji tells us he’s trained this man for 7 years in the 7 arts. It’s not anyone exciting, just Rip Oliver in a mask. He’s quite awful but Warrior doesn’t help matters, dropping the poor bastard on his head.  

The match looks fake, which is not ideal. At least Warrior looks somewhat convincing in squashing a jobber, but he struggled with a few of the basics and his offence looked ugly. He’s over, I guess, if we’re looking for positives.  

 

Video Control takes us to Ventura, who’s interviewing Ted DiBiase. Ventura calls Hercules “un-American” for not wanting to be a slave. Well, shit, he’s got him there. 

 

Hercules vs. Virgil 

So, DiBiase bought Herc’s contract from Bobby Heenan and wanted to use him as a ‘slave’. Well, he’s already in chains! Now we have this match where Hercules is fighting for his freedom. This match also stinks. I’ve never liked Hercules but he’s fine if he’s got someone to bounce off. Virgil is not that guy. Despite being a WWF full-timer Virgil has hardly wrestled at all and looks like he’s had maybe a dozen matches. Combine this with Warrior in the opener and its amateur hour in the WWF. Herc wins and throws Virgil’s remains onto Ted at ringside, starting a long storyline of Virgil being beaten up and yelled at by the Million Dollar Man until he eventually snaps. 

 

Elsewhere, Randy Savage talks about his reasons for wanting to beat Andre. Namely that Hogan did it and if he wants to be favourably compared to Hulk, as WWF champion, he needs to do it too. There are little chinks of insecurity creeping into Randy’s promos around this time.

 

WWF Championship 

Randy Savage (c) vs. Andre the Giant  

Savage isn’t tactically savvy here. He should hit and run but he doesn’t. He gets in close and tries to jab at Andre, which gets him pawed and squashed into the corner.  

There’s a lot of this sort of thing. Savage can’t utilise any of his strengths as a worker. While this kind of match suited Hogan, who could sell and sell for days before Hulking up, it doesn’t suit Savage at all. The crowd goes nuts for Randy taking Andre off his feet.  

 

With them struggling to tell a convincing story in the ring, they have Jake Roberts come down here and hide Damien under the ring. Heenan then goes looking for it. It’s all very silly. Eventually we find ourselves in a DQ situation as Jake chases Heenan into the ring. This wasn’t an ideal pairing and didn’t help Savage out at all.  

Andre ‘runs’ away from Damien although the snake is barely moving. Jake was probably smoking crack with it before the show. The picture shows Andre reminding Earl Hebner that he definitely, 100% isn’t afraid of snakes. 

 

Video Control takes us to Jim Duggan, who cuts a jingoistic promo about how he thinks other flags look stupid. Playing the character of a contemptible idiot still riles me up, all these years later. Brainless flag shagging moron. What’s really frustrating about Duggan is that IRL he has a degree in biology. So, he’s not a total dipshit, he’s just playing one.  

 

Flag Match 

Jim Duggan vs. Boris Zhukov 

This continues the trend of dogshit matches as two horrible workers barely connect with each other. The only good moment in this is Duggan flattening Zhukov with a clothesline for the win. Everything else looked horrible. 

 

Video Control gives us clips of Hulk Hogan on the Brother Love Show where Big Boss Man attacked him with a “billy club”. Boss Man fucked Hogan up here.  

 

Brother Love Show 

Brother Bruce, brother, is out here to interview Slick. Hogan was supposed to be the guest and we cut to him backstage as Slick is announced and he’s HOT, brother.  

So, the Hulkster turns up anyway and Brother Love refuses to let him talk because, rightfully, he doesn’t have to. Hogan is incredulous. Some incredible exacerbation from the Hulkster as Slick gets to verbally abuse him. Hogan ends up stealing the microphone, brother, to give Brother Love, brother, a piece of his mind, brother. Hogan calls Slick “boy”, which should have been a red flag, brother. Both non-wrestlers get their asses kicked as Hogan, unable to talk his way out of a problem, resorts to violence. Outrageous behaviour.  

 

Fabulous Rougeau’s vs. Young Stallions 

Rougeau’s have now moved to Memphis, where they invite us to join them for “grits and mint julips”. Hey, I believe they’re making fun of the American populace. I’m sure the reality is that they dig poutin and Molson. These teams have pleasing chemistry. Rougeau’s are far better as bullies than whatever they normally are presented as. Roma eats the pin off a double team version of the Whoopie Cushion! Arguably MOTN at 3:00, although Savage-Andre was far more important. 

 

Video Control takes us to Jesse Ventura, who asks Andre the big questions. “I can’t believe you’re afraid of snakes”. “I AM NOT AFRAID OF SNAKES” screams Andre very snake fearingly. Jake and Hogan also get promos. Jake’s is all whispery and cool. Hogan? “Being the executioner turned me on”. Uh huh. Let’s move on, brother.  

  

The 411: 

An absolutely rotten show from top to bottom. The sheen has come off Saturday Night’s Main Event. People were still watching but at this point, I’m not sure why. The lowest low points are Warrior and Duggan. Both guys I cannot stand. Duggan was at least ok before joining the WWF. Warrior was terrible before, terrible during and terrible after. Oh, and Virgil sucks too. How does the biggest wrestling promotion in the world put so many shitty wrestlers on TV? The one bright spark is Savage and even he finds himself painted into a corner here. Hogan, sometimes a delight on SNME, is beating up managers here. This show used to be good, I swear.