WWF The Main Event IV (11.23.90) review 

 

November 23, 1990 

 

Taped: October 30, 1990 

 

WWF’s relationship with NBC started to get a little tenuous during 1990. The SNME shows weren’t doing the numbers they had been previously, and Jesse Ventura’s departure can’t have helped. He was notoriously chummy with NBC executives including producer Dick Ebersol. There were other factors, and wrestling took a backseat to the NBA when NBC gained rights to air basketball on its network. This broadcast was originally supposed to be a SNME, but the deal was finished. Effectively the end of the 80s wrestling boom. From airing quarterly, the shows would now be a one-off. SNME would have one final showing on NBC (in April 1991) and then it’s off to Fox.  

 

The show switching dates means this was broadcast on a Friday and cut from 90 minutes to an hour. The match that misses out; the phantom Harts-Rockers tag title switch. Due to air originally on this show, the top rope broke, and the match sucked. I’ve seen it and it’s not great. When Vince found out about having to trim time on this show, that’s what went. Along with it the Rockers tag title run. Jim Neidhart signed a new contract, and the Hart Foundation kept the belts. Thus, once again, torpedoing Bret Hart’s long planned singles push. The only happy party in all of this is Anvil, who still has a job.  

 

We’re in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Hosts are Vince McMahon & Roddy Piper. This pairing still isn’t working with Piper being too cartoonish and Vince being the same useless twat he’s always been on commentary.  

 

Gene Okerlund does a bang-up job of reminding us how Ted DiBiase has tried to buy the WWF title in the past. Recalling the twin referee scandal in 1988. Generally, the WWF doesn’t want you to remember things but occasionally it does. They should have had Warrior sell the title to DiBiase and sell out. “The Million Dollar Warrior” has a nice ring to it. He would have made a better stooge than Virgil.  

 

WWF Championship 

Ultimate Warrior (c) vs. Ted DiBiase 

So, can Ted DiBiase get Warrior to slow the fuck down? He certainly tries, brrrrrrother. The aim is to get Warrior to hit some energetic high spots and then take a powder while he does poses. The main issue with Warrior stemmed from not his erratic offence, but rather his general selling. Which is where he trailed Hogan the most. I’m sad to say, it’s more of the same here and it’s only the match structure that saves him. I blame Pat Patterson. 

 

It’s kinda mad they put the world title on the guy and then decided to teach him how to work AFTERWARDS. Most of Warrior’s offence in this is shaky too. He does a sunset flip, the first I’ve seen him do, and it sucks. The crowd are into it (I think, WWF isn’t past editing reactions in). DiBiase keeps things ticking over until the Warrioring up sequence. Warrior has it won but Virgil jumps in for the DQ. This was very decent considering it was Warrior. Arguably his third or fourth best match, ever. *** 

 

Post Match: Randy Savage runs in and waffles Warrior with the sceptre. Sherri gives him a kicking too. Beautiful. This was a tremendous feud and it’s a bit odd knowing how it plays out. The Slaughter intervention seems increasingly unwarranted. 

 

Video Control takes us to Randy Savage who does an incredible job of cutting a promo about his feelings. He does a lot of low-level muttering and high intensity yelling.  

 

Nikolai Volkoff vs. Sgt Slaughter 

Volkoff, a Croatian pretending to be Russian, waves the American flag. Meanwhile Slaughter is cornered by General Adnan, an Iraqi, who AWA used as a generic sheik for years. Sarge beats the shit out of Volkoff for a while until Jim Duggan makes the save. USA! USA! USA! HOOOOO! Was Slaughter vs. Duggan the original Mania plan?  

 

Video Control takes us Vince and Roddy who talk about overeating at Thanksgiving and Vince is excited to share “new dietary tips” with us tonight, which will allow us to eat “whatever we want”. “BUT I’LL GET BIG AND FAT” says Roddy, giving a premonition of his WCW career.  

 

Big Bossman vs. Mr Perfect 

So, Bossman is hot because Bobby Heenan said bad things about his mother. Perfect’s weird bumping continues unabated here. He takes a back corner bump and then flip bumps into the middle of the ring for no reason. They then make a horrible mess of the ‘groin into the ring post’ spot, landing it nowhere near the corner. Perfect exposes the buckle but gets rammed into it and you’d better believe he does the most dramatically shit oversell you’ve ever seen on it.  

Like, what the actual fuck are you doing here? Obviously if you get your face rammed into an exposed turnbuckle your body then does a sideways backflip in the air. It’s only logical. It’s a shame Ray has to deal with this because he’s genuinely good at bumping and selling. Bobby Heenan does better selling running away on the floor and Bossman gets counted out. Lots happening here, most of it bad. Meltzer gave this 3.75, showing he’s always had poor taste when it comes to stupid, goofy shit. *¼ 

 

Video Control takes us to Buddy Rose for the BLOW AWAY DIET!  

BLOW, BLOW, BLOW THE WEIGHT AWAY! YOU BLOW AWAY FAT JUST LIKE THAT! Normally Vince McMahon’s sense of humour sucks but this is quite funny. Apparently, Buddy Rose pitched the whole thing in a diner, and they felt it was too good to pass on. Buddy Rose is only 28 years old here. If there’s ever a dude heading to an early grave. This is it for him as a big star, going to some regional success in Portland before dying in 2009.  

 

Rick Martel vs. Tito Santana 

Strike Force blow off is a little delayed, isn’t it? They broke up 19 months ago. They do good familiarity work here. Martel goes for a reverse monkey flip and Santana stamps on his face. Martel sets for a backdrop early and Santana rolls him up for a near fall. The idea being that Tito is the better wrestler but also that he recognises Martel’s set up to moves because they teamed together. It’s pleasingly subtle for a company that’s normally subtle as a brick. 

 

Meanwhile Martel hides all his cheating by positioning the referee. Subtle little jabs to the throat, concealed by turning away from the referee in a headlock. Santana’s comeback is hot. Considering he’s still one of the best workers in the company it’s kinda sad his career deteriorated into “El Matador” not long after this. Boston crab finishes for Martel and Tito loses clean, in a year where NOBODY loses clean. Especially babyfaces. Great work from both guys here but especially Santana, who could have easily had a top card run in 1991 because he was still outstanding. *** 

 

We close out the show with some promos and Warrior cuts a surprisingly subdued one about Randy Savage.  

 

The 411: 

A decent episode of SNME, book-ended by good matches. They do a decent job of building to Warrior-Savage and Roberts-Martel here. However, there seems to be no plan for Hogan at this point and that feels palpable. The situation would become clearer early in 1991, but this isn’t the best of ways to conclude a weak year for the WWF. Warrior’s title reign hasn’t exactly landed as it could have.