WWF Boston Garden House Show 3/8/86 review

WWF Boston Garden House show 3/8/86 Match #1 Rene Goulet vs Sivi Afi They did all their standard stuff during the bout. Again almost move for move as a the match they had at MSG three weeks earlier. Goulet's top rope comedy spot early. He got control with a knee to the midsection. He put on his "Scorpio" claw hold. Afi made his comeback and hit his top rope flying bodypress for the win. I hope this is the last time I have to see this match.
     Match #2 Jose Luis Rivera vs Jake Roberts(This is Jake's WWF Tv debut(for this review blog anyway). This was a very good match for its place on the card. As Rivera started to work on Jake's arm and wrist right off the bat. Jake missed with two elbow drops in succession and Rivera went right back to work on it. Roberts got the upperhand using a stomach breaker. He went to work utilizing a reverse chinlock as his primary rest hold. "Snake" did hit a beauty of a running knee lift as well.  Rivera made his comeback and nailed Roberts with a good clothesline(Jake sold this tremendously by getting up and stumbling back through the ropes to the apron). Rivera got him back in and hit a backdrop. Roberts went slithering out under the bottom rope. Rivera went after him, Roberts rolls back in the ring and catches Jose Luis Rivera with a second kneelift as he is coming thru the ropes. Jake then gives the signal for the DDT and slaps it on! (The crowd OOOOOOD for this) After the match Roberts went to retrieve Damien from the bag, but for whatever reason the referee stopped him! A good win for Roberts here!
     Match #3 The Crush Gals(Chigusa Nagayo, Lioness Asuka) vs Judy Martin and Donna Christianello The crowd had no clue what to make of the Japanese team(perhaps the most popular ladies duo in the history of that country). The match was mostly the heel Americans having the advantage with the undersized babyfaces showing flashes of hope such as kip ups toe holds and drop kicks. The match had no real flow or crowd heat to speak off. It was good but just felt "off" somehow. The end came when the gals hit a double dropkick on Martin. Then the Lioness hit Christiantello with the longest giant swing I have seen in years and got the pin!
     Match #4 Jim Neidhart vs Scott McGee Basic match but serviceable McGee got two very near falls early with a schoolboy rollup and a sunsetflip. Anvil took over when he and McGee were on the floor and he dropped Scotty over the wooden barricade throat 1st. McGee made his comeback by hitting a vertical suplex after blocking Neidhart's attempts at the suplex. Neidhart won when he reversed a whip into the turnbuckle and as McGee came out Anvil scooped him up held him like a small child and pivoted into a jarring powerslam to get his hand raised.
     Match #5  Ricky Steamboat vs Bret Hart(the original Mania 2 plan by the way, according to Whatculture Wrestling little know facts about WrestleMania series. They do great work if you have never seen their youtube content well worth your time!) Hart jumped Steamboat from behind as the bell rung. He punched and pummeled him until Ricky reversed a whip into the turnbuckle, and Hart took it face first(a trademark move from him in coming years. Steamboat went to work on the arm hard with knees and armbars and chops. There was a simple but neat spot here as Hart went for an atomic drop Steamboat flipped out of it. He landed on his feet and hit Brett with a back kick to the face. Hart countered a backdrop with a neckbreaker to take over. Dragon knocked Hart down and went for a big splash but Hart got his knees up(Steamboat takes that bump beautifully every time!) Hart hit a bodyslam on the floor then a running powerslam in the ring to get a near fall. Steamboat started his comeback by Moving out of the way of a "hitman" elbow off the middle turnbuckle. The finishing sequence was a thing of beauty as the Ref got bumped after a double reverse and the official was smashed into the turnbuckle. Steamboat went to check on the referee when he turned back around Hart hit a great hook and ladder clothesline. He had the pin for at least ten seconds, but there was no referee to make the count. Steamboat grabs hart whips him in the ropes Hart ducks the chop and comes back with a crossbody, but Steamboat rolls thru and gets the three count as the referee comes back around! This is great booking as Steamboat won clean, but Hart has a legit gripe and can claim victory. This was stellar work by everybody!
     Match #6 Randy Savage vs Tito Santana IC title match Savage does the stall job of the century to start off as he takes his sweet time getting his robe off walking around outside yelling at the Referee(Danny Davis this match forshadow's his heel ref into wrestler turn over the next year.) When Savage finally gets in the ring after the bell rings he keeps running to the floor when Santana goes to lock up. Santana grows tired of this and attacks Savage outside throwing him over the wooden barricade. Savage turns the tables by grabbing Santana by the front of his trunks and hurling him to the floor. Santana regains the momentum by nailing Savage in the gut as he comes off the turnbuckles with a double axehandle. Santana then goes nuts everytime Savage tries to escape Tito's figurefour leg lock. Santana tries to grab his tights to prevent the escape.(Davis is trying to make Tito backup because Savage is partially out of the ring.) This happens several times until Tito pushes referee Davis down who calls for the bell and the DQ. Both Santana and Davis are hot yelling at the other. A very subtle nod to the coming heel turn.
     Match #7 Dump Masamoto and Bull Nakano vs Velvet Mclntyre and Dawn Marie If the crowd was confused by the Crush Gals them they might have been mortified by "the Devils of Japan"! At least the crowd knew right off the bat to boo them. The heels controlled 95% of the match with Power spots and rule breaking eye gouging and biting! Dump Masamoto was the undeniable star of the match from her ring attire, she came to the ring in full samurai gear! While on the apron she would standup on the turnbuckle screaming at the crowd while giving every rude gesture in the book. When she was in the ring on offense she would knock her opponent down and stomp around the ring like Godzilla looking for tourists. She was something! Not a great match but i'd bet nobody there ever forgot it! All that being said Velvet pinned Nakano with a victory roll out of nowhere!
     Match #8 "Iron" Mike Sharpe vs Corporal Kirchner Iron Mike is one of the most underrated workers ever! He carried the Corp to a passible match. Match began with Kirchner hitting three dropkicks in succession sending Sharpe to the floor where he knocked over the wooden barricade and laid there dead for several seconds. They did the test of strength spot where Sharpe got his fingers stomped on.  Sharpe got the edge and threw the Corp into the barricade.  Kirchner got the comeback via several close near falls. Sharpe held onto the ropes for a dropkick attempt by the Corp. He then began to load his black armband. When he threw Kirchner in the ropes for the clothesline, Corp blocked it kicked Sharpe in the stomach and hit Sharpe in the head with his own arm and got the pin!
     Match #9 Ted Arcedi vs Barry O (I'm in hell I have to be. This has to be a punishment for falsifying that book report in 6th grade) Thank God that was very short. Arcedi won with a bearhug! (Now to put on my MIB sunglasses........ That Mike Sharpe had some talent huh???...........
     Match #10 Main event the Funks vs JYD/Hulk Hogan This was in large part a comedy match. With Terry fighting the barricade and getting knocked silly on headbutts. He got his feet tangled in the cables outside and fell down. They finally got the heat on Hogan by hitting him across the back with a chair and in the ribs with the branding iron. Dog got the tag and missed a headbutt right away. So they beat on him for a few minutes until Hogan got the tag. Dog came in to break up a double team by the Funks. The turned the tables on JYD and began to hang him on the apron with a long rope. The referee (Danny Davis again) is distracted by Jimmy Hart. Terry has the rope and gets in the ring with the other half still around JYD's neck. Hogan comes in and clotheslines Terry and covers him for three. This was a big damn mess,but my god the crowd loved it and went home happy! In that way a positive Main Event!