WWF Philly Spectrum house show 2/8/86(The Boston Garden show I reviewed yesterday took place on the same day. Two big shows in two major markets in one day!) Commentators Dick Graham and Lord Alfred Hayes(God help me!)
Match 1 Ron Shaw vs George Skaaland(did I say God help me already!) If your dream match is to see a bland job guy take on the bastard son of Wahoo McDaniel's and a dead piece of wood then you gotta see this! Skaaland the son of WWWF legend "the GOLDEN BOY" Arnold Skaaland was so green and so scared I hesitate to make fun of him! I don't know how long he wrestled before or after this match and I hope he has done wonderful things in his life. Pro wrestling was/should not have been on that list! He hit Shaw with the weakest slap I have seen in a ring in a fight or in a sandbox for that matter! He was stuck in invisible concrete for most of the match. Skaaland won the bout using his dad's "Sunset Flip" move. I blocked the rest out, if you like cringe bad wrestling find and watch this six minute slow ass trainwreck!
Match #2 Pedro Morales vs Rene Goulet Good God Pedro was over in Philly! Before the match Pedro got a sign from ringside that I think had a gay slur on it and pointed at Goulet. Crowd went crazy(1986 folks!) These two wily veterans of the mat know how to work a match and a crowd. Pedro took a huge bump over the top rope to give Goulet the heat. They did Goulet "Scorpion" claw hold as the rest hold Morales fought back and won with a jacked up O'Connor roll pinfall!
Match # 3 Hercules vs Scott McGhee Best match of the card to this point. McGhee began by showing his speed hitting good forearms and great dropkicks. Hercules got the upper hand by moving out of the corner and allowing McGhee to strike the ringpost with his shoulder. Hercules bodyslammed and suplexed his young Scottish foe. He used a bearhug. McGee Broke the hold by shoving on Hercules's chin and face at the same time working his arm down in between their bodies and somehow executing a hiplock take over. McGhee has the advantage until Hercules grabs him by the front of the tights and slings him outside to the floor. When Hercules gets near the ropes McGee grabs his ankle and puts him on his back. He drags him over to the ringpost and bashes his ankle(that must have hurt) into it. McGee gets back in does a bodyslam and delivers a beauty of a Barbarian style headbutt off the top rope. He gets a a very close two count. He Springs off the ropes with a tackle. As McGee hits the ropes a second time Hercules catches him in a nice side backbreaker and covers him for the victory! Very good match for third on the card.
#4 Corporal Kirchner vs The Iron Sheik Crowd made this match, without them a very basic bout. Sheik's crowd heat was incredible(the last thing on earth I'd want would be 17 thousand Philly wresting fans pissed at me. Both men grabbed the house mike before the match, getting even more heat! Match began with Sheik attacking from behind using his turban to choke the Corporal. Kirchner turned it around and used it on Sheik! Sheik used his wrestling skill to get the advantage. Suplex The Corp into next week several times with several different suplexes. He hooked on the Camel Clutch but Kirchner made the ropes. Every time the Sheik had the pin he would pull his man up at the count of two. After the third pull up Sheik goes for a vertical suplex. Kirchner blocks it hits a cradle and wins the bout. Sheik tries to attack after the bell but Corp fights him off and Sheik scurries to the dressing room.
Match #5 Adrian Adonis vs George Wells (merciful God let this be short please!!!!!) Not short enough but Jimmy Hart was with Adonis which makes the gimmick better as he has a brush for Adonis's hair. When he gets in trouble or flustered by an opponent Jimmy brushes his golden locks and makes it alright again. Basic match Wells bonked their heads together. Then pulled Hart in the ring as he was holding on to Adonis arm. George missed his high football tackle in the corner and Adrian hit a very scary DDT(Wells landed right on the top of his head) for the pin!
Match #6 Junkyard Dog vs Terry Funk Comedy match here for the most part. Terry funk was a master and being funny and yet irritating the fans all in one. Funk went after announcer Mel Phillips (something he did all the time) JYD protects him. Funk did the spot where he kept running the crisscross after JYD stopped! He also keeps ramming his head in the turnbuckle after Dog stopped! Funk does the ole backwards punt to the groin of JYD to turn the tide. Funk throws dog to the floor and nails him in the gut with his branding iron. Terry removes the tape from his wrist and chokes JYD. JYD fires back up and chases Jimmy Hart around the ring. While Funk sneaks back in the ring with his branding iron. As JYD chases Hart back in the ring Funk takes a wild swing at him with the branding iron. Dog ducks hits a small package(a wrestling move i'm stunned) and wins. Funk attacks with the iron and brands JYD, but Dog takes the weapon from Funk and chases him from the ring.
Match #7 WWF Tag Title bout as Valentine/Beefcake defend against the British Bulldogs! Am i'm not going over every move/twist and turn of the bout(I would be writing till Monday and you would be reading till Tuesday!) All four men at some point had the heat on them. It was a tremendous old school tag bout but nobody kept a advantage for long enough to have it make sense written! Please watch the match best on this show no doubt. Valentine/beefcake won on the ole partner reverses the cradle behind the ref's back spot!
Match # 8 Dan Spivey vs "iron" Mike Sharpe Nothing much to this really. Very quick bout Spivey hit a good dropkick early. Sharpe countered a backdrop by clubbing the, at this point anyway, cheap Barry Windham clone, on the back of his neck. Nobody"s fault here as Danny was greener than a unripe banana shoved up a toad's ass! Spivey fights back and hits a lackluster Bulldog to pick up the W!
Match #9 WWF World Title bout Hulk Hogan faces the challenge of King Kong Bundy! Bundy did a pre-match interview and said The Spectrum was quiet because it was the funeral for HULK-A-Mania! simple but he made his point! They get into a shoving match to start. Hogan tries a tackle Bundy does not budge. Hogan tries again but this time hits a high knee. Bundy goes down for a two count! Hogan keeps up the pressure with elbow smashes. Hogan keeps the advantage until Bundy counters a backdrop attempt by the champ with a kick to the sternum. Then we get the standard Bundy-Hogan bearhug resthold/heatspot! Bundy hits his corner splash(avalanche). He stands there with Hogan prone on the mat for at least half a minute. Then he tries a pin. guess what happens??? ......Nope wrong Hogan kicks out and has a gran mal seizure (I mean Hulk's Up Brother). Bundy hits the corner splash a 2nd time and Hogan no sells it. Punches, big boot and Leg Drop follow, but Bobby Heenan jumps up on the apron and has a pair of brass knuckles on his hand. Hogan comes over to bash Bobby who takes a swing at him. Hogan grabs Heenan and drags him in the ring. Bundy attacks Hogan from behind and Heenan stars to put the boots to him Bundy throws to referee's down(he might have legit hurt one he was supposed to be thrown outside but hit his neck hard on the second rope and he snapped back in the ring!) Hogan gets up drives Bundy out of the ring and punches Bobby once who took a helluva bump! Hogan wins via DQ thus setting up the main event for WrestleMania 2 for the Spectrum faithful!
Not much great wrestling on this show but a very memorable spectacle to say the least!
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