Summerslam 89 Review
Tonight im reviewing Summerslam 89. Your hosts are Tony Shiavone and Jesse Ventura live from the Meadowlands.
Match #1
Tag Team Match
World tag champs The Brain Busters Vs The Hart Foundation
Brain Busters beat Demolition for the titles at SNME in July ending their over year long title reign. Since the match was signed before the title change they didn't have to defend them. Harts own the first 5 minutes using armbars on both AA and Tully. Harts own most of it until Anvil misses a slingshot and the Busters take over. Eventually everything breaks down and while Bret attempts to pin Tully Blanchard, Arn Anderson jumps off the second rope with a elbow drop and pins Bret at 15:18. Good opener 3 stars.
Match #2
Singles Match
*beep* Tonk Man w Jimmy Hart Vs Dusty Rhodes
Dusty controls early and psyches out *beep* by messing up his hair. *beep* eventually takes over with reverse chinlocks that Dusty fights out of. Dusty runs into the ref and *beep* holds Dusty while Jimmy Hart tries to hit Dusty with a guitar but bops *beep* instead and Dusty pins him after the bionic elbow drop at 9:01. Ill go 2 stars for *beep* taking a pretty stiff guitar shot, it cracked but didn't break like typical guitar shots.
Match #3
Singles Match
Mr Perfect Vs The Red Rooster
Two great technical wrestlers right here, one with a crappy gimmick. There's a story that Terry Taylor was originally supposed to be Mr Perfect but Hennig got the gimmick and Taylor got...well you know?
Starts out quick with both guys running the ropes and Rooster with leapfrogs. Rooster tries a bodyslam but his leg buckles and Perfect pins him for two. A standing dropkick knocks Rooster outside and he gets back in and is punching it out with Perfect in the corner. They both end up outside in a punch fest and Perfect gets back in and Rooster follows only to get caught in a perfect plex and pinned at 3:08. Bleh 1 star. Rooster hurt his leg on the leapfrog attempt so they called it early.
Match #4
Six Man Tag
Tito Santana and The Rockers Vs Rick Martel w SLick and The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers w Jimmy Hart
6 great workers it should be good. Tito and Rockers clear the ring early. Marty misses somthing and gets triple teamed by the heels. Tito hot tags in and goes after Martel who bails. Santana eventually gets caught and double teamed on and off for about 4 minutes. Until Shawn FINALLY gets in there and kicks Martels ass all over the place. Shawn goes up top and hits a flying fist drop and a two count that is broken up by Jacques Rougeau when he accidently elbow drops Martel. 6 man brawl ends with Marty and Jacques going through a rollup attempt and Martel clotheslining Marty and pinning him at 13:55. Good stuff 3 stars.
Mean Gene interviews Rick Rude backstage. This was the second take as in the first the Summerslam sign on the backdrop in the interview area fell down and Mean Gene said fk it on camera with McMahon off screen saying "nice job" the camera cut back to the arena and Ventura was laughing his ass off. That was cut from the Coliseum Video release of course. Ah good ol youtube. Ive been watching 17 years and didn't know about it until I saw it on youtube 2 years ago.
Warrior gives one of his more confusing interviews.
Match #5
Intercontinental Title Match
Ravishing Rick Rude w Bobby The Brain Heenan Vs The Ultimate Warrior
Warrior takes over early and press slams Rude out of the ring to the floor, then goes outside and hits him with the IC belt. Ventura is more irrate than ive ever seen him going off on Shiavone like nobodies business. Both guys back in and Warrior goes up top and hits a double axe handle. Warrior with a vertical suplex for 2 then an atomic drop followed by a bubba bomb. Warrior throws him outside then tosses im back in and goes up top but Rude in a desperate attempt crotches him in the corner. Rude attacks Warriors back and he sells it, meanwhile hell freezes over. Rude with a vertical suplex for 2. Rick goes for the rude awakening but Warrior powers out of it just like at Mania 5. Rude counters with a sleeper. Warrior gets out and is sent into the ropes he runs into Rud who gets knocked into the ref and they are all down. Rud is up first and he hits some punches on Warrior who no sells then backdrops Rude. Warrior with a powerslam but no ref to count the pinfall attempt. Warrior piledrives Rude but still no ref. Referee finally gets over there for a 2 and 3 quarter count but Rude touches the ropes. Warrior gives Rude a running powerslam then runs the ropes for a big splash and gets both knees in the midsection. Rude gives him what looks to be a modified tombestone piledriver out of a pildriver position. Possibly a botch. Rude goes up top and hits his fist drop but a sloppy pin attempt only gets two. Crowd is cheering??? ROWDY RODDY PIPER IS AT RINGSIDE!!! Rude taunts Piper with the swivel so Piper moons him and he isn't wearing anything but a jockstrap. Rude goes into dumass mode and perches on the second rope to yell at Piper giving Warrior time to recover and hit a release german suplex. Then a flying shoulder tackle. Warrior hits the ultimate slam and pin at 15:49. New Intercontinental champion!!! Im going 3 1/2 stars.
Backstage Mean Gene interviews Mr Perfect on his victory, Roddy Piper is interviewed next and gives one of his best promos and kicks off his feud with Rude. Then ex referee ex wrestler Ronnie Garvin (who lost a career match to Greg Valentine but would eventually come back) and had been recently banned from refereeing and then an irrate Bobby Heenan and Rick Rude. Rude would start his feud with Piper right here, even though he started s*** with Piper earlier in the month.
Match #6
Six Man Tag
King Duggan and Demolition Vs Andre The Giant and The Twin Towers
Christ, why didn't McMahon just give Hacksaw a shopping cart to bring to ringside. First he started out carrying the 2X4 and the american flag then he beat Haku for the king of the ring crown and cape now he's got a black hockey mask on. Hacksaw has the american flag painted on his face for this battle. Well by looking at the matchup on paper don't expect it to be as good as the previous six man tag. Akeem and Duggan to start. Hacksaw wins the punchfest. Ax tags in and works on Akeems arm. Smash in and he works on Akeems arm. Duggan back in. Ax in and Akeem goes to the eyes. Ax knocks him down then Akeem drags him into the heels corner. Bossman in and he is in trouble already. Smash in with Bossman. BBM beats him in the corner. Faces trade off on Bossman. Ax misses something and Andre comes in and sits on him a few times. Andre with the trap nerve hold of smelly overblown death. Bossman takes over on Ax. Akeem in and Ax plays face in peril. Smash hottags and slams both Bossman and Akeem crowd errupts, Andre knocks his feel good mood down quick. It all falls apart. Akeem splashes Smash off the second rope and goes for a pin, but Hacksaw blasts him with the 2X4 and rolls Smash on top for the pin at 5:57. Eh. 1 1/2 star maybe?
Mean Gene interviews Ted Dibiasie backstage before his match with Snuka.
Match #7
Singles Match
Greg The Hammer Valentine Vs Hercules
Rugged Ronnie Garvin is the special announcer and he bashes The Hammer unmercilessly. Greg argues with Garvin and Herc sucker punches him. I don't think these two had any heat at the moment, they just wanted somebody to wrestle Valentine on the ppv so Garvin could be there to knock him. Greg bails outside then back in. Ventura's having a lousy night. Hammer goes for the figure four early but Herc pushes him off. Hammer up top and he catches a punch on the way down. Herc ducks his head on a backdrop attempt and eats a forearm in the back of the head. Hammer still in trouble and he gets a vertical suplex. Hammer scoops the legs and pins Hercules with the ringropes at 2:55. Ronnie Garvin announcers Hercules as the winner as far as he's concerned. Hammer is pissed and he decks Garvin. Hercules and Hammer duke it out and Garvin comes in and they gang up on him. Hammer bails. It gets 1 star from me overall for the comedy filler match that it was.
Backstage Scary Sherri Macho Man and Zeus do a goofy Dungeon Of Doom segment while looking in a smoldering cauldren.
Match #8
Singles Match
The Million Dollar Man Ted Dibiasie Vs Superfly Jimmy Snuka
Dibiasie announces himself as the guy who ended Jake Roberts career. This at the start of their feud. In the meantime he gets a recently returned Jimmy Snuka.
Snuka gets the early advantage sending Dibiasie outside with an atomic drop. Snuka tries doing his leapfrog routine but botches BIGTIME and lands on top of Dibiasie. Ventura does an excellent job of noting it worked as a positive in hurting Dibiasie. Ted takes control and chops Snuka in the corner. Snuka comes back and Dibiasie backs off, Snuka charges and gets a stungun. Dibiasie with a backbreaker. Dibiasie slams Snuka then goes for that back elbow off the second rope that works as often as Flairs jump off the top rope. Dibiasie begs and Snuka kicks him. Snuka slams Ted then comes off the second rope with a headbutt. Snuka goes up top for the Superfly and Virgil distracts him. Snuka ends up getting counted out at 6:23. Snuka beats up Virgil post match and splashes him. Bah 1 1/2 star.
Mean Gene interviews Hogana and Beefcake.
Match #9
Tag Team Match
World Champion Hulk Hogan and Brutus The Barber Beefcake w Miss Elizabeth Vs Machoman Randy Savage and Zeus w Sensational Sherri
Savage wants revenge on Hogan for Mania 5 and Beefcake is involved because MM and Sherri cut his hair on the Brother Love Show a few weeks back. Savage and Beefcake had a kickass match on SNME earlier in the month. Zeus is here because he thinks he's the star of the flop No Holds Barred film.
Texas Tornado to start and Beefacke beats up Savage easy enough and chases him out. Hogan tries punching Zeuz but he's hopped up on PCP's so no dice. Hogan even tries a high knee on Zeus, the only time ive ever seen him do that one. Zeus chokes down Hogan and Brutus tries helping but gets a bearhug. Hogan breaks it up. Hogan gets caught in a bearhug then Savage goes up top and hits a double axe handle. Savage with a weardown 2 minutes into the thing? Zeus comes in and another bearhug for Hogan. After 2 minutes Hogan starts to fight out of it so Savage comes in and gives him a belly to back suplex. Savage misses some elbows and Hogan TG's Brutus who goes nuts on Savage. Savage is confused and almost decks the ref. Brutus puts on the sleeper!!! Macho with a desperation attempt sending Brtus face first into the turnbuckle. Zeus in and Brutus gives him the sleeper. While the ref ain't looking Savage comes in and hits him with Sherri's loaded purse full of kryptonite. Savage tries a pin but Hogan breaks it up. He chases Savage outside and Macho goes after Liz. Macho and Zeus gang up on Beefcake. Zeus chokes out Beefcake and the ref interferes, Jesse compains. Ventura calls Hogan a coward for not interferring when Zeus is in and only when Savage is in. Savage and Brutus clothesline eachother. Hogan hottags and beats up Savage. He tries suplexing Savage back into the ring but Sherri scoops the legs and he almost gets pinned Warrior Mania 5 style. Savage goes up top and hits the big elbow. Hogan pops right up but this is years before people would bitch on the scale like when he did this to Vader. Zeus in and Hogan drops him to one knee after some clotheslines. Sherri tries interfering but Liz trips her up. Macho goes up top but Beefcake trips him up and he goes down hard. Hogan grabs Sherri's purse and smacks Zeus then bodyslams him, Shiavone sounds like he's having a panic attack. Hogan finishes with a legdrop at 14:30. Post match Sherri gets clobbered with the purse by Elizabeth and Beefcake cuts off her pony tail. Ventura is miserable as the heel announcer should be.
Meh. Im going 2 1/2 stars.
Well? This ppv was good. Good stuff with the IC title, non title tag match and the first 6 man tag.
This one gets a 5.7 star rating. Not fantastic but it's a decent ppv.