I'm back on the day I'm supposed to be doing this. For some reason, Sky Sports here in Europe fuck around with the schedules whenever they show PPV events, so they stuck Classics on a Thursday last week, so it was harder for me last week to get my mindset right, considering it was 10 days since I had done the last one. This time however, no PPV so Classics is back on a Monday, so I've only had four days or so inbetween shows, so this shit could be easy now! Before we get going though, I'd like to dedicate this recap to the singer and actress Aaliyah, who was tragically killed in a plane crash on Saturday night. She had made three great albums, her movie career had yet to truly blossom and she was damn hot to boot. Shame it's her our earth has to let go. Rest in peace, Aaliyah.

WWF WRESTLING CHALLENGE
Original Airdate: 3rd May 1987
Commentators: Gorilla Monsoon and George "The Animal" Steele

No Bobby Heenan this week apparantly, as he's preparing for a big television debate we'll be seeing soon with Ken Patera. Steele on commentary could be interesting, this was probably Albert's favourite episode growing up. This week, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat in a non-title match, a six-man tag featuring Nikolai Volkoff, The Iron Sheik and The Natural Butch Reed, the British Bulldogs will be in tag action and we'll see that big tag match signed last week, as the CanAm Connection take on Kamala and Sika. Danny Davis will also feature in The Snake Pit later in the show.

Non-Title Match
Terry Gibbs Vs Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat
Monsoon: "What did you think of Steamboat winning the IC Title at WMIII, George?" Steele: "Uhhh." Indeed. Looks like Monsoon's type of show. Steamboat has pretty much one of my favourite entrance themes of the era, anyone who wants it off me using Napster can go suck a fat one. Gibbs locks up with the champ and gets a knee to the gut, throws him over the ropes, but Steamboat hangs on, as he comes back, Gibbs makes the stupid mistake of going over to where Steamboat is hanging over the ropes and gets himself caught up in a 'rana outside to the floor. As Steamboat recovers from performing that move, Gibbs drags him out of the ring and beats on him outside. But The Dragon is just too powerful, and Gibbs' momentum betrays him and he ends up eating ringpost a'la Kurt Angle (but without the blood). Both men are back in the ring, the champ Irish whips Gibbs and hiptosses him, Steamboat follows it up with an arm drag and an arm bar on the canvas. The sequence is repeated to the same pop as before, as George Steele attempts his next level of dialogue... "Good." For the first time that I've done this programme, it looks as though I know where the tapings were held, looks like the arena in New Haven, CT as we have that corner of the arena that I always remember seeing. Gibbs gives Steamboat an atomic drop, but his spell on offense doesn't last too long as Steamboat knocks him down pretty quickly. The Dragon goes for an elbow drop, but Gibbs gets up before the champ can deliver the blow. In fact, Gibbs gets a two-count out of it. Gibbs resorts to punching and turnbuckle ramming for offense at this point, but after a while he gets a bodyslam in that gets two from the ref. Steamboat reverses a turnbuckle shot into one of his own onto Gibbs, Irish whips Gibbs into the other corner, then charges to the corner, but Gibbs gets out of the way and Steamboat ends up eating turnbuckle with his shoulder. Good match so far, as Steamboat's selling, making Gibbs, who I always thought was a poor wrestler, look good in this match. Reverse neckbreaker by Gibbs gets two. The Dragon comes out with a chop to the chest out of nowhere, this is followed up with a snapmare and a reverse chinlock. Gibbs Irish whips Steamboat, but is suckered into a sunset flip for two. Irish whip and a chop to the chest by Steamboat sets the champ up for the Karate Chop between Gibbs' eyes for the pinfall victory. This has to go down on record as the best match on Wrestling Challenge since I started recapping the programme for Lords Of Pain. However, it would have been much better had Bobby Heenan analysed the match instead of having George Steele grunt along with it. I could get very tired of Steele come the end of this programme. The ring announcer fucks up when announcing the winner as "The Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion, Randy..." before correcting himself. And to make the error worse, Monsoon picked up on it.
Winner: Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat

The Wrestlers' Rebuttal w/ Craig DeGeorge
Special Guests: Adrian Adonis and Jimmy Hart
First appearance on Classics by Adonis since he got shaved at WMIII by Roddy Piper and Brutus Beefcake, and despite still having the gay eye shadow, now looks like your apitypical fat English football hooligan. Those Germans better watch out on Saturday... to the promo now, Jimmy Hart only has enough time to make it clear that Brutus Beefcake is the focus of the promo before Adonis says that Beefcake cutting his hair was as bad as Adolf Hitler's actions in World War II, he's pissed about it and when they get in the ring, Beefcake's gonna get Goodnight Irene and Adonis will be victorious. I say they should have changed Adonis' gimmick after WMIII because he's got a gay gimmick but no longer looks gay. Then again, the recent winner of the UK's version of Big Brother was gay, and he had a shaven head...

Adverts.

Sivi Afi, Mario Mancini and Leaping Lanny Poffo Vs Nikolai Volkoff, The Iron Sheik and The Natural Butch Reed w/ Slick
We know Ken Patera got in trouble in Wisconsin
And we know why he had to go to jail
But now he's free and he seems to have a different attitude
Now Bobby Heenan's looking rather pale
This great Olympic champion has payback on his mind
And Bobby Heenan's smile has turned to fear
Ken Patera's shocked the wrestling world with this announcement
Weasel Hunting Season now is here!
Erm, I don't think Lanny's poem there had any relavance to his opponents, but the Ken Patera angle had to be plugged somewhere I suppose. Slick takes the mic and calls Jim Duggan a yellow bellied coward, and challenges him to come out to listen to Nikolai Volkoff's singing of the Soviet National Anthem. Sure enough, Duggan arrives with 2x4 in hand. And he has something else too - a pair of pliers, which he uses to cut the microphone cable so that the crowd don't have to hear the Soviet National Anthem. The one instance when Duggan showed us that he has a brain. As Duggan runs away, he distracts the heels' attention and the faces attack them from behind. We've got Butch Reed with Sivi Afi, Volkoff's dealing with Mancini and the Sheik is fighting Poffo. Monsoon plugs a match happening that weekend with George Steele against Randy Savage in a lumberjack match, which I'm sure we'll see footage of somewhere down the line. Steele's thoughts on the upcoming match? "Bad Macho." Couldn't have said it any better. Sheik and "Bad Macho"'s brother are the legal men in the match at the moment, and Poffo is BAAAACK BODY DROPPED! Poffo has enough wind for a weak punch to the Sheik before tagging in Sivi Afi. Afi's whipped into the heels' corner where he's beat on before Sheik tags in Volkoff, the mugging continues after the tag. Irish whip and a knee to the gut by Volkoff, and Butch Reed is tagged in. Irish whip by both Reed and Volkoff, and a double clothesline knocks Sivi Afi down. Reed does a bit of posing, not really noticing that Sivi Afi's scurried to his corner and has tagged in Mancini. Reed is whipped to a neutral corner and is beat on to no real effect by Mancini, as Reed reverses the momentum and Mancini eats turnbuckle. Flying clothesline by Butch Reed is followed by a delayed press slam by The Natural. Sheik is tagged in, hits Mancini with a suplex and locks in the Camel Clutch (for newer fans, the Steiner Recliner) for the submission victory. After the match, noticing that the ring announcer managed to get a new mic working when announcing the winners, Slick and the gang attempt the Soviet National Anthem again, but pick up the same mic that Duggan disconnected earlier and are naturally pissed. Good booking my friends, good booking.
Winners: Nikolai Volkoff, The Iron Sheik and The Natural Butch Reed

We see Mean Gene Okerlund for the first time today, and he has the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers with him. Raymond says that the tag team division in the WWF in 1987 is red hot and they have their eyes set on one tag team, the New Dream Team. Raymond says that Dino Bravo double crossed them at WrestleMania III and they want revenge on him in particular. Mean Gene brings up the point that his presence wasn't that big of a surprise before WMIII and wants Jacques' opinion on it. Jacques says that despite Bravo's actions, the people in their home province of Quebec still respect them but are disappointed that they were denied their goal. But now there's a newer, tougher Fabulous Rougeau Brothers team, and any time, any place, the New Dream Team are gonna find out what that team is all about. Despite George Steele being on commentary, this has been a good show so far.

Nelson Veilleux Vs The King Harley Race
Hopefully this will be a short match, not because Race was old even at that point but because I don't wanna type the surname of his opponent too many times. As you'd probably have guessed, Bobby Heenan's not with Harley Race for this match due to his debate with Ken Patera. And as George Steele's on commentary, no need for Johnny V to show up either. Why couldn't they have just had Johnny V do this show instead of Steele? Irish whip and slightly botched high boot by Race to start the match off. Race beats the shit out of his opponent with a powerslam (you're noticing all the dodging I'm doing already) and during this, he cuts a pre-recorded promo saying that despite being the King Of The Ring, he's challenging Hulk Hogan to a WWF Title shot. And upon the end of the promo, Harley Race hits the Cradle Suplex and gets three in a very short match. Thank god. Barely worth the internet space it's printed on, so I'll say something else. I want to shoot those retarded children that are shouting in next door's garden right now. Sucks that it's a nice sunny day right now, otherwise I'd have that goddamned window shut. Maybe I'll send those kids to one of Harley Race's barbeques so that he can bust them wide open like he wanted to do to Mick Foley that time. Nice...
Winner: The King Harley Race

Mean Gene has Slick with him, and despite the beef he had earlier in the show with Jim Duggan, this promo's about Tito Santana. Slick says that Santana humiliated him at WMIII, but he's back, and he's gonna put Santana out of wrestling with the help of The Natural Butch Reed. Mean Gene wants to know where Reed is (duh, he's recovering after his match?), Slick says Reed doesn't need to talk, he just needs to kick Santana's arse. To end the promo, Mean Gene asks where Slick got his pimpin' suit (not in those exact words), Slick says ask your big sister, which flusters Mean Gene and confirms that Slick has bad taste in women. No wonder he turned to religion.

Adverts.

Rick Ganter and Rocky Stone Vs The British Bulldogs w/ Matilda
As George Steele thinks about coming face to face with Elizabeth again, Davey Boy Smith starts the match off against Rick Ganter, Irish whip and DBS hits a bodyslam. The best named wrestler of all time Rocky Stone comes in and gets bodyslammed as well. A promo cut by the Hart Foundation airs as they and Jimmy Hart show off their Tag Team Titles and laugh at the Bulldogs. Nice. Smith drags Ganter to the Bulldogs' corner and tags in the Dynamite Kid. Standing clothesline by Dynamite is followed by the snap suplex that influenced Chris Benoit alongside many other Dynamite Kid moves. Knee drop by Dynamite and Davey Boy's tagged back in. Vertical suplex by DBS, and as Smith goes for the cover, he notices Rocky Stone on the top rope, and bodyslams Mr Stone right onto Rick Ganter. Dynamite throws Rocky Stone out of the ring, and Smith hits his patented Running Powerslam for the three-count. I'm sure he and Dynamite would be very interested in the next segment...
Winners: The British Bulldogs

The Snake Pit w/ Jake "The Snake" Roberts
Special Guest: Dangerous Danny Davis
Jake says that people do things and then those things come back to haunt them, and says that theory applies to Danny Davis and his refereeing actions that have seen Tito Santana and the British Bulldogs both screwed out of title reigns. Jake hides Damian away from Davis so that he doesn't get scared during the promo. Danny Davis says that he's got his life together and that he will become the greatest wrestler of all time. Jake argues this point, saying that you don't become the best overnight and rehashes his point from earlier. Jake says there's a long line of people waiting to get their own back on Davis, and brings one of those guys on, Tito Santana. He says that he will beat the living crap out of Davis if they're ever in the ring together. Another Davis enemy, Koko B Ware (without his parrot Frankie) comes onto the set and says he'll beat Davis so bad that not even his mommy and daddy will recognise him. Jake gets in the final word, saying that he's like a Death Row inmate who's going to the electric chair, and people like Tito Santana and Koko B Ware are the executioners, no-one knows who's going to pull the switch. Great promo for the time, even if it was someone as lame as Danny Davis involved. I don't know why people were knocking the Snake Pit, maybe because it was running about the same time as Piper's Pit, but Jake Roberts ran a good segment methinks.

Kamala and Sika w/ Mr Fuji and Kim Chee Vs The CanAm Connection
Finally! Those pretty boys Martel and Zenk have to face their maker now, Kamala will destroy them even without the help of Sika!!! As the CanAms hit the ring, Kamala lays the smackdown as only he can, and it's a brawl to start! Martel's thrown out of the ring, Sika holds Zenk and Kamala belly splashes him from a standing position. Sika still holds Zenk, brings him to the corner, Kamala goes for the corner splash, but runs right into Sika, allowing Zenk to sneak to his corner, tagging in Rick Martel. The future Model gets a dropkick in on my god and idol Kamala, making him fall to the outside. How dare he besmirch the good name of Kamala? Martel works on Sika's arm a good deal, but Sika no-sells it. As I only give a shit about Kamala, I despise Sika for no-selling here. Sika eats turnbuckle, and Martel gets an arm-bar on him. Martel tags in Tom Zenk, and he continues the work on the big Samoan's arm. However, Sika gets close enough to make the tag with his free arm, and Kamala's back in. Kamala pulls off a couple of reverse thrust kicks, making Zenk his bitch. Unconventional "communion-bread style" tag to Sika, who hits a slow, methodical body punch onto Zenk. Sika puts a chokehold onto Zenk using the ropes, much to Mr Fuji's approval. Kamala climbs into the ring without having made the tag, but tags Sika INSIDE the ring, which the ref allows, because if he didn't allow it, it'd be 10 million consecutive Air Kamalas for the ref. Chop to the chest by Kamala, and then he grabs Tom Zenk by the throat for what I thought was gonna be a Baldo Bomb, but then I remembered that Kamala doesn't do retarded American moves like that and instead just brings Zenk down from a high position. Sika puts his head down on the ring apron, and Kamala rams Zenk's head into Sika's. Tag to Sika, he tries punching Zenk out, but Zenk beats him to it and gets the hot tag to Rick Martel. Insightful commentary by George Steele, "Tag." Indeed. Martel goes rowdy, playing Robert Gibson (now I haven't seen anyone use THAT term, have I???) on both Kamala and Sika, but the foreigners are just too strong, Martel's thrown to the outside, Zenk's slammed down by Sika, preparing for a Kamala belly splash, but Martel grabs Kamala's foot as he's about to go down. Martel then goes up top and splashes onto Sika for the upset victory. Damn! At least Kamala wasn't the one who was pinned, so he retains high esteem in my book. You haven't betrayed me, my son. Wait a minute, Kamala and Sika are beating on Tom Zenk, Kamala belly splashes him, and goes for Air Kamala, but Rick Martel's taken the cane from Mr Fuji, has come into the ring and has nailed Sika with it, stopping Kamala from pulling it off! And all this as they show a 2001 crowd shot. Next, a 1987 crowd shot, complete with Steveweiser-hated dairy product. Someone get me a Mars please.
Winners: The CanAm Connection

Adverts.

The Outlaw Ron Bass Vs Ricky Hunter
And now my day, which so far has showed a lot of promise, suddenly falls flat as Ron Bass makes an appearance. The first minute of this match sees Bass punch and make Hunter eat turnbuckle, and that's about it. High knee by Bass. Nice. At this point, the main event of next week's show is announced, as guest commentator George "The Animal" Steele takes on the Honky Tonk Man. George Steele says "Good." And as he says "Good", Ron Bass hits a kneeling version of the Pedigree and this abortion of a match is over without me having to write too much. Monsoon says that Bass will have to go through Blackjack Mulligan before he can claim bragging rights to the state of Texas. Thank god that a decade later, many better wrestlers came out of Texas, namely a former boy-toy WWF Champion and some bald bloke who's the current WWF Champion.
Winner: The Outlaw Ron Bass

Mean Gene brings on Jimmy Hart, who starts off in "Mouth Of The South" mode by saying that people laughed at him when in 1986 he predicted that he'd manage the WWF Tag Team Champions, but now he's laughing because his charges, the Hart Foundation are the WWF Tag Team Champions. Mean Gene's voice then suddenly switches Jimmy Hart's mode to that of "The Colonel" by way of introducing the Honky Tonk Man. Honky says that he doesn't personally hate Jake Roberts, but he needs to sort out issues after his clothes were torn and his guitar was destroyed and other such things went down. HTM then denies knowledge of the existence of Elvis Presley, saying that everyone who meets him accuses him of ripping off The King's look. All Honky wants to do is sing his song for the WWF fans, and people like Jake Roberts won't let him do that. Every time HTM rides his Pink Caddy with Peggy Sue by his side and Jimmy Hart in the back seat, they think about Jake Roberts and what they're gonna do to him as they listen to Honky's #1 hit, "That's All Right Honky Tonk Momma". Look out for that Pink Caddy riding up to the civil courts sometime soon. I'm sure Jerry'll be pleased to see it.

That's it for this week on Wrestling Challenge. Next week, not one, not two but THREE big matches...

Demolition Vs The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers
Brutus Beefcake Vs Lucious Johnny V
George "The Animal" Steele Vs The Honky Tonk Man

...And speaking of that last match, we throw BACK to the Honky Tonk Man and Jimmy Hart, as he talks about next week's match with George Steele. HTM says that Steele only said four proper words whilst on commentary during the show, those being "The, Honky, Tonk and Man". Honky says that he's been waiting all his life to wrestle someone like George "The Animal" Steele, and he can't wait to knock a little sense into him with his guitar. Also next week...

Macho Man Randy Savage in singles action
The Ken Patera/Bobby Heenan Debate

For Gorilla Monsoon and special guest George "The Animal" Steele, I'm Steveweiser, living out my final week as a teenager before I move into that useful section of life known as my twenties. Peace! End of show.

STEVEWEISER
THE WRESTLE RANT BOARD
WE'LL KEEP TALKING SHIT EVEN IF YOU CLICK OUR DAMN TOPSITES!!!