Survivor Series 1987

We set the clock back to 1987 for this the inaugural Survivor Series and whilst I'm not expecting much in the ring in terms of technical prowess the old shows do have a fun quality to them.

26th Novemeber, 1987 from Richfield, O--o

Crowd is hot to start as Jesse Ventura and Gorilla Monsoon are Introduced. I think this is actually taking place on Thanksgiving. 

Honky Tonk Man/Harley Race/Hercules/Ron Bass/Danny Davis  Vs. Macho Man/Steamboat/Beefcake/Jake Roberts/Duggan
Harley is during his King phase. Honky and Macho are the respective captains. Bobby Heenan and Jimmy Hart are ringside for Team Honky and Elizabeth is with Team Macho. It's quite amazing how quickly Savage adapted to the face side of things and was embraced by the fans after his great heel run. Big pop for Savage and Elizabeth. Beefcake has hiptosses for all bar Harley and Honky. Danny Davis is being discombobulated until he manages to tag Harley in who tries to throw Ricky out a couple times but he skins the cat both times. Hacksaw in, Harley won the title of King from Hacksaw so they have history, they brawl ringside for a double count out (4-4). Macho has the better of Bass until he goes for Honky and is clotheslined. Brutus with the blind tag and a high knee eliminates Bass (3-4). Beefcake is your Future-Man-With-No-Name-Even-Though-That-Is-Surely-His-Name-In-Peril. Beefcake fights back but doesn't go for a tag and is hit with the Shake Rattle 'n' Roll, a swinging neckbreaker, for 3 (3-3). Jake in, he goes for a DDT but Honky avoids it. Woah, woah, woah is that Jack Duckworth as the ref? If Vera shows up in the womens match then it must be, was this Coronation Streets way of building an american following? Sounds like a big 'DDT' chant. Jake hits said DDT to Danny Davis for 3 (2-3). Hercules attacks Jake straight away to get an advantage. Jake, Randy and Steamboat would be a cracking mix for a wrestler - great promo, great babyface and God. Jake has been isolated since he eliminated Danny. Hot tag to Ricky who chops Honky and mocks him with his dance. Chop off the top for Hercules then Savage soon ends his night with the Big Elbow (1-3). The faces have their way with Honky who bails after a Macho atomic drop and takes the count out loss 23:42. *** Heat at points was off the charts, Honky taking the countout loss fitted with his gimmick.      

We hear from Team Andre. 

Judy Martin/Lelani Kai/Dawn Marie/Donna Christianello/Sherri Vs. Velvet McIntyre/Rockin Robin/Jumping Bomb Angels/Fabulous Moolah
Sherri is Ladies Champion and Judy/Lelani are Ladies Tag Champions. Ventura plugs The Running Man a film I have yet to see though intend to or am I thinking of the other Arnie film I get it mixed up with the name if which escapes me. Velvet victory rolls Donna for 3. (4-5). Hurricanrana and a dropkick to Lelani. If I remember right Robin is Jake Roberta sister. Robin is your Potential-Jake-Roberts-Sibling-In-Peril but she does pin Dawn with a crossbody (3-5). One of the JBA does Eddie Guerreros style of armdrag without the running up top. Suplex by Sherri eliminates Robin (3-4). Lelani avoids a dropkick from one of the JBA. One of the JBAs is legal but Moolah is dragged in by Lelani or Judy and that makes her legal. A clothesline eliminates Moolah (3-3). McIntyre has Martin in a Boston crab then a bow and arrow type move but there's a rope break. I have just remembered the other Arnie film and funnily enough it's Total Recall. Double underhook slam to one of the JBA doesn't get 3 but the bell rings anyway however the ref cancels it out. McIntyre with a giant swing to Sherri and pins her with a victory roll  (2-3) as Ventura believes that should make her the no.1 contender. Double underhook suplex to Martin gets 2 for one of the JBA. Velvet goes for a victory toll on Judy but she counters by falling backwards for 3 (2-2), I cant remember if that's the electric chair or if that's the one where you drop them forwards. Lelani misses a splash from the top and is pinned by a JBA with a crossbody (1-2). Jimmy Hart is on the apron but is dropkicked to a pop and a clothesline off the top eliminates Judy and ends it @ 20:15.  **1/2 - Did kind of drag at times but McIntyre and the Jumping Bomb Angels in particular looked impressive.

We hear from Hart Foundations team.

Demolition/Greg Valentine/Dino Bravo/Haku/Tama/Hart Foundation/Zhukov/Volkoff Vs. Bulldogs/Paul Roma/Jim Powers/Rougeau Brothers/Killer Bees/Rick Martel/Tito Santana
And breathe. Hart Foundation are the captain's of their team, despite entering to Demolitions music, not that I mind one bit and Strike Force (Martel and Santana) are the captain's of their team and are the Tag Team Champions. I hope it has the one fall eliminates the Tag team formula. Volkoff and Martel start. Some fans at ringside not be able to see due to all the people on the apron. Zhukov is gone via a Santana forearm (8-10). Haku and Dynamite Kid trade blows. The future Horseman Paul Roma is in but he is soon in trouble, I guess Naitxh didn't watch this tape for scouting. Ax pins Jacques Rougeau after he misses a crossbody (8-8). Neidhart holds Powers up for Haku to drop a chop on him but it only gets 2, I thought the Stallions were done then. Dynamite gets 2 on Smash after a clothesline. Demolition are DQd when one pushes a ref (6-8). Bret piledrives Dynamite Kid for a 2 count however he soon misses a corner charge. Tama misses a vader splash on Powers. Santana hits his forearm on Neidhart but Bret breaks the pin and Santana is pinned (6-6). There has been stuff going on all match but if I noted it all this would be like Homers Odyssey. Roma Vs. Bret which of course is Horseman Vs. nWo. Dynamite now in with Bret who does his corner chest bump. Davey Boy in with Haku and he headbutts him. Davey with a press slam on Bret for 2. Powerslam to Haku but it doesn't get 3. Dynamite with a Swan Dive to Haku but the Bulldogs are soon done as Haku pins Davey with a thrust kick (6-4). Jesse guesses that the Killer Bees will do a Honky if the Young Stallions get eliminated next. We've now settled down to a regular tag formula now as Powers is being isolated. Valentine goes to Figure Four Powers but doesn't see him tag out and Roma comes off the top with a sunset flip for 3, that was nicely done but then you'd expect quality from a future Horseman (4-4). Bret with a back suplex on Roma for 2. Roma is your Future-Horseman-In-Peril. Bret is pinned by Brunzell of the Killer Bees (2-4). Big 'Weasel' chant. Tama must be related to Rikishi, shocking I know, as he looks like him. Haku has Brunzell in trouble with a double, yes double, Vulcan death grip. Brunzell almost ends it with a sunset flip but it only gets 2. Roma powerslams Haku but Tama breaks the pin. Brunzell with a noggin knocker to the Islanders. B. Brian Blair, who now has a Rey Mysterio style mask on, sunset flips Tama for 3 @ 37:15, why the ref didn't question why one suddenly had a mask on when the legal man didn't is beyond me. ***1/2 Did kind of almost drag at points as we got a lot of the same, one man comes throws a punch or two then tag out and repeat but there was always something going on and constant movement can help a matches watchability. Got better the more the teams were narrowed down and we got more of a normal tag match. 

We get a lengthy Ted DiBiase promo interspersed with clips of him making a woman bark and kicking away a basketball before a kid can dribble it 15 times, wasn't Rob Van Dam used for one of these type of things once.

Jesse and Gorilla discuss the night's events so far. Jesse rocks a pilgrim hat at Gorillas request.

Honky and Jimmy Hart are interviewed. Honky says he'll face Hogan anytime with both belts at stake.

Andre The Giant/King Kong Bundy/Rick Rude/One Man Gang/Butch Reed Vs. Hulk Hogan/Paul Orndorff/Bam Bam/Don Muraco/Ken Patera
Slick and The Brain are ringside for Andres team. They claim it's Ken Patera but I'm not convinced it isn't Leo Sayer. Oliver Humperdink is in the corner for Team Hogan. Kind of weird seeing Hogan and Orndorff together. Muraco is filling in for Superstar Billy Graham. Hogan of course is over huge. Rude doesn't get off to the bets start for his team as the faces take turns beating on him, you don't get crowds like this anymore. Butch in but he fares no better. Hogan and Orndorff clothesline Butch and the Legdrop of Doom ends his night (4-5). We almost get Andre and Hogan but we don't. One Man Gang blocks an Orndorff corner charge and tags in Rude but like earlier he's soon on the defensive. Patera gets a crossbody for 2 on Gang but he's soon caught in the heel corner as the ref is distracted. Sounds like an 'Andre Sucks' chant but I can't make it out fully. One Man Gang takes down Patera with a clothesline of sorts for 3 (4-4). Bam Bam and Hogan with a double big boot to OMG. It's funny seeing how over Bam Bam was in 87 as the Bam Bam I grew up with was the Jersey Triad one in 1999. Rude rolls up Orndorff for 3 (4-3). HH goes all HHH with a high knee. Rude is powerslamed by Muraco for 3 (3-3). Andre headbutts Muraco and OMG gets a splash for 3 (3-2). Bam Bam with a sunset flip but OMG sits on him. Bam Bam is your Future-WCW-Tag-Team-  Champion-Using-The-Freebird-Rule-In-Peril. Hot tag to Hogan as we get Hogan/Andre, they trade chops. Bundy drags Hogan out if the ring where OMG and Bundy keep him occupied long wnough ti be counted out (3-1), that ruling is booed out of the building. Bam Bam headbutts Bundy for 2. Bundy misses a corner charge and Bam Bam slingshots onto him for 3 (2-1). OMG is up top but misses and Bam Bam gets 3 (1-1). Bam Bam rolls around to avoid Andre then misses a corner charge and is hip tossed for 3 @ 24:24. Hogan runs in agter and attacks Andre with the title belt then poses for the fans. ***1/2 - Man the crowd were into this, puts today's pops to shame. It was a good match which didn't have any standout moments, think HBKs performance at the 2003 event, but was a fun match nonetheless.

Gene Okerlund is with Bobby and Andre, Bobby says Hogan can have Andre but he has to sign a contract for it. 

12.5 / 20 - A good show top to bottom with no bad matches. Maybe the crowd is part of it but shows from this time are always watchable even if you don't get technical master classes like Flair/Steamboat. Thumbs up for the inaugural Survivor Series.