WWF Wrestling Challenge October 11th, 1987

October 11, 1987

From the Metro Centre in Rockford, IL

Your hosts are Bobby Heenan and Gorilla Monsoon

This week in action are the Islanders, Bam Bam Bigelow, Killer Khan, and Strike Force. Plus, we will see clips from the Honky Tonk Man vs. Randy Savage match from the 10/3/87 edition of “Saturday Night’s Main Event.”

Strike Force vs. Iron Mike Sharpe & Terry Gibbs

Martel works over Sharpe to start. Santana tags in and works a side headlock. Strike Force now works the arm of Gibbs, who comes back with an eye poke on Martel. Sharpe tags in and briefly roughs up Martel until he misses an elbow drop. Hot tag to Santana as he runs wild on Sharpe. Gibbs tries to interfere but Martel takes him out of the ring with a dropkick then Santana hits Sharpe with a flying forearm for the win (3:31).

Thoughts: This was okay but in reality, Strike Force was not as over as their push. The Can-Ams were much more popular with the crowds.

WWF Special Report with Craig DeGeorge. This week’s subject is Ken Patera and how his cast is now off. Patera is shown in a pre-taped promo warning the Heenan Family that he will take them all out.

Slick is in the ring, putting over his “Jive Soul Bro” song from the Piledriver album and says that the song was written for Butch Reed and how we will hear it each time he comes out to the ring. Reed then comes out for his match.

“Leaping” Lanny Poffo vs. “The Natural” Butch Reed w/ Slick

No poem from Poffo here. Match starts with Reed failing on a sneak attack. Poffo hits a shoulderblock but ends up getting sent to the floor with a dropkick. Reed follows him out and slams him onto the concrete floor. Back inside, Reed roughs up Poffo but gets caught coming off of the top rope. Poffo hits a back elbow smash but Reed catches him and drops him on the top rope. He hits Poffo with a clothesline as we get a promo from Superstar Billy Graham calling out Reed, who then gets the win with a press slam (2:12).

Thoughts: Strong showing for Reed, who they seem to be pushing again.

Gene Okerlund is with Billy Jack Haynes, asking him about his fans being a source of inspiration. Haynes thanks the fans for their support as he is now back from injury. No screaming, psychotic promo this time around.

We get a graphic hyping up the Survivor Series

Bam Bam Bigelow w/ Oliver Humperdink vs. Shadow #2 w/ Shadow #1

The story here is that Bigelow beat #1 last week. Match starts with Bigelow hitting a scoop slam as we get an insert promo from the One Man Gang, who tells Bigelow that he is not very big compared to himself. Bigelow toys around with #2 then the Shadows do a switch behind the referee’s back. Bigelow sends #1 to the floor with a dropkick. #2 runs back in and Bigelow slams him down before getting the win with a slingshot splash (1:16). After the match, #1 tries to ambush Bigelow, who ends up shoving both guys to the floor.

Thoughts: Short match to put Bigelow over by taking out these two scrubs by himself. Bigelow did some cool shit as a big man in the 80’s. He was ahead of his time in that regard.

Okerlund is with Hacksaw Jim Duggan and asks him about that “commie” Nikolai Volkoff. Duggan warns Volkoff that he is going down. Looks like that feud is being resumed.

A replay of the Matilda music video set to the tune “How Much is That Doggy in the Window.” Horrible.

The Islanders w/ Bobby Heenan vs. Mario Mancini & Mike Richards

Johnny V. is now on commentary. Match starts with the Islanders beating the piss out of Mancini. We then get an insert promo from Duggan, who warns the Islanders that the attacks like the Islanders made on Tito a few weeks ago will no longer happen with him around. Richards tags in as its his turn to get the shit kicked out of him, including a vicious clothesline by Haku, then Tama puts him away with a top rope splash (4:02). Monsoon claimed that Tama was “fourteen feet high” coming off of the top rope.

Thoughts: Islanders looked impressive and it seems Duggan is going to be an enforcer of sorts.

Craig DeGeorge is on the interview platform. He tells us about the Survivor Series show and how there will be an elimination match showcasing the Tag Team division. He then brings out Jimmy Hart and the Hart Foundation as they run down all the teams. Its becoming clearer that the whole show will revolve around elimination tag matches but only two matches total have been announced for the show.

Clips of the Honky/Savage match from “Saturday Night’s Main Event.”

Killer Khan w/ Mr. Fuji vs. Chris Zarna

Khan beats on Zarna to start. He mists him while Fuji distracted the ref and goes back on the attack until putting him away with a flying knee drop (1:35).

Thoughts: The same as every other Khan squash match.

Okerlund is with the Rougeaus. He asks these two fashion plates about the tag team competition as they put over how working in six-man tags teaches you how to protect yourself even more. What a useless interview this was and what they wore made me laugh.

In action next week will be Randy Savage, Don Muraco, Koko B. Ware, Rick Rude, and the One Man Gang.

Final Thoughts: Not much at all to talk about here other than they made a second match for the Survivor Series.

Here is my schedule for the next several days:

Sunday: WWF Madison Square Garden 10/16/87

Tuesday: WWF Superstars of Wrestling 10/17/87

Thursday: Best Friends with Teddy Hart

Friday: WWF Wrestling Challenge 10/18/87