WWF Wrestling Challenge November 15th, 1987

November 15, 1987

From the Rochester Community War Memorial in Rochester, NY

Your hosts are Bobby Heenan and Gorilla Monsoon

In action this week will be Jim Duggan, Rick Rude, Ken Patera & Billy Jack Haynes and the featured matchup of Jake Roberts vs. Nikolai Volkoff.

Nikolai Volkoff w/ Slick & Boris Zhukov vs. Jake “The Snake” Roberts

Roberts goes after Zhukov, allowing Volkoff to attack him from behind in a really contrived spot to start the match. Volkoff hammers away for a bit until Roberts makes a comeback. Roberts is then shown in an insert promo, telling the Bolsheviks he stands alone but always has a partner in Damien. Roberts works the arm then Zhukov grabs his leg as Volkoff goes back on offense. Volkof’s offense looks like complete garbage by the way. Zhukov trips up Roberts again, allowing Volkoff to hit some pathetic-looking knee drop, then stands on the apron during the pin like it was over but Roberts kicks out. The ref goes over to Zhukov then Roberts sidesteps a charge as Volkoff hits Zhukov then Roberts gets a rollup for the win (3:06). After the match, Roberts gets attacked by the Bolsheviks but is able to chase them away with Damien as they were celebrating.

Thoughts: Just an awful match. This was easily the worst I have seem Volkoff look since he came back in 1984. He was atrocious. If I bothered with a rating, it would have been negative stars. No one came out of this looking good.

WWF Update with Craig DeGeorge. This goes over the Tag Title change from last week where Strike Force won the belts after Martel made Neidhart submit to the Boston Crab. We also get a clip of DeGeorge interviewing them in the locker room after the match.

“Ravishing” Rick Rude w/ Bobby Heenan vs. Brady Boone

Gorilla is alone on commentary as they are seemingly done with putting Johnny V. on TV anymore. Rude comes out to music as well. Boone briefly works a hammerlock as Gorilla brings up how he is back after getting attacked by Demolition two weeks ago. Boone uses a backflip off of the top rope to avoid Rude but gets beat down shortly after that. Rude hits a snap suplex while Gorilla plugs the newest edition of WWF Magazine then gets the win via submission with the backbreaker (1:20). After the match, Rude orders the “nothing-happening New Yorksters” in the crowd to keep quiet as he shows the ladies what “simply ravishing” is all about by flexing and showing off the rest of his body.

Thoughts: Short match to put Rude over. At least they gave Boone a reason he lost this quick as he was still selling the beating he received by Demolition.

Gene Okerlund is with the Young Stallions. He asks them about the Survivor Series as they talk about surviving and congratulating the Strike Force for their title win. Okerlund asks the Stallions about their opponents at the PPV and they talk about how they will be ready and how they hope to be the lone survivors. Generic babyface promo from the Stallions, who seem to be getting pushed more over the past few weeks.

Ken Patera & Billy Jack Haynes vs. Gino Carabello & Dave Wagner

Heenan is back on commentary. Haynes takes control to start as we get an insert promo from Demolition, telling us that Mr. Fuji is upset Haynes & Patera are still in wrestling after they beat them down. Carabello is in and gets destroyed while Heenan rags on the babyfaces. Haynes is chopping the piss out of Carabello then tags Patera, who hits a few moves before tagging out as Haynes gets the win with a full nelson (2:58).

Thoughts: The Patera & Haynes team were not exactly setting the world on fire out of the gate but they were only put together to get Demolition over in a feud and they achieved that at least.

Okerlund is with Andre the Giant and his Survivor Series team (One Man Gang, Butch Reed, Rick Rude, King Kong Bundy). Heenan tells Hogan that he will not have a good Thanksgiving as all the heels gloat about how they will win at the Survivor Series. This was fine.

A replay of King Harley Race attacking Jim Duggan and getting is crown back from the 11/7/87 edition of “Superstars of Wrestling.”

Dusty Wolfe vs. Hacksaw Jim Duggan

Duggan no-sells some offense before beating on Wolfe. We get an insert promo from Race, telling us that he looks down at Duggan like he is a “simple peasant” while Duggan slams Wolfe before getting the win with a Three Point Stance (1:07).

Thoughts: The feud continues and its a simple concept of arrogant royalty vs. the common man, making it easy for the crowd to invest into the angle.

DeGeorge is on the interview platform with the Hart Foundation’s Survivor Series team (Demolition, Bolsheviks, Islanders, New Dream Team). They all run down their opponents at the Survivor Series. Fuji tells us that Demolition will survive because he said so then they all make fun of their opponents as they chant “survive” until the segment ends.

Slick tells us about his “Jive Soul Bro” video then shows us his article in the newest edition of the “WWF Magazine.”

The “Stand Back” music video, which was in fact sung by Vince McMahon. This is set to various clips of Andre the Giant, even some of him as a babyface, oddly enough.

Ted DiBiase and Virgil are shown. DiBiase tells us that he has bought time to show us the “If You Only Knew” video. This is all clips of DiBiase but its sung by a variety of wrestlers. The end shows DiBiase’s face on a dollar bill. Great, cheezy 80’s stuff here.

“Macho Man” Randy Savage w/ Elizabeth vs. “The Crippler” Rip Oliver

Heenan yells about Savage for being soft due to shaking hands with Hogan. Oliver attacks Savage to start but ends up getting booted in the face attempting a backdrop. Savage sends Oliver to the floor with a back elbow smash as Steamboat is shown in an insert promo talking about the Survivor Series. It was a lame promo. Savage rolls Oliver back into the ring and catches him with another elbow smash. Savage sends Oliver to the floor again and follows out with a flying double axe handle. Savage then suplexes Oliver back into the ring then puts him away with a flying elbow drop (2:28).

Thoughts: Solid action. Oliver was a good worker but he was just about gone from the WWF after this match aired as he went back to work for the Oregon Territory.

Okerlund is now with The New Dream Team. Johnny V. is not present. They talk about the Survivor Series and how they will survive in a generic promo.

We get comments from Danny Davis and Brutus Beefcake, who will be facing each other in next week’s featured bout. Also in action are Strike Force, One Man Gang, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Demolition.

Final Thoughts: Per usual, lots of Survivor Series hype. The featured match stunk though. The hype is almost getting to be too much now as I am ready for the Survivor Series to happen already.