WWF Wrestling Challenge April 3rd, 1988

April 3, 1988

From the Viking Hall in Bristol, TN

Your hosts are Bobby Heenan and Gorilla Monsoon

This week, we will see the WrestleMania IV Special Report. Plus, a live interview with Don Muraco and Superstar Billy Graham. In action will be Ron Bass, Junkyard Dog, and more. We also see a dejected Bobby Heenan as Gorilla notes Randy Savage is the new WWF Champion.

WrestleMania IV Report with Gene Okerlund. This was the same from the 4/2/88 episode of “Superstars of Wrestling.”

King Harley Race w/ Bobby Heenan vs. Jim Evans

Gorilla is solo on commentary and makes fun of what Heenan wore in his match at WrestleMania IV, even stating that WWF President Jack Tunney as barred him from wearing it again. Race hits a clothesline as we get an insert promo from Robin Leach, who was excited to be at WrestleMania. Race stays in control then puts him away with a cradle suplex (1:14).

Thoughts: Most of the focus was on Heenan’s wardrobe being banned. Barely any focus on Race, who will be out of action for several months following surgery.

Dave Wagner & Pete Sanchez vs. Killer Bees

Heenan is back on commentary. The Bees get a nice reaction from the crowd. The Bees work over Wagner to start as Heenan is upset about Tunney barring his attire. The Bees work the arm until Wagner breaks free with an eye rake. Sanchez tags and lands some kicks in the corner but accidentally knocks his partner off of the apron with a forearm. Blair tags in and runs wild on Sanchez. He then tags Brunzell, who gets the win with a dropkick (2:59).

Thoughts: At one point they mentioned the Bees were trying to become the #1 Challengers for the Tag Titles but in reality, this team was becoming an afterthought and really no longer positioned in the top half of the Tag Team food chain.

Okerlund is in the Event Center as we hear comments from the One Man Gang and Slick, who tells us Bam Bam Bigelow reminds him of a hippopotamus and does not have what it takes to face the Gang. We hear from Bigelow and Oliver Humperdink, who says when Bigelow and Gang meet, a shockwave will be felt around the world. Bigelow then screams at Gang and how he will get burned and is going down. So I guess they still have a plan for these two to feud after all.

We now get the recap of Savage’s tournament run at WrestleMania IV, which will be available on home video May 11th.

The Bolsheviks w/ Slick vs. Alden Kinsey & Scott Casey

Gorilla notes how the crowd is “literally hanging off of the rafters” for this show. I bet. Match starts with Casey landing some soft shots in the corner on Zhukov. He gets two with a sunset flip before tagging out. Kinsey tags in and gets beaten down immediately as we hear the same insert promo from Vanna White as we did on “Superstars of Wrestling,” even with Heenan taking over Jesse’s role as the guy pretending he got with Vanna. Volkoff hits Kinsey from the apron as Zhukov comes back with a Polish Hammer then Volkoff runs in and covers for the win (1:39).

Thoughts: They are trying to push the Bolsheviks now. Besides cheap heat for being portrayed as foreigners, this team had nothing at all going on for them. They lacked chemistry and did not even have a finisher at this point.

Craig DeGeorge is with Don Muraco and Superstar Billy Graham on the interview platform. Graham asks us to look at Muraco’s body and how he is the man who came to his aid and will be the next superstar of the 80’s. Muraco, all dressed up as Graham now, cuts a rhyming promo before saying its a honor to have Graham pass him the torch. They really went all out trying to turn Muraco into Superstar Graham-lite.

“The Outlaw” Ron Bass vs. Rick Hunter

Bass immediately beats on Hunter, who is getting made fun of by Heenan on commentary. Hunter gets a few quick rollups but Bass comes right back and beats Hunter down. Bass hits a clothesline but pulls up Hunter before the three count and softens him up before getting the win with a Gourdbuster (2:31).

Thoughts: On commentary, they really put over Bass as a tough guy. We will find out why in the next segment.

The Junkyard Dog comes out to the ring for his match but runs into Bass, who tells the Dog he has to get past him. JYD raises his chain as Bass lets him walk by but then chokes him out with Miss Betsy. Several referees attempt to break the hold but fail as Bass takes JYD up the aisle. The angle was fine but the fans did not seem all that into it besides a few kids screaming. You can say that’s due to just how fall JYD’s star has fallen or that Bass is not all that over as a heel and I’d agree with you.

Okerlund is back at the Event Center. We hear from King Harley Race, who tells us he is the “ultimate of everything that comes to wrestling” as he calls out Jake Roberts, stating he does not bow to a mortal human being or a snake. We also hear from Roberts, who tells Race he always makes himself happy. I imagine this was a feud that was going to happen had Race not needed surgery.

Ken Patera vs. Jose Luis Rivera

The announcers talk about what we just saw between Bass and JYD as Patera overpowers Rivera. Patera beats down Rivera as we get an insert promo from Bob Uecker, telling us how great it was to be at WrestleMania IV. Rivera fails to slam Patera as the announcers talk about Dino Bravo being upset with Patera’s strength claims as Patera gets the win with a full nelson (2:16).

Thoughts: On commentary they were teasing a potential Patera/Bravo feud. And here I thought the JYD/Bass feud was the worst thing to come from this show.

Okerlund is back in the Event Center as he talks about WrestleMania IV after being upset over what we just saw with Bass. We then hear from Greg Valentine and Jimmy Hart, who make fun of Steamboat for dedicating his match to his kid and wife. Steamboat then tells us that the oriental calendar tells us that 1988 is the year of the Dragon and that he will get back up each time he is knocked down because he is doing all of this for his son and is proud to be a family man, stating Valentine is in a no-win situation. Okerlund ends this by saying he is certain this story does not have a final chapter yet and well, he was wrong.

Next week in action will be the Honky Tonk Man, Ted DiBiase, Koko B. Ware, Rick Rude, and the British Bulldogs.

Final Thoughts: Well, they continue to set up feuds post-Mania. However, most of them this week were really poor. Beyond that, we got the WrestleMania IV fallout but not a whole lot else. Even still, its nice to see more purpose to these shows again that do not revolve around first-round tournament match hype.

Here is my schedule for the next several days:

Wednesday: PWG All Star Weekend XI, Night One @ 11am EST

Thursday: Highspots Developmentally Speaking Shoot Interview (Kenny Omega, Sami Callihan, and Kevin Matthews) @noon EST

Friday: WWF Superstars of Wrestling 4/9/88 @3pm EST

Saturday: PWG All Star Weekend XI, Night Two @noon EST

Sunday: WWF Wrestling Challenge 4/10/88 @8pm EST

Tuesday: WWF Superstars of Wrestling 4/16/88 @ 8pm EST