Nickrj’s rant for Wrestlemania III

 

This historic event aired at the Pontiac Silverdome in Detroit Michigan on March 29 1987. It had over 93,000 people jam packed.

 

Vince McMahon starts the show by welcoming everyone to Wrestlemania III. It was a big moment for him and his company.

 

Aretha Franklin sings a stirring rendition of America The Beautiful.

 

Your hosts are Gorilla Monsoon and Jesse Ventura with Bob Uecker and Mary Hart providing commentary for a couple of matches.

 

Opening Match: The Can-Am Connection (Rick Martel and Tom Zenk) VS Magnificent Muraco and Cowboy Bob Orton

Martel starts with Muraco. They tie up a couple of times before Martel knocks Muraco down. Muraco starts pounding on Martel in the corner. Martel counters with an arm drag into a hurricurana for 2. Martel tags Zenk in a tie up and they give Muraco a double Monkey Flip. Orton comes in and gets slammed. They both go outside and have a word with Mr. Fuji. Orton knocks Zenk down but gets slammed and gets nailed by Martel. Zenk goes to work on the right arm. He rams Orton into the turnbuckle and works on the arm again. Orton hits a knee and a full nelson which Zenk reverses. Orton reverses it again and Muraco accidentally nails Orton for a 2 count. Martel comes in and continues to work on the right arm. He tags Zenk again and Orton tags Muraco. Muraco is slammed but Zenk takes a knee in the back by Orton from the apron. Muraco hits a neckbreaker and Orton hits a chop from the 2nd rope for 2. Zenk then sends Orton into the ropes and they both collide with each other. Martel comes in and starts pounding on Muraco and Orton. A four man brawl erupts and Muraco back drops his own partner and gets nailed by a double drop kick. Another dropkick sends Orton outside. Martel hits a cross body with Zenk tripping Muraco and Martel gets the pin at 5:37. Good match to start **1/2

 

We get a look at the feud between Billy Jack Haynes and Hercules. Bobby Heenan challenges Billy Jack to try to get out of Hercules’ full nelson. Haynes pushes Heenan but gets nailed by Herc and Herc slaps the full nelson on Haynes.

 

Billy Jack Haynes VS Hercules

Heenan in the interview calls Billy Jack Haynes “Billy Jerk.” All the wrestlers come down in cool mini wrestling ring carts that they would use in Wrestlemania VI. This was billed as the full nelson VS full nelson match. They both stare down and butt heads to start. They tie up a couple of times. Herc gets a cheap shot in the corner to take advantage. He misses a charge and Haynes hits a press slam. He tries for the Full Nelson but Herc reaches the ropes. Too early for that I think. Haynes continues to pound on Herc but Herc hits a hard clothesline in the corner. Herc now is pounding on Haynes. He hits a back drop. Herc keeps whipping Haynes’ back into the corners. He hits a suplex and covers him but picks him up at 2. Haynes starts fighting back but he tries a suplex and injures his back. Herc hits a back breaker. He hits a slam and hooks the Full Nelson but can’t get his fingers locked. Haynes is still going out though but manages to get his arm up on the third time. Haynes gets up and Herc hits a head butt. He turns his back and both men get clotheslined. Haynes hits an inverted atomic drop but his back is still hurting. He hits a clothesline and another one. Haynes hits a legdrop. He hits a fistdrop from the 2nd rope and hooks the full nelson but can’t get the fingers locked either and Herc reaches the ropes. Both men are pulled outside the ring and Haynes hooks the Full Nelson again and both men get counted out at 7:52.  Okay match Bad ending *1/4. Afterwards Heenan nails Haynes but Haynes goes after him and Herc nails him with his chain 4 times and Haynes does a blade job. Herc hooks the Full Nelson before leaving.

 

Six Man Tag Team Match King Kong Bundy, Little Tokyo and Lord Littlebrook VS Hillbilly Jim, Little Beaver and The Haiti Kid

Oh boy Midgets. Bobby who is normally Bundy’s manager isn’t out there. He hates midgets too and he explains it later on. Bob Uecker is doing commentary here and he’s funny here. Haiti and Tokyo start. All four midgets come in and Beaver and Haiti do rowboat action using the legs of Tokyo and Littlebrook. Haiti hits an a atomic drop and tags Beaver. Tokyo works on Beaver but Beaver slaps him and Littlebrook comes in and Bob says he likes him. Beaver is dragged into the wrong corner and he nails Bundy in the stomach. Bundy gets the tag and Beaver crawls thru the legs hits a dropkick and tags Jim. Bundy pounds on Jim but Jim hits a clothesline and hits a flying elbow and calls for both midgets and they all cover Bundy but only for 2. Bundy starts pounding on Jim and does a front face lock and Beaver comes in and nails Bundy again. Bundy can’t catch him though. Bundy pounds on Jim in the corner and Beaver beats up Bundy again but Bundy catches him and slams him about 10 feet. He then hits a big elbow on Beaver drawing the DQ at 4:23. DUD but at least it was pretty funny.

 

Mary Hart interviews Elizabeth and Randy Savage isn’t happy about it and neither is Mary.

 

We get a look at the feud between King Harley Race and Junkyard Dog on Saturday Night’s Main Event. JYD puts on the crown and cape of the king and pounds on Bobby Heenan but Race nails him from behind with an elbow from the top rope. Both Race and Heenan then try to get JYD to bow to the King

 

Humiliation Match King Harley Race VS Junkyard Dog

Uecker sees that The Fabulous Moolah is with Race and Heenan and leaves the broadcast booth. The loser of this match must bow and kneel before the winner. They tie up and Heenan grabs the leg of JYD and he goes after him. Race takes advantage of it. JYD starts fighting back and hits the big headbutt. Race throws him outside the ring and kicks him off. He goes for a headbutt from the apron and misses. JYD clotheslines Race back in the ring and He does a bell ringer thing and Race goes to the outside again. JYD slams Race back inside and does an Ab Stetch but Race hip tosses him out of it. He goes for a dropping headbutt but hurts his own head. JYD sends Race flying outside the ring again. JYD nails Race with some kneeling headbutts and Heenan distracts JYD and Race hits a belly to belly suplex to pin JYD at 3:21. ½* for Race’s bumps. Race is now sitting on a chair and JYD curtseys and bows and Race celebrates but JYD nails him with the chair from behind. JYD then puts on the cape and leaves the ring with it.

 

Vince McMahon interviews Hulk Hogan about the upcoming title match against Andre The Giant.

 

Rougeau Brothers VS The Dream Team (Greg Valentine and Brutus Beefcake)

The Dream Team has Johnny V and Dino Bravo with them. Raymond and Bruti start and Raymond flips over the top and hits an atomic drop. Both Rougeaus hit a double drop kick. Jacques starts working on Valentine and Raymond hits a cross body for 2. Jacques hits a flying elbow for 2. Jacques misses a backward high cross body from the 2nd and Valentine starts pounding on Jacques. He tags Beefcake and he pounds on Jacques for 2. and The Dreamers do the elbow drop back breaker combo. Bobby Heenan at this point comes in the broadcast booth and starts gloating that he’s 2 for 2. Valentine hits the Figure Four Leglock on Jacques but he reaches the ropes. Valentine goes for a piledriver but gets backdropped and Jacques gets the tag to Raymond who hits a backdrop and then locks the Sleeper Hold and Beefcake accidentally hits Valentine from the 2nd rope. The Rougeaus nail their finisher on Valentine and Raymond rolls up Valentine but the ref is distracted by the brawl between Jacques and Beefcake and Bravo comes in and nails Raymond from the 2nd rope and Valentine gets the pin at 4:04. Decent match **. Valentine Johnny V and Bravo then argue with Beefcake and they leave Beefcake inside the ring.

 

We get a look at the Adrian Adonis/Roddy Piper feud. Adonis attacks Piper on Piper’s Pit and he injures his leg with a chair. Piper comes back and destroys Adonis’ show “The Flower Shop” and says “THE WAR HAS JUST BEGUN!” Piper then chokes Jimmy Hart on the new Piper’s Pit but Adonis comes out and attacks Piper and places him in Good Night Irene. Then in a match VS Adonis, Piper nails Jimmy Hart outside the ring. We learn that this is Roddy Piper’s last match

 

Haircut Match Adrian Adonis VS Rowdy Roddy Piper

Adonis brings with him Hedge Clippers and a mirror along with his spray. Piper starts lashing Adonis with his belt and he hooks Jimmy Hart but Adonis nails Piper and steals the belt and uses it on Piper. Piper sends Adonis outside the ring and drags both Adonis and Hart in and rams both of their heads together. He throws Hart into Adonis and they both go outside the ring. Piper pounds on Adonis and throws Hart into Adonis again. Hart then hooks the leg of Piper and Adonis starts working on Piper. Piper pokes Adonis in the eyes and Adonis headbutts him and goes to the outside. Piper is rammed into the timekeeper’s table and Hart nails him on the outside. Piper comes back in the ring and takes some more punishment. Piper starts fighting back but Hart sprays him in the eyes with the spray and Adonis hooks Good Night Irene and Piper flips him over but can’t get Adrian to break loose. Adonis gets up and Piper goes down but breaks it when the ref grabs Piper’s arm the third time and it still hangs up there. Brutus Beefcake then comes in the ring and wakes up Piper. Adonis tries to hit Piper with the clippers but hits himself and Piper hooks his sleeper and puts out Adonis at 6:55. **. Afterwards Beefcake starts cutting the hair of Adonis while Piper holds Hart down with his foot. Adonis hits the mirror when Piper shows him the mirror and he and Hart leave the ring embarrassed. Piper is announced the winner and a fan comes in the ring to congratulate Piper but Security comes in and throws him out of the Silverdome

 

Howard Finkel introduces Jesse Ventura as the man who “allegedly” tells it like it is and Jesse says “I am the man who tells it like it is!” Classic.

 

Six Man Tag Team Match The Hart Foundation and Danny Davis VS The British Bulldogs and Tito Santana

Uecker and Mary Hart are providing commentary here. Davis is literally booed when he is introduced. Matlida is unleashed on Jimmy Hart and Santana beats up both Harts outside the ring and the Bulldogs throw Davis on top of the Harts. Santana pounds on Bret Hart inside the ring as Ventura leaves with Matlida. Davey Boy Smith comes in as does Jim Neidhart. Smith rams both Hart’s heads together. Dynamite Kid comes in and head butts Neidhart and Santana comes back in and gets dragged in the wrong corner. Bret and Davis pound on Santana as does Neidhart. Smith comes back in and backdrops Neidhart. Smith gets nailed but Bret misses an elbow from the 2nd rope. Dynamite comes back in and rams Bret into the corner. Dynamite hits a headbutt but Neidhart nails Dynamite. Bret now works over Dynamite in the corner. Dynamite goes for the snap suplex but is nailed by Neidhart again. Neidhart does a camel clutch. The Harts double team Dynamite and Davis gets the tag and pounds on Dynamite and quickly leaves and tags Bret. Bret pounds on Dynamite and tags Neidhart. Neidhart continues to work over Dynamite and tags Bret. Bret hits a headbutt and tags Davis again. Davis cockily works on Dynamite and quickly tags Bret again. Bret tags Davis back in and they slingshot Davis onto Dynamite but Dynamite brings the knees up and tags Santana. Santana comes in and pounds away on Davis and the Harts. He hits the flying forearm and pounds some more. He goes for the Figure Four Leglock but Neidhart stops it. Smith gets the tag and nails a clothesline on Davis. Smith then nails a Tombstone Piledriver on Davis. He then hits a vertical suplex followed by the Running Powerslam but Neidhart breaks the cover. A 6 man brawl erupts during which Davis nails Smith with Jimmy Hart’s megaphone and Davis gets the pin at 8:51. Good match despite the bad ending ***. The Hart’s have to carry Davis to the back.

 

Bobby Heenan and Andre The Giant do an interview on the upcoming title match Bobby is sure excited.

 

Koko B Ware VS Butch Reed

Slick is Reed’s manager here. They both tie up and Reed pounds on Koko. Koko comes back and hits a drop kick that sends Reed outside the floor. Koko punches Reed in the stomach but puts his head down and Reed takes advantage. Reed thumbs Koko in the throat and pounds on Koko some more. Koko hits a hip toss and starts working on Reed and hits a drop kick for 2. Reed gets an eye rake but Koko hits a small package for 2. Koko thumbs Reed in the throat but Reed reverses a cross body and gets the pin at 3:39. Basic match DUD. Afterwards Koko pounds on Reed and Slick pounds on Koko with his cane. Tito Santana comes in the ring and tears the tuxedo off of the Slickster. Both Tito and Koko dropkick Reed and they both leave the ring together

 

We look at the Randy Savage/Ricky Steamboat feud. Savage injures Steamboats throat by driving him throat first into the railing and hitting him with the ring bell. Steamboat comes back and George Steele steals Elizabeth on Saturday Night’s Main Event and Steamboat and Savage get in a pull apart brawl. Funny to see a female ref trying to break it up.

 

Intercontinental Title Match Randy Savage VS Ricky Steamboat

Steamboat has George Steele in his corner. They start by tying up and Steamboat takes down Savage. Savage goes out and takes Elizabeth to a different area outside. Savage gets a knee but Steamboat hits two deep armdrags and places him in a high choke hold. Savage nails Ricky in the face and chokes him on the top rope and clotheslines him on it for 2. Savage misses a knee in the corner and Steamboat takes him over with the right arm. He drapes it over the top rope. He continues to work on the right arm. Savage nails him with an elbow and throws Steamboat over the top rope and outside the ring. He kicks Steamboat off the apron. Savage elbows Steamboat in the throat and kicks him off the apron. He sends Steamboat back in and pins him for 2. A flying kneedrop gets another 2. Steamboat blocks and rams Savage into the turnbuckle. Steamboat ties up Savage in the ropes and pounds away on him. Savage kicks him and frees himself. Savage reverses the Irish whip and Steamboat gets a cross body for 2 and then an arm drag and shoulder block gets 2. Savage hits a flying knee into the back of Steamboat. He throws Steamboat over the top rope but he slingshots himself back in and Savage clotheslines Steamboat to the outside. He hits another flying knee outside and Steamboat is in the audience now. Steele comes over and helps him back into the ring. Savage throws him over the top rope again and nails a double ax handle from the top rope. Savage puts Steamboat back in and goes to the top and his another double ax handle. He hits an elbow for 2. Savage clotheslines Steamboat’s throat into the top rope for 2. He hits an atomic drop for another 2. Savage hits a suplex for another 2. Steamboat starts fighting back but Savage hits a gut wrench suplex for 2. Steamboat starts fighting back again but puts his head down and gets kicked. Steamboat then backdrops Savage over the top rope to the outside. Steamboat comes outside and rams Savage’s face in the apron. Steamboat hits a flying chop from the top for 2 and the crowd thought it was three but Savage got his foot on the rope. Steamboat hits another chop for 2. He pounds on Savage on the apron. Steamboat does a sunset flip from the apron for 2. A rollup gets another 2. A hook of the legs gets another 2. A small package gets another 2. Steamboat slams Savage and slingshots him into the ringpost and rolls him up for 2. Steamboat does another rollup and Savage reverses it for 2. Savage pulls Steamboat and Steamboat goes shoulderfirst into the post. A double reversal of the irish whip knocks the ref down. Savage hits a clothesline and hits the flying elbow from the top and covers Steamboat but there’s no ref so he tries to wake him up. Then Savage goes to the outside to steal the timekeepers bell. Steele tries to stop him but he gets kicked. Savage goes to the top rope with the bell and Steele pushes him off. Savage tries to slam Steamboat but Steamboat small packages him for the pin at 14:35 to become the new IC champ. An excellent fast paced match that is one of the best matches of the 80’s *****. Even Gorilla and Jesse were raving about it.

 

Jake Roberts VS Honky Tonk Man

This was after Honky nails Jake with his guitar on the Snake Pit. Jake has Heavy Metal star Alice Cooper in his corner. Jake jumps Honky to start. He tears up Honky’s suit on the outside. Jake slams Honky on the outside and throws him back inside. Jake runs into a knee in the corner. Honky grabs the right arm of Jake and pounds on him. Jake fights back and short clothelines Honky. Jake goes for the DDT but misses and Honky goes to the outside but Jake is after him. Jake is rammed into the ring post and into the railing. Alice helps Jake back up. Honky kicks Jake back into the railing again. Honky slams Jake and goes to the 2nd rope and hits a flying chop. Honky continues to pound on Jake inside and he goes for Shake Rattle and Roll but gets backdropped. Honky does the 10 punch count in the corner but gets inverted atomic dropped. Jake starts pounding on Honky. Jake hits a backdrop and knocks Honky to the apron and he gets caught between the ropes and Jake gets some free shots. Jake goes for the DDT but Jimmy Hart grabs the leg and Honky pins Jake while holding to the top rope at 7:04. Mediocre match *. Afterwards Jake destroys Honky’s guitar and grabs Hart while Alice pulls out Damian and throws him onto Jimmy Hart.

 

Gene Okerlund comes into the ring and announces the record breaking indoor attendance record at 93,173.

 

The Killer Bees VS Nicolai Volkoff and The Iron Sheik

Volkoff sings the Russian national anthem but Hacksaw Jim Duggan comes in the ring and breaks it up. All four men brawl to start. Volkoff and the Shiek do a do si do. Both Bees double team the Shiek. B. Brian Blair tags Jim Brunzell. Brunzell works on the right arm and Blair nails it from the 2nd rope. The Bees do some quick tagging and do a double hip toss on the Shiek. Brunzell does the bell ringer and Blair hits an elbow on the left arm. Brunzell comes back in and hits his drop kick and Volkoff makes the save. The heels now start to pound on Brunzell. Volkoff hits a knee and tags Sheik. Sheik hits a double ax handle for 2. Volkoff comes in and puts a bear hug on Brunzell. Brunzell breaks it up but Volkoff tags in the Shiek. Shiek hits a gut wrench suplex for 2. Shiek hits another suplex for another 2. Brunzell hits a flying knee and tags Blair but the ref doesn’t see it and puts Blair back outside. The foreigners then double team Brunzell. Duggan starts chasing Slick outside the ring then Volkoff. Sheik puts the camel clutch on Brunzell and Duggan comes in the ring and nails Sheik with the 2X4 drawing the DQ at 5:41. Not a bad match *1/2. Duggan then starts a USA chant.

 

Bobby and Andre do another interview and Bobby says “I’m ready, Hogan you better be ready!”

 

We get a look at the Andre/Hogan feud. After Hulk Hogan wins the WWF title Andre pours a bottle of Champange on him. Hogan helps out Andre on Saturday Night Main Event and he helps Andre beat Bundy and Studd by DQ. Hogan is presented with a trophy but as he accepts it, Andre leaves. Jesse Ventura says that Andre will be on next week if Piper brings out Hogan. Andre challenges Hogan to a WWF title match and when Hogan refuses Andre tears off the shirt of Hogan. Hogan later accepts the challenge.

 

WWF title match: Hulk Hogan VS Andre The Giant

Bob Uecker is the guest ring announcer while Mary Hart is the guest timekeeper. They both stare down with Hogan saying words to Andre. Andre shoves Hogan and Hogan answers with three right hands and tries to slam Andre but Andre falls on top for a close two count. Hogan’s back is injured just like that. Andre goes to work slowly on the injured back. He hits a knee lift to the face. Andre slams Hogan twice and steps on top of him. Andre throws Hogan into the corner and into the other one. Andre rams his shoulder twice into Hogan and rams his weight into Hogan. Andre headbutts Hogan but misses another one and Hogan comes out of the corner and starts working on Andre. He rams him into the turnbuckle 10 times. Hogan runs into a big boot. Andre shakes it off and hooks a bear hug on Hogan and holds on for two minutes before Hogan breaks it up by pounding on Andre. Hogan tries to work on Andre but runs into a chop. Andre kicks him outside the ring. He chops Hogan outside but then headbutts the post. Hogan then pulls the padding on the floor back and tries to pile drive Andre but gets backdropped. They both go back inside and Hogan ducks the big boot and knocks Andre down with a chop. He then starts his hulking up and in a historic moment he slams Andre and he hits the leg drop for the pin at 12:00. Bad match ½* but it doesn’t matter. Andre and Bobby leave in digust as Hogan celebrates in the ring. As he leaves the ring in the cart they raise it up.

 

Gorilla and Jesse wrap it up and the show ends with video stills on what happened on the day set to Aretha Franklin’s “Who’s Zooming Who”

 

Summary: Jeez this show was so historic in so many ways possible. I can’t learn which to describe first. The 93,000 fans were red hot all the way through and the two title matches were sure historic. Anyone who is a fan of wrestling and hasn’t seen this tape yet DO SO NOW!!!!! HIGHEST RECOMMENDATIONS