The Russians def. The Rock n’ Roll Express when Kruschev pinned Robert Gibson
The Road Warriors (with Paul Ellering) def. Manny Fernandez & Jimmy Valiant to retain the NWA Tag Team Titles when Animal pinned Manny "
Tully Blanchard, Arn Anderson & Ole Anderson def. Jesse Barr, Sam Houston, and Ron Garvin when Tully pinned Barr
Billy Jack Haynes def. Konga The Barbarian via Submission with the Full Nelson
Magnum T.A. def. Abdullah The Butcher to retain the NWA United States Championship
Nikita Koloff (w/ Ivan Koloff) def. Dusty Rhodes to retain the NWA World’s Heavyweight Championship
Although Ivan Koloff did interfere, Dusty was beaten really rather cleanly. Outside of Magnum T.A. there isn’t a babyface in the NWA who appears up for beating Koloff after having him run through Flair & Dusty Rhodes. A house show programme with Harley Race was yielding some good results but the push for Race has cooled off considerably and he will need to be rehabbed after a loss to Flair at Starrcade. Flair’s recent heel turn and the formation of a group called ‘The Four Horsemen’ seems to suggest that a babyface run seems unlikely for the near future.
Elsewhere, WWF appears ready to incorporate some new faces as they set their eyes on April and Wrestlemania 2 from the Rosemont Horizon. McMahon is said to have a plan for the Main Event but those close to him are saying that he seems indecisive. The Big 5 in the WWF right now are Hogan, Junkyard Dog, Randy Savage, Terry Funk, and Tito Santana (and not necessarily in that order). Big things could be afoot when Hogan defends the gold against Terry Funk on Saturday Night’s Main Event in early January.
CURRENT CHAMPIONS
WORLD WRESTLING FEDERATION World Heavyweight Champion: Hulk Hogan (2) Intercontinental Champion: Junkyard Dog Tag Team Champions: The U.S. Express (Barry Windham & Mike Rotundo)
NATIONAL WRESTLING ALLIANCE World Heavyweight Champion: Nikita Koloff United States Champion: Magnum T.A. Tag Team Champions: The Road Warriors
UPDATE THROUGH MAR 7, 1986 - THE WRESTLING CLASSIC
The mammoth run of the U.S. Express is over as Windham/Rotundo dropped the belts to the Funk Brothers - Terry and Dory, however, Vince has determined to name Dory Funk Jr, “Hoss Funk”. To the chagrin of long-time wrestling fans.
Hulk Hogan successfully defended the title against Don Muraco at SNME but he was attacked after the bell by Rowdy Roddy Piper. This feud will finally reach it’s boiling point at Wrestlemania, for the title, where the numbers game will no longer be an issue as Hogan will meet Hot Rod inside of a steel cage.
Elsewhere, newcomer Macho Man Randy Savage won The Wrestling Classic, and appears to be set for a matchup with Intercontinental Champion, Junkyard Dog at Wrestlemania 2 from the Rosemont Horizon
WORLD WRESTLING FEDERATION World Heavyweight Champion: Hulk Hogan (2) Intercontinental Champion: Junkyard Dog Tag Team Champions: The Funk Brothers
The NWA scene is very much what it was but they have announced a series of supercards this summer under the moniker of “The Great American Bash” There still doesn’t appear to be a clear NWA choice for who will topple the Russian champion, Nikita Koloff - outside of United States Champion, Magnum T.A.
NATIONAL WRESTLING ALLIANCE World Heavyweight Champion: Nikita Koloff United States Champion: Magnum T.A. Tag Team Champions: The Road Warriors
It makes sense from an in-game universe standpoint and a real-life perspective I feel. Hogan vs Piper wasn’t a match the whole world got to see at once and for the grandeur of Wrestlemania why not use a feud that’s proven rather than trying to clumsily make Bundy via Bobby Heenan?
Hulk Hogan def. Rowdy Roddy Piper via Cage Escape to retain the WWF World Heavyweight Championship
Mr. Wonderful Paul Orndorff def. Cowboy Bob Orton
Andre The Giant won the WWF vs NFL Battle Royal last eliminating Bret Hart (legit!) - During this match Big John Studd eliminated Bruno Sammartino (see below notes)
The British Bulldogs def. The Funk Brothers to win the WWF Tag Team Titles when Dynamite pinned Terry Funk
Jesse Ventura (w/ Cowboy Bob Orton) def. David Sammartino (w/ Bruno Sammartino) - After the match, ‘The Body’ said that when he said if he won, Sammartino leaves the WWF, he was referring to David’s old man. Bruno can never wrestle for the WWF again after this night
Adorable Adrian Adonis (w/ Jimmy Hart) def. Mr. T
Macho Man Randy Savage def. Junkyard Dog to win the WWF Intercontinental Championship
In other notes:
It is said that the popular magazine Pro Wrestling Illustrated is debuting a list of the top 500 wrestlers in the world which will be released after Wrestlemania each year
Jesse Ventura seems to have dodged a bullet as a recent Doctor’s appointment resulted in early detection and removal of blood clots in his lungs. As is seen by the outcome tonight, Vince is eager to put Ventura over strong and he will be entering the world title picture soon with a program with Hogan thought to be a best-case scenario moving forward.
It is thought that Big John Studd will present himself as the man that retired Bruno Sammartino after the outcome of tonight’s Battle Royal
Bret Hart received a lot of babyface reactions for his 2nd place finish and elimination of Big John Studd (especially after the Bruno situation). It will be curious to see how he is booked in the coming months.
WORLD WRESTLING FEDERATION World Heavyweight Champion: Hulk Hogan (2) Intercontinental Champion: “Macho Man” Randy Savage Tag Team Champions: The British Bulldogs
NATIONAL WRESTLING ALLIANCE World Heavyweight Champion: Nikita Koloff United States Champion: Magnum T.A. Tag Team Champions: The Road Warriors
Wahoo McDaniel vs. Jimmy ‘Jam’ Garvin (w/ Precious)
‘Ravishing’ Rick Rude vs. Sam Houston
Buddy Landel vs. Ron Bass (w/ J.J. Dillon)
Ron Garvin vs. Tully Blanchard (w/ J.J. Dillon)
NWA World Tag Team Championship Match
Arn Anderson & Ole Anderson (w/ Tully Blanchard) vs. The Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering)
Other News
The British Bulldogs were unsuccessful in their first title defence, dropping the belts to The Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff on Saturday Night’s Main Event
Macho Man Randy Savage has been referring to himself as The One and Only Macho Man after his ride at the top of the PWI 500, combined with his win at The Wrestling Classic and his IC title win at Wrestlemania 2
Big John Studd & Jesse ‘The Body’ Ventura are both claiming to have been the man to retire Bruno Sammartino - both have a point.
David Sammartino is on a hot streak and continues to dedicate his matches to his father who just sits in the front row and applauds his son each week
Roddy Piper had a short lived tag-team with the debuting Harley Race but this changed when Adrian Adonis and Bob Orton attacked Piper on an episode of The Flower Shop. The only former member who Piper seems to still be on good terms with is Jesse Ventura
The Crockett Cup has been moved from it’s original scheduled date of Apr to Sept 1986 due to issues with the venue (and not at all because I forgot about it)
Ric Flair is the de facto babyface in the Main Event. He’s still heelish in his mannerisms but he has vowed to prove that Americans are the best in the world by taking back the WHC in Charlotte after Dusty failed to do so at Starrcade.
Terry Funk was a house of fire for the WWF but could not be talked into a new contract, choosing to go to Japan instead.
I had this planned for later in the year but Jesse Ventura and Big John Studd have teamed up to take on Hogan and Orndorff in recent days. They have taken to calling themselves ‘The Dismissal Committee’ as a way to twist the knife about their respective parts in retiring Bruno Sammartino
Magnum T.A. is set up as a babyface that can finally take on Nikita Koloff. Koloff laughed at his challenge but Magnum T.A. won the right to take on Nikita Koloff while The Russians will be taking on The Road Warriors for the final stop on the Great American Bash tour.
WORLD WRESTLING FEDERATION World Heavyweight Champion: Hulk Hogan (2) Intercontinental Champion: “Macho Man” Randy Savage Tag Team Champions: The Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff
NATIONAL WRESTLING ALLIANCE World Heavyweight Champion: Nikita Koloff United States Champion: Konga The Barbarian. Tag Team Champions: The Road Warriors
Paul Orndorff turned on tag team partner, Hulk Hogan at a recent television taping. He is now managed by Bobby ‘The Brain’ Heenan
Kamala is set to debut for the World Wrestling Federation
WWF has brought in Slick as a new heel manager given the imminent retirement of Classy Freddie Blassie
WWF has also brought in ‘The Natural’ Butch Reed
WWF’s next big event is aptly named, The Big Event in Toronto, Canada. It’s largely a glorified house show but Orndorff will get a shot at the gold against former partner Hulk Hogan
The WWF will follow this up the very next night with the Stan Muchnick memorial tournament in St. Louis. This is said, in principal, to be an event designed around getting Harley Race even more over than he already is. We’re told the WWF Title will be on the line that night as well.
The next big event for the NWA is the Crockett Cup which will take place in September
WORLD WRESTLING FEDERATION World Heavyweight Champion: Hulk Hogan (2) Intercontinental Champion: “Macho Man” Randy Savage Tag Team Champions: The Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff
NATIONAL WRESTLING ALLIANCE World Heavyweight Champion: Nikita Koloff United States Champion: Konga The Barbarian. Tag Team Champions: The Russians
The WWF held a big event at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto, Canada (fittingly named “The Big Event”) headlined by the newly turned heel, Paul Orndorff winning the WWF World Title from Hulk Hogan in the Main Event. The WWF will be running a King of the Ring tournament in a couple of weeks that is rumoured to be a rocket for Harley Race but you never know what McMahon will go with in the end.
In some ways the WWF World Title picture feels a bit of a re-tread of last summer’s formula when Bob Orton got a run with the title but the turn was well executed by Orndorff and he’s over as champion.
The same cannot be said for NWA World Champion, Nikita Koloff. The NWA is pushing him hard but he is simply not getting over. However, he’s had a series of victories over all major challengers (Flair, Magnum, Dusty) and it’s going to be hard to see when the belt is coming off the Soviet who is celebrating a year with the title by this point.
The NWA United States title changed hands with Wahoo McDaniel toppling Konga the Barbarian. McDaniel scored a submission victory over Konga in tag action during the opening round of the Crockett Cup tag tournament and that set up the title match. This is said to be a bit of a lifetime achievement award for McDaniel and it frees up the mammothly over Konga to jump up to the World Title picture.
The Road Warriors def. Magnum T.A. & Ronnie Garvin in the finals of the Crockett Cup and appear to be set for a showdown with The Russian Team for the World Tag Titles at Starrcade in November.
WORLD WRESTLING FEDERATION World Heavyweight Champion: ‘Mr. Wonderful’ Paul Orndorff Intercontinental Champion: ‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage Tag Team Champions: The Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff
NATIONAL WRESTLING ALLIANCE World Heavyweight Champion: Nikita Koloff United States Champion: Wahoo McDaniel Tag Team Champions: The Russian Team
The WWF held the King of the Ring tournament. Initially thought to be a tournament to get Harley Race over, it’s said that the brass were getting nervous about the exclusive heel set of champions (especially after Orndorff retained over Hogan in the Semi-Main) and went with fan favourite Junkyard Dog in the finals over Harley Race. What this means going forward is anybody’s guess but the Dog King can be expected to be a fan favourite moving forward.
The next big event on the Wrestling calendar is said to be Starrcade from The Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina.
WORLD WRESTLING FEDERATION World Heavyweight Champion: ‘Mr. Wonderful’ Paul Orndorff Intercontinental Champion: ‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage Tag Team Champions: The Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff King of WWF - “The Dog King” Junkyard Dog
NATIONAL WRESTLING ALLIANCE World Heavyweight Champion: Nikita Koloff United States Champion: Wahoo McDaniel Tag Team Champions: The Russian Team
UPDATE THROUGH OCT 7, 1986 - SATURDAY NIGHT’S MAIN EVENT
The WWF held it’s most recent Saturday Night’s Main Event and there’s some key news that came out of the event.
Mike Rotunda is again a tag team champion, this time with his American Express teammate Dan Spivey after they defeated Nikolai Volkoff & The Iron Sheik. Rotunda had previously been a tag team champion with Barry Windham as the U.S. Express. After the loss, Volkoff/Sheik seemed to be blaming Classy Freddie Blassie. Blassie was being intimidated by his charges before he hit both Volkoff and Sheik with his cane before leaving the ringside area to a massive round of applause.
There are some who feel that the booking of the American Express to win the tag belts is a direct response to the NWA’s Iron Curtain that has befallen their World & Tag Titles.
Harley Race & Macho Man Randy Savage def. Hulk Hogan and Andre The Giant when Race pinned Hogan. Race clearly has a rocket on his back while Savage is arguably the most over person in the wrestling industry. Andre was clearly agitated and frustrated with Hogan’s loss in the tag team match.
Ricky Steamboat and Jake Roberts continued their feud with Steamboat getting one over on Roberts on this occasion. It’s said that Vince & co are grooming Steamboat for a run at the IC title but crowds just aren’t into Steamboat on the level that would be needed at this point.
Roddy Piper continues a hot run of form by making short work of Jim Powers
Mr Wonderful (w/ Bobby Heenan) def. Tito Santana to retain the WWF World Heavyweight Title.
WORLD WRESTLING FEDERATION World Heavyweight Champion: ‘Mr. Wonderful’ Paul Orndorff Intercontinental Champion: ‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage Tag Team Champions: The American Express King of WWF - “The Dog King” Junkyard Dog
NATIONAL WRESTLING ALLIANCE World Heavyweight Champion: Nikita Koloff United States Champion: Wahoo McDaniel Tag Team Champions: The Russian Team
UPDATE THROUGH JAN 7, 1987 - SATURDAY NIGHT’S MAIN EVENT
The WWF held it’s most recent Saturday Night’s Main Event and there’s some key news that came out of the event.
The reign of Mr Wonderful Paul Orndorff is over. Andre The Giant def. Orndorff in steel cage match to win the WWF World Heavyweight Championship
The American Express continue their run at the top of the tag division but it seems they’re just not getting over. However, there might not be a hotter feud in all of professional wrestling than “The Dog King” JYD vs. Handsome Harley Race.
In a backstage segment after winning the title. All the babyfaces toasted Andre’s victory. Hulk Hogan had apparently already left the building.
The Dismissal Committee continue to mock David Sammartino about his father being retired by both of them at Wrestlemania 2.
Roddy Piper continues a hot run of form by defeating Adrian Adonis via Submission.
WORLD WRESTLING FEDERATION World Heavyweight Champion: ‘Andre The Giant Intercontinental Champion: ‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage Tag Team Champions: The American Express King of WWF - “The Dog King” Junkyard Dog
NATIONAL WRESTLING ALLIANCE World Heavyweight Champion: Magnum T.A. United States Champion: Tully Blanchard Tag Team Champions: The Russian Team
