Reviews

From Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, on Sunday March 31st, 1985, it's WWF WrestleMania! Ringside announcers are Gorilla 'Holy mackerel, it is a happening' Monsoon and Jesse 'Woodstock was to Rock 'n' Roll what WrestleMania is to wrestling' Ventura. Backstage announcers are Mean Gene 'Sings better than Robert Goulet' Okerlund and Lord Alfred 'Good gracious, or good luck, something like that' Hayes. "Welcome to WrestleMania!"

MATCH 1 - Singles Match: The Executioner vs. Tito Santana An average, but solid, singles match to kick things off. Tito gets a firm start with some basic grappling moves before The Executioner counters and begins to strategically work on Tito's leg, before he is launched out of the ring. Both guys trade the advantage a couple more times, before Tito hits the Flying Jalapeno and locks on the figure-4 leg lock, as a means of sending a message to Intercontinental Champion, Greg Valentine (who had taken the title from Santana six months prior). Executioner gives in, and the very first WrestleMania match is won via submission. **

MATCH 2 - Singles Match: King Kong Bundy vs. S.D. Jones Merely a 23-second squash match that Bundy used as a platform to announce his intent to dominate the WWF roster. A bearhug, Avalanche and body splash is all it takes to putones away. Otherwise forgettable, but kicked off a good run for Bundy that would eventually earn him the honour of challenging Hulk Hogan for the WWF Championship in the main event of WrestleMania 2, a little over a year later. 1/4*

MATCH 3 - Singles Match: Matt Borne vs. Ricky Steamboat A good catch-as-catch-can contest that begins with Steamboat grounding Bourne with an atomic drop and a headlock, before Borne retaliates. Steamboat retains the pace and continues to wear Borne down with restholds and martial arts strikes. After some more standard back-and-forth action, Steamboat wins it with a cross-body from the top rope. **1/2

MATCH 4 - Singles Match: Brutus Beefcake vs. David Sammartino Debatable whether this was to showcase young David's ability, or just to give the crowd a glimpse of the living legend Bruno Sammartino, who accompanied his son to the ring. The contest itself is a very generic bout that leans toward the Greco-roman style, with neither competitor gaining the upper hand. Unfortunately very little excitement and a disappointing finish of a double-DQ when the managers get involved. *1/2

MATCH 5 - Singles Match for the WWF Intercontinental Championship: Greg Valentine (C) vs. Junkyard Dog A match that doesn't really do the I-C title any justice; Valentine sticks to a small range of boring moves and despite the JYD looking the better man and staying on the front foot for the majority of the match, the Hammer pins him with assistance from the middle rope. Suddenly, Chico appears to explain what happened to the referee, and the bout is immediately restarted and ended again, with the Dog winning by countout, but a rather pointless finish as the title stays with Valentine. *

MATCH 6 - Tag Team Match for the WWF Tag Team Championship: Nikolai Volkoff & The Iron Sheik vs. Barry Windham & Mike Rotundo (C) A high-tempo start between Rotundo and Sheik, before Windham tags in and continues to work on the Iranian. The challengers claw their way back into the bout with some good teamwork of their own. The champs look to have it settled when Windham takes Volkoff down with a Bulldog, but all hell breaks loose, with the Sheik smashing Fred Blassie's cane over Windham's head in the middle of the confusion. Volkoff gets the pin, and wins the Tag Titles for his team. Good match with a decent, if a little tainted, finish. **1/2

MATCH 7 - $15,000 Body Slam Challenge Match: Big John Studd vs. Andre the Giant A very slow-paced and boring match with too many restholds and poorly executed strikes. Andre eventually gets the win following a body slam, before Bobby Heenan steals the bag of money from him! A disappointing match and finish. -*

MATCH 8 - Singles Match for the WWF Women's Championship: Leilani Kai (C) vs. Wendi Richter Rather amusing start as Kai oversells a punch to the chest, before both ladies stick with mostly takedowns, arm drags, and restholds. Execution is a little messy at times, with Cyndi and Moolah getting in the mix halfway through. A good display of power from Richter, and a good finish as she reverses a cross-body from Kai to pin her with her own momentum to capture the Women's title for the second time. *1/2 "He got him!" - Monsoon as Richter gets the 3-count.

MATCH 9 - Tag Team Match: "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff & Rowdy Roddy Piper vs. Mr. T & Hulk Hogan The main event is classic, but more for the occasion rather than the match quality itself. However, there is good chemistry going into the match: the heel team of Piper, Orndorff and their manager Cowboy Bob Orton getting heat from the MSG crowd, and huge pops for he face team of Hogan and Mr. T, accompanied by "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka. Mr. T actually gives a fair account of himself with Greco-roman sitouts with both Piper and Orndorff, an overhead slam on Piper and even dropping Orndorff with a beautifully-executed hip toss. What the match lacks in pure wrestling quality, it makes up in entertainment factor. After it begins to erupt into chaos, Orton knocks Orndorff out by accidentally hitting him with his arm cast, allowing Hogan to get the pin. ***

Overall, a slightly above-average show. Some good wrestling, and some memorable moments, but very different to the WWE product of today. For wrestling enthusiasts, this is definitely worth a watch at least once, but you're not going to see any all-time classic matches in terms of pure wrestling. This aside, a very solid show and worth owning for collections.

-- Ryan

Monday, January 11th, 1993 A major date in both pro wrestling and television history - the premiere of what is now the 'longest-running weekly episodic wrestling series' - WWF/E RAW. It was new, live, uncensored and unpredictable, a major milestone in the new direction in which the World Wrestling Federation would be heading and a precursor to the legendary 'Monday Night Wars' that would begin to rage on just a couple of years after. But how did it rate as a show? In all honesty, bar the fact that it was the very first episode, it was sadly rather forgettable. However, despite the slow start, the show would begin to rapidly pick up momentum, and all great shows have to start somewhere. So here we go...

From the Manhatten Center's Grand Ballroom (the Hammerstein Ballroom next door would provide the home for ECW's New York shows in years to come), New York, NY, on Monday January 11th, 1993, it's WWF RAW: Episode #1! Party hosts are Vince 'I make it sound a thousand times better than it actually is' McMahon, Randy 'You will not even notice I'm here' Savage and Rob 'I can't come up with enough superlatives to describe Yokozuna's backside' Bartlett. Outside are Sean Mooney and Bobby Heenan (he refused access to the building). Get ready for a lame running joke of the episode...

MATCH 1 - Singles Match: Koko B. Ware vs. Yokozuna It's a Koko match, so we all know the outcome, don't we? The king of WWF jobbers faces the up-and-coming, seemingly unstoppable Yokozuna. The curtain raiser is a routine squash match: Yoko absorbs a few Koko blows to no effect, before a leg drop and Banzai Drop later; this dull match is thankfully over quite quickly. The lack of pace, decent moves and Bartlett's unbearable commentary consisting of mostly unfunny weight jokes aimed at Yokozuna make the opener also the least entertaining match on the card. 1/4* A promo of Heenan pushing the unseen 'Narcissus' and slagging off Mr. Perfect, and it's back to the action.

MATCH 2 - Tag Team Match: The Steiner Brothers vs. The Executioners Some good moves, holds and teamwork from the Steiners to show their superiority. Very little offence from the Executioners and the match is also, again, a little on the short side. Doink also appears in the crowd to provide a meaningless distraction from the action. *1/2 Cut to an outside segment in which Heenan (in drag) is attempting to get in, followed by Razor Ramon, calling on the WWF Champion Bret Hart ahead of their match for the title at the Royal Rumble just under a fortnight away. Now, time for RAW's very first title match as Shawn Michaels puts the Intercontinental Championship on the line against Max 'Mega Man wannabe' Moon.

MATCH 3 - Singles Match for the WWF Intercontinental Championship: Max Moon vs. Shawn Michaels (C) An entertaining match, with both guys working quite well together and a mixture of offence from both wrestlers, inside and outside of the ring. Michaels eventually scores the pin following a modified backdrop. Nothing classic, but the best match of the show (As for Bartlett's Mike Tyson mimicry, let's not even go there.). """ Another not so amusing promo of Heenan dressed in a Rabbi cloak and beard, failing once again to get in the building.

MATCH 4 - Singles Match: Damien Demento vs. The Undertaker Main event time. Much like the opener, it's simply an exhibition squash match to demonstrate the Undertaker's power and dominance. Little in terms of technique and finesse; 'Taker takes a few futile Demento blows and ends it effortlessly with a Tombstone Piledriver. 3/4* To wrap things up, Vince interviews Doink the Clown in the ringside area, and he is confronted by Crush, who threatens him, followed by some unusual antics by both guys running around the ring. Then Bobby Heenan, still outside with Sean, is finally allowed up - just as the show draws to a close.

-- In conclusion, this episode is worth watching only for nostalgic value. The I-C title match was good, however the other three bouts are rather short and sub-standard and the promos and commentary are pretty stale and cheesy. For a starter, it's pretty much anything but.

-- Ryan