SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: 23:25 Min.
On November 23, 1989, from the Rosemont Horizon, in suburban Chicago, IL, this eight-man elimination tag match was the second of five such bouts at the 3rd Annual Survivor Series.
On one side is “Macho King” Randy Savage, and his “King’s Court” consisting of: Greg “The Hammer” Valentine, Dino Bravo, and newcomer John Tenta as the “Canadian Earthquake.” Adding nefarious star power at ringside are “Sensational Queen” Sherri and Jimmy Hart to make it practically a 6-on-4 handicap.
Wielding actual 4×4’s for comic effect, “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan leads his squad consisting of: Hercules, “Rugged” Ronnie Garvin, and The Hart Foundation’s Bret” Hitman” Hart into battle. The match commentators are “Gorilla” Monsoon and Jesse “The Body” Ventura.
Note: Tenta replaced “Stalker” Barry Windham in this bout due to the latter’s departure from the WWF.
REVIEW:
Though reminiscent of the André/Rick Rude team’s squashing of Duggan & Jake Roberts’ squad the year before, this eight-man slugfest still packs solid entertainment. Its overall plotting makes sense watching Garvin, Hart, and Duggan face long odds against the villains’ superior numbers (and enormous size) after Hercules’ relatively fast exit.
If anything, the electrifying sequences pitting Hart vs. Savage (seeing two future multi-time WWF World Heavyweight Champions against one another) is easily this showdown’s best asset. Lastly, the crowd-pleasing finish gives Duggan a welcome shot at some payback, even if it’s a case of too little far too late.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 6½ Stars
