SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: 28:08 Min.
Taped for Boston Garden’s in-house NESN Network, this early (possibly February or March) 1987 six-man elimination tag match is an obscure prelude to March 1987’s iconic WrestleMania III. Gorilla Monsoon first interviews “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, who reiterates this six-man tag will be his last bout at the Boston Garden before his imminent retirement.
On one side is Piper’s arch-nemesis, “Adorable” Adrian Adonis (with Jimmy “Mouth of the South” Hart); along with The Heenan Family’s Hercules and “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff (with Bobby “The Brain” Heenan). Opposing them are Hercules’ current adversary, Billy Jack Haynes; the legendary “Rowdy” Roddy Piper; and WWF World Champion Hulk Hogan.
Monsoon is the sole commentator.
Note: Of these six combatants, only Orndorff doesn’t subsequently appear at WrestleMania III. Monsoon even implies that “Mr. Wonderful” is scheduled for a WrestleMania III match; yet, whoever his opponent was supposed to be is unknown. One rumor is that Orndorff was held in reserve to substitute for a frail André the Giant, if necessary, as Hogan’s WWF World Title challenger.
REVIEW:
It’s no wonder that dynamite six-man elimination showdowns like this one inspired the inaugural Survivor Series later that year. After sufficient action, the WWF could have reasonably opted for a six-man count-out finish; still, give Vince McMahon’s company credit for letting this brawl play out to the end.
Nicely hyping two WrestleMania III grudge matches (Piper vs. Adonis in a ‘haircut’ showdown signifying Piper’s supposed retirement); and Haynes vs. Hercules), plus a perpetual World Title rivalry in Hogan vs. Orndorff, the showdown focuses on this six-pack of combatants.
The low-key presence of Heenan & Hart is an added bonus, as their usual ringside shenanigans aren’t needed to boost this match’s considerable star power. Even Monsoon deserves the necessary goods, as he is remarkably articulate on the mike without Jesse Ventura, Heenan, or McMahon to help sell the action to fans.
Though the eventual finish is standard-issue, Hogan deserves credit for pushing Piper to absorb the audience’s mass applause. It’s a welcome alternative to the Hulkster’s usual insistence on ‘sharing’ the credit.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 8 Stars
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