SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: 17:29 Min.
Following SummerSlam 1989, “Ravishing” Rick Rude blames “Rowdy” Roddy Piper for his Intercontinental Title loss to The Ultimate Warrior. Rude & Piper’s subsequent feud would commence for approximately five months, including an eventual 1989 Survivor Series showdown.
Taped September 30, 1989, at a Madison Square Garden house show, a grim-faced Piper faces off against Rude, whose ringside manager is Bobby “The Brain” Heenan. Also present are referee Danny Davis and ringside commentators Tony Schiavone & an unexpectedly articulate Hillbilly Jim.
REVIEW:
The pre-match shenanigans are amusing, as the ultra-arrogant Rude’s mic efforts trying to ruin Piper’s entrance are drowned out by an enthusiastic audience. Including their makeshift strap match antics, Piper and Rude produce an entertaining brawl where both men get in several solid licks. Despite resorting to a predictably inconclusive finish, this rugged Piper vs. Rude slugfest gives fans their money’s worth.
Notes: Both the Roddy Piper: Born to Controversy DVD and the Legends of Wrestling: Roddy Piper and Terry Funk DVD include the definitive Piper vs. Rude steel cage match from December 28, 1989, at Madison Square Garden. Alternatively, the Getting Rowdy: The Unreleased Matches of Roddy Piper DVD pits “The Rowdy One” vs. Rude in an October 8, 1989, clash from Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 7 Stars
IMAGE NOT AVAILABLE
