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WWF Saturday Night's Main Event XIV

Taped from Landover, MD

Airdate: January 2, 1988 (taped 12/7)

Attendance: 11,000

Hosted by Vince McMahon and Jesse “The Body” Ventura

To begin the show, Roberts welcomes us to 1988 and cuts a promo on Sika.

Afterward, Valentine and Hart tell Koko B. Ware jokes.

In case you didn’t know them, here’s a quick snippet by the tag champs.

Slick then speaks up for his Bolsheviks.

Next, Heenan, in a neck brace, informs us that Andre will be in Bundy’s corner for tonight’s title match.

In response, Hogan, sans fringe, shoots down Bundymania.

Opening montage.

Vince and Ventura welcome us to the show and wish us a Happy New Year.

Backstage, “Mean” Gene Okerlund interviews an exercising Hogan who’s “pumped up.” Insert steroid joke here.

In another part of backstage, Okerlund interviews the Bolsheviks with Slick. In an effort to create peace, Slick claims that Soviet czar Mikhail Gorbachev flew in to meet with him rather than President Reagan. HA!

Prior to the first match, we revisit the tag title victory by Strike Force.

After the challengers make their entrance, Okerlund interviews the tag champs.

Match 1 for the WWF tag team titles (2 out of 3 falls): Strike Force (champions) versus the Bolsheviks (w/ Slick)

Highlights:

First fall:

Second fall:

Rating: **1/2

Summary: Capitalism wins in our nation’s capital! Perhaps the Soviet Union will take a tremendous economic decline based upon this loss.

Backstage, Okerlund interviews Mr. Fuji who stirs a jar of mustard. Sika then brings in a LONG French roll as Fuji claims that Damien will be dinner for Sika “like a hot snake.”

As Sika and Mr. Fuji make their entrance, Okerlund interviews Roberts who threatens to tie Fuji up like a pretzel and put him in the mustard.

Match 2: Jake “The Snake” Roberts versus Sika (w/ Mr. Fuji)

Highlights:

Rating: DUD

Summary: Since when does skill matter when it comes to national TV exposure?

After the match, Roberts brings the bag containing Damien to the center of the ring. When Sika charges, he gets backdropped over the top rope to the floor. Afterward, Roberts gives Fuji the DDT then dumps Damien atop him. Finally, Sika rescues his manager from becoming Damian’s midnight snack.

Backstage, Okerlund interviews Bundy with Andre and Heenan. They’re ready to kill Hulkamania TONIGHT.

We then revisit SNME XIII when Hogan gave Heenan a standing choke causing neck damage. Of course, they show how Heenan helped Bundy achieve a countout victory, but does that constitute causing neck damage? You make the call!

After Bundy and Andre make their entrance, Okerlund interviews Hogan who notes that President Ronald Reagan is a Hulkamaniac.

Match 3 for the WWF title: Hulk Hogan (champion) versus King Kong Bundy (w/ Andre the Giant)

Highlights:

Rating: **1/2

Summary: This was infinitely better than their match at SNME XIII. But what was really the point behind having Andre here?

A-ha! After the match, Andre gets up on the apron so Hogan challenges him. Much to the DC faithful’s chagrin, Andre backs away. But when Hogan poses, Andre comes in, grabs Hogan by the hair, and headbutts him. He then chokes Hogan until the British Bulldogs come to Hogan’s aid. After they both nail Andre in the back, Andre gives them a double noggin knocker then tosses them over the top rope to the floor.

When he returns to choking Hogan, the babyface locker room empties for the WWF champion’s sake. Finally, “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan arrives and nails Andre with the 2x4 allowing the babyfaces to remove Hogan from the ring and carry him back to the locker room. I wonder what will happen in the next chapter of this feud.

After a commercial break, Ventura interviews Valentine with Hart. Valentine praises Hart while dismissing his former partner, Brutus Beefcake.

In another part of backstage, Okerlund interviews a happy Ware who sings his responses. Give it up, Koko. You aren’t Prince.

Match 4: Greg “The Hammer” Valentine (w/ Jimmy Hart) versus Koko. B. Ware

Highlights:

Rating: *1/2

Summary: Showcase match for Valentine as a singles competitor.

After the match, Valentine reapplies the figure-four leg lock until Beefcake returns to chase Valentine from the ring. Meanwhile, Ware grabs Hart by the ankle as Beefcake re-enters the ring to cut Hart’s hair with the clippers.

After a commercial break, we revisit Andre’s attack of Hogan earlier tonight.

Back in the locker room, Okerlund interviews Andre with Heenan. According to Heenan, there will be a new WWF champion in 1988. He’s quite the prognosticator.

After another commercial break, Okerlund interviews Ventura back in the locker room and informs us that Hogan is breathing on his own but has sustained damage to his windpipe.

Conclusion: As you are aware, the motive behind SNME has been to set the table for bigger things down the road. While this show accomplished that goal with the Hogan-Andre and Beefcake-Valentine feuds, the wrestling was below par. Let’s hope this new show coming later this month tops this bomb.

Stay tuned for WWF Royal Rumble ‘88!

Rating: unknown

Comments? Suggestions? Send them to me at rsg@rockstargary.com and follow me on Twitter (@rockstargary202).

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