WWF Saturday Night's Main Event XXV

Can Hogan avenge his countout loss to Genius with help from Warrior? Will Duggan regain the crown from Savage? Read on!

Prior to the first match, “Mean” Gene Okerlund interviews Duggan. During the interview, we get another look at the way Savage “stole” the crown from Duggan.

As Duggan made his entrance, Okerlund interviews Savage with Queen Sherri. He wants to get rid of that peasant Duggan.

Match 1 for the WWF crown: “Macho King” Randy Savage (w/ Queen Sherri) versus “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan

When Savage took too long exiting his sedan, Duggan flipped it over sending Savage down to the floor. He should have chosen the 4-door instead.
Upon tossing Savage into the ring, Duggan gave him a cross-corner whip but came up empty on his follow-through.
Savage came back with a clothesline, but Duggan reversed an Irish whip and delivered one of his own.
After another cross-corner whip, Duggan gave Savage the big boot for 2.
As Duggan gave Savage an atomic drop, Queen Sherri got up on the apron.
When Duggan fell for the distraction, Savage nailed him from behind with a double axe handle.
With Duggan outside the ring, Savage mounted the top turnbuckle and hit Duggan with another double axe handle.
Back in the ring, Savage remounted the top turnbuckle, hit a third double axe handle, and got 2.
He then guillotined Duggan using the top rope and got another 2.
However, when he attempted a running guillotine, he came up empty.
After Duggan missed an elbow drop, he gave Savage a back drop over the top rope to the floor.
Despite interference from referee Danny Davis and Queen Sherri, Duggan clotheslined Savage on the floor.
After a commercial break, Duggan slammed Savage and delivered a knee drop.
Before Davis could count, Queen Sherri got up on the apron again to distract him.
When Duggan nailed Savage, Queen Sherri put Savage’s foot on the bottom rope to save him. SNEAKY!
Upon giving Savage a series of clotheslines, Duggan nailed him sending him to the floor.
Duggan then joined and tossed Savage back into the ring, yet Queen Sherri prevented Duggan from re-entering.
While Duggan chased Queen Sherri around the ring, he caught her in the ring giving us a gratuitous panty shot.

Savage then put a knee into Duggan’s back as Queen Sherri escaped.
As he mounted the top turnbuckle yet again and hit double axe handle #4, Duggan nailed him in the midsection at the same time.
After Queen Sherri handed her purse to Savage, she distracted Davis again.
Like the way he won the crown, Savage then WALLOPED Duggan with the purse but only got 2.
When Savage attempted a slam, Duggan countered with an inside cradle.
Do we have a new king?
1-2-NO!
After an atomic drop, Duggan flattened Savage with another series of clotheslines.
He then gave Savage the three-point-stance clothesline knocking him to the floor.
As Duggan attempted a vertical suplex to return Savage to the ring, Queen Sherri tripped him.
While Queen Sherri held Duggan’s legs, Savage pinned Duggan with his feet on the ropes. How dastardly!
Savage retained the crown.

Summary: Once again, Savage took a match that had no business being any good and made it enjoyable.

After Perfect and Genius make their entrance, the confrontation from the Royal Rumble between Hogan and Warrior airs. Afterward, Okerlund interviews Hogan and Warrior backstage. Nonsensical babbling ensues.

Match 2: WWF Champion Hulk Hogan & WWF Intercontinental Champion Ultimate Warrior versus Mr. Perfect & Genius

After hip-tossing Perfect, Hogan delivered slams to both heels. He’s in!

Warrior tagged in, joined the heels outside the ring, and gave them a double noggin knocker. He’s out!

Next, he rammed them face-first into the apron.
Upon bringing Perfect in the hard way, Warrior clotheslined him over the top rope to the floor.
Hogan tagged in, reversed a cross-corner whip, and delivered a back elbow that sent Perfect over the top rope to the floor again.
Perhaps Perfect was in AND out.

Mmmmm…
Regardless, Hogan joined and made Perfect HIT THE POLE!
While Hogan gave Perfect a clothesline, Genius took notes on his scroll in the corner.
Meanwhile, Perfect’s exaggerated selling was phenomenal.
After a slam, Hogan delivered a pair of elbow drops.
Upon eating Hogan’s big boot, Perfect took another trip over the top rope to the floor.
After Genius gave Perfect the scroll, he distracted referee Earl Hebner so that Perfect could nail Hogan.
With Hebner still distracted, Perfect tried to destroy Hulkamania by hammering Hogan with a chair but hit the ring post instead.
Back in the ring, Hogan hooked an inside cradle for a 1-count.
Perfect came back and gave Hogan the Ax.
Shortly after, Perfect mounted the second turnbuckle and lowered the boom on Hogan.
He then delivered the Perfectplex but released the hold to tag in Genius.
Speaking of Genius, he mounted the top turnbuckle, attempted a moonsault, but ate knees. There’s no way that it tasted better than In & Out.
Perfect mounted the top turnbuckle and leaped, he ate boot on the way down.
Hot tag Warrior.
After giving Perfect a knee lift to remove him from the ring, Warrior clotheslined Genius.
He then gave Genius a military press drop and tagged in Hogan.
While Warrior knocked Perfect out of the ring again, Hogan delivered the leg drop to Genius.
1-2-3.

Summary: Give credit to Perfect and Genius for their smoke-and-mirrors effort to make Hogan and Warrior look good. Excellent workmanship, gentlemen.

After the match, Perfect knocks Hogan out of the ring, but Warrior nails both heels. As Hogan returns to the ring, Warrior mistakenly clotheslines him. When Hogan returns to his feet, he shoves Warrior and gets in his face. A shoving match ensues as the segment ends. Add another ½* to the match for the post-match angle.

We then revisit Superstars when Roberts stole the Million Dollar belt from DiBiase (aired 1/20, taped 1/2).

Match 3: Jake “The Snake” Roberts versus Greg “The Hammer” Valentine (w /Jimmy Hart)

As Roberts entered the ring, he released Damian wrapped around the Million Dollar Belt from the bag.
When Valentine came too close to Damian, he almost walked into a DDT. Nonetheless, he sought refuge outside the ring.
Back in the ring, Valentine gave Roberts a pair of HARD cross-corner whips injuring the back.
Upon dropping the hammer, Valentine got 2 with a nonchalant cover.

Shortly after, Valentine reversed a cross-corner whip but came up empty on his follow-through.
Roberts then delivered a short-arm clothesline and signaled for the DDT.
When Roberts attempted it, Valentine gave him a back drop.
As Roberts attempted a knee lift, Valentine side-stepped him sending Roberts flying into the corner.
With Hart on the apron, Valentine attempted the figure-four leg lock, but Roberts kicked him into Hart sending him down to the floor.
Roberts then hit the DDT, but DiBiase and Virgil ran in.
Referee Danny Davis called for the bell to disqualify Valentine.

Summary: More angle than match here as Roberts and DiBiase have a date at WrestleMania VI. Also, Valentine is in dire need of a character refresh.

After the match, as DiBiase works over Roberts, Virgil doesn’t want to reach into the bag to retrieve the belt. When Roberts comes back, he scares off the heels with Damian.

Backstage, Ventura interviews Rude with Heenan. After Heenan makes fat jokes about Sapphire, Rude’s “irresistibility” will win her over. To each his own, Rick.

Match 4: The “American Dream” Dusty Rhodes versus “Ravishing” Rick Rude (w/ Bobby “The Brain” Heenan)

After Rude ambushed him in the corner, Rhodes reversed a cross-corner whip sending Rude HARD into the turnbuckle.
Upon tossing Rude outside the ring, Rhodes joined and rammed back-first into the apron twice.
Back in the ring, Rude attempted a slam but hurt his back.
After Rhodes delivered a series of bionic elbows, he missed an elbow drop.
Suddenly, Heenan got in Sapphire’s face while Rhodes gave Rude a back drop.
After Rhodes gave Rude the Flip, Flop, and Fly, he went after Heenan only to get nailed from behind by Rude.
Referee Joey Marella then ejected both Sapphire and Heenan from ringside. After all, it wouldn’t be an SNME without an ejection.

After a commercial break, Rude made Rhodes HIT THE POLE!
Meanwhile, Sapphire pulled up a chair in the front row holding a ticket.
As Rude got distracted by Sapphire, Ventura shilled Mike Tyson’s upcoming appearance for the WWF on 2/23 in Detroit.

Next, a double shoulder block put both wrestlers down on the mat.
Rude then mounted the top turnbuckle but ate a shot to the midsection on the way down.
Shortly after, Sapphire taunted Rude from her seat so Rude confronted her.
Rhodes then came to her rescue and brawled with Rude in the aisle.
Following that, he made Rude taste the steel railing. It must have tasted like the Navin R. Johnson at the Terminal Brewhouse.
Marella then counted both wrestlers out.

Summary: This match established Sapphire as Rhodes’ manager going forward.

After the match, Sapphire rejoins Rhodes to dance for the Chattanooga faithful. Hey! Don’t look at me! I’m not checking out Sapphire’s caboose.

Match 5: “Rugged” Ronnie Garvin versus Dino Bravo (w/ Earthquake and Jimmy Hart)

After Bravo tossed Garvin outside the ring, Earthquake rammed Garvin back-first into the apron.
Upon slamming Garvin, Bravo hit an elbow drop for 2.
He then delivered a gutwrench suplex for another 2.
As Garvin came back, he gave Bravo a back drop.
Next, he brought Hart into the ring the hard way and tossed him at Earthquake who caught him with ease.
After Bravo tossed him outside the ring, Garvin re-entered via the top turnbuckle.
He then hit a flying body press, but Bravo used momentum to land on top.
1-2-3.

Summary: This match was designed to showcase the alliance between Earthquake and Bravo.

After the match, Bravo gives Garvin an inverted atomic drop as Earthquake delivers a pair of Earthquake splashes (running seated senton). EMTs then assist Garvin with a stretcher.

Backstage, Okerlund interviews Savage while shilling Main Event III on 2/23 with special guest referee “Iron” Mike Tyson. Savage then threatens Tyson to call it down the middle and vows to regain the WWF title.

Conclusion: While not historical, this show had its moments. With the first two matches, Savage carried Duggan to a decent match while the Hogan-Warrior match put another log on the fire to build their drama. Despite the rest of the show being forgettable, the promotion of Tyson at Main Event III was intriguing. I can’t wait to review that show.