The Hitchhiker's Guide to Wrestlemania

[alpha2117]

Loved this version of Mania IV

[MainOffender]

1988: THE YEAR IN REVIEW

 

ANDRE’S BUTT CRACKS HEENAN FAMILY: A fractured tailbone in June would force Andre the Giant to vacate the Intercontinental title. Paul Orndorff claimed the vacant title and defended it successfully until Andre’s return. When told by Heenan to turn the belt over to Andre, Orndorff refused, turning face. He’d hold the title for the rest of ’88.

 

BELTS AND BAGPIPES: Randy Savage’s run as WWF World Champion would be short-lived. At the June supercard, Savage lost the belt to Roddy Piper (with Demolition interference). Piper’s reign of terror continued for the rest of the year.

 

THE KING OF THE RING: Bob Orton Jr won the King of the Ring tournament, defeating Greg Valentine in the Finals. He would go on to form a tag-team with fellow “King” Brutus Beefcake. Just some good ol’ blue collar royalty that likes having fun with the fans.

 

THE RUSSIAN NIGHTMARE ARRIVES: WWF’s big signing this year was Nikita Koloff who made the jump from JCP in August.

 

PAUL VERHOEVEN, PIPER STAN?: As the year came to a close, rumors circulated that WWF Champion Roddy Piper was close to being cast as a major character in upcoming sci-fi flick Total Recall. “If Vince doesn’t want me to moonlight, maybe he should pay my god damn health insurance.”

 

 

 

MIXED SIGNALS ON FLAIR: Ric Flair finished another calendar year as NWA World Champion, extending the reign that’s been going since 1986. Early in the year, rumors hit the dirt sheets that Flair would be downgraded from his top guy status. That would prove not to be the case as, by December, JCP had rededicated themselves to Flair, perhaps after cost-cutting measures forced them to release rising star Lex Luger.

 

AWA UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP: Following an abrupt retirement from Verne Gagne and the revelation of financial improprieties by his son Greg, the AWA fell into the hands of longtime jobber Danny Davis (not the ref). Under his stewardship, AWA continued to put on boring wrestling shows based around 54 year-old champion Nick Bockwinkel. Despite the dullness, their TV deal with ESPN made them more stable than most US companies.

 

TED TURNER RISING…? As the year came to a close, a number of wrestlers were signed to a project helmed by billionaire media mogul Ted Turner. Turner’s World Championship Wrestling has yet to air a single show and rumors persist that Turner is “waiting for the ink to dry…”

 

 

 

THE BATTLE FOR JAPAN, PART 2: New Japan once again finished ahead of All Japan, although the companies appeared virtually equal in popularity.

 

CHAMPION'S CARNIVAL: Road Warrior Animal won this year’s Champion’s Carnival, his first singles title of any kind. With the success they've garnered in Japan, it seems unlikely that the Road Warriors will ever return to America.

 

INTERNATIONAL WRESTLING GRAND PRIX: Tatsumi Fujinami won his second straight IWGP.

 

 

 

WRESTLER OF THE YEAR: Yoshiaki Fujiwara (NJPW)

US WRESTLER OF THE YEAR: Hulk Hogan (#2)

TAG TEAM: Genichiro Tenryu & Jumbo Tsuruta (AJPW)

YOUNG WRESTLER OF THE YEAR: Takashi Iizuka (NJPW)

VETERAN WRESTLER OF THE YEAR: Antonio Inoki (NJPW)

FEMALE WRESTLER OF THE YEAR: Bull Nakano (AJW)

COMPANY OF THE YEAR: NJPW (10th time, 3rd straight)

MOST IMPROVED COMPANY: AJW (rose to cult; joshi doing well!)

CARD OF THE YEAR: WrestleMania IV

 

My curated MOTY list excludes matches from non-events and includes at least one match from each Cult+ company:

 

10) Nick Bockwinkel d. “Dirty” Dick Slater to retain the AWA Heavyweight title, AWA January supercard. 80. No one wants this.

 

9) Kevin Von Erich d. Kevin Sullivan to retain the WCWA World Heavyweight title, WCWA August Supercard. 89. Kevin Von Erich remains the champion in Texas, although his brother Kerry is still the more marketable star.

 

8) El Dandy d. Lizmark to retain the NWA World Middleweight title, EMLL Risa Pasada. 90. Mexico!

 

7) Ric Flair d. Dusty Rhodes to retain the NWA World Heavyweight title, JCP Starrcade. 91. Won’t you guys just admit that you’re in love with each other?

 

6) Chigusa Nagayo d. Bull Nakano in block action, AJW Japan Grand Prix ’88. 95. Unlike in America, women wrestling has support in Japan. Nagayo would end up losing this tournament to Dump Matsumoto. Someone must have sent Vince a VHS, because WWF signed Matsumoto in October.

 

5) Andre the Giant d. Randy Savage for the WWF Intercontinental Championship, WWF February supercard. 99. Finally, Andre gets his hands on “the wrestling” title. It was this match that would set Savage toward the biggest win of his career.

 

4) Riki Chosu d. Jumbo Tsuruta to retain the PWF World Heavyweight title, AJPW Super Power Series. 99. AJPW has too many titles! That’s going to change in ’89…

 

3) Tatsumi Fujinami d. Akira Maeda, NJPW Face of Danger II, December. 100. A grudge match between the vicious heel Maeda and the babyface Fujinami.

 

2) Roddy Piper d. Randy Savage to retain the WWF World Heavyweight title, WWF October supercard. 100. The rematch where Savage would come up short yet again. The losses begin to send Savage spiraling down a dark path…

 

1) Yoshiaki Fujiwara & Antonio Inoki d. Takashi Iizuka & Dean Malenko, NJPW Super Grade Tag League block action. 100. The heavyweight champion and the face of New Japan would go on to win the Tag League, but they wouldn’t soon forget this match against young upstarts.

 

 

As I progress along here, is there any information about the world you guys would like to know? Trying to cover the big events without getting too into the weeds, but I'm happy to fill in any gaps.

 

NEXT: The first WCW Saturday Night!

[Aurora]

Absolutely fantastic stuff

[joshbrady91]

Loving this so far! Great content

[alpha2117]

Conceptually and execution wise this is fantastic

[Munit]

Andre as IC champion is something I never even thought of. Love it just for being different.

[EBEZA]

Damn, my predictions were way off! Great show, though, and loving the format as it fully takes shape!

[Perpetual Nirvana]

Really trying to imagine what role Piper would play in Total Recall. Somehow I can picture him as Benny.

[Aurora]

Really trying to imagine what role Piper would play in Total Recall. Somehow I can picture him as Benny.

 

Two obvious ones Arnies or Ironsides, anyone who has seen They Live knows that he could have made it as an actor had wrestlers got more respect earlier. He actually had ability but was already too old to establish himself at that point. I could buy him as a construction worker or menacing goon. Verhoven liked using B actors in his films as it let him spend that money he saved on other things like special effects and TR IS a satire in many ways as are most of his films.

[BHK1978]

WRESTLEMANIA IV AFTERMATH:

 

• The AI does an even MORE brilliant thing and turns Dino Bravo face then slaps him into a tag-team with Koko B Ware. The AI calls them Team Roar because computers can't understand birds. I rename them The Flamingos.

 

I am not sure why I missed this after reading the show. This is hilarious. The Flamingos, I can picture them wearing pink oversized jackets (Just like the sort of jacket that Koko used to wear) and pink trunks.

[MainOffender]

Andre as IC champion is something I never even thought of. Love it just for being different.

 

Definitely not something I would've done if the AI hadn't foisted it on me. It feels weird!

 

Really trying to imagine what role Piper would play in Total Recall. Somehow I can picture him as Benny.

 

Two obvious ones Arnies or Ironsides, anyone who has seen They Live knows that he could have made it as an actor had wrestlers got more respect earlier. He actually had ability but was already too old to establish himself at that point. I could buy him as a construction worker or menacing goon. Verhoven liked using B actors in his films as it let him spend that money he saved on other things like special effects and TR IS a satire in many ways as are most of his films.

 

I love where this discussion has gone. Piper's gone for 5 months of filming and he's Icon level pop (in spite of my booking him to feud with Kamala). I figure it's got to be a pretty big part! Him playing Richter is probably the right call, but now I can't stop imagining a world where he's Quaid.

[MainOffender]

After months of signing independent workers to written contracts and poaching the occasional WWF worker like Rick Martel and Haku yet not producing a single wrestling show, Ted Turner and his World Championship Wrestling venture at last made their move. January saw Turner complete buyouts of both Jim Crockett Promotions and Fritz Von Erich’s World Championship Wrestling Association. Numerous contracts were kept, including Ric Flair and the onerous 10-year deal of Kerry Von Erich. The NWA title lineages are also being kept intact, although all belts have been vacated with the exception of Ric Flair’s newly renamed WCW World Heavyweight title.

 

The first episode of the rebranded WCW Saturday Night will air the first week of February in the coveted TBS slot.

 

 

WCW SATURDAY NIGHT

February, Week 1, 1989.

 

The Jims welcome us to the show and immediately toss to the ring where we await a formal introduction from the benefactor of WCW: Billionaire Ted. As bomb track “Money, Money, Money (Everybody’s Got a Price)” plays, “Billion Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase arrives. He claims to have invested significant personal wealth into assembling the best talent in the world. DiBiase is interrupted by WCW World Champion Ric Flair. “You might cut the checks – WOO! – but everybody here knows the Nature Boy sells the tickets!” Flair complains about having to defend his title in tonight’s main event against Kerry Von Erich. Thus summoned, Kerry Von Erich appears to pose and wave. Women faint.

GRADE:

76

 

The Gunslinger (w/ Percival Pringus) squashes Stan Lane. The first match of the night features the debut of a supernatural cowboy and the old-timey mortician that arranges “his duels.” The fans are confused.

GRADE:

49

 

Rick Rude arrives to gyrate for the crowd and talk trash about Barry Windham. He’s joined by Awesome Twosome partner Manny Fernandez.

GRADE:

59

 

Rick Rude defeats Barry Windham in a back-and-forth match where Fernandez proves the deciding factor, distracting the ref after a massive lariat wrecks Rude. While protesting the missed pin, Windham gets caught by a Rude Awakening.

GRADE:

72

 

Dusty Rhodes appears in studio. He’s “excited about the future, daddy, excited about W-C-W.” Speaking of the future, Dusty’s brought his son Dustin with him. The rookie Rhodes is excited to get his start.

GRADE:

82

 

Bruiser Brody squashes “Flyin’” Brian Pillman.

GRADE:

72

 

Our next contest is a tag-team gauntlet match to award the vacant WCW Tag Titles. The Steiner Brothers and the Rock n Roll Express are up first in a back-and-forth battle where Scott Steiner’s power wins out. After that, the Steiners continue to roll, picking up a win over the Garvins. However, the worn out Steiners are no match for the power and intensity of the Blade Runners. Warrior and Sting win the WCW World Tag Team titles.

GRADE:

68

 

After the match, Vader and Kevin Sullivan – the Masters of Madness – threaten the Blade Runners. They promise that one day the tag belts will be trophies in the White Castle of Fear (not the restaurant).

GRADE:

65

 

Lex Luger defeats Curt “Mr. Perfect” Hennig via count out after Hennig walks out of the match.

GRADE:

76

 

In studio, Billionaire Ted confronts Hennig over ruining his opening night match. Hennig complains that Luger wasn’t up to his standard and that no one on this roster can match his technical prowess. “Sure about that, mate?” asks the Dynamite Kid as he swaggers/limps onto set. The two engage in a stare-down.

GRADE:

76

 

Kerry Von Erich defeats Ric Flair via DQ when Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard hit the ring and put the boots to him. Flair’s 30 month reign continues thanks to the reunited Horsemen. They stand tall as we go off the air.

GRADE:

85

 

OVERALL GRADE:

79

 

SOME PROGRAMMING NOTES: When I add my user character to the game, I try to pick the preset archetype that best fits the person. For instance, with Vince, I use "Creative Leader." When I took over WCW playing as Ted Turner, I chose "Top Negotiator" and didn't think much of it. Turns out, that type only has a '1' in Creativity, so virtually all the gimmicks bombed on WCW's debut show. Oops! After I left the game to start simming again, AI Turner hired Bill Watts so I'm sure everything will turn out great!

 

I'm not sure how much WCW I want to cover/play in this diary. Part of me wants to stick with just WWF so that I can advance into the future as quickly as possible. But I'm also drawn to a lot of the characters currently in WCW. We'll see.

 

Updates will be slow the next couple weeks as I'm traveling for the holidays. Thanks for following, everybody! It's been a lot of fun so far.

[BHK1978]

It will be interesting to see who the fourth Horseman is going to be.

 

The White Castle of Fear...

[EBEZA]

I love this, please keep going with WCW as well! Also, I love the tongue-in-cheek comments, like the one about women fainting at the sight of KVE.

[alpha2117]

Counting down to the first OD on that WCW roster … 3...2...1

[MainOffender]

THE ROAD TO WRESTLEMANIA

WWF notes from January and February, 1989:

CURTAINS FOR PIPER:

For months, Roddy Piper used every shortcut in the book to retain his WWF World Heavyweight title. Finally, at the Royal Rumble, he was forced to defend his belt against the Junkyard Dog with the stipulation that any count-out, DQ, or outside interference would result in the title being awarded to JYD. Piper still put JYD to sleep! But… after the match, backstage footage revealed Piper slipping a sedative into JYD’s water bottle. Piper was immediately stripped of the title and President Jack Tunney announced the belt would be awarded to the winner of that night’s Royal Rumble.

 

However, Piper managed to force his way into the Royal Rumble using Smash’s number. Thanks to constant interference from Demolition, Piper won the Rumble. Instead of being awarded the title, Piper was gifted with an indefinite suspension and the WWF title held up.

 

(Best explanation I could come up with for Piper retaining his title AND winning the Rumble just days before he leaves to shoot a movie. Thanks, AI.)

 

MORE RUMBLE CONTROVERSY:

After their meeting at WrestleMania IV, Doom reigned as WWF Tag Champs throughout ’88, constantly battling the former champions the Hart Foundation. The rivalry took a turn during the Rumble event when Butch Reed eliminated both himself and Bret Hart with a brutal diving shoulder block. The tumble injured both men for the foreseeable future and Doom was forced to vacate the tag titles. The vacant belts were eventually won by The Patriots – the team of Jim Duggan and Paul Roma.

 

TURN THE PAGE:

Three major turns went down between January and February. Overcome with frustration after losing the WWF World Title, Randy Savage returned to the dark side. (First guy the AI has turned twice.) Following a successful partnership with Ricky Steamboat, Jake Roberts turned on his friend at the Royale Rumble. And, on the heels of Paul Orndroff’s defection, Harley Race also left the Heenan Family…

 

OLD MAN HARLEY:

…having scrapped his “King” schtick and gone to gone to a more grizzled veteran gimmick, Race faced Savage at February’s Saturday Night’s Main Event for the vacant WWF World title. He won. 46 year old Harley Race is your WWF champ heading into WrestleMania.

 

Uh, great.

 

Feels like this might be a good time to start posting title lineages:

 

WWF WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION

• Hulk Hogan (January, 1984 - March, 1988)
  
  
• Randy Savage (March, 1988 - June, 1988)
  
  
• Roddy Piper (June, 1988 - January, 1989) *vacated when Piper was suspended
  
  
• Harley Race (February, 1989 - Present)
  
  

 

WWF INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPION

• Randy Savage (February, 1986 - February, 1988)
  
  
• Andre the Giant (February, 1988 - June, 1988) *vacated due to injury
  
  
• Paul Orndorff (June, 1988 - Present)
  
  

 

WWF WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS

• The Hart Foundation (January, 1987 - March, 1988)
  
  
• Doom (March, 1988 - January, 1989) *vacated due to injury to Butch Reed
  
  
• The Patriots (Paul Roma and Jim Duggan) (January, 1989 - Present)
  
  

 

WWF WOMEN'S CHAMPION

• The Fabulous Moolah [3] (July, 1986 - January, 1988)
  
  
• Velvet MacIntyre [2] (January, 1988 - March, 1988)
  
  
• Tina Ferrari (March, 1988 - April, 1988)
  
  
• Susan Sexton (April, 1988 - February, 1989)
  
  
• Desiree Petersen (February, 1989 - Present)
  
  

[MainOffender]

It will be interesting to see who the fourth Horseman is going to be.

 

The White Castle of Fear...

 

After booking that first SME, I simmed ahead with WCW and won't be picking back up with them until December 89 for Starrcade. It doesn't look like the AI got my memo on the Horsemen.

 

Counting down to the first OD on that WCW roster … 3...2...1

 

It's unbelievable to me that I've come this far and no one has OD'd or even fallen into a wood chipper.

[joshspicer]

Harley Race. In WWF. In 1989. At 46. Is the WWF Champion.

 

What a world.

[alpha2117]

Race as champion - the AI is old school … it's considering brigning back Bruno Sammartino for Mania I assume?

[MainOffender]

Harley Race. In WWF. In 1989. At 46. Is the WWF Champion.

 

What a world.

 

Race as champion - the AI is old school … it's considering brigning back Bruno Sammartino for Mania I assume?

 

I had to read about this on Wikipedia because I don't remember it AT ALL, but apparently Race did turn face in '89 and briefly feud with King Haku leading into the Rumble. He's never been injured in this world like in real life so he's still hanging around. What's even more bizarre is that the three most popular guys on the roster (Hogan, Macho, Piper) are all heels and Race isn't even the most popular face (that's Steamboat).

 

And you joke about Bruno but he's still active in the game at 54! AI Vince makes some bizarre hires so I hope you didn't just curse me. Going to quit if I have Bruno main eventing WrestleMania VI.

[MainOffender]

PRIME TIME WRESTLING

March, Week 1, 1989.

 

New WWF Champion Harley Race opens the show, thanking the fans for their support. “I’ve won a lot of titles in my career, but this is definitely the most important.” I’m sure he didn’t mean that as a dig at WCW. Hulk Hogan arrives to offer Race a chance to retire gracefully or else risk the wrath of his 24 inch pythons. “I’ve stretched bigger boys than you, son,” Race replies, refusing to back down. The two are held apart by WWF security, but will meet later in tonight’s tag-team main event.

GRADE:

99

 

The Rougeau Brothers defeat Tough Love (the thrilling tandem of Tom Magee and Outback Jack).

GRADE:

50

 

A pre-recorded segment airs where the Kings Club (KOTR winners Bob Orton and Brutus Beefcake) hang out with fans in the stadium concession, buying beers and hot dogs. “Anyone can be a king at a WWF live event!”

GRADE:

83

 

Nikita Koloff squashes Brad Rheingans. Jimmy Hart accompanies Koloff to the ring. Does the Mouth of the South have a new client?

GRADE:

74

 

At the announce desk, Bobby Heenan complains about how his two former clients – Harley Race and Paul Orndroff – are both champions now, yet neither ingrate acknowledges his years of mentorship. Heenan claims he’s the spiritual double champ of WWF. Overhearing, Orndorff comes out to make Heenan an offer – he’ll defend his IC title at WrestleMania against one of Heenan’s remaining clients, but only if Heenan puts his managing license on the line. As Andre the Giant stalks onto the set to stare down Orndorff, Heenan happily accepts.

GRADE:

100

 

Demolition defeats the Flamingos with a Decapitation after Bravo is distracted by the Rougeau Brothers.

GRADE:

70

 

The Rougeaus -- spurred on by Dino's former manager Frenchy Martin - beat down Dino and Koko, shredding their matching feather-covered jackets. They declare Dino the shame of Quebec. The crowd is dead.

GRADE:

39

 

In a hard-hitting brawl, the Junkyard Dog beats Greg Valentine after a belly-to-belly suplex.

GRADE:

82

 

When Junkyard Dog tries to leave, Davey Boy Smith hops out of the crowd and beats him down in a completely unprovoked attack. He strips the mat from the ringside area and running power slams JYD onto the unforgiving concrete. JYD sells a back injury.

GRADE:

86

 

Next up, Ricky Steamboat battles relative newcomer Razor Ramon. The contest is back-and-forth with Ramon’s power advantage thwarted by Steamboat’s technical ability. Steamboat eventually prevails with a cross-body.

GRADE:

76

 

After the match, an exhausted Ricky Steamboat calls out Jake Roberts. He apologizes for not having Jake’s back in the Royal Rumble and forgives Roberts for trying to DDT him on the outside at Saturday Night’s Main Event. “It’s hard to make friends in this business. It’s even harder to keep them.” Steamboat wants to put this ugliness behind them, but if Jake still has hard feelings they can settle it like men – at WrestleMania.

GRADE:

100

 

The main event between the teams of Harley Race & Paul Orndorff and Hulk Hogan & Honky Tonk Man is called off when Hogan and Race brawl throughout the ringside area, trashing the set and injuring multiple officials. The two are still trying to get at each other as we go off the air.

GRADE:

79

 

OVERALL GRADE:

86

[EBEZA]

That Piper situation!

[Aurora]

Dino Bravo was probably smuggling stuff in bird cages that's what annoyed the Rougeaus. I can't help thinking of them as faces here.

[MainOffender]

PRIME TIME WRESTLING

March, Week 2, 1989.

 

President Jack Tunney opens the show by summoning both Harley Race and Hulk Hogan for a formal reprimand after multiple officials were hurt during their brawl last week. Of course, another brawl erupts, with Hogan and Race again pulverizing WWF staff to get at each other. Both champion and challenger are eventually tossed from the arena.

GRADE:

86

 

Demolition and Ron Simmons defeat The Patriots and Jim Neidhart after a Decapitation on Paul Roma. Having beaten the tag champs, albeit in a six-man tag, the announcers expect Demolition to be named #1 contenders.

GRADE:

75

 

After the match, Simmons and Neidhart continue to brawl until separated by WWF’s beleaguered security. “The bad blood between Doom and the Hart Foundation isn’t settled, Brain…”

GRADE:

65

 

The Kings Club (Bob Orton and Brutus Beefcake) defeat the Wild Samoans in a back-and-forth match.

GRADE:

77

 

In an interview with Mean Gene, Nikita Koloff explains why he’s allied with Jimmy Hart. “Who ended the Cold War and saved the world from nuclear annihilation? Your Ronald Reagan? NO. The peasant reformer Gorbachev? NO. It was the music of one man that warmed the cold hearts of my comrades and showed us the gentle soul of the American people…” He holds up the Russian release of a Honky Tonk Man album.

GRADE:

85

 

The Big Boss Man defeats “Iron” Mike Sharpe in a one-sided match.

GRADE:

64

 

Adrian Adonis makes his return to the WWF, announcing that with that lout Roddy Piper indefinitely suspended, he can finally bring back The Flower Shop.

GRADE:

66

 

Actually, Adrian, you’ve got a match tonight, not a talk show! Adonis promptly loses to Tito Santana. During the match, Razor Ramon saunters to ringside and, at one point, trips up Adonis to give Tito an advantage.

GRADE:

86

 

After the match, Tito confronts Ramon. “Why you so upset, chico? Don’t you remember me from the old neighborhood?” Tito makes it clear he wants nothing to do with Ramon and storms to the back.

GRADE:

69

 

Andre the Giant squashes poor Brad Rheingans in every sense of the word.

GRADE:

74

 

Paul Orndorff cuts a promo about how he lived in Andre the Giant’s shadow for too long as a member of the Heenan Family. At WrestleMania, he’ll prove himself worthy of the Intercontinental title and, in the process, put Bobby Heenan out of work.

GRADE:

92

 

In the main event, Jake Roberts beats Dino Bravo following a DDT and a distraction from the Rougeau Brothers.

GRADE:

84

 

The Rougeaus beat down Dino, but the tides are turned when Koko B Ware and Ricky Steamboat run out to fight them off. Roberts bails rather than confront Steamboat, refusing to acknowledge his former friend.

GRADE:

72

 

OVERALL GRADE:

86

[MainOffender]

Dino Bravo was probably smuggling stuff in bird cages that's what annoyed the Rougeaus. I can't help thinking of them as faces here.

 

Haha well when the AI inevitably turns Dino heel again, this will 100% be the story line. "So many dead parrots!"