The Islanders is a team consisting of Haku and Tama, Paul Roma and Jim Powers are The Young Stallions. Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura are on commentary for this match.The Islanders were feuding with the British Bulldogs (including Matilda) during the build-up to this match. They kidnapped Matilda and served a suspension before being forced to return her. Before the match Hulk Hogan is on the raised platform with Craig DeGeorge for a promo on his upcoming rematch with Andre the Giant. He says Andre and Ted DiBiase sent him a message and fuel his need for another win like at Wrestlemania 3. To beat Hogan, Andre will have to beat his Hulkamaniacs, and that can't happen. He said it twice so it must be important, posing by Hogan leads us out to what I presume was the commercial break before The Islanders make their way to the ring. McMahon says they, along with Bobby “The Brain” Heenan are directly responsible for Matilda's ill health, but he has no proof. The Young Stallions enter the match next. Jesse says Vince can't throw accusations like that around and Vince point-blank asks why not.
THE ISLANDERS VS. THE YOUNG STALLIONS (2 out of 3 falls match)
WWF Royal Rumble 1988 (24th January 1988)
Tama and Jim Powers start the match, which is a generous way of putting it as Tama keeps closing in on Powers, then backing away and leaning through the ropes, talking to Matilda through the camera. They circle and finally lock up. Tama rakes the eyes and clubs Powers over the back, he bonks him over the head and sends Powers off the ropes but ducks early. Jim Powers leapfrogs and hits Tama with jabs, following up with a right hand and a scoop slam. Tama slides out to the floor as McMahon finally changes the topic from the Bulldogs vs. Islanders issue. Tama offers a handshake as he gets back in the ring, the fans tell Powers not to trust him but Powers reaches out, Tama tries a cheap shot but it gets caught, Jim Powers turns Tama around into an atomic drop, Tama stumbles into the Stallions' corner, Roma gets his hands dirty with a shot from the apron, back to Powers, to Roma for an ear clap and Powers puts on an arm wrench before it becomes a Chuckle Brothers tribute. Tama backs Powers into the corner and hits him with a body shot, Powers reverses an irish whip sending Tama into the corner, but he avoids the charge and makes the tag to Haku. Vince and Jesse are now talking about Dino Bravo's “record attempt” earlier in the night as Haku misses his first shot on Powers.
Paul Roma gets the tag and trades arm wringers with Haku, Roma works the left arm, Haku backs him into the ropes and tries to send him across the ring but it's reversed. Haku takes him down with a shoulder block. Roma leapfrogs over Haku running the ropes, Haku blocks a hip toss, taking Roma down with a hip throw, which is just a shorter journey. Haku stomps at Paul Roma before sending him across the ring, Roma hits a running crossbody for a nearfall. He puts another arm wringer on Haku before tagging Powers back in. The Young Stallions send Haku off the ropes into a back elbow and Powers covers for a nearfall. He gets hold of the arm again but Haku rakes at his face and sends Powers' head into the turnbuckle before tagging Tama in. Tama snapmares Powers out of the corner and hits an elbow to the trapeze muscle, but the obnoxiously high jumping elbow drop misses. Jim Powers tries to take advantage by leading Tama back to his own corner in an armbar so Haku can get the tag. We get a look over commentary's shoulder as Haku sends Powers off the ropes into a back elbow for a nearfall. Tama gets the tag and hits Powers on the top of the head with an overhand chop from the top rope. He headbutts powers and tags Haku back in, a double headbutt from the Islanders then Haku sends Powers' head into the top turnbuckle, then sends him from corner to corner but Jim Powers gets the boot up. He tries to make the tag but Haku cuts him off with a kick to the ribs, he sends Powers off the ropes and they both hit a clothesline for the double-down.
They both make the tag and Roma strikes first, with right hands to Tama and sends him off the ropes, running through him with a clothesline. Tama is sent into the ropes and runs into a dropkick, his third consecutive trip makes me think even I could think to grab the rope at this point, but nope. Paul Roma hits the backdrop. Powers almost gets in the way, then almost slips off the apron as Paul Roma sends Tama off the ropes, the dropkick misses completely and to the surprise of no one Tama kicks out of the pin. Tama rakes at Paul Roma's eyes and sends him over the top rope as Haku pulls it down. Paul Roma injures his knee on the landing and can't get back into the ring before the count of 10, meaning the Islanders win the first fall. The bell rings and we get a replay of Roma going over to the floor before Vince McMahon sends us to commercial break.
We see the ending of the contract signing from earlier, before Andre the Giant and Ted DiBiase are on the platform with Craig DeGeorge this time. DiBiase says we've seen the future, with Hogan flat on his back and says beating Hogan will defeat his Hulkamaniacs. Andre gets some microphone, putting over his “undefeated streak” he says he'll make history be defeating Hulkamania and handing the WWF Heavyweight Championship to Ted DiBiase. The Young Stallions make their way back to the ring, Roma's had his knee taped up for the rest of the match. But first another commercial break!
Paul Roma and Tama have to start this fall, as they were the legal men at the end of the first. I'm not sure there was a bell to start the fall, but no one's said anything so I missed it. Tama rakes the eyes and kicks at Roma's injured knee. Roma falls to the mat and Tonga keeps stomping it. He brings Roma to his feet and hits the slam, Paul Roma gets his knees up on the splash, but he still took about 230lbs landing on a hurt leg. Haku gets the tag, he can't cut off Roma, so Jim Powers is able to tag in too, hitting right hands on Haku, he sends Haku into the ropes and hits a backdrop for a nearfall. He sends Haku's head off the turnbuckle and Haku just looks confused. Powers hits shots to the ribs and sends Haku from corner to corner, Haku stumbles out into a clothesline. Jim Powers hits the elbow to the top of Haku's head for a nearfall, he sends Haku off the ropes and hits a dropkick for another nearfall, then a suplex for another. Desperate to tie the match and keep Roma on the apron. Right hands from Jim Powers set up Haku to be sent off the ropes into a back elbow as Jesse and Vince are talking about Giantamania and Hulkamania.
Jim Powers sends Haku's face into the mat but Haku gets a shot to the midsection, he tags Tama in as we go back to commentary parrot cam for a headbutt and a chop from Tama. He stomps on Powers' midsection as we go back to ringside, then tags in Haku for a double headbutt. Haku sends Jim Powers off the ropes but is caught in a small package for a nearfall. Haku clubs Powers over the back and hits a backbreaker for a nearfall, he clubs Powers across the back and tags in Tama, who sends Powers off the ropes into a jumping back elbow. Tama gets some shots in before a nice hip throw into a nearfall. Haku gets the tag and hits a standing dropkick, getting 2. Haku hits a gutwrench suplex for a nearfall as Jesse Ventura threatens to commentate on the actual match going on, noting that it's essentially a handicap match for Jim Powers now. Haku puts Powers in an abdominal stretch as Roma coaches him from the apron, Powers counters the hold, sending Haku down but Haku is able to cut off the tag attempt. He slams Powers but misses some jumping somersalt move, he cuts off Powers tag again and sends him off the ropes. Powers just hits the mat, then crawls to Roma, Haku cuts him off and chops Jim Powers, legend has it Jim Powers was never able to grow hair in that exact spot ever again. Jim Powers is sent off the ropes and he slips, avoiding a dropkick by Haku. Paul Roma makes the tag and gets into it with Haku as right hands go flying. Haku kicks at Paul Roma's leg, cutting him down instantly and uses elbow drops to soften it up before making the tag to Tama, who hits a splash to the knee. Haku locks in the boston crab and Paul Roma taps out.
WINNER: THE ISLANDERS (2 -0)
This match was OK, but it should have been more.The Islanders had a solid strategy for the match, taking out Paul Roma in the first fall to get a numbers advantage, Jim Powers showed he was a good hand in wrestling, but sometimes that's the worst thing you can be. Besides a couple of missed spots and the Polynesian Head rule being inconsistent for the first time that I've noticed this was a solid but unspectacular match.– As a match it's ** but personally I'd rate it 4.25/10
We go to a final commercial break before the final word with Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura.
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