BRAIN BUSTERS VS. STRIKE FORCE

 The Brain Busters make their way out first, led by Bobby Heenan. Strike Force quickly follow and we’re not wasting time here.

Gorilla Monsoon and Jesse Ventura are on commentary for this match. Howard Finkel is our ring announcer.

BRAIN BUSTERS VS. STRIKE FORCE

WWF WrestleMania V (2^nd April 1989)

  Rick Martel starts with Blanchard, taking him down in a headlock but Blanchard escapes with a head scissors. Back to the headlock, Martel is sent into the ropes and Arn Anderson stretches his leg out. Tully Blanchard goes to work in the corner.

  Rick Martel fights out of it, clocking both Brain Busters with right hands and scrambling across the ring. Tito Santana is in there too, pairing off with Blanchard. The Brain Busters are sent off the ropes into stereo dropkicks and it sends them out of the ring. It looks like Anderson made the tag while they were in the corner, as he’s back in the ring. Arn Anderson connects with a kick to the midsection and some punches then sends Martel across the ring. Anderson ducks early and Martel slams his face into the mat, covering for a 1 count. Anderson’s arms are forced down and Rick barely gets 2 before Anderson tries to force his way back up. Anderson is forced down for another 2 but catches Martel in a bodyscissors. Rick Martel makes it to his feet in the bodyscissors, countering into a boston crab. Tully Blanchard breaks it up but the camera misses it as Tully tags in. Tully Blanchard puts Martel in a headlock, but he’s able to reach back and tag in Tito Santana who hits Blanchard with a bulldog.

  Tito Santana puts on the Figure Four leglock, Anderson tries to run interference but is knocked down by Martel. Arn Anderson ends up in the Figure Four too! Anderson rakes Tito’s eyes, Tully and Tito trade pin attempts, Tito bridges up to his feet and backslides Tully, but Arn breaks it up. The Brain Busters whip Tito into the ropes but duck too early, Tito kicks Anderson and rolls up Tully in the small package but Anderson gets the referee's attention so Tully can kick out. Tully Blanchard lifts Tito for a back suplex, Rick Martel gets the tag out of the referee’s vision, Tully Blanchard moves out of the way of the Flying Forearm and Martel gets hit, knocking him out of the ring. Blanchard dropkicks Tito Santana and tags in Anderson, who sends Tito off the ropes into a right hand before tagging back out. Tito Santana reverses an irish whip, sending Tully’s midsection into Anderson’s knee but he can’t get across to Martel before Anderson is back in.

  Tito Santana is sent off the ropes but he gets a sunset flip, Anderson is able to reach for the tag and he holds Santana in place so Tully can keep the pressure on. Blanchard sends Tito into the corner, but Tito jumps to the middle rope and back out of the corner with a stumbling crossbody, Blanchard kicks out before 2 and tags out again. Arn stands over Santana putting him in a chinlock, but Santana starts to fight back. Anderson kicks him in the midsection. Tito Santana reverses an irish whip but runs into Anderson’s knee in the corner. Arn Anderson goes to the top rope and gets sent back down to the mat by Santana. Arn gets across the ring for the tag and Tully takes some advice from Heenan whilst Tito gets to his corner, Rick Martel refuses the tag and Tully brings Santana back to the centre of the ring. Tully Blanchard hits elbow drops on Santana as Rick Martel walks out of the match. Arn Anderson gets the tag and as Jesse says it’s now a handicap match. Arn Anderson stomps Santana in the now-empty corner. Arn Anderson whips Santana off the ropes into a Spinebuster before tagging out. Tully Blanchard takes some time to strut and shoves Tito into the corner, but Tito Santana fires off right hands!

  Tully Blanchard connects with shots to the midsection to curb Santana’s momentum but he gets sent into the turnbuckles. Tully Blanchard blocks a monkey flip and tags out to Anderson, the Brain Busters hit the Spike Piledriver and get the win.

WINNERS: THE BRAIN BUSTERS

 . This match was a clinic. The Brain Busters controlled the match and used their half of the ring, they isolated Tito Santana and cut off any momentum. The tension between Strike Force came to a head with what was the end of the team.  [***¼] 6.5/10

 

  After the match, Rick Martel cuts a promo backstage saying that he can’t carry Tito for his whole life and he’s sick and tired of it. Gene Okerlund says Strike Force was supposed to be a team but Martel isn’t having any of it. Jesse Ventura stirs it on commentary saying the team was Tito’s idea, not Martel’s.