The Mega Powers had an interview backstage with Mean Gene Okerlund. Hogan says that Madison Square Garden has already made him a believer. Hulk-a-Mania and Macho Madness together make the strongest force in the Universe. Savage says he’s never felt so much electricity and announces Miss Elizabeth as their secret weapon. Jesse Ventura also got an interview with Sean Mooney. Ventura says Jack Tunney finally made a good decision and denies accepting money from The Million Dollar Man, he says DiBiase stuffed his jacket with $100 bills and he’s not stupid enough to decline it.
Before the match, we get a video package summarising how we got here from Randy Savage won the WWF Championship at WrestleMania IV. Savage was defending the championship against DiBiase over the summer, and Ted DiBiase and Andre the Giant attacked Savage at a television taping. The following week on Wrestling Challenge, Randy Savage sent out the tag team challenge for this match, but didn’t specify his partner. Jesse Ventura was later announced as the Special Guest referee. Randy Savage introduced the “Greatest Tag Team Partner” he could ever have and Hulk Hogan joined him on the stage. We see Jesse Ventura saying that he’s not scared of Andre on the Brother Love show, which lead to Andre coming out to tell The Body to pay attention, and DiBiase to stuffing his pockets.
Jesse Ventura makes his way out, and he’s not dressed like your traditional referees. The Mega Bucks, Bobby Heenan, and Virgil make their way out first. The Mega Powers follow with Miss Elizabeth.
Jesse Ventura gets between the two teams, Andre reaches for a handshake which is ignored, Ventura gets the managers out to the floor and switches the tag ropes in the ring for some reason. The teams have to decide who’s starting.
Billy Graham and Gorilla Monsoon are on commentary for this match, and Howard Finkel is our Ring Announcer.
The Mega Bucks VS. The Mega Powers
(Ted DiBiase & Andre the Giant) vs (Hulk Hogan & Randy Savage).
WWF SummerSlam 1988 (29th August 1988)
Savage and Andre start for their respective teams after the Mega Powers discussed it for a while. They lock up, and Andre the Giant backs Savage into the corner for an overhand chop and a headbutt before making the quick tag.
Randy Savage gets out of the heels’ corner, Ted DiBiase wants to face off with Hogan though. Hulk Hogan tags in and they circle before locking up. Ted DiBiase rakes Hogan’s eyes. Hulk Hogan blocks a right, a left, and a kick before catching DiBiase with an atomic drop into a right hand from Savage on the apron. The Mega Powers rally DiBiase with right hands before Hogan sends him off the ropes into a clothesline. There’s a miscommunication as Savage gets in the ring, but they hit DiBiase with a double back elbow and stereo elbow drops. Randy Savage rams DiBiase’s head into the top turnbuckle before tagging back out. Hulk Hogan sends DiBiase’s head into the neutral corners, then into Savage’s boot. Hulk Hogan holds DiBiase in a full nelson as Savage hits the double axe handle from the top rope. He takes a while to cover, so we get a shot of Miss Elizabeth. Savage accuses Jesse of a slow count before tagging Hogan back in. Billy Graham calls it the 10th tag, and he probably isn’t exaggerating much. The Mega Powers hit a double Big Boot and Hogan covers, barely getting a 2 count. He follows with a scoop slam and a combination of elbow drops, but he decides to go over to Andre’s corner. Andre catches Hogan in a clinch and headbutts him, drawing in Savage. Jesse Ventura tries to keep Savage on his side of the ring, which gives Andre time to step over the ropes. Andre headbutts Savage down too, and they leave the ring. Ted DiBiase hits Hogan with a falling elbow drop and he tags in Andre, getting in one last shot before leaving the ring. Andre the Giant sits on Hogan as an attack, then steps on the bottom rope, which is on Hogan’s throat. Andre puts his boot on the middle turnbuckle and sends Hogan’s head into it as the fans rally behind Hulk Hogan. Randy Savage has made it back to his corner as he works the crowd. Andre the Giant works a Trapeze hold from standing, which is as exciting as it sounds.
Hulk Hogan is down to a seated position when Andre tries an armbar, but Hulk Hogan starts making it to his feet, so Andre moves into a sleeper hold. Randy Savage thinks it’s a choke, and he gets in the ring to tell Jesse so. DiBiase uses the distraction to kick Hogan in the midsection, they seem to have tagged as DiBiase connects with right hands to Hogan and Andre leaves the ring. Ted DiBiase sends Hogan off the ropes into a clothesline, but Hogan defiantly gets his shoulder up. He was not getting more than 2.0001 on that. DiBiase drops his knee on Hogan’s arm and connects with fist drops for another 2 count. DiBiase puts Hogan in a sleeperhold; Hogan tries to fight it, but DiBiase uses Hogan’s hair to keep momentum. The sleeper brings Hogan down to the mat, and his arm drops twice, but he keeps it in the air and works to his feet, fighting out with back elbows. From Andre’s trapeze hold to now is 6 whole minutes of this match. Anyway, DiBiase is sent off the ropes, and they collide with clotheslines! Randy Savage gets the tag and sends DiBiase into the turnbuckles. Ted DiBiase goes jogging again, this time into a backdrop. Savage vaults to the floor, snapping DiBiase’s neck off the top rope and hits a double Axe handle from the top rope. “Bombs Away!” from Gorilla Monsoon will probably get me put on some kind of list. Savage hits an elbow to the top of DiBiase’s head and sends him into the turnbuckle, as commentary wonders why he didn’t cover there. Ted DiBiase reverses an irish whip, Savage ducks the clothesline and hits a running crossbody for 2. Ted DiBiase cuts off Savage with a clothesline and tags Andre the Giant back in.
Andre the Giant connects with a right hand, sending Savage back into the corner. Andre uses a shoulder block and backs himself into Savage with a hip attack, leaving Savage slumped in the corner. Andre picks Savage up and hits him again in the corner before he just sits on Savage. Randy Savage is the WWF Champion at this point, as a reminder. Andre the Giant headbutts Savage down and tags in DiBiase, who suplexes Savage for 2. Ted DiBiase hits a rib breaker but Savage rolls out of the way of the Trust Fall Elbow. Savage kicks DiBiase away and gets the tag to Hogan, who kicks DiBiase back into the neutral corner and hits him with right hands. DiBiase is sent across the ring, Hogan follows with a clothesline and a suplex in the middle of the ring. Andre the Giant is knocked down with a right hand from Hogan. Hulk Hogan puts a sleeper hold on Ted DiBiase, Randy Savage goes to the top rope but his jaw connects with Andre’s boot to remove Savage from the match. Andre grabs Hogan from behind, deciding it’s time for more headbutts before dumping Hogan through the ropes. The Mega Bucks are happy to take the count-out victory, but Miss Elizabeth is on the apron! Heenan and Virgil get to the apron too, but Jesse refuses to count the Mega Powers out. Then, in a moment that made a generation of male wrestling fans Men, Miss Elizabeth removes a portion of her dress. That’s enough to bring the Mega Powers back into the match. Randy Savage hit Andre the Giant from behind, knocking him out of the ring, and Hogan hit DiBiase and slammed him onto the mat.
Randy Savage hit his Flying Elbow across the ring onto DiBiase, and Hulk Hogan puts the exclamation point on it with the Leg Drop of Doom. Jesse Ventura slowly counts 2, and Savage forces his hand down to seal the victory.
WINNERS: THE MEGA POWERS
This was a great main event spectacle for the inaugural edition of a show, Andre the Giant was over-exposed for my liking, and 30% of the match was the trapeze-choke-sleeper on Hogan. That said though, the crowd ate it all up in the 1980’s, added to the Iconic Miss Elizabeth moment for the finish, this was a spectacle that won’t rate high. [*] 1/10
After the match, Miss Elizabeth celebrates with the Mega Powers. Hulk Hogan is looking almost overly familiar with Elizabeth’s skirt than I might expect, but I’m sure that’s nothing.
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