WWF Prime Time Wrestling 23/06/1986

Danny Spivey & Mike Rotundo vs The Moondogs

This is from the period where Spivey was replacing Barry Windham in the US Express. He’s obviously not as good, but this is in no way a bad match. Spivey and Rotundo control early, confusing Spot with some fun teamwork, and the Moondogs find it hard to get into the match until a blind tag lets Rex attack Rotundo from behind. The Moondogs make everything look painful here, with Rex in particular hitting some meaty elbowdrops. The heat is worked on Rotundo, who gets in a few hope spots with a crossbody and a sunset flip for nearfalls. A back suplex leads to a hot tag, with Spivey not exactly lighting things up with a weak swinging neckbreaker. Liked the ending though, as Rotundo hits an airplane spin on Rex and covers him, with Spivey standing guard against a frustrated Spot in the corner. Solid bout.

The Iron Sheik vs Pedro Morales

The commentary team are quick to remind that these are two former world champions, setting the “screwy finish” alarm bells ringing with this being the second match of the show. Gorilla and Lord Alfred also take great pleasure in fat shaming a fan who gets into a big argument with the Sheik. Indeed, arguing and stalling makes up a big part of what Sheik bring to this match. He keeps breaking up every Morales advantage by bailing, and only stays in the ring when he’s got control following an eye poke. Sheik mainly controls with cheap offence, raking the eyes, throwing Pedro to the floor and ramming him into the announce table. Camel Clutch is locked in, but Pedro gets to fight back and make the ropes. Pedro’s comeback is fun, he’s pretty fired up which especially contrasts with the Sheik’s offensive run. The end is inevitable though, as Sheik gets Morales’ foot tied in the ropes, refuses to stop attacking him and pushes the ref for a DQ.

Lord Littlebrook vs Cowboy Lang

Typical midget comedy match with some surprisingly nice moments from Littlebrook. You have to get passed the usual shit first, Lang biting the ref’s arse somehow not drawing a DQ, but Littlebrook looks to throw in some clubbing blows and a proper nice kneelift, before Lang pins him following a rolling cradle. Not worth watching.

George Wells vs Hoss Funk

Man, Wells must have pissed on Monsoon and Lord Al’s chips at some point, as they spend most of the match talking about his size, his ponderous lack of speed and how he’s definitely not winning the match. Wells does get to overpower Funk at first, but gets backed into a corner and Funk just takes over. It doesn’t last too long before Wells blocks a suplex, hits his own and they just seem to reset the match. Right back to Funk trying to shoulderblock Wells down, as he had at the start of the bout. Monsoon says that Wells “starts slow and gets slower”, before a Wells football tackle is greeted with a knee right to the face. Perfectly timed, it looked like it knocked Wells out. Wells does get one last impressive power spot, catching a top rope clothesline and hitting a backbreaker, but a 2^nd rope splash gets knees for the Funk win. Monsoon and Hayes crow at their earlier prediction.

Harley Race vs Lanny Poffo

Interesting match here, as it’s a massacre by Race that somehow lets Poffo come out of the match looking better than he went in. Poffo is competitive in the early going, avoiding a diving headbutt and kipping up into a side headlock takeover on Race. Harley soon take over, lovely gutwrench suplex is followed by a piledriver, with a foot on the rope saving Poffo. Outside the ring, Race hits a brainbuster on the concrete, which is pretty wild. Diving headbutt on the floor follows, as Hayes and Monsoon put over Poffo just for surviving this. Back in the ring, Race drops some nasty kneedrops on Poffo’s face, grinding the knee there. Lanny makes a brief comeback with a flying headscissors, but Race adjusts his balance on a second and drops him into a stungun. Fisherman Buster finally puts Poffo away. Really fun stuff.

George Steele vs Nikolai Volkoff

This…wasn’t so fun. Both are limited guys who can be fun with the right opponent, but against each other it’s not pretty stuff. Volkoff clubs away in an unexciting manner, before Steele charges himself up by eating a turnbuckle. Steele hits Volkoff with a foreign object and blocks a clothesline with a bit in an admittedly fun spot, but when Volkoff refuses to let him back in the ring, Steele bops him with a steel chair. Brief, but not brief enough.