The Main Event #2 (02.89)

WWF The Main Event #2
February 3, 1989
Milwaukee, WI
Bradley Center

The current WWF Champs were as follows:
World Champion: Randy Savage (3/27/1988)
Intercontinental Champion: Ultimate Warrior (8/26/1988)
World Tag Team Champions: Demolition (3/27/1988)
Women’s Champion: Rockin’ Robin (10/7/1988)

Your hosts are Vince McMahon & Jesse “The Pink Flamingo” Ventura!

• Hulk Hogan & Randy Savage (w/Elizabeth) vs. The Twin Towers (w/Slick)
  

This all started on a “Brother Love” segment after SummerSlam when Bossman and Slick had first attacked Hogan. One Man Gang was transformed into the “African Dream” Akeem (a dig on Dusty Rhodes, of course) and joined up with the Bossman in the destruction of Hogan. Since Savage was Hogan’s friend at the time, he became naturally involved in the feud regardless of the problems that stemmed from Hogan and Elizabeth’s growing relationship. At the last SNME, Savage felt the sting of the third wheel as Elizabeth helped Hogan to the back after he beaten up mercilessly by the Twin Towers. Savage is the CHAMP, mind you, and champions just aren’t third wheel material. Well, not so much champions, but egomaniacs aren’t third wheel material. Then eight days later at the Royal Rumble, guess who eliminates Savage by “accident”? Hulk Hogan, that’s who. Savage even THEN showed patience with Hogan and patched things up for the sake of the group. Later on in the Rumble, the Twin Towers end up alone with Hogan by the luck of the draw and dump him out of the match, which leads us to where we are right now. Before the match, they take the time to show a rather homoerotic music video of the “History of the MegaPowers” to the song, “You’re A Friend of Mine” by Jackson Browne. Maybe not so much homoerotic, but I was definitely uncomfortable sitting through it to say the least. Jesse calls the video evidence of the cover-up of the dissension in the MegaPowers. Meanwhile, Hogan babbles on in the back about how the LOOOVE of the MegaPowers will demolish the Twin Towers and such. Here we go, Savage wants to start off against Bossman, but Bossman shoos him away because he wants Hogan. What a way to make the champion feel like the champion. Nevertheless, Savage lets Hogan start the match instead. Hogan quickly clears the ring of the heels and poses for the crowd. Bossman uses a nine-count and then gets back in to face Hogan. Bossman pounds away on Hulk until he tries to drive Hogan’s into the buckle, which causes him to get his face driven into the buckle around ten times. Bossman bails again and gets nailed from behind by Savage to let him know he’s there. Akeem tags in and gets caught in the MegaPowers corner as Savage tags in for a double-ax handle. Hogan tags back in for a double-ax handle, but Akeem still won’t go down. Akeem rakes the eyes and tags in Bossman, who levels Hogan with a clothesline and then gives him a piledriver! Bossman doesn’t go for a cover and tags in Akeem instead for more hammering on the Hulkster. Bossman tags in as they go out to the floor where Bossman gets ran into the ringpost. Back in, Bossman tries to crawl over and tag in Akeem, but Hogan grabs hold of him. Wait a minute, why is Slick grabbing Hogan’s leg? Isn’t that just helping keep Bossman from reaching his corner? Anyways, Savage kicks Slick away as Bossman hits a Spinebuster on Hogan for two. Akeem tags in and pounds on Hogan some more. He tags Bossman again, but that leads to some heel miscommunication and a HOT TAG TO SAVAGE! Running hotshot to Akeem! Savage comes off the top for a flying crossbody for 1-2-NO! Bossman saves. Savage comes off the ropes, but Slick nails him in the back with the nightstick. Ref didn’t see it though. The Towers trade some tags working on Savage’s neck for a while. Akeem throws Savage out to the floor, and Hogan doesn’t do anything to help. Akeem does it again with Elizabeth getting in the way, and Hogan leaps down to help her. Once Savage comes to, he sees Hogan kneeled down over her. He would question what’s happening, but Akeem grabs him by the hair and brings him back in the ring for an extended beatdown while Hogan picks up Elizabeth in his arms and takes her to the back. Some “doctors” wheel Elizabeth to a first-aid room on a stretcher. Hogan cries over her like a pansy and oversells it by saying “Please God, please!” over and over and over again while the doctor looks busy. After the commercial break, we see Savage crawling to his corner with no Hogan there to tag, because he’s still whining over Elizabeth in the back. He’s FINALLY heading back to the ring to do what he’s paid an excessive amount of money to do, and that’s wrestle. It doesn’t matter much, because Savage is stuck in the Twin Towers corner getting the crap beat out of him. That is until the Towers go for a double-splash (Akeem slips through the ropes and falls head-first on the floor, haha), but Savage moves out of the way. To prove he doesn’t need Hogan, he disposes of both the Towers and then goes over and slaps Hogan in the face and walks out on Hogan with his belt in hand. The Towers double-team Hogan a bit, but that ultimately fails which gives Hogan some time to beg Savage to come back to the ring. No way, brother! Savage throws up the peace sign and walks for good. Akeem splashes Hogan for two, but then Hogan HULKS UP. He fires back, hits the Big Boot, nails Bossman and then connects with the LEG DROP on Akeem for 1-2-3! (19:09 shown) After the match, Bossman attacks and tries to handcuff Hogan to the ropes for a nightstick assault, but in cartoony fashion, we find out that Slick and Bossman end up being handcuffed to each other. Hogan heads to the back to find Savage. **½

In the back, Hogan obviously finds Savage with Elizabeth. As soon as Hogan walks in, Savage takes some time to tell Hogan how it is. Savage settles it once and for all that he knows Hogan is jealous for his belt and his woman. Savage finally has enough of Hogan’s yapping and NAILS HIM IN THE FACE WITH THE BELT! Tongue depressors go EVERYWHERE! Elizabeth climbs off the stretcher to check on Hogan, but she gets tossed out of the way so Savage can hit Hogan again with the belt! No, wait, Brutus Beefcake comes in for the save, so he gets kicked in the balls for his stupidity. Haha, actually he misses his cue and gets in front of the camera for a second, which is quite funny. Savage leaves, but only because he wants to leave!

• Hercules vs. Ted DiBiase (w/Virgil)
  

So DiBiase bought Hercules’ contract from Bobby Heenan six months earlier to turn into his own personal slave (I thought that’s what Virgil was for), but Hercules objected to this decision to set up the feud. Hercules beats up BOTH DiBiase and Virgil at the sound of the bell. Hercules delivers a press slam to DiBiase and then sends him to the floor with an atomic drop. Herc tries to beat on DiBiase on the apron, but he gets pulled out to the floor as well. Back in, DiBiase drops him with a clothesline and delivers the fist drop combo for two. He follows that up with a flying double-ax handle for two. DiBiase attempts a suplex, but Herc counters into one of his own. DiBiase goes to the eyes and catches Hercules with a boot to the face out of the corner. Backbreaker by DiBiase gets two. Hercules then blocks a head to the buckle, and gives one to DiBiase. Actually, he gives him ten of them. Hercules follows up with a powerslam and calls for the Stiff-Arm Clothesline, but DiBiase avoids it and sends Herc crashing into the corner. Meanwhile, Virgil is wrapping Herc’s chain around one of the turnbuckle pads in PLAIN SIGHT OF THE REFEREE! He doesn’t do anything but tell Virgil to get off the ring apron! DiBiase looks to drive Herc’s head into it, but he blocks it and drives DiBiase’s head into it instead for 1-2-NO! Hercules does it again to DiBiase and lifts him up into the TORTURE RACK! Joey Marella finally goes over and loosens the chain out of the corner while Virgil grabs Herc’s tights from the floor to cause DiBiase to fall off his back. Hercules turns around and grabs at Virgil and gets rolled up from behind using the tights for 1-2-3. (7:13) Hercules throws a tantrum after the match and chases DiBiase and Virgil with his chain. Solid enough match from these two. **

We check on Hogan one last time for a comment, but he continues to speak incoherently about nothing. He finally goes COKE-CRAZY and starts roaming the halls looking for Savage. He gets in the Rockers and the Hart Foundation’s faces asking where Savage is, but they have no clue. How awesome would it have been if Bret had just nailed Hogan when he did that? Just WHAM! Right in the face!

Final Thoughts: An essential element of the Hogan/Savage feud. It’s recommended if you can find it.