The entire library of Saturday Night’s Main Events will be available on the WWE Network starting on Monday and it will give me a chance to relive some classic moments from my childhood. The show was primarily on NBC, with a two episodes airing on Fox in 1992. As a kid, I had to watch SNME on Sunday mornings because they were on past my bedtime. Sometimes, I would sneak out of bed, hide behind the door and listen to the matches since it was hard to fall asleep knowing wrestling was on. I’ve gone back and watched them all over the years, but the shows I saw during my initial fandom are the ones that I remember most.
-SNME 11/16/88: This was my first SNME and had only been fan for three months. Caught up in the Karate hysteria of the 80’s, I was convinced that the Super Ninja was going to beat The Ultimate Warrior. A regular ninja is unbeatable and this was a SUPER NINJA! To say I wrong was a huge understatement. The masked mercenary didn’t stand a chance as the Warrior dispatched him in two minutes.
-SNME 2/16/89: Bad News Brown vs. Hulk Hogan was a match I never wanted to see because Brown scared me and Hogan was my favorite wrestler. During the match, Brown got frustrated, walked to the back, and came back out with a very long shovel, threatening to use it on Hogan. I was legitimately afraid for Hogan’s safety, fearing he was going to be stabbed. Of course, the big boot and leg drop can conquer anything.
-SNME 10/31/89: There are two memories of this event that stand out for me. First, I thought my Mom was lying when she told me The Genius beat Hulk Hogan. Sure enough, The Genius actually won via countout, with the help of Mr. Perfect. Later on, Perfect destroyed the WWF title belt, hammering away at it piece by piece. It’s a shame that Perfect and Hogan never had a big singles match on pay-per-view. Second, The Rockers defeated Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard in an amazing two out of three falls match. It was first really great match I remember seeing as it kept me on the edge of my seat.
-SNME 1/27/90: The clothesline heard around the world took place when The Ultimate Warrior accidentally drilled Hulk Hogan during their tag team match against Mr. Perfect and The Genius. This set the stage for their epic encounter at WrestleMaina VI.
-SNME 7/28/90: This was an odd show not only because of it’s Wild Kingdom theme but because the Warrior defended the WWF title against Ravishing Rick Rude, three weeks before their main event steel cage match at Summer Slam. I didn’t get why Rude would get two title shots and thought Bobby Heenan paid off Jack Tunney. During the match, Rude put Warrior in a sleeper hold and referee Joey Morella was unable to get to his arm. So, he lifted his leg instead for the dramatic 1, 2…oh wait, he’s back on his feet moment.
Ringside Logic 