WWE SummerSlam 1989: Feuds, Matches, and Controversies

It’s time to “Feel the Heat” with the sophomore edition of WWE’s “biggest party of the summer.” The summer of 1989 was all about the feud between Hulk Hogan and “The Human Wrecking Machine” Zeus, aka Tiny Lister, aka Debo, which was used as a vehicle to promote Hogan’s first theatrical starrer, No Holds Barred.

“Macho Man” Randy Savage was still sour over losing the WWE Title to Hogan at WrestleMania 5, aligned with the seemingly indestructible Zeus to finally destroy Hulkamania. Not to fear, the Hulkster has backup in the form of everyone’s favorite barber, Brutus Beefcake.

The broadcast opened with a shot of a red-hot New Jersey crowd inside Meadowlands Arena. Jesse “The Body” Ventura and Tony Schiavone welcome everyone to the show. Ventura’s mad at Schiavone for getting Bobby Heenan run off the air.

Schiavone remained professional and excitedly proclaimed it was time to “Feel the heat,” with a video montage of summertime activities and WWE superstars hitting their finishing maneuvers to the nostalgic sound of the old-school SummerSlam theme song. Jim Johnson

Do you like driving your red Corvette with the top down? How about a Brainbuster (spiked piledriver) instead? Speaking of Brain Busters…

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Saturday Night’s Main Event Comes To The WWE Network

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.

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WWE’s Forgotten Gem: The Grand Finale Match of Survival

Traditionally, Survivor Series is one of WWE’s big four pay-per-view events. Debuting in 1987, the show featured primarily team elimination matches. Sadly, the fall classic has lost its luster over the last several years.

The longtime fan in me will always have a soft spot for the event, especially when it aired on Thanksgiving night. 1990 is my favorite installment not only because it marks the debut of The Undertaker but also because of the main event, The Ultimate Match of Survival.

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Remembering the Ultimate Warrior

Once again, the hand of death keeps chipping away at my childhood and makes me question my own mortality. Last night, the Ultimate Warrior suddenly passed away at the age of 54 years old. Three days of traveling, celebrating a legendary career and happiness with his family, and now he’s gone. The timing of this is so eerie and sad on a multitude of levels. Continue reading “Remembering the Ultimate Warrior” →

What if the Fake Diesel and Razor Ramon Actually Worked?

In the Summer of 1996, Professional Wrestling’s Monday Night Wars were heating up. The nWo became an instant ratings bonanza for World Championship Wrestling while the World Wrestling Federation was struggling for their piece of the pie. In August of that year, Jim Ross announced that Diesel and Razor Ramon were heading back to WWF. This created a tidal wave of controversy as the men who performed as Razor and Diesel, were under contract to WCW.

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