WWF Saturday Night's Main Event #1 (5/11/85)

WWF Saturday Night's Main Event #1
Taped May 10th, 1985 | Aired May 11th, 1985
Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, New York
Attendance: 8,300

We're hot off of the heels of the original Wrestlemania here, right in the early stages of Hulkamania. This is the debut of what would go on to become the WWF's main television show for advancing feuds and angles until the early 90s, thanks in large part to it airing nationally on NBC in primetime, unheard of for a wrestling show at the time. Tonight we've got Hogan defending the WWF title against Cowboy Bob Orton. Let's jump right into it, cue that catchy 80s theme music!


Your hosts are Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura


Iron Sheik/Nikolai Volkoff/George Steele vs. Barry Windham/Mike Rotundo/Ricky Steamboat

Sheik and Volkoff had been feuding with the US Express (Windham/Rotundo) for a few months now and recently had beaten them for the tag team titles at Wrestlemania. Windham and Rotundo are using Springsteen's "Born in the USA" for theme music, which is awesome. Steele is still a heel here before they turned him into the lovable maniac instead of just the regular maniac. Windham and Sheik start us off with Windham laying in right hands and then hip-tosing Sheik right into a karate strike from Steamboat. Sheik looks rather spritely out there, even performing a leapfrog. Steamboat tags in and applies a wristlock to the Sheik. The match breaks down and all six men end up brawling until the babyfaces clean house and we take a quick commercial break. When we return Steamboat gives Sheik a powerslam. Missile dropkick off the top from Steamboat and then a flying cross body, but Volkoff breaks the pinfall attempt up at two. Windham and Steamboat hit double dropkicks on Volkoff and Windham gets a quick two count. Steamboat tries a few backslide and cradle pin attempts but Volkoff keeps kicking out. Windham comes back in and George Steele tags in. Steele thinks better of it though and tries to tag out but his partners abandon him and Windham gets a backroll for the 3 count at 6:50 (shown). Really hot crowd for this helped matters and it was fast-paced and to the point while it lasted. Not a bad way to kick off the show. **


After another commercial break we return and it's time for Piper's Pit with special guest Paul Orndorff. Piper and Orton are angry at Orndorff over the loss at Wrestlemania, so this would be Orndorff's big face turn, which went over huge at the time and led alot of people to think Mr. Wonderful was destined for the main event scene. Of course they'd kill his run pretty quickly to turn him heel again for no reason so Hogan could have another person to squash the next summer, so this never led anywhere in the end. Piper blames Orndorff for the loss at Mania and they end up brawling until Mr. T comes to the ring to make the save.


After another quick break we return to have Hulk Hogan sharing a few words with Mean Gene on his way to the ring.


WWF World Title Match
Hulk Hogan (C) vs. Cowboy Bob Orton

Crowd explodes for Hogan here as he's joined by Mr. T in his corner to even the odds against Roddy Piper in Orton's corner. Hogan dominates to start with a few big scoop slams. Hogan starts working on Bob's injured arm, slamming it over the top rope and then into the steel ringpost. Orton hits a cheap shot and then starts laying in closed fists on Hogan on the mat. Orton continues to work away on Hulk as Mr. T and the crowd cheers Hogan on. Hulk of course feeds off fo this and starts the Hulk up routine, hammering away on Orton and then hitting an elbow drop for a two count. Hulk shoots him into the corner and starts teeing off shots in the corner only for Orton to deliver an inverted atomic drop to break it up. Orton tries for the superplex but Hulk comes off the top with an elbow and then drops the leg and goes for the pin, only for Piper to break the pin up and attack Hulk for the DQ at 6:50. Orndorff makes the save for Hulk and T after the match. Standard Hogan formula stuff here, the crowd was hot though. *½


When we return from commercial Mean Gene is backstage interviewing Cyndi Lauper and Lou Albano, who both appear to be shitfaced. We're lucky enough to see the debut of Cyndi's new music video "Good Enough" now, featuring a slew of WWF wrestlers dressed up as pirates to co-promote The Goonies movie. Truly surreal stuff that gets only better when Roddy Piper and the Iron Sheik show up. Oh the eighties.


After the video the Fabulous Moolah shares a few words with Mean Gene on her way out to the ring for the women's title match next. Cyndi Lauper cuts a promo with Wendi as well, referring to Wrestlemania as "the Wrestling-Mania", just to make sure this segment bombs extra hard. Funny how throughout this entire feud with Moolah, Richter never said anything, Lauper was always too busy yapping on the mic for anyone to start caring about Wendi.


WWF Women's Title Match
Wendi Richter (C) vs. The Fabulous Moolah

Lauper is with Richter still, but she'd be gone pretty soon. This might even be her last appearance in the WWF, but don't quote me on that. Moolah takes the upper hand early, choking Richter over the top rope and then tossing her weakly onto the commentator's table at ringside. Moolah just kicks Richter, not allowing her to get back into the ring. She taunts the crowd and Wendi sneaks up behind her with a dropkick. Richter chokes Moolah in the second rope a bit and then flings her across the ring. Moolah tries a scoop slam and Richter counters into a cradle for the quick pin at 3:14. Wow that was just awful, the whole Cyndi & Wendi show had gotten old by this point. DUD


Junk Yard Dog vs. Pete Doherty

Okay then, I guess we're just going to round out the broadcast with a squash match. JYD's mom is apparently in attendance at ringside. Doherty is apparently the "Duke of Dorchester" and he screams like a scared child while JYD pulls his hair before the match officially starts. Dog slides him back in and does the usual slew of headbutts and then finishes with a powerslam at 1:30. Just a squash to put JYD over on a national broadcast. DUD


We return after a quick break with a "Mother's Day Celebration" party backstage with a bunch of the wrestlers and Cyndi Lauper. Fabulous Moolah tries to crash the party and Cyndi slams a giant cake over her head. OH, THE HILARITY!


After a final break Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura say so long as the fans file out of the building.

Bottom Line: Not the most thrilling national television debut for the company here, but I suppose it got the job done. Hogan gets a nice little token title defense on TV, JYD gets a squash match, and the crowd was hot through-out the whole thing. Wrestling-wise there's nothing here worth your time though, so I'll have to unfortunately go with the Thumbs Down.


Score: 3.5/10