Last Wrestling Match Watched 2.0

[Skyefire]

Another "Old School" WWF show, this time from Madison Square Garden in April 1991. Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan are joined by Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart on commentary. The final match saw Roddy Piper battle Ted DiBiase. Piper had been training/managing Virgil going into WrestleMania. I don't remember the story but Piper had had a leg injury and had been using a single crutch. Well at some point before this match, DiBiase would steal the crutch and bring it with him to ringside. This was Piper's first televised match in 1991. Sensational Sherri, who was now managing DiBiase would get involved in this match at one point attempting to pull him out of the ring only to be dragged in herself. The finish would come when DiBiase would apply a Figure-4 to the injured leg of Piper and the referee stopped the match. Howard Finkel started his announcement of the decision with the fact that Piper did NOT submit, then stated that the referee stopped the match to prevent further injury.

The main event (which as was common at shows like this went on right before intermission) saw Hulk Hogan vs Sgt. Slaughter in a rematch from WrestleMania for the WWF Championship. Hogan came into this match with a bandage on his forehead and, much like WrestleMania, he gets busted open in this match and bleeds bad. This was mostly a brawl both in and out of the ring. At one point the referee gets knocked out, then Slaughter gets a chair handed to him by General Adnan and bashes the already down referee with it. Hogan manages to wrestle the chair away from Slaughter and takes a few swipes at him. The referee comes to, sees Hogan with the chair and disqualifies him. Hogan loses but keeps the belt. This would set up their "Desert Storm Match" (basically a no holds barred match) at the next MSG show.

This event featured the (gimmick) in-ring debut of IRS going up against Superfly Jimmy Snuka. He comes to the ring in a full suit, jacket and all. Removes the jacket before the match and also removes the pants revealing black trunks with the letters "IRS" in red and what at first looks like sheer pantyhose but upon further examination is actually gold/bronze colored tights. Not a good look. Texas Tornado vs The Warlord would deliver us classic Bobby Heenan as he states that Warlord is stronger than Tornado, Gorilla responds by saying that Texas Tornado is smarter and brains wins out over brawn, to which Bobby Heenan replies with "He can't be smarter than The Warlord. He's from Texas."

Also on the card the return of Ricky Steamboat, now known simply as "The Dragon" where he comes to the ring in "dragon" attire and carrying a torch and then "breathes" fire by spitting onto the torch (he would later say how much he disliked the liquid that he had to hold in his mouth in order to spit on the fire. Also Mr. Fuji dons the tights teaming with his Orient Express against Virgil & The Rockers. This match is a showcase for Virgil as he gets the win with the Million Dollar Dream on Tanaka. Plus, there are a couple of forgettable matches with Big Bossman vs The Mountie and Bushwhackers vs Power & Glory.

 

[Geese]

The Steiner Brothers vs. Jushin Liger.& Chris Benoit. Liger tries a single-leg on Scott. Scott easily squashes his move. Scott hooks Liger's leg for a one-count. Scott head scissors Liger to keep him down. Scott cinches on a side headlock.

Rick German suplexes Benoit. They take turns stomping away on Benoit. Benoit and Liger with a double super-plex on Liger. Scott picks Benoit up for a Fallaway slam off the second turnbuckles. Liger and Benoit perform a flying headbutt on Scott, who's laid out on the canvas. Scott with a vertical tombstone on Liger for the win.

 

[Geese]

The Steiner Brothers vs. Hiroshi Hase & Kensuke Sasaki. 5-31-91. Scott pump handle-slams Sasaki. Rick knocks him down with a quick clothesline. He softens Sasaki up for Scott. Scott knock him down with a double forearm tackle. Scott knocks him down with a standing reverse elbow. Sasaki is bearing the brunt of punishment for his team here.

Sasaki puts Scott in a Texas cloverleaf. Sasaki ducks down for a bodydrop attempt; Scott counters with a double underhook, sit-out powerbomb. Rick with a Fallaway Slam on Sasaki. The Steiners have been hurting Sasaki with power moves and have kept him away from his partner for much of the match. Rick lifts up Hase over his shoulders. Scott is on the top turnbuckle. Scott, then, DDT's Hase off the top. He defeats Hase with a Frankensteiner.

 

[Geese]

G.O.D. vs. Hikuleo & El Phantasmo. New Beginning in Sapporo. Tama Tonga tries a side headlock on Hikuleo, who lifts Tama up for a suplex. Tama baseball slides under Hikuleo's big boot attempt. A battle of victory rolls takes place between Phantasmo and Tonga Loa. It then becomes a shoving match between Phantasmo and referee Jado. Since this was Tama's last match in NJPW and he's related to Hikuleo, they didn't take the match too seriously.

GOD execute the Magic Killer on Hikuleo. Hikuleo powerbombs Tama Tonga and finishes him off with the Godsend.

 

[Geese]

Sanada vs. David Finlay. New Japan Cup 2023 finals. Sanada gives Finlay a clean break. Finlay backs Sanada up and doesn't extend the same courtesy. Finlay throws a wild right, which Sanads easily ducks. Sanada tries a flying cross-body. Finlay moves out of the way.

Finlay with a well done snap suplex. Finlay keeps Sanada grounded on the mat with a Money Clip. Sanada fights back with a short dropkick to Finlay's left knee. Finlay runs off the ropes. Sanada picks him up for a Fireman's carry and converts it into a TKO. Finlay outfights Sanada in a battle of European Uppercuts. Sanada tries a victory roll but Finlay counters with a schoolboy. Finlay executes the Dominator, hooks both legs, but Sanada kicks out at two.

Sanada clamps the Skull End and does an airplane spin. Finlay counters with a cutter! Finlay with a German. Sanada quickly gets back up and is pumped. Sanada with a Shining Wizard and short DDT for the win.