Survivor Series 1988
Just like the original Survivor Series, this second edition was held from the Richfield Colisium, and it proved a even more eventful and action packed card of action than its predecessor.
Powers of Pain, The Hart Foundation, The British Bulldogs, The Rockers and The Young Stallions VS. Demolition, The Fabulous Rougeaus, The Bolsheviks, The Brain Busters and The Conquistadors
Unlike the ten tag team elmination bout twelve months previous, this 45 minute classic, never felt rushed, and was constantly dramatic, with full on action, supense and drama from start to finish. These are just some of the highlights,
Shawn Michaels quickness saw him three sixty flip out of the corner, and hit a hiptoss on Boris, Jannetty tags in and hits a back body drop, and drop kick on the Bolshevik, Dynamite tags in and gets a two following a snap suplex. Jacques comes in for the heel team, and after a small exchange with Jim Powers is the first to be pinned as a result of a small packenge from Bret Hart. Neidhart comes in and hits a standing drop kick on Volkoff, we then get some back and fourth brawling involving Smash and The Barbaran, a Conquistador soon enters and is double teamed by Powers of Pain. The Hitman returns, but is then hammered by both Axe and Smash. Blachard is tagged in, but runs into a hitman knee in the corner, Bret hits a running clothesline and tags Michaels, the future HBK gets caught in the wrong half of the ring, he takes a press slam into a backbreaker from Volkoff and a classic Arn Anderson spin buster off the ropes for a near fall. Conquistador enters, but allows SM to tag his partner, Jannetty brilliantly twirls out of a hiptoss attempt and hits a bodyslam. Smith enters with an slam, a back drop and a series of elbow drops, the fourth one of which misses. The members of POP and Demolition do battle, the highlight being the Barbarian's flying karete kick. Tully comes in, but is power slamed by Neidhart for a two. Fresh blood sees Boris reversing a cross body off the top into a pin on Powers making it four on four. However before long the Russian's are out, when Michaels out quicks Boris, catches him in the rib, blind tags Jannetty who flys in with a sunset flip for the pin. Later Blachard takes over on Smash who tags Bret Hart, the Harts double team, with Neidhart holding Tully in position for Bret to drop a front elbow off the second rope which is almost enough to eliminate the Busters. Back breaker and attomic drops from the Hitman steps the heat up, reverse of the whip, Hart ducks behind and hooks a belly to back suplex into a bridge for a cover, but just as the ref is about to count three, Tully raises his arm off the mat, meaning that because the Hitman's shoulders are down, Bret basically elminates himself, Three on Three. Dynamite hits a tombstone pile driver, which Blachard slips out of on two and an half. The Rockers and Brain Busters then get carried away, and are both DQ when all four brawl in the ring for too long. Davey Boy gets a nice crucalfix on Axe for a two, Conquistador tagged in and takes a running power, and a Barbaian diving headbutt, but is for some reason allowed to tag out, his partner gets a double ax handle from the top and a standing drop kick, before Davey Boy Smith and Barbarian hit a double elbow. DK takes over with a gut wratch suplex and hand butt off the ropes for a two. Body slam and a leg drop from The Warlord, but Smash gets the tag, he is snap suplex from the top, but Dynamite then misses a diving headbutt from the top, and is pinned. When Warlord strikes a ring post, and Demolition take control, the champions manager Mr Funji gets up on the apron, and orders Smash to bring Warlord over so that he can take a shot with his cane, when Smash doesn't do it, the manager pulls the middle rope down as Smash hits it, forcing him to crash to the floor, when Axe comes out, the three get in a heated debate, Demolition are counted out of the match, the duo then have a huge bust up, which leads to Axe slamming Funji on the floor, in another twist the Powers of Pain help Funji up, and moments later get the victory with a little help from their new manager. Demolition return post match to clear the ring.
9/10
Brutus Beefcake, The Ultimate Warrior, The Blue Blazer, Jumping Jim Brunzel and Sam Houston VS. The Honky Tonk Man, Outlaw Ron Bass, Greg Valentine, Bad News Brown and Danny Davis
This match only really excisted to enhance Warrior's push, and maybe to extend the Beefcake/Honky feud, and it featured worthless mid-card talent, or bland jobbers, the action was mostly poor from start to finish. Davis is the first out at the hands of Beefcake's sleeper hold, Bad News levels it up with a getto blaster kick to wripe Brunzel out. As the heels double team Sam Houston, the Hammer misques and nails Brown instead, this leads BNB walking out on his team. Houston is soon elminated by a Bass power slam, Blazer picks the pace up on Valentine, with a drop kick, and knee drop, followed with a gut wretch suplex, but when he climbs to the top is shot off by the Outlaw, Valentine hooks in the figure four leg lock for the submission, making it three on two in favour of Honky's team. Later Beefcake applies his sleeper on Honky, who in the struggle forces himself and Brutus to the outside, rather than breaking the hold Beefcake holds on to it on the floor, and as a result both are counted out, leaving Warrior against Valentine and Bass. It doesn't take long for the face painted freak to defeat his foes, nailing Bass with a double axe handle off the ropes for the three count, and then putting Valentine away using the same method, making him the sole survivor.
4.5/10
Jake 'The Snake' Roberts, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Tito Santana, Scott Casey and Ken Patera VS. Andre The Giant, Dino Bravo, Rick Rude, Mr Perfect and Harley Race
Things pick up again in a more exciting, and heated third match of the evening. Rude gains the first fall for his team after catching Patera in the corner and then hits the Rude awakening neck breaker for three. Scott Casey gets a near fall on bravo with a back slide, then is sent for the ride off the ropes, and Dino hits his side slam for the pin. Santana enters like a house on fire with a sunset flip for a near fall, Race then gets a two on Tito with a piledriver. As the pace quickers again Santana hits the ropes, and connects with a flying forearm on the former king, for the three count. Andre enters for the first time, and nails Santana with a series of chops, headbutts, and applies a form choke, just releasing before the five, when Tito attempts a sunset flip, the Giant simply splashs down on his chest for an easy fall. Duggan then catches Andre off guard, and is able to trap his arms in the ropes, allowing himself and Roberts to take shots, Andre finally escapes and tags Rude in, Rude irish whips Jake into the corner and brings Perfect in who carries on with a series of chops. Duggan and Bravo are tagged in, and just when Hacksaw is setting up for the the three points stanze, he is tripped from the outside by manager Frenchie Martin, this leads to Duggan bring his two by four into play, striking Bravo in full sight of the offical and getting DQ. Rude and Roberts then face off, and after a fist drop from the top, Rude starts to pose, and is hit by a Roberts DDT for the 1-2-3. Andre then attacks Roberts, and chokes him out for longer than the five seconds, and is disqulified, but the damage done to Roberts leaves him primed to be pinned by Perfect. Mr Perfect and Dino Bravo survie.
6/10
Macho Man, Hulk Hogan, Hercules, Koko B. Ware and Hillbilly Jim VS. The Big Boss Man, Akeem, The Million Dollar Man Ted Dibiase, King Haku and The Red Rooster
Highlights from an entertaining main event, Dibiase and Savage start, Dibiase with a clothesline off the ropes, Macho reverses him twice and hits one of his own, Hercules tags in and chases TD outside the ring, quick tag to the Rooster who is out powered by Hercules, Koko B. Ware and Akeem come in on each side, moments late Haku and Hercules are in and exchange blows, Hogan then tags in and clothesline and elbow drops him, before Hill Billy Jim join the action and the pair hit a double boot on the king, HBJ finds two. The Rooster attempts a slam on HBJ, but recieves one instead, KBW hits the ring, and delivers a power slam for a two. Drives RR into the corner, a missle drop kick only finds two, Hogan comes in for a big boot, and quickly brings Matcho in to polish the Rooster off with his elbow from the top rope. HillBilly is the next to go, after running into a Akeem clothesline, he is put out by a big splash. Drop kick by Koko, tag to Hogan who still can't get the four hunded pounder off his feet, and a double axe off the top by Macho is also unsucessful. A Hercules and Koko double team leads to the birdman diving into the corner, but finding nothing but turnbuckle, setting him up for Akeem's fall away slam, and the three count. Hogan and the Boss Man face off for the first time, the faces triple team him on their side of the ring, the tide turns when Boss Man catches Hulk coming off the ropes with a big spin buster. Twin Towers double elbow, Boss Man hits a leg drop across the middle rope, Dibiase tags in, clothesline, fist drops to the face gets a two, then Hogan Hulks up! hits an atomic drop, Hercules then gets a piece of the Million Dollar man with a back drop out of the corner, a high knee and a clothesline, but Virgil creates a destraction, and Dibiase pins him from behind with a roll up, but when teasing his foe too long, is then quickly pinned by Savage in the same fashion. Later on as Macho and Boss Man are going at it in the ring, Slick starts bothering Elizabeth on the outside, this brings Hogan to her rescule, but he is then double teamed, and handcuffed to the ring ropes by the heels. As TTT hammer Hogan, Boss Man loses track of the count, and is counted out, moments later Akeem is DQ after refusing to leave the ring when he is not legal. Haku punishs Savage, but misses with both a elbow drop and a drop kick, however there is no one for Matcho to tag in. Haku nails Slick with a pressing kick by mistake, Elizabeth takes this chance to get the keys to the cuffs from Slick's pocket, and so frees Hogan. Splash from the top, but Savage kicks out just as the hand is coming down for three. A pressing kick then shoots Savage into his own corner, and allows him to tag Hogan, the Hulkster unloads with right hands, a bodyslam, a big foot and the leg drop off the ropes for the victory. Macho Man and Hogan win. Post match Liz and Hogan celebrate a little too much for the Macho's liking.
7/10
Overall
The opener was one of the greatest tag matches I have ever seen, and the double switch with Demolition going face and the Powers Of Pain heel, plus the switch of Funji to POP was expectly done and a real shock. The main event was a perfectly constructed headliner, which nicely started the ball rolling on the Mega Powers feud, the Andre/Jake match was also heated and added to their feud, leaving only one match of the four we could have lived with out.
8/10