WWF Madison Square Garden Houseshow Results From 4/22/1985
World Wrestling Federation houseshow results from New York City, New York, USA at Madison Square Garden on Monday, April 22, 1985:
This was the first WWF houseshow back at MSG since the success of WrestleMania 1 a few weeks earlier at the venue. The WWE Vault has the entire event posted for free to watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ne3qvbwnqlE
Gorilla Monsoon and Mean Gene Okerlund were the broadcast team. Howard Finkel was the ring announcer.
WWF World Junior Heavyweight Champion The Cobra pinned Barry O with a hurricanrana in 13:43. Mean Gene and Monsoon commented that they thought it was strange The Cobra didn’t have the title belt with him on this show. They said he won the title recently (he defeated Black Tiger for the vacant title here at MSG in December 1984). The Cobra would be the final champion with the title being abandoned not long after this show. It was one of those WWF Titles that would go away and then get brought back as the years went by until it never came back at all. Vince McMahon has always hated the word “junior”.
Tatsumi Fujinami pinned Matt Borne with a German Suplex in 14:44. A very weird spelling on Fujinami’s name on the graphics during the ring introductions. Either it was a legit mistake or they wanted to spell it differently thinking people would confuse him with Mr. Fuji.
Mean Gene interviewed Jimmy Hart backstage. At this time in the WWF, Hart was still the manager of King Kong Bundy. Bundy startled Gene by joining the interview a few seconds later. Gene couldn’t believe how big he was. Bundy said he looking to get a title match against Hulk Hogan.
King Kong Bundy (with Jimmy Hart) pinned Swede Hanson after the Avalanche followed by an elbow drop in 4:28.
The British Bulldogs (Dynamite Kid and Davey Boy Smith) defeated Rene Goulet and Johnny Rodz when Kid pinned Rodz after the diving heatbutt by using Goulet as an unwilling springboard off of Smith’s shoulders in 7:23.
Ricky Steamboat pinned Moondog Spot after the flying bodypress in 7:19. Steamboat was still new to the WWF here and didn’t have “The Dragon” nickname.
Don Muraco (with Mr. Fuji) defeated WWF World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan by Count Out in 13:37. Hogan gave Muraco the Big Boot to knock him out of the ring and then went out to floor to brawl with him. Mr. Fuji caused a distraction at ringside to allow Muraco to post Hogan into one of the ring posts. Muraco made it back inside the ring just before the 10-Count.
Intermission
Mike Rotunda (with Captain Lou Albano) pinned The Iron Sheik (with Classy Freddie Blassie) with a rollup after Sheik missed a running knee shot and ran into the turnbuckles in 14:17.
Barry Windham (with Captain Lou Albano) defeated Nikolai Volkoff (with Classy Freddie Blassie) by Disqualification when The Iron Sheik ran in and attacked Windham from behind in 12:26. Mike Rotunda made the save. During the match, Monsoon plugged Albano being in the upcoming movie “The Wise Guys”. He said it would be out “sometime in October” but it didn’t get released until April 1986. Albano had a pretty decent sized supporting role in the movie that starred Danny Devito, Joe Piscopo, Harvey Keitel, Ray Sharkey, and the always great Dan Hedaya. Monsoon also called Albano “the greatest manager of all time”.
Howard Finkel told the crowd the WWF will return to MSG on Monday, May 20, 1985 and he even announced the card ahead of time. Rick McGraw vs. Bret Hart, Tony Garea vs. Jesse “The Body” Ventura, Rene Goulet vs. Rocky Johnson, Ken Patera vs. Tony Atlas, Jim Neidhart vs. Ivan Putski, Terry Gibbs vs. Pedro Morales, WWF Tag Team Champions Nikolai Volkoff and The Iron Sheik vs. Barry Windham and Mike Rotunda, and Don Muraco vs. WWF World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan in a title rematch. Finkel said there will also be a special “bonus match” of Brutus Beefcake and Johnny Valiant vs. David Sammartino and Bruno Sammartino.
Mean Gene interviewed Tito Santana and Junkyard Dog to talk about their match coming up against Greg Valentine and Brutus Beefcake. Santana said this is a warm up to take care of business so he can go after Valentine for the WWF Intercontinental Title next.
Tito Santana and Junkyard Dog defeated Greg Valentine and Brutus Beefcake (with Jimmy Hart and Johnny Valiant) when Santana pinned Valentine after the flying forearm in 13:08.
