SummerSlam (1989)

Infobox Wrestling event
name=SummerSlam (1989)


promotion=World Wrestling Federation
date=August 28 1989
venue=Meadowlands Arena
city=East Rutherford, New Jersey
attendance=20,000
lastevent=WrestleMania V
nextevent=Survivor Series (1989)
event=SummerSlam
lastevent2=SummerSlam (1988)
nextevent2=SummerSlam (1990)

SummerSlam (1989) was the second annual SummerSlam professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). It took place on August 28 1989 in the Meadowlands Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The main event was a tag team match between The Mega-Maniacs (WWF Champion Hulk Hogan and Brutus Beefcake) and the team of Randy Savage and Zeus.cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/summerslam07/history/1989/mainevent/|title=Hulk Hogan & Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake w/ Elizabeth vs. "Macho Man" Randy Savage & Zeus w/ Sensational Sherri|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|accessdate=2008-06-18] The main matches on the undercard were Ted DiBiase versus Jimmy Snuka,cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/summerslam07/history/1989/results/|title=SummerSlam 1989 official results|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|accessdate=2008-06-18] Ultimate Warrior versus Rick Rude for the WWF Intercontinental Championshipcite web|date=2008-02-13|url=http://wcwrules4lyf.wordpress.com/2008/02/13/summerslam-1989/|title=SummerSlam 1989|publisher=The Powerdriver Review|accessdate=2008-06-18] and Jim Duggan and Demolition (Ax and Smash) versus André the Giant and The Twin Towers (Akeem and Big Boss Man).cite web|url=http://www.pwwew.net/wwf/august/1989.htm|title=SummerSlam 1989 results|publisher=pWwew - Everything Wrestling|accessdate=2008-06-18]

Background

The main feud heading into SummerSlam was between The Mega-Maniacs (WWF Champion Hulk Hogan and Brutus Beefcake) and Randy Savage & Zeus. At WrestleMania V in April 1989, Hogan defeated Savage to win his second WWF Championship. [cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/wrestlemania/history/wm5/mainevent/|title=Hulk Hogan vs. Randy "Macho Man" Savage - WWE Championship|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|accessdate=2008-06-18] WWF financed a professional wrestling movie "No Holds Barred". Hogan starred as the hero Rip, a popular professional wrestler while Tom Lister played the villain Zeus. In the movie, Hogan defeated Zeus. The rivalry spanned in WWF, because Zeus wanted to take revenge from Hogan in real-life. In WWF, he was also billed as Zeus. He made his first appearance on WWF television on May 27 1989 edition of "Saturday Night's Main Event" before Hogan's WWF title defense against Big Boss Man in a steel cage match. He was introduced by Boss Man's manager Slick. During Hogan's entrance, Zeus badly attacked him. [cite web|date=2008-02-12|url=http://wcwrules4lyf.wordpress.com/2008/02/12/saturday-night's-main-event-21-0589/|title=Saturday Night's Main Event #21 (05.89)|publisher=The Powerdriver Review|accessdate=2008-06-18] On July 29 edition of "Saturday Night's Main Event", Zeus attacked Brutus Beefcake during Beefcake's match with Hogan's rival Randy Savage. Zeus did this because Beefcake was Hogan's best friend. Hogan came to the rescue but was unable to drop Zeus because Savage gave him two chair shots in the back. [cite web|date=2008-02-13|url=http://wcwrules4lyf.wordpress.com/2008/02/13/saturday-night%e2%80%99s-main-event-22-0789/|title=Saturday Night's Main Event #22 (07.89)|publisher=The Powerdriver Review|accessdate=2008-06-18] This lead to the Hogan & Beefcake vs. Savage & Zeus encounter at SummerSlam.

The main match on the card was between Rick Rude versus Ultimate Warrior for the WWF Intercontinental Championship. They had a posedown at Royal Rumble in January 1989 which was won by Warrior. Rude angrily attacked Warrior after the posedown. [cite web|url=http://www.hoffco-inc.com/wwe/ppv/ppv/rr89.html|title=Royal Rumble 1989 review|publisher=Complete WWE|accessdate=2008-06-23] This lead to their title match at WrestleMania V, where Warrior lost the Intercontinental Championship to Rude. [cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/wrestlemania/history/wm5/results/|title=WrestleMania V official results|publisher=WWE|accessdate=2008-06-23] They were signed to a rematch for the title at SummerSlam, with Rude defending the title against Warrior. [cite web|url=http://www.angelfire.com/wrestling/cawthon777/89.htm|title=WWF Show Results 1989|publisher=Angelfire|accessdate=2008-06-23]

Event

Before the event began airing live on pay-per-view, Dino Bravo defeated Koko B. Ware in a dark match.

The first match of the pay-per-view was between the Brain Busters (Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard), accompanied to the ring by Bobby Heenan, and The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart). In the middle of the match, Anderson tried to interfere, causing all four men to fight in the ring. Meanwhile, Heenan had the referee distracted, which allowed Anderson to perform a double ax handle, dropping his elbow onto the back of Hart's neck. Anderson then pinned Hart. The referee noticed the pin and began the count, as Anderson covered Hart's face, so it would not be discovered that Hart was not the legal team member in the match. The second match of the evening was between Dusty Rhodes and The Honky Tonk Man, who was managed by Jimmy Hart. Rhodes had the advantage until Hart distracted him. This allowed The Honky Tonk Man to grab Hart's megaphone and ram it into Rhodes' midsection. The Honky Tonk Man continued in the offensive position until Rhodes' was able to get back on his feet. The Honky Tonk Man, however, shoved Rhodes into the referee, knocking him out. This allowed The Honky Tonk Man to hold Rhodes while Hart attempted to hit Rhodes with The Honky Tonk Man's guitar. Rhodes, however, moved out of the way, and Hart hit The Honky Tonk Man instead. Rhodes then performed his finishing move, the Bionic Elbow, and pinned him for the win.

The third match, which pitted Mr. Perfect against The Red Rooster, began with a shoving match in the center of the ring. Mr. Perfect performed several offensive maneuvers on The Red Rooster, even preventing Rooster from reversing a slam to the mat. Mr. Perfect ended the match by performing a dropkick and the Perfect Plex and then pinning him for the win. In the subsequent match-up, Rick Martel and The Fabulous Rougeaus (Jacques and Raymond) faced Tito Santana and The Rockers (Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty). In the first moments of the match, Santana and The Rockers cleared all the opposing team members from the ring. Jannetty was the legal man for his team and faced all three opponents as they tagged each other into the match. Martel and the Rougeaus kept Jannetty isolated in their corner by utilizing illegal double team moves. After some time, Santana tagged Michaels into the match, who quickly regained the advantage. Near the end of the match, Jimmy Hart, who had accompanied The Rougeaus and Martel to the ring, distracted Jannetty, who was hit from behind by Jacques. As a result, Martel was able to pin Jannetty, even though Michaels never tagged out of the match and was still the legal man.

The next match was a WWF Intercontinental Championship match between The Ultimate Warrior and the defending champion Rick Rude, who was accompanied to the ring by Bobby Heenan. The Warrior gained the early advantage in the beginning of the contest by press slamming Rude from the ring onto the arena's floor. He continued to have the advantage until Rude was able to thwart an offensive maneuver by pushing The Warrior from the top rope onto the turnbuckle. The two wrestlers swapped the offensive position until "Rowdy" Roddy Piper came down to ringside to distract Rude. This allowed The Warrior to perform a German suplex, press slam, and a Warrior Splash from the top rope. The Warrior then pinned Rude to become the new Intercontinental Champion. Jim Duggan and Demolition (Smash and Ax) defeated André the Giant and The Twin Towers (The Big Boss Man and Akeem) (with Bobby Heenan and Slick). Smash pinned Akeem after Duggan hit Akeem in the head with his 2×4. Hercules defeated Greg Valentine (with Jimmy Hart) by disqualification. Valentine pinned Hercules with his feet on the ropes. Guest ring announcer Ronnie Garvin (who was feuding with Valentine at the time) announced Hercules as the winner of the bout by disqualification. Ted DiBiase (with Virgil) defeated Jimmy Snuka by countout. DiBiase won when Snuka was counted out.

In the main event, WWF Champion Hulk Hogan and Brutus Beefcake faced Randy Savage and Zeus. In the beginning, Beefcake and Savage brawled on the floor and Zeus no-sold Hogan. Beefcake came out and made the save but was caught by Zeus in a bearhug. Hogan tried to save his partner but he also became victim of a bearhug by Zeus. Savage came off the top rope and hit Hogan with a diving double axe handle. He hit Hogan another double axe handle from the top rope and a running knee for a near-fall. Savage applied a chinlock on Hogan but Hogan hit Savage with shoulder blocks. He came off the ropes where Zeus assaulted him. Zeus got a tag and then he beat on Hogan and locked in a bearhug where he took Hogan to the mat for several near-falls. Zeus took him in their corner and then tagged Savage. Savage connected with a neckbreaker on Hogan and spitted on Beefcake, forcing him to get into the ring. Savage hit a belly to belly suplex on Hogan for a near-fall. Hogan tagged in Beefcake who hit Savage with a high knee for a near-fall. He locked in a Barber's Chair on Savage, who fell to the knees but then got up and drove Beefcake's head in the corner. Zeus tagged in and was very angry. Beefcake hit him with an eye rake and applied a Barber's Chair on Zeus. Savage took his manager Sensational Sherri's loaded purse and hit Beefcake in the back with it. Savage got a tag, calmed down Zeus and got a near-fall on Beefcake which ended after Hogan made the save. Savage went for another cover and Hogan came in again and chased Savage, who hid behind Hogan's manager Miss Elizabeth and was beaten up by Hogan. Zeus came in and locked a chokehold on Beefcake before tagging Savage. Savage and Beefcake knocked out each other. Beefcake tagged Hogan. Hogan connected with a corner clothesline on Savage and then assaulted Zeus. He hit a big boot on Savage, sending him to the floor. Hogan tried to suplex Savage in the ring from the apron but Sherri tripped him as Savage fell on Hogan for a near-fall. He clotheslined Hogan and he hit a Savage Elbow from the top rope but like WrestleMania V, Hogan no-sold it. He beat on Savage and sent him to the floor after an atomic drop. Zeus tagged in. He beat Zeus with clotheslines. Zeus fell on one knee. Elizabeth tripped Sherri and Beefcake tossed Savage on the mat. The referee was distracted. Hogan took advantage and hit Zeus with Sherri's loaded purse, followed by a scoop slam and a leg drop for the victory.

Aftermath

Hulk Hogan and Brutus Beefcake met Randy Savage and Zeus in a rematch at No Holds Barred pay-per-view contested under a steel cage where Hogan and Beefcake won again. [cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wwf/miscppvs1980s.html#nhb|title=No Holds Barred: The match/the movie results|publisher=Wrestling Supercards and Tournaments|accessdate=2008-06-23] Brain Busters lost the WWF Tag Team Championship back to Demolition in October 1989. [cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/inside/titlehistory/worldtagteam/304454132131111|title=Demolition's second World Tag Team Championship reign|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|accessdate=2008-06-23] They lost the titles to Bobby Heenan's new team Colossal Connection (André the Giant and Haku) in December. [cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/inside/titlehistory/worldtagteam/3044541321111121|title=Colossal Connection's first World Tag Team Championship reign|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|accessdate=2008-06-23] At WrestleMania VI, they defeated Colossal Connection to win the titles for a final time. [cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/wrestlemania/history/wm5/results/|title=WrestleMania V official results|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|accessdate=2008-06-23] Ultimate Warrior vacated the WWF Intercontinental Championship after he defeated Hogan for the WWF Championship in the main event of WrestleMania VI, dubbed Ultimate Challenge. [cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/wrestlemania/history/wm6/mainevent/|title=Ultimate Warrior vs. Hulk Hogan - Intercontinental and WWE Championship Match|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|accessdate=2008-06-23]

Results

Footnotes

References

*cite book|author=Shields, Brian|title=Main Event: WWE in the Raging 80s|publisher=Pocket Books|pages=189–192|year=4th Edition 2006|isbn=9781416532576

Further reading

*cite news|title=2007 Wrestling Almanac & Book of Facts|work=Wrestling's Historical Cards|publisher=Kappa Publishing|date=2007|pages=87

External links

* [http://www.wwe.com/shows/summerslam07/history/1989/ Official 1989 SummerSlam site]
* [http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/results/wweppv/summerslam89.html onlineworldofwrestling.com - SummerSlam '89 results]