SummerSlam (1989)

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SummerSlam (1989)
Details
Promotion World Wrestling Federation
Date August 28, 1989
Venue Meadowlands Arena
City East Rutherford, New Jersey
Attendance 20,000
Pay-per-view chronology
WrestleMania V SummerSlam (1989) Survivor Series (1989)
SummerSlam chronology
SummerSlam (1988) SummerSlam (1989) 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.

Contents

[edit] Report

[edit] Background

[edit] Event

Other on-screen talent
Role: Name:
Commentator Tony Schiavone
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
Ring announcer Howard Finkel
Ronnie Garvin
Interviewer "Mean" Gene Okerlund
Sean Mooney
Referee Earl Hebner
Joey Marella
Tim White

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.[1]

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.[1]

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.[2]

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.[3]

The next match was an 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.[3]

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.

Hulk Hogan and Brutus Beefcake (with Miss Elizabeth) defeated Randy Savage and Zeus (with Sensational Sherri). Hogan pinned Zeus after a leg drop.

[edit] Aftermath

[edit] Results

Numbers in parentheses indicate the length of the match.

  • Hercules defeated Greg Valentine (with Jimmy Hart) by disqualification (3:08)
    • 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.

[edit] Notes

  • Prior to the Brain Busters/Hart Foundation match at SummerSlam, The Brain Busters won the Tag Team Championship a week before from Demolition. The match was already signed between them and the Hart Foundation before they won the belts, so it was explained in kayfabe that they were not forced to defend the belts because there was no championship to defend when the match was signed so their match was a non-title match.
  • One of the most infamous bloopers in professional wrestling history took place at SummerSlam 1989. Backstage announcer Gene Okerlund was set to interview then-WWF Intercontinental Champion Rick Rude and Rude's manager Bobby "The Brain" Heenan prior to Rude's title defense against The Ultimate Warrior when the SummerSlam backdrop fell backwards. An off-camera Vince McMahon could be heard saying "Nice move", followed by Okerlund yelling "Fuck it!". The cameras immediately cut away to a live shot of the crowd, with Tony Schiavone immediately attempting to restore order, while Jesse "The Body" Ventura laughed. After a short while, Okerlund's interview with Rude and Heenan proceeded without incident. A video of the blooper can be viewed here.

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ a b Shields, Brian. Main Event: WWE in the Raging 80s, 189.
  2. ^ Shields, Brian. Main Event: WWE in the Raging 80s, 189–191.
  3. ^ a b Shields, Brian. Main Event: WWE in the Raging 80s, 191.

[edit] References

  • Shields, Brian (4th Edition 2006). Main Event: WWE in the Raging 80s. Pocket Books, 189–192. ISBN 9781416532576. 

[edit] Further reading

  • "2007 Wrestling Almanac & Book of Facts", Wrestling's Historical Cards, Kappa Publishing, 2007, pp. 87. 

[edit] External links

World Wrestling Entertainment pay-per-view events
Royal Rumble • No Way Out • WrestleMania • Backlash • Judgment Day • One Night Stand • Night of Champions
The Great American Bash • SummerSlam • Unforgiven • No Mercy • Cyber Sunday • Survivor Series • Armageddon
SummerSlam
1988 • 1989 • 1990 • 1991 • 1992 • 1993 • 1994 • 1995 • 1996 • 1997
1998 • 1999 • 2000 • 2001 • 2002 • 2003 • 2004 • 2005 • 2006 • 2007 • 2008
Former pay-per-view events
The Wrestling Classic (1985) • This Tuesday in Texas (1991) • King of the Ring (1993-2002)
In Your House (1995-1999) • Bad Blood (1997, 2003-2004) • Fully Loaded (1998-2000) • Over The Edge (1998-1999)
InVasion (2001) • December to Dismember (2006) • New Year's Revolution (2005-2007)
Former International pay-per-view events
One Night Only (1997) • Mayhem in Manchester (1998) • Capital Carnage (1998)
No Mercy (UK) (1999) • Rebellion (1999-2002) • Insurrextion (2000-2003)