This review is dedicated to the memories of Robert "Gorilla Monsoon" Marella, Miss Elizabeth Hulette, Lord Alfred Hayes, Curtis "The Wizard" Iaukea, Randall Mario "Randy Savage" Poffo, William James "George 'The Animal' Steele" Myers, Eugene Arthur "Mean Gene" Okerlund and James Harper "Kamala" Harris. R.I.P.
George "The Animal" Steele vs. Kamala The Ugandan Giant (w/The Wizard and Kim Chee), WWF on MSG Network, Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY, November 24, 1986
Steele grunts at Kamala, and Lord Alfred Hayes suggests Steele is trying to see what is under Kamala's face paint. Steele touches Kamala's face and body paint and goes into his arm-waving routine, causing Kamala to back away from him. Kim Chee (Steve "The Brooklyn Brawler" Lombardi under a mask) jumps on the apron to bark instructions. Steele gets in Kim Chee's face and pushes him off the apron. Kim Chee gets back on the apron and Steele goes after him and Kamala attacks. Kamala headbutts Steele, sending Steele through the ropes and down to the floor. Back in the ring, Steele grunts "YOU!" Kamala raises his hand as if looking for a test of strength, and Steele stomps on his bare foot, sending Kamala to the corner with Kim Chee checking to see if Kamala can continue. Steele stomps Kamala's other foot now! Steele grabs Kamala's head and starts biting him! Steele pounds on Kamala until Kim Chee gets involved again and Steele beats him up too. Then Steele goes to the other side of the ring and attacks The Wizard (King Curtis Iaukea) before he can interfere too. As The Wizard falls he throws his horn into the ring. Kamala picks up the horn and nails Steele over the back with it. Steele doesn't fall at first but then he does. Kamala pats his belly and runs the length of the ring and back again and hits the big splash. Kamala drags Steele into the middle of the ring and hits the top rope splash for the pin. ***
Kamala then hits another big splash, bringing in Kim Chee to control him. Kamala goes to the other end of the ring and starts to climb up again but Kim Chee is able to talk him out of it.
A scientific classic? Of course not. But I love all these guys so you aren't going to get me to say anything negative about this match. Both guys played their characters perfectly and had the crowd eating out of their hands without really doing anything. That is what professional wrestling is about. Also funny that Kamala seemingly innovated The People's Splash over a decade before The Rock debuted The People's Elbow.
You can watch this match here.
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"Winner Gets Elizabeth": WWE Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion Randy "Macho Man" Savage (w/Miss Elizabeth) vs. George "The Animal" Steele, WWF Saturday Night's Main Event #10, Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI, March 14, 1987 (taped February 21, 1987)
We start with footage from their match at Saturday Night's Main Event #9, where Steele threw Savage through the ropes to the floor and then carried Elizabeth off to the back.
Mean Gene Okerlund tries to interview Liz about whether she is scared about the match, she says she is, and Savage cuts her off and Savage tells Gene not to talk to her and says he is psyched-up for the match. Gene asks if Savage has ever had more on the line than he does tonight. Savage threatens to throw Gene through the sign behind them, calls Steele a "hairy bozo" and says that he will pin Steele 1-2-3. Savage orders Liz to follow him to the ring and Gene reminds him that the rules for the match say that Elizabeth enters last. Savage says that rules are made to be broken and Gene's neck might end up broken. Savage thus walks to the ring alone. We cut back to Gene and Liz and Gene says that Liz looks ravishing. Liz says she's worried someone might get hurt. Gene says, "That happens, Elizabeth." Steele walks into the scene and grunts, "Elizabeth!" Gene tells Steele that he's drooling. Steele grunts, "Manager!" Steele says, "Manager! George's manager!" Gene tells George he's going to have to win Elizabeth in the match. Steele grunts, "Win! Elizabeth! Bye bye!" and walks away. Gene tells Liz that she could flip a coin, heads you lose, tails you lose. Liz has a facial expression that suggests that she agrees, and Gene throws back to Vince.
Steele is shown walking to the ring and charging in as the camera cuts back to Gene and Liz. Gene tells Liz that the good wishes of an entire nation will be with her on her way to the ring. Gene says, "Best of luck" and Liz says, "Thank you Gene."
Liz walks to the ring and starts to climb into the big chair set up for her. Animal takes off his shirt and heads over to where Liz is and Savage comes off the top with the double-axehandle. Savage smashes Steele against the guardrail. With Steele down, Savage grabs Liz and they start heading to the back but they get cut off by Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat!
Referees come out to keep Savage and Steamboat apart. Vince says that the match hasn't even started yet. Savage gets back in the ring and Animal ambushes him. Steele backs Savage into the corner and starts biting his face! Steele smashes Savage's face against the turnbuckle. Vince says you won't see any scientific wrestling in this match. Animal grabs a side headlock and runs Savage all the way from one corner to another and hits Savage's face against another turnbuckle. Steele punches away on Savage, with Savage nearly punching referee Dave Hebner. Steele grabs another side headlock and again rams Savage's head against the turnbuckle. With Savage staggering around, Steele, of course, rips open the turnbuckle and throws the stuffing around. Savage recovers and nails Steele with a jumping knee to the back. Savage slams Steele and climbs up and delivers another flying double-axehandle. Vince says that Liz is "cringing" at the beating Steele is taking. Savage picks Steele up but Steele grabs Savage's face and forces him back into the corner and hits him with a forearm across the chest. Savage whips Steele into the ropes and goes for a clothesline, but, "YOU CAN'T CLOTHESLINE GEORGE THE ANIMAL STEELE!" Steele, of course, starts biting Savage's arm, which is funny because right before Jesse was talking about how Savage's brains will win the match. Steele grabs Savage's throat and hoists him in the air. Steele throws Savage down and opens up another turnbuckle. Steele throws some of the stuffing in Savage's face. Steele then throws some of the stuffing in Hebner's face, and Jesse says he should be disqualified for that, which is what Jesse said for just about everything Steele had done in the match to that point. Steele exits the ring and helps Liz down from the chair. Savage follows and hits another double-axehandle to the back. Savage sends Steele into the guardrail again. Savage drops Liz's chair onto Steele. Savage rolls back into the ring for the countout victory. *** Steele gets up and throws the chair into the ring and throws Savage to the floor. Steele grabs the belt and throws it over his shoulder and raises his fist and grunts to the cheers of the crowd.
I loved this feud and how it led to the classic Savage-Steamboat match at WrestleMania III. Everybody played their roles perfectly and I have nothing bad to say about this match.
You can watch this match here.