WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event Review: Episode 1

Credit: WWE.com

The Iron Sheik, Nikolai Volkoff and George “The Animal” Steele (w/ Freddie Blassie)vs. Ricky Steamboat, Mike Rotundo and Barry Windham (w/ Captain Lou Albano)

Russia No. 1! Iran No. 1! USA HOCK-PTUEY! – Iron Sheik

First impressions here…some tremendously patriotic USA music for the good guys. Makes me want to stand up and say the Pledge of Allegiance or something. George Steele has the market cornered on back (and front) hair.

Getting heat was so much easier back in the 1980’s, when all you had to do was be from a different country to get booed.

The faces got out early, keeping Iron Sheik in the opposite corner, where Rotundo and Steamboat both got top-rope moves in against the Iranian with the loaded boots.

After a brief turn of events with the Iron Sheik getting in some offense in the form of an abdominal stretch, the faces clear the heels and proceed to smile and hug each other, because that’s what the good guys do.

Side note: Volkoff’s top speed rivals that of the fastest slug ever.

Those who only saw Rotundo as IRS were missing out. He had tremendous size, a great look and was as fluid as anyone else in the industry at the time.

In a turn of events…George Steele went to make the tag and his teammates left him! Those bastards! Barry Windham takes advantage by rolling Steele up and pinning him for the three. After the match, Steele attacked the turnbuckle, with Sheik and Volkoff coming in to perform heelish acts on him. Albano does the face thing, by consoling Steele after the match.

Steamboat, Rotundo and Windham defeat Sheik, Volkoff and Steele via pinfall

2.5 out of 5 stars — A hot crowd helped an otherwise blah match.