-[joyful instrumental music playing] -[crowd cheering]
[Vince] Welcome, everyone, to the World Wrestling Entertainment!
Welcome to the Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario.
Yes, this is the Royal Rumble.
Scheduled here tonight live.
We'll see the official signing of what is unquestionably
the most long-awaited rematch
in the history of the World Wrestling Entertainment,
Hulk Hogan and André the Giant officially putting their John Hancock
on paper for the rematch.
It takes place February 5, and then from there,
a Tag Team Title matchup. Yes, the Jumping Bomb Angels from Japan.
The challengers to square off against the reigning champions,
Jimmy Hart's Glamour Girls in a two-out-of-three fall event,
and then that man, Dino Bravo,
will attempt to beat the world bench press mark
of over 705 pounds right here live tonight,
and then Bobby "the Brain" Heenan's Islanders in yet another tag team matchup
to square off against the Young Stallions, and, of course, we're long awaiting
the presence of 20 men in the ring all at the same time
for the Royal Rumble.
Hello, everyone.
Welcome to Ontario, Canada.
I'm Vince McMahon along with Jesse "the Body" Ventura,
and what a night this is.
I'm fired up, McMahon, as you can tell.
I've got my rumbling clothes on.
These are the kind of clothes I'd wear to a rumble.
I'm here, the Royal Rumble's here, and I'm pumped up for it.
Real pumped up for this one.
Indeed, we're all pumped up. Well, let's take you right now
to ringside to our announcer Howard Finkel.
-[bell ringing] -[crowd cheering]
[Howard] This contest is scheduled for one fall.
Introducing in the ring, from Robbinsdale, Minnesota,
weighing 251 pounds,
"Ravishing" Rick Rude!
[crowd jeering]
-[Howard] And his opponent… -[dramatic music playing]
…from Hawaii, weighing 237 pounds,
-Ricky "the Dragon" Steamboat! -[crowd cheering]
[Jesse] Well, I'll tell you what. This is gonna be a great, great matchup,
because you've got two men here who are in phenomenal physical condition.
"Ravishing" Rick Rude, of course, the winner of the Jesse "the Body" Award.
That speaks for itself, and you've got Ricky "the Dragon" Steamboat
who's always in phenomenal shape.
[Vince] Indeed, it's going to be a test of stamina,
a test of will and all-around athletic skill.
The Dragon could very well be breathing fire here tonight
in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Dragon preparing for his matchup with "Ravishing" Rick Rude.
I wonder what would mean more to "Ravishing" Rick Rude,
winning the Jesse "the Body" Award or a victory over The Dragon.
[Jesse] Well, I think they're both, in their own way,
just as big for "Ravishing" Rick Rude. I mean, being the first winner
of the Jesse "the Body" Award is phenomenal.
-[Vince] It is? -[Jesse] I mean, you'd love to win it,
but then again, looking at your body, we can tell why you wouldn't.
-[Vince] Well-- -[Jesse] But then again,
wrestling is the bottom line.
-Wrestling and being a wrestler… -[bell ringing]
…which is what "Ravishing" Rick Rude is first and foremost,
so I'd have to say beating the Dragon will definitely be
-a feather in Rude's cap if he can do it. -[crowd cheering]
[Vince] Ricky "the Dragon" Steamboat, a wrestler who relies
on tremendous agility and great speed,
not withstanding his extraordinary stamina,
and I don't believe he's impressed at all with the physique of Rick Rude.
Rude right away with the fisticuffs.
Forearm then another forearm by Rick Rude.
[Jesse] I'll bet those forearms are impressing him, though.
[Vince] Indeed. That's not a forearm.
That's an out-and-out clenched fist, I believe.
The Dragon coming off the rope with another chop, and another one.
Ricky "the Dragon" Steamboat trying to establish himself.
What a chop that was. Another one to the top of the head.
Oh, my. I thought we were gonna see a scientific wrestling match.
It certainly isn't starting out that way. Over the top rope!
No, wait a minute.
-The Dragon comes right back in! -[crowd cheering]
[Vince] Over he goes!
[Jesse] Oh! And Rude's back caught that ring apron and caught it hard.
[crowd cheering]
[Vince] Ah, yes. Take a look at that, "Ravishing" Rick Rude.
Six…
seven…
[Vince] All right. A little complaint here on the part of "Ravishing" Rick Rude.
The Dragon obviously did not hook the tights whatsoever.
[Jesse] Now, how do you know that? You did not see an instant replay.
[Vince] No, true. I did not.
[Jesse] There's no way for as quickly as Rude went over that top rope.
It's very logical that Steamboat
may have had a little bit of tights in there.
[Vince] Look at this. Are you kidding me? Rude is trying to impress Ricky Steamboat
with his physique again.
-[Jesse] Look at that build on Rude. -[Vince] Not bad. Not bad at all.
[fan shouting indistinctly]
[Jesse] His arms look bigger than I've ever seen 'em.
[crowd jeering]
[Vince] Rick Rude having a little conversation
with some of the fans here in Canada.
Come on!
[Vince] Now, wanting to lock up.
[Jesse] Well, see, this is all… this is all psychological here.
If Rude can get Steamboat to play his game,
his style of match, it's to his advantage.
[Vince] It may not be Rude's style.
It could very well be that the Dragon would reign supreme
in this particular contest. Look at this.
[Jesse] That we're gonna find out here real quick.
[crowd cheering]
[Vince] The Dragon could even be stronger than Rick Rude. I'm not certain.
-[Jesse] I don't think so. -[Vince] Uh-oh.
[Jesse] The Dragon's knees are shaking and crumbling.
[Vince] Dragon's going down, I believe, almost on one knee.
Look at the leverage now Rude has.
[Jesse] That shows you right there that Rude's muscles aren't cosmetic.
-That's for sure. -[horn blaring]
[crowd chanting] Steamboat!
[Vince] Right away, 20,000 fans here jam packed in this arena
rooting for the Dragon, and here he comes right back up.
[Jesse] Well, he's pushing off the top of his head. You can see.
-He's not-- -[Vince] Smart. That's smart.
[Jesse] That's smart, but it shows that Rude's the stronger man.
-[Vince] Whoa, look at that! -[crowd cheering]
[Vince] What a beautiful takedown by the Dragon.
[Jesse] There's been a precedent set here now.
-Obviously Rude is the stronger man… -[screams]
…so Steamboat's gonna have to rely now on quickness
and technique in which to secure a victory.
He's not gonna out-muscle Rude.
-Rude showed that right there. -[screams]
-[Jesse] He's the stronger man. -[Vince] Wait a minute.
Maybe right now he's the stronger man. As the match progresses,
I wonder how much of that strength Rick Rude possesses
will be sapped from his body.
-[Jesse] Well, how would-- -[Vince] Look at that. Whoa!
-That'll take it out of you. -[Jesse] Oh, definitely.
Steamboat's wrestling a smart match here.
If he can take away one of Rude's arms,
it's gonna definitely work to his advantage.
[Vince] Oh, my.
Dragon really yanking on the left arm of "Ravishing" Rick Rude.
Snapping it down. That must've really put a lot of pressure
on the elbow and the shoulder joint.
Ooh. The Dragon… [chuckles] …he means business here tonight.
-[crowd cheering] -[groans]
[Vince] And you saw Rick Rude a moment ago reaching for the rope.
[speaks indistinctly]
[Jesse] Oh, that's a smart move. You use everything available to you.
If you can… if you can get to the ropes and cause a break in the hold, you do it.
[Vince] Off the rope. Oh!
Rude missing with a clothesline. Between the legs.
Arm drive takedown. Nicely done.
[crowd cheering]
[Jesse] Right now I'll give you credit.
"The Dragon" Steamboat is winning the match,
but this is professional wrestling.
It's not on any points. You don't get two points for a takedown.
-You don't get one point for an escape. -[crowd mocking] Rudy, Rudy, Rudy!
-[Jesse] It's who wins at the end. -[crowd mocking] Rudy, Rudy, Rudy!
[Vince] Huh. Again, we hear some of the banter about ringside.
[Jesse] Looks like a fan out there's got one of them custom Jimmy Hart megaphones.
[Vince] Out shout the Mouth of the South, huh?
-[foot thuds] -[Vince] Oh, my. Look at this.
The Dragon is really pouring it on.
[fan shouting indistinctly]
[Vince] Rick Rude trying to find some sort of counter.
If you're Rick Rude right now, I think you're really in some trouble.
[Jesse] I could tell him how to get out of this, McMahon.
Works every time. A quick thumb to the eye.
-[Vince] Oh, come on. Jesse, please. -[Jesse] You spin the man around
where the ref can't see it and you thumb him.
[Vince] Come on. We have youngsters watching this program.
Thumb in the eye indeed.
The Dragon continuing to keep Rick Rude away from reaching for the rope.
The Dragon keeping Rick-- "Ravishing" Rick Rude
right out in the middle of the ring. Smart.
[Jesse] Which is what he needs and wants to do.
[Vince] Forearm, and another one. This one in the side of the jaw there.
Rick Rude resorting to what he had a little success with earlier on.
More fisticuffs, but what a chop by the Dragon, and another one.
-[crowd chanting] Steamboat! -[Vince] Right on the top of the head now.
The Dragon trying to set up "Ravishing" Rick Rude.
Nice reversal by "Ravishing" Rick Rude.
-Another reversal! Oh, what a chop. -[crowd cheering]
-[Jesse] Those chops… -[Vince] Oh, yeah.
…those chops are excellent moves, but if you look at him close,
they're very, very close to the throat,
which makes them illegal if they hit the throat.
[groans]
[Vince] Well, I haven't seen it hit the throat yet.
[Jesse] And Referee Hebner needs to take a close look
at where those chops are landing on Rick Rude.
[Vince] Rick Rude better pay attention to the count.
Apparently the pain is so intense on the left arm of Rick Rude,
he forgot his shoulders were down on the mat a moment ago.
[Hebner] Come on, get it up!
[Vince] "Ravishing" Rick Rude having some degree of difficulty here
in this matchup with "the Dragon" Ricky Steamboat.
[Jesse] Well, I knew it'd be a great matchup.
You got Ricky "the Dragon," former Intercontinental Champion.
I mean, the guy's credentials speak for themselves. He's a winner.
[Vince] The Dragon down on the arm. Wow.
[crowd cheering]
[Vince] Interesting, and I believe thus far the Dragon has proven himself
to be the aggressor in this match, and I don't know that that's the way
that we normally would've expected this match thus far.
[Jesse] Well, it's hard to tell. You know, in the world of wrestling,
much like the old cliché of football, on any given day,
any given wrestler can beat another given wrestler.
[Vince] Did you see that? Rude with the point of his boot,
right into the abdominal area. Now, he's following through,
-and again, more fisticuffs. -[Jesse] Well, that worked just about
as good as the thumb to the eye, didn't it?
-[crowd cheering] -[groans]
[Vince] Rude moving in.
Setting up the Dragon now. Off the ropes.
Ooh! That time he nails him with the elbow.
Steamboat back up, but maybe not for long as--
Hey, come on, ref. Get in there. All Rude knows is punching.
Or at least that's all he's demonstrated here thus far.
[Jesse] Well, maybe that was Rude's game plan,
strictly a roughhouse match.
Maybe he does not want to wrestle Steamboat.
Maybe Rude feels that by roughing the match up,
it's to his advantage to gain the victory.
[Vince] Steamboat with a chop, but he had nothing behind it,
and breaking the face by Rick Rude.
[indistinct chatter]
[Vince] Hammering away on "the Dragon" Ricky Steamboat,
"Ravishing" Rick Rude.
Rude trying to set up the Dragon, has him a little bit woozy.
Misses with the right hand.
Dragon off again and under.
-Nice takedown once again. -[crowd cheering]
[Vince] Just when Rude has something going,
"the Dragon" Ricky Steamboat knocks his chocks right out from under him.
[Jesse] Yeah, and he did it with wrestling.
Beautiful arm drag and back into the arm bar,
and he's back on that left arm again.
[fan speaking indistinctly]
[Vince] Indeed he is.
-Look at this maneuver. -[Rick groans]
[Vince] Oh, my. Ramming the knee into the shoulder area.
Ooh.
Again and again and again,
but don't think that "Ravishing" Rick Rude,
that thing's around the other way, that he wouldn't be pouring it on as well.
He certainly would, and then some.
[Jesse] Oh, certainly. You go out to win.
Hey, Steamboat's no Mr. Nice Guy in there.
He's grinding that knee right into the shoulder socket.
-[Vince] Hmm. -[fan] Break it off!
[Vince] "The Dragon" Ricky Steamboat
continuing to assert his authority over "Ravishing" Rick Rude at the moment.
Rude had better do something pretty quick
or I think his stamina's gonna be sapped a bit.
Rick Rude with a reversal. Nicely done.
That time, the elbow right in the butt of the jaw,
maybe a little higher into the eye.
-[crowd jeering] -[Vince] Elbow right in the eye.
[Jesse] And you notice Rude's left arm is hurt
because he could not pose that hand.
He could not bring the left arm-- There, he finally got it back up,
-but not real well. -[Vince] Posing.
Oh, again, look at this. Right on the side of the head.
"Ravishing" Rick Rude now in control of things.
Just like that, the seesaw battle goes one way and then another.
-Hmm. -Come on, let's go.
-[both grunt] -[crowd cheering]
[Vince] My goodness, and look at this!
The Dragon hammering away. What a seesaw matchup.
[crowd chanting] Steamboat!
[Jesse] Well, it started off a wrestling match
and now it's turning into a fight.
[Vince] Reversal again. Over his man, the Dragon right back,
over Rick Rude again. Look at this.
Oh, my goodness.
That was a clever maneuver on the part of "Ravishing" Rick Rude.
[Jesse] That's right. He saw it. He saw a break.
He saw Steamboat go into the ropes a bit out of control,
and when he came off of those ropes, Rude caught him with the knee.
[Vince] Oh, no. Wait a minute.
Rick Rude is outside with Ricky Steamboat.
Rude now with the Dragon. Oh, no! His back right into the side of the ring.
Compounded by a body slam outside on the concrete floor.
[Jesse] And you know the great thing about it?
Still slid back into the ring well before the ten count.
[crowd jeering]
[Vince] It could be over for the Dragon
as the referee just now picks up the count.
Three…
[Vince] We are live from Canada in the Copps Coliseum.
What a matchup here to start out things
on the World Wrestling Entertainment's Royal Rumble. Ooh.
Another forearm, and the Dragon looks like he's gonna come into the ring
the hard way. Yes, he is up with a suplex.
[Jesse] Now, Rude's roughing it up.
Now, he's going back to some classic wrestling moves.
-[Vince] Whoa. Kicked out by the Dragon. -[crowd cheering]
[Vince] Look at this.
Form of the… of a maneuver here.
The Camel Clutch.
[Jesse] And look at the pressure Rude's putting on.
Look at the veins popping out on Rude's arms.
[Hebner speaking indistinctly]
[Vince] Submission hold here applied.
[Jesse] Steamboat's head's bobbing up and down.
He might be trying to quit, but the ref can't hear him.
[Vince] I guess not. Look, the fingers of-- Oh, no.
Look at Rude, he's got his fingers all over the Dragon.
Now, slipping underneath the nose. A minute ago, he had his fingers
and his hands over the mouth and over the nose,
choking off the air to the Dragon. That's illegal, Jesse.
[Jesse] You can see all that from back here?
[Vince] Well, it looked like it from here.
[Jesse] You must have 20/20 hearing, McMahon.
[Vince] Again, the fans trying to give a little momentum.
-[groans] -[Vince] Oh, no!
-[crowd booing] -[Vince] Rick Rude…
[Jesse] And right in the middle of the action he poses.
Kind of reminds me of me.
[Vince] Yes, it reminds me of you as well.
-What arrogance. -[mat thuds]
-[Jesse] That's called confidence. -[Vince] No, that's arrogance.
That's not confidence.
The look of intensity on the face of the Dragon moments ago
as Rick Rude continues to rock back on the back
and pull up on the head, the neck area as hard as he possibly can,
and that's pretty hard.
Check the arm! Check the arm!
[Jesse] That's a chiropractic adjustment the hard way.
That's one!
That's two!
[Vince] This could be it.
-[Jesse] That is it. -[Vince] That's it.
[Jesse] Why isn't that bell ringing?
[Vince] Look at him. He's got his hands right over his mouth.
[Jesse] His nose is free. His nose is free. That's legal.
[Vince] Yeah, he's gonna take his thumbs and shove them up the nostrils, I'm sure.
[Jesse] McMahon, not even you, I don't think,
would stick your fingers up somebody else's nostrils.
[Vince] Wait a minute. Dragon now trying to get out of this!
-What a maneuver! Unbelievable! -[crowd cheering]
[Vince] Yes, sir.
-Nice maneuver by the Dragon. -[Jesse] They both hurt.
[Vince] How in the world he could escape from that?
[Jesse] Dragon somehow mustered up the strength to stand up
with Rick Rude on his back, and they're both down.
They're both injured. Double count going on.
[Vince] The Dragon… Oh!
-Wow. -[Jesse] And there's a classic mistake.
Using aerial tactics when your opponent isn't finished off enough.
You'll get caught every time.
[groans]
[Vince] Another sensational maneuver by "Ravishing" Rick Rude.
-[crowd jeering] -[Vince] And a cover.
Referee a little out of position on that occasion.
-[crowd cheering] -[Vince] Still can't get him.
Come on, Steamboat. What are you saying?
[Jesse] And now you're seeing smart wrestling by Rick Rude.
-[Vince] Ooh. -[Jesse] Right back
to that reverse chin lock.
-And that's legal. Look, McMahon. -[Vince] Yes, that is legal.
[Jesse] He's not covering up. He's not choking or suffocating him.
[Vince] Not right now he's not, no. Earlier on he definitely was.
Dragon trying to get himself up.
[Jesse] Steamboat, you know, had horrible rhythm on that.
-[Vince] Horrible rhythm? Oh, nice. -[Jesse] Look at that.
[Vince] Rick Rude not expecting that for sure.
-The Dragon grabs. Look at this. -[Hebner] One!
-[Vince] Oh, yeah. -[Jesse] He's got him by the hair.
-He's holding him by the hair. -[Vince] Yes, he is.
[crowd] Eight! Nine! Ten! [cheering]
[Jesse] Now, if Rude would've held the hair,
you'd have been complaining all night long,
but because Steamboat does it, it's okay.
[Vince] Steamboat in control after the Snapmare. What a chop!
Wow, what a chop.
[Jesse] And one thing about Rude, he don't like getting hit in the face.
[Vince] Two, and oh, my. So close.
Uh-oh. Rude with a kick to the abdominal area.
Nice takedown by "Ravishing" Rick Rude. Nice headscissor by the Dragon.
And the shoulders down. Watch yourself!
-Down for-- Oh, how about that! Whoa. -[crowd cheering]
[Vince] Unbelievable, these two athletes. One, two.
-Oh. -[Jesse] Oh.
[Vince] Roundhouse right misses. That'll do it. That'll do it.
-That-- Oh. -[Jesse] No!
-Close, but no cigar yet. -[Vince] Leg sweep.
Dragon on top of him. That's got-- How did he kick out of that?
Who's going with a small package?
-That's it right there! -[Jesse] No.
-Wow. -[Vince] I can't believe this.
[Jesse] We've had seven or eight two-counts in a row.
[Vince] The Dragon back to his feet. Oh, what a clothesline.
That has to do it, but what a fight. Whoa, he kicked out again.
[crowd cheering]
[Vince] Rude trying to suplex the Dragon. The Dragon puts on the brakes, and again.
-It's Rude for the ride! -[crowd cheering]
[Jesse] And that suplex was so hard it stunned both men.
[Vince] They have to be exhausted.
These two men have to be totally exhausted.
[crowd cheering]
[Vince] The Dragon back to his feet before Rick Rude.
-The Dragon outside. -[Jesse] He's going to the top.
I don't know if this is smart or not.
If he hits, it is. If he doesn't, he could be in trouble.
[Vince] The Dragon on the top rope!
Oh, no. Did you see that?
[Jesse] Dragon hit the referee coming off the rope.
-[Vince] He didn't do it intentionally. -[Jesse] Now, he's trying to pin him.
[Vince] Rude yanked him right into him.
Rick Rude… What is this? Oh, no.
[Jesse] He's got him up. Where's that referee?
[Vince] Ricky "the Dragon" Steamboat
across the shoulders of "Ravishing" Rick Rude.
Submission hold being applied.
-[crowd chanting] Steamboat! Steamboat! -[bell ringing]
-[Vince] That's it! Can't believe it. -[Jesse] That's it. The Dragon submitted.
What a big win for "Ravishing" Rick Rude.
-["Simply Ravishing" playing] -[crowd jeering]
[Vince] I can't believe
that the official would let Rick Rude get away with what he did.
He yanked the referee right into the oncoming Dragon.
[Jesse] You know, you might call that a "Rude awakening" for Ricky Steamboat.
Don't you think?
[Vince] We'll get the official decision here.
"Ravishing" Rick Rude thinks he has won the matchup.
[Howard] The winner of this contest, as a result of a disqualification,
-Ricky "the Dragon" Steamboat! -[Vince] Whoa! How about that?
-[crowd cheering] -[music fades]
[Vince] Rick Rude loses the matchup
because of disqualification. We'll be right back
as we continue with more World Wrestling Entertainment action
live from Hamilton, Ontario. Stay with us.
[Gene] All right. Tonight, ladies and gentlemen,
you're gonna have an opportunity
to see possibly history in the making,
as one of Canada's own will endeavor to establish
a new world record in the bench press.
Assisting me with the description of the action
and also assisting Dino Bravo tonight will be you, Jesse "the Body" Ventura,
-your name synonymous with power itself. -[crowd cheering]
Well first of all, Mean Gene, it's obvious why Dino Bravo
didn't ask you to be the spotter out here.
What do you mean, "spotter"? Explain that to me.
The spotter is the man…
What I'm gonna do is, I'm gonna lift this bar off to Mr. Bravo.
He's gonna bench press it and I'm there for safety,
and you got to have safety. The world record is 705 pounds.
Mr. Bravo is going to try to reestablish that record tonight.
All right.
Without further hesitation, joining us at this time,
accompanied by his manager, Frenchy Martin,
ladies and gentlemen, 264-pounder from Montreal, Dino Bravo!
[patriotic music playing]
[Vince] Here's a look at Dino Bravo as Mr. Bravo,
as Jesse highlighted,
will attempt to break the world bench press mark at 705 pounds,
and Bravo is something else indeed.
There with his manager, Frenchy Martin.
Bravo really put together.
All right, Gene. Take it back up.
All right, Dino Bravo. A very big task ahead of you.
As a matter of fact, you are gonna try to establish tonight
a brand-new world mark in the bench press.
I'd like your thoughts as you go into the event.
[Dino] Well, it's a big challenge
but I feel I can do it. That's why I'm here tonight, Mr. Okerlund.
[Gene] All right. And is your manager, Frenchy Martin, as optimistic?
[Frenchy speaks French]
[speaks French]
All right. Uh, merci beaucoup. I thank you.
All right. Trying to establish a new world mark,
Jesse Ventura, perhaps you can enlighten us.
I notice he is putting powder on the gloves.
He's putting powder on so his hands don't slip.
He's gonna sweat. You need-- It's important to hold that bar
to have a good grip. We're looking at 415 pounds right here.
This'll be the warm-up weight.
All right. He will warm up with a 415-pound weight.
That's what's on there, 415.
All right. Ladies and gentlemen, I anxiously await
Mr. Bravo trying to establish a new world bench press mark,
and remember, Jesse "the Body" Ventura will be the spotter.
Wait a minute. What now?
[Dino] I want you to know, Mean Gene, that this requires total concentration,
so I would demand to everybody here to not make a sound when I do this.
[crowd booing]
Well, if I understand Dino Bravo right, ladies and gentlemen,
here tonight at Copps Coliseum,
he is asking you for total silence, so please respect his wishes.
[crowd cheering]
[speaking indistinctly]
[Vince] Jesse "the Body" ready to lift off.
Helping Dino Bravo in a warm-up weight. That's incredible.
Oh! I am impressed.
-[Vince] Whoa! -That was the warm-up at 415 pounds. I…
I don't even dare ask. He's asking for an additional--
Am I correct, 90 pounds, Frenchy Martin?
[speaks French]
I apologize for not understanding a whole lot of--
[Frenchy speaks French]
Friends, they are adding additional weight.
Jesse Ventura, how much are you adding to the bar?
It's gonna take it to 505.
Five hundred and five pounds? What an… incredible jump. Ninety pounds.
[speaks French]
Okay. They are securing the weights on the bar.
Jesse Ventura again spotting for Dino Bravo
-as he attempts to establish a new… -[Jesse] This is five-o-five.
-[Gene] Five-o-five. -[Jesse] This is 200 off the record.
[Gene] This is 200 pounds off the record.
Hold it down.
Remember, Dino Bravo has asked for some complete silence.
-Keep the noise down! -Complete and total silence.
Can't you do something about it? Shut these idiots up.
Jesse Ventura right now getting on Vince McMahon's… Oh, please.
-[crowd cheering] -No, no. No. No, no.
Absolutely incredible! Five hundred and five pounds
as Dino Bravo works his way up to a new world record in the bench press.
[speaks French]
[Gene] Dino Bravo working with spotter Jesse "the Body" Ventura,
adding additional weight to the bar.
[Frenchy speaks French]
[Gene] I think there's tremendous pressure
-in the fact that this is being done… -[Jesse] It'll be 555.
…in front of a national television audience live.
Okay. Gentlemen, how much weight?
-Frenchy? Frenchy Martin? -Five fifty-five.
Five hundred and fifty-five pounds?
[Frenchy speaks French]
[Gene] Remember. Remember again, ladies and gentlemen,
Dino Bravo requesting total silence so he can concentrate.
[crowd jeering]
Even Jesse Ventura powdering his hands,
trying to stabilize the bar to make sure that it is centered properly.
-[crowd jeering] -[Gene] All right.
-[Dino] Shut up! -What?
Dino Bravo obviously very upset.
-This destroys his concentration. -[Jesse] Hey!
Whether you like the guy or not, at least give him the chance.
[crowd cheering]
Well, obviously, thousands here respect
the wishes of both Dino Bravo and Jesse "the Body" Ventura.
[crowd jeering]
[Gene] No noise, please! It's a source of distraction.
All right. He's free.
Oh, my.
Absolutely incredible. How much was that?
-Five fifty… -[Jesse] Five fifty-five, 555.
Five hundred and fifty-five pounds.
As we graduate to even more weight and try to close in
on the old record of 705 pounds. This is phenomenal.
Dino Bravo, how do you feel thus far?
Feelin' good, Gene. Just less noise, please.
This is getting really heavy here.
[Gene] All right.
Less noise.
What weight are we graduating to now, gentlemen?
Those look very, very large indeed.
[speaks French]
More chalk being put on the… on the board. Seeing the liftoff was great.
[Jesse] This is 595.
Five hundred and ninety-five pounds, ladies and gentlemen.
That is a mere 110 pounds off the world record.
Five hundred and ninety-five pounds.
-[crowd jeering] -[Gene] No noise, please!
[Jesse] Come on, Dino.
-Suck it up. Suck it up. -[Gene] All right. Dino Bravo…
getting back on the bench.
[crowd jeering]
[Gene] Ventura spotting Mr. Bravo.
Uh, but apparently… but apparently this crowd's too much.
Frenchy Martin…
[speaks French]
-These people speak English. -Shut up! Shut up!
[speaks French]
-All right. Bravo's back on the press. -[crowd booing]
And this crowd continues to be quite vocal, quite vociferous.
Bravo has been spotted by Ventura, 595 pounds.
Twice, three time. Five hundred and ninety-five pounds!
What a tremendous feat of strength.
As Bravo continues to close in on a new world mark.
If… if Dino Bravo can surpass the 705 pounds,
we would, indeed, see history in the making.
Frenchy Martin, your man seems to be holding up quite well.
[speaks French]
[Gene] Now, please. I'm sorry.
-Frenchy Martin, not the… -[speaks French]
I know well you can speak English. Enough is enough.
Jesse Ventura, where do we stand right now?
How much weight on that bar?
Uh, we're lookin' at 655.
-[Gene] Six… -[Jesse] Six fifty-five.
Six hundred and fifty-five pounds.
That would be a mere 50 pounds off the old world record.
It becomes even more important here.
And, of course, all of this very natural because you must work your way up.
You must progress up to the big weight.
All right. Bravo is back down to the bench
-as he attempts to bench press 655… -[crowd jeering]
…655 pounds.
-Can't you do something about that? -Jesse Ventura…
This guy's going--
…right now getting all over Vince McMahon.
This guy's going for a world record and you're over there
holdin' your hands up in the air. "Oh, I can't do nothin' about it."
Jesse Ventura has pointed an accusing finger towards Vince McMahon,
saying he's trying to incite this crowd
to try to distract the concentration which is all-important to Dino Bravo.
[crowd jeering]
[Gene] The spot has been made. Bravo's down on the bench.
Here he goes.
-[Dino grunts] -[Gene] All right, 655 pounds!
[Frenchy clapping]
[Gene] Ladies and gentlemen, I can't believe it.
Jesse Ventura…
you have lifted a lot of weights in your life.
-This is phenomenal, thus far phenomenal. -Well, I'll tell ya this,
I've never bench pressed what you just saw right there.
I don't think there are very many people in this world of ours
-that have ever bench pressed… -[speaks French]
-[Gene] I beg your pardon? -[speaks French]
All right. More weight is being added to the bar.
Dino Bravo.
Dino Bravo, you have been successful and impressive thus far.
At what weight are you going to try to lift and bench at this point?
-Seven fifteen. -[speaks French]
Wait a minute, I need… I need the English translation, Jesse.
You're counting.
How much? Another 45 pounds.
How much is being added?
[Frenchy] How about you don't think about it?
[Gene] I don't think there should be any big mystery about this, gentlemen.
Dino Bravo, how much weight on the bar right now?
Seven hundred-- This is 715 but that's unofficial
because the bar will have to be weighed later.
But right now, you are looking at a new world bench press record.
[Gene] All right, ladies and gentlemen, I said it before. I'm gonna say it again.
You could indeed be eye witnessing history in the making.
And again, I want to reemphasize that Mr. Bravo and his manager,
Frenchy Martin, and Jesse Ventura have requested
total silence from you good people here in Hamilton, Ontario tonight.
[crowd cheering]
[Gene] Live.
-[Jesse] Seven hundred and fifteen. -[Gene] Seven hundred and fifteen pounds
unofficially on the bar.
-[speaks French] -Do it, do it, do it!
[Gene] Dino Bravo has consistently, as I understand it, in private workouts
been benching right around 700 pounds,
-and… -[crowd cheering]
[Gene] Wait a minute.
What?
This would be a travesty, ladies and gentlemen,
if Bravo were to walk out on attempting to set a new world bench press mark.
Jesse Ventura, what happened? The wheels came off.
[Jesse] Well, isn't that just great?
What's the matter with you people? You don't want to see a new world record?
[crowd cheering]
[Jesse] Give the guy the chance to make the attempt, whether you like him or not.
[Gene] And I think Dino Bravo could be a little more patient
with the thousands on hand here tonight and, of course, millions other
throughout the United States here on USA watching this event.
Just be a little more patient.
-All right. -[crowd cheering]
Seven hundred and fifteen pounds is on the bench.
Jesse Ventura is spotting for Dino Bravo.
He would certainly establish himself as being the strongest man in the world
-if indeed he can bench press… -Get it! Get it!
Oh! He did it! He did it!
Ladies and gentlemen, I can't believe it.
[patriotic music playing]
[Gene] A new unofficial world mark for the bench press
-at 715 pounds. -[Vince] I don't think he did it.
-[Gene] Jesse Ventura… -[Vince] I think Jesse helped him out.
[Gene] I can't believe it, but I applaud you, Dino.
[Vince] We'll be right back after a brief word…
[Jesse] No, I didn't have the bar locked down.
-…from your local cable system. -[Jesse] Seven hundred and fifteen pounds.
[Vince] We'll have more World Wrestling Entertainment action
heading up on the Royal Rumble!
-[Frenchy speaks French] -[music fades]
[bell ringing]
[Howard] Ladies and gentlemen, this contest…
[Vince] I was really looking forward to this tag team matchup.
…Woman's Tag Team Championship
and it is scheduled for the best two out of three falls.
Introducing first to my right, the manager,
"The Mouth of the South," Jimmy Hart!
[crowd booing]
[Vince] Whoa, baby. They don't like him here in Canada.
[Howard] And here are
the World Wrestling Entertainment Woman's Tag Team Champions.
At a total combined weight of 286 pounds,
the Glamour Girls!
[crowd booing]
[Vince] Glamour Girls. Not too much glamorous about these girls.
[Howard] And their opponents and challengers, from Japan,
at a total combined weight of 278 pounds,
-the Jumping Bomb Angels! -[rock music playing]
[Vince] Jumping Bomb Angels from Japan, and they are sensational.
[crowd cheering]
[Vince] Beating the Glamour Girls.
Two out of three fall event.
Now, Jesse, you've seen the Glamour Girls before
-[Jesse] That's right. -…and you've seen the Jumping Bomb Angels.
Time to choose a winner.
[Jesse] The Glamour Girls are the champions,
so of course you gotta go with the champs till they get beat.
-[Vince] Now, wait a minute. -[Jesse] What?
[Vince] You can speak of champions after that travesty we just saw?
[Jesse] What are you talking about?
[Vince] Well, you're not saying Dino Bravo's a champion, are you?
You're not saying he actually lifted that weight?
[Jesse] He did 715. That's unofficial.
They gotta weigh the bar later, but that's 715 pounds.
[Vince] Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Did you not reach down and help him with that weight rack?
-Did you not? -[Jesse] No.
I was just spotting him close. I did not close my hands around that bar.
There's space in between there. Bravo pushed it up on his own.
Are you questioning my integrity, McMahon?
[Vince] Listen, I'm only telling you the way it looked.
It looked as though you helped him a bit.
[Jesse] First of all,
a person of your stature knows nothing about weightlifting.
Nothing, so therefore you do not know what constitutes a legal lift…
-[bell ringing] -…in the first place.
[Vince] I know that when you put your hands around the bar and you help--
[Jesse] I did not touch the bar.
-[Vince] You what? -[Jesse] I did not touch the bar
until it was extended.
Then I grabbed it, put it back on the rack.
[Vince] You're saying-- Look at that!
Jumping Bomb Angels go to work on the Glamour Girls.
[crowd cheering]
[Vince] Oh, missed dropkick.
Leilani Kai now with one of the Angels.
-[Jesse] Whoa. -[Vince] Oh, did you see that?
[Jesse] That's a Flying Mare the hard way by the hair.
-[Vince] Look at that. And another one. -[grunts]
[Vince] These girls are tough. I mean, really tough.
Oh! Judy Martin helping out with a knee. Now, the tag is made.
Judy Martin the legal girl in the ring.
[Jimmy Hart] Beautiful! Work on 'em, baby! Work on 'em.
[Vince] A scoop and a slam. Cover, quick cover.
-Look at that. What an escape. -[Jesse] Whoa.
[Vince] What a takedown. Go for it. Two. Almost three.
Judy Martin better watch herself here.
These Jumping Bomb Angels are something else.
[Jesse] Well, that they are.
I bet the champs will see them on a couple of occasions.
-Look at that move. -[Vince] Ooh, wow. What a headbutt.
[Jesse] And I've never seen a girl wrestle quicker than Ms. Bomb Angel
in the ring right now.
-[Vince] And what's gonna happen? -[crowd cheering]
[Vince] Nice maneuver suplex. Cover. Only one.
Wow. What a matchup.
[Jesse] McMahon, I got a question for you.
[Vince] What's that?
[Jesse] What's the names of the two Bomb Angels?
[Vince] Uh, unfortunately I…
I… I can't speak Japanese all that well, Jesse.
[Jesse] I mean, I might want a date later tonight
and I might want to approach one of these girls.
What do I call them? A Bomb Angel?
[Vince] Well, let's call the one in the ring "Pink"
and the one out on the apron, let's call her "Red," I guess.
-[Jesse] Oh, that's real clever. -[Vince] Well, what else are you gonna do?
Pink in the ring, the Pink Angel. Off the rope. Ooh!
-[Judy screams] -[Vince] Flying body press missed.
That Judy Martin, a veteran, she knows which-- Oh, she misses!
[crowd cheering]
[Vince] Tag is made.
Leilani Kai a little reluctant about entering the ring,
as well, perhaps, she should be now.
The… the Pink Angel lifts the knee
to the chest area and tagging in the Red Angel.
[yells]
[Vince] Jumping Bomb Angel!
-[Jesse] Wow. -[Vince] Nice maneuver.
-[Jesse] Like I said earlier… -[Vince] Dropkick!
…the Glamour Girls can't afford to let them use aerial tactics
because I've never seen anyone better in women's wrestling than the Bomb Angels.
[Vince] Cover that woman! Down for the count.
Two and almost three.
[Jesse] You know, McMahon, if you noticed how dapper--
[Vince] Look at this.
[Jesse] Look how dapper the Mouth of the South is
outside that ring. Check out his sport jacket.
[Vince] I'm looking at this. Submission hold here.
Uh-oh. Oh! Judy Martin kicks Leilani Kai.
All four lady wrestlers in the ring at the same time, and row your boat.
[Jesse] Whoa. That's double figure four leglocks.
[crowd cheering]
[Vince] Jimmy Hart really upset, as well he should be.
[screams]
[Jesse] This could be a submission. This is two out of three falls,
but she's got that figure four cinched on.
[Vince] The Angels,
one of the great tag teams in the World Wrestling Entertainment
taking nothing away from the Glamour Girls.
[Jesse] The Glamour Girls are the best. They're the champions.
[Vince] They're the best thus far.
[crowd cheering]
-[Jesse] Whoa. -[Vince] Wow.
Jimmy Hart is having a bad night.
[Jimmy Hart] Come on, baby. Come on, baby. You need to crawl back over.
[Jesse] Well, at least he's looking good having a bad night.
[crowd cheering]
[Vince] And once again I think we're gonna see that maneuver we saw before.
-Yes. Boom. -[Jesse] Oh.
I've never seen that done before quite like that,
and if I haven't seen it, I know for sure you ain't.
[Vince] Haven't. Not "ain't." Reach for the tag fails.
Jumping Bomb Angels doing a very good job thus far
of keeping Leilani Kai away from tagging her partner, Judy Martin.
[Jesse] I know this is triv… trivial, McMahon, but this is cable.
I can say "ain't."
[Vince] Oh, boy.
[indistinct chatter]
[Vince] That's the second time you've offended the youth of America.
More pressure applied to the leg area.
-And Jumping Bomb-- -[Jesse] She's trying to turn her over.
[Vince] I think so.
Tag made. In comes the Red Angel, for lack of a better term.
[yells, speaks indistinctly]
[Vince] Inching her way over, and no. Get the woman out. Oh, look at that!
[crowd cheering]
[Vince] And again Leilani Kai inches her way over to tag Judy Martin
and the tag not quite there.
There it is. Nope. There it's not, and again.
Got this. [yells]
[Vince] No, sir. That's not a legal tag. Referee stops her right there.
[Jesse] Definitely not. You gotta have your feet on the mat.
You can't have your feet up on a rope when you make a tag.
[indistinct chatter]
[Vince] Now, these little Angels
having a brief word a moment ago in the corner.
[Jimmy Hart] Come on. There you go. Move it now. Come on. That's it.
That's it. That's it. Come on, get the circulation back.
-Get the circulation. Come on. -[Vince] Listen to Jimmy Hart.
Put some weight on it. Get the circulation. Come on now.
[Vince] Nice maneuver! No, wait a minute.
Who's gonna win this?
-Oh, my. Did you see that? Wow. -[Jesse] Whoa.
All right, baby! Now you got 'em going!
-Stay on her now! -[Vince] That'll take it right out of you.
[Jimmy Hart] There you go! Put it to her!
[Vince] Judy Martin, the largest of the women in this matchup.
-Uh-oh. -[Jesse] I don't know.
Is that a compliment, calling one of them the largest?
[Vince] I would think, in this particular case, it would be.
[Jesse] And if I were you I'd be careful, McMahon,
'cause Judy Martin, I'd put money on her. She could whip you.
[Vince] The question is whether or not the Glamour Girls can retain the title
in defeating the Jumping Bomb Angels.
-[Jesse] Whoa! -[Vince] What a-- Whoa! Whoa!
[Jesse] What a move that was.
[Vince] Cover. That's gotta be it for the first fall in this.
-[Jesse] Yes. -[bell ringing]
-[Jimmy Hart] Good job, baby! Good job! -[crowd booing]
[Vince] Jimmy Hart deliriously happy
with the Glamour Girls.
[Howard] The winners of the first fall, the Glamour Girls!
[Vince] All right. We'll be right back.
[bell ringing]
[Vince] All right. Ready for the second fall here…
and the participants in the last fall must begin the second fall,
and indeed they do. Wow. Look at that.
Judy Martin asserting herself all over again.
-Down for one, two, three, four. -[Jesse] Well, they're doing a smart move.
The Glamour Girls are getting the Bomb Angel into the corner,
which allows more double teaming.
She's hurt already.
They're going for a quick second fall to end this thing.
[Vince] Whoa. What a maneuver.
[both yelling]
[Vince] Ooh. One-- Look at that. What a bridge.
What tremendous strength that takes.
The scoop and the slam.
-Off. Missing by a country mile. -[Jesse] Whoa.
-[Vince] And the tag is made now. -[crowd cheering]
[Jesse] Beautiful dropkick.
[Vince] And, oh, what a clothesline! The real, the Pink Angel.
Here she comes. Yes.
-A cover. -[Jesse] She could get it.
[Vince] One, two, and-- Oh.
Already now in another cover. Count of two.
[Jesse] What's her name?
[Vince] If I'm pronouncing it correctly, it's "Norino."
-[Jesse] "Norino"? That's-- -[Vince] That's Itsuki in there, also.
[Jesse] "Norino"? That sounds Italian to me.
[Vince] Well, Jesse, I don't know.
-[Jesse] She don't look Italian. -[Vince] No, she doesn't.
Wait a minute. Oh, my!
[Jesse] Oh, the Glamour Girls clotheslined each other.
-Unbelievable move. -[Vince] A classic mistake.
Off the rope! Oh, look at that.
-That's where the size pays off. -[Jesse] Oh, definitely.
The Glamour Girls have the advantage weight-wise.
-Don't tell 'em I said that. -[Vince] Oh, my. Did you see that?
Two-- Hey, how about that?
-[bell ringing] -[Jesse] It's all even up. A fall apiece.
[crowd cheering]
[Vince] One fall apiece. Itsuki and Noriyo!
So happy as we take you now to the replay.
Itsuki and Noriyo evening this, I believe, at one fall apiece.
Oh, my. Lost her balance. Judy Martin down.
The cover.
Leilani Kai and Martin lose the second fall. Too bad.
[Howard] The winners of the second fall, evening this bout at one fall apiece,
the Jumping Bomb Angels!
[crowd cheering]
[Vince] Jumping Bomb Angels even it up. We'll be right back.
We are live from the Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario,
and we will have, yes, the Royal Rumble, which, of course, later on
includes the official signing of the match to take place February 5
between these two, Hulk Hogan, André the Giant,
and of course we will have the Royal Rumble later on.
Right now let's go to the third, and deciding, the final fall
in the Ladies Tag Team Championship Matchup.
[bell ringing]
[Vince] All right, Jesse. Who has the advantage? One fall apiece.
[Jesse] Well, of course the advantage is with the Bomb Angels right now.
-[Vince] I guess. -[Jesse] They took the last fall
so the advantage is in their favor.
[Vince] Referee allowing his discretion here of a little double teaming going on
just moments ago by the Jumping Bomb Angels.
[Jesse] That was some slick double teaming they got away with there too.
[Vince] How about that? Oh, look at-- What retaliation.
Leilani Kai tagging in her partner, Judy Martin.
[Jesse] You know, I'll tell you, in a lot of instances
the lady wrestlers at times, McMahon,
seem even more vicious than some of the men wrestlers.
[Vince] Nice maneuver there.
Itsuki bringing over, and I believe she tagged in her partner, Noriyo.
What's gonna happen here?
[Jesse] Ooh, she's going for a cradle suplex, it looks like.
-She's trying to get it. -[Vince] I don't know. No way. No way.
Judy Martin just lifting a knee to the chest area.
Ooh. Martin and Leilani Kai are vicious, to say the least.
And "the Mouth of the South," Jimmy Hart, really proud
of his tag team champions. Moving in-- Look at that maneuver.
Trying to get her down.
-Shoulder. No, no. Oh! -[Jesse] No, no, no.
Couldn't hook it. Couldn't hook it.
[Vince] And the cover here. Not much of one.
More of a defensive maneuver, although here comes an offensive one.
Flying through the air over next to Leilani Kai.
Tag is made by Judy Martin.
Listen to Jimmy Hart.
[Jimmy Hart shouting indistinctly]
[Jesse] Look, you know, Jimmy and his constant chatter out there,
that's reassuring to his wrestlers.
[Vince] Well, I'm not too sure if it's reassuring to his wrestlers,
but it certainly has to be annoying to the opponents.
[Jesse] Well, it works both ways.
-Nevertheless, it's to Jimmy's advantage. -[Vince] Oh, come on, ref.
You saw what Leilani Kai did. A yank of the hair.
Uh-oh. Underhook suplex. Nice maneuver. The cover.
-Two, and that's-- Whoa. Kick out. -[crowd cheering]
[Vince] These Jumping Bomb Angels… That's a bite.
She's biting, I think!
[Jesse] I couldn't tell.
[Vince] It certainly looked that way from my vantage point.
[Jesse] You know, your eyes have gotten very, very good in the last few weeks.
You're seeing a lot of stuff I'm not.
[Vince] I don't think you want to see it.
Trying to make the tag. Tags her partner in now.
[crowd cheering]
[Vince] Judy Martin… in the ring,
and unfortunately a Jumping Bomb Angel,
Itsuki, over in the corner.
Oh, come on, ref. Turn around.
Blatant double team. Blatant choke.
[Jesse] That's right, but it's a smart move.
That's good tag team wrestling, McMahon.
If you can distract the referee while your partner does damage
and the referee doesn't see it, that's okay by me.
[Vince] There's a lot that's okay by you.
[Jesse] You know, the fortunate thing we have…
-[Vince] Ooh! -…is that it only takes a three count
to win a match because Referee Joey Marella,
I don't think, could make it to four.
-[Vince] You don't think so, huh? -[Jesse] He's capable of three,
but I don't think much after that.
[Vince] There's a count of only one.
Leilani Kai covering.
[Jimmy Hart shouting indistinctly]
[Vince] Off the rope now, Itsuki. Oh, a block!
-Itsuki hammering away! -[crowd cheering]
[Vince] Roundhouse misses again.
-What? Oh, my. Wow. -[Jesse] Whoa.
[Vince] And up and down!
And a cover. Oh, not quite.
[Jimmy Hart] Come on, Lani. Come on, baby! You can do it. Come on.
[Vince] Itsuki brings in the hard way.
Judy Martin-- Legal tag made, and now Noriyo comes in.
Look at this. She's coming in via the top rope!
-Slam and a knee. -[Jesse] Whoa.
[Vince] And a cover! That could do it! Nope. That won't do it.
[Jesse] I'll tell you, Judy Martin's tough
but she's not gonna take too much more of that.
[Vince] Another slam. Another cover. We got two, and nope.
A kick out.
Uh-oh, here comes another suplex, I believe.
Nope. Whoa! Nicely done.
[Jesse] Look at the bridge. Look at the bridge.
[Vince] Come on, ref. It's right there.
Oh, come on. He was a little slow on the mark.
[Jesse] Hey, that's your referee, Marella.
Woe be to you to criticize a ref.
[Vince] Tag is made now.
Nice maneuver. Into a cover. Wow. Count of two.
These Glamour Girls are tough.
They're tough, but Judy Martin, the Glamour Girl's not gonna take
too much more of this. She needs desperately to tag.
[Vince] And again going to, this time, the corner.
[crowd cheering]
-[Vince] Itsuki… Oh! -[Jesse] Oh.
[Vince] Oh, wow. Had she landed with that, it definitely would've been all over.
-[Jesse] But she didn't. -[Vince] A desperation maneuver.
[Jesse] But she didn't.
[Vince] And now it's all over, but-- No, it's not.
[crowd cheering]
[Vince] Boy, what tenacity these Jumping Bomb Angels have.
[Jesse] Well, you can tell these titles mean a lot to both teams
because they're pulling out all the stops.
They're using everything in their arsenal to try to win,
and we're down to the last fall.
-[Vince] Clothesline by Noriyo. -[Jesse] Clothesline.
[Vince] Come on, ref. Get over there.
-Oh. Leilani Kai… -[Jesse] Leilani Kai quick to get in there
and break that up.
But, see, that's a mistake, too. She's got Joey Marella tied up.
[Vince] Wait a minute. Watch this. Wait a minute.
They're both going up to the top.
What's gonna happen here?
-Double dropkick! -[crowd cheering]
[Vince] Referee's back was turned. This could be it.
-Yes! -[bell ringing]
-[Jesse] I dispute that. I dispute that. -[crowd cheering]
-[Howard] New Tag Team Champions! -[rock music playing]
[Jesse] Number one, McMahon, that was an illegal double… double team.
Number two, she hooked Judy by her arm and raised her shoulder off the mat.
That should not have been a three count.
[Vince] This place is electric!
[Howard] The winners of this bout and new World Wrestling Entertainment
Women's Tag Team Champions, The Jumping Bomb Angels!
[crowd cheering]
[Vince] The Jumping Bomb Angels!
What an ovation!
From all the way from Japan to Canada and all over the world now,
they are World Wrestling Entertainment Women's Tag Team Champions!
[Jesse] While they may be the champions, they won the match,
but I think when you see the replay you're gonna see exactly
what I was talking about. She hooked the arm.
Fire that replay up there.
-[Vince] All right, here we go. -[Jesse] Here it is. The double dropkick.
-Illegal. -[Vince] Oh, wow.
[Jesse] Now, watch this hook.
Watch her hook the shoulder
and it actually raises the shoulder off the mat. Look at it.
-That is not a shoulder down. -[Vince] Well, the shoulder blade is down.
-[Jesse] No, it isn't. -[Vince] The shoulder blade is down.
-It was down! -[Jesse] Are you kidding me?
Now, I know for sure Bravo's bench press was legit,
'cause if you're telling me that
-that shoulder was down… -[Vince] Oh, chill out.
We'll be right back with more from the Hulkster and from André.
Stay tuned.
Hi. We are back at Copps Coliseum here before this capacity crowd,
and certainly thus far we have had all kinds
of World Wrestling Entertainment action, but right now, ladies and gentlemen,
I'd like to take you back in a few moments to WrestleMania III.
Ninety-three thousand fans will be on hand in the Pontiac Silverdome.
A record-breaking audience.
The largest indoor crowd for any event of any kind anywhere in the world.
It was André the Giant versus Hulk Hogan.
What a matchup. There was some controversy, Jesse Ventura.
I'd say a little bit more than some.
Let's go to this tape and you'll see more of the match.
Well, this controversy…
[Gorilla] Look at the stare of the champion against the challenger.
The irresistible force meeting the immovable object.
[Jesse] Look at the size of the Giant.
-I mean, Hogan is six-foot-eight. -[Gorilla] André is seven-foot-five.
The bell is gone. This one is officially underway.
Look at the look of disdain on the face of André.
[Jesse] What's Hogan saying to him, I wonder?
What could Hogan possibly be saying to him?
[Gorilla] Certainly would like to be able to read lips at this point.
[Jesse] He's almost… He's hulking up right now.
[Gorilla] Shove by André and the champion retaliates.
Oh, big right hand blocked by the champion.
And the Hulkster unloading. Going for a slam.
-Oh, he almost got him up. -[Jesse] Oh.
[Gorilla] Whoa. He collapsed. One, two.
-Two count only. -[Jesse] Two count?
Was that two or was that three?
-[Gorilla] Two count only. -[Jesse] Ooh, that was close, Gorilla.
[Gorilla] Shoulder was up.
[Jesse] Oh, was that close. André thinks he won it just like that.
Hogan is hurt.
[Vince] All right, Jesse Ventura.
[Jesse] Now, did you or did you not see Referee Joey Marella's arm
come down three times there? One, two, three.
That was a three-count in my opinion.
The only question in my mind is whether or not he came down
for a three-count to simply place his hands on the mat to lift himself off
and say only two or whether or not it was indeed a third count.
That must have taken you a year to think that one up.
-Things have changed indeed. -Very good.
Since that auspicious occasion at WrestleMania.
We make reference now to one Million Dollar Man, Ted DiBiase.
Mr. DiBiase has something to say.
I am going to buy
the World Wrestling Entertainment Heavyweight Championship.
That's right, baby. It's going to be mine. Lock, stock, and barrel.
I told you, I told everybody. I'd make an announcement next week.
I'm making a public announcement next week, man.
And the decision I make, the figures he quoted,
the decision I make, whatever it is, it will be one that I won't regret.
On behalf of all the little Hulksters, and myself,
I'm going to have tell the Million Dollar Man…
-Hell, no! -[crowd cheering]
You, Hogan, you've got a price.
I might not get it right now. But I will get it.
I get what I want.
And I want the World Wrestling Entertainment Heavyweight title.
I will buy the World Wrestling Entertainment Heavyweight title
and you can take…
[Vince] The Million Dollar Man, a very convincing individual.
However, Hulk Hogan, indeed,
does not have a price for the Million Dollar Man,
although certainly some individuals have had,
and indeed we make reference to one André the Giant.
André certainly has a price. You have stated in the past
that you would even have a price for the Million Dollar Man.
Most definitely. I mean, Hogan could have taken the easy way out.
The man could have gone into retirement very, very wealthy,
never had to worry about him, his family, even his mother for that matter,
he'd get so much money from the Million Dollar Man.
I think he made a mistake.
I believe André the Giant was paid off to do this.
Let's take you now to some video tape footage
courtesy of Saturday Night Main Event.
André was the legal man outside the ring, not in.
[commentator 1] Wait a minute, André coming in now.
The music's playing, Hulkster posing, André from behind.
-[commentator 1] Oh! -[commentator 2] Yanked back by André.
[commentator 1] Look at the look… look at the look on André's face.
He's choking the Hulkster. Look at this.
[commentator 2] I can't believe it. Hogan looks helpless to me.
[commentator 1] André trying to choke the life
out of the World Wrestling Entertainment Champion.
[commentator 2] What are you talking about, trying to choke him?
He is choking him down. Look at Hogan!
[commentator 1] Hulkster coming back up. Hulkster on his feet.
André rocketing, and down goes Hulk Hogan.
[commentator 2] I can't believe it. Hogan looks helpless.
Look at how small Hogan looks next to the size of André the Giant.
-Get the camera and… -[commentator 1] Come on.
[Vince] What are your reactions to the last piece of footage we just saw, Jesse?
[Jesse] My reactions are this, Hogan's a fool.
[Vince] What?
He could have been a millionaire many times over. Instead, he chose that?
-I personally… -He didn't choose that.
He may not even show up here tonight, I'll tell ya.
I know I'd have second thoughts.
André literally choking Hogan down. Hogan's an idiot.
He does not have a price. That's the point.
-Ha! -Ted DiBiase hoping, indeed,
that someone would have a price
and he found someone who was going to have a price,
whom he believes will take him to the championship.
André, will you deliver to me, the Million Dollar Man,
the World Wrestling Entertainment Heavyweight title?
Mr. DiBiase, I will tell you one thing.
I will deliver that belt, the World Wrestling Entertainment,
and I will enjoy it, Hogan. [laughs]
And indeed we're going to have the official signing of the matchup.
It will take place on February 5. The rematch, the long awaited rematch,
perhaps the greatest of all time,
as we see André the Giant along with the Million Dollar Man
and Virgil making their way to the table in the middle of the ring.
And we'll be right back.
We are back, live, from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Copps Coliseum.
This capacity crowd awaiting
the official signing of the matchup for February 5.
André the Giant and company already in the ring.
[bell ringing]
All right, ladies and gentlemen, this is the moment
that millions of people all over the world, all around the globe,
have been waiting for, the official signing for the bout
that will be taking place on Friday night, February the 5th in Indianapolis, Indiana,
for the World Wrestling Entertainment Heavyweight Championship.
[crowd cheering]
-[Vince] Look at the size of that guy. -[Gene] I would like to introduce
the man who will be defending
his title on Friday night, February the 5th,
the current World Wrestling Entertainment Champion…
-[crowd cheering] -…Hulk Hogan.
[Vince] This capacity crowd on their feet, awaiting the presence of the Hulkster.
There he is.
["Real American" playing]
[Vince] What electricity, Jesse.
[Jesse] Well, this is just a sample of the electricity
that's going to happen February 5th.
This is just the signing, can you imagine when the match takes place?
[Vince] The Hulkster, coming up on the apron.
[Jesse] Look at the size of those arms.
[Vince] You can hardly hear yourself speak.
And look at the look on André the Giant's face.
[Jesse] André looks confident, doesn't he?
He's not getting caught up in all of this hoopla.
Look at the man. He looks ready for business.
He doesn't care about all these frills.
[Vince] Ted DiBiase having a laugh.
-Listen to this, Mr. DiBiase. -[crowd cheering]
[Vince] Listen to that. That's for you André.
Listen to that, André. All of that.
Listen, Jesse. Listen.
[Jesse] You know what I find remarkable about this, McMahon?
-[Vince] What? -[Jesse] That's the song "Real American"
and we're in Canada.
These people aren't Americans. What are they yelling about?
[Vince] Hulk Hogan is a real American and a real champion.
The whole world knows that.
[Jesse] He's the champion until February 5th, then we'll find out.
[Gene] At this time, I would like to introduce the man
who on Friday, February the 5th will be challenging Hulk Hogan for the title,
he is 7-foot-4-and-a-half, 425 pounds,
-André the Giant. -[crowd boos]
[Jesse] You know, look at him, McMahon, he's never looked better.
Look at the confidence.
[Vince] Look at the look of concern on the Hulkster's face.
-[Jesse] He better be concerned. -[Vince] Look at the confidence.
[Gene] With André the Giant, the bodyguard, Virgil,
for the Million Dollar Man, Ted DiBiase.
[crowd booing]
[Jesse] I mean, to me, André has the look of the champion.
-Hogan has the look of the challenger. -[Gene] At this time,
ladies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce to you,
the esteemed president of the World Wrestling Entertainment,
the distinguished Mr. Jack Tunney. Mr. Tunney.
Thank you very much.
Gentlemen, your respective representatives
have studied thoroughly the contractual material.
Let's get with it and sit down.
[Gene] All right, gentlemen, if you'll please be seated,
we can get the signatures affixed to the proper documents.
-President Tunney… -[Jesse] You know, I'm not really sure
if this table is big enough for both of them.
-…the contract? -[Vince] I'm not too sure
that the 20-foot square ring is big enough for both of them.
-Look at the Hulkster. He is put together. -Mr. Roussimoff, if you would be
-kind enough, sir, please be seated. -[Vince] Three hundred and thirty pounds.
Incredible.
[Jesse] I… I'm gonna be interested to see who signs first.
I think André's playing the waiting game here.
-This is a psych game going on here. -André the Giant.
If you would be kind enough to please sit down.
-President Tunney. -[Jesse] You better say please, Okerlund.
Please sit down and sign, André.
[Vince] Oh, come on. This is ridiculous. Who does The Giant think he is?
[Gene] I get the impression that…
[Vince] Maybe he's not going to sign. Maybe there's not going to be a match.
…you're playing mind games here in anticipation
of this big February the 5th date at Indianapolis.
I won't ask again, but André, please…
[Vince] A little exchange going on between the Million Dollar Man.
[Jesse] That's right, he's conferring with the Million Dollar Man,
who now owns the rights to André
courtesy of Bobby Heenan with a few dollars, too.
[Vince] A few dollars?
-[Jesse] A couple of bucks here and there. -[Vince] Yeah, I bet.
And the Giant is moving.
[Jesse] What do you think the price was that Heenan got for André?
[Vince] I have no idea. I'd love to know because you can bet,
even though André the Giant sold out, you can bet he didn't come cheap.
Look at the size of André the Giant.
Whoa.
Uh-oh, look it. Look it. Going to squeezing routine.
We saw that before.
[Jesse] Ha! And Hogan saw it, but not quite from that angle.
[crowd chanting] Hogan! Hogan! Hogan! Hogan! Hogan!
[Vince] I don't think I've ever seen a look of concern
on the Hulkster's face quite like we see here tonight.
[Jesse] Well, I mean, stop and think about it.
The guy got by, by the skin of his teeth at WrestleMania III, very controversial.
Many people, including myself, feel André won it.
And now Hogan's going to have to step right back in there again.
I believe Mr. Hogan's signature going on page two, and André…
Go ahead, Hogan. Go ahead, sign it.
Sign it. Why are you hesitating? What are you waiting for?
Are you having second thoughts, Hogan?
Are you thinking maybe you should have accepted that generous offer I made?
Why do you hesitate? You look a little nervous.
[Vince] You think it's too late
-for Hogan to change his mind? -This is what you wanted, isn't it?
-You wanted to prove… -[Vince] Take the offer?
…to all the Hulkamaniacs that your pride and your integrity
means more to you than money.
So, why do you hesitate, Hogan?
Are you getting cold feet?
Are you thinking maybe that's not just a contract
for the World Wrestling Entertainment Heavyweight title in front of you.
No, Hogan, that's a career-ending contract and you know it…
-[Vince] Whoa. -…because you know this man right here,
just about a year ago at WrestleMania III, beat you.
In just under three minutes, he beat you, Hogan.
That's it. Sign it. Go ahead, sign it.
You just signed your career away, Hogan. Because as of February 5th,
this man will have all the money in the bank.
That title will be bought and paid for around my waist.
And you, you will be history.
[crowd cheering]
[Vince] Well, we're going to get André to sign it, and it's going to be official.
[Gene] André the Giant yet to affix his signature to the contract
that will sign and seal
the meeting of these two men for the first time since WrestleMania III.
-[Vince] Look at the size of those hands. -[Gene] André the Giant, challenging
Hulk Hogan on Friday night, February the 5th in Indianapolis
for the World Wrestling Entertainment's Heavyweight Championship.
[Jesse] Look at André. He's leaving no chances, either.
He's leafing through there to make sure Jack Tunney didn't pull no small print.
[Vince] Well, wait a minute, what's this?
You know me, that's just a little extra… little incentive money. [laughs]
[Vince] André just pointed something out in the contract.
[Gene] Something in the contract being pointed out to André…
-[Vince] You know, the Hulkster… -…by the Million Dollar Man, Ted DiBiase.
…yeah, I believe it, has more of a look of concern.
…the contractual material…
[Vince] I think he has a look of downright worry.
-…the preeminent title… -[Jesse] I agree with you.
That's a rarity.
[Vince] But, certainly all of that is justified,
as Hogan has, I believe, had just about all he can take.
Sign the contract please.
Boy, they're toying around with Hulkster.
[Jesse] Hey, this is an important document, McMahon.
-I mean, if you… -[Vince] But, look at 'em
-toy around with him. Come on now. -[Jesse] Wait a minute.
[Vince] He said sign it, and we could have been over
with this thing five minutes ago.
[Ted] Let me tell you something, little man,
he can take all the time he wants.
This man has waited for almost a year for this opportunity.
He was robbed of this title just about a year ago.
He can take his time. He is savoring the moment.
You just hold the mic and shut up.
[Jesse] Well, you know, the same thing applies, McMahon.
If you were to sit down and buy some new rat trap house,
you'd sit down and read that mortgage real close.
[Vince] Jack Tunney already said,
both principles and their respective representatives
have indeed read the contract thoroughly.
[Jesse] Jack Tunney said it?
That's like getting a guarantee from Ollie North.
[Gene] There's nothing here that is going to prevent us from signing
this contract here tonight
live in front of an audience all over the country?
[Tunney] I certainly hope not.
[Vince] All right, make up your mind, André.
Stop playing games with Hulk Hogan.
Either sign it or get up and get out of here,
and let's progress with the matches.
I'll tell you what, if André doesn't sign it,
I'll bet you they go at it right now.
-[Jesse] Nah. -[Vince] Because Hulk would not sit there
and go through all of this humiliation,
to have André-- Wait a minute, is he signing?
-He's signing it now. -[Jesse] He's signing.
André the Giant is signing the contract for the big one,
February the 5th, Friday night.
[Ted] Now, that you've signed the contract André,
put your official stamp of approval on it.
[Vince] Whoa, stamp of approval?
[crowd cheering]
-[Jesse] We may have February 5th early. -Go ahead, André,
put the official stamp of approval on it.
-[Vince] Whoop. Ooh! Oh! -[Jesse] Whoa.
[Vince] Oh, no.
[Ted laughing]
-[Jesse] Now, look how easily he did that. -[Ted] Look at your champion!
Look at him. Take a long, hard look.
Take a good look at what you're going to see on February the 5th.
[crowd clamoring]
[Vince] André the Giant on the way back to the dressing room.
Hulk Hogan back in the ring.
André, when Hulkster went for DiBiase, André grabbed Hulk Hogan,
rammed his head right into the solid oak table
and dumped the table right on top of him.
We'll be back as we continue with more of the Royal Rumble.
World Wrestling Entertainment's Royal Rumble
and we're just about ready to begin the Royal Rumble.
Before we do, let's talk a little bit about it, Jesse.
Some of the participants in the Royal Rumble
include the likes of Dino Bravo, who earlier on did not, in my view,
set the world bench press mark, although, you claim he did.
Also to be in there,
names like Jake "the Snake" Roberts, Hillbilly Jim, Bret Hart,
along with his tag team partner "the Anvil" Jim Neidhart.
On and on and on. There are going to be 20 men in there.
Now, the process of elimination is a throw over the top rope.
That's right. It's over the top rope. It doesn't matter where your feet hit.
If you go over the top rope, you're gone.
And the key to this match, a lot of it is the luck of the draw.
[Vince] Well that was held a little earlier, was it not?
That's right. And the luck of the draw, because if you draw number 20,
you don't have to enter the ring until dead last,
and you can bet a lot of people are going to be eliminated before that.
All right, let me explain that. We'll start out with two participants,
and then from there at two-minute intervals,
someone else will join what's going on in the ring.
A lottery was held earlier on, and as you brought up,
the person who has number 20, well, he's going to be real, real lucky in here.
We could wind up with all 20 men in the same time in the ring.
Then again, who knows what we're going to wind up with.
Only the respective wrestlers really know.
So, with that in mind, let's begin the Royal Rumble.
Let's go up to our ring announcer.
[bell ringing]
[Howard] Ladies and gentlemen,
it is now time for the Royal Rumble.
[crowd cheering]
Earlier this evening, each of the 20 participants
chose a number from one to 20 in a random drawing.
Participants number one and two are currently in the ring,
and when the bell sounds, they will commence the Royal Rumble.
Every two minutes thereafter,
another wrestler will enter the battle according to the number he pulled.
This process continues until all 20 wrestlers have made their entrance.
In this Royal Rumble, elimination occurs when a wrestler is thrown
over the top rope at any time.
And the one wrestler left in the ring at the Rumble's conclusion
will be declared the winner.
Here are the first two participants in the rumble.
To my right, number one,
managed by "the Mouth of the South," Jimmy Hart.
[crowd cheering]
[Howard] From Calgary, Alberta, Canada,
a member of the Hart Foundation, Bret "Hitman" Hart.
[crowd cheering]
Entrant number two, from Tocula, Mexico,
co-holder of the World Wrestling Entertainment Tag Team Championship,
Strike Force member, Tito Santana.
[Vince] Just a brief word before this match actually officially begins,
the Hulkster, when we left him,
underneath the pile of table and chairs, et cetera.
Well, I can tell you, before we went to commercial,
or during commercial,
I don't think I've ever seen anyone quite as angry as he was.
[Jesse] He was angry, but you know, by that point in time André was gone.
So I don't think that anger came out
until he was sure André had vacated the room.
[Vince] I think that was a disgraceful display of conduct
on the part of the Million Dollar Man, Virgil, as well as André the Giant.
André wants to be World Wrestling Entertainment Champion,
and if that's the kind of conduct he's going to display,
should he be title holder,
it's going to be a pretty dark time for the World Wrestling Entertainment.
[Jesse] Your opinion only. Let's get to the ring.
[crowd cheering]
-[Vince] Santana firing away. -[Jesse] You know, it's quite ironic
that Bret Hart and Chico Santana start the Royal Rumble
because believe me, there's no love lost between these two.
[Vince] Oh, that's for sure. Nice maneuver by Bret Hart.
Oh, he ran into a right hand.
[crowd cheering]
[Vince] And Santana hammering away on Bret Hart.
[Jesse] Well, Santana's definitely turning it into its namesake, a rumble.
[Vince] Yes, he is.
Uh-oh, Santana was going to attempt to get Bret Hart over the top rope,
and Bret Hart putting on the brakes a moment ago.
[Jesse] Now, every two… every two minutes,
a new competitor's going to enter that ring.
I'm going to be real interested to see who the next competitor is,
if neither of these two have been eliminated.
[Vince] Hopefully, for Tito Santana, it will be Rick Martel,
or maybe perhaps even "Jumping" Jim Brunzell.
At least one of his friends.
[Jesse] Can you imagine, though, if it happened to be Neidhart?
[Vince] Oh, I don't think he'd be too pleased.
[Jesse] I mean, that would be Strike…
One guy of Strike Force fighting both of the Hart Foundation.
[Vince] Yes, but again.
Oh, now we see the count now before the next individual,
whomever he may be, is going to come in.
But it's every man for himself, Jesse.
[Jesse] Oh, but you know there's going to be natural team-ups.
-You're not going to see a tag team… -[air horn blaring]
[Vince] Oh, here comes The Natural.
[Jesse] "The Natural" Butch Reed. That's bad for Chico I'd have to say.
[Vince] Well, to a certain extent it is, but then again, as I said before…
Oh, my. It's every man for himself. Oh, look at that.
Butch Reed on Tito Santana.
Here's a man who's put together, Butch Reed.
[Jesse] And look at the advantage he's got.
Chico's already hurt, battling the Hitman.
He's dizzy, and Butch Reed gets to come in,
virtually rested, and work him over.
[Vince] But, as you brought up earlier-- Wait a minute, Santana's going to go over.
[grunts]
[Vince] No, not… "The Natural" Butch Reed.
How about that, Santana working on the knee of The Natural.
[Jesse] Look at this.
-[Vince] Yeah, look at this. Oh, yeah. -[crowd cheering]
[Vince] Down goes Butch Reed. Santana with a stomp on the head.
Another one. Another kick to the head.
From behind, Bret Hart.
-Boy, this is a free-for-all. -[Jesse] You know, I like this.
-[Vince] Yeah? -[Jesse] Because this allows
double teaming, and you can't complain about it.
[Vince] Look at this, there's a double team effort.
-[Jesse] And that's legal. -[Vince] Yes, indeed.
[Jesse] You can't complain.
[Vince] Santana might be complaining a little bit right now,
justifiably so, but nonetheless,
he's signed for the match just like the other 19 entrants.
-[crowd cheering] -[air horn blaring]
[Vince] "Natural" Butch Reed.
-Wait a minute, I think… -[Jesse] Oh no.
Neidhart.
[Vince] Oh, look at that! Oh, but not quite over.
This is a nightmare for Santana.
Santana has no chance.
[Jesse] No way. Now, he's being triple teamed.
[Vince] What lousy luck from the part of Santana.
[Jesse] Well, you know Chico never did have much luck.
I remember him back when he lived in Tijuana.
He wasn't too lucky.
You don't remember him back… Look at this.
And… yes.
[Jesse] I certainly do. I bought some rotten enchiladas
from him down there when I was in the Navy.
[Vince] He was sell-- I don't believe this story,
I'm not even going to get into it.
Neidhart and Hart, former Tag Team Champions.
[Jesse] Look at them, they're just sizing Chico up.
They could throw him off right now, but they're just punishing him.
[Vince] Well, I'll tell you what. The Hart Foundation better be leery
of "The Natural" Butch Reed because The Natural will double-cross him
in a second if he thinks it's to his advantage.
[Jesse] Yeah, but The Natural's no dummy. He's going to go with the flow out there.
Better to have two allies,
than two adversaries.
[Vince] Wait a minute, here. They're going to fire up Santana.
Santana's going to be gone.
[Jesse] Who's next? We've got ten seconds until the next man.
Santana hanging off.
If those idiots would just back off and just let one man throw him over,
it would work, but they're working to each other's disadvantage.
Wait a minute, here comes Jake "The Snake."
[crowd cheering]
[Vince] Jake "the Snake" coming in.
Oh! The Natural goes over.
[Jesse] Well, "The Natural" Butch Reed has been eliminated.
He got caught by The Snake.
[Vince] Whoa, baby.
Jake "the Snake" Roberts.
And Tito Santana is back on his feet.
What a slam by Jake "the Snake."
DDT! The fans asking for the DDT.
And there's a Hart attack.
[crowd cheering]
[Jesse] Did you see Bret Hart's head hit off that mat?
I can't believe how lucky Chico Santana is.
[Vince] Here it comes.
Oh!
Jake "the Snake" setting up the DDT, but was he ever leveled by a clothesline.
[Jesse] Yep. "The Anvil" Neidhart, caught Jake with the clothesline,
and that finished off any thoughts of any DDT.
We're down eight seconds before another participant.
[Vince] Oh, God.
The Hart Foundation taking over.
[Jesse] It's two against-- Oh, here we got the King.
[Vince] Oh! Bad luck for Santana and Jake "the Snake."
[Jesse] Look at the speed the King's moving down to that ring.
[Vince] He's shuffling on down, all right.
The King. Oh, my, drops an elbow on Jake "the Snake."
Drops another one.
[Jesse] Do you think there's any possibility in the mat
of someone cheating and getting out of the soup ahead of time?
[Vince] Well, there is an official back there,
so I doubt it, Jesse, very much.
[Jesse] Well, if it's Jack Tunney, he can be bought.
[Vince] Stop it.
Uh-oh. Jake "the Snake" is going to go over.
Jake "the Snake" hanging on. Santana trying to get Bret Hart
over on the other side.
Well, Jake puts the brakes on. Uh-oh.
Neidhart coming to the rescue of his tag team partner, the Hitman.
Jake "the Snake", tap of the shoulder.
[Jesse] You know, what a concept in this match.
This is really interesting.
[Vince] I wouldn't want to be in there, I'll tell you that.
You're being hit from all sides.
[Jesse] Right now, the advantage is three to two
in favor of the King and the Harts.
[Vince] Wide open Tito Santana. Oh, what a shot. Another one.
[Jesse] And look how smart the King was.
-[crowd cheering] -[Vince] Wait a minute…
That's one of the Killer Bees. "Jumping" Jim Brunzell is in there.
He's going to town.
Oh, yeah.
[Jesse] That's three to three now.
-[crowd cheering] -[Vince] Almost over.
Look at The Anvil hanging on.
[Jesse] We got them all in there now.
[Vince] Nope. Did he go over? No.
-[Jesse] No, no. -[Vince] Just fell through.
He did not go over the top rope.
[Jesse] And you know, Chico San…
Chico Santana and Bret Hart have got to be hurting right now.
They've been in there since the start.
[Vince] Indeed.
They'll be Iron Men if they make it all the way through this one.
The King almost out, thanks to "Jumping" Jim Brunzell.
Santana hammering away.
Look at the King hanging on for dear life.
[Jesse] We've got ten seconds to go
and we'll get somebody that's going to change the odds.
[Vince] Santana suffering ill effects.
Jake "the Snake", big… Here comes Sam Houston.
[crowd cheering]
[Vince] Sam Houston going to it right away with The Anvil.
Oh, wide open.
[crowd cheering]
[Jesse] The Anvil hit his partner, Houston got out of the way.
[Vince] What an exciting matchup. Fighting going from pillar to post.
Jake "the Snake" stomping the Big Anvil.
Shoulder block with authority. Another one.
[Jesse] You know, it's hard to keep up with who's doing what to who.
[Vince] It sure is. There is action galore.
Jake "the Snake" was hammered moments ago, and the King is almost out.
Uh-oh. Santana may be going for a ride and…
[Jesse] He's gone. That evens it up.
[Vince] Santana took a nasty fall. That's a long way out over that top rope.
[Jesse] Definitely. And I'll tell you,
what fortitude Bret Hart's showing out there.
He's been in since the start.
[Vince] Well, no more so than Santana, who was in.
[Jesse] Santana's gone now. He's history.
-[Vince] Well, he was just now gone. -[Jesse] He's back selling rotten tacos.
[Vince] The King back on… No, not this time.
[Jesse] "Dangerous" Danny Davis.
[Vince] Dangerous? We're gonna find out how dangerous he is.
Look at him going to work on Sam Houston, naturally.
Davis and Houston, who have no love lost whatsoever,
really going toe to toe.
[Jesse] The King's holding on for dear life on the other side.
Davis and Houston punching it out.
-[Vince] Look at this! -[Jesse] Look, there's more King.
-[Vince] The King… -[Jesse] Look at the King.
-[Vince] The King in trouble. -[Jesse] He's like a springboard.
He keeps bouncing back up and The Snake hits him again.
[Vince] Like one of those bozo bags. Look at him.
Back up. Hit him again, Jake. Hit him.
-[crowd cheering] -[Vince] Davis caught by the ankle.
Ooh, and a right hand. What a right hand. Davis suplexed.
[crowd cheering]
[Vince] These fans asking for the DDT.
Davis is looking…
[Jesse] Oh, and look how smart Danny Davis was.
How he got away from the DDT.
Ten seconds and we'll get somebody to offset this again.
[Vince] I'd love to see you run down there.
[Jesse] Nah. I got my nice clothes on. I told you that.
[Vince] "Jumping" Jim Brunzell almost out.
Uh-oh. Here comes Big Boris Zhukov.
The big Russian.
[Jesse] He may not know who to go after. He's not gonna attack anybody.
Oh, he goes right to work on Sam Houston.
[Jesse] Well, somebody schooled him in the back.
[Vince] Couldn't have been Nikolai.
About as smart as a stump.
[Jesse] Try to stay a little bit unbiased out here, McMahon, if you can.
[Vince] Come on. You know Nikolai's IQ.
Jake "the Snake."
[Jesse] Sam Houston just about ready to go out.
[Vince] He's gone. He's gone.
Just hanging on by a thread.
Look. He hooked the rope there with his left foot.
Nice hover maneuver in the part of Sam Houston.
Ha-ha.
A little something in the eye.
I think he got something in his eye there, Jesse.
Maybe it's some of the insects flying around.
[Jesse] I just noticed something. The King's working over Zhukov.
[Vince] Why not?
[Jesse] So, the sides… the sides are kind of crumbling out here.
[Vince] Every man for himself in this thing.
-[Jesse] Yep. -[Vince] Every man for himself.
[Jesse] It's turning into a total free-for-all.
[Vince] Davis is having fun now. Wide open Sam Houston.
Oh. Zhukov attacking Jake "the Snake".
Brunzell's gonna get-- Uh-oh. Look at Davis.
Look at Davis.
[Jesse] You know what's amazing? Bret Hart is still in there.
-[Vince] That's amazing, is it? -[Jesse] Started the Royal Rumble
and he's still in there.
You don't find that amazing?
[Vince] Well, to a certain extent, yes. I mean, Bret Hart is a survivor.
Oh, what a dropkick.
[Jesse] Because face it. The luck of the draw means a lot.
You may not know it, McMahon. I might be number 20.
I might run down there when nobody's left and win it all.
[Vince] I… Well, I wouldn't want to see that.
That's for sure. Who's coming in?
Here comes The Rock. Wait a minute, here comes two men.
-It's… I think… -[Jesse] Who's supposed to be legal here?
[Vince] Wait, there's something going on, on the outside here.
Who is legal?
The Rock barreling over-- The Rock is the legal man.
They're letting The Rock stay in.
[Jesse] Zhukov is on the verge.
Jake "the Snake" and "Jumping" Jimmy Brunzell
got Zhukov halfway out of the ring.
-[Vince] Zhukov hanging on for dear life. -[Jesse] Oh, no.
-If Volkoff was smart, he'd see the… -[Vince] And he's gone!
-[Jesse] Ah. -[Vince] Zhukov is history.
[Jesse] He didn't last very long. He just got in there a little while ago.
[Vince] Nikolai has to wait.
Nikolai jumped the gun.
[Jesse] Well, you can't blame him.
I mean, he doesn't totally understand English.
I'm sure it's a logical mistake.
[Vince] Yeah.
[Jesse] You don't think he tried to come down early, do you?
[Vince] Oh, no. I don't think that at all.
-He's an honorable man. -[Jesse] That's right.
[Vince] Kind of like you.
The King almost out!
[Jesse] You know, McMahon, I'm tired of your barbs tonight
and I'm tired of you getting down on me,
and if you don't knock it off, you're gonna hear from Barry Blue.
-[Vince] Who? -[Jesse] You know who.
[Vince] As he entered, he made-- I don't see his name down here.
[Jesse] We should… I tell you, we should be getting
to another ten second count here any time.
[Vince] Well, Bret Hart has sustained tremendous punishment
right from the offset, and Sam Houston is giving Danny Davis a lesson here.
[Jesse] I don't think it's no surprise. Next man up's got to be Volkoff.
-There he goes. -[Vince] There we go.
-You see the smile on his face? -[Jesse] Hey, he likes it.
-[Vince] He can't wait to get in there. -[Jesse] Look at that.
Goes right in and grabs Houston. Holds him for Davis. Wham!
-Brunzell. -[Vince] Brunzell… No.
-Oh, the King is out! -[crowd cheering]
[Vince] Muraco leveled the King.
Bret Hart in the middle of the ring.
Volkoff and Brunzell going at it.
King wants to get back. He has been eliminated.
[Jesse] Well, obviously the King ain't happy with it.
[Vince] Stop with the double negatives, will you? He's not happy.
[Jesse] He ain't happy.
You understood it, didn't you?
[Vince] I understand that Jake "the Snake" is almost out of this!
Harley Race had better leave the ringside area.
He's gonna be fined, if not suspended.
Race still insisting he's gonna run into whomever.
Race, go back to the dressing room.
[Jesse] Got four seconds and we get a new contestant.
[crowd cheering]
-[Vince] Whoa! Whoa! -[Jesse] Oh, no.
What, is he gonna come in and beat everybody with a two by four?
[Vince] It's "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan!
Oh, look what he's-- Look what he-- Ooh!
Target in range.
Uh-oh.
We're gonna have something on the outside before we have it on the inside.
[screams]
[Vince laughs]
Now, when he gets in there he's gonna clean up.
[Jesse] Well, this ought to be Duggan's style of a match,
'cause he certainly don't know much about wrestling, but he can fight.
[Vince] He is a brawler.
Duggan and Muraco working on The Big Anvil.
[Jesse] And again, I got to say it again.
Bret Hart is still in that ring. That's remarkable.
[Vince] Indeed it is. [laughs]
Oh, my.
Duggan, one of the biggest, baddest brawlers
in the World Wrestling Entertainment.
The Rock and Volkoff going at it, tooth and nail.
[crowd chanting] DDT!
[Vince] DDT, they're asking for it again. Here comes the… Uh-oh.
-"The Outlaw" Ron Bass. -[Jesse] Who is it? Ah.
Now, we're getting down to the guys who had the luck of the draw.
[Vince] That's right.
And this is also The Outlaw's kind of a match.
He's a brawler. He's a stomper.
Bret Hart still in there, along with his tag team partner,
The Anvil,
and Danny Davis, I don't think, will ever be the same after this match.
-[Jesse] I'll tell you… -[Vince] Whoa.
They have been punishing him.
Davis… Oh, not quite over.
Big Ron Bass in there with Volkoff, and "Jumping" Jim Brunzell is out.
-[Jesse] He's gone. Brunzell's gone. -[Vince] Did you see him?
Threw him right on his side out on a concrete floor.
Whoa! The Rock almost went out. Upside down.
Ron Bass flips him into the buckle,
and the momentum almost took Muraco over.
How about-- Wait, the Hart's still in there.
Ooh.
[crowd cheering]
[Jesse] Muraco working over Danny Davis in the corner.
Definite weight advantage to Muraco on that one.
[Vince] Davis an expert on cheap shots.
Here comes B. Brian Blair. Another Killer Bee.
-Blair firing away. -[Jesse] Blair full of fire.
And look at Blair. He picks on Bret Hart, the guy who's been in there the longest.
[Vince] He doesn't know that, maybe.
He picked on the one that was closest to him.
[Jesse] He certainly knew that. What do you think?
He didn't watch to see who started the match?
Blair saw his chance to go in and pick on somebody that's all wore out.
[Vince] And Neidhart is… Oh.
[crowd chanting] DDT!
[Vince] Oh, wow. Wide open. B. Brian Blair. They want the DDT again.
They want the DDT. Oh.
Danny Davis is gonna go out, I believe.
Nope. Boy, is lady luck riding on his shoulders here.
We're told later on hopefully we'll have a word
from World Wrestling Entertainment Champion Hulk Hogan.
And right now we're waiting for the next person to enter.
That'll be… What will it be now? About number 16 or so?
[Jesse] Yeah. You know, McMahon, I'm a lot more interested personally
to hear from André the Giant than I am of Hogan.
[Vince] Here comes Hillbilly Jim.
Big mountain of a man. Hillbilly Jim.
Right away, The Anvil goes to work.
[Jesse] Now, Hillbilly's got the advantage here.
The Anvil's got to be tired.
Hillbilly Jim's the freshest man in the ring.
-Uh-oh. -[Vince] Look at that!
[Jesse] Neidhart's gone.
[Vince] Neidhart is gone and now you wonder how well Bret Hart
will do without his tag team partner in there.
Look at this. Let him have it. Go ahead. Hit him.
Davis hanging onto those ropes for dear life.
[Jesse] According to my count, McMahon,
Hillbilly Jim was the 16th man to come in that ring
and Bret "the Hitman," who is number one, is still in that ring.
[Vince] Davis and Houston still going at it.
Jake "the Snake" in there along with "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan.
Ron Bass in a bit of trouble.
The Rock in some trouble.
Seesaw matchup action to the right, the left, everywhere.
Two big men in over the corner there.
Volkoff and Big Hacksaw.
[Jesse] We're down to one.
Dino Bravo, strongest man in the world.
-Strongest man in the world. -[Vince] Come on, give me a break.
I'm not too sure he set the world bench press mark.
Looked to me like you helped him up with it a bit.
-[Jesse] No. -[Vince] Oh!
[Jesse] All I was there was for a proper spot. That's all.
[Vince] And Sam-- Oh, wow. He went off from ten feet.
I hope Houston's gonna be all right.
Whose shoulders was he on? He was way up there.
[Jesse] I'm not sure. I think it was, uh, "Outlaw" Ron Bass, I think.
I'm not real sure.
[Vince] He fell from the shoulders of Ron Bass
in the ring all the way to the outside.
Whoa.
[Jimmy Hart] Help Bret. Help Bret. Help Bret. Cover him, maybe.
Come on. Help Bret. Help Bret, Danny.
Help Bret, Danny. That's it. Help Bret. Come on. Come on, Danny.
[Vince] A taxing matchup all the way through.
No matter what your number is, but if you're brought earlier out,
Jesse, the later the number, the better your chances of winning.
[Jesse] Oh, most definitely. I mean, these guys coming out here now,
but Bret Hart's been in there since the start
and you're looking at now, I think, number 18, if I'm not mistaken,
will be coming out in about eight seconds.
[Vince] They're trying to get Jake "the Snake" out.
Jake hanging on. Oh, here comes The Ultimate Warrior!
[crowd cheering]
[Vince] There's a man who can throw his weight around.
Over the rope! Bret Hart has fallen.
[Jesse] Well, I'll tell you what. You got to give Bret Hart credit, McMahon.
He was number one and he stayed in there 'til the 18th man got in that ring.
[Vince] Danny Davis hanging on.
I hope they keep Davis in there for a while.
[Jesse] Davis could be a surprise winner.
-[Vince] Yeah, look at this. -[Jesse] That'd shock you, wouldn't it?
[Vince] It sure would.
I don't think they're gonna let Davis out. Just keep him right in there.
-Oh, no. Ooh. -[Jesse] Whoa.
[Vince] The One Man Gang.
[Jesse] He's gonna definitely make a difference.
[Vince] He definitely will.
The Gang officially now in the Royal Rumble,
and he goes to work on Jake "the Snake".
Why are they picking on Jake?
[Jesse] 'Cause he's a snake.
[Vince] One Man Gang.
The Warrior on top of him.
Whoa. That was, uh…
-[Jesse] Brian Blair's gone. -[Vince] Yeah.
Who threw him over? The Gang?
[Jesse] I'm not really sure. All I saw was his body.
[Vince] Oh, look at this. Jake "the Snake" is going over.
He's out.
[Jesse] Jake "the Snake" eliminated.
[Vince] Look at Danny Davis. He's up there.
The Warrior being attacked now by Volkoff.
[Jesse] The last man's coming in. That ain't you, is it, McMahon?
[Vince] Definitely not.
-Oh! It's the Junkyard Dog! -[crowd cheering]
[Jesse] Well, this is it. We're down to the 20 now.
[Vince] Ten men in the ring!
Only one of them will be the winner.
[Jesse] What do we got? Ten guys left?
Pick your winner, McMahon. Who are you going with?
[Vince] Well, I think I'd have to go with the Dog.
Or maybe The Gang.
The Dog the last person to enter,
but The Gang will be the toughest to get out of there, I think,
-at near 500-- Volkoff is gone! -[crowd cheering]
[Jesse] "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan eliminated Nikolai Volkoff.
[Vince] That was a big one to eliminate.
[Jesse] You know, I got to agree with you.
-I think The One Man Gang is gonna… -[Vince] Hillbilly Jim is gone.
Hillbilly Jim is gone and The One Man Gang has,
in his short period of time, has thrown either two or three individuals out.
[Jesse] Well, you got… you got to figure that this is The Gang's style of match.
I mean, the guy comes from the streets of Chicago.
He was probably born and raised rumbling and street fighting just like this.
[Vince] Ultimate Warrior with a chop on The One Man Gang.
Hit and run by the Junkyard Dog. You really can't call this.
Too much action all over the place.
Danny Davis is almost out of his feet.
-[Jesse] You know, what's remarkable is… -[Vince] Get down. Get set.
-Get Davis. -[crowd cheering]
[Jesse] Well, you got to give Danny Davis some credit.
I mean, he stood in there for quite a while.
If I'm not mistaken, he was, like, the seventh, eighth,
-or ninth man to go in there. -[Vince] Yep.
[Jesse] He lasted a long time.
[Vince] Well, I think they just kept him in there-- Wait a minute.
The Warrior's over.
I think they kept Davis in for a while just so they could beat on him.
[Jesse] You know what I feel bad about, though?
-[Vince] What? -[Jesse] Bruno ain't in there.
-[Vince] Oh, come on. -[Jesse] I'd love to see that old man
take a few lumps.
[Vince] Let me tell you. Bruno would have a great opportunity…
And suddenly uppercut by the Junkyard Dog.
The Dog-- Oh, I can't believe that move.
-Ron Bass eliminates the Dog. -[Jesse] Ooh, he's gone quick.
[Vince] Well, you have to look all around.
You have to look over your shoulder, behind your back.
They'll come at you from all over the place.
-Ron Bass is gone. -[Jesse] Bass is gone.
Boy, you could tell it's taking its toll. They're tiring out now
because guys are getting eliminated pretty quickly.
We're down to four.
I got to say The Gang, I'd say it's in his favor.
[Vince] I'd have to go with that, as well.
[Jesse] Of course, Bravo can bench press 700 pounds,
-so he could throw The Gang out. -[Vince] I don't know.
I can do over six. I'm not too sure at seven.
Oh, that-- Gang just crushed.
[Jesse] Beautiful bit of teamwork right there by Bravo and The Gang.
[Vince] And The Rock trying to keep away from these two.
[Jesse] You ever see the day you'd see The Rock on the horse running?
[Vince] Look at this. Muraco holding his own.
Dropkick! Oh, I thought for sure it'd knock him-- Oh! Look at that!
I don't think Frenchy Martin will be coming up on the apron after that.
[Jesse] Well, why did Muraco do that? Frenchy Martin's not part of this.
[Vince] He was there. He had no business on the apron.
[Jesse] Eh, that was uncalled for. Totally.
[Vince] Uh-oh. Look at this.
-Muraco wide open. Oh, wow. -[Jesse] Ooh. And right out.
That's it.
[Jesse] I think that… I think Jim Duggan is in trouble.
[crowd cheering]
[Jesse] You got two to one out there, and I don't see the two by four
anywhere in sight for him to even this out.
[Vince] Well, as you said, odds are not in favor of "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan.
[Jesse] Well, it's an amazing plan.
-[Vince] Look at this. -[Jesse] He went in on the attack.
He didn't run away at all. He attacked.
[Vince] The Gang stopping "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan.
-[grunts] -[groans]
[Vince] Duggan a real brawler. So is The One Man Gang.
[Jesse] Well, it's down to these three.
Interesting.
[Vince] "Canada's Strongest Athlete," so he claims.
You know, Bravo… Double clothesline with The Gang.
[Jesse] And you know, all of these guys entered pretty late in the competition,
so it obviously shows that the luck of the draw is very, very important,
because these three guys came in relatively late in the competition
and they're the survivors right now.
[Vince] Yeah, well Duggan’s been in there longer than the other two.
Here comes The Gang. Right at him. Oh!
-[Jesse] Oh! -[crowd cheering]
[Vince] That may have been intentional. I don't know.
Oh, my!
"Hacksaw" Jim Duggan hammering away on The Big One Man Gang!
[Jesse] How does he get The Gang over the top?
[Vince] Ooh, wow.
[Jesse] That is the question, McMahon.
The Gang weighs somewhere between 450, 500 pounds.
How is Duggan gonna get him over the top rope?
[Vince] Obviously, he'd have to do,
what I believe, in some sort of fashion in which The Gang's momentum
is heading into the rope
and goes with The Gang's weight going into the rope.
Duggan could get underneath. He'll go.
[Jesse] There might be another way, too.
-[Vince] What? -[Jesse] If he can find the two by four.
[Vince] Wise guy.
[Jesse] Well, you could hit The Gang with the two by four.
That would be the only equalizer I can see.
[Vince] Then again, the Hacksaw himself,
somewhere around the 285-pound mark.
-Oh, yes! That's it! -[crowd cheering]
[Jesse] Oh. He pulled the top rope down.
[bell ringing]
[Jesse] I can't believe it. Out of all the people to win this thing,
-it's him. -[Vince] What a smart thing to do.
Boy, was that smart.
"Hacksaw" Jim Duggan drops the top rope on The One Man Gang.
[Jesse] I can't believe he actually did it.
[Howard] The winner of the Royal Rumble, "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan!
[Jesse] You know, with the brain power that Duggan's got,
I bet you he tripped and fell and The Gang toppled over him.
[Vince] He's still the winner.
-[Jesse] He sure didn't do it with plans. -[Vince] He's the winner
and that's all there is to it. The winner of the Royal Rumble.
We'll be right back.
[crowd cheering]
[Vince] All right, Jesse Ventura. In a moment we're gonna take you back
to what we saw earlier on, which unquestionably is one
of the most despicable acts I think we've ever seen by a challenger.
André the Giant, at an official signing, dumping the table on top of Hulk Hogan,
disgracing himself, I believe, as a worthy challenger.
I don't think it was really despicable. I think it was the Giant
sending a message to Hogan saying,
"Hogan, you've now made the mistake of your life."
Well, he sent a message to the Hulkster, all right.
Let's go back now and take a look at what we saw.
Here, we saw this.
This was after DiBiase asked him to put the official seal on the contract.
Look at that.
Is that conduct becoming of a challenger?
[Jesse] Well, you know, you could look at it, he could've did more to him.
[Vince] Let's take you now, ladies and gentlemen, to Craig DeGeorge
and the World Wrestling Entertainment Champion Hulk Hogan!
Good evening, everyone, and here he is.
World Wrestling Entertainment Heavyweight Champ Hulk Hogan!
[crowd cheering]
All right, Hulkster.
We all know the official date is coming. One week from this Friday night.
February the 5th.
That the official date when André the Giant will challenge you
for your Heavyweight Championship belt for the first time since WrestleMania III,
and I think tonight it appeared to many, as did me,
that he was trying to send you a message tonight,
Mr. DiBiase and the Giant. Your thoughts on that?
Yeah, he was sending me a message, all right,
but these guys are getting their wires crossed, man.
Every time they pull a cheap shot or try to pull a stunt on me
it's like they stick the dagger in my ribs, man,
and it's just like adding more fuel to the fire, man.
When I think about you, André the Giant,
when I think about WrestleMania III, brother,
when I think about pressing him over my head
and beating him for a one, two, three…
I've been waiting just as long as you have, André,
for this encounter again, brother,
and the fact that he's aligned himself with Ted DiBiase, man…
These Hulkamaniacs, they don't have a price for him, man.
None of these Hulkamaniacs would sell out and I won't either.
And André the Giant, on February 5th,
just like you couldn't break me with that table,
you can't break any of my Hulkamaniacs because they believe in me,
and to beat me, to beat me, André the Giant,
you've got to beat every one of these Hulkamaniacs in here
and you can't do it.
-Nobody. -Hulkster certainly,
you have learned in the past few weeks that you cannot trust the Giant.
He choked you a few weeks ago then the happening tonight.
Yeah, he choked me, brother. This cheap shot out here,
but it's fuel to the fire, like I said.
I'm ready. I'm psyched. I'm physically ready to destroy him
and all they're doing is building my confidence,
and like I said, André the Giant, to beat me, to beat Hulkamania,
you've got to beat every Hulkamaniac in here and you can't do it.
All right. There he is.
The World Wrestling Entertainment Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan!
-["Real American" playing] -[crowd cheering]
[Vince] The Hulkster's applause. This capacity crowd.
Psyching himself up for Friday night, February 5.
He'll need the psych and I believe he'll need every Hulkamaniac in the world
in order to defeat the challenge of André the Giant.
We'll be back with more
in the World Wrestling Entertainment Royal Rumble.
["Real American" continues playing]
[bell ringing]
[Howard] Ladies and gentlemen, the following tag team attraction
is scheduled for the best two out of three falls.
Approaching the ring area,
at a total combined weight of 520 pounds,
from the South Pacific,
Haku and Tama, the Islanders!
[Vince] Haku and Tama, the Islanders. Their manager Bobby "the Brain" Heenan.
Many of you will recall…
are indeed directly responsible for the ill health,
I suppose you would say, of Matilda.
[Jesse] Now, how can you say that? Do you have proof?
-[Vince] Not exactly, no. -[Jesse] Does anyone have proof?
[Howard] And their opponents,
at a total combined weight of 459 pounds,
here are Paul Roma and Jim Powers, the Young Stallions!
[upbeat music playing]
[Vince] Right. Yeah.
[Jesse] You know, getting back to the Matilda situation,
you can't, as a broadcaster, McMahon,
come out and make assumptions if you don't have facts.
-[Vince] Why not? -[Jesse] You do not, for one minute…
[Vince] They do it all the time.
[Jesse] You don't, for one minute,
have proof that the Islanders or Bobby Heenan did anything to Matilda.
[Vince] Now, wait a minute. When we last saw Matilda,
she was in the hands of the Islanders and Bobby Heenan. Correct?
[bell ringing]
[Vince] From there she was missing for several weeks. Correct?
[Jesse] Right.
[Vince] From there, the Islanders were suspended. Correct?
-[Jesse] Right. -[Vince] And they were told
that their suspension would not be lifted until Matilda's whereabouts were known.
[Jesse] Right.
[Vince] Matilda's whereabouts were known thanks from a call
to, apparently, Bobby Heenan.
Jack Tunney then got on the phone, established her whereabouts.
The Islanders are back in the ring.
Matilda has been suffering the consequences.
She's been a little disconsolate. She's lost weight.
I mean, we're not talking about just an ordinary dog here.
-We're talking about… -Get that fool back.
-…a very, very special dog. -How do you like that, Matilda?
[Vince] You heard… I can't believe that. You heard what he said.
[Jesse] What was that?
[Vince] Some criticism of Matilda, who, of course,
is the mascot of The British Bulldogs,
and The Bulldogs have not taken too kindly to the actions of the Islanders.
Nice maneuver by Powers.
[Jesse] Well, you know what's unique about this?
Bobby Heenan right now, I got word, is in Barbados
watching this via… via the satellite courtesy of the Million Dollar Man.
[Vince] Yeah, I understand that, too.
As far as I'm concerned, he can stay in Barbados.
I'll tell you what,
certainly we've had our share of excitement thus far,
and this is bound to be a very exciting tag team matchup here.
'Course, excitement in the past.
We saw what a-- Ooh! What a matchup at Royal Rumble.
"Hacksaw" Jim Duggan coming out on top
and then the signing of what, unquestionably,
is the most important rematch, I think, of maybe a decade,
-André the Giant and Hulk Hogan. -[Jesse] I would go farther than that.
I would say it's the most important rematch signing
in the history of professional wrestling.
[Vince] The only thing tonight, I think,
thus far that's been absolutely dull and almost went to sleep
during the attempted bench press record of Dino Bravo.
I thought you guys were boring.
Other than that, it's been a great night.
[Jesse] Yeah, I would expect that from you, McMahon.
A little Twinkie like you who's never done anything athletic in his life.
If we'd have been up there reading prose or poetry,
you would've been ecstatic about that.
But being it's physical competition and strength,
you know nothing about that.
[Vince] Listen, I thought it was boring, and I'm…
Did you ever get the official weight on that bar?
Have they weighed the bar yet? Ooh!
[Jesse] The last… the word that I heard, and this is still unofficial,
I heard the bar weighed out at 712.
You know, 'cause some of those big plates can be off by a half a pound or so.
-[Vince] Uh-huh. -[Jesse] But I heard it weighed out
at 712.
[Vince] Well, Jesse, with your assistance on the bar, I think maybe…
[Jesse] I did not assist.
[Vince] With your assistance, I think maybe it'll go down
in the record books, yes, as a record, but for a tag team record.
You and Bravo lifting 712.
[Jesse] They don't have tag team weightlifting.
-[Vince] I think we just saw it. -[Jesse] I don't think so.
[Vince] Shoulder block by Islander Haku.
Haku, a real tank in there. Nice maneuver by Roma, and again.
Right back at him. Yo.
-How 'bout that reversal? -[Jesse] And you know, McMahon,
there's very good-- And you know, McMahon, if you keep making these assumptions,
these unfounded assumptions, you might be involved in a Royal Rumble
right here at the desk.
[Vince] Oh, Jesse…
[Jesse] When's the last time you had a fist sandwich?
[Vince] A two and-- Whoa, almost three.
Powers and Roma, hoping to obtain victory here over the Islanders.
Roma and Powers in fabulous physical condition,
taking nothing away from the Islanders. Nice double team.
-Powers in there now. -[Jesse] 'Course, you know, McMahon,
I really should not mind you so much, you being an Ivy Leaguer.
You know, the biggest thing in sports in the Ivy League
was probably goldfish eating.
You know, that's top of the line for the Ivy League.
[Vince] You think so, huh?
[Jesse] C'mon, we got high school teams where I come from that beat them.
-[Vince] Really? -[Jesse] Yeah.
[Vince] Tag is made and Tama in, the high-flyer.
Tama with maybe the most-- One of the most devastating leaps
in all of the World Wrestling Entertainment.
[Jesse] Well that… that's what makes the Islanders so good.
You've got the power man, Haku,
and then you've got the speed match in Tama,
and that's the style you need, I think, in wrestling.
You need two guys that, in a way, contradict each other,
and that leads to success.
Where you look at the case of the Young Stallions,
Roma and Powers, I mean, look at them. There's--
They think they're Sylvester Stallone look-alikes or something.
[Vince] I don't know about that. Oh, my. What an elbow.
A cover here. We get two and no.
Tama and Haku hoping to wear down these Young Stallions, Powers and Roma.
[Jesse] The advantage is with the Islanders
'cause the Young Stallions are young. They're climbing the ladder.
They've made some great improvements over the last year,
but I really don't think they're championship caliber yet,
where I think the Islanders are.
[Vince] Well, we'll see here in this matchup. Double headbutt.
And that's Powers in there right now,
suffering the consequences of the assault of the Islanders.
[Jesse] I'm anxious to see Haku and that kick.
I love that kick he does.
[Vince] That's a sensational maneuver, yes.
Oh, my.
Haku right into the knee of young Jim Powers.
-[Jesse] Powers needs to make a tag. -[Vince] Oh, he won't… won't make it,
I don't believe.
-[Jesse] You know-- Double clothesline -[Vince] Oh, double clothesline.
[Jesse] You know, the unique thing about a tag match when it's two out of three.
It allows you to make a mistake.
-[Vince] It does? -[Jesse] Oh, yeah, definitely,
because if you drop a fall, you're not out of it.
You got other chances.
-But, where in a one-fall tag match… -[Vince] Wait a minute, let's go back.
Did you see those feet? Did you see those toes?
[Jesse] What about 'em?
[Vince] That man could hang upside down from the top rope.
[Jesse] Now, wait a minute, McMahon. I find that a bit of a racist remark.
[Vince] Definitely not. I'm simply trying to describe the man's toes.
Coming in right now, who should be fresher, Roma.
And Paul Roma going to work on Islander Tama.
[Jesse] You know, McMahon, getting back to it,
if Jimmy the Greek can be replaced, so can you.
-You remember that. -[Vince] Right.
[Jesse] Next thing, you're gonna tell me it's because of breeding.
[Vince] No.
In control of things right now is Paul Roma. Nice maneuver.
Roma cleaning house.
[Jesse] Oh, you know the Young Stallions are surprising me.
I really didn't think they would give the Islanders this much trouble.
[Vince] Tama. Uh-oh. Drop… dropkick just hitting the side of the head.
A cover. Oh.
[Jesse] He caught him, but not good enough with that dropkick.
He didn't stun him like he should have.
[Vince] Uh-oh. Islander Tama now.
-Uh, look at that. Whoa! -[Jesse] That was a…
That was a "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan move,
taken right out of the Royal Rumble there. Pulled them ropes down and gone.
[Vince] Paul Roma may have hurt his, uh…
Looks like his left knee.
He took a nasty, nasty fall over that top rope.
-Nasty fall. -[air horn blaring]
[Jesse] Could be a count out if Marella's…
If… if Marella was capable of counting to ten we might get a count out here.
Why hasn't Marella counted?
-[Vince] He's counting him now. -[Jesse] Oh, now.
Yeah, 30 seconds has gone by.
[Vince] Wait a minute, the Islanders are standing in the way,
and everything else here unfortunately.
[Jesse] McMahon, you always got an excuse
-when your favorites are involved. -[Vince] I'm not. I'm simply calling it
as I see it. That's what you say you do all the time. Uh-oh.
[Jesse] The guy's been outside the ring for 40 seconds.
Why isn't he counted out?
-Look at Marella. -[bell ringing]
[Vince] That's it. Well, the first fall.
[Jesse] Gee, Marella counted to ten.
[Vince] Let's take a look at that replay if we have it now.
Paul Roma… Take a look at this, Jesse.
[Jesse] There it is. Look at the smart move.
There it is. Boom.
-[Vince] Oh, my! -[Jesse] Haku pulling the ropes down,
Roma going out, hitting the ring apron, down onto the floor,
and fortunately Joey Marella was able to use his toes and count to ten.
[Vince] We'll be right back
after a brief word from your local cable systems for the next fall.
The Young Stallions back in the dressing room area.
The Young Stallions are, hopefully, they'll come back for the second fall.
Little damage done to the knee there on Paul Roma,
but earlier on, ladies and gentlemen, we saw the signing of the matchup
between André the Giant and, of course, Hulk Hogan.
Here is the way that we saw the official signing.
The match had been signed at this point, and DiBiase's saying,
"Put the official seal of approval on it."
[Jesse] And there you saw it. You saw Hogan take a swing
at DiBiase, and the Giant do nothing but defend his manager
and mentor, Ted DiBiase, the Million Dollar Man.
[Vince] With that in mind, let's take you now to Craig DeGeorge.
Earlier tonight as we saw after a long deliberation, by the way,
the contract was officially signed between this man, the challenger,
7-foot-5, 525-pound André the Giant…
[crowd booing]
…and World Wrestling Entertainment Heavyweight Champ Hulk Hogan
for that major title matchup on February the 5th.
First of all, Mr. DiBiase,
it appeared that you were trying to make some sort of statement
-in taking so much time. -[laughs]
-Was that the idea? -Statement?
Statement, little man, we didn't wanna make a statement here tonight.
We painted a picture.
We showed you a picture. We showed you a look into the future.
We showed you Hulk Hogan as you will see him on Friday night,
February the 5th in Indianapolis, Indiana,
flat on his back in the middle of the ring.
But it won't be a solid oak table covering him,
it'll be this man right here, André the Giant.
That's right.
Tonight, you saw, you witnessed the signing of a contract
that is the beginning of the end of Hulkamania.
That's right. I've told you people ever since I came here.
You've all got a price for the Million Dollar Man.
Each and every one of you.
You, Hogan, you say that we've got to beat all of the Hulkamaniacs,
well, that's what we're gonna do
when André puts you down in the middle of the ring.
I told you time and time again, Hogan, I always get what I want,
and I want that belt around my waist and through this man right here,
on February the 5th it's gonna happen.
André, please, tell me one more time, how are you gonna do it?
Ted DiBiase, just like I said before, Hulk Hogan, many times.
I am undefeated and now still undefeated.
I'm still undefeated and, on February the 5th, Hulk Hogan,
we will make history.
You don't know why, Hulk Hogan?
Because when I say why, as myself, Mr. DiBiase and Virgil,
and Mr. Hulk Hogan, the way I'm gonna make history
is because I'm gonna destroy Hulkamania. [laughs]
-All right. -And you don't-- Shut up.
Don't ever stop me.
And you know why, Hulk Hogan, when I will destroy Hulkamania,
Giantamania will be born, and not just Giantamania will be born,
but we will have a new world champion
because I will deliver the World Championship belt
to Mr. DiBiase, Hogan. Remember that.
February 5th.
-[crowd chanting] Hogan! -Can you see it, Hogan?
Here it is. It's right in my hand.
[Craig] On February 5th, André the Giant against Hulk Hogan.
[Vince] Oh, my.
[Jesse] You know what, McMahon? I got to make this statement right now.
I have never in my life seen André the Giant look any better shape,
bigger, badder. Did you see the confidence in his eyes?
-[Vince] Yes! -[Jesse] The animalistic look in his face
tells me that André is not gonna be stopped by any force in this universe,
-let alone Hulkamania. -[Vince] That remains to be seen.
But we can see right now
we are indeed going to have the resumption of our tag team matchup.
The Stallions on their way back to the right,
and we'll be right back after a brief word from your local cable systems.
All right, we are back for the resumption of our tag match.
Second fall here and, uh, it looks like Roma
is indeed going to have to, uh…
-start. -[Jesse] Oh, yeah, the Stallions…
the Stallions are trying to pull a fast one here.
They're trying to get Powers in the ring, when Roma's the man who lost the fall.
The loser and winner of the falls must start the next fall.
[Vince] Uh-oh. You can see the left knee of Paul Roma all taped up.
What a nasty fall he took heading into the rope
and, of course, we saw earlier on in the replay,
where Islander Haku… Oh, look at that.
Come on. Tama goes… goes right away for the leg.
[Jesse] Well, hey, it's up to Referee Joey Marella.
If he figures that Roma can't defend himself,
he can step in and stop the match.
Referee's discretion. He can stop it.
[Vince] A scoop and a slam. Tama.
-[Jesse] I really didn't… I really didn't… -[Vince] Oh!
…think the Young Stallions would come back out.
[Vince] Takes a lot of guts to come back out,
and it looks like more damage was done to the left knee
of Paul Roma, I believe, right now.
[Jesse] Or maybe a lot of stupidity.
[Vince] Tag your… tag your partner. Powers tagged in.
[crowd cheering]
[Vince] Powers now against Big Haku.
Powers trying to set up the big man, off the rope, drops the back.
Nice maneuver.
Whoa, was that a nice back body drop.
[Jesse] That was beautiful. He better try for a quick pin here.
He didn't get it. You know, I think Roma
is physically unable to compete in this match.
It's gonna be two against one on Powers.
[Vince] I have a question for you.
[Jesse] Fire it.
[Vince] What is Giantamania?
-[Jesse] Huh? What is Giantamania? -[Vince] What is Giantamania?
[Jesse] Giantamania are all the real people out there
who aren't caught up in this fantasy Hulkamania.
It's the realists out there.
[Vince] Powers with a cover. Two, and no, he can't quite get him.
[Jesse] Or maybe a better way to put it… You know, Hogan
stands for the moral… what's called the moral majority.
[Vince] You think so?
[Jesse] Giantamania, I would say, would come from the immoral minority.
[Vince] That sounds like more like your speed.
-[Jesse] Yeah. -[Vince] All right.
[Jesse] I'm from the immoral minority.
[Vince] And another nice maneuver by Jim Powers
who has really been asserting himself.
The fourth attempt on a pin here on the part of Jim Powers.
[Jesse] I guess the difference would be this.
If you look at Hulkamania,
you're gonna find people like Jerry Falwell.
If you look at Giantamania, you'll find people like Abbie Hoffman.
-[Vince] Abbie Hoffman? -[Jesse] He's one of my heroes.
-[Vince] Really? -[Jesse] Yup.
Maybe Jim and Tammy are in there too.
-[Jesse] Well, they'd be Hulkamaniacs. -[Vince] No, I don't think so.
-[Jesse] Oh, yeah. -[Vince] I don't know.
Whoa. What a shot to the abdominal area.
[Jesse] See, they're supposedly for the good of mankind.
Uh-huh. Just like you are.
[Jesse] No. I've never advocated I'm for that.
[Vince] You're for one thing that I know of,
and only one thing, and that's Jesse.
-Islander Tama… -[Jesse] Can you… can you think
of anything else for me to be for?
[Vince] Yes, a lot. Different discussion.
As now both on a double headbutt,
and it looks to me now they're trying to set up
Jim Powers much like they did Paul Roma earlier on.
[Jesse] Oh, yeah.
You know what's unique, though, about February 5th?
[Vince] Oh, small package! One, two, get him.
-Oh, my. -[Jesse] What's unique about February 5th
in Indianapolis, Indiana
is I truly believe this colossal matchup
-rematch between Hogan and the Giant… -[Vince] Yeah.
…is gonna make all them people in Indianapolis forget totally
about that go-kart race they got there,
that they call the Indianapolis 500, you know…
[Vince] Cover.
[Jesse] Where they race around in them things, them go-karts.
[Vince] Yes, I know what you mean, Jesse. They're hardly go-karts.
I'd love to see you dragged behind one of 'em at top speed.
[Jesse] Stop… stop with your violent adjectives, McMahon.
[Vince] Off the rope. Oh, my. Look at this.
Come on, sucker. Get up, boy.
[Vince] "Come on, sucker." Is that what he said?
[Jesse] I think so.
[Vince] What advantage do you obtain by talking to your opponent like that?
[Jesse] The advantage is a psych out advantage.
You'll see it in boxing, you'll see it in football,
you see it in wrestling.
If you can get your opponent to think about what you're saying to him,
well, then obviously they're not gonna react so well
to the heat of the battle.
[crowd cheering]
[Vince] Islander Haku, the big man, the big powerhouse back in there.
Whoa, what a dropkick.
-Incredible maneuver. -[Jesse] Standing dropkick.
[Vince] Yes. Nope. No pin.
[Jesse] See, and Jimmy Powers is essentially by himself
because Roma's knee's obviously blowing out.
-He's gonna need medical attention. -[Vince] Suplex.
[Jesse] And he can't get back in the ring.
[Vince] The cover.
Listen, it's not over until it's over, Jesse.
You've said that yourself many times.
[Jesse] Gee, that's an original quote, McMahon.
[Vince] No, it's not, but it's something that you need to be reminded of
-from time to time. -[Jesse] Well, I'd say it's getting close
to over right now.
I mean, Jimmy Powers right there looks like a beaten man.
[Roma] Don't let 'em beat us, Jimmy! Don't let 'em beat us! Come on!
[Vince] Roma yelling at his tag team partner.
Look at this.
[Jesse] Well, what… what Powers has got to do,
he's gonna unhook that leg and through it he goes.
Remarkable. I didn't think he had it in him.
[Vince] Reaching to tag his partner.
Now, if you're Haku, would you want Powers to tag out or not?
[Jesse] No, at this point in the match, no, because Powers is pretty beaten.
-[Vince] Oh, my. Look at that. -[crowd cheering]
[Vince] Islander Haku missing with a maneuver
that definitely would've polished off young Jim Powers.
[Jesse] Haku needs to get over and tag Tama, get the fresh man in there.
I don't know why Powers was even bothering to tag
'cause what's Roma gonna do on one… one wheel?
[Vince] I don't know, but nonetheless he may tag just out of instinct.
I mean, here and now the big man, the big tank in there right now,
Islander Haku trying to set up Powers off the rope.
Nice maneuver by Powers. Very nice maneuver.
I think maybe he's hurting. His back must be, uh, terribly hurt.
[Jesse] Haku making a mistake. He should've tagged Toma-- Tama.
[Vince] Oh, what a shock. Whoo!
That's Tama, not Toma.
Toma means something unsavory, something unspeakable.
Oh, this dropkick.
Hey, listen. Look at Roma. He's trying to tag in.
-Roma wants to tag in. -[Jesse] This'll be interesting.
I… I kind of hope he makes the tag.
I wanna see what Roma's got left in him… with one wheel.
-Oh, there's the tag. Here we go. -[Vince] There's the tag.
A gallant effort on the part of Paul Roma.
[Jesse] Look it, look it, look it. Goes right after the leg.
-[Vince] Leg sweeping right on the leg. -[Jesse] Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.
I mean, look at Roma's… Roma's withering in pain right now.
[Vince] Oh, my!
[Jesse] The only thing that I feel bad about, McMahon,
that's not your knee.
[Vince] I beg your pardon?
[Jesse] That's the only thing that I feel really bad on.
[Vince] Look at this. Oh.
[Jesse] Referee should stop 'em. Referee should stop it.
Look at this, into the grab. He's gonna get a submission.
-[bell ringing] -[Vince] Yeah, that's it.
Powers and Roma, the Young Stallions.
[Jesse] And to show you, McMahon,
I'll even say, truly a gallant effort by Roma, but to no avail.
["The Rhythm of the Heat" playing]
[Vince] Certainly proved what these men are made of.
[Howard] The winners of this contest in two straight falls, the Islanders.
[Vince] Islanders victorious.
We'll take you back now and show you that leap if we have it.
The way the Islanders polished off.
Yes, there it is.
Oh, what a devastating, devastating maneuver,
right down across the knee.
And that was the final thing behind the referee's back
that did in Powers and Roma, the Young Stallions.
We'll be back with a final word in just a moment.
Just minutes away,
there were 20-some thousand fans jam packing this arena.
The Copps Coliseum here in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
What a night this has been for the Royal Rumble, Jesse.
Definitely. The Royal Rumble, the first time it's ever been done.
It was an experience for me to see one because I've never seen it before.
A very interesting match, but again, I think the key to the Royal Rumble
is the luck of the draw, coming in late.
Yes, no question of that. "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, of course,
proving, I believe, his superiority, notwithstanding,
lady luck riding on his shoulders in terms of the luck of the draw.
But right now, let's talk a bit more about what you claim
was a world bench press record at 712 pounds.
Right, what do you want to talk about?
Jesse, it seemed to me
that Mr. Bravo was having a little difficulty there in the last lift
before he attempted to set the world record.
What was that lift? Do you recall?
That lift was approximately around 685, 675 pounds.
-[Vince] That's an awesome lift. -[Jesse] Definitely.
-He just barely got that up. He got it up. -No. He got that up
and let me state, for the record, McMahon,
-I did not help on that lift. -Wait a minute, did you see…
Did you see the 685-pound lift?
Did you see how, on the right shoulder, Jesse, it was further down?
The bar was dipping down on the right side.
He obviously had more power on the left. He almost didn't make it back to the rack.
But he did make it back to the rack. I helped it back to the rack.
At 685, yes.
And at 715, I did not assist in that lift, McMahon.
Wait a minute, you're saying that he totally locked out,
-which would be a legal lift, correct? -Definitely.
You're saying he totally locked out and then you assisted him with the lift?
[Jesse] I was right down there, prepared, in case he didn't,
but I did not offer any assistance on that lift.
It'll remain, I'm sure, an unofficial, an unofficial world bench press mark.
Now, let's talk a bit about Hogan and André,
and we heard from the Hulkster
after he went through the ordeal of the official signing.
Any comment on the Hulkster's remarks?
Well, I think Hogan is scared.
I think Hogan got in front of the crowd.
I think if the crowd wouldn't have been here,
he wouldn't have signed, but he knew, in front of 20,000 people
and in front of all of the civilized world,
-he was forced into that signing… -Let's go back.
…and he's stuck now.
[Vince] Let's go back and take another look, this time in slow motion,
at what we saw earlier on. And take a look here.
-[Jesse] Hogan going after DiBiase. -[Vince] Justifiably.
The head hitting the table.
André the Giant dumping that solid oak table over
on Hulk Hogan, striking his head again, knocking him semi-conscious at best,
and look at the look of disdain on the face of one André the Giant.
Obviously feeling no remorse whatsoever.
You know, McMahon, I can't wait
until February 5th in Indianapolis, Indiana, eight o'clock eastern,
-seven central, six mountain… -Oh, please. Thank you, Jesse.
-…five pacific. -We'll all be there, I'm sure.
-We'll be there. -We certainly hope you have enjoyed
the Royal Rumble, ladies and gentlemen. So, from the Copps Coliseum,
this is Vince McMahon along with Jesse "the Body"
saying so long, from ringside. h Jesse "the Body"