The budding feud between WWF Champion Ultimate Warrior and the “Macho King” Randy Savage took center stage in this hour-long prime time special. Airing just one day after the SURVIVOR SERIES, where Savage issued his challenge to the Warrior, Savage was determined to goad the champ into a match. Warrior defended his championship here against “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase, but the “Macho King” made sure to make his mark on the match.
After Virgil interfered to draw the disqualification, Savage ran into the ring and viciously attacked the champion. If Warrior won’t grant Savage a championship match on the merits of his being a former champion and the current “King” of the WWF, the former champion will try to force Warrior into wanting revenge. But as anyone who’s ever heard one of Ultimate Warrior’s interviews knows, sense is not one of the man’s strong points.
Will Warrior grant Savage his championship match? Has the “Macho King” bitten off more than he can chew? We won’t find the answers before the end of 1990, dear readers, as this is the final major televised show WWF produced in the calendar year.
Best Match: “The Model” Rick Martel defeated Tito Santana – Former Tag Team Championship partners collide on national prime time television! Santana and Martel never had a proper blow-off to their feud after “The Model” turned on his partner at 1989’s WrestleMania V, and they’re still going at it more than 18 months later! Santana and Martel always worked well together and put together a good match that saw Martel lock Santana in the Boston crab to gain a submission victory.
Worst Match: “Mr. Perfect” Curt Hennig beat the Big Bossman by countout – This was, by no means, a bad match, but it lacked something that future Bossman-Perfect matches had. Bossman is still looking for revenge on Bobby Heenan for making fun of Bossman’s mama, so he’s going after all the members of the Heenan family. Bossman was so angry with Heenan, though, that he chased him out of the ring and to the backstage area, leading to his countout loss.
Non-Starter – A fourth match scheduled for the hour-long prime time special, but the bell never managed to ring. American turncoat Sgt. Slaughter attacked opponent Nikolai Volkoff before the bell and assaulted him with the flagpole that carried the Iraqi flag. Slaughter and manager Gen. Adnan were relentless until “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan came down to the ring and stopped the carnage. You’d think this would set up a grudge match between Slaughter and Duggan at the Royal Rumble, wouldn’t you? Pretty sneaky, WWF.
Ranking Main Event 4
1 – “The Model” Rick Martel defeated Tito Santana
2 – WWF Championship Match: The Ultimate Warrior beat Ted DiBiase by disqualification
3 – “Mr. Perfect” Curt Hennig beat the Big Bossman by countout
DISCLAIMER* The Top 10 rankings are for discussion purposes only and in no way reflect an official or authoritative list. It is simply my opinion. If you disagree, let me know in the comments. New arrivals to the Top 10 are in bold.
1 – WWF Championship Match: The Ultimate Warrior defeated Hulk Hogan (c) – WrestleMania VI
2 – NWA Tag Team Championship Match: The Steiner Brothers (c) defeated Doom – Clash of the Champions X
3 – World Tag Team Championship 2-out-of-3 Falls Match: The Hart Foundation defeated Demolition (c) – SummerSlam 1990
4 – Steel Cage Match: Ric Flair, Arn Anderson and Ole Anderson beat The Great Muta, Buzz Sawyer and the Dragonmaster – Clash of the Champions X
5 – Rock n Roll Express defeated the Midnight Express – WrestleWar 90 Wild Thing
6 – NWA Tag Team Championship Match: The Steiner Brothers (c) defeated Ole and Arn Anderson – WrestleWar 90 Wild Thing
7 – United States Tag Team Championship Match: The Midnight Express (c) defeated the Southern Boys – Great American Bash 1990
8 – United States Championship Match: Lex Luger (c) beat “Nature Boy” Ric Flair by disqualification – Clash of the Champions XII
9 – Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake defeated “Mr. Perfect” Curt Hennig – WrestleMania VI
10 – United States Tag Team Championship Match: The Steiner Brothers (c) defeated the Nasty Boys – Halloween Havoc 1990
That’s all for WWF’s portion of the 1990 Top Ten! We have one more show coming up in December, as the NWA presents Starrcade: Collision Course! Stay Tuned!