MSG House Show: For the Crown of the WWF - Randy Savage vs. Hacksaw Jim Duggan
Date: October 28, 1989
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13m9KsSXtx4
Background: Savage had just gone over Duggan dirty to win the crown, so he and Duggan feuded for a few months as Hacksaw tried to win it back.
The Match: This clip joins the match already in progress, but with lots of time to go, so I'm guessing it didn't crop much off the beginning. Duggan is executing an atomic drop as the clip begins, but he gets distracted by Sherri to the outside, and as the referee attends to Savage, Sherri posts Duggan. I always remembered Sherri positively as Macho's manager, but I'm enjoying her even more than I remember here.
With Duggan laid out after being rammed into the post, Savage goes out and gets his licks in, then again returns inside to distract the referee as Sherri gets another big kick in outside. Savage heads to the top, hits the double axhandle to the floor. Duggan rolls back in and Savage attempts the pin, but they're too close to the ropes. Macho goes and hangs Hacksaw over the top rope, and gets two on a pin attempt. He bitches about the count to the official before going up top, which clearly telegraphed his axhandle getting cut off by a punch from Duggan, but…no? The axhandle connected squarely. Huh. Once in a while the really predictable thing doesn't happen.
Randy has the match in full control, but as he has Duggan draped over the bottom rope he charges at him and comes up empty when he tries to jump on him. He's hurt, but manages to move when Duggan drops an elbow. Heads to the top, and this time the axhandle gets cut off by Hacksaw on the way down. I keep expecting a full flurry by the babyface to start, but Savage cuts another one off with an eye rake. Still, a moment later Savage gets elevated high on a backdrop all the way over to the floor. Duggan follows and flings him hard over the steel guardrail before slamming him into the steel steps. Grabs a chair and jabs him in the gut with it, which apparently the referee was fine with.
Duggan in control back to the ring. Bodyslam, knee drop, and he goes for a pin but Sherri distracts the referee. Gorilla Monsoon cries about Savage having been down for a good 15-count, but c'mon son. Wrestlers don't need to kick out when there's no referee counting. Hacksaw makes another pinning attempt, and Sherri grabs Savage's foot and puts it on the bottom rope. Duggan yells at Sherri, but he doesn't leave himself open to being attacked, as he clobbers Savage just as soon as he gets back up. Savage does reverse the tide though, and lays in a hard clothesline on Duggan to get things turned around. Up to the top, takes way too long on the flying elbow, and misses.
Multiple clotheslines by Duggan. Twice now the camera has gotten close to him and they've had to bleep out him randomly cussing for some reason. Hacksaw gets set up for the three-point stance into the clothesline (how that makes a clothesline more powerful, I have no idea), and it hits, but it knocks Savage outside instead of leaving him in to be able to pin. Duggan goes out after him, but more interference by Sherri gets him wound up, and he actually ends up grabbing her by the hair and threatening her in the ring.
The referee stops Duggan from doing anything to Sherri by getting in the way, but then Savage lays in a running knee from behind, and we have a ref bump. Small package by Duggan, but the bumped ref of course can't count. Hacksaw tries unsuccessfully to revive the referee, then executes another pinfall attempt. Ref still isn't awake, dumbass. As he goes to wake him again, Sherri slips the loaded purse to Savage, Savage clocks him, and Duggan is out. Savage slowly covers, Sherri wakes the referee up, but after such a long wait Savage can only get a two-count.
Macho attempts to climb the ropes, Duggan pulls him down and stops him, but Savage executes a double-leg takedown, puts his feet up on the ropes, and with the leverage he makes the pin for the win. They threaten a Dusty finish as another official comes in to help the referee out and maybe tell him of the cheating, but no, Savage is announced the winner.
Result: Randy Savage via pinfall (roughly 15:30)
Rating: It wasn't terrible, but you don't put ****ing Hacksaw Jim Duggan in 15+-minute matches. He tried pretty hard, but the dude only knows like three moves. This probably wouldn't have made the cut to get published in the thread, but since Savage did feud with Duggan and since I can't find a link for their SNME match a few months later, I figured I should include one of them.
1.75 stars out of 5.