WWE SummerSlam 1989 (1989)

Intense, gripping, stylish and poignant

An absolute waste of money

A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

While the first SummerSlam event (1988) was a great premiere, this second edition takes a couple of steps backward due to only a couple really great matches and a "main event" that is anything but.The only two matches I really enjoyed from SummerSlam '89 were:-Hart Foundation vs. Brain Busters. Featured some great technical wrestling (as Bret Hart is always good for). -Ultimate Warrior vs. Rick Rude. Just a classic feud that they let play out at THIS event instead of letting it percolate to the next Wrestlemania.Then, we have the "Zeus" angle (from the WWF film production "No Holds Barred") for the main event, as he teams up with Randy Savage to take on Hulk Hogan and Brutus Beefcake. It is so obvious that Zeus is a film-promoting gimmick that it is kind of sickening. Plus, the Hogan/Savage feud had already been resolved at the previous Wrestlemania, so the bloom was off that rose.Overall, then, I felt that SummerSlam '89 was kind of a disappointment with its gimmicky main event and low quality of matches. Also, and perhaps this is a result of it being only the second event in the show's history, but this one seemed like little more than a place-holder for upcoming angles/arcs.

1. Hart Foundatione Vs. The Brainbusters Good match, but bad ending. 6.5/10 2. Honky Tonk Man Vs. Dusty Rhodes w. his most idiotic gimmick - Good thing for NWA that Dusty is here this time. Poor Honky Tonk must laid down to this stiff. 3/10 3. Mr. Perfect Vs. COCK red rooster - Nooo, give that man some decent gimmick. 7.5/10 4. The Rockers/Tito Santana Vs. The Rougeau Brothers/Rick Martel - Guys, that was an action! 7.5/10 5. IC Title Match: Champ-Ravishing Rick Rude Vs. "I'm taunting like hell but my wrestling skills are poor" Warrior - Oh no, title change :-/ that touch my rating! But must give credit, match was pretty exciting. Btw: funny, how Warrior screwed that last German Suplex and hurt himself instead Rude :D 5/10Piper's Appearance -5/106. 3 Really Bad Wretlers (Andre, Big Stiff Man, OMG) vs. Jim "LOL at him" Duggan/Warpaint Brothers - So, that match must sucks, but I'll give a chance... that Faces, seriously? Don't like Punch-Kick matches 4/10 7. Hercules Vs. Greg Valentine - Bad, yeah bad... 4/10 8. Ted Dibiase Vs. Jimmy Snuka - 4/10 9. Macho Man/Zeus Vs. Mentally Ill Beefcake/Hulk Hogan -I never know, what's so entertaining on these main events, wrestling is the weakest part of it. Invincible HULK... 4/10

They were the most powerful force in the history of wrestling. WWE Champion Randy Savage and former champion Hulk Hogan. But, just before Wrestlemania V that had all changed. Savage turned on Hogan, overcome by feelings of jealousy and inadequacy. Hogan then defeated Savage at Wrestlemania to win the WWE Championship in a thrilling contest. Savage was hurt by that loss and at Summerslam 1989, looked to end Hogan's career. Enlisting the help of the massive 7 foot monster Zeus to try and end Hulkamania forever.But first there were other matters to be resolved.FIrst up we get a good tag match as the Brainbusters Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson defeated the Hart Foundation. The Brainbusters had previously had great success in the NWA as part of the Four Horsemen along with Ric Flair and Barry Windham. They have a nice match here to open the show.Next is NWA legend Dusty Rhodes defeating the Honky Tonk Man with the Bionic Elbow. HTM was fareing quite well until his manager Jimmy Hart came into the ring and accidentally hit him with a megaphone. Mean Gene has a quick word to Hacksaw Jim Duggan and then Mr Perfect defeats the Red Rooster to remain undefeated. We then have Bobby Heenan and Rick Rude assuring all of us that Rude's victory over The Ultimate Warrior at Wrestlemania V was no fluke and that Rude would walk out of Summerslam as STILL the WWE Intercontinental Champion.Next up was the Rockers Shawn Micheals and Marty Janetty teaming up with Tito Santana and losing to the Rougeau brothers Jacques and Raymond, teaming up with Santana's former tag team partner Rick Martel. Martel pinned Janetty following shenanigans on the outside. All of these guys could go and this was an entertaining match.Next up Mean Gene talks to the Ultimate Warrior who says some indecipherable gibberish. The general gist is that he was going to beat Rick Rude in the next match and become a two time Inercontinental Champion. And that's exactly what happened. This is actually a very good match.Next we have another six man match, this time the good guys got up though with Jim Duggan and Demolition Ax and Smash defeating Andre the Giant with the Twin Towers Akeem and the Big Boss Man. Hacksaw hits Akeem with his 2 by 4 and Smash gets the pin.Next up the Million Dollar Man reminds us all that everyone has a price and also that he was going to beat Superfly Jimmy Snuka later on tonight.The most entertaining part of the next match was ring announcer Ronnie Garvin. Greg "The Hammer" Valentine pinned Hercules with his feet on the ropes. The ref noticed this and reversed his decision, meaning Hercules had won by disqualification.Oh my goodness, he's back. Million Dollar Man and Virgil talk to Mean Gene again. Wow, I'd forgotten he had a match later, it must have been 10 minutes since he said that. Why complain? DiBiase was gold. But Randy Savage, Sherri Martel and Zeus wanted a word as well. They just wanted to say Hogan and Beefcake were going to get rolled later on tonight. Good stuff again.Guess what? DiBiase really did beat Superfly Jimmy Snuka in the next match. A dodgy win thanks to a count out, but a win all the same.Next up we have our main event heroes Hulk Hogan and Brutus Beefcake. Hulkamania's the strongest force in the world. Even bigger than Zeus.All the talking's over. Time for the main event and Zeus and Savage do themselves proud, dominating the match, but Hulkamania is stronger than both of them as Hogan hulks up and pins the mighty Zeus. Hogan and Beefcake get the win in a fun main event.Well if the Mighty Zeus couldn't stop Hulk Hogan, then who in the WWE had a chance? And who would challenge the Warrior next for the Intercontinental Championship?

This was a great wresteling event from 1989. It was held at the Medowlands Arena in New Jersey. I like the main event which was Hulk Hogan and Brutis "The Barber" Beefcake vs. The "Macho Man" Randy Savage and Zeus. That was a classic WWF Event. One other of the matches I thought was also great was Dusty Rhodes vs "The Honky Tonk Man." I will remember "The Blue Blazer" aka the late Owen Hart for his great wresteling matches including this one with "Mr. Perfect" Curt Henning. Also, This was Andre The Giant's Last summerslam as he teamed up with The Big Boss Man and Akeem to take on "Hacksaw" Jim Duggin and The Rockers Shawn Micheals and Marty Jenatty. In anther great Match, This is a rematch from wrestlemaina 5, The Ultimate Warrior Tooked on "Ravishing" Rick Rude for the I.C. Belt and I loved it when the Warrior won his second I.C. belt. Rowdy Rowdy Piper was there, too. This was a great Pay-Per-Veiw.