Piper Plays Musical Chairs with These Squares, Rich Flair Before There Were Ric Flairs

Roddy Piper v Mr. Fuji (WWF Superstars, 11/1/86) - FUN

This was like three minutes and ruled. Fuji the previous week had gotten in Piper's face and stuck the cane in his throat, so Piper said he'd wipe the floor with him on tv the next week. I'm not sure why Hot Rod never just dropped him then and there but whatever. This is that next week and Piper wipes the floor with him. He jabs him with the eye poke, then pops him with a super exaggerated hokey karate blow to the face, then winds up for another and Fuji just punches him in the balls. This wasn't like your low blow where the uppercut connects with the nether region at the elbow joint, this was more fist and it looked pretty brutal. Fuji coming off the top with a missed legdrop was wild because I thought for sure he was beyond trying anything like that in 1986. We get a schmozz finish with Muraco and Orton interfering and Piper tries to take Danny Davis' head off with a crutch for disqualifying Piper rather than Fuji, as any referee with a shred of credibility would have.


Roddy Piper v Don Muraco (WWF, 11/1/86) - GOOD

This was also really cool, as most of these 7 minute Piper house show matches tend to be. We get some double juice here with Piper hammering Muraco up and down the place to start, biting him in the forehead to draw some blood. Muraco does the Terry Funk seesaw spot in the ropes as Piper punches away at him, then snot rockets with both barrels. Muraco takes over with an awesome ring post spot where Piper really flies into it. Fuji of course throws in some cheapshots, then as Piper makes his comeback he lifts Muraco up for a slam and Fuji, from the floor, jabs him in the gut with the cane. That led to a great nearfall and we get a nice finish as well, with Muraco accidentally knocking Fuji off the apron and Piper rolling him up with a cradle.


Complete & Accurate Hot Rod