PPV/Supercard Talk #8: The Big Event

1) What do you rate this event? (1-5, 5 being the best): 5 and double it, so 10. This amazing event was not only not a pay per view but it really was considered to be a basic house show until the crowd size would be noticed. To me, this was a turning point for WWF where they knew they had something special and could book ahead to have an amazing show at WrestleMania III.

2) What were you looking forward to or most excited to see at this event?: Everything from the Mean Gene intro on the VHS to the crowd to the stadium and the raised platform for the ring to the different characters of the time period.

3) What did you like most about this event?: Being part of the CNE event. I think they did something like this in 1996 but no where near as spectacular. Things like the CNE have to be a great part of childhood for kids and families so having that along with a family friendly wrestling event had to be pretty cool.

4) What did hate most about this event?: Didn't have some of the bigger stars on the show. It had a PPV (actually better than PPVs at the time) feel to it yet the card was basic house show. We missed Macho Man, George Steele, Nikolai and Sheik, Bulldogs, Hart Foundation, Bob Orton and more.

5) What could/would have made this event better to/for you?: More matches or bigger stars. Maybe more matches with bigger stars and put the lowest card guys in a battle royal like WrestleMania IV.


a) best match: Jake Roberts v. Ricky Steamboat, those guys always put on a quality match with lots of great psychology and work ethic/athleticism.

b) worst match: Six man tag. I enjoyed the concept and I liked all the guys involved, I even liked the Machine gimmick and I understand they put Andre in the best way they could but still pretty disappointed we didn't get a real finish. I wonder who would win? I'm thinking Bundy or Studd or even Bobby pins Super Machine since he probably wouldn't mind a pin.

c) fav match: Honestly I'd go with any of the low level matches like Pedro v. Harley, Tony Garea v. Ted Arcidi, King Tonga v. Don Muraco or Mike Sharpe v. Dick Slater since we didn't see most those guys much, if at all on PPVs or bigger events at the time.



**Final Thoughts**: My all time favorite show. I often google image "WWF 1986 Big Event" or "Canadian National Exhibition" (not related to the Big Event. My love of the show makes me hope I do get to go to the CNE once though I don't really make plans around it because I'd probably be disappointed. This was a simpler time for wrestling and family friendly events like CNE. I wish WWF had known how big it would be at the time and put it on PPV or TV or had more coverage of the show outside the VHS which was all chopped up. I wish Paul Orndorff got more credit than he does for the storyline with Hulk. The matches may not have screamed WrestleMania but with the crowd and some of the storylines this was definitely WrestleMania III before March 1987.

Is that Teddy Long on commentary?

PPV/Supercard Talk #8: The Big Event



1) What do you rate this event? (1-5, 5 being the best): 2

2) What were you looking forward to or most excited to see at this event?: Hogan vs. Orndorff

3) What did you like most about this event?: That it was in Toronto for us Canadian folk to see it live

4) What did hate most about this event?: the under card of matches that were on it

5) What could/would have made this event better to/for you?: British Bulldogs vs. Hart Foundation


a) best match: Hogan vs. Orndorff

b) worst match: Ted Arcidi wrestled on it, so probably that match

c) fav match: Jake Roberts vs. Ricky Steamboat



**Final Thoughts**: This really was like the prelude to what would become SummerSlam in 1988. The Big Event was surely based around Paul Orndorff vs. Hulk Hogan for the WWF Title. Some say that Mr. Wonderful should have won the WWF Title that night off Hogan. Instead it ended in a DQ finish. I remember watching this event about 15 years ago or so. I got it in a tape trade over the internet, and I was not impressed with the show. The matches were blah to me, and besides Roberts vs. Steamboat and Hogan vs. Orndorff, I felt the rest of the show is pretty forgettable. I gave this show a 2 out of 5. The 2 being that only two matches on the show interested me enough to sit through this event.

Although Jesse and Gorilla were a classic, I enjoyed the non-PPV makeshift commentary teams. I think this one was kind of a "throw on the wall and see if sticks" type of thing but it worked.