Griffin Kaye
Wrestling history is filled with examples of bizarre wrestling locations, from the Mall of America to the Wyatt Family compound. However, few matches are as bizarre a spectacle as the 1985 WWF event in Puerto Rico where stars like Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage were forced to fight through an unrelenting rainstorm.
A History of the Hiram Bithorn Stadium
For the WWF’s first event in Puerto Rico, they chose the historic Hiram Bithorn Stadium in the country’s capital, San Juan.
Still standing today, it is now on the National Register of Historic Places. The Washington Post has remarked that “the ballpark bears…much resemblance to Shea Stadium.”
Although primarily a baseball park, it has also played host to some of the biggest musicians in the world, such as Rihanna, The Beach Boys, and Billy Joel.
However, for their October 1985 event, tickets for the WWF event sold dismally. Despite being at the peak of their popularity and into the so-called Golden Era, only 1,200 fans attended.
For reference, two years earlier, 32,000 fans had attended to watch the World Wrestling Council’s Aniversario event, which featured top performers from across the globe such as Andre The Giant, Mil Mascaras, and Ric Flair.
The Circumstances of October 19th 1985
[A look at the odd-looking ring setup of the night.]
The Puerto Rico event was a bizarre one even before the rains came.
Just one look at the set-up would make any wrestling fan double take. The ring was far smaller than usual, and with no turnbuckles, whilst a Panasonic logo was emblazoned on the canvas.
Another factor was the wafer-thin roster, due to the company having three different house show loops at the time. This meant several matches were puffed up with enhancement talent such as Steve Lombardi, Tiger Chung Lee, and The Spoiler.
It also left Gorilla Monsoon to do sole commentary, which he paired with doing the ring introductions. Occasionally, Monsoon would hint normal partner Jesse Ventura was “conspicuous by his absence.”
That said, one major celebrity did make an appearance when Cyndi Lauper appeared at the side of Wendi Richter after a delayed entrance.
Washed Away
[The low moment of the night perhaps was Big John Studd slipping on the slippery terrain.]
Puerto Rico averages over 15 rainy days every October – and the WWF found that out the hard way!
The rain really started hammering down during the night’s marquee match-up, WWF champion Hulk Hogan versus Big John Studd. At one point, Hogan delivered an atomic drop on Studd, who slipped on the soaked surface of the mat.
The persistent precipitation seemingly caused an audible in the match, with the referee declaring a fast 10-count for Hogan to win by count-out; a fact missed by commentator Gorilla Monsoon, by now taking refuge under a massive tarpaulin cover.
Next up, The Killer Bees took on journeymen Mike Sharpe and Barry O. The match largely consisted of standing strikes and grapples, with the referee slipping on the mat on one occasion. Speaking later, Killer Bee Jim Brunzell called it “the most precarious match I think I had in my career”, adding that his boots were so drenched that they took four days to dry out.
Oddly enough, the otherwise unremarkable match ended up on the Coliseum video Best of the WWF Vol. 16: Around the World.
Conditions continued to be “very treacherous” (in the words of Monsoon) for the Intercontinental title bout between champion Tito Santana and Randy Savage. Although the best-looking bout on paper, it was largely reduced to lengthy periods of stalling before a sudden finish.
The ‘main event’ would feature hometown boy and former WWF champion Pedro Morales. He would defeat The Spoiler Don Jardine in just over a minute with a small package – the third such finish in a row. By this point, only a few dozen of the already disappointing 1,000-plus fans remained.
Legacy
[Gorilla taking refuge under a waterproof cover.]
The rainstorm was not the only problem with the event, with there being anecdotal talk of lightning having hit the plane on the way back.
The poor reception of the Puerto Rico event meant the WWF would not return until 2005, when they hosted the New Year’s Revolution event.
2023 saw the company – largely on the back of a match featuring Puerto Rico sensation Bad Bunny – host the Backlash event in the nation, with nearly 18,000 fans watching on.
It seems the disastrous 1985 event did, for a while, kill the WWF’s effort on the island. Nonetheless, the event is a remarkable piece of footage, showing the ways wrestlers adapted to challenges and a rare instance of cutting the show short. Above all, it is simply a strange spectacle to watch.
Luke
“showing the ways wrestlers adapted to challenges”
Right there. What would have happened to the boys of today?
David Fullam
Puerto Rico was simply not receptive or ready for the WWF at the time. Seemed like the elements put the period on the sentence. Bottom line, never do shows in the open.