Eight more wrestlers were eliminated in two rounds of losers’ bracket action, and only eight men remain in the tournament. Jimmy Snuka pulled off one of the biggest upsets yet, knocking out #1 Hulk Hogan, though Snuka went out in the next round at the hands of Jake Roberts. Honky Tonk Man found a way to earn two victories despite being on the verge of defeat in both.
Losers’ Bracket Third Round:
(7) Big John Studd vs. (18) Big Boss Man: Big Boss Man had an upset on his mind, though he didn’t do it by himself. His manager, Slick, hit Studd with the cane at one point early. Kamala — who the winner will face in the next round — came out to ringside to watch. He made it clear who he would rather face by getting involved, distracting Studd, and allowing Big Boss Man to hit the Sidewalk Slam for the win. Big Boss Man def. Studd by pinfall at 12:00.
(5) Ted DiBiase vs. (29) Bob Orton: DiBiase had this one well in hand, dominating the match and pushing Orton to his limit. With nothing left to lose, Orton tried to cheat by repeatedly bashing DiBiase with his cast, and the referee put a stop to it. DiBiase def. Orton by disqualification at 15:00.
(1) Hulk Hogan vs. (26) Jimmy Snuka: Incredible! Hogan was going through the motions early, Snuka landed his Superfly Big Splash off the top rope, Hogan stayed down, and the #1 seed is out of the tournament! Snuka def. Hogan by pinfall at 10:00.
(20) Honky Tonk Man vs. (22) Nikolai Volkoff: Volkoff was having his way with Honky Tonk Man, putting him in a couple of backbreakers and wearing him down quickly. Volkoff got over-aggressive, however, throwing HTM out of the ring, following him out, but missing a move badly. Honky Tonk Man took advantage, driving Volkoff’s head into the ring post, knocking him out cold. Honky Tonk Man got back into the ring before the 10 count. Honky Tonk Man def. Volkoff by countout at 17:00.
Losers’ Bracket Fourth Round:
(17) Kamala vs. (18) Big Boss Man: Kamala’s gambit to hand-pick his opponent paid off, as what appeared to be a closely matched contest was anything but. Kamala dominated, and his third Big Splash was the charm in putting Big Boss Man out. Kamala def. Big Boss Man by pinfall at 8:00.
(5) Ted DiBiase vs. (21) Brutus Beefcake: Another big upset! DiBiase had control, but his assistant Virgil attempted to get involved. Beefcake smashed the two into each other, then rolled up DiBiase and caught him by surprise to knock out another top-five seed. Beefcake def. DiBiase by pinfall at 13:00.
(10) Jake Roberts vs. (26) Jimmy Snuka: Every time Roberts looked like he was one his way to a victory, Snuka battled back and found some momentum. Roberts hit a couple of DDTs, but Snuka kicked out and regain control both times. At the point of exhaustion, Snuka landed a high crossbody off the top rope, but Roberts kicked out at about 2.9. Roberts finally ended a marathon match with his third DDT. Roberts def. Snuka by pinfall at 40:00.
(14) Rick Rude vs. (20) Honky Tonk Man: Both wrestlers hit their finishers early, but it was far too early to put the other away. Both tried to cheat, attempting to pin the other with their feet on the ropes, but neither got away with it. Rude entered the match as the favorite and he maintained a big advantage throughout. But with Honky Tonk Man nearly out. he pulled the Shake, Rattle & Roll out of nowhere, and got the 1-2-3 despite having the odds stacked against him. Honky Tonk Man def. Rude by pinfall at 38:00.
ROGER SPORTS & GAMES 