WWF World Heavyweight Championship Tournement – 1988

All matches took place at WrestleMania IV in Atlantic City, NJ, held March 27, 1988.

– Opening Round

– Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant received a bye into the Quarter-Finals

Ted Dibiase (w/ Andre the Giant & Virgil) pinned Jim Duggan at 5:02 with a knee to the back after Andre tripped Duggan as he attempted the running clothesline; after the bout, Duggan cleared the ring with his 2×4

Don Muraco (w/ Superstar Billy Graham) defeated Dino Bravo (w/ Frenchy Martin) via disqualification at 4:54 after Bravo pulled the referee in front of Muraco; Bravo thought he had won since the dazed referee tapped him three times after Bravo dropped Muraco with the side suplex and made the cover

Greg Valentine (w/ Jimmy Hart) pinned Ricky Steamboat at 9:11 when the momentum of a crossbody off the top put Valentine on top for the win; prior to the bout, Steamboat came ringside with his baby boy, with his wife then taking the baby backstage before the match began (Steamboat’s last appearance for 3 years)

Randy Savage (w/ Miss Elizabeth) pinned Butch Reed (w/ Slick) at 4:09 with the flying elbowsmash after throwing Reed off the top

The One Man Gang (w/ Slick) defeated Bam Bam Bigelow (w/ Oliver Humperdink) via count-out at 2:55 as Bigelow battled with Gang on the apron after Slick pulled down the top rope, causing Bigelow to fall to the floor

Jake Roberts fought Rick Rude (w/ Bobby Heenan) to a 15-minute time-limit draw at 15:15; after the bout, Roberts cleared Rude from the ring with Damien (the debut of Rude’s air-brushed tights)

– Quarter-Finals

Hulk Hogan fought Andre the Giant (w/ Ted Dibiase & Virgil) to a double disqualification at 5:23 when Hogan stole a steel chair away from Dibiase after Dibiase hit him with it, with Hogan and Andre then hitting each other with the chair; after the bout, Hogan knocked Andre down with the chair then chased Dibiase and Virgil up the aisle, with Hogan then dropping Virgil with a suplex in the aisle after Dibiase retreated backstage; moments later, Hogan returned to the ring and dropped Andre with a bodyslam

Ted Dibiase pinned Don Muraco (w/ Superstar Billy Graham) at 5:35 after dropping him throat-first across the top rope

Randy Savage (w/ Miss Elizabeth) pinned Greg Valentine (w/ Jimmy Hart) at 6:07 with an inside cradle as Valentine attempted the figure-4

– Semi-Finals

Randy Savage (w/ Miss Elizabeth) defeated One Man Gang (w/ Slick) via disqualification at 4:35 when the Gang grabbed Slick’s cane and attempted to hit Savage with it; after the bout, OMG used the cane as a weapon but Savage cleared the ring moments later

– Finals

Randy Savage (w/ Miss Elizabeth) pinned Ted Dibiase (w/ Andre the Giant) with the flying elbowsmash to win the title at 9:17 after Hulk Hogan interfered and hit Dibiase in the back with a chair as Savage was caught in the Million $ Dream; late in the bout, after interference from Andre, Elizabeth left ringside and later returned with Hogan; Bob Uecker was the guest ring announcer for the match, Vanna White was the guest timekeeper, and Robin Leach was the presenter for the world championship belt