WWE Vintage Collection Report: 11th April 2010
By Shaun Best-Rajah.com Reporter
Hosted by: Mean Gene Okerlund
Welcome aboard. This week, mid-1990s WWF action with four matches taken from the 1995 Coliseum Video release “Wham Bam Bodyslam!” (hosted by Ted DiBiase). Announcers for the show are Gorilla Monsoon and Stan Lane. Let’s begin.
October 18th 1994: Burlington, Vermont
WWF Women’s Title: Alundra Blayze vs Bull Nakano w/Luna Vachon
Joined in progress. Blayze is bridging out of pin attempts so Nakano sits on her. Nakano perches herself on the top rope choking Blayze before delivering a bulldog. Crowd chant USA as Blayze’s head meets the ringsteps. Nakano clotheslines Blayze on the floor then chokes her along the ring apron as Luna conveniently distracts the referee. Blayze is hesitant at getting back in, selling the threat of her larger Japanese foe. Nakano slams, Blayze bridges up, lands a takedown, but receives a forearm to the back from Luna. Blayze kicks Luna out of the equation. Nakano places Blayze on the top rope to deliver a swift DDT. Au revoir…No! Blayze gets a foot on the ropes and nearly sneaks it with a crucifix. Nakano squashes hopes of a sunset flip by sitting on top of the champion. A powerbomb connects, but the champion kicks out once more. Blayze catches Nakano up top. Nakano blocks a superplex, shoves Blayze off, and misses a legdrop. Blayze quickly hits a trifecta of dropkicks, ducks a clothesline and executes a nice bridging german suplex for the 1-2-3. Winner: ALUNDRA BLAYZE. Total nonstop action and anything but Diva-esque. A cracking opener. Blayze played the underdog role to perfection in a match given ample time to develop. Shame we didn’t get to see the first part. Women’s matches like this in today’s day and age are few and far between.
August 15th 1994: Lowell, Massachusetts
20 Man Over The Top Rope Battle Royal
(Participants: Diesel, Yokozuna, Mabel, Bam Bam Bigelow, Typhoon, 1-2-3 Kid, Bob Backlund, Double J Jeff Jarrett, Bob “Spark Plugg” Holly, Duke “The Dumpster” Droese, Kwang, Jimmy Del Ray, Tom Prichard, Bart Gunn, Billy Gunn, Samu, Fatu, Adam Bomb, IRS and Nikolai Volkoff.)
It’s time for spot the jobber amongst the superstar. Nothing on the line here apart from bragging rights. Everyone gangs up to dump Yokozuna in the opening seconds. Yoko pulls Fatu with him on his way out, but Fatu is allowed back in for some reason. The recently returned Nikolai Volkoff has “Property of Million Dollar Man” printed in gold letters on the back of his trunks to remind everyone he’s Ted DiBiase’s proverbial you know what. Diesel dumps Typhoon, Bart Gunn hooks Nikolai out, and Backlund lifts Tom Prichard onto the floor. Bam Bam misses a clothesline at Holly and goes flying out. A referee stops the Beast from the East from re-entering. Backlund shows some quickness to duck and bounce out Bart Gunn.
During a commercial break, Adam Bomb and Kwang eliminate each other while Diesel gets rid of Fatu for good. We return to see Big Daddy Cool continue on his roll as he ousts Mabel. The crowd chant “Diesel” so naturally the field all stop what they’re doing and team up once more to push Diesel out. There goes the last ‘giant.’ The reigning Intercontinental Champion continues his babyface transition by pumping his fist in the air to garner a rousing ovation on his way to the showers. Back in the ring, Jarrett clotheslines Holly out, before combining with IRS to throw out Droese. You could say they took out the trash LOL. IRS ducks a Del Ray lunge to send him onto the apron. Del Ray grabs IRS’s tie and Jarrett pushes the taxman out. Del Ray stands up only to be knocked back down and eliminated by a waiting Samu.
Our final five are Billy Gunn, Bob Backlund, 1-2-3 Kid, Jeff Jarrett and Samu. Everyone combines to get rid of Samu. Gunn misses a lunge at Jarrett and is next out. Jarrett thinks he’s tossed the Kid and starts to strut, but Kid hangs on, re-enters and throws out ‘ol Double J. Kid quickly goes after Backlund. Kid mistakenly attempts a chickenwing, but the psycho one quickly turns the tables. With the Kid barely conscious, Backlund scoops him out to win and pick up some momentum following his recent heel turn. Winner: BOB BACKLUND.
October 19th 1994: Albany, New York
Lex Luger vs Tatanka w/Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase
Tatanka double crossed Luger at SummerSlam by aligning with DiBiase’s Million Dollar Corporation after DiBiase spent weeks allegedly courting Luger. This was Luger’s chance at revenge. Lane calls Luger a “renegade” for some reason. Tatanka stalls outside until the referee backs Luger up which allows for a Tatanka sneak attack. Luger reverses head rams in the corner, then holds the advantage with punches until Tatanka hooks the trunks to send Luger to the floor and into the ringsteps. Tatanka sucks the life out of the match with kicks, chokes, elbow drops, menacing looks galore and the dreaded chinlock.
After Tatanka eats feet on a corner charge, Luger comes back with gut shots, a running kneelift and an awkward looking bulldog takedown. Three clotheslines send Tatanka to the floor. Luger follows, cue a feeble brawl and the predictable double countout. Luger gets back in the ring and gets on the mic saying no-one came to see a countout before goading Tatanka back in by calling him a “backstabbing, selling out you know what.” Luger gives Tatanka a powerslam then places him in the torture rack until referees swarm and put a stop to things. Luger paces around in a rage, while Monsoon seemingly makes light of things by pointing out agent Rene Goulet’s presence, saying tongue-in-cheek that “when you see someone like Rene Goulet down at ringside you know the end is very near.” This was ten minutes I’ll never get back. Both were very bland, mechanical and this feud bored me to tears. Neither had the personality to make me care about them. As a new heel, Tatanka offered nothing apart from those lame ass menacing faces. The sucky finish didn’t help things either. Fast forward this part. Winner: DOUBLE COUNTOUT.
October 19th 1994: Albany, New York
Bret “Hitman” Hart & British Bulldog vs Owen Hart & Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart
I’m pretty sure this match is on the upcoming “Hart and Soul” DVD. Bulldog and Anvil were brought back into the fold to spice up an already hot sibling rivalry and make it a proper family feud. Reigning WWF Champion Bret outwrestles his brother on the mat and gets an early nearfall from a crucifix. Owen elbows out of a hammerlock, tackles Bret, but gets caught with a reverse monkey flip and clothesline over the top rope. Owen complains that Bret’s not fighting fair. Bret goads Anvil in with fat jokes. Anvil shoves Bret into the ropes. Bret counters a slam, Anvil thwarts a rollup attempt and catches Bret in a bearhug. Bret bites free and tags in a ripped Bulldog, who takes Anvil down with a flying tackle after two ground attacks do nothing to budge him. Anvil cheap shots the throat before tagging Owen back in. Bulldog re-asserts his authority by giving the King of Harts a clothesline, Irish whip, backbodydrop and delayed vertical suplex to take us into a commercial break.
When we return, Bulldog is getting choked in the wrong corner. The break has edited out some of the Bulldog beatdown which included an Owen spin kick, enziguiri and double clothesline. Owen and Anvil use Bulldog’s legs as a wishbone. Anvil hooks the hair to throw Bulldog to the mat, then quickly grabs a front facelock to prevent a tag to Bret. Owen goads Bret into chasing him around the outside. This enables the New Foundation to deliver the old Hart Attack clothesline finish to Bulldog. Bret breaks up a cover. Bulldog absorbs more punishment in the corner, followed by a neckbreaker and chinlock from Owen. Bulldog and Owen collide, Anvil distracts the referee deliberately so he doesn’t see Bret tag and the Hitman is promptly ordered out. Owen wipes out Anvil with a dropkick after Bulldog breaks free from Anvil’s grip. Owen desperately grabs Bulldog’s leg so Bulldog uses his other leg to push Owen away and make the hot tag. Bret dropkicks Anvil, delivers a double noggin knocker, then mounts Owen in the corner before blindly leaping on top of Anvil to pound away. Bret intercepts Owen with an inverted atomic drop, before planting his brother with a clothesline, side Russian legsweep, backbreaker, elbow from the second rope and suplex. Bret applies the Sharpshooter, but Anvil quickly clotheslines him from behind. Bulldog re-enters, hoisting Owen up in a gorilla press. Anvil sledges Bulldog in the back, prompting Bret to go after him. Bulldog cradles Owen. Anvil rolls Owen on top, but Bret pushes Bulldog back on top to get the 1-2-3. Winners: BRET “HITMAN” HART & BRITISH BULLDOG. This was a very well-worked match with some good psychology of the fresh partner always staying on top.
Okerlund promises to “scour the vaults for our viewing pleasure again next week,” as he closes out the show.
The opener and Main Event tag are well worth going out of your way to view. I’ve seen worse Battle Royals as well, so a pretty strong show again this week once the Luger/Tatanka bout is taken out of the equation.
Other offerings (not shown) from the video release are as follows:
Doink & Dink run amok at WWF Studios.
Razor Ramon defeats Double J Jeff Jarrett in an Intercontinental Title bout.
The Bushwhackers defeat Well Dunn.
Shawn Michaels, Diesel & Tatanka defeat Lex Luger & The Smoking Gunns after Michaels pins Billy Gunn.
Bret Hart defeats Owen Hart in a Lumberjack Match for the WWF Title. Owen initially wins the title after Anvil interference, but the match gets restarted and Bret rolls up Owen to retain his title.
See you next week. Shaun.
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