OOOLD SCHOOOOL

[Cobra1000]

Promo with Bobby Heenan - He tells Mr Perfect that The Narcissist is coming at the Royal Rumble. He had a hard time saying the Narcissist so often but he's better than perfection.

 

He'd have a lot harder time now, that's for sure. Also, pretty sure it was still "Narcissus" rather than "The Narcissist" at the time. Until someone pointed out that pretending Lex actually was a character from Greek mythology was fucking dumb.

 

The Steiners are gonna face the Beverly Brothers at the Royal Rumble, I dont much fancy the Bevs in that.

 

Oh, you. Acting like you don't know what happens. Don't act too shocked when Carlito's dad wins the Rumble.

 

At least i think thats the Rocker Dropper!

 

Indeed it was. You know, there are a lot of Raw concepts I miss, and "Raw Girls" is definitely one.

 

I've never seen these Raws so i dont actually know what happens apart from seeing clips and stuff! I've seen random PPVs from around this time, but havent see the Rumble which I've just started watching now.

[air_raid]

Spoiler - Carlito's dad is in it.

[PowerButchi]

WCW WORLDWIDE 26/9/1998

 

Futuristic spaceships ahoy for the opening credits and straight into the entrance of Lenny Lane. No fucking about here. Our announcers are "The Living Legend" Larry Zbyszko and Tony "Tony Schiavone" Schiavone.

 

 

Lenny Lane vs Gentleman Chris Adams.

 

Lenny Lane is wearing his neon green pleather tights and is doing his Ab Spray gimmick where he'd spray his abs, because he reckoned he had nice abs as opposed to his current gimmick which is disappointing children all over the USA when they get a "Wrestling Party" and realise it's this fucking jabroni attending it carrying a Sara Lee gateau.

 

Chris Adams' regal music hits, resplendent and full of pageantry, and he bounds down the aisle in very possibly the best coat in wrestling in 1998. I imagine he's smacked off his tits as well. It's glittery and has fake army medals on it.

 

 

Around this time he started wearing a Gi and doing martial arts as well. Then about 79,999 (well, Glacier and Perry Saturn) people feuded over the right to use the Kryonic Kick with a K. Then Adams was cast aside from this feud (which is a shame as his Cryonic Cicc with a C) was probably the best, and he was put in a weekend syndication hell feud with "Mr World Class" Chip Minton who did Bobsleigh for the states in the Olympics and was dead shit at wrestling.

 

Anyway, I digress.

 

I've never been impressed by Lenny Lane, let's see if he can change my mind here.

 

Lane minces and stalls before getting caught by a couple of armdrags and back body drop by the Gentleman. Adams does a front flip 360 for no reason and to no reaction. I'm amazed his gut allowed him to really. Snapmare to chin lock on Lane. Lane gets shoulderblocked, snapmared again and back into the chinlock. It's going to be one of those matches, I think. Lane escapes and does a weird half clothesline/half head push takedown thing that shit women do to get Adams to the mat. Adams proceeds to just get up and clothesline Lane. Chris Adams has apparently turned into one of the Road Warriors for the day. Snapmare and, for fucks sakes, rear chin lock. Lane fights up, pokes Adams in the eye, and smacks his head into a turnbuckle. Hopefully that's the last of the snapmare into rear chinlocking.

 

Lane bulldogs Adams down, and goes to strand 3. He's either pulled off or falls off, the camera work was a bit dodgy there, and Adams gives him a nice fallaway suplex from the position you'd put someone in to gutbuster them. Not firemans carry, around your midriff. Adams' BEAUTIFUL superkick later, and that's stumps. Lane got absolutely fucking mullered there.

 

 

Lee Marshall interviews Perry Saturn

 

Tony the Tiger takes time off from harrassing people at Nitro Parties to talk with Perry Saturn. Saturn winds Lee up, he's upset about it. Alright then...

 

 

Todd Griffith vs Bobby Blaze

 

No, I don't know who Todd Griffith is either. He's got tassles on his tights though, so I can dig that. Bobby Blaze of course spent time in SMW and somehow made it into the WCW Mayhem computer game. I quite like Bobby Blaze, so hopefully he'll triumph.

 

Headlock to hammerlock by Blaze, reversed by Griffith into headlock of his own. Not too much happening really, just lots of reversing of headlocks and hammerlocks and waistlocks. Griffith is thrown to ropes, and it becomes clear he hasn't been taught how to run them yet. Blaze just elbows him in the face. Timing's all off here, Griffith got clobbered with that. Blaze does the slingshot guillotine under the bottom rope that always looks killer, and keeps control with strikes. Blaze slaps on a chin lock and I consider whether I fancy a butty or not. Griffith's come back with piss forearms and a horrid sunset flip put paid to that though, and Griffith does one of the worst WHITE MEAT comebacks I've ever seen, seemingly not knowing what he's supposed to be doing at times, so just instead whips Blaze from one corner to the other. Snap suplex by Shit Griffith, and he goes to the top where he misses a horrible looking moosault. Blaze whips him into the ropes, jumps and clobbers him with a knee, and hits a butterfly suplex for a three.

 

Fucking awful match and, trust me, it was all Todd Griffith's fault.

 

 

The Grappler Len Denton vs Atlantis

 

One of those matches that only WCW D-shows can offer up, we've got a name of Pacific Northwest wrestling vs a name from CMLL. This is why I love WCW syndies.

 

Punches traded, and Atlantis hits a shoulderblock. Leapfrog, then clothesline by The Grappler. Atlantis connects with a brace of dropkicks sending Denton to the outside where he jaws with a Virgil lookalike in the crowd before entering the ring. He takes control, and hits a nice suplex. I do like Len Denton. Nice backbreaker, turnbuckle smash, clothesline in the corner. Denton whips Atlantis to the other corner, follows in, but Atlantis jumps over the top rope onto the apron and connects with a cross body from the top. Backslide, and that's a three count victory for the Luchador.

 

Fun match, shame it was so short. Best match of the match so far with some ease.

 

 

Public Enemy vs The Villanos

 

Another "Only possible in WCW" bout right here. I love the Villanos, so I'll be gutted when they lose.

 

"YOU'VE GOTTA GET UP TO GET DOWN!"

 

It's Rocco Rock and The Straw That Broke Benoit's Back. Not massive on the PE, to be honest. Villanos are great though.

 

IV gets a backdrop suplex off Rock after missing a discus clothesline which is pretty swish, and here comes Johnny Grunge with a tag. Rock stays in the ring, and they execute a double flapjack before Rocco Rock (who was far older than I thought he was) fucks off. IV rakes the eyes and tags in V, who takes over with some chops before sustaining a hiptoss and some clotheslines. IV knees Grunge in the back however as he runs the ropes, giving us our heat segment. Nice drop toe hold/leg drop double team by the brothers Mendoza. They attempt another double team, but Grunge evades their attacks and makes the hot tag.

 

Clotheslines everywhere as Rocco is on fire. All four are in and do the obligatory "Dozy-Do", Villanos knock heads, Rocco connects with Drive By and that's it.

 

Fun match. They kept the time short and the energy high, which is the best thing you can do with a team like Public Enemy.

 

 

Lee Marshall interviews Disco Inferno

 

Disco Inferno wore a nice lime green shirt and was funny. That's all there is to say really.

 

 

Perry Saturn vs Glacier

 

KRYONIC KICKS AT WAR!

 

Glacier's still getting his long entrance at this point, despite being pretty much a JTTS since the start of the year. There's snow, Glacier's doing karate moves to thin air, and my arse is really starting to itch. I loved him as Coach Buzz Stern and when he came back as Glacier in 2000 though.

 

His opponent is Saturn, and he's got his eye on Halloween Havoc and the other on... I dunno. But he has just freed the flock, and given Kidman the HEART to become Cruiserweight champ. The crowd are chanting "Glacier Sucks" and I'm inclined to agree.

 

Saturn with kicks to Glaciers head in a martial arts style... and there's fucking smoke everywhere. Well, dry ice. That's the problem with having an entrance like Glacier's in what appears to be the world's smallest soundstage. Harrumph. Glacier is whipped to the buckle, and dropkicked as he staggers out. Glacier takes a powder, and that fucking dry ice is everywhere now. Quite distracting. It's all on the sodding hard camera side. More stalling by Glacier. And it's shit stalling as well. Just walking around the ring. If you're going to do that, at least jaw with people and work it a bit.

 

They run around the ring like a dull version of a Benny Hill skit before Glacier does the "get in before the opponent and then stomp him as he slides in" spot. Saturn russian leg sweeps Glacier, and gets stun gunned and Glacier takes over. He strikes away at Saturn. Lots of stomping and kicking away. Vertical suplex by the cold one, and he's feeling pretty happy with himself and so proceeds to show arse a bit with the crowd and ref. Rear chin lock time, had to happen sooner or later. Saturn powers out, tries a hiptoss, Glacier blocks, Saturn changes it to a backdrop suplex which is successful.

 

Glacier is up first, kicks Saturn a bit, whips to the ropes, and Saturn hits a clothesline. Glacier does a somersault sell from a back elbow, reverses an irish whip, and sweeps Saturn at the calves. Glacier attempts worlds' worst ever superkick, misses, and Saturn has to muscle him up for the DVD as he's that fucking bad! Three count and Saturn wins.

 

Main event was what it was. What has become clear to me though, is that Saturn's matches really haven't aged tremendously. I used to think he was King Shit. Nowadays, not so much.

 

 

Anyway, alright show. Atlantis vs Denton and PE vs Villanos are the picks of the card.

[WWFChilli]

1987 Slammy Awards

 

 

I've never seen the 1987 Slammys. Luckily some gem posted it online so here goes.

 

We open the show with 'RIDE OF THE VALKYRIE'S. It's not Daniel Bryan though, it's the voice of Mean Gene as he tells us this show is bigger than the Oscars, the Emmy, the Tony. Everything... which segues into a Fink v/o telling us its the 37th Annual Slammy Awards. Wait! WHAT? 37th Annual? No, I have no idea why it's the 37th (there had only been one previous to it). It's obviously a joke, but I would be fucked to explain you what the joke itself is.

 

Anyway, we come to the red carpet arrivals, complete with the SNME theme. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE looks like a fucking star. Hogan turns up on a Harley in a sleeveless tux with cowboy boots, and for some unexplained reason, everyone else arrives in the back of an ambulance. Except Honky Tonk Man, who pops in via his pink Cadillac and The Bolsheviks, who arrive via horse back. Everyone looks boss. Valentine & The Hart Foundation wears pink tuxedos, Hacksaw Jim Duggan wears a shirt with a shirt/bowtie printed on it. Brutus is cutting someone's hair as he pulls in. Harley Race wears his wrestling gear but adds a shirt. King Kong Bundy suits up in a top hat and bowtie. The Warrior wears suspenders (?) and Hercules dresses up like a roman gladiator. THE STARS ARE OUT LADS, Lanny Poffo was not invited, yet Outback Jack was. Twats.

 

 

The main show opens and Vinnie Mac walks out carrying a Slammy Award. He is sounding off like Jimmy Swaggart, telling us everyone is a winner for, and I quote, "This celebration of the human potential. This luuurrrveeee fest of mutual admiration and support. This tribute to da bluuuurrdd, the sweat, the tears, that lie, behind all the glitter and glamor". Read that back but imagine Vince doing a coked-up Bray Wyatt impression and you are on the right track. With that unstable moment out of the way, Vince introduces Mean Gene and Jesse Ventura as the hosts.

 

Gene, as always looks to be a few beers in, and Jesse is dressed in a pink outfit (the same he wore on the 1999 WWF VHS tape front cover). Gene has such a lovely soothing voice, perfect for broadcasting. Jesse makes it known that HE is the host of the show. They go into a campy routine where Gene asks Jesse to introduce the head of the 'Academy for Sports and Sciences". Jess asks if he means the "WWF's A.S.S?" This bit goes on, until Gene introduces "Jackass ...oupp, no, Jack Tunney". Tunney appears, smiles and waives, and promptly fucks off never to be seen again. It's ok though, here comes our first award of the night.

 

 

Best Performance by a Animal

NOMINEES:

1) Damien the snake

2) Frankie the bird

3) Matilda the bulldog

4) George the Animal Steele

 

It should be noted here, that all the wrestlers are sat in the audience, with other wrestlers and complete strangers (I presume real family members or Titan office workers). If you look hard enough you can also see Jack Lanza and Pat Patterson kicking back. Anyway, George wins the award and promptly eats the turnbuckle attached to the awards podium and then chases the woman who hands the award out. I fucking hate George Steele, he seemed fun, but he was shite fun, the type as you grow up, you realize he was shit. It's time for the first song of the night anyway. SHAKE RATTLE AND FUCKING ROLL, Honky Tonk Man is here, and he has brought the hoes with him. This is just great fun, Honky just hams it up to the max with Jesse Lee Ventura tickling the ivories (at one point playing with his foot) and the Hart Foundation as backing dancers (most of the boys told Bret later, in tears, how good the dancing was for business). Honky and his honkette dance troupe do a lovely number and the crowd boo. Kayfabe.

 

This rolls nicely into the award for Best Woman in the WWF, presented by Honky Tonk & Jimmy Hart.

NOMINEES

1) Sensational Sherri (Honky Sez: "I'd drink from her cup anytime")

2) Dolly Parton (Honky Sez: "I thought we did the best animal a while ago")

3) Moolah (Honky Sez: "Even DiBiasi's moolah, could not buy an award for that old battleaxe")

4) Yoko Ono (?) (Honky Sez: "Imagine that. I cannot")

5) Elizabeth (Honky Sez: "Well she would not be lonely if she hanged around with the Honky Tonk Man")

 

Honky wants his dick wet and Macho Man is pissed. Them's fightin' words Roy. Anyway, Elizabeth wins but she is anxious to get to the stage, until Macho barges the fuck up there and HTM and Jimmy do one. Macho, for the record, is wearing a silver all in one sleeveless catsuit with a shirt tied around his neck. Classic. Hacksaw Jim Duggan is next to present the Best Dressed Award. Duggan is good fun, I hated him as a kid, but growing up I love the bloke now.

 

NOMINEES

1) Macho Man

2) Honky Tonk Man

3) King Harley Race

4) The British Bulldogs

 

King Harley Race takes the Slammy, Bobby Heenan tells Duggan to bow to the king and present the award properly. Duggan is not going for any of that shit and a brawl kicks off. Gorilla Monsoon arrives to give us play-by-play. This bit is quality. If you ever wanted to see a 1999 Hardcore Match in 1987, this is what it looks like. They began brawling in 'Pierre's make-up area' and they throw 'chemicals' (make-up) at one another. They proper beat the shit out of one another. They fight farther on where there are chickens and a man with a Llama tied to a rope. Not a clue why, they never explain. Still the brawl goes on to the electrical area. During this part Brutus Beefcake presents the Best Head (ooer) award off-screen to Bam Bam Bigelow (Bruti got snubbed). Harley Race then actually goes through a table. The fight carries on into the dancers dressing room (que screaming ladies in wigs) an old lady attacks Bobby Heenan, and then they destroy the catering area before we go back to Jesse and Mean Gene. Brilliant Stuff.

 

 

THE HULKSTERS IN THE HOUSE. Hogan presents a Special Achievement Award to Superstar Billy Graham, who as we know paid him back by badmouthing him to the media. No respect that Billy Graham. This is followed by 'Stand Back' with Vince McMahon and the Vinnie Mac band (Jake Roberts & the Killer Bees on the horns, Macho Man on trumpet and Bigelow on sax) while the WWF Champion smacks the bass strings. Of course this clip has been on TV a shit load since then to mock Vince. Vince is brilliant in this. He should have taken his act on the road. The backing dancers were flooding the stage for a ride of the genetic jackhammer. 10/10 for Vince's super brilliant Tom Jones dancing. Mans a beast.

 

 

Jesse Ventura is ready to hand out the world famous 'JESSE THE BODY AWARD'.

NOMINEES

1) Rick Rude (looking boss)

2) BUTCH Reed (in wrestling gear with gold bowtie)

3) Ultimate Warrior (wearing white suspenders, he looks shit)

4) Sensational Sherri

5 Hercules (dressed as a gladiator, he looks stupider than the Warrior)

 

No Mr. Wonderful. What the fuck. Rude takes the award, and proceeds to do a strip tease on stage, he is really going for it, Rude is a laugh. Jesse Ventura is dancing along as well, before Gene Okerlund stops Rude with a towel. Rude still takes his kecks off regardless and Gene takes a good hard look at 'The strongest Arm in Minnesota'. Rude then hugs the Federette lady at the podium... she cums. Rude is brilliant, he is loving it. This is all followed by a montage of the best moments of 1987 played to 'Hit me with your best shot' by BEND A CAR, PAT BENATAR.

 

We go into the next award but just before that, Duggan and Race come smashing back on stage. Harley and Heenan make for the hills and Monsoon holds Duggan back. Loved it. Next award is the Biggest HIT of 1987.

NOMINEES

1) Andre the Giant

2) Hacksaw Jim Duggan

3) Honky Tonk Man

4) Strike Force

5) Bam Bam Bigelow

 

Duggan takes the win. Jesse's contempt for Duggan is marvelous. Gorilla Monsoon presents Manager of the Year. As Monsoon presents all the nominees they all make their way to the stage. Slick wears a gold suit, he looks fucking magic. Jimmy Hart, Mr. Fuji & Bobby Heenan all join him. Monsoon is brilliant here. The Winner is... NONE OF THE ABOVE. That is it. No Winner at all, not even Big Daddy Dink. The managers wrestlers all berate the result in the audience, before we go onto the next live performance. PILEDRIVER with Koko B. Ware. The set is similar to the Piledriver music video, set on a construction site. Bam Bam Bigelow is once again on the sax. Koko and everyone on stage (wrestlers and slags) are decked out in WWF construction hats, shorts and sledgehammers, except Davey Boy who's pouring the concrete coz he's bizarre. It's really is weird seeing Dynamite Kid doing a dance routine in the background. Ultimate Warrior has a bit where he casually strolls across the stage before being chatted up by a construction rat. Warrior seems confused not being paid $500 for his services AND by a woman! She wants it Big Jim. Piledriver is a decent tune, oh and midway through the song we see a flashback of Koko at dinner with his bird (and a woman, haw haw) and he gives her a rose. Love feels like a piledriver remember. Gutted they did not show Koko giving the hooker the Ghost buster through the dinner table.

 

Best Personal Hygiene

NOMINEES

1) Sika

2) Hillbilly Jim

3) George the Animal Steele

4) The Bolsheviks

5) King Kong Bundy (they show a clip of Bundy on the shitter)

 

 

The Bolsheviks take the Slammy. They fall over on the stairs (commies cannot climb stairs), the crowd chants USA, blah! The Bolsheviks were shit. Fuck them. Anyway, it's time for GIRLS IN CARS. Robbie Dupree was too expensive for this so they have the Jimmy Hart from The Gentrys instead. I find it odd that Jimmy is singing Strike Force's theme. What is more odd is that there is NO Girls in Cars. There are girls on roller skates, tricycles, girls DRESSED as cars. But no Girls IN Cars. Strike Force turn up on Motorbikes dressed like WHAM! FFS. Eventually one of the Rossetti Sisters picks up Jimmy and walks off. It's worth it for Jimmy Hart, I will say that.

 

Macho Man and Liz present the next award. Savage threw his silver robe on. He looks magnificent. The award is for Best Noise. Macho & Liz have the microphone chemistry here of an episode of LA Pool Party. Anyway...

NOMINEES

1) JYD

2) One Man Gang

3) Hacksaw Jim Duggan

4) Jimmy Hart

5) George the Animal Steele

 

BOOM, Hacksaw is the Adele of the awards, taking two Slammys. Duggan is the original double Slammy Award winner. We then end with 'If You Only Knew' featuring all the WWF Superstars on face/heel sides, clapping awkwardly back and forth. It's a bloody weird site. Some of the lads do not give a shit. Some of them though, notably Jake Roberts and Koko B. Ware are even giving actions to the lyrics. Give it all lads. The credits roll and the Producer is credited at 'KAY FABE'. Brilliant.

 

 

That was the Slammys. It was, an experience.

[The Cum Doctor]

WWE King of the Ring 1993

 

So we're back on PPV yet again.

 

Razor Ramon vs. Bret Hart - King of the Ring Quarter Finals

 

An excellent way to open the show here. Incredibly well built. The match gets going with Hart really controlling things, and as hard as Razor tries to get away from the technical wrestling of Hart, he keeps on getting reeled in. Razor ends up managing to escape and from there he dominates the match. Hart's comeback into the match is very sudden but the fans are waaaaay into it. The closing stretch is absolutely amazing and the fans TOTALLY thought that Hart had it won with a Small Package. After a terrific 10 minutes, Hart counters a Super Back Drop Suplex into a pin and gets the three count. Excellent opener.

 

Mr. Hughes vs. Mr. Perfect - King of the Ring Quarter Finals

 

I've really not liked Mr. Hughes watching these old shows, but against Mr. Perfect, we might wee something good from him. Bret Hart pops up and says he'd rather face Mr. Hughes. He says "I like him better". So do I Bret. So do I. Mr. Hughes winds up getting DQed thanks to hitting Mr. Perfect with The Undertaker's urn. Daft bastard. Nothing of a match.

 

Bam Bam Bigelow vs. "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan - King of the Ring Quarter Finals

 

Oh jesus. Give me strength. Mercifully, it doesn't look like it lasts long. It's amazing how long and how often people bought into the "can't knock the big man down... now I can!" spot. I was the same as well. Bought into it every bloody time. Credit to Duggan for some world class selling at times, as Bigelow went for the ribs. Initially, I actually thought he was genuinely hurt. He's Duggan though, and he manages to forget about it now and again. Infact, this match is nowhere near as bad as I thought it was going to be. Bigelow wins a hard fought contest with the Falling Headbutt off the top.

 

Lex Luger vs. Tatanka - King of the Ring Quarter Finals

 

As for this match, I do have memories of it, and none of them good. Which is surprising so I'll give it a chance and see what happens. Tatanka hits the ring quick style while the mirror is in the ring and this one gets going in a hurry. Luger has been forced to wear an elbow pad as well. The fans got right into things when Tatanka was in trouble. They seemed to fade a bit but when Tatanka came back into the match properly, they were going nuts for it. It didn't seem to add much to the match for me though. There was a good sequence where Tatanka is desperately searching for the win when he has control, but after that, it goes back to the boredom. We go to the time limit for a dull but inoffensive match.

 

Mr. Perfect vs. Bret Hart - King of the Ring Semi Finals

 

This is a rematch of their acclaimed battle at Summerslam 1991. People are mixed seemingly over what match is the better match. Everything with this match is so effortless. It just moves along brilliantly. I particularly like the opening minutes with Bret Hart taking control of the match with the Headlock, and Perfect eventually going to questionable tactics to try and get a foothold on the match. After a long hard fought and brilliant match to watch, Hart gets the win with a reversal of a Small Package. Real top drawer stuff here.

 

Hulk Hogan © vs. Yokozuna - WWE World Heavyweight Championship

 

Crowd are absolutely MENTAL for Hogan here. I always love when Hogan gets a bit dirty when he wrestles, and he shows some nice signs of that in this match. This is pretty basic big man vs little man stuff, but it works really well seeing as the two guys involved are pretty excellent at those kinds of matches. I love the story of Hogan always going to the Body Slam attempt. He's done it a few times, but it's always good. The crowd groaning whenever Hogan fails in a comeback attempt is funny and the reactions to Yoko's bigger moves are even better. A cameraman gets on the apron... and shoots a fireball in the face of Hogan. Yoko with the Leg Drop to end a pretty fun match.

 

Money Inc. and The Headshrinkers vs. The Steiner Brothers and The Smoking Gunns

 

With the talent in this match, this surely has to be at least entertaining, right? The fans really don't like IRS. He just gets tagged in and the fans lose the plot with him. Poor guy. I love Dibiase's Suplex. The segment where Bart Gunn gets the life beaten out of him seems to sort of kill the crowd a bit. Dibiase lets go of the Million Dollar Dream to just rub things in, and I HATE when things like that happen. Billy Gunn gets a Small Package following that and that wins a rather disappointing match. Post-match, hell kicks off untill the babyfaces clear the ring.

 

Shawn Michaels © vs. Crush - WWE Intercontinental Championship

 

The opening stages of this match are a total mess. They can't seem to decide what the hell they're going to do with each other. We eventually seem to get some sort of order when Crush starts to toy with HBK. This works untill Diesel does a bit of distracting and HBK takes full advantage of that. The two Doinks turn up at ringside and Crush gets distracted after taking control of the match. Superkick to the back of the head from HBK gets the win for him in a pretty poor match. Post-match, Crush gets up right away and fully sprints to the back to get the Doinks. Fuck sake.

 

Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Bret Hart - King of the Ring Finals

 

They skip right past any sort of build and Bigelow just beats the living crap out of Hart right off the bat. Much like Hogan/Yokozuna earlier on, this is very much a good big man vs. little man match, except Bigelow is a lot more brutal and methodical than Yoko was earlier in the show which I like. Luna turns up midway through the match and smacks Hart with a chair while the referee has Bigelow distracted. Bigelow wins with the Headbutt off the top but Earl Hebner is out there saying that the match MUST continue as someone chaired Hart. So the match continues and remains a lot of fun untill Hart winds up taking the win with the Victory Roll. A good final to the tourney.

 

So we now have the coronation with Mean Gene. Jerry "The King" Lawler then turns up and he's here to confront the pretender to his throne. There's only one king and he's that king. Hart says that Lawler didn't have the guts to even enter the tournament, before leading the audience in a chant of Burger King. Lawler then attacks with the sceptre. He then throws the throne down on top of him and continues the beating with the sceptre. Lawler says he's now gonna let Hart kiss the feet of the only king and kicks him in the face. A brilliant angle to end things.

 

This PPV was actually quite a bit of fun from start to finish.

[IANdrewDiceClay]

When Luna Vachon turned up half way through the main event, I always remember thinking Jim Ross was yelling "That's Luger with Shawn". I remember wondering "where? And more importantly, why?"

 

King of the Ring was a great PPV looking back, but one which I was completely stung by as a kid. I couldn't get into the rest of it after Hogan lost. And lost in such a fashion that we were questioning that he may never see again. I always thought that King of the Ring officially marked the end of the golden era in the WWF and started the New Generation. It was all Luger, Bret and Razor Ramon after Hogan left.

[MoistVaj]

WWF In Your House 3

 

 

I have been re-watching the IYH series recently, and as far as the 1995 WWF landscape goes, I think that these 2 hour shows were a much better way to show off the roster, I personally found 3 of the 5 big PPVs that year being tedious and hard to sit through.

Anyway, the show long storyline was that fact that Owen Hart hadn't arrived at the arena for the evenings show. Which left Jim Cornette and Mr Fuji with a massive fucking problem. They need a replacement partner for Yokozuna for the main event, in which all the titles are on the line in a tag match vs Diesel and HBK.

Two dudes with attitudes to you.

 

Todd Pettingill sure knows how to shill, and brings us up to speed during the 30 minute free 4 all show. No bonus match here though, sadly. We are however given all the info needed on the evenings top matches and why they are happening. Good enough for me.

 

The first match of the evening is Savio Vega vs Waylon Mercy. I was a fan of the Mercy gimmick, I was not a fan however of Savio Vega in any capacity. The bloke is just fucking boring. He manages to get a 'shock' win here, but no one really gives a shit to be honest. Highlight of the match is Waylon's entrance music.

 

The second match pits Sid vs Henry O Godwinn. Ahh, something to get interested in. Well, not quite. Godwinn gets in more offense than he should, which is a shame as Sid is brilliant, and Godwinn is an utter bore. Sid wins with a nasty looking powerbomb which he almost botches. Sid's manager, Ted Dibiase gets slopped after the match by Godwinn. Vince oversells the hilarity a tad. infact he's still laughing away about 5 minutes into the next match. Poor sod.

 

Backstage, Jim Cornette is trying to find a replacement for Owen and is seen chatting with Sid. You know full well he should have been chosen too.

 

On to match number 3, which involves a face Bam Bam Bigelow (yawn) and a freshly turned heel British Bulldog (top bloke). In all honesty, it's not actually a bad match at all really, although there is several dreaded rest hold spots. I'm blaming Bigelow here, Davey Boy looked ready to go, but is probably a few minutes too long and the crowd grow disinterested towards the middle section of the match. Davey Boy is allowed to kick out of the diving head butt, and moments later pins Bigelow with the running powerslam.

 

Cornette is backstage again talking to more heels, can't remember who as I watched it last week but I think it was Kama.

 

Match number 4 is Dean Douglas vs Razor Ramon which starts with a video package showing the tension between Razor and 123 Kid. Dean Douglas is accompanied by Bob Backlund who cuts a shit promo before the match starts. Lovely stuff. It's actually a pretty decent match, which is surprising considering the history of these two and the comments and allegations Douglas throws at Hall later on after he's gone. The ending is different too. Razor hits the Razors Edge and the ref gets knocked out, 123 Kid sprints in and makes the 3 count and Razor turns around to see the Kid trying to raise his arm in victory, but he's having none of it and shoves him out of the ring and then shouts at him in the aisle way, Douglas rolls up Razor and the ref counts the 3 for the upset. Razor looks proper fucked off and who can blame him to be fair?

 

Bret Hart next, versus Jean Pierre Lafitte, in a fight over Bret's stolen leather jacket which his mum gave him. Apparently. According to Vince. Bret cuts a cringeworthy promo before he makes his entrance, including the line :'' I'm going to make the pirate walk the plank'' which is just smashing. Anyway, pretty decent match considering, Bret could have a decent match with nearly anyone at this stage of his career though, so it's no big deal. Vince describes Lafitte as 'lump' during the match, which Lawler questions, Mcmmahon again reitirates his point ''yes, a LUMP.'' Bret goes over clean, naturally, with the sharpshooter in the middle of the ring and gets his jacket back. Everyone is happy.

 

Main Event time!! Cornette picks the Bulldog to be the replacement to the surprise of absolutely no one, inlcuding the live crowd who seem to sigh in unision at the announcement. The Two Dudes With Attitude are OVER. Got to be honest, thought the match dragged on a fair bit, but Michaels salvages it to be watchable with his exchanges with the Bulldog. Owen eventually appears and is pinned for the victory. Everybody goes home happy and the crowd lap up the victory pose down from Michaels and Diesel. Gorilla Monsoon reversed the decision the next night on Raw because Owen wasn't legally in the match, and therefore ripped off everyone who paid to see a 'guaranteed title change'. That's 90's WWF for you. Not a bad show all in all, though as I previously mentioned, had it been a 3 hour show I think more filler would have killed it.

[IANdrewDiceClay]

November 23rd, 1998 - Raw Is Raw:

-Now here’s a show which will leave you breathless if you watch it. There isn’t a second that goes by where something isn’t happening. There’s either a heel turn, a head shaved, a new authority figure, a bloke who is supposed to be under a mask turning out not to be under a mask, a burial or a fucking near embalming.

 

Opening the show is Vince, Shane and the Stooges announcing the new commissioner. Vince is less jaded and far, far less clich

[Devon Malcolm]

-X-Pac vs. The Rock:

Before the match, Michaels ordered the Outlaws and The Shamrock/Boss Man Alliance to the back. Which usually means someone else is interfering (which they did). Best match of the night by far. X-Pac was awesome at the time. It was a match which impressed to the point they took it on the road and it was a featured match at Capital Carnage a few weeks later. Vince and Shane came out to observe the action. Rocky grabbed a chair and was about to batter X-Pac with a chair, but HBK intercepts. Michaels then delivers a chairshot so hard, X-Pac still bitches about it on shoot interviews in 2012. Almost smashed his head in. Rock gives him the Corporate Elbow just for shits and giggles and Michaels celebrates with the Corporation.

 

If anyone is in any doubt as to how hard this chair shot was, it's replayed towards the start of this video:-

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NFidGqyzpI

 

He Barry Bonds-ed him. What a swing.

[NEWM]

There were some fucking nutso chair shots that stick in my mind from that time, HBK/X-Pac being one of them. Ignoring the obvious Rock/Foley Rumble match, Rock's shot on a kneeling Ken Shamrock in early '98 is absolutely vile by today's standards. Foley was guilty of agreeing to some fucking mental ones too, from The Outlaws and others when he was having the Hardcore Title matches. I don't miss them.

[Devon Malcolm]

Yeah, The Rock / Shamrock one is mental:-

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihWqI0my9ZU

[Bus Surfer]

While we're on Chair shots, This one from JBL to Eddie is harsh as fuck, then Eddie fucking blades on top of it. Stupid.

 

 

[Dirty Eddie]

Yeah, The Rock / Shamrock one is mental:-

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihWqI0my9ZU

 

That chair-shot is etched into my brain (though probably not as much as Shamrock's).

 

As harsh as it is though, it still looks a hell of a lot safer than the type of shot dished out by people like Bubba Ray, Balls Mahoney and Mike Awesome back in the day, who all seemed to aim for the very top of the head. Those are the ones that really make me cringe looking back, as you can see how it compresses the spine. Your forehead is pretty fucking solid, and I think I'd rather take one like that shot to X-Pac from Michaels, where it bounces off your forehead, than one from Balls that comes cracking down onto the top of your skull.

 

[King Pitcos]

Before the next bout, they show an advert for the new issue of WWF Raw Magazine. Whats great about it is Undertaker and Kane is on the cover promoting their new alliance. On this show Undertaker and Kane are already feuding. WWF was a bit head of itself at the time.

 

Wrestling magazine printing was mostly done by hand in them days. The issue of PWI that came out the same month was asking who was under the Black Scorpion mask in WCW.

[NEWM]

Yeah, The Rock / Shamrock one is mental:-

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihWqI0my9ZU

 

Fucking hell, how telling of the era is it that that one isn't even the one I was thinking of! It's actually this beast at the 0:20 mark:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RFO4U9yFvI