The SmarK Rant for WWE Vintage Collection – 09.23.11
– Your host is Mean Gene, and the theme is the Best of Fall Brawl, part the first.
3 Count v. The Misfits In Action (Chavo Guerrero, Lash LeRoux & The Wall)
From Fall Brawl 2000, a ridiculously bad show. Chavo gets a wheelbarrow suplex on Shannon and it’s over to “Whatever Happened To†Lash LeRoux to hammer away before getting briefly caught in the heel corner. He tags the Wall, who hits Shane Helms with a press slam into a spinebuster for two. Over to Lash again, but he gets tripped up and double-teamed for two. Shannon with a rocker dropper for two, as Lash is your ginger-in-peril. Actually, maybe he grew up to be Sheamus. Lash fights back, but gets powerslammed by Karagias and a flying elbow gets two as we take a break. Back with Shannon getting a flying splash for two, and he slugs Lash down for two. Lash comes back with a springboard into an X-factor, which seems like it’s going against a law of physics somewhere, but I’m not sure what’s wrong with it exactly. Hot tag Wall, but he gets hit in the nuts and everyone starts doing their dives. Wall tries to chokeslam Helms, but he gets superkicked through a table that, swear to god, mysteriously appeared at ringside in the 10 seconds between spots. Where the hell did that table come from? Back in the ring, 3 Count triple-teams the remaining MiA members, but Wall saves, and Lash finishes Shane with the fireman’s carry slam thing that I’ll call the LASH BLAST because he’s not gonna care at this point. Total vanilla tag match with a hot finish, but no one was going anywhere here. ***1/4 MIA was a total loser gimmick, and I don’t think LeRoux is even in the business any longer. Neither is Evan Karagias, although that’s no big loss. We know what happened with the Wall, obviously. Or maybe you don’t, I dunno, but he died in 2002 from the ever popular drug-related complications.
The Road Warriors v. The Samoan Swat Team
From Fall Brawl 89, which was merely a Clash of Champions show. Big brawl to start and Fatu superkicks Animal for nothing, as he no-sells and cleans house right away. Samu declines to hook up with Hawk, and gets his ass kicked by Animal as a result. Hawk continues with a fistdrop for two. Back to Fatu and Animal, as Fatu bumps off him like a jobber and Hawk adds a clothesline for two. Sadly, he misses a blind charge and hits the post, allowing Samu to drop him on the railing to take over. Back in, Fatu with a powerslam for two and he goes to the bearhug. Hawk pounds the shit out of Fatu’s back to escape and makes the tag, but the ref doesn’t see it. That’s a nice spot because Hawk got out with more gusto than you usually see from a bearhug spot and really made the fans want the tag. The SST continue working him over in the corner and Fatu does the stupid “land on the foot from the top†spot to set up the hot tag. It’s BONZO GONZO and Fatu gets Paul E’s PORTABLE PHONE OF DEATH, but Hawk steals it and cleans house. Doomsday Device kills Fatu dead at 6:45. Nothing special, but then the LOD were just cashing cheques until they could jump ship anyway. They’d even put the SST over on house shows a whole bunch of times on the way out. **1/4
Johnny B. Badd v. Brian Pillman
From Fall Brawl 95, and this would definitely quality on the “best ofâ€. JIP about 7 minutes in with Badd holding a headlock, and Pillman escapes with a backbreaker and goes to a boston crab. Badd is busted open somewhere along the line, but comes back with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for two. Badd surfboards him to counter a bodyscissors, but Brian is in the ropes. He hits Badd with a cheapshot, which was a mildly shocking occurance at this point since his heel turn wasn’t until later in the show. Pillman takes a walk and we take a break. Back with Badd threatening to knock Pillman out, but Brian tosses him. Badd comes back with in with the slingshot legdrop and goes to a chinlock, but Pillman escapes with a jawbreaker and then puts Badd down with a headbutt.  Pillman puts him on the floor, but Badd suplexes him out and follows with a pescado. Back in, Badd goes up and gets dropkicked coming down, and we take another break. Back with Pillman getting a tombstone for two and setting up for the tornado DDT, but Badd blocks for two. He goes to an armbar, which is kind of questionable with 2 minutes left in the match, but Pillman legsweeps him into a cross-armbreaker. That goes nowhere, and Pillman grabs a hold with time running out. Badd escapes and KOs him, but it only gets two. Pillman with Air Pillman for two and time elapses at 20:00, 13:00 of which were shown. However, since this is for a title shot, we take a break and figure things out. Back with Badd getting a sleeper as we’re in OVERTIME, but Pillman escapes quickly. They fight on the top and Badd gets the sunset flip for two. Powerbomb is reversed into a rana by Pillman for two. Crucifix is blocked by Badd for two. Back up, and this time Badd gets a rana off the top for two. Badd goes up again, but Pillman reverses to the DDT for two. Pillman to the top now, but Badd brings him down and then launches him into the railing. Funny how Pillman kept finding stranger ways to work in that spot. Badd hits him with the somersault plancha and sends him back in for a springboard splash, but Pillman gets the knees up for two. He suplexes Badd onto the top rope and out of the ring, then follows with a tope suicida. Back in, he misses the springboard dive and crotches himself on the top rope, which gives Badd two. They collide and Badd finally falls on top for the pin at 20:11 aired. Slow start, but it just built and built and built with great drama. ****
Next week:Â Fall Brawl, part deux!
