Well finally my exams are finished so I’ve had the time to do a new video review. This was a show I’ve been meaning to do for a long time
Smack YOU! should make it’s return tommorow as well
We’re in Richmond Virginia
You’re hosts are J.R and King
Free for All Match
Rockabilly w/ Honky Tonk Man Vs Jesse James
Long before the New Age Outlaws became a tag team of a generation they were both stuck with dead end gimmicks in a dead end feud. James is of course Road Dogg and Rockabilly is Billy Gunn playing HTM’s protégé. James gets a hip toss and a dropkick to start and Rockabilly bails. James throws him back in but walks into a but to the gut. James gets a sleeper but it’s countered and then countered back again. James goes to the arm bar but Rockabilly fights out and gets a Fameasser, before it was famous, and then does some dancing and gets a led drop. The crowd is silent for all of this. James gets a cross body for two but walks into a clothesline for two. James gets the Shake, Rattle and Roll but puts his head down on an Irish Whip and gets caught with a big DDT for the three count
WINNER – ROCKABILLY
½* – This match was nothing.
The Hart Foundation are backstage and say that they’ve bought themselves ringside tickets and that they’ll be showing up tonight.
Flash Funk Vs Hunter Hearst Helmsley w/ Chyna
Flash is Too Cold Scorpio with a toned down version of The Godfather’s gimmick. Triple H was just about getting over here thanks to the addition of Chyna. Man it’s so weird to watch these old shows and see people like HHH when they still looked human. Lock up leads to a mild shoving contest and Flash goes to a side headlock. Leapfrog segment leads to some arm drags and an arm bar by Flash. Flash gets an arm wringer and then a sit out arm bar followed by a dropkick sending HHH outside. Flash gets a clothesline off the second rope to the outside onto HHH. HHH dodges a baseball slide and distracts the ref allowing Chyna to nail Flash with a clothesline. Flash fires off some right hands back in but HHH gets the knee crusher and then a running high knee as I fight the urge not to plagiarise Scott Keith.
HHH pounds away in the corner and does some pompous taunting while Chyna nails Flash in the face with a big forearm. Vertical Suplex leads to more taunting and a knee drop for two. HHH chokes away and does some punching before slapping on a chin lock. Flash fights out but takes a knee to the gut and then a knee to the face. Early HHH isn’t very pretty folks. Hunter slowly works Flash over on the apron and uses, one guess, a knee to send Flash off the apron onto the steel ramp in a nice spot. Back inside HHH tries to come off the top rope with something but lands square on Flash’s boot in a nice looking spot. Flash makes the comeback with a back body drop and a clothesline. Flash gets a nice pump leg drop for two and a Flying Cross Body but he doesn’t go for the pin. HHH takes a big bump in the corner and walks into a spin kick. Flash heads up top but HHH crotches him and gets a cool Super Back Drop and follows that with the Pedigree for the win.
WINNER – HUNTER HEARST HELMSLEY
** – Had a really slow start but actually got rather entertaining towards the end. Still you were lucky to break *** with early HHH until he started working with Mankind but you could see the start of him being something here. Chyna destroys Flash after the match to Hunter’s amusement.
Some footage is shown of Ken Shamrock in the UFC and we see that Vader and Mankind attacked Shamrock. Shamrock says he’s in the zone and that he won’t be shaken from his zone.
Mankind Vs Rocky Miavia
This show is like the twilight zone. Rocky was “The Rookie Sensation” blue chipper here and not getting over and Mankind was still in his psycho phase of his character. Two years later they had both been WWF Champions and main evented a number of pay per views. Life is weird no? Mankind sits and rocks in the corner to start but takes some right hands and a back body drop. Rocky clotheslines Mankind outside but gets dragged out as well and they brawl around ringside for a while. Rocky gets a Power Slam but misses an elbow. Rocky goes to an arm bar and drops some knees to Mankind’s elbow. Mankind fights out of an arm wringer but Rocky counters a neck breaker.
Mankind sends Rocky outside and gets a running Cannon Ball off the apron onto Rocky out there. Mankind fires off some forearms in the corner and gets a running knee to the face. Mankind rips at Rocky’s face but misses a charge in the corner and we have a double clothesline. Rocky snap mares Mankind over the top to the outside and they fight over to the ramp where Rocky gets a Rock Bottom in a sick bump from Mankind. Rocky gets two from that in the ring and Mankind falls down on an Irish Whip attempt. Rocky gets the Belly to Belly for two. Mankind gets the discus clothesline but Rocky gets an Inside Cradle for two. Rocky with a big clothesline sets up the Shoulder Breaker. Rocky gets the High Cross Body but it’s countered into the Mandible Claw and then ends things soon after.
WINNER – MANKIND
**1/4 – Energetic little match there. Rocky would turn heel in the summer and begin his road to super stardom.
Ahmed Johnson Vs The Nation of Domination
This is a gauntlet match where Ahmed has to fight three men and if he wins The Nation will split up. Ahmed’s pop is one of the biggest of the night. Seriously, this guy really screwed his big chance up, he could have been something big in wrestling.
Ahmed Johnson Vs Crush
Gorilla Monsoon forces the rest of The Nation to the ramp before the match can start. Ahmed pounds Crush down to start and gets a Scissors Kick. Ahmed slams Crush down but misses an elbow and Crush gets a super kick and a second rope clothesline for two. Crush goes to the nerve pinch and gets a big vertical suplex for two. Ahmed gets a nasty looking face first suplex for two. Crush gets a sleeper and that goes on for a while. Ahmed of course beats the count at two but walks into a clothesline and asks The Nation to come down but they won’t. Crush gets a really ugly pile driver and again asks the group to come down but they still won’t. Crush goes for the Heart Punch but Ahmed dodges it and gets a big kick for the win.
Ahmed Johnson Vs Savio Vega
Savio has “twisted ankle” so he limps down to the ring. Ahmed pounds the hell out of Savio but Savio gets a big kick in the corner and hops around to show he’s fine. See he was faking all along, the CAD! Savio works the kidney area in exciting fashion and that goes on for a very long time. See they want to have Ahmed be weakened or something for the final fall but it would have made much more sense for him to just destroy Crush and Savio before the showdown with Faarooq. Ahmed gets a big hip toss but misses a flying head butt and both guys are down. Ahmed finally starts hammering away on Savio and gets a big back suplex for two. Ahmed gets a big Power Slam for two and calls for the Pearl River Plunge but Savio rolls outside. Ahmed follows but takes a kick to the face and then Savio destroys him with a chair for the DQ so he’s nice and weak for Faarooq.
Ahmed Johnson Vs Faarooq
Faarooq is wearing a sling on his left shoulder and of course that proves to be fine. Faarooq pounds away on Ahmed Johnson but gets rolled up for a two count. Ahmed gets a Spine Buster from nowhere and then nails Faarooq with the Pearl River Plunge but is too hurt to get a proper cover and Faarooq kicks out at two. Faarooq chop blocks Ahmed and gets The Dominator for the win.
WINNERS – THE NATION OF DOMINATION
* – Not exactly a classic for the ages but it served it’s purpose.
They show footage of Vader and Shamrock fighting setting up…………
Vader Vs Ken Shamrock
You win by submission or knock out
This is Shamrock’s WWF PPV debut and he has generic music, I actually think it was Laurence Taylor’s music at one point too. This match is MMA style so you’ll have to forgive me if I call some stuff wrong as I’m not a big aficionado of that style. Lock up leads to Shamrock putting an arm bar on and Vader grabs the ropes. Shamrock gets a waist lock and Vader again uses the ropes to break. Shamrock gets some stiff kicks to Vader’s legs and actually gets a takedown on him. That was very impressive. Vader bails to regroup and comes in with some rights but Shamrock gets a big German Suplex and hammers away in the corner.
Vader hammers away with some rights and goes for a Power Slam but Shamrock counters with a leg lock but Vader bails again. Shamrock ducks some punches and gets some more kicks in on the legs. Vader gets a big short arm clothesline and goes to a Fujiwara Arm Bar. Shamrock rolls through and gets his own arm lock. That turns into a Triangle Choke but Vader powers up and throws Shamrock off. Vader suplexes Shamrock to the outside and then sends him into the steps. Vader’s nose is broken from something here. Shamrock is taking some serious bumps here on the outside. Shamrock tries a comeback but gets pounded down. Back inside Shamrock takes a hard Irish Whip in the corner and goes to version of the ankle lock.
Shamrock gets out of that so Vader locks in a rear naked choke but Shamrock gets out of that two. Vader gets a big splash in the corner, as this is turning more into you’re traditional pro wrestling match now, and heads up for a Moonsault, see what I mean?, but Shamrock moves. Shamrock gets some stuff kicks and knees in and big suplex that looked very impressive on a guy Vader’s size. Shamrock robotically demolishes Vader’s knees with kicks and submission moves and the crowd really don’t know what to make of that. Shamrock gets some big knees and shots in the corner and if this were Japan the building would be rocking. Vader smashes Shamrock with a HUGE right hand but Shamrock gets the ankle lock out of nowhere and Vader taps out.
WINNER – KEN SHAMROCK
**** – A really intense match that would get over much better today in a place like TNA or maybe even the current WWE what with the rise of UFC and Pride. The crowd was into it but you could tell they weren’t really getting it that well. I liked it more that I have in the past due to watching more Japanese style wrestling and having ordered a couple of UFC shows. I “get it” now, if you know what I mean?
Stone Cold Steve Austin is backstage and he’s not worried about The Hart Foundation being at ringside and he’ll beat Undertaker tonight.
WWF Championship
(C) The Undertaker Vs Stone Cold Steve Austin
Austin had just turned face and was feuding with the new heel turned Bret Hart. Undertaker was just coming off a feud with Mankind and this is their first PPV meeting. I should point out that Undertaker was probably at his peak for in ring skill and gimmick coolness here. He also does the cool “Explosion when raising the lights” routine which is much cooler than slowly raising his hand. Austin jumps Taker to start as The Hart Foundation come down to ringside. Taker starts fighting back and sends Austin into the turnbuckle. Austin goes outside and just nails Owen Hart for no reason. Taker sends Austin into the steps and then HE nails Owen. That was pretty funny. Austin pounds away back inside but Taker dodges a clothesline and gets a flying one of his own for two.
Taker goes to the arm and gets the rope walk for two. Austin goes to the eyes and then gets a side headlock and they work of that with Austin getting a couple of near falls. Austin holds onto the headlock tenaciously as Taker tries to counter it. Taker no sells a shoulder block so Austin goes back to the headlock as The Hart Foundation yell at some fans. Taker gets a back suplex to counter the headlock but Austin lands on his feet and gets a chop block. Austin attacks the knee but Taker throws him into the corner and gets some right hands in. Austin wraps Taker’s leg around the ring post and also flips Bret Hart the bird. Classy guy eh? Austin works the knee back inside but Undertaker keeps trying to fight him off. That’s what I like about matches like this. Rather than two guys just being in a hold for 10 minutes the two guys actually make it look like they’re in an actual contest.
Austin goes to an STF but Undertaker makes the ropes so Austin lays his neck across the apron and gets some elbows to the throat. Back inside Austin stays on the leg but gets sent outside by Taker and is introduced to the steps. Now Taker goes to town on Austin’s leg and the crowd pick that up. Austin fights out and gets some right hands but Taker stays on the leg and gets a half Boston Crab, although it’s not very well applied. Austin makes the ropes and bails outside but Taker follows and they fight around outside again. Back inside Austin ducks a big boot and goes back to the leg. He puts the spinning toe hold on but Taker kicks him off.
That move always seemed like a very easy move to counter to me. Austin slams Taker’s leg over the apron and drops some elbows back inside for two. Austin gets a vertical suplex for two but Taker fights back with a side kick for two. Taker heads up for the rope walk again but this time Austin counters it and crotches him on the top rope. Taker shoves Austin off to counter a Superplex but misses a running elbow. Taker gets a sleeper but Austin counter with a Stunner but both guys are out. Austin recovers but only gets two. A slugfest breaks out and Taker gets some rights in the corner but stops to stalk the ref and takes a blatant low blow from Austin. The ref doesn’t DQ Austin but instead admonishes him resulting in a pair of middle fingers.
Austin then walks into a low blow from Taker and when he yells at the ref to do something the ref flips HIM off. That was awesome. Taker pops up with a Choke Slam and Austin rolls to the ropes and on to the apron. Austin drops Taker’s throat on the top rope and gets the Stunner but Brian Pillman is messing around with the timekeepers bell giving Taker time to sit up. Taker goes for the Tombstone but Austin counters but Taker counters back and gets it for the three count
WINNER – THE UNDERTAKER
***3/4 – Post match The Hart Foundation attack Taker and Austin uses the chance to annihilate Bret at ringside and take his crutches. Austin clears the ring with the crutch and then Stunners Undertaker, just because he can, and then storms off to the back to continue fighting with the Harts. What an awesome match and a perfect example of why Austin got over.
The Inside Pulse
Well for a two hour show the last two matches make it a must see right away. You could also see the WWF start to find it’s way back to number 1 again here too. Undertaker was on a role and having some of his best matches, Bret Hart and Austin were in the midst of a great feud that really helped shape the Stone Cold character and guys like HHH, Rocky and Shamrock were starting to develop and were at least showing promise. Ironically it would be Rock and HHH’s reversal of roles that would really jumpstart both their careers and lead them to many world titles. Funny how things work isn’t it?
