From Vancouver, Canada
Hosts are Vincent Kennedy…Kennedy McMahon, Jerry “Chester the Molester†Lawler and Jim “Bah God, Pet Coon†Ross
Free For All. Savio Vega does a job to Bradshaw thanks to interference from Dutch Mantell. Match was nothing
Earlier tonight, Jim Cornette insults Jose Lothario and gets laid out as a result.
The Smoking Gunn’s w/ Sunny
Vs
The Body Donnas
Gunn’s were tag champs at this point but the belts aren’t on the line. Donnas cut a promo pre-match saying that they’ve fired Cloudy. Don’t ask, please. If you must know then email R.D Reynolds. The Body Donnas were an example of two very good wrestlers, Chris Candido and Tom Pritchard, who were stuck with a lousy gimmick. To be fair The Body Donnas gimmick worked pretty good as cheap heat heels but there was no way people were going to accept them as faces, especially with names like Skip and Zip. If they’d reverted back to their real names and dumped the gimmick they may have had a chance. Donnas run wild to start with double teams and clear the ring. Tom Pritchard was awesome during this period and it’s such a shame to see him wasting way in such a crappy gimmick.
Bart gets some chops on Pritchard but he fires back with some of his own and works the arm. Bart has his arm worked over for a while but gets a short arm clothesline and tags out. The deceptive size of the Gunn’s rears its head again as they dwarf both Donnas. Vince informs us that Jake Roberts will be no showing which leads to the legendary line from Lawler “I guess he finally suffered the wrath of grapesâ€. Billy now has his arm worked over by The Donnas as the crowd discusses other matters of severe importance. Man the crowds on these 96 WWF pay per views were not loving life. Anyway, Sunny pretends to be hurt and lures Candido into a cheap shot to make him face in peril. The Gunn’s botch the move that TWGTT do, I forget it’s name, and Billy chews out Bart on camera, way to be professional Monty.
Billy tries getting some cheap heat but the crowd is not buying what he’s selling. Candido gets a couple of hope spots but is mowed down by Bart, who’s holding this match together. Billy goes for an axe handle off the top but Candido counters with an inverted atomic drop to make the slightly warm tag. Pritchard runs wild but gets tripped to stop that. Bart sets up for The Side-Winder but Billy is doing whatever with Sunny outside and that allows Candido to catch him with a dropkick from the top to give The Donnas the upset.
WINNERS – THE BODY DONNAS
Time – 13:05
*3/4 – Couple of botched spots but everything else was okay. Match had no heat.
Mr. Perfect is backstage with Camp Cornette who are angry about Lothario attacking Cornette. Cornette is hilarious yelling about how Lothario pulled a switchblade on him. Cornette says he’ll refund all the fans money if the faces win tonight and then says he’ll have to refund “10 million dollarsâ€. Make your own joke about that one
Mankind
Vs
Henry Godwinn w/ Hillbilly Jim
Godwinn is filling in for a no-showing Jake Roberts. This match is a backdrop purely for Lawler to make alcoholic jokes. Mankind jumps Henry to start and stomps away. Henry comes back with a powerslam and then clotheslines Mankind over the top to the outside. Mankind comes back and pounds away with his usual stuff. Mick Foley is in excellent shape here it should be noted looking more like a slightly broken down regular guy rather than the injured walking whale he is today. Hey I’m Foley Mark #1 and I bet even he’d tell you he could do with some salads these days. One thing I loved about Mankind was that every move he did was measured with a designed effect. Mankind removes the mats at ringside and gets a spinning neck breaker on the concrete. Back inside, Henry fights back with some right hands. Mankind tries a splash in the corner but hits nothing but ring post in a horrific looking move. Henry smashes Mankind with a lariat but Mankind sends him outside. Henry uses the chance to throw mankind off the apron onto the concrete. Man Foley is insane. Mankind blocks the Slop Drop by grabbing the ropes and locks in The Mandible Claw for the win.
WINNER – MANKIND
Time – 6:54
** – Fun match that was designed to make Mankind look like a pain loving madman, and it worked.
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Vs
Marc Mero w/ Sable
This is a rematch from King of the Ring where Austin beat Mero in a semi-final. Sable actually looks human here thus making her attractive, sometimes that’s all you need. Austin wastes no time going to town with the right hands but Mero fires back with some of his own. Mero nails a cross body block for two and it’s time to go to arm-wringerville, population the first five minutes of most matches. Austin fights back with a side headlock but Mero counters that with a head scissors. Wow remember when Austin was primarily a mat wrestler? Mero nails a series of rights and lefts on Austin, who bails. Austin stalks Sable on the outside and Mero comes off the apron with an axe handle to stop that. Mero gets a roll up, which he injured Austin with back at KOTR, and Austin feigns being hurt again allowing him time for a cheap shot. I love old school heel stuff like that, Mr. Kennedy does it these days and it still works.
Austin tosses Mero into the ring post on the outside and then begins dissecting his upper body. Austin knocks Mero off the apron into the guardrail getting some semblance of face heat from the crowd. Trust the Canadian Fans to go against the grain. Austin gets the elbow from the second rope, getting another pop from the Austin fans, and then goes to the camel clutch. Mero crotches Austin on the top rope counters an Austin Powerbomb with a ‘rana over the top to the outside, it wasn’t pretty though. Mero gets a moonsault off the apron to the outside and follows it with a springboard splash inside for two. Marlena has come out with some sort of message for Vince. Mero gets a ten punch but gets crotched on the top by Austin. Mero blocks the Stunner with the ropes and gets a slingshot leg drop for two. Marlena comes out again to distract Mero and Austin nails the stunner for the three and a noticeable pop from the crowd.
WINNER – AUSTIN
Time – 10:48
**3/4 – Solid match. If this had been in front of a better crowd then it might have been more. It should be noted that the Stunner used here was more like a Diamond Cutter than the way we all recognise today.
Goldust w/ Marlena
Vs
The Undertaker w/ Paul Bearer
As I wrote in my IYH 8 review this was a feud that sounded great on paper but produced some really boring matches. Whereas Mankind and Undertaker had excellent chemistry together, Goldust and Undertaker had literally zero and their ring styles did not work well together. Dustin Rhodes was a good wrestler who really understood the Goldust character but the whole in ring style of Goldust did not lead to good matches. Case in point, Goldust stalls outside the ring to start. Goldust continues to stall using the ref as a shield. Undertaker finally hits Goldust with a right hand and Goldust rolls outside to stall some more. It’s such a shame too because Rhodes was probably at his peak as a worker during this period. Goldust pulls Taker outside but that ends up turning bad for him as Taker Choke Slams him on the ring steps. It didn’t look as good as it sounded, trust me. Taker returns outside and slams Goldust into the steps and picks them up to use as a weapon but Marlena makes herself a human shield to block that. Incidentally that was probably the loudest the crowd was all night.
Back inside, Taker continues to pound away as Goldust tries to undo a turnbuckle pad. Undertaker gets a clothesline and a leg drop for two. Goldust finally unloads with some offence but Taker no sells and goes back on the attack. Rope Walk gets a good pop as the crowd actually start showing emotion for the first time all night, and this after Undertaker had done a clean job to Mankind at the KOTR. But I thought no one could ever lose and maintain their popularity? But what about all the MVP marks who were crowing about him possibly losing to Matt Hardy at Wrestlemania because it would kill his momentum? Could they perhaps be wrong? On the F4W Board? Nay it cannot be. Oh right, the match. Goldust pretty much continues to be destroyed throughout, excluding a brief period here and there. Undertaker Tombstones Goldust but Mankind comes out from under the ring and locks in the Mandible Claw for the DQ.
WINNER – THE UNDERTAKER
Time – 12:07
** – Match actually wasn’t too bad. Crowd was into Undertaker and that deserves credit considering how lousy they’ve been all night. Undertaker and Mankind brawl to the back following the match, leading to their Boiler Room Brawl at Summer Slam.
Goldust and Mankind are backstage and seemingly in league with one another.
Vader, Owen Hart and British Bulldog w/ Jim Cornette
Vs
Shawn Michaels, Ahmed Johnson and Psycho Sid
Hilarious moment at the start as the fans literally knock down the guardrail to get Shawn Michaels. This was back before Shawn was booed out of every Canadian Arena. Vader and Shawn start out, with Vader using his fists to dominate. Shawn gets a ‘rana and clotheslines Vader to the outside. Shawn follows him out with a vaulting body press but misses an axe handle off the apron and hits the railing. Back inside, Vader goes to town with the fists in the corner. Shawn counters a back drop and tags in Sid who beats the crap out of everyone. Crowd loves Sid, which is why he was always pushed. Ahmed comes in with some sloppy multiple German Suplexes on Owen but misses an elbow drop. Bulldog comes in and pounds away but Ahmed fires back with a Spinebuster. Pearl River Plunge follows but Vader makes a save. Vader hammers away in the corner but Ahmed blocks and fires off with some of his own. Crowd keeps chanting for Sid. Vader crushes Ahmed in the corner and fires off with the rights and lefts again.
Ahmed catches him though and gets a powerslam for two. Owen comes in and nails the spinning wheel kick on Ahmed. Ahmed comes back with a Gorilla Press Slam and tags in Sid to a big pop. Sid nearly takes Owens head off with a big boot. Bulldog comes in and gets the Hanging Vertical Suplex on Sid in an amazing feat of strength. Unlike Mark Henry doing a power move it actually had crispness and finesse to it. Bulldog was awesome. Sid would seem to be in peril but he starts no selling Bulldog’s punches and tags in Shawn. Shawn misses a shoulder charge in the corner and that would appear to make him poorly drawing world champion in peril but he fights back. Owen comes in with an Oklahoma Roll for two. Shawn and Owen had excellent chemistry. After some great action, Owen gets a clothesline for two and tags in Bulldog. Bulldog gets a powerslam for two but misses an elbow. Shawn looks to make a comeback but Owen gets a cheap shot with the cast to stop that. Shawn continues to have the holy brouhaha beaten out of him, including a Flair Flip to the outside.
As Vader puts Shawn in a rest hold a fight breaks out in the crowd, which gets one of the biggest pops of the night. What does that say about your company if a crowd fight gets a bigger reaction that your entire under card? Vader splashes Shawn but Ahmed comes in and knocks Vader down. Bulldog thwarts the tag attempt though. Owen comes in but bangs heads with Shawn and it may be hot tag time. Bulldog again stops the tag and drops Shawn with a Running Powerslam. Sid makes the save and Shawn finally makes the hot tag to Ahmed. However, the ref doesn’t see it and it’s the old false tag routine. Owen missile dropkicks Bulldog by accident and Shawn makes the tag to Sid. Sid comes in a house en feugo and it’s Choke Slams for everyone! It all breaks loose as everyone starts brawling. Shawn hits Vader with the tennis racquet during the commotion for two. Cornette stops the Sweet Chin Music and Vader crushes Shawn with a Vader Bomb to score the win.
WINNERS – CAMP CORNETTE
Time – 24:32
***1/2 – Hot tag match that set up Vader as the #1 contender. Sid Powerbombs Owen and Bulldog post match and Shawn attacks Vader. Camp Cornette eventually retreats.
This was an absolute nothing show with an excellent main event. I don’t know who would have bought this show back in the day. It was just a Raw that you’d have to pay for with a bunch of squashes, semi competitive matches and a 6 man main event. There were a lot of poor shows in 1996 from the WWF. No wonder WCW was killing them at the time. I Don’t think I’ll recommend this one. Best to avoid.
