Another week of WWE Vintage Collection is off and running fast. And we’re up for a good one today, featuring matches from the attitude era! (which is when most of my own favorite matches occurred).
Our first match is coming from Breakdown 98 (Sept 27th) and features Edge and Owen Hart. We start off with the two men in the middle of the ring, and Owen gets the fast advantage locking in an overhand wrist lock. Owen gets the first hits in, and Edge hits a drop kick and a drop toe hold to lock in on Owen’s arm. Edge is showing some fast agility and gets Owen outside of the ring and follows through with a baseball slide to the outside. Edge goes for a move from the top rope and Owen reverses it, powerslamming Edge down onto the ground. And we go to an ad break watching Edge hold his back.
Coming back in we see Owen controlling the match, delivering punches and chops. Edge manages to reverse with a cross body, but Owen comes straight back with an insiguri kick. Owen climbs the ropes, but Edge picks him up and slams him down face first. Both men get up, and we see Edge hit a few more slams on Owen, and then a DDT to a two count. Owen keeps trying here, and Edge manages to reverse things, and we go back to Owen hitting a belly to back suplex to only a two count. Owen ends up sitting on top of the ring ropes, Edge goes up to hit a superplex and Owen manages to counter, sending Edge back down to the mat. Owen comes down, tries to lock in the sharp shooter but to no success. Edge hits a spinning heel kick to knock Owen down. Edge is distracted by someone at ringside (the debut of Christian) which allows Owen to roll Edge up and get the three count. And Edge goes running out of the arena after Christian. Your winner in this one, Owen Hart.
The lead-in to the next match features some great moments from Christian & Edge when they were a tag team. Plus some great 5 second poses. (oh how i miss these!). And we’re going back to the Royal Rumble 2001 for a tag team championship match between the Dudley Boyz and Edge & Christian. We’re already underway and it looks like D-von is struggling as Edge starts this off. Edge tries to pick D-von up, and he reverses it, catapulting Edge into Christian knocking him off the top ropes. A double clothesline manages to knock both legal men down and a 10 count begins. Bubba gets tagged in, but the ref didn’t see it, and as Bubba is trying to convince the ref, Edge and Christian get themselves some chairs. They’re going for a con-chair-to and D-von ducks leaving them to smash the chairs together. This leaves Bubba to get the tag and come in full strength. Edge is dominated, and Christian receives a Bubba Bomb. D-von hits a flying headbutt, and he goes for a table. This match is out of control now as both sides come back into the ring and try to hit finishers. Edge gets Bubba down, and he goes up to the top ropes to try and hit a flying headbutt of his own, and misses. The Dudleys hit a 3D and get the three count. The new tag team champions, the Dudley Boyz.
Next up, we’re seeing a match between Stone Cold Steve Austin and Kane, and its for the WWE Championship, from June 29th, 1998. Coming in mid match, Kane is in control holding in a choke on Austin in the corner of the ring. Both men get up and running here, with Austin getting in a mid air smash that knocks Kane down. Austin drags the body of Kane over to the corner of the ring and smashes his knee/ankle into the ring post. When Kane stands up, Austin takes him down again with a strike to the back of the knee. Kane manages to kick Austin outside of the ring here, and throws Austin into the steel steps, onto the railing, and stands on his neck. They go back into the ring, and Kane smashes Austin into the corner face first. Austin slides out of the ring, and Kane distracts the ref while Paul Bearer smashes Austin in the face with a shoe. Of course, Austin chases after Bearer but is stopped by a strong right hand from Kane. The men go back into the ring again, and Kane manages to get in a headlock. But here comes Undertaker down the ramp. It looks like the action inside the ring is still Kane dominating as he climbs to the top rope and slams down onto Austin. Headlock is on again, but Austin tries to fight back. Kane stops this, and hits a chokeslam. Austin gets back up, and manages to hit a Stone Cold Stunner on Kane, getting the three count and the win. Undertaker comes into the ring here, and Austin also hits a Stunner on him too. The new WWE Champion, Stone Cold Steve Austin.
This next match is for the European Championship, and its between Chris Jericho & Eddie Guerrero, and happened on April 3rd, 2000. Coming in, both men are outside the ring and exchanging blows. Rolling back into the ring, Guerrero starts off with a vertical suplex, and then winks at Chyna who at ringside with Jericho. Guererro goes up onto the ropes, jumps, and misses. This gives Jericho a chance to come back into this as he unloads on Guerrero. A drop toe hold sends Guerrero flying into the ref, knocking the ref outside of the ring. Jericho hits quite a few crazy moves, and goes for the three count. But there is no ref to make the three count. Chyna enters the ring, hits the ring three times, and then raises the hand of Jericho. She turns on him, hitting a DDT that leaves Jericho lying on the ground. Chyna arranges things so Guerrero’s arm is over Jericho. And she pulls the ref back in, leading to Guerrero taking out the win. The new European Champion, Eddie Guerrero.
We’re back, and being shown a promo between Kurt Angle & the Rock and their battle for the championship. This match is for the WWE Championship and is coming from No Way Out 2001. (Feb 25th, 2001). Angle and Rock are eyeing each other off in the middle of the ring. Rock starts off strong, laying into Angle. It looks like Angle is going to come back, but he doesn’t and Rock manages a side russian legsweep for the first pinfall attempt. They get back up again, and Angle tries to come back here with a clothesline knocking Rock down. Things go into the corner, and Angle chokes Rock for 4, and as Rock is trying to come back from this, Angle hits a drop toe hold into an ankle lock. It gets broken when Rock grabs the ropes. Angle tries to choke Rock on the ropes again, and unloads a series of kicks and punches. Angle hits a belly to belly suplex when Rock is trying to come back, they get up, Angle hits another one, and then on the third time its the Rock who delivers the suplex. We go to an ad here.
Back into this again, and Angle is unloading punches onto Rock, who immediately starts punching back. Things get moving and Rock manages to hit a spinebuster on Angle. Rock preps things up for the peoples elbow, and he hits it. But only for a two count. Rock keeps trying here, but Angle manages to get in a shot that knocks the Rock down. While he’s down, Angle exposes the top turnbuckle, and then of course, the Rock’s face gets smashed into it, and Angle hits an Olympic Slam. But only for a two count. The two men exchange punches and as Angle is trying to run towards the Rock, Rock manages to use the momentum to send Angle smashing into the exposed turnbuckle. Rock hits a Rock Bottom and it looks like its all over. But Angle manages to kick out. Rock gets up again, hits a second Rock Bottom, and this time its enough to keep Angle down for the three count. New WWE Champion, the Rock.
That’s all she wrote for this week, but stay tuned for more fun next week.
(also, apologies for the length of this, but I got a bit hyped up and excited over the content of Vintage this week!).
