WWE Vintage Collection Recap – 1/10/10

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Before we get into the action we see Macho King Randy Savage (yes, king), cutting a promo that basically announces that if Sgt. Slaughter wins the title he has a deal with him that states that he will automatically become the #1 contender. But only if Sgt. Slaughter wins. Not if Ultimate Warrior retains.

And we go to Gene Okerlund for our introductions, and starting this week, we’re taking a look back at Royal Rumble moments.

Now we’re going back to the Royal Rumble, 1991. To watch Sensational Sherri have a bit of a talk to Ultimate Warrior about giving Randy Savage a title shot if Warrior retains the title. Basically she tries to suck up to him with compliments and some pretty funny flirting attempts. But of course, Warrior doesn’t fall for it all. So if Warrior retains, Savage does not get a title shot.

Our first match comes from the first ever Royal Rumble in 1988. And it’s Ricky Steamboat vs. Ravishing Rick Rude. Coming in, Steamboat has an arm hold in, but Rude is able to break it up with punches and kicks leading into a clothesline, and then back into the punches. He then runs Steamboat into some of the turnbuckles in different corners before going back to the punches again. Rude misses a punch, and Steamboat is able to slide through his legs and get up to deliver an arm drag into an arm bar. While still holding Rude’s arm, Steamboat delivers a series of knees to the top of Rude’s back. Rude is able to get to standing, and is able to reverse the action to send Steamboat whipping into the ropes, and as he comes back, Rude delivers an elbow to his eye. As Steamboat gets to standing, Rude starts in on him with punches, but Steamboat is able to come back with a series of punches of his own. Steamboat starts running the ropes, and Rude is able to catch him with a knee so that he keeps running and ends up going through the ropes to the ground outside. Rude slides out and smashes Steamboat’s back into the apron and into a bodyslam on the floor. Rude slides back in, starts to showboat and we go to an ad break.

Back in again and Rude has Steamboat in a reverse chinlock to the point where it looks like the match will be stopped, but Steamboat is able to eventually gather some strength and get to a standing position with Rude balanced on his shoulders. Dropping back to slam Rude into the ground, Steamboat is able to get back into this. Steamboat tries to go for a splash, but Rude is able to lift his knees. Steamboat is then picked up and thrown across the ring to a two count, and Rude is able to get straight back into the reverse chinlock. Steamboat slaps the mat before he is able to pick Rude up a little and send him launching forward into the corner turnbuckle. Where Steamboat joins him and slams his head into the turnbuckle 10 times. Steamboat sends Rude back down to the mat, to a chop and a two count. Rude is able to get back with a takedown, Steamboat locks in a headscissors, and Rude is able to roll over Steamboat pinning his shoulders down. The two men both use bridges to get back to standing, and Steamboat goes straight into a backslide into a two count. Again Steamboat is able to get another two count with a schoolboy rollup. Another two count for Steamboat before they roll up into a small package and a quick two count for both men. Rude is able to send Steamboat into the ropes and deliver a clothesline into a two count. Rude tries for a suplex but Steamboat is able to resist it and then reverse it delivering a suplex on Rude. Steamboat goes up high, goes for a cross body and Rude is able to push the ref into the firing line. Rude is able to pick Steamboat up onto his shoulders and crush him until the bell is rung. It seems like Rick Rude has won, but when the decision is announced it is actually Ricky “the Dragon” Steamboat who gets the win here because of Rude pushing the ref.

Our next match is from the 1989 Rumble and is a six man tag with three falls to decide the winners. Hacksaw Jim Duggan and the Hart Foundation against Dino Bravo and the Rougeau Brothers. Coming in we have Raymond Rougeau in with Duggan and Raymond runs the ropes until Hacksaw picks him up with a scoopslam and then delivers a knee to his sternum. Duggan tags in Bret Hart who goes for a small package to a two count, and then a sunset flip into another two count, followed by a cross body and then a tag, bringing in Jacques who starts working on Hart, He goes for a flip over Hart who is able to reverse things around and puts Jacques into the corner. Raymond follows him and Bret lines both of them up in the corner, and Neidhart delivers a spear. Duggan pushes Bravo into the corner too and Neidhart spears all three in the corner over and over. The legal men are in again, and Hart is able to deliver a kick to Jacques from behind but is then thrown out of the ring. Back inside the ring, Bravo delivers a side suplex and then tags in one of the Rougeaus who picks Hart up on his shoulders and the other Rougeau brother climbs up high and jumps onto Hart sending him crashing down onto the mat and allows the Rougeau and Bravo to pick up the first fall in this match. And we go to an ad break.

Coming back in to the second fall, Jacques has Hart in a boston crab, but Hart is able to get to his side of the ring, and makes the tag to Neidhart, but as the ref didn’t see the tag, it isn’t legal. As the ref has his back turned, Raymond comes in without a tag being made. Raymond puts an abdominal stretch on Hart, and Bravo distracts the ref while Jacques helps pull on Raymonds arm to intensify the stretch. The tag is made to Jacques and he comes in and puts another abdominal stretch on Hart. Raymond is tagged in, and he delivers a kick to Hart’s midsection. He drops a knee and it gets him a two count. Both men get to standing, and Raymond goes for a scoopslam but Hart is able to counter and sends Raymond down and lands ontop of him for a two count. Raymond goes straight back into things and is able to tag in Jacques and then send Hart running into the corner and stands above him on the second rope. Hart uses this to walk forward and drop Jacques down with an inverted atomic drop. Hart is able to crawl to his corner and tag in Hacksaw. All three of the opposing team come into the ring and Hacksaw starts to clean up. Scoopslamming Raymond and he then catapults Neidhart in to land ontop of Raymond, and does the same with Hart. A dropped shoulder gets Hacksaw the three count and the second fall in this match.

The third fall starts now, and Hacksaw delivers a clothesline and starts to try and beat on the men in the opposite corner. Bravo is tagged in and the Rougeau’s try and make an assist from the outside. Hacksaw is thrown into the ropes and runs into Bravo’s knee landing him sprawled over the second rope. Bravo starts to choke him out on the ropes, and one of the Rougeau’s takes over once the ref is distracted in the other corner. The other Rougeau comes in from behind for the assist too while Bravo also pushes down. As the ref comes back, Bravo chokes him out on the bottom rope to a 4 count before starting to smash him face first into the turnbuckle. Hacksaw seems like he’s going to come back, but is stopped again and Jacques is tagged into the match and delivers a dropkick before sending him into the corner again where Raymond and Bravo work on Hacksaw. Neidhart and Hart run in and try to help before being sent back to their corner. Bravo delivers a scoopslam to a two count. And then picks Hacksaw up to deliver a inverted atomic drop which allows him to get close enough to reach out and tag in Hart. Who beats Bravo into the corner and manages to also get another inverted atomic drop on Jacques. Hart unloads on Bravo delivering punches and then a backbreaker before he tries to go up high, but Raymond pushes him down. Neidhart runs across to work on Raymond and this distracts the ref. Hart is still in with Bravo, and from behind Hacksaw is able to hit Bravo with a 2×4 knocking him down so that Hart can get the pin and the win in this match.

Before we see our main event match, we get to see Sgt. Slaughter cut a promo on Ultimate Warrior. And then Ultimate Warrior cuts his own promo right back. This match comes from the 1991 Rumble, and is between Sgt. Slaughter and Ultimate Warrior. We come in and Warrior is ontop of this literally throwing Slaughter around the ring. Sending him into the corner and eventually sending him flying over the top and out onto the ground. Warrior starts to use a piece of material to choke out Slaughter before throwing him back into the ring. Two shoulders are delivered by Warrior before Sensational Sherri (who ran to ringside) gets involved by pulling Warriors leg and tripping him. She runs back down the ramp and Warrior follows before getting attacked from behind by Randy Savage. Savage and Sherri disappear backstage and the ref starts a 10 count. Slaughter inside the ring keeps stopping the ref from counting as Warrior crawls his way back down the ramp. Slaughter gets out to throw Warrior back inside. Slaughter kicks him, and delivers some solid forearms to his back before dropping him down with a backbreaker. Warrior starts to come back and runs the ropes before a double clothesline knocks both of them down. We go to an ad break here.

Slaughter is kicking Warrior in the back keeping him down, and he locks in a boston crab, but Warrior’s legs are under the ring ropes. Slaughter breaks the hold and thinks he has won the match, but because Warrior’s legs were under the ropes, he hasn’t. Warrior gets back to standing and starts jumping about. Warrior hits three clotheslines in a row before slamming Slaughter down with a shoulder. We see Sherri run back to ringside and this distracts the Warrior who turns his back to Slaughter before pulling Sherri in over the top rope. Warrior presses Sherri up above him, and is able to throw her out of the ring where she lands on Randy Savage. Slaughter comes from behind and pushes Warrior down onto the ropes where Savage smashes something over Warriors head. Which allows Slaughter to pull him back down onto the mat and get the three count and the win. As we wait for the official decision Ultimate Warrior climbs out of the ring and runs back down the ramp to backstage. And Sgt. Slaughter is announced the new champion.

Next week we’ll continue looking back at matches from Royal Rumble events.