WWE Vintage Collection Report: April 24th 2011
By Shaun Best-Rajah.com Reporter
Hosted by: Mean Gene Okerlund
More WrestleMania revenge matches this week, covering the years 1993-1997. Let’s begin.
May 15th 1995: Binghamton, NY
The Allied Powers vs Double J Jeff Jarrett & The Roadie
Both teams had set their sights on Tag Team glory after respective wins at WrestleMania XI. Lex Luger and British Bulldog make up the Allied Powers. This match can also be found on the WrestleFest 1995 VHS. We join the match in progress. Luger gives Jarrett a press slam and has him in the rack when Roadie chopblocks the leg. Team Jarrett choose not to work the leg, enabling Luger to come back with a faceplant. After Luger and Jarrett clothesline each other, Bulldog comes in all clothesline crazy. Jarrett breaks up a pinfall attempt, so Luger throws him out, allowing Bulldog to pin Roadie after a running powerslam. Winners: THE ALLIED POWERS.
Raw – March 25th 1997: Peoria, IL
Hunter Hearst Helmsley vs Goldust
Helmsley beat Goldust at WrestleMania XIII after the amazon woman known as Chyna terrorised Goldust’s manager Marlena with a bearhug. Both women are absent here. Chyna is banned from ringside, while Marlena is recuperating from bruised ribs. Goldust runs down, tosses his wig at Helmsley and pummels him in the corner. Helmsley takes over after Goldust misses a cross body, delivering a baseball slide and slam onto the entrance ramp. Helmsley works over Goldust in the corner.
The two go back and forth as Chyna appears at the top of the ramp. Chyna approaches the ring as an oblivious Goldust gives Helmsley the curtain call. Chyna kicks Goldust square in the ribs for the DQ. Chyna floors Goldust with a martial arts kick and the two stomp away as a swarm of referees intervene. Pat Patterson pulls Helmsley off only to get pie faced and punched. Patterson fights back prompting Chyna to break free from six referees who fall like a pack of cards and forearm Patterson in the back. Goldust recovers to clear the ring of Helmsley, but refuses to hit a woman. Helmsley pulls Chyna out as she stares at Goldust. Winner via DQ: GOLDUST.
March 21st 1994: Poughkeepsie, NY
IRS, Double J Jeff Jarrett, The Model Rick Martel & The Headshrinkers vs Tatanka, 1-2-3 Kid,Thurman Sparky Plugg & The Smoking Gunns
This is the match that was cut from WrestleMania X due to time constraints, but taped the night after during Raw. It’s a who’s who from the WWF midcard. I wonder if they still got their Mania checks? The match ended up being released on the WWF Mania VHS and more recently the Best of Raw Seasons 1 & 2 DVD. The Headshrinkers get the early advantage over Billy Gunn. Billy gives Jarrett a headscissors then Tatanka and Bart Gunn briefly work him over. Plugg isolates Martel, until IRS drives a knee into Plugg’s back. IRS misses an elbow drop and Kid gets the hot tag. IRS catches a kick so Kid turns it into an enziguiri. Kid hangs IRS up on the top rope by his tie then connects with a springboard clothesline. A top rope cross body gets a nearfall and prompts a ten man brawl. Everyone spills to the floor except for Kid and IRS. Kid ducks a clothesline to land a spin kick. Kid misses a corner kick and falls to the mat. IRS hooks the leg and gets the pin. Match started out slow with lots of arm work, but really picked up when the Kid came in. Jarrett taunts the losing team from the floor. Winners: IRS, DOUBLE J JEFF JARRETT, THE MODEL RICK MARTEL & THE HEADSHRINKERS.
Steel Cage – WWF Title
December 15th 1993: Augusta, ME
Yokozuna w/Mr Fuji vs Bret “Hitman” Hart
Beforehand, we see how Yokozuna beat Bret for the title at WrestleMania IX after Fuji threw salt in the Hitman’s eyes. Hulk Hogan’s title run is deliberately omitted and never mentioned as we go straight to this cage match, lifted from the VHS “Inside the WWF.” They’re using the old school blue cage by the way. Yoko is reluctant to step inside. Bret starts off as the aggressor, hammering away. Yoko turns a cross body attempt into a slam, but misses an elbow drop. Yoko pulls Bret down from the cage and throws him to the mat. A blown up Yoko misses a legdrop. Bret dropkicks Yoko into the cage and pounds away until Yoko headbutts him down. Bret trips Yoko as he tries to walk past him and out of the cage. Yoko gives Bret a low blow.
Yoko stops Bret from climbing out once more, with Bret straddling the ropes on his way to hitting the mat. Bret pulls Yoko away from the door, but Yoko has brought Fuji’s salt bucket into play. Yoko misses a splash, Bret sends him into the cage, then gives him a Zig Zag and Hart Attack clothesline. Bret wrestles the salt bucket away and uses it to his advantage. Bret goes for a pin, and Danny Davis counts a nearfall, despite pin falls not being relevant. Bret knocks Yoko out with a bucket shot to the head. As Bret starts to climb the cage, Fuji steps onto a chair to throw salt into his eyes. Fuji throws more salt through the cage. Despite being blinded, Bret continues his climb, but drops down a fraction of a second after Yoko staggers out of the cage door. Yoko retains in a passable match. You knew he was never going to climb out of the cage, but Bret worked hard to put on a good match, despite Yoko blowing up at several points. Bret’s WrestleMania revenge would have to wait four months until WrestleMania X. Winner: YOKOZUNA.
Okerlund promises us another vengeful streak of WrestleMania rematches next week, so I’ll see you then. Shaun.
Any comments or discussion points drop me a line at [email protected].