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WWE Vintage Collection Report (12/14/08)

WWE Vintage Collection Report: 14th December 2008
By Shaun Best-Rajah.com Reporter
Hosted by: Mean Gene Okerlund

Welcome aboard. This week we embark on a European Tour. The date is April 1993. Hot off the heels of WrestleMania IX, our portion of the European Rampage Tour takes in matches from Paris, France, Barcelona, Spain, Sheffield, England and Milan, Italy. Five matches are on hand. The announce trio for all the bouts are Jim Ross, Randy Savage and Bobby Heenan. Let’s go. Bon Voyage!

Crush vs Doink The Clown
Bonjour from Paris. Two Doinks had cost Crush a victory at WrestleMania IX. This was the Kona version of Crush, who sported blond highlighted hair and flourescent outfits. The announcers discuss the possibility of two Doinks, as we pick the match up in progress. Crush dominates early with a backbreaker, legdrop, and headscissors on the mat. Crush reverses Doink’s slam attempt, then turns a bearhug into a belly-to-belly suplex. Following a second backbreaker, Crush misses a top rope kneedrop. Doink works Crush’s leg, using the ringpost and corner to his advantage. Doink manages a slam. Doink jumps off the top rope, only to eat a Crush boot. Crush catches Doink in a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Doink goes to the eyes, before Crush (softly) boots him over the top rope. Crush attacks Doink on the apron, before locking in his patented Cranium Crusher. As Doink’s not in the ring, the referee forces a break. Doink walks off and gets counted out. Poor opener with a very weak finish. Both worked in slow motion and looked a little lost. Here is Your Winner via Countout: CRUSH.

WWF Tag Team Titles
Money Inc vs The Steiner Brothers
Hola from Barcelona. Okerlund puts over Money Inc before the match. It’s strange seeing Scotty in his pre Big Poppa Pump days. The Steiners work over IRS’ arm until IRS ducks outside for a breather. Scotty hangs IRS up across the top rope, after grabbing him by his tie. DiBiase trips Scotty from behind to cause a diversion. IRS kicks Scotty to the outside, where DiBiase throws him into the ringsteps and guardrail. Money Inc isolate Scotty, as DiBiase chokes him on the mat then along the top rope. Following a DiBiase clothesline, Scotty escapes a chinlock, by running DiBiase into the corner. DiBiase foolishly throws Scotty into Rick, who gets the tag. That was dumb Teddy! Rick runs wild with Steinerlines (clotheslines) to Money Inc. DiBiase gets a slam, IRS a backelbow. Scotty comes in to dropkick IRS. IRS nails Rick from behind. As DiBiase tries a piledriver on Rick, Scotty levels DiBiase with a clothesline from the second rope. Rick catches DiBiase in a powerslam, then knocks IRS over the top rope. Scotty signals for the end, before nailing DiBiase with the Frankensteiner. Bet he can’t do that move now? At a two count, IRS hits Scotty with a Tag Title to cause the DQ. Grrr. The match was just starting to pick up, with Scotty and DiBiase putting in a good showing. Post match sees the Steiners take possession of the belts. However, they throw the belts down when they learn they aren’t the new champions. Here Are Your Winners via DQ: THE STEINER BROTHERS. Both teams would trade the titles over the next couple of months, as this feud heated up on the House Show circuit.

Yokozuna w/Mr Fuji vs The Undertaker w/Paul Bearer
Bienvenuto from Milan, the fashion capital of the world. Following a face-to-face and a brief exchange, Undertaker plants Yoko with a running DDT. Undertaker misses an elbow drop. Yokozuna clotheslines him over the top rope. Mr Fuji hits Undertaker with his Japanese flag (unconvincingly). As Undertaker stalks Fuji, Yoko comes out to throw him into the ringsteps, ring apron and a ringside table. Back inside, Undertaker no-sells a turnbuckle shot, before choking Yoko in the corner. The camera shows Yoko clearly calling a spot, smashing Undertaker with a backelbow, off Undertaker’s Irish whip. Yoko slams then drops a leg. Undertaker sits up. Yoko runs him down with a clothesline before taunting him with slaps. As Yoko raises his arms, Undertaker sits up again. Yoko hits Undertaker twice with Fuji’s salt bucket for the DQ, and third straight, throwaway finish in a row. Sloppy, horrible match. A clean finish would be nice to see today. Here is Your Winner via DQ: THE UNDERTAKER. Post match sees Fuji knock Bearer down out of camera shot. After assaulting Undertaker with the flag, Fuji and Yoko drag Undertaker to the corner. Undertaker sits up to avoid a banzai drop, before attacking Yokozuna with a clothesline and bad looking chokeslam (Yoko doesn’t get enough height). Savage thinks this was amazing. He might want to change his shades. Let’s see if Mr Perfect can kickstart the show as he’s up next.

Mr Perfect vs Headshrinker Samu w/Afa
Hello from Sheffield, England. Okerlund notes beforehand that a lot of current superstars pride their work on that of Perfect’s and study his matches. Smart move. Perfect was one of the best. We join the match with Perfect on the outside, favouring his shoulder, following a ram into the ringpost. Perfect tries to regain some feeling in his arm before getting back in. Samu uses headbutts and a double leg takedown, to drive a low headbut into the groin. JR speculates on a DQ had Afa not had the referee distracted. Samu keeps the advantage with a slam and falling headbutt for a nearfall. Samu resorts to choking and biting Perfect on the mat. Samu rakes the back. JR says this isn’t the way to beat Perfect. Perfect wins a good punch exchange, before landing some kicks to the head. Samu goes low again, this time in front of the referee, who does nothing. Samu sends Perfect’s head into the corner, as Perfect slumps down. Perfect counters a slam with a small package for two. Samu goes to the eyes then throws Perfect outside. Perfect baits Samu close enough to grab a leg and ram it into the ringpost. This fails to slow Samu, who greets Perfect coming back in, with a slam and falling headbutt. Samu misses a top rope splash. Perfect wastes no time in hooking the Perfect Plex for the 1-2-3. Here is Your Winner: MR PERFECT. Finally a clean finish. Perfect did a great job carrying Samu. Renowned for his excellent selling, and showcasing opponents over the years, by giving them truckloads of offense, Perfect made the bland Samu look like a threat.

Bret “Hitman” Hart vs Bam Bam Bigelow
It’s back to Barcelona we go for today’s Main Event. This is a match that Bret raved about in his book and handpicked for his Best of DVD. Okerlund bigs up Bam Bam in his pre-match notes. Bam Bam is already in the ring as Bret makes his entrance. Bam Bam displays his power with a shove and shoulder tackle to start. Bret takes a breather outside. Back inside, Bam Bam clubs away. Bret ducks a clothesline and hits a dropkick. Bam Bam quickly rebounds off the ropes and misses an elbow drop. Bret wears down Bam Bam with an armbar and leg scissors. Bret ducks another clothesline, turning Bam Bam’s press slam into a cross body in mid-air. Bam Bam presses Bret off of a cover to the outside. Bret slides back in underneath Bam Bam and punches away. A flying backelbow sends Bam Bam through the ropes. Bret leaps off the apron, Bam Bam catches him, driving his back into the ringpost twice. Bam Bam kicks and clubs at Bret’s back before whipping Bret hard into the corner. Bam Bam aims a headbutt and several punches to Bret’s back, before catching him in a bearhug. Bret tries to rake the face to escape, so Bam Bam delivers a back suplex for a nearfall. Bam Bam gets a little riled, as the crowd begin to get on his back. Following some more headbutts, Bam Bam hoists Bret upside down, onto his shoulder in a backbreaker position. Bret refuses to quit, wriggles down to his feet, then delivers a back suplex of his own. Bam Bam recovers first and executes a double underhook backbreaker across the knee. Bam Bam misses his patented flying headbutt from the top rope. Bret uses kicks and punches to back Bam Bam into the corner. Bret scales for a (lucky) thirteen punch assault, before dishing out a side russian legsweep and clothesline from the second rope. These don’t put Bam Bam away, so Bret nails a bulldog from the second rope. Bam Bam kicks off a Sharpshooter attempt, before catching Bret in another bearhug. This time, Bret bites free. Bam Bam blocks a back suplex attempt by shifting his weight and falling on top of Bret. 1-2-no. Bam Bam Irish whips and charges into a boot. Bret climbs on top of Bam Bam’s shoulders, using a victory roll to get the 1-2-3. Here is Your Winner: BRET “HITMAN” HART. Shades of King of the Ring a few months later with that finish. Shown in its entirety, this was a great matchup, displaying good selling and tenacity from Bret, while getting over Bam Bam’s aggression. I can see why Bret rates this so highly. Great end to the show.

Okerlund puts over Bret as a huge draw for the WWE fans, then wraps things up to end the show.

Best match: Bret Hart vs Bam Bam Bigelow.
Worst match: Yokozuna vs The Undertaker.

A mixed bag. The Main Event was excellent, while the tag match and Perfect’s match were good in parts. The other two bouts were forgettable. Thumbs in the middle from me. See you next week. Shaun.

Comments/praise/feedback/criticism/discussion points please direct to shaunmb1@hotmail.com.