WWE Vintage Collection Report: 22nd March 2009
By Shaun Best-Rajah.com Reporter
Hosted by: Mean Gene Okerlund
Welcome. This week, WrestleManias XII (March 31st 1996 from Anaheim, California) and XIII (March 23rd 1997 from Rosemont, Illinois) take centre stage.
The first half of the show focuses on WrestleMania XII. Announcers are Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler.
Yokozuna w/Mr Fuji, Ahmed Johnson & Jake “The Snake” Roberts vs
Vader, Owen Hart & British Bulldog w/Jim Cornette
The 600lb Yokozuna would get five minutes alone with Cornette if his team won. Joined in progress. Jake sustains an Owen top rope elbow, stump puller and Bulldog’s running powerslam. Vader nails a splash, but Bulldog misses a running legdrop. Yoko gets the hot tag. The crowd roar as Vader gets mauled in the corner. Yoko squashes Vader, shoves Owen and Bulldog, then bangs their heads together. Bulldog walks into a Yoko samoan drop. Jake re-enters, the crowd chant for the DDT. Everyone bar Jake and Owen fight on the outside. Jake plants Owen with a DDT then catches Cornette coming in. Vader mows Jake down before he gets the chance to DDT Cornette. A Vader bomb wins things for camp Cornette. Here Are Your Winners: VADER, OWEN HART & BRITISH BULLDOG.
To lead into our next match, a commemorative Hall of Fame piece airs on Stone Cold Steve Austin, showing some of his WWE highs and lows.
Stone Cold Steve Austin w/Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase vs Savio Vega
This was Austin’s first WrestleMania appearance. Austin was the reigning Million Dollar Champion. We pick things up during a Savio comeback. Savio lands a chop, backbodydrop and a couple of clotheslines. Austin ducks a spin kick and referee Tim White gets wiped out. DiBiase places the Million Dollar belt in the ring, as Savio floors Austin with a big boot. DiBiase distracts Vega enabling Austin to land two belt shots. Austin applies a rear naked choke, as DiBiase revives White by splashing him with a fan’s cup of soda. Savio is unresponsive and Austin is classed the winner. Austin keeps the hold applied for a bit after the bell, leading to officials calling him off. Here is Your Winner: STONE COLD STEVE AUSTIN. Within a few months, DiBiase left the WWF, Austin devised the stunner, cut the 3:16 promo and revolutionised the industry.
Shawn Michaels’ zipline ring entrance is shown. The subsequent Iron Man match between him and Bret Hart is recapped as a dramatic five minute piece. Bret passes the torch as Michaels realises a boyhood dream. Shame Michaels never repaid the favour.
The WrestleMania XIII portion of the show begins with a quick look at Rocky Maivia’s first WrestleMania appearance. He defeats the Sultan (Rikishi) with a rollup to retain the Intercontinental Title. Post match sees Rocky Johnson save his son from a Sultan and Iron Sheik beatdown.
Hunter Hearst Helmsley w/Chyna vs Goldust w/Marlena
Helmsley had been making advances towards Marlena since the Royal Rumble earlier in the year, stealing a kiss from her in the process. Helmsley then recruited Chyna as his bodyguard. Chyna debuted at the previous month’s In Your House when she attacked Marlena during a six man tag. We pick this up as Goldust hits an inverted atomic drop and clothesline over the top rope. Goldust ties Helmsley in the ropes. Goldust unloads with punches, a running kneelift, ram into the ringpost and clothesline. Helmsley manages to hit a facebuster, but Goldust comes back with a powerslam. Helmsley catches Goldust going high risk. After a tussle, Helmsley sends Goldust to the outside via the ring apron. A commercial break edits out most of Helmsley’s offense. Goldust lands a cross body, before a mid-ring collision puts both men down. Goldust uses his rear to prevent a Helmsley aerial attack. Helmsley misses a running charge and crashes into the corner. Helmsley takes a backbodydrop, then gets whipped upside down into the corner. Goldust hits a running bulldog for a nearfall. Chyna, who has remained static up to this point approaches Marlena. Helmsley counters a curtain call with a pedigree attempt, but Goldust slingshots him into the ropes. Goldust aborts a second curtain call after noticing Chyna with Marlena. Goldust hoists Marlena up onto the ring apron, but from behind, Helmsley crashes into Goldust with a high knee, sending Marlena flying into Chyna’s vicious bearhug. Helmsley plants Goldust with the pedigree to pick up the 1-2-3. Pretty good from what was shown. Helmsley and Chyna high-five after the bell. Here is Your Winner: HUNTER HEARST HELMSLEY.
No DQ Match: WWF Title
Sycho Sid vs The Undertaker
Sid won the title from Bret Hart a month before on Raw following interference by Stone Cold. The original plan here was to have Bret face Shawn Michaels for the title, but Shawn’s ‘knee injury’ scuppered those plans. Instead, Bret was paired with Austin and the two did the famous doubleturn in their excellent submission match. Speaking of Shawn, he’s on guest commentary for this match joining Vince McMahon, Jerry Lawler and Jim Ross at ringside. Shawn refuses to be drawn on whether Undertaker’s tombstone or Sid’s powerbomb hurts the most. Undertaker delivers the old school rope spot. Sid catches a running dive and applies a really long bearhug, using kidney punches in-between re-applying the hold. During this, Shawn and Lawler exchange verbal barbs, with Shawn implying Lawler won’t get in the ring to take any bumps. Sid wobbles Undertaker with a big boot before shoving him over the top rope to the floor. Undertaker lands on his feet, then grabs Sid, who uses his legs to send Undertaker flying over the Spanish announce table. Sid drops Undertaker across the guardrail twice before slamming him through the Spanish table. Sid rams Undertaker’s back into the ringpost. Back inside, Sid applies a camel clutch. The action is clipped and Undertaker has recovered to hit a top rope clothesline. Undertaker signals for the tombstone piledriver, but Sid ends up reversing it. Sid crosses Undertaker’s arms, mimicking the Deadman’s pinning technique, but Undertaker kicks out. The fight spills to the outside. During this, Bret Hart comes out, smashing Sid in the back with two chair shots. As officials usher Bret away, Shawn says the Hitman’s unhappy to be out of the spotlight. Undertaker drives Sid into the ringpost, then chokeslams him in the middle of the ring for a nearfall. Undertaker misses a dive off the ropes and Sid readies for the powerbomb. Bret comes back to distract Sid. Sid gets in a few punches, but Bret hangs Sid up on the top rope and Sid staggers back into the tombstone piledriver. Undertaker goes 6-0 at Mania, as Shawn applauds the ‘deserving’ Deadman. Here is Your Winner: THE UNDERTAKER. Injuries would curtail Sid’s WWF career which only included a few fleeting appearances after this.
Okerlund signs off to end the show. Once more a good job has been done by condensing most of the relevant moments into forty minutes (when you take out commercials). The Road Trip continues next week so I’ll see you then. Shaun.
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