WWE Vintage Collection Report (08/30/09)

WWE Vintage Collection Report: 30th August 2009
By Shaun Best-Rajah.com Reporter
Hosted by: Mean Gene Okerlund

Welcome. This week's mixed bag has two offerings apiece from WWF and WCW, with an all star cast promised. Let's dive straight in.

WCW Nitro - December 29th 1997
Curt Hennig w/Rick Rude vs Chris Jericho
This was one night after the infamous Starrcade PPV. The recently signed Bret Hart assisted Sting in defeating Hollywood Hulk Hogan to bag the WCW title in a re-started match, that was a year in the making. In truth, referee Nick Patrick had screwed up in not making a fast count to necessitate the restart and the title ended up being declared vacant. Elsewhere on the card, Diamond Dallas Page defeated Curt Hennig to win the U.S Title. This put Hennig in a foul mood during this short match. Tony Schiavone is joined by Bobby Heenan and Mike Tenay at the announce booth. Hennig tackles Jericho down. Jericho sidesteps a dropkick and clotheslines Hennig outside. Hennig takes a breather to tell Rude he's going to hurt someone and that he's not a happy man. Hennig and Jericho exchange chops in the corner. Jericho lands a nice spin kick before charging into Hennig's feet. Jericho escapes a brief chinlock with a jawbreaker. Jericho slams, tries a lionsault, but lands awkwardly across Hennig's knees. The Hennig (Perfect) Plex is enough for the 1-2-3. Hennig talks trash into the camera about DDP, while Jericho smashes a chair against the ringpost screaming he's sick of this, to start his heel turn. Disappointingly short. I was expecting a few minutes more from two former Intercontinental greats. Winner: CURT HENNIG.

Wrestling Challenge - January 11th 1994
Bret "Hitman" Hart & Owen Hart vs The Steiner Brothers
This match is taken from the WrestleFest 1994 video release. Gorilla Monsoon and Stan Lane are the announcers. Scott traps Bret in a long side headlock, before tackling him through the ropes. Bret checks for loose teeth, while Monsoon and Lane discuss cauliflower ears amongst amateur wrestlers, later commending Rick Steiner for wearing protective headgear. Bret gets a rollup on Scott, before the Harts focus on an arm. Scott slams Owen to escape and tag out. The crowd go barking mad for the dogface gremlin. Owen and Rick go back-and-forth on several waistlock and takedown attempts. Rick catches an Owen leapfrog with a powerslam, then gives the young Hart a back suplex. Owen nips up, retaliating with a bridging german suplex on Rick and a spinning heel kick and northern lights suplex to Scott. Scott bridges out of a jackknife pin to deliver a butterfly suplex. Bret re-enters and gets trapped in an armbar by Rick. Monsoon questions Rick's tattoos, with Lane spelling out their meaning. Following commercials, Rick has Owen trapped in a camel clutch. Scott turns a vertical suplex into a piledriver and Bret saves his brother from being pinned. Scott mistakenly tosses Owen to the floor rather than continue to work him over. Owen slingshots Scott to the floor, before making a hot tag. Bret gives Scott an inverted atomic drop, clothesline, backbreaker and second rope elbow. Rick stops both Harts from getting the Sharpshooter on Scott. Scott gets Owen on his shoulders. Rick climbs up top, but Bret hooks a leg. Owen catches Scott in a victory roll for a close nearfall. Owen collides into Rick and Bret who take a tumble to the floor. Scott leaps off the top rope with a double axehandle to Bret, while Owen hits Rick with a plancha. Both teams are counted out as Bret sends Scott into the guardrail. Referees separate the four, as the Steiners climb back into the ring and the Harts head to the back. This was a good, intense face vs face match with no handshakes after. Owen was on the cusp of turning heel on Bret at the forthcoming Royal Rumble, while the Steiners soon departed the WWF. Winner: DOUBLE COUNTOUT.

Smackdown - April 12th 2001
Intercontinental Title: Triple H vs Jeff Hardy
Triple H was one week into his title reign after defeating Chris Jericho on the previous Smackdown. Trips was part of the two man power trip with Stone Cold Steve Austin that was running roughshod in the WWF. To avenge "injuries" inflicted by the power trip on his brother, Jeff attacked Austin and Triple H with chairs earlier in the show. He then gave Stephanie McMahon a Twist of Fate, which forced her to stay backstage and watch on a monitor. Michael Cole and Tazz are commentating. We join the match in progress. Jeff lands a tilt-a-whirl headscissors and a couple of dropkicks. Triple H goes for the pedigree, but Jeff counters with a takedown, legdrop to the groin and dropkick. Triple H shoves Jeff from the mount position in the corner. Jeff comes back with a whisper in the wind. Triple H sends an onrushing Jeff under the bottom rope to the floor. Triple H catches Jeff running the guardrail and coming off the apron both times with slams to the arena floor. Jeff gets whipped into the ringsteps. Back inside, Triple H uses a high knee and choke in the ropes and corner. After a hard Irish whip, Jeff gets caught in a sleeper, using a jawbreaker to escape. Jeff reverses a side russian legsweep and heads up top. Triple H shoves referee Timmy White into the ropes to crotch Jeff. White comes off far worse in a shoving match with the Game. The "injured" Matt Hardy runs in to blast Triple H with a chair, which allows Jeff to nail the swanton and bag his first Intercontinental Title. The crowd pop, both Hardys embrace, while Stephanie is in disbelief and Triple H pitches a fit. This was a good match designed to elevate Jeff. It's just too bad his title reign only lasted a few days as Triple H regained it on the next episode of Raw in a one-sided match, to make this victory look like a fluke, and undo all the good work. The two man power trip didn't last too much longer as Triple H tore his quad just over a month after this. Winner: JEFF HARDY.

While we're on the subject of Jeff Hardy, I just want to say thank you Jeff for going all out to entertain and put your body on the line on a nightly basis. Over the years you have provided this fan with so many unforgettable memories and for that I am grateful and very appreciative. Be well in all that you do Jeff and as you said maybe we'll see you again someday.

The Great American Bash - July 7th 1990
World Heavyweight Title - Ric Flair vs Sting
These two rivals had previously battled to a draw at the 1988 Clash of Champions. Here, Sting was coming back from a torn knee tendon for this big title opportunity. To cover for his injury absence, Sting was kicked out of the newly formed Four Horsemen and "injured" after he defeated Flair in the Ironman tournament final at Starrcade. This match was declared no DQ and the ring was surrounded by Sting's allies, the Steiners, Paul Orndorff and Junkyard Dog. Orndorff and JYD were part of the "Dudes with Attitude" stable which also included El Gigante. Gigante was handcuffed to Four Horsemen member Ole Anderson at the top of the entrance to prevent any shenanigans from occurring. Basically, everything was in Sting's favour. Jim Ross and Bob Caudle (covering his last event) call the action. Ross sets the stage by saying it's the man who will dominate the 90s (Sting) against the man who dominated the 80s (Flair). Sting starts by no-selling Flair's chops and press slamming him to the mat. Sting hiptosses Flair out of the corner, dropkicks, tosses him onto the hard floor and clotheslines him back into the ring. Flair begs off before going to the eyes in desperation. Sting no-sells a delayed vertical suplex, by popping right back up to deliver a pair of clotheslines and top rope cross body for two. Following commercials, Flair sucker punches Sting during a test of strength. Limping, Sting fights back, tossing Flair out of the corner. When Sting misses a dropkick, Flair goes after the leg. After Flair misses a kneedrop, Sting applies the figure four. Flair gets to the ropes, pulls Sting outside and sends him into the guardrail. Once more, Sting no-sells the move, as he stalks Flair back inside. Sting catches Flair up top and throws him to the mat, before nearly snatching it with a backslide. Flair kicks Sting's leg from underneath. Following our final commercial break, Sting is limping once more. Sting no-sells chops and press slams Flair once again, as his knee miraculously holds up. Sting follows up with a clothesline, whips Flair upside down onto the apron and clotheslines him again. Sting suplexes Flair back in from the apron, sends him to the corner, hits the stinger splash and applies the scorpion deathlock. The remaining Horsemen of Arn Anderson, Barry Windham and Sid Vicious try to run in, but are headed off by Sting's allies. Meanwhile, Flair has reached the ropes and is on the apron. Flair drives his head into Sting's gut before diving on top of him with his feet on the ropes. Scott Steiner throws Flair's feet off. Sting gets nearfalls from a schoolboy and backslide. Sting misses a charge, smashing his knee into the corner. As Flair goes for the figure four, Sting hooks a rollup. 1-2-3. The crowd go wild and are given what they have wanted for so long. Sting is a superstar and a champion. A small fireworks display goes off above the ring. Winner: STING.

Okerlund promises another trip down memory lane next week. This week's show was very enjoyable. More of the same please. Shaun.

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