WWE Vintage Collection Report (09/12/10)

WWE Vintage Collection Report: September 12th 2010
By Shaun Best-Rajah.com Reporter
Hosted by: Mean Gene Okerlund

Welcome aboard. Our “month of champions” theme continues this week with “rare and short-lived championships in WWE history.” Let’s begin.

May 30th 1979: Hamburg, Pennsylvania
North American Heavyweight Title: Ted DiBiase vs Jose Estrada
The North American Heavyweight Title (which was abandoned in 1981) was a prelude to the Intercontinental Title. Just two months earlier, the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) had changed its name to the WWF after a 16 year association. A clean shaven DiBiase is sporting all red trunks and boots, but only one kneepad as he goes up against the future Conquistador. It’s funny hearing Vince McMahon and Bruno Sammartino on commentary here given their chequered history. Sammartino comes across well, putting over the toll that taking bumps has on the body. DiBiase reverses a hammerlock then uses a headscissors to escape a side headlock takedown. Both trade hiptosses. DiBiase briefly works an armbar as he tries to pin Estrada’s shoulders to the mat. Estrada works over the back with punches and knees. DiBiase punches back and Estrada begs off. DiBiase sends Estrada into a backbodydrop, delivers a snapmare, drops a knee and gets the pin following a powerslam. No sports entertainment here, just some short, sweet pure wrestling. Winner: TED DiBIASE.

November 24th 1987: Madison Square Garden, New York City
WWF Women’s Tag Team Titles: The Glamour Girls w/Jimmy Hart vs The Jumping Bomb Angels
These two teams can be credited for having perhaps the biggest rivalry yet in women’s Tag Team wrestling. Leilani Kai and Judy Martin make up the Glamour Girls, while Japanese superstars Noriyo Tateno and Itsuki Yamazaki are the Jumping Bomb Angels. The Angels look so damn alike, it’s hard to tell them apart and the announcers (Gorilla Monsoon, Lord Alfred Hayes & Nick Bockwinkel) don’t help by referring to them both as the Angels all match. How lazy! I’ll have to take a guess. The Glamour Girls give Hart a kiss on the cheek to start. Kai declines a handshake to send Tateno to the corner before yanking her to the mat feet first. Tateno rolls under a clothesline to deliver a couple of dropkicks and a flying cross body. Tateno pulls Martin in for a hair biel. Yamazaki tags in to give Martin two high knees and a slam. Tateno with a top rope wristlock throw. The Glamour Girls regroup with Hart. Martin comes back by slamming Yamazaki, but Yamazaki bridges out of a cover. Tateno monkey flips Martin out of the corner, prompting Martin to strategise with Hart on the floor.

After a commercial break, Tateno is getting worked over. Kai gets a Sharpshooter broken up. Martin kicks Tateno down. Tateno bridges out of cover attempts, bumps the Glamour Girls into one another and makes the hot tag. Yamazaki lands a double cross body, followed by a clothesline and dropkick to Kai. Yamazaki pulls Martin in by the hair and gives her a cross body and flying clothesline. Kai breaks up a pin by kicking the referee. The action breaks down as all four women enter. The Angels miss double dropkicks, but bridge out of pin attempts and bump the Glamour Girls together again. Kai suffers a double missile dropkick. Yamazaki covers, but the referee is busy arguing with Martin, who ends up breaking up the pin. As the referee orders Tateno out, Martin gives Yamazaki a powerbomb, Kai covers and the Glamour Girls retain their titles. Winners: THE GLAMOUR GIRLS. The Jumping Bomb Angels clear the ring after the bell, but Jimmy Hart manages to crawl free. After outlasting the Glamour Girls at the Survivor Series, the Jumping Bomb Angels finally ended a near two and a half year Glamour Girls reign by winning a two-out- of- three- falls match at the 1988 Royal Rumble. After losing the titles back to the Glamour Girls five months later at a show in Japan, the titles were abandoned in 1989.

December 28th 1984: Madison Square Garden, New York City
WWF World Martial Arts Title: Antonio Inoki vs “Dr D” David Schultz
Inoki is best known for being the founder and former owner of New Japan Pro Wrestling, while Schultz, who looks like a young DDP and Isaac Yankem came through NWA Mid-America and Stampede territories. This would be Inoki’s final MSG appearance for the WWF. We pick things up with Inoki fighting out of a headscissors with slaps to the head. Schultz works over Inoki in the corner. Inoki comes back with punches. Schultz utilizes a side headlock takedown, Inoki bridges into a pin, but Schultz gets a foot on the ropes. Schultz kicks Inoki during a test of strength. Inoki fights back to leave Schultz hanging out on the ring apron. Inoki counters headbutts by landing kicks to the back of the leg and chest. Schultz goes to the eyes and almost botches a suplex, nearly dropping Inoki on his head. Schultz delivers a slam, but misses a diving elbow from the second rope, allowing Inoki to pick up the win following an enziguiri. Winner: ANTONIO INOKI. Schultz was notoriously fired following a backstage incident with ABC 20/20 TV reporter John Stossel at this show. When Stossel asked if pro wrestling was fake, Schultz slapped Stossel twice and the story gained national TV coverage. Stossel eventually filed a lawsuit against the WWF and settled out of court, while Schultz had brief tenures in Japan and Canada before retiring.

November 10th 1985: Toronto, Ontario
WWF Canadian Title: Dino Bravo vs Nikolai Volkoff
The Canadian Title was created in August 1985 and Bravo was its first holder. Bravo is sporting dark brown hair and is being cheered by his native fans. We join the match in progress as Volkoff misses a high knee in the corner, then hits a low blow to stop Bravo’s momentum. The referee admonishes Volkoff for this as he screams at Bravo to get up. Volkoff works over Bravo’s back with a bearhug and several double axehandles, trying to soften him up for his backbreaker finisher. Bravo staggers Volkoff with rights and lefts, ducks a wayward swing and catches Volkoff with an atomic drop. Bravo misses a legdrop, allowing Volkoff to score with the backbreaker, but it’s too close to the ropes. Volkoff hooks a rolling cradle, Bravo lifts his shoulder at the last second and picks up the win. Volkoff holds up his hands, but the referee informs him that Bravo is the victor as the crowd cheer. This was a slow match, as the large physiques on show made it difficult for both to move the other around the ring. Winner: DINO BRAVO.

November 25th 1982: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
WWF Junior Heavyweight Title: Tiger Mask vs Eddie Gilbert
Tiger Mask, along with Dynamite Kid was one of the pioneers of the Cruiserweight style. Tiger’s title is announced as “Welterweight” as opposed to “Heavyweight” at the start. Gilbert is a second generation star, following in the footsteps of his father Tom. After a handshake, Tiger flips and rolls out of an armbar, hooks a drop toehold and takes his time to bring his weight down onto Gilbert’s leg. Gilbert reverses, elbows the knee and twists Tiger’s foot. Tiger uses his other leg to roll free and nip back up. Tiger uses a single leg takedown to deliver two spinning toeholds and a foot twist of his own. Gilbert flips Tiger to the mat. Tiger lands a tackle, before countering a backbodydrop by landing on his feet and dropkicking Gilbert out of the ring.

Tiger turns a test of strength into a single wristlock, armbar and headscissors. Gilbert bridges out and traps Tiger in a leg grapevine. Gilbert slams, tries a press slam, but Tiger counters with a victory roll for two. Gilbert holds a side headlock, hiptosses Tiger out of the corner and takes him down with a flying headscissors. Gilbert uses his legs to hook Tiger’s leg and drop him to the mat. Gilbert irish whips, Tiger somersaults over him from the top rope and throws some spin kicks to get Gilbert mad. Gilbert halts another test of strength, before Tiger reverses a headlock into a standing wristlock, rising from the mat to shove Gilbert down. Gilbert dodges a cross body and hits a back suplex. Gilbert misses an elbow drop, Tiger delivers a piledriver, then misses a top rope splash. Tiger reverses an irish whip and rolls through on a cross body for a nearfall. Gilbert sends Tiger onto the apron after a flying forearm. Gilbert suplexes Tiger back in, but Tiger hooks a reverse cradle to get the 1-2-3. Winner: TIGER MASK. After the bell, Gilbert presents Tiger with his title (which was phased out three years later) and shakes his hand. Gilbert looked a little lost at times, but tried his best to keep up with Tiger whose in-ring work is a joy to watch. Tiger’s speed has to be seen to be believed as words can’t do it justice. This was a great note to end this week’s show on.

The month of champions retrospective concludes next week.

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