WWE Vintage Collection Report: 22nd June 2008
By Shaun Best-Rajah.com Reporter
Hosted by: Mean Gene Okerlund
Welcome to another helping of classic action from the MSG archives. Today's action comes from October 1991, which was just before Survivor Series. Three matches on hand. Your commentators are Gorilla Monsoon, Lord Alfred Hayes and Bobby Heenan (sans the first match). Let's get started.
Ric Flair w/Bobby Heenan vs Rowdy Roddy Piper
Heenan is dubbed as Flair's advisor. Mr Perfect hadn't yet been recruited as Flair's Executive Consultant. Flair and Piper was the headline feud at the time, to get Flair ready for Hulk Hogan. The WCW title isn't pixelated here. Piper tests out his leather belt as he focuses on Flair. Piper throws his shirt towards Flair who deosn't flinch. Both go nose-to-nose. Lockups to the corner lead to Piper spitting at, then slapping Flair. Piper hoists referee Earl Hebner up in the corner to keep him out of the way. Flair tries some chain wrestling but Piper slaps him again. Piper manages a side headlock and shoulder tackle. Piper peppers Flair with punches to cue a Flair flop to the outside. Piper goes out to throw Flair into the barricade and ring steps. Piper drags Flair back into the ring for another shoulder tackle. After taking some punches in the corner, Flair catches Piper and works him over with a side headlock takedown. Piper manages to bridge Flair up into a backslide for a nearfall. Flair goes to the eyes and sends a rampant Piper out of the ring three times. Back from a commercial break, Flair snaps Piper's head against the top rope. Both men exchange blows before Piper lands an Irish whip, backbodydrop, kneelift and clothesline over the top rope. Flair flops again, this time on the arena floor. Back inside, Flair begs off, but Piper mounts him in the corner for some punches. Piper attempts a running bulldog but runs into Earl Hebner, knocking him out in the process. Piper gets a small package on Flair but there's no referee to count. A second referee comes in and gets manhandled by Flair for no apparent reason. Piper schoolboys Flair for a nearfall. Both men no-sell a series of punches and chops, before Piper Irish whips Flair into the corner. Flair goes upside down and runs across the apron into a clothesline. Flair gets a chair and unconvincingly nails Piper behind everyone's back. Piper kicks out at two, with Earl Hebner now restored as referee. Flair escapes a Piper sleeper with a back suplex. Piper catches Flair going up top and throws him to the mat. Both men continue to no-sell the others offense which is consisting of lame shots. Piper counters a backbodydrop with a neckbreaker. Piper gets the chair that Flair used, Hebner prevents him using it, so Piper punches Flair over the top rope. Flair punches Piper down, Piper loses the chair, Flair falls into a cover with his feet on the ropes and gets the 1-2-3. Here is Your Winner: RIC FLAIR. Post match sees Piper attack Hebner and Flair with a series of weak, shitty chair shots to send them away. This was an awful matchup which was sloppy and had crap selling. When Flair did sell, he oversold or performed comedic flops. Big disappointment.
A backstage interview airs as Sean Mooney is with Heenan and Flair. After polishing off Piper, Heenan tells Hulk Hogan to listen to what the 'Real World's Champion' has to say. Flair says he's in Hogan's back yard and Hogan can run but he can't hide. Flair wants to know when Hogan will wrestle him, Hulk up, get in his face and shut him up. Flair tells Hogan he's waiting but is becoming very impatient. Flair proclaims himself the greatest wrestler alive today and the 'Real World's Heavyweight Wrestling Champion.' Flair tells Hogan that if he doesn't like it, then he should do something about it. What is Hulk going to do when Ric Flair runs wild on him? Woooooo!!!!
Bret "Hitman" Hart vs The Berzerker (Intercontinental Title)
Conspicuous by his absence is Mr Fuji in Berzerker's corner. Heenan calls Hart a sissy in pink. Hayes says Hart is a man's man. Monsoon mentions Berzerker's unorthodox ways of getting victories (via count out) and rules him out winning as a result. Berzerker starts by clubbing Hart down. Following a boot choke in the corner and backelbow off the ropes, Berzerker misses a kneedrop. Both men go at it, before Hart sends Berzerker over the top rope, following two standing dropkicks. Hart delivers a hiptoss and clothesline to send Berzerker back over the top rope. Hart counters a swing with an atomic drop and inverted atomic drop to put Berzerker outside for a third time. Berzerker goes low to the gut to gain the advantage. Berzerker delivers some stomps. Hart reverses an Irish whip before eating a boot on a charge. Berzerker tosses Hart through the ropes. Outside, Berzerker lands a shoulder tackle before throwing Hart into the guardrail. Back inside, Berzerker slams, but misses a legdrop from the second rope. Berzerker quickly recovers, but Hart counters a slam by falling on top of Berzerker for a nearfall. (Berzerker presses Hart off to the outside). Hart drives his head into Berzerker's gut, slides back in underneath, then runs into a knee to the gut. Berzerker wears Hart down with a chinlock then hits a piledriver for a nearfall. Berzerker goes back to the chinlock with Hart using backelbows to escape. Hart ducks under a big boot, but Berzerker catches a cross body attempt, slamming Hart to the mat. 1-2-no. Back from a commercial break and Berzerker misses a head first charge in the corner. Hart hangs Berzerker's legs across the top rope and shakes the ropes. Hart gets a series of nearfalls from a side russian legsweep, small package, backbreaker/second rope elbow combo. Hart kicks at Berzerker's legs to put him in a splits position. Hart attempts the Sharpshooter but Berzerker's legs are too big and he kicks Hart off. Berzerker sends Hart off the ropes, Hart surprises Berzerker with a crucifix for the 1-2-3 and a successful title defence. This is the best Berzerker match I've seen. A great showing from both. Hart was solid as always.
Here is Your Winner: BRET "HITMAN" HART.
Legion of Doom vs Natural Disasters w/Jimmy Hart (Tag Team Titles)
Both teams square up to one another at the start and exchange shoves. The crowd chants for LOD. We settle down to Hawk starting with Typhoon. Lockups lead to a stalemate. Hawk's clothesline doesn't budge Typhoon. Earthquake distracts Hawk who turns into a Typhoon clothesline. Typhoon bearhugs Hawk in the corner then Irish whips. Hawk gets a boot up on a charge, then takes Typhoon down with a flying shoulder tackle from the second rope. Earthquake pulls Hawk off of a cover at two. All four men stare each other down. Earthquake and Animal go at it, with Animal taking Earthquake down with a flying shoulder tackle off the ropes. Typhoon kicks Animal off of a cover. Animal tries a slam but Earthquake falls on top of him for a nearfall. Earthquake hits a belly-to-belly suplex for another nearfall. Earthquake misses an elbow drop. Typhoon kicks Animal in the back from the apron, allowing Earthquake to clothesline him to the outside. Typhoon chokes Animal along the guardrail. Back from a commercial break and Earthquake chokes Animal with his boot. Earthquake stands on Animal's chest with both feet, then traps him in a bearhug. Typhoon takes over on the bearhug. Animal headbutts free and lifts Typhoon up as he inches into a tag. Earl Hebner doesn't see it as he's busy with Earthquake. Hawk knocks Hebner down. Shockingly, a DQ isn't called. Earthquake comes in to powerslam Animal. Hawk breaks up a cover at two. Earthquake Irish whips Animal then charges into a boot. Animal takes Earthquake down with a clothesline and makes the hot tag. Hawk leaps in with punches and a dropkick to stagger Earthquake. Hawk takes Earthquake down with a flying shoulder tackle off the ropes. Cover, 1-2-broken up by Typhoon. All four men are in as Earthquake throws Hawk into the ringpost. Typhoon slams Animal and splashes him. Earthquake hits a vertical splash and kicks Hawk off the apron. Typhoon calls for one more splash then stupidly tosses Hebner from the ring. Hebner calls for the bell. Hawk comes back in to attack the Disasters. Typhoon hooks Hawk, Hawk moves as Earthquake shoulder tackles Typhoon into the ropes. Hawk hits a double clothesline from the top rope to drop both Disasters and clear the ring. Post match, Hawk cuts Earthquake off from pulling Animal to the outside. Here Are Your Winners via DQ: LEGION OF DOOM. Good match with both teams showing some nice intensity.
Okerlund wraps things up to end the show.
Best match: Bret "Hitman" Hart vs The Berzerker.
Worst match: Ric Flair vs Rowdy Roddy Piper.
Show verdict: Thumbs in the middle. Apart from the opener, the rest of the action made for pretty good viewing. See you next week. Shaun.
If anyone wants to sound off, chew the fat or talk wrestling get in touch. Comments/praise/feedback/criticism/discussion points please direct to shaunmb1@hotmail.com.
