WWE Vintage Collection Report: 10th August 2008
By Shaun Best-Rajah.com Reporter
Hosted by: Mean Gene Okerlund
Welcome aboard. It's two for the price of one this week, as we cram in two SummerSlam's worth of action. Unfortunately, there is no Ultimate Warrior or Randy Savage footage on show. No surprises there. Do not despair though, as we do get to see the best of the rest, with five matches in the can. Up first we're off to Philadelphia for SummerSlam 1990 and for the first half of that year's double Main Event. The commentators are Vince McMahon and Rowdy Roddy Piper.
Hulk Hogan w/Big Boss Man vs Earthquake w/Dino Bravo & Jimmy Hart
The recently turned face Big Boss Man was seconding Hogan as a sub for Tugboat, who was 'injured' at the hands of the Quake. Hogan had just returned from 'injury' too, after having his ribs crushed by the massive Quake a few months earlier. Earthquake was in the midst of his biggest career push. This one is joined in progress. Hogan gets to the ropes to escape a Quake boston crab. Hogan rolls to the outside, where Bravo punishes him with a slam. Back inside, Earthquake slams and misses an elbow. Hogan tries a slam, but Quake falls on top of him for a nearfall. Earthquake gets Hogan in a long bearhug. In desperation, as he struggles to get free, Hogan rips off part of referee Earl Hebner's shirt. After punching free, Hogan staggers Quake with several shoulder tackles. Quake catches a cross body attempt and slams Hogan to the mat. Quake delivers two vertical splashes, Hogan kicks out at two and Hulks up. Hogan uses punches and a big boot to soften Quake, before finally slamming him. Hogan drops the leg, as both Bravo and Boss Man climb onto the apron. Jimmy Hart breaks up the pin. Hogan corners Hart before press slamming him onto Earthquake. Boss Man disposes of Bravo, as Quake pulls Hogan to the outside. Quake holds Hogan for a Jimmy Hart megaphone shot, but Hogan moves and Quake takes the hit. Hogan slams Quake onto a table and gets back in the ring to beat the count. Here is Your Winner via Countout: HULK HOGAN. Post match sees Quake trap Hogan in a tree choke. Boss Man whacks Bravo with a chair, then unleashes several hard shots to Quake's back. At first, Quake doesn't flinch, but as the nasty welts on his back build up, Quake relinquishes his grip on Hogan. Boss Man produces his nightstick to finally clear the ring and cue a celebration with Hogan. Earthquake was impressive here.
The Rockers vs Power & Glory w/Slick
Prior to the event, Shawn Michaels suffered a knee injury and could barely walk. WWE turned this into an angle, as, before the match even started, Power and Glory take out Michaels' knee with Hercules' chain. Michaels spends the entire bout sprawled on the outside, leaving Marty Jannetty to fight alone. Power and Glory formed, as a result of the bland peril Paul Roma and Hercules found themselves in as faces. Here, Jannetty rallied early on with hiptosses, a double dropkick and double noggin knocker. The numbers game finally catches up with Jannetty, as Power and Glory deliver their bland offense, with lots of punches. Small hope spots from Jannetty are immediately shut down by double team tactics from Power and Glory. Michaels' attempts to get up result in him getting kicked back down again. Hercules delivers a press slam while Roma gives Jannetty several backbreakers. Jannetty gets a powerslam on Roma, a crescent kick to Hercules and top rope fistdrop on Roma. Hercules breaks up a cover. Jannetty receives a double flapjack. As Hercules delivers a superplex, Roma comes off the opposite corner with a splash onto Jannetty. Roma arrogantly places a foot on Jannetty's chest for the 1-2-3. Here Are Your Winners: POWER & GLORY. After the match, the heels attack Michaels' knee some more, before referees intervene and Michaels gets loaded onto a stretcher. Power and Glory's push ended at WrestleMania VII when they jobbed out to Legion of Doom inside two minutes. Roma disappeared toward the end of 1991 and Hercules was released in early 1992. Hercules then went onto WCW and became the masked Super Invader. After a brief tenure there, Hercules faded away before his recent death from a heart attack.
Next up comes the SummerSlam 1991 portion. SummerSlam 1991 emanated from MSG and the commentators are Gorilla Monsoon, Rowdy Roddy Piper and Bobby Heenan.
Million Dollar Title
Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase w/Sensational Sherri vs Virgil
We get the backstory of Virgil finally standing up for himself at Royal Rumble 1991. Tired of DiBiase's verbal abuse, Virgil smashes his boss in the face with the Million Dollar title. Virgil has laid down this challenge and we join the match in progress. Sherri has already been sent to the back, for outside interference. Virgil turns the tables on DiBiase with several head rams to the corner. Virgil lands a series of punches, an Irish whip and an eleven punch assault in the corner. The treacherous DiBiase whips Virgil into referee Earl Hebner to turn the tide. DiBiase taunts Piper at the announce booth as he punishes Virgil with three vertical suplexes and a piledriver. Angry that there's no-one to count the pin, DiBiase kicks Hebner back down again. DiBiase removes the turnbuckle padding and picks up a groggy Virgil. After getting trash talked, Virgil manages to counter and ram DiBiase's head into the exposed steel twice. Both men fall down, Hebner lays a count on both. At eight, Virgil crawls into a cover and gets the duke and the belt. Here is Your Winner: VIRGIL. Virgil would keep the belt until just before Survivor Series, where DiBiase regained it, following an assist from the Repo Man. DiBiase was great here and carried Virgil to a good showing.
Jailhouse Match
Big Boss Man vs The Mountie w/Jimmy Hart
The loser of this match was to go straight to jail. Mountie talks trash to start so Boss Man knocks him on his ass. Boss Man wins a punch exchange then drills Mountie with a backelbow and a splash. Boss Man lands a running spike in the ropes, before slipping out to punch Mountie back down again. Boss Man catches Mountie coming off the second rope and dumps him with a spinebuster. Boss Man applies a head vice, but gets distracted by Jimmy Hart's taunts on the megaphone. Boss Man stalks Hart on the outside, which allows Mountie to sneak up from behind and shove Boss Man into the ring steps. Back from commercials, Jimmy Hart distracts the referee and Mountie misses an attempt to zap Boss Man with his cattle prod. A Boss Man uppercut sends the cattle prod flying. Mountie shows tenacity by kicking out of a Boss Man slam at two. Mountie trips Boss Man then attempts a piledriver. Boss Man blocks and counters with an alabama slam, to knock the wind out of the Mountie for the 1-2-3. Here is Your Winner: BIG BOSS MAN. The post match fun sees Mountie getting cuffed and led away to the slammer. We see him get a mugshot and his fingerprints taken. I loved watching this match again. Mountie's acting was great and Boss Man was at the height of his popularity. Fortunately, edited off the show was Mountie getting propositioned by his cellmate.
Tag Team Titles: No DQ, No Count Out
Nasty Boys w/Jimmy Hart vs Legion of Doom
LOD pummel the Nastys from the get-go. Animal gives Knobbs a powerbomb, while Hawk hits Sags with an enziguiri kick and flying shoulder tackle. Hawk punishes Knobbs until Sags sprays something in his eyes. Blinded, Hawk rolls to the outside where Sags smashes a drinks bowl across his back. The Nastys double team Hawk and choke him with the tag rope. Sags throws Hawk's head into the ring steps. Back from commercials, Hawk is still being worked over. Sags whips Knobbs into Hawk in the corner, before Sags drops an elbow from the top rope. Knobbs dives off the second rope, right into Hawk's boot, to enable the hot tag. Animal comes in with clotheslines and punches galore. Knobbs receives a powerslam and now all four men are in. Sags gets rid of Hawk and Animal gets double teamed. Jimmy Hart tosses Sags his helmet. Animal ducks, Sags puts the brakes on and does well to not hit his partner. Sags cracks Animal across the back with the helmet, Knobbs covers, but Animal throws him off and out of the ring at a two count. Hawk grabs the helmet off Hart, cracking Knobbs then Sags. LOD hit the Doomsday Device on Sags and get the duke. New Tag Team champions. Oh what a rush!!! Here Are Your Winners: LEGION OF DOOM. Good match.
Okerlund wraps things up to end the show.
Best match: Big Boss Man vs The Mountie.
Worst match: The Rockers vs Power & Glory.
Show verdict: Thumbs up. Most of SummerSlam 1990 has already been repeated in various shows in the last year, so it was smart to combine two events here. I'm glad that a big chunk of SummerSlam 1991 was replayed, as that is one of my favourite PPVs ever. I enjoyed everything on today's show bar the Rockers/Power & Glory match. Shame they couldn't fit in the Bret Hart/Mr Perfect match. Looks like it'll be SummerSlam 1992 next week. If so, I don't think we'll be seeing the Warrior/Savage match. We'll probably get Crush vs Repo Man instead. Catch you later, 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.
